Chapter 27: Rumor
"So that's how it is"
"Yes, they simply wouldn't take no for an answer."
"No worries, you can put this matter behind you, I'll have someone keep watch of your daughter."
Baron Morgan could finally sigh in relief as he heard Sophia's words. He and the Princess had a moment to speak after everything had settled down and he had given her the details of the past few days.
However, there was one thing that he couldn't get off his mind. Looking to the corner he saw a young man laying on the floor, his arms clutching his stomach and to his left and right his own daughters! They were tending to him without a care in the world!
'Agh~ What did you expect', the Baron sighed to himself while looking at Aaron.
Aaron who had been on the floor for the past few minutes was shocked by how violent Sophia was.
After she had realized what he said, she immediately went to strike his face! However, at the last second she hesitated and aimed for his stomach instead! She had even infused Qi into her attack, he couldn't evade!
"Hahaha, Master you were asking for it.", Elliot said while looking pitifully at Aaron.
"Urgh~", Aaron could only groan as he began to sit up. He took a deep breath then glanced over at the person who had assaulted him.
"What?", Sophia snorted.
"Did you need to be so forceful?", he groaned.
"I don't think it was enough!"
"It was just a kiss, you're overacti-"
Bang!
Sophia had actually moved over to Aaron and kicked him in the stomach again before he could finish!
However this time he was ready, the spot where her foot hit had shattered into ice right before the impact.
"Hehehehe, fool me once!"
"....you really are strange", Sophia's eyes grew wide as she stared at the scene in front of her.
Not only her, everyone else was shocked as they still couldn't understand what sort of ability this was. Aaron's body actually appeared to be made of ice! No matter how many times the saw it, they still couldn't make sense of it, even less so was Sophia who was seeing it for the first time.
However, she quickly regained her composure and snorted as she looked at Aaron.
"Just know the only reason I helped you is because you saved my sister. The fact that she gave you that medallion is enough for me to trust you...but!!! If you dare mess with her behind my back I'll make you pay!", Sophia suddenly said.
Aaron simply shrugged and smiled as his body recovered, his behavior causing her eye to twitch.
Sophia still couldn't believe that this brat had actually stolen her sisters lips!
How audacious!
Who did he think he was?!
Sophia was by nature incredibly protective of her sister, she was well aware of how beautiful Miara was. The moment she had heard Aaron say he kissed her she lunged out! However, at the last moment before she hit him, she found that she actually didn't want to strike him in the face!
'Dammit, don't think you can hide behind your looks forever!', she cursed in her head as she looked at his smug face.
"I'll be taking my leave now, remember to never lose that medallion!", Sophia snapped as she turned to leave.
Baron Morgan, his daughters, and the guards all following to see her off, Aaron and Elliot trailing behind.
Sophia began to hover slowly into the air before turning around to glance one more time at Aaron.
"What are your plans?", she suddenly asked.
"I was going to take some missions from the guild after visiting some friends.", he replied non nonchalantly
"You're an Adventurer?"
"Yea, F Rank to be specific."
"What?!",The guards behind Aaron suddenly exclaimed. They couldn't believe that Aaron would be F rank after everything thing they had witnessed him do.
"F rank? How are you F rank?", Sophia asked curiously as she stared at Aaron.
He had taken down two Earth realm cultivators without any effort from what she had heard, this should easily make him a middle B ranked Adventurer.
"It's complicated", Aaron shrugged as he answered.
He knew it was because he had no cultivation and couldn't be measured by their standards. However, explaining all of this would be to much of a hassle so he just chose to keep quiet. He had other plans on how to raise his rank.
"Hmm..everyone has their secrets I suppose. But...here is a bit of advice, you can use that medallion to take higher level missions.", Sophia suddenly said as she smiled sweetly at Aaron.
Aaron however felt a sudden chill run through his body as he looked at her. For some reason he felt that her words weren't as simple as they appeared.
Sophia smiled at than quickly took the the sky and left.
'Hehehe, hopefully he takes a mission that'll get him out of the Capital.'
She laughed to herself as she flew towards the Palace. She hoped Aaron would take a mission that would get him away from Miara for long enough so that she could release her from his hold!
She wouldn't let him win!
Back down in the manor, Baron Morgan could finally relax after Sophia had left. Today's events were not something he could have anticipated in a hundred years. He was worried about the Deep Wave Sect coming back for revenge but after getting The Princess word he felt at ease.
Nonetheless, he had still manged to lose his eldest daughter as well as his youngest daughter!
Looking over towards Amber and Veronica who were all smiles as they spoke with Aaron he could only grit his teeth. To think that both of his daughters would be entrapped by this unlucky star! He didn't know what to do, he could only sigh and hope that this little devil would leave as soon as possible.
"Aaron, are you really planning on taking a mission so soon?", Veronica asked as she looked at Aaron with a new light. The strength he displayed today had shocked even her, she realized that she really knew nothing about him at all.
"Yea, I was planning on visiting the others before though."
"That'll probably be a problem.", Veronica replied.
"Why? Did something happen to them too? You guys are really all unlucky.."
"Hehe, maybe it's you Master?", Elliot suddenly interjected while chuckling.
"Of course its not that serious. It's just that Andrew and Josh both have family affairs they need to tend too and Jasmine seems to have been summoned by her father to go to the Palace. So it'll probably be tough to see them for the next few days.", Veronica responded with a smile.
She was glad that Aaron had wanted to see the rest of the Red Bands, this made her feel as if he had taken them as real friends.
"So that's how it is. Then I can just take a mission first, this is also a good time for me to train", he replied.
Even though Aaron was calm he still had a feeling that he couldn't rely on his Logia powers to avoid all threats that came his way. He knew he needed to start focusing on his Six Styles and Haki in order to increase his strength, this would also be a good way to train Elliot up. Also after today he had one more thing he wanted to master, that was channeling his logia abilities through his strings, being able to freeze one or multiple people without having to make contact would greatly increase his fighting abilities!
Aaron couldn't help but start to become excited as he thought of increasing his strength. No matter how laid back he was, he still couldn't get the idea of being able to travel where ever he wanted without worries out of his head!
After witnessing Ashur and Sophia's strength he understood very well that he still had a long way to go. He would have to start taking his training seriously from now on, he can't always except someone to come and rescue him.
As Aaron was lost in his thoughts he was suddenly woken up by a voice.
"Your leaving so soon?", Amber gently said.
"Ah...yea, now that I know Veronica is OK, I should leave. I have things I need to do and I don't wish to impose.", he responded with a smile.
"It's no prob-", Amber started before her father jumped in.
"Amber you heard our young friend here, he's clearly busy. We mustn't trouble him", he said with his chest puffed out.
"Don't worry, I don't plan on never visiting. After all Veronica is a good friend, I'll try to come by as much as I can", Aaron said while smiling awkwardly at Amber.
'Dammit! No! Don't come back!', Baron Morgan cursed in his heart.
"Alright, I'll be leaving now, I'll see you soon. Elliot lets go!", Aaron suddenly said to Elliot as he started making his way towards the gates.
Veronica who was watching Aaron leave had wanted to offer to go with him but couldn't bring it up. She felt as if she would burden Aaron if she were to accompany him, so she decided it would be best to just stay back.
Everyone watched the two of them leave and couldn't help but stare at the strange pair who had left as suddenly as they appeared.
One could truly not judge a book by it's cover.
Main Street Of Emerald City
Today was like any other for Larson, he was doing his usually patrol with nothing to exciting happening as per usual.
However
Just about 30 mins earlier a beam of red light had traveled over two parts of the city and then vanished!
No one knew what caused it but some were saying that two Sky Realm experts had battled in the Noble district!
To think two Sky Realm cultivators would dare do battle in the Capital! This was big news!
Some cultivators around the area had said that they were sure that one of the cultivators was One-eyed Ashur! His heavy Qi was not something that could easily be forgotten and those who had meet him before were adamant it was him.
However, no one truly knew what had happened.
"I wonder if we'll find out who it was.", one of the guards on patrol with Larson said.
"Who know, I doubt anyone would so brazenly fight under the King's watch.", Larson replied.
"But what could that red beam have been? There was no Fire Qi being emitted from it yet it glowed as it were red hot."
"Maybe some profound skill? Sky realm cultivators are after all, something we can only hope to understand.", Larson sighed.
He and the rest of the patrol guards were only between mid to peak core formation realm and could only imagine the sort of mystical and profound techniques those at the sky realm possessed.
"Alright, there's no need for us to worry about that. We just need to do our j-", Larson began speaking to the others only to suddenly hear a commotion coming from around the corner.
"What's going on?", one of the guard asked out loud.
"Let's go find out.", Larson said as he began walking forward.
The group quickly reached the end of the street only to be meet with a bizarre scene.
Two richly dressed women surrounded by a large crowd were actually fighting in the streets!
Scattered around them on the floor were another five women, all unconscious!
"W-What's going on here?!", Larson suddenly yelled as he ran towards the crowd.
As they approached the scene they could clearly hear the two women going back and forth at each other.
"You bitch, do you think he would waste his time on some merchant's daughter?! I'm the daughter of a Viscount, you can't compare!"
"Pah! You're fat and ugly is what you are! He would never even give you the time of day!"
"Argh!!! Take this!"
The two once again started throwing punches and kicks at one another, their attacks were ferocious!
The two of them both had guards with them, however they could only watch and were unable to do anything to stop the two young women from going at it.
"W-What are they going on about?", one of the patrol men asked as he heard them speak.
"I-is this over a guy?", another responded after hearing the conversation.
Larson was also looking at the scene in front of him in confusion but wasn't sure what to do. He had recognized both of the two young women, one was the daughter of an incredibly wealthy merchant and the other a noble. He didn't want to get involved in this if it was truly just over a man, he walked over to a street vendor and hoped to get some answers from him.
"What do you want?", The man who had his shoulder suddenly grabbed turned and asked in annoyance.
"I'm with the city guard, what's happening here?", Larson said sternly
"City guard?", the man looked at Larson and realized he was indeed part of the city guard after seeing his armor and badge.
"As you can hear for your self, they're arguing over a guy.", he sighed as he explained to Larson.
"Are you serious?"
"Yea, that's what I've heard anyway. Apparently there's a rumor going around that a young man so stunning, they say he must have been blessed by The Heavens has been seen walking around the city. They say that anyone who catches a glimpse of him will be blinded be his sheer radiance! These women are apparently fighting over him! Can you believe that?", the man snorted towards the end.
"Bull! No one is that perfect!", Larson suddenly shouted.
"That's not all", a woman suddenly spoke up.
"What do you mean?", Larson asked curiously.
"Apparently not only is he handsome beyond compare, he is actually draped in gold!" Gold!", she shouted.
"What sort of nonsense are you spouting woman?" Draped in gold? Is he The King?", the man snorted.
"Old man, no one was talking to you!", she shot back.
"Enough, is that really what you've heard?"
"Yea, apparently it's a young man no older than 15 maybe 16. He's being followed by his servant and seems to be heading towards the Adventurers Guild."
"Thanks for the information. Let's go see if the rumors are true", Larson said to the others as he and the rest of the guards left the two women to their own and began heading towards the Adventurer's Guild.
What Larson didn't know was that similar occurrences were happening in other places of the city causing other patrol teams to also began making their way towards the guild.
In the city, a rumor was flying abound.
An Angel had descended!