With their dealings with the Marquis now over, the Zhen Clan members didn't have anything else planned.
They had assumed it would take a few days to secure the Aquarii core for Zhen Hai, even with Zhen Yan's connection with Alexander. High grade cores were rare, cores from beasts not native to the area were even harder to find. Thanks to the Marquis however, they had managed to secure their goal and then some.
They were about to make haste and leave for Stone Claw City that evening, but they were stopped by Alexander.
"Hey now, y'all just got here this morning! No need to rush home so quickly. At least spend a few days to recoup a bit and relax."
"But we hadn't arranged lodgings for our-"
"No problem! We have plenty of empty guest rooms at the estate, enough for everyone in your party to have their rooms."
"Oh no, we couldn't old friend."
"But I insist."
"But we can't."
"But you should.'
This back and forth went for quite some time until it was agreed that the Zhen Clan would spend at least three days in town as the guests of the Goldshire family.
While the Goldshire Estate wasn't as big as the Marquis's, it was big enough that it gave Zhen Liu space to do his thing in private. Well...mostly in private.
_________________________________________________
"And here is the training room," Alicia stated as Matilda opened the door to an empty yet sturdy looking room. "Don't worry about breaking anything, the room is made of materials that can take the full force of a First Ring Aether Grandmaster without so much as a crack forming."
"Really? Damn, this is a nice place," Zhen Liu commented as he, Jin Fang and Mini entered the training room after Alicia.
Nestled between Zhe Liu's arms was the Razor Maiden puppet's box.
Once they were all inside, Matilda closed the door behind them.
"She's joining us?"
"Part of the contractual stipulation with Matilda's agency is master confidentiality," Alicia explained.
"What does that mean?," Jin Fang asked.
"Even though it's the Goldshire family that pays me, I am Alicia's maid first and foremost," Matilda answered. "As long as my life isn't forcibly endangered by her, I am not obligated to say anything to anyone."
"Huh...okay, that's...convenient," Zhen Liu observed. "Well then, let's do this thing. Y'all step back please."
"Huh?"
"Trust him," Alicia and Jin Fang said synchronously as they stepped back to the wall. Matilda followed shortly after.
[Alright you two, come on out.]
[Finally.]
[Okay...]
Zhen Liu's earring and bracelet began to glow with light, the former blue while the latter red, as aether circulated through them. A few moments later, the accessories moved themselves off of Zhen Liu's body, and transformed into Nepherage and Frosttusk, who both began to do some stretches.
[I hate being in carry mode for so long.]
[Sore...]
"My word! So these are the so-called 'kaijin'. Remarkable," Matilda commented. Both Jin Fang and Alicia looked at her in shock.
"Why do you kn-"
"I read it in your dream journal ma'am. I apologize for that," Matilda answered. As soon as those words left her lips, Jin Fang looked confused while Alicia began to blush.
"Uhh..."
"Dream journal?"
"Correct. Although...I don't see how that red horned one could-"
"Matilda, stop talking."
"Yes ma'am."
As the kaijin continued their stretches, Zhen Liu opened the box and held aloft the Razor Maiden puppet with a distrusting look in his eyes. Zhen Liu had exactly zero trust in the Marquis de Howlite's gift, but he had a good reason to.
Zhen Liu had initially thought that he was judging a book by its cover a bit too harshly, that he was just surface level creepy and was really nice at heart. But then he saw that old musician who attacked Alicia, Harriet and Jin Fang walking through the Marquis' Manor and when he got the [Lust Core] after the Marquis began staring at his girlfriend...
He couldn't help but assume that maybe the Marquis left a trap or a tracker or...something.
'Alright then, Marquis. Let's see if you rigged this thing to try and kill me.'
[You two done stretching?]
[Aye milord.]
[Yes...]
[Good, now let's see what happens.]
Isekai Rule#30: If you think something is a trap, prepare for it anyways even if there's a hint of doubt.
From what Zhen Liu could remember, aether puppets only became active once they had become imprinted with the owner's aether. The fact that this Razor Maiden didn't have one meant that the Marquis either erased it or never had done so in the first place.
'Ya know...I think this is my first time using an actual puppet... let's see how this goes.'
Zhen Liu stood there, Razor Maiden in hand as he began to attempt to channel his aether into it...only for nothing to happen. This persisted for a solid five minutes before Jin Fang and the others noticed something was wrong.
"Xiao Liu? Is everything alright?," Jin Fang asked.
"Yeah...," Zhen Liu weakly replied, "I just remembered that my channels are jacked up. Can't make an imprint on this thing." Evidently, imprinting on an aether puppet is hard to do when the only way one can channel aether is through some weird magic connections with monster men...as far as he knew.
"Oh no..."
"Wait, have you tried using your left hand for this?," Alicia followed up. Jin Fang and Matilda both looked at her a little funny, but for different internal reasons. "What? Like father says, it's only stupid if it doesn't work."
'Huh...it can't be that simple...can it?'
Experimentally, Zhen Liu tried circulating his aether through the symbol on his left palm just to see what would happen. A small burst of white colored aether came out of his hand when he did.
'Huh...welp, let's do this thing then.'
Zhen Liu placed his left hand on the Razor Maiden and began to channel aether through his hand and into the puppet. A strange feeling came over him as he felt him and the puppet becoming connected.
'Huh. This is going a lot easier than I-'
'Say what now?'
After this warning was given, the Razor Maiden puppet started to twitch.