Dawn, who was growing into a tall and slender beautiful woman, commented as their group walked down the mountain. "I can't believe that they let us go!"
The children were going out together for the first time to explore the sect. While they've been out before, it has been very occasional. Most of their childhood was spent in the mansion at the top of the Sect, training, learning, and spending time with their mothers.
Kaleina took the lead in their expedition. She looked at Dawn and grinned. "Perhaps it is because I am with you, little girls."
Aurelia spoke with a faint and formal smile. "Big Sister Kaleina and Big Sister Flame are here, and our maids are also here."
Kaleina couldn't help but feel amused. 'Little Sister Aurelia is nothing like Mama Angel. So calm and collected, hahaha. If I didn't know that Mama Angel was the mother, sometimes I would wonder if she was just Little Aurelia's sister.' Kaleina smirked. 'Little Aurelia is also 11… I can imagine the future already.'
Skye spoke loudly. "By the way, where are we going?"
Flame blinked and looked at the six young children. "You haven't planned it?"
The six of them shook their heads. Katarina spoke, her voice much more understandable than many years ago. It even had a softer female tone. "We just want to see the sect, so there is no objective."
Dianna was jumping around and looking at everything without stopping for a second. "Big sis! Big sis! Big Sis! Big sis!"
Kaleina laughed and asked. "What's wrong, Little Sister Dianna?"
Dianna ran around, her six wings and three tails bobbing around. "Do you think that we can find bad guys? What about good guys? I want to beat someone! I have become very strong!"
Kaleina clicked her tongue. "Strong? That's not a word that should be coming out from us, Little Sister. Only when you can beat Mommy or Mama will you call yourself strong!"
Dianna complained. "Eh…!? But that won't happen ever! Mommy is super duper, hyper, ultra, and mega strong, right? And, and, mama Kali can snap her fingers and make Aunty Valeria appear! How can I win!? I can't win! I can't win!"
Kaleina extended her hand, coating it with a very faint layer of Void Attribute to suction Dianna's head and stop the hyperactive fox dragon. "Hey, if you run around, you can get hurt. Stay close so that your maids don't need to get dizzy, okay?"
Dianna giggled. "My maids like playing tag with me! They won't get dizzy!"
Dianna's maids were walking behind, and they felt their lips twitching. While they loved their Little Miss with all their hearts, sometimes she was too much to handle. Of course, not in the sense that they couldn't catch her, but more in the sense that they couldn't make her stay in the same place for more than a few seconds.
After more than ten years of training, all of them had entered the Unification Realm and the equivalent Ethereal Soul Body Realm.
Unlike Yasenia's maids, who had focused on first reaching the peak in the Spiritual Path before starting the body path, the new maids practiced both paths and built them up together.
To begin with, to be hired as maids, they needed to be highly talented with great potential. So, the fact that all of them could learn both was not a surprise in the slightest. It was like being surprised that talented alchemists had shown up at a famous alchemist gathering.
Regardless, Kaleina spoke, placing her finger on her chin. "Well… Since none of you know where to go… How about we just explore at random? If any of you want to visit a shop, enter a building, or approach a roadstall, just ask."
The six of them answered at once. "Okay, Big Sister!"
When they arrived at the foot of the mountain, the children and maids crossed a massive gate that Yasenia and the rest built and finally entered the Core Elder resident area.
The sect was divided into ranks because hierarchy was essential for a working sect. The Sect Master Peak, so to speak, was at the deepest part of the Sect, while the highest-ranking elders lived in the nearby area.
Then, the Core Elders who trained the most talented Core Disciples lived right after the big shots of the Sect.
Other than this area, the rest of the sect was separated into the Core, Inner, and Outer sects. Each area had its own people, shops, and economy. There were areas where all the sect members converged, like the [Astral Sky Tower] or the cultivation areas in the surroundings.
Estrella and the rest of the children weren't that known in terms of appearance because of their infrequent public appearances. However, almost no children would walk out of that place. Especially not guided by Kaleina Dravory, Flame Dravory, and followed by a bunch of maids wearing the formal Astral Sky Clan maid outfits.
The second they got out, some almost got a heart attack, recognizing who they were. Conversations broke all around. "S-Sect Master's children!? I need to get to know them if I can!"
"Oh, my heavens! They are adorable!"
"As expected, Sect Master's children take after her! They look strong and have powerful presences!"
"Ugh! I want to give them a snack and pat their heads!"
"Someone, please block that pervert before they kill themselves doing something strange to Sect Master's children!"
Estrella blinked as she looked around. "I-I didn't remember people being so chatty… I can't hear what they are saying, though. What are they saying, Big Sister Kaleina?"
Kaleina's lips twitched, and she answered. "That every one of you is really cute."
Dianna giggled. "One of them wants to kidnap us!"
Katarina followed, sounding confused. "One of them wants to give us snacks?" Katarina looked at Kaleina and asked eagerly. "Can we get snacks?"
The Core Elders who heard Katarina had a nosebleed out of the cuteness radiating from her and fainted with happy smiles.
Speaking of Katarina and Dianna, while they had grown through the years, they were still around two meters in height. So, they could fit in these stores that were built for beast humans just fine. In the Astral Sky Sects, on average, doors were five meters tall, and not many were built just for human-sized species.
Kaleina couldn't help but caress Katarina's snout and nod. "Hmm, my little sister is too cute to say no! So, of course, we can! Let's get some snacks! A food shop around here…" Kaleina looked around and spotted a luxurious shop selling pastries. "Oh? We can go to that one!"
All the food businesses around were like jealous wives, biting their handkerchiefs in pure envy. Meanwhile, the beautiful and gentle-looking dog beast human who owned the pastry shop had an uncontrollable smile as she welcomed them. "Little misses! What do you want to eat?"
Kaleina smiled. "Let's see what you have, Madam. Thank you for the warm reception."
The madam almost clutched her heart at Kaleina's words. Her tail wagged uncontrollably behind her as she thought. 'Sect Master's children are all so well mannered. Ugh! I want to gift them pastries.'
"How about you take a few for free today, Miss Kaleina?"
Being faced with such an eager expression, it was difficult to decline, but Kaleina laughed and shook her head. "We will pay for everything, Madam. Thanks a lot for the offer, though. Mommy-" Kaleina coughed and corrected herself. "Mother and our other moms gave us money so that we learn a bit about spending.
The madam nodded like a pecking chicken. 'SHE CALLS SECT MASTER MOMMY!? KYAAA! Also, she is so well mannered that it makes those second-generation little lords look like absolute and disgusting tyrants!'
Meanwhile, Katarina and the other children looked at the pastries on the counter with curious eyes.
Estrella approached and pointed at one of the pastries that looked like a white and brown chocolate sword. "I want this one, Madam! How much is it?"
The dog woman basically teleported to Estrella's side with the gentlest smile on her face. "This one is a very popular one, Little Miss. What do you think about one Flawed-level Parus?"
Estrella blinked a few times, and Kaleina behind almost slipped when she heard the price. "Cough. Madam, please, fair prices."
The madam pouted, but she eventually gave the actual price. "It is one mid-level Parus, Little Miss." The madam explained the price. "The ingredients used are Earth Ranked, making it a delicious pastry that will give you a small temporary energy boost!"
Estrella tilted her head. "Temporary? Mommy's food gives permanent enhancements, though…"
That madam blinked as if her eyelids were having an epilepsy episode. "U-Um… Permanent? Like, they last a lot of months or something?"
Estrella shook her head. "Madam, the word permanent means forever!" Estrella explained. "Like, for all the time!"
The madam opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of the water, unable to answer for a long time. "...Oh. T-That's impressive."
Kaleina giggled behind them. "Madam. Our Mother is considered the second-best Spiritual Cook in the World. You shouldn't be surprised."
The madam asked back, baffled. "Who's the first?"
Estrella grinned. "Mama!"
'Mama?' The madam frowned and realized. 'If Mommy is Lady Yasenia… Mama is one of Lady Yasenia's wives?'
Looking closely at Estrella, the madam saw the blue eye and remembered Cecile and Angel. "Hm… Is your mama Lady Cecile or Lady Angel?"
Estrella tilted her head. "My Mama is Mama Tatyana! Also, here! One middle-level Parus!"
The madam's back instantly became covered in cold sweat as she accepted the money and took out the sword-shaped pastry. "I-I see. L-Lady Death Empress is a gorgeous and very powerful woman."
Katarina's voice liberated the madam from the difficult situation she thought she was in. "I want this one!"
"Right away, darling!" Then, she moved away and helped the rest of the children choose a pastry they liked.
Skye asked as she munched on a little pie. "Little Sis Aurelia, why didn't you get one?"
Aurelia spoke calmly and with a smile. "Too expensive."
The children blinked and looked at her. Dawn asked. "Really?"
Aurelia nodded. "One middle-level Parus is a lot compared to what we were given. We only have 100 middle-level Parus."
Dianna blinked and asked. "But, Big Sister. We have 99 more! We can buy 99 more pastries!"
Aurelia smiled. "Yes. But what if you find something that costs 100 middle-level Parus? You won't be able to buy it now."
Dawn and the rest got thoughtful, and they started discussing things together.
Meanwhile, Kaleina and Flame smiled behind them. They still clearly remembered the day they were in that coastal city, where they learned how rich Yasenia was. Kaleina sighed. 'Thankfully, Mommy teaches us economics, so it is easier to learn how to spend money.'
Walking down the street, the little ones observed with eager eyes. But nothing really called their attention. Soon, they were out of the Core Elder part of the sect and entered the Core Sect area, where disciples and other relatively high-ranking people lived.