Liquorice had been very excited upon hearing that she would be taken under the duke who had held a great position within Zou.
Although he had great political power over Zou, Genghis Baan was someone that had the individual and group power to hold his position and have great control over Sou.
Over the many years, he needed that kind of power to keep his position and to keep Zou from falling apart after the other two dukes had left for a long time.
There were many that were very grateful for his efforts of protecting the peace and maintaining order so there were many that looked up to him more than hey admired the other two dukes.
Liquorice was of a similar species as him so she had admired him all the more because Baan was able to stand above many predatory or carnivorous species of Minks that stood at the top of the animal kingdom.
It required a lot of effort to make him be able to maintain that position as a sheep species of Mink and he had been left alone with his own resources to help him reach his current stage while the other two dukes had lots of opportunities outside of Zou and did not have to deal with many of Zou's internal issues before they returned.
She smiled as she raised her fist. "I will work hard so that I can meet your and the duke's expectations!"
Pixel smiled a little as she said. "It is fine as long as you do not waste your opportunity. Not anyone can be given such a chance."
From the way that Baan had been talking about Liquorice, it was like he was excited by her species and was looking forward to meeting her so she recognised that his interest was out of the ordinary.
It was more like excitement of finding someone similar to himself or finding someone to pass what he has onto but still remaining cautious as his final decision has not yet been made.
The dukes were each without a wife due to their own circumstances and they lacked a proper successor, if they remained that way then the other noble families would fall into disarray as they will put pressure onto the duke families.
Without a legitimate heir or successor to the duke houses, once the dukes have passed away, the empty places would be left and a large void would be left unfilled within Zou.
Some would seek to fill that void out of necessity or greed but those that had relied on the dukes would be left without backing or support so they may be swallowed up by the surrounding influences during their grab for power.
Some family heads would receive lots of requests for marriage and other retainers, elders or branch families would voice their worries about there not being an heir and would often suggest marriage candidates of their own choosing so it was rare for the three dukes to still be without an heir.
Liquorice was someone that Baan had briefly heard about so he did not have that much of a definite answer towards whether she was suitable as his successor but he would consider it because he and she shared a similar species.
If she was able to show some potential, worked hard and did not have a bad character then he would have to consider it much more seriously.
At present he would take her on as his student and would see how things would go since he still had plenty of years left in his lifespan and could plan for any failures to his initial plans.
Pixel had placed a lot of hopes on Liquorice due to her becoming his pupil because Baan had a lot of influence and could be very helpful to her in many ways, it did not hurt to have a friend who was his student too rather than someone without any backing or influence.
Pixel had taken in people and given them opportunities without asking for anything, she did not need them to do anything for her besides being loyal and not betraying her but if they could offer some aid then she would be happy to receive it.
It was already enough to know that they were each living well as she had grown closer to her friends.
The children had all grouped together as they all hugged and garchu'd. "Garchu!"
Lots of small electrical sparks came off their cheeks as they rubbed together while Pixel who was at the centre of it had been receiving more Electro to store up in her body.
She stepped back and took a Pokéblock from the small bag on her waist. "Misty, you will be joining me and my mother but I have to remind you all not to slack on your main duties."
Over the time period that they had spent together, the one to have the most growth to their body was Misty.
Her legs, arms and her overall size had grown much longer and higher in height as she was very tall for a girl her age among the Mink tribe as her sloth species had made her that way.
Misty stood among the girls her age but she had to crouch down as they hugged each other. "I know. I may be a little lazy at times but I know how to use my energy efficiently."
Due to her sloth nature, she did have times when she was lazy and lay around to conserve her energy but when she was serious, she often displayed explosive power and excellent focus towards learning or whatever she set her mind to.
If Misty was known for her sloth species nature but had a slightly opposing nature at times when she got serious, Harley was known for her high talents and intelligence due to her fennec fox species but had a slightly quiet and reserved nature.
Liquorice was known for her timidness due to her sheep species but she did display times of bravery when put under pressure and when her friends needed help.
Each of them had their own personalities and quirks along with their own background or upbringing but soon they would have to adjust from their present routines that they had alongside Pixel as they got used to their new environments.
Each of them had a new chance to learn new things and prove themselves so that many of them could outgrow their current status or position within Zou and even Pixel was among those that would have to work just as hard to do so.
There was an opportunity for her to break free from the shackles of her own family so she excitedly looked forward to the days to come.