Pov Elena:
Currently, I am in a room with two couches facing each other, awaiting the arrival of the Ice Phoenix sect master.
During my week-long stay, I have been able to interact with a few female disciples, especially Aveline, who is possibly the prime candidate to join my cause if I can persuade her properly.
My impression of the sect is that it has a lot of potential, but this potential is limited by their lack of resources. Although they tried to hide it, I could notice a serious lack in methods and tools for cultivation, a very strange thing if you ask me. Did some gamble leave them with nothing? Did a traitor steal from them earlier?
Attempting to inquire into such a delicate subject might affect the sensitivity of the sect, so I didn't mention anything. There will be time after the alliance I have in mind is effected.
Suddenly...
'Squeak'
When I heard the door opening, I made eye contact with Elizabeth, who was standing next to me.
Yes, I brought the little dragoness as a safe card in my deck. She will be the hard evidence in case any specific questions come up.
I also told her how to act in case unexpected situations arise, but that will only happen if things get nervous. For now, she will act as I instructed her in our quarters hours ago.
When I looked toward the door, I saw the sect master accompanied by Aveline and another disciple I had not seen in my travels through the sect.
The Ice Phoenix sect master looks like an imposing woman, with a presence that makes everyone around her feel small in comparison.
Her bluish hair reaches her waist and is styled in a long, thick braid that hangs over her right shoulder. Her eyes are a light sky blue color that seem to pierce anyone who looks directly into them. His skin is pale like the snow that surrounds the sect and he has an air of authority that makes no one dare question his leadership.
She wears a traditional sect costume, made of white and blue silk, with details embroidered in silver thread. She wears a jade belt around her waist, and her sandals are made of deerskin and have hardwood soles. Despite her elegant and sophisticated attire, her posture is firm and her movements are precise and decisive.
As for the disciple who came in....
The disciple in question appears to be a teenage girl with a calm and serene appearance. Her hair is short and blue, falling in soft waves down to her shoulders. Her light blue eyes appear to be deep and tranquil, conveying a sense of peace and calm.
She wears an outfit typical of a disciple of the Ice Phoenix Sect, with frost patterns carved into the sleeves and a leather belt wrapped around her slender, elegant body. She seems to be smiling softly, as if she has a secret or a private joke in her mind.
Returning to his eyes, did they convey wisdom to me? These eyes, ironically, reminded me of a mischievous woman I knew in my past life. That woman really got on my nerves because I simply couldn't fight her tricks.
Oh, I digressed, but my suspicions only grew when I saw her soft smile. So, to confirm, I gave the system a command to scan her and got an unexpected surprise.
[ Analyzing…]
[ Status Window – Native to the Immortal World ]
[ Name: Yukari Mei ]
[ Age: 1000 years old ]
[ Cultivation: Sovereign of Existence – beginning, (cultivation, without any alteration due to disease) ]
[ Aptitude: Yin, Ice ]- (Native-only line).
[ Body: Absolute Yin Body (not pure)]
[ Bloodline: Ice phoenix (commoner) – Silver fox (inferior)]
[ Constitution: N/A ]
[ Talent: Innocent cunning ]
[ Fate: Without the interference of outsiders, she was destined to die in 3 years because of a disease called "Immortal Spirit Regression" and the side effects of her body.]
"Fiuuu, you brought me a dinosaur disguised as a female disciple, plus she also possesses a rather curious disease." I thought rather surprised when I saw the status window that this apparent disciple flaunted.
"My apologies if we took too long, Princess Elena," said the sect master, positioning herself on the couch in front of us along with her 2 companions.
To which I quickly reacted by standing up and extending my hand for a cordial business greeting.
"No problem at all, sect master," I said, and after shaking hands, we sat down and began the meeting.
The topics were varied, you know, things related to the empire and cultivation, to which I responded without giving them much thought because in my mind I was asking about the illness this "girl" had.
"System, first of all, is it contagious?"
[ Analyzing…]
[ No, the disease can only be acquired under unusual circumstances.]
"Well, now, how do you cure it?", I asked the important thing.
[ Analyzing…]
[ Requesting information from the Heavenly Dao…]
[ Adapting response...]
[ It has no cure in the Immortal World, as the spiritual herb that can eliminate or mitigate its effects is extinct, and there is no indication that it will reappear.]
"… What are its effects?"
[ The affected person's body begins to experience an accelerated rejuvenation effect. At first, this may seem like a blessing, as the affected person will feel younger and more vigorous. However, over time, the effects become more and more extreme, to the point where the affected person reverts to his or her youth, even childhood.
As the process of rejuvenation continues, the affected person also begins to lose his or her memory and identity, becoming increasingly childlike and helpless. In the end, if a cure for the disease is not found, the affected person will eventually become a baby without reasoning ability or autonomy.]
"It reminds me of a certain movie from my home world…", I analyzed the information I got and ended up asking what I had in mind.
"Can Illios or can I cure the disease?"
[ Analyzing…]
[ Adapting response…]
[ If certain factors are combined, host Illios should be able to cure the disease with the help of cosmic energy.]
"What factors do you mean?", I asked, intrigued and excited to be able to get this woman as an ally.
[The constitution of the link is a necessary factor, as it allows energy to be transmitted to the linked partner and through the immortal world technique called "dual cultivation", they could transmit unique cosmic energy from the body of the star demon for treatment. ]
"Illios told me at some point about that other constitution, but truth be told I didn't even remember it, to think it would have that effect..." I thought.
"Well, I guess we should talk about the reason the princess came all the way here," said the sect master.
When I heard this, my brain turned its full attention to her next words.
"Princess, I have already received some details of your proposal, but I would like to hear it from your own words," the teacher said to me with a serious face.
I guess she doesn't believe it or is of the opinion that we have another ulterior motive. Well, that's understandable, since there is no record of the false promise I made up.
"Sure, the proposal is very simple. Illios will marry some women from his Ice Phoenix sect, he will provide resources and other methods that will optimize his sect, and you will support him when the time comes," I said.
I said it as simple and understandable as possible, this way there will be no misunderstandings and problems concerning my idea.
"..."
"As you will see, princess, we can't just send our valuable people, just like that, therefore, we have decided to send this girl whose name is Yukari," the sect master said and pointed to the "disciple" standing next to Aveline.
"She had a tragedy a few years ago where she lost the love of her life. And although she has slowly been recovering from that trauma, we know that it is better to change her environment. And in order not to lose an amazing and talented girl into the jaws of depression, we think it's a good idea to send her to the prince for evaluation," the teacher continued.
"So that's the backstory to justify your lack of purity, huh? You have to know that it's not forbidden to have a partner in the Ice Phoenix sect, but there are certain problems for women who practice cold or Yin elements, which can affect you or your partner," I thought.
"We hope the prince doesn't despise her for her lack of purity," the sect master said, a little nervously, as Yukari nodded gently.
I doubt very much that Illios would think of such little things, since he was even willing to sleep with the maidservants of the imperial palace, which I highly suspect are not pure.
"The prince will not despise any woman who belongs to the Ice Phoenix sect as long as she meets a minimum of dignity, so Yukari, you can be sure that we will accept you warmly if you decide to join our side," I told them and smiled softly in the girl's direction.
She just nodded, and then we began to discuss some details about her visit to the mansion to meet Illios. I must admit, I almost thought I wouldn't use any of my safe cards for this conversation.
"May I speak?" said Yukari in a soft voice.
"Sure," I replied before the sect master spoke.
"You said that Prince Illios expected some of my sisters to become his wives, but wouldn't that have problems with the Yin elements we practice?", Yukari asked me with a bit of concern.
I guess in the end I did have to pull out my safe card: Elizabeth, who by the way was asleep on the couch next to me. I picked her up and put her on my lap, slowly waking her up.
"Well, here's proof that there won't be any trouble," I said as I woke Elizabeth, who gave me a dirty look for a moment before acting like an innocent child.
"Meet Elizabeth, and if all goes well, she will be your stepdaughter," I said to Yukari, but oddly enough, the one who reacted the strongest was the sect master.
"Princess, are you telling me that she is the prince's daughter?" she asked a little nervously.
"Correct, this girl is the fruit of the love between my brother and another beautiful woman that we are not going to talk about," I said, emphasizing at the end to indicate that it was not the right time to talk about that subject.
Unlike the sect master, Yukari just stared at Elizabeth, but I knew she was trying to scan her with her senses. Unfortunately, I don't think it will work because Elizabeth has the body of a full star demon, which means she is heavily shielded.
Not caring about her reactions, I gave instructions to the little dragon, who was annoyed.
"Little Elizabeth, show your talents," I said in a very kind and loving way.
The little dragon looked at me with a rather strange expression before following my orders.
Boom, boom!
Little Phoenix flames formed in her hands, which provoked different reactions from those present. Aveline reacted a bit curious, but without much surprise, while the sect master's eyes widened a bit.
But what mattered most to me was Yukari's reaction, who seemed to drop her disguise for a moment as she squinted her eyes, denoting that she at least had knowledge of the power of these small flames.
This was not the end of Elizabeth's show, however, for as she extinguished the flames in her hands, a cold aura spread through them and soon after small blue ice cubes formed.
When Elizabeth showed her talent with the ice element, I could see how they all opened their eyes wide, showing their absolute surprise. I even found it curious how they all seemed to have the same expression on their faces.