"So, what will you do in the future? Are you going to stay in Elkom Territory?" Sophia asked.
Ryker was stuck in a dilemma. After all, the plan is to go to the core territory in the future, maybe in just 6 more weeks or so.
"No," he decided to be honest, "In the future, in 6 weeks, I will go to the core territory,"
Sophia sighed, though Ryker could tell she was disappointed. "Can't I change your mind?" she asked.
Ryker shook his head, "No because my goal is to get stronger. In the future, I might even go to the Core Region," this earned a gasp from the servants and Sonet.
The Core Region is known to be the best place for cultivation in any of the Realms, and no normal people could help to go to the place unless one is born there. Only the truly powerful could hope to go there someday.
"Why? Why do you want to be stronger when just being a Sovereign expert would have made you an overlord in Boluron continent?" she pointed out.
Ryker went silent before taking out a small object, one Sophia recognized as a small mansion. He threw the object to the ground before pointing his palm at the object.
Soon, a portal was formed. "Enter and you will understand," Sophia did just that, with the other four following her as well.
-x-
When Sophia opened her eyes, she expected a lot of things. What she did not expect was to be sent to another space, with a huge mansion forming the center of the space.
"This is the Hidden Ancient Mansion," she did not jump when Ryker suddenly appeared behind her.
"This is our home whenever we travel, and there is no city nearby," he said before walking inside.
"This spatial artifact could even hold a living being for a prolonged amount of time, while in the small form," Sophia wanted to ask how, after all, she never learned of any spatial artifact of such small size that could hold a living being. Only those in a large size like her carriage or a spatial room could hope to do so.
Yet such a small object could keep living creatures, and from the way he said, it could keep them alive.
"The Mansion could also turn into a larger form, allowing people to enter through the normal way," she looked at him in shock once more, clear disbelief on her face. After all, something like a spatial artifact that could become big or small, is just unheard of unless a really powerful artifact.
"Who are you?" Sophia asked though it had a different connotation.
"I don't know," he answered, "I only knew I was born on an island, and I have parents. I also have siblings. Anything else, especially my parents' past, is something I don't even know. They hide their past and I am traveling across the worlds in the hope of seeking any clue that will help me learn of their identity,"
Sophia looks at him in pity. Now she knew why he was so adamant about becoming strong. After all, only with strength could one hope to travel the different continents and realms without dying.
"This is important to you, isn't it?" she already knew the answer even if he did not speak of it.
"Yes, after all, there is a lot of mystery regarding my parents. They are the ones to give me this spatial artifact, one that requires me to become stronger to allow gain access to more functions," Ryker exclaimed. She merely nodded before walking away.
The others followed her, though they did have complicated looks.
-x-
As all of them exited, they saw the others look at them with a grimace, "So you learned of the truth," Ina exclaimed.
"Yes, it is just. To heavy. I will need some time to comprehend what he told me," Sophia said, before sitting on the bed.
"Yeah, we are all the same. Especially about the mysterious parents," Ina nodded.
"By the way, do you know what happened to them?" the manager asked, to which the younger woman sighed.
"He never spoke much about them, though he did say they are no longer in this world," Sophia slightly gasped at the revelation.
"Looks like the only way he can learn about them is to ask the superpower, because I could not see them coming from any of the other regions except the Core Region," she said, Ina nodding in agreement as well.
"I cannot hope to go with you in the future. I am still needed here in the city," Sophia suddenly said, to which Ina sighed.
"I kind of expect one or more of my fellow sisters to be unable to follow him in his journey. To be honest, I thought it would happen a lot sooner. Not only now," she replied.
"Do you have any pills or potions to heal soreness and limps?" Ina asked out of a sudden.
"Yes, but why?" Sophia questioned her.
"Well, considering you will not join our travel, you should make your time with him as memorable as possible," the younger woman said cheekily.
Sophia did not get it at first but as her mind began to catch on to what she was saying, the older woman blushed profusely.
She pinched Ina's cheek, making her cry out in pain.
"Do you have to say it like that?!" she asked loudly, though it was hard to tell whether she was angry or just embarrassed by it.
"Well, it is true," Ina pointed out. After all, they would not spend that long here, so, she thought Sophia and the others better make sure there were no regrets when he left.
He will remember them, as will all of them but who knows how long before they come back to the city, so it is better to have no regret at the end of it.
"Fine," Sophia said with a sigh, before a large grin formed on her face.
"Besides, with more of us, even he could not handle many people at once," she said confidently, though she began to have doubt when Ina grimaced.
"I like to say I am confident about that... but," she looked away as remembered the memories of her night with Ryker.
"I thought the same thing whenever a new sister joined in, and we still get defeated by him in the bed,"
Now it's Sophia who began to worry about the near future.