Aldrian stared at the ceiling for a moment and sighed.
"It looks like I was so tired that I fell asleep." He scratched his head and stood up to stretch his body.
"But it's also good for me, I feel so much refreshed after a good sleep." He walked towards the balcony of his room to look at the scenery outside. The wind greeted his face as he stood outside, gazing at Balin. He spread his sense to his domain to assess the situation in the entire city. The city had already come to grips with what happened last night, and many talks and rumors were already spreading everywhere.
Some said the devils tried to seize Balin because they found hidden treasure there. Others claimed the great cultivator who defeated the hydra was one of the ten great swordmasters of the continent. Even rumors of orthodox and unorthodox cultivators being in cahoots with the devils circulated. Such rumors colored conversations since last night, continuing to grow. Despite this, the Balin authorities remained silent, only instructing people to continue their usual activities and reassuring them that the devil problem had been solved.
Aldrian could hear some of these conversations and found them amusing. He also noticed people trying to comprehend his sword will remnant, hoping they wouldn't hurt themselves trying to understand it. The remnant contained many of his comprehensions of energy and laws and also a simple yet difficult-to-materialize concept.
Knock knock
He heard a knock on his room door and turned to look at it before moving to open it. When he opened it, he saw a maid bowing and said to Aldrian,
"Young master, sorry if I'm disturbing you, but there is a gue—"
"There's no need to tell him. I'm the one who wants to talk to him, so I should be the one to come." The elf with golden hair and a short beard suddenly interrupted. The maid, who was about to report something, was shocked and bowed her head. Aldrian, seeing her reaction, was also stunned when he recognized the information of the elf in front of him.
"He is Elthar Evergreen without disguise?" he thought. But he cupped his hands to show respect.
"May I know who this mister is?" Aldrian asked.
"Ah yes, this is our first 'real' meeting after all. Let me introduce myself. I'm Elthar Evergreen, an envoy from the Evergreen imperial family. You can call me whatever you feel comfortable with."
Aldrian pretended to be shocked and instantly bowed his head. "This one feels humbled by your presence. I don't dare recklessly call your name, your excellency. I don't think I deserve such an honor from the Evergreen imperial family. If there is something you need, please tell me. I will try to fulfill it."
"Hahaha, no, no. It is we who should be grateful to you. Because of you, we prevented a major disaster that could have befallen this city. So, I represent the Evergreen imperial family, especially his majesty the emperor, to show our gratitude to you, little Aldrian. May I call you that?"
"Of course, you can call me whatever you want. It's just my duty to prevent the worst from happening, especially when it involves the devils. I feel it's my responsibility as a good cultivator, your excellency."
"What a humble young man you are. Strong and with an upright character, you embody the qualities a cultivator should have. Sigh, I wish those nobles had the same character as you." Elthar lamented. Aldrian, hearing his lament, remained silent.
"By the way, little Aldrian, can you accompany me for a walk?"
"Of course, your excellency." Aldrian said, glancing at Eleine, who had come out of her room and stood behind him.
"It's okay, older sis. I will be fine on my own."
"It must be Miss Eleine. You don't have to worry, Miss Eleine. I just want to borrow little Aldrian for a while and have a conversation with him." Elthar said with a smile, then started walking away, followed by Aldrian. Eleine watched them leave, lost in her thoughts.
"Isn't that the imperial teacher of the Evergreen imperial family? I don't think this is a small matter. Maybe the devil incident really shocked the imperial family. But why did the imperial teacher himself come?" She couldn't fathom the real situation but thought the presence of the imperial teacher was too much.
Aldrian and Elthar arrived at the garden behind the mansion. When there were only two of them, they sat on chairs facing each other with a small table in between. Elthar started the conversation.
"What do you think of the Ivory Empire?"
"I think I can't really answer that question because I haven't yet ventured through the entire Ivory Empire. But from my experience in Balin, even though it's not all rainbows in this city, the situation is peaceful, and many enjoy it."
"Yes, despite some shortcomings, peace is maintained, and the elves can live their lives here without disturbance or discrimination. In some places on this continent, elves can be hunted by others."
"That is horrible and unfortunate."
"Yes, despite our race's nature to lean more towards peace, the world is still filled with some bad seeds. So, we need the strength to protect our race from them. But on the other hand, because of them, we have strong bonds between family members and a greater appreciation for family, especially for elves whose population is not as large as humans." Elthar said, looking at Aldrian.
"If you don't mind me asking, where are your parents, or who are your parents, little Aldrian?" Elthar asked.
"My parents left me when I was a little child, leaving me and my older sister. So, I don't know where they are. As for who they are, I don't really know them, but I think they were just ordinary cultivators." Aldrian answered, lying through his teeth without batting an eye. However, Aldrian also felt a little truth in his answer. He really didn't know much about his parents' families. He only knew their names but not their family names, which didn't help because many had similar names. Whenever he tried to ask about their families, they always dodged the question with something else, so he let them be.
"I will learn about them now that I'm outside." he thought.
"I'm sorry if I made you remember an unpleasant memory," Elthar said.
"No, it's okay. That is already in the past."
"Then, what are your plans for the future?"
"As for now, I plan to venture out into the continent, wandering many places to widen my knowledge and view, so I don't have any specific purpose." Aldrian answered.
"That is also a good plan, to experience new things and broaden your perspective. But, little Aldrian, just for the Ivory Empire, you will need a long time to gain full experiences in all areas because its territory is so vast."
"That is true."
"So, I have a proposal for you. How about we provide all the necessary accommodations for you and your older sister to stay, and all your needs while you experience our empire?" Elthar suggested.
Aldrian, hearing the proposal, felt confused. "Why is the imperial family being so accommodating towards us? It's also the same here in the mayor's mansion—ah, I see. Since the beginning, our preferential treatment is because of the imperial family, but why are they so concerned about us?" he thought. He then tried to read the imperial teacher's mind and saw something strange. There was some kind of barrier surrounding Elthar's body, and Aldrian knew what it was.
"This is karma laws. He created a karma barrier to prevent unwanted karma from touching him." This was new to Aldrian and showed how profound Elthar's comprehension of karma laws was. He could try to breach the barrier, but it would alert Elthar, so he refrained from doing so.
"Is he the one elf who comprehends karma?" Without showing any of this on his face, he answered Elthar's proposal.
"It is an honor to receive such treatment from the imperial family, but may I know what the catch is? I know that with this kind of treatment, the imperial family wants something from us in return."
"Such a young man with a smart and mature demeanor. I really like you, little Aldrian. Yes, we need something from you."
"If it is within my power, I will help." Aldrian answered.
"Oh, it's nothing grand. We just need you to stay in the Ivory Empire's capital, Evergreen City, or at least within our empire's territory, for as long as possible."