Voldrak had barely taken a few spoons from the bowl in front of him when he squeezed his face and drew back, sliding the bowl toward Floyda. With how quickly she gulped down her own bowl, it was clear that she wouldn't mind more. She bowed slightly before reaching out to start feasting on his bowl as though it were the most natural thing in the world—one might assume she had been a slave for most of her life.
Voldrak didn't speak until she was done, stacking both bowls on top of each other and placing them at the side of their table in the cookhouse they sat in. There was a small smudge of soup by her lips, and for a second, Voldrak recalled the strange ceremony that had taken place. His expression tightened as he felt the lower part of him respond in a way he couldn't say he liked.
To shift his train of thought elsewhere and mostly to figure out answers to the questions he had, Voldrak began to speak, glad that the restaurant was nearly empty and the only other people there were seated far enough away not to hear what he was about to say.
"I need you to give me a brief summary of the power system in this realm. The cities, villages, rulers—basically, I need to know the most powerful people!" Voldrak told her, thinking to himself, So I can kill them! And quickly.
Removing whatever impurity he had absorbed from Floyda's essence had been easy with the dark energy in his body, but what had surprised him most was the slight increase in his power. It had been small, but it had grown, which meant that if his dark powers could grow by feeding on others, then all he needed to do was feed them.
Floyda showed a mild look of shock and confusion the second he asked, as though she couldn't comprehend why he would ask something he should already know. She tried to mask it but failed. Regardless, she began to speak.
"In the world..." she began, and Voldrak had to resist the urge to correct her, knowing that her realm was simply a tiny part of it, even as he nodded for her to continue.
"There are five cities, each with a clan leader. This city is ruled by Adrani, while the others are Bortris, Vordia, Loibart, and Seraphi," she said, pausing to look at Voldrak before lowering her gaze and continuing. "They are the most powerful. Only heads of distinguished families are allowed near them."
"Still, no one can leave the clan without her permission."
"What about traders?" Voldrak asked, finding it hard to believe that goods weren't exchanged between clans, until he saw Floyda immediately shake her head in response, her brows squinting slightly in suspicion.
"The clans are always at war. They do not interact unless by war."
That explains it! Voldrak thought, his eyes straying to the strap of cloth that bound Floyda's chest and the piece of cloth that was simply wrapped around his waist, leaving his chest bare.
"One last thing," Voldrak said, realizing that he could ask the rest later when it didn't seem like Floyda was already forming conclusions of her own about why he didn't know anything about their world.
"Rank the strongest of the clan leaders, from most to least," he asked, hopeful she had some sort of idea, especially since it was clear she had never left the clan before.
"I have no clue," Floyda replied with an apologetic look, and Voldrak was already nodding, about to let it go and find out from someone else, when he heard her continue.
"...All I know is that Adrani is rumored to be the weakest," and Voldrak couldn't help but think that it was both a good and a bad thing.
"You harvest essence through blood? Lorety did it using her own method," Voldrak said, not missing the trace of anger that flashed in Floyda's eyes at the mention of the person who brutally injured her left arm. "What other powers are there?"
"My family comes from a line of night walkers. Some others are moon watchers," she began to explain, and Voldrak nodded, understanding that she meant wolf turners.
"There's also elemental magic," which got a reaction from him, considering he could have sworn that the base realm wouldn't have known anything related to magic.
"Mostly Adrani's main family line and the high families," Floyda continued to explain as Voldrak simply stared intently at her, drinking in every word.
"They can control water and conjure it out of thin air. They are extremely fierce!" Floyda pointed out.
"Powerful?"
"Very powerful!" she responded, but deep down Voldrak wasn't worried. The rumor that Adrani was the weakest meant there was at least a grain of truth in it.
Right now, I can conjure up more night, but only enough for one or two decisive blows if I stretch it. Regardless, there's nowhere else to start, he thought.
"What happens if someone in the high family dies?" Voldrak asked, with a dark look and a low tone that didn't need explaining.
"Then the next in line takes over, my lord."
"And the murderer isn't looked for?"
"Everyone assumes it was the next-in-line. There's no reason to look elsewhere."
True, everyone but the next-in-line, Voldrak mused.
"You still have your pouch with you. Take it out and buy some new clothes for me and you. Clean, and preferably black for me."
"Black isn't a—"
"I don't care. Just do it!" Voldrak replied sharply before she could finish, pitching his voice in a way that made it extremely clear it was an order.
Floyda immediately got to her feet, about to bow but stopping herself in time, nodding her head as she made her way out, but not before confirming that Voldrak wouldn't be going anywhere else.
"My lord, you—you'll be here when I return?" she asked, her voice laced with something close to fear, which Voldrak didn't understand. She was tall and muscular, her hair scraped off, and every bit of her body was ripped muscle. The only vulnerable thing about her was her big eyes that somehow suited the roundness of her face. The more he stared at her, the less he could figure out what she could possibly be worried about.
"Yes, Floyda. I'll be here when you return," he replied, watching her nod before she hurriedly turned to leave. He was surprised to notice that her bum complemented her breasts in size.
He silently watched her walk out the door until he could no longer see any trace of her. Then, the sly smile that had been on the edge of his lips slowly disappeared as he jerked his head forward, staring into the empty space in front of him, almost as if someone was there.
There wasn't, but even as he stared ahead, focusing on what was going on in his mind, he heard the voice persistently continue.
{DUAL-CULTIVATION SYSTEM ACTIVATED}
{There is the automatic or manual option. Which would you prefer?}
{This is completely in your control.}