Chapter 366: Protectors |
’I might be actually able to do it,’ Liam couldn’t help but think.
Liam was set on succeeding or dying trying, but his confidence didn’t blind him to the goal’s issues. The branching stage was still far away, and he had many items to check off the list of requirements.
Yet, Liam had just obtained a suitable cauldron, and now he had over sixty thousand spirit stones. That quantity translated to around sixty attempts at the compound concoction required for a rank 3 poison, which was more than he needed.
With the inheritance’s goods, more money was bound to flow, likely compensating for the expense of obtaining several batches of the required rank 3 ingredient.
That only left Liam with reaching the stage’s peak and devising a suitable recipe on his mental list. That impossible goal was actually in sight.
"You are incredible," Liam praised, waving his hand to store the translucent sea.
"Did you just find out?" Grace scoffed. "Or are you using this as an excuse to speak your true feelings?"
With the decision made, Liam just laughed and approached Grace. He couldn’t hug her, and merely leaning on her shoulder wouldn’t do, but there was a middle ground he found acceptable to express his affection with.
"Thank you," Liam said, patting Grace’s head. "I don’t know where I’ll be without you."
’Does he think me a child?’ Grace groaned internally.
"Here," Liam said once he was done, offering Grace her comb.
"Keep it," Grace ordered, turning. "You’ll do my hair often after all."
Liam smelled the pink in the air, but his gears had switched. It was time to address the elephant in the room and head there.
"What’s our next step?" Liam asked. "I think moving to the northern region is the safest option, but if you have better ideas..."
Establishing a market from scratch was far from easy. Liam wouldn’t even know where to start, but Grace did, so the choice of a temporary destination was ultimately up to her.
"We don’t know how the situation will evolve," Grace admitted. "Right now, every eye is on Lancelot, but your name is out there, and so is mine. There will be experts looking for us on the off-chance that we know anything about the rewards."
As stated already, safer didn’t mean safe. Liam wouldn’t be a priority target, but he remained a target.
"The Merchants Guild is also out of the question," Grace continued. "The Church will get involved if I were to use a branch. I might have already been kicked out, too."
"What?" Liam asked.
"It would have been suspicious to retrieve the sum I had deposited on the eve of the rumors about you," Grace explained, throwing an obvious look at Liam. "Even if I denied any involvement, I would have been under scrutiny. So, I stole everything I had borrowed."
Grace’s attire had already suggested problems with the Guild, but they were deeper than Liam had initially guessed, and she had been the one to cause them.
Since Grace’s future inside that force looked grim, she had decided to leave on her own terms. Now, it was just about the Guild noticing her actions.
’This might be for the best,’ Liam realized. ’The Church can easily reach the Guilds. Even if it doesn’t publicly announce me as an enemy, I’d still be too easy to find.’
"Then?" Liam wondered.
"I don’t know the northern region, either," Grace admitted. "I went through the southern region while migrating here. I’m confident I can establish a market anywhere, but there is a better option."
Grace summoned a map from her ring, unfolding it on the floor. Liam joined her on the opposite side, watching her trace a line with her fingers.
"The political environment around the border between regions is complicated," Grace explained, "Messy. Even established forces will see their authority shrink."
"What’s so special about these borders?" Liam questioned.
"There’s no Enforcement Guild," Grace revealed. "They aren’t real borders like the Circles, but there is a clear divide in the forces between the two."
Liam’s face clearly said that he wanted additional explanations, and Grace sat down before continuing.
"It’s money," Grace summarized. "The cultivation conditions differ from region to region. For example, the north is more barren, so the merchants there resent those in the east. This applies to every Guild, creating factions with conflicts in those borders."
The Guilds weren’t united, far from it. Their branches had conflicting interests, and the same went for the merchants who ruled over them.
But a chaotic political environment could be an advantage in Liam’s case. If everyone were busy fighting each other, they wouldn’t have time to chase him.
The lack of actual authorities could even allow Liam and Grace to go unnoticed. They would also have more options since there was no united front against them.
"We still have to steer clear of the Church," Grace stated. "Approaching Sects with all we have is a death sentence, and it’s better to avoid the northern Guild’s branches for now."
"That leaves Demonic Sects," Liam understood.
"Indeed," Grace confirmed. "Master Liam, I said that I was willing to become a demonic cultivator, but to think you’d make me one in half a year. What will you make of me next?"
"I’ll try to make you richer," Liam replied honestly, before recalling another issue. "Ah, Grace, can you help me with something?"
"My dear, handsome Liam," Grace said, her dangerous smile appearing at the mention of money. "I’m your partner for life. Your problems are my problems."
"It’s better if you stay behind," Liam coughed, standing up, using his body to hide Grace. "I bound a rank 3 item forcefully, but it has been acting up."
Grace also stood up and stored the map while Liam summoned the now dark-green fan. The item appeared in the air, floating for a few seconds before releasing a cold clanging noise, which Liam’s brain translated as "Again?".
Liam didn’t blink, but the fan was already on his head, slapping it hard. Still, he had been ready for that, his hands snapping up as soon as the pain spread.
The fan ended up in Liam’s grasp and immediately tried to lift him, but he had been ready for that, too. His muscles and the veins on his neck bulged as he crouched down, making himself as heavy as possible while opposing the item.
Yet, with nothing to cling to, the weight Liam exerted was nothing for the fan. His feet soon left the floor, but a sudden shout stopped their rise before he could slam on the ceiling.
"Hey, you!" Grace cried. "What do you think you are doing?"
The fan stopped, turning, Liam spinning alongside it. He felt curiosity seeping through the mental connection, which the item acted upon by flying toward Grace.
Liam’s feet returned to the floor, but he kept holding onto the fan, the latter leaning toward Grace’s face, unable to get too close due to the strength he was exerting.
An annoyed clang resounded as the fan half-turned toward Liam, seemingly glaring at him, wanting to be set free, only for Grace to claim its attention through a completely opposite tone.
"Look at how beautiful you are," Grace gasped dramatically. "What a work of art. You must be the mightiest weapon in the world."
The fan turned toward Grace again, startled, before moving up and down, nodding while releasing a high-pitched, metallic whine.
"Did Master Liam mistreat you?" Grace asked, glaring at Liam. "He is a rogue and a cheater, but don’t worry. I have already started punishing him thoroughly."
The fan stood still again before thrashing against Liam’s grip, which he released at Grace’s nod. The item immediately shot toward her, unfolding itself, circling her to inspect her from every direction.
"Poor boy," Grace said affectionately, spreading her arms. "Come here."
The fan shot toward Grace’s face, almost prompting Liam to act, only for the intentions passing through the mental connection to reassure him, making him hold back to witness an unbelievable scene.
The item did reach Grace’s face, but it rubbed its flat side against her cheek. It released more of those metallic whines, at which Grace chuckled.
"Shh," Grace reassured, reaching for the fan to caress it. "I’m here now. You have been such a good boy."
Liam’s mouth almost hung open as the fan allowed Grace to grab it and bring it between her arms, rocking it as if it were a baby.
"However," Grace continued, rubbing the fan’s flat surface. "Master Liam is my personal guard. He vowed his life to protecting me. If you were to help him, I’d feel far safer."
The fan stopped whining, unfolding itself to turn toward Liam, before releasing a snort-like noise and burrowing deeper in Grace’s chest.
"Are you-," Grace sniffed, her voice cracking. "Are you saying that you don’t care if I get hurt? I-. I understand."
A tear fell from Grace’s right eye, tainting her cheek. The fan snapped up at that point, trying to rub itself on her face, only for her to hide it behind her hand.
"It’s fine," Grace sniffed, refusing to show her face. "You have no obligation toward me. I just thought-!"
A sob interrupted Grace’s line, and foreign panic invaded Liam’s brain. The fan circled her head before shooting toward Liam, slapping his left hand with the handle, as if urging him to wield it.
Liam complied, only for a sudden pull to almost make him stumble. The fan dragged him to Grace, yanking his arm around her shoulders so that it could return in front of her face.
Grace lowered her hand, smiling, leaning forward to give the fan a quick kiss, praising it. "I knew I could count on you, my good, good protector."
Liam felt the fan blushing and giggling through the mental connection, but he had the attentive green eyes pointed at him to deal with, as well as the fact that he was basically hugging Grace.
"Both my protectors," Grace added, lowering her head, hiding her face, but still resting her forehead on Liam’s chest.
Liam was ready to let go, but the fan saw that as the chance to get even closer to Grace. Liam was still holding it, so he ended up tightening that hug.
