A week had passed since Elder Kaalan unlocked the anima seals placed upon their Soul Realms. And while the both of them were thankful, Soren's words were once again proven right…

Their expectations did increase.

During these past few days, the both of them were sent out on countless missions for the tribe. From hunting animals and gathering fruits, to herding the Ashari… There were even a few skirmishes with a nearby orc encampment that almost ended badly…

With what Elder Kaalan knew of Soren's Blood Amulet, he had also tasked him with lowering the population of Ashari through blood sacrifices. Since the Snow Wyverns were hunting less, someone else had to take over that role…

Although most of these tasks were rather tiring and dangerous, this was not exactly an unfair exchange. For one, the blood sacrifices were necessary in order to appease the Heartdrinker Sigil anyway. It also allowed him time to hone his usage of the Fairy Blades spell. The inevitable confrontation against the Blossom Sword Flower was rapidly closing in… They had to prepare, and the only spell in his repertoire that's able to be used offensively was… rather incomplete.

At the moment, the instability of its axioms causes the glass-like blades to shatter far too frequently. This was simply a consequence of how the spell was created… With only three axioms, its base was simply the modified Fairy Barrier spell shaped into weapons that could be controlled. The issue with this setup was, of course, the fact that these shapes had to be maintained by his mind alone.

It was far too unstable.

During the fight against Rodrick, Soren had to mentally keep track of each blade's position, and also their shape and form… Any subtle changes in his thinking could have caused them to shatter…

If only I could use another axiom to fully stabilize the shape… Soren thought while sitting atop his slain prey. A rather large Spirit Beast, even for Woolly Mammoth standards.

But that would mean upgrading it to the 2nd Circle…

As he thought this, he noticed a tall man walking toward him, hoisting his spear over his shoulder.

"Uruk." He said casually. The man looked at him then at the colossal corpse beneath him. His frown deepened.

"You're getting used to this…"

Soren scoffed, "Of course I am. Did you think I'd keep messing up like last time?"

On their first hunting mission together, Soren underestimated the speed these Spirit Beasts had… With its large body, he had assumed it would be slow at reaching him. But he was wrong. If it weren't for Violet Mirage, he would have been trampled to death. His next attempt was so bad, but only because Isha guided him through it.

Uruk didn't care to respond—he simply shook his head. "Where's Myrin?"

"Up there," Soren pointed to one of the nearby statues. It was a colossal unfinished sculpture of a woman wearing a robed dress and holding a holy scepter. Myrin was sitting on her shoulder, staring into the distance.

Uruk looked at him for a brief moment, eyes squinting. "What is he… doing?"

Soren smiled, "Likely taking a closer look at the statues. You know how artists are—always looking for points of inspiration." The last time they were here, their food supplies were already on the verge of running out. The Elven Songster had no time to fully appreciate the artistic endeavors of the ancient past…

Uruk glanced at the handsome elf once again—this time, his annoyance was rather obvious. He shook his head again then turned away.

"Tell him to hurry up, we still have other things to do."

"Other things?" Soren tilted his head. "What other things?"

Uruk froze and turned slightly to answer, "We're having a tribal meeting. The both of you were requested to attend."

After returning to the tribe, Soren and Myrin were immediately told to head for the Serpent's Shrine… No doubt, to discuss important matters—such as what to do with the two magi squatting in their village.

Though, Soren knew that their real intentions were likely never that simple. He had already known this from before even revealing the Blood Amulet and enacting the contract. Elder Kaalan… He was far more pragmatic than most believed.

While it was true that Soren and Myrin were foreigners, the same could be said about Cassia—their so-called Holy Shrine Maiden. This was not something only they understood—it was evident in the very residents of this tribe:

Humans.

Ironically, the very same thing that made him unable to foretell what tribe it was, despite already hearing the name 'Nagashi' from Cassia in the past… Because Uruk and Isha were both human, Soren couldn't put the pieces together in his mind. He had assumed that Cassia's tribe would be just like her—full of Drakari people. However, his assumptions were wrong.

According to Cassia, although most of the Serpent of Untruth's worshippers were Drakari, humans also found peace in His teachings. The Nagashi tribe… The massacre that happened fifty something years ago killed off a majority of the Drakari worshippers, leaving behind only the humans in the tribe.

Until, of course, Cassia returned…

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Human lifespans were fairly shorter than the Drakari. Many of the humans who knew of Cassia back then had already passed away, leaving only their descendents. After her return, a majority of those there no longer even recognized her… Only Elder Kaalan did.

Still, the people there could not reject her. In fact, they needed her. After all, she bore a divine inheritance—a Soul Weapon gifted from the very god they worshipped. How could they ever let such a thing go? And so, she took on the much needed role of Holy Shrine Maiden.

This was why Soren was sure that no harm would befall them after revealing a bit of their secrets… After all, antagonizing Soren and Myrin would be akin to antagonizing Cassia herself. And while the other elders didn't fully understand this point, Elder Kaalan did. His attempt at restricting their movements was a ruse from the start—a way of quelling the worries of the villagers and showing that he still had everything under control. However, his real goal was in actuality, to appease Cassia and make her more committed to her role.

Though, a part of him believed there was something else going on that he wasn't aware of. After all, the power a Tier 6 Sacred Treasure holds cannot be underestimated… In his possession was a weapon that could indeed bring nations to war if it was ever discovered.

Why hasn't he tried to control them more? Hunting trips and the like were one thing, but he was expecting the elder to exert more power over them, even if it might invoke the ire of Cassia. Something felt off to him.

"Elder Kaalan is very sly…" He muttered to himself under his breath. The pair of magi were escorted to where the Serpent's Shrine was. Once again, a tinge of discomfort formed on his skin as the shadow of the Serpent Statue fell upon him. He ignored it and kept walking forward, following in the footsteps of Uruk and Isha.

Despite his worries about the elder's schemes, Soren didn't believe either of them were in danger. He would have never revealed his prized possession if he did. After all, Soren had already showcased that night that the Heartdrinker Sigil was very hard to please… Its demands shifted with whichever host it was dealing with.

After observing Soren's capabilities, the Blood Amulet started amending its Contractual Price, desiring more from the deal. Therefore, it would be logical for it to ask even more if Elder Kaalan came to possess it. In that case, it was wiser if Soren held it, allowing Elder Kaalan to simply guide its use through them without drawing its full cost.

Even though I didn't issue a command, The Records understood my intentions well… He thought to himself as he walked ahead, spotting the large garden outside the magnificent building. It translated the words in the book to Vinuan, allowing that sneaky bastard to read the entry as well…

Though, the unintended outcome was Myrin learning about the price as well… Despite his teasing, the Elven Songster was one to easily worry.

Soren sighed then turned to face the blonde haired elf walking beside him. "Has your Soul Realm stabilized enough?"

He nodded with a slight chuckle. "Indeed." He closed his eyes for a moment, commanding the anima around him. Soren spotted faint, invisible lines hovering around him… A clear sign of a proper 4th Circle magus. The anima was solidifying well…

"Cassia will be really annoyed, you know." Soren chuckled then placed his arm around his shoulder. "Don't tell her this, but she was really happy when she discovered that one material rune—blabbering endlessly about 'catching up to you' this, 'finally reaching the 3rd Circle' that! You should have seen just how committed she was."

Myrin smiled. "Well then, I expert her passion for magecraft to ignite even brighter now. Catching up to someone like me is not easy, after all. How can the senior be outranked by their juniors?"

Soren shook his head, "How humble of you."

"Indeed," Myrin didn't deny that claim.

Hearing their conversation, Isha turned to them and chuckled. "I'm fascinated to hear more about this… I didn't think the Holy Shrine Maiden had such a past."

Soren nodded, "I'm sure Myrin will fill you in more—he knew her for longer than I have. Plenty of embarrassing stories to go around."

"How sacrilegious," Uruk scoffed. "The Holy Shrine Maiden isn't some trophy you can gawk at! I thought better of you, sister."

Isha scoffed. "You're one to talk, you damned oaf." She shook her head, "What's wrong in trying to learn more about the Shrine Maiden? I want to be of more help to her!"

While they bickered, Soren simply shrugged and continued walking. Eventually, they crossed the snowy garden and went up the steps toward the elevated building pierced by a pillar of golden light. The air became stifling the closer they reached the grand, wooden door. Moments later, Isha turned to look at them briefly then nodded:

"Be sure to keep your heads low. The elders are awaiting you."

As the door slid open, he gave her a faint nod and walked inside with Myrin in tow. What greeted them was the same room they had been in last time. The only difference was how crowded it was this time. The elders sat in a circle with the Beacon of Guidance placed in the center. The sinister energy he had felt earlier was once again radiating across the room, shifting with the faint smell of incense masking the air.

Sitting back on her heels before the radiant pillar of light was a little girl wearing a haiku-like robe embroidered with countless patterns and runes. She also wore a gauzy white veil draped across her face, decorated with a single ink-black serpentine eye—slitted and unblinking…

The Holy Shrine Maiden…

As for the elders, each of them also wore animal masks, with no way of knowing what it was that they were thinking. The only one he could recognize was Elder Kaalan who was sitting at the front.

The two magi bowed in their direction. "We have arrived just as you have requested, honored elders." Soren said solemnly.

The silence stretched on, until he heard Elder Kaalan's voice:

"Your tasks outside the tribe must have exhausted you, so we won't waste any time. Let us get to the main topic at hand." He glanced at the other elders for approval, and to that, they gave.

"I will keep it simple. Soren, Myrin. I have heard of your desires from the Shrine Maiden. You are attempting to flee from a powerful foe. One that you now hope to challenge.

"Is that right?"

Soren kept his face neutral when answering:

"Indeed. A Mystic Grade spirit by the name of Blossom Sword Flower."

This is it… He thought. What will they do now?..

He had already expected this moment, but he didn't think it would happen so soon. Cassia had likely not said anything, despite Kaalan's claim. More than likely, with the information he had on the Blood Amulet, he was able to use divination to discover the rest. With the Blossom Sword Flower battling it out against many daemons trying to block her way, the ripples in the Beyond would be rather easy to spot.

Connecting the dots shouldn't be that difficult for a 6th Circle magus like Kaalan.

In fact, this was a sign that their inevitable confrontation against that damned spirit would happen sooner rather than later. Not that he was unprepared. With the amount of practice he was able to do in the past week, wielding the Heartdrinker Sigil had become much easier for him. As for Myrin, he was now an Evoker…

With enough luck, they should be able to stand a chance against Her.

But at the moment, he was curious to see what the tribe's reaction would be… The most logical outcome would be to kick them out. Being strangers, the Nagashi had no reason to harbor them, especially since there was a chance a calamity could be brought to their village.

But obviously, there was also Elder Kaalan and what he knew of the Heartdrinker Sigil… Would he be able to let go of something that useful?

"We the elders have decided." His voice echoed across the hollow walls. "The so-called Runic Acquisition Festival challenge… We will allow you to conduct it within the tribe."

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