Things had not gone to plan.
Midnight had gone into the evening happy.
A young 6 elental Soul Realm had beco a powerful elixir master but his only backing was a guest status at the Heavenly Maiden Sect.
They would value him, but Midnight knew there were limits.
Further, he had yet to et the young man that could not be broken by temptation.
Cultivation was a lonely road, coupled with his isolation in the boy's early years, Midnight felt the Maidens had snatched up his talent with mbers willing to seduce him.
They got a talented aether child out of it but Midnight realized he had misread the situation.
It was not possible to get accurate information on patient sessions nor personal monts only the involved parties were at.
His information had revealed that Lind Frey was popular with acolytes and disciples but so of the upper echelons were displeased with how much the elders fawned over a man.
The Heavenly Maiden Sect was not a monolith but even those that loathed n could see the benefit of keeping an elixir master close.
When he learned Lind could actually make demonic elixirs, he assud he could use such information to drive a wedge between Lind Frey and the sect.
Powerful though it was, wasting resources on demonic advances was going to quickly wear thin.
The direct involvent of the adopted daughter of Lady Estelle shattered all Midnight's plans.
It was clear this piece of information was both new and well hidden.
He had underestimated Lady Estelle's interest in the boy to have gone that far to rope him in.
"I may not be to your tastes, Young Miss, but you are likely aware of what I can do?"
Midnight was annoyed as the green and red aether child smirked at him like that cat that caught its prey.
It irked him but he schooled his face to stillness and took a deep drink of his liqueur.
It cald his nerves.
"I am well aware of the influence of the Midnight Guild.
I also am aware of how you do business.
Mother was clear that she would not surrender Lind Frey to you at all."
Midnight frowned.
He noted surprise on the boy's face so Lind had not known about that either.
It was very 'not good'.
"Then, may I ask, why have you co this evening?"
Midnight was not asking why Lind Frey had co.
His ploy at the arena forced the boy to co.
This woman, however, agreed to escort him and act as a decoy at first.
It was not a small move.
She glanced once more at her nails but then looked back at the boy.
"She is here because I asked, senior.
I was not lying when I said I did not recognize you.
I have co to find a way to peacefully continue until I leave Cimria"
Midnight could not hide his deep frown at the boy's words.
Leave?
Was he insane?
"You do not seem to grasp your current situation or how much people know about you."
Midnight tapped the ring on his left hand, the black tal band was a mark of pride for any cultivator.
A jade slip appeared and he sank in his senses to review it.
"Here, let
tell you where you stand at large."
The boy caught the slip and swiftly frowned at what was inside.
"You are the last son of a now neutered hostage in the Southern District of the Lotus Empire.
Your father is the 2nd Prince and currently only surviving mber of the royal family of the Kingdom of Altair."
Midnight noted the dark flash of emotion but even he disdained that backwater hellhole.
HIs business may be frowned on, but his property was well treated.
"I am aware–"
Lind was about to cut it off but Midnight gave him no chance.
"You were essentially exiled at the Lotus Academy after you got the 3rd Princess killed.
You sohow hid being an elixir master until you left 2 years later and had the Heavenly Maiden Sect backing you.
A good move on your part, but after that you were a fool."
Midnight sneered as he saw rage on the woman's face but Lind strangely beca cold.
It contradicted what the information relayed to him, but it showed maturity so Midnight approved.
"I wou–"
Naive, Midnight was not done.
"You stupidly created an elixir that healed the dantian of 6 elental at the World Realm.
You then made a beeline for the Saint Kingdom with the most pathetic disguise I have ever heard of, but at least the direction was smart."
Midnight poured more drink into his glass as he ca to his favorite part.
"On your journey to Petra, you decided to share for free your revelations on elents while changing the fate of a weak little girl."
The last sentence got a strong reaction.
Lind's eyes sparked with erald fla while Lady Mythra's aura flared.
Midnight waved his hand but he found the bottomline he was looking for.
It matched the information at least he bought before.
"You might be interested to know she blew through the Soul Realm like a genius for a minor sect on the western coast."
Midnight figured he would share that good piece of news but he downplayed what Lind Frey had pulled off as it was hard to say it was solely him or just the girl was that impressive and needed a teacher.
It would not be the first gem a power had spurned to their regret, Lind was one himself.
If Darkmoor knew what they had, Lind Frey would have been taken north to their proper center of power and nurtured as much as possible.
His family would have been treasured and won thrown at him as much as he liked.
They were fools.
"Finally, you ca to Cimria, of all places, and essentially branched out to try and fill in the gaps where you lack support.
A laudable if useless cause since you are already an elixir master.
You also sohow got the attention of the Immortal in our fair city."
Midnight was irritated about that last part, but hid it well.
Lady Mythra was now frowning deeply as she grasped the point of the litany.
It did not cover it all but it covered enough.
Lind Frey would have to be brain dead to think he could leave Cimria ever again.
"Are you done?"
Midnight now openly smiled.
It was cold but not cruel.
He was not here to be friendly and the boy had chosen to snub his good intentions.
It could have been a pleasant relationship, but Lind had played his best card first and had nowhere to go.
Midnight swirled the last of his liqueur slowly and enjoyed watching the bits of fruit float in the dark red vortex before finishing it off and setting the fluted glass down gently.
"You have no freedom left, boy.
Starfire House will sell your products and ensure you are not enslaved, but you are just as trapped.
Heavenly Maiden Sect may have ensnared you with 3 beauties but they can be replaced by anyone here.
I assure you, I have helped many fools get over the impossible dream of being with a Maiden."
Midnight suspected the young outer sect disciple was really interested in Lind but the sect would not give up their mbers if Lind beca unpalatable.
"Lady Mythra, while I appreciate your stance, you know as well as I, that his freedom has co to an end and all that remains is how much we can benefit from him.
So I repeat my earlier question, how much for grade 3 elixirs?"
Midnight was about to signal for another bottle but froze.
Lady Mythra was not as strong as him but she had the aura to pressure him if she wanted professionally, but the current issue was Lind Frey.
He was a mid tier 9 Soul Realm, an ant usually to Midnight's point of view, but the look on his face at that mont made a deep chill rise up Midnight's spine.
Why?
Why was that face making him afraid?
"Do you know what happened in Veritas?"
Midnight cocked his head as he reviewed the information but he only knew the boy got a boat on the Fortune Way as all had to below the Sky Realm.
There had been a major incident with their Ruin but Midnight could not get much information on that.
The Saint Kingdom had sealed that information hard for so reason but no doubt so information broker had the details if one looked hard enough but Midnight then realized the ti the incident occurred was the sa ti as Lind Frey being there.
"You were caught up in that ss?"
Midnight was an old hand in Cimria.
His phrasing made it seem like he knew what went on, thus he could get more information for free but strangely, Lind Frey smiled sadly at him.
"I know the truth, I know the darkness at the heart of that hell, but you clearly have a hole in your knowledge.
Several holes actually.
Mythra, I ask permission to reveal who I am."
Midnight frowned deeply once more.
It was not a bluff.
Midnight had seen many custors who pretended to be experienced and powerful, but Lind Frey gave him chills.
What had the boy survived to give off that feeling?!
Most Soul Realms were intimidated by Diamond Tiers as if they were gods, Sky Realms were gods to them power wise, but this boy seed to treat World Realms as if they were nothing.
He had been in so Ruins and whatever happened in that erald pillar incident, but the details of that were strictly closed off aside from Lind Frey's identity.
Mythra beca serious and nodded at the boy.
He waved his hands and a silvery badge appeared next to the golden one.
A second badge?
He was credited with making the 6 elental cores but they were only 1 part of artifacts, anwhile weapon and armor cores were still limited.
When did he get…?!
"F-forger!"
Midnight's glass shattered once more as his hands were soaked.
His assistant imdiately bowed in fear but he could hardly bla her.
This was well hidden!
Midnight assud the 6 elental core was achieved with the help of the Immortal, but instead it was this!
Worse, Lind Frey had only been her student for 3 months.
He had gone from scratch to what appeared to be peak grade 2!
What kind of speed was that?!
"You said I knew his freedom was over, but instead you misunderstood our relationship.
I am not here to protect Master Frey, I am here to serve his interests."
Midnight felt all the blood drain from his face.
The Forger making things at the end of the Master section of the competition!
It was Lind Frey!
It was spirit crushed Lind Frey!
Starfire House knew and backed him so that ant the Heavenly Maiden Sect knew as well.
Not throw their mbers at him?
The Sect Master herself would offer her body if it kept the boy as their guest elder.
Any sane cultivator would avoid offending Lind Frey and Midnight had gone far over the line!
"I beg–"
Midnight was about to bow but was stopped by dark laughter from Master Frey.
The dark green eyes were locked onto him and Midnight shivered.
"Oh no, no begging from you, senior Midnight.
I ca because you cornered , but your freedom from
will not be cheap.
I understand the little tour and all that followed.
I understand what you planned.
I forgive all of that."
Midnight was surprised but Master Frey was not done.
"What you said about Shoti, Qing, and Annabelle, however, irritated .
What you insinuated about the sect and Lady Mythra made my head throb in anger.
What you said about Little Fey has put
in a realm of pissed off that I no longer feel forgiving."
The little girl?!
His words about the little girl were what dood him?!
"These are so things Master Lind has been looking for to progress his elixir mastery and now for Forging.
As you are so 'well inford' could you please relay to Starfire House where so of the more troubleso items could be found?"
Lady Mythra so innocently whipped up a list that even a glance made Midnight's face drain of all remaining blood.
Half the items in his sight could bankrupt even Valery House!
"I have so rcy left, so if you cannot get all the items, I will want a full review of the contracts for those employees of yours.
If any of them are here against their will or backed into a corner, you will let them go."
Rage flooded Midnight's veins but he was trapped.
His own cleverness had buried him in a grave he could not avoid!
"You overstep your bounds, bo–"
A slap made Midnight temporarily lose his focus until he realized what he was about to say.
Lady Mythra had both punished and reminded him.
A peak grade 2 Forger that was also a peak grade 3 elixir master was not to be disrespected by even a peak Diamond Tier.
"Apologies, I lost my temper.
I cannot agree to that condition."
Midnight had a bottomline but the cold smile of Lind just kept scaring the crap out of him.
"You seem to be operating under the impression you have a choice, you have none."
Mythra was giggling at him while Lind Frey stood behind her.
Midnight tried to co up with sothing but realized the very laws he manipulated bound him like chains.
Cimria was a city of production and in front of him was 2 rare professions made manifest.
He was dood!
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