Kaelen and Aron stepped out of the tailor shop, the midday sun hitting them a little too brightly.
"Heading back to the estate?" Kaelen asked, adjusting the sword at his hip as he prepared to board the carriage.
Aron, a subtle smirk playing at his lips, turned back toward Tiberius. A lavishly embroidered doublet lay draped over the workbench, a testament to the tailor's skill.
"Before I return, I must pay my respects to the artisan who crafted my new attire. Thank you, Tiberius. Your work is impeccable."
"Yes," he added, half to himself, "my father will enjoy seeing this. I want to see his reaction."
He met Tiberius's eyes with a small, reluctant nod. Then, as if on cue, he looked right past Haku, pointedly ignoring him. He muttered something under his breath, too low for Kaelen to catch, before striding off down the street.
Kaelen, however, was distracted.'I must inform Duke Maris about this… Haku,' he thought.'He needs to know. This boy is more than he seems. His insights, his understanding, aren't those of a mere wanderer. And that blasted embroidery… it felt like a trick of the eye, yet carried weight far beyond a simple man's touch. This must be verified.'
Haku, meanwhile, had his own thoughts:'Oh, this kid isn't so bad. Just spoiled… and wildly out of touch.'
Kaelen made a mental note to visit the Information Guild once they returned. Discreet inquiries into Haku's origins were now a priority: his past, his family, if any, and his true intentions.
Aron shifted beside him, pulling Kaelen from his thoughts.
"Ser Kaelen," he said, voice subdued, "about the tailor…"
Kaelen raised an eyebrow. "The tailor, my lord?"
"Yes. The one who made the… uncomfortable attire," Aron muttered, his cheeks tinged with red. "He… he did a good job."
Kaelen blinked. Unexpected. He'd braced for more complaints, maybe even a demand for retribution. Not… this.
"The craftsmanship was indeed… meticulous," Kaelen offered, choosing his words carefully.
Aron fiddled with the hilt of his dagger. "He should be… rewarded. For his effort. Even if his design choices were… regrettable."
Kaelen regarded him more closely. Beneath the layers of entitlement and impulsiveness, there was a flicker of something else: fairness, maybe even empathy.
"That is a generous sentiment, Lord Aron," Kaelen said, this time deliberately using the boy's name. "I will ensure the tailor is properly compensated."
Aron didn't look at him. "Just… see to it, Ser."
"As you wish." Kaelen turned his gaze back to the passing scenery. He allowed himself a small, private smile. Perhaps there was more to Aron than he had thought.
Still, the matter of Haku pressed on his mind.'With how things are in the empire currently, this man could be a valuable ally or a dangerous enemy. The Duke must be warned.'
Back at the tailor shop, once the carriage had disappeared from view
Tiberius sighed.
"Master Haku, what exactly is your game? I think I just made a crazy friend."
"Crazy?" Alexander scoffed, offended on his master's behalf. "Master Haku always has a plan."
"Plan?" Haku chuckled, leaning casually against the worn workbench. "Alex, my friend, I'm simply existing. Reacting. Adapting. Like a drop of water finding its way down a mountain." He paused, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Though... a strategically placed drop can cause an avalanche, can't it?"
Tiberius raised an eyebrow. "Eloquent as always, Master Haku. But what does that mean? Are we letting that pampered brat walk all over us, or are you going to start that avalanche?"
"Patience, old man," Haku said with a grin. "Aron is just a piece on the board. As for my plan… it involves ale, good company, and maybe a tall tale or two. The storm outside seems to agree."
'Damn alcoholic kid.'
As if on cue, thunder rattled the windows.
"I suppose you're out of your own stash," Tiberius muttered. "Fine. We'll drink ours this time. Elara? Would you join us? Alexander, fetch some mugs and be useful."
The evening unfolded unexpectedly warmly.
Elara, her demeanor as tough as her father's, proved a captivating storyteller. She spun tales of desperate bandits and monstrous boars with a vividness that betrayed a sharp wit behind the scowl.
Haku, loosened by drink and play-acting enthusiasm, matched her tale for tale. He shrouded his true past in fables of daring pilots and wondrous machines, crafting a persona of myth and mystery. Alexander listened with stars in his eyes, convinced more than ever that Haku was a god in disguise.
The storm raged into the night, turning the world outside into a swirling mess of rain and wind. Haku and Alexander spent the night at the shop, sleeping on makeshift beds in the back.
Morning arrived with golden sunlight and fresh air.
After a breakfast of bread and cheese, they said their goodbyes.
As they neared the bar they called home, Haku stopped dead in his tracks.
A young woman stood at the entrance.
She was serene, beautiful, with skin like porcelain and eyes like polished jade. Midnight hair flowed down her back. Her presence was utterly out of place in front of the rough bar. Like moonlight on a muddy battlefield.
"Greetings," she said, voice melodic. "I am Yue, a disciple of the Yang Sect." She bowed politely. "I've been sent to pay respects and assist Lord Haku."
Haku raised an eyebrow, hiding the storm inside him.
'Respects? Assistance? From a high-level cultivator? This is insane.'
He kept his face carefully neutral, nodding just slightly.
"We've heard of your accomplishments with Elder Lu," Yue continued, "and of your goal. My master sent me as a liaison between you and the Sect."
Accomplishments? He'd bluffed his way into that one, but somehow they believed him. He spotted the chest at her feet, full of spirit stones and refinement pills. Valuable. Dangerous. One whiff could kill a normal man.
'If my memory serves me right, those stones can be worth a fortune.' Haku thought, trying to stop himself from drooling.
He quickly buried the thought.
"Alexander," Haku said, not looking back, "take that chest inside. Store it properly."
"Yes, Master Haku!" the boy blurted, springing into action.
'Is this kid weak to every pretty woman he meets?'
Yue faltered just for a heartbeat. She'd expected gratitude, not dismissal. Haku's indifference caught her off guard.
"You are… most gracious," she said, regaining composure. "I am also the Sect Leader's personal disciple, the youngest to reach the Nascent Soul Realm in over a thousand years. At seventeen."
Haku gave her a slow, unreadable look. "Nascent Soul, hmm?" He scratched his chin. "Does that mean you can shoot fire? Or fly?"
He's testing me,Yue thought.
"Yes," she replied calmly. "You can do all that at Core Formation, even earlier with artifacts."
She explained the cultivation realms: Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and beyond. Haku listened, wide-eyed, feigning naivety while soaking in every detail.
When she finished, he leaned back, steepling his fingers.
"I see," he said softly. "That's… a good grasp. For someone at your level."
Yue blinked.
"There's more beyond what you know," Haku continued, voice heavy with false wisdom. "Much more. But I wouldn't expect you to understand without experiencing it."
Privately, his mind raced.
'Gods, she's otherworldly. A continuous process of refinement. That's a cultivator, alright. But how do mages stack up to this? And more importantly, how do I keep this up?'
Then it hit him.
'The Duke will investigate me. He'll dig into my past. And what will he find? Her. A cultivator who could level a mountain. They'll question everything. My origins, my strength. Perfect.'
But there was a problem.
'She's too powerful. Too flashy. We need to blend in.'
He turned to Yue.
"Yue," he said carefully, "this world is different. We live among mortals here. They don't know of beings like us. I ask that my true power and yours remain hidden. For their sake. And mine."
Yue studied him, thoughtful.
'No wonder I couldn't sense his aura. Not a sliver. He's completely concealed, utterly suppressed. A god among men, like Old Man Lu said.'
Haku exhaled subtly, relieved. He could fake this long enough to figure things out. He just had to keep the illusion alive, a mysterious master of hidden power.
And hope they never saw through the act.