Mad God – Reborn

In the Immortal Wonders Sect's meeting hall, Anya and Xendar knelt before Aerthus, who smiled and shook his head as he listened to Xendar's loud words.

"I'm terribly sorry about the shame my daughter brought upon you and the Sect itself! I swear when I find her, I'll spank her so hard she won't be able to sit straight for a year!"

"I'll make sure it happens as soon as possible!" Anya agreed, not even arguing against her husband's words right now. "To do such a shameful thing… it is unacceptable!"

"Could you two stop kneeling?" Aerthus sighed, holding back a laugh. "It is not a big deal!"

"It is!" Xendar argued. "Announcing that she leaves the Sect like that? With a voice transmission? That is all? Telling us she is gone for now?!" He trembled, his face completely red with shame at remembering what happened not so long ago.

"It is our fault! We were too lenient in raising her!" Anya added, not daring to look up at Aerthus.

"That is true…" Dermitos commented, watching them with an amused smile, but flinched as Anya glanced backward. But then she said nothing before she returned her gaze to the floor. "Ehehe… um, if Sect Head says it is okay, it is okay! No?"

"Exactly!" Aerthus sighed again. "I talked with her before she left for the Kingdom; we went through many things, and one of them was this possibility. Do you really think she just quit? You have so little faith in your daughter?" He chuckled, leaning back in his chair.

"I bet it is just one of Zelig's ploys." Carthus voiced his opinion; he had been silent so far, not even surprised when Ren 'called' and told them she was leaving the Sect with Ariana in tow.

"It is." Aerthus nodded. "I know the man. He made this stipulation for her; that is for sure."

"Then she should have renounced him and not the Sect!" Xendar said, agitated and clearly frustrated by the trouble his daughter had just caused back home.

"Why? There was no reason for it. She even takes some of the pressure off me. I can go and relax a bit, finally! I was waiting for this." Aerthus said as he laughed happily. "Since the events leading up to Leinor's death, I had to constantly guard against him. Now, Zelig's hand will be full, taking care of the fires she will light up under his ass." He said, smiling from ear to ear. "She resigned with my blessing. Of course, others better not know it... Just announce that she is no longer part of the Sect. As to why, we don't need to specify."

"Are you not afraid she will join Heaven's Gate?" Carthus asked, running through every outcome he could think of.

"Zelig may have tried recruiting her if he met her earlier, but by now? No. He won't even attempt it. He dislikes things he can't control, and do you think he can do that? Controlling Ren?" He asked, looking at her parents with one eye and watching them flinch.

"Not really…" Anya and Xendar answered at the same time. "Still! A spanking is in order!" Anya added at the end, looking up at Aerthus, who just smiled, waved his hand, and raised the two to their feet.

"You may be in for a surprise when all things settle." He whispered, watching Anya, but they didn't know what he meant, as he never elaborated. Instead, he clapped, signaling the meeting was over, and everyone should go their way.

…

….

…..

"This is the first time I'm wearing something like this!" Ariana sighed, sitting in a carriage and adjusting the black-and-white maid dress she was wearing. She looked clearly uncomfortable, while Ren watched her with an amused smile.

"Well… you were the one who said yes to the idea," Kitten commented, tilting her head. She was sitting next to her, wearing the same outfit, clearly used to it and not bothered by it.

"I know…!" Ariana sighed again, shifting from one position to another, unable to find a comfortable spot because the outfit's short, tight skirt kept getting in the way. She even felt it showed way more than she would be comfortable with. "Damn… the wind goes through…, and it shows too much... Who designed it?!" She grumbled in a frustrated voice.

"It suits you." Ren chuckled as she wore an elegant, short white dress with purple flowers decorating the sides. "You should not be ashamed of your body, Ariana; you grew up to be a beautiful flower. For now, try to get used to the customs here. After that, we are taking over my family's almost destroyed branch to reform things from the inside."

"Are you really going to fight for the throne?" Kitten asked, clearly immensely curious, while Sentios listened intently from the driver's seat as they traveled toward the city of Rozex. They were already climbing the serpentine road, sneaking up around the Plateau of Harmony.

"Of course!" Ariana answered, "Why do you think we agreed to even leave our Sect?"

"I never was part of one. I don't know if it is a significant thing or not!" Kitten raised her hands in defeat, not wanting to argue. "I was always by myself. Mostly. My home is the world, not one place!"

"It sounds… lonely," Ariana replied, watching her with sad eyes, but Kitten shook her head and smiled.

"Not really. I'm fine being alone! I like freedom, and I dislike noisy and crowded places. I have my Master, and that is enough for me."

"I can relate to that…" Ariana nodded, a bit of shyness creeping across her face as she replied subconsciously.

"Well, then you are not going to like Rozex." Sentios interjected from the front, "It is an orderly palace but a very, very populated city."

"There is a limit to how much incest can be done to preserve a bloodline. It can't be THAT populated." Ren argued, rolling her eyes.

"Not like that…" Sentios twitched his mouth. "The bloodline is not kept up solely by intermarriages. It has its refreshments from time to time."

"The way you explain it sounds like an awful advertisement for an illegal brothel in the slums of a city," Ren replied, tilting her head backward. "On paper, I was promised to my own cousin, remember?"

"I do." he shook his head. "But that does not mean every single Naulin only bred with their siblings. It is more complicated than that. They constantly take in talented people and use them as…." He stopped, searching for the right words, but Ren continued for him.

"Studs and bitches! No need to sugarcoat it."

"Master!" Ariana yelped out, hearing Ren speak.

"What? I am right! I was about to be brought here when I was still a teenager to lay down all my eggs at once so they can fertilize them and raise little flesh puppets in search of some shiny variants, one that can steamroll others."

"M-m-master!" Ariana groaned once again while her face was turning bright red as she imagined it.

"That is… not far from the truth," Sentios murmured. "Look, I am trying to say that the city is not only home to the Naulin bloodlines. There are around a hundred smaller families here and countless servants and civilians. They support not just the nobles but the whole city, ensuring everything functions perfectly."

"Servants? You mean slaves or samples for breeding variables?" Ren asked with a sarcastic smile.

"The servants… well, on paper, they are not slaves. But I can't argue with that notion. They are the lowest caste in Rozex. They aren't owned per se, but they aren't regarded as if their words could stand up to anyone above them. No matter the circumstances." Sentios continued calmly, "The servants and the caste above them, the civilians, make up most of the city's population. Around… 80%? Roughly. They run the shops, workshops, manufacturers, and whatnot. Those who are named civilians have basic rights, like being able to own housing, the ability to trade, etc."

"Oh, how generous…" Now Ariana rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. She was already annoyed by hearing Sentios's explanation of the city.

"Above them are the noble houses. They make up 15% of the remaining population. They govern different sectors in Rozex. Whether it's the city's police force, bureaucratic organizations, trading posts, or anything with official power or with something that makes a lot of money. They usually have some kind of bloodline connection to the Naulins, but it is usually a weak one."

"Let me guess, my little brother could be only a noble, yes?" Ren asked, and Sentios answered immediately.

"Yes. He has no real Naulin blood in him. I mean, you can't tell it externally. Even if he had the same hair color, without the eyes, you could forget he was admitted into the true power structure. He would be branded as a bastard. Even if he shows talent, he could only become a retainer for one of the main families."

"How heartwarming!" Ariana complained once again. For her, the word family and the love shown between family members were something she always treasured. It was a sacrosanct concept.

"So the remaining 5% is the true Naulins?" Ren asked as she leaned forward, grabbed Ariana's hip, flipped her, and pulled her into her lap. She made her let out a loud yelp as she started to pat and caress her head like that of a cat. "Relax, Ariana! It is a different culture, that is all."

"Yes," Sentios said in the meantime. "The remaining percentage encompasses the main lines that carry the complete look of what a Naulin means. They are considered to be fully descended from Zelig's original family, and they can trace their lineage back to him, down to the most minute detail. There are five such lines. You only know about one. The one connected to Rudrick, as his branch has held onto the throne for the past 700 years. The other four aren't to be looked down upon either, even if they weren't the face of the Naulins. They are strong. Despite their wealth, they were suppressed only by the strength of Rudrick's branch. During my time under the man, I saw how they operated. Constant fighting was going on between them behind the scenes. I can't imagine the branch's state right now… It was already greatly weakened when Rudrick's ploy came to light, and he had to flee. The other four probably attacked them immediately and dealt heavy damage. Now that Rudrick had died, everyone who had probably put his blood into them met the same fate. Anybody who had his wicked spell planted inside their body is dead. I would also be dead if not for you," he sighed heavily, lamenting those who were not so fortunate and lost their lives just because they were Rudrick's slaves.

"I get the feeling you liked some of the people who were part of the family," Ren said, still stroking Ariana's head and hugging her from behind, a blissful smile spreading across her disciple's face as she did so.

"Yes." Sentios answered honestly, "When I came into contact with them, it was not all doom and gloom. There were good people here who were part of his family."

"Of course." Ren giggled. "My mother came from here, don't you remember? Some good guys had to be present!"

"Exactly." Sentios echoed her reasoning. "I was close to some of her relatives, and even though she was exiled and any official statements were condemning her, behind closed doors, there were people who wished her the best."

"Sadly, even if only one person shits onto the dinner table, it will still ruin everything else around it," Ren said in a lamenting tone, looking out of the carriage's window.

"Ugh… well… yes…" Sentios twitched his mouth while Kitten just giggled at her words. "I just don't know how many of those people are still alive."

"We are going to see it for ourselves soon," Ren said, watching the city's landscape come into view as they reached the top. The huge city was home to gorgeous, hand-crafted white buildings. They were decorated with statues of people or carvings of real animals, and of those found only in fables. They shone in the sunlight in either golden or amethyst hues, not to mention the similarly sparkling roof tiles. It was as if they were nearing a city that came alive from a fairy tale, or one about the heavens. At the top, five spiraling spires rose in the distance, reaching toward the sky and forming a perfect circle on the plateau. They were identical in appearance and served as the main headquarters of the five ruling Naulin families. Around them were extensive, luxurious courtyards that could house a thousand souls at all times. Around their perimeter, rose 15-meter-high walls decorated with flags flapping in the wind, showcasing the families' crests. Ren's carriage slowly headed toward one of the spires, with white flags bearing an amethyst eye with a golden drop of blood in its pupil.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Sentios asked as they arrived at Rozex. He was still amazed by the city's architectural beauty, no matter how many times he saw it. Rozex was perfectly designed and built by Zelig a long time ago. He built it with his own hands, down to the last tile on the wide city streets. It was not a naturally developed city like the Empire's capital. When the Plateau of Harmony appeared... the city was already there, formed from his powers after he reached the third stage of Harmony.

"That… I can't deny it." Ren nodded.

Ariana too was mesmerized by the aesthetic beauty of even the smallest buildings, be it a shop or a storage shed. In any other city, just one of those places could qualify as a noble's home.

"Maybe one day the city can not just look pretty from the outside," Ariana said in the end, finally bringing herself to blink and collect her thoughts after the initial shock.

"Mmm…" Ren patted her head. "I like the sound of that. Let us see if it can be done."