novelraw Chapter 400 - 399 - Power of Babylon
Chapter 400 - 399 - Power of Babylon
Another month passed before all things were settled. Hilden was essentially dismissed and likely heading for an execution when he returned as the Sword Breakers Sect were heavily penalized.
They not only had to compensate the injured powers but they were forced to issue a public apology to them. Further, they were made to swear that they would not pursue Lind Frey and his associates anymore.
Hilden had been green but the twins suddenly seemed to have found their next wind.
Despite being tier 3, they brought out the symbol of their sect and the full authority it granted them. If Hilden or the Sword Breakers continued to obstruct or try to wiggle out of their obligations, they would be alone.
Lind had wondered at the power behind the Babylon Guild and learned it was a peak Heaven Realm expert that was powerful in the Alliance. No one seemed to know why he backed them, but he did.
Lind had suspicions but it was best not to pry. He also did not get off scot free. He had, indirectly, set things in motion. If he was simply an itinerant cultivator defending a village, it would be the end of it, but he had the ability to compensate the Sword Breakers Sect.
Thus, Lind had to give elixirs to the sect for free for the next 100 years at a maximum of 10% of his total production rate. As that was public knowledge, it could be easily calculated. Lind almost laughed as his production rate was abysmal next to his research rate!
He probably spent 80% of his time researching and the rest producing. So he felt no need to correct the misinterpretation as he agreed it still came to a considerable sum of resources.
That little detail smoothed a lot of ruffled feathers on all sides. Stunningly, the Hellfire Sect offered to offset the cost to Lind Frey. They had conflict with the Sword Breakers and it would be much more beneficial to get elixirs by an expert than other resources from them.
Hilden agreed but clearly would rather have Lind's corpse. Baihu would not care about benefits to the sect as the last of his family was dead! The sect master wanted blood not benefits!
The various groups began to leave but a delegation suddenly arrived by flying artifact. The golden symbol was known to all but caused fear in most. It was the Heavenly Maiden Sect!
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"You are sure you want us there?" Huo seemed to be checking her robes for any wrinkle or debris for the thousandth time. Azylea yawned next to her but glanced at the pale looking Fey.
In the month and a half she had been awake, she had filled out her sunken cheeks and returned to looking like a beauty to rival the legends, but her pale amber eyes had no fire in them. She had never strayed far from Lind either.
Her sword was simply in its sheath next to her but she had not brought it, Lind had. She refused to touch it.
The injury to her spirit was easily seen but not easily resolved.
The fact Fey was more powerful than them yet they could easily defeat her was sad as well. They had heard stories of the Fierce Fairy for decades. Many respected her power and ability as an alchemist as well.
Now, she was just a husk of her former self sitting there.
"I do not trust myself to keep my temper, besides a negotiation will be needed." Lind trusted the twins to be impartial. They had made it clear he was innocent of the damages the Sword Breakers but still responsible to set them on the path.
Nothing in life was free nor completely fair.
"We have considerable power between organizations, but the Babylon Guild does not deal with individuals save how they relate to incidents." Ayzlea seemed bored but through out the one sticking issue.
Lind was well known, and definitely a commodity that could cause the Babylon Guild to become involved, but they did not work between an individual and a power simply because they were asked to.
He knew that but had already thought of a solution.
"Does it require the organization to exist or simply to be planned to exist?" It was something he did not know and made the twins both turn to him sharply. Both of them looked serious as they stood next to each other.
"Are you going to create an organization?" Lind smiled and then summoned a metal pin from his ring. It was simple but it was what he thought of when he first was offered the chance to make a place for himself.
"I already created it once and I now see a need to do it again but for very different reasons. I had a dream of endless sharing of knowledge that would feed back to light a path for us all forward." Lind then gently set the pin down and Fey had an unexpected reaction.
Tears fell as she too summoned a dark metal version of the multi-colored one Lind had. A loop twisted on itself with no beginning or end. It seemed all of 1 side yet was clearly a circle.
Neither of the Twins recognized it at first but as Lind spoke their eyes went wide.
"Up here I am learning the world is harsher but also more closed minded. How many paths are cut off because they feel superior? How many gems are shattered because of where they come from? How much pain do people feel left to rot in places like the Ravaged Isles?" Lind seemed to change.
He was gentle, smiling, and a little goofy at times mostly. He loved to ask questions and share knowledge. A scholar without question but like all cultivators, he had his martial side. To cultivate was to fight against the fate of mortality.
To grasp that slim hope, battle was inevitable. A mass of bodies would be left in the wake of any cultivator, but why that mass was there varied wildly.
Now, it was as if they were seeing the world turn right in front of them. Lind Frey had chosen a path and the world would bend or be broken by him. His crimson robes were replaced by dark emerald as he put the pin on.
Sect Master of Moebius Sect had returned!
"In that case, we accept your request. We will convey a meeting time once we are done with the delegates." The twins bowed and left formally. The relationship had changed and Lind felt a slight pressure from them.
Clearly, he had a long way to go, but he had chosen to forge ahead this time not as a gift for services rendered but to carve out a place of his own.
"Home." Fey whispered the word and caressed the pin. Hope actually sparked briefly in her eyes but was gone just as quickly. Lind patted her head gently.
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"We refuse." The vibrant sapphire hair surrounding a pale face was entrancing on the voluptuous woman in pristine white robes. She was peak tier 6 of the Sky Realm but her respect for the 2 tier 3 women was real.
Still, her ruby eyes were cold after what was proposed.
"I do not care what that man claims, we are here for our Sister and that is all. I am aware she suffered some kind of injury so we brought an alchemist to look her over." The derision was clear now. Despite her words, it was clear she saw little need to fret over a fallen Sister.
It happened and was a risk all cultivators faced. In her eyes, only failures faced it so they were only doing their duty.
The twins' warm smiles stilled and then something odd happened.
A pressure began to build on their side that made the whole delegation pale. The envoy did not understand until she realized she had made a grave mistake.
For all Hilden derided the twins, he never once outright denied their legitimacy to negotiate between sects. There was a very good reason for that.
All sects had envoys take an oath before meeting with the Babylon Guild. It was nothing permanent as it included the words "duration of contact in regards to" as part of it but ALL envoys meeting them had to swear it.
If they were feeling the pressure it meant the Babylon Guild had acknowledged the existence of the Moebius Sect! It was not a small matter at all! Further, her dismissal of it out of hand had now put her under the effects of the oath!
If they desired, the tier 3 aether children could lay waste and cripple the lot of them! The Heavenly Maiden Sect would do nothing as they knew the effects of the oath as much as anyone!
It had, in fact, been employed more than once!
It was the reason the Babylon Guild could deploy tier 3 Sky Realms as caravan leaders without fear. Bandits would never go near them and only suicidal fools would defy them. The Maiden had just become such a fool.
"P-please forgive my insolence." The envoy was no longer regal as she could barely stand! A word from the twins and her journey would end! She did not want to become a cripple!
"Then do you agree to our terms?" The gold and black aether child seemed far more imposing suddenly. Her battle aura was strong! It was well known a properly trained aether child could jump tiers if they wanted but how much was unknown until attempted.
The envoy had no doubt she fell in range of that aura!
"YES!" The pressure suddenly vanished on them all and they could breathe. Sweat covered them and some trembled at how close to death they had come. A few even looked with anger at their leader.
She burned with humiliation but dared not berate them as she had been at fault. The sect would be punishing her regardless of how things turned out!
"Very well. We will meet tomorrow in the largest hall of the Lily Sect. They will give you proper accommodations as well. Thank you." The fire and earth aether child bowed and then pulled on her sister to leave.
"Wait! What about our injured Sister?" The matter of Lind Frey was one thing, but they had been sent on a mission as well. The twins looked at her as if she was stupid.
"Can your alchemist claim to be better than a mid-Heaven grade 5 elixir master?" A chill went down her spine. She glanced at the red haired alchemist who just looked pale and quickly shook her head. She was only mortal grade 5.
No one would dare question a Heaven grade master on the same level!
The crimson on the envoy's face only deepened as she had lost on all fronts! She was in so much trouble when they got home!