^^ Chief Sakura Katachi ^^
— James —
The town was built of stone, with ceramic tiles on the roofs and glazed earthen and also ceramic pottery as proof of their technological level. I saw metal in use, but mostly in tools and weapons; it was apparently more useful for weapons than cooking utensils, which I understood.
However, the town was not necessarily bustling with business, and in fact I saw very few things on display, and even less for sale; none, actually. "Why is there nothing for sale?" I asked Ken, stopping out of the way.
"Hmm? Ah, yes, we don't have a Currency, here. It's a trade system. Each of the four villages has what everyone else needs. We farm medicines, -except for, of course, the White Spirit Apples that are for you,- while the Dragons Hunt in the Elysian Field, where the rest of us dare not tread, the Dryads manage our firewood, and the Orcs manage our Metals, with their iron and coal mine. In return, we give medicines, and repair their tools and weapons. So, there's no need for money. Though, every once in a while we get travelers who only have gold and silver to trade, and we work with them on that front; gold and silver do have their uses, after all." Ken shrugged.
"Oh... and that Green field surrounding us... when does it stop?" I asked slowly, looking out at it, visible even from here in the middle of town.
"It's 200,000 leagues across, and we're dead-center. The Capital, the Holy City, is about twenty leagues west, and there's one other city, the Kingdom of Dwarves, but that's beneath our feet, or, more specifically, beneath the lake. The Field is full of dangerous creatures, divine and demonic beasts that would be too much for anyone weaker than a 3rd Form to fight. The Dragons that live here are the strongest Monsters in the Land, though they are mostly scholars. The dryads are almost as strong, though, and they're mostly Earth Mages." He nodded.
I nodded slowly, and looked around. "And you have Water Spirits here under your protection? How did that come about, if Water is your weakest Element?"
"It is because water is our weakest element that we volunteered our lake to shelter them." A small Kijin woman, -around my height,- with pink hair and the same heavy, bent horns as Ken appeared between us, her beautiful white and red robes flapping in the soft summer breeze.
Ken flinched, while I gazed at her calmly. "I am James Taaliyah... I take it you are Ken's... Wife? No, sister?" I asked slowly.
"Indeed, I am his sister, and the Chief of our little Clan... I am Sakura Katachi, and it is pleasant to finally meet you, Sage-Sama." She bowed her head, and all sound in the square stopped.
"Oh damn it all..." I muttered, as people began rushing over, and bowing along with the Chief.
Ken patted my shoulder awkwardly, seeing how uncomfortable I was, and cleared his throat. "SILENCE!!!" The chattering and cheering of the crowd again stopped. "The Sage is returned from his Meditation in the Spirit World; he is staying in the new Silver Tree Grove, which is visible from here; do not pester him, but you are free to visit the shrine and seek his wisdom there, after the Shrine Maidens make sure you are Cleansed. Am I clear?!?" He barked, and they bowed, swiftly backing away and returning to their previous tasks, albeit with quite a bit more staring and less work.
"Thank you, though you didn't have to make it sound like they were a bother." I sighed.
"Weren't they?" He asked cluelessly, and his sister chuckled.
"Forgive my brother, he's a bit of a meat-head." She linked her arm into mine, and began walking. "It is so nice to have someone my height around, you know? Now, what would you like to see first? I am much better company than my brother."
"I do not doubt it... and I would rather speak on the subject of why the towns are separated like this? Some sort of rivalry?" I gestured at the four different towns.
She nodded. "Ahh, that... Well, it's rather simple, actually; a long time ago, this lake didn't have any villages around it. There was only the Holy City, and this lake, which together as a pair make up the God Ganesha's footprints, from some ancient battle. This one filled with water, and became a lake, while the other was built in, and became a city for various monster clans and gods' worship... but, around 300 years ago, the Hero fought the Maou, -as they are wont to do, blah blah blah who cares,- and then there were a few groups of people that needed to have new homes, the strongest of all the Monster Clans." She sat down on a small bench in front of the lake, and patted the seat next to her.
I sat down, and cleared my throat when she scooted closer, pressing her shoulder against mine. She was far too small for my tastes, -not in height, but in physical age, she looked about fourteen, which was too young for me,- so I scooted away a bit in a clear signal.
She pouted a bit, but continued. "Hmph... anyway, those people were us; the Orcs, Ogres, Dragons, Dryads, and Dwarves. We weren't allowed to live in the city; after we were forced to side with the Demons, the Godly types wouldn't let us in. So, we came here, and we built our own little towns. We weren't really friends, then, so we didn't intermingle, and after a while we set up the bartering system, by way of a Treaty; we were always bickering over resources, before that, but now we've been peaceful for almost 150 years!" She nodded.
"A blink in the eye of an immortal, but yes, an achievement nonetheless." I shrugged. "I imagine you still get humans traveling through?"
She frowned severely. "Those bastards stay far away from our Lake... they go to the Holy City, but that's it. They know they're not welcome here."
"Humans live the shortest lives, and so their mistakes and prejudices seem more frequent and potent, but when compared to longer-lived species', they are actually quite average." I raised an eyebrow at her blatant favoritism.
She tilted her head, and thought deeply for a few moments. "I suppose you're right... but grudges are difficult to forget; it was only 300 years ago that we were at war, after all, and I was alive, then, as were most of the people here. We don't exactly give birth that often, I'm sure you understand." She gestured at the all-female town, with only six men that I'd seen so far; two very old-looking Ogres, Ken and Zoken, and two young Ogre men, about 19-20, who were being 'spoiled' by a group of about ten women apiece inside one building.
I chuckled softly. "I can't imagine it's a bad thing to be a man, here, though for women it must be a little sad... children are the greatest joy in life, after all."
"Oh? You want children, do you? The Dryads will be happy to hear that, considering you are the same Race... almost. Elves and Dryads mix well, I think." She chuckled.
"Thinking of selling tickets?" I raised an eyebrow sarcastically.
Her eyes glinted dangerously. "What a wonderful idea..."
I snorted softly and patted her head, avoiding her horns. "Good luck with that. I survived 100,000 years in the Spirit Realm being tempted by every type of Succubus and Fertility goddess that exists." I walked over to the lake as she hummed and looked out to the north, were a small forest was grown; presumably the Dryad Village.
The water of the lake was clear, and glacially cold, but I stripped my thin thread shirt and shorts off, and dove in, enjoying the cold on my skin.
'Oh? Who's this?'
'A new man in our waters? How unusual...'
'Oh! An Elf? And one with dark skin? How curious!!!'
'He's quite well 'equipped', Diana, are you sure you could handle him?'
'Shut up you slutty brat!!!'
A cacophony of mental voices began conversing immediately, and then they halted when I broke the surface, looking around for the speakers. "Dear god's please don't let this be like the Spirit World, where the water has ghosts in it..." I shivered, and flinched when a hand pressed itself to my back. I flailed about in surprise, letting out my Chi on reflex, and the water around me began to literally boil.
The Water Elemental Miko, I forget her name, was standing on the water a few meters away from me. She smiled and waved a little, blushing. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, I was going to tell you that you should leave the water before they got too... bold." She gestured at the dozens of women I could now see, both mermaids and simple naiads, swimming in circles around the sphere of boiling water around me.
"Oh... sorry. I didn't know; that is, I didn't mean to intrude?" I frowned, treading water slowly.
"No, I just meant that they will be... rude? I think is the word? They don't have much understanding of the words 'pre-coital consent'." She explained calmly.
"Ooooh, I see... thank you for warning me, but to be honest, I'm Alright." I nodded.
She bowed politely. "As you wish... they are quite lovely, and many have found their company very pleasant; I am also of their number, and considered a beauty by many... Should you wish, it is within the duties of a Shrine Maiden to oblige you-"
"No! No, I meant- I mean, you're very pretty, but I wouldn't even consider- no, I- Well, no, I only mean to say that while you are beautiful, but I would never ask it of someone who believed it to be a Duty, not a Pleasure, and also that's not what I meant!!! I meant that they would leave me alone, now that I knew how to shoo them off!" I babbled helplessly for a moment before getting my bearings.
She smiled slowly. "It is quite flattering, that the Sage is so very flustered by my offer... and I will bid you good day, then; I have duties to attend. Should you change your mind, none of us Miko would mind obliging your various selfish requests, least of all me; I mean that sincerely." She bowed a little, displaying her ample cleavage, then disappeared, leaving a column of mist where she'd been.
I laid on my back slowly, groaning in defeat. "To think I'd be played like a fiddle... a hundred thousand years resisting Demonesses and Goddesses alike; then a real woman flirts with me, and I turn into a gibbering mess... some Sage I am..." I snorted.
<New Titles Received: Weak to Bold Women, Lecherous Monk.> The screen seemed to mock me as it flashed a few times, and then faded.
—
The next morning, I woke up to the rising sun, and found a group of five people in front of my Grove, kneeling.
I frowned slowly, and looked at them all, looking at their Status's. Mika and Zoken, obviously, were the two I recognized, but then there were three others.
The first, a young looking dryad, about as young as Sakura, with golden hair and pale skin, and a pair of emerald green eyes.
<Individual: Maze Lily
Race: Gilded Dryad (Ultra-Rare-evolution Path.)
Ur: 5th Form (prodigy)
Strength: 1%
Speed: 2%
Stamina: 1%
Defense: 2%
Intelligence: 100%
Weapon's Skill: 20%
Unarmed Skill: 1%
Gilded Lily, Prodigy, Pyromancer.>
I raised an eyebrow at a Dryad being a Pyromancer, but if the Head Miko of 1,000 years old was a 6th Form, and this woman was a 5th at only a few decades old at most, she was worthy of the 'Prodigy' title.
The next was a Well-built young man with thick tusks in his lower lip, and dark brown skin, much like my own.
<Individual: Hallox Mars
Race: Dark-Orc (Ultra-Rare Evolution Path)
Ur: 3rd
Strength: 25%
Speed: 10%
Stamina: 5%
Defense: 10%
Intelligence: 60%
Weapon's Skill: 10%
Unarmed Skill: 15%
Axe-Warrior, Berserker, War-Shaman, Hell-Ox, Seed of Wrath.>
I raised the other eyebrow at his high stats, and the Wrath-Seed. His stamina in particular surprised me, given how highly my own stamina was. 'A Named Sin Seed? What's that do?' I wondered.
<Seed of Wrath is a Seven-Sin Seed, belonging to a Future Member of the Seven Sin Clan, the Demon King's Personal Clan. Each member is a Demon Lord by right, these are not inherently Evil: many Demon Lords have sided with humans over the millennia, and even humans tolerate their existence, because of their ability to keep the Demon Hoards in Check, and invasion at bay. A Necessary Evil: is the saying.>
'Hmm... Alright.' I looked at the last of the people. He was a normal human teenager, it seemed; a little mousy, almost, with dark brown hair and European features, and smaller than me, but he smelled like dusty scrolls and pomegranate.
<Individual: Jerrod Kylan
Race: Dark Dragon, (Ultra-Rare Evolution Path)
Ur: 6th Form
Strength: 20%
Speed: 10%
Stamina: 5%
Defense: 15%
Intelligence: 100%
Weapon's Skill: 2%
Unarmed Skill: 5%
Apprentice ArchMage, Sage Seed, Cult of Hades, Chronicler.>
I grinned. "Ooh? A Sage Seed? I suppose you three were sent to me for a reason... speak." I sat down on the air, using my Chi to levitate, which wasn't nearly as difficult as I'd thought it would be.
Mika cleared her throat while the other four stared at me in surprise. "Aunt-that is, the chief said that the other Villages demanded that you teach some of their Prodigies as well... it's a new part of the Treaty already. Also something about you and the Dryad Camp having visitation rights? I'm not sure about that part. The Dryads wanted to claim you as a member of their Clan, as you're an Elf, but the chief said that you've been our charge for so long that it's literally the name of our clan, 'Sage's Guardians'. They didn't have anything to say to that." She smiled at the Dryad girl smugly.
"Enough of that, spite is an unfit emotion and I won't entertain pointless rivalries." I immediately rebuked her.
She bowed her head slowly. "I am sorry, Master."
"Hmm. You, Dragonkin; do you require sustenance in the form of Mana to retain that human form? Or is it a One-Off Cost?" I asked the mousy boy.
He flinched, and then scratched his ear slowly. "It is a One-Off Cost... and it lasts for seven days, unless I cancel it."
"I see... and are any of you Level Fifty in any Class yet? Most of you are Ultra-Rare Evolution Paths, so You must've evolved at least once, yes?" I asked.
They nodded, except for Mika, and Zoken cleared his throat. "Uhm... I don't think I-"
"If you're not sure, then I wasn't talking to you; you'd notice if you'd evolved... or I hope you would." I raised an eyebrow at him, and he silenced. "Now lets work on strengthening your bodies, I suppose..."
"Uhm, I'm already very strong,-" the Orc began.
"If I'm to have you forced upon me, you will obey me without question." I stared him down, letting my Chi out full-force. They were instantly swamped by it, as they were only a few meters in front of me, and they all passed out, one by one, starting with Zoken and ending with Jerrod.
I nodded, and began placing small blocks in their Chi, much like I'd done to myself, and exactly like the Guru had done when she first taught me. Their access to their Chi was entirely gone, for now, and their muscles and bones would feel ten times heavier, their reaction times slower.
I looked at the edge of my meadow, at the five people that were watching my every move. "You are their Chiefs, I imagine?" I asked calmly, looking at the three of them I didn't recognize.
<Identify Skill Insufficient.>
<Identify Skill Insufficient.>
<Identify Skill Insufficient.>
<Identify Skill Insufficient.>
'Hmm... Curious... so Identify only works on those the same or lower level than me?'
<Incorrect: Identify works on anyone who does not have an Identify Blocking Skill; in that case, it is a contest of Identify Level vs Blocking Level.>
"That is Correct. I am Zail Kylan, Chief of the Dragon Clan, it is an honor to be in your presence, Great Sage." A tall human with dark black hair and porcelain skin nodded respectfully.
"Mm. I'd hoped you'd be a Dragon... I've never seen a real one, you see, only paintings. But it is an honor to meet you, as well." I nodded.
"He wouldn't really fit in the Grove very well, as engorged as he is in his other form..." a woman in a skintight green dress chuckled, flicking her nails at him disinterestedly when he growled.
"I am sure his form is quite majestic, as is proper; And I take it the rude woman is a Dryad? Wonderful. And you must be the Orc Chief?" I skipped the rude Dryad and looked at the tall ebony-skinned Orc.
He nodded slowly. "I am Fellden Mars. Strengthen my Spawn as you see fit. He is a strong Orc Spawn, now; he will be Better, after." His Voice was thick and rough, like his throat was scarred heavily.
"That he will, I promise that... Alright, off with you all, this isn't Take your Parents to Training day!" I clapped calmly, and let out my Chi again when the Dryad opened her mouth.
She froze, and the Orc and Dragon both grunted in surprise, before bowing deeply. They turned and walked away, with Ken guiding them, leaving me with Sakura and the Dryad.
"Now, Sakura... lets talk about you whoring me out to the Dryads..." I frowned at her as she paled visibly, her knees shaking.