LOC(LORD OF CAULDRONS)

After the little free fall Samuel and Zephyr, the woman's name, stood in front of a building. There was a nameplate in front to signify just what the building was. However, Samuel could not read so he could tell what was actually on it.

But it was pretty and looked new, unlike his old and worn-out home. Zephyr moved in without much preamble and Samuel timidly followed. The beauty of the building made him quite out of place compared to his drab and shabby self.

Unlike the power and freedom he had felt when using essence, there was still a timid and naive orphan inside. That orphan had little self-esteem and was very self-conscious.

Going inside did not make him feel any better. Everyone inside looked better than he did. But at least in their hustle and bustle, they were merely two bodies in a crowd.

“WAITER! I need everything on your menu! Send it up to our room with the bill!”

That veil of safety was shattered when Zephyr shouted. Her voice carried overpowering everyone else in the crowd combined. All of a sudden, every single eyeball in the large room was on them.

There were mainly two different facial expressions they carried and Samuel noticed both.

One was the admiration of Zephyr which he could understand, he could feel understand.

The other, this one at him, was a disgusted squint at his shabby look.

“Is there a problem with my companion?” Zephyr said with a steady voice that was still a strong challenge in the tone.

He was not the only one who noticed.

Nobody seemed to argue most going back to whatever they were doing but some still dared to stare. Zephyr narrowed her eyes to them before guiding Samuel forward.

“Ma’am.”

A timid voice broke through the silent crowd.

Her hard eyes turned to the speaker, a young girl who was one of the maids carrying food to the customers.

She seemed to implode into herself at the glare but still stayed rooted in place.

“What?”

“Um… That is… You see…” The maid kept mumbling unable to find her words.

“Speak up.” She said in a gruff voice that made him remember how she had initially treated him and the other orphans.

Samuel was now slightly confused. Given his sheltered lifestyle, he had no notion of the two-faced nature of humans. He could not even begin to comprehend this bit of society.

Not that he had long to ruminate as the maid finally found the strength to speak up in the meantime.

“Your companion is covered in blood!!!”

She shouted at the top of her lungs before sighing. She looked like she had completed a very difficult deed.

“Oh,” Zephyr said quietly before turning to Samuel and sure enough, he was still caked in blood.

She blinked once. Her brain finally processing some obvious facts. In her wonder of getting a master, one with a legendary breakthrough destiny, she had forgotten she had essentially nabbed an orphan off the streets.

She gave herself a mental shrug. She would deal with the consequences of her actions later.

First, she needed to solve the problem in front of her.

“I need to make some amendments to my wish. I need you to open one of your private baths as well as give me a new set of clothes that will fit the young man.” She said.

A jingling bag popped out of thin air and into her palm before she gently threw it at the girl.

“That should cover everything. Take anything extra as reimbursement for sullying your fine establishment.”

She said diplomatically.

The maid opened the bag and immediately her eyes went wide like saucers before quickly closing it and bowing her head to Zephyr.

“Thank you! We will prepare a bath immediately! If you wish, the young master can come with us! We will make sure he is taken care of.”

She said her head bowed.

“As long as he is not taken advantage of, I see no problem.”

Zephyr gave her a nod and in response the maid stretched out an arm towards Samuel who could not follow the conversation. Feeling very awkward he looked at the only figure his coping mind had imprinted on.

Zephyr gave him a soft smile as she nudged him forward.

“Don’t worry, it will be fine. Follow the mortal maid. She will take care of you.”

This made him more willing to accept the maid’s hand.

As he did so, he marveled at just how soft her hands were. The maid gave him a pleasant if slightly uneasy nod as she dragged him off to only the gods knew where.

Zephyr was now more calm and no longer as overtly excited as she had been mere moments ago. Her blue eyes flashed with a hint of gold as the two left. With it, she once more confirmed what she had seen in the courtyard.

A brilliant golden-green tree resided at the center of the boy’s being. This was the point where the soul existed and it was also where all the breakthrough destinys’ cores resided. Even from just a glance, she could tell this was a legendary breakthrough destiny with a healing factor attached to it.

The boy could be the answer they were looking for. He could be the final ingredient to finally break through into the golden core and not be stuck in essence condensation for all their lives.

If not…

Well, she would have a young and gullible master cultivator to play with at the very least.

If she was careful, she could drain him for years to come which was in and of itself, a very desirable outcome. Better yet, the boy looked like he trusted him and was very naive besides. Maybe she could teach him a cultivation technique that could ‘help’ him while helping her.

She hummed a pleasant tune as she skipped her way to her partner, eager to tell him the great news.