"Damn, I forgot to ask Burkan about that!" I cursed aloud, startling Fiona.
"What, daddy?" She asked, worried that I might have forgotten something important.
"Daddy wanted to see if we could have borrowed Burkan's connections to get a cultivation method for himself."
I'm in the 2nd stage of Qi Foundation Realm, much too weak to protect Fiona. While my senses and a high-grade dagger made by Burkan would help, Fiona IS the princess of a major kingdom, with a massive bounty on her head. There might be hundreds of thousands of cultivators whose realms are many times higher than Fiona's.
I can't stress this enough, but I really need to get stronger. Fiona wants me to practice a cultivation method from the kingdom's treasury, but will we even make it alive before we get there? We're crossing another two kingdom's territory, whom both are hostile towards Glendorians.
"Daddy... it will be better for you to cultivate a technique from the royal treasury." She said, a little distressed.
I patted her head. "I know we will, but our safety is our utmost priority, especially yours. I can't stand the fact that you must fight to protect me because I'm too weak."
Fiona turned her head away, blushing. "But... but for me too."
"Hahaha, you're too cute, Fiona. What a tsundere... mmm, my tsundere little kitten." I said in a teasing voice, picking her up for a hug.
"Fiona... is... not!" She said, protesting my hug by wriggling her body. Too bad that it just made me want to hug her even more! So cute!
"Hahaha, you probably don't even know what it means, do you? Looks like my kitten needs to study a little more."
"MHMRF!" she grunted in disapproval and dove into my chest.
"Ahahaha, joke asides for now. What do you want to do now?" I asked, still wallowing in the comfort and the warmth of Fiona.
"Since daddy wants to... Fiona can try to make a breakthrough to the 3rd stage."
"All right. I'll try to find a cultivation method at the capital of Mareriona for a few days, then consolidate our cultivation, and head off!"
_______________
"Woah... that's the capital?" I asked, astounded.
Fiona nodded nonchalantly like there was nothing to see.
A towering wall that looked to be about fifty feet in height surrounded the city and a mountain. A damn mountain that split off into two peaks, with some temples and houses on its side.
Battle scars damaged the wall, which from the look of things, the battle was recent. Guards clamored around the massive gate, almost twice the size of the one at Windholt. The spiritual essence here is better, too, although the air quality... is a bit off. Not the pure cool breezes that Windholt Mountain brought.
The city felt restless, almost like a storm was about to brew. It's a huge one, at that. 'Something unprecedented will happen in the next few days... I'd better start cultivating soon.'
Fiona stood there, unfazed, staring into the sky thinking about something. She didn't show signs of being scared. I mean, the three kingdoms are rife with conflict, and as the princess of the enemy kingdom heading towards the heart of the enemy, isn't that quite, if not extremely terrifying, especially for a seven-year-old girl?
I couldn't help but curse at her mother for the things she's done. Her crazy personality as Fiona described, her assassination plot, her marriage alliance with the Azure Frost, above all!
'Marrying Fiona off at seven is one thing, doing it for power is another, but to someone that's, she's never even met AND is mysterious?! You don't even know what sort of nymphomaniac sadist, unreasonable, absurd bastard he might be! Sharing a bed? It could be a torture bed, for all I know! Handholding with Fiona? Yeah, without her hands even attached!
There are so many predicaments in Fiona's life... wuu, and as her doting father, I have to solve them all! Give her the best! Yes, that's it.
Fiona rolled her eyes. "Daddy, what stupid things are you thinking about again?"
I coughed, snapping out of my trance. "Uh, a stupid person, haha," I said nervously, hoping she wouldn't press on any further.
She did, unfortunately. Knitting her brows and narrowing her eyes, she questioned, "Who? We haven't met many people since arriving though that space rift."
Isn't it too embarrassing to say I was thinking about her? Oh my god, what if I looked like a pervert, lusting for his own daughter? Does Fiona think I'm disgusting? Just say anything, anyone but that!
"Burkan. I was thinking about Uncle Burkan, and his misery that he had to suffer." That's good, right? It'll make me look like a caring, sympathetic angel in her eyes!
"Uncle... Burkan? Why was the look on daddy's face so tender and full of love? Could... it be?" She slapped her hands together. "That you love Uncle Burkan as well?"
What? Nononono, I can't let her think I'm gay! I'm straighter than a ruler!
"Uhh. Fiona... I can explain..."
She shook her hands. "No no no, Fiona's fine with it! But I don't know about having two daddies', even though I hate mommy..."
My face went through a myriad of emotions, twisting and twitching. I looked down, only to see Fiona smiling mischievously, even going as far as giving me a wink!
Damn bitch, what have you been teaching her? It's too early for anything related to Sex-Ed! Do you understand parenting at all, or are you a lesbian, and that's why you killed her father?
I was outsmarted and even left speechless by my seven-year-old daughter...