Nostalgic Nightmare

The client appeared to be in his thirties, and was a man dressed in a professional blue suit. With a cup of wine in his hand and the stern yet charming expression on his face, he could easily pass for a rich bachelor with a bright future ahead of him. While he didn't exude a tyrant's pressure that forced all to acknowledge their inferiority, he possessed charisma that made even his rivals admire him. Among the people that Shui had seen, even the city lord of Silver City or the sectmaster of Storm Sky Manor didn't have such an impressive aura, and this was despite his cultivation only being in mid Sky Realm.

It was rare for Shui to feel intimidated due to his great strength, but the kind of aura that this man had gave him a special sort of pressure.

"Yes, you've passed. I was little disappointed with your smoke trick, but I see that was just a diversion."

He was giving Shui more credit than he deserved, but Shui accepted it and stayed silent. There was no benefit to being honest in this setting after all.

"Please, take a seat."

The client pointed at the chair across from him, so Shui sat there without any reluctance. If this was a more official setting, then greetings or an introduction would be in order, but both men decided to forgo such arrangements. The client took another sip from his glass before putting it down and starting the conversation.

"You should already know what this meeting is about, correct?"

"Yes, I believe you're looking for a bodyguard for one of your children."

"That's right. Due to certain circumstances, the child's original bodyguard can't perform the role, so I need someone to take that position behind the scenes so that no one notices."

Shui was sure that there was more to the story, but it was etiquette not to pry for information from one's client.

"So, I hear that you're rather exceptional at the art of disguise."

"It's almost impossible to see through my disguises by comparing appearance."

"Hoh, you've aroused my interest."

The client then stretched his hand over the table and a briefcase appeared under it. There was a storage ring on his middle finger so Shui didn't have to guess how it appeared. When he opened the briefcase, there was a small stack of documents with the image of a person attached to the first page, and a few shiny stones.

"Transform into this person. Everything you should need to know about them is in this."

Shui reached for the briefcase and took his time looking over the material. The documents gave various details about the person in the image, including history involving unique features on their body such as a mole on the lower back. The stones stored samples of the person's aura in different physical and mental states. This much detail could pressure a disguise expert worried about messing up, but with Shui's technique this amount was perfect.

After a few minutes of familiarizing himself with the information, Shui's figure began to change. His average build shrunk and his limbs became more slender while his hips became rounder. The smaller changes were harder to notice from under his clothes, but Shui reached for his mask to unveil the main feature of the transformation. From behind his mask, a smooth oval face was revealed. The nose was slim while the lips were supple. The blue eyes appeared to have been sculpted from the finest sapphire and the hair began to flow down like a jet black waterfall. Even the voice was sweet like divine nectar.

"Is this satisfactory?"

"...Yes, it'll do."

For the first time, Shui sensed that the client was shaken, though he quickly recomposed himself. He became interested in the identity of the person who he had transformed into, but the topic changed to something that he had to give his focus to.

"You've surpassed my expectations. I'm sure you would be able to handle this mission well without my assistance, but there's not much time so I'll be providing aid. However, before that, have you thought about the favour you would like me to grant."

"Yes, I want to buy three tickets for the next airship to Heavenly Territory."

"Oh, are you going there for the Ancient Sanctuary?"

The Ancient Sanctuary was one of the main reasons why the airship stopped in Heavenly Territory at this time, so it wasn't surprising that the client gave the right guess.

"The Ancient Sanctuary certainly does interest me."

"I see. Considering the time until that airship departs, it seems you'll be able to complete this mission with time to spare."

The client then went into various details regarding the protection target, their school and relationships as well as how he should approach them. The client was a busy person so he left exactly at noon, but he left jade slips and documents with the requisite information. Shui was able to guess his identity, but he never explicitly introduced himself.

Shui would start the job tomorrow, so he had to grasp everything before then, but once the client left, he felt deflated. He didn't need to worry about leaving the room because the client had informed the hotel of his circumstances. He could even ask for room service that would be paid for by the client, an offer that Alia jumped on due to curiosity.

The reason behind the frown on Shui's face, was how he would have to protect his client's child. As the background checks on staff were much harsher, he would have to take the identity of a student. Shui had expected this much, but he lacked information on the type of school. All he heard was how prestigious it was, and the brilliance of the alumni, and the standard of the students, but it was only during this meeting that he found out a feature of the school that made him reluctant to do this mission.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem with the person you'll have to transform into?"

While munching on a premium red fruit in a teenage body, Alia expressed her concern. However, Shui refused to let her catch ahold of this weakness.

"No, I'm fine."

He would still do it, but he would have to think of a way to hide from her during this time. He would also have to be careful not to make his intentions known because she would definitely find a way to spy on him otherwise.

He missed lunch as well, but Shui managed to make it back to the inn in time for dinner. As the group finally had the chance to eat together, they headed down to one of the inn's restaurants and got a private room. Dia and Diana appeared to be nervous, but they didn't say anything as dinner went on. They weren't as voracious as when he first found them, but eating was the only thing they did with their mouths.

Once he was finished eating, Shui explained that he would be working for a week so it would be hard for them to meet during that time. The twins reacted with a hint of disappointment, but while Dia glanced at Diana, both stayed silent.

Shui gave them a resigned look and then added, "You're free to explore during this time. I've already given you your access cards and left money for you to use. If you don't use at least half I'll be taking it back, okay?"

Finally, Diana looked up in surprise and faced Shui. Her lips stayed stiff for a couple seconds, but she eventually parted them.

"...Thank you."

"You're welcome."