She left!

Tracy was very astonished by the information she just heard from Vivian…

"Are there other realms of power above these?" Tracy asked. Her surprise could not be hidden. She was a rank-9 mystic-witch and wanted to know how close she was to the top powers in Gaia.

Vivian could see the thirst for power and curiosity in Tracy's eyes. [ I was like this when Hugo's dad explained the mystic realms to me. What naïveté! … Power can blind anyone. … How did I end up like this?] Vivian mused.

[I have to make sure Tracy won't be consumed by greed for powerful mystic-arts and end up like me. … If that happens, she may never get the chance to extricate herself.] She thought before formulating her next words.

"Yes. Above the 'mystic-kings/queens', there are 'mystic-emperors' and 'mystic-sovereigns'."

"...They can cast both long-range and some low-level forbidden-spells. These spells have terrifying effects that can easily slaughter thousands of people at once."

Vivian sighed and shook her head. "Hugo's father was at the mystic-emperor level, but his power wasn't sufficient to escape the 'deacons' of the Sacramento Order. He stayed behind to hold back the 'deacons' while I escaped."

"Then I suffered the oath's backlash… And that's how I lost my memories." Vivian paused, looking into Tracy's eyes, she asked... "So, do you think our Medici family can survive the Sacramento Order's retribution?"

Tracy's expression soured.

She had considered the Medici family as ranking among the most powerful organizations in Gaia. The strongest members of the Medici family were mystic-kings like Vivian's parents and grandfather.

How were they to face an organization like the Sacramento Order?

Vivian could see the confusion in Tracy's eyes, but she had already said enough. Any more information would do more harm than good.

"I know what you are thinking, but I can't reveal any other information about the Sacramento Order, their activities, or where they are. That is because I swore an oath upon the name of the 'God of Contracts – Sancus'.

"So, I can't stay with the two of you at the moment. I'll leave you with a mystic-soul-art that you can practice to quickly refine your soul to the rank of mystic-queen…"

"Once you become a mystic-queen, you will have no problems moving around the Eastern Continent." Vivian paused, looking at her friend who seemed to be lost in thought.

"Tracy!" She flicked her head to wake her up from her trance.

"I'm listening... You said something about a soul-mystic-art… But Vivian! Please hold on. I don't understand how this has anything to do with us being in danger." Tracy interrupted Vivian's words.

"Can't we all stay together for some time…. Hugo is not even a day old! What will I tell him when he grows up? What will he eat? Can't we just hide together?"

Seeing the frown that was slowly appearing on Vivian's face, she quickly added. "Vivian! You know that I grew up as an orphan. Although your parents have treated me as one of their own, I still feel that a child should grow up with parental care. I know what it feels to grow up without parents."

Vivian sighed. She knew about the isolation that Tracy had gone through when she first arrived at Red-Sky Island. This was also one of the reasons why she was so sure that Tracy could be trusted to protect little Hugo.

"I hate to leave like this. If there was any other way, I would take it. But there is none."

"The Sacramento Order is a vastly powerful organization with members possessing extraordinary mystic abilities. Some of them even have seer-type mystic abilities. They may have already roughly pinpointed my location, but are just deterred by the ancient families." Vivian tried her best to explain the severity of the situation.

"Why would they be afraid of the ancient families? Aren't those families similar to our Medici Clan?" Tracy was confused.

The ancient families of the Eastern Continent were also part of the powers that ruled Gaia. She assumed they wielded the same level of power as the Medici family.

"Their top mystic powers are also within a range of the mystic-king-realm. But within their territory, they can wield the power of their ancestral mystic-artifacts."

"For instance, the Melekar ancient families can use the arrays of their castles to defend and attack with the powers at the level at a level of a mystic-emperor..."

"...Hugo's father told me that they may even be able to conjure attacks at the level of mystic-sovereigns. That is why the Eastern Continent may be the only place on Gaia where the Sacramento Order has no power."

Tracy now understood why ancient families were feared. Unfortunately, they were also being hunted by the Manroe family.

"Tracy! What about the Manroe family? Why were you imprisoned by them? … And how are we going to stay in Melekar with such a powerful enemy hanging over our heads?"

"I also don't know why! I suspect that there may now be a member of the Sacramento Order in the Manroe family."

"The Sacramento Order has been trying to recruit members of the ancient families for a long time. Maybe they have finally succeeded. I can't be sure." Vivian replied.

"Here is a storage-ring. It is similar to my dad's and can store items in a separate dimension with a volume similar to a small room. You will also find mana-crystals, mystic potions, and a few other supplies stored in the ring."

"I also prepared the mystic-soul-art which will enable you to train yourself to the level of a 'mystic-queen'. You can continue using the Medici body-refinement-art for the time being. I have no high-level mystic-arts that I can bequeath you right now." Vivian spoke hurriedly without allowing Tracy to interject.

"We'll transfer all the contents of your backpack to the storage-ring so that we can hide Hugo in it." Vivian continued; her voice was now filled with urgency.

Vivian then started to store away all the items they had used during the past two days. Even bed sheets, towels, and other toiletries were put into the ring's extradimensional space.

Owing to the urgency in Vivian's actions, Tracy didn't say anything else. She funneled mana and mental energy into the storage ring to imprint her mental-signature on it. She then unpacked her backpack and transferred all her luggage into the ring.

"Do you want to hold him for a while?" Tracy asked; trying to clean the corner of her eyes with the back of his sleeve.

Tracy now truly looked like one of those sad little nuns just after joining the church of darkness.

"No! My aura will be left on his body if I hold him. We can't risk that." Vivian replied.

"I will leave a message for him in this ring. He will be able to open it when his mystic powers are sufficient." She said while tossing another storage-ring towards Tracy.

"Why are you leaving behind a message that he can only read when he becomes a mystic? Aren't you only leaving for just a while?" Tracy interjected; her expression showing doubt.

"Sigh… Tracy! When you are being hunted, you are not sure if today or tomorrow are your last days. There is the risk of being captured or even killed by the colonialists…"

"Tracy! … If I don't come back within three years, please give the ring to little Hugo." Vivian urged; her voice solemn.

"Everything else will be up to you. Stay safe above all."

Tracy sighed and nodded. She then cast another isolation spell on the baby and placed him gently within the backpack. She looked at Vivian waiting for her next instructions.

Vivian looked at all these actions with a detached expression.

Silence pervaded the whole enclosed space at the moment. Only the slight sound of little Hugo's regular breathing could be heard within the backpack.

Vivian kept looking at the backpack that was now in Tracy's hands. Her face was now calm and resigned. She took a deep breath and then turned away.

"One last thing! Do not contact the 'Medicis' for the time being. You might bring down the Order's wrath on them. Stay in the Eastern Continent for some time until I find a solution. … Remember to cast a cleansing spell before you leave," Vivian said while beginning to move away from Tracy.

Very soon, she was at the boundary of the space enclosed by the formation. She cast one last, longing look at the backpack, before turning away again.

"Take care! … And leave after twenty minutes. … That's whether Jonas is back or not." Tracy heard Vivian's detached voice, but she had already disappeared from the enclosed space.

Tracy was frustrated. There was nothing else she could do to help Vivian. If she tried, she would only bring her more trouble.

Tracy looked down at the backpack and sighed. "Little Hugo… Your mom has left. It will be us alone for a while." She mumbled while beginning to deactivate the concealment formation.

And poor little Hugo was still asleep not knowing his mama had left.

She left!

****