Elizabeth the enigma

Inside an office, the young lady who acted as a Sales Guide to Elizabeth and Belle bowed before a man who seemed to be in his late thirties. "Did you notice anything about the city's new divine rank?" the man asked.

"No, I didn't. Maybe it is because my level is lower than hers," the Sales Guide said.

"What about her sister?" the man asked.

"Actually, it is her brother, sir. I couldn't find out anything apart from the gender," the Sales Guide said.

"Brother? He sure looks girly. If it is a boy, are you sure it is not some transformation power that is confusing you?" the man asked.

"I am sure. Actually, I didn't use my power to confirm that. I noticed it from their talks. The new divine rank seems to just want to see him in girlish dress," the Sales Guide confirmed.

"I heard she is quite an enigma. It must have been true," the man said.

"Yeah, I think the best way to get close to her is through her brother. At least her actions confirm she dotes on him," the Sales Guide said.

"I think so too, but none of the information about her said she has a sibling. Don't you think her suddenly deciding to show her sibling has something to it?" the man said.

"It is the academy acceptance period. I think even though the city academy is not the best, she will want her brother to go. Maybe going around with him is a way for her to subtly tell others, 'this is my sibling.' Who knows?" the Sales Guide speculated.

"It is not impossible. How many divine ranks are in the city? Her walking around with him will surely pass the information faster," the man said.

"Yeah, I think even the academy will make it better for him. I heard they once sent out an invite for her to be vice principal," the Sales Guide said.

"Well, that should be normal. Divine ranks are not common. Those with factions are even rarer. Building good relationships with her should be the first step most people will take before they try to turn against her if it doesn't work out," the man said.

"Why should it always be like that, though?" the Sales Guide asked.

"Like what?" the man replied with a question.

"Why must every divine rank be under a faction?" the Sales Guide asked.

"Simple. Humans have this tendency to be wary of what or who might challenge their authority. They always see it better to confirm your stand. If you join a faction that is not theirs, they become more wary of you and mark you as disposable. If you join their faction, they try to leash you and keep down your growth so you don't outgrow them," the man explained.

"So what is our stand? Are we like a faction?" the Sales Guide asked.

Pfft! The man burst out laughing. "We can't be a faction. We would be squashed from the sheer heat of a faction crashing together," he responded.

"Why are you interested in her, then?" the Sales Guide asked.

"I am a business. Do you think I want to only sell clothes?" the man said.

"You want to sell her information?" the Sales Guide asked.

"Of course. What did you think before?" the man said.

"What if she finds out?" the Sales Guide asked.

"Do you think our level is enough to find out information she doesn't want others to know? Any information we get should be what she wants us to get. I think nothing will happen," the man reassured.

"Okay, sir," the Sales Guide answered as she left.

Inside the carriage driving Belle and Elizabeth home, Belle was looking out from the window once again, while Elizabeth was sitting across, deep in thought. Actually, before they went out to buy clothes, Elizabeth had used her clairvoyance power on herself. She wanted to know if she could use it to view a bit of Belle's future. She realized that she was a bit too dependent on the power and couldn't believe it failed her. In her vision, she saw how things would go for her, but Belle was not even shown. It seemed like Belle wasn't around her in the vision.

"Is his second ability a bane for clairvoyants?" Elizabeth asked herself. "What is your second ability?" Elizabeth asked to confirm. "Telepathy," Belle said. Although he was slowly trusting Elizabeth, he was not yet at the point of telling her everything.

"Why can't I see your future, then?" Elizabeth asked. "I don't know," Belle said. "This is so annoying. I thought I was about to become omnipotent," Elizabeth complained.

Hearing her, Belle smiled.

Back in Emerald City, Ethan took out a pouch and carefully observed it. "Do I really want to do this?" Ethan asked himself. He had not been ready to take a step forward before because one of his connections had told him how unsafe acquiring more powers can be. Inside the pouch was a beast core for a late-stage Ascendant beast. If he absorbed it, the energy combined with the power already stored in his body would push him to the next rank.

"I need to. It is not safe anymore. Being strong enough is the only way I can protect myself, Lucy, and the baby. It is the only way I won't have to be afraid and try to kill someone who did nothing to me," Ethan said as he brought out the beast core. 

Hmmm, Ethan breathed in and out before he started absorbing the beast core. Immediately after he was done, the beast core turned to dust and drifted away. Flick! Flick! The electricity in the building slowly started turning on and off. 

"Is this what the new rank feels like? I can supply more than four streets with electricity," Ethan said as his power stabilized.

"All the information I don't know, I will ask for it now," Ethan said, totally determined.