A QUEST TO ANSWERS.

***In the Inner Outskirts of Continent Eclipse of the Oceans..

***In Clingford's Martial Academy's Campus..

When Navi had read through his disciple offers, he has discovered a lot of prod and coms.

Navi's tier two package affords him six hundred normal lessons per year. With three hundred and sixty-five days in a year, he can afford to attend two lessons almost every single day.

With the addition of his seventy-five elite lessons and twenty five practical lessons, Navi can distribute two lessons per day to almost every day in a Martial term.

All this is perfect for Navi as his growing body cannot withstand the burden of more than two lessons per day.

Today, Navi is not at all interested in training until he can barely stand instead, his interest lies in a special offer called consultation.

In his disciple offer Navi have learnt that for the exchange of two elite lessons, he can get a one-on-one consultation with one of the Elite Rank 2 cultivation masters in the Academy!.

Without pause in his steps, he navigates his way through the Academy's campus as he goes on a long trek till he finds the building that matches the description put on his disciple map-scroll.

Looking from a distance, the building in question stands as a two-storey Eastern styled hall with dropped banners that says.. 'MARTIAL CORE MASTER CHEN BIA'.

According to what Navi has read, Core master's are not under any strict obligation to answers to consultations but right now, Navi really needs the opinion of a Master.

With calm steps, Navi approaches the building. In order to reduce his chances of getting refused, Navi waits till the morning sun is already high in the sky before he approaches for the hall for consultation.

Standing at the hall's entrance, Navi takes in a soft breath then he softly rings the the entrance bells.

#JINGLE¡#..

After ringing the bells, Navi gets no response though he calmly opens the door before enters the building.

Entering into the halls illuminated reception space, Navi sees an older female in a distinct staff robe sitting on a pillow behind a short wooden desk. The woman has her eyes closed in meditation and her breaths are deep and serene.

Not daring to break her concentration, Navi humbly stands and waits with a calm calm font as she keeps on meditating.

In silence, a dozen more minutes passes and then the meditating woman finally opens her eyes.

The moment her gaze landed on him, Navi gives a polite bow, "Good morning senior, I'm here to see if I can meet with the master of this hall for a session of consultation.", Navi says while sounding as polite as he can.

Navi knows his strenght and weakness and he has noticed that his calmness can sometimes come out as rude so he tries to put a little smile. He definitely cannot afford to be viewed as rude in this situation.

The older woman smiles faintly as she is accepting of Navi's politeness. It also help that she knows that Navi had patiently waited till she is done with her round of meditation before speaking.

"Of course. I'm his right hand disciple so I will go and check if he's free.", The woman says with a smile while Navi nods back politely in response.

The woman stands up and with brisk steps, she hurries up a set of wooden stairs that obviously leads to the second floor of the halls.

As expected, a few minutes later the woman comes back down with a brighter smile on her face.

"He's available now.", The woman says to Navi who immediately smiles back and delivers a bow.

"Go upstairs, he's waiting for you.".

Bowing politely once more, Navi moves up the stairs. On getting to the next floor, Navi immediately finds the consultation room with its door open. After two light knocks on the door, Navi ushers himself inside.

The consultation room is rectangular, small and as simple as rooms come. It holds two sitting pillows on each side of a partially viel that divides the room into two equal parts.

The outline of a man sitting cross-legged on one pillow reflects through the veil to Navi. Although he cannot make out any of the man's features, Navi is sure that the man in front of him is Master Chan Bia.

"This disciple offers his humble greetings to Master Chan Bia.", Navi cups his hands to the master who remains silent for a few more seconds.

¡¡!HÛM!¡¡..

Navi feels a small wave of energy washing through his body with such an intensity that his body hairs all stands on their ends though he remains bowing while inwardly uncomfortable by the show of power just displayed.

"Sit.", Master Chen Bia says while his hand behind the veil points to the opposite sitting pillow.

Navi bows slightly once more then he politely before taked his seat cross-legged.

"What do you want in this consultation?..", Master Chen Bia asks with his voice mature and clear.

"I can see you haven't unlocked mana so you cannot possibly need cultivation directions. If you are here for help regarding sensing mana then I suggest you save your elite lessons as only alchemy can truly help you with that!", Master Chen Bia says calmly then continues speaking.

"You are still very young and most people would sense their first strand of mana in their twenties so my advise for you would be to stay patient. Whatever patience doesn't fix would definitely not be fixed by impatience.", Master Chan Bia says in a mature tone from behind the veil though Navi cannot see any movement s fro the master through the veil.

"Thank you for your wise words master but I'm only here to seek answers to one odd question.", Navi says calmly but a bit of nervousness leaks into his tone.

Master Chan Bia pausesand then he nods from behind the veil as if casually encouraging Navi to ask him whatever he wants answers to.

Navi hesitates for a bit more and then he finally asks with genuine confusion..

"What truly is balance?.."

...

...

***In the Continent Eclipse of the Ocean..

***In the Imperial grounds: Consort Tamara's Palace.

Three long weeks!..

These past weeks are definitely the longest weeks of Imperial Consort Tamara's life.

Tamara has been attending one high profile event regarding the treaty signings to another with each of these gatherings taking more out of her than the last.

These three weeks have been very stressful and draining but it has proved worth it. Apart from the minute contacts, Tamara have managed to forge casual bonds with the some of the powerhouses within the Continent's borders. She has also managed to find an even ground for striking a deal with some of the elves' fractions.

Though they aren't at all direct or indirect about it, Tamara has been able to pick up clues that leads her to the conclusion that the elves are intimidated.

They are scared about their slipping control over the Continent's development and even further terrified that their alliance with Continent 'Eclipse of the Oceans' will be completely neutralized.

The oaths between the two Continent's makes sure that they strictly watch each others back during times of crisis or war and this bond has helped in intimidating other stronger Continents who are hungery for both battles and conquest.

The beginning themes of the oath tradition can be traced back millenniums ago when Continent 'Eclipse of the Oceans' was in a state of crisis. At those times, the tradition has been very beneficial to both sides over the course of countless millenniums though especially moreso to the elves.

Although it would be a great loss, the dissolution of these benefits is not enough to get the elves so shaky when the oaths are close to being dissolved.

Lothlòrien(Continent of Elven Kin) has resources but not wealth while Eclipse of the Oceans has both excess wealth and resources.

Over the millenniums, Continent Lothlòrien has accumulated and grown enough wealth from their oaths with Continent Eclipse of the Oceans and so regarding this factor, the elves should at most be shaky but far from scared.

Tamara has raced through her knowledge and conversations for the reason the elves are so persistent in holding up the oaths uo to an extent of considering lending her daughter(Seflim) a hand to the Imperial throne in exchange for the continuation of the oaths.

No matter how hard Tamara racks her brain she cannot find a reason why some fractions of Continent Lòthorien are acting the way they are.

Lothlòrien and Eclipse of the Oceans are almost unbreakable equals in power, wealth, strength and resources and so it makes completely no sense for either of them to be scared of breaking bonds with the other.

Due to how illogically things are presenting themselves, Tamara is even beginning to think that the elves have ulterior motives other than what they proposed.

Preharps things are being manipulated by the Empress.

Tamara sighs as she pushes her curiosity and questions to the back of her mind. Later, she would ask for more details from knowledgeable people like the Ambassadors of the court on her side.

As usual, the doors of the Imperial carriage Tamara is riding opens up with the guards bowing and her palace beautiful and brilliance under the moonlight.

Indifferent to the protocol, Tamara keeps her Imperial bearing as she slowly walks her way into her palace while just wishing to teleport herself into a refreshing Spirit-elixir bath.

Unfortunately for her, teleportation is completely disallowed by arrays in some parts of her Palace and only few people are allowed to teleport in the parts it is allowed.

This is done for security reasons though Tamara only finds the restrictions upsetting as she believes nobody, not even the Saint ranks could break into Imperial Grounds talk-less of into her Palace.

She is just that confident in her.. or rather, the Emperor's level of protection. Whether she'll be proven wrong or not in the near future remains to be seen.

..

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