While Kuju boasted its manufacturing and bor force, it’s undeniably bustling and crowded almost everyday. After all, most of their services, especially products, were sold not only in Ramaya but also in Grantierra. And as the empire prospered under Emperor Chen’s rule, he also shared their technology with their immortal neighbors, even the rgest region in all of Ramaya houses the different races roaming these nds.

  The portal in Deorya led him to the City of the Sentinels, the heart of Ize Region. It’s where the Overseer, once a Heavenly Sentinel who served the God of War Kaimbe, resided. For ten thousands of years after the Great Immortal War, she took care of the said region.

  Crimson eyes roamed around, taking in the assortment in the surroundings.

  Towering pine trees up north, dense thickets in the east, mountain ranges in the west and lush, green forests in the south—no one would ever imagine such a rge city standing in the middle of those.

  “Karel!”

  Crimson eyes looked above and saw the woman descending upon him, rge raven wings fpping as she stopped before him.

  He slightly bent down to salute her. “It’s been a while, Overseer.”

  The Overseer harrumphed. “You really won’t call me by my name, huh?”

  Karel only smiled at that.

  Despite how older he looked than the Overseer, she’s still way older than him. She had lived before the Great Immortal War, survived, and one of the remaining survivors of the said war.

  “But what brings you here, princeling?”

  “Spare me some workers for the isnd.”

  “I’ve heard of your endeavor to build a rge town on an isnd. It’s faring well?”

  He nodded.

  “I’d gather those who wanted to work for you. Pay them good, yes?”

  “You know the ws about these sorts of things.”

  Kazue chuckled and motioned one of her people to post her announcement.

  “Have them ready in three days. Is it alright?”

  “More than enough.”

  A palpable silence descended upon them so the Overseer cleared her throat and asked, “By the way, I haven’t thanked you for that time.”

  “If this is about the Stavrovian Incident, think nothing of it. That’s my duty.”

  She smiled to herself. “I know you’re very fond of these immortals, my dear. It sets you apart from your kin.”

  “She has taught us to love everyone the same.”

  The bustling city became a white noise background as she smiled in mencholy upon the mention.

  “M’dy! M’dy—eek!”

  The others shrieked to a stop then excimed excitedly, “Your Highness!” upon seeing Karel standing beside the Sentinel.

  “Those are the children you’ve rescued back then. They’ve grown quite a bit now.”

  Karel smiled fondly, waiting for them to approach him and patted their heads one by one. “Hello, how are you?”

  “Good! How’s His Highness?” One of the children asked boldly. Even the Overseer chuckled that the child was so brave to face a Ramayan.

  “I’m fine and healthy. Are you?”

  “Yes! Her Ladyship helped us live here!”

  “Do you like it here then?”

  “Yes!”

  He smiled, making them giggle. “Then, that’s good to hear.”

  While Karel gathered the needed people for the bor force, te afternoon now dawned in Mapiya Isnd without any fanfare aside from the fact that Xavier and Pensri entered the mansion with exhausted faces. If not for Walce holding onto them, they would just lie down on the floor.

  “What happened?” He asked, rge arms holding onto them.

  “Elder… The elder is… a devil.”

  “What?”

  “It seems like Elder Orazio talked your ears off. Pardon him, he’s like that sometimes when it comes to talented people like yourselves.” Kani observed them from above, a chin leaning on his palm.

  At one point, Elder Orazio also discriminated against other races, for the Ramayans had been the strongest immortals aside from the dragons. As time went on, he realized that those people he considered inferior also had talents simir to his. Throughout the years as the Head, and now Elder of Kuju, he had admired talented people from all races, even adopting them if he could.

  “But the Elder is the greatest teacher anyone can have,” Walce mused in confusion.

  Kani ughed. “That’s true. If not for him, Karel and I wouldn’t be successful in building a town here. Intricacies included.”

  “I like Elder Orazio, alright? But, I like Madam Sanjana better,” mused Pensri and wobbly stood to her stature.

  Kani chuckled. “Madam Sanjana would be delighted to hear that.”

  Xavier dragged himself up the stairs. “We convene tomorrow, Master. I’m really tired.”

  “Sure. Have a good rest, you two.”

  While they were away, Kani arranged a shared office for the two friends. The room beside his own study in the mansion had been empty all this time and decided to redecorate it for them.

  Delighted by the arrangement, the two of them filled the shelves with their work, especially Pensri who brought everything, afraid for the others to pilfer her pns again.

  “Oh, you’re here,” remarked Walce once he saw Xavier and Pensri huddled together by the desk, discussing quietly among themselves.

  “Oh, hello Walce. Is there something wrong?”

  “You might want to hear some news from Stavros?”

  Both of them perked up, especially Pensri but she frowned.

  It’s nearly a year since she arrived in Mapiya Isnd and while she owed her life to Duke Streya, she wished not to look back again. Inevitably, she’s already a part of Stavrovian history whether she liked it or not.

  “What news?”

  “Aren’t you curious about what happened after your departure from Stavros?”

  Pensri furrowed her eyebrows more.

  “You were the State Architect of Stavros—”

  “And those men pilfered my pns.”

  Walce smiled. “And everyone found out about it. The Administrative Officer was furious and purged the thieves from the Engineering Department.

  Pensri ughed. “Did Duke Streya do that?”

  “No, it’s his son, Prince Jericho.”

  Pensri smiled in mencholy.

  She got acquainted with the said prince because of the duke. They entered the academy at the same time and were often mistaken as siblings due to their uncanny resembnce, and it didn’t help that Pensri was bestowed the Streya surname to protect her.

  “Prince Jericho.” Xavier mused. “He’s a quiet man most of the time but I’ve seen him angered once.”

  Pensri turned to him, surprised.

  “That man is crueler than Duke Streya, Pensri.”

  She nodded. “I know. They are not even blood-reted.”

  “Oh, now that you’ve mentioned it.”

  Walce also perked up at that. “Oh?”

  Duke Alexandro Streya was a ward of the former duke, Prince Jericho’s grandfather. When the duke’s heir died due to an assassination, he appointed Alexandro as the Duke and became Prince Jericho’s adoptive father.

  It earned a backsh from the dukedom’s allies but Alexandro had proven himself time and time again that he’s a capable man. The dukedom stood in its pce, unshaken by their enemies; his position as an official was also solidified thanks to his undeniable efforts and he raised Prince Jericho as the fine, responsible young prince as he was now.

  Walce huffed, crossing his arms on his chest. “He reminds me of myself back then.”

  The two looked at him. “What do you mean?”

  “Before Karel found me wandering in Astadvran, I was also a Marquis in the Ramayan Empire.”

  “What?”

  “Wait, you’re also a Ramayan?”

  “I am. I was the former Marquis of Rajiv and Commander of the Lotus Knights. That was a few years ago until some,” he cleared his throat, “idiot decided that he’s better than me and sent me elsewhere, to Astadvran.”

  “You looked so human, though? How can you distinguish a Ramayan from a human?”

  Walce hummed, pensive. “I think it’s the eyes.”

  “Eyes?”

  “You humans have rounded pupils,” he remarked, making the two friends look at each other in wonder.

  “That’s right.”

  “We have slightly oval pupils, a little bit curved outwards vertically from a circle,” he pointed at his own eye, “and they turn into slits,” and they actually turned into slits, “at times. An instinctive reaction to some things we find… interesting, perhaps?”

  “That’s… interesting.”

  The slit pupils returned to their initial nearly oval shapes and Walce smiled.

  “How about Master Kani? He doesn’t look that human too,” Xavier asked, also mentioning his ear ornaments.

  Pensri nodded in agreement. “He’s too beautiful for a human.”

  Walce chuckled. “Maybe because it’s reted to your job that you’re too observant.”

  “Then, what is he?”

  “He’s a Louvika, a human with an elven bloodline. Like the twins are humans with a werewolf bloodline.”

  “That expins the beauty!” Pensri nearly excimed.

  “Yes, the elves have always been unparalleled when it comes to beauty.”

  Pensri hummed. “I actually find Karel handsome. Even you, Walce. Aren’t Ramayans pleasing to the eyes too?”

  Walce ughed. “You say that because you haven’t seen our real forms.”

  “Real forms?”

  “We have a more monstrous form and what you see right now is like an imitation of sorts. However, throughout the millennia, we were born in this vessel but when we achieve the pinnacle of magical power, we can use our true forms.”

  “That’s… interesting.”

  “Wouldn’t that mean that the younger and gorgeous you are, the more powerful you are?”

  Walce’s eyes widened then ughed loudly. “It ftters me if you put it that way! Our appearances right now are the result of passing on genes.”

  “Like us?”

  “Yes.” He nodded. “Karel has blond hair and crimson eyes, a notable feature of the Marles.”

  “And your features are—”

  The Rajiv had been known for their navy blue hair and eyes shades of sky blue eyes to silver.

  “Of Rajiv, yes.”

  Pensri hummed. “Then, that means Elder Orazio’s features are of the Asoka?”

  Xavier asked, “Then how about the imperials’ features?”

  “It’s always the raven hair and purple eyes. The emperor has the same features, like the royal princess back then.”

  “Ramayans have a long history, right?” Pensri asked, twirling the pen in hand.

  “Yes. We’re the oldest civilization in Trojka, way before humans have inhabited the nds. The First Ramayan Queen, whom we also called Our Queen Mother, breathed life into us and made the race of Ramayans.”

  “Why are you called Ramayans though?”

  He shook his head. “That’s something we don’t know too. But some had specuted that it may be because it originated from Queen Mother’s name Raise and Maya, a word which means illusion.”

  “Interesting,” Pensri hummed.

  “Wouldn’t that mean Raise’s Illusion?”

  Walce shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

  “But, that’s an interesting take,” Xavier remarked.

  “You’re actually right about that,” interjected another voice and they saw Kani leaning onto the door sill of the shared office.

  The Queen Mother of the Ramayans was named Raise by the Heavenly Emperor and she created the race of Ramayans, apparently, due to loneliness. She had seen the Heavenly Emperor accompanied by his Archwinged and was compelled to do the same.

  “Magic could be extinguished any time, that’s why she called them Maya, an illusion. Until the Heavenly Emperor blessed her creations, turning them corporeal and now also beings of Trojka. And just like Walce said, once they gain the pinnacle of power, they can revert to what they actually look like.”

  “Greetings, Master Kani.” Walce greeted with a smile, knowing he’d been there all this time.

  Pensri ughed nervously. “I didn’t know you’re there, master! Have you heard all of it?”

  He cleared his throat. “I’m honored that you thought highly of me.”

  Walce chuckled at the two friends’ embarrassed demeanor.

  “All of you are actually here.” Hendrika stood beside Kani. “Come, I have served desserts in the garden.”

  The two friends walked ahead, discussing what they discovered about the immortals while Walce and Karel walked together behind them.

  “Pensri and Xavier… they’re truly a match,” Kani remarked, smiling while staring at their backs.

  “I think so too. They truly complemented each other.” Walce remarked. “They reminded me of the two of you.”

  “Walce, you know our situation.”

  “Both of you are just afraid. Take a leap of faith, Master. It will settle things,” he replied with a smile then walked ahead.

  Kani stopped walking and pensively stared at his broad back.

  Molten amber eyes looked at the floor. “I just hope it’s that easy.”

  From the gazebo they’re currently in, they observed the two masters conversing side-by-side by the nearby pond.

  “They really look like lovers,” Pensri commented.

  Xavier nodded. “So, I’m not the only one who noticed.”

  They shared a look and sighed in the end because for them: “Homosexuality is a taboo.”

  Walce smiled. “But in the empire, homosexuality is actually widely accepted.”

  “Eh?”

  “Huh?”

  Walce chuckled at their reaction. “Ramayans are quite eccentric, you know that, right? Even in our oldest surviving records, it was a common occurrence.”

  “Then, that means…”

  “Are they…”

  Walce shook his head. “Hendrika said not to meddle in their affairs and I finally understand why we shouldn’t.”

  “Let them figure it out themselves, Pensri, Xavier,” Hendrika kindly remarked then smiled to herself as she watched their figures.

  lymsleiah