Villainous

After a long moment in which neither of them took any bites of food, Li Mei glanced up and furrowed her brows. "Your lunch is getting cold. Don"t waste food just because we didn"t have to hunt this stuff ourselves."

The cold glint in her eyes shook the other two back to their senses, and they ravenously devoured their pretty meals.

Otto"s culinary skills already surpa.s.sed Li Mei"s meager ability, an impressive feat as far as she was concerned. During Hana"s recovery after the initial rescue, Li Mei cooked porridge or soup for the child every day until she was strong enough to eat solid food.

When Otto saw Li Mei carving vegetables and fruit into clumsy shapes, flowers and hearts and stars meant to appeal to a small child"s appet.i.te, he was absolutely delighted. He pestered her for days until she finally taught him how to do it!

At first he was so terrible no one could figure out what shape he"d been trying to create, but Otto persisted until he got even better than his teacher. It wasn"t long before every meal was accompanied by carefully shaped vegetables and fruit. The taste still needed work, but that was mostly due to a lack of seasoning spices available as well as Li Mei"s own limitations as a culinary mentor.

She was still taking cla.s.ses for making homemade bread back on Earth! She wasn"t a pro chef or anything, bringing the ultimate essence of flavor out of a meal with just a pinch of salt was way beyond her capability.

Li Mei sighed after she swallowed the final piece of fruit, completely cleaning her plate. Hana whipped it off the table, having already cleared the rest, while Otto pushed up his sleeves and washed the dishes at record speed.

Then they both sat across from Li Mei and a snoozing Bao, hands on their laps and backs straight with the most attentive postures they could manage. Li Mei"s mouth twitched as she fought back an amused smile. She gestured toward the box Faust left behind with a tilt of her chin. "Otto."

The boy leapt to his feet and grabbed the box with great care, placing it gently on the table before returning to his seat. Li Mei pressed her hand to the lid and sighed. Complex emotions flickered across her eyes, lips curved into a slight frown. She drummed her fingers against the lid of the box before slowly, gently, reluctantly easing it open.

Inside the box was a dark gray badge sitting atop a pile of folded black cloth. Li Mei reached out her hand, her fingers hesitating above the smooth surface of the badge, before tracing its contours with a light touch. Her lips trembled as she struggled to find the right words, starting a sentence at least five times before finally settling on a simple question. "I"ve never told you two where I come from, have I?"

Otto and Hana exchanged worried glances before nodding. Bao, meanwhile, opened one of his four eyes and gave a derisive snort in their direction. Gullible kids.

Li Mei closed her eyes, reviewing the instructions and information Faust left while building dramatic tension with her flawless acting. The instructions confirmed a thought she"d had a long time ago: the writing style was different, but the p.r.o.nunciation and language structure of a certain country was very similar to Chinese language. Not strictly Mandarin, but Cantonese and even Hakka and Hokkien too!

Faust included a few symbols and various phrases in their language to help with her cover story, with Patois translations for p.r.o.nunciation and meaning. The language, called Mu after the country itself, had elegant brush strokes and intersecting lines that evoked even more feelings of familiarity. The symbols were certainly not any writing from Earth. When spoken aloud, however...

The similarities could not be ignored.

Mu Republic. But how could she read their language to begin with? It wasn"t as though 44 had any memories of learning it on the estate, yet she was able to flawlessly pa.r.s.e the phrases Faust provided without even glancing at the translations...

Li Mei could comfortably converse with a Mu Republic native. At worst, she"d appear to have an odd accent and struggle with more esoteric terms. Perhaps that was why he chose it for her background, to match with the name she"d "chosen"? Maybe he thought it was a funny coincidence.

She a.s.sumed it had to do with the Interface translating since it was so close to languages she was familiar with on Earth. Either that, or...

Li Mei set her suspicions aside for the moment and continued reviewing her instructions.

But the name Faust picked for her supposed family background was really...

Yueluo. The symbols used were different, but the intent behind the words were definitely Yue Luo, Moonfall (月落)! Which could be taken as an odd version of Moonlight, or Falling Moon. Why not Yueguang if you wanted Moonlight (月光)?! Was it Falling Moon? How inauspicious!

Well, it was entirely possible that Yueluo had a different contextual meaning in the Mu Republic that she wasn"t aware of. Li Mei let out a heavy sigh and lifted the badge to show her friends its symbol.

Two slender crescent moons, one much larger than the other, each facing a different direction and connected at the apex of their convex curves. Li Mei turned the badge so it caught the light, shimmering with a cold metallic glint.

Elysium had three moons. Why did the badge only show two? And why did Faust create such a half-a.s.sed and simple insignia? An emblem should show the pride of the organization, clan, or nation it represented!

Was Faust bullying the other moon just because it was the smallest and oddly shaped compared to the other two? Because it rose late and set late? How rude!

Gathering her thoughts from where they"d wandered, Li Mei began speaking slowly, "My mother was originally from the Mu Republic. From an ancient clan, a lineage tracing back to the Progenitors themselves... The Yueluo clan. She left home to travel the world as part of her clan"s tradition, and in her travels made enemies who conspired to have her killed. They even... Turned a trusted ally against her.

"Faust was an enemy of hers too, but not to the point he wanted her dead. More like... An intense rivalry. They respected each other"s strength. So when she sensed death approaching, traitors at her back and an enemy"s blade hidden in every shadow, my mother turned to Faust and begged him to take care of her infant child. Me. To make me strong enough..."

Li Mei clenched her fist around the badge, the four points digging into her flesh. Knuckles blanched, her gaze fixated on something no one else could see. "As her child I have a right to wear the crest of her bloodline. The Yueluo clan territories are hidden by ancient arrays, even Faust has no way to find or contact them first. I have to wait for them to notice me, so by wearing this crest I hope to draw their attention. I was not born within their borders so I"d be considered an outsider at first... But if I showed them I was strong, I"d eventually be welcomed into the fold.

"And with access to their resources, I can eventually... Find and kill those who betrayed my mother."

Sighing, Li Mei set the badge back down. She cut the pad of her thumb on one of its sharp points and smeared a b.l.o.o.d.y crimson line across its shimmering surface. Cyan light shimmered around the badge, suffusing the badge with a brilliant glow that transformed its material from an imposing dark gray to a brilliant shimmering silver. When the light faded, there wasn"t so much as a speck of blood left behind on its pristine surface.

"What a dramatic backstory that b.a.s.t.a.r.d a.s.signed me! Making himself out to be some sort of honorable rival, huh? Yeah right. Mutually admiring rivals, but he enslaved her daughter and left her to die from abuse and malnourishment for ten years. Yeah I can see why he wanted me to leave that part out." Li Mei sighed, turning to stare at Otto and Hana.

Hana wasn"t very old to begin with. Her scarlet eyes were clear, expressing something similar to excitement - like a child who just heard an interesting bedtime story from their elders. Otto, on the other hand, looked troubled. He hesitated for a long few moments before finally speaking the question in his heart: "You"ve been training your entire life... To avenge a mother you never really knew?"

Li Mei smirked. Good thing her little friends didn"t have strong ties to the concept of filial piety! "If I need to sing their tune for awhile, so be it. Doesn"t mean I"ll dance too."

---

Hana a.s.sisted Li Mei with a quick bath and wardrobe change into the outfit Faust left behind, tying Li Mei"s broken arm in place with one of the many silver cloth belts included with the clothing before helping her put the coat on.

Faust had, in fact, left outfits for everyone - including a vest-like black harness and silver metal leg armor for Bao that looked quite dashing on him. Everyone else got matching black long coats, navy blue formal vests, black pants, white collared shirts, white stockings and shiny black boots with silver laces.

Li Mei"s mouth twitched when she saw the pair of boots meant for her - was Faust already planning on rescinding the order about constantly wearing the Dunce Boots when arranging the outfits, or was the original intent tormenting her with shiny new shoes she couldn"t wear?

Probably the latter, knowing him.

For Hana and Otto, the new outfits were simple with the lopsided double crescent moon design st.i.tched on the lapels of the coats and vest pockets.

Li Mei"s coat, however, was decorated with ornate embroidery with a moon and star motif. The double crescent moon was sewn in huge relief on the back where it could be displayed to the world. There were also decorative silver laces up the side of her pants.

Bao"s vest also bore the double crescents, a smaller version on the chest just below his neck ruff, and one larger version on each flank. The silver armor resembled metal plate gauntlets protecting his legs and sharp claws, and were engraved with the same patterns decorating Li Mei"s coat.

"When we"re in public, refer to me as Miss Mei from now on. You three will be acting as my adjutants," Li Mei said as she straightened the collar on Hana"s coat. Seeing the confusion on the younger girl"s face, Li Mei smiled. "Kind of like personal attendants in that you are expected to help me with stuff, but with a better standing in the eyes of society. It means you"re more trusted and higher ranked than any other servants I may have. You"ll be known as my three most favorite employees! Offending you will be like offending me, so tell me if anyone is rude to you, okay?"

Hana looked satisfied. "Yes!"

Meanwhile, a certain employee in the corner straightened his own collar while checking his appearance in the mirror. So for him, not much would change, huh... Still, he couldn"t help but feel pleased at being considered a trusted employee.

Otto looked down at his shiny new shoes to hide a silly little grin on his face. No one ever said they trusted him before. It was a really warm and fuzzy feeling, even if the words weren"t spoken to him directly.

After Hana fastened the silver badge to Li Mei"s coat lapel, Li Mei glanced at all of her friends with a solemn expression on her face. "I am a child of the prestigious Yueluo Clan of the Mu Republic, and you are my trusted adjutants. You must never be blindly arrogant, but neither should you humble yourselves before others. Chin up, eyes forward, speak respectfully so that those finding fault with you first are in the wrong. Understand?"

"Well said, Miss Mei!" Faust grinned as he walked through the door in his Professor Bishop disguise, startling Hana and Otto who hadn"t heard his footsteps outside at all.

Li Mei glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, then forced a smile as she explained to her friends, "Professor Bishop, here, is another ally of mine. He will be helping us out here in Brittalund while Faust is... Busy."

Ruffled clothing, a droplet of blood on the inside cuff of his sleeve, the pungent smell of smoke and alcohol. "...What has he been up to?" Li Mei snorted and narrowed her eyes before looking away. Bao did the same, but for different reasons.

Professor Bishop? Wasn"t it just Faust with a new coat of paint? His smell and aura were still practically the same! Who did those humans think they were fooling?!

His gaze fell on Otto and Hana who looked excited to meet someone new. Instantly, Bao"s ears drooped.

Ah, right. Those fools...

"Let"s see here. Miss... Hana, is it?" "Professor Bishop" stepped forward and tapped his index finger against the small girl"s forehead. A small frown curved his lips as he peered over his spectacles at the girl"s face. He"d examined her Core secretly before as Faust, but had to put up an act as Professor Bishop to earn her trust.

Hana"s Core was weak, small, malformed with cracks in the sides. Somehow, such a pitiful Core actually manifested such a valuable fire-manipulation Gift! But if it stayed in such a state, it would be a danger to Li Mei, who always kept the girl close. It was fine while he was keeping constant watch, but something had to be done now that they"d landed in Brittalund and he"d be leaving Li Mei on her own most of the time.

"Don"t worry, little one. Some medicine will stabilize those cracks, hm?" Faust pulled out a series of colorful little pills, which he popped into the girl"s mouth like they were candy. Hana"s cheeks bulged like a little chipmunk, and her eyes sparkled with a mixture of grat.i.tude and hope.

She could sense the state of her Core, but she didn"t how to fix it. Instead, she expressed more interest for training physical ability rather than magic. Li Mei didn"t push her, or ask about it, hence the older girl"s surprised expression at Professor Bishop"s diagnosis.

Her little friend was suffering right before her very eyes, and she had no idea just because the little girl kept quiet! Li Mei scolded herself in her heart. She had to pay more attention to such things.

"Keep those candies in your mouth until they melt. Don"t use your Gift or any magic at all for three days, and by then your Core will be stabilized." Faust smiled kindly and patted Hana on the head. "If you do well, I"ll find you a decent circulation technique. How about that?"

Hana nodded eagerly, clenching her tiny hands into fists. A proper technique would help her get stronger, of course she wanted it!

Faust glanced at Bao, then shifted his attention to Otto standing nervously in the back. "The Fera is fine on his own, but as for you young man... Mister... Ollo?"

"Otto," Otto corrected softly, then blushed. Meeting new people made him nervous, and he shuffled his feet until Professor Bishop tapped firmly under his chin.

"Mister Otto, remember Miss Mei"s words! Chin up, eyes forward. Even if you"re nervous you must never show it. Your every action reflects on Miss Mei, if you have no pride how can she?" Faust scolded gently as his Professor Bishop persona, holding back an inborn urge to slap the foolish child upside the head. Even Hana did better than you, boy!

Otto looked at Li Mei, who gave a slight nod and a helpless smile. "I told you, Otto. You"re my adjutant now. Whether you feel confident or not, you can"t let other people know you"re wavering."

Li Mei was his Boss, and he was a trusted employee! He couldn"t let his Boss be embarra.s.sed because of him! Maybe if he messed up too much, he"d lose her trust...

No! Biting his lip, Otto nodded and squared his shoulder, straightening up his posture. His heart hammered away nervously in his chest as Professor Bishop circled him like a vulture, but he did his best to control his expression.

Confident, be confident! Even if he didn"t feel confident, be confident anyway!

Professor Bishop nodded in satisfaction once Otto composed himself. "Mister Otto, your apt.i.tude is quite good! Would you be interested in forming a Core?"

Otto blinked in surprise. "My apt.i.tude... Is good?"

"Indeed!" Professor Bishop tapped the silver spectacles perched on his nose and smiled. A glimmer of purple mana sparkled across the clear lenses. "Mana seems attracted to your presence even without a Core in your body. That"s a sign of apt.i.tude, my boy! How about it? It"s important for Miss Mei"s adjutants to be strong, after all."

Otto only hesitated for a moment before nodding his agreement. "Please, sir!"

"Excellent! Let"s see..." Professor Bishop pulled out a pocket watch to check the time. "Judging by the mana fluctuations, hmm... Three hours? No... Four. Yes, most likely four hours to form a Core, at the minimum. Then, we shall run our errand first."

"Errand?" Li Mei asked, arching her eyebrows.

Professor Bishop smiled in a kindly way that made her skin crawl. "Why, to set up bank accounts for you and your adjutants of course! Mister Bao excepted, my deepest apologies. Fera are not allowed to have their own accounts at this time."

Bao scoffed and stomped his feet, moving to sulk behind Li Mei"s back. Such discrimination! He didn"t know what a bank account or even a bank was, but if everyone else was getting something he wanted one too!

Li Mei comforted the poor Fera with a rea.s.suring pat on the neck, suppressing her laughter behind a mask of deepest sympathy.