Spirit Soul

Until they arrived in the border city Xira, Aurora was capable of adjusting the Sprite armor to fit both Arashi and Kyle.

The potency of the split Sprite armor was not at 100% each, but it was not far from that. This was a nice surprise, and something Kyle looked forward to.

'I should nurture Aurora soon. It will have twice the effect if we can make sure that both Arashi and I can get the advantages. Our combat prowess and cultivation will improve much faster that way.'

Aurora was an existence created out of the purest mana. She had gained a will and sentience. Nonetheless, she was an existence made out of mana and could cultivate rapidly.

As long as Kyle nourished her a bit, she would be perfectly fine.

When they entered the city, the group of five wasn't even frowned upon. They passed the security check with ease and walked through the huge gate with ease.

"To think that the situation changed that much. Well, maybe everyone was just a little bit tense when the three races were at war." Beatrice said with interest as she looked around. A sigh followed her, whenever she thought of the way everyone had looked at Kyle, and it was only their fortune that they meet Yasmine and her family.

Beatrice didn't even want to think how things would have turned out without the phoenix halfling and her family.

"That, and we are quite far away from the Sadorla forest by now. Our journey was in the opposite direction…well not completely opposite, but you know what I mean." Yasmine said, intrigued about the small border city. There was not too much to see and only a few million Cultivators lived in the border city. Nonetheless, Yasmine was interested to find out more information about all kinds of things, including the intel about the nobility of the Anadra kingdom.

She missed her family a little bit and wanted to find out how they were doing.

"How about we split up to collect information, exchange the Mana stones, and get our hands on some other necessities?" Kyle suddenly said, trying to change the topic. He knew that if the three girls were to start talking about the past, some would feel like outsiders because they hadn't been present.

Thus, changing the topic made things easier.

"I want to collect information!" Yasmine immediately raised her hand, while exclaiming.

"...we are not at school here, you know…" Jaden mumbled, involuntarily speaking too loud for the others to hear.

"Hahaha…Yasmine, he got you!!" Selene laughed, slapping her hands on her thighs. She was unable to calm down and continued to laugh. Only when her butt started to heart up did Selene stop. Looking backward, she saw a tiny flame that levitated at her back.

"Yasmine!!!" Selene glared, dashing toward the phoenix halfling. A small fight started and the two women were wrestling with each other. However, instead of seriously fighting, they began to laugh after a few moments.

"Jaden, I didn't know that you were a naughty boy?" Kyle suddenly teased before he started to laugh as well.

"Beatrice, Yasmine, and Selen can go look for information. Once you're done, you three can also go shopping. If you find something interesting, you can buy it. As for Jaden and myself, we will take care of the exchange of Mana stones." Kyle was trying to stay serious but the situation in front of him was hilarious.

He pulled Jaden behind him before leaving the fighting girls, and Beatrice, who looked at the situation as if she was a stranger. Her face seemed to scream 'I don't know them', and when she looked at Kyle, Beatrice could clearly see his smirk.

'He tricked me!! Why do I have to be with the quarreling girls?!' Beatrice complained inwardly, only to accept it quickly. It was not as if she disliked Yasmine or Selene. They were fun to be around and accepted Beatrice even if her common sense was non-existent.

Beatrice shrugged her shoulders before turning back to the fighting girls, who hadn't even noticed that Kyle had already left.

'He didn't ask anything after I went berserk…is he not mad at me?' She asked herself for the Xth time. Beatrice didn't know that Kyle trusted her completely and that there was no need for him to be mad at her.

Kyle knew that it was not her fault for going berserk. Something had happened in the Lahin kingdom, something that made it even more important for them to have left.

Beatrice didn't understand Kyle's train of thoughts because he didn't share much about his ideas, his thoughts and what bothered him.

'I hope he will open up soon…' Beatrice sighed deeply, looking at the back of Kyle, who was pulling the confused Jaden behind him.

"Why do you want me to follow you? Don't you think the others are better for this job? I mean Yasmine is the phoenix's princess in the Anadra kingdom. She can get a discount, or better offers when she buys or barters something!" Jaden was confused.

The entire situation ended up rather confusing, but Kyle seemed to enjoy it.

"You are smart, aren't you? I don't want to barter one Mana stone for one Spirit stone, I want to make a profit. Let me be honest, if you want to stay in my group, receive my nourishment, and get your fair share of cultivation resources, you will have to show me how useful you are.

You are the weakest in our group, you don't have two cultivation veins, no starting capital to cultivate with, and I saved you once already. It might sound cruel, but let's be realistic. Your intelligence is the best trait you have. Let me see its value!" Kyle said.

He didn't want to lie to Jaden. That would be unfair, and Kyle felt that Jaden had to become more ambitious. Currently, he was lacking behind everyone else. He was a burden, that shackled them, even more so because he didn't have an elemental affinity to fly with.

Arashi would have to help Jaden to fly around, decreasing Kyle's combat prowess drastically.

"I know…I know…" Jaden knew that he was of no help and that he was leeching off of Kyle and his group. He had to become useful, and as quickly as possible.

However, hearing that straight from Kyle's mouth made him falter. His emotions were in chaos, and he felt like crying right at this instant. This was not like him because he could take a good beating without issuing a single noise.

Unfortunately, Kyle's words were worse than a beating and it felt like a searing hot blade was thrust right through his chest.

"I will give my best!" Jaden said, after a few moments of silence. He clenched his fist and looked straight in Kyle's emerald eyes. They gleamed faintly and a face full of kindness was unveiled to him.

"Don't worry too much. It's not like I will abandon you, even if you were to fail a few times. You're not experienced with trading, after all." Kyle knew that he had to go back and forth between the bitter truth and soothing Jaden's emotions.

The young Lohar had been pulled out of his kingdom, he had entered a stranger's place, where he didn't even know the market. Jaden would have to make research on the market first, figure out all prices, and learn how to barter.

This was definitely not easy, and Kyle was quite bad at doing business. Others should focus on that, and many other important tasks Kyle was not qualified for.

In the end, it had only been an instinctive and rather sudden action to invite Jaden to come with them.

However, it hadn't been without reasoning. It was just that Jaden needed some time.

"Let's visit the different shops first, look at their prices for cultivation stones, and so on, okay?" Kyle asked, still smiling.

Jaden nodded his head, following Kyle slowly, while his mind was still a mess.

'I need to work harder, be better!!!'

In the following hours, Kyle and Jaden spend their time in various merchant shops, the city-managed auction houses, their shops, and various other stalls, where vendors sold and bartered their goods.

Jaden was extremely focused on the situation ahead, he devoured the little pieces of information he picked up in an instant, trying to get the most out of them.

And finally, after a few hours had passed, a bright smile appeared on his face.

"I think I know what I have to do!"