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There’s a problem around these parts…. No one respects me! I’m the sect leader, goddammit, and I want to be treated like one! It’s almost as if no one recognizes me. I know I don’t really do anything for the sect and make Ilya do it all, but people should know who I am at the very least, right? But they don’t! This is a problem, a real big problem. Hmmm. Hmmmmm. Hmmmmmmm. I got it! I’ll make Ilya make it a requirement to memorize a picture of me before anyone is allowed to join the sect! What if I change my look though? Then how will people recognize me? Hmmmmm. I got it! What if I have Ilya make a formation above my head that follows me around and states my identity? Wait a second…. There’s already the beam of light following me around! “How did you not recognize I was the sect leader!? That stupid door only follows me! That’s direct proof of my identity!”
“I, I’m sorry,” the person at the front desk said. “It won’t happen again.”
“No! I don’t care if it won’t happen again! You explain how you didn’t realize who I am!”
Softie grabbed my sleeve. “Lucia, you’re making a scene.”
“And you better tell me how you recognized her!” I’m making a scene? Great! I want to make a scene. Then maybe people will recognize me, hmph. Oh! Softie brought Sophia with her. “Hi, Sophia! Just you wait. Once Mommy’s posted a few missions, we’ll have an unlimited supply of rare foods.”
“Is that what you’re posting?” Softie asked and frowned. “I don’t think Sister Ilya will be very happy about that. She’s very particular about efficiency and resource management.”
“Happy, schmappy. As long as I’m happy, Ilya will be happy because I won’t wreck her stuff when I’m in a good mood.” Mm, actually, I’m going to go find Ilya right now. Where is she? Oh! Mrs. Feathers said Ilya was doing something in some sect. I’ll ask her to take me there! Oh, maybe Sophia will want to come. “Sophia, want to go find Ilya with me? With your help, we’ll easily persuade her into finding us food.”
“Okay!”
Great! I scooped Sophia up and…. “What’s up?” Softie won’t let go! “You want to come too?”
“No. I just—”
Well, even if Softie doesn’t want to come, she’s coming anyway! Mm, alright, we’re in the library now with Mrs. Feathers. Hmm, wasn’t school closed or something because the teachers wanted to hunt invaders? “Mrs. Feathers, how come you aren’t out hunting people?”
“I’m still digesting, Boss,” Mrs. Feathers said. “In a few years’ time, I’ll become an immortal. I’d rather not take any risks.”
“Oh. I see.” I didn’t realize Mrs. Feathers was such a cowardly person. She was always so brave when I told her to charge into danger for me. “Anyways, take us to Ilya. I’m going to have a word with her.”
Mrs. Feathers gave me a strange look. I have no idea what it meant; I still can’t read bird faces. “Didn’t you say you didn’t want to go see Ilya when I asked you earlier? Also, she just made an announcement. Bloodmoon is stationed where she is, and the quasi-immortals from the immortal realm should be heading there to confront him. It’s going to be dangerous there.”
Ilya made an announcement? How come I didn’t hear it? “Where was this announcement?”
“It’s in your sect token, Boss,” Mrs. Feathers said. She blinked at me. “You’re not wearing your sect token, Boss. People won’t recognize you if you don’t wear it. What if you got attacked by someone mistaking you for an intruder?”
This sect token is that important? Is that why the lady at the front desk thought I wasn’t the sect leader? Hmm, I don’t remember that lady giving me an answer when I asked her how she could recognize Softie but not me. Softie is wearing her sect token…. Do I have to start wearing that from now on? I’m not even sure where I put it. Mm, well, it’s a good thing I’m going to Ilya! I’ll just get another one from her. “So, are you going to take me to Ilya or not?”
Mrs. Feathers sighed. “I guess I could head over there. It shouldn’t be too dangerous since a bunch of our experts are going in that direction as well.” The book in front of Mrs. Feathers folded itself and disappeared, probably into her interspacial ring. “How urgently do you need Ilya? Want to wait a bit for the action to end before going?”
“I have to see her immediately!” This is very important. We have to divert some of the sect resources into finding rare foods! What if Ilya spends all our resources making immortals and there isn’t enough left for me to make dinner for Ilya? I’ll have to find those rare foods myself! That can’t happen. I’m a sect leader, not a sect laborer! People should worship me. “What are you waiting for? Let’s go!”
“Wait!” Softie said. “It’s going to be dangerous there. You can’t take Sophia! Didn’t you hear a word of what Mrs. Feathers just said? All the invaders will flock towards that area.”
Mm? It’ll be dangerous for Sophia? “Wait. Why is it going to be dangerous? Are those invaders going to attack us?”
“They’re going to try to capture Bloodmoon,” Softie said after taking in a deep breath. “Sister Ilya is using him as bait. Most likely, there’s going to be a fight. There’s absolutely no way Sister Ilya will let so many quality corpses escape from her grasp.”
Huh? “Quality corpses? People are going to die too?”
Softie nodded. “Yes! That’s what I’m trying to say.”
“If people are going to die, then we have to take Sophia!” That acorn inside of her has to be fed with souls! It’s supposed to help Sophia, so I bet the quality of the soul matters. If quasi-immortals die next to her, it should be even better than random beasts that were going to be dinner! “It’s settled then! Sophia, let’s expose you to lots of death and carnage!”
“Um? Okay!”