From cloud looking the long path towards their home could be seen filled with all kinds of carriages . Some were entering and some could just turn around and leave .

Kendra was stunned by the sight . Isaa and Cian looked at each other as they realized the biggest peculiarity . There were a bunch of villages on this side of the mountain and they seemed to be busy .  

Kendra waved her hand and stopped the cloud . She looked at everyone withs serious expression .

''We haven't been home for so long . Many things changed as it seems . I will bring you to the city and there will be people that will care about your future . I am sorry, but it seems I won't have much time for you all after insect extraction . I will ask my parents to send you back to the Serenity town . Please spread as I will change this cloud into small clouds . Parents can be together with their children . Please just sit down . Isaa and  Cian will help you while I prepare everything . After the s.h.i.+eld is gone you will be able to enjoy fully the temperature . Please don't move casually from now on . ''

Everyone nodded, even children calmed down . Everyone sat down and Kendra looked at the young man holding the woman and saw him nodding at her . She smiled and with a wave of the hand the restrictions that protected them were gone .

Cloud started turning into small clouds as everyone grasped . Luckily everyone was sitting down .  

The sea air filled their lungs as they slowly floated above the mountains . On the Island, you could see a big mountain that you could just lightly perceive on the back of the island . The Island seemed to be humongous .  

Kendra looked at the people on the clouds and smiled . ''At the moment, they can't see us . So I hope you will be silent when we pa.s.s the settlements . Only after we get close to the border I will show ourselves . Cian, Isaa the two of you have the task to fly around them and care that no one falls off . I will go in front . The flying guards seemed to have perceived our energy, but still, don't know who we are . I need to calm them down . Let's go . ''

Isaa and Cian nodded in their agreement and started circularly flying around the group of clouds and protecting them from all kinds of things . If not from sudden wind, then from sudden birds and insects . Isaa even chuckled when one small bird came to the little girl and comfortably sat on top of her head .  

As the child was given order to not move randomly she endured stoically . Even Kendra actually smiled and winked at the child while whispering . ''It seems that this bird will be later your companion . Accept it . ''

The girl looked at Kendra confused and then smiled . If Kendra said so she will take the sentence as given . She rose her hands with open fingers and the little bird jumped into her hands and snuggled as a cat .  

Isaa looked at Kendra with confusion .  

''It seems that some animals on our island turned to be more intelligent . In the future, our power children will have animal companions with them . '' She smiled lightly as she sped up in front of a group of clouds .

She chooses to fly slowly and see the situation under her feet . She sighed in relief as she saw Cauldron City soldiers patrolling the premises . It looks like her father has his own ideas about things related to this place . She fastened the pace they flew and soon they were close to the borderline .  

She slowed down her cloud and Isaa and Cian joined her in the front line . They took off their disguise and everyone could see them . Bunch of people grasped as they saw people standing on the clouds and soon big chatter with loud calls could be heard as people started pointing their fingers at them .

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That would be no big matter, but so far people saw only Caledon Valley soldiers flying on the clouds . Now suddenly a group of normal people did, does that mean now everyone could .

The eyes filled with greed and jealous followed their path to the borderline as something even stranger happened in front of their eyes .

The top of borderline opened and suddenly multiple clouds started flying towards the group of people that just arrived . On one of the clouds, even Lord and Lady stood majestically and floated down with a big smile .  

Everyone gasped as they heard their words . ''My children, you are finally back home . We missed you . ''

Kendra saw the big stomach and stopped Isaa with her hand as she was about to jump into their hands . ''Slowly . Mother has to wear lots of weight . Hug her but don't be too hasty . Ok?''

The crowd under them grasped as the clouds descended down . Lord Ca.s.sian looked at everyone staring at them and smiled . ''From today on we will accept only students in our valley . People that are related to students can stay outside or go back home . Your choice . You can be given the amount for your care monthly or only once . But this or that way, the students that enter our school are free from worldly matters, so if you try to make trouble better hit that idea out your head . The student's job is to improve as much as possible . Everything else is a matter of hard work . ''

Suddenly a man who seemed to have had better days before grabbed two children out the carriage and pulled them out . ''These two are orphans that we can't take care anymore . They both have powers said one man to us . We heard that we can get revered . Is it still valid?''

Lord Ca.s.sian saw two children shriveling and nodded while looking calmly at the man . ''Of course . Bring me the silver!''

One servant brought a small chest and opened it up . Lord Ca.s.sian nodded . The servant quickly rushed to the man and gave him the silver . Then he gently picked up the children, jumped on the cloud and flew away .

Lord Ca.s.sian looked at Kendra and smiled . She had to sigh, this kind of thing has to be cut in bud so she flew close to him and whispered in his ear . He smiled and nodded .

''You took care of children and are greatly renumerated . In the future, you can't come back and ask for their guidance . After all, they are not your children . '' He looked at the rest of the crowd and smiled gently .

The man looked at the child standing next to the Lord Ca.s.sian and annoyance flitted across his face . ''You can't say that your Lords.h.i.+p . These children owe me a lot . ''

Lay Xara rose her eyebrow . Some people just don't know what is good for them . She patted her husband's hand that started shaking, a good sign that he will lose composture .

She turned her head towards the man and spoke with the strength that made him feel helpless . ''The children are delivered like two bags of wheat . You sold them now to us and we will keep them . If they were your real children we wouldn't say one thing, but this . . . Please leave, you got what you came for . ''

Most people in caravan sighed in relief . But were still worried about the future . One simple man came on foot with a boy that looked quite thin but not unhealthy . He looked at Lord Ca.s.sian and bowed respectfully .  

''I have only this child left after the great plague hit our village . Just two of us survived . I have no one else and I want him to be in a safe place from now on . I don't know does he has any powers, but I still hope he can learn something for the future . ''

Kendra winked at her father and then at Cian . Cian got one of the Eyes from Kendra and he elegantly descended in front of the father and son . He rose his hand as the Eye floated slowly around the two of them and then s.h.i.+ning on both under the stunned eye of the crowd .

Cian smiled at the two people as the Eye showed bright blue color over man's head and purple color over the boy's head . But Cian quickly summoned it back as the real test will come later .

''Both of you are ability users . Both can cultivate . You and your father can choose to go both on the road of cultivation . ''

They looked at each other with open mouths . Soon the man snapped back to his senses and tears of happiness started falling down his wrinkled cheeks . ''Son, this is unimaginable . ''

He turned his head to Lord Ca.s.sian and bowed deeply . ''I am just an old man . To cultivate needs a certain amount of sincerity . If you can teach me a few things that could help me get a job in the city, to me that is good enough . ''

Cian looked at him deeply . ''There is a chance that you are quite powerful . Are you still not willing?''

The man shook his head and smiled at Cian . ''If I were younger, with the vigor I had before,  I might have done that . But now I just want to survive a couple more years and then join my wife in our family grave . Please, don't ask anymore . ''

Cian looked at Kendra with worry but saw her shaking her head . He turned and grumbled . ''You could live a long time if you become a cultivator . If nothing else join the Lord's guards . Lord pay's quite well . But you still need to learn more about your powers to be able to deal with your duty . ''

The old man looked at the boy and nodded . ''I won't change my mind, but as I can see that you are giving me chance I will do as you said . Thank you . ''

Kendra watched the happenings, but from the corner of her eyes, she saw interesting stirring in mid of crowd . She saw a group of children leaving with a young woman in mid of it . She flew closer to her mother and whispered to her .

Lady Xara saw the group leaving and smiled at Kendra . ''Do as you wish . We won't starve if we let them in . ''

Kendra smiled happily and was about to fly to the leaving crowd when Isaa appeared next to her . She took Isaa's hand and they flew towards the departing group . Suddenly she stopped as she remembered something and looked at Lord Ca.s.sian .

''Father I will be right back . Could you please help me send these people inside . They are the ones we waited for . By the way, the rest of the crowd has no powers, send them back and let's have today big celebration . I am happy we are back home, no . . . we are happy, right Isaa?''

Isaa winked at Lord Ca.s.sian and smiled brightly . ''Mother, Father we are back . I am happy to see you well . We will be right back . ''

Lord Ca.s.sian shook his head in and grumbled . ''I didn't even properly greet them and they are already running off . These kids . Sigh . . . ''

Lady Xara laughe slightly as she patted his arm . ''Yes, yes . You couldn't stop worrying about them all this time . Now they are here, please stop worrying . Please . ''

She saw him pouting like a little child as he looked after two children that flew quickly in chase of those children . It seems he will never change . Under all those layers of icy demeanor, vicious att.i.tude and n.o.ble bearing he was still that boy she met on the battlefield a long time ago .  

At that time she found him so cute and only she knew how much love for all beings her husband had . But, when someone crosses him once he is stubborn as a mule and not forgiving . He changed . . .  

Since he met Kendra and Isaa he changed so much that he started to be friendly, trusted people and have friends . These children saved their lives so many times and they can't ever repay them in this lifetime . She promised herself to love them as if they were part of her own body .  

Her eyes looked affectionately at the two children while her husband looked at her . ''Thank you for existing, my love . ''

Her eyes changed direction and met his eyes . She hit his head as she saw certain expressions fitting through his eyes . ''You dare . . . '' But then she stopped herself as she remembered that they still stood in front of hundreds of people .

Lord Ca.s.sian coughed to cover laugh and scratched his head where she hit him . He could feel her eyes shooting arrows at him but he just chooses to ignore it .

He took her hand and looked at the people that had practically their mouth wide agape . ''Chough . . . Ladies and gentlemen, the testing will start in the nearby village in 3 days' time . Those that don't pa.s.s the test can't stay and have to go back . Those who pa.s.s will enter the school and will cultivate for a long time . See you in three days . ''

One man came from the carriage and walked slowly towards the couple on the cloud . ''This can't be . I am n.o.ble . Do you mean I have to live in the same place for the next 3 days as these people?''

Lord Ca.s.sian smiled at him . ''We indeed have sleeping accommodations inside the city walls for those that have enough money . But can you afford it? It's quite pricey . ''

The man looked up proudly and laughed . ''Don't make me laugh . Of course, I have money . My father is the current prime minister of state and my family from both sides are quite wealthy . It's not like its paid in gold . ''

Lady Xara chuckled . ''But it is paid in gold . . . ''

The man looked at her incredulously at the two scheming people and got red in his face . ''Are you here to steal or what?''

Lord Ca.s.sian chuckled and looked at him as he was stupid to the bone . ''My city, my rules . Just stay here and sleep in a nearby hotel . It's clean, actually, and you can just pay some silver and have one or two stores for yourself and your people . No need to spend the gold for first-cla.s.s treatment in the city . ''

The man shook his fingers and almost chocked on his own saliva . ''Are you looking down on me . So what . I will pay . I pay . No matter how much gold I pay . ''

Lord Ca.s.sian winked at his helper and waited for the show .  

The helper is no other than his uncle and current head of the palace affairs . He winked at Lord Ca.s.sian casually and slowly walked in front of crows . Few soldiers came forth and put something like a big table where he climbed up and spoke loudly .

''Those that have no gold, please go to the village, we have accommodations over there . Please proceed now . Those that have gold please come here and we will tell you remuneration for each accommodation . ''

Suddenly the big amount of people started turning their carriages away feeling cold sweat going down their back . The accommodations in the city are now ridiculously expensive . Only about dozen carriages were left standing .

The people descended the carriages and waited to hear the prices . But when he started explaining, they almost fainted . Are they crazy or what?

''I can see that all of you have your own carriages . So the costs for carriages, horses and servants accommodations nearby will be included in price . If you think it is too expensive then just leave them here and pay room only for yourself . '' He calmly spoke looking at perplexed faces .

They started murmuring, but before any fight could erupt he rose his hand and spoke calmly . ''You can always deny our prices and just go to the village accommodation . No one is forcing you . But there is one more thing you have to know . ''

He made a small break to make it more impactful and continued . ''The city belongs to Lord Ca.s.sian . He has very strict rules . If you break rules you will be or kicked out or killed . There will be no exceptions, for anyone . ''

People again started talking .   One woman that was adorned in riches rose her voice over the whole crowd . ''Lord Ca.s.sian is famous about his strict rules . Does that mean we can't even walk around the city?''

The steward looked at her and shook her head . ''You can walk a much you want as long you don't enter anyone's private household or try to take anything by force . Lord's palace can't be entered by will, everything else you can just look . The current houses can't be sold as well without our Lord's permission, so give up that idea . ''

She sighed . ''Indeed I had the idea . My daughter will be here in a few days . She stopped to visit the last time her father's grave and I came in advance just to buy a house so I can be near her while she studies . Now, what should I do?''

Steward smiled at her and nodded . ''We do have accommodations to rent . Like that you don't have to live outside the town . We can talk about that after the test . Now you can only rent accommodation for the next three days . ''

The woman nodded and stopped talking .  

Stewart continued about prices . '' Small accommodation for 10 people 100 gold pieces . Middle accommodation for 20-30 people 300 pieces . Large accommodation for 50 people will be 1000 gold pieces . ''

The people felt their legs feel weak as they heard the prices . They looked at the thick faced couple on cloud and the steward with mouth agape as he continued to stab their hearts .  

''Please, these prices are for a day . That means for three days, three times bigger price . That's it . '' 

He stopped talking as he went down . Servants brought one table and chair in front of him where the stack of papers stood . He rose his head and smiled calmly . ''Who's first?''