With the little girl in her arms, Yui decided to make a beeline straight across the marketplace. As it was still early in the morning not many people other than a few shopkeepers were up yet, but usually she would still walk in the alleyways instead and take the longer route.

Little Miyuki on the other hand, didn't notice Yui's troubles. She just snuggled up against the unexpected warmth, still too drowsy to notice their change of location. Step by step, Yui walked back, trying to avoid the looks of all the people and occasionally patted Miyuki gently, as if it reassured her, although she mostly needed the reassurance herself.

When they arrived at the pavilion, Tora was already waiting for them.

"Did you find some good breakfast alrea … " for a moment she stared at Yui and the toddler in her arms. Then she looked at the young man behind her.

"That doesn't look like breakfast or groceries."

"I didn't get to buy any groceries yet. This is Ryoma and the little girl here is Miyuki. They will be staying with us."

Tora stepped closer and took a look at Miyuki first, who was still tightly embraced by Yui. She patted the toddlers back gently before moving on inspect Ryoma some more, making him slightly embarrassed and causing Yui to blush.

"Sis, please don't be rude to him." Yui had a slightly pleading voice now.

"Alright alright, I won't be rude to your boyfriend, I make some more space for the kid and him." she said, starting to walk to the basement.

"He's not my boyfriend!"

"Oh he's not? Your lover then? I wouldn't have expected you to move forward so quickly and jump on him right away. Or did he perhaps jump on you?!"

"Sis! That's … " Yui turned completely red, still remembering how they had first met and Ryoma was just shocked. Did Yui's sister really believe he would take advantage of her that way?

Tora laughed and walked down the stairs. "Don't worry young man." she called from below. "I know my sister well enough, so you're unlikely to be someone bad. I just made sure you know what you signed up for, can't make fun of the little one after all, so you're my only target now."

"Uh that's my sister Tora by the way." Yui mumbled. "She's not bad, she just likes to tease people."

Relaxing now that he realized Yui's sister did not seem like she would be against them living here Ryoma only grinned but did not dare comment.

He quickly understood that Tora's tongue was sharp, but she did not mean to hurt them, not even emotionally at least he hoped so. He found it a bit odd that he got the feeling of talking to an elder instead of a younger person, however. Not that he had any idea why he got that feeling. They looked like twins and were likely the same age.

When they followed Tora down into what Yui called the basement, even though it seemed like just another floor aboveground, he was surprised to find a finely decorated bedroom, that looked no different from a nobleman's.

What surprised him even more though, that there was also a room for Miyuki, fully decorated for a young child and both of their rooms had the names Ryoma and Miyuki written above the doors. How did they do this so quickly?

Tora handed her sister a little box and pointed at the bathroom.

"Why don't you get her cleaned up and dressed into something a little bit nicer, while I explain things to him?"

Yui nodded and just left for the bathroom while Ryoma had a worried look on his face. Would she be upset and change her attitude now that Yui was no longer here? Would she threaten him to leave?

"Well, some simple rules first. There's a lot of strange stuff going on here. Many things that would make people greedy for wealth and power. If you want to live here you better get used to it, if you notice something odd, keep it to yourself or ask one of us. While there are no great secrets, we're already getting more attention than sis is happy with."

"As sis wants you to live here, you're obviously under our protection. Try not to cause too much trouble. No more stealing while you're here please, I already have to save one person on a daily basis, I'd rather not multiply that work to three."

Ryoma was confused how she would know about it, but just nodded. She already told him that there would be strange things, this was probably one of them.

"As you're living here, you will help out a little. You can figure out the details yourself and talk about it with my sister. If she has to take care of the little one during shop opening times you better make sure to help with the shop."

"I won't tell you two how you handle any of the details, but this shop is our only income. You're relying on it now as well, so you better make sure things keep running."

"I also won't take care of the little girl."

Tora continued with her speech, then glanced over at the bathroom and thought about it a bit longer.

"Well, she can take a nap with me in the shop perhaps. Or we can go shopping outside sometimes."

Her harsh voice obviously wavered.

"I make sure to bring her back quickly when she throws a tantrum though." she added with a smirk.

"Well that's about it, I guess. If you want to do something useful, perhaps go get some groceries and breakfast. I'm sure sis will be unwilling to leave the girl for a while, at least before it's opening time for the shop and while I'm sure she will find enough to make breakfast for the girl, there won't be enough for you two otherwise."

She handed him some silver coins then just left him standing there staring a little bit dumbfounded, while she walked back to her own room. The expected threats didn't come, neither did she even mention their different status. Ryoma was rather surprised.

After knocking on the bathroom door and taking a quick look at his daughter and Yui, Ryoma left the pavilion with some reluctance to get breakfast. It was an odd feeling to be around the two sisters and to have someone take care of his daughter, but he was happy that their lives would change for the better now.

-

With the little sleepy girl, who was wearing cute looking pajamas in black and red now, slumbering in her arms Yui finally put the little girl into the small bed in her room with a sigh. It was time to eat some breakfast and then open the shop.

A slight frown on her face, Tora was standing by the door to Miyuki's room and stopped Yui when she wanted to go outside and switch with Ryoma.

"That's not going to work for a long time." she mumbled to Yui, making her stop and turn her attention to the artifact spirit.

When Yui just looked at her and did not ask, Tora explained some more.

"Her body is incapable of handling the exposure to spiritual energy. That's why her condition will be getting worse over the years unless it's treated properly." she explained.

"What do we need to treat her?" Yui asked, wondering what it would take to make sure the girl was well and healthy while growing up.

"Well that's not really easy. We will need some divine herbs to treat it permanently and there are none in this realm."

Usually Yui would just accept the little tidbit of information and move on, but as it concerned Miyuki, she could not simple accept the few words like that.

"How would we get these herbs and what are they exactly?"

Sighing, as the question would lead to yet another explanation that should have been obvious and unnecessary if Yui would have grown up in a cultivation world Tora finally started to explain a little bit more.

"Cultivators have a habit of classifying various treasures and materials. Everything below 1st tier materials or treasures is usually mortal grade or mortal tier. It's your everyday things mortals use and make. With 1st tier it starts becoming spiritual."

"As your own home world's ambient spirituality is too low, for various reasons I won't explain now, you only have mortal grade materials, making it very hard for anyone to cultivate or find and proper treasures."

"The higher the grade, the higher the spiritual energy. Starting with 5th tier spiritual materials cultivators call them saint grade materials. They have gathered enough energy to be able to form some sentience. Not all of course, not every stone will become alive and most items never see any sentience, but some do or can be awakened. Finished items that cultivators use over a long time have a higher chance to become sentient."

Pointing to herself she continued with her explanation.

"When you go to 9th tier and beyond, we are talking about divine grade materials, those materials can only be found in the right environment. Celestial realms and the like, places where we currently have no access to. You can make artifact spirits out of divine grade materials for example."

Yui frowned and considered how hard it must be to acquire these materials. When someone powerful like Tora could be created with divine grade materials, it could not be easy. The name 'Divine' alone was rather lofty after all.

"It's probably hard to get these materials, right?" Yui asked carefully, hoping for a better answer than she expected.

Tora just nodded and patted Yui's head, as if to reassure her.

"There are a few options that we have. You can either cultivate enough to leave this realm on your own, that way I can come along, and we can go and find some divine materials in the … let's call it 'usual' way."

"While I have some ways to improve your abilities and your constitution, I see no way to get you powerful enough to break into the divine realm within the next 500 to 1000 years at least. We only have like 10 or 20 years though for Miyuki's situation to become an issue, if we leave it untreated."

Now Tora looked a little bit guilty for a moment, but Yui who was worried and oblivious to such small signs didn't notice it at all.

"It's much easier to bring back the Earthly Treasures Pavilion's powers. That way, we can open up locations that will have divine materials and we will be able to cure Miyuki no matter how strong you are."

"I could probably send you all back to your old world. The ambient spirit power there is nearly not existent, meaning that she would long have died of old age before it became troublesome, but it would also take the remaining power that I have, so I would be sleeping for a few thousand years and could no longer contact you."

Yui shook her head. This did not sound like a good option and she would only treat it as a last resort. She did not want Miyuki to suffer, but she also did not want to leave Tora hanging like that.

"We just have to make sure the business for the Earthly Treasures Pavilion flourishes and then get some divine grade materials. I'm sure we can do that."

Yui's voice was a mix between motivation, confidence and a little bit helpless optimism, but Tora had to smile at the energetic words.

"Sure, I'm looking forward to it, you have to make sure you get more confident and become someone Miyuki can rely on. I'm sure we will have success then."

"Now, why don't you go get some breakfast and let me keep an eye on my niece."

Yui rolled her eyes at Tora calling Miyuki her 'niece' and walked out of the room, getting herself some breakfast, while the artifact spirit sat down next to the little girl and smiled at her.

"Miyuki, your new mommy is way too easy to trick. Keeping you healthy and fine for a few thousand years shouldn't be an issue for me, but don't tell her, she needs some motivation." she mumbled, more to herself than the sleeping girl.