John saw the Sleeping Goddess Inashta in his dreams that night.

“So,” she said coming very close to him. “You’ve got married.”

“Yes, but that won’t affect our lessons,” said John.

“Good. Why did you try to hide it from me?”

“I didn’t think you would approve. How did you find out?”

“I have my ways. It’s good that you didn’t run around like a bull elk in the rut. You cannot consummate your marriage until after you have obtained the Blue Lightning Body.”

“What is the Blue Lightning Body?” John was intrigued. It had a very nice name.

“It is a type of physique that can only be developed by a virgin.”

“How powerful is it?” That was all he cared about.

“It is like having the body of a god. It will make you immortal.” John didn’t care about being immortal. Sensing his disinterest Inashta continued, “it will also help you swallow a star. You will need that energy when you begin your search for Erth in unknown space. You will not be able to form clones of yourself without it.”

“Will it change how I look?” If it made him look like some kind of monster he would have to reconsider. He was not vain, but he didn’t want to be shunned by humanity.

“Not unless you want it to. Enough of these questions. It will be some time before you are ready to undergo the transformation.”

John didn’t care about not consummating his marriage. He felt he owed Aystrana an explanation though. He would have to make up something.

“Also,” Inashta said, as though an after thought, “I prefer it if my champions are celibate.”

“But aren’t you the Goddess of Fertility?”

“I am chaste and I expect my champions to be so as well.”

“So you have other champions then?”

“Of course. You aren’t the only one, but you are the strongest. Your dedication has pleased me. I shall now teach you a weave to fly with greater aura efficiency.”

And so began his lesson for the night.

After a week it was time to attend Marquis Sida’s party. John and Aystrana boarded a ship to planet Sida. The journey would take a week. John spent most of the journey in silence deep within his own thoughts. He would need to buy capital ships now that he could expand his fleet. He had to find more buyers for his metals. His storehouses always had a surplus. He might have to build a thermoplastics factory. It was getting more expensive to import what he wanted. The trade deal with the Conglomerate would have to be revised soon. Ah! Work, work, work! He wanted something or someone to fight, to feel the exhilaration, his blood pumping, his reflexes quickening and his brain in that blissful state of awareness that defied time. When had he become such a battle junkie?

“Lord John,” Aystrana came into his room and handed him a plate of food. “You weren’t in the dining room so I took the liberty of bringing you your food.”

“You can just call me John.”

“Then I shall, and you will call me Aystrana.”

“Fine.”

John ate in silence as Aystrana watched. Why was she here? What was she expecting him to do?

“You can go,” he said. “I’ll take the plate back myself.”

Aystrana’s nostrils flared but she nodded and left. Had she wanted to talk about the party? She should have said something.

A week passed quickly. Aystrana stayed in her room and rarely ventured out. Her personal servant looked at him with a stare that could kill whenever he passed by her. What had he done? These women were too sensitive to things he could make no sense of.

They soon arrived at Sida. They freshened up and then left for the party. John had planned things with so little leeway that they hardly had time to rest after arriving on the planet. John and Aystrana were greeted at the palace’s entrance by a servant who escorted them within. They were announced and entered the ball room.

“Lord John and Lady Aystrana of House Smith.”

John felt proud at hearing the name of his House. His father would have been proud. They greeted their hosts and were shown around, and introduced to various people. Aystrana knew all of them already and seemed very popular.

“So you’re the Wild Child,” said one of the viscounts at the party.

“My name’s John.”

“But Wild Child is so much better,” he laughed.

“Do you want me to hit you,” John clenched his fist. He wasn’t angry, just irritated. Aystrana led him away before he could put that person in his place, down on the ground where he belonged.

John did not participate in the dancing. He would much rather spend his time eating the delicacies at the Marquis’ banqueting tables, and gauging everyone’s strength. Most nobles were martial artists, though some had learned very basic moves. Igniting one’s internal energy brought great benefits to a person’s health and longevity. Even Aystrana was somewhat accomplished in basic martial arts. All the nobles in the room possessed internal energy, John observed. If he had to fight them all at once he might face some difficulty without destroying the entire city.

“Are you thinking about fighting someone again?” Aystrana asked him. That woman could really read his mind. “Stop! Creating a scene here will do irreparable damage to your reputation, which is bad as it is.”

“Do all the women here pity you for marrying me?” he asked her. He had seen the looks they gave Aystrana. It had really pissed him off. It was like she had performed some great charity by marrying him.

“They do,” Aystrana said. “They are fools. Don’t get upset.”

“Do they think I’m some sort of rustic clown?” He wasn’t like Spiz, able to demean himself so that people underestimated him. Things like dignity hadn’t mattered much to him before. Why was he suddenly so offended about such things now?

“They think you’re someone who was brought up in the wild, which you were. You can’t blame them for it.”

“I can blame them for having faulty vision.”

The Marquis of Sida interrupted their conversation and took John to an antechamber.

“How do you find the party?”

“The banquet is magnificent.”

The Marquis laughed. “I knew you would like it. Some of the foods were brought especially for you. The krika shrimp and the blaze red lobster. I heard you like seafood.”

“Where did you hear that?” John was puzzled. He didn’t much care for seafood. He preferred red meat.

“Empress Ana let it slip once while we were talking.” John then remembered the day she had shown him the noble fish as a lesson.

John laughed. “It was a joke. You don’t need to take what she said seriously.”

They drank in silence.

“I wanted to discuss a trade agreement,” the marquis said after a while. “I need ten battleships delivered within five years. Many smaller corvettes as well. I hear that you have the capacity to fulfill my wishes.”

“Fine,” said John. “Have your man talk to my aide, Luten. Let them settle the terms of our agreement.” Luten could bargain better than he could. She would be able to get the best deal.

“It’s a deal then.” They shook hands. “I hope this is the beginning of a long and prosperous relationship.”

“I hope so too.” He’d be sure to introduce some untraceable backdoors in their battleships’ AI, just in case they ever went to war with each other.

They went back to the ballroom.

“What did you talk about, John?” Aystrana asked him once he was back.

“It was just as you guessed. He wants to buy battleships. I agreed to sell them to him.”

“Duke Pular has come. Do you want to meet him?”

John did indeed want to meet Pular, the man in the shadows who had caused him and the Empress so much pain. Aystrana gestured for him to follow and then introduced him to a tall white haired man with a mustache that ended in points. He looked very smart, and was dressed to perfection. There wasn’t a single thing about him that was out of place. His body fit the aesthetics of Oor with exactness, his manner was gracious and his smile was kind and welcoming. There was no trace of a devious mastermind on his face.

“I have been longing to meet you for such a long time, Lord John. It is a pleasure and a delight to meet you now,” Duke Pular said to him.

“Likewise, Lord Pular,” John shook his outstretched hand.

“I hear you’ve turned Fi into a paradise world. That is quite remarkable.”

“You have heard exaggerated tales, I am sure,” said John. “Fi is far from a paradise. The winters are still hell, with rampaging monsters. The summers are nice enough. The expansion of Fi’s industries have made the planet rich, thanks to the dedication and hard work of its citizens. The credit must be given to them, not me.”

“No doubt, a waygate leading to a rich mining world played its part in Fi’s success as well.”

“There’s no doubt about that,” said John. Was the Duke being sarcastic? It was hard to tell.

“It is hard to have a nice long chat at these parties. I wish you the best,” the Duke said, “and hope to meet you again where we can continue this conversation.”

“I hope so as well,” said John.

John and Aystrana left the planet a few hours later. John was eager to get back to Fi. Aystrana had made no protest when he told her there would be no time to see the sights of Sida.

On the way back, the ship had to stop in the hyperspace tunnel as a high demon was spotted. John flew out of the ship, wielding his glaive and covered in armor, and made short work of the demon. Aystrana looked at John in astonishment when he returned to the ship. John grinned from behind his covered helm. It felt good to know that he could surprise her.