Kyon thought: {Elder Boe is Lee’s grandfather. Damn it! I wish I was on better terms with the sorry-ass leader of the young Stones. In view of my further plans, I desperately need the status of a descendant of direct blood... To pass the exam, I need to be in the Noble phase, don’t I? Hmm...} - He came up with a nice plan for the future.

«Lady Juno, the fourth rank is an honor for me. Please don’t trouble yourself. I am happy and proud to serve you.»

Juno grimaced in contempt and looked at the old man. «Give him the fourth rank in the Stone family. I have big plans for this boy...»

The old man shrugged and muttered:

«The deuce you say.» - He pressed his formation. Soon, the servants would bring the tools for creating the slot.

Juno remembered another Kyon’s order just in time:

«By the way, Flitz, if my grandfather asks anything about Kyon, don’t mention his status. Keep mum about his past as a slave. Don’t tell him he’s a servant. Pretend that you see him for the first time. Otherwise, I will get in trouble and then you will!» - She threatened him with her little fist.

«My lady, your word is the law!» - The old man said gallantly.

After Kyon got everything he needed from Juno, he made an imperceptible gesture to drive her away.

Just as she was leaving, the servants arrived with the formaceptic device.

While Flitz, pale with fatigue, was fumbling with his wrist, Kyon asked:

«Are you happy that Marina is back, sir?»

A smile lit his wrinkled face. «Of course, I am! You did me a huge favour and I will be grateful to you until the end of my days. I’m afraid there are too few of them, though.»

«Do you have any definite plans for the near future? For Marina? Or do you intend to stay in bed wasting the girl’s precious time on looking after you?» - Kyon's voice sounded cold.

Flitz finished creating the formation, removed the device and glared with his piercing eyes into Kyon’s insolent face. «I could send you to hell with your interrogations but you are her friend. Alright, I will tell you about my plans for her.» - He took out his pipe and took some puffs. - «Sunflower Ra. It’s a legendary flower that has beneficial effects on the reproductive system. They say it works on the dead! For many years that I worked as a formacist I have saved a decent amount of money. The greatest trading guild announced it for sale at the next auction. I will buy the sunflower at all costs, and then my little Marina will get pregnant... Hehe! I will leave her all my wealth, give her a good rank. I will have a nice talk with the patriarch about life and the girl will have a good job. I don’t want my little dove to be a single mother but… I will bite the dust pretty soon. I hope everything goes according to the plan. This miracle is on sale for the first time in a decade! I am not going to miss this wonderful chance that heaven is sending to me.»

Kyon raised an eyebrow thoughtfully. He remembered reading about the sunflower.

«By the way, congratulations on joining the family. You are Kyon Stone now! Well, almost... Can you write? Scrawl something here. It might be useful for some future documents.»

The old man handed Kyon a pen and a standard document that he took from his spatial ring.

Kyon smirked when his hand began to draw clear imperial curves on the piece of paper. He signed smoothly and confidently as if a god signed the invoice for the universe. Each curl was amazing.

Flitz glanced at Kyon’s “scrawl” and nearly spat out his tongue. «Holy fuck! What emperor has signed here?!» - The old man blurted out looking at Kyon in shock.

«I made it up yesterday. Is it too bad?» - Kyon asked modestly.

«Fuck you! Yesterday?! The signature of our patriarch compared to yours is a drunken monkey’s doodle! You never cease to amaze me, asshole. First, you miraculously got to the tournament, now you sign like someone of the highest rank.» - He finished the tirade and clicked his tongue shaking his head.

Kyon shrugged. - «Not all the slaves are idiots and not all the masters are good. Prejudice is a bad trait of character. By the way, Mr. Flitz, I know that lady Juno asked you not to talk with the patriarch about my past but I want to ask you, too. Please do not tell him about me. Do it as a sign of your gratitude for Marina who is serving you now. If it weren’t for me, after all…»

Flitz interrupted him: «I wouldn’t say anything even after Juno’s words. I would have more problems with her than with her grandfather! And now you too... Okay. Unless I have to lose something dear to me, I will keep mum about you.»

Kyon breathed a sigh of relief. Now he was about 90% sure that Flitz wouldn’t disclose his status as a servant. He had to deal only with Anna now.

The old man coughed dryly. - «Alright, I will get the documents ready, send them to the archive, and then you will become a Stone officially. It will take no more than three days. No one will verify the authenticity of your formation without good reason, anyway. You have come from the rags to riches. Just a few months and an ex-slave is a member of the family! Of the 4th rank! From rags to riches. Most Stones could only dream of this rank! And the slaves don’t even dare to dream. But you did! You are lucky devil’s spawn. I'm afraid to imagine what stands behind true Juno’s motivation... Well, the patriarch’s granddaughter’s issues are no longer my concern. Let Bai deal with her.»

«Do not be too much surprised if I soon become a descendant of direct blood. Alright, sir?»

«Puh!» - Flitz spat hearing these insolent words. – «Once I saw an old man screaming about the end of the world because the darkness had enveloped the whole world. His words sounded more believable compared to yours! Ha ha he!»

«You underestimate me.»

«I've seen a lot of shit in my life, kid! It’s some weird stuff you’re talking about. Even if Juno wants it with all her heart, Bai will never persuade the elders to let some wimp into the elite of the family elite! If you become a descendant of direct blood, I will personally kneel and kiss your ass. Deal?!»

«Let’s agree if I become the descendant of direct blood in the next month, you will accept me as your master and obey all my orders implicitly.»

«No problem! Now get out of here. I’ve had enough of crazy people around. I am going out of my mind.» - The old man yawned tiredly.

«Alright. Have a good day. Stay well.» - Kyon smiled.

Flitz remembered something, stopped the boy and removed the subjugating slave mark from his forehead. From now on, he couldn’t be controlled by orders. He must obey Juno on his own initiative.

They then said goodbye.

With one glance, Kyon stopped Juno’s cheerful friendly conversation with Marina and left the mansion. He was thinking about how to take advantage of the best formacist in the family and pay back Marina at the same time. Little by little, he came up with a good plan.

…

Kyon asked Juno to let him know about Dinah’s whereabouts. He didn’t want to bump into his dear girl and waste the whole day.

When they arrived home, Kyon got off the stallion, that was still sullen from the recent thrashing, and with no hesitation went inside. According to Juno, the maid was in the dining room. The way was safe.

Juno returned to her chamber, and Kyon carefully followed her.

The couple was alone. The door was locked. Anna already cleaned up in the morning. No one would bother them.

Juno plopped down on her soft bed, crossed her arms and charmingly dangled her bare feet. She stared at the servant, obstinate as ever:

«Why don’t you share your plans with me?»

Kyon silently slouched in the armchair propping his chin on his hand, deep in thought. He couldn’t get Dinah out of his mind. She warmed his heart like sunshine.

«Buzz off.» – He lazily waved off the young lady with his hand.

Juno clenched her fists in displeasure. Of course, he wouldn’t tell her anything. She knew that her servant wanted to gain power in her family. But how? What for? What would happen next? She did not understand a thing. He was getting more and more mysterious to her. She could no longer take him as an ordinary servant. His ambitions were alarming. What if he turned her family upside down? One fact that he was a master of 9 elements could stir up the whole empire. If her little and not so influential any more kin would get in danger... The girl was afraid even to think about it. However, it wasn’t what concerned her at the moment.

«Master, I hope you came to my room to make me happy, didn’t you?» – Juno smiled slyly.

«You will laugh out of the other side of your mouth in a moment.» – Kyon said coldly. – «For starters, I order you to give me everything you got yesterday.»

Juno’s eyes widened from the blatant impudence of his words.

«You can’t! You… No! I don’t want to! It’s mine. Don’t you dare!» – Juno shouted, her little voice trembling. She took a large leather bag and a golden box out of her spatial ring against her will.

Kyon raised an eyebrow in surprise and hastily grabbed the pouch. He nearly whistled at what he saw.

«Wow! It’s a real fortune in here!»

«M-master, please! I beg you, give it back! It’s... It’s the money my brother lent me! It belongs to me! Please! The body, that you gave me by the way, is always hungry! I just got the mail and did not have time to…»

Kyon broke into the most malicious smirk he was capable of.

«Bingo! The royal bitch robbed me of half a million and the valuable breakthrough medicine yesterday. But here, I have some of it back in my hands! Ha ha ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!» – Kyon’s laugh was on purpose too evil. He couldn’t stop shaking with laughter.

Juno turned pale. Her thin eyebrows arched desperately. Her emerald green eyes shining with sincerity filled with tears. Her usually ringing voice whined plaintively:

«M-master, what are you talking about? You are not going to steal from your student, are you?»

The Rising Hawk medicine is a gift from her libertine friend. Its price was outrageous. Her grandfather had spent a fair share of family funds. But most importantly, it was a special gift for her! It was her personal thing that she hoped to use for her breakthrough to the second phase!

Moreover, she did not want to lose one hundred thousand that she had borrowed from her brother. Her unique body was starving, it kept her awake at night! She was about to feed it when she received his order to get ready for the trip to Flitz...

The rootless bastard wanted to appropriate everything that belonged to her? Only over her dead body!

«Master, say it’s a joke! Please! Are you kidding?! Stop laughing! Ahhhhhh! Bastard! I HATE YOU!» – The enraged girl recklessly attacked the robber. She couldn’t stand his incessant mocking laugh anymore. The asshole had appropriated her most valuable things. She pounced on him with a battle squeal of a cornered mouse, willing to scratch his eyes and bite him to death.

Kyon went on laughing. He easily wrung her arms behind her back and put away the money along with the breakthrough medicine at the same time. It all worked so well, indeed

Kyon suddenly calmed down. He squinted his predatory eyes, painfully grabbed Juno by the hair and pressed her face into the soft bed.

«Are you fucking kidding me, girl? I’m clearing your keys and you dare to attack me because of a lousy pill and a hundred thousand? Ungrateful scum.» – There was ice in his voice.

Juno was red in the face. She was almost suffocating in pain her arms were giving her. All of a sudden, she realized the stupidity of her position. The girl was no fool even if she was quick-tempered and arrogant. She quickly realized that she had gone too far. The boy changed and improved her innate abilities requiring her obedience and diligence in return. It was impossible to measure his wonderful talents in monetary terms, so unique and special they were.

The young lady moaned plaintively at once:

«M-master, I'm sorry! I beg you do not punish me! I... I'm so sorry! Please do not be angry with the hot-tempered fool... I should be punished, but do not deprive me of cleaning the keys! I can give you a massage…»

«That’s all you can do.» – Kyon snorted calmly. He could not be seriously angry with her. In his understanding, Juno was still too young and too emotional. Rehabilitating her was a long and painstaking job.

«Okay. You did save my life. I will turn a blind eye to your misbehaviour but only this time.» – He carefully sat her back and put his finger on her plexus under her blouse. Synergy flew into the wind key.

Juno’s face was still red as a ripe apple. She looked at Kyon blooming like a flower. Her gentle happy smile could enchant any mortal. Kyon was no exception. He did not show a trace of emotion, though. But inside, he was eager to pinch her cheek or nose the harder the better.

As soon as Synergy cleared the key by a couple of percent, Juno upgraded to the 8th stage. The spatial flash was so unexpected that Kyon's heart missed a beat.

{What the fuck?!}