Derik walked back into the room where his Father sat, but instead of the previous silence, he could hear a low rumbling from all around him.

It was rumored that Herald’s bloodline had actually come alive, making a large black cat prowl the grounds of the mansion. Whenever Herald was angry, the cat would purr angrily, creating the rumbling sound that everyone would hear.

However, the truth is less mysterious.

“YOU IDIOT!”

The rumbling came from Herald stomping on the ground repeatedly.

“I am terribly sorry, Father, but I couldn’t find it!”

Derik tried to apologize, but his Father was furious at his failure.

“WHY DID YOU STOP?!”

“Father? I couldn’t find any sign of the frog! I even questioned the villagers, but they didn’t have any conclusive leads. We checked the sight of the battle, but every trace was removed! The Immortal Cauldron Sect said that they couldn’t have returned since the Illusion Seeking Sect was keeping an eye on them!”

“Enough! Your incessant excuses are getting on my nerves! Then it was the villagers!”

“They don’t allow their people to interfere in the aftermath, believing the victors have the right to the spoils. We checked, they weren’t lying. They told us that the three frog things left, but they never went to check on them, knowing full well we would come ask them of the frogs’ whereabouts!”

“Froglings.”

“I..what?”

“Froglings. They are what I’m calling them. Let the Sects know.”

“Uhh…yeas, Father. As you say. But what about the…um, Frogling that you asked me to find?”

Herald’s angry voice was back.

“GO BACK!”

“But, where should I start looking?”

Derik was nearly kneeling from the fear he was filled with from his own Father. Every time his Father’s voice filled the room, Derik was almost thrown from the pressure and suffocating feeling that pounded him over and over.

“ANYWHERE! Search the forest, search the swamp, search behind every nook and cranny if you have to! JUST GO!”

“Y-Yessir.”

Derik stumbled, almost falling over his own feet as he quickly fled the room from his Father.

While Herald fumed, his wife walked in, ever as graceful and beautiful as the day he swept her away. He wanted to apologize, but he already knew it wouldn’t help. He had thrown into the dog’s house ever since he had shouted at Richard. He didn’t know what to say so she spoke first.

“Have you learned how to let Richard feel satisfied?”

“What, by not chasing after his stupid pet?”

She knew what he was doing, she wasn’t stupid. However, she also knew Herald wasn’t going to do something instead of what he wanted.

She sighed, saying “I can’t make you do that, but the least you could do is get him to warn the little thing or go receive the others from the Sects.”

“I can’t mess with those idiots, you know that. Especially after from what my men have told me about them. Can you believe that they are actually trying to get those things to become full-fledged Mages?! I was sure that they would dissect them or something. This must mean they have the knowledge of the Ancestral Bloodline! We can’t let them get any further!”

“How so?”

She walked slowly forward, getting within arm’s reach. She lightly stretched outwards, sliding her hands across Herald’s arms before she sat back down by his side.

“If they get the idea to infiltrate the mountain again in order to get the main one…what’s his name that Richard gave him?”

“He didn’t. It was the name the tribe gave him for helping them win the Tournament. He Zhi, I believe is what Richard said.”

“Right. Well, if they want to find him, they may come across what we were trying to get in the first place.”

“You don’t know that, they will be preoccupied with their own greed to notice. Besides, you already have the Ancestral Bloodline.”

“Wait, what?!”

“Don’t you remember? Your own son learned and obtained it.”

“That’s right! Bring him in!”

While Isabella soothed Herald down, he was playing with her long flowing hair. Soon, young Richard and his attendant Marcus walked in.”

“Yes, Dad?”

“Tell me about the things that…”

“He Zhi.”

“Yes. Thanks, dear. Tell me what he taught you.”

Richard tried to remember what he did to train, and soon he was meditating, grasping onto the energy within him.

“…Is that it? I can’t tell what’s going on.”

“Really? Let me try now.”

Richard tried using one of his artifacts to draw out a string of red and circulate it throughout his body. With eyes opened wide, Herald couldn’t help but exclaim.

“How do you do that?!”

“Well, first I…I…Marcus, what’s the first step again?”

“Hm? Isn’t it just…well, that’s weird, I can’t for the life of me remember. My apologies.”

The two were legitimately confused as they wracked their brains trying to remember what they were taught. It was so bad, that Richard had to restart his circulation. He almost couldn’t do it! What happened?!

It took a while, but he finally remembered where to start, but when he tried to explain to his Father, he suddenly forgot it again. What was going on?!

Then Marcus spoke.

“It seems that there is some sort of force stopping us from telling it to others.”

“Grr, fine! Richard, whatever you want, I will give it to you if you can bring me that Frogling!”

“Then you can get me his family members?”

Herald immediately paused before his face darkened.

“You know I can’t do that. If it was just one Sect, then sure. But even then, we may have to instigate a conflict. That’s not so easy. How about a small kingdom’s crown? You can become King!”

“Will that get me He Zhi’s family?”

Herald began to get angry at his son’s annoying attitude. He was about to scold him when he felt Isabella’s hand remove from his side.

“Honey?”

“You are doing it again.”

The stare she gave him wasn’t all that scary, but the implications it had implied scared him more so than a bloody dagger held against his throat. Isabella was the best flower he had obtained, and he wasn’t willing to let her go. Even if he so much as touched another woman, Isabella would leave, along with over half of the mansion.

And he couldn’t do a thing about it. He was, for lack of a better term, pussy whipped. She was more than just a trophy, she was a valuable asset as well. Just being her husband granted him special privileges within the kingdom.

He couldn’t lose her, especially since he was close to getting what he wanted from the Cyrian Mountain.

Thinking about it, he decided that the frog was important, the mountain was important and his wife was important. This meant that Richard was important which meant that the other frogs were important. What a confusing predicament!

Maybe…since there was nothing else…could he perhaps trade for the frogs? But what would be equal to the frogs?

“Fine…I will schedule a meeting with the Headmasters of the Sects to see what I can do about the Froglings. However, you have to get that frog for me. I…promise I won’t kill him or his family.”

“Really?!”

Richard’s eyes instantly shined with hope. He had done it! He could help He Zhi get his family back! He quickly rushed out of the room to go tell Alyss.

Marcus stayed for a little, before giving Master Herald a sad look and walking away.

“Dear, why did you just lie to him? You even said you would promise. Now you have to keep it.”

“What? No, I don’t. He needs to learn that the world is a difficult place to live. That frog can’t live unless it allies itself with me.”

“You’re the worst.”

She stood up, gathering herself and leaving once again.

“Dammit! This stupid shit! Why does everything have to be so difficult?!”

Isabella’s voice drifted from outside the room towards Herald, almost as if it was traveling on the wind.

“Because you just can’t seem to leave things alone. You always want to make everything yours.”

There was nothing else, just the harsh words left behind. Far more pissed than when Derik arrived unsuccessfully, Herald went to set up a meeting with the three Sects.

========================

Another several days later

========================

In a room with no doors and no people, there was a circular platform with several round symbols spread around the circumference of the platform. Out of nowhere, a strange shining blue apparition appeared of a man on a throne. This was Herald Marshall.

Soon, another couple of blue apparitions appeared.

“Where’s the Dancing Leaves Sect?”

Herald was angry as it was, it didn’t make him look good that someone was late.

“Well, they were always going at their own pace. Might I ask why you set this up?”

“Can we wait? I don’t like repeating myself.”

“Of course, Duke of Savage Moon City.”

“Enough with the useless drivel, Mason.”

The elderly man that was from the Twisting Terrors Sect just chuckled at the joke only he understood. The woman from the Healing Lily Sect remained quiet.

Soon, a young man appeared, which brought a groan from the others.

“Marko Trello, at your service!”

“Good, we can begin. Let me just cut to the chase. What do you want in exchange for the Froglings you have? Oh, and that bird thing.”

Not missing a beat, the young man named Marko said happily, “Your wife!”

“Grr! Shut the hell up!”

“Hehehe, don’t worry, if you would actually give me the ever beautiful Isabella Lockheart, then I would have to give you my entire Sect. And my life. But I regret to inform you that there is no room for negotiation. I will be keeping them.”

“Yes, the one we have is a fundamental source of inspiration for the Twisting Terror Sect.”

“Same.”

“Dammit! Wait, they are all alive?”

“Yes?”

“Indeed.”

“Same.”

Herald couldn’t help but massage his temples. He sat there in thought for a while, but he decided to let something slip.

“So you guys are trying to get the Ancestral Bloodline as well, huh?”

“Hm? The what?”

“You don’t mean…they have that?!”

“…”

“Of course. My youngest was taught how to unlock an Ancestral Bloodline of the High Humans. Did you guys not learn that?”

Marko actually went quiet while Mason was visibly shaken from the realization of the possibilities he now had. Perinea never changed her facial expression. Herald couldn’t tell what her reaction was, but he was sure he got them.

When they found out the frogs had the Ancestral Bloodline, they would try and learn it as well. When they couldn’t they will question the Beasts of how they learned it. Once these Master Mages realized it was the original frog’s doing, they would try anything to get him.

If he can now find that stupid frog, his plans would go through a lot easier.

After any other pleasantries were quickly finished, everyone rushed to leave.

“Hehehe! Hahaha! HAHAHA! I’m a genius! Who says you can’t have everything?!”

Herald was by himself in the projection room, but if anyone was within 50 feet, they would have heard maniacal laughter throughout the night. Of course, he had guards placed outside the room. And not all of them completely followed the Duke…