There was a silence in the room at this revelation. Neither Eiwin nor Narcha knew how to react, while Red was in deep thought.

“Does the young master know about this?” Eiwin asked.

Hector shook his head. “He knows his parents were part of the sect and that they were killed by the empire. He doesn’t know about the more… Questionable practice they had their hands in.”

Narcha frowned. “Questionable practices?! From your words, it seems like they were engaged in demonic cultivation!”

Hector pursed his lips but didn’t decry her.

The warrior continued. “Besides, do you think it’s a good idea to hide this from Allen?”

The elder scoffed. “And what would you do? Tell him his parents committed atrocities and slaughtered innocent cultivators for their Spiritual Seas? What do you think that would do to the psyche of a child?”

Eiwin sighed. “You might be right, but you know you can’t hide this from him forever.”

Hector nodded. “I don’t intend to. I will tell him when he’s ready.”

The old man didn’t sound as confident as Red was used to witnessing, and he wasn’t the only one that picked up on it.

“When do you think he will be ready?” Narcha frowned. “The more you wait, the more damage you will do when he learns that the parents he looked up to and sought to avenge weren’t so good after all!”

Hector glared at her. “Don’t act like you don’t understand it yourself, girl! Although his parents weren’t the heroes the kid thinks they were, this doesn’t change the fact that Allen’s quest for revenge towards the Empire isn’t just! Or what, do you think the people from your tribe were all saints too?!”

Narcha gritted her teeth in anger and fell silent.

Red finally spoke up. “Why are you telling us this? Are you afraid of Reinhart seeking revenge against Allen?”

“Of course I am.” Hector nodded. “Not so much of Reinhart, but of the people that might be behind him.”

The boy frowned. “You mean someone other than Gustav?”

The old man grunted in agreement. “I doubt Reinhart could have acquired this intelligence about me so easily. Even when my sect was still alive, I didn’t have any reputation to speak of and was only known to my fellow sect members… Which is why I believe he must be working with someone else behind the scenes that could acquire that type of information.”

“The Empire then? Or maybe a surviving member of your sect?” Narcha said.

Hector nodded. “Either of them is possible. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s both. There was no lack of cultivators that changed sides to the Empire back then once they noticed the tides changing. They must have placed Reinhart in this town as a spy.”

“At the very least, he doesn't know about Young Master Allen.” Eiwin said in relief.

Hector sighed. “… It doesn’t surprise me. My identity was known to quite a few people inside the sect, so it’s not a shock it could have leaked. Allen’s parentage, however, was only known to a scant few, all of which are dead right now or in this room.” the elder stared at each and every member with a serious expression. “Suffice it to say, I expect absolute secrecy on your part regarding this and for the three of you to alert me to any signs of Reinhart’s presence in the town.”

Narcha scoffed. “You don’t even need to say anything, old man. After what Reinhart did in that place, I would be searching for him even if you hadn’t said anything.”

Eiwin and Red also nodded in response, although the boy was still confused about a few matters.

Hector seemed satisfied, though. “Good. I have entrusted you with the weight of the truth due to what Reinhart revealed to you, and I expected you to wield that power with responsibility. The consequences of letting this leak could be disastrous for the sect and everyone related to it.” the old man waved his hands. “Now begone! I have many matters to think about.”

The three of them turned to leave.

“Not you, boy!” Hector interjected. “I need to speak with you.”

Red hesitated. Both Eiwin and Narcha also looked between Hector and the boy with a frown.

“I said you two can leave!” Hector scowled at them. “I won’t take his Spiritual Sea, if that’s what you’re concerned about!”

Narcha scoffed and walked out, while Eiwin looked at Red.

“We’ll be waiting for you outside.” she said.

The boy nodded. The younger woman also walked out after that.

The door to the hall closed behind the two women, leaving behind Red and Hector in the room alone. At least that’s what the boy would have thought until he remembered there was someone else in the room who had been uncharacteristically quiet.

“I thought this was only between me and Hector.” Red said, looking at Domeron.

The swordsman smiled. “I am Hector’s right hand. My presence anywhere he goes is a given. He trusts me implicitly, isn’t that right, old man?”

Said old man ignored the swordsman’s question.

Red frowned. He returned his attention to Hector. “What do you wish to talk about?”

“… You said you continued on the trial after the others, right?” Hector asked after some contemplation.

The boy nodded. “I did. I don’t remember much, though. All I can recall is having to avoid very dangerous monsters while relying on my detection power. After that, the trial ended.”

The elder grunted. “And you didn’t meet anyone else? No Imperials, no Rickards, no Reinhart?”

Red didn’t hesitate to lie. “No one.”

Hector frowned. “I see…”

A silence settled in the room. For a second, the boy thought the elder would accuse him of lying, but thankfully he changed the topic instead.

“You helped Allen escape, didn’t you?” Hector asked.

“I did.” Red nodded.

The old man scratched his beard in thought. “And? What did you think about his performance? Did he show any signs of growth?”

The boy was surprised by the question. He had been fully expecting to be punished for helping the young master of the sect escape, but Hector was now asking about how Allen had performed, and without any signs of the anger he had shown earlier.

Red looked towards Domeron, who was simply smiling at him with his one arm crossed in front of his chest. A possibility came to his mind.

He looked back at Hector. “Did you know about Allen’s intentions of escaping?”

Hector hesitated, but still nodded. “I did.”

Red frowned. “And you still allowed it?”

The elder nodded again. “I did.”

The boy was confused. “Why?”

“Because I needed him to grow.” Hector said as if the reason was obvious. “Of course, if I knew he would be sent to a life or death trial, I would have thought twice about it, but in the end it all worked out.”

Red looked between Domeron and Hector. “You two were in on everything.”

Hector knew about it. Allen’s escape, the sect member’s escapade to investigate the imperials. He was aware of it from the start.

This revelation came in as an extreme shock to Red.

“I had to tell Hector.” Domeron shrugged. “He is not stupid. He expected something like this from his sect members as soon as he imposed these limitations.”

Hector let out a dry laugh. “How couldn’t I expect it from a group of stubborn mules like them? I was not only expecting it, but I was counting on it.”

Red was still puzzled. “If you wanted it to happen, why all the theatrics?”

“Because I wanted to test them.” Hector said. “I wanted to see how far they were willing to go to resolve their own personal vendettas. I wanted to cultivate their hatred for the Empire towards a common goal and to see them all grow because of it.”

“This all sounds so unnecessary.” the boy shook his head. “Couldn’t you just have told them?”

The old man scoffed. “It was a test… You see, a few months ago before you came about, I had never seen Eiwin disobey my orders even once. She stuck to the rules and principles of the sect, even if it was to the detriment of her companions. Yet, in you came, and then suddenly she is challenging me to my face. I was angry at first, mostly at you, but then I realized this was a true growth on her part, and I was happy about it. Then, she did it again, this time around to help Narcha against the Empire”

Red was baffled. “Didn’t you tell us how the sect rules and principles were important to you? Why would you be happy about her violating it?”

Hector shook his head. “A sect isn’t about rules and traditions. It’s about the spirit of the sect and how the people seek to achieve it together. It’s something a lot of sects nowadays have forgotten about. They stick to their old-fashioned customs and ideals, following the rules established by their ancestors without a second thought. They are willing to do anything to rise in position inside their sect, even sacrificing their integrity and companions for the sake of a hollow title and prestige. It’s a mockery of the bastions of humanity these sects were in the past and is why I left my sect in the first place.”

Red couldn’t say that he understood this ideal sect Hector spoke about, but he could understand the disdain in the old man’s words.

Hector continued. “Narcha, Eiwin, and Allen hold the idea of a sect on too high of a pedestal. One day, once they are out to explore the world, they will understand how treacherous and petty sect cultivators are too, how they are no heroes to be celebrated. Even the Crystal Sky Sect these days is infested with infighting, though the mortal world at large may be unaware of it. These are not the examples I want them to follow. I want them to challenge the rules and authority imposed over them, to stand up for each other and carry the spirit of the sect with themselves, not bound by traditions or petty worries. I want them to rely on each other, to put their own lives on the line for their companions and reach as one for that ultimate goal of all cultivators - immortality! This is what a true sect is and what I want this Water Dragon Sect to become in the future… For that, though, they must prove themselves willing to challenge the judgment of the ones they fear and respect the most.”

Red was starting to understand it. “Is that why you are putting up this act? To raise a rebellious and cooperative spirit in them?”

The boy wasn’t sure how that was supposed to work, and yet judging by what he had seen from the others, it seemed to be working. He had lost count of how many times his fellow sect members had risked their lives to save each other. Even Red was no exception to that.

Hector grinned. “It sounds ridiculous when you put it that way, but it’s just how I like to teach. There is no point in spelling things out to my students - either they grasp these concepts on their own or they die trying. It’s just the cultivator way.”

It seemed Hector and his master were of the same mind on these matters. There was, however, still one thing that Red was confused about.

“Why are you telling me all this?” the boy asked. “It seems risky to entrust me with this information.”

Red had barely been part of this sect for a few months. How could he be trusted with so much delicate information?

Hector scoffed. “That’s because you’re a cynic, boy. I told you all of this, but did you feel moved at all? You probably spend every hour of the day wondering how people around you can betray you, how you can be stabbed in the back at your most vulnerable moments, how you can only rely on yourself at the end of the day… Isn’t that right?”

Red didn’t respond.

“In some ways, those are the markings of a true cultivator, but I’m trying to build a sect, not create a bunch of independent and arrogant rogue cultivators.” the elder said. “Still, there is at least one admirable trait to you - you have a sense of honor. There were times when you put your life on the line for your companions, even if you were unwilling to and knew how prejudicial it would be for your future. You might have had an ulterior motive behind those actions too, but what matters is that you saw them through. This is why I know I can trust you.”

Hector took a badge out of nowhere and handed it to Red. It was a bronze medallion, depicting a large-beaked and slender bird with astonishing detail.

“This is why I have a new position for you inside this sect.” the elder said.