"Temptation" wasn't something Shuri had to fight against during her time at the Palace. Over there, the paths were clear-cut; it was easy to predict what would lead to death and what wouldn't. But in the True World Sect, where she was afforded a level of freedom she'd never experienced before, Shuri didn't know what to do. The peril hidden behind the many temptations hanging before her were hidden deeply, beneath levels of subterfuge that even her lifetime's worth of experience couldn't unravel.
But one thing was for certain, though. The Library wasn't safe. Not yet at least. It was filled with unseen and unheard-of knowledge that urged her to learn more and keep digging deeper. Worse yet, nothing was stopping her from doing it. It was like hanging a bloody and juicy steak in front of a wolf that has already had a taste of the meat. Thankfully, Shuri wasn't beholden to her base urges. Knowledge had a price, and Shuri was certain that all that information enshrined within the majestic walls of the Library would exact their dues in time.
To distract herself, Shuri opted to follow Markus' suggestion and indulged in the many recreational activities the Sect had to offer. Unfortunately, this meant that she had to interact with her "colleagues". Luckily, the kids who joined the Sect with her were common folk. The conversations she could hold with them didn't require her to unwind a complicated thread of subtlety. They spoke straightforwardly, and without the use of doublespeak - a sentence only had a single meaning.
"Are you going to eat all of that?" Wasn't a jab at her physical appearance. It was literally a question inquiring if she was going to eat the large mound of rice on her plate. It was refreshing... But it only elevated Shuri's wariness. Things were moving far too swimmingly for her comfort.
The "board games" she played were unbearably trivial. She had to hold herself back from winning sometimes to avoid attracting attention. She needed to blend into the crowd, after all. The physically involved games were much harder on Shuri given her weaker frame, but that didn't exclude her from playing. After all, if she had to sell the story of her mediocrity she had to show weakness in some places. With sports, she didn't even have to try, she was already weak at it!
The days passed like this, and Shuri slowly started to assimilate with the routine followed by the Sect. The Sect published a schedule she needed to follow until the return of the Sect Leader and the official kickoff of sect activities. This involved morning and evening Yoga, an interesting and highly effective meditation technique that also doubled as a stretching and physical exercise, literacy review and crash course in basic mathematics, study on the recorded history of magic and cultivation, and recreation and self-development time. The timings for the study and meditation sessions were rigid, while the rest were fluid and she was basically left to her own devices.
During her self-development time, Shuri resumed her frequent trips to the Library. She had managed to get a hold of her temptations - the recreation time with her peers worked as a suitable distraction. She also found some interest in the Maker-Space, which was filled with tools and machines she hadn't seen or heard of before. With Markus' guidance, she learned to use the lathe and milling machine and even created simple items such as door handles and decorative plates. The area was extremely conducive to research, experimentation, and development.
Unknowingly, Shuri's robust guard had withered to a point where she didn't question every action and decision in her daily life. This was the result of the uplifting and supportive learning environment.
On one particular day, while Shuri skipped towards the Maker-Space, her sensitive ears caught wind of a commotion originating from the Administrative area, close to the Sect's entrance. She even saw a few kids running in that direction excitedly.
Something different was afoot. And "different" was almost always catastrophic. To get ahead of the problem, Shuri decided to become a sheep amongst the crowd and followed the group. She tamed her outward expressions and decided to nudge one of her peers.
"Hey, what's going on?" She asked as she followed the group of four girls walking at a brisk pace.
"We heard that Sect Leader Larks has returned," the nudged girl answered with an excited intonation.
"The Sect Leader?" Shuri hummed in thought. 'What new troubles will this bring?'
____
"You aren't Guy..." Grace denied immediately, as she dodged Guy's hug in greeting.
"But I am," Guy moaned. "That's what I'm trying to prove to you. Look, Dora and Jean can both testify to my identity!"
Grace looked past Guy and saw Jean nodding back with an assuaging smile and Dora raising a thumb in acknowledgement.
"But... How can someone change so drastically?" Grace argued. "You weren't this handsome before!"
Guy suppressed the embarrassed red tint forming on his cheeks. Just as he was about to respond, another voice interrupted the conversation.
"Congratulations on your breakthrough, Sect Leader Larks."
The voice was succeeded by the periodic taps of wood hitting the floor. Seconds later, the door to the welcoming room swung open, and an elated Marie rushed in with her arms wide open.
"Dora! Jean!" Marie pulled the two girls into a tight hug. "Eh- You must be Kili!"
Kili, who had shrunken in the presence of so many new people suddenly jolted upon being called in name by a person she had never met before.
"Come here!" Marie reached forward and pulled the girl into the three-person hug as well. "Oh, I've missed you guys so much!"
"What about me?" Grace shot back with fake sternness.
"Who are you again?" Marie rebutted while scratching her forehead.
"Maybe a lovetap to the head may jog your memories," Grace challenged as she rolled her sleeves and approached Marie.
Marie dropped her hug and rushed towards Grace with a genial smile. "How could I forget my dear Matron Reva."
While the women reconnected, Mage Nara finally appeared past the entrance. He walked at a steady pace, maintaining his gait with the assistance of his long walking stick.
"The girl was right. Your appearance has turned markedly better in the aesthetics department," Krish commented with an approving nod.
Guy dodged the compliment and said, "It's a pleasant coincidence that you guys arrived at the same time as us."
"It's no coincidence," Krish denied with a decisive shake of his head. "My Disciple calculated the exact time of our departure so that we could match our arrival with you folk."
"Sounds like her," Guy agreed with a mirthful snort. "I hope the trip was fruitful. I can sense that she has advanced in her cultivation."
"It was beyond fruitful!" Krish evoked excitedly, shocking Guy with his explosive display of emotion. "The girl singlehandedly redefined a cultivation method that has been in use for many millennia!"
"That does sound beyond fruitful..." Guy murmured.
Krish clicked his tongue in annoyance and said, "You can't appreciate the magnitude of her accomplishments, because you can't fathom the nature of the changes she's pioneering!"
"I hope she isn't overdrawing herself," Guy nudged. "Marie tends to lose herself in her productive trance."
"You don't have to remind me twice!" Krish responded with a bitter smile as he recollected his Disciple's exhaustion-inducing experimentation spree in which he had to intervene multiple times.
"Master! You're back!" Markus' voice resounded in the hall as his Disciple jogged in excitedly. He paused two steps away from Guy, composed himself and gave a deep bow. But Guy caught him midway and pulled the boy in for a hug.
"It's good to be back," Guy confessed. "I hope I didn't overwhelm you with all that work."
"Not at all, Master. Everything went smoothly. All the families have been resettled, regular classes have resumed, and all the new members are ready to begin their journey in magic," Markus reported with a proud grin.
"He is conveniently skipping the anxiety-filled, sleepless nights," Grace interjected. "The boy was practically dripping with panic sweats after accidentally misplacing the study plans, when in fact it was stored safely inside his bag all along... on his person! It made me question if the boy is actually a mage or not. What use are mana senses?!"
Markus coughed in embarrassment. "It was difficult in the beginning, but once I got into the rhythm, the workload became easier to handle."
"Good job!" Guy encouraged. "Throwing someone into the deep end isn't always a guaranteed recipe for success. I knew that you had potential in you, and I was confident that you would succeed, so I took this risk. Do not do the same with others that depend on you until you are absolutely certain as well. It takes years of experience in teaching to build this skill."
Markus absorbed Guy's warning with a solemn nod.
"Hmm," Krish's hum cut through the silence. "It seems that the word of your arrival has spread throughout the Sect."
"That's right!" Markus exclaimed while clapping his hands. "Master, I have called in all members for an assembly. You have to address them. I've given a warm-up speech upon their arrival, but it lacks the prestige and authority of the Sect Leader."
Under the gaze of all the expectant eyes in the room, Guy exhaled audibly and cleared his throat.
"I guess it is time to give our members a proper welcome."
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