With the Barnet situation sort of settled, Ery returned to the Alpha Quadrant—his destination, Utopia City.
Heorgar had already been inford of the incident, and the Zodiac branches within the city had received several inquiries from the Magus Alliance. However, the matter was mysteriously wrapped up on its own, as if soone had deliberately stepped in to suppress it. It was clear that a powerful hand was at work, ensuring the issue disappeared before it could attract unwanted attention.
Now that Ery was back, he wasted no ti sharing his renewed determination to strengthen his faction’s forces—starting right here in the Alpha Quadrant, Sector 13, close to ho.
The truth was, he already had a solid foundation to build upon. Over the past three decades, the Earth Faction had slowly but surely earned a reputation, not just through their achievents at the Magus Academy but also through the growth of their apothecary shops spread across various systems. Through these ventures, they had developed strong connections among the lower factions and even so influence among mid-grade ones.
When Nyx finally regained consciousness, Ery realized just how fortunate he was to have her as an ally. During his absence, her establishnt had flourished. She had created one of the most efficient and far-reaching information networks in the entire sector—so even whispered it stretched across the whole Alpha Quadrant.
Her recovery was emotional. Not only was Nyx deeply moved by Ery’s efforts to rescue her, but it was also obvious how much she had missed him during the long years of separation. Her unrestrained warmth earned him several judgntal side glances from Shinta, who crossed her arms and muttered with visible irritation.
"Father, you are such a womanizer... I’m so embarrassed..."
"...."
Ery weighed the options and sketched multiple ways to create the opportunity he needed — strategies, partnerships, even unorthodox ventures — searching for a way to elevate his faction’s standing. Yet every path led to the one obstacle: wealth. No matter how grand his ideas, they all demanded enormous resources.
Hence, his first agenda beca clear — to rebuild and expand his apothecary business. It was the most stable foundation he had, one that could steadily generate both capital and influence.
The plan was straightforward but demanding. Nyx, with her intelligence network, would use her channels to acquire new clients and contracts from within the quadrant. anwhile, Ery assigned Kayelin to lead the developnt of new apothecary products. Despite Tartarus Realm being far behind in technology, its ancient thods still held secrets of great value. Ery was confident that if properly adapted, several Tartarus recipes could rival even the advanced formulas of Magus apothecaries.
Kayelin, though modest in deanor, had been quietly honing her craft. She had spent years perfecting her alchemy in the Magus realms. Yet she had never released any official products — not only because she lacked the master certification required by the Apothecary Guild, but also because she had chosen to keep her origins hidden. Her lineage from Tartarus could invite unnecessary scrutiny.
To ensure the best results, Ery reached out to his old allies from Terra City and Golden City in the Beta Quadrant. Reestablishing trade routes and apothecary branches for the Earth Faction. He now intended to strengthen those sa networks — reopen trade links, improve ingredient logistics, and refine distribution chains across quadrants.
After finalizing those preparations, Ery turned his attention to Shinta. "What about the Supre Gene Project?" he asked. "Can it be moved back here to Utopia?"
The question drew a long, thoughtful silence from his daughter. Shinta crossed her arms, her brow slightly furrowed, her eyes calculating. "The project has beco entangled in halfblood politics.. for real results, I’ll need to go back ho.."
Her tone was calm, decisive. Ery nodded quietly. Seeing how easily she made that decision to leave startled him. She had grown — no longer the little girl who clung closely to him anymore. There was independence in her gaze now, a steady maturity that both comforted and saddened him.
He would have liked to visit Ouroboros himself, to check on the Supre Gene Project. But a promise awaited him — the arranged venture with Julian.
That invitation, concerning the expedition into the Celestial Machinist’s Tomb, carried both risk and allure. At first, Ery’s intent had been simple: to keep Julian safe. But the more he learned about the tomb, the harder it beca to ignore the potential rewards. The relics of a Celestial Machinist — lost blueprints, divine chanism cores, perhaps even a living construct — could be invaluable.
Ery briefly considered bringing another Grand Magus to accompany him. Soone like Fayenor would have been ideal. However, the invitation had been issued to him alone. Besides, a greater concern weighed on him. Shinta. He preferred Fayenor to remain by her side, to protect her in his stead.
"Alright, Senior Fayenor can accompany ," Shinta said casually — but then her lips curved into a sly smirk. "But you should bring Vic with you."
Ery froze mid-motion, blinking twice. "...What?"
It wasn’t protocol that bothered Ery — the invitation allowed non grand magus companion — it was the idea of spending ti with that particular man. Vic was the sort of person who made Ery’s skin itch: although he was not sure why.
Shinta tilted her head, the smirk not leaving her face. "You heard . He always interested in ancient relics. You’ll find his skills quite useful"
"Useful?" Ery muttered under his breath. "I can think of many words for him, but that’s not one of them."
He didn’t say it aloud, but his thoughts were a storm of disbelief. The idea of bringing that man — the one who had been hanging around his daughter far too often, smiling far too much — made his chest tighten with irritation.
Shinta continued sweetly, clearly enjoying his discomfort. "You said it’s a legendary refiner’s tomb, right? Vic may not look like much, but he’s a dual master — formations and refining. You’ll need soone like that."
Ery turned sharply to stare at her. "He’s a what?"
"A dual master," she repeated with an almost innocent grin.
He blinked again, trying to process it. The man looked like he could barely handle a bowl without tripping over it, and now she was claiming he was a dual master? Ery wanted to laugh — or perhaps cry.
Her expression softened for a mont, and then her voice slipped quietly into his mind, a telepathic whisper sharp enough to make his jaw tighten:
Ery’s eyebrow twitched. That was a low blow — emotional blackmail, delivered with the sa calm tone she used when ordering tea.
He exhaled through his nose, slowly "Fine," he said flatly. "He can co."
"Wonderful," Shinta replied, beaming with satisfaction.
Ery glanced at Vic across the room — the young man waved cheerfully, as if completely oblivious to the quiet war raging around him. A mischievous thought crossed his mind — perhaps he’d find a way to make the man suffer just a little inside that tomb.
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