The 1.000 year Great Sage ---> COMPLETED STORY

Seya whispered at Aria's ear.

- You are this old because you want to. If you were older, I would have kissed you, years ago!

He then gently kissed Aria's ear. Aria blushed. Her face turned bright red and she had her mouth open while looking at Seya. He just looked back at her and he smiled while caressing Aria's right cheek. He stood up and he went to Teacher Fil again, leaving a blushing Aria looking at his back.

- Teacher Fil, I came here to show you two games that I've made. I think they will be good for your classes, for practicing spelling and arithmetic's, but I want to know what you think.

Let me just open my Compressed Dimension… Where is it… Too many things lying around in here... Ah, found it!

I'll put this on your table over here. This game with this board and these blocks with letters written, it's a Scrabble. You try to make words of the letters that you get and place it on this board. Each letter gives you points and each word also, depending on where you place it on the board, which has the points marked. The next player must use the letters on the board and his own letters, to make a new word. Up to four players can play. It's also a nice family game.

And this one, Sudoku, is like a puzzle game. You just need paper and a pencil. The objective is to fill this 9x9 grid with numbers so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3x3 boxes that compose the grid, contain all of the digits from 1 to 9.

I can make a lot of puzzles like this one, with only one solution. And once you understand the mechanics of it, you can also make some, for your students to solve.

- These… are very good, indeed… with this one, they can practice words. And with that other one, they play with numbers. I think these will be very good for them, but in a few months, it's too early, now. They first need to learn all the letters and numbers.

- I agree. But do you think that something like this can help you? I made them as entertainment, but then I thought that they could be used here.

- Yes, they will be wonderful, for sure. It's always good to use different methods to make such young students interested. Since you came here last time, every time that one of them is a little distracted or don't want to finish their work, I normally say that if they learn everything very fast, the Marquess will come to visit them again and you will be very proud of how much they accomplished so far. It normally works. Eheheh!

- Ahahah! Well, if it works, no harm is done. I think I'll leave then, we disturbed your class long enough. Oh, if everything goes well, very soon, you'll be getting new students. I'm waiting for new people to arrive.

- That would be wonderful, Milord! More work for me, but the students will like to have more friends.

Seya faced the students and they all remained in silence, just waiting for what he was about to say.

- Well, the teacher said that you are learning very well. That means that you can also teach your parents what you learn, right?

The students raised their hands and some started to speak immediately, eager to be the first to answer.

- Yes!... Yeah!... I'm my father's teacher when mother is cooking! Then, father cleans and I teach my mother!... Yeah, me too!

Seya raised his arm, trying to settle them. They immediately shut up.

- That's why I've made this school and looked for Teachers to teach you all. I want everyone that lives in my lands, to learn everything they can. I'm counting on you, to learn and to teach your parents. I've found a way for you to have better lights at night, I've made a Coliseum, where you went yesterday and I've made new games that you can play when you learn more letters and numbers. If I can do more things to help or if you have more ideas, just tell the Teacher, and she will send those ideas to me, ok?

The Goddess Aria raised her hand, smiling.

- Big Brother, can you teach us some games, games for our age?

- My cute little Aria, I'm sure that you know a lot of children's games that they never heard about. I think there's no harm if you teach them 'Blind man's buff', 'Button, button, who's got the button', 'Cat's cradle', 'Chopsticks' or 'Clapping games'. You can teach those, right?

- Yes! I remember now! I tried to recall some of those but since I didn't remember the names, I wasn't sure how they were played! I was mixing the rules of all of them! Knnya…knnya…knnya… Ok, I'll teach those, leave it to me!

- Ahahah! Ok, that settles, then. Well, I must go now, I need to go visit some people and you need to learn. Goodbye for now, I'll come to visit another day.

Seya said his farewells to the Teacher and they all left the school. At the entrance, Seya looked back at the school, and he smiled. Ryn saw that, and she almost hugged him. She held it in because Princess Arys was looking at her with a weird smile, like if she was just waiting to tease her! The Queen was also looking at the school, and she saw the smile that Seya made.

- You had a very good idea with this, Seya. In a few months, those kids will know how to read and write.

- Yeah… even if I don't do anything memorable from now on, at least I helped these children… Well, my Queen and King, I need to go to my Baron's house, to talk with that disgusting Slave Trader. Ryn, I need your help as a guide. I think the Queen would love to visit the Watermill and the new Inn, near the sea. Little Princess, no fighting in the pool! I will meet with you shortly, dear Ryn.

- Ok, you can count on me. And I'll keep an eye over the Princess here, or she will destroy that beautiful pool!

Seya opened a Gateway to the Baron's house, while Ryn was protecting her head from a punch by Heiji. After crossing it, Seya was in the meeting room. He was the first to arrive. He went to the kitchen, to ask Mary if she could prepare some of her delicious tea for him and his guests, along with some biscuits. A smiling Mary bowed and she quickly took care of the request. Seya went again to the meeting room and while waiting, he made some Big Crystals that he stored inside of his Compressed Dimension. After a while, he started to make small size Crystals and he placed five on top of the table, in front of him. Each Crystal imbued with one Attribute, like Wind, Fire, Water, Earth and two Crystals with Light Magic. He thought that the greedy Slave Trader wouldn't be able to resist them.

When he was writing some notes, the Baron arrived. He entered the meeting room, with the fat Slave Trader at his side. The four slaves were following the Trader, dragged by the chains as if they were wild animals. Seya grabbed the arms of the chair, trying very hard not to jump and slice the Trader's head.

- Milord, I'm sorry if we made you wait.

- Not a problem, Baron, I arrived minutes ago.

The Slave Trader had a forced smile while looking at Seya and for a brief moment, he looked disappointed. Maybe he was expecting someone older?

- Milord, my name is…

Seya quickly raised his hand.

- Please stop. I'm not a bit interested in your name. For me, you are just a Trader. I don't need to know anything more about you and we don't need to pretend to be friends.

- But Milord, on my line of work, trust is needed and eventually, a friendship forms!

- Not with me. For me, you are just someone that sells some products in which I'm interested. I'll pay very well for those four slaves, even more, if they are two families. I will also buy any slave that you can bring to me in the future, preferably, complete families. Please sit, the maid is arriving with some tea and biscuits that I'm sure, you'll like.

A dumbfounded Trader seated in front of Seya, he wasn't expecting such treatment. Normally, when he traded in the Empire, he used to be well received by the Nobles because he had a good reputation as someone that sells Slaves of good quality. But then, he noticed the Crystals on top of the table and his heart skipped a beat.

- Mi…Milord… are these, Magic Crystals?

- Yes, they are. Just something to prove to you that I wasn't joking when I said that I would pay very well for those slaves. Each of these Crystals has one Attribute. And there are two with Light Magic. I don't have here any with Dark Magic because the rarity of it, would be enough to even pay for your life, as long as those slaves.

- Indeed… but how did Milord got a hold of so many Crystals with so many different Magic's?

The Slave Trader gave a glance to Mary that was serving his tea, noticing that she was a DogKind with no slave collar.

- Is that more important for you than the possibility to receive them as payment?

The Trader almost choked with the biscuit that he was eating.

- Milord? But… the quality of these Crystals, just one would be more than enough for paying all of these slaves!

- If it was another day, I would say that we have a deal, one Crystal for all. But today, I also want to start a commercial agreement with you. I want to buy all the slaves that you can bring me. I prefer complete families, parents with their children, with grandparents or babies. And for these slaves and for our future businesses, I'll give you these Crystals. I'm sure that you know that just one Crystal of this size, can be sold by a small fortune. These are even more valuable because they are already filled with Magic. And a complete set like this one, I'm sure it would even pay a King's ransom.

- But… Milord, it's too much!

- So, you don't want it. Ok, you prefer what, 100 gold coins for each slave?

- No! I want! Of course, I want! It's just… I was just surprised!

- Well, we have a deal then. I just want to ask one thing. Why did you think that you needed to hire security guards to come here?

- Milord, I didn't know what to expect in these lands. And even in the Empire, especially when returning with an empty cage, I usually attract the interest of some bandits. The Baron told me on our way here that my security guards would be alright, that they were just arrested. What were those things? They just came out of that rock column! My guards didn't have a chance against them!

- Those are our security guards. They are very good at their job. Your guards are waiting for you, on the other side of the border. Here, give them this purse, as my excuse. Two gold coins for each of them. I believe that you'll deliver these to them, correct?

- Of course, Milord! But, such generosity, even for just some security guards!

- They were just doing the job that you hired them to. They were just stupid to not follow the orders of my Border Guards.

- Yes, indeed… Milord, if I may ask, why do you want to buy so many slaves?

- I don't think that for what I'm paying, you need to ask anything. But let's just say that I have so much money, that I want to start a slave's collection.

- Yes… being able to buy so many Crystals and using this much to pay for just 6 slaves…

- Now, since our deal is finished, I just want that you follow the Baron to the Magical Border and exit my lands as soon as possible. So that you can return quickly with more slaves, of course, it's not that I despise your company…

The Trader smiled, but then he noticed the serious look on Seya's. He wasn't joking as his words sounded like.

- Before leaving, take off those slave chains from them. I don't need it.

- But Milord, how will anyone know that they are slaves? That's just…

- If you have the keys, take them off. Or else, on our next trade, I won't be so generous.

The Slave Trader quickly released the slaves and he was holding the chains on his hands. He smiled at Seya and did a deep bow.

- Milord, it was a pleasure doing business with you. Until we meet again.

Seya saw a very happy smile on the Trader, he seemed like someone who had just gain a huge profit from an innocent buyer. Seya hid a smile. If only the Trader knew that Seya had just made those Crystals before his arrival…

The Baron bowed to Seya, hiding a smile and he winked one eye. He guided the Trader to the exit. As soon as Seya heard the door closing, he took a deep breath.

- What a disgusting man. Mary, if you please, can you call for Tomas? And put some tea and biscuits for my guests, will you?

- Of course, Milord, I'll be right back.

The two families of CatKind were nervously looking at each other and back at Seya. They didn't know what to expect. Being bought by such a young man and by such a huge amount of money in the form of Magic Crystals, having their chains removed and now some tea was going to be served for them? Seya saw the worried faces they had and he made a gentle smile.

- Don't worry, you are among friends now. Please sit, we need to talk for a while.

One of the males shook his head strongly, while everyone else was frozen, in panic.

- Sir, slaves seating at the table of their owner, is unheard of! We can't do that!

- If I'm not mistaken, a slave normally wears a slave's collar and chain. I don't see anyone using something like that in here, do you?

- Sir, that's because Sir ordered the Slave Trader to take them off!

- Ahahahah! Yeah, I really liked the surprised look of that Trader. But, please sit, we need to talk for a while. Mary and Tomas are here, so, let me explain myself. These two young ones here used to be slaves just like you. I have already two families of DogKind that I rescued from the Empire and they are now living in my lands, as free people. So, from now on, you are also free people. I just need to know what you can do to find a proper job for everyone. Unless you prefer to go to the BeastKind Kingdom.

- It's true. Milord Seya released us, on the first day that he arrived here. We choose to stay here because we were always well treated at this house, we don't have any family, and we never went to the BeastKind Kingdom. Well, actually, we went there last week on our free day, to visit.

- Really? I didn't know that! Did you like going there?

- Yes, Milord, it was amazing! Milady Margaret used her Gateway Crystal to open a passage to the BeastKind Capital. I even bought new clothes, for me and for Tomas with the money that I was saving. I know that Milord is having his birthday very soon, so we also bought a small gift. I'll give that to Milord next week, of course. Heheheh!

- Thank you, Mary, but you shouldn't. It was better if you saved that money for yourself. I appreciate the gesture but you didn't need to bother yourself with that.

- No, Milord, it's my pleasure. It's just a small token of our appreciation and it comes from our heart. Besides, we are saving not only our salary from our work here but the money that I get from selling my biscuits, tea, and cakes.

- I hope that at least you had fun in the BeastKind Kingdom.

- Yes, Milord, we sure did! It was funny when we went there, seeing the face of the CatKind on the other side that allowed the Gateway to open. He never saw anything like that, I thought he was going to die of surprise!

- Yeah, I guess the Gateway Crystals are not being sold in the BeastKind yet, we need to take care of that. But we are having so many orders from the Kingdom of Rohan, that's becoming difficult to keep up! Ahahahah! Those Crystals are a huge success, for sure. But you are distracting me, sweet Mary, and our guests are puzzled with our conversation!

- Oh, forgive me, Milord!

- Don't worry, Mary, I was just messing with you. Now, does any of you have any nasty scars or marks from a whip on your backs?

- No, Sir, we were fortunate until now. Me and my wife, and also these two friends, were bought very young and we lived for several years with a wealthy merchant. Upon his death, we were sold to a Noble, that has lands that were divided by that Dark Barrier. Most of his lands were lost to this side. Our children were born there.

- Oops… Well, his loss, my win. Does any of you know how to read?

- Sir, we learned with the merchant, he needed our help for his business, so he made sure that we all learned how to read, write and do arithmetics. He did it in secret because slaves weren't supposed to learn anything like that. We, later on, taught our children.

- They look that they are what, 14 or 16 years old?

- Sir, my son is 16 and the girl, 15.

- And by the way they are acting, I guess they are a couple?