There wasn't any sinister intention in her eyes. In fact, there was a deep sense of reminiscence and happiness, as though there was no one else's side she would rather be by.
Having forgotten his train of thought, Dyon remembered Brahman's last words and grinned.
"Too bad. As punishment for slighting your master, not only will you not receive treasures, I'll train you until your marrow hurts.
"If I recall correct, in the last day, you've cursed me 5408 times. Don't worry, I have a beautiful punishment ready for each and every one."
Brahman's handsome features paled under Dyon's laughter. He seemed to be enjoying his new role as a master a bit too much. But such was the cycle of life, pain he had gone through, he had the obligation to pass along.
"Come, let's go, I haven't seen my little girl in too long."
...
"Daddy!"
Dyon smiled widely, sweeping the little girl into his arms. Though he was still in his mask, Little Alauna saw through him immediately. In fact, it wasn't just her, Dyon was sure Saru also recognized him immediately.
It seemed he was correct in showing a bit of prudence and not taking Amphorae and Madeleine with him. There were some things that were too unpredictable.
"Cool! Cool!" Alauna's favorite color had always been purple, seeing her dad's hair turn violet, she couldn't have been happier. It was as though two things she loved suddenly became one, making them even better.
Little Alauna was almost four years old now, so she was quickly growing. Luckily, she was still attached to Dyon so he wasn't too heart broken over this. That said, if his little girl ever went through a phase where she hated even the sight of his face, he would be too pained to live anymore.
Still, listening to Alauna regale him with tales of her adventures, he felt too content to think about such a potential depressing future.
"… And then Momma Amphorae showed me her wings! They're so pretty! And then – Oh, hello!"
Little Alauna finally noticed that Saru was standing by Dyon's side with a light smile on her face, patiently waiting as though she was expecting the little girl to finally notice her presence.
"Daddy, who is this?"
"This is Saru, she's a Princess too, just like you."
Little Alauna's eyes sparkled as she looked toward Saru with great interest. She seemed to want to peer into all of Saru's secrets with a single glance.
Dyon found this behavior quite odd. This wouldn't be Alauna's normal reaction, but he didn't think too much about it.
"Where's your kingdom, Big Sister Saru? Can I visit?" Alauna asked excitedly.
Saru smiled. "It's not very far. In fact, it's right next to yours. Right now it's not too convenient to visit, but after things settle down, Little Princess Alauna is more than welcome to visit.
"Also, you can call me Aunty Saru."
Dyon choked on air. He had to turn his face away so as not to cough spittle onto Alauna's small, chubby little face.
Had all his years of slowly coming to understand women been for nothing? There was a woman who existed that would rather be called aunty than big sister? What was happening? And why was he having such a mental crisis about this?
It wasn't just him. In the distance, Pjisel and Brahman felt their understanding of the world shatter.
Currently, Pjisel was sitting in the middle of countless piles of biology related textbooks and research papers, a pained expression on his face.
As for Brahman, his pain was no less, if not more. He was planking over a trench of black flames that stretched from the very tip of his toes to his elbow, beads of sweet continuously falling down his brow.
Every time a drop fell from his body and into the flames below, they would crackle, sending a small ember upward to heat the armor on his torso.
And this was only the first punishment! How was he supposed to survive 5407 more?!
If it was a normal plank, it would be fine. But, Dyon had formed him an armor of Dwarf's Diamond, one of the hardest and heaviest substances of the entire mortal plane! He had several hundred thousand jin on his body right now!
To make matters worse, before this began, Dyon force fed him a pill that washed away all of his cultivation. And though that pill turned his dispersed qi into bodily strength, there were many things the energy path could do that the body path could not.
For example, qi was far better at regulating body temperature. Also, it was qi that helped one's body go long periods of time without food, but a stronger body only made one hungrier.
So not only could he not stop himself from feeling excessively hot, his grumbling stomach also wouldn't stop! This experience made what should have been the beautiful paradise at the back of Soul Palace a living hell.
He wanted to shed tears, but every time he tried, they dried up in an instant.
Yet, even in this situation, when he heard Saru's words, he almost collapsed despite the heat.
"Aunty?" Little Alauna tilted her head in confusion. "But big sister is so young!"
Saru smiled. "It's okay." She reached forward, lightly pinching Little Alauna's chubby cheeks.
Seeing that the little girl was still hesitant, Saru's spatial ring flashed, bringing out a slice of cake. But, if one thought it was normal, they'd be furiously kicked out of the room.
Since when could a normal cake have a shining halo around it?
"Tell you what. If you call me aunty from now on, I'll let you eat all of delicious food you want."
Alauna's hazel green eyes lit up. Not only had she inherited some of her father's looks, but she had especially inherited his love of food. She didn't even hesitate before accepting.
"Okay! Okay! Thank you, Aunty Saru!"
Dyon's confusion deepened to a realm he had never been to before. Why were Saru's delicate features filled with so much satisfaction?
