Now that they had an unpleasant introduction to the other sects in the area, Cain was a bit more concerned about going wandering in the woods, and what might happen out there. Not so much for himself, but Luna was still at a rather low level, and they both needed to improve the cores that they had assimilated so that they could level up again and match this world's power level.
Luna was still extremely excited to see new things though, so waiting for more than another day or two before they began traveling would just become an annoying series of "When are we leaving" type questions, rephrased to see if they worked better than last time.
"Sect Master, I don't suppose that the annoying children of prophecy are likely to have patrols into the mountains are they?" Cain asked, making the guards chuckle.
"Not likely. They don't care much about anything but the valley, and the Sects in the mountains have leaders that are much more powerful than anyone down here. If you find the Divine Dragon Sect during your travels, be careful not to insult their gods. Their leader is very close to the borderline to Divinity and they take that sort of thing personally.
Other than that, as long as you don't interfere with their training, or get too close to their sect compounds, as I marked them on the map, you should be able to travel without too many issues." The Sect Master explained.
"Then I think we should head out in the morning so that we can get as much distance covered in the daytime as possible. Luna here wanted to hunt at least one Mythic Beast while she was out, and that will be easier in the daylight." Cain decided, making Luna cheer and hug his waist.
"Then we need to stock up. I saw more good stuff when we were on our way to the Arena before. There is a cute dress that is almost like this outfit and looks really comfy." Luna insisted.
"Oh, the female Cultivation Sect robes. They're like a dress, but they still have pants so you don't embarrass yourself while fighting. There are a lot of options, and you can pick almost any color. The only ones that they won't have in stock are the ones that are reserved for the local Sects." Master Moon told her.
"Sweet. I haven't seen many female fighters, so there should be lots of options. Back home I was always wearing armor and stuff, so I didn't change clothes often. But these are too great not to wear." Luna informed the now-healed Immortal.
"I am glad you like our world's fashion. Should we send one of the young Acolytes with you to help you shop?" Master Moon asked.
"What do boys know about clothing anyhow? One of them tried to get me to buy shoes with heels." Luna scoffed, making all the elders laugh at her way of seeing things.
"I have just the person for you then. Why don't you take Master Moon with you? He has over fifty female grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He should be almost an expert now, right?" The Sect Master asked.
"Oh, are they here in town? Don't they come to visit you? Let me talk to them, I'll make sure they come to visit more often." Luna told the Innkeeper.
Her very serious look made the Innkeeper laugh and pat her head. "That's alright. They all live up at the Sect, it is a long journey. I go to them now and then so that I can see them all at the same time."
Luna nodded in understanding. "Oh, like the farmers. They go visit family every holiday because they're too busy to see each other all the time."
"Innkeepers are very busy people." Master Moon nodded in agreement.
"Then let's go shopping before you have to go back to work. We can pick something for your favorite grandchildren while we're at it."
"Now young lady, it's not good to play favorites among children." Moon insisted.
"Why not? I'm clearly Dad's favorite. The quadruplets are just tiny and boring." Luna asked, not understanding.
Master Moon thought that the quadruplets must be younger, possibly still infants, the way that she referred to them as tiny and boring, so he chose a way to explain that would make it more logical for the sheltered Luna.
"The ones that you spend the most time with and the ones that have the most in common with you might seem like the favorites, but the others are still special, even if they aren't ready to head out into the world for training yet."
Luna thought a while about that then shook her head. "Pretty sure I'm still the favorite. But we should go shopping before they close. They're not closed yet, right?"
Cain did his best not to laugh and waved farewell to Luna and Master Moon, confident that the old man wouldn't let anything happen to her.
He was very close to the peak of Immortality himself, like the leader of the Divine Dragon Sect was supposed to be, so there shouldn't be too many people in the valley that could pose a threat with him around.
While they shopped, Cain returned to the Inn with the Guards and the Sect Master, finding a young woman working the bar, filling in for Master Moon while he was out.
"Did you bring Master Moon back?" The woman asked hopefully as she looked around the packed dining room.
"He is out shopping with my daughter. She wanted some comfortable dresses in the local fashion." Cain explained.
"And they didn't think to send me with her? I might not be an Immortal Cultivator, but I am still a woman." She complained.
Cain could see that her clothes were stained with various colors, so he assumed that she was either the Inn's cook or a local alchemist that the Master had asked to fill in for him. She was right though, she likely would have been the better option to take Luna shopping.
"You're so mean to us that we forget that you might have womanly charms to strangers." One of the guards joked, giving her a wink.
"You know I make your food, right? Better watch what you say." She retorted, before pouring another round of drinks for the Guards.
"Very sorry Little Moon. We are all in awe of your womanly charms and gentle demeanor." The guard apologized, catching an empty pitcher to the head for his insincerity.
"Little Moon here is Master Moon's personal Disciple. She has made incredible progress with her combat skills, but her social skills are still a bit lacking. I'm afraid we might have left her alone around an almost all-male Cultivation Sect for too long." The Sect Master laughed.
"Introduce yourself to Luna when she returns, I think you two would get along very well. Her first reaction to meeting Kurgath was to have him murdered for being obnoxious." One of the guards informed Little Moon with a laugh.
"She didn't?" The woman asked incredulously.
"And then when her father told her that the man needed to learn a lesson instead, she suggested just stabbing him a little as an alternative." The guards confirmed the first man's words.
"She's just like that." Cain agreed.
"Does she take after you or her mother?" Little Moon asked.
"That's a toss-up. I like to think I'm an upright and honorable man but her mother is a cult leader, so it's only natural that she would inherit some of the obsessive personality traits." Cain shrugged.
"Didn't Luna say that her mother had started a cult dedicated to you, and took over an entire continent in an effort to win your favor?" The Elder of the Lightning Dance Sect asked from his seat in the corner, where he was studying the Resurrection book that Cain gave him.
"That doesn't make you sound very upright and honorable. But I understand now where she got her personality from. Her mother is a very devoted woman, and her father is very hard to impress. Of course, she would naturally end up going to extremes, it's the only way she ever got any attention." Little Moon suggested.
"On the contrary, she can't possibly get enough attention. Even if she is with me every hour of the day, awake and asleep, doing what I'm doing, it's not enough attention." Cain countered.
"You just don't understand a woman's needs. Being near you isn't the same as having your attention. No wonder her mother had to conquer an entire continent before you got the point." Little Moon sighed, making the Sect Master laugh.
"You've got it hard. I don't pretend to understand women either. I understand eternity, and I'm beginning to understand divinity, but not mortal women." The old man sighed.
"That's what is holding you back. Talk to Moon, he understands women, but not eternity. You might do each other a lot of good." Little Moon told the Guild Master with a slight smirk.
"What's this about me not understanding Eternity?" Master Moon asked when he got back over an hour later, looking weary while Luna looked even more energetic than before.
"It was a joke Master. I didn't mean it in a bad way." Little Moon insisted.
"Of course, you didn't. Did you forget that I have a listening enchantment on the Inn so I know when someone comes in?" Master Moon asked, making the Guards who were still present laugh.
"Sorry Master. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to talk to Miss Luna for a moment." Little Moon declared, grabbing Luna and escaping the room, headed for the kitchen.
