Varied Feelings

The celebrations would last a "day" and a "night," approximately 24 hours. Except for the first few hours when Ian, as the Patriarch, needed to "open" the party, the rest was optional. Furthermore, he wanted to give space to Gerto's family, and with the boss stepping aside, all the other members would loosen up.

That day, despite the joy of all around him, Ian's heart was heavy, for he had a personal mission at that moment: to find and confront Etri.

It wasn't difficult to find Mrs. Haller's whereabouts, Ian didn't even waste time looking. When Etri was happy, she would go to a place, in fact, sad, confused... in short, any feeling or moment: On the training fields.

Right in the center of the field a silhouette was moving at high speed, executing precise movements, leaving afterimages and cultivating her body with a gravity increased by 10 times. She was a short girl, by human standards, with pale and beautiful skin, sleek horns, generous curves, well-defined muscles (she trains her body to exceptional levels, it would be strange if she wasn't strong, right?) and eyes of a deep, mysterious amethyst.

Ian stood there in the doorway watching her for a long time. He knew what love was, since he had past life experiences, so he had an internal resolution about what he felt. He was in love with that Heli. It was an attraction not only physical, but emotional, probably often more the second option. He, in this reincarnation, was deprived of some things, which made him value others to a greater degree than years ago (I wonder what it is :p ).

How could our Loli not notice Ian's presence? She simply ignored him. In her bad temper, she increased the training pace even more. Etri had already reached the maximum level of energy and bodily refinement for her Realm; now she needed to meditate and achieve the contemplation of the Divine Pattern to break through to a new stage. But as her mental state was chaotic, it would be totally fruitless and dangerous, so simply kept exercising to find calmness.

In the past, this had always worked, but what about now? Her heart ached, and her mind was in turmoil. She didn't feel truly humiliated. Etri knew that acquiring a second wife was an important military matter for the clan, after all, they were talking about a Fantasy Realm! However, there was no rationality there. It didn't matter if you see things or not when you are emotionally involved with another person at the level of lovers, the rules seem to change, and you lose control. She couldn't accept the situation. She felt upset. Depressed. Angry. Disappointed.

The stalemate lasted six hours, added to the previous four. With the terrifying pace Etri practiced, her exhaustion could be estimated. In her usual days of cultivation, she didn't go over five hours straight, now in this situation, doubled that! She still endured another half hour before collapsing, sweating, flushed and her eyes a little cloudy. Ian quickly turned off the gravity matrice and went to meet his Loli.

Etri tried to push him away, but she was too exhausted. He sat cross-legged beside her and pulled her to lie in his lap. Helis didn't sleep lying down, nor did they have the habit of doing this. Loli's cheeks turned redder, and she tried to protest, but in vain. Ian's hands descended on her head and began to caress it, another nonexistent intimacy in that world, a seemingly simple gesture but one that warmed the maiden's heart.

"I made a mistake. I'm sorry. I love you." Three short sentences. A crude speech. A poor, but totally sincere apology. "Ian 2.0," this reincarnate was a demonic manipulator, whose words represented one of his most powerful weapons. But there he was, shaken, with a tightness in his chest, despite everything he had planned, all perfect, bold, brilliant scripts, seemed to have failed. At the H-hour, facing the suffering of his beloved, only these simple expressions came out.

Etri looked at him with teary eyes. She expected him to try to manipulate her with his words and convince her of the benefits involved. But no. She was caught off guard. And so, the two of them stared at each other in silence, no words were needed. At a certain moment, Ian brought his face closer to hers and moved towards her lips.

Ian and Etri's relationship, although married on paper, due to the former's special condition, had always been one of friends, great friends, super friends, but never crossing this line. Yes, the Helis kissed on the lips (at least that much). This was Etri's and Ian's first in this new life. At first she was shy and embarrassed, but it didn't take long for her to catch the rhythm.

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The next day, Ian called for a Council meeting. He had not appeared until that moment since his departure from the party, but everyone knew approximately what had happened. And judging by Ian and Etri's high spirits, the wittiest among them, who were unaware of the truth about the Patriarch's body, made their speculations.

In front of the meeting table were Ian, Etri, Shortyty, Gerto, Huaguer, and now a new figure who observed everything with a curious look.

"In the past few days, we have had numerous important events in our clan, and we need to discuss the new circumstances." Ian said, while looking deeply at each of the members.

"Ah, Patriarch, there's no need to give us details! Hehehe." Huaguer said, whistling and looking mischievously at Etri, who instantly turned scarlet and lowered her head.

Ian coughed, actually almost choked. Now that Huaguer had officially joined the clan, he had become more unrestrained, and the rough nature of the Lycanthropes began to surface.

"Huaguer, control yourself! We should take this meeting seriously." Ian scolded, not with anger, but somewhat awkwardly.

"It's okay, Patriarch, please continue. Sorry." Huaguer replied, still looking at Etri with a wide smile. The girl even grabbed a handful of leaves to cover her face.

Ian sighed and turned to Shortyty. "Firstly, I want to know if you managed to reschedule the commercial appointments with the major powers with representatives in Gnel."

"Sir, after our public display against the Eternal Night, I hardly needed to do anything. Many came on their own." Shortyty said enthusiastically.

"Great, sell as much as you can. I'll leave this matter entirely to you, Shortyty."

"But sir, you know, I'm not as shrewd as..."

"Shortyty, I believe you are ready. Use all possible means to extract the maximum resources from them." Ian decisively ordered, interrupting Shortyty. The latter looked at him with mixed feelings and decided to comply and do his best not to disappoint his boss. If he had to become a villain for the sake of the company, so be it.

Seeing Shortyty's reaction, Ian smiled inwardly. It wouldn't take long to pull his "right-hand man" into the clan.

Looking at the still embarrassed Loli, Ian spoke, "Etri, as for you, I want you to start recruiting young apprentices for our armed branch. Previously, we had set it at 100. However, considering the new circumstances, I believe we'll have many more resources at our disposal. Start with 1000 and hire instructors from various cultivation methods, including other Helis."

Upon hearing Ian's request, Etri finally managed to compose herself and even showed signs of seriousness and enthusiasm. "Alright! I'll start right away in Gnel and then organize the process in other domains."

Ian nodded approvingly. When it came to martial arts, his wife became a very reliable person.

"Elder Huaguer, can you offer support to Mrs. Haller?" Ian made a point of keeping the conversation even more formal with the Lycanthrope. He still needed to learn how to deal with that rowdy species.

"I have some friends I would like to bring into the clan, and they have families as well..."

"No problem. Your friends are our friends! We have plenty of empty facilities anyway."

"Well, I'm talking about some remnants of the old Faction I used to be a part of."

"Great, but the terms we decided on earlier will remain the same."

"Of course, without a doubt!" Huaguer replied cheerfully, extremely excited to finally reunite his people after many years.

In a moment of insight or premonition, Shortyty interrupted the two. "How many individuals are we talking about, Master Huaguer?"

"Approximately 3000."

The jaws of those present dropped—3000! It wasn't a small number. Seeing their reaction, Huaguer started to get nervous. Moreover, this estimate had been made many years ago, and the actual number could very well have increased significantly.

"Hahaha, great! I wanted a meteoric expansion anyway. I was just worried that it would take many years to train those 1000 recruits, but your people came at the right time! They are all welcome and will be officially included in the Haller Clan!" Ian's eyes sparkled, and his face overflowed with anticipation. He had acted strangely before because he hadn't expected this, but after thinking about it for a moment, he saw a great opportunity.

"Sir, sorry to interrupt again, but we don't have the infrastructure for this sudden growth... The capital required to set up and maintain both the plan designated for Mrs. Haller and the personnel of Elder Huaguer is simply too high and impractical, let alone both concurrently." Shortyty warned.

"Shortyty, your doubts are valid, but they will be answered as this meeting progresses." Ian categorically replied.

Shortyty nervously clenched his little hands. He still wasn't convinced, but he controlled himself.

"Master Gerto, could you officially introduce your father-in-law to all of us?" Ian asked.

Everyone looked momentarily at the ordinary-looking old gnome, who exuded a slight mental pressure, even though his aura was contained. They were quite curious about this person, so they quickly focused on Gerto.

"I don't even know his name, but you can call him Old Demon..."

"Humpf, it seems I didn't properly educate this useless disciple. My parents called me Guga, and life named me Gu." The Grandmaster took the floor, then stood up and made a slight bow, similar to the one Ian had made to Sage Hai. Gu was truly grateful to Ian and the Haller clan. Not only did they rescue him, but also reunited him with his family. "I deeply appreciate the clan for taking me in."

"So, does this mean you're already one of us?" Ian dropped a shrewd move.

The elder blinked twice in surprise. He knew the help wasn't free. Who would act against a powerful force like the Eternal Night out of compassion? However, he expected the matter to be formally addressed later, but Ian seemed to be the direct type. Anyway, Guga didn't see a problem with it. He had already probed and observed Ian, who appeared to be a promising figure, despite surprisingly low cultivation.

"Mr. Haller, I have a dark past with the Gnel Royalty. It might not be wise to recruit me."

Ian's opinion of Grandmaster Gu rose even more. If he were to refuse, it would be ungrateful, but advancing without warning him of his past would also show that he wasn't being entirely honest.

"Shortyty, I want you to contact that Prince we once negotiated with. I will personally solve this problem." Ian said, without stopping to stare at Gu. "I can propose a deal with the Royalty to allow you to live in the clan grounds with your family. But you must give up any thoughts of revenge or open disrespect towards the Royalty. Gnel has welcomed us all very well and we have only friendly feelings towards the rulers of this Kingdom."

Ian's words were harsh, and his gaze exuded coldness. He needed to impose himself at that moment. The Grandmaster Gu clenched his jaw, and his fists tightened, the knuckles turning pale due to the force being exerted. He knew Ian was being fair and benevolent. He had already risked a lot for him, and now he would have to spend who knows how much to get his terms accepted by the proud Nobility. However, the resentment was great, overwhelming. He had been exiled, separated from his family, friends, people, and worst of all, his beloved. Gu wasn't a reckless or delusional person who thought he could challenge the Monarchy, but to kneel and bow down... it was extremely difficult.

Seeing Gu's hesitation and somber expression, Gerto was overcome with anguish... He also had warm feelings towards his mentor, despite appearances, but seeing the joy of his children and wife with him...

"Master, just accept it. Is it really worth sacrificing the rest of your life for empty pride? By doing this, are you seeking revenge? In reality, you're only subjecting yourself to more punishment, helping your hateful enemies! Swallow this damn arrogance and accept the good luck that knocked on your door. If not for yourself, then for me, and if not for me, then for your grandchildren and daughter!"

Gerto's speech finally reached the heart of that proud old man. After all, everyone has their price, even him. He had been forced to separate from the most valuable thing in his life, his family. When did he become the kind of person who willingly distances himself from his family?

With tears streaming down, Grandmaster Gu now looked more like a sentimental old man. He took a colorful plain handkerchief from a pants pocket and blew his nose hard. He took another and another, from more pockets, scattered all over his clothes. The scene was repeated for the time of boiling two kettles of tea.

Afterward, Grandmaster Gu clenched his fists and knelt down, declaring his eternal loyalty to the Haller clan.