Companionship

Macaurina exclaimed, "We came to you requesting approval for these two newbies to be promoted as one of us!!", while pointing her hand towards Arun and Sweley.

I took a glance at them from top to bottom. Macaurina gulped her saliva. I asked, "Huh, I almost forgot. Now that our people count has expanded excessively, I can't simply accept them. Surely you must have developed some hierarchies accommodating such procedures!"

Gremoria stepped forward, "Your hunch is on point, my lord. For every member under your command, we introduced a hierarchy called 'Record of Soul Realm'!!"

[Record of Soul Realm?]

She attempted, "With your permission, I'd like to take the chance of showing you what that is!!"

I declared, "Permission granted!"

She glanced at Gravia and nodded her head. The succubus came in front. She developed quite a feminine figure. I commented, "She changed so much. Did her soul dimension stabilize?!"

Andro said, "Yes, your majesty. Now she's a full-fledged figurine under your authority!"

---pierce---

I don't know what was going on but Gremoria stabbed Gravia's chest with her bare right hand. It caught me off-guard. But no one seemed shocked at her action. It confused me.

Moreover, Gravia, who took a hit in the heart, stood firm. I then realized.

[There's no blood.]

In reality, Gremoria's hand didn't pierce Gravia's chest but rather poked through a tiny portal that was in the centre of the succubus' chest.

[Did her hand warp through Gravia's chest without contact?]

My eyes showed me a weird sight where Gremoria's hand entered elsewhere.

---flip---

She then flipped her hand out of the rift that popped on Gravia's chest. The rift later disappeared. When I looked at Gremoria's arm, it carried a black book where even the pages turned out to be black. The cover of the book was empty. She placed the book before me and got back to her standing spot.

---tap---

I tapped the book. The next instant, it began to levitate. Slowly, the front turned open. There were phrases in origin literature, that glowed yellow. I asked, "Wait, is this her biography?!"

Gremoria stated, "Yes, your highness. As the name says, under the hierarchy 'Record of Soul Realm', every infinito authorized by you would be imbued with a spell called 'Soul Journal'. This spell would create an imaginary book comprising the biography of an individual since his or her birth. And the biography within the book is called 'Soul Biography' as the writer of the book is the soul itself!!"

I then looked at the last page.

---fwoosh---

A sentence formed on the top line of the page. I was stunned by how it happened.

[And now, my soul journal has been handed to Lord Adrona.]

Gravia's lifetime events were being written into the book even at that precise moment. The literature continued popping out.

[I don't know why, but I am nervous as to whether he'll read some of the humiliating events that took place during my childhood.

'Please, your majesty. Don't read, don't read, don't read, don't read, don't read, don't read!', was what my mind kept rambling on.

Blah blah blah…]

I chuckled at Gravia and closed the book. The book then vaporised into smoke and returned to Gravia's heart. The concept was quite impressive, "Excellent. Whose idea was it that brought this hierarchy?!"

Everyone kept looking at Azmou. But he, on the other hand, felt embarrassed, "What? I don't know anything?!"

With a broad smile, I called out, "Azmou, I command you to step forward!"

Without a word, he stepped forward. I stood up and walked to him. Everyone remained silent.

---tap---

By tapping his shoulder, I exclaimed, "Glad to have an underling like you!", and walked into the elevator.

---flap---flap---flap---

Kendor flapped her wings, hopping on my left shoulder.

---click---

The elevator door closed. It began moving to the top of the building. Meanwhile, in the room, Azmou and the others remained silent. Sweyley asked, "Was that all? I thought he'd give you some reward?!"

Bayliel questioned, "Damn mutt, you think we're doing this for rewards?!"

Ashrath emphasized, "We're already powerful enough to destroy an entire planet. So what could there be to reward us?!"

Macaurina warned Sweyley, "Little girl, it's better to quit if you choose to follow his highness for trivial things like rewards!!"

Augustia stated, "Yeah, under Lord Adrona's authority, we borrow a fractional part of his power all the time to improve ourselves. That in itself is an all-time reward!!"

Lauria said, "Don't forget how powerful you've become after borrowing those omnipotent powers!"

Sweyley pleaded, "Sorry, people. I just got preoccupied with how things used to work in zooviya. I wasn't intending to question his judgement. It was just an impulsive thought!!"

Arun interrupted, "But, Masters and Seniors, are we promoted or not!!"

"...…!", his words made everyone speechless. No one knew what to spout. Andro turned around, "Let's go. We've done what we could. All that's left is for our lord to have the final say!"

And so, all of them left the room. On the other hand, I was sitting on the edge of the building rooftop, gazing upon my infinite void. The floating cities were replaced by hovering islands with all kinds of natural landscapes involving hills, lakes, villages, people, forests, creatures, waterfalls, etc.

Kendor stood beside me. I asked her, "Why do you keep staring at me? Don't tell me you're worried about me!", and she said, "Of course, how can a mount not feel worried when its owner is being abnormal?!"

I attempted, "I'm being abnormal?!"

She exclaimed, "Without a doubt, master. Usually, you like tranquillity and feel a lot better when it's calm. However, earlier in the room, you were spacing out when it was so peaceful and silent!!"

I didn't get her, "What's wrong with dozing off when it's all silent?!"

She interpreted, "If it was the usual you, you would have brought up a new topic and then began discussing it!"

"... Guess, I really am being abnormal!", I commented. So she asked, "Tell me what is it, master? A mount should reveal every word to her owner no matter how confidential it is. But that doesn't apply to the owner.

However, if he or she were to share secrets, the companionship between them could deepen into a greater height!"

I responded, "Greater height in the sense?!"

She replied, "The owner gaining the ability to use all the traits and powers of their mount!!"

"!!!!", it shook me.

[The owner borrowing the powers of their mount? Is that how it works?

If my memories serve me right, then my taming Kendor is kinda similar to 'Beast Taming'. But no beast tamer in my previous life had the authority to use the power of their mounts. Was it because no one had the knowledge about such a fact or could it be their taming ability not being advanced?]

I asked, "Does 'Taming' have a property like that?!"

Kendor emphasized, "Yes, master. However, mortals can never improve their trait to the level of borrowing powers 'cause it's not included in their knowledge. Moreover, it must be the mount that should hold the property of giving powers to her owner!!"

I commented, "No wonder, it's my first time hearing such a fact!"

She then hopped onto my shoulder and whispered into my ear, "I heard it from Prat and others that your curiosity is of no bounds. So, don't you want to know how it feels wielding the power of a celestial?!"

"Gasp!!", I jolted at her offer and then remembered how Scidra destroyed an entire planet with just a single eye.

[Damn it, she's done it. I can't stop my curiosity.]

I tried holding back, "But I too have a celestial form of my own!"

She corrected me, "Master, that celestial form of yours is nothing more than a lump of aura. It had no property resembling a celestial!"

I became puzzled, "No property to resemble a celestial?!"

She elaborated, "Most celestials in common have the ability to create and destroy life. If I want to, I can create a dozen planetary systems full of creatures at any time!"

"What? Are you for real??!!!", I cried out in utter disbelief. She scoffed, "We weren't named 'Celestials' just because of our size!!"

[That's ultimate. Holding the authority to create and destroy life.]

With a smirk, I emphasized, "You've got me, Kendor. Fine, let's deepen our bond!!"

She too smirked in return, "The pleasure is all mine, your majesty!!"

---step---

Without any notice, Zith entered the roof, "Your highness, I've come to-!", and shook, "Gasp!!!", after feeling unbearable chills running down her spine. She saw me and Kendor scoffing at one another. What made Zith anxious were the auras oozing out of me and my celestial mount. She mumbled, 'The collision between their auras is like two universes overlapping against each other!!!'

I turned around, "Oh, you came!"

She greeted, "Figurine Zith greets her one and only ruler, Lord Adrona!!"

[Sigh, again with the 'one and only'. I should warn Prat to get rid of that wording.]

I then gazed upon her with a tranquil expression. On top of her head was an imaginary orange screen which was none other than Sysmy. Instead of showing Zith's details and qualities, it displayed something else.

| Long time no see, your highness. |

__________

I responded, "Huh, you're calling me lord. Since when did you start doing that?!"

The system texted.

---beep---

| I can't just ignore my benefactor who did so much for me like a stranger. |

__________

"For you?!", I asked.

---beep---

| … Sorry if I'm being overly confident. |

__________

"Phew, enough. I didn't call Zith to have a reunion with you. Just get back to being a system instead of Sysmy!!", I emphasized. Zith looked confused while Kendor stayed firm. However, my mount asked, "Master, you called that orange plate Sysmy. What was that? Those weird origin words, I mean. It seemed as if someone talking to you!"

"!!!!", her words made me speechless. In shock, I questioned, "You were able to see that imaginary tab?!"