Everyone in Dadangar knew what being a “personal maid” to a late-stage Spirit Refiner entailed.
A personal maid took care of all her lord’s needs.
While the title wasn’t exactly prestigious, if the lord was influential, even his personal maids gained some recognition. They could climb the social ladder, and their families would benefit, achieving overnight success.
Aksai was the island owner of Emerald Cove. It was almost certain he would become a Spirit Refining Perfectionist and possibly a Foundation Building Expert. Many families like Jasmine’s wanted to position their daughters as Aksai’s personal maids.
Marrying their scions to Aksai was a far-fetched dream to these families. They wouldn’t even dare to dream about their scions being turned into Aksai’s concubines. However, a personal maid’s position was still viable.
Jasmine was simply following Dadangar’s customs by securing a position for her daughter.
Initially, Aksai had not immediately replied to Jasmine. In fact, he had not really accepted anyone as his personal maid for the simple fact that he seldom lived in Shamrock Sanctuary.
However, since he had decided to stay in Emerald Cove for a few years, he had finally decided to accept some personal maids. Of course, the maids who’d serve him were going to be different.
By agreeing to Jasmine’s request, Aksai had merely secured a future position for her daughter.
After being assured of a position for her daughter, Jasmine took care of arranging Aunt Reta’s last rites. She helped Ruan and his family, taking some of the burden off them. She knew that Aunt Reta and Ruan held a special status in Aksai’s eyes, so she paid extra attention to her tasks.
***
The morning of Aunt Reta’s last rites ceremony dawned somber and serene.
Aksai, dressed in an all-white long robe, made his way to the ceremony site, his expression solemn.
The ceremony was held in an open glade surrounded by ancient trees, their branches creating a natural canopy. The scent of flowers and incense calmed one’s heart.
Friends, neighbors, and fellow residents of Emerald Cove gathered to pay their respects. Among them were Shuan, Marishaa, Jasmine, and other significant figures of the community.
Shuan and Marishaa were glad in their hearts that Aunt Reta had died the next day after their marriage ceremony. Otherwise, they would have had a bit of a difficult time connecting with Ruan and his family in the future.
Aunt Reta’s body lay on a simple wooden bier, adorned with white lilies and draped in a white cloth. Ruan stood by her side, his eyes red from crying, his wife and young son close by, offering silent support.
Aksai approached the bier, standing at the head. He took a deep breath and began to speak, his voice carrying over the quiet crowd.
“Aunt Reta, I knew her from the days I started to understand about our world. She… she was a beacon of kindness and strength in my eyes. She nurtured her son, Ruan, and me, with all the love and wisdom she had to offer.
Her presence was a blessing to all who knew her. Today, we gather not to mourn her passing but to celebrate her life and the love she shared with us all.”
He paused, looking at Ruan, who nodded in silent gratitude. Aksai continued, “In her final days, Aunt Reta found peace knowing that her son had found a new home here on Emerald Cove. May this land prosper even more by the blessings of her spirit.”
The crowd bowed their heads in silence, a collective moment of respect. Jasmine, overseeing the ceremony’s arrangements, ensured everything proceeded smoothly.
She had arranged for a group of Spirit farmers to perform a gentle, melodic chant, their voices blending harmoniously with the rustling leaves and the soft murmur of the nearby stream.
As the chant concluded, Aksai gestured for the attendees to come forward, one by one, to pay their final respects. Each person placed a flower on the bier, creating a beautiful, fragrant tribute to Aunt Reta’s life.
Even Nuya and other island owners were present at the scene, offering their condolences. Although they didn’t know Aunt Reta that well, they knew Aksai.
Finally, as the sun climbed higher in the sky, Aksai raised his hands, executing his wood-element Spirit spells. He also added his druidic powers in the mix as well without anyone being the wiser.
With a gentle wave, he called forth a soft, glowing light that enveloped the bier. The light seemed to lift Aunt Reta’s body, transforming it into a cascade of ethereal blossoms that floated upward, carried by a gentle breeze.
“Return to the earth, Aunt Reta, and may your spirit find eternal peace,” Aksai murmured, his voice filled with reverence.
The crowd watched in awe as the blossoms dispersed into the sky, a final, beautiful farewell to a beloved soul. The ceremony ended with a shared meal, a tradition meant to bring comfort and a sense of community in the face of loss.
***
Two weeks later.
Nuya left Emerald Cove in search of opportunities to break into the Foundation Building Realm in secret. She entrusted her responsibilities to the other island owners, including Aksai.
Aksai had previously avoided his responsibilities as an island owner, but in Nuya’s absence, he was forced to step up his game.
On this particular day, Aksai attended a ceremony organized in the heart of Emerald Cove, just a few miles from Nuya’s palace. This ceremony aimed to identify promising seedlings among young children with the potential to become adept Spirit cultivators.
Similar ceremonies were held annually on every island in the Dadangar archipelago, allowing island owners to raise their own pool of talents and mini militia by selecting the best talent from the new generation.
Mortals and low-level Spirit cultivators sent their 14 or 15-year-old children to these ceremonies, hoping for the best. By this point, these seedlings had already begun their journey as Spirit cultivators but they were still in the 1st or 2nd Spirit Refining stages, making them ideal candidates for high-level Spirit cultivators to choose as disciples.
Being picked by the island owners was considered a great achievement for any young kid. It ensured they would receive support from the island owners regarding their cultivation practices, granting them access to exclusive resources.
The competition among the young kids to get selected as seedlings was fierce. Their families did everything possible to ensure their scions made great impressions on the island owners presiding over the ceremonies.
Aksai had skipped attending these ceremonies in the past. He had no interest in picking seedlings and turning them into disciples, as he barely had time for himself.
How could he find time to teach a young kid about Spirit cultivation and guide them on their path when he often found himself fumbling in his own path?
Nuya’s absence forced Aksai to attend the ceremony, but he was glad he did. He finally found an interesting seedling among the young kids who attended the ceremony.
‘Hmm? Someone with a natural affinity to nature’s essence itself? This… this girl is interesting.’
Aksai thought as he narrowed his eyes on an insignificant-looking young girl who seemed to have attended the ceremony as a formality.