The young girl shook her head fiercely, slapping herself awake from Ryu's intoxicating scent. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to remove the fog from her eyes entirely. Though Ryu's scent was part of it, the other part were his eyes.
In the past, a large part of the reason Ryu didn't dare to open his eyes casually was because it was very likely an individual could lose their minds looking into them for too long. Ryu's pupils held the mysteries of the heavens themselves, with them, he could see even the Fate of those around him. That wasn't the kind of burden just anyone could withstand, especially since he was no longer in the expert filled Shrine Plane anymore.
It seemed that even with Ailsa shielding the true depth of his Heavenly Pupils, it was still possible for him to shake people to their cores, especially those who were innately more sensitive than others. It seemed this little girl, despite her demeanor, was quite talented.
"Amie, is there a problem?" Amie's senior sister saw the oddity from upon the tall white walls. Well, it was more accurate to say that she heard the oddity. This was the longest span of time she had gone without hearing her little junior sister's voice.
Hearing her senior sister call out to her, Amie finally shook herself awake fully, a deep fear taking root in her large, immature eyes.
Those men who had come just to beauty-watch stepped forward valiantly. It was obvious that they hadn't felt what Amie felt. They just assumed she was smitten by Ryu's handsome appearance. To swindle a little girl like this just because you were born a bit good looking? They were pissed off to the point of immediately jumping upon their figurative white horses.
"Fairy Mae, this bastard is taking advantage of Fairy Amie. We saw it with our own eyes!"
Of course, Mae wasn't so easily fooled. However, when she saw the flustered appearance of her little junior sister, her cold exterior gave way to anger. She was very protective of Little Amie. Her frown only deepened when her gaze landed on Ryu who was in the process of entering the large white gates, especially when she realized she couldn't see through his cultivation. If Ailsa could hide his Heavenly Pupils in plain view, it was obvious she could do the same for other things.
"Who are you and why have you come to our Awoken Moon Sect?"
Ryu shifted his gaze from Amie who felt as though a massive weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She almost directly collapsed to the ground.
"Is it not obvious? It's your Sect's disciple accepting period, and I've come to partake."
Mae's brows wrinkled. "Our Awoken Moon Sect is a female only Sect."
Ryu smiled lightly, but it only made Mae more uncomfortable. "I never said that I wanted to apply to become a normal disciple."
The ravings of the crowd of men grew worse at Ryu's words. They had never seen a person as shameless as him. Come to join a female only Sect as a man? Then still not admitting your wrongs even after you've been exposed? Though, as fellow men, they had to hand it to him. This was definitely the most unique way they had see to get close to the Moon Fairies. At the very least, it was more creative than just appearing here every month and hoping for a different result.
However, Mae's reaction was completely different. Her pupils constricted into pinholes and her heartbeat sped up, causing her still developing chest, despite already being Ryu's age, to heave. It was a sight that could make a man's heart palpitate with excitement.
"Y-you can't mean….?"
"That's right. I'd like to challenge your Sect for the right to take the title of Throne."
In that moment, even the rowdy crowd of men fell into a dead silence. Their hearts that once beat only for the Moon Fairies suddenly beat for an entirely different reason.
Throne. It was a title that had existed since the beginning of time and was an esteemed label given to only the greatest. According to ancient lore, the title of Throne was once held by angels. Some called them the Deity Race, others called them Celestials, and still others labeled them as the Deus. Still, no matter what name you knew them by, you recognized them as a mighty race that stood even about the Ancient Beasts.
This was what the title Throne represented. It was a person who stood above all things, even the rules of the Sect itself. An untouchable being.
Laymen believed the disciple rankings to be simple. If one was lowly, you would begin as a Working Disciple, you could then work your way up to the Outer Sect, then proceed to the Inner Sect, before maybe becoming a Core Disciple. Many believed that there was only one pinnacle following this, and that was to become an Inheritor, an individual who had the right to fight for a future position as Sect Master. But, this wasn't the case… There was one more position ranked even higher than that… The Throne!
One who held the title of Throne was untouchable within a Sect. They could use resources as they pleased, browse techniques as they pleased, converse with elders, and even the Sect Master herself, as they pleased. They could wring a Sect dry of all it was worth as long as they followed a single rule: To not harm the Sect's bottom line.
One must wonder why a Sect would allow such a ridiculous thing. To allow an individual in who wouldn't have to follow the normal rules of a Sect in would be akin to shooting yourself in the foot, no? Even if that person was incredibly talented, they had no obligation to your Sect. They wouldn't even have to raise a hand to help you in the future.
However, this was where the martial world's most important concept shone the brightest: Faith. A Throne only had one duty, and that was to explosively increase the Faith of a Sect or Clan.
Clans and Sects took thousands to millions and even billions of years to accumulate Faith. How was it done? By scoring numerous achievements. Conquering impossible tasks, defeating unbeatable opponents and writing a legend that stretched throughout time. Eventually, a Sect or Clan would slowly grow as a result of their accumulated achievements… Birthing geniuses would become easier and more likely, they'd receive protection from natural disasters, and their longevity would increase.
Thrones were a shortcut. If the talent of an individual surpassed the normal condition of a Sect or Clan by enough, they'd be able to explosively increase their Faith in a short amount of time. As a result, a Sect or Clan would be willing to accept short term losses for the sake of long-term gain.
However, nothing in this world was free… As appealing as the title of Throne was, not just anyone could hold it. And the trials to grasp it… Were nigh impossible.