Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 328: Meeting Sage Raph

The meeting stretched on longer than Lucas expected. Elder alchemists argued about the proper refinement methods for high-tier pills, younger disciples presented their theories with nervous excitement, and merchants circulated quietly as they attempted to secure rare ingredients before the day ended. When the final announcements were made and the crowd began to disperse into small clusters, Lucas took the chance to scan the pavilion again. He had hoped, perhaps even expected, to see Sage Raph somewhere among the robed figures, yet the old man was nowhere in sight.

A faint heaviness settled in his chest. He had carried the completed Core of Dominion, waiting for a chance to show it, thinking that Sage Raph would be either impressed or mildly amused at how late it was finished. Yet standing here without even catching a glimpse of him, Lucas could not help the quiet disappointment rising within him.

Tom noticed his expression and leaned closer. "My Lord, he might simply be meeting someone privately. Sages are not easy to approach during events like this."

Lucas nodded but his thoughts remained elsewhere. "I know. Still, I hoped to see him even briefly. It feels strange arriving here with something so important and not being able to hand it over."

The Ice Belle, who had remained silent for most of the meeting, tilted her head in mild curiosity. "You have been restless since we entered this place. Whoever this Sage Raph is, he must mean a great deal to you."

Before Lucas could respond, Isabelle approached with the calm, elegant steps she was known for. She carried a scroll in her hand, and though she appeared composed, her eyes softened with understanding the moment she saw Lucas’s expression.

"You seem troubled," she said gently as she reached them. "Did something happen?"

Lucas gave a small sigh. "I was hoping to see Sage Raph today, but it seems he did not attend the main session."

"He rarely appears in the public halls," Isabelle replied, offering a reassuring smile. "He tends to wander off to observe the younger alchemists. He values quiet spaces more than ceremonies. I can help you look for him if you would like."

Lucas opened his mouth to answer, but before he could speak, a servant in pale blue robes approached. The young man bowed deeply, then leaned toward Lucas and spoke in a low, respectful voice so that only Lucas could hear him.

"Honored guest, Sage Raph requests your presence immediately. He said you should be taken to the eastern courtyard at once."

For a brief moment Lucas froze, the words settling into him with almost physical weight. Then his entire demeanor brightened in an instant, and the disappointment he had been carrying dissolved as though it had never existed.

He straightened, thanked the servant, and turned to Isabelle with a look of genuine relief. "It seems he was here after all."

Isabelle smiled warmly. "I am glad to hear that. It must be important if he sent someone directly."

Lucas nodded. "I should go quickly. He does not summon people without reason."

"Then go," Isabelle replied. "We can speak again later. I will be heading to Cecilia’s residence after I finish delivering these scrolls, so meet me there whenever you are free."

Lucas offered her an appreciative look. "I will come by as soon as I can."

Tom gave Isabelle a respectful bow, and the Ice Belle studied her for a moment, her expression unreadable but calm. With the servant guiding them through a side passage, Lucas stepped away from the pavilion with renewed purpose. The eastern courtyard lay ahead, and beyond it waited the one person he had hoped most to meet.

Lucas, Tom, and the Ice Belle followed the servant down the quiet stone walkway toward Sage Raph.

Lucas walked behind the servant with steady steps, his mind focused on the courtyard ahead, but Tom and the Ice Belle trailed just a little closer than usual. The path wound past flowered terraces and alchemic fountains, each crafted to soothe the mind, yet the little spirit did not seem soothed at all. She kept turning her head left and right, her silver-blue hair fluttering as people paused to stare.

At first Lucas did not pay much attention to it. She was always looked at. She was, after all, a rare and ancient spirit, one whose aura practically shimmered with cold purity. But when she tugged at the sleeve of his robe, he glanced down and saw that strange mixture of pride and mild annoyance on her tiny face.

Only then did she speak.

"Do you see that?" she muttered, her voice unusually soft, though her eyes were full of triumph. "They are looking again. Whispering again. Some of them even pointing. It is always like this when people see me."

Tom looked over and blinked, surprised by her sudden honesty. "Does it bother you, little one?"

She crossed her arms dramatically. "It used to bother me when I first came to Valerion. Everywhere I went, people stared at me. I did not understand why." Her eyes sparkled as another pair of disciples glanced at her with barely contained excitement. "But then I found out something wonderful."

Lucas arched a brow, already guessing where this was going. "And what exactly did you discover?"

"That I can use it," she said with a bright grin, as if revealing some grand secret. "People have such soft hearts when it comes to small, delicate creatures. If I look at them with big eyes, or if I pretend to be sad, they give me things. And if I cling to their sleeves or tug at their robes just a little, they give me even more."

Tom stared, halfway between amused and horrified. "You... manipulate people?"

She lifted her chin proudly. "Of course I do. Why should I not? They always fall for it. It is so easy. And most of the time, they give food. Sweet food. Warm food. Cold food. Any kind of food. Humans are very generous when they think they are being kind."

Lucas let out a quiet laugh and shook his head slowly. "So that is how you have been getting all those snacks the palace kitchens keep losing."

She gasped, placing a tiny hand over her chest in exaggerated shock. "Losing? They were not losing anything. I was simply borrowing. With charm."

Tom snorted. "Borrowing implies giving it back."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I return the joy they get from seeing me. That is enough."

Lucas could not help it. He laughed again, louder this time, and the sound carried lightly through the corridor. Several alchemists turned to look at him as well, but he hardly noticed. He found himself laughing more often around her, it made the world feel lighter.

The Ice Belle tossed her hair and continued, clearly pleased with her own cleverness. "Besides, humans like to feel useful. Giving food to a small child is an easy way for them to feel important. I am helping them."

Tom leaned closer to Lucas and whispered, "My Lord, I think she might be more dangerous than half the celestial beasts out there."

The Ice Belle heard him anyway and smirked. "I am very dangerous. Especially when hungry."

Lucas shook his head, still smiling as they approached the stone archway leading into the eastern courtyard. The servant gestured for them to follow, and they did.

Behind him, the little spirit hummed contentedly, already scanning the courtyard for her next victim.

The servant stopped at the edge of a quiet courtyard, bowed, and stepped aside. Lucas walked forward, and the moment he crossed the threshold he felt an oppressive presence that pressed down on the skin like the weight of a mountain.

Sage Raph stood at the center of the courtyard with his hands clasped behind his back, his silver hair drifting in the faint breeze. His aura rolled outward in calm yet terrifying waves, dense enough that even Tom swallowed hard and straightened involuntarily. To ordinary cultivators, just being within a few steps of him would feel like drowning.

The Sage turned slowly, and the moment his eyes landed on Lucas, the intimidating pressure softened. A broad, genuine smile broke across his face.

"There you are," Raph said, his voice warm and echoing faintly with power. "I was beginning to worry you had run away and left an old man waiting."

Lucas stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "I would never do that, Sage Raph. It is good to see you again."

"It is better to see you, boy," the Sage replied, clapping Lucas on the shoulder with surprising strength. "You look different. Your aura is far deeper than the last time we met. Your qi is steadier too."

Tom blinked behind Lucas, still slightly overwhelmed. The Ice Belle, uncaring of the heavy aura in the air, perched comfortably on Lucas’s shoulder and popped another grape into her mouth as if nothing extraordinary was happening.

Sage Raph noticed her immediately.

He paused. His eyes narrowed....not in suspicion, but in deep, scholarly interest. He slowly walked closer until he stood only a foot away from Lucas, and the pressure in the air thickened for a moment before vanishing entirely.

Then the Sage spoke in a low, thoughtful tone. "So this is the creature causing all the murmurs around."

The Ice Belle pointed at herself with exaggerated innocence. "Me? I am merely beautiful."

Tom coughed loudly to hide a laugh.

Sage Raph chuckled, his eyes gleaming with delight. "Beautiful, yes, but that is not what interests me." He studied her aura with a depth only a master could muster. "A primordial ice spirit... refined, ancient, and undisputedly pure. I never thought I would see one in my lifetime."

Lucas nodded. "She has been helpful. And troublesome."

"I am rarely troublesome," the Ice Belle said proudly. "And if I am, it is because people do not feed me enough."

Sage Raph actually laughed at that, a deep, rolling laugh that made the courtyard seem brighter.