Chapter 946: Preparing to Leave P6

Ruan, Shuan, Ivy, Violet, Zara, Goren, and Vienna each gave the three women a slight nod.

Dia Naya returned the gesture politely.

Nimiya did the same.

Niviya followed her mother’s example.

None of them made a fuss about their status.

They didn’t approach the Lords or seek the attention of the other administrators.

Instead, the three women quietly moved toward an empty corner of the hall.

Niviya leaned slightly toward her mother.

"Mother, do you know why we’re here?"

Nimiya shook her head.

"No. How can I know what Lord Aksai is thinking?"

Dia Naya glanced toward the entrance before lowering her voice and speaking to her mother in a complaining tone.

"Mother, why didn’t you deepen your friendship with Uncle Aksai? Look... those seven Experts have already received high positions in the island administration. They are already referred to as the Seven Stars of Emerald Cove Island.

"And then there’s you. Even though you have become an Expert yourself, your position on the island is nowhere near that of those Seven Stars. They don’t even consider us when it comes to deciding important matters for the island."

Nimiya looked at her daughter and shook her head before replying in an equally low voice.

"You don’t know anything, my foolish daughter. Those Seven Stars... I don’t feel any envy toward them for their positions. Do you know why? It’s because their positions were earned through their blood and sweat.

"Whenever there’s a danger that threatens the well-being of the island, these Seven Stars are required to be at the forefront. These Experts have been made to fight Kalingoot and its affiliated forces for quite some time, constantly putting their lives on the line.

"Even though I’m also an initial-stage Foundation Establishment Expert like them, I can’t compare with them when it comes to battling such forces. I would have died ten times over if I had ten lives.

"That’s why I made a deal with your Uncl...boether Aksai. I would be permanently in charge of maintaining some of the Expert-level Array Formations on the island in exchange for permanent protection and security on the island, without being required to take on any additional tasks (Chapter 253).

"It meant that you and I could enjoy the safety and security provided by these Seven Stars and the others on the island without having to be at the forefront whenever a conflict with external enemies arose. All that while doing the bare minimum.

"This deal made it possible for even someone like me to reach the 3rd level of the Foundation Establishment realm without facing any unnecessary danger.

"Even you were protected by this deal and were allowed to use the island’s precious resources three times in a row in your attempts to break through into the Foundation Establishment realm.

"What we have today is already a blessing. Even your late father, if he were alive, wouldn’t be able to give you as much as Brother... no, Lord Aksai has given us.

"But instead of feeling grateful, you only know how to complain. Why are you getting jealous of others when we have already been given more than we deserve?

"That too while you’re still in the Spirit Gathering realm? You... you silly child... even though you have grown old, you are still acting like a little brat. Your appetite is far bigger than what your small mouth can handle.

"What we have is already a privilege. You aren’t entitled to these benefits simply because your mother and father were friends with Lord Aksai. Having expectations without the willingness to shoulder responsibilities will only cause you trouble in the future.

"Do you really think you deserve more? Or do you think Lord Aksai is deliberately holding you back because he favors the Seven Stars?

"Would you still dare say all of this if Lord Aksai were standing right in front of you?"

Niviya felt both guilty and wronged under her mother’s stern gaze. Her dissatisfaction wasn’t really directed at Aksai, but she couldn’t deny that she had been feeling unfairly treated for some time, especially after the island administration refused to provide her with a fourth Foundation Establishment Pill following her three failed attempts.

Frankly speaking, Niviya was already too old to have much hope of breaking through into the Foundation Establishment realm.

If not for the fact that she was the daughter of Nimiya and Jamon Jaram, who had helped Aksai and Nuya claim ownership of Emerald Cove Island in the beginning, she probably wouldn’t have been given even a single Foundation Establishment Pill, let alone three and the supporting resources that came with it.

Niviya knew this as well.

Unless some extraordinary opportunity came her way, she was destined to remain a late-stage Spirit Refining cultivator until the end of her life, likely passing away before her mother. This was the tragedy the cultivation families had to bear if one’s descendents weren’t talented enough.

But knowing something and accepting it were two different things.

Since she could no longer obtain the island’s precious resources for another breakthrough attempt, Niviya had hoped that her mother would at least fight for her.

She felt that, if not her then her mother Nimiya deserved more than the Seven Stars. After all, most of those seven Experts had only reached the Expert realm long after her mother had done so. And in Niviya’s eyes, Nimiya’s status as one of the founding members of Emerald Cove Island should have carried some additional weight.

But her mother’s words made her realize how childish that thinking had been. Even though she was still a bit dissatisfied, she didn’t want to come across as ungrateful in front of so many people.

"Mother, what are you saying? I... I wasn’t blaming Uncle Aksai. I was just saying th—"

Before Niviya could say anything further, her mother cut her off.

"Hmph! I know my own daughter well. You don’t have to give me an explanation. But know this... I can never become one of the Seven Stars. At least not with my current capabilities."