Chapter 982: Eventuality P6: Kanis Repaying a Debt

Rumaal finally lifted his head and took a proper look at the young man standing before him.

The moment he saw that familiar face, his expression froze for a brief moment.

Those sharp features, that calm gaze, and the faint smile on his lips finally triggered a memory that had been buried beneath the pressure of the current situation.

Kanis Kinwind.

Rumaal’s eyes widened slightly as he finally remembered where they had met before.

It had been at a border city located between the Runiye Dominion and the Swordfall Realm. The city was a natural meeting point for cultivators from both factions, and powerful cultivators from the two regions often gathered there for social events, exchanges, and occasional business dealings.

Rumaal clearly remembered one particular gathering.

It had been nothing more than a casual social event hosted by a cultivator with considerable influence. Several cultivators had brought rare Spirit resources to exchange, turning part of the gathering into an informal exchange meeting. Rumaal had also brought something with him—the Thousand Epiphany Kelver Flower.

To be honest, Rumaal had never intended to exchange it.

The Thousand Epiphany Kelver Flower was far too precious to casually hand over to someone else. He had only taken it out because Kalina was present at the gathering, and he wanted to show her that he possessed such a rare Spirit resource.

In other words, he had been showing off.

Rumaal still remembered how carefully he had presented the flower while pretending to be completely casual about it. He had then deliberately placed an absurd price on it, almost four or five times what the flower would normally be worth through an ordinary auction house.

There was no way anyone would actually accept such a ridiculous price.

At least, that was what Rumaal had thought.

Unfortunately, someone had.

Rumaal’s expression became slightly bitter as the memory resurfaced. He had almost suspected that the person was joking when Kanis Kinwind had actually agreed to the exchange. But after the terms were confirmed and the transaction was about to be completed, Rumaal realized that the young man was completely serious.

He had no choice but to grit his teeth and maintain a smile in front of everyone.

After all, he was the one who had named the price.

If he suddenly refused to exchange the flower after someone had accepted his ridiculous demand, he would only embarrass himself. So, despite the pain in his heart, Rumaal completed the transaction and watched the Thousand Epiphany Kelver Flower leave his hands for a price he had originally considered impossible.

And yet, that wasn’t even the most frustrating part.

Kalina had left the gathering before Rumaal could complete the exchange.

All that showing off had accomplished absolutely nothing.

He hadn’t even managed to gain a single romantic point with her.

Rumaal looked at Kanis again, and his expression became complicated.

Back then, Kanis had already been a talented sword cultivator, but he had been far from reaching the half-step Nascent Soul realm. The reason he had been willing to pay such an outrageous price for the Thousand Epiphany Kelver Flower was because he happened to possess a rare elixir recipe that required one as its primary ingredient.

Even more coincidentally, the flower Rumaal possessed was exceptionally suitable for that recipe.

The Thousand Epiphany Kelver Flower contained wind-element essence, and the particular flower Rumaal had obtained possessed an unusually pure concentration of it. That made it exceptionally compatible with the elixir Kanis needed to loosen the realm walls surrounding his cultivation.

A few months after that gathering, Kanis had successfully refined the elixir.

And it had worked.

He had managed to loosen the walls of his peak Lord realm and eventually stepped into the half-step Nascent Soul realm.

Rumaal remembered that Kanis had personally told him about it afterward.

At the time, the young sword cultivator had promised that if he successfully refined the Thousand Epiphany Kelver Flower according to his requirements, he would owe Rumaal a favor.

Rumaal had never taken those words seriously.

He had assumed Kanis was merely being polite after receiving such a valuable Spirit resource. Cultivators often exchanged pleasant words after completing a profitable transaction, and Rumaal had thought this was no different.

But now, looking at Kanis standing before him, Rumaal realized that he had been wrong.

Kanis had remembered.

Rumaal couldn’t help but feel at a loss. He indeed liked to chase skirts but he was no schemer or a deep planner. He could have never foreseen that his vain act to impress someone would result in the Swordfall domain gaining another powerful cultivator in the half-step Nascent Soul realm.

Rumaal knew that King Runiye would be pissed at him if he were to learn that the former’s actions had led to Swordfall King’s disciple advancing in his cultivation path at such a young age. Thus, he had never told this incident to anyone, including his wives.

But seeing his benefactor in front of him, how could someone like Kanis keep quiet and act aloof? In a sense, whether he had intended to or not, Rumaal had played a role in helping Kanis become the powerful sword cultivator he was today.

Haah! Kalina, my beautiful dream, you ruined me in so many ways. Because of you, it seems now I have to face these sword lunatics.

Rumaal couldn’t help but feel a little regretful.

However, that regret quickly disappeared when he considered the other side of the matter.

Wait. He owes me, right? Doesn’t that mean I not only have to worry about being robbed by these sword lunatics but actually gain something from them?

A favor owed by a half-step Nascent Soul sword cultivator was far more valuable than an ordinary Spirit resource.

Especially when that sword cultivator came from the Swordfall Realm.

Rumaal’s expression softened as he finally understood the meaning behind Kanis’s earlier words.

"Haah! So, you’re Lord Kanis Kinwind. Forgive my poor sight and absent-mindedness caused by work stress, my friend," Rumaal said, his voice carrying a hint of realization.

Kanis’s smile deepened slightly.

"It seems Lord Rumaal has finally remembered."

"Of course I remember. Lord Kanis surely knows how to jest. Wouldn’t I remember my friends?"

Rumaal paused and pretended to be slightly offended before quickly adding further.

"Also, I’m sure I’ve said it in the past, but let me recongratulate you on becoming a half-step Nascent Soul. With your talent, becoming a true Nascent Soul in a decade or two shouldn’t be too difficult. Hahaha."

Kanis smiled and nodded at Rumaal’s words.

"Friend Rumaal, since I owe a debt of gratitude to you, have you decided what you would like me to offer or do for you?" Kanis asked casually. "This is a good day and it must be a fate that we met each other. If it is within reason and within my reach, I would gladly repay that debt today."

Rumaal’s eyes flickered.

He hadn’t expected Kanis to bring up the matter so directly.

Before he could respond, Kanis narrowed his eyes slightly and glanced past him toward the two women standing a short distance away. He gave Anaah and Mirelle a polite nod before turning his attention back to Rumaal.

"However, I couldn’t help but notice the tense atmosphere between you and my sisters-in-laws."

Rumaal’s expression stiffened.

"You said you were tense because of some work-related stress. Did King Runiye’s domain put you in charge of some difficult task in Orveth?" Kanis asked. "If that’s the case, is there anything I can help you with?"

Rumaal was momentarily at a loss for words.

He hadn’t expected Kanis to notice so much from such a brief interaction.

It had to be said that Kanis wasn’t merely talented in Spirit cultivation. He was also surprisingly good at reading the room and picking up on the undertones behind people’s words.

Rumaal subconsciously glanced toward Anaah.

His first wife was already looking at him.

The two exchanged a silent glance for a moment before Anaah thought about the situation and finally gave him a small nod.

Rumaal understood immediately.

This is probably the best time to use that debt.

He had initially hesitated because Kanis belonged to the Swordfall Realm.

King Runiye’s domain and Swordfall were hardly on friendly terms. In fact, Swordfall could be considered friendly with almost no other major faction in the Shinayin Empire. Its cultivators had conflicts with nearly every other domain, with the Imperial Court being the notable exception.

The relationship between Swordfall and the Runiye Dominion was particularly bad because the two domains were neighbors and had numerous overlapping interests and territorial disputes.

This was also one of the reasons Kalina had been at odds with many True Sword Cultivators from Swordfall. Varesh had been one of them.

Rumaal still remembered how many True Sword Cultivators had chased after Kalina because of the bounty placed on her. With that kind of history between their factions, Rumaal obviously couldn’t casually ask Kanis for a favor in the territory of the Shinayin Empire and then flaunt their friendship afterward.

Doing so could easily create problems for him within his own faction.

But this was Orveth.

They were far away from the Shinayin Empire, and whatever happened here would not necessarily become a matter of factional politics back home.