As the students stopped what they were doing and turned to face Lysette, the room went silent save for the sounds of stilled breathing. Lysette took her time and looked over each of them, both with her eyes and her aurasight. As expected, none of the students wore the insignia or finery associated with the nobility. And as similarly expected, none of the students seemed to be among the absolute top echelons of Cultivator talent at the academy. Of them, Mirae felt solidly above average and the others were in the average to slightly-below-average range.

“M– Miss Barret,” Mirae said with more than a little trepidation in their voice. They approached slowly and offered a slight bow. “We are honored to have your presence here today.”

“Thank you, Mirae. I had heard discussion that I’d had a little fan club started around me. But this… this was not what I was expecting.”

“You know my name? I am honored.” Mirae bowed again, at which Lysette shook her head.

“I didn’t until a few moments ago. I arrived just as you did, and have been listening in for the last several minutes. As for how, I will just say that my Cultivation techniques allow me to be very difficult to see if I wish not to be seen.” For anyone who can’t see Essence directly, which seems to be most people.

“To be honest,” Lysette continued, “I’m not quite sure how I feel about everything here. Of all the things I was expecting to find, someone essentially trying to make themself out to be my priest wasn’t on the list. But I am at least willing to hear you all out.”

“So, is it true,” Gerald asked, the first to break the silence. “Are you really a goddess sent here on a divine mission?”

Lysette dwelled on the question for several seconds. “I am not,” she finally said. “But, that doesn’t mean that everything Mirae said was false, either.”

Depending on one’s point of view, Lysette was speaking either a half-truth or a full truth. She was certainly not a true goddess yet, although she did very much seek to change that. And while that would likely involve the founding of some sort of religion or following at some point, she was far from certain that Mirae or anyone else here was most suited to that task.

“Is what Mirae said true?” a young woman with flowing teal hair named Blaire asked. “Can you really help us with our Cultivation?”

“I can. Though, how willing I am to assist you all depends on how willing you are to work to improve yourselves as Cultivators. And whether you will be willing to help me when the time comes. I believe very strongly in Reciprocity, after all.” An understatement for sure.

“So, as a gesture of said reciprocity, I propose a trade of information. We’ll each take turns asking questions. Though, there may be a few that I cannot answer.” After a few murmurs and general nods of assent, Lysette continued. “Since Blaire already asked one question, I will start. Mirae, since it seems like you’re the leader of this group, why did you start this ‘fan club’, or perhaps ‘cult’?”

“Because you’re someone to look up to, Lyse. You’re one of the most gifted Cultivators I’ve heard of, and despite all this, you’ve remained humble. You’re a role model for what I want to see in a talented Cultivator. You’re powerful, but rather than using that power to treat the rest of us with cruelty like most of the nobles do, you’ve remained humble, caring even.

“After your duels with Francis and Kiarra, I… I won’t say that I started worshiping you, but I definitely developed a reverence of sorts, hoping that someday, I could be like you. And soon after that, I started feeling more powerful than I ever had before. At that point, I really did start believing you were a goddess, and naturally, I wanted to start spreading the word.”

They’re pretty astute.

“I’ll ask the next question,” Gerald said. “You claimed you’d help us. But you said you wanted us to help you in return. What does that entail? I don’t harbor any illusions that any of us are anywhere near the same level as you.”

Lysette nodded her head. “Naturally, I have a lot of powerful enemies, far beyond just the enemies I seem to be making on campus. As for who those enemies are, that is one of the questions I will not answer. As for the how, I propose a similar bout of Reciprocity. My Cultivation technique, unique as it is, allows me to share my own power with those with whom I share a bond.”

‘Believers’ was more accurate, but Lysette decided it was better to be more circumspect. She continued.

“So what I propose is an exchange that’s to all of our benefit. I will lend my power to those who accept my offer, and in return, you will Cultivate to the best of your capability over the time you have. You will devote yourself to your studies and meditation, and grow as powerful as you can with the strength I have lent you. And when I have need of your strength, you will allow me to draw a portion of what you have Cultivated back to myself. In this way, we both grow more powerful at a faster rate than we could working separately.

“I believe I get the next question. Are there any opportunities for students here to engage in sanctioned work doing monster hunting and similar? I could use more resources to fund my own efforts, and I figure that monster eradication is a good way to get good pay while doing something that benefits Domark, and by extension, all of you.” And a good way to get more monster Sparks to absorb.

Gerald nodded. “I’m surprised you didn’t know. There’s a Hunter’s Guild that handles requests from all over the kingdom. Their base of operations is on the north side of Domark, down on the surface. Most students don’t really participate though— the risks are high, and the pay isn’t great until you get to the higher ranks. Though, in your case, it might make sense.”

Mirae stammered a bit before they mustered up the courage to ask their question. “Are you upset with me for starting this group?”

“No. I thought I would be, but I believe your intentions are sincere. And even if I did dislike the idea at first, I don’t want to be the type that tries to dictate how others live their lives. I’ve already dealt with more than my fair share of nobles trying to throw their weight around. And as long as we can work together, I would prefer to do so.

“My question now. I would like to know a little more about what your subconscious Cultivation realms look like. Mine is effectively a giant garden, and my Cultivation process is, well, literal horticulture.”

Mirae nodded. “A giant castle formed of ice crystals. My Cultivation process involves a lot of ice sculpting, working to create new rooms, decorate them with sculptures, and so forth.”

“Mine is harder to describe,” Gerald said. “Imagine a series of levers, fulcra, and pulleys all operating in a carefully constructed array. Each part of this ever expanding machine or system operating in a choreographed sequence. Each element pulling and pushing and manipulating all the others, creating a combination of movements that, together, results in a combined force much greater than any element could on its own. And when I am Cultivating, I am modifying this engine, so to speak, to increase both its output and its efficiency.”

Lysette nodded. The question was more one of idle curiosity than anything else. And she wasn’t quite sure what to expect, given she’d spent more time on practical study than the underlying theory of the metaphysics involved. Though, it did make sense that one’s Cultivation realm and technique would be based on either one’s self-perception or one’s past life experiences.

A sheepish-looking woman in the back stood up, all but shaking, stammering her words as she struggled to finally get them out. “Miss Barret,” she finally said. “How did you get to be so strong?”

Lysette sighed. “I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And I was offered the same trade that I now offer to you. Power for power. A chance to make the best of a bad situation and become something more than what I was otherwise slated for.” That she had been slated for death she left unsaid.

“As I said before, I will not force anyone to accept my offer. But I would be grateful if you would. My reasons may be my own, but I seek to improve myself, and I want to help those who want to walk that path alongside me.”

“Why us?” Mirae asked. “Why not work with the elites? If you’re so eager for power, that seems like the logical choice of action.”

“That’s two questions, Mirae, but I don’t mind. It’s because I know what it’s like to feel powerless. What it’s like to be under the thumb of another, one so far beyond you that the pathway to get to that point seems insurmountable. Maybe even is insurmountable, without help from others and some good fortune along the way. And because of that, I want to offer that help to others, just as it was given to me when I most needed it.”

This too is a form of Reciprocity. Lysette felt a pulsing sensation within her as she processed those thoughts, followed by a calming sensation coming over her along with this newfound greater understanding of her domain.

“In any case, you don’t need to decide anything today.” Lysette stood back up and grabbed her belongings, including the invisibility cloak she’d stowed with the other things in her bag. “Mirae, I would like to speak with you privately sometime in the next couple of days. Oh, and if that actually is an offering basket for me, please go ahead and take your stuff back. I would prefer you take what resources you can spare and use them to further your own Cultivation rather than trying to appease me like this.”

Mirae coughed as though they were clearing their throat. “I think that’s enough for today, actually. And I don’t have anything else if you’d like to discuss whatever it is on your mind right now.”

Lysette sat back down. “This may take more than a couple hours. I don’t want to keep you if you are tired or have somewhere else to be.”

“I appreciate it, Lyse. But I slept in late this morning.”

“Alright.”