Brett slams his fist against the table inside of the main. He glares at the servant kneeling before him.

"What did you say?" He growls, "She's been going outside constantly?"

The servant quivered at his tone, "Y-yes my lord... Miss Scarlet has been going outside constantly and returns late in the night."

"OUTRAGES!" he yelled out, "Does she not know which household she is coming out from!"

"Indeed father," Kayla adds, "It's shameful for an unmarried woman to keep going out in the middle of the night like this."

"That's right," said Nichol, "She needs to be taught a lesson."

Oh, she will," said Brett as he grit his teeth, "Or I will lose my title as the head of the Ashegrey Household who couldn't even keep his niece in check."

His daughter snickers among each other. A very important matter was about to happen.

NEXT MORNING

"Derek! Derek!" a voice called out.

Derek turns around with a black charcoal face at the person calling out to him. He wipes his hand clean and walks out of his shop. The person calling out to him and a very handsome youth. His hair was platinum blond with sapphire eyes. A smile like the sunshine and body of a hunky. He smiles at Derek as he approaches him, "Well? Is it done yet?"

Derek folds his hand together, "I told you I'll send you a letter when it's finished, Alan."

Alan pouts at him, "But it's been a week! A week! And I'm deploying soon. Father wants me to handle the situation at the prison camp."

"Then, have another blacksmith deal with this blade," said Derek as he hands him the blade back.

"B-But you're the only best blacksmith I know!"

"Then, don't complain about it. You made this a late minute order and look," said Derek as he runs the edge of the shaft into Alan's cheek, "I made it when it's not in my service to do so."

"Yes, yes" said Alan in an apologetic voice, "That's why you're the best."

"Hmph..."

"Derek," another voice called out, "Where do you want me to put these?"

It was Scarlet. She was carrying wood and metal scraps in buckets with both arms. Derek points at the end of his workshop, "There."

"Okay."

Alan was a bit in shock. He's known Derek for a while now, and he knows that Derek does not like women and tries to keep away from them as much as possible. Moreover, this woman was very beautiful and had such gleaming crimson hair. He looked at Derek with an open mouth. Derek narrows his eyes at him, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Alan suddenly claps his hand together and got on his knee. He looks up at the sky in tears, "It's been a long fight but finally. You've sent a beauty to this cold heart man... I thank you for giving him the opportunity to finally lose his-"

Derek smacks him hard on the head, "Mind your words Alan."

"Yes, sir..."

Scarlet comes out of the workshop and sees Derek lecturing Alan. They seem to be close friends. She went on with her work until Derek called out to her. She walks over to them.

"Alan, this Scarlet. She's going to be helping around for the next few days. Scarlet, this is the friend I told you about earlier, his name is Alan."

Scarlet cups her hand together and greets him, "Greeting."

Alan looks at her from head to toe, "...How in the world did you catch this beauty?"

Derek punches him right in the stomach, "spout another nonsense out of your mouth and I'll never give this to you."

Alan fell on his knee like a criminal, "Please forgive my ignorance!"

Derek clicks his tongue at him. Scarlet could only blink at the situation. Now, she wasn't sure if they were friends or just enemies.

Derek went back to working on the blade, and Alan was accompanying Scarlet. She went to the well to draw water for cooling down the weapons after they were done. Alan helped her carry two more buckets. As they walked back, he suddenly asked, "So... Why are you working for that cold heart man?"

"...I wanted a blade made by him," Scarlet answered, "A good cultivator needs good support."

"You're also a cultivator?" Alan asked with curiosity.

Scarlet nods. Alan smiles at her, "Indeed, Derek's work is the best work ever. I've never seen anything like it."

She nods again. Alan looks at her, "So, did you tell Derek what level are you?"

"Hmm?"

"When Derek makes a weapon for cultivators, he needs to know which level they are to make it fit them. Or else it could be too heavy or way too light," said Alan.

Scarlet stops in her footsteps causing Alan to stop as well.

"I don't know."

"What?"

She looks at the ground for a while before saying, "I've been fighting in the war for so long, I lost track of what Level I'm at..."

"...Wait, the war? You're Scarlet Ashegrey!" said Alan in shock.

She nods at him. He looks at her excitedly, "No wonder your name sounded so familiar! General Dawstorm always talks about you like a little sister. Even more so now that the war is over."

"You know brother Ridrick?"

Alan nods quickly, "He's a close aide of my older brother. So your Miss Scarlet. Hehe, you're more prettier than what he said."

She smiles back at him. He was acting like an innocent child, "Thank you."

"But not knowing what level you are... Hmm, war can do that to you..."

Alan thought for a while before coming up with an answer, "How about going to the temple?"

"The temple?"

He nods at her, "When a cultivator wants to confirm what level his cultivation was at, they would go to the temple and have it tested at the Bell Of Ranks."

"Bells of Ranks? How does that work?"

"I'm not very sure," said Alan, "But I heard that depending on the sound the bell creates, it tells you what level you're at. And the Bells of Ranks never lies."

"Hmm..."

After coming back with the bucket of water, Alan left. Before he left, he gave Scarlet a token.

[If you ever need help with anything, just show this to any official, and they will come help you. Of course, I will also come running as well.]

[Why are you giving me something this important?]

[Because you manage to get the Cold Heart Man used to women, and you're General Dawstorm sworn sister.]

[Thank, Sir Alan.]

[Just Alan is fine.]

Scarlet puts the token away. Derek wipes his sweats away and says, "Did that idiot cause you any kind of problem?"

"...He told me that you don't like women."

Derek clicks his tongue, "That moron... Next time I see him..."

"He's a good friend, Derek," said Scarlet with a smile.

Derek pauses on his words and smiles a little as well, "Yes... But I will never say it to him."

"Sounds like it."

Scarlet chuckles a little as she remembers what Alan called him. He looks at her, "What?"

"Cold heart man?" She said with a gleeful smile.

Derek gave out a sigh as he hides his face behind his hand, "Please forget you heard that name."

"I'll try, but it's such an interesting name," said Scarlet with a joking voice.

"As if."

To Be Continue