"Master Alan, the closer we get to this town, the tenser you've become... isn't this the place where your sect is based at? A home of yours, so to speak... I believe that gate over there is the entrance to the estate owned by the Great Ram sect."
"...!"
After passing another interesting and colorful street, the black-haired man ended up looking at the young martial artist again and asked, causing Alan to finch.
"The statement you've made is factually correct..."
Alan fidgetted nervously and nodded, without looking Zoemi in the eyes.
"Ah. I see. Something being a fact doesn't hold much power over how you feel about it. As your attendant, I will aid in upkeeping your mental and physical stability to the utmost of my ability."
The black-haired man spoke in a calm voice, staring at the large emblem of the ram's head hanging over a gate painted in grayish white.
"...why did you start speaking so officially...?"
Alan got embarrassed and asked timidly glancing up at the much taller man.
"Because you started speaking like that first, master Alan. As long as it will not lead to self-destruction, I will follow up on whatever decision you will make... Unless it will be a stupid one, then I will set you back on the right track."
Zoemi responded with unwavering pride and gave the young martial artist a reassuring smile while clenching his fist, implying that it will be used to the mentioned setting back on the right track.
Their group began walking through the gate of their sect but for some reason, it looked like the young man wasn't very keen on doing the same thing and was handing out in the back.
Of course as a proper attendant – and bodyguard – should, Zoemi was staying back with him.
"...Zoemi, by this point you surely realized that despite being a man, my body is that of a woman..."
Alan breathed out and spoke staring at his feet while rubbing his left arm with his right hand.
"Yes. Things like that happen. If it makes you feel any better, a girl who I consider to be my younger sister was born a boy."
The black-haired man nodded with a stoic expression as there was nothing surprising to him in his employer's words.
"Still, the way you speak... It is not me that you are worried about."
As Alan continued staring at his feet and rubbing his arm, Zoemi straightened his back and pointed out to move the conversation along.
"You are speaking the words of reason. It is almost scary how comfortable I can be with my real self when you are around..."
The young martial artist's right hand stopped above his left elbow and he nodded, allowing himself a little smile.
"The thing is, if they are just students lower than me in the hierarchy, like the group we travel with, I can make them call me Alan and treat me like a man, but... but that is not the case in the actual sect. I was born to parents who gave me the name Alice. They don't accept my real self and it's the case with, well, basically everyone. You will see, even the members of the group we traveled with will start calling me Alice once I set through that gate."
Alan explained and then his right hand started rubbing his left arm twice as fast as before.
"What I am trying to ask of you is... Could... could you keep calling me Alan even when others will use that deadname? Please?"
The young man gulped down his saliva and raised his head, making eye contact with the black-haired man before gathering enough courage to ask.
"Master Alan. As far as I am concerned, I never met that Alice you speak of. I have no reason to treat or call you any different than during the almost month we traveled together."
Zoemi didn't break the eye contact even for a split second and declared with no change to his tone of voice.
Things were simply that obvious for him – the only way for him to change the way to address Alan would be if the young man himself asked him to do so.
"Thank you."
Alan blushed and looked towards the gate. He took a deep breath and stepped forward to the estate owned by the Great Ram sect.
"You're a good guy, Alan. Law of Aries, law of Capricorn."
Zoemi responded with a smirk and followed up with the young martial artist, activating two laws even with no immediate threat in sight.
"Umm... What are you doing...?"
Alan furrowed his brows and asked, confused about the behavior of his bodyguard.
"This is your home, master Alan, not mine. I don't want to get sucker-punched the moment I stepped over the threshold unannounced."
"Ah...! True... they might even try to capture you... Zoemi, this is an order from your employer – do not kill anyone from the Great Ram sect."
The black-haired man sickered, shedding some light on his actions and making the young martial artist gasp in realization. As the young man was already getting used to the pattern of behavior of his bodyguard, he hurriedly used whatever authority he had over his employee and pointed his finger at him.
"Okay. I won't. Unless they will keep attacking me no matter what – I do not take responsibility for idiots killing themselves."
Zoemi nodded in agreement although he still threw in some additional conditions.
"Hmm... I can't argue with that... Alright, I will not ask you to not fight back at all or protect yourself from harm, but let's just make it so you will not attack anyone first, okay?"
Alan tilted his head, making an expression as if he was deeply pondering his previous order and adjusting it on the fly.
"As I already said, okay. As long as me and you will be treated with the basic amount of respect a human being should be treated with, I will be laying low."
The black-haired man nodded and smiled reassuringly.
With that out of the way, the two of them passed the gate.
"Law of Aries! Law of Taurus! Law of Capricorn!"
*WHOOSH*
The very moment that Alan placed his foot on the Great Ram sect's ground one of the martial artists training in the courtyard in front of the main building loudly activated three laws and rushed straight at the young man.
The particular set of star power he chose could not be mistaken for anything other than attempted assault.
"H-huh?! L-law of Aries...!"
*WHOOSH*
Alan flinched and called out, raising both arms to protect his head – but just as he did, a dark shadow passed by him and a mountain separated him from the attacker.
...or at least that was how it felt like at the moment...
"Hmph!"
The mountain protecting Alan turned out to be none other than Zoemi – the black-haired man rushed forward at the first sight of danger, and his hand shot out at the attacking martial artist's head.
*CRUNCH* *WHAM*
Zoemi changed his target at the last second and settled on grabbing the shoulder of the offender...
...grabbing and crushing it, breaking every single bone within his grasp, before slamming the marital artist to the ground.
"...h-huh...? Wha...? Gh... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHHHHHHH...!"
It took about a second or two for the defeated man to realize what has happened, but once the shock passed and he glanced at his limp arm and mutilated shoulder, his scream carried through all the courtyard and well into the town...
"Shut up, or your jaw will be next."
"MPFGH!"
As the vail of pain was getting quite annoying, the black-haired man glared down at the wounded martial artist bawling his eyes out, and announced, moving his hand over the man's face – which caused the martial artist to cover his own mouth with his healthy hand.
One thing was sure, at least his survival instinct was working fine despite the trauma he suffered.
"What is the meaning of this? What kind of person attacks his fellow sect member? Are you the traitor or someone hired by another sect?"
Just as other marital artists were about to rush at the unknown black-haired man who severely wounded their fellow clansmen, the very same man releasing an overwhelming aura asked his victim.
"Mggg-gggg!"
The wounded man still blocking his own mouth mumbled while shaking his head from side to side so vigorously that his tears sprinkled around him.
"Z-Zoemi! Wh-what are you doing?! Stand down!"
"..."
Alan leaned from behind the black-haired man and gasped in panic, grabbing onto the arm extended in a threatening manner and digging his heels into the path to pull it back – to no visible effect.
"As you wish."
The black-haired man glanced at his employer and nodded, relaxing his shoulders and taking a step back, assuming a position by the young martial artist's side.
The wounded man used that chance to scuttle away like some sort of bug, still blocking his mouth so as to not release a cry that would further annoy the overwhelming black-haired man.
"Members of the Great Ram sect were instructed to use forceful methods to help reeducate my daughter, mister Banemor. She was attacked because she entered the sect's ground wearing male clothes."
While it felt as if the single man was releasing enough pressure to hold back every single marital artist in the courtyard, another person showed up.
Another marital artist – a beautiful woman wearing martial artist's robes of much better quality than those who stepped to the side to accommodate her arrival.
"...?"
Zoemi raised his brow and looked questioningly at the young man by his side.
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