As Ace stepped outside, he was met with the soft, rhythmic cadence of a story being told.
"…And so, when he claimed the world was merely an extension of his body, no one believed him. They scoffed when he spoke of a place where immortals could be slain by mere mortals."
The voice was gentle and steady.
"He was even famous for his kindness to mortals, treating them as equals. But people fear what they don't understand. If someone told you that you were merely living on top of their body, would you accept it?"
"No!" a child's voice answered, full of conviction.
A little girl, the one called Stupid Fool, leaned forward eagerly. "Grandma, Grandma! What happened next?"
Liu Mei, basking in the attention, was about to continue on, until her eyes landed on Ace.
She froze.
"…Ah. M-Master," she stammered, her laughter turning sheepish.
The children, oblivious to her embarrassment, turned their attention to Ace in an instant.
"Master?" one child echoed.
