With Eddie accompanying them, Loa and Wangcai finally chose a spot far from the family's Core Region.
The floating island lay on the boundary of the Dikas Family's territory, on an outermost offshoot of the mountain range. It hung alone in midair, with several uninhabited peaks around it.
The floating island was small, with only a single stone house on it. Who knew how many years it had stood empty? Dust covered the roof, and a few dark red vines crept along the corners of the walls.
Loa looked around and nodded in satisfaction. Quiet, no one to bother them, and far enough from the Core Region that nothing they did would attract attention. "This is the place."
"All right. You really picked somewhere remote." Eddie shook his head. In all his years of receiving newcomers, this was the first time he had seen anyone deliberately head for such a godforsaken place. "But it's relatively cheap here, too."
"Cheap?" Loa asked in confusion.
"Did you think you could live on the family's floating islands for free?" Eddie laughed.
Loa stared at him speechlessly. They had paid Nether Stones to join the family, and those who signed contracts had to sell themselves for a thousand years. Now they even had to pay extra for somewhere to live. Had the Dikas Family gone money-mad? "We have to pay for this, too?"
"Yes, but it isn't expensive. Just one Nether Stone per hundred years." Eddie held up his index finger, his tone as casual as if he were talking about the price of a cup of tea.
"What about those Lowgods from earlier?" Loa could not help asking.
Eddie curled his lip, making his little mustache rise with it. "Heh, they don't get a say. They signed thousand-year contracts, and those contracts didn't