Ascension of the elder

Chapter 153: The Room

"Damn."

Landon had his eyes wide open as he saw Maria walking through the door. He had a flush to his cheeks and a hungry look in his eyes. Maria was wearing a powder blue evening dress which ran to the floor with a split in the side to just above her knee.

With her training and improved cultivation she had become more attractive and coupled with her already athletic physique she appeared beautiful. The dress was also different than most dresses available in this world.

Kyle also saw her and was impressed with Nettie's skills as he had only given her a vague description of the dresses he could remember with some random descriptions and she had made something wondrous.

Kyle could only think calmly for a minute though because from behind Maria came Clara, Miranda and Elena. Each of them was also wearing dresses made for them in maroon, a silvery white and dark green respectively.

Kyle had his eyes flickering between each of them and he seemed to be unsure where he should rest his eyes. Bruno wasn't really bothered but took an appreciative appraisal of them before commenting.

"Congratulations Kyle you've got some good looking girls."

Kyle's girls all smiled at Bruno's comment before looking expectantly at Kyle who still seemed a little shell shocked and could only mumble.

"Wowza."

The girls were happy with this when they turned and dragged a blushing Alena to the front for Bruno to see; looking down for a minute she gathered her courage and looked up to see Bruno's reaction.

He was standing there with wide eyes and a dribble of blood could be seen coming from his nose. Kyle grinned at this after he had shaken his head a few time to clear it and decided to tease him.

"Well you like your girl that much it gave you a nose bleed, never thought I'd see that in real life."

Bruno didn't respond, or blink Kyle didn't even think he was even breathing. Death by cleavage what a way to go, Kyle snapped his fingers in front of his face trying to break him free of his shock. Breaking his attention Bruno blinked rapidly before taking a deep breath.

Everyone in the room began to laugh and Alena approached her paramour.

"I take it you like my dress?"

She asked with a teasing smile while she was still blushing.

"Yes, yep, yup, yarp it really suits you."

It would be a good guess to assume that Bruno liked the way Alena looked in her new dress; this got him a brilliant smile for his efforts which once again made him look like he'd been hit around the head with a fish.

While everyone was laughing and having a good time Bob was looking around with a concerned expression.

"Hey where's my better half?"

The other ladies realised in their excitement that they had left one of their number languishing, they parted and turned back to the door where a red face could be seen peeking around the corner.

"You know I've changed my mind, this new fashion just isn't for me I'll go and change into my regular dress."

Before she could run away Winona received a shove from behind which made her stumble into full view. She was wearing a floor length evening dress all in black; it was loose around the legs so it didn't have a slit like the rest but hugged her figure closely. Rather than being just a matt black it had reflective metals sewn into it making it seem to shimmer.

"Hey looking good there gran."

Kyle took the lead in the compliments.

"Yeah I meant to ask how your figure is that good."

"Wow mum you look great."

"I second that mum, you should let Nettie make all your clothes."

"Great my mother in law is getting more compliments than me."

Winona was ignoring all these comment and was instead watching her husband. They had been together for so long that even if she liked the compliments the one she truly hoped would like her dress was Bob.

Bob was looking at her with his eyes slightly squinted. It looked like he was concentrating or trying to recall a memory when Landon decided to jar him out of his thoughts.

"Dad aren't you going to say anything to mum?"

This seemed to do the trick as his eyes returned to normal and he looked at Winona again.

"Sorry dear, you look absolutely divine."

"Thank you Bob but why did you look like that?"

"Um well I was trying to work out how I successfully courted you considering how you look."

"Aww."

"Well looks like we know where Kyle gets his pickup lines."

"Nice one dad."

"You old honey dripper."

Kyle could only face palm and was happy all the rooms had sound proofing, because based on Winona's look she intended to really reward Bob.

*Cough* "Isn't anyone going to say something to me?"

"Oh Shauna you were there to? Your dress also looks very beautiful."

"Thanks I guess."

Shauna had come in behind Winona and must have been the one to push her into the room, but while everyone was paying attention to Winona she had been largely ignored.

Okay how long till we have to do this. The sooner it starts the sooner it'll be over."

Kyle was a firm believer in getting the stuff you hate out of the way as quickly as possible because the antici...pation of something is worse that the act itself.

"Yeah I want to get this show on the road."

Bob also appeared to share Kyle's sentiment but with the way he was looking at Winona, it was for entirely different reasons.

"Bob please; I don't want to think about my grandfather being on the job okay."

Kyle and everyone else could do without that image so Kyle spoke up on behalf of everyone.

"It should be about 20 minutes until we will enter that hall. Isaiah will give us the countdown. Maria and I will go first with father and mother behind us. Harris and Kyle will be next and the rest will follow behind, everyone okay with their positions?"

Landon asked as this would be a theatrical production so everyone needed to know their positions. Bob and Winona would be the big guns this time as 2 third stage cultivators should be enough to intimidate anyone left in the city.

The plan for the evening was to sound out the remaining noble houses and if they could be roped in Kyle intended to use them as regents for new territory or any conquered cities. They would have many advantages but the largest being resources both cultivation and military.

They had made a good advertisement with the battle against the Miles family and if the imperial garrison joined them there was a good chance they could recruit other imperial forces that had been left behind.

Another bonus that Kyle would gain if these families chose to join them was access to their existing contacts in the various cities nearby, this would save time as he would only need to check those families he planned to recruit rather than all those present and chose from amongst their numbers.

As always their largest stumbling block would be human resources, so once New Grange city was fully under control Kyle was thinking of creating some incentive or edict to increase procreation. Most guys wouldn't need much encouragement, usually a hello from a pretty girl is enough to get men ready to go, but women would need something more in order to halt their own cultivation.

"I wonder what the best way is to make women want to have children."

Kyle mused aloud while looking up thoughtfully, everyone turned to look at him with varying looks.

"Ah my baby wants to be a daddy."

"Work hard my boy I want lots of grandkids."

"Am I ready to be a great grandmother?"

"I'll work hard Kyle whenever you want me."

"I'm not ready yet can we talk in a year or two."

"Finally right get your pants off."

"What is wrong with you lot, I was thinking about the shortage of people in the city!?"

Kyle really wondered what was wrong with those he was closest to. Did he have an adverse affect on their brains or something?

"Oh" x Everyone.

"Excuse me we are about ready for you."

Thankfully Isaiah decided to enter as they were about to make their entrance.

"Right strap in everybody we're going in."