《Magic's Return: I Can See The Spirits》


 Chapter 1 Capture Him Alive!

    ?*Bang*


    A loud gunshot was heard.


    A man was shot.


    The previously joyous mood turned into one full of panic and confusion. Conversations came to an abrupt halt as startled gasps filled the air.


    "Aaaakkkkkkk!!"


    A woman screamed as she saw the man falling on the floor. He was shot in his heart, there was no chance of survival. A pool of blood formed under the man''s body and the woman, who had seen so much blood for the first time in her life could only scream in panic.


    Her scream was the start,


    "Aaaaaackkkk!!"


    "H-He is dead!!"


    "Aaaahhh!! Save me!!!"


    A wave of chaos washed over the party, guests frantically sought shelter or dropped to the floor in panic. Many just screamed at the top of their lungs, their bodies had frozen in fear, but, the horror had just started.


    *Bang* *Bang* *Bang*


    3 more gunshots were heard.


    *Thud* *Thud* *Thud*


    3 more bodies fell on the floor, lifeless.


    All 4 people that had died wore a simr ck Coat, signifying that they were from the same faction. However, none of the people present there cared about all that. Their focus was on someone else.


    A ck-haired man with a ck beard, a slightly wrinkled face with a scar on the left side of his face starting from the cheek to all the way to his eyebrow, this already gave him a fierce look, his savage eyes only boosted his ferociousness, the man stood tall with a gun in his hand.


    From the calm look on his face, it was clear that he was quite experienced when it came to situations like this.


    Of course, he didn''t stay still either. The moment he realized that his location was now revealed, he rolled over and got a cover.


    That was the signal,


    *Bang* *Bang* *Bang*


    It has started.


    The members of the Faction that had lost 4 of their men took out their guns and shot at the man who hid behind the cover.


    *Bang* *Bang* *Bang*


    The man didn''t just defend either, he continued to shoot at the enemies, making sure that they wouldn''t move away from their cover and get near him.


    *Bam*


    Suddenly, the doors of the room were kicked open and 20 men wearing simr ck suits walked in. Their target? The man who had started it all and had murdered 4 of their members.


    The fight instantly became a 1 vs 26.


    However, there was still not a single trace of fear in the man''s eyes.


    *Bang* *Bang* *Bang*


    Suddenly, more gunshots were heard.


    Amongst countless gunshots that were continuously being exchanged between the man and the men in ck suits, these gunshots seemed more distinct, that was because they were shot by 10 people who seemed to be cowering in fear amongst the crowd, but now, they looked like professionals with years of experience.


    10 more men wearing ck Suits fell down. This enraged other Faction members, and the frequency of gunshots exchange increased.


    *Bang* *Bang* *Bang*


    "AAaaaaakkkkkkk!!!"


    "Save me!!"


    "Get me out of here!!"


    Along with the increased gunshots, the panic and chaos in the room spread as well.


    It was not a normal situation.


    Who could have thought that some bastards would dare to attack and kill these people and that too, in their faction''s Ship?


    How can one be so foolish!?


    Even if they wanted to die, why drag them together!?


    The people couldn''t understand.


    They were in no condition to understand anything either. Their mind was a mess, their heartbeat was a lot faster than normal, they were sweating profusely and their bodies were frozen in fear.


    However, the people shooting at each other didn''t care about their feelings. Suddenly, around 50 more men wearing the same ck Suit walked into the Hall room.


    The fight''s intensity increased.


    The tables that were used to y Poker, Billiards, ckjack, Roulette, and other games, the bar where the servers stayed behind and served drinks, the music system, and the huge speakers, all of these things were now used as a cover,


    These 11 men''s resistance was quite fierce. They picked their enemies'' guns once their own were out of ammo. These people were really skilled, even killing one of them was difficult.


    However, in front of such a huge number, even these skilled men fell.


    One by one, these people started getting hit.


    The Battle continued for 30 whole minutes, and with each second the battle got more and more intense, more bystanders died, around 30 men wearing ck Suits were lying on the floor with blooding out of their bodies. The entire Hall room reeked of irony smell of blood.


    10 of the 11 people who attacked the men in ck Suites were killed as well, the only one left was the bearded man who started all this.


    He was still fighting.


    *Click* *Click*


    "Fuck! I am out of ammo!"


    A man wearing ck Suit cursed.


    "I am the same." The man next to him said the same.


    They looked at other allies and realized they all faced the same problem as well.


    And with how that bearded man was not shooting anymore, it seemed that he was facing the same problem.


    "Haaahh..."


    The men sighed in relief.


    It was over.


    Without guns, there was no way that man could fight against more than 20 of them.


    *Bam*


    However, they were wrong.


    The table the man in the ck suit was covering himself with, was broken away from a strong impact, the bearded man appeared right in front of him, in his hand, there was a meter-long hammer.


    *Bam*


    "Aaagghhh!!"


    Without wasting any time, the bearded man moved his hammer, crushing the man''s skull, killing him on the spot.


    "C-Crazy bastard!"


    The other people couldn''t believe their eyes.


    You would think that in a condition like this, one would try to search the dead bodies and try to get ammo or another gun. Even thinking about running away was a possibility but since they were surrounded by water, even this option was not avable. Hiding and trying to mix in with the crowd was one of the options as well.


    There were many things that the bearded man could try and do, but...


    To directly step forward and attack with a hammer?


    Was he that brave?


    Or was he just straight-up foolish?


    "Attack!!"


    Anyways, the men in ck didn''t care about all that. They only had one task, capture this man.


    "Get him!"


    "Capture him alive!"


    Soon the bearded man was surrounded by 20 people who were rushing at him with different weapons in their hands.

 Chapter 2 See You In Hell.

    ?*sh*


    A man passed through the bearded man''s defenses and his knife grazed his shoulder.


    "Uggghh!!"


    The bearded man groaned in pain. However, he ignored the pain and continued to fight.


    However, that little mini-second he wasted was enough for more openings.


    *Bam*


    A baseball bat hit his knee. Another man''s knife pierced through his thigh, then, his arm was pierced through, the head was smashed with a chair.


    After being attacked from all directions, the bearded man''s movements finally slowed down. He, the man who had killed more than 20 people alone, had finally fallen on his knees, his face was a bloody mess, his limbs were pierced through with knives, and there were cuts and blood all over his body, however, his eyes still looked as fierce as before.


    "Tie him up." A man spoke.


    "Remove his clothes before you do that, we need to make sure he doesn''t have any weapons." Another man spoke.


    The bearded man was then stripped, then, without the care of his injuries, his limbs were tied.


    "Haaahh¡­ Haaah¡­"


    The men in ck suits all breathed heavily.


    They had finally captured this man.


    "Take him to the boss."


    A man spoke in a tired voice. Another man nodded, he grabbed the bearded man''s hair and pulled him all the way to a room on the upper floor of the ship.


    "Boss,"


    The man spoke as he dragged the Bearded man into his boss''s room.


    With his vision a little blurry due to all the blood around his eyes, the bearded man nced at the so-called ''Boss''.


    The ''Boss'' wore a neat white suit, he had blonde hair, crystal blue eyes, and a perfectly carved face, honestly, it wouldn''t be a lie to say that he was one of the most handsome men alive in this world.


    The ''Boss'' was sitting on a chair that seemed more like a throne, on hisp, sat a woman wearing a bikini. In her hands, the woman was holding a te of steak. While the other woman standing behind the chair had a ss of red wine in her hand.


    Yes, while the people on the lower floors were fighting and screaming for their lives, this man was eating steak, that too, with a leisurely expression on his face.


    The man''s crystal blue eyes fell on the bearded man and hemented,


    "You created quite a stir."


    His voice was so soft but heavy that it felt like god himself had spoken.


    Honestly, even though this man hadn''t done anything, just with him leisurely eating steak while the people on the lower floor struggled for their life made him look quite intimidating,


    Especially those blue eyes, it was as if they had some strange power in them.


    However, the bearded man didn''t feel this intimidation, he just smiled.


    A big wide grin appeared on his face as he nced at the ''Boss'' in front of him. Rather than being intimidated, the bearded man gave off a dangerous aura, even though he was all tied up and was kneeling on the floor.


    "Christopher Davis, 31, leader of Silent Vengeance, a gang that has risen into power in just 7 years. Parentsmitted suicide when you were 21, after that, you disappeared for 2 years, then once you reappeared, you joined the underworld and in just one year, you formed your own Gang. Drug Trafficking, Arms Smuggling, Racketeering, Cybercrime, Theft, Extortion, Money Laundering, Fraud, and even Assassinations, there was nothing you didn''t do.


    Honestly, that is quite a high achievement, not many gangs could handle all these businesses properly, not to mention a gang that is just 7 years old.


    I am quite impressed."


    ''Boss'' spoke up, with how he had slightly raised his eyebrow, it was clear that he wasn''t saying it for the sake of saying it, he was actually impressed.


    "You did your research."


    The bearded man, Christopher, replied with a grin. His teeth which were covered in blood looked frightening.


    "When you get to my level, getting something like this is just a matter of minutes. If I actually ''researched'' or looked into you, I would even have the information about your 7th ancestor.


    Anyways, I do not like to brag about this and it seems like you aren''t very excited to hear about all this either. So let mee to the main topic,


    Why are you here, Christopher?


    Someone as intelligent as you should know you had no chance of winning.


    Why waste your life like this when you were doing so well?"


    The ''Boss'' questioned.


    "2013, February 15, 9:30 pm, Bougainville Street, Angelena Rape Case, yes, the case where you raped an innocent woman, there were two witnesses. Your men tried to pay them off, but they refused and had already called the police."


    "What are you talking about?" the ''Boss'' frowned.


    Christopher, however,pletely ignored him and continued,


    "The Police arrested you, Jonathan Turner, a business tycoon, that was how the Rape Case got popr as well, soon, however, things cooled down unexpectedly quickly, as if someone intentionally did it.


    You were released and your men found those two witnesses, they created some problems with their business, and then burned them alive, making it seem like suicide."


    "Hmm. Though I do not quite recall that specific incident, the pattern of operation is indeed mine, I was a little immature back then. I am better now though,


    I don''t get caught anymore."


    The Boss, Jonathan chuckled lightly.


    "Those witnesses were my parents."


    Christopher spoke.


    "¡­"


    Jonathan froze, and soon, his expression changed.


    "So is that why you are here? For revenge? You let your sess get to your head? Who told you that you and your little friends can sneak into my Ship and kill me? Are you a fool? Did you really think that would work?


    How many did you and your men kill? 20? 30? 50? In this Ship filled with 3000 people, 2000 are my people. Do you think you created a big stir? You didn''t do anything, Christopher, I can simply rece the people you killed, it wouldn''t even be considered a scratch.


    Honestly, with that pathetic n of yours, in normal conditions, you wouldn''t even be able to see me. The only reason you were blessed with my presence was because I was bored.


    You are merely a source of entertainment for me, Christopher.


    Just like your parents."


    Hearing those words, Christopher''s narrowed his eyes.


    Jonathan noticed then and an evil grin appeared on his face,


    "What? Do you think their testimony did something?


    I never went to jail.


    That was a fake news.


    Yes, the only reason I killed your parents was because I wanted to do something entertaining,


    Though I don''t remember it now, I am sure your parent''s screams as they burned alive and begged me for mercy were entertaining enough."


    Jonathanughed lightly.


    However, these words, which had enough power to burn anyone''s heart with rage and hatred,


    They only brought a grin on Christopher''s face.


    "I guess it was hidden deep enough. The stomach is indeed the innermost organ. Even the detectors couldn''t detect it."


    He spoke.


    The Aura around him changed, that bloodied grin¡­ it suddenly became 1000 times more frightening.


    "What do you mean?"


    Jonathan questioned with a frown.


    "Can you still not hear it?"


    Christopher questioned.


    "¡­"


    The entire area turned deadly silent as Jonathan raised his hand.


    *Beep* *Beep*


    A faint sound was finally heard.


    Jonathan''s expression changed.


    "You bastard!! What are you nning!?"


    "Is that not clear enough?"


    "There is no way you can survive that!"


    Jonathan shouted. His pale face and trembling fingers that he pointed at Christopher were enough to tell how scared he was.


    "I removed all the nds in my stomach and filled the entire thing with this bomb, Jonathan. You think threatening me with my life would work?"


    Jonathan rushed towards Christopher and grabbed him by his cor. The injured Christopher couldn''t resist, however, his smile didn''t vanish, rather, it only widened even further.


    "The police might free you, that girl you raped might take back all the allegations, but I will never forgive you, Jonathan.


    You destroyed my life by taking away the two most precious people in my life, leaving me alone.


    Now I am going to destroy yours."


    "B-Bastard!! Think about the other 3000 people on the ship! Are you going to kill all of them!? You think your parents would be happy when you meet them in the afterlife!?"


    "I created a Crime Syndicate, did all kinds of terrible things just so I can understand how things work here and get to you, you think I would care about those 3000 lives?


    And after what I did, I wouldn''t even get to meet my parents,


    Since both you and I will be going to the same ce."


    With a wide grin on his face, Christopher spoke hisst words.


    "See you in Hell, Jonathan."


    "NOOOOO!!!!"


    *BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

 Chapter 3 Who Are You?

    ?*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*


    "Haaaaahhh!!"


    A man sat up from his bed and his eyes widened in surprise.


    He was Christopher.


    "Haaahh¡­ Haahh¡­ Haah¡­"


    Christopher took in deep breath, his face was covered with sweat and he looked around with a confused look on his face.


    He didn''t know where he was.


    He then nced at his own hands, it was only for a faint second, but he saw his hands being covered with light and disintegrating into countless small particles.


    "Haah¡­ Haah¡­ Haa¡­"


    Christopher''s breathing hardened.


    Seeing his hand intact like this¡­ he felt a strange emotion¡­


    He then looked around again, then, a smile appeared on his tired face¡­


    "Is this the Hell they all talked about?


    It sure doesn''t look like one."


    He muttered to himself.


    This room, it was far from what he imagined the hell would look like.


    The bed he was lying on, it was a four-poster bed with an extremely soft mattress covered with silk sheets, the pillows were plushy, and the canopy overhead gave a sense of extremefort and grandeur.


    The walls were draped in rich tapestries depicting heroic battles and mythical creatures, Soft, golden light spills through stained ss windows, casting vibrant hues across the room and adding an ethereal ambiance.


    To one side, a beautifully crafted reddish brown writing desk was positioned, adorned with an assortment of quills, ink pots, and parchment. Across from the bed, a sitting area was arranged with plush velvet armchairs and a low coffee table. Near the windows, a small balcony overlooks breathtaking views of the castle grounds.


    All in all, this room was absolutely beautiful.


    Honestly, it was far better than all the 5 Star Hotels Christopher had ever been to.


    "Heh, if Hell is this beautiful, then what about Heaven? My parents must be living afortable life up there."


    Christopher chuckled.


    Soon, however, he noticed something amiss.


    His body¡­


    It felt weak¡­


    ''Is this because of the explosion?''


    He wondered, however, as he nced at his hands, he realized that his skin was fairer than before. No, it was not just skin color, the size of his hands, skin texture, hand proportions, the shape¡­ everything was different¡­


    These¡­ these were not his hands¡­


    Christopher frowned, he stood up, and walked towards the Mirror.


    "!!!"


    His eyes widened in surprise when he nced at his reflection.


    ''This¡­ is me¡­?''


    He wondered in his head.


    ''What? Does hell even give you a stic surgery to make you the most handsome man alive?''


    He had lustrous purple hair, well-groomed eyebrows, and golden eyes that gave out a sense of mysteriousness. His facial features looked as if they were carefully carved by the God himself, there were still some simrities to his features in the past, however, it had been refined to the point that he needed to look carefully to find those familiarities.


    "Heh. That''s quite a look. Though I liked the Scar on my face, made me feel like a badass."


    Christopherughed as he nced at his face again. All his scars were gone, his skin seemed healthy, facial features were sharp, all in all, he was very satisfied with his appearance.


    "Vaan, eat your meal."


    Suddenly, Christopher heard a voice.


    A man wearing a ck suit over a white shirt and ck pants barged into the room while dragging a table with him. The moment the man walked in, he closed the doors, then, he pushed the table away towards Christopher and then frowned,


    "Why are you standing? Shouldn''t you beying on the bed? Are your injuries healed? Or were you not injured at all and were deceiving me this whole time?"


    The man wearing a ck suit questioned.


    *Step*


    Christopher''s body stepped back on its own.


    ''Huh?''


    He frowned as he realized that his head was unconsciously lowered.


    Christopher couldn''t understand...


    This body¡­ it seemed like it was intimidated by this man¡­


    But why...?


    Christopher nced at the man standing in front of him again.


    From what he wore, he looked like a butler, and from the clothes Christopher was wearing, he looked like a child of a noble family, logically, this butler should serving him, then¡­


    Why was this body intimidated? And that too by a dandy-looking man who looked like he would die with a single p.


    "Huh? Did you be a Mute or something? Why are you not saying anything?"


    The butler questioned with an arrogant look on his face.


    Hearing those words, Christopher''s mouth twitched.


    Who was he?


    He was a man who single-handedly rose in the underground world within just 7 years. Who in the hell did this wimpy-looking man think he was?


    Christopher rubbed the back of his neck, he suppressed his instincts as he took back the control over his body, then, he walked towards the butler.


    "Who are you?"


    He questioned.


    "What? Did you lose your memories or something? Do you want me to hit your head to help you get it back?" The butler questioned back.


    Christopher stared into the man''s eyes.


    "Do not look at me like that, yo-" The butler spoke with a disgusted look on his face, but,


    *Bam*


    *Crack*


    Before he couldplete his sentence, Christopher grabbed the te the butler had brought and smashed it on his head, breaking it whole thing.


    Of course, he didn''t stop either, he then grabbed the utensil that had all the food and,


    *Bam*


    He smashed that on the butler''s head as well.


    "Aggghhhh!!"


    The butler screamed in agony as the sizzling hot food fell on his face, burning it.


    However, this was not the end,


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel "Aaaahhh!!"


    Christopher shouted as he picked the entire table and,


    *Bam*


    *Crash*


    He smashed it onto the Butler''s head, breaking the table in the process.


    The servants who heard all the noises quickly rushed into Christopher''s room, the dust cleared up, and Christopher was found grabbing the butler with his cor,


    With a cold expression on his face, he spoke,


    "I asked who the fuck are you, when are you going to answer that?


    Or do you want me to smash this fat head of yours a few more times before you finally know your ce, huh?"


    Before the butler could answer, Christopher grabbed his hair and,


    *Bam*


    Smashed his face into the floor.


    He lifted the butler''s face again, by now, the butler''s face had turned into a bloody mess, his mouth was filled with blood and his broken teeth, his face was covered with gravy, blood, and cuts, and his eyes, they were shrunk in fear as he looked at Christopher.


    "I''ll ask onest time, who are you?"

 Chapter 4 M-Mother…?

    ?Christopher didn''t care.


    He had died.


    And it was not a pathetic death either, he died as he avenged his parents.


    He didn''t have any regrets.


    He was now free.


    So what if he was in Hell?


    So what if he couldn''t understand what was going on?


    He didn''t have to understand it.


    The worse that can happen is that they torture him. He was already prepared for this day when he chose to join the underworld. His thirst for revenge was so high that he, a 21-year-old boy who learned the truth about his parent''s death, decided to join the underworld without any lower boundaries at all. If he gained something from doing something, he would do it no matter how bad it was.


    That was how he rose to the point he did.


    He was already prepared to pay for his deeds one day, whether that would happen on Earth when he was alive, or in Hell when he had died, it didn''t matter.


    So unbounded Christopher didn''t care.


    A random man dared to talk to him like that, that man had to pay. It didn''t matter who this man was, whether he was someone with power, Christopher, who was mentally prepared to pay for his sins, let his instincts take over and decided to act wild for onest time.


    And, he beat the shit out of the butler.


    "T-That''s Young Master Vaan¡­?"


    "I have never seen him act like that in front of Aldric."


    "Yeah, wasn''t he usually tame in front of that guy? What happened? Did he finally get on Young Master''s nerve?"


    "No¡­ that''s not Young Master¡­ Young Master may take out his frustration and look down on most of the servants, there were even cases of him hitting some servants in the past, however, something like this has never happened before.


    Young Master has never hitten someone to the point that his entire face is covered in blood. I didn''t even know the Young Master is capable of doing it."


    "S-Should we s-stop him?" A servant spoke up.


    "What are you talking about? He is doing that to Aldric, the man he usually acted tame in front of, what do you think he would do to us normal servants who he had been harassing whenever he is in a bad mood? Do you have a death wish?" The other servant simply shot him down.


    There was no way they were going to make a move.


    Young Master Vaan¡­ his eyes were different than before¡­


    Those eyes¡­ they resembled a fierce demon¡­


    "T-Then what should we do?" Another servant questioned.


    Since the Young Master has already caused so much chaos, if they didn''t make a move, they wouldn''t get scot-free either.


    "There is nothing we can do, just send someone and report this to Lady Astra. She is the only one who can deal with this situation."


    A servant spoke up, then, one of the servants stepped forward,


    "I''ll go call her."


    Other servants nodded, and the servant who stepped up turned around and rushed away. The rest of the servants turned towards their Young Master, observing everything while keeping their distance.


    "I''ll ask you onest time, who are you?"


    Christopher questioned.


    The butler''s face was bloodied, even if he wanted to answer, with his mouth filled with blood and his broken teeth and Christopher lifting his head as he pulled his hair, it was impossible for him to say anything without choking in his own blood.


    Christopher, however, didn''t care,


    *Bam*


    He smashed the butler''s face into the floor again, Aldric''s nose broke. Christopher looked into his eyes again. Aldric''s eyes widened in fear.


    He had to answer.


    "I¡­ I am Aldric¡­ Kwaakk! Kwaakhh!!"


    Aldric replied, even if he choked in his own blood, he still replied.


    "I¡­ I am y-your butler¡­"


    "My butler? And you still dared to talk to me like that?" Christopher narrowed his eyes.


    "I¡­ I apologize¡­"


    "D-Did Young Master Vaan lose his memory?" A servant who was observing everything from afar questioned.


    "T-That is not entirely impossible¡­


    It would exin why he looks so different than before¡­" Another servant nodded.


    "That is correct¡­"


    "But how is this possible? Did something happen?" Another servant questioned.


    The servants just nced at each other.


    Nothing happene- no wait.


    The servants recalled.


    "The Young Master was beaten up by those 5. Did one of them hit his head?"


    "Where did they get the courage to attack the Young Master this brutally?" A servant questioned in shock.


    "No wait,  it has been a while since Young Master was attacked, I even met him once after that, he still remembered everything. How did he suddenly lose his memory?" Another servant questioned.


    "I do not know¡­" The other servants shook their heads.


    They didn''t have an answer.


    Young Master''s sudden change.


    They couldn''t find a reason behind it. Right now, they could only watch the situation.


    "This is not the first time you did something like this, is it? You were way toofortable when you talked to me like that, tell me, who gave you the balls to act like that in front of your boss?" Christopher questioned.


    He couldn''t understand much, however, he was sure about a few things, this man was his servant and a servant who dared to be rude to his boss, that was definitely something not seen very often.


    Christopher wanted to know more about it.


    "I¡­ I apolo-"


    "I do not want your apology, fucktard.


    Name, give me a name.


    Who gave you the balls to act like this?"


    "I-I was s-sent b-by Lady Serap-"


    Before the Butler could answer the question,


    "Vaan! What new trouble are you creating now!?"


    A loud shout was heard.


    "Haah!? Which fucker dare-" Christopher was about to shout back andsh at the woman who just shouted at him but as soon as his eyes fell on the woman who had just walked into the room, his eyes widened in surprise.


    "M-Mother¡­?"

 Chapter 5 Vaan Astra Vesta.

    ?"M-Mother¡­?"


    Christopher couldn''t believe his eyes.


    The woman in front of him.


    She looked exactly like his mother. Those ck eyes, long Raven Hair, those warm features, other than the fact that this woman looked a lot younger, with more refined features and healthier skin with no marks or e, she looked just like his mother.


    "Haah!? So you know who your mother is! Vaan! How many times are you goi-" The woman shouted, however, before she could continue,


    Christopher rushed towards her and buried his face into her chest.


    "Mother!"


    He eximed as he hugged his mother.


    In that moment, that cold, selfish, and evil gangster disappeared and was reced by a young man who saw his mother after 10 whole years.


    The woman, who was suddenly hugged by Christopher froze.


    What¡­ what was happening?


    Her child¡­ what happened to him¡­?


    Wasn''t he someone who always went against her and acted as if she was her enemy? What happened?


    How was her son acting like¡­ her son¡­?


    Is this some sort of act? Has he done something he shouldn''t have and was acting like this so that he could get out of the mess?


    The woman''s mind was full of questions, however,


    In the end, the woman just let go of the breath she was holding and gently moved her hand on her son''s head as she ruffled his hair.


    Even if it was all an act¡­ even if everything was fake...


    Just¡­ just this once¡­ She wanted to enjoy this moment...


    The woman closed her eyes as she hugged Christopher back.


    The two stayed like this for an entire minute.


    The servants who were watching this situation didn''t utter a word.


    They were too surprised to say anything.


    To think Young Master would hug Lady Astra like that and to think Lady Astra would show such a weak expression in front of them, none of them had ever imagined a scene like this would y out.


    Astra sensed what the servants were thinking, she opened her eyes and nced at one of the servants,


    "Clear this mess up."


    She ordered.


    Of course, by mess, she meant the butler who was on the floor, groaning in pain.


    The servant nodded, then, a few more servants walked into the room and started cleaning things up.


    "Vaan,e with me."


    Astra ordered.


    Christopher nodded, Astra turned around but just as she was about to move, Christopher grabbed her hand.


    Astra seemed surprised, however, feeling how tightly Christopher had grabbed her hand, as if he was scared that she would go away, a strange sense of fulfillment washed over her heart.


    She had decided.


    Even¡­ even if Vaan had done something incredibly wrong¡­ just this once¡­ she would take care of it and would not punish him...


    With a hearty smile on her face, Astra took Christopher into her room.


    Just like the room Christopher was in, this room had a grand and rich look as well, it was slightly bigger than Christopher''s room, but there weren''t any major changes, other than the fact that this room had a huge bookshelf that was filled with books and another study room.


    Christopher didn''t count, but he was sure that there were more than 200 books on the bookshelf.


    Seeing that Christopher was looking around with a curious look on his face, Astra smiled.


    "It has been a while since you came into my room, hasn''t it?"


    Christopher wasn''t sure, but he still nodded.


    "Have a seat."


    Astra spoke as she pointed at the sofa.


    Christopher sat down, Astra sat in front of him, a maid walked forward, getting ready to serve the tea, Astra, however, raised her hand and gestured the maid and other servants in the room to walk out.


    Soon, the only two people left in the room were Astra and Christopher.


    Astra grabbed the jar, put the tea in a cup, and moved the cup near Christopher. Then, with a strange expression on her face, she questioned.


    "So tell me, what did you do?"


    She knew this lovey-dovey act wasing to an end.


    She was a little disappointed, however, she was satisfied with just this much. Just this small act was enough to extend her life for a few years.


    "I¡­ didn''t do anything¡­"


    Christopher replied.


    He wasn''t a fool. He realized the situation he was in. He wasn''t dead.


    Well, he was, but he was not in hell, he...


    This situation was exactly like those books orics those kids read, he¡­ he had transmigrated into another person''s body and most probably, this ce was not the earth either. To make things even stranger for him, the mother of his child looked like his own mother.


    The mother he had lost when he was 21.


    Christopher didn''t know how this happened, however, seeing this woman in front of her, Christopher decided.


    He wanted to stay with his mother.


    He... he wanted to live in this world.


    Hearing Christopher''s reply, Astra frowned in confusion. Then, with a worried look on her face, she questioned,


    "Is what the servants saying the truth? Have you lost your memories?"


    "My head is a little fuzzy, yes." Christopher nodded.


    "¡­"


    Astra turned silent.


    She nced at her child, he was definitely different than before, so what he was saying might actually be true. Her child wasn''t capable of pulling an act like this, especially when she directly asked what he wanted. If it was all an act, he would have spilled everything.


    However, Astra wasn''t a normal woman either, rather than panicking, she nced at Christopher and spoke,


    "Let''s start slow,


    Do you remember your name?"


    Christopher wanted to say his own name, however,


    "Vaan¡­"


    He replied.


    He had decided, it didn''t matter if he actually transmigrated into a different world, or if all this was an illusion and he was actually in hell, for now, he would live as this woman''s son.


    Just as he spoke his name, aplete name came into Christopher''s mind,


    "Vaan Astra Vesta."

 Chapter 6 Astra Elysia Vesta

    ?"Vaan Astra Vesta."


    Christopher, no, Vaan spoke the name that instinctively came into his mind.


    "And do you know who I am?" Astra questioned.


    "You are my mother, Astra Elysia Vesta," Vaan replied out of instinct again. He couldn''t understand how he was answering these questions, he just felt his answers were correct.


    "And your father''s name?" Astra questioned.


    "¡­" Vaan turned silent.


    For some reason, no answer came to his mind.


    Astra frowned,


    "Do you remember anyone else, your grandfather, grandmother, any of your siblings, uncle, or aunts?"


    Vaan, however, couldn''t answer.


    "I do not remember anything else, Mother." He replied as he looked into his mother''s eyes.


    Astra started thinking.


    Honestly, a selfish part of her was happy that her child only remembered her, however, that was only a small part, she was actually worried.


    How did this happen?


    She couldn''t understand it.


    When Vaan was injured because of those 5, she had personally checked his condition, he was hurt, but it wasn''t something that would make him lose his memories. Although she didn''t talk with him because he was unconscious, she still sent a few people to keep an eye on him, their report didn''t mention something like this either.


    Then how did it happen?


    How did Vaan lose his memories?


    Astra''s mind started thinking of different possibilities, however, soon, she calmed herself down.


    The most important thing right now was to keep Vaan calm, if he takes any form of stress, things might get worse.


    "Alright, don''t worry. I will call the Healers soon, they will help you regain your memories.


    You can go now, do you remember where your room is? Or should I send a servant with you?"


    Astra questioned.


    "Mother¡­" Suddenly, Vaan called out.


    "What is it?"


    "I¡­ I want to stay here with you for a while¡­ is that possible?"


    Astra''s expression changed.


    When she finally registered what Vaan said, she reacted,


    "O-Of course! Why are you even asking for permission? It is your mother''s room! You can stay here for as long as you want!


    Do you feel hungry? I haven''t tried cooking for a while, how about I make the food with my own hands? Would you like to eat it?"


    Astra questioned.


    "I am not hungry, Mother," Vaan replied.


    "I-It doesn''t have to be my cooking, I can ask your favorite chef to make it as well."


    "That''s not it Mother, no food can be better than mother''s food. I am just not hungry right now. Although¡­ I do have another request."


    "What is it?" Astra questioned.


    "Please excuse my rudeness¡­" Suddenly, Vaan stood up.


    He walked next to Astra and sat next to her.


    For some reason, Astra felt nervous, it was funny how a mother was being nervous around her child, it was apparent what kind of rtionship the two had before ''Vaan'' transmigrated into his current body.


    Slowly, Vaan ced his head on Astra''sp, he was ufortable, however, the moment he ced his head on his mother''sp, extremefort washed over his body and he involuntarily closed his eyes,


    "I¡­ I wish to stay like this for a while¡­"


    He spoke.


    "V-Vaan! You are not a child anymore!" Astrained.


    Even though she said that, she didn''t make a single move to show her resistance, heck, she even adjusted her legs so Vaan would be morefortable.


    Vaan opened his eyes to look at her mother''s face, then, with a warm smile on his face, he replied,


    "I know¡­ I just wished I did this more often¡­"


    Hearing those words, Astra froze.


    That expression on Vaan''s face¡­


    The pure love in those eyes filled her heart with immense happiness but at the same time, that expression stung. It didn''t look like an expression a 20-year-old man would make, those eyes¡­ it felt like they were of someone who had lost everything but finally found something that soothed his heart.


    Astra''s hand moved on its own and she started ruffling Vaan''s hair.


    A content smile appeared on Vaan''s face as he closed his eyes again. His breathing stabilized, the sense of relief he felt was so overwhelming that he felt like he would immediately fall asleep.


    However, Vaan was scared of falling asleep.


    He felt like if he fell asleep, he would wake up and everything he experienced would just turn out to be a dream.


    Therefore, to keep himself awake, he decided to talk to his mother.


    "Mother."


    "Hmm?"


    "That butler¡­"


    "You created quite a mess there."


    "I¡­ I apologize¡­ I failed to control my anger."


    "To think you would hit Aldric." Astra chuckled.


    Vaan frowned,


    "You¡­ don''t seem angry, mother."


    "Would it be wrong to say that he deserved it? Though you did go a little too far." Astra smiled.


    Hearing Astra''s reply, Vaan frowned.


    He forgot about it when he saw his mother, however, now that they were on this topic, his previous question popped up in his head.


    "Mother, the other servants called me Young Master, does that mean the father is the head of this ce?"


    "No." Astra shook her head.


    "Then is it some other rtive, Uncle? Or Grandfather maybe?"


    "It is me." Astra smiled.


    "Hm?"


    "The Head of one of the strongest families in the world, the Vesta Family, Astra Elysia Vesta." Astra introduced herself with a proud look on her face.


    Vaan''s expression changed.


    Even though Astra was still smiling, there was a proud, confident,posed, and authoritative air around her. Vaan had never felt this type of aura from his mother in his previous life.


    Vaan realized it, this woman, she may look gentle and kind like his mother, but, she was no normal person.


    "Why are you looking at me like that? Are you surprised?" Astra questioned with a gentle smile on her face.


    "I am." Vaan smiled back.


    Astra chuckled as she gently flicked Vaan''s forehead.


    "But mother¡­"


    Suddenly, Vaan''s expression changed,


    "That butler, he was quite rude to me, the child of the head of this house, how is that possible? Does he have some kind of dirt on us?"


    Was his mother being ckmailed or something?


    Just thinking about that possibility, the Gangster that Vaan had buried inside the moment he saw his mother, emerged again.


    "And I heard that I was beaten up by 5 men as well. Aren''t I a Young Master of the Vesta Family, how was I beaten up by some random thugs?


    Mother, is there something wrong?"


    Vaan questioned with a serious look on his face.


    Seeing the look in her son''s eyes, Astra was taken aback.


    She observed Vaan''s face for a while, different expressions formed on her face and a minuteter, she finally questioned back,


    "Do you really want to know about it?"

 Chapter 7 He Was The Problem.

    ?"Do you really want to know about it?"


    Astra questioned with a strange look on her face. Vaan, who noticed that expression was now even surer,


    His mother, even though she was the head of the family, she was in a difficult position.


    How and Why?


    Vaan started wondering, however, in the end,


    It didn''t matter.


    Since he was here, he would solve everything and make sure people show his mother the respect she deserved!


    With a determined expression on his face, Vaan nodded.


    "Please tell me everything."


    "That butler is not the servant of our family, he was sent here by the Stormweaver Family."


    "Who is this Stormweaver family? Why does it have the power to choose a servant who would serve the son of the Head of the Vesta Family?"


    Vaan questioned as he narrowed his eyes. To think another family would have so much influence over his family.


    Something was not right.


    "You really don''t remember anything, huh? To think you even forgot about her." Astramented as she looked into Vaan''s eyes.


    "Who are you talking about?"


    "The daughter of the Stormweaver family, Seraph-"


    *Knock* *Knock*


    Suddenly, Astra and Vaan heard a knock.


    "Lady Astra, Lady Seraphina is here. What should we do?"


    The servant who knocked on the door questioned from outside.


    Astra''s eyes quickly fell on Vaan''s face to see if there was any change in his expression, however, seeing his confused expression, she was now sure.


    Vaan had really lost all his memories.


    Vaan on the other hand, was thinking about apletely different thing,


    ''A servant who knocked on the door and spoke without waiting for permission¡­''


    Vaan didn''t like this at all.


    "Heh, what a coincidence, that girl is here. She must have heard the news."


    Suddenly, Astra chuckled.


    "Who are you talking about, mother?"


    Vaan was quite good at reading expressions, and from how his mother was reacting, he was sure about it,


    This girl whose arrival was just announced, Vaan''s mother didn''t like her at all.


    "Seraphina Stormweaver, that''s the person the butler you beat up serves," Astra informed.


    Vaan narrowed his eyes. Then, he sat up.


    "Then what are we waiting for? Let''s meet this girl." He needed to see it himself to confirm his theory. He wanted to see who was the bitch who dared to put his mother in a difficult position.


    "You seem quite eager to meet her." Astra narrowed her eyes.


    "Heh, I am just curious." Vaanughed.


    He was sure there was something fishy going on here. That girl most probably has something on his mother, that is the reason why his mother was reacting like that.


    Vaan needed to jump in.


    It didn''t matter what it was.


    He needed to protect his mother.


    "Alright, do you want me toe with you?" Astra questioned.


    Vaan realized that his mother didn''t wish to see this girl, she most probably didn''t wish to feel intimidated in front of her son, however, Vaan just smiled and extended his hand,


    "Why not?"


    Astra frowned when she heard his answer, however, seeing Vaan''s hand, she smiled and then held it lightly.


    The mother and son left the room and soon, they were taken to the guest room.


    Inside the guest room, there sat a white-haired girl with gorgeous features, she was elegantly sitting on a sofa, sipping on a tea that was served to her with her eyes closed, she had a thin waist, her gown highlighted her curves, making many men drool over her beauty.


    The door of the room opened, the girl opened her eyes as she turned towards the door, and smiled,


    "It has been a while, Young Mas-"


    Soon, however, her eyes fell on Astra, who was walking behind Vaan.


    Her expression changed, she quickly stood up and then bowed her head,


    "Greetings, Lady Astra.


    Please excuse me for my previous conduct, I didn''t know you wereing here as well."


    Seeing this reaction, Vaan frowned.


    This script¡­ it was different from what he had in his mind¡­


    Doesn''t this woman have some kind of dirt over his mother?


    Was she acting so¡­ subservient?


    Is it because he was here?


    "Do not mind me, I just came here since I heard you were here and wanted to see how you were doing," Astra spoke in an authoritative tone.


    "I am doing fine, Lady Vaan. I am grateful to the Vesta Family for treating me so kindly."


    "That''s good." Astra smiled.


    Then, she turned towards Vaan and,


    "Vaan, you two should chat with each other, I have some matters to attend to."


    "Alri-"


    Vaan wanted to reply but,


    "As you say, Lady Astra." Seraphina cut his words off.


    Vaan narrowed his eyes.


    His eyes fell on Astra, Astra nodded at him with a smile, he nodded back, then, Astra turned around and left the room.


    The moment she left, Seraphina''s body rxed, she fell on the sofa with a tired look on her face and took a deep breath.


    "Haaahh¡­"


    Vaan continued to observe her.


    "So? Why was she here?" Suddenly, Seraphina questioned.


    Her tone waspletely different from the respectful tone she had a few seconds ago.


    "Well, I can understand, she must be worried about her son. What a good mother Lady Astra is." Seraphina smirked.


    Then, she nced at Vaan and questioned,


    "Anyways, did you manage to get it?"


    Vaan, of course, had absolutely no clue what this girl was talking about.


    However, he did realize one thing.


    The one this woman had the power over, it wasn''t his mother, on the contrary, she seemed rather scared of his mother and tries to create a fake image in order to please her.


    The one she shows her real face, the one she holds the actual power over,


    It was him.


    The reason why she could hire her servant as his butler,


    It wasn''t because the Vesta Family or his mother was weak,


    It was because he allowed her to.


    He was the problem.


    Vaan''s narrowed his eyes, he wanted to kick this bitch out of his house because of her attitude, however, he decided to wait, he was impulsive with the butler before, but now, he needed to understand the situation first.


    "I did not," Vaan replied. Waiting to see her reaction.


    Seraphina sighed with a disappointed look on her face,


    "You didn''t, huh.


    Well, I can understand, even though you are from the Vesta Family and are the son of the current head of the Family, you still do not possess much authority here."


    Vaan raised his eyebrow when he heard those words.


    "It seems like your mother does not trust you, but again, I can understand where she ising from. You are only 20 years old after all. Even she herself was 25 when she took most of the family matters into her hands, she must be waiting for you to mature into a fine young man before she put more trust in you."


    Seraphina nodded with an understanding look on her face.


    "Anyways, I heard you beat Aldric up. Did he do anything to annoy you?"


    "He was disrespectful," Vaan replied.


    A slightly surprised look appeared on Seraphina''s face, soon, however, her expression returned to normal and she smiled,


    "Right, that is correct. He dared to be disrespectful in front of the Young Master of the Vesta Family, he ought to be punished.


    You did well." Seraphine praised.


    Vaan simply nodded.


    There were many things in his mind, however, he decided to stay silent, today, he was just going to observe.


    Seraphina continued to talk about more matters, however, she soon realized that Vaan was a little out of it today, thinking that it was probably because of the matter with Aldric, she decided not to waste her time and stood up.


    Vaan didn''t stop her either, the two of them said their goodbyes, and Seraphina finally left.


    And once she did, Astra walked into the room and questioned with a curious look on her face,


    "Do you recall who she is now?"


    "Sera."

 Chapter 8 T-This… This Actually Works!?

    ?"Do you recall who she is now?"


    "Sera."


    Vaan replied what came to his mind.


    "Sera huh, so you do remember her."


    Astra spoke, her expression seemed a little¡­ strange.


    "I don''t." Vaan shook his head.


    "That name just instinctively came into my mind. I do not know who that girl is or what kind of rtionship I have with her."


    Hearing those words, Astra''s expression returned to normal. No, Vaan even felt like she looked slightly relieved.


    "What kind of rtionship do you feel like you have with her?" Astra questioned with a curious look on her face.


    "It is hard to guess."


    "Hmm? Why is that?"


    "She acted like she was close to me, but something didn''t feel right."


    Astra raised her eyebrow in slight surprise,


    "Exin more clearly, what do you feel about that girl."


    "That girl¡­ she is suspicious."


    Vaan spoke out his thoughts.


    "Suspicious?"


    Astra tilted her head in confusion.


    "I do not know how to exin it, the way she asked if I had gotten what she wanted, then acted disappointed when she realized I didn''t, and then acted like she understands and forgave me. In that whole conversation, she acted like I failed to meet her expectation and she was the bigger person who forgave me, when in truth, she was the one who asked for the favor in the first ce.


    Then she talked about you, she indirectlypared me to you, then insinuated that you do not fully trust me and I need more time to ''earn'' your trust, it was as if she was trying to create a ridge between the two of us.


    That girl¡­


    She is definitely up to no good."


    Vaan exined.


    "Heh, to think you would say that about Sera or all the people."


    Astra chuckled.


    "You used to regard her as the most important person in your life."


    "That can''t be true, the most important person in my life is my mother." Vaan was quick to answer.


    Hearing those words, Astra couldn''t help but smile.


    "You have gotten good at buttering me up. I feel scared now."


    "I am not buttering you up, Mother. You are the most important person to me, you are someone I absolutely cannot lose again."


    "Again?" Astra''s expression changed.


    "N-No, I meant that even if I did some stupid things before, I am different now." Vaan quickly corrected himself.


    A small smile appeared on Astra''s face.


    "Do you think you will be the same once you get your memory back?"


    "I will," Vaan replied with a confident look on his face.


    He was not nning to go anywhere now. He would stay here with his mother for a long time.


    "Well then, the Healers are here, shall we go?"


    "Healers?" Vaan frowned.


    "Mhm, the people who would help you get your memories back."


    ''Huh?'' Vaan couldn''t understand.


    That was possible?


    Why was his mother acting like it is something that can be done with a snap of one''s fingers? Don''t they usually need long therapy sessions to get something like that? Also, it is not like he can simply recall all the memories, there is no way he could do that since he is not the real Vaan in the first ce.


    "What are you thinking about? Let''s go." Suddenly, Astra held Vaan''s hand and took him to a certain room.


    Inside the room, there sat 3 people wearing white robes.


    ''Is this a cult or something?'' Vaan questioned inwardly.


    He looked around and noticed that there was no one else inside the room except for him, his mother, and these 3 white robbed men.


    ''Are they the ones mother called to help me get my memory back? How are they going to help me? They don''t even have any medical instruments around.''


    This all seemed¡­ foolish.


    Did his mother seriously believe in these kinds of stuff?


    ''Whatever, as long as she is happy.''


    Vaan sighed.


    "Go sit on the chair."


    Astra spoke, Vaan nodded and sat on the chair. The three white-robed men extended their hands toward them,


    "Heal."


    They spoke at the same time.


    ''Heh, not even some inaudible words that you can call a chant, huh? Even if they are trying to scam people, shouldn''t they try to be smarter about it?


    So what''s gonna happen now?


    A white light woulde to me and heal all my wounds under the name of the holy god? Kek, stupid things like these are always so entertaining to watch, to think I would be a part of all this someday.''


    Vaan giggled inwardly, but suddenly,


    "!!!"


    His eyes widened in surprise,


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel A white light came out of the bodies of these white-robed men, the energy then moved and surrounded Vaan''s body.


    ''Is this some sort of VFX?''


    Vaan wondered, however, suddenly, a powerful sense offort washed over his body. The ces where his body felt sore, some injuries that weren''t properly tended to or needed more time to heal naturally, they all healed in an instant.


    ''T-This¡­ this actually works!?''


    Vaan''s eyes widened in fright.


    What he just said as a joke actually happened!!


    This... This is real Magic!!


    Vaan couldn''t believe it.


    However, he didn''t have the time to process all this,


    There was a bigger problem he had to deal with.


    Suddenly, new waves of information rushed into his mind,


    ''NO!''


    Suddenly, Vaan shouted in his head.


    This Magic, it was working!


    He had started recalling things, if it continued, it was not impossible for his mind to be overwhelmed by all these new memories of a different person and he might end up losing his sense of self.


    He had to stop this magic!


    He had to get out of here!


    With that thought in his mind, he tried to move, soon, however, he realized that he couldn''t move his body.


    "You cannot move when the Heal is being cast on you, it could be dangerous," Astra spoke, a small magic circle could be seen on the top of her hand.


    Binding Magic.


    Vaan''s heartbeat quickened because of how scared he was.


    He wanted to stay in this ce a little longer.


    However, he knew he couldn''t break away from his mother''s magic.


    That was simply impossible because¡­


    His mother, Astra Elicia Vesta, was one of the strongest Mages in the world!


    ''Fuck it! I''ll endure it all myself!''


    In the end, Vaan just prepared himself for all the memories that would rush into his mind.


    He swore in his heart.


    No matter what, he wouldn''t forget his sense of self.

 Chapter 9 Astras Decision.

    ?Vaan tightly closed his eyes as he prepared his mind for more fragments of memories that were about to be flooded into his brain.


    ''I am Christopher! I am from Earth! I am 31 years old! I am Christopher! I am from...''


    He continued to chant these sentences in his mind, the white light continued to heal his body, his body was practically bathing infort, it was so rxing that Vaan almost lost control over his body and was about to sleep.


    However, he quickly bit his lips to keep himself conscious.


    He wouldn''t fall for it.


    Soon, his body got used to thisforting feeling, no, something was wrong. There was no way this sense offort would suddenly feel weak just because his body got used to it.


    Vaan opened his eyes and noticed that the intensity of the white light had decreased a lot.


    The white-robed men sitting in front of him opened their eyes, then, they nced at Astra and,


    "Young Master Vaan should be perfectly alright now."


    ''Huh?''


    Vaan frowned in confusion.


    It was over?


    But the fragments of memories that he was so scared about never appeared? Only a part of them appeared, but he still does not recall everything. So how did it end? Did the magic fail? No, the expressions the 3 white-robed men were making weren''t of people who had failed and were trying to con their clients.


    "Vaan, how do you feel?"


    Astra questioned.


    "I¡­ I do not¡­


    I only recall a few things, I think the magic stopped midway." Vaan answered honestly.


    "That is incorrect, Young Master Vaan. If the magic had stopped midway as you said, your body wouldn''t have healedpletely either. The Magic rted to memory and the mind can beplicated.


    If we flood your mind with all the memories together, it might harm you. You will automatically recall everything in parts after some time. I rmend you read books and broaden your horizons. Reading is a good way to train your brain, the stronger your brain is, the smoother the process of memory recovery will be."


    One of the white robbed men spoke.


    "Then¡­ does that mean I will get to keep my current personality if I read and train my brain?" Vaan questioned after a moment of hesitation.


    He wanted to figure things out on his own, however, right now, the stakes were too high. A chance to stay with his mother in apletely new world, he couldn''t take any risks.


    "That is difficult, Young Master Vaan."


    The white robbed man, however, didn''t have a clear answer.


    "The memory you want you recover is the memories of the time you spent in the past 20 years, the personality you created in all those years would definitely be more powerful than your current personality that has only been created for at most a day."


    "So it all depends on the amount of memory I have in my mind, the higher one wins?"


    "Well, that''s a crude way to put it. There are some other theories and things to consider but in the main essence, you are not wrong."


    The white robbed man nodded.


    Vaan smiled inwardly.


    Heh, to think he would be this lucky.


    This body was only 20 years old, he, on the other hand, had 31 years of memory in his mind, his personality, it should be stronger than the 20-year-old personality.


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel Vaan then nced at his reflection in the nearby mirror, then, he looked into his golden eyes and,


    ''I do not know how I got into your body, but,


    I will be taking over your life now.


    I apologize, but you can only me yourself for getting entangled with a selfish jerk.''


    Vaan''s decision was now stronger than ever.


    "Of course, if you do train and strengthen your brain to a certain extent, there is still a decent chance that you will get to keep a part of your current personality."


    The white-haired man who thought the Vaan was disappointed because of the lost expression that had appeared on his face, replied.


    "I understand. Thank you for your help, Sir Healer."


    Vaan nodded.


    Hearing those words, the 3 Healers seemed quite surprised. Soon, however, their expressions returned to normal. They all nodded, then, they left the room after saying their goodbyes to Astra.


    "Mother."


    Vaan called out the moment the healers left the room.


    "We have a library in our Mansion, correct? I want to read more books."


    "You seem pretty determined."


    "I promised you, didn''t I? I will not change even after I get my memories back. You are now stuck with me, mother."


    Astra chuckled as she patted Vaan''s head.


    She didn''t know if what she was doing was correct or not.


    Her son lost all his memories and now had apletely different personality than before. It wasn''t wrong to say that the child in front of her was not her son but someone else. As a mother, she should be wishing for her son to regain his previous personality, the personality of her own, actual son.


    However, these past few hours that she had spent with her son¡­ honestly, these past few hours had filled her heart with so much warmth that she couldn''t even describe it.


    The look in Vaan''s eyes as he nced at her. That love and longing in his eyes, it was something she had never seen in Vaan''s eyes before.


    Honestly, it didn''t feel like Vaan was a child who had lost his memories and had apletely nk mind, it felt like Vaan''s new personality was someone else, a someone who was filled with nothing but love and longing for her and not only that, she felt a strange bond with this ''someone else'', a bond that shouldn''t have been formed in mere few hours.


    It was as if¡­ she had been raising this child for ages but they somehow got separated from each other.


    Astra didn''t know what to do,


    It was a battle between heart and brain.


    But after long consideration, her heart won,


    "There is a better way to strengthen your brain and keep your personality."

 Chapter 10 Do You Fear Me?

    ?"There is a better way to strengthen your brain and keep your personality."


    After thinking about this for all this time, Astra finally decided. In the battle where her brain supported the previous Vaan and her heart that wanted the current Vaan, her heart won.


    "What is it?" The moment Vaan heard Astra''s words, his eyes brightened up and he questioned.


    Seeing those eyes, Astra couldn''t help but smile, this expression¡­ it was something she never expected Vaan would make in front of her. Just seeing those eyes filled her with happiness.


    "Learn about the world from your own perspective," Astra answered.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Reading books might be a good way to train your brain, however, reading random books without any actual n wouldn''t do much.


    Currently, your mind is a huge nk that doesn''t know anything, it is better to fill that nk in your mind.


    Read things that would help you do that and along with that, experience the world. Go out and experience things that the previous you had experienced, create your own perceptions on different things, this way, your mind wouldn''t be overpowered that easily and your sense of self would strengthen."


    "Create my own perception¡­" Vaan repeated Astra''s words as he thought about it.


    Honestly, the chances that he would retain his personality after he inherits all the memories of the previous Vaan were pretty high, however, he still wanted to be sure of it. There was no room for mistake.


    "Mother, can you hide the fact that I lost my memories?"


    Suddenly, Vaan questioned.


    He knew how difficult this request was. The servants already had an idea about it, then there were the healers, not to mention that Sera, though she didn''t know that he lost his memories but she still met him, the news rted to people from the rich family often spreads faster than normal and it gets impossible to contain after a certain time.


    However,


    This world had Magic.


    And his mother was one of the Strongest Mages in the entire world.


    Vaan betted on that fact,


    "Why do you want to do that?"


    And just as he expected, Astra didn''t outright reject his request either and asked for his reasons instead,


    "I want to experience life as Vaan."


    Vaan''s answer was simple.


    Astra nced at Vaan''s determined expression, then, she smiled,


    "Alright, I will do it.


    No one will remember you beating Aldric up and the events after that, not even Aldric."


    "No one will remember¡­?"


    Vaan tilted his head in confusion. He only wanted to contain this information and stop it from spreading any further, but to think his mother directly decided to y with others'' memories.


    "I will take care of all the things here, you do not need to worry. I will also appoint one of my most trusted butlers to serve you. I will not alter his memories since he is trustworthy, that way, you can ask for his help if you ever find yourself stuck in aplicated situation."


    "I understand." Vaan nodded.


    "Alright, now return to your room and get some rest."


    "No, I want to go to the library."


    "Don''t push yourself too hard, Vaan."


    "I am not pushing myself, mother. I know my body well, that white light helped me freshen up, I am as good as new right now." Vaan spoke as he patted his biceps.


    Astra chuckled, then, she pped 2 times.


    A servant walked in,


    "Take Young Master Vaan to the library, make sure he does not leave until he spends more than 2 hours in there."


    She spoke as she red at Vaan with an annoyed and angry look on her face.


    Vaan frowned, soon, however, he realized what Astra was trying to do and,


    "I do not want to-"


    "Silence," Astra ordered, her voice seemed a little heavier than normal.


    Vaan''s body moved on its own and his mouth closed up. Vaan was surprised, to think his mother would use magic. If he didn''t know any better, he would have thought that she was actually angry.


    "Take him away," Astra ordered.


    The servant nodded and,


    "Young Master Vaan, please follow me."


    He spoke.


    Vaan red at the servant. The servant''s body twitched, however, seeing that Lady Astra was here, he overcame his fear and pointed at the door with a respected look on his face.


    Vaan snorted, then, he walked out of the room. The servant followed behind him.


    Astra, who saw everything chuckled, then, her expression suddenly turned solemn and,


    "Call the Obsidian Order."


    The shadow under her body trembled a little and Astra walked out of the room as well.


    ¡­


    "It looks like you fear me."


    On the other side, Vaan, who was following the servant questioned with a curious look on his face.


    "N-No, why would I f-fear you, Young Master?" The servant replied.


    "So you do not fear me?" Vaan narrowed his eyes.


    "N-No! That''s not it!" The servant panicked.


    "What is it, make it clear, do you fear me, or do you not fear me?"


    Vaan questioned, from his tone, he sounded irritated.


    "I-I am loyal to Young Master Vaan, I have no reason to fear you since I always have your best interest in my mind. I only fear that the young master will be disappointed in me."


    The servant shouted his answer as if he had crammed it for ages.


    Vaan raised his eyebrow in amazement, that was definitely a good answer to get out of this situation. With how the servant reacted, this wasn''t the first time this servant was dealing with something like this.


    Vaan also noticed that all the other servants were strangely intimidated by him. Even the servants who weren''t present when he beat Aldric up were the same.


    Vaan understood,


    They were not scared of the current him, but the previous him.


    And Vaan couldn''t understand the reason behind it.


    Aldric and the other servants, their attitudes towards him werepletely different.


    How can one person be so intimidating to some and be a pushover in front of others? Was that even possible?


    "T-This is the library, Young Master."


    Vaan came out of his reverie as he heard the servant''s words.


    Without saying anything, he walked in.


    The servant followed behind, then, Vaan turned towards the servant and questioned with an annoyed look on his face,


    "I can at least choose the books I wish to read, correct?"


    "Y-Yes, please read whatever you wish, Young Master. That person over there is the librarian, if you tell him what topics you are interested in, he will bring you the most suitable books for the said topics."

 Chapter 11 The Vesta Family

    ?Vaan spent the next 5 hours in the library. He was not much of a reader in his previous life, however, he had seen something that surprised him to his core.


    He still could vividly remember how that white light surrounded and healed his injuries, the magic circle that appeared on top of his mother''s hand as she froze his movement.


    Magic¡­


    This world was actually a fantasy world where magic exists!


    Shooting Fire from his hands and flying in the sky! Wasn''t it a man''s dream!?


    How could he not wish to learn more about it!?


    Not to mention doing so would help him ''create his own perspective''.


    Truthfully, Vaan wanted to start off with learning Magic, however, he knew he couldn''t do that. Before that, he needed to build basicmon sense of this world, and for that, he needed to learn more about this world and its history.


    That was why, he spent these 5 hours reading about that.


    While reading about the world, he also learned more about the family he was born into, the Vesta Family.


    The name of this world was Agresia.


    In Agresia, immortal beings with unnatural strength, or in other words, Gods, exist.


    The Gods respond to their loyal worshipers, giving a boost to their worshipers'' strength. There were many Gods, the God of Light, the God of Darkness, the God of Swords, God of Speed, and many more.


    There was also a God of Magic.


    Each God has a different church worshiping them, these churches are spread all over Agresia and no Kingdom had any power or influence over them.


    People go to these churches to worship the God they believe in, if their faith is high and their resolve is strong, the Gods blessed them with strength.


    Due to these blessings, Agresia and its people advanced quickly.


    Just like any other Gods, there was a church dedicated to the God of Magic as well, it was called the Tower of Magic.


    The mages who believed in the God of Magic went into the Tower of Magic and freely pursued the field of Magic.


    But then one day, the God of Magic, the God with the highest number of believers right after the God of Light suddenly stopped answering his believers'' calls.


    No matter what the believers did, no matter how strong their faith and resolve were, no matter how badly they needed their God''s help, the God of Magic never blessed them.


    With that, the decline of Magic started.


    Since no God blessed the Mages, they could only grow on their own. However, against the other believers, who were blessed by their respective gods, the Mages were at the short end of the stick.


    Due to this, Mages'' faith started withering.


    Many stopped pursuing the art of Magic and shifted to other Gods. Seeing this, the other churches moved as well and actively started poaching the believers of God of Magic.


    Under thebined attacks of other believers blessed by their Gods, the Mages left in the Tower of Magic had a hard time defending themselves. The weak-minded Mages left the Tower of Magic, the strong-minded ones died while fighting for the God that had stopped listening to their calls.


    The Branches of the Tower of Magic, which were spread all over Agresia had fallen, however, none dared to attack the headquarters of the Tower of Magic.


    That was because the Archmage, Alienora Vesta, the Leader of the Tower of Magic, was still alive.


    She alone was strong enough to fight against the leaders of all the churches together, even when they were blessed by their gods.


    Her achievements in Magic were so high that she was hailed as the strongest being in Agresia even without the blessing of the God of Magic.


    Her name was written down as one of the strongest beings in the history of Agresia.


    Her presence alone kept the Tower of Magic alive.


    However, no matter how strong she was, she was not immortal, her age caught up with her and she passed away.


    With her death, the Tower of Magic finally fell.


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel The other churches tried to take over their resources and treasures, however, the new leader of the Vesta Family didn''t let that happen, the son of Alienora Vesta, although not as strong as his mother, he was still strong enough to resist other forces and protect the remains of Tower of Magic.


    And things didn''t stop there, the Vesta Family continued to produce geniuses after geniuses, although the Mages could not receive the blessing of the God of Magic, the legacy left behind by Alienora was enough for them to defend themselves.


    In the end, the other churches decided to give up.


    The Vesta Family was too strong, fighting them came with dire consequences, the gains did not equal the losses.


    The Vesta Family became the new home for Magic, the only difference being that they didn''t worship any god, they were independent and were now hailed as one of the strongest families in Agresia with 5000 years of rich history and heritage.


    And Vaan''s mother, Astra Elicia Vesta, was the head of the current Vesta Family.


    Vaan didn''t realize the weight that this title bore before since he only thought that his family was richer than normal, however, after learning the history of the world, he finally realized the truth.


    His mother, she was incredible.


    Bing the Head of the Vesta Family, not to mention she was hailed as one of the better Headspared to some past heads, she was beyond impressive.


    The more Vaan read, the more his heart fluttered in joy.


    ''To think my mother is this impressive. I cannotg behind either.'' A determined expression appeared on Vaan''s face.


    He finally looked at the time and seeing that 5 hours had passed, he raised his eyebrow in surprise.


    Then, he sat up from his chair.


    He looked around and realized that the library was empty, even the librarian was not there.


    Seeing this, he frowned, he then walked out of the library.


    "It has been a while, Young Master Vaan."


    Vaan heard a voice. He turned around and his eyes then fell on an old man who wore a butler''s uniform.


    "Ah, you may not remember me, so let me introduce myself, my name is Ga-"


    "Gabel," Vaan muttered.


    "Young Master you regained your memories?" Gabel questioned with a surprised look on his face.


    "I did not, I only know that you were my butler and used to serve me before¡­ then¡­ something happened and you didn''t serve me anymore¡­" Vaan spoke with a slight frown on his face.


    These new memories, they were messing up his head. It was as if he was slowly unlocking new information in an unordered fashion. He was having a hard time registering all of them.


    "I served you until you dismissed me and announced that Aldric would be the one who would serve you," Gabel replied.


    "Though now I am back again.


    I am quite pesky, Young Master." He joked.


    Vaan chuckled,


    "I am d you are back, Gabel."


    This man seemed a lot better than that Aldric person.


    "Anyways, Young Master, there is something I wish to report. It is a message from Lady Astra." Suddenly, Gabel spoke with a serious look on his face.


    "What is it?"


    "She has done what you asked for, other than you, Lady Astra, and me, no one knows that you have lost your memories."


    "Already?" Vaan couldn''t believe it.


    Gable, however, just smiled,


    "Don''t underestimate your mother, Young Master. There is a reason she became the head of the family even though she was the youngest daughter the previous head."

 Chapter 12 Lady Astra Never Gave Up On You.

    ?"Don''t underestimate your mother, Young Master. There is a reason she became the head of the family even though she was the youngest daughter of the previous head."


    Gabel spoke with a smile on his face. It seemed like he was genuinely happy about Astra''s progress.


    "She is the youngest daughter? Then does that mean she has more siblings?" Vaan questioned with a frown on his face.


    There were vague memories in his head, he knew he had a father and knew about some servants who used to serve him, however, nowhere in his head did he have the slightest idea that he had uncles and aunts as well.


    "Lady Astra has 2 more siblings, one is her sister, Risia Vesta, your Aunt, and the other is the oldest brother, Draven Vesta, your uncle. She also has 6 cousins, 4 brothers, and 2 sisters, all of them are your uncles and aunts as well."


    Vaan raised his eyebrow. Then, with a doubtful look on his face, he questioned,


    "How many siblings do I have¡­?"


    "None."


    Gable replied.


    "Hmm?"


    "After you were born, for some reason, Lady Astra was unable to conceive. You have no real siblings, but on the other hand, you have 8 Family Cousins and 15 nonfamily cousins."


    "Family and nonfamily cousins?" Vaan frowned. This was the first time he was hearing these terms.


    "The cousins who bore the name of Vesta Family are Family Cousins, whereas Cousins who do not bore Vesta Family name due to various reasons like leaving the family, worshiping a God, or belonging to your father''s side''s family, are all non-family cousins," Gabel replied politely.


    "That''s¡­ quite arge family," Vaanmented.


    In his previous life, it was just him, his mother, and his father, there were no other family members.


    "The Vesta Family has a rich legacy of 5000 years, of course, it will be arge family. If it weren''t for some members not taking the Vesta Family name, it would have been an evenrger family."


    Gabel replied.


    "Not taking the Family Name? Why would they do it? Is Vesta Family not one of the strongest families in the world? Why would anyone not take the family name?"


    "They are simply not worthy to." Gabel shrugged.


    "The Vesta Family is known for producing Magic Prodigies, however, not every person carrying the Vesta Blood excels in magic.


    Thepetition in Vesta Family is fierce, not everyone is able to keep up. Those who fail to do so often end up taking the easier path and start worshiping different Gods to gain strength. With that, they also give up the right to inherit the family name." Gabel exined.


    "Fiercepetition huh."


    Vaan spoke with a confident smile on his face.


    Fiercepetition, just this term was enough to get his blood boiling.


    He had been living a rough life for the past 7 years after all. It was obvious that he would have a few screws loose in his head.


    "So? How strong am I? How was I doing in this so-called fiercepetition?"


    Vaan questioned with a big smile on his face.


    "¡­"


    Gabel, however, didn''t reply.


    Seeing his expression, Vaan frowned.


    "Gabel." He called out.


    "Y-Yes Young Master?" Gabel replied.


    "Answer my question."


    "Ah, right, you see, the nonfamily cousins are the cous-"


    "Gabel, since you have answered all my questions so patiently, I have taken a liking to you. Don''t disappoint me now.


    I do not wish to dismiss you again."


    Gabel nced at Vaan for a while, then,


    "Do you really wish to know that, Young Master? You do not have to worry yourself over this right now, Lady Astra is capable of taking care of it."


    "Just be honest with me."


    Vaan urged.


    "You are at deadst, Young Master. Honestly, ording to the other family members, you have no right to inherit the Vesta Family name, however, Lady Astra has been using her authority to protect you from all that."


    "I am atst position?"


    Seeing Gabel''s reaction, Vaan knew that the things were bad, but¡­ to be deadst¡­


    "Am I really that untalented?"


    Vaan couldn''t help but question.


    "Quite the opposite, Young Master." Gabel, however, shook her head.


    "ording to Lady Astra, you are a never seen before genius."


    "Huh?" Vaan frowned in confusion.


    "Both your parents have ck hair, your mother has ck eyes, while your father has brown eyes, you, on the other hand, were born with these violet hair and golden eyes, your facial structure did match your parents a little, therefore nobody could say anything, however, some people still doubted Lady Astra. Not that Lady Astra paid any attention to those people.


    She had another theory in her mind.


    The Ancestor of the Vesta Family, the strongest Mage the world had ever seen, the Archmage Alienora Vesta, she was born with pale violet hair and light golden eyes.


    Lady Astra theorized that purple hair and golden eyes represented Magic Talent, and since your hair and eye color are brighter and more significant, she said that your potential may surpass even that of the Archmage.


    Of course, all of this was just Lady Astra''s theory, and not many believed that theory.


    The world had never seen a mage that even touched Lady Alienora''s feet when it came to magic achievements, so believing a theory that said someone whose talents surpass hers is born, people found it ridiculous.


    Your poor results made them even more surer.


    However, to this day, Lady Astra still believes in her theory."


    "Hmm? Why is that? Shouldn''t my results have made it clear?" Vaan couldn''t understand. He knew his mother would support him no matter what, however, he also knew that his mother was an intelligent woman.


    If his results were hopeless, then she should realize that she had made a mistake and her theory was wrong.


    There was no point in sticking to false hope, that would only disappoint her in the future.


    "Your result is the consequence of your ownziness, Young Master. No matter how talented, the study of magic needed effort, and you were someone who was absolutely unwilling to put in any effort.


    You got fed up with sitting in the library and gave up on magic.


    However, your talent was so ridiculously high that even without putting in any actual effort, you still managed to be a 1st Circle Mage when you were 18.


    Although notparable to children of the Vesta Family, your results are still above averagepared to normal mages.


    And this is you not doing anything, imagine what would happen if you actually put in the effort?


    Lady Astra never gave up on you and secretly hoped that you would someday rise up to her expectation and be an excellent mage."


    Vaan smiled inwardly.


    His mother, not only does she look like his past mother, she acts the same as well. Suddenly, a determined expression appeared on Vaan''s face.


    He would not let her mother down.


    "Putting in the effort huh."


    Thinking about that, Vaan turned around and walked into the library again.

 Chapter 13 Dont Overdo It.

    ?"Putting in the effort huh."


    Thinking about that, Vaan turned around and walked into the library again.


    "Where are you going, Young Master?"


    Gabel questioned.


    "To do what I should have done way before, put in the effort."


    Saying those words, Vaan closed the doors of the library and shut himself up.


    He had learned about the basic history of this world, and he nned to continue the restter, however, now that he had the basic idea about the situation, he decided to change his ns.


    Magic.


    He needed to learn magic as soon as possible.


    With that thought in his mind, Vaan grabbed a few books. History of Magic, Basics of Magic, Elements of Magic, How to use Magic, How to Advance in Magic, with all these thick books in his hand, he walked towards a particr table and sat down.


    Then, with a determined expression on his face, he started reading.


    The History of Magic was not much, it only mentioned the names of strong Mages and their life experiences, how the mages carried the legacies, how new and better spells were created using past knowledge, and all that.


    Most of these Mages mentioned in the book were from the Vesta Family.


    Vaan was not very interested in the topic so he just skimmed through the book.


    Soon, Vaan shifted to books like Basics of Magic, Elements of Magic, How to Use Magic, and other more practical books, reading these books, Vaan finally felt like he actually learned something.


    The most important thing he learned was the power scale of a Mage.


    In this world, a Mage''s strength is measured by the number of Magic Circles he can summon. The naming wasn''t unnecessarilyplicated, the Mages kept it simple.


    A Mage''s journey was divided into 3 Phases.


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel Basic Mage, Intermediate Mage, and Advance Mage.


    A Basic Mage has 4 Levels.


    1st Circle Mage


    2nd Circle Mage


    3rd Circle Mage


    4th Circle Mage


    An Intermediate Mage has 2 Levels.


    5th Circle Mage


    6th Circle Mage


    An Advance Mage also had 2 Levels.


    7th Circle Mage


    8th Circle Mage.


    Vaan''s mother, Astra Elysia Vesta, was a Peak 7th Circle Mage who was about to be an 8th Circle Mage and reach the peak of Magic.


    Vaan, on the other hand, was only a 1st Circle Mage, and even that first circle was currently unstable.


    Thinking about it, Vaan couldn''t help but chuckle self-depreciatingly.


    To think a 20-year-old boy of the Vesta Family, a direct son of the Family head at that, was only a 1st Circle Mage¡­


    It was indeed embarrassing.


    This result may be considered normal or even above average in normal families, but in the Vesta Family, where usually a 14 to 15-year-old child forms his or her 1st Mana Circle, this was a pathetic result.


    Vaan sighed, then, he closed his eyes, his body instincts took over, and the Mana around him rushed into his body, Vaan was able to sense the Mana circting around his body.


    ''These are my Mana Veins¡­''


    He realized.


    The Mana moved around his Mana Veins and once it circled all around the body, a red-colored Magic Circle formed in front of Vaan''s eyes, he extended his hands towards the Mana Circle, the Mana that had circled throughout his Body rushed into the Magic Circle, forming a strange pattern, the Magic Circle shined brightly as the patterns inside it rotated mysteriously, soon, the temperature around Vaan suddenly rose and,


    *Flicker*


    From the center of the Magic Circle, a flicker of mes was ignited.


    The mes grew intense with each passing second, Vaan''s golden eyes shined in awe as the glow of the mes fell on his face, however, suddenly,


    *Whoosh*


    The mes disappeared.


    The Magic Circle that was shining brightly broke apart.


    Vaan frowned in confusion.


    Soon, however, he understood the problem.


    Whatever he did right now, it was done by following the instincts and muscle memory of this body, he himself had close to no knowledge about the Magic or the Spell he was casting.


    In other words, this Magic Circle, it was not his, but of the previous Vaan.


    Someone like him, who was from Earth and had never seen or experienced something like this before, would not be able to use it.


    Not until he learns all the theory behind it.


    And of course, learning all that theory was not a simple task.


    ''It doesn''t matter, although I startedte, it doesn''t mean nothing can be done. I just need to work hard.''


    With that thought in his mind, Vaan grabbed Basics of Magic, How to Use Magic, and Forming your First Magic Circle, and started reading.


    Just like that, 12 more hours passed by.


    "Young Master."


    Vaan, who was still reading the Basics of Magic with a resolute look on his face was interrupted by a voice.


    With deep dark circles under his eyes, Vaan nced at Gabel who had appeared next to him,


    "Your meal."


    Gabel spoke up as he pointed at the table he had dragged in.


    "Huh? You came here by yourself?" Vaan frowned.


    "The previous servants I sent feel intimidated by you, especially since this is the first time you have spent so much time in the library."


    Gabel chuckled.


    "Heh."


    Vaanughed.


    "Leave it here, I will eat once I read this part."


    He ordered.


    "That is enough, continue the rest tomorrow."


    Suddenly, Vaan heard another voice.


    "Mother." He smiled as he nced at his mother who just walked into the library.


    "Eat and then go to bed, you are not allowed to sit in the library anymore," Astra ordered.


    "But moth-"


    Vaan wanted to go retort, however, seeing Astra''s eyes, he knew it was pointless.


    "I understand." He could only bow his head.


    "I am d that you are working hard but keep this in mind,


    You don''t be a Master Swordsman if you continue to foolishly swing your sword for a long time, the only result you get out of it is tired arms that can''t move anymore, a mind that cannot think, and a useless self who destroyed himself by overusing and overexerting his body.


    Pushing your limits is good, however, over-pushing it will bite you back.


    Bing a Mage cannot be done by holing yourself up in the library for a day, it takes time."


    Astra spoke.


    "I understand mother. I was too reckless." Vaan replied.


    Astra smiled.


    "I do not wish to see those bags under your eyes, is that clear?"


    "Yes." Vaan nodded.

 Chapter 14 The First Spell.

    ?The next few days, Vaan followed a fixed schedule.


    Wake up, read, learn the basic theory of magic, walk out of his room, and ''experience the world''. Honestly, he wasn''t getting anything out of the  ''experiencing the world part'', it could be because whenever he goes out to experience, his mind always keeps thinking about the Magic theories he had read that day.


    Since his mind was preupied, he couldn''t gather much from going outside, and truthfully, Vaan had already realized that ''experiencing the world'' didn''t matter.


    He had realized how his memories were working.


    Every time he interacts with someone, he regains his memories of the said person. Of course, the more recent this memory is, the more clearly he remembers it.


    The most interesting part about this memory doesn''t affect his emotions or personality, he just ''knows'' about the said person, he doesn''t ''feel'' what previous Vaan felt about the person. Because of this, Vaan was now sure that his personality won''t be overpowered in any way, the previous Vaan was gone for good.


    Therefore, focusing on magic became his priority.


    Of course, spending some time with his mother once every two days, telling her about what he had learned while learning some points the book missed from her was one of the motivating factors that pushed him to do all this. The smile on his mother''s face... it filled his heart with a strange sense of relief and contentment.


    He felt like he was back in his 20-year-old self where he didn''t have to worry about the different problems he and his men were facing.


    ''Alright. Let''s do this.''


    Vaan muttered in his head as he closed his eyes.


    It had already been 12 days since he came to this world, he had learned most of the basic theory rted to magic, now, it was time to actually implement it.


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel Vaan took a deep breath, then, he recalled the content he had read and started.


    Casting a spell was divided into 3 steps.


    First, a Mage has to absorb the Mana in their surroundings through the pores in his body, the Mana they absorbed is then collected into their Mana Veins, then, to strengthen his control over this Mana, a Mage needs to move the Mana stored in his Mana Veins all around his body, then, he needs to release the refined Mana and form a Circle.


    This process of taking in the raw Mana and refining it to make it useable is called Initiation.


    This was the step Vaan had already mastered since his body already remembered this process because of previous Vaan.


    What troubled him was the second step, Forming the Circle.


    This is where previous Vaan and his thoughts collided.


    Every Mage had a different interpretation of their Magic Circle, a Mage cannot simply copy another Mage''s Circle, therefore, Vaan had to create his own Circle.


    Of course, after working relentlessly, reading all the theories about how Circle worked, how to create one, and other magic theories, Vaan had already prepared the Magic Circle that would work for him, however, the problem was, while his brain remembers the Circle he had created, his body remembered the previous Vaan''s Circle.


    Whenever he tries to form a Circle, his body moves on its own and forms the Circle created by the previous Vaan.


    And since he had less than a second to create the Magic Circle, this sh between the Body and the Brain made it impossible for him to create the circle in the set amount of time.


    Today, however, Vaan was confident.


    No matter what, today, he was going to form his Magic Circle.


    Once he was done moving the Mana all around his body, he released the refined Mana, he nced at the Magic Circle that he had drawn on the paper in front of him.


    This was the Magic Circle he had prepared after studying for 10 whole days, a drop of sweat appeared on Vaan''s forehead.


    He imagined the Mana in the air moving and creating the Magic Circle that was in front of him, a blurry magic circle formed in front of him, then, without waiting for a single second, he released the Mana he had refined just now into the Magic Circle.


    The Magic Circle became clearer and clearer, and soon,


    A perfect Magic Circle was formed.


    Vaan''s eyes shined in excitement, however, he didn''t lose hisposure.


    So what if he seeded in the Second Step?


    It didn''t mean he was going to fail in thest step and try everythingter, he was going to seed in one go!


    With that thought in his mind, Vaan proceeded with thest step,


    Execution.


    The first two steps, Initiation and Forming a Circle were something that after some practice, the Mages simply ignore because those steps never change.


    A Mage gets habitual and after some time, these two steps almoste instinctively.


    The Last Step, the Execution, however, was different.


    This was where a Mage has to concentrate since this is the step where what kind of spell a Mage would cast is decided.


    Vaan moved his refined Mana into the Magic Circle, this time however, he didn''t just blindly inject the Mana inside, this time, he injected the Mana in a form of pattern, in simpler words, he was using Mana as ink and was drawing patterns inside the Magic Circle he had created.


    Mages call these patterns the Language of Magic, or Magic Language.


    Each pattern had a different meaning, a Mage first imagines what kind of spell he wishes to cast, then, he researches and finds the correct pattern he would need to use to cast what he wishes, then, he uses Mana to draw these patterns inside the Magic Circle he had formed, and that is how a Magic spell is cast.


    The chances of failing in thest step are high, especially for a new Mage.


    Of course, all the Mages know what Pattern they need to Cast the Spell, however, the problem was drawing the said Magic Pattern inside the Magic Circle.


    This process requires an extremely high level of Mana Control and new mages often get stuck in this step, for years even.


    Honestly, although he didn''t wish for it, Vaan knew the chances that he failed in this step were high.


    However,


    ''Hm?''


    The moment Vaan released his Mana, it moved freely and started forming the exact same pattern that he was thinking in his head.


    Vaan frowned.


    This¡­


    Wasn''t this a little too easy...?


    Soon, the ''Drawing the Magic Pattern inside the Circle'' part waspleted¡­


    That meant,


    The famedst step, the ''Challenge'' for the new Mages, Vaanpleted it just like that.


    The surrounding Mana moved, the temperature rose up,


    And then,


    *Flicker*


    From the center of the Magic Circle, a flicker of mes was created.


    Vaan Astra Vesta,


    Had sessfully unleashed his first spell!

 Chapter 15 The Little Fairy

    ?*Flicker*


    "Haa... Haha... Hahahaha!"


    Vaan failed to control himself andughed out loud as he realized that he had sessfully cast his first spell.


    "I... I seeded!"


    Vaan shouted in excitement as he couldn''t get his eyes away from the mes burning in front of him.


    These mes, they were a lot stronger than the mes he had summoned the first time when he used previous Vaan''s muscle memory to cast a spell.


    And this time, Vaan was sure, if he didn''t wish for it or his Mana doesn''t, the mes wouldn''t disappear.


    *Flicker* *Flicker*


    After a minute or two, the me flickered again. Vaan finally realized that his Mana was about to run out, therefore, he stopped releasing his Mana and the mes and his Mana Circle disappeared.


    With a confident smile on his face, Vaan absorbed Mana inside his body again, then Mana moved around his Body Veins, and a Magic Circle formed, he drew the patterns inside the Magic Circle and again,


    *Flicker*


    The mes appeared again.


    This time, the process was much smoother than thest time.


    Vaan nodded in satisfaction.


    His Mana ran out, he stopped his spell, then, he absorbed Mana again.


    *Flicker*


    Vaan continued this cycle like a madman.


    And who could me him?


    His Hard work had finally paid off.


    He could use Magic now.


    He was officially a 1st Circle Mage now!


    Even though he had only learned 1 spell and it was a simple spell that did nothing but summon mes, it was still progress.


    And he had done it in just 12 days.


    ''Mother''s theory was right. I am indeed a genius.''


    Vaan had read about many Great Mages that had appeared throughout history, and none managed to cast their first spell in just 12 days.


    Of course, he did have previous Vaan''s muscle memory to help him out, his speed was still insane nheless.


    Especially the Execution part, where a Mage is supposed toplete the circle using the Language of Magic, the process which needed a high level of magic control and was a ''Challenge'' for all new Mages, a step that even the geniuses took months to master, Vaan could do it with just his mere thoughts.


    The Mana moved as he wished, it expands if he wants, it contracts if he wants, it takes whatever shape he wants, and for all this, he didn''t have to concentrate at all.


    The step where most mages get stuck for years before they barely master it, Vaan could do it even if he is distracted by something else.


    That was how ridiculously strong his Mana control was.


    Thinking about it, Vaan couldn''t help butugh inwardly.


    Vaan wanted to cast the spell again, however, just as he was about to do so, his eyes fell on something that made him curious.


    In this dimly lit room, Vaan''s eyes fell on another source of light.


    A light that came from behind the curtains.


    ''Hmm?''


    Vaan''s eyes fell on a small head that was peeking at him from those curtains.


    Those big bright eyes that oozed innocence and doubt, the bright orange-red skin, and the hair that seemed like burning mes, Vaan wasn''t much of a sucker for cute things, however, in front of this little creature, Vaan''s heart melted.


    Vaan found it funny how she was trying to hide behind the curtain but had absolutely no clue how the light emitting from her body was giving her away.


    "Ahem Ahem." Vaan coughed.


    Then, he started walking towards the little fairy with a curious look on his face.


    The fairy''s body flinched when she realized that Vaan had seen her, she panicked, it was as if she couldn''t believe she had been found out.


    She started looking around, as if she was trying to find a way to escape, however, seeing that Vaan was already close to her, she decided that she couldn''t run away anymore and gave up.


    Vaan carefully pulled the curtain back, revealing the fairy''s body, she was no more than 10 cm in length, her body was orange-red in color, and she had a pair of white-orange wings that helped her float in the air.


    She was surrounded by mes, those mes, however, did not feel burning hot, rather, Vaan felt strangely attracted to them.


    Unconsciously, Vaan slowly moved his index finger toward the little creature, however, the moment the little creature realized what he was doing, her body flinched and she quickly backed away.


    Vaan frowned in confusion.


    This cute little fairy...


    Why was she looking at him with those fearful eyes?


    Soon, however, new fragments of memories rushed into Vaan''s head and he understood.


    ''This sick bastard...''


    Vaan cursed the previous Vaan as he clenched his fists in anger.

 Chapter 16 Would Your Wings Regrow If I Pluck Them?

    ?2 years ago, when Vaan was 18 years old, he was forced to sit inside the library as a punishment for creating trouble in family meetings, since he had nothing to do, he nced at the Magic circle drawn in front of him.


    The Mana around him rushed into his body, then, he moved it all around his body before finally creating a Magic Circle,


    Honestly, Vaan never even thought about sessfully casting a spell, he was just doing that as a means to pass his time.


    However,


    *Flicker*


    Unknowingly, his spell worked.


    His Magic Circle shined brightly and he sessfully cast his first spell, officially bing a 1st Circle Mage.


    A Big smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    "T-To think it was this easy! What were all those people making so much fuss about it then?"


    Vaan spoke out loud.


    He was quite proud of himself.


    "Krrriiii~~"


    Suddenly, Vaan heard a voice.


    He looked around and his eyes fell on a little fairy, with orange-red skin, mes-like hair, red white pair of wings, the creature looked at Vaan with a big smile on her face, dancing around in excitement as if she was celebrating Vaan''s achievement.


    However, seeing this creature, Vaan''s frowned,


    "What the hell is that?"


    He couldn''t understand.


    Soon, however, he stopped worrying about it.


    Normal Mages practiced magic on a still target,


    However, was he a normal Mage? He was someone who aplished something that normal mages work their entire lifetime for within a matter of minutes.


    He was a genius.


    Why does he need to follow what normal mages do?


    Vaan simply extended his arm towards the Fairy.


    The Mana inside him rushed into the Magic Circle, the little fairy titled her head in confusion, Vaan''s smile widened, and then,


    *Whoosh*


    He aimed the Fireball at the little fairy.


    The Fairy, who seemed confused all this while widened her eyes in surprise, she couldn''t believe that Vaan had attacked her like that.


    Since she was in apletely defenseless state, the little fairy couldn''t dodge in time either.


    In the end, the fairy covered her face with her arms, preparing herself for the impact.


    "Krrriii!!"


    *Boom*


    The Fireball collided with the little fairy.


    "Aahaaa! Just as I thought, even hitting a moving target is not that difficult!"


    Vaan shouted in joy as he clenched his fist.


    The smoke then cleared up, Vaan nced at the little Fairy, however, contrary to his expectation, the little fairy seemedpletely fine. There was not a single injury or burn mark on her.


    Vaan frowned in confusion.


    The Fairy herself seemed confused as well.


    However, thinking that it was just Vaan ying a prank on her and that he never intended to harm her, a cheerful expression appeared on her face.


    "Krrriii~~"


    She eximed joyfully as she flew towards Vaan with her little arms extended towards him,


    Vaan however, grabbed her from her hair. For some reason, he knew that even if he grabbed her me-like hair, he wouldn''t get hurt.


    "Heeeh? To think you didn''t get hurt even though I clearly hit you."


    Vaan muttered.


    The Fairy''s expression changed again.


    "Krrriii!"


    It hurts!


    Why was Vaan pulling her hair like this?


    The Fairy couldn''t understand.


    Vaan however, continued to observe her andmented,


    "And you seem to be made out of fire, but why aren''t you hot? Is it some kind of magic? Interesting indeed."


    The Fairy tried to move her little arms to try and get away from Vaan, however, her little arms which were barely 3 cm long didn''t have the strength to do so, no matter how much she moved her limbs, Vaan, who had grabbed her from her hair with his thumb and an index finger didn''t budge.


    Not only that but seeing her resisting like that, Vaan''s smile only got wider and wider.


    He had found a new and interesting toy that he can y and pass his time with.


    With that thought in his mind, Vaan moved his index finger right in front of the fairy''s face.


    "Krii?"


    The little fairy frowned in confusion.


    But then suddenly,


    *Flick*


    Vaan flicked her forehead. Of course, with the size of the little fairy, it wasn''t just a little flick, it was as if someone threw a massive boulder on her face.


    "Krrriiii!!"


    The little fairy screamed in pain.


    She has been around for a long time now. All this while, she tried to interact with so many people, however, no matter what she did, no one was able to see or touch her.


    However, 2 years ago, when her eyes fell on Vaan, she naturally realized that once this man be a mage, he would be able to see and interact with her.


    Because of that, she started following him.


    She had been waiting for this for such a long time, all this while, she had been so lonely, not being able to interact with anyone was lonely and sad.


    Therefore, she had been waiting for Vaan to quickly be a Mage. And today, she believed that it was her lucky day since Vaan was finally able to cast his first spell.


    She appeared in front of him and just as she expected, he was able to see her.


    Overjoyed, the Fairy tried to rush towards Vaan, however¡­


    *Flick* *Flick* *Flick*


    "Krrriiiii!!"


    Vaan continued to hit her, making her scream in pain.


    The fairy couldn''t understand,


    She didn''te here with any bad intentions.


    Why was he doing this to her?


    The fairy''s eyes turned a little moist.


    This made Vaan even more interested.


    "Are these your wings?"


    His eyes fell on the pair of white-red wings on the fairy''s back, then, a demonic smile appeared on his face,


    "Would they regrow if I pluck them?"


    Vaan questioned to himself.


    The fairy''s eyes widened in horror.


    "Krrriiiiii!!"


    She tried moving around, desperately trying to free herself, however, no matter what she did, she was too weak. Tears rolled down her cheeks, her body trembling in fear while her wings fluttered in her desperation to get away.


    Vaan, however, didn''t care about her, rather, her resistance excited him even further, his hand moved towards her wings, however, just as he was about to touch and pull her wings off,


    *Ding*


    A clock''s sound was heard.


    Vaan''s eyes fell on the clock, his expression brightened up,


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel "My punishment time is over."


    He wanted to leave instantly, however, he couldn''t possibly leave such an interesting toy away.


    With that thought in his mind, he brought a Cage and locked her inside.


    "I am going out for now, I will y with you when I return."


    Saying those words, Vaan caged the little fairy into his room and walked away.


    When he returned, the Cage was empty and the little Fairy was nowhere to be seen.

 Chapter 17 I Am A Peace-Loving Man.

    ?''This sick bastard...!''


    Vaan couldn''t help but curse in his head as he recalled this particr memory. He had done his fair share of evil deeds in his past life, however, doing something like that to someone who came to him with such innocent, pure, and jolly eyes¡­


    Just what kind of sadistic bastard was he?


    Vaan questioned inwardly.


    His eyes then fell on the little fairy who seemed to be fearful of him and didn''t know how to react.


    In the end,


    He just bowed his head,


    "I apologize for what I did to you in the past. I am deeply ashamed of my actions."


    He wasn''t sure if this little fairy can understand what he was saying or not, however, somewhere in his mind, Vaan felt like she could understand his words.


    Vaan nced at the fairy, the fairy was now looking at him with a curious but doubtful look on her face.


    Unconsciously, Vaan moved his index finger close to the little fairy again, this time, however, he did it very slowly. He could feel the fairy''s body tensing up the closer his finger got to her, however, he could also feel that the fairy was trying to trust his words and was doing her best to not move away in fear.


    Yes, the fairy could understand his words.


    Vaan was sure about this.


    Soon, his finger was within the fairy''s reach. Vaan didn''t move it too close to her face in order to prevent her from panicking.


    The fairy continued to stare at his finger with a cautious look on her face.


    Seeing that the finger had stopped right in front of her, the fairy stopped as well.


    Her big bright eyes fell on Vaan, Vaan smiled as he nodded with a reassuring look on his face,


    "I will not hurt you ever again, please give me another chance.


    I wish to be your friend."


    Vaan didn''t know what it was, however, he could feel a strange connection with the fairy. The fairy continued to look into Vaan''s eyes, Vaan didn''t lose his patience either, in the end, with a trembling body, the fairy extended her little arms towards Vaan''s index finger.


    Vaan didn''t move, soon, the fairy touched his finger with her hands.


    "Krrriii~~" she eximed.


    Her body seemed to have calmed down now.


    Slowly, she moved her forehead close to Vaan''s finger, then, after looking into his eyes one more time, she rubbed her forehead on his finger.


    Vaan chuckled.


    "Krrrrriii~~~"


    The Fairy eximed again.


    This time, her voice was a lot louder and more cheerful than before.


    She then flew towards Vaan''s face with a smile on her face, Vaan smiled back, he brought his hand near the fairy''s legs, the fairy decided to trust him one more time andnded on his hand.


    For some reason, Vaan felt a strange urge,


    He moved his forehead next to the fairy, the fairy touched his forehead with her two hands, then, she touched his forehead with hers.


    The two stayed in that position for a while.


    Suddenly, the Mana that Vaan had gathered inside his Mana Veins started draining.


    Vaan panicked, soon, however, he realized that it was the Fairy who was doing it.


    "Krrrriiiii~~"


    The Fairy danced cheerfully as she drained all the Mana Vaan had stored inside his body.


    Seeing this, Vaan couldn''t help but smile.


    "Did you like it that much?"


    He questioned.


    The Fairy turned towards him and nodded continuously.


    "Krrii!"


    "Do you want more?"


    The Fairy''s eyes brightened up as she nodded again.


    Vaan took a deep breath and absorbed the surrounding Mana inside his body, then, he nced at the Fairy, waiting for her to move.


    The Fairy, however, stayed still. It was as if she was still waiting.


    Vaan frowned.


    Then, another theory popped into his mind, he circted the Mana all around his body then nced at the Fairy,


    And just as he expected, the fairy ced her little forehead on his forehead again and started eating away his Mana again.


    "More?" Vaan questioned.


    "Krrrriiiii!!"


    The greedy fairy nodded.


    Vaan sighed, and for the next few minutes, he continued to feed the glutton Fairy with a smile on his face.


    ¡­


    "Are you satisfied now?"


    Vaan questioned.


    "Krrrriiiii~~"


    The little fairy nodded as she danced around with a jolly look on her face.


    "Nic-"


    "Haaah? What the hell are you talking about? What? Are you not happy after getting dismissed once? Do you want to be dismissed again? Look, I am not in a good mood, so don''t annoy me. Go away."


    Vaan heard amotion outside his room.


    "As I said, I was appointed by Family Head after you were injured. You are to wait for further orders now."


    "The hell do you mean wait for further orders? You were here because I was injured, I am fine now, so you can leave."


    "The family hea-"


    "What is happening here?"


    Vaan questioned as he opened the door and nced at the two men causing themotion.


    "Young Master Vaan, it seems that Aldric recovered from the injuries he had sustained after he fell from the stairs that day,"


    Gabel spoke, giving out the context of the story without raising any suspicions.


    Vaan understood. That was the manipted memory Astra''s men had nted into Alric''s head.


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel He then nced at Aldric.


    "Vaan, tell him to get away, he is annoying me."


    Aldric spoke.


    Hearing those words, Vaan''s face twitched.


    This bastard, since his memories have been altered with, he had forgotten what happened and is acting like his usual self again.


    "Come in."


    Vaan ordered.


    Aldric frowned, he felt like Vaan''s aura seemed different than normal. However, in the end, he just shrugged and walked into Vaan''s room.


    Vaan then nced at Gabel and extended his hand.


    Gabel understood what he wanted, with a strange expression on his face, he took out a te and handed it over to Vaan,


    "Try not to cause too big of a scene."


    Gabel spoke.


    "Don''t worry, I am a peace-loving man."


    Vaan replied as he grabbed the te, then, he turned around and walked into his room as well.

 Chapter 18 The Makings Of A Great Punching Bag

    ?"Try not to cause too big of a scene."


    Gabel spoke.


    "Don''t worry, I am a peace-loving man."


    Vaan replied as he grabbed the te, then, he turned around and walked into his room as well.


    Inside the room, Aldric was sitting on the sofa with his legs on the table, reading the notes Vaan had prepared while reading all the Magic Theories with a casual look on his face.


    A very disrespectful act. Some mages with bad tempers might even kill in anger if someone read their notes without their permission. Of course, Aldric never thought Vaan would dare to do that.


    The Little Fairy flew around the notes with a worried look on her face, however, Aldric couldn''t see her, and neither could she do anything to Aldric.


    Seeing that Vaan had walked into the room, Aldric threw the notes on the table and spoke,


    "What''s with these notes? You even prepared another Magic Circle. What? Are you actually getting serious about learning magic? Pfftt! Hahaha!! What a joke!"


    He startedughing out loud.


    "And what''s with this te? Did you bring it here to serve me some snacks since I have returned? Heh, that''s good. It seems you are finally learning things."


    Aldric continued tough.


    Vaan continued to observe Aldric.


    Aldric was a person who had spent a decent amount of time with previous Vaan, therefore, currently, Vaan was experiencing a new influx of memories rted to Aldric rushing into his mind.


    From the time he was introduced, to how he hired him as his personnel butler, all the way to when Christopher had taken over this body.


    Aldric wasn''t always this rude, he was subservient when he first came here, however, soon, he realized what kind of person Vaan was.


    He was madly in love with Seraphina.


    However, that was not it, along with that, he was easy to fool.


    He may look like a typical Young Master who was rude, obnoxious, and someone who takes out his frustration on others, however, in truth, handling him was not that difficult.


    Deep down, Vaan was a pushover.


    ''I was sent by Lady Seraphina.''


    ''Lady Seraphina tressures me quite a lot, that is why she sent me here instead of someone else.''


    ''Lady Seraphina values my opinions while making a decision. She even told her friend to not marry the person she likes because I didn''t get a good vibe from him, that is how much she trusts me.''


    Slowly and steadily, Aldric started feeding these words into Vaan''s head. The more he did it, the more intimidated Vaan felt.


    She felt like Aldric was sent here as a ''test'' for him.


    A test to check if he was worthy of her.


    Therefore, he needed to treat Aldric well.


    With these thoughts, Vaan''s attitude in front of Aldric changed.


    From declining to do certain jobs, to outright disrespecting him, Aldric''s attitude started changing.


    And now, he had turned into a servant who was confident enough tofortably sit on the sofa with his legs on the table when his master was standing right in front of him.


    "Heh."


    Vaan couldn''t help butugh out loud.


    Honestly, Aldric was quite intelligent, he was someone who could have been useful for Vaan in the future, however,


    What Vaan hated the most was being disrespected.


    However, right now, Aldric was exactly the type of person Vaan wanted to see the most.


    He had holed himself inside a single room, reading and more reading, for 12 whole days!


    As mentioned before, he wasn''t much of a reader in his previous life,


    Vaan''s hands were itching.


    And now that a punching bag was right in front of him, how could he not be happy?


    With a big smile on his face, Vaan rubbed the back of his neck,


    "Aldric, my good friend."


    Then, he walked towards Aldric and sat right next to him.


    "Do you really not remember anything when you see this te in my hand?" He questioned as he brought the te right in front of him.


    "Huh? What do you mean?" Aldric frowned.


    For some reason, he felt like something was wrong. Especially the way Vaan was acting...


    He was definitely different from before.


    "To think you won''t remember anything, magic sure is wonderful." Vaan chuckled.


    "What are you talking abo-"


    *Bam*


    *Crack*


    Before Aldric couldplete his sentence, Vaan smashed the te on his head.


    Aldric''s eyes widened in surprise as he slowly felt the pain sinking in.


    "AAagggghhh!!"


    He shouted.


    The wounds that had barely healed opened up again.


    Vaan, however, wasn''t done, with a wide smile on his face, he grabbed Aldric''s hair and smashed it on the table.


    Then, he pushed the table away and smashed his head on his knee,


    *Bam*


    "Ugghhh!!"


    Then again,


    One more time,


    And another one,


    *Bam*


    "Guuuhhh!!"


    Aldric groaned in pain as he fell on the floor.


    Vaan unleashed a series of punches, hitting Aldric''s face.


    It felt wonderful.


    This man had the makings of a great punching bag.


    Once Vaan was Satisfied, he finally stopped beating him.


    This time, things were different than before, there were still some things he needed to know, things only Aldric should know.


    Yes, an interrogation round was in due.


    Aldric felt his vision blurring.


    The pain was too much for him to handle, however, other than pain, the shock he felt was even greater.


    Why was Vaan hitting like him? No, was he even capable of hitting people like this?


    Was he really the same Vaan who got nervous every time he is around him?


    "W-What are you doing?"


    With a bloodied face, Aldric questioned.


    "What am I doing? I am disciplining you."


    Vaan replied.


    "Y-You think Lady Seraphina would forgive you!?"


    Aldric decides to use his trump card.


    However,


    "Not listening to the orders given by the family head.


    Let''s not even talk about disrespecting, you even dare to order around and threaten the Young Master of the Vesta Family,


    All these actions of not putting the Vesta Family in your eyes,


    Do you think a mere Lady Seraphina or her Stormweaver family would try to protect you against these charges?"


    "!!!"


    Aldric''s eyes widened in surprise.


    "You must really trust your Lady Seraphina, don''t you?


    Call her then.


    I would like to see if shees and saves her ''most treasured subordinate'',


    Or just sacrifices him like a no longer useful chess pawn."

 Chapter 19 I Have Absolutely No Reason To Keep A Useless Man Alive.

    ?"You must really trust your Lady Seraphina, don''t you?


    Call her then.


    I would like to see if shees and saves her ''most treasured subordinate'',


    Or just sacrifices him like a no longer useful chess pawn."


    Vaan spoke with a wide smile on his face.


    "Y-Y-You would allow me to call Lady Seraphina...?"


    Aldric questioned.


    "Of course, I am a fair man, why would I not give you an equal chance to defend yourself?


    Use everything in your arsenal.


    However,


    Just keep this in mind,


    If you actually do call her,


    Then be damn sure that that bitch can save you from the Vesta Family, because if she fails, then I''ll fill that head of yours with countless bull- Ah fuck, I can''t say that now, can I?"


    Vaan temporarily forgot that there were no guns in this world.


    "...?"


    Aldric couldn''t understand what he was talking about, but then,


    "Ugghh!!"


    Vaan pulled his hair again, and then,


    "If she cannot save you, then I''ll cut your head off."


    *Gulp*


    Aldric gulped in fear.


    "So? What would you do, Aldric?


    Would you like to call your benevolent master and go against the Vesta Family together with her, or would you like to ''cooperate'' with me?"


    Vaan spoke as he moved away and dusted away his hands with a smile on his face.


    Aldric looked into Vaan''s golden eyes and his body trembled.


    If it was before, he would have selected the first option without even thinking, in front of Lady Seraphina, Vaan acted like a loyal dog, if she said something, he would simply wag his tail and do it.


    However... for some reason... Aldric felt like the current Vaan...


    He wasn''t sure if things would go as he imagined. The current Vaan was too scary for him to make decisions based on his past actions.


    Aldric also didn''t fail to notice how Vaan was mentioning Vesta Family again and again.


    It was as if he was putting the Vesta family against his Lady Seraphina and not himself. Honestly, it wasn''t even a fair match, his Lady might be impressive and a lot smarter than others, however, let alone her, even her entire family didn''t deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as the Vesta Family.


    The only power his Lady held over the Vesta Family was that the son of Lady Astra was crazy for her...


    But now...


    Even that seemed like...


    Aldric stopped thinking as he nced at Vaan''s horrifying expression again. Sitting on the sofa, with his legs wide open and a big smile on his face. Right now, Vaan didn''t even have a trace of ''nobility'' the descendant of the Vesta Family should have.


    Adric felt like he looked more like a thug.


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel Even he didn''t know how damn right he was.


    "I am not a patient man, Aldric.


    Are you going against Vesta Family and calling that bitch?


    Or does the thing inside your head actually works?


    Answer now."


    "I-I wish to serve Young Master V-Vaan."


    Aldric answered.


    "Oh?" Vaan raised his eyebrow.


    Aldric didn''t say anything.


    "Hahaha~ That''s a smart decision.


    I guess you will live on for a little longer."


    Vaanughed out loud.


    "Alright then, stand up."


    Vaan ordered.


    Although injured, Aldric didn''t dare to offend Vaan any further and quickly stood up.


    "Wipe the blood from your face, you bastard.


    Your already shit-like face looks even shittier because of that."


    Vaan cursed.


    "..."


    Aldric turned silent.


    He then took out a handkerchief and wiped his face.


    It did sting since there were quite a few bruises and cuts on his face, however, he didn''t say anything. Vaan was way too intimidating for him toin about something like this.


    "It is at least bearable now," Vaan spoke as he picked his ear.


    "..."


    Aldric simply bowed in a subservient manner.


    "Alright then, I have a few questions,


    There shouldn''t be any need to say this, but I will say it just in case,


    Answer honestly."


    Vaan spoke as he nced at Aldric with a chilly look on his face.


    Aldric''s body jolted in fear.


    "A-As you cmand, Young Master V-Vaan."


    "How closely connected are you to Sera?"


    "S-Sir?"


    "I am asking how much do you know about her. What is your rtionship with her? Are you her close aide? Or are you simply someone who works in her family?"


    Vaan questioned as he looked into Aldric''s eyes with a chilly look on his face.


    *Gulp*


    Aldric gulped again.


    Those eyes... he knew the moment he lied... he would lose his life...


    It was Aldric''s trump card, something that allows him to throw his weight around as much as he wanted, however, right now...


    Aldric had a feeling that his first answer wasn''t the best answer.


    He needed to be honest here.


    "I-I am not closely acquainted with Lady Seraphina. I u-used to work for S-Stormweaver Family. T-The only interaction I had with her were the ones where I met her after b-bing your servant."


    "So you are saying you know absolutely nothing about her?" Vaan questioned.


    "I-I apologize for lying to you this whole time! Please spare me, young master Vaan!!"


    Aldric simply kowtowed on the floor.


    "So you are telling me that you are absolutely useless and know dogshit about my enemy when you imed to be her close aide."


    Vaanmented.


    "E-Enemy...?"


    Aldric''s expression changed.


    Vaan, however, ignored his surprise.


    His stance was clear from the moment he met Sera and after recalling some memories after meeting Aldric, his stance was even clearer.


    Seraphina was an enemy.


    The previous Vaan was a fool over her so he couldn''t see it.


    However, he was different.


    Seraphina knew damn well that he liked her, however, instead of epting his feelings or properly turning him down, she was leading him on and using him. It got to a point where she even dared to walk into his house and order him around while acting like she was above him.


    "You should have chosen the first option, you might have had a chance to live with that.


    I have absolutely no reason to keep a useless man alive."


    Vaan stood up as he said those words, however, just as he was about to leave,


    "Y-Y-Young Master Vaan! I-I can tell you why Lady Seraphina ordered me to be your servant!


    It is definitely something you should know!"

 Chapter 20 I Need To Fix This Mess First.

    ?"Y-Y-Young Master Vaan! I-I can tell you why Lady Seraphina ordered me to be your servant!


    It is definitely something you should know!"


    Just as Vaan was about to leave, Aldric shouted in desperation.


    Young Master Vaan just called Lady Seraphina his enemy¡­


    Hearing that, Aldric decided.


    This was his only chance to stay alive.


    He¡­


    He would jump ships¡­


    Vaan turned around and nced at Aldric who still had his forehead on the floor. He observed the man for a while, and then,


    "What is it?"


    "She wanted me to keep an eye on you."


    "That''s it? That''s your grand answer to save your life? Do you think this is something I cannot deduce on my own?"


    Vaan questioned back.


    "She asked me to report your behavior every 3 months. She seemed particrly concerned about your interest in learning magic and instructed me to report it immediately if you spend more than 2 hours reading books rted to magic or engage in continuous magic study for 3 days.


    It was fine if you were punished by Lady Astra, however, if you ever do it on your ord, I was told to report it to her, and every time I did report her,


    Something happens and your recently grown interest in magic returns back to normal and you stop focusing on it."


    "Something happens¡­?"


    Vaan raised his eyebrow.


    Seeing that Vaan was finally showing interest, Aldric''s expression brightened up. He quickly raised his head and replied,


    "Y-Yes, oftentimes, Lady Seraphina calls you to meet her, and since she rarely does that, you get excited and leave the house to meet her. Then when you return, you stop studying magic again and only talk about how your day with Lady Seraphina went and how if you actually tried, you might get to marry her."


    "I stop pursuing my magic studies after meeting her¡­? Does she cast some kind of magic on me to do that¡­?" Vaan wondered.


    "I am not there with you when the two of you are together, so I do not know much, however, I highly doubt that she can do that. First, Magic rted to mind are much moreplicated. Lady Seraphina, as impressive as she maybe, doesn''t have the capability to use magic like that, and even if she hires someone else to do it, your mother would have noticed that by now and she and her family would have been wiped out by now."


    Aldric answered.


    Vaan nced at Aldric, then, after thinking about it for a while, he questioned,


    "Can you think of another such incident?"


    "T-The incident of your 5 friends challenging you to a Magic Duel¡­ it also happened after I reported Lady Seraphina about you studying magic longer than you normally do."


    "So¡­ you are telling me that me getting beaten up was arranged by Sera?"


    Vaan questioned as he narrowed his eyes.


    Seeing that expression, Aldric gulped again.


    "I-I am not s-sure b-but that is highly l-likely." He stuttered.


    "That bitch¡­"


    Vaan cursed as he clenched his fists. Then, he took a deep breath and, sighed,


    "Guess I need to fix this mess first."


    Then,


    "Gabel."


    With a cold look on his face, he called.


    Gabel quickly walked into the room.


    His eyes quickly fell on Aldric, who was kneeling on the floor with bruises and cuts all over his face, then, he nced at the broken pieces of the te he had given to Young Master Vaan.


    Gabel couldn''t help but sigh,


    ''At least it is not the worst-case scenario, this much is still eptable. Plus, that rude bastard needed a beating. This expression looks much better on him than the previous ones.'' he thought inwardly.


    "What can I help you with, Young Master Vaan?" Gable questioned with a respectful look on his face.


    "The five people who attacked me, do you know about them?"


    "Those five¡­?"


    Gabel frowned. He couldn''t understand why Young Master Vaan was asking about them right now.


    "Give me all the details of the families these guys belong to. Their strength, their backing, the strongest person in their family, theirnd, their money, I need a thorough report on all this.


    You have an hour."


    "Huh?" Gabel frowned in confusion.


    "What? Can you not do it?" Vaan questioned.


    "C-Can I ask why you need that information, Young Master?"


    Gabel questioned.


    "There are some things I wish to know.


    And I want revenge."


    Vaan spoke with a cold look on his face.


    Then, he turned towards Gabel and questioned again,


    "Can you do it?"


    "Everything you have requested will be in your hands in an hour, Young Master Vaan." Gabel bowed his head.


    Vaan''s aura was too overpowering, his orders¡­ he felt like he could never refute them¡­


    "Good." Vaan praised.


    "I will go see Mother now, you two do not have to follow me.


    And Aldric, I will be keeping an eye on you from now on.


    You have sessfully managed to hang onto your life, do not do anything foolish and ruin your efforts."


    Vaan spoke as he walked out of the room.


    "Y-Yes, Young Master Vaan¡­"


    Aldric nodded even after Vaan had left the room.


    "¡­"


    Gabel nced at Aldric, who was kneeling on the ground.


    "You look different than you did in the past." Hemented.


    Aldric simply nced at Gabel and, "Try going through what I did."


    "Heh, you brought this upon yourself."


    Gabelughed.


    "¡­" Aldric didn''t say anything.


    Gabel seemed like someone Young Master Vaan trusted, there was no reason to antagonize him.


    ¡­


    On the other hand, Vaan, who was walking in the corridor smiled as the little Fairy appeared in front of his eyes again.


    "Hmm? Why are you looking at me like that?" Vaan questioned with a frown on his face.


    The Little Fairy, who he had barely made up, was looking at him with a wary look on her face again.


    "Are you scared of what you saw?" Vaan guessed.


    "¡­" The Fairy didn''t say anything, however, Vaan understood.


    "He was a bad person, he deserved it. I only beat up bad people.


    Don''t worry, I will never hit someone as adorably as you."


    Vaan spoke as he slowly moved his index finger towards the Fairy again.


    The Fairy observed him for a while, then, she decided to trust him and sat on top of Vaan''s head.


    "Krriiiii~"


    She eximed.

 Chapter 21 It Is Great That You Are The Family Head.

    ?*Knock* *Knock*


    Vaan walked up to a door and knocked gently,


    "Who is it?" A voice was heard.


    "It is me, mother."


    Vaan replied with a slight smile on his face.


    "..."


    However, he didn''t receive any reply. A waited for a while, however, after not getting a response for about a minute,


    "Is there a prob-"


    "Enter."


    Suddenly, Astra spoke.


    Vaan tilted his head in confusion, however, in the end, he didn''t think too much about it and walked into Astra''s room.


    "You finally have the time to meet your mother, huh," Astramented with a gentle smile on her face.


    Seeing that, Vaan smiled as well.


    "I was studying." He replied.


    "Heh, at first, you refused to study even after I forced you, now, you are studying so much that you don''t even spare time for your mother. Have you sworn to never make your mother happy or something?" Astra questioned as she raised her eyebrow.


    "I am doing all this for you, Mother. Son of the Astra Elysia Vesta cannot be trash, now can he? I need to catch up if I do not want to ruin your reputation."


    "I have told you this before as well, Vaan. You do not have to take any unnecessary pressure. Do things at your own pace. I am just d that you are taking things seriously, but don''t exhaust yourself, alright?" Astra replied in worry.


    Hearing those words, Vaan smiled.


    He sat right next to her and then ced his head on herp.


    "I can alwayse to you if I ever feel tired, can I not?"


    He questioned.


    At the same time, the little fairy flew around and sat on Vaan''s stomach. However, seeing as his mother was not reacting to her at all, Vaan realized that even she couldn''t see her.


    ''Even someone like mother can''t see her... am I the only one in the world who can...? Just what kind of being is she?''


    Vaan had read many books that mentioned different races in the world, however, none of them ever mentioned something like this little Fairy.


    ''Well whatever, she is cute.'' In the end, Vaan just shrugged.


    "So you are saying you would onlye to your mother when you feel exhausted?" Astra questioned as she started ruffling Vaan''s hair.


    "Hahaha~ Please don''t be like that, mother.


    And I have heard it all from Gabel, you used to hole yourself up in the library when you were young as well. At least I have taken the books I wish to read into my room and oftene out of my room to meet you, I heard you locked yourself inside the library for weeks and rarelye out.


    Aren''t I doing a lot better already in that matter?"


    "It seems like I need to have a chat with Gabel," Astra spoke with a ''gentle'' smile on her face.


    "I pity him." Vaan chuckled.


    "Then you shouldn''t put him in a difficult situation, I am sure you are the one who forced him to tell all this. He would never open his mouth on his own."


    "I will refrain frommenting."


    "You!"


    Astra pulled Vaan''s right ear,


    "Aaahhhh!!" Vaan cried in pain.


    "It seems I have been going too easy on you, huh."


    "Hahaha~"


    Vaanughed out loud.


    Soon, Astra startedughing as well.


    "Mother."


    Suddenly, Vaan called out.


    "Hm?"


    "Where should I practice Magic?"


    "Huh? Is your room not enough?" Astra frowned.


    "No, I meant that I need to ce to release Magic."


    "Release Magic? Vaan you..."


    A slightly proud smile appeared on Vaan''s face, then suddenly, the Mana around him moved and,


    *Flicker*


    He unleashed his magic.


    "!!!"


    Seeing him casting Magic, Astra''s eyes widened in surprise.


    "You can cast Magic now!" She eximed in joy.


    "Of course! Did you think I was lying when I said I would catch up to you? Heh, just wait, it won''t take long before I surpass you."


    "Heh, getting arrogant, are we?" Astra smiled.


    "Whose son do you think I am?"


    "Oh ho~"


    Astra couldn''t help but smile.


    These moments where she could smile so freely, they were extremely rare. However, ever since that day when Vaan rushed towards her and hugged her, she noticed that these moments were getting more and more frequent.


    This peace that her heart felt...


    She hoped that nothing would harm it.


    "Mother, you still haven''t answered my question." Vaan reminded.


    "You can use Magic Training Halls, the walls there can repair themselves no matter how much damage they take."


    "But I heard that Magic Training Halls are shared by many people at the same time... I would like to study my Magic without any interference if possible."


    "Hmmm, alright, I will free a Magic Training Room for you then, although you need to be a 3 Circle Mage to use those rooms, I will arrange something for you."


    "Thank you, Mother.


    It is great that you are the Family Head." Vaanughed.


    "Using your mother''s position for your own benefit, how shameless."


    "What can I say? I would be a fool if I don''t take advantage of how amazing my mother is, won''t I?"


    "As long as you work hard."


    "Don''t worry, I will work harder than anyone."


    "Don''t push yourself too hard," Astra spoke.


    "..."


    Vaan didn''t know what to say.


    How can his mother simply contradict herself in the next sentence?


    ''Heh.''


    In the end, he justughed it off and closed his eyes.


    Astra continued to ruffle his hair.


    The two of them talked, time passed, and an hourter, Vaan stood up.


    "I will take my leave now, mother. Also, I forgot to tell you, I n on going out today."


    "Oh? That is good.


    Go and get some fresh air."


    "Mhm." Vaan nodded.


    "Then I will take my leave now, Mother," Vaan spoke and turned around.


    After he left, the doors of Astra''s study room opened and a youngdy walked out with a sheepish expression on her face.


    Astra turned towards her and sighed,


    "You should have met him, you know? He has changed, he will definitely treat you well this time."


    "Y-Young Master Vaan never treated me poorly." The youngdy answered.


    "Haah! Still taking his side even after everything he has done. What am I going to do with you, you fool?


    I have no clue why that idiot decided to chase after that selfish woman when he already has a lovely angel like you."


    Astra shook her head.

 Chapter 22 You Are In Trouble

    ?"Did you bring what I asked?"


    Vaan questioned as he returned to his room after spending some time with his mother.


    Gabel simply took out a small book and passed it to Vaan.


    "It has all the information Young Master requested."


    Vaan grabbed the book and skimmed through it,


    "It is quite detailed."


    Gabel bowed his head.


    "You did well." Vaan praised.


    Then, he started reading the content of the book more carefully. Gabel stood still and didn''t say anything.


    15 minutester, Vaan finally closed the book.


    "Gabel, let''s go."


    "Huh? Young Master Vaan, where are we going?"


    "To my dear friend''s house."


    "Your friend''s house...?"


    "Take me to Asher''s house."


    "A-Asher?"


    Gabel''s eyes widened in surprise.


    Asher, he was one of the five men who had beaten up Young Master that day, why is Young Master asking him to take him to that man''s house? And... why does he have that scary smile on his face?


    Just what was the Young Master thinking?


    Gabel''s mind was filled with all these questions, however, right now, he had to fulfill his Young Master''s request.


    "As youmand, Young Master."


    Vaan then followed Gabel and left the Vesta Mansion.


    Just as he expected, the more he moved around, the more his fuzzy memories became clearer, he started remembering different ces the previous Vaan used to visit and started having a basic idea of how the roads are connected and which turn took him where.


    Vaan also realized that, unlike the world he came from, this world was still stuck in medieval times, where instead of cars, people traveled using carriages.


    These carriages, although slower, were far morefortable than any car he ever sat on.


    Even though the horses were pulling it, he didn''t feel even a single bump. If he closes his window, he wouldn''t even realize that he was moving, it was thatfortable.


    Vaan continued to look outside, the more he looked, the more clearer previous Vaan''s memories became.


    30 minutester, the carriage finally stopped.


    "We are here, Young Master."


    The driver said.


    Gabel walked out, Vaan followed.


    "Young Master, as mentioned in the information I gave you,


    Asher Zyanes from Zyan Family, they are not exactly strong, they are an independent but small Mage family, whose leader is a 5th Circle Mage. They are nothing impressive, however, you still should not underestimate them.


    They may not be much in front Vesta Family, but if you cause a ruckus here, they won''t just stay silent. The mages of their family are known to have high pride and an unbending will. Vesta Family name wouldn''t scare them if you act unreasonably."


    Gable warned. He had seen what Young Master Vaan did to Aldric.


    There weren''t many problems since Aldric was only a servant, however, that incident made clear how ruthless Young Master Vaan was.


    Gabel had to make sure that Young Master Vaan don''t lose his self-control here.


    "Don''t worry, Gabel, just trust me,


    I am not an unreasonable person."


    Vaan spoke with a small smile on his face.


    Then, he nced at the Mansion in front of him.


    It wasn''t nearly as grand as his Family''s Mansion, however, it was still alright.


    Vaan, however, wasn''t here for sightseeing, he stopped looking around and walked towards the Mansion.


    "Young Master Vaan?"


    Soon, he was recognized by a guard.


    "What are you doing here, Young Master Vaan?"


    He questioned.


    "Can I not visit my friend?" Vaan questioned.


    "Of course you can! It is our honor!


    Pleasee in, I shall inform Young Master Asher about your arrival."


    The guard spoke as he invited Vaan inside.


    Vaan followed the guard, the guard sent someone else to bring Asher while he himself took him to the guest room.


    "Please wait here for a while, Young Master Vaan, Young Master Asher will be here soon."


    The guard spoke with a polite look on his face.


    Vaan nodded. 5 minutester, the doors of the room finally opened up.


    "Young Master Vaan! I can''t believe you decided to show up! How have you been!?"


    A ck haired man with a mole on his neck walked into a room with a smile on his face. Seeing Vaan sitting on the sofa, the man''s smile widened, he walked towards Vaan, sat next to him, and ced his arm over Vaan''s neck.


    Seeing this action, Gabel narrowed his eyes, however, the man didn''t care about him. An insignificant servant''s thoughts didn''t matter.


    "Are your injuries alright, Young Master Vaan? We all really held back that time, but what could we do? We never thought that Young Master Vaan who carries the blood of the Vesta Family would end up like that. We deeply regret our actions, we should have been more careful."


    The man sighed dramatically.


    He was Asher Zyan, one of Vaan''s ''friends.''


    The moment his servant informed him about the arrival of the pushover Vaan, he was surprised, Vaan never came to his mansion on his own ord, it was always he and his other friends who went to him, after all, who wouldn''t want to visit the Vesta Family Mansion and look around?


    He didn''t wish to admit it, however, someone of his status wouldn''t even be allowed near the Vesta Mansion, let alone inside the Vesta Family grounds, if it weren''t for the fact that he was the ''friend'' of Young Master Vaan.


    And what was the best part?


    Since Young Master Vaan was such a pushover, he didn''t have to act subservient to him either. They can walk into the Vesta Family, with their head held high, and can even order around some servants there.


    They were at the peak of their life!


    How many people had the privilege of doing something like that!?


    Thinking about all this, Asher couldn''t help but smile. He nced at the man responsible for all this, since Asher was this close to him, he expected Vaan to be looking down timidly, while remembering how he got beaten up by them, however, what he saw made him raise his eyebrow in surprise.


    Vaan...


    He was grinning...


    And it wasn''t just a normal grin, it was one of the most sinister, scary grins he had ever seen in his life.


    This type of expression on the pushover Vaan''s face...


    Unconsciously, Asher moved back.


    "Asher my good friend,"


    Suddenly, Vaan called out.


    "H-Huh?" Asher was taken aback. Vaan then turned towards him with that scary smile, and then,


    "You are in trouble,


    Big, Big Trouble."

 Chapter 23 You Tell Me, Do You Really Think I Am A Pushover?

    ?"Asher my good friend,


    You are in trouble,


    Big, Big Trouble."


    Vaan spoke with a scary smile on his face.


    Now that he saw Asher, new streams of memories rushed into his brain. Vaan was already used to this by now, also, the things he learned from these memories, it pretty much coincided with what he had already concluded.


    Asher was also one of the people who knew how big of a pushover the previous Vaan was and often used him. He borrowed quite a lot of money and used his family status to get things he normally couldn''t get, he even bullied a few people under Vaan''s name.


    Of course, these were soon going to be actions Asher would regret most in his life.


    "W-What trouble are you talking about, Young Master Vaan?" Asher questioned as he tried to stay calm.


    Vaan was a pushover, so he reacted strongly to even minor troubles, Asher wanted to believe that this was one of those cases as well but for some reason¡­ he felt that wasn''t the truth.


    "You see, my mother looked at the injuries that I sustained after our spar and...


    She concluded that some of the attacks were aimed at my life." Vaan spoke.


    "Huh¡­?"


    Asher''s expression changed.


    Seeing that expression, a small smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    That smile Asher hadbined with that tone when Asher said, ''Young Master Vaan!'', those eyes that clearly looked down on him and mocked him inwardly, it annoyed Vaan.


    Therefore, seeing that smile being reced by this shocked and fearful expression, Vaan felt satisfied.


    Of course, this didn''t mean he was nning to end it here,


    Rubbing salt on someone''s wound was Vaan''s hobby.


    "You understand what I mean, right?


    Sustaining injuries in a spar is not a problem, however, if those attacks were aimed at other''s life, and that too, the life of the man who has Vesta''s blood flowing through his veins¡­


    You should understand the seriousness of the issue, right?"


    Asher''s face paled in fear.


    Attacking Vesta''s blood with an intention to kill¡­ no matter how big of a pushover, useless, talentless,zy, and simp of a person that was, it was no different than dering war on the Vesta Family and that is something that could ruin not only Asher but the entire Zyan Family.


    "Y-Young Master V-Vaan, what a-are you talking ab-about? Aiming for your l-life? W-Why would a-any of us do that?"


    Asher stuttered, he couldn''t understand the situation.


    How can this happen? They made sure not to critically injure Vaan!


    They were just passing some time. Bullying someone from the mighty Vesta Family was satisfying, it was also one of the best ways for them to feel good about themselves and take out their frustration on him.


    But that was it!


    Why would they try to kill him!?


    They had no enmity against Vaan!


    Even if they were enemies, Asher and the other 4 clearly knew their limit,


    They would never do such a thing!


    "Why do you think I came here? You are one of my close friends, how could you possibly try to kill me?" Vaan spoke as he looked at Asher with a kind look on his face.


    "T-That is correct! How can I possibly try to kill you?" Asher''s face brightened up.


    "Young Master, you have to help me out! Your mother must have been mistaken; you have to tell her that we are innocent."


    Asher spoke up.


    He was desperate. This can very well lead to the destruction of his entire family. Asher could not take responsibility for something as big as this. He had to do something.


    "I know that and I tried to take your side, however, my mother just called me a pushover and dismissed my opinion. I can''t believe she did that.


    You tell me, do you really think I am a pushover?"


    Vaan questioned.


    "N-No¡­ h-how could Young Master Vaan be a pushover?"


    Asher stuttered. Even he himself couldn''t believe what he was saying.


    "Young Master Vaan is one of the brightest and most charismatic people I have ever seen."


    "Right? I don''t even know where she got that idea from."


    Vaan crossed his arms and dramatically shook his head.


    "I can''t believe she would act like that, so what if she is my mother? So what if she is one of the strongest mages in this world? Does that make her right all the time? Even she can make mistakes sometimes, right? It is not like she is a God. I don-"


    Vaan wanted to continue bbering, however, the more he spoke, the higher Asher''s heartbeat got, he could practically see the destruction of his family in front of his eyes.


    He didn''t have time to listen to this idiot''s bbering.


    "Y-Young Master, y-you have to d-do something about it. I beg you, please help me out." Asher urged.


    "Of course, that is what I am here for, after all." Vaan smiled politely.


    Asher felt strangely irritated when he saw Vaan''s smile.


    Here he was panicking, trying to think of a way to save himself and his family, and then there is this man,ughing like an idiot without knowing the seriousness of the situation.


    Asher wanted nothing more than to beat this idiot again.


    "You can trust me, Asher. I will not let anything happen to my friends."


    Suddenly, Vaan spoke up, and hearing those words, Asher nced at Vaan and froze.


    Young Master Vaan¡­ for some reason¡­ he didn''t look annoying anymore¡­ rather, he looked strangely dependable.


    Asher started feeling bad for all those things he had done to Vaan in the past.


    Vaan¡­ he came here to save him from this predicament¡­


    Asher was touched.


    He wanted to put his trust in Vaan.


    But suddenly, Vaan extended his hand.


    "Young Master Vaan¡­? What are you doing¡­?"


    Asher frowned in confusion.


    "Hmm? You need me to make a move and help you, don''t you?"


    Vaan questioned back.


    "Y-Yes yes." Asher nodded.


    "You can''t be expecting me to take a risk of going after my mother for free, right?"


    "W-What?" Asher stuttered.


    Then, with a most genuine smile on his face, Vaan spoke,


    "20 Elemental Stones.


    Hand them over and I will try my best to save you."

 Chapter 24 Tsk, Getting Me All Worked Up For No Reason

    ?"20 Elemental Stones.


    Hand them over and I will try my best to save you."


    Vaan spoke with a genuine smile on his face and hearing those words, Asher couldn''t help but shout out loud.


    "WHAT!?"


    "What?" Vaan spoke nonchntly, rolling his eyes as he picked his ears


    "That is equivalent to 20,000 Gold Coins! That''s what our family makes in 2 years!" Asher retorted.


    "And?"


    Vaan however, just tilted his head in confusion.


    Then, with a small smile on his face, he questioned,


    "Are you saying that asking for 2 years of your family''s ie is too much for saving you? I would say that I am being rather generous here.


    Right, I forgot to mention, make sure your family doesn''t know about it.


    You know how hotheaded the Head of your Family is, right? Honestly, I shouldn''t say it, but with that meager strength of a 5th Circle Mage, rather than that hotheadedness, your family head should learn the art of bowing his head in front of his betters, but let''s not talk about it.


    As I was saying, if your family head learns that I am asking for 20 Elemental Stones to save you and your family, he would definitely get enraged and go to my Family.


    I am telling you this right here, but if the matter gets that troublesome, then let alone 20, even 200 Elemental Stones wouldn''t be enough to protect you, so make sure your family doesn''t know about it, alright?"


    "H-How am I supposed to give you 20 E-Elemental Stones without letting my family know? A-As I said, t-that''s equivalent to 2 years of my family ie. T-There is no w-way I can arrange that sort of money myself." Asher voiced out his problems.


    "Do not try to fool me, Asher. Your family has been around for centuries now, hasn''t it? You aren''t telling me that they haven''t saved up anything at all, are you?"


    "W-W-What are you trying to say...?"


    Asher questioned. He had a bad premonition.


    "Come on, my dear friend.


    Do I really need to spell what you have to do out for you?"


    Vaan spoke with a demonic smile on his face.


    "You¡­ You want me to rob my family''s treasury¡­"


    Asher finally realized.


    "You are brighter than you look."


    Vaan replied with an evil smile on his face.


    "But that''s a serious crime! I would get executed if I get caught!" Asher shouted.


    "Then choose." Vaan shrug.


    "Choose between a path where you might die if you get caught, or a path where the death is certain.


    The choice is yours."


    Vaan ced his legs on the table in front of him with an unbothered look on his face.


    Seeing him act like that, Asher couldn''t believe his eyes.


    To think that the timid Vaan would act like this.


    Just what in the hell happened to him? That unbothered look as he pushed Asher into the corner, leaving him no choice but to rob his own family''s treasury.


    "You bastards from the Vesta Family!! You people already monopolize all the Elemental Stone Ores! Your Family earns more than 100 Ores every single month! Is that not enough for you!?"


    Asher couldn''t control himself andshed out.


    "Huh? Howe my Family is involved here?"


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel Vaan, however, simply tilted his head in confusion.


    "Y-You bastards have already taken away all our source of ie! Even the Elemental Ore found on our Family Land was taken away by you guys! The Mages of our Family have to work for your family so that they can earn enough Elemental Stones to continue their research with! We barely collect enough Stones to sustain the needs of our Family Mages and now you want me to rob my own family treasury!? How can you be so shameless!? Great Vesta Family my a-"


    "Woah Woah Woah, enough champ. The fuck are you getting all emotional for? The Vesta Family monopolizes all the Elemental Ores? We are heartless and make the mages of your family work for us in order for them to continue their research?


    So what?


    Why does your pest-like family still decide to rot here in Vesta City?


    The Vesta Family never stopped you from leaving, did we?


    Why don''t you go ahead and leave the city? There are Magic Families in the Four Kingdoms as well, aren''t there? Why don''t you go rot there huh?"


    Vaan questioned as he red at Asher.


    "How do you think you are living a free life, researching whatever you feel like without having to worry about anything at all huh? You want the Ore? With your pitiful strength, would you even be able to keep it? What do you think would happen even if you do get your hands on the ore, huh?


    Let me tell you,


    Your family will be destroyed.


    What? Do you think it is you guys who are loyal dogs and let us Vesta Family keep the ore? Fuck no, you are just too weak to do anything about it and act like a little bitch who wags their tail with their tongue out to taste a part of the whole piece.


    The moment you guys gain strength, the first thing you would do is attack us and take the ore away, though I highly doubt pussies like you would ever be that powerful.


    I have ignored it today, but I better not hear you talking shit about my family, you got that? Don''t force me to rip that stinky mouth off."


    Hearing Vaan''s words, Asher almost coughed out blood.


    Was¡­ was this man really the same pushover he knew?


    Just what happened?


    Why is he so different than before?


    Asher couldn''t understand.


    Right now, the only thing he could do was lower his head. Vaan''s aura was just too overwhelming for him to refute his words.


    "Tsk, getting me all worked up for no reason."


    Vaan snorted.


    ...


    *Map of the world*

 Chapter 25 We Are Just Playing Around.

    ?"Tsk, getting me all worked up for no reason."


    Vaan snorted.


    Then while rubbing the back of his neck, he nced at Asher and,


    "You have a week to arrange the money, don''t me me for what happens if you fail to get me what I want.


    Ah, right, make sure no one in your family knows about this."


    Saying those words, Vaan started walking.


    He was done here.


    Or so he thought¡­


    "You¡­ Lady Astra does not know you are here¡­ does she?" Suddenly, Asher, who was sitting on the sofa with his head low questioned.


    "Hm?" Vaan tilted his head in confusion.


    "This story of Lady Astra looking at your injuries and thinking the attacks were aimed at your life,


    all of it is fake, isn''t it?


    You are just using her name to threaten me, aren''t you?


    That is why you do not want me to inform my family because once that happens, my family head would go and directly confront Lady Astra, and once Lady Astra finds out about what you have been doing using her name, you would be punished, isn''t that right?"


    Asher spoke as he raised his head and carefully looked for any changes in Vaan''s face.


    If his theory is correct, then Vaan''s expression would change and he would start panicking. Vaan might have gained that confidence from somewhere, however, the moment he would reveal his n, Asher was sure that he would revert back to his usual timid self.


    However, Vaan''s next move caught Asher off guard.


    "I guess you aren''t aplete fool."


    "Huh¡­?"


    Asher tilted his head in confusion.


    Vaan''s smile then widened up and,


    "I was just using my mother''s name to threaten you.


    You didn''t really think you get away after hitting me, did you?"


    Hearing those words, something inside Asher broke.


    He nearly had a heart attack imagining the destruction of his family, his loved ones, and himself, but to think all of this was just a joke for this bastard! To make it worse, rather than backing away or feeling guilty about this, this bastard was actually smiling at him!


    "YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!"


    Asher shouted in rage as he rushed towards Vaan.


    Vaan, however, simply stepped aside and punched Asher''s nose. Just from this punch, Asher felt his vision blurring.


    Vaanughed.


    He was too experienced to have trouble going against someone like Asher, who had barely fought anyone using his fists before.


    He punched his nose again, another wave of dizziness taking over Asher, then, Vaan kicked his abdomen, sending him flying back to the sofa again.


    A secondter, Asher finally came back to his senses, realizing that he was pushed away by Vaan, his anger soared even higher.


    "You are dead!"


    He cursed.


    Then, the Mana around him moved.


    He may look like this but Asher was a 2nd Circle Mage, he was a far stronger mage than Vaan, who had barely mastered his first Circle and didn''t even know how to properly release his magic yet.


    Two Magic Circles started forming around Asher, but then,


    *Crash*


    *Bam*


    Asher felt a heavy impact on his head.


    Vaan had smashed a nearby lightmp on his head.


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel "Aaaggghhh!!"


    Asher''s vision blurred again, he screamed in pain as he grabbed his head, the magic circles that had half-formed broke apart.


    Vaan then leisurely ced his feet on Asher''s left thigh and,


    "You are barely standing 3 meters away from me and Do you really think I''d wait for you to cast your spell for 5 long seconds and just prepare my own spell to defend myself?


    As I thought, instead of the brain, you have shit inside your head, don''t you?"


    Vaan questioned.


    Asher, on the other hand, didn''t reply, he felt something wet on his head when he nced at his trembling hand and realized what that red sticky liquid was, he just screamed in horror.


    "Aaaaggghhhh!!"


    "Pussy."


    Vaan snorted, then,


    *Bam*


    He smashed his knee onto Asher''s face. Asher fell back, with how he acted, Vaan knew that he was on the verge of passing out.


    "Well, that was satisfying."


    Vaan spoke as he rubbed the back of his neck and stretched his body.


    But suddenly,


    "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"


    Three guards rushed into the room and the one, who was their leader, shouted when he saw Asher''s condition. Gabel who saw everything unfold widened his eyes in fear.


    Things were definitely getting out of hand now!


    These guards, they weren''t weak at all.


    Subduing Asher wasn''t a big deal, however, there is no way they could go against these guards.


    Vaan, however, just smiled,


    "Why are you acting like that? We are just ying around."


    "You call that ying around!? Young Master Asher is bleeding!" the head guard shouted.


    "So?"


    Vaan, however, just tilted his head in confusion.


    "So what if he is bleeding? Wasn''t I bleeding as well when he and his 4 other friends sparred with me?"


    "T-That was a spar! It is normal for you to bleed in a spar! This is not a spar! You came here to meet him and then attacked him! That''s an assault!" The head guard shouted.


    "An Assault huh?" Vaan muttered.


    Then, a big smile appeared on his face and,


    "Now what are you going to do?"


    The eerie smile on his face made nted a seed of nervousness in everyone''s mind, even Gabel''s.


    His Young Master¡­


    He looked like a demon!


    "W-We will apprehend you and report this to your family!"


    The head guard shouted.


    "Oh? So you are gonna apprehend a member of the Vesta Family huh, I must say, Zyan Family is quite bold."


    "Y-You... Are you threatening us!?"


    The head guard questioned with an intimidating look on his face.


    "Oh no, of course not.


    Go ahead, apprehend me, no worries.


    A member of the Vesta Family being apprehended by a mere Zyan family, I am sure it wouldn''t cause any trouble at all."

 Chapter 26 You Have 3 Days.

    ?"Oh no, of course not.


    Go ahead, apprehend me, no worries.


    A member of the Vesta Family being apprehended by a mere Zyan family, I am sure it wouldn''t cause any trouble at all."


    Vaan smiled.


    He knew how strong his family was.


    It was the only family that had an entire, independent city as theirnd and was not a member of any of the 4 Kingdoms.


    A mere Zyan family''s guards would think 1000 times before apprehending the member of the Vesta Family.


    The only reason they were being so bold right now was because he was the infamous pushover, Vaan Astra Vesta.


    Of course, today, his aura waspletely different from what he was popr for.


    The guards were taken aback,


    "You were seen standing right next to Young Master Asher, who is seriously wounded, we have perfect reason to apprehend you! The Vesta Family would never take action against us because we are in the right!" The head guard spoke.


    "As I said, you have the ''cause'', go ahead and do what you ought to do, the Vesta Family is an honorable family, they wouldn''t do anything since, again, you have the ''cause''.


    Though I am not sure if the incident of ganging up against the son of the Vesta Family and assaulting him in the name of ''spar'' is enough ''cause'' for the Vesta Family to take action."


    Hearing those words, the head guard froze.


    "T-T-That was j-just a spar¡­" He stuttered.


    "Sure sure, a spar where five 2nd Circle Mages surrounded a 1st Circle Mage, I am sure it sounds like a fair battle. If I say I was threatened and assaulted, I am sure no one in my family would believe me and everyone would trust the words of your Young Master."


    "W-What¡­ what do you want?"


    Suddenly, the head guard questioned.


    He realized it.


    There was no way he would win. Young Master Vaan, he was far different from what Young Master Asher told him.


    If things continue like this, it would bring catastrophe to the Zyan family.


    "That''s not quite the tone one should have when they talk to someone carrying the Vesta Blood." Vaan smiled.


    The head guard''s body trembled,


    "W-What can we do for you, Young Master Vaan?"


    He questioned as he bowed his head.


    "Heh, that''s better."


    Vaan chuckled.


    Then, with a cold look on his face, he ordered,


    "Leave, I don''t want to see that crab-like face of yours any longer."


    "B-But Young Master Asher¡­"


    "What? Do you think I would do something to him? Are you doubting me?"


    "N-No.


    Then I w-would entrust Young Master Asher to Young Master Vaan."


    Saying those words, the 3 guards quickly walked away.


    "Heh, it''s finally silent." Vaanughed.


    Then, he nced at Asher, who was still sitting on the sofa with a dizzy look on his face.


    "Y-You really think you can get away f-from using your family name like that? V-Vesta Family holds its honor in high regard, the descendant of the esteemed Vesta family acting like a thug and using his family influence to threaten others¡­ they wouldn''t like that¡­"


    Asher mumbled.


    Honestly, even though the logic behind his retort was pretty strong, his tone was just too weak.


    Whether it was because he was injured or because he was fearful, Vaan didn''t know, however,


    ''To think this spineless bastard was brave enough to push me around. Just how much of a pushover was I?''


    He was disappointed.


    Then, he just sighed and let the ''Christopher'' take over,


    "Listen to me, Asher," Vaan called out.


    "What do you think would happen to me if it is revealed that I used my family''s influence to do all this?"


    Asher nced at Vaan for a while however, he couldn''te up with an answer.


    Vaan grinned, "I am a 20-year-old 1st Circle Mage, the Shame of the Vesta Family which ''holds honor in high regard'', someone like me should have already been kicked out of the family, yet here I am, moving around freely without any troubles.


    Why do you think that is the case?"


    Vaan questioned and Asher''s expression changed. Vaan''s smile widened.


    "Do you see it now?


    My mother is the Head of the Vesta Family, Asher.


    Even if my actions here are revealed, at best, my mother would force me into the library and won''t allow me to leave the house for a month or two.


    At best, my punishment would be house arrest.


    That''s it, nothing worse would happen to me."


    Then, Vaan moved his mouth close to Asher''s ears and,


    "But what about you, Asher?


    If my family learns about it and I am punished, who do you think I would me, huh?


    Would it be my mother who punished me?


    Of course not.


    Someone like me doesn''t have the balls to me her.


    I would obviously me someone I can take out my frustration on. Someone I can squash like a bug.


    It would be you, Asher.


    If I am punished, I woulde after you.


    What do you think would happen then, Asher?


    You think I would let you live a peaceful life?"


    "Y-You wouldn''t be able to do anything¡­ Y-Your mother w-wouldn''t allow i-it¡­" Asher retorted in an extremely weak voice. His body was already trembling in fear. Even speaking out the words he spoke took all the strength and guts he had.


    "Who said she would get to know about this?


    No matter how much of a trash I am, I am still the Son of the Vesta Family''s head, do you know how many families or mages would die to make me owe them a favor?


    How hard do you think it would be for me to hire a 3 or 4 Circle Mage to ruin your life?"


    Asher turned and nced at Vaan, seeing those golden eyes and that horrifying grin on his face, he felt goosebumps all over his body,


    Asher was scared, he was very scared,


    "I-I will g-give you 20 E-Elemental Stones¡­ a-and will make sure no one would know about it¡­"


    In the end, he gave in.


    Vaan''s grin widened,


    "You have 3 days."


    "Y-You said you would give me a w-week¡­"


    "That was before you dared to attack me, I ought to punish you for making foolish mistakes, don''t I?"


    "B-But how would I g-gather 20 Elemental stones in 3 d-days?"


    Asher questioned.


    "That''s something you need to figure out, isn''t it?" Vaan smiled.


    Then, he turned around.


    "Gabel, don''t just stand there, take me to my second friend''s house."


    Vaan ordered with a fresh smile on his face.


    Gabel, who was frozen stiff seeing Asher sitting on the sofa with a bloodied face and dead body-like posture, finally came out of his reverie and,


    "A-As you cmand, Young Master."


    It was a productive day indeed.

 Chapter 27 Dont Mess This Up, Vaan

    ?"You called, Mother?"


    Vaan questioned as he walked into his mother''s room.


    This time, however, he wasn''t weed by the usually warm smile Astra always had. Right now, Astra was sitting on a chair with a cold look on her face.


    "Enter."


    Astra ordered.


    Vaan frowned in confusion.


    What happened? Why was his mother acting like that?


    Vaan walked towards Astra and stood in front of her.


    "You have gotten daring, haven''t you?"


    Astra questioned as she red at Vaan.


    "What are you talking about, Mother?" Vaan questioned.


    "What? Did you think I wouldn''t know that you went to those 5 families and threatened them?" Astra spoke.


    Vaan narrowed his eyes.


    Soon, however, he realized it,


    "Gabel¡­"


    "What Gabel!? You think I wouldn''t get to know about it if he hadn''t reported it!?"


    "No, but you wouldn''t have learned about it so soon," Vaan replied honestly.


    Hearing his answer, Astra''s anger soared even higher.


    "How dare you walk into their family and threaten them using our Family name!? What kind of lowly behavior is this!?


    What are you, a thug!?


    Or is it our Vesta Family that is nothing but a bunch of thugs banded together!?"


    Astra shouted as she mmed the table in front of her in anger.


    "We are not a group of thugs, Mother," Vaan replied with a calm look on his face.


    Seeing his calmness, Astra''s anger faltered a little. She felt like unlike Vaan''s usual impulsive actions, this one was something he had nned.


    In the end, Astra gave him the benefit of the doubt and,


    "You better exin your actions, Vaan."


    "Those 5 dared to attack me, Mother. They needed to pay the price."


    "So you did this because of petty revenge?" Astra raised her eyebrow.


    "That is correct.


    Anyone who dares to bare his fang against me cannot get out scot-free, the descendants of the Vesta Family are not that weak."


    "Descendants of the Vesta Family are never weak! The only weakling here is you Vaan!


    Why are you acting all proud and great when the only thing you did was use your family name and threaten them!?


    What kind of revenge is that, huh!? You might as well juste to me and beg me to take care of little enemies you have made!"


    "Mother, I didn''t just threaten them, I also beat them up on my own. I just felt like beating them was not enough so I decided to get some money out of it."


    Vaan replied with a confident smile as he rubbed his fist.


    "Yes, I heard that as well, a member of the Vesta Family going around attacking people using his fists,mps, and cutleries." Astra nodded her head,


    Then, she looked into Vaan''s face and,


    "Do you think that is something to be proud of!?


    If you wanted to show your superiority, then go fight them using your magic. Challenge them to a magic duel and defeat them!


    That is how a Vesta descendant should act!" She shouted.


    "My Magic abilities are not good enough to use in a fight, Mother. I had to use what I felt the most confident in." Vaan replied.


    "¡­" Astra turned silent.


    She was beaming with rage, however, Vaan''s calm replies didn''t give her any chance to take all that out. She would have preferred if Vaan simply stood still in guilt, or retorted back in anger, that way, at the very least, she could take her anger out.


    In front of Vaan''s calm replies, however, she felt lost.


    In the end, Astra sighed and decided to take a different approach,


    "Do you know how severe the consequences of your actions are?" Astra questioned.


    "I do not." Vaan shook his head.


    "If people found out about this, they wouldn''t me you, they would me the Vesta Family, your uncles, and aunts already do not like you, once this happens, they would not sit still. Even I would have a hard time protecting you."


    "Don''t worry, that won''t happen, mother. Nobody would find out about this, Asher and the others won''t open their mouths." Vaan shook his hand nonchntly.


    "And how are you so sure about that?" Astra raised her eyebrow.


    ''How many times do you think I have done this?''


    Vaan spoke inwardly.


    This was definitely not the first time he had threatened someone.


    And from his experience, this was one of the better cases, he had even ckmailed people in cases where he didn''t even have the actual power behind him. In this case, however, he had all the power he needed.


    Honestly, Vaan was having a hard time believing that previous Vaan didn''t use his family name to his advantage.


    Just how big of a fool one has to be to not use this huge advantage he has?


    Vaan would have preferred if the rather than a pushover, previous Vaan was someone who used his family status to bully others. At least then, he wouldn''t have to recall all those embarrassing memories of being looked down on by those who are lower than him.


    Anyways, as Vaan mentioned, from his experience in ckmailing and threatening, he was sure Asher and the others wouldn''t open their mouth, however, the problem was¡­


    How was he going to exin this to his mother¡­?


    "Mother."


    After thinking about all this, Vaan called out.


    "What?"


    "I ask you to trust me."


    "Huh?"


    "As I said before, I have changed. I am not like the previous Vaan anymore and I assure you, my actions would not trouble you anymore.


    You do not have to protect me anymore, now, the only thing you need to do is wait and be proud of your child''s aplishments.


    I know these actions of mine are not something to be proud of, they were crude and unrefined, but trust me, I will improve. I''ll study magic, get better and I will make you proud. I promise you."


    Vaan spoke with an earnest look on his face.


    Hearing those words, all of Astra''s anger flushed in an instant,


    "A-Alright, whatever. Remember what you said, I will not protect you this time."


    "Yes, mother. You won''t have to."


    "You can leave now."


    Astra ordered.


    "Yes, I will take my leave." Vaan nodded with a slight smile, then, he turned around.


    Just as he was about to leave,


    "Go to Magic Training room 8 at 5 in the evening, you will have 2 hours to practice your magic."


    Astra spoke.


    Vaan''s smile widened,


    "Thank you for your help, mother."


    Saying those words, Vaan walked out of the room.


    Astra, who was left alone in the room just sighed,


    "Young Master has changed."


    Suddenly, a figure covered in ck appeared behind Astra andmented.


    "I just don''t know if it is a good change or not." Astra sighed.


    "Please stop lying to yourself, Lady Astra. The smile on your face is already giving it away." The figure spoke.


    With a surprised look on her face, Astra nced at the mirror,


    She was indeed smiling.


    In the end, she decided to not hide it andughed out loud,


    "I heard he broke their noses."


    "He created quite a mess out of their faces. Those young men are still being treated, with how severe their injuries are, I believe it would take a month before their face finally returns to normal." The figure reported.


    "That is good. They deserve nothing less." Astra nodded with a proud look on her face.


    "Though I still wish he would have used Magic to do that."


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel Astra sighed.


    The figure who was standing beside her didn''t say anything. However, inwardly, she was full ofints.


    If she could speak freely, she would haveshed out at Astra.


    ''Not everyone is ridiculously strong as you! How is a 1st Circle Mage supposed to use magic to fight their opponent when they are barely 2-3 meters away from each other!? Only monsters like you have that kind of casting speed!''


    "Anyways, I hope this changed Vaan wouldn''t make a mistake today.


    I am really looking forward to their meeting. Since he is doing everything right,


    I want him to do the right thing here as well."


    Suddenly, Astramented.


    "The time slot you gave him.


    If I am not wrong, it should be the time when Lady ra should be exiting that room."


    The figuremented.


    A smile appeared on Astra''s face and,


    ''Don''t mess this up, Vaan.''

 Chapter 28 Why Do The Jerks Like This Bastard Get Caring Girls Like Her?

    ?"This should be Magic Training Room 8¡­" Vaan muttered as he stood in front of a room with 8 written on the door.


    "What is he doing here?"


    "Is he here to cause trouble?"


    "Heh, are you crazy? Even he wouldn''t be able to get out scot-free if he create trouble here."


    "Is he perhaps here for Magic Practice?"


    "Heh, don''t joke around, when has he ever been serious about magic?"


    "You are right¡­"


    This ce was full of mages who had juste out of the Magic Training Room or were waiting to go in, and the moment these mages'' eyes fell on him, they startedmenting.


    Vaan, of course, could hear all thesements.


    Since he hade to this world, he had only talked to his mother, his 5 ''friends'', Gabel, Aldric, and other servants, and obviously, no matter what the servants thought about him, none dared to voice their thoughts out.


    But unlike servants who were scared of him, or his ''friends'' who he can use his family influence to silence, these mages weren''t scared of him.


    Rather, they clearly looked down on him.


    The Shame of the Family.


    Honestly, none of the mages thought of him as a part of the Vesta Family even though the head of the family was his biological mother.


    They didn''t care if Vaan could hear them or not, they continued to passments.


    Obviously, Vaan was annoyed.


    He wanted tosh out in anger, however, he knew he couldn''t cause trouble here. Not inside the Family grounds.


    The previous Vaan had already caused enough trouble for his mother, he wouldn''t add to the injury.


    In the end, Vaan decided to ignore all these people and fed Mana to his cute Fire Spirit while he waited for the room to open.


    He was 15 minutes earlier since he didn''t wish to waste any time, the other mages seemed to have simr ideas in their minds as well, some evene here an hour before their allocated time and simply sit cross-legged and revised the Magic Theory they needed to experiment on today.


    15 minutes passed by, however, the Training Magic Room didn''t open. Vaan decided to wait for 5 more minutes but again, the person inside didn''te out.


    With a frown on his face, Vaan stood up and walked toward the Magic Training Room,


    "Hey, your time is u-"


    "I am extremely sorry! I was so invested in my experiment that I forgot about the time! Please forgive me!"


    Before Vaan could say anything, the door opened up and Vaan''s eyes fell on a red-haired girl bowing her head in front of him, apologizing desperately.


    "You¡­"


    Vaan''s expression changed as he nced at the woman in front of him.


    New streams of information rushed into Vaan''s mind and this time, his brows scrunched up in pain, the memories were too big, the little fairy observed the entire situation with curious eyes, as the for red-haired girl, she still had her head down.


    A few momentster, when the pain Vaan felt finally subsided, he nced at the girl in front of him again.


    And once again, he cursed the previous Vaan in his head.


    "ra¡­"


    Vaan called out in a careful voice.


    This girl was ra meheart. An exceptional magical prodigy and Astra''s only pupil.


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel ording to Astra, ra was a mage whose Magical Talent was no less than her own.


    This statement caused a wave of chaos all over the Vesta City since Astra herself was a rare genius; naturally, many eyes fell on ra, eyes full of expectations and curiosity.


    And how did the ''exceptional prodigy'' react to those gazes?


    She became a 4th Circle Mage at the age of 19.


    In an Age where most mages barely know about the basics, an age where even the mages of the esteemed Vesta Family barely reach 2nd Circle, she had already formed her 4th Circle.


    Even Astra herself only became a 4th Circle Mage when she was 20, so just going by that, ra''s talent was even better than Astra''s.


    However,


    That was not all.


    Other than being Magical Prodigy, and his mother''s pupil, this girl was also Vaan''s Fianc¨¦.


    Yes, a Fianc¨¦ whom the previous Vaan treated so poorly that the current Vaan wanted nothing more than p the previous Vaan till all his teeth fall out.


    ra genuinely cared for Vaan.


    Often giving out the money she had saved up for her magic research to Vaan, who had lost his money while betting with his ''friends''


    Sneaking out and going against her Mentor, Astra''s words to inform Vaan how his mother was nning to punish him and get him out of the troublesome situation.


    Stepping up and epting the punishment in Vaan''s stead even though it was entirely his mistake.


    There were even cases where she didn''t even know what the matter was but she still stepped up and took all the me.


    ra did all these things with a smile on her face, not wanting anything in return,


    But even after all that¡­


    The way Vaan treated her was worse than a servant.


    Although a prodigy, ra wasn''t a Vesta, because of this, other mages of the Vesta family looked down on her and bullied her, because of this, ra grew up to be timid.


    At the start, her rtionship with Vaan wasn''t bad, however, as her talent started to bloom, Vaan got jealous. The stark difference in the way his mother treated him and her, how other people were in awe of her talent while only looked down on him annoyed him and this created a wedge in their rtionship.


    As Vaan''s grew, his personality got more and more twisted, ra, who was timid by nature, was a perfect target for Vaan, who liked to take his frustration on the ''weak''.


    Pushing her away, ordering her to do chores that are done by the servants, taking away the money she earns with her own hard work, abusing, and sometimes even going as far as hitting her.


    Honestly, it was surprising that ra endured all of that without any resistance, especially knowing that she, a 4th Circle Mage, was far stronger than Vaan.


    The previous Vaan didn''t deserve someone like ra, who still cared for him even after everything he did to her.


    ''Why do the jerks like this bastard get caring girls like her?''


    Vaan couldn''t help but curse in his mind.

 Chapter 29 Elaras Decision.

    ?"Y-Young Master Vaan¡­?"


    ra, who finally raised her head, nced at Vaan with a surprised look on her face.


    Vaan who was looking at ra taken aback,


    ra was beautiful.


    She had a fair skin tone, silky red hair that flows down her face, those captivating red eyes that exude innocence, brilliance, and confusion, a slight blush on her cheek since she was embarrassed about beingte, the elegant gown that amplified her beauty and stressed on her curves,


    ra was far more beautiful than any girl Vaan had ever seen, in both his lives.


    ''Vaan you bastard, I can''t believe you lived your life the way you lived.''


    Vaan cursed in his head again.


    The second time was purely because he was jealous of the previous Vaan.


    If only he could punch that bastard.


    "Y-Young Master Vaan, why are you here?


    D-Do you need some money? I-I apologize but I have just recently bought some Elemental Stones so I do not have any. Would it be alright if I gave you the Elemental Stones instead? O-Or if you can wait, I''ll exchange the Elemental Stones with Gold Coins and give them to you."


    ra spoke.


    From her tone, she sounded careful, it was as if she was afraid of disappointing Vaan.


    "N-No, I am not here for money."


    Vaan quickly shook his head.


    "T-Then did you do something and need my help? I-I can take care of it, Lady Astra would go easy on me¡­" Astra spoke as she lowered her voice.


    Astra had ordered her many times not to take the me for Vaan''s mistake, however, she cannot help herself. In her mind, she thought that if she continues to help Vaan¡­ then maybe¡­


    Maybe¡­


    "No, I haven''t don''t anything wrong either, ra.


    I am here to use this room to practice magic."


    Vaan spoke.


    "W-What?" ra was taken aback.


    She did hear from her teacher that Young Master Vaan had changed. However, to think he would actuallye to the Magic Training Room. ra couldn''t believe it but she was extremely happy about it.


    "That is gre-"


    She wanted to cheer him up, but then suddenly, Vaan grabbed her hands.


    "ra."


    He called out.


    "W-W-What is it, Young Master Vaan?" ra stuttered as her blush deepened.


    "Are you free right now?" Vaan questioned.


    "Y-Yes, I am f-free."


    "Then could you please teach me Magic Release?"


    Vaan questioned.


    "H-Huh?"


    ra was taken aback.


    "Can you not?" Vaan questioned with an innocent pout.


    "A-Are you really sure you w-want me to teach you?"


    ra questioned.


    She had tried to teach Vaan many times before, she even spent hours oversimplifying her notes so she could teach Vaan, however, every time she tried to talk about magic, Vaan alwaysshed out at her and pushed her away.


    One time, she even left her notes in Vaan''s room, hoping he would study them however, the next day, Vaan burned those notes right in front of her and all the servants before walking away in anger.


    Now the same Vaan is asking her to teach him magic¡­


    Was it some kind of prank?


    ra wasn''t sure.


    "Hmm? Of course! You are the genius whose talent even surpasses that of the Mother, who can be more qualified than you?


    Not to mention you are also my Fianc¨¦."


    "Huh¡­?"


    ra''s eyes widened in surprise.


    This was the first time Vaan had ever called her ''fianc¨¦''.


    Different feelings welled up in her heart, the second strongest out of all was happiness, and as for the strongest¡­


    It was fear.


    She was scared that all of this is just a dirty joke yed by Vaan. A new way to abuse her, this time, mentally.


    ying with her feelings like that¡­ even ra, who had endured all this abuse silently for all these years wasn''t sure if she could endure this type of abuse.


    "What do you say, ra? Would you please help your foolish Fianc¨¦ out?" Vaan questioned with a smile on his face.


    ra looked into Vaan''s eyes, trying to find the usual contempt and annoyance he had when he looked at her before, however, when she looked into Vaan''s golden eyes,


    Her eyes widened in surprise.


    Those eyes¡­


    She had seen those before¡­


    Her most precious memory yed out in her mind,


    The memory of a 4-year-old, purple-haired, golden-eyed boy, extending his arm toward her,


    "Are you the girl mother took in as her pupil? That''s so cool! Mother even said that you are my Fiance! Does that mean we are best friends? Hahaha~ I can finally have a friend now! Oh! I am sorry, I didn''t introduce myself! I am Vaan! Mother''s son!


    Nice to meet you, Fiance!"


    Those kind and bright eyes that didn''t look down on her just because she wasn''t a Vesta like all others did¡­


    That hand that was extended towards her when all others avoided her.


    For a 5-year-old ra, who had left her family and was brought to apletely new ce where everyone seemed to avoid and hate her.


    Vaan''s action was like a ray of light in a dark ce.


    Without thinking any further, little ra grabbed little Vaan''s hand, and their friendship started.


    ra was a bright child who understoodplex magic theories even though she was only 5. Of course, her body wasn''t strong enough to gather Mana, so she couldn''t use it, however, she still continued to study magic theories under Astra''s guidance.


    In her free time, she yed together with Vaan.


    Others avoiding her didn''t matter to her anymore.


    She was happy with just studying Magic Theories and spending time with Vaan.


    She thought that things would stay the same for the rest of her life, however,


    When she turned 12 and her body finally became strong enough to absorb Mana,


    Everything changed.


    Her shocking talent was revealed to the world.


    People who avoided her and looked down on her started praising her, it was a good thing, however,


    The hands that were extended towards her when she was at her lowest¡­


    They started moving away¡­


    Jealous of all the praises ra received and angered by how peoplepared him with her,


    Vaan distanced himself from ra.


    ra tried to hide her skills, she even went as far as not studying magic, choosing Vaan over magic, hoping that he would return, however, that never happened.


    Then a yearter,


    She appeared.


    Seraphina Stormweaver,


    The girl Vaan fell in love with.


    With her appearance, Vaanpletely forgot about ra, no, it could be said that their rtionship took a turn for the worse. From distancing himself to straight up bullying her...


    Vaan changed...


    And now...


    Vaan seemed to have changed again...


    ra nced at Vaan''s hands that were holding her hands just like all those years ago and this scared her,


    Should she reciprocate?


    What if¡­


    These hands move away again?


    Was she ready to go through all that pain again?


    All those questions popped up in ra''s mind,


    She then looked into Vaan''s golden eyes, the eyes of the current Vaan and the child Vaan who had extended his arm towards her superimposed,


    ra made her decision.


    "I-I will help you."

 Chapter 30 W-Well… It Was Your First Magic Circle… So…

    ?"I-I will help you."


    ra spoke with a brave look on her face as she tightened her grip around Vaan''s hands.


    Seeing that look, Vaan was taken aback, he couldn''t understand why this usually timid girl making an expression like that when he was just asking her to teach him magic.


    ''Is it because I am asking her to teach me magic? She has been trying to teach Vaan magic all this while, so is she happy because I am asking it myself?''


    Vaan guessed inwardly. Then, he smiled,


    ''Well, I guess I should show the same determination.''


    Thinking that, Vaan looked into ra''s red eyes and spoke.


    "Then let us go inside. We shouldn''t waste any more time."


    ra nodded.


    The two then walked into the Magic Training Room.


    Seeing this, the other Mages frowned. One of them pointed at them and,


    "Wait¡­ isn''t that Young Master Vaan? Isn''t he only a 1st Circle Mage? How is he allowed to enter the Magic Training Room? Did he sneak in here?"


    "Don''t be ridiculous, it is impossible to sneak in here, the guards outside aren''t just normal guards, they are all high leveled mages loyal to the Vesta Family. There is no way someone like him can fool them and sneak inside. He must have a permit."


    "But how did he get the permit? Only 3rd Circle Mages or above can get it."


    "Are you really asking that? It must be Lady Astra."


    "To show tant favoritism like this. Am I a fool for working so hard and bing a 3rd Circle Mage to finally obtain the chance to use the Magic Training Room? How can he use it just because his mother is the head of the Family!? I can''t stand it!" the mage shouted. Then, he nced at Vaan and,


    "Hey you! You think just because you are the son of Lady Astra you can do as you please? Also, why do you even want to use the Training Room? Aren''t you just a trash who never trains? Even if you n to waste all your life and do nothing, you shouldn''t waste other people''s time.


    Now if you understand then stop ying around ande out."


    He ordered.


    Hearing his words, Vaan paused, he turned around and carefully observed the mage''s face. ra, who was with him panicked, she turned around, wanting to apologize and calm the mage down, however, before she could do so,


    Vaan tightened his grip around her hand, then, he walked inside the room, ignoring the mange.


    ra was taken aback by his actions, however, when she finally realized what he had done, she panicked even more,


    "Young Master Vaan! He is still outsi-"


    However, before she couldplete her sentence, Vaan simply closed the door.


    "..."


    "..."


    "¡­did he just close the door on me?" The mage who was left outside questioned in disbelief.


    The other mages just nced at him with gloating looks on their faces, they didn''t care what was happening, however, they were definitely enjoying this.


    Feeling embarrassed, the Mage clenched his fists in anger.


    ''You trash bastard¡­ just you wait¡­''


    Cursing in his head, the Mage simply turned around and walked away.


    ¡­


    "Why did you close the door? He was still talking."


    Inside the Magic Training Room, ra spoke as she pointed at the door.


    "So what?" Vaan, however, just smiled.


    "Who was he?" He questioned.


    "Huh?" ra frowned.


    "Do you know who he was?" Vaan questioned again.


    "I¡­ I do not know¡­"


    ra lowered her head.


    She felt like she should have known who that man was, however,


    "Exactly," Vaan spoke up.


    "He was a nobody who we have never heard of before, what right does he have tomand me? Is he the head of the Family? Or the person in charge of the Magic Training Rooms? Or maybe the head guard here?


    If he was just a nobody, then why should we care if he was done talking or not?"


    "¡­" ra didn''t know what to say.


    She felt like it was rude to close the door on someone like that.


    And Vaan, who knew about her timid personality, knew what she was thinking, therefore, he held both her hands again and,


    "ra, you are a 4th Circle Mage, an exceptional magic prodigy, so act like one. Don''t let these small fries affect you, you are far better than them."


    Vaan spoke as he looked into ra''s eyes.


    Then, a kind smile appeared on his face and,


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel "And since I have requested your help and you have epted it,


    Only focus on me.


    Okay?"


    "W-What?" ra''s face turned red.


    Vaan chuckled.


    Then, he moved back and sat on the chair,


    "Shall we start our lecture then? Although talking like this is extremely enjoyable, the time we have is severely limited."


    "R-Right! I came here to teach you!" ra recalled.


    "I am looking forward to your lecture, teacher," Vaan spoke.


    He was expecting ra to blush again, however, suddenly, the air around ra changed,


    "Cast a spell in front of me."


    She ordered.


    Vaan raised his eyebrow in surprise but he did what ra said, the Mana around him rushed inside his body, it then circted all around his body through his Mana Veins, and the Magic Circle was formed.


    Vaan then drew the Magic Patterns inside the Circle using his Mana, soon, the temperature rose up and the mes erupted.


    ra observed the entire process carefully, Vaan, who was now looking at her for feedback, noticed her surprised expression as she turned towards him andmented,


    "Your Magic Circle¡­ it is different from what you used a year ago."


    "You¡­ you remember the Circle I used all those months ago?" Vaan questioned with a surprised look on his face.


    Every Magic Circle was different, the patterns ''drawn'' inside it are a result of a person''s own interpretation and understanding of Magic. This is why nobody can simply copy a Mage''s Magic Circle and cast the exact same spell.


    Of course, remembering someone''s Magic Circle was not that big of a deal, for mages who spent most of their lives drowning themselves in books, it was quite simple, however, since it was absolutely useless to do so and a mage himself had to remember quite a lot of things he needs to remember, not many mages remember other mage''s circles.


    Vaan doubted if even Astra remembered his previous Magic Circle¡­


    ra, on the other hand...


    "W-Well¡­ it was your first Magic Circle¡­ so¡­"

 Chapter 31 W-Was I Just Wasting Your Time All This While?

    ?"You¡­ you remember the Circle I used all those months ago?"


    "W-Well¡­ it was your first Magic Circle¡­ so¡­"


    ra replied with a slight blush on her face.


    Hearing her response, Vaan was taken aback, then, however, he just smiled.


    "I am happy that you do."


    Vaan spoke.


    A small smile appeared on ra''s face, then suddenly, she shook her head and the air around her changed again,


    "A-Anyways, as I was saying, your Magic Circle changed."


    "I did it myself. Think of it as a proof that I changed.


    I won''t act like the previous Vaan did."


    Vaan replied.


    ra looked into Vaan''s eyes for a while, then,


    "-L-Let''s move on.


    You have already mastered how to conjure your mes, now you probably wish to learn how to move the mes and then eventually use it to attack your opponent, right?"


    She questioned.


    Vaan knew he couldn''t just win her trust that easily, just the fact that she was willing to help him was enough for him right now.


    He would take it slow.


    "Yes, that is correct." Vaan nodded.


    ra nodded in understandning. Then, she started.


    "Moving the mes and attacking your opponent isn''t much different than conjuring the mes. The concept is simple, like when conjuring the mes, the Language of Magic you use means [Conjure me], if you want your fire to move, you simply need to use the Language of Magic that means, [Conjure me that moves.]


    It is simr to conjuring mes of different shapes."


    ra spoke.


    Then, she raised her hand, a Magic Circle formed, and soon, a spike made of mes formed on top of her hand.


    "You can actually try conjuring mes with different shapes to get the hang of it," ra spoke as the Fire in her hands continued to change the shape. From Spike, to Dagger, to Rope, to Fireball.


    Seeing this, Vaan couldn''t help but raise his eyebrows in amazement. What ra just did, it was definitely not something simple. Vaan knew he could conjure mes in different shapes if after some time, however, what ra was doing waspletely different.


    Summoning mes in different shapes ispletely different than changing its shape again and again without needing to cast the spell again.


    The second one was much more difficult than the first.


    "Once you arefortable, you can conjure mes that can move."


    ra spoke as the mes in her hand started moving up and down.


    "Then, things get a littleplicated, the Language of Magic you use here is [Conjure Fireball that shoots in the direction my palm points at]."


    ra spoke as she straitened her hand and pointed at the wall in the front. She drew new Magic Patterns into the circle and soon, the Fireball she conjured shot towards the wall and,


    *Boom*


    An explosion urred.


    There was a 5 cm deep hole in the wall along with the burned marks on the outside.


    Vaan was taken aback.


    The Spell was powerful.


    Much stronger than a pistol''s damage.


    Of course, it is much slower than the guns, but Vaan had epted that already.


    Also, it was only a 1st Circle Spell.


    Vaan didn''t know much, however, he remembered how his mother had sealed his movement without any effort that day. She cast aplicated spell like that within an instant, so Vaan was sure that this issue of speed would be solved as he grows.


    Anyways, while Vaan was thinking all this, he noticed that the Wall was suddenly reverting back to its original form.


    ''So this is the ''Restoration'' the Magic Training Room is famous for.''


    Thinking that Vaan had enough time for himself, ra continued,


    "The more advanced version of this would be [Conjure Fireball that first shoots forward, then moves right once more Mana is injected into the Circle].


    Then thest and the most advanced version would be,


    [Conjure Fireball that changes its direction ording to the amount of Mana injected into the Circle]


    This way, you can change the direction of your fireball at your will.


    This is alsomonly known as theplete Fireball Spell.


    A Spell that is a sign of a peak 1st Circle Mage.


    Since that is the longest mand'' a 1st Circle Mage can draw inside his Magic Circle.


    Of course, right now, we are not talking about the role of ''Inner Circles''.


    That is a more advanced topic and mages tend to ignore the basics after they learn using Inner Circles since they feel it is an easy way out, so to avoid that, we will talk about them once you master this.


    And yes, the trick I did before where I continuously changed the shape of mes, I did it using Inner Circles, so Young Master Vaan doesn''t have to rack his brain over it."


    Hearing ra''s words, Vaan scratched the back of his head.


    ''She is sharp.''


    He thought but then, he shook his head to clear his mind.


    He would try it on his own now.


    Seeing that he had started focusing, ra stepped back and,


    "Do not take any pressure on your mind, take it slow, first focus on the shapes, the Magic Pattern shouldn''t be much different from conjuring the mes, if you want, I can show you my Magic Patterns for reference, wait a while, I will draw those patterns in a bo-"


    *Boom*


    While ra was speaking all this, she heard an explosion.


    She opened her eyes and realized that Vaan had unleashed his Fire spell toward the wall.


    "!!!"


    Her eyes widened in surprise.


    "W-Was I just wasting your time all this while? Y-Young Master Vaan already knew the basic theory of shooting a spell... You should have stopped me if that was the case¡­"


    "Huh? What do you mean? I only managed to seed because you made it so simple.


    I never tried linking the Language of Magic with what I wanted, I wasparing it with what the books showed and created my own pattern after many trials and errors.


    However, now that I linked my Pattern with words like [Conjure mes], things be a lot simpler.


    These Magic Patterns are just what they say they are, the Language of Magic.


    I just need to link certain words with certain magic patterns, and once Ibine that,


    I can cast any spell!"


    Vaan spoke with an excited smile on his face.

 Chapter 32 Scaring The Magic Prodigy.

    ?"I can cast any spell!"


    Vaan spoke with an excited smile on his face.


    However, when his eyes fell wall, he realized that the power behind his spell was a lot weaker the ra''s spell.


    Let alone creating a 5 cm deep hole, his spell couldn''t even create a minor crack, there were only a few burnt marks but from the looks of it, they didn''t look much.


    "That''s a little too weak¡­ A normal punch on the nose would be stronger than that¡­"


    Vaanmented as he started thinking about what went wrong.


    Soon, his expression changed as he realized his mistake,


    "Ahh! That''s it! I used [Conjure mes and shoot at the direction my palm points at], I skipped the shaping part, and since the mes didn''t have any fixed shape, the strength behind it decreased." Vaan realized.


    "A shape huh¡­"


    Then, he started thinking, the Mana around him rushed into his body, a new Magic Circle was formed, then, he drew the patterns,


    *Flicker*


    mes were created and then, they moved and formed a me Spike.


    "Mhm, this is it."


    Vaan nodded in satisfaction, he then stopped feeding Mana to his Magic Circle, the Circle broke apart, he gathered Mana again, and a new Magic Circle formed, this time, the Patterns he drew were different from before,


    *Flicker*


    me Spike was formed.


    Vaan then extended his palm toward the wall and,


    *BOOM*


    This time, the explosion was far stronger than his previous attack.


    The smoke disappeared, this time, not only was the hole created, it was a 7cm deep hole, there were no burnt marks around the hole, however, that was within Vaan''s expectation.


    "As I thought, the impact of Fireball was wider, hence weaker, me Spike, on the other hand, focuses on a single point and is stronger."


    Vaan analyzed as he nodded to himself.


    "H-H-How are you doing that!?"


    Suddenly, ra shouted.


    "Wha- What happened?" He questioned, a little taken aback by her sudden outburst.


    "Did you already prepare these spells beforehand?" ra questioned.


    "Huh? Of course not. As I said, I am only doing what you told me to do."


    "S-So you are telling me that this is your first time conjuring a me Spike and you haven''t studied it before?"


    "What is there to study about it?" Vaan questioned back.


    "How do you know the Magic Patterns you need to conjure the me Spike if you haven''t studied it yet!?"


    "Huh?"


    Vaan frowned.


    "Didn''t you just say that I need to link the Language of Magic and my needs,


    I thought about conjuring mes and shaping them into a Spike and the pattern just instinctively came into my mind."


    "I-Instinctively¡­?"


    ra stuttered.


    Then with a fearful look on her face, she nced at Vaan and questioned.


    "T-Then are you saying that you just thought about it and the pattern came to your mind?"


    "Isn''t that how it works?" Vaan questioned back and ra''s eyes widened in horror.


    What kind of ridiculous ability is this!?


    Mages may look cool and strong, standing at a ce bombarding your enemies with various spells, it seems simple enough, however, only the mages know how much effort it takes to ''bombard your enemies with various spells''.


    Unlike swordsmen, who can simply train their bodies by doing the same movement again and again, Mages werepletely different. They had to drown themselves in magic books, reading magic theories left by different Mages just so they could understand the concept of Magic Language.


    Mages cannot just simply copy the Magic Circles and Patterns left by previous Mages and cast their spells by injecting Mana into the copied Circle.


    Every Mage had his own way to interpret Magic Language,


    Every mage had to use a different pattern to conjure even the simplest of mes and there has never been a case where any 2 mages have the exact same Magic Patterns for the same spell.


    What did that mean?


    It meant that Mages had to analyze different other Mages, see how they interpreted a particr spell, understand it, read more magic theories about the said spell,prehend the concept of the spell, understand why the previous Mage used the patterns he used in his circle and only after hours, days, months or even years of study and countless trials and errors are they finally able to ''Understand'' the Magic Spell, ''Interpret'' it in their own way, and find the Magic Patterns they need to cast the said spell.


    It was like exploring a whole differentnguage by analyzing and researching othernguages.


    And Mages have to do this for every single one of their spells!


    The stronger the spell, the moreplicated the pattern and the more difficult it is to understand and interpret it.


    Mages spent most of their lives creating their spells¡­ and¡­


    And on the other hand, stood this man¡­


    W-Who¡­


    Who simply thinks and the required patternse to his mind¡­


    J-Just... how is that possible...?


    "¡­ara"


    "ra."


    "ra!"


    "Huh? Y-Yes!"


    ra finally came back to her senses as she heard Vaan''s voice.


    "ra, are you alright?"


    Vaan questioned with a worried look on his face as he gently held ra''s hands.


    "I-I am alright." ra nodded. Then, she looked into Vaan''s eyes,


    "Young Master Vaan, I have a request."


    "What can I do for you?" Vaan questioned.


    "Please conjure mes in all the shapes I showed you before,"


    ra requested.


    She had to confirm it.


    She couldn''t just believe Vaan''s words, no matter how much she wanted to trust Vaan''s words, however, this absurdity, she could not just trust it without any concrete proof.


    "What?" Vaan frowned.


    "Please do it, Young Master," ra spoke with a serious look on her face.


    Seeing that, Vaan didn''t know how to react, he was confused.


    However, seeing ra''s eyes, Vaan decided to first fulfill her request.


    He closed his eyes, the Mana around him moved and,


    *Flicker*


    me Spike was formed.


    Vaan created the Magic Circle again and then,


    *Flicker*


    me Dagger was formed.


    Then,


    *Flicker*


    The Fire Rope.


    *Flicker*


    And the Fireball.


    One by one, Vaan showed all the shapes ra did.


    "H-How about you conjure a Fire Bow now?"


    "A bow?" Vaan questioned.


    "Yes."


    Vaan closed his eyes as he imagined a Fire bow in his head, soon, however, his brows scrunched up,


    "I¡­ I can''t do that¡­


    My mind ispletely nk and nothing ising up."


    Vaan replied.


    ra narrowed her eyes. Then,


    *Flicker*


    She conjured a Fire Bow.


    Vaan''s eyes instinctively fell on her magic circle as he noticed what Magic Patterns she used.


    "Can you do it now?" ra questioned.


    Vaan closed his eyes again, and then,


    *Flicker*


    A Fire Bow which was exactly the same as ra''s was created.


    "!!!"


    ra''s eyes widened in horror.


    ''T-T-That''s beyond the level of a Prodigy.''

 Chapter 33 No, It Is You Who Is The Problem Here

    ?''T-T-That''s beyond the level of a Prodigy.''


    ra couldn''t believe her eyes as she saw the Fire Bow Vaan had created.


    It was exactly simr to hers, it was as if he simply copied her spell.


    An ability to copy other Mage''s spells...


    ra thought this was Vaan''s ''gift'', which was quite scary in itself, however, when her eyes fell on Vaan''s Magic Circle, she realized that the Patterns drawn werepletely different than hers.


    Vaan had not copied her patterns.


    That meant, that in this short while, Vaan analyzed her Magic Patterns,pared them with his own, then created a pattern for himself with her patterns as a reference!


    T-That''s...


    What kind of absurdprehension ability is that!?


    No, it couldn''t even be called prehension ability'' anymore, it was... it was just...


    ra had no words.


    "Y-Young Master Vaan..."


    She could only stutter.


    "Vaan."


    Suddenly, Vaan spoke up.


    "Huh?" ra frowned.


    "You are my Fiance, ra. It won''t look nice if you keep calling me Young Master Vaan, call me Vaan,"


    "B-But how can I-"


    "ra, do you want to give others the wrong idea that the two of us are not close to each other?" Suddenly, Vaan spoke up.


    Then, he held ra''s hands again and,


    "Even before being Fiances, aren''t the two of us friends? Shouldn''t we be calling each other using names?"


    Vaan questioned.


    The words ''friends'' echoed throughout ra''s head,


    ''Does that mean we are best friends now? Hahaha~''


    She recalled how Vaanughed together with her in the past.


    "We are friends, right?" Vaan questioned.


    Hearing Vaan''s question, ra weakly nodded her head.


    "Then what should you call me?"


    "V-Vaan."


    "See? That''s a lot better, isn''t it?"


    Vaan smiled.


    "Anyways, what should I do next? I am improving a lot quicker because you are teaching me, so I don''t want to waste any time."


    ra nced at Vaan for a while. Her mind had stopped thinking about it for a while since she was so embarrassed, however, right now, she was actually standing in front of a ridiculous genius.


    Lady Astra was right.


    Youn- Vaan was a rare genius. Her theory about him being more talented than the Archmage... honestly, even ra didn''t really believe it, she felt like Lady Astra was saying it because she loved Vaan, however, now...


    She finally realized it...


    Lady Astra...


    Her theory wasn''t wrong.


    Vaan''s talent was ridiculously high and this time, he was actually willing to put in the required hard work to make his talent bloom.


    Thinking all that, a fire erupted inside ra''s heart.


    Young Master Vaan, she would do her best to help him grow into a great Mage.


    "Young Maste-"


    "Vaan."


    "R-Right, V-Vaan, you should now use [Conjure Fireball that changes its direction ording to the amount of Mana I inject into the Circle], do you need me to show it to you?"


    Vaan closed his eyes, then, he opened them and nced at ra,


    "Please show it to me once."


    He requested.


    ra nodded,


    A Magic Circle formed, she then drew her Magic Pattern and,


    *Whoosh*


    The Fireball she summoned shot forward, then just as it was about to touch the wall, it moved up, then before touching the ceiling, it moved right, then left, then it came back, move down, and then finally moved towards the wall and,


    *Boom*


    An Explosion was heard.


    After demonstrating, ra nced at Vaan.


    Honestly, she was skipping a step here, before learning this, one should learn the lesser version of the same, [Conjure Fireball that first shoots forward, then moves right once more Mana is injected into the Circle].


    However, if it was Vaan...


    ra believed that he would be able to do it.


    This was also her way of testing Vaan again. She had seen his monstrous talent already, however, that was something she could still not get enough of. She wanted to test Vaan''s limits at every possible level.


    *Whoosh*


    And there it was.


    Vaan conjured a mes, not in the shape of a Fireball, but a Fire Spike, and right now, his Fire Spike was moving all over the Magic Training Room without any problems whatsoever.


    "Ah, so that''s how it is, I simply ''set'' the conditions, if we take Mana as a drop of water, then adding 1 drop of water into the circle moves the Spike to the right, 2 drops, to the left, 3 drops, to the bottom and continue. The more directions we ''set'' the more Mana we would have to use, but since we can control the Fires Spike all the way, it is worth it."


    Vaan analyzed.


    ''H-He copied this as well...''


    ra, on the other hand, was still shocked.


    To think a Mage who had just started learning the concept of Magic Release an hour ago was now a Peak Mage capable of casting a Complete Fire Spike Spell.


    ra didn''t know how to react.


    Even she needed an entire day to get to this point, and she only managed to master it so quickly because she had been studying the Magic Theories ever since she was 5 and already knew what Magic Patterns she had to draw.


    "C-Can you now do [Conjure Fireball that first shoots forward, then moves right once more Mana is injected into the Circle] yourself?" She questioned.


    Vana simply nodded, this time, he didn''t even close his eyes, he absorbed the surrounding Mana, formed the Magic Circle,


    *Flicker*


    Fireball formed, it shot forward and before hitting the wall, it moved to the right and collided with the right wall.


    "Magic Release is quite simple, I wonder why the books made it out to be something that most mages dreaded. Do other mages have some problem with their heads? Isn''t the Magic Release the simplest and the most exciting part about the Magic?" Vaanughed.


    ''No, it is you who is the problem here. Not the other mages.''


    ra wanted to say it out loud.


    "Or maybe it''s because my teacher is amazing?"


    "No, it is because you are a genius, Young ma-"


    "Hmmmm?"


    "I meant, it is because you are a genius, Vaan. Lady Astra was right, you are a Mage whose potential surpasses that of the Archmage."


    ra spoke with a kind smile on her face.


    Hearing those words, Vaan smiled as well, he clenched his fists in determination.


    "We still have an hour, shall we try out some other variations?" ra questioned.


    "Of course!"


    Vaan nodded with a smile on his face.

 Chapter 34 Cry About It, Bitch.

    ?Vaan was satisfied.


    These past two hours, his learning efficiency had been so high that he felt like in just these 2 hours, the progress he made wasparable to all the progress he made since he hade to this world.


    They didn''t just create different shapes or practice magic shooting, ra also taught him other different spells like [Burn], [Burst], [Fireworks], [Fire with no heat]. Individually, these Spells were useless, however, ra mentioned that these spells would be useful when Vaan bes 2nd Circle Mage. Not to mention using Fire in all these creative ways improved Vaan''s Magic Control.


    Anyways, it wasn''t just Vaan who was satisfied by today''s gains.


    ra was the same as well.


    Although she did not gain any useful Magic knowledge that could help her, for her, this session was far more precious.


    Spending these 2 hours with Vaan, honestly, she didn''t even realize how quickly the time passed.


    Practicing and exploring Magic with Vaan as they talked and giggled together, she usually dreamt about these situations, but with how the previous Vaan pushed her away and hated studying magic, she thought it was impossible.


    Today, however, she finally got to live her dream.


    A dream that was even more satisfying than her actual dreams.


    Honestly, there was still a seed of uncertainty in ra''s heart, Vaan''s sudden change, it was too surprising and she was still scared that all of this might be a prank to fool with her.


    She couldn''t trust Vaan that easily no matter how hard she tried.


    However, whenever these doubts ate her away, she nced at Vaan and seeing that genuine smile on his face as he experimented with the magic and how he smiled kindly whenever he looked at her... ra felt a little secure...


    It was a conflicting feeling where her heart felt at ease when she nced at Vaan but soon her brain starts imagining all these different scenarios where Vaan emotionally abuses her andughs at her for falling for his act... just thinking about that scenario twisted ra''s heart in pain.


    Soon, however, ra shook her head as she bury these feelings in her heart and put on a smile on her face.


    Vaan smiled as well.


    With smiles on their faces, the two came out of the Magic Training Room, however, what greeted them was the sight of Mages looking at them with side eyes as they whispered amongst themselves.


    "Isn''t that the Waste? Why is he here?"


    "Yes, isn''t he just a 1st Circle Mage, who allowed him toe here?"


    "Was it that meheart? She should be grateful that the Vesta Family even allowed her to use its facility but she dares to break the rules and bring that waste here?"


    "Does she really think that just because she is Lady Astra''s Pupil, she could get away with anything?"


    "I will raise an officialin."


    "I will support you as well."


    The whispers continued and ra, who heard all of them lowered her head, but then,


    Vaan grabbed her hand.


    She looked into Vaan''s eyes and saw him smiling at her, a small smile appeared on ra''s face.


    Her heart calmed down.


    Just as she thought, if she was with Vaan, other people didn''t matter.


    Seeing that she was alright, Vaan decided to walk away.


    These people were only whispering amongst themselves, so causing a scene here would be problematic, right now, the best solution was to walk away.


    However, just as Vaan and ra were about to walk away, a Mage stepped in front of them.


    "Oi, why are you here?"


    The Mage questioned.


    Vaan paused.


    "I am asking you, waste.


    Why are you here?


    Don''t you know that only the 3rd Circle Mages of above are allowed to be here?


    Give me a proper reason, or else it won''t end up well for you."


    The Mage spoke in an authoritative tone.


    Vaan''s mouth twitched.


    He was already weak in the patience department to begin with, he was actually proud of himself for smartly deciding to walk away.


    He felt like he was improving but,


    ''This little bitch just had to ruin it.''


    Vaan cursed inwardly as he nced at the Mage in front of him with an annoyed look on his face.


    "Don''t give me that look. I am not your servant.


    Do you think I won''t act on my words just because you are Lady Astra''s son?" The Mage red at Vaan.


    Vaan''sst string of reason finally broke off.


    He rubbed the back of his neck and then, he turned towards his fianc¨¦,


    "ra, do you know who he is?"


    ra nced at the mage and with a timid look on her face, then she shook her head.


    A big smile appeared on Vaan''s face,


    "Heh? Even a nobody dares to interrogate me, huh? I have really fallen, haven''t I?"


    "What? Did you just call me a nobody?" The mage''s eyes shrunk.


    "Is that not who you are?" Vaan, however, was not intimidated.


    Seeing this, the mage was taken aback.


    Obviously, it was not his first time dealing with Vaan, he had met him before, at first, he felt a little intimidated since Vaan was the son of Lady Astra and was known forshing out at his servants, however, other senior mages who he had sucked up to justughed when they heard his worries and took him to Vaan.


    That day, he learned something.


    Vaan would only act up if you allow him to, if you go up to him and order him around with an intimidating look on your face, he would whimper like a little child.


    He was a prime example of a pushover, a natural wimp.


    Since then, whenever the Mage saw Vaan, he alwaysshed out, since Vaan reciprocated well, he often let his frustration out on him.


    Honestly, the Mage was actually surprised that Vaan didn''t start whimpering the moment he saw him like he used to.


    Then the mage saw him holding ra''s hand and realized,


    ''Is he acting like that because he is with his girl? That meheart is his finance, isn''t she? I heard they weren''t close but I guess that was a false rumor.


    Heh, this will be fun.''


    The Mageughed inwardly.


    Then, he walked towards Vaan and,


    "Waste, do you really think you can ge-Bhlbbh!!"


    Before the mage could his sentence, Vaan punched his face.


    "You really are daring, arencha?" Vaan spoke as he cracked his fist with a big smile on his face.


    "You dar-Guuaaahhh!!"


    The mage was about to retort, however, Vaan simply stepped forward andnded an uppercut.


    The punch was so well connected that the Mage was stunned for a moment, his body lost its strength and he fell down.


    And that was not it.


    "Khwaaakk!!"


    The Mage coughed out blood. Not just blood, but a small part of something fleshy fell from his mouth as well.


    It was his tongue.


    The uppercut was too sudden.


    The mage''s body trembled in rage and agony, the blooding out of his mouth wasn''t stopping, he red at Vaan with so much hatred that his eyes turned red.


    "I''ll kwill you!!"


    The mage screamed as his eyes shined and the Mana around him rushed into his body.


    3 Magic Circles formed around him but then,


    *Bam*


    Vaan simply kicked his face, interrupting the spell.


    "You coward!"


    "Cry about it, bitch."


    Vaan spoke with a wide smile on his face as he stomped on the Mage''s face with everything he had. The Mage tried to defend it with his hands, but the position he was in was too disadvantageous,


    Barrage of kicks and stomps, the mage could only take it lying on down.


    While the rest of the mages and ra saw the entire scene y out with horrified looks on their faces.

 Chapter 35 The Vesta Family Is Fair

    ?"Young Master Vaan..."


    Gabel walked into Vaan''s room with a worried look on his face. Vaan, who was feeding his little Fairy frowned,


    Gabel never walks in without knocking, what happened?


    "What is it, Gabel?"


    Vaan questioned.


    "You are summoned to the Vesta Hall," Gabel spoke.


    "The Vesta Hall?" Vaan raised his eyebrow.


    The Vesta Hall was the ce where meetings regarding Vesta House''s Matters are held, for him to be summoned there...


    ''Ah...''


    "Alright."


    Vaan nodded as he stood up.


    "Krii~"


    The fairy who was still not full pouted.


    Vaan smiled as he patted her head, then, he walked out of the room.


    The moment he came out of his room, Vaan noticed 2 guards standing in front of him.


    "They are here to take you, Young Master Vaan..."


    Gabel spoke with a strange look on his face.


    Vaan narrowed his eyes, he nced at the guards who were looking at him with a strict looks on their faces, however, none of them made any moves.


    "I will go there myself." He ordered.


    "We are ordered to follow you, Young Master Vaan."


    One of the guards spoke.


    "Do whatever you wish." Vaan started walking towards the Vesta Hall.


    10 minutester, as he walked into the Hall, his eyes fell on his mother, who was sitting on a throne with an expressionless look on her face.


    Vaan looked around, as his eyes fell on all these new faces, streams of memories rushed into his mind, his uncles and aunts, he started recalling them all.


    Honestly, there was nothing much to recall, the previous Vaan didn''t have a close rtion with any of his uncles, aunts, or siblings, rather than close, he was actually hated by most of them.


    It was to the point where these ''rtives'' of his made sure to jump at him at any opportunity they could find, trying their best to kick him out of the family.


    If it wasn''t for Astra standing behind his back, he would have been kicked around many times now.


    "Heh."


    A small smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    Then, he looked around and walked towards ra.


    "Hello, Fiance."


    Heughed.


    "How are youughing in this situation? Do you not know why you are called?"


    ra questioned with a worried look on her face.


    "Don''t worry, nothing will happen." Vaan smiled as he stood next to ra.


    "Since Vaan is here as you wished, let''s start the meeting," Astra spoke as she nced at a certain man sitting on the chair.


    "Family Head, many Mages have reported that they have seen Young Master Vaan using the Magic Training Room which is reserved for 3rd Circle Mages or higher."


    A man spoke up as he red at Vaan.


    Vaan looked at the man.


    Rn Vesta, his mother''s cousin, his ''uncle'', and a 6th Circle Mage.


    For some reason, this person always stood in the forefront whenever there was a charge against Vaan.


    The previous Vaan was very fearful of him. Just his gaze alone was enough for the previous Vaan to tremble and lower his head.


    Of course, the current Vaan didn''t give a shit.


    Heck, he didn''t even acknowledge the man''s existence.


    He was busy talking with ra, who couldn''t seem to calm down because of the ''troublesome'' situation.


    Seeing that Vaan was ignoring him, a vein popped on Rn''s face.


    "Family Head! Young Master Vaan has gone too far this time! He should be punished!" Rn raised his voice.


    "Punished for what exactly?"


    Astra questioned.


    "The Magic Training Rooms are protected by the guards of the Vesta Family. Do you think Vaan just sneaked inside without the guards knowing?


    I was the one who permitted him to enter the Magic Training Room for 2 hours. He did not break any rules.


    To not even look into the situation at all and directly demand that Vaan should be punished.


    Rn, do you have something against Vaan? Something you are dissatisfied with?"


    Astra questioned as she narrowed her eyes.


    Rn''s expression changed.


    This was strange. Astra always protected Vaan, however, this time, she wasing off a little too strongly. Not to mention she even allowed him to enter the Magic Training Room... that never happened before.


    Something wasn''t right...


    However, Rn wasn''t nning to back down just because of that.


    "Family Head, I know that Young Master Vaan is your son, however, you still cannot show tant favoritism like that. Young Master Vaan is only a 1st Circle Mage, Magic Training Rooms should only be used by 3rd Circle Mages or above, if we allow Young Master Vaan to use those rooms just because he is Family Head''s son, it wouldn''t leave a good impact on Family Head''s image."


    Rn spoke up.


    "Oh? I didn''t know I had to discuss it with you before deciding on minor issues like this. Maybe you don''t think I am capable enough to make these simple decisions myself?"


    Astra spoke with a small smile on her face.


    A deafening silence fell over the Hall.


    Rn nearly stepped back in fear.


    "N-No, t-that''s not it, Family Head. F-Family Head is of course more than capable of making decisions like that."


    Rn stuttered.


    "I-I was just saying that the m-mages who worked hard to be 3rd Circle Mage would feel wronged. Time is of crucial essence for budding mages, if we permit Young Master Vaan to use the Magic Training Room, it would waste other mages'' time..."


    "Bring him here," Suddenly, Astra ordered.


    A mage was then brought in.


    "I greet the Family head." The Mage bowed his head.


    "He is Dilian Vesta, a 4th Circle Mage, I gave Dilian''s Magic Training Room slot to Vaan. Dilian, do you have any problem with that?" Astra questioned.


    "If Young Master Vaan can improve from this, I can dly give a few of my slots to him."


    Dilian bowed his head.


    "Do you have anything else to say?" Astra then nced at Rn.


    "..."


    Rn turned silent.


    He didn''t think that Astra would bring out a mage like that.


    ''She was prepared...''


    Rn looked into Astra''s eyes and seeing that dismissive look on her face that looked like she was dealing with a small fry, he couldn''t help but clench his fists in frustration.


    "Don''t think you will bepensated in any way if you voluntarily give your slot away." Suddenly, another man spoke up. He then nced at Dilian with an intimidating look and,


    "Are you sure are okay with your slot being taken away? You can speak your mind carefreely, the Vesta Family is fair."

 Chapter 36 Someone With Astra In His Name Cannot Be Disrespected.

    ?"Are you sure are okay with your slot being taken away? You can speak your mind carefreely, the Vesta Family is fair."


    A man spoke up with a threatening look on his face.


    His intentions were clear.


    He wanted Dilian to back off and take back his statement.


    Anyone could understand it if they saw the intimidating gaze he was watching Dilian with. It was clearly an open threat, something that shouldn''t be allowed in the Vesta Hall, however, none dared to voice out anything against the man.


    That was because this man was Draven Vesta.


    Astra''s older brother, a 7th Circle Mage.


    The man who holds the highest power in the family after Astra.


    In front of someone like Draven, someone like Dilian could only give up.


    Under normal conditions that is.


    Dilian simply nced at Astra, there was no particr change on her face, however,


    "Yes, Lord Draven. I am grateful that you are looking out for me, but as I said, if it means that Young Master Vaan can improve, then I am perfectly fine with my slot being taken away."


    In Vesta Family, Astra''s influence was absolute.


    Draven may be her older brother, however, in front of Astra, Draven''s influence was nothing.


    After all, Astra alone could fight everyone in this room together.


    She was that strong.


    This was also the reason why everyone targeted Vaan.


    They wanted to weaken Astra''s position.


    Vaan''s own presence was something these people never considered; he was merely a ''medium''.


    A medium to attack Astra.


    And since he had gotten a chance to attack Astra again, Draven was not nning to leave it so easily.


    "Alright then, you can leave now, Dilian."


    Draven ordered.


    Dilian nced at Astra.


    Astra nodded, Dilian then turned around and left.


    Draven nced at Rn and nodded.


    Rn, however, hesitated.


    Astra wasing out stronger than she normally does...


    ''Do not worry, you stand in an advantageous position here. Don''t let all your efforts up until now be ruined.''


    Suddenly, Rn heard Draven''s voice in his head.


    Sound Magic.


    Rn nced at Draven, he regained some of his confidence and nodded.


    Then,


    "Family Head, I would like to call Medic ric," Rn spoke up.


    Astra nodded.


    Soon, Medic ric was brought in.


    "Medic ric, can you tell us about Kael Vesta''s condition?"


    Rn spoke up.


    "Sir Kael Vesta is currently in the infirmary, his tongue was cut off so he is having a hard time eating and drinking, I have dealt with the wounds but since the tongue is a sensitive organ, the wounds often open up which leads to constant bleeding inside the mouth.


    It can be extremely risky if the patient is unconscious, in some cases, one can even choke to death.


    Not only that, there are bruises all over his face, his nose is broken, the injuries on his head are not ordinary either, there are many blood vessels clogged around at one ce, some of these vessels have significantly weakened, it is to the point where they burst apart by even slightest of movements.


    There are also signs of his brain being affected, his condition may be stable right now, however, if high-leveled Heal is not used, then Sir Kael would need at least 2 years topletely recover."


    The Medic reported.


    When Vaan heard these words,


    He nodded in satisfaction.


    ''Hm Hm, as I thought, my expertise in hospitalizing someone for more than a year is still there.''


    A proud look appeared on his face.


    ra, on the other hand, was horrified.


    She knew where this was going.


    Lord Rn was going to use this to try and punish Vaan!


    And this time, since the condition the Medic described was so critical, the punishment wouldn''t be simple locking in the library either.


    ra panicked, soon, however, a determined expression appeared on her face.


    She had decided,


    She would take the me on herself.


    The punishment might be a little harsh, however, if she could save Vaan, it would be worth it!


    With that thought in her mind, ra stepped forward,


    "It was me wh-"


    "Family Head, Kael Vesta, whose condition the Medic just describedes from a subordinate family. He is a talented child who has inherited our Family name through his own efforts.


    Kael didn''t know that it was Lady Astra who had given Young Master Vaan the permission to enter the Magic Training Room, in his ignorance, he asked Young Master Vaan why he was there and told him that it was against the rules,


    However, Young Master Vaan used cowardly ways to attack him and put him in critical condition. 14 Mages witnessed this scene, I have all 14 of them on standby, if the Family Head allows, I can call them here."


    Before ra could say anything, Rn spoke up.


    Astra narrowed her eyes.


    If Vaan really did do this, then saving him would be difficult.


    No, if Vaan did this, then Astra decided that it was better to severely punish him and teach him a lesson.


    With a cold look on her face, Astra ordered. "Call the witnesses."


    Rn''s smile widened, and soon, the 14 mages present in the Magic Training Hall that day were called. They quickly agreed with Rn''s words, Astra''s gaze turned cold, she nced at Vaan and while holding her anger, she questioned.


    "Is there anything you would like to say?"


    "Teache-" ra wanted to jump in, however, her body moved on its own and her mouth was shut close.


    Astra had used Magic.


    "I only permitted Vaan to speak," Astra spoke as she red at Vaan.


    "He disrespected me."


    "An-"


    "Are you saying you would hit people if they disrespect you!?" Rn shouted, interrupting Astra''s sentence.


    "My honor is connected to my mother''s honor, I cannot allow someone to trample over me, that would harm my mother''s image.


    He called me a Waste in front of everybody and acted like he was in charge inside the Magic Training Hall, trying to order me around.


    He may have Vesta in his name and he may be a 3rd Circle Mage, however, that doesn''t mean he can order me around.


    I had to teach it to him.


    Someone with Astra in his name cannot be disrespected."


    Vaan replied with a calm look on his face.


    "Was he even wrong though? You are 20 and you are merely a 1st Circle Mage, from Vesta Family''s perspective, calling you a waste wasn''t wrong, was it?" Rn spoke as he nced at Vaan.


    Pushing Vaan into a corner as he trembled in fear, it was one of his favorite activities, especially when he does it right in front of Astra''s eyes.


    However,


    "Then isn''t he even more of a waste if he got beaten up by a waste?


    Why are we even discussing this any further when only a trash was shown his ce?"


    The current Vaan was different.

 Chapter 37 Are You Dumb?

    ?"Then isn''t he even more of a waste if he got beaten up by a waste?


    Why are we even discussing this any further when only a trash was shown his ce?"


    Vaan spoke with an uninterested look on his face.


    "What right does he have to call me a waste? You cannot disrespect someone and expect them to not retaliate, I believe it was Karl''s own fault. He should have picked his opponent more carefully. If he was expecting Astra Elysia Vesta''s son to simply ept his bullying, then I apologize, but that will not happen.


    I am not that easy to bully."


    Vaan looked straight into Rn''s eyes.


    It was as if he was sending out a message.


    Astra observed Vaan for a while, at first, she thought that she needed to punish Vaan, however... maybe...


    Maybe what Vaan was doing was necessary.


    Astra decided to trust her son and let it y out.


    Hearing Vaan''s words, Rn and the other people in the Hall were taken aback.


    Was... was he really the same Vaan? What happened to him? When did he get daring enough to talk back in the Vesta Hall?


    "You are bragging about all this when the only thing you did was attack him when he was not prepared. You say that you did all this because your mother''s name is connected with yours and you cannot shame her, but don''t you think these cowardly methods of yours are ruining your mother''s image more?


    The only son of one of the Strongest Mages in the world is attacking an unprepared opponent and is now bragging about it in the Hall in front of everyone, you think this is appropriate?" Rn questioned as he narrowed his eyes still trying to pressure Vaan.


    "I won. Why does it matter how I did it? Also, cowardly? What cowardly action are you talking about? He walked towards me without any defenses, was it my fault that I used it to my advantage? You think your enemy would let you go just because you are dumb?"


    "But he was not your enemy."


    "I do not know about you, but anyone who disrespects me or my mother is an enemy in my eyes."


    "..."


    Rn turned silent as he red at Vaan.


    Someone like Vaan talking back to him in front of everyone, it was embarrassing.


    Rn was angry. He clenched his trembling fists, then, another idea popped up in his mind.


    Rn controlled his anger as he took in a few breaths, then, with a scheming smile on his face, he looked at Vaan and,


    "You are proud that you defeated him, aren''t you?"


    "Not really."


    Vaan shrugged.


    It was as easy as beating a child. That Kael dude didn''t know jackshit about fighting.


    What kind of fool would try and gather Mana rather than trying to get away from the opponent who is stomping his face?


    "Then why don''t you two settle your grudges in a Magic Duel, like the real Vestas do? How about it?" Rn spoke with a big smile on his face.


    Vaan narrowed his eyes,


    "Are you asking me to fight him using Magic?"


    "Didn''t you say you do not wish to ruin your mother''s image? How about you shut everyone up by defeating Kael in a Magic Duel? I am sure that would solve everything, wouldn''t it? You have done it before, what''s stopping you from doing it again, right?"


    "..."


    Vaan turned silent.


    Seeing this, Rn''s smile widened.


    "What happened, Vaan? Why are you silent now? You aren''t thinking of backing away, are you? You won''t do it after all that talk about how your mother''s image is important to you, right?"


    Rn''s smile was so big that it almost looked inhumane.


    He finally got this bastard. He dared to go against him? Now it was time to pay for what he did.


    Vaan was trapped. He couldn''t possibly fight, neither could he back away.  both the choices in front of him were bad.


    Or...


    That was what Rn thought.


    But,


    "Are you dumb?" Suddenly, Vaan questioned.


    "Huh...?"


    His question created a ripple of shocked gasps.


    Silence fell all over the Vesta Hall.


    Did... did Vaan just call Rn Vesta, his uncle, dumb...? That too in a full Hall, in front of everyone...?


    Nobody could believe what they heard.


    Even Astra was taken aback.


    "What... did you say...?"


    Rn questioned. He still couldn''t believe what he just heard.


    "Asking a 1st Circle to have a Magic Duel against a 3rd Circle Mage? Isn''t that just dumb? Why the hell would I do that?"


    Vaan questioned.


    Did this bastard really think he could push him to fight someone stronger than him?


    He wasn''t one of those dumb ''heroes'' who get manipted by enemies and then try to do something clearly impossible only to get in troubleter.


    He was the one who maniptes, not the one who gets manipted.


    "You defeated him before, did you not? What''s the problem now?" Rn smiled.


    There is no way he would allow Vaan to get out of this situation, especially now that Vaan dared to say those words in front of everyone like that, in Rn eyes, Vaan was no longer a ''medium'' to target Astra. He was now the target.


    Of course, Vaan couldn''t care less.


    Rn''s foolish tactics, he would make sure to shove it back into his ass.


    "You are a 6th Circle Mage, aren''t you?"


    Vaan questioned with a slight smile on his face.


    "Huh? What does that have to do with this situation?" Rn narrowed his eyes.


    "Let''s not talk about an 8th Circle Mage, just have a Magic Duel against a 7th Circle Mage, my mother.


    If you agree to it, I would agree to duel against the Karl dude as well, how about it?"


    Vaan suggested.


    Rn''s expression changed.


    "This is not the same." He retorted as he narrowed his eyes.


    "Huh? I mean, if you think I can fight against someone with 2 more circles than me, then I am sure you are capable of fighting someone with just 1 more circle than you, right?


    You aren''t insinuating that you are more of a waste than me, right?" Vaan smiled.


    "You..." Rn''s face reddened in rage,


    "What happened, Uncle Rn? Why are you silent now? You aren''t thinking of backing away, are you?" Vaan repeated Rn''s own words against him. The expression on Rn''s face was a sight to see.


    "A Magic Duel huh? It has been a while since people have witnessed a battle between high-level mages, it would be an eye-opener for the younger generation,


    What do you think, Rn?"


    Suddenly, Astra questioned with a slight smile on her face.


    "I... I would love to volunteer but I am in the middle of M-Magic Research, even taking out time for this Hall m-meeting was difficult, a duel would be very difficult, Family Head. I apologize...."


    Rn stuttered, cold sweat covering his face.


    "Magic Research, huh.


    Must be quite an important research, do share the results with us, Uncle Rn. I am sure it would be something amazing since it is something Uncle is spending his time on.


    Heh."


    Vaanughed out loud.


    Not only he, but other mages in the Hall were also all smiling as well. They all knew this ''Magic Research'' was nothing but Rn''s way of getting out of this situation.


    Rn lowered his head in embarrassment.


    Since he had shut up, the matter regarding Kael quickly died down.


    Judgment was passed,


    Kael was disrespectful and acted out of line, his condition was his own fault, however, Vaan''s blows were a little too heavy, and since Vesta Family doesn''t encourage fights like these, Vaan was punished to stay inside the library for 48 hours.


    With this, the matter settled down ''fairly''.

 Chapter 38 Inner Circles.

    ?*Flicker*


    A Rope made of mes was formed.


    "Fuck! Finally!!"


    Vaan eximed out loud as he stood from the chair.


    Then, with a confident look on his face, he extended his hand forward, the Rope moved and caught the jar that was ced on another table, Vaan then pulled back his hand, pulling the Jar towards him with the help of me Rope.


    "I did it!"


    Vaan clenched his fists and heaved a big sigh.


    It had been 8 hours since he had been working on this new spell.


    [Fire Rope that Binds the Enemy without burning him.]


    It was a Spell created by an 8th Circle Mage Vrian Aira Vesta, since he had a middle name, Vaan realized that he was from the main Vesta Bloodline just like him, however, that didn''t matter.


    The thing was, Vaan was frustrated.


    ''Why in the hell was the book full of so many Magic Theories? It had everything but the most important thing. Would he have died if he had drawn the Magic Patterns he used to cast the spell?'' He snorted inwardly.


    Honestly, if Vaan didn''t have to waste his time looking through different books to find what Magic Patterns Mage Vrian used to cast [Fire Rope] and [Fire with no heat] spells, he would have mastered this spell within 5 minutes.


    Yes, he wasted around 8 hours in just searching through different magic patterns and cursing the author of the spell book.


    Of course, it wasn''t the author''s fault either, how could he have imagined that unlike normal mages, who needed to understand the Magic Theories before they could even try and cast magic, there would be a monster who can simply look at the Magic Patterns other Mages used and cast the said spell on his own?


    ''Tsk, what a waste.''


    Vaan snorted again.


    He had decided, he won''t be learning any more spells. He can do that with ra''s help, he just needed to see the patterns she used and cast the spell without wasting any time. That is much more efficient than learning spells through spell books.


    These books weren''t written for him.


    With that thought in his mind, Vaan shifted his attention to the Inner Circles.


    This is where the distinction between different mages is made.


    This is where the importance of Magic research, the amount of time and effort a Mage put to work on himself, the number of spells he had learned, and all other factorse into y.


    These inner circles were like stored smaller spells that help a Mage cast his spell without wasting much time.


    For example,


    Rather than,


    [Conjure Fireball that changes its direction ording to the amount of Mana injected into the Circle]


    One can simply store, [Fireball] and [Direction Maniption] inside 2 Inner Circles,


    Then, the previously long Magic Pattern just bes,


    [Link 1 and 2 and conjure]


    A 1st Circle Mage like Vaan has 4 inner circles inside his Magic Circle, which meant that he can store 4 smaller spells.


    Unlike the Magic Patterns, a Mage cannot draw Inner Circles when in battle, therefore carefully selecting what spells to store inside the inner circles and getting used to them was an essential step in the journey of any mage.


    It was only 4 Inner Circles at the start, however, as a Mage grows and the number of Magic Circle he can summon increases, the number of Inner Circles increases as well.


    The quality of spells stored inside these inner circles was a major factor in a Mage''s strength. Of course, getting used to these Inner Circles was very important as well, it would be useless if a Mage ingeniously stores the best possible spells in his Inner Circles butter forgets which spell was stored inside which inner circle.


    The 4 spells Vaan chose for his Inner Circles were,


    [Fire Spike], [Direction Maniption], [Speed], and, [Clear].


    Out of these, [Clear] was of absolute importance, it was a simple spell that allows a Mage to ''clear'' the Magic Pattern inside the Magic Circle and draw another Magic Pattern without needing to summon a new Magic Circle again.


    This way, a Mage didn''t have to waste his time in breaking his Magic Circle, gathering the outside Mana, moving it around his body, forming another Magic Circle, and then drawing the Magic Pattern to cast another spell.


    He can simply use [Clear], then absorb Mana, circte it, and draw new Patterns to cast another spell, saving at least 2 seconds for every mage.


    [Clear] was a spell that almost every above-average mage had stored inside his Inner Circle and of course, Vaan was going to do the same as well.


    Magic was cool and all, however, just as Vaan mentioned before, its battle efficiency is too low because of the time it takes to cast a spell, so anything that improves his speed was extremely important for Vaan.


    That was also the reason why he added [Speed] in his Inner Circle, it was a simple spell that increases the movement speed of his spell depending upon the Mana he feeds to the circle.


    [Direction Maniption] and [Fire Spike] were self-exnatory, unlike many mages, Vaan chose to store [Fire Spike] instead of [Fireball] because of the extra damage.


    Anyways, with his mind set on the above 4 spells, Vaan took out a paper and pen.


    Storing the Magic Circle inside the empty Inner Circles was aplicated process. It was rmended to draw the Circle on the paper, fill in the Inner Circles with the spells you want, then practice and summon the Magic Circle you drew on the paper.


    With a determined look on his face, Vaan started drawing the Magic Circle on the paper, but then suddenly,


    "Krrriii~"


    The little spirit appeared in front of his eyes with a bright smile on her face.


    "mey! You are back!"

 Chapter 39 A Complete 1st Circle Mage.

    ?"Krrriii~"


    The little spirit appeared in front of his eyes with a bright smile on her face.


    "mey! You are back!"


    "Krriiii~ Krri~"


    Vaan eximed in joy. The Little Spirit started circling around Vaan with an excited look on her face. Her eyes shined as she nced at Vaan, and Vaan quickly understood what this fellow wanted.


    "Are you hungry, mey?"


    He questioned.


    The Little Spirit nodded.


    "Of course you are, you haven''t eaten for a whole day. I was worried about you, you know?"


    Vaan spoke as he quickly absorbed the surrounding Mana, circted it all around his Mana Veins and then he extended his index finger towards the Little Spirit, the little spirit held his finger with her two hands and started feeding on Vaan''s Mana.


    Vaan chuckled.


    Honestly, in thesest few days, his rtionship with this little Spirit improved a lot, the spirit feels a little intimidated whenever he attacks his opponent ruthlessly, maybe she remembers how the previous Vaan treated her, however, whenever Vaan notices her acting strangely, he always pats her head and reassures her with a gentle smile.


    Not to mention he also had his trump card that never fails,


    That was offering Mana to her.


    No matter how intimidated she felt, this greedy little fellow will instantly forget about everything as soon as Vaan offers her Mana and would start flying around, acting all cute. She was quite intelligent and knew how to get what she wanted.


    Vaan liked this greedy fellow a lot, he even gave her a name.


    mey.


    Yes, mey, that was all the previous underworld gang leadere up with.


    Don''t expect much.


    "Are you full?"


    Vaan questioned after feeding mey for 5th time. It is usually around this round when mey is satisfied.


    "Krrriii~~"


    And just like Vaan expected, the mey nodded, she then flew around the library then sat on the Vaan''s table, carefully looking at the pen and paper.


    Seeing her, Vaan quickly recalled what he was doing, and,


    "Alright, mey, don''t disturb me okay? This is important, we will yter."


    "Krrriii~~"


    mey nodded her head.


    Then, with a determined look on his face, Vaan drew the Magic Circle, this was a simple process, the real thing started after this, he now had to fill in the Inner Circles.


    Vaan took a deep breath, then, he started.


    And of course.


    He failed the first time. He couldn''tpletely store the spell in the given space. Vaan didn''t give up and continued,


    He failed many times, sometimes, he sessfully filled one Inner Circle but failed to fill others, just like that, 4 hours passed by,


    "Fuckkkk!!"


    Vaan cursed out loud as he fell back on his chair.


    4 hours¡­


    That was way longer than what he had imagined in his mind, Vaan realized that even though he was good with Magic, when ites to drawing, he was shit.


    However, in the end, his efforts finally bore fruit.


    After wasting around 15 papers, in front of him was the was the final image of hispleted Magic Circle.


    Without wasting any more time, Vaan stood up. It was now time to actually use this Magic Circle, honestly, Vaan was much more confident in this step rather than in the drawing one,


    *Whoosh*


    And just as he thought, he sessfully created the Magic Circle on his first try.


    His Magic control was monstrous.


    "Heh, should I try releasing?"


    Vaan thought to himself.


    No mages were allowed to release Magic inside the Library, the books here were very precious and were one of the reasons the Vaan family stands so strong to this day, any damage to these books was a serious offense.


    Vaan, however, trusted himself and his Magic control,


    With a confident smile on his face, he drew the Magic Patterns,


    [Link 1, 2, 4 and, conjure]


    *Flicker*


    A Fire Spike formed. Vaan moved it around the room, he didn''t activate the 3rd Inner Circle that had [Speed] spell stored inside. Vaan was not confident enough to control it, once he was done testing, he used the 4th Inner Circle, [Clear], the patterns inside the Magic Circle disappeared, the Fire Spike disappeared as well.


    "A second faster."


    Vaan noted.


    With Inner Circles and [Clear], the time he needed to cast a spell from the start was reduced to 2 seconds.


    This was the best a 1st Circle Mage could do, it was still a little slow, but Vaan was satisfied for now.


    He then nced at his Magic Circle which was shining brightly and couldn''t help but continuously stare at it with an impressed look on his face.


    He was finally aplete 1st Circle Mage.


    Now even if he fought against other 1st Circle Mages just by using Magic, he was confident.


    "Hmm?"


    Suddenly, Vaan noticed mey curiously looking at his Magic Circle, with a proud look on his face, he turned towards mey and,


    "How is it? Aren''t I great?"


    He questioned.


    "Kri?"


    mey, however, just tilted her head in confusion.


    "Do you not understand what it is? Don''t worry, you don''t hav-"


    Vaan wanted to reply, but then suddenly, the mes that surrounded the mey moved and formed a Magic Circle that was exactly simr to Vaan''s.


    "Huh?"


    Vaan was surprised.


    He could feel it, that was not a Magic Circle, that was just mes, where others could barely form a Fireball, Firespike, Rope, and other simple objects, mey''s control over her mes was so strong that she was using it to draw hisplicated Magic Circle.


    ''To think she would perfectly imitate it¡­''


    Vaan was surprised, however, this was just the start,


    Little mey nced at him as if checking if he was paying attention or not, then,


    She formed another Magic Circle.


    A Magic Circle which was 1.5 times bigger than Vaan''s Circle and had¡­ 6 Inner Circles¡­


    "Krrii."


    "You¡­ You want me to use this Magic Circle¡­?" Vaan questioned with a surprised look on his face.


    "Krriiii!"


    mey nodded with a bright look on her face.

 Chapter 40 Flamey, You Are The Best!

    ?"You... You want me to use this Magic Circle...?" Vaan questioned with a surprised look on his face.


    "Krriiii!"


    mey nodded with a bright look on her face.


    Vaan, however, just shook his head and chuckled.


    "It would be great if I could use this Magic Circle, 6 Inner Circles, and more space to draw Magic Patterns, I could cast advanced spells even though I am a 1st Circle Mage, but that is not how it works, mey.


    You can''t just increase the size of the Circle and the number of Inner Circles like that. If that is how it worked, I would have created an extremely big Magic Circle with thousands of Inner Circles, then I would have been invincible.


    There are Magic Theories that you need to understand before you form your circle, if you do not, then you won''t be able to form your circle or it will just break away.


    I have to say though, I am grateful that you are trying to help me, mey. Although it wouldn''t work, I appreciate the effort.


    You are adorable." Vaan spoke as he patted mey''s head.


    "Krriiiii!"


    mey, however, pouted as she jumped back.


    She used mes to cross out Vaan''s Circle and moved the circle she created in front of Vaan''s eyes.


    Although she couldn''t speak, her message was clear,


    ''Make it!''


    In the end, Vaan just shook his head and chuckled again.


    In front of mey''s tantrum, he had to give in.


    He just needed to show her that it wouldn''t work.


    Vaan absorbed the surrounding Mana, and soon, formed the Circle that mey had shown him.


    Vaan raised his eyebrow when the Circle was formed sessfully, however, just as he expected, the moment the Circle formed, it broke apart.


    "Do you understand now? You can''t just blindly create a Circle ignoring all the theories, it wouldn''t work."


    Vaan spoke with a smile on his face.


    "Krri Krrriii!"


    "What? You want me to make one again?"


    "Krrii!"


    "You are being childish now."


    "Krrri Krrri!"


    "Haaahh..."


    Vaan sighed.


    "Whatever."


    He repeated the process, and soon, he formed the Circle again, however, just as the Circle was about to break again, mey appeared right beside Vaan''s hand and ced her hands on the Circle.


    The Circle shone brightly and Vaan''s expression changed.


    ''No way...''


    The Circle...


    It was getting brighter and clearer...


    It... it was actually working...


    ''This shouldn''t work!''


    Vaan eximed inwardly, unable to believe his eyes.


    His eyes then fell on little mey who was focusing on the Magic Circle.


    ''Is it because of her...?''


    Vaan wondered in his head.


    ''But how...?''


    He couldn''t understand.


    He was 100% sure that this Magic Circle goes against at least 5 to 6 Magic Theories and that was just amongst the theories he knew, who knows how many more theories does this magic circle go against!?


    How was this working!?


    "Krrriii!"


    And as if sensing his doubt, mey eximed, then, the Mana inside Vaan''s body moved on its own, the Magic Patterns started appearing on the Magic Circle and Vaan''s eyes widened in shock.


    His Mana... it was moving on its own!!


    No, it was better to say that mey was able to move his Mana!


    ''How is that possible!?''


    The surprise, however, wasn''t over yet.


    *Flicker*


    A Fireball was created.


    mey used the Magic Circle and Vaan''s mana to cast a spell.


    ''She... how can she use my Mana!?''


    Horrified, Vaan decided to move his Mana on his own, or in other words, tried to push away mey''s external influence.


    *Flicker* *Flicker*


    The Fireball mey cast became unstable as mey lost control over Vaan''s spell.


    "Krriii~"


    mey nced at Vaan and pouted.


    "So you need my permission to use my Mana?"


    Vaan tried to make sense out of this situation.


    "Krrrii~"


    mey nodded her head.


    With a doubtful look on his face, Vaan imagined setting his Mana free, allowing mey to use his Mana again.


    It was a strange feeling, however, Vaan trusted mey.


    *Flicker*


    The Fireball stabilized.


    Soon, Vaan''s mana ran out, mey then moved in front of his face, and with her hands on her waist, she nced at Vaan with a big smile on her face.


    She was obviously proud.


    Vaan, however, was too shocked to justugh it off.


    What he witnessed in this past few minutes broke nearly all the magic theories he had crammed all this while.


    mey did not only create a never seen Magic Circle that improved a Mage''s strength by at least 50%, but she also took control over his Mana and cast Magic Spells using his Magic Patterns.


    Theories rted to Magic Circles.


    Theories that stated that only a Mage can use his own Mana.


    The theory that no other being could cast magic by copying another Mage''s Magic Patterns.


    Little mey broke them all!


    And now, she was standing in front of him, with her little hands on her waist, chin raised and her little chest all puffed up.


    ''W-What in the world...''


    "Krriii."


    Suddenly, mey called out again.


    She then created Magic Circle using her mes again and pointed at the 6 Inner Circles.


    "You... You want me to store magic spells in these circles?"


    "Krrri Krii."


    mey nodded and this time, Vaan couldn''t help but be excited.


    To heck with the magic theories and breaking the rules?


    Was he someone who cared about things like that before?


    Why was he going out of character now?


    His little mey was helping him, how can he not use this to his own advantage?


    With this Magic Circle...


    Won''t he be unparalleled amongst the 1st Circle Mages?


    6 Inner Circles!


    [Fire Spike], [Direction Maniption], [Speed], and, [Clear].


    He wasn''t restricted to just these 4 spells now. He could store more.


    Now he wasn''t just restricted to attack, he could use a defense spell as well.


    [me Wall.]


    A wall of mes that burns away all the attacks aimed toward the Caster. Honestly, [Transformation] spell was usually used with [me Wall], this way, the mage could change the shape of his me Walls, increasing its efficiency and strength, however, Vaan, who was innately more aggressive had a different idea.


    [Burst].


    He decided to use this instead of [Transformation].


    [Burst], along with [Speed], his attack would not only be faster than normal, it would also explode after attacking his enemy, exponentially increasing the firepower of his spells.


    ''Heh,''


    A smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    He took out another piece of paper and started drawing mey''s circle with an excited look on his face.


    "mey, you are the best!"


    Vaan praised.


    "Krrriiii~~"


    mey patted her little bicep with a proud look on her face before shefortably sat on Vaan''s head, waiting for him toplete the circle.

 Chapter 41 Thank You, Elara.

    ?*Vaan''s Circle and mey''s Circle*


    "Hahaha~ mey! It is finallypleted!" Vaanughed out loud.


    "Kriiiii~" mey, who was flying beside Vaan''s arm, helping him use the advanced Magic Circle, eximed in joy as well.


    The two of them had sessfully formed the advanced Magic Circle that mey introduced.


    A Magic Circle that is 1.5 timesrger than the normal circle and has 6 Inner Circles.


    If any Mage saw this, he or she would freak out in an instant, just like,


    "Vaan! W-What is that!?"


    Just like ra, who stood near the window of the library with a shocked look on her face.


    "ra?"


    Vaan frowned. He then rushed towards the window and opened it.


    "What are you doing here?"


    He questioned as he helped her get inside the library.


    "I came here to check up on you but that aside, what was that Magic Circle!? How did you cast it!? That broke the Magic Theory of shing Patterns, there is also the Theory of Patterns that must be drawn together, the Theory of Circle Stability, and, and, and also the Theory of-"


    "Alright alright, I get it. Calm down ande inside, I''ll answer all your questions as we sit."


    Vaan calmed ra down as he held her hand and walked in. The two then sat next to each other and Vaan spoke with a calm look on his face.


    "This is the new Circle I came up with. As you can see, it goes against many Magic Theories, however, I have tested it, and the circle is working perfectly. Not only that, it even increases my strength by 50%."


    Vaan spoke.


    "B-But this d-doesn''t make sense." ra didn''t know how to react.


    "Well, what can I say? Does it make sense that I can learn new spells within a matter of minutes?" Vaan smiled yfully.


    "That''s not the same!" ra shouted.


    At first, Vaan was just a never seen before Magic Prodigy, it was shocking, however, it was still in the range of ''believableness'', but now¡­


    Now Vaan was directly twisting and challenging the theories of Magic that have been passed down for thousands of years!


    That is on apletely different level than just being a prodigy!


    That is¡­


    That is¡­


    ra didn''t even know what to name it.


    "If you want, I can give the circle for you to study, I am sure it will greatly improve your strength," Vaan spoke with a gentle smile on his face.


    This girl didn''t give up on him even though the previous Vaan treated her so badly, right now, in Vaan''s eyes, ra deserved everything. She was one of the few people his dark heart has already epted as her own.


    "N-No, t-this is something y-you researched on yo-"


    "ra."


    ra wanted to reject, however, Vaan suddenly called out as he looked into her eyes with a serious look on his face.


    "You are my Fianc¨¦. You have taken care of me for so long even though I treated you so roughly, so let me take care of you once."


    "¡­" ra''s face turned red. Not being able to stare at Vaan like this, she just lowered her head in embarrassment.


    Seeing this, Vaan couldn''t help but smile, something inside him urged him to tease his fianc¨¦,


    "Also, why did you sneak into the library even though you were told not to?"


    Vaan questioned.


    "I-I came to check up on you!"


    "Oh? So it was not because you missed me?" Vaan questioned.


    "Huh? M-Missed you?"


    "You didn''t miss me?


    Am I the only fool who was thinking about you?" Vaan spoke with moist eyes.


    "W-What?"


    ra was speechless.


    All these talks about missing each other and all, she heard it was verymon between other fianc¨¦s, however, that was only true for ''other'' Finaces, Vaan and her were different. Let alone missing her, the previous Vaan hated her and wanted nothing more than for her to disappear.


    Honestly, their rtionship was so tense that ra had never even thought about such things.


    And now Vaan was suddenly acting like this while holding her hands.


    ra felt a strange feeling in her heart, however, her timid nature didn''t allow her to express herself. She could only lower her blushing head and stay silent.


    Vaan realized that he might have gone too far, so he decided to tone it down a little,


    "But I liked it."


    "Hmm?"


    "Youing here. I appreciate you always looking out for me. Thank you, ra."


    Vaan spoke with a gentle smile on his face.


    "N-No worries."


    ra stuttered. All of this was indeed too much.


    "Mhm."


    Vaan nodded.


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    The situation became awkward.


    Honestly, Vaan wasn''t much of an expert when it came to love either. After his parent''s death, he didn''t believe in things like love. He was a member of the pump and dump gang.


    Most of his sexual encounters were work-rted or something to divert his attention for a while, he was never in a serious rtionship.


    However, ra was different. What that girl did for the previous Vaan, with how much she sacrificed, no man could possibly hate her.


    Vaan was the same.


    Honestly, he didn''t know how to act in front of ra either, he was just trying his best to not be awkward.


    Did he love her?


    The answer would be no.


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel He just felt guilty about what the previous Vaan did to her and wanted to somehow make up for it.


    He just wanted to protect her and give her all the happiness that she deserved.


    However, what he didn''t know was that his feelings were slowly changing.


    "W-We need to talk to Lady Astra about this."


    Suddenly, ra spoke up.


    Maybe it was her way of dealing with the awkwardness and Vaan, who was desperately searching for a way out quickly jumped in,


    "A-About what?"


    "Your Magic Circle."


    "Huh?" Vaan frowned.


    ra started exining,


    "If it actually works as you said it does, then this circle does a lot more than just increase a mage''s power by 50%. It may have this effect for now, however, what after you start getting stronger?


    You at 2nd Circle would have the same number of Inner Circles as a 3rd Circle Mage,


    At 3rd Circle, you will have more Inner Circles than 4th Circle Mage.


    That is, the more you grow, the stronger your advantage gets.


    Your Magic Circle is so revolutionary that might change the way Magic works.


    However, as amazing as it may be, ites with its own risks."


    ra spoke with a slightly nervous look on her face.


    "You should need to seriously discuss this matter with Lady Astra."


    ra suggested.


    And Vaan, who understood the seriousness of the situation, nodded his head,


    "I will talk to her as soon as I leave this ce."


    "mm."

 Chapter 42 This Magic Circle Is Fundamentally Wrong.

    ?Another day passed by, Vaan''s punishment period ended and just as he had decided, he was currently standing in front of his mother''s room.


    *Knock* *Knock*


    He knocked on the door.


    "It is me, mother."


    "Come in."


    Astra ordered.


    Vaan walked into the room, his eyes fell on Astra, who was looking at her with a solemn look on her face,


    "You are getting bolder, Vaan," Astramented.


    "I feel like I have heard this before." Vaan smiled.


    "Do I look like I am in the mood for jokes?" Astra narrowed her


    "Is there an issue?" Vaan asked with a frown on his face.


    "You went against Rn! A Top-level Intermediate Mage! You think that is not an issue?"


    "I had no other option, Mother."


    "You should have just stayed silent! Why did you provoke him!?"


    "Hehe~ Please don''t act like that mother, even you joined inter when you said you would like to spar."


    "..." Astra turned silent.


    "Pfft! Did you see his face when you proposed a fight?


    Magic Research, Hahaha~."


    Vaanughed out loud.


    "You are taking this a little too lightly, Vaan." Astra, who barely kept a straight face, spoke.


    "Isn''t that expected from your child, mother? I have Astra in my name, after all."


    "Your skills to butter me up have indeed gotten better."


    In the end, a smile broke out on Astra''s face.


    She didn''t know why, but this new Vaan always had a way to calm her anger and make her smile. She honestly missed talking to him these past two days.


    However, she still needed to put out a strict front,


    "If you are my son, then prove it with your Magic Aplishments." She spoke.


    "Right, I almost forgot. That was what I was here for."


    "For what?"


    "My Magic Aplishments, of course. It seems your son has discovered something that could be quite troublesome." Vaan smiled.


    "Troublesome?" Astra frowned.


    However, rather than talking about it, Vaan simply decided to show up.


    "Krrriiii~~"


    mey roared in excitement as she appeared next to Vaan, ready to help him summon the circle, Vaan absorbed Mana and soon, he formed the advanced Magic Circle.


    Astra''s expression change the moment her eyes fell on Vaan''s Magic Circle.


    "That is..."


    "An Advance Magic Circle I researched, a Circle with 6 Inner Circles and more space to draw Magic Patterns."


    Vaan expressed.


    He took little mey''s credit, however, he couldn''t just say that it was created by a little spirit that no one else but him could see. Even his mother would call him crazy if he did that.


    He did try to talk about beings like mey, the spirits, or fairies, however, Astra simply told him not to read fantasy books and focus on Magic.


    "How did you create this Circle?" Astra questioned with a frown on her face.


    "I don''t know... It just came into my mind...?"


    Vaan gave a vague answer.


    Astra looked into Vaan''s eyes and didn''t say anything. Vaan felt a little ufortable, so he presented the problem ra talked about.


    "Other Mages would definitelye after this Magic Circle, so I came to you to discuss about it. What should I do? Should I hide it from others and keep it as my Trump Card, or do I keep it as my main Circle without caring about anything?"


    "Distribute the design of this Magic Circle, say you researched it, and then use it however you like. If other mages want, then they can research your Magic Circle and try to understand the principles behind it."


    Astra replied.


    "Huh?" Vaan however, just frowned.


    "Are you asking me to distribute it publicly?" he questioned just to confirm that he wasn''t hearing things.


    "That is correct." Astra nodded.


    "Mother, I am sorry to disappoint you but I am not some holy saint who cares for humanity''s growth or some other stupid thing like that.


    I am a selfish man who only cares about myself and people close to me.


    If you want, I can give the design to you, however, I do not wish to distribute it publicly."


    Vaan opposed it.


    Even if he wasn''t the one who created this circle on his own, he still didn''t wish to share it with others. Why would he share his trump card with others? That was foolish.


    Even if it was his mother was the one telling him to do this, Vaan was still against it.


    Astra, however,


    "Do you think I am a Saint?"


    Suddenly, Astra questioned.


    "You think I rose to my position just because I was good at magic?" A small smile appeared on her face.


    "What do you mean?" Vaan frowned.


    "If it was really something that amazing, I would never do something as foolish as distributing it publicly."


    "Are you saying this circle is useless?" Vaan couldn''t understand.


    Even ra said that this Magic Circle was impressive enough for high leveled Mages to drool over it, then why was his mother acting like this?


    Was she really that good that she doesn''t care about it? Does this Magic Circle mean nothing at her level?


    Even if it was true, was it really okay to distribute it just because it wasn''t impressive in her eyes?


    "It seems you have misunderstood me."


    Sensing what Vaan was thinking, Astramented.


    Vaan nced at her for answers, Astra raised her hand, then,


    A simr circle with 6 Inner Circles was created, it was not exactly simr to Vaan''s own circle, however, Vaan knew that the ''principles'' behind it were still the same.


    Astra had already interpreted the circle from her own perspective and could now copy it.


    ''As expected of her...''


    Vaan was impressed.


    But then suddenly, the Magic Circle that was shining brightly was broken into pieces.


    Vaan frowned.


    Astra finally exined,


    "This Magic Circle is fundamentally wrong.


    Even if you give the design to others, they cannot use it even if they spend decades in trying to understand it. It is just a waste of effort.


    I do not know how you are casting it,


    I can only assume that there is another strange power inside you that is helping you use this Magic Circle, a strange, mysterious power."


    Astra spoke and Vaan''s expression changed as he nced at mey flying around the room with an unbothered look on her face.


    "Krrriiiii!!"

 Chapter 43 Dont Make Her Regret Her Decision Vaan.

    ?"I can only assume that there is another strange power inside you that is helping you use this Magic Circle, a strange, mysterious power."


    Astra spoke and Vaan''s expression changed as he nced at mey flying around the room with an unbothered look on her face.


    "Krrriiiii!!"


    The mysterious and strong power his mother was talking about.


    "Kri?


    Krrriii!!"


    mey, who noticed Vaan''s gaze stopped and waved her little hands at him in excitement.


    Vaan chuckled.


    "Anyways, since it increases your strength, it is a good thing, just release your Circle''s design and everything will be alright," Astra didn''t ask how Vaan did it. She decided to trust her child.


    Honestly, Astra found it strange how she was continuously trusting her child again and again, however, it wasn''t a bad feeling.


    "What if theye after me after they ''fail to understand'' the principles behind the Magic Circle? I don''t believe that Mages would simply give in just because they cannot understand something. What if they take extreme steps to satiate their curiosity?" Vaan questioned.


    Mages were said to be people who could go to any lengths to satiate themselves. There was even a case of a Magemitting mass murder just to understand some stupid theories behind life and death.


    Vaan''s question was logical, however, Astra simplyughed it off.


    "Heh? I thought you were braver than that." Astra teased.


    "I may look rash, but I am quite calctive, Mother," Vaan replied.


    "Calctive, huh? You sure don''t like one."


    "I have my mother protecting me, so I let loose sometimes." Vaan smiled.


    "What a spoiled child," Astramented.


    "Not my fault that I have an amazing mother." Vaan shrugged.


    "Look at you." Astra extended her hands and started pulling Vaan''s cheek.


    "It hwurts." Vaanined.


    "That''s your punishment."


    Astraughed.


    The two then sat down on the sofa, Vaan ced his head on his mother''sp. Astra smiled, then,


    "You don''t have to worry too much. No one would take ''extreme steps'' against someone from the Vesta Family. How do you think we are still standing even though there are so many forces eyeing our Vesta Family''s treasures?"


    Astra spoke with a confident look on her face.


    "What about mages of the Vesta Family then?"


    Vaan questioned.


    He had been to the Vesta Family meeting, there were some troubling individuals inside the family. Individuals who shouldn''t be there for the Vesta Family to remain as strong as it does.


    "As I said, do not worry,


    Those people won''t lower their pride toe to you. They might use underhanded tactics to target you,


    But it is not like you are scared of them, right?" Astra smiled yfully.


    "Why would I be scared? I have the strongest Mage supporting me."


    "I am not the strongest."


    "You are strongest in my eyes, Mother." Vaan grinned.


    Astra, however, just started pulling his cheek again.


    "Uggghhh..." Vaan groaned.


    Bootlicking his mother was quite hard.


    "Anyways, how did it go?" Suddenly, Astra stopped pulling Vaan''s cheek and with a curious look on her face, she questioned.


    "Huh? How did what go?"


    "Haaah? You dare act smart in front of your mother? Your little date with that foolish girl."


    "Are you talking about ra?" Vaan questioned.


    "Of course. Who else would you go on a date with?."


    "I didn''t go on a date with her either."


    "The two of you locked yourself inside the room for 2 hours."


    "It was a magic training room, we were studying magic." Vaan rified.


    "Tsk." Astra shook her head in disappointment.


    "..." Vaan didn''t know what to say.


    A sense of nostalgia washed over him as he recalled his mother''s relentless insistence on marrying his girlfriend in his previous life.


    Honestly, Vaan felt like there were a little too many simrities between Astra and his mother in his previous life. It was to the point where different theories started forming in his mind.


    After all, it was a fantasy world where magic existed and something simr had already happened to him, what is stopping him from believing that the same happened with his mother?


    However, he decided to stay silent for now.


    Rather than thinking about all this, he just wanted to enjoy this warm feeling in his heart.


    "What do you think about ra?" Suddenly, Astra questioned.


    "Mother seems to like her." Vaan replied.


    "I am not asking about that, you fool. Of course, I like that girl.


    I am asking about you, do you like her?"


    "Can someone even hate ra?"


    "There was a certain someone who did," Astra replied as she looked into Vaan''s eyes.


    "...well that certain someone was definitely a fool."


    "What about you?"


    "I..."


    Vaan turned silent.


    Then, with a strange look on his face, he replied,


    "I don''t think I deserve to be with someone like her. My past actions must have hurt her."


    "By that logic, you don''t deserve to stay here either, don''t you think?"


    "..."


    Vaan turned silent.


    "Your past actions hurt her, Vaan.


    But that doesn''t mean you can''t change that with your future actions.


    That foolish girl cares about you.


    Do you think I was the one who forced her to be your fianc???


    Well I did at the beginning, making a 5-year-old girl your finance without asking her just because I saw how talented that child is, was my fault, however, when I noticed how you were treating her because of your petty jealousy, I told her to break off the engagement,


    She was the one who rejected my offer.


    Don''t make her regret that decision Vaan.


    You said you changed, didn''t you?


    You said how you would be the son I would be proud of, right?


    Then be sure to be a man who treats his fianc?? well. Make that girl the happiest girl in this world."


    Astra spoke as she looked into Vaan''s eyes.


    Of course, she knew it was wrong to force someone to love someone else, especially when she decided to break off her engagement and marry Vaan''s father, but humans were selfish creatures.


    Astra wanted ra and her son to be together. She absolutely hated thinking about how someone, not her son would marry her lovely pupil.


    Astra wasn''t willing to give ra away.


    "..."


    Hearing her words, something inside Vaan changed.


    Astra was right...


    He was not Christopher anymore; he had now decided to live as Vaan. The biggest factor that was stopping him was that the person ra cared for was Vaan, not him.


    However, right now,


    He was Vaan.


    Just like how he decided to mend his rtionship with his mother,


    He needed to do the same with ra.


    Not as Christopher, but as Vaan.


    "I understand, Mother.


    I will not disappoint you, or... ra..." Vaan spoke.


    "Good, because if you do, then don''t expect me to be on your side,


    I will always be on my student''s side."


    Astramented.


    "But I am your son," Vaanined.


    "So what? ra is my cute student."


    "She is cute, that I agree with." Vaan nodded.


    "She is much better than that Seraphina girl," Astramented.


    "Hm hm, I agree again."


    Vaan continued to nod his head.


    "Ri-"


    Astra was about to speak, but then,


    *Knock* *Knock*


    A knock was heard.


    "What is it?" Astra questioned.


    "Lady Astra, Young Master Vaan''s friends havee to visit him."


    The servant reported, and hearing that, an evil smile appeared on Vaan''s face,


    "Guess my moneybags are here."

 Chapter 44 What Did Seraphina Do?

    ?"Lady Astra, Young Master Vaan''s friends havee to visit him."


    The servant reported.


    "Guess my moneybags are here."


    Vaan spoke with an evil smile on his face.


    "You really are acting like a thug," Astramented with a small smile on her face.


    "Hehe~ I am gonna bleed them dry."


    "You know you can ask me if you need money, right?" Astra spoke.


    "Of course, but why would I bother you if I can earn it on my own?"


    "''Earn it'' huh?" Astra raised her eyebrow.


    "Don''t mind the small details, mother." Vaan waved his hand as he stood up.


    "Anyways, I''ll go meet those idiots."


    "Alright." Astra nodded.


    "See youter, Mother."


    Vaan smiled as he walked out of the room.


    The moment he left, Astra formed Vaan''s Advance Magic Circle again, however, just like before, 1 secondter, the Circle trembled before breaking away.


    "A Circle with 6 Inner Circles huh...


    I don''t even know what to say."


    A small smile appeared on Astra''s face.


    ...


    On the other hand, Vaan who was walking with the servant was soon joined by Gabel.


    "Young Master Vaan." Gabel greeted.


    "Have they brought it?"


    "Yes, Young Master." Gable nodded.


    Vaan nodded, then, he walked into the Guest room and,


    "My 5 good friends, it is so great to see you! How have you all been?"


    Vaan questioned with a beaming smile on his face.


    In front of him sat five men.


    Asher, ric, Ss, Calder, and Thoren.


    All 5 of them were Vaan''s ''friends''. Friends who had once ganged up and attacked him. Now, however, they were all sitting in front of him, with their heads lowered, faces bruised, and sweat rolling down from their foreheads as they fidget their fingers.


    "I heard you came bearing gifts?"


    Vaan directly went to the topic.


    "T-That''s correct, Young Master Vaan. We know that our previous foolish actions have offended Young Master Vaan, so as a token of our apology, we brought a few things. It may not be much, however, we hope that Young Master Vaan epts our apology and forgives us."


    Asher stood up and spoke with a polite look on his face.


    The other 4 quickly stood up and,


    "Please be the bigger person and forgive our foolish mistakes, Young Master Vaan."


    Saying those words, each one of them took out 1 pouch carrying 20 Elemental Stones.


    "Hahaha~


    A simple apology would have sufficed.


    You didn''t have to bring anything."


    Vaanughed out loud.


    Gabel, on the other hand, had already moved and was taking away all the pouches. Not only that, he even went as far as counting all Elemental Stones inside the pouches right in front of everyone''s eyes.


    Vaan nodded his head in satisfaction.


    Gabel was indeed apetent servant.


    "There are a total of 100 Elemental Stones, Young Master Vaan," Gabel reported.


    "Oho? 100 elementals stones? That''s quite expensive. You 5 didn''t have to go that far but since you have brought it, it would be rude of me to not ept this."


    Vaan smiled brightly as he waved his hand. Gabel understood, he put all the Elemental Stones in one pouch and kept the pouch with him.


    Asher and the other four just clenched their fists,


    ''We brought it!? It was you who threatened us, you thuglike bastard!!''


    Of course, they couldn''t say that out loud.


    In front of Vaan, they could only smile politely and,


    "Of course not, Young Master. One must be sincere while apologizing, else there is no meaning to it, is there?" Ss smiled politely.


    "That is indeed correct. I like the way you think, that''s why you five are my close friends."


    "We are honored, Young Master Vaan."


    The two parties smiled at each other.


    "T-Then we shall take our leave, Young Master Vaan."


    Asher spoke up.


    "Yes, Young Master Vaan must be busy, we won''t be taking any more of your time."


    "We shall meet again, Young Master Vaan."


    "Take care, Young Master Vaan."


    They didn''t wish to linger around this ce for even a second longer.


    Smiling and bowing their heads in front of this hateful bastard left a bad taste in their mouths. Not to mention how this bastard was shamelessly hoarding their money and was acting like they were the ones who gave it to them.


    What''s worse?


    They were forced toply with this stupid act!


    The five just clenched their fists in frustration and anger as they walked away.


    However,


    "Wait."


    Vaan wasn''t done yet.


    The five of them turned around as they nced at Vaan and noticed his fake smile was now gone.


    "Why did you do it?"


    "D-D-Did what, Young Master Vaan...?" Asher questioned with a nervous smile on his face.


    "No matter what kind of person I was, there is no way cowards like you would have the guts to hit me to the point where I am bedridden, why did you do it?"


    "W-We already a-apologized for our m-mista-"


    "I am not asking if you apologized or not.


    I am asking why you did it."


    Vaan then looked into his ''friends'' eyes with a threatening look on his face, then,


    "It would be better if you answer me yourself because if I found out about it myself,


    It wouldn''t just end with a few Elemental Stones."


    "I-It was Lady Seraphina!" Suddenly, Calder spoke up.


    The other 4 nced at him with horrified looks on their faces, however, Calder didn''t care.


    The current Young Master Vaan was a lot more scarier than that bitch. Not to mention he never liked that bitch from the beginning. He hated how he was forced to steal from his family treasury while that bitch who was behind all this got out of it scot-free.


    Of course, his friends'' worries weren''t unfounded either, Vaan crazy was for Seraphina. ming Seraphina in front of Vaan was not a smart choice, however, for some reason, Calder felt that he should do it.


    A voice inside him told him that it was the right decision,


    Also, it was Young Master Vaan asking about it, he was only answering truthfully, Calder felt Young Master Vaan wouldn''t me him and act rashly, especially since they were inside the Vesta Family grounds.


    "Go on."


    Vaan simply nced at him and with a scarily calm look on his face, he ordered.


    "What did Seraphina do?"

 Chapter 45 You Know What You Have To Do If You Want To Avoid This Fate, Right?

    ?"Go on.


    What did Seraphina do?"


    Vaan questioned with a serious look on his face.


    From his expression, he didn''t look like a crazy lovestruck fool like he did before whenever Seraphina''s name was mentioned.


    And Calder, who finally saw hope, started,


    "It was Lady Seraphina who told us to spar with you.


    She ordered us to defeat you in magic spar and beat you enough so that it crushes your newfound interest in magic."


    Calder exined.


    Vaan narrowed his eyes as he started thinking.


    Aldric said the same thing before.


    She ced ric around him to make sure that he does not learn magic, she even has his ''friends'' under her thumb and when things didn''t go her way, she was daring enough to order them and have him surrounded.


    "Is this the first time Seraphina ordered you to do something that hindered my magic study?"


    Vaan questioned.


    "N-No! She has done it before! The time when we took you out to drink alcohol! She was the one who ordered us to do it. She told us to make you addi-"


    Suddenly, Calder, who was answering turned silent as he widened his eyes in shock.


    What was he just saying!?


    He realized his mistake, the other 4 looked at him as they widened their eyes in horror as well.


    This bastard!


    Did he have a death wish!?


    However, it was already toote.


    "The time when you took me out to drink alcohol saying that you wanted to celebrate me bing a 1st Circle Mage..." Vaan spoke as he recalled the incident.


    *Gulp*


    The five men in front of him gulped.


    "You better speak up if you want to live."


    Vaan threatened, his current expression was extremely dark.


    He was even considering killing one of these 5 to make create an example and make the interrogation process smoother.


    "W-When you sessfully became a 1st Circle Mage, Lady Seraphina ordered us to turn you into an alcohol addict that''s why we took you to the bar.


    Initially, she ordered us to use Dreamweave, however, we rejected it. No matter what, w-we couldn''t use something like that against Young Master."


    Asher replied.


    This fight between Seraphina and Vaan, at first, it was just Seraphina making ns and Vaan falling into her trap, however, things had now changed. Young Master Vaan was different. This battle between the two, it was getting much more messier. He wanted toe out clean and get as far away from it as he could.


    "Dreamweave..."


    Vaan muttered.


    Dreamweave was a drug that was banned all over Agresia. People who took it experienced powerful hallucinations, taking them to their dream world and elevating all their pains. It was highly addictive and people who couldn''t get it showed strong withdrawal symptoms.


    The more a person takes it, the stronger the addiction gets and it gets to the point where a person wastes his entire life on this drug and cannot live without it anymore.


    It was much more dangerous than all the drugs Vaan had dealt with on Earth.


    Vaan wasn''t innocent, he had many people addicted to drugs he sold, those people were his constant source of money but to think a bitch would try to use the same trick on him.


    ''Heh, I will destroy you...''


    Vaan clenched his fists as heughed inwardly.


    A terrifying smile appeared on his face.


    "I-It was not our fault, Young Master! W-We told her not to use Dreamweave because it was going too far! That was the reason she didn''t use it!" Asher, who was terrified by that smile defended himself.


    "Oh yeah? Because it was going too far? Or was it because you were scared that my mother would find out?" Vaan questioned.


    "..." Asher turned silent and lowered his head.


    "Seraphina Stormweaver..."


    Vaan muttered.


    It was now official.


    She was now his official enemy.


    Suddenly, Vaan nced at Asher and an idea popped up in his mind,


    "You said Seraphina told you to use Dreamweaver?"


    "Y-Yes, but we rejec-"


    "Where were you going to find it? The Dreamweaver, I mean." Vaan questioned.


    "I-I don''t know. She would have provide-" Asher was about to answer, but then, he froze.


    He could guess why Vaan was asking it, and once he looked at that demonic smile on Vaan''s face, his guess turned into certainty.


    "Go to Seraphina, tell her that I am interested in Magic again, make her take out the Dreamweaver. I need results within a week."


    Vaan ordered.


    "Y-Young M-Master Vaan, w-we would r-rather not involve ourselves in all this, w-we have alreadypensated you for your mistakes, p-please let us go." Asher requested.


    Seraphina was not a simple woman, going to her with a n to betray herter, the probability of him getting caught by her was extremely high. He didn''t wish to take any risks. He just wanted to get out of this messy situation.


    However,


    ''She ordered us to defeat you in magic spar and beat you enough so that it crushes your newfound interest in magic.''


    ''W-When you sessfully became a 1st Circle Mage, Lady Seraphina ordered us to turn you into an alcohol addict that''s why we took you to the bar.''


    Asher''s eyes widened in horror when he heard the voice.


    He raised his head and saw Vaan carrying a Crystal Ball that showed them kneeling on the ground, admitting to their mistakes.


    Vaan... he had recorded everything they had said just now.


    "I didn''t have proof before, but I guess this would be enough. I wouldn''t be able to do anything to Seraphina with this since she can simply reject all the allegations, but I am sure this much is enough to throw your families out of the Vesta City.


    Good luck surviving in the Kingdoms,


    My dear friends."


    "W-Why are you doing this!? We alreadypensated you for our mistakes, didn''t we!? Why push us so far!?" Asher shouted in rage.


    Vaan, however, just smiled demonically and,


    "The fuck are you acting like a victim for? Being ordered or not, the fact is, you were the ones who came after me first. Should have used that fucking brain of yours earlier.


    Also, when did I say I would let you go once you bring these Elemental Stones? Don''t assume things on your own."


    Make no mistake, Vaan was never a good person before.


    He has exploited the weak and killed innocents to stand firmly in the underworld, those habits won''t just change.


    "..."


    "..."


    Asher and the others turned silent, their heads down as they trembled thinking about their own and their families'' future.


    Seeing this, Vaanughed.


    "How pitiful, isn''t it?


    The dogs who did nothing but follow their master''s order are being thrown out, forced to survive in the tough world alone,


    While the Master who was behind everything would simply be finding new Dogs."


    Vaan then ced his hand on Asher''s shoulder and,


    "You know what you have to do if you want to avoid this fate, right?"

 Chapter 46 What? I Just Want To Meet My Sera

    ?Vaan then ced his hand on Asher''s shoulder and,


    "You know what you have to do if you want to avoid this fate, right?"


    "Get the Dreamweaver from Lady Seraphina¡­"


    Asher spoke up as he gritted his teeth.


    "See? This is why I like smart people."


    Vaan patted Asher''s shoulder. Then, he walked forward and sat on his sofa, with his legs on the table in front of him, he nced at the backs of his 5 ''friends'' again and,


    "What are you standing there for?


    Leave."


    He ordered.


    The 5 men nced at each other before quickly walking away, however, just as they were about to walk out of the door,


    "Remember, you only have a week."


    Vaan reminded.


    "Y-Yes, Young Master Vaan." Asher stuttered.


    The 5 then walked out of the room and left.


    "Gabel."


    Inside the room, Vaan called out.


    "Young Master."


    Gabel quickly passed the pouch containing 100 Elemental stones to Vaan.


    Vaan nced at the Stones and smiled a little, then,


    "Call Aldric."


    He ordered.


    "He is still being treated by the medic, Young Master."


    Gabel replied.


    With how brutally Vaan had beaten him down, it would have been strange if Aldric was fine within just 3 days.


    "Call him, he wille."


    Vaan however, didn''t care.


    Gabel found it cruel, however, in the end, he just bowed his head, "As youmand, Young Master."


    Saying those words, he turned around and left.


    Once Vaan was left alone in the room,


    "Krrrii¡­"


    mey finally showed herself.


    However, this time, she wasn''t as cheerful as before. She had been seeing everything all this while, and Vaan''s aura, she didn''t like it¡­


    But the moment Vaan''s eyes fell on little mey, his strict look was reced by a warm smile,


    "mey."


    He called out.


    "Are you hungry?" he questioned.


    mey, however, shook her head. Then, she flew towards Vaan and sat on hisp. Vaan simply patted her little head with his fingers.


    "Krriiiii~~" mey eximed, her voice a little louder than before.


    Vaan didn''t know why, but he had a soft corner for this little angel.


    "Kri?" Suddenly, mey''s eyes fell on the Elemental Stones.


    "Oh? You want it?" Vaan questioned as he took out one elemental stone and gave it to mey. mey tried to catch it with her two hands, however, her hands simply passed through the elemental stones.


    Just as mentioned before, mey couldn''t touch anything other than Vaan.


    "It seems like you can''t touch it," Vaan spoke.


    "Krrii¡­"


    mey pouted as she lowered her head.


    Vaan felt a little bad, but then,


    "Here."


    He ced the Stone in his hand and ced it right in front of mey. Allowing her to see it as much as she wanted.


    "Kriiii..."


    The little mey seemed mesmerized as she continued to observe the Elemental stone. Seeing her so focused on the stone, Vaan didn''t have the heart to disturb her, so he allowed her to stare at it for as long as she wanted.


    *Knock* *Knock*


    "Young Master Vaan, Aldric is here."


    Soon, Vaan heard Gabel''s voice.


    "Enter." He ordered.


    Gable and Aldric walked into the room.


    "Young Master."


    Aldric bowed his head. His head was still bruised and there were bandages all over his face, however, he still didn''t dare toin and quickly came here as soon as he heard that Vaan had summoned him.


    Aldric knew, if he didn''t prove his loyalty here, he would die.


    "What happened to your face, Aldric?" suddenly, Vaan questioned.


    "I was careless and fell from the stairs, Young Master."


    Aldric, who understood Vaan''s intention replied.


    Vaan smiled a little.


    "Didn''t you fall a few days ago as well?"


    "My mind is being preupied with some things, Young Master. I apologize for being careless and not being able to serve you properly."


    "Hm hm, take care of yourself."


    Vaan nodded in satisfaction.


    "Yes, Young Master."


    Aldric bowed.


    "Do you know why I have called you here?" Vaan questioned.


    "I do not, Young Master." Vaan shook his head.


    "Write a letter to Seraphina," Vaan ordered.


    Aldric''s expression changed.


    "W-What should I write in the letter, Young Master?" he questioned.


    "Tell her how my interest in magic is raised again and how I have been spending hours in the library and even went to Magic Training Room on my own ord. You said she calls me whenever you report something like this to her, correct?"


    "T-That is correct, Young Master." Aldric nodded.


    "Then make sure the letter you write leads to her sending me a letter of invitation," Vaan ordered.


    "Young Master, you¡­" Gabel couldn''t believe what he just heard.


    "What? I just want to meet my Sera. What is wrong with that?"


    Vaan spoke with a smile on his face.


    A smile that had no trace of love on it.


    A terrifying smile that sent shivers down to Gabel and Aldric''s spine.


    "A-As youmand, Young Master.


    I will make sure you receive a letter of invitation."


    Aldric spoke with a determined look on his face.


    "Good." Vaan smiled.


    Then, he stood up and,


    "You can go back and take a rest, Aldric.


    You too Gabel.


    I am going back to my room, you do not have to follow me."


    Vaan knew Gabel was going to report today''s events to Astra, he didn''t really mind, so he allowed him to ''rest''.


    Aldric, on the other hand, actually needed some rest.


    With mey sitting on his shoulder, Vaan walked towards his room.


    He had finally gotten his hands on these Elemental Stones.


    Now, he could finally put them to good use and work to tackle his biggest weakness.


    Once he was done with this, he can finally go all out.

 Chapter 47 Elemental Stones And Instant Spells.

    ?"Here it is," Vaan spoke as he took out a book from the stash of books he had brought into his room from the library.


    ''Easy but Practical Instant Spell Patterns.''


    It was a book written by a 7th Circle Advance Mage, Morgana Ziderwall. One of the few exceptional advanced Mages who didn''t belong to the Vesta Family.


    It was a basic level book that helped mages tackle their biggest weakness.


    Mages are known to have strong Fire Power, in wars, mages are used as damage dealers that could deal with thousands of soldiers on their own. Even though the magic has fallen, none of the 4 Kingdoms stopped cultivating mages because they simply cannot afford to. Mages are just that important, even if they have be weaker.


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel However, as important as they may be, Mages have a big weakness.


    Their weak defense.


    It is said that once an enemy gets close to a mage, the mage is as good as dead.


    It wasn''t a big problem before since mages usually battled together with tanks protecting them while they cast magic. However, as the God of Magic stopped answering his believers and all other forces turned against Mages, the mages lost theiryer of protection and had to fight others themselves.


    No matter how strong, a mage was bound to die once the enemy gets closer. Swordsmen and assassins became a mages'' nightmare.


    That was when the Archmage, Alienora Vesta invented Instant Spells.


    Elemental stones which were found in nature contained pure, raw Mana, at first, Mages used them to absorb Mana, it was faster than simply absorbing the Mana from the air, however, Archmage Alienora invented apletely new method to use the Elemental Stones.


    An ingenious way that soon became the hope for the Mages and a nightmare to their enemies.


    Storing Magic Spells inside the Elemental Stones.


    Basic Magic Patterns were engraved in Elemental Stones, making it so that just with a little bit of Mana, the Magic Spell engraved into the Elemental Stones is instantly activated using the Mana stored inside the Stone without any casting time.


    That meant, whenever a mage was in danger, he could simply activate an Instant Spell to defend himself. And it wasn''t just stuck to simple spells like fireball or earth shield.


    The more Elemental Stones were used, the stronger the spell would be.


    After more research, even spells like instant teleportation started being engraved into these Elemental Stones, but of course, they required a huge number of Elemental Stones that normal mages cannot even dream to have.


    Anyways, with the invention of Instant Spells, the mages'' biggest weakness, the time they needed to cast a spell, was removed, the instant spells created by Alienora Vesta were one of the biggest factors why leaders of other forces couldn''t defeat her.


    Although they were fighting just her, she, who had already stored most of her spells in the Elemental Stones, could cast countless absurdly strong spells at the same time.


    It was as if the leaders of enemy forces were fighting against many Alienora Vestas at the same time.


    That was just how strong the instant spells were.


    Of course, this method also had its downsides, the number of Elemental Stones was limited. Other than Alienora and some other top mages, no other mages had enough Elemental Stones to store most of their spells.


    Also, the Elemental Stones weren''t renewable either, after a set number of uses, their efficiency in storing Mana decreases and gets to the point where they can''t be used anymore.


    Alienora and other mages couldn''t use these stones recklessly. They had to be careful.


    However, it was still an undeniable fact that after the God of Magic''s silence, the invention of Instant Spell was what brought the mages to a position where they could hold off their own against other forces.


    And what was the best part?


    Unlike the normal spells, where a Mage has to interpret the Magic Pattern for a said Magic Spell on their own and cannot just simply copy other mage''s patterns, Instant Spells had no such limitation.


    As long as the pattern a mage engraves is valid, it could be used.


    What did that mean?


    It meant that if one had enough Elemental Stones and knows the required Magic Pattern, one could even cast Archmage Alienora''s Spells.


    Of course, the only family all over Agresia who had the knowledge and resources to do something like this was the Vesta Family. This was why the Vesta Family stood tall and strong even after 5000 years had passed.


    This was also one of the reasons why other forces were eyeing the Vesta Family''s treasury. The spells left by Archmage Alienora that were powerful enough to fight against all the forces in the world together,


    Who in the world would not want something like that?


    Anyways, all of this was still not something the current Vaan should be concerned with.


    He only wanted a few defense and attack instant spells that could help him whenever he is in trouble.


    And of course, he had already chosen the Instant Spells he wanted to engrave into the Elemental Stones.


    ''Instant Burn.''


    ''Ignispike Pursuit''


    ''Earth Fort''


    ''Heal''


    Out of these spells, Heal and Instant Burn needed 10 Elemental Stones each. Ignispike Pursuit and Earth Fort wereparably cheaper and only needed 5.


    So out of the 100 Elemental Stones he had received, Vaan was nning to use 30 already.


    The required patterns for all these spells were given inside the book he had gotten.


    First, Vaan wanted to engrave Ignispike Pursuit, it was an instant spell that creates a 3 Meter long Fire Spear that pursued the set target until it hits it.


    Yes, an absolute hit spell with firepower far higher than what his current Fire Spikebined with [Speed] and [Burn] had.


    Vaan then took out another set of Elemental Stones from his drawer, however, unlike normal Elemental Stones, which were clear, shiny, and transparent like a huge diamond, these were translucent with a milky texture.


    These were the used Elemental Stones which were absolutely useless now. Mages used these to practice engraving before doing it on the actual stones.


    Which a determined look on his face, Vaan quickly took out an Engraving Pen, then, he absorbed the surrounding Mana, circted the Mana throughout his body, and infused the Mana into his Engraving Pen before starting to engrave the required patterns for the instant spell, Ignispike Pursuit,


    However, right as he began,


    "Krrriiiiii~~"

 Chapter 48 Flamey, We Did It!

    ?"Krrriiiiii~~"


    Right as Vaan begin engraving the Pattern into the Elemental Stone, mey appeared.


    "Are you interested in this?"


    Vaan questioned with a smile on his face.


    "Krriii~"


    mey nodded her little head.


    Then, she pointed at the used Elemental Stone that Vaan was engraving on.


    Vaan nced at the Elemental Stone and saw that mey had created a huge ''X'' mark, he also noticed that she had drawn an ''arrow'' on the unused Elemental Stone.


    "Are you telling me that I have to use this Elemental Stone?" Vaan chuckled.


    "Krii." Little mey nodded.


    "I know that, mey. I am just practicing on it."


    Vaan replied with a smile, mey, however, shook her head,


    "Krrriii~"


    She eximed, then, Vaan noticed mes forming patterns around the unused Elemental Stones.


    Just like mey, her mes didn''t have any effect on any object, therefore, other than Vaan being able to see this pattern, there was no use to it.


    Vaan then noticed something...


    mey had not created patterns on a single Elemental Stone...


    She had drawn patterns on 2 Elemental Stones simultaneously. Vaan finally understood what the little fairy was trying to say,


    "Are you saying that I just need to trace this pattern?"


    "Krrrii~" mey nodded again.


    "On just 2 Elemental Stones...? But the book says I need 5 Elemental Stones for Ignispike Pursuit..." Vaan spoke with a frown.


    "Krrriii Kriiiiiiiiiii."


    With a pout on her face, mey pointed at the book, her mes surrounded the book as if she was trying to burn it, but of course, nothing happened to the book.


    "Heh, are you saying I should burn the book and listen to you?"


    "Krrii. Krri."


    mey nodded.


    The little mey waspletely looking down on the book written by a 7th Circle Mage.


    "Hahaha." Vaanughed out loud.


    "Alright then, let''s keep the book aside for now. I will draw your magic patterns on the stones, but can you draw these patterns on these used Elemental Stones first? I need to practice engraving on them because I am still not confident about it."


    "Krrrii."


    mey nodded. Then, she drew mes around the used Elemental Stones and Vaan started engraving the pattern by tracing mey''s mes.


    Honestly, if it was before, he would have thought that mey was just joking around, even though he was from the Vesta Family, he couldn''t use 2 Elemental Stones just to test out a theory, especially when it was not his own theory.


    However, mey was someone who drew a revolutionary Magic Circle that increased a Mage''s strength by more than 50% like it was nothing.


    Vaan had already realized long ago that she wasn''t just a normal cute little friend, she was insanely knowledgeable. Vaan knew that when it came to matters rted to magic, he could trust this little fellow.


    With this thought in his mind, Vaan shifted his attention to engraving the Magic Pattern.


    It wasn''t a difficult process, a mage only needed to infuse his mana into the Engraving Pen and use constant strength to engrave the pattern, after some practice, it wasn''t much different than simply drawing on the pattern.


    And with mey''s mes as a guide, the process was even simpler for Vaan, he simply needed to make sure he used constant strength. It was something that needed patience, which admittedly, was Vaan''s weak factor, however, after practicing it for around an hour,


    Vaan finally managed to engrave patterns onto the first Elemental Stone.


    "mey, we did it!" He eximed.


    "Krriii!"


    mey flew in circles with an excited look on her face, celebrating together with Vaan.


    "Then should we engrave the other pattern?" He questioned.


    "Krrrii." mey nodded as she drew the patterns using her mes. Vaan traced her patterns, this time, since he had finally learned how to keep applying constant force, the process was a lot simpler and hepleted it in 10 minutes.


    He then drew the two patterns again just to gain confidence.


    This continued for another hour, and then Vaan finally decided to use the actual Elemental Stones.


    mey was with him with every step with a focused look on her cute face. Vaan then started engraving the patterns, 15 minutester, he finally engraved the two patterns, and then,


    *Whoosh*


    The two Elemental Stones turned red.


    "Krrriiiii~~"


    mey jumped in excitement.


    A small smile appeared on Vaan''s face as well.


    His effort bore fruit.


    However, it still wasn''t over. He needed to test this out.


    Unable to contain his excitement, Vaan rushed towards his mother''s room.


    "Mother!" He spoke as he walked into his mother''s room.


    Inside, he saw Gabel standing in front of his mother, Vaan finally came back to his senses and bowed his head,


    "I apologize for barging in like this, Mother. I was a little too excited."


    Astra frowned but then,


    "What is it?" She questioned.


    Vaan nced at Gabel and then,


    "I wish to talk to you, alone."


    Astra nced at Gabel and nodded. Gabel nodded back and quickly turned around. He nced at Vaan with a nervous look on his face, scared that Young Master Vaan saw him reporting to his mother and might punish himter.


    Vaan, however, ignored him, he already knew.


    Once Gabel left,


    "What made you so excited that you barged into your mother''s room like this, huh?" Astra questioned with a small smile on her face.


    Vaan didn''t say anything, he simply extended his hands, showing 2 red-colored Elemental Stones.


    "An Instant Spell."


    Astra recognized it the moment her eyes fell on it.


    "What spell is it?" She questioned with a curious look on her face.


    "Ignispike Pursuit," Vaan replied, and the moment she heard his reply, Astra narrowed her eyes.


    "Ignispike Pursuit needs 5 Elemental Stones, Vaan. Some mages did manage to reduce the number of required stones to 4, but it wasn''t perfect and the spell''s strength was affected."


    "That is why I said I wanted to talk to you alone, your son is a genius, remember?" Vaan replied with a smile on his face.


    "I need to use the Magic Training Room to test it out."


    Vaan seemed excited and why would he not be?


    It was a great discovery after all, if this worked, not only his, but the entire Vesta Family''s strength would rise.


    And Astra, who understood the weight of this matter, ordered, "Follow me."

 Chapter 49 Do You Reeeaaally Want To Know?

    ?"Woah, what is this ce?"


    Vaan eximed in amazement as he looked around. He was inside arge ethereal room, with a white floor, walls, and ceiling. At first nce, this ce looked nd, however, as one carefully looked around and observed the patterns engraved on the walls, they would feel a mysteriously calming vibe.


    "It''s my personal Magic Training Room. The Room used by the Head of the Vesta Family. It has stronger walls and a better regeneration system. It also has Engravings that calm a Mage''s mind and allow them to concentrate."


    Astra answered with a slight smile on her face.


    "Having an amazing mother really is a blessing, isn''t it? You get to see so many wonderful things." Vaan chuckled. Astra shook her head as she smiled.


    Then, to test his mother''s words, he quickly formed his Magic Circle, mey appeared next to him to stabilize the circle,


    *Flicker*


    Firespike was summoned, with [Speed] and [Burst] added to it, Vaan shot the Spike towards the wall and,


    *BOOM*


    A huge explosion was heard.


    "[Burst] really does increase the firepower of the spell, doesn''t it?" Vaanmented.


    He was impressed and satisfied by the firepower, however, as soon as the smoke cleared up, Vaan froze.


    The Wall waspletely fine.


    "That didn''t do any damage¡­?" Vaan was taken aback.


    "No, there is a half-a-centimeter deep hole if you look closely."


    Astra pointed out. There wasn''t much change in her expression, however, she was proud of her son who had started taking magic seriously.


    "Aren''t these walls too strong? What''s the point of testing the magic if you can''t even tell how strong your magic is?" Vaan questioned with a frown on his face.


    Hearing his question, Astra just smiled, then, she flicked her finger towards the wall and,


    *Flicker*


    Without any formation of Magic Circle, a Firespike shot toward the wall and,


    *BOOOOM*


    A louder explosion was heard. The smoke cleared up and,


    "What in the..."


    Vaan''s mouth remained open in shock.


    There was a 10 cm deep hole in the wall.


    Yes, just this seemingly casual spell from Astra broke the wall that he thought was too strong.


    "I am a 7th Circle Mage, Vaan. If the walls aren''t durable, I would destroy the room even with my weakest smell.


    Don''t underestimate your mother, okay? I am quite strong."


    Astra chuckled as she jokingly patted her bicep.


    "¡­"


    Vaan was still too shocked to say anything.


    He knew his mother was strong, but¡­


    What in the hell?


    That was just a flick on her finger!


    She didn''t even create a Magic Circle!


    Where are all those Magic Theories now!?


    "I-If you had shot that spell outside¡­ how much damage would that have done¡­?" Suddenly, Vaan questioned.


    He was curious.


    "Hmm, it is just a casual spell, so it should only destroy a 2-meter big boulder," Astra replied.


    "A casual spell huh¡­


    Mother¡­ what if you use your strongest spell¡­?


    How strong would that be?"


    Vaan couldn''t contain his curiosity and questioning. Hearing that question, a big smile appeared on Astra''s face and,


    "Hmmmm, do you reeeaaally want to know?" She questioned back.


    "I do." Vaan nodded.


    *Flick*


    Then suddenly, Astra flicked on Vaan''s forehead and,


    "Stop wasting time on these useless questions and do what we are here for."


    "That''s cheating! You should answer my question, I am curious!" Vaan retaliated.


    "Why should I answer you? Be a 7th Circle Mage and find the answer yourself. You just need to know that your mother is strong."


    "I wouldn''t know how strong you are if you don''t tell me¡­" Vaan muttered in an extremely low voice.


    Of course, Astra still heard him, "I am strong enough to beat you again and again young man. Now better get to what you came here for or I will prove it to you myself."


    "Petty¡­" Vaan muttered. Then, he took out his two Elemental Stones, then, he injected Mana into the Stones and,


    *Flicker*


    A huge, 3-meter Fire Spike was formed.


    *Whoosh*


    The Spike rushed towards the wall and,


    *BOOOOM*


    Another explosion was heard.


    This time, a 3 cm deep hole had appeared.


    "It has the same strength as the normal Ignispike Pursuit."


    Astramented.


    Her tone may have sounded calm, however, her expression wasn''t. She nced at Vaan with her eyes shining, "How did youe up with it?" She questioned.


    "I just¡­ got it¡­" Vaan didn''t know how to answer.


    "Are you trying to get back at me for earlier?" Astra narrowed her eyes.


    "Of course not! I am not like that, Mother. I really don''t know how to exin it to you. It is the same as the Magic Circle, I just¡­ got a feeling that it would work and it did...


    B-But isn''t it a good thing for us?


    Ignispike Pursuit is not a weak spell, if we use these patterns rather than the ones used in the books, the Vaan Family''s strength would improve to another level!


    You can also take the credit for this spell, it would solidify your position as the Family Head even further!"


    Vaan spoke, his golden eyes shining brightly.


    He could finally help his mother in some way, there is no way he would back away from doing that.


    "Are you trying to assist your mother?" Astra questioned with a curious smile on her face.


    "Of course! I can only live an easy life if my mother''s position as the head is unparalleled." Vaan replied with a proud smile on his face.


    "How greedy." Astra chuckled.


    Vaan continued to smile.


    "But you don''t have to worry, Vaan.


    Your mother is already unparalleled."


    Astra replied.


    Vaan didn''t know. He was just confused because he saw other family members trying to use him to target Astra, however,


    Astra Elysia Vesta was not a normal woman. She was much much stronger than Vaan''s wildest imaginations.


    Solidifying her position? If truth be told, then Astra''s position couldn''t be strengthened any further.


    In Vesta City, she was an absolute being.

 Chapter 50 I Guess It Is Time To Retaliate.

    ?"You don''t have to worry, Vaan.


    Your mother is already unparalleled."


    Astra replied.


    "Hmm? That may be true, but those uncles of mine still dared to go against you in the meeting, did they not? If your position was that absolute, they wouldn''t have bothered going against the head of the family now, would they?


    They are definitely up to something, Mother.


    I am sure about it."


    Vaan was an underworld gang leader in his previous life, he knew how these things worked, if Astra''s position was as strong as she thought it was, those ''uncles'' of his wouldn''t have dared to act like how they did back in the meeting.


    Vaan was sure, those people were nning something his mother didn''t do. So he needed to help her out. He needed to create a foundation so strong that no matter what those people were nning, none of the mages would dare to go against his mother.


    Seeing the serious look on Vaan''s face, Astra chuckled again,


    "I am not the one they are targeting, Vaan." She spoke as she looked into her son''s golden eyes.


    "What do you mean¡­?" Vaan frowned.


    "There are different factions that your uncles and aunts have formed. There are two formed by your uncle Draven Elysia Vesta, and aunt, Risia Elysia Vesta, the rest of your uncles and aunts just support these two factions as they fight each other.


    Or at least that is how others and even Draven and Risia perceive it, however, in truth, there is a third faction as well. Thought I won''t tell you the details about that faction since those people made it behind others'' backs and it is supposed to be a secret."


    A small smile then appeared on Astra''s face and, "It won''t be fun if everything is revealed so quickly, now will it?"


    Yes, that was what kind of power Astra held.


    Everything that was happening in the Vesta Mansion, whether it was the two factions her elder brother and sister had created, or another faction that was formed in secret, she had her eyes on everything.


    Vaan worrying about someone like her. Honestly, in Astra''s eyes, it was silly but cute.


    She liked how her son was worried about her, of course, it''s a different thing that there was never anything to worry about.


    "I-If you know everything about it then why are you not destroying these factions¡­?" Vaan couldn''t help but question.


    "Hmm? Why would I? As I said before, they are not targeting me. They are justpeting amongst themselves.


    They are trying to gain their footing, showing their powers to the people of Vesta City and trying to gather more strength under them.


    What happened in the Meeting was Draven''s way to do this.


    If he had sessfully made me, the family head, punish her own child, it would mean he and his faction holds the power to somewhat influence my decisions. There is no better way to unt and show their power than this and it is quite amon tactic. Since, you know, you are called the ''waste''. You are an easy target for them.


    Though this time it backfired since the member of the brother''s faction was humiliated in front of everyone."


    Astra chuckled at the end.


    Vaan, however, was still confused.


    "Why¡­ are they doing this¡­?" If they knew that her mother held absolute power, then why¡­


    Then suddenly, Vaan''s expression changed.


    "Did you realize it?" Astra questioned with a curious smile on her face. From her expression, she was definitely enjoying seeing her child''s involvement in these matters.


    This was the first time Vaan had shown interest in these matters after all.


    The wish that she had buried deep into her heart¡­


    It was slow, but it was being ignited again.


    "The next family head¡­" Vaan muttered.


    Astra''s smile widened, "Indeed, these factions support their children, the more power they gather, the more say they would have when the next heir of the Vesta Family is chosen, of course, the end result would still depend on howpetent the children are, however, that doesn''t mean that there would be no politics behind it.


    These factions would do whatever they can to make their direct blood the next heir."


    "So they all are going after me, just so they could make their children the next family head?" Vaan questioned.


    "Well, pretty much. Though they will not directly harm you since they know the consequences of that, you are still the hot target since you carry the name Astra."


    Astra then looked into Vaan''s eyes with an interested look on her face and,


    "Do you regret having my name in yours?"


    Vaan, however, just smiled back,


    "Of course not.


    I am rather d that you are my mother, Mother.


    I really am."


    Vaan replied, then, he snorted,


    "As for those dear uncles and aunts of mine, since they dared to use me as a chess piece in the game they are ying, I guess it is time to retaliate."


    "Huh?" This time, Astra''s expression changed, "Vaan, do not do anything reckless, your uncles and aunts are all strong mages, going against them is not a wise choice."


    "I won''t be picking fights with them, Mother. In what way would that be entertaining?


    Rather than picking useless fights, I''ll take away what they want so desperately."


    "You mean¡­" Astra narrowed her eyes.


    She desperately hoped what Vaan was going to say next was the same thing she was thinking, the mes of hope that had flickered in her heart, she wanted Vaan to fan them.


    And Vaan didn''t disappoint her.


    "The Position of the Heir,


    I will be taking that for myself."


    A big smile appeared on Astra''s face, soon, however, she contained that smile, then with a slight cough,


    "That''s quite a great ambition you have." Shemented.


    "Well, I am your son, what did you expect?"


    "Don''t think I will support you just because you are my son. As the Family Head, I have the duty to be impartial and choose the best heir possible." Astra replied with a strict look on her face.


    "Of course, I will be doing everything on my own. It wouldn''t be fun if you, the Queen, join the games of her subject, now would it?


    Those factions and the ''prospective heirs'' they support, I am going to destroy them all." Vaan spoke, determination burning in his eyes.

 Chapter 51 It Shouldnt Be Like This...

    ?"Those factions and the ''prospective heirs'' they support, I am going to destroy them all," Vaan spoke, determination burning in his eyes.


    "Hahaha~"


    This time, Astra couldn''t contain her smile andughed out loud.


    "I will look forward to what you have to show to me, Son." She spoke.


    "I assure you it will be worth your time," Vaan replied with a confident smile on his face.


    "Alright then, this instant spell you discover, since you now know that I don''t need it,


    Use it to increase your contribution points to the Family and enter the Session Battle."


    "Please keep it as a present, Mother." Vaan, however, shook his head. Then, he looked into his mother''s eyes and,


    "Keep it as a proof that your son is changing.


    Trust me, this won''t be thest spell I will be improving. I will improve countless spells to increase my contribution points.


    I n to make a grander entranceter."


    A small smile appeared on Astra''s face. She then grabbed the Elemental Stones Vaan was passing to her, the Stones which were bright red earlier had now turned dull. Astra filled the Stones with her Mana and they regained their color.


    Then, she injected her Mana to activate the Instant Spell, but...


    "..."


    Nothing happened.


    "What...?"


    Astra frowned.


    "What happened?" Vaan questioned.


    "It isn''t working," Astra replied.


    "Huh?" Vaan took the Stones, then he injected his Mana, and just as Astra said, the Spell wasn''t working.


    "Was it just one-time use?" Vaan was doubtful.


    If that was the case, then it was much worse that the normal Ignispike Pursuit, however, then,


    "Krrii~"


    mey flew in front of Vaan''s face.


    mey used her mes to draw an ''X'' in front of the two Elemental Stones.


    "Are you saying that I can''t use them?" Vaan questioned. mey nodded her head.


    "So... these Stones are useless now...?"


    "Krrii Krrii!"


    mey shook her head. Then, she pointed at Astra and formed an ''X'' with her hand as she shook her head.


    "Krri Krriii Krii!"


    "What...?" This time, Vaan couldn''t understand what mey was talking about.


    "Krri Krri Krriiii!"


    mey flew around Astra and circled around her head, then, she formed 2 stones that had simr shapes to the Elemental Shapes and ''ced'' them on Astra''s hands, then, the mes got brighter and she brought those Fire Stones to Vaan and,


    "Krrri Kriiiii!"


    She shook her head again and formed a cross using her mes.


    "The Spell isn''t working because mother was the one who refill the Elemental Stones...? Am I the only one who can refill them?"


    "Krrii!" mey nodded her head.


    Vaan frowned.


    That was not how Instant Spells worked...


    "..."


    On the other hand, seeing her child talking in the air and making different expressions, Astra didn''t know how to react.


    Was his injury acting up?


    But didn''t they use Heal on him?


    She even called those followers of God of Light just because she wanted to be sure nothing is wrong with her child, did they fool her?


    Astra narrowed her eyes.


    Honestly, it was highly unlikely for the followers of God of Light to fool others.


    God of Light represented Kindness, Happiness, Love, Compassion, Forgiveness, and all other positive values. The more these ''values'' a person has, the more affinity he has with God of Light''s blessings and the higher his position gets in the Church of Light.


    So the higher the position, the ''kinder'' the person was.


    The 3 people she called were the Bishops, people like them couldn''t ''cheat'' others since that would not be a ''positive'' value and would affect their affinity with the God of Light, which wouldter harm their position.


    Honestly, Astra didn''t really believe all this bullshit.


    After all, when the Tower of Magic was being attacked by other forces 5000 years ago, the Church of Light was one of those forces as well.


    Let alone Bishops, even the Pope hade to attack them.


    Attacking someone who was already at their worse, was it not something that would have affected their affinity with the God of Light?


    Then why did they actively participate and even destroyed most of the Towers of Magic?


    Did the God of Light not stop them that time?


    Honestly, Astra and the Vesta Family didn''t really believe the Church of Light, in their eyes, they were just a bunch of hypocrites, however, aside from the Vesta City, every other ce looked at the Church of Light differently.


    Their image was just too good.


    Never was a high-level member of the Church of Light caught doing something indecent. Rather, they always went out of their way to help others. Even hearing them curse was extremely rare, some hadn''t even cursed their entire life.


    People even believe that the God of Light is the only fair God in the world.


    The Church of Light''s influence was so strong, that even the Dragons, who only followed the Dragon God, trusted the high-level members of the Church of Light and onlymunicated with them.


    Yes, other humans were too vile and scheming in their eyes. They didn''t interact with anyone other than the people of the Church of Light.


    "Mother, can you remove Mana from these Stones?"


    While Astra was thinking all this, Vaan questioned. Astra came out of his reverie, then, she nced at Vaan and,


    "Who were you talking to?" She questioned.


    "It''s a secret," Vaan replied, he tried to flick her mother''s forehead like he did to her, however, his body simply moved on its own and backed away.


    "Trying to be your mother''s equal huh?"


    "I wouldn''t dare." Vaanughed.


    Astra shook her head.


    "Anyways, you want me to remove Mana from these Stones?"


    "Yes."


    Astra then used Mana Drain, something a 1st Circle Mage like Vaan couldn''t do. The Elemental Stones became dull, and Astra passed the Stones to Vaan.


    Vaan then filled the Stones with his own Mana, the Stones became bright again. Vaan passed the stones to Astra and, "Try again." He spoke.


    Astra frowned, however, she did as Vaan tone, she injected her Mana into the stones to activate it and,


    *Flicker*


    The Fire Spike was formed.


    "Just as I thought, it would only work if I am the one filling the Elemental Stone," Vaan muttered, mey was right.


    "Krriii Krriiii!" mey eximed with a proud look on her face.


    It was as if she was saying, ''How can I be wrong?''


    Vaan just chuckled. His little friend was really too adorable.


    "This is strange... It shouldn''t be like this..."


    Suddenly, Astra spoke up with a strange expression on her face.

 Chapter 52 You Are About To Become A 2nd Circle Mage?

    ?"This is strange¡­"


    Astramented with a frown on her face.


    "Hmm?"


    "That''s not how Instant Spells work, even Archmage Alienora''s Instant Spells could be copied by other mages, there was no restriction like only her Mana could be used to activate those spells."


    Astra then nced at Vaan and,


    "I had my doubts before, but your Mana is different from other mages, isn''t it?"


    "What do you mean?" Vaan frowned in confusion.


    Astra then extended her hands towards Vaan, "Give me your hands." She requested.


    Vaan extended his hands, Astra held her son''s hand and then injected her mana inside as she closed her eyes.


    Her Mana circted throughout Vaan''s Mana Veins, then suddenly, Astra raised her eyebrow in surprise,


    "Your Mana Veins are thicker than before. You are about to be a 2nd Circle Mage?"


    "Isn''t that a good thing?" Vaan questioned as he nced at the strange expression that had appeared on Astra''s face.


    "This shouldn''t be possible¡­ I checked your Mana Veins when you had passed out before, your Mana Veins weren''t this thick¡­"


    By default, a Human''s Mana Veins are clogged or sealed, at Basic Level, that is from 1st Circle to 4th Circle, Mages open up these clogged or sealed Mana Veins.


    At 1st Circle, Mages can barely Circte Mana throughout their Mana Veins, however, as the mages progress, the Mana Veins open up, making the Mana Flow faster and easier.


    Once a Mage bes a peak 4th Circle Mage, all his Mana Veins are unclogged, releasing his utmost potential and allowing him to form the Mana Core.


    It all depended on how much time and effort a Mage put into their studies and moving their Mana to open up their Mana Veins, there was no shortcut to this.


    However, Vaan, who had barely be a 1st Circle Mage never practiced, his Mana Veins were clogged and his Mana flow was a Mess, and all of that was just less than a month ago, but now, as Astra circted her Mana throughout Vaan''s Mana Veins, she could see that his Mana Veins were a lot clearer than before¡­


    Soon, his Mana Veins would be thick enough to store a sufficient amount of Mana, enabling him to form his 2nd Circle.


    That kind of absurd speed¡­


    Astra had never heard of something like this before.


    Even she, who was considered one of the most talented mages the Vesta Family had seen, needed around 2 years to form her 2nd Circle.


    How did do it in just a month?


    No one in the history of the Vesta Family, no, let alone Vesta Family, no one in the entire Agresia had done something like that!


    The Magic records that Mages of Agresia had created in these past 5000 years, Vaan''s existence defied them all!


    "Mother¡­?" Vaan, who didn''t know what his mother was thinking, frowned in confusion. He couldn''t understand why his mother was so surprised.


    Of course, he couldn''t possibly know what his cute little Fairy friend had done when he ''fed'' her his Mana.


    mey just continued to observe Vaan and his mother with a curious look on her face, her innocent eyes were just adorable.


    And Astra, who was trying to make sense out of this situation, med Vaan''s ''strange'' Mana.


    "Vaan, can you try and inject your Mana into my body?" Astra questioned. She needed to see what this Mana was, she wanted to make sure that it was safe for her child.


    "Hmm? Like, injecting after circting throughout my Mana Veins?" Vaan questioned. This was the same thing he did when he ''fed'' mey his Magic.


    "Yes." Astra nodded.


    "Alri-"


    "Krrrriiiiiii!!!"


    However, just as Vaan circted the Mana throughout his body and was about to inject it into Astra''s body, mey appeared in front of him with a panic-stuck look on her face.


    "Kriii!! Krriii! Krii!"


    She desperately shook her head as she formed more than 50 ''X'' with her mes. She looked into Vaan''s eyes, then, she formed a strange skull as she pointed at Astra.


    "Krrii Krii!" She tried to push Vaan away from Astra, however, she was just too weak to move him.


    Vaan frowned, "Are you telling me something would happen if I inject my Mana into her?" He questioned.


    "Krrii! Krrii! Krrii!"


    mey nodded desperately, forming more and more skulls in the air, she even formed a dagger on Astra''s neck.


    Vaan''s expression changed,


    "She¡­ will die¡­?" He guessed what mey was trying to say and mey nodded again.


    Vaan''s eyes widened in horror.


    He quickly backed away.


    Seeing him act like that, Astra frowned,


    "What''s wrong?" She questioned.


    "I¡­ I cannot do what you asked, Mother¡­" Vaan replied.


    "Why?"


    "I¡­ just can''t." Vaan didn''t know how to exin.


    Astra narrowed her eyes, however, in the end, "Alright." She just nodded.


    "Also, mother¡­"


    Vaan called him out again.


    "What is it?"


    "The Vesta Underground Prison¡­ are there any criminals that will be executed any time soon?"

 Chapter 53 This Is For You.

    ?"The Vesta Underground Prison¡­ are there any criminals that will be executed any time soon?"


    "Huh?"


    Astra''s expression changed.


    "Why are you asking that?" She questioned as she narrowed her eyes.


    "I need to confirm something," Vaan replied.


    "And that ''something'' might harm the life of another human?" Astra questioned.


    "It might."


    "Then you are not allowed to do that."


    "But-"


    "Do not talk back, Vaan," Astra said firmly.


    However, seeing that Vaan was still trying to say something,


    "No matter what it is that you need to ''confirm'' and no matter how insignificant the life of that prisoner is,


    I will not allow my son to take a human life."


    "I need to do that at some point, Mother. I, as the next Head of the Vesta Family, cannot be weak-willed. You don''t want your son to start trembling just at the idea of having to kill someone, do you?"


    Astra looked into Vaan''s eyes, then,


    "Your logic is wed, Vaan.


    Not taking someone''s life doesn''t make you weak-willed.


    It is the opposite.


    Having the ability to kill and the ability to control that urge is what makes you strong.


    Being powerful is important, however, learning to control your power is more important and that is what youck.


    You are impulsive, you try to solve everything with violence, but that is not how you be a ruler, Vaan.


    That thug-like attitude would at best, only make you the head of the ''Wardens of Vesta'', a group that ensures security and safety in the Vesta City.


    In more brazen words, you will be reduced to a mere tool that the head of the family can use to get rid of his enemies, a dog who bites when he is ordered, but you would never be able to be the owner yourself.


    Keep this in your mind, Vaan, if you do not do something about that impulsive attitude of yours, then even if you be the strongest Mage out there, I will still allow you to be the next Family Head."


    Astra spoke with a firm look on her face.


    "Also, if you want to experiment with something that might harm human life, then it makes you no different than those Rouge Mages we hunt down.


    Ans I would rather have a weak-willed son than someone who treats human lives carelessly."


    "¡­" Vaan turned silent.


    For him, killing someone was not a big deal, heck he killed 3000 people before he came to this world. However, his mother''s words¡­


    They reverberated in his head as he started thinking about his past actions.


    Honestly, even now, he didn''t think any of his actions were wrong.


    He was rather holding back.


    He hadn''t killed anyone ever since he came here, honestly, that was a record for him already.


    However, even so, Vaan contemted how he lived his previous life¡­


    7 years of being an underground gang leader¡­


    His perception of human life¡­ it might be different from other human beings.


    "I will think about this thoroughly, Mother," Vaan spoke with a serious look on his face.


    "Please do, future Family Head," Astra spoke with a slight smile on her face.


    Vaan smiled back and then, he bowed his head, "I will be taking my leave now, mother."


    Astra nodded, Vaan left the room, after a while, Astra walked towards her room and as she entered, her eyes fell on a certain red-haired girl sitting inside the study room, drawing something on a book with a concentrated look on her face.


    A slight smile appeared on Astra''s face, then, a white light covered her entire body and she walked towards ra. She then peeked at what ra was doing and even though she was standing right behind ra, the girl couldn''t sense her at all.


    Astra noticed a 1st Circle spell drawn on the book, ra continued to draw more, then, the white light surrounding Astra disappeared and,


    "What are you doing, my pupil?" Astra questioned.


    "!!!" ra''s eyes widened in surprise, she quickly mmed her notebook shut and turned towards Astra.


    "That''s the third day of you working on that book."


    "I-It was nothing, Teacher. I w-was just trying to revise my old spells. O-One must not forget the b-basics as they grow."


    "Right." Astra nodded her head.


    The slight smile on her face was enough to tell that she knew what this girl was trying to do, but since she found it amusing, she feigned ignorance.


    "Just make sure not to interrupt your own studies for ''revising the basics'' alright? You are currently at one of the most important stages of a Mage''s life, don''t ck, is that clear?"


    "I-I will work extra hard, Teacher." ra continuously nodded her head.


    Astra chuckled.


    How can one not like this pupil of hers? She is such an adorable girl.


    Astra patted ra''s head, then, she let her do what she wanted and just kept an eye on her pupil.


    On the other hand, Vaan, who had also returned to his room, started creating more Instant Spells. With mey''s ability proven,


    He created Instant Burn, the Spell that originally needed 10 Elemental Stones, but could now be formed with 5 with mey''s help.


    mey couldn''t help Earth Fort and Heal, therefore, those 2 spells took 15 Elemental Stones in total. Vaan was satisfied.


    3 days passed by, and Vaan, who was currently feeding mey in his room heard a knock.


    "Who is it?" He questioned.


    "It''s me."


    He heard a cute response.


    With a smile on his face, he quickly opened the doors,


    "Fiance, pleasee in," Vaan spoke.


    ra walked into the room. Vaan offered her a seat.


    "How have you been?" Vaan questioned.


    "Good," ra replied.


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    An awkward silence fell in the room.


    Both of them didn''t know what to say.


    "H-How have you been?" ra questioned.


    She wanted to keep the conversation going.


    "I am good as well. I was just studying magic theories." Vaan replied as he pointed at the books on his study table.


    "You are working hard¡­" A genuine smile appeared on ra''s face.


    Then, she took out a notebook and, "This is for you."


    "What is this?" Vaan questioned as he epted ra''s notebook, he opened the fire page, and there was a Magic Circle and a pattern ra used to summon a Fireball.


    "T-This is my Spell Directory¡­ It has all the 1st and 2nd Circle spells I know along with their Inner Circles¡­ W-With your abilities, you will be able to learn all these spells within a few days¡­ I hope you will find it useful¡­"


    ra spoke with a slight blush on her face.


    Vaan, on the other hand, was shocked.


    "ra this¡­"


    He was out of words.


    No mage in this world would give their Spell Directory to someone else no matter how close they were! This was nothing short of revealing all their strengths and weakness and beingpletely vulnerable in front of that person!


    No mage takes this step.


    That was also the reason why it takes him so much time to learn a new spell by himself. Even though he just needed to look at some of the patterns used by the mage to cast a certain spell, he could never find those patterns in just one book, sometimes he wouldn''t even find those patterns even after he looks through 100s of books, that is because no mage passes down everything they have learned,


    Spell Directories like these¡­


    For ra to be giving something like this to Vaan¡­


    "ra, I can''t take it." Vaan shook his head.


    This directory was too precious. Especially for someone like him, who could simply copy all the spells without any sort of research at all. It was no different than ra giving away her years of hard work to him.


    It was something he couldn''t ept.


    "I-It took me six days to make it¡­ please don''t return it to me, I would waste all my hard work¡­"


    "But this is the hard work you did all your life!" Vaan tried to exin.


    "I would be d if y-you can use it and get stronger, I-I am actually looking forward to it¡­" ra replied.


    "ra¡­"


    Vaan didn''t know what to say¡­


    "I won''t be able to discuss Magic with you if you are just 1st or 2nd Circle Mage¡­ I would like you to use this and quickly get stronger so¡­ so that we can sit together and explore Magic Theories together¡­" ra spoke then suddenly,


    Vaan hugged her.


    "!!!"


    ra widened her eyes in surprise.


    "I will use it well, ra.


    Thank you very much."


    Vaan was extremely grateful.


    This girl¡­ he had no clue how the previous Vaan could possibly hate someone like her¡­


    Was he mentally ill?


    How could one not treat this angel like a Queen and do what he could to keep her happy?


    What the hell?


    "r-"


    Vaan wanted to say something, soon, however, he heard a knock.


    "Who is it?" He questioned with a frown on his face.


    He wasn''t expecting anyone right now.


    "Young Master Vaan, you have received a letter," Gabel reported from outside.


    "A letter?"


    "Yes, it is from Lady Seraphina," Gabel reported.


    ra''s expression changed.


    Vaan, however, just smiled widely.


    It was time to meet the ''woman he loved'' again.


    Now, however, he was a little busy,


    "Keep it safe for now,


    I am spending time with my fianc¨¦ right now, don''t disturb me."


    "As youmand, Young Master."


    Gabel bowed his head as he walked away.


    Vaan then nced at ra and,


    "Would you please help me with this spell I am trying to learn?"


    "Of course!"


    ra nodded with a cheerful smile on her face.

 Chapter 54 You Arent Thinking Of Getting It For Free, Are You?

    The Carriage stopped, from the Carriage, Aldric stepped out, then, he cleared everything and in a respectful tone,


    "Young Master, please." He requested.


    Vaan then stepped out of the Carriage, then, his eyes fell on therge mansion in front of him.


    The Stormweaver Mansion, it was nowhere near as grand as the Vesta Family Mansion, however, it was still a majestic building. The garden at the entrance was well taken care of, Vaan then nced at the guards standing at the Gate.


    "So this is my Sera''s Mansion, huh¡­" Vaan muttered.


    Some of the memories rushed into his mind when he nced at the Mansion, however, he was now already used to this and didn''t react to it.


    For him, it was just like recalling some distant memories.


    Without wasting any more time, Vaan walked towards the Mansion.


    "Young Master Vaan."


    The Guards standing at the Gates bowed their heads as they greeted.


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel Vaan nodded at them but just as he was about to walk in, one of the Guards spoke up, "Please give the Invitation Card that was sent to you, Young Master Vaan."


    Vaan raised his eyebrow.


    Since when did the Royalty have to prove that it was invited when entering its subject''s mansion? Although the rtionship between Vesta House and Stormweaver Family wasn''t like the one between the Royalty and the Subject, stopping him and asking for an invitation was no different than disrespecting the Vesta Family.


    Vaan narrowed his eyes, he wanted nothing more than to punch this guard and show him his ce, however,


    ''You are impulsive, you try to solve everything with violence, but that is not how you be a ruler, Vaan.''


    Vaan quickly recalled his mother''s words and decided to implement them.


    Not right now¡­


    He needed to act like a ruler¡­


    He needed to see just how far do these people dare to go.


    Vaan nced at Aldric. Aldric quickly understood what Vaan wanted and quickly passed the letter to the guard.


    Vaan walked inside.


    As he left, the guard who got the invitation letter smiled widely,


    "Heh. What a pushover! To think I would get to order around someone from the Vesta Family."


    The other guard standing beside himughed as well,


    "Look how happy you are just because you got to order him around, but think about mister Aldric, he gets to do that every single day."


    "Mister Aldric, how does it feel to have a Vesta attending you?" The Guard questioned with a big smile on his face.


    The two guardsughed out loud.


    Aldric, on the other hand, panicked. He recalled how he was beaten ruthlessly and his face went pale.


    "S-Shut your fucking mouth! If you have a death wish, don''t fucking involve me in it! Foolish bastards!"


    He swore as he rushed towards Vaan.


    He had no ns of offending Young Master Vaan any further. As for these foolish guards¡­


    They could go fuck themselves.


    Aldric didn''t care.


    He quickly followed Vaan and appeared behind him.


    "There is no one to show me the way," Vaanmented.


    "You are usually expected to go to the Guest Room, Young Master Vaan¡­" Aldric replied.


    "I am ''expected'' to huh¡­" Vaan noted.


    "Show me the way." He ordered.


    "As youmand." Aldric bowed his head as he showed Vaan the way to the Guestroom.


    "I apologize but I cannot follow you in, Young Master." Aldric spoke as the two of them appeared in front of a room.


    Vaan nodded, then, he walked into the room.


    And just as he thought,


    There was no one inside.


    He was ''expected'' to wait for Seraphina.


    ''Heh.''


    A small smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    His eyes, however, weren''tughing at all.


    He sat on the sofa and he ced his legs on the table in front of him as he waited for Seraphina.


    15 minutester, the doors of the room finally opened.


    A beautiful white-haired girl, along with 2 maids, walked in, her serene expression changed a little when she saw Vaan''s sitting posture, soon, however, a gentle smile appeared on her face as she bowed elegantly,


    "It has been a while since we saw each other, Young Master Vaan.


    Please forgive me foringte, I was getting ready since Young Master hade to visit."


    Of course, Vaan wasn''t buying any of that bullshit.


    However, he controlled his emotion and smiled.


    "I do not mind at all, Sera.


    Have a seat."


    He spoke as he pointed at the chair in front of him. All this time, he didn''t stand up from his chair, neither did he remove his legs from the table.


    Seraphina and her two maids narrowed their eyes when they saw this attitude, however, Seraphina then smiled and sat on the chair Vaan pointed at.


    Vaan finally fixed his posture as he moved his legs from the table and leaned towards Seraphina.


    "It has been a while indeed."


    Vaan muttered.


    He was currently experiencing an influx of memories, all the time he spent with this woman in front of him, how she treated him, looked down on him, made fun of him, duped him, and used him, he learned about it all.


    Vaan was enraged, however, his anger wasn''t directly toward Seraphina,


    Seraphine was just an ambitious young woman who did everything she could to increase her family''s status. For her, the previous Vaan was simply a tool to achieve her dreams. Honestly, Vaan didn''t think what she did was wrong.


    A pushover like the previous Vaan, he would have done the same if he ever encountered a fool like him.


    Vaan''s anger was directed toward the previous Vaan.


    ''Just how much of a simp can one be!? That bitch would have licked her feet if she asked him to!''


    Vaan cursed inwardly, disgusted by how the previous Vaan acted.


    "I heard Young Master Vaan has been working hard and studying magic." While Vaan was thinking all this, Seraphina questioned.


    Vaan looked at Seraphina for a while, then, he just smiled.


    He didn''t mind what Seraphina did ''before''.


    However, things change if just like the previous Vaan, this woman was trying to use him as her ''tool'' as well.


    He didn''t like that one bit.


    "Indeed, studying magic is important, after all."


    "Indeed, Indeed, Ipletely agree with Young Master Vaan." Seraphina nodded continuously.


    Then, she nced at Vaan and,


    "By the way, Young Master Vaan, did you manage to get your hands on that?" She questioned directly.


    "Right, you wanted the ''How to Stabilize your Magic Circles'' Book from the Vesta Family''s library, correct?" Vaan questioned.


    "It would forever be indebted to Young Master if he could lend me that book for a few days." Seraphina looked into Vaan''s eyes as she put her hair behind her ears.


    The previous Vaan would have started to blush if he saw something like this, however,


    "Of course, I can do anything for you, Sera."


    Vaan replied, then, he suddenly moved and held Seraphina''s hands,


    "But that book is quite precious,


    You aren''t thinking of getting it for free, are you?"

 Chapter 55 Now Choose.

    "But that book is quite precious,


    You aren''t thinking of getting it for free, are you?"


    Vaan spoke as he suddenly held Seraphina''s hands. Seraphina was taken aback by Vaan''s sudden move, however, before she could react, one of the maids standing behind Seraphina reacted and grabbed Vaan''s hand as she shouted.


    "How dare you!? Get your hands away from Lady Seraphine."


    Vaan nced at the maid then he tilted his head in confusion.


    "I didn''t know the servants of the Stormweaver house were bold enough to directly touch a member of the Vesta Family.


    Sera my love, should I take this as an offence against the Vesta Family?"


    Vaan questioned as he turned towards Seraphina with a light smile on his face. All this while, he didn''t leave Seraphina''s hands.


    Seraphina''s expression changed. She calmly moved her hands away from Vaan''s grip, then, she nced at Vaan and,


    "I apologize for my maid''s action. She is a rash person, I will discipline her well."


    Seraphina then nced at her maid, she didn''t say anything, however, the maid understood what she wanted. She recognized her mistake and quickly moved her hands away.


    "I apologize, Young Master Vaan." She bowed her head.


    Vaan, however, just smiled.


    "I don''t think a simple apology will work in this situation, girl."


    The maid didn''t know what do to.


    "What do you want, Young Master Vaan?" Seraphina questioned.


    "You love your father, correct?" Suddenly, Vaan questioned.


    "Huh?" Seraphina was taken aback.


    Vaan continued to look at her.


    "Yes, I do love and respect my father, Young Master Vaan."


    "Then let''s say your father visits the Vesta Mansion because he was invited, then, the guards there throw your father away and embarrass him in front of everyone, what would you want me to do to those guards?"


    ''You wouldn''t be able to do anything because you do not own any power in the Vesta Family.''


    Seraphina wanted to say this, but obviously, she couldn''t do it.


    She then looked at Vaan with a strange look on her face. She didn''t know how to put it, but Vaan was acting differently than normal.


    She couldn''t see that ''honey dipping look'' in his eyes that he used to show before whenever he met her. His eyes seemed more¡­ clearer¡­


    Seraphina was having a hard time adjusting to this sudden change.


    "I¡­ I would want those guards to apologize¡­" Seraphina answered.


    "Oh? So a simple apology would cut it huh." Vaan noted.


    Then, he stood up.


    "Alright, I get it.


    The Vesta House would be arranging a weing ceremony soon for the children of Vesta who will be returning from the academy in the uing break.


    The Stormweaver House will be invited as well.


    I am looking forward to you people attending the party, Seraphina." Vaan smiled mysteriously. It was as if he was nning something.


    "Anyways, I will be taking my leave now.


    Since there are people who obviously don''t want me here."


    As he said those words, Vaan momentarily nced at the maid who had grabbed his hand.


    "Wait."


    Just as Vaan was about to leave the room, Seraphina called out.


    She was clenching her fists to hold back her anger, the meaning behind Vaan''s words couldn''t be clearer, inviting them just to kick them outter and end it all with an apology. Even an idiot could tell what he was nning, but to think the situation made it so that other than silently listening to his words, there was nothing she could do.


    Seraphina hated the fact that she had so little control over the overall situation.


    Vaan, who stood with his back facing Seraphina smiled widely as he heard her call him, then, his smile faded away as he turned around with a tired sigh, "What is it now, Sera?" he questioned.


    "Lily, apologize," Seraphina ordered.


    "I apolo-" Lily, the maid was about to bow her head, however, "Not like this." Seraphina interrupted.


    "Kneel down and rub your nose on the ground while you apologize."


    Seraphina ordered with a cold look on her face.


    Lily''s expression changed. Even Vaan was taken aback, he was impressed by how decisive this woman was.


    "Lady Seraphina¡­" Lily called out in surprise. She obviously didn''t want to do it and couldn''t believe that her Lady who she had been loyal to for all her life ordered her to do something like this.


    Seraphina, however, didn''t care.


    "Kneel." She ordered.


    Lily''s body trembled, she nced at the other maid, asking for her help, however, the other maid simply nced away. Lily''s body trembled in embarrassment, then, she nced at Vaan who was looking at her with an expressionless look on his face.


    Then, gritting her teeth, she knelt, she bowed her head and as her nose touched the ground, she started rubbing it and, "I apologize, I was disrespectful, I will reflect on my actions, please forgive me, Young Master Vaan."


    Vaan didn''t say anything, he just let the maid continue to rub her nose on the ground in embarrassment and nced at Seraphina.


    "I also apologize for not disciplining my servants, Young Master Vaan. I hope you won''t take it to your heart." Seraphina bowed her head as well.


    "Fire her."


    Suddenly, Vaan ordered.


    Seraphina, Lily, and the other maid inside the room widened their eyes in surprise as they heard Vaan''s words.


    "W-What¡­?" Seraphina stuttered.


    "Fire this maid."


    "But I-"


    "It is either me or this maid, Seraphina.


    Choose well."


    Vaan wasn''t willing to listen.


    Lily, who had her head on the ground was surprised as well.


    "Young Master Vaan, you asked what I would want if your guards were disrespectful to someone from my family, I believe this sort of apology would suffice for me, I wouldn''t want you to fire them since those guards must have a family to feed as well, so plea-"


    "That is your choice, this is mine.


    Now choose.


    With how much I have done for you in all these years if you still choose a mere maid over me, then I''d believe I was a fool before and would stop pursuing you entirely.


    So please give your answer, Seraphina.


    It is something very important for me."

 Chapter 56 Know Your Place.

    "With how much I have done for you in all these years if you still choose a mere maid over me, then I''d believe I was a fool before and would stop pursuing you entirely.


    So please give your answer, Seraphina.


    It is something very important for me."


    Vaan spoke with a cold look on his face.


    "¡­"


    Seraphina turned silent.


    She wasn''t given much of a choice here.


    She nced at Lily who kept her pride away for her sake and was still kneeling on the ground, she didn''t wish to do it but in the end,


    Seraphina clenched her fists,


    "Lily, you can leave. You do not have toe starting tomorrow."


    Seraphina had to throw Lily away.


    "L-Lady Seraphina¡­?"


    Lily was absolutely shocked.


    "But Lady Sera-"


    "Know your ce, Maid." This time, Vaan was the one who spoke up.


    Then, he red at Lily and,


    "Be d that you are even alive after what you have done.


    If you weren''t Sera''s servant, I would have killed you right here and now.


    Now get the fuck out, else I won''t mind changing my decision."


    Lily gulped in fear¡­


    "You know what, you think too much of yourself. You need to face the reality of the world and realize who you are standing in front of.


    Once I return, I will make sure that the entire Vesta City knows you were kicked out because you offended Vaan Astra Vesta. Let''s see who hires you or keep any sort of connection with you at all."


    Vaan spoke.


    Lily widened her eyes as her body trembled.


    She was frustrated, she knelt, she rubbed her nose on the ground, and begged for forgiveness, and even then, she was kicked out. Not only that, she could tell this man would make sure that she wouldn''t be hired by anyone in the Vesta City.


    If she needed to survive, she would need to leave the Vesta City, however, the entire City was surrounded by water and she didn''t have enough money to book a ship.


    Her future¡­ it was absolutely certain¡­


    And there was nothing she could do about it.


    "Now leave if you don''t want me to make your life more miserable." Vaan threatened.


    With a soulless look on her face, Lily walked away.


    Once she left the room, Vaan''s cold expression disappeared and was reced by a warm smile.


    He nced at Seraphina and, "Thank you, Sera."


    "What are you thanking me for, Young Master Vaan?" Seraphina smiled. She had enough time to analyze the situation and react ordingly.


    What''s lost was lost, there was no point in reacting to it right now. For now, she had to work on capitalizing on the decision she had made.


    Vaan had changed, however, Seraphina could tell that he still had feelings for her.


    He may be much more arrogant and direct than before, however, he still had a soft side for her. She needed to use that, just like she always has been.


    "For choosing me over that maid," Vaan replied. The smile on his face hadn''t disappeared all this time.


    "Young Master Vaan, please don''t act so distant. How could you even think that I would choose a mere maid over you? I was only hesitating because I was worried how she would fend off for herself in the future, however, if you put in a condition where I had to choose you over her, then I didn''t even have to think.


    You mean much more to me than a mere maid."


    Seraphina smiled.


    "I appreciate that.


    It made me feel special." Vaan spoke.


    "You are special, Young Master Vaan."


    "W-What?" Vaan was taken aback as Seraphina smile at her.


    "I said you are special in my eyes, Young Master Vaan," Seraphina repeated her words, this time, her tone sounded a bit flirty.


    "S-Sera, I think I forgot something back in my room, so I will be taking my leave now!" Suddenly, Vaan rushed out of Seraphina''s room.


    "Young Master Vaan!" Seraphina wanted to stop him, however, Vaan didn''t listen and just rushed out.


    Aldric, who was patiently waiting for Vaan''s return was surprised when he saw Vaan acting like that, however, he didn''t question anything and quickly followed Vaan.


    Soon, the two of them sat on the carriage and left.


    ¡­


    On the other hand, Lily, who packed her stuff and was about to leave her room paused as she saw Seraphina''s other maid standing in front of her.


    "Why are you here, Anna?" She questioned.


    "Take care," Anna replied.


    Hearing that, Lily just chuckled, "I will take care, don''t worry. I mean, what even happened? Not like I lost my job or won''t be able to work anywhere anymore, right?"


    "I will talk to Lady Ser-"


    "23 years, Anna. I have been by Lady Seraphina''s side ever since she was born, I treated her like a family and was absolutely loyal to her, it was to the point where even if she asked me to kill myself, I would have done it without hesitation.


    And what did I gain back in exchange? She kicked me away just because that man said so.


    She doesn''t even love him, heck, he is nothing more than a golden eggying hen in her eyes, but to think she would throw me away for someone like him.


    Maybe we aren''t much different in her eyes as well. Rather than ''family'', maybe we are just some tools she needs to get her work done for her."


    "That is no-"


    "I am thrown away, Anna. I hope doesn''t happen to my sister, be careful, and do not trust Lady Seraphina too much."


    Saying those words, Lily decided to leave without hearing what Anna had to say.


    Once she left the Stormweaver Mansion, she headed towards her small house, it was an hour-long walk, Lily had the money, but she wasn''t foolish enough to waste money on the carriage in this situation.


    An hourter, Lily walked into her house, then, she froze.


    "Keeping me waiting for this long, you really are daring, aren''t you?"

 Chapter 57 The Chase Cannot End.

    Seraphina, who was left alone in her room sighed. To think that man would blush like this just because she flirted with him a little, was he even a man?


    If he didn''t have the Blood of the Vestas flowing through his veins, Seraphina wouldn''t even have looked at him.


    Vaan was just too pathetic.


    Thinking all that, Seraphina sighed again.


    She didn''t get the book she wanted today as well.


    ''I need to direct his desperation somewhere else and make him bring that book to me¡­'' She spoke to herself.


    *Knock* *Knock*


    Suddenly, Seraphina heard a knock.


    "Who is it?" She questioned.


    "It is me, Sera." A man''s voice was heard.


    Seraphina''s expression changed,


    "Pleasee in, Father." She stood up and spoke in a respectful tone.


    A tired-looking man with wrinkles on his face and dark circles under his eyes walked into the room, he had natural white hair and blue eyes just like Seraphina, even though his face was wrinkled, his sharp features were still visible. It was clear who Seraphina inherited her beauty from.


    "Sera." Seraphina''s father, the head of the Stormweaver family, Anderson Stormweaver called out with a slight smile on his face.


    Anderson did what no one in the Stormweaver Family had done before and had just recently be a 5th Circle Mage, significantly raising the status of the Stormweaver Family in the Vesta City and he did it by using the resources his daughter Seraphina had ''received'' from Vaan.


    "Father, what are you doing here?"


    Seraphine questioned in a respectful tone.


    "I think you should stop what you are doing, Sera. I have a feeling it won''t end well." Anderson spoke with a worried look on his face.


    He clearly knew what his daughter was doing and while he was grateful to her because he managed to break through because of her actions, he still felt messing with the Vesta Family was not a good idea.


    "Haahh¡­"


    Hearing her father''s words, Seraphina sighed.


    "Father, didn''t I tell you already? Just leave everything to me.


    Just let this princess handle it." Sheughed.


    Anderson nced at his daughter and a weak smile appeared on his face,


    "This is what worries me the most, my girl. You are doing something so risky for the sake of our family. Don''t think I don''t know that while doing all this, you are also preparing so that if in the future something happens, you alone would be taking all the me and the family would be spared."


    "Father, you are a kind person who genuinely cares for everyone around you." Suddenly, Seraphina spoke up as she made her father sit on the sofa before sitting next to him.


    "I know that you, just like the grandfather, want to raise the status of our family, however, you have to know, this world isn''t a fairy tale where putting in the effort would get you what you want.


    Magic is an unfair study, Father.


    Not only do you need talent, you need resources as well. Resources that our family, with its current power, cannot gather.


    Do you really think there is something in Vesta blood that helps them produce advanced mages for generations? Of course not. It is the resources and the knowledge they possess that make them as strong as they are right now.


    If our family wants to raise our status, we need those resources, and the only person who can provide us with those resources is that man, Father.


    If I do not do this, our condition would never improve no matter how much we struggle."


    Seraphine exined with a serious look on her face.


    Anderson, however, was still not convinced, "But do you really have to trick him though? It is apparent that that boy likes you, if you agree to marry him, not only would I not have to worry about my daughter, you wouldn''t have to worry about our family either."


    Hearing those words, Seraphina just smiled, "Father, the moment I marry him, my value bes zero. Do you really think that person is in love with me? Well, you and even he may think that, however, in truth, what he wants is to own me.


    There is no love in his heart, Father. He would chase me till he doesn''t ''own'' me, but when I marry him and bes ''his'', the chase is over, his interest is over, and whatever he is doing for me right now, everything would end.


    What do you think happened to his so-called fianc¨¦? Do you think he pushed her away just because her magic talent outshined his? It was already clear that she was a magical prodigy when Lady Astra herself epted her, someone who did not have Vesta blood, as her pupil.


    Although I would not deny that I yed my part in it, the biggest reason why the Vaan pushed ra away was because she ''gave'' herself to him and that fool continued to do it, making Vaan take her for granted.


    So if I want to use Vaan, I absolutely cannot be his. The ''chase'' cannot end."


    Seraphina spoke with a serious look on her face.


    She wasn''t a fool, she knew just how dangerous what she was doing was. If she could achieve that simply by marrying Vaan, then she wouldn''t mind doing that at all. Vaan may be a fool and a sore loser, but he was, in the end, a Vesta and he was blessed with a good appearance either.


    Marrying him for the sake of her family was no problem, but just as she mentioned before, Seraphina couldn''t do it.


    She couldn''t be the second ra.


    This time, Anderson had no words. His daughter was just too smart, so smart that he had no way of convincing her.


    "Just be careful, okay?" Anderson sighed.


    "Don''t worry, Father. I will be careful." Seraphina smiled.


    "What about Lily? That maid was loyal to you this whole time, you aren''t just going to abandon her, are you?"


    "Of course not.


    I needed to keep a tough act in front of that man, however, I am not an ungrateful person.


    I will secretly find her, give her money and help her leave the Vesta City, however, after that, she would have to survive on her own."


    "She is a smart girl, I believe she will be able to do it." Anderson smiled.


    "I believe so as well." Seraphina smiled as she ced her head on her father''s shoulder and closed her eyes.


    Anderson shook his head and then started gently patting his daughter''s head.

 Chapter 58 Take Me To Him

    "So you have published your theory of ''advance'' Magic Circle," Astra spoke as she continue to ruffle Vaan''s hair.


    Vaan, who was resting his head on his mother''sp nodded, "Mhm, did it a few days ago."


    "You did a good job on it, I didn''t think you would make it so formal. You even added acknowledgment, reference books, an introduction, a summary and even created an index. It looked like it was written by a professional." Astra praised.


    "Honestly, I just wanted to draw my circle and end it there, but ra helped me and added all of that. I told her that there was no point in doing it since no one is going to understand anything anyways, but she said that it was the first publication under my name so she needed to do it properly."


    "Aha! No wonder thenguage sounded so familiar. It was that girl who helped you. Did the two of you write it together?" Astra questioned with a curious look on her face.


    "More like she was the one who wrote the entire thing, I only drew the Magic Circle."


    "That''s not what I am asking you fool, I am asking whether the two of you were together all that time."


    Hearing that, Vaan opened his eyes as he nced at his mother, then, with a yful smile on his face, he questioned back, "Does my almighty mother not know about it? I thought you were an omniscient being."


    "You think all I do is keep an eye on my son and my pupil all day?" Astra questioned as she pulled Vaan''s ears.


    "Aaahhh! Okay! Okay! I was just joking! Yes, I was with her the whole time! I told her about the theory was I going to publish because you ordered me to and she offered to help me!" Vaan answered quickly.


    His mother was too ruthless!


    "Oh ho, so the two of you are spending more time together huh? Good Good, that is good. That girl was quite worried when she heard that you have gone to the Stormweaver House."


    "Was she the only one who was worried?" Vaan questioned with a yful smile on his face. Astra nced at her child and raised her eyebrow again, Vaan quickly covered his ears with his two hands and, "There is nothing to worry about of course! Don''t worry, everything is a part of my n.


    And yes, I will not disappoint ra."


    Vaan spoke with a genuine look on his face.


    "Hmph! Try to do it and see how I hunt you down." Astra gave the ultimatum.


    Vaan sighed.


    His mother really was on her daughter-inw''s side rather than his.


    Well, not that it was her fault, in this world, if anyone had met ra and was not on her side, that being was simply a fool. Hating ra was simply impossible.


    "Anyways, what are you nning to do with that Stormweaver?" Suddenly, Astra questioned.


    "Just leave it to me, Mother," Vaan replied.


    He didn''t want his mother''s help. That would make things a little too easy. If he wanted to stand up on his own, he needed to deal with things on his own. Simply relying on his overpowered mother was not an option.


    Astra nced at Vaan for a while and, "That girl is not simple, Vaan."


    "I am not simple either, Mother." Vaanughed.


    Astra just shook her head as she sighed, she wanted to act disappointed but the smile on her face betrayed her.


    "Mother, I am curious, has anyone read the theory I published?"


    Obviously, reading the theory published by other Mages wasn''t free, all the public theories cost something, and although the theory published by Vaan was so cheap that evenmoners could afford it if they tried, reading theories written by a 1st Circle Mage, that too a bogus theory like ''an Advanced Magic Circle'', Vaan knew that most people won''t even touch his theory and wouldpletely ignore it, however, he was still curious.


    "Well, your uncles and aunts were the first ones to read it. I believe they read it as soon as they received the news."


    "Hehe, I guess I would need to thank them for supporting this struggling mage." Vaan chuckled.


    Whatever a theory earns is divided between the House that published the theory and the Mage who wrote that theory. In Vesta City, most of the public Magic Theories were managed by the Vesta House. Of course, there were some managed by other houses, however, the difference between the reputation was apparent and not many read those theories published by other houses.


    "Hahaha~ Make sure you do that." Astraughed as well.


    "So? What did they say?" Vaan questioned.


    "What is there to say? They all understood that the theory was bogus and the circle you propose was impractical, your Uncle Draven even came to me toin about it."


    "What did hein about? Wait, let me guess, it should be the same old, ''You shouldn''t let him publish a bogus theory even if he is your son, it would ruin the reputation of our Vesta House.'' Right?"


    "You know your uncle quite well." Astra smiled.


    "Well, of course, he is my dear uncle, after all." Vaan smiled.


    "There were also other people who bought the theory you published out of curiosity, though most of those theories wereter thrown away."


    "That hurts." Vaan pouted.


    Astrapletely ignored that.


    *Knock* *Knock*


    Then, the two of them heard a knock.


    "Ahh, he should be here."


    Vaan spoke up.


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel "Who?" Astra questioned.


    "Right, I didn''t tell you, did I?


    I recruited a new handyman."


    "A handyman? Who?"


    "Asher."


    "Asher? That Asher?"


    "Mhm, the man is more useful than I thought." Saying those words, Vaan stood up.


    "Anyways, I will see youter, Mother.


    Take care you yourself."


    "Alright, you too," Astra replied.


    Vaan then walked out of the room, the servant, who was expecting a reply and was about to inform them about Asher''s visit was surprised.


    "Take me to him," Vaan ordered.


    "A-As youmand, Young Master Vaan."

 Chapter 59 Vaan Is Blackmailing Me.

    *Knock* *Knock*


    "Lady Seraphina."


    A servant called out as he knocked on Seraphina''s room.


    "Enter." Seraphina, who was currently sitting inside her room, drinking coffee ordered.


    "Lady Seraphina, Young Master Asher is requesting to meet you." The servant walked in and reported.


    "Asher?" Seraphina frowned in confusion. She hadn''t invited him though¡­ why was he here¡­?


    "Should I send him away, my Lady?" Anna, Seraphina''s maid questioned. She knew Seraphina didn''t like meeting people whom she hadn''t invited.


    Seraphina was the type of person who nned everything beforehand and rarely anything went against her ns. Although she is confident in her ability to handle things when they didn''t go in the direction she wanted to, she still preferred nned meetings rather than unnned ones.


    This time, however,


    "Tell him to wait in the Guest room, I will be there in 10 minutes," Seraphina ordered.


    The servant bowed his head and walked away, then, Seraphina casually sipped on her coffee.


    "¡­" Anna wanted to ask why she was meeting him when she usually just sends people away if theye like this, but then, ''I hope you are not thrown away I was,'' she recalled Lily''s words and turned silent.


    There was no reason for her to question her master''s decision.


    Seraphina noticed the fluctuations on Anna''s face and she knew it was because of what happened to Lily, she could feel that a small crack had appeared in their rtionship.


    She wanted to fix it, however, there was nothing she could do about it.


    When she sent someone to find Lily and help her get out of this City, she realized that Lily had disappeared.


    She considered the possibility of something happening to Lily, however, then she scratched it away,


    The only person she had ''enmity'' with was Vaan and if Vaan wanted, he could have killed her right there and then. There was no need for Vaan to do something this foolish, especially when his mother, Lady Astra absolutely hates suppressing the weak.


    Lily had run away on her own.


    Seraphina was sure about it.


    ''To think that girl would make such a rash decision¡­''


    Seraphina sighed.


    Once she drank her coffee, Seraphina stood up and walked out of the room. Anna followed the two of them and walked into the guest room, there, they found Asher sitting on the sofa, waiting for them.


    "Lady Seraphina, I apologize foring in unannounced and thank you foring to me, I honestly feared that you would send me away," Asher spoke with a slight smile on his face.


    "Of course not, Young Master Asher. Why would I send you away? You are an important friend of mine." Seraphina replied with a slight smile on her face as she sat on the chair ced in front of Asher.


    Anna quickly brought some refreshments and ced it on the table.


    "Anyways, what brought you here, Young Master Asher? You rarelye announced. Is everything all right?" Seraphina questioned directly.


    Hearing that, Asher looked around a few times, then he nced at Anna and,


    "Lady Seraphina, can I talk to you alone?"


    Seraphina narrowed her eyes.


    Then, she raised her hand. Anna nodded then with a slight bow, she left her room.


    "What happened, Young Master Asher?" Seraphina questioned with a solemn look on her face.


    Asher looked around again as if he was trying to make sure no one else was around, then, he leaned forward and,


    "Young Master Vaan is trying to fool you," Asher revealed in a low voice.


    "What do you mean?" Seraphina narrowed her eyes.


    Asher then took out a 15-page long ''theory'' and passed it to Seraphina, "This was the Magic Theory recently published by Young Master Vaan."


    "Huh? Magic Theory published by him?" Seraphina frowned in confusion.


    Why did she not know about it?


    Why didn''t Aldric report her about this?


    Did he not know about it?


    Was Vaan hiding this from him? Or was he trying to hide it from me?


    These questions popped up in her mind.


    Soon, however, she focused her attention on the Theory, most of it was general stuff so she quickly started skipping all the pages.


    Then, her eyes fell on the ''Advanced Circle'' Vaan had drew and she paused.


    "A Circle with 6 Inner Circles?" With a shocked look on her face, Seraphina muttered.


    "And this was researched and published by Vaan?" Seraphina couldn''t believe it. Then, however, she frowned in confusion,


    "Does this Magic Circle work?"


    "I do not know," Asher shook his head and Seraphina''s expression changed.


    "You are worrying too much, Asher. Vaan doesn''t have the capability toe up with something like this and even if he did, the Vesta Family would never reveal it to the general public. This is just a bogus theory that he had published to earn some extra cash." Seraphina waved her hand as she dismissed Vaan''s theory.


    "You are not getting the point, Lady Seraphina. There are many ways for him to get money and this theory he published cost only 2 Gold Coins. It is nothing for someone like him."


    "What are you trying to say?" Seraphina questioned.


    "Lady Seraphina, you were the one who didn''t want Young Master Vaan to study Magic, but now, not only is he not studying it, he is even publishing magic theories, no matter how irrelevant and bogus of a theory it is, it still shows that his interest in magic in rising each and every single day. That is not something you want now, is it?" Asher questioned.


    "You sound particrly rmed about this." Suddenly, Seraphina narrowed her eyes.


    "That beca-"


    "Let''s drop the formalities here, Asher. We both have done things that would put us in a bad position in front of the Vestas, I know, Vaan has changed, I have met him and I was surprised as well.


    I can sense that you are panicking inwardly, so I am guessing something happened.


    Tell me,


    What is it?


    I know you don''t like to stick your nose in sticky situations,


    So tell me what''s wrong and I will help you get out of the trouble, permanently."


    Seraphina spoke, Asher stared at Seraphina for a while and then,


    "Vaan is ckmailing me."

 Chapter 60 I Take It That You Came Here With A Plan?

    Asher stared at Seraphina for a while and then,


    "Vaan is ckmailing me."


    "Huh?" Seraphina frowned in confusion.


    Then with a serious look on his face, Asher started,


    "Vaan isn''t the same as before, he has changed, a lot more than you think."


    "I know, I have met hi-"


    "No, you do not know. I know you met him and I can tell that you think that he still likes you, but in truth, he does not. He was acting all along.


    I do not know what happened but do not treat Vaan like the fool he was before. He is a lot smarter and more ruthless than before.


    He forced me and my friends to steal 20 Elemental Stones from our family treasury and give it to him. He threatened us that if we do not do it, he would use the power of the Vesta Family to put our family in a disadvantageous situation."


    Asher revealed the truth.


    He wanted to get out of this messy situation, at first, he decided to side with Vaan, however, today after meeting with Seraphina and seeing just how perceptive she was, his decision wavered.


    "He does not have the power to do that. The Vaan family values its reputation more than ever, they would never attack a smaller family just because someone like Vaan said so, although Lady Astra may be his blood mother, Vaan does not hold that sort of status in his family to make them do anything like that." Seraphina quickly shook her head.


    "Do you think I would still want an heir of the Vesta Familying after me with everything he had?


    With his status, he doesn''t even need the Vesta Family, if he tries, many 4th Circle Mages would be ready to do what he wants just to win his favor. I have no choice but to bow down in this situation." Asher exined his situation.


    Seraphina started thinking but then, Asher dropped another bomb,


    "Don''t think I am the only one.


    He hasn''t shown you his true face yet because he is waiting."


    "Waiting? Waiting for what?" Seraphina frowned in confusion.


    Asher then ced a crystal ball on the table and seeing the ball, Seraphina narrowed her eyes,


    "A Recording Crystal¡­" She recognized this thing as soon as her eyes fell on it.


    "He is waiting to get his hands on a proof.


    Everything we did to him, it was ordered by you, however, there is no evidence to support that statement, and that is what Vaan is looking for.


    He is ckmailing not only me, but the four of them as well, he wanted us toe here, fool you into confessing your crimes, and recording the entire thing. Once he has enough proof, he would let all of us go and would target you instead."


    Asher revealed Vaan''s n and hearing his words, Seraphina''s expression changed.


    She did think Vaan was acting differently but this¡­


    This was much more concerning than she thought¡­


    However, now that she thought about it, it did make a little sense.


    She has mentioned the book she wanted more than 3 times already, if it was the normal Vaan, then he would have brought the book to her even if that meant getting punished by his mother.


    However, now, every time she mentioned the book, he always changed the topic, and what''s worse?


    She would always fall into his rhythm and would forget about the book.


    Even the meeting before, she thought that he ran away while he blushed but now that she thought about it, rather than running away in embarrassment, Vaan got away after getting what he wanted.


    That was to test her limits and make her fire one of her most trusted subordinates¡­


    Thinking about it, Seraphina clenched her fists in frustration.


    ''Vaan Vesta¡­''


    Her icy blue eyes turned cold, then, she nced at Asher and,


    "Why are you telling me all this?" She questioned.


    "Vaan is clearly the stronger leg to grab here, then whye to me and reveal all his ns? Aren''t you scared that he would realize that you have betrayed him and would harm you?"


    "I am ying the safe game here, Lady Seraphina. You are thest person who would rat me out because that will just be dumb and if you don''t say it, then there is no way he would know that I am not on his side.


    I highly doubt that he would let me go once you are down, so I am putting my trust in you and have decided to hop on the same boat you are on.


    No matter what, Vaan would still be Vaan. He might have changed, but that doesn''t me that he turned into a different person, deep down, he is the same fool he was before. I am sure if you and I work together, then handling someone like him won''t be difficult."


    Asher exined the reasons behind his actions.


    "Heh, aren''t you just saying that you know you would not end up well if you choose his so you are betting on me instead?" Seraphina questioned as sheughed.


    "I will not deny that."


    "Then why would I want you on my side? You arepletely useless to me. Why should I be your shield?" Seraphina questioned.


    This time, Asher was the one whoughed,


    "Not like you have any other choice. What are you going to do? Tell on me? What would you even say to him?


    ''Asher, the man you sent to gather evidence against me is trying to betray you and join me?''


    What do you think would happen after that? Vaan would praise you for your honesty and give you what you want?"


    "¡­"


    Seraphina turned silent.


    Asher was right.


    Other than destroying all these ''strategic barriers'' they have set andpletely falling out with each other, there was nothing she would achieve by telling on Asher.


    No matter what, she had to be his shield because if Asher goes down, the chances of her going down together with him were extremely high.


    Thinking all that, Seraphina sighed, then, she nced at Asher and,


    "I take it that you came here with a n?"

 Chapter 61 Get Vaan Addicted To Dreamweave And Control Him Through It

    "I take it that you came here with a n?"


    Seraphina questioned as she nced at Asher. Asher turned silent for a while and then,


    "¡­that is correct."


    "What is the n?"


    "Dreamweave."


    "Huh?" Seraphina frowned in confusion.


    "Vaan won''t act against you unless he has the evidence. He wants revenge and honestly, with how he is changing, soon, the people in the Vesta Family would ept him and once that happens, he won''t need any proof anymore.


    Surviving in the Vesta City while a direct descendent of the Vesta Family sees you in a negative light, it is almost impossible. He might not do anything to harm you directly, but it will definitely cripple any potential for future growth.


    If we want to avoid that fate, then we need to act as soon and effectively as possible. So-"


    "Asher, don''t twist your words trying to convince me. Just say what you want to say."


    Seraphina interrupted as she looked into Asher''s eyes. She didn''t have time for these little mind games. This was a serious issue.


    "Get Vaan addicted to Dreamweave and control him through it." Asher summarized.


    "Are you kidding me?" Seraphina narrowed her eyes.


    Using Dreamweave against a member of the Vesta Family? Just what sort of fool would try such a thing, Lady Astra would find out about it the moment her eyes fell on Vaan, and once that happens,


    Everything is over.


    Unlike Vaan, Astra wouldn''t need any evidence, reasons, or something like that.


    If you get on her bad side, it was over.


    "That is the only option we have,"


    "That option is going to get us killed, mercilessly."


    "That''s only when Lady Astra finds out about this."


    "And you think she won''t?" Seraphina retorted.


    Asher, however, just looked into Seraphina''s eyes and, "She won''t if we do it correctly and you know it as well, don''t you?"


    "¡­"


    Hearing Asher''s words, Seraphina turned silent.


    This time, her face looked more solemn than the time when Asher was talking about Vaan and his change.


    "How do you know?"


    She questioned.


    "You are not the only one who knows how they work, Lady Seraphina."


    "¡­"


    Silence fell over the room.


    "You can leave now. I need to think about this."


    Suddenly, Seraphina spoke up.


    Asher nced at her expression and then, he stood up,


    "Then I hope to see you soon."


    Saying those words, Asher turned around, however, just as he was about to leave,


    "Wait." Seraphina stopped.


    "You won''t mind if I do a thorough search on you, right? I am a bit on edge after seeing the recording crystal you showed me."


    Asher nced at Seraphina, then, he raised both his hands and,


    "Of course, I don''t mind. I rather like that you are being careful. It reassures me that the decision I made was correct."


    Seraphina nodded, then, she walked toward Asher and searched his body, looking for any other artifacts he might be hiding.


    5 minutester, when she couldn''t find anything, she nodded at Asher again, signaling him that he was clear and can now leave.


    Asher understood and turned around again.


    "Ah right, I will being to see you again, this time, it would be with those 5 friends of mine, we people would try to get something that could incriminate you out of your mouth and will be carrying these recording stones, so be careful."


    "Don''t worry." Seraphina nodded. "Where will you be going now?"


    "To the Vesta Mansion, of course, I need to report how our conversation went," Asher replied with a slight smile on his face as he walked away.


    Seraphina''s expression didn''t change after he left. She seemed to have been lost in his thoughts.


    ¡­


    On the other side, Asher, who had returned to the Vesta Mansion after talking with Seraphina was patiently waiting for Vaan in the guest room.


    "Yo, punch bag, how have ya been?" 5 minutester, Vaan kicks the door and walks in.


    Again, Asher wondered just how can one person change so much, he couldn''t believe the man who was currently patting his shoulder while picking his ear with his pinky finger with another hand was the same Vaan who used to start stuttering in fear whenever he walked close to him.


    "I have been well, Young Master Vaan¡­"


    "So? You went to that woman?" Vaan questioned as he offered a seat.


    "I did." Asher nodded.


    "Did you get anything?" Suddenly, the jolly carefree aura around Vaan disappeared.


    Asher''s expressions changed as well.


    This¡­


    The way how Vaanpletely changed in an instant, this was what made him so fearful of him¡­


    It was as if this man had two different personalities.


    One, a carefree thug who thought he could solve everything with his fists¡­


    And second, the more hidden one, the cautious man ns all his steps to absolute perfection¡­


    "You were right, Young Master Vaan."


    Asher nodded.


    "I realized that she was not answering the questions the way I imagined her to. She wasn''t saying anything directly. Then when I took out the Recoding Crystal although she acted surprised, from her expression, I felt like she had already thought of that possibility. She is an extremely cautious woman."


    Yes, Asher never switched sides.


    What he did in the Stormweaver mansion, it was Vaan who ordered him to do it. Even the part where he revealed how he and his friends were being ckmailed, or taking out the Recoding Crystal telling Seraphina that Vaan wanted some evidence against her, Asher was just following orders.


    "Have you managed to win her trust?" Vaan questioned.


    "I believe so, yes. Though she did search me and tried to look for some other things that could put her in danger before I left, so I am not sure." Asher replied but hearing that, Vaan just waved his hand,


    "Don''t bother about that. That was just her way of telling you that she still has her eyes on you and creating a clear distinction in this rtionship."


    "She was telling me that I am the subordinate and she is the leader?"


    "Hahaha~ That''s correct." Vaanughed out loud.


    Seraphina¡­ she reminded him of a very interesting character from his previous life.


    The City Mayor of the city he lived in, Seraphina was just like that woman, ambitious, talented, emotionally strong, and scheming.


    It was a pity that, unlike the Mayor, this woman was not on his side.


    He would absolutely destroy such a capable woman, a pity indeed¡­


    A cold glint shone in Vaan''s eyes.


    "Y-Young Master Vaan¡­"


    Suddenly, Asher called out.


    "What is it?"


    "Did we really have to do it?"


    "Hmm?"


    "I am talking about how you told me to reveal your true nature to Seraphina. You clearly had the advantage in this situation because Seraphina was still underestimating you¡­


    Wouldn''t it have been better if you had kept her in the dark and used that to your advantage?"


    "But that wouldn''t be fun, now would it?" Vaan smiled.


    "Fun¡­?"


    Asher tilted his head in confusion.


    Was this man really thinking about ''fun'' right now¡­?


    Then the time when he punched him so many times to the point his face was all bruised, was that also just him having ''fun''? Just what kind of person has this bastard be!?


    "Also, who said that Seraphina trusts your words?" Suddenly, Vaan questioned with a yful smile on his face.


    "Huh?"


    "Sometimes, the best way to confuse your enemy is to tell them the truth."


    "I don''t understand¡­" Asher was confused.


    Vaan justughed. Then, he ced his hand on Asher''s shoulder and, "Don''t worry too much, punch bag. You just do what I tell you to, and everything will be fine.


    Just know that there is no way we can lose this battle.


    I have the biggest trump card one could possibly imagine."


    *Knock* *Knock*


    Suddenly Vaan heard a knock, a wide smirk appeared on his face and,


    "Enter."


    He ordered.


    A familiar maid walked in while pushing a table with tea and snacks on top of it.


    Soon, the maid then served the tea and snacks. Vaan nced at the maid and,


    "Thank you, Lily."


    He spoke.


    "I am grateful to be at your service, Young Master Vaan." The woman replied.


    Asher nced at the maid and couldn''t help but be surprised.


    The main reason why Asher had decided to stay absolutely loyal to Vaan¡­


    This maid was none other than the maid who served Seraphina. The woman who took care of Seraphina and watched her grow from a baby who knew nothing but crying to the woman she was now¡­


    A woman who was once absolutely loyal to Seraphina and knew almost everything about her¡­


    And that woman now stood before him¡­


    On Vaan''s side¡­


    Vaan practically had an encyclopedia who knew almost everything about his enemy, how could they possibly lose in such a situation?


    Honestly, the decision of kicking Lily out just because Vaan said so¡­ Asher found it stupid.


    He knew how Seraphina was cornered and was practically forced to make that decision¡­


    But still¡­


    Losing Lily was not something Seraphina could afford,


    Because now Vaan had Seraphina''s biggest weakness right in the palm of his hand.


    And that was what made Vaan so scary¡­

 Chapter 62 It Was All Just A Trap

    3 days earlier, when Lily was kicked out of the Stormweaver House by Seraphina, she walked back to her house, normally, she would have taken a carriage especially since she was carrying two of her bags with her.


    However, knowing her conditions, she knew she couldn''t afford a carriage right now, she needed to survive for as long as possible before finally getting out of the Vesta City, there was no other way.


    Lily was worried, she wanted to live normal life however, she knew just how badly she had messed up. Living a normal life in Vesta City while having offended the Young Master of the Vesta Family¡­ this was absolutely impossible.


    No matter how useless that young master was, no man was insane enough to get in his bad books just for a mere maid.


    Thinking about this, Lily sighed and with her two huge bags and a mind filled with worry, she walked to her house, which was 8 km away.


    However, just when she walked into her humble house,


    "Keeping me waiting for this long, you really are daring, aren''t you?"


    Her eyes widened in surprise when she entered her house.


    The door was locked, she was the one who opened it with the key then¡­


    Why was this voiceing from inside her House!?


    And just as Lily was wondering this, the lights of the room were automatically turned on and when Lily saw the personfortably sitting on a chair with his legs on her bed, her eyes widened in horror.


    "Y-Y-Young Master Vaan!"


    She screamed in shock and fear.


    "Tsk Tsk, why do you always shout whenever you see me? Do you have a grudge against me or something?" Vaan questioned as he picked his ear with his pinky finger.


    "Y-You, what are you doing here!?" Lily questioned as she pointed her finger at Vaan.


    "Tsk, I have been waiting for you for more than an hour, and when you finally show up, you aren''t even offering me some snacks? Just how rude can one be? Isn''t this world like some medieval shit with Kings and other stuff? I thought people of this era were more polite but people are an ass pretty much everywhere huh..."


    Vaan groaned as he started talking to himself.


    Lily, on the other hand, had no clue what this man was talking about¡­


    Was this man always this brash¡­?


    No, she had heard that he was brash and was always rude to the people who he thought were beneath him but this¡­ this was just too much!


    Does he have some kind of mental condition?


    Lily started wondering, Vaan however, continued with his monologue,


    "Well, I guess it is not your fault either. I am the one who got you kicked out of your job, it would be stranger if you forgot about it and served snacks to me, if you did, I would have doubted that you have poisoned it."


    Lily, who heard those words narrowed her eyes. She recalled how this man was responsible for all her miseries, so rather than trying to make sense of this situation, she nced at Vaan and with a face full of hatred and loathing,


    "What are you doin-"


    "But anyways."


    However, before she could say anything, Vaan interrupted her again.


    "Who would want that shitty job anyways? Honestly, if my boss kicked me out just because someone said so, especially when I was the one who stood up for her, I wouldn''t want that shitty job either.


    If you look at it that way, then I did you a favor, didn''t I?"


    Vaan questioned as he nced at Lily.


    "Why are you here?" This time, Lily dropped all the formalities and questioned directly.


    "Hmm? I am here to check up on you, of course. If things stay the same as they are right now, then surviving in the Vesta City would be difficult, so I was wondering what your ns are."


    "You are thest person who I want to check up on. If you forgot, then let me remind you, that you are the reason for everything that happened to me." Lily spoke as she narrowed her eyes.


    "You really think it is wise to talk to me like this? I came here to get you out of this situation, you know?" Vaan questioned with a yful smile on his face.


    "¡­what do you mean?"


    "Work for me," Vaan spoke directly.


    "Come to the Vesta Mansion with me, you will be new there so there will be some restrictions imposed upon you, but I can assure you it would definitely be better than whatever you are nning to do. The sry would be decent, a decent room and food will be provided, you will be safe, in case you get hurt on ident, the treatment cost would be covered by the family and there are many more advantages."


    Lily, who was listening to all this suddenly realized, "You want me to betray Lady Seraphina¡­"


    "Is it really betraying when she already kicked you out?" Vaan chuckled as he questioned back.


    "Why would you even think about her right now? Don''t you want to bite that bitch back?"


    "What you did back then¡­ you didn''t do it in a fit of anger¡­


    You were nning for this since the start¡­


    Making Lady Seraphina choose between you and me¡­ it was all just a trap¡­"


    Lily muttered with a strange look on her face.


    She couldn''t believe it¡­


    This man¡­


    Wasn''t he a well-known fool and a pushover¡­?


    Then why¡­


    "What? You want me to p for you or something?"


    "You think I will betray Lady Seraphina after knowing you were aiming for this from the beginning? What made you think I would let you win?" Lily spoke in a tough tone. She was not going to give in.


    "All right then, good luck living." Vaan shrugged as he stood up.


    "I will live."


    "Sure you will." Vaan smiled.


    "Aldric." He shouted.


    "At your service, Young Master Vaan."


    "Destroy this house, spread her postures all over the Vesta City, say she assaulted the Young Master of the Vesta Family and was disrespectful to him.


    I want this done by tonight, is that clear?"

 Chapter 63 Y-You Are Threatening Me!

    "Destroy this house, spread her postures all over the Vesta City, say she assaulted the Young Master of the Vesta Family and was disrespectful to him.


    I want this done by tonight, is that clear?"


    Vaan ordered as he started walking towards the exit.


    "As youmand, Young Master Vaan." Aldric bowed his head.


    Lily, on the other hand, widened her eyes in horror, "W-What are you trying to do!?"


    "Huh? What do you mean? You are the one who wants to be a bitch and take the hard part, isn''t it? Well then walk on this path till you are sick of it."


    "Y-You are threatening me!" Lily shouted.


    "What? Are people of this world dumb or something? Was it not clear from the start? Of course, I am threatening you bitch.


    All right fuck it, I''ll just be clear then,


    If you want to live, join me.


    I can''t kill you because my family values its reputation, and the Young Master of the Family killing someone out of pettiness would harm the Vesta Family''s reputation, or at least that''s the crap Sera must have fed you.


    But you have to know, Maid.


    Life isn''t ck and white.


    Yes, I can''t kill you, ''officially'' that is."


    Lily''s expression changed as she nced at Vaan.


    "But what if you die in an ident? A thief was stealing your stuff, you tried to defend and the thief killed you in desperation, you witnessed a crime and the criminal silenced you to remove evidence,


    There are countless ways you can die, Maid.


    Ways that would never incriminate Young Master Vaan of the Vesta Family."


    "Y-You w-would never be able to e-escape if they decide to investigate¡­"


    "That is ''if'' they decide to investigate. You think people would care about a mere maid, not to mention a dead one." Vaan''s smile widened.


    "¡­" Lily turned silent as her body trembled.


    Even a fool could understand what Vaan was talking about¡­


    She wasn''t just going to have a ''difficult time surviving'', if she went against Vaan''s words, she would be killed!


    "So if you don''t want all that to happen, then take those two bags of yours ande with me. Is that clear?"


    Vaan questioned in a rough tone and the trembling Lily nodded.


    "Good." Vaan smiled.


    "Aldric, bring her to the Vesta Family."


    "As youmand, Young Master."


    Aldric bowed, Vaan nodded and just as he was about to leave Lily''s house, he paused and turned back again,


    "Right, I forgot to mention," he looked into Lily''s eyes and, "I forgave you for disrespecting me today, but it won''t happen in the future, is that clear? You should treat me better than how you treated that bitch, be loyal to me, be of use to me and I will provide you the safest and the mostfortable life possible, you might hate me right now, but it won''t be long before you would realize how lucky you are."


    "Y-Yes." Lily nodded.


    Vaan nodded back and left the house.


    He wasn''t nning to stay in this ce for long, it was too hot. He would rather sit in the Carriage that had a cooling system that was no different from ACs in his previous life.


    Honestly, this world may look like it is in the medieval era, but when it came tofort, some things were better than what he had back on earth.


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    Once he left, Aldric and Lily were the only ones left in the room, Lily''s body was still trembling, and she was in no condition to talk, therefore, Aldric didn''t say anything and just started picking her bags.


    "You are not on Lady Seraphina''s side anymore¡­" Suddenly, Lily muttered.


    Aldric paused for a while, then, however, continued to do what he was doing and, "Only a fool would choose Lady Seraphina over Young Master Vaan."


    "Lady Seraphina is not simple-"


    "And you think Young Master Vaan is?"


    Aldric then nced at Lily and,


    "Who do you think is more fearsome,


    A woman whom everyone knew was smart, intelligent, and shouldn''t be messed with,


    Or a man who everyone thought was a fool but he had hidden his true face for more than 20 years?"


    Aldric replied and Lily turned silent.


    Seeing that she was willing to think it through, Aldric decided to help his future subordinate,


    "Switch sides, Lily. You were already kicked away by Lady Seraphina."


    "That was because she had no choice. Vaan would do the same if he was in that situation. He is not different, no, he is even worse. At least Lady Seraphina still tried to talk, he would simply agree and thr-"


    "And who do you think would have the power to put Young Master Vaan in that situation?" Aldric interrupted.


    "How many people do you think there are in this world who can put the Young Master of the Vesta Family in a situation he doesn''t wish to be in?


    That''s why I said only a fool would choose Lady Seraphina over Young Master Vaan. Lady Seraphina is weak, in her journey to possibly be strong, she would be forced to make a lot of sacrifices like this.


    Young Master, on the other hand, has no such worries, even if he doesn''t be the next head of the family, he is still destined to live an easy, better life.


    Being loyal to someone who may sacrifice you to achieve her goal or someone who has the power to reign over all and livefortably, the choice cannot be more obvious."


    Aldric shrugged, then, he picked up Lily''s bags, then he nced at Lily and,


    "Also, it is not Vaan, it is Young Master Vaan, as someone who has served Young Master Vaan, I suggest you respect him properly just like he told you to. Make a habit out of it, because if Young Master Vaan takes matters into his own hand,


    It won''t be pretty."


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel Spoke from true experience indeed.


    Saying all that, Aldric left the room and loaded Lily''s bags into the carriage.


    Lily stood in silence, thinking about what Aldric just said.


    "Oi, we don''t have all day! Get your ass here!"


    Vaan shouted from the carriage.


    "Y-Yes."

 Chapter 64 Take Her Out!

    "I can''t believe this¡­"


    Astra spoke with a strange look on her face as she nced at her son.


    Vaan just smiled proudly as he stood in front of her, honestly, Astra would have been proud and joyful if it was a normal situation but¡­


    It was not¡­


    "I know I sensed it before, but I still thought you needed at least a month, and that was when I was calcted using ra''s talent as the reference, and mind you, hers is better than mine.


    I thought you would need at least 25 days if not a month, but¡­


    How are you here in just 10 days?"


    Astra questioned as she looked into Vaan''s eyes.


    "Don''t forget, your son is a genius, mother," Vaan replied.


    Astra clenched her fists in frustration, ''I am a genius!'', that''s no answer to her questions!


    Astra finally realized how her siblings and mother must have felt when they asked her how she managed to do it.


    Astra''s magic talent was good, however, what made her different from others was herprehension speed, the speed at which she understood Magic Patterns and created her own. People were always surprised by how quickly she mastered different spells and whenever someone tried to ask her secret, she just replied ''I am a genius.''


    To think she would end up on the other side of the conversation like this¡­


    Thinking about this, Astra just sighed, but then, a smile appeared on her face. She then ced her hand on Vaan''s cheek, then with a gentle smile on her face,


    "It feels great to be a mother of a genius. With a talent like yours, catching up with others is only a matter of time."


    Vaan held his mother''s hand, "Who cares about catching up? I''ll be so fast that they won''t even know when I surpassed them. The Future Head can''t have apetition, now can he? I must overpower everyone so badly that their faction members would be too embarrassed to rmend their own children for the heir''s position."


    "That is the dominance I expect from my son." Astra smiled.


    Vaan nodded.


    "Anyways, how is your Magic Study going? I saw that girl writing down all 1st Circle Fire Spells she knew along with their Magic Circles, Magic Patterns, and the Inner Circle,


    Tsk, I was so jealous when I saw her working so hard for you. To think that fool would give you something so valuable when you treat her so poorly, tsk tsk." Astra shook her head.


    "What do you mean? I treat her well."


    "Haah? Do you think not abusing her like your past self is treating her well? Even a random stranger treats her well by that logic. How are you any different?


    That girl does so much for you, can''t you show your appreciation at least once?"


    I thanked her properly, Mother."


    Vaan replied and as soon as she heard that, Astra facepalmed.


    "Thanked her? You thanked her? Would you like if you spend days doing something for me and I just thank you in return?"


    "You are my mother, I don''t expe-"


    "Take her out! Take her to some popr restaurant and buy her good food!"


    "Mother, all the best chefs in the Vesta City work in our mansion, she can simply tell what she wants to eat to the cook and he will make it for her."


    Astra''s mouth twitched, "Vaan, are you really my son?" She questioned as she looked into her son''s eyes.


    "W-What?"


    "You think she was helping you because she wanted something to eat? When I said take her out, I meant spending some time with her and making her feel special.


    The food or the restaurant is not the issue here, take her anywhere else, I don''t care, but do something for her."


    "O-Oh, you want me to ask her out on a date."


    "Yes exactly!


    And you better treat her like she is your queen, is that clear?"


    "Y-Yes, I will do as you say, Mother." Vaan nodded as he started thinking about his future ''date.''


    It was not a bad idea, he was thinking of doing something for ra as well.


    A date with his fianc¨¦ didn''t sound bad at all.


    A small smile appeared on Vaan''s face when he imagined the flustered face that Elra would make when he asks her out.


    "Anyways, as I was saying, how is your magic study going? I am sure ra''s notebook is helping you a lot, and I also noticed that you have shut yourself in your room for this past week,


    Have you made any progress? How many spells have you learned?"


    Astra questioned.


    Unlike ra, who had witnessed Vaan''s monstrous talent and how he created his own patterns just after seeing hers, Astra was still in the dark about this matter. Vaan asked ra to stay silent because he wanted to surprise his motherter.


    To Astra, Vaan was someone who only knew the Fire Spike spell, however¡­


    Vaan had already learned all Seventeen 1st Circle Spells that ra had written down in her notebook.


    "I have made some progress, yes." Vaan nodded with a slight smile on his face.


    "That is good.


    Though it is strange for a 1st Circle Mage to advance to the next level when he barely knows one spell, more options open up when you advance, so now that you are capable of doing so, there is no reason for you to hold back."


    Astra spoke.


    "Does that mean I can form my 2nd Circle?" Vaan questioned.


    "Well of course, as I said, there is no reason for you to hold back, as surprising as it may be, your Mana Veins are thick enough to form your 2nd Circle." Astra nodded and a smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    Suddenly, the little mey flew above Astra''s head, and with her hands on her waist, she called out, "Krrii Krrii."


    Vaan, who understood what she was trying to say and couldn''t help but shake his head.


    ''Yes Yes, I know I shouldn''t have doubted you, it was my fault.''

 Chapter 65 The Second Circle

    ''Yes Yes, I know I shouldn''t have doubted you, it was my fault.''


    Vaan shook his head as he recalled what happened 30 minutes ago.


    A week had passed by after his meeting with Seraphina and just like every other day, Vaan, after practicing the spell he learned, was dutifully feeding his mey.


    Today, however, mey seemed hungrier since even after 5 fills, mey wasn''t satisfied. Vaan was surprised, however, he decided to think about itter and continued to feed mey 3 more times.


    It was only after that did mey''s eyes starting shining in excitement.


    "Are you satisfied now?" Vaan questioned, however, instead of answering, mey simply flew right in front of his face, then, she pointed her little hands at him with 2 fingers out.


    "Two?" Vaan guessed.


    "Krriii Krrii!" mey nodded.


    "Two what?"


    mey then created 2 Magic Circles with fire, then, she created an Arrow pointing at 1 Magic Circle.


    "Kri." She looked at Vaan to confirm if he was still with her and then, she herself pointed at the second circle before pointing at Vaan.


    "Krri Krr Kririi!"


    "Second Circle?" You want me to form the Second Circle?" Vaan questioned.


    "Krriiii!!" mey nodded as she flew around in excitement.


    Vaan couldn''t help but notice mey looked a lot more cheerful today, however,


    "Forming the 2nd Magic Circle isn''t that simple, mey, I need to continue practicing spells and clear my Mana Vei-"


    Vaan suddenly froze mid-sentence.


    Who was he talking to?


    Has mey ever said something stupid before?


    Well, she did say quite a lot of unrealistic things, however, those unrealistic things she said¡­


    All of them came true without fail.


    An Advance Magic Circle, highly optimized Instant Spells which were half as costly as theplete ones,


    Can someone who came up with things like that be wrong in her judgment?


    "Are you saying I am ready to form my 2nd Magic Circle?" Vaan questioned with a serious look on his face.


    "Krri Krri Krri!" mey nodded continuously. Vaan didn''t know mey''snguage, however, he had formed a considerable level of connection with her after living together for such a long time and could roughly tell what she was saying,


    And right now, ording to Vaan, if mey could speak, she would have said, ''Yes that''s what I am saying you dumb fuck, now stop wasting time and start forming the Second Circle, we don''t have all day!''


    No, even if the little mey could speak, she wouldn''t have used such vulgar words, it was just Vaan''s imagination, and since his head was filled with cuss words like these, the mey Trantion that worked in his mind used the same vocabry as well.


    Anyways, all in all, mey seemed excited and wanted Vaan to quickly form his 2nd Magic Circle. Vaan, however, decided to confirm this and came to his mother.


    And again,


    mey was right.


    "Anyways, have youprehended the required Magic Patterns to form your Second Circle?" Suddenly, Astra questioned.


    Forming the 1st Circle wasparatively simpler since one only had to know basic theories of magic before designing a circle that followed all those theories and summoning it using Mana, the 2nd Circle, however, was different.


    For this, one needed to research the Magic Patterns used to form the 2nd Circle and create one for themselves, just like how it was done with Magic Spells. To sessfully for the 2nd Circle, a Mage should not only have enough Mana in his Mana Veins to draw another Magic Circle but also have to create the required Magic Patterns.


    These Magic Patterns were then drawn inside the 1st Circle and if Mage had enough Mana, a 2nd Circle is formed automatically and then, a ''connection'' with this Circle is established, sessfully allowing the Mage to summon two Circles next time.


    Astra doubted that Vaan would probably not know these required patterns since the only spell he knew was the Fire Spike and his Magic Language vocabry wouldn''t be strong enough toprehend this pattern,


    However,


    With a confident smile on his face, he replied, "I have."


    Astra was taken aback, however, this time, she didn''t ask more questions, if Vaan was confident, then getting on it with that confidence was important. Her baseless questions will only result in him doubting himself for no reason.


    "Alright, my personal Magic Training Room is free, you can go in and form your Second Circle.


    I wish you luck."


    Astra was a firm believer of ''If you think you know something, try it out, the worse that can happen is you fail.''


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel If Vaan felt like it, she wanted to give him a chance.


    Vaan smiled.


    "Krrriii Krrri Krriiii!" mey, on the other hand, had already flown near the doors as soon as Astra gave the permission and was now waving at Vaan toe.


    Vaan sighed, then, he nodded at his mother before walking towards mey.


    The two of them then entered Astra''s personal Magic Training room, Vaan wanted to admire the familiar white room for a while, however,


    "Krriii! Krrrii!!"


    mey was just too excited for anything.


    ''Stop wasting time, you fucker!'' Vaan tranted what she wanted to say.


    "Alright Alright, I will stop cking." He then scratched his head and started absorbing the surrounding Mana.


    Then, he turned towards mey and,


    "Come." He spoke. Wanting mey''s help to form the Advance Magic Circle because he couldn''t form it on his own, however,


    "Krri Krri." mey shook her head.


    "What?" Vaan frowned in confusion.


    "Krri Kri Kri Kriii." mey replied as she formed Vaan''s previous Magic Circle using her mes.


    "Are you saying that I have to use my own Magic Circle for this to work?"


    "Krri" mey nodded her head.


    Vaan frowned in confusion. He has been using mey''s advanced magic circle just fine this whole time, then why was this a problem now?


    Anyways, Vaan just shook his head and didn''t think much about it, he summoned his own Circle, his circle only had 4 Inner Spells, however, since this pattern didn''t require any Inner Circles, it didn''t matter.


    Once the Circle was formed, Vaan quickly drew the Magic Patterns, and then,


    His Magic Circle shined brightly and another simr Magic Circle formed in the air right next to the first one, however, that wasn''t the only thing that happened,


    "Mru...?"

 Chapter 66 Splashy

    Vaan drew the Magic Patterns inside his Circle, the Magic Circle shone brightly, it was almost blinding, then, another simr Magic Circle formed right next to the First Circle.


    The two Magic Circles shone with different intensities, the first one was brighter than the new one, however, Vaan could feel his Mana being sucked in and could see the second circle getting brighter and brighter, this continued till the two Magic Circles shone with simr intensities.


    Then, Vaan saw a pure white chaining out from the center of the first circle, the chain shot toward the second circle, the two circles started rotating and continued to suck Vaan''s Mana.


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel Vaan panicked a little, he could feel that his Mana was about to run out, and if that happened, everything he did so far would be all for waste and he wouldn''t be able to use Mana for the next 3 days.


    This was called ''setback''.


    Vaan, however, doubted he would suffer from the setback, both mey and his mother had confirmed it, his Mana Veins should be thick enough to form the 2nd Circle, so although his Mana was being sucked out at a rapid pace, he knew it wouldn''t run out.


    And just as he expected, the two circles stopped rotating, the ''chain'' that was formed dispersed into small particles and Vaan could feel the ''connection'' with his second circle.


    He was now officially a 2nd Circle Mage.


    "mey! I did it!" With an excited look on his face, Vaan turned around to celebrate together with his little friend, however, mey was nowhere to be seen.


    "mey?" Vaan frowned.


    "Krriiii!"


    Then, he heard mey''s voice.


    He turned to her direction and,


    "Gru¡­?"


    His expression changed as his eyes fell on mey, who held hands with another simrly adorable creature and was trying to bring her together.


    The creature had blue hair, and adorable blue eyes that showed her nervousness, a chubby face, and beautiful butterfly-like blue wings behind her back. With the water that was flowing around her, Vaan didn''t have to think, like mey, who was a Fire Spirit, this little creature was a Water Spirit.


    When the water spirit''s eyes fell on Vaan who still had his 2 Circles shining brightly, her expression changed,


    She then turned towards mey and, "Gruu?" She tilted her big head in confusion.


    "Krri Krrri!" mey nodded.


    Then, a determined looked appeared on her face as she and mey flew towards Vaan.


    "Krri Krri Krri!" mey spoke to Vaan.


    "Ah okay." Vaan replied.


    No, he had no clue what she was talking about.


    He could somewhat understand this little friend of his, however, there were still limitations to it.


    "Krri Krri." mey turned towards the Water Spirit.


    "Gruu Gurr."


    "Krri."


    "Guru Gurrrr Gurrr"


    "Kirrr."


    The two spirits continued to converse with each other for a while, Vaan of course, had absolutely no idea what they were seeing, but since it sounded cute and looked adorable, he continued to watch.


    Suddenly, the two spirits moved, mey appeared behind the First Magic Circle and the Water Spirit appeared behind the Second.


    "Krri."


    "Grru."


    The two spirits spoke at the same time and then, the advanced magic circles, the one with 6 Inner Circles formed right behind Vaan''s 2 Magic Circles.


    Vaan was surprised, his Mana that has stabilized since his circles weren''t sucking it anymore started being consumed by these 2 Advance Magic Circles the two spirits had formed, another ''chain'' appeared from mey''s circle and shot towards the water spirit''s circle, the ''connection'' was formed and the four circles in front of Vaan finally disappeared.


    Vaan''s Mana finally ran out.


    "Gru¡­"


    The water spirit looked tired as well.


    "Krriii!"


    mey turned toward Vaan as she pointed at her mouth and stomach before pointing at the water spirit.


    "You want me to feed her¡­?" Vaan questioned.


    "Krrii!" mey nodded. From her expression, it looked like it was urgent.


    "A-Alright." Seeing the Water Spirit''s tired expression, Vaan was surprised as well. He quickly absorbed the surrounding Mana, moved it through his Mana Veins, then, he gently moved his finger towards the Water Spirit.


    "Gru¡­?" The Water Spirit tilted her head in confusion.


    "Krri Krrri"


    mey who appeared behind her spoke.


    "Gruu¡­"


    The Water Spirit then nced at Vaan, as if she was asking for his permission and Vaan nodded. She then grabbed Vaan''s finger with her two hands, then, she ced her forehead on the finger and Vaan could feel his Mana being sucked out.


    "You want more?" Once the Water Spirit was done, Vaan questioned. She nodded with an embarrassed expression on her face,


    Vaan chuckled and then, he absorbed Mana and fed her again.


    The cycle continued 8 times, this told Vaan how ''hungry'' little Sshy was.


    Yes, Sshy, this was the name he came up for the Water Spirit.


    Again, gangsters weren''t meant to be creative.


    "I will call you Sshy from now on," Vaan spoke with a small smile on his face as he gently rubbed Sshy''s chin with his finger.


    "Grruuu!" Sshy nodded with a bright smile on her face.


    At the very least, the little water spirit liked her name.


    "Krriiii!" mey, of course, wasn''t going to stay back.


    Now that Vaan had fed Sshy, he had to feed her as well even though he already did it an hour ago.


    Of course, Vaan didn''tin, he simply fed his little friend till she was satisfied.


    The two spirits stood in front of him as they smile.


    Then, "Krriii Krri Krrii!" mey spoke as she formed 2 Magic Circles around her.


    "You want me to summon my Circles?" Vaan questioned. mey nodded, Sshy nodded as well.


    Vaan was obviously excited for it as well.


    He absorbed the Mana again, then he summoned his Circles, the process was simr to how he summoned his first circle, and this time, instead of one circle,


    *Whoosh* *Whoosh*


    2 Circles were automatically summoned.


    "Heh." A smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    Then, he turned towards his friends, the two spirits understood what he wanted and appeared beside him. The Circles Vaan summoned disappeared, then, he summoned them again, this time, the two spirits joined in as well and,


    2 Advanced Circles with 12 Inner Circles in total were summoned.


    Vaan had sessfully be a 2nd Circle Mage, who wasn''t much weaker than the 3rd Circle Mages.

 Chapter 67 A Mother Is Allowed To Be Greedy.

    "Enter."


    Astra gave her permission and Vaan walked into her room with a slight smile on his face.


    "Did you seed?" Astra questioned with a curious look on her face and as if she was waiting for this question this whole time, Vaan instantly summoned his 2 Magic Circles and stood there with a proud look on his face.


    "I am officially a 2nd Circle Mage now."


    "Pffft!" Astraughed out loud as she shook her head and nced at Vaan again, "I can''t believe you came in prepared for that question, you even absorbed the Mana beforeing in."


    "I practiced around 20 to 30 times beforeing in," Vaan replied.


    "I can''t be disgraceful in front of the best Mage in the world, now can I?"


    "Still buttering me up, huh."


    "Of course, one must constantly butter his benefactors in order to continue receiving the benefits." Vaan nodded shamelessly and Astraughed out loud again.


    Vaan then sat next to Astra, with a genuine smile on her face, Astra cupped Vaan''s cheek and, "Congrattions on bing a 2nd Circle Mage, son. I am proud of you."


    A genuine smile appeared on Vaan''s face as well.


    This was the moments he missed in his past life. Spending time with his parents¡­ a time where his heart actually felt at ease¡­


    It felt much much much better than winning a territory war or destroying the enemy gangs.


    Thinking about all that, Vaan chuckled as he shook his head, then just as he was about to ce his head on Astra''sp and close his eyes,


    *Knock* *Knock*


    A knock was heard.


    Vaan frowned but then, he heard a sweet voice.


    "Teacher, it is me."


    "Ahh, I forgot, I called her earlier since I will be a bit busyter." Astra spoke with a yful smile on her face.


    "Then should I leave?" Vaan questioned.


    "Hmm? Why would you do that? Stay." Astra replied, then, she raised her voice and, "Come in, ra."


    ra opened the door and, "Good Afternoon, tea- Vaan¡­" her expression changed as her eyes fell on Vaan sitting next to his mother.


    "Hello, Fiance."


    Vaan replied with a smile on his face and hearing him call her fianc¨¦ in front of her teacher, ra blushed and just lowered her head.


    "Are you not going to greet him back?" Astra questioned. The smile on her face was enough to tell how much she was enjoying this situation.


    "H-Hello, Vaan¡­" ra replied.


    "Oh c''mon, don''t be so low, Vaan has something interesting to show you, you know?" Astra spoke up.


    Then, she turned towards Vaan and signaled him to take over. Vaan understood what his mother wanted, he absorbed Mana and this time, the two spirits appeared next to him and 2 advanced magic circles formed around him.


    ''To think he showed those advance circles to his fianc¨¦ before his mother, guess I would need to have a talk with himter.'' Astra thought inwardly as she nced at his dear child.


    Vaan of course, had no clue what wasing for him in the future, right now, he was looking at ra, who was rushing towards him with an excited look on her face, then, she held his hands and,


    "You became a 2nd Circle Mage!"


    She eximed.


    "I did." Vaan smiled.


    "And with your circles, you aren''t much weaker than 3rd Circle Mages either! This is amazing!"


    "Well it is not that easy." Suddenly, Astra spoke up.


    "He has 12 Inner Circles, yes, but that doesn''t mean he is equally strong as a 3rd Circle Mage, the biggest difference would be the amount of Mana the two can store inside their Mana Veins, right now, Vaan cannot use the Peak 3rd Circle Spells.


    In my eyes, rather than trying to act like a 3rd Circle Mage, you should focus more on the path of an ''Advance 2nd Circle Mage'', use your Inner Circles to optimize your 2nd Circle spells to a level where let alone a 3rd Circle, even a 4th Circle Mage would have trouble against you, don''t just copy other mages, Vaan.


    Create your own path.


    Don''t just mindlessly copy others,


    You will never achieve greatness if you walk on that path, even though you have such an apparent advantage."


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel Astra spoke as she looked into Vaan''s eyes.


    Looking into her clear eyes, Vaan frowned.


    It was as if Astra was trying to tell him something¡­


    Vaan then narrowed his eyes and then started thinking about it.


    "An Advance 2nd Circle Mage¡­" ra spoke as she started thinking about it.


    "Mother."


    Suddenly, Vaan called out.


    "What is it?"


    "Can I test my Affinity again?"


    "Huh?"


    Hearing Vaan''s question, both Astra and ra frowned in confusion.


    Every Mage had affinity with certain elements, Seraphina, for example, has affinity with Wind Element and simrly, most people have affinity with any one element out of the main 4.


    ra was a prodigy who had affinity with 2 elements, Fire and Earth.


    And just like her, Astra had affinity with 2 elements as well, Wind and Earth.


    That was one of the reasons the two of them were hailed as the Magical Prodigies and their Talent overpowered all their peers.


    Vaan, however, only had affinity with the Fire Element. Astra was disappointed when she found that out, however, beings having affinity with more than 1 Element were extremely rare, just the fact that ra and she were the two such mages and were both living together was surprising.


    So wanting Vaan to have affinity with more than 1 element was selfish, honestly, it was too far-fetched and Astra knew it.


    "What is there to check? You have affinity with the Fire Element." Astra replied.


    "I know that¡­ but¡­"


    Vaan nced at Sshy who was looking around with a curious look on her face while mey, who was acting like a big sister was showing her the room.


    The room that wasn''t even hers¡­


    "I want to test it again¡­"


    Vaan replied.


    Astra narrowed her eyes.


    "Alright then."


    Vaan had shown her many miracles before,


    Expecting one more wasn''t too greedy, right?


    A mother is allowed to be greedy.

 Chapter 68 Fire And Water

    "Alright, ce your hands on it," Astra ordered.


    Right now, Vaan, Astra, and ra were inside a bright room, and in front of them, there was a 3-meter-long transparent crystal of an irregr shape.


    This was the Affinity Stone, a device that was used to measure the Elemental Affinity of a human. It was found in nature and the bigger the size of the crystal, the more urate readings it took.


    Normally, these crystals were 8-10 cm long, of course, there are some lucky ones who have found some bigger ones as well, however, the Vesta Family was the only Family who had ess to such a huge Crystal. The other crystals found elsewhere may give a wrong reading or might not even give a reading, however, this Crystal had never given a wrong reading ever before.


    Vaan walked forward with a curious look on his face, then, he ced his hand on the Crystal in front of him. ra and Astra both focused on the Crystal and soon, the entire Crystal turned white.


    The two spirits observed the crystal with curious looks on their faces. mey, the more mischievous one tried to touch it but just like every other object, her hand passed through this one as well.


    "Gru¡­"


    Sshy then pulled her away so as to not disturb the process. The little water spirit was very thoughtful.


    5 secondster, the Crystal''s color started changing, the right side of the crystal had a reddish glow while the left side had a bluish glow.


    A smile appeared on Vaan''s face, he knew what this meant, "Guess I will be joining the two of you as a mage with affinity with 2 elements, please take care of me, seniors." He nced at ra and Astra and chuckled.


    "Fire and Water¡­"


    Astra muttered with a strange look on her face. The Crystal was still changing its color, however, just the colors that appeared on the crystal were enough to surprise both Astra and ra.


    They all clearly remembered Vaan only having an affinity with a single element¡­


    And since Affinity was someone one was born with, there was nothing Vaan could have done about it,


    Or that¡­ was that they thought¡­


    But here he was¡­ standing in front of the Affinity Stone¡­ that clearly showed that he now had an affinity with two elements¡­


    ''Is affinity rted to personality? Does Vaan losing his memories and creating another personality awakened another element that was suited for his new personality?'' Astra questioned inwardly.


    It was just her guess, however, it was definitely something worth studying. After all, it could possibly turn into a way to ''awaken'' affinities with more than one element, if she could study that and find a fixed way of doing that without actually harming the Mage in question,


    Then the Vesta family''s powers would increase to another level.


    Thinking about it, Astra decided to stop her Magic Study for a while and decided to give most of her time to this theory she just came up with.


    "If only it was any element other than Water¡­"


    While Astra was thinking about her new theory, ra muttered with a disappointed look on her face.


    She had no clue how Vaan suddenly has affinities with 2 elements, she was happy about it, however, if he miraculously did awaken his affinity with another element, ra found it disappointing that it was with the Water Element.


    "Hmm? Why? Is Water a weak element?" Vaan questioned with a frown on his face.


    He may not know much about all the elements except fire, however, he did know that there was no sort of concept like a better or a worse element, in this world, all the elements were treated equally with each one having a role of their own.


    "No no, that''s not what I meant. No element is weak or particrly strong," and ra was quick to shake her head.


    She, however, didn''t know how to exin her thoughts to Vaan.


    "Water is not weak. It is just that your two elements arepletely opposite of each other. You won''t be able to cast Twin Elemental Spells."


    "Twin Elemental Spells?"


    "Yes, Mages having affinity with 2 elements, what makes them scary is not the fact that the number of spells they have is almost two times that of a single mage, it is the ability to fuse their spells into one and increase the strength of their spell to an entirely different level without actually consuming much Mana. This is called the Twin Elemental Casting.


    You, however, have an affinity with Fire and Water, the two elements that practically hate each other, making them impossible to fuse with each other and taking away your biggest advantage as the Mage with two elements." Astra exined clearly.


    "Fire and Water hate each other¡­?" Vaan muttered, his eyes stuck on the two spirits who were flying around the room hand in hand as if they are the closest friends in the entire world.


    Seeing this adorable scene, a small smile appeared on Vaan''s face, then,


    "I doubt that is the case, Mother¡­"


    Astra frowned in confusion, unable to understand what Vaan just said, however, before she could say anything, the Affinity Stone that was still changing showed something much more shocking.


    "T-Teacher, is that¡­ normal¡­?" ra questioned as she pointed at the affinity stone with her mouth wide open.


    The intensity of the color the Affinity Stone showed was usually rted to the degree of affinity a mage had with the said element, however, since this Affinity Stone was muchrger than any normal Affinity Stone, the glow usually disintegrates all over the crystal, and the intensity is dimmed down significantly.


    However, right now¡­


    The Affinity Stone in front of them, which used to be white, hadpletely turned into a red-blue colored stone, the intensity of the colors it showed was so high that rather than looking like a crystal, the stone looked like a normal rock that was painted fire and blue.


    "Elements'' Favorite¡­"

 Chapter 69 I Am The Most Humble And Diligent Person You Will Find.

    "Elements'' Favorite¡­"


    Astra muttered with her eyes stuck on the scenery in front of her.


    "Elements'' Favorite?" Vaan frowned in confusion.


    Even he was taken aback by the scenery he saw in front of him, it wasn''t clear, but he still recalled Vaan''s memory of the first time he checked his elemental affinity, he Affinity stone had a red shade, signifying that he had an affinity with Fire Element, however, the intensity of that red color was just slightly higher than average.


    It wasn''t even to the point of being called a genius, that was also one of the reasons why Vaan turned out to be the way he turned out. As Astra''s son and Astra''s ''theory'' about him being an extremely talented mage with huge potential,bined with ra''s performance who tested her affinity one year before him, all of this resulted in him attracting lots of eyes.


    People were looking forward to what the Vesta Family head''s only son had to offer and once the results were revealed and it didn''t turn out the way Vaan and the others wanted it to be, Vaan was subjected to ridicule and mockery, making him hate magic and everything rted to it.


    Of course, it was still Vaan''s fault for letting something like this get to him, but what could have been expected from a 5-year-old child? Although Astra did try to helpfort her child, people''s reaction was etched into Vaan''s mind and that was when Seraphina made her entrance.


    Someone who ''epted'' Vaan as he was. Honestly, it started out with Vaan feeling better about himself, Seraphina''s Magic Talent was worse than his, unlike ra, whose Magic Talent intimidated him, Seraphina was easier to be around with.


    Soon, Vaan got attached to her and things got to where they did.


    Anyways, the point was, the previous Vaan''s affinity wasn''t very high, and it definitely wasn''t this high.


    Not only had he ''awakened'' another element, but his affinity with the two elements had also increased.


    "There is a Magic Theory which states that the Magic Elements have a ''will'' of their own, the affinity we have with these Elements is decided by the elements themselves and depended on whether these elements liked the said being or not.


    Although this theory was not proven, when the 5th Family Head, Auron Lucian Vesta took the Affinity Test, many started believing this theory.


    Family Head Auron was one of the mages who had the highest level of affinity with the Earth Element, and although he was not a Mage with affinity with two elements, just his Earth Element was enough to make him strong enough to inherit the Family Head''s position.


    His Earth Spells were so strong that it was said that he was guided by the Earth Elements themselves, this waster connected to his high affinity with the element and he was given the title ''Element''s Favorite.'' He waster known as one of the strongest Family Heads of the Vesta House, a name that came right after the Archmage Alienora Vesta." Astra exined.


    "Helped by the Earth Elements themselves huh¡­"


    Vaan muttered as his eyes again fell on the two spirits who had returned to him and were now sitting on each of his shoulders.


    ''Elements having the will of their own huh¡­'' He chuckled inwardly.


    This theory, he didn''t know if it was true or not, but he definitely knew one thing, these two little friends of his, they were definitely not normal.


    And this ancestor Auron¡­ Vaan guessed that he might have been someone who could see these spirits as well.


    "So my affinity is simr to Ancestor Auron?" Vaan questioned with an excited smile on his face.


    It was a good thing, if his talent was revealed to be simr to one of the greatest family heads the Vesta House has ever seen, then his chances of bing the next Head would shoot up to a considerable level.


    Astra, however, shook her head,


    "Your affinity is higher than Ancestor Auron''s," Astra revealed and both Vaan and ra widened their eyes in surprise.


    "Y-Young Master V-Vaan''s talent is better than Ancestor Auron''s?" ra questioned with a shocked look on her face.


    "I cannot say anything about the talent since it consists of many factors, but his affinity with both, Water and Fire Elements is definitely higher than Ancestor Auron''s Affinity with the Earth Element," Astra replied and ra blinked a few times, trying to digest what she just heard.


    Vaan, on the other hand, just snorted,


    "Is that even surprising? I am Mother''s son, of course, I''ll be better than everyone. I inherited my mother''s blood, after all."


    If it was the usual time, Astra would have chuckled, but right now¡­ she couldn''t say anything¡­


    Comparing her to Ancestor Auron¡­ Astra was embarrassed, she knew perfectly well that she was not Ancestor Auron''s match, at least not right now.


    He was a peak 8th Circle Mage, after all.


    "A-Alright, now get off your high horses, don''t let this thing get over your head, be humble, be diligent, and continue to work hard, I have high expectations from you, okay?"


    "Of course Of course, I am the most humble and diligent person you will find." Vaan nodded continuously.


    "¡­"


    This time, both ra and Astra turned silent.


    Let''s leave the Diligent part alone, but Humble¡­?


    This man¡­?


    The one who goes around beating people up like a thug¡­


    That was him being humble¡­?


    Both ra and Astra decided not toment on it.


    The topic then changed, the three of them came out of the Testing room once the Affinity Stone returned to normal, the three of them had decided to keep today''s event a secret, they decided to reveal it when everyone is back and the time is right.


    After spending some more time with them, Vaan left, he wanted to go to the library and learn a few Water rted spells, however, suddenly,


    "Young Master Vaan!" Gabel rushed towards him with a panicked look on his face.


    "What happened?" Vaan frowned.


    "S-Someone spread f-false rumors about you,


    They are saying that you sexually harassed Lady Seraphina!"

 Chapter 70 Y-Young Master V-Vaan Is Participating In The Elemental Clash…?

    "S-Someone spread f-false rumors about you,


    They are saying that you sexually harassed Lady Seraphina!"


    Gabel reported with a panicked look on his face. He knew perfectly well that it was just a false rumor, however, due to Vaan''s reputation, this rumor was spreading like wildfire. If Vaan didn''t address this situation and things escte, the Vesta Family members would use this chance to attack Vaan again.


    Of course, they wouldn''t be able to do anything major since there is no proof, however, they would definitely me Vaan for having a bad reputation and harming the family''s reputation.


    This was a serious matter.


    "Huh? Sexually harassed? Couldn''t theye up with something better? What does ''sexually harassed'' even mean, at least rify the obligations you are putting on me, how pathetic."


    Vaan simply shook his head.


    "This is just a false rumor, it will die down soon. No need to panic like that, it is most probably bitch''s stupid way of showing her influence to me."


    "That''s not it! Young Master, you need toe out and address this issue! Visit Lady Seraphina and make a public announcement together with her, you should clear your name as soon as possible!" Gabel still couldn''t calm down.


    Vaan sighed, then with a deadpan look on his face, Vaan looked at him and,


    "Look, Gabel, I do not have time for this bullshit. There is only a month left before those my dear cousins return from the Agresia Academy and Elemental sh starts, I have limited time and lots of stuff to do, so don''t bother me with these useless things. Is that clear?"


    "Y-Young Master V-Vaan is participating in the Elemental sh¡­?" Gabel was taken aback.


    Elemental sh was the Magic Tournament in which the Basic Mages showed off their strength to the rest of the world. This tournament was divided into 4 tiers, each tier representing a mage''s level.


    Tier 1 for 1st Circle Mages, Tier 2 for 2nd Circles all the way to Tier 4 for the 4th Circle Mages.


    The winners of the tournament have a sure-shot chance of being recruited by the Vesta Family, however, most of the time, the top positions were dominated by the members of the Vesta Family.


    Even still, participating in thispetition was a good way for the young mages to get recognized by the Vesta Family and since the rewards were ample if you get a decent position, almost all the mages tried to participate in the event.


    The previous Vaan, of course, didn''t bother trying.


    His talent was better than average, but as someone who rarely practiced or learned magic, his first tournament was a nightmare with him losing 7 out of 8 matches. It was even said that the single match he won was arranged by the Vesta Family to preserve what was left of their reputation, of course, these rumors wereter proven false.


    Anyways, that was the first andst Magic Tournament Vaan participated in, he realized these things were not for him and swore not to participate in any tournaments anymore.


    Of course, that was how the previous Vaan thought.


    Christopher, or the new Vaan however, was different.


    A stage to kick someone''s ass? Legally at that?


    What kind of fool would leave such an opportunity?


    And not only would he be allowed to satiate his cravings for beating people up, but he would also be able to get rid of this annoying reputation of his.


    Vaan knew damn well just how important someone''s reputation is. Others may like to stay lowkey and take their enemies by surpriseter, however, Vaan used a different part.


    Scare the enemy to the point he doesn''t even dare to fight back.


    Rather than fighting weak opponents again and again, Vaan was a firm believer of using fear to get things done. How else could he have achieved so many things as an underground gang leader in such a short period of time?


    He liked beating people up, however, Vaan always made sure to advertise how he beat them up. He had a reputation to maintain after all.


    The reputation of the underworld demon.


    It was because of this nefarious reputation of his that he was able to get most of the things done without even moving an arm.


    Vaan wanted to achieve the same in this world as well.


    Also, he was missing having his own people do stuff for him. He wanted his own set ofckeys, the ones who were loyal to him, not the Vesta Family and for that, he needed to get rid of his bad reputation.


    The Elemental sh was a perfect Stage for him to do that.


    He was sure that he could win his tier even if he fought the way he is right now, however, he wanted a dominant, one-sided battle that would be etched into the audience''s minds, only something like that would change people''s outlook on him and would help him get back into the session battles.


    "Of course, there is no way I am going to miss something fun like that," Vaan replied.


    "Then about the rumors¡­?"


    "I told you did I not? Let them be. I have better things to do."


    "But your Uncle and Aun-"


    "They won''t do anything for now. There is no proof, if they try to pin this on me, who is only trying to study magic in peace, they would definitely offend my mother.


    Creating rumors isn''t difficult, if a bitch like that could do something like this, then imagine what Mother, who rules over the entire city could do?


    Who is to say that there won''t be any rumors attacking one of my uncles and aunts in the next few days? You think my mother would let the topic go at that time if those uncles and aunts of mine didn''t me go today?"


    Vaan questioned with a slight smile on his face.


    Gabel, who understood what he implied was taken aback.


    Was Lady Astra capable of doing that?


    She was more than capable.


    But to think Young Master Vaan would act this confidently in this matter and think from his uncles'' and aunts'' perspective rather than panicking¡­


    "Anyways, I''ll be going in."


    Saying those Vaan waved his hand and walked towards the library.

 Chapter 71 To Think The Simp General Would Be Here

    "Young Master Vaan, you have been studying for 8 hours now, I know you won''t stop even if I tell you to so I won''t try it, however, please eat something before continuing."


    Lily walked into the library pushing a table as she spoke in a respectful tone.


    Vaan, who was inside the library nced at her, dark circles were forming under his eyes and he looked tired. There were around 15-16 books lying on his table, all these books were rted to the water element and its spells.


    However, none of these books were as good as the precise notebook ra prepared for him. The problem was the same, not a single mage had created a Spell Directory like ra had, and even if they did create them for their own reference, they made sure to destroy it and not allowed a single person to read it.


    Vaan had to look through different books to find different spells and search around for Magic Patterns required for them, which was, of course, much more inefficient.


    Even now, after looking around for 8 hours, he hadn''tpletely mastered even a single spell, which annoyed him to the core.


    Vaan really was an impatient man¡­


    Anyways, as his eyes fell on Lily who stood next to him in an appropriate and respectful posture and was already pouring the tea into the cup for him, a small smile appeared on his face,


    "You seem to have gotten used to this ce." Hemented.


    "Young Master Vaan has treated me better than I expected, I am just ying my role as his maid," Lily replied with a calm look on her face.


    "Oh ho? I actually thought you would show more resistance."


    "There is no reason for me to do that. I have already decided to submit to Young Master Vaan." Again, there was no change in Lily''s expression.


    Seeing this, Vaan''s interest died.


    He wanted to use this chance to get a little break and get some sort of reaction out of this new maid of his.


    Yes, he was a sadistic bastard who was trying to rub his victory on a maid, however, Lily was like a robot who didn''t show any reaction despite knowing exactly what he was trying to do.


    ''Tsk, emotionally calm people are annoying.''


    Vaan snorted in his head.


    Lily, on the other hand, ced the cup of tea on his table along with some snacks, then, she looked into Vaan''s eyes and,


    "Young Master Vaan." She called out.


    "Was it really alright to leave those rumors alone? I know you want to save your time, but wouldn''t it be faster to address the issue rather than deal with theplications one by one? It is not like Young Master Vaan does not know the truth." Lily questioned.


    "Are you worried about me?" Vaan questioned with a smile.


    "If Young Master Vaan is annoyed, he might take his anger out on me, I am worried about it." Lily nodded.


    "Are you saying I am someone who takes his anger out on others?"


    "Anger is a vtile emotion. Young Master is a just and capable man, but anger can get the best of anyone since it can also be used as a driving force to motivate oneself. Although the Young Master has strong self-control there is no harm in taking preventive measures if they are avable."


    Saying all that bullshit with a straight face...


    Lily was quite a character as well.


    "A cheerful name like Lily doesn''t suit you at all." Vaan snorted.


    Lily was no fun.


    "I heard 3 of them have already been sent back." Lilypletely ignored Vaan''s words and reported.


    "Oh? They came already?" Vaan was surprised.


    The plications'' she was talking about were not Vaan''s uncles or aunts, she was still new here and didn''t exactly know the structure of the Vesta Family.


    However, she did know about Seraphina.


    Seraphina''s family, the Stormweaver Family wasn''t strong, however, in the Vesta City, Seraphina had a decent level of influence.


    Why?


    Because she was beautiful.


    Vaan wasn''t the only one.


    There were many young males who were head over heels for her and were willing to do anything for her.


    Vaan named them the Simp army.


    Of course, he knew that the previous Vaan was part of the same army, however, since it was embarrassing to think about, Vaan decided to ignore it.


    Anyways, this simp army was the one was the plications'' Lily was talking about.


    Hearing what Vaan had ''done'' with Seraphina, the simp army was furious, they wanted justice for their goddess and some of them were foolish enough toe to the Vesta Family and challenge him to a Magic Duel in the name of ''revenge.''


    Deciding to go against the Young Master of the Vesta Family, no matter how pathetic his reputation was, Vaan was actually impressed.


    ''Even the simps can be brave!


    I thought they were all losers with no bitches.


    Impressive¡­''


    "Could this be the reason Sera spread these rumors?" Vaan questioned with a curious look on his face.


    Lily, who knew the most about Sera had a strange expression,


    "This is not Lady Seraphin-"


    "Ahh?" Before Lily could continue, Vaan interrupted, his expression seemed like he wanted something from Lily.


    Lily understood, then, she sighed and started again, "This is not that bitch''s usual style. It seems like a rash move with no clear motives or profits, but if we do think about it, then this might be her way of what you did to her a few days ago. She might be trying to indirectly warn you, showing you that something worse than this could happen if you repeat what you did that day.


    That bitch must be thinking that Young Master Vaan would be scared of so many people challenging him to a Magic Dual and would act carefully when he is around her the next time."


    Lily replied.


    Vaan was satisfied.


    He didn''t like how his servant was addressing his enemy so respectfully, so he made her change the way she addressed Sera.


    Though hearing it from Lily''s monotonous tone wasn''t very fun.


    Anyways, suddenly, a curious smile appeared on Vaan''s face and,


    "Do you think he woulde?" He questioned.


    *Knock* *Knock*


    Before Lily could answer, Vaan heard a knock and,


    "Young Master Vaan, Sir Rnd Frostmoon is requesting to meet you," Gabel reported and a wide smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    "To think the Simp General would be here while I was just talking about him,


    Guess today is my lucky day.


    Shall I buy a lottery ticket?

 Chapter 72 Are There Enough Plates Inside?

    "Young Master Vaan, Sir Rnd Frostmoon is requesting to meet you," Gabel reported and a wide smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    "To think the Simp General would be here while I was just talking about him,


    Guess today is my lucky day.


    Shall I buy a lottery ticket?"


    Vaan spoke with a big smile on his face.


    "¡­" Lily, who was standing right next to him had a solemn expression on her face. She observed Vaan for a while and seeing his carefree attitude, she spoke up. "You shouldn''t underestimate him, Young Master."


    "Well, of course, how can I possibly underestimate a general of an army?


    Even though the army only has simps."


    After Vaan, Rnd was Seraphina''s strongest backer.


    However, unlike Vaan, who only had his family name behind him, Rnd was hailed as a genius. A very rare genius whose potential was strong enough to bepared with the children of the Vesta Family.


    It was said that if Rnd continued to put in the effort like he has been doing, then in the future, he was sure to be a 6th Circle Mage and might even have a chance to be an Advance Mage if he gets lucky.


    A big achievement for someone who was not from the Vesta Family.


    Currently, Rnd was seen as the Face of the Frostmoon noble family and had a great reputation across Vesta City.


    Seraphina was a beautiful woman, there were many men who were after her beauty, part reason for that she knew exactly what to do to impress which man.


    Rnd was one of the many men who were enchanted by her and because of his excellent reputation, the attention he received from Seraphina was more than others. Seraphina wanted to know more about Rnd and then use him to get to the Frostmoon Family''s treasury, the same trick she always used with other men.


    Seraphina gave the attention Rnd wanted, she became a woman Rnd dreamed of and ''ruled'' over his heart, in just 8 months, Rnd fell head over heels for her and was at her beck and call, heck, he even revealed his deepest secret to her.


    A secret that he shouldn''t have revealed to anyone.


    Rnd was a Drug Addict.


    His daily life functioned around the Dreamweave Drug. A drug that was banned in Vesta City.


    Rnd''s condition was so bad that if he doesn''t consume Dreamweave in the morning, the withdrawal symptoms would start showing up and once it is revealed that he consumes those drugs, his life would be ruined.


    There was a reason Dreamweave was banned in Vesta City. First, it was extremely addictive, and getting rid of that addiction was difficult, second, Dreamweave had an adverse effect on one''s body.


    Rnd may be called a rising genius right now, however, as he continues with his life, slowly and surely, the Dreamweave would eat away his ''potential''.


    While they talk about how he would be a 6th Circle Mage, Rnd''s potential would be dried up after he bes a 5th Circle Mage.


    Not only that but since Dreamweave has a strong effect on consumers'' mental health, brain capacity, and attention span, Rnd would be a 5th Circle Mage who can''t even remember most of his own spells.


    In short, Rnd, the high and mighty prodigy of the Vesta City would be reduced to nothing but a Spell-less Mage in the future.


    Of course, to Seraphina, this didn''t matter. If Rnd was useful, she would use him. What happens to him in the future was not her concern.


    And Rnd¡­ he turned out to be of much more use to Seraphina than she initially thought.


    Being addicted to the Dreamweave when the drug itself is banned in Vesta City... This didn''t make sense... Where did he get the drug from?


    Seraphina wondered and soon realized that there must be someone brave and foolish enough to sell the Dreamweave in the Vesta City.


    Rnd''s value in Seraphina''s mind became higher, Rnd started receiving more attention, and little by little, he started spilling all his secrets.


    The people he received the Dreamweave from, the inner workings of that organization, and their future ns, Rnd revealed everything he knew about.


    And Seraphina, who now had the general direction started doing some research of her own.


    In a year, she found out everything there was to be found out about this organization. It was a fairly new organization with a fresh approach.


    ¦Ñ¦Á¦°d¦Ás¦­¦Ïvel The main target of these people was themon people living on the outskirts of Vesta City, ces where the influence of the Vesta Family was weaker than normal.


    Themon people were the organization''s source of money.


    However, the organization knew that if they continued to target them, not only would they constantly be at risk of being discovered, they would never be able to grow more than a certain limit.


    They needed to do something, and knowing that, they started ying the long game.


    The Nobles of the Vesta City were strong, targeting them with the strength the organization had was foolish, especially when the Vesta Family could move anytime possible.


    Therefore, rather than targeting the Nobles, these people started targeting the noble children. These children became their investment. They introduced the Dreamweave and continued to provide it to these children for free.


    The n was simple, in a few decades, these people would be the head of their families, if not heads, they would at least be in influential positions, and by then, they would be so addicted to the Dreamweave that they would do whatever they could to get their hands on it.


    The Organization nned to use these people to set up their base, then they would use their influence to take over the viges and districts present on the outskirts of Vesta City.


    Continuing the same strategy, the organization was nning to take over the entire Vesta City''s underground, even hoping to get some of the Vesta Family Children under their influence.


    Of course, that would take a long time, probably more than 200 years and the current leaders wouldn''t be able to see it. However, they all wished to create a solid foundation for their descendants.


    A thorough n, a n that Seraphina liked.


    However, whether this n would work or not, she didn''t know. The n was good, yes, however, if Vesta Family was so weak that they would lose the Vesta City to a bunch of thugs,


    Then they wouldn''t have held their position for so many centuries.


    Seraphina was a careful woman, if she was unsure about something, she would not involve herself with it, and she decided to do the same in this case as well.


    Everything she had researched, she documented it and went to the organization, her demand was simple,


    ''100 Gold Coins every month and I will keep your secret.''


    Yes, she decided to threaten and extort money out of an underground organization that wanted to rule over the Vesta City through Dreamweave.


    A risky decision, however, this time, Seraphina''s backer was the Vesta Family.


    She was in a safe position, if she didn''t return to her mansion safely, her loyal maids would report everything to the Vesta Family, and the organization''s ''business'' would be over and they would be done for.


    A bold move, however, it wasn''t reckless.


    And since her demand was not too overbearing, the organization agreed.


    That was how Seraphina got a fixed ie for herself and her family.


    And since this organization bought the Stormweaver family''s ''service'' rather than simply giving them money, she or her family couldn''t be connected with them.


    She and her family were absolutely safe.


    However, Seraphina made one mistake.


    For the sake of keeping Vaan around her and keep making use of him, she threw away an extremely important person.


    A person who knew about everything she had been doing for all these years.


    And after Lily reported Seraphina''s actions to Vaan, Vaan was surprised and embarrassed.


    An underground organization that was being threatened by a 23-year girl¡­


    Vaan wanted to facepalm.


    He really wanted to meet these people who were an embarrassment to all the underground thugs and personally kill all of them.


    ''Tsk, ruining our names like this.


    Don''t join the game if you gonna be scared of some 23-year-old bitch, tsk.''


    Vaan snorted inwardly.


    "Young Master Vaan?" Then suddenly, he heard Gabel''s voice. "Should I send Sir Rnd away like the rest of them?" Gabel questioned.


    "No."


    Vaan, however, shook his head. Then he stood up and stretched his body.


    "I have been studying for 8 hours,


    I can use a little entertainment."


    Saying those words, Vaan walked out of the library.


    "Let''s meet the Simp General, shall we?"


    Gabel nodded, then, he took Vaan to the guest room where Rnd was waiting in.


    "You stay here."


    Vaan ordered.


    Gabel nodded, then just as Vaan was about to enter, he paused, then he nced at Gabel and,


    "Are there enough tes inside?"


    "Yes, I have ced 5 extra tes in case some of them break because of ''unforeseen idents''. There are also 2 lightmps inside that can be used."


    Gabel was a responsible man indeed.

 Chapter 73 Young Master Isn’t Scared, Is He?

    "Young Master Vaan." Rnd greeted him when he saw Vaan walking into the room.


    Seeing that, Vaan''s mouth twitched.


    ''Why is everyone rted to that bitch always acts like a bitch?''


    He didn''t like how Rnd greeted him without standing up. Although Vaan wasn''t someone stuck up about manners and things like that, being disrespected like this was unfortunately not one of his hobbies.


    "Rnd."


    Vaan greeted back as he sat on the chair in front of Rnd.


    Honestly, Vaan was getting used to this guest room now. That was how many times he had used it.


    ''Haah¡­ why am I so popr¡­''


    Vaan sighed.


    "It has been a while since west met, Young Master." Rnd started.


    Vaan nodded, yes, the previous Vaan had met the Simp General before. Honestly, if the previous Vaan wasn''t such a fool, it was easy to tell that the Simp General didn''t like him, although he acted like he respected him on the front, from his actions, it was clear that he actually looked down upon him.


    "Right, I remember Sera introducing you. She said you were quite useful."


    Vaan nodded as he looked forward to Rnd''s reaction with a curious smile on his face.


    "What¡­?"


    And just as he thought, he got a reaction.


    Rnd was a handsome 22-year-old man, his silver hair gave him a unique charm,bined with his ck, clear eyes, his features were definitely one of the sharpest Vaan had seen ever since he came to this world.


    Of course, he was still far away from him, Vaan knew that he was much more handsome, however, he also knew that if hepared everyone with him, the best rating anyone would get would be ''average looking''.


    That was just how handsome Vaan regarded himself as.


    Narcissist? Maybe.


    But Vaan has worse qualities than simple narcissism, so he didn''t mind.


    "Hmm?" Vaan tilted his head in confusion.


    "What are you trying to imply, Young Master Vaan?"


    "Huh? Why would I ''imply'' anything? I am just saying what Sera told me after you lef-


    Ah, I shouldn''t have said it, huh¡­"


    Vaan ''realized''.


    "Young Master Vaan, please do not say things carelessly, I know Lady Seraphina for quite a long time now, she is not the type of person you are implying her to be."


    "I never said anything about Sera though."


    "Lady Seraphina and I are close friends, you saying that I am useful to her can be taken as you trying to cause a rift between our frie-"


    "Look here, hot shot.


    Two things,


    First, I don''t have any reason to cause a ''rift'' in your friendship, if I wanted to do that, I wouldn''t need to ''imply'' these dumb things. I can simply ask Sera and she would throw you away. Just like how we throw a tool that is no longer useful.


    Second, who told you that I give a fuck about what you think? ''It can be taken as you trying to cause a rift in our friendship'', you think I care what you take it as? You can take it in your ass for all I care.


    How did you think you became important enough to even talk like that? Aren''t you from the Frostmoon family? You guys actually think you are important? That''s a surprise."


    "At least I am not someone who was born into the prestigious Vesta Family and still turned out to be a waste. If you think Lady Seraphina would choose you over me, then you are deeply mistaken, Young Master.


    Other than your family name, you have nothing going on for you."


    "A useless waste of the Vesta Family who has nothing going on for me yet Sera still contacts me even when she has the great magic prodigy of the Frostmoon family around her. Heh, you really think being good at magic is all that huh¡­


    What a fool!"


    Vaanughed out loud.


    "¡­"


    Rnd turned silent.


    "What? Why are you silent now? Did you seriously never think about this? Lady Seraphina this, Lady Seraphina that, heh, aren''t you just a dog who craves Sera''s attention while she still only has me, her childhood friend in her eyes? Honestly, if I were in your position, I would have been so embarrassed that I would have run away."


    "She only keeps you around because youe from the Vesta Family." Suddenly, Rnd spoke up. "You can give her the things she wants and your family is rich, that is the only reason why she keeps you around. The fact that you can''t see this even after so many years had passed tells how foolish you are."


    "So you are saying that even I am just a tool in her eyes?"


    "That is correct, you are not any speci-"


    "Then who do you think is a more important tool between the two of us?"


    A big smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    Rnd''s expression changed.


    "You, who is a so-called Magic Prodigy who ''might'' be a great mage in the future, or will it be me, who is the direct heir of the Vesta Family and can give Sera whatever she wants for the rest of her life?"


    "Isn''t it obvious that she will choose a future 7th Circle Mage?" Rnd replied.


    "Heh, the fact that you say you will be a 7th Circle Mage when you fully know you will never make it, is kinda amusing.


    But who are you trying to fool?


    Doesn''t Seraphina know the truth as well?


    Or are you just trying to fool yourself to live in a delusion?"


    "W-What truth are you talking about?" Rnd stuttered as she thought about something.


    Soon, however, he shook his head.


    Vaan shouldn''t know this.


    This was most like a fluke, Vaan was just calling him out to feel better. It was all a bluff and Rnd had no reason to act out right now.


    "Heh, I wouldn''t want to hear this from someone who sexually harassed Lady Seraphina, if you were so confident that she was going to choose you, then why would you do something like that?


    Or was it because you were scared that someone like me would take Lady Seraphina away from you and acted in urgency?"


    "Ahh, so is that why you are here? The rumors? If you don''t know, those rumors are obviously fake. A pathetic attempt to drag my reputation down. If I had actually done something like that, there would have been evidence to back those ims, or Sera herself would havee forward to use me."


    "Who in the right mind would directly use you, the ''mighty'' Young Master of the Vesta Family? Obviously there was no ''evidence'' found." Rnd snorted.


    "Did you just imply that I would use my family influence to get rid of the evidence?" Suddenly, Vaan narrowed his eyes.


    When Rnd realized what he just said, his expression changed.


    "Rnd, if the Vesta Family was like that, then you wouldn''t be here, daring to talk to me like this. The fact that someone of your standing was bold enough to directlye to the Vesta House and request a meeting with me was only possible because the Vesta Family is fair. Even your father wouldn''t have the guts toe here if the Vesta Family was like what you mentioned.


    We have our differences, I agree, but you better be careful of the shit thates out of your mouth.


    Vesta Family is fair, but by no means, are we kind.


    Don''t give me a reason to destroy you before you yourself get the chance to do it."


    Vaan looked into Rnd''s eyes and threatened with a cold look on his face.


    "¡­"


    This time, Rnd had no answer.


    He might have the guts to antagonize Vaan, however, the Vesta Family was different, he couldn''t offend the Vestas, especially when he holds a deep secret of his own.


    Rnd clenched his fists in frustration.


    He couldn''t believe that this pushover dared to humiliate him like this.


    ''You bastard¡­ so what if you are from the Vesta Family, aren''t you still just a trash!? How dare to talk like this in front of someone like me!?''


    Rnd then red at Vaan and,


    "I heard there were some reckless youngsters who came here before me since they didn''t like the rumors that were spread and challenged the Young Master to a Magic Duel."


    "There were some fools like that, fools who think that even if I did do something, they would be able to exact revenge on their goddess, ''my'' close childhood friend.


    Of course, I sent them away because I do not have the time and energy to entertain fools like them.


    I only came here because I thought you were different from them, you know since they called you Magic Prodigy and whatnot, but I guess I should have treated you in the same way.


    What a waste of time."


    Rnd''s face twitched when he heard those words, he however, kept a straight face and,


    "Why didn''t you just ept their Magic Duel to shut them up?"


    "There are thousands of people who want to challenge me, you want me to fight all of them? I don''t know about you, but I have better things to do in life."


    "Oh? But if you crush them a few times, I don''t think they would evere at you like the way they are doing right now.


    Just like me, no 3rd Circle mage or weaker dares to challenge me to a Magic Duel.


    I wonder why Young Master hasn''t done it yet, it is such an efficient solution- wait¡­


    Young Master isn''t scared, is he?"

 Chapter 74 He Was Not Calm And Reasonable At All.

    "Young Master isn''t scared, is he?"


    Rnd questioned with a slight smile on his face.


    For a moment, Vaan nced at the te that was ced on the table. Then, he shook his head and sighed, not now, he was calmer and more reasonable than that, wasn''t he?


    "I mean, I do understand your situation, not being born with Magic Talent must be bad, especially when your mother is someone like Lady Astra, haahh¡­ I feel so bad for he-"


    *Crack*


    Nope.


    Fuck it.


    Vaan realized it just now,


    He was not calm and reasonable at all.


    His mother told him to do something about his impulsive attitude¡­


    But¡­


    How in the hell is he supposed to let this silver-haired brat talk to him like that?


    Vaan liked to talk down to others, however, others weren''t allowed to do that in front of him.


    Therefore, before Rnd could evenplete his sentence, Vaan had already grabbed a te and smashed it onto Rnd''s head.


    "Huh¡­?"


    Rnd''s eyes remained open as he felt a heavy impact on his head. He couldn''t process what had happened, however, he could feel a liquid substance on his head and knew what it was.


    The red color on the broken pieces of the te that had fallen on hisp only confirmed his suspicions even further.


    Of course, Vaan wasn''t done yet.


    He grabbed another te, wanting to smash it on Ronald''s head again, Rnd, however, was different from all the opponents Vaan had faced before.


    He was the face of the Frostmoon Family, a noble family with a decent standing. He wasn''t defenseless like other mages.


    Just as Vaan was about to smash Rnd''s head again, his eyes fell on a shiny object in Rnd''s hand, Vaan''s eyes widened in horror, he reacted quickly and kicked Rnd''s hand, however, it was already toote.


    The Instant Spell was already activated.


    *Flicker*


    *Whoosh*


    A 30 cm big fireball was formed, Vaan''s kick did manage to change its direction, however, his right leg that he kicked Rnd with was caught up.


    *BOOOOOMM*


    A huge explosion was heard.


    "AaaaaAgggGGGhHHhhHHH!!"


    Vaan screamed in agony.


    His skin under his right knee waspletely burned away, most of the blood had evaporated and his bones were barely hanging and were all visible.


    Not only that, the explosion was so strong that Vaan''s entire body was thrown away and he shed with a wall.


    "AAggGggHH!! YOU FUCKING BASTARD!! YOU ARE DEAD!"


    Vaan screamed again.


    This time, not out of pain but out of sheer anger, his eyes were bloodshot.


    Rnd, who finally realized what he had done widened his eyes in fear. He just attacked the Young Master of the Vesta Family¡­


    Even though Vaan was the one who attacked him first, to use an instant spell against a physical assault¡­


    Not to mention using the spell he used...


    Although it didn''t connect properly because of quick Vaan''s reaction at thest second, Ronald was sure that Vaan was in a critical condition right now¡­


    The Vesta Family wasn''t going to let it go¡­


    What Ronald didn''t know, however, was that the Vesta Family letting it go oring after him was thest of his worries right now.


    ''Heal!''


    Vaan used the instant spell he prepared to alleviate the pain, then, with Bloodshot eyes, he activated another spell,


    ''Ignispike Pursuit!''


    The room was still covered in smoke, so Ronald had no clue what Vaan was doing, his mind was busy thinking about how to deal with this situation, but then, he felt the temperature in the room rising,


    Rnd''s eyes well on the Huge me Spike that had formed in front of him and his eyes widened in horror.


    Vaan was counterattacking!


    He finally realized it however, it was already toote.


    *Whoosh*


    The Spike moved at unreal speed and shot toward Ronald.


    *BOOOOOOMM*


    "AAAGGGGHHHHHHH!!!"


    Another explosion was heard, this time, the spell was connected well. Ronald''s agonizing scream could be heard. Just like Vaan''s, his body shed with a nearby wall as well.


    To Vaan, however, that scream was like a melody.


    Of course, he wasn''t nning to end this so quickly either, by now, he had already circted surrounding Mana throughout his body,


    "mey." He ordered.


    mey looked a little nervous, however, seeing Vaan''s bloodshot eyes, she moved and appeared next to Vaan. Sshy did the same.


    2 Advanced Circles were activated,


    "Firespike!"


    Vaan cast his spell, this time, it wasn''t just a simple 1st Circle Spell, this was his all-out 1st Circle Spell.


    Burst, Burn, Speed, Heat, Amplify, Erge, along with the basic Inner Circle Spells, Vaan used all the spells he had to increase the strength of his Firespike.


    His Firespike wasn''t much weaker than the Ignispike Pursuit.


    *Whoosh*


    The spell was fired and,


    *BOOOOOM*


    Another explosion was heard.


    Vaan then barely stood up, his right leg was a mess, although he did use ''Heal'', but in the end, it was only an Instant Spell, it wasn''t strong enough to cure a half-destroyed leg, Vaan''s bones were still visible and he was in terrible agony.


    His face, however, was red in rage.


    "You bitch! Don''t even think about getting out of here alive."


    Vaan threatened, his voice almost sounding like a demon. Seeing his expression, mey and Sshy were trembling in fear. Vaan, however, didn''t care.


    He just activated his spell again.


    He didn''t know whether Rnd was alive or not, he could only see his silhouette through the smoke and he was nning to empty all his bullets to make sure that man is dead.


    Or in this world, he wanted to fire as many spells as required to ensure Rnd''s death and he wanted to do it before he is interrupted by someone.


    *Flicked*


    Another Fire Spike was formed.


    The spell was the same, the destructive power was the same,


    "N-NO! Y-YYOUNG MASTER VAAN!! PLEASE SPARE ME!!"


    Vaan then heard Ronald''s scream.


    Ronald was in apletely helpless state, he tried to block the Ignispike Pursuit with his two arms, it was an involuntary reaction,mon for people who had never been in a serious battle before.


    The spell, of course, obliterated his two arms, leaving them him a state that let alone trying to get back into the battle with stronger spells, Ronald couldn''t even cast a spell anymore.


    And seeing Vaan mercilessly following through with another spell that very well mean the end of him, Ronald had no choice but to beg for mercy.


    Vaan, however, didn''t care.


    If he hadn''t reacted in time, the one in Rnd''s condition would have been him.


    There is no way he was going to let it go.


    "If you dared to use a life-threatening attack, then you should be prepared to lose your life as well."


    *Whoosh*


    The Fire spike he formed moved, Rnd, feeling the heat from the spell widened his eyes in horror,


    "YOUNG MASTER VAAN, PLEASE HAVE MERCY!!" He screamed again as he closed his eyes, preparing for impact and imminent death.


    However,


    ''Huh¡­?''


    That never happened.


    Rnd was confused, he slowly opened his right eye, fearing that the spell would attack him any moment now, however, his expression changed when he noticed Vaan''s Fire Spike that was stopped midair and was slowly getting smaller and smaller before finally disappearing.


    "What is happening here?"


    A strict voice was heard.


    Vaan narrowed his eyes, he didn''t like that someone had interrupted his battle. He wanted to argue, however, now that his adrenaline rush had finally calmed down, his brain finally registered the loss of blood that was all burned due to Ronald''s attack and,


    *Thud*


    Without even seeing who stopped his battle, Vaan passed out.


    The smoke in the room was cleared up using Magic and both Vaan and Rnd were now visible to the guards who had just entered the room, just like Vaan, Rnd had passed out as well, however, none of the people here cared about him.


    "Young Master Vaan!" Gable shouted in horror as he saw Vaan''s condition and rushed towards him. "Medics!" he shouted.


    Soon, a team of medics rushed in and picked Vaan up, he had lost his limb and urgent treatment was required.


    Then suddenly, one of the medics whose eyes fell on Rnd''s condition froze.


    Rnd''s arms were obliterated, the flesh around his chest had burned up and his ribs were visible, honestly, his condition was so horrifying that even someone like him, who was a medic and have seen countless gut-wrenching things couldn''t help but feel miserable.


    "W-What should we do about him?" The medic turned towards the man who stopped Vaan''s spell, Valhal, and questioned.


    "He is not what we should be worrying about right now¡­"


    Valhal replied with a solemn look on his face. His eyes were fixed on Vaan who was being taken away by the Medic Team.


    "W-What?" The Medic was surprised.


    Soon, however, he realized what Valhal was talking about.


    "F-Family H-H-Head, please c-calm down¡­"


    A servant''s weak voice was heard.


    The Medic turned around and his body trembled in fear when he saw who was standing at the door.


    Astra Elysia Vesta was here.


    And she¡­


    She was extremely pissed.


    She nced at Valhal and with a cold look on her face, "How did this happen?" She questioned, her tone so cold that people in the room could feel their hearts being frozen by some outer force.


    "Instant Spells were used¡­" Valhal replied.


    "And you think I can''t tell that?" Astra raised her eyebrow as she looked into Valhal''s eyes.


    Valhal gulped in fear, then, however, his entire body shuddered when he nced at the person standing behind the Family Head.


    This was not good¡­


    This could very well lead to a catastrophe¡­


    Draven Elysia Vesta was here as well¡­


    And from his expression¡­ he didn''t look like he came here with good intentions¡­

 Chapter 75 I Am Not An Enemy You Would Want Coming After You.

    "What in the hell happened here?" Draven questioned as he nced at his little sister.


    "¡­"


    Astra stayed silent.


    Seeing this, a scheming smile appeared on Draven''s face and, "I was informed that Vaan was using this room to meet his guest." Then, Dravne''s eyes fell on Ronald''s body that was being taken away by the medic team and although he was slightly taken aback and repulsed by its appearance, he quickly recognized the face and,


    "Isn''t he the child of the Frostmoon Family? He was the guest Vaan should be meeting today. Why is he in this state? What happened? Also, why are there the signs of Instant Spells being used here?"


    Draven shot a series of questions as he nced at Valhal.


    "I¡­ I¡­"


    Valhal tried to answer, Draven, however, didn''t seem too interested in the situation, he seemed to have a n of his own.


    "Where is Vaan?"


    He questioned.


    "Has he caused some trouble again? What? Another fight? What number was it? 5th? 6th? Or maybe the 10th? After beating that Mage with a fluke, he has been getting more and more reckless, isn''t he?


    Trying to fight every time someone disagrees with him, it wouldn''t have been that bad if he actually used Magic to do it, but to use disgraceful ways like sneak attacks to do it.


    Now he is even using Instant Spells? Isn''t he taking everything around him too lightly?


    I also wanted to ask him about those rumors going around the City. No matter how baseless it may be, there is no smoke without Fire. Sister Astra, I think we need to have a talk with Va-"


    "Draven." Suddenly, Astra broke her silence.


    Then, she turned around and looked into Draven''s eyes,


    "We both know what you are trying to do here, it is no secret.


    However, let me warn you right now,


    Do not overstep your limits, Draven.


    It will backfire.


    I assure you, I am not an enemy you would wanting after you.


    Or have you forgotten what happened thest time the two of us went after each other?


    Don''t make me go back to how I previously was because I am warning you, if you annoy me any further than this,


    I will be lot worse than I was in the past."


    Astra threatened, her tone was emotionless but the weight in her voice¡­


    The words that made one tremble in horror¡­


    It was almost as if a God was speaking, taking a piece of your soul with every word.


    "¡­are you trying to threaten me using your position as the Family Head?" Draven questioned as he narrowed his eyes.


    "Do you really think I need to use the Family''s power to do what I just said?" Astra questioned back.


    This time, Draven turned absolutely silent.


    He may be a 7th Circle Mage just like his Sister, however, in truth, the difference between the two of them was vast.


    The sheer number of spells, their variations, and their advanced versions Astra knew¡­


    It was overwhelming.


    Draven had fought Astra before when they were both 6th Circle Mages, he knew perfectly well how overwhelming it is to stand against someone like Astra.


    Even their mother, the previous Family Head was often shocked and was in awe by her actions.


    "You can continue to y your little games with Sister Risia and the others,


    I have never taken any actions before because you knew and were always within your limits.


    I hope the same will continue in the future,


    Is that clear?"


    Astra''s voice was cold.


    Draven simply nodded, showing no signs of his previous arrogance.


    "Now leave."


    Astra ordered.


    "As youmand, Family Head."


    Draven turned around as he left.


    This time, he addressed Astra not as ''sister'', but as a ''Family Head''.


    This was his way of showing a little resistance and saving his face.


    ''I am only leaving because I respect you as the Family Head.''


    That was what the hidden meaning behind those words was.


    Astra, however, didn''t care about that right now.


    She had better things to do.


    "Gabel." She called out.


    "Y-Yes, Family Head." Gabel quickly stepped forward, his hands behind his back as he desperately tried to hide his nervousness.


    The other servants all bowed their heads, it was as if they were trying to hide their faces, none of them wanted to be in a position Gabel was currently in.


    "Exin," Astra ordered.


    "Y-Yes of c-course." Gabel nodded.


    "Young Master Vaan ordered me to wait outside the room, so I couldn''t see the exact cause of it, but when I heard the explosion and quickly came in, I saw Young Master Vaan lying on the floor, screaming in agony as his entire leg was burned away, while Ronald stood there with a fearful look on his face.


    I noticed that Ronald was panicking and was thinking about getting out of the situation, thinking that he won''t make any further moves because of his fear, I rushed out and sent a few servants to bring Sir Valhal while I myself went to call the medics.


    Though when I returned¡­


    The situation had escted and although Young Master Vaan looked the same, Ronald, who waspletely fine, was now in that half-dead condition."


    Gable reported.


    "So Ronald made the first move?" Astra narrowed her eyes.


    No one knew what she was thinking but everyone knew one thing, if Gabel nods right now, the Frostmoons¡­ they would face a catastrophe.


    Fortunately, Gabel pointed at the broken te lying on the ground and, "That might not be the case¡­"


    The te wasn''t the only broken thing in the room, the entire room was a mess since some strong spells had been fired here, that te, however, was different, it was covered in blood, and the moment Astra''s eyes fell on the te,


    She understood what Gabel was trying to say.


    This wasn''t the first time her child had ''used'' these tes...


    Astra closed her eyes.


    Controlling the Urge to facepalm, Astramanded, "Make sure Rnd is treated properly, we need to get to the bottom of this."


    "As youmand, Family Head." The servant standing beside Astra nodded.


    Then suddenly, a servant walked into the room and,


    "Family Head."


    "What is it?"


    "We received a reply." The servant reported as he passed a thick scroll to Astra.


    Astra opened the scroll and reading the single line written on it, her expression changed.


    ''I will be back in 3 days.''

 Chapter 76 I Promise You, This Would Not Happen Again.

    ?


    "Vaan! You are awake!" ra''s face brightened up as she saw Vaan opening her eyes.


    Vaan, who heard her loud voice was annoyed, however, when he noticed ra''s reddened eyes and faint traces of her dried tears on her cheeks, his irritation washed away.


    ra was crying, she was worried about him.


    "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Do you feel any sort of difort anywhere?" Suddenly, ra asked a series of questions.


    Vaan just smiled, then, he moved his hand and grabbed hers.


    "I am perfectly fine, ra."


    ra blushed, she wanted to move her hand away because she was flustered, but in the end, she just closed her eyes and didn''t do it.


    "Should I call the Medic? Although they treated you and said your body has recovered well, it would be better to let him do thest round of checkups."


    Vaan, however, just tightened his grip around ra''s hand and, "Just stay here with me for a while."


    "A-Alright¡­" ra nodded as she lowered her head, it was as if she was trying to hide her face.


    Vaan smiled a little, then, he questioned, "Were you crying?"


    "H-Huh?" ra''s expression changed.


    "I can see those dried tears of yours. Was my fianc¨¦ worried about me? A, how cute."


    Vaan spoke in a yful tone.


    Waking up to someone who worried about him¡­ it was a new feeling for him¡­


    In his days as an underworld gang leader, the only people around him when he regained consciousness were his gang members who wanted to take him away from the hospital, worried that the enemies might discover them and kill them all.


    "What were you thinking!?" While Vaan was thinking about his past, ra suddenly screamed.


    "W-What?" Vaan was taken aback, this was the first time he had seen ra scream like this, even in previous Vaan''s memories, he had never seen her raise her voice.


    "Why are you so careless!? This is the 8th fight you have been in recently, first, it was those 5 people you call your friends, then it was your butler, then there was also that mage, and now this! Just what are you trying to do!? You even started using Instant Spells this time!


    Do you even know how dangerous the Instant Spells could be!? What were you nning to do if something were to happen to you!? Why are you so reckless!?"


    ra shouted in rage.


    Vaan couldn''t believe his eyes and just continued to stare at her in a daze.


    "What are you looking at me for!? Answer me!" ra shouted again.


    "I¡­ apologize for making you worry¡­"


    "Apologize!? You think a simple apology would cut it!?


    You have been out for 5 days, Vaan!


    Do you know how worried I was!? Even though our best Medics used everything they had, it still needed 3 days just to create all the blood your body had lost and fix your leg, and even after that, your condition wasn''t getting any better and you needed 2 more days of rest in order to wake up. I have never seen a 2nd Circle Mage being injured to that extent!


    Even the Medics were surprised! These reckless actions of yours, do you not think about anyone before making a move!? Or are you so selfish that you just don''t care!?"


    ra wasn''t having any of it.


    This was the first time she was showing her emotions so clearly and how could she not?


    This was the first time she had experienced true fear, not because Vaan was hurt, but because of her own selfish reason.


    Vaan had changed ever since he had woken up after his fight with those 5 ''friends'' of his, from that day onwards, he stopped abusing her like he used to, he stopped looking at her with that disgusted look in his eyes, he stopped venting his frustration on her,


    After that day, he started treating her better. He started caring for her, he started being gentle with her, he started smiling with her, he started learning magic with her, he hadpletely changed, it was to the point where ra even doubted that he was fooling her just so he could abuse her again.


    However, as more and more time passed, ra realized that it was not the case, Vaan had actually changed. Even his teacher agreed and had started smiling a lot more than she was used to.


    ra was happy, she could feel butterflies in her stomach whenever she thought about Vaan and always looked forward to their next meeting, however, when she heard that Vaan was hurt and had passed out again,


    She was scared.


    Vaan had suddenly changed when he woke up after getting hurt, then¡­ what if¡­


    What if he returned back to his usual self after waking up this time?


    What if she loses what she has right now?


    ra was horrified when she thought of that possibility.


    Even now, when Vaan woke up, she was nervous when she saw his trembling eyes that were about to open, she could literally hear her heart beating at that moment and had no clue how to react.


    In panic, when she saw Vaan finally opening his eyes, she shouted and started asking a series of questions, all this while, she feared Vaan wouldsh out at her or push her away.


    Her heart only calmed down when Vaan smiled at her and gently held her hand, however, when Vaan asked if she was ''worried'', something inside ra snapped.


    "You ar-"


    ra wanted to continue shouting at Vaan but then,


    "You shouldn''t shout at a patient, you know? It might slow down the recovery process." Vaan spoke up and all ra''s anger was flushed away in an instant.


    "Y-Y-Young Master V-Vaan, I-I deeply apologize for s-shouting at you, I d-don''t know what I was t-thinking, please don''t take my words to heart and get well so-"


    While ra continued to apologize, Vaan suddenly pulled her towards him, then with her head resting on his chest, Vaan smiled gently, and in a soft voice, he whispered.


    "I apologize for making you worry, ra.


    I promise you, this would not happen again."


    While saying those words, Vaan''s eyes turned cold.


    He needed strength.


    Absolute strength so that people around him never have to worry again.

 Chapter 77 Strongest Magic Family My Ass!

    ?


    "I apologize for making you worry, ra.


    I promise you, this would not happen again."


    Vaan spoke as he suddenly pulled ra close to him and ced her head on his chest. ra widened her eyes in surprise,


    "Y-Young Master V-Vaan??" She stuttered as she tried to move away.


    "Stay like this for a while, I feel rxed," Vaan spoke in a soft voice.


    "¡­" ra turned silent as she stopped moving and closed her eyes. Her face was red, however, since it was in the opposite direction, Vaan couldn''t see that sight.


    In this position, ra could clearly hear Vaan''s heartbeat, this made her feel closer to him. It was a strange, but nice feeling.


    ra''s breathing stabilized as Vaan started ruffling her hair.


    "Also, did you forget? It is not Young Master Vaan, you have to call me Vaan, it feels much closer this way."


    "V-Vaan¡­"


    ra spoke up. Vaan smiled as he heard her stutter, then, he closed his eyes as well.


    ra being close to him calmed his heart down as well, the connection they were forming, although Vaan felt it was being forced on them, his heart didn''t hate it.


    The two of them didn''t say anything and just stayed like this, as more time passed, they rxed, it was calming time in Vaan''s usual hectic life. ra was enjoying this special moment as well.


    But then,


    "Lady ra, it is time for Young Master Vaan''s me-"


    Gabel walked into the room, and seeing them like this, he was taken aback.


    "!!!"


    ra quickly sat up, her face that had barely calmed down flushed again. Vaan, on the other hand, looked annoyed.


    Gabel realized it, however, as apetent butler, he knew how to act in this situation.


    "Young Master Vaan, you are awake."


    Indeed, he just didn''t have toment anything about what he had seen.


    ''I didn''t see anything. My left eye is colorblind while the right one doesn''t work.''


    However, seeing that his trick isn''t working and that Vaan was still ring at him, thepetent butler quickly thought about another trick,


    "Lady ra, Young Master is awake, isn''t that a good thing? You can finally have rest now. You have been beside him for the past five days, ignoring your health in your process." Gabel pointed out and suddenly, Vaan''s expression changed.


    "What?" He questioned.


    ra was flustered, however, before she could stop Gabel, the butler continued,


    "Indeed, Lady ra visited you the moment she heard about the incident and didn''t leave your side after that. Even while the Medic asked her to leave the room while they casted Heal on you, she stood right in front of the door, waiting to assist with anything the medics might need.


    While you were lying unconscious, she stayed by your side the entire time, many people, even Lady Astra asked her to leave and have a proper rest instead of dozing off on the chair, Lady ra however, rejected her offer and stayed here.


    She even skipped her Magic Lessons to be here, which, from what Lady Astra said, was the first time she has ever done ever since she was 7 years old."


    "V-Vaan I-" ra wanted to give an exnation, however, "Actually, Lady ra has been careless about her meals as well, she fed you properly and took note of everything you would need for a quicker recovery, however, while doing that, she was ignoring her health. Even now, Lady ra is not in her best condition and needs ample rest to recover."


    To save himself, the butler was exposing everything ra had done in these past 5 days, letting her face Vaan''s anger instead.


    And just as Gabel thought, Vaan turned towards ra and narrowed his eyes.


    "V-Vaan, it is not like that! I ample-"


    "Go rest," Vaan ordered.


    "You will rest for the entire day, Gabel, I want you to make sure that she eats well, if she doesn''t, report it to me, making sure that she eats her meals and reporting to me when she doesn''t should be your highest priority, is that clear?"


    "As youmand, Young Master Vaan." Gabel bowed her head.


    "Vaan, but you need to ea-"


    "I will eat by myself, or better yet, let''s have the next meal together, how about it?" Vaan questioned.


    "I-I would like that¡­" ra nodded as she spoke in a soft tone.


    "Alright then, go to your room and rest, we will have our next meal exactly 8 hourster, okay?"


    "I understand." ra nodded again.


    Vaan smiled gently, seeing his expression, Gabel was taken aback.


    ''This monster can show such an expression?''


    He wondered, ever since Vaan had woken up that day, the only expression he had seen him make was that demonic smile that seemed to tell how he was about to fuck someone up.


    But to think this man was showing an expression like this.


    Soon, however, Gabel''s body trembled.


    As ra walked out of the room, Vaan''s smile disappeared.


    Not only that, a horrifyingly cold look appeared on his face as he stood up from his bed.


    "Young Master Vaan, you can''t! Your body is still recove-" Gabel tried to stop him, however,


    "Where is he?" Vaan questioned.


    "W-What?" Gabel stuttered. Vaan looked into Gabel''s eyes and questioned again.


    "Ronald Frostmoon, where is he?"


    "H-He is recovering from his wounds in another ward, the injuries he sustained were much worse than what Young Master had suffered, so he is still not healed yet. The medics are still working on regrowing his right arm that was turned into Ashes."


    The strength in Vaan''s tone was so strong that as if he was hypnotized, Gabel gave away all the details.


    Vaan then grabbed his coat and while he wore it, he ordered, "Take me there."


    The merciless look in his eyes was enough for Gabel to know what Vaan was thinking, he knew that no matter what he did, he couldn''t possibly take him to Rnd''s ward.


    Gabel didn''t move, Vaan, who was already about to open the door and walk out frowned when he saw that,


    "Gabel, I said take me to Rnd''s room."


    "W-What are you nning to do?" Gabel questioned.


    Vaan, however, narrowed his eyes, "Act like a servant you are."


    "¡­" Gabel didn''t say anything.


    "Do you want to die?" Vaan questioned.


    "I cannot do what you are asking me to do, Young Master. Lady Astra gave me strict orders not to do it."


    "I will talk to Mother, you do what I tell you to, or else you are useless."


    "Then I will be useless in this scenario, Young Master," Gabel replied. He couldn''t possibly go against Astra.


    "¡­" Vaan observed Gabel for a while, then,


    "You are fired.


    Go to Lady Astra and ask her whom you will serve from now on, I do not wish to see you again."


    Saying those words, Vaan walked out of his ward.


    His thoughts were simple, there were only so many Wards in Vesta Family, he will search through them all if he had to.


    Vaan didn''t care.


    Rnd Frostmoon had to die.


    And Gabel, who understood what Vaan was thinking widened his eyes in horror, he quickly followed Vaan and,


    "Young Master Vaan! Why are you going this far!?" He questioned.


    "Why!? Why don''t you allow me to fire an Instant Spell right on your face, let''s see how you would act up!" Vaan shouted without stopping.


    His eyes, bloodshot.


    He was angry.


    He nearly died. Honestly, he didn''t fear death before, he had already died once before, after all. Now, however, he feared death¡­


    Losing this life he had gotten¡­ a life where he had his mother¡­ a life where he had ra¡­


    He feared losing this life.


    Rnd, who used an Instant Spell, Vaan could tell, if he hadn''t reacted in thest second, he wouldn''t have been standing here. That spell, if it had connected, Vaan would have died.


    That bastard who tried to take his life¡­


    Vaan couldn''t let that man live.


    "You used Instant Spells as well! It was a battle between two mages and it ended! You can''t follow through with this unless it is discussed in the Vesta Meeting Hall in front of the Frostmoon Family, or else it will create huge problems!" Gabel tried to reason.


    "Oh yeah? And I used Instant Spells as well? I used them because I was capable of doing so, anyone else would have simply died! Are you saying that I can''t kill the person who tried to kill me just because you are scared about how that man''s family would react?


    Strongest Magic Family my ass!


    Aren''t the Vestas just weaklings trying to impress people who aren''t worth shit!?


    Fair, Just, Upright, Righteous!? Where Ie from, that''s called being Dumb!"


    Vaan shouted. In his anger, he ignore all the boundaries and said whatever words came to his mind, but then,


    "Oh yeah? You think you are that good just because you can kill a bedridden opponent?


    Heh, calling the Family words like that when you are the one who relies on this ''dumb'' Family to get everything you have in your life,


    What does that make you, huh?"


    Vaan then heard a voice, irritated, he turned around to see who was the bastard who said those words, but then,


    His eyes widened in absolute shock.


    "F-F-Father¡­?"

 Chapter 78 Isnt The Cause All We Need To Deal With The Political Side Of Things?

    ?


    "F-F-Father¡­?"


    Vaan''s eyes widened in absolute shock.


    "So you recognize your father now? I thought your arrogance had blinded you so much that you would fail to recognize me."


    The ck-haired man standing in front of him replied as he narrowed his eyes.


    Vaan, on the other hand, still couldn''t believe what he was seeing¡­


    Those ck hair, Brown eyes, fierce eyebrows, and all those facial structures¡­


    This man¡­ he looked just like his father¡­


    Then suddenly, more memories rushed into his mind and he finally realized,


    Orion Ravenshadow, Astra Elysia Vesta''s husband and Vaan''s father.


    ''W-What the hell is wrong w-with this world¡­? First, it was the mother, and now my father¡­? Why do Vaan''s parents look just like my own parents¡­? Is it rted to why I am living as Vaan right now¡­?''


    Vaan wasn''t much of a thinker, he usually dealt things with his hands, however, even someone like him knew this went beyond coincidence.


    Something was definitely up.


    To think his father would be standing right in front of him¡­


    "What? Cat got your tongue? You were pretty loud before, what happened now? Why don''t you say what you were about to say huh?" Orion, on the other hand, had no clue what Vaan was thinking and shouted.


    Vaan came out of his reverie as he nced at his ''father''.


    From the memories he had just seen, he could tell that Vaan''s father was just like his own. A strict, upright man who valued and stuck by his morals. Obviously, with how Vaan was before, his rtionship with his father wasn''t good.


    Rather, Vaan was actually scared of this man. Unlike Astra, who was still ''weak'' in front of Vaan because her mother''s heart wouldn''t let her do anything, Orion had beaten Vaan many times before, actually, if there was a record of who made Vaan seek medic''s attention the most in his life, the name at the top would be of no one other but his own father.


    Vaan hated Orion, Orion didn''t see him in a positive light either. How could he? A waste like Vaan was his son, Orion was actually disappointed and¡­ hated himself for not being able to raise his child well.


    Actually, from what Astra had told him before about Vaan when the two of them talked, he thought Vaan had changed, and with how Astra was beaming happily when she said all that, Orion was actually looking forward to meeting his ''changed'' child¡­


    However, 2 days ago, when he returned, he realized the truth¡­


    Vaan had indeed changed, however, Orion wasn''t sure if that change was good or not.


    Previously, his son was a pushover, a pathetic loser who was looked down on by his peers, he did sometimes vent his anger on servants, however, he rarely dared to raise their hands at them.


    Now, however, things had changed, hitting his butler two times to the point his face is still bruised even after weeks had passed, hitting his friends even though those bastards deserved it, then targeting a Family Mage, and now the worse,


    Using Instant Spells inside the Guest room and nearly killing his opponent.


    And doing all this by relying on the Family Name, his son had turned into the type of person he hates the most. A bully who uses his Family power to pressure others and do whatever he wants.


    Orion was d that his son was finally showing interest in magic, it waste but his wife believed that with his talent, he would catch up and soon surpass his peers, however, now, Vaan had turned into the worse type of scum there is.


    "Tsk, staying silent now that you use your family influence on me. What did I even expect? You are a coward through and through. I can''t believe someone like you is my son. Astra was a fool to think you can change for the better. Heck, you just became worse, I feel sorry for your mother."


    Orion snorted.


    It was painful seeing those words to his own child, but seeing his Astra''s dead eyes as she nced at her child lying on the bed, unconscious, it was more hurtful.


    Vaan didn''t like what Orion said.


    "That man used Instant Spell against me, I could have died. Are you telling me to let him live after that?" Orion replied.


    "You talk as if you didn''t do the same," Orion replied.


    "So what was I supposed to do? Stand there and allow that bastard to fire another spell and end me? Is that what you want?" Vaan retorted.


    "Maybe control your anger and not assault everyone whom you do not agree with? Don''t act like we do not know what happened inside, Vaan. You are pinning it on that boy but aren''t you the one who started it."


    "So it is justified to use an Instant Spell and aim for my opponent''s life when he assaults me? Then I guess I went pretty easy on those five, didn''t I? I should have killed them inste-"


    "You talk as if you dare to do it." Orion snorted.


    "Have you ever taken a life before? Do you know what weight it bears?" he questioned.


    "¡­"


    Vaan looked into Orion''s eyes, then, with a solemn look on his face,


    "Trust me, I dare to do it."


    Orion observed Vaan for a while then, he chuckled, "I guess you are right. Someone like you wouldn''t probably understand it either.


    After all, your brain doesn''t go much further than, ''I am from Vesta Family, I can do whatever I want.''


    How could you possibly think about the consequences of your actions, that''s obviously something your mother has to take care of, not your job.


    Honestly, it would have been better if you weren''t born. At least Astra would have had one less trouble in her already hectic life.


    I''d even say she would have been a lot brighter than right now if you didn''t exist."


    Orion had clenched his fists, his eyes seemed cold, Gabel, however, could sense what he was feeling. After all, he still clearly remembered how joyful Orion was when Vaan was born. This man was even more excited than Lady Astra.


    Honestly, ording to Gabel, if anyone loved Vaan more than Astra, it would be this man. To say those words to his son whom he loves, seeing that scene, Gabel could feel pain in his own heart.


    Orion Nightshade was indeed a strong man.


    "If life would be that good, why don''t you kill me then?" Suddenly, Vaan spoke up.


    Orion and Gabel''s expressions changed,


    "Don''t overstep your limits, Vaan." Orion spoke in a hoarse voice. It was already hard for him to hold back his emotions, but seeing his child saying words like that¡­


    "I mean, with how things are, it won''t take long for it to happen anyways, if I let all my enemies live then it won''t be long before theye bite my ass someday, right? I would rather die by my father''s hand than die a pathetic life." Vaan, however, didn''t care and replied.


    "You think anyone would dare to kill the child of the Vesta Family?"


    "I do think someone would dare to do it. Heck, someone dared to do it just a few days ago and with how the Vesta Family is acting by now taking any actions against him, I am sure more and more people would dare to do it afterward." Vaan replied.


    "Huh? Who said we are not going to take any action?" Suddenly, Orion frowned.


    "Huh?"


    "Huh?"


    "Huh?"


    All the men in the corridor tilted their heads in confusion.


    "We are going to take action?" Vaan questioned.


    "Of course we are! You think someone who dared to use Instant Spells in our guest room would get out scot-free?" Orion replied.


    Vaan nced at Gabel, Gabel, however, was just looking at him with a confused look on his face, he couldn''t understand what Vaan was thinking.


    Wasn''t it obvious that the Vestas weren''t going to stay silent?


    "And it won''t just be a simple demand for an apology?"


    "If apology worked like that, prisons wouldn''t have existed," Orion replied.


    "Then why were you stopping me from killing Rnd?"


    "Why would I allow you to kill someone?"


    "Because I deserve to be the one who do it, I was the one who was attacked."


    "Vaan, let me make this one thing clear.


    That boy will be punished, however, the fact still remains that you were the one who started all this. We cannot just kill a child of the Frostmoon Family when you were in the wrong as well. That would ruin the Family Image.


    Whatever that would happen would happen after that boy recovers from his injuries, and it would happen as the two families sit together and discuss it."


    Orion exined.


    Vaan, of course, didn''t like this. He wasn''t a fool, he could tell that if this was how things were proceeding, then the chances of Rnd dying were low.


    That bastard would survive.


    Thinking about that, Vaan clenched his fists.


    "We are the strongest Magic Family in the entire world.


    Who cares about what we do to some random child?


    And it is not like we do not have a reason,


    Isn''t the ''cause'' all we need to deal with the ''political'' side of things?"

 Chapter 79 You Will Be An Incompetent Ruler.

    ?


    "Isn''t the ''cause'' all we need to deal with the ''political'' side of things?"


    Vaan questioned with a frown on his face.


    "It is not that simple, Vaan. We cannot do anything rashly even if we do a reason and that''s because you were the one who started it.


    ''My child lost control over his emotions and acted restlessly, however, if Young Master Vaan hadn''t done what he did, I doubt my child would have lost control. My son was bleeding, which 22-year-old boy wouldn''t panic and act rashly when he sees his old blood?


    My son should be punished, yes, but a death sentence? That is going too far considering it was Young Master Vaan who made the first move.''


    This is what Eamon Frostmoon would say in order to defend that boy.


    Now in this situation, we allow you to move right now and let you kill that boy, what do you think would happen to the family image?


    And you think the Frostmoon Family would take it lying down? Don''t forget, Rnd is their ''face'', their hope of getting a 7th Circle Mage in their Family History. They won''t remain silent if you kill him like this."


    Orion exined the situation.


    "See, now this is what I do not understand, Father. I have read about them, so I know that even though they are considered pretty strong in general, the strongest Mage they have is a 6th Circle Mage.


    Then why should I, as the Young Master of the Vesta Family, should care about a Frostmoon Family and take them into consideration?


    Why are you even asking if the Frostmoon Family would take it lying down or not? Do they have any other option? If they act rashly, can they get away from Mother''s wrath? Even if Mother acts alone, without using the strength of the Family, I know she can half destroy the Frostmoon Family-"


    "No, she would destroy them, there won''t be a single trace left. Don''t underestimate your mother, she is stronger than me."


    Orion was quick to correct.


    Vaan was slightly taken aback, however, he didn''t lose his focus and continued, "See? That was what I am trying to say. Why would we care about what the Frostmoon Family would think?


    There can only be mutual respect between two forces when they are simr in strength, if one is so much weaker than the other, then there is no respect, there is only subordination.


    And if the stronger force is not acting on this and still chooses to be ''respectful'' to the weaker force, then I believe that the stronger force is foolish and doesn''t deserve the strength it has."


    A smile appeared on Orion''s face.


    For some reason, Vaan''s questions didn''t feel annoying anymore. At first, it was just Vaan trying to act unreasonably, now however, he was standing there, actually trying to understand his perspective while asking questions about things he didn''t understand. He didn''t just dismiss his words and continued to shout about his own troubles and perspective, he was trying to have a decent, calm conversation.


    How many years has it been since Orion had talked to his son like this? It was so long that Orion didn''t even remember it.


    Therefore, even though technically two of them were standing on the opposite side since they had different opinions, Orion was still enjoying this situation.


    However, just as he was about to answer Vaan''s question,


    "You are right."


    A voice was heard.


    Orion and Vaan turned around and saw Astra walking towards them with a slight smile on her face.


    "Gabel, you can leave."


    Astra ordered without moving her eyes away from her husband and child.


    "As youmand, Family Head." Gabel bowed his head and walked away.


    "Let''s talk back in your ward, shall we?" Astra questioned as she looked at Vaan.


    Vaan still wanted to get rid of Rnd, but since his mother was here, he had no choice but to listen to her.


    "As you say."


    The three then walked into Vaan''s ward, then, Astra sat on a chair and,


    "You are right, when one force is stronger than the other, there is no ''respect'', there is only subordination."


    Astra agreed with Vaan''s statement.


    "However, the meaning of the subordination you have in your mind is incorrect.


    Subordination is different from very, the Frostmoon can be seen as our subordinates, however, they are not some ves who are absolutely loyal to us.


    You are correct, we are strong, the Frostmoon Family wouldn''t be able to directly hurt you or us even if you kill Rnd right now but the keyword here is ''directly''.


    You killing Rnd here has two problems.


    First, your own situation, you are weak, you are seen as a ''waste'' and in the eyes of the people, yourpetence is in negative. Even in the Vesta Family, people who actually support you aren''t many. If you do kill Rnd here, then I would have to personally step up in order to protect you.


    I can and will do that, however, that would send a message that the Vesta Family Head supports the ipetent waste because he is her own blood, she might choose him to be the next heir because of her deep love.


    This will not only affect the other Magic Families in the Vesta City but also your uncles and aunts.


    Second is the problem of our image, if you kill Rnd right now, the family image is harmed, and that is something that cannot happen."


    "And why is that? Aren''t they just our subordinates? Why do we need to care what they think about us?"


    "Because not caring about that would make us Tyrants, an image that could potentially destroy the entire Family."


    "There are sessful Tyrants who ruled their kingdoms without any troubles in history. I''d even say their rule was better since there was no ''image'' propaganda so people knew what to expect from their ruler." Vaan replied. Astra, however, shook her head.


    "Tyranny empties out a Kingdom from the inside out. Some Tyranny prospers because the Kingdom is much strongerpared to its enemies, or they have no enemies. That is the only way a Tyrannical Kingdom would survive."


    "We are the strongest Magic Family in the world, don''t we fulfill the first condition? No, actually, I think we fulfill both conditions. I doubt anyone would want to be our enemy."


    Vaan spoke and both Astra and Orion stared at him with nk looks on their faces.


    "We do not have enemies? The Vesta Family?" Orion raised his eyebrow. He couldn''t believe what Vaan was saying.


    "The entire world is our enemy, Vaan. Don''t think that just because they aren''t actively attacking us means they have given up. The treasures we hold are something that can that every single force in this world craves, there is no way any of them is giving up on those treasures.


    They are just waiting, waiting for the time for us to be weak and they will use that chance to absolutely wipe us out from this world. Don''t ever think that we do not have enemies just because we are the strongest magic family in the world.


    We have lots of enemies because we are the strongest Magic Family."


    Astra exined.


    Vaan finally understood what his parents were thinking.


    "So you are saying that if we act tyrannical and have a bad image, these mage families would betray us in the future and we would be destroyed?"


    Vaan questioned.


    "That is somewhat correct." Astra nodded.


    "Then what makes you think they won''t betray you if you ''respect'' them?" Suddenly, Vaan questioned.


    Astra and Orion frowned.


    "You aren''t thinking that just because you were nice to them they would be loyal to you, right? I hope not because if that''s the case, then let me guarantee you, if something happens in the future, they would be the first ones to leave you aside and run away."


    Vaan spoke however, Astra and Orion just nced at each other.


    "It is not his fault, he has started taking interest in these matters only recently. We should be happy that he is even showing some interest." Astramented.


    "But¡­" Orion wasn''t convinced.


    His son was too dumb¡­


    "Don''t worry, a parent''s job is to exin till they get it," Astra replied calmly.


    Then, she turned towards Vaan and,


    "You remember when I told you that you are too impulsive because you try to deal with everything using your own strength and that attitude is not eptable if yours is not eptable if you wish to be the next heir?"


    Vaan nodded.


    "Well, this is the reason I said it.


    You are right, if nothing is done, these people would run away and abandon us in a time of need. That is how human nature works, it seeks protection and tends to stay away from things that could potentially harm them.


    If you are the ruler, then you would most probably punish these traitors, then would turn to your enemies and fight them on your own or your few trusted subordinates, eventually tiring yourself out and getting yourself and your loyal subordinates killed.


    That is why I said that this attitude of handling everything with your fists only makes you a dog, not the owner.


    Someone who thinks like you will be an ipetent ruler whose Kingdom would copse in difficult times."


    "Then¡­ How would a Competent Ruler act in this situation?"

 Chapter 80 The World Is Grey.

    ?


    "Then¡­ How would a Competent Ruler act in this situation?"


    Vaan questioned.


    "How else? He would simply send people to fight for him, rather than it only being him and his few loyal subordinates, the chances of victory are much higher if the entire Vesta City fights together. The most ideal situation would be winning without the ruler having to make a move.


    That is why you don''t see me knocking on everyone''s door to ''exact'' revenge every day. I only move when it is absolutely required, before that, I let my subordinates handle everything."


    "So apetent ruler would let his people fight for him? People as in these Mage Families? What makes you think that people who would run away the moment they sense danger would be willing to fight you?" Vaan questioned. He felt like he was getting back to square one again.


    "We make a condition where we give them no choice but to fight," Astra replied calmly.


    "So you force them to fight?" Vaan started at his mother with a deadpan look on his face.


    "Well, we are not actually forcing them, we are just making them believe that they do not have any other option."


    "¡­"


    Vaan had no clue what his mother was talking about.


    And sensing that, Astra started exining,


    "As I said before, it is in human nature to seek protection. Everybody wants to live in a safe environment, we just need to create a safe area for these mages to live in and protect it."


    Then, a small smirk appeared on Astra''s mouth and, "While we do that, we also create an image where everything around this ''safe area'' they have is hell. Create an impression that even if they do leave and their ''safe area'' is destroyed, then there would be no other safe area left. Making them think that not only them but even their children would also be forced to live in this hellish world just because they were cowards and left their safe area when it needed them.


    ''Mages are looked down upon by others outside the Vesta City'', is one example of how it is done, the Vesta City here, is the ''safe area'', while the ''outside'' is hell.


    Are you getting what I am trying to say?


    We provide a ''safe area'' for them, and guarantee them that not only are we strong enough to protect them, but we are also fair and righteous. Give an impression that we value them and they will not be abandoned or bullied.


    Not only that, as they work hard, they can also get countless opportunities to raise their status by sending mages to work in the Vesta Family. The more Mages you send to the Vesta Family, the more ''influence'' their family gets and the higher they soar.


    Make them live in this fake illusion where they live in a safe ce, their efforts are paid off and they have the opportunity to shine as long as they continue to work, trap them in this lifestyle, make them think that Vesta City is the entire world. Cut them off from the rest of the world, making them believe that the outside world is just a one-dimensional ''hell'' they can''t live in.


    If you manage to do that, that''s when you actually rule them.


    A ''Safe ce''? They will be the ones keeping this ce safe, we will just be taking the credit.


    ''Opportunities to grow if they work hard?'' Heh, the opportunity they are talking about is working for our Vesta Family, even in their dreams, the best they can imagine is all of their family members working for our family.


    Them working for us is not doing us a favor, rather, it is us doing them a favor by hiring them.


    Now, my dear son, tell me, if this can be achieved, just with us being ''Fair, Just, Upright, Righteous'', would you still call our actions dumb?


    Or would not doing this and living a life where you do everything on your own, fight your enemies yourself, and waste your and your loyal subordinates'' lives be dumber?"


    Astra questioned, the slight smile on her face as she revealed the actual truth behind her actions was¡­ horrifying¡­


    Vaan¡­ he wasn''t just sitting in front of his mother¡­ he was sitting in front of the Head of the Vesta Family¡­ the ruler of the Vesta City¡­


    A woman who can crush any single person with just a few words¡­


    A scheming leader who not only understood how the world worked but also capitalized on it and used it for her own good¡­


    The Vesta Family, they were never ''fair'', on the contrary, they were actually evil! Behind the mask of being fair and just, they were simply manipting everyone, making them do what they want them to do while making them think that they were doing this for their own good.


    "Mother, I have another question." Suddenly, Vaan spoke up.


    "Ask away, after all, I am here to answer all your doubts today."


    "The ''hell'' you mentioned¡­ the outside world¡­


    Do people outside the Vesta City actually look down on mages or is it all just a lie our family is spreading in order to control the mages of our city?"


    All the history books mentioned how Mages are looked down on and discriminated against and that only the mages living in the Vesta City were living a decent life where they can have all the freedom they want.


    Vaan actually believed that to be the case, since¡­ why would the books lie?


    Now, however, if he thought about it, the oldest power in the Vesta City was his family, everything the books contain, it is not confirmed by anyone else other than the people of the Vesta Family. Heck, some books are even written by the members of the Vesta Family.


    Vesta Family was more than capable of manipting the content of the books.


    To be honest, Vaan was a little scared, his entire worldview had changed, he didn''t know what to believe or what not to believe, however, what he did know was one thing,


    His mother was not his enemy.


    He was not on the side of the victims being used here.


    He was on the other side.


    He was on the side of the rulers.


    And of course, Vaan didn''t hate that at all.


    He finally understood what his mother said about not being the dog but the owner. His thinking of threatening them to the point they fear betraying you, it was good, but it would only work for an underworld gang leader, he, however, wanted to be the Ruler of the entire City which was as big as a Kingdom.


    Threatening all his subordinates wasn''t possible. He needed to create a scenario like his mother and the other heads of the Vesta Family had done. He needed his subordinate to act like he wanted them to while thinking that this was for their own good.


    And to do that, he needed to learn more from his mother.


    Seeing her son''s intense gaze, Astra chuckled. Then, she cleared her throat and started exining,


    "The world is not ck and White, Vaan. There is no definite Yes or No answer to your question.


    The world is Grey.


    Are mages looked down upon outside the Vesta City? Yes.


    But is the real condition so bad that it can be called hell? No.


    This is just a human perception Vaan.


    Do you think nobody ever doubted our words and went outside just to check how the real world is? Of course, they did. However, when they did leave the Vesta City, where everyone was a mage and strong mages were deeply respected, and entered the outside world where people with other interests other than magic lived, the perception they formed was ording to our words.


    Mages are looked down on and the Magic is weakened since the God of Magic stopped blessing us, that is indeed the truth, those mages, who experienced that feeling of being looked down on by the people around them, automaticallypared it to ''hell'' we were talking about.


    So whether it is hell or not, honestly, I do not know. Thousands of years have passed, the definite facts had blurred up, even as the head of the Vesta Family, I do not know everything, I do, however, know what I have to do to keep ruling the Vesta City.


    You can say that earlier, our words may not have been true, however, as time went by and more and more people started believing them, it came to a point where it actually did be the truth."


    "So it is more like, ''Fake it till you make it'' kinda thing?"


    "Huh? ''Fake it till you make it?''


    That''s the first time I have heard of that saying, but I think it works here.


    Our words eventually became the truth.


    And in truth, though it may sound that way, we aren''t actuallypletely evil either, as I said, the color grey, we actually do provide a safe environment and are righteous and just, to some extent.


    People living in Vesta City, they aren''t exactly living a bad life, I''d even say their life is actually quite betterpared to people living in other Kingdoms."

 Chapter 81 Kill Him Openly And Fairly

    ?


    "That is the reason why we cannot let you kill that boy, it harms our image, and that is something the Vesta Family cannot afford."


    After the long exnation, Astra concluded. Orion, who was sitting beside her nodded as well. The Husband and wife were happy, it has been a long time since the family of three had sat together like this. Even though the topic was a little heavy, with how Vaan was reacting to their words and was trying to understand everything from a new perspective, they believed that this was going to be a fruitful conversation.


    "I understand."


    After thinking about all this for a while, Vaan nodded. Smiles appeared on Astra''s and Orion''s faces.


    But then,


    "So when Rnd regains his consciousness, his family would be called and his punishment would be discussed, correct?" Vaan questioned.


    "That is correct." Astra nodded.


    "What are the chances that his punishment would be death?"


    "He will not die." Astra didn''t bother hiding.


    "But what if I want him dead?" Vaan, however, didn''t give in.


    Hearing his question, both Astra and Orion narrowed their eyes but then,


    "Don''t look at me like that, you two. Ipletely understand what you were talking about and how I cannot harm the family''s reputation no matter what. Killing Rnd right now is a foolish move and I won''t do it.


    However, Rnd is someone who has to die. I have my eyes locked on him and I refuse to believe that the Vesta Family does not have a way to ''solve'' some people using some underhanded means.


    Assassination, poison, idental death, I am sure there are many other ways to do what I want without harming the Family Image, what are those ways?" Vaan questioned as he looked into his mother''s eyes.


    Just like he said, he understood how the politics in the Vesta City worked, the huge '' the Vesta Family has created, he knew that he wasn''t allowed to create holes in that. However, the Christopher in Vaan hadn''t died yet.


    His motto of not sparing any of his enemies was still there and no matter what Astra or anyone else said, he was going to live by this motto.


    "Vaan you-"


    Orion wanted to jump in and shout at Vaan, but then,


    "Magic Duel."


    Suddenly, Astra spoke up.


    "Astra¡­"


    "Magic Duel?" Vaan frowned.


    "We have our ways to ''solve some people'', however, we will not be using the Family resources for a fight between children. You want to kill Rnd? Do it openly and fairly.


    Challenge him to a Magic Duel, win against him, and if you want¡­ kill him."


    "And the Frostmoon Family won''t react if I do that?"


    "We do not fear Frostmoon Family, Vaan. What we fear is the message that would spread after you kill Rnd the way you were trying to. Magic Duels, however, are different. How do you think those friends of yours got away after ganging up on you like that? That was because they said it was a Magic Duel, a duel that you foolishly epted, a duel that couldn''t even be called a duel.


    They had the reason, so they were spared, challenge that boy and kill him, then you would have the reason, even if the Frostmoon Family is dissatisfied, they wouldn''t be able to do anything because all other families would side with us."


    "A Magic Duel huh¡­" Vaan muttered.


    "But how is he supposed to defeat that boy? He is a 3rd Circle Mage."


    "Well that is something he would have to figure out, won''t he?" Astra chuckled.


    A smile appeared on Vaan''s face as well,


    "Leave that to me." He spoke with a confident look on his face.


    Astra smiled, a few momentster, a smile appeared on Orion''s face as well.


    Then, with a motivated look on his face, Vaan stood up.


    "Now if you two will excuse me. I have already wasted enough time as is, so I will be going to the library."


    "Huh? Library? It has been so long since all three of us sat together like this. Why don''t you have some lunch with us?" Orion questioned. He had to settle a few things so he was not in the family for a while, to make up for that time, he wanted to spend some more time like this, however,


    "I apologize but I cannot have lunch right now, Father."


    "Why is that?"


    "Well since I haven''t moved much for thest few days, I feel quite full and¡­


    I and my fianc¨¦ would be going out for dinner tonight, that girl won''t eat if she realizes I am full so¡­"


    Vaan smiled yfully as he nced at his mother, and just as he expected, the moment he revealed that, Astra''s face brightened up.


    Her foolish son was finally making some moves!


    And this time, on the right girl!


    She couldn''t be prouder.


    "You are going out with ra¡­?" Orion, on the other hand, was surprised.


    "Fufufu~ There are a lot of things you have missed, darling. Come, let me help you catch up, Vaan, you can leave."


    Astra spoke as she gently held Orion''s hands. Seeing her acting like that, Orion couldn''t help but smile, he had been here for 2 days now, however, he only saw a solemn, strict, and gloomy Astra, this was the first time in a while that Astra was making this face.


    Orion couldn''t be happier.


    Seeing his parents like that, Vaan smile as well, then, he walked out of the ward and made his way toward the library.


    ''A Magic Duel huh¡­


    I am going to destroy that bitch and this time,


    He won''t be regaining his consciousness.''


    With that thought in his mind, Vaan entered the library and continued his research from where he had left.


    Time passed and Vaan then heard a knock.


    "Young Master Vaan."


    Gabel called out.


    "Enter." Vaan ordered.


    "Young Master Vaan, you should get ready now, I believe it would be rude to make Lady ra wait tonight."


    "How is ra?"


    "She has just woken up."


    Vaan nodded, then, he closed the book and stood up.


    "I will get ready now, book the best restaurant in the City."


    "I have already arranged that, Young Master."


    Gabel was indeedpetent.


    Vaan nodded and then walked away.


    On his shoulders, there sat two adorable creatures, both mey and Sshy were extremely worried when Vaan passed out. They wanted to appear when ra was gone, however, when they saw how Vaan was reacting, both of them were intimidated and decided to wait till he calmed down.


    Later, Vaan calmed them down and fed them, which led to the current situation where the two spirits were sitting on Vaan''s shoulders and sleeping peacefully.


    Vaan returned to his room, freshened up, wore the clothes that Astra had picked out for his ''date'', and walked out.


    *Knock* *Knock*


    10 Minutester, Vaan stood in front of ra''s room and knocked, "ra."


    "I-I am here!" ra''s voice was heard, Vaan could hear rushed footsteps, ra was running towards the door.


    Vaan chuckled, the doors were then opened and,


    "I-I am ready," ra spoke up.


    "¡­"


    Vaan, on the other hand, just stared at ra and didn''t say anything, or more urately, he couldn''t say anything¡­


    ra was wearing a ck gown, her hair was tied into a low bun, making her face more visible, her clear red eyes and the slight blush on her face enhanced her beauty to another level. Usually, ra preferred to be simple and didn''t focus much on her appearance, today, however, she had applied some light makeup as well, boosting her beauty to another level.


    "You look stunning." Vaanplimented.


    ra blushed a little and, "Y-You look g-good as well¡­" she replied.


    Vaan smiled, then, he extended his right hand and, "Should we leave? I am quite hungry."


    ra simply held Vaan''s hand and didn''t say anything. The two then walked into their carriage, throughout the ride, Vaan made sure not to leave ra''s hand, ra didn''t resist either, her mind was preupied with too many things to even think about resisting right now.


    Soon, the carriage stopped in front of a restaurant, Astral Alehouse, it was the biggest restaurant in the Vesta City, even people from other continents often came here to enjoy the delicacies it served. The restaurant was so busy that one had to make a reservation 1 month in advance to get a table, of course, Vaan and the Vesta Family were an exception to that rule.


    Vaan and ra walked into the restaurant and were taken to their table,


    "What would you like to eat?" Vaan questioned.


    ra chose a few dishes she wished to eat, the waitress nodded and left, then, silence fell.


    The two of them had no topics to talk about. None of them knew what to talk about at times like this.


    "H-How is your magic study going?" in the end, ra started with the topic she was most familiar with.


    Not the best choice for a romantic dinner, but as long as it broke the ice.


    "Haaahh¡­" Vaan sighed.


    "I barely managed to learn one basic spell after studying for more than 14 hours."


    "¡­"


    ra didn''t know what to say¡­


    Mages spent months learning different spells and¡­ then there''s him¡­


    However, she could understand where Vaan wasing from, he was someone who learned all the spells she gave to him within 2 weeks, obviously, he would feel slow when he doesn''t see progress after so many hours.


    Therefore, ra hade up with a n.


    "I-I have a way to help you¡­"

 Chapter 82 So Not Only Do I Get To Beat Some Assheads, But I Also Get To Take Their Magic Spells?

    ?


    "I-I have a way to help you¡­"


    "Hmm? What is it?" Vaan questioned with an excited look on his face. Studying magic was hard and incredibly boring, of course, learning new spells felt great, but doing those hours of research to find the correct patterns¡­


    "You have a strong gift of interpreting the Magic Patterns for yourself just by seeing patterns used by other mages. Unlike other mages, you do not have to delve deeper into Magic Theories of that certain spell, linking each of those theories to a certain magic pattern and thening up with your own pattern after months of research. It would be a waste if you didn''t use a gift like that up to its full capability."


    "Then what do you want me to do?"


    "Magic Duels."


    ra spoke as she looked into Vaan''s eyes with a determined look on her face.


    "Huh? Magic Duels?" Vaan frowned in confusion.


    "What you need is a Spell Directory, simr to the one I gave you."


    "ra, no one is going to show someone their spell directory, not everyone is an angel like you." Vaan chuckled.


    ra, however, shook her head and, "Normally, no one will give it to you, however, it would be a different case if you win it fair and square."


    "Huh?"


    "Challenge other mages to a Magic Duel, with a condition of you getting their spell directory, or a part of the spell directory, as a reward for winning, while you can bet some Elemental Stones. This way, you can not only learn more spells at a quicker rate, but you can also get fighting experience, something that most magesck." ra suggested.


    And suddenly, Vaan''s expression changed.


    ''So not only do I get to beat some assheads, but I also get to take their Magic Spells?


    There was a fun option like that? Why was I wasting my time in the library then?


    Wait¡­''


    Suddenly, Vaan frowned, then he nced at ra and, "If there is such an effective way to learn spells, why don''t other mages do it? Even if they can''t learn the spells with just the Spell Directory, it would definitely save some of their time and help them learn the said spell quicker, won''t it?"


    "Normal mages need to understand the theories behind spells in order to learn them, that''s what takes most of their time, the spell directories are not as valuable to them as they are to you. Also, since the spell directories often have a mage''s weakness, not many are willing to use it as a bet. So for other mages, finding opponents to do that is quite difficult as well.


    You, on the other hand¡­" ra suddenly turned silent.


    And Vaan understood, "Because of my reputation, most mages would look down on me and would willingly ept my challenge just to ''defeat a Vesta''."


    ra nodded. "O-Of course, it won''t be the same for a long time, as you start growing and getting stronger, other mages would realize how strong you actually are, and soon, they would stop epting your challenges anymore.


    But I believe that if you use this chance well, then by the time they all realize it, you will already be a decent mage with quite a high number of spells under your belt."


    "But¡­ won''t it be a problem if I only know the required patterns to cast a spell and not the essential theory behind it? Won''t it weaken my foundation?" Vaan asked what was bothering him for quite a while now.


    "We study magic theories in order to find the required magic patterns and cast a spell. You have the gift to do that without knowing the necessary Magic theories, since you can finally jump to the final step, why would you force yourself to go back to the intermediate step? It wouldn''t make sense.


    Also, once a Mage memorizes a Magic Pattern for a certain spell, 7 out of 10 times, he forgets the magic theories he had learned after 5-6 months. Just take me for example, I know more than 40 spells, and I barely remember theories of 10 of those spells, the rest are all jumbled up in my mind."


    "I understand." Vaan nodded in understanding.


    ra smiled, seeing her like that, Vaan smiled as well, "Just as I thought, my fianc¨¦ is indeed a genius, you have answers to every single one of my questions."


    "I-I am not a genius¡­" ra blushed.


    "Oh ra, how are you so humble? You know, I remember saying this before as well, start acting like the magic prodigy you are, walk like you own the ce, and have some weight in your words.


    Although I love the cute ra, I would definitely want to see a confident ra as well."


    "I-I will do my best¡­" ra nodded as she lowered her head.


    Vaan started at her with a deadpan look on his face.


    He had to do something about this¡­ ra clearly had some confidence issues, so Vaan has to help her out with it. He, who was overflowing with confidence, needed to teach his fiance.


    "-" Vaan was about to say something, but then, they heard a knock.


    "The food is here." A soft voice was heard. Gabel had booked a VIP table for them, rather than a dinner table, it was more like a room where their privacy was ensured.


    "Enter." Vaan ordered.


    2 waitresses entered and started serving the food, once they were done, they left, and just as they were about to close the door,


    "This Table was supposed to be mine! I booked it 2 months earlier and now you say that it is not free and are serving someone else!? Do I look like a pushover to you!?" Vaan and ra heard a shout.


    ra panicked a little, Vaan, on the other hand, simply held her hand, looked into her eyes, and nodded. This calmed ra a little, she tried to ignore the voices outside and focused on eating but then,


    *Bam*


    The doors of their room were burst open and a man barged in,


    "I don''t care who you are, but I am already in a bad mood so piss off!" A man shouted. He didn''t even bother to look at who he was standing up against, but when he finally opened his eyes and realized it was Vaan, a big smile appeared on his face.


    "If it isn''t Young Master Vaan."


    He then noticed how Vaan had held ra''s hand and, "Are you assaulting another woman right after Lady Seraphina?"


    Vaan''s mouth twitched. To dare say that right in front of his face¡­


    People here sure were gutsy.


    Thinking about that, Vaan''s eyes fell on a te, then, however, he saw ra, who was looking at him with a nervous expression on her face.


    ''I can''t ruin this dinner.'' Vaan thought inwardly, then, he nced at the restaurant guards who were standing outside his room.


    "What are you waiting for? Someone is clearly interrupting your customer''s meal, throw him away." Vaan ordered.


    The guards, however, were hesitating. The family this Young Man belonged to wasn''t simple either, they can''t move recklessly here.


    Vaan, who understood the problem just sighed, then, he activated his bullshitting mode and,


    "The Vesta City is just and upright, no one is going to do anything to you as long as you are in the right, no matter what family hees from, he is not allowed to ruin your business, I am also willing to be your witness in this situation, so don''t worry about anything and do what you want to do."


    Trantion: Throw him out and fuck him up.


    Hearing those wordsing from the Vesta Family''s young master, the guards'' expression changed, the Vesta Family was on their side, who did they have to fear? Without thinking anymore, the guards moved forward and grabbed the young man.


    The young man couldn''t believe what was happening, "Are you people out of your mind!? Do you kno-"


    Vaan, of course, couldn''t care less and focused on eating, he signaled ra to do the same.


    "You seem to be enjoying yourself."


    Then, Vaan heard a familiar voice. When ra saw who it was, she froze as past memories started to haunt her.


    Seraphina Stormweaver, the woman who created a wedge between her and Vaan''s rtionship.


    "Seraphina," Vaan called out.


    "I heard you were involved in an ident."


    "It was some crazy doging after me, I handled it though, so no worries."


    "That is good." Seraphina nodded.


    Then,pletely ignoring ra''s presence, she stepped forward and,


    "Actually, I have been meaning to talk about a few things with you, I think this is the perfect time."


    However,


    "Sera, I have no clue how you can think this is the perfect time. Can''t you see this beautifuldy here? Oh wait, have I not introduced the two of you yet? My bad.


    Sera, meet ra meheart, this lovelydy here is my fianc¨¦, someone who would be stuck with me for the rest of her life.


    And ra, this here is Seraphina Stormweaver, she is uhh¡­ a woman? A borderline friend maybe? We are quite distant, so I don''t know what to call our rtionship. Let''s just say she is an acquaintance. An acquaintance who likes ying with some fun rumors in her free time."

 Chapter 83 E-Elara Did?

    ?


    "And ra, this here is Seraphina Stormweaver, she is uhh¡­ a woman? A borderline friend maybe? We are quite distant, so I don''t know what to call our rtionship. Let''s just say she is an acquaintance. An acquaintance who likes ying with some fun rumors in her free time."


    Vaan spoke with a slight smile on his face.


    Seraphina frowned, this was the first time Vaan called her a ''borderline friend'', it was always ''my closest friend'', ''the person who understands me the most'', normally, Vaan would use any term he could to appear closer to her than he actually was.


    Seraphina always thought it was his way of making him feel better about himself, so she didn''t mind it, since it was actually good for her, she even sometimes nodded her head, epting what Vaan called her.


    Honestly, the smile that appears on Vaan''s face when she does that is hrious.


    Today, however, it was different and Seraphina was taken aback, by this distant way of addressing her and those eyes that were putting her down, Seraphina knew this wasn''t good.


    If she didn''t fix it, it would ruin all her future ns and Seraphina couldn''t afford it, not when she is already so far ahead.


    Seraphina took a moment to calm herself down, then she nced at Vaan and, "It appears that Young Master Vaan is rather displeased with me,"


    "Hmm? You think so? But why? It is not like I have any reason to be, is there?"


    "If Young Master Vaan is referring to those rumors, then please believe me, I wasn''t the one who did it. In fact, I was even trying to find out who did it so I could bring him to you and we can clear this together.


    However, the informationwork of my family isn''t as strong so I failed to do it. I apologize for my ipetence, I should havee forward and directly cleared your name."


    "But you didn''t do it."


    "I actually came to the Vesta Mansion to discuss this with you and n our future actions as to how to address this, it was only then did I learn that Young Master Vaan was involved in an ident and I couldn''t meet you.


    Actually, when I said I wanted to talk about some matters with you before, this was what I had in mind."


    "So it was all just a misunderstanding?"


    "That is correct, Young Master should know that I would never do something that could potentially harm you. I, as someone who ''understands the Young Master the most'', would never even think about that." Seraphina replied.


    Hearing those words, Vaan smiled inwardly.


    ''Haaah¡­ Vaan, Vaan¡­ you were such a fool, even if you wanted this bitch, it was just this easy, if only you were a little smarter, you would have had this bitch rolling around your foot doing everything you wanted her to.''


    Vaan thought inwardly, pointing out how terribly stupid previous Vaan was.


    Then, however, his eyes fell on ra, then, he shook his head, ''But I guess that is a good thing for me, rather than this bitch, I would prefer this angel be by my side at any point of my life.''


    "Well I guess this clears the misunderstanding then. We should definitely have a talk about how to deal with this matter, however, as you can see, currently, I am a bit busy, I will summon you when I have free time. You can leave now." Vaan waved his hand, it was as if he was trying to shoo Seraphina away, a disrespectful gesture, but there was nothing anyone could do about it.


    Of course, Seraphina still didn''t give up, "I believe it would be better if we settle this matter before it gets even worse, it has already been dyed because of Young Master''s ident. I am sure ra would understand, right, ra?"


    Seraphina nced at ra.


    The red-haired girl lowered her head, then, she nodded, "Y-Yes, I believe we should handle this matter first, Young Master Vaan, we can always continue our dinner on anot-"


    "First of all, That is Lady ra for you."


    Suddenly, Vaan red at Seraphina with a cold expression on his face,


    "Not only does ra has a higher status than you because she is my Fiance, but she also has a higher Magic Rank than you,


    So Seraphina Stormweaver, you better treat her with the respect she deserves, is that clear?"


    Seraphina froze.


    She couldn''t believe Vaan was putting her down like that.


    Vaan, however, didn''t care what she was thinking and continued, "Second, when I ordered you to leave, you leave. I don''t recall asking for your suggestion. Or is it because you think you are better than me?"


    "N-No, of course not."


    "That is what I thought.


    Now leave."


    Vaan ordered, this time, his voice was so loud that even the guards and the restaurant staff heard it all, and absolute silence fell over the ce.


    Seraphina was embarrassed.


    She could finally understand what Vaan was doing. She was ignoring his actions all this while, thinking that he was the same gullible Vaan, now, however, she finally understood.


    Vaan didn''t like her anymore.


    No, rather than like, it could even be said that he was now targeting her, treating her as an enemy.


    A conversation about how to deal with these rumors? Vaan was already doing that by bashing her in front of everyone.


    Why would he harass someone who he is trying to kick out? Was it because he was petty about the rumors? Heh, if those rumors were true, why would she approach him?


    This was the image Vaan was trying to create.


    "I will be taking my leave now, Young Master Vaan.


    I hope you enjoy your dinner."


    Not wanting to stay here any longer, Seraphina turned around.


    Her eyes then fell on the man who was being held by the guards, "Let''s leave. We will have our dinner some other day."


    "L-Lady Seraphina! Don''t worry, I can book another ce that is as good as this one!" The man tried to stop her, Seraphina, however, just wanted to leave.


    She needed to change her ns. She couldn''t waste her time on stuff like that.


    Seraphina left, the room Vaan and ra were eating in suddenly turned silent. Vaan then nced at his fianc¨¦ and,


    "ra." He called out.


    "W-What is it?"


    "You need to fix that attitude of yours."


    "W-What?" ra was surprised.


    "Actually, just leave it to me."


    "Huh?"


    A wide smile then appeared on Vaan''s face and, "Hehe, soon, I''ll turn you into a lovely little gangster."


    "G-Gangster?"


    "Nothing, just continue the dinner."


    ra nodded and started eating. Their conversation paused since ra was still a little intimidated by Seraphina''s arrival, however, being with her for a long time now, Vaan knew how to flip the switch.


    A single question about Magic and ra would get into the zone and talk like there is no tomorrow.


    Vaan chuckled as he saw ra talking about the new 4th Circle Spell she was working on, the shine in her eyes and that excited smile on her face was absolutely adorable.


    The dinner finally ended, Vaan and ra returned to the Vesta Mansion and ended their day.


    ¡­


    "Vaan!"


    The next day, while Vaan was studying in his room, working on some new Instant Spells rted to Fire and Water with the help of mey and Sshy, Astra barged into his room.


    "What happened, mother? Barging into my room like this, that is quite unlike you." Vaan questioned with a polite smile on his face.


    Astra, however, wasn''t in the mood for any jokes,


    "What is this?" She questioned as showed Vaan a piece of paper titled, ''Vaan Astra Vesta''s reply to the recent rumors.''


    "Hmm? Didn''t you say our family image was important? I am just acting on your words and giving a public reply addressing the rumors that are harming our family image." Vaan replied.


    The paper in Astra''s hand was the city-wide ''answer'' he had ric distribute everywhere. He thought it would impress his mother, however, Astra didn''t seem pleased at all.


    "About the recent rumors about me, I did not do it. Those rumors are false. Do I have a way to prove it? I do not care enough to prove it. Anyone who has a problem with it, he or she can challenge me to Magic Duel next week, that is 25/Augusta/5039.


    I am a 2nd Circle Mage, any mages who are 2nd Circle or less, I will battle you fairly. As for mages above that level,


    Instant Spells will be used in that battle.


    Keep in mind, the Magic Duel wouldn''t be for free, if you win, I will write a public apology the way you want me to and will even give you 50 Elemental Stones, however, if I win, you will be handing over your entire Spell Directories to me.


    Choose wisely."


    Astra read out the entire announcement, then, she red at Vaan and,


    "Let''s not even talk about how informal and crude this is, but a public challenge!? What are you thinking!?"


    "Well, ra was the one who suggested this." Vaan simply passed the burning ball and as he did, Astra blinked in surprise, unable to process what she just heard.


    "E-ra did?"

 Chapter 84 You Do Not Have Much Time Left

    ?


    "E-ra did?"


    Astra was shocked to the point where she stuttered. Something that wasn''t a verymon urrence.


    "I don''t believe this. You are putting the me on her, she would never suggest something like this." Astra spoke as she narrowed her eyes. It wouldn''t be the first time Vaan pushed the me onto ra, in Astra''s mind, the chances of that happening again were higher.


    "With that girl''s nature, she would never suggest you to challenge other mages out in the open like that, if she did that, one of the biggest worries of my life would be solved," Astra spoke, and hearing what she said, Vaan frowned in confusion.


    "What do you mean?"


    Astra stared at Vaan for a while then, she decided to share her problems with her son, "You know how ra is, she is timid."


    "Mhm, that she is. Too timid actually, although she has her charm and looks absolutely adorable as she blushes in embarrassment, her nature is a problem. If she doesn''t change that, people would start walking all over her." Vaan nodded.


    Astra nodded her head as well, "That is what I am talking about, it would be a problem for her in the future, no actually, it is already bing a problem for her right now.


    Her timid nature is affecting her Magic."


    "Huh? It is affecting her Magic? How?" Vaan questioned with a surprised look on his face, this was the first time he was hearing something like this.


    "Well, it isn''t affecting her Magic Study, it is just affecting her performance." Astra then started exining the problem,


    "ra is a Magic Prodigy."


    Vaan nodded.


    "However, she has never done well in the Elemental sh even when she was perfectly capable of doing it.


    It wasn''t a problem before since she entered the field of magic much quicker than most of her peers. The opponents she fought were much older and more experienced than that.


    ''She is just a child''


    People were ignoring her bad performance because of that, however, now she is 21 years old, and even though the enemies she is battling are still much older than her, people aren''t using it as an excuse anymore.


    ''Vesta Family Head''s Student is continuously performing poorly.''


    People have started to make remarks simr to this, and although I do not care, these remarks are affecting her and rather than stand up for herself, that girl is letting those remarks get into her head and her already low confidence is falling even further."


    "¡­" Vaan turned silent.


    "I tried to help her, but no matter what I do, in the end, she is the one who has to cast the spells in the Battle. She however starts worrying for her enemy in the middle of the battle and even though she can easily defeat her opponent, most of the time she doesn''t use her best spells in order to not hurt her enemies."


    Astra exined theplete situation. Vaan nodded in understanding, well it wasn''t really surprising, this was in line with ra''s nature.


    That girl was too kind and she was shy.


    However,


    "Don''t worry Mother."


    Suddenly, Vaan smiled.


    "I promise you, this time, ra would be different.


    I''ll train her."


    "You¡­?"


    Astra was shocked.


    Vaan blinked a few times, then, he cleared his throat,


    "I may not be good at teaching Magic, but trust me, I am damn good at corrupting.


    Leave my fianc¨¦ to me."


    "Corrupting? Oi, I am telling you, nothing should happen to my Daughter inw."


    "Yes Yes, just trust your son."


    "I for some reason do not trust you at all."


    "I shall let the results speak for myself."


    "Is that so? Come here, let me predict these results."


    Astra chuckled as she grabbed Vaan''s cheek.


    ¡­


    In the Stormweaver House, Seraphina sat in her room, there was a piece of paper in her hand, it was the announcement Vaan had made. Seraphina was staring at it with a grave look on her face.


    "This is not good."


    Shemented.


    "There was no apology in the entire announcement, let alone apology, he just said ''I didn''t do it'' and directly challenged others for a Magic Duel. He didn''t even talk about my opinion or how even I am against those rumors.


    This announcement is his deration of war against me.


    He is indirectly telling me that he doesn''t need me. The open challenge must be his way of challenging me. I indirectly stopped him from practicing Magic and he is involving Magic in this to secretly send me the message.


    Especially with how he is asking for Spell Directories if he won, he obviously has no use for it, he is just doing it to strengthen his message and show how he will continue practicing Magic after this."


    Seraphina analyzed the content of the announcement.


    And of course, she waspletely wrong.


    Vaan simply wanted to use this opportunity to get his hands on some spells he could learn. In truth, he wasn''t even thinking about Seraphina while writing the entire thing.


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    Seraphina obviously was reading too much into it. Anna, who stood behind her was silent as well.


    "Anyways, did you get any leads on the person who actually started these rumors?" Suddenly, Seraphina questioned.


    Anna, however, shook her head, "As Lady Seraphina knows, it is extremely difficult to track down the people who start rumors like this. We haven''t gotten any lead yet." Anna replied.


    "¡­"


    Seraphina turned silent.


    If only she could find the bastards who did it, she would have taken them to that fool and proved her point. That way, she could have even used this entire thing to her advantage, acting like a victim and getting something from Vaan in exchange for excusing him for not trusting her and maintaining their previous rtionship again.


    Though Seraphina doubted the current Vaan would have agreed to that, it would still be better than the current situation.


    Seraphina sighed as she shook her head, then, she shifted her attention to another problem that was troubling her, "Has Rnd replied to our messages yet?"


    Anna, however, shook her head again.


    "What is that idiot doing?" Seraphina clenched her fists in frustration.


    "I even tried visiting the Frostmoon House but they didn''t allow me to meet him. What happened so suddenly? Why is he cutting me off!? Is it because of the rumors? But that doesn''t make sense, he came to meet me after the rumors were spreading around."


    "¡­"


    Anna didn''t say anything.


    "Everything is falling apart." Suddenly, Seraphinamented.


    Vaan was her biggest source of ''Magic Resources'', after him, it was the other simps, however, with the rumors spreading around, some of the simps are stepping back as well, even the Simp General is not replying to her letters. Aldric, whom she had kept to keep an eye on Vaan, he has been ignoring her as well, only giving out partial information and not replying when she wants him to.


    All her options were slowly being shut down¡­


    She was being trapped.


    She needed a solution,


    *Knock* *Knock*


    Suddenly, a knock was heard.


    "What is it?" Seraphina sighed as she shook her head, then questioned.


    "Lady Seraphina, Young Master Asher is requesting to meet you."


    "Asher?" Seraphina frowned.


    "I aming."


    She nodded then, without wasting any time, she stood up. An opportunity cane from the most random of ces, maybe, Asher was her opportunity.


    5 minutester, Seraphina walked into her Guest room.


    "Lady Seraphina." Asher greeted with a slight smile.


    "I didn''t see you and your friendsing to me with recording crystals like you told me." Seraphina directly jumped onto the topic.


    "Vaan canceled that n," Asher replied.


    "That doesn''t give out a good image, you know that right?" Seraphina replied.


    "I know, but I do not control Vaan''s actions. I am just an agent. I can only tell you what he tells me, I cannot read his mind." Asher shrugged.


    "Why are you here?" Seraphina questioned.


    "I am here to ask if you have decided on following through with my n or not."


    "¡­" Seraphina turned silent.


    "¡­" Asher didn''t say anything and patiently waited for her answer.


    "I need more time."


    "You know we do not have much time, right?"


    "¡­"


    "Look, your rtionship with Vaan wouldn''t improve from this point, if you do not control him, you will be finished, and after you, it will be my turn."


    "Well at the very least, I won''t die even if I don''t do anything, so my position isn''t as bad as yours."


    "Right, I am sure you would live a happy life with the Young Master of the Vesta Family treating you as an enemy.


    Seraphina, don''t get me wrong, what you have right now is because of Vaan''s status as a waste. Even if he was your enemy, it wouldn''t have mattered since he had no say in his family, but Vaan has changed, and from his recent actions, I can tell that he is actually trying to actively participate in his Family politics.


    Even if he doesn''t have any power right now, it is only a matter of time, and once that happens, and the bad blood between him and you is revealed,


    Then even those stupid fools who are ready to ''die for you'' won''t stick around. No one, absolutely no one wants to get on Vesta Family''s bad side.


    So think carefully,


    You aren''t safe and,


    You do not have much time left either."

 Chapter 85 I Pity Lady Astra

    ?


    "Pl- B-Bring the Food."


    "As you say, Lady ra." The maid bowed her head and left.


    "ra, why are you stuttering when you are talking to servants? And you were about to add please again, weren''t you?"


    "T-That was out of habit. I feel that we should be respectful to them even if they are our servants, after all, they are humans as well."


    "So are you saying that when I or the mother do not add ''please'' while talking to the servants, we are being disrespectful to them?"


    "N-No, that''s not what I-"


    "ra,"


    Vaan called.


    "You are my Fiance and will marry me in the future, you will then be a Vesta, no, scratch that, even if we do not count that, as a 4th Circle Mage, you need to have a level of pride. Someone of your stature should not be respectful in front of servants.


    Treat them kindly, yes. Listen to what they want, help them when you think they are in the right, however, do not treat them as equals, because they are not.


    Think about this, how weird would it be if Mother used words like please every time she talked with a servant? Now think about yourself, when you be a 7th Circle Mage in the future, and my wife, wouldn''t it be strange if you talk to servants like you do now?"


    "I-I understand." ra nodded.


    "No stuttering. You must be confident all the time."


    "I understand."


    "Louder."


    "I understand."


    "Good." Vaan smiled.


    This was the first step. ra''s case was worse than he initially thought, so he needed to take it slow, first, he needed to fix the way she interacted with others. Once she gains some confidence, only then would they move to the next step.


    The little Gangster ra.


    ''Heh.''


    A small smile appeared on Vaan''s face as he imagined that scene in his head.


    *Knock* *Knock*


    Suddenly, Vaan heard a knock. He turned towards ra, ra understood what he wanted so taking a deep breath, she nced at the door and,


    "Come in."


    Vaan nodded in satisfaction.


    However, the person who entered was not the maid they were expecting, but Gabel.


    "Young Master Vaan, Young Master Asher is requesting to meet you."


    "Tell him to wait, I will be eating together with ra right now."


    Gabel bowed his head and walked away.


    A minuteter, a knock was heard again, this time, it was the maid. She entered and served the food, both ra and Vaan ate it together, then, Vaan left and walked towards the guest room.


    "I hope you have been well, Young Master Vaan." Asher stood up as he greeted.


    "You are getting politer and politer, punch bag," Vaan spoke as he sat on the sofa.


    "I am just in awe after seeing how you cornered that woman as you did, you are much more capable than someone like me could ever be," Asher replied.


    "Should I call you ass kisser instead?" Vaan wondered in his head.


    Asher''s mouth twitched. Vaan then signaled him to sit, and he sat down, then, Vaan questioned, "How was her reaction?"


    "She was desperate. Today was the first time I saw ''worry'' on her face, usually, she is good at hiding her emotions but she wavered today. Especially when I told her that she doesn''t have much time left." Asher reported.


    "Did she agree to use the Dreamweave?"


    "She didn''t say anything like that in front of me, but I am sure she is considering it."


    "Hmmm, should I give her thest push?"


    "Last push?" Asher furrowed his brows in confusion.


    "Thest rumor I spread reduced the number of simps simping for her, ''assaulted'' is a strong word after all, who knows how many ''goddesses'' have fallen from their grace once their sexual past is revealed."


    Vaan still remembers how those ''idols'' lose followers whenever news about their marriage is announced. Heck some of them don''t even reveal their personal rtionship because they fear the bacsh from the audience.


    Simps were weird, most of them know that let alone sexual encounters, they wouldn''t even get the chance to stay in a single room together in a single room, yet the moment their goddess loses her ''purity'', she is not as attractive in their eyes anymore.


    Well, not like any of this mattered, as long as it was working in Vaan''s favor, he didn''t care.


    "Anyways, with her simps, the Simp General and me being out of the picture, Sera is out of most of her ''sources'' of money.


    How about I take away thest source left as well?"


    "Those thugs?"


    "Mhm, they send her monthly money for keeping her mouth silent about the Dreamweave.


    Spread another rumor of Dreamweaveing into the Vesta City andmoners being affected by it. Let those thugs and Seraphina fall out."


    Vaan smirked and Asher, who understood the consequences of these rumors gulped.


    But then,


    "Young Master Vaan¡­ Are you sure we should do it?"


    "Hmm?"


    "If these rumors spread, the Vesta Family would start looking into it, if that happens then it won''t take much time for them to locate and annihte those thugs, and all the Dreamweave in the City would be tracked down and destroyed.


    Won''t that ruin your ns?" Asher questioned.


    "Don''t worry about that, I will talk to Mother about this. Just do what I told you to."


    "As youmand, Young Master Vaan."


    "You can leave now." Vaan then waved his hand. "I have to prepare for the uing Magic Duels."


    Asher stood up and bowed his head, "I hope the rest of your day goes well, Young Master Vaan."


    Saying those words, he turned around and left.


    Vaan left the room and walked into his own. Then, he took out the Spell Directory that ra gave him, he only had a week, so he had already given up on learning new Water Spells, rather than that, he was focusing on learning Two Circle Fire Spells and optimizing them using his extra Inner Circles.


    ¡­


    "Hey, have you heard? They say Lady Astra ising to watch today''s Battle."


    "What? Is that true!?"


    "Why are you so shocked? Young Master Vaan would be the one fighting today, of course she woulde and watch it, he is her only son."


    "Haah¡­ you know, sometimes I pity Lady Astra. To think her only son is a waste."


    "Right? And did you see his announcement? He sounded so arrogant."


    "Wasn''t he always like that? He looks down on everyone and acts arrogantly in front of others because of his family."


    "Hehe, actually, I have heard that when he is in front of another member of the Vesta Family, he acts like a little whimpering cat, too afraid to even say a word."


    "I mean, he can''t use his status against another member of the Vesta Family, now can he? Hehe."


    "But to think that waste would challenge everyone openly like that. I was quite surprised, just what was he thinking?"


    "Who knows? I just know something fun would happen."


    "Hahaha~ True True, but I must say, that waste does know how to make money, to think he would charge money for this and that too, a 100 Gold Coins! What an absurd price for a ticket."


    "I doubt many would spend 100 Gold Coins to see his Magic Duel."


    "We are still here, aren''t we?"


    "You are right. I am sure there are people who would pay even 1000 Gold Coins to see him getting humiliated."


    The 4 menughed as they made their way into the Vesta Stadium.


    It was the 25th of Augusta Month, the day Vaan is going to battle the challengers who believe the rumors and want him to make a public apology.


    The Duels will be held in the Vesta Stadium. Usually, whenever this stadium is opened, it is usually full-packed, today, however, it was one of those rare days where barely 10,000 people were present.


    Why? Because of the absurd ticket prices.


    A 100 Gold Coins! Even the Ticket for the Annual Elemental sh was only 50 Gold Coins. It was obvious that not many woulde and watch this.


    Of course, Vaan didn''t care, in fact, he was surprised that 10,000 came even when the prices were so absurd.


    To think he made 1,000,000 Gold Coins in one day, that''s equivalent to 1000 Elemental Stones. Even if he spends half of it on the arrangement, it was still 500 Elemental Stones, he had struck big!


    Not to mention all the Spell Directories he was going to get his hands on today.


    A lucky day indeed.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, please stand up on your seats to show your respect to the Head of the Vesta Family, Astra Elysia Vesta."


    The host announced. Everyone in the audience stood up. Astra, along with Orion walked towards their seats and once they sat down, the rest of the audience sat down as well.


    "Now I would like to invite Young Master Vaan and all the challengers who came here to challenge him."


    Soon, Vaan and 6 more mages stepped into the ring.


    Vaan nced at the 6 mages, then, with a wide smile on his face, he spoke up.


    "Just so you know, since you came here, it means you have decided to challenge me, the conditions of the challenge have already been set, so even if you do give up now,


    Your Spell Directories are mine."

 Chapter 86 Let’s Start The Duel, Shall We?

    ?


    6 more mages other than Vaan stepped up. Vaan named them ''Real Simps''. They were the simps who weren''t just a simp just for the sake of it, they actually meant it.


    They were serious about simping.


    Seraphina had many simps, some of them simply backed away after the rumors started circting, some actually directed their anger at him but didn''t dare to challenge him because they were scared of the repercussions and the rest were these 6 real ones.


    The ones who actually stood on their goddess''s side and came here to deliver their spell directories to him.


    Now these were the people who can actually be used, they were the ones who were born to be taken advantage of, and that was what Vaan was going to do.


    He will fulfill the goal of their life.


    "Just so you know, since you came here, it means you have decided to challenge me, the conditions of the challenge have already been set, so even if you do give up now,


    Your Spell Directories are mine."


    Vaan spoke as he nced at the 6 Real Simps standing in front of him, making sure that none of them feel disappointed.


    "That is if you do defeat us. Don''t forget about the 50 Elemental Stones and the Public Apology once you are defeated."


    One of the 6 men spoke up as he red at Vaan.


    Vaan, however,pletely ignored the man and nced at the Host, signaling him to start the first battle. The Host understood and then after nodding at Vaan, he turned towards the crowd and,


    "Since all the Participants are here, we will be starting with the first round. The order of the Duel will be the Order in which the Challengers have registered for the Challenge,


    So the first challenger, Elric Throneheart, from the Throneheart Family, please stay on the Stage with Young Master Vaan, as for the rest of the mages, please be on the side and patiently wait for your turn."


    Elric stepped forward as he red at Vaan with a confident look on his face. He was the same man who had spoken up just now and with how he was looking at Vaan''s face, it felt like he was saying,


    ''You can''t ignore me now, can you?''


    Then, with a smirk on his face, Elric nced at the announcer and,


    "What happens after I defeat Young Master Vaan? I mean, there are 5 other challengers after me, what about them? I am sure they would want to rewards as well and I feel it is unfair that they wouldn''t get those rewards because Young Master was injured in his Duel with me.


    Would Heal be used? If yes, then would I have to be careful enough to not hurt Young Master Vaan so much that even with Heal, he might need more than a day to be back in his full health? Although it would be difficult, I would try to cooperate and hold back."


    "Ehh¡­"


    The Host nced at Vaan with a confused look on his face, he didn''t know how he was supposed to answer this.


    The people in the crowd, on the other hand, had smiles on their faces, who here didn''t wish to see the arrogant Young Master of the famed Vesta Family getting thrashed by others? Even though he was the weakest and was often called waste, Vaan was still a member of the Vesta Family, his defeat would definitely be a sight to see. Many were especially curious about what expression Astra would make when her son loses.


    "Don''t worry, if you managed to hurt me enough that even Heal can''t instantly heal me, then I''ll add 20 more Elemental Stones" Vaan spoke up.


    "Really?" Elric''s eyes shined in greed. "You won''t go back on your words, will you?" He questioned, making sure Vaan won''t have any way out.


    Then suddenly, a wide smile appeared on Vaan''s face and, "That is, if you agree to remove the surrender rule."


    "The Surrender Rule? As in-"


    "Yes, as in the Duel would continue, not until one side passes out or surrenders, but until the winning side wants it to be.


    Are you up for it? For extra 20 Elemental Stones."


    Elric nced at the seat where his family members were sitting, wanting to get their opinions, but,


    "We don''t have all day, Coconut-Face. ept right now or it will automatically be rejected."


    "I ept, I have no reason to reject those extra 20 Elemental Stones." Elric epted.


    Vaan smiled.


    Seeing this as his clue, the Host jumped in,


    "Now, the two Mages, please shake your hands before the Duel."


    Vaan and Elric did as they were told.


    "You should have kept your hands away from Lady Seraphina," Elric smirked.


    "What element did you have an affinity with again?" Vaan questioned.


    "Why would you think I''ll tell you that?"


    "What? You think it would be that big of a strategic reveal? Alright then, I will tell you, my Element is Fire. Take it as me giving you a little handicap. I like to help the weak, you see."


    "My element is Earth." Not wanting to let Vaan feel any better, Elric replied.


    Vaan chuckled, "Earth huh¡­"


    "Not the most useful one right now, but I am sure I will be using your directory in the Future."


    Vaan wasn''t a fool, after Sshy, he had a rough idea in his mind. There were 4 Basic Elements and 4 Circles at the Basic Level, he predicted that he would be getting one Spirit with every Circle he unlocks, eventually getting 4 with different elements.


    So even though it was useless right now, he could use a Directory of an Earth Mage in the future.


    Of course, he could be wrong and Sshy''s appearance might be just a coincidence and the Directory might bepletely useless for him, but so what?


    At least he got to kick some ass, didn''t he?


    It was a win-win.


    "Now the two mages, please stand on your spots." The Host instructed.


    Vaan and Elric stood 100 meters apart from each other. This was the distance that was globally recognized to be the best distance between two Basic Mages before they start an official Duel. Since it was not close, it gave enough time for the two mages to prepare their spells and since it was not far, the spells the mages fired do not die out before hitting their opponent.


    All in all, it was a perfect distance to test the two mages.


    With the two of them standing in their spots, the announcer raised his voice,


    "The First Magic Duel of today''s challenge starts,


    Now!"


    As soon as the announcer announced, Vaan and Elric started absorbing the surrounding Mana and started circting it throughout their Mana Veins, once they were done with Initiation, the two mages nced at each other and then,


    Elric''s eyes widened in fright.


    "W-W-What the hell is that!?"


    His eyes fell on the two Advanced Circles Vaan had formed.


    "What is that circle¡­?"


    "Is that real¡­?"


    "How is he doing that¡­?"


    "Wait¡­ isn''t this the ''Advance Circle'' Vaan published a few days ago?"


    "That thing was real!?"


    "I ignored it thinking it was just him joking around."


    "But how is this possible¡­? A Circle like that shouldn''t exist!"


    Elric wasn''t alone, the entire crowd widened their eyes in surprise when those Circles were revealed.


    "These were the Magic Circles you were talking about?" Orion whispered into Astra''s ears. A small smile appeared on Astra''s face as she nodded.


    "Their reaction would be priceless."


    A smirk appeared on Orion''s face as well.


    The Husband and Wife nced at the Stage again, waiting for their son''s first victory,


    "Why does your face look like a bitch who was thrown into ice-cold water?


    Do you need me to warm you up?


    Well, why not? I am actually quite good at this."


    Saying those words, Vaan formed a 2-meter-long me Spear, then,


    "Let''s start the Duel, shall we!?"


    He shouted with an excited look on his face and the Fire Spear shot towards Elric.


    Because of the ''Speed'' Inner Spell, the Spear''s speed surprised Elric, who had stopped casting because of his surprise. Seeing the Giant Spearing towards him at a high speed, Elric quickly formed an Earth Wall in front of him.


    *BOOOM*


    An Explosion was heard as the Spear collided with the Earth Wall, Elric''s body was pushed back because of the explosion. The Fire Spear was much stronger than a normal Fire Spear and how could it not be?


    It was supported y 4 extra Inner Spells that worked just on improving its strength.


    Eldric started thinking about what other Inner Spells Vaan must have used but then,


    "What are you doing!? The Duel isn''t over!"


    Eldric heard his father''s shout and noticed Vaan preparing another Fire Spear while the other was alreadying at him.


    Eldric tried to run away, trying to dodge this one instead of blocking it, while at the same time absorbing Mana to defend against the next one,


    But then,


    The Fire Spear changed its Direction in mid-air.


    ''I-It has D-Direction Maniption as well!''


    Eldric''s nightmare had begun.

 Chapter 87 Something They Had Never Seen Before.

    ?


    ''I-It has D-Direction Maniption as well!''


    Eldric''s eyes widened in horror. The Fire Spear wasing at him, his defense spell still needed time, and there was no way he could cast it in time.


    He was done for!


    Eldric''s instincts took over, he stopped casting and just focused on running with everything he had. Of course, it was a foolish decision, there was no way a human, a mage with a weak body at that, could outrun a spell, not to mention a spell that was boosted by ''Speed'' and ''Direction Maniption.''


    But that''s what fear does to one. One could hardly make a sane decision when influenced by fear.


    "Aaaagggghhhhh!!!"


    Eldric screamed for his life. His heart pounded like crazy, the Fire Spear was catching up and was about to burn him.


    However, just as it was about to happen, the Fire Spear suddenly changed its direction and collided with the ground barely 5 cm away from Eldric''s feet.


    *BOOM*


    "AggggghhhhH!!!"


    Even though it wasn''t a direct contact, the impact was enough for Eldric''s body to fly away from the force of the collision.


    "Uggghh." Eldric groaned in pain, he had twisted his leg.


    ''I am alive¡­?''


    The look of absolute confusion on his face was a sight to see.


    He was in pain, but at the same time, he couldn''t understand how he lived.


    But then,


    "Oops, looks like a missed, my bad."


    Vaan sighed as he shook his head.


    Then, a wide smile appeared on his face and, "But I am sure that this time, I won''t miss. Get ready, coconut head, I''ll be shoving this entire thing right into your ass!"


    Vaan had already summoned another Fire Spear. Aldric on the other hand, had no spells ready, heck, let alone spells, he had not even summoned his magic circles yet, Vaan was aplete round ahead of him.


    For a Basic Mage, this advantage was so high that Eldric winning this battle was close to impossible.


    Why? It was simple.


    Vaan can simply fire his Spell,


    Vaan can simply fire his Spell, Whether Eldric defends it or dodges it, he would still need 2 extra seconds to cast another spell, by that time, Vaan would already be ready for another attack. For Basic Mages who absorbs the Mana from the surrounding, this cycle can continue for an indefinite time,


    Vaan would continue to attack, Eldric would continue to barely defend, there was no other direction this match could go into. Eldric had no other choice but to surrender.


    And that''s what he did.


    "Surrender! I surrender!!"


    He shouted in despair as he continued to run away from the Fire Spear Vaan had shot towards him.


    However, even after he surrendered, the Fire Spear didn''t stop, and neither did the Host or the Audience move, the duel was still on.


    "I already surrendered!! What''s happening!?"


    Eldric shouted.


    "Coconut Head, you really did forget those ''free'' extra 20 Elemental Stones you wanted, didn''t you?" Vaan chuckled.


    Eldric''s eyes widened in horror and then,


    *BOOOM*


    The Fire Spear burst right next to his feet again.


    "AAaaagagAGghhhhhHH! My leg!!" Eldric screamed, this time, his foot had burned.


    "Aha! I was closer this time!" Vaan shouted.


    "Well it is still far from your ass, I am sure this one would make it."


    And again, another Fire Spear was summoned, Eldric''s face got paler, tears streamed out of his eyes as he begged,


    "Young Maste-"


    "Don''t bother, this is like an Aiming practice session for me, the target is your lower hole, and I''ll continue till I get the hit."


    Vaanughed, absorbing the surrounding Mana again. Eldric, even though his leg was twisted and his foot was burned, he had no other option but to stand up and run.


    He didn''t even think about using a spell to defend himself, not only did he not have the time, the fear hadpletely taken over him, and there was no way he would be able to cast any of his spells right now.


    Vaan continued to shoot Fire Spears again and again, making Eldric run all over the stage, etching fear into the hearts of the rest of the challengers and the audience.


    "This¡­ is this really a battle between two 2nd Circle Mages¡­? It''s more like a 3rd Circle Mage bullying a newbie mage."


    "With those Magic Circles, how is Young Master Vaan any different than a 3rd Circle Mage? He has 12 Inner Circles!"


    "This is ridiculous, to think Young Master Vaan was this strong¡­"


    "I guess his Bloodline is finally showing up¡­"


    "Hahaha~ The Blood of the Vesta, how could it produce ordinary mages?"


    "Not to mention he is someone who is from the main line of heirs, the direct son of the Family Head. It was strange that he was said to have average talent, I guess he was just hiding his talents and was researching that Advanced Circle."


    "Indeed indeed, he really hid well, didn''t he?"


    "I guess Vesta Family will be producing another, remarkably strong and respected mage, won''t it?"


    "I am looking forward to it."


    The people in the audience couldn''t stop talking, the same mouths that were talking about how they were looking forward to Vaan''s defeat were now singing his praises.


    They were all professional bootlickers, all of them hoping to catch Vaan''s eyes and change their fate.


    But then suddenly,


    "H-Hey¡­"


    One of the men in the crowd called out as he pointed towards the Stage.


    "Why is Young Master Vaan running towards the other mage like that¡­?"


    "H-Huh? Is he closing the Distance to cast a spell?"


    "But the Fire Spears are working perfectly fine, he just needs to attack and the duel would have ended¡­"


    "Is he trying another spell?"


    "An experiment in the middle of the Duel?"


    "Heh, Young Master Vaan sure is brave."


    "As expected from someone with the Vesta Blood."


    "What kind of spell do you think he would use?"


    "You think I would have been sitting here with someone like you if I knew that?"


    "¡­"


    "I can only say that it must be something amazing."


    The crowd was excited, they had even prepared themselves to see something they had never seen before, and Vaan showed them exactly that.


    Something they had never seen before.


    Something they would never forget for the rest of their life,


    The sight of a Mage, jumping at his opponent with a wild smile on his face and then punching the opponent''s face with everything he had.


    "Hahaha! As I thought, spells are fun and all, but the feeling of your fist on a nose is definitely unbeatable!"


    Vaanughed out loud and then,


    "Hey Coconut Head, do you think a Dented Coconut would look good?


    How about we try and figure that out?"


    "H-Huh-ugghhhh!!"


    Vaan, sitting on Eldric''s stomach, rained down a barrage of punches onto Eldric''s face. Eldric was not a fighter, his leg was injured and his entire body was exhausted from running like a madman, in front of Vaan who was sitting on top of him with that crazy smile on his face, raining down punches at him, Eldric was defenseless.


    "S-Stwop this!"


    He could only plead.


    "Y-Young Master Vwaan! P-please stop this! I surrender! I surrender! I am swure those rumors are f-false, that bwastered who framed you, I hope he dwies a painful death! I was wrong, please, please forgive me!"


    After being punched for the fifteenth time, Eldric couldn''t take it anymore. No matter how many times he surrendered, the Host didn''t stop the battle. Everything was in Vaan''s head, Eldric who realized it started bleeding.


    Vaan finally paused.


    Then he momentarily nced at the other challengers and then took a deep breath.


    "Do you surrender?" he questioned.


    Eldric''s face brightened up. "Yes! I swurrender! I swurrender!!" He nodded continuously, looking at both the Host and the Crowd to show hisplete surrender.


    It was without a doubt one of the most enthusiastic surrenders people had seen.


    Vaan was a generous and humble man.


    Seeing him surrender so desperately, he stood up, then nced at the Host, the Host nodded and stopped the Battle.


    "The Winner of the First Magic Duel, Vaan Astra Vesta."


    The results were announced.


    "YEAAAHHH!!!"


    The crowd cheered. Many started chanting Vaan''s name, Vaan waved at the crowd, enjoying the love and attention he was receiving.


    "See? This time I didn''t hit him till he passed out, I stopped before. I told you I was a good person, didn''t I?" Vaan spoke to the two lovely fairies flying around him.


    By now, mey was already used to this, therefore, she just sighed. Sshy was still a little taken aback, however, with mey patting her back like a big sister, she wasn''t much affected either.


    Vaan smiled at the two fairies, then his eyes fell on a certain red-haired girl watching him from afar.


    He waved at her excitedly, ra blushed a little but then waved back.


    The atmosphere in the stadium was good, but then,


    "Can we continue the next duel already? If Young Master isn''t tired, that is."


    A rude voice was heard.


    Vaan nced at the challenger who had spoken up and,


    "Ahh! I was wondering why you so looked familiar,


    You have been one of my punchbags before!"

 Chapter 88 Let’s Fight Like Real Men Do

    ?


    "Ahh, I was wondering why you looked familiar,


    You have been one of my punchbags before!


    I recognize you!


    How have you been, punchbag?"


    Vaan questioned with an excited smile before. Punchbag, however, didn''t like what he was called, and neither did he like Vaan''s tone.


    However, he controlled his anger, and rather thanshing out, he simply nced at the Host and,


    "I wish to challenge Young Master Vaan next."


    "The next challenger would be decide-" The Host was about to shake his head, but then,


    "He is my fist''s close friend.


    We can change the rules for him a bit, let him cut the line."


    Vaan spoke with a genuine smile on his face. Then, he nced at the man and,


    "Come up, Punchbag.


    You don''t have to wait for your turn like the others."


    Punchbag didn''t react to Vaan''s words and simply stepped onto the stage, then he nced at Vaan and introduced himself,


    "Karl Vesta, I hope we have a fair duel."


    Yes, he was Karl Vesta. The same mage who stopped Vaan and ra when they came out of the Magic Training room and was then beaten up by Vaan.


    The Medic mentioned that he needed at least a year before he could recover, however, just for this Magic Duel, Heal was used to give him a chance of getting back at Vaan.


    And that was what Karl was here for, get back at Vaan for what he had done before.


    As for Seraphina? Karl didn''t give a rat-shit about that woman.


    He was just grateful to her for giving him a chance to get even.


    Karl extended his hand for a handshake, from his actions, it was clear that he didn''t want to waste even a single second and start the battle.


    Vaan shook his hand, then, he smiled,


    "I remember you being a 3rd Circle Mage, Karl. I am sure you have read the announcement clearly,


    The use of Instant Spells will be allowed in this Duel.


    Be ready to have Heal used on you again."


    "Doesn''t Young Master Vaan have an Advance Magic Circle that gives him 12 Inner Circles, it is the same as having a 3rd Circle anyway, I believe that a Duel without using Instant Spells would be better in this scenario. How about it?"


    Karl questioned as he looked into Vaan''s eyes.


    Vaan narrowed his eyes, "Are you implying that the difference between a 2nd Circle and 3rd Circle Mage is just the number of Inner Circles?"


    "¡­"


    Karl turned silent as he nced at Astra who was looking in his direction. He gulped.


    He couldn''t agree to this statement, not in front of the Family Head, that would show his ipetence and showing his ipetence in front of the Family Head¡­


    ''You are already standing in front of her child. No matter how much Astra tries to deny or hide it, it is clear that she loves her son. She is already biased against you, no matter what you do, she would see you in a bad light.


    Remember Karl, she is not the one you have to impress.''


    Suddenly, Karl heard a voice right in his head.


    His expression changed.


    He thought about what the voice said for a while, then, he nced at Vaan and,


    "Yes. That is exactly what I am implying.


    And since the number of Inner Circles we have are the same, why don''t we have a fair battle?"


    Vaan frowned.


    He didn''t think the Punchbag would say something like that.


    However, instead of thinking about the reason, he just shrugged,


    "Not my fault that you are a dumb piece of shit.


    It was clearly stated in the Announcement,


    If a 3rd Circle Mage or strongeres and challenges me, Instant Spells will be used."


    "How is it my fault that you are a piece of trash who is only a 2nd Circle Mage when he is already 20 years old? I worked hard to get where I am and be a 3rd Circle Mage. Why do I have topromise for being stronger than you? Isn''t that usually the other way around?" Karl didn''t give up.


    "Huh? Compromise? In what way are youpromising? You came here to challenge me, I never said I wouldn''t fight you because you are a 3rd Circle Mage, I just said the use of Instant Spells will be allowed in the Duel. What''s wrong with that? Instant Spells are an important part of a Mage''s Strength. Why can''t they be used in Magic Duels?"


    "That''s because using Instant Spells doesn''t show any Magic Skills, and Magic Duels are a way for a Mage to show his Skills.


    Using Instant Spells defeats the purpose of Magic Duels."


    "This is a Challenge, Punchbag. You all are here to challenge me, it is no show of Skill, it''s a show of Strength.


    And Instant Spells are very much a part of a Mage''s Strength."


    "¡­"


    Karl momentarily turned silent.


    Twisting facts in his favor?


    Vaan was an expert in that!


    You learn a lot when you extort people in creative ways.


    "Just say you are scared to fair duel with me."


    "It will be a fair duel when I be a 3rd Circle Mage,


    If you have the balls,e at me then."


    Vaan spoke as he looked into Karl''s eyes.


    "Heh, with how much time you took to be a 2nd Circle, I am sure that by the time you get to the 3rd Circle, I will already be a 4th Circle Mage.


    You would never catch up to me, Vaan.


    You will always be a trash relying on his background to suppress others."


    Karl replied with a smirk on his face.


    "¡­"


    This entire time, the crowd was silent. The Argument between two members of the Vesta Family was too heated, none of them made any sound since they didn''t wish to miss a single moment, and just as everyone thought that the Mage named Karl had won and was looking at Astra to see her reaction, a wide smile appeared on Vaan''s face,


    "And you will always be a bitch who will always be suppressed by people like me.


    Don''t worry, in the the future, I''ll keep you by my side to bark at the unwanted people around me.


    I believe that would be a fitting job for someone like you."


    *Gasps*


    The crowd sucked in cold breaths.


    Nobody thought that Vaan would go this far. Even Astra was taken aback, however, in the end, she was unable to hold herself back and her mouth formed an arch.


    She was smiling.


    And seeing the Head of the Vesta Family smiling like that, smiling at him¡­ Karl lowered his head in embarrassment and clenched his fists in anger.


    "You are just a spoiled bastard who is nothing by himself."


    "Well, not my fault your parents were shit mages and weren''t as good as my mother."


    Vaan shrugged.


    "My children would be saying the same thing to your children." Karlughed.


    "No, my children would be shitting on your children as well, just like I am shitting on you. It is the fate of your blood." Vaan retorted.


    Then, a yful smile appeared on his face and,


    "And don''t you worry, my future children don''t have to worry about having talentless parents, their mother was a 4th Circle Mage when she was just 20."


    ra quickly hid her red face when she understood what Vaan just said. She couldn''t believe Vaan would say something like that in front of so many people.


    T-That was so shameless!


    ra wished that she could hide for the rest of her life.


    And Vaan, who saw the reaction he wanted to seeughed out loud,pletely ignoring the punch bag in front of him.


    "Look at him, confessing to his fianc¨¦ in the open like that. How daring~


    As expected of my child."


    Astra continuously nodded her head. From the start to the finish, this was the best thing that had happened in this ''Challenge'' in her opinion.


    "That was quite bold indeed,


    He is almost as romantic as me." Orion nodded his head as well.


    Astra turned towards her husband and raised her eyebrow.


    "What?" Orion questioned.


    Without saying anything, Astra turned towards the Stage.


    "What?" Orion, who was now curious questioned again.


    "Nothing."


    "I am no fool, that look was definitely not nothing."


    "You should know what I am thinking."


    "Tsk, typical women."


    Orion snorted and just turned away.


    He won''t be ying this game.


    Astra was a Mage, he wasn''t.


    "Alright, let''s stop this discussion, people are getting bored,


    How about we fight like a man?"


    Suddenly, Vaan suggested.


    "Fight like a man?" Karl was confused.


    "No Magic, no Instant Spells, no weapons,


    Just our bare fists,


    Let''s fight like real men do,


    How about it?


    You won''t say my family background gives me an advantage because your parents raised you to be a pussy, won''t you?"


    "Fighting with our bare fists?"


    "Bare fists." Vaan nodded.


    "Let''s do it,


    I believe this would be the best way for me to get my revenge."


    "Indeed indeed.


    I am sure you would have a better shot at winning this way."


    Vaan''s smile couldn''t be hidden.

 Chapter 89 You Started It You Bastard.

    ?


    "Let''s fight like real men, with our bare fists.


    What do you say?" Vaan questioned with a big smile on his face.


    Karl started thinking, a battle with Instant Spells or a Battle using Fists¡­


    The choice was simple.


    He couldn''t get into the Battle of Resources against Vaan. Both of them may be a part of the Vesta Family, but in truth, his ''family'' was actually nothing, his father just inherited the Vesta Family name because he was an excellent mage, it may sound all grand and exciting, but in truth, they were nothing but subordinates,


    Vaan, on the other hand, was the true leader, the son of the Family Head, there was no way someone like him could defeat Vaan in the battle of resources.


    A Fistfight was countless times better.


    "Let''s do it,


    I believe this would be the best way for me to get my revenge."


    Karl spoke as he looked into Vaan''s eyes.


    Vaan smiled as he extended his hand. Karl shook his hand, the two mages stood 10 meters away from each other.


    The Host had no clue what to do, this was the first time something like this had happened in a Magic Duel. The Rules have been changed unofficially.


    He didn''t know how he was supposed to react.


    "Start the fight," Vaan ordered.


    In the end, the Host just gave up and did what he was told,


    "The fight between Vaan Astra Vesta and Karl Vesta,


    Start!"


    "You are dead you trash bastard!"


    Karl, his jaw clenched,unched himself at Vaan with a furious right hook. But Vaan''s reflexes were lightning quick; he smoothly ducked under the punch and countered with a sharp jab to Karl''s side, causing him to stagger back.


    "The Fuck? A punch can be that weak? I mean, I get that you have been practicing magic your entire life, but what''s with that sissy-ass punch? Is that all you''ve got?" Vaan taunted, a cocky grin ying on his lips.


    Karl''s face reddened with a mix of anger and frustration.


    "Aaahhhhh!" He lunged forward again, his fists aiming for Vaan''s midsection. However, Vaan simply sidestepped, allowing Karl''s punches to whiff through the air. With a swift pivot, Vaannded a solid blow to Karl''s back, sending him stumbling forward.


    "You are honestly the weakest man I have seen, I mean, holy shit you are weak," Vaanmented.


    This time, he was genuinely surprised. He wasn''t expecting much from a bunch of nerds who have stuck their noses into books their entire lives, but this was nightmarish. How was Karl this weak? He didn''t know shit about fighting, he was just randomly swinging his punch, heck he doesn''t even keep his eyes open when he does that.


    "You fucking bastard!"


    Gritting his teeth, Karl spun around, fury zing in his eyes. He swung a sweeping left hook, but Vaan seized the opportunity to demonstrate his agility. He ducked under the punch, his body moving fluidly, and countered with a well-timed uppercut that connected with Karl''s chin.


    "Ugghhh!"


    The force of the blow stunned Karl, causing him to stagger a step back. Vaan didn''t let up; he seized Karl''s arm, using his momentum against him, and sent him crashing to the ground with a controlled throw.


    "Aagghhh!!" Karl grunted as he arched his back in pain and gritted his teeth.


    Vaan stood over him, an air of superiority radiating from him. "Come on, Punchbag, you''ve got to put more effort into it than that," he mocked, his toneced with condescension.


    "You are dead!"


    Karl''s frustration red as he got back on his feet, his knuckles scraped and bloodied. He charged at Vaan with a renewed determination, his fists a blur as he unleashed a flurry of punches. Yet, Vaan''s movements were like water, effortlessly evading each strike. He danced around Karl, his footwork precise and his reactions lightning-fast.


    "Is this really all you''ve got? I thought you wanted revenge?


    Did you really just tell yourself that you lost that day because I took you by surprise? Did that allow you to sleep at night? Oh wait, you didn''t need anything to sleep, the pain from my punches should have been enough." Vaan''sughter echoed through, showing his sheer confidence in his skills.


    He wasn''t taking this seriously at all.


    Karl''s patience wore thin, his anger propelling him forward. He threw a fierce punch, aiming directly for Vaan''s face, but Vaan''s grin only widened. In a breathtaking disy of agility, Vaan swayed to the side, the punch grazing past his cheek. In the same motion, he delivered a swift kick to the back of Karl''s knee, sending him tumbling to the ground once more.


    "Aggh!"


    Gasping for breath, Karl struggled to get up, his frustration now mingled with a growing sense of humiliation. He couldn''t understand how Vaan was so effortlessly outmatching him. It was as if he was ying a game, toying with Karl''s efforts.


    Vaan''sughter pierced the air again, sharp and cutting. "You want me to close my eyes or something?" he said, his voice dripping with superiority. "Meh, I might fail to control my strength if I do that. That would be the end for a sissy like you.


    I must say it though, this look of you kneeling on the ground, it suits you quite a lot.


    You look exactly like the bitch you are.


    Now start barking, the louder you bark, the less painful I''ll make it."


    "You son of a bitc- Uggghhhhh!!" Karl was about to curse out loud, but Vaan kicked the back of his hand with a roundhouse kick.


    Karl fell down. Vaan then stepped over him and, "You should know when to shut up, Punchbag."


    Then, Vaan made himselffortable as he sat on Karl''s chest and cracked his knuckles.


    "How about we repeat what happened that way,


    We even have arger crowd this time."


    "Wha-Ugghh!"


    *Bam* *Bam* *Bam*


    The Thrashing started.


    Vaan continued to rain punches, aiming at Karl''s face without mercy. Karl''s face was already bloodied, the impact of Vaan''s punches was heavy, each punch felt like a huge boulder was thrown at him, he was losing consciousness and there was nothing he could do to try and defend himself since his hands stuck down.


    Karl could only helplessly take on these merciless punches or surrender.


    Or¡­


    Karl thought of another idea.


    In anger, he red at Vaan,


    "Oh? You still have the balls to look at me with those eyes? Once I am done with you, your face will be so swollen that you won''t even be able to open your eyes. I''ll turn you into a Chinese Shit!"


    Vaan shouted as he directly punched Karl''s right eye.


    "Uggghhh!!" Karl groaned in pain, with this punch, he had decided. Gritting his teeth in anger, his hand moved toward his pocket, he took something out, his Mana moved and,


    *Buzz*


    "AAGGGggGGGHhHHH!!!"


    Time seemed to slow as the electric shock jolted through Vaan''s body. His muscles tensed uncontrobly, and a searing pain coursed from his fingertips to his core. The sensation was like nothing he had ever experienced ¨C a mix of intense burning and uncontroble tremors.


    Vaan''s vision blurred, and he felt as if he were suspended in


    a void of agony. The world around him became a blur of swirling colors. Karl


    had used an Instant Spell, Lightning Blitz.


    Vaan continued to scream in agony as his body convulsed, a puppet to the whims of the electricity that surged within him. Every fiber of his being screamed for release, for relief from the tormenting currents that held him captive. He wanted to cry out, to beg for mercy, but the electricity seemed to have stolen his voice.


    And then, as suddenly as it began, the shock ended. Vaan copsed to his knees, gasping for air, his body weak and trembling.


    A wide grin appeared on Karl''s face, he pushed Vaan''s body away as he slowly stood up.


    "That bastard!"


    Orion, who saw this was enraged, he was about to rush towards the stage to end the battle and disqualify Karl since he went against the rules, but before he could do that, Astra grabbed his arm.


    "What are you doing!? Unhand me this instant!"


    Orion red at Astra in anger.


    "The battle isn''t over."


    Astramented. There was no expression on her face, but that just made her even scarier.


    Orion felt a strange jolt rushing through his body, he could feel it, his wife was enraged. Those ck eyes as she observed the stage¡­


    Orion''s anger instantly flushed out as he gulped.


    He simply sat down as he held Astra''s hand and nced at the stage. His eyes fell on his son''s golden eyes.


    Those eyes hadn''t lost yet.


    "Hahaha! What? Down with just one spell? Weren''t you the one acting all mighty, bragging about how Instant Spells were allowed in the battle!? Why are you lying on the ground now huh!? C''mon, get up! I am a fair man, I''ll give you a chance to get up!"


    Karlughed.


    "You started it you bastard."


    "Huh? What did you say?" Karl frowned.


    But Vaan had already activated his Instant Spell.

 Chapter 90 I Am Not A Merciful Owner.

    ?


    Vaan red at Karl, his entire body was trembling due to the after-effects of the electric shock, he couldn''t move as his nervous system was a mess, his eyes, however, were red in rage.


    This was the second time he had been through a near-death experience since he came to this world and it was the exact same scenario as before.


    Vaan was cursing himself for falling for the same trick again, he was angry at himself and all that anger, he decided to direct it all the man standing in front of him.


    "You started it you bastard."


    Vaan growled, his golden eyes shining intensely.


    "Huh? What did you say?" Karl frowned.


    Vaan''s eyes weren''t of someone who was struck with high-voltage electricity, those were the eyes of a beast who was about to chew down its enemy to thest muscle.


    Karl was taken aback, seeing those eyes, a forbidding feeling enveloped him.


    ''He will kill me!'' Fear crept over Karl''s body, he had to end this here and now. Thinking that, he quickly activated another Instant Spell.


    *Flicker*


    A huge 30 cm Fire Ball formed over Karl''s head. Yes, it was the same spell Rnd used to hurt Vaan, the same spell that nearly killed Vaan and that was when Vaan defended himself in time by kicking Rnd''s hand away.


    Right now, however, with Vaan''s entire body electrolyzed and unmovable, Vaan was defenseless. Karl''s had a crazy expression on his face, this was not a simple duel anymore.


    Karl was nning to kill Vaan.


    The audience widened their eyes in shock, everyone knew that this was not a smart move, however, before anyone could stop him, Karl had already shot the Spell towards Vaan.


    *Whoosh*


    *BOOOOOOOOM*


    A huge explosion was heard.


    Karl''s entire body trembled as he saw the explosion right in front of his eyes.


    He had done it.


    He had actually done it.


    "¡­"


    The audience was absolutely silent.


    They never thought they would be witnessing the death of a member of the Vesta Family. A direct descendant at that.


    Everyone in the audience quickly turned towards Astra, this was definitely not going to end well. Whether he was from the Vesta Family or not, Karl was done for.


    When Karl finally realized what he had done, his eyes widened in absolute horror and his entire body turned weak. He quickly turned towards Astra, his heart beating as loudly as it could, however, as his eyes fell on Astra, he froze.


    Astra was simply looking at him with an emotionless expression, her face was no different than what it normally was, rather, it looked even calmer.


    Even Orion, Astra''s husband who was known for his sudden outbursts was simply sitting down without any change in his demeanor.


    Orion''s reason was simple, he had already epted his role here, others may not see it but he could tell,


    His wife''s eyes meant destruction.


    Something big was going to happen here and he needed to have a stable head to stop that from turning into a bigger mess.


    As for his son''s condition?


    Well, Astra didn''t react so Orion knew Vaan was absolutely safe.


    And he was right.


    Even with such a huge explosion, Vaan waspletely fine.


    "I told you, did I not? You were the one who started it."


    A voice was heard.


    The smoke cleared up and seeing Vaan''s standing as he looked into his eyes,


    "!!!"


    Karl''s eyes widened in surprise.


    He wasn''t alone, everyone in the crowd had the same reaction as well. Especially the experienced mages sitting in the stadium, they weren''t shocked that Vaan had survived, their eyes were fixed on the Transparent Veil that had covered Vaan''s entire body.


    It was his Instant Spell.


    Diamond Veil.


    The mages could recognize that Instant Spell the moment they saw it.


    Vaan wasn''t a fool either, being attacked by an Instant Spell, he had been in this situation before as well,


    So he had done his own preparations.


    Diamond Veil was one of the strongest Water-based Instant Spells, normally, this spell needs 70 Elemental Stones to work, something that no new Mage had ess to, and even if some did, no fool would dare use all those Elemental Stones on a single Spell.


    Even the Mages from the Mainline of the Vesta Family were the same.


    Vaan, however, was different.


    He had a cheat.


    "Grruurr!!"


    A little blue-haired Spirit with knowledge from the unknown realm, not only did Sshy reduce the cost of Spell to 40 Elemental Stones, but she also raised its strength to an even higher level.


    She allowed Vaan to create a Defense Spell that no Basic Mage, the 4th Circle Mages included, could even make a scratch on, let alone, break.


    With this Spell Cast, Vaan''s defense was imprable. Whether it was the Instant Spells or the Strongest Spells they used, breaking through Diamond Veil''s defense was absolutely impossible.


    "Grruurr!"


    And right now, little Sshy was angry and was ring at Karl with absolute hatred in her eyes. The water around her was boiling, her blue hair was floating in the air, she looked like that if she could, she would have destroyed that human in front of her.


    Honestly, the current Sshy didn''t suit her calm water element at all, she looked more like a Fire Spirit.


    As for the Fire Spirit, mey, she was flying around Vaan with a worried look on her face.


    "He cheated¡­"


    Vaan, who was feeling a bit better after using ''Heal'' Instant Spell on him, nced and mey and chuckled.


    "Guurrur!"


    Suddenly, before mey could say anything, Sshy appeared in front of Vaan, her eyes filled with rage, Sshy then created a miniature, 10 cm tall Karl in the air, and before Vaan could be surprised about how perfect that sculpture was,


    *Bam*


    Its head burst apart.


    "Gurr!"


    Sshy called out.


    "You¡­ You want me to kill him¡­?" Vaan was shocked. This was the same little spirit who was all nervous when she first met him.


    Sshy nodded her head. She pointed at Karl and,


    "Guurr! Grruu! Grruu!!"


    Sshy was extremely angry, and Vaan, who saw her getting angry in his stead couldn''t help but smile.


    His eyes then fell on Karl, who still couldn''t make sense out of this situation and,


    "I hope you are prepared for the consequences, punchbag."


    Karl gulped, Vaan''s horrifying smile¡­ this was the first time he saw something like that¡­ This man was not the Vaan he knew. He was not the same pushover.


    Karl realized it, but it was toote.


    *Step*


    Vaan stepped towards Karl.


    "Y-You! Stop spouting bullshit! There are no consequences!" Karl shouted.


    *Flicker*


    Another Fireball appeared on top of his head and he shot it at Vaan.


    *BOOOOOOM*


    Another explosion was heard.


    *Step* *Step* *Step*


    However, before the mes of the explosion even died out, Vaan walked out.


    Again, there was not a single scratch on his entire body.


    There was just that demonic smile stered on his face.


    "You should use any stronger spells you have, Punchbag.


    Because I won''t be pulling my punches once I start."


    Vaan spoke as he took out his next instant spell for Karl to see.


    It was Vaan''s public deration,


    ''I will use Instant Spells to destroy you.''


    Karl was scared, in fear, he quickly turned towards the Host and,


    "I Surrender! This Duel, I lost! Quickly announce the results and end it!"


    Karl shouted, giving up before Vaan could attack him.


    Vaan, however, just smiled.


    "Hey! What are you doing!? Why aren''t you announcing the results!?


    I ALREADY SURRENDERED!"


    Karl screamed, the Host, however, simply nced at Vaan, waiting for his order.


    "Huh¡­"


    Karl couldn''t believe it.


    "You really thought you could run away huh¡­"


    Vaan chuckled.


    There was a smile on his face, however, his eyes weren''t smiling.


    "Prepare your defense spell, Punchbag. I want to see you suffe-"


    "Young Master Vaan!"


    Suddenly, a loud voice from the crowd was heard.


    Vaan turned around with a frown on his face, his eyes falling on a middle-aged man who was standing on his seat.


    "F-Father¡­" Karl called out.


    Yes, that man was Karl''s father.


    "Young Master Vaan!" Karl''s father called out again, then, he bowed his head and,


    "I am a 5th Circle Mage who works for the Vesta Family! My son is a fool who does not know his limits, Young Master Vaan, however, is a forgiving and big person, I hope Young Master Vaan overlooks my foolish son''s mistake and spares him,


    If he does, I swear with my Magic on the line that I will always be loyal to Young Master Vaan and will do whatever he tells me to!"


    Karl''s father announced.


    The Mages in the audience were taken aback again. A 5th Circle Mage working for the Vesta Family¡­ if someone like him swore Loyalty to Vaan, his status would increase to another level. Heck, he might even join back the Battle of Heirs. He had already won the duel, he would be getting the rewards, it was a deal where Vaan had nothing to lose.


    However,


    "Are you saying that if I spare your son, you are willing to be my dog just like I said before?"


    Vaan questioned without even looking at Karl''s father. His eyes were fixed on Karl, that wide smile as he looked at his reaction while waiting for his father''s reply, Karl clenched his fists in anger.


    His father, on the other hand, just kept his head down.


    "Yes, I will be your Dog¡­"


    He knew the stakes. He knew his son had messed up and he had messed up badly.


    In this situation, Pride was useless.


    People like them could only bow their heads.


    Hearing his father''s reply, Karl closed his eyes.


    He wanted to say something, he wanted to stop his father from embarrassing himself in front of all these people, however,


    He was scared for his life.


    Even though he was angry and frustrated, he still wanted to live.


    However,


    "A 5th Circle Mage as a Dog huh¡­


    That sure sounds interesting¡­"


    Vaan muttered.


    But then, a crazy smile appeared on his face and,


    "But your son can''t live, Dog.


    He already lost that chance when he used the Instant Spell on me.


    I am not a merciful owner."


    Vaan spoke and,


    *BOOOOOOOOM*

 Chapter 91 It Seems People Had Forgotten Who I Used To Be.

    ?


    "Your son cannot be allowed to live, Dog. He already lost that chance when he used the Instant Spell on me.


    I am not a merciful owner."


    Vaan spoke and,


    *BOOOOOOOOM*


    A huge explosion was heard.


    Vaan had fired his Instant Spell.


    ''Ignispike Pursuit''


    And Vaan didn''t end it there. He wasn''t nning on repeating the same mistake he made when he was against Ronald. His family was Upright, Just, and whatever, he understood why they were like that and their reasoning, however,


    Vaan was still Vaan.


    The future benefits of having others fight for them, he understood them, however, Vaan was a short-sighted gangster and he wanted Karl dead.


    Without any ''discussions'' and to do that,


    *Flicker*


    ''Instant Burn.''


    A dangerous spell that burns the enemy to his death.


    "AAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!"


    Karl screamed in agony as those mes burned his entire body.


    Ignispike Pursuit attacked his chest, Instant Burn, however, was burning his entire body. Karl rolled his body, trying to get rid of mes and save himself, however, Instant Burn was simply too strong.


    "YOU BASTARD!!"


    On the other hand, Karl''s father, whom Vaan ignored and attacked Karl was enraged. Unable to control his anger, 5 Magic Circles appeared around him, his hair floated in the air as the wind in the surroundings started moving unnaturally, a 10-meter-long wind spike formed in front of him, the spike was surrounded by strong wind currents.


    It was Karl''s Father''s strongest spell, Windreaper''s Torrent.


    A spell strong enough to tear a normal man''s body into pieces, giving him one of the most painful deaths possible. It was also a spell that was strong enough to prate most of the defenses, the chances of Vaan''s Diamond Veil were high.


    Vaan could sense that as well, a 10-meter huge spike with those wind currents surrounding it, he could clearly sense the strength behind that spell.


    The strongest Spell of a 5th Circle Mage, there was no way he could defend against it.


    "How dare you attack my son!?" Karl''s father roared in anger, then,


    *Whoosh*


    The Torrent moved and shot towards Vaan.


    Vaan covered his eyes out of instinct, his life shed through his eyes. The Spell moved toward Vaan, the unnatural wind that moved his hair and clothes made him realize that death was close, Vaan prepared himself for the collision, however,


    "¡­"


    The ''collision'' never happened.


    The unnatural wind Vaan felt around him died down, confused, he opened his eyes and realized that the spell had stopped right in front of him. It was barely 10 cm away.


    Vaan''s heart was beating quickly, even though the spell had stopped, seeing a 10-meter spike right in front of his eyes was a horrifying experience, it was no different than having a shotgun pointed out at you, no, it was even scarier, rather than a shotgun, it was more like a missile.


    Slowly, Vaan nced at Karl''s Father, he wanted to see why he stopped, Karl''s father, however, had a frown on his face, it was as if he couldn''t make sense out of this situation.


    "Attacking my son out in the open, you sure have balls, Sidwig."


    Then, a calm voice was heard.


    Vaan, who recognized his mother''s voice turned to look at her, but then, his eyes widened in surprise.


    "S-She is flying!"


    Someone in the crowd pointed out.


    Astra was flying in the air and she looked down from above, she looked like a goddess looking down on the entire world. People who were witnessing that scene felt an urge to bow their heads and kneel down.


    Karl''s father, Sidwig, on the other hand, had paled in fear.


    He finally realized what he had done in a fit of his anger.


    "L-L-Lady As-Astra." He stuttered.


    Astra, however, simply flicked her hand, the huge 10-meter Spike that horrified Vaan disappeared in an instant. Then Astra moved her hand again and pointed at Sidwig.


    "!!!"


    To his horror, Sidwig felt his entire body move, he tried to resist however, he was already in the air.


    His and the crowd''s eyes widened in shock as Sidwig''s body flew into the air and moved towards Astra.


    "I have been too lenient these days, haven''t I? It seems people had forgotten who I used to be."


    Astramented, her tone and calm expression gave an impression that she wasn''t bothered by these events, her ck eyes, however, were different.


    They were a little too calm.


    To the point that it felt like they were¡­ horrifyingly calm¡­


    "L-Lady Astra. P-Please forgive me."


    Sidwig begged for mercy. His entire body trembled in fear as he recalled some memories most of the people in the Vesta Family had buried in their hearts.


    The Astra before Young Master Vaan was born.


    The Horrifying Demon who wouldn''t spare even her Blood Siblings.


    The woman who with her insane magic talent gained power and support in the family, then used her advantage to thoroughly crush her siblings'' attempts to get into the Battle of Heirs.


    Yes, there was no ''Battle of Heirs'' when Astra became the Family Head, that was because other than her, there was nopetitor, she had crushed them and their factions. It was not just a figure of speech, Astra actually did crush all the factions who dared to stand against her, even going as far as spilling blood if she had to and she did all that with these exact same, horrifyingly calm eyes.


    Astra was a tyrant. A horrifyingly emotionless and powerful tyrant who only calmed down after she met the love of her life and gave birth to her child.


    Today, however, Sidwig could see those familiar eyes again.


    Those eyes he saw all those years ago, at that time, he was only someone who had recently gotten into the Vesta Family because of his Magic Talent, even though he had no rtion to those eyes whatsoever, he still feared them, today, however, those same eyes were directed at him.


    "P-Please forgive me, I h-have made a g-grave mi-mistake. If you g-give me a chance, I will a-atone for my sins, I will serve Young Master Vaan with all my heart and soul. P-Please, Lady Astra, I have been loyal to the Vesta Family for 25 years, please forgive me."


    Sidwig begged for mercy, trying to y the loyalty card to get out of this situation.


    "Eliza."


    Suddenly, Astra called out.


    "At yourmand, Lady Astra."


    A shadow appeared on the stage, kneeling next to Vaan. Vaan stepped back in surprise, he couldn''t understand how this woman wearing ck clothes just appeared out of thin air.


    ''Is she a ghost or something?'' he wondered in his head. However, before he could think too much, he heard Astra''s voice.


    "What is the punishment for interrupting the Magic Duel between 2 mages?"


    "Imprisonment in the Vesta Prison for 10 years, Lady Astra."


    "What is the punishment for supporting someone who broke the rules of a Magic Duel?"


    "Imprisonment for 4 years."


    "Punishment for using Magic Spell on one of the duelists."


    "8 Years."


    Astra then nced at Sidwig and,


    "Punishment for attacking the direct descendent of the Vesta Family with the aim of taking his life."


    "Public Execution, Lady Astra."


    Eliza replied and as her voice echoed through the crowd, no one dared to speak even a single word.


    "Lady Astra, please forgiv-"


    Sidwig tried to beg for forgiveness, but then, he felt his vision spitting, words stoppeding out of his mouth, a frown appeared on his face as he couldn''t understand what was happening, then finally,


    The pain kicked in.


    Sidwig''s body was vertically split into two pieces.


    Everything happened so fast that he didn''t even get the chance to scream and his ''body'' fell on the ground.


    *Thud* *Thud*


    Vaan was horrified.


    He had seen many deaths in his previous life, death from bruises, knives, guns, and even shotguns, this one, however, was the scariest.


    A 5th Circle Mage, a mage who can be the head of a normal Magic Family was killed like this without any resistance whatsoever.


    And the woman who did it,


    "Clean it up."


    She simply ordered and walked towards Vaan.


    "Are you okay?" She questioned.


    Her tone still had that eerie calmness, however, Vaan could feel his mother''s worry.


    "Well I have the strongest mage protecting me, how could anything possibly happen to me?" Vaan chuckled.


    "Your abnormal heartbeat doesn''t seem to have the same opinion."


    "I did witness a murder right before my eyes, after all."


    Vaan replied as he nced at Eliza, who was ''cleaning up'' as she was ordered to.


    "A murderer shouldn''t be saying that," Astra spoke back, her eyes on Karl''s charred body.


    She didn''t need someone else to check it, that boy was dead.


    "You even made sure to kill him before anyone could stop you."


    "I had bad memories of being interruptedst time."


    "Heh, you really are my son." Astra shook her head as she chuckled.


    "Was there any doubt in that?


    I have Astra in my name."


    Astra ruffled Vaan''s hair, a beautiful smile could be seen on her face.


    "Medics, thoroughly check his body and heal him."


    Then, she turned towards the crowd and,


    "The next battle will start in an hour.


    As for today''s incident,


    Treat it like a warning.


    Repeat this again and it won''t end with just some tools being scraped."

 Chapter 92 Our Vaan Has Finally Shown His Magic Talent!

    ?


    "The next battle will start in an hour.


    As for today''s incident,


    Treat it like a warning.


    Repeat this again and it won''t end with just some tools being scraped."


    Astra spoke as she narrowed her eyes. She didn''t point anyone out, her words even confused most of the people sitting in the audience.


    Repeat this? Tools? A Warning?


    Most people felt lost, however, the real culprits, the people to whom those words were directed at, they understood Astra''s message clearly.


    All the factions ying different games, Astra had openly warned them all.


    Her killing a 5th Circle Mage in front of everyone without any hearing wasn''t just her moving recklessly out of anger, it was a calcted move. A show of power. She was showing that even though they yed all these games and spent days and nightsing up with different strategies, she was the one who held the actual power.


    ''I can still be the one who you all feared.


    Don''t make me prove myself.''


    *Gulp*


    A few mages sitting in the crowd gulped as they nced at each other. They wouldn''t dare to say it out loud however, they definitely saw Astra looking into their eyes as if she knew everything they had done.


    ''I will be leaving the faction¡­''


    One of the mages made his decision. He was okay with not being able to climb up the ranks faster than his ability allowed him to, dying pointlessly while going against someone who held the actual power was foolish.


    ''I will be doing the same¡­''


    Hispanion, who was sitting in apletely opposite direction looked at him and nodded.


    A strange silence fell over the crowd.


    Even Vaan couldn''t understand what her mother was talking about. Wasn''t this just a challenge he arranged? It was just one of the ways he came up with to get his hands on some spells, why did it feel like it was getting moreplicated than he expected?


    Vaan nced at the rest of the challengers,


    They were all horrified.


    How could they not be? They just witnessed the two deaths right in front of their eyes. They were just here to get their hands on those elemental stones and defeat the child of the Vesta Family.


    They never thought one of the challengers would be losing their lives.


    "Young Master Vaan, please follow me."


    While Vaan was observing the rest of the challengers, a Medic came to him and spoke.


    Vaan nced at his mother, Astra nodded, Vaan nodded back and followed the Medic.


    Astra flew back to her seat and the Challenge came to a sudden halt.


    A one-hour break in which Vaan was being treated by the Medics while the rest of the challengers waited for him.


    The audience''s boredom was visible, sitting in the same ce for an hour doing absolutely nothing was obviously not a fun activity,


    None, however, dared to voice these thoughts out since Astra sat on her seat, with her solemn eyes and hands crossed.


    The pressure from her presence alone was overwhelming. Not to mention those burned marks on the stage that were still not cleaned yet gave a continuous reminder of what happened just a few minutes ago, making the audience not utter a single word.


    Time passed slowly, the people in the audience didn''t move even though there was nothing to do.


    An hour finally passed by, and Vaan returned.


    This time, rather than looking at him, the Host nced at Astra, Astra nodded, and only then did the host start,


    "The Wait is finally over people, Young Master Vaan is finally back and we hope that he has returned with his condition as good as when he started.


    Now, without further ado, let''s continue with the rest of the Challenge.


    After Karl Vesta, the next Challenger challenging Young Master Vaan is Isolde Nightfire!


    Challenger Isolde, please step forward!"


    The Host announced. The crowd finally cheered up, ready to see some action, however,


    "I surrender."


    Isolde gave up.


    He was too scared to continue.


    It was not just Karl''s death, Eldric''s fate wasn''t much better either. When Vaan was done with him, his face was all bruised up, most of his teeth were broken, his eyes were swollen and he could barely open them, and his nose wasn''t in the best condition either.


    Isolde had prepared himself when he came here, he knew he would people get injured in the battle between mages, but this?


    What kind of mage punches people up to the point where their face is unrecognizable!?


    What was this thug-like behavior!? Where is the dignity of a mage? Where is that studious, gentle, fearsome but dependable image the rest of the mages had created? Why was this Vaan so different than others!?


    Was he insane!?


    Isolde wasn''t a fool, he didn''t have any intentions of getting beaten up by that crazy bastard. He would rather give up.


    Of course, the people in the crowd booed for him, he, however, didn''t care. He couldn''t care less about thesemoners, if they were that brave, they should step up and fight that crazy bastard. He wasn''t interested.


    "Oi, you know you still have to give your Spell Directory to me even if you surrender, right?"


    Vaan questioned as he narrowed his eyes.


    "Yes, Young Master Vaan, I know that," Isolde answered respectfully.


    Vaan narrowed his eyes for a moment, then, he just shrugged.


    "Whatever.


    Just know that you are a pussy."


    Isolde''s mouth twitched, however, he knew it was better to stay silent right now.


    "Tsk."


    Vaan snorted, disappointed that he couldn''t beat one extra person.


    He then nced at the announcer.


    The next Mage was then called out. Unlike Isolde, he didn''t give up, he stood against Vaan with a brave look on his face, however, as a normal 2nd Circle Mage, he stood no chance against Vaan''s advanced magic circles.


    Vaan had a total of 4 extra Inner Circles, which was a huge advantage that boosted his strength to another level.


    Not to mention ra had packed him up with all her knowledge.


    Aplete knowledge of Vesta Family Head''s Student,bined with his own Magic Circles, Vaan just couldn''t lose.


    Soon, his opponent''s cheek met his punch. His opponent then gave up and the battle ended.


    Vaan had won again.


    Then again,


    And then again.


    The challenge had ended.


    Vaan had defeated all the challengers, his extreme battle style was different than most of the mages, however, his strength was a real deal.


    The impact Vaan made today was strong.


    Now, he was not a waste of the Vesta Family anymore, he was the son of the Head of the Vesta Family, a man who researched new, much stronger Magic Circles, and a prospering Mage who overpowered his opponent to the point where they could not fight back.


    ¡­


    "Astra!"


    The Challenge had ended. It was Vaan''splete victory. Vaan was currently collecting his rewards from the challenge, Astra, on the other hand, was visited by two people.


    "Brother, Sister, it has been a while since the two of you visited me together."


    Astra spoke with a small smile on her face as she nced at the people who barged into her room.


    It was Astra''s Blood Siblings, Draven Elysia Vesta, and Risia Elysia Vesta.


    Both of them had just received the news about what happened in the challenge and the first thing they did was rush in and talk to Astra.


    "How could we note here? We just heard something unbelievable." Risia spoke up.


    "What are you talking about, Sister?" Astra questioned.


    "Don''t try to act your way out of it, Astra. We heard it all, Vaan researched an Advanced Magic Circle with 6 Inner Circles instead of 4! How can you hide something like that from us?"


    "But I did not hide it from anyone, Sister. I told Vaan to publish that Circle officially." Astra replied.


    "What? Publish it? That is a revolutionary Magic Circle and it was our Vaan who discovered it! How can you just publish it and be done with it? You should have thrown a big party! Our Vaan has finally shown his Magic Talent, he is finally getting serious about his Magic Studies, and just like you predicted, his talent in Magic Research has never been seen before. He would definitely be one of the greatest Magic Schrs who will be a big asset to our family!


    His name will be written down in our history books!" Risia spoke up with an excited look on her face. Draven had a simr expression on his face as well.


    "Hahaha~ I am d to see you being this enthusiastic." Astra just smiled.


    The hidden meaning behind Risia''s words, she could understand them, however, she decided not to react to them right now.


    For now, she just waited for these snakes of her brother and sister to reveal their true faces.


    "Anyways, have you learned Vaan''s Magic Circle yet?"


    Risia questioned, the greed in her eyes couldn''t be hidden anymore.

 Chapter 93 I Fell For Her Trap.

    ?


    "Anyways, have you learned Vaan''s Magic Circle yet?"


    Risia questioned, the greed in her eyes couldn''t be hidden anymore.


    Astra narrowed her eyes as she nced at her siblings.


    This was better.


    They were finally being honest about their intentions. Astra felt like vomiting when she saw those fake smiles on her siblings'' faces. This greedy look was what suited them the most.


    "I have bought a copy of the Theory he published and am working on understanding the principles behind it. I have not yet seeded though."


    Astra replied.


    "Hahaha~ Why would you buy the theory when you have the publisher right next to you? I was wondering why the mother and son have been meeting so often these days,


    Well now I know~"


    Risia spoke with a yful smile on her face.


    Just like Astra, Risia had ck hair as well, she inherited her father''s blue eyes instead of Elysia''s ck eyes, however, thebination of ck hair and Blue eyes gave her a unique charm. Risia was a beautifuldy, her heart, however¡­ wasn''t the same.


    She was capable of spouting poisonous words with a big smile on her face and people always found difficulty in knowing her true intentions until she revealed them.


    Of course, Astra wasn''t one of those people, she could read her elder sister like an open book.


    "Well, the perks of having a good son I guess."


    Astra smiled yfully as she looked into Risia''s eyes.


    Risia''s mouth twitched, her fake expression almost fell off when she heard Astra''s reply.


    "Hahaha~ It is great to have a Schrly Genius as your son. I wonder when his Aunt gets the chance to take advantage of having a great nephew as well."


    "Vaan is a bit busy these days, so I would like if you respect his boundaries," Astra spoke.


    Her words sounded that of a request, from her tone, however, Risia understood, it was an order.


    ''Stay away from my child.''


    Of course, Risia never expected it to be that easy.


    She knew perfectly well about how protective Astra was when it came to her son, heck she just heard about the incident proving that just a while ago.


    To think this woman would kill a Mage out in the open like that¡­


    And to think that no one in the family would have the balls to oppose it¡­


    Risia couldn''t help but sigh as she saw just how strong of an influence Astra had in the family.


    Even after all the faction games they have yed to slowly and steadily gather forces and raise their influence, one move from Astra and the hierarchy was clear again.


    "Of course. I understand that the Elemental sh ising right ahead, Vaan must be looking forward to participating in it, and from what I have heard, I am sure that the chances of him winning this year are high."


    "He still needs to work hard, Elemental sh isn''t the same as this little game he held," Astra replied.


    "You are just being a strict mother now." Risia waved her hand as she chuckled, then,


    "I believe contributing to the Family is much more important for Vaan''s current position right now. He has been on the receiving end for all these years, now he finally has the chance to return it all.


    His Magic Circle will be of great help to the Family, if we 7th Circle Mages adapt to his Circle and increase our strength, those people lurking in the shadows, trying to aim for our family would back away.


    Heck, it would even give us an advantage in that messy situation.


    I strongly believe this is much more important than any annual tournament."


    Risia spoke up.


    "I agree with her." This time, Draven jumped in as well.


    "Astra, if we can get Vaan to help us adapt to his Magic Circle, I am not saying every day, just once a week would be enough, it would be a great way to raise our family''s strength.


    And it won''t just be a temporary rise in our strength, Vaan would be writing the start of a new era. An Era where Magic isn''t looked down upon anymore and since this all started under your rule, your name would be written down in the Vesta History, you would be known as the Greatest Family Head there was, right after Ancestor Alienora."


    Draven exined the excitement in his eyes couldn''t be hidden.


    "Oh? You want Vaan to personally help everyone?" Astra questioned with a curious look on her face.


    "He can take a ss for the selected few." Draven nodded.


    "And who would these selected few be?"


    "All the 7th Circle Mages and the children from the direct lineage of the family."


    "Even the children?" Astra raised her eyebrow.


    "For the stronger next generation, I believe adding the children into this is essential. There is no point in just us old folks getting stronger. We need to think about the future of the Family."


    "Would your children be included in those selected few?" Astra questioned with a curious smile on her face.


    "They are part of direct lineage, I think it is only fair if we add them."


    Draven replied.


    "So Vaelen and Lirael would be included in it as well," Astramented.


    "Those kids are the strongest of our younger generation, Astra. We have to include them, they are the ones who will take care of our family once we are gone. Of course, we have to include them." Draven spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.


    "That is what I am saying, brother, Vaelen and Lirael are both 5th Circle Mages, they have both broken through the Basic Level and have be Intermediate Mages.


    The two of them are far ahead of Vaan and you want Vaan to teach them his Advanced Circle?


    If they adapt to that Circle, then how is Vaan supposed to contend against them in the Battle of Heirs?"


    Astra questioned directly.


    This time, however, instead of being intimidated, Draven narrowed his eyes,


    "You are thinking about the Battle of Heirs when the fate of our family depends on this?"


    Even Risia looked into Astra''s eyes, adding to the pressure.


    Astra, of course, just snorted,


    "Fate of our Family? I didn''t know our family was in such a desperate position where we have to force our children to reveal their secrets.


    Draven Elysia Vesta, where are you getting this information from? I can''t believe I, as the Family Head, couldn''t see this threat."


    "Astra, you know full well that the level new Generation of the Vesta Family is not satisfactory. Your Pupil is talented, however, she does not have Vesta Blood. We have to take desperate actions.


    How are we going to hold up against the enemies if we do-"


    "I am still here."


    Astra raised her voice.


    "I am not dead yet, Draven. As long as I stand, nothing shall happen to the Vesta Family."


    Her aura changed, the pressureing from her tone started overwhelming her two siblings, Astra was 31 and 23 years younger than Draven and Risia respectively, but even then, her current aura still suffocated the two siblings as they couldn''t help but gulp.


    "I appreciate you twoing here and sharing your vision, however,


    Do not teach me how to rule my Family.


    If you two dare approach or pressure him in any way, you will be facing a biased Family Head who is thinking and moving as a partial mother.


    Draven, I have already warned you once before, you know full well I don''t give many warnings, I will ignore what you did with the matter regarding Karl and his father, this will be myst consideration as your sister.


    Pull a stunt like that again and I will destroy you and your faction.


    And this time, Mother won''t being to save your life."


    Astra warned and Draven widened his eyes in shock.


    She knew.


    This woman knew everything he did but didn''t stop him.


    Draven finally realized the truth.


    This woman used her own son as bait, she already knew what he had arranged and prepared ordingly. That was the reason she decided toe and watch the challenge herself. She was ready to protect Vaan from the beginning.


    It was all Astra''s n to put herself ''in the right''.


    Now she had to ''reason'' to move against him.


    One move and the next time, Astra would ''find out'' about the real truth behind the Karl''s incident and would have the ''reason'' to take official action against him.


    ''That''s why she said Mother won''t be able to save my life¡­


    I fell for her trap.''


    Draven clenched his fists as the realization struck in.


    "I believe Mother would want to strengthen the Vesta Family."


    Suddenly, Risia spoke up.


    She gathered her guts as she nced at her little sister and,


    "Rather than selfishly thinking about himself, Vaan should be strengthening his Family when he has the means to do it.


    That is how a Family grows.


    The Battle of Heirs was arranged to push the children to their limits and strengthen them, hiding knowledge and intentionally pushing others behind for your own benefit would simply destroy the family.


    And that is something that cannot happen.

 Chapter 94 Are you prepared to face the consequences?

    Chapter 94 Are you prepared to face the consequences?


    "The Battle of Heirs was arranged to push the children to their limits and strengthen them, hiding knowledge and intentionally pushing others behind for your own benefit would simply destroy the family.


    And that is something that cannot happen."


    Risia spoke as she looked into Astra''s eyes.


    Astra narrowed her eyes. Then, a small smile appeared on Risia''s face and,


    "We can go talk to Mother about this, let''s see what she has to say about this.


    Or better, let''s have all the Advance Mages of the Family meet up and ask for their opinion.


    We Advance Mages are the backbone of the family, I am sure the Family Head would consider our opinion, correct?"


    The greed in Risia''s eyes couldn''t be more apparent.


    This time, she knew she had the momentum, the mages of the Family were loyal to Astra, especially the 7th Circle Mages, those were the Mages Astra had been targeting ever since she was young, other than them, Risia and Draven didn''t have a single 7th Circle Mage in their faction.


    This was the reason why Astra''s influence in the Family was so strong.


    Right now, however, things were different. Curiosity and the drive to improve oneself was something that wasmon in all mages. The stronger the mage, the stronger their thirst for knowledge and magic.


    There were even cases of Mages taking extreme steps just to satiate their curiosity. Vaan''s Advanced Magic Circle, that was like a piece ofmb amidst starving beasts.


    Even the Loyal 7th Circle Mages would be siding against Astra just to get their hands on this knowledge.


    Astra may be the Family Head, however, with all the Advance Mages of the Family pressuring her, even she would have to give in.


    This Advanced Knowledge, there was no way Astra would be able to keep it all to herself. This time, Risia had won. Astra had no way of guarding her son''s secret.


    Or¡­ that was what Risia thought.


    "Let''s do it."


    Suddenly, Astra spoke up.


    "Huh?" Risia frowned.


    However, before she could react,


    *Snap*


    Astra snapped her fingers and one by one, Mages covered in shadows started appearing in the room.


    One, two, three¡­


    Four, five six¡­


    Eleven, Twelve Thirteen¡­


    Soon, Eighteen 7th Circle Mages appeared in the room and surrounded Astra and her siblings. Draven and Risia widened their eyes in disbelief.


    They knew the Family had many hidden 7th Circle Mages¡­


    But 18¡­?


    This was more than the total number of 7th Circle Mages they knew about!


    And all these mages were hidden¡­


    They, the children of the previous Family Head had never seen them before!


    "So, ''the Backbone of the Vesta Family'', let me ask you, do you wish to go against my decision and have Vaan personally teach you his Advance Magic Circle?"


    In an authoritative tone, Astra nced at the Mages surrounding her and questioned.


    "We do not, Lady Astra.


    Young Master Vaan was already gracious enough to reveal his research to the entire world even though he could have kept it hidden, we could not ask for more."


    A collective answer was heard.


    Draven and Risia gulped as they saw eighteen 7th Circle Mages answering in tandem, showing absolute obedience in front of their little sister.


    "Not all the Advance Mages of our Family are here, but these are the majority. Even if the rest of the Advance Mages vote in favor of your suggestion, you still wouldn''t have enough votes.


    So let''s not bother others for something that is already decided, okay?"


    Astramented.


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    The two siblings gulped. They couldn''t believe what they were seeing right now. They had already given up onpeting with Astra for the position of the Family Head because they knew Astra''s influence was too strong for them to defeat her.


    This, however, was something on an entirely different level.


    She had 18 Advance Mages absolutely loyal to her! Astra could practically do anything in the Family and with these 18 Advance Mages siding with her, the votes would always be in her favor.


    This woman was no different than a tyrant!


    Astra then walked towards Risia. Then, a scary smile appeared on her face and,


    "As for going to the Mother,


    Let us go and have a talk with her,


    But keep this in your mind,


    If we go there, I will reveal all my cards.


    I''ll do everything in my power to have her support me or¡­


    Not support you.


    Are you prepared to face the consequences?"


    Risia''s expression changed. She understood what Astra was hinting at.


    ''How did she¡­?''


    Risia couldn''t understand. She was absolutely sure she hid it from others, Astra shouldn''t know about it, where did she mess up?


    Risia started thinking, however, seeing Astra still staring at her, her mind froze.


    Thinking about it was pointless, Astra knew her secret, she knew something no one should know, and Astra revealed it to Mother¡­


    Risia desperately shook her head. Not even wanting to think about that possibility.


    "I-I was merely t-thinking about the Family, but if so many mages are against my suggestion, then I believe the decision is already made.


    There is no need to bother Mother with something as insignificant as this." Risia replied.


    "I am d we came to a unanimous decision."


    Astra smiled.


    "I share your sentiments¡­" A weak smile appeared on Risia''s face.


    "Anyways, since we havee to a decision, I shouldn''t bother you anymore."


    "Take care of your health, Sister." Astra chuckled.


    "Y-You too." Risia nodded as she quickly turned around.


    Draven followed her sister out as well.


    As the two left, Astra''s expression changed,


    "Keep an eye on her."


    She ordered.


    "As youmand, Lady Astra."


    2 of the 18 mages disappeared.


    "You all are excused."


    The rest of the Mages disappeared, everyone except one woman.


    "What is it, Eliza?" Astra questioned.


    "I wanted to report this to Lady Astra before taking any action," Eliza spoke, from her tone, it was clear that it was something important.


    "I am listening."


    ¡­


    "V-Vaan, t-this is¡­"


    "Don''t move, ra. I am hurt and the Medic told me not to move my body much. I need proper rest."


    "T-T-Then you should u-use a pillow¡­"


    "It is much morefortable this way. Let me stay like this, I feel like I am healing much faster than normal in this position."


    In Vaan''s room, Vaan had ced his head on ra''sp, ra was obviously extremely embarrassed, her face waspletely red, she wanted to get away, however, with Vaan pulling out the ''I am hurt'' card, she stayed still.


    If he could heal faster like this¡­ then she would stay like this¡­


    It didn''t feel that weird either¡­


    Rather, ra felt a strange sensation in her heart as she saw Vaan resting on herp. Her hand automatically moved towards Vaan''s purple hair and she started gently ruffling them.


    A small smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    His eyes then fell on two adorable little creatures sleeping in his chest and his smile widened even further.


    This life¡­


    It was just toofortable. Vaan was getting more and more attached.


    ''Alright alright, no more raising any dumb gs.''


    Vaan inwardly shook his head. Then, he looked at ra and smiled.


    ra smiled back with a blush on her face and stopped ruffling Vaan''s hair.


    Vaan chuckled and closed his eyes, making himselffortable on his fiance''sp.


    *Knock* *Knock*


    "Young Master Vaan, your rewards from the challenge are here."


    Suddenly, Vaan and ra heard Gabel''s voice.


    "Come in," Vaan ordered.


    "!!!" ra widened her eyes in surprise. She wanted to move away, Vaan however, just stared at her and,


    "I can''t move, remember?" he whispered.


    ra was stuck. Gabel then walked into the room, he momentarily paused as he saw the two lying on the bed, however, when he saw Vaan ring at him for looking more than required, he closed his eyes as he coughed and,


    "Here are your rewards, Young Master. A total of 6 Spell Directories of all the mages you defeat."


    "Huh? 6?"


    Vaan frowned in confusion.


    "How did you get 6 Directories, Karl is¡­"


    "The challengers were asked to submit their directories before the start of the Magic Duels."


    Gable answered.


    "Ahh." Vaan nodded in understanding.


    "That is good. I thought I missed out on the Spell Directory of a 3rd Circle Mage, Hahaha~ Guess it all worked out."


    Vaanughed out loud.


    "I still do not understand why Young Master Vaan is looking for Spell Directories of other Mages. Not to mention Karl was a Wind Mage, Young Master Vaan doesn''t even have an affinity with the Wind Element."


    Gabel spoke out his thoughts.


    "One can always put things to use."


    Vaan smiled mysteriously.


    "E-Even I believe Spell Directories of Wind and Earth Mages is useless for you," ra spoke.


    "Is it because I have no affinity with those elements?" Vaan questioned with a yful smile on his face. ra, however, shook her head,


    "No, even if Young Mas- I m-mean, even if you did have affinity with those two elements, you won''t need Spell Directories of other mages since you already have the best possible Mage ready to help you."


    "Hmm?" Vaan frowned but after thinking for a moment, he finally realized.


    "Mother¡­"


    "That is correct, with Teacher Astra on your sid-"


    ra wanted to answer, but then,


    "Vaan, we need to talk."


    Astra''s voice was heard.

 Chapter 95 Only fools stay on a sinking boat

    Chapter 95 Only fools stay on a sinking boat


    "Vaan, we need to talk."


    Astra spoke as she walked into Vaan''s room. Her eyes then fell on her Pupil and her Son and,


    "Oh?"


    She raised her eyebrow.


    Then, a yful smile appeared on her face and,


    "I didn''t know you two got this close." Shemented, her eyes fixed on her Pupil.


    "T-T-Teacher! I-It is not w-what you th-"


    "It is exactly as you think, Mother."


    ra''s face turned red. She panicked when she realized the position she was in in front of her Teacher, her first reaction was to deny everything ate up with an excuse, however, before she could say anything, Vaan jumped in.


    "V-V-Vaan!"


    ra shouted.


    "What?" Vaan tilted his head in confusion as he looked into ra''s eyes. Seeing him looking at her like that, ra was at a loss for words.


    "This feels sofortable~" Vaan muttered as he changed his position, making himself morefortable on his fianc¨¦''sp.


    ra''s face turned as red as a tomato, her eyes continuously moving between Vaan, who had closed his eyes and was enjoying the moment, and Astra, who was looking at the scene in front of her with the biggest smile on her face.


    She was the captain of the Vaan ra Ship, and she always knew ra was the perfect one for Vaan, and seeing her idiot son finally making some move on the best girl there was, Astra felt proud.


    Just look at how adorable that girl was, blushing and panicking in front of her as if she had been caught doing something wrong.


    Astra couldn''t help but chuckle thinking how this was the same girl who always took the me for her idiotic son''s mistake and whenever she did, she stood against her confidently, even willing to go as far as taking punishment in Vaan''s stead.


    Well, as much as Astra was enjoying this situation, especially her future daughter-inw''s reaction, right now, she was here for something else.


    "Gabel, Keep the Spell Directories here and leave."


    Astra ordered.


    "As youmand, Lady Astra." Gable did what he was ordered and quickly walked out of the room.


    Astra then turned towards ra and smiled,


    "ra, would you please step out for a moment? I need to have a conversation with Vaan."


    "T-Teacher, Vaan is hurt, I-I cannot move¡­" ra replied with a nervous look on her face.


    "Huh?"


    Astra frowned in confusion.


    Then, she nced at her son, who was avoiding her eyes and Astra finally understood.


    ''How can you lie to this angel?'' Astra used sound magic.


    Vaan avoided her eyes.


    Astra sighed, then, he sat on the bed next to ra and,


    "Don''t worry, I will take care of him."


    ra nced at Astra for a while, then she gently lifted Vaan''s head from herp, Astra ced her leg in ce of ra and gently ced Vaan''s head on it. Astra then started ruffling her son''s hair.


    "I apologize for interrupting your private moment," Astra spoke as she nced at ra.


    "No! No! You do not have to apologize, Teacher. I am sure Vaan would want to spend some time with his Mother as well." ra quickly shook her head.


    "Is that so¡­?" Astra smiled mysteriously as she nced at her son.


    Vaan smiled wryly.


    "T-Then I''ll be taking my leave now, Teacher," ra spoke as she walked out of the room.


    Once only Astra and Vaan were left in the room, Astra''s hand, which was gently ruffling Vaan''s hair moved towards Vaan''s ear and,


    "Aackkk!!"


    Vaan groaned in pain.


    "You dare lie to my pupil, Boy?"


    "Aaaahhhh! M-Mother! That hurts!"


    "You think I am trying to massage you here!? Of course, it hurts! That''s my intention!"


    "I apologize! I am sorry for lying to your pupil! Are you happy now?" Vaan quickly gave in. The all-mighty underworld gang leader was nowhere to be seen.


    "Apologize to her, not me, you fool."


    "It is not like I had any other option either¡­" Vaan mumbled.


    "What did you say?"


    "I said that I am only doing this for your own good."


    "Oh?" Astra raised her eyebrow.


    "Would you please borate?"


    "Don''t you want ra to be your daughter-inw?"


    "I do, yes."


    "You want that to happen in this life, don''t you?"


    "Huh? What kind of question is that?"


    "It is a perfectly reasonable question, Mother. Don''t you see her blushing and panicking before? Do you think I will make any progress with her if I don''t lie to her? What do you think her reaction will be if I simply ask her for ap pillow randomly?"


    Astra started thinking.


    She could imagine ra''s flustered face as she tries to think about different ways to run away in embarrassment.


    Seeing his mother''s reaction, Vaan nodded,


    "See? A little lie is important to get close to your future daughter-inw.


    Your son is working hard, you know?"


    "Are you now?"


    "Of course I am." Vaan nodded.


    "That is good." Astra then smiled as she patted Vaan''s ear which she pulled.


    Vaan closed his eyes.


    "A little lie is allowed, but make sure not to hurt that girl, she has already suffered enough. Is that clear?"


    "Don''t worry, Mother. I never do something that would disappoint you or ra."


    "Good Good."


    Astra nodded continuously. She felt much morefortable around Vaan these days. The previous tense rtion the two of them had, things were a lot better now.


    "Anyways, why are you here, Mother? I doubt you would send ra away if you just wanted to spend some time with your son."


    Suddenly, Vaan questioned, still not moving away from his mother''sp.


    Astra, who finally recalled why she came here for, paused, then, with a small smile on her face, she nced at Vaan and,


    "You are quite lucky, Boy."


    "Hmm? What do you mean?" Vaan frowned.


    "You wanted to permanently deal with Rnd, didn''t you? I guess you won''t need to challenge him to a duel to do that, after all."


    This time, Vaan''s face turned serious as he nced at his mother and,


    "What are you talking about, Mother?"


    "Medics found Dreamweave in Rnd''s body and it was not a small amount either.


    Rnd is an Addict."


    "What¡­?" Vaan''s expression changed.


    "Mhm, I was surprised as well. Dreamweave is strictly banned in the Vesta City, if you are caught dealing with Dreamweave in any way, it is a punishable offense.


    ''Rnd Frostmoon was addicted to Dreamweave and attacked Vaan Astra Vesta under the effects of the withdrawal symptoms of the Drug.''


    If we use this, we will have enough ''reason'' to imprison Ronald for his entire life, if not kill him."


    Astra spoke as she carefully observed her son''s expression.


    "Of course, we would also need to do a thorough investigation. The fact that a promising heir of a Family as strong as the Frostmoon Family was addicted to Dreamweave means that the Drug has spread all over the City right under our nose. I would need to send my best people to look into this matter and capture everyone responsible for this, of course, that is not something you should be worrying about.


    I only came here to inform you about this, you can get your revenge on your enemy without having to go through all that trouble."


    Astra smiled.


    Vaan nced at his mother, he wasn''t sharing his mother''s happiness.


    "Mother¡­"


    In the end, having no other choice, he decided to seek help.


    "You don''t seem very excited?" Astra frowned.


    "Can you¡­ bury the matter regarding Dreamweave for a few days¡­?" Vaan questioned.


    "Hmm? What do you mean?" Astra was confused.


    "¡­"


    Vaan turned silent as he stared at Astra.


    Seeing him acting like that, Astra narrowed her eyes,


    "Vaan, you did not get yourself involved with the Dreamweave, did you?" She questioned in a solemn tone.


    "No, of course not! I am not a fool! I will never touch those things."


    Vaan quickly shook his head.


    "I just¡­ I just want your help¡­"


    "I will not help you unless you do not tell me theplete truth, Vaan. What are you nning?"


    "It is regarding Seraphina."


    "Seraphina?"


    "I want to use the Dreamweave to corner her."


    Astra narrowed her eyes, "I am listening." She spoke.


    Vaan sighed.


    In this situation, he finally decided to reveal his n.


    ¡­


    10 minutester, when Vaan was done exining everything, Astra nced at her son and,


    "So you already knew Ronald was addicted to drugs."


    "Yes."


    Vaan nodded.


    "And this new maid of yours¡­"


    "Lily."


    "She was Seraphina''s personnel maid?"


    Vaan nodded his head again.


    "What makes you think she is loyal to you now?"


    "She has no other option." Vaan''s answer was quick.


    "Even the most Loyal of Dogs do not return to the owners who tried to kill them.


    And I also have Aldric keeping an eye on her all the time."


    "Aldric was one of Seraphina''s men."


    "That doesn''t matter, I have Lily keeping an eye on him."


    Astra furrowed her brows.


    "As long as the two of them keep an eye on each other, I do not have anything to fear."


    "What if the two of them betray you at the same time?"


    "They will not. Even if they wished to betray me, they would never reveal that to each other out of fear of getting caught. The two of them will act like chains to each other, stopping them from making any foolish moves.


    Also, none of them have any reason to side with Seraphina.


    Only fools stay on a sinking boat."

 Chapter 96 I Couldn’t Be Any Prouder

    "Only fools stay on a sinking boat."


    Vaan spoke with a confident smile on his face.


    Astra nced at her son for a while, then,


    "You have 2 weeks, wrap up whatever you are nning in 2 weeks. After that, I will be making my move."


    "I knew I could count on you." Vaan smiled as he started gently massaging his mother''s leg.


    Astra couldn''t help but chuckle as she saw Vaan acting like this. Then, she just shook her head and stood up. Vaan''s head fell on the bed, he nced at Astra with a pout, Astra however, ignored his pout and spoke,


    "Go spend some time with ra. I feel bad that I ruined your little moment together."


    "You seem quite desperate to get a Daughter inw." Vaan teased.


    "I am just worried that someone better would take ra''s heart away. You don''t deserve that angel, Boy. She''s way out of your league, so get her when you still have the chance."


    "Are you really my mother¡­?" Vaan couldn''t believe what he was hearing.


    No, actually, could believe it. His mother used to say the same thing in his previous life, always siding with his girlfriend rather than him. It was annoying that time, now, however, Vaan just aforting sense.


    "Of course I am your mother. That is why I know the truth." Astra snorted.


    "¡­" Vaan didn''t know what to say.


    "Anyways, I have things to attend to. Take care of yourself."


    "I will." Vaan smiled.


    Astra turned around and left Vaan''s room.


    As she was walking in the corridor, a figure wearing ck clothes appeared behind her.


    "Will it be alright?" The figure questioned.


    "What is it, Eliza?" Astra questioned as she continued to walk.


    "Leaving the Matter regarding Dreamweave to Young Master Vaan. Even if they are some random thugs, this matter is tooplicated to be left to him. Dreamweave is not something Young Master should involve himself with."


    "He is mature now. It is time we give him some independent space to move on his own."


    "Your actions don''t match your words, Lady Astra." Eliza was honest.


    "The entire reason you decided to visit Young Master Vaan was to investigate whether he was involved in this matter or not. You never intended to ''deal with'' Rnd just so Young Master Vaan could get his ''revenge''.


    I have been your subordinate for decades now, and I know that is not how you do things.


    You only wanted how the Young Master would react in that situation."


    "Alright, that is enough from your side. Have you done what I have ordered you to do?"


    "Have I ever failed in doing what you ordered me to?"


    "..."


    Astra turned silent.


    Eliza smiled, "I''ll be taking my leave then, Lady Astra." She spoke.


    Astra nodded and then, Eliza disappeared.


    Astra returned to her room, on her bedy the Advanced Circle Vaan had created. A smile appeared on her face as she held the paper, she observed the magic circle again and thinking about how her brother and sister must be racking their brains out while trying to understand the bogus theory Vaan and ra had written, Astra couldn''t help but chuckle.


    ¡­


    On the other side, Vaan, who was currently left alone in her room recalled what his mother said.


    "2 Weeks huh¡­" He muttered.


    Then, a yful smile appeared on his face and,


    "That is much more than enough. Heck, I wouldn''t be surprised if I received her letter today even."


    Soon, however, Vaan just shook his head. Rather than thinking about her, going to his dear fianc¨¦ was much more interesting.


    Not to mention mey and Sshy seemed to like ra''s presence a lot.


    Thinking about it, Vaan stood up. With the two Spirits sitting on either side of his shoulder, Vaan decided to visit his fianc¨¦.


    However, just as he opened the door of his room, he paused.


    "Father¡­?" Vaan tilted his head in confusion.


    "Did you sense my presence?" Orion questioned with a frown on his face.


    "Wait, 2nd Circle Mages can use Sense Magic?"


    "No, Father. Sense is a 5th Circle Magic. I cannot use it yet." Vaan smiled wryly.


    "Right," Orion nodded.


    Then, he just shrugged.


    "Whatever, Magic is boring anyways."


    "You shouldn''t be saying that, Father.


    Especially when your wife is the best mage in the entire world."


    "Your mother doesn''t have to know. Let''s keep this a secret between father and son." Orion spoke as he ced his arm around Vaan''s neck.


    Vaan was taken aback.


    He doesn''t remember previous Vaan being this close to Orion. Heck, he could barely remember thest time the two of them talked, previous Vaan avoided his father like the gue. Orion didn''t try to approach and mend things between them each other.


    Actually, the fact that Orion even came here was surprising.


    And as if he sensed his son''s thoughts, a smile appeared on Orion''s face and,


    "Vaan, I know the two of us have had differences before, we weren''t exactly like any normal father and son, honestly, it wouldn''t be surprising if people believed that we were actually strangers.


    I will be honest here, I didn''t like the past you. You were a coward, bratty, weak, andzy. You had no will to improve and you always caused trouble for your mother.


    I wasn''t any better either, as your father, I failed to teach you and help you walk on the right path. I often lost my temper whenever I was around you and used force instead of trying to understand what you have been through.


    I was a bad father who couldn''t even correct his own son and even started leaving the Mansion just so I wouldn''t lose my temper whenever I saw you. I abandoned you and I deeply apologize for that."


    Orion bowed his head.


    Vaan''s expression changed,


    "Fathe-" he stepped forward, wanting to stop his father, however,


    "Please let me continue, Vaan.


    I was the worst father.


    You, however, weren''t the worst son. You changed. Without me guiding you, you improved, you improved to the point where your mother, who often looked 10 years older than she actually was because of how worried she was about you, became a bright woman who wouldn''t stop talking about her son and how proud she is.


    You improved to the point where your fianc¨¦, who always used to look at me with a weak, helpless smile on her face, now has a big bright shine on her face. Nowadays, she won''t stop smiling even when she is studying Magic and would often get caught staring at a certain spot, smiling like a fool.


    You improved to the point where no one now dares to look down on Young Master Vaan, you even dominated the Magic Duels, fighting 6 mages one by one and defeating them all.


    You did well, Vaan.


    And you did it all on your own.


    I couldn''t be any prouder."


    Orion spoke and Vaan, who heard those words froze.


    He didn''t know how to react in this situation. Hearing the words ''I am proud of you'' from his father. What son didn''t dream of this day?


    Even in his previous life, Vaa- Christopher had never heard his father say those words.


    And now seeing a man who looks exactly like his father looking at him with those eyes, telling him how proud he was, a strange but powerful feeling that filled his heart with a sense of aplishment, fulfillment, and satisfaction.


    The current Vaan was experiencing an overwhelming amount of emotions, the image of his father in his previous life and Orion superimposed in Vaan''s mind, his heart started beating quickly, and then,


    Vaan hugged his father.


    Orion was taken aback, his hands, however, moved on their own as he hugged back his son, patting his back in the process.


    The two men stayed in this position for a while.


    Then, in a slightly hoarse and emotional voice, Vaan spoke up, "I promise I will be the son you can always be proud of."


    "I am sure you will."


    Orion closed his eyes.


    Hugging his son after all these years¡­


    His heart felt heavy.


    He, however, controlled his emotions and


    "Alright, now stop being clingy to me." He chuckled.


    Vaan nodded as he stepped back. The smile on his face couldn''t be hidden.


    "Anyways, this was not what I am here for." Suddenly, Orion spoke up.


    "What do you mean?" Vaan frowned.


    "You changed and proved that you are an excellent son, now it is my turn to do the same."


    "Huh?"


    "Come with me."


    "Where?" Vaan questioned.


    "It is the time your Father imparts you some of his teachings."


    "Huh? Teachings?" Vaan frowned.


    "What do you like more, using spells to overwhelm your opponent, or punching him till he passes out?" Suddenly, Orion questioned with a curious smile on his face.


    "Punching the shit out of my opponents of course! Spells are alright, but the feeling of your punch connects with your opponent''s face,


    The joy you feel is something that cannot be described."


    Vaan''s answer was almost instant.


    "Heh."


    Orion''s smile widened.


    Then, he just grabbed Vaan and pulled him away.

 Chapter 97 Come Fight Me

    "You have been here before, haven''t you?"


    Seeing Vaan looking around with a curious look on his face, Orion questioned.


    "Of course I have. I came here with Mother." Vaan replied, still looking around.


    He was in that same white room he hade before with Astra.


    Astra''s personnel Magic Training Room.


    "Though I do think the color could have been better. The white color is just depressing."


    Vaan was honest.


    "Hahaha~ I agree with that." Orionughed.


    "But she says it helps her focus. Whatever suits the owner, eh?"


    "Indeed Indeed." Vaan nodded, "Anyways, why did you bring me here, Father?" He questioned.


    "You said you liked punching your opponents, didn''t you?


    So I decided I should teach you a little.


    Your performance back when you fought those mages was simply terrible."


    "Huh? My performance?" Vaan was confused.


    This was the first time someone said his fight was terrible. Heck, even the best mage he knew, his mother said it was a great fight.


    Yet here he was, being bashed by his father.


    "Of course, I do not know much about Magic but judging from your mother''s reaction, you did great.


    However, the way you approached your opponents and punched them,


    Oh god, were those punches terrible.


    I have never seen punches any weaker than those."


    "¡­"


    Vaan turned silent.


    Was this man making fun of his fighting technique?


    His fighting technique?


    This time, Vaan was even more taken aback.


    If it was his Magic Performance, he wouldn''t have cared that much, he was still new to all this after all. Not to mention the opponents he fought weren''t very strong either.


    Anyway, the point was, Vaan knew his Magic would only improve from this point onwards, so some people finding fault with his Magic Performance wasn''t that surprising.


    But his fighting style?


    That wasn''t something Vaan could simply ignore.


    The Fighting technique belonged to Christopher.


    Although Christopher didn''t train in any specific martial arts, however, just from his experience, he had sharpened his technique to a level where he was confident that if it was a one-on-one fistfight, he could even defeat a martial arts master.


    But to think this man just called him out on his technique, even if he was his father, Christopher wasn''t willing to take this lying down.


    Yes, Christopher, not Vaan.


    Seeing his technique being made fun of, Vaan''s inner Christopher had appeared again.


    And seeing his son''s expression, Orion couldn''t help but smile.


    "Hehe, I know those eyes. You don''t agree with what I just said."


    "It is not like that, Father. It was just that my opponents were too weak, so I didn''t feel the need to show my actual technique and was simply punching them." Vaan replied.


    "Heh, I know a bad technique when I see one, kid.


    Martial Arts aren''t some sort of spells you ''activate'', it is engraved into your body, let alone a punch, the way you stand, walk, and even breathe, gives away your martial art mastery.


    And you, my child, are impressively bad."


    Orion spoke.


    Vaan narrowed his eyes.


    Seeing that his son still did not believe him, Orion sighed and then started stretching his body.


    "Alright, let''s do this.


    Come fight me."


    "What?" Vaan frowned.


    "What? Scared?"


    "You want me to fight you?" Vaan raised his eyebrow.


    "What''s with that expression? You don''t think I am weak just because I don''t show off like you mages, right?"


    Orion questioned.


    Vaan, of course, quickly shook his head.


    Weak? This Man?


    Orion was often overshadowed by Astra''s brilliance, however, the man standing in front of him was a strong swordsman.


    Vaan knew Orion was strong, however, a fistfight with him¡­


    Orion was a swordsman, not a fist fighter. Not to mention Vaan was not really the fairest of the fighters there were.


    Targeting eyes, attacking under the waist, using nails, pulling hair or ears, there was nothing Vaan didn''t do as long as it ensured his victory.


    On the other hand, Orion was a proud and honorary swordsman.


    He was too much of a ''fair'' fighter to fight against Vaan, who used dirty methods to win.


    Vaan was worried that he might identally hurt his father in the heat of the battle, but then,


    "Don''t worry, Kid. I will hold back and even if you do get hurt, we have the best Medics who will take care of you and you will be back to normal in no time.


    You have nothing to be afraid of."


    Orion chuckled and hearing those words, Vaan''s mouth twitched.


    "Alright, Father."


    With a fake smile on his face, Vaan nced at his father as he took his battle stance.


    "Just tell me when to stop and I will," Vaan spoke.


    "I doubt you would be the one deciding that." Orion smiled as he simply ced his right hand behind his back.


    Vaan was obviously offended by this action, it was clear that his father was looking down on him. What his father didn''t know, however, was that he wasn''t the pussy Vaan, he was Christopher.


    A man who fought and defeated countless people, even if he was not the same as when he was at his peak since he was in a different body which was much weaker than his previous body, the techniques and experiences he had were still ingrained in his mind.


    This man who was looking down on him, Vaan would make sure to change that,


    Even if he had to y a little dirty for that.


    With unwavering self-assurance, Vaan lunged at Orion,unching a flurry of punches, his approach was clear, wanting to hit his opponents till they were down, that was the simplest and the most dominant way to win a fight. Orion, however, remained calm, blocking and parrying each strike as if it were the simplest thing to do.


    Vaan continued punching and seeing that his father still looked down on him and had no intention of hitting him back, his confidence soared. His punches became even more erratic, and Orion seized the opportunity to finally reveal the stark gap in their skills.


    With a fluid motion, he sidestepped Vaan''s attack and delivered a powerful roundhouse kick.


    *Bam*


    The Kick was so powerful that the impact sent Vaan crashing into the white wall.


    "Khawkk!"


    Vaan coughed, his eyes opened wide in disbelief. Orion movements weren''t fast, rather, they were extremely slow, it was as if Vaan was watching a video that was slowed down. Even the kick that sent him flying, it was extremely slow, and what surprised Vaan was that even though he could see that kick from start to end, there was nothing he could do to defend it.


    That slow kick¡­ the timing behind it was so urate that Vaan couldn''t move to defend and felt like he was trapped in his own body.


    Vaan finally realized.


    This might not be as simple as he thought it would be.


    Vaan started looking around, trying to think of a way to turn the tables.


    Orion approached his fallen son, his voice gentle but firm. "Do you understand what I was talking about before? Do you understand what I was talking about before? You much, you put every ounce of power you have into those punches, however, there is no substance in your punches.


    You won against those mages because, well, they were weak and intimidated.


    Mages often tend to get nervous and panic whenever they see an opponent getting close to them. However, if you face a real warrior and get close to him like you did with others, with that nonexistent technique of yours, it will not end well."


    Orion lectured.


    Vaan struggled to his feet, his pride wounded. He knew his father was right, but he couldn''t let go of his resentment. Not like this, he still hadn''t shown everything he had. He couldn''t lose like this!


    With a fierce growl, he charged at Orion once more.


    Orion sighed inwardly, preparing to defend himself once again. Vaan''s attacks came faster and more ferociously this time, but they were still no match for his father''s superior skill. Orion deflected each strike effortlessly, his movements precise and economical. Honestly, for him, it looked like he was simply walking in a park.


    Despite his exhaustion, Vaan refused to back down. He continued to press forward, determined to prove himself, but then suddenly,


    "Aaaagghhhhhhh!!"


    Vaan screamed in agony as he grabbed his right leg.


    Orion frowned in confusion, pausing his movements, he approached Vaan and questioned.


    "What happened?"


    "I-I don''t know, it''s the same ce where Rnd attacked me." Vaan''s entire body was trembling.


    Orion''s expression changed, "Didn''t the Medics say you werepletely fine? Did they make a mistake?"


    Orion''s face suddenly turned cold.


    Was this a scheme? Was someone targeting his son?


    Soon, a few names started appearing in Orion''s head, people who wanted to target Vaan and had enough power to do in inside the Vesta Family¡­


    Orion then shook his head, it was not the time for this.


    "Let me check."


    Orion spoke as he moved towards his son with a concerned look on his face.

 Chapter 98 So? Is Your Father Qualified Enough To Teach You?

    "Let me check."


    Orion spoke as he moved towards his son with a concerned look on his face but then, with a sudden burst of energy, Vaan lunged at his father, attempting to catch him off guard and aiming at his eyes.


    A deadly attack that would for sure take away Orion''s vision for this battle.


    Yes, it was all a feint.


    Vaan was trying to fool Orion in order to win.


    However, Orion''s instincts were razor-sharp. He sidestepped Vaan''s attack effortlessly and he then moved his leg in front of Vaan''s leg, causing him to lose his bnce and fall t on his face.


    *Thud*


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    The room fell silent.


    Feeling the weight of his failed attempt at deception, Vaan didn''t move. He was embarrassed and was ready to hear another round of bashing from his father, but then,


    "That was good. I am impressed."


    Orion praised.


    "Huh¡­?"


    Vaan blinked.


    "Doing whatever it takes to win, it may not be the most noble way there is. But noble warriors are the first ones to die on the battlefield. Who wants to copy those idiots, correct?


    Now if only you had a little technique to back up your creative deception." Orion sighed, looking at Vaan with a yful smile on his face as he took his battle stance.


    Vaan understood what his father wanted.


    He rushed towards him again, but Orion had seen it all before. With a fluid motion, he executed a wless takedown, sending Vaan crashing to the ground yet again.


    "Uggghhh!"


    As Vaany there, his body aching, a seed of self-doubt was nted in his head.


    He even used deception, attempting to take his father by surprise, yet he was, lying on the ground, while Orion stood tall, without even a drop of sweat on his body.


    Heck, his right hand was still behind his back, he hadn''t used that arm ever since the battle started.


    This man wasn''t taking this battle seriously at all!


    Orion extended a hand to help Vaan up. "Are any more demonstrations needed? It is quite fun, so I can continue as long as you want me to." He spoke with a yful smile on his face.


    "It is not fun at all."


    Vaan snorted as he grabbed his father''s hand and stood up.


    "I am surprised you didn''t use any other way to catch me off guard," Orionmented.


    "As if that would work." Vaan was still bitter.


    Orion chuckled, then, he nced at his son and, "What do you want to do now?"


    "Let''s go for another round."


    Vaan spoke.


    "Huh?" This time, Orion was actually surprised. "Again?" He questioned.


    "Yes and this time, rather than being on the defensive, I want you to be on the offensive. My fighting style is more on the offensive side, so I wish to see how much I will improve after I learn from you."


    "Is that so¡­" Orion understood.


    "Alright then, I will hold back and try not to hurt you."


    "Don''t worry, I can take it," Vaan spoke in a confident tone.


    "No you can''t take it, Kid."


    Orion smiled, the Father and Son then took their battle stance again.


    The dynamics of the sparring match had shifted. Orion, now on the offensive, stood before Vaan with a focused intensity.


    Vaan, still recovering from his failed attempt at ying dirty, knew that he had a lot to learn. His father''s offensive stance was like nothing he had ever seen before. Vaan prepared himself,pletely focusing on his father, ready to react the moment his father moved.


    But it was all useless.


    Orion lunged forward, his strikesing in rapid session. Vaan struggled to defend himself, parrying the blows as best as he could. But with every strike, he felt the overwhelming difference in skill and experience.


    The room echoed with the sound of their movements, but it was clear that Vaan was struggling to keep up. Orion''s strikes were controlled and deliberate, each oneing dangerously close tonding on his son before stopping.


    If it was a real battle, Vaan would have been brutally defeated or even died more than 10 times and it had only been a minute since Orion had gotten serious.


    Seeing how his fatherpletely messes up with his defense, then aims at his vital spot only to stop at thest second, showing him the overwhelming difference between them, Vaan''s frustration grew.


    However, he refused to give up. He continued to defend against his father''s relentless assault the best he could, wanting to at leastst a few more seconds before he ''dies''.


    Yet, with each passing moment, the time difference between each of Vaan''s ''Death'' only reduced.


    Orion had read Vaan like an open book. How he reacted to his moves, whether he would attack back, or try to get away, it was as if Orion could predict it all.


    Orion''s attacks seemed toe from every angle, keeping Vaan on the defensive. He executed a series of lightning-fast kicks, forcing Vaan to block and dodge with all his might. The room felt like a whirlwind of motion and skill, and Vaan struggled to catch his breath.


    Finally, Orion executed a breathtaking spinning kick, this time, Vaan barely moved his hands to block that kick, however, that kick knocked Vaan''s guard aside and sent him sprawling to the ground.


    "Fuck!" Vaan couldn''t help but curse in pain, he could feel his arms trembling in pain because of that kick.


    As Vaany there, panting and defeated, he realized just how wrong he was.


    He was absolutely no match against his father. The confidence of Christopher Davis waspletely shattered.


    "So? Is your father qualified enough to teach you?"


    Orion chuckled as he extended his hand towards Vaan.


    Vaan stood up, keeping aside his pride, he bowed his head,


    "I will be in your care, Father."


    "We don''t need formalities, stop bowing your head. A brat like you suddenly turning so respectful feels weird."


    Orion waved his hand dismissively.


    "Also, don''t tell your mother that I am teaching you Martial Arts." Suddenly, Orion spoke up.


    "Huh? Why?" Vaan frowned.


    "You think a Mage has any business learning all this?"


    "Isn''t this something every man should learn? Having another way to defend yourself is never bad, is it?"


    "Haahh¡­ if only more people in this world think like you do." Orion sighed.


    "Your mother, however, is rigid in this matter.


    ''The best way for a Mage to defend himself is to learn more and master their spells. Rather than preparing to face an opponent in case he gets close to you, be so strong that you defeat your opponent before he can even understand what happened''


    That is what your mother says."


    Orion just sighed,


    "And I can''t even defeat her to prove her wrong.


    How am I supposed to hit the woman I love?"


    "Are you sure it is not because she is stronger than you?"


    Vaan questioned with a curious smile on his face.


    "Huh? What do you mean? Mind you, Kid. Your mother may be a genius of the Vesta Family, but I wasn''t just anyone either. I drew against your mother when we sparred in the academy, and I didn''t even use my Blessing at that time."


    "So you are saying you were stronger than Mother?" Vaan raised his eyebrow.


    Orion quickly moved his face away, "Well, she didn''t use her Instant Spells either, so you can say it was a draw¡­"


    "Aha, I understand." Vaan smiled.


    Not liking his son''s tone, Orion''s eyebrow twitched, then, with a ''smile'' on his face, he ced his hand on Vaan''s shoulder and,


    "Anyways, you wanted to learn from me, didn''t you?"


    Vaan frowned, his father''s tone, he didn''t like it.


    However, before he could do anything,


    "Then let''s start your training, Kid."


    An entirely different world was about to open up in front of Vaan''s eyes.


    ¡­though the process might be a little¡­ painful.


    ¡­


    On the other side, in the Stormweaver Mansion, Seraphina sat in her room, in her hands was the report of the Magic Duels Vaan fought yesterday, her face, solemn.


    "Sera, we need to talk."


    Suddenly, Anderson Stormweaver, the Head of the Stormweaver Family and Seraphina''s father walked into the room.


    Seraphina frowned, this was the first time her father had actually barged into her room without knocking, and from the look that he had on his face,


    Seraphina could tell that he wasn''t here for a casual talk either.


    "What is it, Father?" Seraphina questioned.


    Anderson''s eyes then fell on the reports in Seraphina''s hands and,


    "So you know about it as well."


    Seraphina''s expression turned solemn,


    "I have just received the reports."


    "He defeated 6 Mages and even killed one of them," Anderson spoke.


    Seraphina nodded. She wanted to know what her father was trying to get at, but to be honest, she had a rough idea of what it was.


    Anderson then nced at Anna, the maid understood what the Family Head wanted, she bowed her head and quickly left the room.


    "Stop whatever you are doing and leave Vaan alone."

 Chapter 99 He Is Coming For Me

    "Stop whatever you are doing and leave Vaan alone,"


    Anderson ordered with a solemn look on his face.


    "What are you talking about, Father?" Seraphina questioned with a frown on her face.


    Anderson then sat on a nearby chair, then he leaned towards his daughter and,


    "Sera, that person defeated six mages and killed one of them in front of everyone. He discovered a brand-new Magic Circle that is much more advanced than the current circles mages use, countless mages are trying to learn his Magic Circle and are buying the Theory he published like madmen.


    The Theory whose price has spiked and is now 1000 times than what it was before and people are still buying it.


    No matter how you see it, he is not the same person he was before. Vaan is changed and if you keep treating him like you did before, he would eventually snap at you.


    That man is ruthless, Sera and even though we have gotten much stronger than we used to be, you have to know that we are still not his match.


    So stop bothering him right now, apologize if required, and quickly back away while you still have time."


    Anderson''s tone was firm.


    Seraphina who saw her usually gullible and agreeable father talking in that firm tone like that was taken aback, just from this she could tell how worried her father was.


    However,


    "I cannot do that, Father." Seraphina shook her head.


    This time, Anderson narrowed his eyes, "That was not a request." His tone, strict, not taking a ''no'' for an answer. Sera, however, shook her head again.


    "Father, it is not that I do not want to do what you tell me to. Trust me, I wish for all this to end instantly the most, however, I simply cannot do that.


    That man is not going to leave me alone. If I ''back away'' and do nothing, I would simply be a motionless target in front of him, a target he could easily devour anytime he wants.


    Vaan isn''t going to just let be me."


    "What¡­?" Anderson''s expression changed.


    "Rnd is currently in Vesta House''s medical ward," Seraphina revealed.


    "Huh? Why is he there?"


    "Vaan was the one who did that to him."


    Anderson''s expression changed,


    "But Rnd is a 3rd Circle Ma-" He wanted to argue, but then he realized the Mage Vaan killed yesterday was a 3rd Circle Mage as well.


    "Instant Spells¡­" Anderson realized.


    "That is correct. Vaan knew Ronald was close to me and did that to him and the way he addressed those rumors by holding a Challenge rather than asking me to reveal the truth and clear his name made his stance clear as well,


    He ising for me."


    Seraphina spoke with a solemn look on her face.


    "Then what should we do?"


    Anderson questioned. He knew his daughter was a genius, she may not be a Magical Prodigy, but her intelligence was much higher than most people Anderson knew.


    Since she knew how grave the situation was and was talking about it openly, Anderson knew that Seraphina had thought of a solution.


    And whatever his daughter, he was there to provide his support.


    Seraphina, however, shook her head again,


    "There is nothing you have to do, Father. I will deal with everything.


    I will meet Vaan myself."


    "What!?" Anderson shouted in shock.


    Seraphina, however, nced at her father with a calm look on her face and,


    "As I said, please leave it to me. I know what to do. Just trust your daughter like you always have been, and I will solve everything."


    "Seraphina, I have already made it clear, do not y any more of your games with him, do not get to his bad side more than you already have."


    "Please do not worry, Father.


    I do not intend to get on his bad side."


    Seraphina spoke, her eyes shining with a mysterious light.


    ¡­


    "Haaah¡­ Haahh¡­ Haahh¡­"


    Back in Astra''s personnel Magic Training room, Vaan desperately gasped for air as he fell on the ground, dead tired.


    His entire body was covered in sweat, from how wet his clothes were, he looked like he had been standing in the rain for hours, honestly, Vaan was currently so exhausted that even breathing felt like a chore to him.


    "Your body is a mess. This is why I do not like mages, you people are just too weak."


    Orionmented.


    "You are married to a Mage¡­" Even being this tired didn''t stop Vaan from calling out his father''s hypocrisy.


    "Your mother is an exception of course. She is not weak, plus, she has me protecting her all the time." Orion replied.


    Vaan just rolled his eyes.


    But he had to admit, Vaan''s body was weak, he knew it as well, however, he had been training his physical strength every day from the day he came here and, he had made a lot of progress.


    In front of his father''s training, however, the progress he made seemed insignificant.


    Unlike training normally by doing pushups, pullups, sit-ups, and other exercises, his father gave him a set of nine ''Stances'' with each Stance being harder than thest one.


    At first, Vaan felt like it was as easy as breathing, he even thought it was a little too simple, however, as he started to change his stances ording to Orion''s guidance, his hell started.


    These stances stretched, pulled, and pushed his body to its limits. Within just one minute of getting in, Vaan had started sweating profusely and the longer he continued, the worse it got.


    Within the first 10 minutes, Vaan couldn''t only reach the 4th Stance, however, even with just that, his entire body felt like it was breaking, Vaan couldn''t even feel some of his body parts anymore.


    This torture however, continued, 5th Stance, 6th Stance, 7th, 8th, Orion forced Vaan to continue till hepleted all Nine Stances, and 2 hourster, by the time Vaan was done, he couldn''t feel anything.


    Vaan felt like he was in a free state where he had no body at all, no matter how he tried, he just couldn''t move. This feeling was much different than the sour body Vaan felt when he exercised for the first time.


    And all this happened in just 2 hours and 9 different Stances.


    "We still need to work on your body before I start teaching you something, only capable of doing 9 out of the basic 135 Stances, this is just nightmarish. You need to get to at least 54 before we start anything.


    Anyways, we will be training lik-"


    "W-Wait¡­"


    Suddenly, Vaan froze.


    "What did you say¡­? 135¡­? Are you telling me there are 135 of these¡­?"


    "Of course. There are 135 Basic Stances.


    Well, there are advanced ones as well, but those need Aura, so you can''t practice them."


    "¡­right."


    Vaan nodded, a weird smile pasted on his face.


    "But I have to say this, Vaan.


    Your willpower is much stronger than I expected.


    From sparring with you, I knew 9 Stances was your limit, but that limit was almost the breaking point of your body, anything further than that would have done permanent damage to your body, and honestly, not many ''veteran'' fighters in this world could train their body to limits.


    One needs to have an extremely strong willpower to do that and although the requirement may sound easy, moving your body when you can barely feel one of your limbs, that is not something just anyone can do.


    Heck, even some of the renowned cannot do it.


    But to think you would actually reach your limit on your first try, I am honestly surprised.


    It takes years of battle experience and countless life-threatening situations to get a willpower strong enough to actually push your body to the limits and to think you just simply inherited this willpower like it''s nothing.


    You are a prodigy, Vaan.


    And a ridiculously broken prodigy as at.


    Your Martial Arts talent doesn''t matter, just the fact that you can train your body to your limits means you can train in the most efficient way possible.


    What most would take years to achieve, with your efficient way of training, you can do it within months, regardless of how talented you are or howte you started."


    Orion was full of praises, his son had honestly surprised him, he didn''t know how he never seen his child''s talent before, but a 20-year-old having a willpower stronger than most of the ''warriors'' he knew, this honestly didn''t make sense.


    Orion was actually so impressed that this time, he was even willing to go against his wife.


    "Vaan, be a swordsmen.


    You were not born to be a magician, Vaan.


    No matter how talented you are in magic,


    I promise you, if you follow me, I will make you the strongest Swordsman the world has ever seen."


    Orion offered.


    Vaan paused.


    A swordsman¡­


    Honestly, he knew being a swordsman suited his fierce personality more, mages just couldn''t barge into their opponents like he does.


    Vaan knew that for someone like him, choosing to be a swordsman was a better choice, however,


    His eyes then fell on the two adorable little spirits looking at him with worried looks on their faces and seeing their eyes, Vaan just couldn''t do what his father said,


    "I cannot do that, Father.


    I need to be the strongest Mage there is.


    How else am I going to lead the Vesta Family?"

 Chapter 100 A Close Combat Mage

    <h4>Chapter 100 A Close Combat Mage</h4>


    "I cannot do that, Father.


    I need to be the strongest Mage there is.


    How else am I going to lead the Vesta Family?"


    Vaan spoke with a confident smile on his face.


    A wry smile appeared on Orion''s face,


    "So you wish to follow your mother''s footsteps huh¡­"


    It was a pity. Orion was sure that if Vaan agreed, he would have turned this man into the strongest swordsman in the entire world, Vaan''s potential was just as high.


    Losing someone like Vaan because he wants to learn Magic¡­ Orion couldn''t express just how disappointed he was.


    "Tsk, if only you could move while casting a spell. Magic is just too restrictive."


    Orionined out loud, however,


    "What¡­?"


    Vaan spoke up.


    "Hmm?" Orion frowned.


    "What did you say just now?"


    "I said Magic is just too restrictive and it is not a good thing."


    "No, you said something before that, about me being able to move while casting a spell."


    "Well you mages can''t move much while casting magic now, can you? You all need to concentrate on drawing the Magic Patterns.


    I just said that if you could move, I would have trained you ordingly and turned you into a Mage who can fight in closebat battles.


    Heh, just thinking about it is scary."


    Orion chuckled, obviously, he knew something like that was impossible.


    Everyone was supposed to have a weakness, for swordsmen, it was theck of firepower, and for mages, it was theck of movability and ability to defend themselves.


    A Mage who could fight in closebat battles, just that concept itself was wed. A being with no weakness, a being like that cannot exist.


    "I can."


    "Huh?"


    "I can move while casting a spell."


    While Orion was thinking all this, Vaan spoke up.


    Orion however, shook his head,


    "I am not talking about stepping aside, crouching down, or other minimal movements like that, many experienced mages who have practiced their spells to the limit can do that.


    It is good that you can do that however that is not what I was talking abo-"


    "I am not talking about those little movements either, I can move just like I normally do while I am casting my spells, heck I can even spar with you if you want."


    Vaan spoke as he looked into his father''s eyes with a confident look on his face.


    "¡­"


    Orion turned silent.


    "Vaan, your joke isn''t funny."


    "I have an incredibleic timing, there is no way my jokes aren''t funny.


    You aren''tughing because this time, I am not joking.


    I would have shown it to you if my body could move."


    Vaan replied, Orion stared at his son for a while, then, he walked towards Vaan, ced his hand on his back, and suddenly, Vaan''s expression changed.


    His tired body was healing.


    ''Wait, Heal wasn''t supposed to work on exhaustion, no wait, he is a Swordsman, he shouldn''t even know how to cast Heal.''


    Vaan couldn''t understand what was happening, however, before he could ask something, Orion stepped away, then, with a solemn look on his face, he looked into his eyes and,


    "Show me what you just said and remember,


    If you cannot do it,


    Your next training session won''t be something you should be looking forward to."


    Orion warned.


    Vaan blinked a few times, then, he stood up.


    His eyes fell on the two little spirits who had already appeared beside him and were looking at him with cheerful smiles on their faces,


    Seeing them, a smile appeared on Vaan''s face as well,


    2 Magic Circles appeared in front of him, then, he nced at his father and,


    "What do you want me to do?"


    "Attack me, using spells and your fists at the same time."


    Orion spoke.


    Vaan nced at mey, the little Spirit nodded, her eyes shining in intelligence. Then, Vaan rushed towards Orion, wanting to punch him.


    "!!!"


    Orion''s expression changed.


    From his vision, he just saw his son rushing towards him, while the Magic Circle he had summoned was being filled with Magic Patterns!


    Orion dodged Vaan''s punch at thest second, Vaan, as if he had already expected it, tried to aim for Orion''s leg, Orion stepped back, even now, dodging Vaan''s attacks was something effortless for him, however, this time, his expression wasn''t calm as before.


    Of course, Vaan noticed that and he couldn''t help but smile.


    His eyes fell on mey who had taken over his Mana control and was working on casting spell while he focused on attacking his father.


    *Flicker*


    Soon, a fireball was shot towards Orion, since the distance between them wasn''t much, Orion had no way to dodge. In the end, Orion was forced to take the attack head-on.


    *BOOOM*


    An explosion was heard, if it were a normal scenario, Vaan would have been worried about his father, however, Vaan knew Orion wasn''t a normal man either.


    And just as he thought, as the smoke cleared up, Orion stood tall with not even a single burned mark on his entire body.


    Vaan couldn''t hurt him but he wasn''t disappointed.


    The look on his father''s face, that alone was enough to put a smile on his face.


    "Should I continue?" Vaan questioned with a slightly proud smile on his face.


    "That is enough."


    Orion ordered.


    Then, he nced at his son and,


    "You can look forward to tomorrow''s training."


    There was a smile on Orion''s face, Vaan however, didn''t like that smile.


    For some reason, he felt that ''look forward to tomorrow''s training'' was worse than ''your next training won''t be something you should look forward to''.


    However, Vaan knew that whatever his father was thinking was beneficial for him. Just from his expression alone, Vaan could tell something amazing was going to happen soon, however, Vaan had one doubt,


    "Father."


    He called out.


    "You want me to be a Mage who could fight close-distancebat, correct?"


    "It has not been done before, however, with your ability, it is possible.


    Vaan Astra Vesta, I will turn you into a Mage that the entire world fears."


    "But¡­ if I purposefully close distance, won''t it just harm me? If the enemy is a Mage, he would have an easier time targeting me since I would have less time to dodge or defend against his attack as for a Swordman, that''s even worse since no matter how much I train, a mage defeating a Swordsman in a closebat battle is simply impossible."


    When Vaan realized that mey could cast spells in his stead, his first thought was something simr to Orion, however, after researching a little, he realized that what he was thinking was simply impossible.


    Like Mages had Mana, Swordsman worked with an Energy called Aura.


    Aura made their body stronger, to the point where it exceeded human limits. Even slicing up mountains was possible.


    No matter how much he trained, defeating someone as in human in a close distancebat was not possible. His Body wouldn''t be able to hold up.


    Of course, Vaan also thought of training Aura, however, Mana and Aura couldn''t co-exist.


    The two energies repelled each other to the point that training together would simply destroy ones'' body.


    Therefore, Vaan couldn''t understand, if he couldn''t use Aura, how was he supposed to face those swordsmen?


    Orion understood what his son was worried about, then, he threw a crystal towards Vaan.


    Vaan frowned as he caught the stone,


    "What is it, an Elemental Stone?" He questioned.


    "It''s a Strength Stone."


    "A Strength Stone¡­?" Vaan frowned in confusion.


    "Activate it like you use an Instant Spell," Orion instructed, Vaan did as he was told and soon, he felt endless strength coursing through his body.


    His expression changed.


    This strength, it was even higher than Christopher''s peak. Right now, Vaan felt like he could destroy a huge boulder with just a single punch.


    This strange feeling¡­ Vaan felt like he would get addicted.


    "A Strength Stone temporarily increases the strength when used, the purer the Stone, the stronger the effects would be. Just like this, there are Speed Stones, Stamina Stones, and more,


    You cannot use Aura, however, with these stones and the techniques I teach you, fighting against Aura users won''t be difficult."


    Orion exined.


    "These Stones¡­ they won''t be cheap¡­" Vaanmented.


    Something this amazing couldn''t possibly be cheap.


    "They are not."


    Orion nodded in agreement. Then, a smile appeared on his face and,


    "But since when do you have to worry about things like that?


    I will be the one training you,


    Leave the cost to me and just focus on the training,


    Is that clear?"


    Vaan couldn''t help but smile.


    ''Heh, being filthy rich feels great.''


    "Anyways, you have pushed your body too much today, go and rest," Orion ordered.


    Vaan nodded. The Father and Son then left Astra''s Magic Training Room, Vaan then walked towards his room and then,


    His eyes fell on Aldric, who was waiting for him in front of his room.


    "Young Master Vaan." Aldric bowed his head.


    Vaan nodded, "What are you doing here?" He questioned.


    "The letter you were talking about, it came earlier than expected."


    Hearing those words, Vaan''s lips curled into a smirk, "Is that so¡­?"


    "Yes, Lady Seraphina wishes to meet you."

 Chapter 101 Have you lost your mind or something?

    <h4>Chapter 101 Have you lost your mind or something?</h4>


    The Carriage stopped in front of the Stormweaver House, Aldric stepped out and,


    "Young Master Vaan." He bowed his head as he opened the doors of the Carraige for Vaan to step out.


    Vaan stepped out, his eyes falling on the Stormweaver Mansion, this was his second timeing here, with a small smile on his face, he walked in.


    "Y-Young Master Vaan!"


    Vaan''s eyes then fell on two familiar guards.


    "Do you want the Invitation Letter again?" he questioned with a yful look on his face.


    From how stiff their body was, Vaan could tell that these guards were nervous. A good changepared to before, when they were looking down on him.


    This is how one should act when the Young Master of the Vesta Family visits them.


    Be scared, be nervous, take care of every single thing, make sure nothing you do annoys him,


    That is how the Status difference between the two families bes apparent.


    "O-O-Of course not! I-It is our fortune that Young Master Vaan has decided to a-ept our invitation and grace us with his presence.


    We have already sent someone to inform Lady Seraphina, she must be waiting for you inside."


    The guard who enjoyed ''ordering the Vesta Blood'' replied, his body was trembling in fear.


    The man standing in front of him killed a 3rd Circle Mage ruthlessly, he saw that battle with his own eyes.


    Yes, the guard had taken a day off from his duty just so he could go and watch Vaan get defeated by other Mages. He wanted to watch Vaan get bullied by other mages and humiliated in front of the crowd, however, what he saw shocked him to the core.


    That demonic smile as he ruthlessly punched his opponents till their faces were disfigured, that ferocious look in his eyes as he red at his enemy even after his entire body was electrolyzed with Magic.


    The Guard did hear rumors about Vaan''s change but he dismissed them very quickly, that day, however, his misconception was clear¡­


    This man¡­ he was much scarier than all other heirs of the Vesta Familybined.


    Not to mention how he had the absolute support of the Head of the Vesta Family, who even went as far as killing a 5th Circle Mage who attacked her son.


    A 5th Circle Mage! One had to know, the Stormweaver Family Head, Anderson Stormweaver, he had just recently broken through and be a 5th Circle Mage. The Mage who died that day was most probably stronger than Stormweaver Family Head, yet there he was, cut into two pieces in front of the huge crowd and no one dared to raise his or her voice.


    That was just how scary the Vesta Family was.


    Offending the prospective heir of such a family, that was a foolish decision.


    "P-Please go in, Young Master Vaan." The guard bowed his head.


    Seeing that, a satisfied smile appeared on Vaan''s face as he walked into the Stormweaver Mansion, and as soon as he walked in just a little further, a beautiful white-haired woman could be seen standing in front of him with a maid standing beside her.


    "Greetings, Young Master Vaan."


    Seraphina slightly lifted the ck skirt she was wearing as she bowed her head.


    ''Heh.''


    Vaan chuckled inwardly. Then, he slightly tilted his head towards Aldric and,


    "Guess I am not ''expected'' to go to the Guest Room and wait for her today."


    Aldric smiled weakly.


    ''He remembers...''


    Aldric realized it.


    Vaan still hadn''t forgotten the disrespect he faced the first time he came here.


    And seeing how the Stormweaver Family was showing him the proper respect now, Vaan couldn''t help butugh in joy.


    This was the feeling of cornering the rat.


    The woman standing in front of him, she had no other options left.


    Relishing this feeling, Vaan continued,


    "I don''t think it has been that long since we have seen each other, Sera. You interrupted my dinner date with my Fiance a few days ago, remember?"


    "Hahaha~


    Young Master is right and I deeply apologize for interrupting you that day.


    It is just that these days, I often find myself missing Young Master Vaan a little too much, and since I keep thinking about you all the time, even a few days of not seeing you feel like a long time."


    Seraphina smiled lightly as she looked into Vaan''s eyes.


    The words she spoke and the expression she currently had on her face, the previous Vaan would have licked the entire ground clean just so he could experience this once, and even then, he would have failed.


    And yet here she was, the great Seraphina Stormweaver, a woman with countless men crazy over her, offering herself on a te right in front of him.


    "By the way, Congrattions on discovering the Advanced Magic Circle, Young Master Vaan."


    Seraphina congratted.


    "I published that circle weeks ago, why are you congratting me right now?" Vaan questioned.


    "My mediocre Magic Talent couldn''t understand just how much of a great discovery that Magic Circle was, I only realized its greatness when I heard about you using it to defeat your opponents one after another.


    Now I regret that I couldn''t make it to the Stadium to watch your Duels."


    "Well it is not that big of a problem now, is it? Just start some other new rumor and I will probably challenge other mages ''standing up for you''. You can watch the duels then."


    Vaan replied.


    "Young Master must be joking, I wasn''t the one who spread those false rumors and Young Master should know that as well. I am not that kind of woman. I did, however,e up with a solution for this situation.


    A permanent solution that would fix all the problems that have or could possibly arise because of these baseless rumors."


    "Oh? You thought of a solution? Well then what are you waiting for? Say what you have in mind."


    "Shall we first move to somewhere private first? I would feel bad if Young Master Vaan stood up the entire time as we talked."


    "You are being extra careful today," Vaanmented.


    "As I said, I missed Young Master Vaan, so I am just making sure that Young Master Vaan is satisfied. As they say, a man who is satisfied with his wife returns home much quicker than a man who is not.


    Anyways, please follow me, Young Master Vaan."


    Saying those words, Seraphina turned around and walked away, telling Vaan to follow him. Anna, Seraphina''s maid stopped Aldric, giving the two of them some private time.


    Soon, Vaan and Seraphina walked into a room. Vaan sat down, Seraphina sat down in front of him and,


    "So? What is the solution you found?" With his hands crossed and one leg over the other, Vaan questioned. From his expression, it was clear that he didn''t care about this entire thing, Seraphina noticed that, however, ignoring that face, she proposed,


    "The Rumors about Young Master Vaan sexually assaulting me, even if I personallye forward and deny these rumors, it would give an impression that I am being forced by the Vesta Family, this would ruin the Vesta Family''s image, which, of course, is something you wouldn''t want.


    However, there is a way with which not only these rumors, even if more rumors spread in the future, it would not harm our two families."


    "And what way is that?" Vaan questioned.


    "Please Marry me."


    Seraphina requested.


    Vaan narrowed his eyes, however, before he could say anything, Seraphina continued,


    "Now I will not deny that I have a selfish reason behind this, I have had feelings for Young Master Vaan ever since I saw you, however, as someone who is dedicated to my family and wants it to grow, I had decided to bury these feelings in my heart and focus on my family.


    However, when I saw Young Master Vaan on a dinner date a few days ago, these buried feelings all came back, this time, a lot stronger than before.


    It is to the point where I can''t focus on anything since my mind ispletely upied by Young Master Vaan.


    I know this is not the most romantic way to confess my feelings, however, this method does efficiently take care of these and any future rumors there are and I hope Young Master Vaan epts my proposal."


    Seraphina spoke up.


    Yes, she had decided to ''sacrifice'' herself in order to get out of this situation.


    This was her ''grand'' n.


    She had decided to give Vaan what he wanted, now even if she loses her value after this, as long as her family was in a good state, she had nothing toin.


    She had brought her family far enough, as for the rest, someone from the future generation would need to continue her work.


    Thinking about it, a weak smile appeared on Seraphina''s face¡­


    To think that even after doing this much, she would still end up in a helpless state like this¡­


    But then,


    "Woman, what in the hell are you talking about?


    Have you lost your mind or something?"

 Chapter 102 It is time to see my petty side.

    <h4>Chapter 102 It is time to see my petty side.</h4>


    "Woman, what in the hell are you talking about?


    Have you lost your mind or something?"


    Vaan questioned with a confused look on his face.


    "Huh¡­?"


    Seraphina''s expression changed.


    "What in the hell are you on about?


    Are you insinuating that just any random woman could marry me, the Young Master of the Vesta Family, just by spreading some false rumors about me? Do you even realize what kind of message it spreads? If I marry you because of these rumors, there would be thousands of women following after you, spreading foolish rumors about me. Am I supposed to marry them all?"


    Vaan questioned.


    "Is Young Master Vaanparing me to a random woman¡­?" Seraphina tilted her head.


    "Well you aren''t exactly special, are you?


    Average Magic Talent, Average Family Background, Average looks, you may not be a random woman since we have been friends for a long time, but marrying me, I apologize if it maye off as rude, but Seraphina,


    Someone like you shouldn''t even dream of marrying me."


    Vaan spoke as he looked into Seraphina''s eyes with a cold look on his face.


    "¡­"


    Seraphina froze.


    She couldn''t understand what was happening¡­


    Wasn''t the reason Vaan doing everything was to get her?


    Then why was he rejecting her when she was offering herself?


    "Not to mention I already have a Fianc¨¦, how could I possibly marry you when I have someone like ra? No matter how I see it, that''s a downgrade." Vaanmented.


    Hearing his words, Seraphina''s expression changed.


    She finally realized what Vaan was trying to do.


    ''Heh¡­''


    Seraphina chuckled helplessly.


    It was embarrassing and extremely degrading, however, right now, she had no other choice.


    "Young Master Vaan, I obviously didn''t forget about ra, I know she is your fianc¨¦ and is someone chosen by your mother. I understand that you cannot break off your engagement since she is Lady Astra''s pupil and I do not mind it.


    Polygamy is extremelymon for someone of Young Master Vaan''s status, you can marry both of us. ra can be the main wife, I am satisfied even if I am a concubine. I just wish to stay with Young Master Vaan."


    Seraphina spoke as she secretly clenched her fists.


    To think she would be forced to be someone''s concubine, not to mention she was the one who had to suggest it¡­


    Seraphina was frustrated, but there was nothing she could do. She just bowed her head, waiting for Vaan''s reply.


    Seeing her like that, Vaan couldn''t help but smile inwardly.


    ''That was all you had to do. It was just that easy.''


    He muttered inwardly, talking to the previous Vaan.


    Seeing as how a woman who treated even smiling at him as a ''reward'' for him, now practically begging to marry him, Vaan couldn''t help but chuckle.


    ''This does feel quite good though¡­'' Vaan thought inwardly, even though he tried to hide it, a small smile couldn''t help but appear on his face.


    Seraphina saw that smile and clenched her fist even harder.


    She knew her actions would be lowering her ''value'' even further, it might even open up the pathway of Vaan abusing her in the future, but for her family''s sake, she had to deal with it.


    Also, even if she couldn''t be Vaan''s wife, just being his concubine would uplift her status to an iparable level.


    She might not be able to use Vaan like she did before and might even lose the support of many other young mages who were after her, however, the newworks she would make using her status as Vaan''s Concubine would be much more useful than what she had right now.


    She might even have the chance to raise her family''s status to an even higher position if she ''satisfies'' Vaan.


    Thinking about it, Seraphina gulped, then, resigning to her fate, she smiled.


    ''To whatever the future holds¡­''


    She muttered inwardly, trying to cheer herself.


    But then,


    "That is Lady ra for you, not ra.


    This is the second time I am correcting you, Seraphina."


    Vaan spoke up.


    "What¡­?" Seraphina''s expression changed.


    Where did thate from?


    She wondered inwardly.


    Vaan, however, didn''t care about what she was thinking and continued speaking, it was finally time for thest push.


    "Also, although you are correct about how I cannot break off my engagement with ra, your reasoning ispletely wrong.


    Her being Mother''s Pupil doesn''t matter, I won''t break off my engagement with her because I love her. An amazing woman like her, only a fool would give up on her.


    I don''t know why I get this feeling from you, but I think you are indirectlyparing yourself to ra and are actually putting yourself above her, so let me make things clear right here and now,


    No, you are not better than ra.


    Honestly, you aren''t even in thepetition.


    And I am not even talking about Magic Talent here. ra is beautiful, probably the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life. She is sweet, she is adorable, she is smart, she may be a bit na?ve, but that just adds up to her charm.


    You are heavily outmatched, Seraphina and it is to the point where if I take you as a concubine, it would be disrespectful to my ra, so stop suggesting that stupid idea again and again."


    Vaan paused, then he leaned forward, and,


    "And stop disrespecting my future wife. I have been excusing you for a while now, but if I ever see you not showing her proper respect,


    You won''t like what I am going to do,


    Is that clear?"


    "¡­"


    Seraphina turned silent.


    She looked into Vaan''s eyes and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t find those eyes that looked at her with desire.


    It was as if that Vaan had disappeared.


    Seraphina closed her eyes and started thinking. She needed toe up with a solution before this meeting ends, however,


    Vaan stood up.


    Then, he ced a paper on the table, then ncing at Seraphina, he spoke,


    "This is the list of everything you have borrowed from me till now, the renting cost and the interest rates are written in front of them and the total is mentioned at the bottom of the list and on the backside.


    Considering our close rtionship, the rental cost and interest rates I have applied are half the market price, but I suggest that you clear your ount as soon as possible. You should know that these rates continue to increase as time passes, and you have been already piling up for the past decade.


    I will be taking my leave now."


    Vaan spoke up as he walked away.


    8560 Elemental stones.


    "!!!"


    Seraphina, who nced at the total widened her eyes in horror.


    8560 Elemental stones.


    "T-This doesn''t make any sense!" She screamed as she turned towards Vaan.


    "This amount is beyondprehension! Not even the entirety of the Stormweaver Family''s treasury would cover it! How did it get this high!?"


    She questioned.


    Vaan paused, then he turned around and,


    "Your interests have been piling up for 10 years, Seraphina.


    All the details are mentioned in there, you can have them rechecked to confirm it, I do not mind it.


    The Vesta Family does not fool others in order to make profits."


    Vaan replied, then, he turned away, wanting to leave, but then,


    "There was no contract signed."


    Seraphinamented.


    It didn''t matter anymore, Vaan had already made it clear that he wouldn''t marry her, the two of them already stood on opposite sides now, Seraphina was trying to prevent this, however, with this monstrously huge ''debt'' over her head, Seraphina was out of options.


    Even if it strained her rtionship with Vaan, she had to do something about this debt.


    "In ordance with the established regtions of the Vesta Family, it is imperative that any trade, regardless of the applicable interest rates, be apanied by a duly executed contract bearing the signatures of all involved parties. However, for the items in this list that were ''lent'' to me, there exists no such executed contract. This absence effectively designates all of these transactions as ''Gifts,'' thereby exempting them from any associated interest charges or repayment obligations, in keeping with the customary understanding that gifts do not entail such financialmitments."


    Seraphina spoke, her tonepletely different from before. She wasn''t rude, however, the ''professionalism'' in hernguage made her tone clear.


    Vaan narrowed his eyes.


    Seraphina''s tone, even in his past life, he didn''t like people who talked like the way she was talking right now.


    If it was the previous him, he would have simply punched this bitch, however, he was now a new Vaan, an improved Vaan,


    He was now a peace-loving person.


    "So from what I understand, you are saying you won''t be returning any of it, let alone paying the interest, correct?"


    Vaan questioned.


    "I am not obligated to return anything, as mentioned above, Gifts do not have to be returned and of course, there are no interest charges on them, since those items belong to me now."


    "I understand." Vaan nodded, then, he just turned around.


    Seeing that, Seraphina narrowed her eyes. Breaking her character, she questioned,


    "What are you going to do now?"


    Vaan stopped, then, he nced at Seraphina, and with a small smirk on his face, he replied,


    "What do you expect?


    The things I did for you for the sake of our friendship, you are repaying me by asking for an official contract and are trying to cheat me. Legally, you are on the right of course, so I won''t be doing anything.


    But don''t expect it to end here.


    You have seen my kind side,


    Now it is time to see my petty side.


    Seraphina Stormweaver, I will make it clear right now. This won''t end well for you. You used my friendship, I will do the same. From knowing you for so long, I know you deeply care for your family,


    So I will be targeting your family in the future, everything you have built after so much effort, your family structure, the people you have hired, and the connections you have built. I will make sure I will destroy it all.


    I''ll pressure your family using my influence, I''ll make it so others will avoid you like the gue,


    And I will do it till you return every single penny to me and this time,


    There won''t be any friendly discounts."

 Chapter 103 This battle, it is already your defeat.

    <h4>Chapter 103 This battle, it is already your defeat.</h4>


    "I''ll pressure your family using my influence, I''ll make it so others will avoid you like the gue,


    And I will do it till you return every single penny to me and this time,


    There won''t be any friendly discounts."


    Saying those words, Vaan walked towards the door, wanting to leave, but,


    ''So I will be targeting your family in the future, everything you have built after so much effort, your family structure, the people you have hired, and the connections you have built. I will make sure I will destroy it all.


    I''ll pressure your family using my influence.''


    Vaan suddenly heard his own voice. He turned around with a frown on his face, then he saw Seraphina standing with a Crystal Ball in her hand,


    She had recorded everything he said.


    "No matter how I see it, this is clearly a threat.


    Young Master Vaan is using his family''s status to pressure me into giving in to your demands. Young Master of the righteous Vesta Family acting like a thug, I doubt many in the Vesta Family would like it."


    Seraphinamented as she looked into Vaan''s eyes.


    Vaan nced at Seraphina and with a frown on his face, he questioned, "What are you trying to say?"


    "What I am saying is that if this recording gets leaked, it won''t end well for Young Master Vaan. I know Young Master Vaan has returned to the Battle of Heirs and is fighting for the position of Family Heir again, however, if this is revealed, it would deeply affect Young Master Vaan''s position.


    Now Young Master Vaan wouldn''t want a mere ''average'' woman causing you so much trouble, would he?"


    Seraphina questioned and hearing her words, Vaan narrowed his eyes,


    "Are you threatening me?"


    Seraphina shook her head, "That is not correct, Young Master Vaan. I merely want you to make a wise decision here that would be best for both of us. Pushing me into a corner would bring nothing but trouble to you. There is no need for someone of your stature to get involved with someone like me.


    I suggest Young Master Vaan leave me alone, and I give you my word that you will never see or hear from me again. I am even willing to sign a contract stating the above conditions."


    "And what if I don''t agree to your suggestion?"


    "Then you would leave me no choice but to use this recording as myst weapon."


    "Then do it." A smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    "What¡­?" Seraphina tilted her head in confusion, Vaan, however, just nced at her with a wide smile on her face,


    "Spread this recording all over the Vesta City, do it, and let''s reveal how you used my kindness for your own benefit and are now refusing to pay me back.


    Let''s open up this entire situation to the public and let them decide who is in the right and who is in the wrong.


    You, who are being ''threatened'' by the Young Master of the Vesta Family,


    Or me, who was cheated out of more than 8000 Elemental Stones.


    I am looking forward to you fanning this situation, giving me more freedom to openlye after you."


    Vaan''s smile was honestly scary, Seraphina, however, wasn''t scared. She was willing to see this to the end,


    "Again, those were considered ''Gifts'', I never cheated you out of anything."


    "Let us see what the public believes."


    "The public would believe what they are made to believe.


    Young Master Vaan liked me, that was the reason why he was often found around me and gave me many ''Gifts'', trying to woo me. However, when I rejected his advances, he was enraged and started asking me to return everything he had ever given to me.


    This storybined with your actions in the past,


    I''d say it is pretty believable, correct?"


    Seraphina spoke with a small smile on her face.


    It was her win. No matter what Vaan did, as long as he didn''t have written proof, there was nothing he could do to stop people from believing this story.


    It would be Vaan''s open loss and honestly, it would also be a form of protection she and her family would receive, as once this matter bes public and people learn about the feud between Vaan and her, after her victory, to protect their family dignity, the Vesta Family would make sure Vaan won''t do anything reckless trying to harm her or her family.


    However, even after that, Seraphina didn''t wish to take this step, if she did that, she would be facing Vaan as her enemy for the rest of her life, which would definitely affect her family''s growth.


    Honestly, Seraphina wanted to settle this matter as quietly and quickly as possible,


    However,


    ''Polygamy is extremelymon for someone of Young Master Vaan''s status, you can marry both of us. ra can be the main wife, I am satisfied even if I am a concubine. I just wish to stay with Young Master Vaan''


    Seraphina then saw a Crystal Ball in Vaan''s hand.


    "That certainly does look like you rejecting me, the public would surely believe that." Vaan nodded.


    Seraphina widened her eyes in shock.


    To think he recorded what she said!


    Vaan''s smile just widened even further and,


    "These little games of yours,


    I have been ying them for a decade now.


    Woman, you are far too inexperienced to go against someone like me.


    Whether you decide to spread that recording or not, it doesn''t matter.


    This battle, it is already your defeat.


    The only thing that is left to decide is how much damage you and your family will take before you finally give in and return every penny you have taken from me."


    Vaan turned around, then, he raised his hand and, "You can tear that bill apart if you want, it still had my considerations as your friend and as I said, the updated bill won''t have those discounts.


    I want you to pay in full and I suggest you do it as soon as possible.


    The bill will be sent to you tomorrow,


    Till then,


    Have a good day, Seraphina Stormweaver."


    Saying those words, Vaan finally left.


    Seraphina stood there in silence, unable to process what happened.


    It was herplete defeat.


    If she openly opposes Vaan, he would simply frame her and get a reason to openly target her, crippling her family''s growth and slowly chipping its strength away.


    If she takes everything without resistance, the absurd amount of debt would empty out her family''s treasury, and they would be no different than ves working desperately in order to pay off their loans.


    Anything she did would backfire on her and eventually destroy her family.


    There was no way out of this situation-


    No, there was¡­


    There was one final option.


    Seraphina left the guest room and walked towards her own room, in front of the door of her room, she found Anna, who stood there with a worried look on her face,


    "Lady Seraphina, what happened in the meeting, Young Master Vaan''s expression was strange¡­" Anna questioned.


    "There is no use talking about it." Seraphina waved her hand, then, she looked at her trusted maid and,


    "Anna, I need your help."


    Anna''s expression changed, just from Seraphina''s expression, she could tell what Seraphina wanted from her.


    A determined expression appeared on Anna''s face and,


    "Please tell me what to do, Lady Seraphina."


    "Dreamweave, bring it here," Seraphina ordered.


    This was thest option avable.


    Turn Vaan into a helpless addict who would do anything just for a single packet of Dreamweave. Of course, it was a desperate measure and something that could potentially destroy her entire family if she was caught, however, Seraphina had already prepared the countermeasures.


    Even if she does get caught, she would be taking the entirety of the me on herself.


    "As youmand, Lady Seraphina.


    When do I leave?"


    "In three days."


    "I understand." Anna nodded.


    Seraphina then nced at her trusted maid and, "You know the catch, correct?"


    "I perfectly understand the risks involved.


    The only ones who know about this matter are me and Lady Seraphina.


    No one else in the Stormweaver Family should know about it."


    Anna answered,pletely understanding the severity of the issue.


    "Good." Seraphina smiled as she ced her hand on Anna''s shoulder.


    "Take rest for the next three days. It is going to get hectic."


    "I understand."


    "But do not leave the Stormweaver House, it might not be safe out there¡­"


    Seraphina ordered.


    "Yes." Anna nodded again.


    Seraphina nodded back, then, she walked into her room, jumped on her bed, and with her eyes closed, she exhaled deeply.


    ¡­


    On the other side, Orion, who, after training Vaan, was returning to his room, found an extremely beautiful woman sitting on his bed.


    "Hello, beautifuldy. What can I do for you?" He asked with a yful smile on his face.


    "Are you sure you should be doing what you are doing?" Astra, who was not in the mood for any jokes, questioned with a solemn look on her face.

 Chapter 104 You are a Silent Tyrant

    <h4>Chapter 104 You are a Silent Tyrant</h4>


    "Hello, beautifuldy. What can I do for you?"


    "Are you sure you should be doing what you are doing?" Astra, who was not in the mood for any jokes questioned with a solemn look on her face.


    "So you found out," Orionmented with a slight smile on his face.


    "Don''t act like you are surprised."


    "I am not. I already know you have eyes everywhere in the Vesta Mansion. You are a Silent Tyrant, my wife."


    "You brought him to my Magic Training Room, if you wanted to actually hide something from me, you would have taken him to your own Training Room," Astra replied.


    Orion just smiled and didn''t say anything.


    "Anyways, you still haven''t answered my question. Training him to be a Magician and a Swordsman, are you sure it is the right decision?"


    "Well you can''t be sure of anything, now can you?" Orion replied. Then, he nced at Astra and,


    "I just don''t want him to waste his gift.


    That boy uses a never seen before Advanced Magic Circle, and he can cast his spells while sparring with me, none of these things is something even the experienced mages can do.


    Not to mention his determination to push his body to limits, that willpower alone is enough to push him to be the best swordsman there is.


    Vaan is gifted and I want him to use his gifts and be the greatest there ever was."


    "But what if his body breaks down? The burden you are putting him through isn''t a simple one. Bing a Mage and a Swordsman at the same time, although it may sound great, the idea itself is wed.


    What if this hinders his growth in both Magic and Swordsmanship? What if our high goals turned our son into someone who tried everything but couldn''t excel in anything?


    What if Vaan bes the Jack of all trades but master of none?"


    "Well, a Jack of all Trades Master of none is oftentimes better than Master of one."


    "Not in Vaan''s case.


    The beings he will go against aren''t weak, if he wishes to be Head of the Vesta Family, he would be going against the best there are.


    A shallow effort won''t even budge them.


    Vaan needs to be nothing short of perfect if he wishes to inherit the Vesta Family."


    "Now who''s the one putting all this pressure on him, huh?" Orion joked.


    "I am not pressuring him into doing anything. He is the one who decided to walk on this path, I am just stating what he would face.


    You, on the other hand, are making him do somethingpletely unnecessary and unsure."


    "And if that something is achieved, Vaan might even be the strongest being the world has ever seen."


    "But that something has never been achieved before."


    "Have you seen or heard about someone being as talented as Vaan?"


    Orion questioned.


    "¡­"


    Astra turned silent.


    In a calm voice, Orion walked towards Astra and gently held her hands,


    "If there is someone who can do it, it is Vaan. Trust your child a little, Astra.


    Also, it is not like I am making him learn Aura, now am I?


    The energy in his body won''t be unstable, the only thing it might affect is the time he gets to learn his Magic Spells."


    Astra nced at Orion and then,


    "His Magic Practice time, his Battle Style, his Battle Strategy, everything is being affected by this, don''t try to fool me."


    "¡­"


    Orion smiled wryly as he saw his wife ring at him.


    "W-Well, it is not like he was fighting like a normal mage should before, now was he?


    That boy likes to punch his opponents.


    He has the makings of a warrior, not a mage.


    Honestly, if it wasn''t for his decision to stick to Magic, I would have turned him into an Aura User, that is what suits him the most."


    Orion wasn''t willing to back down.


    "¡­" Astra continued to re at her husband.


    "Don''t look at me like that, I said what I said."


    Orion looked away.


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    The room turned silent.


    Astra then shook her head as she stood up.


    "I will trust you for now."


    "Well of course, have I ever broken your trust?"


    "That is the reason I am trusting you." A small smile appeared on Astra''s face as she nced at Orion.


    Orion momentarily froze as he saw his wife.


    "Anyways, I know you want the best for our child, so I will be leaving him to you,


    I will be taking my leave no- Annh!"


    Before Astra could walk away, Orion grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him. Then, he turned around as they both fell on the bed with Orion on top of Astra.


    "What are you doing?" Astra narrowed her eyes.


    "Heh."


    Orion chuckled.


    Then without saying anything, he lowered his head.


    With a helpless smile on her face, Astra closed her eyes.


    It had been a while indeed.


    The lights of the room were automatically closed and nothing was visible.


    ¡­


    The next day, Vaan was back in his mother''s Magic Training Room, with Astra''s permission, he was allowed to use this room for as long as he wanted, whenever he wanted.


    A privilege rarely any mages had.


    Honestly, thinking how Karl fought with Vaan over him using the Magic Training rooms prepared for 3rd Circle Mages and how Vaan was now using Astra''s personnel room,


    Karl''s death felt unfair.


    That poor guy must be cursing Vaan from the Reincarnation Cycle.


    Of course, Vaan couldn''t care less about the dead cursing him, he had better things to think about and do, especially right now, when he was standing in front of his cute fianc¨¦, who was looking around with a confused look on her face.


    "V-Vaan¡­ you said we would be training for the uing Elemental sh¡­ but what is this¡­?" ra questioned in an unsure tone.


    "This is the start of your training, ra."


    "W-Why are we training with a wooden sword?"


    ra questioned.


    She couldn''t tell what Vaan was thinking.


    Vaan, on the other hand, had a big smile on his face.


    This was the second step of his grand n of converting ra into a gangster.


    He would be teaching her some Martial Arts. Of course, he wasn''t going to go on an extreme level and teach her what his father was teaching him.


    He and ra weren''t the same.


    What he wanted to teach ra was simple, he wanted her to learn how to hurt her opponents.


    ra was an exceptional mage. Whether it was target practice, her efficiency in learning new spells, or creating her own varieties of spells, she excelled in everything. ording to Astra, ra was much better than most of the 4th Circle Mages there are, however, even then,


    When ites to Magic Duel, she oftenes out as the loser.


    The reason behind this was simple, ra, even though she is much better than her opponents, is not able to battle with her full capabilities because she is scared that she would end up hurting her opponent.


    And this was the problem Vaan wanted to solve. Also, learning martial arts and hitting people was a great way of getting rid of one''s timidness, this was one of Vaan''s goals as well.


    "To be honest with you, me and my mother had a fight."


    Suddenly, Vaan spoke up.


    "What? Why?" ra questioned, surprised and worried.


    "Well, Mother said you won''t be able to win the Elemental sh.


    But since you are the best 4th Circle Mage I knew, I said you would win and we fought."


    "T-That''s¡­" ra didn''t know what to say.


    "There are a lot of 4th Circle Mages who are better than me¡­" She muttered in a low voice.


    "No way. You are the best there is." Vaan quickly shook his head.


    "That is no-"


    ra wanted to deny Vaan''s words, however, Vaan continued,


    "Anyways, seeing that Mother wasn''t believing in my fianc¨¦, I decided to challenge her.


    The two of us have made a bet, if you win, Mother will give the two of us 100 elemental stones in total, if you lose, I will need to give her 200 Elemental Stones."


    "What!? Why would you do that!? I won''t be able to win!" ra panicked.


    Vaan then suddenly grabbed her hand, then, he looked into ra''s eyes, and,


    "You will win, just trust me and do what I said,


    Would you do it?"


    "¡­"


    ra froze as she looked into Vaan''s eyes.


    "You do trust your fianc¨¦, correct?"


    Vaan questioned.


    In the end, ra nodded timidly, Vaan smiled, he quickly kissed her forehead, then, he backed away and pointed his wooden sword at her.


    "Nowe and attack me."


    "W-What?" ra blinked a few times. Unable to believe what Vaan said.


    "Just trust me and do what I say," Vaan spoke.


    ra then closed her eyes and rushed towards Vaan.


    Her form was full of openings, however, without caring about that, she attacked.


    Vaan sidestepped, dodging her head, ra failed to control her momentum and fell down.


    Or that was what should have happened, Vaan however, caught her before she could, then he rolled around as he fell down with ra on top of him.


    The two looked into each other''s eyes, ra panicked, she wanted to move away and was worried about Vaan getting hurt,


    Vaan, however, held her tightly and,


    "I am hurt,


    So don''t move and let me heal like this."

 Chapter 105 How was your Date?

    <h4>Chapter 105 How was your Date?</h4>


    "I am hurt,


    So don''t move and let me heal like this."


    Vaan spoke as he ced his hand on ra''s lower back, not allowing her to move aside.


    "V-V-Vaan!"


    ra''s face turned bright red, she wanted to move away, however, since Vaan was ''hurt'', she could not. In the end, she just gave up and continued to look away, trying not to make eye contact.


    Vaan enjoyed her reactions, he continued to stare at his fianc¨¦ even though he knew that she was feeling embarrassed by his gaze.


    This continued for a whole minute before ra finally gathered enough confidence to speak up,


    "D-D-Do we not have to train?"


    "Do we really have to?" Vaan questioned with a slight smile on his face.


    "You said you made a bet with the Teacher¡­" ra was still worried.


    200 Elemental Stones was no small amount, even for someone like Vaan. Thinking that Vaan might lose this much because of her, it clearly bothered ra.


    "So will you do what I say from now on?"


    Vaan questioned.


    "I-I will." ra nodded.


    "Good, then kiss my forehead."


    Vaan ordered with a big smile on his face.


    ra''s blush deepened,


    "H-How is that r-rted to my training?"


    "You said you would do whatever I tell you to, you weren''t lying to your fianc¨¦, were you?"


    "¡­"


    ra turned silent.


    Vaan continued to stare at her, then, "I am still waiting, ra." He reminded.


    "Alright, let''s do this, I will close my eyes, and you kiss my forehead, would that work?" Vaan spoke as he closed his eyes.


    ra sneakily nced at Vaan and noticing that he had actually closed his eyes, ra gathered her courage and,


    She kissed Vaan''s forehead.


    Of course, it was a light kiss, the quickest one Vaan had ever felt or seen, however, that short kiss was so adorable that it brought a big smile on Vaan''s face.


    His fianc¨¦ really was too cute.


    ''I am falling in love¡­''


    Vaan chuckled wryly.


    "S-Should we begin now¡­?" Seeing Vaan''s smile, ra felt a little different, different feelings filled her heart, feelings she didn''t know how to react to, therefore, she decided to direct her focus on something else and get her mind away from this.


    Not knowing what was going on inside her mind, Vaan nodded.


    No matter how fun it was, he was here to train his fianc¨¦, that dream of seeing a Gangster ra, it wouldn''te true on its own, he needed to convert his ra on his own.


    "Stand up."


    Vaan ordered.


    ra did as she was told.


    "Pick your sword ande at me again.


    This time, keep your eyes open, mind your momentum, and don''t just think about attacking me once, think about abination of moves."


    Vaan ordered.


    ra nodded, then she picked up her sword and rushed toward Vaan again.


    This time, ra was careful, even after Vaan dodged her attack, she didn''t slip, rather, she quickly changed her direction and attacked again.


    Of course, Vaan continued to masterfully dodge her attacks.


    He didn''t wish to say it, however, ra''s attacks were disastrously bad, she was slow, she was weak and she had no technique at all. Of course, Vaan expected this, like most mages, ra hadn''t trained her body at all.


    Not to mention her timid personality was holding her back.


    However, Vaan could sense it.


    As he continued to dodge ra''s attacks effortlessly, she was changing, her attacks were getting better and better with each passing second.


    Her hesitation, which was holding her back, knowing that Vaan could dodge her attacks easily and that she could go all out without hurting him, ra''s attacks got more and more confident.


    Although it was not what Vaan wanted, it was still progress.


    The two sparred for 30 minutes, then, ra finally fell down, tired.


    "Haah¡­ Haahh¡­ Haahh¡­"


    She breathed heavily, her body drenched in sweat.


    "That was good."


    Vaan smiled as he passed a towel to her.


    ra grabbed the towel and as her eyes fell on Vaan, she questioned,


    "How are you not tired at all¡­?"


    Right now, even speaking felt like a chore to ra, and seeing how Vaan, though still covered with sweat, was standing in front of her in perfect condition, she couldn''t make sense of the situation.


    Hearing her question, Vaan smiled wryly.


    Recalling his father''s training and how he couldn''t move after doing that set of exercises, this little ''spar'' felt like a breeze to him.


    There wasn''t a heaven''s shocking change in his body in just one day, however, Vaan could definitely feel some change in his body. With how quickly his body was improving, Vaan was honestly shocked.


    "I am quite strong, you know?" Vaan replied with a confident smile on his face.


    "¡­" ra was amazed.


    To think Vaan was this strong¡­


    She knew he was a Magic Genius, but this¡­


    This was quite amazing as well.


    "Anyways, that is it for today''s training, now go back, eat and rest well, is that clear?"


    "I-It''s over?"


    ra was taken aback.


    They were here to train for the Elemental sh but they haven''t trained their Magic at all! How is she going to prepare for the tournament if she doesn''t practice Magic?


    And as if he could read her mind, Vaan replied,


    "I am not skilled enough to teach you Magic, ra.


    You should be the one teaching me that. I would have apanied you for Magic Practice right now, however, I need to train with Father.


    So have some rest, recover, and I''ll join you soon, would that work?"


    ra nced at Vaan, then, she nodded.


    Vaan extended his hand towards ra, asking her to get up, ra held his hand, stood up, and excused herself.


    Vaan was left alone in the room. Soon, Orion walked in.


    "How was your little date?"


    "We were training for the tournament."


    "Right, me and Astra used to train for a lot of tournaments as well. We even trained for some tournaments that weren''t even there."


    Orion nodded, totally not believing his son.


    "¡­"


    Vaan knew his father had misunderstood, however, since he didn''t especially dislike what Orion had understood, he didn''t bother correcting him either. Vaan shrugged, Orion nced at his child and,


    "Are you ready?"


    Vaan nodded.


    "Then what are you waiting for, start with stance one," Orion ordered and Vaan''s training started.


    This was how Vaan spent his days, training ra, then training with his Father, then returning to ra to practice Magic, study some Magic on his own, spending some time with his mother, then ending his day.


    His days were peaceful and fruitful.


    He was getting stronger as each day passed, especially his body which was in a nightmarish condition, he was improving at a rapid rate, even in his training with ra, ra''s attacks were getting more and more refined as well.


    Everything was going well, and Vaan would have preferred if it would remain the same, however, he knew something was going to happen.


    Something that he had arranged after so many days of nning.


    He was finally going to win.


    *Knock* *Knock*


    Suddenly, Vaan heard a knock.


    "Young Master Vaan, you have received a letter."


    A cruel smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    ¡­


    Stormweaver Mansion was known for its high security.


    Although the guards working in the Stormweaver Family weren''t exactly strong, andpared to the actually strong families, the Stormweaver Family''s defense wasn''t that strong, however, whenpared with the families of their level,


    The Stormweaver Family definitely stood out.


    This was because of their impable management system, a System that guarantees guards keep watch all the time, but also guarantees that all the guards get enough rest and are in their best condition all the time.


    A perfect ever-changing shift system where each Shift oveps with the other, not allowing even a slight second of negligence,


    Today, however, there was a slight mistake in this normally perfect shift system,


    Today, there was a gap between two shifts, and as if knowing that this would happen, a cloaked figure rushed into the Stormweaver''s Mansion, avoiding all the eyes, the figure soon entered the mansion.


    With how confidently the figure was moving around, it looked like the figure had the entire map of the ce in its head. The figure continued to move, the path it took was certainly much less guarded than the other paths,


    It was a path that not many in the Stormweaver Family should know about, the figure, however, knew it like the back of its hand.


    Soon, the figure arrived in front of Seraphina Stormweaver''s room. It looked around, confirming that there was no one around, then, it barged in.


    Seraphina, who was sitting inside her room panicked as she felt someone entering her room, she quickly turned around, her eyes falling on the cloaked figure,


    "Did you get it?" she questioned.


    The cloaked figure nodded as she removed her cloak and revealed her face.


    It was Anna, Seraphina''s trusted maid.


    She had returned with the Dreamweave.


    "Now hide it to the ce I told you before. Be careful, its existence cannot be revealed no matter what, is that clear?" Seraphina ordered.


    Anna nodded.


    But then,


    *Knock* *Knock*


    The two women heard a knock.


    "Who is it?" Seraphina questioned with a frown on her face, she wasn''t expected to be bothered right now.


    "Lady Seraphina, Young Master Vaan hade to visit you."


    The servant reported and Seraphina and Anna''s eyes widened in absolute horror.

 Chapter 106 Would you mind if I search your room?

    <h4>Chapter 106 Would you mind if I search your room?</h4>


    "Lady Seraphina, Young Master Vaan hade to visit you."


    The servant reported and hearing that report, both Seraphina and Anna''s widened their eyes in absolute horror.


    "What is he doing here?"


    Seraphina questioned out loud.


    Usually, she had decent control over her emotions, right now, however, things were different. For Vaan toe at this moment, that too,pletely unannounced if this was purely coincidence, it was one heck of a coincidence.


    Even then, Seraphina was having a hard time calming her nerves.


    "Lady Seraphina." Suddenly, Anna called out.


    Seraphina turned towards her,


    "I will take care of this, you shouldn''t keep him waiting," Anna spoke with a determined look on her face.


    The brave front she was showing was definitely admirable. Especially considering the fact that she would be the first to die the moment the Dreamweave was revealed since she was the one who brought it here.


    Whether she was ordered to do it or not, that fact didn''t matter. Heck, because of her low status, she wouldn''t even be given the time to represent herself or clear her name.


    However, seeing that Anna was still putting out the brave front and was actually thinking about how to deal with the situation instead of panicking like her, Seraphina couldn''t help but admire her maid.


    She nodded at Anna, then, trusting the Dreamweave with her, she walked out of the room, wanting to meet Vaan as soon as possible and figure out why he came here.


    ¡­


    "Young Master Vaan."


    Seraphina greeted as she walked into the bedroom where Vaan was waiting.


    "Oh? You came here quite early." Vaan spoke, pleasantly surprised that he didn''t have to wait for much longer, soon, however, a frown appeared on his face.


    "Seraphina, you don''t look as good as you normally do. What happened? Is it your make-up? Am I so ustomed to always seeing you with makeup that the natural you look kind of ugly to me?"


    Vaan questioned with a curious smile on his face.


    Of course, Seraphina could tell what Vaan was trying to do, he was indirectly calling her ugly, Seraphina, however, didn''t have the time and energy to bother with something like that.


    "I heard that Young Master Vaan hade to visit, so I came here as soon as I could. I apologize if I couldn''t prepare enough because of my hurry." Seraphina replied as she gracefully walked towards Vaan, serving him tea, before finally sitting on the chair in front of him.


    "Is that so¡­? It seems you were quite excited to me¡­


    Or¡­


    Maybe you panicked when you heard about my arrival and quickly came here to see what I am here for."


    Vaan spoke as he looked into Seraphina''s eyes.


    Seraphina''s body momentarily froze.


    Vaan''s words, they were oddly urate. It was almost as if he could see her all the way from here and was describing the situation.


    This couldn''t possibly be good.


    Seraphina could tell, Vaan wasn''t here with good intentions. Not to mention himing here right when Anna returned with Dreamweave, something was wrong. Seraphina could feel it.


    Was Anna being followed by the Vesta Family men? Seraphina started wondering, soon, however, she shook her head.


    The Vesta Family doesn''t y games like these. If they were so suspicious of Anna to the point that they would follow her, they would have simply captured her and there was nothing she could have done about it.


    ''Why is he here¡­?''


    Seraphina wondered as she nced at Vaan.


    Of course, even though she knew the situation was bad, Seraphina wasn''t stupid enough to react in front of Vaan and confirm his suspicions.


    A small smile appeared on her face and,


    "Young Master must be joking, why would I panic because of your arrival? As I said, I just came here as soon as possible because I didn''t want Young Master Vaan to wait for me."


    "The sweat on your forehead doesn''t say the same though." Vaan pointed out.


    Seraphina touched her forehead and quickly realized she was sweating, a wry smile then appeared on her face as she continued,


    "It is because I rushed all the way here that I am this sweaty. I will be careful next time."


    Vaan nodded in understanding,


    Then, he started looking around.


    The more he acted that way, the more Seraphina''s heartbeat quickened, Vaan''s presence was messing with her mind, and even though she wanted to calmly think about this whole situation, imagining the worst-case scenarios ying out in her mind was scaring her. She couldn''t think properly.


    And then suddenly,


    "Where is that maid who always followed you?" Vaan questioned.


    This time, Seraphina couldn''t control herself, she was trying to keep a straight face all this time, but with Vaan asking about Anna, her expression changed and with a panicked frown on her face, she replied.


    "She is on leave today,


    Why do you ask?"


    "She is on leave?" Vaan raised his eyebrow, he looked surprised.


    "Yes, that is correct." Seraphina nodded her head.


    "That is quite strange¡­"


    Vaan frowned.


    "I could swear I saw her roaming around the Mansion."


    "That might be because she hasn''t left the Mansion. She actually has nowhere to go to, so she usually spends her holidays roaming around and resting in the Stormweaver Mansion." Seraphina replied, doing her best to sound calm and answer in a way that opened up the ways for her to back downter.


    Vaan, however, wasn''t here to y any games today.


    He stood up, and as he did, Seraphina''s heartbeat quickened.


    "Seraphina." Suddenly, Vaan spoke, this time, his tone wasmanding.


    "Would you mind if I search your room?"


    He questioned, his tone, however, gave an impression that he wasn''t willing to take no for an answer.


    "H-Huh? That is quite a strange request, Young Master Vaan. You can''t just ask to enter adies'' room like this, you know?" Seraphinaughed, trying to take this as a joke and stall the matter.


    "I believe it would be better than the Mages from the Vesta Family searching the entire Stormweaver House, won''t it?


    A whole wide search by the Vesta Family often ends up finding something they shouldn''t.


    And even if they don''t find anything, the fact that your House was searched by the Vesta Family Mages would definitely affect your connections, don''t you think?"


    "I still do not understand on what grounds are you trying to search my room. Search is quite a strong word you see and honestly, it makes me quite ufortable."


    Suddenly, Vaan took out a ck colored ball from his pockets, it was an item that allowed him to talk to his mother, it was like a telephone.


    "Should I just call the Vesta Mages instead?"


    "What Young Master Vaan is doing right now can be considered as a threat, you know? Even if you are the Young Master of the Vesta Family, you cannot just threaten people using your family name and do whatever you want."


    "Everything would be solved if you just let me search your room."


    "There are some personal things that I do not wish to show anyone in my room."


    "Are those things perhaps illegal?"


    "Of course not. I just do not wish to reveal it to others, I have my own private life and preferences."


    "Again, you have two options, its either I see your personal legal things you wish to hide from others, or it is the Mages from the Vesta Family, the choice is up to you."


    "Young Master Vaan, you must provide me with a valid reason if you wish to enter my room. I cannot grant you ess solely based on your requ-"


    Before Seraphina could evenplete,


    "The Vesta Mages it is then," Vaan spoke up.


    Then, he quickly turned around and brought the ck item close to his mouth.


    "W-Wait!"


    Seraphina shouted.


    "What is it? I do not have all day, Seraphina." Vaan turned around with a frown on his face.


    "You wish to search my room, correct? You can do it. I do not want to ruin my Family''s image by bringing the Vesta Mages into this.


    However, Young Master Vaan must provide me with a clear answer after this is over and nothing is found."


    Seraphina spoke as she looked into Vaan''s eyes.


    This was enough, she had stalled enough time for Anna to quickly hide the Dreamweave in the location she ordered her to and leave her room.


    Now, even if Vaan were to destroy her entire room, he still wouldn''t be able to find it.


    The Mages from the Vesta Family, however, were different, if it is them, then there is no guarantee, honestly, the chances of them finding it were higher.


    This was the reason why Seraphina wanted to avoid bringing those Mages into this.


    "Alright, show the way."


    Vaan ordered.


    Still a bit dissatisfied, Seraphina turned around and left the guest room, taking Vaan to her personal room.


    "Here, this is my room, you can search wherever you wan-"


    Seraphina spoke as she entered her room, her eyes, however, quickly fell on Anna, who was still inside her room and she frowned in confusion.


    ''What is she doing here!? Was she unable to hide it!?'' Seraphina wondered in her head.


    On the other hand, a big smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    "Seraphina." He suddenly called out.


    "Do you ever wonder since when did things start getting worse for you?"

 Chapter 107 I Surrender

    "Seraphina, do you ever wonder since when did things start getting worse for you?"


    Vaan questioned with a big smile on his face.


    Seraphina turned towards him, her expression was anything but good.


    Seeing that Vaan was simply smiling at her, Seraphina decided to ignore him, she quickly turned towards Anna, she couldn''t say anything, but just from her expressions, it was clear what she was trying to ask.


    But then,


    *Tak*


    Seraphina heard a voiceing from behind.


    She quickly turned around and noticed Vaan had closed the door and locked it from inside. Then, he nced at her with a scary smile on her face.


    Seraphina''s instincts kicked in. They were warning her that something bad was about to happen, screaming that she should do something about this situation, however, there was nothing Seraphina could do.


    She was locked in the room with Vaan.


    *Gulp*


    Seraphina unconsciously gulped; her face was drenched in sweat.


    Vaan, on the other hand, was enjoying this situation.


    "You still didn''t answer my question, Seraphina.


    Do you recall since when did things start getting worse for you?"


    "Y-Young Master Vaan, I don''t think locking the room like this is appropriate." Seraphina stuttered.


    She knew she was panicking, however, at the moment, she just couldn''t calm her beating heart. She felt like the door that was closed shut was her way out, and she wanted it to be opened as soon as possible.


    Vaan, however,pletely ignored her words and continued,


    "Just think about it.


    Was it when you asked me to get that Book that stabilizes a Mage''s Magic Circles?


    Or was it when your maid offended me and you were forced to fire her?"


    Seraphina was in no state to answer Vaan''s question, Vaan''s next word, however, managed to get a reaction out of her,


    "Or was it when you spread those rumors about me sexually assaulting you?"


    "I have already cleared it before, and I still stand by what I said. I did not spread those rumors, Young Master Vaan."


    "But all the investigations point at a single culprit, Seraphina.


    And that culprit is you.


    All the sources of those rumors, when tracked down, it end up being one of your contacts.


    It can be a coincidence one time, but every single time?


    You are not treating me like a fool, are you?"


    Vaan smiled.


    "¡­"


    Seraphina turned silent.


    Vaan wasn''t wrong.


    Actually, she had investigated those rumors as well, and all those rumors do in fact point at her contacts, honestly, even if it was her in Vaan''s stead, she would point her fingers at herself. However, Seraphina was innocent.


    She hadn''t spread those rumors.


    She had no reason to.


    What could she possibly achieve by spreading rumors like these!?


    Intimidate Vaan?


    How could some random mages standing up and wanting to challenge Young Master Vaan possibly intimidate him?


    Even if Young Master Vaan hadn''t acted against those Mages as he did, there was nothing they could have done other than bber around.


    There was no reason for Vaan to get intimidated by those mages with no substantial background.


    If it was the previous Vaan, then maybe, however, Seraphina knew that Vaan had changed. She wouldn''t have taken such a foolish action even if she was under the effects of drugs.


    Not to mention such rumors degraded her ''value''. It would only make things difficult for her.


    Seraphina knew the truth, someone had used herworks to spread these rumors to make it look like she was the one who spread it. Of course, the act itself isn''t that difficult, her connections weren''t loyal to her, they were just a way for her to do things.


    However, knowing all the connections she normally uses and spreading the rumors using them, this was done by someone thorough, someone who had the power to track down her contacts, someone extremely influen-


    Suddenly, Seraphina''s expression changed.


    "Actually, I do believe you.


    I know you are not the one who spread those rumors." Vaan smiled.


    "Y-You¡­"


    "Now now, don''t look at me with such disbelief. I trust you, Seraphina. I know with full certainty that you weren''t the one behind this.


    After all,


    It was me."


    "!!!"


    Seraphina''s widened her eyes in shock.


    "W-Why did you do it!? It clearly affected your reputation! That is thest thing you want right now, don''t you?" Seraphina couldn''t understand.


    "Is that really something you should be asking right now?" Vaan, however, wasn''t nning on just ending it.


    The game had just started.


    "Shouldn''t you be asking how I used all your connections without you getting to know about it? I didn''t use the help of my Family, you know?"


    "What do you me-" Seraphina wanted to say something, but then, she froze.


    She thought of another possibility.


    "Lily¡­"


    Her maid who had mysteriously disappeared.


    Seraphina finally realized where her maid was.


    She was betrayed.


    "This is why I like you, Seraphina.


    I never have to exin all the things, you just get it.


    Though it is usually toote."


    Vaan chuckled.


    "Why are you doing this?" Seraphina stared into Vaan''s eyes and questioned with an expressionless look on her face.


    For some reason, knowing that she was cornered, rather than panicking even more, her heart had calmed down.


    It was as if she had given up.


    However, Vaan had just started.


    Seraphina had no idea how badly she had been trapped.


    "Do you even need to ask? I told you, didn''t I? You tried to use me and cheat me out of my money, I am just ying my turn now.


    You had your turn, now don''t cry if my blows are stronger.


    Anyways, where did you hide it?"


    Suddenly, Vaan questioned as he looked around the room.


    "What are you talking about?" Seraphina narrowed her eyes.


    This time, she made sure to keep a straight face. This was something Vaan should not find out about no matter what. She could not make a mistake here.


    But again, no matter how much she tried it, the result of the game that had already ended couldn''t be changed.


    "Don''t y the fool, Seraphina.


    How long do you think I nned for this?


    Do you even realize how much of a hassle it was to put the idea of using Dreamweave in your head through Asher?


    You were quite against it at the start, I had to push to the corner before you finally gave in to Asher''s words.


    But oh well, it finally worked so I guess it''s all good?"


    "A-Asher¡­?" Seraphina''s expression changed again.


    The decision she made about keeping her face straight, trying not to give any emotional edge to Vaan any further that she already had, waspletely ruined.


    "What? You thought he was on your side?"


    "But he¡­" Before Seraphina could even retort, she recalled every conversation she had with Asher and thinking about it from another angle, she realized.


    Seraphina closed her eyes and clenched her fists, her closed eyes showing her helplessness while her clenched fists showing her frustration.


    "Anyways, tell me where you hid the Dreamweave." Vaan, obviously, didn''t care about her and just questioned.


    "I have no clue what you are talking about¡­" Seraphina replied without opening her eyes. Even when she was about to break on, she still held on.


    But then,


    "As youmand, Young Master Vaan."


    Anna''s voice was heard.


    "!!!"


    Seraphina widened her eyes as she quickly turned towards her trusted maid, Anna, however, had already turned around and was walking towards the ce she had told her about.


    It was the ce where the Dreamweave was hidden.


    Vaan followed Anna.


    "What are you doing!?" Seraphina screamed in rage as she rushed towards Anna, intending to stop her, however, Vaan suddenly grabbed her hand.


    "You were the one who gave me the consent of searching your room. I would prefer it if you do not stop the people working for me from doing what they should be doing."


    Seraphina turned towards Vaan, and with her eyes red in rage, she shouted,


    "Stop your bullshit and release me right now!"


    Vaan narrowed his eyes,


    "And I should listen to you, why?"


    Seraphina stopped talking, she just circted her Mana and tried to create her Magic Circle, but,


    *p*


    Vaan pped Seraphina. The sound of the p was so loud and it resounded in the entire room. Seraphina''s body froze, she could feel her cheek burning.


    "Don''t force me to use violence, Seraphina Stormweaver.


    I may be a peace-loving, reasonable, and calm man,


    But this doesn''t mean I am not capable of violence."


    Vaanmented with a cold look on his face.


    "Young Master Vaan, it is here."


    Anna spoke up.


    Vaan walked towards her, leaving Seraphina behind.


    This time, Seraphina didn''t move.


    Even Anna had betrayed her, it was over. She finally understood why Vaan was so confident. She never had the chance to get out of his trap.


    "Oh ho ho~ What is this Seraphina?


    Why is Dreamweave found in your room?


    What would happen if I report this to the Vesta Family?"


    Vaan''sugh was heard.


    "¡­"


    Seraphina, whose face was covered by her long hair didn''t react.


    Vaan narrowed his eyes, trying to think what this woman was trying to pull now,


    "It is my loss. Everything that had happened, from using Young Master Vaan, to trying to use Dreamweave, I was the one who did it independently. The Stormweaver Family had nothing to do with it. They didn''t even know what I was nning.


    I am willing to ept whatever punishment I deserve ording to the Vesta Family rules, even if it is death.


    I surrender."


    Seraphina had already given up.

 Chapter 108 Who Said Your Family Members Are Innocent?

    "I surrender."


    Seraphina spoke as she lowered her head in defeat.


    She had already given up.


    It was over, Dreamweave was found in her room, Anna could simply attest to everything she had done, heck, she could even im things she hadn''t done, and with Lily''s words used as proof and Vaan''s influence, she could be framed with anything and there would be nothing she could do get out of it.


    There was no point in going against Vaan, her death was imminent and Seraphina had already resigned to her fate.


    She did everything she could have done and actually did manage to raise the status of her family single-handedly, now, however, it was time that someone else took over her goal.


    She may not be able to see it herself, however, Seraphina knew that one day, her Family would be able toe out on top and she was d that she was the one who got to set the stage for it.


    Suddenly,


    "Who said the Stormweaver Family had nothing to do with it? You are the part of the Stormweaver Family, aren''t you?"


    Vaan questioned and Seraphina, who had given up on everything and looked like she was half dead, reacted again.


    "W-What do you mean?"


    "Dreamweave was found in the room of a Stormweaver Family member, not in the room of Seraphina Stormweaver.


    The entire Stormweaver Family would be implicated here."


    Vaan spoke.


    Seraphina, however, shook her head. She had prepared everything from the start, and when she did, she had considered the case where she failed and got caught as well.


    She had done her fair share of study before taking such a risk, she would never do something that would put her family in trouble, her family was the reason she did whatever she did, how could she be the one who ends up destroying it?


    "In ordance with the established guidelines of the Vesta Family, it is explicitly stipted that any transgressionmitted by an individual shall not bear any implications for their respective Family members, provided that said Family members are not directly implicated in the aforementioned transgression, or in cases where the individual in question holds or has held, the position of Family head for a duration exceeding five years.


    None of my Family members possess any knowledge pertaining to my actions, and obviously, I do not hold or have ever held the position of Family head.


    So in strict ordance with these regtions, Young Master Vaan cannot take any actions against my family on the basis of my wrongdoings since they are all innocent."


    Seraphina spoke as she looked at Vaan with a brave look on her face. She may have given up on herself, but her family, she would make sure nothing happened to it as long as she was alive.


    "Who said your family members are innocent?" Vaan furrowed his brows in confusion.


    "What are you talking abo-" Seraphina frowned in confusion, but then,


    "Anna, what did you say to Anderson Stormweaver?"


    Vaan questioned as he turned towards Anna.


    Before Seraphina could make sense out of the situation, Anna bowed her head and answered,


    "I reported how she wanted to buy Dreamweave to ''control'' Young Master Vaan. Lord Anderson had full knowledge about her actions."


    "See that? Your Father, Anderson Stormweaver knew about your actions and didn''t do anything to stop you, that makes him an aplice in your crime who will be receiving the same punishment as you.


    And from the rule you just mentioned, since Anderson Stormweaver has been the head of the Stormweaver Family for more than 5 years, the entire Stormweaver Family is imcable for your crime.


    Of course, don''t even think about trying to hide it either, since you havemitted a crime, the Vesta Family has full right to investigate your family members, and even the Mind Mages can be involved since, as you should know since you so well informed, we are extremely strict when the matter is rted to the Dreamweave."


    Vaan spoke, the evil smile on his face gave away his glee.


    Now this was the situation he was familiar with, people lowering their heads, racking their brains, trying to figure out a solution to get out of a certain situation before finally realizing that they were utterly helpless and giving in.


    Pushing people into hopelessness, Vaan had done it countless times, this was one of the many simr situations, but this time, Vaan truly felt happy.


    Crushing people who thought they were better than everyone around him just felt that good, especially people who looked down on him and tried to fool him.


    "This is not possible."


    Suddenly, Seraphina spoke up.


    She nced at Vaan and,


    "You are lying, if Father knew about what I was doing, his first thought would have been stopping me. My father is cautious by nature, he would have never allowed me to make a bold move such as this."


    "Well, what if he was told that you have already made your move and that him taking action would increase the chances of you being caught?"


    Vaan questioned and this time, Seraphina turned silent.


    Anna was the one who reported everything to Anderson, logically speaking, she could have said practically anything, and manipting her father using her name wasn''t that difficult either, especially when the one trying to manipte him was Seraphina''s trusted maid.


    "Of course, if you still do not believe my words, you can always have the Vesta Mages investigate everything on their own, but know this.


    Once the Vesta Mages are involved, the Stormweaver Family is finished.


    Everything you have worked for, everything you, your father, and the previous generations of your family have built,


    It will all be destroyed."


    "¡­"


    Seraphina turned silent. Vaan''s words echoed through her head. She failed and she failed horribly. Vaan''s single call could destroy everything, he was holding her and her family''s life in the palm of his hands.


    *Thud*


    In the end, Seraphina knelt down.


    With her eyes moist, she nced at Vaan, then, she ced her head on the ground.


    "Please¡­


    Let my Family go."


    She requested.


    "And what would I get from that?" Vaan questioned.


    "You can take my life, whatever I have done to you, you can take your revenge by doing whatever you want to me. I was the one who wronged you, my family had nothing to do with it."


    "But your family was the one who benefitted from it, wasn''t it?" Vaan questioned, he didn''t even bother trying to hide the smile on his face.


    "¡­"


    Seraphina turned silent.


    Seeing everything she built and worked hard for copsing right in front of her eyes, she felt like her very heart was being squeezed by some force, her throat felt sour, and tears came out of her eyes as she started regretting her past actions.


    She shouldn''t have gone after Vaan. The Vesta Family was too strong for someone like her to try and mess with them.


    Seraphina felt her world copsing, her head started thinking about different scenarios, her entire body trembled as she despaired.


    Seeing her kneeling on the ground, with her head on the floor, while her body trembled, a satisfied smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    "As they say, even the most brightests of minds fail in front of true despair."


    Hemented.


    "¡­"


    Of course, Seraphina was in no state to reply. Heck, she didn''t even react to Vaan''s words and kept her head down.


    "Everything is not yet over, Seraphina."


    Suddenly, Vaan spoke up.


    But again, Seraphina didn''t react. By now, she could tell what kind of man Vaan was. He was a sadist, who took pleasure from other''s pain, with a nasty personality like that, he must have nned more things for her. More things to push to an even darker cave of despair than she was already in.


    However,


    "I would have simply called the Vesta Mages after finding Dreamweave here, that would have been the end of you.


    There is a reason why I didn''t do it."


    "¡­"


    Seeing that she still wasn''t reacting, Vaan decided to be direct.


    "Serve me, Seraphina."


    Seraphina''s body twitched and Vaan continued,


    "Use that bright mind of yours to help me raise my influence, help me create my own independent connections, help me gather subordinates I can rely on in the future, help me gather resources I can use,


    Devote your mind to me.


    And in return, use my influence to help your family grow.


    You may not have the chance to be the best, but the position of being the Second Best is always avable, isn''t it?"


    This time, Vaan finally got a reaction from Seraphina.


    She raised her eyes, her tears hadn''t even dried yet, with her eyes opened wide in shock, she nced at Vaan,


    A smile appeared on Vaan''s face,


    "So? What do you think? What is your answer, Seraphina Stormweaver?"


    "I ept." Seraphina didn''t even hesitate for a second.


    "I swear that if you let me live and let my family go, I will devote myself to you. I will do everything in my power to build you the strongest connections avable, I will strengthen your position to a level where even if your siblings are stronger than you,


    The Position of the Family Head would still belong to you."


    A satisfied smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    Then, he took out a paper, passing it to Seraphina, he ordered.


    "Sign this."


    "W-What is this?"


    "Something that ensures what you just said and prevents you from going back on your words and betraying meter."


    Vaan hade prepared as well.

 Chapter 109 Contract

    "Sign this."


    "W-What is this?"


    "Something that ensures what you just said and prevents you from going back on your words and betraying meter."


    Vaan spoke with a smile on his face.


    Seraphina frowned, she took the paper from Vaan''s hand and the more she read it, the more her expression changed.


    It was an official contract.


    DEBT REPAYMENT AGREEMENT


    This Debt Repayment Agreement (hereinafter referred to as the "Agreement") is entered into on this 23 Syltember 5039 by and between:


    Party 1:


    Vaan Astra Vesta


    (Hereinafter referred to as the "Creditor")


    Party 2:


    Anderson Stormweaver


    (Hereinafter referred to as the "Head of the Stormweaver Family")


    Party 3:


    Seraphina Stormweaver


    (Hereinafter referred to as the "Debtor")


    This document is a Debt Repayment Agreement between Vaan Astra Vesta the "Creditor", Anderson Stormweaver the "Head of the Stormweaver Family", and Seraphina Stormweaver the "Debtor".


    The central issue addressed is a debt amounting to 1,000,000 Elemental Stones owed by the Stormweaver Family to Vaan Astra Vesta, in light of their present financial incapacity, the Stormweaver Family is unable to discharge the aforementioned debt. In lieu of immediate repayment, the agreement establishes an alternative arrangement.


    Under the terms of the agreement:


    1. Seraphina Stormweaver, the daughter of Anderson Stormweaver, shall serve as Vaan Astra Vesta''s personal secretary for a fixed duration of 50 years,mencing from the Effective Date of the Agreement.


    2. Seraphina Stormweaver is obligated to diligently perform her duties and responsibilities as assigned by Vaan Astra Vesta in her role as personal secretary.


    3. An essentialponent of this arrangement is the requirement for unwavering loyalty from Seraphina Stormweaver towards Vaan Astra Vesta. She is prohibited from engaging in any activities or actions that may undermine Vaan''s interests during the 50-year service period.


    4. The agreement grants Vaan Astra Vesta the legal right to pursue actions against the entire Stormweaver Family in the event of a breach of the Agreement''s terms. This includes breaches of duty, disloyalty, or any actions perceived as detrimental to Vaan Astra Vesta''s interests.


    5. This Agreement contains the entire understanding of the parties hereto and supersedes all prior agreements and understandings, whether written or oral, rting to the subject matter hereof.


    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Debt Repayment Agreement as of the Effective Date.


    Party 1:


    Vaan Astra Vesta


    Vaan Astra Vesta.


    Date: 12 Syltember 5039


    Party 2:


    ________________________


    Anderson Stormweaver


    Date:


    Party 3:


    ________________________


    Seraphina Stormweaver


    Date:


    When Seraphina read through the entire contract, her mind nked out.


    A debt of 1,000,000 Elemental Stones!?


    What kind of absurd number is that!?


    Even if all the interests were piled up at the rate of 10,000%, the debt still wouldn''t increase to this point! It was absurd! Vaan simply put any random number that came to his mind without any thoughts about it at all.


    Even if they save every penny they make and pile their wealth for centuries, they still wouldn''t be able to gather that many elemental stones.


    Heck, Seraphina doubted if even the Vesta Family made the pure profit of 1,000,000 Elemental Stones every year!


    "H-How do I owe you 1,000,000 Elemental Stones¡­?"


    In the end, Seraphina couldn''t hold back and decided to question Vaan.


    "You do not."


    Vaan replied honestly.


    "W-What¡­?"


    Seraphina''s expression changed.


    A big smile then appeared on Vaan''s face and,


    "I was told that I cannot legally ask you to serve me for 50 years without giving you the chance to repay your debt, so I put in that number to ensure that you never get out of the debt and can only ''repay your debt'' through serving me.


    Of course, you can always not sign the contract if you disagree with anything here, but¡­


    Be ready to face the consequences of doing that.


    I still have the option to call the Vesta Mages, you know?"


    Vaan''s smile turned demonic.


    Seraphina''s body trembled.


    Just as she expected, this was no different than a ve Contract. Not just the absurd debt, but everything else inside this contract made it clear as well.


    She was expected to ''diligently perform her duties and responsibilities as assigned by Vaan Astra Vesta in her role as personal secretary'', what duties and responsibilities? What was expected of her? A good contract should have all those things mentioned in it.


    This contract, however, just skipped all that information.


    Legally, Vaan coulde up with whatever reason he wanted, saying how she ''breached her duty'', a duty she wouldn''t even know existed, and then under use 4, Vaan would have the power to take legal action against not only her but her entire Family.


    It was an absurdly unfair contract, however, Seraphina had no choice but to sign it. With trembling hands, Seraphina grabbed the pen. She was going to be turned into a ve, legally.


    Her eyes then fell on the date Vaan had signed the contract,


    12 Syltember 5039.


    To think this man prepared this contract 11 days ago¡­


    Seraphina couldn''t help but smile wryly.


    This was another indication of how she was utterly defeated and had no chance of ''winning'', at all.


    In the end, Seraphina just stopped thinking about it and signed the contract before passing it to Vaan.


    "Mention the date too, you idiot."


    "¡­"


    Seraphina turned silent.


    She mentioned the date, Vaan grabbed the contract, then nodding with a satisfied smile on his face, he nced at Seraphina and,


    "Alright, stand up, let''s go to your father and make this contract official.


    His signatures are required as well."


    Seraphina didn''t say anything and just stood up. The two of them walked towards Anderson''s room.


    ¡­


    "What in the hell is this!?"


    Obviously, the moment Anderson saw the contract, he screamed in rage as he threw the contract away.


    This was the first time Anderson Stormweaver had shown such a strong reaction and how could he not? Signing this contract was no different than giving his daughter''s freedom away and putting the entire Stormweaver Family at risk.


    There was no way he would sign this contract.


    Vaan expected this reaction, to add insult to Anderson''s injury, he turned towards Seraphina, signaling her to pick up the contract her father had thrown.


    Seraphina stared at Vaan for a while, then, she momentarily nced at her father, then, she avoided his eyes and picked the contract.


    Anderson''s expression changed.


    Seeing his daughter acting like this, he realized that something wasn''t right. Then, he thought of another possibility and his eyes widened in horror.


    "Is your head finally working now?" Vaan questioned.


    "I must say, you are quite daring for someone who could be executed at any moment."


    Anderson stared at her daughter. Seraphina stood there, with her head low. Standing like this in front of her father was extremely humiliating for her. The feeling of helplessness she felt¡­


    It was overpowering.


    "Oi, I don''t have all day.


    Sign the contract or let me call the Vesta Mages.


    You decide."


    "Is Young Master aware that his actions could be seen as threatening?"


    Suddenly, Anderson spoke up.


    Vaan frowned and Anderson continued.


    "In ordance with the regtions of the Vesta Family, contracts entered into under duress or coercion may be subject to nullification.


    Not to mention that once revealed, the party responsible for the coercion will also face consequences.


    Does Young Master Vaan really wish to foll-"


    "Is it just you father and daughter pair, or is the entire Stormweaver Family just this dumb? Or do you feel like everyone other than you is a fool?"


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    Seraphina and Anderson turned silent. Vaan nced at Anderson and,


    "Do you even realize your situation? Dreamweave was found in your daughter''s room, if it is revealed, it is over for the entire Stormweaver Family.


    Sure, the contract will be voided if it is revealed that I threatened you to sign, but what then? How were you threatened? How did a 2nd Circle Mage manage to threaten a Magic Family Head?


    How would you answer that?


    Would you say I used my Family''s influence to do so?


    That would be no different than saying that you didn''t trust the Vesta Family''s justice and signed the contract thinking the Vesta Family woulde for you if you didn''t. If that was the case, the entire situation would be absurd since in the end, you are still asking for Vesta Family''s help to void the contract.


    Everything would be investigated.


    What do you think would be worse?


    Me threatening you, or your family dealing with Dreamweave?"


    Vaan questioned.


    "¡­" Anderson turned silent.


    It was just as his daughter had said, Vaan had changed. If it was before, Vaan would have never been able to catch the w in his words and would have been intimidated by thinking about the ''consequences'' of threatening others.


    ''He wouldn''t have pushed us this far if he was still the fool he was before¡­''


    Anderson sighed inwardly.


    "Old man, this is thest time I am saying this if you don''t sign the contract within the next 10 seconds,


    I will report everything to my family, and the first one to be executed would be your daughter."


    The contract was then signed and was officially effective.


    Seraphina Stormweaver had be Vaan Astra Vesta''s - personnel secretory.

 Chapter 110 The Dreamweave is inside

    <h4>Chapter 110 The Dreamweave is inside</h4>


    Anderson clenched his fists in frustration as he red at Vaan. His eyes were full of rage, however, there was a hint of helplessness in those eyes as well. It didn''t matter how angry he was, it didn''t matter if he was an Intermediate Mage and it didn''t matter if he was the Head of a Magic Family, in front of this 21-year-old boy, he was helpless.


    He had no option but to sacrifice his daughter for the sake of his family and even then, his Family still wasn''t free from this man''s clutches.


    "Good job."


    Vaan nodded in satisfaction as he got the signed contract.


    Then, he turned towards Seraphina and, "Follow me,"


    "W-Where are you taking her?"


    Before Vaan and Seraphina could leave, Anderson couldn''t help but question.


    "I didn''t know I had to report my actions to you. Since when did you be the Head of the Vesta Family?"


    "¡­" Anderson turned silent and lowered his head, his body trembling.


    Seeing him like that, Vaan decided to stop bullying these people. As fun as it was, Seraphina was now one of his subordinates. Even though he holds her on edge since the fate of her family is in his hands.


    Her working for him because she was threatened to and her working for him because she wants to get in his good books were two different things.


    Vaan had ensured that Seraphina wouldn''t betray him anymore, now what he wanted was her to be loyal to him.


    Vaan needed to instill this feeling into her mind that her working for him was actually a good thing. He needed to make her think that serving him was the only way she could achieve her goals, and the more satisfied he was, the better benefits she would receive.


    He had no need to antagonize Seraphina any further than he already had, now that he had shown her what he was capable of, it was time to win her over.


    And the first step to that would be to control the urge to bully her and her father, even though it was fun.


    "I have things to do that require her help."


    Vaan spoke up, answering Anderson''s question.


    "You can follow us if you want. I don''t mind."


    "Huh¡­?"


    Anderson was taken aback, however, before thinking too much, he quickly jumped at the opportunity and nodded,


    "Then I will be doing that."


    Vaan nodded, then, he turned around, leaving the room. The Father and Daughter followed.


    Soon, Vaan appeared at the entrance of the Stormweaver House, the guards who were guarding could be seen trembling.


    None of them had a good history with Vaan.


    And seeing him standing right in front of them with that overpowering pressure, not to mention how both the Family Head and his daughter were standing behind him with their heads low, made Vaan even more intimidating than he already was.


    "Come out," Vaan ordered with a solemn look on his face. Both Seraphina and Anderson frowned, soon, however, their eyes widened in absolute horror as two men and one woman appeared in front of him.


    "Young Master Vaan." The woman who was standing in the middle greeted Vaan.


    Her tone was respectful, however, she did not bow her head, she did not need to.


    She was Eliza Vesta, an Advance Mage who had nothing at the beginning, but just her Magic Talent pushed her to the heights rarely anyone could reach, andter settled in the Vesta Family with Vesta as herst name.


    Eliza only answered to Astra, anyone other than the Family Head, even if it was Draven or Risia, Eliza was allowed to treat them as an equal.


    Seeing three beings appearing out of thin air, Seraphina, Anderson and the Stormweaver Family guards widened their eyes in horror.


    This Spell could only used by the Vesta Family Mages, many strong magic families, even the Families from outside the Vesta City had tried to copy this spell and create their own version of it, however, none of them seeded.


    Mages using this spell was a sign that they were one of the Vesta Family''s Core Mages, a force that even the Vesta Family does not take lightly.


    The fact that mages of their caliber appeared here in response to Vaan''s call shows just how much Astra Elysia Vesta values her son.


    This was a clear act of favoritism!


    Vaan shouldn''t be allowed to have mages like them at his beck and call!


    Of course, Vaan didn''t care about what Seraphina and Anderson were thinking, he just nced at Eliza and,


    "The Dreamweave is inside."


    "!!!"


    Seraphina''s eyes widened in horror.


    She couldn''t understand. She surrendered, didn''t she? She did exactly what Vaan ordered her to do, then why was he reporting her to the Vesta Family Mages!?


    Seraphina panicked, Anderson wasn''t in any better position either. Rather, because of his meek personality, he was even more terrified than his daughter.


    But then,


    "I instructed Seraphina Stormweaver to work undercover and gain aprehensive understanding of the entire organization that sells the Dreamweave Drug. You can ask her any questions you have regarding this matter, and she will provide you with answers. This approach will enable you to prate the core of the organization and capture all its members without any unnecessary dys."


    Vaan spoke up as he nced at Seraphina,


    "Right, Seraphina? You can answer Lady Eliza''s questions, correct?"


    "H-Huh? O-Of course, I h-have noted almost everything there is rted to them, those people call themselves Phantom World, the leaders aren''t exactly strong, however, they are cunning. Their biggest weapon is Dreamweave, however, knowing full well about the Vesta Family''s strict rules against the use of Dreamweave, they do not sell the Dreamweave openly.


    Their main targets are children from the noble Magic Families, they aim to raise their influence by having these noble children addicted to the drug and when those children rise to power, Phantom World wishes to use their influence to gain strength and base in the Vesta City. Targetingmon people and weak noble families, slowly raising their influence even further before taking over the entire Vesta City.


    Their base is in the extreme Southwest of Vesta City and is around 2,500 km away from here, they also have some temporary bases around here that are more essible, however, if we wish to take down Phantom World, we need to start with their Main Base.


    I do not know all the details, however, I do know that those people have created quite a strong informationwork, so the moment the information about one of their bases being discovered by the Vesta Family is known to them, they would all disappear without a trace.


    If Lady Eliza wishes, I could take you to their main base, I have been there once, so I know exactly where it is."


    Seraphina replied, quickly taking over the chance Vaan gave her.


    Seeing that, Vaan nodded in satisfaction, this was the reason he didn''t want to kill this woman, Seraphina was a capable individual, and killing her just like that would be a pity. She does have some ws, but, who doesn''t?


    Not to mention Seraphina had a lot of room to grow even further, now Vaan may not be a great leader, but he did have an eye for useful people.


    "What do you say, Lady Eliza? She would be quite useful in this operation, wouldn''t she?" Vaan spoke as he nced at Eliza.


    Eliza nced at him and then, she replied,


    "I trust action, Young Master Vaan, not empty words." Her tone was cold.


    Vaan narrowed his eyes.


    He had this feeling before, however, Eliza didn''t seem to like him.


    Eliza, however, didn''t care about what he was thinking and continued,


    "And I feel like I could reach their base much more quickly than getting her help. If we follow what she suggests, we might give some of them a chance to run away, which wouldter prove to be problematic, I would prefer if we could deal with all this in one fell swoop."


    If it was anyone other than Eliza, Vaan would have retorted with, ''If you were so great, this Organization wouldn''t have made it as far as they had.''


    However, in front of this woman,


    He couldn''t do it. She was his mother''s trusted subordinate after all, even though she didn''t seem to like him, Vaan couldn''t be rude to her.


    Not to mention this woman could actually do what she said. She could simply travel from one base to the other, capturing everyone there, reading their memories to find out how they exchange information, seal that informationwork, and within one day, using the Teleportation Portal that connects all the Major parts of the City with each other, she could get to the Head of the Phantom World within a day.


    The Vesta Mages were that capable.


    Honestly, the only reason this organization made it this far was because they were fools.


    They were foolish enough to dare try something like this inside the Vesta City, the Vesta Guards may have been unable to catch them, but the reason behind it wasn''t because they were useless or that the organization was too cunning,


    It was because the Vesta guards were careless.


    And it wasn''t their fault either, who in their right mind would think that some fools would try to sell Dreamweave in the Vesta City?


    It was no different than suicide.


    Yes, the ''Phantom World'' organization was simply lucky.


    Their luck, however, had now run out.


    "Lady Eliza is obviously much more experienced than us in matters like these, and I''m fully aware that she''s fully capable of handling everything on her own, and likely much more effectively. However, if I may, I''d like to be a bit selfish and request toe with you. I see this as a great opportunity to learn from someone as knowledgeable as Lady Eliza, and I wouldn''t want to miss it."


    Seraphina bowed her head as she requested.

 Chapter 111 The Simp General is awake?

    <h4>Chapter 111 The Simp General is awake?</h4>


    "Lady Eliza is obviously much more experienced than us in matters like these, and I''m fully aware that she''s fully capable of handling everything on her own, and likely much more effectively. However, if I may, I''d like to be a bit selfish and request toe with you. I see this as a great opportunity to learn from someone as knowledgeable as Lady Eliza, and I wouldn''t want to miss it."


    Seraphina bowed her head as she requested respectfully.


    Eliza stared at the girl standing in front of her for a while, then,


    "Do you know where all their branches are?"


    She questioned.


    "I know a few, but not all. I can figure it out within 4 days if you give me a chance." Seraphina replied.


    "That is not needed.


    You will being with me, take us to there main base first, then from there, we will be visiting all their bases one by one."


    "Yes, I understand. I will be ready to leave whenever you want me to." Seraphina bowed her head again.


    "What do you mean?


    We are leaving right now." She rified.


    "I will give you 15 minutes, prepare whatever you need, you will be staying with me for the next 2 days." Saying those words, Eliza and the two mages following her moved away.


    "I am grateful for your consideration, Lady Eliza."


    Seraphina nodded, then, she turned toward her Father and requested for his help. Anderson understood what his daughter wanted, he quickly bowed his head as he excused himself.


    Seraphina, on the other hand, walked towards Vaan and,


    "I will try to win her favor and direct her into Young Master Vaan''s faction, though I doubt it would work since she is not easy to deal with." She whispered.


    "Oh? You are already getting on to the work?" Vaan questioned as he raised his eyebrow in curiosity.


    "Was calling the Core Vesta Mages here not your way to intimidate me and show me how much power you hold? I understand that, and as I said, I will devote myself to working for you. I am doing just that."


    Seraphina replied.


    Vaan tilted his head.


    Well, he wasn''t really trying to intimidate her by calling them here, heck, he doesn''t even have the power to ''call'' mages like them here. Those mages were working on his mother''s order.


    As he requested, Astra gave him some time before she acted on the Dreamweave case, and now that Vaan had achieved what he wanted,


    Astra didn''t wish to wait for even a second longer and catch all the culprits.


    This was the reason why someone like Eliza was sent here. The time she had lost because of her son''s request, Astra was nning to make up for it by sending the best mage under hermand.


    Anyways, Vaan didn''t try to clear Seraphina''s misunderstanding. He knew it wouldn''t work anyway, the process of actually getting Seraphina on his side without intimidation, it would take a while and he knew it.


    "That is just what I wanted." Vaan nodded with a big smile on his face.


    "Anyways, report to me once you return, there are still a lot of things I need you to do.


    After all, you still need to prove your worth.


    You need to prove that excusing 1,000,000 Elemental Stones in exchange of getting you to serve me for 50 years was worth it."


    "¡­" Seraphina stared at Vaan for a while, nobody knew what she was thinking.


    Soon, Anderson returned, in his hand was a small bag that he had servants prepare for her daughter. Of course, since she was going with Eliza Vesta, Anderson made sure to keep the bag as small and light as possible.


    "Thank you, Father." Seraphina expressed her gratitude.


    "Take care of yourself." Anderson nodded.


    "Are you done with your preparations?" Eliza questioned.


    "Yes, I am ready." Seraphina spoke as she turned towards Eliza.


    "Then let''s go."


    Eliza waved her hand, ck Smoke covered Seraphina''s body, then, with Eliza and the two other mages, Seraphina disappeared as well.


    "Well, since I am done here, I will return as well." Vaan rubbed the back of his neck as he walked towards his carriage,pletely ignoring Anderson''s presence. Of course, the Family Head couldn''t do anything other than just wait till Vaan''s carriage left, but then,


    Vaan took his head out of the carriage window as he nced at Anderson and,


    "I forgot to mention, that maid, Anna, be sure she is treated well. I know it won''t look like that to you that way, but, that woman saved your family. Treat her like you would normally do, because if I hear herin, I will take action,"


    "¡­"


    Anderson clenched his fists as he red at Vaan, then, his body just loosened up and,


    "I understand, Young Master Vaan." He spoke.


    Vaan nodded, sitting back inside the carriage, the carriage finally left and Anderson returned to his mansion with a face that seemed like it had aged by 20 years.


    ¡­


    Vaan returned to his Mansion, then, just as he was about to walk into his room, he heard a voice.


    "Did it go like how you predicted?"


    "Mother." Vaan smiled as he turned around and greeted his mother. Astra smiled.


    Vaan then opened the doors of his room and,


    "Pleasee in, Mother."


    Astra nodded, walking into Vaan''s room.


    "So? How did it go?" she questioned again as she sat on the bed.


    Vaan sat next to her before cing his head on herp and, "It went well of course, how could your son fail?"


    Astra smiled as she started ruffling her son''s hair, "Are you sure about this? That woman is quite cunning you know?"


    "She maybe cunning, but she has one big weakness."


    "Oh? What is that?"


    "Her mother is not the strongest mage in the world."


    Vaan replied with a big smile on his face.


    "Guess you have an advantage in that matter, huh." Astra smiled.


    "Of course, I may say I am doing all this independently, but in the end, having Astra Vesta in the end of my name already makes me different from the rest of the people.


    No matter how cunning Seraphina is, without a proper force to support her, she could only y childish games with some foolish 20-year-old boys at best.


    If she wishes to step into the actual world, the only way for her to do that is to find a force that could support her, a strong thigh she could hug, without that, those geezers with actual power won''t even look at her no matter how ''heavenly beautiful'' she is.


    And only by serving and being loyal to me could she get a thigh she could hug and actually help her family and herself."


    "What if she tries to find another thigh to hug using the connections, she would be open to through you? She is apetent woman, and once she proves herpetence to others, there will be people eyeing her, what if she tries to use those people to stand on her own in the future?


    I doubt 1,000,000 Elemental Stones of debt would stop the actual strong forces from acting up." Astra questioned as she nced at her child with a curious look on her face.


    "Mother, she ispetent but that doesn''t mean she is better than me. No force in their right mind would offend the future Head of the Vesta Family for a woman with a slightly bigger head than others."


    "Future Head of the Family huh? You sure sound confident."


    "Again, I have Astra in my name, your son''s destiny was predetermined."


    "You''re working on your ttery skills quite a lot." Astramented.


    "I only say the truth." Vaan simply made himselffortable on his mother''sp and closed his eyes.


    "Also, I won''t be opening up the entire world for Seraphina yet, first, I would use her to the point where I get back everything she owed me, I would work her to the bone for the first few years, and only then would I actually give her the stage to make some actual connections.


    If after that, she still manages to impress someone to the point they are willing to pay 1,000,000 Elemental Stones for her ''release'', then I won''t really mind that extra cash."


    "1,000,000 Elemental Stone is not a small amount, yes.


    Especially when it ising out of a random number you came up with."


    Astra nodded.


    Vaan smiled.


    Then, as if she remembered something, Astra spoke up,


    "I actually came here for something else."


    "Hmm? What is it?" Vaan questioned as he opened his eyes.


    "Rnd woke up." Astra informed.


    "The Simp General is awake?"


    "I don''t know what that word means, but yes, he is awake.


    What do you want to do?"


    Astra questioned, looking at Vaan with a curious look on her face.


    Vaan thought about it for a while, then, he just closed his eyes again,


    "Meh, it is not as fun anymore."


    "Hmm?"


    "Who would want to fight a druggie? I''ll kill him when I get the chanceter. For now, I want to stay like this.


    I also have a training session with rater as well."


    "Oh, your date?"


    "Training Session."


    "Yes, of course, ''training session''."

 Chapter 112 Elara…?

    "Haaah!"


    ra shouted as she rushed towards Vaan and attacked him with her wooden sword. Vaan sidestepped, dodging her attack, and as if she already expected that, ra quickly turned around and this time, she aimed at Vaan''s legs, ying dirty.


    Yes, ra was ying dirty.


    And that was just the result of training with Vaan for 3 days.


    Of course, Vaan didn''t really ''corrupt'' her or anything like that, ra was too pure for that, Vaan''s n, however, did work. What he said about betting with his mother and how much he would lose if ra lost the tournament, that lie of his work.


    Not wanting Vaan to lose such a big amount because of her, ra decided to work as hard as she could in order to win thepetition. This was why she was taking Vaan''s training so seriously. ra knew her problem as well.


    ra knew she was an above-average mage, and just like her teacher said, she had the capability to defeat others, however, her timid personality always held her back. She did try to work on her personality in the past, however, everything she did failed. Therefore, this time, she decided to put her trust in Vaan.


    She did everything Vaan told her to do, whether it was attacking fairly or under the belt, she continued to swing her sword, improving each day.


    Of course, the fact that back in her mind, she knew that Vaan would block her attack was a type of assurance as well. This was what gave ra the freedom to give her best and since the same would not happen in the tournament, the problem has not really been solved yet.


    However, the two of them were still working on it.


    Vaan jumped back, dodging ra''s attack.


    A small smile appeared on his face, "That was a good one, you almost got me."


    "You are lying."


    ra pouted.


    "Hahaha~ I am."


    Vaanughed out loud. He then ced his hands behind his back and,


    "Focus on your stance and your breathing. Don''t overthink your strikes. Just let them flow naturally, your body is too stiff, rx it."


    ra nodded, trying to steady her breath.


    She took a deep breath, lowered her center of gravity, and lunged at Vaan with a swift strike. Vaan dodged her attack again.


    ra however, lunged at him again, this time with a series of quick shes. However, no matter how fast she moved, the difference between the two of them couldn''t be more apparent. How could ra possibly stand against a man with 10 years of experience with apletely untrained body?


    ra however, still pressed on, attacking from different angles and trying to anticipate Vaan''s movements.


    Vaan continued to dodge effortlessly, asionally offering gentle guidance. "ra, don''t telegraph your moves. Keep your attacks fluid and unpredictable."


    ra listened intently, trying to apply his advice. She took a step back and then lunged forward with a spinning strike, hoping to catch Vaan off guard. The results, however, were still the same.


    It wasn''t something that could be done in a day or two, Martial Arts required time and effort, and honestly, Vaan''s goal here was not to teach ra Martial Arts,


    He just wants her to befortable enough to punch her opponents.


    As they say, if she can punch em, she can kick em, and if she can kick em, then she can kill em.


    Those were the words Vaan followed, where did he hear them from?


    Nowhere, he came up with them on his own.


    However, since they rhymed well, Vaan knew those words were true.


    The rhyme logic couldn''t be wed.


    Anyways, Vaan continued to spar with ra, seeing that her determination and confidence were growing with each passing moment, he nodded his head with a satisfied look on his face. Then, he decided to challenge her a bit more.


    He shifted his stance slightly, and this time, when ra attacked, he blocked her strike with his sword and disarmed her, sending her sword flying.


    ra stood there, momentarily stunned. Her wooden swordy at a distance, and she looked at Vaan with a mix of surprise and admiration.


    "What? Does your fianc¨¦ look especially handsome today?" Vaan questioned with a bright smile on his face.


    "That''s not it."


    "What? Are you saying I look ugly?" Vaan spoke as his brows arched up and he pouted.


    "N-No! That was not what I meant!" Thinking that she was misunderstood, ra quickly tried to exin herself.


    "Don''t try to think of an excuse. I will just ept the reality as it is¡­" Vaan sighed as his shoulders shrunk down.


    "I-It is not an excuse! I really didn''t mean to say that!"


    "So are you saying I do look especially handsome today?" Vaan questioned.


    "Y-Yes." To avoid any more misunderstanding, ra simply nodded. Vaan, however, wasn''t nning on letting her go so easily.


    "Then prove it."


    "H-Huh?" ra''s expression changed.


    "Prove it.


    You know what to do, don''t you?"


    Vaan spoke as he moved his face in front of ra and closed his eyes. ra''s face turned red, she obviously understood that Vaan wanted a kiss.


    ra found it strange, Vaan openly asking for kisses, thinking that he was the same Vaan who avoided her like a gue¡­


    Her heart was filled with uncertainty, but at the same time, seeing Vaan''s face so close to her, ra felt apulsion. Her body moved on its own, then closing her eyes, ra quickly kissed Vaan''s forehead and as she did, her heart fluttered. With how quickly it started beating, ra felt like it would burst apart.


    Vaan, on the other hand, smiled yfully after getting what he wanted, he nced at ra''s flustered face and just wanted to hug this woman as tightly as he could.


    Of course, he held back, he needed to take this slow.


    The previous Vaan had already intimidated ra, he needed to carefully break her defenses and not recklessly charge in.


    "Alright, we should end this training right here," Vaan spoke up.


    ra nodded. Vaan then extended his hand, wanting ra to hold it, she did what Vaan wanted as the two of them then left the room.


    "Young Master Vaan."


    Outside the room, Gabel bowed his head as he extended a towel toward Vaan to wipe his sweat. Vaan, on the other hand, nced at ra with a ''you know what to do,'' look on his face.


    ra continued to stare at Vaan, clearly, she didn''t wish to do what Vaan wanted, however, Vaan didn''t back down. In the end, ra slowly turned towards Gabel and,


    "W-Where is my towe-"


    "Ahem Ahem."


    Vaan coughed.


    It was his way of saying he wasn''t satisfied. ra''s tone wasn''t firm enough.


    ra momentarily closed her eyes and then,


    "Where is my towel?" She questioned, this time, her tone sounded heavy. Vaan smiled, showing his satisfaction.


    "I apologize if I may sound rude, Lady ra, but I only serve Young Master Vaan," Gabel replied. His tone sounded respectful, his words, however, were far from one.


    ra didn''t mind, she knew Gabel was not wrong either, she understood where he wasing from and what he was trying to say, and normally, she would have nodded in understanding and walked away, right now, however, with how Vaan was continuously staring at her, ra knew she couldn''t do what she would normally do.


    She needed to act like a Magic Prodigy, a respected 4th Circle Mage, and¡­ Vaan''s fianc¨¦.


    Thinking about it, ra gathered her confidence and,


    "You are correct, you are not required to serve me, I understand."


    ra nodded, then, she stared into Gabel''s eyes and,


    "However, there are certain things, certain actions, that decide how you are treated wherever you work, you are allowed to walk away right now, but only do so if you believe these actions won''te to harm you in the future."


    This time, even Vaan was taken aback. He wanted ra to stand up for herself, that was why he asked Gabel to give her some hard time, however, he never expected her to act like that. At best, he only thought ra would order him to bring her a towel but to think she would threaten him like that.


    ''ra¡­?''


    Was his training that effective¡­?


    Vaan couldn''t help but think.


    ra, however, wasn''t done yet as she turned towards Vaan and,


    "Vaan, let us leave. There are still things I want to ask you."


    Vaan couldn''t evene up with an answer and ra was already pulling him away.


    ''Who is she¡­?'' Vaan wondered as he continued to stare at his fianc¨¦ from behind.


    "Lady ra."


    Suddenly, Gabel called out.


    "Your towel."


    He quickly took out the towel he brought for ra, he was going against Vaan''s order by doing this, however, he believed it was the right time to do so since Vaan had already gotten what he wanted.


    ra paused.


    "You should have taken it out before."


    She spoke as she took the towel, then, she walked away, holding Vaan''s hand as tightly as she could, trying to hold back her nervousness and keep her strong front.


    Time passed, soon, Vaan returned to the Magic Training Room to train with his father, ra diligently continued her Magic Practice, just like thest few days, it was a busy day today as well,


    Then, Vaan heard a report,


    "Lady Seraphina wishes to see you."


    "Oh? She is back so soon?"

 Chapter 113 Travelling with Eliza is a waste of time.

    <h4>Chapter 113 Travelling with Eliza is a waste of time.</h4>


    "Young Master Vaan,"


    Seraphina bowed her head respectfully.


    "You have returned. It is earlier than I expected.


    So? Did you learn anything?"


    Vaan questioned with a curious look on his face.


    Going with someone like Eliza and witnessing how mages at her level operate with your own eyes, honestly, even Vaan was interested in a ''trip'' like that. There were so many things he could learn. Now Vaan wasn''t one of those nerdy types, but who in their right mind wouldn''t be excited about Magic?


    Especially when it was something Magic done by high-ranking Mages that could change the state of the battle with just their mere presence alone.


    However, when Vaan showed interest in traveling with Eliza, Astra denied it.


    ''You would just be wasting your time. Whatever you have to learn, learn it here. You already live in the heaven all mages wish to get into.


    Traveling with Eliza is a waste of time.''


    Honestly, Vaan thought it was a little unfair and too protective of her by not allowing him to explore the outer world. However, seeing Seraphina''s face when he asked if she learned anything or not, Vaan realized that that he might have misunderstood his mother.


    "What happened? Why are you making that face? Was it not like how you expected it to be?"


    Vaan questioned.


    Seraphina, however, just smiled wryly, "I should have expected something like this that from the Vesta Mages. It was my fault for miscalcting. I have no one but myself to me."


    Honestly, with the expression she was making, Seraphina looked like she was traumatized.


    And the more she acted like this, the more curious Vaan got.


    Sensing that curiousness and eagerness to learn about her ''trip'', Seraphina didn''t let Vaan wait any longer either and started,


    "The Phantom World wasn''t exactly a strong organization, however, they were quiterge, I expected us to prepare a little and understand their structure before we actually took action.


    That was what I actually wanted to study,


    How does the Vesta Family execute a hunt?


    I thought I could learn something valuable, however, what I witnessed waspletely outside of my expectations.


    We simply barged into their Headquarters with only 4 of us, of course, I was no more than a burden, we only had 3 Mages who could take care of themselves in that situation.


    I thought the fight ahead might get a littleplicated and I might see Lady Eliza take serious action to avoid certain situations, however¡­


    Using the Teleportation Portals, it took us 5 hours to reach their Main Headquarters, and 5 minutester,


    We were walking towards their second base.


    For reference, there were around 500 people in their Main Headquarters,


    And around 200 of them were mages."


    Seraphina spoke, the smile on her face was so strange that Vaan felt goosebumps all over his body.


    "5 minutes was all it took to take down 200 mages?" Vaan blinked.


    No matter how strong Advance Mages and their spells were, 200 mages were a lot.


    Heck, even crushing 200 ants couldn''t be done within 5 minutes and these wereplete humans we were talking about.


    "No."


    Seraphina shook her head.


    "5 minutes was all it took to take down 500 men, take out the relevant information needed, seal the Phantom World''s ''strong'' information system without the rest of the members knowing, and move towards another Branch."


    Seraphina rified.


    "H-How is that even possible?" Vaan stuttered.


    He had done many operations where he had to take down enemy gangs in his past life, of course, he wasn''t a fool, he never directly fought gangs that had nearly the same strength and backing as them,


    When it came to direct takedown, he always targeted weaker gangs, the ones that were already on the verge of being destroyed because of his schemes, the trapped rats who had nowhere else to go.


    However, even then, 5 minutes¡­


    That was just too much!


    This type of shit took hours!


    Sometimes even days if the enemy turns out to be smarter than expected.


    But 5 minutes!?


    How does that even make sense?


    What? Did the enemy just surrender as soon as they walked in? If they were that scared, they shouldn''t have started this from the beginning!


    Vaan couldn''t make sense out of the situation, and seeing him acting like this, Seraphina sighed in relief.


    She felt a sense of kinship with Vaan.


    However, right now, she had to finish her report,


    "We walked in, Lady Eliza revealed that we were from the Vesta Family and all the people there were to be executed, of course, the Phantom World resisted, the 200 hundred mages prepared their spells while the rest of the 300 men rushed towards us with their weapons, trying to overwhelm us with numbers.


    But then,


    Lady Eliza waved her hand.


    And as if time had frozen, all the mages and mening at us paused.


    Their bodies were bound.


    Lady Eliza then asked me who the leader was, I pointed at him, Lady Eliza appeared next to him, ced her hand on his hand, and started reading his memories.


    She then started reading memories of a few more people, and then,


    All 500 men were beheaded, while the people who had their memories read were captured.


    That''s how it ended.


    In 5 minutes, the entire Headquarters was filled with rivers of blood and the same happened to the rest of the branches we visited after them.


    In just 6 hours, the 50 branches spread all over the Vesta City werepletely massacred.


    Rather than a learning experience, it was more of a traumatic experience that I would never forget in my life."


    Seraphina exined and this time, Vaan turnedpletely silent.


    That binding Magic, he had seen her mother use that as well. She used it on him when he was trying to resist the Heal magic from those healers just when he came to this world.


    At that time, Vaan just thought it was just a random magic, but now¡­


    Vaan had no words¡­


    Destroying the Phantom World in just 6 hours¡­


    And this wasn''t even the strongest Mage of the Family acting on her own¡­


    It was only her subordinate.


    What would have happened if his mother had acted personally?


    Vaan finally realized what his mother was trying to tell him.


    ''Travelling with Eliza is a waste of time.''


    Astra already knew what was going to happen, that was why she sent Eliza, she wanted those pests cleaned up as soon as possible, and this was why she also stopped Vaan from following Eliza.


    Not because she was scared of traumatizing her child, but simply because it was not worth it.


    It might have been an eventful journey if normal Vesta Mages were sent, they would have nned their attack, efficiently executed their ns, and would have taken their time in interrogating their opponents and learning more about them.


    Eliza was just on another level.


    There was nothing to learn in front of absolute strength.


    Traveling with Eliza Vesta was a waste of time.


    "What about the ones who were captured?" Vaan questioned, trying to calm himself down.


    "They will be executed tomorrow morning.


    Throughout the Vesta City, medical stalls will be set up. Skilled healers and physicians will be mobilized to treat those who have fallen prey to the Dreamweave and are now facing withdrawal symptoms due to all the Dreamweave being burned away by the Vesta Family Mages.


    And from what I have heard, the treatment won''t be free either, Lady Eliza said they would charge the fools who were caught by Dreamweave and could potentially threaten the Vesta City in the future.


    Also, the Noble Families whose members were caught being addicted to Dreamweave will instead be punished for not reporting its distribution.


    From how Lady Eliza was acting, it seemed like the punishment wouldn''t be anything small either."


    Seraphina summarized the entire situation.


    Vaan nodded in understanding, he knew his mother''s intentions so this wasn''t actually a surprise to him.


    With him researching a new Circle, many Mages have been eyeing on him for a long time.


    Astra was nning to use this incident as a warning. The Vesta Family was in the right here, therefore, they were free to do whatever they wanted. Astra wanted to use this chance to imprint fear into the other families. She wanted them to know that if required, she could take extreme actions and there would be nothing they could do about it.


    "Heh."


    A smile appeared on Vaan''s face as he thought about this.


    With his mother standing behind his back, he really didn''t have to worry about anything.


    "Anyways, this is something Young Master might like."


    Suddenly, Seraphina spoke up as she took out a book.


    "What is this?" Vaan questioned.


    "I noticed Young Master Vaan has been quite interested in gathering Spell Directories, so although I didn''t have many chances, I did manage to get around 7 of them in these 2 days.


    Though they may not be as great as normal Spell Directories since it doesn''t belong to official mages but the rough ones.


    It does have a few interesting spells though,


    Young Master Vaan might want to study them."

 Chapter 114 The Young Vesta Mages Returns.

    "It does have a few interesting spells though,


    Young Master Vaan might want to study them.


    I''vebined all the Spell Directories into a single, consolidated version for convenience. I''ve taken care to separate them properly, so it shouldn''t be an issue for Young Master. However, if Young Master prefers the original versions of the seven directories, I still have those avable as well."


    Seraphina spoke as she passed the notebook to Vaan.


    "Oh?"


    Vaan raised his eyebrow as he took the book and skimmed through it for a while,


    "I didn''t think you would bring something like this."


    Of course, Vaan was impressed.


    Right now, what he needed the most were these Spell Directories. His Swordsmanship training with his father was alright, however, in the end, Vaan was still a mage.


    Even though he was training with his father, it didn''t mean he had stopped practicing Magic, he had already learned all the spells from the directories he got through the little ''challenge'' he had arranged.


    Now, he needed more.


    And Seraphina brought him more.


    And she did it so effortlessly that Vaan was taken aback.


    Not to mention the format of the Spell Directory was perfect, normally, Mages, if they ever create one, usually mentioned the spells they mostly in their directory. Which, was of course, absolutely useless for Vaan since without knowing the basic building blocks of the mage''s Magic Language, understanding his new spells was simply impossible, even for Vaan.


    That is the reason Vaan specified a certain pattern of Spell Directory he needed when he announced the challenge, and here, Seraphina had followed that exact pattern.


    "Young Master Vaan gave me an opportunity to travel with one of the strongest mages in the world, returning empty-handed felt discourteous, so although nothing I can give you is something you cannot get your hands on yourself, I hope these directories are enough to show my sincerity," Seraphina answered respectfully.


    Vaan raised his eyebrow,


    "I did not give you this opportunity, it was Lady Eliza you did it."


    "I doubt she would have done that if you weren''t there." Seraphina''s response was instantaneous.


    "Alright Alright, let us set some ground rules first,


    The way you talk, change it.


    It is too respectful.


    Talk normally, respectmon boundaries, however, do not always keep your head bowed and talk more fluidly.


    You will be my secretary in the future, I can''t have you talk to me as if you are suppressed or threatened by me,


    It ruins my image as a peace-loving and calm man."


    "I understand."


    Seraphina nodded.


    By now, she was already used to Vaan''s antics.


    There were so many things Vaan said that she wanted to snort andpletely dismiss, however, right now, she was in no position to do so.


    Not right now, not till she is capable enough to stand on her own and make a new, stronger base.


    Until then¡­ she needed to act like she was loyal to this man and win his trust.


    While Seraphina was thinking about all this, Vaan continued to observe her as well.


    Honestly, Seraphina addressing him this politely and going out of her way to try and impress him, this felt too strange. Vaan didn''t trust Seraphina, there was no way this girl would actually submit to him so quickly.


    So when Seraphina addressed him so respectfully, Vaan got a feeling that he was being scammed.


    A feeling he didn''t like at all. That was why he ordered Seraphina to talk normally.


    He was the one who did the scamming. Not the other way around.


    That was not how it worked.


    The dynamics here needed to be changed.


    Thinking about it, a smile appeared on Vaan''s face,


    "Anyways, you did well by bringing the Spell Directories andbining them into one like this.


    So this will be your first task as my secretary,


    Gather as many of these Spell Directories as you can.


    The Elements, Tier, and Quality of spells don''t matter, just gather as many Spell Directories as possible, even the trash.


    And of course, I don''t want you to use any of the resources while doing that.


    If I wanted to buy them, I could have done it myself.


    This is like a test for you,


    A test to prove your capabilities.


    So the more Directories you gather, the better it would be."


    Vaan spoke with a smile on his face.


    "Can I ask why Young Master Vaan needs so many Spell Directories?"


    Seraphina questioned with a curious look on her face.


    Vaan narrowed his eyes, Seraphina understood and quickly stepped back,


    "I apologize, I shouldn''t have crossed my limits."


    "Don''t be too eager, you will know about it yourself as you win my trust eventually."


    "I understand."


    Seraphina bowed her head.


    "You have just returned from a long journey, so return to your mansion and take some rest," Vaan ordered.


    "I wish you a productive and resourceful day."


    Seraphina nodded then she bowed her head and walked out of the room.


    As she left, a small smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    "Guess we have new spells to learn huh."


    Hemented.


    "Krriii~"


    mey, who was sitting on his right shoulder eximed.


    "Guru Gurrr?" Sshy was the same, however, for the little water spirit, rather than the new spells, something else was much more important.


    Seeing Sshy patting her stomach, Vaan couldn''t help but chuckle,


    "Yes, Yes, I haven''t forgotten,e here, I''ll feed you."


    "Guurr!"


    A bright smile appeared on Spalshy''s face.


    mey as a responsible bit sister just smiled and let Sshy have her fill first.


    ¡­


    Time passed, Vaan''s days weren''t much different from before, training with ra, then his father, then his own Magic Training where he learned the new spells Seraphina brought with her and adding some of the useful spells into his own Spell Directory.


    Vaan himself searched for some Inner Circles as well, although doing this normally was time-consuming, Vaan felt like he shouldn''t rely on Spell Directories too much.


    ra had the same opinion as well,


    Copying other Mage''s spells was an overpowered ability, however, to be an exceptional mage, one has to choose his own path, Vaan may not need to do it right now, since he was only a Basic Mage, however, in the future, when he jumps ranks and bes Intermediate and Advance Mage, he needed his own spells, spells that could represent him as an individual.


    It wouldn''t be good if he gets too reliant on these Spell Directories, he still needed to keep his mind open and have more options avable.


    Especially when the biggest treasure trove for any mage, the Vesta Library was right within his reach. Relying on the Spell Directories of other mages and ignoring the Vesta Library would be outright foolish.


    Therefore, even though Vaan spent considerable time learning spells from the Spell Directories he gathered, he made sure to spend at least 2 hours in Vesta Library and learn something new.


    Magic was an art based on knowledge after all.


    And all Mages were a bunch of nerds.


    ''Tsk, to think I''ve be what I''ve always hated.''


    Vaan shook his head as he snorted inwardly.


    Anyways, just like this, a week had passed, and it was finally 1st Octavian 5039, it was the time Vesta Children returned from the Agresia Academy for their month-long vacation.


    Yes, it was time for Vaan''s brothers and sisters to return.


    And, at the same time, the Year 5039''s Elemental sh was about to start, in 2 weeks.


    Right now, Vaan, ra, and people from the Vesta Family were standing in the Vesta Hall with Astra sitting on the Family Head''s position, in the middle of the hall stood 16 young mages.


    They were the Young Vesta Mages who had returned from the Agresia Academy.


    "Children of the Vesta Family, wee back to your home."


    Astra greeted with a light smile on her face.


    "Thank you, Family Head."


    The Man standing in the front bowed his head as he answered, he was Vaelen Vesta, the oldest son of Draven Elysia Vesta, and,


    The strongest out of the ''Young'' Vesta Mages, a prospective heir with the highest chance of inheriting the Family Head''s position, a 5th Circle Intermediate Mage.


    Vaelen wasn''t a student in the Agresia Academy, after bing an Intermediate Mage, he was automatically promoted to a teacher.


    Mages were already rare as is and not many of these already rare mages could be Intermediate Mages.


    The strength and status the Intermediate Mages possessed wasn''t weak, one shouldn''t, Seraphina''s father, Anderson Stormweaver, he had recently broken through and became an Intermediate Mage, and that alone, helped his ''Magic Family'' rise in rankings.


    Intermediate Mages may lookmon when ites to the Vesta Family, however, in the real world, Intermediate Mages were people who could start their own Magic Family.


    Even thergest academy in the world didn''t have the capability to teach Intermediate Mages.


    They could only be teachers there.


    "I believe your journey wasfortable?"


    Astra questioned.


    "Yes, it was."


    Vaelen nodded. Then, with a confident smile on his face,


    "And now that I have returned, I am excited to witness this year''s Elemental sh,


    I would love to see how strong my fellow Vesta Mages have gotten.


    After all, as the future head, it is my responsibility to keep an eye on how the future mages of my family are doing."

 Chapter 115 The Battle Of Heirs It Was On Again.

    "And now that I have returned, I am excited to witness this year''s Elemental sh,


    I would love to see how strong my fellow Vesta Mages have gotten.


    After all, as the future head, it is my responsibility to keep an eye on how the future mages of my family are doing."


    Vaelen spoke with a confident smile on his face.


    Hearing his words, Vaan raised his eyebrow with an amused look on his face.


    After seeing so many new faces, Vaan was currently experiencing new streams of memories rushing into his head, and the more he organized this new set of information in his head, the wider his smile got.


    These brothers and sisters of his,


    They were quite interesting.


    Vaan turned towards Elric Vesta, waiting for him to say something,


    And just as he expected,


    "Don''t act like you have already won the Battle of Heirs, you are currently in the presence of the Family Head, show proper respect."


    Elric spoke up.


    He was a 4th Circle Mage, the second strongest of the Young Vesta Mages, son of Risia Elysia Vesta, and another prospective heir of the Family, someone who was running right behind Vaelen in this race of inheriting the Vesta Throne.


    "I do not think brother has shown any disrespect here. As for the Battle of Heirs, the results are already clear in my eyes."


    This time, the one who spoke was Lirael Vesta, Vaelen''s Blood sister, Draven''s daughter, a 4th Circle Mage and even though she has every right to enter the battle of heirs, she chooses not to and decides to support her brother with everything she had.


    She was a part of the reason why Vaelen was considered the strongest contender for the Family Head''s position. Most powers chose to support Vaelen not only because he was the oldest and the strongest, but also because choosing him meant choosing Lirael together with him.


    Getting to support twopetent mages, both with the potential to be the Family Head, it was a deal not many powers hated.


    Seeing his sister standing up for him, a smile appeared on Vaelen''s face, Lirael nodded at him and he nodded back.


    From how they acted, it was clear that the rtionship between the two siblings was quite strong.


    This was also the reason Draven Elysia Vesta was so proud of his children, not only were they talented, they also supported each other like true siblings. Lirael knew it was pointless to go against her brother since he was 12 years older than her and already had a major head start.


    Also, Vaelen didn''t take her sister for granted either, he protected and cared for her, providing her with whatever she wanted and spoiling her endlessly. Vaelen was like a second father to his sister and loved her a lot.


    They formed an unbreakable team, always standing together and prevailing over whatever they faced. Within the Vesta Family, their remarkable sibling bond was regarded as the standard of unity and strength and was discussed quite often.


    Honestly, even Astra looked at their rtionship in a positive light. As someone who knew everything happening around the Vesta Mansion, visible to the normal eyes or not, she knew the two siblings weren''t faking it either.


    The two of them actually understood what the other wanted and worked hard to get that.


    A sibling love that wasn''t seen very often in the Vesta Family, especially amongst the ones with the direct lineage and chance to participate in the Battle of Heirs.


    Take Astra and her siblings for example.


    Draven, Risia, and Astra, all three of them were Elysia''s children, however, even then, ever since the start, they never liked each other''s presence, even though the three of them had other non-blood-rted siblings fighting for the throne with them, the three of them never shook hands in order to suppress others.


    They always regarded each other as enemies.


    Or maybe that happened because, unlike in this case, Astra''s talent deeply overpowered her two older siblings. After all, no older sibling wants to be overshadowed by his younger brother or sister.


    Also, Astra was innocent either, actually, the tension between her and her siblings, she could be the one med for it. The Young Astra was, admittedly, arrogant.


    Too arrogant in fact.


    Combined with the fact that she was born with monstrous talent and extremely strong magic insight, it boosted her arrogance even more, it was to the point where other than her mother, she didn''t put anyone in her eyes.


    Astra may have calmed down after bing the Family Head and giving birth to Vaan, however, the stories of Young Astra and the things she had done,


    Not many mages had forgotten about it.


    "It is the arrogant ones who fall the quickest."


    Suddenly, another man spoke up.


    He was Leif Vesta, another 4th Circle Mage who was simr in agepared to other prospective heirs. However, just like Lirael, he had decided not to participate in the Battle of Heirs as well. Instead, he supported Elric Vesta.


    Leif''s reasoning was simple, unlike hispetitors, he was not the direct decedent who carried the Blood of Elysia Rhydian Vesta in his blood, so even if he did try to join in the battle, gathering support would have been difficult.


    Therefore, he decided to join Elric.


    And of course, Leif wasn''t alone in this either, all other Young Vesta Mages had decided to do the same thing, just like different powers supported the factions in hopes of getting some advantages in the future, the young mages were supporting the heirs they felt would be the next head.


    Leif was just more well-known amongst the other mages since he was much more talented than them.


    Elric, who was in a difficult spot while facing the team of Vaelen and Lirael, readily epted his offer. An additional 4th Circle Mage joining his faction was never a bad thing. Not to mention if the said mage was someone as talented as Leif, he would be a fool to reject him.


    "I agree, if you think being the oldest out of all of us automatically makes you the future Family Head, then you are strictly underestimating the Vesta Family."


    Elric nodded his head, standing together with Leif.


    "It is not about being the oldest, little brother.


    It is about being the strongest.


    I am the strongest out of us all, that is what assures my victory in this Battle." Vaelen spoke with a provocative smile on his face.


    "The only reason you are the strongest out of us all is because you are the oldest, you are not more talented than us, I would even argue that your talent is quite nd, and once given enough time, I would catch up to you," Elric spoke with a calm look on his face. He wasn''t intimidated by his brother.


    "Empty words are useless, speak when you actually achieve what you say."


    "Oh I will, you being the only 5th Circle Mage out of all the prospective heirs, I promise you it won''t be the same in the future. I can already feel it, within the next 2 years, I will break through and be an Intermediate Mage as well.


    That would be 4 years earlier than the time it took you, brother."


    Elric announced.


    "Huh? Did you not hear what my brother said?


    Empty words mean nothing."


    Lirael stood up for her brother.


    Elric, however, just smiled and,


    "They are not empty words, sister.


    How about this?


    If I don''t be an Intermediate Mage within the next 2 years,


    I will step out of the Battle of Heirs myself.


    Does that put enough weight on my words now?"


    Elric announced and as he did, everyone present in the Vesta Hall widened their eyes in shock. Even Draven was taken aback by this statement.


    Risia, on the other hand, just smiled.


    She knew her son''s condition the best,


    The 2 years he was talking about were him ying safe, Elric only needed 1 year to advance. This announcement was nothing more than a trick for Elric to gain more support in the future.


    "Y-You are crazy!" Lirael pointed her fingers at Elric and shouted.


    "It doesn''t matter Sister." Suddenly, Vaelen spoke up with a calm look on his face.


    "Thepetition is being cleared up by itself, it is a good thing."


    "T-That is correct." Lirael nodded, "Or maybe, it is a way for Brother Eldric to step out of the Battle of Heirs with a little respect since he knows he cannot win anymore."


    "That could be the case." Vaelen nodded with a smile as well.


    "Think whatever lets you sleep at night. Time would p you two awake eventually." Leif chuckled.


    The two factions stared at each other and electric sparks could be seen in their line of sight.


    This was the dynamic set in the Vesta House for the Battle of Heirs,


    The two major factions,


    One Faction supported Vaelen Vesta, the son of Draven Elysia Vesta, while the Second Faction supported Elric Vesta, the son of Risia Elysia Vesta.


    All this while, the Vesta House had been calm because the children were all sent to the Academy, however,


    With theming back,


    The chaos,petitive spirit, and wild energy that was missing in the Vesta Family returned as well.


    The Battle of Heirs,


    It was on again.


    However, there was one variable everyone forgot about,


    "Heeeh, so you are the lot I have to beat up in order to be the Family Head?


    Doesn''t look very difficult."

 Chapter 116 You should step back.

    <h4>Chapter 116 You should step back.</h4>


    "Heeeh, so you are the lot I have to beat up in order to be the Family Head?


    Doesn''t look very difficult."


    Vaan, who had been listening and observing everything till nowmented with an interested smile on his face.


    "Hmm?" Hearing his words, Vaelen furrowed his brows.


    Not only him, Elric, Lirael, Leif, and all other Mages who had just returned from the academy turned towards Vaan with a surprised look on their faces.


    In an instant, Vaan became the center of attention.


    ra, who was standing right next to him panicked, Vaan, however, just nced at his petitors'' with a big smile on his face. There was no trace of fear or nervousness on his face.


    Why would he even fear them?


    Who in the hell fears their future subordinates?


    "It has been a while, Brother Vaan."


    Suddenly, Elric spoke with a smile on his face.


    "Haha. It has bee-" Vaan wanted to reply, but then,


    "It is good to see you are doing good as well, ra."


    Completely ignoring Vaan, Elric turned towards ra and greeted her with a gentle smile on his face.


    ra, of course, had no clue how to react in the situation and, "I-It has been a while."


    She just greeted back.


    Vaan, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes.


    What is this?


    Why was this bastard greeting his fianc¨¦?


    Also, wasn''t ra outcasted by other members of the Vesta Family because she didn''t have Vesta Blood flowing in her veins?


    From what Vaan had heard, this feeling was much stronger amongst the children who were direct descendants or their direct subordinates.


    Then why was¡­


    However, before Vaan could delve deeper, he was interrupted.


    "Brother Vaan, correct me if I am wrong, but did what you just said,


    Was it directed at us?" Lirael questioned with a curious look on her face.


    She didn''t seem particrly offended, rather, from her expression it looked like she was witnessing something amusing.


    And of course, Vaan didn''t like that expression.


    She was looking down on him. He had done so much in order to not be looked at with that face, even going as far aspletely changing the image previous Vaan had created,


    Yet here he was,


    Being looked down like that,


    That too, from a bitch who aimed to do nothing but hug her brother''s thigh and live her life.


    "Was I not being clear enough?" Vaan questioned.


    "Oh my cute little brother, we are not talking about a drinkingpetition here. If you want to go out with your friends andck funds, you cane to meter, alright?


    This is not a ce for you to be speaking at."


    Lirael spoke with a light smile on her face.


    "I didn''t know you had enough authority to decide who would speak here or not.


    Why don''t you just move and directly sit where my mother is sitting?"


    Vaan retorted.


    Lirael''s expression changed. And she wasn''t alone, all the Young Mages who had just returned and had no clue about things Vaan had done were surprised.


    Since when did Young Master Vaan start speaking in the Vesta Hall meetings?


    And did he just challenge other prospective heirs?


    What in the hell was happening?


    Was he drunk?


    Many mages wondered, soon, however, they shook their heads.


    This was Vesta Meeting Hall, there is no way anyone under the influence of booze would be allowed in here, even if the said person was the only son of the current family head.


    Such disrespect of the Vesta Family grounds, even the Family Head would allow it.


    Then why¡­


    Why was Vaan acting like this¡­?


    ''Be careful around him.


    He is not the same as before.''


    Suddenly, Lirael heard a voice in her head. It was Draven, her father.


    She wasn''t alone,


    Elric and Valean, the two of them received a simr message.


    The three of them nced at each other, confusion clear on their faces.


    Just what had this man done for someone like Draven and Risia to warn them about him?


    Wasn''t he just a 1st Circle Waste who didn''t even practice Magic because of how he was obsessed with some bitch?


    "I obviously do not have the authority to decide who would speak here, however, I do have enoughmon sense to understand that someone like you definitely should not be speaking here."


    Lirael replied.


    "And why is that?"


    "You are seriously shameless enough to ask that?


    What makes you think a 1st Circle Mage like you can jump in when your brothers and sisters are talking with each other? Shouldn''t you show proper respect here?"


    "And what makes you think that you are allowed to talk here like you are in a park? This is the Vesta Meeting Hall, we are gathered here to wee you, however, this doesn''t mean you are allowed to talk to each other and ignore others.


    You were asked a formal question, you simply had to answer that question and turn silent. Yet you simply chose topletely ignore everyone around you, including the Family Head, and started bickering with each other.


    I do not know if you were trying to disy your strength or something else,


    But this disy of yours, it was embarrassing.


    You all call yourself prospective heirs who wish to be the Family Head, yet you are not even mature enough to realize where you are standing and act ordingly.


    Honestly, you are just embarrassing the Vesta name."


    Vaan spoke up and seeing Vaan talk about ''manners'' and ''how to conduct oneself'', many mages present in the Hall raised their eyebrows.


    Heck, even Astra was the same.


    To think her son would be shameless enough to talk about things like that. Especially after things he had done.


    He was the same man who beat up a fellow mage, then openly embarrassed his uncle in front of everyone, then proceeded to use harsh words and act like some kind of thug.


    Talking about manners didn''t soon this man at all!


    Even if this man was her very son, Astra still couldn''t help but feel the urge to facepalm.


    "You talk awfully lot for someone who is merely a 1st Circle Mage." Lirael narrowed her eyes.


    "And you talk awfully lot for someone who doesn''t know shit."


    And there it was.


    This man was just talking about manners! A few seconds ago!


    And now he was cursing out loud.


    Seeing this, the people around him felt their mouths twitching.


    Even ra blinked a few times, unable toprehend the situation.


    ''He is a 2nd Circle Mage.''


    Draven rified and Lirael, who had a confused look on her face finally realized. Of course, this didn''t mean she was nning to back away.


    "Oh right, I forgot you became a 2nd Circle Mage, but you can''t me me either, your progress was just so slow that I forgot to keep up."


    "Heh, you forgot to keep up huh, can''t even keep up with the progress of your own brother, I doubt if you would be able to keep track of the progress of the entire Vesta Family, quite worrying for someone who calls herself a prospective heir.


    Oh wait, you don''t.


    I guess we got the reason why you don''t huh?


    Having a shit memory is quite a disadvantage, I agree. It ismendable that you recognized your weakness and backed away.


    You weren''t fit for thepetition anyway."


    "Sounds like you have tracked the progress of everyone around you."


    "Of course not. I have people who would take care of that for me in the future.


    I prepare to be the Family Head, not a secretary."


    Vaan snorted.


    Lirael''s mouth twitched in annoyance.


    "Quite bolding from someone who is merely a 2nd Circle Mage." She retorted.


    "Heh, if a 49-year-old 5th Circle Mage can aim to be the Family Head, I believe I have every right to do so."


    Vaan spoke as he nced at Vaelen. Then, a big smile appeared on his face, and,


    "I mean, what''s the point of even trying to aim for the Family Head''s position?


    Mother is currently 60, you are barely 11 years younger than her, what''s the point of you sitting in the Family Head''s position when you would barelyst for 10 extra years?


    Do you wish to hold another Battle of Heirs right after you be the Family Head?


    Do you even know how unstable that would be? It is honestly no different than having a temporary head till the real head is mature enough to rule.


    I''d even see it as a sign of weakness, which doesn''t fit with the Vesta Family at all."


    Vaan then looked into his older brother''s eyes and,


    "Vaelen Vesta, if you truly do want what is best for the Vesta Family, then rather than being greedy for the Family Head''s position,


    You should step back and be satisfied with what you currently have."


    Vaan spoke and this time, not only Lirael, Vaelen, or the other Young Mages,


    The entire Vesta Meeting Hall turned silent.


    Vaan had decided to go all out right from the start.

 Chapter 117 What other solution do we need?

    <h4>Chapter 117 What other solution do we need?</h4>


    "Vaelen Vesta, if you truly do want what is best for the Vesta Family, then rather than being greedy for the Family Head''s position,


    You should step back and be satisfied with what you currently have."


    Vaan spoke as he looked into Vaelen''s eyes.


    An all-out attack from the start.


    Vaan''s goal in this new world was already decided.


    He would seed his mother and be the Vesta Family Head.


    Why?


    Because why not?


    Wasn''t it only natural for him to continue something his mother values so much?


    What if these idiots mess everything up and eventually hurt his mother?


    Vaan couldn''t allow that, now could he?


    Alright, let''s be honest here, that was a lie. The position the Vesta Family was currently in, it couldn''t fall in just one generation no matter how bad the Family Head was.


    Although Vaan did care about his mother and wanted to make her proud, the main reason he wanted to rule the Vesta Family was because he wanted power.


    He was ambitious.


    No matter how much Vaan or Christopher tried to deny it, living as an underworld gang leader for 10 years had changed him.


    In his previous life, he was upied by the thought of avenging his parents, but now that he had no such goal, rather than calming down and trying to live a normal, peaceful life as many would want,


    Vaan wanted to get more.


    He wanted to fight for more.


    He wanted to reach where no one ever did.


    He wanted to be so strong that no one would even think about harming him or his family.


    And for that, the obvious step was to participate in the Battle of Heirs and obliterate all thepetition just like his mother did in the past.


    All these weeks he had been here, Vaan wasn''t staying idle. Other than working on his strength, he was also trying to learn more about things going around in the Vesta Family, the troubles it currently faces, the information about the other Prospective Heirs, their Faction, how these factions affected the oue of the Battle of Heirs, Vaan learned everything the previous Vaan hadpletely ignored.


    In short, he had done his research.


    And because of that, Vaan chose the topic that would be the hardest to swallow, not only for Vaelen, but Lirael, Elric, and even the other senior mages of the Vesta Family, including Astra.


    "Vaan, this meeting is for weing the Mages who have returned from the Academy after a long journey, it is not the time to talk about this matter, step back and stay silent."


    Astra ordered with a strict look on her face.


    Her tone didn''t seem to be looking forward to a ''no'' as an answer.


    Seeing Astra had personally stepped in, Vaan was a little taken aback, however, he wasn''t doing all this out of impulse,


    It was a calcted move.


    "Family Head, this meeting has already deviated from its initial topic ever since the ''Prospective Heirs'' tried to use this chance to strengthen their factions.


    Also, I disagree with Family Head''s opinion,


    Stalling this matter any longer is foolish.


    Vaelen Vesta, a 49-year-old 5th Circle Mage; Elric Vesta, a 43-year-old 4th Circle Mage; and Lirael Vesta, a 37-year-old 4th Circle Mage. These individuals carry the mantle of the next potential leaders of the Vesta Family and are called ''Prospective Heirs''


    Do not forget, that wee from a generation that witnessed the remarkable feats of Aunt Risia, Elric''s Mother, who became a 5th Circle Mage at the age of 38, and Uncle Draven, the father of Vaelen and Lirael, who achieved the same feat at 36. This was the benchmark set by our past Prospective Heirs, honestly, the difference between the two couldn''t be more apparent. It is almost absurd.


    Not to mention that the two previously mentioned Prospective Heirs lost the Battle of Heirs.


    Mages of their level losing was the testament to just howpetitive the Vesta Family''s Battle of Heirs usually is. Even their insane achievements paled in front of our current Family Head, Lady Astra.


    Family Head became a 5th Circle Mage when she was merely 25.


    Despite being 31 years younger than her eldest brother, her extraordinary talent allowed her to bridge the formidable gap of 31 whole years.


    This is the level of the Vesta Family.


    This is what should be expected out of the Vesta Family Mages, especially the mages who call themselves ''Prospective Heirs''.


    However, the present group of Prospective Heirs, no matter how much we try to hide it, the fact is,


    They have not met the Vesta Family''s expectations.


    In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that out of the current Prospective Heirs,


    None deserve to inherit the Vesta Family."


    Vaan spoke and as he did, the entire hall turned deathly silent. Even Astra, Draven, and Risia, the people who currently held the highest authority within the Vesta Family, had solemn looks on their faces.


    It was an unspoken agreement between the Vesta Mages to not discuss this topic until the time was right,


    However,


    In Vaan''s eyes,


    This was the right time,


    "The Family Head is Young and is, of course, a reliant support who we can fall back on for manying years so there is no need for us to currently discuss this topic. The choice of leaving everything on time and waiting patiently is by no means, a wrong one.


    However,


    This doesn''t mean we should allow trash to call themselves prospective heirs of the Vesta Family when they do not meet the desired expectations."


    Vaan spoke as he nced at his brothers and sisters with an emotionless look on his face.


    He was directly dering that none of the people standing in front of him deserved the title of Prospective Heirs and what was worse? With how he used the past generation as an example, the current ''heirs'' had no words to retort him with either.


    This time, even their faction members had turned silent, even Draven and Risia, who supported their children the most had turned silent.


    The matter Vaan had pushed forward, for him, it was just a way to destroy the current prospective heirs'' arrogance and use them as a stepping stone in order to create his own Faction,


    However, for the senior Mages, it was something much more.


    It wasn''t that they didn''t know about this, they were simply trying not to talk about it and waited patiently for the matter to resolve itself, they didn''t really have any other option either, they were helpless in this matter, they couldn''t just ''adopt'' someone with extraordinary Magic Talen and make him the next Family Head, now could they?


    They were helpless.


    And that was why they avoided the topic, the other mages understood their thoughts and remained silent as well, however, Vaan pping this topic out in the open like this, this pushed them to the corner.


    Vaan unknowingly made it such a way that they couldn''t officially avoid this matter anymore.


    The Mages all nced at each other, unsure of what to do in this situation.


    Draven and Risia nced at each other as well, then, the two turned towards Astra and noticed that she was looking at them as well.


    A strange silence was spread all over the Vesta Hall, and this happened because of the words of a 20-year-old boy. Honestly, this alone was embarrassing enough for the Mages, but again,


    They were out of options.


    And as if she wanted to highlight that, Lirael shouted.


    "I have had enough of your bullshit!"


    "Huh?" Vaan narrowed his eyes.


    "The current prospective heirs are not up to the Family''s expectations and do not deserve to have their title.


    How easy it is to sit back and point fingers at others isn''t it?


    For someone who is merely a 2nd Circle Mage, you certainly have a lot to say, don''t you?


    Do you know what you sound like?


    You sound like amoner with no knowledge about Magic talking about how an experienced Mage who spent decades of his life studying Magic, should have used a different way to approach a certain situation.


    A fool trying to lecture a schr.


    That is what you sound like.


    Honestly, I felt like I was wrong when I told you not to talk here, however, after hearing what you just said, I knew I was right.


    Someone ignorant about the matter shouldn''t be allowed to speak.


    So unless you have a solution, stay silent."


    Lirael shouted and this time, no matter which side they belonged to, everyone nodded at her words.


    After all, Vaan''s words targeted not just the prospective heirs, but all of them. Not to mention Vaan''s image in their heads wasn''t exactly a great one.


    Of course, Vaan couldn''t care less about their opinion.


    "Huh? What solution is needed?"


    Vaan questioned with a frown on his face.


    The Senior Mages narrowed their eyes.


    Was Vaan this ignorant? They felt like he had changed but¡­


    "Haa! You don''t even know what you ar-"


    Lirael wanted to bash Vaan again and take some of her anger out on him, but then,


    "Aren''t I here?


    What other solution do we need?"

 Chapter 118 I am a Prospective Heir as well

    <h4>Chapter 118 I am a Prospective Heir as well</h4>


    "Aren''t I here?


    What other solution do we need?"


    Vaan questioned with a genuinely confused look on his face. From his expression, one could tell that this man actually did think of himself as the ''Solution.''


    And when she realized that, Lirael''s mouth twitched uncontrobly.


    "You? The Solution? A mere 2nd Second Circle Mage who was crazy about some random bitch from a low-"


    "A 2nd Circle Mage who defeated a 3rd Circle Mage in front of a big crowd. I doubt any of you have achieved a feat like this, have you? Doesn''t that automatically make me better than all of you?" Vaan questioned with a confident smile on his face.


    Lirael, on the other hand, frowned in confusion. Obviously, she had no clue what Vaan was talking about, she had just returned from the Academy and didn''t have any information regarding the recent events that have yed out yet.


    Why would she? Things like these weren''t supposed to be discussed in this meeting anyway, she didn''t know how everything started, but Lirael wasn''t expecting herself to be standing against this idiot cousin of hers, talking about serious matters like these.


    Of course, that doesn''t mean she was nning to use this as an excuse.


    She knew one needed to be prepared all the time, the fact that she jumped in and escted the situation to this point without knowing any recent events was her fault, and she admitted it.


    At the same time, she also turned towards her father, trying to understand what Vaan was talking about, but then,


    Draven looked into Vaan''s eyes and,


    "You used Instant Spells in that Duel, Vaan.


    That Duel does not count.


    Even a 1st Circle Mage can defeat a 4th Circle Mage if he uses our family''s top Instant Spells. What you did back then, although brave, it cannot be used as something that makes you specialpared with others."


    Draven spoke and his words were followed by other mages nodding their head.


    Seeing that he was being supported, Draven then turned towards Astra and,


    "I think even the Family Head would agree to my words, correct?"


    Making the Family Head ept that her son was nothing special, there was no way Draven was going to miss this golden opportunity that would not only put this arrogant nephew of his in his ce but would also put Astra in a difficult position, indirectly alleviating his and his faction''s position.


    Vaan, however, wasn''t nning on letting that happen,


    "Is Uncle Draven saying that I am no different than my brothers who are titled Prospective Heirs of the Family?" Vaan questioned.


    Draven looked at him, then, with an expressionless look on his face, he replied,


    "Although I am sure you have your own strength in other areas, you are still a 20-year-old 2nd Circle Mage. You just mentioned how your siblings didn''t meet the Vesta Family''s expectations, however, all of them had already be 2nd Circle Mages by the time they were 17 or 18, which is 2 whole years earlier than you.


    So by your logic, your performance is actually even more disappointing and does not meet the standards of the Vesta Family at all."


    Draven spoke, he had never openly pointed his fingers at Vaan like this, today, however, he made an exception. Starting this topic when he knew that his daughter had just returned from the academy and had no information about the current events, Vaan''s actions were getting too out of hand, he had to step in.


    "Worse than my siblings huh?" Vaan seemed taken aback.


    "I didn''t know all my siblings researched revolutionary Magic Circles that increased a Mage''s strength to unseen levels." He then nced at his confused siblings and,


    "You all must be strong, huh? How many Inner Circles does your Advance Circle have? Does it have extra space to draw more Magic Patterns? What principals did you work on to create those circles?


    Actually, if you would be so kind, can I see your Advanced Circle, I might get some ideas to improve my own circle. I would be deeply indebted to you if you do that."


    Vaan questioned and the more he asked, the more Lirael frowned in confusion.


    What was this fool talking about?


    An Advance Circle, was he out of his mind?


    Vaan, fully knowing their confusion, didn''t step back, rather, smiling gleefully, he pushed forward,


    "Oh C''mon, don''t be so petty, all of us here are Mages and a part of the same family, if you hide your discoveries like this, then how could we possibly grow? And it is not like I am asking you the teach me how to summon your circle now am I? Even I am not that shameless. I know how to respect a Mage''s boundaries, I know that I have no right to demand something from you just because wee from the same family.


    I merely wish to see your Magic Circle, which, you would eventually show whenever you duel with your opponents. I don''t think I am being very difficult here.


    But oh well, if you feel that it is still unfair,


    I will show you my Circle first."


    Vaan spoke with a wide smile on his face as he gathered Mana from the Air, sensing his intentions, mey and Sshy who werezily sitting on his shoulders moved,


    And soon,


    Two Advance Circles, each beingrger than a normal circle and having 6 Inner Circles were formed.


    The Mages present in the hall observed the two Magic Circles as their eyes shined in extreme curiousness and interest, for some of them, this was the first time they had actually witnessed Vaan''s Advanced Magic Circle in real life, till now, they only saw this Magic Circle in the research paper Vaan had published, but seeing the real deal¡­


    The mages couldn''t get their eyes away from the mysterious circles in front of them. How could they not? They have been racking their heads around these circles, desperately trying to understand the principles behind them and create a circle on their own.


    However, no matter how much they tried, all their attempts yielded zero results. Even after working on it for months, they still made zero progress.


    It was so hopeless that they even thought that all of this was a sham and that this circle was actually wed, making summoning this Circle impossible.


    But seeing Vaan using these Circles right in front of their eyes, the hopeless mages saw hope again.


    The Circle wasn''t wed.


    It was their approach that was wrong.


    They needed to put in more effort.


    On the other hand, the Young Mages who saw the Vaan''s circle for the first time widened their eyes in shock.


    What was that!?


    A Circle with 6 Inner Circles!? How does that make sense!?


    Did someone make a new Magic Research? How did they not know about it?


    Although the Agresia Academy limited the exchange of information in order to make their students focus on what they were learning, with Vesta Family powers, exchanging information this vital shouldn''t be difficult.


    Then why¡­


    "Hmm? This is confusing. Why are you looking at me like that? Is this your first time seeing an Advance Circle? But didn''t you say you researched an Advance Circle of your own? Why are you acting so surprised?


    Is it because my Magic Circle isn''t up to your esteemed standards?"


    Vaan questioned with a yful smile on his face.


    Everyone in the Meeting Hall understood what he was doing, honestly, some mages even pitied the Young Mages who were up against someone like Vaan right after they returned.


    After all, this was the same man who humiliated 6th Circle Mage Rn in front of everyone.


    When it came to words, this man spouted raw poison from his mouth.


    "Vaan, that is enough. You have proved your point."


    Suddenly, Astra spoke up.


    As much as she was enjoying the current situation, right now, she was not Vaan''s mother, but the Family Head. It was her duty to maintain the Vesta Hall''s decorum which Vaan''s sarcastic remarks were undermining.


    "I understand, Lady Astra."


    Vaan, of course, was extremely respectful when the one speaking was his mother. However, when it came to his uncle,


    "Are the Circles I researched up to the Family''s expectation, Uncle Draven?"


    "Yes." With a bitter look on his face, Draven nodded.


    "Then the strongest 2nd Circle Mage who discovered a new, much more advanced Magic Circle at the mere age of 20, I believe this should be enough for me to be called one of the ''Prospective Heirs'', correct?"


    "That is not something that can be decided in an instant." Draven, of course, was against it.


    "Hmm? What is there to decide? I highly doubt that my siblings had to go through some sort of meeting to call themselves prospective heirs. From what I remember, they just started calling themselves as such out of the blue. Why is it different in my case?"


    "You are too youn-" Draven wanted to answer, but then, he paused. He could already see Vaan looking at his mother the moment he was about to mention his age.


    Dealing with this boy was too frustrating!


    "Since Uncle Draven has nothing more to say,


    Then from today onwards,


    I am a Prospective Heir as well."


    Vaan announced and


    On 1st Octavian 5039,


    Vaan Astra Vesta officially joined the Vesta Family''s Battle of Heirs.

 Chapter 119 This bastard… was he flirting with his Fiance?

    <h4>Chapter 119 This bastard¡­ was he flirting with his Fiance?</h4>


    "Heh, a Prospective Heir, that sure sounds good. Now I just need to crush thepetition and be the Family Head.


    Easy."


    Vaan, who was walking towards the dining room together with ra spoke with a confident look on his face.


    Then, he turned towards his fianc¨¦ and,


    "So? How did I do?"


    "D-Do what?" ra questioned, she still hadn''t recovered from the intense meeting she just attended.


    "My performance in the Meeting Hall of course, how was it? Did you look at their faces? Wasn''t it a sight to see? Kek, they were acting like the entire world was falling apart. Especially when I revealed the Advance Circles.


    Heh, Prospective Heirs my ass. They are just a bunch of idiots."


    Vaan snorted.


    "Y-You should be m-more careful with your words," ra spoke up.


    "Hmm? Why should I?" Vaan questioned with a confused look on his face.


    "N-No matter what, they are still your s-siblings, and they are all o-older than you. You should respect them.


    Your words today were too rude. You even indirectly targeted Lord D-Draven. T-That is not appropriate." ra gave her perspective.


    "And what about when that sister of mine indirectly called me a drunkard? Was that right in your eyes?"


    "O-Of course not, but I k-know she won''t listen to me so I¡­"


    "Then did you want me to just let her belittle me like that?"


    "O-Of course not, b-but the method you chose could have been better¡­"


    "And what method is that?" Vaan questioned.


    ra lowered her head. She had no answer.


    Seeing her acting like that, Vaan shook his head before narrowing his eyes,


    "This won''t work¡­" he muttered.


    "ra." Then, he called out.


    "W-What is it?"


    "Curse."


    "H-Huh?"


    "Curse someone, anyone."


    "W-What?"


    "Right, you wouldn''t have anyone you would want to curse.


    Uhh¡­ Curse that Karl, he is already dead, so it wouldn''t really matter much either."


    "W-Why would I curse the dead?"


    "Because I said so," Vaan replied as he grabbed ra''s hands and looked into her eyes.


    "V-Vaan, cursing the dead is n-not appropriate¡­"


    "You can do that for me, can''t you? Just once, I won''t make you do it again." Vaan pressured.


    There was something he wanted to test out.


    "¡­" ra turned silent and continued to stare at Vaan, wanting him to change his mind. Vaan, however, didn''t back down.


    In the end, ra gave up, then, she closed her eyes and,


    "K-Karl was a B-Bad person!"


    She cursed.


    "¡­"


    And Vaan, who witnessed ra''s ''cursing'' was out of words.


    He couldn''t believe how ra was looking at him with the expression of an innocent child who was just caught cheating and seeing that,


    "Pffft."


    Vaan couldn''t help butugh out loud.


    "Ahh, ra, how are you so adorable~" He spoke as he pulled ra''s cheeks.


    "This is such a big problem which I should be worried about, but here I am, unable to get over your cuteness. Uggghhh! Just how can someone as adorable as you exist?"


    "I-It hwurts¡­"


    rained.


    Vaan just sighed. Then, with a strict look on his face, he nced at ra and,


    "Calling someone bad is not cursing them, ra. That one doesn''t count.


    ''That Karl fucker was a bitch'', say something like this."


    "T-This is too much!" ra''s expression changed as she desperately shook her head.


    "Ugghh¡­" Vaan groaned as he scratched his head.


    This was harder than he thought.


    His fianc¨¦ was just too pure for this, but Vaan had no other choice.


    Being innocent and pure is not exactly a good thing, people like them are the ones who are fooled the quickest. This cruel world was not a ce where the innocent and pure could survive.


    As much as Vaan wanted to protect ra for the rest of his life, he knew it was impractical. Not to mention Vaan wanted ra to stand together with him, not behind him.


    ra needed to change.


    Vaan started thinking. A way to make ra curse¡­ a way to corrupt her¡­


    "Brother Vaan, it is quite a coincidence meeting you here."


    While Vaan was thinking about such an important issue, a voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned towards the source of the unpleasant voice and saw his brother, Elric Vesta walking towards him.


    "What are you doing here?" Vaan narrowed his eyes.


    "Nothing really, I was just walking by and saw the two of you. I thought I shoulde say hello." Elric spoke with a bright smile on his face.


    Then, his eyes fell on how Vaan was holding ra''s hands and,


    "I didn''t know the two of you were this close." Hemented.


    Not liking his expression, Vaan narrowed his eyes,


    "What are you talking about? She is my Fiance,"


    "No, I mean, with how you acted previously, it didn''t look like you cared about her." Then, a yful smile appeared on Elric''s face as he nced at ra and,


    "Or maybe even you couldn''t resist just how beautiful ra is and your stone-like heart melted? I could definitely see that happening.


    ra is not only beautiful, but her innocent personality is just perfect as well."


    Elric spoke and Vaan, who heard his words and observed his expression as he looked into ra''s eyes, his expression changed.


    This bastard¡­


    Was he flirting with his Fiance?


    Vaan''s mouth twitched, then, he grabbed ra''s hand, pulled her close to him, then, he hugged her, breaking Elric''s eye contact with her and,


    "You are right about that, my fianc¨¦ is perfect.


    This is why I love her so much."


    "W-W-What?" ra stuttered as her face turned red. She wanted to get away from Vaan''s arms because she was embarrassed, however, when she heard Vaan''s words, her brain stopped working and her body simply gave into Vaan''s arms.


    "O-Oh." Seeing Vaan act like that, even Elric was taken aback. Vaan, however, didn''t miss how he narrowed his eyes for a slight moment when he hugged ra.


    "But you didn''t have to suddenly hug her like that to say those words. I would have understood without that." Elric joked.


    "Hmm? I think you misunderstood, you being here or not doesn''t matter, I wanted to hug my fianc¨¦, so I did, you have no literally zero role here.


    Other than being a third wheel of course."


    Vaan spoke as he looked into Elric''s eyes.


    "Hahaha~" Elricughed. Not paying attention to Vaan''s words.


    Seeing that, Vaan decided to be even more direct.


    "I don''t think you know what being a Third Wheel means, so let me exin that to you,


    Third Wheels are usually the annoying people who interrupt a couple from having a good time by being there.


    Me calling you a Third wheel was an indirect way of asking you to leave,


    But since you missed that, I will just be direct,


    Leave, I am about to have a meal with my fianc¨¦ and spend some quality time with her, don''t be a Third Wheel."


    "¡­"


    Elric had no words.


    Vaan continued to re at him, seeing then, a small smile appeared on his face, and,


    "You sound defensive for some reason. It is as if you are scared that I would take someone away from you so you want to push me away."


    "That''s an interesting way to put it.


    Wonder who is empty-handed here." Vaan chuckled.


    Elric''s face twitched, however, without allowing him to say anything anymore,


    "Are you clueless or just that shameless? If it is thetter, then I must say, you are even breaking my own records, that''s an achievement.


    This must be the third time I am asking you to leave."


    "You are quite heartless, Brother. I just wanted a tal-"


    "Think about it, who would any sane man choose to spend time with,


    A beautiful and adorable fianc¨¦,


    Or some random cousin.


    Think about it and everything will be clear in your eyes."


    Saying those words, Vaan just picked ra up. ra''s expression changed again, in panic, she tightly hugged Vaan''s body like a ko, Vaan, momentarily paused, enjoying this sudden feeling, then, he moved his hand as he gently held ra and walked away.


    "¡­"


    Elric, who was left alone, finally broke the smile that was stuck on his face.


    Then, he clenched his fists in anger, and,


    ''You 2nd Circle bastard! You dare touch what''s mine.


    I will make you pay for that.''


    Thinking about it, Elric took a deep breath, then, he walked away.


    ¡­


    On the other hand, Vaan took ra to the dining room, by now, ra''s heart which was beating crazily finally calmed down, she was ready to get down, however, before she could, Vaan simply sat down and ced ra on hisp.


    "I think only one chair would be enough today, what do you think?"


    Vaan spoke.


    "W-What?" ra''s face turned red again.


    "Mhm, I want to eat like this.


    Is it ufortable for you?" Vaan spoke with an innocent look on his face.


    Seeing his expression, ra couldn''t say no, and,


    "I-It doesn''t feel bad¡­"


    She gave in.

 Chapter 120 Young Master Vaan is strange~

    Chapter 120 Young Master Vaan is strange~


    "Young Master Vaan, Lady ra, should I serve the food?" Gabel questioned with a respectful look on his face,pletely ignoring how ra was sitting on Vaan''sp and had a deep blush on her face.


    He was a true professional.


    Vaan nodded in satisfaction, then, with a slight smile on his face, he answered Gabel''s question,


    "Yes, bring the food.


    Also, arrange that together with it."


    "That?" Gabel frowned in confusion.


    "Alcohol.


    I would like to let lose today."


    Vaan spoke up.


    "What¡­?"


    Gabel tilted his head with a confused look on his face.


    Consuming Alcohol in the Vesta House was not prohibited, however, it was looked down upon.


    In Vaan''s case, things were even more problematic since Vaan had just dered himself as one of the Prospective Heirs. If the fact that a Prospective Heir is consuming Alcohol is revealed, it could be problematic, especially for Vaan who was known for his questionable personality.


    "A-Alcohol? I-I don''t think you should consume Alcohol. It is not good for your health." ra spoke up, she was against consuming Alcohol as well.


    Vaan observed Gabel and ra for a while, then, he nced at Gabel and,


    "Isn''t this where you need to show your skills as my butler, Gabel? Your Young Master is requesting something from you, shouldn''t you bring it for me?"


    "I apologize, Young Master but I agree with Lady ra here, I don''t think you should be consuming Alcohol, it could lead to too manyplica-"


    "Gabel, I understand the consequences more than you do.


    This is the reason I am asking you rather than the maids who serve the food.


    At this point, I trust you can grasp the direction I''m heading."


    Vaan spoke as he nced at Gabel with a small smile on his face.


    Gabel''s expression changed as he understood Vaan''s intentions.


    ''No one would know if you stay silent.''


    Vaan was extending a hand towards him, a chance to gain his trust. He wanted Gabel to bring Alcohol in secret and keep the entire matter secret, even from Astra.


    "¡­" Gabel turned silent and continued to observe Vaan.


    It was the time to decide.


    Vaan didn''t rush him either, sensing the weird tension in the room, ra momentarily turned silent as well.


    "I understand, Young Master Vaan. Please give me a while, I will arrange what you have asked for."


    Gabel bowed his head.


    Vaan''s smile widened as he nodded, Gabel quickly turned around and left.


    ra, who was finally left alone with Vaan spoke with a worried look on her face.


    "You shouldn''t consume Alcohol. It is not good¡­"


    Vaan then turned towards his fianc¨¦ and,


    "I am not going to drink it alone, ra."


    "Hmm?" ra tilted her head in confusion and then,


    "You are going to drink together with me," Vaan revealed and ra''s eyes widened in surprise.


    After thinking for a long long time, this was the grand solution Vaan hade up with.


    ra was too reserved, he needed to do something about that reservation, he wanted ra to open up to him, he wanted ra to lose her awkwardness, at least around him.


    That would be the actual first step in corrupting her.


    And the best way to do that?


    Booze of course!


    Even the most reserved persons open up under the effects of alcohol, how could ra not?


    Also, Vaan was actually looking forward to how the drunk ra would look like. Just imagining the cute ra being tipsy, with red cheeks, no reservations, and fuzzy mind¡­ Just thinking about it rose Vaan''s protective instincts to the maximum.


    However,


    "I-I can''t! I have never consumed Alcohol before!"


    Convincing someone like ra to drink Alcohol wasn''t easy.


    "There is always a first time for everything, my fianc¨¦." Vaan smiled yfully.


    "No, Teacher said consuming Alcohol is bad for health, it even affects a Mage''s ability to think, eventually affecting the Mage''s performance and potential negatively.


    Not to mention it can be addictive and consuming it more could even harm a Mage''s Future. I will not drink it and I hope Young Master Vaan stays away from it as well." ra''s resistance was much stronger than Vaan expected.


    "Consuming it every once in a while is not harmful, ra." Vaan tried to convince her.


    "That is how every addiction starts," ra replied.


    Vaan sighed as he was forced to use his trump card.


    He didn''t wish to use it, however, he was left with no choice.


    "Treat it as a part of your training, ra."


    "What¡­?" ra frowned in confusion.


    "That is correct."


    "I do not see any benefits of co-"


    "That is for me to decide, you promised me that you would follow whatever I say, didn''t you?"


    "B-But-"


    "Do you not trust your fianc¨¦?" Vaan questioned and this time, ra turned silent.


    Seeing his chance, Vaan moved his hand around ra''s waist, then pulling her close to him, he whispered in a gentle tone,


    "Trust me, I would never do something that would potentially harm you."


    "¡­" ra stared into Vaan''s eyes for a while.


    Then, she gave in.


    Vaan''s smile widened, and as if he had been waiting for it, Gabel walked into the room bringing what Vaan wanted.


    Soon, the food and drinks were served, ra nced at the ss of alcohol in front of her with a strange look on her face. Vaan grabbed his ss and, "Just do what I am doing." He spoke.


    ra nodded with an unsure look on her face as she held her ss.


    Then, Vaan gulped down the entire thing in one go.


    ra blinked a few times, but seeing as how Vaan was staring at her, she copied what he did and,


    "ckkk!"


    She coughed out.


    "I-It is too bitter!" She spoke.


    "Hahaha~ That''s the fun of it. Now don''t waste it, close your eyes and drink everything in one go." Vaanughed as he gently patted ra''s back.


    questioned.


    09:30


    Vaan just smiled.


    ra nodded, then, she did as Vaan told and drank the whole thing.


    "W-Why would you drink something that tastes so bad?" She questioned.


    Vaan just smiled.


    "Why don''t you try another ss to understand the answer?" Vaan questioned, as he gulped down another ss before filling ra''s ss as well.


    ra''s expression changed, however, in the end, she drank the second ss as well.


    Together with the food, ra continued to drink one ss after another, obviously, as a first-time drinker, her resistance wasn''t high, and soon, the alcohol started its magic.


    "Y-Young Master Vaan¡­ I feel weird¡­"


    ra stuttered.


    "You are calling me Young Master again, didn''t I tell you to just call me Vaan?" Vaan questioned.


    "I knoww~ but how am I supposed to change my habits so quickly~


    I am not like you, you know?


    I can''t be apletely new person in one night.


    Young Master Vaan is the weird one here."


    ra spoke as she drank another ss.


    This time, she wasn''t even copying Vaan, she drank it on her own. Seeing that, Vaan smiled as he filled her ss again. Finally, his fianc¨¦ gave him non-one-sentence answers.


    She was speaking!


    "You called me Young Master again." Vaan pointed out.


    "Vaan~ Vaan~ Vaan~ Is this okay?"


    "Mhm, perfectly fine.


    You can even call me darling if you want.


    I won''t mind it.


    I would actually prefer that."


    Vaan spoke with a yful smile on his face and this time, ra turned silent and stared at Vaan''s face.


    "¡­what happened?" Vaan questioned with a slight frown on his face.


    ra then drank another ss, her mind was hazy, however, she could understand one thing, if she drank what she was drinking, she could talk freely, without holding back.


    "Suddenly saying embarrassing words like these, it feels so strange~ you are so strange, young master Va- Oops, I meant Vaan~"


    "I am strange?"


    "Of course~ You used to push me away, hit me, and look at me with that annoyed look on your face, but then one day, you appeared in front of me in my Magic training room, asked me to teach you magic, started calling me your fianc¨¦, then started doing all these things that felt strange butforting at the same time. Even now, I sit here on yourp while you hug me like this, what person would look at a person with hate and then hug them like this the other day? If this doesn''t make you strange then what does?"


    ra wasn''t stopping, she drank another ss. As more alcohol went into her system, more words came out.


    "Do you hate sitting here?" Vaan questioned.


    "I don''t. I just feel weird." ra replied, then suddenly, she ced her hands over Vaan''s neck, looked into his eyes and,


    "I am just trying to understand why Youn- Vaan is doing this."


    "Doing what?"


    "Being good to me. Why is Vaan being good to me? What do you want¡­?" ra tilted her head with a curious look on her face.


    "Have I not made it clear yet?


    It is because I want ra all to myself."


    "Huh?"


    "I want ra, who I love, to be mine. That''s why I am trying to impress you and being nice to you." Vaan replied.


    "You¡­ love me?"

 Chapter 121 Talk with me.

    Chapter 121 Talk with me.


    "You¡­ love me?"


    ra brought her red face dangerously close to Vaan, so close that even Vaan raised his eyebrow in surprise, after all, this was the first time ra had made the move, not that she was in any condition to think straight. Heck, it would be a surprise if she even realized what she was doing.


    If she somehow looks at the current scene when she is sober, she would probably blush deeply and run out of the room. It was so strange that even little mey and Sshy were flying around and looking at ra''s drunk face with curious looks on their faces.


    Of course, ra had no clue about it, even if she could see mey and Sshy, she was in no condition to care about them,


    For now, she just looked at Vaan''s face, his words echoing inside her mind,


    "Young Master Vaan loves me¡­?"


    She questioned as she cutely tilted her head.


    "Is it that surprising? I thought I was being quite open about it." Vaan replied.


    Then, he pulled ra even close to him, her nose touching his, and,


    "Why do you think I have been calling you my fianc¨¦? That''s because I want you to know that you are stuck with me and that soon, the fianc¨¦ is going to be reced by the word wife.


    I do all this because I have fallen in love with you, ra meheart."


    "You love me¡­?"


    "But what if you are lying¡­?" ra questioned.


    "¡­" This time, Vaan turned silent.


    "How many times do I have to say it?"


    "But what if you are lying¡­?" ra questioned.


    "¡­" This time, Vaan turned silent.


    "And what about that bad woman?"


    "Bad woman?" Vaan frowned.


    "That Seraphina. Isn''t she the one you actually love? She is the one who you favor. She is the reason everything started. Young Master started pushing me away after meeting her. You even took money from me to then spend it on her." ra then narrowed her eyes and,


    "The rtions between the two of you have soured, is that the reason why you areing to me? Are you trying to use me to get her?"


    She spoke.


    ra couldn''t be med either, ever since Seraphina came into his life, the previous Vaan never approached ra without having selfish intentions. Every time ra smiles brightly wondering why Vaan was here, she would only be disappointed when she finds out why.


    This went on for such a long time that ra was now scared of smiling.


    She felt like the moment she smiled and was genuinely happing about something, real intentions would be revealed and her happiness would turn into sadness.


    Even now, as ra spent these blissful days with Vaan, inwardly, she trembled in fear, she was smiling too much, therefore, she felt like something much worse was going to happen to her.


    Something she might never recover from.


    The normal ra wouldn''t address this matter, however, the drunk ra was different. She created some distance between the two of them,


    Then, she looked into Vaan''s eyes, and,


    "Young Master Vaan, if you are trying to use me to make Seraphina jealous and eventually win her over, you can be honest with me, I promise to follow through with your ns and¡­


    And it would hurt less that way¡­"


    ra spoke, her eyes glistened.


    "¡­"


    Vaan''s expression changed.


    This was not what he had in his mind when he nned to get ra drunk, however, he was d this was happening. He was d that ra was finally opening up to him. Her worries, her insecurities, he was d that she was sharing everything with him.


    And now, it was his turn to step up and assure her. He needed to make his stance clear.


    "Do you hate Seraphina?"


    He questioned.


    Surprised by the sudden question, ra didn''t know how to react, On one hand, she wanted to say yes almost instantaneously, but on the other hand, knowing that Young Master Vaan liked Seraphina, she didn''t wish to offend him by doing that.


    Yes, even when she was in a drunk state where she could barely think straight, ra was still thinking about Vaan. That was how much of a fool she was.


    "I¡­" This was the first time where the drunk ra had no answer.


    But then,


    "I hate her."


    Vaan spoke.


    "Huh?" ra looked at Vaan with a confused look on her face and then,


    "I was a fool and Seraphina sessfully fooled me.


    I hate Seraphina for understanding how much of a fool I was and using that to her advantage. I hate how she manipted my actions, I hate how she used me to get Magic resources for her family, I hate how she pushed me away from ra, however, more than her,


    I hate myself.


    I hate my previous self.


    I hate that foolish bastard who went after stones even though the diamond was right next to him.


    And truthfully,


    I am d that the previous Vaan is dead."


    Vaan spoke, then, he gently held ra''s hand and,


    "The new Vaan is different, ra.


    I am not ying any games here,


    Seraphina doesn''t matter anymore,


    Everything revolved around you and me now,


    I genuinely love you with all my heart, ra and I want you to stay together with me for the rest of my life."


    "¡­"


    ra turned silent, her face turning even redder than it already was. Then suddenly, ra freed her hands from Vaan''s grip, Vaan frowned, but then, ra quickly grabbed the bottle of alcohol, poured it into her ss, and,


    *Gulp*


    She gulped it down in one go.


    Vaan blinked a few times.


    ra, on the other hand, stared at Vaan for a second, then, she filled her ss again and,


    *Gulp*


    She emptied another ss.


    Then another, then another, and within a matter of minutes, the entire bottle was emptied.


    "You should slow dow-"


    "D-Don''t say those things out loud!"


    especially considering that this was the mouth of the same woman who would barely speak her mind and was too innocent to even Suddenly, ra shouted.


    The strong scent of alcoholing out of her mouth felt strange, especially considering that this was the mouth of the same woman who would barely speak her mind and was too innocent to even curse properly.


    "W-What?" Vaan was clearly taken aback.


    "Embarrassing things like that! Saying you l-love me out loud, w-what if someone hears you?" ra questioned.


    "So what?"


    "Y-You don''t understand! Just don''t say those things in front of everyone!"


    ra shouted. Not wanting to discuss this any further.


    "Can I say it in private then?"


    Vaan questioned with a yful smile on his face.


    "Y-You can do that¡­" ra''s voice was barely audible as she said those words and lowered her head.


    "Got it. Then I will say it every day just so you don''t forget about it and realize that you are stuck with me."


    "Don''t do it every day¡­"


    "Then I should just stay silent and not say it?"


    "Y-You can do it every once in a w-while. I won''t mind that." ra spoke, Vaan''s smile widened and,


    "Then I will do it just as you instructed," Vaan spoke, then, he ced ra''s head on his chest.


    ra''s head was already heavy because of the heavy dose of alcohol she had consumed, so the moment she ced her head on Vaan''s chest, the sense offort made her close her eyes, her breathing stabilized, and both she and Vaan could tell that she was about to pass out, but,


    "Also¡­"


    ra spoke up in a weak voice, her eyes still closed.


    "Hmm?"


    "I am d that the foolish Vaan is dead¡­"


    "What¡­?" Vaan was taken aback.


    "The new Vaan is good¡­"


    rapleted.


    A small smile appeared on his face as he started gently patting ra''s head,


    "Alright alright, you have drunk enough, today''s training is over,


    Go sleep."


    Vaan spoke.


    He didn''t achieve his goal, however, he achieved something much more valuable today.


    He was satisfied.


    But,


    "I won''t sleep!"


    ra shot up.


    "What happened?"


    "Talk to me. I don''t want to sleep!"


    "ra, you should sle-"


    "Talk to me!" ra didn''t want this to end just like this.


    In the end, Vaan just sighed,


    "Alright, what do you want to talk about?"


    "I don''t know!"


    "If you don''t know then just sle-"


    "I won''t talk to you if you don''t talk to me." ra threatened.


    The alcohol really was doing its work. Vaan couldn''t believe this was the same innocent ra. However, now that he was threatened, he had no choice but to give in, after all, the threat was just too strong, after all. How was he supposed to live without his fianc¨¦ talking to him?


    Not to mention Vaan just came up with a great n.


    "Then let us talk about that Elric."


    "Senior Elric¡­?" ra tilted her head in confusion.


    "Yes, him. Why was he trying to talk with you today?" Vaan questioned.


    Then suddenly, a yful smile appeared on ra''s face, and,


    "Are you jealous?"


    "Huh?"


    "Is another man approaching me making you jealous?" ra questioned, her smile couldn''t be any wider.


    Vaan, on the other hand,


    "E-ra?"


    He just couldn''t believe what he was seeing.


    ra was¡­ acting smug¡­?

 Chapter 122 Are you trying to apprehend me?

    Chapter 122 Are you trying to apprehend me?


    "Is another man approaching me making you jealous?"


    "E-ra?"


    Seeing ra smiling at him with a smug look on her face, Vaan stuttered.


    "Hehe, jealous Vaan was never something I thought I would get to see~ You look so good when you are jealous~" ra spoke as she grabbed Vaan''s cheeks and treated him like a child.


    "Alright Alright, ra, calm down" Vaan spoke as he slowly grabbed ra''s hands, getting them away from his cheeks.


    "Don''t stop me~ I feel happy~ I want to pull your cheeks since they feel so good~" ra resisted, trying to get her hands back on Vaan''s cheeks.


    Vaan, on the other hand, was facing difficulties, it wasn''t just ra''s hands he had to worry about. This girl had left her entire body on him, her body bnce was a mess, she could slip from hisp any moment, and her moving around like this didn''t help. In the end, Vaan had to take care of his fianc¨¦ who was too drunk to care about anything.


    She just wanted to pull Vaan''s cheeks.


    "Stop it!"


    Vaan spoke.


    "I won''t~" And again, he heard a tipsy reply.


    "Ugghh! You are the one who forced me." Vaan spoke, then, he tightly hugged ra, not giving her room to move. Then, he finally held her hands, grabbed a towel ced nearby, and tied her hands up.


    "What are you doing?" ra questioned, her voice still tipsy as ever. Vaan, however, didn''t care, once he had tied up her hands, he lifted her up like a princess.


    "Are you trying to apprehend me?" ra questioned.


    "Yes, I will make it so you never leave me." Vaan nodded.


    "Hehe~ Do that then~


    Tie me up."


    ra spoke, closing her eyes and showing no signs of resistance.


    Vaan chuckled, then, he walked towards his room with the drunk ra in his hands.


    "Why are we here?" ra questioned with a confused look on her face.


    Vaan, however, didn''t say anything and just walked towards the bed. The moment ra''s eyes fell on the bed, she panicked.


    "I told you~ I don''t want to sleep!" She shouted.


    "¡­"


    Vaan didn''t say anything.


    "Vaan! I won''t talk to you if you don''t talk to me!" ra threatened again.


    "..." Vaan however, still stayed silent as he climbed on his bed and ced ra on it with a gentle smile on his face.


    "I won''t sleep!" rained.


    "Don''t worry ra, we won''t be sleeping."


    Vaan replied.


    "O-Oh? Then why did you bring me to your room?"


    "Well, you wanted to talk, didn''t you? Let''s talk here. We have less eyes here, not to mention it is morefortable."


    "But it was morefortable before~" ra pouted.


    ''It was, for you.''


    Vaan''s face twitched, he was the one who had to take care of apletely drunk woman. Honestly, he wanted to record the entire thing today and thenter show it to the sober ra. He, however, held back the urge to do so, Sober ra was already shy enough, if he did something like that, ra would most likely not leave her room for days.


    "Is it? But I thought it would be morefortable here?"


    Vaan whispered as he gently pulled the tied ra towards himself and held her from behind, his hand resting on her waist and chin on her shoulder.


    "¡­i-it isn''t that bad," ra replied.


    A smile appeared on Vaan''s face, unable to control his urge, he kissed ra''s neck as he gently moved his fingers around her waist.


    Once he felt ra wasfortable enough, he repeated his question,


    "You still haven''t told me about Elric."


    "Are you really that jealous?" ra questioned with a big smile as she enjoyed Vaan''s warmth.


    "I am more worried than jealous."


    Vaan rified.


    "Ohh? Worried about what?" ra questioned with a curious look on her face.


    "Someone was trying to approach my lovely fianc¨¦. I already know how beautiful she is, so how could a man have pure intentions while approaching her? What if he tries to take you away from me? What would I do then, hmm?" Vaan spoke.


    Then, he moved his mouth close to ra''s ear, and,


    "I already told you, didn''t I? You are only allowed to be with me now. I am not letting you go, my fianc¨¦."


    A jolt of strange feeling rushed into ra''s body as Vaan whispered into her ears, goosebumps rose up all over her body, and,


    "Y-You are saying embarrassing stuff again! I told you not to do it." She shouted, her face turning redder.


    "Hmm? But you only told me not to say I love you. You didn''t talk about this."


    "T-This is included as well."


    "I understand." Vaan nodded in understanding.


    "m-mm." ra nodded as well.


    "Also, Senior Elric is not a bad person."


    She spoke.


    "Oh?"


    Vaan tilted his head in confusion.


    "Can you tell me more about him?" He questioned.


    "But I don''t want the two of you to fight," ra replied.


    "Well of course, why would the two of us fight?" Vaan replied.


    Then, in a lower voice, hepleted, "A fight happens between two equals, that skinny-looking mage, I will fucking destroy that guy and turn him into my Magic Staff."


    "Hmm? What?"


    "I said that the two of us won''t be fighting, so don''t worry. I just want to know more about Senior Elric. You seem to know him quite well, why is that?"


    "That''s because he was the only one who approached me when I was young," ra replied.


    "Hmm?"


    "It happened after Seraphina arrived, so I was only 16 back then, as you know, other children from the Family often bullied me because I didn''t have Vesta blood or name, Senior Elric, however, was different, he talked to me without looking down on me because of my name or blood, he even discussed some of the Magic Theories with me and treated me kindly.


    Senior Elric is like a big brother to me, this is why I don''t want to two of you to be against each other."


    ra spoke and Vaan, who heard that narrowed his eyes,


    "Why do I not know about this?"


    "How would I know? You used to stay away from me, remember? The previous you was bad bad~" ra pouted.


    Vaan frowned, this made no sense. Even if the previous Vaan was focused on Seraphina, the fact that ra and Elric were close to each other, this should be something the previous Vaan should have some idea about. Vaan''s memories, however, werepletely nk.


    "Where did the two of you meet?"


    "Vaan why are you so silly? How would I remember that? It was such a long time ago~ I was a child with small hands at that time.


    I only remember that Senior Elric often came when I was dejected and tried to be there for me whenever I needed him." ra replied.


    "So it was him who used toe meet you? Why did you not visit him?"


    "How could I visit him? He is a Direct Descendant of the Vesta Family and I don''t even have Vesta Blood."


    "But you were Mother''s only Pupil, that title alone should be more than enough."


    "I didn''t wish to use Teacher''s name. She already helped me enough as is. Teacher is good~"


    "No, I didn''t need Senior Elric to tell me that, I understood it on my own," ra spoke with a proud smile on her face.


    Vaan''s frown deepened as another question popped up in his mind,


    "Then why did Senior Elric stand up for you? If he knew you were being bullied, then why didn''t he help you solve it? He was 38 back then and was trying to be a Prospective Heir, so he already had enough influence to solve the problem. Why did he not do that?"


    "It is so obvious Vaan~ If someone from Direct Bloodline steps up for me, the situation would only get worse. Senior Elric won''t be there for me all the time. He didn''t do anything in order to protect me."


    "And this is what Senior Elric must have told you, correct?"


    "No, I didn''t need Senior Elric to tell me that, I understood it on my own," ra spoke with a proud smile on her face.


    "¡­"


    Vaan turned silent.


    This might be more of a problem than he initially thought. He needed to look into some things.


    "As I said, Senior Elric is not a bad person Vaan. You will understand if you talk to him properly. You were too rude today."


    "I was rude?"


    "Very rude. Senior Elric only came to say hello but you pushed him away, you acted like how you acted in the past." ra spoke with a slightly dull look on her face, even her voice lowered as she said thest sentence.


    However, since the room was silent, Vaan was able to hear her clearly, and,


    "Then why did you not stop me?" he questioned.


    Hearing that question, ra suddenly turned around and looked into Vaan''s eyes, then, she made the first move as she buried her face into Vaan''s chest, and with a deep blush on her face, she answered,


    "That''s because I wanted to stay alone with Vaan as well¡­"

 Chapter 123 Vaan good.

    Chapter 123 Vaan good.


    "That''s because I wanted to stay alone with Vaan as well¡­"


    ra spoke as she buried her face into Vaan''s chest.


    "O-Oh¡­"


    Vaan on the other hand, was at a loss of words.


    His face turned red and in order to hide that from ra, he ced his hand on top of her head, making sure she would not move away and see his expression.


    His heart started beating quickly, Vaan feared that ra might notice that, however, ra was too under the influence to sense that. She just felt the extremefort in Vaan''s arms and closed her eyes.


    Vaan''s head, on the other hand, were still filled with what ra said, his reaction was stronger than what he expected. The joy he felt when ra said those words¡­


    The feeling of aplishment when ra indirectly chose him over that Elric bitch, it was foreign to him.


    "Vaan¡­" Suddenly, Vaan heard ra''s voice.


    "W-What is it?" He stuttered.


    "Talk with me," ra repeated what she had been saying this whole time.


    "R-Right."


    Vaan nodded.


    "Let me think about something to talk about."


    "Think quickly."


    "Yes mam."


    "Vaan good."


    ra nodded, her eyes were closed and her voice was still as tipsy as ever.


    Vaan smiled as he started gently ruffling her hair while his mind thought about different topics to talk about.


    Honestly, he wasn''t much of an expert in these matters either, the heart of a woman, he never bothered to try and understand it.


    Wouldn''t hitting your head on a wall be more productive? Why would you bother doing something as useless as trying to understand a woman''s heart and win her over when you can simply pay one to skip all the formalities and get what you want?


    Well, at least that was what Christopher thought.


    Vaan, however, was different. He wasn''t someone who had the same thoughts as Christopher anymore.


    Being ''acknowledged'' by ra filled his heart with a strong sense of fulfillment the likes of which Vaan or Christopher had never felt before.


    ''Heh.''


    A small smile appeared on Vaan''s face as he thought about everything.


    He tried to talk about different topics, normally, ra would stay silent and he had to be the one to carry on the conversation, the drunk ra however, was different.


    Once she started, it was as if she didn''t know how to stop.


    The roles had shifted, now, Vaan was the listener, only giving his input when asked. Honestly, the sleepy drunk ra was absolutely adorable in Vaan''s eyes. The moment created was so wholesome that sometimes, Vaan felt like he was getting lost in it.


    However, no matter how much the drunk ra wanted to talk, the alcohol she had consumed was stronger than her, soon, it did its magic, andbined with the warmth she felt as she was hugged by Vaan, ra who couldn''t stop talking finally entered the dreand.


    Realizing that she had finally slept, Vaan sighed. There was a feeling of emptiness in his heart, he knew he wouldn''t be seeing much of the drunk ra in the future. After all, he didn''t want ra to be an addicted drunkard.


    No matter how much he enjoyed the time he spent with ra if it came with the cost of her health, Vaan didn''t want it.


    Also, his final aim wasn''t just to get ra drunk and have her talk to him. This was just him trying to peek into ra''s heart and get to know her better.


    His final aim was to get ra to open up to him and act like this around him without being influenced by Alcohol.


    Anyways, soon, Vaan tried to close his eyes as well, but then,


    *Knock* *Knock*


    "Young Master Vaan." He heard a knock and Gabel''s voice.


    Vaan carefully got away from ra, then he opened the door and with a slightly annoyed look on his face, he questioned,


    "What is it?"


    "Lord Orion has summoned you and..." Gabel reported and suddenly, Vaan''s eyes widened as he quickly nced at the time.


    "Fuck¡­"


    He cursed.


    He missed today''s training.


    "He didn''t seem to be in a good mood," Gabel spoke and a fake smile appeared on Vaan''s face as he gave into his fate.


    ''I am fucked¡­''


    ¡­


    "Father, please tell me this is all just Lady Astra''s doing," Lirael spoke as she read the detailed report of Vaan''s actions even since Lirael and other mages had left for the academy.


    Seeing her daughter''s expression a wry smile appeared on Draven''s face,


    "I would have loved to say that, I even tried to investigate the entire thing and it wasn''t like there weren''t any results.


    I found out that before Vaan started acting differently, Astra implemented arge-scale forced memory erase on some family servants, however, since the operation was personally handled by Astra herself, there were no loops or openings I could use to get into the details.


    All the information regarding that matter ispletely wiped out."


    "Then why don''t we directly ask the Family Head, if we point it out in the next Vesta meeting and use our faction to add to the pressure, she would have to give in eventually, won''t she?


    I am confident that everything happening is somehow rted to that Memory Erase, we need to know what Lady Astra is trying to hide from us."


    Lirael spoke as her eyes brightened in hope.


    Draven, however, shook his head.


    "There is no cause for us to stand up against the authority of the Family Head, nothing bad has happened after the Memory Erase, not to mention the ones who got their memories erased were either servants or mages who werepletely loyal to Astra.


    So no one would raise anyints together with us.


    This act would simply bebeled as questioning the Family Head''s credibility.


    It would have been possible if it was a weak Family Head but¡­


    Going against Astra is not an avable option right now.


    For now, we can only ept that Vaan has changed and need to n our future actions ordingly."


    "But this makes no sense! How could a waste suddenly wake up and say, ''Welp! I am not a waste anymore!''


    Not to mention it happened so quickly that no one could tell when this transition actually happened.


    How could a pushover who even the kids from the side families jeered at suddenly wake up and turn into a borderline thug who goes around beating anyone he doesn''t like?


    Not to mention he actually became a 2nd Circle Mage and even How is that possible!?


    No matter how I see it, it is a foolishly framed story!"


    researched apletely new Magic Circle that broke more than 50 existing Magic Theories!


    How is that possible!?


    No matter how I see it, it is a foolishly framed story!"


    Lirael burst out.


    She was humiliated in the meeting today, therefore, the moment she returned to her room, the first thing she did was to visit her father together with her brother.


    Draven already expected his children toe to visit him, he even had his servants prepare a thorough report about recent events so that he and his children were on the same page.


    However, just as he expected, the shock was just too great.


    "Are you trying to say Astra hade up with all of this on her own? Are you saying that Astra is a fool who woulde up with this ''foolishly framed story''? Lirael, we may not be in the same section, however, Astra was someone who had defeated me. Calling her a fool is indirectly insulting me.


    Also, didn''t you already encounter Vaan once? You even saw his Advanced Magic Circle.


    You should have felt it, he is not the pushover as before.


    He is a threat.


    A threat whom, rather than dismissing everything by calling it forged, the two of you should take seriously."


    "¡­" Lirael turned silent.


    This time, however, Vaelen spoke up.


    "Do we really have to worry though? Even if Vaan has changed, or let''s just say he was hiding his real self and has finally revealed his real self,


    Isn''t it already toote?


    No matter how much ''potential'' he might have, in the end, he is only a 2nd Circle Mage, and in Battle of Heirs, he faces me, a 5th Circle Mage, the difference is just too high for his Potential to cover it up, isn''t it?


    Not to mention the Factions are already made with only a few mages staying neutral. Even if all those mages side with him, the faction created out of them would be too weak to stand against the current two factions.


    Even if he has the potential, his timing is just way off for him to seed."


    Vaelen voiced out his thoughts, how could someone like him treat a 2nd Circle Mage as a threat? That was ridiculous.


    Draven started at his son for a while, then, he just sighed,


    "Did youpletely overlook the tension that arose during today''s meeting? What? Was your brain in hibernation or something? Or has that whole darn thing rusted away since you have your sister taking care of things for you?"

 Chapter 124 Why do you never try to learn from your sister?

    Chapter 124 Why do you never try to learn from your sister?


    "Did youpletely overlook the tension that arose during today''s meeting? What? Was your brain in hibernation or something? Or has that whole darn thing rusted away since you have your sister taking care of things for you?"


    Draven spoke as his mouth twitched in anger.


    Vaelen''s expression changed, not wanting to meet his father''s eyes, he turned towards his little sister and Lirael sighed.


    "Brother, what you said would have been true if the Family Head was old, if the Battle of Heirs was at its peak where the next Heir had to be chosen as soon as possible.


    Right now, however, that is not the case,


    Lady Astra is merely 60 years old and since she is an Advance Mage, she can live till she is 150 years old. The Vesta Family is perfectlyfortable with Lady Astra as the Family Head for at least the next 40 to 50 years.


    The Battle of Heirs is only at its starting phase and the family is in no hurry to choose the next heir.


    Therefore, the Factions we currently have are not stable.


    We are talking about cunning nobles who have been doing this for decades, do you truly believe they would stay on a boat if they are offered to jump to ships?


    Vaan is someone who researched a Circle that is much more efficient than the Circle the people of this world have been using for 5,000 years, if he shows any Magic Talent, then there is a high chance that many nobles will switch sides and go to him.


    The Factions we currently have are not as absolute as you think they are."


    Lirael exined the whole situation and Vaelen''s face turned grim.


    "There is another factor you missed."


    Suddenly, Draven spoke up.


    Lirael turned towards him and frowned.


    "No current Faction is being supported by the Family Head."


    Hearing those words, Lirael''s frown deepened, "But ording to the Vesta Family rules, the Family Head cannot support any Prospective Heirs in the Battle of Heirs."


    "Heh, do you truly believe that is the case?" Draven smiled wryly and without him having to exin any further, Lirael''s face turned grim.


    "Just the fact that Vaan is the son of the Family Head is enough to give him a strong position. The Mages who arepletely loyal to Family Head might support Vaan ''on their own ord''.


    This would strengthen his Faction to a ridiculous level, even bringing it close to ours without him doing anything." She realized.


    "That is correct."


    Draven nodded.


    "Astra didn''t act before because let alone showing any qualities of a promising Mage, Vaan didn''t even show any interest in being a Mage or learning Magic in the first ce. Even if she wanted, there was only so much Astra could indirectly do if Vaan himself didn''t have any goals.


    This was why other factions were created and strengthened at a much stronger rate because the only son of the current Family Head didn''t seem to be interested in participating in the Battle of Heirs.


    Now, however, things have changed.


    The son of the Family head was showing interest in these matters.


    Not only that, he even announced himself as a Prospective Heir in the Meeting Hall, making his stance clear, and showing that he not only has potential as a Mage, but also as a future Family Head.


    This would give Astra enough reason to move.


    If she tries then¡­"


    "Then the birth of the Third and the Strongest Faction wouldn''t be impossible."


    Liraelpleted her father''s sentence.


    Draven nodded.


    "¡­"


    Lirael turned silent.


    "¡­" Vaelen, who finally understood the severity of the situation had a solemn look on his face as well.


    "If Vaan''s Magic Talent turns out to be above average, it would be problematic for us," Liraelmented. "Him being the creator of the Advanced Magic Circle gives him a too strong of a benefit," Liraelmented.


    "We cannot let him reveal his Magic Talent." Suddenly, Vaelen spoke up as well. "We need to cripple his growth."


    Vaelen nced at his sister and seeing that she didn''t disagree with him, he confidently turned towards his father.


    Draven, however, shook his head,


    "There is nothing I can do to help you here.


    I am under constant watch."


    "Why?" Lirael questioned with a frown on her face.


    Draven, however, just turned silent.


    How was he supposed to say that Astra had already warned him once and that if he took any further actions, she would retaliate?


    Thest thing they want is the Family Head purposefully targeting them and if it is the Family Head whose influence is as strong as Astra''s this was even worse.


    However,


    "Of course, the two of you are free to move." Suddenly, Draven spoke as he nced at his daughter.


    Then, a meaningful smile appeared on his face, and,


    "No one would get involved in the children''s scuffle. Not even the Family Head."


    Within a second, Lirael understood what her father was hinting at, and a simr smile appeared on her face,


    "No one would like to support a Prospective Heir who often gets into trouble and has an impatient personality."


    Draven''s smile widened.


    This was why he liked this daughter of his, not only was she adequately talented in Magic, unlike his son, she also knew how to use her Head.


    She hadn''t even been here since Vaan started to change and had just read the reports he had the servants prepare for her, however, just with that, she was already thinking about exploiting Vaan''s faults and cing themselves in a better situation.


    "If you would excuse me, Father.


    I need to take care of a few things."


    Lirael spoke as she bowed her head.


    "You can leave.


    I wish you luck."


    Lirael nodded and then, she left the room. Now, the only ones left inside were Draven and Vaelen.


    Draven nced at his son and, "Why do you never try to learn from your sister?"


    "Why do I need to do that, Father?" Vaelen tilted his head and questioned.


    "It would be helpful if you could properly use your head."


    "It doesn''t matter, Father. I only need to focus on Magic, getting stronger and protecting my sister.


    Lirael is a bright girl, she knows how things around her work and how to make the best out of every situation. Copying her would simply result in trying to be the second her and failing miserably.


    This is why I just focus on Magic and try to find my own path and my own way to help my Sister."


    "Just say you arezy, your words might fool others, but I have been watching you ever since you were a small child. Your words cannot fool me."


    "It was worth a try." Vaelen chuckled as hezily stretched his body.


    "Just leave the room." Draven sighed.


    "Well, as you say." With a smile on his face, Vaelen turned around and then left.


    As the two left, Draven''s face turned solemn, "Battle of Heirs huh¡­ this brings some bad memories." He muttered, then, he closed his eyes, burying those memories deep in his heart.


    ¡­


    "Why are you here?" Vaan questioned as he nced at the woman standing in front of him with a slightly annoyed look on his face.


    "Young Master Vaan seemed hurt." Seraphinamented he noticed the ck circle around Vaan''s face and other bruises that were all over his face.


    This was the result of Missing the Training Session¡­


    ''That crazy old man¡­ he is much more insane than him...''


    Vaan couldn''t help butpare Orion to his Father he had in his previous life. Just like Astra, Orion''s face was strikingly familiar to his Father in his previous life and it was not just looks, their His body has improved drastically in thesest few days thanks to the Stances Orion had taught him, it was to the point where Vaan attitudes were quite simr as well. Even the attitude of beating their child whenever he does something wrong.


    The only difference was that since Orion was a strong swordsman and knew where to hit to hurt more and damage less, his beatings were even more merciless.


    ''Tsk.''


    Vaan snorted inwardly as he recalled how Orion mercilessly beat him up in the name of spar.


    His body has improved drastically in thesest few days thanks to the Stances Orion had taught him, it was to the point where Vaan felt like he was reaching close to his peak strength when he was Christopher.


    And this time, since he was much younger and had better technique, Vaan felt like if given some more time, he would soon surpass his previous self.


    However, even then, when he sparred with Orion today, he only yed the role of a practice dummy, unable to block or dodge even a single one of his father''s attacks and ended up in this pathetic state.


    "I slipped and fell."


    Vaan replied.


    Seraphina raised her eyebrow, clearly knowing that this wasn''t the injury one would get if they ''slipped'', however, Seraphina was smart enough to know when to stop,


    "I understand, please be mindful of your steps, Young Master Vaan."


    "I will, anyways, why are you here? I don''t remember calling you." Vaan questioned in a hurried tone, he was already in pain, he didn''t wish to deal with another one.


    Seraphina, however, hade with something good,


    "I am here to prove my Competence, just as Young Master had ordered me to."


    *Thud*


    Seraphina spoke as she ced 5 big notebooks she was carrying on the nearby Table.

 Chapter 125 Who do you think has the chance to win the Battle of Heirs?

    Chapter 125 Who do you think has the chance to win the Battle of Heirs?


    "I am here to prove my Competence, just as Young Master had ordered me to."


    *Thud*


    Seraphina spoke as she ced 5 big notebooks she was carrying on the nearby Table.


    "¡­"


    Vaan blinked a few times to show his surprise. Seraphina stood with her hands behind her back so Vaan knew she was trying to hide something, but 5 of these big books,


    How did this fragile looking even lift them?


    Vaan wondered in his head, Seraphina, however, was oblivious to what he was thinking and picked the first three notebooks.


    "These three books contain Spell Directories of around 50 young Mages I know. This one contains the Spell Directories of all the members of the Stormweaver Family. Since most of the Mages in my Family are Wind Mages, some of the Spells might seem simr to Young Master Vaan, but they are not, there are some slight differences in those spells and honestly, those slight differences be quite major in the grand scheme of things.


    Young Master can be assured that I have not copied simr spells in the notebooks, since I deemed them useless, however, if Young Master Vaan wants me to, I can bring the Patterns I have left out the next time Ie here." Seraphina reported everything clearly.


    Then, she picked up thest notebook and


    "This one contains all the spells my Father, a 5th Circle Mage uses, his spells are the strongest in our family, so I am sure Young Master Vaan would benefit from them. I have also put in some spells that the previous generation Family Heads used, although I can''t find theirplete Spell Directories, some of their strongest spells are in there.


    In total, there are around 1000 Spells in these 5 Notebooks, it took me 2 days just to copy all these spells from the directories to these notebooks.


    Young Master might find that the handwriting in each of those notebooks is different, that is because I had some servants help me copy them. Please be assured that these servants are trusted and I have personally double-checked each of those notebooks for mistakes around 5 times, there should be no mistakes there.


    If there is still something I missed, I seek for Young Master''s forgiveness."


    Seraphina concluded her report with a slight bow and Vaan¡­


    "¡­"


    He was speechless.


    Of course, Seraphina had no clue how Vaan''s ability worked, so she wouldn''t know that spells without theplete spell directories were useless for Vaan. However, this didn''t make things any less surprising.


    Just¡­


    To think this woman would even bring the Spell Directories of all her family members, including the Family Head¡­ not to mention those 50 other Mages'' directories she had brought. One had to know, it had only been a week since Vaan had ordered Seraphina to gather spell directories and she had already ced a thousand spells in front of him.


    Just¡­


    Just how did she do that¡­?


    "You did well."


    Of course, no matter how surprised or impressed Vaan was, he knew he couldn''t show it here. Not right now, he still needed to keep a strict front for at least a few more days.


    Seraphina was perceptive, she could sense what Vaan was thinking so she didn''t react unnecessarily either.


    She knew what she had done was risky as well, giving out the Spell Directory of all the members of her family to Vaan was no different than opening up all their secrets in front of him. If these Directories were revealed, Mages could simply prepare a perfect counterattack for each of the Stormweaver Family members'' spells, making them absolutely useless in a battle.


    This was the reason why rarely any Mage created a Spell Directly even for his or her own reference. A mage with a revealed Spell Directory is no different than a Mage who is full of openings with no defense whatsoever and what Seraphina just did could possibly turn all her family members into such mages, especially when she was not ordered to do so.


    Seraphina, however, had a different opinion.


    Vaan came from the Vesta Family, he had no reason to study his random Mages'' Spell Directories just to study their weaknesses. Seraphina was sure that Vaan was using these Directories for something different, something that is most likely benefitting him a lot, to the point where he even hosted an open challenge to gather more of these Spell Directories.


    Seraphina had made up her mind, she would use these directories to get into Vaan''s good books. Since Vaan needed these Directories, she would do everything in her power to get them and overwhelm Vaan with so many of them that he wouldn''t need them anymore and win some of his trust in the process.


    As for revealing her Family members'' weakness, well, wasn''t Vaan already holding them through their necks? How could things possibly get any worse?


    Seraphina was in a position where she didn''t have much to lose and this made her ns even bolder than before.


    So bold that even Vaan was surprised by her actions.


    "Anyways, from the next time, keep the directories you gather to yourself, only bring them to me when I order you to."


    Vaan spoke, 1000 was too big of a number, even if only 10% of those spells were useful and belonged to the current elements he had, that was still 100 spells.


    There is no way Vaan could learn that many spells when he already has so much to deal with.


    of the spells."


    "I understand." Seraphina nodded in understanding.


    Therefore, rather than piling up his room with these spellbooks and feeling nauseous seeing these books all the time, it was better to just let Seraphina keep everything in her ce. She would manage it much better than him anyway.


    "Also, divine the Directories ording to their elements and the tier of the spells."


    "I understand." Seraphina nodded in understanding.


    "Good job. Keep up the good work."


    Vaan praised. Seraphina nodded again.


    Then, Vaan nced at Seraphina for a while and started thinking. This woman was definitely capable, although he couldn''t trust her right now, getting her input on certain things might help him.


    Who knows? Looking at things from her perspective might help in certain ways.


    "Seraphina," Vaan called out.


    "Young Master." Seraphina bowed.


    "What do you think about the current state of the Vesta Mansion?"


    "I heard that Young Master''s siblings are back from the academy, there is also the uing Elemental sh that the Young Vesta Mages must be interested in. Then the-"


    "Talk about the Battle of Heirs. Skip the rest." Vaan ordered.


    could have been valuable, however, in the end, there was nothing he could do.


    "I apologize, Young Master Vaan, but since my or my family''s status is not enough for us to be involved in it in any way possible, I have no opinion of the Battle of Heirs of Vesta Family because the information I have on the matter is severely limited."


    "Is that so¡­"


    Vaan nodded in understanding.


    He was a little disappointed because he felt like Serpahina''s opinion could have been valuable, however, in the end, there was nothing he could do.


    "Who do you think has the chance to win the Battle of Heirs ording to whatever information you have?"


    "That would be Young Master Vaan, of course."


    "I think I have already made it clear before, I don''t want you to lick my ass, give me the real answer, if you don''t have any, just say so," Vaan spoke.


    Seraphina nced at Vaan, then, she replied,


    "I am not trying to tter Young Master here. What I said was truly what I felt. While it would have been impossible before, considering Young Master''s attitude towards Magic, now, however, things were different.


    First, Young Master Vaan has created a never-before-seen Magic Circle.


    Second, Young Master is the only son of the current Family Head.


    Andst but not least, Young Master is Lady ra''s future husband, and from what I have seen, has a good rtionship with her.


    With so many reasons in favor of Young Ma-"


    "ra? Where did shee from in this equation?"


    Before Seraphina could evenplete, Vaan interpreted. He couldn''t be med either, ever sincest night, he felt like he hade closer to ra, therefore, he was much more reactive to her name now than he was before.


    "In my opinion, Lady ra''s being Young Master''s fianc¨¦ is a great advantage the Young Master has."


    "Why is that?" Vaan questioned.


    "Because of Lady ra''s extreme talent."


    Seraphina answered.


    "Exin more clearly," Vaan ordered and then, Seraphina took a deep breath.


    "I may not know much about the details, however, one thing that I do know is that, the Vesta Family is trying to find the next heir and no current heirs meet the desired expectation. Some even say that this generation of the Vesta Family is the worst there ever was.


    The Vesta Family''s silence in this matter only confirms these points even further and in such an uncertain position,


    Therees Lady ra.


    The pupil of the current Family Head, a Magic Prodigy whose talent even surpasses that the Lady Astra, one of the most sessful Family Heads the Vesta Family had ever seen. A girl like that exists in a time where none of the current Prospective Heirs are capable of even inheriting the Family Head''s position.


    Lady ra may not have the Vesta Blood flowing in her veins, but her existence alone shifts the entire dynamic of the Battle of Heirs towards Young Master Vaan just because she is your fianc¨¦. After all, who wouldn''t want to support an heir who is supported by one of the most talented mages the world had ever seen?


    all, who wouldn''t want to support an heir who is supported by one of the most talented mages the world had ever seen?


    If capitalized correctly, just Lady ra''s presence is enough for Young Master Vaan to create the strongest faction to support him."

 Chapter 126 Be my guinea pigs

    Chapter 126 Be my guinea pigs


    "If capitalized correctly, just Lady ra''s presence is enough for Young Master Vaan to create the strongest faction to support him.


    Of course, I could be wrong since this is merely an observation made from an outsider''s perspective, I am sure there would be many inner factors at y here, so it may not be as grand as I might have imagined in my mind.


    However, I will still stand by my words and say having Lady ra on your side is a huge advantage for Young Master Vaan.


    Of course, adding Young Master''s own talent would only increase your chances even further.


    This is why I believe that Young Master Vaan''s chances of bing the next Head are the highestpared to any other Prospective Heirs."


    Seraphina voiced out her thoughts, of course, she also made sure she didn''t highlight ra so much that Vaan might get a feeling of being overshadowed by his fianc¨¦.


    Seraphina knew people like Vaan who were born in strong families have strong egos, it is to the point they might even feel insecure and overshadowed by their own fianc¨¦. Seraphina knew better than to offend Vaan with something as foolish as this, so she yed on the safe side.


    Vaan, on the other hand, didn''t care much about that. His mind was thinking about apletely different thing.


    "Seraphina." He called out.


    "Yes Young Master."


    "What if¡­ one of the Prospective Heirs is being¡­ oddly nice to ra¡­?


    Being there for her when she is bullied by others, visiting her from time to time to check in on her, taking care of her,


    What do you make out of this?"


    "¡­" Seraphina stared at Vaan for a while, then, with a strange look on her face, she questioned,


    "Can I know who that Prospective Heir is?"


    "It is just a random thought, not a real thing."


    "¡­" Seraphina stared at Vaan with a deadpan look on her face.


    Both of them knew what the other was thinking so in the end, Vaan stopped ying this game and decided to go for it.


    "It is Elric Vesta."


    "Lord Elric huh¡­" Seraphina noted.


    "From what I know, he is a 43-year-old 4th Circle Mage, correct?"


    "You are well informed."


    "Small families like us have no choice but to keep ourselves updated about the Vesta Prospective Heirs."


    Vaan nodded in understanding, then, he questioned, "Anyways, what do you think about him, Elric Vesta?"


    "He is using ra or at least that is what he is trying to do."


    Seraphina spoke and this time, there was no trace of doubt in her tone.


    "¡­" Vaan narrowed his eyes, Seraphina got her cue and started exining her reasoning.


    "As I said before, having Lady ra on their side would be a huge advantage for any of the Prospective Heirs. As the Family Head, Lady Astra must have predicted this ever since she recognized her talent and took Lady ra in as her Pupil.


    So in order to protect her pupil from being fooled and taken advantage of by other Vesta children and being the mother she is, she took a decisive step by arranging Lady ra''s engagement to Young Master Vaan. This publicmitment discouraged other heirs from pursuing Lady ra.


    Lord Elric, however, didn''t seem to have given up.


    He must havee up with another n.


    A n to win ra''s heart. If he manages to do that and then the two of them reveal their love for each other in front of Lady Astra, adding onto the Young Master Vaan''s¡­ well, less than ideal treatment of Lady ra, it is highly likely that for her pupil''s happiness, Lady Astra might agree to break off the engagement between Young Master Vaan and Lady ra.


    Lord Elric must be ying on that possibility to get Lady ra on his side and strengthen his position in the Battle of Heirs."


    Seraphina hypothyzed.


    "Actually, I would even take a step ahead and say that the bullying Lady ra faced, it must have been arranged by Lord Elric, just so he could iste Lady ra from others and appear next to her, bing the only ''friend'' Lady ra could turn to and eventually getting her to rely on her before confessing his ''love'' for him.


    Lady ra has a vulnerable personality, so in fear of losing her only friend, it wouldn''t be a surprise that she would actually give into Lord Elric''s demands and try to break off her engagement with Young Master Vaan.


    Of course, all of this is just my hypothesis and I have no proof to back up my ims, however, I am confident that all this is true. I refuse to believe that a Prospective Heir with immense influence in the Young Mages of the Family couldn''t solve a single problem of a Young Girl being bullied by her peers.


    That makes no sense, especially considering it is Lord Elric we are talking about, he is known for his good leadership skills and has a way to get others to work for him."


    Seraphina pointed out.


    Hearing her words, Vaan narrowed his eyes.


    Actually, Seraphina''s theory wasn''t a shock to him, he was thinking of something along the same lines as well. His theory, however, was more based on his bias towards Elric and how Vaan didn''t like him approaching his fianc¨¦.


    This was the reason Vaan discarded his own theory and wanted Seraphina''s input in it, now, however, things were much clearer in his head.


    Seraphina''s words madeplete sense, that bastard, he was nning to take his ra away from him.


    Thinking about it, Vaan narrowed his eyes. Seraphina, who noticed his expression thought that she had gone too far, therefore, to calm Vaan down, she spoke up,


    "Of course, that n of his is torn to shambles now. I have seen Vaan nodded.


    "Thank you for your input, Seraphina. You can take your leave now." Young Master Vaan together with Lady ra a few times now, and every time I see the two of you together, Lady ra always has a bright smile on her face, she seems genuinely happy around you, so I doubt she would have any reason to ept Lord Elric."


    Vaan nodded.


    "Thank you for your input, Seraphina. You can take your leave now." He ordered.


    Seeing the sudden shift in his attitude, Seraphina found it strange, however, knowing that Vaan was not in his best state, Seraphina decided to leave before she identally offended him.


    However, just as she was about to leave, Vaan informed.


    "Right, that Simp Gene- I mean Rnd, he would be appearing in the Vesta Court for consuming Dreamweave and badly influencing the people around him. As you already know, the Vesta Family is taking it quite seriously, there is a high chance he will be imprisoned for at least a decade."


    Seraphina momentarily paused.


    Then, she turned her head towards Vaan and,


    "It was Young Master Ronald''s fault for consuming a drug that could potentially destroy not only his but his family''s foundation. If he is now caught, then he has no one but himself to me." Shemented with an expressionless look on her face.


    "You are quite cold. He is the same man who helped you and your family without expecting anything in return." Vaan spoke with a slight smile on his face.


    "I wish him and his family well, however, there is nothing I can do in this situation, thinking about it more when you are powerless to change anything is pointless."


    Seraphina replied. "Then I will be excusing myself, Young Master Vaan.


    I hope you have a fruitful day."


    Then, she finally left.


    "¡­"


    Vaan turned silent. His mind still thinking about how there was a bastard who was eyeing his ra.


    ''I will kill him.''


    Vaan clenched his fists in anger.


    Then, he walked out of his room and walked towards ra''s. It was still early and not time for their training yet, however, Vaan wanted to spend some time with his fianc¨¦.


    "Oh? If it isn''t Young Master Vaan~"


    However, as if today''s day was just not on his side, he was blocked by an annoying voice.


    Vaan turned around, wanting to see from what ugly mouth did this annoying voicee from, and saw 3 Young Mages approaching him with big smiles on their faces.


    "Hahaha~ It has been a while, hasn''t it, Young Master? How have you been?"


    Soon, some streams of memories rushed into Vaan''s mind and he realized that these 3 were from some indirect family, and as it was already clear from their tone, they didn''t have a good rtionship with Vaan.


    "What is it? Make it quick, do not annoy me and if I deem this worthless, be prepared for the consequences." Vaan, who was in no mood to y around spoke with in a hurried tone.


    "Huh?"


    The three Mages were clearly taken aback, they had just returned from the Academy and didn''t attend the meeting because their status wasn''t high enough to be there.


    Yes, these people werepletely clueless about what was about to happen to them.


    "Heeh? Why are you being so rude, Young Master Vaan? Did you forget about us already? Do you want us to remind you a li-Ugghhhh!"


    "Fuck it.


    I needed to get some practice in as well.


    Be my guinea pigs,


    Your face already suits one as is, I''ll help you find more simrities."


    Vaan spoke and then,


    He jumped onto the three Mages and started thrashing.

 Chapter 127 A Magic Duel…?

    Chapter 127 A Magic Duel¡­?


    "Aaagghh! Y-Young Master Vaan!"


    "Ugghhh¡­"


    "Guuuhhh..."


    "Khawwk! Khakk!!"


    "S-Stop! Stop!!"


    The three Young Mages groaned in pain and begged Vaan to stop as he jumped over them and started punching them without any mercy.


    At first, the three mages were taken aback, none of them expected that Vaan would take such an action, before they could react, Vaan had already punched the one standing in the middle, in just a single punch, the mage could feel his world blurring.


    Vaan, however,pletely ignored him and turned towards the one standing on the right, this time, however, the other mage dodged the attack, and as if he was already ready for that, Vaan simply ran towards him, taking away any room for dodging the next attack, he aimed at his face, the mage covered his face with both his hands, limiting his own vision and Vaan used this opportunity to ruthlessly kick his abdomen with his knee.


    The man coughed, feeling the intense wave of paining from his stomach, forcing him to kneel.


    One had to know, Vaan was not the same as before, after training with Orion for a good while and doing the set of exercises taught by his father, his strength had increased to an absurd degree. Vaan''s blows were much heavier than before.


    These three mages were having it rougher than Aldric, Asher, and others.


    By now, the third Mage had already came out of his reverie and while Vaan was attacking the second one, he rushed towards him from behind and pushed him.


    Or at least that was what he nned to do, however, Vaan quickly sensed his presence, moved gracefully, and used his own momentum against him to throw him on the ground. Then, Vaan punched the first mage on the nose again before kicking his abdomen and smashing his face onto the ground.


    Within a minute, the three Mages were lying on the floor, unable to grasp the situation and groaning in pain.


    Of course, this didn''t mean Vaan was done.


    This was just the start.


    With his opponents down, he ruthlessly started stomping them all, brutally attacking their faces, not giving them any chance to recover.


    The Mages continued to groan in pain, trying to block Vaan''s attack by covering their faces with their arms, Vaan however,pletely ignored those arms, his blows were so strong that even their arms were hurting and couldn''tst long.


    "Y-Young Master V-Vaan! S-Stop! W-We admit defeat!"


    They had no option but to give in and beg for mercy. Unfortunately, Vaan wasn''t one of those forgiving types.


    Not to mention that he was already in a bad mood to begin with. He continued to thrash the three mages, attacking them to the point where they could feel their arms burning and trembling in pain.


    They were helpless, and in the end, their helplessness turned into anger.


    "You fucking bastard! Make sure you kill me now because if you don''t, you will pay for today!"


    The mage who was attacked first shouted in anger and hearing what he said, Vaan paused.


    "What did you say?"


    He questioned as he crouched next to the Mage''s head. The Mage, however, was not intimidated and,


    "I said what I said you waste. You think you are some hot shot just because you attacked me by surprise, you are a stain on the Vesta name, no, you are a stain in the name of Mages!"


    "Is that so¡­"


    Vaan muttered.


    Then, he grabbed the Mage''s hair and,


    "You are quite daring I must admit."


    "What''s daring in it? Do you think we actually fear you? You are nothing more than a waste luckily born as Family Head''s only son." The second mage spoke up.


    "To say that while lying on the ground with bruises all over you, that is quite amusing as well." Vaan chuckled.


    The Mage''s mouth twitched and,


    "Isn''t your face all bruised as well? What? Did they not even use heal on you? Is that the extent to which you have fallen?"


    This time, Vaan was the one whose mouth twitched in annoyance as he recalled what happened before. His father ordered the healers to not use Heal on him because he wanted Vaan to keep feeling the pain as his punishment for missing his training session.


    This was the reason why Vaan was going around with bruises all over his face and seeing this manughing at him, a vein popped on his forehead and,


    "The three of you are clearly looking down on me even though you are the one lying on the floor.


    ''This wouldn''t have happened if he didn''t take us by surprise.''


    This is what you are thinking, aren''t you?"


    "Do you even need to ask, don''t you already know that''s a fact? You wouldn''t have attacked us like this if you had the balls to face us directly."


    Hearing that answer, Vaan''s smile widened. "I am feeling quite generous today.


    Why don''t I give you a chance to prove yourself?" he questioned.


    "Heh, that''s not a bad way to feel superior, weaken your opponents by attacking them first, then challenge them ''fairly''. As expected of someone like you, no, just the fact that you came up with a strategy like that is already exceeding the expectation most people here had of you, congrattions." The mageughed.


    "Right, a 1v3 Magic Duel between me and you three is obviously unfair for you lot, I should have considered that, I apologize. Do you need any particr handicap?


    Should I fight you with my eyes closed or something? Of course, it may not make it fair but at least you won''t lose as embarrassingly as you normally would." Vaan replied but this time, rather than being angry, the three mages were all surprised,


    "A Magic Duel¡­? And a 1v3 at that?"


    "Heh, do you want to fight all 3 of us together in a Magic Duel?"


    "Was I not clear enough already? Or maybe I hit your head too hard?" Vaan questioned.


    "You sure got braver since Ist saw you, Vaan."


    "Heh,"


    Vaan questioned, the smile on his face couldn''t be hidden anymore.


    "So? Would you like to prove your words in an official Magic Duel?"

 Chapter 128 I hope the three of you are prepared

    <h4>Chapter 128 I hope the three of you are prepared</h4>


    "Where are we going?"


    Galen, one of the three mages questioned with a curious look on his face.


    "Is that head of yours just for decoration? We are going to the Duel grounds of course." Vaan replied.


    "Duel Grounds?"


    Galen frowned.


    "How are we going to fight there? We Young Mages need to book the slot 2 weeks before in order to use it. Only the Mages above 3rd Circle are allowed to use it anytime they wish."


    "This is the difference between the main characters and some side pieces meant to be forgotten."


    Vaan shrugged as he walked into the Magic Duel Grounds.


    Just like he expected, the ce was full of hustle and bustle with different mages battling each other in different duel grounds, some practicing their new spells against others while other were simply training the current spells they had, optimizing them to whatever level they could and improving their strength even by a little.


    It was the mostpetitive time in the Vesta Family, with the Vesta children returning from the Academy, the Battle of Heirs being hot andst but not the least, the Elemental sh that will be held soon.


    At times like these, the Magic Training Rooms and the Magic Duel Grounds are always full as all mages work day and night to improve their performance and step higher.


    The atmosphere in this ce was overwhelming, Vaan then walked towards the counter, the man sitting on the counter nced at Vaan and seemed surprise,


    "Young Master Vaan! What are you doing here?" He questioned. The man had a big smile on his face as he greeted Vaan and seeing that, Galen frowned in confusion.


    Something felt different than before.


    The moment everyone heard the man at the table, they all paused what they were doing and turned towards Vaan.


    Vaan and them had be the center of attention.


    "I want to temporarily book a Magic Duel Ground."


    Vaan spoke,pletely ignoring the rest of the crowd as if he was used to it already.


    "Of course, please wait for a second, Young Master Vaan. I will book a slot in your name, the allocated date would be exactly 2 weeks from now on, as for the timings, you will be informed within 9 days." The man spoke, Vaan, however, shook his head.


    "I need one right now."


    "Young Master Vaan, that¡­" a strange look appeared on the man''s face. The other mages frowned, seeing all this, Galen felt embarrassed, especially considering his face was still bruised.


    In anger, heshed out at Vaan, "Didn''t I tell you already!? Only 3rd Circle Mages or above can book a slot instantaneously.


    If it is the spar you want, we can do it anywhere. If Young Master Vaan is worried about getting hurt, don''t worry, we will go easy on you."


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    The entire ce that was filled with hustle and bustle turned deathly silent. This time, even the Mages who hadn''t reacted earlier paused what they were doing and turned towards Galen.


    The center of attention now was not Vaan, but Galen.


    Galen frowned in confusion.


    He could sense it. Something was definitely not right.


    Before, cursing or making fun of Vaan, whether it was behind his back or in front of him was considered fun, most of the times, peopleugh out loud while some jumps in and add in more.


    Now, however, things had changed.


    All these mages staring at him with surprised looks on their faces, heck, some of them even had pitying looks while others had yful smiles on their faces. It would have been fine if all of this was directed at Vaan but¡­


    ''Why is everyone acting so strangely?


    Did I miss something¡­?''


    Galen thought inwardly, however, before he could think too much,


    "Young Master Vaan." Suddenly, a Mage called out.


    Vaan turned towards him, the mage then bowed his Head and,


    "I booked this Magic Duel Ground 2 weeks ago, although I have used 1 of the 2 hours I have received, if Young Master wants, he can use this ce for the rest of the time."


    "Huh? Why would Young Master Vaan use your ground when you only have 1 hour left, Young Master Vaan, I am a 3rd Circle Mage, I can book the Slot for you in my name, I also have the authority to book this ce for 3 hours, so if Young Master Vaan is willing, then please allow me to help you."


    Another Mage spoke up as he bowed his head.


    "Young Master Vaan, I can help as well!"


    Soon, more and more mages stepped forward, trying to help Vaan and wishing to get close to him.


    Heck, some mages even started cursing others, trying to get Vaan to choose them instead of others. Of course, not everyone was doing the same, Vaan may have turned into a prospective heir, but that didn''t mean he was the most popr, some of the mages here supported other heirs so they didn''t make a move.


    However, this much was already enough to shake Galen and the other two mages who were here to challenge Vaan.


    What was happening?


    Why are all these Mages trying to curry favor with Vaan?


    Why were they all treating him with so much respect?


    Was it because he was the son of the Family Head?


    No, that doesn''t make sense. The Vesta Family doesn''t operate that way¡­


    Then why¡­?


    They had only been away from the Vesta Mansion for a year, what could possibly happen in a single year for the people to change to this extent?


    What did Vaan do?


    All these questions filled the Mages'' minds, however, the biggest question out of them all was,


    Did they think the right thing by epting Vaan''s challenge?


    And as if he read their minds and wanted to answer their question, Vaan, who was now standing in one of the Magic Duel Grounds, spoke with a big smile on his face,


    "I hope the three of you are prepared, my guinea pigs."

 Chapter 129 No Surrender

    <h4>Chapter 129 No Surrender</h4>


    "I hope the three of you are prepared, guinea pigs."


    Vaan spoke with a big smile on his face. It was not just him, the other Mages, who knew how much Vaan had ''changed'', all had smiles on their faces as well. From the way Galen and the other mages were talking, it was easy to guess that they didn''t know what had happened in the Vesta House in the past few weeks.


    Everyone here knew that these 3 Mages were in for a big awakening and they were all here for it, excited to see how this was going to end.


    Galen and the other two mages narrowed their eyes in confusion.


    Seeing everyone smirking at them, they felt embarrassed.


    "I hope you are prepared as well, Young Master Vaan!


    Because we are not going to go easy on you." Saying those words, Galen bravely stepped into the Magic Duel Ground and his two friends followed behind him.


    Soon, a 4th Circle Mage who was chosen to be the judge of the match stepped up, looking at both parties, he spoke,


    "The Rules of the Duel would be the same as any normal Duel, do both parties agree?"


    "Yes-"


    Galen nodded, however,


    "I do not.


    I want to change one rule."


    "Huh?"


    The three Mages and the judge frowned,


    "What would you like to change, Young Master Vaan?" The judge questioned.


    "Remove the option to surrender.


    The Duel should continue till one party passes out." Vaan then looked into Galen''s eyes and, "How about it? Do you have the balls to agree?"


    "Until one party passes out¡­?"


    Galen muttered.


    "It won''t be fun if the other two surrenders when I am done with the first one, would it? These people were generous enough to give us their Slots, the least we could do is entertain them with a good show, don''t you think?" Vaan questioned with a yful smile on his face.


    "Of course, you can always disagree if you are a pussy."


    "Heh, removing the option to surrender huh?


    I just hope Young Master Vaan does not regret thister."


    Galen''s smile widened.


    Taking that as a yes, the judge nodded.


    "The Rules of the duel are clear, the first party to pass out will lose, killing is forbidden, I wish to two parties the best of luck.


    Now,


    Start the duel."


    Saying those words, the judge stepped back.


    The three Mages quickly summoned their Magic Circles, all of them were 2nd Circle Mages, this was the reason why they were so confident about this.


    Vaan was unreasonably strong, his fists were heavy, his reaction speed was fast and he seemed to be experienced in close-distancebat.


    Which, of course, was their weakness since they were mages.


    They didn''t know how a waste like Vaan turned into such a fine fighter, however, what they did know, was that Vaan stood no chance in front of them when it came to Magic Duel.


    After all, how could a mere 1st Circle Mage stand against three 2nd Circ-


    "¡­what?"


    Suddenly, Galen''s expression changed.


    Vaan had summoned his Circles.


    He summoned 2 Circles!


    H-He was a 2nd Circle Mage!


    And that was not the scariest part,


    "W-W-What are those circles!?" Kaelen, another Mage who stood in the Magic Duel Ground questioned as he pointed at the Magic Circles Vaan had summoned.


    He had even stopped summoning his circles, that was how shocked he was and how could he not be? Vaan''s Circles werepletely different than normal circles he knew about.


    "There it is! To think I would get to see the Advance Circles everyone was talking about!"


    Suddenly, a mage who was witnessing the Duel spoke, his eyes shining brightly, showing his excitement.


    "Heh, this is the second time I am seeing the Advance Circles yet they are still as mesmerizing as the first time I saw them." Another Magemented.


    "Wait, you were there when Young Master Vaan was challenged by those mages?"


    "Indeed, I saw everything with my own eyes. I saw how Young Master overwhelmed all the mages using his Circles. That was quite an eye-opening experience."


    "Then you must have seen how strong the Advance Magic Circles are, correct?"


    "Of course. As I said, Young Master absolutely overwhelmed his opponents, of course, his opponents were quite weak since they were not from the Vesta Family and the spells they had were inefficient, but the way Young Master Vaan defeated them made it clear, their spells didn''t matter.


    With Young Master''s Advance Circles, it was only a matter of how long they couldst without getting hit, the difference between the two was simply too high."


    "What do you think about those three, the Advance Circles may be strong, but can they allow Young Master Vaan to win a 1v3?"


    "Well, that is about to be revealed, isn''t it?"


    The mage replied and as he did,


    *Whoosh*


    Vaan fired the first Spell, his favorite, [Fire Spike].


    Of course, a Spike that was boosted by 12 Inner Circles.


    *BOOM*


    A huge explosion was heard, all three mages jumped back, dodging the spike. However, even though the Spike didn''t hurt them, sensing its unnatural power, they all widened their eyes in disbelief.


    "I-Is this the result of those weird Circles?" Kaelen spoke with a horrified look on his face.


    However,


    "Don''t think too much!


    We can''t let our guard down, he is stronger than we expected, however, that doesn''t change the fact that there are three of us and just him alone.


    We can still win this, spread out!


    His spells may be stronger than normal, however, if he could only target one of us, the other two can attack him back.


    Don''t lose hope!


    We can still win this!"


    In the end, the three of them were still Vesta Mages who were sent to the Academy to represent the Vesta House.


    They may not be the strongest of the lot but they were much different than the mages Vaan fought before. All three of them were capable of joining the Elemental sh and performing well in it.


    Soon, the three mages got themselves together and spread out evenly, they made it such that Vaan couldn''t get them all in one attack and started summoning their circles again.


    It was time for their counterattack.


    Galen, who was a Wind Mage, quickly summoned a wind spear, the spear quickly shot towards the second Fire Spike that wasing towards them.


    *BOOOM*


    The Spear and the Spike collided and another explosion was heard, however, the difference between the strength of the spells was clear as the Fire Spike simply destroyed the Wind Spear and continued with its path.


    "Heh."


    Even though his Wind Spear was destroyed, Galen smirked.


    The wind spear had already achieved its goal, and that was to slow down Vaan''s Fire Spike. He had enough time to cast a defense spell and not only that,


    "Fire Ball!"


    "Earth Spike!"


    His team members now had the chance to openly attack Vaan from other sides as well.


    2 spells rushed towards Vaan, eaching from a different direction.


    Normally, this would be a bad situation, Vaan, however, was not a normal Mage.


    He started running.


    "Huh?"


    "Huh?"


    "What¡­?"


    The audience and the three mages all blinked in surprise. The two mages however, quickly activated [Direction Maniption] and started chasing Vaan.


    Vaan continued to run as he gathered the surrounding Mana to cast another spell, the two spells followed him, with how quickly they were catching up, the difference in speed was clear.


    If Vaan couldn''t do anything, he would get shot by the spells and the duel will be over.


    But what could Vaan do?


    He was running away, no Basic Mage was capable of casting a spell as he runs, and without being able to cast a spell, Vaan couldn''t block the attack.


    Not to mention Vaan was a Fire Mage, even if he could cast a spell,? not many Fire Spells were capable of blocking both Fire Ball and Earth Spike in such a short.


    But then,


    [Water Shield]


    Vaan casted another spell.


    As he did, the three mages widened their eyes in horror.


    "H-How is that possible!?" Galen questioned.


    How was Vaan casting a Spell as he ran!?


    Also, wasn''t he a Fire Mage? How did he cast a Water Spell!?


    Did he perhaps use an Instant Spell?


    Galen wondered, soon, however, he shook his head, he clearly saw the Circles being summoned and the spell casted.


    Then¡­


    Was Vaan one of those Duel Elemental Mages!?


    That was the only possibility.


    A Duel Elemental Mage capable of casting spells as he runs, not to mention those absurd Magic Circles he uses¡­


    Just thinking about all this gave Galen and the other two mages a big headache.


    His nightmare, however, had just started.


    "mey, Sshy!"


    Vaan called out his trump cards.


    "Krrii!!"


    "Guruu~"


    Two adorably creatures appeared around him.


    "I will be leaving the Spell creations to you two."


    "Krrii!"


    "Grruu!"


    The two fairies nodded as they took control over Vaan''s Mana,


    And then,


    Vaan ran towards Galen with a big wide smile on his face.


    "Take at least 100 punches before you pass out, piggy."

 Chapter 130 You should have done it sooner

    <h4>Chapter 130 You should have done it sooner</h4>


    ?


    *Ssh*


    "Haa!


    Haah¡­ Haah¡­ Haa¡­"


    Water was sshed over Galen''s face and he was forced awake. His vision was still blurry however, he could see a figure right in front of him, looking at him with a crazy smile on his face.


    Galen then looked around and as his vision slowly cleared up, he found his two friends lying on the ground, unconscious. As he tried to assess the situation, his eyes fell on the crowd that had surrounded him, looking at him with strange looks on their faces and soon,


    Galen understood.


    His fuzzy head cleared up and he finally recalled how he ended up in this situation.


    They lost.


    And they lost overwhelmingly.


    Vaan was on apletely different league. It was not just his different Magic Circles or how he could cast while he ran, that man overwhelmed them in every single aspect.


    He knew the weakness of every spell they cast as if he already knew and had analyzed that spell, of course, the cases where mages use the same spells were not umon. Of course, the Magic Patterns they use to cast those spells would always be different, but that didn''t mean the spell itself would be different.


    This was especiallymon in the case of beginner Mages, spells like Fireball, Watershield, Windspear, because of their overwhelming strengthpared to their level, many mages used these spells often and in some cases, the structure they used for the said spells were same as well, making the two spells exact copy of each other.


    But even then, the fact that Vaan knew the structure, the weakness, and the counter for every single one of their spells as if he himself knew how to cast those spells,


    This made no sense.


    They were 2nd Circle Mages, even if their spells could be called basic, the use of inner circles and variations in the Patterns that they came up on their own wasn''t something that anyone could know.


    The sheer number of spells one would have to study to reach that level is¡­


    Only a Mage with decades of experience could do something like that and even in that case, doing so would be foolish since rather than wasting their time studying weaker spells for such a long time, it would be much better to learn advanced spells.


    "Oh? You are awake, I thought it wouldn''t work this time like it happened with others. Guess you are much more resilient than others huh?


    Well, good for you, it seems I won''t have to use the boiling hot water to wake you up."


    While Galen was thinking all this, he suddenly heard a voice.


    His eyes then fell on Vaan who was smiling at him like a crazy mage looking at the target of his experiment, behind him, Galen could see a water ball floating in air, a water ball that was being heated up by a fireball to the point bubbles wereing out of it.


    Galen''s eyes widened in horror when he saw that.


    To think this bastard was about to pour all that boiling hot water right on his face, was he crazy!?


    Soon, however, Galen got his answer.


    He was.


    He was definitely crazy enough to do that.


    What sane person would hit someone till they pass out and continue that again, again and again?


    This is what Vaan had been doing ever since the ''duel'' was over, he hit him till he passed out, then he moved to the next one and did the same before continuing the same again.


    What round was it?


    Sixth? Or was it the Seventh?


    He couldn''t even remember it anymore, however, he did know one thing.


    Only a crazy bastard like Vaan could do it.


    "Honestly, that is pretty unfortunate, I wanted to see how a passed-out person would react if I poured hot water on their face, guess I would need to experiment that in the next round." Vaan shrugged.


    Then, he looked into Galen''s eyes and after snapping his fingers, he asked,


    "Are you ready for another round of beating?"


    The moment he said those words, Galen quickly recalled the previous session and his whole face stung from the pain he previously felt.


    It didn''t take long for his suppressed fear to act up,bining this with the boiling water that was about to be poured onto his face, Galen quickly gave in and,


    "Lirael Vesta."


    He spoke.


    "Oh?"


    Vaan, who was about to punch Galen again paused.


    "Lady Lirael was the one who sent the three of us."


    "You finally gave in huh?"


    Vaan spoke with a yful smile on his face.


    "There is no point in going through all this for someone like Lady Lirael.


    Just as Young Master said, she is someone who sent us to Young Master even though she knew how much Young Master had changed. In her eyes, we were justb rats whom she wanted to use to test the waters.


    She does not deserve our loyalty."


    Galen spoke and hearing those words, Vaan''s smile widened.


    "See? How easy would it have been if you did this from the start? Making me work so much before telling me something I already knew. Tsk." Vaan snorted.


    ''I would have done it if you had given me the chance to do so.''


    Galen spoke inwardly as he clenched his teeth.


    Vaan was much stronger than before, there was no way someone like Lirael wouldn''t know it, but even then, for her to specially order them to bully Vaan¡­


    When Vaan pointed it out, the three mages quickly realized that they had been yed, they actually wanted to say Lirael''s name right away, however,


    Vaan didn''t listen and continued to hit them without giving them a chance to say anything.


    "Oh well, now that you have finally given up, I think we can end this now." Suddenly, Vaan spoke up.


    Galen''s face brightened up, however, before he could be too happy, he saw Vaan clenching his fist again and,


    *Bam*


    His eyes widened in horror.


    "Y-Young Master V-Vaan!?"


    He spoke out loud, unable to understand why Vaan was hitting his again, but then,


    "What? Did you forget the rules?


    The duel won''t end unless one party passes out.


    Your other two friends have already passed out, so it is just you left.


    So endure a little will you."


    Vaan spoke and then,


    *Bam*


    A series of punches rained on Gilen''s face.


    This was the day Galen had decided,


    Whether it was that bitch who saw people nothing more than her tools, or the crazy bastard of a mage who punched people before talking to them,


    He would stay away from all the Direct Descendants or these so called Prospective Heirs.


    This foolish game, he will not be ying it anymore.


    ¡­


    The ''Duel'' soon ended, with the three Mages down, Vaan quickly stood up and looked around with a fresh smile on his face.


    "Did you all enjoy the show?"


    He questioned.


    Weird smiles appeared on the crowd''s faces.


    Most of them had heard that Young Master Vaan''s were¡­ out of the ordinary, but this¡­?


    This was definitely a little too extreme.


    Even people who witnessed Vaan in action before, they were taken by surprise as well. At the very least, during the challenge, Vaan stopped after his opponents lost consciousness,


    But to think that this time, he would pour water right on their faces to wake them up before hitting them away.


    What in the hell¡­


    The Mages didn''t know what to think of it.


    Some of these Mages actually wanted toe serve Vaan and support him as the next Family Head, however, after witnessing what he did today, he decided to hold onto that thought for a while.


    Vaan''s personality¡­ it was a little too rough.


    They weren''t sure if this man was suited to be the Family Head.


    Yes, this act was Vaan definitely didn''t do much in his favor, however,


    It wasn''t entirely useless either.


    ''I need to be careful around him¡­


    He is a crazy bastard.''


    In the minds of those who actually supported other Prospective Heirs and saw Vaan as a potential enemy, his actions had created an impact. He had nted a seed of fear into their mind.


    Even though he was only a 2nd Circle Mage, he disyed his Magic Superiroty, the fact that he was the strongest 2nd Circle Mage here, and the fact that he would continue to remain the strongest in whatever tier he is in because of his Advance Magic Circles,


    He etched that into their minds, making them think twice before they make any moves.


    Being a lot older than him, the number of ways in which his dear brothers or sisters could interfere with his life were extremely limited.


    Actually, the only way they had was to use these mages who were at the same level as him and could directly challenge him.


    However, with his actions today, not many mages would dare to stand in front of him.


    Just this alone would cut his siblings'' avable options by 80%.


    And by the time they would think about the 20% options they have,


    It would already be toote.

 Chapter 131 You kissed me

    <h4>Chapter 131 You kissed me</h4>


    ra stirred in her bed, her head throbbing with an intensity that felt like a thousand drums pounding in unison. Slowly, she opened her eyes, squinting against the morning light that streamed through the window.


    A wave of dizziness washed over her, and she groaned, her hand moving instinctively to her pounding temples. The memories ofst night were still fuzzy, as if they were hiding in the depths of her mind, waiting to resurface.


    "Ugghhh¡­" She groaned in pain. This was the first time she had ever consumed alcohol, and she didn''t drink a small amount either, she drank ss after ss without stopping, it was to the point where even Vaan got worried.


    Drunk ra was apletely different person.


    However, now the sober ra had to face the consequences.


    And one of those consequences was the unbearable pain in her head that made her feel like her head would simply burst apart. It was so intense that ra didn''t even want to open her eyes anymore.


    "Oh ho? You finally woke up!


    You slept quite a lot for someone who didn''t wish to sleep and stubbornly wanted to keep talking.


    ''I won''t talk to you if you don''t talk to me!'' you said."


    Sudden, ra heard a voice.


    A voice that overpowered all the headache and dizziness she was feeling and she was jolted awake.


    Her eyes widened as she looked around, taking in her surroundings. It didn''t take her long to realize that she was not in her own room, she was in Vaan''s room. Panic surged through her, she instinctively pulled the bedsheet closer to her as her face turned red.


    Then, like a kid who had been caught making a mistake, she nced at Vaan with the most innocent yet guilty look ever.


    Vaan was sitting on a nearby chair, observing his fiance''s expressions with a yful smile on his face.


    How could he not?


    After giving in to her demands and doing whatever she told him to do for the entire night, it was finally time to reap the rewards.


    It was time when the sober ra would recall what the drunk ra did and all the expressions the sober ra makes during the entire process, Vaan was going to burn them all into his eyes.


    "Good morning, Fiancee~"


    Seeing that smile on his face, a fresh wave of embarrassment coursed through ra''s veins.


    "V-Vaan!" ra eximed, her voice trembling as she met his amused gaze.


    Vaan''s smile only widened, and he leaned back in his chair, his eyes dancing with amusement. "Did you sleep well?" He questioned. "Well of course you did, you put on quite a showst night, after all. You must be tired after that."


    ra''s cheeks turned a deeper shade of red, and she lowered her gaze, unable to meet his eyes. "W-What did I do¡­? I¡­ I don''t remember much," she admitted sheepishly.


    "Of course you don''t."


    Vaan chuckled.


    Then, he looked right into his finace''s eyes and,


    "You jumped right on top of me and kissed me saying how much you loved me.


    It wasn''t just a normal kiss either,


    You kissed me on the lips."


    Vaan spoke as his face turned red, then, with a yful look on his face, he tried to ''avoid'' ra''s eyes and,


    "I was quite embarrassed."


    "W-W-W-What!?"


    ra''s eyes widened in shock.


    "I-Is that true!? No! T-That can''t happen! I c-couldn''t have done that!"


    "Are you saying I am the one who kissed you on the lips?" Vaan questioned.


    "Ye- w-wait No! T-That''s not what I meant! But I didn''t kiss you either!"


    "So I am lying?"


    "¡­"


    ra turned silent.


    She had no answer to Vaan''s words. Her memories were fuzzy, however, this didn''t mean there was a big nk in her head, she knew the things she did yesterday was something she would normally never do, however, she was absolutely sure that she wouldn''t kiss Vaan on the lips.


    That was simply not possible. She was not brave enough, even if she was under the influence of alcohol.


    B-But¡­


    Vaan said that she actually did kiss him¡­


    Did she really¡­?


    How could she do something like that¡­?


    How cou-


    "Alright alright, don''t beat yourself up like that, I am just joking, you didn''t kiss me." Suddenly, Vaanughed out.


    A big sigh of relief came out of ra''s mouth, then soon, her relief turned into anger and, s


    "Why would yo-"


    "I was the one who did it."


    Vaanpleted his sentence and ra froze.


    "W-What¡­?"


    Her anger flushed out in an instant, with her eyes wide open, she nced at Vaan, wanting more exnation.


    Vaan''s smile widened, he then jumped onto the bed and crawled towards his fiancee with a yful look on his face. ra''s heart rate shot up. Her eyes were stuck on Vaan, the closer he got, the stranger she felt, however, even then, she couldn''t just look away and watch as her fianc¨¦ crawled all the way from the corner of the bed to her.


    "Y-You kissed me¡­?" she questioned.


    "You were just so defenseless that I couldn''t control myself," Vaan spoke, then, he yfully licked his lips and,


    "It was quite tasty."


    ra''s face turned as red as a tomato.


    Vaan could swear that he saw smokeing out of his head but maybe that was just him seeing things.


    Things like that don''t happen in reality.


    Of course, he wasn''t done with his games yet,


    "Your forehead I mean, kissing it felt quite refreshing."


    "M-My forehead?"


    ra''s expression changed as she looked into Vaan''s eyes.


    "Hmm? Why do you look so surprised?" Vaan tilted his head in confusion.


    "Y-You were talking about kissing my forehead?" ra questioned.


    "Of course, what else would it be?"


    Vaan questioned back with a confused look on his face.


    "O-Oh¡­" ra muttered.


    There was a strange expression on her face.


    It was¡­ relief and¡­ disappointment¡­?


    "Wait, what were you thinking about, ra?" Vaan questioned.


    "N-Nothing." ra shook her head as she looked away. Vaan, however, followed her gaze and appeared in front of her eyes,


    "C''mon now ra, don''t try to hide it from me, tell me,


    What were you thinking about?" Vaan whispered like a devil.


    "I-It is n-nothing."


    ra''s voice trembled and then, Vaan decided to drop the bomb,


    "Were you thinking about a kiss on the lips?"


    "¡­"


    ra didn''t say anything, however, seeing how her skin got even redder, her thoughts couldn''t be any clearer, not just to Vaan alone, even ra didn''t bother defending herself.


    "Haha~ you are thinking too much, ra.


    Our first lip-to-lip kiss, there is no way I would do it on the day where I know you are not in your right mind and would forget everything the next day.


    How would that be any fun?" Vaan spoke.


    Then, a yful smile appeared on his face and,


    "A special moment like that, I would want you to be in your right mind so you can recall that moment whenever you want in your life,


    For example,


    The you right now."


    Vaan spoke and then,


    He sealed ra''s lips.


    In just a single moment, ra''s brain stopped functioning. Her body froze, there was no change in her expression, no surprise, no embarrassment, nothing, everything happened too quickly for her to react properly.


    It was as if her soul was sucked into apletely different world.


    ra only came out of her reverie when she saw Vaan looking at her with a smile on his face.


    "See? Now this is the moment none of us would ever forget,


    Our first kiss."


    He spoke.


    Of course, Vaan may be acting all brave right now and his bluff was working since ra''s mind had too many things to intake to notice, however, any normal person would be able to see a slight blush on Vaan''s face as well.


    He was embarrassed as well, his heart was beating like crazy as well.


    ra''s lips, they felt¡­ soft¡­ and precious.


    It was a feeling Vaan couldn''t properly describe.


    Honest, his mind was still thinking about it however, right now, it was more important to be the one controlling the situation. After all, Sober ra wasn''t someone who would take the lead, he needed to keep ying that role if he wanted this rtionship to continue any further.


    "O-Our first kiss¡­"


    ra muttered with a nk look on her face.


    Seeing her expression, Vaan suppressed his feelings and with a confident smile on his face, he looked into ra''s eyes and,


    "How was it? Did you enjoy it?"


    Of course, he wasn''t really expecting an answer knowing how shy ra was, but then,


    "Do it again."


    She muttered.


    "¡­what?"? Vaan blinked, unable toprehend what his fianc¨¦e just said.


    "I didn''t feel it.


    Do it again.


    Kiss me again."


    ra spoke, her voice and her eyes clearer than ever.


    Vaan gulped, this time, he had to admit it.


    He was intimidated.


    He didn''t know ra would be this direct.


    Was this really his ra?


    Was she still under the influence of alcohol?


    Many questions filled his mind,


    However, right now, he didn''t care.


    Everything else was secondary, right now, he had to make the move.


    Thinking that,


    Vaan leaned forward and their lips met again.

 Chapter 132 There is no way I would choose you over my little girl!

    <h4>Chapter 132 There is no way I would choose you over my little girl!</h4>


    Vaan walked out of his room with a lost look on his face. Then, a weird smile appeared on his face and,


    "He¡­ hehe¡­ hehehe~"


    He smiled like a creepy old man as he recalled what just happened.


    To think he would kiss ra twice in a single day and to think ra would be the one who would ask for the second kiss.


    ra never ceases to surprise him.


    She maye out as a shy girl who often fails to stand up for herself, however, she shows quite a strong side sometimes.


    Just like how she did just a few moments ago.


    "N-N-Now leave! I want to sleep more!"


    The second kiss wasn''t as short as the first one. The first time, both individuals were inexperienced, for ra, it was her first kiss, not that it would have mattered since her mind couldn''t even react to the kiss. As for Vaan, well, although it was not his first kiss, the previous experiences he had were all as Christopher and none of the women he kissed were actually as close to his heart as ra was.


    He had often heard others talk about how their first kiss was Exciting, Memorable, Breathless, Magical, Timeless, Tender, and all other things, he had heard how people often found their hearts beating continuously and how they couldn''t control their emotions even after the kiss had ended.


    Christopher couldn''t rte to these feelings. For him, his first kiss was simple contact between lips as he fucked the girl in front of him. There were no feelings involved and he called all the people who described their first kissed as such dramatic.


    Today, however, he finally understood.


    He finally understood what the first kiss actually meant.


    That timeless feeling where he couldn''t recall anything other than that tender feeling on his lips, Vaan couldn''t describe it but he could now understand it.


    And the more he understood it, the more dazed he was.


    ra, on the hand, was too embarrassed the moment she realized what had happened. Especially considering that she was the one who asked for it.


    Her body moved on its own, she quicklyy on the bed and covered herself with the nket as she shouted, wanting Vaan to leave.


    Hearing his words, Vaan came out of his reverie,


    "W-What¡­? You want to sleep more? But didn''t you just wake up? You have already slept for 18 hours already." Vaan replied, his mind still wasn''t clear enough toe up with a witty reply.


    "I still want to sleep more! Please leave the room!" ra shouted, still not showing her face. However, Vaan didn''t have to see her face, he could already imagine her face resembling a tomato. He had seen that face countless times thesest few hours, after all.


    A yful smile appeared on his face and, "But it is my room, shouldn''t you be the one to leave?" He questioned, wanting to see how ra would react.


    But then,


    "¡­it would be my room in the future since it is usually the wife who takes care of these things. So leave."


    ra replied and Vaan just blinked in surprise.


    What else was he supposed to do?


    J-Just what the hell was going on with his lovely fianc¨¦e?


    How is sheing withebacks which even he had no reply to?


    "A-Alright, I''ll be taking my leave, my Future Wife."


    In the end, Vaan had no choice but to give in to his wife''s demand.


    And this is how he came to the present situation, where he was roaming outside his room, not knowing where to go.


    He wanted to visit the library but honestly, given how his mind couldn''t stop thinking about the precious experience he just had, he knew going there was a waste of time.


    In the end, he just sighed deeply and decided to visit his mother.


    There were quite a lot of things he wanted to discuss with his mother, he was also feeling sleepy so his mother''s room was a perfect choice.


    Making up his mind, Vaan quickly walked towards Astra''s room and knocked on the door.


    "Come in."


    Astra ordered.


    "Mother." Vaan greeted with a big smile on his face.


    Looking at her son, a fresh smile appeared on Astra''s face, and,


    "I have been waiting for you,e in, my dear son." She spoke and suddenly, Vaan raised his eyebrow.


    Astra didn''t refer to him as ''my dear son'' very often.


    ''Something''s wrong.''


    Vaan could tell it the moment he walked into the room. The air around his mother definitely felt different than normal.


    "Have a seat," Astra spoke as she pointed at the bed.


    Vaan carefully sat on the bed as he saw Astraing towards him. Then, Astra''s hand moved, her speed wasn''t fast, it could even be called slow in Vaan''s eyes since he has been training with his father and his reaction speed had gotten much faster than before.


    However, even then, when Vaan tried to move away and dodge her mother''s hand, he failed to do so and Astra instantly grabbed his right ear.


    "Aakhh!! It hurts!" Vaan cried in pain.


    "You rascal, you dare make my cute daughter-inw consume alcohol?" Astra questioned as she twisted Vaan''s ear.


    "H-How did you know?" Vaan questioned.


    ''Was it Gabel?'' he thought inwardly.


    "Don''t me that man, this time, even he tried to hide it from me. If I didn''t have other sources, you would have fooled me." And as if she could read his mind, Astra replied.


    "I need to punish that butler as well. To think he would actually side with you when I am the one who hired him."


    Soon, however, Astra shook her head and,


    "But that is not the issue right now," She twisted Vaan''s ear to the point it turned red and, "How dare you make my daughter-inw alcohol? Not only that, you even had the balls to take her in your room? Boy, do you have a death wish?"


    "kkk!" Vaan cried in pain as he tried to tilt his head in the direction in which his mother was twisting his ear in order to lessen the pain. "Why do you keep forgetting that the reason that girl is your daughter-inw is me, your son! You are supposed to be on my side!"


    Vaanined.


    "Your side my foot! There is no way I would choose you over my little girl!"


    "But I am your son!"


    "Haah¡­ if only that girl was my real daughter." Astra sighed as she shook her head.


    "Thank god she is not." Vaan sighed in relief.


    "Else I would have been forced tomit incest."


    "What did you say?" Astra raised her eyebrow.


    "Nothing."


    "I really want to beat you up." Astramented as she finally left Vaan''s ear alone. Then, with a yful smile on her face, she looked into her son''s eyes and,


    "So? How far did the two of you go? You didn''t go all the way, did you? I would actually beat you up if you did that before marriage."


    "Mother! What are you talking about? Of course, I didn''t. She was drunk, if I do it, it would be whe- no wait, why are you taking to much interest in your son''s private life? Please give me some privacy."


    "Privacy?" Astra raised her eyebrow as she then snapped her fingers. "You really want a beating, don''t you?"


    "I-I am an adult." Vaan didn''t back down.


    After all, he had a trump card,


    "I don''t think ra would befortable if you act like that in front of her."


    "¡­" Astra turned silent.


    Then, she just shook her head.


    Well, of course she knew better than anyone how to respect her son''s privacy, she has eyes all over the Vesta Mansion, however, as she learned Vaan and ra were together, after confirming their safety, she personally erased the memory of the mage who was keeping an eye on them while they ate and drunk together.


    A couple should be given their personal time, Astra knew this better than anyone.


    "Mother, you should know about him as well, correct?"


    Suddenly, Vaan questioned.


    Astra nced at her son, her yful smile then disappeared and,


    "Who are you talking about?" She asked, just to be sure.


    "Elric Vesta."


    "Oh."


    Astra realized.


    "Did she tell you?" Astra questioned, but then, another theory popped into her mind, and,


    "Wait, was this the reason you made her drink?"


    "I will not deny I had this in my mind."


    Astra narrowed her eyes,


    "I will excuse you today, but I don''t want it to be repeated in the future, no matter what.


    That girl is innocent, do not use it against her."


    "I swear whatever I do, I will not hurt her." Vaan''s answer was clear.


    Astra calmed down a little and then,


    "What do you want to know?" She questioned.


    Vaan then looked into her mother''s eyes, then with eyes that Astra had never seen before, he questioned,


    "Can I kill him?"

 Chapter 133 It is your fault.

    <h4>Chapter 133 It is your fault.</h4>


    "Can I kill him?"


    Vaan questioned with a serious look on his face.


    That was how annoyed he was.


    That bastard dared to eye his ra, it didn''t matter if it was because of the influence ra had or whether he actually liked her a lot, just Elric trying to take his ra away from him was enough for Vaan to treat him as a mortal enemy.


    And how did Vaan deal with his enemy?


    He killed them when he had the chance. Only a dead enemy was the enemy Vaan liked, he didn''t want any bastarding after him from behind, therefore, Vaan didn''t leave any lose ends.


    He was a thorough man.


    This ''threat'' named Elric, Vaan wanted him gone for good.


    However,


    "Are you out of your mind?" Astra questioned as she nced at her son with a ridiculous look on her face.


    She couldn''t believe what her son was saying.


    "You know that man is eyeing on my fianc¨¦e," Vaan replied.


    "¡­"


    Astra however, didn''t say anything and continued to stare at him.


    Feeling the need to exin himself further and give more justification, Vaan continued, "He even ordered others to bully her and turned her into an outcast to manipte her into thinking that he is her only friend. He psychologically abused my fianc¨¦e, how am I supposed to stay silent after learning all that?"


    Even though he had taken out some of his anger on those fools who had challenged him and had figured out that Lirael was the one who sent those three to him, Vaan''s mind was still upied with Elric.


    Just recalling that bastard''s face was enough to fill him with anger.


    "You talk as if you were any different."


    Suddenly, Astramented.


    "¡­huh?" Vaan''s expression changed.


    He then looked into Astra''s eyes and she continued,


    "Manipted her? Psychologically abused her? What do you think opened up the path for him to do that?


    I heard a person is more susceptible to these tricks when she is harassed both physically and mentally.


    Who could have possibly done that I wonder?


    Who could have pushed her away when she only wanted the best for him? Who could have used her before throwing her away and repeating the same action again and again? Who could have screamed at her with hatred so apparent that it would shake her very soul?


    Hmmm? Do you recall someone like that? Someone who did all these horrible things to my cute pupil? Whoever it is, he really sounds like a horrible person, doesn''t he?


    To the point where one would even think that Elric might be a better option for ra, no? At the very least, he seemed to be there for her when she really needed him."


    Astra spoke, her eyes as cold as eyes and Vaan had no words.


    His mother was right.


    The previous him was the one who created this situation.


    These past few weeks he spent in this world, he had be so attached to ra that hepletely forgot that before him, another person lived as him. Even he hated the previous Vaan for the things he had done, however, what he seemed to have missed was that in others'' eyes,


    Previous Vaan was him.


    He may have tried to make it up to ra and has even seeded in it to some extent given how ra was actively taking leads in some cases and was willing to get close to him, willing to open up to him much more than before, however, the same couldn''t be said for others.


    For Astra, Elric, and others in the Vesta House, he was still the man who abused ra.


    Elric''s ns weren''t wrong, rather, they were based on the fact that he was the one who abused ra, and while it was not Vaan''s mistake, in the end, the fact was that he now lived as Vaan.


    Along with his exceptional Magic Talent, Bloodline, memories, and other things, he also inherited the bad decisions the previous Vaan had taken. Their responsibility, their consequences, he had to be the one to tackle them.


    Vaan couldn''t just continue with, ''the previous Vaan is dead'' move anymore.


    He needed topletely inherit previous Vaan''s actions and take his ce.


    He now needed to be the real Vaan.


    "This will be thest time I am ignoring your slip of tongue, Vaan."


    Realizing that Vaan had realized what she was trying to say, Astra continued. S


    "The Vesta Family may allow the Prospective Heirs to have a go at each other using whatever trick they seem fine with, there is one limit to that rule.


    No Vesta Blood, especially the Direct Descendants, should die in these foolish children''s games.


    Once this rule is broken and a Vesta descendant is reported to have died, my personal forces would take action and investigate the cause.


    And if even a slight link of the case can be connected to another child of the Vesta Family, that child will be executed, no matter the background he holds."


    Astra then looked into Vaan''s eyes and,


    "Even if he is the only son of the current Family Head."


    Vaan''s expression turned solemn.


    He wasn''t a fool, he could tell that this was a threat, a clear, tant threat, a threating from his own mother.


    "The Vesta Family has a rich history of more than 5000 years, Vaan. I do not want to known as the woman who started the downfall of the family because she loved her son.


    In the Battle of Heirs, you can y with your siblings however you want, you can use any trick you have, no matter how dirty or you can simply overwhelm them with absolute talent, however,


    Once the Battle of Heirs is over and the head is selected,


    All Vesta Siblings muste together and serve the new Head without any foolish thoughts in their heads.


    The Battle of Heirs should not continue after it has officially ended. The Vesta Family cannot be divided after each generation, not when it already has enemies surrounding it, waiting for the chance to devour it as a whole.


    Is that clear?"


    Astra spoke with a clear look on her face.


    This time, Vaan didn''t just stay silent,


    "Isn''t that situation too ideal? It almost sounds like a fantasy. How can one simply forget their rivalry and serve the other with no secondary thoughts in their mind? That simply goes against the human nature, doesn''t it?


    Let''s just take Mother''s example, I highly doubt Uncle Draven and Aunt Risia arepletely loyal to you. Heck, they even try to openly go against you in open court and try to challenge your authority every single day.


    Honestly, with how they act, I highly doubt that they would be of any help when we actually need them."


    Vaan countered.


    Astra, however, shook her head,


    "They challenged my authority, I agree, their target, however, was never me."


    "It was me¡­" Vaanmented.


    "Well, it was not you to be exact either.


    Their target was the Family Head position, or more urately, the Family Head position after I step away.


    What they participate in is not the Battle of Heirs of my time, as I said, that one is already over, they are only participating in the new Battle of Heirs, the Battle of their children.


    The two things are extremely different things, keep that in your mind.


    And as for whether they would be of help or not, do not forget, the two of them are 7th Circle Mages, they would be a lot more help than you would be."


    Astra spat, her words were harsh, maybe because she wanted Vaan to understand the importance of Family Unity.


    She noticed her child''s aggressive tendencies before and although he is changing and acting more rationally these days, he does slip up quite often.


    Just like how he beat up those three mages yesterday. Those poor mages were out for the next 2 years, that was how brutally Vaan had beaten them up.


    Astra''s head ached when she thought about all this.


    This Battle of Heirs, honestly, she pitied other Prospective Heirs taking part in it.


    Her son was too ruthless. She wondered where he got that violent temper from.


    "That is only because I am still quite young.


    Give me a few decades and just see the new heights the Vesta Family will witness with me as the Family Head.


    I am telling you this right now,


    But your son will bring a new era in the Vesta Family history.


    Consider this a spoiler."


    Vaan spoke with a confident look on his face.


    "You have a lot to learn before that. So get off your high horses."


    "I have you to teach me."


    "I don''t teach arrogant fools."


    "Oh c''mon, won''t you teach your pupil''s future husband so he could be a great person in the future and make your pupil happy?"


    "You are shameless¡­" Astramented.


    "One of the qualities of Greatness is shamelessness."


    "¡­" Astra didn''t know what to say.


    This boy was too good with words.


    In the end, she just sighed, then, with a serious look on her face, she spoke up,


    "For now, stop thinking about useless things and focus on the uing Elemental sh.


    Don''t forget,


    I allowed you to train ra because you begged me to,


    But if I don''t see any results..."


    "Please leave that to me, Mother.


    This Elemental sh,


    I promise it would be fun."

 Chapter 134 Fight her

    <h4>Chapter 134 Fight her</h4>


    *Knock* *Knock*


    "Who is it?" Vaan questioned as he heard a knock on the door.


    "It is me, Young Master Vaan, Seraphina Stormweaver." Seraphina replied in a respectful tone.


    "Oh, you are here." Vaan stood up.


    "Wait there, I aming out."


    He then walked out of the room and seeing Seraphina waiting for him, a smile appeared on his face and, "You came here earlier than I expected."


    "I came as soon as I got your letter. Making Young Master wait is thest thing I would do." Seraphina replied, not forgetting to butter Vaan up.


    "Heh."


    A smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    Then he started walking in a certain direction and, "Follow me.", he ordered.


    "Where are we going?" Seraphina questioned with a frown on her face.


    "Be patient, woman." Vaan ordered and Seraphina''s frown deepened.


    Usually, they either met in Vaan''s room or the Guest room, today however, everything felt different. It was the first time Vaan had summoned her himself, he even went as far as saying ''I need your help'' which Seraphina found hard to believe because it went against his personality.


    Initially, Seraphina thought that Vaan wanted more spell directories so she was about to bring around 50 more directories that she had piled up, however, Vaanter mentioned in the letter not to bring any books and onlye as soon as possible.


    Confused, Seraphina just did as she was told and now, she couldn''t hold back her curiosity as Vaan was taking her to apletely different ce.


    "Where is this ce?" Seraphina questioned as she walked into a white room. She didn''t know what this ce was, however, she could sense a rich feelinging from it. She was not an exceptional mage, however, just from seeing the patterns inscribed on the white walls of the room, she could sense endless mysteriousness that once again made her aware that she was inside the strongest Magic Family''s Mansion.


    "It is a Magic Training room that my mother uses," Vaan answered.


    "What¡­?" Seraphina questioned as a ridiculous expression appeared on her face.


    Magic Training Room that the Vaan''s mother used?


    S-She was inside the Vesta Family Head''s personnel Magic Training Room?


    The moment these words started sink into her mind, her body started trembling.


    Magic Training Rooms were already extremely rare, only strong nobles had ess to them while the weaker nobles andmoners could only see them from afar. Although the Vesta Family did rent out these rooms to the general public, not many could afford to use them.


    In these past 28 years of her life, Seraphina had only been inside a Magic Training Room 12 times and all those times, it was just her apanying either her father or some other family members while they test out of the Spell they had learned.


    Honestly, in Seraphina''s eyes, Magic Training Rooms were a scam, they could simply pay someone to rebuild the room after they destroy it, or test their spells in the forest, there was no need to pay such an absurd amount just for some extra privacy.


    Shepletely ignored the healers that the Vesta Family provided who could save you from potential death in case the spell goes wrong, but such was the mind of the poor.


    The poor trusted their guts and went with it, things like paying extra to ensure their health, they couldn''t afford such luxury.


    Thinking about it, Seraphina just shook her head and sighed.


    The Magic Training Rooms that the Vesta Family rented were considered low quality, it was a well-known fact that the Rooms that the Vesta Mages could use for free were of much better quality.


    Today, however, she stood inside possibly the best Magic Training Room there was, a ce where the Vesta Family Head trained her Magic, a legend in themunity of Mages, a ce most Mages would kill to get into, and the man who made it possible just casually sat on the floor and,


    "What are you standing for? There are no chairs here, so you need to sit on the floor."


    Vaan just didn''t care.


    He had already been to this ce so many times that he was sick of it.


    After all, who would like a ce where he gets his ass handed to him every single day, no matter how much that ce meant to others?


    "W-What are we d-doing here, Young Master Vaan?" Seraphina questioned, she didn''t know how to react. She finally recalled that the man in front of him was the only child of Vesta Family Head.


    A true Young Master born with a golden spoon.


    "As I said in the letter, I want your help," Vaan spoke.


    "I am always ready to serve you, Young Master. What do I have to do?" Seraphina questioned, trying to calm herself down and be ''useful''.


    "You need to spar." Vaan replied.


    "Spar?"


    Seraphina tilted her head in confusion.


    She needed to spar?


    Did he call her here just for that?


    Why?


    Although she was a 2nd Circle Mage just like Vaan, it was clear that she was no match for him.


    After all, she wasn''t known for her Magic Skills.


    Despite having all these thoughts, in the end, Seraphina nced at Vaan and nodded,


    "Even though I may becking, I will give my best in sparring so Young Master can train well." She had no other choice.


    "I am not the one who you need to spar with."


    Vaan spoke with a smile on his face.


    "Hm?" Seraphina tilted her head in confusion, however, before she could ask anything,


    "Oh, you are here."


    Vaan quickly stood up and walked passed Seraphina with an excited look on his face.


    Seraphina turned around and soon, her eyes fell on a beautiful red-haired girl who just walked into the room and was hugged by Vaan.


    "V-Vaan." And of course, the moment Vaan hugged her, ra blushed.


    She still wasn''t used to all this.


    Soon, however, ra''s eyes fell on the third person in the room and a frown appeared on her face,


    "L-Lady Seraphina?"


    "Huh? Why are you calling her Lady Seraphina? Just Seraphina is enough." Vaan quickly corrected.


    "Bu-"


    "Just Seraphina."


    "Please call me Seraphina, or Sera, if you would prefer, Lady ra."


    Seraphina, understanding Vaan''s intention, quickly bowed her head and spoke. S


    "Why is she here?" ra, however, turned towards Vaan and questioned.


    No matter what, she still couldn''t forget this woman and treat her normally. After all, she was the root of all her problems and nearly took everything away from her.


    ra was notfortable around Seraphina and both Seraphina and Vaan could sense that.


    "I called her for help." Vaan answered.


    "Help?" ra tilted her head in confusion.


    "Indeed."


    "W-What help do you need? I-I can probably do it as well."


    ra spoke, her face slightly red.


    It was a bold statement that tranted as ''You don''t need her, just tell me what it is and I will do it.''


    ra was being possessive.


    Vaan''s heart smiled in glee.


    Seeing his timid ra acting so strong made him feel happy.


    "Well, she is here to help you, not me." Vaan spoke and soon, a frown appeared on ra''s face as she nced at Seraphina''s face.


    "Spar with her."


    Vaan spoke.


    "What?" ra frowned.


    Vaan then nced at the two women and,


    "The two of you,


    Spar with each other."


    "I need to spar with¡­ her¡­?"


    ra''s expression changed.


    She didn''t wish to say it out loud, however, Seraphina was not her match, at all. Even though she is younger than her, she was far stronger than someone like her.


    Sparring with Seraphina was aplete waste of time.


    And it was not ra looking down on Seraphina, it was just a face. A fact even Seraphina agreed without any shame.


    "Young Master Vaan, I don''t think it would be a fair spar. Lady ra is a 4th Circle Mage, she would not learn anything even if she spars with me 100s of times."


    She spoke.


    Vaan, however, just smiled,


    "I am not talking about Magic Spar."


    "Hmm?" Seraphina tilted her head in confusion.


    "The two of you would fight each other,


    Using your fists."


    "What¡­?"


    "Huh?"


    Both women couldn''t believe what Vaan just said.


    "Fight each other, using Magic is not allowed.


    Now start."


    Vaan spoke, not willing to listen anything.


    He was not a fool, he knew what his fianc¨¦e was capable of, defeating a second-rate mage like Seraphina was as easy as breathing for her.


    However, the same was true for the people ra faces in the Elemental sh as well.


    In terms of skills, ra could overwhelm almost all Basic Mages who went around acting arrogant and taking pride in their strength, however, even if that is the case, she often loses most of her battles.


    Why?


    Because she was afraid to hurt others.


    She is afraid that her spells might injure others, so she never uses them as freely as she can. Her ridiculous kindness andpassion, Vaan needed to work on them if he wanted her to win.


    So the best way he came up with?


    He ced ra in front of the only person she hated and ordered her to punch the fuck out of her.


    He would make her get used to hitting and injuring people, just like him.


    He would make her the best gangs- mage there is.

 Chapter 135 I-I Will Fight.

    ra and Seraphina faced off in the training grounds, the two of them nced at each other, both thinking different things as they continued with their staring contest.


    Seraphina was trying to understand what her ''master'' was trying to do.


    Was it all because of petty revenge? Was this Vaan''s way of making up to his fianc¨¦e? Was he trying to give ra a chance to take out all her anger on her? Honestly, Seraphina didn''t feel that was the case.


    She may not have known this ''new'' Vaan for a long time, however, one thing she did understand was that Vaan was guilty of his past actions.


    This man genuinely cared for his fianc¨¦e and med himself for his foolish actions, yes, Seraphina was wrong for manipting him, however, from what she could understand, in Vaan''s mind, ever since she had signed the contract, everything was over and now it was all his responsibility.


    Vaan wasn''t the type of man to me everything on Seraphina and make ra feel better by taking her anger out on her ''enemy'' and neither was ra the type of woman who would do something like this.


    She was too pure-hearted for that.


    Not to mention that if Vaan and ra had truly wished to take their anger out on her, they wouldn''t be having a fist fight right now, it would have been a magic duel.


    A duel where she stood no chance, however, they didn''t choose it, this made it clear that this was not for just some revenge and at the same time, this also piqued Seraphina''s curiosity. ''What is he trying to achieve?'' She wondered in her head.


    While Seraphina was thinking all this, ra''s worries were on a much smaller level, in front of her stood a woman who ruined her life. There were many things ra wanted to do, however, the best option in her head was to simply ignore this woman.


    She was enjoying her life, she was enjoying the attention Vaan was giving her and she had no ns of taking revenge, rather, she wanted to stay away from Seraphina as much as possible and she wanted Vaan to do the same as well.


    After all, who knew what this woman was capable of? Thest thing she wanted was for things to revert back to how they usually were. ra didn''t think she could take that blow head-on.


    "Start"


    As the two women thought different things, they suddenly heard Vaan''s voice.


    They looked at him, the man nced back at them and, "Do not hold back, give everything you have."


    "As you say, Young Master Vaan."


    Seraphina nodded as she rushed towards ra.


    She couldn''t understand why she was forced into this situation, however, right now, her goal was to serve Vaan and do what he said. After all, she needed to impress him and show her usefulness.


    As she closed the distance and the fight began, Seraphina wasted no time, throwing a flurry of punches at ra. By no means was Seraphina a fighter. Heck, this was the first time she was ever participating in a fist fight.


    Her movements were awkward, unbearably slow and her punches carried close to zero strength. Heck, Vaan wasn''t even sure if those could be called punches.


    ra, on the other hand, had been training with Vaan for thest few days, of course, she wasn''t much of an expert either, her stance, however, was countless times better than her opponent.


    As they say, it is the newbies who improve at the most drastic rates. While there may not be much difference in skill between two middle-level fighters if one of them practiced for a few more days than the other.


    The difference between ra''s and Seraphina''s skill level was enormous.


    ra deftly dodged Seraphina''s attacks, her footwork graceful and evasive.


    Seeing this, Seraphina seemed surprised. She knew her skill wasn''t the best, however, considering that her opponent was the usually timid ra, she didn''t think she would have so much hard time.


    ''Do the Vestas teach fist fighting along with Magic Training?'' Seraphina wondered in her head.


    Her eyes fell on Vaan, another mage who liked to punch his opponents more than using spells to defeat them.


    Suddenly, Seraphina''s eyes met Vaan''s, then, she saw Vaan''s mouth moved,


    ''Don''t hold back.''


    He spoke.


    Seraphina''s mouth twitched.


    ''You think I am holding back?'' She wanted to question, however, since she wanted to show her usefulness, she couldn''t show her weakness here.


    She nodded, then, ring at ra, she increased her speed and started attacking even more recklessly, not caring about the openings she was creating in her stance at all.


    This time, ra panicked, no matter what, she was still new to this, she wasn''t skilled enough to block all of Seraphina''s attacks, she missed one of her punches thatnded on her shoulder, and from that, Seraphina started gaining the upper hand.


    "Ugghh!"


    ra groaned in pain. She tried to dodge her attacks and create distance, however, Seraphina wasn''t giving her any chance to do that. Since her strategy of attacking relentlessly seemed to be working, Seraphina stuck to it.


    "Don''t just be on defensive, start attacking if you want to win."


    Suddenly, ra heard Vaan''s voice.


    "You have been training with me for the past few days, show me the result of that. You may not know, however, this is Seraphina''s first fight, she has never done this before.


    You are fighting aplete newbie.


    So if you lose here, you will not only embarrass yourself but also me, who trained you."


    ra''s expression changed.


    She wasn''t shocked by what Vaan said, actually, she could already guess with how Seraphina carried herself that she was new to this, however, the problem was,


    She couldn''t find any openings.


    Seraphina''s attacks were relentless, ra had no way to break through her barrage of attacks and fight back.


    And as if Vaan knew what his fianc¨¦e was thinking, he spoke, "Don''t think there are no openings, there are countless of them you can use. You just have to repeat what you did against me and this will be as easy as walking in a park. The only thing you need to do is to prepare your mind."


    ra nodded, her fists poised to strike and just as Vaan said, the moment she put her mind into it, she found an opening, her body moved on its own as her hand quickly found her way towards Seraphina''s face, however, the moment she was about to hit her.


    ra hesitated.


    Seraphina used this chance to push her away. ra fell on the ground.


    There was a big difference between sparring with Seraphina and sparring with Vaan. In thetter case, she knew that no matter what she did, he would be able to dodge or block her attack, Seraphina, however, was different.


    With how shocked she looked when her punch reached her, ra could tell that Seraphina was not prepared for her punch at all. If she hit her, she would actually get hurt and the moment she realized that, ra hesitated.


    Her problem of being unable to hurt others, even if her enemy is a woman who nearly ruined her life, even if the ''hurting'' part here was a simple bruise that could be healed within a few days even without taking any medicine, ra still hesitated.


    That was just how pure hearted she was.


    Of course, Seraphina didn''t know what was going on, seeing that her opponent had fallen and how Vaan still hadn''t intervened, she dashed towards ra, not wanting to give her time to stabilize herself, however,


    Before Seraphina could press her advantage, Vaan''s voice cut through the tension like a thunderp. "That''s enough!" hemanded as he stepped between the two girls.


    Both girls froze, their attention turning to Vaan. He approached ra, offering her a hand to help her up. She epted it, her cheeks flushed with a mixture of embarrassment, relief and guilt.


    "Are you alright?" He questioned with a worried look on his face.


    "I apologize¡­" ra lowered her head.


    She knew she hesitated. This was a fight she could win, however, just like before, she hesitated again. "Maybe I am not fit for this¡­" She muttered with a dejected look on her face.


    Vaan momentarily turned silent.


    Seeing him like that, ra seemed even more disappointed and started ming herself inwardly.


    "Alright, I guess we can give up."


    Suddenly, Vaan spoke up.


    "Hmm?" ra tilted her head in confusion.


    "The Elemental sh, if ra doesn''t wish to fight, then we will take out your name from it." Vaan spoke as he gently held ra''s right cheek.


    "It may harm mother''s image a little if her disciple didn''t participate and I would lose some Elemental Stones, but it doesn''t really matter, we will figure something ou-"


    "No."


    ra spoke.


    Her eyes were different than before.


    "I-I want to try again."


    She spoke, hearing those words, a small smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    Yes, he was manipting her emotionally, however, he had no choice. ra''s talent was too strong for her to remain passive.


    Astra was not a fool, she knew her disciple couldn''t fight, she didn''t like fighting, ideally, she should have just taken her name out of thepetition and should have allowed ra to deal with things at her own pace,


    However, ra''s talent was too strong for that.


    With her talent, it was only a matter of time before she became a 7th Circle Advance Mage.


    A 7th Circle Mage who couldn''t fight, just how scary is that?


    If ra stayed like this, then Astra feared that she would turn into an open target.


    This was the reason she wanted ra to change, even a little and this was the reason why Vaan was going this far. His ra, he would make sure that she does note off as an easy target.


    "G-Give me that."


    Suddenly, ra demanded.


    "What?" Vaan tilted his head in confusion, but then, ra''s answer made him widen his eyes,


    "Alcohol,


    Give me alcohol."


    ra demanded.

 Chapter 136 You Are So Weak~

    Both fighters were given a short break because of ra''s sudden and surprising demand, Vaan ordered Gabel to bring some alcohol, however, when he was making a shot for ra to drink, the girl boldly grabbed the Bottle and drank the contents in one go,


    Without water.


    "¡­"


    Vaan who was carefully making her shot blinked in surprise with the ss still in his hand, he was in the middle of mixing the alcohol with water, however, when his mind finally registered what ra had done, he panicked.


    "E-ra! What are you doing!?"


    He ced the ss down and rushed towards his fianc¨¦e.


    "What¡­?" ra tilted her head in confusion as she questioned, the taste of alcohol was bitter, and since it was her first time drinking it like that, the taste that still lingered on her tongue made her feel strange.


    "Should have I not done that¡­? Would the alcohol not work anymore¡­?" ra questioned.


    "No! You are not supposed to drink it like that! It can be dangerous!" Vaan warned.


    "How would it be dangerous¡­? You are telling me that drinking it with water is good but drinking it without water is dangerous, Vaan, how does that make sense? You sometimes act so silly Vaan, you are so cute~"


    ra chuckled.


    Then, she looked into Vaan''s eyes and, "Anyways, just answer my question, would it not work without water? Do I need to drink another bottle? How about I drink water now? It eventually goes into my tummy, doesn''t it? I think it would mix there if I drink water now." ra spoke as she tried to grab the bottle of water from Vaan.


    "¡­"


    Vaan turned silent for a while as he ced the bottle away and gently held ra in his arms. As she finally got support, ra let go of her body and pushed all her weight onto Vaan. She was toozy to stand on her own.


    Vaan was there to carry her anyway, wasn''t he?


    Thinking about it, ra chuckled to herself.


    Vaan, who was observing her all this while replied, "It is already working."


    "Hmm?" ra tilted her head as she nced at Vaan.


    "Alcohol, it is already working."


    "I don''t feel any different¡­" ra replied,pletely oblivious to the changed air around her. Not to mention her red face due to intoxication.


    "Heh, so you are telling me it is the sober ra hugging her fianc¨¦ because she loves him so much? I am d." Vaan smiled and when ra finally realized what she has been doing, she blinked in surprise.


    Then, she buried her face into Vaan''s chest and didn''t say anything.


    Vaan was helpless.


    Being hugged by his adorable fianc¨¦e felt so good that hepletely forgot his ''crush'' who stood behind the two of them and observed them with a ridiculous look on her face.


    ''Did they call me here to make me the third wheel?''


    Seraphina wondered in her head.


    How was she supposed to act in this situation?


    Should she interrupt them?


    Or should she just continue watching?


    She always did her best not to get on Vaan''s bad side, however, right now, she couldn''t understand what was the best course of action to do that.


    Both options seemed bad.


    And as if she sensed Seraphina''s worry, ra suddenly moved her face away from Vaan''s chest and nced at Seraphina,


    "You¡­"


    She called out, her voice bing tipsy.


    "Y-Yes?" Seraphina stepped forward, not knowing how to react.


    "Let''s start another round," ra spoke as a weirdly confident smile appeared on her face.


    "H-Huh? Oh, okay." Seraphina nodded.


    ra then stepped away from Vaan, since she now had to carry her weight herself, she momentarily lost bnce, however, before Vaan could catch her again, she stopped him and corrected her stance.


    Then, she nced at Seraphina, and with the same confident smile on her face, she nced at Seraphina and, "Are you ready?"


    Seraphina, on the other hand, nced at Vaan, waiting for his confirmation. After all, with how ra looked like she was barely standing, Seraphina doubted she was in any condition to fight.


    She had seen how ra had drank aplete bottle in one gulp, Seraphina didn''t think she could fight, therefore, she wanted Vaan''s permission before doing anything.


    The Drunk ra, however, didn''t like that.


    She stepped in front of Vaan and with her eyes narrowed, "Seraphina Stormweaver." She called out.


    "Y-Yes?" Seraphina was taken aback. There was a strange power in ra''s voice.


    "You look at me when you talk to me, is that clear?" ra spoke.


    "Y-Yes, I understand."


    Seraphina nodded without realizing it.


    This was the first time ra had talked to her in that tone.


    "Now, I will ask you again,


    Are you ready or do you need more time to prepare?" ra questioned, from how she acted, she sounded like a highly esteemed noble, if you of course, ignore the fact that her face was red due to intoxication and she could barely stand.


    "I-I am ready." Seraphina nodded, this time, she answered without looking at Vaan. Not that she had the option to ask for his permission since ra still stood in front of his fianc¨¦.


    "Then I aming."


    Saying those words, ra rushed towards Seraphina.


    The Drunk ra was different, she didn''t care about reservations and fears the Sober ra had, or more urately, her mind didn''t have the capacity to think about all that.


    She approached the second round of the fight with newfound determination, her mind free from the thoughts that had once restricted her actions.


    As the battle resumed, ra''s movements were swift and precise. Her fists struck with a newfound strength, and her footwork was agile and relentless. Of course, the excess of alcohol did affect her body bnce to some extent, however, against someone who waspletely new to fighting like this, ra was an overwhelming opponent.


    Seraphina couldn''t even understand where ra''s punches came from, she was barely holding on with the help of her instincts and the fact that ra was notpletely right in her mind, however, as ra adapted, or more urately, as she made her mind about hitting Seraphina for sure,


    Things got difficult for the poor secretary.


    *Bam*


    ra''s first punch finallynded right on Seraphina''s nose.


    "Ugghh!" Seraphina groaned in pain as she held her nose.


    ra, however, rushed forward and punched again, this time, aiming at Seraphina''s stomach.


    "Aaahh!"


    From then, the chain started.


    Each punchnded with a satisfying thud, and it was evident that Seraphina was on the defensive.


    Seraphina, who had previously held the upper hand, now struggled to keep up with ra''s unrelenting assault. She could no longer think about impressing Vaan or anything like that anymore. She had been holding back in order to not hurt ra all this while, however, she realized she couldn''t do that anymore.


    Thinking about that, she tried to counterattack, this time, without any reservation whatsoever, however,


    As she moved forward to push ra away, the drunk girl simply rolled away, then, she pped the back of Seraphina''s head using all her strength.


    *p*


    Seraphina lost her bnce.


    "Why are you so weak?" ra questioned in her tipsy tone.


    Seraphina didn''t have the time to reply, she was trying to regain her bnce and punch ra again, ra however, ducked, dodging the punch and as she stood up, she hit Seraphina''s chin with her head.


    "Ouch!" Seraphina groaned in pain, she could feel her vision blurring.


    "You are quite slow as well. Have you never fought anyone before? Have you never trained your body? I heard your Magic Talent was quite bad, so shouldn''t you at the very least be focusing on your body instead?" ra questioned as she started to ponder why the girl in front of her was so weak.


    Then, as if she got her answer, her eyes brightened up and,


    "Ah, I got it! You were busy trying to steal others'' fianc¨¦s!


    That is why you came out to be so useless! It all makes sense now!"


    Drunk ra was savage.


    Seraphina didn''t know how to answer ra''s questions, she felt a sense of helplessness as she fought ra, the girl was barely standing, just one punch, or even a small interrupt in her rhythm would be enough to make her fall on the ground,


    Yet, here she was, in pain and unable to process what was happening.


    Drunk ra was just that strong, from start to finish, Seraphina stood no chance.


    Then suddenly, Seraphina felt an acute pain in her head,


    "Aahh!" She screamed as she realized ra was pulling her hair. She opened her eyes, wanting to surrender, but her body froze when she noticed ra''s face right on top of her.


    She was ring at her with an intimidating look on her face.


    *Gulp*


    Seraphina gulped.


    "Stay away from Vaan."


    Suddenly, ra spoke.


    This time, her voice was not tipsy, with how clear her eyes looked, she didn''t even look intoxicated.


    Seraphina even felt like her intoxicated act was all an act,


    However,


    Before she could analyze this situation even further,


    A heavy punchnded on her face and she passed out.


    The ''spar'' ended.

 Chapter 137 Be Her Punching Bag.

    Seraphina''s eyelids trembled, slowly opening her eyes, her brows furrowed in confusion when saw an unfamiliar ceiling on top of her. Finding herself in such a situation, it didn''t take long for her dizzy mind return to normal, she quickly sat up, feeling slight pain on her face as did and soon, memories of what happened before she passed out freshened up in her mind.


    ''ra¡­''


    She thought inwardly, clearly remembering how that girl overpowered her. Unwittingly, Seraphina''s hand moved towards her nose.


    She then started looking around, trying to figure out where she was. The room was quite exquisite, it was much grander than her room back in the Stormweaver Mansion, the bed was extremelyfortable, and expensive tapestries lined the walls, depicting scenes of grandeur and victory, gilded furniture, silken draperies, and ornate chandeliers adorned the space.


    ''Heh, I can''t believe that even a random room here is much better than one of the best rooms in our Mansion.'' A wry smile appeared on Seraphina''s face.


    It didn''t take her long to realize that she was still in the Vesta Mansion, after she passed out in her spar against ra, they must have brought her here and seeing as how she wasn''t experiencing much pain, the medics must have healed her injuries as well.


    ''Heh, as expected of the Vesta Family¡­ their grandeur is not something a normal person canprehend.''


    Seraphina shook her head as she chuckled.


    While she thought all that, the doors of the room suddenly opened and a servant walked in.


    It was a familiar face.


    "Lily¡­" Seraphina called out with a strange expression on her face.


    She didn''t know how to react in front of his previous personnel maid of her. From what Seraphina suspected, her current condition wasrgely due to the information Lily had leaked, in her eyes, Lily had ced the entire Stormweaver Family in a situation where they were nothing but official ves who worked under Young Master Vaan.


    But even then, Seraphina couldn''t me this woman.


    After all, he was the one who betrayed her first. If she hadn''t abandoned her, Vaan wouldn''t have gotten the chance to break through her defenses and get her on his side.


    It was all Vaan''s trap and she fell right into it.


    "You are awake," Lily spoke as she looked into Seraphina''s eyes. "I shall inform the Young Master, he will be here soon, meanwhile, please eat some fruits, it will hasten your recovery." As she said those words, she moved a table next to Seraphina''s bed.


    Seeing her acting like that, Seraphina understood how her previous maid wanted to y it out.


    Complete ignorance.


    Unlike Seraphina, who was still stuck withplicated emotions and didn''t know how to deal with her maid, Lily had no such reservations. She treated Seraphina like a normal guest of the Master she served,pletely ignoring her previous rtionship with her.


    This was Lily''s way of severing all ties with Seraphina.


    After all, who would want to stay close to a woman who can abandon you any minute for her own benefit?


    Seraphina smiled wryly, no words came out of her mouth and she simply nodded.


    "I will be taking my leave." Lily bowed her head as she walked away.


    Seraphina''s eyes then fell on the fruits that Lily had left and soon, she realized that they weren''t even cut, they were just ced on a table along with a knife, it was as if Lily was saying, ''Don''t expect me to work for you, I only serve Young Master. If you wish to eat fruits, cut them yourself.''


    ''Heh.'' A smile appeared on Seraphina''s face as she picked a fruit and the knife and started eating.


    After all, she had nothing better to do.


    10 minutester, the doors of the room opened again and Vaan walked in.


    "Hm?"


    Vaan tilted his head in confusion when he saw how Seraphina was the one peeling the apple for herself but soon, he realized what happened and smiled wryly as well, "I should have asked someone else to do it, that woman was a bad choice."


    Seraphina looked into Vaan''s eyes, she didn''t know if he genuinely meant his words of whether it was just one of his mind games and honestly, she didn''t care,


    "It is alright, Young Master Vaan. I am already grateful that the Medics of the Vesta Family have treated me, I am actually in quite a good condition right now, so this isn''t very difficult for me."


    Her answer was as polite as ever.


    Vaan looked into her eyes for a while, then, he just smiled, "Well, I was the one who called you for help, so of course I would have the medics treat you. I know this is a bit difficult, but I want you to hold out for the next few days, you are the only one I can rely on right now."


    "Next few days¡­?" Suddenly, Seraphina''s expression changed.


    "That is correct. I want you toe here and spar with ra for the next few days, if you want, you can even stay here in the Vesta Mansion, I can have the servants arrange a better room for you. This one was prepared in a hurry."


    Vaan replied and Seraphina frowned in confusion.


    She could understand if it was just for one day, ra must have been frustrated by everything she had done to her directly or indirectly and Vaan must have wanted her to take her anger out on her.


    But they wanted to continue this for the next few days¡­?


    What¡­?


    She couldn''t understand, was her performance not satisfactory enough? She was told to gather Spell Directories and she did, in fact, she gathered so many that in the end, Vaan had to give up and was forced to order her not to bring any more directories till asked.


    She even tried to recruit Advance Mage Eliza Vesta to Vaan''s side.


    Did she perhaps miss something?


    Something that Vaan wanted her to do and she failed to notice?


    Seraphina''s mind started moving. However, no matter how she thought about it, nothing came to her mind.


    "I need to continue sparring with Lady ra for the next few days¡­?" Seraphina asked again, wanting to confirm if she missed something.


    "Yes."


    "But Lady ra is already stronger than me¡­ Unlike the air she gives, she is actually quite an expert when ites to physical fights, I don''t see any reason for her to waste her time on me, especially when Elemental sh is around the corner. Wouldn''t it be better for her to prepare for Elemental sh rather than doing this?"


    Seraphina questioned.


    She knew her method was tactless. One of the most important things one had to take note of while serving a Young Master was to never question their decisions since it might hurt their tiny egos, as long as one remained loyal and agreed to everything their Master said, they would have an easy life in the future.


    Here, however, this tactic couldn''t work, it was okay if it was just a one-time thing, but Seraphina wasn''t willing to get beaten up every single day. She had toe up with something to get out of this situation.


    "This is her preparing for the Elemental sh."


    Vaan, however, gave a ridiculous answer.


    "What?"


    Seraphina blinked, her mouth remained open due to surprise.


    "Sparring with you is ra''s way of preparing for the Elemental sh."


    "Young Master Vaan, I do not understand, what would she ge-"


    "Ability to hurt her opponents, that is what she would get out of this. Surprisingly, or non-surprisingly, you are the only person in the entire world that girl hates, I wanted to use that hate to get her to willingly attack you, yet even then, I was forced to get her intoxicated for that to work.


    Of course, it isn''t a long-term situation, I can''t have her drink alcohol before every fight in order to win, therefore, I want her to get used to beating people up and to do that,


    She will be fighting you every day, each day, I would reduce the alcohol she needs, till the point where she won''t need it anymore and can beat you up without being under the influence of any drinks.


    Till we achieve that,


    You need to be her punching bag."


    This was Vaan''s grand n, get ra used to punching people, then once she isfortable, she would shift to Magic Spars where ra uses Magic to hurt her opponents. In Vaan''s head, it was only the degree of injury that is increased, it shouldn''t be much difficult for his ra from that stage.


    After all, he didn''t start with directly breaking bones either. It was a slow process where he grew from pulling hair, poking eyes, to punching heavily and breaking bones.


    His little gangster will take small steps to grow and he will apany her throughout her journey.


    "¡­"


    Seraphina didn''t know how to react to those words¡­


    Punching bag¡­?


    Was this the ''help'' this bastard wanted from her¡­?


    "Alright, don''t look so dejected, if it makes you feel any better, you aren''t the only punching bag I have in my mind, you have partners."


    "What¡­?" Seraphina blinked. Was that supposed to make her feel better?


    But even then, curiosity got the better of her and, "Who are they?" She questioned.


    "Asher and the party."


    Vaan spoke with a big smile on his face.


    "It has been a while since Asher has been useful."

 Chapter 138 Focus On The Elemental Clash.

    "So you finally decided to visit me."


    Risia Elysia Vesta, a woman who held quite a lot of power in the Vesta Family spoke with a smile on her face as her son walked into her room.


    "I was busy."


    Eldric spoke calmly.


    "It took you 2 days to meet your mother after returning to your home after an entire year, this makes me quite sad."


    "Mother, you would havee and met me if that was true."


    Eldric was not in the mood to y any games.


    Sensing his sour mood, a slight frown appeared on Risia''s face, then, however, she quickly realized the possible reason behind it,


    "So you have met them."


    Shemented.


    Eldric narrowed his eyes, his annoyance was clear on his face,


    "That bastard has gotten close to her."


    Ever since he returned and met Vaan and ra that day, Eldric has been researching. Unlike Lirael and Vaelen, he didn''t go to his father to get all the information, he worked on its own and in two days, he understood everything that happened in the Vesta House in thest year he had been in the academy.


    Obviously, this included the changed Vaan and how that bastard has been getting closer to his fianc¨¦e, the girl he had his eyes on.


    And Eldric did not take that well.


    Seeing him act like that, Risia couldn''t help but chuckle, "You talk like you actually love that girl. It is so amusing."


    "That doesn''t matter, that bastard is touching what I had my eyes on and I cannot allow that."


    "That girl is his fianc¨¦e, Eldric." Risia replied and as she did, Eldric nced at his mother and narrowed his eyes,


    "Why are you acting like you are on his side? Do not forget, all of this was your n to begin with."


    A yful smile then appeared on Risia''s face and, "I can''t help it, seeing your annoyed face is quite fun."


    "Is that so¡­


    Well it is good if it is just that,


    I thought you gave up just like you gave up during the previous Battle of Heirs."


    Eldric replied and the moment he did, the yful smile on his mother''s face disappeared.


    "You have gotten quite bold. Did the year you spent in the academy between trashes get into your head?"


    "I wasn''t informed when something so important happened, so I just thought tha-"


    "That is enough.


    You can leave."


    "Mothe-"


    "Well, I already gave up like I did previously, so there is no point in talking to me, now is there?"


    "I lost control over my emotions, I apologize."


    "And why does that matter to me?"


    Risia questioned with an unbothered look on her face.


    "Because you are my mother."


    "I didn''t know you could talk like that to your mother, if I had done the same with mine, I would have long been kicked out of the family."


    Risia then nced at Eldric and, "I wonder I would have fared if that happened. Especially if I was someone as weak as a mere 4th Circle Mage.


    A Direct Descendent of the Vesta Family kicked out, I wonder what strong rogue mages would have done if that news was revealed."


    "¡­"


    Eldric lowered his head and turned silent. Of course, even a fool could tell what Risia was talking about.


    He realized that he pushed his luck too far.


    Risia maybe his mother and care for him, but that didn''t mean she would let him do whatever he wanted.


    "I apologize, mother. I let my anger get the better of me.


    My mind is still wrapped around the time I met the two of them and how hatefully that bastard was ring at me."


    "Focus on the Elemental sh."


    Suddenly, Risia spoke up.


    "Huh?" As his mother''s sudden words, Eldric frowned.


    Risia then nced at Eldric and started,


    "You are a 43-year-old 4th Circle Mage, just like that boy said in the meeting, that is below you are far behind by what is generally expected from a Vesta Prospective Heir.


    However, the good news is, yourpetition is the same.


    In terms of Magic talent, Lirael, Vaelen and you are not much different than each other.


    Even if we put Vaan into the equation, a 20-year-old 2nd Circle Mage, at best, that boy''s talent isparable to yours. Considering his age, he shouldn''t be much of a threat."


    A solemn look appeared on Risia''s face as shepleted, "That is if we ignore thoseplex Advanced Circles he has created."


    "I have heard about them, I couldn''t believe that waste actually managed to create something like that. No, he is not a waste, he was acting and ying us like fools all this time, wasn''t he?"


    "That is what we suspect and I believe Astra was in on this as well." Risia nodded. No one just one day wakes up and bes a Magic Genius who can create Advance Magic Circles that no has ever seen before.


    "Anyways, that doesn''t really matter.


    That boy does have a significant advantage because of his Magic Circles, however, you do not have to worry about that.


    Vaan is too young to be a threat to you, as for his circles, I am studying it every single day, I will figure out the key behind it eventually and once that happens, he won''t have that advantage over you.


    So stop worrying about anything and focus on the Elemental sh.


    Valean won three 4th Tier Elemental sh consecutively before advancing to be the 5th Circle Mage, if you want to show your superiority, you can''t stay behind him. You need at least 4 wins by the time you be 5th Circle Mage.


    And to do that, you need to start from this year.


    Win.


    And keep winning for the nexting years.


    Show your dominance.


    Show them how you are much better than any of your peers.


    Give Astra a real reason to see you as an actual Prospective Heir, that is your only goal. Do you understand?"


    Risia spoke with a serious look on her face.


    "I understand." Eldric nodded.


    Risia nodded back and ordered, "Now go back."


    Eldric, however, didn''t move. "What about ra?" He questioned.


    The main reason he came here was not to listen to some motivating words, he knew he had to win, he was sure he would win.


    However, Eldric knew that even if he won for the next 10 years, it wouldn''t matter if he didn''t get his hands on ra.


    A 21-year-old 4th Circle Mage, an absurd talent that even overpowered the current head of the Vesta Family, who was already known to be one of the best Family Heads of the Vesta Family throughout history.


    If Eldric could marry her and get her on his side, bing the next heir was only a matter of time, the same, however, was true for Vaan as well.


    If Vaan, who was already ra''s fianc¨¦ managed to marry her, his chances of bing the next Head would shoot up even if he is currently quite young.


    At first, this wasn''t really a problem because everyone knew Vaan was a fool who knew nothing about the world, two days ago, however, when Eldric noticed how Vaan had managed to seduce ra, nearly ruining all the work he had done for so many years, he realized that Vaan was dangerous.


    He could see what Vaan was aiming for and there was no way he would allow that.


    But the problem was that nothing came to Eldric''s mind.


    He also heard how Vaan beat up the three Mages who annoyed him, that alone was troubling because this made it clear that he couldn''t use his subordinates against Vaan or ra.


    This was why he came to his mother to seek her help. As the Blood sibling of the current Family Head and a 7th Circle Mage, Risia held a lot of power in her hands, she must have some way to help him out.


    Risia, however, shook her head.


    "As I said, only focus on the Elemental sh. Stop thinking about anything else."


    "But what if Vaan marries ra? Won''t our n fail?" Eldric couldn''t understand what his mother was thinking.


    "Inside the Vesta City, Vaan is invincible, that boy has the biggest backer one could possibly hope for."


    Risia spoke with a grave look as she recalled how Astra had warned her not to make any more foolish moves.


    Risia was nning on taking that threat seriously.


    "So do we just watch in silence as ra is taken away from me?"


    Eldric questioned as he narrowed his eyes.


    "I never said that."


    Risia spoke.


    "You said Vaan is invincible because he has Lady Astra supporting him and since he is invincible, as long as he doesn''t willingly leave ra, there is nothing I can do."


    "I said he was invincible inside the Vesta City."


    "Huh?"


    Suddenly, Edric''s expression changed.


    "You are nning to¡­"


    "Yes, it is high time Vaan joins the Agresia Academy, he has been living far toofortable of a life inside these walls." Risia smiled.


    "So you are nning to send him to the academy with us."


    Eldric spoke with a wide smile on his face, then, however, he frowned,


    "But what if Lady Astra intervenes like she did before?"


    "Well, she had a reason to intervene before, now, with Vaan''s talent revealed, she can''t use that reason anymore."


    Risia shrugged, then, a yful smile appeared on her face and,


    "And even then, if she uses her authority to get Vaan to stay here,


    I will make sure that at least ra is sent with you.


    I can leave the rest to you, correct?"


    Risia questioned as she looked into her son''s eyes and Eldric''s smile couldn''t be any wider.


    "I just need to spend a few nights alone with her and everything will be in my hands."

 Chapter 139 I am not lying!

    <h4>Chapter 139 I am not lying!</h4>


    "I just need to spend a few nights alone with her and everything will be in my hands,"


    Elric spoke with a big smile on his face.


    "You seem quite confident." Risia chuckled.


    "I am. I wasn''t making any moves because of the age difference, I was nning to get ra make the first move and as more time passes and the age difference dilutes out, I was going to seal the deal,


    But I guess I can''t use that n anymore.


    I didn''t think that fool would pose any problems in my ns.


    Actually, I would prefer the second option, I don''t want Vaan there with ra, with how that bastard was sticking to her and was trying to take her out of my sight, I highly doubt he would let me spend the time I want to spend with her."


    Elric replied as he considered all the possibilities. No matter how he thought about it, Vaan still came out as a thorn in his eyes, if possible, he preferred to stay away from him.


    Risia, however, was against that n.


    "That is only the worst-case scenario. If it is possible to get Vaan to join the Academy, we need to do it.


    Vaan cannot be allowed to stay here in the Vesta Mansion."


    "Huh? Why is that?"


    Elric frowned in confusion.


    "The more time Vaan spends in the Vesta Mansion, the better his image would be."


    "¡­" Elric turned silent as he focused on his mother''s words.


    "Ever since that boy has revealed that circle, his image in the Family''s eyes has changed, from a waste, Vaan has not only be a Mage who made a world-changing discovery in his 20s, he has also be one of the strongest 2nd Circle Mages.


    Vaan is currently proving his ''Absoluteness'', with his Advance Circles, he is showing off his ability to be able to defeat any 2nd Circle Mage.


    Of course, it may not be much right now, but in theing years, as he grows, that absoluteness will be stronger and stronger and the same could be said for its effect.


    The Strongest 3rd Circle Mage, the Strongest 4th Circle Mage, the Strongest 5th Circle and continue¡­


    The Magic Circles he created are just that logic-defying.


    If Vaan is given time and is allowed to stay in the Vesta Family any longer, he will start attracting people. His Faction, which is currently non-existent would start getting stronger and stronger, and due to his strong background, the process would be even faster.


    If that happens, then even if you get ra by your side, it wouldn''t really matter since in the end, ra would still be Astra''s pupil, even if she marries you, her support for you will always be unstable, this would be truer in that girl''s case considering her weak personality."


    Risia exined.


    "We need to be especially quick in this matter. Vaan needs to be sent to the Agresia academy and since he wouldn''t be invincible there, it will be your duty to keep him in line. Use 3rd Circle Mages or other strong connections you have built in the Academy to harass him.


    Break his confidence, slow down his progress, ruin his image, and keep this up till the next heir is decided.


    Of course, I know you already know this, but keep in mind, no matter what happens, do not do something that puts Vaan''s life in danger.


    As the child of Vesta Family, you cannot hurt another Vesta, he will be one of yourpetent subordinates in the future, so always stay within your boundaries, is that clear?"


    Risia spoke with a serious look on her face as she nced at her child.


    "Yes, mother. I am not a child anymore, I know what to do and what not to do.


    I wish to live a long life, so I won''t do anything foolish no matter how desperate the situation is."


    "Good." Risia nodded with a light smile on her face.


    "Anyways, I am sure Vaelen and Lirael will be trying to suppress Vaan as well, if you can, try teaming up with them.


    It is always better to be together than to attack from two different ends and unintentionally nullify the other''s attack."


    "I do not need their help, mother.


    I am not someone who shakes hands with my enemies.


    Don''t forget, those two siblings are even bigger of a threat than that bastard."


    Elric replied and although she smiled as a reply, a strange look appeared on her face,


    "I hope that is the case¡­"


    However, for some reason, Risia felt like what she was hoping for would note true.


    Vaan Astra Vesta, that boy troubled her. The sudden change and him bing the new Prospective Heir,


    She could tell that all of that was not a mere coincidence,


    Something didn''t feel right.


    All this while, they have been underestimating the only son of one of the strongest Mages in the world,


    Risia considered herself to be a fairly cautious and thorough woman, so for someone as cautious and thorough as her to not have even the slightest inkling of the talent that boy hid from the entire world for so many years,


    Risia felt that something was wrong, very wrong. She felt like she was ignoring something she shouldn''t be ignoring.


    "Anyways, I will follow Mother''s words and focus on the Elemental sh.


    Please start preparing for the next meeting and convince Lady Astra to send ra and Vaan to the Academy together with us all.


    Also,


    Look forward to me emerging as the strongest Mage of our Younger Generation this year."


    Elric spoke with a confident look on his face.


    Hearing his words, Risia came out of her reverie and smiled.


    "Alright Alright, I hope you don''t let me down, now leave.


    I need some free time to think about certain things."


    Elric bowed his head as he then walked out of the room.


    His mind was still thinking about how Vaan took ra away right from his eyes.


    ''If only the Elemental sh wasn''t divided into different tiers, I would have taken care of you right there and then.''


    A scary thought appeared in Elric''s mind as he started walking towards the Magic Training room.


    In the end, he would let his anger out on the Practice Dummies.


    ¡­


    On the other side, Vaan, who was returning after talking to Seraphina was about to visit his fianc¨¦e.


    Obviously, after drinking aplete bottle without water, ra''s condition was anything but good, he made sure to ce her on the bed and put her to sleep before he met Seraphina, however, he still wanted to check in on his future wife before going and train with his father.


    With a carefree look on his face, Vaan walked towards ra''s room, but then suddenly, his legs froze.


    The door of ra''s room was slightly opened.


    Vaan made sure to close the door before he left, he even strictly ordered the servants to not enter ra''s room so none of them would dare to walk in, then why¡­


    Why was the door open?


    Vaan''s heart felt heavy.


    Something was wrong.


    Something was extremely wrong¡­


    *Step* *Step*


    With slow steps, Vaan walked towards ra''s room, the closer he walked, the more he felt like he shouldn''t walk in, however, his worry for his fianc¨¦e overpowered the warnings his instincts gave,


    He barged into the room and the moment he did,


    He regretted his choice.


    The Family Head of the Vesta Family was sitting inside the room with a solemn look on her face. Her pupil''s head was resting on herp, she was gently ruffling ra''s hair, however, the moment Astra''s eyes fell on Vaan, her expression changed.


    "Come in."


    She ordered even though Vaan was already inside the room.


    *Gulp*


    Vaan gulped.


    He understood her message as he locked the room from inside. Once he was done, he turned around and looked into his mother''s eyes, waiting for her to start.


    "What did I tell you?"


    Astra questioned, her voice sounded calm, however, from her expression alone, Vaan could tell that this wasn''t going to be a good day.


    "W-What?"


    "I told you not to give her any more alcohol, what if she turns into an addict?" Astra questioned, her voice higher than before.


    "I am pretty sure you didn''t say anything like that, you started enquiring what happened between us." Vaan''s answer was quick.


    However, as quick as it was,


    It was not the current answer.


    "Are you saying that I am lying?" Astra narrowed her eyes.


    "I-I meant that ra was the one who asked for it." Vaan quickly changed his words.


    "And you want me to believe that?" Astra raised her eyebrow.


    "Huh?"


    "You want me to believe that ra came to you and said, ''Give me alcohol?''


    Do you think I am a fool?"


    Astra didn''t believe Vaan''s words even for the slightest second.


    "I am not lying! Believe me!


    She was the one who asked for it!


    You can even ask Seraphi-"


    Vaan wanted to clear his name, but then,


    "Vaan~ I caaan''t drink anymore~ Stooop giving me mooore~"


    ra muttered in her sleep and a ridiculous expression appeared on Vaan''s face.

 Chapter 140 Teacher is weird…

    <h4>Chapter 140 Teacher is weird¡­</h4>


    "I am not lying!


    She was the one who asked for it!


    You can even ask Seraphi-"


    "Vaan~ I caaan''t drink anymore~ Stop giving me mooore~"


    Before Vaan could say anything else, ra muttered in her sleep and the moment she did, Astra nced at her son with a cold look on her face.


    "So you are telling me that this angel of mine is lying?"


    Astra questioned as she raised her eyebrow, obviously, she had zero trust in Vaan when it came to taking care of ra.


    This boy was corrupting her little angel.


    Seeing how his mother was looking at him with doubtful eyes, Vaan felt wronged,


    "She must be talking about the first time, I ept, I did push her a little drink more that time, today however, I did not do anything, she was the one who asked for it, actually, I didn''t even have the chance to stop her today, she drank the entire bottle in one gulp."


    Vaan exined.


    Astra, however, shook her head, "I can''t imagine ra asking for alcohol and gulping the entire bottle down."


    "I know! I can''t imagine that either, even though I saw it with my own eyes!


    Mother, you have to trust your son on this one."


    Vaan spoke as he looked into Astra''s eyes with a serious look on his face.


    "Hmmm."


    Astra turned silent.


    Then, she nced at her pupil who was still sleeping on herp, and decided,


    "Let''s ask her."


    "Should we really wake her up for something like this¡­?" Vaan questioned. He didn''t want to wake ra up, especially when she was sleeping so peacefully.


    Astra, however, was unusually strict on her pupil, "I allowed her to sleep for more than 18 hours yesterday because it was her first time drinking alcohol. It was supposed to be a one-time thing, yet here she is, drunk and out again.


    If this continues, her sleep schedule will mess up, which will eventually affect her casting speed and overall performance.


    I cannot allow that."


    "¡­I understand." Vaan didn''t even bother arguing, from the look in his mother''s eyes, he could tell it would be useless.


    "ra, wake up," Astra spoke as she gently tapped on ra''s cheeks.


    Seeing that, Vaan couldn''t help but pout inwardly, to think the difference in treatment was this huge. If it was him, he was sure that Astra would be pulling and twisting his ears to wake him up, yet in ra''s case, it was the most gentle and affectionate tap on her cheek.


    "mm¡­ hmm??"


    ra''s eyelids moved.


    She then tried to change her position, however, realizing that there was not much space to move her head, she momentarily opened her eyes. Her vision was still blurry, but then, she heard a muffled voice,


    "ra."


    "ra."


    "ra, wake up."


    The more she heard it, the clearer the sound got, ra''s vision cleared up and then, her eyes fell on her teacher,


    "Teacher~" She muttered, from her tipsy voice, it was clear that she was still under the influence of alcohol.


    "Are you awake?" Astra questioned.


    "Hehe~ How do you think I am talking to you? A Person sleeping cannot talk teacher~ It is obvious I am awake~"


    "¡­"


    Astra had no words.


    She nced at Vaan and seeing that thetter was trying to control hisughter, her mouth twitched.


    "Anyways, ra, I heard you drank quite a lot of alcohol today."


    "N-No¡­?"


    The smile on ra''s face disappeared.


    "Are you lying to your teacher right now?" Astra raised her eyebrows.


    "I¡­ I¡­"


    This time, ra was the one who couldn''t find any words. No matter how drunk, her respect for her teacher didn''t allow her to speak irrationally. She didn''t want to lie, but at the same time, admitting that she did something wrong in front of her teacher and disappointing her was not a good option either.


    ra started looking around, trying to find a way to get out of this situation and then, her eyes fell on Vaan.


    "V-Vaan gave me."


    She shifted the me to Vaan.


    After all, this wasn''t exactly a lie either, Vaan was the one who gave her the alcohol.


    "W-What?" Vaan''s expression changed.


    Astra, on the other hand, smiled as she nced at her only son,


    "You dareugh at me and lie at the same time, you sure have gotten braver, my dear son."


    Vaan gulped.


    He couldn''t believe that even his fianc¨¦e was going against him.


    He nced at ra, however, seeing her pleading eyes, he was unable to do anything. He had to take the me in her stead.


    Vaan just lowered his head and tilted his head a little, silently offering his ear to his mother.


    Astra moved and quickly held Vaan''s ears, then, she started twisting,


    "Ackkk!"


    Vaan cried in pain.


    "You need t-"


    "W-Wait!"


    Suddenly, ra shouted.


    She quickly moved away from Astra''sp and fell into Vaan''s arm while cing her hand on her teacher''s hand,


    "Teacher! You can''t hurt Vaan!"


    She spoke as she looked right into Astra''s eyes.


    Astra was taken aback. This was the first time she had seen that look in ra''s eyes.


    Was it because she was drunk?


    Astra wondered in her head, however, seeing that clear look in those eyes, Astra was not sure.


    Wanting to test it further, Astra narrowed her eyes,


    "He made you drink alcohol which is not good for your health, he deserves punishment."


    "No! I studied it, Alcohol is not harmful!" ra retorted.


    "Huh?" Astra frowned.


    "Controlled, moderate drinking can have positive effects on the heart and flow of blood all over one''s body. Alcohol can also promote social bonding and rxation in certain situations. Even the teacher consumes alcohol sometimes, so Vaan should not be punished for giving me alcohol."


    ra spoke with a firm look on her face, at the same time, she tightened her hug around Vaan.


    It was as if she was getting her courage to stand up to her teacher from Vaan, the person she was trying to defend.


    Astra continued to observe her student, the only time ra participated in such long conversations was when the topic was magic. Yes, she tried to defend Vaan before as well, however, that was usually her taking the me for him, she never used words against her teacher.


    It wasn''t wrong to say that Astra was seeing apletely new side of her dear student.


    "And what of your current condition shows your ''controlled and moderate'' drinking?" Astra questioned. "I didn''t know you could pass out when you drink responsibly."


    "¡­"


    ra turned silent.


    "Since Vaan was the one who gave you alcohol, was it not his responsibility to make sure that you do not drink recklessly?


    Not to mention that this is the second day in a row.


    I excused him yesterday, but to think he repeated the same mistake again,


    Don''t you think he should be punished for that?"


    Astra questioned as she looked into ra''s eyes, wanting to see her reaction.


    ra''s lips trembled, she tried toe up with an argument, however, there were only so many things her hazy mind coulde up with, in the end, she decided to stick to her old tactic.


    "I-It was not Vaan''s fault¡­


    I was the one who asked for more alcohol and drank carelessly, Vaan even tried to stop me, but I didn''t listen¡­ I apologize¡­


    Teacher should punish me instead¡­"


    ra lowered her head with a dejected look on her face.


    Astra nodded to herself, this was the ra she was familiar with.


    However,


    Astra concluded a little too quickly.


    "Teacher is weird¡­"


    Suddenly, ra muttered.


    "Huh?"


    Astra frowned.


    "You keep smiling ever since bad Vaan turned into good Vaan, you always say how you are so proud of him but you never show that in front of him and try to punish him instead.


    Shouldn''t you be more honest with your feelings? I am sure that it would make Vaan happy as well.


    Actually, teacher, I think you should drink together with us.


    I don''t know how it happens, but alcohol gives you the courage to say things that you normally never can.


    It brings people close to each other.


    It did the same with me and Vaan too.


    We even kissed on the lips as well. Not to mention we did it two times since I couldn''t understand anything the first time, I asked Vaan to kiss me again and he did. Hehe~ It was so easy~ You ask for what you want and you get it~


    How good it would be if we could always stay drunk, no?"


    ra muttered as she nced at Vaan with a silly smile on her face.


    Seeing her like that, Vaan couldn''t control the urge to rub her cheek as he smiled.


    "Hehe~"


    raughed.


    Astra, on the other hand, just blinked in absolute surprise.


    This girl¡­


    This is definitely not her dear pupil!


    Who was she?


    Who possessed her little angel!?


    "Vaan! Bring another bottle for Teacher! We should drink together with her. Hehehe~ it will be fun~"

 Chapter 141 I want both of you to win the Elemental Clash.

    <h4>Chapter 141 I want both of you to win the Elemental sh.</h4>


    "Vaan! Bring another bottle for Teacher! We should drink together with her. Hehehe~ it will be fun~"


    ra spoke with a cheerful smile on her face.


    Vaan blinked in surprise, he didn''t think ra would propose something like that. However, his eyes then fell on Astra and his head started moving.


    Drinking with his mother¡­


    He hadn''t done that even in hisst life.


    ''Wait, do parents even drink together with their children?''


    Vaan wondered inwardly.


    However, no matter how he thought about it, this didn''t look like a bad n.


    ''I mean, what could possibly go wrong?''


    Vaan wondered inwardly and looked at his mother, waiting for her answer.


    However, Astra quickly threw cold water on the couple''s hope.


    "That is not going to happen."


    "What? Whyyy?"


    ra was still persistent.


    "Teacher drinks in different events arranged by the family, then why can''t you drink with us? Do you¡­ hate me?"


    ra questioned, her eyes glittering.


    Any being would be weak to that adorable gaze and would give into her demands, Astra, however, was not just any being,


    In a firm tone, she looked at her drunk pupil and replied, "I drink because that lightens the overall mood of the event, my subjects wouldn''t drink unless I take the first sip, so as the Family Head, it is my responsibility to maintain the lightheartedness of the event that is meant to be enjoyed."


    "¡­"


    Vaan didn''t know how to counter that.


    Drunk ra, however, wasn''t nning on giving up. The idea of drinking together with the teacher was so appealing that she decided to go all in.


    "Aaaakkk! Teacher! Please drink with us!"


    ra jumped at Astra, burying her head into thetter''s chest and started crying.


    Yes, her grand n to convince her teacher was to start crying and begging in front of her. Then, with moist eyes, she moved her head up, looking right into her teacher''s eyes and,


    "There are so many things I want to say to you."


    "Then just say it."


    Astra replied.


    "No, I can''t say it unless you drink together with me."


    "That makes no sense."


    "It will make sense if the teacher drinks with me!" ra spoke. Then, with a small pout on her face, she continued, "I have been a good pupil, haven''t I¡­? Can''t you listen to me just this once¡­? I promise I will work even harder¡­"


    "¡­"


    Astra turned silent.


    In front of her pupil acting like that, she couldn''t counter anymore. The cards drunk ra was ying were just too strong.


    "Haahh¡­"


    In the end, Astra sighed.


    "Alright."


    She gave in.


    "However,


    I will only drink together with you if both of you win the uing Elemental sh."


    Astra didn''t be the Family Head by sheer luck. She knew how to get what she wanted even in the most disadvantageous of situations.


    "¡­" This time, ra was the one who turned silent.


    "Then it is a promise, Mother." Vaan however, quickly stepped up the moment he saw the chance.


    "You seem quite confident," Astra replied as she nced at her son.


    "Heh, beating 2nd Circle Mages? I can do it with my eyes closed." Vaan replied with a confident look on his face.


    And he wasn''t lying.


    If he gives control over his Mana to the two little cuties flying around him, then let alone eyes closed, he could defeat his opponents even if he is sleeping.


    "I don''t even have to take my hands out of my pockets, well, that is unless I wish to punch them." Vaanughed as he cracked his knuckles.


    "I am not talking about you alone, Vaan." How could Astra not know about her son''s ability?


    "I want both of you to win the Elemental sh." She said as she nced at ra.


    Vaan, however, was still unbothered as before,


    "As I said, just do not forget your words, Mother."


    "I will not."


    Astra smiled but then,


    "Teacher¡­"


    Suddenly, ra called out.


    "Hmm?" Seeing her expression, Astra frowned. ra was looking at her with her eyes narrowed,


    "You don''t believe that I can win the Elemental sh, right? You even made a bet with Vaan, betting against your own student in fact."


    ra spoke with an angry pout on her face.


    Astra, on the other hand, furrowed her brows in confusion, "A bet?"


    "Ah right, mother. I think ra is tired now, after all, we did wake her up in the middle of her sleep. Yes, I know you don''t want to go easy on her and do not like how she has been consuming so much alcoholtely, I promise this won''t be repeated.


    I will take the responsibility for my fianc¨¦e.


    Anyways, how about we let her rest for today and leave her alone?"


    "Vaan, I am still talking about the bet." ra countered, however,


    "There is no need to do that, ra, you need to rest." Vaan hurried ra.


    "But Teacher ced a bet aga-" ra wanted to retort, but then, Vaan suddenly sealed her lips and her eyes widened in surprise.


    Astra blinked in surprise as well.


    "Alright, now sleep." Vaan spoke.


    "¡­" ra turned silent. Vaan quickly tucked her into the bed and then,


    "That was too quick,


    Do it again."


    ra spoke, Vaan froze, he momentarily nced at his mother, then, he just sighed and sealed ra''s soft lips again. This time, going for a slow, much more sensual kiss.


    Of course, he wasn''t shameless enough to involve the tongue right in front of his mother.


    He just felt ra''s lips for a while, before kissing her nose, her eyes, and then her forehead.


    "Goodnight, my future wife."


    Vaan whispered into ra''s ears.


    "mm"


    ra muttered as she closed her eyes.


    Vaan finally stood up, then ncing at his mother, a fearful smile appeared on his face and, "L-Let''s leave, mother."


    Without waiting, Vaan quickly walked out of ra''s room. Astra followed him.


    As the mother and son walked out of the room, Vaan''s body trembled in fear as he smiled weakly.


    "You are quite shameless," Astramented.


    "W-What?" Vaan tried to feign ignorance.


    "What bet was that girl talking about?"


    "B-Bet?"


    "Are you treating me like a fool?" Astra narrowed her eyes.


    "Mother, it was nothing. I was just trying to motivate her. I said that the two of us ced a bet and that if she doesn''t win the Elemental sh, I would need to give you 150 Elemental Stones, and if she won, you would give me 100 Elemental Stones.


    You already know, don''t you?


    That girl pushes herself more for my sake than her own, so I was just giving her a reason to do her best."


    "And in that process, you decided to make me the bad one?"


    "Uhh¡­ I had no other choice¡­"


    Vaan answered.


    Astra continued to stare at her son for a while, Vaan stood there in silence, ready for another lecture, or even an ear twist, but then,


    "If ra actually does win the Elemental sh,


    Come get your 100 Elemental Stones from me."


    Saying those words, Astra started walking away.


    "Huh? What? Are you actually betting with me?"


    "Why would I bet against my own pupil? I am just setting a reward for you in case she wins. This will motivate you, which in turn will affect her performance.


    You don''t have to give me anything if she by any chance loses."


    Astra replied without stopping.


    Hearing those words, a small smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    His mother really did care for her pupil, didn''t she?


    "Don''t worry, Mother.


    She won''t be losing, I promise you that."


    Astra momentarily paused, then, she nced at Nux and, "Elric is quite a strong Mage, you know? ra will be standing against him if she wants to win.


    Not to mention the two of the-"


    "She will kick his ass."


    "Language."


    Astra warned before finally walking away, "Anyways, all the best for the Elemental sh, I am looking forward to how the two of you will perform."


    Vaan nodded then, once he confirmed that his mother is gone, he sneaked into ra''s room again.


    Spending time together with his Mother and Fiancee was cool and all, however, he still wanted some time alone with his future wife.


    Even if the future wife was currently sleeping.


    ¡­


    "Lady Astra seems happy."


    As Astra walked into her room, a ck shadow appeared behind her and turned into Eliza Vesta, her trusted subordinate.


    "I am. I saw some good things today."


    Astra replied with a smile on her face.


    "Is this perhaps rted to Young Master Vaan and your Pupil?"


    "That is correct." Astra''s smile widened.


    "I still believe ra''s talent is being wasted on Young Master Vaan.


    Even if he has changed, Young Master Vaan does not deserve someone as talented as ra.


    The only thing he does is go around harming other mages and has low self-control. Not to mention he also involved himself with the Dreamweave instead of reporting it to you, it could have gotten you into trouble if Lady Risia or Lord Draven noticed that."


    Maybe Eliza was the only person in the entire world who could say such a thing right to Astra''s face.


    "The Mages he ''harmed'' were 2nd Circle Mages who picked the fight with him. It was a 3v1 yet he still won, do you still think he is as untalented as before?"


    Astra questioned.


    "Even you couldn''t do that when you were 2nd Circle Mage."


    "I was already a 3rd Circle Mage before reaching 20."


    "Oh? And where is the Advance Magic Circle you researched?

 Chapter 142 New Punching Bags

    Chapter 142 New Punching Bags


    "Haaahh!"


    ra shouted as she punched Seraphina, the poor secretary hurriedly stepping back to dodge that punch, however, ra was relentless. She stepped forward, not giving any chance to Seraphina to recover.


    And just as ra expected, Seraphina, who tried to step back to avoid ra''s second punch mistakenly stepped on her own foot and before she could even lose her bnce on her own and fall down,


    ra fist came running down, directly in contact with Seraphina''s nose.


    "Ugghh!"


    Seraphina groaned in pain as she fell down.


    ra finally paused, she took two steps back and took her battle stance again. Her intention was clear, she wanted another round.


    Seraphina who saw this just sighed.


    She wasn''t surprised.


    She already expected this oue.


    ra was unexpectedly strong. Seraphina knew she was a Magic Genius, but to think someone like her was good even in close distance battle, that was quite shocking.


    What was more shocking, however, was Vaan and ra''s determination of treating her like a punching bag.


    It has already been a week since she was first told toe here and ''spar'' with ra.


    And in these 7 days, she has only been a practice dummy for ra. She had seen how ra turned from someone who hesitated before even pushing her to someone who started punching her without any care in the world.


    It was as if she had already gotten used to punching her face.


    This time, she wasn''t even using alcohol!


    Seraphina cursed her fate.


    Of course, after the battle, she was treated like a precious guest of the Vesta Family, an honor that only the most noble mages received, Vaan even made sure to get Mages to use [Heal] to heal the bruises on her face after the battle.


    Seraphina couldn''t imagine a Mana-draining spell like [Heal] would be used for treating mere bruises, even in the Vesta Family, this wasn''t amon incident, healing mages only moved when a patient was critically injured, or if it was apetition arranged by the Vesta Family.


    Take Karl for example, when he got beaten up by Vaan for the first time, then despite being a Vesta, Healing Mages didn''t make a move to heal him. If it wasn''t for other factions involving themselves and using Karl to their own advantage after using [Heal] to heal him, Karl would have needed a year to recover naturally.


    ''He never fails to remind me that he is the only son of the Family Head¡­'' Seraphina sighed inwardly.


    "Is this all you can do...? I am sure you fought for longer than this yesterday, are they perhaps not healing you properly?"


    While Seraphina was thinking about all this, she was brought out of her reverie by ra''s question. Seeing her confused expression, Seraphina''s mouth twitched, however, in the end, she closed her eyes and sighed.


    Then, she stood up and, "[Heal] does not work on mental fatigue, Lady ra." She replied.


    "That is obvious. Spells rted to mind are extremelyplex, even a slight mistake in the Magic Pattern can bring permanent harm to the target, so the methods to train them are limited. This is the reason why Mages who excel in Spell rted to mind are extremely rare and obviously, if you are one of those mages, I doubt you would want to waste time on learning a spell that could relieve others'' physique when you can learn spells rted to memory and join Vesta Family''s special forces.


    Actually, I do have another theory in my mind that could make training mind-rted spells rtively sim-"


    "I understand what you are trying to say, Lady ra."


    Seraphina interrupted before ra could go on about her theory. This wasn''t the first time this had happened, the usually silent ra was unusually talkative when she talked about magic.


    "No, I am quite interested in that theory of yours, ra. If we can research it ande up with an actual way that can make learning Mind-rted spells efficient, it would be extremely helpful to the family. We should talk about thister tonight."


    Vaan spoke up.


    Seraphina nced at the man and sighed again, this man really had changed. To think he would be interested in Magic Theory that wasn''t even officially published yet. In Seraphina''s eyes, researching on this was no different than wasting time, learning new spells, aiming to get stronger, and trying to create his own faction was a much better option for the current Vaan.


    Of course, what she didn''t know was that Vaan''s thoughts aligned with hers. Honestly, he had no interest in the Magic Theory or whatever, he only wanted to spend time with his fianc¨¦e. Seeing ra''s bright eyes as she talked about Magic was something Vaan enjoyed.


    Not to mention discussing Magic with ra was something that was almost always beneficial for him, ra was like a statue of knowledge, there was never a time when Vaan didn''t learn anything new after having a long discussion with ra.


    "Sure! I wille to your room tonight then!" ra spoke as her expression brightened up, discussing Magic with Vaan? It was her favorite activity she could never get bored of!


    "Mhm." Vaan nodded with a gentle smile on his face.


    "Anyways, shall we continue the battle?" He questioned, not forgetting why they were here for in the first ce.


    With a newfound motivation, ra nodded, her red eyes shining clearly as she nced at her opponent.


    Seraphina, on the another hand, just sighed and resigned to her fate, ''At least I managed to befriend the Healing Mage.''


    She muttered inwardly then nced at ra, ready for battle.


    ra moved, Seraphina could clearly see that her movements were more precise and calcted than the first time they sparred.


    Of course, ra wasn''t the only one who improved after sparring everyday for an entire week, Seraphina had learned a few tricks as well. Her body bnce was not a mess like it was before, he punches were stronger and faster, and her movements were getting more and morefortable.


    The two of them exchanged a few initial blows, Seraphina held on for a good minute but in the end, ra''s strikes were faster and more urate. She dodged Seraphina''s attacks with grace, her eyes never leaving her opponent.


    As the duel continued, it became evident that ra was gaining the upper hand. Her moves flowed effortlessly, and Seraphina struggled to keep up. ra''s strikes were relentless, her desire to win couldn''t be hidden.


    With a powerful kick, ra sent Seraphina sprawling to the ground.


    "Khawwkk!"


    Seraphina coughed a few times, the impact of ra''s kick was too strong.


    ra stood over her opponent, her eyes clear and unwavering. It was aplete and overwhelming victory. However, just like before, rather than celebrating, she stepped back again, wanting to go for another round.


    A bitter expression appeared on Seraphina''s face, but then,


    "Alright, that is enough for today, Seraphina, you can rest now." Suddenly, Vaan spoke up.


    "Hmm?"


    "What?"


    Both ra and Seraphina were confused.


    "It ended faster than usual¡­" Seraphina couldn''t help but mutter.


    "Mhm and it is thest day you had to spar with ra. Thank you for everything you have done these past few days." Vaan smiled.


    "It is over¡­?" Seraphina questioned, still unable to believe Vaan.


    "Oi Oi, don''t act like I was torturing you for these past seven days, I clearly remember you enjoying the servants serving you while you did absolutely nothing even though you were already healed."


    "I was relieving my exhausted mind," Seraphina replied with any shame.


    "Yes yes, whatever." Vaan shrugged.


    "Vaan¡­ I do not have to fight anymore?" ra tilted her head in confusion.


    From her tone, she sounded a little sad.


    She was enjoying beating Seraphina up.


    She didn''t know why, but punching people didn''t feel as bad as she thought it would feel.


    ''Is it because I am staying with Vaan¡­?'' ra muttered inwardly when she realized what she was thinking about.


    Then, her face turned slightly red and, ''Is he rubbing off on me?''


    Seeing her blush like that, Vaan couldn''t help but smile.


    "Don''t worry, my dear fianc¨¦e, we are just increasing the level of your training." He spoke.


    "I-I am not worried, I was just d I didn''t have to fight anymore, b-but I guess I was wrong." ra lied.


    She didn''t want to sound rude to the woman she had punched so many times.


    ra was indeed a caring soul.


    "Wait, Young Master Vaan said that you will be increasing level of her training¡­ does that mean¡­?" Suddenly, Seraphina spoke up as she recalled something.


    Vaan''s smile widened,


    "That is correct." He nodded, then, he knocked on the door of the Magic Training Room from the inside and, "Bring them in."


    He ordered.


    A minuteter, the door opened and Gabel walked inside together with five men,


    "ra, meet your new punching bags, they are the ones you will be fighting now.


    A 1v5, and this time,


    Using Magic is allowed."

 Chapter 143 I need you to help me

    Chapter 143 I need you to help me


    "Alright, stop the battle."


    Vaan spoke as he sighed. The moment he said those words, Asher and the group stopped casting spells and stopped, and seeing that their barrage of attacks had now halted, ra removed the shield she had created to protect herself as well.


    Vaan then walked towards his fianc¨¦e, ra lowered her head, trying to avoid his gaze, but Vaan held her arm and took her to the side,


    "What happened?" He asked gently.


    "N-Nothing."


    "ra, the only spell you used in this battle was the Guardian''s Wall, that''s not even your strongest defense spell, not to mention you didn''t use all those attacking spells you discussed together with me.


    This is just like what Mother said, you are holding back most of your strength, why are you doing that? Is taking on five opponents at the same time proving to be hard for you?" Vaan questioned.


    ra nced at her five opponents who were sweating profusely after going against a 4th Circle Mage. Although ra wasn''t known for her strength, just the fact that 2nd Circle Mage stood held on against her till a draw was a big achievement. Not to mention that unlike what most would believe, they were on the attacking side. In other words, they were the ones keeping a 4th Circle Mage in check and not the other way around.


    "Haahh¡­" ric, one of the five mages exhaled in relief.


    "It was a tough battle indeed." Ss, his teammate muttered.


    "Of course it was, we were up against a 4th Circle Mage." Thoren, another team member nodded.


    Asher, on the other hand, was silent.


    The moment he came here, unlike most people, he didn''t notice the white walls, or the strange patterns on the wall, his eyes fell on Seraphina and her bruised face.


    In that moment, he realized that whatever he was here for, it was definitely not peaceful, especially considering that Vaan was the one who arranged it. Asher knew just what kind of sadist demon that bastard was, he wouldn''t have summoned all five of them there just so they could feel better about themselves.


    Something was going to happen, Asher could feel it.


    Therefore, to know what it was and to avoid the uing situation, he decided to focus on Vaan''s and ra''s conversation.


    ra, who was observing all of them for a while finally muttered, "All of them are too weak."


    "Huh?" Vaan, who heard that frowned, "Are you worried about hurting them?" He questioned.


    With how ra fought against Seraphina, he thought that she had ovee that problem, but it seems that he was wrong.


    "mm."


    ra nodded.


    "Why are you worried about that? Don''t worry, I have already prepared Healers who woulde heal them the moment something out of the ordinary happens."


    "B-But they are too weak, what if something happens before Healers can heal them?" ra was still worried.


    "I-I don''t think I, as a 4th Circle Mage should fight against them." ra spoke with an uncertain look on her face.


    "Is that so¡­" Vaan nodded to himself.


    Then, another idea popped into his mind, "How about you limit the number of Magic Circles you use to 2? Rather than doing a 1v5, we can do a 1v1 with you limiting the number of Magic Circles you lose, this way, the fight will be fairer and even if they do get hurt, it won''t be to a degree where even the healers can''t heal them."


    He proposed.


    "¡­"


    ra, however, stayed silent.


    From her expression, she didn''t seem satisfied with this solution either.


    "What''s wrong now? Are you still worried that you would hurt them? Then how about instead of 1v1, we do a 1v2, although it would be slightly risky for you, I know for sure that you will be able to handle it." Vaan replied.


    "Fight between mages is not just decided by number of spells a Mage can use, Vaan. There are many other factors involved as well and the biggest out of them all is the knowledge a Mage possess.


    Even if I limit the number of circles I use, the knowledge I have would still be the same, I would recognize what Spell they are casting just from the movement of Mana alone, I would know the next spell they would use to cover the weakness of the spell they are currently casting, I would know the best counter-attack against their spells, that wouldpletely render them powerless.


    Fighting the two of them at the same time won''t help either, even if the five of theme together, the result won''t change. The chances that I end up hurting them are very high.


    As for limiting myself to 1st Circle, then there would be no point of the battle since I wouldn''t be able to defeat them."


    ra exined her worries.


    This was the change that Vaan had noticed, after drinking with him two times, ra had opened up to him, even though she still stutters a lot, now she doesn''t call him Young Master Vaan like she used to and looks morefortable around him, even talking about things she would normally won''t talk about and reply with silence.


    Since themunication between them had improved, dealing with ra was not as difficult as before.


    And Vaan, who heard ra''s worries finally understood the main crux problem.


    ra meheart, his fianc¨¦e, his future wife, she was an extremely arrogant girl.


    ra was a weirdbination of a gentle yet arrogant soul. The reason she never gave her all in any of the Magic Battles she participated in was not just because she was scared of hurting her opponents.


    This girl thought that if she goes all out, she wouldpletely overwhelm her opponent, to the point where even if the healers got involved, something unfortunate would still happen to her opponents.


    Mind you, Elemental sh had no screening process while registering Mages. As long as one fits the Circle range and pays the entrance fees, they are allowed to participate. There was no age limit either.


    ra rarely faced an opponent who was the same age as her, most of her opponents were older than her, and even since she had be 4th Circle Mage, most of the Mages she went up against were in their 50s, some of them even touched 70 or 80s.


    Even then, she was arrogant enough to believe that these Mages who have been studying Magic for decades, wouldn''t be able to hold out against her if she went all out and would meat a bad end.


    ''Heh.''


    Vaan couldn''t help but chuckle inwardly when he realized that.


    How arrogant.


    And the worst part about all this?


    Just when one starts to hate or me ra for being so arrogant, she reveals her second side. Her gentle smile where even when she ''knew'' that her opponent wouldn''t stand a chance against her, she didn''t let her ego get in and decided to throw the match just so she could save her opponent.


    ra was ready to face humiliation herself rather than hurt her enemies.


    An arrogant yet extremely kind woman.


    ''A strangebination indeed.''


    Vaan chuckled in his head as he nced at his fianc¨¦e with a gentle smile on his face.


    "Then how about you spar against me?" Vaan questioned.


    "Huh?" ra frowned.


    "Limit the number of Circles you use to two and spa-"


    "No." Before Vaan could evenplete his sentence, ra already shook her head with a firm look on her face.


    This was one of the rarest time when no matter what Vaan said, ra wouldn''t change her opinion and seeing that, Vaan raised his eyebrow,


    "You aren''t thinking you can win against me, are you? No matter how experienced you are, ra, your Magic Circles can only take you so far.


    I wouldn''t have been able to say anything for sure if I was using normal Magic Circles,


    But I am nning to use Advanced Magic Circles.


    You don''t have to worry about hurting me and can go all out."


    Vaan spoke but again, ra shook her head, "I can''t cast my spells if Vaan is my target. My Mana won''t move like I would want it to."


    "¡­"


    Vaan didn''t know how to reply.


    His fianc¨¦e was just too adorable.


    ''Fuck, I lucked out.'' Vaan muttered inwardly, thanking his stars again.


    Then, however, he firmly shook his head.


    "Actually, ra¡­


    There was something I wanted to tell you for a long time¡­" Vaan leaned closer and whispered into ra''s ears.


    "What is it?" sensing his tone, ra questioned with an earnest look on her face.


    "Do you remember how I was injured a few days ago? It was too the point where I was bedridden."


    "I remember it, you dueled against them and got injured." Ther was no way ra could forget it.


    "It was not a duel." Vaan spoke.


    "Huh?" A frown appeared on her face, this was different from what she was told.


    "Those bastards attacked me from behind." Vaan spoke as he secretly pointed at the five Mages.


    "What¡­?" ra''s expression changed.


    "The reason I called them here¡­


    It was selfish¡­


    I can''t do it on my own because of some reasons but¡­


    I want revenge¡­


    And I need you to help me."


    Vaan then nced at the five mage and,


    "Please fight them and avenge me,"

 Chapter 144 Leifs strength

    Chapter 144 Leif''s strength


    "Zephyr des!"


    A shout was heard, 4 Magic Circles shined brightly, razor-sharp des of wind shot in a certain direction.


    "Inferno Torrent!" in response to the uing spell, another shout was heard, enemy''s 4 Magic Circles shined brightly as well, summoning a fiery whirlwind to counter the iing wind des. The two elemental forces shed, creating a breathtaking yet destructive disy of dueling elements.


    The two mages looked into each other''s eyes, the Fire Mage''s eyes were filled with determination and will to win. He looked at his opponent with a grave look on his face, trying to figure out a way to win the battle.


    His opponent, Leif Vesta, on the other hand, had a small smile on his face, reflecting his confidence. By no means, was the Fire Mage weak, he was a 4th Circle Mage, just like Leif, however, the ease at which Leif was handling this battle made it seem like he was fighting with a child.


    "Aeroguard Shield."


    Leif summoned a cyclone of wind, creating a protective barrier that swirled around him like a tempest.


    "Fiery Wall."


    His opponent did the same, summoning a wall of scorching mes. Unlike lower-level mages, they didn''t have to focus on one spell alone. With the amount of Mana a 4th Circle Mage can store in his Mana Veins, casting four or even five spells at the same time wasn''t impossible.


    Of course, casting more than one spell at the same time was no simple matter and required extreme concentration and talent.


    And the Fire Mage was one such Mage who could cast 2 spells at the same time.


    "Inferno Snare."


    And that is what he did, quickly drawing the required pattern for his next spell, the mage summoned fiery tendrils that shot towards Leif to breach his defenses.


    "Heh." Leif however, just chuckled.


    His Magic Circles suddenly started shining even more brightly, the Cyclone of wind that surrounded him suddenly became erratic and much stronger than before. Leif''s ck hair moved in the air, making him look like a Divine being who just descended from the heavens.


    The Cyclone of wind quelled the mes that approached Leif as if it were the easiest thing to do.


    The Fire Mage, however, didn''t seem surprised, rather, he had already expected this.


    After all, it was not the first time he was battling Leif. He hade prepared


    "Pyrosmic Grasp."


    He spoke, his 4 Magic Circles shined brightly, this time, the Fire Mage didn''t hold back, he used all the Mana he had stored up inside his Mana Veins, summoning a surge of superheated, molten energy, coiling it into powerful fiery tendrils. This spell is designed to not only breach an opponent''s defenses but to envelop them in a fiery grip, causing intense burns and creating immense difort.


    It was one of Fire Mage''s trump cards.


    Something that required him a lot of time to cast, the time he bought using Inferno Snare as a distraction.


    "That looks quite dangerous," Leif muttered as he nced at the spell the Fire Mage was summoning. The spells like these were troublesome, just from how the Mana was reacting to the spell was enough for Leif to understand how dangerous the spell was. The best way to deal with spells like these was to stop the Mage from casting them, however, Leif knew that even if he used the fastest spell in his directory, he couldn''t stop his opponent frompleting the spell.


    The situation was grave, Leif was in a pinch,


    Or¡­ at least that''s what the Fire Mage thought,


    But then,


    "I am quite impressed, Alex. You have shown me something great, I didn''t expect to see such a performance from you."


    Leif praised, then, a small smile appeared on his face, and,


    "In exchange, let me show you something interesting as well."


    And as if all the talking was done with an intention of bidding for time, Leif quickly summoned his counter spell almost instantly.


    "Vortex Ascension."


    The Fire Mage, Alex''s eyes widened in surprise as he suddenly saw Leif soaring into the air, riding the winds as a tornado formed beneath him.


    This man¡­


    He was flying!


    The Pyrosmic Grasp, the spell that was made just to pierce through his opponent''s defenses, it collided with the tornado, however, without any matter to burn and the horrifying pressure from the wind, the mes disappeared.


    One of Alex''s strongest spells was rendered useless and the worst part?


    Leif wasn''t done.


    "Tempest m."


    He descended rapidly, aiming to strike his foe with a devastating p created by strong winds.


    Alex was out of Mana, so without having any choice, he decided to run away, trying to gather Mana as he ran. An efficient process, but Alex didn''t have any option.


    *Boom* *Boom* *Boom*


    Alex continued to run as wind currents descended from above, trying to crush him into the ground, Leif, who was still riding the tornado enjoyed the situation. His superiority was clear, his was currently in the air where most spells wouldn''t reach him because of the tornado under him, in this position, he could continue to absorb Mana from the air, continuing the Battle without having to worry about Mana for as long as his Mental Strength allowed him to.


    As for Alex, after already dodging three Tempest ms, his body bnce was already a mess, his speed had slowed down and he knew he couldn''t dodge the fourth attack, so in desperation and panic, with whatever Mana he had, he summoned a me Wall to protect himself.


    "That''s a mistake."


    Leif chuckled.


    The Tempest m tore through the me Wall Alex had summoned. There was no way a spell cast in desperation could rival a spell as strong as Tempest m.


    Not to mention the mes Alex summoned were already unstable because of the Tornado beneath Leif.


    "Arrgghhh!!"


    Alex screamed in agony as the wind current forced him to the ground, he felt like he was being stepped on by a giant, and at the same time, wind currents started shing his body, covering it with cuts and blood.


    "Aaarrgghhh! Defeat! I admit defeat!"


    Alex shouted at the top of his lungs, unable to take the pain anymore and the moment he did, the wind des that surrounded Alex''s body and the Tornado Leif was riding, everything disappeared as if it was all a lie.


    "Ugghh!" Leif fell on the ground butt first.


    "You did well."


    A calm, mature voice was heard as a man with mysterious and strong air around him stepped in. The man had sharp features, with ck hair and ck eyes that radiated strength. The man''s face was covered with wrinkles and he had gray hair, usually, this symbolized old age and weakness, the man, however, seemed different.


    His back was straight, his aura was strong and noble, his eyes reflected boundless knowledge, no matter how one looked at him, he didn''t seem like a normal old man at all.


    And he was not.


    "Grandfather." Leif greeted.


    Yes, this old man was Leif''s grandfather, ric Rhydian Vesta, Blood brother of the previous Head of the Vesta Family, Elysia Rhydian Vesta, and a prodigy known for his excellence in his time.


    If it weren''t for Elysia, ric would have been the one leading the Vesta Family, that was how talented this man was.


    The old man held considerable power in the Vesta Family, even if the current Family Head, Astra Elysia Vesta, were to meet him, she would need to bow her head in respect not just because the man was her mother''s blood brother, but because of his strength.


    ric was so strong that even though she has reached where she had, Astra still wasn''t sure if she could defeat him.


    Of course, this didn''t mean she believed she would lose, she was just uncertain.


    And just that evaluation alone was enough to understand what sort of being ric was.


    "Take him to the Healer," ric ordered.


    4 servants walked and quickly took Alex away on the stretcher.


    Ignoring the servants, ric turned towards his grandson and, "You should be more careful, if you have the absolute advantage, just ask them to give up, there is no need to follow through with your attacks."


    "Are you telling me to go easy on my enemies?" Leif questioned as he rubbed his butt. It still hurt because of his sudden fall.


    "That boy is not your enemy, Leif.


    He is your sparring partner."


    "He was my enemy till the spar ends. This is what you taught me, Grandfather. I do not go easy on my opponents."


    Leif spoke with a determined look on his face.


    "You are not in a ce to do that. You need their support if you wish to be the next Head of the Family. Don''t forget, other than your slightly better talent the fact that you are fooling Elric by acting subservient to him and making a fool out of him in the eyes of those who know the truth, you have no other advantage over the other heirs.


    You need to bid for more time till you are strong enough to overpower all the other Prospective Heirs and in the meantime, you cannot lose those who choose to follow you just because of your reckless price.


    The existence of our Faction is still a secret and that is what makes it more unstable.


    You need to be careful."

 Chapter 145 Tomorrow will be fun.

    Chapter 145 Tomorrow will be fun.


    "The existence of our Faction is still a secret and that is what makes it more unstable.


    You need to be careful."


    ric spoke with a solemn look on his face, then, his expression turned sour as he suddenly recalled something and continued, "Not to mention there is that Vaan as well. That''s a wild card that is out of our calctions, so y carefully around him."


    Hearing those words, Leif''s expression changed as well, "Does Grandfather really think of Vaan as a threat?"


    "¡­" ric stayed silent.


    Seeing this, Leif''s frown deepened, "He is merely a 2ndCircle Mage who is in his 20, at best, his talent isparable to other Prospective Heirs, he is nowhere near me.


    Rather than focusing on him, isn''t it more beneficial to n our actions in the uing Elemental sh and decide how to act when I face Elric?


    Should I just defeat him and steal his glory, or should I let him win to keep in the delusion that he is better than me and I am merely his loyal follower?"


    Leif questioned, from his tone, it was clear that he didn''t put Vaan in his eyes, he saw no reason to do that, his grandfather, however, was different.


    "I still cannot understand the Principals behind the Advance Magic Circles he created, I have analyzed all the approaches possible, however, the Circles go against the very Basics of the Magic,


    That so-called Advance Circle is fundamentally wrong.


    Other mages cannot use it."


    "What¡­?" Hearing those words, Leif narrowed his eyes.


    "Are you sure about this? Maybe grandfather missed something?"


    "I have been studying Magic longer than you have lived and from my experience, I can confidently say that the ''Advance Magic Circle'' is nothing but a trap.


    A trap designed to buy time for Vaan."


    "A trap¡­?" Leif was confused.


    "I know Astra better than most people, she is an extremely family-oriented woman, it something could strengthen the family, she would do her best to do it.


    Vaan''s Magic Circle does just that, but even then, she isn''ting forward and talking about the Magic Circle because she knows this as well.


    Researching that wed Magic Circle is nothing but a waste of time."


    Alric spoke, then, his expression turned serious and he continued, "And the fact that Vaan suddenly changed and can now use a wed Magic Circle he created out of nowhere,


    I am worried about it.


    I would even say that the threat he poses is much stronger than the other Prospective Heirs. Leif, listen to me, I am sure that those people would be using their power to force Vaan to join the Academy together with you lot.


    Use this opportunity to get close to him, even if you have to switch sides, go through it. We already know most things about Elric, Vaan however, is still covered in mystery, try to learn more about him. Try to understand how he thinks, his future goals, the reason for his change, and if possible¡­


    The way to use that Advance Circle he uses."


    Alric suggested and Leif, who finally realized the seriousness of the situation nodded solemnly.


    "As for whether you should go all out and defeat Elric or not in the uing Elemental sh,


    Lay low.


    It is still not the time to reveal yourself, let Elric enjoy his time for now.


    Let him gather all the fame and support he can, then, we will simply appear at the end and reap the rewards of his efforts."


    "I understand." Leif nodded again.


    "Anyways, you did a good job learning Vortex Ascension, I didn''t think you would Master one of my strongest 4th Circle Spells so quickly.


    That Spell, especially whenbined with Tempest m, is an extremely strongbination that made me one of the strongest 4th Circle Mages in my time.


    Use it well."


    "I will, grandfather." Leif nodded.


    "Alright, I won''t take more of your time, train hard and I shall take my leave." Saying those words, ric walked away, Leif nced at his Grandfather''s back for a while, then, he bowed his head before starting to practice his Magic again.


    ¡­


    "Haa!"


    A ck-haired woman shouted, 4 Magic Circles shined brightly around her, then 4 crystal-shaped spikes were formed, at a ridiculously fast speed, the spikes moved in 4 different directions, piercing through the four Golems'' heads without any resistance.


    *Thud* *Thud* *Thud*


    The four Golems fell on the ground and stopped moving and seeing that, a smile appeared on Lirael''s face.


    "You finally learned Crystal Bullets." Vaelen, who was watching his sister practice spoke with a satisfied look on his face.


    "Just this spell alone should be enough to ce you in a decent position in the Elemental sh."


    "But it is still not enough for me to win," Lirael spoke with a grim look on her face.


    "You worry too much. It doesn''t matter even if you do not win. Your opponent is Elric, he is 6 years older than you, there is no need to beat yourself out if you can''t defeat him."


    "Yes, I know, the n is to get a position that would not negatively affect our Faction''s image." Lirael nodded. Then, suddenly, her face turned serious and she questioned, "Who do you think would be the four winners of the tournament, brother?"


    "Does it really matter? It is just a simple tournament, people take it much more seriously than required.


    Do you truly believe the Head of the Vesta Family could be chosen by apetition that is held annually?" Vaelen sounded carefree.


    "The Elemental sh may not directly choose the next heir of the Family, however, it is a stage where the Vesta Children can show their might to the world.


    This is not only used to show the might of the Vesta Family but also for a Prospective Heir to gather more forces and strengthen his factions." Lirael''s reply was clear.


    She understood the Elemental sh and its importance much more than her brother.


    After all, she was the nner of their team.


    "Don''t we already have our factions?" Vaelen questioned.


    "Brother, sometimes I believe you act like this just so you could annoy me." Lirael shook her head.


    Vaelen grabbed his sister''s hand andughed out loud, "No no, why would I annoy my cute little sister?"


    "Because you enjoy it."


    "I admit that, however, I do not do it to annoy you. I wouldn''t want to be hated by my sister, now would I?" he spoke as he pulled Lirael''s cheeks with a big smile on his face.


    "¡­"


    Lirael didn''t say anything and just allowed her brother to do whatever he wanted.


    Not like this man was going to stop even if she told him to.


    And¡­ she didn''t exactly hate it either.


    Thinking that, Lirael closed her eyes, stopped thinking about everything, and rested her mind for a moment.


    ¡­


    "You are not training?"


    Risia questioned as she walked into her Magic Training room and saw Elric sitting on the floor without doing anything.


    "Is there any need to? Isn''t my victory pretty much guaranteed?" Elric replied.


    Risia narrowed her eyes then, she walked towards her child and sat next to him, "A journey of a Mage is always filled with uncertainties, Elric. You should always prepare for the worst-case scenarios."


    "Mother, you don''t believe those words yourself either, do you?"


    Elric questioned as heughed out loud. "There is no way I will lose this time."


    "How arrogant," Risiamented.


    "I call it confidence." Elric was ready with a reply.


    "So what are you doing here? You only sit on the floor like this when something is bothering you or you are deeply contemting something.


    What could possibly be bothering my child who is about to win the Elemental sh?"


    Risia questioned with a small smile on her face.


    "I am thinking about how to defeat that bastard," Elric spoke with a cold look on his face.


    "Vaan?"


    "Correct. I am wondering if there is any way to defeat him in the tournament."


    "There is none." Risia shook her head.


    "That is why I am thinking of one."


    "It is nothing more than a waste of time. His Advance Circles make him invincible amongst the 2nd Circle Mages."


    "That annoying Magic Circle again." Elric spat.


    Then, he nced at his mother and, "Have you still not understood the principal behind that circle?"


    "Astra wouldn''t have revealed it to the general public if it was that easy."


    "Tsk." Elric snorted.


    "Just focus on winning the Elemental sh, Elric. You will get many chances to deal with Vaan in the future."


    Elric''s eyes shined brightly, his rage and hatred for Vaan couldn''t be more apparent.


    ¡­


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    Astra and Vaan turned silent as they nced at the red-haired woman in front of them. Then, a proud smile appeared on Vaan''s face as he lifted his chest,


    "What do you think, Mother?"


    He questioned as he turned towards Astra.


    "Have you prepared the 150 Elemental Stones you promised to give me?"


    Astra chuckled, then, looking at her disciple, a satisfied smile appeared on her face and suddenly, a pouch appeared in her hands and she passed it to Vaan.


    "Take it."


    The meaning behind her action couldn''t be any clearer,


    In Astra''s head, the result of the Elemental sh was already decided.


    "Tomorrow will be fun."

 Chapter 146 Elemental Clash

    Chapter 146 Elemental sh


    "People of the Vesta City!"


    Suddenly, a loud voice echoed through the Vesta City.


    One must understand that Vesta City, whilemonly referred to as a city, is, in reality, colossal. It is as vast as the Four Great Kingdoms of Agresia, spanning over ten million square kilometers.


    The Colossal City was divided into 8 Mystic Domains and one Central Domain where the Vesta Mansion is located, each of those Mystic Domains had around 20 Districts, some domains having more while some had less depending on different factors like area, demographics, unique characteristics of the said domain, and other things.


    Anyways, these Districts further consist of hundreds of Towns or Municipalities, there are also different wards andmunities to manage densely popted areas.


    All these administrative divisions are organized in a strict hierarchal system that is managed by the Vesta Family living in the Central Domain.


    Of course, the entire Administrative System that managed such a huge city wasplex and needed a lot of manpower working in a systematic way. The Vesta Family had perfected this System after constantly improving it for thousands of years.


    Even then, there are sometimes people who manage to find loophole in the system and use it to their advantage. Anyways, that is the matter for some other day, today, the air around this big city was different.


    Even the people living on the very edge of this colossal city could hear the announcer''s voice. Even the smallest of wards andmunities had at least one big screen floating in the sky, showing the huge stage where the Mages would battle each other.


    Of course, arranging such a broad event was not simple and required huge amount of resources, the fact that the Vesta City could manage it for free showed just how strong the Vesta Family''s foundation was.


    Soon, the screen shifted to show a beautiful blonde-haired woman with an energetic air around her, she then pointed at the screen and,


    "Are you prepared to bear witness to the most exciting Magic Tournament in the entire Agresia!?


    Are you eagerly awaiting the spectacle of our city''s most skilled Mages engaging in fierce battles to assert their dominance? And, above all, are you ready to meet the Mages who will be crowned as the champions in their respective tiers!?


    The long-awaited moment has arrived!


    The Elemental sh of Year 5039 is about tomence!"


    "YEAAHHHH!!!"


    The entire stadium erupted in cheers. Just from the sheer excitement people showed and the amount of resources the Vesta Family invests into it, one could tell just how big of a tournament the Elemental sh was.


    People all over Agresia came to the Vesta City just to get a chance to witness this tournament.


    Despite being held every single year, the Elemental sh was much more popr than many Tournaments that are held once in a decade.


    The crowd cheered for more than 5 minutes, shouting the names of the Mages they supported, showing their overflowing excitement and once the people finally calmed down, the announcer took this as her cue and continued,


    "But before we kick off the tournament, let''s extend a warm wee to our distinguished guest. She is the leader who has consistently governed our city with fairness and safeguarded us from all potential threats. Please stand up and show your respects to the esteemed head of the Great Vesta Family, Astra Elysia Vesta!"


    As the announcement rang through the grand arena, all eyes turned expectantly to the entrance, awaiting the arrival of Ruler of the City. The crowd buzzed with excitement, their murmurs and whispers rippling through the air like a gentle breeze.


    Momentster, a hushed silence descended on the arena as a vision of elegance and authority, Lady Astra, swept into the arena. Her presence was nothing short of regal. She wore a breathtaking ck gown that seemed to emphasize her ethereal beauty and noble aura. The attire, intricately designed and adorned, entuated her grace and the proud insignia of the Vesta Family that adorned it.


    Her ck hair cascaded like a silken waterfall, matching the depth of her eyes, which were the same rich shade. Lady Astra''s face was exquisite, radiating a timelessness that marked her as a true paragon of her noble lineage.


    "Lady Astra!"


    "Long Live the Vesta Family!"


    As Astra moved gracefully, the crowd couldn''t help but erupt into apuse and admiration. Their cheers filled the arena, a demonstration of the profound respect and adoration they held for their esteemed leader. The apuse and cheers were like a tidal wave of devotion, echoing her name and reverberating through the grand space.


    Lady Astra acknowledged her people''s heartfelt reception with a gracious smile, her eyes sparkling with gratitude. She paused for a moment, relishing the deep connection she had with her subjects and their unwavering loyalty.


    After she became the Family Head, she couldn''t leave the Family House that easily, so opportunities where she could see the people of her city were rare. Therefore, Astra always made sure to thoroughly enjoy such moments and personally assess how the people of her city were doing.


    Finally, Lady Astra made her way to a specially prepared seat in the arena. The chair, meticulously arranged, was a symbol of honor befitting the head of the Great Vesta Family. As she took her ce, the audience''s respectful hush grew even deeper, every gaze fixed upon her, their devotion as unwavering as her noble presence.


    Astra smiled, then, she nced at the Host of the event and, "Start the Tournament." She ordered. Unlike the Host, she didn''t have any equipment that amplified her voice to make it audible, but even then, her calm and gentle voice carried so much strength that every being in the huge arena could hear it clearly.


    The host quickly nodded, then, she turned towards the crowd and,


    "Since we already received Lady Astra''s permission, let''s start what we all have gathered here for!


    Just like every other year, the participants of this year''s Elemental sh have been divided into 4 Tiers as well!


    1st Tier having 300 1st Circle Mages.


    2nd Tier having 200 2nd Circle Mages.


    3rd Tier having 100 3rd Circle Mages.


    And thest and the you people are the most excited for,


    4th Tier having 64 participants, all of them being one of our cities'' finest 4th Circle Mages."


    Of course, this wasn''t the total number of mages who wanted to participate in the tournament, with how grand the tournament was and how many opportunities it opened up for different mages, every Mage wanted to participate in the Elemental sh.


    ording to the reports, the total number of applications received from the 8 Mystic Zonesbined was 842,581, and from such arge number, only 664 Elite Mages were been selected.


    Each Mystic Domain selected their best Seventy 1st Circle Mages, Forty 2nd Circle Mages, twenty 3rd Circle Mages, and twelve 4th Circle Mages, the rest of the Mages came from the Central City, which mostly consisted of Mages from the Vesta Family. Most of the other families in the Central District usually sent their children to other domains to participate in the tournament from their side, avoiding the Vesta Mages at the start.


    The Elemental sh was not only a tournament between Mages, it was also a sh between different noble families who wanted to show their might, not only that, even the 8 Mystic Domainspleted each other, with the Domain with the best performance receiving resources to cultivate more and more mages.


    This in turn made the Mystic Zone Administrators work hard to produce young talent, they arranged special tournaments in the Districts, Towns, Municipalities and wards under them, throughout the year, trying to find the strongest mages for each tier who could represent them in the elemental sh.


    This promoted Magic throughout the Vesta City, allowing the colossal city to continuously produce top-tier Mages from generations.


    "So, without further ado, let''s start with our 1st Tier, let us see how our 1st Tier Mages would perform this year, please put your hands together for Elowen Frostfury and Cassius mestrider.


    The two mages, pleasee to the Stage number 1."


    Just like that, the tournament started.


    The Arena was huge and had a total of 16 Stages the Mages could fight in, each Stage had 2 Healers who were always ready to treat the injured and its own personnel referee who started and decided the result of the Magic Duel.


    One by one, the announcer continued to call the participants and assigned them to their designated Stages.


    Under the crowd''s excited cheers, the Magic Duels started, of course, the people here couldn''t possibly focus on all 16 Magic Duels at the same time, they only focused on the battles that excited them the most.


    To gain the attention of most of the crowd was also a form of achievement for some mages.


    The winners qualified for the next round while the losers were eliminated from the tournament without having any second chance, it was unfair to Mages who faced strong opponents from the beginning, but so was life.


    The sh between different 1st Circle Mages continued for the long time,


    As for the Hall where the 200 2nd Circle Mages were gathered...


    Somethingpletely out of the expectation was happening.

 Chapter 147 Please let us surrender.

    Chapter 147 Please let us surrender.


    The 200 2nd Circle Mages were all gathered in a hall, waiting to get their tokens and know what opponent they would be facing for the first round. This was amon practice in the Elemental sh, although the Mages are called out individually in front of everyone, in truth, everything, starting from their opponents and the Stage they fight in, all of it is predetermined.


    The gathered mages observed each other carefully, all of them were known elites from the region they came, this however, was the Central Domain, this was where the strongest and most elite of the mages gathered.


    This was the peak of magicpetition and just by judging from the atmosphere, one could feel overwhelmed. Some Mages looked confident and walked with their heads raised, others, however, were nervous as they looked around.


    Everyone calcted their chances of winning, trying to figure out the rank they would get or how they would impress the Vesta Family that will be observing their performance today.


    This air inside the hall was certainly lively, but suddenly, a huge shout was heard.


    ""Young Master Vaan!""


    Five Mages shouted as they knelt down in front of Vaan.


    Seeing this, Vaan ''frowned'' in confusion and then questioned, "What are you all doing?"


    "Young Master Vaan, we have a request."


    Asher spoke.


    "Do you think it is time to be taking any request? It is time to take your tokens and get onto the stage.


    With the speed at which they are fighting, it won''t take long before the Winner of Tier One is decided.


    Go and prepare for your battles, you must be in your prime situation if you want to get the best possible results."


    Vaan spoke.


    By now, most of the two hundred mages had turned towards Vaan and the five mages who were kneeling on the ground, as mages, containing their curiosity was something they were all bad at.


    "Young Master Vaan, it is regarding the Elemental sh, please listen to our humble request." Asher sounded adamant.


    Vaan sighed, "What is it?" he questioned in defeat.


    "Please allow us to surrender if by chance we are up against you." Asher requested.


    "Huh? Why would you do that?" Vaan furrowed his brows in confusion.


    "In exchange, I hope that Young Master Vaan remembers our names. We know that Young Master Vaan has recently be one the of Potential Heirs of the Vesta Family. We may not have the power to directly help you, but please see our surrender as a sign of our support to you."


    Asher spoke and the moment he did, the other mages frowned in confusion.


    "What are they talking about? And why are they kneeling on the ground?" A mage questioned another mage who stood near me.


    "How would I know?" The other mage replied.


    They weren''t the only pair, all the mages in the hall had started murmuring to each other as well.


    "Asher, the Elemental sh is an event where the Mages show off their strength. Even if you do not win, if you manage to impress the Family recruiters by your skill, the chances that you will be recruited by the Family are extremely high.


    No mage would want to surrender before the battle and lose that opportunity. Why are you trying to surrender before the battle even begins just so I can remember your name? I am telling you right now, being recruited by the Family is much more advantageous than being remembered by me.


    This is my honest advice to you, no matter who you face, give your best. The worst that can happen is that you will lose. What is so bad about it? What if you get lucky and catch the eyes of one of the recruiters? Your entire life would change in an instant."


    Vaan spoke as he patted on Asher''s head, the other mages agreed with Vaan''s words, they didn''te this far just to surrender before even fighting, this opportunity, there is no way they were going to give it up. After saying his piece, Vaan was about to leave, but then,


    "I am not talking foolishly, Young Master Vaan! I have considered this decision for days before finally deciding to go along with it.


    I have analyzed the results of Elemental shes held before this one. Most of the time, the Vesta Family only recruits Mages from the Third and Fourth Tier, while the First and Second Tier get nothing.


    Last year, only 3 out of the 200 Mages from the Second Tier were reported and this was considered good since the year before that, there were no recruitments from the Second Tier, and the year before only one mage was recruited.


    The chances of us low-level mages getting recruited are extremely low.


    On the other hand, Young Master Vaan is a Mage with a bright future. We have already witnessed your strength when you fought those mages who challenged you before, with you Advance Circle, you can already be called the strongest 2nd Circle Mage in the world, if we are unfortunate enough to get matched against you, then rather than embarrassing ourselves, it is much better to surrender and get into Young Master''s good book.


    Young Master Vaan, please be generous and let us selfishly hold your thighs. I promise we will work hard in the future and make sure that you do not regret your decision.


    Please let us surrender, Young Master Vaan!"


    Asher spoke and as he did, ra''s four other punching Bags repeated after him as well,


    ""Please let us surrender, Young Master Vaan!""


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    The entire Hall turned silent. The mages couldn''t understand what was happening. Most of the Mages here were new, however, even the ones who were quite talented and got to join the Elemental sh every year were taken aback as well. This was the first time they were witnessing a situation like this.


    "Hey, isn''t that man Young Master Vaan? From what I know, he is only a 1st Circle Mage and never dared to participate in the Elemental sh because he was weak. What is he doing here? And why are those 5 kneeling in front of him? Do they have a screw loose in their heads or something? Or is it all an act?"


    A mage from a ward that was located in the outskirts of the Vesta City questioned with a confused look on his face. It was clear from his question that he was not quite up to date about the recent events.


    "Tsk, this is the recent they shouldn''t allow some bumkins to stand together with people like us! Do you even know what you are talking about? Are you perhaps living in past!? Young Master Vaan has long revealed his real talents to the rest of the world!


    Weak? Weak my ass! Young Master Vaan is probably, no, surely the strongest out of all the mages here. So strong that the well-informed Mages aren''t even vying for the Top Spot this year and are desperately hoping that they do not face Young Master Vaan before the finals."


    Another Mage from the Central Region snorted.


    "That is correct! A screw loose in their heads? I''d say that they havee up with a fine idea. What''s the point of fighting Young Master Vaan anyway? How are we supposed to face him when his Magic Circles are 1.5 times bigger than ours and have a total of 12 Inner Circles? At this point, Young Master Vaan is alreadyparable to a 3rd Circle Mage, there is no way normal 2nd Circle Mages like us would be able to hold off against him."


    "I agree. Young Master Vaan has the ability to defeat us so one-sidedly that even if we gave our all, rather than impressing the recruiters, we would only be aughing stock. I''d rather we do what they are doing, surrender, and show our support to Young Master Vaan.


    If Young Master Vaan remembers our face, then in the future when he grows even stronger, than we might benefit more from it."


    Another Mage nodded.


    "That¡­ doesn''t sound like a bad option¡­"


    "Indeed¡­"


    One by one, more and more mages started agreeing, these were the mages who had either seen or heard about Vaan''s achievements. After all, the fact that Vaan defeated 6 mages in one go was already well-known in most parts of the Vesta City. Not to mention one of those mages was even a 3rd Circle Mage, although he used Instant Spells to win the battle, just the fact that Vaan won and even killed a 3rd Circle Mage made him quite fearsome.


    More mages nodded and started considering what to do, then suddenly, a white-haired woman walked out and knelt,


    "Please let me surrender as well, Young Master Vaan."


    Seraphina spoke with her head bowed.


    A mage had already taken action.


    ''Shit! Theter I take action, the weaker my impression will be!''


    Knowing that fact, another Mage jumped forward and,


    "My name is Isolde Varanas from the Varanas Family,


    Please let me surrender and show my support to you, Young Master Vaan."


    ''Shit! We arete!''


    Other mages rushed forward as well.


    ""Please let us surrender, Young Master Vaan!""


    Taken back by the situation, Vaan momentarily nced at Seraphina and a small smile appeared on his secretary''s face.

 Chapter 148 How about we make a bet?

    Chapter 148 How about we make a bet?


    ""Please let us surrender, Young Master Vaan!""


    Taken back by the situation, Vaan momentarily nced at Seraphina and a small smile appeared on his secretary''s face.


    "What are Young Master Vaan''s ns for the uing Elemental sh?"


    He remembered Seraphina asking him this question a week ago. That time, his answer was simple,


    "What else? I participate, beat the shit out of my opponents and win. I don''t see this going anywhere else." Vaan was confident. If it was 2nd Circle Mages, he highly doubted there would be any who could defeat him.


    Seraphina didn''t doubt it either, she had witnessed Vaan''s strength enough time to understand where that confidence came from, however,


    "Isn''t Young Master Vaan nning to be the next Family Head?"


    Suddenly, Seraphina questioned.


    "Is that even a question? Of course I am."


    "Then shouldn''t you try to stand outpared to rest of the Prospective Heirs?" Seraphina questioned, finally noticing her line of question, Vaan stopped answering in such a carefree manner, his aura changed as he narrowed his eyes, then, he questioned,


    "What are you trying to say?"


    "Hasn''t almost all your siblings been the Second Tier''s Champion? Sure, Young Master Vaan''s victories would be more one sided, but that would be it. In the end, wouldn''t you just be following your siblings footsteps if you just go and win the Elemental sh?"


    "Then what else do you suggest?" Vaan questioned.


    Should he lose instead? Would that even make sense?


    However, knowing that his secretory was brighter than most, Vaan gave her the benefit of doubt and allowed her to exin herself.


    "What if Young Master Vaan wins the tournament without fighting even a single battle? Wouldn''t that leave an impact that wouldst for years toe by?"


    "Win without fighting?"


    "That is correct. Your opponents surrendering before the fight even begin, not just once, but almost every time you step on the stage.


    Wouldn''t that be a show of your absolute dominance?


    The Young Master of the Vesta Family''s presence alone was so overbearing that his opponents gave up without even trying to fight him.


    Has any of your brothers done this before, no, has anyone in the history of the Vesta Family ever achieved that?


    I believe the impact you would create with it would be extremely helpful when you start creating your faction and would destabilize the opposite factions."


    Seraphina spoke, her eyes shining brightly as she imagined the scenario y out.


    "¡­and how do you n to make that happen? You know those mages havee from hundreds of thousands of kilometers away just so they could participate in the Elemental sh, correct? Although the Teleportation Portals made travel easier, however, the cost of using those portals alone would be astronomical.


    You think they would just leave without even giving a fight?"


    "Their Travelling cost is covered by the Mystic Domains they are from, Young Master. You don''t have to worry about that. Actually, I already have a n that could make what I said possible."


    "Oh?" Hearing those words, Vaan raised his eyebrow in interest. "What is it?" He questioned.


    Seraphina smiled and then,


    "We would need Asher and others to participate in a little act¡­"


    She started exining her n.


    And there they were, in the current situation, where more than half of the mages were kneeling on the ground, with their heads low, all of them wanting to show their willingness to surrender to him.


    ''She sure is capable.''


    Vaan thought inwardly as he nced at his secretary kneeling in front of her.


    Honestly, this was the first time he was facing a situation like this. Yes, he was a fearsome underworld leader in his path life who was feared by many, in his peak, hemanded over 1000 thugs, however, they didn''t have this tradition of kneeling in front of others.


    This show of absolute surrender, there wasn''t a thing like this in his past life.


    It was quite a novel experience for Vaan and he was not intimidated by the slightest, rather¡­


    He loved the beautiful sight in front of him.


    ''Heh, this is something I can get used to.''


    He spoke as he chuckled inwardly. He felt a strange sense of satisfaction flowing throughout his body.


    Unknowingly, Seraphina may have unlocked something she shouldn''t have. Then suddenly, Vaan''s expression changed,


    ''It is time they appear.'' He muttered inwardly and just as he expected.


    "What are you idiots trying to do!?" A Mage spoke up.


    He was Sylvaris Vesta.


    A Mage whose father was in Vaelen''s faction, naturally, he supported Vaelen''s as well. Sylvaris was only 19 this year, therefore, he didn''t actively take part in Politics, however, even someone like him could tell that whatever was happening here was not good for the faction he and his father supported.


    He needed to stop it.


    And he wasn''t alone.


    "That''s right! Have you all lost your minds!? This is the Elemental sh! The elitest of Mages gather here andpete with each other and you all wish to surrender before fighting? Do you even realize how disgraceful is that!?"


    Another mage, Thalindra Vesta spoke. Unlike Sylvaris, she supported Elric, however, right now, her goals aligned with Sylvaris. What''s more? Unlike Sylvaris, she was quite active in matters regarding politics and knew how to manipte the crowd using words.


    "Do you think the recruiters would be impressed by your shameful performance? Aren''t you afraid to offend them instead by showing such a disgraceful scene? Ugg! I feel disgusted just standing amongst you.


    And you all are going so far for what? So that Young Master Vaan would remember you? Think about it you idiots, there are more than a hundred of you, how is Young Master Vaan going to remember you all!?


    How can you all just kneel down like that? Do you not have any pride? Do you not think before you act?"


    Thalindra spoke, her words echoing through the Hall, and a deep silence fell.


    What she said made sense, the mages who were kneeling on the ground started reconsidering their decision and seeing the uncertain looks on their faces, other Mages who supported other Prospective Heirs or saw Vaan in a bad light in general started speaking out as well.


    Their words weren''t any different than Thalindra, they just rephrased her sentence and pointed out how the mages kneeling on the ground were making a wrong decision and would regret it throughout their lives.


    But then,


    "Isolde Varanas from the Varanas Family, Morwyn Greyfield from the Greyfield Family, Arion Hope from the Hope Orphanage¡­"


    Vaan started speaking.


    Looking right into Thalindra''s eyes, he started calling out the names of all the Mages who had kneeled in front of him, that too, in the order in which they surrendered first.


    "Andstly, Malci Salphan from the Salphan Family.


    Vaan then looked around and questioned,


    "Did I miss anyone?"


    His voice sounded calm but held the authority never seen from him before, or maybe it was because all mages couldn''t believe what he just did.


    Saying the names of exactly 112 Mages who offered to surrender without making even a single mistake, no one expected him to actually remember those names. This directly thrashed one of the strongest points Thndra made.


    ''He wouldn''t remember most of you!''


    This statement was nowpletely effective and because of that, the change in expressions of the Mages could be seen. This time, even the Mages who hadn''t surrendered started considering the option.


    "You¡­ you¡­" Thndra was at loss of words, still unable to believe that Vaan actually remembered their names.


    Vaan chuckled as he nced at her expression, how could a poor thing like her possibly know about the external help he had?


    Looking at mey, who had written all the names in the air right in front of her eyes using her mes, Vaan couldn''t help but chuckle as he slightly nodded at his little friend.


    "Kriiii!!"


    Seeing that what she did actually came to use, mey smiled brightly. Sshy who was right beside her flew around excitedly as well.


    The two little spirits were still as adorable as ever.


    "I-It doesn''t matter even if you remember their names! Do you think your status is high enough for them to give up on the opportunity to show their skills in the Elemental sh just so you can remember their name!?"


    Thndra shouted, not willing to give up just yet.


    "Yo-"


    "Young Master Vaan."


    Vaan wanted to reply, but suddenly, Seraphina stood up and, "Please let me."


    Vaan nodded, Seraphina bowed her head before turning towards Thndra and,


    "Young Master Vaan was not the one who proposed the idea of surrendering, rather, he actually was against it at the start, it was us who stepped forward willingly.


    And did you say show our skills in the Elemental sh? Let me ask you this, Lady Thndra, are you yourself confident enough to face Young Master Vaan in the battle and ''show off your skills?''


    Let''s not even talk about the possibility of defeating him because we already know that is simply not possible,


    Are you even sure that you can use even 10 of your spells in front of him before you are thrown out of the Stage?


    If you are, then how about we make a bet?


    With how confidently you are trying to order us around, I am sure you have at least this much confidence in your own skills, correct?"

 Chapter 149 We are present as history is in the making.

    Chapter 149 We are present as history is in the making.


    "If you are, then how about we make a bet?


    With how confidently you are trying to order us around, I am sure you have at least this much confidence in your own skills, correct?"


    Seraphina questioned and hearing those words, Vaan smiled.


    ''The woman is learning, I am proud.''


    He could see his own self in her when she said those words. Vaan was extremely satisfied with her actions. An opportunity to extort money? One should grab it the moment they are presented.


    "W-What are you talking about?"


    "Huh? Did I not make it clear enough? I am merely asking you to take action and back up your ims.


    To show off one''s skills in the Elemental sh you need to cast at least ten spells so the recruiters could judge his skills.


    I want you to make a bet that you are capable of doing that and since we are at it, let''s go all out, 100 Elemental Stones, these are my life savings and I am willing to put all of it in the bet."


    Seraphina then smiled as she looked into Thndra''s eyes and,


    "Do you dare to ept and bet 100 Elemental Stones to back your ims?"


    And as if this wasn''t enough, the woman nced at other Mages who backed Thndra before and continued,


    "Of course, the Bet is open for all.


    Anyone who agrees with Lady Thndra and thinks that us surrendering to Young Master Vaan is a foolish decision can step forward and ept my bet."


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    Silence.


    Absolute Silence fell all over the hall.


    Thndra who had been leading this charge against Vaan didn''t dare to speak. 100 Elemental was a big amount, even for her, a Vesta.


    She was not a direct descendant. Even her Parents who were both sessful Mages would need at least 6 months toe up with such an amount.


    Thndra didn''t have the financial power to bet on such arge amount.


    Especially when the bet was about fighting¡­ that man¡­


    Thndra nced at Vaan who stood there with a small smile on his face.


    If it was before, she would have epted the bet in an instant, after all, who was afraid of a waste who did absolutely nothing in his life? Now, however, Vaan had changed.


    And more than a hundred mages kneeling in front of him was proof of that.


    "Heh. No one is stepping forward."


    Suddenly, Asher chuckled.


    He then momentarily nced at Seraphina and, "Look at their faces, they were all jumping on us for kneeling in front of Young Master Vaan, calling us fools and whatnot, yet there they are, not even daring to bet 100 Elemental Stones to support their im.


    Or maybe they think the opportunity to get recruited by the Vesta Family is worth less than 100 Elemental Stones? Hah! I wonder who is the fool here."


    Saying those words, Asher turned towards Vaan and bowed his head again, "Young Master Vaan, today''s events have only made my resolve even stronger, from now on, I swear my eternal loyalty to you."


    "M-My name is Lyndara Walfus, an independent Mage, Young Master Vaan, please ept my surrender as well."


    Suddenly, another mage stepped forward and knelt.


    "I am¡­"


    Another chain started and within 5 minutes, 178 Mages were kneeling in front of Vaan. The only Mages left were the Mages who either supported other Prospective heirs, or the Mages who didn''t believe the rumors and wanted to fight Vaan, andstly, the ones who were genuinely looking forward to fighting strong opponents.


    Vaan didn''t care about them, he had already expected that things wouldn''t go as wlessly as they expected, 178 out of 200 mages kneeling was already a number that was out of their expectations.


    Vaan nced at these mages and,


    "Alright, I ept your surrender. Those who have shown their trust in me, I will definitely not forget you all in the future. Now stand up, the First Tier will be ending soon, it is now time for us to go and receive our tokens. I hope those who get to fight do their best in the Tournament."


    He then walked out of the Hall, wanting to know how long would they need to wait before they get their tokens.


    ¡­


    The Mages participating in the First Tier were only 1st Circle Mages, due to their inexperience and limited number of spells they could use, their battles rarely continued for longer than 10 minutes, and with 16 Stages, it only took 3 hours for the results to be out.


    Just like everyone expected, the winner was from the Vesta Family. The audience cheered for the new mage who would soon be one of the top mages in the world, the First Tier finally came to an end, and after 30 minutes of pause,


    It was now time for the Second Tier.


    "People! I hope you are still as spirited as you were before the break! These 30 minutes didn''t take away your energy, did it? Even if it did, do not worry because the future battles would be even better than what you saw before!


    Now without waiting any further, let''s step up to the Second Teir of the Elemental sh! Give me a cheer!"


    "YYYEAAHHHHHH!!!"


    The audience roared excitedly, the announcer waited for the audience to calm down, and then, she started,


    "So let''s wee our first participants of the Second Tier, Arion Hope and Va- oh, what a surprise, it''s a name that most of you have heard about, the only son of the leader of our City, Young Master Vaan, or Vaan Astra Vesta!"


    "OOOOOHHHHHHH!!!!"


    The audience couldn''t believe that Vaan would be the first one toe and fight, it was a pleasant surprise and the crowd went crazy.


    It was the loudest cheer that wasparable to the time Astra had entered.


    And the announcer who noticed that decided to go off script and hype the battle even further, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am sure most of you already know but for those who don''t, let me tell you that Young Master Vaan is not just any Mage, besides being Lady Astra''s only son, he is also the creator of what is known as the Advance Magic Circle.


    A Circle that is 1.5 timesrger than the normal circle and has 6 Inner Circles instead of 4!


    Although no mage has managed to learn Young Master Vaan''s Advance Circle, today, you are going to get the chance to witness Young Master himself using the Circle!


    How would the Advance Circle look,


    Aren''t you people excited!?"


    "OOOOOHHHHHHH!!!!!"


    "YEAAHHHHHHH!!!"


    Amidst of crowd''s cheering, two men walked onto the stage.


    "Young Master Vaan!!"


    "Young Master Vaan!!"


    More and more people started joining in and chanting Vaan''s name, their excitement was clear on their faces. The older Mages continued to stare at Vaan as if they wanted to engulf him in one go. It was clear what they wanted.


    Their expectations, however, were ruined.


    "I surrender."


    Arion, who had been ignored the moment he walked out and stepped onto the stage spoke up and instantly attracted all the attention.


    "What¡­?"


    The referee of the match questioned, clearly taken aback by the situation.


    Arion nced at Vaan and sighed.


    "Young Master Vaan, it seems my luck is rather unfortunate, to think that I would be pitied against you in the first round."


    Obviously, Arion was disappointed. He didn''t wish for things to end this way but there was nothing he could do. He saw the attention Vaan received the moment he stepped forward, Arion could already predict that he would only be ignored even if he fought here.


    "Do not lose your heart, Arion. Since you made it here, it means you are extremely talented, I am sure this will not be yourst Elemental sh. I know you will make your Orphanage proud next time."


    Vaan smiled and Arion''s expression changed.


    Young Master Vaan still remembered his name!


    "Y-Yes! I will work hard!"


    He bowed his head.


    Then, he turned toward the referee and spoke, "I wish to surrender." This time, his disappointment had vanished.


    "Alright¡­" The referee had to ept.


    The match ended before it even started.


    "What!?"


    "He surrendered!?"


    "Why would you do that!? What''s the point of participating in the tournament then!?"


    And of course, the audience wasn''t happy either. There was not a single person there who didn''t wish to watch Vaan fight, their disappointment, however, had only started.


    "I surrender."


    "I surrender."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "I surrender"


    For the next 5 rounds, the moment Vaan stepped onto the stage, his opponent surrendered without a moment of hesitation.


    "W-Why is no one fighting Young Master Vaan¡­?" Someone from the crowd questioned.


    "Because they are scared." A Mage sitting amongst normal people replied.


    "What? Scared? Why?" Another person questioned.


    "Would you fight a battle you know you will lose? In front of millions of people at that?" the Mage questioned.


    "How could they all be¡­" The man wanted to question, however, he soon realized that he already knew the answer to his question.


    "The Advance Circle."


    "That is correct. The existence of Advance Circle makes it impossible for any 2nd Circle Mage to face Young Master Vaan. He is on an entirely different level." The mage spoke and the audience turned silent.


    "¡­has this ever happened before?" Another man questioned with an uncertain look on his face.


    "There has never been a mage like Young Master Vaan in the history of Elemental sh.


    We are present as history is in the making."

 Chapter 150 Dont Die

    Chapter 150 Don''t Die


    In the Fifth round of the Second Tier, Vaan Astra Vesta made his entrance onto the stage. The anticipation in the audience was palpable; they were eager to witness his performance, with one collective hope in mind: that the events of the past four rounds would not be repeated. Unfortunately, luck was not on the audience''s side.


    "I¡­I surrender."


    The opponent gave up.


    "BOOOOOO!!!"


    "OH COME ON!!!"


    "FIGHT YOU BASTARD!!"


    "WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE!!!???"


    And of course, the moment the audience people in the crowd heard that, they shouted in rage.


    It was already the quarter-finals, there were only 8 participants left in the Second Tier and Vaan Astra Vesta had not fought even a single battle.


    "¡­"


    Astra, who was witnessing the entire situation narrowed her eyes. Even a fool could tell that this was not natural.


    Yes, Vaan was the tournament favorite, Astra already knew Vaan''s losing this tournament was impossible, she even expected 1 or 2 of his opponents to surrender, but¡­ all of them?


    Something was definitely wrong.


    As surprising as it was, this was a little problematic as well.


    Thinking that, Astra nced at a few 6th Circle Mages in the crowd and used a spell to enhance her hearing,


    "Is this perhaps¡­ arranged by someone?"


    "Who do you think has the pow-


    ¡­Lady Astra."


    "Do you think she is involved in it?"


    "Lady Astra is known for her fairness. She has never involved herself in these matters."


    "She is also a mother."


    "¡­"


    The two mages turned silent, not wanting to talk about this anymore.


    Hearing their conversation, there was no particr change in Astra''s expression, however, she could already tell that those two mages weren''t the only ones who were considering that possibility.


    Astra nced at her son who stepped out of the ring with his hands in his pockets,pletely unbothered by everything that was happening around him.


    ''What are you trying to do?'' She questioned inwardly.


    "Do you want me to investigate the situation?" Suddenly, a shadowy figure appeared next to Astra and questioned.


    "Stay put," Astra ordered.


    She was curious, yes, but that was it.


    It was not a big deal.


    For now, she decided to trust her child and watch where this is going.


    "A-And the winner is Vaan Astra Vesta! Another round, simr results, it is as if no mage wishes to go against Young Master Vaan!


    Is our Young Master that scary of an opponent? While all other Mages struggled and fought to the best of their abilities in order to get to the next round, it has been a breeze for our Young Master ever since the Second Tier.


    Is that what it means to be a true Vesta?


    Would we actually get to see Young Master Vaan fight?


    Only the time could tell that!"


    The announcer announced, even though it was the first time she had encountered a situation as absurd as this one, she didn''t feel intimidated and used it to her advantage, soon, she shifted her focus to the other three quarter-final fights that were taking ce.


    The audience, as annoyed as it was, quickly shifted to other battles because of the announcer''s skills.


    Time passed, the quarter-final ended.


    Only Four Participants were now left.


    However, the difference between the four participants was akin to day and night.


    2nd Circle Mages were still fairly new to magic, the number of spells in their arsenal was limited. Even for a Mage from a considerably stronger family, defeating weaker Mages was not that easy since the difference between strengths between two 2nd Circle Mages was usually not that wide.


    Three out of Four Mages who had gone through five battles, the initial rounds wereparably simpler, however, theter rounds, especially the quarter-finals, it took them a lot of effort to win the fight and even though there were Healing Mages who healed their wounds, they all were still mentally exhausted.


    It was a normal situation that happened every year.


    Today, however, there was one issue.


    Or more urately, an exception.


    The Fourth Mage hadn''t fought even a single battle. He was still as good as new.


    Therefore, to make the battle fairer, the authorities decided to take a 30-minute break and allowed the other three participants to rest.


    Yes, just Vaan''s presence forced the authorities to change the rules of a tournament that has been held for centuries with the same set of rules.


    30 minutes passed by, and it was now time for the Semi-Finals.


    Unlike other rounds, the Semi-Finals weren''t taken parallelly, to give the audience the best possible experience, the Semi-Finals were held on only one of the sixteen stages and to give the Mage who would be facing Vaan more rest, the other two mages were called first.


    Lyria meward and Elowen Vesta.


    The Battle started, just like everyone expected, it was a long, tiresome battle, but in the end, Elowen Vesta came out as the victor.


    The audience cheered, however as the announcer stepped forward, they all turned silent.


    They all knew who was going to fight next.


    But the question was,


    Was he going to fight?


    "Now the moment you people have been waiting for, give me a cheer if you wish to see our Young Mastering into the action!


    For the Young Master''s Battle!"


    "YYYEAAAAHHHHH!!!"


    The audience roared, their expectation rising again.


    "Now please wee the next two Participants, Gryfinn Vesta and Vaan Astra Vesta!"


    "Young Master Vaan!"


    "Young Master Vaan!"


    The crowd cheered in excitement, this time, however, their support wasn''t as one-sided as before.


    "Young Master Gryfinn! Show everyone your strength!"


    "Young Master Gryfinn! It is your time to shine!!"


    The minority supported Gryfinn Vesta, who was one of the Tournament Favorites and had performed quite well in the past rounds, even gaining some fans in the process.


    The two mages stepped onto the stage, Vaan nced at his opponent, he was blonde with blue eyes, seeing his features, Vaan frowned,


    "You don''t look like a Vesta,"


    The Vestas usually had ck hair and ck eyes, and even though Vaan himself didn''t match that description, he was known to be an exception.


    "I am from the Branch Family."


    Gryfinn replied.


    "Ah, that makes sense." Vaan nodded.


    "I will tell you right now, I am not nning to surrender," Gryfinn spoke as he red into Vaan''s eyes.


    Hearing those words, the referee''s face brightened up.


    Yes, even he was looking forward to Vaan''s fight. Actually, the entire reason he applied to be the referee was so that he could see Vaan''s Advanced Circle from up close and try and unveil some of his secrets.


    "That is good, I was quite bored as well." Vaan nodded, not bothered by Gryfinn''s cold attitude. Then, he nced at his mother who was looking at him from afar, and chuckled.


    "And I have a feeling that if I do not fight soon enough, it won''t end well for me." Then, Vaan nced at the Mage in front of him and,


    "Though I will say one thing, you came from a branch family and I can tell that you or your family support one of my dear siblings instead of me,


    So don''t expect me to go easy on you, alright?


    I want you to know who you and your family are up against.


    After all, only then would you be able to make a smarter decision, no?"


    A big smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    "You are as arrogant as I was told," Gryfinnmented.


    Vaan nced at the referee, the referee stepped forward and,


    "Please stand on your positions."


    Two mages stood 50 meters away from each other.


    "Start!"


    The referee ordered and seeing that one Mage was finally willing to fight Vaan, the audience went crazy.


    "OOOHHHHH!!!!!:


    "IT IS STARTING!!!"


    "YOUNG MASTER VAAN!!!"


    The two mages absorbed Mana from the surroundings.


    "mey, Sshy."


    Vaan called his two little friends, wanting to go all out from the start.


    "Krriiii~~"


    "Grruu~~"


    The two fairies flew near Vaan''s hands, the Mana moved throughout his Body and Two Advance Magic Circles were formed.


    "OOOHHHHHH!!!!"


    The crowd cheered.


    Magic Patterns were drawn, Gryfinn was Wind Mage which was known for its speed. He decided to gain some momentum using Wind de, a basic Spell that could be cast at a much faster speed than any other spell.


    *Whoosh*


    The Wind de was shot!


    Vaan wasn''t any slower either, he summoned his signature Fire Spike, powered by [Speed], [Burst] and many other Inner Circle Spells, the Fire Spike shot as fast as the Wind de known for its speed.


    In this situation, normal mages usually aim for the two spells to sh with each other and they continue this until the better mage outperforms the other mage and the battle flow changes.


    Vaan, however, had a different approach.


    Even though he would be in an advantageous situation if he let the situation y out, just as his Fire Spike was about to collide with Wind de, Vaan tapped the Direction Maniption, the Fire Spike momentarily changed its path to avoid the wind de and rushed towards Gryfinn.


    "!!!"


    Gryfinn widened his eyes in surprise.


    To his horror, however, Vaan had just started.


    "Don''t die kid."


    *Whoosh*


    He pushed two-thirds of his Mana into Speed Inner Circle and the Firespike shot towards Gryfinn twice as fast as before.


    ''I am doomed¡­'' Gryfinn gulped.

 Chapter 151 In what world is this fair!?

    Chapter 151 In what world is this fair!?


    "Don''t die kid."


    Vaan spoke with a big smile on his face. Then, he infused two-thirds of his Mana into [Speed] Inner Circle, and,


    *Whoosh*


    The Firespike shot toward Gryfinn twice as fast as before.


    "S-Shit!"


    Gryfinn panicked. The Fire Spike was just too fast, in a moment, his focus shifted from his Wind de to defense.


    "Wind Curtain."


    Just like Wind de, he has ced Wind Curtain into one of his Inner Circles as well, making it easier and faster for him to cast the spell almost instantly if he had enough Mana in his Mana Veins.


    *Whoosh* *Whoosh*


    The air in front of Gryfinn started moving, forming what could be used as a shield that blew away the iing spells. Wind was not an element known for its defense and the Wind Curtain alone is considered to be one of the weaker spells, therefore, Gryfinn added it with another Inner Circle Spell, [Overflow], this allowed him to strengthen the wind flow of Wind Curtain, strengthening its overall power and ability to blow away the iing spells.


    Yes, [Overflow] had a high Mana consumption, its effect, however, made it worth it.


    With his Defense Spell ready, Gryfinn prepared for the impact, to further add to his protection, he used [Direction Maniption] in thest second, pushing his [Wind Curtain] forward, Vaan of course, couldn''t react, his [Fire Spike] directly collided with the [Wind Curtain] and was blew away.


    With a big smile on his face, Gryfinn nced at Vaan.


    "Hoh?" Vaan was impressed.


    "That was good."


    He acknowledged and then, another Fire Spike appeared beside him.


    Again, charged with [Speed], [Burst], [Direction Maniption], and two new Inner Circle Spells, [Erge] and [Burn], it shot towards Gryfinn again.


    Gryfinn''s defense was the same, thebination of [Wind Curtain], [Overflow] and [Direction Maniption] allowed him to defend against nearly any spell.


    This was the reason why Inner Circles and their configuration were so important for the Mages. Both of these mages knew many other spells other than the ones they had prepared, however, for all other Spells, they needed to draw the Magic pattern which required time. In a Battle where even a second''s dy was enough to change the result, time was a preciousmodity Mages couldn''t waste.


    In the case of Basic Mages, most of the Battles were only fought using the previously stored Spells.


    "This will be a Battle of Attrition."


    Gryfinn spoke up.


    The Flow of the Battle was decided, Vaan was in an attacking position whereas he defended. Although it was not the most ideal situation since the Wind Element was on the offensive side, things weren''t that bad either.


    If Vaan continued to attack with Fire Spikes while he continued to defend using Wind Curtains, this battle would take the longer route where Mana Management and other factors woulde into y. It would take around 20 minutes before the winner was decided and for Gryfinn, it was a satisfactory situation.


    After all, this would mean that he managed to hold off against Young Master Vaan, a Mage who had received a ridiculous amount of attention recently.


    ''Heh, Advanced Magic Circles my ass. In the end, Strategy is all that matters.''


    Gryfinn chuckled inwardly, already thinking about what Vaan''s frustrated face would look like.


    But then,


    "That''s a cute attempt."


    Vaan chuckled.


    And then,


    He stepped forward.


    "I will be leaving it to you, alright?"


    "Krrii!!"


    "Grruu!!"


    The two spirits nodded excitedly as they took control of Vaan''s Mana.


    Then, with his hands in his pockets, Vaan started walking towards Gryfinn with a yful smile on his face.


    "He¡­ he is moving¡­"


    The referee, the announcer, and the audience widened their eyes in shock.


    "B-But he is still casting spells! How can he move!?"


    "I-Is that possible!?"


    "Are you crazy!? Since when was that possible!?"


    "Aren''t you seeing it in front of your eyes!?"


    "B-But that doesn''t make any sense¡­"


    Let alone the normal humans, even the experienced Mages lost control over their emotions, as for the Mages who already knew about it, they turned silent.


    They did hear about this from Mages who saw Vaan''s battle against the three Vesta Mages but¡­


    They still couldn''t believe that something like this was possible.


    However, as surprising as it was, the question was.


    "What is he trying to do¡­?"


    The audience couldn''t help but frown in confusion, the Mages were even more curious.


    Gryfinn, who was defending against the Firespike furrowed his brows as well.


    Vaan was walking towards him, but why?


    Soon, however, he remembered something.


    The reason Vaan was famous for.


    ''He is going to punch me!''


    Gryfinn''s expression changed. He knew how Vaan fought. That Thug-like Battle Style, no Mage fought like that, no mage should fight like that, but this man¡­


    "Shit." Gryfinn cursed. "You won''t intimidate me! There is a reason why most Mages fight from a distance! I''ll show you what happens if you try and close that distance in the middle of the battle." He shouted.


    *Boom*


    Another Firespike collided with the Wind Curtain, Gryfinn could already see the next oneing towards him, this time however, he changed his approach to a more aggressive one and summoned another [Wind de], this time, he used one of his special Inner Circle that his Grandfather taught him, [Clone].


    *Whoosh* *Whoosh*


    Two Winddes were formed, one of them was a Clone, however, naked eyes couldn''t tell them apart.


    Gryfinnpletely ignored the iing Firespike, the two Wind des shot towards Vaan from different directions, who now stood nearly 12 meters away from him.


    It was so close that there was no way Vaan could guess which one was real and defend ordingly.


    Or that was what Gryfinn thought¡­


    What he forgot was that the man he was facing used Advanced Magic Circles, his extra 4 Inner Circles were not just for show.


    [Clear], [Fire Spike], [Direction Maniption], [Speed], [Burst], [Burn], [Erge], currently, Vaan had used only these Seven Inner Circles.


    For any other 2nd Circle Mage, that was almost all his cards, but not for Vaan.


    And to bepletely honest, in this Elemental sh, Vaan wasn''t nning to win by aggressive y either,


    "Sshy."


    Vaan spoke.


    "Gurrruu~~"


    Sshy smiled brightly, then, Vaan''s 8th Inner Circle was activated,


    [Crystal Dome].


    A Water-based defensive Spell that forms a transparent crystal dome around the Mage and defends him from all directions, however, since it didn''t focus on one particr direction, its defense was weak.


    Unless, it was used together with, [Strengthen.]


    Thebination of [Crystal Dome] and [Strengthen] resulted in a decent defensive spell, Vaan, however, did not stop there.


    Sshy then activated his 10th Inner Circle.


    [Double Cast], the Spell that allowed a Mage to Copy his Spell, the strength of the copied Spell was reduced by 50% so it wasn''t used very often, however, in the case of Defensive Spell, it provided another wave of defense, strengthening the defense to another level.


    It was rarely used, but when used correctly, it had surprising results.


    However, there was another, even crazier way to move forward.


    11th and 12th Inner Circles were activated, [Triple Cast] and [Quadruple Cast].


    Vaan was now surrounded by 4 Transparent Domes, each one of them strengthened using [Strengthen], it was an absolute defense that no 2nd Circle Mage could even think of using.


    After all, just one spell alone used Five Inner Circles,bined with [Clear] and [Direction Maniption], that alone took 7 out of 8 Inner Circles! Yes, the output was absurdly strong, and even 3rd Circle Mages would find it hard to break this Defense let alone 2nd Circle Mages, however, the attack power of thisbination was just too weak.


    It waspletely impractical to use this in a Battle, unless¡­


    Unless you were Vaan and had 4 extra Inner Circles¡­ and the ability to move while casting a spell.


    With his pretty much unbreakable Crystal Ball protecting him, he leisurely walked towards Gryfinn, his Fire Spike had already dispersed due tock of Mana, and as for the Wind des that were shot at him, they couldn''t even manage to make a crack on his Defensive Wall.


    Gryfinn who saw Vaan getting closer, panicked.


    "Wind de!"


    In desperation, he used the same spell again, but the results weren''t any different.


    Vaan was now barely 5 meters away from him and with that smile on his face that had nearly turned demonic, Gryfinn activated hisst two Inner Circle Spells.


    [Air st] and [Weaken].


    [Air st] was an attack Spell, Gryfinn however, managed to use it more creatively,bining it with [Weaken] he aimed the spell near his foot, and using that momentum, he jumped back.


    It was his way to dodge dangerous situations and at the same time create distance, even though the distance created was just 6 meters, it was enough in life-threatening situations.


    In this case, however, other than giving him some time and distance, the spell didn''t do much. Vaan continued to walk towards Gryfinn.


    And he had no way to deal with that Crystal Wall that protected Vaan.


    ''F-Fuck! Why is using Advanced Circles allowed!? It should be against the rules! In what world is this fair!?


    How am I supposed to fight here!?''


    "I hope you are prepared, the Brave Mage who didn''t surrender."


    Suddenly, Gryfinn heard a demonic voice.

 Chapter 152 What the Hell! Start again!

    Chapter 152 What the Hell! Start again!


    "I hope you are prepared, the Brave Mage who didn''t surrender."


    Suddenly, Gryfinn heard a demonic voice and he felt goosebumps all over his body. He, however, did not give in.


    ''Not like this! I can still win this!''


    With that thought in his mind, the Mana in his Mana Veins moved again,


    [Air st] and [Weaken].


    *Boom*


    Using the same spell with the same intention, Gryfinn created more distance between him and Vaan. Unlike Vaan, he couldn''t cast and move at the same time, so the only way he could continue creating distance between them is¡­ was this little trick of his.


    Of course, there was also the option to stop casting altogether and simply start running, however, only fools would choose that option. Mages were supposed to fight using Magic, this was much truer for Basic Mages who needed at least 2 seconds to absorb the surrounding Mana and get back into casting position.


    If he abandoned his casting position and started running, Vaan would simply start targeting him using his [Firespike] and thatbined with [Speed] and [Direction Maniption], the chance that he would survive by just running alone was¡­ zero.


    ''Alright, I need to calm down now.''


    Gryfinn spoke inwardly and started thinking, his strategy was simple.


    *Boom* *Boom* *Boom* *Boom*


    He would continuously use Air st to continue to create distance between each other.


    Crystal Dome was a strong spell that defended a Mage from all directions, of course, its strength was weaker than normal defense spells, but using [Strengthen], this gap could be covered. Despite that, Crystal Dome wasn''t preferred by most Water Mages, why?


    Because the Spell itself could act like a trap.


    Once a Mage is surrounded by Crystal Dome, he is isted from the rest of the world, the air and Mana inside the Dome are limited, which means that sooner orter, the Mage would either run out of Mana or air to breathe and would have to eventually cancel the spell.


    Gryfinn was waiting for that opportunity.


    He would continue to use Air st again and again and once Vaan is forced to cancel the spell, he would shoot an Air st at him, before using Wind de to end the battle.


    It was a foolproof n where his victory was pretty much guaranteed.


    Or¡­ that was what he thought.


    And as if he knew what his opponent was thinking, Vaan chuckled.


    "Ah right, I forgot to mention.


    My Crystal Dome is a little different than normal ones."


    Hemented and suddenly, Gryfinn paused and nced at Vaan.


    Vaan simply pointed at his feet and Gryfinn''s expression changed when he realized something.


    There was a gap.


    There was a 3-inch gap between the floor and the Crystal Dome that allowed both air and mana to pass through.


    ''N-No! There is no point in a defense spell if there is a clear opening!'' Gryfinn shouted inwardly.


    Vaan then activated [Direction Maniption] and the Crystal Dome moved down, closing the gap that was formed.


    ''¡­''


    Gryfinn turned silent.


    Vaan simply smiled, the Crystal Dome moved up again and Vaan continued his walk with his hands in his pockets.


    The meaning behind his words was clear.


    Gryfinn could jump around like a monkey as much as he wanted, it simply didn''t matter


    ''T-This bastard!''


    Gryfinn cursed.


    "Do you have any other tricks? Or should we end this?


    I feel quite good today, so I will give you a chance to surrender before I start beating you up."


    Vaan spoke as he nced at Gryfinn and cracked his knuckles.


    "¡­" Gryfinn turned silent.


    Even he could see the disparity between Vaan and him.


    Vaan''s defense was almost unbreakable, his attack power was not weak, actually, being supported by 7 Inner Circle Spells, Vaan''s offense could be considered as one of the strongest offenses amongst the 2nd Circle Mages.


    Vaan was using two extreme Inner Circle builds that werepletely impractical, however, for a cheat like him, it was a perfect fit. Even if peoplepletely ignore the absurd ability of being able to move while casting spells, with best Defense and best Offense, defeating Vaan was¡­


    Impossible.


    This battle¡­ from the start to finish¡­ Gryfinn never had a chance to win. The only reason he made it this far was because Vaan was taking it easy.


    It was the Semi-Finals of one of the biggest Magic Tournaments in the entire world and¡­ this bastard was simply ying around¡­ he was that assured of his victory.


    Gryfinn felt humiliated.


    His body trembled as he clenched his fists in anger, however, when he stared at Vaan standing still, looking at him and waiting for his decision, Gryfinn bit his lips and,


    "I¡­ I surrender." He gave up, not wanting to humiliate himself even further.


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    The entire stadium turned silent.


    One had to know, currently, both Mages were in their top condition, there were no injuries in their bodies, heck, one of the two mages hadn''t even used more than 5 spells, and yet... none of the mages sitting there disapproved of Gryfinn''s decision.


    The difference between the two mages couldn''t be more apparent. The people in the crowd finally understood why all the other mages gave up without even trying to fight that monster.


    No power had ''manipted'' anything, the skill difference between Vaan and other Mages was so absurd that right now, Gryfinn, the Mage who stood against Vaan looked like an ignorant fool who had no clue who he was facing and came here just to humiliate himself.


    "Oh? A smart opponent? How rare is that? I thought you would be jumping at me and then I would get to beat you up. I guess it''s true when they say Mages are more reasonable than others." Vaan muttered, surprised by how his opponent actually gave up.


    It was a pity that he didn''t get tond a few punches, but oh well, there was always a next time."


    "Oi, what are you doing? He surrendered, announce the results." Vaan spoke as he turned towards the referee.


    "O-Oh, right." The referee finally came out of his reverie and,


    "The winner of the Second Semi-Final, Vaan Astra Vesta!" he announced. Vaan momentarily nced at the crowd and smiled.


    Then, he nced at Gryfinn and, "You are good, you should consider changing sides. Choosing the correct boat is one of the most important decisions that could singlehandedly make or break your future path.


    A broken Boat won''t take you far no matter how much you row it.


    And the current boat you are on is one of those broken boats."


    "You don''t even know what Faction I support," Gryfinn spoke, trying to prove Vaan wrong.


    "It doesn''t matter.


    If it is not mine, then it is a bad choice."


    Vaan simply shrugged.


    "You are too arrogant."


    "I have all the reasons to be arrogant, Gryfinn Vesta. What you saw today isn''t even half of my actual strength." Vaan replied as he looked into Gryfinn''s eyes.


    "That''s bullshit."


    Gryfinn snorted, not believing his words for even a second.


    "I''ll prove it in the finals." Vaan didn''t care.


    "Go back and see it for yourself.


    I''ll go all out this time."


    He spoke as he then nced at the announcer and,


    "Start with the finals."


    "Y-Young Master Vaan can rest for half an hour before we continue with the fin-"


    "It doesn''t matter.


    We are already behind schedule, there are still two Tiers left, so start the Finals,


    I''ll end it soon enough anyways."


    Vaan interrupted. The unwavering confidence in his eyes looked so convincing that most people had already crowned him as the Winner of the Second Tier.


    The Announcer nced at Astra, seeking her permission, Astra nodded, the announced nodded back, and,


    "T-Then as per Young Master Vaan''s request, we will be continuing the Finals without any break! Now whether it is arrogance or confidence,


    We will find it soon enough.


    Young Master Elowen, please step out."


    The announcer announced and the crowd erupted in cheer once again, most of them already knew who the victor would be, however, they still looked forward to the fight.


    Or maybe¡­ they were actually looking forward to how Vaan would humiliate his opponent and as if he had sensed it,


    Rather than Elowen, a voice was heard,


    "I surrender."


    "Huh?"


    This time, Vaan was actually taken aback.


    Surrender?


    What?


    He had to fight in the Semi Finals and now his opponent in the Finals was giving up? How did that make sense?


    Why would you do that?


    Who was he going to beat up if the opponent didn''t show up?


    Vaan seemed concerned.


    He wanted to save the beating for thest but what''s with this anticlimactic end?


    He wasn''t yet satisfied! How could he not punch any of his opponents even once in an entire tournament!?


    Then suddenly, Vaan''s eyes fell on Gryfinn¡­


    Should he just fight him again?


    He wondered in his head.


    For some reason, Gryfinn felt that something was wrong, therefore, just to be on the safer side, he quickly rushed to the Hall the other Mages were gathered in.


    As for Vaan¡­


    He was crowned as the Winner of the Second Tier¡­ without hitting any of his opponents even once¡­


    ''What in the hell? I want to start again! This wasn''t what I expected!''


    Vaan however, didn''t seem very satisfied.

 Chapter 153 They are simply ignorant.

    Chapter 153 They are simply ignorant.


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, it may be a little underwhelming because of how one-sided it was, but that just shows how wide the difference between Young Master Vaan and other Mages is.


    I am excited to see what the future holds!


    You should know, that because of his Advanced Circles, Young Master''s advantage over other Mages would only grow wider and wider as he advanced forward!


    If Young Master is already so dominant right now, just imagine how strong he will be in the future!


    Who knows? We might even see him fighting Mages above his level!


    Hahaha! Don''t mind me! This is just a new fan''s fantasy!


    Now please put your hands together for the winner of the Second Tier, the only son of our esteemed leader, Vaan Astra Vesta!


    As they say, you just cannot hide your Bloodline! How could Lady Astra''s son''s name not shine as brightly as hers did?


    The question is, could Young Master Vaan actually surpass Lady Astra? Now that would be interesting to watch!"


    The announcer continued to speak, the more words she spoke, the more possibilities started building up in the audience''s minds.


    Someone who surpassed Lady Astra? She had already raised the bar so high but could Young Master Vaan actually do it?


    It sounded absurd and most people simply shook their heads as they chuckled, after all, Astra was already a 4th Circle Mage when she was 20.


    However, there were few who had a different opinion. They were mostly the young ones who hadn''t witnessed Astra''s Era and were deeply overwhelmed by Vaan''s performance, they believed that if Vaan was this strong when he was just a 2nd Circle Mage, his future self would be a lot more dominant than before.


    ¡­


    "Who is that girl?"


    In another one of the reserved Boxes present in the Stadium, Draven Elysia Vesta sat on his sofa as he questioned.


    "She is Mna Santner."


    "Was she hired by Astra?"


    "From what we know, she was hired by the people responsible for organizing the Elemental sh." The servant who was attending him answered.


    "Look into it, see if she has any connection to Astra, and if she doesn''t¡­


    You know what to do."


    Draven spoke as his eyes turned cold.


    "As youmand, Lord Draven." The servant bowed his head.


    ¡­


    "That woman¡­"


    On the other side, hearing what the announcer just said, Astra narrowed her eyes as well.


    Eliza appeared next to her and before she said anything, she nodded,


    "It will be done."


    "Good."


    Astra nodded with a satisfied look on her face and continued to enjoy the tournament with a smile on her face.


    Mna, who continued to announce the start of the Third Tier had no clue what just happened. She was just a clueless woman who knew nothing about the scary Vesta Politics and only wanted to do her best to keep the crowd''s attention on the tournament and make this a special experience for them.


    Unknowingly, her words, however, nearly became the cause of her death.


    Her wordspared Vaan to Astra, the current head of the Vesta Family, it may have not been a big deal before, however, after Vaan announced himself as the Prospective Heir, things changed.


    Him beingpared to the current head of the family was¡­


    It was an indirect p to other Prospective Heirs'' and their factions'' faces. Something that people like Draven and Risia would never ept.


    If Astra hadn''t interfered, Mna wouldn''t even have known how she died.


    "Anyways, what do you think of his performance?" Astra questioned as she nced at her friend.


    Eliza stared at her for a while and seeing the yful smile on her face, she could tell that Astra was trying to tease her, Eliza just turned towards the stage and,


    "I investigated, he and his little group did a little act before the start of the Second Round, this was the reason why all the mages surrendered without even fighting."


    "Hahaha~ That''s creative, as expected of my son."


    Astraughed out loud.


    "Butparing him to Lady Astra is simply absurd," Eliza spoke.


    "I still remember the 15-year-old Lady Astra sitting amongst other 2nd Circle Mages, many mages tried to approach you, wanting to tease you, but you coldly ignored them all and the sheer dominance you showed that day made it so that no other mage, no matter the tier ever dared to tease you.


    I will agree, for a 2nd Circle Mage, Young Master Vaan is strong. That much is obvious considering that he has the advantage of his Advanced Magic Circle, however, there will never be a day when I will put him above Lady Astra.


    These people, including that announcer, they are simply ignorant.


    I would know since¡­


    ¡­I faced Lady Astra myself."


    Eliza spoke, recalling how she fought Astra in a one-on-one Battle 15 years ago when both of them were 6th Circle Mages. Eliza was a fairly talented woman who became a 6th Circle Mage when she was just 55, her speed was evenparable to Draven, a Named Descendent and one of the Prospective Heirs, many factions even tried to recruit her to their side, Astra''s faction included.


    In her arrogance, however, she rejected them all and then decided to challenge Astra, who, at that time, had pretty much dominated the Battle of Heirs and was called the Future Heir instead of the Prospective Heir.


    That was when Eliza realized what sort of existence Astra was.


    The battle ended in 10 seconds.


    She could only cast two spells, heck, she hadn''t evenpleted her second spell and she already found herself in apletely hopeless situation where no matter what she did, death was the only option. Eliza was forced to surrender.


    Her arrogance was thoroughly crushed.


    She saw an entirely different world, that was the day she finally realized why Astra was feared so much. She understood why even though Lord Draven had already be a 7th Circle Mage, the Vesta Family still waited for Astra to be an Advance Mage before they finally crowned her as the next Family Head.


    "These are all childish battles,paring someone to Lady Astra just on the basis of these is simply foolish."


    Eliza spoke, she had sworn her loyalty to Astra because she acknowledged her strength, the fact that she was now beingpared to a 20-year-old 2nd Circle Mage angered her, even if that Mage is her own child and Lady Astra herself couldn''t stop smiling ever since her child waspared to her, Eliza still didn''t like the absurd connection.


    "Hahaha~ you are looking too deeply into this. I have said this before as well, you need to take things more calmly, Eliza, only then would you be able to improve further."


    "Yes, Lady Astra." Eliza bowed her head.


    "Now stop being so stuck up, sit down and enjoy the tournament,


    The real fun has still not begun yet."


    Astra spoke with a light smile on her face.


    She and almost everyone in the Vesta Family knew that Vaan would be the winner of the Second Tier, what others didn''t know, however, was a certain timid woman who was prepared to take everyone by storm.


    Eliza turned silent, she then sat on the sofa next to Astra and shifted her attention to the tournament.


    ¡­


    "Heh, you are here this year as well ha, old man."


    A Young Man spoke up as he walked towards another, aged man.


    "I would keeping here till I win." The aged man replied.


    "Aren''t you ashamed to be ying around with children?" The Young Man snorted.


    "Say that when you defeat me. There is no Age Limit in the Elemental sh for a reason." The aged man replied shamelessly.


    "Still, for a 70-year-old man like you to be standing together with us, it has to be embarrassing as hell, no?"


    "Don''t think that I don''t know, Raman. Do you think dying your hair would hide your real age? How shameless one must be to act like that when you yourself are 55 this year?"


    "55 is still fine!


    And I do not dye my hair!" Raman retorted, clearly sounding annoyed.


    "We have a 21-year-old girl here with us and you still dare to say 55 is young?" the aged man chuckled.


    Hearing those words, Raman turned towards a certain red-haired girl who was sitting in the corner.


    "We don''t talk about her¡­


    She is the exception here, not us."


    He spoke.


    Her talent was simply too absurd.


    "Hahaha~ you are right about that." The aged manughed.


    "As amazing as she is¡­ her performance in the Elemental sh hasn''t been that impressive," Ramanmented.


    "Does it even matter? So what if she can''t win? She is a polite girl who respects everyone." The aged man spoke, then, he shook his head and sighed.


    "If only she wasn''t already engaged, I would have asked her hand for my Grandson, it is a pity¡­"


    "Huh? What did you say? You think you or that stupid grandson of yours deserves someone like her?" Suddenly, the aged man heard a voice.


    He turned around and his face turned sour when he saw Elric walking towards him.


    "Do you have a death wish, old man?"


    "¡­" The man didn''t reply.


    "Tsk, and you aim to win the tournament, wishful thinking." Seeing that the man couldn''t even answer him anymore, Elric just snorted.


    Then, a bright smile appeared on his face and he walked towards ra.


    "ra, how have you been? Did you miss me? I missed talking to you."


    He spoke as he sat next to ra and held her hands.

 Chapter 154 You dont have any plans after the Tournament, do you?

    ?


    154 You don''t have any ns after the Tournament, do you?


    "ra, how have you been? Did you miss me? I missed talking to you."


    Elric spoke as he sat next to ra and held her hands.


    "Brother Elric..." ra greeted with a smile on her face. "I have been well. What about you?"


    "Hahaha~ I am doing quite good as well. Now even better since I got to talk with you! How long has it been since we have talked like this without anyone bothering us?"


    Elric questioned.


    "It has been a while, yes." ra nodded politely but at the same time, she tried to move back and free her hand.


    For some reason, Elric didn''t seem like his usual self today. Usually, he is gentle and easy to talk to, he only listened while ra talked to him, today, however, Elric seemed... a bit too aggressive?


    ra didn''t know how to put it in words, but she felt strange as Elric continued to hold her hand.


    "I still remember you sitting alone in the library not sharing your problems with anyone but me. That habit of yours of sitting alone still hasn''t changed, now has it?"


    Elricughed, as he tightened his grip around ra''s hand, not wanting to leave even when ra was clearly trying to move away.


    "I-I am different than before, Brother Elric. I am all grown up now." ra replied. There was still a smile on her face, however, it looked a lot more forced than before.


    ra didn''t like how Elric wasn''t leaving her hand despite her giving out every signal possible.


    ?


    "Oh? So my little ra is all grown up now? Is it finally my chance to make a move? I have been waiting for quite a while now." Elric questioned with a yful smile on his face.


    "W-What?" ra''s expression changed.


    "Hey! Don''t look at me like that, I feel strange."


    "O-Oh. I apologize."


    "Come on, you don''t have to apologize either. The two of us are so close to each other, do we need to be all formal when it is just us two?"


    "B-But it is not just u-us two here..." ra muttered.


    "Hmm? Is that why you seem a little different than before? Don''t worry about them, ra. I have told you this before as well. Only focus on yourself and leave people who hold you back. You are a brave and talented girl, you do not have to bind yourself with others and hold yourself back.


    Free yourself of any possible burden and fly as high as possible together with those who put you and your heart at ease.


    These people you are worrying about?


    Most of them won''t even achieve half of what you will achieve in the future, learn to differentiate yourself from them."


    "Y-Yes." ra nodded.


    Seeing this as a chance, Elric lifted ra''s hands and brought them near his chest, then, he looked into her crystal-like beautiful red eyes and, "Start looking around more carefully, observe and try to understand who means the good for you, and has been helping you for a long time without asking for anything in return and who has been nothing but a leech, only taking and taking more things from you and pushing you away after using you.


    Make a better choice, and live a happy life.


    ?


    And remember, you can alwayse to me if you ever feel like you are in trouble or want someone to talk to.


    I promise that no matter how busy I am, I will always be there for you, ra."


    Elric spoke with a genuine look on his face.


    ra stared into his eyes for a while, he was the same man who had been there for her when she was alone, thinking about that, ra''s racing heart that was panicking calmed down and her breathing stabilized.


    Feeling that her resistance had dropped, Elric smirked inwardly. ''Heh, I knew it!


    He has been with ra and has been observing her for years now, he knew perfectly well what her actions meant and how to calm her down. For him, ra was an open book. A girl he could understand and manipte however he wanted.


    This was the reason why he wanted to spend some time alone with her, he could easily close the distance created between these two in the time he was in the Academy, he just needed some time, time that that bastard Vaan wasn''t giving him.


    Now, however, things were different, that brutish bastard wasn''t here anymore. Of course, there were many eyes here, so Elric couldn''t do what he pleased here, however, just this much was enough.


    He just needed to slowly chip in and in the end, create some opportunities to meet alone in the future. Who knows? Maybe they won''t even need to go to the Academy before ra finally falls for him.


    As Elric thought of that possibility, his smile widened even further. He then nced at ra, wanting to go a step further,


    ?


    "Have you prepared well for this Elemental sh? I don''t want you to lose in the first or second round, alright? This time, you should aim to reach at least the quarter-finals, okay? I n to win the tournament as well, if I do, I will arrange a big party in Enchanted Heart and I want you to join as well, okay?"


    "Brother Elric I..."


    "No, I don''t want to hear any excuses.


    You don''t have any ns after the Tournament, do you? If you do, can-"


    "She does. She has ns with me after she wins the tournament, it is going to be the winners'' night so the losers should fuck off!"


    Suddenly, a loud shout was heard. Elric, ra, and the other 4th Circle Mages turned around and saw Vaan walking into the Hall.


    The moment she saw Vaan, ra''s eyes brightened up, a newfound strength suddenly filled her body and she quickly pulled away her hands that she couldn''t free this whole time.


    "Vaan!"


    She eximed as she jumped into his arms.


    An extremely surprising sight, especially considering ra''s usually reserved personality, let alone other mages, even Vaan himself was quite taken aback.


    Not that he let his surprise stop him from using this opportunity, He hugged ra back as he ced his hand on the lower back, his chin on her shoulder, then, with a smirk on his face, he nced at Elric and,


    "See? Losers should just fuck off."


    He chuckled.


    Elric clenched his fists in anger.


    ?


    How could he not understand what Vaan was trying to say?


    "That fucking bastard, he even came here. Why is he following her like a dog?'' Elric cursed inwardly, then, with a sour look on his face, he questioned,


    "What are you doing here? This is a ce for Mages who are participating in the Fourth Tier, and let alone qualifying for participating in the Fourth Tier, you aren''t even a 4th Circle Mage yet."


    "Trust me, Elric. If I was a 4th Circle Mage, none of you would be standing in front of me."


    "But the thing is, you are not a 4th Circle Mage, so stop building castles in the air and get out of here," Elric replied coldly, he didn''t want to see this bastard''s face for even a second longer.


    Especially when he is hugging his ra like that.


    Vaan, however, didn''t give a rat-shit about his opinion.


    "I don''t see how it is wrong that I came here to support my fianc¨¦e. Do any of you have a problem with me being here?" He questioned as he nced at the other mages present in the hall.


    No one spoke.


    How could they?


    Vaan was not the same Vaan as before, not to mention him being the son of Lady Astra, just the fact that he created the Advanced Magic Circle said a lot about his future potential, no one here wanted to offend someone a potential top mage for something as little as this.


    Except for a few,


    "I do," Leif, Elric''s subordinate spoke up.


    "This is a ce for 4th Circle Mages, Young Master doesn''t belong here and should leave."


    ?


    Vaan however, looked straight into Leif''s eyes and, "When I asked for opinions, a Dog''s wasn''t included." Leif narrowed his eyes.


    "I have a problem as well," Lirael spoke up as well.


    "Who said a bitch''s opinion was included?


    I believe in gender equality, female dogs aren''t allowed to speak either.


    Anyone else?


    Or to be clearer, any sane human having a problem with me staying here and supporting my ''fiancee'' who I ''love'' a lot?


    If there is, don''t step forward.


    I don''t really care!"


    Vaan spoke as he sat in a corner holding ra''s hands, this time, the only difference being that ra wasn''t trying to free her hands.


    She was simply too busy hiding her face in Vaan''s shoulder ever since she finally realized what she had done in front of so many mages.


    Vaan continued to ruffle her hair, it was a wholesome sight.


    A sight that Elric didn''t like one bit and, "I will call guards and let them decide then."


    "Yes yes, might as well call you father too.


    ''Papa! Papa! Please do something about this since I am too much of a pussy to do it myself!


    Fucking loser."


    Vaan snorted.

 Chapter 155 Lets have a go at it.

    155 Let''s have a go at it.


    "Yes yes, might as well call you father as well.


    ''Papa! Papa! Please do something about this since I am too much of a pussy to do it myself.''


    Fucking loser."


    Vaan snorted. "What did you say!?"


    Elric shouted as he stepped towards Vaan, losing control over his emotions. Vaan''s words were simply too poisonous. Even the other Mages present couldn''t hide the smiles on their faces.


    Elric felt humiliated, he was already having a hard time holding himself back, yet this bastard kept pushing him.


    It was too much, he had been patient all this time, but not any longer.


    If a fight was what this bastard wanted, a fight is what he will give him.


    Vaan, of course, wasn''t intimidated either, leaving ra behind, he walked towards Elric as well. The two stood face to face, looking into each other''s eyes.


    After diligently following the Stances his Father told him to, Vaan''s body went through many changes, he was now 186 cm tall, his frame was much more muscr and his body was filled with strength.


    He was in apletely different statepared to when he came to this world. In terms of raw strength, Vaan knew that he was alreadyparable to his past self.


    So when someone like Elric, who had never trained his body in his life, stood in front of him with hisparably thinner frame and shorter height, Elric looked like a child going against a pro fighter.


    However, even then, there was not a single hint of nervousness on his face. Why would there be? Vaan may look more intimidating than him, however, in truth, Elric was far stronger than him.


    "Your Advanced Circles won''t save you against me, little brother."


    Elric spoke as he looked into Vaan''s eyes.


    It was quiteical since he had to raise his head to do that, however, the confidence that oozed out of Elric''s body made sure that no one present hereughed at the present situation. Of course, themon knowledge that Elric was the stronger one here helped as well.


    "You think I need Circles in this situation?


    Actually, let''s have a go at it.


    Let''s see what''s faster, your Magic or my Fists."


    A big smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    He was already annoyed that he won without having the chance to beat anyone, his anger soared when he saw this skinny-ass bastard holding his fiancee''s hands, honestly, Vaan was itching to hit someone.


    And if that someone was this bastard, it would be even better.


    Heck, Vaan would even give up on his championship Trophy just to get an opportunity to punch this bastard till he is satisfied.


    "So? How about it? You want to give it a try? I am dying to have a go at it for a long while now.


    I promise to restructure that hateful face of yours into something better.


    Then you probably won''t have a problem trying to approach some other woman your age and not aim at a girl you have been trying to groom since she was 14.


    I won''t even see it as doing you a favor, I promise."


    Vaan spat, his words still as poisonous as before, but they were his true feelings.


    "A stain will always be a stain I see.


    Are you sure you are a member of our Vesta Family?


    A fistfight, what are you? Some random street thug?


    I can simply buy people like you to work under me.


    You want to have a go at it? Why don''t we have a Magic Duel, that is if, you are a member of our esteemed Vesta Family."


    Elric spat. He didn''t n on letting Vaan go this time.


    Vaan, however simply smiled as he nced at Elric and,


    "Vaan Astra Vesta.


    Do you hear that name?


    I am more of a member of the Vesta Family than you ever would be.


    My Blood Mother is the Head of the Family you fuckbrain.


    Even your mother wouldn''t have enough funds to make Lady Astra''s son work under her, let alone you. And what? I am a stain of the Family because I use my fist? Then what does it make you? A 50-year-old bastard challenging a 20-year-old. Is that something to take pride in?


    Ahh I guess it is for you, after all, it makes you better than your mother. She lost even though she was 23 years older than my mother.


    But don''t be too happy, I aming for you.


    I don''t know if I can ever surpass my mother, but a bitch like you? It''s not even a challenge."


    Vaan snorted.


    "You litt-"


    "Alright, that is enough."


    Suddenly, a voice was heard.


    Vaan and Elric turned around and their eyes fell on a beautiful woman who was walking towards them with a cold look on her face.


    "Lady Eliza."


    Vaan bowed his head to show respect.


    "Lady Eliza." Elric did the same.


    As a 7th Circle Mage, Direct Descendants or not, all Vesta Mages had to show respect to Eliza.


    "Lady Eliza."


    The Vesta Mages present in the room bowed. Some non-Vesta Mages who wanted to get into Eliza''s eyes did the same. Some Mages didn''t recognize who she was, however, considering that even someone like Elric was bowing his head, their bodynguage changed as well.


    Eliza''s entrance alone had instantly changed the atmosphere of the ce. She, however, didn''t care about all that, her eyes fell on Vaan and she narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing here?"


    "I-"


    Before Vaan could answer, Elric stepped forward, "This is what I ha-"


    "Did I tell you talk? Shut your mouth till you are ordered to speak." Eliza spoke, her voice was much colder than thest time Vaan met her.


    It didn''t take long for Vaan to realize it, Eliza was pissed. He needed to be careful.


    "I came here to support my fianc¨¦e." He replied, his voice much more respectful than before.


    Some Mages even raised their eyebrows in surprise when they heard him.


    Was he really the same man who was brutally shitting on Elric just a few moments ago?


    "And with whose permission? I think it was already told that only 4th Circle Mages were allowed here." Eliza didn''t care how polite Vaan''s tone was. She only needed answers.


    Answers that Vaan didn''t have.


    He just came here because he wanted to see ra and he was worried that Elric would try something, which, he was right about, but how was he supposed to exin all this to this unreasonable woman?


    "L-Lady Eliza, I-I was the one who called h-" ra wanted to step in, trying to defend Vaan and take all the me, however,


    "You are not allowed to speak either, girl."


    Eliza red at ra, however, everyone in the hall could tell that her tone was considerably warmer when she talked to ra. Eliza then turned towards Vaan and,


    "Vaan Astra Vesta, this is not the first time you have acted out of the line, you have been excused before, but I think that has backfired. You seem to have to sense of boundaries about what is right and what it not. You do not take rules seriously, is it perhaps because you mother is the Head of the Family?"


    "That is not the case, Lady Eliza." Vaan replied.


    "Then what is it?"


    "I apologize for acting out of the line, Lady Eliza. I was wrong. I was simply worried about my fianc¨¦e since most people here were twice as old as her. I wanted to be there for her, so I sneaked in here.


    I am prepared to receive any punishments that Lady Eliza deems appropriate."


    "¡­"


    Hearing those words, Eliza momentarily turned silent.


    She didn''t expect someone as arrogant as Vaan to apologize like this. However, knowing that she had to keep a strict front here, she quickly returned to her character and,


    "You will be hearing from me after the tournament ends."


    "As you say, Lady Eliza." Vaan bowed again.


    "And you."


    Eliza then turned towards Elric.


    "Lady Eliza." Elric bowed.


    "As the oldest Direct Descendant here, you should be the one upholding the Vesta''s Honor and far from doing that, you are actually involved in infighting yourself? Are you sure you are responsible enough to be the Next Family Head?"


    "I merely wanted Vaan to leave because, as Lady Eliza herself said, only 4th Circle Mages were allowed here. I did not wish for my little brother to get into any sort of trouble, but Vaan took it in a different sense and¡­


    Then he said certain things that made me lose my temper, I apologize for my actions, Lady Eliza.


    I should have been more mature."


    Elric replied, subtly shifting the me on Vaan.


    Noticing that, Vaan narrowed his eyes, ''Fucking snake. I really want to beat him up.''


    Eliza turned silent as well.


    She knew she couldn''t cause a bigger scene here, therefore, in the end, she just sighed and,


    "Both of you will be receiving your punishments after the Tournament ends.


    If I hear that something like this is repeated again,


    Then I can assure you, you wouldn''t like what is going to happen next.


    And this goes for all the Vesta Mages here, is that clear?"


    "Yes, Lady Eliza." The mages nodded together.


    Eliza nodded and turned around, wanting to leave, but then suddenly, she turned around and nced at Vaan,


    "I am allowing you to stay with your fianc¨¦e but be prepared for consequences if you cause any simr scene."


    "Thank you, Lady Eliza. I will be careful."


    A smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    Maybe Eliza didn''t hate him as much as he thought she did.

 Chapter 156 How shameful

    Chapter 156 How shameful


    "Tsk, fucking bastard."


    Vaan cursed as he walked towards a different end of the Hall.


    Eliza just left the Hall and allowed him to stay here, he wanted to rub this on Elric''s face, however, he knew that he wasn''t allowed to do that.


    The moment he made even a slight scene, Eliza would being for him. He already had a punishment in due, he didn''t wish to add more to the list.


    "Tsk."


    Elric, who was walking towards the other end had a simr expression on his face as well.


    He wanted to deal with that annoying bastard today when he had a chance, however, after Eliza''s warning, there was nothing he could do. Elric''s eyes fell on ra, who followed behind Vaan with a worried look on her face, and seeing that, his face turned sour.


    It would have been him next to her instead of Vaan if that bastard hadn''t decided to interrupt them. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.


    And as if putting the final nail to the coffin, ra suddenly held Vaan''s hand and,


    "Vaan, you should calm down. A Mage shouldn''t lose his temper like this." She spoke.


    Elric, who saw that could feel his rage boiling up.


    Vaan, on the other hand, gently pulled ra close to him and started kneading her shoulders. "I understand, I am not angry, I just¡­


    Alright, let''s not talk about it.


    You are okay, right? He didn''t harm you or anything like that, did he?" Vaan questioned with a worried look on his face.


    "N-No he did not."


    "That''s good. You need to be careful around him, he is not a good person." Vaan warned and Elric, who was hearing their conversation couldn''t help but clench his fists in anger. He really wished he could send Vaan flying right now, however, there were just too many eyes here.


    "I-I do not understand why the two of you do not get along¡­ I would be happy if you did¡­" ra spoke. In her mind, Elric was still the same gentle person who always helped her out.


    If Vaan was someone ra felt her heart flutter whenever he was around, Elric was like a reliable older brother who provided her with a sense of ease.


    For ra, it would be a great day if these two people got along with each other, however, both Vaan and Elric knew that was not going to happen.


    "Don''t worry, you will soon realize what sort of person that bastard is. I won''t let him fool you for long." Vaan replied and before ra coulde up with something to defend Elric, Vaan continued,


    "Anyways, let us now focus on what is ahead of us, okay? Are you prepared for the Tournament?"


    "I-I am¡­" ra spoke, her eyes oozing out with strange confidence as she did.


    A yful smile then appeared on Vaan''s face as he continued,


    "Hehe, I actually brought the Magic Drink with me. So if you feel like you need to use your trump card in any battle, ask me, okay?"


    Of course, the ''Magic Drink'' he was talking about was nothing but alcohol, ra understood that as well, this time, however, a determined look appeared on her face and, "I won''t be needing it."


    She spoke confidently. "I can handle everything on my own."


    Vaan nodded proudly, "Of course you can."


    After all, he had trained this adorable girl himself. He knew better than anyone that these mages who were pretty much ignoring ra''s existence and were not even treating her as an opponent¡­


    They were making the biggest mistake of their lives.


    It was finally the time to prove that.


    The Fourth and the most interesting Tier of the Elemental sh was about to start.


    ¡­


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, we are back after our not-so-long break, unlike the Second Tier, where we were mostly amazed by Young Master Vaan''s one-sided dominance, the Third Tier showed us many cutting-edge fights where Mages fought for supremacy, in the end, Vilsan Vesta manages to steal the championship and became the face for tonight.


    It has been quite a day so far, now, however, things are about to get even more heated up, it is time we move to thest, most entertaining, and the mostpetitive tier among all,


    The Fourth Tier!"


    "YEEAAAHHHHHHH!!!"


    The crowd cheered.


    "Now without any further ado, let''s call the first two mages, Branden Wallmes, and, oh? We have a big name already,dies and gentlemen, please wee one of the few Direct descendants of the esteemed Vesta Family, Elric Vesta!"


    "YEAAAHHHHH!!!"


    "LORD ELRICCC!!!"


    The crowd cheered, unable to contain the excitement. Elric stepped into the ring, his opponent red at him with a determined look on his face. He already knew that the chances of him winning wouldn''t be high, after all, Elric was one of the Directs Descendents with unlimited ess to the Vesta Library, it wouldn''t be wrong to say that he was one of the most knowledgeable 4th Circle Mage in the world.


    And in the world of Mages, knowledge represented power.


    Not to mention Elric was a runner-up in the previous year, with the winner being Vaelen Vesta, who was now an Intermediate Mage. This fact alone made Elric the tournament favorite.


    Branden cursed his luck for being up against the tournament favorite in the first round if only he could have had ra as his opponent just likest time. He could have won without putting in any effort.


    "Are the two of you ready?" The judge questioned as he nced at the two Mages. Elric and Branden nodded. Branden decided not to think about the identity of the man standing in front of him and give his all.


    The two mages absorbed the Mana in their surroundings, the Mana then circted throughout their Mana Circuits, and soon, 4 Circles appeared in front of them.


    The two mages unleashed their spells,bining their knowledge and creative ideas to contend against each other, however, it didn''t take long for most people in the audience to predict the result of the battle.


    Elric was overwhelmingly stronger than Brendan.


    It wasn''t that Brendan was weak, rather, he could be considered one of the stronger 4th Circle Mages since he managed toe here, Elric Vesta, however, was in apletely different league.


    His mastery over the Earth Element was so strong that no matter what Branden did, his Fire Spells couldn''t break through Elric''s strong defense. In this battle, although Branden was quite older than Eldric, the difference in experience between the two Mages was clear, and the odds were in Elric''s favor.


    His efficient spell casting made Brenden look like an inexperienced Mage who was born just yesterday.


    Even Vaan, who didn''t like Elric one bit, narrowed his eyes when he saw his battle, he had to admit, that no matter how hateful he was, Elric was indeed quite skilled.


    ra might not have as easy a time in the tournament as he initially thought she would.


    The Battle continued, and just as everyone expected, 15 more minutester, Elric took advantage of an opening in Braden''s defense, the Fire Element, which was already known for its weak defense couldn''t stop Elric''s perfectly timed attack, Branden was mercilessly crushed by a huge boulder and Mages were forced to take action before things for worse.


    "Winner, Elric Vesta."


    The judge announced the details, the audience cheered in excitement.


    There were some who were worried about Brenden''s health, most, however, didn''t care considering the Vesta Healers were already there.


    After all, those people could even bring a person on the verge of death back, let alone someone who was injured in a fight. Although it may take him a few months to recover, everyone knew the he wouldn''t be dying.


    Elric returned without any change in his expression, it was as if winning was the most natural oue, an arrogance that was backed up by his skills.


    Other battles followed up as well.


    Many mages showed eye-catching performances, Leif Vesta was one of them. Defeating an opponent who was strong enough to give a hard time to even Elric Vesta. He was one of the few non-vesta mages who were that strong, someone like him should have gone farther into the tournament, however, he could only curse his luck that he met Leif, who was quite strong as well.


    Anyway, more and more matches ended, just as everyone expected, the Vesta Mages continued to win, of course, there were a few exceptions as well, one of them was actually a big surprise,


    Lirael Vesta, a Direct Descendant, lost.


    Her opponent was one of the tournament favorites who was invited by the Vesta Family to work for themst year, he, however, rejected his offer and continued his life as an independent Mage.


    Lirael could only curse her luck and return,


    "Heh, quite a pathetic performance for someone who is that good at using her mouth. To think a Direct Descendent of the Family would lose in the first round, how shameful." Vaanmented, trying to reopen Lirael''s already wounded pride.


    Lirael paused, then, she nced at Nux and,


    "Let''s talk after your fiancee''s battle ends."


    Yes, it was now ra''s turn.

 Chapter 157 It will hurt a little… please be careful…

    Chapter 157 It will hurt a little¡­ please be careful¡­


    "Ladies and Gentle, please give a big apuse to the two Mages who fought here, we will now be moving forward to our next battle,


    Let''s call Marvic Lighthold and his opponent, ra meheart!"


    The announcer announced, the two mages stepped onto the stage as the crowd cheered in excitement.


    Of course, the announcer also didn''t forget to add that little detail that would add an extra star to this match,


    "Most of you must know it already but for those who don''t, let me tell you that if you are underestimating this 21-year-old girl because of her age, know that she was selected by Lady Astra herself and is the one and only pupil Lady Astra had ever taken under her wing.


    ra meheart is an extremely talented Mage who became a 4th Circle Mage when she was merely 19, a step ahead even whenpared to her Teacher!


    Yes, it is true that she doesn''t have a very good record when ites to Elemental sh, but one must know that the opponents she is facing are mostly thrice her age, the fact that she stands in front of them alone is quitemendable already.


    Many believe that age is simply just a number and when she is already a 4th Circle Mage, she should be strong enough to fight 4th Circle Mages just like her Master did in the past, while they aren''t wrong, those people fail to consider the time ra has spent as a mage, she had only been a mage for 9 years, obviously, the experience she had umted was iparably less than other mages of her age. She should be given extra time to get the hang of the situation.


    Because once she does, I believe she has the potential to surprise us all!


    Who knows? Maybe this year is the year when ra shows us her true strength.


    So make sure to look forward to her performance just like me, after all, this girl was chosen by Lady Astra herself, not only as her pupil but as her future daughter-inw as well."


    The announcer who saw Vaan standing near the hall, supporting his fianc¨¦e, decided to involve him as well,


    "Yes, people! ra meheart is also the fianc¨¦e of our Second Tier Champion, Young Master Vaan! Just look at how Young Master Vaan is standing there to support his future wife, now isn''t that cute?"


    Waves of gasps could be heard from the crowd, some of the not-very-well-known mages didn''t know about this. As for those who knew, they were surprised when they saw Vaan standing there supporting his fianc¨¦e, from what they had heard, the rtion between the two of them was not the best.


    "Alright, then people! Show some excitement for this match! For our Vesta City''s genius!"


    "YEAAAHHHHHH!!!!!"


    The announcer''s trick worked, more and more people were involved and the crowd cheered as loudly as they could. Most of them chanting ra''s name, wanting her to win and defeat her opponent.


    "That is quite overwhelming," Marvicmented as he looked around with an amused smile on his face.


    Almost the entire crowd was chanting against him, wanting him to lose, even though her previous record wasn''t the best, ra was well-liked by most people here, not to mention the way the announcer announced made her look like the main character of a story, making more and more people root for her.


    Normally, it would have been a situation where Marvic''s focus would have been ruined, eventually ruining his performance, however, this time, the situation was different.


    Unlike the audience, he knew the truth, he knew why ra meheart had a bad record in the Elemental sh''s history.


    ra was an excellent mage with exceptional defense, Marvic would easily ce her at the top when ites to defense, she was a quick thinker and a creative mage, however, that only worked with defensive spells.


    As for the attacking spells¡­


    This girl couldn''t cast them.


    And without them, winning a battle was simply impossible.


    The only times ra had actually won was when her opponents pitied her and surrendered, allowing her to move to the next round before losing.


    Marvic knew that as long as he didn''t surrender, which he didn''t intend to do, he wasn''t going to lose this, so even when almost the entire stadium was against him, he didn''t care, rather, the feeling of going against so many people at once and winning, he was looking forward to relishing it.


    "ra meheart, I will apologize for what is going to happen in advance." He spoke as he nced at the girl standing in front of him, without expecting any reply other than a nod.


    This time, however, ra was a little different.


    "ra! Send that old fossil back to his grave! You can do it!"


    Vaan cheered from behind, not minding his image as the son of the Vesta Family head at all. Making sure that his future wife wins was much more important.


    A determined look appeared on ra''s face as well, she nced at Marvic and, "I-I will apologize as well,"


    "Is that so¡­" Marvic just smiled, liking how cute this girl was.


    The referee sensed that the two participants were ready, he signaled the start of the battle, Marvic prepared a simple spell that would break through ra''s defense and end the battle as soon as possible,


    But suddenly, he noticed 4 Circles appearing in front of ra, and,


    "Fiery Shower."


    The first spell was fired.


    And¡­ it was an attack spell.


    ''What!?'' Marvic''s eyes widened in surprise.


    The Mana around his body moved as he quickly prepared his defense spell,


    "Crystal Dome."


    It was the same Spell Vaan used, however, as a 4th Circle Mage, Marvic''s spell was much stronger than Vaan''s.


    *Sizzle* *Sizzle*


    The Fiery Shower fell on the Crystal Dome, the Water Shield sessfully managed to cool down those fiery balls of fire. Marvic came out without any harm.


    He was still surprised at how ra had cast an attacking spell, what he didn''t know, however, was that this was just the start.


    Even ra knew that any 4th Circle Mage was capable of defending against this attack and the reason she never attacked before was that she was afraid that she would hurt her opponents.


    But the question was, if ra already knew that her opponents were capable enough to defend against her spells, then why would she surrender without fighting?


    And the answer was¡­


    That they couldn''t.


    ra, who was known as an exceptional ''defense'' mage,


    Was actually a Mage who excelled in attack spells.


    "Spike Chain."


    ra spoke.


    Around 10 Earth Spikes formed in the air before they shot towards Marvic at a high speed, clearly, ra had also used [Speed] Inner Circle Spell, rather, she was the one who taught Vaan about this spell.


    Marvic''s expression changed.


    He knew his Crystal Dome wouldn''t hold out against the iing spikes, after all, in the end, Crystal Dome was only solidified water, there was no way it could hold out against Earth Spikes that were supposed to be solid to begin with.


    "Water Curtain." He summoned another spell, this time, 5yers of water shield appeared in front of him, aiming to deflect ra''s spikes, but then,


    "Fiery Storm."


    Another Spell was cast.


    This time, a wave of mes was summoned, using [Burn] and [Heat Maniption] to increase the temperature as much as she could, ra created the atmosphere where the Water Layers summoned by Marvic started evaporating.


    ra didn''t end it there either, [Double Cast], [Triple Cast], [Quadruple Cast], she activated three more Inner Circle Spells, now usually, these spells affected the strength of the spell and therefore, were not used that often.


    ra, however, came up with an ingenious n to use them together with a Spell whose strength didn''t matter at all. The Waves of mes she summoned were quadrupled, the temperature around the stage shot up in an instant, more and more water started evaporating.


    Usually, Fire Mages were weak against Water Mages since Water weakened Fire by a considerable amount, ra, however, using fire, had created an environment where the strength of Water Spells was directly reduced by 50%.


    And what''s worse? Marvic couldn''t even revert this position since the spell needed to put out all this fire would take a long time and by the time Marvicpletely executes the spell and put out the fire,


    ra would be waiting to greet him with her final spell, ready to end the battle in one shot.


    This was the reason why ra often held back whenever she faced her opponent. She knew that if she went all out, then using the advantage of having two elements, she would create a situation so helpless for her opponents that they would not only have to deal with a physical injury but a mental one as well.


    A traumatic defeat that they probably would never forget,


    Just like what Marvic was about to experience.


    "It will hurt a little¡­ please be careful¡­"


    ra spoke with a worried look on her face as she unleashed her final spell.

 Chapter 158 It feels as if I am watching Young Lady Astra fight

    Chapter 158 It feels as if I am watching Young Lady Astra fight


    "It will hurt a little¡­ please be careful¡­"


    ra warned in an innocent tone.


    Then, closing her eyes as if she didn''t want to see the result, the 4 Magic Circles in front of her shined brightly. ra drew thest stroke, the Magic Circle wasplete, the Mana inside her Mana Circuit moved, and,


    Last Fall.


    One of the strongest Earth Elemental Attack Spells a Basic Mage could use. It needs 12 Inner Circle Spells to activate and consumed almost half the Mana a 4th Circle Mage has, so although a 3rd Circle Mage can theoretically use this spell, in truth, couldn''t afford to.


    Anyways, a 5-meter huge ck colored spear appeared on top of ra''s head, her Magic Circles shined brighter than ever, then without waiting any further, ra shot the Spear towards Marvic as she slowly opened her left eye just to make sure her spell connected.


    She didn''t like hurting her opponents, however, she also had to make sure that her spells hits him¡­


    Yes, the two were conflicting, ra herself couldn''t understand what she was doing anymore, the only thing she knew was that Vaan smiled a lot when she fought well and that if she showed more interest in Magic Battles, their daily training sessions would continue even after the Elemental sh ends.


    So to spend more time with Vaan an discuss Magic with him, ra decided to give her all.


    ''I am done for¡­''


    And Mavric, who was on the receiving end, panicked. He was surrounded by mes, it was so hot and humid around him that he could barely keep his vision clear. Sweat was covering his eyes, even after he wiped it countless times, it didn''t show any signs of stopping, and the strength of his spells was reduced to a ridiculous degree.


    The huge spear that ra had formed above ra''s head, Mavric had no answer for that. Water was already weak to Earth Elemental Attacks to begin with, the current situation where ra held a clear environmental element, made this even worse.


    ''S-Shit!''


    Mavric cursed in his head, especially when he saw ra closing her eyes. He had no clue how this woman who only used to cast a few defensive spells before ending the battle was now attacking so aggressively, he however, didn''t have the time to think about this.


    The Spear had shot towards him.


    "Aqua Ward."


    He muttered, casting one of the strongest Water-based Defense spells avable to him. Hoping to stop the attack, however,


    *Crack*


    The moment the Last Fall and the Aqua Ward shed, a big hole was formed in the Water Shield and the Spear continued towards Mavric without a single pause or change in its trajectory.


    ''N-No!''


    Mavric shouted inwardly, his face paled in an instant.


    In an instant, he abandoned his stance and started running.


    "I give up! I give up!"


    He shouted desperately, wanting this battle to end as soon as possible, he could tell the Spear would pierce through him in an instant, so in that moment, all his haughtiness and pride had disappeared.


    *BOOM*


    Suddenly, a huge explosion was heard.


    "Aaaaggghhh!!"


    Mavric screamed in horror as he instinctively covered his head and crouched on the ground. Then slowly, he turned around, looking at the source of the explosion, the smoke cleared up, and he saw the spear that was embedded halfway into the floor.


    ra had changed the direction at thest moment.


    *Gulp*


    Mavric, however, wasn''t the least bit relieved.


    Half of the Spear had pierced the floor.


    What would have happened if it was his body instead of the floor!?


    His body wouldn''t havested for even a second!


    If he hadn''t surrendered, he would have died!


    Thinking about this, Mavric sweated profusely as he fell on the ground, his body trembling nonstop.


    "A-Are you okay¡­?"


    Suddenly, ra walked towards Mavric and questioned with a worried look on her face.


    "Y-You¡­"


    Mavric didn''t know what to say.


    Wasn''t this young woman the reason behind his current situation, why was she acting like she was innocent!? Mavric, however, didn''t have the guts required to face this woman, especially after knowing that she was capable of killing him on spot.


    He simply turned towards the judge and waited for him to announce the results so he could leave this ce as soon as possible.


    "Winner, ra meheart!"


    The judge dered and as he did, the stadium that had turned absolutely silent finally came out of its reverie and,


    "OOOOHHHHHHHHH!!!!"


    A huge cheer reverberated throughout the stadium.


    This was by far the most showy battle in the tournament. Let alone the Young Mages, even the senior Mages felt that they had learned a lot from this battle,


    "That young girl knows how to use her Duel Elements to her advantage, the way she perfectlybined her spells of different elements to create a situation where her opponent had no chance of winning, it is quite eye-opening."


    "Indeed, Young Master Vaan is also a Dual Elemental Mage, however, his understanding of his Elements is much weakerpared to her."


    "Wellparing the two of them is quite unfair,


    Young Master Vaan has a different fighting style, his Advance Magic Circles give him a strong advantage over any of his opponents so he has no need to go further.


    ra, on the other hand, uses her 2 elements to create situational advantage over her opponent and win the battle, the two battle styles are quite different."


    "Heh, it feels as if I am watching Young Lady Astra fight." Another old mage chuckled.


    "Hahaha~ I thought I was the only one who thought that. Both Master and Pupil have Double Elements and they understand their elements quite well. Lady Astra''s battle style was quite simr to when she was a Basic Mage."


    "Well, she had a more tactical side, Lady Astra tends to get into prolonged fights as she overpowers and pushes her opponents into a helpless state slowly.


    ra, on the other hand, uses a much more aggressive approach, quite surprising considering her personality."


    The mages continued to analyze the battle.


    "¡­"


    "Hmmm? What happened, Sister? You seem awfully quite for some reason."


    On the other side, a big smile appeared on Vaan''s face as he nced at Lirael who was standing next to him.


    "¡­" Lirael didn''t answer.


    "I wonder how the Mage who defeated you would have fared if he was up against my ra." Vaan didn''t miss the opportunity to push Lirael down.


    "Would it be a close fight? What do you think, Sister Lirael?"


    "¡­" Lirael didn''t say anything.


    "Well, who am I kidding? That battle would have been as one-sided as this one, there is no way my ra would struggle against trash like that. She is different from other Mages, after all, unlike someone, she is here to win."


    Not wanting to stay here any longer, Lirael decided to walk away. She didn''t have the strength or the will to talk to Vaan, this brother of hers has gotten quite... annoying.


    Vaan didn''t stop her either, he was busy waving at ra, who was looking at him from the stage with an unsure look on her face. Even now, she looked quite adorable.


    On the other hand, Lirael, who was walking away nced at Elric. The two stared at each other then suddenly,


    "Be careful if you wish to win this."


    Lirael spoke up.


    "¡­you don''t have to worry about me, focus on yourself."


    Elric replied, his words, however, weren''t as confident as before. He had seen ra''s battle as well, the way she overpowered her opponent¡­


    He doubted even he could do it as masterfully as she did¡­


    However, more surprisingly¡­


    ''She used attacking spells¡­ and quite a lot of them¡­''


    He knew ra''s biggest problem, this was the reason that despite her being a talented mage, he never took her seriously but if she had somehow ovee her weakness then¡­


    Then he would be facing Lady Astra''s pupil at her full potential.


    "Hahaha! You were amazing!"


    Out of the blue, Elric heard a joyfulughter that drew his attention. His gazended on Vaan, who had lifted ra as if she were a princess, showering her withughter and heartfelt praise with a wide, beaming smile on his face.


    Elric clenched his fists when he saw that.


    His anger soured when he noticed the look on ra''s face as Vaan continued to praise her, the way she looked at him, the smile that was stered on her face, how she had left her body in his care¡­


    Elric didn''t like any of it.


    In the end, Elric turned around and walked away. Thinking about all this was pointless, for now, he decided to focus on the tournament.


    The Fourth Tier continued with a simr energy, people cheered the mages they supported, some mages created new fans through their performance, Elric, Leif, and the other Vesta Mages continued to win round and round,


    This time, however, the one who attracted most of the attention, however, was not a Vesta.


    It was ra, who continued to win round after round and was now walking towards the stage for the Semi-Finals, her opponent?


    Leif Vesta.

 Chapter 159 Just surrender.

    Chapter 159 Just surrender.


    "I didn''t expect that you would make it this far, ra. You have surprised me." Leifmented with a small smile on his face.


    "I worked hard," ra replied. Unlike Vaan who had a tongue so poisonous that even a snake would die of poison if he bit him, ra''s words were like honey.


    Where most people dared not mess with Vaan fearing his harsh words, in ra''s case, things yed out a little differently. No one tried to use words against ra because of how well-spoken she was. Using rude words against her would simply make one a public enemy since almost everyone in the stadium cherished ra.


    This was the reason that till now, no one dared to mess with ra.


    However, there were always some exceptions in every scenario, and this time, ra had finally met the exception.


    "It is quite unexpected considering that you do not have the Vesta Blood flowing in your veins. Or is it that after eating and drinking in the Vesta Mansion for almost all your life without doing a single thing for the family in return, you have also stolen some of your talents? I must say, you are quite greedy."


    Leif spoke with a big smile on his face and ra had no answer to his words.


    Of course, that didn''t mean no one else did,


    "The fuck are you acting like you have been making sacrifices for the family your entire life? Rather, aren''t you bringing more shame to the Vesta Blood by just being someone else''s Dog? How do you even have a face to point fingers at someone else, you little bitch?


    And the fuck do you mean she is staying in the family without doing a single thing in return? She is my fianc¨¦e, she will be staying together with me for the rest of our lives. If you have a problem with that, then first kick your mother out of the family, she doesn''t have the Vesta Blood either."


    Vaan shouted, stepping up for his future wife.


    The entire stadium turned silent as Vaan spoke these words, Leif already expected Vaan to speak, however, even he didn''t think that the bastard would directly jump at his mother. Leif clenched his fists in anger, he wanted to retaliate, however, before he could do so,


    Vaan turned towards ra and,


    "ra, show this bitch that the talent you have is not something stolen from a second-rate bastard like him, show him the difference between a real talent and a dog who only knows how to lick others'' balls for some scrapes."


    Vaan shouted, cheering for his wife.


    "Y-Yes." ra nodded innocently as well.


    Leif on the other hand, couldn''t take it anymore and turned toward the judge,


    "Why is he allowed to speak when he is not even participating in the battle? He is not letting me focus. Please tell him to go away."


    "Haah!? What does that mean? If your focus is so shit, then why don''t you just surrender? You won''t be winning with that ass-like skills anyways."


    Vaan, of course, wasn''t nning on just staying silent.


    How dare this bastard try and insult his wife? Actually, Vaan was dying to punch him with everything he had. If only he had the opportunity.


    But then, something that even Vaan hadn''t expected happened,


    "Alright then."


    Leif spoke.


    "I surrender."


    "Huh¡­?"


    "What¡­?"


    "He¡­ surrendered¡­?"


    Vaan blinked in surprise, not able to believe what just happened. Leif, however, just smiled as he turned towards Vaan and,


    "I won''t stoop to your level in order to deal with you. The Elemental sh is a grand event where two Mages are meant to face each other,paring their Magic to determine the superior. Conversations between Mages before the battle are a part of the mental warfare, and interfering with this undermines the event. If you choose to disregard this, I won''t continue with this battle."


    "¡­"


    This was the first time ever since he came to this world that Vaan felt speechless.


    This little bitch¡­


    He was already walking away!


    It wasn''t just a warning saying that he would leave if he continued to speak, this man actually left! He was being serious!


    "It ended¡­?"


    "What¡­?"


    And it was not just Vaan, the audience, the Mages overseeing the battle, everyone was surprised, even the judge seemed to be in a daze and didn''t announce the result till Leif had actually returned and was out of everyone''s vision.


    "I¡­ I was looking forward to the battle¡­"


    "But why did he leave like that¡­?"


    "Didn''t you hear what he said?"


    "I did but¡­"


    The audience couldn''t stop talking about it. The thing was, Leif Vesta was not a weak Mage, rather, with how he had overwhelmed almost all his opponents with his mastery over the wind element in the previous battles, many believed that he was actually one of the tournament''s favorites.


    This was the reason why everyone was looking forward to his fight with ra, another tournament favorite, but to think he would just give up like this¡­


    This made absolutely no sense.


    ¡­


    While the entire stadium was confused, Leif, who was the reason behind the confusion walked back into the Hall with a satisfied smile on his face.


    ''Just as I nned.''


    He chuckled inwardly, but then,


    *Step*


    Someone appeared in front of him.


    "Leif."


    Elric called out.


    "Young Master Elric." Leif bowed with a respectful look on his face.


    "What are you trying to do?" Elric questioned directly, not willing to y any games.


    "Hmm? What do you mean?" Leif tilted his head in confusion, acting ignorant.


    "Why did you surrender?"


    "Didn''t Young Master Elric want me to surrender?"


    "What in the hell are you talking about?" Elric was pissed. He didn''t know why Leif was acting like this, however, one thing was for sure, he didn''t like this one bit.


    "Isn''t ra the woman Young Master Elric fancies, how could I possibly fight against her and harm her? Wouldn''t that be simr to hurting my future master? Why would I do something as foolish as that?


    With my action, ra can now move to the Finals and there face Young Master Elric. Don''t you think it is romantic to see the future couple fighting in the finals of the Fourth Tier of the Elemental sh?


    Now that''s a story I would have loved to hear from my parents if I was a child."


    Leif spoke with a bright smile on his face and the more he spoke, the deeper Elric''s frown became.


    He had been observing ra''s fight for a while now and honestly, in ra''s case, he wasn''t sure that he could defeat her, of course, it was a different thing if he used his trump card, however, for some reason, Elric had this feeling that ra had a trump card of her own.


    This was the reason he wanted Leif to fight her and push her to the limits.


    Leif was strong, Elric believed that even if he couldn''t defeat her, at the very least, he would have made ra use her trump card.


    Now, however, that n was flushed away in an instant.


    And seeing the man responsible for this standing right in front of him, Elric found it hard to control his anger.


    "When did I order you to surrender, you foolish bastard?" Elric shouted.


    "What¡­?" Leif blinked in surprise, he couldn''t understand why Elric was angry.


    "You fucking bastard, did dog eat your brain when you were born!? Who told you to act on your own!? A story that you would have loved to hear!? Of course you would love to hear it! Since you never could! Your parents were shit who never won a single Elemental sh! And you are the same!


    Just what the hell is wrong with you!?"


    Elric''s frustration couldn''t be clearer and he started cursing out loud.


    Leif, on the other hand, didn''t say anything, he just continued to bow his head, apologizing again and again, inwardly, however, his eyes had turned cold.


    ''Says the one whose mother lost against a woman 23 years younger than her.''


    "Haaah¡­"


    After cursing Leif as much as he could, "Get away, don''t let me see your face again." Elric ordered him to leave.


    Leif bowed his head again as he left. Then, as he turned his back towards Elric, a small smile appeared on his face again,


    ''This idiot is so predictable.''


    There was a reason why Leif had surrendered and that was because his grandfather had told him to hide his true powers. His advantage over Elric was still not apparent, he may win against him if they fought, however, Leif still wasn''t sure about it.


    Therefore, his grandfather ordered him to bid for more time and wait till his advantage was absolute.


    This meant that Leif still needed to act like a servant, he had already resigned to his fate, however, when he saw ra''s performance, a new n formed in his mind.


    Rather than being used as a pawn, he would ditch this Elric bastard when he needed him the most.


    How entertaining would that be?


    Looking at Elric''s annoyed expression, Leif''s smile widened.


    ''Very entertaining indeed.''

 Chapter 160 The finale

    Chapter 160 The finale


    "Hahaha~ The First Finalist of the Fourth Tier, Miss ra, how do you feel after defeating your opponents so gracefully?"


    Vaan questioned as he moved his hand in front of ra''s mouth as if it was a mike, ra, however, didn''t understand what he was trying to do since mikes were not a thing in this world.


    "I¡­ I didn''t do anything this time around¡­"


    She muttered.


    "Hmm? What do you mean? You should say that you didn''t have to do anything. Your previous performances were simply so good that the little bitch got scared and ran away."


    "Brother Leif was¡­ scared of me¡­?" ra seemed surprised, she had already gotten used to Vaan''s strongnguage, actually, recently, she had also been picking up on it, however, that was only seen when alcohol was in charge of ra.


    A Drunk ra with no filters, that is when one can hear an angel like ra swear.


    "Of course. You think he would surrender just because I was interrupting him? If he was so annoyed, then he wouldn''t have said anything to you from the beginning. That was nothing but a cheap way of shifting the me onto me and getting away without feeling embarrassed.


    Although I am sure that most mages must have picked that up, after all, no one is foolish enough to buy that crap."


    "B-But Brother Leif was quite strong¡­" ra muttered.


    "Oh? Was he stronger than you? Would you have had a hard time defeating him?"


    "Not really¡­"


    ra bowed her head.


    Again, there was her arrogant and timid self.


    A strangebination that surprised Vaan no matter how many times he saw her, however, this was what made ra so unique.


    Thinking about it, Vaan couldn''t help but hug her.


    "Ah?" ra was surprised.


    "See? He must have sensed that he couldn''t defeat you so he decided to surrender without losing much of his face."


    "That¡­ is a somewhat intelligent move¡­" ramented, closing her eyes as Vaan hugged her.


    Her heart still felt restless whenever she was this close to Vaan, she enjoyed the feeling, yes, however, all of this still felt unreal. ra still hadn''tpletely recovered from her past trauma.


    "Mhm, now you should just focus on that Elric bastard. Actually, defeat him much more brutally than others. I would love it if you could burn all his hair while you are at it."


    "¡­I will end the battle the moment Brother Elric surrenders. I do not wish to hurt him. Brother Elric is kind." ra replied.


    "Kind my ass."


    Vaan just snorted. "Didn''t you see what he did today?"


    "That must be because he was feeling pressured by the Elemental sh."


    Vaan shook his head, this girl was just too pure to think badly about anyone.


    Well, not that Vaan couldin, the only reason he had ra all to himself was because of this personality of hers, else considering the way the previous Vaan treated this woman, she would have left a long time ago and she wouldn''t have looked back even once.


    Just thinking about that made Vaan rigorously shake his head, getting rid of those thoughts. In his previous life, even God himself hade to him and told him he would act this needy for a woman. Now, however, he found himself at a stage where ra had be an essential part of his life.


    And Elric, who was eyeing on his future wife¡­


    Vaan had already made up his mind.


    He needed his Inner Christopher to deal with this matter.


    He was nning to deal with this permanently¡­ even if he had to use some¡­ not-very-civil means to do so, he wasn''t nning on holding back.


    Anyways, for now, that was not important,


    "Should we go watch his match now?" Vaan suggested.


    "Mhm¡­ we should go analyze Brother Elric''s battle, he might show us something that we can research."


    ra nodded as well.


    After all, talking about Magic was the thing she loved the most.


    The two then walked towards the viewing box, watching Elric''s battle. Elric''s opponent was Vasil Vesta, he was from a branch family and was someone with a bright future ahead of him, however, in front of Elric, Vasil seemed like a child.


    As an Earth Spell user, Elric''s defense was absurdly strong, most of his battles were drawn out because of that, Elric, however, was one of the few rare mobile mages. This helped him a lot in his battles since his opponents found it hard to defend against his spells which seemed toe from different angles.


    Vasil faced a simr problem as well.


    He already wasn''t confident enough since he was fighting a tournament favorite, not only that, but deep inside, Vasil had already given up. He had alreadye this far, he didn''t think he would get any further.


    With that sort of mentality, it was only a matter of time before the battle ended and Elric was crowned as the winner.


    And that is exactly what happened, after struggling for a good 15 minutes, Vasil was pushed into a position where he had no option but to surrender.


    The Battle ended, Elric won, he, however, didn''t seem very happy.


    Rather, he nced at ra who was watching him from afar, and with a cold look on his face, he turned away.


    He was still angry about what had happened before, not to mention seeing Vaan who was sticking together with her made his blood boil even further.


    Elric had decided, he would crush ra in this tournament and show her the difference between him and that foolish Vaan. He would show her how discussing Magic with him would be much more fun and beneficial than the brat who only knew how to use his mouth.


    "Annd we finally have it! Our second Semi-Finalist, defeating his opponent with ease, Elric Vesta stands before you!"


    The announcer announced as the crowd cheered loudly. The Mages from the Elric''s faction had smiles on their faces, they all had expected this result.


    Even Astra seemed impressed by his performance.


    However,


    "Do you think you can win against him?" Vaan questioned.


    "I will but I am saying it again, I will not hurt Brother Elric if he surrenders, even if you want me to," ra replied, still as confident as before. From the start till the end, even after witnessing so many of Elric''s battles and even praising him for being an excellent mage, ra never treated him as a threat.


    Now whether that was blind arrogance andck of experience, or sheer confidence that originates from her trust in her abilities, this would be rified quite quickly.


    Though one had to admit, it was quite adorable how ra talks about not hurting Elric when what she ns to hurt the most today was his pride.


    "Haah¡­" Vaan just sighed.


    "Whatever, just leave beating him up to me. You go and win the tournament, don''t forget, we also have to drink together with Mother."


    "Hehe~ I am looking forward to drinking with Teacher as well." ra smiled like a mischievous child who was about to do something wrong.


    30 minutes were given for the 4th Circle Mages to recover from their battle, Medics checked on them if they were injured, and since Elric''s status was out of the ordinary and considering how important this tournament was for him, Draven had also arranged Stamina Stones which helped Elric recover his stamina in case he was tired.


    Of course, just like Instant Spells, using these Stones in the middle of the battle was considered a foul, however, outside the battle, it was considered a fair y even if it gave a ridiculous advantage to participant who uses these stones against the participants who does not.


    Not that this would matter much in this case, ra wasn''t someone whocked resources either, with the most influential person in the city being her teacher, just a single word was enough to get almost any of the resources avable in the world.


    Not to mention that since her previous opponent simply surrendered without fighting, ra wasn''t exactly tired.


    By now, the sun had already set down and the night had fallen, 30 minutes passed by in an instant, for the final battle of the day, the announcer stepped into the middle of the stage.


    "People of the Vesta City!


    Are you ready!?"


    She questioned, gathering all her energy to fan the mes for thest and the most anticipated match of the day.


    "YYEAAAAAAHhhH!!!"


    The entire Vesta City reverberated from the loud roar of more than 50 million people who were currently watching the Elemental sh through the screens that were spread all over the ce.


    "So without wasting even a second further, let''s call the two finalists of the Fourth Tier of the Elemental sh,


    The man who had the highest chances of bing the champion, the man who has proven his brilliance year after year, the Direct Descendent of the Vesta Family, Son of Lady Risia Elysia Vesta, Elric Vesta!


    And his opponent, the little genius who had shown surprising determination, shocking the entire world that was watching her, the tournament''s Dark Horse, the only Pupil of the Strongest Mage in the world, ra meheart!


    Please wee our two finalists with the loudest apuse and cheers you can muster!"


    "YYYEAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

 Chapter 161 Just where in the hell did you learn something like this!?

    Chapter 161 Just where in the hell did you learn something like this!?


    "I didn''t think I would be facing you in the Finals, ra," Elric spoke with a smile on his face.


    "I was always expecting to face you, Brother Elric," ra replied. It was sort of a praise and Elric took it as such.


    "Considering my age, my case isn''t exactly surprising. It is you who have surprised not just me but the entire Vesta City watching this.


    They weren''t wrong when they called you a Magic Prodigy."


    He replied.


    "I worked hard." ra smiled.


    "Indeed Indeed, I have seen you work hard, so I can tell. All the credit shouldn''t be given to your talent alone, your hard work and persistence should receive equal credit as well." Elric nodded continuously.


    From the outside perspective, this seemed like a reunion between two people who had a good rtionship with each other and didn''t exactly wish to fight and in ra''s case, this was true.


    However, Elric wasn''t the same.


    "Surrender, ra."


    He spoke.


    "Huh¡­?" ra''s expression changed.


    "I know you have worked hard and that you are an excellent mage, however, you are still too inexperienced.


    You have time, you can always return next year when you have gained some experience, I am sure you will be unstoppable by then but for now, you should give up.


    I do not wish to hurt you."


    "Are you saying that you are stronger than me¡­?"


    ra questioned.


    "I am." Elric nodded. "I would have gone easy on you, actually, I wouldn''t mind giving up on the tournament so that you can be the champion, however, this year''s Elemental sh holds special importance for my future.


    I will focus on breaking through and bing a 5th Circle Mage after this tournament. So this will be myst Elemental sh and I wish to give it a grand finish, therefore, I will go all out and might hurt you in the process, which, I absolutely do not want.


    You already know how much I care about you."


    "I know." ra nodded.


    Elric did indeed care for her, after all, he was the only one who came to check up on her other than her teacher.


    "However,


    This year holds special importance for me as well¡­"


    It was the year Vaan changed, their rtionship improved, and¡­ he started giving importance to her, even talking about magic with her.


    And since Vaan wants her to win this tournament and even trained her for it, not to mention going as far as making a bet with her teacher.


    ra wanted to win.


    "I am sorry, brother Elric, but yourst Elemental sh, you won''t be the one winning it."


    ra dered.


    Elric''s mouth twitched, he, however, hid his expression, and with a gentle smile on his face, he shook his head, "It seems we have no choice but to fight. Let''s perform our best, alright?"


    "Yes." ra nodded and a determined look appeared on her face.


    The judge who noticed that the two Mages were now ready stepped forward and,


    "Start the Battle."


    He spoke.


    The two mages absorbed the surrounding Mana before moving it throughout their bodies.


    "First Step."


    Elric''s four Magic Circles shined brightly, he quickly drew the patterns required for his first spell and,


    A 1-meter huge te made of rock formed in the air.


    Without waiting even a second longer, Elric stepped onto the Stone te.


    A confident smile appeared on his face as the te under his feat moved aside, helping him dodge the Fireball that ra shot towards him.


    ra didn''t seem very surprised, rather, the Fireball she shot moved back and rushed towards Elric, however, Elric had already moved away.


    This was Elric''s signature spell.


    Rather, it was his Grandmother, Elysia''s signature move before she became an Intermediate move. A Spell that Elric, who had an affinity with Earth Element just like her Grandmother had learned. Elysia herself had taught him this spell since Astra, her daughter, who also had an affinity with Earth Element refused to use this spell in battles even after learning it.


    First Step was a Spell that allowed Elric to step on the Stone te and move around the entire battlefield at high speed, without needing to stop casting his other spells.


    It gave Elric an unfair advantage against all his opponents since it made it harder for the mages to aim at him.


    Yes, there were spells like [Direction Maniption] that Mages could use to control their spells even after casting it, allowing them to follow Elric till the spell hit him, however, in reality, it was an impractical solution.


    Elric''s movement speed was no joke, it was fast enough to help him avoid most of the spells. Chasing after him wasn''t a simple task either, especially considering the fact that Elric himself wouldn''t be sitting idle while his opponent tries to control their spells and hit him.


    Most of the opponents Elric faced had the same problem, they couldn''t attack him. If they focused on using Direction Maniption to hit him, he would assault them using Basic 1 Circle Spells that could be used easily and quickly. If the opponents cast a Shield to protect themselves, Elric simply used a stronger spell to break the shield, while making them lose control over the spell following Elric all this while.


    First Step was an unfair spell that made attacking Elric nearly impossible, he had an invincible defense without using a single defense spell.


    Not only that, but the First Step also neededparatively less Mana, and after training for years, Elric didn''t need much focus or time to cast it either. First Step was the spell Elric relied on in every single one of his battles, and this battle was the same as well.


    *Whoosh*


    "Don''t bother, you won''t hit me." Hemented as he dodged another Fireball.


    ra, however, didn''t have any change in her expression.


    She continued to use Direction Maniption to chase after Elric. Elric continued to move around the battlefield, ra could tell that her Fireball was losing its strength as more and more time passed.


    Not just that, Elric himself was also preparing his second spell.


    This was the situation most mages fighting Elric faced, a helplessness of not being able to do anything and just getting the feeling of being an open target.


    ra, however, was not like other mages.


    "Fire Spike."


    She used another spell.


    "Earth Spear."


    Elric unleashed his spell as well.


    A 2 meter long rushed towards ra, ra''s Fire Spike moved, and,


    *BOOM*


    The two elements shed.


    Elric quickly moved around, getting away from the smokeing from the explosion in order to not let it ruin his vision and focus.


    However, as he moved aside and nced at ra again, he saw her staring at her,


    "Lake of mes."


    A 4th Circle Spell.


    *Whoosh* *Whoosh*


    Fiery mes were summoned, surrounding ra before moving outside in all directions, forming a disc with ra as the center.


    It is a wide-range spell with considerably weaker strength butsts for a much longer duration without needing more Mana than what is provided initially.


    "So this was your grand n?"


    Elric questioned with a disappointed look on his face.


    "As I said, you are still too inexperienced for this. Did youpletely miss that I can go up as well just because I didn''t show it in my previous battles?"


    He questioned as the Stone te he was standing on moved up. Completely avoided the mes that had filled up the entire stage.


    It was over.


    Elric had won.


    Lake of mes was a Top End Spell that consumed a ridiculously high amount of Mana, even Peak 4th Circle Mages needed to use a considerable amount of their Mana to cast it, let alone ra, who had just recently be a 4th Circle Mage.


    ra had used almost all her Mana in order to cast such a grand spell, she didn''t even have enough Mana to cast a Shield.


    Elric only needed a single basic spell to win this battle since ra had no way to defend herself at all. Especially when she had surrounded her with mes, not even leaving a chance for her to run away and try to avoid Elric''s spell.


    "It is alright, ra.


    Don''t lose your heart. You are still Young, I am sure you will learn from your mistakes and do well in the future."


    Elric spoke as he prepared to cast one final spell to end the battle, but then,


    His expression changed as he saw ra do something he never thought she would do.


    "I-I apologize, Brother Elric."


    ra spoke in an innocent tone and then,


    She crouched and picked around 7-8 Stones out of the stock of nearly 100 stones she had created using Magic.


    Then¡­


    She threw the Stone at Elric.


    Elric dodged, however, ra had just started.


    *Whoosh*


    She threw another stone.


    *Whoosh* *Whoosh* *Whoosh*


    Then another, one more, next one, and then one more.


    ra continued to throw stones at Elric, making it almost impossible for him to cast another spell because if even one of the stones ra threw at her hit him, he would lose his bnce and would fall right into the sea of mes that had covered the entire battlefield¡­


    So for Elric, who stood in the air, these little stones ra was throwing at him were no different than death sentences from the King of hell himself.


    "W-What are you doing!? I-Is that how a Mage a supposed to fight!?


    Just where in the hell did you learn something like this!?"


    Elric screamed in annoyance.

 Chapter 162 I-I am really sorry!

    Chapter 162 I-I am really sorry!


    "W-What are you doing!? I-Is that how a Mage supposed to fight!?


    Just where in the hell did you learn something like this!?"


    Elric screamed, his annoyance was clear from his tone. ra was throwing those stones at her at a constant pace, not giving him a break even for a single moment.


    ra, on the other hand, didn''t reply to Elric''s words, she was focused on throwing the rocks while calcting how long could Elric keep this up.


    No matter how optimized a spell was and how much Elric had practiced and used the same spell, every spell needed Mana, for Spells that practically allowed a Mage to fly, the Mana consumption was even higher.


    Right now, the Stone te Elric had summoned was around 10 meters above the ground and was holding all of Elric''s weight while moving around, ra was sure that Elric didn''t have enough Mana to continue this for long, at least not until she ran out of stones.


    All she needed to do was to keep hitting Elric with stones and not allow him to cast any spell.


    As for Elric''s words, ra already knew that was nothing but a result of his annoyance. It was a Battle Tournament, not a Magic Disy Event, sure, all people here are mages but this didn''t mean that using methods other than Magic to win a battle was wrong.


    Thinking about it, ra continued to throw stones at Elric and the longer this continued, the more frustrated Elric got.


    Elric could tell, he was losing.


    No, it would be better to say that he was checkmated already, if this continued like this, he would run out of Mana soon and unlike ra, who stood in a safe position, he would directly fall into those mes without any way to defend himself at all.


    The situation was dire, Elric needed a solution as soon as possible, he could fly above, to a level where ra''s stones wouldn''t reach him, and end the battle with a spell. However, as perfect as this solution sounded, the reality was far from different.


    Stone te was merely a 3rd Circle Spell, how could it possibly allow someone to fly freely? The higher he went, the harder controlling the te would be, not to mention the risk of falling down from that point wouldn''t just be because of the fire, just the impact alone would be enough to kill him.


    This method was not practical.


    Elric needed to think of something el-


    Suddenly, Elric''s expression changed.


    There was a way.


    A big smile appeared on Elric''s face as he nced at that arrogant bitch throwing stones at him,


    ''Don''t me me because you are the one who started this.''


    He spoke as his eyes shined in a cruel light, then, he rapidly descended from above, aiming straight for the top of ra''s head.


    His goal was clear, attack ra with the help of the Stone te, it would hurt him a little in the process, however, ra''s condition would be much worse than his.


    Seeing him descend, ra''s expression changed, Elric, however, didn''t give her a lot of time to think, and,


    *Bam*


    He shot down.


    "ELARA!"


    Vaan screamed in worry. He wanted to jump into the arena and save his fianc¨¦e, but suddenly, his body froze.


    He couldn''t move.


    It was a familiar Magic.


    Vaan nced at his mother only to see her looking at him with a cold look in her eyes.


    ''If you trusted her enough to let her fight, then let her follow through. No one ever said that she wouldn''t get hurt.''


    Astra''s voice was heard.


    Vaan, of course, had no way to reply to her, and neither was Astra looking for a reply. This wasn''t a request, it was an Order.


    An Order of the Head of the Vesta Family telling him not to interfere with the battle.


    Vaan had no choice but to helplessly watch the battle fold out.


    Smoke covered the stage, the audience focused on the battlefield, trying to understand what happened, Elric however, could tell that ra had already jumped away in thest moment.


    "Ugghhh¡­"


    He then heard a groan filled with pain.


    It was ra.


    She did calcte the best she could but even then, she couldn''tpletely avoid the mes surrounding her, and as she jumped away, the mes engulfed her right arm.


    Of course, Elric wasn''t in his best condition either, he could feel his leg wobble because of the impact ofing down at such a high speed, the Stone te didn''t act like a cushion at all, his knees had to bear all that impact on their own and even now, Elric was having a hard time standing.


    This, however, did not take away the smile from his face.


    "This is quite a novel experience, don''t you think, ra?"


    Hemented. Both of them, standing in close proximity, were surrounded by fiery mes. Their bodies bore the wounds of their intense sh.


    "¡­"


    ra on the other hand, didn''t say anything.


    Her right arm, burned by the engulfing mes was a sight that evoked both awe and concern. The once smooth and delicate skin was now transformed into a canvas of agony. The surface of her arm was marred with angry red patches, contrasting starkly against her paleplexion.


    As the fire had licked at her flesh, the burning heat had seared the skin, leaving behind a charred texture that disrupted the natural contours of her arm.


    Yet, despite the pain and torment she endured, ra stood strong, her determination shining through the agony that etched her face.


    This was the first time she was in such agony, however, this didn''t make her back down, rather, she wanted to continue, she wanted to win for Vaan.


    "That looks bad, surrender."


    Elric spoke as he nced at ra''s arm, inwardly disgusted by the ghastly appearance. ra''s arm continued to tremble in pain, her determination, however, didn''t waver. The look in her eyes gave Elric the answer he needed to hear.


    "Do you truly believe you can win against me in this condition?"


    He questioned and at the same time, he started absorbing surrounding Mana. Although he was telling ra to surrender, he was preparing for another round just in case she didn''t listen to him.


    Elric didn''t mind teaching the fool a lesson. If she wanted to go against him time and time again, then it was probably time to show ra her ce and keep her in check.


    Not to mention that with ra''s arm the way it was, this second round was no different than a win served to him, there was no way ra could focus on the battle when her arm was sizzling with intense pain and trembled nonstop.


    "I do."


    As he imagined his victory, Elric was pulled out of his reverie as he heard ra''s arrogant answer. He nced at the girl, confused, but then noticed her running towards him with a dangerous look on her face.


    "What are you trying to do?"


    He questioned, confusion clear on his face. ra, however, didn''t say anything, within a second, she closed the distance between the two and directly aimed to punch Elric''s face with her left arm.


    Elric dodged the punch as he stepped back, but soon noticed the mes behind him before realizing that ra wasing at him again.


    The girl looked oddly simr to a certain purple-haired man, their figures ovepped in Elric''s eyes, and this acted like a trigger.


    "Do you truly believe you can defeat me like this?" He questioned, his pride was hurt. He wasn''t a Martial Art expert, however, this didn''t mean that even a frail woman like ra could defeat him even when she was in a perfect state, not to mention when one of her arms was unusable.


    Elric dodged ra''s punch again as he sidestepped, getting away from the mes, then, he tried to grab her hand, wanting to end the battle, ra, however, was quicker than he expected and stepped away.


    Elric followed through, trying to catch ra, the girl continued to dodge, but then, Elric touched her right arm, pressing on her marred skin.


    "Aaagggghhh!!"


    ra screamed in agony as puss-like liquid came out of her arm. Her entire body momentarily froze from the intense pain she felt and using this chance, Elric quickly grabbed her left hand and a big smile appeared on his face,pletely ignoring ra''s moist eyes which were filled with pain.


    He had won.


    And that was all that mattered.


    "I told you, you should have surrendered. Don''t me me, I only did what was required to win." Elric spoke.


    "I won''t go easy on yo-"


    "I am sorry."


    Elric wanted to say something, but suddenly, he heard ra''s voice. She was looking down, so Elric couldn''t tell what sort of expression she had, however, feeling how she was trembling in pain, he could already tell that she was not in a good condition.


    "What?" He leaned closer, thinking that ra wanted to apologize for her actions.


    And that was what she did,


    "I-I am sorry. I shouldn''t do this b-but I have no choice¡­" She spoke.


    Elric''s frown deepened, "Do wha-"


    He wanted to question, but then,


    "AAaaagAAaaggGGGgGggHHHHhHhHHH!!!!"


    Elric screamed in intense agony as his eyes turned red.


    ra had kicked his balls with everything she had.


    "I am really sorry!"

 Chapter 163 Destroy that little bitch!

    Chapter 163 Destroy that little bitch!


    "AAaaaaAAgggGGggGhhHHHHHHH!!!"


    Elric screamed in agony, his eyes turning bloodshot and for an instant, he couldn''t feel his body anymore, his knees were already weakened because of how he crashed on the ground, so they gave out the moment ra attacked him and he knelt on the ground, feeling a sort of pain that he had never experienced before.


    "I am really sorry!"


    While he endured such intense pain, he heard ra''s voice and at that moment, his anger soared,


    "You fucking whore!"


    He cursed out loud, not even caring that he was saying that out loud.


    On the other hand, ra, who was desperately apologizing for what she had done froze as well, staring at her brother Elric with absolute disbelief on her face.


    This annoyed Elric even further.


    "What are you looking at, huh!? Did you think you were some special person? A Magic Prodigy? Magic Prodigy my foot! You are nothing but a lowly whore who survives by sticking close to men, first, it was me, now you went to your little fianc¨¦ of yours. The only reason you are where you are is because of my Family resources that you used. How dare a whore like you attack me!?"


    Elric didn''t care and continued to curse the little girl in front of her without an ounce of mercy, maybe it was because of the frustration he felt all these past few days,bined with the intense pain he was in, and the fact that ra was the one behind this pain, it broke all the boundaries Elric had set and tore away the ''gentle and caring'' mask he always wore.


    "B-Brother Elric¡­" And ra, who listened to these harsh wordsing out of her brother Elric''s mouth couldn''t believe them and went in a daze.


    And as if her dazed expression satisfied his ego, Elric continued this even further.


    "Stop calling me like you are close to me! It disgusts me to the core! I might have epted you as my concubine before, but did you truly think I would do the same after you stuck to that bastard like a whore right in front of my eyes!? You delusional bit-"


    "ra!"


    Vaan had enough.


    This time, even Astra, who was stopping him through Magic released him.


    ''Do not interfere with the Battle.''


    She warned.


    Vaan rushed from the viewing stand, some guards tried to stop them, however, he was physically much more athletic than them and avoided them easily.


    "ra!"


    He called his fianc¨¦e again.


    ra turned towards him, his response fairly slow, her eyes seeming dull.


    "Why are you listening to this bastard''s nonsense? End the battle! We are gettingte!" Vaan spoke.


    "Huh¡­?" ra didn''t understand.


    "End the battle! I have already arranged the bottle!" He spoke loudly and ra''s expression finally changed.


    "Bottle¡­" She quickly recalled what she was here for.


    Turning towards Elric, she noticed that he was trying to get up, however, his legs were trembling nonstop, making it hard for him to do so.


    "Go beat that bastard up!"


    Vaan cheered from the sidelines.


    A determined look appeared on ra''s face again, she was hurt, she never expected that brother Elric of all people would say such words to her, however, right now, rather than feeling sad and betrayed, ra needed to win this battle.


    This time, not just for Vaan but for her own sake as well.


    "Go for it! Do exactly what I taught you in such situations!" Vaan shouted again, hyping ra up now that he realized she was ready to do it.


    On the other hand, Elric prepared himself as well. He was in pain, however, his will to win never faltered, rather, it had only gotten stronger. At first, he didn''t actually wish to harm ra, now, however, with his emotions bursting out, even killing ra didn''t seem wrong.


    With his eyes bloodshot, Elric nced at ra, the Mana that he had absorbed circted throughout his body, this was the final spell in the battle, a spell from a close proximity with no chance to dodge, however,


    "I am not sorry this time!"


    ra shouted as she struck her knee right onto Elric''s nose.


    "Aggh-ggmmppfhhhh!!"


    And before Elric could even scream properly, ra shifted all her weight onto his body, Elric fell with ra''s knee on his head, the pain from ra''s knee and from the direct impact of the back of his head from the groundbined and his vision turned dizzy.


    One should know that Elric was not a trained fighter, rather, he had never even done a single set of exercises in his entire life, if it wasn''t for the constant Mana that circtes throughout his body, one could even put him on an unhealthier side of the chart.


    His body was nowhere near strong enough to go through what it was going through, heck even the professional fighters would find it difficult to tackle such a situation where ra did exactly as Vaan told her, targeting all his weak points, making it impossible to resist.


    "Now stand up! Don''t use your hands!"


    Not to mention Vaan who still stood right beside the stage, even bearing the heat from the intense heat and suggesting ra what to do next.


    ra did as she was told, and the next moment, she stood up.


    "Stomp that little bitch to death!"


    Vaan ordered and,


    *Bam* *Bam* *Bam*


    ra started stomping on Elric''s face.


    "S-Stop it!" Elric shouted, trying to use his hands to block some of her attacks, ra, however, had turned into a little demon as she started kicking his head, targeting the areas Elric''s hands weren''t protecting.


    ra continued to switch between the two, if Elric tried to protect his eyes, she targeted the back of his head, if he tried to protect thetter, she targeted his ears, she had an absolute advantage in this situation and Elric had no way to stop her.


    "Agghhhh! Y-You fucking whore!! I will kill you!!"


    Elric cursed, feeling the intense pain that had be unbearable, not to mention the humiliation of being beaten like this in front of the entire Vesta City, it ate him away from the inside and his anger soared to another level.


    "ra! Curse that bitch as well! Show him!"


    Vaan shouted from behind, and ra, who had already lost most of her reasoning and was only acting on Vaan''s words quickly did as she was told.


    "You bad person!"


    She ''cursed'' and the moment she did, Vaan facepalmed.


    ''Ugghhh¡­ why are you so adorable¡­?''


    He thought inwardly, then, he dropped the idea of making her curse and,


    "D-Don''t curse anymore, you have no need to stoop to his level.


    Continue to aim for the nose, make him lose consciousness, don''t forget his mouth either, don''t let him speak. We don''t want him to surrender.


    Make him pass out!


    That''s how you truly win a battle and leave a longsting impact!"


    Vaan continued to deliver his lectures and as a good student she was, ra continued to listen.


    "Agghu-You fuc-pppmmhhh!!"


    Elric couldn''t speak, ra''s ruthless blows were unexpectedly heavy, and he could feel himself losing consciousness, at first, he tried to resist, however, realizing the helpless state he was in, being beaten up in the middle of a Stage, in front of the entire Vesta City, by a girl 20 years younger than him¡­


    The more he thought about it, the weaker his will became, maybe the constant blows on his head yed a part in it as well, and soon,


    *Bam*


    As ra stomped on his nose again, Elric finally lost consciousness but ra¡­ was ignorant of this fact and continued to hit him even after he passed out.


    "Hit him! Hit him! Destroy that little bitch!" Vaan, of course, couldn''t tell that either since he couldn''t even watch the battlefield because of those mes surrounding it, he could only hear ra constantly hitting Elric and continued to cheer her up.


    The thrashing continued for another 30 seconds or so, then suddenly, Astra heard a voice.


    ''I believe you had your fun, no?


    I have been patient for a long time now.''


    Astra turned towards the source of this voice and saw Risia ring at her. From the look in her eyes, Astra could tell that if it wasn''t for her, Risia would have long since interfered with the battle and now, things have reached a stage where if she didn''t stop the battle now, Risia would make her move, no matter whether Astra was here or not.


    A small smile appeared on Astra''s face,


    ''I apologize, I didn''t notice that he had passed out.'' Shemented.


    Risia simply narrowed her eyes, waiting for Astra to make a move and Astra did.


    ra''s body froze, the mes that surrounded the Battlefield disappeared in an instant and Astra finally stood up.


    "This battle is over.


    Winner, ra meheart."


    She announced and the moment she did, the audience, which was shocked by her sudden interference came out of their reverie and,


    "OOOOOOHHHHHH!!!!"


    The entire Vesta City reverberated with excited shouts and cheers again.

 Chapter 164 How are you going to pay me?

    Chapter 164 How are you going to pay me?


    "This battle is over.


    Winner, ra meheart."


    Astra announced and the moment she did, the crowd erupted in arge cheer.


    "ra!"


    Vaan didn''t stay idle either, he quickly rushed towards his fianc¨¦e, holding her as if she were the most delicate thing in the entire world,


    "You were amazing¡­"


    His voice was full of emotions, the emotion that overpowered most of his emotions, however, was worry.


    Seeing ra''s marred skin, his heart ached and anger soared, he nced at Elric who was being taken away by a few Medics, and seeing his disfigured face, his anger calmed down.


    "You were amazing indeed¡­" He agreed to his previous words, extremely satisfied with his fianc¨¦e''s performance.


    His eyes then fell on the Medic who had walked towards ra and,


    "What is the expected recovery time for the wound?"


    He questioned.


    "Young Mas-" The Medic was about to answer, but then,


    "It would obviously take just a few minutes since there is somewhere the two of you need to be.


    Or did you two forget your promise?"


    The Medic was interrupted by someone he never thought he would.


    "Mother." Vaan greeted, his eyes, however, were on the man walking behind his mother.


    Astra didn''t mind it either, she knew Vaan was worried, she was the same. Astra then nodded at the man following her, the man nodded back, he then walked forward, extending his hands as 6 Magic Circles appeared around him.


    The 6 Circles shined at the same time, ra''s arm was then covered in a strange Golden light and the next moment, her skin started recovering at a speed visible to the naked eye.


    The pussing out of her wounds went back, the charred skin started regaining its color, the marred parts of the skin reverted back to their previous form and within 2 minutes, ra''s arm appeared as if it had never been injured.


    ra was surprised.


    She tried moving her hands to check if it was alright or whether it was an illusion, soon, however, she realized that she couldn''t move her arm anymore.


    "What your arm has just experienced is a highly pure Healing Magic, ording to some theories, Healing Magic originates from Time Laws, therefore it is considered to be one of the strongest Magic Forms and since a Mage''s body is weak from the beginning, it needs time to get used to such magic being used on it. Only the Healers affiliated with the Church of Light have the ability to disregard this limitation.


    Mages excelling in healing Magic cannot do that.


    So I will not be allowing you to move your arm for the next 30 minutes."


    Astra spoke, a small Magic Circle shining in front of her index finger.


    "I understand, teacher." ra nodded in understanding.


    "Lady Astra, should I cast an overall Heal as well? She may look fine, but she has been through a difficult battle, she might have hidden injuries." The 6th Circle Mage spoke.


    "Are you feeling any sort of pain anywhere?" Astra nced at ra.


    The red-haired girl shook her head.


    Astra nodded her head in understanding as she then shook her head,


    "There is no need. You can leave."


    "As youmand, Lady Astra."


    The Mage nodded before he walked away.


    "Why did you stop him, mother?" Vaan questioned with a curious look on his face.


    "There is no need to use Excessive Heal on the Body."


    "Is using Healing Magic continuously harmful to one''s body?"


    Vaan questioned with a frown on his face. He had been studying theories rted to Healing Magic because of Orion''s excessive training for a while now and he read anything like this yet.


    In normal cases, information like this should be shared in the beginning.


    "Hmm? If the Mage casting the Heal is considered a good Mage, then no, there are no side effects you can cast as many heals on your body as you want. Of course, there are some limits and disadvantages, especially in cases like yours where you might lose the strength you''ve built in a particr training session if you use Heal after it, however, I am sure Orion is taking care of that part.


    As for her, I just don''t want to use Excessive Heal on her."


    A big smile then appeared on Astra''s face as she nced at ra and,


    "Today, I witnessed the warrior aspect of my pupil.


    I have made the decision to nurture her into a fearless warrior who can effortlessly conquer her opponents.


    Such a warrior does not need to depend on healing for every minor issue."


    Hearing those words, a smile appeared on Vaan''s face as well.


    "Indeed Indeed, my ra is indeed a Warrior in making." He nodded continuously.


    ra lowered her head in embarrassment.


    "Well, she wouldn''t be able to move if I told that mage to cast an overall heal, that''s one of the reasons as well," Astra spoke.


    "Hmm? How is that a problem, I can easily help ra move, I can even carry her wherever she wants."


    "You think you can fool me? Don''t make me reveal what you are thinking."


    How could Astra be fooled Vaan?


    Hearing her teacher''s words, ra frowned in confusion.


    "What are y-"


    "Oh right, ra, I think they told all the winners to gather back in the Hall, so we need to be there as well. Let''s go together."


    Saying those words, Vaan pulled his fianc¨¦e away.


    "V-Vaan?" ra was confused by how Vaan was acting. Astra, on the other hand, just smiled.


    "You look happy." Eliza, who appeared next to her spoke.


    "Today has been a good day." Astra nodded.


    Eliza nced at the back of ra and, "It was a good day indeed." She nodded as well.


    "Would you like to take this chance to address the people? I believe it would be a pity if you do not." Eliza suggested as she nced at all the people present in the stadium, looking at Astra with expressions full of respect.


    Astra noticed that as well and without even her needing to say anything, Eliza called the announcer, and the next moment,


    Astra addressed the people of her city.


    ¡­


    "Vaan, w-where are we going?" Noticing that they were heading in a direction opposite to that of the Hall, ra inquired with a doubtful expression on her face.


    "Are you worried that I might take you away?" Vaan questioned with a yful smile on his face.


    "N-No, I trust you¡­" ra spoke, Vaan however, shook his head, and his smile widened.


    "You should not."


    Saying those words, he took ra to an unfamiliar, dimly lit area. From there, the muffled echo of the crowd''s cheers could be heard, and the entire ce seemed to tremble from the sound as if on the verge of copse. Nheless, Vaan remained undeterred. He pressed ra against a nearby wall, his hand ced on the wall above her shoulder, closing her path of escape.


    "W-What are you doing?" ra questioned, her heart racing in panic.


    Vaan, however, didn''t say anything, rather, he just pushed his body close to ra, leaning forward, he brought his face dangerously close to hers. Since the ce was dimly lit, he couldn''t see ra''s face clearly, however, that didn''t stop him from doing what he wanted,


    "Your fight today was amazing. You did well." Vaan whispered.


    "I-It was because you trained me." ra stuttered, clearly, she wasn''t used to such a situation.


    A new, unknown feeling made her heart race and her emotions were in a strange turmoil, she found it hard to understand what her body was trying to tell her, however, one thing was clear.


    She wasn''t hating any of this.


    Rather, she felt strangely excited.


    "Then don''t you think you should pay me?" Vaan questioned.


    "W-What?"


    "I trained you, didn''t I? Don''t you think it is time you pay me for everything I did?"


    "Okay, h-how much Elemental S-Stones do you need?" ra questioned.


    Vaan, however, smiled widely.


    "You aren''t getting away with mere Elemental Stones, ra~" Vaan chuckled.


    Then, he pressed his forehead onto ra''s forehead, by now, even the innocent ra understood what Vaan was trying to do, she may have been in a drunk state thest time they did it, however, that didn''t mean she forgot about it.


    This time, however, it was different, right now, she was sober,


    Completely sober.


    As her heart started beating loudly, her mind started thinking, and different emotions attacked her body at the same time, in the end, however, one emotion prevailed and ra closed her eyes,


    Vaan''s smile widened, he then leaned forward, going for his fianc¨¦e''s lips, but then,


    "Ahem Ahem."


    A sound was heard.


    Both Vaan and ra widened their eyes in disbelief, Vaan stood in front of her as if trying to hide and protect her as he turned around. His expression changed when his eyes fell on Eliza standing behind him,


    "Lady Astra has ordered me to keep an eye on you but I believe the two of you wouldn''t want others to witness what you were going to do.


    Return for the award ceremony and continue your¡­ act after the Elemental sh is concluded."


    Eliza ordered, blue balling Vaan.

 Chapter 165 Are you asking me to drink all of it?

    Chapter 165 Are you asking me to drink all of it?


    "Ladies and gentlemen! That''s a wrap!


    The winners have been chosen, and what an evening it was!


    I can wholeheartedly say, in all my 27 years, this is the greatest Elemental sh I''ve witnessed!


    We witnessed spellbinding magic mastery, innovative spells, absolute stage dominance, and a surprise from a remarkably talented underdog! It was a sight to behold!"


    The announcer announced with an excited look on her face.


    "And after such a Grand disy, it is now time we Crown our winners. So people of the Vesta City, please put your hands together for this year''s champions!"


    "YYYEEEEEAAHHHHHHHH!!!!"


    People screamed in excitement and under their cheers, 4 Mages walked into the Stage.


    Then, the Head of the City walked in, personally awarding the winners ording to their Tiers. The Tier One Winner being the first to receive the award, and the Tier Four Winner being thest.


    The award ceremony soon ended, the Mages who thought they did well were looking at the Vesta Mages, hoping that one of them would recruit them, the lucky ones got what they desired, as for the unlucky ones¡­


    They could only hope to do better next year.


    Just like that, the Year 5039''s Elemental sh was over.


    The night, however, still wasn''t over.


    Especially for Vaan, ra, and Astra.


    *Knock* *Knock*


    Vaan who was standing in front of a room while holding ra''s hand, knocked on the door.


    "Come in." Astra''s calm voice was heard.


    A big smile appeared on Vaan''s face as he walked into the room together with ra.


    "We are here, mother."


    "You did what you said you would, congrattions," Astramented.


    "Were you doubting me?" Vaan questioned with a confident smile on his face, "You didn''t have to. It was ringly obvious that we had nopetition." He spoke with an arrogant look on his face.


    Normally, Astra would have shut him up and humbled him, however, today, she didn''t have any way to do that.


    What her son said was true, he had nopetition today, heck, he didn''t even get to show his full strength and he was already crowned as the Champion.


    "I can finally understand what mother used to feel."


    Astra shook her head as she nced at her son. She remember how Elysia tried to tell the same thing to her when she was 20, however, in her younger days, she didn''t heed her words. It was only after she went to the Agresia Academy and met Orion did she start changing little by little.


    Thinking about it, she couldn''t help but think how simr the current Vaan was to younger her.


    Astra''s eyes then fell on ra, ''Would she do the same?'' she couldn''t help but think.


    Then noticing how Vaan was holding her hand, she couldn''t help but chuckle, ''He has changed a lotpared to before¡­ so quickly that it almost feels unnatural.''


    "So, shall we start tonight''s party?" Vaan spoke with a big smile on his face. "I have arranged something quite amazing."


    "Whatever you have prepared, forget about it," Astra ordered, then, with a smile on her face, she walked towards a wooden cab and pulled out a dusty, ornate bottle.


    "Since the two of you have made this day special for me, I will allow you to drink this."


    "What is this?" Vaan questioned, just a nce alone is enough to tell that this was not a normal wine.


    "It is a Mystic Wine."


    "Mystic Wine¡­?" Vaan tilted his head in confusion.


    "It''s a Wine that can only be created by an Advance Mage by continuously injecting the wine barrel with condensed Mana for years. The longer the Barrel is injected by the Mana, the better the wine will be, this in particr has been refined for 300 years and is one of the finest wines that exists in the entire Agresia. It is not something money can buy." Astra spoke.


    "Heeehh? You are really going all out, aren''t you?" Vaan chuckled.


    "Did you think I was some cheapskate?"


    "Of course not, my mother is the most generous," Vaan replied with a cheeky smile on his face.


    Astra rolled her eyes, her son really knew what to say at what time, his tone, however, made her want to p him.


    "Alright Alright,e and sit."


    Astra shook her head as she invited the couple to sit and unlike her attitude with Vaan, as she walked towards ra, a bright smile appeared on her face and she gently held her hand,


    "Is your hand alright?"


    "Yes Teacher." ra nodded.


    "You did well today." Astra gently ruffled ra''s head, the red-haired woman closed her eyes and enjoyed her teacher''s pats.


    Astra hugged ra and Vaan who saw this scene just continued to stare at it with a deadpan look on his face.


    "Are you sure you didn''t adopt me?" He questioned.


    "I did. I picked you from a dustbin." Astra nodded.


    "¡­"


    Vaan turned silent.


    "Pfft."


    ra, on the other hand,ughed out loud before quickly hiding her mouth as saw Vaan staring at her.


    "I have this bad feeling that today''s drinking session is not going to end well for me," Vaan spoke.


    Astra, however,pletely ignored his words, brought ra next to a table and made her sit down. Then, as she sat next to her pupil, she nced at the other chair beside her and pointed at Vaan. "Sit here."


    "The difference in treatment is almost unreal. It is as if you are doing this deliberately." Vaanmented. Astra, however, waved her hand in dismissal, "Don''t think too much, it is not healthy for that tiny head of yours.


    Nowe and sit down."


    Lady Astra really wasn''t holding back her punches.


    "¡­"


    Vaan turned silent and sat on the chair Astra pointed at.


    Astra ced the wine bottle on the table, then, cing three sses in front of each of them, she finally uncorked the bottle, releasing a rich, velvety aroma that filled the room. She then poured the wine into delicate crystal sses, the deep crimson liquid glinting the soft glow of the room.


    "Be careful, the Mystic Wine is considerably strongerpared to normal alcoholic drinks you consume, take gentle sips, enjoy its delicacy, and don''t be too hard on yourself."


    Astra spoke.


    "Heeh? Should Mother be serving us such a strong drink? Shouldn''t you be the responsible adult here and tell us not to drink carelessly since it could be harmful for our bodies?" Vaan teased, it was his way of getting back to his mother.


    "I am merely following through on the promise I made, I am not someone who goes back to my words."


    Astra replied, not minding Vaan''s words.


    "Also, this drink is not harmful, thepressed Mana negates the negative effects of alcohol, so other than getting drunk quicker than normal and the headache after you wake up the next day, this drink has no other side effects.


    Rather than side effects, the drink is actually beneficial to Mages."


    "Oh?" Vaan''s expression changed.


    A smile appeared on Astra''s face as well, "Mhm, although minute, the condensed Mana in the drink resonates with a Mage and increases Blood Flow."


    "What¡­? But how does condensed Mana affect our Blood Flow? That shouldn''t be possible ording to the Theories¡­" ra muttered, her mind already thinking about the theories and principles that made such a phenomenon possible.


    Seeing her pupil act like that, a proud smile appeared on Astra''s face. Just as she would expect from her genius little girl.


    "Should we start drinking?"


    Vaan, on the other hand, was having a hard time controlling himself. The wine''s smell was just too strong for him to ignore it.


    However, seeing the deadpan expression that had appeared on his mother''s face, Vaan quickly changed his words.


    "T-That sounds intriguing indeed, condensed Mana in wine, I mean¡­" Vaan faked augh.


    Astra shook her head. "ra, we shall discuss the Magic Theories rted to itter, right now, it is the time we enjoy the night, so forget about everything and,


    The Family Head raised her ss and, "To your remarkable performance in the Elemental sh, to the bonds we have formed, to love, to family, and to the unforgettable memories we will be building together."


    "Cheers."


    *nk*


    The sses nked with each other, and the three took the first sips, the wine enveloping them in its sublime richness, Vaan could feel a weird energy flowing through his body, and his eyes widened in pleasant surprise. ra seemed to have the same expression as well.


    A satisfied smile appeared on Astra''s face as she noticed Vaan and ra''s reaction. The three continued to drink together, but then,


    "Krriiiii!!"


    "Grruuu!!"


    Two adorable little creatures appeared next to Vaan, their expressions, however, weren''t the same cheerful ones they normally have.


    "Krriii! Krri kri!!"


    "Guru! Grruu!!"


    They seemed¡­ strangely excited¡­?


    Vaan frowned in confusion.


    He had seen this expression on mey''s face before. It was when he was about to break through and be a 2nd Circle Mage¡­


    But¡­


    He was still far away from bing a 3rd Circle Mage¡­


    Then why would¡­


    "Krriii Krriii!!"


    mey cheered as she pointed at the Mystic Wine''s bottle.


    "Mystic Wine¡­?" Vaan tilted his head.


    "Are you asking me to drink all of it?"


    "Krrriiii!!!"


    "Grrruu!!"


    mey and Sshy nodded.

 Chapter 166 Tell them I said hello

    Chapter 166 Tell them I said hello


    "Are you asking me to drink all of it?"


    "Krrriiii!!!"


    "Grrruu!!"


    mey and Sshy nodded. The excitement of their faces couldn''t be measured, even Vaan felt overwhelmed as the two fairies flew close to his face, looking at him with shiny eyes.


    With a strange expression on his face, Vaan took another sip of the wine, the two fairies then flew behind him and ced their little hands on his back.


    Then, suddenly, Vaan felt a strange energy moving all over his body, the feeling was awfully simr to when he circtes raw Mana through his Magic Veins.


    "Krrri Krrri!"


    mey spoke and for some reason, even though he couldn''t see her expression, Vaan could understand what she was saying.


    "You want me to absorb Mana?"


    "Krrriii!" The little Fire Spirit nodded.


    Vaan did as he told as he closed his eyes and started absorbing the surrounding Mana. Seeing the sudden change in his action, both Astra and ra frowned in confusion, "What are you doing?" Astra questioned.


    Vaan, however, didn''t say anything and continued to absorb Mana before circting it throughout his Body.


    "Gurruu Gurrr Gruruu." Sshy spoke and again, as if there was a strange connection formed between the two of them, Vaan understood what the water spirit said and took another sip of the Wine.


    Sshy then flew away, leaving Vaan''s back to mey, she flew towards Vaan''s face and ced her forehead on his. Then, she started ''eating'' Vaan''s Mana and told him to continue.


    Vaan listened to the two spirits and in front of Astra and ra''s confused expressions, he continued to drink ss after ss, while observing the surrounding Mana in the process.


    Sshy and mey took turns ''eating'' Vaan''s Mana before allowing him to absorb more.


    "Vaan¡­"


    Feeling that his actions were rude, ra wanted to stop him, but before she could do so, Astra stopped her.


    ra turned towards her with a confused look on her face, however, seeing the solemn expression on Astra''s face as she carefully observed Vaan.


    "Don''t stop him."


    She spoke.


    Vaan then grabbed the bottle of wine and poured it into his ss before taking another sip.


    "W-What is he doing¡­?" ra questioned with a confused look on her face.


    "I do not know." Astra shook her head. "But I can feel that it will benefit him." She spoke.


    The way the surrounding Mana was reacting, ra might not have been able to notice the subtle difference, Astra, however, was different.


    Therefore, she allowed Vaan to do whatever he wanted but soon, she noticed that the Bottle of Wine she had just opened was about to be emptied.


    And other than a single ss, she didn''t even get to enjoy it.


    "Teacher¡­" ra spoke with an unsure expression on her face. She didn''t know how Astra would react.


    Astra continued to stare at Vaan and then, she just shook her head,


    "What a wasteful boy."


    Her actions, however, werepletely differentpared to her words as she stood up, walked towards the same wooden cab, and took out another, simr bottle.


    "Tsk, wasteful indeed." She snorted again before cing another bottle in front of her child.


    Vaan momentarily nced at his mother, then, a smile appeared on his face and,


    "I knew my mother was the most generous."


    Astra didn''t say anything and simply sat on her chair.


    Vaan chuckled, then, he uncorked the new bottle before pouring the content into its ss and continuing the process.


    This continued for another 3 minutes, then, mey, who had ced her hands behind Vaan''s back stopped and flew forward, Sshy stepped back, giving a ce to her elder sister, mey then ced her forehead on Vaan''s for a while, then, she turned towards Sshy and nodded.


    "Gurru."


    Sshy nodded back, the two seemed like they were having a talk, then, mey quickly turned towards Vaan and,


    "Krrii Krri kRiiiii!" She spoke as she formed 2 circles around her, before forming the 3rd Circle next to the two she already formed.


    "The 3rd Circle¡­" Vaan muttered with a shocked look on her face.


    "Gurruu!" Both Spirits nodded.


    Vaan blinked in surprise, unable to believe the two spirits¡­


    This time, however, he dismiss the little creatures'' words, they had never been wrong before¡­ then¡­


    "Mother¡­" Vaan called out.


    "What is it?" Astra, who seemed to be waiting for an exnation from Vaan, questioned.


    Vaan then extended his hands toward his mother and,


    "Can you check if I can form my 3rd Circle now?"


    "Huh? What are you talking about? Of course no-"


    Astra wanted to deny, however, seeing her son''s expression, she narrowed her eyes before holding Vaan''s hand and injecting her Mana into his body, checking his Mana Veins, and the moment she did, her eyes widened in disbelief.


    "I can¡­ can''t I¡­?" Seeing such an expression appearing on his mother''s face, Vaan understood that the two spirits were right, yet again.


    "How¡­"


    Astra questioned.


    It had barely been a month since Vaan had be a 2nd Circle Mage¡­


    Even ra, the one whose Magic Talent is said to be even superiorpared to Astra spent 2 years as a 2nd Circle Mage before being able to form her 3rd Circle¡­


    Then how¡­


    How did Vaan do it!?


    Astra couldn''t understand. How was his Mana Veins being cleared so rapidly?


    "What did you do?" Astra questioned as she nced at Vaan with a solemn look on her face.


    Vaan, however, had no answer to his mother''s question.


    "Is it rted to the Mystic Wine?" Astra questioned.


    "It should be¡­" Vaan replied with an unsure look on his face.


    Astra momentarily turned silent as she continued to stare at the wine bottle in front of her, then suddenly,


    "Theoretically¡­ it is possible."


    She nodded.


    "Hmm?" Vaan tilted his head.


    "The Condensed Mana inside the Winees from 7th Circle Mages, a Basic Mage''s job is to keep using Mana and slowly and steadily, clear his Mana Veins till he is able to form his 4th Circle. Theoretically, it is possible to do this by injecting condensed Mana into a Mage''s body, trying to clear his Mana Veins in one go, making it possible for him to directly form his 4th Circle.


    However, when implemented practically, this process is extremely dangerous since the Veins are not naturally strong enough to handle condensed Mana and need to grow with time, rushing the process through external help destroys these Veins and only 1 out of 1000 Mages have their Veins intact, and even those mages have extremely weak Magic Veins, killing their future potential and resulting in them being stuck in 4th Circle Stage for the rest of their life.


    Of course, there were solutions to this problem, some suggested mixing condensed Mana into a consumable and giving it to the Mage, this was also how the idea of Mystic Wine came into the y and as you can see, it was a sess. The effects of these ''consumables'', however, were so weak that it was almost negligent.


    Other than helping with Blood Flow and making them feel fresh, it had no other effect, the initial aim of clearing the Mana Veins and advancing to another stage was far from the reach.


    Then¡­


    How did you do it¡­?


    You are not drunk even after you''ve drank an entire bottle, so I can tell that you used the Condensed Mana inside the Bottle to clear up your Mana Veins, what did you do? How did you separate the Mana from the Wine, and what role did the surrounding Mana that you continuously absorbed y in the whole scenario?"


    Astra asked a series of questions. Vaan, however, had no way to answer them.


    "Mother¡­ I swear I would have told you if I knew¡­"


    Astra narrowed her eyes.


    "I just¡­ received someone''s help."


    "Someone''s help¡­? Who?" Astra questioned.


    "Do you remember I once asked you about the existence of some Magic Fairies?"


    "I do remember you describing some fantasy-like traits and I remember telling you that something like that doesn''t exist."


    "Well¡­


    You are wrong.


    They do exist, Mother.


    Magic Spirits exists and I can see two of them."


    "What¡­?" Astra narrowed her eyes.


    "Mhm, they are the ones who help me form an Advanced Circle, they are the ones who help me optimize Instant Spells, they are also the ones who helped me clear my Mana Veins using the Mystic Wine and¡­


    They are also the ones who are currently telling me to form my 3rd Circle, actually, they seemed to be quite excited about it as well.


    Ah right, they also want me to say hi to the two of you from their stead."


    Vaan revealed the truth and both ra and Astra had absolutely no clue what he was talking about. This time, however, they didn''t doubt him.


    Not when what he was saying made so much sense.


    Others believed that Vaan was hiding himself before and only came forward after hepleted his Magic Circle research, but how could Astra and ra believe that? They were the ones who knew Vaan the most, especially Astra, in the Vesta House, where nothing escapes her eyes, there is no way Vaan would ever be able to hide anything from her.


    The existence of these spirits made perfect sense and also exined how Vaan changed so much.


    "Then what are you waiting for? Do what those spirits are telling you to do, form your 3rd Circle, and,


    Tell them I said hello."

 Chapter 167 The Party is postponed

    Chapter 167 The Party is postponed


    With mey and Sshy literally forcing him to form his 3rd Circle, Vaan had no choice but to give in.


    "Do you need to use the Magic Training Room?" Astra questioned.


    Vaan nced at mey, the little Spirit shook her head, with her presence, it was almost impossible for Vaan to fail, especially considering he had already done this before. The only new thing here was to draw the required Magic Patterns in 2 Circles rather than one.


    "I''ll do it here. I believe doing it in my mother''s presence will have a much better effect." Vaan replied and hearing those words, Astra simply shook her head, "Don''t bother, this won''t give you any brownie points."


    Vaan sighed in defeat.


    Then, he cleared his mind, closed his head, and started absorbing the surrounding Mana. ra, who was sitting in front of him nced at him with a concerned look on her face, the intensity of her re surprised Astra, she didn''t know her pupil could make that expression but seeing her do that, Astra could sense a light smile appearing on her face.


    ''That boy is blessed to have an angel like her.''


    She thought inwardly as she also thanked her past self for fixing ra''s engagement with Vaan when they were children.


    Before Vaan changed, she often regretted her decision of tying this girl to an idiot like her son who couldn''t seem to value her, she had even reached a stage where she wanted to cancel the engagement but it was difficult to convince a mother''s heart. Now, however, everything fit together perfectly and Astra was d to see that.


    While Astra was thinking all this, 2 Circles appeared in front of Vaan, Astra was surprised to see him use normal circles instead of the advanced ones, however, not wanting to interrupt him in this crucial moment, she stayed silent and continued to watch it y out.


    Vaan then started drawing his Magic Patterns into the 2 Circles, his speed was fast, mey and Sshy had already drawn the Patterns beforehand, he only needed to trace them.


    Of course, Vaan didn''t actually need their help, if there was one thing he had worked hardest on, it was drawing patterns quickly and correctly, this was also the reason Vaan practiced shooting spells every single day even if he wasn''t learning any new spells.


    The Two Spirits also knew that the chances of Vaan making a mistake were extremely low, right now, however, the two spirits were thinking about apletely different thing and didn''t want a single mistake throughout the process.


    After all, it was the time they weed their Third Sister.


    Having a slight idea as to why the two spirits seemed so excited, Vaan let them do whatever they wanted and drew the pattern by tracing theirs.


    Perfect Magic Patterns were formed, the two Circles started shining brightly, Astra raised her eyebrows, seemingly impressed by how quickly her son drew the Magic Patterns, Vaan, on the other hand, focused on the future steps.


    Soon, another, dimly lit Circle formed in the air. Vaan could feel his Mana being sucked out, the more Mana he lost, the brighter the 3rd Circle got and the next minute, it was shining as brightly as the first two Circles.


    A white colored chain then formed between the first two Circles, then, two more chains shot from the previous two circles and shot towards the 3rd Circle. The ''connection'' was formed as the three Circles started spinning at a fast pace.


    If Vaan was a normal Mage, this would mark him sessfully bing a 3rd Circle Mage, but a normal Mage he was not.


    "Krii."


    "Gurru."


    Two excited voices were heard, Vaan quickly turned towards the directions the spirits had flown into, and then, his eyes fell on a creature so adorable that he couldn''t help but blink a few times just to take in the cuteness.


    Compared to mey and Sshy, the 3rd Spirit was a little shorter, only being 8cm tall, that however,bined with her long white hair, silveryrge eyes, a face that had baby fat, making her look like an 8-year girl that adorable white dress she wore gave her a majestic look.


    The Spirit had a confused look on her face, it felt like she couldn''t understand what she was doing here.


    Her eyes then fell on mey and Sshy and this time, even Vaan could tell how shocked mey and Sshy were.


    The two spirits were blushing.


    Even they didn''t think the 3rd Spirit would be this adorable. Their ''Big Sister Instincts'' became stronger than ever and soon, the two of them surrounded the little creature and started talking with cheerful looks on their faces.


    "Skii¡­?"


    The Little Spirit still looked confused, however, as the two older spirits talked, she seemed to understand what they were saying and then turned towards Vaan.


    As Vaan saw her looking at him, he couldn''t help but smile and Astra, who saw him smiling in a random direction narrowed her eyes in doubt.


    She was considering the possibility of her son being a fool.


    Vaan was, of course, ignorant of what her mother was thinking, his focus was on the 3rd Spirit who was flying towards him with mey and Sshy following her.


    The Third Spirit then flew behind the Third Circle Vaan had summoned, mey and Sshy flew behind two other Circles as well, then,


    "Krii."


    "Guru."


    "Skii."


    The Three Spirits spoke at the same time and Three Advanced Magic Circles formed behind the Normal Circles, surprising both Astra and ra.


    Vaan could feel his Mana being run out at a scary pace, white chains were formed as another connection was established, the 6 Circles continued to shine brightly, it was a beautiful sight that couldn''t be seen in normal cases.


    Both Astra and ra seemed like they wanted to study whatever that was happening in front of them, however, before they could do it, everything disappeared.


    Vaan had run out of Mana.


    "Ski¡­"


    The Third Spirit seemed tired as well.


    This time, Vaan didn''t need mey or Sshy''s help to know what to do, he absorbed the surrounding Mana again, before moving his finger towards the third spirit, the tired spirit nced at his finger, then, like a clueless and defenseless child, she flew towards Vaan finger and cing her little forehead on the entire thing, she started ''eating.''


    Even though the little spirit was smaller than Sshy and mey, her appetite was muchrger than mey or Sshy, while the two spirits only ate for 7-8 rounds, the new spirit was already on her 10th round and she was still going strong.


    "What the hell are you doing¡­?"


    Astra, who only saw Vaan absorbing surrounding Mana before releasing it somewhere and absorbing it again questioned with a frown on her face.


    "I am feeding a child," Vaan replied.


    "Huh?"


    Both ra and Astra frowned.


    Vaan, however, just shook his head and continued to feed the little spirit, after the 12th round, the spirit finally seemed full, then, she finally nced at the one who was feeding her and as if she was acknowledging his existence, she flew up and sat on his shoulder.


    "Are you a Wind Spirit?" Vaan questioned even though he had a rough idea that what he said was correct. The little Spirit nodded in agreement as well, confirming his conjecture.


    "It is a good thing that I have already thought of a name for you," Vaan spoke,


    "I will call you Breezy from now on."


    "Skii." Breezy simply nodded acknowledgment, not knowing what had happened to her.


    Astra and ra, however, weren''t nning on staying silent,


    "I don''t know who you named that, but that is a terrible name," Astra spoke and ra nodded from behind, agreeing with her future mother-inw.


    "What are you talking about, Mother? A Wind Spirit that brings fresh breeze whenever she is around, Breezy is such a perfect name for it."


    "I can''t see these Spirits you talk about, but I am absolutely sure they don''t like you," Astra replied, Vaan however, just smiled confidently.


    "Oh you have no clue, Mother."


    The three spirits were currently sitting on his shoulders and even though right now they were busy talking to each other, well, mostly mey and Sshy talking to Breezy and the little wind spirit nodding while feeling intimidated by their excitement, Vaan knew that the Spirits loved him.


    After all, they weren''t thisfortable with just anyone.


    Seeing her son act like that, Astra just shook her head, ra, on the other hand, had another question,


    "Are you saying you can see another Spirit now, a Wind Spirit¡­?"


    "That is correct." Vaan nodded.


    "Does that mean that now you can control the Wind Element as well?"


    It was an innocent question, Astra however, paused the moment she heard that question, waiting for her son''s answer.


    "That is correct. I should have an affinity with the Wind Element now and my affinity should be as strong as what I have with Fire and Water."


    Vaan spoke and the moment he did,


    Astra stood up from her chair,


    "The Party is postponed,


    We are going to the Affinity Stone first."

 Chapter 168 Astras Goals

    Chapter 168 Astra''s Goals


    *Bam*


    A sound was heard as Astra smashed her ss onto the table in front of her in frustration. From the slight redness on her face, one could tell that the Mystic Wine she had been drinking was finally doing its magic.


    And why would it not?


    It was the third bottle Astra had uncorked.


    Yes, the Vesta Family head was going all out today and all this while, she hadn''t said even a single word and had only been staring at Vaan ever since they returned from the Affinity Room after testing Vaan''s Magic Affinity through the Affinity Stone.


    "How am I supposed to exin this¡­?"


    After a long while, Astra finally spoke up.


    Vaan and ra, who were sitting together nced at each other, not knowing how to answer Astra''s question.


    ra could understand Astra''s state of mind, after all, she had witnessed the same absurd thing her teacher did, she however, decided to stop thinking about it and chose to side with Vaan. She could tell that he needed her help in dealing with Astra, not that she was being much of a help, other than being subjected to the family head antic''s together with her fianc¨¦.


    "Answer me, how am I supposed to exin this¡­?"


    Astra questioned as she red at Vaan.


    "Just say your son is gifted¡­" Vaan replied and as if saying that he wasn''t supposed to answer like that, ra tightened her grip on Vaan''s hand she was holding.


    And ra''s intuition was correct, Astra didn''t like that answer at all.


    "Gifted¡­?


    Vaan Astra Vesta, you are an Element''s Favorite, for three elements!


    That is the highest possible affinity one can have, even having such a level of affinity with one element is enough to call a mage a Genius, but you have it with three!


    Three Elements!


    You think this can be exined with a mere ''my child is gifted.''!?


    Do you even know how many questions would be raised after this is revealed!?"


    Astra snapped.


    "If you want¡­ we can always hide my third element¡­ If mother wants, I won''t use it as often as my other two elements."


    Vaan spoke. Fire and Water were already enough for him to overpower most of his enemies, he didn''t need another element to continue winning.


    "Huh? Why would you do that? You are my son, there is no need for you to hide anything. If anyone has any questions, they cane to me, I will personally answer all their questions."


    Astra replied.


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    Vaan and ra nced at each other, not knowing how to react to Astra saying things thatpletely contradicted what she said before.


    "Heh."


    Suddenly, Astraughed.


    Then filling her ss with wine, she drank the content in one shot before smashing her ss back onto the table, then, with a big smile on her face, she continued,


    "I expected no less from my child.


    A Magic Genius that would change the entire world.


    I would like to have a peaceful talk with the people who were eyeing ''my'' Throne.


    I couldn''t answer them personally since I had to act like a ''responsible and impartial'' leader, now, however, I have no reason to hold back.


    Vaan Astra Vesta," Astra called out again.


    "Y-Yes mother," Vaan spoke.


    "This Battle of Heirs, I want you to dominate your enemies so badly that they won''t even think about challenging you for the rest of their lives, is that clear?"


    "Enemies¡­?"


    Vaan was taken aback.


    "Didn''t you say that in the end we are all families and are supposed to act like a team¡­"


    "Baah! Team my foot! We don''t need teammates, we need subordinates!


    Subordinates I tell you!


    If you see them as teammates, they would simply walk all over you. Let them know that they are nothing but disposable subordinates. This is the only way you will be able to lead the family properly, otherwise, people like Draven and Risia would try to use their status to gather more power, creating conflicts and weakening the family from within.


    Remember Vaan, Tyrants may be seen as bad rulers, but only the tyrants have the chance to create an empire so strong that no other enemies would stand in front of them. The Previous Vesta Heads only had one goal, to protect the Vesta Family from all the outside threats and continue its rich legacy by finding an heir that would continue their goal, but ording to me,


    That is a foolish Goal.


    Why would you aim to ''protect'' your family from outside threats?


    Churches that support different Gods? Other Human Kingdoms? Dragons? The Demonkin?


    Why would you want to protect our family from all these forces? What if you can''t find a suitable heir who can do it? What if, with time, our family loses the influence and strength we have? Why take such needless risks?


    Why not take things into our own hands?


    Why not destroy all the enemies altogether?"


    Astra spoke in a slightly tipsy voice and Vaan, who heard those words turned serious. He knew his mother was drunk, however, the wordsing out of her mouth weren''t gibberish. They were Astra''s true feelings, her true goals, the goals that probably even the people closest to her wouldn''t know.


    "I failed."


    Suddenly, Astra spoke.


    Emptying another ss of wine, her face turned serious, and,


    "Our enemies are much stronger than what I expected. Especially those Demons who have be much more active in these recent years. Destroying our enemies may sound grand and novel, however, actually pulling it off is apletely different thing.


    The Four Kingdoms and the Churches that follow different Gods, especially the Church of Light, they are as strong as our family, if not stronger, the Dragons, those beings, although extremely little in number, every full-grown Dragon can face more than a dozen 7th Circle Mages alone, and then there are those Demons spreading chaos all over Agresia with their mysterious abilities that we know nothing of.


    None of our enemies are something we can snort about, they are all strong. Strong enough to destroy our family if we make even a slight slip-up.


    Let alone destroying them all, even holding on while the power bnce of this world is on so much edge is a big challenge.


    The Goals I have set for myself are too much for me to follow through.


    Vaan, I will be honest, before you, I was nning to raise ra as the next Family Head, this was also the reason why I engaged her to you, Vaelen, Lirael, Elric, Leif, none of them has what it takes to lead the Family, they are weak, their talent is mediocre at best.


    Honestly, the Battle of Heirs that has been ying out all this while, it is nothing more than a farce, in my head, I was always nning to train ra, raise her as my secret card, teach her about ruling the Family once she is ready, hold out till she is finally an Advance Mage, then, with support of my loyal subordinates, create a Faction that supports ra as the next Family Head, and with the strongest Faction on her side,bined with the fact that she is the only 7th Circle Mage amongst all the Heirs, I would have chosen her as the next Family Head.


    However, ra''s timid personality was a big barrier to my n, she is talented, yes, but with how she is, even ra is not suited to be the next Family Leader, I was actually looking for a Leader who would help the Family after ra, but then,


    You changed.


    ra might not be able to do it, but if it is you,


    Then things werepletely different.


    Your Magic Talent is beyond anything I have ever seen,


    Others do not know, however, I, who have seen you grow, know that you be a 3rd Circle Mage from a 1st Circle Mage in just a few months. This,bined with those Spirits you can see, who help you in a way that makes you different than any other mage, giving you unreasonable advantages,


    It makes you so strong that my previous assessment of you being better than the Archmage Alienora Vesta might actually be correct.


    You need to achieve what I failed to and what other Family Heads didn''t even think about.


    You were born to change history, Vaan.


    You were born to do what other Heads of the Family could not do, what I could not do.


    You were born, to not only keep the Vesta Family to the position it was in, but to uplift it and make it the strongest family there is.


    A Family with absolute power and no potential enemy that can challenge us.


    And for that, you need to be a Tyrant, Vaan.


    A Tyrant that is a nightmare for all our enemies, whether they are enemies outside the Family, or inside."


    Astra spoke, then, after taking another sip, she nced at ra with her red face and smiled,


    "And while you do all this, you better take care of this angel I chose for you because if you hurt her like you used to in the past,


    I will be personally kicking your damn ass."


    ...


    *Breezy''s Picture*

 Chapter 169 How brazen.

    Chapter 169 How brazen.


    "And while you do all this, you better take care of this angel I chose for you because if you hurt her like you used to in the past,


    I will be personally kicking your damn ass."


    Astra spoke as she mmed her ss on the table again, by now, Vaan was actually wondering how the ss hadn''t broken yet.


    This was his first time seeing Astra act like it, in the memories of the previous Vaan and all the time he had spent with his mother, Astra had alwayse off as an Elegant, Noble woman who had answers to all his questions and was powerful beyond the limit.


    Today, however, now that Astra was drunk, her ''elegant'' image was being ruined. She was using crass words she would normally never use, Vaan never thought he would see her act like that and was actually taken aback.


    ra was the same, she couldn''t believe her teacher was acting like this as well, right now, however, her mind was stuck on something else.


    For some reason, the words, ''this angel I chose for you'' made her feel a strange feeling and she couldn''t help but smile and blush at the same time.


    "Oi, you two."


    While Vaan and ra were thinking about different things, Astra suddenly called out.


    "Y-Yes?" Both of them reacted together.


    Astra then narrowed her eyes and, "Why are the two of you not drinking¡­?" She questioned.


    And Vaan, who saw her asking that while holding the bottle of wine in her left hand and her ss on the right, stared at her with a deadpan look on his face.


    ''Are you giving us any chance to drink? I would have drunk if you weren''t hoarding the damn bottle! You think I enjoy taking care of drunk women!?''


    Of course, he couldn''t say those words out loud.


    He didn''t have a death wish.


    In this situation, he could only stay silent and lower his head, just like his fianc¨¦e.


    Astra on the other hand, didn''t like the current situation.


    "This feels like a setup.


    It is as if the two of you have set all this up to get me drunk andter get me to say something I normally wouldn''t say and use it against me in the future.


    It looks like a well-crafted n against me.


    I expected something like this from this useless boy of mine, but ra you too? I thought you were on my side."


    Astra spoke and ra panicked.


    "T-Teacher you are misunderstanding. We haven''t nned anything like that!" She tried to exin herself as she continuously shook her head and waved her hands.


    "Hmmm? Prove it." Astra ordered.


    Then, pouring the drink into their sses, she ordered,


    "Drink it in one shot."


    "¡­" ra turned silent.


    The Mystic Wine seemed like an expensive wine, she felt like it wasn''t right for her to drink something like this.


    Vaan, on the other hand, quickly grabbed the ss and drank it in one shot.


    After all, this was the moment he had been waiting for. He did drink quite a lot of this drink before, back then, however, he was focused on the changes in his body and whatever the two spirits were doing.


    Now, however, with nothing to distract him, he could finally enjoy the drink in the best way possible.


    "Haaahhh!"


    Vaan exhaled deeply as he mmed to ss onto the table as well, acting just like his mother.


    "Are you satisfied now? I can drink one more time to show you that I haven''t set up anything." He spoke as he nced at Astra.


    Astra poured the wine into his ss again, not saying anything and just staring at him. Vaan understood what he needed to do and drank the entire thing in one gulp again.


    "Do you believe me now?" He questioned.


    "Why isn''t she drinking?" Astra narrowed her eyes as she nced at ra. Vaan turned towards ra as well,


    "ra, why aren''t you drinking?"


    "I¡­"


    With all the attention falling on her, ra felt embarrassed.


    "Come on ra, it is your day tonight, you did so well today, I was so proud."


    Vaan spoke up as he hugged her.


    "You were so amazing, just what I would expect from my wife. Absolutely perfect." Vaan spoke as he brought his face close to ra. The red-haired woman blushed as she lowered her head, Vaan however, brought her wine ss close to her mouth, and,


    "Especially when you kicked that bastard''s nuts, hahaha! That was such a satisfying moment, we need to drink to that!


    Drink up, ra~"


    Vaan spoke and under his influence, ra opened her mouth, drinking the wine Vaan was offering her.


    "Are you satisfied now?" Vaan questioned Astra after ra finished her ss.


    Astra nced at the two children sitting in front of her, then, a wide smile appeared on her face as she filled hers and their sses again and then,


    "Cheers."


    The three cheered together before gulping down the entire thing again.


    The party had just started.


    The three sses were filled and refilled again and again, soon, the 4th Bottle of Mystic Wine was uncorked, this was probably the first time Astra had used so many bottles when she drank together with someone.


    Normally, it was just her using one bottle for the sake of formality.


    Today, however, wasn''t a day to be Formal. She was spending time together with her own son and future daughter-inw.


    More and more wine was poured, the three continued to drink like there was no end to it, and by now, both Vaan and ra werepletely under the alcohol''s influence.


    "Vaaan~ Why are you touching me like that~?"


    ra questioned as she pushed Vaan''s hand that was ced around her neck away.


    Then, she suddenly stood up, walked towards Vaan, sat on hisp, and ced the hand that she pushed away onto her waist as she leaned onto him.


    "Why are you sitting on myp¡­?" Vaan questioned with a confused look on his face, from his flushed face, it was clear that he had no idea what he was doing either.


    His instincts had taken over.


    "That''s because sitting on Vaan''sp feels good," ra replied in her tipsy voice.


    "But how would I drink if you sit on myp¡­?" Vaan questioned.


    "You don''t have to drink." ra''s solution was simple.


    "Why¡­?"


    "You can watch me drink instead~"


    "Why would I want to do that?"


    "B-Because I am pretty," ra replied with a blush on her face.


    "A-And because I kicked B-Brother Elric''s l-lower r-region." ra justified herself and the moment he heard that answer, Vaan couldn''t help butugh out loud.


    "Hahaha! You did do that! I remember! He screamed like the little bitch he is." Vaan left. "You should have made sure he never gave birth to any little Elrics, we don''t want more of those things in the world."


    "I-I will do that next time¡­" ra answered and hearing her answer, Vaan frowned.


    "Hmm? Weren''t you close to that bitchy Brother Elric of yours? You even said you won''t hurt him. What happened? Is it because of those words he said to you¡­?" Vaan''s expression changed, even though he was drunk, he didn''t like the sad look on ra''s face.


    "He said¡­ a lot of things¡­" ra spoke, her voice was lighter than before. It was clear that Vaan was correct, she still hadn''t forgotten things Elric said to her during their duel.


    "Mother, would it be a problem if I kill him, won''t I be doing the world a favor? It won''t be a very big problem if I have one less subordinate, would it?" Vaan turned towards Astra.


    He had made up his mind.


    That thin bastard, he would tear his neck away.


    "Of course it will be!" Astra however, poured water on his dreams. "His mother won''t let you go. I am strong, but I can''t face the entire Vesta Family alone,


    If you are in the wrong, I can''t protect you."


    Astra shook her head.


    "What if I bury him very deep in the ground? No one will know what happened." Vaan spoke but again, Astra''s opinion didn''t change.


    "You cannot kill him, Vaan.


    Rather than wasting your time on something like that, focus on developing your rtionship with ra. Isn''t it actually a good thing for you that Elric had shown his true face in the duel?


    Now you won''t have to worry about him pursuing your fianc¨¦e since ra now knows what kind of person he actually is."


    "Heh, as if he had a chance with my ra to begin with." Vaan snorted.


    "Punishment or not, I would have killed that bastard if he approached my ra. She is mine."


    "Y-Yes, I w-wouldn''t have chosen him either¡­ I-I belong to V-Vaan¡­"


    Suddenly, ra spoke up as she looked into Vaan''s eyes, Vaan paused, seeing such an expression on ra''s face as she looked into his eyes, he couldn''t resist his urge and,


    He sealed her lips.


    ra widened her unclear eyes when she felt Vaan''s kiss, she however, did not resist, rather, she simply closed her eyes and let Vaan do whatever he wanted to her.


    The couple shared a hot kiss and Astra, who was watching the entire scene y out smiled.


    Her eyes shone with a light that didn''t look the one a drunk person would have.


    Obviously, Astra was not drunk. She has been acting this whole time.


    How could someone like her be influenced by mere alcohol? Of course, that wasn''t to say that she doesn''t get drunk, it is just that even if she is drunk, her mind is always in the correct ce, knowing exactly what she is doing and her body regrly clears all the alcohol from her body, forcing her to drink again and again to remain ''drunk''.


    ''Tsk, acting like that in front of their mother,


    How brazen.''


    Astra snorted as she then closed her eyes and drank another ss.

 Chapter 170 Astras worries

    Chapter 170 Astra''s worries


    ra epted Vaan kiss, closed her eyes, and let her body loose, this time, Vaan didn''t end with a simple lip touch either, with alcohol controlling half of his actions, he moved forward and started gently sucking ra''s lower lip, ra found it strange, it was a new sensation for her.


    Normally, she would have jumped away in panic, right now, however, she reacted differently.


    As Vaan continued to suck her lower lip, she stayed still, trying to process what was this strange sensation she was feeling.


    Her eyes were closed so she couldn''t see anything, this made it easier for her to understand how her body was reacting to Vaan''s action, but suddenly, just as ra believed that she would understand what she was feeling, Vaan stopped and moved away.


    The rhythm was broken, ra furrowed her brows as she slowly opened her eyes and found Vaan staring at her. The two looked at each other for a while, and then suddenly, ra moved her mouth towards Vaan, touching his lips with hers.


    And she didn''t stop here, copying Vaan''s actions, she started sucking Vaan''s lips, Vaan was taken aback, he never thought ra would be this proactive, of course, he didn''t fail to seize this chance either, as ra continued to kiss him aggressively, his hand moved, sliding into ra''s dress, directly touching her abdomen.


    ra momentarily paused, but realizing that her body actually felt good as Vaan touched her, she moved her hand under her dress as well, keeping it right above Vaan''s. It was probably her way of ensuring that Vaan didn''t move his hand away.


    A big smile appeared on Vaan''s face, then, he moved his hand up towards ra''s breasts, but before he could continue any further,


    "A kiss was alright, but don''t you dare go any further.


    At least not until you two are married."


    Astra spoke up. She knew the children were drunk, so their actions were a bit inappropriate, she still allowed that because she could see that the two had genuine feelings for each other, this, however, was taking it too far.


    Astra waved her hand and suddenly, both ra and Vaan passed out. She then stood up from her chair, looking around, she noticed that her room was much messier than it should be, so she waved her hand again and everything started going back to its ce and the next minute, Astra''s room was as good as new.


    As she was done with all that, Astra focused on the two troubling children sleeping in front of her, she carried them one by one and ced them on her bed, she on the other hand, walked towards her study room and started searching for a book.


    She needed to look into these ''Spirits'' Vaan was able to see.


    Beings that she didn''t even know existed, beings with knowledge so advanced that she, the Head of the Strongest Magic Family in the entire world, has no exnation to things they make possible.


    She had hidden it before since she didn''t wish to interrupt her child''s breakthrough and their little party, now however, Astra couldn''t help but feel that something was wrong.


    Her head was filled with countless questions.


    Where did such beingse from?


    Why can only her child see them?


    How is their Magic knowledge so Advanced? And if their Magic really is this advanced, then why has no one ever heard of them? Why have they not appeared in front of the world? Why are they¡­ hiding¡­?


    Who are they hiding from?


    And if they had been hiding all this time, why appear in front of her child?


    What were they nning?


    So many questions, Astra, however, had no answer to any of these questions and she didn''t like this helpless feeling. Therefore, she decided to look into the matter herself, this time, much more seriously than ever before.


    Thinking about all this, Astra''s fingers finally stopped on a certain book, a deep red colored book with a thick cover, yellowish papers showing how old the book was but as old as it was, there was not even a single speck of dust on it. This showed how well Astra maintained her books, that, however, was not the focus today.


    The main focus of the book was the golden-colored text engraved on its cover.


    It was not the normalnguage most people in Agresia used, it was the Dragon Tongue, thenguage of the Dragons.


    Normally, Mages look forward to learning other not-so-poprnguages since it opened up a few chances for them to learn new spells that are written in thosenguages. The Dragon Tongue, however, was a different case.


    The Magic the Dragons'' used, although absurdly strong, was not something Humans could copy orprehend, after all, the Dragons didn''t need any Magic Circles to cast spells, they could use Magic just from their words alone.


    Learning theirnguage was a thankless job and almost everyone, even the Mages, who craved knowledge, avoided it considering howplicated thenguage was, it simply wasn''t worth the effort.


    In the entire Vesta Family, only a few could actually read the Dragon Tongue, after all, there were not many maniacs who were willing to put in the effort to learn it, Astra, however, was one such maniac.


    Her keen interest in Dragon''s literature and their history led her to read about them, even going as far as learning theplicatednguage. She enjoyed reading about the world from the Dragon''s perspective, she actually wanted to get close to the race who lived far longer than any humans, her dreams, however, were not fulfilled.


    The only humans the Dragons ever talked to were the ones who followed the God of Light, as for the other Humans, the Dragons disdained them, especially mages, who were often out to hunt them for their body parts, wanting to conduct a study on them.


    Due to this, Astra couldn''t gather many books rted to Dragons and their history, now, however, things were different.


    At first, it was only her curiosity, reading the Dragon literature was nothing more than a way to spend her free time, now, however, Astra wanted to read the Dragon history because she needed answers.


    She believed that as the most knowledgeable race, Dragons would definitely know about these ''spirits'' Vaan was talking about. Therefore, Astra decided to start her investigation from the Dragons and their text, trying to find if there were any mentions of beings simr to what Vaan had mentioned.


    Thinking about all this, Astra momentarily closed her eyes, then, after a small sigh, she sat down and started reading the Book she was holding.


    ¡­


    Time passed and the next day''s sun rose up, however, the craze of the Elemental sh didn''t go down, almost the entire city talked about the couple who dominated the Elemental sh, some were in awe, shocked by Vaan and ra''s performance, while a few tried topare the two of them and tried to figure out who was better.


    "Ohe on, why is this even a question, it is obvious that Lady ra is better. Young Master Vaan may be strong and the way he showed his dominance yesterday was definitely shocking, however, you can''t ignore the fact that he is still 20 years old and was up against 2nd Circle Mages.


    Lady ra, on the other hand, while only being a year older than him, was up against 4th Circle Mages and even then, she won!


    She won against 4th Circle Mages, some of whom were more than 70 years old!


    That is what you call true talent.


    How can you possiblypare her with anyone?


    She is pretty much a second Lady Astra!"


    "Haaah? Why are youpletely ignoring the Advance Circles Young Master Vaan created? Do you even realize what sort of insane advantage those Circles hold? So what if Lady ra is a 4th Circle Mage at 21? All that would do it that she would be a 7th Circle Mage sooner than most mages,


    But have you ever considered what would happen once Young Master Vaan bes a 7th Circle Mage with his Advanced Circles? Can you imagine how strong Young Master Vaan would be? He would be the strongest Advanced Mage in the entire world!


    How can youpare someone like that to¡­ anyone?


    Heck, even Lady Astra would have no choice but to admit that the 7th Circle Young Master Vaan would be stronger than her.


    And I bet she would be proud of that fact as well."


    There were two popr opinions, both valid in their own regard, however, there was one thing that most people forgot,


    "Why even botherparing the two? Both of them would be husband and wife in the future, rather than talking about who is better, just think about how strong the two would be,


    As a team."


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    The entire room turned silent.


    The team of Vaan and ra¡­


    Just how strong would that be?


    Well, the entire world would know the answer to that question soon because¡­


    "Vaan, ra."


    Astra called out.


    "Yes, mother," Vaan spoke, waiting for his mother to continue. ra standing beside her was listening as well.


    "Get ready, the two of you will be going to the Agresia Academy."

 Chapter 171 Are you up for the challenge?

    Chapter 171 Are you up for the challenge?


    "Now this one, Gale Force st, it will conjure a concentrated burst of wind capable of knocking back opponents and disrupting their bnce, if this works, their Mana link will be disrupted and they would need at least 2 seconds to return to their previous position. Those 2 seconds would be more than enough to put an end to the battle."


    ra, who was sitting together with Vaan on his bed spoke as she passed a Magic Spell Pattern towards him.


    Around them, there were around 20 books lying here and there and both of them seemed busy with something.


    Vaan, who was reading another book stopped, saw the Magic Pattern that ra was showing him, and nodded,


    "This one seems good."


    "Mhm." ra nodded.


    "But it is a 2nd Circle Spell, shouldn''t we focus on the Basic ones first?"


    "We already selected all the Basic Spells needed to cast this spell. I was noting all of them down." ra replied with an earnest look on her face.


    "Even then¡­ shouldn''t we learn more Basic Spells? The stronger the Basics would be, the more options I would have as I go forward, isn''t that what you taught me?" Vaan questioned.


    ra, however, shook her head,


    "Not every Mage gets to have an affinity with more elements as they grow stronger, what I said applied to Basic Mages who have time to strengthen their basics when they are at that level. You however, are now a 3rd Circle Mage, if you first spent time learning and mastering many 1st Circle Spells like you did when you were a 1st Circle Mage, you will only end up wasting time.


    Even if you have the ability to understand and create your own Magic Patterns just by seeing other patterns, in the end, you need to remember all those patterns in order to use them. Learning more and more basic Spells would only exhaust your memories and will not help you in battles.


    So rather than wasting time and effort on learning spells you might never use, focus on stronger, usable spells and only learn spells that are needed in order to cast these spells at their full potential.


    We need to be an average wind mage first and then our main focus should be onbining the Elements we have to cast even stronger spells. That is what we should put all our effort into.


    Don''t aim to be a strong Fire Mage, Water Mage, or a Wind Mage, aim to be a strong Fire, Water, Wind Mage."


    ra spoke with a determined look on her face. She then noticed Vaan staring at her without saying anything, feeling conscious, she lowered her head and,


    "A-And, it is not like this is the only time you can learn Basic Spells, if you ever feel stuck in a certain spell, we can alwayse back to the Basics¡­"


    She spoke and seeing her act like that, Vaan failed to resist and simply pulled ra close to him, making her sit on hisp,


    "I am so d I have the Magic Prodigy guiding me. I have no clue what I would have done without you."


    "I-It is not like that¡­


    You would have done j-just fine."


    ra replied, Vaan however, shook his head, then gently kissing ra''s shoulder from behind, he replied,


    "There is no way I would have been fine without my fianc¨¦e with me. I need you to be close to me all the time."


    "T-That¡­" ra didn''t know how to answer that. Soon, however, she shook her head, then, with a determined look on her face, she pped the back of Vaan''s hand which was on her belly, and,


    "Focus on what we were doing. Don''t get distracted."


    She spoke as she passed the book Vaan was reading just now.


    "Can''t we do it after a little rest¡­? The two of us won the Elemental sh just yesterday, even Father allowed me to get some rest today. Shouldn''t the two of us spend some quality time together and have fun instead."


    "This is fun," ra replied.


    "How is studying Magic for the past 6 hours fun¡­?" Vaan questioned.


    Unable to understand how ra had so much energy.


    As they woke up in the morning, they realized they were in Astra''s room, their memories about yesterday night were a bit hazy, however, they still remembered most of the things they did.


    Thinking about all that, Vaan smiled as he rolled over the bed, trying to hug his fianc¨¦e, ra, however, stood up, with her face blushing deeply, she rushed back to her room and when she returned, she was carrying all these books Seraphina had collected for Vaan.


    Vaan quickly realized that ra had sorted all the books from the big stock Seraphina had gathered and only brought the books rted to Wind Elemental Spell.


    ra wanted to do her best and help Vaan learn new spells, something Vaan appreciated a lot, soon, however, he realized how serious his fianc¨¦e was and has been stuck in this situation ever since.


    "Y-Your d-definition of fun is different t-than mine." ra blushed.


    "Oh? What do you think my definition of fun is?" Vaan questioned with a yful smile on his face.


    "Y-You drink and get d-drunk, then you do¡­ those things¡­"


    ra still hadn''t forgotten what they did before the two of them were put to sleep, just thinking about it made her feel embarrassed. Vaan, on the other hand, enjoyed the lovely sight in front of him and decided to take it further,


    "So are you telling me that drinking together with me is not ''fun'' for you?"


    Teasing ra was like a hobby for him.


    ra, however, was not an easy target, at least not when she had already imagined and practiced this scenario countless times inside her bathroom.


    "D-Do you mean p-practicing and learning Magic together with me is not fun¡­?"


    Vaan blinked in surprise.


    It was a checkmate.


    He didn''t think ra would shoot back and put him in this situation.


    ''Has she changed because of the Elemental sh? Did fighting her opponents head-on affect her usual, timid nature as well?'' Vaan wondered in his head.


    He could tell that ra was changing and of course, even though he ''lost'' today, it was a good thing.


    Timid ra was adorable, however, he wanted his fianc¨¦e to be strong, strong enough to talk back to anyone who tries to bully her and shut them up.


    Thinking about it, Vaan once again imaged his little gangster ra cursing others in her adorable voice, a smile appeared on his face.


    ''I really need to teach her some cuss words.'' He made up his mind.


    For now, however, he had no choice but to give in.


    "Alright, we will continue studying, but I have a condition."


    "What is it?" ra questioned.


    "We will study from the same book and will stay like this the whole time."


    "B-But that would not b-be efficient at all."


    "Better to do something than nothing, no?" Vaan smiled.


    ra just shook her head and opened the book without saying anything. Vaan adjusted himself as he hugged ra from behind and ced his chin on ra''s shoulder,


    "I think I can get addicted to this," Vaan spoke.


    "Yo-" ra wanted to reply, but then,


    *Knock* *Knock*


    A knock was heard.


    "Vaan, ra." Astra spoke.


    "Mother?" Vaan frowned. ra, on the other hand, panicked as she moved away from Vaan and quickly opened the door.


    "Teacher." She greeted.


    Astra nodded as she walked in, then, observing ra and Vaan for a while, she spoke.


    "Get ready, the two of you will be going to the Agresia Academy."


    "What?"


    Both Vaan and ra frowned in confusion.


    "The two of you will be leaving together with the other Vesta children, in 10 days," Astra informed. Vaan however, couldn''t understand,


    "Why do we need to go to the Agresia Academy? I doubt they have better learning resourcespared to our Vesta Family, wouldn''t I only be wasting my time if I go there?" he questioned.


    "You are correct, the resources the Agresia Academy has are limited and the Vesta Family is a much better ce for a Mage to learn Magicpared to the Academy." Astra nodded.


    "The Vesta''s however, do not go to the Agresia Academy to ''learn'' Magic."


    "What do you mean?"


    "We go there to tell the world who we are. We go there to leave an impact. We go there to show off our strengths. We go there to prove, that we are still, the greatest Magic Family in the entire world." Astra spoke, her eyes brimming with pride as said those words.


    "Mages from all over the worlde to Agresia Academy to learn, this includes the Churches, the Kingdoms, and other Magic Families in the world,


    We go there to tell them that we are the best.


    We go there to meet ''other'' forces that reside in the world.


    We go there to gain experience.


    However, as you know, this generation of the Vesta Family was¡­ not up to the mark¡­ this made our ''impact'' weaker.


    And I want you to change that.


    Are you up for the challenge?"


    Astra questioned and suddenly, a wide smile appeared on Vaan''s face.

 Chapter 172 It is time for you to return.

    <h4>Chapter 172 It is time for you to return.</h4>


    "Are you up for the challenge?"


    Astra questioned and suddenly, a wide smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    "So you just want me to go there and bully some children? I can do that."


    He spoke with a confident look on his face.


    Bullying people?


    He was a certified expert when it came to that.


    Where did he get the certificate from? It was from his own organization.


    Seeing the confident look on his face, Astra smiled inwardly, soon however, she shook her head and,


    "Do not look down on the Agresia Academy, Vaan. The Younger Generation of the Vesta Family may have fallen, but the other powers haven''t experienced the same.


    The younger generations from those powers are strong. Much stronger than what you would expect and unlike Mages, who aren''t exactly made for 1v1 battles, there are those who specialize in Duels in the academy as well.


    Underestimate them and you will face the hardest reality check of your lifetime the next instant."


    Astra spoke with a solemn look on her face.


    Vaan stared at his mother for a while, then, he just sighed, "Yes mother, I understand where you areing from. Every mother would want her child to be careful and not be arrogant."


    "You might find people who are stronger than I was when I was their age."


    Suddenly, Astra spoke up.


    "No, actually, you will find a few of them there.


    I have received reports and let me make it clear for you, Vaan. The Students attending the Agresia Academy are not a joke."


    "¡­"


    This time, Vaan turned silent as a grave look appeared on his face.


    He has gone sick of hearing what kind of existence Astra was when she was 20, a 4th Circle Mage with Magic knowledge so great that no Mage of her tier could stand against her. Astra dominated the Vesta Family and the Agresia Academy and if she is saying that there might be people stronger than she was in the Agresia Academy¡­


    Then it was a serious matter.


    "Who are you talking about?"


    Vaan questioned.


    Astra, however, shook her head and smiled, "You will find out once you go there, won''t you?"


    Vaan narrowed his eyes, "Why are you ying these games?"


    "It wouldn''t be fun if you already know who to be careful against, now would it? Going to the Agresia Academy will be like entering the real world without having to worry about your life. It is an experience that will bring out a better you, so I believe going through it without any kind of help would be much more beneficial for you."


    "Then why warn me at all?" Vaan questioned.


    "Well I can''t have you lose that badly, now can I? How embarrassing would it be if you go around challenging others only to end up getting humiliated by your opponent in front of the entire world?"


    "¡­you are contradicting your own words."


    "I just want you to y a fair game without being excessively arrogant like you normally are. Although I did tell you to change the ''impact'' the other Vesta Children have created, the main reason I want you to go there is to meet other, simrly talented people and understand how the world works.


    Understand that there is another world outside this world of Magic, people with incredible abilities who would make you doubt your own self."


    "You met Father in the Agresia Academy, didn''t you?" Vaan questioned with a yful smile on his face.


    "That is correct." Astra nodded, a small smile appearing on her face as she talked about Orion.


    "I heard father was quite strong, no? As strong as you." Vaan spoke and suddenly, Astra''s smile simply widened,


    "Quite strong, huh?" from her expression, it felt like she wanted to correct him, but then decided against it, "You will figure it out soon enough."


    "What do you mean?" Vaan tilted his head in confusion.


    "How strong your father actually was, you will figure that out soon enough."


    Astra spoke, the mysterious smile on her face couldn''t be hidden.


    "Anyways, I came here to tell you about my decision to send you to the academy before I announce it in front of the Family. If you two have any problems, you can tell me right now. Not that it will excuse you from going, since I do not n on taking back my decision but at the very least, we can still talk about it."


    "We are ready, mother. The only problem I will face is that I will be missing you too much."


    "You certainly do have a way with your words, you can now lie right through your teeth." Astra chuckled.


    "I never lie."


    "Right." Astra nodded, then she turned towards her student and, "You don''t have any problem either, ra, correct?"


    "Yes Teacher." ra nodded.


    "Of course, why would you have a problem, you will be going together with your fianc¨¦, who cares about the teacher anyways, right?"


    "N-No, t-that''s not the case t-teacher! I will really miss you as well!" ra panicked and seeing her blush in embarrassment, Astra couldn''t help but smile.


    "Alright mother, don''t bully my wife." Vaan stepped in.


    "She is not your wife yet."


    "She will be soon enough,


    I am just looking for a suitable date to wife her up."


    Vaan spoke as he tightly held ra''s hand, the girl lowered her head, getting even more embarrassed, the smile on her face, however, made it clear that she didn''t hate what she was hearing.


    Astra smiled, then, she nodded at the two children before walking out of the room.


    "Academy huh? I wonder how many new punchbags I will meet when I get there." Vaan wondered out loud.


    "Teacher told you to be careful¡­" ra cautioned.


    "Well I have you protecting me, no? Why would I worry about others?"


    "¡­that makes sense, but you should still be careful." ra nodded.


    She was still as adorably arrogant as ever.


    "Okay, we should not waste anymore time, you need to learn more spells so that you can startbining them with other elements."


    ra spoke as she then held Vaan''s hand and took him to the bed again.


    ¡­


    As the couple continued to study Magic, Astra, who just came out of their room started heading towards another room.


    *Knock* *Knock*


    She knocked on a certain door.


    "It is our room, Astra, you do not have to knock." A voice was heard. Astra then walked in and replied with a smile, "I knocked just in case you were doing something you wouldn''t want me to see."


    "The only thing I hide from the world is what I do to you, my Family Head."


    Orion reply was almost instantaneous.


    Astra simply shook her head as she leaned her back over a nearby wall, then suddenly, her expression turned solemn and,


    "I decided to send Vaan and ra to the Academy."


    "Hmm? I was wondering when you were going to do that. I actually wanted to train him a little more since he was doing so good, but I guess joining the Academy is more important for now, he needs to realize what kind of people will he be up against in the future if he wishes to be the next Family Head."


    Orion replied, there was no particr change in his expression. However, when he noticed Astra staring at him for longer than she normally does, he realized something was wrong,


    "What is it, Astra?" He questioned directly.


    "I need someone who would protect the two of them in case there is any emergency."


    "You know there is no ce safer than the Academy. Not to mention we already have two 7th Circle Vesta Mages situated there as Teachers."


    "Those Mages are not the part of Obsidian Order that Imand, they are my siblings'' subordinates and you knowpletely well that I do not trust my siblings."


    "Then send someone from the Obsidian Order to protect them. The Academy would never reject an Advance Mageing from the Vesta Family, now would it?"


    "I need to make sure that my child is protected." Astra spoke, looking right into Orion''s eyes and Orion finally understood what she was trying to say.


    "The academy would never reject Orion Ravenshadow either."


    Astra spoke, then, with a solemn look on her face,


    "You protected me with everything you have for thest few decades, Orion. I am now safe, I am the Head of the Family with countless Mages absolutely loyal to me, I have the power now, and,


    It is now time for Orion Ravenshadow to return to the real world."


    "¡­"


    Orion didn''t say anything.


    "What? Are you not looking forward to it?" Astra questioned with a small smile on her face.


    "But I would miss my wife¡­" Orionined.


    "Like Father like son¡­" Astramented as she couldn''t shook her head andughed.


    "I am sorry that I am not a heartless person like my wife who is kicking me away."


    "Ohe on."


    Astra had no clue what to do with the father and son pair.


    Why did it feel like the two of them had sworn to annoy her as much as they could?


    "Are you going or not?" Astra questioned.


    "Do I even have any other choice?"


    "You do not."


    "Haah¡­"


    Orion sighed.

 Chapter 173 Please take care of yourself.

    Chapter 173 Please take care of yourself.


    "Vaan and ra shall henceforth enroll in the Agresia Academy,"


    Astra announced in the Family meeting.


    "Heh? Are you finally allowing your little bird to leave its nest?" Risia chuckled, Astra, however, did not like that remark.


    "Sister Risia, I understand that your dear son''s defeat was surprising and has disappointed you, that, however, does not mean that I will allow you to pass such remarks without any consequences.


    I had my reasons for not sending Vaan to the Academy and I do not feel the need to exin them."


    Astra''s tone was cold and full of authority, this time, however, Risia did not back down.


    "Oh I am not curious about Vaan not joining the Academy, actually, I know the reason behind that already, after all, nephew Vaan was ''focusing on his Advance Magic Circles'' back then, he couldn''t possibly take out time for the academy when he was busy with all that studying, ying with his ''friends'' and visiting bars, now could he? Even expecting something like that from him is preposterous.


    What I do not understand, is why was ra not sent to the Academy. There is no way you didn''t send her in the Vesta name because she was not actually a Vesta, now did you?


    I mean, why would you do that to your own beloved Pupil? There has to be another reason, no?" Risia questioned.


    Obviously, many in the room could tell that her question was not a simple question, that question had many underlying meanings and intentions.


    Meanings and intentions that many normal people would fail to notice, such was the way of politics.


    "As I said, I had my reasons for not sending these two children to the Academy," Astra replied with a straight look on her face.


    "Oh I am sure you did.


    After all, Agresia Academy is not a simple ce, you meet many new people and understand many things there. The exposure you get in that ce could prove harmful for someone like ra, who is a little slow on the uptake most of the time.


    I canpletely understand your concern of not sending her to the Academy since, who knows? She might deviate from the path you have set for her, no?"


    Again, Risia''s tone was polite, the meaning behind her words, however, was not.


    Astaria didn''t miss it either, she understood every single word the woman said and the intention behind them, she however, kept her calm and,


    "Mhm, you read my mind. As much of a genius as my Pupil is, as her Master, I know she is ''a little slow'' sometimes, so the chances that some people might approach her to take advantage of her are quite high and I wished to keep those parasites away from her.


    This was the reason I kept her with me till now, where my pupil has grown to the point where she is perfectly capable of defending herself and is strong enough to defeat people who try to use her. Not to mention she now also has my son, her fianc¨¦, ready to protect her if she is ever in trouble."


    Astra replied, using a method simr to Risia''s to get back at her.


    Risia''s mouth twitched, she clearly understood how Astra was calling her and her child a ''Parasite'', she then forced out a smile and,


    "Heh, quite funny how you want a 2nd Circle Mage to protect a 4th Circle Mage."


    "When I said Protect her, I did not mean from direct harm, after all, our capable Vesta Mages are there to ensure our children''s safety inside the Agresia Academy.


    I was talking about those Parasites who try to take advantage of others since they themselves cannot do anything, surprisingly, my son has quite an interesting way to deal with such beings and keep them away."


    Astra chuckled and this time, Risia finally lost it.


    Astra''s words were poisonous, seeing her talk in such a manner, many could now tell where Vaan got his poisonous tongue from, the only difference between the Mother and Son was that while the Son went ahead and said anything no matter how crass or barbaric it sounded, the Mother kept her noble, elegant image all the time, it was a difference between an immature brat and an esteemed Family Head who has been ruling the strongest Magic Family in the world for decades now.


    "Well, you do not have to worry, Sister. I am sure Vaelen will take good care of his brother and his fianc¨¦e in the Academy."


    As interesting as it was, Draven then decided to interrupt the drama and spoke with a light smile on his face.


    Astra understood what he was trying to do and, "Mhm, I expected nothing less from him."


    She decided to end the matter here as well.


    The following meeting continued smoothly without any interruption.


    ¡­


    Time passed and soon, it was 30 Octavian, the day Vesta Children had to leave the Family and return to the Agresia Academy.


    In front of Vesta Gates, around 15 children gathered, 4 of them were new faces, Vaan and ra were part of the new faces as well. Vaelen, who had now broken through and have be an Intermediate Mage was no longer a Student in the Academy but a Teacher.


    Seizing this opportunity, he stepped forward and,


    "As the seniormost and the strongest out of everyone present here, I hope you all follow my words once we enter the Academy. This is especially true for the new faces here, the Academy is not the same as the Vesta Family, geniuses from all over the world gather there and we, who represent the Vesta Family, should not put down the name of the Family no matter what happens.


    I may be a Teacher there, however, before being the Academy''s teacher, I am a Vesta Family member, if you face any issues, you cane to me and I will help you the best I can."


    Vaelen then turned towards Vaan and,


    "The same goes for you as well, Vaan. Despite our initial differences, as the direct descendants of the Family, in the Academy, we will be a team. Come to me whenever you need help and¡­ I request you to follow what I say when we get there."


    "¡­"


    The others turned silent, they didn''t think Vaelen would offer a hand in this situation first.


    After all, everyone knew what happened the first day Vaan and Vaelen met Vaelen returned from the Academy, they thought the two would have differences and that might affect the Vesta image, but Vaelening forward like that prevented that.


    ''As you would expect from the Strongest and Oldest Prospective heir. This level of maturity can onlye through experience, not talent.''


    The other mages started thinking and seeing the respectful looks that had appeared on their faces, Vaelen smirked inwardly before looking at Lirael.


    Lirael smiled as her eyes met her brother.


    The execution was nigh perfect.


    Even though there was not arge audience to witness it here, this was only the start, with her brother''s status here as the strongest, Lirael nned to keep this up, and slowly and steadily, she would fix her brother''s position as the strongest contender to the Family Head position.


    Of course, that is if Vaan allowed her to,


    He, however, was not nning on doing so.


    "Come on brother, aren''t you looking down on us Vesta Mages a little too much?" he questioned with a smile on his face.


    Vaelen narrowed his eyes, not liking Vaan''s smile. Especially knowing what sort of tongue this man had.


    "Aren''t you already a Teacher in the Academy? Why would you involve yourself in matters regarding students?


    And what do you mean by, ''Before a Teacher, I am a Vesta Family Member'', why do you make it sound like the Vesta Family Mages will not survive without the help of higher authority?


    Heck, if anyone would want the higher authorities to intrude, it won''t be us, but the people who try to mess with us."


    "¡­"


    Vaan spoke with a confident look on his face, this time, however, he didn''t receive the response he was looking forward to.


    Silence.


    There was an eerie silence in the ce, it was as if no one believed what he was saying.


    "Vaan."


    Suddenly, Lirael called out.


    Vaan turned towards her sister and,


    "I know you are extremely talented, however, in the Agresia Academy, you need to keep your arrogance in check, that ce is not the Vesta Family Mansion."


    Vaan narrowed his eyes as he heard those words.


    "What do y-" he wanted to ask but before he could.


    "Are you people ready?"


    Astra''s voice was heard.


    All the children turned towards her, behind Astra, there were Risia, Draven, and the parents of other children who were going to the Academy.


    "Yes, mother." Vaan nodded as he and ra walked towards Astra.


    The other children did the same as they walked towards their parents for thest goodbyes.


    "Please take care of yourself, Mother," Vaan spoke with a genuine look as he held his mother''s hand. Astra patted his head as she then gently kissed his forehead.


    "You do the same." She spoke, then after saying goodbye to ra as well, she turned towards other children and,


    "Alright, get into the carriage now."


    She ordered and the Vesta children all entered the carriage, ready to leave and start another chapter of their life.

 Chapter 174 Alright kiddos, come out, it is time to go to school

    Chapter 174 Alright kiddos,e out, it is time to go to school


    "Alright, get into the carriage now."


    Under Astra''s order, fifteen young scions of the Vesta Family gracefully stepped into a colossal carriage. The carriage''s design was a marvel, adorned withplex engravings of mythical creatures, vibrant gemstones set within runic patterns, spiraling silver filigree that shimmered under the daylight, and the Insignia of the Vesta Family.


    The carriage wasrge enough tofortably fit the fifteen Vesta Family children with ease, thest one to enter the carriage was Vaelen, who walked after his sister. After all the children were in, Risia stepped forward, turning towards the driver, she nodded but then,


    "Wait."


    Astra interrupted. A frown appeared on Risia''s face,


    "There is another person who will be joining them," Astra spoke.


    "Sister, we have already used 4 quotas we were given by the Academy, I do not think the Academy would ept us sending a fifth." Risia''s frown deepened.


    Even if they were the strongest magic family in the world, the Academy gave quotas of four to every influential force in Agresia, as for the rest, they needed to take the Academy entrance exam that took ce every 5 years.


    Sending a fifth member of the family was¡­


    Although the chances that the Academy would ept the fifth member are high, this, however, didn''t mean there wouldn''t be any consequences. Not to mention how it would affect the Vesta Family''s reputation, and that is something nobody in the Vesta Family, whether it was Astra or Risia would ept.


    Astra, however, simply smiled as she heard Risia''s words, and,


    "Oh they would definitely ept this fifth, with open hands in fact."


    She then turned towards the Gate and a man walked in.


    "¡­"


    Risia narrowed her eyes as her eyes fell on the man.


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    It was not just her. A heavy atmosphere fell over the ce as the man walked towards Astra, ignoring almost every other mage present there.


    "What took you so long?" Astra questioned with a small smile on her face.


    "They said that the main characters alwaysete," Orion replied. There was a simple sword on his waist, something that stuck out like a sore thumb in the Family of Mages.


    "So you decided to return to where you came from?"


    Draven narrowed his eyes as he nced at Orion.


    "¡­"


    Orion, on the other hand,pletely ignored the man and continued, "Are they ready to leave? I hope I was the only one you were waiting for."


    "You¡­" Draven narrowed his eyes.


    Clearly, his rtionship with his sister''s husband was not the best.


    And why would it be?


    Orion was one of the main reasons he lost ''his'' throne.


    "Yes, Yes, Main Character, we were waiting for you." Astrapletely ignored the little ''squirmish'' her husband and her brother had.


    Orion smiled as he started walking towards the carriage.


    "Heh, it''s a good thing that he finally decided to leave, felt like he would stay in his wife''s house his entire lifetime, you would usually see the opposite."


    Dravenmented and hearing those words, Risia chuckled, showing her support to her brother.


    Astra wanted to say something, but then she suddenly turned silent and smiled.


    After all, it was not her ce to say anything.


    Orion, who was walking towards the carriage paused as well, then, he turned towards the man he had been ignoring all this while and,


    "Well usually you would see the oldest child would inherit the family head''s position, but here we are, no? Maybe if you were a little¡­ um¡­petent and actually had what it took to rule over your family, my wife wouldn''t have had to step up and take care of things, then maybe, I would have taken her away with me,


    Like how things ''usually'' go."


    A smile full of mockery and contempt appeared on Orion''s face and Draven didn''t like his response.


    "I dare you to say that again." He threatened, trying to step forward to intimidate Orion, but suddenly, Orion, who was standing roughly 15 meters away from him, appeared right in front of him, with his tall build, he looked down at Draven and,


    "Is it just me or have you gotten more gutsypared to the past? What? Do you want me to help you remember a little past we had? Or do you think I would not attack you now that we all are ''mature''?


    I can prove you wrong, little old man, try me all you wish. I am still open to duels. I am not Astra, I do not have any title that holds me back."


    Orion spoke, rather than empty threats, he straight up challenged the Mage standing in front of him.


    "¡­"


    Draven turned silent as he gulped while ring at Orion. There was clear anger in his eyes, however, as angry as he was, there was no way he could ept Orion''s challenge.


    "That''s what I thought."


    Orion smirked.


    Then, he momentarily nced at Risia, making her flinch a little, before turning back and walking towards the carriage again.


    Opening the carriage doors, his eyes fell on the 15 Vesta children who were looking at him, their shock was clear in their eyes as none of them expected the man who only stood next to Lady Astra and almost never said a word to act like this.


    "I''ll sit with the driver."


    Orion shrugged, changing his mind and walking towards the driver.


    As he took his seat next to the driver who was sweating profusely, he turned towards Astra and nodded. Then, he nced at the driver and, "Drive." He ordered.


    The driver nodded, the carriage finally started moving. The children then said goodbyes to their parents, the mood around the parents, however, was not the same as before as almost everyone there started recalling past memories.


    Memories of when Orion Ravenshadow was¡­


    "They will reach the teleported in an hour." Astra suddenly spoke up before she turned around,pletely ignoring the people around her.


    Few other mages started leaving as well.


    Draven however, stayed still. Risia walked towards him and, "He is as arrogant as I remember."


    "You would think one would grow up as the time passes."


    Dravenmented.


    "Tsk, what did I even expect from a swordsman? Unlike him, who doesn''t have ''any title to hold him back'', I have an image that I need to maintain. If I ept every single challenge from every random person I meet, what would happen to my image?"


    "Come on, you aren''t really expecting a fool toprehend that logic, are you?" Risia shook her head as she ced her hand on Draven''s shoulder, showing her support.


    "Of course not. I just thought things may have changed after so many years have passed. I guess I expected too much from a man who only knows how to swing a piece of metal." Draven snorted as he simply walked away.


    Risia stared at his back for a little while, then, she turned to the direction the carriage had gone to and then she sighed and followed Draven as well.


    ¡­


    "Heh, just what you would expect from my father." On the other hand, Vaan, who was sitting inside the carriage nodded continuously, satisfied by his father''s performance.


    "His wordings could use a little work though. You need to attack the ces that hurt the most and keep scratching that until the person loses all his reputation. Father''s words felt¡­ uhh¡­ merciful.


    I would have done a way better job if I was there."


    "You need to respect your elders, little brother. Have some control over that tongue of yours, I know we do not have the best rtionship, but my father is an essential part of the Vesta Family, ridiculing him like that was not right." Lirael spoke up.


    "Right," Vaan simply nodded his head.


    Sometimes, fewer words were the most painful and this was that time.


    "You-" Lirael wanted to say something but then,


    "Leave him alone, Lirael. He is an immature child." Elric spoke up.


    "Oh! Fancy seeing you here!"


    Vaan''s eyes brightened up as his eyes fell on his favorite person in the entire carriage.


    "Are you going to the Academy as well?"


    "That is the sole reason we all are sitting here," Elric replied in a nd tone.


    "Oh, right. I missed that." Vaan nodded.


    "I thought you would be taking a break this year, but I guess our Vesta Healers really are too good huh?


    By the way, I''ve been meaning to ask,


    How''s your thing?


    Do you think it would work in the future?"


    "¡­"


    Elric''s mouth twitched in annoyance.


    ra lowered her head as her face turned red in shame. She tightly her grip over Vaan''s hand, wanting him to stop, however, the damage had already been done and it was clear from the small smiles that appeared on everyone''s faces even though they tried their best to hold them back.


    The rest of the carriage ride waspletely silent, the silence, however, was deafening for Elric.


    "Alright kiddos,e out, it is time to go to school."


    An hourter, the doors of the carriage opened up and Orion spoke up, behind him, there was a giant building that guarded one of the biggest Portals in the entire Vesta City.

 Chapter 175 Agresia Academy

    Chapter 175 Agresia Academy


    "Dayum."


    Vaan raised his eyebrows as he looked around with a shocked look on his face.


    "It is as if I am teleported into a different world." He spoke before he looked back and observed the Teleportation building he juste out of.


    "Hmm. You seem fine."


    Suddenly, Orion, who had been observing everyone for a while muttered as he nced at his child.


    "Well of course. What could possibly happen to me?" Vaan questioned.


    "Do you not feel any pain? You just covered an enormous distance of 12,000 km within a single moment, this was probably one of the strongest Teleportation Impacts one can feel. Many people even tend to pass out since their body is unable to handle such an impact. Yet here you stand, with not even a frown on your face."


    "I do feel a slight headache if that is what you are asking, but that''s about it," Vaan replied.


    "Is that so¡­"


    Orion muttered as he then started nodding continuously.


    Vaan then turned towards ra, cing his hands on her shoulder when he realized that she seemed to be in pain.


    "Are you okay?" He questioned in worry.


    "mm." ra nodded. She had closed her eyes for a moment since she felt a strange pain in her head.


    "Now this is the reaction I was talking about," Orion muttered.


    "What happened to her?" Vaan questioned.


    "Don''t worry, she will be fine within a few minutes," Orion assured.


    Vaan started to gently rub and massage ra''s shoulders, trying to ease her pain. Seeing that, Orion couldn''t help but chuckle.


    Time passed and a few minutester, when along with ra, other children of the Vesta Family seemed like they were ready to leave, Orion told them to walk forward.


    "So? Is this the Agresia Academy?" Vaan questioned, his eyes stuck at the colossal gates in front of him that seemed to stretch endlessly upward, casting shadows that touched the skies.


    He was awestruck. His eyes widened as he gazed upon the towering entrance of the Agresia Academy. The gate alone seemed as tall as a castle, its metalwork adorned withplex runes that shimmered softly, hinting at the magic pulsating within them. Just that was enough to tell that these were by no means, mere Gates.


    "It is so beautiful¡­"


    ra who stood beside him muttered, her eyes reflecting the same wonder as she took in the grandeur of the academy. She held Vaan''s arm, feeling the weight of anticipation and excitement. Other Mages, even the ones who weren''t here for the first time had simr expressions.


    The Vesta Mansion was grand, yes, the Academy, however, had something different about it.


    "Alright, you will have an entire year to be awed by this ce''s beauty, let''s go in," Orion ordered, taking everyone inside the Academy. Unlike the children, his expression didn''t really change when he nced at the academy, he just sighed deeply, taking in the air that seemed different from the one in the Vesta City, and walked in.


    Beyond the gates, the Academy sprawled like a magnificent city within its own right. Towers soared high, some topped with crystalline domes that refracted the sunlight into a dazzling spectrum. Buildings of varying architectural styles stood in harmony, surrounded by lush gardens packed with magical flora.


    Vaan and the others hadn''t even registered the majesty of the Gates yet, but when their eyes fell on the sprawling campus of the Academy, they were dumbfounded.


    "It really is a different world¡­" Vaan muttered.


    The entire campus hummed with activities that Vaan had never even imagined before, students interacting with holographic disys, conducting experiments with enchanted apparatuses, and modes of transport that seemed like cars but were moving slightly above the ground and had no tires.


    The air was alive with a symphony of technology and magic, creating an atmosphere that seemed more akin to a futuristic metropolis than a traditional academy.


    The Agresia Academy was not merely a center of learning but a perfect blend of Magic and Technology. A realm where innovation and enlightenment coexisted in a breathtaking disy of modernity.


    "Dayum," Vaan muttered again, he felt like he had returned to earth¡­ just¡­ 1000 years ahead. His hand automatically strengthened its hold around ra''s hand, not wanting to be separated in this scenario.


    "Are you from the Vesta Family?"


    While the children looked around, a man walked towards them and questioned.


    "Yes." Orion nodded.


    "Wee to the Agresia Academy." The man spoke with a slight bow, he didn''t show absolute respect like the ones the Vesta Mages were used to, but he wasn''t disrespectful either.


    Orion nodded, he knew how things worked around here.


    "Did you bring any new students this year?" the man questioned.


    "Yes, Four." Orion nodded.


    "I understand, the new students please move to the left while the old ones move towards the right." The man nodded.


    The children did as they were told and moved to two sides. The man, however, frowned when his eyes fell on Orion.


    "Are you their guardian?" he questioned.


    "Sort of." Orion nodded.


    "Then please leave, Guardians are not allowed to enter any further."


    "No, I came here as their guardia-, ah wait, what do they call it again?


    Right, Protector, I came here as a Protector."


    "But the Vesta Family already has 2 Protectors here in the Academy." The man''s frown deepened.


    "And I will be the third." Orion nodded, not seeing this as a problem.


    "¡­"


    The man momentarily turned silent.


    He didn''t know how to react in this situation, after all, as great as the Vesta Family was, this was the Agresia Academy, he couldn''t possibly allow them to act as they pleased.


    "Sir, I apologize but has the Vesta Family informed the Academy about sending a Third Protector?" The man questioned politely, not wanting to offend Orion.


    "We have not, that is the reason they sent me instead of anyone else," Orion replied.


    "Sir, then there is nothing I can do. You would need to leave ande back once the Academy approves you as the protector."


    Normally, in this situation where the person who humiliated his father was now being humiliated by someone else, Vaelen would have smirked, right now, however, he simply observed the situation with an expressionless look on his face.


    The Family''s Reputation was on the line here, Orion being humiliated here wouldn''t just affect him, but all of them as well.


    Vaelen, however, didn''t seem worried.


    After all, others might not know, he, however, knew who Orion was.


    Orion who was not the husband of the Vesta Family Head, but Orion Ravenshadow who had once been a student of the Agresia Academy.


    "Will this work?"


    Suddenly, Orion took out a ck card.


    "What is it?" The man frowned.


    "I attended the Academy a few decades ago, this is my Student ID."


    The moment he said those words, the man''s eyes widened in absolute surprise.


    "A-A ck Student Id!?"


    The man who was calm the entire time when he stood in front of the Vesta Mages, was now looking at Orion with a look that felt like he was looking at some sort of monster.


    "C-Can I take a look at it, m-my Lord?" The man spoke, his voice trembling.


    "Of course." Orion nodded as he passed his card to the man and the moment he read the name on the card, he took in a cold breath,


    "O-Orion Ravenshadow¡­"


    Orion simply smiled.


    "L-Lord Orion, please forgive me if my actions were disrespectful." The man bowed his head to a straight 90 degrees. Seeing this, even the Vesta Mages widened their eyes in surprise. Especially the mages who were not here for the first time, they had never seen a person working in the Agresia Academy act like that.


    "You were only doing what you were supposed to do." Orion nodded.


    "T-Thank you." The man nodded in gratitude.


    "There should not be any problems now, should there?"


    "Of course not. Please follow me, I will register you as the Protector and enroll the new students you have brought."


    The man spoke.


    "Huh? Do we not have to stay in a line?" Elric frowned in confusion. Only the influential Families were allowed to send new students every year, so there was no favoritism here since everyone was an elite.


    The admission of new students was a game of firste first served.


    This time, however, things were different. This time, the Vesta Family had a ck Card Holder with them.


    Skipping through the lines, the Vesta Mages were taken to a certain office.


    "The old students can go to their respective residential areas." The man spoke. Vaelen and the others nodded as they all walked away.


    The man then turned towards the new students and, "You all, walk in, the person sitting inside will ask you some details, answer honestly and he will help you enroll."


    Vaan nodded as he and the other three walked into the office the man pointed at.


    "Lord Orion, please follow me." The man spoke, his tonepletely different than before as his back hunched on its own.


    ¡­


    Inside the office Vaan and the others walked in, there sat an old man, his eyes fell on the children who had entered, then, without any change in his expression, he took out a device that looked like a tablet and,


    "Full Name, Age, upation, and Level."


    He spoke.

 Chapter 176 The SIC

    Chapter 176 The SIC


    "Full Name, Age, upation, and Level."


    The old man spoke with an uninterested look on his face. Vaan nced at ra and the others, then, he stepped forward and,


    "Vaan Astra Vesta, 20 years old, Mage, 3rd Circle."


    He gave out all the details and the 2 other Vesta children who were standing behind him frowned in confusion. They, however, did not say anything and started looking around.


    The old man noticed their out-of-the-ordinary reaction, he however, ignored that and simply nced at Vaan, this time, his reaction wasn''t as uninterested as before.


    "Vaan Astra Vesta huh, so you are her child?"


    "If by her, you mean Astra Elysia Vesta, then yes, you are correct." Vaan nodded.


    "Heh." A smile appeared on the old man''s face.


    "Just know that if we find out that you are lying to us, you will not be excused."


    "I have no reason to lie here."


    "Whatever you say, little boy." The old man shrugged as he put Vaan''s details into his tablet, then suddenly, a white-colored card magically appeared on the table.


    "Take it, don''t lose it, it is a pain in the ass to create another one."


    "What is it?" Vaan questioned.


    "It is your Student Identification Card or the SIC, you need to keep it together with you no matter where you are inside the Academy."


    "Hmmm."


    Vaan nced at the white colored card in front of him and,


    "It is quite nd, even a child could have designed a better one."


    "It is not up to the academy to design it, that is your job."


    "Huh? My job? You don''t expect me to draw some flowers or cartoons on it, do you?"


    "You are quite the joker." The old man replied in a monotonous tone, then, he shook his head,


    "That is not what I am talking about."


    Then, he took out a Grey colored card that seemed a lot more well-designed than Vaan''s, and,


    "The only information the card contains is what you have provided and the Identification Number that is given to you, however, as you continue to spend the rest of your days in the Academy, more and more information like your residential area, the sses you attend, the clubs you join, the House you are in, everything else will be updated on it as well."


    Then, the old man pointed at the 3 stars at the top right corner of his Card,


    "You see these? This is called the Excellence Stars, once you collect five of these, the color of your card changes, what you have right now is a white card, basics of the basics, after you collect five stars, your card will automatically be upgraded to silvery white card, then five more stars will give you a grey card like this one, and then it is the dark grey colored card, that shows the highest level of excellence in the Academy and gives you quite a high status and influence.


    Of course, since this is your first day in the academy, you might not understand much of what I am saying, but inyman''s terms, just understand this one thing,


    These stars are what all students and even the teachers in the Agresia Academy aim for, especially the ones from influential families who wish to prove themselves to the rest of the world."


    "Excellence Stars huh¡­"


    Vaan muttered to himself.


    Then, however, another question popped up in his mind,


    "You said Dark Grey Card is the highest level, no?"


    "That is correct." The old man nodded.


    "Then what about the ck Card?"


    He had seen his father take out a ck Card and the moment he did, that person''s expression changed in an instant, if the highest level was Dark Grey, then why did that person react like that when he saw the ck Card?


    What was that ck Card?


    Was it not the SIC?


    It sure looked like one.


    "Huh? Where did you see that?" The old man frowned.


    "My father showed one to the man who sent us here, he looked quite surprised when my father took it out," Vaan replied and the old man narrowed his eyes in confusion,


    "Your father¡­?"


    But then suddenly, the old man froze.


    "Orion Ravenshadow¡­"


    The old man then nced at Vaan and finally recalled that this man was not a child of one monster, but two¡­


    "Is Lord Orion here¡­?" The old man questioned.


    "Mhm, father decided toe here as a¡­ protector," Vaan answered.


    "So he finally decided to leave the Vesta House huh¡­ I wonder how much stronger has he gotten."


    The old man spoke, he could feel his heart beating in excitement, after all, the legend from the past had returned to the Academy again.


    "Well, he is quite strong¡­ that I can tell you¡­" Vaan replied.


    His father is a man who can defeat him with his eyes closed, even after he hade this far after training with him.


    Even now, he still hadn''tnded a proper hit on his father, even once.


    "Heh¡­" Suddenly the old man couldn''t help butugh out loud.


    "You really are their child huh¡­


    Why the hell are you just a 3rd Circle Mage when you are their child? One would expect that those two would give birth to someone even more monstrous than them but you seem pretty mediocre."


    "Oh just you wait. I will ease your doubts soon enough, for now, it is your turn to do mine." Vaan was confident.


    "I normally wouldn''t have bothered to tell it to anyone since not many people would reach that level even in their entire lifetime, but since you are the child of two people who did reach that level, I''ll show a bit of favoritism and answer your question,


    ck Cards are given to the best, the geniuses who are seen once in a century. Geniuses who have collected so many Excellence Stars that if we put them together, one card wouldn''t be enough to fit them even if all the space in the card is used.


    The Excellence Starts that other students treat as a sign of achievement, the ck Card holders see them as amodity that can be collected every other day. These people reach a point where collecting more Stars simply does not mean anything,


    And for their ''efforts'' to not be in vain and to acknowledge their superioritypared to others, the Academy gives them the ck Card.


    A Card that does not need any Stars to show Excellence.


    And yes, before you ask, both your mother and father were ck Card holders."


    "But didn''t you say the ck Card is given to once-in-a-century Geniuses? How did both my mother and father get it?"


    "Well, the simply had no choice. The gap between them and the others was simply too wide for the academy to not acknowledge their superiority.


    This was the reason why the entire world was either worried or looked forward to when your mother and father decided to marry.


    Don''t think you will be having an easy time here, child.


    Your parent''s reputation might not be a good thing for you."


    The old man spoke, hearing those words, however, did not intimidate Vaan, rather, a big smile appeared on his face, and,


    "I guess it is time to show the entire world why it was right for them to worry when they decided to marry."


    "Says a 3rd Circle Mage."


    The old man chuckled.


    "Heh." Vaan chuckled as well.


    "Anyways, as fun as talking to you is, I do not have an entire day to waste, now that you have received your card, step away." The old man spoke, Vaan did as he was told and stepped back.


    The old man then nced at ra and,


    "Full Name, Age, upation, and Level."


    ra stepped forward and replied,


    "E-ra meheart."


    "meheart? Not a Vesta?" The old man frowned in confusion.


    The quota was only avable for the Vestas.


    "She is my fianc¨¦e and mother''s only pupil, she is a part of the family." Vaan rified and hearing his words, the old man raised his eyebrow in surprise,


    "You are Lady Astra''s pupil?"


    "Y-Yes."


    ra nodded. The old man blinked in surprise, then, however, he shook his head and,


    "Age, upation, and Level."


    "21, Mage and 4th Circle¡­"


    "4th Circle!?"


    The old man stood up in shock.


    "What? Is it that surprising?" Vaan questioned with a frown on his face.


    The old man however simply turned towards ra and,


    "C-Can you show me your four circles?" he requested.


    ra nodded as she took a breath, circted the Mana and 4 Magic Circles appeared around her,


    "It''s real¡­" the old man couldn''t believe it.


    He slowly put ra''s details into his tablet, a card was then formed on the table, however, unlike Vaan''s card that had no additional details,


    ra''s card was different.


    There was one star on the top right corner of the card.


    "Just like I thought¡­" the old man didn''t seem surprised.


    "To think I would see a Star Student from the Vestas.


    I guess the Vesta Family is finally sending the gems they have been hiding all this while."

 Chapter 177 A Star Student?

    Chapter 177 A Star Student?


    "To think I would see a Star Student from the Vestas.


    I guess the Vesta Family is finally sending the gems they have been hiding all this while."


    The old man spoke as he nced at ra, who stood there with a confused look on her face.


    "Didn''t you say that we get Excellence Stars by performing extremely well in the Academy?" Vaan questioned.


    "That is correct." The old man nodded.


    "Then why did ra get an Excellence Star when she just joined?"


    "Are you jealous of your own fianc¨¦e?" The old man smiled yfully.


    "Would you get jealous if someone praised what''s yours?


    No right? You''d only be proud and feel joy. I am the same, honestly. You can even give her a ck Card if you want, wouldn''t really change anything since that would only be doing the inevitable.


    What I am curious about is the criteria, how did she get an Excellence Star without even doing anything?" Vaan questioned.


    "She is a 21-year-old 4th Circle Mage, that is what she did to earn an Excellence Star."


    "I am 20, if I be a 4th Circle Mage by the next year, would I get an Excellence Star as well?"


    "No." the old man shook his head.


    "Although it would be a great achievement that would give you an Excellence Star in one way or another, just bing a 4th Circle Mage wouldn''t make any difference.


    The Academy has deemed her to be a Star Student so she got an Excellence Star as a bonus. You, on the other hand, were only deemed as a normal student and did not receive a star."


    "Hmmm."


    Vaan nodded, "Although I don''t understand half of what you said, but whatever." Saying those words, he nced at ra, the girl nodded, picked up her card, and stepped away.


    The couple then walked near a wall, waiting for the other two Vestas to get their SICs.


    The process wasn''t long and once it wasplete, the old man nced at Vaan and pointed at the room behind him.


    "Go inside and you all will receive your uniforms.


    Right, I forgot, whenever you show your SIC to someone you do not wish to reveal most of your information, click on this little arrow, once you do it, it will only show your name and Identification Number."


    "I understand."


    "Now leave." The old man waved his hand.


    Vaan nodded, then while holding ra''s hand, he walked through the door, entering another room where sat a woman who looked like she was in her mid-30s. The woman seemed to be busy writing something in her notebook when Vaan and the others entered, she didn''t even spare them a look and,


    "The Vesta Family?" she questioned.


    "Yes."


    After the confirmation, the woman pointed at the four white uniforms lying on the table.


    "Pick them as per the queue you''ve registered yourselves in."


    The woman spoke while she continued to do what she was doing.


    "Do we only get one? I thought we were supposed to wear this every day." Vaan questioned.


    "You don''t have to clean these uniforms, once you keep them inside the Almira provided to you by the Academy, they will revert back to how it was when you first received them, it can even repair the damages it took unless you pass through a certain threshold.


    If that happens, you would need to request a new uniform and there are chances that some actions will be taken against you for destroying the uniform after investigating the cause of destruction, so be careful and if possible, don''t destroy it."


    The woman spoke and as if she didn''t want to any further questions, she pointed at the door behind her back and,


    "Congrattions, you people are now officially part of the Agresia Academy, take your uniforms, walk through the door and you will be guided by some student volunteers along the way."


    "Oh? So do we not have any entrance ceremony or something?"


    "There is one ceremony arranged where you will be greeted by the Headmaster of the Academy, it will be held on 7th Novembrin."


    "I understand." Vaan nodded.


    This made sense since an entrance ceremony should be held when all the new students have entered the Academy, keeping it a week after the Academy starts would make sense since almost all the students would be avable by then.


    The woman nodded, still focusing more on her work than on Vaan. Vaan didn''t care, he simply picked his uniform, then together with ra and others, he walked out the door and again, he was greeted by the marvelous sight of the Academy that had perfectly integrated Magic and Technology.


    Vaan could see various people busy with their own things, some were chatting, some were reading, some were eating, and as he and others looked around,


    "What are we supposed to do from here? She said we will be guided by a volunteer, I don''t see anyone here like that." One of the two mages spoke up and as he said those words, a young man wearing the uniform they all just received walked towards them.


    "Oh? It looks better than I thought." Vaan muttered as he nced at the uniform the man was wearing, he still hadn''t gotten a good look at his uniform, but now that he had, he was pleasantly surprised.


    The Agresia Academy''s uniform was a blend of modernity and elegance, exuding a sense of sophistication and simplicity. The uniform was predominantly white, the design was sleek and contemporary, featuring clean lines and a minimalist approach.


    The jacket had a tailored fit, thin lines in a darkish shade of green gracefully contrasted with the white fabric. The trousers matched the jacket, maintaining the same clean and crisp appearance. The entire thing waspleted with the Academy''s Emblem, embossed in a muted metallic tone, signifying the prestigious status of the institution.


    Vaan was satisfied and while he was imagining how he would look when he wore the same uniform, the student approached them and,


    "Are you the new students?"


    "That is correct." Vaan nodded.


    "Then you must be looking for a ce to stay."


    Vaan nodded again.


    "Well, you wouldn''t know since you just got here but the Agresia Academy does not provide you with free Residential Areas, Residential Areas are actually managed by senior students and they usually charge Monthly Academy Points as rent."


    "Academy Points?"


    Vaan frowned.


    "It is the currency used in the Academy, it can be exchanged using Gold Coins but the students who do that are often looked down upon since the Academy is a ce where one aims to prove himself and not use his family background. Most of the students here earn Academy Points on their own, as for ways to earn them, you will learn about them soon enough so you do not need to bother.


    Of course, as a new student wouldn''t have any Academy Points, he gets a 3-month grace period from the Academy where they can live in a Residential Area and pay 3 monthster.


    The reason I am here is to tell you some basic things about these Residential Areas."


    "What is it?"


    "Since different Residential Areas are managed by different students, the rents differ, some are posh but absurdly expensive while others are simple and peaceful with affordable living costs, perfect for the new students."


    The reason I volunteered to guide new students is because I want you toe to our Residential Area, we have big, well-furnished rooms with very affordable rent that almost anyone can pay without any problems."


    "If you are so good then why do you need to advertise yourself like this?" Vaan raised his eyebrow.


    "How would a new student know what to choose? There are chances that they get fooled by the excessive luxury other areas provide and fall for their trap, we volunteer like this to prevent that from happening. After all, seniors are supposed to take care of the juniors, no?"


    "How would I know if you are not scamming me instead?"


    "You can go around and look for the residential areas that are not already full yourself, I just want you to hear my offer and then decide on your own. I assure you that you won''t be disappointed."


    "Alright, then let''s hear what you have to say." Vaan nodded.


    "Before that, can I see your SIC?" the student questioned.


    "Why?"


    "It would give me a rough idea of your ability, the stronger your skills, the better the offer I can provide you, it''s mostly for your advantage, honestly. Since you wouldn''t be able to hide your skills in the Academy for a long time anyway."


    Vaan nodded in understanding as he took out his SIC and passed it to the student.


    The student held the card and,


    "A 3rd Circle Mage at 20 huh, you are quite good, I am sure this will give you a great deal."


    The student spoke, he didn''t even care if the person he was talking to was Vaan Astra Vesta, the only child of one of the strongest Mages in the world, he only looked at his level.


    Then, the student turned towards ra and asked for her card,


    And the moment he held ra''s card, his eyes widened in absolute surprise,


    "A-A Star Student!?"


    "What?"


    "A Star Student?"


    "That girl?"


    "Wait, she is not wearing the uniform, she must be new."


    "Then she must be looking for Residential Areas! Let''s go! We need to get her into our Residential Area!"


    Within a few seconds,


    Vaan''s group was surrounded.

 Chapter 178 Residential Areas

    <h4>Chapter 178 Residential Areas</h4>


    "Then she must be looking for Residential Areas! Let''s go! We need to get her into our Residential Area!"


    Within a few seconds, Vaan''s group was surrounded.


    "Hey, are you looking for Residential Areas? Then stop looking, forget everything this man told you, ande with me, we have the most affordable residential areas here!"


    "Affordable? What the hell are you even talking about? Miss,e with me, you don''t even have to pay the rent if you decide to stay in our Residential Area and I promise you, the facilities you will receive will not be any less than what these people are offering you!"


    "Haah!? You think you are the only one who can do that!? Miss,e with us and we will offer free amodations to all four of your friends!"


    "Miss, we will even provide the food and it will be free as well!"


    "Tsk, you all sound so desperate."


    While all the students had surrounded ra and the others and were making their offers, a voice full of disdain was heard.


    All the students instantly turned silent and turned towards the source of the voice.


    It was a blonde man wearing the Academy Uniform, indicating that he was a student as well. A confident smile appeared on his face when he realized that his words had gained enough attention, then, he directly looked into ra''s eyes and,


    "Miss, there is no reason for someone of your caliber to spend your time in the pathetic Residential Areas they offer, although they make it sound like something grand, in reality, it is just a huge apartment with numerous floors and numerous rooms in each of those floors.


    The ''residential areas'' these people are talking about are merely a single room with an attached bathroom and kitchen, there is not even a hall or a living room, and the furniture inside will be subpar at best, as for privacy,


    Well, there will be room under your room, one above your room, one in front, 2 on either side, it would be so crowded although they would say you will have full privacy because you can ''lock'' your room, in the end, whenever you leave or enter, whatever you do inside, everything can be seen solely because there will be too many people around you.


    Honestly, these residential areas are no different than glorified slums, not a ce where a Star Student like yourself has to stay.


    Come with me, I am from the Mystic Stay, unlike these people, who are merely residential representatives, we, the Mystic Stay, are an official Club that deals with renting out posh areas that are suitable for actually talented students, students like yourself.


    Our rent may be a little high, but we offer you a luxurious and spacious living space. It would be no different than the mansions that you are used to back in your homnd, actually, we might even be better.


    In the mansion, we provide 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a huge hall, a living room, and high-end furnishings, we even have a swimming pool, a beautiful garden, and a location that is close to a Teleportation Portal. We also have servants who will take care of your basic daily needs and we also have other different technologically advanced facilities that you can explore once you stay there.


    I dare say that as a new student, you will not find a better ce to live than this one."


    As the blonde man said this all, the other students turned silent,


    "Shit¡­ he is here¡­"


    "Those Mystic Stay bastards¡­"


    "Why are they aiming for a Star Student¡­?"


    "Why would they not aim for a Star Student¡­?"


    "But their rents are simply too high. Four bedrooms and all that he said, I can tell what ce he is talking about, it must be the Celestial Gardens Vi. The rent there is 10,000 Academic Points a month.


    That is 100 Gold Coins per month. What sane person would pay that amount? Even the old students won''t be able to afford a rent that high let alone the new ones."


    One had to know, that 1 Elemental Stone cost 1000 Gold Coins and Elemental Stones were extremely rare, the Instant Spells made from these stones were no different than second life for the Mages.


    Spending a tenth of that as monthly rent¡­ although it may not be a big thing for big and influential families, if the ones bearing the cost are the students without any sort of family support, renting a ce like this was simply absurd.


    However,


    "Of course, as a Star Student, you don''t have to pay any rent either."


    The blonde spoke and as he did, the other students widened their eyes in surprise.


    "What!?"


    "He is giving away the Celestial Gardens Vi for free!?"


    They were shocked, however, the older students were different, they looked like they were already expecting it.


    "I knew they would pull off something like this."


    "Tsk, I should have known when they rejected a student who was even willing to pay the rent. They never nned to generate money from the Celestial Gardens, that ce was meant to be an investment. An investment for their future."


    "What do you mean?"


    While the students continued to discuss with each other, Vaan, who had been silent for an oddly long time suddenly stepped forward and,


    "Oi, Blonde."


    He called out.


    "I am Lucas Serv-"


    "Yes, Lucas Blonde."


    "Lucas Ser-"


    "Blonde."


    "¡­" Lucas turned silent.


    "I will only ask one question. That will decide whether we stay in whatever ce you offer or not.


    Why?"


    Lucas nced at Vaan for a while, then, he nced at ra, and in a moment, he understood that the Star Student would do whatever this man wanted her to do, he found it strange, but rather than pointing it out, he used this opportunity to convince Vaan and decided to answer honestly,


    "Miss is a Star Student, people who get an Excellence Star as soon as they join are extremely rare and all of them, without fail, be someone of high status. We are trying to bet on that fact, in exchange for providing you free and one of our best lodgings, I hope the Miss will take care of us as she grows and doesn''t abandon us."


    "So you wish to benefit from our name when it spreads all over the Academy?" Vaan spoke.


    "That is correct." The man nodded. Honestly, he didn''t really care about Vaan, he only had eyes for ra since she was a Star Student not him, however, if the woman was willing to listen to this man, he had nothing against him.


    Lucas was a good judge of knowing which thigh to grab and when to do it.


    Vaan was satisfied.


    "Alright Blonde, take me to this ''posh'' mansion you talk about," Vaan spoke.


    "Hmm? All four of you?" Lucas frowned.


    "Is there a problem? You said you had 4 bedrooms, no?" Vaan frowned.


    Lucas then looked around, and then, "Umm¡­ Sir¡­"


    "You can call me Vaan."


    "Yes, Sir Vaan, can I talk to you in private?" Lucas spoke and pointed in a certain direction. Vaan frowned, then, he nodded and followed Lucas, getting away from the crowd.


    "What is it?" He questioned.


    "Are you not close to Miss? I noticed you were holding her hand all this while."


    "She is my fianc¨¦e." Vaan didn''t hide.


    "O-Oh! She is your fianc¨¦e! No wonder!"


    "Did you bring me here to ask about my rtionship?"


    "No, no, that is not it. I was just confused as to why would you want to bring those 2 people along with you as well. It is not like you have to pay the rent.


    I mean, wouldn''t you want to use this chance to stay in a mansion alone with your fianc¨¦e? I doubt you get a chance to live like that back in your homnd."


    The moment those words left Lucas''s mouth, Vaan''s expression changed.


    He didn''t think about it at all!


    A chance to live with ra in a single mansion, how could he possibly miss it?


    Thinking about it, a wide smile appeared on Vaan''s face, then, he put his arm around Lucas''s neck and, "Blonde, you are much smarter than what I give you credit for."


    "T-Thank you?"


    "Hahaha~ I like you. What Club did you say you were from? Well, it doesn''t matter, I will take care of you guys in the future, don''t worry." Vaan spoke as he continuously patted Lucas''s back. Then, he walked towards ra and the others and nced at the 2 other mages,


    "I do not wish to hinder your progress by spoiling you, Academy is a ce where you earn what you earn by your own efforts,


    So find a suitable ce to live on your own.


    I and ra will be living in the Celestial Gardens, alone."


    Vaan had already decided. Even if this Celestial Garden wasn''t as grand as these people make it out to be, it didn''t matter.


    Heck, if it was with ra, Vaan was even ready to live in a single room made out of mud.


    "Blonde, show us the ce," Vaan spoke as he grabbed ra''s hand. Then, he leaned over to ra''s ears and,


    "I am making it clear right now,


    Even if they have 4 bedrooms, I am not nning on using all of them,


    We only need one, okay?


    My. Dear. Fianc¨¦e~"

 Chapter 179 Octavius Ravenshadow

    Chapter 179 Octavius Ravenshadow


    "It has been a while, Old Man.


    I didn''t think you would still be sitting in this position, one would normally choose an heir a retire at that age, I guess you really like the position of power huh¡­"


    Orion walked into a Lavish room and spoke with a casual smile on his face. In front of him, sat a man with a long beard that had turned white with time, white hair, and wrinkles all over his face, all these signs pointed to how old the man was, however, none of these signs ever indicated that the old man was weak weak.


    His blue eyes were still as sharp as they used to be, rather, with age, along with sharpness, those blue eyes also carried wit and calmness. His back was straight, his posture was strong, and his build, although not asrge as it used to be, still gave off the aura of a warrior,A smile formed on the old man''s face when he nced at Orion walking in and sitting on the chair in front of his table.


    Normally, this action would be considered extremely rude, however,


    "And what other choice did I have? The best candidate I had in my mind left the Academy to protect his wife. Haaah¡­ what a cruel world, to think one would choose a woman whom he met only a few years ago over a person who helped him grow and guided him throughout his childhood.


    I feel abandoned.


    If only I could see that person again, I would teach him a lesson that he would never forget in his entire life."


    The old man sighed and Orion snorted.


    "Alright Alright Old man, you don''t have to jeer at me like that. Also, weren''t you the one who said that you had countless options but she didn''t and that I should go protect her with everything I have? What happened to that? Where are those ''countless'' options you had, huh?"


    "I merely said that for the sake of saying it, the answer I was expecting was,


    ''No Father, you have raised me for my entire life, there is no way I can abandon you like this, I will take over the Academy''s Headmaster position after you.''


    Not a ''Thank you''!


    How can someone be so clueless and not take these small hints!? I sometimes feel pity for that little girl who got stuck with you! Just how did a dense bastard like you pull it off?"


    "Hey! You don''t have to go there, okay? I am happily married and even have a child now. Actually, it is high time that you meet your Grandson. You will be impressed."


    Yes, the Headmaster of the Agresia Academy, Octavious Ravenshadow, the man holding the highest level of authority inside the Agresia Academy, was Orion''s Father and Vaan''s Grandfather.


    "Impressed? Is that the reason you didn''t send him here this whole time?" Octavius snorted.


    "Well¡­ we had our reasons¡­" Orion lowered his head.


    "Reasons to separate a Grandfather from his Grandson, please do enlighten me, what those reasons could possibly be?"


    All this while when he talked about how Orion abandoned him and left with Astra, there was a slight yfulness in Octavius''s tone, it was clear that he wasn''t serious and was only teasing his son, now, however, that yfulness had gone.


    Keeping a Grandson away from his Grandfather was a grave sin, a sin that Orion hadmitted.


    "Vaan was not ready to enter the academy, father. He wouldn''t have survived." Orion replied.


    "He wouldn''t have survived? He? Orion, that child carries not only yours, but that girl''s blood as well, if there is anyone who can survive in the Academy, it would be him." Octavius replied, Orion, however, shook his head,


    "Haven''t you already noticed how the Young Generation of our Mages'' have declined? I haven''t been here but I know that the Vestas are having a hard time in the Academy, no?"


    Orion questioned.


    "¡­" Octavius didn''t answer.


    How could he not know about the current situation of the Academy? Especially the situation concerning one of the most influential families in the world.


    Sensing the meaning behind the silence, Orion continued, "You think we wouldn''t have sent someone who could solve this situation if we could?


    It doesn''t matter if they are only children, how a family performs in the Academy signifies how they will perform in the future when these children actually get into positions of power and right now, our Family Image is being harmed because of our Younger Generation. A matter that is of great concern to us."


    "¡­then why send him now? If you have already given up, then why not keep him within the family and let him do whatever he wishes?"


    Octavius questioned, Orion, however, frowned in confusion, "Who said we have given up?"


    "Hmm?"


    "Now that we are finally ready to send him, doesn''t that make it clear that this will be us marking our return?"


    "What are you talking about¡­?"


    Octavius questioned and in response, a big smile appeared on Orion''s face, and,


    "I am saying that this year, the Vesta Family has sent two best Mages of their younger generation and we are finally able to return to our position, or maybe go further than that."


    "Heh." Octaviusughed out loud.


    "You really are treating me like an old man huh¡­ you just said Vaan wasn''t ready to enter the Academy and he wouldn''t have survived and now you are telling me that he is going to turn the situation around? What? Is that child ''ready'' now?"


    "Mhm, he is." Orion nodded.


    "Huh?"


    "He is ready to join the Academy and turn the situation around, that is the reason we send him here in the first ce."


    "Orion, I have no clue what you are talking about and honestly, I don''t think you do either."


    "Father, that child carries mine and Astra''s blood, and now,


    That Blood has awakened."


    "Those are some Grand words."


    "I only speak the truth."


    Orion shrugged.


    "We wil-"


    *Buzz* *Buzz* *Buzz*


    Octavius was about to reply, but then, the tablet lying on his table suddenly started shining and he frowned.


    "A Star Student¡­"


    Orion''s smile widened,


    "I guess the Vesta Children are finally done registering themselves." He muttered.


    Octavius stared at his son, then, he picked up his tablet, and suddenly,


    "Heh."


    He chuckled.


    "I liked the confidence son, but this student is not a Vesta, she is El-"


    "ra meheart, Astra Elysia Vesta''s only pupil, Vaan Astra Vesta''s fianc¨¦e and a future Vesta.


    She is also the strongest Magic Prodigy in the Vesta House, a girl who became a 4th Circle Mage when she was merely 19, a year fasterpared to Astra.


    The Vestas have sent two geniuses, remember?


    She is the second one."


    Orion spoke and the moment he heard those words, Octavius couldn''t even blink in shock. Seeing his father''s face, Orion chuckled,


    "This is just the start, Father.


    If the Academy didn''t have the habit of restricting Information exchange and living in their own world, you would know just what kind of Mage had enrolled in the Academy.


    My son is not someone just any other Mage can handle."


    "I like that confidence, I am now looking forward to meeting my Grandson and his fianc¨¦e."


    "You should meet him, I assure you that you will be pleased."


    "I''ll take my sweet time. If my Grandson is as talented as you said he is, he will be meeting me eventually, I have already waited for so many years, I don''t mind waiting for a few more months."


    Orion smiled.


    "However."


    Suddenly, Octavius''s face turned serious,


    "I am sure you already know, but don''t expect things to be easy for your son just because I am his Grandfather."


    "Things never got easy for me," Orion shrugged.


    He wasn''t expecting anything like that either.


    "What an ungrateful child." Octavius snorted, he didn''t like the way he shrugged.


    "Hahaha~ It was fun to catch up with you, father."


    Orionughed out loud as he stood up, Octavius smiled, "Don''t forget to put me into the Protector''s list."


    "Don''t teach me how to do my work."


    Orion just chuckled as he turned around and before he left, he nced at his father again and, "Take care of your health, old man. I don''t want you to be dying from overwork."


    "I can still beat up your ass, you know?"


    "Oh please Father, I am much stronger than you now."


    Saying those words, Orion chuckled as he walked out of the Headmaster''s room.


    "Lord Orion."


    As soon as he left, Orion was greeted by the man whom they first met when they entered, "Did the talk with the Headmaster go well?" the man questioned.


    Orion nodded and the man smiled.


    "Should I guide you to a suitable residential area or do you already have one in your mind?"


    "Take me to the Vesta House."


    Orion spoke, Vesta House was the Residential Area that was created by the Students of the Vesta Family many generations ago and a ce that only took in Vesta Mages.


    "Alright¡­"


    The man nodded, it looked like he wanted to say something, however, in the end, he stayed silent and decided to show it to Orion instead.


    ¡­


    "I told you to take me to the Vesta House, not to whatever this ce is."


    "Lord Orion¡­


    This is the Vesta House¡­


    Or the n-new Vesta House¡­"

 Chapter 180 We lost the Vesta House.

    Chapter 180 We lost the Vesta House.


    "This is the Vesta House, Lord Orion.


    Or the n-new Vesta House¡­"


    "The new Vesta House¡­?"


    Orion narrowed his eyes.


    He had many questions he wanted to ask, however,


    "You can leave."


    He ordered.


    "W-What¡­?" the man was taken out by the sudden request, honestly, he was ready to face the series of questions Orion or anyone in Orion''s position would possibly have, however, seeing as how he was ordered to leave instead of being question, this made him frown in confusion.


    "Thank you for guiding me all this time, I am sure you must have other things you have been holding out on, please carry them out. I won''t take any more of your time."


    Orion smiled, politely asking the man to leave.


    "A-As you say, Lord Orion, I-I hope you have a good day ahead."


    Orion nodded, the man then turned around and finally left.


    As soon as he was left alone, Orion''s expression changed. Yes, he did have many questions, however, rather than those questions being answered by a random man he just met, it would be better to ask the party involved.


    Orion walked into the ''new'' Vesta House and then,


    *BOOOM*


    His aura exploded, shaking the entire mansion in front of him.


    "W-What happened!?"


    "An earthquake!?"


    "Are you crazy? The Academy''s System prevents it from being affected by any natural disasters!"


    "Then what is this!? Has the System failed!?"


    "How am I supposed to know!?"


    Panicked voices were heard, both the students living in the House and servants working inside were shocked, some of them rushed outside to see what happened and then, their eyes fell on a tall man standing near the Gates and confronting that man, were the two other men. They were the two Vesta Advanced Mages who were positioned to ensure the safety of the Vesta Students attending the Academy.


    They were the other two Protectors from the Vesta Family.


    "Orion Ravenshadow¡­"


    The Two Protectors who stood in front of Orion recognized him immediately.


    "Orion, what is the meaning of this?"


    One of them questioned as he narrowed his eyes.


    "That is what I would like to ask."


    Orion replied, "I don''t remember the Vesta House being this mediocre and I am pretty sure I am not at the age where my memory would betray me.


    What happened here?


    Why is this ce being called the Vesta House?


    What happened to the real Vesta House?


    And why was this not reported to the Family?"


    Orion questioned, his tone was heavy, from his expression, it was clear that he was angry. The two protectors who heard him lowered their heads, not wanting to answer, however, they knew that they couldn''t hide it anymore.


    "We lost it."


    Percival Vesta, one of the two Protectors replied with a discontented look on his face. Of course, as a 7th Circle Mage, he didn''t participate in any of the events in the Academy and only oversaw the entire thing, however, the fact that the Vestas still lost their House while he was here was embarrassing for him.


    The other Protector, Cyrus Vesta had the same look on his face as well. They were both deeply ashamed even though there was nothing they could have done to prevent it.


    "The Elite Showdown?"


    Orion didn''t need any more exnation either. After all, he was also one of the students in the Academy, heck, he was the son of the Headmaster, so he knew how things worked here.


    The two protectors nodded.


    Orion nced at the Mages who had alle out of the Mansion, the mages lowered their eyes in shame.


    "Who was it? Who made the bet?"


    Orion questioned.


    "¡­"


    This time, however, the two Protectors turned silent. They didn''t wish to reveal who did it.


    "You should know that it is not hard for me to figure this out. You have already made a grave mistake, do not make it any worse."


    Orion warned, he may not be the one who held the highest authority here since just like him, the other two mages were protectors as well and their standings back in the Vesta Family didn''t matter here, however, Orion did have the strongest fist here.


    He alone was confident enough to take on the two Protectors, not to mention figuring things out on his own wasn''t a big deal for him either.


    Knowing that, the two Protectors decided to give in and answered Orion''s questions,


    "It was Young Master Vaelen."


    Orion''s eyes fell on Vaelen who lowered his head, trying to avoid looking into his eyes and Orion finally realized.


    "So this is why it was not reported."


    He could understand it all now, Vaelen made a wager that resulted in losing the Vesta House, a significant emblem for the Vesta Family within the Agresia Academy. If this news reached the Vesta Family, then it would have tarnished Vaelen''s reputation and severely affected his image as a Prospective Heir, such severe results would have made it almost impossible for him to be the Next Head.


    Therefore, Draven, who must have secretly received a report on the situation must have intervened and blocked this information from the rest of the Family.


    Orion stared at the two Protectors standing in front of him.


    It was clear that the two of them were in on this as well.


    ''This must be why she sent me here, she doesn''t trust these two and she is right for doing that.''


    Orion realized.


    Honestly, he wanted to take the matter into his own hands, however, he knew that would only make things much worse than they already are so he decided to drop the matter altogether.


    "Where are Vaan and the other new students?" He questioned as he couldn''t find his son.


    Hearing that question, the mages nced at each other with frowns on their faces, and seeing that, Orion narrowed his eyes.


    "Where are they?" he repeated his question as he nced at Vaelen.


    "¡­" Vaelen didn''t reply.


    "Vaelen Vesta, new Vesta Students just enrolled into the Academy, why have they not been brought here yet?"


    Orion raised his voice.


    "I-I do not know."


    "You do not know? Are you telling me that you did not send anyone to bring the new students here?"


    "I-I figured they would knowe here by themselves since Vaan was there with them. As he is a Prospective Hier, I assumed Vaan would know about the existence of the Vesta House and would lead them here." Vaelen replied.


    Of course, everyone here could understand what he was trying to do. He was targeting Vaan, the timing of his actions, however, couldn''t be any worse.


    The man hadpletely missed the fact that Orion was an old student of the Academy and knew about the real Vesta House.


    Orion slowly walked towards Vaelen, the Prospective Heir panicked, the two protectors appeared behind him, ring at Orion, they, however, still couldn''t hide their nervousness and shouted,


    "Orion! What are you trying to do!?"


    "¡­"


    Orion didn''t reply, he simply red at Vaelen, then, he momentarily nced at the other mages and,


    "If you had focused on improving yourself instead of these stupid games you y, maybe you wouldn''t have lost the Vesta House.


    I will be reporting your actions back to the Family, including the fact that the two Protectors helped you by keeping the family in the dark. I will also mention the possible interference by your father, Draven Elysia Vesta, and will let the Family Head take a decision after further investigations."


    Hearing those words, Vaelen lowered his head as he clenched his fists in anger and frustration, he could tell that his chances of bing the next Family Head were almost gone, with Orion taking the matter into his own hands, there was simply no way to stop him.


    Lirael had a simr expression on her face as well, she could feel the same helplessness her brother was feeling.


    Elric, on the other hand, had a slight smile on his face. He never liked how he was forced to hide Vaelen''s secret because his mother ordered him to, now however, since the fact would finally be revealed, he would have one lesspetitor to worry about.


    "Go find Vaan and the other Mages, all Vesta Mages are required to live in the Vesta House.


    Even though we have already lost the real Vesta House."


    Orion ordered and a few servants rushed out of the house. Orion then turned towards the mages and,


    "I will be choosing a room to stay inter,


    You all can return." He ordered before he turned around and walked away.


    The mages didn''t move. They never expected something like this to happen on the first day of their return. They could sense that the power dynamic of this ce would be changing very soon, whether that was a good thing or a bad one, they couldn''t tell.


    "Tsk, he isn''t even a Mage and acts like he can order all of us around.


    Now we need to let that bastarde into our house."


    Elric snorted.

 Chapter 181 He refused.

    Chapter 181 He refused.


    *Knock* *Knock*


    "Enter."


    Orion ordered and a servant walked into his room.


    "L-Lord Orion."


    He stuttered, he still wasn''t used to being in the presence of the man who once shook the entire Academy. Especially when their first greeting was Orion shaking up the entire House.


    "What is it?" Orion questioned.


    "I-It is Y-Young Master Vaan."


    "Hmm? Is he here?" Orion questioned.


    "T-That''s not it." The servant shook his head. Seeing that, a frown appeared on Orion''s face, and,


    "What are you trying to say? Speak clearly." He ordered.


    "Y-Young Master Vaan refused toe here."


    "What¡­?" Orion narrowed his eyes.


    "W-We found the other two students who were together with Young Master Vaan and Lady ra, ording to them, the two have bought another mansion inside the academy. We went there to bring them back however, Young Master Vaan refused our offer."


    The servant reported with a nervous look on his face, he didn''t think the situation would escte this further, his body trembled just by thinking about how angry Lord Orion would be.


    What if he decides to take out his anger on him?


    What if he is harshly punished?


    What if¡­ he is killed?


    All these thoughts messed up the servant''s head.


    But contrary to his expectations,


    "Are the other two students here?" Orion questioned with a calm look on his face.


    "Y-Yes, the two of them were also about to buy go in another residential area, however, before they could finalize the deal, we brought them in."


    "You did well."


    Orion praised.


    "T-Thank you." A bright smile appeared on the servant''s face.


    "Can you take me to the two of them?"


    "Yes! Yes of course!"


    The servant nodded continuously.


    Orion stood up, the servant got his cue and quickly turned around, "Please follow me, Lord Orion."


    Orion was then taken to the two students who just entered the Vesta House and noticed that the two were already surrounded by other Vesta Mages.


    "What? He refused toe? How arrogant!"


    "Yeah! A Vesta Mage should stay in the Vesta House! Why would he live somewhere else? Is he trying to say that he is not part of the Vesta Family anymore? And to think that he is a Prospective Heir." Elric spat out.


    For Vaan, his heart was only filled with intense hatred.


    And hearing how Vaan and his ra had decided to stay in a mansion together without anyone but servants around them¡­ this made his heart boil in rage.


    ''That bitch hasn''t talked to me ever since the Elemental sh and is now living together with that bastard! If only I could get a chance to spar against him! I''ll show him the consequences of messing with me!''


    "Lord Orion."


    A student spoke as he nced at Orion who walked into the room.


    Seeing Orion walking in, Vaelen quickly stepped forward and, "Lord Orion, it is Vaan who rejected our offer, it has nothing to do with me. I hope you understand.


    I was nning to give him a discount on the rent because of the mistake I made, but I cannot do anything if he doesn''t want it.


    I also heard that the Mansion he is living in is quitevish, our situation is not very optimal these days, so if he piles up massive depth because of his careless spending, we wouldn''t be able to help him."


    Hearing those words, a satisfied smile appeared on Elric''s face. He wanted nothing more than to see Vaan''s downfall with his own eyes, piling up a massive debt because of his stupidity was a good start.


    His wishes, however, were drowned in cold water as one of the new mages spoke up,


    "Young Master Vaan doesn''t have to pay any rent for that mansion, it was given to him for free."


    "What?"


    "Didn''t you say they were living in Celestial Garden!? There is no way they would give that ce for free to anyone! It is one of the most premium mansions that those no-name clubs could get their hands on.


    It is pretty much the face of their club! Why would they rent it out for free!?"


    Elric couldn''t understand.


    "W-Well, from what we could tell, they must have wanted a Star Student on their side."


    "A Star Student!? Vaan is a Star Student!? How is that possible!? He is only a 2nd Circle Mage!" Elric was shocked.


    "Did he reveal his Advanced Circles?" Lirael questioned.


    She didn''t want to admit it, however, Vaan''s Advance Circle was a discovery that could even give him multiple stars, let alone one, after all, those circles improved a Mage''s strength by an unreasonable degree and the advantage they provide only gets stronger with the Mage.


    The other mages including Elric started thinking as well.


    If it was Advanced Circles, then he could definitely be a Star Student.


    "It wasn''t Young Master Vaan, it was Lady ra who became the Star Student."


    The Mage revealed. "Once the other students realized that she was a Star Student, others lost their cool and surrounded us, we were then approached by another man who offered Lady ra the Celestial Garden for free and Young Master Vaan took the offer."


    The mage recalled the entire story and everyone turned silent.


    To live in a ce like Celestial Garden for free¡­


    Even they would have taken that offer if it was given to them.


    "She is a Star student huh¡­" Elric muttered, he was thinking about apletely different thing.


    "Also, Young Master Vaan is not a 2nd Circle Mage, he registered as a 3rd Circle Mage."


    Elric''s ear stood up the moment he heard those words, "What? Are you saying that Vaan lied!?"


    He acted shocked, however, inwardly, a big, wide smile had already appeared on his face. Lying about his level, if it is revealed, Vaan would be expelled in an instant!


    Once that happens, ra would be alone¡­


    "He advanced to 3rd Circle after the Elemental sh ended, no need to be overly dramatic."


    Orion, however, poured cold water on Elric''s dream.


    Not wanting to stay around these children anymore, he walked towards the mage and, "Where is this Celestial Garden? Do you know the location? Can you take me there?"


    "I-I can bring you there, L-Lord Orion!"


    A servant spoke up in a nervous tone.


    "Then let''s leave."


    Orion spoke, the servant nodded and the two of them left.


    ¡­


    "Heh, it is a lot better than I expected, I guess Blonde wasn''t lying. What do you think, ra? Do you like this ce? You need to get used to it since we will be staying here for a long time now."


    Vaan, who was walking around in his new mansion with ra beside him spoke with a smile on his face.


    "S-Shouldn''t we have gone with them? Since we are from the Vesta Family, I believe we should live in the Vesta House¡­" ra replied. She was still thinking about the mages who visited them a few minutes ago.


    "And give up on the chance to live alone with my fianc¨¦e? No way.


    If they wanted us to live in the Vesta House so badly, they should have informed us about it beforehand or should have sent someone to receive us. There is no way I am going after my desires have already been awoken."


    Vaan shook his head.


    "D-Desires¡­?"


    ra''s face turned red as she stuttered.


    A big smile appeared on Vaan''s face, as he then pushed ra to a nearby wall and ced his hand on top of the wall above her shoulder, blocking her escape path.


    "That''s right, my desires."


    "W-What are you talking about?" ra questioned. She could feel her heartbeat increasing because of how close Vaan was.


    Vaan moved his mouth near ra''s ears as he whispered, "I''ll reveal them soon enough, my future wife~


    We have a lot of time to do whatever we want~"


    "To do what exactly?"


    Suddenly, a cold voice was heard.


    Vaan and ra widened their eyes as they quickly stepped away from each other and turned toward the voice.


    "F-Father!"


    Vaan stuttered.


    He couldn''t believe that he was blue-balled again.


    ''What''s the point of getting a private mansion then!? Didn''t that bastard say that the security here is tight!? Then how is he here!?''


    Of course, there was no way a security system could block someone like Orion. Even detecting his presence when he doesn''t want to be known was nigh impossible.


    "What were you trying to do, my dear son?


    I hope you haven''t forgotten your mother''s warning, yes?"


    Orion spoke with a gentle smile on his face.


    "O-Of course, how can I possibly forget it."


    Vaan nodded as a nervous smile appeared on his face.


    ra, on the other hand, closed her eyes in embarrassment, her face waspletely red.


    "Now I finally understand why you rejected the people I sent to get you.


    You are busy creating fantasies of your own huh¡­"


    "T-That''s not it.


    I-It is just that I have already finalized the deal, the club that gave this mansion to us had gone through quite a lot of trouble, you know, the ce is expensive, but they gave it for free, there were quite a lot of formalities they had to go through.


    Wouldn''t it be rude if I simply went away after they had done so much for us? I wouldn''t want toe out as an ungrateful, selfish man at all.


    I am a hardworking, gentle, and kind man."


    "Mhm, I totally get where you areing from."


    Orion nodded continuously.


    Obviously, he wasn''t buying any of the bullshit his son was spouting.


    He simply stared at Vaan, waiting for him to catch up.


    "¡­"


    Vaan turned silent.


    ''Fuck¡­''


    He cursed in his heart.


    To think his dreams would be crushed just when he was about to fulfill them.


    ''My shitty luck¡­'' sighing inwardly, Vaan epted his fate, but then,


    "Just remember what you mother you, do not break her trust."


    "What?"


    "Enjoy your life in the Agresia Academy, son."


    Saying those words, Orion disappeared.

 Chapter 182 First Day of the Academy.

    Chapter 182 First Day of the Academy.


    "Vaan, wake up."


    ra called out.


    "mm?"


    "Wake up, we are going to bete for our first ss," ra spoke with a worried look on her face.


    Vaan then nced at the clock with a sleepy look on his face and a deadpan look appeared on his face.


    "Our ss is that 9, ra. It is only 5 right now¡­"


    "That is correct. We only have 4 hours, now wake up, else we will bete." ra spoke.


    It was their first day in the Agresia Academy so she didn''t want to bete no matter what.


    "ra, we do not have to climb a mountain, cross a river, then walk 500 km to reach our ss. The Teleportation Portal is merely 10 minutes away from here. We can still sleep for three and a half hours and we will still be on time." Vaan spoke in a sleepy voice.


    "No, we cannot do that.


    If we go there by doing everythingst minute, we will look like a mess and it would ruin the Family''s image,


    We need to be presentable on our first day, so wake up and start getting ready." ra didn''t back down. Her master had told her to keep an eye on Vaan and make sure that he doesn''tze around and that is exactly what ra was going to do.


    Vaan, however, had a different n in his mind.


    With an evil smile on his face, he grabbed ra''s hand and then,


    "Ahhh!"


    ra screamed in surprise as Vaan pulled her into the bed.


    "Youe sleep with me as well."


    ra had no way to resist Vaan who had been training his body for a while now. Soon, Vaan''s arm moved around ra''s waist as he then rolled over andpletely brought ra onto the bed.


    The morning bed showed its power as it started taking over ra''s mind.


    What made it even worse was how Vaan was now hugging her from behind. ra could clearly feel his chest touching her back and her face turned red.


    "V-Vaan, we need to wake up."


    She spoke, this time, her tone was much more meek than before.


    "Mhm, we will wake up soon." Vaan nodded with a gentle smile on his face, his eyes, however, were still closed.


    "¡­"


    ra didn''t know what to say.


    Vaan hugging her like this wasn''t embarrassing for her anymore, it made her heart race, yes, however, she felt a strange sense offort when she felt his presence behind her.


    In the end, the strong sense offort from the soft bed and Vaan''s hugpletely took over ra''s mind, and,


    "We need to wake up¡­"


    Saying those words, she closed her eyes and entered the dreand.


    ¡­


    "Aaaaahhh! I told you we should wake up but you pulled me into the bed!"


    ra shouted as she walked around the room in panic when she realized that they werete.


    "ra¡­ there is no need to be worried, we still have an hour¡­" Vaan, who was still lying on the bed spoke in azy tone.


    This time, however, ra did not fall for his tricks, without going near him, she grabbed the nket and pulled it away.


    "Wake up!


    I will tell everything to Master if you don''t."


    This time, she even used threats.


    Vaan had no choice but to wake up.


    "Now go inside."


    ra spoke as she pointed at the bathroom.


    "Are you going toe in with me? It will be much faster than going in one by one, no?" Vaan questioned with a yful smile on his face.


    "We have another bathroom. I''ll use that." ra spoke up, rejecting him in an instant.


    Vaan sighed in defeat.


    ''A man can always try¡­''


    Consoling his inner self, Vaan shook his head as he stood up.


    "Vaan, we are alreadyte, please don''t dy it any further." ra requested with a pitiful look on her face.


    "Alright alright." Vaan sighed as he quickly walked into the bathroom. Once she confirmed he was inside, ra left the room and walked into another bathroom as both got ready for their first day as Academy Students.


    ra was panicking, however, the two of them arrived at their ss 10 minutes early.


    In Agresia Academy, there were Seven Subjects avable for a Mage.


    Basic Elemental Theory: a ss where Magic Theories and Principals are discussed.


    Potion Making: a ss, as the name suggests, discusses Potion making and Alchemy.


    Magic Engineering: a ss thatbines technology with Magic, this was the base of the Academy and the reason why the Academy was so advancedpared to other regions in Agresia.


    Magic Combat: a ss that teachesbat using magic. Topics like how to get an elemental advantage, how to find a better terrain, what spells to use in a battle, the difference between showy and practical spells, and all these various topics are covered here.


    Familiar training: a ss where students learn how to tame Magic Beasts.


    Runecraft: a ss that teaches about Instant Spells and how to inscribe them.


    Leadership and Personality Development: a ss that is not open solely to the Mages, but to all other students as well. This included reading about the general history of the world, teamwork, and leadership skills.


    All these Subjects had 2-hour lectures, twice a week.


    Making it a 28 hours a week curriculum.


    This, however, was only the case for the first month.


    After the First Month of attending all these sses, students were allowed to choose any 3 subjects they wished to pursue going further, making it a 12-hour-a-week curriculum. Of course, students were given the option to change their selected subjects every semester, and they were also allowed to choose more than 3 subjects if they wished for it.


    The required attendance to sit for the semester exam was 25% and the semester exams were almost too easy as well.


    Honestly, the Agresia Academy was Heaven for anyone who simply wished to spend his time roaming around doing nothing, however,


    This was a ce where the Elite gathered.


    The students were not here to roam around and do nothing.


    They were here to leave an impact.


    The Academy gave their students a lot of free time, calcting it ording to the required attendance, the students only needed to attend 8 lectures in the entire month and they were good to go.


    However, the students didn''t waste this time given to them.


    These were the students who strived for excellence, theypeted with each other, they did their best to be better than the others, they participated in the different tournaments held in the Academy, they created Clubs, andpeted with other Clubs, they strived for better positions in the student hierarchy, they worked to get more authority in the Academy, more say amongst their peers,


    They struggled to improve themselves, get ahead of others, and spread their name throughout the Academy.


    That was how the Agresia Academy made it possible for its students to grow.


    The Academy already knew that most of its students were from influential families who already knew what path they were going to take.


    These students did not require teachers who could teach them basic theories about a few subjects, these students already knew their goals and how to achieve them. These students had the best resources and teachers they needed to achieve their goal, in their home.


    The only reason they came to the Academy was to explore the world andpete with students from other influential families.


    And it was not just true for students from influential families either, even the students who didn''t have any substantial background, the very fact that they were able to enter the Academy was enough proof of their excellence.


    The Academy might provide these students the resources to grow further, however, these students didn''t require any sses either. The only things these students sought were excellent teachers who could see their potential and take them in as their personal students and resources.


    In other words, it could be said that all the students in the Agresia Academy only went after one thing, recognition.


    And today, was Vaan and ra''s first day in such an Academy.


    "What was our first ss again?" Vaan questioned as he scratched his head in confusion.


    "It is Basic Elemental Theory," ra replied, grabbing Vaan''s hand that was scratching his hair and holding it.


    A small smile appeared on Vaan''s face, "Then shall we go?" he questioned.


    ra took onest look at Vaan, making sure he looked alright before entering the ss, once she confirmed that, she nodded and,


    "Let''s go."


    The two new students finally walked into their ss and the moment they did, the entire ss turned silent and started muttering amongst themselves.


    "Is that girl a Star Student?"


    "Red hair, Red eyes, mhm, she is the one, ra meheart. A 4th Circle Mage at 21."


    "4th Circle when she is only 21¡­


    How is that even possible¡­?"


    "You think I''d be stuck on 3rd Circle if I knew?"


    "She''s a monster¡­"


    "Well, what did you expect, she is a Star Student."


    "So there is finally a Star Student who is a Mage huh¡­


    And to think she is not a Vesta."

 Chapter 183 Boring First Day.

    <h4>Chapter 183 Boring First Day.</h4>


    "So there is finally a Star Student who is a Mage huh¡­


    And to think she is not a Vesta."


    A student spoke up and hearing his words, Vaan frowned.


    "Oi."


    He called out.


    "What do you mean she is not a Vesta?"


    The reason ra was bullied in her childhood was because she didn''t have the Vesta Blood running through her veins, Vaan knew that it was a sensitive topic for her and even though these students weren''t trying to ridicule ra, she might not take it that way.


    "She is ra meheart, is she not?


    If there is meheart in her name, then doesn''t that mean she is not a Vesta?" the student questioned with a frown on his face.


    "That''s not entirely incorrect.


    Technically she is not a Vesta¡­"


    Vaan nodded in agreement and hearing those words, ra froze.


    "Yet.


    She is not a Vesta yet."


    Vaan spoke with a smile on his face as he tightened his grip around ra''s hand.


    "Yet?" the student titled his head in confusion and as if he had been waiting for this moment all this time, Vaan jumped in.


    "She is only my fianc¨¦e right now, so we are not technically married yet.


    But once we do get married,


    She will be ra Vesta, right?" Vaan turned towards ra and questioned.


    ra simply lowered her head in embarrassment.


    "Wait¡­ you are her fianc¨¦e¡­?"


    One of the students questioned.


    "Of course." Vaan nodded with a proud look on his face.


    Then, he red at all the male students sitting in the ss and, "So don''t get any wrong ideas, alright? She is mine."


    After the case with Elric, Vaan''s possessiveness had shot through the roof. This time, he decided to give out a fair warning to everyone who might have any wrong ideas.


    And just as he expected, he could already see a few students snorted as they looked away with a frustrated look on their faces.


    Using this moment, Vaan made sure to remember these students. He would be more careful whenever these people try to approach his ra.


    ra was an innocent girl who was polite to everyone, due to this, some people might not respect her boundaries, and knowing that full well, Vaan decided to guard his future wife from all these people.


    ''You touch her and I''ll fucking kill you.''


    Vaan swore in his mind.


    "Oh ho? My ss seems quite heated up after their break."


    Suddenly, a yful voice was heard. The students turned toward the woman who just walked into the room and the woman smiled,


    "I also see some new faces today,


    So the new students are finally in, huh?


    Well then, please take your seats, people."


    The teacher spoke with a gentle smile on her face.


    Vaan and ra moved up and sat together, there were around 30 students in the ss and once all the students were settled down, the teacher walked toward the podium and nced at her ss.


    "So? Shall we start the first day with some introduction? I am sure it will help all the new faces we have here. I''ll be the first to start,


    My name is Lyra Everwood, you people can call me Professor Lyra. I''ll be your guide through the intriguing world of Basic Elemental Theory. As a 6th Circle Mage, I''ve had the pleasure of exploring the nuances of elemental magic, and I''m here to assist you in understanding its foundational principles.


    I believe that learning should be an engaging journey, so don''t hesitate to ask questions, share your thoughts, or seek guidance for I''m here to help youprehend and appreciate the beauty of elemental magic."


    Professor Lyra exuded a captivated air of elegance, her presence was a harmonious blend of poise and warmth, highlighted by her graceful and refined demeanor. With chestnut-brown hair flowing down her shoulders, brown eyes that matched those hairs, and a gentle overall appearance, she emanated an aura of approachability and wisdom.


    She wore a flowing robe made of ethereal fabric, the garment was adorned with delicate embroidery. Beneath the robe, she wore a simple yet tastefulbination of cream-colored blouse and trousers that allowed freedom of movement.


    "Now, shall we move to the students?


    Let''s start with the new students, you, the red-haired cutie, shall we start with you?"


    Professor Lyra spoke as she pointed at ra.


    "I-I am ra meheart, a 4th Circle Mage and I am looking forward to learning from you, Professor Lyra."


    "You are a 4th Circle Mage?" Lyra was taken aback.


    She quickly nced at the tablet she had brought with her, then looking through the information of her students, her expression changed,


    "To think there is a Star Student in my ss¡­"


    She then nced at ra and smiled gently, "So you are not just a cutie but also a genius, huh? I am looking forward to seeing how you will perform in the Academy, ra."


    "T-Thank you, Professor." ra lowered her head in embarrassment.


    Professor Lyra smiled, "You can sit down now,"


    She then pointed at Vaan, asking him to introduce himself,


    "I am Vaan Astra Vesta, a 3rd Circle Mage."


    "So you are Lady Astra''s son, huh?"


    "That is correct." Vaan nodded.


    "I have quite a few big names in my ss, I am nervous." The Professor chuckled, then, signaling Vaan to sit, she pointed at other students.


    The introductions went on, as first, Vaan was listening attentively, ording to Astra, the students attending the Agresia Academy were called Elites, so he was looking forward to knowing more about his ssmates, soon, however, Vaan quickly lost his interest.


    As someone from the Vesta Family, his standards were skewed, the Mages in the ss were simply average in Vaan''s eyes and no one in particr attracted his attention. which only discussed the theory part and didn''t talk about practical aspects of Magic, the ss couldn''t keep Vaan''s attention for more than 5 minutes either.


    In the end, Vaan just decided to observe his fianc¨¦e who was listening to the professor''s words with an attentive look on her face.


    "Don''t you already know everything she is teaching? Are you not bored?" Vaan questioned.


    "You should remain attentive in the ss as a disy of respect toward the professor who is teaching us, even if you know the topic, there are chances that you can learn something new."


    ra''s response was simple.


    "¡­"


    Vaan simply stared at the model student sitting right next to him with a deadpan look on his face and didn''t say anything.


    The next 2 hours were one of the longest two hours of Vaan''s life, he couldn''t believe that his first day at the Academy would be this boring. He dreaded thinking about how he would need to spend the entire day sitting through sses like these, but then, the script changed.


    "Oh, so I was right to believe that there are new faces amongst the Mages huh¡­"


    After Professor Lyra walked out of the ss, a bunch of students with swords strapped on their waists walked in with big smiles on their faces.


    The moment they walked in, a heavy atmosphere fell over the ssroom, the old students seemed to know who these people were, and¡­ it didn''t seem like they had any intentions to resist them.


    And as if they already knew that, the group of swordsmen walked into the ssroom with carefree looks on their faces, then the one leading them snorted,


    "Tsk, I can''t believe there are still new Magesing into the academy even now,


    Why would anyone want to choose an upation whose God has already stopped blessing its people?


    Why would you intentionally want to be weaker than others?"


    "Maybe because they are a bunch of pussies who are too afraid to put in actual work and can only bury their heads inside a stupid book all day?"


    "Hahaha! That could be true!"


    "Hahahahaha!"


    The group startedughing.


    "Hey Hey, don''t be like that. There is a Star Student amongst them, you know?"


    As the group continued tough, one of them stepped up and spoke.


    "Oh? A Star Student? Amongst Mages?"


    The others in the group were surprised.


    "Mhm, what was her name again? Right, ra meheart. I heard she is in this ss."


    "ra meheart, eh? That name has a nice ring to it. Maybe she is a beautiful woman looking for a suitable partner? A partner that is not a weakling Mage."


    Big smiles appeared on their faces, they didn''t seem to care about the fact that a Star Student was in this ss.


    After all, why would they?


    As long as they were Basic Mages, Star Student or not, they would still need at least 2 seconds to cast even a single spell, no? Those 2 seconds were far more than enough for them to take care of someone who never once trained her body, especially when the person was a woman.


    "Oi."


    Then suddenly, a student sitting in the ss finally called out.


    "Do you have a Deathwish or something?"

 Chapter 184 What is happening here!?

    Chapter 184 What is happening here!?


    "Oi,


    Do you have a Deathwish or something?"


    A student sitting in the ss spoke up.


    "Huh¡­?"


    The people from the group who just came into the ssroom momentarily froze. It was as if they couldn''t believe that someone actually dared to open his mouth when they were all standing in front of them.


    All of them started looking around, trying to find the person who spoke up, they, however, didn''t have to do that as Vaan stood from his seat and started walking towards them with his hands in his pockets.


    "Who are you?" The student who looked like the leader of the group of swordsmen questioned with a frown on his face.


    He had never seen Vaan before, so he assumed that he was a new student.


    Vaan, however,pletely ignored his question and nced at the sword stuck on the student''s waist,


    "I am guessing you are a swordsman, well, this is a ss for Mages, you are in the wrong ce, leave. You all stink and the smell''s disgustingly bad."


    "What¡­?"


    The leader of the swordsmen raised his eyebrow in surprise. He then turned around and nced at other students,


    "What? Have you people finally found a mouth to speak for your sake?"


    He then nced at Vaan and,


    "Are you the 4th Circle Star Mage everyone is talking about?"


    "Hey Hey, wasn''t her name ra meheart? That sounds like a name of a girl, how can he be ra?"


    Another swordsman spoke up.


    "Heh, he doesn''t look any different, now does he? All mages are a bunch of sissies, no?"


    "That''s right! Hahahaha!"


    "Hahaha!"


    The group startedughing again.


    Vaan''s mouth twitched in annoyance.


    He had to give to these people, they really had a talent for getting on a person''s nerves.


    Honestly, Vaan wanted nothing more than to beat all these idiots up, but before that,


    "I have a question."


    He spoke up.


    "What is it, pretty boy?"


    "From what I know, this building is where Mages study, why are swordsmen like you here?"


    "Hmm? That''s because we were curious."


    "Curious? About what?"


    "About the new 4th Circle Mage who just enrolled into the Academy, you see, hearing the name, I thought she would be quite a beauty, it''s a pity that it turned out to be a man¡­"


    The man sighed.


    "So you came here because you were curious?"


    "Mhm."


    "Do the professors allow that?"


    "Haah? Why would I need permission to roam around my own academy? If there is a rule that stops us from doing that, I am sure someone would stop me, hasn''t happened ever since I am here."


    The studentughed.


    "Right, I guess I was being tame."


    Vaan realized his mistakes as well.


    He was trying to be careful so as not to break any rules, but¡­


    Since when had he been the type of person to do that?


    ''Maybe it is because of Mother''s influence,


    Or¡­''


    Vaan then nced at ra, who was looking at him with a worried look on her face. What others didn''t know was that ra had already absorbed Mana and had circted it through her entire body.


    She was one moment away from casting a spell and the moment she saw someone making an undesired move against Vaan, she would shoot.


    "Hmmm? Who are you looking at?" The student noticed Vaan gazing at ra. His eyes finally fell on the red-haired woman and within a moment, his eyes brightened up,


    "Now that''s what I am talking about!"


    He spoke out loud. Thenpletely ignoring Vaan, the student walked towards ra and,


    "Hello bea-" However, before the student couldplete, he was grabbed from behind and,


    *Smash*


    Vaan pushed him and he shed straight with the rightmost table,


    "Agghh!"


    The edge of the table directly hit his back and he groaned in pain.


    "That''s my fianc¨¦e."


    Vaan spoke in an imposing tone.


    "You fucking bastard!" The student shouted in anger.


    "Do you want to die!?"


    Hearing those words, a wide smile appeared on Vaan''s face as he started walking towards the student,


    "Sure,


    Are you gutsy enough to try?"


    The look on his face was almost demonic.


    "Get him!"


    The student shouted and the other swordsmen rushed at Vaan at the same time, trying to group up on him.


    Vaan didn''t seem intimidated, he was confident in his skills and honestly, the number of instant spells he had with him, even a 5th Circle Mage would have a hard time fighting against him let alone these people.


    He just wanted to use this chance to see how far he can go when he starts bullying others by using these people''s example.


    He wanted to know how flexible the Academy is when it came to this stuff and till now, he only found one thing worthwhile,


    These people were angry, however, they still didn''t take out their swords, Vaan understood that taking out swords inside the ssroom was not allowed and extending the same rule further, this probably was true for the Instant Spells as well.


    Vaan wanted to learn more about these things, however,


    "Fireball."


    *BOOOM*


    A fireball exploded right in front of Vaan and the swordsmen, pushing both of them back and then,


    "Back away."


    ra ordered.


    "I won''t miss the next shot."


    Around her were her 4 Magic Circles shining brightly.


    "Y-You! Are you crazy!? Why would you use Mana when we are in the ssroom!? Don''t you know that the Academy Prohibits the use of Mana, Aura, and Weapons outside of official duels!?"


    One of the swordsmen shouted in anger.


    "And does the Academy allow ganging up on a single person?" ra wasn''t willing to back down and seeing her act like that, Vaan couldn''t help but be proud.


    His ra had grown.


    Maybe he can push forward his ns of recruiting her into the group of bullies he was nning to create.


    ''Being a bully would suit her a lot¡­''


    Vaan muttered inwardly and couldn''t help but chuckle.


    "He attacked Alex first!" The swordsman countered as he pointed at Vaan.


    "You people shouldn''t even be here in the first ce." Vaan simply shrugged.


    "You speak awfully lot for a mere Mage!" The swordsman red at Vaan.


    "And you speak awfully lot for someone who is scared shitless because a Mage used a spell."


    "You Bast-"


    "What is happening here?"


    Suddenly, a loud and imposing voice was heard.


    Then suddenly, an unnatural wind started flowing in the ssroom, clearing away the smoke created from the fireball ra shot.


    A 175 cm tall man walked into the ssroom and with a strict look on his face, he repeated his question,


    "What is all this ruckus?"


    "¡­"


    The students turned silent. The Professor''s eyes fell on the most eye-catching student and,


    "You, do you not know that using Mana is not allowed in the ssroom?" He questioned as he nced at ra.


    Honestly, he was surprised that such a young woman was already a 4th Circle Mage, however, right now, he needed to focus on a more urgent matter.


    ra panicked when she was put into the spotlight like that, however,


    "It is their fault, Professor. They were the ones who barged into our ss and were about to hit me, ra only did it to save me."


    Vaan stepped forward.


    The Professor, however, did not like that,


    "I believe it was clear who I was talking to, no?"


    "I am telling you everything you want to know, am I not?


    Why does it matter who is answering your question?"


    "I am questioning the one at fault here."


    "And I am telling you that it is not her mistake."


    Vaan wasn''t backing down.


    He didn''t respect the 7th Circle Mages back in the Vesta Mansion, let alone a 6th or probably 5th Circle Mages here.


    These people can punish him for all he cares but in no world would he allow anyone to talk to his ra like this.


    The professor narrowed his eyes as he nced at Vaan.


    "I do not care who was at fault here,


    This girl used Mana and that is against the rules of the Academy."


    "So what did you expect us to do? Simply sit back and let these people beat us up?


    The fuck kind of logic is that?


    There are clearly 8 people, who should not even be in this building, standing inside the ss, and then youe, questioning a girl who cast a spell to defend her ssmate and showed enough control over her spell to not hurt even a single student,


    Are you sure you have the authority to be the judge here?"


    "Are you questioning my authority?" The Professor questioned back.


    "I am."


    "What is your name, Student?" the professor questioned.


    "Vaan Astra Vesta."


    The moment Vaan revealed his name, the teacher''s expression changed, and not just him, but the other students who were about to fight Vaan realized something as well.


    "Do you think being Lady Astra''s son will excuse you from following the rules of the Academy? I''ll have you know, even your mother followed the rules of the Academy when she was here."


    "Professor, what my fianc¨¦e did was out of pure self-defense. I do not know about the Academy Rules because honestly, I didn''t bother reading the Academy Rule Book that was passed to me, however, what I do know is that,


    In no world, can self-defense be a reason to punish someone,


    And if I or my fianc¨¦e has broken any rule today simply because we were trying to defend ourselves and are in the wrong ording to your rules.


    Then what''s wrong are these rules and I do not mind meeting the Headmaster of the Academy and helping him correct them."

 Chapter 185 What’s holding you back, buddy?

    Chapter 185 What¡¯s holding you back, buddy?


    "If I or my fianc¨¦e has broken any rule today simply because we were trying to defend ourselves and are in the wrong ording to your rules.


    Then what''s wrong are these rules and I do not mind meeting the Headmaster of the Academy and helping him correct them." Vaan spoke as he stared right into the professor''s eyes without a spec of fear on his face.


    "Heh."


    The Professor, however, just chuckled at Vaan''s words and,


    "Most students here put in so much effort, trying to get their hands on more and more number of Excellence Stars just so they could meet the Headmaster of the Academy and get pointers from him and you want to meet him because you want to ''help him correct the Academy Rules?''


    You are delusional if you think that is going to happen. The Agresia Academy has been around for thousands of years, it carries a legacy that most Families in the world do not and you think you cane here, break its rules, and go against the long-standing legacy by saying that its set of rules are wed?


    The only one you will be meeting today is the Disciplinary Division,


    And it would not just be for your fianc¨¦e here using Mana in the ssroom, but you talking back to an Academy Professor and being disrespectful."


    The Professor threatened, the other students'' expressions changed when they heard the words ''Disciplinary Division''. The Disciplinary Division, as the name suggested, was the Division that ensured Discipline all over the Academy, and in an Academy that was asrge as a Kingdom, the Disciplinary Division was no different than the police.


    It was a Division that was most feared because not only did it have the authority to punish a Student, but also to kick the student out of the Academy regardless of the student''s Family Background.


    For most people, being kicked out of the Academy may not sound like a big deal, after all, all the students here were Elites and they would do well in their lives even if they didn''t attend the Academy.


    Things, however, change when a Student is kicked out of the Academy. The Academy was a stage where the Big Families sent their children topete against each other and show off their capabilities to the entire world. It is a tform for the Big Families to unt the strength of their younger generation.


    Being kicked out of the Academy was proof that the particr student was not even qualified to enter thepetition.


    ''Expelled'' was a mark of worldwide humiliation, not just for the Student, but the Family behind the Student as well.


    The pressure was so strong that in most cases, Families kicked those students out of the Family to save their face, and even then, things did not end,


    Abandoned by his own Family, the student is then forced to fend off for himself, however, most of the forces, fearing the tag of ''Expelled'' would not take him in, the student would be deprived of the resources required to grow stronger and despite being one of the elites, he would end up bing an Average person who would have no choice but to settle in a remote town where no one recognizes him.


    From an Elite with a bright future ahead of him to a person living in some remote town, barely scraping by,


    That was simply how strong the ''Expelled'' Tag from the Elitest Academy in all of the Agresia was.


    This was something Vaan knew as well, him being expelled from the Academy would have an even worse effect since he was a Prospective Heir of the Vesta Family, meaning that he was someone that the Vesta Family acknowledged.


    Someone like him being expelled would thrash down the reputation that the Vesta Family and his mother had built after so many years, the Vesta Family would be a joke in everyone''s eyes and would lose all its connections with other forces, which could even lead to weakening of its strength and authority, marking the downfall of the Family.


    "If the Professor intends to take me to the Disciplinary Division, then I hope the Professor is prepared to take responsibility for whatever happens from now on."


    Vaan spoke up.


    "Are you threatening me?"


    The Professor narrowed his eyes.


    "The Professor decided to pin all the me on me and my fianc¨¦e without even trying to understand theplete situation, now you are threatening to take me to the Disciplinary Division when youpletely understand how it would affect not only me but my family as well.


    Since the Professor is nning to see this through till the end instead of settling the matter here, I just want the Professor to be prepared for whatever consequences it will have."


    Vaan replied as he momentarily nced at ra before turning back to the Professor.


    Noticing that, the Professor finally understood what Vaan was trying to get at.


    In the Agresia Academy, Students weren''t the only ones who werepeting with each other, the Professors were the same as well. Theypeted with each other and in their case, the quality of the students they taught was a big factor that decided the oue of their petition''.


    The higher achievements their students achieved, the better their position would be. It was quite obvious that this led to professors singling out excellent students and getting them on their side.


    A young woman like ra who was already a 4th Circle Mage¡­


    Would he ever find a student better than her?


    When was thest time there was such an exceptional student among the Mages?


    If he could get ra on his side then¡­


    The moment the Professor thought to this point, he realized something and nced at Vaan again.


    "She is ra meheart, a 21-year-old 4th Circle Mage, a new Star Student who enrolled in the Academy yesterday,


    She is also my fianc¨¦e, Professor.


    She only used Mana in the ssroom because these swordsmen, who, for some reason were inside a building that was allotted to Mages, were ganging up on me and were about to attack me.


    She was merely trying to protect me and to do that, she had no choice but to use Mana.


    She also made sure not to hurt any students, but if Professor still thinks that she and I deserve to be taken to the Disciplinary Division, then we would have no choice but to follow the Professor''s arrangement."


    Vaan spoke with a slight smile on his face, then he turned towards ra and,


    "Let''s prepare to leave ra, I think we would need to meet the people from the Discipl-"


    "Wait!"


    Suddenly, the professor spoke up.


    "What is it, Professor?"


    Vaan questioned with an innocent look on his face.


    The Professor, however, nced at the leader of the swordsmen who entered the ss and,


    "You! What were you doing here? Answer me."


    "W-What?"


    The student didn''t know how suddenly he was the one being questioned. "What are you acting all surprised for!? Answer my question, what were you doing here!?"


    "W-We only came here to v-visit a friend." The student stuttered.


    "Who is that friend?"


    The Professor narrowed his eyes as he interrogated even further.


    Honestly, he already knew that these students had no ''friend'' here. It was not his first time seeing them, he had seen this group of students bully other mages as well. The only reason he did not do anything about it was because there was no point in doing so.


    The Mages were physically weak. Not just that, their mental strength and persistence wasckingpared to these students who trained their body every single day. Most mages coward in front of swordsmen.


    It was humiliating to admit but in truth, mages were considerably weakerpared to swordsmen and very few mages actually tried to stand against them.


    The fact that there hadn''t been a single Star Student amongst Mages ever since Astra Elysia Vesta had left the Academy didn''t help either.


    The Professors didn''t bother intervening because if they did and the matter evolved to the point where the swordsmen challenged mages to a battle, it would only lead to another humiliating defeat that would not only be bad for the students'' state of mind but the professors'' record as well. Now, however, things were different.


    The Mages finally had another Star Student, not just that, the only son of the previous Star Student had enrolled in the Academy as well.


    If it were them¡­


    "Answer me, who is that friend? If you do not, then the one going to the Disciplinary Division will be you."


    "¡­"


    The student tried to look around the ss, trying to find a weaker target to go along with his act and be his ''friend.''


    However, before he could re at anyone and make him submit,


    Vaan stepped right in front of his face, blocking his vision,


    "What are you looking around for?


    Just say the name of your friend you came so far to meet,


    What''s holding you back, buddy?"

 Chapter 186 You are coming to the Disciplinary Hall\

    Chapter 186 You areing to the Disciplinary Hall


    "What are you looking around for?


    Just say the name of your friend you came so far to meet,


    What''s holding you back, buddy?"


    Vaan spoke with a big smile on his face, the student red at him in anger, clearly, he didn''t appreciate Vaaning up to him like this.


    Vaan, of course, couldn''t care less about what the student was thinking.


    He simply stared back at him as the two had a little staring contest.


    The tension in the air rose, however, knowing that he had toe up with an answer here, the student pointed in a random direction and,


    "That guy, I came here to meet that guy."


    Amused, Vaan turned around, looking at the ''guy'' the student pointed out, and suddenly,


    "Would you look at that?


    The guy you actually came here for is in fact, a girl."


    Vaan chuckled.


    The Student, however, didn''t give in and,


    "That''s because you were standing in front of me blocking my vision, you idiot.


    I was talking about the guy sitting in front of that girl."


    "M-Me?" The Mage sitting in front of the girl widened his eyes in surprise.


    "Oh? Even your friend here seemed to be surprised by the fact that he is your friend.


    I am no human psychology expert, but it doesn''t look like you are pointing at the right person, bud."


    Vaanmented with a big smile on his face.


    Just from his smile alone, people could tell how much he was enjoying this situation. He wanted this person to dig an even deeper grave.


    "He is that friend I was talking about. You can ask him if you would like, right blue head?" The Student red at the Mage.


    "I¡­ uhh¡­"


    The Mage panicked.


    Obviously, the swordsman wasn''t his friend, however, if he said that out loud, then he would be singled out and targeted by him and his group in the future. It would never end well for him and his and his family''s reputation might even be ruined if is constantly bullied in the ssroom.


    In the end, after thinking it through, the Mage was about to lie and nod at the swordsman''s word but then,


    "So that person is your friend huh¡­"


    Vaan jumped in.


    "You can ask him if you wan-"


    The swordsman replied as he was about to walk towards the Mage in order to intimidate him further, Vaan however, simply shook his head and,


    "No, no, I have no reason to doubt you, I believe your words."


    He shrugged.


    Hearing that, everyone else in the ssroom frowned in confusion. Everyone could tell what sort of mental battle was happening all this while, but for Vaan to back out of the situation like this¡­


    None of the people here could understand the reason behind this.


    Even the swordsman himself seemed confused about the situation, however, seeing that he was being given a free pass out of the situation, he simply smiled and,


    "That is wha-"


    "I mean, there is no way you and your friend here would lie in front of a professor, correct?"


    Vaan suddenly spoke up. He then nced at the Mage sitting on his seat and,


    "I don''t know much however, I think lying to a professor when the Disciplinary Hall has been brought up would have very serious consequences.


    Also, investigating whether the two of you are friends or not doesn''t really sound so difficult, of course, we don''t need to do it since you both agree but if we actually do it, and by chance, it turns out that you are indeed lying,


    Then I don''t know about my swordsman buddy here, but¡­


    My Mage buddy¡­


    That would put a tag of a ''coward'' on your and your family''s name.


    If you are lying, that is.


    Which, I am sure you are not."


    Vaan smiled brightly and turned towards the professor,


    "Professor, the two of them are indeed frie-"


    "No!"


    Suddenly, the mage spoke up.


    Vaan''s smile widened, he didn''t interrupt his ssmate and simply prepared to watch the show,


    "I made a mistake, I confused him with someone else,


    I do not know this person."


    "You-" The swordsman red at the Mage but again, Vaan appeared right in front of him, and,


    "Seems like you can''t lie your way out of this, buddy."


    "You bastard! You think you can get awy-"


    "Enough."


    The Swordsman lost control over his anger and cursed Vaan, however, before he could speak anything else, the professor, who had been watching this whole time spoke up, his voice carrying absolute authority,


    "You, what is your name?"


    The Professor questioned as he pointed at the swordsman.


    "Alex Sunde."


    The swordsman answered.


    "You and your friends will being to the Disciplinary Hall with me."


    "But Prof-"


    Alex wanted to retort,


    "I believe I have already heard enough.


    Now follow me."


    The Professor ordered as he turned around, not giving Alex any chance toe up with a retort.


    Alex, on the other hand, clenched his fists in frustration, since the Professor had already ordered, he had no other choice but to follow his words.


    He red at Vaan one more time and,


    "This will bite you back."


    He spoke in a spiteful tone.


    "Don''t worry, I am used to it since the Dog I once kept in my house also had a habit of biting."


    Vaan smiled.


    "Yo-"


    "Alex Sunde, do I need to repeat myself?"


    Alex wanted to retort, however, the Professor''s voice was heard. He then snorted and walked away, his group following his steps.


    "The rest of you are to attend your remaining sses."


    The Professor ordered from outside the room as he then took away the group of swordsmen who hade here to cause trouble.


    After the professor left, ra rushed towards Vaan and,


    "V-Vaan, I-I apologize, because of m-"


    "You did the right thing, I wouldn''t have been able to fight against all of them."


    "B-But I nearly got us in troub-"


    "ra, did you forget what I told you?


    Be more confident, arrogant even,


    I am here.


    You did nothing wrong.


    If you hadn''t used a Spell, I would have used an Instant Spell to protect myself and in the process, I would have injured a few of them.


    That would have led to an even moreplicated situation.


    You saved me from making a mistake."


    Vaan spoke as he gently cupped ra''s cheek.


    "Alright lovebirds, we get the two of you are happily engaged, now can you stop rubbing it on our face?"


    Suddenly, an annoyed voice was heard.


    Vaan and ra turned around and saw a woman standing with her hands on either side of her waist, the woman had long purple hair, purple eyes, the rest of her features were quite sharp as well, what grabbed most of the attention was the mole right under her left eye and her pink lips.


    She was an attractive woman and unlike her tone that sounded unhappy, she had a smile on his face as she walked towards Vaan and ra, and,


    "Nice to meet you two,


    I know you didn''t bother hearing our names when we were introducing ourselves, so let me do it again,


    I am Vya Haze, a 3rd Circle Mage."


    "Vaan Astra Vesta, a 3rd Circle Mage."


    "I-I am ra meheart, a 4th Circle Mage."


    Vaan and ra introduced themselves.


    "Yes, everyone in the ss knows who you two are. Unlike you, we pay attention when others introduce themselves."


    Vya chuckled as she nced at Vaan.


    "¡­I-I apologi-"


    ra was about to apologize but Vaan quickly held her hand, stopping her.


    He really needed to fix ra''s attitude, he thought she got better when she kicked Elric at the right ce but¡­


    ''I guess that''s only when her battle mode is on¡­''


    Vaan realized how important it was to prepone his ns. He had to teach cuss words to his ra and make sure she started using them more often.


    That would definitely give her some confidence.


    ra looked into Vaan''s eyes,pletely understanding what he was thinking about.


    "Uhh, do you really have to do that right on my face? Why are you staring at each other in the middle of the ssroom."


    "I noticed that you seemed jealous, so I was trying to see how far I could go before you lose your temper," Vaan replied.


    "¡­" Vya stared at him with a deadpan look on her face.


    "W-We should attend the next ss, we are alreadyte."


    ra spoke up.


    "You two also attend the Magicbat ss?" Vya was surprised, soon, however, she realized,


    "Right, the two of you are new, you are required to attend all the sses."


    "The next ss is Magic Combat?" Vaan questioned.


    "It is." ra nodded.


    A wide smile appeared on Vaan''s face,


    "Now that sounds interesting."


    Hearing those words, Vya simply smiled as she stared at Vaan.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?" Vaan frowned.


    "No reason~" Vya chuckled as she walked away.


    "We are gettingte, let''s leave."


    She spoke.


    ra grabbed Vaan''s hand and pulled him to the ss and 2 hourster, Vaan finally realized why Vya smiled at him,


    ''Who in the hell teaches theory in a ss named Magic Combat....''


    He cursed inwardly.


    ''What a terribly boring Academy, there''s nothing fun here.''


    Vaan thought inwardly, but then, he was forced to take his words back,


    "Vaan Astra Vesta and ra meheart,


    The two of you are summoned to the Disciplinary Hall."

 Chapter 187 There are times when even the Prodigies give birth to less fortunate.

    Chapter 187 There are times when even the Prodigies give birth to less fortunate.


    "Vaan Astra Vesta and ra meheart,


    The two of you are summoned to the Disciplinary Hall."


    As the Magic Combat ss ended, Vaan and ra, who were about to leave and attend theirst ss of the day, were stopped by the same professor who had taken those swordsmen to the Disciplinary Hall a few hours ago.


    "¡­"


    All the students in ss were surprised, they thought the matter was settled down, but to think the Professor would return like this¡­


    "But Professor, wasn''t it those swordsmen who walked into our ss to cause trouble? Why are they being summoned when it was not their mistake?"


    Vya tried to stand up for Vaan and ra, the professor, however, shook his head and,


    "I have no control over this matter anymore, since a Professor from the Sword Division is there as well, our level of authority is shing with each other, soplete control has been given to the officers of the Disciplinary Hall and they want Vaan and ra to be present.


    "Are they¡­ appealing against our ims?" Vya questioned with a grave look on her face.


    The Professor nodded his head, a grave look appearing on his face as well.


    Vaan and ra were fairly new to all of this, so they couldn''t understand it as well as the others, the rest of the mages, however, could tell where this was going and they did not like the direction the things were proceeding.


    "Is it going to be another battle?"


    Suddenly, one of the old students couldn''t hold himself back any longer and questioned.


    "The chances of that happening are indeed high¡­"


    The Professor nodded.


    "But why? It was obviously those swordsmen who were in the wrong!"


    Vya shouted.


    This was clearly unfair.


    "¡­"


    The Professor didn''t say anything.


    "Uhh¡­ can you people tell us what''s going on? It feels weird to see you react like that when I have no clue what you are talking about. It feels like I am watching a movie without watching the first part of the story."


    Vaan spoke up and although ra didn''t say anything, from her expression, she seemed confused as well.


    "¡­" The Professor stared at Vaan and ra for a while.


    "Juste with me. You will understand everything once we reach there."


    "Sure."


    Vaan shrugged.


    From what he heard, all of this was leading to a battle.


    If that was the case, then he didn''t mind that at all.


    After all, this was the whole reason he came to the Academy in the first ce.


    To bully the students here.


    Seeing his confidence, the Professor stared at him for a while, then, without saying anything, he turned around, expecting Vaan and ra to follow him.


    The two of them did as he expected, he took them to the Disciplinary Hall, all the way, he did not utter even a single word, this made ra panic. Vaan, on the other hand, used this chance to gently hold her hand and smile at her.


    "Don''t worry, I am here."


    He spoke in a gentle tone.


    ra nodded, tightly holding onto Vaan''s hand. For some reason, Vaan''s words always seemed to calm her down.


    The professor who was leading them noticed how the two had entered apletely different world, he wanted to say something, however, he allowed the two to enjoy the moment and,


    "They will try to intimidate you, do not give in."


    He spoke.


    "Yes, Professor."


    Vaan replied confidently.


    "¡­"


    The Professor momentarily paused.


    Honestly, if it was any other student, he would have thought that he was simply maintaining a strong front, this man, however, was different.


    He was the same person who was manipting him using his words just a few hours ago.


    Vaan was arrogant, excessively arrogant, and the Professor doubted someone like him would be intimidated by anyone there.


    The problem, however, was the girl next to him.


    Even though she was a 4th Circle Mage, for some reason, her personality was timid and the Professor was sure that the Sword''s Professor would notice that in an instant and might try to target her.


    "You as well, they will try to target you, do not give in and continue to pin the me on those people who barged into your ss and interpreted with your studies, okay?"


    The Professor spoke as he nced at ra.


    "Y-Yes."


    With a determined look on her face, ra nodded, tighteningly her hold around Vaan''s arms in the process.


    The Professor nced at the two students onest time before he finally took them to the Teleportation Portal and the next second,


    The three of them were in front of the Disciplinary Hall.


    They went into a certain room inside the Disciplinary Hall, inside, their eyes fell on Alex and his group who all had disdainful smiles on their faces. In front of the swordsmen, there stood a nearly 176 cm tall woman with long brown hair, dark brown eyes, and a strict look on her face.


    From the sword attached to her waist, it was clear that she was a swordsman as well, her aura, however, was much more overpowering than these students.


    She was Professor Lavender, one of the faculties of the Swords'' Division.


    Other than her, there were three other people inside the room. These three were from the Disciplinary Hall and had the most intimidating aurapared to everyone here, for the people meeting them for the first time, these three definitely stood out and it wasn''t a surprise for them to see students stuttering in front of them.


    "Vaan Astra Vesta and ra meheart?"


    The one standing in the middle of the three Disciplinary Hall members questioned as he nced at Vaan and ra, he looked like the one with the highest authority in the room and the person who was in charge of the matters here.


    Vaan nodded, ra doing the same when the man looked at him.


    "Do you know why you are called here?" The man questioned.


    "Professor Asil told us that it would be better to learn about the matter from the one in charge," Vaan replied.


    Professor Asil was the Professor who brought them here.


    The man nodded and then,


    "ra meheart broke the rules of the Academy and used Mana inside the ssroom, do you ept?"


    He spoke with a strict look on his face.


    ra momentarily flinched, however,


    "The students who had barged into our ss were about to attack me, even when they were swordsmen with better physical capabilities than me, they still ganged up and decided toe at me together,


    ra did what she did to protect me."


    "Doesn''t change the fact that she used Mana." The man spoke.


    "It does, if she hadn''t done that, in desperation, I would have used an Instant Spell in desperation and would have killed a few of these students by mistake.


    That would have made matters worse since the Vesta Family wouldn''t be providing any exnation since what I did was done out of desperation and self-defense and the Academy would have been held responsible for not being able to ensure student''s safety inside the campus."


    Vaan shrugged and the moment he said those words, a heavy silence descended on the ce.


    Professor Asil widened his eyes in horror.


    To think this man would push the me on the Academy instead and would even bring his family into this!


    "Do you realize what you are talking about?" The man in charge narrowed his eyes.


    "I am talking about the possible sequences had ra hadn''t done what she did. I''d say she did a great job handling the matter without hurting anyone.


    I am a new student here, so I still need some time to settle in, however, the fact that the students from the Sword Division were inside the building of the Magic Division, even going as far as ganging up on the students of the Magic Division, I do not know whether it was their mistake or the Academy rules allowed them to do so,


    But what I do know is that this matter was handled rather poorly and the results could have been much worse if ra hadn''t interfered"


    Vaan spoke with a confident look on her face.


    "Do not act like my students were the ones who attacked you first, Student.


    It was you who attacked Alex first."


    This time, Professor Lavender, who had been silent this whole time spoke up as she stared at Vaan.


    "If you had control over hands, this matter wouldn''t havee this far."


    "I was feeling threatened. These people had swords attached to their waist while I had no weapon, it was a normal human instinct to attack first and try to take the tactical advantage in a fight.


    I felt like he was attacking me, so I took action first."


    Vaan shrugged.


    "You bastard! I didn''t even touch my sword and had no ns to attack you!"


    Alex shouted.


    Vaan, however, simply shrugged,


    "I have no way to know that.


    This is why I said, students from the Swords Division shouldn''t be allowed in the Magic Division in the first ce,


    It creates unnecessary conflicts."


    "You¡­!"


    Alex was frustrated, but then,


    "Vaan Astra Vesta, we can have a go at it all day trying to debate who was wrong and who was in the right here and we would get nowhere,


    So why don''t we save both our times and settle the matter with a duel like your mother used to do?


    A one-on-one duel between you and Alex,


    The winner bes right regarding the matter and the loser bows his head and offers a public apology,


    Are you up for it?"


    Professor Levander questioned with a slight smile on her face.


    "Of course, you can always reject since¡­ well, you are not your mother. Not every mage from the Vestas can be like Astra Elysia Vesta, now can they? There are times when even the Prodigies give birth to less fortunate."

 Chapter 188 That was an Option?

    Chapter 188 That was an Option?


    "Of course, you can always reject since¡­ well, you are not your mother. Not every mage from the Vestas can be like Astra Elysia Vesta, now can they? There are times when even the Prodigies give birth to less unfortunate." Professor Levander spoke with an amicable smile on her face.


    "Hmph! What an obvious provocation!"


    Professor Asil snorted.


    "Although no one would fall for such a provocation, I have to say, a Professor trying to provoke a Student, that too in the Disciplinary Hall, it is quite a disappointing sight."


    "I am simply stating obvious things, I am not trying to provoke anyone here."


    "Haah! As if anyone here would believe that.


    The Professors in the Swords Division sure have gotten much more brazen, to think that you would suggest a duel between a Mage and a Swordsman even though it is a well-known fact that Mages are used for their high attack power and are weak in one-on-one battles. Swordsmen on the other hand excel in one-on-one battles, the duel you are suggesting is unfair.


    If you really wish topete, then how about wepete in Mystic Power Tournament? How about it?"


    Professor Asil questioned with a smirk on his face.


    Mystic Power Tournament was one of the few tournaments where the Mages reigned supreme. In this Tournament, an Artifact created by the Magic Engineering Division, which is supposed the calcte the strength behind a certain attack, is used.


    Different Students disy their best attacks and the one with the highest evaluation wins.


    And of course, Mages, who were given all the time in the world to cast the strongest of their spells, always win this tournament by arge margin, even the Star Students from other Division perform nowhere close to even the weakest Mages that participate in the tournament.


    "Heh, and to think you called me out on being unfair." Professor Levander snorted.


    There was no way she was going to ept such a challenge.


    "If you do not wish to duel, then you can simply reject it, there is no need toe up with absurd suggestions.


    We can let the people of Disciplinary Hall proceed with the case as it is supposed to be.


    No rule restricts the entry of Students of a particr Division to the buildings of another Divisions. Your student was the one who attacked my student first, let the case proceed and I am sure the real offenders will be summoned soon enough."


    Professor Levander spoke dismissively.


    She wanted to take the students of her Division and leave, but then,


    "Wait, we had an option to duel it out all along?"


    Vaan spoke with a frown on his face.


    Professor Levander momentarily froze before a small smile appeared on her face as she turned towards Vaan,


    "Since two people have a problem with each other, then isn''t battling it out like true warriors the best way to solve the problem?


    All the students in the Academy are here topete with one another anyway, no?


    Why burden the Disciplinary Hall over minor matters like these? Simply battle it out, the winner bes right, while the loser is put in the wrong. Just like how things y out in the real world.


    The only question is¡­


    Are you willing to face this reality of the real world right now, or are you going to face it when the real world itself shoves it right in front of you?"


    It was another subtle provocation in hopes of getting Vaan to ept the challenge, honestly, even Professor Levander herself didn''t have any expectations, after all, no mage would ept a one-on-one duel against a Swordsman.


    The only reason Professor Levander had any hopes in the first ce was because Vaan was a new student and from the way he carried himself, he looked conceited.


    An overconfident Young Master who has just left his Family and entered the Academy, he didn''t have any time to get used to this academy or see how things y out here. The chances that he was still in a simr zone like when he was inside the Vesta House were there.


    Vaan, having never fought an actual swordsman before, might actually ept the challenge because of his usual arrogance.


    And,


    That was exactly what Vaan did,


    "So I only need to fight this guy and this entire thing farce be over?" Vaan questioned as he turned towards the lead officer of the Disciplinary Hall.


    "Of course! If you fight and win, not only the matter regarding your fianc¨¦e using Mana inside a ssroom would be dropped, but my students would also ept their mistakes and will offer a public apology."


    Seeing that Vaan was actually biting the bait she threw, a big smile appeared on the Professor''s face.


    Professor Asil, on the other hand, quickly turned towards Vaan and,


    "Vaan! What are you doing!? He is a Swordsma-"


    "Yes, teach, I know he is from the Swords Division. I was actually disappointed that I would need to wait for an Inter-Division Tournament to kick his ass but to think that there is such an interesting option avable all along.


    Not only do I get to beat him up, but it will also solve all the problems.


    The Academy is indeed an interesting ce."


    Vaan had a bright smile on his face.


    "Right? The Academy always promotes suchpetition amongst the students, after all, this is how one would grow, no?" Professor Levander smiled brightly.


    At the same time, she was also holding her Aura to stop Alex from acting out.


    She momentarily looked back, staring right into Alex''s eyes, she could feel his frustration, however, she needed to solve this matter first.


    Also,


    Wasn''t it better to get your revenge in front of a big crowd?


    Not to mention that defeating a Vesta, not just any Vesta but the only son of the Family Head, it would also be seen as an achievement.


    "¡­" Alex, who understood what his professor was trying to do turned silent and decided to hold it in.


    Vaan on the other hand, nced at the people from the Division Hall and questioned,


    "Does this mean that I am allowed to do anything here and as long as I beat that person up, I will be proven right?"


    "It depends whether the other party epts your challenge or not, if they do not and you turn out to be guilty in our eyes, then you will be punished ording to the rules of the Academy."


    "Ah right, there is also an option to reject the challenge.


    Some bitches would do that, I agree."


    Vaan nodded in understanding.


    "¡­"


    The man observed Vaan for a while and didn''t say anything.


    Vaan was arrogant, he had already established that fact in his mind. He could also tell this would not be his first time seeing this student here.


    What he was much more interested to know, however, was whether this student was simply too arrogant to face reality and would often be led on by others who would try to take advantage of him, or did he actually have what it takes to back up his arrogance?


    ''Orion Ravenshadow''s son huh¡­''


    The man muttered inwardly as he nced at Vaan.


    He was looking forward to seeing how things would y out from here on out.


    "Anyways, when are we doing it?"


    Vaan turned towards Professor Levander and questioned.


    "Tomorrow."


    Professor Levander smiled.


    "Tomorrow?" Vaan seemed surprised.


    "You can tell me if you need more time to prepare."


    "Oh not at all, I was just surprised to see things moving forward this efficiently, you see, I normally don''t find people insane enough to schedule their defeat as quickly as possible.


    I am more used to them trying to dy it, but I do agree with the way the Professor thinks,


    It''s better to lose quickly, humiliate yourself, and get done with it, rather than trying to postpone it and continuously dreading the day when you would run out of ways to run away."


    Vaan nodded with a smile on his face.


    This time, even Professor Levander''s mouth slightly twitched in annoyance when she heard Vaan''s words, however, she did not lose control over her emotions. She kept her usual smile on her face and,


    "Alright then, Vaan Astra Vesta, the details regarding the challenge will be updated on your SIC by evening,


    I wish you luck for tomorrow''s battle."


    "Mhm, I won''t wish you luck since that would be a waste, but I hope you do well in life in general, Professor."


    "Sir, as you can see, the two parties havee to an agreement, the Disciplinary Hall does not have to investigate this matter any further."


    Ignoring Vaan''s words, Professor Levander turned towards the people from the Disciplinary Hall and spoke.


    The man nodded, the two parties soon excused themselves and returned to their respective Divisions.


    Vaan and ra attended theirst ss of the day and as they returned,


    *Buzz*


    Vaan''s SIC vibrated,


    Just like Professor Levander said, the details of tomorrow''s challenge were updated on his SIC.

 Chapter 189 It would be quite disappointing, Son.

    Chapter 189 It would be quite disappointing, Son.


    *Buzz*


    Vaan''s SIC vibrated,


    Just like Professor Levander said, the details of tomorrow''s challenge were updated on his SIC.


    *Buzz*


    While Vaan was reading all the details of the challenge, his SIC vibrated again.


    "V-Vaan¡­"


    Suddenly, ra called out.


    Vaan turned towards her, and ra pointed at her SIC, Vaan noticed another page that was opened up.


    "Is that an Article?"


    He questioned as he narrowed his eyes.


    As an invention created by the Magic Engineering Division of the Agresia Academy, the SIC wasn''t just a random Identification Card that was given to every student.


    It served countless other purposes and Articles was one of them.


    These Articles were published by the Media Division, different students belonging to different clubs were part of this Division, and the clubs had different levels of poprity depending on the quality and timing of different posts they published.


    The more ''following'' a club had, the more ''reach'' its Articles had.


    It was simr to news channels broadcasting news articles on modern Earth, the better the channel, the higher its reach.


    Anyways, the SIC allowed the students to read these Articles, some Articles even required Academy Points to be read, but that was a topic to be talked about at a different time.


    This was the 1st day of the Academy, so students didn''t expect there to be any new articles, that expectation, however, turned out to be false.


    Right after Vaan received the Details of his tournament, an Article was published by one of the most popr Article clubs in the entire Academy titled, ''The Vesta''s hope against a growing swordsman.''


    "The Vesta''s Hope, huh¡­


    They are making it quite dramatic."


    Vaan chuckled as he read the article that was published on his and ra''s SIC.


    Just from the title alone, he could tell how it was worded. He continued reading and just as he expected,


    It first talked about how the Vesta Family lost their House before then proceeded to talk about the achievements the Vesta Students of this generation have made so far,pared it to the Vesta Students of the past Generation, students like Astra, Risia, and Draven.


    The article indicated how the new generation of the Vesta Family isckingpared to the past Generation Vesta Family and then they finally mentioned how Vaan joined the Academy and instantly challenged a swordsman to a duel.


    It printed him like a ''Hero'', the ''Hope'' of the Vesta Family, and although it may sound like the article was rooting for him,


    Vaan was 100% sure that the one who wrote this letter worked for the Swords Division.


    The Article even contained all the details of the Challenge, the details that he had officially received just now,


    There is no way a mere club run by a group of students would have the power to get their hands on these details this quickly.


    The only person who came to Vaan''s mind was Professor Levander.


    Although he didn''t have any evidence, Vaan was sure that she was the one behind this article, she was the one who went to this club and told them to publish this article.


    Yes, he was framed as a hero, however, Vaan could tell that it was only done to ce him to a certain level before pushing him to the point where he would never stand back again.


    Making it the hope of the Vesta Family and then crushing him in front of all, it would not only humiliate him but the entire Vesta Family.


    It was a way to ''Mark'' the fall of the Vesta Family.


    ''All Seeing Eye huh¡­''


    Vaan remembered the name of the Club that published this Article.


    To go against the Vesta Family in such a way, even if they were ordered to do it, it was not something Vaan could ignore.


    ''The Family''s situation is worse than I thought¡­''


    Vaan noted. No power in the outside world would ever dare to pass suchments against the Vesta Family, even if they were forced to do so, in the Academy however, for an article like this to be published¡­


    ''So that''s why mother sent me here¡­''


    A grim look appeared on Vaan''s face.


    Seeing that expression, ra teared up. "All of this happened because I used Man-"


    She was about to me herself but Vaan simply ced his hand on her head and,


    "You have a bad habit of forgetting the things I say to you, it is quite annoying."


    "B-But-"


    "Don''t worry, whatever they are doing is good for us.


    They want to paint me as the Hope of the Vesta Family, don''t they?


    I''ll turn that into a reality.


    I''ll be the hope.


    A Hope that they will never be able to crush in their entire life.


    A Hope that will crush all their Hopes."


    A wide smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    "But the one you will be fighting is a swordsman, you have never fought a swordsman before, won''t you need time and experience to n the battle out?" ra questioned.


    "Heh, the only thing I need to do right now is to get rest."


    Vaan chuckled as he then grabbed ra''s hand and,


    "Let''s go to our room, ra. It was a long day so I was quite tired. I need to be with you so that I get proper rest."


    "B-But it is only evening¡­"


    rained.


    "As I said, it was a long day, I am still not used to such a hectic schedule, so I am much more tired than I thought, aren''t you the same?"


    "I-It was hectic but I still think we should train instead of¡­"


    "We can''t overtrain, I need to be in the best shape for tomorrow''s battle."


    "But we haven''t even trained, how are we on the overtraining part already¡­"


    "Don''t think too much, juste with me."


    In the end, since he couldn''t think of any other excuse, Vaan directly picked ra up like a princess and walked into their room.


    "A-At least let me change my clothes¡­" ra requested, her face was red because of how embarrassed she was.


    "Right, the uniform¡­"


    Vaan realized.


    "We should freshen up before we rest, I agree." He nodded as he then turned towards the bathroom.


    "N-No!"


    This time, ra''s resistance was stronger than Vaan expected, unknown strength filled her body as she jumped away from his arms, rushed into the bathroom, and locked herself in.


    "I-I will do i-it alone!"


    "Tsk¡­"


    Vaan sighed in disappointment.


    He was trying to act as naturally as he could, but it was too difficult to fool his fianc¨¦e. In the end, he just sighed and moved out of the room, walking towards another bathroom.


    "You seem quite calm for someone who is about to fight a swordsman."


    Just as Vaan was about to open the door of the bathroom, he heard a voice and paused.


    Then, a smile appeared on his face as he sighed,


    "Should I rather be scared, Father?"


    Vaan questioned as he turned around and nced at Orion.


    "Seeing how you don''t seem surprised, it seems that you were expecting my arrival."


    "I thought you woulde at night, but you came here earlier than I expected," Vaan replied.


    "Do you have a n?" Orion questioned. "You didn''t ept their challenge out of pure arrogance, did you?"


    "Do you truly look down on your son to that extent?" Vaan questioned back.


    "This is the Agresia Academy, Father.


    I do not have absolute power on my side here, I will not act recklessly, please trust me."


    "Your actions seem quite reckless to me," Orionmented.


    "First you went against your own Professor, then you baited him to your side using ra''s status as the Star Student, then you even went as far as raising your voice against the members of the Disciplinary Hall and threatened the Academy using the Family Status,


    If this is not reckless, I do not know what is."


    "Everything did settle down eventually, did it not?


    I even became the Hope of the Vesta Family, doesn''t that put me in a better positionpared to other Prospective Heirs?"


    "You are not thinking about the Battle of Heirs at a time like this, are you?" Orion narrowed his eyes.


    "It would be quite disappointing if you were, son."


    Hemented.


    No matter what, the Battle of Heirs was the Vesta Family''s own matter, if Vaan was thinking about something like this when he was facing the rest of the world¡­ then he was still mature enough toe to the Academy.


    "Father, Alex is a 3-Star Swordsman, he is not someone who can be my opponent, especially if he stands 100 meters away from me in tomorrow''s duel.


    Don''t you think I should use this opportunity to takeplete control over the Family members inside the Academy instead?


    My opponent right now is weak, but the same won''t be true when I face Den Dawncrest and Isabel, the two Star Students of the Swords Division.


    The Dawncrest Family is targeting the Vesta Family, they were the reason why we lost the Vesta House, and now that I am here, they won''t sit back and do nothing,


    They wille for me and at that time, I would need the Vestas to stand behind me and it won''t happen if we are still busy fighting amongst each other to gather as much support as we can.


    We need a leader who can unify our strength, I aim to be that leader before I face the Dawncrest Family, and now, is the best time and opportunity to do that."


    Vaan spoke with a solemn look on his face, an expressionpletely different from the usually careless and easy-to-go Vaan.

 Chapter 190 So he is Lady Astras only son? Doesnt seem very special to me

    Chapter 190 So he is Lady Astra''s only son? Doesn''t seem very special to me


    "We need a leader who can unify our strength, I aim to be that leader before I face the Dawncrest Family, and now, is the best time and opportunity to do that." Vaan spoke with a solemn look on his face, an expressionpletely different from the usually careless and easy-to-go Vaan. "How did you know that the Dawncrest Family was behind it?" Orion questioned.


    "The sses were boring, but that doesn''t mean I was sitting around doing nothing, I did my own bit of research," Vaan replied.


    "Heh, talking with your ssmates does not count as research." Orion chuckled.


    "As long as you get what you want, everything can be called research."


    Vaan snorted.


    Orion just smiled as he stared at his child, then,


    "Hope of the Vesta Family,


    You do realize that once you ept that title will be akin to you epting that the Vesta Family is falling, right?"


    "Father,"


    Suddenly, Vaan called out.


    "Father,"


    Suddenly, Vaan called out.


    "Mother is taking care of the Main Family, so it still stands strong and will remain strong for a long time since the mother will only continue to grow stronger from here on out,


    However,


    Our Family has lost the House that we have been living in for Generations, just the fact that a mere Club agreed to post such article about our Family is enough to prove that¡­


    Vesta Family''s status has indeed fallen in the Agresia Academy."


    "¡­"


    Orion turned silent.


    He was observing his son''s expression, he wanted to find out whether all of this was just him ying around like he usually does, or if he was thinking through his ns and calcting his future steps.


    He wanted to see just how serious Vaan was, therefore,


    "Elric, Leif, Lirael, and Vaelen, all of them have been in Academy longer than you have, don''t you think it would be fair to take this role instead?"


    "It is as you said, they have been in the Academy for so long,


    Since they couldn''t do anything all this time, what could they possibly change now? They do not have what it takes to go against the Dawncrest House and Den Dawncrest, if they did, we wouldn''t be in a situation like this anyway."


    Vaan simply shrugged.


    "Alright then, ''Hope of the Vesta Family'',


    I am looking forward to your performance tomorrow and I know that I do not have to rify it,


    But if you lose,


    There will be hell to see."


    "I was born to win."


    Vaan replied confidently.


    "Heh." Orionughed out loud as he turned around and walked away.


    Confirming that his father had gone away, Vaan exhaled deeply, then, he walked into the bathroom, freshened up, and returned to his room.


    "What took you so long?"


    ra, who was making the bed, questioned with a confused look on her face.


    "Hmm, I was thinking about something important."


    Vaan replied.


    "Is it about tomorrow''s challenge?" ra questioned. A worried look appeared on her face, after all, she was still ming herself for this entire situation.


    "I said I was thinking about something,


    Thinking about what to say after I win tomorrow is not very important, I cane up with it on the spot."


    With a yful smile on his face, Vaan walked towards ra.


    Noticing the smile on his face, ra could tell something was wrong, her movements slowed down as Vaan closed the distance between the two of them,


    "Have you freshened up?" Vaan questioned with a small smile on his face.


    "Y-Yes?"


    ra replied.


    "Is there anything else you have to do now?"


    "I-I need to make dinner."


    "We have maids that will do that for us,"


    "I-I also wanted to practice Magi-"


    "You said you would do it starting tomorrow."


    "¡­"


    ra finally turned silent.


    "So there is nothing else, correct?" Vaan questioned, ra didn''t answer and finally, Vaan hugged his future wife.


    ra''s heartbeat started racing.


    She was embarrassed, but at the same time, staying in this position felt sofortable that she didn''t want to leave. She always tried to avoid this because of her conflicting feelings, however, whenever Vaan gets close to her, her resistance falls down.


    Suddenly, ra felt Vaan''s forehead touching hers, she automatically closed her eyes, she could feel Vaan''s breath on her face, the two of them were close, so close that their lips might touch any moment now,


    Thinking about this, ra''s lips started quivering, she wanted to move forward and touch her lips with Vaan''s, but suddenly,


    Vaan picked her up like a princess, moving his face away from hers in the process.


    Then, he gently ced her on the bed and crawled next to her. The couple looked into each other''s eyes, Vaan then ced his hand on ra''s cheek and,


    "You don''t have to me yourself for what happened, okay? You should already know that Alex is not strong enough to defeat me.


    Those people are simply setting up the stage for me."


    As one of the closest people to Vaan, she knew exactly how strong Vaan was. Honestly, ra couldn''t imagine Vaan losing tomorrow''s battle, the only worrying factor in her mind was the opponent. Neither she nor Vaan had faced a swordsman before while the other party seemed like it was used to fighting mages. She was worried that it might take Vaan by surprise, however, with Vaan reassuring her like then, ra decided not to think about it and trust Vaan.


    "mm."


    ra nodded.


    Vaan smiled, he continued to knead ra''s cheeks, under his caresses, ra closed her eyes, she then moved forward, burying her face into Vaan''s chest like a little cat. Vaan ced his hand over her shoulder and he closed his eyes as well.


    He really was d to choose this ce instead of going to the Vesta House.


    It was probably the best decision he had taken in a while.


    With a big smile on his face, Vaan entered the dreand.


    ¡­


    The next day, Vaan and ra woke up, today however, since he was excited about the challenge, Vaan didn''t make things difficult for ra and got ready without wasting any time. The couple then left their mansion, their destination?


    Mystic Coliseum.


    It was the name of the Battle Arena where Vaan was supposed to fight against Alex.


    Yes, although they did have regr sses today, Vaan was given an Official Leave from the ss. It meant that even if he didn''te to the ss, it would not affect his attendance.


    ra wasn''t given anything like this since she wasn''t participating in any battle and technically, she should be attending the ss right now,


    Vaan, however, didn''t even bother telling her to go since he already knew that she wouldn''t.


    ra was unreasonably stubborn when it came to things like this.


    And¡­ Vaan also wanted his fianc¨¦e to watch the battle.


    After all, wasn''t it a man''s dream to beat people up in front of the person they like? Who didn''t want to be a Hero?


    As the couple walked out of the Teleportation Portal,


    "The two of you will find the Mystic Coliseum as you walk forward." The student working there informed. "I wish you luck, Sir Vaan."


    Vaan nodded at the student with a smile, then, holding ra''s hand, he walked in the direction the student pointed at, and soon, his eyes fell on a Big Arena with a huge line in front of it.


    "All these students are here to watch the battle?" Vaan was surprised.


    "But there are still two hours before the battle starts¡­" ra seemed surprised as well.


    "I guess I am quite popr, eh?" Vaan chuckled.


    Of course, he knew the real reason behind it was the Article that was published yesterday; however, he didn''t mind minor details like these.


    After all, therger the audience, the better.


    "Let''s go," Vaan spoke.


    ra nodded, the two of them walked forward, crossing the huge line.


    "Hey! Where are the two of you going!? Can''t you see the line!?" One of the students called out in anger.


    "Yes! Get in line! Don''t think you two are someone special!"


    More and more students got riled up until¡­


    "Hey¡­


    Isn''t that Vaan¡­?"


    "What? Vaan? Vaan Astra Vesta?"


    "Y-Yeah, I saw the picture in the Article¡­"


    "Yes! That''s Vaan!"


    "So he is Lady Astra''s only son? Doesn''t seem very special to me."


    "Well, we will¡­"


    The students continued to passments, Vaan and ra, however, simply ignored them all and quickly entered the Arena.


    "Vaan Astra Vesta, please follow me, I will take you to your room. Will she being with you?" A student approached Vaan and questioned.


    "That is correct." Vaan nodded.


    The student nodded as he nced at ra, then, he took the two of them to a room.


    "You can stay here till you are called." The student then turned towards ra and,


    "If you wish to watch the battle, you do not have to leave the room, you can see it from the balcony, it is one of the best ces to view the battle. We have already prepared the seating arrangement, there is also the system of ordering refreshments in between the battle."


    "That is quite some preparation." Vaanplimented.


    "That is because we are from the Arcane Assembly Club, one of the Top clubs that manage events such as this regrly." The student replied.


    "Is that so¡­" Vaan nodded.


    "Well, then I guess this won''t be thest time I will see you,


    I''ll make an effort to remember your face."

 Chapter 191 I have anger management issues.

    Chapter 191 I have anger management issues.


    "Well, then I guess this won''t be thest time I will see you, I''ll make an effort to remember your face,"


    Vaan spoke as he nodded to himself.


    "Thank you?" The student tilted his head in confusion.


    Honestly, he liked how confident Vaan sounded even though most people in the Club already knew the results of today''s battle.


    From what he had heard from his higher-up, this entire ''event'' was nothing but the Grand Stage to formally push the Vesta Family down from the high horse it had been riding on for so many generations.


    This entire event was carefully nned out by the Sword Division, they were only providing an outlet.


    ''I guess the opponents need to be this angry for it to be entertaining¡­


    If the Audience isn''t satisfied, the Club''s reputation will go down."


    The Student thought to himself.


    "I still have some work to do, so I will be leaving the two of you alone."


    The student spoke before he walked out of the room.


    Vaan shrugged, he wanted nothing more than for the nuisance to be gone anyway, he however, did not get the peaceful time he was hoping to get,


    "Vaan! What the hell are you doing!?"


    Vaelen barged into the room with an angry look on his face. Together with him, other Vesta''s Direct Descendants were here as well.


    "I excused you when you said you didn''t wish to live together with the other members of the Vesta Family, but now you are acting out and have already challenged a swordsman!? This is what? The Second day of the Academy and you have already made such a big fuss!


    Are you out of your mind!?


    Just what were you thinking!?


    Do you think this is the Vesta House where you can do whatever you want and get away with it!?


    Do you n to take the entire Vesta House''s reputation down with you!?"


    Vaelen was angry.


    With the series of questions he shot, it was clear that he wasn''t doing it just to spite Vaan or because of his past interactions with Vaan, he was genuinely angered by his actions.


    After all, they put the entire Vesta Family in a difficult position.


    Vaelen wasn''t a fool, he had been staying in the Academy for a long time, long enough to know that this situation was not entirely Vaan''s fault either, they must have yed their cards one after another.


    Vaelen knew that all of this was a well-thought-out n.


    The series of events that yed together went together too well for it to be just a mere coincidence. They nned it, and because of his brother''s thoughtlessness, everyone from the Vesta Family would need to face the consequences.


    Especially him, who was supposed to lead the family in the Academy.


    This was what made Vaelen even angrier.


    However,


    "Did you ''excused'' me from not wanting to live together with other Vesta members? Did I hear that right? Because from what I remember, I wasn''t even told that there was a Vesta House.


    No, actually, what Vesta House are you even talking about? The one you lost because of your ipetence?" Vaan questioned.


    "That is no-"


    "Vaelen, I will be ignoring it today since I have more important things to do, however,"


    Vaan then red at Vaelen and,


    "Do not shout like that in front of me again.


    I am ashamed to admit it, but anger management is not my strong suit.


    I especially hate when someone screams at me, even more so when that someone is a failure himself.


    I dared to challenge a Swordsman, yes, I did it because I was confident in defeating a swordsman, it is something you should have done a long time ago.


    As for bringing down the Vesta House''s reputation, I believe you have already brought it to the point where it cannot go down anymore.


    I am here to fix it, so stop disturbing me, shut your mouth, and get out of the room."


    "How dare you talk like that to the Professor of the Academy!?"


    Suddenly, Lirael spoke up.


    "Do you think you are allowed to disrespect a Professor jus-"


    "Look, if you want to y the Professor card, don''t bother me,


    Goin to the Disciplinary Hall and let them take whatever actions they want to take. I will also say how Professor Vaelen disrespected my privacy and barraged into my room when I was alone with my fianc¨¦e.


    Let''s see who they take more strict actions on."


    "Y-You¡­" Lirael had no words.


    "Sister Lirael, don''t even bother.


    Haven''t we already established the fact that getting into a verbal confrontation against this man is no different than hitting your head on a dense wall?


    We came here to try to convince him to back down for his and the family''s good, but since it is clear that he himself doesn''t want to listen to what we have to say, it gives us no other choice, now does it?


    We can only leave him alone and let him do whatever he wants." Elric shrugged with a smile on his face.


    "What are you talking about!? Do you even know what would happen if he lost!? The Family''s reputation would take a big hit!"


    Vaelen retorted.


    "And?" Elric questioned back.


    "What¡­?" Vaelen was dumbfounded.


    How was¡­ this man so calm when the Family''s reputation was on the line¡­?


    Vaelen couldn''t understand.


    "Brother Vaelen, I understand that the Family will lose its reputation, but think logically, it is clear that he isn''t willing to listen, even if he does, backing out now would also harm the family''s reputation,


    It is not our fault anyway.


    Vaan was the one who fell for the trap, he was the one who was unwilling to listen, there was nothing we could do.


    I''d say we sit out, let everything y out, and put all the me on himter,


    After all, he is the ''hope'' of our family, no?" Elric couldn''t be more satisfied than this development.


    The calction in his mind was simple, Vaelen was already out of the game because the issue regarding the Vesta House would soon be revealed to the Main Family, and with this incident, once Vaan loses, he, who had be quite a problematic opponent, would be done for as well.


    The onlypetitor let tpete against him for the Family position head would be Lirael, however, since she would need to start everything from the beginning,


    She would be nothing but prey he could hunt whenever he wanted.


    The path to the Family Head''s position had never been this clearlyid in front of his eyes.


    "Are you done with your piece? Now get out." Vaan spoke up.


    "Vaan, listen to me, we can-" Vaelen tried to calm down and talk to Vaan, this time however, Vaan walked forward and pushed all of them out together,


    "I will visit the Vesta House after the battle ends,


    Talk as much as you want there." Closing the doors, Vaan returned to his seat and turned away.


    His cousins were angry but, in the end, they could only prepare for the worst. Causing any more ruckus here would further impact the family.


    Time passed, the Arena was packed with seats, and soon, it was time for the long-awaited battle.


    "Hello friends from the Academy!


    Didn''t think you would be hearing my voice so soon, did you? Well, I certainly wasn''t expecting this either, but it seems that this year, the Academy has started with a bang.


    I won''t waste much time on introduction since I am sure you all already know who I am,


    I am Finley Backthorn, together with me are today''s experts, first, from the Magic Division, Professor Isadora Silvermoon, second, Professor from the Swords Division, Alistair Ironheart.


    Please put your hands together for the two Professors are here with us."


    The audience cheered and pped in excitement,


    "Riding the same momentum, let''s introduce the two duelists today,


    One is a bright Gem of the Swords Division, Alex Sunde, a 3rd Star Swordsman.


    His opponent is a 3rd Circle Mage, a member of the most Prestigious Magic Family in Agresia, Vaan Astra Vesta. Yes, people, you heard it right, our second duelist carries the name Astra in her name, he is indeed Lady Astra''s child,


    As for whether the child has inherited her mother''s talent, we will soon find out."


    Finley then turned towards the two professors sitting next to him and questioned,


    "What do you have to say about today''s battle, Professors?


    Who do you think would win today?


    A 3rd Star Swordsman versus a 3rd Circle Mage, I say the two have a fairly equal chance of winning, no?"


    "What are you even talking about?


    It is one on one duel, Alex is going to win." Alistair was quick to reply.


    "Alex may not be the best student in our Swords Division, however, in a one-on-one battle against a Mage, I don''t see him losing."


    "Oh ho? That''s quite a bold statement, Professor Isadora, would you like to say something about it?"


    "I will only say that I am looking forward to today''s fight.


    Although the Swordsmen do have an advantage over Mages when ites to one-on-one duels,


    I have this feint feeling in my heart that we are all going to be surprised."


    "Is that so? Then let''s see if the Professor''s feeling turns out to be true or not!


    So without further ado, Let us all wee the two duelists and start the Battle!"

 Chapter 192 H-He moved...?

    Chapter 192 H-He moved...?


    "So without further ado, Let us all wee the two duelists and start the Battle!" Finley spoke in an excited tone.


    "YYYEAAAHHHH!!"


    Under the Crowd''s loud cheer, two students walked onto the stage.


    "I bet you regret your choices now, don''t you?"


    Alexmented with a big smile on his face.


    Vaan didn''t say anything.


    "Both duelists, stand 100 meters away from each other."


    The referee spoke with a calm look on his face.


    "Heh, hold on to these 100 meters, Vaan Astra Vesta, because if I close the distance, you are finished.


    4 seconds, that is all I need to close the distance of 100 meters."


    With a confident smile on his face, Alex showed his back to Vaan and walked away.


    Vaan still stayed silent.


    "It seems as if Vaan is feeling the pressure of such arge crowd. Well, I believe it will be his first time facing a Swordsman so I believe that is quite natural."


    Finelymented.


    Then, he turned towards Professor Alistair and,


    "Professor Alistair, I would like to ask, why did Alex tell him that he can cover 100 meters in 4 seconds? Was he trying to show off?"


    "In a duel between a Mage and a Swordsman, the distance between the two is the only deciding factor, a Mage cannot move from his position and needs time to prepare his spells, and a swordsman, on the other hand, needs to close the distance to attack.


    Almost all battles between a Mage and a Swordsman are concluded in the first few seconds, if a Swordsman manages to close the distance before a Mage is ready to cast his spell, the swordsman wins, if a Mage prepares to shoot his spell before the distance is closed, the Mage wins."


    Professor Alistair exined. The new students in the audience who didn''t know much about duels like this nodded in understanding.


    "Then isn''t Alex telling Vaan about the time he needed to close the distance same as giving him an advantage? From what I have heard, normal mages only need about 4 seconds to prepare their spells but exceptional mages can do it within 3 seconds,


    Since Vaan is from the Vesta Family, I believe 3 seconds are more than enough for him to prepare his spell, no? Then isn''t the result of the battle already determined?"


    Finley questioned.


    "Well, that should be the case, normally. Let''s see what each side has to show us,


    I wouldn''t want to say something that might give one side an advantage."


    Professor Alistair just smiled.


    All this while, Professor Isadora hadn''t said anything.


    From Professor Alistair''s words, although it may look like Vaan had the advantage, this was far from the truth.


    There was a reason why Magic Division was performing so badly, after all.


    "Start."


    As thementators continued their discussions, the judge spoke out loud, signaling the start of the duel.


    "I''ll make you pay for your arrogance, Vaan!"


    Shouting those words, Alex rushed towards Vaan with a big smile on his face.


    Vaan stared at him and started absorbing the surrounding Mana. Alex''s smile widened as he increased his speed, it was as if he was trying to intimidate Mage.


    He understood the dynamic of the battle between a Mage and a Swordsman, he needed to end the battle before Vaan could cast his spell, otherwise, things might get moreplicated than they should.


    He continued to close distance, in the 1st second, he had already covered 20 meters, 2nd second, he reached the mark of 45 meters, during the 3rd Second, when Vaan had formed his Magic Circles, "It''s over."


    "It''s over."


    Both Alex and Professor Alistair, who seemed to know what Alex was going to do, spoke at the same time as Alex threw a dagger at Vaan who couldn''t move.


    Vaan''s and other mages'' expressions changed.


    Every mage in the arena could tell,


    Vaan had to move!


    And to do that, he needed to disrupt his Mana Flow and start everything again,


    Professor Isadora was about to close her eyes, she already expected this, however, she still didn''t wish to see it happen,


    But then,


    "That was your Grand n?"


    Vaan questioned as he stepped aside and dodged the dagger that was thrown at him.


    "W-What?"


    Alex, who was still running towards Vaan widened his eyes in horror.


    Vaan had moved, b-but,


    ''His Circles didn''t disappear!!''


    "Well that was disappointing, I thought the students of the Magic Academy would have something more exciting to show me."


    Vaanmented, the next second, he drew his Magic Patterns, and,


    "Fire Spike."


    He cast the most basic level spell he knew.


    *BOOM*


    An explosion was heard.


    Although Alex was able to dodge and wasn''t harmed by the spell, he still had a shocked look on his face,


    His head was full of questions.


    He, however, did not have the time to think about the answers to these questions because Vaan''s spells weren''t over yet,


    *BOOM*


    Another Fire Spike was shot at Alex, the swordsman barely dodged the attack.


    "You are fast, I will give you that.


    Reminds me of my Dog, I used to shoot at him using a water gun and he used to dodge the water."


    *BOOM*


    "Let''s see who''s better, you or my dog."


    *BOOM*


    Vaan didn''t use any big spells.


    Fire Spike was all he needed to make it interesting,


    *BOOM*


    *BOOM*


    He continued to fire spells at Alex endlessly, Alex, on the other hand, had no choice but to dodge his Spells, he tried to close the distance between them, however, that simply led to Vaan''s spell reaching him sooner.


    Vaan''s precision was simply too uratepared to other mages, this,bined with the never-ending spells he was shooting at Alex,


    Rather than a battle, it had turned into a monkey show where the monkey was jumping around for the sake of others'' entertainment.


    "W-What is happening¡­?"


    The Audience was shocked, and just like the audience, Finley had the same question as well.


    He didn''t even nce at Professor Alistair and turned towards Professor Isadora.


    "P-Professor Isadora¡­ V-Vaan just¡­ moved¡­?"


    A Magician moved while casting a Spell.


    "¡­"


    Isadora however, didn''t say anything. She was too shocked to open her mouth, and the source of her shock wasn''t just the fact that Vaan moved,


    "W-What are those C-Circles¡­?"


    She and the other Mages were quick to notice Vaan''s Advanced Magic Circles.


    "That bastard¡­ he really did be a 3rd Circle Mage¡­"


    Elric snorted.


    Unlike others, he and the other Vesta Mages weren''t shocked by this, after all, they already had their fair share of surprises when they returned to the Vesta House.


    "I didn''t think the duel would be this one-sided just because he could move while casting a spell¡­"


    Vaelenmented.


    He was taken aback, yes, it was true that Mages had a big advantage against Swordsmen once their Circles were formed, however, nowadays, the Swordsmen in the Academy had started training against such situations as well,


    They have started working on ways to use their superior physical capabilities and avoid the spells Mages shook at them while closing the distance between the two to end the battle.


    After all, shooting these swordsmen who could cover a distance of 100 meters within 4 seconds wasn''t exactly an easy task, since multiple decisions needed to be taken within a second, Mages, who are supposed to draw Magic Patterns and aim at their moving opponents almost at the same time, are bound to be less precise and make a mistake or two.


    In the battle against Swordsmen, the Mages simply didn''t have the time to use Spells like [Direction Maniption] because before they could even realize where to move their spell and how much Mana they needed to inject in order to do so, the swordsmen already closes the distance and the battle is over.


    Vaelen thought Vaan would end up in the same situation but¡­


    "J-Just how is he doing it¡­?"


    Vaelen couldn''t help but think out loud.


    "That child is much more precise than any other Mage I have ever seen, even Lady Astra wasn''t this precise with her spells when she was at his age."


    Suddenly, an old man sitting next to Vaelen spoke up.


    He was Professor Aurelius Veneri, one of the oldest Mages in the Magic Division and one of the few 7th Circle Mages of the Academy who was not a protector of a certain family.


    Vaelen and the others turned towards Professor Aurelius and he continued,


    "Those Circles of his are interesting, but what catches my eyes even more in his control,


    His spells target exactly where they wish to target without even a moment of dy between each other, the Magic Patterns are drawn perfectly at the perfect time as well,


    It is almost as if someone else draws those patterns for him while he only focuses on targeting his opponent."


    The Professormented as if he wanted to show everyone another interesting thing,


    Vaan started moving towards Alex.


    This time, the calm smile on his face had disappeared and was reced by a big, wide grin,


    "I was waiting for this moment, you know?


    You shouldn''t have looked at my ra with those eyes, fuck face."


    The real battle was about to begin.

 Chapter 193 Hope that a healer reattaches your Arm!

    Chapter 193 Hope that a healer reattaches your Arm!


    "You shouldn''t have looked at my ra with those eyes, fuck face."


    Vaan spoke with a wide grin on his face as he slowly walked towards Alex, who was kneeling on one knee.


    He had been avoiding all the Fire Spikes Vaan shot at him, however, Vaan''s Fire Spikes were all boosted by [Burst] Inner Circle Spell, it had an area damage the moment they collided with the target.


    So even when Alex managed to dodge all the hits, he was still affected by the explosion, and the proof of that was the burnt mark on his right calf and left feet.


    His rest of his condition wasn''t normal either, even if he was a swordsman with a body that had surpassed normal human limits, he had been defending against Fire Spikes aimed at him for the past 5 minutes, pushing his body to extreme, he was exhausted and it was getting harder and harder for him to catch his breath.


    But even then, he did not admit defeat.


    Rather, he was ring at Vaan, his eyes full of fiery rage and frustration.


    He was careless.


    He was facing a Vesta, he should havee prepared.


    Amidst of these regrets, Vaan finally appeared near him,


    "Closing the distance against a Swordsman¡­ you are quite bold¡­" Alex spoke, hepletely ignored Vaan''s threat.


    After all, he was in his ''range''.


    "Trust me, you sword is not faster than my Spell."


    Vaan was confident.


    "Why don-"


    Alex wanted to reply but then suddenly, Vaan did something that surprised not only Alex, but the entire audience, even the Vestas sitting there.


    He took out a sword that almost everyone had ignored till now.


    "Are you ready for round two?"


    Vaan questioned with a provocative smile on his face.


    "W-What is he doing¡­?"


    Finley questioned, this time, his question wasn''t directed at any Professors in particr, he just wanted an answer.


    A Mage had taken out a sword against a Swordsman!


    Just how¡­


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    Both Professors however, had no way to answer Finley''s questions, they were here to do livementary on the battle to make it more entertaining and educational for the students of the Academy, but this¡­


    This was something even they had never seen in their life.


    How were they supposed to tell what was happening!?


    "What is he doing!?"


    Vaelen was angry.


    "He already won! Why has he not ended the battle yet!?"


    Lirael had the same expression on her face.


    Elric, however, had a slight smile on his face. A smile no one else could notice.


    He was actually worried that Vaan might actually win, if that happened, it would strengthen Vaan''s position in the Battle of Heirs, however, because of his arrogance,


    ''Heh, you bastard, I am d that you are born with that arrogance.''


    Elricughed inwardly.


    "You arrogant bastard!"


    This time, Alex waspletely enraged.


    Without worrying about the injury on his leg, he jumped at Vaan, wanting to end the battle in one go, however,


    *nk*


    Vaan easily blocked his attack with his own sword.


    "Be careful, fuck face.


    I didn''t choose a sword because I wanted to give you an advantage.


    I just wanted to beat you up."


    As he said those words, Vaan''s three Magic Circles shined and,


    *BOOOM*


    "AAaaaaAAagGGGgHhhhHHH!!"


    Another Fire Spike was shot, this time, Alex took a direct hit.


    "ALEX!!"


    His friends from the Swords Division shouted in worry, they wanted to rush forward and end this battle, however, sensing a presence sitting above them, they paused.


    *Thud*


    *nk*


    Alex''s body that took the direct impact went flying, his sword falling under Vaan''s feet.


    Vaan rubbed the sword onto the floor using his feet,


    "A Swordsman losing his sword in the middle of the battle, how shameful."


    Heughed out loud.


    Then, he nced at the judge, waiting for him to announce the results.


    However, seeing that the judge still didn''t move, Vaan frowned. He nced at Alex who was slowly standing up, at thest moment, Alex had used Aura to strengthen his Arms, so even though he had taken the full burst of the Fire Spike Spell, his arms were still in the condition to move, his skin, however, was burnt marred.


    "Heeh? Are you trying to make this more exciting,


    I wee that."


    Vaan spoke with a grin,pletely demeaning the efforts of his opponent.


    He rushed towards Alex and swung his sword, Alex crouched and rolled on the ground, he groaned in pain when his burned skin rubbed against the ground, Vaan, however, didn''t give him time to care about it and continued to unleash sword attacks one after another.


    Alex could barely dodge, he was faster and stronger than Vaan, however, he had no way to use his superiority in the battle, with how Vaan was swinging his sword, aiming at the widest part of his body, even a slight misjudgment from his side would be enough for Vaan tond a hit.


    Before he could get his hands back on the sword, dodging was the only option he had.


    "Hey hey, fuck face, why don''t you just leave the Swords Division, if you are this desperate against a Mage in Sword Battle, then you are simply wasting yours and Professors'' efforts, you know?


    What family were you from again?


    The Sundes? I guess there is a reason why I haven''t heard that name before.


    Back in Vesta Family, they don''t make us remember the names of the insufferable ones."


    "You bastard! You used Magic to hurt me!"


    Alex shouted in desperation, trying to avoid Vaan''s attacks and intentionally leading him to a certain direction.


    "Ouuwaaa, a Mage use Magic in a Battle, its cheating~"


    Vaan imitated a crying child, scoffing at Alex''s remark.


    This was the first time he was actually using a sword against an opponent, if it were normal mages he fought in the Vesta Family, the battle would have ended since none of the mages were physically strong enough tost this long against him,


    A swordsman, however, was different.


    He could bully them to his heart''s content without having to worry about anything.


    "His Swordsmanship¡­"


    Suddenly, Professor Alistair''s expression changed.


    "W-What?" Finley, who was already losing his mind, turned towards the Professor. The Professor however,pletely ignored him and observed at the way Vaan was swinging his sword, the more he watched, the wider his mouth got.


    "Orion Ravenshadow¡­"


    Two words finally escaped his mouth.


    "What?"


    Finley was taken aback when he heard those words,


    "That Swordsmanship¡­ although his moves are inexperienced¡­ t-that''s Orion Ravenshadow''s Sword Technique¡­"


    "Y-You mean L-Lord Orion!?"


    "That is correct, the ck Card Holder, Orion Ravenshadow. That''s his technique, I have no doubt about it!"


    The Professor shouted, his hands trembling as he finally recalled the Swordsmanship Technique that once ruled over the Agresia Academy.


    Not only him, all other students watching the match widened their eyes in horror when they heard Professor Alistair''s words.


    "P-Professor, are you sure you are not mistaken?" Finley still found it hard to believe.


    After all, Orion was a legend who suddenly disappeared from the world.


    "Orion Ravenshadow is Vaan''s father.


    It is not impossible that he taught Vaan his swordsmanship."


    Suddenly, Professor Isadora spoke up.


    "B-But Vaan is clearly a Mage, how can a Mage learn Swordsmanship!? A being cannot possess both Mana and Aura at the same time!"


    Finley was quick to retort.


    Mana and Aura were twopletely different energies that refused to mix together, many humans tried to mix them up, however, the moment these two energiesbined in a Human''s body, they exploded and crippled the said human.


    There has never once been a Magic Swordsman in the history of Agresia.


    "He is not using Aura¡­"


    Professor Alistair spoke with a solemn look on his face.


    "Then it shouldn''t be possible for him to keep up with Alex, but from what I am seeing, not only is he keeping up, he is overpowering Alex! How is that possible when he doesn''t even possess Aura!?"


    The threementators nced at how Vaan continued to swing his sword, putting Alex in the defensive side, exposing his injuries even further, sometimes, even managing tond a hit and leave a cut on his arm, waist, or shoulder.


    "He is taking advantage of the fact that Alex is injured, if this was a normal one-on-one duel, Alex would have one. Not to mention Alex doesn''t have his sword with him."


    "Well, he will have one soon."


    Professor Isadoramented and as she did, Alex, who had crouched to dodge Vaan''s sword suddenly rolled back and picked up his sword.


    "This is the end, you bastard!!"


    He shouted as he rushed towards Vaan.


    *nk*


    Their swords shed, this time, however, Alex had put all his strength in his arms, he even used Aura to strengthen his attack,


    Vaan''s expression changed as his sword was pushed back and he instantly lost his bnce, Alex, on the other hand, aimed at Vaan''s arm, and with his eyes burning with endless rage, he shouted,


    "Hope that a healer reattaches your Arm!"

 Chapter 194 Hope that a healer reattaches your Arm.

    Chapter 194 Hope that a healer reattaches your Arm.


    "Hope that a healer reattaches your Arm!"


    Alex shouted as he aimed at Vaan''s arm when he had lost his bnce.


    "VAAAN!!"


    ra shouted in worry, but then,


    *nk*


    Alex''s sword was blocked by an Ice Wall that formed right in front of him. Alex''s was dumbfounded,


    And that was a mistake.


    "Where are you looking at? Or did you forget that I was a Mage, dumbass?"


    Vaan chuckled as he regained his bnce and swung his sword, this time, Alex''s reaction was a moment toote and,


    "AaaaagaAAaggggHhhhh!!"


    He shouted in agony as Vaan''s sword shed his chest, leaving a deep cut.


    Blood came out without stop, the pain was so overwhelming that Alex''s movements slowed down significantly,


    *nk* *nk* *nk*


    He was still able to keep up with Vaan''s sword attacks, however, in truth, Vaan was not a swordsman, he was a Mage.


    In between their exchange, Vaan cast different spells, sometimes blocking Alex''s sword, sometimes going on the offensive.


    Alex waspletely helpless, no matter what he did, it seemed as if Vaan had an answer to almost all his attacks, he was pushed into apletely helpless state, the skin on his arms was marred and burnt, both his legs were injured, there was a huge cut on his chest, almost every part of his body was hurt and it was only getting worse and worse.


    He was losing his bnce a lot more than before, he was losing in pure sword exchange, he failed to protect himself against the Magic Spells,


    As the battle dragged on, the winner couldn''t be more apparent.


    "W-What¡­" Finely was shocked.


    Honestly, he was already given the script of today''s battle and things had gottenpletely off the script, heck, it could even be said that it went in apletely opposite direction.


    Vaan was never supposed to win, yet the battle had turned into a one-sided show in Vaan''s favor.


    "He is horrifying¡­"


    Professor Isadora spoke with a grim look on her face.


    Both Finley and Professor Alistair turned towards her, wanting to understand even a little bit of the situation,


    "Let''s not even talk about how he is moving, let alone fighting using his swords while casting spells, a few moments before, when Alex had tossed his sword away using his higher strength, Vaan clearly lost his bnce, in that moment, it was clear form his expression that he was surprised by the sudden change in the momentum between their exchange,


    However, while his expressions were still changing, the Magic Patterns in his Magic Circles had already started filling up.


    He was put in a state of shock and before his expression could show it, he was already drawing Magic Patterns inside his Magic Circles,


    That is simply inhumane, I have lived for 68 years old now, and never in my life have I ever seen a Mage capable of doing that.


    And this includes Lady Astra.


    She was brilliant, she was an amazing strategist who knew how to put herself in an advantageous situation in almost any situation, however, even Lady Astra was not capable of doing what he did back in her days.


    In that case, Vaan has already surpassed his mother."


    Professor Isadora revealed and all the people in the audience widened their eyes in sheer disbelief.


    What people here did not know was that Professor Isadora was giving Vaan much more credit than he deserved.


    It had only been a few months since Vaan came to this world.


    He was talented, yes.


    However, no matter how talented one can be, catching up to one of the biggest geniuses in the history of Agresia within a few months was simply not possible.


    Vaan wasn''t as excellent as Professor Isadora made it out to be, instead, he was cheating.


    He had three little cuties helping him, these cuties were the ones managing all his spells while the only thing he focused on was swordsmanship.


    In truth, it was a 4 versus 1 battle, an unfair battle where Alex had no shot at winning.


    And of course,


    Vaan was shameless enough to take all the credit,


    "You weak ass femboy,


    Hope that a healer reattaches your Arm!"


    Repeating the words Alex said, Vaan swung his sword. Alex widened his eyes in horror, he tried his best to move away, he however, had already lost his footing and,


    *Slice*


    "AAAAAGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!"


    Alex''s arm was chopped away.


    With a ruthless expression on his face, Vaan ced his sword at top of his Alex''s other shoulder, the meaning behind his actions were clear, with absolute horror engulfing his entire being,


    "I Surrender! I Surrender!!"


    Alex shouted with a pale face, the fear in his eyes sent goosbumps all over the audience''s bodies, all of them were expecting a fierce battle today¡­


    But to think the battle would be this bloody¡­


    The new students were all terrified, this was only the second day, they dreaded their future days in the Academy, the old students didn''t have any better reactions either.


    All of them had solemn looks on their faces.


    Most of the attention was on Vaan, the students from the Swords Division, however, were looking at a certain silver-haired student who stood up from his chair with an expressionless look on his face.


    The rest of the students trembled when they noticed him moving, however, the silver-haired student simply walked away, not interested in further matters.


    On the other side, after the judge announced the results, the students, especially the ones from the Magic Division shouted in excitement, a Mage had won against a Swordsman, it was a thing to celebrate.


    The healers rushed onto the stage, knocking Alex unconscious and performing basic Heal Magic on him, he was soon taken into the infirmary.


    "Are you alright? Do you need a healer to do a basic checkup on you?" One healer approached Vaan and questioned.


    "If you have something that gets rid of sweat, that''d be great."


    Vaan was direct.


    "¡­hahaha."


    The Healerughed awkwardly,


    "I can provide you a towel. Should I tell someone to bring it?"


    "Don''t worry, I was just joking."


    Vaan shook his head.


    Thementators summarized the entire match, ending the battle on an excited note.


    Vaan, who was about to return to the room given to him was soon surrounded by a group of students,


    "Sir Vaan! I am from the Academic Digest Club, I saw your battle today and couldn''t help but be awed by your great performance, would you mind giving me an interview, I promise I will not take much of your time and will only ask relevant questions!"


    "Sir Vaan! Please don''t listen to him, nobody hasn''t even heard of the Club named Academic Digest, I am from the Student Sentinels Club, our Club¡­"


    "I am from the Campus Insights Club¡­"


    "Sir Vaan, I am from¡­"


    The students started talking over each other, making it difficult for Vaan to even understand what they were talking about, not that he was very interested in it in the first ce.


    "Shut the fuck up."


    Vaan shouted in an authoritative tone as he rubbed his ears with an annoyed looks on his face.


    "Mystic Stay Club, I will only give an interview to Clubs who have close rtionship with the Mystic Stay Club, that person standing there is a member, go talk to him and once you have his permission,e to me. I will be staying in this room for an hour.


    Now shoo away, don''t bother me."


    Vaan pointed at the Blonde who gave him the Celestial Garden Vi and returned to his room where ra was waiting for him.


    "Vaan¡­"


    ra rushed towards him with a worried look on her face. She grabbed his hands and observed every part of his body carefully. Vaan, of course, let her do whatever she wanted, the feeling of being taken care of by his lovely fianc¨¦e addictive.


    "Are you okay?"


    "Mhm, I am perfectly fine." Vaan replied with a light smile on his face.


    "Please don''t use swords from your next battle." ra spoke, Vaan already told her he was going to use a sword before the battle, she was worried, but since Vaan was adamant, she couldn''t convince him otherwise.


    After today''s battle, however, ra was even more worried, her heart nearly exploded when Alex aimed at Vaan''s arm,


    "Sword battles are too dangerous, you can get hurt."


    "Don''t worry, there is no way these little friends of mine would let me get hurt. They are even better than me when ites to spell casting, you know?"


    Vaan spoke with a bright smile on his face.


    "Krriii!"


    "Gurruu!"


    "Skiii!"


    The three spirits all danced around excitedly, nodding at Vaan''s words. mey even tried to go near ra and assure her. ra, however, couldn''t see her.


    "I-I know those Spirits are helping you¡­ but I am still worried¡­"


    ra was still unsure, after all, it was difficult for her to trust something she couldn''t see.


    "Don''t worry ra, this was not the first time I fought using Magic and Swords together.


    This was just the first time I won using it,


    Normally¡­ it is I who gets beaten up¡­"


    Vaan spoke as he recalled his training sessions together with Orion.


    ''Right¡­ he said he would continue the training sessions from today¡­''


    At the same time, Vaan also recalled another depressing matter.


    *Knock* *Knock*


    Suddenly, a knock was heard.


    "Sir Vaan, I have received the permission from the Sir Lucas, can I take a small interview now, I promise it will not take long."

 Chapter 195 Vaan is getting a Star? Already?

    Chapter 195 Vaan is getting a Star? Already?


    "I heard he was one of the better students in the Sword Division? I don''t know how true that information is but since it was said by a Sword Division Professor, I would assume that it is true and if it is, then I must say,


    I am quite disappointed.


    Ie from the Vesta Family, we have the best Mages in the entirety of Agresia, we have the best resources to learn Magic, we have the best spells, we have the best Magic Libraries to explore, we have the best guides who can bring the strongest mage out of us, we have everything a Mage needs,


    I can positively say that I didn''te to the Agresia Academy because I wanted to learn Magic from the Professors teaching here, I am sure these Professors are great, but I doubt they could teach me more than my mother can,


    What I came to the Academy was to explore.


    I wanted to explore the world.


    The Agresia Academy is also called a ''Minor World'', they say that it is exactly like how the real world is and the students are allowed to explore all other possibilities safely, and while I do think that is true, as a Mage, the thing I was curious about the most were, swords.


    I wanted to meet Swordsmen.


    Most people already know, my father is a swordsman and since I was in his strong presence for so long, I wanted to see how strong the swordsmen of my age or who were at my level were and since the Agresia Academy prided its Swords Division, I was looking forward to seeing how strong a student from the Sword Division is,


    Especially a student who walked into the Magic Division acting like a bully. Don''t get me wrong, I don''t hate bullies.


    Rather, I promote bullying, I believe it is what makes people strong enough and is part of the real world.


    However, what I do not like is trying to bully someone using numbers, especially when the one doing the bullying is a weakling.


    Imagine my surprise when I, who barely held a sword before, defeated a Swordsman who spent his entire life practicing swordsmanship, is considered one of the better students of the Sword Division, and is confident enough to try and bully other students, using a Sword.


    Honestly, I know I shouldn''t say it, but if this is the level of the Agresia Academy''s Swords Division, then let me say this in advance,


    The Magic Division will be taking over again,


    Just like it did when my mother, Astra Elysia Vesta was here."


    As Octavius Ravenshadow, the Head Master of the Agresia Academy read the words said by one of his Academy''s students, a smile couldn''t help but appear on his face,


    "Those are some bold words.


    Reminds me of the time you defeated Astra when she just arrived here.


    He is your son indeed."


    Orion, who was sitting beside his father couldn''t help but smile,


    "He still isn''t as good as me, I believe he will get there in time.


    Also, just to point it out, if Astra was here, she would have defended herself saying that it was her first fight against a swordsman and that she defeated me in the next fight."


    "Yes Yes, then you would have countered that you won the first fight and the stupidpetition continued till you fell for her and decided she was more important to you than her sword,


    I am not interested in your rtionship dynamics or your past, I was there, I saw it all, and I am still unsatisfied by how you chose to abandon the path many are willing to kill to enter and choose to protect who you love."


    Octavius snorted.


    "Father, there are times when you find something more precious than the goal you are normally aiming for. That woman is that precious someone in my case and even now, I do not regret my choice."


    Orion replied with a small smile on his face.


    He had already sorted out his feelings many years ago, he had all the answers rted to this topic right in his mouth and everything came directly from his heart.


    Octavius nced at his child,


    "You defeated Gareth Dawncrest, that man is the current head of the Dawncrest Family and is known as one of the strongest Swordsman in the entire world."


    "And?"


    "Just imagine what level you would have reached if you hadn''t abandoned your path."


    "Huh? Who said I cannot defeat Gareth now? I''ll kick his ass like I used to in the past no problems."


    "Heh."


    Octavius simply chuckled.


    "You think that is possible? In a one-on-one duel, maybe, but the real world is different from the Academy, child, he has the entire Dawncrest Family behind him, while you, who has left the swordsmen world, have nothing.


    It would have been different if you were well-known as a guy who defeated the Dawncrest Family''s heir and the next headmaster of the Agresia Academy, now, however, you are nothing.


    Most people don''t even know who you are and the ones who do, they only know you as an excellent 4-Star Swordsman whoter disappeared.


    The current you does not have enough influence to even challenge Gareth Dawncrest to a duel, let alone win."


    Orion''s identity as the Husband of the Head of the Vesta Family didn''t help, in the real world, his status was no different than the status the wife of Dareth Dawncrest had, nothing. Most don''t even know her name.


    Honestly, seeing his child, who was talented enough to defeat one of the greatest geniuses of his era being reduced to this position hurt Octavius''s head.


    Yes, his son did say that he was happy because he found the ''love'' of his life, someone like Octavius, who had only followed his sword his entire life, didn''t understand it.


    For him, ''love'' only made one weaker. These feelings that get in the way of the sword are a liability. Even his rtionship with his wife, Orion''s mother, was just an arranged marriage that his wife''s family had proposed and he epted because he needed an heir, an heir who ultimately denied the position of the heir.


    "It does not matter, Father. Status can be earned, but talent and skills cannot. I am not here to fight, I am only here to protect my child.


    A child who¡­ has tendencies to make quite a lot of enemies."


    Orion replied.


    He had different ns in his mind, however, knowing his father, he decided to not reveal them for now, after all, even he was not sure if his n was feasible.


    Octavius shook his head as well, there was no point in talking about these things, he had tried enough times before, Orion didn''t listen before and he knew his son wouldn''t be listening now either, in the end, Octavius decided to talk about the topic that pleased him,


    "I can see that.


    Not only has he inherited your uncouth mouth, but he also inherited that girl''s ambition.


    He didn''t just target the student he defeated, he targeted the entire Sword Division and even theplete Agresia Academy.


    I heard that this article received quite a lot of attention from other students in the Academy.


    It made him the enemy of the entire Sword Division and at the same time, it also made him the eye of the Magic Division, it gave him the say that no other new student could ever have, with just one battle, he had pretty much became the face of the Magic Division.


    His words may sound brash at first, but they were spoken after careful thought, that boy calcted all sorts of possible reactions there could be when his words were revealed. He is gifted, in more ways than one."


    Octavius was full of praise.


    Orion on the other hand, just chuckled, "That boy is not much of a thinker, you are giving him too much credit."


    "Does Astra think the same way?" Octavius questioned.


    "Huh?" Orion frowned.


    "You have terrible judgment skills, Orion, I would rather trust that girl than you when ites to knowing about someone."


    "¡­" Orion turned silent.


    "Anyways, I am looking forward to meeting that child, I also want to know more about those Advance Circles of his, around five Senior Professors at the Magic Division came to me reporting that, saying how it deserved a Star and how I should allow them to research that Circle."


    "Vaan is getting a Star? Already?" Orion was surprised, hepletely ignored the ''research'' part, he knew his father would take care of it, not to mention that even if they did try it, Astra already said it was impossible to form those circles, and if Orion knew one thing about magic, it was that if his wife couldn''t do it, no one else could.


    His son could only do it because of those spirits or whatever he called them flying around him.


    Octavius, not knowing what his son was thinking, replied,


    "He will be getting a Star, yes.


    The only question is how many will he be getting."


    "He is getting more than one¡­?"


    Orion was shocked.

 Chapter 196 I will be taking over as the new leader

    Chapter 196 I will be taking over as the new leader


    "He is getting more than one¡­?"


    Orion was shocked, he had been in the Academy ever since he was a child, and never once did he see or hear about one student getting more than one Excellence Star at the same time. After all, if a student did something incredible, like Vaan winning against Alex, that would be awarded by the Academy using an Excellence Star.


    No matter how big the ''achievement'' was, a single Star was all that was needed to reward it, however,


    "Advanced circles that are never seen before, exceptionally good control over his Magic Spells, excellent precision, ability to move while casting a spell, ability to cast practice swordsmanship together with Magic,


    These are only the feats that normal students could see, the more Professors analyzed the fight, the more and more things surprised them, imagine him revealing all these things one after another in different matches, all these things would reward him with an Excellence Star,


    You think it would be fair to simply give him one star just because he showed all his skills together?"


    Octavius questioned.


    "¡­"


    Orion turned silent.


    He knew how much of a monster his son was, after all, he and Astra had seen him fight before, Astra even went as far as regarding him as someone who has the power to pick the Vesta Family from its tight position, destroy the bnce of the world, and ce the Vestas on the true top.


    A level where they would have no need to worry about other families or powers attacking them.


    "Heh."


    In the end, Orion justughed out loud.


    "Father, you aren''t doing this just so you can meet him faster, correct?"


    He questioned in a joking manner.


    "W-What are you talking about? I am a fair man, I do not make exceptions, even if it is for my own grandson."


    Octavius was quick to deny.


    "Right¡­"


    Orion nodded, looking into his father''s eyes without saying anything.


    "What are you looking at?" Octavius narrowed his eyes.


    Orion, on the other hand, stood up and decided to leave before he was kicked out by his father, "I will be taking my leave now, I need to train the kid again starting today, he had enough rest these past 2 days."


    "So it was true¡­"


    Octaviusmented before Orion could leave the room.


    Orion paused, "Hmm?"


    "I was told that the swordsmanship Vaan used resembled something you created in the past, I didn''t believe it at first, but you are teaching him your swordsmanship."


    "Hmm? He is my son, everything I have will be inherited by him,"


    Orion smiled.


    The day he saw his son''s potential was the day he decided that he would make him the best swordsman in the entire world.


    Whether Vaan wanted it or not didn''t matter, if he resisted, he would simply beat his swordsmanship into his body, and with his talent, everything would bloom on its own.


    Seeing his son smile, Octavius narrowed his eyes,


    "He cannot use Aura, Orion."


    Hemented.


    Orion turned towards the Headmaster and the Headmaster continued, "He defeated his opponent today because the only thing Aura can do for the Basic Swordsmen is to increase their physical abilities, a 3 Star Swordsman has far stronger physical capabilities than a normal human, however, that is just about it.


    The only reason Vaan could fight against Alex was because Alex was tired and injured by his spells, this trick, however, will not work once he meets more mature Swordsmen and I am not even talking about the Intermediates yet, just Basic Swordsmen like Isabel and Den Dawnstars would never get in a position Alex was in.


    How is Vaan going to face them using Swords?"


    Octavius questioned.


    "Are you forgetting it, father? Vaan is a Mage, not a swordsman." Orion smiled.


    "No, I am saying this because I know it,


    Vaan is a Mage.


    You training him as a Swordsman, it may look cool but it is inefficient, it would be better if he spends time doing something else than creating a fake sense of assurance that he can defeat a swordsman in a closebat situation,


    That will only endanger in the future."


    Octavius spoke with a solemn look on his face.


    "Trust me, Father. I know what I am doing, and that child knows it as well. As for Decan and Isabel, they are excellent students, I have been looking into them for these past few days, however,


    Both of them are 4 Star Swordsmen and trust me, once Vaan forms his 4th Circle and reaches their level,


    He will destroy them, even if it bes a 2 vs 1 battle."


    Orion replied with a confident look on his face.


    "Heh."


    Octavius, on the other hand,ughed out loud.


    "It seems you still haven''t done proper research on those two, Orion. Especially since Den child, I have been keeping my eyes on him and every time I meet him, I can feel his emotional stability and strength that surpasses almost any person of his age I have met before.


    Don''t look down on other students of my Academy."


    Octavius spoke and this time, Orion was the one whoughed,


    "Come on, father.


    You know I have always looked down on other students of the Agresia Academy no matter whether it was a few decades ago,


    Or now."


    Saying those words, Orion simply walked out of the room.


    "Arrogant bastard."


    Octavius, on the other hand, cursed at his child before shaking his head and smiling.


    Vaan Astra Vesta versus Den Dawncrest.


    The Vestas versus the Dawncrest.


    It was an encounter he was looking forward to.


    ¡­


    "I will give you 5 minutes, ask what you want, say what you want, after that, I will be speaking my part."


    On the other side, Vaan, who was sitting on the sofa of the living room of the Vesta House, spoke with a serious look on his face as he nced at all the members of the Vesta Family, the Professors, and the Students, in front of him.


    "Congrattions on your victory, you saved the nam-"


    Vaelen was the one who started, Vaan, however, interrupted in the middle and,


    "I do not need superficial words, brother. Everyone here is aware of how attached we cousins are to each other, the dynamics are not a big secret, so no need to pretend since it''s all our people here.


    I do not need congrattory words from you,e to the main topic."


    "¡­"


    Vaelen turned silent.


    He did not like how Vaan was talking, even if it was just for formality, he wanted Vaan to keep a fake front since they were all here as a team, not as enemies. They needed to remain united if they wanted to achieve something. Vaan''s actions, however, would only make things moreplicated for other members of the Family.


    "Then let''s skip the formalities all together,


    I am sure you didn''te here just to have a little talk,


    Say why you are here."


    Lirael spoke with an expressionless look on her face, deciding to drop all the formalities.


    Vaan nced at her cousin, then looked at the members of the family and noticing that they had nothing else to say and were waiting for him to start, he finally pointed at Vaelen and started,


    "You lost the Vesta House, you fucked up."


    "Yo-"


    Lirael tried to deny those words, however,


    "You are correct."


    Vaelen nodded in agreement.


    "I failed to lead the Family in the Academy and I must bear the responsibility of losing the Vesta House since Lord Orion has already taken action, the Family will know about it anyway, I was wrong, and¡­ I fucked up."


    "Brother-"


    Lirael wanted to defend her brother, Vaelen, however, simply raised his hand, stopping her and looking at Vaan, wanted him to continue.


    He wanted to see if this man was here just to degrade him or¡­ was it something else.


    Vaan noted Vaelen''s actions, momentarily looking into his eyes as the two tried to read each other,


    Then, Vaan turned towards Elric and,


    "You failed to win the Elemental sh,"


    Elric clenched his fist in anger but he couldn''t deny those words.


    Vaan didn''t pay him any heed either, turning towards Lirael,


    "You failed to win the Elemental sh as well,"


    Then, looking at Leif, "And you¡­ you have been acting like a dog all this while so I doubt you are nning to step up anyway."


    Once he was done pointing at all the other Prospective Heirs, he nced at other members of the Family and,


    "I don''t know how long you have been here in the Academy, however, I have not heard about any of you doing an outstanding job in your field, although your leader was inadequate, none of you have shown any sort of potential to change things either,


    Therefore,


    I will be taking over."


    "What¡­?"


    With a solemn and authoritative look on his face, Vaan repeated,


    "I will be taking over as the new leader, all the Vesta Students and Teachers will be following my orders, the honor the Family had lost,


    Under my leadership, we will reim it,


    And our first goal will be to reim the real Vesta House."

 Chapter 197 Do you have a plan?

    Chapter 197 Do you have a n?


    "I will be taking over as the new leader, all the Vesta Students and Teachers will be following my orders, the honor the Family had lost,


    Under my leadership, we will reim it,


    And our first goal will be to reim the real Vesta House."


    Vaan spoke as he looked into the members'' eyes with a serious look on his face.


    "If anyone of you have any questions, or are against my idea, speak up now."


    "You have no experience to lead us, how can we trust you? The only thing you have done all this time is challenge and beat other members of the family, never once you have shown that you actually care about the Family and its members.


    You have no faction supporting you, you are young, you acted like a waste for a major portion of your life, other than Lady Astra, Lady ra, and Lord Orion, I can''t recall anyone in the Vesta Family who has a positive opinion about you and I have never seen you make any efforts.


    A leader shouldn''t just be strong, he should have necessary leadership skills. Yes, you are skilled, I agree, however, what we currently need is for the family to stick together,


    And seeing how you don''t even live here with the rest of the family,bined with your excessively tensed rtionship with other Prospective Heirs, I doubt you have what it takes to lead us.


    You are currently too immature to do it."


    A Mage spoke up.


    She was Erza Vesta, a 6th Circle Mage of the Vesta Family, a Professor in the Agresia Academy, and someone who decided to live away from the main Vesta Family because she didn''t like politics. She is one of the strongest Professors in the Academy, she is well-liked by students, and has quite a lot of influence, influence she doesn''t use for her own benefit.


    Erza liked peace, yes, she did want to get the old Vesta House back since it was the symbol of the Vesta Family and she had been nning to do that, she, however, didn''t think that Vaan was the one who could achieve that.


    She sensed the tense environment the moment Vaan walked into the Mansion, she could see how the looks in the eyes of Vesta Students change, it was not just Prospective Heirs, the other students had the same reaction as well.


    Vaan was too intimidating to be a leader, he could only be a tyrant and right now, in Erza''s opinion tyrant would only make the situation worse. So for the first time in a long while, Erza decided to speak out her thoughts and stood in front of Vaan.


    Vaan stared at the mage standing in front of him for a while,


    "If I am not wrong, you are Erza Vesta, correct?"


    He questioned.


    Erza was taken aback, she didn''t think Vaan would know her name.


    "Don''t look at me like that, I know most of you here."


    He didn''t.


    Only ra studied all about the Vesta Students and Professors, and she was the one who told Vaan about her. In Vaan''s opinion, knowing someone before they leave any impact in front of him was useless.


    You need to have a presence to make yourself known. Blending in with others will not work.


    "That is correct, I am Erza Vesta." Erza slightly bowed to show her respect for the Direct Descendant of the family.


    "What you say is correct." Vaan nodded.


    "Ick experience and I might not be able to unite all of us together which is of utmost importance."


    Others were taken aback when they heard Vaan''s words.


    Vaan, however, wasn''t done yet.


    "But do you have any better candidates in your mind?"


    Vaan questioned.


    In an instant, Erza''s expression changed. Before starting, Vaan already found faults in other Prospective Heirs, others in the family weren''t talented enough to take the lead and she¡­


    "A Professor leading the Family would only prove that we are weak and have nopetent leader, even if you take the lead from behind the scenes, it would soon be apparent once a situation where we need to take a decision on the spot arises,


    We cannot do that,


    So no Professors, and of course, no Protectors either,


    Students who couldn''t even be Prospective Heirs or do not have talentparable to them are not an option either,


    In the end, the only choices you have are the Prospective Heirs,


    If you do not ept me, you need to take another name who can rece me,


    Someone who you believe will lead the family better than I will,


    Someone who has not failed before."


    "¡­"


    Erza turned silent.


    There was no other choice¡­


    Lirael, maybe but¡­ she was quite young as well, and she didn''t have any unique factor like Vaan did. The chances that all students will listen to hermand were less.


    Same goes for Elric and Leif,


    Vaelen was out of options¡­


    "Anyone else who wishes to add something to the matter?" Vaan simply turned towards others.


    "Your entire logic is that since no one is capable, you should be the leader, it is wed." Elric, who couldn''t take it anymore, finally spoke up.


    "If in your eyes, we are not capable, in our eyes, you aren''t either because of all the factors Professor Erza just listed. If you can be a leader despite your ws, then why can''t I or anyone else?"


    "Haaahh¡­"


    This time, Vaan sighed.


    He then stood up and walked towards the other students, then, looking into Elric''s eyes, he spoe up,


    "That''s because unlike you, I never admitted that I was ipetent.


    Ever since I have decided to stop ''hiding'', I have never once failed, not here, not in the Vesta Family, and I believe that gives me a right to get a chance here as well.


    Didn''t you already see?


    I am already called the ''hope'' of the Family.


    Would be weird if the hope isn''t the leader, no? Even weirder if the leader instead of the ''hope'' is someone ipetent.


    Don''t forget about the pressure the leader of the family would face,


    You fail even once, and your dream to get the Family Head''s position, puff, gone.


    Are you sure you want to rece me, Brother Elric?"


    "¡­"


    Elric''s expression changed.


    Vaan was right, with how critical their current position is, even one failure would have an extremely big impact on the Family''s position, that in turn, would affect the Leader''s position. The leader might even get in the same position as Vaelen''s if things go south¡­


    If he bes the leader and something like this happens¡­


    Elric couldn''t even picture that scenario.


    Vaan smiled, he had already smelled how much of a coward his brother was, he had taken advantage of countless passive people like him in his past life,


    Vaan turned towards Erza and tilted his head towards Elric, it was as if he was saying,


    ''You see that? You want someone as spineless as him to be the leader?''


    The other Family members realized it as well.


    "Y-Young Master Vaan."


    Suddenly, a Vesta Student spoke up. Vaan turned towards him and gathering all his confidence, he questioned.


    "I-If you be the Leader, do you have any n of action?"


    Vaan''s smile widened,


    "Now that''s a question worth asking,


    What is your name?"


    He questioned.


    "C-Cedric Vesta, I am a 3rd Circle Mage."


    "I''ll remember you, Cedric. You are decisive."


    "T-Thank you, Young Master Vaan."


    "You can call me Vaan, we are in the Academy, not in the Family."


    "Y-Yes."


    Cedric nodded, a small smile appearing on his face as he realized that he was just acknowledged by one of the greatest talents he had ever seen.


    Then suddenly, Vaan ced 2 Pictures on the table,


    The family members frowned and Vaan started,


    "They are the ones we will be targeting first."


    "They¡­" Vaelen knew who these two students were.


    "They challenged our Vesta Mages in a 2v2 battle, since they weremoners, being defeated by them affected our image."


    "But we can''t possibly go against everyone who defeated our family members, that will only make us look petty," Vaelen replied.


    "The two of them are Den''s subordinates,"


    Vaan replied.


    "Den Dawncrest¡­?"


    Vaelen''s expression changed.


    "That is correct, it wouldn''t make sense formoners to challenge the Vestas otherwise. Even if the Families do not involve themselves with students, nomoners would actively involve themselves in the politics, unless they were ordered to."


    "But why the Dawncrest Family? How are you so sure that they are the ones behind them?" Lirael questioned.


    "Who has the real Vesta House right now?"


    "¡­the Dawncrest," Lirael replied.


    "See?"


    "But aren''t all of these just spections?" Leif questioned.


    "Does it matter? We are simply challenging students, if they are connected to Den, he will know that we areing for him, if they are not, we will get our revenge,


    What''s wrong with winning anyway?"


    "And how are you so sure that we will win?"


    "What do you mean?


    I''ll be the one fighting them,


    Of course, we will win."


    "But both of them are 4 Star Swordsman and you are¡­"


    "It doesn''t matter,


    My fianc¨¦e will fight with me as well.


    They stand no chance."


    Vaan smiled.


    The Dawncrest Family and Den Dawncrest,


    He will destroy that bastard.

 Chapter 198 Invitation.

    Chapter 198 Invitation.


    "It doesn''t matter,


    My fianc¨¦e will fight with me as well.


    They stand no chance."


    Vaan was confident, with ra together with him in a team, he simply couldn''t lose. After all, there is no way he would miss the chance to impress his fianc¨¦e, now would he?


    Other Students, however, were worried about something else,


    "Aren''t we moving a little too fast? The Dawncrest House is quite strong, they have most of the Sword Division under them. Passively challenging them like this may not be a wise move, especially when we are in such a critical situation."


    Vaelen spoke up.


    He was not trying to demean Vaan or something like that, he was genuinely giving his opinion.


    Yes, for once, he had decided to trust Vaan and be a team yer and he did not want his team to lose because of careless nning.


    Vaan, who sensed that Vaelen was actually trying to help seemed taken aback, however, as he recalled how his mother told him how all the members of the Vesta Family needed to act together to keep up the Family Image and face other opponents, he understood some bits of what Vaelen was thinking.


    Vaelen was out of the Battle of Heirs, he had lost. As the ''leader'', the responsibility of losing the Vesta House would be his and it will take away a major amount of support he had.


    The chances of him recovering from this position were close to zero, truthfully, the consequences could be even worse than this.


    Right now, however, he had one year, one year to prove his worth, not as the leader, but as a trusted aide of the new leader.


    If Vaan did well and actually gets back the Vesta House they lost, which, considering all sorts of surprising things he had done before, had high chances of sess, then as someone who helped him the most during the entire thing, he could save some of his face and still keep a decent amount of influence over other students and members of the Vesta Family.


    At the same time, if the n seeds, his performance as the Academy''s Professor would be extraordinary as well, giving him a bigger boost and earning him more respect and status in the Academy.


    Vaelen''s aim was clear, he was trying to put himself in a position where he was above everyone but Vaan.


    Or at least that was what Vaan imagined and since he had no problem with his cousin acting like this, he decided to include him in his circle as well,


    "We need to make our stance clear.


    We are aiming for a fight between the Vestas and the Dawncrests."


    "But wouldn''t that alert them? They might raise their guard and not give us the chance the take away the Vesta House." Cedric spoke up.


    "They cannot do that.


    Once our intentions are clearlyid out, the Dawncrests backing up would mean that they are afraid to face us, they can''t possibly let the message like that spread.


    After all, the true value of the Vesta House they have is not how expensive it is, neither the Dawncrest nor the Vesta care about things like that,


    The true value lies behind the status of superiority they now have over the strongest Magic Family in the world,


    And if they show fear at such point, that status of superiority will vanish."


    Vaan then nced at other members of the family and with a confident look on his face, he spoke,


    "Just leave the challenging part to me, I assure you that I will soon create a situation where we will receive a challenge with the Vesta House on the line from them,


    You all just focus on winning.


    Also,"


    Suddenly, Vaan turned towards Vaelen and,


    "Brother Vaelen, I have a favor to ask."


    "What is it?"


    "I need you to write down about all the Vesta Students in the Academy, give me their levels and the field they exceed at. It would be great if you could rate the field you mentioned.


    ra, for example, is excellent at creating tactically advanced positions in a battle using her duel elements, I would rate her 5 out of 5 in that department, I want you to ask, find, test, and rate at least 3 individual fields the students of our family excel in and give the report to me,


    It will be taxing, I know, but this is something we have to do. Otherwise, even if we do face the Dawncrests, things will only end up repeating itself,


    If we are fighting them, we need to make sure we give our best.


    I refuse the believe that the Vestas are so weak that we have no chance to win against the Dawncrests whatsoever."


    Vaan spoke with a confident look on his face.


    "We are not weak." Vaelen was quick to answer.


    "The only reason they won was because most of the methods topete give a slight advantage to the Swordsmen.


    We did not lose a single challenge where the Mages had the advantage."


    All the students here came from the Strongest Magic Family in the world, yes, this Generation of the Family was disappointing, it was the truth, however, this didn''t mean they were weak to the point they could be bullied by others.


    The ''weak'' in Vesta''s eyes were still genius level in the eyes of normal people.


    The battle was not entirely one-sided.


    "As I said, leave the challenges to me,


    I will make sure that every battle our students fight gives them the advantage.


    If you can give me what I asked for, that is."


    Vaan spoke with a big smile on his face.


    A determined look appeared on Vaelen''s face and he nodded,


    "I will do my best."


    Vaan smiled.


    He then turned towards Erza and,


    "Professor Erza, I would be grateful if you could help Brother Vaelen in the process."


    Erza stared at Vaan for a while and then, she nodded as well.


    "I will help brother as well."


    Suddenly, Lirael spoke up as well.


    Then, she looked into Vaan''s eyes, and,


    "Unless you have something else I need to do."


    It was her way of saying ''I am willing to help you as well.''


    Vaan stared at her and, "You can help your brother until I have something that requires your skills."


    "You can expect great results."


    Lirael spoke with a confident look on his face.


    "I already am."


    Vaan smiled.


    "Vaan."


    Suddenly, Vaelen called out.


    "Hmm?" Vaan tilted his head as he turned towards him.


    "Will you be staying here with us?


    I apologize for my mistake before, I should have sent someone to bring you people in, I didn''t do it because of my pettiness and I am ashamed of my actions.


    I truly believe youing here would raise other students'' morale."


    Not just Vaelen, all other students were looking at Vaan with hopeful eyes as well. After all, what they were witnessing was too surprising for them to believe, the Prospective Heirs, who were always out for each other throats, were actually trying to work together for once. Vaaning into the Vesta House would only improve the bonding and make things much more efficient than normal. However,


    "I have young blood flowing through my veins you know? Let me enjoy my time here, will you?"


    Vaan replied with a yful smile on his face.


    "I can''t believe it." Lirael snorted. "Although you did seem like one, I didn''t think you truly are the perverted type."


    "Hey, it''s my fianc¨¦e, so I have a green card."


    Vaan was quick to defend himself but suddenly,


    *Buzz* *Buzz* *Buzz*


    His SIC vibrated.


    He took it out and started reading, soon, a frown appeared on his face.


    "What happened?"


    Vaelen questioned seeing how Vaan was frowning, as a show of trust, Vaan took this chance and decided to pass his SIC to Vaelen.


    Vaelen was taken aback, however, understanding what Vaan was doing, he took the SIC and started reading, Liraeling near him to read as well.


    ''Agresia Academy


    2nd Novembrin 5039


    Dear Vaan Astra Vesta,


    It is with great pleasure that you are cordially invited to meet with Headmaster Octavius Ravenshadow at the main Head Office of the Agresia Academy. Your impressive achievements have not gone unnoticed, and the Headmaster is eager to have a conversation with you.


    The Headmaster looks forward to meeting with you and discussing your academic journey and any other matters that may be of importance to you. Your presence is requested at the Head Office tomorrow at 10 A.M. Amodations are made ordingly.


    With warm regards,


    Agresia Academy''


    It was a letter,


    An official invitation letter from the Academy.


    "How is this possible¡­?"


    Vaelen, who was done reading the letter frowned in confusion.


    "What is it?" Unable to contain her curiosity, Erza questioned.


    "An Invitation to Meet the Headmaster."


    "Huh? But Vaan just entered the Academy, how can he already be eligible to meet the Headmaster?" Erza and others frowned.


    "Eligible?" Vaan was taken aback.


    "Right, you won''t know¡­"


    Vaelen forgot that Vaan hadn''t even gone through the induction the new students were supposed to attend a week after joining the Academy.


    "You can only meet the Headmaster when you upgrade your Card to the next level after collecting 5 Excellence Stars."


    Vaelen exined and hearing those words, Vaan frowned.


    "But I do not have¡­"


    Before he couldplete, his card that was in Vaelen''s hand shined,


    It turned Silvery White.

 Chapter 199 A Reward.

    Chapter 199 A Reward.


    "Vaan Astra Vesta." A man called out and Vaan who was sitting in the waiting room stood up, the man smiled, "Headmaster Octavius is waiting for you." Vaan nodded as he walked into the room the man had juste out of. The moment he walked in, Vaan froze. "F-Father¡­?" He stuttered, not expecting to see his father here. "W-What are you doing here?" Vaan questioned. Orion, however, just nced at his child with a wide smile on his face and, "You didn''t think that you could get away with going to the Vesta House to be excused from the training and leaving ra behind to convince me, did you?" "Father¡­ I promise you that it was important, I was not trying to bezy and avoid the training¡­" "So the ''important'' thing just had to be discussed right when I was supposed to train you, huh? It couldn''t be adjusted before or after the training, correct?" "A-As if you leave me in a condition to do anything after training." Vaan tried to defend himself. "I clearly remember you trying to y around with that girl after my training." "ra is different. I don''t have to expend a lot of energy when I am with her and she usually takes of me when she notices that I am tired, those Vestas wouldn''t be doing that and you know it as well. You can''tpare the two things." Vaan was quick to reply and hearing his words, Orion turned silent. "So even your son is a fool for the girl he loves?" Suddenly, Octavius who had been silent this entire time and was only observing the situation spoke up. Vaan momentarily turned silent as many questions popped into his mind, Who was this old man? Why did he not see him before?


    Also, why was he talking so casually in front of his father? Vaan had seen it, even the 7th Circle Mages are careful around Orion, especially here in the Academy where his father has a status simr to that of a legend, a ck Card Holder. To think this old man would talk to his father li-


    Suddenly, Vaan froze as he thought of another possibility, He was inside the Head Office, the Office that belonged solely to the Headmaster of the Academy. The strange one here was his father. Even if he was a ck Card Holder, how could he be allowed to be in this ce, especially when it was time for the Headmaster to meet another student? "Octavius Ravenshadow¡­" Vaan muttered as he stared at the old man sitting in front of him, then, he nced at his father with a look that demanded answers, He finally understood. Orion Ravenshadow¡­ His father was rted to the Headmaster of the Agresia Academy. "He is quite slow, considering he is that woman''s son.


    Maybe he inherited your bad genes." Octaviusmented as he nced at Vaan. Vaan frowned, he however, ignored what the old man said and slightly bowed his head, "It is nice to meet you, Headmaster." "You can call me Grandfather." Octavius spoke up. "Grandfather¡­?" Vaan was taken back. "What? You still haven''t realized it yet?" Octavius questioned as he raised his left eyebrow. "That''s not it, Grandfather, I just couldn''t believe that you are my Father''s father. I guess my father wasn''t able to inherit all your sharp features huh¡­" "¡­" Orion''s face twitched the moment he heard those words. Octavius on the other hand, turned towards Orion and, "I take my words back, he did inherit that girl''s genes, he is quite bright." "¡­" Orion didn''t know how to react. Vaan on the other hand, chuckled. He had never seen Orion make such an expression before. From what he had seen so far, his Father and Grandfather seemed to have a nice rtionship. "Anyways, Vaan, I am sure you understand it, however, I will make things clear right now, do not expect any favors from me, even if I am your Grandfather. I take the Academy Rules very seriously. From what I have seen so far, you seem to be the type to get into a lot of trouble, don''t expect me or your father to get you out of it. You will be solely responsible for your actions." "Of course, I wasn''t expecting a partial treatment anyway, I assure you, Grandpa, I do not need it." Vaan spoke with a confident look on his face. "You sure have inherited your Father''s confidence." "If I had to guess, I''d say father inherited from you," Vaan replied. "Of course, all his positive qualities came from me, hahaha!" Octaviusughed out loud. "I can see that." Vaan nodded, then suddenly, his eyes fell on Orion, who, unlike before, wasn''t clenching his fists in frustration anymore, right now, he was only looking at him with a polite smile on his face. A smile that seemed so harmless that Vaan was horrified. "A-Anyways, G-Grandpa, I have been meaning to ask¡­" Vaan was quick to change the topic, he could tell that his fate was already sealed, however, he didn''t dare to push his luck any forward. "What is it?" Octavius questioned. "Why did the Headmaster summon me? From what I know, every student is summoned by the Headmaster whenever their card is upgraded, why? I doubt it is just because you wish to catch up to the excellent students, correct? With how others around me were acting when I revealed that I was summoned, I got a feeling that it wasn''t just a normal summon." Octavius stared at his Grandson and, "You really didn''t read the Academy Guidebook that was given to you, did you?" "Guidebook?" Vaan frowned and suddenly, "Astra decided to not give him the book since she knew he wouldn''t read it anyways, she said it was better to save a book and give it to someone more decent and humble, someone who actually values what was given to him." Orion was quick to shoot a few jabs at his child. "...mother would never say something like that." Vaan retorted, however, with how weak his tone was, it was clear that he didn''t hold confidence in that sentence. His mother was the type to definitely say something like that. "Hahaha~" Seeing him like that, Octavius couldn''t help butugh out loud. Then, as he turned towards Orion, he spoke up, "I now somewhat understand your perspective of life." Orion was taken aback when he heard his father speak andugh like that. His father¡­ seemed genuinely happy to meet his grandson. Vaan, who noticed the change in the environment of the room frowned in confusion, he didn''t know what happened. "It is a reward." Then suddenly, Octavius spoke up. "Hmm?" Vaan tilted his head in confusion and Octavius continued, "The Agresia Academy is extremelypetitive, this is especially true for students who focus on gathering as many Excellence Stars as they can, Students like these would never care about meeting me even if I am the Headmaster of the Academy, What theye here for is the reward." "Reward¡­?" "A chance to enter the Ancient Ruins," Octavius revealed. "Ancient Ruins¡­?" Vaan was taken aback. He wasn''t a fool, the first thing he did when he came here was read this world''s history, he knew that the oldest family in Agresia was 5000 years old, most of the records the history hade from 5000 years ago, however, this didn''t mean that Agresia itself was that old. In truth, it was much older than that. No one knew how old, however, one thing was sure, There was a time, a time when the people of Agresia were much stronger than right now, so strong that if the two civilizations fight now, then even with all the strength they have, the Vesta Family, the Dawncrest Family, the Agresia Academy, Church of Light, the Dragons, all these powersbined still won''t hold a candle to the past civilization. A Civilization that was lost in time. A Civilization, where the God of Magic still blessed his followers.


    A Civilization where Magic saw its peak, a Civilization where Magic Artifacts were in abundance and Magic Engineering was at a level now deemed impossible. And the Ancient Ruins, are what''s left of this Civilization. An opportunity to enter and explore the Ancient Ruins wasn''t just something that would reward people with ''experience'', exploring these ruins allowed the explorers to gather Ancient Magic Spells, Artifacts, and Instant Spells. It gave them the chance to trace back to the powerful Ancient Civilization and be apletely different person. That is, of course, once you pass its Trials, However, "Aren''t most of the Ruins already explored? And all strong powers fight over the Ruins that are unexplored. How would the Academy give me the ess to an unexplored Ruins? Even if it is the Academy, wouldn''t one want to monopolize the ruin instead of giving it to someone else?" Vaan questioned. "Well, that''s because the Ruins we allow you to enter is a special ce, A ce that you can very much call the heart of the Agresia Academy. A ce due to which the Agresia Academy was founded in the first ce.


    A Magical Ruin that never runs out of treasures."

 Chapter 200 Interview.

    Chapter 200 Interview.


    "Sir Vaan, it is great to see you again."


    A student sitting in front of Vaan spoke with a bright look on his face.


    "You did a great job with the article." Vaan praised.


    "Hahaha~ I am grateful for the opportunity given to us.


    Not to mention that we only wrote exactly what you wanted us to and it was the other students who actively searched for our article in order to read it.


    Our Club''s name has risen at quite a scary pace because of you."


    The Student remained humble.


    Vaan nodded as he smiled,


    "You have to do exactly what you did before again and I promise you that you will experience the same amount of reach again, actually, you might get even more popr."


    Vaan was confident, after all, things he was going to say today would be leaving quite a huge spark.


    Not to mention with how almost every club wanted to interview him just when he came out of the Headmaster''s Office, it was clear that his poprity was now reaching new limits.


    Only choosing Academic Insights Club for exclusive interviews would obviously give the club more reach than ever. Vaan knew that this club was using him to get better, he however, wasn''t offended.


    After all, he was doing the same.


    This little club, he nned to turn it into his personnel broadcasters. Broadcasters who would give him a tform to publically say what he wants to say and they would make sure that more and more students hear his words.


    He didn''t mind helping his personal broadcaster be more popr since in the end, it would only work better for him since his stage would only strengthen even further.


    Having a few dogs to do whatever was told to them was quite a good feeling as well.


    "Of course! That''s what I am here for today! The moment we heard that you were given the chance to meet the Headmaster of the Academy, they sent me here to interview you.


    Sir Vaan, I assure you, we will do our best to make sure all the students in the Academy hear your words."


    The student knew his role as well and he didn''t mind it. It was a mutually beneficial rtionship.


    "Then start with whatever questions you have prepared, I will answer all your questions first, then, I have some questions I want you to ask me and I will answer them as well, is that clear?"


    Vaan questioned.


    He was clearly manipting the media, however, to him, it didn''t matter.


    As long as he gets what he wants, the means he uses don''t matter.


    "Yes, of course.


    Let''s start with the first question,"


    The student spoke as he then took out two papers, one where the questions were prepared, and the other where he was going to note down Vaan''s answers,


    "Sir Vaan, I will start by congratting you on meeting with Headmaster Octavius. Many students work their hardest to earn this opportunity, yet you areing out of his office on just the 3rd day of your time here at the Academy. What was the experience like?"


    The student questioned,


    "It was an incredible experience, Headmaster Octavius is exactly the type of person I expected him to be, humble, wise, and dignified. Just talking to him filled me with endless confidence." Vaan replied with a smile on his face.


    He knew full well that that old man would be reading once this interview was published, so he was trying to earn some brownie points while he was at it.


    "Now I wish to work harder and strive to meet the Headmaster, not just for the award, but just to talk to him in person." The student chuckled, then, he continued with the next question,


    "Sir Vaan, most of the students already know that Headmaster Octavius is actually your Grandfather, so many of them have some questions about it.


    Being able to meet the Headmaster on the 3rd day of the Academy was something that was never done before, many students are curious if you grabbed this opportunity through the back door, or whether you actually managed to earn it yourself, so if it is not too much trouble, can I ask you to show me your SIC?"


    The student questioned, then, he leaned towards Vaan and whispered,


    "Should I continue this line of questioning, I can skip it if Sir Vaan wants me to."


    Vaan stared at the student for a while, then, with a yful smile on his face, he took out his Silvery White SIC and the student''s expression changed.


    "Back in my Vesta Family, there is a saying,


    If you are below average, people will mock you. If you are average, people will simply ignore you. If you are above average, people will praise you. If you are way above average, people will try to be like you,


    However, if you are the best, better than everyone else, people will start questioning you.


    So people doubting me doesn''t disappoint me, rather, it gives me the confirmation that I am indeed the best the Academy has ever seen. I do not need to foolishly take over some buildings made out of stones to prove that.


    I have the Silver White SIC that one gets after getting 5 Excellence Stars, yes, I received 5 Excellence Stars and I was given reasons for every single star that I received."


    Vaan spoke with a confident look on his face.


    "C-Can I ask what those reasons were?" The student went by the flow and questioned.


    "A Star for exceptionally good control over Spells.


    A Star for excellent Precision.


    A Star for being able to move while casting spells.


    A Star for disying the level of Swordsmanship no Mage has ever disyed before.


    A Star for using Advanced Magic Circles that even the wisest Mage in the Agresia Academy is influenced by.


    Actually, I was told that my card could even be directly upgraded to Grey, if I exined the principles behind my Advanced Magic Circles, however, I rejected that offer because of my own personal reasons.


    Also, if any of the Students think that any of the Stars I have received are given to me because of my rtion with the Headmaster, then I am open to challenges. However, I will say one thing, I won''t be responsible for the consequences after you lose.


    I find it quite shameful to lose a challenge I initiated."


    Vaan replied and the student widened his eyes in horror.


    5 Excellence Stars at the same time was already insane, but to think this man rejected the offer of getting 5 more right on the Headmaster''s face¡­


    "You have any more questions?" Seeing that he was still not saying anything, Vaan called out.


    The student came out of his reverie and started asking some more questions.


    Vaan answered them all and almost an hourter, when he was done answering all the questions, he gave the interviewer a piece of paper and,


    "Ask the questions written on it. I have also written your replies after my answers, don''t think and proceed exactly how it''s written here."


    These were the questions he had prepared yesterday night.


    Questions that will forge his pathway to his next goal.


    A big smile appeared on Vaan''s face as he thought about it.


    The interviewer quickly grabbed the paper and without thinking, he asked the first question,


    "Sir Vaan, now that you have received a Silver White Card, what are your future ns? How do you n to gather more Excellence Stars?"


    "That is quite simple,


    I''ll challenge more students."


    "Hmm?"


    "Receiving Excellence Stars through Academic Achievements is simply too slow, I will continue to challenge more and more students and learn from them in the process,


    I believe that as long as I be myself and continue to improve, I am bound to get more Stars.


    Actually, I already have the students I wish to challenge in my mind, Student ric and Student Kaelen, both are 4 Star Swordsmen and ording to my research, the two have quite impable teamwork,


    It just so happens that me and my fianc¨¦e are known to have quite a good teamwork as well,


    I wish to challenge ric and Kaelen in a 2v2 duel."


    Vaan spoke.


    "ric and Kaelen huh¡­?


    Is there any specific reason Sir Vaan wishes to challenge them in particr? Theye from humble backgrounds, so there might be a chance that they reject your challenge so as to not get into difficult situations with the Vesta Family. After all, even if Sir Vaan has no such intentions, cases like these are quitemon."


    "Hmm? What are you talking about? The Vestas are not like that. We do not use our family''s strength to suppress others. Not to mention that these two are taken in by the Dawncrests, they have no reason to fear us since the Dawncrests would support them no matter what.


    The two of them were also the ones who challenged two of our family students in apetition before and because of their excellent skills, they won in a match where students from my family had an advantage,


    I am trying to recreate the same thing, this time, however, the ones who will be having an advantage would be them.


    I hope they actually ept my formal challenge and disy their skills.


    After all, who wouldn''t want to learn from students who were personally selected by Den Dawncrest?"

 Chapter 201 It would be fun indeed.

    Chapter 201 It would be fun indeed.


    *Knock* *Knock* A knock was heard and a silver-haired man who was sitting on the chair spoke with a calm look on his face, "Enter." The doors opened up and an extremely beautiful woman wearing Agresia Academy''s uniform walked in. "Lord Den." She bowed her head. Den, however, didn''t even look at her and only acknowledged her presence with a bow. He was busy caressing the bird that was sitting on the table. Taking that bow as her cue, the woman started, "Vaan Astra Vesta''s card was upgraded to Silver White and he returned after meeting Headmaster Octavius." Hearing those words, Den paused. He then turned to the woman and seeing his face that reached perfection, the woman flinched. No, she wasn''t taken aback by how handsome the man was, this was not her first time talking or reporting to Den Dawncrest. She had seen this man more than she had seen her father, she was already numb to this man''s handsome face. The reason she flinched was because she was scared. Den directly looking into her eyes was something that had never happened before, at least not when she was reporting to him and even if it did happen when the two of them were doing ''other things'', she wasn''t in the condition of looking back into his eyes and realizing it. "He received 5 Excellence Stars in 2 days?" Den questioned with a slight frown on his face. "That is correct." The woman nodded. "Have you looked into the matter yet?" "Yes." The woman nodded again. "I was suspicious so I ordered our people to look into it, however, ording to what I have found, all the stars he received were rewarded fairly." "So the Headmaster had no say in this?" Den wanted to confirm.


    "I believed that he was involved in this, so I was looking into it from that specific angle since it would help our case in the future when we would kick Octavius away for good, however, no matter how I looked into it, Octavius wasn''t the one who initiated his. None of his close subordinates were involved in this instant. It was the Professors of the Magic Division who suggested the reasonings for his Excellence Stars." The woman reported and hearing those words, Den''s face turned cold. It had only been 3 days since that man was here, however, that man was already bing an eyesore. ''I need to crush him before his influence gets too big.'' At first, he was more wary of that red-haired girl. A 4th Circle Mage at the age of 21 was absurd. That was a Talent that wasparable to the current head of the Vesta Family. Den had already started preparations to deal with that woman, however, this bastard who appeared out of nowhere turned out to be an even bigger hassle to deal with. Den could smell trouble. Vaan Astra Vesta reeked of trouble, especially considering what he said in the article that was released after his battle with Alex.


    It wasn''t very difficult to understand what that man was trying to do. He was trying to unite the dispersed and dispirited Magic Division by talking about how ''weak'' the students of Swords Division were, he even went as far as using his mother''s name and announcing that he would be bringing back that ''era'', Those weren''t said just out of pure arrogance. That man came off as a hard-headed type, someone who couldn''t n, Den however, had a different opinion. He knew that Vaan Astra Vesta had two sides, a rash, brutish side he showed to the rest of the world, And the cold, calctive side that he hides deep inside him. And that''s what makes him much more fearsome than other students. "Look into Vaan. I want to know everything about him starting from what he likes to eat to the number of elements and spells he has.


    Do not miss anything, his personal rtionships, potential weaknesses we can use in the future, or his strengths that we need to be aware of. Make sure to look into everything and I need an update of everything you discover every single day. How you do it, whether you flirt your way through it, spy on him, or whether you target the people close to him to extract information, I do not care. Make this man your priority till you know everything there is to know about him, is that clear?" Den ordered, looking right into the woman''s eyes. The woman was taken aback, she had never seen Den act like this before, all the opponents this man had faced before, he always had this unwavering confidence in dealing with everything even if anything out of his expectations happened, the same confidence however, couldn''t be seen when this man talked about Vaan and this confused the woman. However, after thinking about it for a while, she understood the reason, Vaan was different. Even if he was just a 3rd Circle Mage, that man was full of surprises. She wasn''t a Mage, however, she perfectly understood all the shocking things Vaan had done in his battle yesterday, those Advance Magic Circles that even the 7th Circle Mages were shocked by, the ability to move while casting spells, everything that man showed waspletely differentpared to any mage they had seen before. Wariness was essential. The woman was actually d that Den wasn''t looking down on his opponent just because of everything he had achieved so far in the Academy. He was treating Vaan like a proper enemy, unlike how he treated other members of the Vesta Family. ''Heh, those fools were never his match to begin with.'' The woman couldn''t help but chuckle inwardly as she recalled how Den yed with the Vestas until they realized the significance of what they had lost. Thinking about it, the woman started looking forward to a faceoff between Vaan and Den. Someone who could make Den actually take all this seriously¡­


    ''Do not disappoint me, Vaan Astra Vesta.'' The woman thought inwardly and then, *Knock* *Knock* Another knock was heard. Den narrowed his eyes, unlike before, he wasn''t expecting anyone else, especially when all his people should know that he was currently busy, "Who is it?" He questioned. "Lord Den, it is ric and Kaelen, they wish to meet you and talk about the interview that was just released. They said that they wanted to know what their future actions should be." A voice was heard. "Interview¡­?" Den frowned in confusion as he turned towards the woman. "I was about toe to it." The woman spoke. "Speak." Den ordered.


    "The Academic Insights Club released an official interview they did with Vaan Astra Vesta, he said some interesting things in that interview, the highlight of the entire thing was how he mentioned that he wanted to challenge Swordsman ric and Kaelen, in a 2v2 match. I believe that is why the two of them are here. They must have wanted to know what you wanted them to do." The woman spoke and hearing those words, a big smile appeared on Den''s face, "So that bastard is already moving huh?


    ric and Vaelen, weren''t they the ones who challenged the Vesta Students first?" "That is correct, you told them that you would take them in if they win against the Vestas." "Hahaha~ So he is targeting my men." Denughed out loud. "But how is he going to win? Both of them are 4 Star Swordsmen, no? He is only a 3rd Circle Mage." "His Advance Circles make him stronger than ordinary 3rd Circle Mages, if we only count the number of Inner Circles he has, he has 2 more evenpared to a 4th Circle Mage. Not to mention that the one he would be fighting together is his fianc¨¦e, ra meheart. A 21-year-old 4th Circle Mage, we do not have any information about her strengths or weaknesses. So they might be hiding an element of surprise." The woman answered and Den nodded in understanding. "So he wants to remain on the attacking side till most of his abilities are hidden eh? Is he trying to take us by surprise?" Den questioned. "That could be a possibility." The woman nodded. Honestly, she had no clue what Vaan was thinking, neither was she interested. She only nodded at Den''s words and let him do all the thinking. There was no reason to foolishly suggest something and face the consequences in case her n failed. "Was the interview posted publicly?" Den questioned and rather than answering, the woman directly gave her SIC with the posted interview opened. Den started reading it with a curious look on his face, the woman on the other hand, walked towards the door and, "Tell them to wait, they will be summoned shortly." She ordered. "I understand." The person outside the door nodded and walked away. "Kek, ''I do not need to foolishly take over some buildings'', that man is salty about the House his family members lost." Denughed out loud. He was having the time of his life. Just imagining how Vaan''s face would look like when he crushed him made his heart flutter with immense joy. It would be fun indeed.

 Chapter 202 The Vestas versus the entire world.

    Chapter 202 The Vestas versus the entire world.


    *nk* *nk* *nk* Swords shed, Orion continued to block all of Vaan''s attacks in an effortless manner. The confident look on his face gave a feeling that Vaan couldn''t even be an opponent who could pose a challenge to Orion, however, *Whoosh* Vaan''s Battle Style was much different than any other Mages. A Fireball was generated, it shot towards Orion, and from a distance this close, even someone like Orion had to take it seriously. A solemn look appeared on Orion''s face, his sword shined, and, *sh* With one sword, the Fireball was cut into two parts. "Hey! You used Sword Aura! That''s cheating!" Vaanined. Sword Aura was not something Basic Swordsmen could use. It was an Advanced Technique that only Intermediate level Swordsmen were able to use. This was also the biggest difference between an Intermediate Swordsman and a Basic Swordsman. Basic Swordsmen were strong, their bodies had surpassed human limits and they could do things that normal humans would be horrified by, however, even then, whenpared to the Intermediate Level Swordsmen, the Basic Swordsmen were nothing but children and the reason behind this was Sword Aura. After all, there was a limit to how much a body can be enhanced, if Swordsmanship was all about enhancing one''s body, then the Swordsman would never have reached the level they have reached. Against Mages who could control the forces of nature, summoning Fire, Wate, Earth, and Wind and using countless destructive spells using them, simple Body Enhancement would be useless. And this was where Sword Aura came in. The ability to bring out the Aura that they had stored in their bodies and cover their Swords with it. This gave birth to a sword that was strong enough to cut anything. Even the Magic Spells. An ultimate weapon against Mages, who relied on their Spells to do almost everything, the Sword Aura, however, made these Spells almost useless. This was also the reason why Mages were at a disadvantage against Swordsman in a one-on-one battle. Even the Intermediate Mages, who had the ability to form a Mana Core and Store the Mana inside their Bodies and cast Magic Spells almost instantly, were helpless against beings who could simply ''cut'' their Magic Spells and render them useless. "What are you crying about, man up." Orion snorted as he rushed towards Vaan,pletely dismissing his words. "Haah!? Man up!? You are the one using an Intermediate Skill against someone on the Basic Level and I am the one who needs to Man up!?" Vaan was quick to retort. After all, if even his Strongest Spell was simply cut away, how was he supposed to win?


    "Not my fault that you are weak." Orion shrugged as he attacked Vaan using his sword. *nk* Vaan blocked his attack with his own sword, his speed was much faster than what he had shown in his fight against Alex. It wasn''t just his speed, Vaan''s Strength, Speed, and Stamina, everything had surpassed Human Limits, something that shouldn''t be possible for a Mage. *nk* *nk* *nk* Vaan tried to counterattack, since Orion''s Sword wasn''t shining anymore, he could tell that he wasn''t using Sword Aura, this was also the reason his Sword was able to ''sh'' against his father''s in the first ce. After all, a Sword Aura was able to ''cut'' anything, what was stopping it from cutting the opponent''s sword? "Tsk, you are fighting against a 20-year-old, while you are in your 60s. That''s like me fighting and winning against a 10-year-old and acting all arrogant. Have some shame." Vaan snorted as he continued tond a series of sword attacks on his father, hoping to catch him off guard with his enhanced speed at least once but suddenly, "Huh¡­?" Vaan''s expression changed. He could feel that his body had slowed down¡­ Not just that, he felt a lot weakerpared to before and his muscles had started to spasm. "Fuck¡­" He cursed and, *Bam* Orion found an opening and kicked his abdomen. Vaan''s body flew away, shing with the wall of the Training Room. *Thud* "Ugghh¡­" He groaned in pain as his entire body trembled nonstop. He took out three dull stones from his pockets and sighed in defeat, "They were all used up¡­" "You speak awfully lot for someone who uses external help to increase their strength."


    Orionmented. These three Stones in Vaan''s hands were the Strength Stone, Speed Stone, and Stamina Stone respectively. These were the Stones that could be mined, just like the Elemental Stones, and self-exnatory from the name, these were the stones that boosted the user attributes depending on the Stone used. "As if I have a choice¡­" Vaan sighed, his breathing was rigged, it was obvious that he was pushing himself using the Stamina Stone and now that the effect had worn out, he was facing the consequences. Right now, even keeping his eyes open was a taxing task for him. "If only I could use Mana to increase my Body Limits¡­" Vaan sighed. He had alreadypleted all 135 of the Basic Stances his father had taught him, his muscles were lean and toned, there was no unnecessary fat anywhere in his body and his body was in a perfect condition to do almost anything. Orion''s judgment was current, in these past few months Vaan had trained together with him, and the rate of his improvement was so quick that it was honestly horrifying. If Vaan had decided to be a Swordsman instead, Orion could have sworn that none would have been able to match his pace of development. After all, this monsterpleted 135 Basic Stance of his technique in a matter of two to three months!


    However, as monstrous as Vaan was, he had a limit. In the end, he was still a Mage. The next level of his Stances, which required the use of Aura, was not something someone like Vaan could do. He couldn''t improve any further. At least not until he became an Intermediate Mage. "You cannot use Magic to increase your strength, but you can use Magic instead." Hearing Vaan''s words, Orion spoke up. Vaan however, just sighed. He knew Magic Spells like ''Strength'', ''Speed'', and ''Stamina'' existed, they had the same effects these Stones had and were a natural alternative, however, These spells required direct use of ''Mana'' and Basic Mages were limited to only being able to use Spells rted to their Elements. Mana Spells like ''Strength'', ''Speed'', ''Stamina'', ''Magic Bullets'', or more could only be used by Intermediate Mages. "I wouldn''t be in this situation if I had that option, father." Vaan shook his head. "¡­" Orion turned silent as well. There was nothing even he could do in this situation other than allow his son to use these Stones to get used to the ''boost'' his Spells would provide him in the future and further hone his swordsmanship. "Your battle against Swordsman won''t be easy." Suddenly, Orionmented as he sat next to Vaan. Vaan''s face turned solemn. He knew it as well. "How did mother do it?" He questioned. "Didn''t you say Mother brought the Era of Magic Division where Mages dominated the Swordsmen? How did she do it?" "Well, your mother was different." "How?" "She was simply too advancedpared to her opponents. It was as if she had already studied all her opponents and no matter what they did, she always seemed to have counters prepared beforehand. You can call it a natural gift. Your mother was far more tactically advanced Mage than anyone I have ever seen, even to this day, I have never met a Mage who has a better crowd control ability than her. A one-on-one battle against her was a nightmare, even for me." "But you still won a few matches, no?" "Who do you think I am? Of course, I won." Orion snorted but then, his face turned serious, and, "Truthfully, your mother''s era and the current era have one significant difference. This is what gave Swordsman an even heavier advantage over the Mages." "What is it?" Vaan questioned with a frown on his face. "Magic Engineering." Orion replied. "Hmm?" "The creation of new Artifacts. Armors strong enough to protect the wearer from Magic Spells, Swords that are somewhat strong enough to ''cut'' someparatively weaker spells like how an Aura Sword does, Creation and Usage of such Artifacts have made things much more difficult for mages than how it used to be." "Haah? But wasn''t the use of Artifacts in duels forbidden?" Vaan questioned. After all, this was the only reason why Mages weren''t allowed to use Instant Spells in the Battle. If it wasn''t for this, then even a Basic Mage could use a Spell of an Advanced Mage and end any battle, no matter how strong the opponent was. "Only the usage of Exhaustible Artifacts is forbidden, Vaan. Not the Artifacts that can be created using our own technology. With the Advancement in Magic Engineering, these ''Artifacts'' have be nothing more than slightly better Armor and Swords. So using them in a battle is not forbidden." "So we are in a deep shit because Magic Engineering hasn''t made anything for Mages but has made things that would greatly benefit Swordsmen?" "Well, although things like enhanced armors are somewhat helpful to Mages as well, you can summarize it that way.


    This is what happens when almost the entire world is against you, Vaan. And this is why your mother is worried about the Vesta Family despite being one of the strongest Mages Agresia has seen." "It is the Vestas versus the entire world¡­" Vaan repeated what his mother said with a solemn look on his face.

 Chapter 203 Isabel.

    Chapter 203 Isabel.


    "It is the Vestas versus the entire world¡­"


    Vaan repeated what his mother said with a solemn look on his face.


    "Vestas versus the entire world, Hahaha!


    That is exactly something she would say!"


    Suddenly, Orionughed out loud.


    He could sense that the mood was turning heavier, so he decided to lighten it up by joking around.


    Vaan however, wasn''t in the mood for any jokes.


    This was a serious issue, he needed to think something.


    Seeing him act like that, Orion couldn''t help but chuckle,


    "Well, the situation isplex, I agree.


    But the Vestas still have me, so there is no need to worry.


    The true problem is what would happen after me, then there is no one who can protect and lead the Vestas. After all, our current heirs are simply too ipetent."


    It was a directjab at Vaan and Vaan wasn''t going to take it lying down,


    "Tsk, won''t the family have me by then? What are you talking about, old man?"


    "You? What could someone like you do? Don''t you think you are awfully arrogant for someone who is lying on the floor with his entire body covered with bruises?"


    "Tsk, says a fully grown Swordsman who is happy after winning against his 20-year-old child. Am I really the arrogant one here? You are the one who was forced to use Sword Aura to fend off my attack."


    "You are overestimating yourself, Vaan. I didn''t need Sword Aura to defeat you, I was simply trying to teach you that something like it exists. I can very well defeat you without Sword Aura and you know it as well."


    "The only reason you can defeat me is because of years of experience you have umted. You think there would be any Basic Swordsman who can do that?"


    "Yes."


    Orion replied.


    He teased his son because he wanted to lighten up the mood, however, right now, he felt like he needed to give an honest answer.


    "Apetent 4 Star Swordsman can defeat the current you in a one-on-one battle, that too, without using the Artifacts I mentioned before.


    Do not underestimate Swordsmen, Vaan.


    Especially Swordsmen like Den.


    I have seen that child with my own eyes, he is strong."


    "Don''t lie, you came here with me, you have never seen him fight."


    "I do not need to see him fight to know he is strong. The air around him is enough to give me an answer."


    Orion spoke with a solemn look on his face.


    Vaan''s expression changed as well. He looked into Orion''s eyes with a solemn look on his face and,


    "Then help me, Father."


    He requested.


    Vaan knew he couldn''t be arrogant in this situation. If his father was this wary of Den, there must be something he could see that Vaan couldn''t.


    "Fight me like a strong 4-Star Basic Swordsman would, so I can have a rough estimate about Den''s strength," Vaan spoke as he tried to stand up even though his body had already given in.


    With how things were going, he felt like the time where he would be facing Den in a battle soon. Vaan knew he needed to work hard in order to defeat someone his father acknowledged.


    "It is not the same."


    Orion, however, shook his head.


    "I am not a Basic Swordsman, Vaan. There is no button I can press to drop my level down to a 4-Star Swordsman and spar against you. I could somewhat do it by holding myself back, however, that would never give you an ideal estimate about your opponent.


    That can only be done if you face Den or someone at his level."


    "And where do I find such an opponent?" Vaan questioned and this time, even Orion turned silent.


    Vaan was in a position where he couldn''t lose, as the ''face'' of the Vesta Family, even a single loss would be a lot to bear, especially when people like Elric are prepared to bite back the moment he slipped.


    What Vaan needed was an unofficial duel against Den or someone close to his level, a duel where victory or defeat wouldn''t matter, a duel that could be used solely for the purpose of training.


    However¡­


    Finding an opponent of such caliber was simply impossible.


    This was one of the biggest problems the Vesta Mages faced, while other Families had Mages they could spar against and gain experience, the Vestas didn''t have anyone.


    They had enclosed themselves in a city where no one other than mages resided, Orion knew it was wrong from the beginning, no matter how strong the Vesta magic was, they needed battle experience for it to be useful.


    However, in a fight against the entire world, finding beings who would ''help'' them by sparring with them was a difficult task.


    Or¡­


    It should be¡­ but¡­


    "Vaan."


    Suddenly, ra walked into the training room.


    "ra~"


    Vaan instantly forgot all the pain in his body and rushed towards his fianc¨¦e.


    ra smiled as she quickly held Vaan and supported him. She was worried when she noticed his bruises, however, knowing that her father-inw would never hurt Vaan, she calmed her heart and decided to say what she was here for.


    "Someone is here to meet you."


    "Right now?" Vaan frowned in confusion.


    It was 11 P.M.


    What sort of insane person woulde here to meet him at this time?


    "Why didn''t you send that bastard away? Does he think everyone else is a no-life like him?" Vaan frowned.


    "W-Well¡­ I thought you would want to meet her¡­" ra replied.


    "Her¡­?" Vaan frowned in confusion.


    "It''s Isabel."


    ra revealed and Vaan''s expression changed.


    "What is she doing here at this time¡­?"


    Just like ra, Isabel was a Star Student¡­ of the Swords Division.


    A 4 Star Swordswoman and the only student in the entire Agresia Academy who could face Den Dawncrest in a Swords Duel and not be defeated in the first 30 minutes.


    She was a Gem that the Swords Division valued a lot, amoner whose value was much higher than most of the ''nobles'' who came from countless influential families.


    "Go meet her."


    Orion ordered.


    This might be the chance for Vaan.


    Vaan, of course, understood it as well and nodded.


    Quickly changing his clothes, he walked towards the room Isabel was waiting in and the moment his eyes fell on her, his expression changed.


    "What the hell¡­ she is almost as beautiful as you¡­"


    He whispered into ra''s ears, ra, however, instantly shook her head and,


    "She is much more beautiful than me¡­"


    Even she was enthralled by Isabel''s beauty.


    She had long ck hair, crystalline blue eyes, white skin, slightly red lips, a small nose, and features that were nigh perfect. She was currently wearing loose white robes under her usual red-ck training outfit, so her physique wasn''t very clear, however, just from her face alone, it was easy to guess how well-toned her body would be.


    Isabel was extremely beautiful, she was like a perfect being that every man imagines in their head.


    However,


    "Haa? I get that she is beautiful, but don''t give her too much credit. She is nowhere near as beautiful as you."


    Vaan was quick to go back on his words.


    "V-Vaan¡­"


    ra wanted to say something but then,


    "If you are done with your whispering, can we have a chat?"


    Suddenly, Isabel spoke up.


    Her voice was cold, it seemed like she was in a hurry and didn''t like how both Vaan and ra were staring at her.


    "Well, excuse us, but it''s not every day we have a guest at 11 o''clock at night." Vaan retorted.


    Ain''t no way would he allow someone to walk into his house and act all arrogant.


    "I snuck out the moment I got the chance. This was the earliest I could get here." Isabel answered.


    "Haaah? You snuck out?" Vaan raised an eyebrow.


    "What? You want Den to know that I am meeting you?" Isabel questioned.


    "You think I am scared of him or something?"


    "No, you wouldn''t be doing what you are doing if you were scared of him.


    But correct me if I am wrong, aren''t you nning on fighting him?"


    Isabel questioned.


    Vaan narrowed his eyes, "What does it have to do with you?"


    Hearing his question, Isabel was confused,


    "Are you not looking for someone you could spar against to test your strength before actually challenging Den?


    Or are you trying to be a 4th Circle Mage before challenging him?


    If you are, then let me tell you, an extra 6 Inner Circles won''t help your situation."


    Vaan''s expression changed.


    "What are you trying to say?" He questioned as he observed the woman sitting in front of him.


    "I''ll be your opponent."


    Isabel spoke and Vaan couldn''t understand.


    Wasn''t this a little too convenient?


    He was just thinking about this problem and now the solution had walked into his home?


    Was someone controlling strings behind the scenes?


    Vaan started thinking about all the possibilities but suddenly,


    "But I do have a condition since I going this far to help you."


    Isabel spoke up. A small smile appeared on her face.


    It was as if she had been waiting for this moment this whole time.


    Vaan was doubtful, he couldn''t tell what this woman wanted, however,


    "What is it?"


    There was no harm in listening.


    "I want your father."


    *Isabel''s Picture*

 Chapter 204 Take me as your disciple!

    Chapter 204 Take me as your disciple!


    "I want your father."


    Isabel spoke up and the entire room turned silent.


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    Both Vaan and ra stared at her with frozen looks on their faces and finally,


    "Haah?"


    Vaan reacted.


    There was aical look on his face, soon however, thatical look turned into one filled with disgust and,


    "Woman, are you out of your mind?


    That old man may be handsome, I would know since I inherited his features, but he is still an old man.


    He is over double your age and he is happily married, just what sort of sick thoughts do you have in your mind?"


    "¡­what are you talking about?"


    Isabel replied, it didn''t take long for her cold, distant expression to fall off and be reced by utter confusion.


    "What do you mean you want my father!?" Vaan questioned.


    He still had a slight hope that he had misunderstood the woman, however, seeing her react like this, he had a feeling that this girl might actually be a degenerate.


    "I want Lord Orion to take me as his disciple."


    Isabel spoke and once again, Vaan was dumbfounded.


    "Do you have a screw loose or something?"


    "Who do you think gave you the right to talk to me like that?" Isabel narrowed her eyes.


    She may be amoner, but, she was someone who had the potential to be one of the greatest swordswomen in the future, almost any power would beg her to join them.


    She wouldn''t allow such disrespect from an-


    "Complete your sentence in one go.


    What does ''I want you father.'' even mean!?


    Do you even realize how strange that sounds?"


    Isabel frowned in confusion.


    She nced at ra as if she had lost hope in Vaan being able to hold a proper conversation where they were on the same page, however, ra had a strange look on her face as well.


    ''So that''s why the two of them are engaged.''


    Isabel nodded inwardly.


    "Don''t think you can win against Den that easily. I have seen your battles, if you do not have any other trump card you are hiding, Den would end the battle before a minute.


    I am not asking much, an opportunity to Lord Orion would suffice as well and I assure you that I will give my all to give you a decent idea about Den''s strength."


    Suddenly, Isabel stood up and,


    "My offer still stands,


    If you decide to change your mind, you can reach out to me anytime you want."


    Saying those words, Isabel turned around and started walking out of the room.


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    Both Vaan and ra watched her leave, they knew that there were some misunderstandings between the two parties, however, for now, they decided to not stop Isabel.


    Vaan decided to look into this woman before getting involved with her.


    She was a little too strange to get involved directly.


    Vaan had dealt with a fair share of crazies in his previous life, women who were interested in older men weren''t rare.


    Although Isabel did rify, Vaan still had his doubts.


    Also, didn''t she say that they can contact her anytime? Vaan decided to use the time that was given to him.


    However,


    "Hmm? You are out? What happened?"


    Suddenly, Vaan heard a voice.


    It was Orion''s and from the looks of it, he met Isabel.


    Vaan''s eyes widened in shock, he and ra quickly stood up and rushed towards the door and what they saw made them blink in pure shock.


    "L-L-Lord O-Orion!!"


    The cold and distant Isabel had frozen up as she stood in front of Orion. She was blinking continuously as if she couldn''t believe that she was meeting her idol, her face had turned bright red, and noticing that, Vaan narrowed his eyes,


    ''There is definitely something wrong with this woman.''


    "Isabel?" Orion called out with a frown on his face.


    Isabel quickly came out of her reverie, however, instead of collecting herself, she somewhat panicked and disyed a perfect 90-degree bow.


    "Lord Orion! I apologize for any disrespect I have shown you! My name is Isabel, I am an orphan so I do not have ast name! I am 27 years old, a peak 4 Star Swordsman and I am also a Star Student who currently has 9 Excellence Stars! I have been hearing Lord Orion''s name ever since I entered the Academy and I am truly grateful for this opportunity of being able to stand in your presence!"


    It was clear that Isabel was over-excited.


    This time, it wasn''t just Vaan and ra who were dumbfounded, Orion had the same expression on his face.


    He turned towards his son and daughter-inw standing near the door and he tilted his head, it was as if he was asking, ''What''s her deal?''


    Vaan however, shook his head, he had absolutely no clue how to deal with this woman so he decided to leave everything to his father.


    Abandoned by his own son, Orion nced at Isabel and,


    "Uhh¡­ Isabel¡­?"


    He called out with a forced smile on his face.


    "Yes, Lord Orion!" Isabel nced at Orion, her eyes shining brightly.


    "C-Can I ask what are you doing here?"


    "I came here with an offer, Lord Orion." Isabel''s answer was instantaneous and she didn''t stop there,


    "Actually, now that Lord Orion is here, I believe there is no need for any offers."


    Saying those words, she knelt on the ground,


    "Lord Orion, please take me as your disciple."


    In an instant, Isabel''s aura changed.


    If at first, she gave an impression of a fool who was living in her own world, now, she gave off the aura of a warrior who had been hardened by countless battles.


    Suddenly, Orion''s bbergasted face turned solemn as well. He narrowed his eyes, looking at how the girl''s aura did aplete 180. He could also sense that she was strong, much stronger than what he had sensed before.


    "Why do you wish to be my disciple?"


    Orion questioned.


    "There are many skillful Professors you can choose from. There is even Headmaster Octavius, the person who trained me, with your qualifications, I am sure he would dly take you in as his disciple, so why choose me?"


    "I wish to be taught by the best."


    Isabel''s answer was instantaneous.


    "I do learn under Master Octavius, however, before bing his disciple, I had already made it clear that if I get a chance, I would like to learn under Lord Orion and be his true disciple.


    I didn''t think I would get the opportunity, however, the moment I heard you returned to the Agresia Academy, I couldn''t help myself and rushed here."


    "Why didn''t youe here instead of going to the Vesta House to meet me?" Orion questioned.


    Hearing that question, Isabel suddenly blushed and,


    "I-I believed that meeting you through your son would be a better option instead of bothering you directly.


    A-Although I am doing the same thing, that is only because L-Lord Orion suddenly came in front of me. I know I am currently too nervous, so I hope Lord Orion can overlook my mistakes."


    "Meeting me through my son?" Orion frowned as he nced at Vaan. Vaan however, shook his head, but Isabel continued,


    "I offered to have an unofficial duel with Vaan in exchange for getting a chance to meet with Lord Orion."


    "Is that so¡­"


    Orion narrowed his eyes as he nced at Vaan.


    "Then why are youing out of the room? Did he ept your offer?"


    "I-I gave him more time to t-think about it. Lord Orion should already know, Den is not an opponent the current him could defeat, he needs to practice with someone of a simr level however finding someone like that is close to impossible."


    "So you are saying you would spar with him if I take you in as my student?" Orion questioned.


    "I-I know the price I am paying cheap but I do not have anything else to offer right now. I don''t even need to be a True Disciple! Take me in as a Trial Disciple, a-and if Lord Orion is not satisfied with me, he can send me away but I will still spar with Young Master Vaan whenever he wishes!"


    Isabel spoke, the difference in her tone when she talked with Vaan and Orion was simply too much.


    Orion stared at the girl in front of him and,


    "Let''s do it."


    He agreed.


    "W-What¡­?" Isabel couldn''t believe what she was hearing.


    "I will take you in as my Trail Disciple for 30 days.


    If your performance satisfies me, I will take you in as my True Disciple."


    Hearing those words, Isabel''s face brightened up.


    "T-Thank you, Lord Orion!


    I will work hard and will make sure not to disappoint you!"


    Then suddenly, a small smile appeared on Orion''s face, and,


    "Actually, how about we start right now?"


    As he said those words, he nced at Vaan.


    The moment Vaan saw his father''s expression, he knew something bad was going to happen.


    And just like he expected,


    30 minutester, he was lying on the ground, with bruises all over his body.


    He could barely stand up and the person responsible for his condition turned towards Orion and,


    "Master Orion! Was that satisfactory? Or should I increase my strength a little more? I can even use my real sword instead of this wooden sword, but I believe that it would be too much for Young Master Vaan to take."

 Chapter 205 Y-Yes! I promise I wont be late!

    Chapter 205 Y-Yes! I promise I won''t bete!


    "Master Orion! Was that satisfactory? Or should I increase my strength a little more? I can even use my real sword instead of this wooden sword, but I believe that it would be too much for Young Master Vaan to take." Isabel turned towards Orion and spoke with an excited look on her face. "¡­" Orion stared at the girl standing in front of him and had no clue how to react. He looked behind and saw Vaan lying on the floor with bruises all over his body. "Ugghhh¡­" Vaan groaned in pain. "Vaan, a-are you okay?" ra questioned with a worried look on her face as she ced Vaan''s head on herp. Vaan on the other hand, nced at Isabel and recalled what happened just a few minutes ago. ¡­


    When Orion realized how important this opportunity was, he took Vaan, ra, and Isabel to the training room. "Are you sure you will not have any problems if you return to your residencete at night?" Orion questioned with a worried look on his face as the four of them were walking towards the Training Room. "Master Orion can rest assured, there will be no problems," Isabel replied with a big smile on her face. "I was actually looking forward to showing off my skills to you. Truthfully, I had my doubts and I didn''t think I would get this chance today, now that I did, I do not wish to miss it." Isabel''s overexcitement could be felt very clearly. Orion nodded. If there were any issues, he could go with her and make sure that she reached her residence safe and sound. He then turned towards Vaan, "What about you? You don''t mind sparring with her, do you?" Orion questioned. Vaan stared at his father for a while and didn''t say anything. Orion should know that Vaan wasn''t in his best condition right now, however, now that the opportunity had presented itself, Vaan didn''t wish to back down either. He wanted to see just how strong a Star Sword Division Student was for his father to react like this. It was not just him, even ra was looking forward to seeing Isabel fight, after all, even she wasn''t very experienced in terms of facing swordsmen, she needed to gather experience as well. As the four reached the Training Room, Vaan and Isabel took their positions following the standard duel norms. "Take out your sword," Vaan spoke. Isabel however, just chuckled and grabbed a wooden sword. "Are you looking down on me?" Vaan narrowed his eyes. Isabel however, just continued to smile. Vaan didn''t bother either. Isabel would start taking him seriously the moment she realized the danger she was in. Vaan took out his sword and pointed it at Isabel. The three Spirits around him prepared for the battle as well. Orion acted as the judge and, "Start." As soon as Orion ordered, Isabel dashed towards Vaan.


    Her speed was visibly faster than Alex, therefore, Vaan decided to go all out from the start and jumped back, widening the distance between the two and at the same time, absorbing the surrounding Mana and circting it throughout his body. Normally, a swordsman would panic in this situation since that would mean that he would lose the initiative at the start of the battle, Isabel however, didn''t care and simply continued to chase after Vaan. Vaan, however, was faster, once he sessfully circted the Mana throughout his Body, three Advanced Magic Circles appeared around him, and mey took the charge to start with the basic spell that could be cast almost instantaneously. Firespike. The Firespike rushed towards Isabel, the woman however, simply dodged the attack and before mey could use [Direction Maniption] to chase after her, Isabel had already appeared next to Vaan. She swung her sword, Vaan dodged it using his sword. The Wooden Sword shed with the steel sword and a visible cut appeared on it. Isabel however, did not back down, rather, she aimed at Vaan''s hand that was holding the sword. Tak In thest moment, however, Sshy created a Water Shield that blocked Isabel''s sword, however, "Ugghhh!!" Isabel quickly kicked Vaan''s waist from the other side, ruining his bnce. "Krriii!!" Not liking how her friend was attacked, mey appeared right in front of Isabel, her eyes shone brightly, and together with it, Vaan''s Magic Circle shined. I fireball was formed right in front of Isabel''s body. If the attack connected, Isabel would need instant medical attention. However, Isabel was simply too fast for Vaan to focus on her. Even though his eyes could keep up with her movements because of his father''s training, his body had absolutely no way to resist her. Before the Spell could even bepleted, Isabel had already rolled over and appeared behind Vaan, targeting his back. As Vaan turned around, trying to defend and get into an attacking position, Isabel was already aiming for his leg. *Tak* *Tak* *Tak* "Ugghh¡­" "Ahh!" "Fuckkk!" The little Spirits and Vaan, both were confused and were taken aback by Isabel''s insane movement speed, she was almost three times as fast as Vaan, he felt like an amateur facing a seasoned veteran. He missed more and more of her attacks, allowing her tond more hits on him. And since the strength behind her attack was so great that each one of those hits generated a pained groan and left a bruise. In the end, unable to take it any longer, Vaan knelt as Isabel kicked behind his right knee, then as she ced her sword on his shoulder, "The Duel ends." Orion spoke up. "Winner, Isabel." He announced with an unsurprised look on his face.


    Vaan fell on the ground, groaning in pain while Isabel quickly rushed towards Orion. This was how they came to the current situation where Isabel was still full of energy. She didn''t even have a single drop of sweat on her face, her real sword was still ced inside her scabbard on her waist, Vaan on the other hand, was on the floor, panting and groaning. "Uggh¡­ how is the difference this big¡­? My strength should still be around 4th Circle Mage¡­" Vaan questioned with a frown on his face. Honestly, Isabel was so fast that he wasn''t even given the time to cast stronger spells and that was just when this woman was using a wooden sword. If she was using a Steel sword, then all those bruises would have been cuts and he would have already died from excessive bleeding. This level of one-sided beating¡­ This was the first time Vaan had been through something like this.


    "Do you still not understand? In a one-on-one battle, Mages have a major disadvantage against Swordsmen. That''s why even if your strength is close to 4th Circle Mage, there is no way you can win against a peak 4-star Swordsman like Den. Mages are supposed to create distance between them and their enemies to bombard them with their spells, you on the other hand are trying to face a swordsman in closebat. Do you truly believe that you would be able to win against someone who has been trained in closebat just because you can cast Magic Spells while fighting? At this distance, almost all your big spells would harm you as a caster as well, not to mention you would never be able to react to an established Swordsmen speed and technique. The only reason you were able to win against Alex was because he was caught off guard, not to mention he was too overconfident, and the fact that you managed to injure him before changing your battle style and going for a closebat battle. Honestly, if Alex is given a second chance, then your victory wouldn''t be as smooth as before." Isabel lectured as she stood beside Orion. It was as if she was trying to impress Orion with her knowledge. And if that was indeed her goal, she was seeding. Orion was impressed. He had expected Isabel to be skillful, but the difference between her and his son would be this big, Orion had no idea. "You did well." Orion praised. "T-Thank you, Master Orion!" Isabel nodded, her eyes shining brightly. Orion then turned towards ra and, "Take care of him, I will return after dropping Isabel to her residence." "We are leaving?" Isabel was surprised. "Do you think he is in a condition to fight you?" Orion questioned back. "I thought you Master Orion¡­" Isabel wanted to say something but she turned silent. Orion, however, smiled and, "I still need to see your fighting style and spar with you a few times beforeing up with a suitable training n for you. You can go to Headmaster Octavius and tell him that I''ll be stealing his student.


    No, actually, tell me when you n to tell me, I wille with you." After all, there is no way he can miss the look on his father''s face when he reveals the truth. "D-Does that mean..." "Be here at 7 in the evening from tomorrow and do not bete."


    Orion spoke with a strict look on his face. "Y-Yes! I promise I won''t bete!"


    And Isabel couldn''t be any happier.

 Chapter 206 Dont bother, you will lose.

    Chapter 206 Don''t bother, you will lose.


    "Heh, that girl truly battered you up, eh?" Orion chuckled as he walked into Vaan''s room after dropping Isabel back at her residence. Vaan justy on the bed, not saying anything, and seeing his outspoken child being so silent, Orion couldn''t help but feel great joy. "I told you, didn''t I? Fighting a one-on-one against a swordsman is no different than asking for defeat. The only reason you won against Alex was because he was weak." As he said those words, Orion passed a Potion to ra, who quickly took it to Vaan and gently poured it into his mouth. Orion waited as Vaan drank the Potion, "That girl was too strange." Vaan finally spoke up. "She was simply too fast, I couldn''t react in time." "This is why a mage can never face a Swordsmen in a one-on-one battle, the disadvantage is just too huge. There is no way any normal Mage would be able to keep up." Orion replied. "Not to mention that girl was¡­" "What?" Noticing that his father had something to say, Vaan probed further. Orion hesitated for a while but then, "She was almost as strong as I was when I was a 4 Star Swordsman." Orion revealed and Vaan''s eyes widened in surprise. His father was a ck Card Holder, if Isabel was as strong as him¡­


    "Wait." Suddenly, a big frown appeared on Vaan''s face, "Didn''t she lose against Den?" Orion''s face turned grim as he nodded, "If she did lose against Den, Then that means Den Dawncrest is stronger than the past me.


    Not only that, it automatically makes her stronger than Astra as well. So¡­ You better stop thinking about challenging him in a one-on-one battle,


    There is no way you would win." Orion spoke and Vaan couldn''t believe what he was hearing. His all-confident father¡­


    He was admitting defeat¡­


    "Are you telling me to abandon the Vesta House?" Vaan questioned with a dumbfounded look on his face. "I am merely saying that if you want to fight him, it better not be a one-on-one battle or a format where you would need to face Den directly. There are many other formats of battle, formats where the battlefield is even and not heavily advantageous to one side." Orion replied. "Are you really that sure that I would lose?" Vaan questioned. "I wasn''t expecting it before, but after seeing that girl''s skills, I am positive. That wasn''t the level of swordsmanship that could be defeated by a Mage." Orion nodded. He wanted to be honest with his son. "And it would remain the same even if I train together with Isabel?" "Vaan, training will not magically improve your abilities, without Aura, no matter how much you train, it would be useless." "Then¡­ why did you ept Isabel as your student?" Vaan questioned. "Hah? What does that have to do with it?" "Didn''t you only ept that girl because you wanted her to help me? If the situation is helpless, then why did yo-" "I only wanted a talented student." Orion shook his head. "I was pleasantly surprised when I noticed her talent and since you aren''t interested in learning my Swordsmanship, I decided to choose her.


    It has nothing to do with you." "¡­" Vaan didn''t know how to react and only nced at his father with a dumbfounded look on his face. To think that this man was thinking about his own student at a time like this¡­


    ''Why did mother marry someone as selfish as you.'' He snorted inwardly. He was picking his Grandfather''s traits. "Even if I be a 4th Circle Mage¡­?" "Hm?" Suddenly, Vaan questioned as he stared into his Father''s eyes with a solemn look on his face. "If I became a 4th Circle Mage, I would have 6 extra Inner Circles. I would be a Mage with 24 Inner Circles and my strength would increase exponentially. What about then? Would I be able to defeat Den in a one-on-one battle then?" Vaan was a freak. He was a Mage whose Potential was far higher than any of his peers. Even as a 3rd Circle Mage, the number of Inner Circles he had was 18, two more than what a 4th Circle Mage would have, thisbined with how his Magic Circles were bigger than themon Circles and had more space to ''draw'' the Magic Patterns, He was stronger than a normal 4th Circle Mage with only weakness being his thinner veins that couldn''t store as much Mana as a normal 4th Circle Mage could store. If someone like him became a 4th Circle Mage¡­ His chances of victory against Den would definitely shoot up. "It wouldn''t matter." Orion, however, had a different opinion. "Even if you have more Inner Circles, the only thing they would help you with would be to strengthen your Spells, the problem you are facing is not the strength of your spells, Rather, even with your current spells, if you can get even one good hit in, no swordsmen below the Intermediate Level would be able to survive.


    However, the strength of your spells wouldn''t matter if you would never get the opportunity to use them in the first ce. Someone like Den would never give you enough time to cast stronger spells. He is perfectly capable of closing the distance and ending the battle before it." "¡­" Vaan turned silent. He was trying to think of a way, however, after his battle against Isabel, he knew his options were extremely limited. And now that even Orion had seemed to given up¡­


    "You are a Mage, Vaan. Your strengthes from your head, not your body, You have no reason to face him head-on." Orion spoke up. "Is there really no way to train both Swordsmanship and Magic at the same time?" Vaan questioned, holding onto a glimmer of hope even after his father had already told him the answer to his question once. "No." And again, Orion''s answer didn''t change. "Aura and Mana are notpatible with each other, you can use raw Mana to increase your strength after you be an Intermediate Mage, but you can not use both at the same time. Your Magic Veins would simply burst apart because of the strong collision between the two energies and you would turn into a cripple." Hearing those words, Vaan nced at the three Spirits. He wanted to know what the three of them had to say, however, this time, even the three spirits had no other option but to disappoint Vaan. Even the Spirits who had ess to knowledge to make the impossible possible didn''t have the way to use both energies together. Vaan sighed. He really wanted to defeat Den in a one-on-one battle. After all, this was the best way to prove one''s superiority, not to mention that chances of Den falling for his challenge and putting the Vesta House in the line were much higher if it was a battle Den knew he would win.


    Seeing the dejected look on his son''s face, Orion frowned. "Why do you look like the world just ended? Just find some other way to defeat him. Astra did the same thing, the number of times she and I had head-on collisions was limited, after all, she knew perfectly well that closebat was her weakness. This is how you grow Vaan, understand your limits, and prepare yourself ordingly. You do not have to defeat an enemy in his domain. This is not a fantasy story where you can get everything you want.


    If you think carefully, you will realize that Den might not be as difficult to deal with as you might think, there are many ways to defeat him, Isabel is one of them as well. You can challenge him to a two-on-two duel with Isabel as your teammate, with Isabel in the front and you as her support, there is no way you two would lose." Orion suggested. "And why would Isabel help me fight against the Swords Division?" Vaan questioned. Orion, however just smiled and, "You won''t be fighting against the Swords Division, Vaan. You would be fighting against the Dawncrest Family. As my student, Isabel would have no reason not to help you. Not to mention that you can always train together and improve your teamwork since this is where I will be training her.


    The two of you can be like me and Astra back in our days of the Academy, the best Swordswomen and the best Mage, fighting together as the best team. Let alone getting the Vesta House back, even reigning over the entire Academy wouldn''t be difficult with your strength." Orion''s ambitions were high. However, "Do you really think Den would bet the Vesta House if I challenge him together with Isabel?" "That''s not my responsibility, is it? The opportunity to get the Vesta House back, Shouldn''t you, as the ''face'' of the Vestas, be the one to think about it? What? Did you think your mother''s test would be that easy?" Orion smiled. He was definitely enjoying the sight of his arrogant son drowning in worries.

 Chapter 207 Celestial Standout.

    <h4>Chapter 207 Celestial Standout.</h4>


    "Hello there, Celestial Standout."


    As Vaan and ra walked into the ssroom on the 4th day of their Academy, a voice stopped them.


    It was a voice ra was familiar with, as for Vaan, although he did feel like he remembered it, he couldn''t recall where he had heard it before.


    The two turned around and Vaan finally recalled where he heard this voice before.


    She was Vya Haze, a 3rd Circle Mage they had met in their first ss, and since unlike Vaan, ra had also attended the Academy on the 3rd Day, she seemed even more familiar with this woman.


    "Vya!"


    ra greeted.


    She seemed to have gotten quite close to the woman.


    Vaan narrowed his eyes.


    For ra to open up to a woman in just one day¡­


    It was suspicious.


    No, he wasn''t a controlling freak who didn''t want ra to make her own friends or something like that.


    What he was worried about was that ra was too innocent and pure-hearted.


    With her talent, even without her having any connection with him or the Vesta House, there would be people who would want to take advantage of her.


    Yes, Vaan wanted ra to make good friends and create good memories during the time they were here in the Academy, however, she needed to be careful in the process and those friendships needed to be formed as naturally as possible.


    As for this new ''friend'' they have met, Vaan found it a little too natural. From ra''s expression, it felt as if rather than meeting someone she met just 2 days ago, she was meeting a long-time friend,


    For their friendship to get this strong, it was suspicious. Not to mention Vya was the woman who approached them first on their first day in the Academy.


    "Hello, ra. How have you been?" oblivious to his thoughts, Vya simply greeted ra back as she patted her head with a bright smile on her face.


    "I am good, how about you?" ra replied.


    "I am fine as well," Vya replied, then, she turned towards Vaan, and,


    "What about you, Celestial Standout? You finally decided to grace us plebs with your presence, eh? I thought you might be busy with something else today, something that would then be all over the SIC Articles by the evening."


    "Celestial Standout?"


    "Hmm? You don''t know? This is the new title people came up with, just for you." Vya informed.


    "New Title?" Vaan couldn''t help but frown.


    "Mhm, just like how students who get a Star because of their excellence the moment they enter the Academy are called Star Students, we came up with another title just for you. After all, merely calling you a Star Student when you won 5 Excellence Stars on just your 3rd day in the Academy wouldn''t really be fair, would it?


    So a brand new title for a brand new achievement that has never been achieved before."


    Vya spoke.


    She sounded quite proud of herself when she spoke about this matter. Even going as far as cing her hands on either side of her waist and puffing her chest up.


    ra couldn''t help but chuckle when she saw her acting like that.


    Vaan on the other hand, seemed surprised by how free the students of the Academy were. Not that he minds, after all, the more hype he creates around him, the better it would be for the Vesta Family.


    "But I really have to say, Vaan Astra Vesta, despite you being the son of Lady Astra, none of us expected you to be this monstrous.


    I actually thought it was ra who was going to surprise us this time, but you simply tore through all our expectations."


    Vya spoke and the more she did, the brighter ra''s smile got. She loved how Vaan was being recognized for his talent and was attracting people around him.


    Vaan on the other hand, just shrugged with a smile,


    "What can I say, I am just that amazing."


    "Hahaha~ Being arrogant now, are we?" Vyaughed out loud.


    The rest of the students in the ss all had smiles on their faces as well. It waspletely different than the first day Vaan and ra had entered the Academy,


    Almost everyone in the ssroom knew who Vaan was even though it was just his second day in the ssroom, not only that, everyone also seemed to be d that Vaan was on their side. After all, this man defeated a Swordsman, a popr bully, and the battle was so one-sided that Alex would think a thousand times beforeing and trying to bully any student from the Magic Division.


    "Well, you do have a right to be arrogant." Vya nodded with a big smile but then,


    "I beg to differ."


    A voice was heard.


    Vaan frowned the moment he heard those words, Vya, on the other hand, quickly held ra''s hand and took her away,


    "Magnus is here, let''s getaway."


    She spoke. ra also walked away with her with a smile on her face. Vaan on the other hand, nced at the man who spoke up.


    He wanted to see who this Magnus was, however, the moment his eyes fell on him, his expression changed.


    It was the Professor.


    "Vaan Astra Vesta." Professor Magnus called out.


    He was a man who seemed to be in histe 60s, almost all his hair had turned white, there were wrinkles all over his face, his eyes however, had a shine that seemed to hide vast knowledge inside them,


    "Professor." Vaan slightly bowed his head as he greeted the Professor.


    "Your performance was amazing. I never thought I would see a Mage as capable as you, you have opened my eyes and have allowed me to see beyond the norm."


    The professor was full of praise.


    "Thank you, Professor." Vaan nodded with a light smile on his face, however, from the professor''s tone, he knew that the bag of old bones wasn''t done yet.


    "However."


    And just as Vaan expected, the old man had more to say,


    "Do not lose yourself in arrogance, you are still young, there are many things you have yet to see. Do not limit your vision because you are better than your peers and always strive to be better, lest these same people would leave you behind."


    Professor Magnus spoke.


    "I understand, Professor." Vaan simply nodded.


    His eyes had been forcefully and painfully opened up yesterday, he didn''t require another lecture about the same.


    The Professor simply nodded,


    "You can take your seat."


    Vaan nodded before spotting ra in the crowd and noticing her pointing at the seat right beside her.


    "Anyways, Vaan, I have meaning to ask, what''s with the bruise under your eye? From what I heard, you weren''t injured in your battle against Alex."


    Vya, who was sitting next to ra leaned towards Vaan and questioned in a low voice.


    "I was training," Vaan replied.


    This wasn''t the topic he wanted to talk about.


    Especially the part where he got beaten up.


    He was man enough to admit his defeat, however, that still didn''t mean he wanted to go around and announce it to the rest of the world.


    The less people knew about it, the better.


    "Hey, did you hear about Isabel?"


    Just when Vaan was thinking about that woman, someone spoke her name.


    In an instant, both his and ra''s attention was piqued as they turned towards the student talking about Isabel.


    "Isabel? From the Swords Division?"


    "Yes, that one."


    "Oi, do you have a death wish or something?" The other student narrowed his eyes.


    "What do you mean?" the first student frowned.


    "Call her Lady Isabel, show some respect.


    Do you even know how many people are willing to follow her around for the rest of their lives? She is practically the queen of their hearts. If these people ever heard you call her by her first name, they would alle at you like a bunch of madmen, finding any way to challenge you and beat you up."


    "What¡­?" The student was shocked.


    "But isn''t it this the Magic Division? Who here woul-"


    "What are you talking about? More than half of her fanatics are from the Magic Division."


    The student revealed and the other one widened his eyes in disbelief.


    "Is that true¡­?"


    "Do I have any reason to lie to you?"


    Vaan and ra nced at each other.


    They didn''t know that they met a celebrity.


    "Anyways, what were about to say about Lady Isabel?"


    The student questioned.


    "She openly announced that she is no longer interested in being the Headmaster''s Personal Student because she has found a teacher who is better suited for her."


    "What!?"


    This time, the one who was shocked was Vaan, and unable to contain his shock, he shouted out loud, attracted the students'' attention,


    Vaan however,pletely ignored the students ring at him and turned towards the student who revealed the news.


    "She announced that? When?"


    "W-What?"


    The student was taken back, however, soon, he understood what Vaan was talking about and answered,


    "The Article was released at 2 A.M."


    ''She released it the moment she returned¡­''


    Vaan had no clue why this woman was working so fast.

 Chapter 208 Are you the one who challenged us?

    <h4>Chapter 208 Are you the one who challenged us?</h4>


    "The Article was released at 2 A.M."


    ''She released it the moment she returned¡­''


    Vaan realized.


    He resisted the urge to facepalm.


    Vaan had no clue why this woman was working so fast, especially when his father made it clear that he wanted to go together with her to see his grandfather''s reaction.


    Considering how much she respects his father, shouldn''t she fulfill this little request and wait a little before revealing it directly to the Grandfather?


    Actually, why even make a public announcement?


    Wasn''t it akin to shaming the Headmaster of the Academy? Nothing good woulde from doing something like that.


    After all, as much as the Academy talks about being independent and students'' fates being in their own hands, in the end, it was still a ce that was controlled by the Headmaster.


    If the Headmaster wanted you out, then 80% of the time, you would be out.


    ''What is she thinking¡­?''


    Vaan tried to make sense out of this action, but then,


    "Vaan Astra Vesta."


    The Professor called out.


    Vaan nced at the Professor, the old man was pointing at him and with a calm look on his face,


    "Can you tell me what is so important that you felt the need to ignore what I am about to teach and have a conversation of your own?"


    "Hah?"


    Hearing those words, Vaan frowned.


    Do not forget, he was hardly the type to sit on a ce and learn earnestly.


    He has spent 10 significant years of his life fighting like a fool, his patience was extremely limited.


    The fact that the Professor pointed him out when the other two students were the ones who were talking all the time and he only jumped in at the end¡­


    Thisbined with how the old fart was lecturing him just a few moments ago¡­


    Vaan has had enough.


    "It was an important topic, Professor."


    He replied.


    All the students blinked in surprise, they couldn''t believe that a student stood up in front of a Professor. This was a clear act of disrespect, even if he was the Celestial Standout, this didn''t give him the right to disrespect the Professors. It might be used against him in the future and even the Disciplinary Hall could be involved.


    Professor Magnus narrowed his eyes as he stared at Vaan. He didn''t like the tone Vaan used in front of him, narrowing his eyes, the Professor decided to probe,


    "Oh? Can you tell me what it was about?" he questioned.


    "It was a question rted to your ss, Professor.


    The question that I have been wondering for quite a while now." Vaan replied.


    "Oh? Then do you not think that as the Professor, I should be involved in that discussion?"


    "I do, I actually wanted to ask my fellow students if it was alright to raise this question in the ssroom, but now that the professor''s interest has been caught,


    Please allow me to ask my question, Professor."


    "Please, do ask."


    "Enhanced Armors, Enhanced Swords, all with different properties, as Magic Engineers and before that, Mages, we have been creating things that benefit Swordsmen.


    It is to the point where the Swords Division has taken over and is currently suppressing the Magic Engineers.


    Why is that?


    Why are we not creating things that would benefit the Mages instead?"


    Hearing that question, Professor Magnus''s expression changed,


    "Have we not created Enhanced Carraiges? I am sure you have seen it in the Academy. There is also the SIC, the Teleportation Portals, not to mention countless other things that we now use in our daily lives,


    Are you telling me all these inventions are not useful for the Mages?"


    "Please do not deviate from the Topic, Professor. I believe my question was clear enough, sure, all those things you mentioned are useful, not just to Mages, but to everyone. While things like Enhanced Swords hardly help normal people.


    My question is why are we not creating things that would give Mages an advantage in battles and allow them to stand against Swordsmen."


    Vaan rephrased, this time, being more direct.


    The students in the ssroom started thinking about this as well and no matter how much they thought, they couldn''te up with a reason.


    The Professor, however, was different.


    "An Enhanced Armor is an Armor that, using the Magic Engineering, has been strengthened to the point where even basic Spells would have a hard time destroying it. Yes, for Mages, it might be disadvantageous,


    However, we, as Magic Engineers, do not think about who our invention would be beneficial for. We create things that would help people. Just think about how many lives these enhanced armors protect, won''t you feel proud if your creation saves many lives?"


    "That is quite a na?ve answer, Professor.


    What about the lives the Enhanced Swords would take? Won''t that make the Magic Engineers fall in despair?"


    Hearing those words, Professor Magnus couldn''t help butugh out loud. He understood that the bookish answers won''t work on Vaan.


    Therefore, he decided to be honest,


    "We Mages use Mana, unlike swordsmen, who rely on tools, we rely on our Mana, the way we fight is extremely close andplex, we gather Mana, we Circte it, we create Magic Circles, we Draw our Magic Patterns, and release our Spells.


    So the inventions that would help ''only the mages'' would need to deal be rted to this close andplex area, something that would help a mage in these departments, maybe helping them Draw Magic Patterns faster, increase their precision when they release their spells, or the best case scenario, something that would help a Mage reduce the time it takes to gather and circte Mana.


    However, we simply are not advanced enough to interfere with thisplicated process. Even the Strongest of the Mages alter these steps.


    We need to follow the basics and none of the Artifacts we create can help us through it."


    Professor Magnus introduced the problem and Vaan finally realized it.


    It wasn''t that the Mages didn''t want to make something that would help Mages, it is just that¡­


    They cannot.


    The Magic Spell Casting process was just soplicated that Magic Engineers couldn''t alter it using their ''inventions''.


    "Also, it may not be the same for you, but some of our inventions are more beneficial for mages rather than swordsmen,


    An Armor is a prime example of that.


    Who do you think would feel safer using the Enhanced Armor, a Basic Mage who can''t even move and has no way to defend himself, or a Swordsman who can parry, dodge, block any uing attack, havingplete control over his body?


    It may not be much for you, since you are the only Basic Mage who can move while casting Spells and it may not be much in case of one-on-one duels between Mages and Swordsmen since having an armor or not wouldn''t battle if a Swordsmen closes the distance and ces his sword on the Mage''s neck,


    However, in normal, more practical scenarios, Armors are more beneficial for Mages than Swordsmen."


    Professor Magnus spoke and now, Vaan''s perception of this old man started to change.


    This man wasn''t just good at bbering his mouth and spouting nonsense, he also had the knowledge required to be the Professor and answer his students'' questions.


    ''I guess you can''t be the Professor in the Academy by sheet luck eh¡­''


    He realized.


    "I understand, Professor." Vaan nodded.


    Professor Magnus smiled and,


    "Though I and all the Mages in the world do hope that some exceptional Magic Engineeringe forward with a way to interfere with the closed magic system and create something that would benefit all the Mages in the world.


    Who knows? Maybe you will be that Genius Magic Engineer."


    "Hahaha~


    You are overestimating me."


    Vaan shook his head as heughed out loud.


    He wasn''t the studious type to begin with. He could already tell that Magic Engineering is aplicated study, he already had his hands full with Spells and Sword Training, although he would look into it for a while to try and understand the basics,


    Vaan was 100% sure that he wouldn''t be pursuing Magic Engineering.


    Familiar Training sounded much more interesting and useful.


    After all, who didn''t dream of fighting together with a Dragon?


    Thinking about it, Vaan couldn''t help but look forward to thest ss of the day.


    Time passed by, Vaan listened to the theories of Magic Engineering, trying to understand how the darn thing worked, although he did understand the little bits, before he could fully concentrate, the ss was over.


    Not wanting to stay even a moment longer, the Professor quickly rushed out of the ss, all the students stood up, getting ready to move to the next ss,


    But then,


    "Vaan Astra Vesta."


    Someone called out loud and once all the students turned toward the source, their expression changed when they noticed two Swordsmen walking into the ssroom.


    "Are you the one who challenged us?


    In a two-on-two battle? That''s interesting."

 Chapter 209 I am looking forward to tomorrow’s duel, Vaan and Elara.

    <h4>Chapter 209 I am looking forward to tomorrow''s duel, Vaan and ra.</h4>


    "Are you the one who challenged us?


    In a two-on-two battle at that? That''s quite interesting."


    The two swordsmen stared at Vaan with curious looks on their faces.


    "You¡­"


    Vaan on the other hand, narrowed his eyes with a grim look on his face.


    Then suddenly, a frown appeared on his face, and,


    "Who the fuck are you?"


    He questioned.


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    Not only the two swordsmen, the entire ss turned silent, too dumbfounded to say anything.


    "Y-You don''t know us?"


    "Haah? Am I supposed to know every tom, dick, harry I meet?"


    Vaan snorted, then, he turned towards ra and,


    "You know who they are? Should I know that too?"


    ra didn''t know how to answer Vaan''s question. Then suddenly, Vya walked towards Vaan and whispered into his ears,


    "They are ric and Kaelen, the two Swordsmen you talked about in your recent interview.


    You even mentioned how you wanted to challenge the two of them."


    "Ahh."


    Vaan was enlightened.


    Seeing this, Kaelen chuckled.


    "To think you can''t even recognize the ones you challenged, just how short-sighted can you be? I don''t think this is the attitude that suits the only son of Lady Astra."


    "I agree, shouldn''t you at least be able to recognize the people you challenge, that''smon knowledge. People do all this research before challenging their opponents, yet here you are, walking on apletely different part.


    This conceit might bite you back in the future, fellow student." ric spoke up as well.


    "Don''t me me. I was told that the two of you are 4 Star Swordsmen. I was under the impression that the two of you are extremely talented and reserved. How am I supposed to know that the two foolish-looking students walking idly into our ss would be 4 Star Swordsmen?


    What''s with the Students from the Swords Divisioning to the Magic Division anyway?


    Do you guys not have something else to do? Or are the buildings in the Sword Division so poorly made that even the Sword Students do not wish to be there?


    Is the situation that bad? I can help if you want, you know?"


    Vaan spoke with a caring look on his face, everyone in the ssroom, however, could tell what his intentions were.


    He was clearly insulting the two Swordsmen even though he had praised them so much in his interview.


    Kaylen''s face twitched as he heard Vaan''s words, however, without losing his smile, he nced at Vaan and,


    "You see, they usually set us free and allow us to roam around because the Students of the Magic Division are simply too weak.


    Just think, if even when they do not teach us anything, we are still above the Magic Division, what would happen if our Professors start teaching us more seriously?


    I get that the two Divisions oftenpete with each other, however, in the end, they are part of the same Academy,


    We can''t widen the difference between the two Divisions more than it already has, no? That would be quite shameful for the entire Magic Division.


    So as to protect your honor, we roam around, without doing anything."


    Kaylen''s tongue was just as poisonous if not more.


    ric had a condescending smile on his face as well. The other students, however, narrowed their eyes. They were dissatisfied, however, there was nothing they could do, especially when this was a verbal encounter.


    What they did not know was that Vaan''s strongest point was not his exceptional talent in Magic or the impossible things he does,


    It was his trash-talking skill.


    "Then maybe your Professors should start taking this seriously again,


    Especially when a Student of the Sword Division was defeated in a Sword fight against a Mage. Not to mention the said student seemed quite arrogant as well.


    Failing to teach Swordsmanship and a student''s limit, it has to be the biggest humiliation the Sword Division has ever suffered."


    Vaan shook his head in pity.


    The two swordsmen clenched their fists.


    "He was taken by surprise."


    ric spoke, trying to defend the Swords Division''s honor.


    Vaan however, simply nodded in agreement,


    "Mhm, I agree, I actually ended the battle in a single surprise move, not like we shed swords more than a dozen times."


    "Pfft."


    The other studentsughed out loud. They didn''t even bother hiding the expressions full of ridicule that had appeared on their faces.


    Rather, they were trying to exaggerate them even more. The entire ssroom had teamed up against the two Swordsmen, the two were absolutely helpless.


    Understanding the situation, Kaylen came up with another idea, taking a step back to jump far,


    "Alex got what he deserved for being arrogant, defending him is indeed foolish."


    He nodded.


    "For a Swordsman to be defeated by a Mage in a Sword fight, honestly, if it were up to me, I would have kicked him out of the Academy.


    How could the student of our Division lose against a Division that''s weaker than ours? It was simply too shameful.


    We actually came here to apologize for the shameful conduct our student disyed two days ago, and so that the Students of the Magic Division do not have a false impression of our Swords Division, and with how Student Vaan showed his interest in challenging,


    We are here to tell you that we ept your challenge and wish to discuss when are you open to the battle.


    After all, you and your partner are new here, not to mention that you just had a battle two days ago, you have the right to decide the date of the challenge."


    Vaan momentarily nced at the swordsman in front of him and nodded inwardly, the dude was smart, he knew the crowd was not with him so engaging in any further verbal battle would be nothing but humiliating, but even then, he didn''t forget to give a slight jab as he agreed with his words and then came to the main topic.


    "Let''s do it tomorrow."


    Vaan answered.


    "Tomorrow?"


    ric and Vaelen were taken aback.


    "What? Is there a problem with tomorrow?"


    "We just thought that you would want to do it after the Iing Induction," Kaylen replied.


    Vaan however, shook his head,


    "No, I have some important things to do after the Induction, so I n to cover all the minor inconveniences before that.


    We will do it tomorrow, not like I suffered any injury in myst battle, heck, the dude wasn''t even able to tire me out let alone injure me."


    Vaanughed out loud, sending a jab of his own.


    "Even my training session yesterday was more intense than the battle, so the two of you do not need to worry. Me and my fianc¨¦e are prepared, of course, you are open to postpone it if you have any prior arrangements tomorrow."


    "We were merely concerned about you, Fellow Student.


    But since it seems like the two of you are searing to have a go, we do not wish to kill your joy, tomorrow it is then."


    It was decided.


    Vaan nodded with a smile on his face.


    If it was a one-on-one duel against a 4 Star Swordsmen, then after his face-off against Isabel yesterday, he would have bought more time to properly prepare for his enemies and find a way to deal with their superior physical abilities.


    However, in a two-on-two battle, that too, with him teaming up with his ra, the chances of them losing were¡­


    Zero.


    Of course, Vaan might not be this sure if both Isabel and Den team up against him and ra, however, knowing that there is a big difference between Isabel and the two Swordsmen standing in front of them, Vaan was prepared.


    Yes, he had already done his research, he knew who these two were from the beginning, the only reason he didn''t ''recognize them'' was because he wanted to get into their heads and annoy them.


    It was a relishing feeling that he just couldn''t seem to get rid of.


    Vaan chuckled.


    ric and Kaylen had smiles on their faces as well,


    "Well, we won''t hold you people any longer and will take our leave.


    Though I am looking forward to tomorrow''s duel, Vaan and ra."


    ric spoke.


    Vaan simply smiled, "Same."


    This time, even ra, who had been silent all this while spoke in a worried tone,


    "P-Please don''t be reckless tomorrow¡­ surrender if you feel like you will lose¡­ it is not wise to suffer in a fight where we only judge our skills and try to get better."


    Those were innocent words that had no evil intention behind them, and that is what made them so stingy.


    ''Tsk, I can see why they are together.''


    Kaylen snorted, misunderstanding ra''s worried look as an act and imagining her to be a scheming demon.


    Not wanting to be here any further, the two of them walked away.


    Vaan, ra, and other students walked out of the ssroom as well, it was time for their second ss of the day,


    Leadership and Personality Development,


    The ss attended by Students from all the Divisions of the Academy.

 Chapter 210 Are you prepared to join the Vesta Family?

    <h4>Chapter 210 Are you prepared to join the Vesta Family?</h4>


    "Be careful."


    Vaan whispered into ra''s ears the moment they walked into the Independent Block where the Leadership and Personality Development ss was supposed to be held.


    "Hmm?"


    ra tilted her head in confusion.


    Vaan, however, had a grim look on his face as he started exining,


    "Do you remember what is the aim of this ss?" he started with a question.


    "It is to guide us and tell us about all the past great leaders our world has seen and talk about the qualities they had which let them be what they became. The aim is for the students to try and amodate all those qualities into themselves, changing themselves for the better so that more people are willing to follow them.


    Agresia Academy is an Academy for the Elites, as elites having Leadership Qualities is important an-"


    It was clear that ra had done her homework beforeing here.


    However, what she said was far from the real answer,


    "That''s all bullshit."


    Vaan cut her off.


    "W-What?" ra was taken aback. She was getting used to the way Vaan talked but sometimes, even she was taken in by surprise.


    "Records of previous leaders or whatever, all other families have that as well, not to mention all families push their descendants, especially heirs to create their own faction, the only reason they do that is for the heirs to have an experience in leading people, honestly, half of the students here are better leaders than most Professors who would teach us ''leadership'' in the future."


    Vaan spoke up, then, a smile appeared on his face, and,


    "This is probably the most useless ss there is, however, even then, this is the most popr ss amongst the other sses that are chosen by the students as their 3 primary sses. Isn''t that interesting?"


    "W-Why is that?" ra questioned.


    "Rather than a ss, this ss is a meetup point.


    A banquet of sorts, where you form allies and enemies alike, every power in the Academy would send at least one of their members in this ss since missing it would mean missing out on the information that can be essential in the future.


    Not knowing what is happening in this ss would push you so far away from your peers that you wouldn''t even get the chance to regain your footing."


    Vaan did his research, actually, Vaelen was the one who told him about this. It was surprising, however, Vaan could tell that Vaelen was serious when he talked about how he would support him as the new Leader of the Vesta Family in the Academy.


    "Anyways, I am telling you all this because you are a Star Student.


    There will be people who will try to start a conversation with you, they will act friendly, however, their true intentions will be written deep in their hearts,


    So be careful.


    Do not reveal more than you would want others to know."


    Vaan spoke with a careful look on his face.


    ra, on the other hand, simply tightened her grip around Vaan''s hand and, "Y-You are here to take care of me, no¡­? I''ll just rely on you¡­"


    Saying those words, the red-haired girl blushed as she looked down, not wanting to look into Vaan''s eyes.


    Seeing her acting like that, Vaan couldn''t help butugh out loud. Talking with ra always made him feel refreshed just because of how innocent and adorable she was.


    "You do that."


    He spoke.


    His fianc¨¦e relying on him? What man wouldn''t want that?


    Though he would still teach her some cuss words.


    He hadn''t given up on that idea yet, ra needed to stand up on her own as well.


    The two then walked into the ssroom assigned to them and just as Vaan thought, the moment the two of them walked into the ssroom, the atmosphere changed.


    All the students nced at the new entries in the ss and the moment they realized that a Star Student and the ''Celestial Standout'' were here, their expressions changed, thinking about their future actions and how to carry themselves in front of the two.


    Vaan stared at his new ''ssmates'' as well, observing all of them. ra didn''t like the ss''s atmosphere either, so she grabbed Vaan''s arm, sticking to him and ''closing'' herself from others.


    Noticing that she was nervous, Vaan decided to give up on going through the mental gymnastics of talking to people and walked towards an empty seat.


    The students watched the two of them sit in their seats without bothering anyone. All of them started considering whether they should approach them or not.


    The discussions started. Most of the students were sticking to their own groups, the students of different influential families sticking to themselves, the students belonging to different churches did the same, and the students who did not belong to any of the powers, they simply grouped with their ssmates from other sses, most of them were students who were in the same situation.


    There were also a few groups that had merged up and the moment Vaan nced at them, he couldn''t help but chuckle,


    ''Forming allies on the first day, eh?''


    It was no different than announcing weakness.


    Vaan wasn''t new to ''meetings'' like these. This ss actually reminded him of the time when all underworld gangs gathered to ''discuss'' a few matters.


    It wasn''t a rare event, happening every time a big project was supposed to be divided, or enemies from different cities were eyeing their city, or something like that.


    Anyway, Vaan wasn''t new to such a gathering, therefore, he was having an easier time reading all the people here.


    He was actually having a good time as well. After all, with a beauty apanying him, he had all the time in the world to judge others in his head. In the future, when his judgments turn out to be correct, it gives a sense of achievement no worse than learning new Magic Spells.


    While Vaan was observing all the parties, others were doing the same as well, one of them had even decided to approach them, their intentions unknown.


    Vaan prepared himself, activating his trash-talking skill if it was required but suddenly, his expression changed as he noticed another ''party'' walking into the ssroom.


    The Swordsmen.


    And one of them was a person he knew very well.


    "I-It''s Lady Isabel!"


    A person couldn''t hold back and shouted out loud. He didn''t belong to any of the powers, so he was together with his fellow ''ssmates'' and with how everyone around him had swords tied up on their waists, it was clear that they were all swordsmen.


    Heck, they were even hoping that Isabel would walk towards them. After all, everyone knew that Isabel didn''t belong to any power either.


    She was a talent that reached the level she did without the support of any power.


    A self-made genius.


    A rarity amongst rarities.


    The swordsmen were looking at Isabel, their eyes shining, the 3 other swordsmen apanying Isabel seemed like they wanted to join the other Swordsmen as well, they were only waiting for Isabel to make the move.


    But then,


    Something surprising happened.


    Isabel walked towards Vaan and sat beside him.


    Gasps were heard.


    This action could be taken as a statement.


    However, Isabel was known for not caring about what others thought about her, she did whatever she wanted, never once thinking what her actions could mean.


    Everyone in the ss started wondering how serious her action was.


    Vaan was the same,


    "What are you trying to do?"


    He questioned.


    There were three people following Isabel. They were supposed to sit together with her, however, with him and ra taking two seats, only one of them could sit on the fourth seat.


    People normally tend to avoid this situation.


    "What do you mean? I saw someone I knew and decided to sit with him, is there a problem? I can move if you want me to." Isabel spoke with an expressionless look on her face.


    Her tone, once again, did aplete 180 since Orion was not here.


    Vaan frowned.


    This was the same woman who came to his house at 11 pm because she didn''t want others to know that she went to meet him, but now¡­


    "I guess after the spar yesterday Den does intimidate you."


    Isabel spoke as she was about to stand up.


    "Sit."


    Vaan spoke.


    His mouth was twitching.


    He wanted to meet all the people who said that Isabel wasn''t the maniptive type.


    This woman was clearly hiding her cards deeply. Ain''t no way she is just a brutish swordswoman who knows nothing about the world.


    "You want to do it this way, eh? Let''s do it."


    Vaan whispered.


    Then, he grabbed Isabel''s hand in a handshake and,


    "Hahaha~


    I didn''t know you would be in this ss as well.


    What a pleasant surprise!


    How have you been, Isabel?


    Are you prepared to join the Vesta Family?"


    "!!!"


    He questioned out loud and all the students in ss widened their eyes in surprise.

 Chapter 211 Familiar Taming.

    <h4>Chapter 211 Familiar Taming.</h4>


    "What a pleasant surprise!


    How have you been, Isabel?


    Are you prepared to join the Vesta Family?"


    "!!!"


    Vaan questioned out loud and all the students in ss widened their eyes in surprise.


    This was extremely big.


    What did he mean by Lady Isabel joining the Vesta Family?


    Isabel, amoner who has been rejecting countless families offering her to join them, was choosing the Vesta Family!?


    What?


    How is that possible?


    How did the Vestas pull it off!?


    They don''t even have anything to offer to her! Isabel was a Swordswoman, the Vestas on the other hand, was a Magic Family. Isabel would bepletely singled out if she joined them, heck, she wouldn''t even be able to find a decent sparring partner to test her skills against.


    Why would she possibly choose the Vestas!?


    All these questions started popping up in the students'' minds.


    It was not just them, even Isabel was surprised by Vaan''s sudden action.


    "W-What are you talking about?" She questioned. This time, her emotionless voice stuttered, showing her surprise.


    "Hmm? Do you not want my father to be your Sword Teacher?" Vaan questioned.


    "Of course!" Isabel nodded without even thinking.


    "Father is part of the Vesta Family, do you really believe that he will teach you unless you join the Vesta Family?"


    "B-But his Skills do not belong to the Vesta Family!" Isabel countered.


    It was true.


    Orion''s skills had nothing to do with the Vestas, the Magic Family had no control over who he could teach and who he could not. This was the reason why Orion epted Isabel without bringing up this topic in the first ce.


    Vaan, however, had a different n in his mind,


    "What if you grow stronger under his training and be our enemy? Do you not understand the implications of learning under his guidance? How can you be so ignorant? There was a reason my father left everything and joined the Vesta Family. If you want to learn under him, you would need to join us.


    Of course, you can always choose to keep learning under the Headmaster. He is a man who taught father, that should be enough to tell you a lot about him."


    Vaan suggested knowing full well that Isabel wouldn''t listen to his words.


    She may be calctive and whatnot, however, when it came to his father, this woman was a crazy fan. Vaan still had no idea why that was the case, however, if he could use that for his own benefit, then¡­


    Why not?


    Thinking about it, Vaan couldn''t help but chuckle.


    Isabel on the other hand started pondering over everything he said and seeing her turn silent, all other students confirmed their doubts¡­


    What Vaan said was true¡­


    Lady Isabel was joining the Vesta Family¡­


    This¡­ this was going to bring a big change in the Academy.


    After all, Isabel was the second strongest student of the Swords Division. Her shifting to the Vesta''s side would deeply strengthen the Vesta''s unstable position.


    This was a big scoop, heck, the students from the Clubs who hade to the ssroom for the sole purpose of finding such clubs had already started writing articles about it. They even wanted to approach Isabel to ask some questions, however, with Vaan staring dead into their eyes, they decided to hold back their curiosity and backed away.


    The other students decided to not approach Vaan and the group either. This was already too much to digest on the first day, there was no need to create moremotion.


    All the students soon took their seats and waited for the Professor. The Professor of the Leadership and Personality Development sses were told toe a littlete, this was the Academy''s way of allowing the students to interact with each other.


    Usually, this time period is filled with noises and muttering, today, however, the entire ss was silent. All of them were wondering how this big reveal would impact the future and how the powers behind them would be affected by it.


    The Professor of the ss frowned when he noticed the unusual mood of the ss. However, since the students were new, he didn''t pay any heed and started with the introductions. The ss continued, 2 hours passed by and the Professor soon took his leave.


    The students also stood up, some, once again, wanting to try their luck and approach Isabel. Isabel, however, grabbed Vaan''s arm and took him out of the ss, Vaan, of course, brought ra with him.


    "I have decided," Isabel spoke with a serious look on her face.


    "Decided what?" Vaan questioned.


    "I will join you."


    "What¡­?"


    "I will join the Vesta Family."


    Isabel had made her decision and Vaan, who even though had nned this with this output in his mind, was surprised that something he came up with on the spot worked so well.


    "Wee to the family then."


    He spoke with a gentle smile on his face.


    "W-Wee to the Family, Lady Isabel," ra spoke with a smile on her face. She found this woman a little weird, however, she still epted her as she was and wanted to be on friendly terms with her.


    After all, she knew she would be seeing more of her.


    Isabel nodded, smiling at ra as well.


    Soon, her three ''followers'' walked towards her as well. She excused herself and walked away with them.


    Vaan and ra, on the other hand, decided to attend the next ss.


    The ss Vaan was most excited about.


    Familiar Training.


    Vaan could tell that there were still a few students who were keeping an eye on them, he however, didn''t care and quickly took ra to the next ss.


    He didn''t even bother opening the new Articles published on the SIC.


    He would read all of them in the evening and then would release one of his own.


    Not that he had to care about that right now. The ss is more important.


    Unlike other sses, there was no particr Building designated to the Familiar Training ss, this ss was taken in the open, and just like Leadership and Personality Development.


    This ss wasn''t unique just for the Students of Magic Division.


    After all, taming Magic Beasts didn''t require Magic, but Blood and Instant Spells.


    Vaan and ra soon arrived at an open area and considering how so many students were already here, they didn''t need any confirmation to know that this was indeed the correct ce.


    The Professor standing in the front was Professor Callista. She was a woman in herte 40s, with slight wrinkles on her face. The Professor seemed to have maintained herself quite well, her body was well proportionate and she had a slight makeup on. It was clear that back in her days, she was a well-known beauty.


    Once all the students were here, the Professor started with the introductions,


    "Good morning, students. I am Professor Callista Thornecrest, and I am delighted to wee you to the Familiar Taming ss. It is my great honor to guide you through the intricate and fascinating art of bonding with and understanding magical creatures.


    Throughout this course, we will explore the depths of our connection with these wondrous beings, and I am confident that together we will uncover the secrets of harmonious coexistence with the magical fauna that surrounds us.


    I look forward to our journey together and the discoveries that await us. Let''s embark on this adventure of knowledge and wonder."


    Her words grabbed the attention of all the students, this time, even Vaan seemed to be paying attention in the ss since this was the subject he was interested in.


    Professor Callista continued,


    "Now, there are two ways in which you can Tame a Magic Beast,


    First, the easier one, raising it. It is said that the majority of Magic Beast treats the first person they see after being born as their parent and sticks close to them, if you treat them well from that position, it wouldn''t take long for the Beast to take your Blood and form a connection with you. Once that''s done, both you and the Beast would grow stronger together and as you two strengthen your bond, you could even reach the point where the Beast would willingly give his life for you.


    The Second way, however, is a little moreplex, taming a fully grown Magic Beast. There are too many factors that cane into y here, whether the Magic Beast has a parent or not, what scenario have you met the Beast in, whether you forcing it, or are you simply trying to help it, and many more.


    There is one general rule that holds true most of the time, the older the Magic Beast, the difficult it is to make it form a Blood Connection and tame it, however, if you do magic form a Connection with an Older Beast, the rate at which your Bond will grow would be much faster than raising it from childhood.


    Not to mention you would also be able to put the Magic Beast to use without having to wait.


    Anyways, today we will only be discussing the type of Magic Beasts there are¡­"


    The lecture continued and the more Vaan heard, the more he understood that Familiar Training might not be as easy as he thought it was...

 Chapter 212 What is the Vesta Family like?

    <h4>Chapter 212 What is the Vesta Family like?</h4>


    "You¡­"


    Octavius pointed at the girl standing in front of him, his hands were trembling and his mouth was twitching, clearly, he didn''t like what he was hearing.


    "Do you really not want to learn from me?"


    He questioned with difficulty.


    All this time, his heart was heavy, he couldn''t believe how the student he taught for so long had decided to leave him.


    He felt betrayed¡­


    However,


    "Headmaster, please do not be like this," Isabel spoke up.


    "The only reason I epted being your student was you allowing me to leave in case Teacher Orion returns and takes me in as his student. You were the one who offered this in the first ce. As an honorable man, I am sure that you will not go back on your word."


    Isabel made it clear.


    She was not the one in wrong here.


    She didn''t betray anyone.


    Rather, she had always been straightforward with everyone, not ying any sort of mind games with anyone, especially not with the Headmaster of the Agresia Academy, the man she, in her heart, treated like her own grandfather.


    Octavius nced at the girl standing in front of him and couldn''t help but shake his head and sigh.


    Then, he nced at Orion and trembled in rage.


    This bastard! Even though he had the potential to be the strongest Swordsman in the entire world, he decided to leave all that behind and left with that girl.


    Honestly, Octavius hated the couple, it was such a waste of his son''s talent. Even though he knew Astra was an amazing woman who genuinely loved Orion, he didn''t care. The only thing he could see was the wasted potential.


    Anyways, Orion had left, Octavius believed that considering his son''s personality, he would continue to roam around that girl and would never return.


    That was the entire reason he made that offer.


    If not, how could he possibly give away this seedling to someone else? After Orion, Octavius had been looking for a sessor, someone whose talent touched Orion''s and someone who would follow his will to reach the summit of swordsmanship.


    Den was the first candidate, the moment Octaviusid eyes on that child, he understood that not only that child''s talent was higher than Orion''s, his eyes had the hunger that the younger Orion had. The hunger to devour the entire world.


    Den was a perfect candidate, someone who would achieve extraordinary things in his life.


    However, he had one problem.


    He was a member of the Dawncrest Family.


    Not to mention he was one of the Direct Descendents, a Prospective Heir with the highest chances of inheriting the family. Someone like him wouldn''t possibly take him as his master since the implications were simply too much.


    And just as he expected, Den rejected his offer in an instant.


    Octavius had given up, but then suddenly, this girl joined the Academy. Amoner with no background, a trash Sword Technique that even the weakest of the Sword Family wouldn''t give to even the lowest of their men. A technique so pathetic that it could only be cultivated to the peak of 1 Star level.


    Isabel, however, was different. Even with everything holding her down, the girl still managed to reach the 2-star level. Yes, just using her instinct, she was able to alter the technique passed down to her, reducing its ws and reaching the next level.


    She was a genius.


    Probably as monstrous as Den.


    Not to mention she was an Orphan with absolutely no support whatsoever. Taking her in would have no sort of implications whatsoever.


    Instantly, Octavius''s hopes lit up. He wanted nothing more than to recruit this girl, however, before that, he wanted to see how she would perform on her own.


    A mistake on his part.


    He shouldn''t have tried to test a genius.


    The instant Isabel entered the Academy, she grabbed knowledge like no one else. She was one of those few students who attended all the sses without fault.


    While for others, these sses were only there to form connections and grow, she wanted to learn.


    And she learned at a rate so horrifying that even the professors couldn''t believe how a child who started from zero reached a level where she could put any lower noble sword family student to shame.


    It wasn''t just her knowledge that had grown, the technique she was using, with more knowledge,bined with her trusted instincts, she continued to change the technique, upgrading it and finally breaking through and bing a 3 Star Swordswoman.


    Her rate of improvement was insane, and Octavius was extremely satisfied by her performance, what he didn''t know however, was that Isabel, who had be the Professors'' favorite because of the keen interest she showed in their sses.


    Had started to learn more and more about another Sword Division student who had once ruled over the Swords Division.


    Orion Ravenshadow.


    It didn''t take long for Isabel to start idolizing Orion.


    The more she heard about him, the more she wanted to know about him, she started to actively seek Professors just to talk about Orion, the Professors didn''t feel like holding back either. After all, Orion was a student they were all proud of, they wanted to brag how they were able to teach such a student and continued to reveal all of Orion''s achievements to already influenced Isabel.


    And now, the influenced Isabel, who knew that Lord Orion was still there somewhere, instantly rejected Octavius when he offered her to be his student.


    Octavius was heartbroken, no matter how he tried, Isabel didn''t ept it, in the end, he had no option but to take Isabel as his student, under the condition that she is allowed to leave in case Orion returned and epted her as a student.


    Something that he never thought would happen, yet¡­


    Here he was, standing in front of Isabel, and the smiling Orion.


    "Father, you can''t possibly be thinking of going back on your word, are you?" Orion questioned. This was the man who used to beat him up in the name of training, however, seeing this expression on his face, Orion couldn''t help but snicker inwardly.


    He was definitely enjoying this.


    "You damn brat! Don''t you dare speak right now!"


    Octavius, on the other hand, was even more enraged when he heard his child.


    Then, hepletely ignored Orion''s presence and,


    "Isabel, do you really want to leave? Why even bother? Learning from someone like him? Wouldn''t it be better to learn from someone who taught him in the first ce? Why don''t you take your time and think about it?"


    Octavius spoke.


    Isabel, however, shook her head.


    "Headmaster, please do not make this difficult for me."


    She spoke in her usual, emotionless tone, this time, however, her eyes were slightly misty.


    Noticing that Octavius just sighed in defeat,


    "Alright alright, don''t look at me with those eyes. You can go away."


    He was quick to give in the moment he realized that Isabel was about to cry.


    Just like Isabel, he had also started treating her like his Granddaughter. What Grandfather could possibly see his child cry?


    Even Octavius was not that heartless.


    In the end, he nced at Orion, and,


    "She is a good child, you better make sure she grows stronger or I will personallye and deal with you."


    "Don''t worry father, she will be in my care now." Orion spoke with a genuine smile on his face as he bowed.


    After all the fun and games, Octavius was still a man he respected. He may tease him a little, but this didn''t mean he was here to disrespect him.


    Copying her new teacher, Isabel bowed her head as well.


    Octavius gently ruffled her hair and,


    "Now leave, don''t bother me anymore."


    He waved his hands.


    "Headmaster¡­" Isabel wanted to say something, however, Orion held her hand and,


    "Let''s leave."


    Isabel stared at Orion, Orion nodded and in the end, the two of them left.


    Octavius heaved a heavy sigh once the two left. In the end, he still couldn''t train a student that would stand at the peak of Swordsmanship and just like his dream of pursuing the peak, he would also be handing this dream of his to his child as well.


    "You little brat¡­"


    Octavius snorted.


    ¡­


    "Teacher¡­"


    On the other hand, Isabel, who left Octavius''s room together with Orion had a strange look on her face.


    Orion, however, shook his head,


    "Don''t worry, that is just how he acts. He is not angry at you, rather, I assure you that he deeply cares about you.


    You better not forget him okay? Keep visiting him every once in a while."


    "But students cannot meet the Headmaster without being invited¡­"


    "It doesn''t matter,


    You aren''t a normal student in his eyes. So make sure you continue to meet him and show him how much you have progressed."


    "I understand."


    Isabel nodded.


    Orion nodded back with a smile as the two continued to walk. Then suddenly,


    "Teacher¡­"


    Isabel called out.


    "Hmm? What is it?"


    "What is the Vesta Family like?"


    "Why the sudden question?" Orion couldn''t understand.


    "I will be joining the family soon, so I should know something about it, no?" Isabel questioned, however,


    "Haah¡­?"


    Orion suddenly paused.

 Chapter 213 I was wrong about you…

    <h4>Chapter 213 I was wrong about you¡­</h4>


    "I will be joining the family soon, so I should know something about it, no?" Isabel questioned, however,


    "Haah¡­?"


    Orion paused.


    He then turned towards Isabel and with a big frown on his face, he questioned. "Why would you join the Vesta Family?"


    Hearing those words, Isabel blinked in surprise.


    "Am I not obliged to?" She questioned.


    "Why would you be obligated to join the Vesta Family?"


    "The Teacher is part of the Vesta Family, since I will be learning from you, isn''t it obvious that I should be joining the Family? After all, only a member of the Family should be allowed to learn the Core skills of Teacher. He cannot teach it to any random person he meets.


    I perfectly understand that.


    As a member of the Vesta Family, you would obviously have some responsibility towards it, no?"


    Isabel spoke.


    Honestly, all these things Vaan had told her made perfect sense, this was why she never doubted him before.


    Orion, however, blinked in surprise, soon however, a possibility came up in his mind and his mouth started twitching in annoyance,


    "Isabel¡­"


    He called out.


    "Who told you all this?"


    Orion questioned despite knowing the answer.


    With how his mouth hadnt stopped twitching and his fists were clenched tightly, it was easy to guess what was about to happen to the culprit.


    "It was Vaan."


    The answer was exactly what Orion expected.


    "Come with me. I need to teach that bastard a lesson."


    He spoke, taking Isabel to the Vaan''s house.


    Isabel frowned, "A lesson? Has he done something wrong?" She questioned, then, as she narrowed her eyes, she asked another question,


    "Did he¡­ lie to me?"


    "My techniques are my own. Even if I am part of the Vesta Family, the Family itself has no hand in my current strength.


    My techniques are not bound to the Vesta Family.


    I can teach them to whoever I like and I do not need Vesta Faily''s permission to do it."


    Orion made it clear.


    "So¡­ he lied to me¡­?" Isabel''s expression changed.


    "He did.


    I would love it if you were to join the Family in the future, however, in no way, are you obligated to join it. So you do not have to think so hard and tie yourself up with one of the powers at such a young age.


    You have your entire life in front of you right now, don''t be hasty."


    Orion suggested how a good teacher would.


    Isabel, however, was thinking about apletely different thing and didn''t even reply to Orion''s words. Something that had never happened before.


    "Isabel¡­?"


    Seeing that the girl was oddly silent, Orion called out.


    Then suddenly, Isabe; raised her head and with a forced smile on her face, she questioned,


    "Teacher, I actually have quite a few techniques that I haven''t shown you yesterday.


    How about I and Vaan have another spar today?"


    Seeing the expression on her face, Orion was taken aback. He could tell that his son had provoked someone he shouldn''t have and honestly, he had no wish to protect him either.


    ''He deserves it.''


    Orion nodded to himself and,


    "Sure.


    I actually wish to see most of your skills today, so I doubt it would end in just one spar.


    Don''t worry, I have enough healing Potions with me, I have also arranged one of the Healing Mages for the day.


    You can have as many spars as you want."


    He spoke and realizing that the two of them were on the same page, a bright smile appeared on Isabel''s face, and,


    "Thank you, Teacher!"


    She bowed her head.


    "Hahaha~


    This is something I, as your teacher should do."


    Orionughed.


    The Teacher and Student were bonding with each other.


    And the reason behind that bond¡­ was theirbined wish to beat up Vaan.


    ¡­


    "Uugghh¡­ Why do I suddenly feel so strange¡­?"


    Vaan, who was currently eating together with ra questioned out loud.


    Just now, he felt his entire body tremble, he could even feel goosebumps all over his body without any apparent reason.


    It wasn''t something that had happened often so it made Vaan frown. He wondered if it wasn''t some strange magic sickness in this fantasy-like world.


    "What happened?"


    ra questioned with a worried look on her face.


    "I don''t know¡­ I just feel strange¡­


    It is as if something bad is about to happen¡­"


    Vaan''s instincts were warning him about the impending doom, he just couldn''t understand the signal.


    ra held Vaan''s hand to ease his worries, seeing her making the move, Vaan couldn''t help but smile, but then¡­


    "M-Maybe it is rted to Sir Vaan''s battle tomorrow¡­?"


    A man spoke up.


    He was from Vaan''s ''personal broadcasting'' club, it was a club that Vaan didn''t even bother remembering the name of, he just wanted to use them for broadcasting his message and today, he had called him to say a few things about Isabel joining them.


    "Hmm?"


    Vaan turned towards the man and frowned.


    "What are you talking about?" He questioned.


    "S-Sir Vaan and Lady ra are about to face two 4 Star Swordsmen tomorrow, both of them might not be the best swordsmen out there, but their teamwork is quite impable.


    Shouldn''t Sir Vaan and Lady ra be training right now¡­?" The man spoke.


    Seeing as how Vaan and ra were having a feast instead of trying to figure out a way to win¡­


    It made him feel strange.


    "Aren''t the two of you a little too carefree¡­?"


    He couldn''t help but say out loud.


    Vaan, however, while taking a bite of the chicken leg piece he was holding, nced at the man and,


    "Do you think just one day of training would make any difference? No amount of training from both sides could change the result of the battle tomorrow, after all, if you couldn''t do something in years of training, what could you possibly achieve on thest day?


    Instead of trying to tense yourself, it is better to rx your mind."


    "But shouldn''t you at least look into your enemies'' previous fights!? I have actually brought all the articles about their previous fights, I am sure Sir Vaan would get some valuable insights if you read them." The man suggested.


    Vaan momentarily paused, observing the man in front of him.


    "What was your name again?" He questioned.


    "I am Ethan Ericson," Ethan replied.


    "Hm." Vaan nodded.


    "You are worrying too much, Ethan. Tomorrow''s battle, I assure you, we will be the victors.


    You can leave everything you have brought here, also, from now on, make sure you are the only one they send for an interview or articles, you are bright, I believe that with your help and suggestions, I would have an easier time manipting media."


    In an instant, Ethan''s eyes brightened up.


    "A-As you say, Sir Vaan!"


    He eximed.


    "Now eat well. We will have an interview after this." Vaan spoke as he nodded.


    Ethan nodded back, however, just as he was about to eat,


    "Look at you~


    Aren''t you carefree, guess that''s what happens when you lie left and right, eh?"


    A voice was heard.


    Ethan turned around, confused as to who would be so daring to say those words to someone as intimidating as Vaan, but the moment his eyes fell on the woman standing at the doors, his eyes widened in fright,


    "L-L-Lady Isabel!!"


    He was shocked.


    He knew Vaan and Isabel were close, he had heard what had happened in the Leadership and Personality Development ss today.


    However, even then, he didn''t think the two would be so close that Isabel would barge into Vaan''s house without as much as a knock.


    "What are you doing here?" Vaan questioned with a frown.


    He knew Isabel woulde to train, however, this was 2 hours before the given time.


    "To beat you up of course."


    Isabel answered.


    "What¡­?" Vaan narrowed his eyes.


    "She is talking about training together with you, my dear son."


    Suddenly Orion walked into the room as well and the moment Vaan noticed the smile on his father''s face, he understood the crux of the situation.


    ''Fuck¡­''


    He cursed in his head.


    He finally understood why he felt so strange all this while.


    He nced at Isabel and seeing the look on her face, he smiled innocently and,


    "I-I have a battle tomorrow, so I need to train for that. How about we skip are training session to tomorrow? I''ll be sure topensate you."


    "Oh don''t you worry, I''ll make sure to train you well for tomorrow. So much that even if you take any hits tomorrow from a real sword or an Artifact, you would feel like they are nothing."


    Isabel''s intentions were clear.


    "¡­"


    Vaan gulped.


    "S-Sir Vaan¡­"


    In between all this, Ethan called out.


    "Regarding the interview about Lady Isabel joining the Vesta Family, would it be possible to have Lady Isabel in it as well?"


    He questioned with a hopeful look on his face.


    However,


    "What did you say?"


    ''You fucking bastard¡­


    I was wrong about you¡­''


    Vaan cursed in his head.

 Chapter 214 I suggest you give up as well.

    <h4>Chapter 214 I suggest you give up as well.</h4>


    "Eeeh? Vaan, did you train a little too hard for our match? Why is your face bruised up?"


    ric questioned with a yful smile on his face.


    Right now, the 5 of them, him, his teammate Kaelen, ra, Vaan, and the judge were all standing on the stage, ready for the battle.


    However, before the battle, ricmented on the unusual thing he saw.


    Vaan, on the other hand, just snorted, he didn''t even look at the Box where Isabel and that dear father of his were in, so as to not give away the secret behind his bruises.


    However, seeing the hateful smile on ric''s face, he couldn''t stay silent.


    "I tried to hit myself in order to give you a handicap, the battle wouldn''t be too interesting if we win within the first few minutes, now would it?"


    "Or maybe¡­ it is your way of saving yourself from embarrassment after you lose the battle that you suggested. It''s quite a novel way even if I do say it myself." Kaelen was quick with his remark.


    "¡­"


    Vaan turned silent.


    Not wanting to say anything any further.


    Seeing this as his win, Kaelen''s smile widened but before he could say anything,


    "Step back, take your positions."


    The judge spoke with an expressionless look on his face.


    Vaan and ra stepped back, the two Swordsmen doing the same thing. The two sides observed each other intensely, the tension in the stage was palpating.


    "Professor Alistair, who do you think would win today''s battle?" Finley questioned with a curious look on his face.


    The threementators who werementating on the battle were the same ones in Vaan''s previous battle.


    Finley, the mainmentator, and the one to show out the student''s perspective, Professor Alistair, the Professor from the Swords Division, and Professor Isadora, the Professor from the Magic Division.


    The intent behind Finley''s question was simple, he wanted to make this battle more entertaining. After all, for the students, the Professor''s opinion was akin to an expert''s, however,st time, Professor Alistair''s opinion was proven to be wrong and it was not by a small margin.


    It was an embarrassing experience for Professor Alistair, however, for students, it was a topic they could gossip about, a topic that would keep them entertained for a long time.


    Finley wanted to put Alistair on the spot again, wanting to him give another opinion. This time, however, Professor Alistair had learned from his mistakes.


    "From a Logical Point of View, there is no need to think, not to mention that it ismonly known that in a 2v2 battle against Swordsmen and Mages, the chances of Swordsmen winning the battle are high, just the fact that ric and Kaelen are two 4 Star Swordsman facing one 4th Circle Mage and one 3rd Circle Mage gives them an overall advantage in terms of power.


    It is simple to say that the winner would be ric and Kaelen.


    However, if things were that easy to predict, then this battle, which was held on just the 5th day of the Academy wouldn''t have a fully packed stadium.


    The ones ric and Kaelen are facing at Vaan and ra, both of theme from the Vesta Family. One of them had already shown just how monstrous he was, showing abilities that even the Magic Professors aren''t able to wrap their heads around.


    The other one is ra meheart, a Star Student from the Vesta Family, a 21-year 4th Circle Mage, her speed of improvement alone is enough to ce her on a different level, however, with how confident Vaan sounded when he challenged the two swordsmen, I firmly believe that even the Magic Division''s Star student is hiding something.


    To be honest, rather than asking me, you should be asking Professor Isadora since she has more opportunities to interact with and know about these children. Perhaps she could actually give us some answers we wish to know."


    Professor Alistair was quick to shriek of the responsibility and with the attention now turned on Professor Isadora, the woman could only shake her head and sigh,


    "It is only the 5th day of the Academy, Professor Alistair, I am sure you know that it is nearly enough to know anything about any student. Especially considering that the first few sses are not practical sses but theoretical sses where Professors discuss their subjects and form a connection with their students.


    I have enquired with other Professors of the Magic Division and from what I was told, the impression they have of ra meheart is on the positive side, she is a bright girl who is willing to learn more, as for the depth of her abilities, well, they are still hidden."


    Professor Isadora replied, however, she didn''t forget to add an interesting point to gather more students'' attention,


    "Though I will say one thing which might help us,


    That girl¡­


    She is Lady Astra''s Pupil, so I guess you can have a rough estimate about her ability."


    Isadora revealed and all the students widened their eyes in surprise.


    "Oho~ Now that''s an interesting reveal~


    Are we about to witness the performance of Lady Astra''s pupil? Maybe she would help us rewatch the dominance that Lady Astra made us all so used to all those years ago.


    Or¡­


    She might bring shame to her teacher''s name.


    The only way to know would be to see how the battle carries on." Finley spoke up, his words sessfully garnering the students'' interest.


    There was no way he could not use the news that was just revealed. It was simply too important to outright ignore it, he just had to raise the stakes of the battle.


    ra, who heard his words momentarily had a lost look on her face,


    "Heeh? You don''t think that we would lose, do you?" Vaan, who noticed her expression questioned with a yful smile on his face.


    "W-What if I hurt them too much¡­? Would that harm Teacher''s reputation?" ra questioned with a worried look on her face.


    Vaan couldn''t help butugh out loud.


    "Don''t worry, ra. If anything, you injuring them would only make the im of you being her pupil stronger.


    Mother wasn''t the easygoing type, trust me."


    "¡­but I would still prefer if they give up before getting too hurt.


    They came this far even though theye from amon family, they must have worked hard¡­"


    "I will talk to them but don''t forget what we discussed earlier, if they do not listen¡­"


    "I will not hold back."


    ra spoke, her eyes shining with determination.


    In her eyes, her battle against Elric yed out. A battle she wanted to forget, a battle, where she was fooled despite being the better mage. Thinking about it, ra clenched her fists.


    "Show them what you are made of, my fianc¨¦e.


    It''s your show today."


    Vaan spoke those words as he stepped in front of his future wife.


    Noticing that everyone was ready, the judge stepped forward and,


    "Start."


    He spoke, and in an instant, the two swordsmen rushed towards Vaan and ra but then, something surprising happened.


    Instead of gathering Mana or trying to widen the distance between them, Vaan actually started running towards the 2 Swordsmen.


    "What the hell is he doing¡­?" Finley questioned with confusion all over his face. The two Professors beside him had no answers either.


    "Hahaha! Are you that eager to get eliminated!?" Kaelen questioned as heughed out loud.


    Vaan, however, didn''t answer his question. While running he was absorbing the surrounding Mana, however, he knew that by the time he would sh with the two swordsmen, he wouldn''t have his Mana ready to fight back.


    But even then, 1 and a half secondster, when the two sides were close to each other, without caring about anything, Vaan took out his sword and,


    "Aaaahhh!"


    Gathering all the power in his body, he attacked.


    *nk*


    His sword was blocked quite easily.


    "You are stronger than I thought."


    Kaelen praised.


    "Thank you." Vaan replied.


    But then, Kaelen''s smile widened,


    "But it is still far from enough!"


    Saying those words, he pushed Vaan''s sword away, Vaan''s chest was wide open, and,


    *sh*


    Kaelen was quick to get the first hit.


    "Aaggghhh!!" Vaan screamed in pain, there was a deep cut on his chest. However, he clenched his teeth and jumped at ric,


    "I''ll get one of you out!" he shouted.


    "In your dreams."


    ric simply blocked his attack before kicking him right where Kaelen''s sword had cut him,


    "Ugghhh!" Vaan groaned in pain, more blooding out of his wound and he could feel his consciousness slowly fading away.


    Then suddenly,


    *Thud*


    Kaelen kicked Vaan''s right leg with all his might, the attack was so strong that Vaan''s leg jolted away, in one kick, Vaan lost his bnce, falling on the ground face first.


    *nk*


    His sword fell out of his hand.


    "Brave of you to have a 1v2 against us when you can''t even defeat us in a 1v1." Kaelenughed.


    However, ric had a grave look on his face.


    Swordsmen only had 3 to 4 seconds to capitalize their advantage against Mages¡­


    However, in their ''fight'' against Vaan, they had lost that time.


    "Judge." Suddenly, the injured Vaan called out.


    The judge nced at him and,


    "I quit."


    Vaan spoke as he quickly activated his Instant Spell.


    Diamond Veil.


    The Instant Spell he used against Karl, the Defensive Spell that even an Intermediate Mage would have a hard time against.


    Vaan nced at his two swordsmen friends and,


    "I suggest you give up as well.


    My fianc¨¦e does not like people who hurt me and I am currently bleeding with you two standing next to me."

 Chapter 215 W-What is that bitch doing!?

    Chapter 215 W-What is that bitch doing!?


    "I suggest you give up as well.


    My fianc¨¦e does not like people who hurt me and I am currently bleeding with you two standing next to me."


    Vaan spoke with a yful smile on his face. Seeing the yful smile on his face as he spoke those words while being inside a shield, Kaelen''s mouth twitched in annoyance. "You think we''d be scared of her?" He questioned as he narrowed his eyes. However, instead of being provoked or angry, Vaan''s smile brightened up, "Don''t say I didn''t warn you." Saying those words, Vaan turned his head towards ra, the smile on his face had disappeared, and, "Khawwkk!" He coughed out blood as his hands reached his bloodied chest. "VAAN!!" ra shouted in worry. Vaan however, just nced at her and then closed his eyes, groaning in extreme pain. "Ugghh¡­" ''This fucking bastard¡­'' Kaelen was speechless. However, he wasn''t given time to pass any sort ofment on that as suddenly, "Kaelen, Dodge!" He heard a shout and as he moved his head, he noticed a giant Fireballing from above. Kaelen''s body moved on its own, his Aura rushed towards his legs as he jumped away. ric did the same, however, *BOOOOM* As the Fire Meteor fell on the ground, the explosion was so big that just from the impact alone, the two swordsmen flew away, losing their bnce and falling on the ground. Vaan, on the other hand, was unharmed, however, even the Diamond Veil trembled from the impact of ra''s spell. Vaan gulped, he turned towards his fianc¨¦e whose eyes were moist, with an angry expression on her face, she red at the two fallen swordsmen in front of her. She quickly drew Magic Patterns for her next Spell, the two Swordsmen took this time to stand up and prepared to rush towards her, But then, *Whoosh* ra''s spell wasplete. "Lake of mes." A 4th Circle Spell ra had used before. With ra as a center fiery me formed a circle with a radius of 30 meters. Cutting away almost all the options for the swordsmen toe at her without getting burned by her spells. Honestly, in a battle like this, it was straight-up cheating, ric and Kaelen wanted to cry about it before as they could only stop in their tracks and re at their opponent. However, before they could try, they saw something even more traumatizing, ra was still drawing Magic Patterns. She wasn''t done yet. Seeing that performance, Professor Isadora was mesmerized, without any more analyzing or waiting, she dered the result of the battle, "It''s over. That girl won." "¡­" Professor Alistair, who pretty much represented the Swords Division and should have supported his students didn''t say anything and only observed the battle with a grim look on his face. "Professor Isadora, why do you say so?" Finley questioned, wanting to know Professor Isadora''s thought process. The Professor, however, simply shook her head and with a light smile appearing on her face, she replied, "I can just tell." She wasn''t alone. Den, who came here to watch this match narrowed his eyes as well, then, after momentarily looking at ra onest time, he turned around. "Put that girl together with Vaan. She''s equally dangerous." He ordered the student standing next to her before he walked away. Not even bothering to watch the battle any further. "She''s quite strong." Isabel, who was watching the match together with Orionmented with a surprised look on her face. ra always had a calm and innocent aura around her, she rarely spoke and Isabel could tell that she was shy around others, yes, she knew she was a Star Student, however, she just thought it was because she became, she became a 4th Circle Mage when she is just 21. She never thought that as a mage, ra was anything special but this¡­


    "What do you think Astra taught her for so many years?" Orion, on the other hand, chuckled. "The two of them never stood a chance in this battle." He shrugged. The moment Vaan challenged the two and chose ra as his partner, he understood what that shameless son of his was up to. He knew that if ra was given enough time to cast her spells, then no matter who she was facing, Den, Isabel, or any 4th Star Swordsman, using any sort of Artifact that was allowed in duels, It wouldn''t matter. ra''s timing and spell uracy were just that strong. "Don''t worry! We just need to hold on till her Mana runs out! Once that''s done, the match is over!" Unlike others, ric still had a fight left in him. He knew he wasn''t in a position to give up, especially when they had pledged their loyalty to Den, losing when they were epted to his faction¡­ They couldn''t even imagine what their Fate would be.


    Kaelen gulped, not wanting to imagine the scenario, he nodded, preparing to dodge ra''s iing attacks, But then,


    ra''s next action made him widen his eyes in horror. "me bomb." She spoke as she raised both hands, a giant Fireball 2-meter in radius was summoned right on top of her hand. ''W-What is that bitch doing!?'' He questioned, his body trembling in fright. He wasn''t a mage however, even he could tell that this wasn''t a spell he could on. If the spell connected, he would be obliterated, and it wouldn''t just end with a severe injury, his body would be incinerated on the spot. Kaelen nced at the woman casting that spell, the innocence that once shined in those eyes had long disappeared, now, the girl wasn''t worried about hurting others anymore, rather, the rage in her eyes as she red at froze Kaelen''s body. He finally understood why Vaan suggested them to give up, actually, he was even considering doing that right now, however, "Dodge!" ric''s loud shout was heard. The giant Fireball was already rushing towards Kaelen. Again, the Aura inside his body burst out as he rushed away, but suddenly, a Magic Circle appeared on the ground that was right in front of him and the stage floor suddenly turned uneven. "Stall Steps." A 4th Circle Earth Elemental Spell.


    The spell was so quick that Kaelen couldn''t help but lose his bnce and fall. ''No!'' He feared that the spell would hit him, however, he soon noticed that he was outside its line of collision. ''Haahh¡­'' he sighed in relief, his action, however, was taken a little soon, [Direction Maniption] The Direction of the giant fireball changed, it rushed towards the fallen him and Kaelen''s face paled in absolute fright. He was dead. *KABOOMMM*

 Chapter 216 He can protect him, you do not have to hold back.

    Chapter 216 He can protect him, you do not have to hold back.


    *KABOOMMM*


    "KAELEN!!" ric shouted in horror.


    It was not just him, the entire crowd had widened their eyes in horror, the explosion was simply too big for it to be just a 4th Circle Spell. Even Vaan was taken by surprise. ra had taught him the same spell, his spell''s strength, however, wasn''t even near ra''s spell. He also didn''t expect ra to actually go this far. Worried, he nced at his fianc¨¦e, who finally realized what she had done and stood there, frozen in shock and fear, unable to believe that she had actually killed someone. "¡­"


    "¡­" "¡­" The threementators were in shock as well. But then, "Oh ho? That was quite a strong spell, little girl. I can actually feel the little heat passing through my Aura. You might have burnt my hand if you had a bit more Mana." A voice was heard. The smoke from the explosion finally cleared up and everyone saw a handsome man standing in front of the horrified Kaelen with a curious look on his face, "How did you do that?" Orion questioned as he nced at ra. At the same time, he dusted his hands away, getting rid of the slight itch he felt after taking that spell head-on. "F-Father¡­" Vaan was taken aback.


    The same was true for ra. Orion, on the other hand, turned towards the judge who was looking at him with a stupefied look on his face and, "This little one would be eliminated since I protected him." Kaelen, of course, had absolutely noints about it. His life had just shed over his eyes, ain''t no way would ever care about some meager battle in this scenario. Rather, if he could, he would stick his head on the ground to pay respect to the man who had saved his life. No one in the entire Stadium other than Orion had felt the strength behind that spell as clearly as he did, even with Orion standing right in front of him taking on the Spell directly, the heat and steam he felt gushing through his face made him like he would be burnt away on the spot, It was like a natural cmity. All these decades he had spent training his body, strengthening his muscles using Aura, surpassing human limitations, all of that came to a silent halt the moment his eyes fell on that cmity in front of him. He finally realized why, even when their God had stopped blessing them, the Mages were considered to be the best force when it came to Firepower. It was a traumatizing experience, which became even more horrifying when he realized that was done by a girl half his age. "Y-Yes of course!" The judge nodded continuously. Orion had done something he was supposed to do, his reaction speed, however, was so slow that ra almost killed her opponent, right in front of him. The judge didn''t even want to imagine what his fate would have happened if Orion hadn''t interfered. Being expelled from the Academy would have been the least of his worries. "What are you waiting for?" Suddenly, Orion nced at Kaelen and, "Get out of the stage." He ordered. "A-As youmand, Lord Orion!" Kaelen nodded, quickly rushing out of the stage. Orion then turned towards ric and, "Do you wish to continue?" He questioned. ric nced at ra, who clearly looked shaken. He could tell that this girl wasn''t used to killing others, she was kind-hearted, so the fact that she nearly killed someone must have been a traumatic situation for her. There is no way she would be able to give her best in a situation like this. Thinking all that, ric wanted to agree, but then, "ra!" Vaan called out. ra quickly came out of her reverie when she heard his voice, Vaan, of course, didn''t forget to keep a pained expression on his face to ignite the fire inside ra. A maniptive bastardly move, yes, however, Vaan knew that this was required. Then, he pointed at his father and, "He is here! He can protect him, you do not have to hold back!" The moment he said those words, ra''s expression changed as she realized that Vaan was right. She nced at Orion, the man nodded in confirmation and ra finally nced at ric, her faded determination returning in her eyes. ''You fucking bastard!'' ric cursed in his head. He felt like he was locked on by a mass destruction method. However, he soon realized something else. This mass destruction weapon was out of battery. The Lake of mes, me Bomb,


    None of those spells were small spells, the fact that she was able to cast the two such spells at the same time was already quite an achievement, however now, ric was sure that ra was out of Mana. Now, she needed to gather more Mana and circte it throughout her Mana to cast more spells and this time, Vaan wasn''t there to buy her that time. In these few seconds, he just needed to cross the Lake of mes, reach ra, and end the battle. On the other hand, confident in her Spells and the range she had set up, ra started absorbing the surrounding Mana, ric on the other hand, had a grim look on his face. The Armor he was wearing was strong enough to protect him from the mes for a moment, however, in no way could he pass through a 30-meter-wideke of mes just by relying on the Armor alone. ric decided to go all out. It was shameful to do that in front of a mage, however, in this scenario, where he knew Den was looking at him, he had no other choice. Suddenly, ric closed his eyes and joined his hand, making Vaan frown in confusion, then, "Swift-footed deity, Hear my plea. In racing winds, And destiny''s decree." He started chanting, invoking his God''s Blessing. "Grant me haste, With grace untold, In every stride,


    A tale unfolds." While others couldn''t didn''t have any sort of reaction since invoking their God''s blessing was extremelymon in the world of Agresia, Vaan had a strange reaction. As ric continued to chant, he could feel a strange whirlpool of energy forming over his head, "From lightning''s arc to the rushing stream, Grant me speed, as in a dream. With every step, I honor thee, Oh God of Speed, Veloceus, set my spirits free." With every phrase, the energy whirlpool Vaan could see got stronger and stronger. "By thy fleetness, our paths align, In every race, our fates entwine. Bless me with swiftness, pure and bright, Oh God of Speed, guide my flight."


    As the chant ended, Vaan noticed all that strange energy rushing into ric''s body, with his blessing working, ric prepared to take a risk, rush towards ra, and end the battle, But suddenly, "Krriiii!!!" "Guurru!!" "Skkkiii!!" Vaan''s spirits made a move.

 Chapter 217 M-My Blessing! It didn’t work!

    Chapter 217 M-My Blessing! It didn¡¯t work!


    As the chant ended, Vaan noticed all that strange energy rushing into ric''s body, with his blessing working, ric prepared to take a risk, rush towards ra, and end the battle, But suddenly, "Krriiii!!!" "Guurru!!" "Skkiii!!" The three little spirits flying near Vaan flew towards ric. Vaan frowned in confusion, he wanted to stop the three of them, worried that they might get heard, but he soon recalled that the Spirits couldn''t interact with the entities of the world other than him and couldn''t be harmed by anything since all of this would simply pass through their bodies. But suddenly, Vaan saw something surprising. The Spirits flew right next to the whirlpool of energy that was rushing into ric''s body and, "Krriiii!!" As the eldest Sister, mey stepped forward, opened her mouth wide open and¡­ N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Started devouring that Energy with an expression that made it look like she was eating the tastiest thing in the world. And it wasn''t just the me Spirit either, Sshy and Breezy both opened their mouths as well, devouring the Whirlpool of energy at the same rate as mey. On the other hand, ric, who had his eyes set on ra, didn''t waste even a single second, and expecting a 10% increase in his speed, he rushed towards ra and jumped into the pool of mes with a fearless expression on his face. The next moment, however, his expression changed and his eyes widened in absolute horror. "Ah... Aah¡­AAaaAAaGggGgGHhhHHhHH!!" He screamed in agony, his body burning as the mes quickly passed through his clothes and armor and started burning his skin. It didn''t take long for him to lose his bnce. "AAaaAGggGGhhHHHH!! SAVE ME!! SAVE ME I QUITT!!" The Swordsman started rolling on the ground, screaming without stopping. ra blinked in surprise, she couldn''t believe what was happening in front of her. There were question marks all over her face. Why would you jump into mes knowing it is going to burn then cry about it when it actually burns? Like, what was he expecting? Everyone knows ra wasn''t the type tough or mock others for their misfortune, rather, the girl was so na?ve that she would choose to hurt herself orpromise if it meant that others were happy, this time however, even someone like her was left speechless. Yes, she was feeling bad about how her mes were hurting her opponent, but¡­ she couldn''t bring herself to pity this man no matter how hard she tried. And if an angel like ra had a reaction like this, then it was obvious that the crowd was even wilder. Heck, some even startedughing right on the spot.


    "Hahaha! I didn''t think I would being here to see a little bitch crying!" "Of course! What could you possibly expect from a bunch ofmoners!? Were you expecting a Gant disy? They are not nobles like us, you fool! Hahaha!" "Hahaha! You are right!" Some student even started spreading their own propaganda. The students who didn''te from an influential family all turned silent until one of them finally spoke up, "Whatmoner? Don''t you know that he works under the Dawncrest Family? Why don''t you make fun of the Dawncrest Family for choosing such subordinates instead of targeting us? Ah right, you wouldn''t because you and your family only know how to bully the weak while being the strong''s bitch, no?" In an instant, this response was received well by othermon students. The students from the influential families bit their lips, however, the people from the Dawncrest Family weren''t happy. Their family name was used and it was thrashed to the ground and while the majority of them didn''t care about how the family would react¡­ A certain man''s reaction horrified them. "P-Professors¡­ can any of you exin to me what happened¡­?" On the other hand, Finley questioned with a surprised look on his face. He knew what type of person ric was, after all, this wasn''t ric first battle. For him to do something this foolish and embarrassing¡­ normal ric would never do something like this. His confusion was shared by Professor Alistair, He had once taught ric for a year, he knew the man''s character. He couldn''t believe what he was seeing in front of him and with a grim look on his face, he replied, "I believe he''s the only one who could answer us." And it wasn''t just Finley or Professor Alistair, many old students from the Swords Division and other Professors who knew ric, all had some questions in their heads and had turned towards Orion who already took ric out of the sea of mes and saved his life. Orion, however, turned towards the judge and, "Announce the results." He ordered. "Y-Yes!" The judge himself was looking forward to hearing ric''s side and momentarily forgot his duty, soon, he turned towards ra and, "The winner of today''s battle, The team of Vaan Astra Vesta and ra meheart!" He announced. However, not many cheers were heard. Most of the attention was on ric, even Vaan''s. He wanted to know just what in the hell did those little spirits do. ric, who could sense everyone''s piercing gaze trembled continuously, he had been through a traumatic experience and he was saved from being burned away, however, none of that mattered, the reason behind this condition was¡­


    "M-My Blessing d-didn''t work¡­" And the moment Orion heard those words, a grim look appeared on his face, "What¡­?" "M-My Blessing! It didn''t work! I wasn''t blessed even when I prayed to God of Speed!" ric shouted and, in an instant, the entire crowd turned silent. There were more than 20,000 people here, however, the silence was so loud that even a bird''s chirp could be heard properly. Vaan was confused. He knew what Blessing was. He had read about it. The people who believe in their Gods seek their blessing to gain additional strength, the God of Speed''s blessing would give you extra speed, the God of Strength would bless you with more Strength and more. The main reason the Magic fell was because the God of Magic stopped blessing its believers. This event led to Wars, killings, and chaos all over the Agresia. Therefore, the fact that the ims of another God not blessing its believers were made¡­ It meant something big was about to happen in Agresia. Something that would affect the entire world''s structure. But suddenly, "What the hell are you talking about!? How dare you point your fingers at our God! Our God is Magnanimous and Forgiving but that doesn''t mean we will stay silent if you disrespect him like this!" An angry shout was heard. It came from a Student who came to Agresia Academy as the representative of the Church of Haste, the Church that prayed to God of Speed. "I just prayed to my God, and I was gifted me his Blessing! How dare you lie so tantly and me our God for your pathetic disy of Skills!" The student shouted. And it wasn''t just him, other Students who prayed to the God of Speed did the same, invoking the God of Speed''s blessing and instantly flew into rage, pointing their fingers at ric for doubting their God and wasting their Blessing. "W-What¡­?" ric, on the other hand, couldn''t believe what just happened. He clearly felt no changes in his body even after he invoked his God''s blessing¡­ The blessing didn''t work! He was sure about this! He would never do something as foolish as doubting his God without thinking about it a thousand times!


    However, no matter what he said or did, no one was willing to listen to his words, "Don''t think you would get away after doing this! Church of Haste would definitely take strict actions against you, be prepared for that!" The representative of the Church of Haste threatened before he turned around and left, fuming. Other Students followed him out. ric, on the other hand, had the expression that his entire world had fallen apart. There were many questions in his head. Why did his God not bless him but was blessing others? Has his God¡­ abandoned him¡­? But why¡­? His Faith was dwindling. In his broken state, not even a single person tried to approach him. There were too manyplications that came together with that. Even Orion, one who could be regarded as one of the finest Swordsmen in the world had the same reaction and quickly walked towards Vaan and ra. "Do you need any healing?" He questioned ra, trying to act like nothing had happened. Vaan had already received a treatment, the Cut on his chest was quite deep, however, for the Healing Mages, it was not a big deal.


    He was back to full health without even needing to go to the Medic House. Heck, even his wounds fromst night were Gone. ra, on the other hand, didn''t require any healing since the enemy couldn''t even get close to her let alone harm her. Seeing the two children shaking their heads, Orion decided to take them away. "Father¡­" Vaan however, had something to say as he pointed at ric but, "We will talk about it once we are alone Vaan.


    Do not say anything for now." Orion spoke with a grim look on his face and seeing his expression, Vaan didn''t say anything else and nodded.

 Chapter 218 Your blessing... they ate it...

    Chapter 218 Your blessing... they ate it...


    "Ask." Once Vaan, ra, and Orion were finally inside their Mansion, Orion nced at his son and spoke. Just from Vaan''s expressions alone, he could tell that Vaan had many questions in his head and although even he wasn''t very clear about the situation, Orion decided to answer what he could. Vaan, momentarily stared at his father, his mind quickly sorting out his thoughts, then finally, he started, "ric started praying, invoking his God''s blessing, correct?" "Yes." Orion nodded. "The blessing did not work, so he panicked, fell on the mes, and was then saved by me." "Why did everyone act like they did when he said the blessing did not work? Why was ric alienated at the end?" Vaan questioned and Orion sighed in understanding. It was just as he thought, in the matter regarding the Gods, the people from the Vesta Family were often found clueless, yes, the history books in the Vesta Family did mention Gods, however, since their own God had abandoned them, the Vestas swore not to involve themselves with the Gods and their future generations were clueless about how the churches worked. "He imed that the God of Speed didn''t bless him, however, when other followers of the same God tried it, they were blessed. That meant that he was the only one who wasn''t blessed by the God of Speed.


    The God of Speed abandoned him. A God abandoning his believer, it is a rare case that only happens when the believer does something sphemous. Something thatpletely goes against the said God''s teaching and its Faith. Being abandoned by God also meant being abandoned by the Church that serves the said God, not just abandoned, some churches will take it to the extreme and might even start hunting the said believer and anyone who associates with him. This is the reason everyone alienated ric, even his own teammate." Orion answered, Vaan''s frown, however, deepened even further, "Why would you abandon him? The Blessing clearly worked, didn''t it? After all, if it didn''t work, that whirlpool of energy formed over his Head wouldn''t have formed, no?" He questioned. The whirlpool of energy started to form right when he started praying, so Vaan could guess it was somewhat rted to the blessing everyone talked about. That should have made it clear that God actually did want to bless ric, it was just that¡­ Those little Spirits of his¡­ sucked away that blessing energy¡­ something that no one else should be able to see. Unless, that energy was supposed to be something else and it was not how blessing worked. This was the reason Vaan turned towards his father, the man who knew more about these things, to take his advice, however, "Whirpool of Energy? What Energy?" Orion frowned in confusion. "What?" "What?" Both men blinked in surprise. ra, on the other hand, was silent the entire time. "Vaan, what energy are you talking about?" Orion questioned, wanting to know more about it. "The Energy that formed when ric started praying, right over his head. It was such a huge whirlpool, did you not see it? Everyone saw it!" Vaan answered and a ridiculous expression appeared on Orion''s face. "Are you drunk?" He questioned. Then he turned towards his responsible daughter-inw and, "Did he drink before the fight?" ra shook her head. "Did you not see the energy forming over his head when he was praying!?" Vaan questioned as he nced at ra. As someone who was barely a few meters away from him, ra must have seen it. However, The red-haired girl shook her head. Vaan''s expression changed. Why couldn''t they see it¡­?


    He frowned in confusion. Then suddenly, he turned towards the three little girls who were currently sleeping on the tablefortably and thought of something else. "Father¡­ how does this Blessing work?" He questioned. "You pray and depending on how strong your faith is, you receive the blessing." "So there is no energy involved?" "Why are you so stuck up with all this energy crap?" Orion was losing his patience. "Because if something increased your strength, then it must have a source, no? The source of our Spells is Mana, the source of you Swordsmen''s destructive strength is aura. There is an exnation behind every single thing that happens in the world, a source of power to count every single increase in power, What is the source of that blessing?" Vaan questioned, trying to simplify this as much as he could. "Gods! Gods are the source of that power!" Vaan wanted to pull his hair out in frustration, he couldn''t understand how his father was unable to understand this simple question. "How. Do. God. Strengthen. You. Through. Their. Blessing? What. Energy. Source. They. Use?" Vaan questioned, focusing on every single word he spoke. "Vaan." In the end, Orion calmed himself down and took a deep breath. Then, he nced at his son, and, "Do not look at the matter regarding Gods using the rules of this world, they are called Gods because they have long since freed themselves from these rules." "Haaah¡­" Vaan sighed deeply. He felt like he was talking to some extremist who was hell-bent on proving he was right ignoring all logical words. In the end, he nced at his father and decided to take it one step further, "Father, you pray to a God, correct?" "God of Strength, yes. However, my faith is not strong, so the blessing I receive isn''t a great one." Orion nodded. In the end, even he was a part of the Vesta Family, the only reason he followed the God of Strength was that he wanted his blessing, he neverpletely devoted himself to God and since God sensed his thoughts, the blessing he received wasn''t strong either. "Pray to your God, invoke his Blessing." Vaan spoke, wanting to test it out. "You want me to use my Blessing?"


    Orion was taken aback. One couldn''t just use the blessing just because they wanted to. The number of times you could invoke your Blessing was limited, after that, one needed to go into the Church of the said God, pray to the God for days, and only when the God feels your sincerity would a believer would be allowed to invoke the blessings again. For someone like Orion, it was even moreplicated since he lived in the Vesta City where no church or their branches were set up. "The Academy has a branch of the Church of Strength, doesn''t it? Why are you hesitating?" Vaan questioned. In the end, Orion just sighed, without any other choice, he closed his eyes, and, "Harken, harken, God of Might, Grant me strength and endless light. In my heart and in my veins, Fill me with unwavering gains. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Oh, Valorim, the God of Strength, hear my call, Grant me power, never to fall. Bless my spirit, fierce and bold, In your name, my strength unfolds.


    With your blessing, I shall rise, An unyielding force within my eyes. Valorim, God of Strength, forever near, In your power, I conquer all fear." As Orion continued to chant, Vaan saw a simr whirlpool of energy forming over his head. It was just thatpared to ric''s whirlpool, Orion''s was clearly weaker. "So you cannot see that whirlpool of energy over your head?" Vaan questioned as he pointed above Orion''s head. Both Orion and ra had confused looks on their faces, Vaan understood that they truly couldn''t see the energy he could see, in the end, he nudged his little girls, and the moment the three woke up and saw the energy forming over Orion''s head, They rushed towards it with excited looks on their faces and, "Krriii!!"


    "Grruuu!" "Skiii!!" Just like how they did before, all the energy was devoured and Orion''s eyes widened in surprise. "W-What did you do¡­?" He questioned as he nced at Vaan. "I devoured the Energy I was talking about. I did the same thing when ric was invoking his God''s blessing." Vaan answered. "What¡­?" Orion, of course, couldn''t believe what his son was talking about, however, with the proof right in front of his face, he couldn''t deny it either. "The God of Speed never abandoned ric, I simply devoured the Energy through which the God of Speed could bless his believer." Vaan revealed and both Orion and ra were speechless. "H-How did you do it¡­?" Orion questioned. "Well, it technically wasn''t me, It was my three little friends I told you guys about. At first, they only ate my Mana but¡­


    I guess they found something else they could eat." Vaan shrugged. Then, as he nced at the three little girls patting on their stomachs with satisfied expressions on their faces, he couldn''t help but chuckle because of how adorable they were and, "And it seems they quite enjoy this new meal as well. To the point where I don''t think they need me to feed them anymore." Vaan spoke and in an instant, the three fairies who never seemed to care that everyone was talking about them, quickly rushed towards Vaan, two sitting on his shoulders, one on his head, showing that they would always be by his side and buttering him up. Vaanughed, his father, however, wasn''t in the same jovial mood. "We need to discuss this with you Mother."

 Chapter 219 Why is the girl coming here?

    Chapter 219 Why is the girling here?


    "¡­what?" Octavius raised his eyebrow as he nced at Orion. He felt that he misheard Orion just now, however, "Astra Elysia Vesta seeks permission to enter the Agresia Academy." Orion repeated his words and Octavius finally realized that he didn''t mishear anything. "Why does that girl want toe here?" He questioned with an annoyed look on his face. No, it wasn''t because he didn''t like Astra, other than him ''stealing'' his son and distracting him from his path to be the strongest, he actually liked the girl since she was ambitious, smart, and strong. Honestly, Octavius couldn''t have been more proud if someone like Astra was his daughter, and having her as his daughter-inw felt great as well. The problem here was the excessive amount of paperwork he would need to go through to allow Astra''s entry.


    After all, now, Astra wasn''t just a past student of the Academy, she was the Head of the Strongest Magic Family in the world, one of the Greatest Powers in the entirety of Agresia and as a ce where descendants of all other powers were gathered, someone like Astra couldn''t just walk into the Academy without sort of previous arrangements. One could take the loss of the Vesta House as an example, for the Vesta Family, this was a shameful event that would always be a stain to their name for theing years, however, Astra still didn''te to the Academy even when Orion reported that incident to her. She decided to wait till next year before she passed her judgment on the matter and punished the people involved just to show her respect for the Academy and its rules. And now that the same woman was requesting toe here¡­ Octavius knew that there must be some important reason behind it however¡­


    "There are some things we wish to talk about and it cannot be done through distantmunication. We would be grateful if the Headmaster could allow her entry before the Induction." Orion replied. Just as Octavius expected, Orion didn''t reveal anything. "You do realize the Induction is to be held a day after tomorrow, correct?" Octavius questioned. "It is an extremely urgent matter, Headmaster," Orion replied with a solemn look on his face. "And what does that have to do with me?" Octavius narrowed his eyes. "It is rted to your Grandson." Orion replied and suddenly, Octavius''s expression changed. "What happened to him?" "Nothing happened to him, however, Astra needs toe here as soon as possible. This matter could get big if it is revealed." Orion replied as he looked right into his Father''s eyes. Octavius frowned, "Vaan and his fianc¨¦e fought against two Swordsman, the Swordsman weren''t exactly the best students of the Swords Division but because of their previous performance, many thought that the Magic Division would lose, However, Vaan and his fianc¨¦e won. Vaan didn''t really do anything in this matter but his performance was still satisfactory. There shouldn''t be any reason for him to meet his mother so urgently¡­" Octavius started muttering to himself, trying to recall every little incident and connect it with Orion''s emergency. He wanted to know why his son was acting like this but no matter how much he tried, he couldn''t point out the reason behind it, "Father, I need your help." Orion spoke with a grave look on his face. In the end, Octavius stopped ying detective, and, "I will figure something out." He gave in. "Thank you, Father." Orion smiled as he then bowed his head before taking his leave. Once Octavius was left alone, he sighed with a tired look on his face, dreading the future work he would need to go through, then however, he just sighed and got onto it, "Send a letter to all the Big Powers." He ordered, a subordinate who appeared out of nowhere nodded as he waited for Octavius to personally write the letter.


    ¡­ n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    On the other side, Isabel, who was currently serving tea to her teacher in her residence questioned with a worried look on her face, "Is everything okay, teacher?" "Yes, there are no problems. It is just that Vaan had made a new breakthrough in one of the Spells he was working on and I need to be with him for him to test it out. We will continue your training after the New Student''s induction." "Can I not be there¡­? I might be able to help him." Isabel questioned. "Well, he says he wishes to keep this a secret." Orion smiled wryly. "I understand¡­" Isabel sighed as she lowered her head. In her mind, however, he was cursing Vaan for getting in between her training. ''If you want to keep it a ''secret'', then why are you involving my teacher in it!'' She cursed,pletely forgetting that before being her teacher, the man sitting in front of her was Vaan''s father. Orion, who could tell what was going on in her mind just shook his head in helplessness. He didn''t like lying to his new student, however, he had no other options. Matters regarding Gods weren''t something that could be disclosed to others. Heck, even the other Vesta Family members wouldn''t be informed about this situation, let alone an outsider whom he met just a few days ago. ¡­ Inside Vaan''s Mansion, Vaan was currently sitting on his bed with his back resting on the headrest, in front of him, sat three little spirits who shocked the entire stadium because of what they did. Seeing how the three spirits were lying on the bed,zily rolling around with a carefree look on their faces after flipping a few people''s lives, Vaan couldn''t help butugh out loud, "You three little monsters, you really can devour the Faith Energy huh." Vaan hade up with a term for the whirlpool of Energy that others cannot see. Since it was rted to Gods and stuff and all these people shouted about Faith and everything, Vaan decided to call it Faith Energy.


    "Krrii~~" mey was the first one to turn around, look at Vaan, and nod with a big smile on her face. She seemed extremely satisfied today, it wasn''t just her, the other two were the same. Heck, they didn''t even bother Vaan for today''s meal, their ''hunger'' was already satisfied by the Faith Energy they devoured. "The Faith Energy really was tasty, wasn''t it?" Vaan questioned. He clearly remembered their joyful expression when they tasted it. "Skiiii!!" The shy Breezy raised her hand and nodded continuously, she really liked the taste of this new meal. "It''s even better than my Mana, no?" Vaan questioned but this time, the three Spirits instantly shook their heads. For some odd reason, Vaan felt relieved, however, he didn''t think too much about it and shifted to the main question he wanted to ask, "Do you know what this energy is?" The three spirits shook their heads. They were as clueless as Vaan. The only thing they knew was that the moment they saw the whirlpool of energy, unconsciously, they rushed towards it and started eating as if it was the most natural thing to do.


    "You don''t know huh¡­" Vaan sighed. The three Spirits sighed as well, copying Vaan''s actions. Vaan couldn''t tell if they were making fun of him or were actually sad about not being able to help him. "Is there anything else you can do with this energy?" Vaan questioned. ording to his theory, the energy they devoured was the energy the Gods use to bless their believers, it was God''s energy, so if these Spirits could devour it, couldn''t they use it for something useful?


    Of course, it was a long shot and Vaan didn''t have any expectation of it being true, but to his surprise, "Grruuuu!!" Sshy jumped in joy and nodded. "You can use this energy¡­?" Vaan was obviously taken aback. The Water Spirit nodded again and Vaan, who was blinking in surprise couldn''t hold himself back any longer and, "What can you do?" he questioned. "Grruu!" Sshy quickly flew towards Vaan''s head, then, she ced her forehead and Vaan''s as she closed her eyes, and suddenly, "!!!" Vaan widened his eyes in surprise as he felt pure ''energy'' entering his body. Soon, he realized something. His Mana Veins¡­ They were filled with Processed Mana!


    Yes, without needing to absorb any Mana form outside and circting it throughout his Mana Veins before using it, Vaan''s Mana Veins were already filled with Processed Mana he could use instantaneously. He raised his hand, three Advanced Magic Circles formed around him, he drew the Patterns required for the Fireball spell, but¡­


    The Spell didn''t work. Vaan frowned however, before he could think about the reason, "Gruuuuu!!" Sshy appeared in front of him, making a cross and then tapping on her chest. "You are saying that I can only cast Water Spells using this Mana¡­?" "Gggrruuu!!" The Water Spirit nodded. Vaan was confused but, *Whoosh* Just as Sshy said, a Water Shield appeared around him the instant he drew the Patterns. ''I¡­ I can''t believe it¡­'' Vaan blinked in surprise. I-If he could cast the spell without needing to process the Mana then¡­


    Won''t he be invincible¡­?

 Chapter 220 You were hurt…

    <h4>Chapter 220 You were hurt¡­ </h4>


    ?''I¡­ I can''t believe it¡­''


    Vaan blinked in surprise.


    I-If he could cast the spell without needing to process the Mana then¡­


    Won''t he be invincible¡­?


    After all, the biggest reason Swordsmen had an advantage over Mages was because Mages needed 3-4 Seconds before they could show their powers. If those 3-4 Seconds the Mages needs, disappear, then it would be almost impossible for even a group of swordsmen to defeat a capable Mage.


    Take ra for example, in today''s battle, the only thing Vaan did was buy her time. Once ra had all the time she needed to cast spells, both ric and Kaelen, despite being 4 Star Swordsmen and well-known students of the Sword Division, were absolutely useless against her.


    Of course, the big part of the reason behind it was ra''s tactics and spell efficiency. As someone who was trained by Astra, ra''s practical use of Spells could easily bepared to the elites.


    The speed at which she draws Magic Patterns, the Efficiency of her Spells, the timing, and the output, ra could easily be regarded as one of the best Mages in the entire Agresia Academy in all these factors.


    This was the reason why she was able to overpower the two swordsmen.


    However, this still didn''t change the fact that the advantage any Mage would have if they could cast their Spells instantaneously would be huge.


    With Vaan being able to do so, he was no different from being invincible. Now, even taking on Den or Isable, or even both of them together wasn''t a big deal.


    Or¡­ at least that is what he thought but suddenly,


    "Gruuu¡­"


    Sshy, who had been dancing around with an excited look on her face suddenly fell down on Vaan''sp. Her face was much paler than normal, her breathing seemed uneven and her body seemed to be trembling continuously.


    "Sshy?"


    A worried look appeared on Vaan''s face as he instantly ced Sshy in a morefortable position. He couldn''t understand what happened however, he could connect it to the fact that Sshy had given him this energy.


    "Krrriii!!"


    Suddenly, the eldest Sister called out.


    Vaan quickly turned towards mey and the little Spirit pointed at her mouth.


    "You want me to feed her?" Vaan questioned.


    mey nodded and in an instant, Vaan used up all the energy Sshy gave her and started absorbing Mana before Circting and feeding it to the weakened Sshy.


    This time, however, the usual 6 rounds weren''t enough.


    It was as if he was making up for the insufficient energy in the little spirit''s body, it took a total of 30 rounds.


    A full hour.


    Not that Vaan cared about that at the moment, Sshy''s health was much more important, and Vaan, who could notice herplexion getting better continued to feed her as much as she wanted.


    Once Sshy was fully satisfied, she grabbed Vaan''s finger with both her hands and shook her head.


    "Are you okay now?" even though herplexion had returned to normal, Vaan still wanted to make sure. The water Spirit nodded, her response was a little lethargic, however, Vaan could tell that it was only because she still hadn''tpletely recovered her energy yet.


    It would take a few hours for her to be back in her full vigor.


    Thinking about it, Vaan turned towards mey, he had his own doubts he wanted to confirm.


    "This happened because she gave me the energy she collected? I believe that the energy she collected wasn''t enough to fill my Mana Veins, especially with all three of you taking your own shares, so she must have used her own energy in the process, correct?"


    This was the only logical conclusion he coulde up with.


    "Krri."


    mey nodded.


    Vaan then turned towards Sshy and, "Why didn''t you stop? Why did you use your own Energy?"


    "Grruu." Sshy, however, shook her head.


    "You had no other choice¡­?" Vaan frowned.


    Sshy nodded.


    As he spent more time with these 3 lovely little creatures, Vaan felt like he could understand them more even without having to rely on signnguage.


    He could feel a strange connection forming between him and the Spirits.


    "Does that mean once you start sharing energy, you cannot start unless youpletely fill my Mana Veins?"


    Vaan questioned and the three Spirits nodded.


    "Then why did you start sharing energy knowing that you do not have enough?" Vaan questioned.


    Sshy shook her head and Vaan understood,


    "You didn''t know. You thought that it was enough."


    The Spirit nodded.


    "Then do you have an idea now? How much more Faith Energy do you guys need to absorb before being able to share the energy without having to expend your own energy?"


    The Water Spirit raised 3 fingers while mey and Breezy both raised one.


    Vaan nodded in understanding.


    "So you need to devour Energy one more time before being able to help me without having to suffer any bacshes.


    As for you, since you already spent all the energy you gathered, you would need to devour more energy to be able to help me again."


    The three spirits nodded.


    Vaan understood as well.


    His dream of bing invincible¡­ it crashed before he could live it even once¡­


    His Spirits can devour Faith Energy and help him use that Energy by allowing him to cast Spells without having to absorb and circte Mana, saving the initial 3 seconds he needed to do this thankless job, it was something great that could potentially make him the strongest in the entire Academy without having to do anything.


    The problem with this, however, was that Faith Energy wasn''t something he could let his Spirits devour that easily. Just the scene today had caused a big scene where the entire Church of Haste is in turmoil.


    If more and more cases such as this start happening, eventually, he would end up attracting everyone''s attention, which would never be good for him or his family.


    After all, just as his father said, matters regarding Churches and Gods were tooplex and couldn''t be touched carelessly.


    He couldn''t just let his Spirits freely absorb all the energy he wanted.


    So his ''invincibility'' wasn''t a sustainable solution.


    Vaan started thinking, something that would help him gather Faith energy without having to worry about the Churches¡­


    "V-Vaan¡­"


    Suddenly, while Vaan was thinking about all this, he heard a voice. A voice he instantly recognized.


    A big smile appeared on his face as he turned towards the door and saw the person walking in.


    It was ra.


    "D-Did I disturb you?" Seeing the solemn look on Vaan''s face, ra couldn''t help but question. Vaan however, quickly shook his head and,


    "What are you talking about? You are my fianc¨¦e, how could you ever disturb me, ra?" Vaan replied with a gentle smile on his face.


    "Come in." he invited as he made space on the bed for ra.


    ra, with her face red and hands behind her back, walked in.


    Vaan, who started at her had a small smile on his face, he could tell that there were a lot of things going on in her mind, ra must have wanted to talk and as the good future husband he is, he had already made preparations,


    "Come Come, let''s loosen ourselves up a bit," Vaan spoke as he patted the space next to him.


    "Tomorrow''s a holiday, so I believe it is the perfect time to unwind."


    Saying those words, Vaan bent over and quickly took out the bottle of alcohol he had prepared.


    Seeing the bottle, ra was surprised, she then moved her hands from her back, and to Vaan''s shock, she had a bottle in her hand as well.


    "We have already turned into a perfect couple eh? Even our minds are thinking about the same thing now." Vaanughed out loud.


    A small smile appeared on ra''s face as well. She quickly crawled onto the bed.


    "Let me take out the sses."


    Vaan spoke as he bent over again, however, the moment he returned to his position with two sses in his hand,


    He saw ra with an uncorked bottle.


    Her intention was clear.


    She would be drinking directly from the bottle. Seeing her acting like that, Vaan couldn''t help but chuckle, he then ced the sses on the small table next to their bed, then, he uncorked the bottle in his hand before extending it towards ra.


    *nk*


    The two bottles nked with each other, then finally, the couple started drinking directly from their bottle.


    *Gulp* *Gulp* *Gulp*


    No one stopped, Vaan was drinking to apany ra and help her open up, ra was drinking because she knew she would be able to openly share what she was thinking after she was drunk.


    It didn''t take long for the alcohol to do its work and finally, the long silence was broken,


    "Promise you won''t do what you did today¡­"


    ra spoke with a tipsy look on her face.


    "What?" Vaan questioned, his face seemed slightly intoxicated as well.


    "You were hurt¡­"


    rained.


    Then, she jumped towards Vaan, cing her head on his shoulder, and with her hand moving over his chest, she pouted,


    "It hurt when I saw blood on your chest¡­"


    In an instant, tears rolled out of ra''s eyes.

 Chapter 221 I am not jealous of anyone!

    <h4>Chapter 221 I am not jealous of anyone!</h4>


    ?"It hurt when I saw blood on your chest¡­"


    ra''s eyes turned moist.


    Vaan gently held her hand that was on his chest,


    "I am perfectly fine, you don''t have anything to worry about."


    He spoke in a soft voice.


    "But you were still hurt, what if the wound was even deeper and reached your heart?" ra retorted, just imagining that scenario made her tremble.


    If something happened to Vaan then¡­


    Unconsciously, she tightened her grip over Vaan''s hand.


    Vaan, who could sense her emotion couldn''t hold back, he gently kissed her head and,


    "Hehe~ To think you would care so much about me.


    It feels so good."


    ra pouted as she nced at Vaan''s face with an angry look on her face.


    "I am not joking!"


    She shouted.


    It was probably the first time she had raised her voice in front of Vaan.


    Vaan was taken aback, obviously, he had drunk the same amount of wine ra had, he wasn''t in a perfectly sane state either.


    "ra, everything we did was prenned, it was a duel against Swordsmen, people are bound to get hurt."


    "Then why are you the only one who got hurt!?" ra questioned and Vaan looked at her with a deadpan look on her face.


    Did this girl forget about the opponents?


    One was traumatized for life because he saw an overbearing spell like me Bomb explode right in front of him, he literally saw his life sh before his eyes.


    As for the other¡­ he had it even worse, if nothing was done, his life would be ruined since the Church of Haste would never leave him alone.


    The little cut on his chest was nowhere close to what their opponent had to go through.


    What''s worse? This girl in front of him was the reason why they were in such a state. How could she possibly act like nothing happened to them?


    Where did that cute and innocent girl go?


    And as if knowing what Vaan was thinking, ra spoke up.


    "Those two do not count!"


    Vaan blinked in surprise.


    "I warned them even before the start of the match, it was just a duel, why did they have to go as far as wounding you? Couldn''t they have just ced a sword on your neck and asked you to surrender?


    Aren''t the swordsmen supposed to act noble and knightly? Don''t they always talk about how pride and all that? What happened to their pride when they faced you, a Mage, in a 2v1!?


    They got what wasing for them!"


    ra snorted as she gulped down another chunk of wine, her voice getting more and more tipsy.


    "They should be d that I managed to hold back, if I lost control over myself, their end would have been a lot worse!"


    ra shouted, forming a fist that was trembling nonstop.


    "I would have attacked them with 100s of me Bombs if my Mana allowed me to!


    T-The two of them are bad men!"


    Hearing her curse their opponents, Vaan couldn''t help butugh out loud.


    Yes, he knew ra was angry but she was just so adorable that he couldn''t control himself.


    And ra didn''t like it.


    "Why are youughing?"


    She looked into Vaan''s eyes and questioned in a tipsy voice. At the same time, she shifted all her body weight onto Vaan before she rolled over and directly came on top of him.


    Vaan was taken aback by her sudden action, out of everything in his mind, this certainly wasn''t what he was thinking about.


    ra, on the other hand, gulped down more wine, liking this independent, free feeling she was feeling, and then looked into Vaan''s eyes. Even going as far as using her free hand to hold Vaan''s face, not allowing him to look away,


    "Are youughing at me?" She questioned with a pout on her face.


    Vaan, on the other hand, just couldn''t fathom the fact that the woman in front of him was really his ra.


    Yes, drunk ra did some surprising things, today, however, she was a little too bold.


    "Are youughing at me?" ra repeated her question, this time, her tone was a little stricter than before.


    "N-No, of course not. How can I possiblyugh at my fianc¨¦e?" Vaan stuttered.


    For some reason, he felt like a prey being eyed on by a predator.


    A feeling he had never felt before, neither was it something he would ever like, however¡­ if the ''predator'' was this adorable woman in front of him¡­


    ''Fuck it¡­''


    Vaan was quick to give in.


    "Then why are you smiling?"


    ra questioned.


    "That''s because you are next to me, so I am happy."


    "Y-You think these flowery words will help you?" ra wasn''t willing to back down.


    "They sure will." Vaan was confident, looking right into ra''s eyes.


    "¡­"


    ra momentarily paused, trying to think what to do next.


    Unable toe up with anything, she drank another mouthful of wine, wanting to cloud her mind even further.


    She wanted to let her desires takeplete control over her. By this time, Vaan couldn''t keep his hands away in innocent ces either.


    Knowing that he won''t be needing any more wine in this situation, he ced the uncorked bottle on the small table next to the bed, then, his hands moved, touching ra''s lower back, right above her soft butt.


    ra''s body jerked when she felt Vaan''s arm around him, soon however, she collected herself and ced her forehead on top of Vaan''s.


    "They will not."


    She spoke.


    "Nothing is going to help you today."


    "Oh? Then what are you nning to do to me?" Vaan questioned, his hand continuously rubbing ra''s lower back.


    A strange vibe could be felt inside the room.


    "I-I will not tell you what I am going to do," ra replied.


    Clearly, she still hadn''t thought of anything.


    Vaan couldn''t help butugh out loud. In the end, however, he decided to let the drunk ra take charge, and,


    "Alright then, you can do whatever you want to me, I won''t resist. I ept all my punishment."


    "Then promise me you won''t get hurt again," ra spoke.


    "That is not possible."


    Vaan shook his head.


    "I want to be the greatest mage the world has ever seen, I am bound to get hurt during the process.


    But what I can promise you, is that I will always calcte every single risk I take and will never put my life on the line.


    Also, with you being there by my side, I have no need to take any life-threatening risks, do I?"


    "I will never allow you to!" ra spoke with a determined look on her face.


    Vaan just smiled.


    ra''s eyes turned moist again and then,


    "You are bad as well¡­"


    She spoke.


    "You don''t listen to me."


    "¡­" Vaan couldn''t say anything and just smiled wryly.


    "I will get hurt as well."


    Suddenly, ra spoke.


    "What?" Vaan was taken aback.


    "If you get hurt, I will get hurt as well."


    "r-"


    Before Vaan could retort, ra ced her finger on his lips, and with a yful smile on her face, she replied,


    "Since I need to follow you to your goal, I am bound to get hurt as well.


    But I will promise you, that I will always keep protecting you so I make sure you don''t put yourself in life-threatening positions."


    She spoke, her eyes shining brighter than ever.


    Vaan was momentarily taken aback by those eyes, but then suddenly,


    "Also,"


    ra called out.


    Vaan tilted his head and the moment he heard ra''s next words, he blinked in surprise,


    "Stay away from that Isabel.


    You are not allowed to team up with her like Father-inw suggested you to.


    Only team up with me!"


    "Wha-"


    Vaan was taken aback, however, before he could say anything, he suddenly felt something soft on his lips.


    Knowing exactly what it was, he closed his eyes and stopped thinking about everything, epting the kiss. His hands moved down towards ra''s butt, gently kneading them as ra''s body trembled with his every touch.


    ra ced the bottle of wine on the bed, then, with her other hand free as well, she now held Vaan''s face with both her hands, strengthening her grip and not allowing him to go away.


    She was iming her Vaan.


    A move that might havee from her jealousy.


    Vaan, of course, had noints, the more ra acted like this, the better his heart felt.


    After all, who didn''t like a little crazy?


    Especially an innocent crazy like ra.


    The kiss ended, ra looked into Vaan''s eyes. A yful smile appeared on Vaan''s face as he questioned,


    "Were you jealous of Isabel?"


    ra blushed,


    "I am not jealous of anyone!" her retort was quick.


    "I am just telling you not to team up with anyone other than me or else¡­"


    "Or else¡­?"


    "I will deregister you from the Academy and take you back to the Vesta City where you will only have me."


    With the alcohol takingplete control, ra''s true thoughts were finallying out.

 Chapter 222 You are bad…

    <h4>Chapter 222 You are bad¡­</h4>


    ?"Ugghh¡­"


    As Vaan woke up, he could feel an acute pain in his head. His vision was still unclear but even then, he tried to sat up and started rubbing his eyes to get a clearer version.


    He was drowsy, the headache wasn''t helping, but then suddenly, he was jolted awake when his hand fell on something soft.


    It was ra''s hand.


    The moment ra felt his hand over hers, she grabbed it and then rolled over, forming a grip and Vaan would never be able to get away from.


    Helpless, Vaan could onlyw down to get into a morefortable position.


    His head was still aching and soon,


    He started recalling what happenedst night and couldn''t help but look at ra, who was sleeping peacefully while holding his hand like a ko.


    The expressions this innocent face showed yesterday¡­


    ''You aren''t allowed to team up with anyone but me!''


    He could still vividly remember how ra held his face with both her hands, making him look right into her eyes, and spoke with that threatening, yet tipsy look on her face.


    ''Heh.''


    Thinking about it, Vaan couldn''t help butugh inwardly.


    Who could possibly believe that this was the same woman who stuttered while speaking with anyone new and didn''t give her all in any battles just so her opponents do not get hurt. For someone as na?ve as ra, her yesterday''s version was¡­


    Vaan continued to stare at the sleeping ra''s face, he felt that yesterday, their rtionship had stepped into an even deeper level.


    This time, ra being the one taking the charge and even going as far as setting boundaries and actively talking about what made her ufortable.


    The possessive side she showed¡­


    Normally, it would be termed restrictive, narrow-minded and whatnot, but in Vaan''s eyes, it was nothing but his fianc¨¦e being adorable.


    Vaan had truly fallen.


    Who could believe that an underworld leader who never let any women get close to him and only focused on getting rid of his enemies would let a woman roll over him and set boundaries on him? Not to mention he was allowing all that to happen while being d about it.


    Suddenly, while Vaan was staring at ra, he noticed her eyelids move. She was about to wake up, and in an instant, Vaan shut his eyes closed, acting like he was asleep, only leaving a slight slit open just to see ra''s reaction.


    He didn''t know why he did it, he never enjoyed such games in his previous life, this time, however, it felt different.


    Just like Vaan, ra''s eyelids were heavy, she had drank much more than Vaan, even consuming Vaan''s bottle at the end, so her case was much worse than Vaan.


    She squinched her eyes and nose, trying to alleviate the pain, then, as she rubbed her eyes, she slowly opened one of them and with her vision still unclear, her eyes fell on Vaan, sleeping right in front of her.


    ra then noticed how she had grabbed Vaan''s hand and in an instant, her face turned red. The headache that was troubling her disappeared in an instant and she started thinking about what to do next.


    As if to torture her even further, memories of what she did yesterday starting settling into her brain, the more she recalled, the redder her face got.


    It reached to the point where even her body started trembling in embarrassment. She started thinking about how Vaan would react once he woke up, what he would think about her, how she would answer if he asked any questions, how would she react once Isabel came, how¡­


    More and more questions start filling ra''s mind, overwhelming her.


    She tightened her grip around Vaan''s arm in panic, then, she closed her eyes and started rubbing her face on his triceps. Vaan''s arm gave her a sense offort and relief,


    She had indeed fucked up.


    She knew it, however, with Vaan''s hand under her control, she felt she could think of a solution and get out of this situation.


    But of course, these were only her thoughts.


    Vaan had different intentions.


    He, who has been enjoying different reactions his fianc¨¦e was showing, was already preparing a devious n in his head.


    In front of drunk ra, he was indeed helpless.


    The situation, however, reverses when ra is sober.


    It was now his turn to get the situation under his control.


    "Hupmmm¡­"


    Suddenly, Vaan made a strange sound as the arm ra was holding moved slightly.


    In an instant, all the color faded away from ra''s face.


    She still hadn''te up with any solution yet!


    Why did he wake up so soon?


    Trying to reverse the situation, ra trying loosening her grip over Vaan''s arm, however, all her hopes were crushed the moment she noticed Vaan''s eyelids moving.


    He was awake.


    There was nothing she could do now.


    ra looked around, wanting to find a ce she could hide in, but suddenly,


    Vaan rolled over.


    His big arming all over ra''s back and his leg locked hers.


    ra was trapped and like a scared prey caught in a trap, she started trembling in nervousness, staring at Vaan, waiting for him to open his eyes and her impending doom.


    An entire minute passed by, but nothing happened. Vaan''s face was still, not moving at all. ra''s expression changed.


    She realized that Vaan was still asleep.


    In an instant, her crushed hope was revived again.


    However, soon, she faced another problem.


    Vaan moving meant that he was about to wake up soon.


    Yes, this girl had observed and noted down even his sleeping habits. She knew that once Vaan was asleep, he seldomly moved.


    Honestly, Vaan''s action today was a little out of the ordinary, however, ra didn''t doubt it and simply med the data she had collected, treating this as an exception.


    After all, Vaan couldn''t possibly be acting like he was asleep.


    Why would he do something like that?


    Anyways, ra wanted to move away, wanting a ce to hide but with Vaan all over her like this, she couldn''t possibly move without waking him up. It was a troublesome situation and ra''s heart started beating quickly. Panicking about how she would face Vaan once he wakes up.


    Then suddenly,


    "ra¡­ I promise I won''t team up with Isabel or anyone else¡­"


    ra heard Vaan''s voice.


    He was sleep talking!


    It waspletely out of expectations, ever since she had been observing Vaan, never once did he sleep talk!


    Then why was he doing it right now!? Is it because of what she said yesterday? Did her words leave some impression in his mind? Is he worried about what she said?


    All these questions filled ra''s mind, however, she wasn''t given the time to think of the answers.


    "I will not team up with anyone if¡­


    You kiss me on the lips."


    Vaan spoke and in an instant, ra froze.


    Vaan''s eyes were closed, so she was sure that he was sleep- talking. After all, Vaan would never trick her.


    His demand, however¡­ was a little too embarrassing!


    Why was he asking for a kiss? Was it because he was dreaming? What was he dreaming about? What is she supposed to do? Does she need to kiss him for real? Or is it just Vaan sleep-


    talking and something she could just ignore?


    "ra¡­ kiss me¡­"


    Vaan spoke again.


    ra panicked even more. With Vaan holding her like this, she couldn''t run away, she had no other option but to listen to his demands and decide what to do.


    The ball was in her court, however,


    "ra¡­"


    With Vaan constantly influencing her thoughts, she was soon overwhelmed and,


    ''H-He''s sleeping, so h-he wouldn''t know¡­''


    She thought inwardly as she tightly shut her eyes close and moved her mouth towards Vaan. Ss


    Their lips met, ra trembled in panic but at the same time, a strange wave of joy rushed into her body. She felt like she was taking advantage of Vaan.


    Vaan on the other hand, was enjoying the show and the service that came with it.


    His adorable and sober ra was taking the initiative to kiss him, it was definitely a great feeling.


    Suddenly, his hands moved and held ra''s head from behind, ra widened her eyes in surprise, soon, however, those eyes were lost in the joyful feeling and were shut down.


    The two shared a long kiss.


    Once separated, ra observed the ''sleeping Vaan and,


    "You aren''t sleeping¡­"


    She spoke.


    This was way too out of Vaan''s sleeping habits.


    She couldn''t help but feel something was missing.


    In the end, Vaan felt that it was enough and opened his eyes, looking at ra with a yful smile on his face,


    "Gottcha." He spoke in a gentle voice, kissing ra''s nose.


    ra pouted, "You lied¡­"


    Vaan however, simply kissed her forehead.


    "I am sorry~" he apologized.


    Not that he meant it, he was definitely going to do it again.


    ra knew that as well,


    "You are bad¡­"


    Sheined as she ced her head on his chest.


    Vaan wanted to cuddle as well, however, as his hand moved,


    *Knock* *Knock*


    A knock was heard.


    "You brat, wake up and get ready.


    Your mother ising."

 Chapter 223 Do the two of you sleep in the same room?

    Chapter 223 Do the two of you sleep in the same room?


    ??*Knock* *Knock*


    A knock was heard and Vaan and ra froze.


    "You brat, wake up and get ready.


    Your mother ising."


    Orion''s voice was heard.


    ra''s freaked out. Her body was jolted awake, all herziness disappeared in an instant and she tried to move away from Vaan. Vaan panicked as well, he moved away from ra as well, and with a grim look on his face, he quickly stood as up and once he made sure everything was alright, rubbed his face to ''wipe out'' the drowsy look on his face and rushed towards the door.


    As he opened it, he saw Orion standing in front of him with a yful smile on his face, Vaan frowned, he looked around, and noticing no one else besides Orion, a deadpan look appeared on his face as he stared at his father.


    Orion''s smile widened,


    "Why are you looking at me like that? You seem somewhat panicked."


    "Where is Mother?" Without wanting to y any games, Vaan questioned.


    "Hmm? Did you not hear what I said?


    I said she ising, she is not here yet. She would still need a few hours to get here."


    Orion revealed and Vaan''s mouth twitched in annoyance.


    Orion, of course, was enjoying the interesting expressions appearing on his son''s face, and,


    "Why are you acting like you were caught doing something wrong?


    Vaan, you aren''t doing something your Mother didn''t allow you, right?"


    "¡­"


    Vaan didn''t say anything.


    He could tell that Orion was teasing him and was having too much fun in the process. He wasn''t nning on giving his Father any more content.


    "Thank you for informing, Father. The two of us still need some time to get ready, so I will be excusing myself."


    "Oho, I am surprised to see you act so courteously."


    "I am your child, of course, I would inherit something from you."


    Vaan replied with a polite smile on his face.


    Not liking that smile at all, Orion scrunched his nose as he then shook his head and,


    "Alright, stop acting like that.


    I will be taking my leave now,


    Your mother will be here soon, so get ready."


    "I understand." Vaan nodded. Orion finally turned around and left.


    "¡­"


    Without saying anything, Vaan closed the door as he returned to his bed.


    ra was looking at him with a grim look on her face, Vaan could see how the bed was made with the bedsheet perfectly folded, pillows ced right where they should be, and no signs of the two bottles of wines they emptied yesterday.


    Heck, even the slight smell of wine that was lingering in the room had somehow disappeared.


    Not just that, ra''s messy hair was all perfectly tied up, the clothes she was wearing were different from what she wore before, heck, Vaan even felt that this woman had already taken a bath.


    ''How in the hell¡­''


    Vaan of course, had no clue how something like that was possible.


    Was there a Magic Spell he didn''t know about?


    But even with Magic¡­ how did everything happen within 5 minutes!?


    This made no sense at all.


    "W-What happened? Where is Teacher?" Seeing that he wasn''t saying anything and was only staring at her with a surprised look on his face, ra decided to ask.


    "She is not here yet, it would take her a few hours to get here," Vaan answered, and,


    "What¡­?"


    ra stared at him with a look that was an exact copy of the look he had when Orion revealed this to him.


    The two of them had started to pick each other''s actions and were now resembling each other.


    "Father was only here to inform us," Vaan replied.


    "¡­"


    ra turned silent, choosing to not say anything.


    After a while, she stood up and,


    "Let''s freshen up, we shouldn''t bete."


    Vaan nodded.


    The two then walked into different bathrooms, getting ready to start their day.


    ¡­


    A few hours passed by, it was time for Astra Elysia Vesta toe into the Agresia Academy.


    To Wee her, the Headmaster, the Vice Headmaster, the main members of the Vesta Family, and a few other people stood at the Academy Gates with smiles on their faces.


    Soon, the Doors of the Academy opened up and from there, an exceptionally beautiful woman wearing a purple gown, apanied by five people, 3 men wearing ck Suits and 2 women wearing ck Gowns, came in.


    Vaan couldn''t help but raise his eyebrow in appreciation, his mother was looking beautiful, especially with how elegantly she was carrying herself, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of pride.


    Other people stared at her with surprised looks on their faces as well, all taken aback by her beauty. Astra smiled as he eyes fell on the people in front of her.


    She elegantly walked forward and slightly nodded as she appeared in front of Octavius.


    "It has been a while, Headmaster."


    She spoke, her voice soft and soothing to hear.


    "It has indeed."


    Octaviusughed out loud. Then, with a yful smile on his face, he nced at his daughter-inw and,


    "Head of the Vesta Family, Astra Elysia Vesta, I wee you to the Agresia Academy, I hope you have a good time here."


    "Thank you for allowing me to be here," Astra replied politely.


    Then, she started greeting others.


    The Formalities continued for an hour and once all of it ended, the only people left were Octavius, Orion, and the Mages from the Obsidian Order following Astra.


    "So Lady Astra, what do you think about our Academy?" Octavius, who had been showing Astra around during the formalities questioned with a yful smile on his face.


    "Father-inw, please drop the act, it is ufortable."


    Astra replied. The Headmasterughed out loud, then, he nced at Astra and, "Now can you tell me why you decided toe here so urgently?"


    "I would have but I have a reason to believe that this might get big, so I will be hiding it for now. I hope you understand."


    Astra replied.


    Octavius momentarily turned silent, then, he just asked one question,


    "Is it something that might negatively affect his future?"


    Octavius knew that whatever the reason Astra was here for, it was something rted to Vaan. Naturally, he was worried about his grandchild, especially when he knew that the kid had a bright future ahead of him.


    Astra shook her head, "It will not."


    Her answer was precise, not giving away any details.


    In the end, Octavius just sighed. "Alright,e meet me once you are about to leave, I would like to have a chat with my daughter-inw."


    "Of course." Astra nodded with a smile.


    "Carry on with your things."


    Saying those words, the Headmaster walked away.


    Astra nced at Orion, the man smiled. The two hugged and Orion then took Astra to the new Vesta House.


    A grim look appeared on Astra''s face when her eyes fell on the ''Vesta House.''


    "Don''t worry, he is working on it.


    I am positive he would seed.


    It might even be faster than we initially expected."


    "He better."


    Astra''s reply was short, then, with a cold look on her face, she walked into the House.


    The moment she walked in, she could sense the tense aura inside the Hall. Her eyes fell on the Vesta Family members, all of them with the exception of the students who came this year avoided her eyes.


    Then finally, Astra''s eyes fell on the two Protectors of the Vesta Family.


    "The two of you are required to report to the Vesta Family once this semester ends." She ordered.


    "As youmand, Lady Astra."


    The Protectors, of course, had no choice but to obey.


    Astra''s eyes then fell on Vaelen.


    "The same goes for you."


    "As youmand, Family Head."


    The response was the same as well.


    Astra then pointed out a few more people, these were the people who were supposed to report her the recent happenings in the Academy.


    Of course, they would all be seeing the consequences of failing to do their work properly, and this time, the Academy wouldn''t be there to protect them.


    The atmosphere in the room was heavy, when she was done with everything, the Family Head finally turned towards her own child.


    The main reason she was here,


    "Take me to your room."


    She ordered.


    Vaan and ra panicked.


    Astra frowned, she nced at other members of the family who were avoiding her eyes again, especially the ones who were supposed to report to her.


    Astra couldn''t help but blink in surprise, but suddenly,


    "Come to my room instead."


    Orion stepped in.


    Astra frowned, however, seeing Orion nodding at her, she decided to respect her husband and followed her into her room. Vaan and ra followed the two as well. Only after they all left did the rest of the Family members sigh in relief. As if they were d toe out of a great battlefield alive.


    ¡­


    "You hid that from me."


    On the other hand, Astra, who was told that ra and Vaan lived alone narrowed her eyes as she nced at Orion.


    "They are not children anymore, Astra.


    They should be allowed to decide for themselves."


    Orion spoke up.


    Astra turned towards Vaan and,


    "Do the two of you sleep in the same room?"


    She questioned directly.

 Chapter 224 Come back to the Vesta House the moment you find something odd.

    <h4>Chapter 224 Come back to the Vesta House the moment you find something odd.</h4>


    ?Astra stared right into Vaan''s eyes and,


    "Do the two of you sleep in the same room?"


    She questioned directly.


    Vaan tried to avoid her eyes, but with her piercing gaze, he couldn''t hide the truth for long and ended up nodding his head.


    "I think I already made it clear that you are not allowed to take the final step before the two of you are officially married.


    Or have you be so great that you believe that you can avoid my orders now?"


    Astra narrowed her eyes. She did not like the fact that everyone was hiding things from her right when they were sent to the Academy.


    "¡­"


    Vaan, of course, had no answer. He wanted to rify that he hadn''t taken the final step, but he could tell that it won''t change anything. Just the fact that the two of them were living in apletely different Mansion and not with the rest of the Vesta Family was enough for Astra to be disappointed.


    But suddenly,


    "Astra, as I said,


    They are allowed to make their own decisions.


    We have no right to interfere with what they do."


    Orion stepped in front of Vaan and spoke as he looked right into Astra''s eyes.


    Astra narrowed her eyes, Orion, however, didn''t back down and continued, "They aren''t doing anything wrong, he is simply living together with his fianc¨¦e, ra does not mind it, neither do the rules of the Academy prohibit it, you have no right to dictate their life."


    Orion didn''t hold back.


    Right now, he felt like he needed to take his son''s side, which surprised Vaan to a shocking degree since he never thought his father would go against his mother.


    But then, he received an even greater shock.


    "T-Teacher, I-I don''t mind living with Vaan either¡­"


    ra spoke up, standing up in front of Astra for the first time in her life.


    "What¡­?"


    It wasn''t just Astra who was taken aback, Vaan had a simr reaction on his face. To further his shock, however, ra quickly held Vaan''s hand and, "Teacher, please let me stay together with Vaan, I feel that it has a positive effect on my emotions and strength."


    Astra narrowed her eyes, she couldn''t find any connection between the two things ra mentioned, however, seeing that even her student was against her, she could only back down.


    After all, she had no other option. Orion had openly shown disapproval of her decision, so just to respect her husband, she could only step down, not to mention her student had also spoken up.


    In the end, Astra stared at her child and decided to drop the topic,


    "Describe everything that happened in your battle against ric and Kaelen in detail."


    She spoke, changing the topic. A grim look appeared on her face as she nced at Vaan.


    Vaan was quick to understand her intentions, without wasting any more time, he started telling everything from the start, and as his story continued, Astra''s frown deepened.


    "Your Spirits devoured God''s Energy?" She questioned.


    "I do not know if it is God''s Energy or not, I just know it was formed when ric started praying," Vaan replied.


    "That whirlpool of Energy huh¡­"


    Astramented.


    This was the first time she was hearing about something like this, obviously, her surprise was normal, soon however, she calmed down realizing that her child could see beings who no one else could and those beings held knowledge about things people like them could never fathom.


    Something like this was indeed possible.


    "So what you need is more of this Faith Energy, correct?"


    Astra questioned, Vaan had also told her how the Faith Energy he devoured boosted his body, instantly filling up his Mana Veins with processed Mana that could be used without any problems. A cheat that could make him the strongest Basic Mage in the world.


    Vaan nodded,


    Faith Energy was indeed something he needed urgently, after all, ording to mey, once they absorb Faith Energy for the third time, they won''t meet the oue simr to Sshy. The meaning behind those words was clear, the more Faith Energy they had, the better, however, before making any moves, Vaan wanted Astra''s input.


    And just like he had expected, Astra was quick to shake her head,


    "You need to be extremely careful while dealing with the matters regarding Faith Energy.


    We do not know if the Gods have developed a way through which they could talk to their believers.


    Iif the Gods are somehow capable of informing their believers that you are able to devour their blessing.


    The bnce on the continent that was being held very delicately would be ruined almost instantly as all the churches woulde after you and the Vesta Family."


    Astra''s expressions were grave, then, after thinking for a while,


    "Once a month."


    She spoke.


    "You can allow your Spirits to devour Fatih Energy every month, honestly, it would be better if you keep devouring Orion''s blessing, however, I know that is not a long-term solution.


    Devouring other''s Faith Energy is the only feasible option, you just need to be more careful while doing it.


    Rather than devouring your Opponents'' Faith Energy, try targeting opponents fighting each other and devour their Fatih Energy instead, this would make it harder for others to notice the problem and pinpoint it to you."


    Astra spoke with a grim look on her face. Establishing more rules talking about how Vaan is supposed to address the matter.


    She ced many restrictions on Vaan, however, knowing that she was doing it for her own good, Vaan nodded in understanding and did not resist.


    The talks went on for a few hours, and only once Astra was done with her lecture did the two move.


    *Knock* *Knock*


    While the two were talking, a knock was heard. Vaan frowned, they were still in the Vesta House and not in their own mansion, however, even then, someone daring to knock on Astra''s door when she clearly left with her child to talk about some important matter,


    Vaan couldn''t understand who this person was.


    Astra, on the other hand, had a slight idea as to who it was, with a confident smile on her face, she ordered,


    "Come in."


    The doors of the room opened up and suddenly, both Vaan and ra were taken by surprise. It was a girl who had a very¡­ peculiar rtionship with the two of them.


    "Seraphina Stormweaver will be joining the Academy as a new student as well."


    Astra revealed and Seraphina, who had walked into the room smiled as she nced at Vaan and slightly bowed her head,


    "Young Master Vaan, Lady ra."


    ra momentarily narrowed her eyes. Seraphina was surprised to see the look on her face, ra was looking at her as if she was an enemy, a look she had never shown before.


    Vaan on the other hand, was confused,


    "What are you doing here?" He questioned.


    "There was only so much I could do to help you when you aren''t even there with me, people tend to forget and I believe gathering people from my circle won''t do you any good, at least not in the near future.


    So I requested Lady Astra to bring me to the Academy as well."


    Seraphina replied with a calm look on her face.


    ra didn''t say anything and only stared at Seraphina''s face.


    Astra, who could see a slightly different ra raised her eyebrow in curiousness. She allowed the children to y around a little and turned towards Orion.


    The two of them nodded as they both stepped back and walked to the corner of the room.


    "Take care of him."


    Astra spoke with a grim look on her face.


    Orion had a simr expression on his face as well.


    Vaan didn''t understand the Implication of this new ''power'' he had discovered, however, the two of them were different.


    This could lead to the entire worlding after him, even the Gods.


    Not to mention that there is also the Church of Light, the Strongest Faction in the entire world with more than half of the poption in the world following the God of Light and a third of those were full devotees.


    "Come back to the Vesta House the moment you find something odd."


    "Are you going to involve the entire Vesta Family in this?"


    Orion was taken aback, if it was a matter of giving her life for her son''s sake, Astra would do it in a heartbeat, however, as a Leader of the entire Vesta House, she had the responsibility of thousands of lives on her shoulders.


    Suddenly, a determined look appeared on Astra''s face, and,


    "If they are going to enjoy the grandeur and glory he would bring to the family,


    They will take the risk of being destroyed as well."


    Astra had decided.


    Orion couldn''t help but smile widely. Suddenly, he started stretching his body as if he were preparing for a fight, but then,


    "Right, I also heard you found a new student,


    Why didn''t you bring her here? I wish to meet her."

 Chapter 225 As if you won’t fall again.

    Chapter 225 As if you won¡¯t fall again.


    ??"¡­"


    "¡­"


    Astra and Isabel stared at each other in silence. Isabel was visibly nervous. She had a lot to say about Astra Elysia Vesta when she wasn''t here, however, now that the woman was standing right in front of her, her tongue stopped working.


    After all, this woman was the head of the strongest Magic Family in the entire world. Not to mention she was her Teacher''s wife, the woman he loved the most. The aura Astra had around her was quite intimidating as well even when she wasn''t actively trying to pressure the girl in front of her.


    On the other hand, Astra was observing Isabel with a curious look on her face, from the smile on her face, it was clear that she, for some reason, was enjoying this situation. Orion, who knew his wife the best could tell that something chaotic was going on inside that head of hers. Astra momentarily looked at her son, however, when she saw him holding ra''s hand, she instantly dropped the wild idea that had popped up in her mind and continuously shook her head.


    Vaan momentarily narrowed his eyes, finding his mother''s reaction a little odd. ra tightened her grip on his hand as well. The two stared at the scene in front of them and noticing Isabel''s nervous expression, a big smile appeared on Vaan''s face.


    He was d.


    He could finally get back on this woman.


    Isabel never liked Astra. In her eyes, Astra was the reason why her Teacher wasn''t well known throughout Agresia despite having the skillset to own the entire world. To some extent, her opinion was simr to Octavius''s, probably because she was taught by that man and had been listening to how others talked about Orion and Astra.


    And Vaan knew how Isabel felt about Astra. The girl had mentioned this to Vaan a few times. At the time, Vaan couldn''t say anything, now, however, when his mother was finally here, he could finally enjoy the show.


    "H-Hello¡­"


    Noticing that the woman was only staring at her and had no ns to open the conversation, Isabel was the first to break the silence.


    "Hello~"


    Astra replied with a jovial smile on her face.


    "I-It is an h-honor to meet you, Lady Astra."


    Isabel spoke as she bowed.


    "How courteous~"


    Astramented.


    Then, with a yful smile, she continued,


    "So you are the girl my husband was talking about? He was praising you quite a lot." Astramented.


    "H-He was!?" In an instant, Isabel''s face lit up.


    "Hmm? Of course. He says you might be the best student he would ever find, you have the basics down, you try to be creative with your approach, he even said your talent is better than his own.


    I was quite surprised when I heard this, Orion isn''t the type to openly praise someone like this.


    To think he finally found a gifted student, I hope you learn well from him."


    Astra didn''t hesitate with her praises.


    "I-I will! I will do my hardest!"


    Isabel nodded. It wasn''t the first time she was praised for her talent, honestly, it was amon urrence for her, however, when this praise came from Orion, it felt different.


    "Mhm, I can see that you are a hard worker."


    Astra nodded with a smile on her face.


    "Those calluses on your hands tell me all I need to know."


    Isabel smiled, the negative opinion she had about Astra was diminishing very quickly, it was surprising even for her since praises never worked to change her opinion of someone. In Astra''s case, however, the woman was quickly growing into Isabel.


    "I am looking forward to what you will grow up to be, okay? Don''t disappoint me." Astra spoke.


    A slight blush appeared on Isabel''s usually stoic face and, "Y-Yes." She stuttered.


    "So cute, you remind me of ra. Your talents are on a simr level as well." Astra spoke.


    Hearing those words, Orion blinked in surprise. He agreed with his wife all the way till she talked about ra.


    ra was a monster he had never seen before, he had been observing the girl since she was little, he had seen her grow and if weren''t for her reserved personality, there would have been no questions about who the greatest of the Mages'' youngest generation was. Orion knew how ra''s personality slowed her progress by at least 50%.


    And with her slowly changing herself, it was only a matter of time before ra realized her full potential, surprising everyone. Isabel was talented, yes, however, in front of a monster like ra¡­ she was stillcking.


    Isabel was taken aback as well, if it was before, she might have felt that she was being underestimated, however, after seeing that usually reserved woman fight, nearly killing two 4 Star Swordsmen, her opinion about the ''reserved girl'' was changed in an instant.


    However, knowing that she was beingpared to ra, a small smile appeared on Isabel on her face. ra, on the other hand, pouted, jealous that her teacher was praising someone else, but suddenly,


    "She''s nowhere close."


    Vaan interjected.


    "My ra has no other match." He spoke with a proud look on his face.


    Astra turned towards Vaan and raised her eyebrow but when her eyes fell on ra and that radiant smile that had appeared on her face, Astra didn''t say anything.


    After all, that cutie was her sole weakness. Seeing the smile she rarely saw on her face made her feel lighter.


    She was proud of her son for treating her like that adorable girl deserved to be treated.


    Isabel on the other hand stared at Vaan and narrowed her eyes. However, before she could say anything, Vaan nced at her, and with a smirk on his face, hemented,


    "Mother, you seem to regard Isabel quite highly."


    "Of course. Your father said that she is quite talented."


    "I agree with that, she is probably the best Swordsmen I have faced till now, she even defeated me in a spar,


    But¡­


    Do you know what she once said about you?


    She might not reflect your attitude towards you, you know?"


    Vaan spoke and Isabel panicked.


    On the other hand, Astra narrowed her eyes.


    "W-What are you talking about!? When did I say anything about Lady Astra!"


    Isabel was quick to interject. She even red at Vaan with a threatening look on her face.


    She was clearly warning him not to run his mouth carelessly or else there would be consequences.


    If it was someone else, her threat might have worked, unluckily, the one she was up against was Vaan, how could someone like him be threatened by others?


    Vaan''s smile just widened and,


    "Hmm? Did you forget? You were talking about how Father would have been well known throughout the world if he hadn''t met Mother. You even said that Mother halted hi-"


    "Aaaakkk! S-Stop making things up! I never said something like that!" Isabel shouted.


    It was clear that the girl didn''t know how to lie considering how her reaction was no different than revealing her truth.


    It was quite an adorable sight in a certain way.


    Especially considering how this girl had created a cold persona in other''s eyes.


    "Oh? So you don''t believe that Father would have been much more well-known if it wasn''t for Mother?"


    Vaan questioned and in an instant, Isabel found herself in a difficult situation.


    She couldn''t answer Vaan''s question. If she told the truth, she would antagonize Astra, if she lied, it would seem like she was underestimating her Teacher, something she would never do, especially when she practically idealizes him.


    "T-That¡­"


    Isabel stuttered, trying to secretly nce at Astra to see her reaction, but suddenly,


    "Hmm? What''s wrong with it? That''s the truth." Orion spoke up. Then, he nced at Vaan and,


    "You Brat, you don''t think your Father would have been well known if I tried? Haah?"


    "When did I say that? I am just saying that Mother had no role in it. You are not well known because you decided not to be."


    "Haah? What are you talking about? Who would not want to be well-known? Your Mother is clearly the one to be med here."


    Orion snorted and not just Vaan, but ra and Isabel widened their eyes in surprise.


    They couldn''t believe how Orion said that out loud. Everyone instantly turned towards Astra to see her reaction, however, they only saw Astra standing with a proud look on her face and,


    "Heh, who told you to fall in love with me." She smirked.


    "You seduced me!" Orion pointed at Astra.


    "And? So what if I did?" Astra questioned with a yful smile on her face.


    Orion''s fingers trembled, but in the end, he had no answer.


    "I was a fool to fall in love with you!"


    He just cursed his past self.


    "As if you won''t fall again." Astra snorted, clearly, her confidence was on another level.


    Orion didn''t say anything in retort either.


    He knew he would fall all over again even if he went back in time.


    Seeing her teacher stand in silence, Isabel frowned in confusion.


    She felt as if¡­ she was missing something¡­


    "T-Teacher¡­?" She called out.

 Chapter 226 What did you do for him?

    Chapter 226 What did you do for him?


    ??"T-Teacher¡­?" Isabel called out.


    "What is it?" Orion questioned as he turned towards his student.


    "D-Didn''t you say you wanted to be well-known?" Isabel questioned.


    Orion understood his student''s confusion and just smiled,


    "Being well known is a good thing, it is easier to gather forces under your name, your influence gives you and the people close to you a certain advantage and there is no denying it, receiving others'' attention feels good.


    Everybody would want that, I am no different, but I was offered a choice.


    One, I would follow this woman and get to spend the rest of my life together with her.


    Or I will stay in the Academy, take over the position of the Headmaster and grow into someone with worldwide influence.


    However, in the second option, my connection with this woman will be broken because the Academy is supposed to be a neutral force, if it is noticed that it is inclining towards a single force, it wouldn''t take long for the Academy to be destroyed.


    So the options were very clear,


    Astra or Fame, and as tempting as bing influential is, at that point, I was already seduced by her."


    Orion spoke as he red at Astra. The woman just smiled with a proud look on her face.


    Isabel stared at the two people in front of her and was even more confused.


    "What I am trying to say is,


    That there are things in life that are much more important than fame,


    My love for Astra was one of that.


    At that point and even now, imagining a life without her is not possible for me."


    "Love¡­" Isabel muttered with a lost look on her face.


    There were many thoughts rushing into her head. This time, it wasn''t just her, Vaan had a strange look on his face when he was looking at his father as well. ra, on the other hand, had a big smile on her face. All this time, she only heard her Teacher''s perspective of this rtionship, knowing that her future father-inw reciprocated those feelings filled her with happiness.


    "Oi Oi, what are you talking about in front of children?"


    Suddenly, Astra interrupted.


    "What? I am only trying to tell her that it was my own decision and had nothing to do with you."


    "It has everything to do with me, what do you mean?" Astra snorted, then she turned towards Isabel and,


    "Your Teacher decided to choose me over anything else, that is why he ended up like how he did. But as you can see, he doesn''t regret anything.


    Learn from this,


    You will never regret following me."


    "Oi! What are you teaching her!?"


    "Am I lying?"


    "Of course! Isabel, you can choose who to follow on your own, heck, be the leader, I''d say! Don''t follow anyone!"


    Orion spoke, but suddenly,


    "Lady Astra¡­ can I ask a question?" Isabel questioned.


    "Of course, ask whatever you want," Astra replied.


    "Teacher left all the fame and influence he could have for your sake, what did you do for him in return?"


    "Why would I need to do anything? It was his choice obviously." Astra''s reply was quick.


    Orion, however, chuckled when he heard that.


    ''She''s still the same¡­''


    He thought inwardly as he nced at Astra who was trying to keep a strong front.


    In an instant, his mind went back to all those years ago, when the 24-year-old Astra stood in front of her Mother.


    ¡­


    "I will leave."


    23 years old Astra spoke with a straight look on her face.


    "What¡­?"


    Elysia, the Head of the Vesta Family narrowed her eyes when she heard those words.


    "You will either allow me to marry him, or I will leave the Vesta Family and marry him." Astra didn''t hesitate.


    At this point, she had already proven herself and almost everyone knew she would be the next Head of the Family.


    But to think that the woman was ready to throw the Position she had been chasing for her entire life for one man''s sake¡­


    It wasn''t just Elysia, but other Family Members were shocked as well.


    "Family Head! We cannot allow someone like her to be the Next Family Head, she is still too young to take the position, she is letting her emotions get the best of her!"


    A 7th Circle Mage spoke up.


    Astra, however, looked right into the Mage''s eyes and,


    "You are in Draven''s faction, correct?"


    "I-It is not about being in any fact-"


    A 23-year-old making a 7th Circle Mage stutter, it was surprising, however, for the members of the Vesta Family, it was themon sight. After all, it was the time Astra had already shown just how dominant she was. She was on an entirely different levelpared to her peers.


    "Draven isn''t a bad choice either. Make him the Next Head."


    Astra spoke, surprising everyone.


    Then suddenly, Astra grabbed Orion''s hand and,


    "We will be taking our leave."


    The moment Astra and Orion turned around,


    "Where are you going?" Elysia questioned.


    "Take care of the Family, Mother.


    I hope the Family continues its reign for thousands ofing years."


    "Who allowed you to leave?"


    "What''s the point of staying in the Family that cannot even make a single exception after everything I have done for it?


    You would rather choose someone ipetent over me just because I wish to marry someone I love, then go for it. I would love to see how the Family would grow."


    "Are you threatening me?" Elysia narrowed her eyes.


    "Threaten? Mother, can a Basic Mage like me even be in a position to Threaten you?" Astra chuckled.


    "¡­"


    In the end, Elysia turned silent and gave in,


    "Alright, do marry whoever you want!"


    "Family Head-"


    Others wanted to retort, but then,


    "We will decide this by votes,


    Those who wish Astra to leave the family, raise your hands."


    Elysia spoke, knowing perfectly well what the results would be.


    Understanding what her mother wants, Astra started looking around.


    It was an unsaid message,


    ''I will remember your faces.''


    As mentioned before, it was already the time when Astra had proven herself, her bing the Family Head was only a matter of time, and¡­ getting into Bad books of the Future Family Head¡­


    It wasn''t a wise choice, especially when her Faction was already the strongest out of all other Prospective Heirs.


    Voting against her¡­ would not bring in good results.


    In the end, out of 18 votes, only 2 were in support of letting Astra go.


    "I believe we have no need to continue to discuss this topic any further," Elysia spoke.


    The matter was decided.


    And Orion, who was witnessing everything, finally realized something¡­


    His wife was a Thug¡­


    And she wasn''t just a normal thug, this crazy woman dared to threaten 7th Circle Mages!


    Orion stared at his future wife with a strange look on his face¡­


    Then suddenly,


    A big smile appeared on his face.


    He chose a perfect partner!


    He tightened the grip over Astra''s hand as if he was iming her.


    Astra on the other hand, turned towards him and,


    "Be prepared, you will be marrying into the Vesta Family, Orion Ravenshadow."


    "I was looking forward to running away with you though."


    Orion sighed.


    "That doesn''t sound very bad either." Astra mentioned and,


    "Ahem."


    The Family Head coughed out loud and Astra''s expression changed.


    The Thug¡­ was blushing¡­


    ¡­


    Thinking about that time, Orion couldn''t help but smile. He suddenly walked towards Astra and,


    ''You can blush if you want, you know? I love your shy side as well.'' He spoke directly to her.


    ''D-Don''t say anything!''


    Knowing perfectly well what he was talking about, Astra warned.


    She didn''t want the children to know what she did before.


    It was embarrassing.


    In the end, Orion had to jump in to settle the matter,


    "It was indeed my choice to join the Vesta Family, Isabel.


    And keep in mind, Love is not a transaction. You do not measure it with what you did for your significant other and what he or she did for you in return.


    It is about trusting the person you love and doing everything you can to live together with him or her.


    Also, stop doubting your Teacher''s choice, okay? I am not a fool.


    It may not look like it when you see her, but this woman here is a good match for your Teacher."


    Orion chuckled.


    Astra raised her eyebrow the moment Orion said those words, however, before she could say anything, Orion just ced his hand on her waist and for some reason, no words came from Astra''s mouth.


    Isabel on the other hand, didn''t say anything, there were too many things in her mind.


    *Knock* *Knock*


    Suddenly, a knock was heard.


    "Lady Astra, some people are here to meet you."


    Seraphina reported.


    Vaan frowned.


    They had already left the Vesta House and were currently staying in his and ra''s Mansion because Astra didn''t wish to stay in the ''fake'' Vesta House.


    "Who is it?"


    Astra questioned.


    "They say they are from the Magic Division. It seems that they are looking forward to meet you."

 Chapter 227 How can you be so different than your father?

    <h4>Chapter 227 How can you be so different than your father?</h4>


    ?"They say they are from the Magic Division. It seems that they are looking forward to meeting you."


    Seraphina reported.


    She was ordered to send anyone who came here away, however, she believed that these were the people she couldn''t just send away and decided to talk with Astra.


    "Let them in."


    And just as she expected, Astra decided to meet these people.


    Seraphina nodded as she bowed her head and walked away, a minuteter, 5 elderly people, 2 men and 3 women walked in and the moment they did, Vaan realized who they were.


    The old man standing in the middle was Ss Evergreen, the Head of the Magic Department, one of the Strongest 7th Circle Mages in the entire Academy, and a man almost all the students of the Magic Division wish to meet. Just a single word from him was enough to make almost the entire Magic Department act on it.


    Of course, holding such influence, it was pretty much impossible for most students to even see him let alone meet him in their entire lives.


    The others around him weren''t normal either, they were the Vice Heads of the Magic Division, each of them excelling in different things.


    Even seeing all five of them at the same time could be considered lucky for normal students, here, however, the five of them had personally taken the initiative to visit Vaan''s house.


    And the reason behind this was standing right in front of them.


    "Lady Astra."


    The Head of the Magic Division bowed his head.


    "Professor Ss, please do not bow your head in front of me, as someone who once taught me, my ancestors would curse me if I let you bow your head in front of me."


    Astra spoke with a small smile on her face as she bowed her head to Ss''s level.


    Ss smiled as he stood up,


    "When are you nning to leave?" he questioned directly.


    "I cannot leave the house for too long, so I will be leaving today itself," Astra replied in a respectful tone.


    "You should stay till the Induction."


    "Right, it is that time, huh¡­


    If I am not wrong, it should be tomorrow, no?"


    "That is correct. I am sure students would be d to have you as one of the chief guests for the induction. It will also give a chance to my Magic Division to show off one of our greatest alumni."


    Ss spoke with a gentle smile on his face. The people standing behind him all nodded their heads as well.


    "¡­"


    Astra was momentarily silent.


    Staying wasn''t a problem, however, as the Head of the Vesta Family, she needed to consider even the smallest of the actions she took as anything she did couldter be used against her or the Vesta Family for political agendas.


    "You don''t need to worry." As if knowing what she was thinking, Ss spoke up.


    "Since the only new students this year are the ones who joined through their family connections, the Induction isn''t like the big ones we have when new students from all over Agresia join. Your presence wouldn''t have any political implications.


    I wouldn''t have asked this if that was the case.


    This old man simply wishes to unt that you are a student I once taught." Ssughed.


    Astra chuckled as well, "It should be me who should unt about being taught by you, Professor Ss."


    "So, are you staying?" Ss questioned.


    "Well, since Professor specifically came here to ask, I do not have any choice, do I?" Astra replied and a smile appeared on Ss''s face.


    "I knew you wouldn''t disappoint me," Ss spoke. "I know that as a mere professor, I do not have anything that would interest the Head of the Vesta Family, but if there is something you need, please do not hesitate to ask. If it is possible, I will definitely help you." He offered.


    "Then I will shamelessly take Professor''s offer.


    I request you to keep an eye on these two children of mine, I have done my best to teach them what I can, but if the Professor feels that theyck in some regard, please give them an opportunity to learn from you."


    Astra spoke as she pointed at Vaan and ra.


    The old man nced at the two younglings as well,


    "Vaan Astra Vesta and ra meheart huh¡­


    One is your only son, while the other is your pupil."


    Ss spoke up. It was clear that despite the two of them being students who had only been here for 6 days, he knew about them.


    Then, the old man chuckled, "Astra, are you trying to embarrass me? Teach these little monsters? What am I supposed to teach them? They are already far beyond what I would expect of my students.


    One uses Magic Circles even I cannot understand, while the other is strong enough to seriously injure two Swordsmen and force them into helpless positions.


    What am I supposed to teach them?"


    "It seems that my children have impressed Professor Ss. I am d the two of them could catch your eyes."


    "My eyes? They have the entire Academy watching them, I wouldn''t be surprised if they follow your path and dominate the Academy."


    "That is indeed the n I have for them."


    Astra dered with a confident look on her face.


    As the Head of the Family, she shouldn''t be stating these things out loud, however, when it came to her child, she knew what she wanted. After all, this is the reason she sent them here.


    If they cannot stand on the top, there is no point in being here.


    Hearing her words, a big smile appeared on Vaan''s face. he 100% supported his mother''s words.


    The Magic Division Head stared at the Mother and Son for a while, then, he chuckled as well,


    "It might not be as simple as you had it though."


    "Hmm?"


    Astra tilted his head in confusion and Ss continued,


    "Thepetition he will be facing is quite fierce. Though I can see you already have one of thepetitors on your side."


    Ss spoke as he nced at Isabel.


    "Of course, if you can''t win against them, get them on your side." Astra dered as he nced at Isabel and chuckled.


    The girl smiled.


    "That old man would be quite annoyed when he learns about it. He definitely wouldn''t want another Orion in his Division."


    Ss spoke but suddenly,


    "I will not follow my Teacher''s steps. I will stand on my own feet." Isabel dered.


    As much as she respected Orion, she still didn''t like how he left everything behind to follow ''the one he loved''. That feeling was still foreign to her.


    "Exactly, she will not follow my Father, because I won''t follow Mother''s steps." Vaan stepped forward holding ra''s hand.


    "I do not need a Partner in the Academy,


    I already have the best one with me."


    He dered out loud.


    ra lowered her head in embarrassment, Astra, however, didn''t fail to notice that smile that had appeared on her red face.


    Ss, on the other hand, had a curious look on his face.


    These children¡­ for them to be bold enough to speak in his presence¡­


    Well, thinking about it, it shouldn''t be too strange either. After all, these children grew together with monsters, ra and Vaan with Orion and Astra, while Isabel was one of the Headmaster''s favorites ever since she joined the Academy.


    His status, as much as it meant to other students, for these little brats, it wasn''t worth mentioning, at the very least, it was definitely not something that would ensure their silence in his presence.


    "This ce is quite interesting."


    He muttered.


    "Please don''t mind them, Professor. I will beat manners into that bratter." Orion spoke up as he red at Vaan.


    "Hahaha~ Please don''t be too rash on him."


    Ssughed out loud.


    Astra then nced at the Professors and,


    "Professors, it has been a while since we met, why don''t we chat more?" She offered.


    "Mhm, that is what I was here for." Ss nodded. Others behind him had the same reaction.


    Astra then took the Professors to another room to chat and recall the old days with them, Orion followed them as well.


    Since the only ones left here were the children, Vaan stepped forward and,


    "I think I need to introduce you two to each other, eh?


    Seraphina, she is Isabel. A 4 Star Swordswoman.


    Isabel, she is,"


    "I am Seraphina Stormweaver, Sir Vaan''s assistant, it is nice to meet you, Lady Isabel."


    Seraphina introduced herself as she bowed her head.


    "Assistant¡­?" Isabel narrowed her eyes.


    She may be amoner, but she was well worse with how nobles worked. A 20-year-old man having an ''assistant'', this wasn''t the first time she heard this story.


    In an instant, her eyes fell on ra, and seeing how the girl was looking at Seraphina with a hostile look on her face, Isabel''s eyes turned cold.


    "How can you be so different than your father?"


    "What¡­?"

 Chapter 228 The children sure are energetic.

    Chapter 228 The children sure are energetic.


    ??"How can you be so different than your father?"


    "What¡­?"


    Vaan frowned in confusion.


    "Who do you think are you fooling with that innocent act?" Isabel didn''t hold back.


    "I hate it when you interrupt others but keep it to myself because you mostly do it to express your so-called love for your fianc¨¦e. Confessing your love out loud strengthens your rtionship and is seen as a positive thing, this is why I never said anything.


    But to think you would have an ''assistant'' when you already have a fianc¨¦e! How can you betray the girl who is so devoted to you!? Do you not have a heart!?"


    The Swordswoman''s outburst was loud.


    Then suddenly,


    "Woman, what in the hell are you talking about?"


    Wasn''t nning on listening to this nonsense any further.


    "Haah!? You stil-" Isabel wanted to continue, but before she could,


    *Whoosh*


    All the people inside the room felt scorching heating from a certain direction. Isabel and the others turned around and their eyes widened in horror when they noticed ra summoning a giant Fireball.


    It was the spell she used in her recent battle,


    me Ball.


    "Isabel."


    ra then called out.


    Then, with her red eyes looking right into Isabel''s eyes, ra continued,


    "Do not disrespect Vaan or I will not hold back."


    It wasn''t just Isabel, Seraphina and Vaan were taken aback by ra''s current self.


    Was she really the same timid girl who didn''t give her all in battles because she was worried about her enemies?


    That girl was threatening someone?


    Vaan knew that ra was changing, just the fact that she used a dangerous spell like me Ball in a battle was enough to prove that, but to think that she would outright threaten someone.


    ''W-What in the hell happened¡­?'' Seraphina couldn''t help but wonder.


    Seeing ra stand in front of her with that huge Fireball above her head filled her with extreme fear. Her body started trembling when she wasn''t even ra''s ''target''.


    Just this was enough to tell just how strong the gap between the two of them was.


    "E-ra¡­"


    Isabel tried to exin herself.


    She only wanted to help.


    She had seen how much this woman liked Vaan and noticing the possibility that Vaan might be cheating on her filled Isabel with endless anger.


    "I only want yo-"


    But¡­


    "I am not a child. I know how to keep what is mine."


    ra spoke, then, she nced at Seraphina and as if she was warning her,


    "I will not allow anyone to take away what''s mine. Even if I have to fight for it."


    Seraphina''s body trembled again. After all, she was now ra''s ''target''. ra''s gaze was petrifying, Seraphina couldn''t even gulp since her body had frozen from fear. The only thing she could feel were her goosebumps and the immense heating from ra''s spell.


    ''I-Is she still under the influence?''


    Vaan, on the other hand, had apletely different question in his mind.


    ''No, if that was the case, Mother should have noticed.


    Her dear Pupil being in a drunk state, she would have at the very least red at me, but nothing like that happened¡­


    She is sober right now¡­''


    Vaan was finding it surprising.


    ra had taken initiatives before, but¡­


    This was the first time she had done it when she waspletely sober.


    She was dering him as hers out loud while defending him and thinking about it, Vaan couldn''t help but have a wide smile on his face.


    He then tightened his grip around ra''s hand and suddenly,


    The me ball disappeared.


    Something that surprised the three people again.


    ''That''s possible!?''


    A basic Mage had no choice but to cast his or her spell once it was ready, since the Mana used to form the Spell couldn''t just disappear, the spell couldn''t disappear either.


    Then¡­


    ''How did she do it?''


    Everyone wondered.


    Even Eliza and other members of the Obsidian Order were wondering how a Basic Mage was able to do it.


    ra, on the other hand, just smiled as she nced at Vaan, then, she turned towards Isabel and with a gentle smile on her face,


    "I know you only wish the best for me and I am grateful for that, but it gets quite difficult for me to hold back when one raises her voice in front of my Vaan, you see.


    Also, what you are thinking is utterly ridiculous.


    The rtionship between Vaan and her is purely business-rted. The two have no other feelings for each other, right?" ra questioned.


    Vaan, of course, nodded without even thinking. Only a fool would try to choose anyone else when a gem like ra was right next to him.


    ra, however, wasn''t even looking at Vaan, her attention was on someone else.


    Seraphina gulped, ra looking at her with that ''gentle'' smile on her face didn''t look ''gentle'' at all. Those eyes that once carried endlesspassion, kindness, naivety, and innocence, now only had¡­ a strange, obsessive craziness.


    It was frightening.


    "Y-Yes, Lady ra is right.


    There is n-no other rtion between us, I am merely his assistant."


    Seraphina replied.


    "And none of you n to develop any other feelings either, correct?"


    ra questioned with, again, her ''gentle'' smile on her face.


    "O-Of course. There is no need to d-develop any other feelings." Seraphina''s answer was quick.


    Seeing the scene in front of her, Isabel couldn''t help but blink a few times. Her disbelief could be felt very clearly.


    Vaan, on the other hand, was enjoying every bit of craziness his fianc¨¦e was showing.


    Maybe an ra crazy for him was what he needed in his life.


    Vaan continued to nod to himself and Isabel, who noticed that as well couldn''t help but stare at the entire situation with a deadpan look on her face.


    ''This entire family has an issue with their head.


    I have no clue how my Teacher got entangled with them.''


    ¡­


    On the other side, inside the room where Astra, Orion, and the other Professors from the Magic Division were chatting,


    "The children sure are energetic."


    The moment he noticed ra''s spell formation, Ss chuckled.


    Astra smiled as well, "That girl is getting better at expressing herself."


    "You call that getting better¡­?" Another Professor spoke up with a strange expression on his face.


    After all, the little girl pretty much summoned a spell that could annihte most Basic Mages while they were ''talking''.


    How was that being expressive!?


    Couldn''t they see how this is dangerous!?


    And he wasn''t alone,


    "Should we mediate?" Another Professor named Professor Calista questioned.


    "Professors need not worry, my trusted subordinates are keeping an eye on them, nothing would happen."


    Astra replied with a light smile on her face.


    "We should continue our conversation."


    The Professors nodded.


    "Right, I also wanted to talk abou-"


    Professor Calista wanted to continue where they left off, but suddenly, he froze.


    It wasn''t just him, others inside the room had a chance in their expressions as well, even Astra.


    "Astra¡­ was that done by your subordinate¡­?"


    Professor Ss questioned with a doubtful look on his face.


    Honestly, he already knew the answer to this question, however, in this case, he wanted to be wrong.


    Unfortunately,


    "It wasn''t¡­"


    Astra spoke with a strange expression on her face.


    "Mana Dissolution¡­"


    Professor Calista spoke up.


    "Not to mention she is a Basic Mage¡­"


    "That shouldn''t be possible¡­"


    "ording to the Principals of Magic we know, it shouldn''t be¡­" Astra nodded as well.


    It wasn''t something that could be made sense out of.


    Mana couldn''t be destroyed, neither could it be created.


    To naturally cancel a prepared Spell, a Mage is required to take the Mana out of the Spell and release all the ''fuel'' from the spell for it to dissipate naturally.


    While this process in itself isplicated, excellent Mages who have a high understanding of Magic principles and their Spells can still achieve.


    The problem, however,es when it is time to ''store'' the Mana taken out of the Spell into his body, Intermediate and stronger Mages could do it because they have a Mana Core to store the Mana into, but the Basic Mages¡­


    Mana Dissolution shouldn''t be possible.


    Or at least that''s what the Magic Theory that has been passed down for 5000 years states.


    The fact that the little girl was able to do it while being a Basic Mage¡­


    "You must be dying to have a talk with your pupil, aren''t you?"


    Suddenly, Orion chuckled as he looked into Astra''s eyes. All other Mages stared at Astra with a jealous look on their faces.


    It was a doorway to apletely different knowledge, of course, these oldies craved it.


    However,


    How could Astra allow that to happen?


    She may respect all these people since they once taught her, but in the end, for her, Family came first, if there was something that could lead to the discovery of something new, then unless they know what it is and if it could be used by the Vesta Family or not,


    Astra would let that ''source of knowledge'' get away from her.


    "Well, Professors, as you can see, something urgent came up. As much as I enjoyed chatting with you, I would need to take my leave now.


    We will meet tomorrow during the Induction."


    And just as everyone expected,


    Astra was already kicking these ''professors'' out.

 Chapter 229 The Induction.

    <h4>Chapter 229 The Induction.</h4>


    ?"Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed Professors, and iing students of Agresia Academy, I am Den Dawncrest, a 4 Star Swordsman, and the strongest Student in the Academy. As the undeniable pinnacle of skill and strength, it is my pleasure to provide you with a glimpse into the unrivaled legacy and prestige of Agresia Academy, a bastion of greatness in which you now have the privilege of being inducted.


    But before we begin, please put your hands together for our Guests,


    Lord Williams Haze, from the Haze Family.


    Lady Elowen Frostbane, from the Frostbane Family.


    Lady Morgana Darkspell from the Darkspell Family.


    Lord ric Brightwood, from the Brightwood Family.


    And then our Chief Guest, the person you have all been looking forward to seeing, a pleasant surprise even for me, as the Host of today''s event,


    Ladies and Gentlemen, please put your hands together for one of the Strongest Mages in the world, the Head of the Esteemed Vesta Family, Lady Astra Elysia Vesta."


    Den introduced and in a moment, the auditorium which was silent with students being forced to p for the so-called ''guests'', suddenly erupted in loud cheers and ps.


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    The other guests stared at the crown with deadpan looks on their faces.


    The difference in treatment was disheartening. However, the moment they realized that they would be sitting near Astra, their expressions brightened up as well.


    That was simply how high Astra''s status was.


    On the other hand, Den was obviously not very impressed by Astra''s presence, after all, no matter what position they were currently in, in the end, the Dawncrest and the Vesta Families were still enemies.


    He couldn''t let Astra steal the show with just her mere presence.


    "Here at Agresia Academy, we do not merely abide by mediocrity; we exalt in the pursuit of absolute mastery. As the strongest student of this esteemed institution, I assure you that the standard of greatness is set impossibly high, for it is only by reaching for the stars that we may touch the heavens. The blood, sweat, and unwavering dedication that infuse these corridors have produced countless legends, and it is now your turn to inscribe your name upon the annals of glory.


    Every corner of this esteemed academy resonates with the echoes of ancient wisdom and the relentless drive for excellence. From the illustrious training grounds to the sprawling libraries that house tomes of unparalleled knowledge, you will find that every challenge is a stepping stone toward unparalleled greatness.


    As you walk these hallowed halls, remember that you are now bearers of the Agresian standard, and it is your solemn duty to uphold the prestige and honor of this institution. Embrace the rigors of training, harness the spirit of resilience, and let your ambition soar to unprecedented heights, for it is by melding your steely resolve with an unyielding determination that you will carve your name into the tapestry of legends.


    Wee to Agresia Academy, where the pursuit of greatness knows no bounds, and the path to glory is illuminated by the splendid prowess of its students. Embrace the challenge that lies before you, for within these venerable walls, you shall discover the true extent of your potential. And remember, as I stand before you, the strongest swordsman to grace this academy, that only with unrelenting conviction and unwavering confidence can you etch your name in the annals of Agresian history.


    Wee to Agresia Academy, where legends are forged, and greatness reigns supreme!"


    Den ended the speech and it was weed with a huge round of apuse. His speech was full of passion and grandiose, Den''s unparalleled conceit was visible in his words as well.


    Vaan, who was hearing his speech from the start couldn''t help but have a big smile on his face.


    ''Destroying him will be fun.''


    He thought inwardly.


    Thinking about the face Den would make when he is on the ground, defeated, made Vaan excited.


    "Heh."


    ra frowned as she noticed Vaan smiling strangely, unable to understand what he was thinking, she decided to just hold his hand and ce her head on his shoulder to get his attention.


    Vaan was pulled out of his thoughts in an instant, he started gently rubbing his thumb on top of ra''s hand as the two watched the rest of the induction.


    "Now, proceeding forward, let me start with things all the Students in the Academy should know about,


    The first one would be, your SIC.


    Of course, since all the new students have spent thest 6 days in the Academy, you should already know that your SIC is not just a simple Student Identification Card, it is your ess to apletely different world, the world of the Agresia Academy.


    Checking your timetable, your attendance, your uing exams, information about the uing events and tournaments, registering for the said events and tournaments, checking your exam results, and many more, are only the basic functions the SIC provides. Honestly, if there is anything you want in the Academy, then more than often, you would find the information about it in your SIC.


    Then, moving on to the more Advanced Features, the SIC allows you to ess Articles written by other students. From the first look, it may look small, however, the Top Articles you usually read using the SIC are what the countless students in the Academy have approved of and found helpful. The amount of information you can ess through these Articles is extremely high. You can even write your thoughts under the articles, letting other students read what you think.


    The Articles also keep you updated about the most happenings in the Academy.


    The SIC also allows the students to have a one-on-one conversation with each other. You can also converse with your Professors, however, do not expect the Professors to always reply to your messages, the Professors are not obligated to do that in any way.


    The SIC can also be used to ess different teleportation Portals and vehicles inside the Agresia Academy.


    There are many other features the SIC has but with our time being limited, I will be leaving this topic here, if any of the students have some doubts regarding the SIC, you can always bother your seniors.


    Of course, don''t you daree and bother me, I have better things to do.


    Anyways, moving forward, we will now be discussing about Academy itself,


    The Agresia Academy is mainly divided into 3 parts,


    The Swords Division.


    The Martial Arts Division.


    And the Magic Division.


    All the students here are part of any one of these Divisions.


    Of course, there are also Churches, the students can join the church of the God they follow.


    Then there are countless clubs in the Academy, with different clubs excelling in different areas. Some of the popr areas with the majority of the clubs are Magic Engineering, Familiar Training, and Alchemy.


    The Academy also has its own Laboratories for Research and Development.


    We have specialnd reserved for wildlife and Magic Beasts, students can buy their Magic Beasts Familiars from thesends using Academy Points.


    We also have many Stadiums created to host the numerous tournaments held in the Academy throughout the Semester.


    There are Residential Areas for the Students, Training Grounds for Aura and Magic Training, Areas to hold Cultural and Artistic Events, Magical Agriculture and Horticulture.


    We also have a few ces with Historical Significance, libraries with a huge number of books, books you might not find outside.


    Of course, talking about libraries, I believe it is also time I talk about the ces you students cannot visit carelessly,


    The Restricted Zones in the Academy.


    The First one would be the Forbidden Libraries, I believe the name is self-exnatory, these libraries hold knowledge that not many can ess, if you wish to know what the Pandora''s box holds, bepetent enough to be able to open it.


    The Second would be the Advanced Laboratories, our Academy promotes research and development, we provide our researchers the peace and silence they look for, no student is allowed to enter our Advanced Laboratories unless they are specifically invited.


    The Professor''s Quarters alsoes under a restricted area to maintain our Profesor''s Privacy, so unless you are invited, do not dare to enter a designated Professor''s Quarters.


    Our Academy also has its own Treasury, this is what we use to reward the excellent students, as to where this Treasury is, not many know, and it goes without saying, the Treasury is also a Restricted Area.


    There are also some training grounds that are restricted for most students, to ess them, you would need a certain number of Academy Points, however, as the strongest student and someone who used these grounds quite often, I can guarantee you, that the results of your training inside these Advance Training Grounds are worth the Points.


    Now,st but not the least,


    The Restricted Zone that students and professors alike crave to get into,


    The Ancient Ruins.


    The Heart of our Agresia Academy, the Ruins that never close, Ruins that can change one''s life.


    Of course, entering these Ruins isn''t simple, students cannot just spend Academy Points or get Invited to be able to explore these Ruins,


    There is only one way to enter the Ancient Ruins,


    And that is to gather 5 Excellence Stars and upgrade your SIC."


    Den then nced at Vaan and,


    "Something that one of you new students has already achieved."

 Chapter 230 Student Hierarchy

    <h4>Chapter 230 Student Hierarchy</h4>


    ?"Something that one of you new students has already achieved."


    Den pointed at Vaan and questioned.


    "And since a student can take 5 other people inside the Ancient Ruins together with him, you can always ask Vaan Astra Vesta for a favour and who knows? Junior Vaan might feel generous and ept your request."


    Vaan frowned as he heard those words.


    He looked around and could see the students looking at him with different eyes.


    ''What the hell is he nning?''


    Vaan wondered when he noticed the smirk on Den''s face.


    However, knowing that there was no point thinking about it, he simply shrugged and closed his eyes, showing his disinterest towards the topic.


    Whatever Den was plotting, he would deal with itter. After all, a battle is only when the other side tries some moves before they fail.


    One shotting the enemy was never fun, now was it?


    Not knowing what Vaan was thinking, Den continued,


    "Anyways, moving on from the Heart of our Academy, let''s move to its soul now, the reason why the Agresia Academy is so different from the rest of the world,


    Our Magic Engineering,


    We guarantee that the Technology you will find in the Academy is not something you would find anywhere else, we, the Agresia Academy, are home to the best Magic Engineers in the entire Agresia.


    Not only our advanced Infrastructures, whether it is our Advanced Laboratories, our Communication System, our Enchanted Libraries where you can get the books you require with just a click on your finger, Advanced Training Rooms, Medical Rooms, Magic Transportation, Space Portals and many more.


    Even the Academy Uniform can be considered a great discovery and is something no other Academy can provide.


    We are far above any other Academy in the entire Agresia in every way.


    Of course, to use most of these things, you would require Academy Points. So the next topic I will be moving towards would be the one I am sure you all are most curious about.


    Academy Points.


    You can see it as the Gold Coins of our Academy. Students are required to earn these Academy Points in order to survive here, from the smallest things like food to essing our greatest facilities like the Portals, everything here requires Academy Points.


    As to how to get them,


    Well, the easiest ones would be to work. Thend we hold inside the Academy is quite big,pared to that, we only have 1 million people, out of which, only 100,000 are students. To manage such argend, manpower is required,


    There are all sorts of odd jobs like cleaning, cooking, gardening, or any other things that require basic skills avable in the Academy. All these jobs pay ording to the amount of work done.


    However, this is the Academy of the Elites.


    Can we Elites be satisfied by doing some odd jobs? Were we born to do something that the servants in our house do for us?


    Of course not.


    These methods are chosen by the bottom of the barrel. Students with no hopes, students with crushed spirits.


    In my eyes, doing these jobs is no different than punishment.


    There are much better options out there to earn Academy Points.


    For Alchemist, Magic Engineers and Healers, earning Academy Points is much easier, they can charge for their services and having arge market of consumers helps a lot.


    There are also different clubs students can join and if you excel in what you do, you will be funded by your Club.


    Of course, being part of the club isn''t necessary either, excellence is always recognized no matter where you are.


    Therefore, every time you earn an Excellence Star, you earn 20,000 Academy Points.


    However, earning Excellence Star isn''t a stable source. Not all students get Excellence Stars regrly, they are considered rather rare. The Academy Points you earn through Excellence Stars are, at best, just rewards. A bonus of sorts.


    ording to me, the best way to earn regr Academy Points is to climb the Students Hierarchy."


    Den spoke, then, as he nced at all the students in front of him, he smiled and,


    "The Agresia Academy might be the Academy of the Elites, but this doesn''t mean all the students here are the same.


    Rather, there is a huge difference between students here, some are much more different than others, there are students here who are born with a different destinypared to the rest.


    They are born to be the World Leaders, the people who would rule over the rest.


    Obviously, such people cannot be ced together with the rest, we are the true elites, the face of our Academy and as the Face of the Academy, the Academy cannot possibly not reward us.


    The Agresia Academy has a hierarchy of students, with students on each level of thedder receiving different benefits.


    I''ll start with the lowest,


    A normal student, someone who still hasn''t achieved anything in the Academy, someone who is bound to not be able to stand out.


    Moving further, we have the Star Students. Students who received Excellence Stars. Along with the Academy Points they receive after getting an Excellence Star, these students also receive monthly benefits.


    The benefits vary depending on the Color of the Student''s SIC. The White Card Holder would get 500 Academy Points every month.


    A Silvery White Card Holder would receive 1000 Academy Points every Month.


    A Grey Cardholder receives 3000 Academy Points a Month.


    A Dark Grey Card Holder gets 10,000 Academy Points a Month.


    And finally, a ck Card Holder receives 50,000 Academy Points a Month.


    Of course, as enticing as it sounds, reaching this level is much harder than one would expect, most students in the Academy never get go above the White Card, so don''t even think about ck Cards. That is not something you people should be worried about."


    Den snorted. The other students all narrowed their eyes, the old students, however, knew what Den said wasn''t false, with Vaan and ra each earning Stars the moment they entered, the new students'' perspective about Excellence Stars was somewhat skewed, however, as more and more time passed, they would soon realized that it is the two monsters that are much different from the rest and shouldn''t bepared with normal standard.


    "Together with the Star Students, we have Academic Achievers, the students who are mostly involved with research, whether it is Magic Engineering, Alchemy or any other thing in that matter.


    As long as you excel in it and your research yields specific results, you are awarded, as to how much you are awarded and what benefits you receive, that depends on the scale of your research. The higher the scale, the better the rewards.


    Moving further, we have the Residential Representatives, honestly, in simpler words, they are the representatives of different Student Residential Areas. They receive 500 Academy Points a Month.


    After the Residential Representatives, we have the Club Leaders, of course, one cannot simply form a Club and receive benefits by bing its Leader, your Club needs to be in the Top 5 of your Specific Branch.


    The Club Leaders receive 3000 Academic Points a Month.


    After the Club Leaders are the House Leaders, they are the Heads of a group of Residential Representatives. They receive 1000 Academic Points a Month as well.


    Thenes the Department Heads, as the name suggests, they are the Head of the Department. Now whether that Department is Combat Magic, Magic Engineering, Swordsmanship, Martial Arts, Alchemy, Healing Magic, Familiar Training, or any other, all the Department Heads receive the same reward, 5000 Academic Points.


    They are also the ones who represent their department in the Student Council.


    Talking about the Student Council, I should discuss the rewards of being part of the Student Council as well.


    Student Council is the group of students that manages all the students and even some Professors of the Academy, it consists of a Council President, a Vice President, a Secretary and the Department Heads.


    The Department Heads have already been discussed.


    So moving to the Secretary, a secretary receives 3000 Academic Points a Month.


    A Vice President receives 5000 Academic Points.


    And the Council President receives 10,000 Academic Points."


    Den exined, however, Vaan could notice that the moment he started talking about the Student Council, his expression became differentpared to the rest.


    His usual arrogance couldn''t be seen on his face or in his speech.


    This made Vaan frown.


    And seeing that, Vaelen, who was sitting near him tapped on his shoulder and with a satisfied smile on his face, he exined,


    "The Student Council is Den Dawncrest''s biggest shame. That''s why he has that rotten expression on his face when he talks about it."


    "His biggest shame?" Vaan frowned.


    "The guy wanted to be the Student President, however, no matter what he did, he couldn''t rece the current student president."


    "What¡­? Den is not the President¡­?"


    "Of course not.


    The Student Council President is someone else.


    The only student who is capable of keeping that bastard in check."

 Chapter 231 Selene Rainwarden

    Chapter 231 Selene Rainwarden


    ??"Of course not.


    The Student Council President is someone else.


    The only student who is capable of keeping that bastard in check."


    Vaelen revealed and Vaan couldn''t help but be shocked.


    "The only student capable of keeping him in check¡­?"


    Vaan repeated the words Vaelen said. Unable to contain his curiousness, he questioned,


    "Who is the Student Council President?"


    Hearing his question, Vaelen just smiled, then, he turned towards the stage, and with a gleeful look on his face, he pointed at Den.


    "Just wait for it."


    Vaan was confused. However, he soon noticed that Den''s face had distorted even further, it was clear that he wasn''t looking forward to the next bit of the Induction.


    "Since the matter is already up, let me wee the Student Council President herself toe forward and address all the new students."


    Vaan finally understood what Vaelen was trying to say and why Den was acting like this. At the same time, he also pitied Den, for him to force himself to invite a person he didn''t like¡­


    For someone like Vaan, who wasn''t a fan of all these formalities, it was no different than a nightmare.


    His reaction, however, was different from the rest of the students.


    "YEAAAHHHH!!!! PRESIDENT!!!"


    The entire auditorium erupted in cheers and thunderous apuse, the wee the student council president received was something that was close to the reaction Astra received and this girl was part of the Academy. That meant, that unlike Astra, who most people here were seeing first and maybe thest time, these people see the Council President regrly, but despite this situation, to be able to induce such a reaction from the crowd¡­


    "I can understand why the president would be a difficult opponent to face. Someone with support this big is always a troublesome opponent."


    Vaan nodded in understanding.


    He was shocked at the sight of all the old students cheering at the top of their lungs, their eyes bright with endless joy and respect.


    "What faction does the President belong to?" Vaan questioned with a curious look on his face.


    After all, someone who could attract the crowd to herself and steal with limelight of the Den Dawncrest couldn''t possibly just be a nobody, if possible, Vaan wanted to recruit such a person in his faction.


    He could already see just how much he would benefit from her being on his side.


    Vaan was already thinking about different ways the president could help him, but suddenly, a frown appeared on his face when he realized that Vaelen hadn''t answered his question yet.


    With his brows furrowed, he turned towards the man, however,


    *p* *p*


    He only saw the sight of the 49-year-old Vaelen sitting on his seat, pping for the President''s wee with his eyes filled with joy and impatience to see her. It was an odd sight, something that Vaan couldn''t help but blink at.


    The normal students were different, Vaan already regarded them as side characters, but Vaelen¡­


    Was he the same arrogant man who stood up against him a few weeks ago?


    To think he would be pping and cheering like a little boy¡­


    Honestly, this creeped Vaan out.


    And noticing his expression, Isabel smiled.


    "Don''t be shocked, it is amon sight." She spoke.


    Both Vaan and ra frowned in confusion,


    "What does that mean?" Vaan questioned.


    "The craze you see, it is amon sight inside the Agresia Academy, most students here are president''s fanatics."


    "That doesn''t make any sense, I understand liking her, but to her fanatics¡­?"


    "Well, you will understand once you meet her. Our Student President isn''t just some normal girl, she is the most perfect girl I have ever seen in my entire life. The new students like you wouldn''t understand what I am trying to say, however, once you spend some time here and get to know our president, you will realize why we respect and adore her so much."


    Isabel answered and Vaan noticed the same crazed look on the woman''s face as he saw in Vaelen''s and everyone else''s faces.


    This made Vaan frown.


    It wasn''t just him, ra, and other new students, even Astra and other guests had a simr reaction on their faces.


    This sight was shocking. For a student to receive such enormous support from the other students¡­ just how was it possible¡­?


    Vaan and ra nced at each other, trying to figure out the reason behind this immense poprity, but then,


    *Step* *Step* *Step*


    Footsteps were heard.


    The cheers and apuse continued and finally, the main character made her entrance. Vaan nced at the stage and the moment he did, he was dumbstruck.


    The woman in front of him was beautiful. She wore the Academy Uniform just like the rest of the students, however, just one look at her and it was clear that she was far different from everyone else.


    Her long blonde hair, her mystifying green eyes, the positive energy that she radiated, all of it was so different from the rest of the students that Vaan almost felt the urge to bow down.


    *President''s picture*


    Den was quick to step aside the moment the president walked onto the Stage, with a gentle smile on her face, the president nodded at Den before she walked up to his ce and,


    "Ladies and Gentlemen, and our dear guests,


    Excuse me for my rudeness, but I will be specifically pointing you out, Lady Astra, as someone who has heard about your achievements ever since I was a child, being able to stand in front of you like this gives me immense joy and pleasure,


    On behalf of the entire Academy, I thank you for epting our request to be the chief guest of this term''s Induction."


    The President spoke as she turned towards Astra and bowed her head gracefully, soon however, her expression changed, and,


    "Ah, I apologize, as mentioned before, it is quite an overwhelming moment for me, so please excuse me for my manners,


    Sir Den Dawncrest, first, I would like to thank you for Hosting the Induction so brilliantly up until now, second, I should have done this sooner but, let me introduce myself to the new students,


    My name is Selene Rainwarden, I am the Student Council President of our Prestigious Agresia Academy. As your senior in the Academy, I always look forward to helping you in any way I can and I work my hardest to make the Academy life as easy for you people as possible."


    Selene introduced herself, her voice was soft, gentle, and elegant.


    There was a smile stered on her face and the aura she released was so¡­ gentle that people couldn''t help but wish to close their eyes and keep listening to her for the rest of their lives.


    With how strong of a reaction Selene received, it seemed almost as if hypnotizing all these people together.


    "Anyways, since Sir Den already introduced me and revealed most of the important things that new students should know,


    I wouldn''t want to take more of your time and end my speech as quickly as possible.


    I would start by weing all the new students to the Academy, I hope you have a wonderful time here. Do not hesitate to ask if you have any questions in your mind, I would be d to answer them for you.


    Your seniors, the old students of the Academy are all people full ofpassion and kindness, you can bother them all you want and they will help you to the best of their abilities.


    Right, seniors?"


    Selene questioned with a smile on her face and,


    "YYYEAAHHHH!!!!"


    A loud cheer was heard.


    Selene chuckled, in an instant, capturing the hearts of most males present inside the room.


    "See? With how great seniors you people have, I promise you all that as long as you are willing to work hard, there is nothing you cannot achieve here in the Academy.


    I am looking forward to you people working hard and eventuallying to me and bing a part of the Student Council, I heard there are some amazing people amongst the new students who have already captured many eyes." Selene spoke as she nced at Vaan and ra and smiled,


    "I hope the rest of the students keep up with their pace. You wouldn''t want to be left behind before you even start, now would you?


    I know all of you are people full of potential and I am looking forward to what you all will achieve once you utilize your full potential.


    Alright, I believe I have already taken too much of your time with all my nonsense,


    So without further ado, I would like to call the esteemed Headmaster of our Academy toe forward and say a few words.


    I would also request the students to please listen to what the Headmaster says very carefully, his words are full of wisdom and it would be greatly beneficial for you to understand and apply that wisdom in your life.


    Now, Headmaster, would you please¡­"


    Selene spoke, her head slightly bowed and her smile never leaving her face.


    And Vaan, who was observing this woman till now narrowed his eyes in doubt.


    "Something''s wrong."


    He muttered.

 Chapter 232 Who do you think is acting narrow-minded here?

    Chapter 232 Who do you think is acting narrow-minded here?


    ??"With the students already saying what was required, I guess meing here was no different than a formality. Of course, unlike other geezers, I wouldn''t continue and bber on, repeating the same thing over and over again.


    I will only congratte you for entering the Academy and wish you luck for the uing years, I truly wish that you do well here, make a name for yourself, and achieve everything you desire.


    I will now be ending this Induction by calling our esteemed guests, everyone please put your hands together to show your gratitude towards them."


    With Octavius''s words echoing throughout the Auditorium, cheers and ps were heard again as Astra and the other guests made their way to the Stage.


    After that, the guests each took their turns to say a few words to the students, most of the students however, were only waiting for one woman to step forward and address them.


    It was Astra Elysia Vesta, Vaan''s mother.


    The crowd almost erupted when the woman stepped forward, Vaan, however, was currently focused on apletely different thing¡­ or person.


    His eyes were still on Selene Rainwarden, the Student council president.


    "Oi."


    Suddenly, Vaan called out.


    "What is it?" Vaelen turned towards him and questioned.


    "That Selene¡­


    What faction does she belong to?"


    "It is the Church of Light."


    Vaelen replied and Vaan narrowed his eyes.


    "Church of Light huh¡­


    Heh, well that was not hard to guess."


    Vaan couldn''t help but chuckle.


    "No wonder I could smell the rotten smell of a pretentious person the moment she made her appearance."


    Hearing those words, a frown appeared on Vaelen''s face. Noticing that frown, Vaan narrowed his eyes,


    "What? Do you have a problem with what I said?"


    "¡­"


    Vaelen turned silent.


    Vaan, however, wasn''t nning on leaving the topic. This was a big problem.


    "You belong to the Vesta Family, Vaelen. The Church of Light isn''t exactly our ally."


    "Ally, Enemies, do you not think that is quite a narrow-minded way to think?"Suddenly, Vaelen questioned as he looked into Vaan''s eyes.


    Vaan''s frown deepened.


    Vaelen, however, continued further,


    "Do you know who helped us when Den wasing after us?"


    "¡­" Vaan didn''t say anything but he could already guess the answer to the question.


    "It was the Council President.


    Den wasn''t nning on leaving us once we lost the Vesta House, he wanted to take away the ce we all shifted to as well. He wanted the Vestas to fall and live in the residential areas together with other students, he wanted to deplete our funds and put us in a position from which we would never be able to recover.


    It was the Council President who came forward, not allowing him to challenge us any further. She even loaned us the Academy Points required to stabilize without any interest."


    "You loaned Academy Points from her¡­?" Vaan narrowed his eyes.


    "We already repaid it, so it doesn''t matter now." Vaelen was quick to defend himself.


    "You also said she stopped Den from continuing, how did she do it? I doubt the Council President has so much authority."


    "You underestimate her influence. Openly going against her makes you a public enemy. It would ruin your and your Faction''s image. If Den continued further despite the President telling him to stop, he would have beenbeled as narrow-minded, abel that would stick with him for the rest of his life. It might even affect his overall standing in the Academy."


    Vaan raised his eyebrow in surprise.


    The more he heard about this woman, the more suspicious he got.


    Something was definitely wrong here.


    Something wasn''t adding up.


    For a student to have enough influence to affect even the Faction behind the other students¡­ and for other students to not even notice how wrong it is to give such power in the hands of a single person¡­


    "Why did she help you?" Vaan questioned, wanting to know more about the situation.


    No matter what, the Church of Light was still an enemy, the downfall of the Vestas would definitely be beneficial for them as well. Then why would¡­


    "This is the difference between the President and the rest of the students in the Academy. She doesn''t y politics.


    She only wishes harmony and peace inside the Academy.


    ''Competition is weed, however, once apetition turns into the humiliation of one party, things must stop. The Academy is a ce for the students to thrive, not be scarred for the rest of their lives.''


    Those were her words when she came to me. She helped us solely out of goodwill without asking for anything in return.


    Heck, she didn''t even mention helping us once the matter was settled, not even standing on the high moral ground she already had.


    And this is also the reason why she receives the support she receives. We aren''t exceptions in her eyes because we are the Vestas, her attitude is the same for all the students in the Academy.


    Heck, there are even students who still haven''t returned the Academy Points she lent them, yet despite that, she always greets those students with her usual smile and does not discriminate.


    That is the type of person the Student Council President is."


    Vaelen spoke up. Then suddenly,


    "Don''t you think all of this sounds familiar?"


    Vaan questioned with a solemn look on his face. Wanting to open Vaelen''s eyes that were clearly filled with blind faith.


    "What do you mean?" Vaelen frowned.


    "What sort of power is the Church of Light known to be?"


    Vaan questioned and before Vaelen could even answer, he continued,


    "Gentle, Peace loving, helpful, Church of Light is a Faction that preaches all these words. Their image throughout the world is of people who will help you no matter who you are.


    ''God of Light is merciful and kind, pray to him and your worries shall disappear.''


    This is what they go around shouting.


    But despite that, they were the people who led the charge against the Vestas 5000 years ago when the God of Magic stopped blessing us.


    The preachers of peace and tranquility started a War against a group that was already dealt a crippling blow.


    Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?


    Shouldn''t we, of all people, know what sort of ce the Church of Light is?


    It is full of hypocrites who try to act all nice and kind in front of the rest of the world. That Selene is no different. She may look like the most lovely person you have ever seen in your life now, however, the moment she gets the chance, I promise you, she will show you her real face, the horrifying face the would give nightmares to all you people who blindly believe her."


    Vaan spoke and in an instant, everything around him turned silent.


    It wasn''t just Vaelen, every student sitting next to him stared at him silently. The only good thing was that since most people here were from the Vesta Family, they could still somewhat be controlled.


    Of course, Vaan didn''t care about it anyway.


    He wasn''t scared of others. No matter how intently they stared at him, he would stick to his words.


    Selene was a Hypocrite and he would prove it.


    "Vaan, I do not know what happened 5000 years ago, and don''t act like you do either. The circumstances then might have been different than what we believe them to be. The only reason we even consider the Church of Light as our enemy is because of what we read in our history books.


    Never once has the Church of Light taken any actions against us, or anyone else regarding that matter.


    Don''t you think it is foolish to base our thoughts on something that happened 5000 years ago? Something we do not even know the details of?"


    Vaelen questioned and Vaan narrowed his eyes, "Are you doubting our family history?"


    "I am a Mage, Vaan. It is what I do. I seek the Truth, and to do that, even if I have to doubt my own existence, I would do it without hesitation.


    Other than what we were told about what happened 5000 years ago, we have no other incident that portrays the Church of Light in a negative way.


    On the contrary, I could name countless things the Church has done that would lead people to see them in a positive light. Heck,ing to save you when you lost your memories despite our rtionship was one of those things.


    Let us assume that what was written in our history was indeed the truth, 5000 years have passed, Vaan.


    Do you really think holding the grudge of something that happened all those years ago till now makes sense? Heck, the people who influenced the Church in those days aren''t even alive now.


    Who do you think is acting narrow-minded here?


    The people who are seeing recent events to base their judgments on,


    Or us, who simply treat the Church as our enemy because of one single incident?"


    Vaelen questioned and this time,


    Vaan had no answer.

 Chapter 233 You two are my juniors after all.

    Chapter 233 You two are my juniors after all.


    ??The Induction ended, the students pped for the guests who one by one said a few words to them, thest one toe forward was Astra and because of that, the event ended on a higher note with all the students, be it the new ones or the old, were excited for the uing semester.


    Vaan, on the other hand, however, had a strange look on his face. After hearing Vaelen''s words, he couldn''t help but look at things from a different perspective.


    Vaelen wasn''t exactly wrong.


    The Vesta Family may have been looking at things a little too narrow-mindedly.


    Of course, Vaan wasn''t nning to simply switch sides either. He knew his mother well. Astra wasn''t a woman to foolishly believe whatever was told to her.


    She must have her reasons for treating the Church of Light as an enemy, therefore, Vaan decided to hear things from her perspective.


    After all, who would know more about things than the leader of one of the strongest powers in the world?


    Thinking about it, Vaan quickly made his way towards Astra, ra, of course, was together with him. She wanted to hear her Teacher''s perspective as well.


    But suddenly,


    "Sir Vaan, Lady ra."


    They were interrupted by a gentle voice.


    It didn''t take an instant for Vaan to recognize the voice. He turned around and just as he expected,


    It was Selene Rainwarden. The Student Council President.


    The blonde was looking at them with her signature gentle smile on her face. Vaan, of course, had no ns to fall for that smile. He still firmly believed that all of this was a fake front this woman had created and was actually hiding her real self.


    Of course, Vaan couldn''t just act brashly like he normally does either.


    He needed to solve this ''tactfully''. Like a gentleman.


    Thinking about it, Vaan straightened his chest, corrected his cor, and looked at Selene with the fakest smile possible,


    "Lady Selene, it is such an honor to meet you."


    Selene momentarily frowned, she couldn''t ce a finger on it, but she could feel that something was wrong here.


    In the end, however, she just shook her head and decided to say what she came here for,


    "The pleasure is truly mine. I''m delighted to have the opportunity to connect with you as well."


    Selene smiled and continued,


    "Actually, I have been keeping an eye on the two of you ever since you joined the Academy.


    After all, a Student receiving a Star the moment she joins the Academy isn''t something that happens every year.


    I was quite shocked to learn that Lady ra had already be a 4th Circle Mage at such a young age.


    But then you surprised me even further with those advanced circles you showed.


    I still find it hard to believe that you were able to find apletely new Magic Circle that is much more useful than what we currently have.


    It is a groundbreaking research.


    I am so d that I have an opportunity to talk to a brilliant genius such as yourself."


    Selene''s green eyes were shining brightly, with how she talked, she seemed genuinely interested in the advanced magic circles Vaan ''researched.''


    Of course, it wasn''t a surprise. After all, those circles were something that would change the world. It couldpletely reshape the current perception of Mages in the world and increase their destructive power.


    ''So you are showing your true intentions from the beginning huh.''


    Vaan couldn''t help but smile inwardly when he noticed the desperate look on Selene''s face.


    ''Well, that is better for me. At the very least, I can say that you aren''t the angel these people believe you to be.''


    "Hahaha~ Thank you so much. It was merely a fluke that I came up with them."


    Vaanughed, Selene however, shook her head, and with a strict look on her face, she nced at Vaan and,


    "Sir Vaan, as your Senior in the Academy, please let me say this one thing.


    Staying humble is good.


    However, you are still young, young people should be brimming with confidence, especially people like you, if you have done something incredible, you shoulde forward and ept it.


    Announce it to the entire world. Say that you were the one who did it and you didn''t do it out of coincidence, you achieved it through your own hard work.


    Don''t undermine yourself.


    Be proud of yourself."


    Selene spoke with a gentle smile and seeing her, Vaan frowned.


    He couldn''t tell what this woman was thinking.


    "You talk like that but you are only a few years older than me," Vaan spoke.


    "Well, my situation forced me to mature faster than others," Selene replied, again her smile never left her face, Vaan however, could notice a strange flicker in her eyes.


    "I am in a somewhat simr situation."


    "Is that so?"


    "Mhm."


    Vaan nodded. Then, he sighed and,


    "But I will take what you said to heart." He replied.


    Selene smiled brightly as she then nced at ra and,


    "You as well, Lady ra. You are a rarely-seen Magic Prodigy, you also have one of the best mages in the world as your Teacher, you should be more proud of yourself. I notice that you tend to be timid and shy, while that itself is quite adorable, I would love it if I could see more of your confident self in the future.


    After all, you carry Lady Astra''s name on your shoulder, no? As her pupil, you need to continue working hard so as to not disappoint her, okay?"


    "Yes, I will work hard." ra nodded.


    Selene smiled, "I have high hopes for both of you, I am sure you will raise our Academy''s Prestige when you grow up. Although I doubt something like this would happen, but if you face any problems in the Academy, you can alwayse to me, I would be d to help you two."


    "Mhm, we won''t hesitate to bother you then." Vaan smiled.


    "You will never bother me, Sir Vaan, Lady ra, you two are my juniors after all."


    Selene replied.


    "It was great talking to the two of you, I would love to talk more when we both have time on our hands. I would also like to wish you luck for the Ancient Ruins you will be exploring. I am sure the Headmaster will exin to you everything you need to know about it, but if you want, you cane to me to learn more about it. I have been there quite a few times, so I am sure I can give you some helpful tips."


    Saying those words, Selene turned around and Vaan blinked in surprise.


    He couldn''t understand just what happened to him. Other than the initial ''desperation'' he felt from Selene, he couldn''t point out anything strange from that woman¡­


    She looked rather¡­ kind¡­?


    ''Was what Vaelen saying true?''


    Vaan wondered in his head but suddenly,


    "Vaan."


    Astra called out.


    "Mother." Vaan turned towards his mother.


    "Were you talking to the Student Council President?" Astra questioned and Vaan nodded.


    "That is correct."


    "Mother, I have something to ask," Vaan spoke up.


    "Is it about the Student Council President?" Astra could guess it.


    "Yes¡­" Vaan nodded.


    "I have to say, she is quite a special girl." Astra chuckled.


    "Special¡­?" Vaan tiled his head in confusion.


    "Did you not feel it? Did you not feel strangely attracted to her?"


    "Huh?"


    "What?"


    ra was quick to turn towards Vaan and narrowed her eyes.


    Noticing her stare, Vaan stuttered, "M-Mother, what are you talking about?"


    Astra frowned, "What?" Soon, however, she realized what happened and shook her head,


    "Not that type of attraction, you fools. Get your minds out of the gutter."


    ra lowered her head in embarrassment.


    Vaan on the other hand, was getting impatient,


    "Mother, what are you talking about?"


    "That girl has a strangely positive aura around her. An Aura that attracts others towards her. You two must have felt it, no? What was your first impression of her?"


    "¡­" Vaan didn''t answer.


    "She seemed like a good person." ra was more honest.


    "See? This is what I am talking about. Do you not find it strange that almost everyone in the Academy likes her? No matter who you are, you will always have enemies, yet for some reason, it doesn''t seem to be the case with her."


    "Does that mean she is somehow manipting everyone?" Vaan questioned as he narrowed his eyes.


    He had his doubts before, but with Astra almost confirming his thoughts, he was now even sure.


    But¡­


    "When did I say that?"


    Astra tilted her head in confusion.


    "Vaan, this is the Agresia Academy, world-ss experts gather here, you think a child like Selene would get away with ''somehow manipting'' everyone?"


    "Then are you saying that she is the sort of person everyone believes her to be?"


    "I don''t know." Astra shook her head.


    "She is from the Church of Light."


    "Mother, I have another question."


    "Ask."


    "Why do we consider the Church of Light as our enemies? Is it because of what happened 5000 years ago?"

 Chapter 234 Prepare yourself to see a completely different world.

    Chapter 234 Prepare yourself to see apletely different world.


    ??"Why do we consider the Church of Light as our enemies? Is it because of what happened 5000 years ago?"


    Vaan questioned and in an instant, Astra''s expressions changed. She turned around, her eyes were on Selene who was standing far away, talking with someone else.


    Then, she raised her eyebrow in acknowledgment before she sighed and turned back to Vaan,


    "You are correct."


    "Hmm?" Vaan frowned in confusion.


    "The only reason we treat the Church of Light as we do is because of what happened 5000 years ago."


    Astra nodded and in an instant, Vaan''s expression changed and he copied Vaelen''s words,


    "Doesn''t that make us narrow-minded? All that happened 5000 years ago. Too much time has passed for us to consider it."


    "Are you telling me to forget about our House''s history?" Astra questioned.


    "No, that is not what I am saying." Vaan shook his head. "I simply think that having an opinion regarding something so important based on what happened five thousand-"


    "Vaan." Vaan wanted to continue, however, Astra interrupted.


    "Fool me once, shame on you.


    Fool me twice, shame on me."


    The woman then looked into Vaan''s eyes and,


    "Our ancestors fought for us, they are the reason we are where we are and you are telling me to forget about it because it happened too long ago?


    Narrow minded?


    Is respecting what our ancestors did and said narrow-minded?


    And let''s just say that you are right, the Church of Light isn''t exactly the viin as we portray them to be, even 5000 years ago, although they yed a major part, they still weren''t the first to attack us. They didn''t initiate anything.


    What''s the problem? What is wrong with being careful? It is not like we are attacking or openly targeting them.


    We are simply protecting ourselves by having an initial opinion about them.


    Also, the Church of Light isn''t exactly a white force either, Vaan.


    Think about it, even from our own perspective, we Vestas are never always on the right side, there are things even we are ashamed about. There have always been certain members of our family that we aren''t exactly proud of. There have been people in our family that shouldn''t be there and this is when we live in a closed environment.


    Now think about the Church of Light, a force that epts almost anyone into their ranks. Such arge, open, and free force, however, in the past 5000 years, there has never once been a case where they are portrayed in a negative light.


    A force, that never once, has been in the wrong.


    You are telling me that something like this is not suspicious? You are telling me that such a strong force with so much influence all over the world, never once attracted attention to the dark side of the world?


    Doesn''t that sound a bit ridiculous?" Astra questioned and suddenly, Vaan''s expression changed.


    "Mother, is there something you know that we do not?"


    He questioned.


    Astra however, shook her head,


    "I do not know anything, Vaan. I only know that oftentimes, it is the brightest star that has the deepest scar.


    Now I am not telling you to treat the students from the Church of Light as your enemies, however, I will suggest you be careful around them.


    They may not be what they show to the rest of the world."


    Astra spoke with a solemn look on her face.


    Vaan had a simr expression. Astra''s words couldn''t help but echo in his head. No matter how he saw it, the Church of Light was a suspicious ce, and the same was true for Selene Rainwarden.


    There was definitely something wrong about them as for what it was¡­


    Vaan was sure that he would eventually figure it out.


    "Anyways, this is not something you need to worry about, the Church of Light is not a big deal."


    Astra suddenly snorted. Vaan stared at his mother and didn''t know what to say.


    He just couldn''t believe how arrogant his mother was.


    In the end, he just sighed, and suddenly,


    "Be careful inside the Ruins," Astra spoke up. "That should be where your focus should be right now."


    "Are you talking about the Ancient Ruins?" Vaan questioned.


    "That is correct." Astra nodded.


    "Mother, as the Student of the Academy, I am sure you must have been inside the ruins before, no? Is there something you can tell me about it?"


    "Haah? You think I would allow you to cheat?"


    "How is that cheating? I am simply asking my Mother to tell me about a ce she once visited."


    "Too bad, your mother is Astra Elysia Vesta, her words would indeed be considered cheating in this case."


    "Ohe on¡­" Vaan sighed.


    Astra just chuckled, but then,


    "I am sure the Headmaster would soon have a chat with you regarding it. If you wish to ask something, shoot his questions at him."


    "Alright¡­" In the end, Vaan sighed as he gave up.


    If his mother didn''t want to, there was no way he could possibly get information out of her.


    Astra observed the dejected look on his face and as if her sadistic desire rose up, she nced at him and,


    "Try to learn as much as you can about that ce. It would be better if you take someone capable with you. Even if that someone capable is the Student Council President you do not like very much.


    After all, as someone who has been there inside the Ruins a few times, that girl will have much higher chances of getting something out of there."


    "Haah? You think I would collude with the enemies? The worst member of the party is the member that couldn''t be trusted, no matter what, I will not seek her help."


    "Oh? Well, not to intimidate you or anything, but let me tell you one thing,"


    A big smile appeared on Astra''s face as she stared at her son dead in the eyes and,


    "I first two times I entered the Ruins,


    I returned empty-handed."


    Astra revealed and Vaan widened his eyes in surprise.


    And as if she was waiting for such an expression, a big smile appeared on Astra''s face. Seeing her reaction, Vaan couldn''t help but sigh with a deadpan look on his face as well.


    "Thank you, Mother, that definitely boosted my confidence."


    Astra chuckled, then she ced her hand on Vaan''s shoulder and,


    "Anyways, I have stayed here longer than I intended to. I can already tell the huge pile of work that must have formed over, so I would need to leave now. You two take care of yourself, okay?"


    Suddenly, Astra spoke up.


    Vaan, however, just shrugged,


    "What''s the issue, just say you are tired from your journey and pass everything to others. Work done."


    Astra stared at her child for a while, then, she just chuckled and turned around.


    Obviously, she couldn''t admit that it was exactly what she was nning to do. After all, she still had to maintain her strict and capable Family Head''s image in her son''s and pupil''s eyes.


    Astra soon walked towards Orion before meeting a few more people. The Mages from the Obsidian Order had appeared right next to her as well.


    It was time for her to leave.


    The Headmaster, a few important people from the Academy, and the Vesta House had alle to say their goodbyes, the Magic Genius that once shook the Academy took her leave with a smile on her face.


    And just when everyone was about to scatter.


    "Vaan."


    Octavius called out.


    "Grandpa?" Vaan turned towards the Headmaster.


    "Come with me."


    Octavius ordered, Vaan followed the man to his office.


    "Have a seat."


    Octavus spoke as he pointed at the chair, Vaan did as he was told, and then,


    "Alright, I will skip the formalities since you are my own blood.


    I called you here to talk about the Ancient Ruins."


    "Right, with the Induction over, I can finally explore the Ruins now, no?" Vaan spoke with an excited smile on his face.


    Octavius observed him and nodded,


    "That is correct and today, I will be telling you about what exactly the Ancient Ruins are."


    "Hmm? Isn''t it the remains of the past civilization?" Vaan frowned in confusion. This wasn''t the first time he heard about the Ancient Ruins.


    "Well¡­ that is true but¡­


    The Ruins you are about to enter are¡­ a little different from the rest. No, a lot different from the rest. They can even be considered two different things.


    Actually, rather than calling it Ruins, a Portal would be a lot better world."


    "What does that mean?" Vaan frowned in confusion.


    "It is exactly what I mean, Vaan.


    The Ancient Ruins of the Agresia Academy aren''t exactly the remains of the Past Civilization,


    It is a Portal to the Past Civilization."


    "What!?" Vaan couldn''t believe what he was told.


    "You will be traveling through time and experience what the Past Civilization was like, Vaan.


    Prepare yourself to see apletely different world."

 Chapter 235 I am your Grandfather.

    Chapter 235 I am your Grandfather.


    ??"You will be traveling through time and experiencing what the Past Civilization was like,


    Prepare yourself to see apletely different world."


    "What¡­?" Vaan blinked in surprise.


    "That is correct, what we call the Ancient Ruins is not something ''left'' of the Past Civilization, it is the Portal to that Lost Civilization."


    Octavius revealed and Vaan couldn''t believe what he was hearing.


    "You¡­ you are telling me that I will be time traveling."


    "That is correct." Octavius nodded.


    "Something like that is possible!?"


    Vaan was shocked.


    Yes, he was in a world where Magic was possible, however, after living here all this time, he understood that the Magic here was not fantasy-like stuff he imagined, he couldn''t just imagine anything and make ite true, there were strict rules he needed to follow to even step into the realms of Magic.


    Magic was possible because of Mana, which Earth didn''t have. In Agresia, Magic was no different than a study, take science for example.


    As impressionable as it was, humans couldn''t just do anything they wanted because of ''science''. They needed to follow the rules and research endlessly to invent something new.


    Magic was the same, Mana allowed Mages to summon mes, however, this didn''t mean something like Time Travelling was possible through Magic.


    Time Travelling was still a fantasy-like concept, even in Agresia.


    "Wait¡­"


    Suddenly, Vaan''s expression changed.


    Time Travelling was known to be an impossible concept.


    The Ancients Ruins of the Agresia Academy, however, were not a hidden secret. Yes, not a lot of students got the chance to enter the Ancient Ruins, however, students from the Major Families often entered the Ruins so it couldn''t possibly be kept a secret.


    At the very least, Major Families should know the possibility of time traveling and should have explored it even further.


    If that was possible, the world would have been a much different ce than its current self.


    "Ancient Ruins are not something we can understand with our current level of magic, Vaan."


    Suddenly, Octavius spoke up.


    Vaan nced at him and Octavius continued,


    "Many have tried what you are currently thinking. Even your Vesta Family was one of the Participants.


    However, in the end, it waster concluded that the Ruins are a natural phenomenon that cannot be exined. The fact that it appeared right at the center of the Agresia also helped with that conclusion.


    The ''Portal'' that takes you inside the Ruins ispletely different from the Space Portals we use."


    "¡­"


    Vaan stayed silent.


    The Conclusion was too simple for him to believe it.


    Now Vaan wasn''t much of an intellectual, however, even in his previous life, he had heard how those scientists craved knowledge. If something like a Portal that could take them to the Past appeared on Earth, it would make the Headlines and all the Scientists would get crazy over it.


    Concluding that it was merely a natural phenomenon that couldn''t be understood was thest thing they would do. Those crazy fools would seal the entire area for centuries just so they could understand it.


    Those people would never let a sole power have a monopoly over it and random students would never get the opportunity to enter it.


    As if he could sense what Vaan was thinking, Octavius spoke up,


    "It wasn''t worth the effort."


    Vaan narrowed his eyes.


    "A Portal that can take one to the past is something Mages would get crazy over. Especially you people from the Vestas, you would trade even your strongest artifacts in exchange for having a monopoly over them.


    Actually, the Vesta Family Head of that time even offered to do it, the Academy was willing to make the trade, however, things changed once the first people who entered the Ruins returned."


    "What happened?" Vaan questioned with a curious look on his face. It was something that his Mother didn''t tell him. So he wanted to know about it even more.


    ''Wait¡­ am I turning into one of those crazy bastards¡­?''


    Vaan momentarily paused, soon however, he shook his head and decided to focus on what was in front of him.


    "Even though we were able to Time Travell, the restriction we faced was simply too strong for us to get anything too valuable out of it."


    Octavius revealed.


    "Even though we could enter the Past Civilization, we couldn''t interact with any of the living beings there."


    "We couldn''t talk?" Vaan tilted his head in confusion.


    "Let alone talk, even getting discovered by any living being would instantly teleport us back."


    "What¡­?" Vaan''s expression changed.


    The Past Civilization was no different than a Treasure Trove for the people of Agresia, however, to be able to perfectly take advantage of this treasure trove, they needed to interact with the inhabitants of the Past Civilization and learn more about them.


    Without that¡­


    The Value of the Ancient Ruins would drop in an instant.


    "Wait¡­" Suddenly, Vaan realized something.


    "Then entering the Ruins¡­"


    "Mhm, you cannot interact with any inhabitants of the Past Civilization, even if a mere Beast discovered you, you will be sent back."


    Octavius spoke up and Vaan just blinked without saying anything.


    Wasn''t this so-called reward useless then?


    People entered the Ancient Ruins to learn about the Past Civilization and if possible, get a strong Artifact from them, however, if they couldn''t even interact with the inhabitants¡­ how was he supposed to get anything out of it¡­?


    Honestly, Vaan was tempted to change his reward with something else, but suddenly, another question popped up in his mind.


    "I was told that there are cases when people''s lives are changed just because they were able to enter the Ruins.


    How is that possible if interaction with inhabitants is not allowed?"


    "Well¡­"


    Suddenly, a strange expression appeared on Octavius''s face.


    Vaan narrowed his eyes and seeing that he wasn''t getting out of this, Octavius spoke up.


    "They stole."


    "What¡­?"


    "You are supposed to steal when you enter the Ruins."


    "Steal¡­?" Vaan couldn''t believe what he was hearing.


    "That is correct. You enter the Ruins and Steal some valuable artifacts, the more valuable the Artifacts you steal, the better.


    Of course, the better Artifacts are guarded heavily so it is pretty much impossible to get things like that however, there are some cases when thedy luck shines on you.


    You find some great artifacts lying on the floor, you encounter two parties fighting each other only to end up dying and youe out as the sole winner, and¡­"


    "So you are telling me that whatever I would get inside the Ruins depends on my luck?"


    Vaan questioned.


    "Well, if it was rted to Skills, people stronger than you would have already entered and plundered that ce." Octavius chuckled.


    "Actually, in this case, the more skillful you are, the more difficult it is for you to get something out of value from the Ruins."


    "What¡­?" Vaan tilted his head in confusion.


    "You must be wondering that if we have to steal, then why not send spies or people excelling in concealing Magic to explore and get more out of the Ruins, no?"


    "That is correct."


    "It is because after Basic Level, the Ancient Ruins step into a dangerous area, if a Basic Mage, Swordsman, or Martial Artist gets discovered inside the ruins, he is simply teleported out of the Ruins.


    The Intermediate or advanced level, however, does not have it so easy.


    If an Intermediate-level being gets discovered inside the Ruins, not only is he teleported out, but he also suffers a penalty. As for how strong the penalty he faces is, there are no fixed criteria or a pattern that we could note, however, there are severe cases where talented people suffered through an unidentifiable problem that killed their potential and forced them to be stuck at their level for the rest of their lives.


    And just the opposite, there are even cases where the penalty was simply a 2-hour sleep and everything returned to normal."


    "That makes no sense." Vaan frowned in confusion.


    "Well, if that made sense then I would have given you a more specific answer," Octavius replied and Vaan nodded in agreement.


    Many experts spent decades trying to understand the unknowns, if he could do it in an instant then¡­


    Well, maybe those old fossils woulde out of their graves to kill him.


    "What about the Advance Mages?" Vaan questioned.


    "The pattern there is more predictable," Octavius replied.


    "Then why is¡­"


    Before Vaan could even question,


    "It is either Death or turning into a Cripple."


    Octavius replied and in an instant, Vaan shut his mouth up.


    "That¡­ is cruel¡­" Hemented.


    "Mhm, this is why it is prohibited for the Advanced Level Beings to enter the Ruins. Even the Intermediate Level Beings aren''t easily given permission to enter, so, as a Basic Mage, treat this as a rare lifetime opportunity,


    Don''t try to change your reward to something else like you were thinking of doing."


    Octavius spoke and Vaan widened his eyes in surprise.


    "Are you a physic or something!?"


    "Well, I don''t know about being a physic, but,


    I am your Grandfather."

 Chapter 236 An opportunity?

    Chapter 236 An opportunity?


    ??"What in the hell is happening here¡­?"


    Vaan blinked a few times as he nced at the scene in front of him.


    "Sir Vaan!"


    "Young Master Vaan!"


    "Please choose me, Sir Vaan!!"


    "Hey! Why are you even here!? Do you think a 2nd Circle Mage like you deserves to enter the Ancient Ruins!?"


    "Haah!? You aren''t even a Mage, what the hell are you talking about!? Why would Young Master Vaan choose a Swordsman over a Mage? Go away! Make some space so that I can stand!"


    "Why? Is your body too weak to stand here in this crowd? Are you worried that you might somewhat sh with some ''swordsmen'' like me and might break some of your bones?"


    "No, I am worried that I would get too annoyed and cast a spell and harm other students. I don''t want to go to the Disciplinary Hall when the Academy just started."


    "Heh, and you think others would just let you do that? Don''t you think you would have your bones broken the moment you try gathering mana?"


    "Oh, can you shut the hell up!? Young Master Vaan won''t be choosing a Swordsman like you anyways!"


    "Sure, a Mage like you must be extremely rare to catch his eyes!"


    "You!!"


    "What? You want a fight!? I am down!"


    "¡­"


    "I believe it should be clear by now, but they are here because they want you to take them to the Ancient Ruins with them."


    The man who was responsible for taking Vaan out of Octavius''s room and bringing him to the Teleportation Portal answered.


    Vaan''s expression changed.


    He recalled how Den was smiling at him when he was talking about how he was given a chance to enter the Ruins and in an instant, Vaan understood why he did that.


    ''Well this¡­ is troublesome¡­''


    Vaan couldn''t help but think.


    He needed to make a decision and of course, since he couldn''t choose everyone, he would be disappointing the majority of the students in the Academy while it may not directly put him in any harm''s way, being a public enemy wasn''t good, especially when he has a force he is supposed to represent.


    As the ''Hope'' of the Vesta Family, he needed to take care of his ''image.''


    "I look forward to how you will tackle this, Vaan Astra Vesta."


    The man standing next to Vaan whispered with a smile on his face.


    Vaan turned towards him and, "What are you, my mother?"


    "¡­"


    The two stared at each other with deadpan looks on their faces.


    "How did they even know that I was here?" Vaan questioned.


    "Well, I saw some swordsmen roaming around the building, if I am not wrong, they were in Dawncrest Faction."


    The man answered and Vaan closed his eyes as his mouth twitched in annoyance.


    "That little bitch is really nning to see this through the end, huh."


    "I believe you mind yournguage, Sir Vaan." The man spoke, Vaan stared at him again, and,


    "Stop being my Mother, will you?"


    "I do not understand what Sir Vaan is saying, I can''t possibly be Lady Astra, first, I am a Swordsman, second, I am not nearly as talented as her, third, I am not the Head of one of the most Influential Families in the entirety of Agresia and fourth, I am a man."


    "Oh! So that was your fourth point! That''s fair, it wasn''t much of a strong point either. I wouldn''t even mention it if I were you.


    But again, I can''t be you, because, one, I am not a retard!"


    Vaan snorted as he then turned towards the students standing in front of him.


    "So? How do you think I should get out of here?"


    "Well, retards generally do not have a solution to most problems, sorry, I cannot help you."


    The man answered and Vaan turned silent.


    "You¡­ what is your name?" he questioned.


    After all, there weren''t many people who could stand firm after bickering with him, the dude was exceptionally good at it. Vaan felt like he could learn a thing or two about how to be annoying.


    "Luke Ava-"


    "Luke is enough." Vaan interrupted.


    "¡­" Luke didn''t say anything and he didn''t seem to be offended either.


    "Does the Academy not have a system to prevent situations like these from arising?"


    "We do not restrict our students in any way."


    "So you allow students to randomly gather anywhere?"


    "Well, if they directly or indirectly cause any harm, the Disciplinary Hall will take Action, however, if they do not, then at most, their respective professors would simply mark them absent for the day and they would be losing attendance since no leaves would be provided by Academy since it was not an official event."


    "Please, like that would make a difference when the required criteria is barely a fourth of the total sses." Vaan sighed.


    Knowing that he had no choice, he walked through the ss door and raised his hand. In an instant, silence fell over the ce.


    Everyone was eager to listen to what Vaan had to say to them,


    "As you all probably already know, only 6 people are allowed to enter the Ancient Ruins." Vaan started as he looked around, carefully reading their expression while thinking about what to say next.


    After all, it wasn''t the situation he was used to, he couldn''t rule through fear here, he needed to be¡­ tactful.


    Something he wasn''t exactly good at.


    "That means I can only 6 people to enter the Ruins, well, adding myself and my fianc¨¦e, only 4 spots are left.


    Before the Induction, when I was told that I would be entering the Ruins and would need to choose 6 people, I thought I would simply choose it randomly, this way, I would get to know other randomly chosen students while we explored the Ruins.


    Now, however, after hearing Den''s words in the Induction, I understood how important this opportunity was and the pressure suddenly increased.


    I need to consider every little aspect before Ie up with a decision.


    I have no names in my mind right now, however, I would only want to choose the best students so that we can get the best possible results from the Ruins.


    Honestly, I am even thinking about asking Den about it, after all, what better option would I find than the ''strongest swordsman'' of our Academy? I was even thinking about getting his suggestion in order to choose the rest of the members of our team."


    Vaan spoke and in an instant, the students'' expressions changed.


    Vaan, on the other hand, smiled lightly as he then stepped forward and,


    "Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go to my room."


    Vaan and Luke walked out, the students made way for them.


    Vaan continued to smile and Luke, who was observing him from behind had a strange look on his face.


    Soon, a small smile appeared on his face as well.


    ''You definitely impressed me, Vaan. You indeed carry Lord Orion''s blood in your veins.''


    Luke was impressed.


    Vaan, of course, couldn''t care less about it. He just walked towards the Teleportation Portal and soon returned to his Mansion.


    He and ra then ate food and just as they were about to walk to the training room, a guest visited.


    It was Vaelen.


    "What am I hearing?"


    "Huh? How am I supposed to know? It is your ears, not mine."


    Vaelen momentarily turned silent, then, he just shook his head and,


    "You want Den to enter the Ruins with you?"


    "Ah, that¡­" Vaan realized.


    "Are you seriously going to allow a Dawncrest to enter the Ruins with you?"


    "Calm down, will you?" Vaan sighed.


    "Right, you must have had your reason to say that. I apologize, I overreacted." Vaelen sighed.


    Vaan nodded as well. He then asked Vaelen to enter, Tea was served, and then,


    "So who do you n to take inside with you anyway?"


    "ra."


    Vaan answered.


    "Yes Yes, I know that already, you don''t have to announce that again and again."


    "I haven''t thought about anyone else."


    Vaan spoke and then suddenly,


    "Young Master Vaan," Seraphina called out.


    Vaan turned towards her and the woman continued,


    "I believe you can use this opportunity for your benefit."


    Vaan tilted his head, interested in what Seraphina was thinking about. Seraphina however, nced at Vaelen, and understanding what she was trying to say, Vaan shook his head.


    "Don''t worry about him, you can treat him as an ally and say whatever you want."


    Seraphina nced at Vaelen in disbelief.


    Vaan just chuckled, "Well, turns out my brother isn''t as big of an asshole as I initially thought he would be, surprising, isn''t it?"


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    Both Seraphina and Vaelen had no clue what to say.


    "C-Can you exin what you were thinking?" Vaelen spoke as he nced at Seraphina.


    "R-Right." Seraphina nodded quickly. Jumping at the chance to bring the conversation back to the main Topic.


    "You can use it to unite the Vesta Family and bring most students on your side, well, at the very least, you can nt the roots."

 Chapter 237 I am not on his side!

    <h4>Chapter 237 I am not on his side!</h4>


    ?"Why were we called here on such short notice, I still have some things to do," Elric spoke with an annoyed look on his face.


    "Would you die if you won''t speak for a few minutes?" Lirael snapped.


    "Not everyone here has ample free time in their life, some of us have things to do." Elric snorted.


    "Right, of course, you must have a meeting with the Headmaster of the Academy, I am sorry that we came in the way," Lirael replied sarcastically.


    "Why not aim for bing an assistant, you do a lovely job when ites to bing someone''s dog."


    "You¡­"


    The two stared at each other with expressions filled with anger, then suddenly,


    "Stop it."


    Soon, Vaelen made an appearance.


    "Brother." Lirael was quick to walk towards him.


    Elric on the other hand, just snorted again.


    "Brother, why are we summoned here?" Lirael questioned.


    The rest of the students nced at Vaelen with curious looks on their faces as well.


    "It is about the Ancient Ruins." Another voice was heard and in an instant, the students knew who the voice belonged to.


    "Are you here to decide who will enter the Ruins with you?" Lirael questioned as she nced at Vaan.


    "That is correct." Vaan nodded and the Vesta Students'' eyes brightened up.


    But,


    "Excluding me and ra, there are only 4 spots left. Right now, I have a few other candidates in my mind, I n to take 2 more students from the Vesta Family and that is the reason we are gathered here."


    "Two¡­? Are you saying that you will be taking students who do not belong to the Family into the Ruins?" Professor Erza questioned with a frown on her face.


    Vaan turned towards her and tilted his head in confusion, "What do you mean? I am taking 4 Vestas with me."


    "What about the other two spots?"


    "You aren''t expecting me to give all my spots to members of the Family, are you?"


    Vaan questioned, however,


    "That is exactly what I was expecting."


    Erza didn''t back down.


    "How do you expect them to support you as their leader when you aren''t even taking them inside the Ruins that could potentially change their lives?


    It has always been an unspoken rule that the resources should be shared with the family. Since you have the full right to choose all the spots, why would you not choose your family members and give the chance to someone who might even turn into an enemy in the future?


    Or is it that you do not think that the family students are notpetent enough to join you?"


    "I would rather take the people I trust than take people just because they are part of my family," Vaan replied, he then momentarily nced at Elric and,


    "Let''s be honest here, not everyone here still treats me as the Leader, some of these people would turn on me the instant they are given the chance.


    People like them often turn into deadweights and I have no ns to carry any deadweights inside the Ruins. Especially when I have much better options close to me."


    "Is it not the duty of the Leader to gain the trust of his subordinates?" Erza questioned.


    "Of course, where else do you think I would choose the people I need for the two spots I have? It is not like everyone here is out for my throat, there are a few people here whom I could trust." Vaan answered and in an instant, Erza understood what he was trying to do.


    Favoritism.


    This man was openly ying favorites.


    He was dividing the students into the ones who support him and the ones who do not. It wasn''t a genius n, but it was indeed shameless.


    Honestly, it was no different than bribing them, however, since nothing was being said openly, there was nothing Professor Erza could do to stop it.


    "Anyways, enough with that, I will now be choosing the students who will be following me to the Ancient Ruins."


    Vaan spoke up.


    Obviously, a certain group of students was more excited than the others. Everyone could tell what was happening here.


    Their skills did not matter, the choice was made just based on how much one could kiss Vaan''s ass.


    And the first one to be chosen was¡­


    "Cedric Vesta."


    The first student to ept Vaan as their Leader and the ''hope'' of the Family.


    A bright smile appeared on Cedric''s face as he stepped forward. Vaan smiled as well, then,


    "The next one would be¡­"


    Vaan then scanned all the students, the ones on his side were excited but then,


    "Lirael Vesta."


    Vaan announced and it wasn''t just the other students, even the one in question, Lirael herself had a shocked look on her face.


    "What?"


    "Why are you so surprised? You think you aren''tpetent enough to follow me inside?"


    Vaan questioned with a smile.


    "Why would you choose me¡­?" Lirael questioned with a frown on her face.


    "Well, there aren''t many people who have entered the Ruins in my team, so I would want someone experienced in my team. For the reasons you should know, I couldn''t choose ''others'', but I guess you would do just fine in there."


    Vaan replied with a smile.


    Lirael however, still had a frown on her face.


    She wasn''t exactly close to Vaan. Honestly, with Vaelen out of the picture, the two of them could even be considered rivals, rivals in the fight for the Throne.


    For Vaan toe forward and choose her¡­


    "Ah, I get it now."


    Suddenly, Elric spoke up, his brows up as if he realized something,


    "I understand why you were acting so stuck up earlier,


    You already knew what was going to happen because he must have informed you before."


    Then, Elric frowned and,


    "What I don''t understand, however, is that why would you join him? I see no benefit in doing that. Are you stepping out of the Battle of Heirs and supporting him?"


    Elric questioned and Lirael''s frown deepened.


    Soon, however, she realized just what happened and she quickly turned towards Vaan and saw him smiling.


    "I am not stepping out of Battle of Heirs!"


    Lirael was quick to defend herself.


    "Then what did you join him for?"


    Elric questioned.


    "Why would I join him!?"


    "That is what I am asking!"


    "I am not on his side, you fool!"


    "Oh? Then would he choose you?"


    "Clearly, he is trying to manipte you! Do you not get it!?"


    "And what would he gain by doing that? The fact that you are with him wouldn''t change anything for me, Lirael. In the end, the position of the Family Head would belong to me no matter who you team up with."


    "You think!? With that head of yours!? I think it would be an achievement if you even stayed in the battle till the end!" Lirael shouted in frustration then suddenly,


    "Lirael, you have no reason to lose your calm. The two of us know the truth, what others think does not matter."


    Vaan spoke with a gentle smile on his face.


    The students all narrowed their eyes.


    Lirael, on the other hand, was fuming in anger,


    "Do not utter any more words! I am not on your side!"


    "Hahaha~ Of course, Of course, how about this? Reject my offer of entering the Ancient Ruins with me to prove it to them. That would make a convincing point, no? Should I look for someone else?"


    Vaan questioned and the Lirael now found herself in a strange position.


    The answer to this question didn''t matter anymore.


    If she went with Vaan, she would be raising doubts about her joining him.


    If she didn''t, well, she would be doing the same even then. Everyone would still be doubting her because, in the end, she would only be listening to Vaan''s words and making a decision.


    Lirael stared at Vaan for a while, the man just smiled.


    Both of them knew what was going around, honestly, even if others knew that this was merely a y Vaan hade up with, the seed of doubt that was now nted wouldn''t go away.


    There would always be a ''what if'' situation somewhere in their mind.


    ''Sure, all of this was Vaan''s n but¡­ what if Vaan and Lirael had actuallye together?''


    These thoughts would gnaw students'' minds and would definitely affect their future decisions.


    Heck, let alone the students, even the Professors would be going through the same, after all, regarding the matter of the Battle of Heirs, even they had to choose their next steps carefully.


    "Whatever, I have no reason to reject the offer.


    Who knows? I might find something that would help me beat you in the Battle of Heirs!"


    "Mhm, I am sure you will find something." Vaan nodded with a smile and Lirael couldn''t feel more frustrated.


    Vaan chuckled, he then nced at the rest of the students and,


    "I still have two spots in my mind, right now, I n to choose someone else, however, my mind can change.


    Nothing is fixed,


    There is still a week left before the Ancient Ruins are opened."

 Chapter 238 It is a pleasure to meet you.

    <h4>Chapter 238 It is a pleasure to meet you.</h4>


    ?"Are you sure these are the people you want to enter the Ancient Ruins with you¡­? It is a rare opportunity, even if it is you, getting another chance to enter the Ruins wouldn''te very quickly, although you do not have much time left, but if you wish to reconsider your decision, I will make an exception and dy it for 3 more hours."


    Octavius spoke with a strange look on his face.


    Normally, since the Students were officially given an entire week to figure things out, he never made such exceptions, this time, however¡­


    He felt like he had to do it.


    Because¡­


    The ''team'' he was seeing in front of him was far from what he thought his grandson would choose.


    And he wasn''t the only one to think that way, his ''teammates'' had simr expressions on their faces.


    After all, this team was a giant mess and even the team members could feel it.


    A Genius Mage who created his own Magic Circles that are much stronger than the conventional Magic Circles.


    A Magic Prodigy who is much scarier than she looks and is also the only pupil of a Mage that once overturned the entire Academy.


    A Talented 3rd Circle Mage from the Vesta Family who is hard-working and creative.


    Till these three, the team seemed fine, not just fine, it was better than most teams who explored the Ancient Ruins before,


    However,


    That was only until the next three members of the team were introduced.


    The Fourth Member, a Swordswoman. As talented as she was, considering the rivalry between the Magic and Swords Division, a Mage recruiting a Swordswoman into his team to explore the Ancient Ruins together would cause a?big fuzz.


    Isabel, as much as Octavius liked the girl, her being here was only a headache for him.


    After all, no one, even he, didn''t want the Orion Astra situation to repeat, but Vaan''s decision seemed to be heading in this direction.


    Well, honestly, the fourth member wasn''t even the problem, thinking about it, Isabel and Vaan did seem close, so it wasn''t very surprising to see Isabel in the ''team''.


    The fifth member, however¡­


    Lirael Vesta.


    While for others, it may not seem like a big problem since Lirael was technically Vaan''s cousin and was from the Vesta Family, her being here only seemed natural, however, for the people who knew the real truth, the fact that Lirael and Vaan were far from having a good rtion, this made no sense.


    There was no reason to bring Lirael here. Vaan could have given this spot to anyone else, there were so many options yet he¡­


    Octavius couldn''t help but sigh when he nced at his Grandson. He nced at Lirael, who stood there, ready to enter the Ruins and then, he just shook his head.


    Even this woman, he epted.


    A family member joining the team wasn''t a problem, it was even an unspoken rule to give all the spots to the family member despite the personal rtions between the students. Lirael''s presence was epted but¡­


    Thest one, the sixth member of the team,


    He was the person Octavius least expected to be here.


    Den Dawncrest.


    The issue with Isabel was that she belonged to the Sword Division which was the rival of the Magic Division.


    The issue with Lirael was that she and Vaan had a bad rtionship with each other.


    And Den¡­ this man''s presence here was worse than the two of thembined!!


    Not only did Den belong to the Swords Division, but he also had a bad rtionship with Vaan, not only him, but his entire family had a bad rtionship with Vaan''s family! Their rivalry ran through generations!


    What was this man doing here as Vaan''s ''teammate'', the Headmaster had no idea about it.


    Honestly, he felt like his head would explode if he saw this team for even a little longer than he was required to.


    "Den, just what are you doing here¡­?" In the end, Octavius couldn''t control himself and gave in to his urge. It was getting too much for the old him. He wanted answers.


    "Don''t look at me, it is not like I had a choice."


    Den grumbled.


    He was here, he was given the opportunity to enter the Ancient Ruins, however, there was no trace of happiness on his face.


    He was practically formed into this situation.


    Thinking about what happened, Den couldn''t help but clench his fists in anger.


    ¡­


    "Lord Den¡­ an article was released¡­


    It is something you should see¡­"


    Den''s assistant walked towards him and spoke as she passed a few papers to him. Den frowned, seeing such a look on his assistant''s face wasn''t a frequent urrence. However, the moment his eyes fell on the article he was given, his expression changed.


    It was the article about how Vaan was considering him as an option to bring into the Ancient Ruins.


    Den couldn''t help but snort when he read that,


    "As if that bastard would do that."


    "Please read the following Articles reacting to what he said." The assistant pointed out.


    Den turned the page and the moment he read the headline, a solemn look appeared on his face,


    ''Is Den Dawncrest trying to manipte Vaan Astra Vesta?''


    The article wrote about how Den was overly arrogant while speaking at the Induction and how he was doing it only to intimidate Vaan and manipte him into giving him a spot.


    It wasn''t the only article pointing in that direction.


    ''Den Dawncrest taking advantage of a new student who just attended the Academy''s Induction.''


    ''Is this right? Should we let the new students be influenced by just speech?''


    ''Do we need to spread more awareness? Should a student''s speech be verified before he is allowed to speak in front of the entire Academy?''


    All these articles were talking about the same thing in one way or another.


    During the Induction, Den pointed at Vaan about being able to enter the Ruins because he wanted to put him on the spot. He wanted Vaan to choose andter disappoint the students once they were not chosen. He wanted to affect Vaan''s public image, but¡­


    Somehow, the bullet was now heading in his direction.


    He was the one who had turned into the public enemy for ''manipting'' and ''intimidating'' Vaan just to get the Spot for the Ancient Ruins.


    "That bastard¡­ he is using their jealousy to fuel the fire¡­"


    Den couldn''t help but curse in frustration.


    Normally, articles like these would never be printed, however, with most students thinking they lost ''their'' spot because of him, their jealousy forced them to publish such articles.


    Whether it was the truth or not it didn''t matter, the more such articles were published, the more students would read it and form an opinion.


    And once a collective opinion was formed,


    It would turn into a fact.


    And that is what has happened in this case as well. Even though he wasn''t trying to get any spot for the Ruins¡­ he had now turned into a public enemy.


    "As if that bastard would have given the Spots to these losers." Den snorted, throwing away the articles that were in his hands.


    What the poor fellow didn''t know, however, was that this was just the start,


    With Seraphina''s appearance, Vaan''s faction now had a mastermind, someone who was especially good when it came to manipting people''s minds.


    3 dayster, Den received an official invitation.


    Invitation to join Vaan''s team to explore the Ancient Ruins and of course, before he could even read the Invitation, articles about it were already published.


    All the students following this topic knew that Den Dawncrest had received the invitation.


    Again, Den was put in a difficult position.


    If he epted, it would prove that what the Articles wrote about him was the truth and if he rejected, it would mean that he gave in because of the articles, meaning that he couldn''t stand the pressure.


    And as the heir of the Dawncrest Family, Den couldn''t possibly let some articles affect his decision. Entering the Ancient Ruins was beneficial, if he was lucky, he could get his hands on something that could give him a huge advantagepared to others. Not going to such a ce just because of a few articles would affect his image, not just in the Academy, but even back in the Dawncrest Family and that was something Den could never let happen.


    Den had no choice but to ept the invitation.


    He had no option but to choose the lesser of the two evils.


    Fast forward to 3 more days and Den was here, standing together with the ''team'' with which he would be exploring the Ruins and,


    "Ah, Senior Den, I believe this is the first time we are meeting officially, huh? It is a pleasure to meet you."


    Vaan spoke as he extended his hand towards Den.


    The two were finally meeting face to face.

 Chapter 239 The Real Elara

    <h4>Chapter 239 The Real ra</h4>


    ?"Ah, Senior Den, I believe this is the first time we are meeting officially, huh? It is nice to meet you."


    Vaan spoke as he extended his hand towards Den.


    Den epted his handshake, the two looked into each other''s eyes as if they were measuring their strength.


    Of course, when it came to physical strength, Vaan was nowhere close to Den''s level, however, thepetition here wasn''t about physical strength, it was about wits, and in the first round of their war, Vaan was victorious.


    Of course, it would be a p right on his face if Den actually got something good out of the Ancient Ruins, so it was still a risky move on his part.


    Especially when nothing inside the Ruins depended on a person''s skills but on luck.


    "I was looking forward to meeting you as well, Junior Vaan. I didn''t think the opportunity would arrive this soon. Thank you for inviting me."


    "Of course, as the Strongest Swordsman in our Academy, I couldn''t possibly leave you out. Forming personal connections is one of the most important things wee to the Academy for, no?" Vaan smiled.


    "Indeed." Den nodded, then, with a simr fake smile on his face, he continued, "Though I believe learning andpeting with others is much more important. Connections are formed automatically once you disy your excellence.


    I believe in bing someone other people would want to connect with, not someone who is actively trying to connect with others.


    After all, you wouldn''t have called me here if it wasn''t for my skills, now would it? Especially considering our family circumstances."


    Seeing the smirk on his face, Vaan wanted nothing more than to smash that face.


    "Mhm, I have heard so much about Senior''s skills from Senior''s mouth that I got curious," Vaan replied.


    Den''s mouth twitched.


    "Ah, I did hear that you were living away from the rest of the members of your family, I guess that is indeed the truth. After all, if you were with them, you would have heard about my skills from their mouths.


    That would give you a more¡­ clear idea about the extent of my skills.


    After all, out of all the people in the Academy, the Vestas should know about my Skills the best, no?"


    "Ah, indeed, indeed. I was told about how well Senior Den has performed, actually, that was the reason me and ra were sent to the Academy.


    After all, since the Dawncrest Family were going all out, it would be unfair if we don''t, right? Now that thepetition is fair, I look forward to the results."


    "So you two were the Vesta Family going ''all out'' huh?" Den chuckled as he nced at Vaan, then, his eyes fell on ra and,


    "Though I can''t believe that Vesta Family going ''all out'' means sending someone who is not even a Vesta¡­


    To say that a non-Vesta is the best of Vestas¡­


    It doesn''t give out the best impression."


    "Hmm? I thought she is considered a Vesta since she is my wife, is that not how it works in the Dawncrest Family?"


    Vaan tilted his head in confusion.


    "Ah, are you two married yet? I thought she was your fianc¨¦e."


    "Same thing. I already consider her my wife." Vaan dered.


    Den however, was quick to shake his head,


    "What you consider doesn''t matter here, Vaan.


    There is a big difference between marriage and engagement, especially an engagement that was fixed when the couple was young."


    A smile then appeared on Den''s face and,


    "This is the Agresia Academy, the Elite of the entire Agresia are gathered here. There are many excellent men here, who knows? Someone might have a change of heart.


    It is not rare for a couple to break off their engagement because one of them found a partner better suited for them in the Academy."


    Vaan narrowed his eyes as he heard those words.


    "Yo-"


    He wanted to reply, but suddenly,


    "What? That''s surprising. I have been here for 2 weeks already, I have never met or even heard of someone who could be a better partner for me."


    ra spoke as she looked right into Den''s eyes.


    "Ah, then you must not have met a lot of peo-"


    "No, I''ve met quite a few.


    Some are even well-known throughout the Academy for their sword skills, but they aren''t nearly close to my Vaan.


    Maybe the problem you mentioned won''t arrive for us. After all, not every couple needs to worry about their partner finding better because in some cases, there are not."


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    Silence fell all over the ce.


    All the people in the room turned towards ra, blinking continuously. For the Vestas, it was the first time they saw ra speak in such a manner.


    It wasn''t like they didn''t know about ra, as someone who has been living in the Vesta Family ever since she was a child, most people in the Vesta family knew her and her reserved nature.


    Never in their life did they imagine that they would see ra act like¡­ this.


    "There she goes, she has those crazy eyes again."


    However, not everyone was surprised by it. Isabel muttered to herself, ra was a reserved girl who usually kept to herself.


    Or at least that''s what people knew about her, which was indeed the truth to some extent, however, Isabel was able to note something no one else did.


    The girl was crazy.


    That innocent and sweet front she kept in front of others, it was fake.


    The real ra was crazy and sometimes, that craziness does slip out and the real her is revealed, of course, the woman is too smart and alwayses up with a way to cover for herself.


    This was also the reason she was able to keep her true self hidden for such a long time.


    Of course,


    ''You can''t hide from my eyes,''


    Isabel thought inwardly as she red at ra, who was currently ring at Den.


    Den narrowed his eyes, his head was tilted in confusion.


    This was¡­ different than what was reported to him.


    He was informed that Vaan was weak when ra was involved in the conversation, which was indeed true, he could see Vaan''s expression change the moment he started talking about ra.


    However, he was also told that ra was an easy target¡­ which¡­ clearly wasn''t true.


    Who in their right mind would call¡­ that¡­ an easy target?


    With how she was ring at him, it felt like she wanted nothing more than to burn him alive. Den actually felt threatened under her gaze.


    Vaan on the other hand, couldn''t be prouder, with a big smile on his face, he walked towards his fianc¨¦e and patted her back, then, he nced at the man in front of him and,


    "Well guess what, Senior Den, she is indeed a Vesta. The problem you mentioned wouldn''t be a problem because,"


    Vaan momentarily nced at ra and,


    "In our case, the better option doesn''t exist."


    A smile appeared on ra''s face as Vaan repeated her words. She then lowered her head and blushed in embarrassment, she just realized what she had done. In the end, she quickly grabbed Vaan''s hand and stood behind him, not meeting anyone''s eyes.


    Honestly, if she knew a spell that could turn her invisible, she would have used it already.


    ''Heh, look at her trying to cover up her mistake. That trick always works huh¡­ not on me.''


    Isabel, of course, wasn''t falling for ra''s ''tricks'', with an uninterested look on her face,


    "Should we go now? We shouldn''t make the Headmaster wait."


    The rest of the group turned toward her and,


    "Indeed, we can engage in these little chats whenever we please; keeping the Headmaster waiting wouldn''t be ideal."


    Den spoke up, obviously, he wanted to get out of this situation, so he took charge and started walking toward the Headmaster''s office.


    The rest of the group followed and the moment Octavius saw the ''team'' that had entered his office, he blinked in surprise,


    "Are you sure these are the people you want to enter the Ancient Ruins with you¡­? It is a rare opportunity, even if it is you, getting another chance to enter the Ruins wouldn''te very quickly, although you do not have much time left, but if you wish to reconsider your decision, I will make an exception and dy it for 3 more hours."


    The team all had forced smiles on their faces, none of them actually liked the team, Vaan included. It was just that this was strategically the strongest team and it wasn''t like there was a lot of teamwork required once they entered the ruins.


    They simply needed to explore while hiding their presence.


    "No, Headmaster, there is nothing to reconsider here."


    Vaan replied.


    Octavius looked at the ''team'' in front of him again, then, he sighed and,


    "Alright then, follow me.


    It is time to enter the Ancient Ruins.


    I wish you luck."

 Chapter 240 I am happy that the two of us are here alone.

    Chapter 240 I am happy that the two of us are here alone.


    ??"So this is the Past Era huh?"


    Vaan spoke as he looked around with a curious look on his face. They had just stepped into a Portal and now, they found themselves in the middle of what seemed like a forest, which could be considered lucky because if they had been teleported into a Civilization, they would have been found out in an instant and sent away.


    Vaan nced at the huge trees around him, he then took in a deep breath and,


    "The air is definitely different than our world''s."


    "That is obvious, we are more than 5000 years into the past, it would be more surprising if everything was the same."


    Denmented.


    Vaan didn''t say anything, fighting here was foolish. Even if they were inside a Forest, there was still the danger of being found out by the Beasts.


    Thinking about this, Vaan wanted to address all his ''team members'' andy out some basic rules, but suddenly,


    "Anyways, I will be taking my leave now."


    Den spoke up.


    "What?" Lirael tilted her head in confusion. Vaan had a frown on his face as well.


    Noticing Vaan''s frown, Den just chuckled,


    "There is no need to pretend here, Vesta. We don''t exactly have a good rtionship with each other. I doubt we would be able to work together and even if we do and luckily manage to find something useful, dividing it amongst ourselves would be another hassle. It is better to separate here before anything like that happens.


    Of course, that is until you feel like you wouldn''t be able to do anything without my help, in that case¡­"


    A smirk appeared on Den''s face and,


    "I would still be taking my leave."


    Saying those words, Den turned around and walked away in a random direction.


    Lirael was quick to turn towards Vaan and questioned.


    "Are you going to let him leave?"


    "What do you want me to do?" Vaan shrugged.


    "And if you think about it, what he said is indeed correct, we would only end up fighting if we stay together, that would make it much more troublesome than it already is, and dividing the rewards would indeed be a pain in the ass. Him going away is indeed a better option for both of us."


    Hearing those words, Lirael narrowed her eyes. She wanted to say something, but suddenly,


    "I will be taking my leave as well."


    Another girl spoke up.


    It was Isabel.


    Lirael was surprised, didn''t she have a good rtionship with Vaan? She was even Lord Orion''s student, how could she abandon them after entering the Ruins?


    "Alright."


    Vaan on the other hand, nodded. Before Lirael could say anything, Isabel nodded back and turned away as well, heading in the direction opposite to what Den walked into.


    "¡­"


    Lirael didn''t know what to say.


    They had just entered the Past Era and two members of their so-called team had already abandoned them.


    ''I knew this team was a mess.''


    Lirael snorted in her head and in the end,


    "Alright then, since everyone is leaving, I will explore everything on my own as well," Lirael announced.


    "Alright." Vaan nodded again.


    He didn''t stop others, so he had no right to hold Lirael back.


    Lirael turned to a different direction as well and now, only three of the original six members were left.


    Vaan quickly turned towards thest member of their team, Cedric Vesta.


    "I-I am not nning on leaving, Sir V-Vaan," Cedric spoke with a nervous smile on his face. He couldn''t believe the rest of the members left as well.


    But suddenly,


    "You should leave as well," Vaan spoke up.


    "What¡­?" a frown appeared on Cedric''s face.


    "We are in the Past Era, Cedric. Nothing here depends on our skills, the only thing required is that we are not found out by the inhabitants of this ce.


    Grouping up wouldn''t help anyone here. Rather, a bigger group would only be much more noticeable.


    And it is not like any one of us is in much of a danger here, the moment we are found out, we would be teleported back to our world, nothing here would harm us. So we can explore as much as we want without any fear.


    Separating is a much wiser decision than sticking together, after all, the more directions we explore, the higher the chances of us getting something here, no?


    I was actually thinking of separating when we entered, so although it didn''t happen like how I intended it to, the end results are still the same."


    "I-I understand. Then I will go and explore on my own as well." Cedric nodded with a determined look on his face.


    "I wish you luck." Vaan smiled and Cedric walked away as well.


    Now, the only ones left were Vaan and ra.


    Vaan turned towards ra and, "D-Do you want me to leave as well¡­?" ra questioned as she lowered her head.


    "Huh? Of course not. You aren''t allowed to go anywhere else." Vaan spoke as he gently intertwined his fingers with ra''s.


    "But isn''t it better to separate here to explore?"


    ra repeated Vaan''s words.


    "ra, it was hard enough to send everyone away, now that we are alone, don''t you think this turned out to be much better than what we initially expected? You don''t n to give this away, do you?" Vaan questioned and ra was quick to shake her head.


    A small smile appeared on her face.


    Seeing that, Vaan gently kissed her forehead.


    "We should go now as well." He spoke.


    "mm." ra nodded as the two then walked in the direction no one else had.


    Their date in the Past Era had finally started.


    "We should be careful, we cannot be found out."


    ra spoke as she took out an Instant Spell from her bag and passed it to Vaan.


    It was a Spell to lighten their presence, it didn''tpletely remove it, but it definitely made it harder for others to notice it.


    A spell like this was extremely useful inside a forest, Beast who were much less intelligent than Humans would find it extremely hard to notice them with this spell activated.


    Vaan took the Instant Spell and activated it. ra did the same.


    The two then walked further and further and around an hourter, they stopped at a certain spot.


    "I think this should be enough, no? I doubt we would run into any of our team members here."


    Vaanmented.


    They all had started from the spot and headed in different directions, after walking for an hour, they must be far enough from each other to explore on their own.


    ra nodded as well, her thoughts were simr.


    "Then should we start our actual exploration?" Vaan questioned with a big smile on his face.


    Obviously, he wasn''t nning on just walking in a random direction till they found something, that was simply too inefficient. He had a better n.


    Normally, when a team enters the Ruins, they stick together because all the team members excel in different areas.


    Some act as scouts.


    Some worked on reducing the presence of the team.


    Some knew of the different resources like herbs, flowers, and fruits, that were not found in their Era and could be taken back.


    With all members ying different roles, the team often tries to pick whatever they can and make this exploration worthwhile.


    Vaan''s team, however, was different.


    And honestly, he was d that was the case.


    After all, he had a cheat no one else did.


    He was around the best scouts one could ever hope to see.


    "Krriii!"


    "Grruuu!"


    "Skiiii!!"


    And just as he was thinking about it, his three little friends appeared, their mood was exceptionally joyous as they flew around Vaan and ra''s head.


    "Are you liking this ce?" Vaan questioned and,


    "Krriii!"


    "Grruuu!"


    "Skiiii!!"


    The Spirits nodded with excited looks on their faces.


    "Alright then, it is time to get to work, okay?" Vaan spoke, the three Spirits nodded with big smiles on their faces.


    The rules were simple, the three Spirits would each head to different directions, acting as scouts and once they found something, they would report to Vaan.


    Since no one other than Vaan could see these little creatures, they had nothing to worry about and explored much faster and more efficiently than even the best scouts in the world.


    The three spirits rushed to different directions, Vaan and ra on the other hand, made themselvesfortable as they sat on the ground.


    "We are cheating," ramented.


    "Mhm." Vaan nodded and suddenly, ra startedughing like a mischievous kid,


    "Hehe~ it is so exciting."


    "Mhm," Vaan spoke as he ced his head on ra''sp and as he moved his face to her abdomen, he rubbed his nose on her belly and,


    "This is exciting indeed."


    ra''s face turned red in an instant, her hands, however, had already moved towards Vaan''s hair and under her gently ruffling and ying with his hair, Vaan closed his eyes.


    "ra, I am so d you are here with me," Vaan muttered in a rxed voice.


    "I-I am too," ra replied.


    "I am happy that the two of us are here alone."

 Chapter 241 A Cheat

    Chapter 241 A Cheat


    ??"Krriiiiii!!"


    While Vaan was resting peacefully with his head on ra''sp, he suddenly heard a shout. He quickly woke up, his face turning towards the direction the voice came from and there, he saw arge fireball forming in the air.


    It was the signal.


    Signal he had told mey and the others to make if they found anything useful.


    "Finally!"


    Vaan was jolted awake.


    ra understood as well, although she couldn''t see or hear what mey was doing, Vaan''s reaction alone was enough for her to understand that something happened.


    She stood up together with Vaan.


    Vaan then walked towards mey with a big smile on his face, at the same time, he also called his other scouts who were still working hard trying to find something that could be of use.


    "I can''t believe it took us an entire week to find something, just where in the hell did they teleport us?"


    Vaan cursed out loud.


    If it wasn''t for the eatable fruits they found inside the forest, surviving here for a weak would have been a difficult task.


    ra nodded.


    She had not taken a bath for an entire week, although she did use cleansing spells to clean herself, it still felt strange. Vaan wanted to do something for her, he even wanted to find ake or a river they could take a bath in, however, all the water sources avable had too many Beasts around them,


    Even getting near it would expose them let alone going in and taking a bath.


    Vaan sighed as he then held ra''s hand and walked forward. At the very least, the two of them were still together. At the same time, Vaan was also pitying the rest of his ''team members'' who had rushed out alone. He couldn''t imagine surviving in this ce alone.


    Especially at night, with the two of them together, one of them could keep an eye on the surroundings while the other could sleep. This, however, couldn''t be done when there''s only one person.


    Honestly, Vaan believed that all of them must have already been eliminated and even if a few of them did survive, they wouldn''t be in their best shape.


    Of course, Vaan didn''t care.


    He simply walked towards mey, the little girl was flying around with an excited look on her face. The mes around her were creating a few things that Vaan understood in an instant and his eyes brightened up,


    "Are you saying that you found a human!?"


    "Krriiii!!!"


    mey eximed as whatever she drew multiplied.


    "A bunch of humans?"


    "Krriii!!"


    The little girl nodded.


    By now, the rest of the Spirits had returned as well.


    Vaan, ra, and the Spirits followed mey and after walking around 3 km, Vaan found the people mey was talking about.


    ''The people from the Past Civilization¡­''


    Vaan looked around, it was a party of 7 people, 3 women, and 4 men, all of them were wearing simr clothes with the same emblem on their chests, it was clear that they were part of a single power, however, since neither Vaan nor ra could recognize that emblem, they concluded that it was only a local power.


    Not that it mattered in this situation.


    Even if they were from one of the weakest powers, the very fact that Vaan and ra were able to find humans could be considered extremely lucky.


    This was the most ideal case that they had imagined in their mind.


    ording to Orion, being able to find a human was a good thing, especially inside a forest. This was because most of the time, the humanse inside the forest with certain goals in their mind, in most cases, secretly following them turns out to be beneficial.


    At the very least, it was a lot better than walking in a random direction without any goals in mind.


    "Alright, we will be keeping this much distance to avoid being found out. We don''t know if they have some artifacts to keep an eye on their surroundings, so we should be careful."


    Vaan spoke with a cautious look on his face as he continued to observe the party.


    ra frowned in confusion,


    "We are still too far, we can''t even see their faces from here. Shouldn''t we head closer? This way, we won''t even know what they are talking about and would fail to react if something happened. It is also possible that we might lose them."


    She pointed out the problems.


    Vaan however, just shook his head.


    "Don''t forget our cheat, I will send my spirits to keep an eye on them, we will definitely not lose them. They will also inform us if something major happens, we just need to follow them while maintaining a safe difference."


    Vaan replied.


    "You said you cannot properly converse with the Spirits¡­" ra had her doubts.


    Vaan shrugged, "It is difficult but I can still somewhat understand what they are trying to say, don''t worry."


    Since Vaan didn''t seem very worried, ra nodded as well, deciding to follow whatever he said. It was the safest option they had.


    Vaan and ra followed the Party, keeping a distance of around 300 meters between them, because of this, the number of herbs, fruits, or other materials that they were gathering did reduce since the party was also picking things they deemed useful for them, however, both Vaan and ra hoped that they would get something out of this.


    However, a week passed just like that, and nothing happened.


    The party continued to roam around the forest, killing Beasts, making camps, cooking meat, and exploring again.


    From what mey and the other Spirits could make out of their conversation, it seemed as if they came here in order to train. The Strongest one here was a woman, who seemed like she was someone of a higher position within the power these people belonged to. The rest were part of the younger generation who hade here to improve themselves and ''experience'' the real world.


    Surprisingly, the so-called ''younger generation'' were all Intermediate Level Beings, the woman with them hadn''t moved even once, so Vaan couldn''t gauge her strength, but from the air around her, she didn''t seem inferior to his mother in any way.


    Which was surprising in its own way because she was part of the power that couldn''t even leave its mark in history, for a member of such power to be as strong as Astra¡­


    ''As expected, the Past Era is full of monsters.''


    Vaan thought to himself, at the same time, he couldn''t help but click his tongue in annoyance,


    This was the worst-case scenario for Vaan and ra, since these people came here to train, they would only roam around and hunt beasts with no special goals in their mind, following them would only be a beast.


    Honestly, Vaan wanted to leave and try his luck somewhere else, ra however, shook her head.


    They had already spent a week and she suggested following them for one more day before they left. ording to ra, her guts told her that something was about to happen, and even though he didn''t like trusting his ''guts'', he decided to do what his future wife told him to.


    ''After all, I still need to train for the future, I should start at a young age.''


    Vaan chuckled, then suddenly,


    "Skrriiii!!"


    Breezy rushed towards them with a big smile on her face.


    "Hmm? What is it? Did you find something?" Vaan questioned with a hopeful look on his face.


    "Skrriii!" Breazy nodded as she pointed in a certain direction.


    Seeing her act like that, mey frowned as she flew towards the direction the girl was talking about. Breazy on the other hand, copied mey''s drawing and Vaan understood,


    "There are humans there?" He questioned as he pointed in the direction Breazy pointed in.


    "Skrri!" Breazy nodded.


    "Why can''t I see them? Are they far away?" Vaan frowned.


    If they were far, then Breazy shouldn''t be able to see them, after all, he only told her to keep an eye on the party they were following, she wouldn''t have gone too far.


    Breazy shook her head.


    "They aren''t far away?"


    Breazy shook her head again.


    "Are they hiding?" Vaan guessed randomly.


    "Skrriiii!!" Breazy nodded, her eyes shining brightly, happy that Vaan was able to understand what she was trying to say.


    Seeing her excitement, Vaan smiled as well.


    ra on the other hand, narrowed her eyes in confusion,


    "Why would they be hiding¡­?"


    Hearing her mention that, Vaan realized it as well.


    "If they are hiding then¡­"


    *BOOOOM*


    Before Vaan could evene to a conclusion, a huge explosion was heard. The st was so strong that Vaan and ra could feel strong ps of heatwaves even though they were standing 300 meters away from it and had taken covers.


    Mind you, this attack was sessfully blocked, so most of its force was tanked, one could only imagine what would have happened if the woman hadn''t reacted in time.


    "Krriiii!"


    Vaan then heard mey''s voice, he turned towards her and saw an expression he had only seen once before,


    The little spirit was horrified.

 Chapter 242 We need to report it to the Queen.

    Chapter 242 We need to report it to the Queen.


    ??"Krriiii!!"


    The little spirit cried in horror as she rushed towards Vaan. Seeing her acting like that, Vaan frowned in confusion.


    The only time he had seen such an expression on mey''s face was in the previous Vaan''s memories when Vaan was trying to torture her, ever since then, mey had always been a cheerful girl who only had a big smile on her face whenever she interacted with him.


    Honestly, seeing the girl with such an expression on her face pained Vaan''s heart, at the same time, it also made him wonder what could possibly happen for her to react in such a manner.


    After all, mey was a formless being, other than him, no other being could interact with her. What could possibly scare a being like her?


    Or¡­


    Could it be that there was another being who could interact with mey like him?


    Thinking about the possibility, Vaan narrowed his eyes.


    "Krri! Krrii Kriiiii!!"


    mey shouted, the shapes she was creating using her fire looked like a mess as well. Vaan, however, was still able to make out what the girl was talking about.


    "The attackers are scary?"


    "Krriii!!"


    The little spirit nodded.


    Seeing their elder sister act like that, both Sshy and Breazy had nervous looks on their faces, Vaan wanted to consol the Spirits, however,


    *BOOOM*


    Anotherrge-scale spell wasunched. This time, however, the Party Leader was prepared and was able topletely block the attack.


    The Shield she formed faded away after blocking the attack, then, with a solemn look on her face, she turned to the direction the attack came from and suddenly, the Mana around her moved and in an instant, 7 Magic Circles formed around her.


    Vaan''s expression changed.


    Just as he expected, the woman was a 7th Circle Mage.


    A being that should be considered a powerhouse, even when they were in the Past Era, however, the attackers weren''t weak either.


    Suddenly, a man with his face covered rushed towards the Party Leader. There was a Sword in his hand so it was clear that he was a Swordsman. In an instant, the woman reacted and summoned countless Earth Spikes and shot them towards the swordsman running towards her. The Swordsman gathered his Aura and shed his sword, the Earth Spikesing towards him were annihted in an instant, the woman however, was already prepared with her next spell.


    The speed at which everything happened, the swordsman rushing towards the woman, and the woman reacting instantly and casting spells in return was something that Vaan couldn''t even react to.


    If it was him, he would only be standing there in a daze, wondering what happened and thinking about how he was killed without even being able to resist.


    The usual 3 seconds he needs before he could even get into a fight is a sort of luxury he couldn''t even hope to enjoy here.


    ''Is this how the Advance beings battle?''


    Vaan couldn''t help butugh at all the battles he fought in the past¡­


    Just thinking about how he felt proud being able to ''run'' while casting spells, or having the so-called ''advanced circles'' in his arsenal. Just thinking about what the actual powerhouses must be feeling while witnessing his battle made him want to kill himself.


    It was a humbling experience, honestly, Vaan wanted to get close to get a better look at the fight, however, there was still something he was worried about.


    The ''scary being'' that mey mentioned¡­


    He wasn''t the Swordsman who was shing against the Party Leader¡­


    That being was still hiding in the dark¡­ and from the looks of it, the party leader had no clue about it.


    *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*


    The Mage and the Swordsman continued to sh, more and more spells were rained on the Swordsman, he however, continued to avoid them masterfully, one thing to note, however, was that even after avoiding and blocking all these spells, the Swordsman hadn''t moved even a step ahead ever since the party leader had noticed him.


    Not only that, the party leader was also defending the people around her from the rest of the assaulters.


    In the sh between the Swordsman and the Mage, the Mage had a clear upper hand at least that was the case until,


    "Krriii!!"


    mey exined as she pointed at a man.


    Surprisingly, the man she pointed at was standing behind the Party Leader, he was one of the original 7 members of the party, and seeing mey pointing at him, Vaan couldn''t help but frown in confusion.


    "What? Is he the enemy?"


    Vaan questioned.


    "Krrii!"


    mey shook her head and desperately continued to point toward the man, this time, even Vaan couldn''t figure out what she was trying to say.


    Just as he was about to ask mey to calm down and exin again, he noticed the man moving towards the Party Leader.


    "What is he trying to do?" Vaan questioned with a frown. ra, who was standing next to him seemed quite confused as well.


    "Krriiii!!!"


    mey shouted again.


    With how she was panicking, Vaan knew something bad was going to happen.


    His first guess was that the man was a traitor, however¡­


    The man who had approached the Party Leader suddenly called out,


    "L-Lady Veronica¡­"


    The Party Leader frowned. She momentarily turned around and noticed that the man''s face was pale in fear.


    "H-Help me¡­"


    The man spoke but before the Party Leader, or Veronica could make sense out of the situation,


    *BOOOOOM*


    The Man''s body exploded.


    Caught off guard, Veronica took the full impact of the explosion, her body flew towards the Swordsman, who, as if already knowing that something like this was going to happen, seemed prepared and got into the position,


    "Got you."


    He spoke with utter delight printed on his face, shing his sword with a Powerful Aura covering it, the attack could tear through almost any shield in the world.


    *sh*


    The attack came through, the Swordsman, however, wasn''t satisfied.


    After all, his target was still alive. Though he doubted that the woman was in a condition to fight anymore,


    "You think you can fight with just one arm?" The swordsman questioned with a big smile on his face.


    He nced at Veronica and the once beautiful auburn-haired woman now had blistering skin that had taken full impact from the explosion, since she avoided the swordsman''s attack at thest moment, she lost an entire arm, half of her clothes were torn off, her body was covered in blood and despite all that, there was not a trace of fear or agony on her face.


    The only expression that could be seen on her face was her disgust.


    "A Demon¡­"


    She spoke in a hoarse voice.


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    Hearing those words, a big smile appeared on the Swordsman''s face, "Took you long enough to realize that."


    "A Human with a decent skillset like you is working together with a demon, I could not be more disgusted."


    Veronica spoke with a disgusted look on her face.


    The man, however, didn''t care about what she said, he only smiled, "Is it not more disgusting that you are about to lose against a man working together with a Demon?"


    "Who said I that I lost?"


    The woman tilted her head in confusion.


    Then suddenly,


    "O Divine Light, so pure and bright,


    Fill our hearts with love and light.


    Grant us peace and kindness too,


    So we may spread kindness anew."


    One of the Team members started praying, Vaan could see the Faith Energy gathering over his head. What surprised him was the sheer amount of energy that was gathered over his head, it was around 10 times more than the Faith Energy gathered what ric was able to gather when he fought against ra.


    And¡­ the Chant still hadn''t ended,


    "Bless us with your healing power,


    Every soul, in every hour.


    Grant us strength to heal and mend,


    With your love, may all wounds transcend."


    The chant continued and suddenly,


    *Screeechh*


    An ear-piercing screech was heard.


    Hearing that, Veronica smirked,


    "I guess your guest isn''t exactly having a good time." She chuckled.


    The Swordsman gritted his teeth,


    "What the hell are you doing!? Attack that bastard!!" He shouted as he pointed at the man who was praying to the Light God.


    Veronica, however, wasn''t going to let anything happen and cast spells of her own.


    The man, unfettered by everything around him continued his prayers as more and more Faith Energy continued to gather,


    "Illuminate our hearts each day,


    So we may walk the righteous way.


    In your name, we humbly pray,


    O God of Light, show us the way."


    As the chant ended, the man entered his hands towards Veronica, the endless Faith Energy he gathered rushed towards Veronica, and in front of his very eyes, Vaan saw the fastest regeneration in the world as within 2 seconds, Veronica had regenerated to the point where one couldn''t even tell that she just had a near-death experience, even her torn clothes were fixed.


    The woman then red at the Swordsman and,


    "Don''t think you or that thing is getting out of here alive."


    The Swordsman gritted his teeth,


    "Right back at you."


    The two parties shed again.


    ...


    At the same time, while the two parties shed, two beautiful beings with transparent wings on their back observed the entire situation, their focus, however, didn''t seem to be on the battle... but instead...


    "That is..."


    "Yes..."


    "The three of them are definitely Spirits like us and that boy can see them."


    "But that-"


    "This matter is too grave for us to act on, we need to report it to the Queen."

 Chapter 243 You guys!! Come back!

    Chapter 243 You guys!! Come back!


    ??"You roach like bitch¡­"


    The Swordsman muttered with a pale look on his face as he red at Veronica with hatred-filled eyes.


    "I don''t want to hear that from a human who is working with Demons. Even the lowest of the lowest beings are better than you."


    "Do not act like you know me."


    The man was quick to retort.


    With how sensitive he seemed about what Veronica said, it was clear that he had his own reasons for doing what he was doing.


    Veronica, however, was not the one to care about reasons, ording to her, even conversing with a demon was a disgusting act. The very fact that the Swordsman had teamed up with a demon took his right to be treated like a normal human and sympathies with.


    Demonic beings were the followers of the God of Darkness. They spread chaos and destruction everywhere in the world and symbolized terror. The number of humans these beings had terrified and ughtered was in billions.


    And even after all that, for humans to still approach these beings and work together with them was a disgusting act that was considered taboo.


    "Whether I know you or not does not matter,"


    Veronica spoke with a cold look on her face.


    "The only thing that matters is that I need to get rid of you and that abomination standing behind you."


    The cold look on the woman''s face had no hint of mercy.


    "You should know that continuing this any further would take too huge of a toll on your body, you wouldn''t be able to stay alive in such a situation either."


    The Swordsman warned.


    He had miscalcted.


    He thought that teaming up with the Demons would be enough to get rid of this woman, Veronica, however, was stronger than what was known, and¡­ this was the reason they were stuck in such a predicament.


    The woman had hidden her strength from the rest of the world and once her true strength was revealed, the Swordsman instantly knew that the woman had what it took to take all of them out all on her own.


    Of course, it didn''t mean she couldpletely overpower them on her own. If she wanted to defeat them, she would need her God''s help, and since she had already used God of Magic''s Blessing twice in the battle before, she would need to use it the third time.


    Something that is considered taboo inside the Tower of Magic, not because it is considered evil, but because of the side effects it has on the individual''s body.


    Depending on the strength of different God''s Blessing, there is a limit to how many times a day can a believer call for his God''s help and as one of the Strongest known Gods in the world, the blessing of God of Magic can be used no more than 2 times.


    The toll it would take to use God''s blessing the third time was simply too strong, her Magic Circuits would be ruined permanently and she would turn into a Cripple.


    She would be someone who even the God of Light''s blessing cannot heal since rather than being ''harmed'' it was the body''s own mechanism to ''protect'' itself and since protection wasn''t a negative force, the God of Light''s blessing simply wouldn''t work.


    What did that mean?


    It meant that a cripple who cannot even activate Artifacts on her own would be left alone in the middle of the forest where Magical Beasts roam around, no matter what, the only ending of such a situation was death.


    It meant that if Veronica followed through, she would only be heading towards her death.


    She, as an Advanced Mage, had a good life, throwing it away was a foolish decision, the Swordsman wanted to end things here and walk on their own paths so that both parties could continue living,


    However,


    "Who made you think that I n to stay alive after being unable to protect my children?"


    Veronica questioned with a weak smile on her face as she nced at the corpses of her team members right next to her.


    The next second, her eyes fell on the spots on the ground that were charred ck, this was where two of her team members'' bodies exploded because of the Demon''s ability. Recalling how those poor children died in agony, crying for help before exploding into so many pieces that their bodies couldn''t even be found anymore, Veronica was, once again filled with hatred,


    "You people have no right to live."


    She spoke and then, she closed her eyes and,


    "O'' God of Magic, ruler of mystical art,


    I call upon you with earnest heart.


    Grant me wisdom and knowledge deep,


    So in your mysteries, we may take a leap."


    The chant started.


    Seeing that, a grave expression appeared on the swordsman''s face, without thinking any further, he turned towards his only three surviving subordinates and ordered with a grim look on his face,


    "Don''t let her finish, that chant would spell the end of us."


    With her entire party wiped out, there weren''t a lot of things Veronica could do in a situation where 3 people were aiming for her while she was praying.


    Or¡­ at least, that''s what the Swordsman thought.


    What he forgot, however, was that the one he was up against was an Advance Mage, a being who carried endless knowledge. How could she not predict this possibility while facing all these people before?


    Veronica was prepared.


    *BOOOM*


    As a Huge Fireball rushed towards Veronica, intending to destroy her before she could finish her chant, suddenly, a wall of Earth appeared around 10 meters away from her, blocking theplete attack.


    The Swordsman''s subordinates frowned, it wasn''t possible for Veronica to cast a spell while she was chanting.


    ''Does she still have apanion?''


    They couldn''t help but wonder and started looking around.


    The Swordsman, on the other hand, instantly knew what was up.


    The woman had set up Artifacts.


    No one knew when she did it, but it was probably when she was facing all of them before.


    ''Crazy bitch¡­''


    The swordsman couldn''t help but curse in his head.


    To think that she was thinking of sacrificing her life in the battle from the start and was preparing for the said scenario¡­


    It would not only mean that she was ready to die, but it also meant that the woman ordered the rest of her party to continue fighting knowing that they would die together with her.


    The crazy bitch sacrificed them.


    Learning about this, the man couldn''t help but wonder who was the actual ''bad guy'' here. Not that he had time to think about all this.


    "Masters of Mana and Elements Four,


    Grant me the strength and power to explore.


    In your magical light, let me be blessed,


    With your guidance, I am truly obsessed."


    Veronica wasn''t nning on stopping.


    The Swordsman panicked as he then rushed towards the woman on his own, and since he knew the Artifacts were pre-


    nted, he tried to take a path that Veronica wouldn''t have thought he would take and took a huge detour to reach her¡­


    ¡­only to find around 100 Metal Spikesing out of the ground, ready to pierce through his body. The Swordsman had no option but to dodge the Spikes, and since the Spikes were shot towards him in a specific manner, he had no option but to jump back, widening the distance between him and Veronica.


    "Tsk."


    He couldn''t help but snort.


    He had taken the long path in order to reach her and couldn''t believe that not only had that woman urately predicted where the final battle would take ce, she had also predicted that he would try to change his path while rushing towards her and had prepared for that.


    "I honor the gifts you bestow upon me,


    In your realm, may I never cause a fuss.


    Magic and wonder, in your name we plea,


    Blessed be, oh God of Magic, so mote it be."


    A huge amount of Faith Energy was gathered.


    Vaan, who was watching the battle from everything from afar could easily tell the difference between the Faith Energy generated before and the Energy that was generated right now, the current Faith Energy gathered was almost thrice as huge as before.


    And seeing that, he couldn''t help but feel a slight pain in his heart.


    He felt as if the whirlpool of energy formed over Veronica''s head was calling for him, honestly, Vaan would have given into his desire and walked out if it wasn''t for ra tightly holding his hand.


    He turned towards his fianc¨¦e and saw her shaking her head, it was only then did he finally came out of his reverie, and the moment he did, he realized something and his eyes widened in shock,


    "You guys!! Come back!"


    He shouted as he nced at mey and others who had already lost control over themselves and were rushing towards The Whirlpool of Energy in order to Devour it.

 Chapter 244 How about we summon them hear?

    Chapter 244 How about we summon them hear?


    ??During the battle between the two parties, the first time Veronica started praying to the God of Magic, Vaan noticed something different.


    The Faith Energy gathered over Veronica''s head was differentpared to others. It was much more¡­ desirablepared to other energies.


    Of course, Vaan had no clue how that was an urate description, it was just that that was the first thought that came over his mind when he saw the energy gathering over Veronica''s head.


    And for some reason, his thoughts were shared by his little spirits.


    The little girls who were nervous this entire time, which, Vaan believed was because of the presence of a Demon, instantly forgot about it when their eyes fell on the whirlpool of energy gathered over Veronica''s head.


    If it wasn''t for Vaan stopping them, the three girls would have rushed towards it and devoured it by now.


    Honestly, this was the first time Vaan had seen that greedy look appearing on their faces, it was as if they were a drug addict who was craving the drug, which was the Faith Energy over Veronica''s head.


    It took Vaan a lot of time to exin to the little spirits that they could not devour the Energy since it would risk revealing their presence andter cheer them up.


    His hard work, however, was wasted since mey and the others were now rushing towards the huge whirlpool of Faith Energy gathered over Veronica''s head, ready to devour it.


    Vaan shouted to stop them, he also wanted to rush out to stop them, however, ra was the one who stopped him.


    Spirits were still beings that couldn''t be seen or felt by others, them going there and devouring the Faith Energy might make them suspicious, but it still wouldn''t reveal their existence, Vaan, however, waspletely different, the moment he got near, he would be sent back and all the time they had spent here would end up being wasted.


    Seeing ra shake her head, Vaan took in deep breath and stepped back again. The Spirits were out of control, however, they were still not in any sort of danger, even if they devoured the Energy, the worst that could happen would be that their existence would be revealed and they would be sent back.


    Thinking about it for a while, Vaan felt like it wouldn''t be bad if they were sent back if it meant that he could get a taste of that energy¡­


    A strange emotion rose up in Vaan''s heart.


    However, before he could explore it more, something surprising happened.


    The three Spirits who were rushing towards the whirlpool of energy with nothing being able to stop them suddenly stopped.


    The three looked around as if they were trying to find something, but suddenly, the three of them disappeared.


    Seeing that, Vaan widened his eyes in horror.


    "-"


    However, before he could even show any sort of reaction, he heard an unknown voice.


    [They are fine, do not act out and reveal your existence, else you will be forcefully sent back to your timeline and the three of them won''t be able to follow you back.]


    Vaan''s expression changed as he pretty much jumped in surprise.


    Someone talked.


    Someone just interacted with him and yet¡­ he still wasn''t sent back to Agresia.


    It was surprising, Vaan, however, couldn''t care less about the situation for now, and,


    "Who are you?" He questioned out loud.


    His voice was still low since he was worried that the ones fighting would hear him.


    [¡­]


    This time, however, he received no answer.


    "What happened to them?" Vaan tried to ask another question about his spirits, but again, the only thing he received was silence.


    Vaan asked a few more questions, soon however, it was clear that the voice had no intention of answering any of his questions.


    It was frustrating, however, with how things stood, nothing was in his control. He couldn''t even move out and try searching for his Spirits since he had no idea where they disappeared to, not to mention that he wasn''t exactly ''free'' to explore around without the care of the world.


    If even a single Beast learned of his existence, he would be sent back and if what the voice said was true, his little girls wouldn''te together with him.


    Just the thought of not being able to see his little spirits scared Vaan, in the end, he had no choice but to close his eyes and sit calmly, without making any sound.


    ra, who saw Vaan''s reaction was confused, she had no idea what was happening, however, seeing Vaan''s pained expression, she did what she, as his fianc¨¦e had to do and ruffled his hair while hugging him.


    ¡­


    A few moments ago, two beings who noticed Vaan, ra, and the three Spirits with them, reported what they saw to another being, a being so beautiful that any being, whether a man or a woman would find his or her heart being captured by her appearance in an instant.


    The being was a vision of ethereal beauty and grace. With her long, striking silver hair flowing in gentle waves around her shoulders, going all the way down to her lower back, it shimmered like moonlight reflecting off a tranquil pond.


    Her eyes, a mesmerizing shade of silver, seem to hold the wisdom of the ages, sparkling with an otherworldly brilliance.


    She exuded an aura of elegance and poise, her features exquisitely delicate, yet possessed an unmistakable strength. Her face, adorned with a serene expression, disyed a sense of solemnity, speaking to the weight of her responsibilities and the depth of her knowledge.


    She wore a flowing white dress, a pure and holy aura radiated from her. Resting gently upon her head was a crown, signifying her status that was far above the two beings who were reporting to her, yet despite her status, she treated the beings who hade to her with proper respect and after hearing what they had to say,


    The being took a moment to collect her thoughts, then, she nced at the two who had reported the incident to them and questioned,


    "Are you sure the three of them were Spirits?"


    "Yes, we are. We sensed our Aura of us Spiritsing from them." The two replied at the same time.


    Then, one of them stepped forward and added,


    "However, their intellect appeared notably inferior in contrast to ours; the three of them struggled to articte words, let alone construct coherent sentences. They continued tomunicate with the human through what appeared to be a rudimentary signnguage and it didn''t seem like their actions were intentional either."


    Hearing those words, the rest of the Spirits frowned in confusion.


    The Leader, of the Spirit Queen, on the other hand, simply nodded her head as she then closed her eyes and didn''t say anything.


    Everyone around her turned silent, they were trying to read her expression, however, other than endless serenity, nothing else could be seen on her face.


    5 minutes passed by, the entire hall was silent, out of 12 Spirits inside the Hall, no one dared to utter a word. Everyone was waiting for the Queen to speak and a few more momentster, the Queen opened her eyes, the silvery glow in her eyes shone with endless wisdom,


    "These individuals do not originate from our realm; to be precise, they likely hail from an alternate timeline, quite possibly the future."


    "What¡­?"


    The Spirits couldn''t believe what they were hearing.


    "A human capable of perceiving our presence should not exist within our timeline. Based on your depiction, the spirits surrounding this individual are mere children who cannot even speak their first words yet.


    Given the significance of this human, the elders would never permit children to be in such proximity. There should be at least one elder spirit present, yet the absence of her indicates she may not exist.


    This situation should be impossible unless the elder spirits have lost their sanity or... we have ceased to exist. Since such an event did not ur in the past, I can only surmise that it transpired in the future."


    "We¡­ ceased to exist¡­?"


    The Spirits couldn''t believe what they were hearing.


    "How is that possible¡­?"


    The Younger Spirits were confused and even scared, the more experienced ones, however, didn''t have such a reaction and simply nced at each other with looks that said,


    ''It happened just as we expected it to.''


    The Elder Spirits nced at the Queen, the Spirit Queen simply shook her head, signaling them to stay silent, she still wanted to keep it a secret from the younger ones for as long as possible. Understanding her intentions, the Elder Spirits nodded, then, one of them spoke up.


    "My Queen, if these people do not have anyone to guide them, I believe we should take matters into our own hands.


    If they somehow traveled through the past, it must mean that they seek assistance, if we could help them in some way¡­


    How about we summon them hear?"

 Chapter 245 Help from the Past.

    Chapter 245 Help from the Past.


    ??"My Queen, if these people do not have anyone to guide them, I believe we should take matters into our own hands.


    If they somehow traveled through the past, it must mean that they seek assistance, if we could help them in some way¡­


    How about we summon them here?"


    One of the Elder Spirits suggested. The other fairies nodded as well. Most of them were still shocked and even worried about their impending doom, however, since nothing was clear and since all the leaders were taking the news quite calmly, no one acted out and decided to work something out.


    If they could make contact with the boy and his spirits, they could also try and understand what happened in the future and somehow try to change it.


    The Spirit Queen, however, shook her head.


    "That beinges from the future, the moment we make contact with him, the timeline would change, it would create an alternative timeline that would deviate from the real timeline.


    To correct that, the universe would react, if that happened, not only would we be hastening our doom, but we would also be putting his life in danger.


    Or¡­ there might be a protection mechanism that would send him back to his original timeline the moment we try and make contact with him.


    No, now that I think about it, with how you told me that they were simply hiding in a corner, watching in silence, and not making any moves, it is most like the case.


    They cannot interact with living beings of our timeline, I believe that they aren''t even allowed to be seen by people of our world and the only reason we can see them without them facing any consequences is because we live in our separate dimensions."


    The Queen''s analysis was spot on.


    Honestly, it was surprising that she could deduce this much information with the limited amount of information she had received. The other Spirits, however, weren''t surprised.


    It was an everyday urrence for them.


    The Spirit Queen was an immortal being with endless wisdom, deducing something like this wasn''t a difficult task for a being of her level.


    "So what should we do¡­?"


    An Elder Spirit questioned.


    "There is nothing we can do. Since theye from the future, all our actions would create an alternative timeline which the universe would try to erase."


    "But this doesn''t make sense, if the universe didn''t want the change, it would never allow something that could help living beings travel back in time to exist. The very fact that these people are here means that the universe wants them to be here.


    If we do not take any action, I would feel that we are doing something wrong. Don''t forget, the ones around them are only children. When have we ever ignored our children who seek our help?"


    Another Elder Spirit spoke out loud and suddenly, the entire hall turned silent and turned towards the Spirit Queen.


    The Queen observed all the spirits for a while and then, she nodded,


    "Elder Rashtri is correct, we cannot possibly leave our children who seek our assistance alone, but at the same time, we cannot put that child in any form of danger either.


    So we will only be summoning the Spirits around him and not interacting with him.


    Since it would be an interaction between beings that do not belong to this dimension, the universe would not react."


    "So you are telling us to interact with the boy through the Spirits?"


    "That is correct." The Queen nodded.


    "Remember, once those children are here, none of you are allowed to mention any information that shouldn''t be mentioned.


    We will only be imnting basic knowledge into them and once we are done, we will let them go, is that clear?"


    "Only the Basic Knowledge¡­?"


    The Elder Spirit named Rashtri was uncertain.


    "Time we have in our hands is limited. Even the Basic Knowledge we give them will be in abstract form, something that would need to be deciphered and thenprehended in the future.


    I know you wish to help them more, Rashtri, but there is a limit to how much we can do in a short interval. We would need to leave the rest of them. If they are capable enough, then with the knowledge we provided as the base, they can grow further on their own.


    After all, as the Spirits who surround the Special Being, they should at least be this capable, no?"


    The Spirit Queen smiled and in the end, Rashtri and other Spirits had no option but to agree.


    The Decision was made soon, fast forwarding to presence, mey and others who were rushing towards the whirlpool of energy were summoned by the Elder Spirits using the summoning Magic.


    Vaan, who was surprised and almost lost his control was calmed by the Fairy Queen herself. She couldn''t interact with him, yes but she wasn''t left with many options either.


    With how Vaan had reacted, it wouldn''t have been a surprise if his existence was revealed and he would face consequences. The Spirit Queen would never allow the ''Special Being'' to face problems because of her decision.


    ¡­


    "Krriiii¡­?"


    "Gurruu¡­?"


    "Skriii!?"


    On the other side, mey and others who had appeared in apletely different ce couldn''t believe their eyes. Just now, they were in front of the huge, desirable energy, and now, they had appeared inside a hall that they were seeing for the first time in their life.


    None of them could understand what was happening and in an instant, as the Eldest, mey appeared in front of Sshy and Breazy, ready to protect her little sisters from the unknown. Sshy and Breazy seemed quite nervous as well.


    Seeing them act like this, the other Spirits couldn''t help but chuckle, then, they decided to reveal their existence.


    So as to not overwhelm the little girls, the Queen had ordered all the Younger Spirits to leave, so right now, there were only 3 Elder Spirits and the Spirit Queen in the room.


    The moment the 4 revealed themselves, mey and the others all stepped back, clearly, they were being extremely defensive.


    "They are much different from our children."


    Videl, one of the three Elder Spiritsmented with a curious look on her face as she continued to observe the Spirits.


    Rashtri nodded. Even if they were children, the three of them should have sensed that they weren''t here to harm them and should have lowered their guard.


    The fact that they were rmed meant that the three couldn''t even naturallyprehend who the four of them were which would mean that their senses were much weaker than normal.


    "Wait¡­ the red one is already more than 2 years old¡­?"


    Suddenly, thest of the three Elder Spirits, Vidyaka, spoke as she narrowed her eyes in doubt and confusion.


    Hearing her words, the other two Elder Spirits frowned and observed mey''s age.


    "This¡­ this doesn''t make any sense¡­"


    Rashtri blinked in surprise as well.


    A Spirit is able to speak fluently within a month even if they are not taught. The smarter ones even start when they are merely 10 days old but¡­


    The fact that mey, who was already over 2 years old and still couldn''t speak even a single interpretable word surprised the Spirits a lot.


    The other two standing behind them didn''t seem very bright either, yes, they were younger, but they had shown no improvement either.


    The Elder Spirits couldn''t understand, how were they supposed to teach them when the three were this dull.


    No, this wasn''t even the problem of imnting knowledge. They were worried if the three little spirits could even perform basic actions and survive as Spirits.


    The Elders, who were looking forward to teaching thepanions of the Special Being couldn''t help but feel down.


    The Queen, however, was different from the others.


    She nced at mey and the others who still had their guards up, the little girls seemed to have sensed that resisting in this situation was useless since they wouldn''t be able to do anything, or¡­ the thought of showing resistance didn''t even enter their little minds.


    This didn''t mean that the Queen looked down upon the girls like the Elder Spirits.


    She simply smiled at the three Spirits in front of her and in an instant, mey and the others could feel their hearts move, the Queen''s smile was so gentle that all sense of caution they felt disappeared in an instant and they stared at the Queen with lost looks on their faces.


    The Queen chuckled as she then extended her hand towards them.


    The three little spirits stepped forward and held the Queen''s finger with their tiny hands.


    "Do you three wish to learn things that would allow you to help Vaan in his future endeavors?"


    The Queen questioned and the Spirits who understood what they meant all nodded in an instant, their eyes shining brightly.


    The Queen chuckled and suddenly, her finger that was in contact with the tiny hands of the Three Spirits started shining.


    It was time for the little spirits to learn just how ridiculous of an advantage Vaan had for being able to see them.

 Chapter 246 This is the end.

    Chapter 246 This is the end.


    ??*BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*


    It was one explosion after the another, the scale of the explosions wasn''t small either, the spells used for explosions were all 7 Circle Spells that were far stronger than spells Vaan had ever seen in his life.


    Vaan couldn''t help but stare at the scene in front of him with a dazed look on his face.


    In the dead center of the chaos, stood a Mage whose hair was flowing upward as an unending amount of power was released from her body. The red-haired woman looked like a God of War who had descended onto the world. It seemed as if no force was strong enough to stop her.


    With her chants over and the unending whirlpool of energy entering her body, it was as if Veronica had ascended to apletely different level.


    As a 7th Circle Mage, Veronica was already as monstrous as one could imagine, now however, things were even more absurd.


    The number of dangerous spells she was releasing one after another was so overwhelming that the Swordsman who was once fighting her in a head-on battle could now only run for his dear life while all his other subordinates were being ughtered mercilessly.


    "HEY!! DO SOMETHING YOU REPULSIVE BASTARD!!"


    In frustration, the Swordsmen shouted at the Demon who simply stood by and didn''t make any move. From its actions, it wasn''t hard to guess that the being had already given up.


    It wasn''t even trying to dodge the spells that were aimed at it and was about to be destroyed.


    Unlike the Swordsman, however, it didn''t fear death.


    With the Mage going berserk, the ns that it had went awry, so even if it did manage to survive, it couldn''t return to its home, neither could it stay here since the bastards from the Church of Light would never a Demon who represent chaos and evil live.


    The demon knew that the end was near and had epted it.


    As if she sensed that, Veronica couldn''t help but chuckle,


    "Heh, looks like even a lowly demon has a better functioning head than you. How pathetic."


    Her voice was different from before, it seemed as if her voice had mixed with the Mana and was currently echoing throughout the area.


    "Shut up! I don''t want to hear somethinging from a bitch who is putting her life on the line to get an advantage in the battles."


    "At least I''m not a coward fleeing for my life, fully aware of the futility of it all, neither am I a human who was abandoned by his very God."


    Saying those words, Veronica summoned her onest spell.


    *Rumble* *Rumble*


    The battlefield shook as Veronica drew upon the very essence of her being for onest incantation. The Magic Circles surrounding her shined brightly,bined with the Faith Energy that had materialized inside her body, her entire body shined with the magical light, it was a sign of the cataclysm, a 7th Circle Mage''s onest spell.


    A swirling tempest of mes with a diameter extending a staggering kilometer.


    The scene was both grand and terrible to behold. The mes zed with shades of crimson and gold, dancing with an ethereal grace that belied its destructive power. The mes rose high into the heavens, painting the entire sky with a dangerous glow.


    As the ball of mes hovered above her, Veronica stood resolute, her eyes shined in determination as they remained fixed upon her enemy.


    In that moment, she appeared as a figure of myth and legend, a titan of magic-wielding forces beyond mortalprehension. Knowing that the woman was sacrificing her life for her cause, Vaan couldn''t help but notice the somber beauty behind the scene, a tragic elegance in the face of the inevitable end.


    Vaan couldn''t help butment the fact that a Mage like her wasn''t well known throughout history, he could guess that the reason behind it was probably because the woman met her end today.


    Strange emotions welled within his heart.


    The Swordsman, on the other hand, gulped as his heart skipped a beat the moment he nced at the fireball the crazy woman had summoned.


    He looked around, only to have his hopes crushed by the fact that all his escape paths were blocked, the Spells Veronica was previously casting weren''t just aimed at killing his subordinates, the main intention behind them was to trap him.


    The instincts he had honed throughout his life were warning him, no, rather than warning it was better to say that they were simply informing him, predicting the future.


    A warning signals an opportunity for change, a chance to alter the course of events and prevent the looming oue. A prediction, however, stands as a stark statement of what is toe, an inevitable end that no action can avert.


    Even the instincts he had honed throughout his life had given up.


    "Vaan, run."


    While Vaan was looking at the sight in front of him in a daze, ra grabbed his hand and started running away.


    She could sense the danger.


    The Fiery sphere on top of the woman''s head signified death, not just for the Swordsman, but the entire area. Once done, everything would be charred back, and if Vaan and ra stayed here, even their strongest of artifacts wouldn''t be able to save them.


    With ra pulling him, Vaan was quickly brought out of his reverieing back to his senses and sensing the danger, he quickly picked ra and with a speed much faster than before, the two started running as far as could.


    The fireball pulsated with raw energy, the mes carrying Vernoica''s lifelong hard work. The woman nced at the Swordsman onest time and,


    "This is the end."


    Her voice echoed throughout the surroundings and finally,


    The Huge Fireball dropped.


    *BOOOOOOOOM*


    An explosion so loud that Vaan and ra were unable to feel their ears, the heatwaves manifested in their physical form, pushing the two of them away at a pace a lot faster than their own. Vaan quickly grabbed ra and ced her right in front of her, covering her entire body with his own as he prepared to brace the impact.


    The Heatwaves, however, continued to push him further, while the other nts, trees, and even the Beasts were being burned to the point where even their ashes couldn''t be seen, Vaan''s body was being thrown out of the impact of the spell and despite him feeling the heat that pretty much rivaled the time when he, as Christopher, exploded in hisst moments, surprisingly, there was not even a single burnt mark on his entire body.


    After a minute of being pushed around, the explosion''s force mmed into them, Vaan instinctively wrapped his arms tightly around ra, shielding her from the force of crashing onto the ground. They tumbled over each other and continued to roll over the ground.


    This time, the impact was brutal, sending shockwaves of pain rippling through their bodies. Vaan gritted his teeth against the agony, determined to absorb as much of the impact as possible to protect his ra.


    Despite his efforts, they both bore the brunt of the fall. ra''s body collided with the unforgiving ground, the force knocking the breath from her lungs. Vaan''s own injuries red with intensity as they rolled, his muscles protesting with every movement.


    But throughout the pain and chaos, Vaan''s focus remained on ra. With each roll, he shifted his body to absorb the impact, doing everything in his power to shield her from further harm. His heart pounded with fear and determination, his only thought was to keep her safe amidst the chaos surrounding them.


    As they finally came to a stop, battered and bruised, Vaan''s arms remained wrapped protectively around ra, despite his injuries, he quickly nced at his ra, who had closed her eyes and had ced her head on top of his chest.


    However, the moment she noticed that everything hade to a halt, she slowly opened her eyes and the moment she nced at the Vaan all bruised up with injuries all over his body, her face paled in horror.


    "Vaan!!"


    She called out with a worried look on her face. In an instant, her hands moved to her bag to take out the instant spells she had brought, however, she soon realized that everything had turned into ashes.


    "Vaan!" She called out again, tears collecting at the end of her eyes.


    "What are you crying for? I am perfectly fine, okay?" Vaan on the other hand stood up.


    Then, to change the topic, he turned to the direction of the explosion and finally, his eyes fell on the terrifying sight.


    "What in the¡­"


    Vaan was speechless, the area in front of his was charred ck, the entire area where his vision could extend to only had a single thing to disy, death. All the Flora, Fauna, everything had turned into assimted into the charred ck ground.


    Vaan couldn''t even tell how far the sight extended, however, he was definitely sure about one thing.


    He was protected.


    There is no way someone like him could have survived such a huge explosion, certain powers protected him from the mes, the heatwaves that were only pushing him away instead of burning him, Vaan could tell that the two were rted.


    He had many questions in his head, right now, however, none of that mattered.


    "Vaan! You shouldn''t move!"


    Seeing Vaan standing up, ra tried to hold him, Vaan however, shook his head, and,


    "We need to explore the area, we need to find if there are any artifacts that the Mage used left¡­


    Artifacts are supposed to be made of strong materials, and if some of them are Divine Artifacts, then the possibility that they are not yet destroyed is high.


    Let''s go, an explosion of this level is bound to attract attention, if we don''t move quickly, others will, we can''t let the 2 weeks we have been here go to waste."


    Saying those words, Vaan started moving and ra, who wanted Vaan to rest had no option but to follow him.

 Chapter 247 Magic Guidebook: Journey from a 1st Circle to the 7th

    Chapter 247 Magic Guidebook: Journey from a 1st Circle to the 7th


    ??"Fuck..."


    Vaan cursed as he held the broken artifact in his hand and a dull look appeared on his face.


    "This is the fifth one..."


    ramented with a disappointed look on her face.


    The two of them had been looking for Artifacts used by Veronica and all five artifacts they found were either broken or burnt to the point where they couldn''t be used anymore.


    Normally, Artifacts were made out of strong materials that could easily withstand unnatural circumstances that most other materials cannot, this time, however, Vaan and ra weren''t very lucky.


    Thest spell Veronica used was simply too much for even the Artifacts to bear, the destructive force it contained razed kilometers of area to the ground, if a spell like this was released inside a City, even a Major City would meet the same end as the poor forest, how could human-made artifacts possibly endure such spell?


    Vaan understood it as well, he knew that the only way he could get anything out of this situation was if he somehow found a Divine Artifact.


    As Artifacts gifted to their believers by the Gods, they could withstand even the extreme conditions. In Agresia, there was a saying which meant that if a person was strong enough to destroy a Divine Artifact, he was strong enough to contend against a God, and with no surprise, such a being has ever existed.


    The Divine Artifacts were considered indestructible. So only those Artifacts could survive such conditions.


    However...


    Divine Artifacts weren''t exactlymon, the number of Divine Artifacts even a Major Power has could be counted on one''s fingers, for a mage who belonged to a Power that was even well known, the chances of her having a Divine Artifacts on her were... low.


    Of course, it didn''t mean Vaan and ra were nning on giving up. They had been staying and hiding in this ce for two whole weeks, they couldn''t possibly give up just because the probability of finding something was low.


    The two of them were still hoping for a lucky shot.


    The two took deep breaths and started walking again. At the same time, they looked around and couldn''t help but be more and more surprised,


    They had walked a few kilometers in, but despite walking so far, their eyes still couldn''t see the end of the burnt ground. At the same time, they also couldn''t believe just how far they were pushed away by the impact of the explosion.


    The longer Vaan walked, the more he realized how their survival in this situation wasn''t a lucky shot, rather, another being making a move.


    A being who noticed their presence, Vaan guessed that it was the voice who talked to him before, he tried talking to it again, but again, he received no reply.


    Vaan also theorized that he wasn''t hurt because the world tried to protect him, as a being from the future, dying in the past might causeplications in the timeline and to prevent that, the very world made a move.


    Of course, it was only his rough guess considering everything that had happened and he had no proof or a method to prove his ims but Vaan believed that the possibility of it being the truth was high.


    ra however, shook her head when she heard the theory,


    "If the world wanted to protect the time travelers, then we wouldn''t have received these injuries either, or it would have simply teleported us back to our Era as it does with people who are discovered by theizens of this Era."


    Hearing those words, Vaan nodded his head as well. ra''s words made more sense.


    He was protected.


    Why? Or by whom? He didn''t know. The voice seemed like it was interested in his Spirits and was the one who took them away, but what it wanted to do with them, Vaan had no idea.


    He could only assure his heart by thinking about how it saved him, so most probably, it didn''t wish to harm his Spirits.


    Of course, the leap in logic was quite huge, but this was the only way for Vaan to calm his heart. He had no clue where his little girls were, he was worried, however, even if he tried to, there was nothing he could do in a ce where he couldn''t even reveal his presence.


    This feeling of helplessness was eating him from inside, this was also the reason why he was searching for something left by Veronica in order to divert his mind.


    "Vaan..." While the two of them were walking, suddenly, ra called out.


    Vaan turned towards her and saw her pointing in a specific direction. He nced at the pointed direction and a frown appeared on his face.


    The entire ground in front of them was charred ck, there was no sign of life anywhere near them, the once tall trees that popted the forest hadpletely disappeared, one couldn''t even tell that this ce was once a bustling forest and could only guess that thend here had been barren for centuries.


    However, on this barren and tnd, Vaan and ra could see a hump. They couldn''t tell what it was because of how far it was, but in a ce where even the toughest of rocks had disappeared, a bump was definitely unusual.


    The couple nodded at each other, then, they started walking toward the said bump. Since the bump was around a kilometer away, it took them around 10 minutes to reach the ''hump'' and as they got closer and were finally able to tell what the ''hump'' was, their expressions changed.


    It was Veronica.


    The Mage who was the cause of it all.


    Vaan looked around and was greeted by the same sight of the charred ground that spanned endlessly, from the looks of it however, Vaan could guess that he now stood at the very center of the explosion, and thinking about it, he couldn''t help but get goosebumps all over his body.


    He and ra had been walking around for 2 hours, they didn''t change directions and continued to walk towards the center, and only now, did they finally reach it. To think a human could cast a spell with such a huge scale of destruction¡­ and that too after bombarding countless other strong spells.


    Vaan looked around, trying to find the Swordsman, the Demon, or anyone else''s body, but again, other than the cause of the destruction herself, the rest were all devoured to the point where even their bones had disappeared.


    "That was a terrifying spell," Vaanmented with a solemn look on his face.


    However, seeing that he didn''t receive a reply, he turned towards his fianc¨¦e only to see her staring at Veronica''s dead body.


    Once again, Vaan was mesmerized.


    Even in death, Veronica''s majesty hadn''t faded away. The woman was on her two knees, her shoulders were hanging, her head however, was raised upward as if she was scared that it would fall down the moment she lost the power to control it.


    Her long red hair was flowing together with the wind, most of her clothes had torn apart, unable to bear the brunt of the explosion, her naked body was revealed, but despite it being one of the most alluring bodies Vaan had ever seen, just thinking about the scale of destruction caused by this woman made him tremble in fear.


    Lustful thoughts didn''t even enter his mind during the entire ordeal.


    "Should we bury her?"


    Vaan questioned as he nced at ra.


    He noticed the strange look on ra''s face, he believed that it was because this was ra''s first time seeing a dead body from so close, so to help his fianc¨¦e feel better and to show his respect for the grand mage in front of him, he came up with the idea.


    ra nodded as well.


    Vaan was about to move, wanting to carry the body, but suddenly,


    "Let me do it."


    ra spoke up.


    Vaan was taken aback, he, however, didn''t stop her and nodded. ra then walked forward and gently held Veronica''s dead body, she then tried to pick it up, but then,


    *Thud*


    A book fell.


    ra and Vaan frowned, since ra was upied, Vaan picked up the book and cleaning the book a little, his eyes fell on the cover,


    ''Magic Guidebook: Journey from a 1st Circle to the 7th


    By Veronica meheart.''


    "Wait¡­"


    Suddenly, Vaan realized something as he nced at the dead body in front of him, he nced at Veronica''s blistering red hair, then, his eyes fell on ra. S


    "ra meheart¡­"


    Vaan couldn''t help but call out.


    ra, who had ced the body on the ground frowned as she saw the dull look on Vaan''s face, she walked towards him, and the moment she read the title of the book and Veronica''s full name,


    Her expression changed.


    A strange silence fell over the ce.


    Vaan didn''t know what to say and before he could even think about what to say, he was interrupted by a voice,


    "Vaan¡­"


    Little mey called out.

 Chapter 248 Say love Vaan…

    <h4>Chapter 248 Say love Vaan¡­</h4>


    ?"Vaan¡­"


    Vaan heard an adorable voice, he turned around and his eyes fell on a 10 cm girl with wings on her back flying in the air, looking at him with a small smile on her face.


    "mey?"


    Vaan blinked in surprise.


    "Did you just¡­ call my name?"


    "Vaan!"


    The little mey repeated herself, this time, in her usual cheerful voice. Vaan''s face brightened up as well.


    "Vaan! Vaan! Vaan!"


    Seeing that her being able to say his name was making Vaan happy, mey continued to do so. For some reason, however, she didn''t rush towards him and fly around his head like she normally does.


    Vaan found it strange, soon, however, he understood the reason.


    "That¡­ is mey¡­?"


    Suddenly, ra, who seemed to have lost in her own world after learning Vernoica''s full name, spoke with a surprised look on her face as she nced at mey.


    "ra!"


    mey shouted her name in excitement.


    For ra, it was her first time seeing Vaan, mey however, had always been around ra and treated her like a friend in her heart. Now that she was finally able to actually meet her friend, mey couldn''t help but feel excited.


    "You are mey!"


    Influenced by mey''s excitement, ra became cheerful as well, momentarily forgetting about everything she was thinking about.


    "I can see you! You are so adorable!"


    She couldn''t help but praise, and unlike Vaan, who usually waited for mey to make a move and rush towards him, ra tried to rush towards the little spirit and hold her but suddenly,


    *Whoosh*


    mey created a wall of mey in front of her.


    "Don''te¡­"


    She spoke and in an instant, ra lowered her head as she nodded.


    "Okay."


    Clearly, she was hurt but she didn''t show it on her face, she decided to hide what she was feeling like she always had been.


    Vaan, on the other hand, frowned.


    Unlike ra, he had been with mey for a long time now, he knew how much the little girl adored ra. Most of the time, while her little sisters are sitting on either side of his shoulders, she sits on ra''s because of how connected she feels with her.


    Vaan always thought it was a pity that ra couldn''t see her because if she could, he was a hundred percent sure that the two would bond together in an instant.


    "mey?"


    Vaan called out with a doubtful look on his face, unable to understand why mey was acting so distant.


    "Sisters¡­ hiding¡­"


    mey replied as she nced at Vaan.


    Vaan frowned, he then tilted his head to try and look behind mey and there they were,


    The two little sisters, the Water one stood the furthest while the Youngest stood in the middle of the two as if she was protected from all the sides.


    "What are you two doing?"


    Vaan questioned with a confused look on his face.


    The Spirits, however, didn''t reply, they simply nced at ra, who stood a certain distance away. Vaan didn''t understand.


    "They¡­ nervwous¡­"


    mey answered Vaan''s doubts as she pointed at ra, while at the same time, spreading her arms to ''widen'' herself in order to hide her sisters much more efficiently.


    Vaan couldn''t help but chuckle at the sight,


    "Are you two nervous about meeting ra?" He guessed. The two Spirits didn''t say anything however, their expression told everything Vaan needed to know.


    "Hahaha~ I can''t believe someone is nervous about meeting ra." Vaanughed out loud, then he turned towards his fianc¨¦e and, "You see that? Apparently, you intimidate them."


    In an instant, a worried look appeared on ra''s face,


    "D-Did I do something to harm them?" She questioned. "I promise I didn''t do it intentionally." The expression on her face was simr to the two spirits hiding behind their big sister.


    Noting that she was ming herself, mey frowned, "ra¡­" She called out with a worried look on her face, then, she started flying towards ra. Seeing that, the two spirits panicked and in an instant, they flew towards Vaan and hid behind his back, slowly peeking their little heads out to see what their big sister was trying to do.


    "ra¡­"


    mey flew towards ra. ra nced at the little spirit and involuntarily, she extended her hand. mey then stepped on ra''s hands, unlike before, where she would have simply passed through her hands, now, just like Vaan, mey could physically interact with ra. Even ra could feel her lightweight falling on her hand, a smile appeared on her face as she nced at the little spirit from close.


    "ra¡­"


    mey extended her two hands as she then flew toward ra''s face, then, she momentarily nced at her sisters as if she was trying to show them something, and then, she touched her little forehead with ra''s.


    "ra¡­ you are¡­ good¡­"


    Her pronunciation and fluency still weren''t perfect yet, rather, she seemed like a newbie show just learned a newnguage, however, that just made her even more adorable.


    ra felt like she was interacting with a baby and for some reason, this filled her with endless joy.


    "Thank you, mey."


    She replied.


    Seeing the bright smile appearing on ra''s face and how their big sister was continuously rubbing her forehead on hers, the two other spirits nced at each other, then, as if they came up with a tactical agreement, the two nodded at each other and then flew towards ra.


    "ra¡­"


    "Lara¡­"


    The two called out as they two ced their heads on ra''s forehead. Feeling their little heads touching her, ra''s heart beamed in joy.


    The sight was so beautiful that for an instant, Vaan was taken aback.


    "Hey Hey, I am there as well, you know? I feel like I am missing out."


    Heined.


    "Vaan!"


    The three spirits then suddenly rushed towards him, circling around his head just like they normally do, then, the three pressed their foreheads against Vaan before they turned around and nced at ra.


    "ra¡­e¡­"


    mey called.


    ra blinked in surprise. Vaan on the other hand, couldn''t be more proud of his little spirit.


    "Lara¡­e¡­"


    Breazy called out as she stared at ra with her big eyes. The little girl couldn''t even properly pronounce ra''s name yet, however, seeing that she was still making the effort, ra had no choice but to give in.


    She walked forward, the three Spirits stared at her intently, and under their stares, she ced her head on Vaan''s forehead and wrapped her hands around him.


    "Love you¡­"


    Suddenly, mey called out.


    Vaan frowned, mey however, nced at ra and,


    "Say love Vaan¡­"


    She spoke.


    And once again, Vaan was proud of his little girl. He swore in his heart to feed her till she was full even if it meant his death.


    ra on the other hand blushed.


    But again,


    "Say¡­"


    Breazy spoke up, backing up her bigger sister and at the same time, making ra feelpelled by her cute stare,


    "I love you¡­"


    In the end, ra buried her head into Vaan''s chest as she spoke the magical words. A big smile appeared on Vaan''s face and as if to widen that smile even further, the Spirits ced their heads on Vaan''s forehead again and,


    "Love you Vaan!"


    "Love!"


    "Lub Vaan!"


    The three spoke with cheerful looks on their faces.


    Vaan''s heart fluttered in joy. The hugsted for a good minute till Evane''s eyes fell on Veronica''s body again.


    "We should bury her¡­"


    She spoke, and this time, she didn''t look as down as before since both Sshy and Breazy were sitting on either side of her shoulders.


    "We should."


    Vaan nodded as well.


    The chances of Veronica being ra''s ancestors were high, and even if that wasn''t the case, as an exceptional mage who went as far as sacrificing her life to do what she believed to be right, Vaan thought that the woman at least deserved a proper burial.


    However, just as he was about to touch her body,


    "Stop."


    mey flew in front of him.


    "Hmm? What is it?" Vaan questioned with a frown on his face.


    "We should go¡­"


    mey spoke.


    "What¡­?" ra frowned in confusion.


    "Don''t touch body¡­" mey replied but both Vaan and ra couldn''t understand the reason behind her words.


    "Are you saying we shouldn''t bury the body?" Vaan questioned and seeing the little spirit nod, Vaan frowned, "Why?"


    "Time¡­ line¡­ dev-devwatwion."


    "What?"


    "Don''t touch!" mey shouted.


    Then, frustrated by how she couldn''t exin herself, mey touched both ra and Vaan, and suddenly,


    A huge amount of energy released from her body.


    "mey, what are you doing?"


    Vaan questioned. mey didn''t reply, she just stared right into Vaan''s eyes and unlike her normal cheerfulness, her eyes seemed like they were filled with wisdom that spanned through hundreds of thousands of years,


    Such a mature look on her baby-like face made Vaan blink in surprise,


    "m-"


    He wanted to ask something, but suddenly, an otherworldy glow came out of mey''s body, blinding both Vaan and ra.


    "mey!"


    Vaan shouted, unable to understand what the little girl was trying to do but suddenly,


    "You are finally back huh? Took you long enough.


    Just what in the hell were you two doing in there?"

 Chapter 250 The Ebonaths

    Chapter 250 The Ebonaths


    ??"I say that the experience we experienced was one of the biggest rewards one could hope for but of course, if others are satisfied by just knowing what sort of nts grew 5000 years ago and by bringing those nts here, then by all means, suit yourself."


    Vaan spoke as he momentarily nced at Den before turning towardsOctavius.


    Den obviously knew that the kid was trying to taunt him, offended, he wanted to reply,


    "I say that the experience we experienced was one of the biggest rewards one could hope for but of course, if others are satisfied by just knowing what sort of nts grew 5000 years ago and by bringing those nts here, then by all means, suit yourself."


    "You¡­"


    However, before he could say anything,


    "What did you say?"


    Octavius spoke as he nced at Vaan with a solemn look on his face. Previously, he was acting out because he was forced to stay in this room for 18 whole days, now however, none of that was visible.


    It was as if he had magically regained his Headmaster''s Aura, no, it was more than that. The look that he had on his face was rarely seen before and it wasn''t just him, the other teachers who were at Advanced Levels all had simr expressions on their faces as they nced at Vaan.


    "Humans backed up by Demons?"


    Octavius questioned, "Did you see them with your own eyes?"


    "That is correct." Vaan nodded.


    "But that is not possible." Suddenly, a Professor from the Swords Division spoke up. Unlike most professors from the swords division, he wasn''t looking at Vaan with a strange look on his face, after all, unlike others, he couldn''t care less about this foolish ''Swords versus Magic'' stuff.


    In his eyes, Vaan was an excellent student, a prodigy that, in the future, would change this world, he was even d that he was able to witness the rise of such a prodigy with his own eyes.


    Right now, however, he was the first one to void Vaan''s ims.


    "The Humans who were backed by the Demons do not make a move without a Demon following them because even though they had teamed up with them, in truth, none of the parties trusted each other."


    The Professor spoke.


    "The humans you saw wouldn''t be backed by the Demons, you must have made a mistake in the midst of the situation."


    Of course, the Professor wasn''t trying to berate Vaan.


    "It is not your fault either, you were sent into a ce you know nothing about and all your focus is on hiding your presence against beings who could end you with the flick of their fingers, it is understandable that you would make a mistake, don''t think too much about it. It was also your first time entering the Ruins, mistakes like these are much moremon than you would think."


    The Professor spoke with a gentle smile on his face. Vaan however, just tilted his head in confusion,


    "When did I say I didn''t see a Demon?"


    The instant those words left his mouth, it wasn''t just the professors, even the students, including, Lirael, Den, and the others widened their eyes in disbelief.


    Vaan just nced at the others and smiled inwardly,


    Obviously, he knew why everyone was reacting in such a manner.


    The Demons hadn''t made a move since the War that took ce 5000 years ago. Of course, everyone knew that they hadn''t died yet.


    The Proof of which was the Demon Continent.


    The Demon Continent was argend, if the Demons had perished, considering the Human Greed, they wouldn''t have left thatnd alone, however, the fact that none of the powers had made a move yet makes it clear that the Demons were still there.


    Another proof of the statement was the fact that for 5000 years, every single one of the exploration team, the team of the Church of Light included, that had ever stepped foot into the Demon Continent, had never returned.


    The Demons still existed and the very fact that they didn''t make a move even when the humans were weakened after the War between the Tower of Magic''s mages and the rest of the Human Powers, gave a clear indication that the foul creatures were nning something.


    As to what it was, no one knew. It was just that all the higher-ups in the world, the Heads of the Major Powers, all of them are worried and cautious of the Demons.


    They know, that once the Demons make their move, all the political warfare they were raising against each other would instantly crumble into nothingness as the Humans would then stand united against the Demons.


    Or¡­ at least this was what most were hoping for.


    Anyways, the fact that Vaan was able to see a Demon was surprising and gained so much attention not only because Demons were a rare sight these days, it was also because the information the humans had on the Demons was severely limited.


    Most of it was lost in the War and what had left was lost with the flow of time. The Humans, including the big powers, were pretty much clueless about the Demons other than knowing that they were evil beings that should be eradicated by the face of Agresia.


    "Are you sure you saw a Demon?"


    Octavius questioned with a grave look on his face.


    "I am."


    Vaan nodded.


    "What kind of creature it was? What did it do?"


    Another question was shot, this time, however, Vaan wasn''t given the option to not answer the question.


    Even if he had entered the Ruins by gaining that right through his own power, the ruins were still the Academy''s property.


    Not to mention the information he was carrying was extremely important for the sake of Humanity, Vaan had no choice but to reveal it.


    "I didn''t see its face, it was covered with a dark clock."


    Vaan''s first answer, however, was not optimistic.


    No one doubted him because they knew that he had no reason to hide such information, even if it was the Vesta House, when it came to a Demon, they had a zero-tolerance policy. Let alone team up with one, the Vestas abhorred even breathing the same air as them. So unless they wish to monopolize the information because they wish to deal with the Demons without the support of the other major Powers, which, they didn''t have the capability to do, there was no reason to hide or alter the information.


    The Professors just shook their heads in disappointment, the light of hope that had flickered in their hearts was crushed into pieces.


    "Well, I didn''t see its face, but I do know what ability it used."


    And just then, Vaan rekindled the mes of hopes.


    "What was it?" Octavius questioned, not even minding the games Vaan was ying in front of so many respectable professors.


    "He controlled the Mages'' team members'' bodies and made them explode."


    The instant he said those words, the eyes of the Professors turned grim.


    "The Ebonaths¡­"


    Octavius muttered.


    "I can''t believe you saw an Ebonath in action¡­"


    Other professors nodded at the above statement.


    "Wait, how was the Ebonath defeated? The Ebonath Demons can control Human Bodies and make them explode as they wish, how is one supposed to counter that?" Another Professor questioned.


    Hearing those words, Vaan frowned as he then shook his head, "I don''t think they are that strong, they cannot control everyone''s body. There has to be certain criteria, or else it would have used its ability on the Mage who fought and killed it.


    Heck, the Demon didn''t evene in the Frontlines the entire time. It was the Human Swordsman who was fighting the Mage."


    "A Swordsman?" Den narrowed his eyes. He didn''t think a Swordsman would do something as shameless as teaming up with a Demon.


    Just how low does one have to fall in order to choose such an option?


    ''Pathetic Bastard ruining the name of the Swordsman.'' Den snorted inwardly.


    "Well, there were Mages on their side as well. It is pointless to me the weapon of choice. In the end, what is in the Heart is what matters."


    Vaan spoke up.


    He didn''t try to pin this on the Swordsman to get to him because, well, his own father was a Swordsman. It would be hard to counter if Den mentioned that.


    While Vaan and Den were busy with their little game, Octavius and the other Professors were thinking about a different thing.


    "A criteria huh¡­"


    Octavius muttered to himself.


    "How was the Demon killed? What spell did the Mage you were talking about use?"


    Another Professor questioned as he nced at Vaan and Vaan couldn''t help but recall the image of that terrifying ball of mes that Veronica had created.


    He felt goosebumps all over his body as he thought about it, he also didn''t forget the huge amount of Faith Energy that was gathered before the spell was cast and¡­


    The God for whom the Faith Energy was gathered¡­


    "The Mage was blessed by the God of Magic, so copying that won''t be possible."

 Chapter 250 The Ebonaths

    Chapter 250 The Ebonaths


    ??"I say that the experience we experienced was one of the biggest rewards one could hope for but of course, if others are satisfied by just knowing what sort of nts grew 5000 years ago and by bringing those nts here, then by all means, suit yourself."


    Vaan spoke as he momentarily nced at Den before turning towardsOctavius.


    Den obviously knew that the kid was trying to taunt him, offended, he wanted to reply,


    "I say that the experience we experienced was one of the biggest rewards one could hope for but of course, if others are satisfied by just knowing what sort of nts grew 5000 years ago and by bringing those nts here, then by all means, suit yourself."


    "You¡­"


    However, before he could say anything,


    "What did you say?"


    Octavius spoke as he nced at Vaan with a solemn look on his face. Previously, he was acting out because he was forced to stay in this room for 18 whole days, now however, none of that was visible.


    It was as if he had magically regained his Headmaster''s Aura, no, it was more than that. The look that he had on his face was rarely seen before and it wasn''t just him, the other teachers who were at Advanced Levels all had simr expressions on their faces as they nced at Vaan.


    "Humans backed up by Demons?"


    Octavius questioned, "Did you see them with your own eyes?"


    "That is correct." Vaan nodded.


    "But that is not possible." Suddenly, a Professor from the Swords Division spoke up. Unlike most professors from the swords division, he wasn''t looking at Vaan with a strange look on his face, after all, unlike others, he couldn''t care less about this foolish ''Swords versus Magic'' stuff.


    In his eyes, Vaan was an excellent student, a prodigy that, in the future, would change this world, he was even d that he was able to witness the rise of such a prodigy with his own eyes.


    Right now, however, he was the first one to void Vaan''s ims.


    "The Humans who were backed by the Demons do not make a move without a Demon following them because even though they had teamed up with them, in truth, none of the parties trusted each other."


    The Professor spoke.


    "The humans you saw wouldn''t be backed by the Demons, you must have made a mistake in the midst of the situation."


    Of course, the Professor wasn''t trying to berate Vaan.


    "It is not your fault either, you were sent into a ce you know nothing about and all your focus is on hiding your presence against beings who could end you with the flick of their fingers, it is understandable that you would make a mistake, don''t think too much about it. It was also your first time entering the Ruins, mistakes like these are much moremon than you would think."


    The Professor spoke with a gentle smile on his face. Vaan however, just tilted his head in confusion,


    "When did I say I didn''t see a Demon?"


    The instant those words left his mouth, it wasn''t just the professors, even the students, including, Lirael, Den, and the others widened their eyes in disbelief.


    Vaan just nced at the others and smiled inwardly,


    Obviously, he knew why everyone was reacting in such a manner.


    The Demons hadn''t made a move since the War that took ce 5000 years ago. Of course, everyone knew that they hadn''t died yet.


    The Proof of which was the Demon Continent.


    The Demon Continent was argend, if the Demons had perished, considering the Human Greed, they wouldn''t have left thatnd alone, however, the fact that none of the powers had made a move yet makes it clear that the Demons were still there.


    Another proof of the statement was the fact that for 5000 years, every single one of the exploration team, the team of the Church of Light included, that had ever stepped foot into the Demon Continent, had never returned.


    The Demons still existed and the very fact that they didn''t make a move even when the humans were weakened after the War between the Tower of Magic''s mages and the rest of the Human Powers, gave a clear indication that the foul creatures were nning something.


    As to what it was, no one knew. It was just that all the higher-ups in the world, the Heads of the Major Powers, all of them are worried and cautious of the Demons.


    They know, that once the Demons make their move, all the political warfare they were raising against each other would instantly crumble into nothingness as the Humans would then stand united against the Demons.


    Or¡­ at least this was what most were hoping for.


    Anyways, the fact that Vaan was able to see a Demon was surprising and gained so much attention not only because Demons were a rare sight these days, it was also because the information the humans had on the Demons was severely limited.


    Most of it was lost in the War and what had left was lost with the flow of time. The Humans, including the big powers, were pretty much clueless about the Demons other than knowing that they were evil beings that should be eradicated by the face of Agresia.


    "Are you sure you saw a Demon?"


    Octavius questioned with a grave look on his face.


    "I am."


    Vaan nodded.


    "What kind of creature it was? What did it do?"


    Another question was shot, this time, however, Vaan wasn''t given the option to not answer the question.


    Even if he had entered the Ruins by gaining that right through his own power, the ruins were still the Academy''s property.


    Not to mention the information he was carrying was extremely important for the sake of Humanity, Vaan had no choice but to reveal it.


    "I didn''t see its face, it was covered with a dark clock."


    Vaan''s first answer, however, was not optimistic.


    No one doubted him because they knew that he had no reason to hide such information, even if it was the Vesta House, when it came to a Demon, they had a zero-tolerance policy. Let alone team up with one, the Vestas abhorred even breathing the same air as them. So unless they wish to monopolize the information because they wish to deal with the Demons without the support of the other major Powers, which, they didn''t have the capability to do, there was no reason to hide or alter the information.


    The Professors just shook their heads in disappointment, the light of hope that had flickered in their hearts was crushed into pieces.


    "Well, I didn''t see its face, but I do know what ability it used."


    And just then, Vaan rekindled the mes of hopes.


    "What was it?" Octavius questioned, not even minding the games Vaan was ying in front of so many respectable professors.


    "He controlled the Mages'' team members'' bodies and made them explode."


    The instant he said those words, the eyes of the Professors turned grim.


    "The Ebonaths¡­"


    Octavius muttered.


    "I can''t believe you saw an Ebonath in action¡­"


    Other professors nodded at the above statement.


    "Wait, how was the Ebonath defeated? The Ebonath Demons can control Human Bodies and make them explode as they wish, how is one supposed to counter that?" Another Professor questioned.


    Hearing those words, Vaan frowned as he then shook his head, "I don''t think they are that strong, they cannot control everyone''s body. There has to be certain criteria, or else it would have used its ability on the Mage who fought and killed it.


    Heck, the Demon didn''t evene in the Frontlines the entire time. It was the Human Swordsman who was fighting the Mage."


    "A Swordsman?" Den narrowed his eyes. He didn''t think a Swordsman would do something as shameless as teaming up with a Demon.


    Just how low does one have to fall in order to choose such an option?


    ''Pathetic Bastard ruining the name of the Swordsman.'' Den snorted inwardly.


    "Well, there were Mages on their side as well. It is pointless to me the weapon of choice. In the end, what is in the Heart is what matters."


    Vaan spoke up.


    He didn''t try to pin this on the Swordsman to get to him because, well, his own father was a Swordsman. It would be hard to counter if Den mentioned that.


    While Vaan and Den were busy with their little game, Octavius and the other Professors were thinking about a different thing.


    "A criteria huh¡­"


    Octavius muttered to himself.


    "How was the Demon killed? What spell did the Mage you were talking about use?"


    Another Professor questioned as he nced at Vaan and Vaan couldn''t help but recall the image of that terrifying ball of mes that Veronica had created.


    He felt goosebumps all over his body as he thought about it, he also didn''t forget the huge amount of Faith Energy that was gathered before the spell was cast and¡­


    The God for whom the Faith Energy was gathered¡­


    "The Mage was blessed by the God of Magic, so copying that won''t be possible."

 Chapter 251 They should have just given us a single bed.

    Chapter 251 They should have just given us a single bed.


    ??"The Mage was blessed by the God of Magic, so copying that won''t be possible."


    Hearing Vaan''s reply, all the Professors lowered their heads in disappointment.


    A momentter, one of the professors nced at Vaan and ra, and,


    "The two of you should move into the Healing Division, although your injuries aren''t life-threatening, they could still leave unwanted marks if they are not taken care of."


    The rest of the Professors nodded. Octavius then nced at Vaan and nodded as well. Then, he turned around, and Luke, whom Vaan once met and had a verbal bout with stepped forward and guided the two of them to the Healing Division.


    The rest of the students were then sent out and once there were only Professors left, Octavius sighed again,


    "We still have nothing."


    Hemented.


    Other Professors had grave looks on their faces as well.


    "Who knows how much those bastards know about us."


    Another onemented.


    The Humans had indeed lost most of the information they had on the Demons, however, whether the same was true for the Demons or not, that was unknown.


    But if one thought about it carefully, deducing the answer wasn''t exactly difficult and the answer was probably not something the humans wanted to ept.


    Unlike Humans, who barely lived for 100 years, with the ridiculously strong ones being able to live for 150 years, the demons were different, a 100-year Demon was still considered young. On average, those beings lived for around 500 years and the stronger ones evensted for 700 to 800 years.


    Not only that, but unlike the humans, where the power was divided into different factions with each faction thinking about their own benefit and even shing against other parties when required, the Demons were different.


    All the power there was divided between the Seven Churches of Darkness, with each Church working for the betterment of the Demon Race and serving the Demon God, or the God of Darkness.


    Of course, there were differences between the Seven Churches as well, however, unlike the Human Powers where things sometimes lead to Wars, the same never happened with the Demons.


    In other words, the demons were more¡­ organizedpared to the Humans, this,bined with their long lives, the chances that they lost the information they had on the humans like humans were¡­ extremely low.


    Heck, in these 5000 years, they must have gathered even more information while the Humans¡­


    Well, they didn''t have anything in their hands.


    "Alright, there is no point discussing it any further, I will inform other Major powers that our students saw a Demon in the Past Era and tell them everything he revealed to us even though it is not much."


    Octavius spoke with a calm look on his face, the other Professors nodded and soon, the room was emptied out and was shut closed. Only to be opened when any other student sessfully collected 5 Excellence Stars and receives the chance to enter the Past Era.


    ¡­


    On the other side, Vaan and ra sat inside the Medic Room and stared at each other.


    "They should have just given us a single bed."


    Vaanmented.


    "These beds are only for a single person, there isn''t space for two people," ra answered.


    "Your point?" Vaan tilted his head in confusion and ra couldn''t help but chuckle. Then, she nodded as well,


    "Single bed would have been better."


    The twoughed at each other before turning silent again.


    There were a lot of things the two of them wanted to talk about, however, both of them had the mutual understanding that those things should not be mentioned while they were inside the Medic room where there could be people keeping an eye on them.


    They simply waited for the Healer to arrive, which, for some reason, was taking much more time than they initially thought.


    "I apologize for making you wait,"


    While the two were thinking about it, they heard a gentle voice.


    A voice the two of them recognized in an instant. The two turned towards the door and their eyes fell on Selene Rainwarden, the Student Council President who was walking towards them with a gentle smile on her face.


    "I didn''t think I would meet you two this soon," Selene greeted politely.


    Vaan narrowed his eyes. In an instant, he understood why it took so much time for a healer to arrive.


    "We are d to meet you as well, Senior Selene."


    Seeing that Vaan hadn''t answered, ra filled in.


    Selene smiled as she then walked towards the two of them, then seeing their injuries, she frowned in worry, "The two of you should be careful. It is good that you are focused, but the information we have about the Past Era is too limited, the beings who reside there are not people we with our current forces could fathom.


    Anything can go wrong and any point in time. The two of you need to realize that you are the people the humanity cannot lose, you need to take better care of yourselves.


    Getting hurt in the Past Era is not epted, is that clear?"


    This was the first time Vaan and ra had heard Selene''s strict tone, her voice was naturally gentle, however, that didn''t mean her strict tone sounded funny, rather, it gave her an even stronger presence.


    Vaan didn''t like how she was trying to order them around, however, the fact that she was doing it out of worry for them, he couldn''t retort.


    "We will take care in the future." Vaan nodded.


    Selene then smiled, her strict expression melting in an instant.


    "That is good."


    The woman nodded.


    Then, she nced at ra and,


    "And don''t worry about your injuries, I will heal them in an instant."


    ra nodded with a smile as well.


    "You will do it?" Vaan was taken by surprise.


    "Hm?" Selene tilted her head in confusion.


    "Aren''t you a 4th Circle Mage, as a basic Mage, you couldn''t possibly have awakened the Healing Element or anything simr to that, how are you going to heal us?"


    Vaan questioned and Selene couldn''t help but chuckle,


    "I thought you would look into me after you meet me, was I not interesting enough to get into your eyes?"


    "I simply prefer not to look into people''s information, I respect their privacy."


    Of course, this was nothing more than bullshit. Vaan simply didn''t have enough time to look into this woman since he was busy preparing for Ancient Ruins and his mind games with Den.


    As for getting into his eyes¡­ well, Selene had far exceeded that level. Vaan regarded her as an opponent far more difficult to deal withpared to Den.


    Den was strong, however, getting into his head didn''t seem very difficult.


    This woman, on the other hand, was very different in that regard. This is the second time Vaan was meeting her and till now, he has nothing over this woman.


    She continued to have a gentle smile on her face and never once had her fake front faltered. It was almost as if this was her real self, which of course, wasn''t true. Vaan refused to believe that Selene was as perfect as others thought her to be.


    A person who is too perfect is lying.


    Selene was just better at hiding the truth than others. Of course, Vaan was confident that he would soon make her reveal her real self in front of him, then, it would truly be interesting to have a chat with the Student Council President.


    "Is that so? That is quite grand and respectworthy. I can never do it. My curiosity takes the best of me and I often find looking into the information of the people I find interesting.


    So I apologize for looking into the two of you before meeting you."


    Selene slightly bowed her head, then, with a smile, she continued,


    "To make things even, let me reveal a few things about me,


    Yes, you were correct, I am a 4th Circle Mage and I have not yet awakened my Nexus Element however, this doesn''t mean I cannot heal others, as the Follower of the God of Light, I can use my blessing to Heal others.


    I know what you are thinking, abusing God''s blessing like this shouldn''t be epted and it should only be used as thest straw, since, well, most humans can only use their blessings a limited number of times because of the toll it takes on the body.


    However, my opinions differ from you,


    I believe that Healing other life forms and relieving their pain is the best way in which you can serve my benevolent God of Light and from the looks of it, my God seems to agree with my opinion.


    I have no restrictions or limitations when ites to using my Blessing."


    Selene revealed and Vaan''s eyes widened in surprise,


    "What¡­?"


    As if used to receiving such a reaction, Selene just smiled and,


    "I can use my God''s blessing as many times as I want and it will not have any harmful effect on my body."

 Chapter 252 The Spirit World is everywhere.

    <h4>Chapter 252 The Spirit World is everywhere.</h4>


    ?"I can use my God''s blessing as many times as I want and it will not have any harmful effect on my body."


    Selene revealed and both Vaan and ra couldn''t believe what they were hearing and stared at the Student Council President with their mouth agape.


    Seeing them reacting like that, Selene simply smiled,


    "Although I am used to seeing such a reaction, it still hurts when the two of you do it." The Council President then turned towards ra and,


    "You are in your early 20s and are already a 4th Circle Mage, you also have the mage with the greatest potential in the entire world as your Teacher."


    Then, she turned towards Vaan and,


    "Your achievements are even more surprising, creating Advanced Circles that give you such a huge advantage over others, countless Top Level Mages have been trying to copy your circles and understand the principals behind them, yet they fail miserably.


    If you look at it in a more practical manner, the two of you aren''t any different from me. So I would be grateful if you two do not look at me like that."


    It was a polite request and for some reason, both Vaan and ra couldn''t find any way to deny her request. Selene''s convincing power was off the charts.


    ''This must be how she became the Student Council President.''


    Vaan noted in his mind.


    Of course, he didn''t underestimate this woman.


    ''Her strength shouldn''t be any lower than Den''s, she might even be stronger.''


    Someone who could use God''s blessing without any restrictions whatsoever couldn''t possibly be weak. Just using her blessing again and again would give her enough advantage to overpower almost any opponent.


    Heck, even in the battle where Veronica fought against her opponents if she had a freak who could use the God of Light''s blessing to heal her again and again, Veronica would have no reason to sacrifice her life, she could have focused on protecting Selene and continue to fight till her opponents are no longer in the condition to fight anymore.


    The life of a 7th Circle Mage like Vyriana''s could be saved just by the addition of someone like Selene on her side, just how ridiculous is that?


    Vaan was sure that even if it was him, his presence there would have little to no impact in that situation.


    "I will look into you, Student Council President."


    Vaan spoke as he nced at Selene.


    Selene chuckled,


    "Have I finally attracted your attention?"


    "I would be lying if I said what you said today didn''t change my opinion of you. I still cannot understand how you can use your blessing endlessly and how it doesn''t affect your body in any way at all."


    "What a coincidence, I still do not understand the Principals behind your Advanced Circles."


    Seleneughed out loud and Vaan had no answer to it.


    "Oh, look at me chatting with you when I should be healing you."


    Suddenly, Selene realized, then, she smiled and,


    "I am sorry for the dy, Vaan Astra Vesta and ra meheart."


    Saying those words, the council president closed her eyes and joined her hands,


    "O Divine Light, so pure and bright,


    Fill my heart with love and light.


    Grant me peace and kindness too,


    So I may spread kindness anew."


    She started praying.


    The moment the first words left her mouth, Vaan could already see the whirlpool of energy forming over her head and he couldn''t help but widen his eyes in shock when he noticed something.


    The amount of Faith Energy gathered¡­


    It almost rivaled Veronica''s teammate who was focused on healing her.


    One had to know, that man was an Intermediate Level being, for Selene''s Faith Energy to be rivaling her when she was only a 4th Circle Mage¡­ that too when she didn''t have any restriction of being able to use the blessing only a certain number of times¡­


    Just how monstrous one could be?


    Vaan couldn''t help but wonder in his head. Even the three spirits sitting on his shoulders and head were looking at the scene in front of them with shocked looks on their faces and although ra couldn''t see it with her own eyes, seeing Vaan and the Spirit''s reactions, she could tell that something surprising was happening.


    "Bless me with your healing power,


    Every soul, in every hour.


    Grant me strength to heal and mend,


    With your love, may all wounds transcend.


    Illuminate our hearts each day,


    So we may walk the righteous way.


    In your name, we humbly pray,


    O God of Light, show us the way."


    The chant ended, a huge amount of Faith Energy gathered over Selene''s head, mey and others gulped as they looked at the treat in front of them, however, knowing that this energy was supposed to be used in order to heal Vaan and ra''s wounds, they controlled themselves and didn''t make a move.


    After all, for them, nothing was more important than Vaan and ra.


    After all, for them, nothing was more important than Vaan and ra.


    Selene finally opened her eyes, her green eyes shining with a different radiance than before, she then nced at both Vaan and ra and the energy over her head moved, covering both Vaan and ra.


    The couple sensed the energy entering their body and they couldn''t help but moan in pleasure and relief, it was as if they were ced under a bright son where their bodies were freezing. The slow, but regenerative process filled their entire body with bliss.


    The two of them couldn''t help but sigh in relief again, their wounds disappeared with a speed that was visible to the eyes. 5 minutester, the two of them returned to their peak state, they could even feel their fatigue disappearing, but suddenly,


    "The two of you should get a good rest now.


    I rmend an eight-hour sleep."


    Selene spoke with her usual, gentle smile on her face. Then, looking at Vaan and ra''s expressions, she just chuckled,


    "Yes, I know, you must be feeling that your fatigue is treated as well, however, that is just the aftereffect of the blessing I used, it is not a permanent solution. If you carry on with your daily tasks, your fatigue will return.


    Being treated with blessing or magic is alright, however, it still cannot ovee natural recovery.


    Anyway, I have done what I had to do, I also had a great time chatting with the two of you, but since the two of you now need to rest, I will not bother you.


    I will now be going, the two of you can rest here if you wish, going back to your Mansion isn''t a problem either."


    Saying those words, Selene smiled as she turned around and left.


    Vaan and ra stared at each other, then, Vaan jumped out of the bed and extended his hand towards ra. ra took the hand as she got out of the bed and the two decided to return to their mansion.


    ¡­


    "Haaahh¡­"


    Vaan sighed in relief as he jumped on his bed, ra simply smiled as she shook her head. After settling everything down, she also sat on the bed and when the two made sure that they were alone, Vaan turned towards his Spirits.


    "You three, where did you suddenly disappear to when you rushed towards the Faith Energy that mage gathered?"


    mey looked at her sisters and saw that the two of them were staring at her, shifting all the responsibility onto the eldest sister, she couldn''t help but pout and then nced at Vaan who wanted answers.


    "Spirit¡­ world¡­"


    The little spirit, no, the eldest sister answered.


    "Spirit World¡­?"


    Vaan narrowed his eyes.


    This was the first time he had heard this name.


    "Is it like a Home to all the Spirits?"


    The name was self-exnatory however, Vaan still wanted to make sure.


    mey nodded.


    "So there were more spirits there besides you?"


    mey nodded again.


    "How many were there?"


    The little mey counted with her little fingers, then, she extended her palm with 4 of her fingers up.


    "Four?"


    mey nodded again.


    "There were more¡­ we only met four¡­"


    mey answered.


    "How do you know there were more?"


    "I could tell¡­"


    mey replied with an unsure look on her face.


    She could sense other Spirits was keeping eyes on them, her attention, however, was focused on the kind silver-haired spirit in front of her and she ignored the rest.


    "How many total number Spirits were there?" Vaan questioned and suddenly, a strange light shown in mey''s eyes.


    "Many¡­ thousands¡­"


    She answered and Vaan couldn''t help but raise his eyebrows in surprise.


    "Can only the Spirits enter the Spirit World?"


    "Yes."


    "Then is there a Spirit World in our Era?"


    "Yes."


    mey nodded again and both Vaan and ra were surprised.


    "Where is it?"


    Even if he couldn''t enter, there are chances that he might be able to see other spirits and get more information, however, the answer he received was strange,


    "Everywhere."


    "What¡­?"


    "The Spirit World is everywhere."

 Chapter 253 It all makes sense now…

    Chapter 253 It all makes sense now¡­


    ??"The Spirit World is everywhere."


    mey spoke, her red eyes shined with strange radiance.


    "Everywhere¡­?"


    Vaan couldn''t understand.


    mey nodded, Vaan then pointed in a random direction and, "Even here?"


    He questioned.


    mey nodded again and Vaan couldn''t help but frown.


    "Can humans not see it?"


    He still couldn''t understand what mey was talking about.


    ra, on the other hand, could guess the rough idea,


    "I think she means that the Spirit World is everywhere, it is no different than our world, just that only the Spirits can ess it,


    Like a different dimension."


    "Yes."


    mey pointed at ra and nodded with a big smile on her face.


    "A world no one else could ess¡­" Vaan muttered.


    "Vaan can."


    ra pointed out.


    "What¡­?"


    "Vaan can ess¡­ the Spirit World¡­"


    Both Vaan and ra nced at each other and frowned.


    "ra cannot see the Spirit World¡­ cannot see us before¡­


    Vaan can see the Spirit World."


    mey tried to exin, Vaan narrowed his eyes, trying to make out what the little spirit just said,


    "ra couldn''t see you before because she cannot see the Spirit World but I could because I could see the Spirit World."


    "Yes."


    mey nodded.


    "Then how can she see you now?" Vaan questioned.


    mey however, shook her head,


    "¡­don''t know."


    "Does that mean that I can now see the Spirit world?"


    ra questioned, mey however, shook her head again,


    "¡­don''t know."


    ra and Vaan turned silent.


    It was clear that whatever they were receiving wasn''t enough to satiate their curiosity, and mey who could realize it seemed sad and lowered her head.


    "It is not your fault, mey. Rather, you are the one who is answering all our questions, you are doing your best and we are grateful for that." Vaan spoke as he patted his mey''s head.


    "Exactly, mey, you have no reason to me yourself, you are the best!" ra spoke as she gently held mey in her hands.


    Feeling left out, Sshy and Breazy flew towards ra and sat on her shoulders as well.


    "Best!"


    "Best¡­"


    The two of them cheered their eldest sister as well.


    The little mey smiled.


    "But why only me¡­?" Suddenly, Vaan questioned.


    He couldn''t understand how he was different than others. Could it be rted to the fact that he wasn''t originally from this world?


    ''No, the previous Vaan could see mey as well¡­'' Vaan shook his head.


    "¡­don''t know."


    mey shook her head again.


    ra patted her head, cheering her up.


    Vaan turned silent. This time, ra didn''t have an answer either.


    Seeing that the little girl was feeling sad, Vaan decided to change the topic and move towards other topics, topics the little spirit might have the answers to. As for the questions that were troubling him¡­


    Well, since even mey didn''t know the answers, there was nothing else he could do but keep them on the side of their mind and find the answers on his ownter.


    For now, he simply proceeded to the next question that came to his mind,


    "Are there any other Spirits in the Spirit World? And since I can ess the Spirit World, can I see those Spirits?"


    Again, the little mey shook her head, this time, however, she had a definite answer,


    "No one else¡­ only the three of us¡­"


    Vaan and ra''s expressions changed. mey had a sad look on her face as well. If asked, she would definitely prefer staying in the Past Era where she could find more people like her and wouldn''t have to spend her time alone like she did before.


    Of course, that is only if Vaan, her sisters, and ra were together with her, even though she wanted to live with other Spirits, she couldn''t live without the people around her.


    ra was quick to kiss mey''s head to cheer her up, mey closed her eyes with a bright smile on her face.


    "Alright, let''s move to another question,


    How did you suddenly disappear? If you went to the Spirit World, I should have seen you, no?"


    "Taken away," mey answered.


    "Who took you away?" Vaan questioned.


    He had a rough guess in his mind that it was the one who protected him and talked to him, but he still knew nothing about the voice itself, he assumed that mey was different and knew more than him.


    And his assumption was correct,


    "The Queen."


    mey answered.


    "The Queen?"


    "The Queen of all Spirits. She was kind."


    "Is she also the one who saved me?" Vaan questioned and once again, mey nodded.


    "How did she do it?" Vaan asked another question.


    "The Fire was created from her blessing."


    "What¡­?"


    Suddenly, both Vaan and ra blinked in surprise as they nced at each other.


    "But wasn''t Lady Veronica praying to the God of Magic¡­?" ra pointed out.


    "How could the Spirit Queen bless her¡­?"


    ra however, shook her head again and,


    "No God¡­


    Only the Queen of Spirits."


    "What¡­?"


    Vaan and ra''s mouths were agape.


    "Elder Spirits and the Spirit Queens blessed mages.


    God of Magic does not exist¡­"


    The little Spirit revealed and it was as if Vaan and ra''s world had turned around.


    Vaan still couldn''t believe what he was hearing, ra, on the other hand, came up with an entirely different theory.


    "We went to the Era where the God of Magic blessed its believers, an Era where thousands or even hundreds of thousands of Spirits existed.


    Now, however, the Spirits doesn''t exist and for some reason, the God of Magic doesn''t bless his believers anymore.


    What if¡­


    The God of Magic was never a singr entity?


    Has anyone ever seen what God looks like? What if rather than being a singr entity, the God of Magic was¡­ or were¡­ the Spirits who have now ceased to exist¡­


    If what mey said is correct and the Spirits were the ones who listened to the believers'' prayers and blessed them¡­


    Then¡­


    Doesn''t that mean the Spirits were the God of Magic?"


    "Spirits¡­ were god of Magic¡­?"


    Vaan blinked in surprise as he nced at the little Spirits standing in front of him with innocent looks on their faces.


    Knowing what Vaan was thinking, ra shook her head,


    "Don''t jump to conclusions. The three of them are indeed Spirits but that doesn''t mean they are the manifestation of the God of Magic, they cannot bless other Mages."


    ra spoke but suddenly,


    "I can!"


    mey raised her hand with an excited look on her face.


    "What¡­?"


    Vaan blinked in surprise.


    This was the first time he was hearing something like that. If the little girl could do it, then why didn''t she tell him?


    And as if the little spirit could sense what he was thinking,


    "The Queen taught me!"


    She exined herself.


    "She taught you how to bless believers¡­?"


    ra questioned.


    mey nodded,


    "Not just that, she taught us many things!"


    "What else did she teach you?" ra questioned.


    mey however, lowered her head in embarrassment and scratched her head,


    "I am still trying to understand¡­"


    "What?"


    "She taught me¡­


    I haven''t understood¡­"


    "So you are still trying to understand what she taught you and once you do understand¡­"


    "I will be stronger!


    Right now, I only know how to Bless¡­ but I will work hard and learn more things!"


    mey spoke as she patted her little biceps.


    "It all makes sense now¡­"


    Suddenly, Vaan muttered out loud.


    ra turned towards him and he continued,


    "The Advanced Circles, the Instant Spells that she improvises, leaving away thousands of years of knowledge to the dust with ease, her monstrously strong knowledge rted to Spells and Magic is general¡­


    It all makes sense now¡­"


    Both Vaan and ra nced at each other and gulped.


    ''We are talking with the God of Magic¡­''


    Both of them had reached the same conclusion.


    A conclusion so groundbreaking that if any other mage heard about it, he or she would simply fall on his knees and kowtow in front of the little girls who were flying in the sky.


    This news could break the entirety of Agresia andpletely turn around the worldly matters as they are known to be.


    The God of Magic was back¡­ and it had returned in these¡­ little forms that only two Basic Mages could see¡­


    "We can revive the Tower of Magic¡­"


    Suddenly, ra spoke up.


    "The Tower of Magic¡­" Vaan muttered.


    A force that once rivaled the Church of Light¡­ A force strong enough that the likes of the Dawncrest Family and even the Vaan Family wouldn''t even enter their eyes¡­


    The two of them now were looking at the soul of such power.


    "Vaan¡­" ra muttered as she nced at Vaan.


    Vaan was speechless as well.


    All of this was a little too much for him to digest.


    He couldn''t believe that the little girls he was feeding and ying with all this time were¡­ manifestations of who was once one of the Strongest Gods in the world¡­


    "Vaan? ra?"


    Seeing the strange looks on their faces, mey tilted her head in confusion. She wasn''t alone, Sshy and Breazy seemed confused as well.


    "mey¡­"


    Vaan called out.


    "Vaan?" mey called again as she flew towards Vaan with a frown on her face, not liking the way he was looking at her.

 Chapter 254 Does it even matter?

    Chapter 254 Does it even matter?


    ??"Vaan?" mey called again as she flew towards Vaan with a frown on her face, not liking the way he was looking at her.


    Vaan looked at the spirit with a strange look on his face, he was having a hard time thinking about how to treat her, before, he saw her as his daughter and a close friend, someone he could shower all his love on, now however, the fact that the girl was incarnation of the God of Magic and is destined to be in a worldpletely different than his¡­


    Vaan was now confused.


    Of course, he wasn''t underestimating himself, someone with his level of arrogance couldn''t possibly do that, however, no matter what, in the end, he was only a human, there was a limit to what he could do and how long he could live for,


    He couldn''t possibly rival a God, that too, one of the Strongest Gods in the history of Agresia.


    "Vaan?"


    mey tilted her head in confusion as she ced her little hands on Vaan''s nose. Sensing that something was wrong, Sshy and Breazy left ra''s shoulders and flew towards Vaan as well.


    "Vaan¡­"


    Breazy called out.


    Out of instinct, Vaan''s hand moved towards the wind spirit, just like she always does, Breazy sat on his hand and looked at him with a worried look on her face.


    "Vaan¡­"


    Suddenly, mey called out again, this time, tears had welled into the corners of her eyes.


    "Have we done something wrong¡­?


    Should we not have met the Queen¡­?


    We never meet her again¡­"


    The more she spoke, the more her voice cracked, and seeing that expression Vaan''s heartfelt pain like never before.


    "Never meet¡­" Breazy spoke as well.


    "I stay¡­ with Vaan¡­"


    Sshy flew and sat on Vaan''s head, trying to ruffle his hair with her small hands but failing miserably.


    "Vaan¡­"


    Seeing the three Spirits acting like it, a strange emotion rose up in ra''s heart. She nced at Vaan and,


    "Does it even matter?" She questioned with a strange look on her face.


    "Nothing changed, did it?


    The three of them were Incarnations of the God of Magic from the very beginning. Learning about it now doesn''t change anything.


    They are still your mey, Sshy, and Breazy.


    Though I highly doubt the girls like those names."


    ra chuckled lightly, adding a small joke at the end.


    "We like!"


    "Like!"


    "Breazy~"


    The three Spirits, however, were quick to retort, taking Vaan''s side, seeing the girls fighting for him, Vaan couldn''t help but chuckle.


    "See? They take your side in an instant, how could we possibly act distant just because we now know that they are the Magic God? This information shouldn''t change anything."


    ra chuckled.


    Vaan smiled as he nodded as well.


    He had no clue what he was thinking. He nced at mey and moved his hand towards her, wanting her to sit on his hand like Breazy, mey however, rejected his offer and after giving a small peck on his forehead, she sat on top of his nose.


    "Hehehe~"


    The little girlughed out loud.


    Following her, the rest of the people in the roomughed as well.


    Not wanting to feel left out, ra went ahead and hugged Vaan as well, cing her head on his chest. Breazy flew and sat on ra''s head, Vaan''s hands then moved to ra''s back as he tightened his hug.


    "Love!!"


    mey shouted again as she raised her hand.


    Knowing what she wanted her to do, ra couldn''t help but chuckle and,


    "I love you, Vaan."


    "I love you too."


    Vaan chuckled.


    *Knock* *Knock*


    Suddenly, while the couple were hugging each other, they heard a knock. In an instant, ra was jolted awake and moved away from Vaan before turning towards the doors.


    "You have just returned after weeks of being next to each other alone, why the hell are you talking like you haven''t seen each other for years?"


    Orion''s voice was heard.


    "Why the hell are you eavesdropping on your son''s conversation? Do you not have any shame?" Vaan questioned back.


    "Haah? Have you gotten bolder after returning from the ruins?"


    Orion questioned back, "Also, I don''t have any interest in eavesdropping on your conversation, I only came here because your mother wishes to talk to you."


    "What?"


    Vaan frowned.


    "She wanted to ask a few things about the Demon you saw in the Past Era."


    "How does she know¡­?" Vaan questioned as soon as he did, he realized the answer.


    "The Headmaster informed all the major problems, you might have people visiting you soon. Be prepared, you are about to get busy."


    Orion spoke with a big smile on his face.


    "Also, how long before you open the door? What the hell are the two of you even doing in there? Do you have your clothes on at least?"


    "Paa!!"


    Vaan shouted as ra''s face turned red in embarrassment.


    "Hehehe~" As if she could understand everything, the little meyughed out loud.


    "Can he see you?" Vaan questioned as he nced at mey, the spirit shook her head.


    ra on the other hand, was already on the door, preparing to open the door. Seeing Vaan nod, she opened the door.


    Orion then walked in and looked at the two with a suspicious look on his face, in the end however, he simply shrugged, not wanting to be involved with his son''s love life.


    Then, he passed the Call Artifact to Vaan, Vaan took the Artifact and,


    "Hello?"


    [Vaan.]


    Astra called out.


    "It has been a while, Mother." Vaan greeted with a smile.


    [We just met a few weeks ago.]


    "Well, it was a long while for me because of how much I missed you." Vaan chuckled.


    [¡­]


    Astra turned silent, not knowing what to say.


    She could sense that Vaan was acting strangely and suddenly,


    "Mother." He called out.


    [What is it?]


    "You need toe back here, I need to talk to you and I cannot do it through the Artifact."


    [It doesn''t matter, Demons aren''t something we will be hiding from the rest anyway-]


    "Mother, I know that.


    But you still need toe here."


    Vaan cut Astra off and once again,


    Astra turned silent.


    A minute passed by, none of the parties spoke, even Orion was looking at Vaan with a solemn look on his face, then finally,


    [How important is it?] Astra questioned.


    "Very. Much more important than the previous one." Vaan answered and in an instant, Orion''s face turned grave.


    [The Academy will not allow me to return because other powers might try to take advantage of it.]


    Astra exined the problem.


    In the end, the Agresia Academy was a neutral power, a power that nurtured future powerhouses of Agresia, the fact that the head of one of the Strongest Families in the world was making an appearance in this neutral power wouldn''t be taken positively.


    Some families would even think that the Academy has tilted towards the side of the Vestas because of their personal rtionships and are now trying to discretely manipte the younger generation to have a favorable impression of the Vesta Family.


    Of course, families like the Dawncrest wouldn''t possibly take it lying down. They would definitely try to get something out of the situation, something that the Academy couldn''t possibly allow.


    Vaan understood the crux of the problem as well and turned silent.


    "Take a leave from the Academy."


    Suddenly, Orion spoke up.


    "What¡­?" Vaan tilted his head in confusion.


    The Agresia Academy was trying to show the students how the real world worked, the challenges students face inside, the factions they make, and the politics they y are done so that the students are prepared to meet the real world once they graduate from the Academy.


    Just like one couldn''t just ''leave'' the real world when he felt like it, the academy students weren''t allowed to take ''leave'' from the Academy either.


    They could either leave the Academy in the two months'' holidays that are given, or when they graduate or¡­ when they decide to leave the Academy altogether.


    There was no fourth option. Even medical conditions couldn''t be used as an excuse since the Academy had few of the world''s best healers living inside. Not to mention that there was also a branch of the Church of Light inside.


    "Go to your grandfather and tell him you have something important to discuss with your mother, I am sure he will provide you with a solution."


    "Is that even possible?" Vaan questioned.


    Orion however, just chuckled,


    "He is the Headmaster of the Academy, inside these walls, he could do whatever he wants, so providing a solution shouldn''t be difficult.


    Although considering his personality, he will make you put a lot at stake."


    A yful smile appeared on Orion''s face as he nced at Vaan.


    Vaan didn''t even think about it and nodded. The information he had was simply too important for him to think about these simple matters.


    Heck, even leaving the Academy permanently wouldn''t be a problem in a situation like this.


    After all, they needed a set n of action about how to deal with the entire situation.


    The revival of the God of Magic couldn''t possibly be a small thing. Astra''s expertise was absolutely needed in the matter.


    "Alright then Mother, just wait for me, I will be there soon."


    Vaan spoke with a confident smile on his face.

 Chapter 255 Veronica Flameheart

    Chapter 255 Veronica meheart


    ??"Alright then, Mother, just wait for me. I will be there soon," Vaan spoke with a confident smile on his face.


    [Well then, I will be waiting.] Astra nodded as well.


    "Also, Mother." Before Astra could end the call, Vaan spoke.


    [What is it?] Astra questioned.


    "Do you know anything about the meheart Family?" Vaan questioned as he nced at ra. A strange glint shone in ra''s eyes as she recalled the valiant Mage facing her enemies before finally ending her own life. The sight of her sitting on her knees with her head low still has not left her mind.


    [The meheart Family¡­?] Astra''s expression changed.


    "I only know that raes from that Family. Other than that, I know nothing about my future inws. Why is that?" Vaan questioned. This wasn''t just because of Veronica; he had this question in his mind for a long time now. He just didn''t get the perfect chance to ask it. After all, he had never once seen ra mention her family either. When asked, ra simply shook her head, saying that she hadn''t seen her family ever since she came to the Vesta Family. Heck, the girl didn''t even remember her parents'' faces, which Vaan found strange. After all, what sane parents would simply give their daughter away to someone? No matter how great of a person they are giving their daughter to is. And even if they do give their daughter away, how could they possibly not want to meet their own blood?


    [Is ra the one asking that?] Suddenly, Astra questioned. [Does she wish to meet her family? Boy, did you do anything to hurt my pupil?] Astra narrowed her eyes. Vaan could feel a jolt running through his body when he heard his mother''s words. Despite her being thousands of kilometers away from him, her tone was still as scary as always.


    "W-What are you talking about? How can I hurt your pu- my fianc¨¦e? I love her the most, and no, it is not ra asking this question. It is me. I simply wish to know more about my inws."


    [Why is that?]


    "Why not?" Vaan frowned. Then suddenly, his frown deepened. "Mother, what are you hiding?"


    [I am not hiding anything.] Astra replied. Then, after a moment of silence, she continued, [Is the girl next to you? Can she hear me?]


    Vaan then nced at ra and said, "She can hear you."


    Astra nodded. Then, after taking a breath, she called out, [ra?]


    "Teacher¡­" ra called out.


    [Today, I will tell you about the meheart Family, its erased history, and the reason I took you in as my Pupil.] Astra started. [Back in the times of the Tower of Magic, along with the Vestas, there was another family that was an essential part of the Tower, The meheart Family. If the Vestas were called the Heart of the Tower, The mehearts were called the Soul. Simr to the Vestas, the mehearts continued to raise more and more magical geniuses who could overturn the entire world with their might. The Vestas and the mehearts worked as a team; both were equally strong. If what happened hadn''t happened, and the Vestas weren''t standing alone when the God of Magic stopped blessing us, and the mehearts, with all their might, were standing together with us, then rather than a stalemate, the War would have ended with the Mages'' victory.] Astra spoke. Not only Vaan and ra, but even Orion widened his eyes in disbelief. This was the first time he was hearing this story.


    "I-Is that even possible? The Mages were against the entire world¡­" Vaan couldn''t help but question.


    Astra, however, simply chuckled. [Vaan, just us Vestas alone forced the entire world to be in a stalemate with us. What do you think if there was another force, as strong as the Vestas, if not stronger, standing together with us? Do you think losing was even an option?]


    "A force as strong as the Vestas¡­?"


    [That is correct. The Original mehearts were as strong as the Vestas.]


    "But you said that the meheart is a small family¡­" Vaan muttered.


    [The current meheart cannot even bepared to the original mehearts. They arepletely different from each other. The mehearts had long fallen, to the point where even history doesn''t remember them.]


    Astra replied. ra, who was hearing everything, could feel strange emotions welling within her heart. Then, with a hoarse voice, she questioned, "W-Why did the mehearts fall¡­?"


    [It was a Mage named Veronica meheart.]


    Astra replied. Hearing the familiar name, both Vaan and ra widened their eyes in surprise.


    "Veronica meheart¡­?" Vaan spoke just to confirm that the name he heard was correct and it wasn''t just his minding up with random stuff.


    [That is correct. All those years ago, the Thriving mehearts gave birth to the greatest Magic Prodigy the world had ever seen, The girl who became an Intermediate Mage at a mere age of 15. To understand just how monstrous this achievement was, the Archmage Alienora Vesta, the woman who defended the Tower of Magic''s headquarters against countless enemies alone, became an Intermediate Mage when she was 18. So in terms of potential, Veronica meheart''s Potential was much better than hers. A genius like Veronica quickly climbed up the ranks of the Tower of Magic. She was even considered as the next Tower Master of the Tower of Magic when she was merely 22. But suddenly, one day, the 22-year-old Veronica decided to leave. For some reason, she decided to join a small force on the outskirts of the City and broke all contact with the Tower of Magic and the meheart Family. No matter how much everyone tried to convince her to return, she didn''t listen and continued to stay in the outskirts, sometimes even threatening people with her own life, saying things like she would take her own life if more people came to bother her. Then one day, her dead body was found in the middle of the forest. She had overused her blessing and died fighting an enemy. Because of the sheer strength of the spell she used, everything around her had turned into ashes, and no one could find out what happened to her. Too shocked by their daughter''s death, the Head of the meheart Family and his wife took their own lives, leaving everything to other members of the family. From that day, as if the mehearts were cursed by an unknown force, no prodigy was born into the family. That is¡­ Till another prodigy was born¡­ A prodigy you people know the best.]


    Astra spoke, and in an instant, all eyes in the room turned towards ra.


    "So the reason you took ra in as your pupil¡­" Vaan spoke, and Astra


    nodded again.


    [The mehearts were blessed with another Prodigy after more than 5000 years. This could very well mark the return of the mehearts. I had a conversation with ra''s father, the head of the meheart Family, and both of us decided to not take any chances. I then took in ra to protect her and raise her as my pupil. The mehearts decided to create distance with ra until she was all grown up so as to not affect them by the ''curse'' in any way.]


    Astra replied. Once again, Vaan couldn''t believe what he was hearing. ra, on the other hand, lowered her head as she took out a book.


    ''Magic Guidebook: Journey from the 1st Circle to the 7th By Veronica meheart.''


    Orion frowned when he saw the girl taking out a random book when the history of her family was being discussed. However, the moment he read the name of the book''s author, he widened his eyes in disbelief.


    "Where did you find this!?" He questioned with a shocked look on his face.


    ra looked into Orion''s eyes. Orion suddenly narrowed his eyes as he thought of a possibility. Then, he nced at Vaan and said, "The Mage you were talking about¡­ the one who fought against the Demons¡­ What was her name?"


    Vaan nced at his father and smiled, "Veronica meheart."


    The moment those words left his mouth, both Orion and Astra widened their eyes in shock.


    [What!?] Astra shouted. It was the first time in a long while that she had lost control over her emotions.


    [You saw Veronica meheart with your own eyes!?]


    "We did. This is why we were asking about the mehearts, to learn if she had any connection with them¡­ We had no idea the connection was this big."


    [How was she?] Astra, however,pletely ignored her son''s words and questioned.


    "What?"


    [How strong was she? It was said that she died when she was an Advanced Mage, so she must be an Advanced Mage when you saw her. How strong was she? How was shepared to me?] Astra asked a series of questions.


    "Well¡­ can your strongest spell destroy the entirety of a forest, leaving nothing behind for tens of kilometers?"


    [¡­]


    Astra turned silent.


    "That is your answer." Vaan replied.


    Even the Mage with the Greatest Potential of the current era was no match against Veronica in her prime. That was simply how great of a Mage the woman was.

 Chapter 256 If we are diving into it, might as well start with the deepest sea there is, no?

    Chapter 256 If we are diving into it, might as well start with the deepest sea there is, no?


    *Flicker*


    *Whoosh*


    "Hahaha! This works!"


    Vaanughed out loud as he created a big fireball in his arms.


    "It is definitely stronger than the normal fireball. This thing is actually working!"


    "I worked hard!"


    Little mey flew around him with an excited look on her face.


    "Yes, yes, you worked hard and you did amazingly well," Vaan nodded, acknowledging mey''s efforts. He could feel that his current fireball was 10% stronger than the original version, and this was just when mey was limiting the use of Faith Energy she had gathered. If the little spirit went all out, raising the output to 30% or even 50% was not impossible, or at least that''s what the little mey said.


    "My turn! My turn!"


    While Vaan was praising mey, little Sshy flew in front of his face and looked at him with an excited look on her face. It was clear that the girl was having a hard time holding herself back and also wanted to bless Vaan just like her elder sister did. After all, she had been working hard to do this and now wanted to show the results of her hard work to Vaan. Breazy, on the other hand, sat on Vaan''s shoulder, patiently waiting for her turn and allowing her elder sisters to show off their skills first.


    *Sigh*


    The youngest sometimes had to act like the oldest¡­


    If only her elder sisters could be more mature and let the youngest take the first turn.


    Little Breazy shook her head as she sighed again.


    *BOOOM*


    Vaan then shot the fireball towards the wall of the training room. Without any surprise, the wall was destroyed. Soon, however, its regeneration function kicked in and it started regenerating.


    Vaan turned towards Sshy and asked, "Should we start?" with a smile on his face.


    "Yes!" Sshy nodded with a big smile.


    Vaan gathered Mana and circted it throughout his body. Soon, the processed Mana formed his normal Magic Circles with four Inner Circles. Suddenly, Sshy flew above his head and closed her eyes.


    Vaan noticed a whirlpool of energy rushing into his body. He felt a strange warmth all over his body, and the Water Shield he created automatically thickened up.


    "It works!" he eximed.


    He saw Sshy, who was secretly nervous the entire time, couldn''t help but jump in excitement and joy.


    "Yaayy!" she shouted as she started flying around in excitement. Now, all the pressure was on the youngest.


    Breazy lowered her head. Vaan, who noticed the tense look on her face, frowned.


    "Breazy, it is alright if you still need more time, okay? You don''t have to rush yourself," Vaan spoke in a gentle tone.


    Little Breazy nodded as she stood up. With a determined look on her face, she pped her wings and flew above Vaan''s head.


    "...ready," she said, her eyes shining with intense determination.


    Finding her adorable, Vaan chuckled. Then, he canceled the Water Shield he summoned and summoned a wind de.


    "Your turn," he signaled to Breazy. The little girl nodded and closed her eyes.


    For a while, nothing happened. Unlike mey and Sshy, who could already bring out the Faith Energy they had absorbed the instant they tried it, Breazy was taking her time. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Vaan, of course, was patient with the little girl and gave her all the time she needed. Ten secondster, Vaan could see Faith Energying out of Breezy''s body and rushing into his own. Just like with mey and Sshy, Vaan could feel a warm energy entering his body, and the wind de that he had summoned strengthened.


    "Breazy! You did it!" Vaan eximed. Breazy, who still had her eyes closed, opened them in an instant. Her big silver eyes shone brightly as she heard Vaan''s words, and just like her two sisters, she started jumping in joy as well.


    "Did it! Did it!" her words were still unclear since she had just started speaking and was the youngest of all the three spirits. However, that only made her more adorable, and Vaan couldn''t help but smile when he saw the excited smile on her face. His little spirits were simply too precious. He still couldn''t believe that he was having a hard time thinking about how to treat them when he realized that they were the incarnation of the God of Magic.


    "So all three of them can bless you..." Suddenly, Vaan heard his fianc¨¦e''s voice. He turned towards ra and, seeing the wry smile on her face, a disappointed look appeared on his face as well.


    "It still didn''t work?" he questioned.


    ra shook her head. "Why is this not working?" Vaan couldn''t help but frown in confusion. "I am sure we aren''t messing up the prayers," he spoke as he nced at ra to confirm his words. ra nodded in agreement. The prayers were definitely correct; both of them had rechecked them countless times. Since they had seen Veronica use it in front of their eyes, the two of them knew that they weren''t wrong. The problem was something else. The problem was in ra.


    "No Faith..." mey shook her head as she pointed at ra. "Faith needed for Faith Energy..."


    "Are you saying ra has no Faith, so she cannot generate Faith Energy even if she prays?" Vaan interpreted mey''s words, and the little spirit nodded.


    ra frowned in confusion as well. "How am I supposed to generate Faith?" She questioned as she nced at mey. Vaan wasn''t the first one to volunteer when the spirits said that they wanted to try and bless them; it was ra. Since it hadn''t been a long time since she met the three spirits, she wanted to use this opportunity to get close to them and, at the same time, try to get stronger so she could protect Vaan.


    The spirits, however, shook their heads the instant ra stepped forward. The reason they gave was clear: the Faith Energy that they have absorbed from other sources can only be used on Vaan since he was the only one who had a ''link'' with them. For others, they could only use the Faith Energy they generate, and that too, not just Faith Energy targeted for any random God, but to them, the spirits, or in other words, the Incarnation of the Magic Gods. So to get mey and other Spirits'' blessing, other mages were required to pray. However, even when ra tried it, she was unable to generate any Faith Energy.


    Little mey nced at ra, then she flew towards her and ced her little hand on her chest, right on top of her heart.


    "Faith Energy... Heart..."


    Since even she, the eldest of all the spirits, couldn''t speak moreplicated words, mey simply pointed things out physically.


    "From my heart..."


    ra, who understood her words, muttered to herself, cing her hand on her chest as she continued to ponder.


    Vaan, who could see how troubled his fianc¨¦e was, walked towards her and ced his hand on her cheek as he then lifted her face.


    "You are worrying too much, ra


    . You have no reason to rush things either; we have time, be patient," Vaan spoke in a gentle voice.


    ra, however, was still troubled. "I would have been patient if it was a matter of time. If I knew what I had to do, I would have patiently followed the steps and worked hard till I achieved what I wanted, but I don''t even know what I am supposed to do here. I have no path; even if I want to work hard and improve, I cannot because I don''t even understand what is it that I am doing wrong."


    "How about we visit the Church?" Suddenly, Vaan suggested.


    "What¡­?" ra was surprised. The Vestas never went to church; there was no specific rule that didn''t allow them to. It was just that considering their history with churches, the Vestas just preferred to stay away from the church. Vaan was the same; he had no ns on entering any church because he didn''t like the concept in general. However, now things were a little different.


    "We need answers to our questions, ra. Things rted to Gods are not something we can just discover on our own; we need to use the resources we have in our hands. The Churches have been in existence for thousands of years; I am sure they would know how to ''generate'' Faith. Who knows? They might even show you the path you were trying so hard to find," Vaan spoke with a smile on his face.


    ra, who observed her fianc¨¦''s face, paused for a moment. Then, after considering everything,


    "Where should we go?"


    She questioned, ready to listen to Vaan''s suggestion and move.


    "The Church of Light," Vaan answered in an instant.


    ra stared at him with a strange look on her face. Vaan, however, just chuckled,


    "If we are diving into it, might as well start with the deepest sea there is, no?"

 Chapter 257 We came here to seek your help.

    Chapter 257 We came here to seek your help.


    "Isn''t he Vaan Vesta?" "The one beside him is his fianc¨¦e, the two of them are hot topics right now." "But what are they doing here¡­?" "Why are you asking me? Do I look like someone who would know?" More and more people started whispering as they nced at Vaan and ra walking through the doors. "Is no one going to stop them?" One person spoke up. "Are you out of your mind? When have we ever stopped someone from entering our Church of Light? Do you think our God is partial to the people solely on the basis of whether they believe in him or not?" "¡­" In an instant, however, the person was shot down. "Our God is Magnanimous, he never restricts someone whoes to his doors, even if it is a Vesta¡­" Another student spoke up. Vaan and ra, however,pletely ignored all students and walked into the building of the Church of Light. The two of them perfectly understood how strange their presence in the building was, the attention they were receiving wasn''t shocking. Heck, if it was them a few weeks ago, even they wouldn''t have believed that the two of them would ever go into the Church of Light''s building. "Wow¡­" "So tasty¡­" "Want to eat¡­" While Vaan and ra were trying their best to ignore everyone around them, the three little spirits were having the time of their life. The shine in their eyes as they looked around and saw all the Faith Energy around the ce was so intense that if it wasn''t for Vaan keeping close eyes on them, one could definitely tell that the three girls would rush towards the Faith energy, and devour it all, turning the entire building upside down in an instant. No, it wouldn''t be just the building either; the entire world would be turned upside down if something like that happened and both Vaan and ra would get into big trouble. Of course, that is, if the three sisters acted on their instincts and failed to control themselves, which they wouldn''t do because even they understood the consequences of their actions and no matter how appealing all the Faith Energy lying around the building was in their eyes, if their actions could possibly create troubles for their Vaan, they wouldn''t do it. "I am having a hard time believing what I am seeing." While the three Spirits were looking around with excited looks on their faces, Vaan and ra were greeted by a voice. They nced at the source of the voice and their eyes fell on a beautiful blonde woman standing in front of them with a gentle smile on her face. A woman they were now sort of familiar with, "We are seeing each other quite often these days, it is almost as if Fate wants us to be close." Selene chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand. Both Vaan and ra smiled as well. After all, they were the ones who hade to the woman with a favor; they had to be polite. "So? Why have youe here?" Selene directly jumped onto the main topic. She nced at the other students staring at them and said, "Your presence here has created quite amotion." Vaan and ra finally looked around as well. "We wanted to talk to you about something." Vaan initiated. "Hmm? For you toe here just to talk with me, is there something troubling you? Do you need my help regarding the matters rted to the Academy?" Selene questioned, and from her tone, it seemed like she was open to help; no, it felt as if she wanted to help the two of them. Selene was a keen woman; despite her gentle persona, she was extremely intuitive, and she knew that Vaan didn''t have a positive opinion of her. Although she couldn''t say the same about ra, however, with how much she read the two of them, as long as Vaan continued to have a negative opinion regarding her, ra would never take her side either. So Selene wanted to use this chance to change Vaan''s opinion of her. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "It is not like that." Vaan shook his head. "We want your help regarding something else; this is why we came here since we thought this would be the best ce for it," ra spoke up as well. Selene observed the two and asked, "What is it?" directly. "How do you generate Faith?" ra questioned. Hearing such a strange question, even someone like Selene, who always had a gentle and kind look on her face, frowned. "What do you mean?" "Your Faith in the God of Light, where does ite from?" ra questioned. Selene''s frown deepened; she felt like she couldn''t understand the question, however, she still gave an answer, "My heart. My Faithes from my Heart." The answer was simr to what mey had said, which, obviously, wasn''t helpful in the situation. Seeing the two''s expressions, Selene could guess that they weren''t satisfied and said, "How about we continue our conversation inside a room?" She offered. Vaan and ra both nodded. The eyes in the surroundings were annoying, and having a proper conversation was difficult. The three then walked into a room, and once inside, Selene nced at the two and said, "Now, it would be great if you could tell me what exactly the two of you want. I am sure you are not trying toe under the magnanimous God of Light; I sense nothing like that from you, so why do you wish to know about Faith energy?" Selene questioned. Vaan and ra then looked into each other''s eyes for a while, then, ra turned towards Selene and said, "You are correct, I am not here toe under the God of Light but¡­" "But?" "I am trying to get a blessing from a different God." "Which God?" Selene questioned with a curious look on her face. The Vestas and the Family rted to them didn''t just have problems with the God of Light; they had a problem with the entire belief system as a whole. So Selene was quite curious about what God ra was trying to seek shelter under. After all, a God who can make a future member of the Vesta Family curious about him couldn''t possibly be a simple entity.


    "The God of Magic." ra answered as her red eyes shined intensely. "What¡­?" Selene, on the other hand, stared at the woman in front of her with a dumbfounded look on her face. "Think about it, it has been 5000 years since anyone has tried praying to the God; what if¡­ what if the God of Magic hasn''t abandoned us and it is us who lost faith in him?" ra questioned, and Selene, who continued to stare at the red-haired woman, couldn''t help but smile wryly, "I find it hard to believe that these words areing from the mouth of a future member of the Vesta Family. Are you trying to say that the sacrifices the brave mages and the members of the Vesta Family made in the past are all false? Are youpletely denying the history we have been following for the past 5000 years?" Selene asked a bunch of questions; she didn''t like how ra was questioning the past, even though she wasn''t a member of the Vesta Family, her actions were no different than defaming the past heroes. Heroes whom even Selene, a member of the Church of Light, respected. ra, however, didn''t stop. "I am not denying anything; maybe the God of Magic did stop blessing its believers for a while. What if¡­ at that time, the God of Magic had a reason to not be able to bless its believers but now, he has resolved those issues but has already lost all his believers?" She suggested apletely different theory. "Is it not foolish to try and connect to the God who took care of us Mages for countless years one more time?" ra questioned, and this time, Selene found herself being put on a spot. ra''s words made sense; there were countless possibilities and honestly, even till now, no one could ever find the reason as to why the God of Magic abandoned the Mages in the first ce. There was no grave sinmitted; the Mages didn''t go against any of his wishes, and as a thriving group, the God of magic had no reason to abandon his people. So maybe¡­ ra was right. "I am trying to use the prayers the believers used in the Past; however, I cannot feel anything different. Which is quite different from what I hear from believers of other Gods." ra pointed out her problem. "Does this not give you the answer you were looking for? Maybe the God of Magic did indeed abandon his believers." Selene spoke, however, "Are you saying that right now, if I chant the prayers the believers of the God of Light use, I can feel his blessing?" ra questioned, and in an instant, Selene turned silent and understood what the girl meant. "So how do you want me to help you?" "I just want to know how you turn a normal person into a believer. How do you generate their Faith in the God of Light?"

 Chapter 258 Pure Faith.

    Chapter 258 Pure Faith.


    "I just want to know how you turn a normal person into a believer.


    How do you generate their Faith in the God of Light?"


    ra questioned and Selene turned silent.


    It wasn''t difficult for her to answer ra''s question, however, from her expression, it looked like she was hesitating.


    Vaan, who noticed that expression narrowed his eyes, then, he just sighed,


    "ra, we should leave.


    I don''t think the President has the answer we are seeking."


    He then turned towards Selene and with a fake smile on his face, he nodded and slightly bowed his head,


    "Thank you for giving us the time of your life, President Selene. We will be taking our leave now."


    ''I was expecting too much.''


    Vaan sighed inwardly as he grabbed ra''s hand and stood up.


    Seeing him act like this, ra understood the problem.


    She had mixed truth and lies together toe up with the story of the God of Magic being unable to bless its believer and them trying to connect with him again. They did it because if in the future, they found a way to use the Spirit''s blessing on someone other than Vaan, they could continue further with this story, generating more and more Faith Energy for the Spirits in the process.


    What they were doing was no different than reviving the Faith people once had in the God of Magic, if that happened, many believers would lose their Faith and return to the God their family once believed in.


    It would be the revival of the Tower of Magic, a force that once dominated the entire Agresia. Obviously, it wouldn''t be a good news for the current powers and anyone who is a part of a powerful faction wouldn''t want it to happen.


    Including Selene.


    As someone who is dedicated to the Church of Light, the girl would never want another force as strong or even stronger than the Church of Light to originate and take their ce.


    She had no reason to help them and ra understood the reasoning behind it and even found it reasonable.


    It was selfish yes, however¡­


    ra knew that if, in the future, she needed to make a decision that might put Vaan at any sort of risk or even uforted him in any way, she would never do it either no matter how selfish it was.


    In her heart, ra didn''t me Selene.


    She was disappointed, but it wasn''t like they came here with high expectations in the first ce, they just needed to think of something else.


    "Wait."


    Just when Vaan and ra were about to turn around and walk away, Selene called out.


    Vaan and ra turned around and saw Selene frowning at them,


    "I do not like your expressions."


    Selene didn''t hide her feelings.


    Vaan frowned, however, before he could say anything,


    "Are you thinking that I do not want to help you because I am from the Church of Light?"


    Her guess was on the spot.


    Vaan however, wasn''t surprised, he already knew that the woman was much more intuitive than others.


    Selene, on the other hand, sighed,


    "Yes, I am dedicated to the Church of Light, as the ce that has raised me ever since I was a child, I am attached to it and only want what is best for it.


    However, as a believer of the God of Light, who is the symbol of peace, harmony, and love, what I care about more are people, than a particr faction.


    As much as I love the Church of Light, if it is about the possible return of the God of Magic, I would like to help you the best I can since that would be best for the people."


    Selene exined herself.


    "The reason I was hesitating was because I think the solution you are looking for is not the actual solution for your problem."


    "What do you mean?" Vaan frowned in confusion.


    "You wish to try and connect with the God of Magic, correct?"


    "That is correct." Vaan nodded.


    "Then you cannot use the method other churches use to introduce Faith to new believers, or at least that is what I feel."


    "What do you mean?" This time, ra was the one who asked the question.


    "Other Gods already have a connection with our world. They have countless believers who believe in them, it is a system that is already perfected to the point that even a new believer whose faith isn''t the strongest can receive his God''s blessing.


    For the God of Magic, however, things are not the same.


    If you try and pray to the God of Magic, you do not feel the connection because, one, it is no longer there, or in other words, what is written in the history is the truth and the God has indeed abandoned us.


    Or two, the Faith Energy the people have is not enough to connect to the God. The possibility the two of you are trying to explore."


    Both Vaan and ra nodded in understanding. Selene''s words weren''tplicated and she was trying her best to keep it as simple as she could.


    "What you need to connect with your God, is not the way other churches introduce Faith to new believers, but have pure Faith, the one thates from your heart."


    Selene spoke as she ced her hand on her chest.


    "A faith thates from my heart¡­"


    ra muttered to herself. It was simr to what mey had spoken, so these words had somewhat settled in her mind.


    "The other Gods now have established System, the God of Magic, however, might need a clear, pure Faith, to be able to hear andter, spread your blessings to you."


    "How do I generate pure Faith?"


    The base question was still the same.


    And again, the answer to the question was the same as well,


    "Ites from the Heart."


    This time, however, Selene tried to borate,


    "The Faith itself is aplex word to exin. It is like Love.


    From a broader view, Love is a simple feeling of liking someone, however, the more you look into it, the more and moreplex it gets.


    Love, which, from afar, looks like a positive feeling, also shows its negative side when explored more deeply, while it brings joy and excitement in one''s life, it also brings sadness and tears.


    The deeper you go, the moreplicated Love''s definition gets, to the point where everything gets blurry and there is no specific answer.


    The same is true for Faith.


    There is no specific answer, but from a broader point of you,


    Faith is just believing.


    Believing that your God is always there with you.


    Believing that your God will always protect you.


    Believing that your God will always reward you for the effort you put in.


    Believing that your God will always¡­ love you¡­


    This is Faith.


    The purest Faith a believer could have."


    Selene then nced at ra and,


    "Watch this."


    Suddenly, she took out a knife and shed her wrist.


    Both Vaan and ra were surprised, Selene''s actions were so sudden that none of them could react to it.


    More and more blood came out of Selene''s wrist, Selene, however, simply shook her head and,


    "O God of Light,


    Please bless your child,"


    Selene spoke and suddenly, Vaan could see a certain amount of Faith Energy forming over Selene''s head, soon, the energy entered her body and healed her in an instant.


    Both Vaan and ra were shocked.


    This woman¡­ she didn''t evenplete her prayer and was able to invoke her blessing.


    No, let aloneplete it, she didn''t even start it correctly!


    She simply said those words, rather than a prayer, it was more like a request!


    "Prayers are simply a way to think about God, not connect with him. If your Faith is strong enough, you don''t even have to pray for him to listen to you."


    Selene spoke and with a gentle smile on her face,


    "So don''t focus on praying like others do,


    Generate pure Faith, embrace your God, believe in him, love him,


    Once you do, then if what you said is correct and the God of Magic has indeed not abandoned us, then you will be able to connect to him.


    Who knows? This might even be the start of a new Era with you as the center of it.


    I wish you luck in your future endeavors, ra meheart."


    Selene spoke and both Vaan and ra nodded with smiles on their faces. This time, the smiles on their faces weren''t fake, although they didn''t get the definite answer they were looking for, they were satisfied with the conversation they had.


    At the very least, they found the Path they could walk on and explore.


    "Also, I will keep this conversation between the three of us for now and I suggest you do the same as well.


    I am sure I don''t have to rify why, correct?"


    Selene spoke and once again, the couple nodded.


    "Thank you, Selene."


    Vaan spoke as she nced at the blonde in front of him. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    This time, his perception of this woman had changed a little.

 Chapter 259 This makes no sense…

    Chapter 259 This makes no sense¡­


    "Ah, Vaan and ra, it is great to have you two back in ss," Professor Callista, the professor who taught Familiar Training, spoke with a gentle smile on her face as she nced at Vaan and ra.


    "Greetings, Professor. I hope you are well," Vaan replied with a smile on his face as well. He had a positive opinion about Professor Callista; unlike other professors, she always treated her students gently and rarely showed anger. She dealt with most things in a calm and kind way, and she always had a signature gentle smile on her face, making her approachable. Vaan felt like she was the model professor every other professor should try to emte, unlike the others who, for the most part, lived in their own world and often looked down on others.


    "I am fine, thank you," the professor nodded. Then, she nced at the other students and seeing that most students were together with their beasts, she recalled why she approached Vaan and ra.


    "Anyways, in thest 3 weeks you haven''t been in ss, we have covered most of the basics rted to Familiar Training, and the students have now acquired beasts from the Wildlife Division. The sses now and in the future will focus on testing your bond with your beast. The stronger the bond, the better your evaluation, and hopefully, when you leave the academy, you will have a strongpanion with you," the professor smiled.


    Vaan, on the other hand, frowned, "So the two of us need to buy Magic Beasts?"


    "Well, the two of you can also pair up and buy just a single beast; it wouldn''t be a problem. Since you two live together, living with your beast and connecting with it wouldn''t be a problem either. And yes, if you wish to learn anything in ss, then it would be better if you buy a baby Magic Beast; otherwise, you will only be wasting your precious time," the professor answered.


    "Why were we not informed about this?" Vaan couldn''t help but question. After the two weeks he had spent inside the Past Era, both he and ra were given a week''s leave so that they could have a proper rest. So even though they weren''t attending sses, they were still inside the Academy Campus. Of course, since the news about them was quite popr in the articles published in the SIC, the chances that students didn''t know they had returned were low as well. Even if it was just ame attempt to curry favors, some of the students should havee and informed him about needing to buy a Magic Beast to attend the Familiar Training ss. The chances of no oneing to inform them were low¡­ unless¡­ someone interfered with it. Vaan narrowed his eyes as he looked around the ssroom. Professor Callista, who could guess what the child was thinking, just frowned and said, "You were not informed because I told everyone not to. You were given this week for resting; there is no point in giving you a rest if professors bother you with academic tasks. As for attending ss, I will mark the two of you present for today. For now, you should go and buy a Magic Beast. Of course, I shouldn''t have to mention this, but the higher quality beast you buy, the better it is for the beast''s future. Be calm and think clearly before you buy any beast; don''t forget, the beast you will buy will apany you for the rest of your life," Professor Callista spoke with a gentle smile on her face as she let Vaan and ra leave the ssroom.


    "Wait!" Suddenly, a person called out. Vaan and ra turned around and noticed Vya calling them out. ra passed a smile at her friend, Vaan on the other hand, questioned, "What is it?"


    "Since the two of you have missed sses for the past 3 weeks, I doubt you know much about Magic Beasts. The people in the Wildlife Division aren''t the most weing either, so the two of you would only be confusing yourselves if you go there. Let me apany you; I am sure I will be able to help you find a suitable beast," Vya spoke.


    "Sure! We will be d if youe help us! We can also use this time to catch up with each other!" ra replied with an excited look on her face. The purple-haired woman was the first friend she had made in the Academy, so if possible, she wanted to deepen their friendship. And since his fianc¨¦e wanted it, Vaan didn''t have any problem with Vya joining in as well. Seeing the couple nod, Vya stood up with a bright smile on her face, she then turned towards the professor and said, "Professor, can I leave with the two of them as well?"


    "I cannot stop you from leaving, but I will let you know that unlike the two of them, you won''t be getting attendance for these two hours," the professor replied.


    "I understand," Vya didn''t seem too bothered by it and quickly walked towards Vaan and ra. Vaan then noticed a ck cat with golden eyes sitting on her shoulders. The cat looked at him as her golden eyes shined in curiosity. The cat wasn''t big; it was only slightly bigger than mey, about 13-14 cm. Her ck fur was soft, and the little creature looked adorable and cunning at the same time.


    "Meet Ruu, my Magic Beast. The little one just hatched 5 days ago, so she is still a little small," seeing that the couple seemed interested in her cat, Vya introduced her as she yed with Ruu''s chin with her finger, seemingly enjoying the massage. Ruu raised her head, allowing Vya to move more, and soon, she started licking Vya''s finger. Seeing how Vya seemed to be melting when the creature did it, both Vaan and ra could see just how attached she had gotten with her Ruu even though she just appeared 5 days ago.


    "Hello Ruu~," ra was quick to rush towards Ruu. Seeing that, a strange look appeared on Vya''s face, "ra-" She wanted to call out, as if trying to warn ra, before she could, however, Ruu jumped towards the red-haired girl,nded on her shoulder, and started licking her cheeks.


    "Hahaha~ Ruu is so cute~," raughed out loud. Vya, on the other hand, stared at the red-haired woman with a dumbfounded look on her face.


    Seeing her expression, Vaan frowned, but soon noticed that Vya wasn''t alone; the entire ss was looking at ra as if she was some kind of monster, even Professor Callista.


    "What happened?" Vaan questioned as he nced at the professor.


    "That cat is a Shadowstalker¡­" Professor Callista replied.


    "And?" Vaan tilted his head in confusion.


    "The Shadowstalker is known to not like humans, even as children. The only reason the little cat is close to Vya is that she sees her as a parent. As for the rest of the students in the ss, it treats them like they are air; let alone willingly getting close to them, if she as much as thinks that other students are trying to approach her, she will attack right that instant. Even I am no exception yet¡­" The professor turned silent as she nced at ra joyfully ying with a Shadowstalker.


    "I can''t believe it¡­" She muttered. The rest of the students had the same thought in their minds as well. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Vaan, on the other hand, simply shook his head and snorted, "What''s there to be shocked about? What''s there to not like about my ra? She is the purest person one would ever meet in their entire life; of course, a beast would like her. She is different."


    At the same time, Vaan also tried to approach Ruu; however, "Meeooww!!" The cat hissed at him. Vaan blinked as ra quickly held Ruu down, holding her back from jumping at Vaan and using her still not fully grown ws at him.


    "What the hell is wrong with her?" Vaanined.


    Vya, on the other hand, sighed, "This is the reaction I usually expect¡­"


    But once again, "Ruu, stop," ra spoke as she patted the little creature''s head. The Ruu who was hissing nonstop paused in an instant. Then, ra nced at Vaan and said, "Come."


    "I don''t want to. I don''t like this ck thing either," Vaan snorted.


    ra, however, continued to re at him, and seeing the look in her eyes, Vaan just sighed, "Alright¡­" Sighing, Vaan extended his hand towards Ruu one more time.


    "Be careful; her ws still hurt, and she is also starting to learn her abilities," Vya warned with a worried look on her face, but¡­ with ra gently patting Ruu''s back, the little creature allowed Vaan to touch her head and simply closed her eyes, surprising the entire ss once again.


    Professor Callista stared at ra with a dumbfounded look on her face. Seeing the girl once again, a different emotion rose in her heart, "This makes no sense¡­"

 Chapter 260 Rubyborn Infernal

    Chapter 260 Rubyborn Infernal


    "How is this¡­ possible¡­?"


    Professor Callista couldn''t believe what she was seeing. She stared at ra ying with a Shadowstalker, even calming the beast to the point where it would willingly let another human touch her. Even Vya, the owner of the cat, the one the cat saw as her parent, couldn''t do something like that yet.


    "Vaan¡­"


    Suddenly, Professor Callista called out.


    "Hm?"


    Vaan turned towards her.


    "Does she have another pet back in the Vesta House?"


    "She was too focused on Magic to focus on something like this,"


    Vaan shook his head. ra spent most of her time covering for his mistakes and learning magic. Since she didn''t have a lot of friends, she didn''t have exposure to many things. Magic Beast pets were included in that equation. Professor Callista turned silent again. She couldn''t make sense out of the situation. Vaan, who noticed that, decided to make it easy for the Professor,


    "Alright, we should leave now. We shouldn''t hold the ss any longer."


    He spoke as he then grabbed ra''s hand. ra nodded with a smile on her face. She then patted Ruu''s head and the cat jumped back onto her mother''s shoulder, who just blinked in surprise.


    "Let''s go,"


    ra spoke with a smile. She seemed excited to buy a Magic Beast after meeting Ruu. Vya quickly came out of her reverie as well and nodded. The three then walked out of the area, leaving the rest of the students in doubt and confusion.


    "Hey¡­ is that Vaan¡­?"


    "Huh? What are yo- oh¡­"


    "He is indeed Vaan¡­"


    "Even ra is next to him¡­"


    "Who is the third person next to them¡­?"


    "Who cares? She must be one of their ssmates."


    Inside the Wildlife Division, the students who were simplyzing around in their position, ignoring their work, noticed Vaan and ra''s presence and started talking. In the little time they have been in the Academy, Vaan and ra had already be popr enough to be recognized by most students inside the premises.


    And why wouldn''t they be?


    After all, not every day do the students get to see a monster who gathered 5 Excellence Stars before even the Induction of his joining year began. Heck, most students by this time don''t even know what Excellence Stars are.


    Then there is another monster who defeated 2 Swordsmen pretty much on her own, entering the Academy with an Excellence Star, a 4th Circle Mage at a mere age of 20, and the only pupil of one of the strongest Mages in the entire Agresia.


    Not to mention these two mentioned monsters were like a package deal, with oneing together every time the other is called.


    It was obvious that the couple would gain poprity in the entire Academy soon. The fact that the students of the Wildlife Division recognized them wasn''t a big deal.


    "Wait¡­ doesn''t it feel like they areing at our direction¡­?"


    Suddenly one of the students pointed out. The other students noticed the direction they were walking in as well and,


    "Vaan and ra¡­ I think the two of them are in Familiar Training ss, since they didn''t buy their Magic Beast Eggs yet, they must be here for that."


    The instant the students realized that, they all nced at each other in silence, then suddenly, one of them dashed towards the three people walking towards them.


    The moment one did, the rest rushed out as well. Some students from the Martial Arts Division even used their Aura to increase their speed and overtake the rest. Vaan, ra, and Vya, who noticed the three rushing at them, seemed surprised.


    "Sir Vaan! Lady ra! Are you two here to buy Magic Beast Eggs for your Familiar Training ss!?"


    The student who reached them the fastest questioned with an excited look on his face.


    "That is correct," Vaan nodded, slightly surprised by the student''s energy.


    "You came at the right ce! Please follow me! I will show you the best Eggs there are. I will guarantee you, the Magic Beasts that wille out from those Eggs would not only be Loyal, they will also be of great help in the future, not only in the Academy Tournaments, but for your entire lives! I will also use all the perks I have received after working here for three semesters to give you the best deal possible!" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The student spoke and before Vaan could say anything, another student appeared next to him and,


    "Sir Vaan!"


    He shouted.


    "Don''t listen to him, he knows nothing about the Beasts here, I can help you look for the best beast here that is suitable for both you and Lady ra!"


    And it was as if the chain had started. More and more students rushed in, pitching their salesman pitch, wanting Vaan to follow them.


    Vaan and ra were confused, they had no idea who to choose, therefore, they turned towards the guide they had brought together with them.


    "¡­"


    Vya, on the other hand, stared at everything she was seeing with a deadpan look on her face.


    She¡­ She had a lot ofints!


    What the hell was this!?


    Why was the difference in treatment so vast!?


    Yes, she knew Vaan and ra were special. With just one look, even she could tell that their destiny was differentpared to the rest, but¡­


    How is this fair!?


    Thest time she came here, all these same people just sat on their seats, not even bothering to look at her or any other student who hade to buy a Beast.


    They only moved when they received some Academy Points from some students and even in those cases, they only helped the students who bribed them and never once did they offer their help from the front. It was always to customers who had to approach them and bribe them. But now¡­


    Just look at this!


    All these bastards had now surrounded them just so they could get the chance to guide them! Let alone bribing them, Vya had the feeling that if they yed it right, they would even receive bribes to choose one of these people. Heck, they could even auction the ''chance'' here and get the most out of this situation.


    ''Tsk.''


    Vya snorted in her head, hating theplete difference in treatment.


    "Vya?"


    Seeing that the woman was oddly silent, Vaan called out.


    "Y-Yes!" Vya came out of her reverie, her eyes looking through all the guides, wanting to choose the best and the one who seemed to have the most experience here.


    Yes, she dide here as their guide, but in the end, even she was only a new student. Her experience couldn''t be more than all these people who have been working in this ce for at least 2 or 3 semesters.


    Though it was a difficult choice for her because judging just on the basis of looks and with how everyone was introducing themselves by cutting other out wasn''t really the best way to do it. Vaan understood that this needed time so he gave Vya all the time she needed, but suddenly,


    "Vaaan!!"


    Suddenly, he heard a loud, excited voice. "Hm?" both he and ra frowned in confusion as they nced at each other.


    "Come here!"


    They heard the voice again, and before they could think too much,


    "Come!"


    "Come¡­" The other two girls shouted as well. The couple nodded to each other and started walking towards mey and the others.


    The rest of the students frowned,


    "Sir Vaan? Where are you going?"


    "Sir Vaan, you shouldn''t go there. I can show you a better ce where you will find better Beasts."


    "No! Sir Vaan, I also know some strong beasts in this direction. I can help you find them if you let me guide you!"


    The students continued to try and one up each other. Vaan and ra, however, continued to walk on their own. Vya followed them with a frown on her face. Soon, the couple reached the ce mey was calling them to. There, they saw mey sitting on top of a certain Egg and pointed at it with a big smile on her face. Both Vaan and ra frowned; they had no clue who that Egg belonged to.


    "What happened?"


    Vya, who, like other students, couldn''t see the Spirits, frowned in confusion and questioned. The rest of the students nced at Vaan and ra as well.


    Vaan, on the other hand, walked towards the Egg mey was sitting on and pointed at it,


    "Which Magic Beast does this belong to?"


    "That''s the Rubyborn Infernal."


    "Rubyborn Infernal?"


    "It is a wolf-type Magic Beast that has an affinity with the Fire element. It has countless abilities rted to mes. At some point, it can even use Fire Spells. It has exceptional senses and regeneration abilities. It can act as a tank and a damage dealer at the same time. Honestly, for Mages like you two, it is a great choice since it can protect you two while you cast your spells. It is quite popr amongst other Mages as well."


    "Is that so¡­"


    Vaan nodded in understanding.


    "Buy it."


    Suddenly, mey, who appeared right next to Vaan''s space, spoke.


    "Do you sense anything special from it?" Vaan questioned in a voice that was only audible to mey. The Fire Spirit nodded continuously.


    "What is it?" Vaan questioned with a curious look on his face.


    "It is cute."


    "¡­"


    Vaan turned silent.

 Chapter 261 Buy it!!

    Chapter 261 Buy it!!


    "Vaaan!! Buy it!!" mey cried as she flew around Vaan''s head with a pitiful look on her face, an expression every child used to get what he or she wanted. Even in Vaan''s case, the trick was working. Vaan just couldn''t bear seeing mey crying, after all, he had once sworn in his heart that he would never make the little girl cry. However, this didn''t mean he would give in so easily. At the very least, he wanted to reason with the girl.


    "I can''t just buy a beast because it is cute, now can I?" He spoke out loud. This time, however, he forgot to lower his voice, and the other students stared at him with a strange look on their faces.


    "Right, the Rubyborn Infernals, at least till they are pups, are known for their cuteness. Unlike the Shadowstalker, these beasts are quite close to humans. They are extremely perceptive, so they can sense others'' emotions. If those emotions are positive, they will mix well in an instant, and if those emotions are negative, they will attack them. An Infernal is an amazing choice. Their fur is soft, and once they get close to you, they will do anything for you. And again, they are extremely cute."


    The student seemed to have an impression that despite his tough front, Vaan actually liked cute things and wanted a Magic Beast that was cute, so he didn''t fail to focus on the beast''s cuteness. Vaan stared at the student with a deadpan look on his face, not liking how he was misunderstood. ra, who saw the scene, found it funny andughed out loud.


    mey, on the other hand, had alreadye up with another n. She would be using Vaan''s weakness. "ra~~" The little spirit rushed towards ra and ced her hands on her nose. Then, with a pout on her face, she pointed at Vaan and said, "Tell him to buy!!"


    The girl cried, and as if that wasn''t enough, the eldest sisters turned towards her two subordinates and red at them. In an instant, the two little spirits understood what was expected of them and said, "ra~~" "ra¡­" The two of them called out with watery eyes as well. And of course, under thebined attack, ra had no way to win.


    "Vaan, I want to buy a cute beast as well," ra spoke as she walked towards Vaan and held his hands in front of all the students. Then, she moved her mouth close to his ears and whispered, "Since the three of them want it so much, we might as well buy it. It is not like they make requests like these every day now, do they?"


    Vaan frowned, "You are spoiling them¡­"


    "This is the first time they asked me for something," ra was truly defeated. And since the wife was already defeated, the husband couldn''t possibly remain standing in this battle. "Alright," In the end, Vaan just sighed. "We will be buying the Rubyborn Infernal Egg."


    The student who was introducing the Beast Egg all this time had a wide smile on his face, "Of course! That should have been 300,000 Academic Points, but since I, Roderick Nightfall of the Nightfall Family, am the one selling it to you, I will be applying my personal offers I have earned through credits, and it will cost you 250,000 Academy Points. Would you like to pay for it in one go?"


    Roderick questioned with a smile on his face, and Vaan looked at him with a deadpan look on his face, "Do I look like I would have that sort of money?"


    The rest of the students, including Roderick, turned silent. ''Yes, you definitely do.'' They all had this answer in their minds, however, they knew well enough not to say that out loud. Roderick, on the other hand, just smiled and said, "Right, it still hasn''t been a long time since you joined the Academy, please excuse me for that."


    Of course, there was also the option of using Family Wealth and using Gold in exchange for the Academy Points, but once again, that method was looked down upon by all the students in the Academy. So even if there was no rule about not being able to use the Family wealth, it was still considered a taboo. Normally, the students take a loan from the forces they were a part of; this way, it was also a way for them to work hard and grow, living outside of the familyfort they had gotten used to.


    Vaan, however, didn''t wish to take any loans from the Vesta Family if possible. Which seemed troublesome because in the end, even if he and rabined their wealth, it wouldn''t be more than 150,000 Academy Points, and even these Academy Points they had mostlye from the 20,000 Academy Points students receive when they earn Excellence Stars. Since he himself had 5 Excellence Stars while ra had 1 when she entered, they had a total of 6 Stars, adding their total wealth to 120,000.


    Honestly, the two of them were a few of the richest new students in the Academy, however, even they couldn''t buy a seemingly normal beast.


    "Why is this thing so expensive?" Vaan couldn''t help but snort. The other students smiled wryly. This man was buying a Rubyborn Infernal, a Beast, once fully grown, could pretty much take even the strongest intermediate-level beings. Obviously, it would be expensive. If it wasn''t, everyone would have rushed here to buy cheap Beasts and one day rule the world.


    Roderick, however, just smiled and said, "Well, we also have more affordable options here. How about I fix you a monthly EMI of 15,000 Academy Points for 18 months?"


    "15,000 for 18 months?" Vaan narrowed his eyes. Now he wasn''t exactly a fan of math, and from his expression, Roderick could sense that. He simply smiled and said, "That would be 270,000 Academy Points in total, which is around 8% higher than the final price offered to you. However, if you think about it, for you, it is still 30,000 Academy Points cheaper. I highly doubt you will find a deal better than this."


    Roderick spoke with a confident look on his face, and the rest of the students working in the Wildlife Division all turned silent. After all, what he said was the truth. Finding a better deal was not possible throughout the Academy.


    Vaan started thinking; seeing that, mey frowned, thinking that he might go back on his words. In an instant, the little girl rushed towards him and started flying around his head, "Buy it¡­ Vaan¡­ Buy it¡­"


    Vaan sighed. He was wondering how he was going to pay the EMI of 15,000; even with their iesbined, the two of them only earned around 1500 Academy Points a month. How were they supposed to pay an EMI of 10 times their ie? Suddenly, ra grabbed Vaan''s hand; the man turned towards her, and the girl nodded. It was as if she was reassuring him,


    ''We will figure something out.''


    In the end, Vaan just shook his head and nodded, "Alright, we will be paying the EMI." They had 120,000 Academy Points anyway; that wouldst them for 7 Months. Till then, Vaan was sure he would figure something out. Even if he couldn''t, he was sure that they would have enough Excellence Stars to pay off their EMIs.


    "Excellent choice, Sir Vaan," Roderick smiled. "I will remember your help today, Roderick," Vaan spoke with a smile on his face, acknowledging the student''s help. Roderick smiled and bowed his head once again, the rest of the students nced at him with jealous looks on their faces. Honestly, there was nothing they could do in this situation. This bastard just turned out to be the luckier one that Vaan decided to buy a Beast from the area he was managing. Roderick quickly packed the Egg mey had chosen and gave it to Vaan. The Egg was white-red in color and was almost as big as a basketball. As Vaan held the Egg, he could feel something beating inside it; it felt as if he was holding a type of heart. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Seeing his expression, Roderick smiled, "This one is close to hatching; it can hatch any time, so you two need to make sure you are near it once it hatches. Don''t forget, the first people these beasts see when they are born are the ones they treat as their parents. You need to be its parent no matter what; only then would you be able to form a bond with them." Vaan and ra nodded in understanding. ra touched the Egg as well, wanting to sense its heartbeat, her smile widening when she did.


    mey, on the other hand, was much more excitedpared to others. "We bought it!" She shouted, flying all over the ce. Seeing the eldest acting like this, the other two had started flying around as well.


    "Sir Vaan, shall we proceed with the payments?" Roderick questioned.


    "Sure," Vaan nodded, and soon, the first EMI of the 18 was paid as Vaan brought the egg back to his room, deciding to skip the rest of his sses and waiting for the Egg to hatch.

 Chapter 262 A Solution

    Chapter 262 A Solution


    "Tsk, I can''t believe it." Vaan snorted. ra, who was standing next to him, had a strange look on her face as well. "It is as if he has people watching us and chose the best time possible to annoy us as much as he can," Vaan spat as he nced at his SIC. He and ra had both received a message.


    It was a message from the Headmaster, his Grandfather, Octavius Ravenshadow. If a normal student received a message from the Headmaster of the Academy, they would either panic or be so d that they would thank all their stars. Vaan, however, wasn''t the same. He couldn''t be more annoyed right now.


    It had been an entire week since he had a talk with his mother and requested a meeting with the Headmaster; however, he didn''t get the reply. Since a student wasn''t allowed to meet the Headmaster without an invitation, there was nothing even he, the Grandson of the Headmaster, could do in such a situation. He tried talking to Orion, the man, however, simply shook his head and didn''t offer any help.


    Not that Vaan was expecting anything from the beginning; he knew his father well. The man used the approach almost all fathers around the world used, letting the children figure things out on their own. Vaan knew for sure that Orion wouldn''t make a move unless there is no other option left, as long as he felt Vaan could deal with the matter himself, he wouldn''t even move a finger. Vaan appreciated this; however, considering the importance of the matter at hand, he would have preferred to receive direct help in this situation.


    Anyways, Vaan wasn''t the type to think about something that wouldn''t happen. He used the more realistic approach and waited to receive the invitation. He waited for an entire week and didn''t receive anything. Now, however, when he bought a beast egg and was required to stay until the beast hatches to be marked as its parent, he suddenly received an invitation, inviting him toe to the Headmaster''s office within an hour.


    Vaan couldn''t help but snort in his head again; he really wanted to punch the Headmaster. Still, of course, he was sane enough to know that it wasn''t a wise move and just buried his anger in his heart. "You should go meet with the Headmaster... I''ll stay here; if something happens, I will rush to you."


    Suddenly, ra spoke up. "But you are invited as well..."


    "It doesn''t matter; we both know what we wish to talk about. Even if I don''t go, it wouldn''t change anything," ra shrugged. Vaan nodded in understanding, then, after looking at the Egg he bought onest time, he nced at ra, kissed her forehead, and, "Alright then, I will take my leave. I will try to end the discussion and return as soon as possible."


    Saying those words, Vaan went to his room, getting ready to change. An hourter, Vaan was inside the Headmaster''s Office; inside, he saw an old man looking at him with a yful smile on his face and, "You are here. Come in, Come in," Octavius invited him in. Vaan nced at the old man for a while, then, he just walked in.


    "Where''s ra? I thought she would being together with you as well," Octavius questioned with a curious look on his face.


    "Things came up; she had to deal with them," Vaan replied in a distasteful tone.


    "Oh? Something important enough for her to miss the meeting with me? What was it?" Octavius questioned with a curious look on his face.


    Vaan, however, didn''t seem to notice the yful look on his face and just snorted, "I would have told you already if it was something I wanted to reveal."


    "Oh? Keeping secrets now, are we?" Octavius tilted his head as he smiled.


    Vaan, on the other hand, had had enough and, "Should we start with what you called me here for? I also have some things to attend to, so it would be great if we could stop with the formalities."


    Hearing him talk like that, Octavius pouted and, "I can''t believe you are talking to your grandfather like this; I am hurt. You have indeed inherited your father''s traits. Well, I guess your mother''s traits aren''t any better either. You can''t be med; it is the fault in your genes."


    "I have your genes," Vaan replied with a deadpan look on his face.


    "..." Octavius turned silent. Vaan, on the other hand, just sighed and, "Grandfather, please stop deviating the topic; you already know why I am here, so please, I would be grateful if you can help me in any way."


    Seeing the serious look on his face, Octavius decided to drop his games as well. He then nced at his grandson with a serious look on his face and, "You wish to temporarily leave the Academy, correct?"


    "That is correct," Vaan nodded.


    "Can you tell me the reason? You will be getting a two-month leave once the semester ends anyway; why not wait?" Octavius questioned.


    Vaan, however, shook his head, "I would have told you if I could. It is something I can only talk with my mother first. I haven''t even revealed it to father yet."


    "Well, I can imagine that boy shaking his head in disinterest. I doubt he would want to know it either," Octavius sighed. He knew his son well and he was spot on. Vaan did try to tell Orion to get his opinion on things; the man, however, shook his head, ''Talk with your mother; I am sure she will be able to guide you in a better manner. I, on the other hand, might mess things up.'' Of course, although he said this, Vaan knew that the man just didn''t want to put in any effort. In the end, Vaan had no choice but to sigh and give in.


    Seeing his expression, Octavius sighed as well, "I know that look; I would have liked if that boy had a little more ambition. His current self is simply a waste of his talent."


    Vaan didn''t say anything. Octavius decided to drop the topic as well. He then nced at Vaan with a solemn look on his face and, "Anyways, this thing you wish to talk with your mother about, is it rted to something you saw inside the Past Era?" Octavius questioned.


    "Grandfather, as I said, I cannot say anything right now."


    "I am only trying to find a way to help you, Vaan. What you are asking for is something that has never happened before; I am sure you know this, but a student is not allowed to leave the Academy grounds unless he is graduated, or it is a semester end, or... the student is expelled from the Academy.


    The exception you want would be the first time something like this would happen in the long history of the Academy; even if I am the Headmaster of the Academy, I cannot decide on a matter like this so easily.


    Sure, I am the Headmaster of the Academy, but that doesnt mean I am the ruler free do to whatever he wants.


    An Academy runs through its students, if the students and their families decide to leave...


    There will be nothing less.


    I cannot help you with the matter unless..."


    "Unless...?"


    "Unless I


    have a big enough reason and something rted to the Past Era is definitely enough reason. Of course, it would also mean that you would need to reveal the information you are going to discuss with Astra to me, which, I canter present in front of the rest of the geezers."


    "I cannot do that. You need to think of something else," Vaan shook his head. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "..." Octavius stared at his grandson and turned silent. Vaan stared back into his eyes. Then, Octavius chuckled, "The more you act like that, the more I wish to know about it. Just what could possibly be so big for it to make you react like this, and not just you, since you are here, I am sure you must have talked with your mother. For Astra to tell you to do something like this... she seems quite desperate as well. Not to mention she came here just a few weeks ago; just what in the hell is your Vesta Family preparing, huh, you little brat?"


    "It is not a good habit to pry on others, grandfather," Vaan replied.


    Octavius justughed out loud and then, "Well, there is another way your temporary leave could be approved."


    "What is it?" Vaan questioned.


    "It is a littleplicated though..."


    "It doesn''t matter." Vaan was confident. His confidence, however, soon tumbled down once he heard the condition, "Since you wish to do something that has never happened before in the Academy, you need to do something that has never happened before. Get the permission to temporarily leave the Academy Grounds from the academy students, And... Make sure more than 90% of the student body agrees to let you leave.


    And this includes the Swords Division as well."

 Chapter 263 Just say that you are weak in front of your future daughter-in-law.

    Chapter 263 Just say that you are weak in front of your future daughter-inw.


    "Make sure that more than 90% of the student body agrees to let you leave, And this includes the Swords Division as well." Octavius spoke and Vaan turned silent. The rest of the Students in the Academy weren''t a problem, he could deal with them in some way or another. He also had the Student Council President, he believed that he would be able to convince the woman if he talked to her. At the very least, the woman seemed reasonable enough. The problem, however¡­ was the Swords Division.


    The Sword Division was under Den Dawncrest and with how he was ashamed after they came out of the Ancient Ruins and how even Vaan released a few articles throwing some jabs at the man, Even if it wasn''t for the ''not so good'' rtionship between the two families, if it was something Vaan wanted, Den would take a step further to make sure Vaan didn''t get what he wanted. Vaan was absolutely sure that with Den''s presence, there was no way he would get the approval of more than 90% of the student body. "Is there really no other way¡­?" Vaan couldn''t help but question. "Well, the only other way is to be expelled from the Academy," Octavius shrugged, in this situation, he couldn''t help his grandson even if he wanted to. There were simply too many factors for him to consider. "¡­" Vaan turned silent. Being expelled wasn''t an option. The heir of the Vesta Family being expelled from the Academy would ruin the reputation of the Vesta Family, if it was Vaan before, he couldn''t have cared less about the reputation. After all, he was a gangster in his previous life, reputation was thest thing he considered. He could get whatever he wanted even without having a reputation, the only difference was that rather than other people doing him favors because of his reputation, they did it out of fear. Honestly, Vaan actually liked this, at the very least, he wasn''t required to y any sort of games with the people around him and the dynamics of their rtionship were crystal clear. Or at least that was how the previous Vaan views things, Now, however, after staying in the Vesta Family and watching the world from a different perspective, things have changed. Slowly but steadily, Vaan could understand the importance of reputation, he could understand why different families would go so far just to preserve their reputation. He understood the advantages of having people under his beck and call, not because of fear, but because of his reputation. Creating connections was much simpler, he considered these connections weak, however, that was only when you yourself were weak, If you are strong, the connections you create will be strong as well since other people will want to stick to you. Not to mention the connections formed due to fear would be the first to break the moment something happened. The two couldn''t bepared. Not to mention they would soon be taking the roles of the messengers of the God of Magic, the Vesta Family couldn''t possibly have a bad reputation if Vaan wanted them to walk on the path he was imagining them to. So in the end, Vaan started thinking about different ways to convince Den. But suddenly, "Sir! You two can''t go in without an invitation! These are the rul-" "What gave you the impression that I care about rules?" While Vaan was thinking about a solution, he heard amotion outside, he turned around, and before he could even think about what was happening, BOOM The doors of the room were burst opened and a familiar figure walked in. Behind him, came a red-haired girl with a timid look on her face, and soon, a few security guards walked in and seeing Octavius, they all paused and lowered their heads with scared looks on their faces, "H-Headmaster! We apologize, we tried stopping him but he just barged in!" The head of the security spoke as he pointed at Orion who stood in the middle of the Office with an unbothered look on his face. Octavius, who observed all themotion simply sighed, he then nced at the security guards and, "Don''t worry, you all can leave. I was the one who invited him but forgot to send an official invite, it was my mistake." "O-Oh¡­" The head of security nodded with a stutter, then, he quickly took the rest of his men together with him and the door was reattached using Magic. "They reacted faster than I expected."


    Orionmented with an impressed look on his face. Vaan on the other hand, stared at his father with a dumbfounded look on his face. Octavius was the Headmaster of the Agresia Academy, an important figure well-known throughout the world. No matter what, his security couldn''t bepromised in any way and it wasn''t. The Security team that was responsible for his security was no simple team, it consisted of 10 advanced-level beings. Even a world-ss level expert would have a hard time breaking through them and reaching Octavius. Yet here he was¡­ standing in the middle of the headmaster''s office with an unbothered look on his face as if he had done nothing big. Vaan knew his father was strong but¡­


    Just how monstrous does one have to be to break through a team of 10 Advanced-level beings!? Also, wasn''t his father an advanced level being as well, isn''t it the same as defeating 10 beings of his level!? And that too with such¡­ ease¡­? What¡­? That was possible¡­?


    "What''s with that look on your face? Your father was a ck Card Holder in the Academy, you think just anyone can reach that level?" Noticing the expression on Vaan''s face, Octavius spoke up. "Even the current head of the Dawncrest Family didn''t receive the ck Card during his time, your father is not weak, boy. Rather, he is stronger than your mother in most cases. Though it is a different thing that right now, he is no different than that woman''s guard, tsk." Octavius snorted. Still upset about the fact that Orion was wasting his potential. Orion, on the other hand, ignored his father''s words and simply smiled as he nced at his son, "What? Are you looking down on your father, you brat?" "¡­you don''t look particrly strong. The only thing you do is bully me in the name of training." Vaan snorted. "Is that so¡­" Orion narrowed his eyes. He wanted to teach the little brat a lesson, right now, however, it wasn''t the time for that. "Why are you here?" Octavius questioned. "Well, the little guy is about to hatch." Orion scratched the back of his head and pointed at the Egg ra was carrying. Noticing the Egg, Octavius narrowed his eyes, "You came here just for that¡­?" "He was nning to raise a pet, so I thought that the pet recognizing him as a parent would help." Orion replied. Octavius however, narrowed his eyes. How could he not know his own son''s personality?


    There was no way he would make a move in such a situation. Something like this could simply be solved by buying another beast. Since this one would be marked by the girl, the boy can mark the other one, having two pets instead of one. It was no big deal. Well, it would have been a much more expensive option, but Octavius knew that Orion wasn''t the one who cared about such things, heck, considering his personality, he would want his son to have more troubles in his life, after all, that way he would only grow to be an even more of a brilliant man who knows how to face troubles.


    Someone like Orion making a move himself on something so insignificant¡­


    Octavius couldn''t understand the reasoning behind it¡­ until¡­


    His eyes fell on the girl carrying the Egg and her moist eyes. "¡­" In an instant, Octavius realized it. "You gave into the little girl huh." "What are you talking about?" Orion questioned back, feigning ignorance. Octavius just chuckled, "Don''t try to fool me, you may act strict in front of your own son, but you adore that girl who did so much for your foolish son when he wasn''t in his right mind." Hearing Octavius''s words, Orion nced at ra, who had rushed towards Vaan and the two were currently waiting for the Egg to hatch with excited looks on their faces. "That girl has suffered a lot because of that fool, She shouldn''t suffer more." "She won''t be ''suffering'' just because she didn''t get to raise a beast together with her fianc¨¦. It is not that big of a deal." Octavius tried to reason. "Oh yeah? Try saying that in front of that girl when she looks at you with her eyes that could tear up any instant." Orion snorted. Octavius on the other hand, just chuckled, "Just say that you are weak in front of your future daughter-inw." "¡­" Orion didn''t say anything. Crack "Vaan! Vaan! It ising out!" Suddenly, ra eximed with an excited look on her face and Orion, who was looking at his daughter-inw from afar couldn''t help but smile when she saw the big smile on her face. Octavius just shook his head when he saw his son''s side. Perhaps this ''weak'' side of his perfect son made him so strong¡­n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 264 Inferno (Furr)

    Chapter 264 Inferno (Furr)


    "Vaan! Vaan! It ising out!" ra eximed with an excited look on her face.


    *Crack*


    The cracks on the Magic Beast Egg in her hands widened even further, seeing that, both Octavius and Orion stepped back on their own, making sure that they weren''t marked as the Beast''s parents by mistake.


    *Crack*


    The crack in the Eggshell widened, a minuteter, a small, white-colored paw pushed open the little shell. As if that was the start, it didn''t take long for the paw to continuously remove more and more pieces of eggshell, making enough space for it to bepletely visible and once it had removed more than half of the Egg Shell, it stopped moving finally nced at the two people looking at him with big smiles on their faces.


    "Vaan!! It is so adorable!!''


    ra eximed, her heart fluttered the moment her eyes fell on the adorable creature in front of her.


    The pup had pure white fur all over its skin, red colored ears, three horns, and an armor that was made out of a red material,


    "Aauu¡­"


    The little beast let out its voice for the first time, melting ra''s heart in the process. Its eyes were stuck on Vaan and ra as if he was marking them.


    ra couldn''t hold herself back any longer and finally picked the little guy up in her arms.


    The little beast, despite being born just now, was already bigger than mey and was around 15 cm tall, its fur was extremely soft, and right now, he only had 2 teeth in his mouth, making him look quite adorable.


    *image*


    "A Rubyborn Infernal huh¡­ it is not a bad choice for a Familiar¡­"


    Octaviusmented as he nced at the beast.


    "And it is a he." He spoke. Then, turning towards Vaan, who seemed to be lost in his thoughts, he questioned,


    "Have you thought a name for him yet?"


    Vaan shook his head, "I will let her decide."


    "¡­"


    Octavius didn''t say anything.


    He just couldn''t help but notice how simr the father and son pair was, it was an answer he was sure Orion would give if he and Astra had bought a Magic Beast together.


    ra smiled when she heard Vaan''s words. After all, the woman had alreadye up with a name the moment she attended her first Familiar Taming ss and realized that they would eventually need to buy a Magic Beast.


    She had a total of 8 names in her mind, each for a beast of a different gender depending on what major attribute they were born with,


    In the case of this one,


    "Since Rubyborn Infernals are me-rted Beasts, I was thinking of the name Inferno, while we, as his parents would call him Furr."


    ra spoke as she nced at Vaan with a big smile on her face, waiting for his opinion.


    Vaan, on the other hand, blinked in surprise, he couldn''t believe that the woman hade up with a name so quickly, also, what was she doing looking at him for opinions?


    The names he came up with were mey, Sshy, and Breazy. No names could be worse than these, let alone Inferno which inherently sounds badass, not to mention the woman had alsoe up with a nickname that matches the name.


    However, seeing as how the woman was still looking at him with those red eyes shining intensely, Vaan knew she would only calm down if he gave his opinion.


    Vaan sighed but just as he was about to nod,


    "Auu!"


    The Beast, as if understanding what was happening, started licking ra''s cheeks with a cheerful look on his face.


    "Well, I guess no further opinions are needed, the little guy likes the name."


    Orionmented with a smile.


    Vaan nodded as well, "It is an excellent name to begin with. What''s there to not like about it?"


    He spoke as he stared at the beast, now known as Furr, without any particr change in his expression.


    Just like mey said, Furr was cute, Vaan however, wasn''t much of a pet guy from the beginning, he simply bought it because he was required to, not to mention ra seemed to be looking forward to it.


    "Vaan! Look at how cute he is!"


    ra spoke as she pushed Furr towards Vaan.


    Vaan smiled, holding the Beast in his arms. Despite its size, the Beast was lightweight, his fur was indeed soft and Vaan felt good when he held it.


    Holding him felt quite differentpared to when he first felt mey and the other Spirits, the Spirits were much smaller and delicate lookingpared to him, therefore, Vaan always held them with care, making sure to keep a loose grip and let them hold him tightly instead.


    The fact that all his first meetings with Spirits have always been with the spirits being wary of him, he was even more careful when he dealt with them.


    Right now, however, things are different.


    The Rubyborn Infernals were gentle and human-friendly beasts to begin with. Not to mention, Furr had already marked the two of them as his parents, so unlike the wary look the Spirits usually had when they first met Vaan, Furr was already looking at Vaan with shiny eyes and the moment he got the opportunity, he started licking Vaan''s cheeks, begging for more love and care.


    Even Vaan, who wasn''t very interested in pets and stuff couldn''t help but give into the cute gaze and started gently kneading the pup''s belly.


    *purr*


    The little beast started purring as he closed his eyes.


    The scenery was so cute that Vaan couldn''t help but blink in surprise. It was a novel experience for him.


    "See!? I said it is cute!!"


    The little mey who had been silent this entire time eximed as well. She, along with her two sisters had already surrounded Furr, however, just like any other living being, the Furr couldn''t sense their presence.


    The little Spirits pouted, even though they had already expected it, the fact that they couldn''t interact with such an adorable beast still made their heart ache.


    Seeing the expressions on their faces, ra couldn''t help but smile wryly, she wanted to cheer the little girls up, however, since Octavius and Orion were with them, she couldn''t acknowledge the spirits'' presence.


    She could only postpone the cheering up.


    Vaan had the same thoughts in his mind as well. He just smiled at the three Spirits before he passed Furr back to ra.


    "He must be exhausted aftering out of its Shell, let him rest," Vaan spoke.


    ra nodded in understanding.


    She had already done her fair bit of study the moment she bought the Rubyborn Infernal. She couldn''t say that she knew everything there was to know about them, however, in just one day that she received, she had already learned every basic thing there was to learn about a baby Rubyborn Infernal and how to take care of it in the best way possible.


    Of course, the best resting space for the little guy,bined with the best food with the most nutritional value, and the best grooming tools were bought and stored inside the Mansion they lived in. Heck, ra even made sure to research the best set of exercises to keep the little guy healthy.


    The woman had already created a perfect timetable that would allow her to spend the most amount of time with her little guy.


    Yes, ra indeed had the making of a great mother.


    The girl was already ready to shower all her love on the little guy she had just met, Furr was going to be the luckiest Magic Beast alive, ra was going to make sure of that.


    "Alright, since we are done with what we came here for, we should take our leave now." Suddenly, Orion spoke up.


    He then nced at his son and,


    "Is your talk with the Headmasterplete or is there something else you need to ask?"


    "No, we are done." Vaan nodded as he nced at Octavius.


    The old man had already rified that other than getting all students on his side and permitting his leave, the only way to leave the Academy was to get expelled, which, was not an option.


    So the only thing he could now do was to talk with his¡­ friend¡­ N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As for how that talk would go¡­


    Well, Vaan had no other option but to make sure it goes well, otherwise, things would get troublesome and he would lose more precious time.


    "Hmm? It looks like the headmaster gave you an interesting option¡­"


    Seeing the troubled look on his son''s face, Orion couldn''t help but smile. Vaan just stared at his father with a tired look on his face and,


    "Let''s just leave."


    He sighed as he then walked forward, leaving the Headmaster''s office. ra followed her fianc¨¦, and Orion and Octavius, who were the only two left, nced at each other and smiled knowingly.


    Something interesting was going to happen very soon.

 Chapter 265 A call for help!

    Chapter 265 A call for help!


    AN: Don''t know why WN wasn''t epting Furr''s picture.


    Attempt two.


    *Image*


    ...


    "Heh."


    A big smile appeared on Den Dawncrest''s face as he nced at the article in front of him.


    ''A call for help!''


    That was the heading of the title, it was posted by none other than the man he hated the most.


    Vaan Astra Vesta.


    If it was before, he wouldn''t have cared much about the guy, after all, what could a new student possibly do?


    This one, however, did much more than Den thought he would.


    Not only was he targeting the Swords Division ever since he had arrived in the Academy, but he has taken the role of the ''Hope'' of the Vesta Family and with Vaelen''s support, he had the power over most of the Vesta Family and even has influence over the Magic Division because of his rising poprity.


    All of this had directly given him the position of his Rival.


    Den''s match.


    That was what students in the Academy called him.


    Which, once again, wasn''t a big deal until¡­


    Until Den was defeated in their first altercation.


    Now of course, it was not a formal duel, with the Advantage Den had as a Swordsman and his own skills that had been perfected to an unmatched level, he would never lose a duel against a Mage.


    It was the matter regarding the Ancient Ruins.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    While he hade out of the Ruins within 5 days, the couple had managed to spend more than 2 weeks inside, and while they didn''te out with anything substantial, just the fact that they were able to see a demon and a fight between a 7th Circle Mage of the Past Era going all out against her enemies was enough to overshadow all the stupid herbs and fruits that he had brought.


    Of course, everyone knew that rather than skills, the factor deciding your results in the Ancient Ruins was luck. So this ''defeat'' wasn''t exactly something many people counted. After all, no one had control over their ''luck''.


    Someone like Den who had built his reputation through dominant performance for all these years had no reason to be worried about losing a game that depended on luck, everything would have been perfectly fine¡­ until¡­


    Vaan had stayed silent.


    Which, he did not.


    Aftering out of the Ruins, the man ''epted his mistake.'' He officially stated that if he, as the Leader of the team, was able to keep Den from leaving, breaking their team spirit, and leading to everyone separating and working on their own, the results could have been much better since under his leadership, they could have tailed the Advance Mage and noticed the demon and gotten more information about it.


    He said that he failed as a Leader and apologized to everyone looking forward to their team''s result.


    His words were downying himself, however, even a child could tell what he was truly trying to imply.


    Of course, that is, if the child can think.


    These idiotic sheep, however, couldn''t.


    They simply followed his words and instantly turned towards him, talking about how he was the one who left and how he, as the senior most student in the team, should have been more responsible and shouldn''t have left them alone, especially when Vaan was the one who invited him to his team. At the very least, he could have repaid the favor by guiding him a little.


    With the first wave directed at him, more and more waves started flowing in the same direction, a few dayster, he was already the sole person responsible for the team breaking up and unfinished results. People didn''t even point a single finger at the Team Leader, who was supposed to keep the team together and not me his teammates.


    What''s worse was that one of the members of the Sword Division turned on him, agreeing to Vaan and confirming that it was he who left first and was the one who initiated that conversation. With the student of his own department agreeing to Vaan''s statement, Den had no way to defend himself and could only take the me while cursing the bitch who turned on her own Division.


    It was Den''s thorough defeat.


    He couldn''t help but notice that for some reason, after Astra Elysia Vesta''s visit, Vaan''s tactics had gotten much more brutal and well put out than before.


    He didn''t know the reason behind it, however, for now, none of that mattered.


    After all, he finally got the chance to get back at his enemy.


    "A 90% approval rate huh¡­"


    He muttered as he nced at the Article in front of him with a big smile on his face.


    "Dere my official statement."


    Suddenly, Den turned towards his assistant and spoke with a cold look on his face.


    The Assistant, as if already expecting this, was already ready with a pen and paper, ready to note down everything Den said word for word.


    Den nodded in satisfaction before he continued,


    "Our esteemed Agresia Academy intends to teach its students how the real world works, for 5000 years, we have created an environment where we have everything the real world has, be it politics, our own currency, conflicts,panionships, and more. In these 5000 years, we have created an environment where our Academy can also be called the representation of the real world, or the mini world.


    And just like how you cannot leave the real world no matter what emergency it is, you shouldn''t be allowed to leave our mini world either else it would defeat the purpose our Academy has been standing for the past 5000 years.


    As much as I would want to help my junior here, I, for one, would be casting my vote against him leaving the Academy because before being his senior, I am a student of this Academy. A Student who wouldn''tpromise with the Academy''s beliefs no matter what."


    A smirk appeared on Den''s face the moment he was done with his ''announcement''. He, however, was not done here.


    "Now write another announcement, this would be sent solely to my men."


    He spoke, his assistant turned the page, ready to write yet another long speech, however,


    "If you or any people close to you gave your approval, you are dead."


    Den spoke a single line and a cold glint shined in his eyes. With this, he made sure that even if his message to the entire student body didn''t work, his subordinates, who were easily more than 10% of the entire student body, would never vote in approval.


    He didn''t know why that bastard wanted to leave, however, if it was something he wanted, Den would make sure that he didn''t get it.


    ¡­


    Soon after that, two Statements from Den Dawncrest, one private and one public, were released. While the private one did the job, making sure that Vaan would never get the required votes to be able to leave the Academy.


    The public one did much better than what many were expecting, especially after Den''s recent defeat.


    The moment Vaan''s request for help was released and soon became a hot topic in the entire Agresia Academy, many students who had influence in their own circle came forward in his support. Some wanted to curry favors, while some just wanted to be of help because they were impressed by his achievements.


    Anyways, with all these peopleing forward in order to help Vaan, the public opinion was greatly in his favor.


    Heck, it didn''t take long for the Official Pole to be posted on the SIC where students were allowed to give their votes. They could either vote for yes, or no, or not give a vote at all.


    Of course, only a yes out of these three votes was helpful for Vaan because those who chose not to vote would automatically be considered as a no when the results were counted.


    Anyways, despite all this, more and more ''yes'' were voted and within just 30 minutes of the Poll being released, Vaan already had the support of 30% of the total student poption and he hadn''t even started with his main marketing tactics.


    However, the moment Den''s announcement was released, things changed.


    People who were trying to wash their hands in the flowing river and support Vaan started diminishing, their minds were clear,


    Helping Vaan would make them one of theters, they would simply be blending in with the rest of the rally and wouldn''t be able to get real benefits out of it.


    Den, however, was different. Right now, with his negative position, not many would support him, so if they were the first to do it, they might get recognized by him.


    Soon, the flow started changing as more and more statements agreeing with Den''s words started releasing.


    Within the next 30 minutes, while the percentage of supporters only rose to 32%, the percentage of students with disapproval had already risen to 5% and till now, Den''s subordinates hadn''t even made their moves.

 Chapter 266 He is here.

    <h4>Chapter 266 He is here.</h4>


    "That fucker¡­"


    Vaan cursed.


    "Langauge."


    However, the woman sitting in front of him was quick to point it out.


    "What? My God doesn''t stop me from cursing." Vaanined.


    Selene shook her head,


    "My God doesn''t stop me from it either, however, cursing, in general, is considered a bad act because it creates too many negative emotions inside the person cursing and the one being cursed at the same time. It not only has a negative effect onmunication, it is also degrading and disrespectful. Not to mention it also has a negative effect on children, who often copy adults or their role models when they form their personalities."


    Selene replied with her usual, gentle smile on her face and Vaan could already feel a headacheing.


    Now he didn''t exactly hate this woman. On the contrary, with how much she has been helping them without asking anything in return, he, at the very least, was now looking at her in a positive light.


    Of course, he still wouldn''t be surprised if he someday realized that she was doing all this in order to get something out of him and her kind and helpful act was nothing more than a fake front, however, for now, he had decided to trust her.


    Not that he had any other option.


    That bastard had already made his move, just looking at the Pole in the SIC and how more and more people who were now against him were rising at a scary pace right after that bastard publicly gave his opinion, he had no other option but to go to the only person who held more influence in the Academy than the annoying Swordsman.


    Honestly, if it wasn''t for ra stopping him, he would have already left the Academy for the good.


    As for the consequences? To hell with that!


    They will be announcing the return of the God of Magic, the God that once held power that was equal, if not strongerpared to the God of Light.


    No one would give a ratass if he left a children''s Academy.


    ra however, had a different opinion.


    The two of them had no need to rush things.


    As much as important all the information they currently have with them seemed, after thinking about it, nothing was urgent enough for Vaan to leave the Academy.


    Even if they had no choice but to wait for the Semester to end, they wouldn''t lose anything.


    Yes, the Spirits were the incarnation of the God of Magic, shocking.


    But now what?


    The Spirits still do not know how to bless their believers, they still didn''t know how to generate Faith Energy that the Spirits could use to Bless their believers, right now, even if they met her Teacher and revealed everything to her, they still wouldn''t be able to put the information to good use.


    Sure, she might be able to hasten the process of finding a way to generate Faith Energy, but there was no guarantee that it would happen.


    Not to mention that even leaving things as they are right now, nothing major would happen. Right now, there was no urgency pushing them to be in a rush, rather, taking rash decisions like leaving the Academy would only be considered foolish and unrequired.


    Vaan, who heard ra''s reasoning realized that the woman was right.


    And how could she not be? It was ra they were talking about. A Magical Genius with a bright brain. Of course, the woman will be right. ra was always right. She was the best.


    Vaan nodded as he decided to take things easy.


    Of course, he still didn''t like how Den was messing with his ns. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to teach that brat a lesson.


    But before that, he needed the help of this girl sitting in front of him.


    "Alright Alright, I get it, curses, bad.


    You don''t need to give a whole ass speech for it."


    Vaan snorted, however, seeing Selene looking at him with a simple smile without saying anything, he quickly realized that he had made another mistake, though he had no idea what it was.


    ra on the other hand, was quick to catch it and simply tapped on Vaan''s with hers.


    Selene, however, noticed that and simply chuckled. Then, shaking her head as if giving up on the lost cause, she nced at Vaan and,


    "Why do you want to leave the Academy anyway? Different Tournaments are about to start, shouldn''t you be preparing for them instead?"


    Selene questioned as she yed with Furr, who got close to the blonde the instant they met.


    "We have a personal reason," Vaan replied.


    Selene had a wry smile on her face,


    "You want my help but won''t tell me why you want it. You are making things difficult for me, Vaan."


    Selene spoke and both Vaan and ra smiled wryly. They knew what sort of position they were putting Selene in.


    If she agreed to support them for no apparent reason, more and more students would start making unreasonable requests and woulde to her for favors.


    And as someone who doesn''t back away from helping people, it would be extremely difficult for Selene to turn those people down.


    Vaan and ra could see the problem, in this case, however, there was nothing they could do. They didn''t wish to lie to the woman who had been nothing but helpful ever since they met even though they doubted her from the very beginning, neither could they tell her the truth since, well¡­ this could lead to something much bigger if things go south and Selene turns out to be someone they shouldn''t have trusted.


    Heck, even Seraphina wasn''t informed about this, let alone someone they met just a few weeks ago.


    "President Selene, we would be really grateful if you help us this time¡­"


    Evane spoke as she nced at Selene with a slight frown. The shine in her eyes made her look pitiful, and seeing that look on her face, before Selene could react,


    "Aauu¡­"


    Furr moved.


    The little guy turned towards Selene and,


    "Auuu¡­"


    After calling her out, he started licking her fingers. It was as if the little guy was requesting Selene together with his mother.


    And this time, Selene had no way to resist.


    The Evane and Furrbination was simply too much, Selene knew only a heartless monster with no emotions could ever reject them.


    And she, unfortunately, was someone who already had an agreeable personality to begin with.


    In the end, Selene sighed,


    "Alright, I will help you out."


    "Thank you, Selene, really." Vaan expressed his heartfelt gratitude. Selene simply nodded with a smile and then turned towards Evane who was looking at her with a bright smile on her face.


    "Aaauu!"


    Little Furr seemed to have understood that Selene fulfilled his mother''s request so he howled excitedly before he started rubbing Selene''s hand with his soft fur.


    Selene''s smile widened, enjoying the attention she was receiving.


    Then, however, a grim look appeared on her face, and,


    "But I don''t think my help would do you any good. You don''t seem to have a good rtionship with Swords Division''s Den Dawncrest, that student holds quite a lot of influence in the Academy and since he seems to be against you, I highly doubt you would get more than 90% of students to vote for you even if I help you out."


    Selene spoke and Vaan, who already knew this, nodded and then,


    "I know, and don''t worry,


    I have alreadye up with a countermeasure for that."


    His eyes shone with a determined look as he said those words.


    ¡­


    On the other side in the Dawncrest House, inside Den''s room, the Swordsman was currently sitting on his chair, polishing his Sword with a gleeful look on his face.


    *Knock* *Knock*


    The calm atmosphere, however, was ruined when a knock was heard.


    "Enter."


    Knowing who it was because only a few would dare to knock on his doors, Den allowed the person to walk in.


    His secretary walked in with an SIC and some papers in her hands and,


    "It went exactly like you predicted, the Council President released a Statement in favor of Vaan. This is the statement."


    She spoke as she passed a paper to Den. The Swordsman grabbed the paper and started reading.


    ''Both Vaan and ra are students who have disyed excellent results in the Academy. They are students who have impressed and surprised the entire Academy because of their talents. Not only are they talented, but they are also hard workers who continuously put in the effort to improve themselves.


    They are good examples of model students and if such students require our help to deal with their personal matters, I believe we should extend our helping hand.


    After all, as someone who has interacted with the two of them quite a few times, I know they wouldn''t have opted for this if it was something manageable.


    I only hope that everyone reading this also tries to help their fellow students and prevent something bad from happening.''


    "More and more students have started voting in his favor the moment the statement was released, some students who had voted against it were also influenced and changed their votes."


    The secretory reported.


    "The Student Council is clearly on his side."


    Hearing those words, however, Den snorted,


    "On his side my foot.


    That bitch is simply on the side that is against me, that guy just turned out to be a convenient tool."


    *Knock* *Knock*


    As he said those words, Den heard another knock, frowning, he turned towards the door and,


    "What is it?" he questioned.


    "Sir Den¡­


    It is that Vaan¡­


    He is outside the Dawncrest House and wishes to see you."

 Chapter 267 Got you bitch.

    <h4>Chapter 267 Got you bitch. </h4>


    "Would you look at that, I didn''t think I would see my juniore knocking at my door, how surprising."


    Den spoke with a big smile on his face as he saw Vaan walking into his room.


    Vaan, on the other hand, didn''t react to his words and nced at Den''s secretory who was standing in front of him, and from the expressionless look on her face, it was clear that she had no intention of moving away.


    Den wanted him to move aside and walk past his secretory.


    Vaan, obviously had no clue what this was supposed to do, however¡­


    A big smile appeared on his face as he nced at the woman in front of him.


    Once again, he didn''t know why she was standing in front of him and what Den nned to achieve through this, in no world, would Vaan lose anything if he did what Den wanted and gave him the sense of victory he seemed to want so much.


    However¡­


    The thing was¡­ that Vaan had been a good boy for a long time now¡­ probably ever since he had joined the Academy.


    Sure, what he did with the sword dude who entered his ss couldn''t exactly be considered ''good'', however, in the events after that, Vaan had been rather tamed.


    Of course, the main reason behind this was that he was maturing. He wasn''t the rash gangster anymore, actually, he never was, the only reason he acted rashly before was because he knew his mother was a big shot and he actually had the freedom to go wild.


    Yes, a hateful attitude but¡­ well, the man was free to use the resources he was provided, no?


    What''s the point of having a strong mommy if you aren''t going to make use of it to your advantage?


    Anyways, after spending time with ra, while Vaan had indeed corrupted the woman, the woman had rubbed him off quite a lot as well, taming him down and turning him into more of a nner than a rash person who deals with everything using his fists.


    Today, however, things were different.


    Today, Vaan had decided to give in to his base instincts again.


    Since the kid was trying to bully him using his influence, he decided to take the matters into his own, or Christopher''s hands.


    And unlike the current Vaan, Christopher was a petty bastard.


    An action that would give a sense of victory to his enemy, he would never do it.


    "Move."


    Vaan spoke as he nced at the woman in front of him.


    "¡­"


    The secretory, however, showed no reaction to his words, which made Den smile but more than Den, it was Vaan who was enjoying this situation.


    Suddenly, the Mana around Vaan moved and suddenly, three Advanced Circles formed in front of him,


    "Move."


    He repeated, his golden eyes shining with a crazed light.


    This bastard¡­ he was serious¡­


    Heck, he was already drawing the Magic Pattern¡­


    And it was no simple spell either.


    It was the me Bomb.


    A spell that almost every student in the Academy knew.


    Why?


    It was because this was the spell ra meheart used in her recent duel, nearly killing her enemy. The only reason the man even survived was because of Orion''s interference, heck, even the judge was helpless in that situation, and right now¡­ let alone Orion, not even someone like the judge was present.


    Not to mention the woman was standing right in front of Vaan, having no chance to dodge the iing death.


    The secretary''s instincts screamed at her, in an instant, her legs moved, clearing Vaan''s path. Vaan, who saw that,ughed out loud, and as if all of this was a mere illusion, everything, the Circles, the Magic Pattern, disappeared.


    Den widened his eyes in surprise, unable to believe what he had just seen.


    Usually, a Basic Mage, heck, even an Intermediate Mage cannot just¡­ stop casting his spell in the middle. The Mana they have circted throughout their veins, they have to spend in some way or another, or else they would face terrible consequences as the Mana would end up damaging their Veins, sometimes, even turning the Mage into a cripple.


    There was no exception to this rule.


    Holding the Mana inside the Veins for a long time was dangerous.


    Vaan, however, was an exception to this ''rule''.


    Why?


    Well, who was he?


    He was a man who had a close rtionship with the God of Magic!


    He has a direct connection with the upper echelon here, he was allowed to surpass a few rules.


    The new knowledge the Spirits had learned from the Queen was quite useful.


    Actually, when Vaan summoned his circles and started casting, along with feeling nervous, Den was also gleeful.


    The annoying bastard had fallen for his provocation.


    Now the moment he uses his spell in his turf, he could take action in the name of self-defense and even dealing a crippling blow to the bastard was possible. Heck, Den was sure that even his Family Protectors, who must have the same line of thought were waiting for him to cast before finally making their move.


    It was the end for Vaan,


    However,


    "Come on dude, if you are going to y these games, at least get a braveckey to do the job.


    Look at how she''s trembling.


    Honestly, if it was one of my subordinates, I would have died of embarrassment.


    Kek, I can''t believe you lost the game you started."


    Vaanughed out loud as nced at Den with a disdainful look on his face. The Secretary, who heard his words, widened her eyes in horror as she realized what she had done.


    She had embarrassed Den in front of his enemy¡­


    In an instant, her body started trembling¡­ just thinking about what would happen to her in the future made her face pale in fear.


    Vaan however,pletely ignored the woman and simply took his seat right in front of Den.


    "Anyways, I am sure you aren''t a pussy like your subordinates, though considering that you came out of the Ancient Ruins within a few days, I can''t be too sure, but I at least hope that is the case."


    Vaanughed.


    Den''s face twitched as he nced at the man sitting in front of him.


    Soon however, he calmed his mind, remembering that in their little bout, he was the one who had the advantage and Vaan was the one who hade here to seek his help.


    "Hmm? This is strange, I don''t see the girl around you today. Don''t the two of you stick together no matter what?


    What''s the issue? Where is she? Has she gone somewhere else to seek help?"


    Den spoke, trying to rile Vaan up. The man, however, just chuckled,


    "I just didn''t bring her here. You see, ra is quick to freak out. She wouldn''t like what I n to do."


    "Oh? What do you n to do?"


    Den questioned with a curious look on his face.


    Vaan however, justughed,


    "Now now, don''t act like I didn''t see how you pretty much pissed your pants the moment I summoned my circles. Of course, I don''t n on revealing anything outside but¡­e on man."


    "I was just worried for my secretary. Unlike others, I actually do care about my subordinates."


    "Is that so¡­? Maybe that''s why they are all a bunch of scardy cats. The two swordsmen you sent to duel with me and ra were pretty much the same, the moment ra started firing some more serious spells, they started trembling.


    One even shouted in fear as he started ming his God.


    It was quite a funny sight, not going to lie."


    Vaanughed again, seeing Den clenching his fists in frustration, he relished the long-lost joy of bullying others.


    Of course, he wasn''t nning to hold back his punches here.


    Den wanted something from him, and no matter how he acted, the man would make sure to use the advantage he had and force him to make an unfair deal.


    Since the oue wouldn''t change depending on how he acted, Vaan decided to at least take a psychological advantage.


    "You speak quite a lot for someone who cannot even deal with a simple problem and is now asking the entire student body for help." Den snorted.


    "Well, I can''t do anything about it. The Headmaster told me to do it, I don''t make the rules."


    Vaan just shrugged. Then, he decided to stop ying around and,


    "Anyways, say what you want."


    He spoke up.


    Hearing those words, a smile appeared on Den''s face, knowing exactly what Vaan was talking about, he however, just to enjoy the situation for a little longer, feigned ignorance, and,


    "What do you mean? You are the one who came here. Tell me what you want."


    "Look, kid, stop with all the games, okay? Just say what is it that you want for you to take back your words and tell your subordinates to vote for me instead?"


    "What makes you think that I will change my mind if you give me something? What if I do not want you to win at all? What are you going to do then?"


    Hearing those words, Vaan just shrugged and stood up,


    "Well, then I guess I made a mistake bying here. I probably would need to wait a few months before I settle the matter."


    Saying those words, Vaan turned around, ready to leave.


    However, right before he reached the door,


    "There is something."


    Den spoke and Vaan''s smile widened.


    ''Got you bitch.''


    He spoke as he turned around.


    "Speak."

 Chapter 268 I really where you get your confidence from, Vesta.

    <h4>Chapter 268 I really where you get your confidence from, Vesta.</h4>


    "Speak."


    Vaan spoke as he turned back to Den. A big smile then appeared on Den''s face and,


    "The mansion you live in, I like that ce quite a lot." Hemented.


    "Hu-" Vaan wanted to say something, Den, however, wasn''t nning on giving away the momentum he finally had,


    "And the new Vesta House as well, even though it isn''t very suitable for my tastes, I believe it would be a great servant quarter. You see, it has that vibe in it, you know, considering the sort of people who have lived there."


    Vaan didn''t say anything. His silence was like a drug for Den, whose smile couldn''t be any wider as he continued,


    "I wanted both of them for a long time, of course, I am not a heartless bastard, I won''t just make you give them to me without having a chance to defend them.


    So how about we make a bet?


    A one-on-one match, no tricks or gimmicks involved, a simple, fair, one-on-one match with no Instant Spells or Artifacts allowed, how about it?


    If you lose, the Vesta House and your Mansion will belong to me."


    Den offered with a big smile on his face. of course, this is no different than simply taking the buildings away from Vaan, this bet could easily be considered a farce, because, after all,


    In the end, Vaan was only a Mage.


    A one-on-one duel against a Swordsman like Den was simply too much for him, not to mention that Den was a 4 Star Swordsman, a level above Vaan, it was an unfair battle no matter how one saw it, and Vaan, who could clearly see what the swordsman in front of him was trying to do, narrowed his eyes. He only had one question in his mind.


    "And if I win?"


    Den momentarily blinked. Unable to believe what he just heard, soon however, he recalled who he was standing in front of and couldn''t help butugh out loud,


    "Right, you are the mystery Mage who doesn''t hesitate in a one-on-one duel."


    Then, Den looked right into Vaan''s eyes and,


    "However, don''t forget that you are the one who came here for a request. It was never supposed to be a fair deal to begin with.


    You don''t get anything even if you win.


    Though I highly doubt that would happen."


    "That''s quite some confidence you have. It is as if you think that defeating me is not a big deal." Vaan chuckled and Den just looked at him with a disdainful look on his face.


    Vaan chuckled,


    "Though when I am confident about my victory, I don''t hesitate to offer fair bets, heck, I''d even do it if it is disadvantageous for me,


    After all, when I am confident, I know there is absolutely no way I will lose.


    But I understand where you areing from,


    I wouldn''t want to make a fair bet with myself either."


    "You didn''t think that would work, did you?"


    Den questioned with a smirk on his face.


    "You have a way with your words, Vesta. At least in that regard, you are much better than that useless brother of yours. That guy''s control over his emotions is honestly pathetic."


    "Hmm, seeing that it ising from someone like you who has lost control over his emotions several times throughout this interaction, this is a concerning situation."


    Vaan nodded to himself before he turned towards Den and,


    "Thank you for pointing that out, I will work on it."


    He spoke with an absolutely serious look on his face.


    The expression on his face made the entire situation even funnier.


    Den''s mouth twitched in annoyance, soon, however, he shook his head and,


    "Anyways, do you agree with the terms or not?"


    "So in exchange for agreeing to vote for me, you want me to make a bet where we will be facing each other in a one-on-one battle and if you win, you get the new Vesta House and my Mansion and if I win, I get nothing, correct?"


    "That is correct." Den nodded with a smirk.


    "Alright, it doesn''t seem that bad." Vaan nodded. Vaan''s smirk widened as he then pointed at his secretory, the woman stood up in a hurry and brought a document, cing it on the table.


    "Sign it then."


    Den spoke.


    "You seem prepared," Vaan spoke as he read the content of the document, it was a contract, a contract with exactly the same terms as mentioned before.


    "I figured you would be rushing to me to beg for help anytime soon, so I made some preparations." Denughed, waiting for Vaan to sign the paper.


    "At the very least, your brain wouldn''t be the reason for the fall of the Dawncrest family." Vaan chuckled.


    "Oh you don''t have to worry, nothing is going to happen."


    "We will see about that, Den Dawncrest."


    Vaan spoke as he finally signed the contract, passing it back to Den, who had signed it before he had evene here.


    "With this, it is official. Thank you for gifting me the two buildings, Vesta. It would make a fine addition to my collection."


    Then, Denughed and, "I sometimes feel that I have a knack for taking away everything a Vesta owns. This is already the second time."


    He then looked into Vaan''s eyes and,


    "I wonder what is going to happen when all of us leave the Academy, who knows, the Vesta City might be renamed in the future.


    How does the Shallow Slums sound? Since I n to change to entire thing to this big slum area where people working under me can live in. Of course, don''t worry, I''ll make sure you get to stay right in the middle, after all, you would be the one who would give me ess to the entire city.


    I ought to return the favor in some way or another, no? Honestly, if you do a good job, I might even take you in as a Dawncrest soldier, but don''t expect to rise over the position of a soldier, all right? Even if I am considerate, there are still limits to what I can do to help, no?


    Though if it is your father¡­ I might make him my bodyguard.


    Your mother isn''t bad either¡­ since, well, she could be used as more than a bodyguar-"


    "You dream quite well, Den.


    Is this how you got rid of your virginity?"


    Den narrowed his eyes, Vaan, however, continued with a simple smile,


    "But be careful of what you dream about, Dawncrest. Den narrowed his eyes, Vaan, however, continued with a Sometimes, dreams turn into nightmares.


    Nightmares you try your best to wake up from but can never do and only then do you finally realize,


    That it was never a nightmare to begin with,


    But a reality."


    Vaan spoke, his golden eyes shining intensely as he looked into Den''s eyes.


    Seeing the look on his face, Den''s body trembled, he however, was quick to get back into his senses as he then looked into Vaan''s eyes and smiled,


    "Then I will wait for you to turn my dream into a nightmare, Vesta."


    "You wouldn''t have to wait for long." Vaan nodded.


    There was still a smile on his face, however, more than amusing, that smile looked¡­ terrifying.


    Den did notice that something was wrong with Vaan''s smile, he, however, to keep a strong front, picked up the contract with a calm look on his face and,


    "You can leave, Vesta.


    And once you return,


    I will see you in the Elite Showdown."


    "The Elite Showdown huh¡­" Vaan muttered as she heard the familiar name.


    Den smiled as well,


    "The biggest tournament in the Agresia Academy. Quite a grand stage, don''t you think?


    Do you want to know a fun fact?


    Your brother lost the Vesta House in the Elite Showdown as well.


    You are doing nothing but repeating the history, Vesta."


    "Is that so¡­"


    Vaan just nodded.


    Den then walked towards Vaan as he then ced the contract on Vaan''s chest and,


    "You shouldn''t have given into my provocations, Vaan Vesta.


    Now you are going to embarrass your Family, once again.


    And this time, I will make sure the news won''t remain suppressed inside the Academy grounds either, I will make sure your Family learns about it before you can inform them."


    "You are going to announce the result to the rest of the world, huh?" Vaan questioned.


    "That is exactly what I am going to do," Den answered with a big smile on his face.


    "Be sure to do that,"


    Saying those words, Vaan pped away Den''s hand as he ced his hand on his shoulder,


    "I wish you luck, kid.


    Though since I am the one you are up again, I doubt even luck can help you.


    After all, there is a limit to how much mere luck can save you."


    "I really where you get your confidence from, Vesta."


    "Oh, you will know it soon enough.


    You will get the first-hand experience of it."

 Chapter 269 Have you lost your mind!?

    Chapter 269 Have you lost your mind!?


    ??"Have you lost your mind!?"


    Vaelen shouted in anger, ring at the man standing in front of him.


    When the public announcement from the Dawncrest House and Den Dawncrest was made, he was surprised, he found it hard to believe that a man like Den gave into Vaan''s demand so quickly.


    He doubted the situation for a second, however, he decided to give Vaan the benefit of the doubt and thought that he must have done something.


    Now, however, when he finally learned what Vaan just did, Vaelen couldn''t control his anger anymore.


    "How can you do it!? Did you not see that he was nning this from the very beginning!? Do you even know what the consequences of your actions are!?"


    "¡­"


    Vaan stared at the man in silence, letting him vent his anger in silence, which, Seraphina, who was in the room as well found surprising. After all, this was the same person who went for a punch the moment he didn''t like something.


    ''He is changing¡­''


    Seraphina thought inwardly as she nced at the man who was staring at the situation in front of him in silence.


    Her eyes then fell on the woman''s hand he was holding and she couldn''t help but wonder,


    ''Is it because of her¡­?''


    Thinking about it, Seraphina couldn''t help but realize how Vaelen had actually been helpful to Vaan all this time.


    In the limited time she had spent here, Seraphina had seen how Vaelen had acted, heck, just taking the most recent example, the moment the pole about Vaan leaving the Academy grounds was posted, the first person who had decent influence in the Academy and made a statement supporting Vaan was Vaelen. Not only that, he also personally visited everyone in the Vesta Family and made them not only vote in Vaan''s favor but also make a public statement supporting him.


    The man handled everything on his own and it wouldn''t be wrong to call him the initiator of the Vaan support wave that had started.


    So Vaan not letting his anger take over was not very surprising considering Vaelen was the man who had done so much for him.


    Vaelen, however, didn''t appreciate Vaan''s silence.


    "What are you silent for!? What? Don''t tell me you were fooled! After acting so high and mighty, you were fooled!? I bet that bastard must have targeted that inted ego of yours!


    I don''t care if you bet your Mansion, you were the one who received it, you can burn the darn thing for all I care, but what gave you the right to involve the Vesta House as well, huh!?


    You don''t live here and even if you did, you cannot take a decision like this alone! Did you discuss it with anyone here!? Did you ask anyone!?


    Then what made you think you had the authority to bet the Vesta House!?


    No, wait, I know what you are going to do now, you will go to that bastard, tell him that you have no authority to make such a decision, change the content of your bet, and if he doesn''t agree, then leave the academy! You were going to do it anyway, weren''t you!?"


    Vaelen spat the words in his anger. From the crazed look on his face, it was clear that he was deeply affected by the current situation, Lirael wanted to stop her brother, knowing exactly what he was feeling, however, noticing the look in his eyes, she knew it was useless.


    Vaelen continued, he walked towards Vaan, his eyes still had that crazed look stered on them, then, as he ced both his hands on his shoulders, he spoke,


    "What are you waiting for? Go and do what I do."


    There was a strangepulsive force in his voice.


    Apulsive force that¡­


    Didn''t work on Vaan.


    "The fuck are you talking about?"


    He spoke, pushing Vaelen away from him and dusting off his shoulders.


    "Don''t put your insecurities on me, Vaelen. You lost, I will not.


    As for how I have the authority to make such a decision without discussing it with anyone else, you did the same thing before, Vaelen.


    You didn''t consider it with anyone, you fell for Den''s trick and lost the real Vesta House, forcing the entire family to shift to a Fake you now call the ''new'' Vesta House.


    Heck, you didn''t even have a direct conversation with Den, you got done in by a mere subordinate. You, out of everyone, have no right to shout at me here."


    Vaan didn''t end there, he turned towards the rest of the people gathered here and,


    "I was not tricked into this, when I signed the contract, I calcted all the risks and carefully considered everything. Even if you ask me to go back in time, I will still make the same move.


    There is nothing you people need to worry about, just trust me and live like nothing happened.


    Although I couldn''t get our actual House back through this bet, trust me, that won''t take long either.


    Anyways, if any of you have a problem with what I did, you cane forward, we will solve it through an unofficial duel. After all, only the strong has the right to speak, no?"


    A small smile appeared on Vaan''s face as he looked around.


    He didn''t hesitate to face Den, who, as much as he didn''t wish to admit it, was capable of sweeping floors with any of the basic mages present here, then why would Vaan care about facing them?


    He had long since turned into a monster who could not be measured through normal means. Three Circle Mages didn''t mean anything, if he wanted, he could even defeat ra, unless of course, the girl pouts and he loses on purpose just to make her happy.


    Then, however, something surprising happened,


    "I agree with Vaan."


    Someone spoke up.


    Of course, it wasn''t surprising that someone here supported him, what was surprising was the identity of the person.


    Elric nced at Vaan and smiled widely,


    "Since he seems so confident, I say we let him fight. What''s the worst that can happen anyway? We lose our House? We have already lost it once, haven''t we? What difference would losing it again make?


    Honestly, just the fact that we have settled in this ce is embarrassing enough, I don''t think there is much of a ''reputation'' we can protect here."


    Elricughed as he nced at the other members of the family. Some of them snorted at his words, turning their heads away in anger, while some started thinking.


    Seeing his words taking effect, Elric turned towards Vaan and,


    "There is no reason for you to fight anyone since we already decided to make you the ''hope'' of the Vesta Family, I believe you have full authority to make such a decision. There is no need for this debate in the first ce.


    If people here didn''t trust you, you wouldn''t be called the ''hope'' of the family and someone would have already taken their stance against you by now.


    And as you can see, since no one did it, I believe you are free to do whatever you want here."


    Hearing those words, Vaan smiled.


    "Thank you for that, Elric. You make a good point, I didn''t know you were capable of that."


    Elric''s mouth twitched in annoyance, he however, didn''t let his smile fade and,


    "Right? I was quite surprised as well. Hahaha."


    Heughed out loud.


    Vaanughed together with him as well.


    A strange atmosphere formed in the room seeing the two menugh.


    Of course, Vaan could tell what Elric was trying to do.


    This must be a golden opportunity for a rat like him.


    After all, if he lost and they lost the Vesta House, then just like the case with Vaelen, he would be removed from the Battle of Heirs as well.


    And once he, Elric''s biggestpetitor and the one who overshadows him in every way possible is gone, then in the race to the throne, he only needs to deal with Lirael, which, isparatively easy and he wins the battle, bing the next head of the family.


    What is a little embarrassment in front of something like that? Heck, why would he even feel embarrassed in the first ce? It isn''t like he is the one who lost, now is he?


    Yes, in Elric''s mind, Vaan had already lost.


    And just from the wide grin on his face, Vaan could tell exactly what he was imagining.


    He, however, didn''t bother saying anything else.


    He simply turned toward the rest of the members of the family and,


    "So? No one has any problems, correct? Then I will be taking my leave now."


    Saying those words, he simply turned around, walking back with ra and Seraphina following him out.


    Once he left, Percival, one of the Protectors of the Vesta Family turned towards Orion and looked into his eyes, waiting for him to say something,


    Orion, who noticed that simply shrugged,


    "What? It is just children ying around with each other, let them do what they want."


    "¡­"


    The two Protectors just sighed, this man was simply too carefree.

 Chapter 270 Weren’t you two going to form a Bond!? What the hell is this!? What did you two do!?

    Chapter 270 Weren¡¯t you two going to form a Bond!? What the hell is this!? What did you two do!?


    ??"¡­"


    Octavius stared at Vaan in silence, not knowing what to say.


    "What now?"


    Vaan questioned with a frown on his face. Octavius, however, simply stared at the boy, his brows slowly furrowing,


    "I didn''t think you would actually be able to pull it off."


    Octavius spoke as he nced at the Voting Poll, he had given Vaan a month to gather the votes, so the voting was still active, however, there was no meaning to watch it any further.


    Vaan already had 93% of Votes on his side.


    4% were against him while the 3% didn''t vote.


    In conclusion, Vaan already won, and only a week had passed since the Poll wasunched.


    "I can understand Selene, that girl would go out of bounds to help others if she can, you must have exploited that, but¡­


    How did you manage to get the Dawncrests on your side?"


    Octavius questioned directly.


    "I know you went to the Dawncrests, what did you do? What deal did you make with them?"


    "I don''t think you need to know that, Headmaster," Vaan replied with a smile on his face.


    "¡­"


    Octavius turned silent, then, he nced at Vaan with a grave look on his face and,


    "Are you sure you didn''t do anything that you would regret in the future?"


    "I did not.


    Now can I leave the Academy?"


    Vaan questioned, his impatience clear on his face, and seeing that, Octavius couldn''t help but snort inwardly, ''He is much better to talk to when that girl is with him.''


    Octavius was missing ra''s presence.


    Right now, however, ra was busy taking care of Furr and decided not to leave the house. Heck, she had been skipping sses for the past week, just so she could spend time with little Furr.


    And of course, since ra wasn''t going, Vaan didn''t bother going as well. He simply focused on gathering more votes and spending time with ra and Furr.


    After this, he and ra were also going to formally create a bond with Furr, turning him into their familiar.


    This was also the reason Vaan was in a hurry. He just wanted to get his leave approved and return to his mansion.


    Octavius, however, still had questions.


    "Are you sure you wish to leave the Academy when the Tournaments Season is about to begin?"


    "Why do you think I have been running around the Academy asking for Votes? Of course, I am sure."


    Vaan replied as he nced at Octavius with a deadpan look on his face.


    "¡­"


    Octavius''s mouth twitched.


    In the end, he just sighed and,


    "When do you want to leave?"


    "Tomorrow."


    "Tomorrow?" Octavius raised his eyebrow.


    "That is correct."


    "And who will be leaving with you?"


    "Me, ra, Father, Furr, and Seraphina."


    "Seraphina?"


    Octavius tilted his head.


    "She can be useful sometimes."


    Vaan spoke and Octavius nodded.


    Seraphina wasn''t a student who had any big impact in the Academy, her presence didn''t change anything.


    As for Orion¡­ well, Octavius already knew that man was only here to protect Vaan, if Vaan was leaving, he wouldn''t spend even a second away from that woman.


    "Alright, you all can leave tomorrow."


    "Thank you, Headmaster."


    Vaan nodded with a smile as he then stood up.


    Octavius didn''t react, Vaan shrugged as he nodded once again before leaving the Headmaster''s Office.


    ¡­


    "Is it done?"


    As Vaan returned to the Mansion, ra questioned with a gentle smile on her face.


    "Aauuu!!"


    Furr, on the other hand, had already rushed towards Vaan, jumped into his arms, and started licking his face.


    Vaan found this act like annoying at first, however, thest time he grabbed Furr by his neck and ced him away, ra started ring at him, so in the end, he decided to ept and now, he had gotten used to it.


    Ruffling Furr''s back, he turned towards ra and nodded.


    ra''s expression brightened,


    "Then should we form the Bond?"


    Before Vaan could even reply, the girl already brought out the Instant Spells required to form a Bond with a familiar.


    Vaan simply walked towards her with Furr in his hands.


    ra, who had already researched the entire thing quickly activated the Instant Spell, a big Magic Circle was then formed on the ground. Vaan gently ced Furr on top of the shining Magic Circle, Furr looked around with a curious but excited look on his face.


    From his expression, it felt like the little guy knew what was going on.


    Vaan and ra, on the other hand, quickly knelt on the ground near Furr.


    "We now need to mix our Blood before dropping it on the Magic Circle."


    Vaan nodded in understanding, he nced at the knife ra had prepared and quickly made a small cut on his palm, his blood came out, gathering on top of his palm, then, he nced at ra and,


    "Only cut your finger."


    ra nodded as she lightly sliced her finger, since Vaan was staring at her intently, she made sure not to make a cut too deep else she knew she was in for a big lecture and the Bond would need to be postponed.


    ra''s blood then dropped onto Vaan''s, Vaan then dropped the mixed blood on top of the Magic Circle and the Circle started shining even more brightly.


    "Aaauuu!!"


    Furr howled, a strange energy was released from his body. The Magic Circle that was created shined even more brightly. ra nced at the entire process with an excited look on her face, as someone who had been studying the entire process for an entire week, she knew everything was going exactly as it should.


    However,


    "Vaan¡­"


    mey, who was sitting on Vaan''s shoulder called out.


    "What is it?" Vaan questioned as he turned towards mey.


    The Fire Spirit, however, frowned in confusion and,


    "Something''s wrong¡­"


    "What do you mea-"


    Before Vaan could ask,


    *Flicker* *Flicker*


    Something strange happened.


    The Magic Circle started flickering.


    mey and the other Spirits then nced in a particr direction and suddenly, a whirlpool of Mana formed in that ce.


    *Whoosh* *Whoosh*


    "W-What is happening¡­?"


    ra questioned in panic as she nced at the whirlpool.


    "You can see that?" Vaan questioned with a confused look on his face.


    "Of course I can!" ra answered, her voice slightly high because of her worry. Vaan''s frown deepened even further.


    ''She can see Faith energy now¡­?''


    He was confused, but then,


    "It is Mana."


    mey, who understood that Vaan had confused the Mana whirlpool with Faith Energy''s whirlpool answered.


    "Mana¡­?"


    *Whoosh* *Whoosh*


    mey then pointed her finger at the curtains that were billowing nonstop and,


    "Faith Energy doesn''t interact with real objects. Its whirlpool shouldn''t make the wind flow so unevenly, it is not Faith Energy¡­


    It is¡­ Physical form¡­ of Mana¡­"


    mey rified and Vaan couldn''t help but blink in surprise.


    ording to the Magic theory and principles he has read so far, Magic was like Aura, it couldn''t be seen and could only be felt.


    Something like the Physical form of Mana doesn''t exist¡­


    Then what was mey talking about?


    Of course, this time, Vaan couldn''t doubt the little spirit either, if before, she was just a child, then now, she was the incarnation of the Magic God.


    She was thest person who would be wrong about something rted to Magic.


    "What is happening here!?"


    Suddenly, Orion, who noticed themotion quickly barged into the room, however, seeing how everything was a mess with strong wind currents flowing in the room, papers flying all over the ce, curtains billowing, and how in the middle of the chaos, Vaan, ra, Furr and the big Magic circle were present, Orion couldn''t help but widen his eyes.


    "Fa-"


    Vaan wanted to talk to Orion, however, his attention was quickly grabbed by Breezy, who pointed in another direction.


    He turned around and noticed another whirlpool of Mana forming.


    *Flicker* *Flicker*


    The Magic Circle started flickering even more, it was as if it was losing its energy, however, an unknown force was keeping it active.


    *Whoosh* *Whoosh*


    The second whirlpool was formed sessfully, resisting the wind currents of the first whirlpool and creating an ever bigger mess of the room.


    "Weren''t you two going to form a Bond!? What the hell is this!? What did you two do!?" Orion shouted, the wind currents were so strong that even he had to cover his eyes as he walked in.


    "As if I know!" Vaan shouted back, even he couldn''t understand what was happening.


    This, however, wasn''t the end of the situation,


    One by one, more and more Mana Whirlpools were formed, the wind currents became even stronger, and now, even the small objects had started flying around the room.


    It was as if someone had summoned a Tornedo right inside the room.


    *Bam* *Bam*


    The objects started to sh with each other, the door and windows banged continuously,


    "Vaan!"


    ra panicked, hugging Vaan as tightly as she could.


    "Aaauuu¡­"


    Fur had a nervous look on his face as well.


    This time, even Orion was helpless. If it was a normal Magic Spell, he could have sliced away the Mana source, ending the spell, these whirlpools however¡­ didn''t seem to have a source.


    "mey, what is happening¡­?"


    In defeat, Vaan turned towards the only person who coulde up with an answer.


    This time, however, even mey was helpless and shook her head.


    "Don''t know¡­"


    Vaan narrowed his eyes, but then suddenly,


    Another surprising thing happened,


    The whirlpools of Mana that had formed inside the room all rushed towards Furr and entered his body, the Magic Circle under Furr shined brightly before it finally disappeared and suddenly, Vaan and ra could feel a certain connection with Furr.


    The Bond¡­ was sessfully formed.

 Chapter 271 You brat, why is nothing around you normal?

    <h4>Chapter 271 You brat, why is nothing around you normal? </h4>


    "What¡­ just happened¡­?"


    Seeing that everything had calmed down, Orion couldn''t help but question with a ridiculous look on his face. He looked around and?seeing?the big mess the room had turned into, he couldn''t help but blink a few times to show his disbelief.


    The man stared at his son, waiting for answers, however, Vaan himself seemed lost. He was looking at his little friend, who had currently passed out. Everything that happened was probably a little too much for a newborn beast to take, his body''s defence mechanism must have kicked in.


    "T-The bond was¡­ formed¡­?"


    ra muttered out loud, feeling ''connected'' to the little beast sleeping on the floor. She went through different magic theories in her mind, trying to understand the situation, however, no matter how much she tried to think, she couldn''te up with anything.


    After all, something like this never happened in the past, at the very least, it wasn''t mentioned in the records she read.


    "You brat, why is nothing around you normal?"


    Orion spoke,?from?how his eyebrows were twitching nonstop, one could tell that the man was annoyed.


    Vaan nced at his father, this time, however, he had no answer to his question. Heck, even he wanted to know the answer to this question.


    He simply wanted to form a Bond with his Little Furr, he did everything correctly, he bought the highest quality Instant Spells that had been used countless times in the past and had never failed,?he?followed every single step urately, following the ritual that has been practised for thousands of years to the dot, yet¡­


    Something still happened!


    Why!?


    How was every strange thing happening to him and the people around him!? What is with his luck!? Can he not live a normal life at all!?


    Vaan couldn''t understand.


    "Vaan¡­"


    Sensing his emotions, the three Spirits moved towards him, trying to show their support. Looking at their worried expressions, Vaan closed his eyes as he sighed.


    Then, a smile appeared on his face as he shrugged and,


    ''I have freaking Magic Gods around me, of course, nothing around me is normal¡­''


    In the end, it was a fate he had to ept.


    Then, Vaan nced at his father,


    "That is the sign of greatness, old man. You wouldn''t understand."


    Orion''s mouth twitched when he heard those words.


    "I wouldn''t understand the sign of greatness huh¡­?" He spoke with a ''gentle'' smile on his face.


    "Vaan, it has been a while since we trained together properly, no? You have been busy with Furr. Now that you have finally formed the Bond, how about we continue your training starting today?"


    "We will be leaving tomorrow. I do not wish to meet my mother in pieces."


    "Don''t worry, I won''t cut you into pieces... probably."


    This time, Vaan was the one who felt his mouth twitching. He couldn''t believe that his?own?father was threatening him.


    "Tsk."


    In the end, he just snorted and turned in to other direction. Then, as if trying to get out of this situation, he picked the sleeping Furr in his arm and,


    "He must be tired, I will take him to rest."


    "I-I wille with you as well." ra, who was worried about Furr followed Vaan as well.


    The two left the room, leaving Orion alone.


    Orion nced at the mess around him and a solemn look appeared on his face.


    ''This must have alerted a few people¡­''


    He could already sense a few ''gazes'' looking in this direction, the only reason they didn''t make a move was that he was here but¡­ Orion didn''t know for how long will his presence be enough to keep them in check.


    After all, the things happening around his son were simply too bizarre and if there was one thing those old geezers hated the most, it was the unknown.


    Orion could bet that the number of people who wanted to get hold of Vaan and cut open his mind to satiate their curiosity was in millions and¡­ the worst part was that a few of themhad the capability todo it.


    The target on his son''s back was quite huge.


    Honestly, Orion wouldn''t be surprised if there was already a bounty on his head. An absurd bounty that would be enough to sustain a being''s entire future generation.


    Of course, none of that mattered.


    ''I would love to see who has the balls toe after my son.''


    A dangerous, distorted smile appeared on Orion''s face as he nced at the ''gazes'' looking at him, a smile that sent shivers down those beings'' spines, in an instant, those gazes were retracted.


    Orion snorted inwardly, then, he turned around,pletely ignoring the mess around him.


    It was not his problem. After all, it was not his mansion, it was his son''s, as long as hisownroom was fine, he wouldn''t even lift a finger.


    ''I''ll make that brat clean upter.''


    Thinking about it, Orion returned to his room. He had hisownshare of preparations to make before they leave the Academy.


    ¡­


    On the other side, after leaving the room, Vaan was quick to rush into hisownroom, his father was ruthless, but at the very least, the man respected his privacy enough to not barge into hisownroom.


    The room was like a safe zone.


    Anyways, shaking his head to get rid of these thoughts, Vaan ced Furr on his bed, ra, who was following him still had a worried look on her face,


    "He will be fine, don''t worry," Vaan reassured.


    "¡­I know." ra nodded.


    "Do you wish to stay together with him?" Vaan questioned.


    ra nced at Vaan and,


    "Are you not going to?"


    "I wish to spend some time alone."


    "¡­"


    ra stared at Vaan in silence. Vaan just smiled.


    "Don''t think too much, it is nothing."


    He patted ra''s head, the girl lowered her head as she epted the pats,then, she simply nodded.


    "Take care of him," Vaan spoke.


    ra nodded again and Vaan left the room.

 Chapter 272 Today’s meeting is adjourned.

    <h4>Chapter 272 Today¡¯s meeting is adjourned.?</h4>


    The carriage stopped, Vaan and ra nced out of the window and?seeing?the familiar giant door, that, unlike the Academy''s modern door, had a more ancient touch to it, they couldn''t help but smile.


    They were finally back. Back where they belonged.


    Orion was the first to exit the carriage, Vaan followed,?then, he turned and extended his arm towards his fianc¨¦e.


    "Lady ra."


    He chuckled. With a smile on her face, ra held Vaan''s hand as she stepped out of the carriage as well. Furr was on top of ra''s shoulders, despite having rested for the entire night, he still seemed tired, so although he was awake, he wasn''t as energetic as his normal self.


    Thest one to exit the carriage was Seraphina, who was so confused that Vaan asked her to follow him instead of returning to her house.


    When she asked the reason, Vaan just smiled and,


    ''It is time you understand what is happening. I believe you will be more useful that way.''


    Seraphina didn''t know how to feel when she heard that answer, at one side, she wanted toin since it meant that she wouldn''t be able to rest as she was expecting to, but on the other side, she was also d, she could feel that Vaan had started to trust her.


    Of course, the fact that she was bound by the contract was still there, but that alone didn''t ensure her security and Seraphina knew it. She knew that despite being his ''secretary'', Vaan didn''t reveal many things to her.


    Now, however, it seemed like that was going to change.


    After a long time, Seraphina felt that she was being valued and this time, she was being valued by someone who had the power to shock the entire world. Seraphina couldn''t help but feel a sense of achievement, something that ced a smile on her face.


    ¡­


    With different thoughts, the group entered the Vesta Mansion, then, they were taken to the Hall where Astra and the rest of the higher-ups of the family were gathered and Vaan, ra, and Seraphina knelt.


    "Family Head."


    "Lady Astra."


    They greeted simultaneously.


    "You are back."


    Astra spoke with a light smile on her face.


    "I promised I would, did I not?" Vaan answered with a confident grin on his face.


    "Getting confident now, are we? Is ying around with some kids making you arrogant?" Astra questioned back with an amused look.


    "I was always arrogant, Mother," Vaan answered.


    A statement the rest of the people present in the Hall agreed wholeheartedly.


    Made?him?arrogant? Since when was this little bastard not arrogant?


    They still clearly remembered the day this boy woke up after getting beaten by those 5 boys and after that¡­ as if everything about him changed and he turned into a freak.


    Honestly, the people had already started missing the previous Vaan.


    So what if he was an alcoholic, talentless boy who liked to use his status to oppress others? At the very least, he knew his ce in the family and never once raised his head in front of others from the family.


    But now¡­?


    That damn boy had be so arrogant that let alone not being able to raise his head in front of the family members, some of the family members started to bow their heads whenever he is around them.


    The brat had be so arrogant that even the blood brother and sister of the Family Head, the Advanced Circles Mages and this brat''s blood Uncle and Aunt, were having a hard time dealing with him.


    Even now, the boypletely ignored everyonepresentaround him, it was as if he didn''t even consider anyone else other than his mother''s presence.


    An act they all wanted to bash him for but¡­


    They just couldn''t find an excuse to do it.


    After all, with the Academy allowing Big Powers to contact the Academy Students after the recent incident where Vaan and ra found a demon in the Ancient Ruins, they were up to date about everything the boy had done in the Academy.


    Defeating Swordsmen in duels, gathering 5 Excellence Stars after a single battle, being called Celestial Standout because of his exceptional abilities, all of this was something they couldn''t even fathom.


    Even Astra, the current Family Head wasn''t this monstrous.


    Just what in the hell was this boy made of!?


    Honestly, Draven and Risia wanted to talk about how Vaan had made a reckless bet where they would lose the Vesta House if he lost but¡­


    Both of them knew it was better to stay silent right now.


    Yes, they understood how grave the matter was.


    The Vestas losing another House when they already lost one a few months ago,this wouldturn the entire family into a joke in the eyes of the powers all around the world, not only that, it would also affect the business since many would doubt their futures and would look for other options.


    This could very much lead to the downfall of the family.


    However, even when they knew all that¡­


    Risia and Draven decided to stay silent.


    Draven because, well¡­ hisownson was responsible for losing the first Vesta House, despite being as shameless as he was, his skin wasn''t thick enough to ignore something like this and question Vaan.


    As for Risia¡­ the woman had herownshare of problems to deal with. Astra knowing her ''secret'' was one of them. Not to mention that this advancement was something that would benefit her son if everything went as she was expecting it to be.


    Sure, the Family might make some losses, but Risia believed that they would be able to recover. After all, a Family that has been standing for 5000 years couldn''t possibly lose its position just because of what happened in a ce where children are gathered.


    Astra observed the silent tension around her and then nced at Vaan, who despite noticing everything,pletely ignored it, nodded in satisfaction.


    "You must be tired after a long journey, go rest. We will talk tomorrow."


    She spoke.


    "Yes, mother." Vaan nodded as he stood up, ra and Seraphina followed.


    Orion looked at his wife for a moment,then, a yful smile appeared on his face as he walked away as well.


    Looking at that smile, Astra momentarily paused, then, the family head looked around and,


    "Today''s meeting is adjourned.


    We will pick the left-over matters tomorrow."


    The other family members just rolled their eyes.

 Chapter 273 You brat, you dare lay your hands on my pupil?

    Chapter 273 You brat, you darey your hands on my pupil?


    ??"Are you back¡­?"


    Vaan questioned with a sleepy look on his face as he sat up, supporting his back with the bed''s headrest and rubbing his right eye.


    ra nced at him with a deadpan look on her face and,


    "When are you going to wake up, it is already afternoon."


    "I feel tired¡­" Vaan replied.


    "You have been saying that for 2 days now, even Furr has recovered now," rained.


    "Aauu!!"


    On the other hand, Furr, who was sitting on ra''s shoulders barked loudly, as if showing that he had regained his previous energy.


    "I don''t know¡­ I just don''t feel like moving." Vaan spoke, sinking back into the bed. An act that made ra pout.


    "Stop beingzy! You even skipped your Magic training yesterday."


    "Ugghh¡­ alright alright mom, I will wake up soon." Vaan groaned as he rolled over the bed, making ra''s mouth twitch.


    "Hehe~"


    meyughed.


    "Mom~"


    Breezy was even more brazen as she flew towards ra and started circlingaroundher head.


    Sshy on the other hand was sitting on Vaan''s forehead, ying with his ck-purple hair. With how focused she looked, she seemed like she was trying to discover something.


    ra, who couldclearlysense that the 2 spirits were trying to tease her, couldn''t believe how she was betrayed in an instant.


    These little girls!


    No matter how much she spoiled them and how much they said that they lovedher,when it came to Vaan, they were always on his side and while ra didn''t mind that normally, at times like these, she felt jealous.


    She wanted those 3 adorable girls on her side as well.


    As if he sensed those emotions, Furr started licking ra''s cheek, making the girl smile.


    Vaan, who sensed that, opened his eyes, then, he stared right at Furr and,


    "Try as much as you like little buddy, that girl is mine. You won''t be stealing her from me."


    Saying those words, Vaan quickly got up, grabbed ra,pulledher close to him before the two fell on the bed again. Using the chance, Vaan grabbed his fianc¨¦e from behind, hugging her as if she were a body pillow.


    The Mage then closed his eyes and,


    "This is perfect."


    "Furr could have gotten hurt¡­" rained.


    "We have healers, don''t worry." Vaan shrugged, with his fingers, he started gently drawing circles around ra''s waist, an intense feeling offort washed over ra''s body and knowing that this was bad, ra tried to resist,


    "V-Vaan¡­ I need to train my magic¡­"


    "Mm. We will do it together when I am awake."


    "You said the same thing yesterday and both of us skipped our training."


    "Stop overthinking, just close your eyes, I promise it will feel good," Vaan spoke as he patted ra''s head. ra pouted, she wanted to resist, however, thefort she felt was simply too much for her to resist.


    She didn''t like how her body seemed to give into Vaan''s persuasion every single time.


    "Did Furr have his breakfast?"


    Suddenly, Vaan questioned.


    "Aauu!!"


    Furr, who was currently on ra''s other side barked.


    ra nodded as well.


    "His apatite has increased ever since we formed the Bond. Before, he was satisfied with just 200 grams of Magic Beast meat, but he ate around 1000 grams today."


    "Today as well?" Vaan was surprised.


    "Mhm." ra nodded.


    She had ignored it yesterday because she believed that the little guy needed energy after forming the bond but since it happened again, she couldn''t ignore it anymore.


    Vaan turned silent as well, thinking about what possibly caused this.


    After all, this was not normal, not that anything rted to him was ever normaltobegin with¡­ but still¡­


    "So this is how it is, huh¡­"


    Just as Vaan and ra were lost in their thoughts and were enjoying each other''s presence, they heard a voice. A voice that sent shivers down their spines.


    ra''s reaction was strong, her body was jolted awake, quickly separating from Vaan as she stood up, tidied her clothes at stared at the woman in front of her. All of this happened under a second, a speed that would have normally surprised anyone who saw it.


    Right now, however, thingsweredifferent.


    Vaan, who had frozen for a second, mechanically moved his head towards the woman who just barged into his room and with a strained smile on his face, hegreeted.


    "M-Mother¡­"


    "You little brat, what the hell are you doing in the bed at this time!? Stand up!"


    Hearing that voice, just like ra, Vaan was jolted awake as well, moving away from the bed and kneeling on the ground as if he was prepared for the execution.


    ra moved close to him and did the same.


    "Auu¡­"


    Not wanting to be left out, Furr walked in front of the two of them and crouched with his little legs.


    Of course, the 3 spirits weren''t any different.


    Seeing the scene in front of her (Astra cannot see the spirits), Astra''s mouth twitched. She, however, wasn''t nning to forgive them this quickly,


    "You two have decided to drop all the formalities huh¡­


    To think the two of you would sleep in the same room when you have yourownroom."


    Shemented.


    "I cannot sleep without ra being close to me." Vaan''s answer was quick.


    Astra turned towards ra and seeing the girl lower her head, not denying those words,


    "You brat, you darey your hands on my pupil?" Astra was annoyed.


    "My wife," Vaan replied, holding ra''s hand.


    "¡­"


    Astra didn''t know what to say.


    She had no clue where this boy inherited this shamelessness from.


    Of course, the womanpletely disregarded the chances of her being the source of this shamelessness.


    After all, she was a proper, noblewoman.


    Thinking about all that, Astra decided to drop the topic for a moment, she hadn''te here for normal chitchat.


    "So? What was so important for you to leave the Academy ande here for?" She questioned and in an instant, Vaan''s face turned serious.

 Chapter 274 They are Gods, Mother.

    Chapter 274 They are Gods, Mother.


    ??"So? What was so important for you to leave the Academy ande here for?" Astra questioned, looking into Vaan''s eyes and in an instant, all the yful mood in the room disappeared.


    Vaan and ra stood up as they sat on the sofa, Astra followed and sat in front of them. Even the Spirits and Furr sensed the change of mood and stopped ying around, Furr quickly jumping and sitting on ra''sp while the Spirits sat on Vaan''s shoulders and head.


    Astra, on the other hand, waved her hand, with a single gesture, although Vaan and ra couldn''t sense any changes around them, they knew the woman had sealed the sound, making sure nothing discussed in this room escaped.


    "Do you remember when I said that my little friends could absorb the Faith Energy?"


    Vaan began with a question.


    "I do."


    Astra nodded, as absurd as it was to believe, she knew her son wouldn''t joke around about such matters. She had even given him some instructions on how to proceed forward having such powers and had also ced many restrictions on her child, so he wouldn''t end up putting a target on his back.


    "I found out the reason why they could do it."


    "What¡­?" Astra momentarily didn''t know how to act, soon however, she regained herposure and,


    "How did you find out? No, what did you find out?" The Vesta Leader knew better than anyone else to give importance to the more significant matter.


    "Since the Faith Energy is an Energy we cannot even see or sense, there is only one logical conclusion that one cane up with,


    Only Gods can absorb or use the Faith Energy."


    Hearing those words, Astra narrowed her eyes.


    "Vaan, what are you trying to say?" She questioned. She wasn''t a fool, she very well understood what her son''s words implied. She just¡­ couldn''t believe the conclusion her head had reached.


    After all, it was an absurd conclusion that no sane mind couldprehend.


    Vaan, however, was hell-bent on breaking all themonsense boundaries Astra knew of.


    "I am saying exactly what you are thinking, Mother.


    Their Advanced Knowledge, the fact they could do things that even 7th Circle Mage like you cannotprehend, the Advanced Circle, the improved Instant Spells, the ability to take control over my Mana and manage my spells in my stead,


    We were given too many hints toe to this conclusion earlier, but we chose to ignore all those hints just because our minds couldn''t even think to that extent.


    Now, however, with things mentioned right on my face, I cannot ignore it anymore.


    The Spirits that follow me,theyare Gods, Mother.


    And they are not just any Gods,"


    Vaan looked into Astra''s eyes, then, with a serious look on his face, he dropped thest bomb,


    "They are the incarnation of the Magic God."


    "What¡­?"


    And¡­ that was all it took for Astra topletely lose her mind.


    The Head of the Vesta House simply stared at her son with her mouth wide agape, the shock she received was so strong that she didn''t even raise her voice and screamed in shock. It was beyond all that, her brain directly skipped all these feelings and¡­ nked out.


    For a good few minutes, Astra continued to stare at her son, her mind, which had earlier stopped working, was currently thinking about the implications of what her son said.


    The Spirits being Gods, this, she could digest. There were many Gods, it wouldn''t be shocking if suddenly, a new God or Gods, a God of Spirits or Spirit Gods appeared but¡­


    The God of Magic¡­?


    A God their family was deeply connected to? A God who once had influenceparable to the God of Light? A God who had millions of believers?


    A God who suddenly¡­ stopped blessing his believers?


    The Incarnations of that God were the ''cute little beings'' her son often talkedabout?The beings who helped her son in ways thatpletely changed his life?


    All of this was¡­ simply too much and only now did Astra understand why her son was so adamant about talking about this matter face to face.


    This wasn''t a matter that could be discussed by any other means. They couldn''t risk it leaking outside.


    Astra gulped once again, then, as she stared at her child, she, with a very careful look on her face, asked a question,


    "Can your spirits¡­ bless the mages like the God of Magic could¡­?"


    Just this single question would change Agresia''s future and Astra knew it.


    "They say they can."


    "They say they can¡­?"


    Astra frowned, this wasn''t the answer she was looking for.


    A simple yes or no answer was required in this situation.


    "They can bless me because of the connection I have with them, but for others¡­"


    "They cannot bless other mages?"


    "More like other Mages do not have any Faith left in the Magic God. The Mages do not generate the Faith Energy mey and the others need to bless them."


    "So we just need to tell the mages to believe in the Magic God again?" Astra questioned, Vaan however, shook his head.


    "It is not that simple."


    Then, he proceeded to exin how he and ra experimented together and the conclusions they came to after talking to Selene, the Student Council President.


    "So we need to rebuild the connection with the Magic God¡­" Astra muttered.


    "That is correct."


    Vaan nodded.


    "Once the connection is established, I believe the system simr to other Gods and churches will form automatically and we can start gathering even more believers just like other churches,


    As to how to form the connection and generate the Pure Faith,


    We still need to explore that."


    Astra turned silent as she heard her son''s words. Honestly, she couldn''t help but feel overwhelmed by the current Vaan. The words he said were¡­ simply too heavy.


    Create a system simr to other Gods and churches¡­ gather more believers like other churches¡­


    Her son¡­ didn''t his words mean that he was nning on possibly recreating a force simr to the Tower of Magic¡­?


    Astra couldn''t even fathom how the world would react if they somehow peeked into her son''s mind. Heck, even the Leaders of the Top-Level Faction would die of fright if what her son was picturing came true!


    "You¡­ You little brat¡­"


    Astra had no words.

 Chapter 275 That’s what you sent me there for in the first place, did you not?

    Chapter 275 That¡¯s what you sent me there for in the first ce, did you not?


    ??"You¡­ You little brat¡­"


    Astra had no words and seeing her acting like that, a big, cheeky smile appeared on Vaan''s face as he tilted his head and stared at his mother.


    "What? Speechless at how amazing your son is?"


    "You are one lucky brat, that''s for sure." Astra nodded. Not giving him all the credit to make sure everything doesn''t get into her son''s head.


    "I won''t deny that." Vaan nodded.


    He could be considered lucky. After all, he got everything he needed just as he came to this world, he had mey to guide him with matters rted to magic, he also had a gem like ra as his fianc¨¦e, a mother like Astra and a father like Orion, he practically had everything a man would want and he was grateful for that.


    However, because he had everything he wanted, he also knew just how important it was to make sure to quickly get stronger andraise his influence to protect what he had.


    After all, this world was different from his previous world. His previous world was brutal, sure, the people at the lower end of thedder suffered a lot, however, whenpared to Agresia, Earth felt like a child''s yground.


    Sure, all the dark things were done behind the doors,thatpart would never change no matter the world, at the very least, the people sitting at the upper side of thedder had to maintain their ''reputation''.


    Agresia, on the other hand, was a much more dangerous world inparison.


    Here, there were no such considerations, as long as you had the reason and power, you could pretty much do whatever you wanted without worrying about the consequences.


    The weak had no right here.


    And Vaan was no fool, he knew that the road he was walking in was a road to no return, to be thinking about reviving a force that once rivalled the Church of Light, he was sure to face strong resistance from the rest of the forces.


    One wrong move and not just him, but the entire family would be feeling the brunt of his actions.


    "Have you thought about your future moves yet?"


    And of course, as the head of the Vesta Family, Astra understood it as well. Not that she was worried, the moment she heard that the Spirits around Vaan were able to absorb this Faith Energy, she had already started her preparations. Also, it is not like this would be the first time the Vestas would be facing the entire world, they have done it in the past,doingit again wouldn''t be a problem.


    Astra was already mentally prepared. The only thing that changed was the scope of the battle, now, things have gotten much bigger and more interesting.


    "For now, I only wish to recreate the system and make it possible for little Spirits to bless their Believers.


    The advantage I gain when the Spirits absorb the Faith Energy is quite high and currently, I am only a Basic Mage.


    Once I advance and as my Spirits grow, I believe the advantage I will have would be much higher than what I could even expect, so having an unlimited amount of Faith Energy at our disposal isn''t a bad option."


    "So you are nning to go through with it huh¡­" Astra muttered. Everyone in the room understood what the woman was implying.


    As for the answer to her words¡­


    Vaan just smiled,


    "I am sure you would have been disappointed in me if I wasn''t, no? After all, your tyrant-like nature isn''t exactly a secret."


    "How rude, calling me a tyrant." Astra pouted.


    "Are you not?"


    "Of course not. Just look at me, do I look like a tyrant to you?" Astra questioned, looking into Vaan''s eyes and in that instant, Vaan could feel it.


    One wrong answer and he would regret it, therefore,


    "Now that I think about it. I believe they are only false rumours spread to defame you. I mean, no matter how I see it, you only look like a beautiful, magnanimous andpassionate leader who cares about her people."


    "Exactly." Astra nodded, patting Vaan''s head.


    "I am d that you are not a blind fool who follows baseless rumours."


    "Mhm, of course not. I may not have inherited all your intelligence, but I am still your son." Vaan nodded continuously.


    Astra smiled even more.


    ''The Mother of Tower of Magic''s Head huh¡­ that''s not a bad position.''


    She muttered, her eyes shined with a dangerous glint and the instant Vaan noticed this change in his mother''s eyes,


    ''Magnanimous andpassionate my ass. She''sclearlya tyrant.''


    Just that glint alone was enough to send shivers down his spine.


    "Pure Faith huh¡­" Suddenly, Astra muttered out loud.


    Since she liked the idea so much, she decided to actively think this through,


    "Pure Faithes from the heart." She repeated Selene''s words out loud. Then, she nced at Vaan,


    "You do not believe in Magic God, correct?"


    "I already have a ''link'' mey and other spirits, I do not need to produce Faith energy, they can bless me using any form of energy."


    "So we do not have an example we can follow¡­"


    "We do not." Vaan shook his head. "We are walking blindly here."


    Astra nodded in understanding.


    "I guess we need to get in contact with a church or a simr power, they are the only ones who can guide us here."


    "We need to be extremely subtle and careful about it, ra and I talking to Selene was much different than you contacting the members of the church, your position puts you in a difficult situation here."


    Vaan spoke.


    Astra didn''t say anything and just nodded, she knew this was true as well. Her mind, however, was upied by another thought right now,


    "Anyways, how long do you two n on staying here?"


    Vaan frowned, confused as to where this question came from, soon however, he stopped thinking and replied,


    "The Tournaments start after the new year, so we have a month."


    "You n to take part in the tournaments huh," Astramented with a knowing smile on her faceandhearing those words, a big, demonic smile appeared on Vaan''s face,


    "Is that not obvious?


    That''s what you sent me there for in the first ce, did you not?"

 Chapter 276 I am the part of the villain’s faction…

    Chapter 276 I am the part of the viin¡¯s faction¡­


    ??"You n to take part in the tournaments huh," Astramented with a knowing smile on her faceandhearing those words, a big, demonic smile appeared on Vaan''s face,


    "Is that not obvious?


    That''s what you sent me there for in the first ce, did you not?"


    "Heh." A smile simr to Vaan''s appeared on Astra''s beautiful face as sheughed out loud.


    "Destroy him."


    She spoke.


    Obviously,she already knew who Vaan would be facing in this challenge. After all, Vaan hadn''t exactly kept his deal with Den a secret.


    In exchange for facing him in a duel while betting his own Mansion and the new Vesta House, Den and his subordinates would vote in favour of Vaan and ra leaving the Academy temporarily.


    Astra and the entire Vesta Family knew about this, however, none of them questioned Vaan or called him reckless for making such a decision. Even if many wanted to, in the end, none had the courage to, after all, after learning about the recent events that happened in the Academy and the vital part Vaan had yed in keeping up their family''s image, they knew questioning Vaan right now would only turn Vaan and many others who currently support him blindly against them.


    No fool wanted such fate.


    As for Astra, the woman simply decided to trust her son. She, who had personally seen Den and even heard Orion having a high opinion about the boy, knew how strong that child was, however, in the end, she still trusted her son more.


    She trusted that if Vaan dared to ept such a bet, it was because he was sure that he woulde out as the final victor no matter what.


    Therefore, the only thing she wanted was to make sure that her son dominated the battle through and through. Shewantedher son to etch this defeat into the future Dawncrest Leader''s mind, making it so that the moment Den, in the future, sees or even hears about the Vesta Family, he is reminded of his defeat and he trembles in fear.


    A sadistic smile appeared on Astra''s face, right now, she didn''t look like a woman who wanted others to think of her as apassionate and magnanimous woman just a few minutes ago.


    Whatpassionate and magnanimous woman wants herownson to beat his opponents to the point he traumatises them!?


    That wasclearlythe sign of a tyrant!


    What''s worse?


    "Did you think I had something else in my mind? I will make him regret evering across me."


    Vaan was more than happy toply.


    Heck, even if his mother hadn''t said anything, the Dawncrest was already his target.


    After all, the man said some words he shouldn''t have.


    Seeing her son''s expression, Astra nodded with a satisfied look on her face. This is how her son should be acting. Vaan nodded back as well, happy that his mother supported him. Heck, even mey, Sshy and Breezy, despite not understanding half of what was happening, were copying Vaan and nodding continuously as well, lookingabsolutelyadorable.


    On the other hand, ra was looking at the scene in front of her with a deadpan look on her face.


    Her fianc¨¦, she understood, ever since her fianc¨¦ had be¡­ good fianc¨¦, he had be somewhat entric, it was to the point where she was already used to his changes and wasn''t bothered by it any longer but¡­


    She didn''t think her fianc¨¦ would also be affecting and influencing her teacher!


    Why were the two of them acting like they were the viins of this story!?


    No, aren''t theyactuallythe viins here¡­?


    No hero talks the way they do, correct¡­?


    Was she¡­ the part of the viin''s faction¡­?


    ra momentarily froze, unable to believe the conclusion she had reached.


    ''No, no, no, we have the incarnation of Magic God on our side, we cannot be the viins.''


    She was quick to shake her head, however, just as she was about to discard the theory, she saw mey, Sshy, and Breezy, smiling exactly like Vaan and Astra.


    The three little spirits had perfectly copied even the ''evil grin'' part of the smile and right now, they looked no different than scheming little imps who wanted to see the world burn.


    ''I am the part of the viin''s faction¡­''


    ra realized it and the moment she did, she despaired before she slowly epted her fate.


    As for thinking about leaving her faction? Heh, that thought didn''t even appear in her mind. After all, viin or not, she had already fallen into that man''s trap. She couldn''t escape him any longer and¡­


    Suddenly, a dark, heavy look appeared in ra''s eyes as she stared at Vaanughing wildly and a thoughtpletely unrted to the current topic appeared in her mind,


    ''I won''t let him escape him either. No one but me can have him.''


    Furr, who was blissfully resting on ra''sp suddenly felt a chill down his spine, he quickly turned around and noticed the horrifying look on ra''s face as she stared at Vaan and Astra, then, noticing the demonic smiles on Vaan and Astra''s faces, he couldn''t help but gulp.


    ''What family have I be part of¡­?''


    The little Furr couldn''t speak, but if he could, this would have been his first thought. In the end, however, as he felt ra unconsciously ruffling his fur, he calmed down and closed his eyes. It was not something he had to bother himself with.


    So what if he was a part of a crazy family?


    He just had to be as crazy as them and join them.


    How difficult is that?


    ¡­


    "Lord Den?"


    On the other side, in Den''s office, seeing Den acting strangely, his secretory called out, wanting to know whether he needed something.


    "It is nothing." Den shook his head.


    Inwardly, however, he couldn''t help but frown,


    ''What is this numbing feeling on my back¡­? It is as if something bad is about to happen¡­''

 Chapter 277 Was he dozing off in the class?

    Chapter 277 Was he dozing off in the ss?


    ??"And you."


    Suddenly, Astra called out as she nced at her pupil.


    "T-Teacher!"


    ra stuttered, jolting awake from her thoughts and the instant she realized what she was thinking about and how she was caught red-handed by her teacher, her face turned red from embarrassment.


    "Don''t lose your focus," Astra spoke with a strict look on her face.


    "It is good that you seem to be enjoying your time in the Academy, seeing you smile more often melts my heart, however, do not forget that at the end of the day, you are my, Astra Elysia Vesta''s pupil, you represent my name, therefore, you are not allowed to ck off.


    Don''t be this brat''s shadow, show the world that you, my pupil, are better than him."


    Astra spoke and Vaan just stared at his mother with a deadpan look on his face. He had no clue why when it came to ra, his mother seemed to forget that he was her child, her own blood!


    Astra, however,pletely ignored Vaan''s expression, she simply stared at her pupil and,


    "Is that clear?" She questioned.


    "Y-Yes."


    She was still embarrassed but she quickly suppressed her emotions and nodded with a serious look on her face.


    Astra''s eyes then fell on the little pup that was sleeping and,


    "Put this thing to work as well."


    "Au?"


    Sensing that something bad was about to happen, Furr momentarily opened his eyes, however, the moment he saw the demon mother pointing at him, he shivered,allhisziness disappeared in an instant as he became aware of his surroundings.


    Soon, however, Furr received a blow that he never expected in his life,


    "Of course, Furr will be participating in the tournament as well. We n to start hisbat training soon."


    ra nodded and Furr looked at her with a shocked look on his face. He couldn''t believe that he was betrayed.


    To seek support, he turned towards Vaan, but¡­


    "Mhm, he has been living an easy life for a while now, it is time to put him to work so that he doesn''t bezy." Vaan nodded. "Now that the bond is sessfully formed, it is time for Furr to work hard."


    "¡­"


    Furr couldn''t say anything.


    It was the ultimate betrayal where both his mother and father had turned against him.


    "Good."


    Astra nodded. Furr turned towards the woman responsible for his future misery and,


    "Auu!"


    He growled at her.


    He wouldn''t back down without a fight! He won''t let the demon mother corrupt his mother and father anymore!


    Seeing the little thing act like that, Astra''s smile widened.


    "He is quite a brave one, I give you that."


    She spoke and for some reason, Furr could tell that the decision of growling at this woman was not his brightest one. No, it might be the worst decision he had ever taken but¡­


    There was no use regretting it now.


    "Magic Beasts grow faster when they are surrounded by stronger Magic Beasts, how about you bring this little guy to meet my Ria? I am sure he will learn quite a lot while the two y around."


    Astra suggested.


    "Ria¡­?"


    Vaan raised his eyebrow.


    Both Astra and ra stared at Vaan with strange looks on their faces, soon however, Astra realized it,


    "Right, I sometimes forget that you only started showing interest in magic a few months ago¡­"


    ra realized it as well and started nodding.


    Vaan on the other hand, frowned even more.


    "Ria, or Aetheria is Magic Beast I have formed a bond with."


    "You have a Magic Beast¡­?"


    Vaan blinked in surprise.


    He searched through previous Vaan''s memory and couldn''t recall his mother ever mentioning her Magic Beast, making him frown in confusion. He nced at ra, and seeing her acting normal, he knew he was the problem here however, before he could think more about it,


    "It is not like I had a chance to introduce you to her, you barely talked to me, let alone talking to my Magic Beast."


    Astra snorted.


    "Mother¡­"


    Vaan called out, not knowing how to react.


    He still hadn''t forgotten how the previous Vaan tried to avoid his mother because the coward was scared of her, the only time the two met was in the Vesta Family''s Hall when Vaan was caught doing something wrong and people of the family wanted him to be punished.


    ''Tsk, what a pathetic individual.''


    Vaan couldn''t help but curse in his mind.


    "It doesn''t matter anymore, you changed, you are not the same as you were in the past, and we both are d about it," Astra spoke, not wanting Vaan to waste his time thinking about something so useless.


    Vaan nced at the two women smiling at him and a smile automatically appeared on his face.


    "I guess I have missed out a lot, huh? How about I meet Ria first?" He questioned. Since even ra seemed to know the beast, he didn''t want to miss out.


    "Are you sure? She doesn''t exactly have a high opinion of you." Astra replied and Vaan couldn''t help but frown,


    "Why is that?"


    "How do you think Furr would act in front of a person who is the source of ra''s sadness?" Astra questioned with a yful smile on her face and Vaan understood.


    "I gave you quite a lot of trouble huh¡­"


    "You sure were a handful."


    "I will make up for that."


    "You better." Astra smiled.


    Vaan nodded, "It doesn''t matter, even if she doesn''t like the past me, I am different now, I am sure I can get close to her."


    Hearing those words, Astra smiled wryly,


    "Don''t think it would be that easy, Vaan. Ria is a Celestial Gryphon."


    "And¡­?" Vaan tilted his head in confusion and seeing him acting like that, Astra turned towards ra,


    "Was he dozing off in the ss?"


    "W-Well, w-we didn''t get to a-attend l-lots of sses because things keeping up."


    ra, as always, did her best to defend her fianc¨¦.


    However, in front of Astra, who was already familiar with ra''s methods, it didn''t work.


    She just stared at her son and with a strict look on her face,


    "For the time you are here, you will attend 4-hour long lectures on beast taming. I will personally prepare teachers for you."

 Chapter 278 I will help you.

    <h4>Chapter 278 I will help you.</h4>


    "For the time you are here, you will attend 4-hour long lectures on beast taming. I will personally prepare teachers for you."


    Astra ordered.


    "Mother, 4 hours are too l-"


    Before Vaan could even resist,


    "I do not remember giving you permission to question my decisions."


    Astra spoke in an authoritative tone, a tone Vaan couldn''t speak against. In the end, he could only lower his head.


    "You have already formed a bond with a Magic Beast and you don''t even know the basics of Familiar Taming? How were you nning on raising your Magic Beast? Were you nning on pushing all the responsibility on ra?"


    "¡­I was going to learn," Vaan replied in a low voice.


    "Then rejoice, I am giving you the chance to learn."


    Vestas was a Family that?specializes?in Magic, it was a family of Mages, and as the so-called ''heaven'' for all mages, Vestas had ess to the best resources in the entire world.


    Since the beginning, Mages have often formed Bonds with Magic Beasts, after all, as beings who had weaker bodies, having a physically strong partner that could not only help them keep their distance from their enemies but also help them escape when they are stuck in a critical position, was something extremely beneficial.


    It would be foolish to not use something that had so many advantages. Mages having Magic Beasts as familiars were somon that almost every Mage who was above Intermediate level had a Magic Beast they were bonded with.


    And knowing the importance of Magic Beasts and Familiar Taming, the Vesta Family, obviously had the best teachers avable to teach their children about this topic.


    Could these teachers rece the teachers avable in the Agresia Academy?


    That wasn''t even a question. The difference between the two was worlds apart, the quality of the Vesta teachers was much higher.


    "¡­" Vaan turned silent.


    "You will start attending these lectures from tomorrow, you will be informed of the timings once I arrange everything."


    Astra then turned towards ra and,


    "And ra, during these lectures, you are not allowed to stay with him else he will be distracted again.


    In this duration, you''ll be attending sessions with me as we carry forward with our lectures."


    Astra ordered once again.


    "Y-Yes Teacher¡­"


    ra didn''t repeat Vaan''s mistake and silently epted her teacher''s orders. Vaan just stared at his mother ruthlessly giving orders and sighed helplessly.


    Then suddenly, a frown appeared on Vaan''s face as a question popped into his mind,


    "Mother¡­" he called out.


    "What is it?"


    "Did ra not learn about Magic Beasts and Familiar Taming from the Vesta Teachers?"


    He still remembered how ra went ahead and read all the books rted to this topic and actively asked questions whenever she got to attend the lecture.


    If she had learned all that beforehand, she would have no reason to repeat everything. After all, it didn''t look like she was merely revising the concepts.


    In his case, he could understand,?the?previous Vaan didn''t even bother learning basic magic theories, expecting him to learn about Magic Beasts was simply foolish.


    But ra?


    This woman was pretty much a model student. How did she not know about Magic Beasts and Familiar Taming beforehand?


    "She didn''t learn it," Astra answered.


    "Why?" Vaan frowned.


    "I didn''t allow her to attend the lecture together with the rest of the Vesta Children."


    "Why not?"


    Vaan couldn''t understand.


    He knew ra was being bullied, however, if Astra was worried about something like that, then just one order from her was enough to solve all the problems, Vaan knew that his mother wasn''t the type to care about all those things.


    In her mind, this was an opportunity for the child to grow on her own. She wouldn''t interfere unless things went too far.


    "She became a 4th Circle Mage when she was merely 19, I reached 4th Circle when I was 20, technically, her innate talent was higher than mine, therefore, I didn''t want her to waste her time on other things and focus on Magic Theories.


    When her understanding of Magic Theories had strengthened to the point where I was satisfied, I would naturally have taught her other subjects."


    Astra spoke and Vaan finally understood.


    ra didn''t learn it because her potential was simply too high. For someone of her level, learning about these misceneous topics can be done in a short time, focusing on the deeper, more important topic was a much better option in her case.


    ''The difference between us is simply too high¡­''


    Vaan couldn''t help but think as he nced at his fianc¨¦e. He couldn''t help but feel proud that his future wife was such a monstrous genius. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to jump at this woman and cuddle together with her.


    Suddenly, another idea popped into his mind,


    "Mother."


    He called out again.


    "What?"


    "If ra hadn''t attended the lectures, how about she attends them wit-"


    "No."


    Astra turned her son down in an instant.


    "Why?" Vaan didn''t back down.


    "I know my pupil well, if she decided to form a bond, I am sure she has already studied everything she needs to know about familiar taming, don''tpare her with your careless self."


    "¡­" Vaan didn''t know what to say.


    Astra simply snorted, then, she stood up.


    "I have spent too much time here, I will be leaving now.


    ra, you can take him to meet Ria if he wishes. Let him face the consequences of not learning things when he needs to.


    Also, make sure you introduce Furr to Ria, she is a smart girl,Iam sure she would understand what she needs to do."


    Saying those words, Astra turned around and left the room.


    Once he couldn''t see her anymore, Vaan turned towards ra and,


    "What mistake did I make, why can I not meet Ria?" He questioned.


    "Ria is a Celestial Gryphon, they are extremely noble and proud creatures, if they do not like someone, it is very difficult to change their mind, Ria is an even worse case whenpared to normal Celestial Gryphon, after all, she isTeacher''sBeasts. Not many can go against her. She is pretty much treated like a Queen."


    ra answered.


    "Then¡­ I wouldn''t be able to meet my mother''s beast¡­?"


    It would be a lie to say that Vaan wasn''t disappointed and seeing him act like that,


    "¡­I will help you."


    ra spoke up.

 Chapter 279 A Foolish Man.

    <h4>Chapter 279 A Foolish Man. </h4>


    279 A Foolish Man.


    "Is that all?"


    Astra questioned, looking at Eliza, her faithful subordinate and


    a close friend.


    "Yes, Lady Astra." Eliza nodded as she finished her report, all


    this time her head was lowered, she didn''t even look into


    Astra''s eyes once. Despite Astra telling her countless times


    that she could act normally whenever the two of them were


    alone, she refused toply.


    She knew Astra considered her a friend, a guide, and even a


    teacher, however, Eliza firmly believed that there should be a


    distinct difference between a Leader and a Subordinate.


    Since she had decided to submit and be Astra''s


    subordinate, Eliza would give it her all. Astra was the woman


    she respected from the bottom of her heart, and to show this


    respect, she believed that she should always act like a perfect


    subordinate should.


    Astra, knowing perfectly well how useless it was toment


    on Eliza''s attitude, just sighed and decided not to think about


    it.


    After all, it wasn''t her first time interacting with the woman,


    not to mention that she had something much more important


    in her mind than her subordinate''s stubbornness.


    "Eliza."


    Astra called out with a serious look on her face.


    Eliza stayed silent, waiting for the Family Head to continue,


    "Raise the number of guards secretly guarding Vaan and ra.


    Put on Obsidian Order Mage on each of them." Astra ordered


    and for the first time during their entire interaction, Eliza


    raised her head and nced at Astra.


    Astra, on the other hand, frowned as she thought of


    something and continued,


    "Tell the mages to respect their privacy, as much as I hate to


    admit it, they are not children anymore. Keep some distance,


    however, always be ready to act the moment you feel


    something is wrong, is that clear?"


    "Why the sudden order?"


    Eliza questioned with a frown on her face.


    Yes, she was a perfect subordinate who would follow her


    master''s order to the dot, however, this didn''t mean she


    wouldn''t question Astra''s decision. After all, as the perfect


    subordinate, it was also her duty to make sure that her Master


    wasn''t making a mistake.


    Astra nced at Eliza, for a moment, she considered revealing


    the secret to Eliza, after all, if there was one person she


    trustedpletely, it would be Eliza.


    Soon, however, she shook her head and dropped that thought.


    "I have my reasons."


    She trusted Eliza, yes, however, Eliza was also the first person


    her enemies would approach the moment they sensed that


    something was wrong.


    Of course, Eliza wasn''t weak, no normal being could touch her


    let alone get something out of her, honestly, Astra knew that


    the moment Eliza realizes that she was about to be captured


    by the enemy, she would take her own life, but even then,


    Astra didn''t wish to take any risk.


    Eliza was strong and for that very reason, she needed to be


    more careful. After all, unlike others, the enemies wouldn''t


    dare to underestimate her if they decided to target her.


    They woulde with a n and a well-prepared enemy is


    always troublesome, no matter who you were.


    Astra knew that she would need to reveal the secret at some


    point, however, knowing that her son was already making


    hisownmoves, she decided to y passively.


    After all, no one in the entire world would ever think that the


    centre of the storm that was about toe to the world


    would be a child in his early 20s. She would just act


    ''suspiciously'' to attract attention, giving Vaan time to do


    whatever he wanted.


    "As youmand, Lady Astra." Eliza nodded as she bowed her


    head again. Since Astra didn''t wish to say anything, she didn''t


    push her master.


    She, who had received new orders, decided to leave and get to


    work.


    As the woman left, Astra closed her eyes as she rested her


    head on his hand.


    "How much longer are you nning on hiding? Come out." She


    spoke in a calm voice and suddenly, she sensed something


    around her move.


    She opened her eyes, looking in the direction she sensed the


    movement from, there, she saw Orion standing with his back


    leaning against a wall and a smile on his face.


    "You seem quite worried. That brat must have said something


    important huh¡­"


    Orionmented.


    "If you knew what he said, you would act like me as well,"


    Astra replied.


    "I do-" Orion wanted to say something, but,


    "I know, you do not care.


    Sometimes, I am jealous of your simple thought process."


    Astra sighed.


    "Hey, are you calling me foolish?"


    Orion narrowed his eyes as he stared at his wife.


    "Are you not?" Astra chuckled.


    "I prefer to call it simplifying things.


    I would even say that it is quite the opposite of being foolish.


    I do not care what my child is doing or wants to do. His future


    goals, his ns, the actions he takes to follow through those


    ns, none of that matters to me,


    I only know one thing,


    The moment my child needs it, my sword would rise.


    Him being in danger?


    That is only possible when I stop breathing. Before that, death


    will never get close to my son.


    In my eyes, other than my child''s safety, nothing else matters.


    Even if he decides to be someone who would bring the


    end of the world,


    I would still protect him because he is my son."


    Orionannounced,the determination in his eyes was so intense


    that even Astra momentarily felt¡­ small.


    Soon, however, she shook her head and smiled.


    It wasn''t like this was the first time she had seen this look in


    her husband''s eyes. Rather, she had seen it so many times that


    she was now used to it.


    That was the real Orion Ravenshadow.


    A man who would go to any lengths for his family.


    All hisactof not caring about anything, letting his son do


    whatever he wants and never bothering with his matters, all


    of this was just that, an act.


    In truth, this crazy man always kept an eye on Vaan. Even


    when Vaan''s performance was¡­ not satisfactory. Was he


    disappointed? Of course, what father wouldn''t be


    disappointed if his son was useless and didn''t put in any effort


    to improve, but even then,


    Orion was still there, lingering in the shadows, ready to


    protect his son no matter what.


    It didn''t matter whether his son was in the wrong. It didn''t


    matter whether he was bullying others using his status, the


    moment his son needed his help, he would appear.


    That was the type of fool Orion was.

 Chapter 280 A Family Man.

    <h4>Chapter 280 A Family Man.</h4>


    280 A Family Man.


    That was the type of fool Orion was.


    Honestly, this entire time, Vaan had a power he never knew,


    an ultimate card that both, the current Vaan and the previous


    Vaan had.


    Immortality.


    Well, at the very least, something that can be considered


    immortality.


    After all, if his life was ever at risk, a monster who had been


    hiding from the entire world for decades would make a move.


    Of course, one may consider this to be normal, after all, what


    father would simply watch his son being killed and do


    nothing? It was perfectly logical to protect his son.


    Even Astra had ordered guards to protect her son.


    However, Orion took this matter a step further. He stayed


    together with Vaan 24/7, hiding in the shadows ever since the


    child was born. The only moments he is away from Vaan are


    when he spends time with Astra or is out solving


    hispersonalmatters, and even then, he always makes sure that


    Vaan is being protected by at least an Advanced Mage before


    he leaves.


    The reason why Orion''s presence disappeared in the eyes of


    the outside world, the reason why Orion, unlike other


    Advanced Swordsmen, does not have an army of subordinates,


    Was his son, Vaan Astra Vesta.


    Orion never bothered with other things because he was busy


    protecting his son.


    What about the time before Vaan was born?


    If Vaan was the reason, then why didn''t Orion create his


    faction when Vaan wasn''t born?


    That was because before Vaan, the target of his obsessive


    protection was his wife.


    That was the type of man Orion was.


    A family man, a man who could readily leave even the greatest


    worldly desire for the sake of his family and he wouldn''t


    regret that decision for even the slightest second.


    "If only you voiced out your thoughts more often."


    And Astra, who knew about her husband''s habit,mented


    with a wry smile on her face.


    "I have no reason to." Orion just snorted.


    "You should be more open with how you feel, Orion. I am sure


    Vaan would appreciate that as well."


    "He already appreciates me."


    Orion just snorted.


    He knew perfectly well that despite acting snobbish most of


    the time, Vaan still loved him.


    Well, at least the ''new'' Vaan did and that was all Orion needed.


    A father''s love was different from a mother''s.


    It was a tough love where words weren''t needed, especially


    when it came to a father-son rtionship.


    "¡­"


    Astra, who could perfectly sense what this man in front of her


    was thinking, just stared at him with a deadpan look on her


    face and didn''t say anything.


    Talking to him was no different than talking to a wall anyway.


    Even though this man would go to unreal lengths for his


    family, if he decides to be stubborn about something, none


    could change his thoughts. Astra didn''t want to waste her


    energy uselessly.


    ¡­


    "Are you sure we should be doing this¡­?"


    While Astra and Orion were talking with each other, Vaan


    turned towards ra and questioned with an unsure look on


    his face.


    Seeing him act like that, ra smiled provocatively,


    "Are you scared?"


    Seeing his usually innocent ra making such a face, Vaan


    didn''t know how to react.


    One thing was sure though,


    He was definitely going to fall for ra''s provocation.


    After all, when such provocationes from someone as


    innocent and angel-like as ra, you cannot help but fall even


    if you know it is dangerous.


    ra was simply too powerful.


    "I have never been scared in my entire life, ra."


    Vaan spoke confidently.


    He had to maintain the positive impression he had on ra


    now, didn''t he?


    ra chuckled as she then held Vaan''s hand and walked into


    the building, the surprised guards stepped back, allowing the


    two to walk in.


    Their surprised action was the reason why Vaan was so


    paranoid.


    Right now, they were in Magic Grounds, it was a ce where


    all the ''Bonds'' of high-level Mages of the Vesta Family are


    kept. These guards, who were partially responsible for these


    beasts, had some knowledge about them.


    Therefore, the moment they realized that these two were


    here to meet Ria, or Aetheria, the Family Head''s beast, their


    faces paled.


    ra wasn''t the problem, she had met Ria before, but Vaan¡­


    As the guards, they knew that the bond didn''t like the boy


    even a little bit and¡­ taking someone she didn''t like to meet


    her¡­


    Just thinking about her reaction made the guards tremble.


    And sensing these emotions, Vaan couldn''t help but think that


    his choice ofing here was a wrong one.


    Not that he had the option to back down now¡­


    Seeing the woman in front of him pulling him with her gentle


    hand, he felt powerless. How was one supposed to free his


    hand when a girl this beautiful is holding it? It would be a sin


    to do such a thing.


    Yes, Vaan was indeed a simp for ra.


    "You do not have toe, you know? You can leave if you


    want."


    Suddenly, Vaan heard a voice and in an instant, his eyes


    widened in surprise.


    Was his kind and generous ra finally back?


    He wondered and just as he was about to ept that offer,


    "N-No, we cannot leave. Lady Astra''s bond is¡­ known for her


    temper¡­


    We do not know how it would react when it sees Lord Vaan,


    we need to apany you so that if something happens, we


    can at least assist you in running away¡­"


    The three guardians of the Magic Grounds, who were


    following the two of them answered.


    Vaan, who heard their words, felt a chill down his spine.


    These three guardians¡­ all three of them were 6th Circle


    Intermediate Mages, they were all top-level mages that would


    be respected wherever they went, but¡­


    Instead of saying they would ''subdue the beast if something


    goes wrong'', they are saying that they would ''assist them in


    running away,'' and even then, the three seemed to be


    trembling as they said those words.


    Just¡­ just what did it say about the beast''s strength¡­?


    Vaan didn''t even want to imagine.

 Chapter 281 Ria!! No! Bad!

    Chapter 281 Ria!! No! Bad!


    ??"Thank you."


    ra spoke with a gentle smile on her face.


    "I-It is our pleasure, Lady ra." The servant nodded, his hands were still trembling as he passed the rolling table that carried Magic Beast food towards ra.


    Honestly, he was scared, despite not being directly involved, just assuming what would happen if something went wrong made him tremble in fear.


    A feeling shared by the 3 guardians and Vaan who were following ra.


    ra, however,pletely ignored their expressions and opened the doors in front of her.


    As soon as the door opened, thevast ground covered with lively green grass could be seen.


    "The sight is still as beautiful as I remember," ra eximed with a bright smile on her face.


    She then grabbed Vaan''s hand and with her other hand, she pushed the table in. The three protectors followed them in.


    "You know, this ce stretches over tens of kilometres."


    ra spoke up as she continued to look around.


    "That''s quiterge¡­" Vaan muttered, he had no recollection of this ce at all, signifying that the previous Vaan didn''t show even the slightest interest in these matters.


    "Mhm, barely 20 bonds live here, one might think that it is a waste of space, but the Magic Beasts here are all bonds of strong Mages and since the Bonds seem to inherit their Partner''s personalities, most of the Bonds have a strong personality, they do not like to be caged or restricted in a small space, this is why only such arge ce can contain them," ra exined.


    "So the beasts here are not supervised?"


    "The servants check them twice a day just to make sure they are not facing any problems, other than that, they are quite free."


    This time, one of the Protectors answered Vaan''s question. Vaan nodded in understanding.


    "How are we supposed to find Ria? Does she have a territory here or something?"


    "She does." ra nodded.


    "Huh¡­?" Vaan was surprised. He didn''t think that wouldactuallybe the case.


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    The three Protectors, on the other hand, were oddly silent when the ''territory'' was mentioned. Vaan, who noticed that narrowed his eyes,


    "Where is her territory?" he questioned.


    "At the very centre."


    ra answered.


    "Center¡­?"


    Vaan frowned.


    A territory at the very centre wasn''t exactly desired, especially in a ce like this, where it was mostly in grounds, a territory like this would be at risk of being attacked from every direction.


    "Ahh¡­"


    Suddenly, Vaan realized something.


    "The bonds here must be trained to not fight against each other." Hemented out loud.


    "That is correct, battles without the supervision of their Partners are not allowed." One of the Protectors nodded.


    "But." He wasn''t done. As if knowing what Vaan was thinking, he stared at him and,


    "Even if the battles over territories weren''t prohibited, no Bond here would target Aetheria."


    "Is she that strong¡­?" Vaan questioned and the Protectors just smiled wryly.


    Strong was an understatement. Only they knew what sort of troublesome existence that beast was.


    Others were still manageable, but her? That thing had perfectly inherited her Partner''s personality, but the thing was¡­


    She didn''t inherit the current Astra, the Family Head''s personality, that beast¡­ she inherited Astra''s younger, wilder personality.


    She was the most troublesome existence here and despite there being other bonds who were capable enough to fight her, she still bossed everyone around.


    Noticing their silence, Vaan felt like something was wrong, however, before he could say anything,


    "We are here," ra spoke up.


    "Already?" Vaan was surprised.


    "Well, her territory is quite vast." ra nodded as the group continued to walk.


    Since they already entered her territory, they knew Ria would sense them and appear before them and just as they expected,


    *Whoosh* *Whoosh* *Whoosh*


    The calm wind around them started moving, getting stronger and stronger after each passing moment, and suddenly, Vaan saw a golden light that seemed to be rushing towards them at a high speed.


    "She''s here," ra spoke with a bright smile on her face.


    Vaan blinked a few times, the air currents around their group got stronger and stronger,hewas forced to cover his eyes and adjust his stanceso as tonot falldown.


    *Screech*


    A loud screech was then heard as suddenly, the huge beastnded on the ground, right in front of the group.


    Ria, or Aetheria, the Celestial Gryphon, was a majestic creature with a powerful, regal presence. She had the body of a sleek, muscr lioness with golden fur that glistened in the sunlight. Her wings were expansive and graceful and were adorned with dazzling feathers that were a perfect blend of azure, silver, and gold, reflecting the colours of the sky. Her head was that of a majestic eagle, with piercing, intelligent azure eyes and a sharp, noble beak. Aetheria''s tail was long and tufted, ending in a fan of elegant feathers.


    Just one look at her and one could feel both strength and grace oozing out of her, the Bond had such a strong presence that Vaan couldn''t help but look at her with a grave look on his face,


    But suddenly,


    "Ria!!"


    ra called out with a big smile on her face as she rushed towards her.


    "Lady ra!"


    The three protectors called out in worry.


    "Screeechh!!!"


    Ria screeched as well, however, just as Vaan narrowed his eyes, preparing to cast his spellin order toprotect ra, the Gryphon knelt on the ground, lowering her eagle head, letting ra hug her as much as she wanted.


    "Ria! I missed you!"


    ra eximed, tightly hugging the Gryphon''srge body, her frame looked quite small in front of the Bond.


    "Cooo!!"


    The Gryphon seemed to be nodding at her words, she closed her eyes as she felt ra caressing the feathers on her neck.


    The momentsted for a few minutes, shocking Vaan and the Protectors, but suddenly, something that made the four feel a chill running down their back happened,


    The Gryphon, who momentarily opened her eyes, looked at Vaan, and the instant she did, her azure eyes darkened as if she were looking at her enemy,


    "Screech!!"


    In an instant, the wind around her moved, ready to blow Vaan away, the three protectors and Vaan prepared themselves, all of them preparing their spells, Vaan was already about to activate his Instant Spell, but suddenly,


    "Ria!! No! Bad!"


    ra''s shout was heard.

 Chapter 282 I don’t like her.

    Chapter 282 I don¡¯t like her.


    ??Just a few minutes ago, Astra ordered Eliza to put one Mage from the Obsidian Order on Vaan to ensure his safety. What was the Obsidian Order? It was a group of elite mages that served the Head of the Vesta Family and answered to her and her alone.


    Even amongst the 7 Star Mages, they are considered the elites, the strongest, and Astra had ordered one of such beings to ensure her son''s safety.


    No, keeping her aside, just considering Orion''s nature, the man, who himself protected his son ever since he was born, it wasn''t hard to guess how overprotective of parents Vaan had.


    Would the mother and father not know where their son currently was?


    Would they allow their son to meet a reckless, arrogant, and prideful Magic Beast, who also happens to hate him, without anyone guarding him?


    Yes, they would. Not only that,sincethey were in an area where it was difficult to erase one''s presence because of the sensitive beasts, the guards protecting both Vaan and ra had even stepped back, not entering the Magic Grounds.


    Why?


    That was because they had permission from both Astra and Orion.


    The couple knew Vaan was safe.


    How?


    That was because of a certain red-haired girl.


    "Ria!! No! Bad!"


    ra''s shout was heard and suddenly, the Gryphon, who was screeching loudly and was even prepared to use her powers,suddenlylooked at ra''s angry face and lowered her head. The wind des formed around her dissipated into the air as the Gryphon seemed busy poking ra''s cheeks with her beak, it was is she was trying to convince the little girl to not be angry at her.


    "Don''t attack him, he is my fianc¨¦."


    ra spoke, lightly patting Ria''s strong beak.


    "Cooo¡­"


    The Gryphon seemed apologetic, then suddenly, she nced at Vaan and,


    "Coo Coo Coo!"


    Trantion: He''s a jerk! He hurt Astra and you!


    Of course, no one present could understand what the Gryphon wanted to say, or¡­ at least that is how it should be.


    ra however, seemed different.


    "No, he is not the same as before, he has changed," ra replied, continuing to pat her head, helping her calm.


    "Coo Cooo Cooooo! Coo! Cooo!"


    Trantion: Changed? He is only fooling you. I guarantee you he is still a jerk. I will talk to Astra and help you get rid of him, don''t worry. You don''t have to be stuck as his fianc¨¦ any longer.


    "No, he is my fianc¨¦, and I love him."


    ra answered, narrowing her eyes as if she didn''t like what Ria said.


    "Coo! Coo Coo!!"


    Trantion: Girl! There are better options out there!!


    "No! Stop saying that, or I won''te visit you ever again!"


    "Coo¡­"


    Trantion: But¡­


    "No!"


    Seeing therge, regal yet arrogant Gryphon letting out such a low voice as if she was apologizing made the three protectors widen their eyes in shock. They couldn''t believe what they were seeing.


    Who was this Bond?


    She was the most troublesome existence in this ce! She was the source of all their headaches! She was someone who cried over the slightest of difort and always seemed to find reasons to pick on them but¡­


    But now she was lowering her head, acting all submissive in front of that little girl who wasn''t even an Intermediate Mage yet?


    What the hell was happening!?


    The Protectors were having an existential crisis.


    Vaan, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes as he nced at the Gryphon in front of him.


    Now he wasn''t much of an expert when it came to beast talks and hedefinitelywasn''t someone whohad the ability totalk with beasts, however, this didn''t mean he couldn''t interpret the conversation based on ra''s replies and¡­


    He didn''t like what he interpreted.


    Therefore,pletely ignoring the fear and nervousness he felt a few minutes ago, he walked towards the beasts,


    "Growl¡­"


    The Gryphon growled at him, however, Vaan ignored thatpletely and suddenly, he grabbed ra''s hand and pulled her close to him.


    "ROAARR!!"


    The action was so sudden that even ra was taken by surprise, Ria, on the other hand, was already prepared to take action.


    "Ria! Stop!!"


    ra shouted, calming Ria down.


    Vaan, on the other hand, tightened his hug around ra from behind and,


    "She''s mine."


    He spoke, looking right into Ria''s eyes.


    "Grrr¡­"


    Trantion: Get away from her.


    Vaan, once again, didn''t get what she was trying to say, but he could easily read what the look in those intelligent eyes meant,


    "Heh." Laughing out loud, Vaan started gently nibbling on ra''s neck, causing the girl to melt in his arms.


    "Grrrr!!"


    Ria''s growl grew stronger.


    "V-Vaan, stop provoking her¡­" rained.


    "I don''t like her," Vaan spoke, narrowing his eyes.


    "Coo!"


    Trantion: Likewise!


    "Should we just leave?"


    Vaan questioned.


    "Cooo Coo!"


    Trantion: No, ra, you can''t leave!


    It had been a long time since she had seen her friend, Ria missed ra and¡­ the same was true for ra as well.


    "Why don''t the two of you get along¡­?" ra muttered in a weak voice and seeing as how she didn''t immediately agree to his request, Vaan knew that she wanted to stay.


    ''Tsk, she still hides her thoughts.''


    ra very rarely went against his words, while this wasn''t a problem since most of the time, they both wanted the same things, however, in moments like these, Vaan wanted her to take a stand and be honest.


    After all, she was someone who was destined to be one of the strongest mages in the future, she must have a strong attitude!


    ''Should I give her more wine?''


    He considered in his head, however, soon, he shook her head and decided to deal with this situation right now.


    "Alright alright, although I don''t like her, I will stay here and apany you while you spend time with her.


    I will bear her presence for your sake because that is how much I love you."


    Vaan spoke, looking at Ria as he said those words.


    "Coo! Cooo Coo Coo!!"


    Trantion: Hmph! I will bear his presence as well!


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