Stellar Echo: Heart of the Myst

[lordanl]

After one last inspection, making sure the dress had no further imperfections, the young woman walked over to the shelf on the wall, from which she took a pair of slightly mended long shorts and a loose, light-colored blouse, and put them on.

Now that she was wearing comfortable clothes, the young woman took the dress and went to the back of the house, where there was what looked like a small courtyard with a small stone washbasin in one corner. There, she proceeded to wash the dress with utmost care, making sure to clean it thoroughly while also avoiding any damage to the garment.

Once the dress was clean again, the young woman wrung it out carefully and gently, ensuring she removed as much moisture as possible without twisting it too much, since that could damage the fabric or the dress's buttons. She then hung it on a clothesline stretched across the yard, using a couple of clothespins, making sure to position it somewhere rain could not reach it in case it rained during the night.

Having finished with her dress, the young woman walked back inside the house and arrived at a kitchen which, though modest, was spotlessly clean and organized, with various utensils that were well-maintained and arranged in meticulous order. The shelves, full of jars of spices and basic food staples, revealed a life of home cooking carried out with care and attention.

Inside the kitchen, there was an old-looking table with three chairs, where someone was seated who could only be described as a carbon copy of the young guide, looking almost exactly like her—although there were two important differences between them.

In the case of the young guide, she had smooth, silky hair, whereas the young woman in the kitchen had wavy locks that fell softly down her back. The most striking difference, however, was that unlike the young guide, who had a vibrant, healthy complexion, the young woman in the kitchen looked incredibly pale, sporting a skin color that was almost greenish. Meanwhile, her lips—unlike the young guide's, which were a lovely cherry shade—were almost deathly white with small violet discolorations in some parts.

"Clara, what are you doing up?" Upon noticing the sickly looking young woman, the young guide exclaimed with some concern as she approached her.

"Don't worry, Sofía. I'm fine. I got up a while ago and, since you hadn't arrived, I decided to make dinner." The young woman seated in the chair said with a slight smile on her face, as she pointed to an old-fashioned wood stove in one corner of the kitchen, on top of which a pot was boiling.

"Don't overexert yourself. You know you've been more delicate than usual these past few days. Let's go to bed; I'll finish making dinner." Sofía tried to lift Clara from the chair, but Clara placed a hand on her shoulder while speaking in a serious tone.

"You don't have to treat me like I'm useless, Sofía. At least let me help with this, or I won't be able to rest easy in that bed."

Upon hearing her sister's words, Sofía could only give her a troubled look, but after a moment, she sighed and left her in the chair again with a sad expression. However, just then she seemed to remember something, which filled her with profound excitement, and she exclaimed with a huge smile on her face, which slightly surprised Clara.

"Clara! I already have the solution to our problems. Today, life smiled on me and finally decided to help us. I'll be right back!"

Clara blinked in surprise at Sofía's sudden excitement—who ran out of the room even before she'd finished speaking—but shortly after, she shrugged with an ironic smile on her face and stood up from the chair with difficulty, making her way over to the old stove to check the soup that was about to be ready.

Not long after, Sofía came running back into the house, carrying two simple-looking linen bags in her arms, her face brimming with excitement. She then presented the bags to Clara and exclaimed excitedly.

"Look at what I got today!"

Though somewhat taken aback by her sister's excitement, Clara examined the bags Sofía was holding with a keen gaze. After all, despite their simple appearance, she was sure that the fabric was something very expensive and fine—something her sister, who was merely a tour guide in the city, shouldn't have.

Worried, Clara quickly took one of the bags from her sister's hands and opened it to see what it contained, discovering several dozen crystals displaying slight iridescent spirals about the size of her palm, which pulsed with latent power, almost entrancing anyone who looked at them.

Mana Crystals of intermediate purity—that was the first phrase that came to Clara's mind as she looked at the crystals in the bag. The realization caused her already sickly appearance to worsen, turning several shades paler, while at the same time she felt the little strength in her body vanish. She stumbled to one side in fright, dropping the bag to the ground and scattering the crystals all over the floor.

"Where did you get that, Sofía?!"

Despite her frail condition, Clara shouted at the top of her lungs, panicking as she stared at Sofía in alarm, fearing what might have happened for her sister to have something so valuable in her possession.

"Hehehe, don't worry, Clara. I earned them at work today. A very handsome and generous young man gave them to me for my services." Sofía answered with a small, cheerful smile and a touch of pride on her face as she gathered the mana crystals from the floor, all the while recalling that starry-haired young man who looked like a prince charming.

But her words only worsened the pallor on Clara's face, making her look almost ghostly. The sickly young woman grabbed Sofía's shoulders as best she could and shook her while shouting in anger and fear.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO GET SOMETHING LIKE THAT, SOFÍA? WHAT DID YOU DO?!!!"

Tears began to well up in Clara's eyes as her mind filled with all sorts of increasingly gruesome scenarios. This overwhelmed her with profound sadness and guilt for having forced her sister into such a predicament because of her own illness and uselessness. It led her to bite her lip hard, causing a thin trickle of blood to run down her chin.

Seeing her sister's outburst, Sofía panicked and quickly stopped picking up the crystals. She then carefully hugged her and began to explain hurriedly, trying to calm her, terrified that her condition would worsen because of the outburst.

"Don't worry, Clara. I swear on the memory of Mom and Dad that I didn't do anything strange to get them. I just guided him and his wives around the city, and since they seem to be really wealthy, the young man was very generous and gave me these crystals for my work."

"Are you telling the truth, Sofía? He just gave them to you for showing him around the city? You didn't do anything else?" Overcome with panic yet filled with hope, Clara asked fearfully as she stared intently at Sofía, trying to detect any lie. Sofía answered with complete confidence.

"Of course, he gave them to me for guiding him around the city with his wives, and even…" Sofía seemed to recall something and quickly added, while helping her sister sit back down on the chair.

"Hold on a second. He also gave me the most delicious sandwiches I've ever tasted in my life. I brought one for you. Hang on, I'll get it!"

Eager to produce enough evidence to put Clara at ease, Sofía ran to her room and came back with a red handkerchief. She unwrapped it, letting her sister see three beautiful sandwiches that looked as though they came from another world, and handed them to her.

"That young man gave you these as well?" Clara asked as she examined the sandwiches in her hand, which, despite looking a bit squashed, still appeared incredibly appetizing.

"Yes, try one. They're the best thing I've ever eaten in my entire life." Sofía remarked, trying to hold back the drool that threatened to escape her mouth as she looked at the sandwiches.

"Okay, I'll try one."

Feeling somewhat nervous, Clara spoke in a serious tone and took one of the sandwiches, then took a small bite. She was instantly transported to another world, enchanted by the flavor that perfectly combined sweet, salty, acidic, and umami, taking her to a near-celestial culinary bliss.

"This is truly out of this world. It's really the tastiest thing I've tried in my entire life…" Clara remarked with a sigh, filled with countless emotions, as she looked at the sandwich in her hands. Then she turned to her sister and asked with a serious expression.

"So, are you telling me the truth, Sofía? Those crystals were just the payment for showing him around the city?"

"I'm telling you, yes. The young man is extremely wealthy. Just look at this incredible treat he has as a snack. Plus, his wives also looked like goddesses from another world, full of elegance and beauty, and even his servant was equally beautiful and refined. I'd never seen anything like them in Aranta."

"Then you were very lucky…" Clara commented softly, continuing to eat her sandwich slowly, in small bites, trying to savor each mouthful.

"Hahaha, I know. At first, I went over without expecting much, but I'm really glad I did. They were super kind and generous." Sofía said with a joyful smile on her face, but at that moment Clara replied in an almost solemn tone, snapping her out of her cheerfulness.

"That's not what I mean. In order to treat something as valuable as those mana crystals so casually, and to be able to eat something like this just as a simple snack. That young man you're talking about is probably an heir of a 'famous house', and you know what that means.…"

Upon mentioning the term "famous house", Clara's expression visibly darkened, while Sofía's face paled in fear. After all, there was nothing more dangerous than the heir of a famous house, especially for people like them.

The title "heirs of famous houses" was a common term used in the Auroria system to basically refer to the younger children of important families in the Auroria Kingdom or, in very rare cases, the children of important individuals from the Meridian Faction. From their perspective, these heirs possessed almost unlimited power and resources and were therefore treated extremely well wherever they went.

But what made these "heirs of famous houses" truly terrifying was that they generally lacked any sort of limits or scruples. They lived lives of excess without fear of the consequences because, thanks to their families' power, they would never have to experience them. That made them incredibly erratic and dangerous.

Instances where "heirs of famous houses" caused destruction in cities or even entire planets just for fun were incredibly numerous and well-known, to the point that even schools taught how to behave around such people to avoid "offending" them. Lesson number one was to run as far away as possible if the opportunity arose.

For that reason, the thing that people of limited means feared most—especially those who had a certain level of beauty like Clara and Sofía—was running into an heir of a famous house. So much so, that massive exoduses of people fleeing would occur at the slightest mention of an heir's presence in the vicinity.

The terror that people of limited resources felt toward these "heirs of famous houses" was not unfounded and was very real. After all, these individuals had enough power to literally do whatever they wanted to them in the middle of a public square, and no one would come to help. In fact, many would end up blaming them for "offending" such a person. It was an event that had happened more times than anyone cared to remember throughout the Auroria system, not to mention their planet, Aranta.

"No, I don't think he was an heir. I made sure to observe his group from a distance. The young man was only accompanied by his wives and a single maid, and there were no guards anywhere in sight. None of them gave off that heavy aura that powerful people have. Moreover, he was very kind and considerate—a world away from those 'heirs.'"

Gripped by panic, Sofía tried to explain herself in an attempt to reduce the fear she felt in her heart. Even though in the end everything turned out all right, if that young man had really been an "heir of a famous house", she would have been dancing on the edge of a knife the entire time without realizing it. And even now, she might not be safe, since you never know what those egomaniacal lunatics might do.

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Seeing her sister's state of panic, Clara sighed and extended one of her hands to gently caress her cheek. Then, with a warm smile, she commented, trying to calm her down, since, even if he truly had been an 'heir', there was nothing more to be done. It was better to stay positive than to be consumed by fear.

"Maybe you're right, and he was only the son of some rich merchant on vacation."

"Yes, you're right, that's most likely." Sofía commented while nodding like a chicken, trying to push aside the terrible foreboding that was attempting to fill her heart.

"And what do you plan to do with the money?"

Trying to change the subject, Clara asked with a smile as she withdrew her hand, then propped her face on her elbow atop the table, looking at her sister. This caused Sofía's eyes to light up like lanterns, and she immediately responded with excitement.

"I've got it all planned out. First, we'll buy a magic potion to cure your illness, and with whatever's left, we'll send Martín to the Arcane Order so he can look for opportunities. Once he's settled there, he can send for us, hehehe."

A moved but simultaneously sad expression appeared on Clara's face upon hearing her sister's words, and she quickly remarked, trying to contain the swirling mix of emotions in her heart.

"You know that's not a good idea. I've been like this for two years, and none of the doctors we've seen have been able to figure out what I have. I don't think we'll be able to get a magic potion to cure me, but your idea of going to the Arcane Order is really good. Instead of wasting money on doctors and potions, you should go with Martín to the Arcane Order—Martín is too young to go on his own."

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE SAYING, CLARA?!"

Hearing her sister's words, Sofía couldn't help but shout indignantly, slamming her hand on the table and staring at her, while Clara responded in a calm tone, guilt and self-loathing evident on her face.

"You know that's the best option. The Arcane Order is a land full of opportunities; if you go with Martín, you'll have a good life and won't have to suffer hunger and hardship as you do now because of me."

Tears started rolling down Clara's pale cheeks as she spoke, expressing the immense sadness and pain she felt for having ended up in this state, where simply walking was a struggle, let alone working. Now, it was also her fault that her younger brother couldn't continue studying and had to work himself to the bone in a mine just to earn a little money. It was all her fault—everything happened because she got sick and ruined her siblings' lives, the only thing she had in this world.

"I won't allow you to say something like that, Clara!!!" Sofía shouted, now completely outraged, watching her sister give in to pain and self-loathing.

" You know that's the best! Now I'm just a burden, a dead weight. I cost money, and every day, you and Martín have to kill yourselves working to support me. I don't want this anymore. I want you two to live well now that you have the chance. Leave me here; I don't want to go on like this. I don't want to be a burden anymore…!" Clara shouted in an almost guttural voice laden with pain, which only heightened Sofía's anger. Sofía yelled back at her stubborn sister, tears streaming down her beautiful face.

"Get it through your head, Clara!! You're my sister. We were born together, and we'll always be together. I won't abandon you, no matter what!"

Swiftly, Sofía wrapped her arms tightly around her sister, who was also crying inconsolably, and spoke to her in a choked voice, doing her utmost to sound calm and composed, while her heart twisted in pain at feeling how thin and frail Clara's body had become.

"You're right that it might be hard to find a potion here, but not in the Arcane Order. They say it's the faction with the best alchemists in the galaxy. I'm sure we can find a cure for your illness there. So if we go, we go together. It's just a matter of saving up a bit more. We're so close; it's too soon to give up."

Sofía's words were like daggers piercing Clara's weary heart. Despite the immense happiness she felt at the genuine love they showed her, she also felt infinite guilt weighing her down. From any perspective, the difficult situation faced by their little family was solely her fault. However, continuing to contradict her sister—who wanted to do everything in her power to help—would only be like pouring salt on the wound. Besides, deep down, she still held a tiny hope of being cured and being able to help her siblings again.

"Thank you…"

With a voice that was almost a whisper, Clara commented through her tears, feeling immensely happy to have been blessed with a family like hers. Despite having experienced so much loss and pain, her sister was still willing to take care of someone as useless as her.

"You don't have to thank me. We're twins; we can never be apart from each other. Besides, your illness is only temporary. I'm sure we'll find a cure very soon in the Arcane Order. You know what they say— that place is a land where anything is possible." Sofía spoke in a gentle tone, delicately stroking her sister's back, almost as though she were afraid of hurting her in her frail condition.

"… Yes, you're right. In the Arcane Order, we can start a new life, and we'll find a cure…" After a few moments, Clara replied, a bit calmer in her sister's arms, but just then, her small nose twitched slightly as she caught a scent, prompting her to comment with a faint smile.

"And please turn off the fire. The soup is ready."

Hearing her sister, Sofía lifted her head and sniffed the air, immediately recognizing the unmistakable aroma of Clara's chicken soup. This led her to speak with a smile, genuinely pleased to see her sister feeling a bit better.

"You're right, I'll do it now."

After letting go of her sister's embrace, Sofía headed to the stove and removed the pot using a couple of kitchen rags, which were nothing more than scraps of clothing too worn to be repaired. She then closed the stove's air vents, letting the wood fire burn out slowly.

After that, Sofía poured some water from a large clay pot in the kitchen into a couple of metal cups and brought one to her sister, who received it with a smile. Though her expression still showed a bit of sadness and melancholy, lost in thought.

Clara's life had not been easy. Because she was born with a weak body, things were always a bit more complicated for her than for others. She got sick often, and it was common for her to spend long periods in bed, meaning she frequently missed school and had very few friends. This led her to a solitary, homebound life where her family was all she had.

When their parents were still in this world, Clara attended Aranta's main school along with Sofía and her younger brother. There, in addition to reading, writing, and mathematics, they learned basic knowledge about the galaxy, mana, mana users, and more. Though for the time being, they were at most a couple of Initiate-level individuals of second rank in the best of cases, given that they had had to leave school far too soon.

That the siblings could attend such a distinguished school in the Auroria Kingdom was thanks to their parents' good jobs— their father was a doctor and their mother was an artist. But everything changed around five years ago when their father suddenly fell ill and died shortly thereafter, prompting their mother, a deeply emotional woman, to fall into a severe depression. She soon passed away as well, leaving them alone in this world.

Although losing their parents was devastating—two crushing blows within just a few months, turning their little world upside down, leaving them broken and unsure how to keep living—that was only the beginning of a series of "misfortunes" that would eventually leave them in the miserable state they were in. It also taught them the true nature of the world in the worst possible way.

A few days after their mother's death, their parents' few relatives reappeared at her funeral, showering them with consolation and embraces, vowing to help and support them as though they were their own children. They even fought among themselves to see who would take custody of the siblings. Innocently, the three believed this might be something good amid such tragedy. But soon, reality showed its ugly face, teaching them the harsh truth of the real world.

The one who ended up "winning" custody of them during that squabble of relatives was their mother's younger sister, who showed herself to be empathetic and was the one they knew best, as she visited their mother often and stood by her side from the onset of her depression until her bitter end. She was also kind to the siblings, always bringing them gifts, helping them, understanding them, and supporting them, earning a very special place in their hearts. But appearances can be deceiving.

Shortly after they received the inheritance their parents had left them, the loving, caring aunt who had always helped and pampered them vanished like smoke, transforming into a cruel and ruthless woman who was bothered by everything they did. She even pulled them out of school, claiming their performance was abysmal and they were wasting her money.

From the moment they left school, she fired the woman who had served as her housekeeper for years and began treating the siblings as mere servants, in charge of all the household chores. She insulted and hit them if something was not done to her satisfaction, though perhaps a more accurate term for that treatment would be "slaves", one of the greatest taboos in the galaxy.

She wasn't just absolutely heartless in how she treated them; she was extremely stingy, allowing them only to eat whatever was left after her family had eaten. They were also banned from using the main dining room and could only eat at a small table in the kitchen. They had to share a single old bed for all three of them, and the clothes they wore were her family's old hand-me-downs or whatever the neighbors donated to the poor, since most of their own decent brand-name clothing "disappeared" and was never found again.

Over time, Clara came to partially understand the reason behind their "aunt's" hatred. She was a despicable, greedy woman who had envied Clara's mother her entire life and only acted nice because her mother used to help her financially. So once she got hold of the money, that twisted woman started "getting revenge" on them because, according to her, Clara's mother had "stolen the life that should have been hers". This went on for almost a year, but everything changed when one of that woman's sons hit their dear younger brother, and things spiraled out of control.

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One day, just like any other, Martín—her younger brother—grew tired and tried to defend himself from his cousin. This cousin, who used to treat him kindly and play with him all the time, now wanted to show off in front of his friends by hitting him with a stick just for fun. The problem was that, in Martín's attempt to defend himself, he ended up pushing the ruthless boy, who fell to the ground and ended up with his head bleeding.

That incident nearly drove their aunt insane. She beat all three of them so severely that they still bore several scars from it. But she wasn't satisfied with just that—she threw them out on the street with nothing but the old clothes they were wearing, which were torn and bloodied from the beating they had received.

Even though the siblings apologized and begged the merciless woman not to kick them out, she refused to listen. She went so far as to call the neighborhood's private security where they lived—a moderately exclusive, relatively high-level area in Aranta, to which she had moved shortly after taking in the siblings, leaving behind the lower-middle-class neighborhood where she had previously lived.

When the guards arrived, the hysterical woman demanded at the top of her lungs that they kick the siblings out of the neighborhood. The guards did so literally, without a moment's hesitation, looking at them with arrogance and contempt on their ugly faces the entire time.

That was where the siblings' problems really began. Although they had spent a year practically living like slaves, they still had food and a roof over their heads. But after being expelled from their aunt's house, even those small comforts became luxuries they could only dream of having again.

After leaving their aunt's house, Clara and her two siblings went to the home their parents had left them, hoping to live there. One of the reasons they had decided to stay with their aunt in the first place was because she had sworn on their mother's memory that she would keep the house in perfect condition. So, they could return at any time. After all, it was their most precious possession, full of memories from the happy life they once had with their parents.

But the siblings' innocent hopes were once again crushed by the overwhelming weight of reality. Their exhausting journey back to their old home—where they arrived after forcing their bruised bodies to keep walking—only served to reveal that the house had been sold not long after it was handed over to them.

That day, with a broken heart and her frail body covered in wounds, Clara, while clinging to her siblings with tears streaming down her face, could only watch through the windows at the family now living in the house they had loved so dearly. She saw them dining happily, smiles on their faces, but their presence seemed to bother the family, as they were eventually chased away from there not long after.

After a series of devastating blows from reality, Clara and her siblings had no choice but to sleep on the streets and eat leftovers given to them by restaurants or families. At the same time, they desperately tried to find their other relatives, the same ones who had seemed so empathetic and caring when their parents passed away, swearing they would help them with anything they needed. But they were unable to find almost any of them, as if they had vanished into thin air.

Now, however, Clara wished she had never found any of them and could have kept alive a small ray of hope—both in her heart and in her siblings' hearts—about their so-called "family". But as if life enjoyed shattering their illusions, after some time, they ended up finding one of those "empathetic and caring relatives". He merely mocked them sadistically for making the wrong choice and handing their money over to a two-faced bitch, all the while throwing a piece of bread on the ground as a "gesture of goodwill toward family".

Seeing the true face of what was supposed to be their family—human trash worse than any beast, capable of lying, deceiving, and betraying anyone to get what they wanted—Clara, for the first time in her short life, felt true despair. It only grew deeper as she saw the pain and hunger on the faces of her siblings, the only family she had left.

In no time at all, they had gone from living under the loving care of their parents, sleeping in a good home, eating proper meals every day, and worrying only about school exams and their classmates' gossip, to living on the streets where dangers lurked around every corner. They ate scraps and garbage, were looked down upon with contempt, and were constantly chased away from everywhere for being beggars.

But life is always capricious, and as if it had suddenly grown tired of toying with them, one day, while Clara went out with Sofía to find something for their younger brother Martín to eat, they ran into their "good friends" from school, who only made fun of them for their situation. That humiliation shattered their already wounded, hopeless hearts even more. Paradoxically, though, it was also the event that triggered the change in their lives.

One of the fathers of those "good friends", who knew their parents and happened to be there, felt a bit sorry for the pitiful "trio of beggars", as he called them. Condescendingly, and with a look of disgust on his face, he gave them a few mana crystals and allowed them to stay in a property he considered lost in the slums—the same house where they are currently living.

From that point on, things began to improve for Clara and her siblings. Even though her body had always been weak, ever since she was little, she had shown a remarkable talent for cooking. So, using the few mana crystals the owner of the house had given them, Sofía and Clara decided to invest in some cooking utensils and ingredients to create different kinds of desserts, which Sofía began to sell out on the streets.

Clara's cooking talent was genuinely impressive, and the desserts she made sold very well. Not long afterward, their lives began to improve: they were able to buy clothes again, even if only second-hand. They started eating three times a day, every day, and gradually bought some items for the house and made a few repairs. They even managed to pay for their younger brother Martín to attend school again. Although it wasn't the exclusive main school of Aranta, it was still a good one, which filled them with pride and joy.

Yet, it seemed life wasn't satisfied with the little bit of happiness their small family had found. Two years ago, Clara's condition suddenly took a dramatic turn for the worse, leaving her confined to bed and incapable of doing anything. Though her siblings tried to find treatment for her and spent all the savings they had, none of the doctors were able to help. Their lives sank back to a low point.

With Clara unable to make her desserts, the family's finances took a nosedive. Martín had to quit school once again, and Sofía had to figure out how to earn money. She slightly altered the dress she used to wear when selling Clara's pastries—the only brand-new dress she had ever bought, since they had learned over time that desserts sold better if she was nicely dressed.

Applying the same logic that appearances are crucial in business, Sofía modified the dress so it looked a bit more elegant. She then began her new venture: offering her services as a tour guide on the streets. After all, for a young woman with no education, the range of legal and honorable jobs was quite limited.

During her time selling desserts, Sofía had met many people, including several who worked as tour guides. After all, planet Aranta is a beautiful place filled with an exquisite artistic sense, attracting a large number of tourists every year. Many of those guides had been good customers of hers, so they explained to Sofía how their work functioned: how much to charge, how to present the sights, how to identify potential clients, and much more.

While being a tour guide wasn't particularly bad, it wasn't as profitable as selling Clara's desserts. Coupled with the continual monthly expenses on doctors and medication required to keep Clara stable, the family of three once again found themselves in a critical state in which they could barely manage to eat once or twice a day.

Seeing how dire things were, Martín decided to start working in a mine on the outskirts of the city. One of his old school friends, who also had to drop out, worked there, and this job allowed them to survive up until now. But it pained the twins every time they saw their little brother coming home exhausted and dirty from work, barely able to get a bite to eat before collapsing into a deep sleep.

"Don't you think Martín is taking a long time today?"

While chatting idly with her sister at the table, waiting for their younger brother to arrive so they could serve dinner, Clara suddenly glanced at an old clock on the wall and asked in a worried tone. Sofía could only nod with a somewhat pale, fearful expression, also staring at the clock.

"You're right. He should be here by now…"

"Let's not worry. I'm sure today's just been tough. I heard him mention this morning that they were opening a new tunnel in the mine, so that's probably why he's running a bit late. Let's serve dinner. He won't be much longer."

Despite her concern, Clara tried to remain calm and spoke gently, hoping to soothe her sister's worries—while also trying to convince herself and steady her own racing heart.

"Yes, you're right. That must be it. Martín shouldn't take much longer."

In a nervous voice, Sofía spoke as she nodded, also trying to reassure herself. She then set about serving the delicious soup Clara had made into three steel bowls, arranging them on the table alongside the remaining two sandwiches.

But no matter how much the twins tried to stay calm, time continued to pass, amplifying their anxiety. It was as if they could almost hear each tick of the clock like a hammer blow. Still, Martín showed no sign of arriving, and the soup on the table—untouched—had gone cold.

"I can't wait any longer. Something must've happened. I'm going to the mine to look for Martín."

Feeling suffocated by uncertainty and worry, Sofía spoke forcefully as she hurried out of her chair. Clara wanted to stop her—given how dangerous the streets were at night in their neighborhood, especially for a young woman—but she couldn't. A sinister feeling gripped her heart, causing it to pound wildly. All she could do was watch her sister's retreating figure, biting her lips in pain and frustration.

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With a worried expression, Sofía ran to her room, where she grabbed her pocketknife and a black veil that she used to cover her head, making sure her face was hidden, since going out at that hour of the night was already dangerous, and if she showed her beauty on the street, she would only be asking for trouble.

Once she was ready, Sofía ran toward the entrance of the house, where she saw Clara approaching with slow steps, leaning against a wall. Clara's face was filled with worry as she bit her lips, trying to keep her frustration in check.

"Be very careful, Sofía. The street is dangerous at this hour, and even more so in this neighborhood. Please be very careful…" Clara spoke in a worried and remorseful tone as she looked Sofia straight in the eyes, one of her hands on the wall for support.

"I know, Clara. I'll try to be as careful as possible, but you take care of yourself too—don't overexert yourself."

Sofía nodded and spoke in a serious tone, then approached her sister to help her sit on a nearby chair. But just at that moment, three knocks sounded on the door, making the twins' hearts tighten because Martín had a key to the house—he wouldn't be knocking.

While settling Clara into the chair, Sofía looked straight into her eyes. Clara responded with a solemn nod. Quickly, Sofía hurried to the door, lowering the veil over her head as she picked up a sturdy-looking stick to one side. She fastened the chain on the door so that only a small gap could open.

Upon opening the door, what Sofía saw made her heart tighten painfully and filled her with panic. Standing there was José, one of the people from the neighborhood who worked in the mine with Martín. But what truly panicked Sofía was seeing him battered, blood covering his head and arms.

"What happened, José? Why are you alone? Where is Martín?" Sofía asked through the small opening in the door, her voice anxious as she tried to look around.

Hearing her sister's panicked voice made Clara, inside the house, go pale. She clenched her fists tightly, praying and begging with all her might that what she feared was not true. Meanwhile, José, a sturdy man who looked to be about thirty years old, with bronzed skin and dark hair, showed a troubled expression on his face and spoke with difficulty.

"Sofía, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid a tragedy has happened…"

José's words nearly caused Sofía's legs to give out beneath her. But not wanting to surrender to despair, she quickly bit her lips. Then, after dropping the stick in her hand to the side, she shut the door to remove the chain. A moment later, she flung the door open and pounced on José like a wild beast, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt as she questioned him, panicked.

"What happened to Martín? Where is he? Why hasn't he come back?"

"Calm down, Sofía…"

José, who was much taller than the young woman clutching his collar, spoke in a tense tone, his face showing pain and pity. That only made Sofía's face grow paler, and she couldn't stop herself from screaming at the top of her lungs, trying to drive away the fear gripping her.

"HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO CALM DOWN?! TELL ME RIGHT NOW WHERE MARTÍN IS!!!"

"I suggest you calm down because what I'm about to tell you is serious…" José said, his expression dark. Those words only made Sofía's panic increase tremendously, and she screamed even louder.

"WHAT HAPPENED?!!!"

"There was a collapse in the mine just as we were about to finish our shift. Some of us managed to get out in time, but many didn't make it, and there are already thirty confirmed dead…" José answered in a gentle and pained voice, since among those thirty people was his partner in crime, his closest friend.

The news fell on Sofía like a bucket of cold water. Her arms went limp, and she stumbled backward, completely devastated, feeling her strength leave her entirely. Inside the house, Clara felt her heart shatter into a thousand pieces, an immeasurable guilt washing over her. Tears of pain, sadness, and overwhelming remorse began streaming from her eyes like waterfalls, while her nails dug into her palms so hard that blood splattered onto the floor.

"Martín… died?" Sofía's voice escaped almost in a whisper, her face devoid of life. José responded sadly.

"We still don't know for sure, but he was still inside working, so it's the most likely outcome…"

José's words ignited a glimmer of hope in Sofía. She asked urgently while pulling herself together, feeling a furious blaze of hope flare up in her heart.

"But doesn't that mean there's a chance he could still be alive and just trapped?"

"It's certainly a possibility, but even if that's the case, Martín was assigned to one of the deepest tunnels today. Only a very powerful earth mage could reach him in time to rescue him, but I highly doubt the Rivera family will be willing to hire one to do it…" José shook his head, filled with sorrow, yet his words, instead of extinguishing Sofía's hope, made it flare up like a raging fire. She shouted with conviction.

"Maybe they won't, but I will!!"

After speaking, Sofía tried to run off as she adjusted the veil on her head, but she was stopped by José, who grabbed her arm and asked in a serious tone.

"What are you planning to do? Don't do anything crazy. Earth mages are very expensive, especially one capable of rescuing Martín. Even if the entire neighborhood pooled their money, we wouldn't be able to pay someone that important. Don't do something foolish."

Refusing to be stopped by anyone, Sofía yanked her arm free from José's grip and quickly shouted into the house.

"Don't worry, Clara, I SWEAR I'LL BRING MARTÍN BACK!!"

"WAIT, SOFÍA!!!"

Clara's pleading cry was cut off by the slamming of the door as Sofía rushed out, leaving José behind, looking sorrowful. Shortly after, he left for his own home, walking slowly with a pronounced limp, clearly injured.

…

As though her life depended on it, Sofía ran with all her might, trying to reinforce her legs with every last drop of her meager mana. She wiped away the tears streaming uncontrollably down her face, fighting with all her strength to keep the flame of hope in her heart from going out with each passing second.

Soon, a panting Sofía arrived at an open area that contrasted starkly with the splendid harmony with nature the capital city was known for. Here, there was nothing but a barren plain filled with dust and arid stones, riddled with countless holes and scattered tents everywhere.

Hundreds of people were crying and running about in all directions, while a little farther off, dozens of bloodied and disfigured corpses lay in different places. The sight chilled Sofía to the bone, but she quickly shook her head and sprinted toward the largest tent in the center of the area.

Upon arriving, Sofía found the foreman in charge of the mine, Foreman Hernández, seated on a simple wooden bench with blood covering several parts of his body. He was yelling orders in every direction, his expression grim, while a young woman tried to tend to his wounds, her face filled with panic.

"Foreman Hernández, where is my brother?!!!" Wasting not a second, Sofía ran directly to the man in the chair and asked him in an urgent voice.

The foreman, a man of around forty with black hair and bronzed skin, turned to look at Sofía, who had revealed her face, allowing him to recognize her immediately. He quickly spoke with a touch of scorn, barely paying her any mind.

"Sofía, I'm sorry to tell you this, but your brother is dead. I have a lot to do trying to get the machinery out of the collapsed tunnels, so move aside and let me work."

"YOU SON OF A BITCH, HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT?!!!!"

Sofía shouted, enraged, only to receive a harsh slap from the foreman that sent her to the ground, her mouth filling with blood. However, she managed to soften the blow slightly by using her mana to fortify her face just a moment before the impact.

"HOW DARE A BEGGAR BASTARD LIKE YOU SPEAK TO ME THAT WAY?!!! Your brother is dead—now get out of my sight before I lose my patience and make you disappear myself!"

The foreman shouted in fury as he glared at the young woman on the ground with a nearly murderous look. The sight made the young woman tending his wounds tremble in terror, but with one glance from him, she returned to her work, tears filling her eyes.

For her part, Sofía glared at the foreman, full of hatred, covering her bloody mouth with one hand while clenching the pocketknife with the other, preparing to give that bastard what he deserved. But after thinking it over briefly, she decided not to do anything and instead focused all her energy on rescuing her brother. Later, she could settle the score with that motherfucker. So, she got up and left the area swiftly, the foreman watching her go with contempt and lust in his eyes.

After leaving the central area, and determined to refute the foreman's words, Sofía used what little strength she had left, struggling to breathe, to reach the area where the corpses were gathered. Although the sight terrified her, she steeled herself to do it anyway—she had to confirm for herself that the foreman's words were false.

Forcing herself to ignore her fear and the urge to vomit, Sofía quickly walked through the area filled with corpses of all ages, from youths her brother's age to much older men, all in terrible condition. Some were missing limbs, others even had only half a body, and in the worst cases, it was impossible to identify them. But by examining their clothing, physique, and other details, Sofía was able to confirm that none of them were her brother.

After scouring the entire area of corpses, Sofía breathed a small sigh of relief upon seeing that her brother was not among the unfortunate deceased carelessly scattered on the ground. With renewed hope, she ran toward a tent where injured people were entering and exiting.

Although she didn't find her brother Martín in the tent either, Sofía did manage to find another one of Martín's companions whom she knew—a classmate of Martín who had also been forced to leave school and start working. He was being treated for several moderately deep cuts on one of his hands, so she quickly headed toward him.

"KEVIN!!"

Sofía called out loudly as she walked quickly to the young man seated on a simple wooden bench while receiving treatment. He turned around to look at her in surprise and exclaimed incredulously.

"Sofía?!!!"

"Kevin, where's my brother?!"

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"Kevin, where is my brother?"

Sofía's question put a complicated expression on Kevin's face. He was a handsome young man in his twenties, with tanned skin and black hair. A moment later, he couldn't help but lower his gaze in pain, hesitating whether to speak.

"What happened to Martín? Tell me!!!" Alarmed by Kevin's behavior, Sofía shouted loudly as she grabbed the collar of the young man's clothes with force. After a sigh, he explained in a low voice.

"Martín was in one of the deepest tunnels when the cave-in happened, and nobody knows what became of him…"

"When do they plan to rescue him?!!!" Sofía exclaimed, gripped by panic, as she shook Kevin with all her might. He could only avert his gaze in pain as he explained in a sad, listless tone.

"That's the thing. The foreman gave the order to write off the deepest tunnels and instead focus on recovering the machinery from the more accessible ones."

"MOTHERFUCKER!!!"

Kevin's words made Sofía's face turn so pale she looked like a sheet of paper, terror filling her eyes. She roared in anger and helplessness, but quickly realized something and asked at once, looking straight into Kevin's eyes with unwavering resolve.

"Kevin, do you know where to find an earth mage who could reach the tunnel where Martín is?"

Kevin couldn't help being a bit surprised by Sofía's words, especially because he could still see the flames of hope in those beautiful blue eyes. Yet soon after, he shook his head and responded with resignation.

"I don't know anyone like that. An earth mage powerful enough to do that is a very distinguished person, not someone a simple miner like me could ever meet…"

"You wouldn't know, but I'm sure that son of a bitch foreman definitely does!"
Sofía exclaimed with resolute conviction, then released Kevin and readied herself to run off and confront the foreman again—willing to do anything necessary to force him to cooperate. But at that moment, Kevin urgently called out.

"Wait, Sofía, don't risk yourself like that! It's not worth it. Even if the foreman does know someone, I doubt he'd tell you, especially now, after all that's happened. Besides, even if he introduced you to an earth mage, it'd be pointless. I heard him say he's giving up on the deeper tunnels because the cost of recovering the machinery would be higher than just buying it new. And from what I hear, each of those machines costs several thousand high-purity mana crystals, and there are at least a dozen of them down there…"

Hearing Kevin's words was like having a block of steel fall on Sofía's head, robbing her of all her strength and extinguishing in a single blow the glimmer of hope that still flickered in her heart. After all, while her savings amounted to a small fortune—due in large part to her intermediate-purity crystals—they were, at best, equivalent to about four thousand high-purity crystals.

Drained of strength, Sofía dropped to her knees on the ground, feeling her mind sink into a bottomless pit of despair. Tears poured down her cheeks like an endless torrent. Fear, sadness, hatred, and helplessness filled Sofía's heart, making her scream and curse the world for her misfortune, her small and delicate fists pounding the sandy ground.

Why was it always them? Why did life seem determined to make them suffer? Why her brother Martín? He was an honest, good, hardworking young man—why did someone like him have to endure such a tragedy while a useless gambler like José remained unscathed? Why did the world hate her small family so much, a family that wanted nothing more than to survive honorably amid so much misfortune? What had they done to deserve this?

After a while, while her head filled with a barrage of unanswered questions, Sofía's body was overcome by exhaustion, the result of running marathons without rest all over the place in search of her brother. Out of strength and feeling utterly defeated, Sofía let herself collapse fully onto the ground, staring vacantly at the starry sky in the distance, trying to lose herself in its beauty and immensity.

"Sofía, are you okay?!!"

From afar, Sofía heard Kevin's voice calling her, and felt him lifting her exhausted body. But her gaze never stopped looking at the beautifully star-filled sky. Inevitably, it reminded her of the gorgeous hair of a certain handsome, wealthy, and generous young man—someone who undoubtedly had more than enough capital to pay a mage to rescue her brother.

More out of fear of sinking into absolute despair than out of hope for any actual assistance, Sofía pushed away the hands trying to help her up. She stood on her own, her beautiful blue eyes brimming with the resolve to try every last possibility before giving up, even if it meant risking her life and sacrificing everything.

"..."

Meanwhile, Kevin found himself once again captivated by those beautiful blue eyes brimming with courage and strength—truly the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. They had enthralled him long ago, though he had never mustered the courage to confess his feelings. He wanted to say something to help the woman he so dearly loved, but no words came out, as if an insoluble knot had lodged itself in his throat, leaving him unable to speak at such a critical moment.

"See you around, Kevin. Thanks for your help…"

Sofía took her leave, her voice resigned, as she slowly walked toward the tent's entrance, mentally preparing for what she was about to do, while wondering where she might find that young man.

"Wait, Sofía, what are you planning to do?"

Finally coming to his senses when he saw Sofía leaving, Kevin asked somewhat anxiously. She turned around to look at him with a slightly distant expression and calmly replied.

"I'm going to try the last option…"

"Don't do anything crazy, Sofía..." Seeing her expression, Kevin felt a terrible sense of emptiness in his stomach. He could only speak with a complicated look on his face.

"I have to do it. There's no other choice…"

After speaking in a low, trembling voice full of determination and a bit of nervousness, Sofía adjusted her headscarf and sprinted away, using the last reserves of her mana to strengthen her weary legs. All the while, her thoughts raced: Where could she find that star-haired young man? Behind her, Kevin once again found himself speechless and unable to move.

...

Upon finally returning to the city, nearly out of breath, Sofía used her remaining energy to run straight to the city's most expensive and luxurious hotel. The place was practically a tourist attraction by itself; despite being in a very central part of town with easy access to the best spots, it looked like a world of its own—an artificial lake with a magnificent palace of gold and marble rising from its waters.

Looking at herself—dirty, disheveled, and covering her face—Sofía realized there was no way they would ever let her into the hotel reception like this. Instead, she went up to the entrance, a beautiful raised bridge, and discreetly signaled to one of the guards stationed there. They all wore ostentatious metal armor. One guard, seeing her gestures, approached with a slightly confused expression and asked.

"What's wrong, Sofía? Why do you look like that?"

"It's a long story, but I'll tell you later. Right now, I need your help with something—this is life and death for me."

Sofía's tone was deadly serious as she looked at the guard in front of her, a thirty-year-old man with light greenish hair, one of the friends she'd made back when she used to sell pastries.

"What's so urgent? What do you need?" The guard seemed a bit surprised, yet wary. Sofía answered gravely.

"I don't need much. I just need you to check if a young man with starry hair, accompanied by two beauties and a maid, came into the hotel."

"So that's it. Well, I've been on duty all day today, and I haven't seen anyone like that." The guard answered, visibly calmer, which puzzled Sofía a bit—she was certain that someone like that would only stay in the best hotel. She promptly asked.

"Could you help me ask the other guards if they've seen him? I promise that as soon as I can, I'll bring you some delicious pastries as thanks."

"Alright, but don't forget about the pastries! My kids keep pestering me, and they don't like any of the ones I've brought home. They're driving me crazy."
The guard responded with a smile. Sofía replied firmly.

"Don't worry. Even though right now my sister can't make enough pastries to sell, making the five you usually took home won't be a problem."

"Okay, I'll be right back." The guard nodded and quickly went to ask the other guards, returning a short while later. To Sofía's disappointment, he shook his head and said.

"Nobody's seen anyone like that. Maybe you should check other hotels."

"Alright. Thank you. As soon as I sort this out, I'll bring you those pastries."

Though visibly discouraged, Sofía thanked him quickly and ran off to check other luxury hotels and any other places that might have been recommended to that group. She didn't find them anywhere. Panic gripped her; it didn't matter how determined she was—if she couldn't find them, everything would be in vain.

Refusing to give up, Sofía began recalling every interaction she had with them—the group that dressed and behaved so differently, as if they came from another world. She remembered how the divinely beautiful women clung to the young man with such love, and how they laughed and enjoyed every new thing they encountered.

As her mind wandered through these memories, Sofía suddenly spotted a couple of lovers walking intimately, arms wrapped around each other. Immediately, a lightbulb went on in her head, and she exclaimed quietly, brimming with excitement.

"Of course! They're newlyweds, probably on their honeymoon. If they're not in the hotels or restaurants, they must be out on a romantic date!"

…

In Aranta, the Celestial Whispers Garden is a haven of romance and stargazing. It sits on a gently elevated hill, far from the bustle of the main streets, like a maze of fragrant flowers and benches hidden beneath arches of climbing roses. Overhead is a vast, open dome of sky.

The garden's most coveted spot was undoubtedly the Lovers' Overlook—a beautiful pavilion with a large, intricately carved dome, embellished with metallic spirals and geometric designs. A series of pathways connect it, flanked by smaller arbors, all adorned with flowers and climbing plants of every color. The lanterns that lit the garden at night gave it a magical, enchanting feel.

On a small corner of the platform beneath the grand pavilion stood a group of four people: three women of near-divine, ethereal beauty gathered around an elegant, handsome young man whose hair seemed to blend in with the starry sky above.

Erik sat on one of the benches, gazing at the starry heavens with a nearly lost expression. On each side of him were Sigrún and Eleonora, resting their heads on his shoulders while holding his hands, fingers interlaced, their hands resting on their respective legs.

On the ground in front of the bench where Erik was sitting lay a beautiful white apron with exquisite gold and silver embroidery on the corners. Resting on it was Seraphina, who leaned her head on her hands on one of Erik's knees, with a peaceful and relaxed expression, her eyes closed. She was fully enjoying the brief moment in which she had 'allowed herself to be convinced' by Erik to momentarily set aside her professional demeanor.

"This is a great place for a vacation…" Erik commented softly, his eyes on the celestial display.

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Spoiler: The Lovers' Overlook

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"Certainly it's a great place, we definitely have to go on vacation more often…" Eleonora, perched on Erik's right shoulder, whispered in a low voice while an incredible feeling of peace and love filled her heart.

"You're absolutely right, Eli. Going on vacation was the best idea we could've come up with. We should start planning ten-year vacations from now on." Sigrún, from Erik's left shoulder, remarked with a cheerful smile while gently stroking the hand Erik had resting on her leg, her fingers interlaced with his.

"It doesn't sound bad to me, although I must admit that at first, I didn't expect much from this place when I was told it was a remote corner of the Meridian Federation. But it turned out to be a good spot." Erik commented with a small smile on his face, to which Sigrún happily added.

"Hehe, I can imagine. But really, the Auroria system was the best choice we had, given we didn't have much time. And even though it's pretty behind the times, it has an interesting artistic style that makes it a good place for a short vacation."

"Sig is right, plus the fact that it's behind the times is actually a good thing, because nobody here recognizes us and we can walk around without needing disguises. You can show off your gorgeous hair without a worry." Eleonora chimed in with a small laugh while gently combing Erik's starry hair. It was then that Sigrún, somewhat curious, turned to look at his iconic locks and asked.

"Now that I think about it, Erik, I've always wondered: why did they nickname you after the color of your eyes if your hair is so much more striking than your eyes?"

"Ah, that's because my hair wasn't like this before. It was just normal black, but shortly after I learned to use mana, it turned out this way." Erik replied with a smile, recalling the moment he saw his changed hair for the first time in the reflection of the water on that island.

Meanwhile, Sigrún and Eleonora exchanged glances, and the latter began recalling the report sent by those who had investigated Erik's past. She realized that aside from the group that had looked into Erik's mother, no one had ever mentioned his starry hair—certainly a noteworthy detail.

"That does sound strange. Have you noticed anything odd about your hair?" Eleonora asked, a bit curious, causing Erik to pause and think before replying thoughtfully.

"Mmm… Nothing especially remarkable. Although, one curious thing is that the pattern seems to shift slightly on its own from time to time. But even so, it doesn't actually change when I cut it; my hair decolors certain parts, so the pattern always stays consistent, looking exactly the same no matter how long it is—though it takes a couple hours to readjust."

"That's interesting. Maybe we should look into it more deeply…" Sigrún remarked, intrigued by Erik's peculiar hair phenomenon.

"My hair is that unusual that it's worth investigating?" Erik asked, a bit confused by his master's words. Eleonora shook her head, then smiled as she answered.

"Not really. There are countless cases of physical changes caused by the body adapting to mana. For instance, there's Sage Sunflare—before she was a mana user, her hair and eyes were black."

Hearing a name that sounded familiar, Erik thought a moment before recalling the beautiful professor with silver hair and violet eyes who taught his first university class, prompting him to comment with a look of realization.

"Oh right, I remember her! Her eyes were especially striking!" After his remark, Erik turned his head to look at each of his masters and asked curiously.

"But if it's nothing too unusual, why the need to study my hair?"

"Because it's my dear disciple's hair, and I just can't leave it be, hehe." Sigrún replied with a mischievous little smile, extending one of her hands at the same time to affectionately tap Erik's nose.

"Our disciple, Sig—OUR disciple." Eleonora added with a challenging grin as she hugged Erik possessively, wanting to stress her point, which made Sigrún reply playfully while hugging her beloved in a similar manner.

"Alright, alright, our disciple, hehe."

The group continued flirting romantically under the starlight, while Seraphina watched on with a small, cheerful smile, saying nothing. Their moment, however, was interrupted when Erik sensed a familiar presence entering the platform. Turning in curiosity, he saw the young guide who had led them around the city and told him about the place.

Unlike her neat and lovely appearance from the afternoon, she now looked dirty, with soil and dust stains all over, and her delicate face was smeared with blood and tears, as though she had just undergone a dramatic accident. The sight made the starry-haired young man narrow his eyes slightly.

Seeing Erik, the young woman seemed frightened for a moment, losing her composure. But after taking a couple of deep breaths, she found her courage and approached the group under the watchful gaze of Eleonora, Sigrún, Erik, and even Seraphina, who turned to look at the girl who seemed to have struggled intensely on her way there.

Reaching Erik, the girl tried to clean herself up a bit, but seeing it was pointless, she gave up and instead took a few deep breaths to gather her resolve. Then she looked straight into the green eyes of the starry-haired young man and began to speak.

"Young master…"

Although she'd steeled herself to speak, fear and embarrassment tangled her words, causing an almost inaudible mumble. This led Erik to ask with some curiosity—an emotion shared by the three women with him.

"It looks like you've run into some trouble."

"Young master…"

Even though she'd mentally prepared during her journey to finally find him, the act of articulating her situation made Sofía's face burn with shame, and her heart pound violently, full of fear and apprehension—unsure if coming here had been a good idea.

At the same time she toyed with the idea of turning tail and running away, an image of her brother and sister smiling happily came to mind, freezing her in place. The dread of losing them consumed her completely, so with the resolve of one who would die trying, she knelt down on the ground, nearly begging in a subdued voice, doing her utmost not to break into sobs.

"T-the thing is, I'm in a desperate situation. I don't know what else to do, and I've come shamelessly to beg for your help."

"Mmm, and you think your best bet is to ask a complete stranger you showed around town today…?"

Erik asked in a slightly sarcastic tone, wearing a blank expression. Although the girl appeared truly pitiful, in his past life he had witnessed countless scenes like this from con artists who were ready to do anything for money—some even going as far as 'killing off' their own children if it served their schemes.

Plus, something most skillful scammers had in common was that they were not only terrific actors, but also extremely attentive to details—and the girl's pitiful appearance was nowhere near the "best staging" he'd seen in his time.

Hearing Erik's tone, Sofía couldn't hold back her tears any longer and broke down crying. She explained through broken sobs, her forehead pressed against the ground, overwhelmed by fear, sadness, and helplessness.

"I'm so sorry, young master. I know I shouldn't be doing this, but I don't know what else to do… My brother's trapped in a mine and everyone's declared him dead, even though I know he's still alive and waiting for help… I'm completely desperate. I've tried everything I could, and I don't know what else to do, nor do I have anyone else to go to.

"That's why I beg you, young master, please help me save my brother. I'll do anything to repay you, whatever you ask of me, I'll do it. I'll be your slave for the rest of my life, but please help me. You're my last hope. If you don't help me, I'm going to lose everything…"

Still kneeling, forehead pressed to the ground, Sofía wept inconsolably as she humbled herself, begging for help. She knew, deep down, that not only was Martín's life at risk—Clara's might be as well.

Both she and Martín had tried everything to ward off this doom, but they knew perfectly well that Clara blamed herself for his predicament. If anything happened to her younger brother, Sofa was sure Clara would not be able to bear it and would likely die soon after out of guilt and sorrow. Especially now that she'd only just recovered from a relapse and was at her most vulnerable.

Losing both siblings—the only family she had and the driving force behind her life—leaving her entirely alone in this world, was a prospect she would not survive. That looming end terrified her so much that she cast her dignity aside and essentially sold her soul to the devil, just to avert such a fate.

Meanwhile, Erik looked down at the girl on the ground with an analytical gaze, trying to discern whether she was honest or just a very skilled performer. It was all so convincing, but he had known con artists just as skilled in his past life—and even one who'd managed to scam him out of a great deal of money with a perfect story and an Oscar-worthy performance. So he hesitated to believe her.

Moreover, he knew his masters and Seraphina could likely tell if the girl was lying or not, yet they remained silent, their expressions inscrutable. Chances were they didn't want to say anything, preferring to see how he'd handle the situation.

After some contemplation, Erik decided to help the girl anyway. If it turned out to be a lie, he'd view it as the cost of witnessing a very skilled street performance—money he could easily recoup once the payment from the order arrived. Besides, he had also come up with a few ideas in case she was telling the truth.

"What do you need?"

Erik's voice was calm yet firm as he looked at the girl on the ground, who lifted her head in disbelief; though in her eyes, one could see a flicker of hope and fear. Without delay, she bit her lip and hurriedly explained her situation in the most concise way she could.

"My brother is a miner, and because of a cave-in, he's trapped in a very deep tunnel. Only a very powerful earth mage could get to him in time to rescue him."

(If this is just an act, the most likely scenarios are that she wants a hefty sum to hire that 'earth mage' to save her brother, or she plans to lure me to some out-of-the-way spot where there's an ambush. But given that she's asking me specifically, rather than my masters, she clearly can't sense their true power or even recognize them.

(Though there's also the chance it's actually an ambush for my masters, and this is part of a plan to lower our guard. But I doubt it—very few people could do anything to them, let alone when Seraphina is present, and the political fallout would be huge if it happened. Plus, they should know by now if she's lying or not, so the best move is to take the initiative and see where it all leads.)

"Mmm, alright then. Let's go." After thinking about it for a moment, Erik spoke in a relaxed tone as he released his masters' hands and stood from his seat.

In turn, Sofía remained on the ground, watching the group of four ready themselves to depart with an expression of surprise and confusion. She was uncertain whether to feel relieved that they were going to help her, or if this was their way of turning her down. That prompted Erik to ask with a small smile.

"What are you doing down there on the ground? Don't we have to save your brother?"

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Upon hearing Erik's words, Sofía quickly got up from the ground, filled with excitement and renewed hope, inwardly congratulating herself for having taken the risk. Even though she still didn't know what she would have to pay for his help, anything was better than losing her siblings. In her mind, she had already resigned herself to fulfilling her promise and becoming a slave to the young master if he managed to save her brother.

"Then, where is the mine you're talking about?" As Sofía stood up hastily, Erik asked casually while looking at her with a slight smile, which greatly surprised her.

Originally, Sofía had thought that the young master would simply give her the money or send someone to help her brother, but the situation suggested he wanted to go to the mine himself. Still, since she had received the help she so desperately needed, she decided to comply and pray to the heavens that her brother could be rescued.

Wasting not a single moment, Sofía quickly explained to Erik where the mine was located. At that moment, he turned to his beautiful maid and gave an order in a calm, almost captivating tone, which sounded like heavenly music to Sofía's ears.

"Seraphina, take us there."

Upon receiving the order from her young master, Seraphina bowed respectfully at the same time a deep darkness surrounded the group, covering them completely. This terrified Sofía so much that she had to bite her lips hard to keep herself from running away.

While she felt her heart pounding throughout her body due to panic, Sofía suddenly experienced a feeling of weightlessness, followed by a strong dizziness that hit her with such force that she ended up plopping down on the ground, slightly disoriented. Erik couldn't help but laugh, commenting to himself in an amused and somewhat nostalgic tone.

"Hehe, being teleported for the first time is really awful."

"What are you talking about? The first time I teleported you, you barely even noticed." Eleonora, who was standing next to Erik, remarked with a small smile on her face, prompting Erik to shake his head and reply with a playful tone.

"Didn't notice? That's only because I tried my best to hide it. After all, I was getting to know my second master, hehe."

"Yes, my little baby back then even staggered around feeling dizzy." Sigrún added mischievously, then gave Erik a light kiss on the cheek.

Quickly, in the midst of the sweet conversation among the three, the veil of darkness covering them disappeared, revealing their surroundings, which were filled with wounded, dead, and screams everywhere. This sight snapped Sofía out of her daze. She looked around, surprised, but swiftly composed herself, pointed in a certain direction, and spoke decisively.

"Over there is one of my brother's companions. He knows which tunnel he's in."

Hearing Sofía, Erik stopped joking around with his masters and nodded in understanding. At the same time, an invisible platform made of Myst appeared under his feet, lifting the entire group into the air. This caused the young tour guide to wobble as she attempted to stand up.

"It's really amazing how stealthy you've become at creating your Myst constructs." Sigrún commented with a smile as they flew toward the tent, then took Erik's hand intimately.

"Well, it's what I'm best at, so I can't neglect working on it," Erik answered cheerfully, intertwining his fingers with Sigrún's. At that moment, Eleonora took his other hand and kissed his cheek, then spoke in a soft, flirtatious tone.

"Our Erik is very hardworking, fufu."

"I do what I can…"

While intertwining his fingers with those of his golden-eyed master, Erik responded with a small laugh that spread to the pair of beautiful women, who leaned intimately on their beloved disciple. Meanwhile, the perfect maid, as was appropriate, watched the scene with a calm, composed expression, though she unconsciously took one step closer to her young master.

For her part, Sofía stared, baffled by the group that seemed absorbed in their own world and completely ignored the pandemonium taking place beneath them. It was quite jarring, but she didn't have time to think much about it because they quickly arrived at the tent where Kevin was, just as he was entering it while carrying a wounded person.

"KEVIN!!"

Sofía shouted from above, catching Kevin's attention. He looked up with a shocked expression, which turned into pure stupefaction and disbelief when he saw Sofía alongside four people who looked like gods on earth, all flying in the sky. He exclaimed loudly.

"Sofía!!"

"Kevin, which tunnel is my brother in?!"

Filled with nervousness, Sofía asked urgently from the air, not wanting to waste a single second. But when Kevin was about to answer, he felt the weight of the wounded man he was carrying disappear from his arms, at the same time that he was lifted at high speed into the air against his will.

"AHHHHHH!!!!"

Gripped by panic, Kevin screamed with all his might, absolutely petrified by the absurd situation. But at that moment, he felt his body paralyze, preventing him from continuing to scream. Simultaneously, a melodious feminine voice, tinged with slight annoyance, rang in his ears.

"Don't scream, it's annoying…" Sigrún remarked with an irritated expression as she unloaded the young man onto the Myst platform that Erik extended to create a foothold.

"Mast—" Erik turned to look at Sigrún, but before he could say anything, she shot him a sharp look, so he quickly corrected himself and continued in a calm, composed tone.

"Sigrún, could you let him speak? He has to tell us where to go."

"Of course, dear."

Sigrún answered in a cheerful, singsong voice, then laid her head on Erik's shoulder like a loving, obedient wife. This made the star-haired boy chuckle softly. He turned to look at the young man in front of him, who had terror written all over his face and didn't dare move or speak, even though the restraints had disappeared.

"Kevin is your name, right?" Erik asked in a calm tone, staring directly into the frightened eyes of the young man, who only managed a frantic nod, paralyzed by fear.

After all, what he was witnessing went beyond anything a miner like him had ever experienced. While he knew that mages and flying existed, those were elevated beings that someone in his humble position could never encounter. Not to mention that the beauty of the three women beside the young man with starry hair was too perfect—so much so that it was almost terrifying.

Moreover, even though he could barely feel the mana in his body and could hardly use it, just by the way those four people looked at him, he could tell they were of high status. They looked at him as if he were inferior, irrelevant, and only worth speaking to because he was useful to them at that precise moment. It was a gaze he was so accustomed to receiving that he could even tell they didn't do it on purpose; their status was so high that, for them, this was their natural way of treating others.

"Well, Kevin, I want you to guide me to the tunnel where the tour guide's brother is." Then Erik turned to look at Sofía and asked with a smile.

"Or Sofía, is your name, right?"

"Yes, young master, my name is Sofía."

Sofía quickly bowed respectfully and replied in a formal tone, which earned her a discreet glance from the beautiful black-haired maid. At that moment, Erik turned back to Kevin and spoke again.

"Well then, I'm counting on you to guide us, Kevin. And don't worry, you'll get a nice tip for helping."

"That's not necessary, young master. The tunnel entrance is in that direction." Kevin pointed northwest, though his hand trembled slightly. Even so, he mustered up the courage to add.

"You just have to go straight about 500 meters, and you'll find the entrance."

"All right, then. Thank you, Kevin."

Speaking in a friendly, courteous tone, Erik tossed Kevin a small, simple-looking pouch, very similar to the one he had given Sofía earlier in the afternoon. Then he turned to Eleonora and asked with a smile.

"Eleonora, could you take Kevin back?"

"Of course, dear."

Visibly pleased, Eleonora replied in a cheerful tone and, imitating Sigrún, leaned her head on his shoulder, while the young man—pale with fear—descended back to the ground.

The reason Erik explicitly asked Eleonora to do the favor, when he could have brought the young man back down with a Myst platform himself, obviously had nothing to do with the fact that a certain golden-eyed master was crushing his hand with her monstrous strength. No, it definitely wasn't that. It was solely because he wanted to focus on saving the young guide's brother without being distracted by other matters.

After letting Kevin back down, Erik controlled the Myst platform to fly in the direction indicated for about 1 kilometer, then landed gently on the ground. This puzzled Sofía a bit, since they had passed the tunnel entrance a while ago, but she chose to remain silent and wait to see what would happen, given that her words wouldn't have mattered much anyway.

"Well, Miss Sofía, before doing anything else, I want to clarify the terms of our contract. How does that sound?"

As they landed, Erik turned to look at Sofía and asked with a smile, which made the beautiful young woman panic slightly. However, unwilling to give up when she was so close to saving her brother, she quickly nodded and spoke with firm resolve.

"Yes, young master, I'll do whatever it takes to make sure my brother is safe. It doesn't matter what you ask of me, I'll do it."

"Good, you're determined. So let's get down to it." Erik replied, satisfied, and promptly took out a gray-colored notebook. He opened it and produced an elegant fountain pen in his hand, then added in a calm tone.

"I was thinking that if I save your brother, you'll work loyally for me for at least, I don't know… a century? How does that sound?"

"I agree, young master."

Without a second's hesitation, Sofía accepted in a firm voice, looking directly into the young man's green eyes. He smiled, pleased, then quickly jotted something down in his notebook.

After making the note, Erik held out his right hand for a handshake, which caused a brief surge of panic and embarrassment in Sofía. She started wiping her hand desperately on her pants, a faint blush staining her cheeks.

When Sofía took Erik's hand, the first thing she noticed was the difference in size, followed by his body heat, which for some reason filled her with a sense of security. It was as if everything would be all right now and there was nothing to worry about because those big, warm hands would take care of everything.

"Well, Sofía, welcome aboard. You're part of my people now. We'll talk later about your work. For now, we'd better worry about saving your brother."

After firmly shaking her hand, Erik spoke with a calm smile, which excited Sofía so much that her face turned bright red, and she exclaimed loudly while clenching her small fists.

"Thank you, thank you so much!!"

"Hehe, don't worry about it." Erik waved his hands, indicating it wasn't a big deal. Then he glanced at the ground as though he could see right through the earth, softly murmuring to himself in a somewhat helpless tone.

"Although it really is quite deep…"

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Erik's gentle whisper caused a mischievous smile to form on Sigrún's lips. She quickly tilted her head a bit to look directly at her sworn sister on the other side of her beloved disciple, then asked in a playful, teasing tone.

"How much should I charge for helping out, Eli?"

"Fufu, that's a great question. Maybe I should think about the same thing."

Amused, Eleonora returned the look to her sworn sister and joined in with an equally roguish smile. But their little act was cut short by Erik, who smiled arrogantly and puffed out his chest almost theatrically, then declared with amusement.

"Hehe, there's no need to think about it because your help won't be necessary. I just so happened to develop the perfect spell for this situation."

As he spoke, Erik conjured a beautiful and complex geometric magic circle beneath the group's feet. It quickly created a circular barrier of pale yellow light that enclosed them all. Shortly afterward, the group of five began to descend rapidly into the earth, as though it had suddenly turned into some kind of liquid.

Although the descent was incredibly smooth and steady, Sofía couldn't help but wobble slightly as she watched in shock the extraordinary sight of sinking into the ground. Meanwhile, Sigrún, Eleonora, and Seraphina observed the barrier and the magic circle beneath their feet with equal parts curiosity and interest.

"This really is an interesting spell…" Eleonora remarked with a smile as she studied the magic circle beneath her feet, to which Erik responded with a cheerful chuckle.

"Hehe, it's really just a somewhat curious application of a trick I saw one of the monsters use in the tournament. It seemed so interesting that I copied it out of curiosity, and luckily, it turned out to be useful."

"You mean the one you used to test your modification of the sword technique, right?" Sigrún added with a proud smile as she looked at her beloved disciple, who nodded happily.

"Yes, that monster controlled the earth in a very peculiar way."

"You know, you should write up a small academic paper on this spell and license it. It would be very useful for low-level mining exploration, and for rescuing miners and machinery. Until now, the only way to do it is by using spells that move the earth elsewhere, which costs a lot of mana, so only relatively powerful mages or specialized machinery can manage it—and that's quite expensive. You could make good money offering a much more efficient alternative."

After nodding in satisfaction at how well-made the magic circle was—though she could see several points for improvement, it was still quite good for being made in the brief free time Erik had after the tournament—Eleonora added with a somewhat proud expression at her beloved disciple's ever-present ingenuity.

"Hmm, yes, maybe I should do it…"

Wearing a thoughtful look, Erik brought a hand to his chin as he mentally rearranged his schedule to develop a new version of the spell. He then reached for his notebook to jot it down, but just before he managed to do so, Sigrún took the pen from his hand and commented with a small smile.

"But that will be after our vacation is over, understood?"

"Of course—that's exactly what I was thinking, hehe."

Erik smiled nervously as Sigrún returned his pen. He quickly wrote down the pending task in his agenda, not daring to look much at his beautiful golden-haired master, who smiled at him mysteriously.

Amid a lively conversation between Sigrún, Eleonora, and Erik, the group continued their descent underground, enclosed by the light barrier. Because the only source of illumination was the barrier itself and the descent was so stable as to be almost unnoticeable despite its speed, Sofía couldn't help clenching her teeth and her fists in impatience and fear. It was as if she were steeling herself to demand her brother be saved—an attitude that inevitably brought a faint smile to the lips of the perfect, beautiful maid, who watched the young woman discreetly.

Just when Sofía reached her limit and was about to speak, she realized they had suddenly arrived in open terrain resembling a tunnel. She could only make this out thanks to the barrier's faint glow, as the place was almost completely dark. That changed when Erik raised his hand surrounded by several runes, where a white sphere quickly formed, bright enough to illuminate everything.

The powerful light that suddenly flooded the area dazzled several men who were present, causing them to shield their faces with their arms and let out pained groans. Around fifteen people stood in the tunnel, gathered before a large rocky blockage. From the various stones scattered around, it was clear they had been trying to clear the debris.

Panicked and with her heart pounding, Sofía quickly took in the tunnel's surroundings. Not far from the group around the collapsed area, she noticed several people on the ground with different kinds of injuries.

She scanned the faces of those present, looking for her brother, and soon spotted him among the injured, covering his face from the intense light. A flood of indescribable emotions filled her—ranging from relief to fear—making it impossible for her to restrain herself.

"MARTÍN!!!" With tears brimming in her beautiful blue eyes, Sofía shouted, running with all her strength toward her beloved younger brother.

Martin was a young boy of about fourteen, with a slim yet agile build and defined muscles—visible because he wasn't wearing a shirt. His hair was a light brown, and his eyes shared the same bright blue shade as his sister's, along with similarly defined and symmetrical facial features.

Upon hearing his older sister's unmistakable voice, the young man turned his head and squinted, which allowed him to see the dirty and battered figure running toward him with all her might—something that brought an expression of disbelief to his face. At the same time, he exclaimed loudly.

"SOFÍA!!!"

Sofía quickly reached his side, and her heart clenched painfully at seeing his condition. He was bloody and clearly bruised in multiple places. He had used his shirt to tie off one of his legs, which was in terribly bad shape—so much so that it was difficult to look at.

Overcome by her emotions, Sofía could only hug him tightly, tears streaming down her face in torrents. But she knew it wasn't the right time to give in, so she bit down hard on her lip in an attempt to calm herself and focus on getting him out of there as quickly as possible.

"How did you get here? Is Clara okay? How are things outside?"

As he returned his sister's embrace, Martin asked in a rush. At that point, Sofía let go and began to gently wipe his face with her shirt, speaking as calmly and collectedly as she could manage.

"Calm down, calm down. One question at a time."

"…How did you manage to get here?"

After taking a couple of deep breaths, Martin asked, puzzled and curious. Sofía could only respond with a slightly somber look, aware that this might be the last time she'd ever see her siblings.

"That was thanks to my new Lord."

"Your Lord?" Martin asked, even more confused, but Sofía simply shook her head firmly.

"I'll explain everything later. For now, let's get out of here."

"Alright."

Martin nodded seriously, casting discreet glances at the group of four people standing under the sphere of light, who seemed like gods on earth—especially the young man with green eyes and curious starry hair.

With some effort, Sofía helped her brother stand and tried to walk over to Erik again, but at that moment, she noticed the weight of her brother on her shoulder vanish. Panicking, she looked at him only to find him hovering slightly in midair, also in a panic.

"What's going on?"

Martin asked in alarm, but Sofía quickly interrupted him, speaking hurriedly with a hint of apprehension as she gave a sidelong glance at the blond-haired wife of her new Lord.

"Don't shout. Wait until we get outside and I'll tell you everything."

Noticing his sister's anxious expression, Martin simply nodded and pressed his lips shut tightly, realizing she was warning him about something and that it was best to obey.

Because her brother began moving through the air toward her lord's group, Sofía quickly trotted after him. Soon, they arrived in front of Erik, and Sofía fell to her knees and thanked him in a voice laden with countless conflicting emotions. Tears continued streaming down her cheeks.

"Thank you very much for your help, my Lord. I assure you I will work day and night to repay this great favor. Truly, thank you so, so much."

"Ah, there's no need for that. Please, stand up. Besides, you'll have an actual work schedule and everything, but let's talk about that later. Let's get out of here first."

Feeling somewhat helpless in the face of the young woman's dramatic behavior, Erik responded with a wry smile. Sigrún, Eleonora, and Seraphina couldn't help but throw him teasing smiles, to which he could only sigh as he conjured yet another beautiful geometric magic circle beneath the group. But at that moment, a nervous male voice came from behind them.

"Excuse me, great lord. I know it's a sin to waste the time of such an important figure as yourself, but we'd really like to appeal to your mercy so we can get out of here. Rest assured we'll do whatever it takes to repay this great favor."

The one who spoke was a robust man who appeared around forty, bowing respectfully and looking incredibly nervous, as did all the other miners. Erik chuckled and, without a word, moved his hand slightly. Two magic circles appeared: one beneath the man and another beneath the injured in one corner, surrounding them with a barrier before sending them swiftly to the surface.

Once the rest of the people in the tunnel had disappeared, Erik paused for a moment; creating two such large magic circles had cost him quite a bit of mana. After all, he had needed to supply enough power for them to traverse the earth all the way to the surface and warp the rock in such a wide area, which briefly strained his mana circuits.

"You shouldn't push yourself so hard…"

Noticing her beloved disciple clench his teeth in a bit of pain, Sigrún spoke softly, concern evident in her eyes. Eleonora and Seraphina also nodded, prompting Erik to reply in a calm tone.

"It's alright, it wasn't that much."

After resting for a few moments, Erik returned to normal. He quickly conjured a new magic circle to take his group to the surface, as the first one had faded due to the lack of mana. Meanwhile, Sofía and Martín watched him with complex expressions. Even though they didn't fully understand what had happened, it was somewhat evident that transporting so many people at once had been painful for him.

"That was exhausting…"

Once on the surface, Erik created a platform of Myst and rose into the air, murmuring quietly to himself. The group of miners, who had narrowly escaped certain death, began to cheer and offer praises to the young man, who seemed almost divine to them.

After giving them a casual wave, Erik guided the Myst platform away, then turned to look at Sofía's brother's practically destroyed leg. He took out a blister pack of healing pills, handing it to Sofía with a smile.

"Here, a small advance. Give them to your brother; they should heal his leg and his other injuries."

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Between curious and confused, Sofa looked with interest at the strange contraption Erik had given her. She tried to figure out what it was, what the little red beads it contained were, why it was soft and flexible, and more importantly, how it could heal her brother. But she quickly reacted and bowed respectfully, thanking him sincerely at the same time.

"Thank you very much for your mercy, My Lord."

"It's nothing, and don't call me 'My Lord'. I already have a pesky maid who made me get used to 'young master', and I don't want someone making it even worse. Call me 'Boss' instead." Erik remarked as he sent venomous looks at Seraphina, who smiled proudly and handed him a small plate of cookies, inevitably diverting his attention.

"All right, Boss. Thank you very much."

Sofía quickly nodded and replied respectfully, then went back to looking at the blister pack, wondering how to use the curious item her new Lor… Boss had given her. That made Erik laugh, and after eating a cookie, he explained.

"Hehe, just scratch the silver part with your nail, take out one of the capsules, and give it to your brother. Have him bite it before swallowing, so the effect kicks in immediately."

"Thank you very much, Boss."

After thanking him again with a bow, Sofía followed Erik's instructions and hurried over to her brother with a pill in her hand. He bit it, and both watched in surprise as his mangled leg began to heal right before their eyes at an impressive speed.

Meanwhile, Erik smiled proudly at the effectiveness of his pills, which weren't far from being ready to market, as all tests so far had been successful. Then he turned to look at his masters, deploying an invisible Myst barrier at the same time.

"So, what do you think of my new assistant?" Erik asked his masters with a small smile, which earned him a loving kiss on the cheek from Sigrún. She then commented with a mischievous smile on her lips.

"You mean candidate because first, she'll have to learn a lot about mana and alchemy or artificery."

"I know, but according to the institute's regulations, to officially be an assistant to a first-rank craftsman like me, they have to be at least Apprentice-level mana users and have a minimum knowledge of the subject. Seraphina even got a sample of the basic exam, and it's nothing major—she'll qualify in no time." Erik said in a calm tone, not giving the matter much importance, then took another cookie from his plate and popped it into his mouth.

"Fufu, I'm looking forward to seeing how that turns out…"

Eleonora replied with a mischievous smile and a playful tone, not wanting to miss, for anything in the world, the moment when Erik would crash against the reality of the gap between his absurd talent and everyone else's. That earned her a complicit and equally amused smile from Sigrún.

Seeing his masters' attitude, Erik felt a terrible premonition creeping over him, but he quickly shook his head and turned to look at Seraphina. Then he asked her with a calm, charming smile.

"Everything's going to be fine, right, Seraphina?"

"…"

Faced with the question, Seraphina chose to remain silent, looking at Erik with a small playful smile on her beautiful face, something that inevitably made the star-haired boy even more anxious. He couldn't help but whisper to himself, full of insecurity.

"Should I rescind the contract…?"

"Hahaha, don't do that. The girl is smart, and she seems talented, although I don't think she'll manage to qualify as your assistant in the short time that's left. This is the first time you've chosen an assistant for yourself, and it's something important. Besides, we can use the experience to improve your ability to nurture talent. It'll be a good experience." Sigrún said with a cheerful laugh when she saw Erik's expression. Then Eleonora added immediately after.

"Sig is right. Also, you don't just need talent for your assistants; you have that idea of creating your own brand, and so far, you don't have a single candidate to work there."

"Actually, that was my plan from the start, hehe." Erik commented casually, trying to sound genuine, as he grabbed a new cookie. This made the trio of divinely beautiful women burst out in amused laughter.

While Erik talked with his masters inside the invisible barrier, Sofía looked at the pill blister in her hands as if it were a blessing from the heavens—an invaluable treasure. After all, if just one of those tiny capsules had managed to save her brother's leg, couldn't the remaining nine heal her sister too?

That hopeful thought filled Sofía's heart, as well as Martín's, who looked into his sister's eyes, brimming with hope. The beautiful young woman nodded decisively, then quickly turned to face her new Boss. Blushing with embarrassment, she spoke in a timid and insecure tone, clenching her small fists to muster courage.

"Uhh, Boss?"

Noticing that his new assistant was talking to him, Erik deactivated the barrier and turned around to look at her curiously, asking.

"Yes?"

"Mmmm, how do I say this, uhh…" Blushing, Sofía tried to speak, but she couldn't get the words out because of her embarrassment. Erik couldn't help but respond with amusement.

"Just spit it out already."

Although she was ashamed and afraid, Sofía took a quick deep breath to calm herself and then made her request in a firm, almost solemn tone.

"…Boss, would it be too much for me to ask to keep this item? I swear I'll pay for it, no matter how long it takes!!"

"Hahahahaha." Erik laughed at the girl, who he was starting to like more and more, but after a moment, he smiled and said.

"It's not an artifact. They're called healing pills, a type of potion, and they're all yours. Don't worry about it. Besides, they're quite cheap."

"Thank you so much, Boss."

Genuinely moved, Sofía thanked him while holding back her tears, clenching her fists tightly as she tried to contain her euphoria. Martín was going through the same thing; he wanted to jump and shout with joy but didn't want to bother such distinguished people, so he tried to keep quiet. That was when Erik asked in a calm tone, which somehow sounded incredibly cold.

"By the way, Sofía, do you want to do something about whoever gave you that hit on your face?"

Upon hearing the question, Martín's eyes widened in astonishment. He then looked at his sister's face and indeed noticed traces of a bruise on her cheek. It made him clench his fists and teeth in anger, full of indignation and a thirst for revenge. Sofía, meanwhile, couldn't help looking at her new Boss in surprise because she was sure she hadn't mentioned to anyone that she'd been struck. But after thinking it over, she shook her head and answered with a hint of regret.

"I appreciate your concern, Boss. But now that I have to follow you, my siblings will stay here on their own, and the person who did it has some influence. Things could get worse for them if I take action."

Sofía's words caused Martín's expression to twist in pain, imagining the price his sister had had to pay to rescue him. That inevitably filled him with deep guilt, self-loathing, and powerlessness. Because of him, his older sister had been forced to sell herself to someone of high status, maybe even a potential 'heir'.

The pain Martín felt was so great that, as he squeezed his fists until his palms bled, he immediately began to consider ways to trade his life for his sister's. But no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't see the young master agreeing to such a thing, since his sister was a much-coveted beauty and he had nothing comparable to offer.

"You can always send them to the Arcane Order, you know?"

While Martín seriously considered the possibility of attacking that important group of people to buy time for his sister to escape, at the cost of his own life. The star-haired young man spoke calmly as he popped a cookie into his mouth, which caused both Sofía and Martín to make strange, startled sounds.

""Huh?""

Unsure if they'd heard correctly, Sofía and Martín looked stunned at Erik, who was pleasantly enjoying his cookie. Sofía then turned to glance at the impressive women around him, who gave her mischievous smiles.

Sofía's original plan had been to use the pills her Boss gave her to heal her sister—or at least improve her condition—and then have Martín take her sister to the Arcane Order with the money her Boss had given her earlier that day. Even though they would have to sell everything they had and also look for a good deal, he had given her quite a bit, and if her calculations were correct, all combined should be enough for two tickets.

However, it was a plan she would never dare say out loud, especially not in front of her Boss. This was because high-ranking people saw escaping to the Arcane Order as treason and generally killed anyone who dared to mention it aloud, using any random excuse to avoid repercussions.

The reason that the leaders of different star systems under the other factions did not restrict space flights to the Arcane Order to only authorized individuals. Despite viewing migration as "treason". It was because the last time someone had tried to impose such a restriction, they received a horrible reprimand from the Arcane Order.

That reprimand was an economic blockade so severe that it left the kingdom in absolute bankruptcy. In addition, no one wanted to even go near that star system for fear of offending the Order, which was known for being unreasonable and vengeful against those who broke its rules. This forced the leader of that kingdom to abolish all such restrictions and beg forgiveness on his knees, and ever since, no one else had dared to try anything like it.

"Why are you two so surprised? Don't you like the idea of living in the Arcane Order?" Seeing Sofía and Martín's speechless expressions, Erik asked, a bit confused, prompting Sofía to quickly shake her head.

"The Boss jests. Although they say the Arcane Order is the land of opportunity, my family and I love this land and would never consider leaving."

Sofía used her best acting skills to lie to her new Boss, assuming this was some kind of test. Martín came to the same conclusion, so he nodded firmly. But to their utter incredulity, the star-haired young man made a slightly apologetic remark.

"Oh, then I'm sorry to inform you, but I'm from the Arcane Order. So whether you like it or not, you'll have to come with me there, Sofía."

""Eh?""

At their Boss's statement, Sofía could only let out a strange sound as her eyes went wide with absolute shock. Martín shared her expression; he couldn't help turning to look at his sister, his eyes shining with excitement, happiness, and profound relief.

"What's the matter? Why that face?" Erik asked, slightly puzzled by the look of sheer astonishment on Sofía's face. She couldn't help but respond, full of confusion and uncertainty.

"Boss, are you really from the Arcane Order?"

"Yes, I am. I even studied at Arcane University." Erik replied calmly, munching on another cookie, which made Martín's eyes light up even more.

As for Sofía, she felt dizzy from this new information and almost collapsed onto the Myst platform, but her brother managed to catch her just in time. Though he didn't dare say anything, the huge grin on his face revealed what that news meant for them.

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The reason for Martín's happiness and Sofía's astonishment was very simple. Although the Arcane Order was known as the land of opportunity, if you were to ask any random person what the second most appealing aspect of the Order was for ordinary folks like them. Without a doubt, everyone would say it was its security.

In the Arcane Order, everyone was equal before the law, and those who broke the law were pursued and judged mercilessly regardless of their position or power. There was even a legend that several millennia ago, the Order executed one of its Master-level members for going against the law—something that, frankly, nobody believed.

However, the fact that the Order never denied it only meant that, at the very least, it was far better than any other faction, where Master-level individuals remained unpunished, no matter what they did—unless they committed treason.

That's why, for Martín, the fact that his sister Sofía would end up working for someone from the Arcane Order was undoubtedly the greatest good fortune they could have received. It could only mean a better life for everyone, including him and their sister Clara. Since it was well known that if a family managed to send someone to the Arcane Order and that person didn't forget them, they were guaranteed a great life ahead.

A prime example of this was their neighbors, the Gaitán family, who pooled all the savings from decades of work by the entire family to send their youngest son to the Arcane Order in search of opportunities. In less than five years, not only had the boy stabilized himself there, but he had even saved enough money to come back and take his entire family with him—eight people in total, or in other words, eight tickets.

That was a considerable sum, practically out of reach for most people in the Auroria Kingdom, and it was a clear demonstration of what could be achieved in that dreamlike faction.

But now Sofía had not only secured passage to the Arcane Order; she had done something even more shocking: she was going to work for a student of the Arcane University, the most prestigious and important university in the entire galaxy. It was so renowned that even people like them knew that simply graduating from that university was a guarantee of never being out of work, no matter where one went—just showing your degree was more than enough to be hired for high salaries.

As for Sofía, she honestly felt like she was dreaming, feeling as if she'd gone from the depths of hell straight to the pinnacle of heaven. It turned out that, right from the start, she hadn't sold her soul to some heir of a famous house. Instead, by saving her brother, she had practically handed herself over on a silver platter to someone from the Arcane Order—someone who couldn't do anything too extreme to her due to his faction's laws.

And, if that weren't enough, now she wouldn't have to be too far from her siblings because as everyone knew, the people of the Arcane Order were very wealthy. Now they would be too, so it would be nothing for them to pay for flights to reunite with each other inside the Order.

"Are you okay? Do you really hate the Arcane Order that much?" Erik asked, a bit confused at Sofía's reaction. She immediately got up from the ground and bowed deeply in an apology.

"No, Boss, in reality, it's my dream to become part of the Arcane Order. It's just that it's dangerous to say so out loud here because it's something the leaders don't like, and it can lead to death. Therefore, I sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart for lying to you."

"Seriously?" Surprised, Erik turned to look at his masters and at Seraphina, who all wore mischievous smiles, and he asked incredulously.

"Yes, it's something that commonly happens in other factions, especially in somewhat backward systems like this one." Sigrún nodded and explained briefly with a smile.

"I see…" Erik murmured thoughtfully before turning back to Sofía and asking in a calm tone.

"In any case, if it's no problem for you to go to the Arcane Order, do you want to do something about the person who hit you or not?"

"I would be infinitely grateful if the Boss helped me get revenge on that man." At this question, Sofía's expression turned into one filled with anger and dark intentions, though there was a hint of delight in her voice. Erik nodded and spoke.

"Then let's go. Tell me where he is."

"He's in the center, over there, Boss." Sofía pointed toward the center of the mine where the foreman's main camp was, then asked, feeling a bit uncertain.

"But, Boss, isn't it against your faction's laws to do something to him?"

"So you know about them. Well, as long as I don't kill him, there's not much of an issue. Even if he ended up dead, the faction's laws are only enforced strictly within the faction or, if need be, upon faction members. Outside of that, as long as there's a decent excuse, and it doesn't create too many problems, nothing really happens—probably just a fine or something like that." Erik replied calmly, but a mischievous grin spread across his lips as he gazed into Sofía's blue eyes and asked.

"So tell me, is he a member of the faction?"

"No, my Lord." Sofía quickly responded in a serious tone, which soured Erik's expression. He promptly reminded her firmly.

"Boss!"

"No, Boss!" Embarrassed by her mistake, Sofía corrected herself right away, exclaiming aloud like a soldier, which made the star-haired boy nod in satisfaction.

"That's better."

Immediately after, Sofía and Erik started laughing together, causing Eleonora, Sigrún, and Seraphina to feel extremely uncomfortable at Erik's sudden closeness to the young woman. Almost instinctively, they clung to his arms possessively—Seraphina even grabbed the corner of his shirt—while casting dominating gazes at Sofía.

When struck by the jealousy of three monsters of colossal power and beauty, Sofía stumbled slightly backward in fear, finding herself caught alongside her brother, who looked a bit worried—something that surprised Erik, who failed to notice the women's gazes and asked.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, Boss, just a little tired. It's been a complicated day."

Sofía answered nervously while shooting apologetic looks at the goddesses surrounding her Boss like cats guarding their territory. Erik paid it little mind and simply nodded, then asked.

"I can imagine. Do you want us to postpone?"

"No, it's better to settle this today, Boss. I'm fine." Sofía responded in a serious tone, sounding much calmer now, as if the trio of goddesses had silently accepted her apologies and relaxed somewhat.

"All right, then let's go."

Erik nodded casually and guided the Myst platform toward the center of the plaza, where the foreman's camp was located. The man was left dumbfounded at the sight of the group flying through the sky, like gods descending to the earth to look down on mere mortals.

"HERNANDEZ!, TODAY IS THE DAY YOU PAY FOR EVERY DEBT WE HAVE PENDING!!!"

With confidence, Sofía shouted from above, giving the foreman a glare full of malevolent intent. Without saying a word, he bolted away in terror, only to freeze after a couple of steps, locked into a strange posture and unable to move, overcome by unimaginable fear.

As if trying to make the moment more dramatic, Erik slowly lowered the Myst platform to the ground, while everyone present seemed frozen in place, afraid to even breathe too loudly for fear of angering the powerful beings who soared in the sky.

Once on the ground, Sofía walked toward the foreman with firm steps and looked him straight in the eyes, finding nothing but fear and resentment there. Without overthinking it, she gathered what little mana she had left into her fists and started beating him with all her strength, letting out all the frustration, rage, and countless other swirling emotions in her heart.

"You bastard! You think you're so tough you can just hit me, huh?! You think you're important enough to treat my brother's life like trash, do you?! Piece of garbage! Today, I'm going to show you that nobody messes with Sofía López and her siblings!!!"

As Sofía screamed in fury and pummeled the foreman with everything she had, Martín could only smile wryly. They had truly given wings to a tiger. Sofía, though very pretty and seemingly frail and gentle, was actually a fierce and ruthless tigress who could hit hard, and few people knew better than he did just how painful those little fists could be. At the same time, however, he felt quite satisfied with the revenge.

"She punches well. I like her, hehe."

For her part, Sigrún commented with a refreshing smile as she watched the beating Sofía was administering to the foreman, now calmer and trying to hide the embarrassment she felt for having shown her jealousy so blatantly before.

"Yes, although she's lacking a bit in technique. Nothing that can't be polished, fufu," Eleonora added with a small grin, sharing the same idea as Sigrún.

Meanwhile, Erik was sweating bullets as he caught sight of the expressions on his masters' faces, mentally noting never to do anything too stupid—who knew what might happen if those two decided to do something similar to him? At that moment, Seraphina handed him a new plate of cookies with a small smile, since the old one was empty. Inadvertently, he turned to look at her as if she were a beautiful, compassionate goddess.

(Yes, no doubt about it—Seraphina is the best…)

After a while, Sofía stopped hitting the foreman, who collapsed to the ground covered in blood, with a couple of his limbs bent at unnatural angles and his face completely disfigured. Then she returned to Erik's side wearing a relaxed smile, even though her knuckles were bleeding.

"Thank you so much for the opportunity, Boss. You have no idea how many times I dreamed of making that bastard pay for loving to exploit my brother and making all kinds of inappropriate remarks, but we could never afford the consequences." Without even showing any pain in her knuckles, Sofía spoke in a tone full of relief and joy, a huge grin lighting up her face.

"Are you going to let him live?"

Erik asked, surprised, because although the foreman was in a miserable state, he was still breathing, and his injuries wouldn't be too difficult to heal with the right methods. Given how ruthless Sofía had been in beating him, Erik had almost been certain she would kill him—and had even calculated how much the fine might be.

"Yes, Boss. Even though I really hate that son of a bitch, I know his children, and although they're not much better than he is, I don't want to be the one responsible for leaving them orphans." Sofía explained with a slightly conflicted smile, prompting Erik to shrug as though it didn't concern him much.

"If that's what you want. Tell me where you live so I can drop you off there; I'll come back to pick you up in a couple of days."

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"If that's what you want. Tell me where you live so I can drop you off there; I'll come back to pick you up in a couple of days."

"If it's not too much trouble, Boss, I'd appreciate it, though I must warn you that it's not a very pleasant place to see." Sofía thanked him, looking a bit uncomfortable, to which Erik replied with a mocking smile as he conjured a new Myst platform beneath them.

"Even if it doesn't look like it, I grew up on the streets of a planet far more backward than this one, so I don't think there's much that could surprise me, hehe."

Hearing her new boss's words, Sofía couldn't help but look at him with eyes wide open, completely incredulous, an expression very similar to Martín's. After all, they couldn't wrap their heads around how someone so handsome, elegant, and striking could have ever gone through such a precarious situation like the one they had lived. Inevitably, Sofía asked with uncertainty.

"Are you being serious, Boss?"

"Very serious. When I was a child, they kicked me out of the orphanage where I lived, so I had no choice but to sleep on the streets and eat whatever I could find. There was even a time when I worked doing something similar to what you do." Erik commented in a calm and somewhat nostalgic tone, getting lost in the memories of both his lives, which led Sofía to respond in a tone filled with disbelief.

"I can't believe it…"

"But it's the truth. If it wasn't for my mast… Sigrún here by my side, who knows where I'd be now."

After Erik corrected himself mid-sentence due to a wild strangling of his innocent hand, Sigrún smiled proudly and let her head fall once again on Erik's shoulder, while Sofía and Martín watched them in shock. At that moment, the beautiful blue-eyed girl spoke in an almost dreamy tone.

"He truly was blessed with good wives, Boss…"

Upon hearing his new assistant's words, Erik wanted to correct that slight misunderstanding, but two more wild hand-stranglings left him silent, lamenting the poor fate of his innocent hands, which he was absolutely sure had suffered some micro-fractures—courtesy of his beloved masters, who were now leaning on his shoulders intimately, wearing beautiful smiles on their faces.

"Fufu, it was only destiny that allowed us to meet, so I think we are all fortunate." Eleonora commented calmly, then turned her head slightly to look at Sigrún and asked with a smile.

"Isn't that right, Sig?"

"You're absolutely correct, Eli. It was destiny that guided us to meet."

Sigrún nodded and responded confidently, while at the same time beginning to massage the hand of her beloved disciple—something Eleonora was also doing. After all, they felt a bit guilty about squeezing him so hard, but in any case, it was Erik's fault for being so dense and failing to read the atmosphere.

...

Following Sofía's directions, it didn't take Erik long to reach a house worn down by time. At that moment, he turned to look at the siblings to say goodbye one last time, but then Sofía spoke with a bit of doubt and embarrassment.

"Boss?"

"Yes?" Erik asked curiously, wondering what the girl wanted. She quickly steeled herself and spoke in a serious tone.

"I know the Boss is a busy person with many tasks to do, but if it's not too much trouble, I'd like you to meet my sister. She'd be very happy to meet you, and thank you for helping us."

"Mmm…" Erik thought about it for a moment, finding nothing wrong with them, and then turned to look at his masters and Seraphina and asked.

"What do you think?"

"Sounds good to me, let's go." Sigrún replied with a smile, and Eleonora nodded in agreement, while Seraphina simply smiled without saying anything. Erik was already used to her quirks and knew that this expression meant she didn't mind.

"All right, then let's go. It'll be interesting to meet your sister."

…

…

…

Ever since Sofía's departure, Clara's heart had been pounding harder than ever before in her life, keeping her on the edge of her chair, terrified of what might happen. Would Martín come back? Was Sofía okay? An endless string of such questions raced through her mind, filling her with anxiety that made her want to run out the door, and an infinite sadness and powerlessness at being unable to do so.

But what hurt Clara the most was that, even though everything was her fault—falling ill and ruining her siblings' lives—she still had to stay home, unable to do anything while her younger brother's condition was unknown and her sister risked her life to find him, venturing out so late at night in such a dangerous neighborhood.

As the minutes passed in complete silence, only interrupted by the ticking of the clock on the wall, the most fatalistic thoughts consumed Clara's mind, a result of her overwhelming guilt. She wanted to end her miserable existence, which only served to harm the only family she had left, dragging them down like an unbearable burden that kept them from moving forward.

Yet at the same time, Clara also felt fear—fear of never seeing her family again, fear of hurting them by leaving them alone, fear of never being able to repay the great debt she owed her siblings, who sacrificed themselves every day to keep her alive and seek a cure for her illness, fear of breaking the promise she had made to her mother to take care of her siblings.

This swirl of emotions caused Clara's tears to flow non-stop from the moment Sofía left, only worsening her already fragile health, turning her lips a deep purple and giving her skin a sickly greenish hue that marred her once-exquisite beauty.

Time went on, and Clara remained in her chair, crying, blaming herself, despising herself for bringing yet another tragedy upon her family. But if there was one thing Clara hated more than herself, it was undoubtedly the god her mother had made her pray to every night when she was little.

Clara's mother had been a religious woman, utterly convinced that there was something greater in the universe that benevolently guided events, judged the wicked, and rewarded the kind—a belief she tried to instill in her children, especially Clara, with whom she prayed every night pleading for a cure to her illness. But that cure never came.

God never listened to Clara nor her mother, who had spent their lives striving to be kind and help those around them. He ignored them as if they were garbage and never granted even one of their prayers. Over time, this led Clara to feel a deep hatred for that omnipotent and omniscient being who had only ever punished her family with one tragedy after another.

Meanwhile, the very people who should have been punished grew richer each day, lived more comfortably, and far longer than Clara and her family could ever hope to.

But even so, although Clara could no longer feel anything but hatred for that omnipotent figure. She still prayed every night, asking forgiveness for her hatred and begging for a cure for her body so she could work again, so she could help her siblings, so she could stop being a burden. Yet, that god never listened. Instead, he sent an even greater tragedy upon her family.

With each minute that passed, Clara felt part of her heart dying. Knowing that this omnipotent being would never do anything to help her family—perhaps even enjoyed watching them suffer—her hopes began to wither away, minute by minute, plunging her into an endless abyss of despair and loneliness.

The constant worry, fear, and guilt that kept Clara's weak body in a state of high alert seemed to tear away what little energy she had left, making her body heavier and gradually snuffing out her consciousness. At last, she collapsed from her chair onto the hard floor.

Yet even in that condition, summoning the last bit of strength she had, Clara turned her head and kept her eyes locked on the door, losing consciousness with her eyes open. Almost as an act of rebellion against the world and especially against that omnipotent being she so despised, declaring that no matter what happened—even if this was her last breath—she would see her siblings walk through that door.

…

""CLARA!!""

Upon opening the door to their ramshackle house, anxious and excited to share the good news with their sister, the first thing Sofía and Martín saw was Clara lying on the floor in an almost ghostly state. Her skin a sickly greenish color, her lips purple, and traces of blood on the ground. Coupled with her eyes—open yet nearly devoid of life, staring straight at the door—the scene was so grim that it filled Sofía and Martín's minds with terror, causing them to scream at the top of their lungs.

Panicked, Sofía and Martín ran inside, knocking aside anything in their path, and reached Clara, who was terrifyingly cold and unresponsive—something that all but confirmed the dire premonition in the siblings' hearts. In tears, Sofía shook Clara vehemently while shouting.

"CLARA!! ANSWER ME, CLARA!! Please, don't do this to me! We're about to leave this place; we'll be able to go to the Arcane Order, have a better life, have everything we've dreamed of… Please, don't leave me alone now, I need you… please… Clara…"

While tears and despair overtook the siblings, Sigrún—who had entered the humble home with Erik and Eleonora—looked at the young woman on the floor with interest, at the same time extending a hand to stop Erik, who was about to check on his new assistant's sister. Then, in a low voice, she asked.

"Erik, what affinities do you sense in the girl?"

Because his master had asked, Erik quickly halted and focused on the Myst around the young woman. Even though helping his new assistant's sister was an important thing to do as her boss, it was more important to answer his master's question.

"Mmmm… It's a mix of water, earth, and light. I'd say it's… wait!"

Realizing the proportions of the reactions, Erik immediately deduced the affinity, and he looked at Sigrún in surprise. She smiled conspiratorially, then vanished and reappeared next to the young woman on the floor. She waved her hand casually, causing the young woman to float into the air.

Clara's sudden movement interrupted Sofía's attempt to give her a healing pill with trembling hands, while it seemed to snap Martín out of his trance as he clutched Clara's hand in shock, almost as if he were questioning reality. That was when Sigrún's voice rang in the siblings' ears, calm and almost casual—a stark contrast to their dramatic state of mind.

"Don't waste your time giving her a healing pill. You won't accomplish anything that way."

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Upon hearing Sigrún's voice, Sofía and Martin, shocked, lifted their heads to see their sister floating in the air in front of the beautiful wife, who calmly placed her right hand over Clara's stomach. At the same time, several runes formed around her, beginning to emit a beautiful and warm pale green light that enveloped the young woman.

Meanwhile, Eleonora looked at Sigrún with a smile before turning her gaze to Erik. He, upon sensing a strange movement in the Myst around Clara, closed his eyes and took control of the Myst in the area. He strove to extend and enhance his sensory abilities as much as he could in an attempt to understand what his master was doing.

Filled with fascination and with a slight blush on their cheeks, Seraphina and Eleonora watched the mesmerizing display of ghostly lights Erik created whenever he connected with the Myst to perceive something that caught his attention—a spectacle exclusive to entities of their level, the only ones capable of seeing the Myst with their own eyes.

For mana users of their caliber, witnessing the way Erik interacted with the Myst could only be described as a masterpiece of incomparable beauty. One that stirred every fiber of their beings and from which they could even learn to improve their own interaction and harmony with the Myst, something practically unimaginable under normal circumstances.

Erik's ghostly light display was so alluring to beings of their level that even Eleonora and Sigrún had made their beloved disciple promise not to attempt it again near anyone who could appreciate it—especially any women. After all, they already had enough trouble dealing with Thalia pestering them and didn't want another "fly" buzzing around their cherished disciple.

...

Not long after, Sigrún withdrew her hand from Clara's stomach. At that moment, Clara began to descend slowly, while the light around her faded, revealing a completely transformed appearance. Her skin had entirely shed its greenish and sickly hue, transforming into that of a young woman of immaculate beauty, her complexion white and slightly flushed, adorned with beautiful and delicate lips of vibrant cherry red.

Her once withered hair now shone softly with an attractive caramel tone, cascading delicately over her graceful figure and showcasing its well-defined waves, giving her an even more striking appearance than Sofía's. Sofía, unable to hold back her tears, wept as she saw her sister peacefully asleep, her chest rising and falling gently with her calm breathing.

""Thank you so much, young lady!!""

Martín and Sofía exclaimed ecstatically, bowing their heads deeply to Sigrún, their hearts overflowing with boundless gratitude toward the transcendentally beautiful woman. Sigrún laughed softly as she returned to the side of the man with starry hair, her steps light and graceful, while Clara gently fell into the arms of her siblings.

Meanwhile, Erik opened his eyes and looked at Sigrún with an expression that practically screamed questions, something that drew affectionate smiles from the three women beside him. Even the perfect maid couldn't escape the charm of her young master's adorable expression.

"Don't make that face; it's nothing extraordinary." Sigrún remarked as she wrapped her arms around Erik's in an intimate gesture, resting her head on his shoulder. She then continued speaking in a calm tone.

"That girl wasn't truly sick. If I had to use a more accurate term, she was 'malnourished'. She was born with a wood affinity like mine, a very rare and powerful affinity that combines three basic elements. Under normal circumstances, it would be a great blessing, but in her case, it became a misfortune because her body was never trained or nourished properly to bear the load of such an affinity.

"In normal cases, like mine, there aren't many problems. Our mothers are usually quite strong, so their milk is very nutritious, preventing most issues in the early stages. Later on, with a proper diet and good training, there are only benefits.

"But she didn't have any of that. Her body tried to adapt as best it could to the burden, using its scarce mana reserves to self-adjust. However, since that wasn't enough, it began consuming her vitality, leaving her in that state. So the situation was easy to fix—I simply put her affinity to sleep and repaired her body a bit. Still, her diet needs to be improved with some supplements to ensure it doesn't happen again."

"That's incredible; I didn't even know it was possible to put an affinity back to sleep…" Erik commented in amazement upon hearing the explanation, to which Eleonora added with a small smile as she also rested her head on her beloved disciple's shoulder.

"It's more like a trick, and instead of putting it to sleep, it's more accurate to say Sig temporarily sealed her affinity."

"Hehe, something like that."

Sigrún commented with a broad smile as Martín lifted Clara into his arms and quickly carried her to the room, his smile stretching from ear to ear and tears brimming in his eyes. It was a situation very similar to Sofía's, though she chose to stay behind to remain attentive in case her boss or his wives needed anything.

"That sounds very interesting; I must research more about it…"

Erik muttered quietly to himself, trying to commit a mental note to memory since his masters had claimed his arms and refused to let go, preventing him from taking out his notebook to jot it down.

"But you can only do that after the vacation. Until then, you belong entirely to us." Eleonora said cheerfully before kissing Erik on the cheek, a gesture Sigrún mimicked as she added.

"Eli is right. That's something for after the vacation and…" Sigrún turned to look at Sofía, who was standing a bit off to the side, wiping tears from her face. Then, she asked.

"Your name is Sofía, isn't it?"

"Yes, young lady." Sofía quickly responded, bowing respectfully. Sigrún nodded and then, in a casual tone, said.

"Well then, Sofía, we'll come to fetch you in a few days. So, get everything ready, take care of your affairs, and bring your sister along as well. Her wood affinity will be very useful for my Erik."

Suddenly, as she listened intently to the words of her boss's wife, a bag appeared floating in front of Sofía. It seemed to be made of white silk, adorned with intricate patterns and runes embroidered all over its surface. Breathless, Sofía stared at the luxurious bag, already forming an idea of what it might be. The beautiful woman continued speaking.

"In that bag, there's a small advance payment and the uniforms that you and your sister must wear when we come to get you. There are also your identity medallions. You need to drop a single drop of your blood on them to activate them. Any questions?"

Although overjoyed that her sister would be working with her, Sofía quickly clenched her teeth, gathering her courage, and asked in a serious tone that carried hints of guilt and embarrassment.

"Young lady, if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to ask if there's any chance of hiring my younger brother. He's intelligent, responsible, strong, and very honest. I'm certain he'd be a great asset to the boss."

"Now that you mention it, it's true—there are many women around Erik. It's better to have a man around to avoid problems, so bring him too."

Eleonora remarked as she realized a very important point she had been overlooking. This caused Sigrún to nod in agreement and give Eleonora a thumbs-up. At the same time, another beautiful bag, very similar to the first one, appeared floating in front of Sofía.

"There's the uniform for your brother and some other things. Don't forget to be ready when we come for you."

"Yes, young lady!" Sofía exclaimed enthusiastically, deeply bowing as gratitude and joy overtook her. Sigrún and Eleonora nodded in satisfaction.

Without saying anything further, Eleonora and Sigrún dragged Erik out of the humble house, closely followed by Seraphina. Erik, meanwhile, felt an overwhelming sense of defeat and an uncomfortable itch in his chest as he watched his masters not only finalize the arrangement with his first assistant but even hire more people—without consulting him or considering his input at any point.

…

…

…

On a simple, old, and worn-out bed lay a young woman of captivating beauty, her almost angelic face adorned with vibrant cherry-colored lips. She was dressed in a plain white dress, slightly worn and patched in places, yet impeccably clean and well cared for, making her look like an angel peacefully asleep.

After a while, the young woman's long, beautiful lashes began to tremble, and slowly, her eyelids opened, revealing eyes of a vibrant blue hue, like two priceless jewels—brilliant and clear.

Upon waking, she looked around the room, feeling exceptionally light and full of strength—a sensation utterly unfamiliar to her after a lifetime of exhaustion and weakness.

That sudden feeling of lightness brought an overwhelming sense of peace and joy to the young woman, who couldn't contain her happiness as tears softly streamed down her face. Yet at the same time, fear that it was all just a dream consumed her, making her hesitate even to move.

After savoring the delightful sense of peace and liberation for a moment, the young woman gave a bitter smile. She then raised one of her arms in front of her face, biting her delicate cherry-colored lips. Summoning her courage, she extended her other hand and pinched herself hard.

Feeling the pain of the pinch, the young woman bolted upright in bed, staring at her hands through tear-blurred eyes, her face full of astonishment. She began hurriedly touching her entire body, and as she continued, the torrent of tears streaming down her face only worsened. She brought her hands to her face and cried uncontrollably.

"Thank you, my Lord! You finally heard my prayers! You've finally given me a cure! I won't be a burden anymore. Now I can work again. Now I can help my siblings move forward. Thank you…" Clara declared through her tears of joy, feeling so profoundly grateful and happy that, without a doubt, this was the happiest moment of her young life.

But in that instant, a flood of memories rushed into Clara's mind, causing her to panic over the situation of her siblings. Without hesitation, the young woman leapt out of bed and rushed to the shelf on the wall, where all her clothes were perfectly clean and neatly folded.

"I need to hurry!"

Without even looking, Clara grabbed a piece of black cloth from the shelf and draped it over her head to conceal her beautiful face. She then picked up a pair of comfortable shoes from the floor beneath the shelf and hurriedly put them on. Without wasting another second, she dashed out of the room—possibly the first time in her life she could run at full speed without feeling pain or discomfort.

***

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Though marveling at her newfound strength, Clara set all her thoughts aside and focused on running hastily to the kitchen with the intention of grabbing a knife to defend herself in case something happened on the street. But the moment she entered the kitchen, she found her two siblings sitting at the table, quietly eating a delicious soup while conversing in low voices.

"SOFÍA, MARTÍN!!!" Clara exclaimed loudly and almost frantically, greatly startling her siblings, who turned to look at her simultaneously, exclaiming in a similar tone.

""CLARA!!!""

Upon reuniting, the siblings jumped from their seats, filled with emotion, and rushed toward each other, embracing tightly, trying to convey all their feelings in that hug. Tears of happiness streamed down their faces, fearful that this might be a dream that could end at any moment.

"What happened in the mine? How did Martín get out? Did anything happen to you on the street, Sofía?" While hugging her siblings through tears, Clara quickly asked, then began checking her siblings all over for any wounds.

"Leave that for later. Better tell us how you are, Clara. Do you feel well? Are you better? Does anything hurt?" Sofía set aside Clara's questions and instead asked her own, looking both excited and apprehensive, an expression very similar to Martín's, who spoke with persistent fear.

"Yes, Clara, we'll explain everything later. Better tell us how you are. When we arrived, you were on the floor, looking terrible. I was really panicking until the lady treated you."

"Lady? What lady?" Clara asked, confused by the strange mention, to which Sofía shook her head and replied with anticipation.

"We'll explain later. Better tell us how you feel."

"Alright, I want you to explain everything to me from beginning to end." Seeing her siblings' expressions, Clara couldn't help but speak in a serious tone, though her expression inevitably softened and filled with indescribable joy. Tears of happiness welled up in her eyes as she continued speaking.

"And I really feel wonderful. Never in my life have I felt this good. I feel so light and full of energy that I can't even believe it myself. I even had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming…"

Filled with happiness, Sofía and Martín hugged Clara again, squeezing her tightly—something they had never been able to do before due to her weak body. At the same time, their hearts filled with infinite gratitude for that group of people who seemed to be from another world. Meeting them was truly a stroke of luck like no other.

"That's a relief…" Sofía commented, tears welling up as she held Clara. At that moment, Martín added joyfully while hugging his sisters, trying to hide his tears.

"We really owe a lot to the Boss and the Lady…"

"It's truly a miracle. I never thought it would be possible…" Clara murmured softly, but soon after, she separated from her siblings and asked in a serious tone, though filled with curiosity.

"Now I want you to explain everything to me. What happened in the mine? How did you manage to get out? Who is this 'Boss' and the 'Lady' Martín mentioned?"

With huge smiles on their faces, Sofía and Martín led Clara to the table and took their time to explain everything that had happened, from beginning to end. They did their best to describe who their new Boss was, where they were from, and what they had done for them, all while expressing their happiness for the new life that awaited them.

…

"So that young man was from the Arcane Order… We really were lucky…"

After hearing the whole story, Clara couldn't help but comment, filled with shock. But she quickly composed herself and turned to look at Sofía with a hint of reproach in her expression. At that moment, she scolded her, somewhat angrily and with a touch of fear in her tone.

"But even though things turned out well, you took too big a risk, Sofía. What would you have done if the young man had been an heir to some famous house?"

"Well… actually, at first, I went to ask for his help thinking he was an heir…"

Feeling immensely guilty, Sofía averted her gaze and began speaking with some discomfort and embarrassment, causing her voice to sound almost like a murmur. Still, her siblings heard her perfectly, which made their eyes widen in horror.

"SOFÍA!!! What were you thinking doing that?!!"

Clara shouted indignantly, while Martín crossed his arms beside his sister and looked at his older sister with reproach, supporting the scolding. After all, he was the youngest and had already learned the hard way that it was best not to speak up during his older sisters' arguments, or else he'd suffer a beating.

"Hey!! It was a desperate situation! I had no other choice!!! Martín was trapped, no one wanted to help me, I didn't have the money to pay a mage, I was cornered!! Besides, if I hadn't done it, who knows what would have happened to you!!" Sofía shouted back, going on the defensive, ready to start a drawn-out fight with her sister. But what she got in return was a tight hug from Clara, who spoke with tears in her eyes.

"I know, I know you had to do it. I know you had no other choice at the time. But that doesn't make it any less crazy. Haven't you thought about what could have happened to you if he had been an heir? Even if you managed to save Martín and me by doing it, do you think we'd be happy with that? We could never be. We could never live knowing you sacrificed yourself for us…"

Hearing Clara's words, Martín couldn't agree more. He stood up to hug his sisters, hiding his face in their heads, while Sofía couldn't help but burst into tears, filled with fear and pain, as she explained in a hoarse voice.

"I thought about it, I thought about it a lot. When I went to see him, I was terrified of what might happen. But I still had to take the risk. Martín's life was at stake, and I knew your life would also be in danger if something happened to him. I couldn't accept that. It was either do it or lose both of you, my only family, forever…"

As she recalled the events of that night, Sofía couldn't help but tremble in her siblings' embrace. It had truly taken everything she had to do what she did, and even though luckily, everything turned out well, the thought of the consequences still terrified her. But even with all that, she was sure she would do it again. Her family was the most precious thing she had, and she would sacrifice whatever was necessary for their well-being.

...

The group of siblings cried and apologized to each other all night, reminiscing about their moments with their parents, their words, and their teachings, until the first rays of sunlight began to filter through the battered wooden windows. At that moment, they all laughed heartily as they got up to prepare a rich breakfast for everyone.

"Alright, no more tears. Remember, in a couple of days, they'll come to pick us up, so we need to pack and have everything ready for when they arrive." Sofía commented enthusiastically, her face streaked with tears and her eyes red with terrible dark circles. Then she remembered something and turned to look at Clara, asking with a smile.

"Clara, if you're feeling well, could you help me prepare some desserts? While I was searching for the Boss in the city, I ended up promising desserts to a lot of people, and I have to pay up. I can't go back on my word."

Hearing her sister's words, Clara looked at her small, delicate hands and clenched them into fists, feeling the new strength and comfort her body radiated. This brought a beautiful smile to her tear-streaked face, and she spoke enthusiastically.

"What do you think if, in these days we have before they pick us up, we make a huge batch of desserts and give them to everyone who helped us as a farewell? I feel like I could cook for 10 days straight without getting tired."

"Hehehe, take it easy. You just recovered, but it sounds like a great idea." Sofía commented with a smile full of happiness as she looked at her sister with warm eyes. Then she turned to look at Martín and asked cheerfully.

"What do you think, Martín?"

"If it doesn't endanger Clara's health, I think it's fine. I'll help too, though first I want to go to Kevin's house. I don't know if he managed to get out of the mine…" Martín commented with a somewhat worried tone, which led Sofía to reply with a smile.

"Don't worry, he's fine. He was the one who told me where you were. We can stop by his house later."

"You two go take a bath and make yourselves presentable. I'll prepare breakfast, and then I'll go with you to thank Martín's friend." Clara said with a huge smile, prompting her siblings to nod. At that moment, Sofía turned to look at Martín and casually commented.

"Go take a bath first, Martín. I'll help Clara a bit, and when you're done, I'll go, and you can finish making breakfast with her."

"Alright." Martín responded cheerfully, then walked to his room with a firm step, filled with infinite expectations for his future and that of his sisters.

…

…

…

On the upper deck of Sigrún's impressive ship, Erik was enjoying a sumptuous breakfast prepared by Seraphina, who stood beside him wearing a beautiful blue dress with a more casual design than what she usually wore. Though, it still had a strong inspiration from a Victorian maid's outfit, complete with a white apron at the front and a small fabric headband.

"It was delicious as always. Thank you, Seraphina."

After finishing breakfast, Erik thanked Seraphina as usual, stretching lazily—a gesture that the wolves, who were by his side, adorably imitated in their puppy forms after devouring enormous amounts of meat.

"It's my pleasure to serve you, young master."

Seraphina spoke in a calm tone, bowing respectfully to Erik, then collected the plates from the table. What appeared to be tendrils of darkness emerged from her shadow, wrapping around the plates and making them disappear as if they had never existed in the first place.

"Aren't you going to talk to them, Erik?"

Meanwhile, Ignis, who was sitting across from Erik alongside Ebonique, asked with a hint of doubt in her voice, glancing toward two women of celestial beauty. One with brown hair and golden eyes, the other with blonde hair and blue eyes, who were timidly peeking in Erik's direction, terribly hidden behind one of the ship's towers.

"Not at all. They're being punished for making decisions about my collaborators without consulting me, so I won't speak to them for the rest of the day." Erik replied calmly, not even bothering to turn and look at his masters, who poked their heads out from behind the tower with pitiful expressions. Ignis couldn't help but reply with a complex tone.

"But you're on vacation…"

"That's precisely why I reduced it to just one day. So today, I'll be relaxing alone while working on my projects." Erik said seriously, but his gaze quickly sharpened as he looked directly into Ignis's eyes and added.

"And don't try to speak for them, or I'll punish you too."

"…"

Ignis sighed in defeat and fell silent, while the two goddesses in the corner wore sad and disappointed expressions, then began slowly walking toward the interior of the ship with slow, defeated steps.

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"Young master, forgive me for my audacity…"

Upon seeing Eleonora and Sigrún dragging their feet as they walked into the ship, Seraphina turned to look at Erik and spoke in a serious tone. She bows deeply before quickly straightening up to continue speaking while firmly gazing at her young master.

"But the young lady and Master Silverwood were eagerly looking forward to this vacation, don't you think it's a bit petty of you to ignore them when they worked so hard to make it possible?"

Hearing his maid's calm words, Erik could not help but turn to look her in the eye for a moment, only to sigh and begin speaking in a serious and resolute tone. Unwilling to back down from his decision, fully prepared for whatever consequences might come.

"I understand what you mean, Seraphina, and it might truly seem like a childish whim, but I feel it's necessary to do this, as I believe it's important to set a precedent, no matter how small or childish it may seem.

"There's something I want to make very clear, and that is that I deserve respect, and my opinion matters when it comes to things related to my life. If I let this slide just like that, it's possible that in the future things could spiral out of control, and it could end very badly for everyone."

Hearing Erik's resolute words, Seraphina couldn't help but look at him in surprise, while inside the cruiser, Eleonora and Sigrún, who were eavesdropping on the conversation, exchanged stunned glances. Though they knew Erik was upset with them, they hadn't thought it was too serious, but now things seemed different, and they paid closer attention as Erik continued speaking.

"And that's especially true for someone like me, as there are things I deeply value, and I don't like anyone making decisions about them other than myself. Even though I understand that my masters are people of high status and are used to having the final say in everything, and they didn't act with ill intent, that doesn't change the fact that they made decisions about things that belong to me, which is very unpleasant for me."

A thoughtful Seraphina looked at Erik with eyes full of meaning, almost as if reflecting on his words, before asking in a slightly understanding tone after a moment.

"Young master, is your reluctance to accept money you didn't earn yourself perhaps because it would give someone else the power to make decisions for you?"

Hearing the question, Erik couldn't help but look at his maid with a hint of surprise in his expression, but he quickly smiled calmly and explained in a relaxed manner. Though the sensitive Seraphina didn't miss the slight trace of bitterness in his tone, just like the two beautiful Master-level women inside the ship.

"So you noticed, and yes, you're right, that's one of the reasons. After all, investors have decision-making power, don't they? That's why it's quite uncomfortable for me to do something as brazen as 'punishing' someone on their own ship, but well, that's what happens when you're a freeloader, hahaha."

After speaking, Erik walked away, laughing, with Ebonique and Ignis perched on his shoulders and the wolves in their puppy forms following closely behind, leaving Seraphina deeply immersed in her thoughts.

Meanwhile, inside the ship, Eleonora and Sigrún began to reflect deeply on what Erik had said and how it would affect their relationship moving forward. The fact that he had spoken so openly, fully aware that they could hear him, meant something.

…

Just as he had promised, Erik spent the rest of the day working on the spell he had used to enter the mine, trying to reduce its mana consumption while making it as error-tolerant as possible. There was, however, a slight change in his usual work style: he now had the help of Ebonique and Ignis.

The pair of spirits were acting as Erik's development assistants, offering all sorts of advice, helping gather mana for tests, and so on. But their most important task was helping him curb his incessant need to make everything 'beautiful', something that had proven not to be entirely good with the modified sword technique, which he still needed to work on.

Ebonique and Ignis's help was incredibly useful for Erik, who became immersed in the immense improvements he was making, to the point where he forgot to eat or sleep and worked straight through until the next day. He finally completed the intricate magical circle that was version 0.2.1 of the spell, a version that still needed improvements but was far better than the first iteration.

The reason Erik used Sacred Geometry to create the spell instead of the Aegis System, which was far more efficient for the task, was simple: pure comfort. Since creating a spell wasn't too different from programming highly complex software, he felt much more comfortable working with Sacred Geometry. Its logic was very similar to the electronics he was so accustomed to, being far more mathematical and methodical.

Meanwhile, the Aegis System was a bit different, feeling more like assembling a puzzle, putting the right runes in the right order to achieve a desired result. Though he was also skilled at this, it was more intuitive for him to work with a mathematical and structured system. Besides, once he had the spell done, he could 'translate' it without much trouble to use it in the most efficient way possible.

"You two are truly impressive, I've never made progress this fast before…" Erik remarked in amazement as he gazed joyfully at the beautiful geometric circle inscribed on a magical parchment.

"Fufu, thank you for the praise, and that's only because, even though we've never researched human magical systems much, we're still experts in mana and Myst usage, so we can still offer some useful advice." Ignis said proudly, standing on the table where Erik was working, to which Ebonique added cheerfully, coiled around her beloved contractor's neck in her smaller form.

"You know, since I'm so good at this, and you look so sad working all alone, maybe I could consider working as your long-term assistant, hehe."

"That proposal interests me. What are we talking about?" Hearing the words of his reliable contracted spirit, Erik stopped looking at the parchment and turned to Ebonique to ask in a serious tone.

"I'm not willing to work for less than three hearty meals a day…" Ebonique said playfully, to which Erik immediately took her tiny claw and exclaimed loudly.

"DEAL!"

"Hey!!" Ebonique exclaimed, glaring at the shameless Erik with malice, to which the starry-haired boy replied with a sly smile.

"A deal's a deal, or could it be that the great Ebonique won't honor an agreement?"

"Hmph, acting all clever, aren't you?" Ebonique huffed in annoyance and turned her head away, pretending to be indignant, to which Erik replied in a playful tone.

"Well, I just saw an opportunity and took it. As you can see, I'm a businessman who doesn't let chances slip by, hehe."

"Hmph, then I expect three hearty meals from now on, hehehe." Though Ebonique tried to sound reluctant, she couldn't maintain her facade and ended up letting out an adorable little laugh, to which Erik nodded confidently.

"Consider it done."

While Ebonique and Erik played around, Ignis felt a bit uncomfortable, experiencing for the first time in her excessively long life what jealousy felt like—something she had believed was impossible for a being of her level. Unable to properly manage this wave of new emotions and sensations, she ended up lightly tapping Erik's arm with her head, which caught the boy's attention. He turned to look at her and asked, slightly confused.

"Is something wrong, Ignis?"

"Mmmm… Ehhh…"

Feeling a bit awkward, Ignis struggled to get the words out, which inevitably caused the blue flames that seemed to form her body to flicker slightly. After a moment, she continued with a hint of nervousness in her tone.

"Wouldn't you like to have another assistant?"

"Hahaha!."

Seeing Ignis acting shy, lowering her head cutely, Erik couldn't help but laugh cheerfully, which the majestic phoenix misunderstood, causing her to lower her head even further, feeling sad. But then Erik gently stroked her head and said with a small smile.

"I couldn't want anything more than to have an adorable assistant like you. How about three meals, just like Ebonique?"

"I accept!" Ignis looked up excitedly and nodded slowly, her wings fluttering gently, which made Erik smile, though it also annoyed Ebonique, who commented with a hint of anger.

"Hey!! What's with this difference in treatment?"

"Hahaha, don't be mad, you're also an incredibly adorable assistant, Ebonique." Erik said in a calm tone, using his free hand to gently stroke Ebonique's small head, who asked amidst comfortable purrs.

"Really?"

"Very much so." Erik replied in a serious and confident tone, which made the little dragon smile delightedly as she said cheerfully.

"Hehehe, you'd better know it."

Quickly, Ebonique coiled around Erik's neck even more affectionately, which once again stirred Ignis's jealousy. The phoenix leaned her body against Erik and gently hugged him with her wings while looking away, as if thinking that if she didn't see it, it wasn't happening—out of sight, out of mind.

Seeing the adorable behavior of the two spirits, Erik smiled warmly and gently pampered them by stroking their heads, which awakened the envy of the wolves. Without hesitation, they jumped on Erik and began licking him 'roughly' while demanding attention with barks, leaving the starry-haired boy no choice but to take turns pampering and feeding the four affection-hungry, mana-thirsty creatures.

…

After a while, Erik stopped feeding the four hungry beasts and headed to the upper deck of the ship. There Erik began his daily routine with care, performing each exercise of his bio-mystic technique perfectly, synchronizing the movement of his mana and his breathing with his physical movements.

Quickly, the Myst on the ship began to dance harmoniously around the starry-haired boy, perfectly synchronizing with his movements. This gave the impression that his stunning starry hair shone even brighter, creating an incredibly captivating spectacle for those who could see it.

…

Several hours later, Erik completed his schedule, stopping slightly sweaty and tired, before stretching lazily and turning to find Seraphina on the other side of the deck, standing beside a table. She was waiting for him with a small smile and a sumptuous breakfast.

"Good morning, young master." Seraphina greeted Erik with a slight respectful bow, to which Erik nodded with a smile and then apologized with a hint of guilt in his tone.

"Good morning, Seraphina, and sorry for not eating yesterday. I know you still made something for me."

"Don't worry, young master, it's my pleasure to serve." Seraphina said with a professional tone, to which Erik replied as he sat down to start eating.

"Still, I apologize, but don't worry. If that food is still around, give it to me later—it won't go to waste today. I'm starving, hahaha."

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After sitting down at the table, Erik began to eat with a voracious appetite, devouring everything on the table at great speed, which slightly angered the wolves, who were still in their puppy forms. They started slapping Erik's legs, demanding food, since he hadn't shared a single bite with them since he started eating, leaving them to only eat from their own plates—a total lack of consideration.

Feeling the pressure on his legs, Erik turned to look at the wolves, who were sitting on the floor, wagging their tails enthusiastically and barking cutely at him. They had plates with small mountains of half-eaten meat beside them, which inevitably made him smile in amusement. Accepting defeat in silence, he began to share his food with them as he ate.

"Thank you for breakfast, Seraphina, as always, it was delicious."

When Erik finished eating, he thanked Seraphina as usual and stretched with a satisfied expression on his face. At that moment, he felt the presence of his masters approaching from behind, prompting him to turn and look at them with a calm expression, greeting them with a smile, though internally, he prepared himself for what was to come.

"Good morning, masters."

"Good morning, Erik, how did you wake up today?"

Eleonora greeted him with a smile as she sat down across from Erik, followed closely by Sigrún, who sat down without saying a word and with her gaze lowered, almost as if ignoring Erik. He inevitably took this as a bad sign and quickly began to strategize his next actions if the worst outcome became a reality, though his expression didn't change in the slightest, maintaining a small smile as he casually responded.

"I didn't actually wake up, I didn't even sleep, hehe"

"That's not good. You're still very young, and at your level of power, lack of sleep can have long-term consequences."

With a hint of concern in her voice, Eleonora commented while looking at Erik's slightly red eyes. Meanwhile, Seraphina cleared the table with whips of darkness and then walked toward the interior of the ship, intending to give the trio of masters and disciple some privacy—a thought that Ignis and Ebonique shared, as they quickly disappeared in flashes of blue flames and black lightning.

"I know, it's just that I got too excited developing a spell and lost track of time."

With a slightly guilty expression, Erik responded while studying Eleonora's face. At that moment, Sigrún, who had kept her head down since the beginning, suddenly looked up, revealing a sad but determined expression, and began to speak with genuine remorse in her tone.

"I'm sorry, Erik. I know it was all my fault. I was the one who made decisions about your things and treated you as if you didn't matter. I didn't even stop to think for a moment about your opinions… I'm truly sorry, but I swear that will change. I'll never do something like that again."

"I also want to apologize to you, Erik. I really overstepped at that moment, and the worst part is that I didn't even realize it until you mentioned it. I feel terrible for having done that, and I hope you can forgive us so we can start a new chapter where we communicate more directly to avoid something like this happening again in the future. We'll do our best to improve." Eleonora quickly added in a serious and sincere tone, looking directly into the eyes of her beloved disciple.

For his part, Erik couldn't help but widen his eyes, filled with surprise at the sincere apologies from his masters. He truly hadn't expected this—in fact, something like this hadn't even been among the possible scenarios he had considered as outcomes of his 'precedent'. It inevitably left his mind blank for a moment.

In his mind, what would happen with the whole 'punishment' for not respecting him had oscillated mainly between two possible scenarios. The first was that his masters would act as if nothing had happened, bury the topic, and try not to do something similar in the future. Or, on the contrary, they would get angry at his audacious act of wanting to 'punish' and set conditions for those who had essentially given him everything he had, with the worst possible scenario being that they would take away everything they had given him and send him back to his home planet for being ungrateful.

Basically, from the beginning, Erik had done everything with the intention of playing a very dangerous gamble, but one that was necessary in his perception. He had no intention of letting his masters control his life, and even worse, his mark—the most valuable thing in his life. So he had to take the risk. After all, for him, it was preferable to be thrown out, have to flee from the Arcane Order, and start over somewhere else than to let someone else make decisions for him.

But the fact that they apologized was something that had never crossed his mind. After all, although he wouldn't dare to call himself an expert on women in his past life, he had interacted with a fair number of them in different ways, and one thing he had learned from those experiences was that the concept of apologizing wasn't something they were particularly good at, to put it mildly—especially when they had a close relationship.

Though it was also possible that he had simply been unlucky and always ended up encountering women who never accepted their mistakes and who, more often than not, twisted things to make him seem like the bad guy and the only one at fault. To the point where they would demand apologies from him, even when they were the ones in the wrong. In reality, there may be women capable of accepting their mistakes head-on, without making excuses.

But throughout his past life, he had met many people with similar complaints, so at the very least, he could determine that it was a relatively common issue and an opinion shared by many. Therefore, the idea that two women who practically lived at the top of the galactic food chain would apologize was not only unexpected but downright surreal in his mind.

"Why do you look so surprised, Erik?"

Eleonora asked with a small, loving smile as she looked at her disciple's adorable, stunned expression. Meanwhile, Sigrún, for her part, was still too depressed to join in the fun and simply watched him in silence with a look of anguish on her beautiful face.

"No… it's just that I never expected this situation…"

His master's call helped Erik recover enough to comment, though he was still a bit off-balance. He quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts and then added with seriousness, feeling deeply moved inside by the simple yet significant gesture of his masters.

"But, getting back to the topic, I'm really glad that you take my nonsense so seriously, and I truly appreciate it. It really means a lot to me."

"So, do you forgive us?"

Upon hearing her beloved disciple's words, Sigrún asked while looking at him with hope, which inevitably caused a warm smile to form on the face of the starry-haired boy. He responded sincerely as he stood up with his arms open in a gesture of embrace.

"Of course I do. How could I not?"

Without saying a word, Sigrún jumped from her seat, hugged Erik tightly, and began to spin around, lifting her beloved disciple from his chair in one swift motion, causing him to spin uncontrollably in her arms. This put a somewhat strange expression on the face of the starry-haired young man. After spinning for a while, Sigrún calmed down a bit and stopped, then commented in a voice full of tenderness.

"Thank you, Erik. I swear I'll never do something like that again, so please don't call yourself shameless or a freeloader or things like that. I don't like it when you talk about yourself that way. I've told you a million times that what's mine is yours, and that's not going to change. I mean it from the bottom of my heart."

"I can't promise anything…"

Erik muttered in a low voice while turning his gaze away to avoid looking at Sigrún, who wore an incredibly happy smile on her face. But his movements were quickly halted completely when he felt a warm and soft sensation on his back—the unmistakable feeling of Eleonora's body pressing gently against his in a hug. At that moment, the beautiful golden-eyed woman gave him a loving kiss on the cheek and then asked in a soft, sweet voice.

"Am I forgiven too?"

"Of course…"

Erik responded in a calm tone, being hugged from the front by Sigrún and from behind by Eleonora, which inevitably filled him with a comforting warmth. At that moment, Eleonora whispered affectionately in his ear.

"Fufufu, that's good…"

The group of three remained in a silent embrace on the upper deck of the ship, which was near the closest moon to Aranta, in stealth mode, making it invisible and undetectable to anyone below the legendary level. After a while, Sigrún spoke in a serious tone, looking directly into Erik's eyes.

"I almost forgot… Erik, neither Eli nor I think this is nonsense. In fact, it's something very serious that we had overlooked, and we're aware of our mistake. But from now on, I promise we'll improve. We'll do our best to let go of that authoritarian mindset with you. We're a team, and we should act like one."

"I couldn't have said it better. Also, from now on, it would be good if you told us directly about things that bother you. We're far from perfect, and we've lived a long time doing things our way, so we still have a lot to polish for the future. But I'm sure that together, we can do it." Eleonora added in a serious tone while tightening her embrace around Erik, who quickly responded with a warm smile.

"I'm really too lucky to have you in my life. You're more than I could ever wish for, and I'll also do my best to improve."

Erik's words brought a flood of emotions to the hearts of Eleonora and Sigrún, who could only hug their beloved disciple even tighter, trying to contain the overwhelming love that surged from within them. It filled them with an urgent need to take their relationship further, but knowing that now wasn't the time, they had to hold back for now. So they simply remained silent for a while longer, feeling the warmth of their beloved disciple, which calmed their agitated hearts.

…

"Well, since we're on vacation, we still have to have fun, right?" After a while, having managed to adjust their emotions, Sigrún commented with a cheerful smile as she looked at her disciple with sparkling eyes.

"That sounds like a good plan. What should we do?"

Erik asked with a small smile on his face while holding the slender waist of his beautiful golden-haired master in his embrace, feeling quite happy that things had turned out even better than he had expected. Eleonora responded without letting go of her embrace around his waist.

"How does a day at the beach sound?"

"Sounds good." Erik nodded in agreement, to which Sigrún enthusiastically added.

"Then it's decided! Let's go try on our swimsuits!"

"And we can't forget Seraphina."

Eleonora commented with a small smile as she turned to look at Seraphina, who was standing at the entrance to the interior of the cruiser with a serious expression, giving them the necessary space to resolve their issues.

"That's right, Sera, get your swimsuit ready. We're going to the beach!"

Sigrún exclaimed loudly toward Seraphina, who nodded in a calm and professional manner. But the way she seductively bit her delicate cherry-colored lips after licking them with her small tongue while looking at her young master completely shattered her image of the perfect maid.

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In a forgotten corner of the planet Aranta, there lay a beautiful jungle island, where a crescent-shaped arc of fine, white sand stretched out, cradling the crystal-clear waters of a sea that mirrored the sky like a mirror. It was so clear that the bottom was dotted with colorful corals and fish swimming peacefully. When the sun dipped toward the horizon, the sky filled with shades of orange, pink, and purple, painting the water with brushstrokes that made the island seem as though it floated on a sea of flames.

On one side of the beach, beneath a large white umbrella, sat a handsome young man on a sleek, stylish white beach chair. He wore nothing but black knee-length swim trunks and sunglasses, though the most striking feature of the young man was undoubtedly his hair, which seemed adorned with stars and galaxies.

Beside the young man lay two wolf pups on the white sand, one pure white and the other deep black, casually chewing on small bones suited to their size, with silly expressions that made them look incredibly tender and adorable.

As the young man reclined on his beach chair, carefree, sipping a delicious cocktail that seemed made from clouds of different colors. A luxurious pale blue tent, located a short-distance away, swayed as if there was a lot of movement inside.

After a while, Erik felt a gaze from the tent and turned to look at it with a smile on his face. Only to find Sigrún peeking her head out through the fabric with a mischievous grin, making her look both adorable and sensual at the same time.

"Erik, pay close attention, don't look away, okay?" Sigrún spoke in a cheerful and playful tone, to which Erik responded with a smile.

"Alright, I'll watch carefully."

"Good, I trust you, hehe." Sigrún said with a laugh, before pulling her head back inside the tent and closing it, so nothing could be seen from outside.

Not long after, the entrance to the tent swung open, and out stepped Eleonora with an elegant yet seductive stride. Her wavy chestnut hair swayed in the beach breeze, while her fair skin almost glowed in the sunlight, and her golden eyes seemed to shine like precious metal.

Eleonora wore a bikini in ivory and gold tones, with intricate details that looked like threads of sunlight woven into the fabric. The top, designed like a bralette, delicately accentuated her ample bust, with a subtle lightning-shaped ornament in the center that seemed to capture the light around it. Meanwhile, the bottom consisted of a small thong with similar golden decorations, featuring two pairs of straps that hugged her narrow waist perfectly, with a central ornament matching the one on her top.

With a unique style full of elegance, Eleonora "strutted" across the sand, a confident smile on her face, feeling satisfied with her disciple's captivated gaze. But after she had walked a good distance, Sigrún emerged from the tent, showcasing her golden hair and eyes of the purest, deepest blue, reflecting the sky and sea in her gaze. She began to "strut" with ease and subtle movements that exuded sensuality.

Sigrún dazzled in a turquoise bikini with intricate golden thread details, complementing the clarity of her eyes and her beautiful hair. The top featured a deep V-neckline and thin straps, highlighting her ample chest, while the bottom had similar golden thread decorations, revealing her sculpted abdomen and long, slender legs.

Almost in a trance, Erik looked up and down at his masters, whose beauty could only be categorized as divine. They, genuinely delighted by how he looked at them, continued to strut in front of him with cheerful, mischievous smiles, moving and twirling across the beautiful beach, showcasing their sensual bodies and elegant mannerisms.

After strutting a bit more in front of their beloved disciple, Eleonora and Sigrún stopped and looked at Erik. He sat in his chair with his mouth open and his sunglasses off, having hastily removed them to better observe the spectacle before him. This made the beautiful women laugh joyfully, filling them with pride and happiness to the point where they high-fived victoriously before walking over to their dear disciple, who seemed to be slowly recovering from the impact.

With evident confidence, Eleonora and Sigrún lay down on either side of Erik, intimately pressing their delicate, soft bodies against him. But inevitably, their voluptuous attributes made it incredibly difficult for Erik, who could only muster all his strength to contain the growing desires rising within him.

Seeing her beloved disciple acting a bit shy, which was quite rare, Sigrún could not help but smile triumphantly. She then gave him a loving kiss on the cheek, pressing her body even closer to his, sinking one of her arms into her bust and intertwining one of her legs with his. This allowed her to feel his warmth more intimately. Then, in a sensual and playful tone, though the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed her shyness, she asked.

"How did you like our bikinis…?"

"Very nice, though I must say they only look good because of the beautiful models wearing them." Erik, doing his best to keep his thoughts in check, quickly responded with a calm smile, but Eleonora wasn't about to let him off so easily.

Mimicking her sworn sister, Eleonora quickly captured Erik's other arm between her ample breasts, intertwining her legs with his, before whispering seductively in his ear, though her heart was racing inside. After all, in her long life, she had never worn such daring clothing, much less been so 'intimately' close to a man.

"You're such a sweetheart, you know that…?"

"I'm just telling the truth. If anyone else wore those bikinis, at best, they'd look average, but on you, they shine like divine creations."

Erik spoke with a serious tone and a charming smile on his face, using his experience to forcefully adjust his thoughts, which caused the blushes on Eleonora and Sigrún's cheeks to deepen visibly. They tightened their respective embraces before lovingly kissing Erik's cheeks.

"You look very handsome too…"

Visibly flushed, Eleonora commented with a smile on her face, trying to keep her embarrassment and the "heat" generated by such close contact with her beloved disciple's toned and muscular body under control.

"Yes, you look so good that I don't want you to take your shirt off in front of any other woman…"

Similarly blushing, Sigrún added, swallowing with desire written all over her face as she gazed at Erik's well-defined abs, doing her best to keep the desire filling her under control. She repeated a kind of "mantra" in her mind that she had been reciting for years to avoid doing anything she might regret later.

(Calm down, Sigrún! Everything in due time, everything in due time. It's just a couple more centuries, nothing major. After a thousand years of being single, waiting a couple more centuries is nothing. It's for his own good, you have to control yourself!!)

"Hahaha, thanks for the compliment." Erik said with a cheerful smile, having already managed to adjust his own "heat" by cheating with his mana. He then turned to look toward the tent and asked curiously.

"But all this time, where's Seraphina?"

As if answering Erik's question, a beautiful woman emerged from the tent, wearing a black swimsuit with a corset-like design that somehow evoked her usual Victorian maid outfit. It had intricate lace details along the front and sides, revealing her attractive flat abdomen.

The top, which featured a significant plunging neckline that maximized her large, luscious breasts, had puffed sleeves with ruffles and a prominent bow in the center. Meanwhile, the bottom was similarly decorated with lace, somewhat reminiscent of an apron, with a dark-colored panel hanging in the front and two small slits on the sides that hinted at the black thong she wore underneath.

With a slight smile on her face, Seraphina walked slowly toward the others, almost as if she were on an exclusive catwalk, swaying her hips seductively yet without losing the elegance that characterized her, creating an alluring and hypnotic contrast.

For his part, Erik looked at Seraphina in surprise, wearing what seemed more like a piece of fine lingerie than a swimsuit—a piece he had never seen before and that fit her beautiful, sensual figure perfectly, inevitably capturing his full attention as he studied his sensual maid.

Seeing Erik almost hypnotized by Seraphina's appearance, Sigrún and Eleonora pinched his cheeks gently, a little annoyed, which quickly snapped him out of it. He immediately commented in a calm tone, trying to act as if nothing had happened.

"That swimsuit looks great on you, Seraphina."

Seraphina, who could not help but glance triumphantly at Eleonora and Sigrún for her evident victory, quickly bowed respectfully, revealing a generous portion of her cleavage. Once again drawing her young master's eyes, she gave a sincere thanks for the flattering words.

"I appreciate your compliments, young master."

Truly happy, Seraphina didn't hold back on the rewards and quickly placed a tray filled with all kinds of exquisite-looking cookies on her young master's stomach, making the boy's eyes light up as he began eating joyfully. The wolves jumped from their spots on the sand and watched him with longing.

"Did you really like how Seraphina looked?" Sigrún pouted adorably, feeling a little annoyed at having lost, as she gently poked Erik's side with her index finger.

"Of course, almost as much as I loved how you looked." Perfectly calm, Erik replied with a soft smile on his face, which put a happy smile on Sigrún's face as she rested her head on his shoulder, delighted.

"So, was I the one you didn't like?"

Next to complain was Eleonora, who spoke while looking at Erik with an adorable expression that almost resembled a pout. She was genuinely sad because she had put a lot of effort into choosing her swimsuit and had mustered all her courage to wear it, and worse, to strut in it.

"How can you say something like that when you look so beautiful?"

For his part, Erik questioned while hugging Eleonora and Sigrún around the waist, not showing on his face the slight sadness that crept into his heart as he watched the pair of hungry beasts. Also known as Kaiser and Tiberius. Jump onto the chair and take advantage of his momentary incapacity to steal his cookies one by one in a "subtle" manner.

"Do I look beautiful?" Eleonora asked with a happy smile on her face, to which Erik responded without a second thought, full of conviction.

"Of course you do. You look beautiful, almost like a goddess of beauty incarnate."

"Fufufu." Eleonora couldn't help but laugh, filled with love and happiness, before hugging her beloved disciple tightly, burying her beautiful face against his body, much like Sigrún was doing.

Meanwhile, Erik couldn't help but sigh with a bit of resignation as he watched the vast majority of his cookies disappear into the "hands" of his "loyal" wolves. He was aware that although he had won the battle once again, this time he had ended up paying a high price. But at that moment, his professional personal maid came to the rescue, feeding him a special, delicious cookie directly into his mouth, transforming Erik's expression into one filled with happiness and gratitude.

(Seraphina is definitely the best…)

***

On Patreon, there are public images of the girls in swimsuits. I don't post them here to avoid any issues, but if you're curious, you can check them out for free there.

Spoiler: Patreon

If you like it, you can support me on https://www.patreon.com/lordanl and get up to 10 advanced chapters.

 

[lordanl]

"SOFÍA!! Do you think you can walk around so freely after what you did to my dad?!!!"

In the midst of a bustling market street, a sturdy young man of about 20 years old, with brown hair and bloodshot eyes, shouted as he ran toward a simply dressed young woman. He was surrounded by five other youths carrying all sorts of sticks, knives, and other bladed weapons in their hands. This caused the young woman to turn and look at him with a smile.

"It seems you're looking for my sister…"

Clara, who was holding a basket filled with various fruits and vegetables, turned and commented with a small smile, before pulling a beautiful medallion with an intricate carved emblem from her pocket and discreetly showing it. She then added in a cheerful and friendly tone,

"But are you sure you want to cause trouble…?"

The group of youths froze upon seeing the medallion in the young woman's hands. After all, there was probably no one in the entire galaxy who didn't recognize that emblem, which represented a book accompanied by a sword and a spear, unique to the terrifying Arcane Order. And certainly, no one was unaware of the consequences of attacking someone who carried it.

"It must be fake… there's no way a beggar like you could be part of the Order…"

The young man who had shouted, visibly pale and trembling, muttered under his breath as he carefully studied the medallion in 'Sofia's' hands. He quickly realized that it seemed to be made of incredible materials and definitely didn't look like a fake, which only worsened his fear. At that moment, Clara commented with a casual smile.

"It might be fake, but… do you want to take that risk?"

The calm and casual tone of the young woman sent powerful chills down the spines of the youths. After all, if it were real, the Arcane Order wouldn't even need to lift a finger—their own King would capture them to hand them over to the Order and, in the process, execute their families to curry favor with them. To this day, no one who had hidden 'criminals' from the Order had ended well. Those people were utterly ruthless when someone didn't obey their rules, and not even the other three major factions were spared from their retribution.

For example, even though several years had passed, the galaxy still echoed with the tale of how the Arcane Order had wiped out the Blackthorn family, a prominent family in the Meridian Federation led by a Master-level figure. Though the exact reason was unclear and there were all sorts of theories, somehow they had angered the Arcane Order and received a fierce reprisal.

Without a word, those people appeared on the Blackthorn home planet with dozens of terrifying Titan-class warships, armed to the teeth, and captured the Master-level figure, his heir, and a host of others involved. They then seized much of their territory and paralyzed trade in the few territories they left behind, essentially destroying them.

But even so, despite arriving with great fanfare and wiping out an important Noble Family of the Meridian Federation, neither the faction nor its Legend-level did anything. They simply turned a blind eye and let the Order do as they pleased, which led to no one daring to use that surname anymore, terrified of being involved with those lunatics from the Order.

"Well, it seems they didn't want to take the risk, fufu." Watching the group of youths run away in panic, Clara commented amusedly to herself, before starting to walk with a light step toward her home.

…

The days in the lives of Sofia, Clara, and Martin had improved by leaps and bounds since they had gotten their new jobs. Although they hadn't started working yet, the mere advance they received had already changed their lives in ways they had never before imagined possible.

With the advance they received, the first thing they did was pay off their debts. This was a delight for the trio of siblings, especially for Clara and Martin, who enjoyed every moment of seeing the faces of their creditors filled with astonishment, respect and flattery. It was something truly priceless for them.

But honestly, what the siblings enjoyed the most were the not-so-rare situations when some became greedy for their money and tried to attack them to rob them. Only for things to take a 180-degree turn when they simply showed their emblems identifying them as employees of the Arcane Order, just like now.

After all, it wasn't just the recent case of the Blackthorns—there were plenty of similar cases. In one instance, the Arcane Order executed the entire royal family of a very powerful empire because they refused to hand over the crown prince to be judged for killing a 'mere' employee of the Order.

But since it seemed like the situation was going to their heads, especially Sofia and Martin, who even wanted to wear their uniforms out in the street just to show off to their acquaintances, Clara had no choice but to give them a bit of tough love. She hit them a little, taking advantage of their now excellent health, to straighten out their ideas and prevent them from doing stupid things out there.

The 'shock therapy' Clara used worked wonders, as the pair of idiots—as Clara dubbed them for wanting to take advantage of borrowed power, which they had only obtained through an incredible stroke of luck—came to their senses and returned to their usual low-profile ways, settling their affairs, saying goodbye to their acquaintances, and packing up.

…

"Do you think they forgot about us?"

Sofia asked, somewhat uneasy, sitting at the kitchen table in their home, facing an equally uncomfortable Martin, while looking at her sister Clara, who was washing the vegetables she had bought to start cooking lunch. Clara responded in a calm tone without even turning to look at them.

"Don't worry about it, I don't think they've forgotten us."

"But it's been almost a month since they left, and they haven't come back…" Martin added with evident concern, which had no effect on Clara, who continued with her task while responding calmly.

"They're very important people, and they were on vacation. It's understandable."

"But what if they really forgot about us? What do we do?" Sofia couldn't help but ask, somewhat anxiously, to which Clara responded with confidence.

"Very simple, we'll go directly to the Arcane Order on our own."

"But the Arcane Order is enormous. How are we going to find them?" Martin asked uncertainly, which made Clara chuckle softly before quickly explaining.

"We don't have to find them; the Order will do it for us. You don't know this because at that time Martin was studying and Sofia was selling pastries, but before the Gaitán family left, I was talking to Mrs. Marta, and she told me many things her son wrote about the Order and how things worked there.

"Among the many things she told me, she mentioned the medallions they gave us. They're really valuable because, according to her son's letters, they're something you can only get when you work directly for an affiliate of a certain rank within the Order. Her son achieved that, and according to her, with these things, you can request a free trip from anywhere in the Order's territory to the nearest station registered in the medallion.

"Though she said her son never wanted to use it because his Lord would have to pay for it later. But if they really forgot about us, I think it'll be a good way to find them, since they gave them to us for a reason. Besides, we still have plenty of the 'advance' they gave us. We can easily pay for the trip to the Order."

"Why didn't you tell us that? Don't you know how worried I was?"

Sofia commented, somewhat indignant, while her brother Martin nodded in agreement, though not daring to say it out loud. He wasn't foolish, and with Clara so energetic, it was almost certain she'd give him another round of 'tough love'. At that moment, Clara simply smiled cheerfully and pointed out.

"Because you both looked really cute all worried."

"Hey!!"

Sofia exclaimed angrily, ready to start a fight with Clara, but at that moment, they all heard a soft knock on the door. Sofia had no choice but to shoot her sister a venomous look, which Clara responded to with a small smile, before going to open the door.

When she opened the door, Sofia found her Boss standing on the other side, accompanied by his wives and his maid, looking even more handsome and elegant than she remembered. This made her eyes widen in surprise, and, containing the joy in her heart, Sofia bowed respectfully and greeted him politely.

"It's a joy to see you again, Boss. We've taken care of all our affairs and are ready to leave at any moment."

"That's good because we're heading out, so let's go." Erik commented with a smile on his face, which immediately spread to Sofia, who smiled euphorically and said hurriedly.

"Understood, Boss. I'll get my siblings and our bags."

"Don't take too long."

After Erik's words, Sofia ran excitedly into the house, leaving the door open, which caused a small smile to appear on Sigrún's face. That moment reminded her of when she had picked up her beloved disciple from the mausoleum island, so she affectionately took one of Erik's arms and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.

…

Clara couldn't believe what she was seeing. After Sofia opened the door, she came back all excited, saying that they had come to pick them up, so they had to leave quickly. They did so promptly, and after quickly putting on their uniforms, they grabbed their bags and left the house.

But what Clara found outside the house was something that honestly surpassed all her expectations. Although Sofia and Martin had tried their best to describe the beauty and elegance of their new lord and ladies, they had fallen short—very, very short.

At the door of their house, Clara found what could only be described as gods incarnate, possessing a beauty that seemed to come entirely from beyond the mortal realm, completely free of any imperfection. This beauty was further adorned by a unique elegance and poise that exuded naturally, filled with a captivating and hypnotic charm.

But things only got crazier, as after joining their new lord, Clara suddenly found herself surrounded by runes, something she had never seen before. With a flash, she felt a strange sensation of weightlessness, accompanied by a terrible dizziness that knocked her to the ground, along with Martin and Sofia, though the latter handled it better and managed to get up faster.

"This really feels awful…" Sofia commented, a bit dizzy, to which her siblings silently agreed as they fought the terrible urge to vomit that overwhelmed them. This made the handsome young man with starry hair laugh.

"Hahaha, you'll get used to it." After laughing a bit at the trio of siblings, Erik turned to look at Clara, who was recovering while sitting on the ground, and asked with a bit of curiosity,

"And you're Clara, right?"

"Yes, my Lord." Clara responded hurriedly as she tried to stand up, but her dizziness made her wobble, which made Erik laugh a little. He commented in a calm tone.

"Hehe, don't worry about the dizziness. It doesn't last long. Also, don't call me 'my Lord'. Just call me Boss."

"Yes, Boss." Clara quickly nodded and spoke in a serious voice, her expression slightly pale from the dizziness.

"That sounds better…" Erik nodded, satisfied, before looking at Clara and Sofia with a bit of curiosity, finding them truly fascinating. This led him to comment in an appreciative tone,

"But now that I look at you more closely, it's impressive how much you resemble Sofia. You're really identical twins. If it weren't for your wavy hair and slightly different presence, I wouldn't be able to tell you apart…"

"It's understandable, Boss. Even our parents couldn't tell us apart when we were little." Sofia, who had already fully recovered from the dizziness, commented with a smile as she helped Clara up, making them look almost like mirror images of each other.

"How curious, it's truly strange to meet identical twins..." Erik remarked with interest and curiosity, but quickly shook his head and pointed to his reliable personal maid at his side, then added with a smile.

"But anyway, for now, follow Seraphina. She will show you to your rooms, and rest for today. Tomorrow, we'll discuss how things will work from now on and your respective duties."

"""Thank you very much, Boss."""

Spoiler: Patreon

If you like it, you can support me on https://www.patreon.com/lordanl and get up to 10 advanced chapters.

 

[Kalminroth]

I think this was a repeat chapter

 

[lordanl]

"""Thank you very much, Boss"""

After the trio of siblings answered in unison, Seraphina guided them inside the ship, where they began to look around with surprise and excitement. After all, they had never seen such a display of luxury and wealth before; each wall of the ship seemed more valuable than the entire city in which they had lived all their lives, making them feel a bit dizzy. Meanwhile, Sigrún and Eleonora approached and embraced Erik with pleased smiles on their faces.

"You know, originally I thought you didn't want to hire the other siblings." Sigrún commented in a soft, affectionate tone as she moved closer to her beloved disciple, carefully gazing into his bright-green eyes.

"Well, it wasn't that I didn't want them or anything like that, and honestly, I would've made exactly the same decision as you two. That wasn't the problem." Erik replied with a calm expression, prompting Eleonora to add in a cheerful tone as she hugged Erik's arm.

"Let's just leave the past in the past. No need to dwell on that matter anymore; let's focus on doing better in the future."

"Eli is right. Let's drop that topic and talk about something else, like... How does the 'Boss' feel about his new assistants?" Sigrún asked with a smile as she hugged Erik's other arm and playfully tapped her disciple's nose.

"How do I feel? We haven't even started working yet." Erik replied in amusement as he looked at his beautiful master with golden hair, who couldn't help but pout adorably at his words.

"Dummy." Sigrún 'protested', pinching Erik's nose lightly, to which he only responded with a smile. At that moment, Eleonora asked with a contained laugh.

"And how are you going to handle their education?"

"I've been thinking about it, and for now, I think I'll do it myself. I'm not especially good at teaching, but hiring teachers is expensive, and the Order still hasn't paid me the royalties for the journal or for the patents they bought from me, so I'm broke.

"Besides, the reason I decided to bring Sofía in the first place was because I liked her attitude, and I'm interested in taking the path of nurturing loyal talents. In a way, it'll be a necessary experiment." Erik answered in a calm tone, having carefully planned what to do with his new 'assistants'. At that moment, Sigrún remarked with a mischievous smile.

"I'm signing up for your classes, hehe."

Upon hearing his master's words, Erik could only roll his eyes, unwilling to say a single word. That reaction didn't sit well with the beautiful golden-haired Master, and even Eleonora joined in, softly whispering into Erik's ear in a 'sad' and 'pitiful' voice while gently caressing his hand with her index finger.

"So our dear disciple is going to leave his poor masters out of his first class? How cruel and heartless must a disciple be not to help his masters—who love him so much—fulfill a small dream they have? How sad and heartbreaking…"

"Alright, alright, I'll give my first class tomorrow here on the deck, and you are both invited." Erik declared in a tone full of defeat, having no choice but to surrender under the puppy-eyed attacks of Eleonora and Sigrún.

"Fufufu/Hehehe"

Eleonora and Sigrún laughed happily, and after kissing Erik on the cheeks, they dashed off the deck like excited children, exchanging knowing looks with one another, which made Erik smile. In truth, his masters didn't seem like millennial monsters but rather cheerful young women discovering the world, leaving him with a strange yet equally enchanting feeling.

After Eleonora and Sigrún disappeared inside the ship, Erik slowly walked up to the ship's railing and, using the activation permissions granted by Sigrún, altered a small part of the surrounding tropical scenery. He created a 'hole' that appeared to connect to another world, allowing him to gaze upon the beauty of outer space and the moon.

Although planet Aranta was beautiful and fascinating, full of a culture, colors, scents, and sounds that would captivate anyone, Erik found that gray, inert rock floating in the cosmic void far more interesting—a nearly mythical terrain for humanity in his past life, whose successful landing was considered a colossal achievement that went down in history, marking the end of a war and solidifying the global hegemony of a superpower for the following decades.

As he looked out from the railing, Erik lost himself in his memories, vividly reliving the excitement and wonder he felt while watching that historic moment on television in the company of his parents—those black-and-white images that, even now in his second life, still appeared in his dreams, almost like an indelible reminder of humanity's tenacity and intelligence in his previous existence.

The accomplishment of setting foot on that gray rock was undoubtedly one of humanity's greatest sources of pride, especially for Erik. At the peak of his life—long after the first lunar landing—he had helped reconquer that legendary terrain, forever etching his company's name in history. Unfortunately, he never got to witness that scene with his own eyes, and despite being a key figure in the project, he could only watch it on a screen like everyone else—although this time in color.

Thus, he found his current situation somewhat amusing. One of the achievements he was most proud of in his life—arguably his greatest—was here nothing more than an ordinary feat, something easily attainable by anyone in the Arcane Order. So much so that it wasn't even seen as a particularly attractive tourist spot for the vast majority; only a few eccentric tourists, miners, or the military took an interest in those massive arid rocks.

After a while, Erik turned his gaze to marvel at the star-filled void, an awe-inspiring spectacle that made him feel small and insignificant, less than a speck of dust in the grand scheme of things—a sensation that, for some reason, felt deeply liberating to him, almost idyllic. It was as if, no matter what happened, in the end, they were trivial matters in the bigger picture.

Yet at the same time, that immeasurable emptiness filled him with a certain passion for traversing and conquering it with his own hands, for leaving an eternal mark on that sea of stars. Although that would be too much work, and he'd probably just go sightseeing until he got tired. After all, he was quite lazy when it came to adventure.

While Erik was gazing out from the railing, Eleonora, Sigrún, and Seraphina came back up to the upper deck, now dressed in sleek, aerodynamic black suits that were also remarkably functional. They clung perfectly to their streamlined, voluptuous figures, allowing for total freedom of movement—almost like a second skin—while offering impenetrable protection against the unknown perils of the universe.

All along the suit's surface, runes of all kinds were intricately inscribed, glowing with a soft, enigmatic light that seemed to dance gently over the black fabric. They created a marvelous contrast that gave off a feeling of power and mysticism.

The three women joined Erik's side, where Sigrún and Eleonora lovingly took his arms, finally snapping him out of his thoughts. He turned to look at them, only to be completely taken aback by what he saw.

"And those suits?"

Erik asked in surprise as he looked the women up and down, noting that the futuristic-looking suits seemed more technological than magical. They also exuded an almost hypnotic sensual charm, thanks to their tight fit that highlighted the women's gorgeous and curvy silhouettes.

"They're for our moon walk. Isn't it obvious? Fufu." Eleonora replied with a playful giggle, while Sigrún handed Erik a masculine version of the same suit.

"Really?" Erik asked, his eyes shining like flashlights, brimming with excitement. This brought warm, tender smiles to the faces of the three beautiful women.

"Of course. We can't end our vacation without doing the number-one activity our Erik wanted." Sigrún commented in a soft, joyful voice before giving her disciple a loving kiss on the cheek and adding enthusiastically.

"Go get changed. We'll be waiting for you."

"I'll be right back."

Visibly excited, Erik slipped free of his masters' arms and ran inside the ship. Not only did he need to change, but he also had to grab one of his storage rings, which held the essentials for his lunar exploration.

"Fufu, alright. Don't take too long." Eleonora remarked, resting one hand on her cheek and gazing after her disciple with eyes full of love as he ran off, brimming with excitement.

"I'll be right back!"

Erik shouted again as he disappeared into the interior of the ship with the suit in hand. The three beautiful women chuckled softly at his sweet demeanor, which only surfaced on occasions like this. Over time, Erik had grown used to his surroundings and such endearing reactions had become increasingly rare.

Before long, Erik came running back to the upper deck wearing the tight-fitting black space suit, looking incredibly excited. There, his masters were waiting for him, drinking tea around a table fashioned from the wooden floor, chatting in a casual, pleasant manner.

Noticing the arrival of the star-haired young man, the trio of lovely women turned to look at him, smiles filled with affection blooming on their faces as they saw the excitement in his bright-green eyes—eyes that nearly seemed to blaze with enthusiasm. Then Sigrún asked in a caring tone.

"Do you have everything?"

"All set! We can leave whenever."

Erik replied, trying his best to keep his explosive emotions in check. His serious, steady tone drew a soft chuckle from his masters and their maid, who quickly gathered around him. Eleonora then commented cheerfully.

"Alright, then let's be off."

With Eleonora's words, an intricate magic circle appeared beneath them. After a moment, it released a brilliant flash of white light that whisked the group away, leaving the deck empty once more. A few moments later, the chairs and table began to shift and deform until they reverted to the floor.

…

Meanwhile, inside the ship, the trio of siblings—Sofía, Clara, and Martín—were gathered in a single room, which was as large as their entire house. They were incredibly excited, yet they didn't dare to move from the table where the impressive maid had left them with tea, cookies, and more.

"Lady Ravenspell told us that all of this was for us, and we could eat as much as we wanted…"

Staring intently at the tea and cookies, Martín spoke with longing, then swallowed hard, something his sisters mirrored. Finally, Sofía spoke in a serious tone.

"Then take the first step, Martín. Be a man and secure the path for your defenseless sisters."

Hearing Sofía say that, Martín rolled his eyes at her thick-skinned audacity to call herself 'defenseless', as if she had ever been 'defenseless' when beating him up. But at that moment, Clara spoke in a solemn, serious tone.

"I'll take the first step…"

When Sofía and Martín turned to look at Clara, they saw the determination and desire in her eyes. They nodded solemnly, so with trembling hands, Clara slowly reached out to pick up one of the cookies, then brought it to her mouth. Instantly, a wave of pleasure coursed through her body—not just from the sublime taste but also from the mana gently flowing through her, nourishing and strengthening her.

""Are you okay, Clara?!""

Seeing Clara's eyes widen to the point they looked like they might pop out of their sockets, Sofía and Martín exclaimed in panic as they jumped from their chairs to rush to their sister. But Clara raised her hand while covering her mouth with the other and replied in an almost dreamy tone.

"I'm fine. It's just that this cookie is out of this world… It's, without a doubt, the best thing I've ever tasted in my life, even better than the sandwiches."

Hearing Clara's words, Sofía and Martín locked eyes and swallowed hard in unison. Then, their trembling hands reached for the cookies, and as soon as they tasted them, their bodies practically shuddered with the incredible sensation. This sparked a frenzied 'battle' among the three siblings to grab all the cookies they could, devouring them with expressions of pure bliss until the plate was empty.

"This is truly food of the gods…" Martín murmured in a dreamy, low voice as he leaned back in his chair, prompting Sofía and Clara to nod in agreement. The latter then began pouring tea for everyone.

Upon sipping the tea, the siblings suddenly felt an unprecedented mental clarity, along with a calm and peace unlike anything they'd experienced before. Somehow, their mana began circulating through their bodies, making a full circuit within them and leaving them drowsy after a while.

Sofía was the first to react. With heavy eyelids, she threw herself onto the enormous bed in the room and immediately fell into a deep sleep, prompting Clara and Martín to exchange looks and quickly make a decision. They walked over to the bed together and lay down on either side of their sister. Even though they had been given a room each, they felt uneasy, preferring instead to sleep together.

"We really lucked out…" Clara murmured in a sleepy voice, closing her eyes, and Martín nodded in a similar state.

"Yeah… we need to work hard to repay the Boss…"

"I'll do my best…"

With Clara's nearly slumbering voice, they all drifted into a profound, restorative sleep on that comfortable bed. All three had huge smiles on their faces and high hopes for the future, ultimately hugging each other in search of the warmth only family could provide.

Spoiler: Suit

Spoiler: Patreon

If you like it, you can support me on https://www.patreon.com/lordanl and get up to 10 advanced chapters.

 

[lordanl]

The group of masters, disciple, and maid appeared with a flash above the moon that just minutes before Erik had been gazing at with longing. Upon arrival, the runes on Erik's suit gently illuminated, instantly generating something akin to an invisible force field around him, keeping him safe from the void while simultaneously allowing him to breathe normally.

Visibly euphoric, like a child in an amusement park, Erik looked in wonder at the ground beneath his feet, which appeared as a canvas of fine, gray dust that stretched out in gentle undulations toward the horizon—a horizon that looked much closer and displayed a curvature that was incredibly evident to the naked eye, with craters of various sizes dotting the surface, almost like indelible scars recounting the history of countless impacts the moon had suffered throughout its existence.

In the distance, the planet Aranta hung in the sky like an orb of vibrant blues and greens, surrounded by a halo of white atmospheric light—a breathtaking and moving spectacle, especially for Erik, who scanned his surroundings with excitement. This sight brought affectionate smiles to Seraphina, Eleonora, and Sigrún; they truly missed seeing him act so adorably—a behavior that only emerged when he was faced with something "new".

Although for beings of their level, the void of space posed no challenge—and they only donned their suits to match their beloved Erik—the three women nevertheless activated them in order to create a suitable environment for their dear Erik to enjoy his "space adventure" in the best possible way.

"This is fascinating…"

Almost dazed as he surveyed his surroundings, Erik softly remarked. The sound of his voice reached the three women despite the void of space thanks to their suits—even though, in truth, they didn't really need them to communicate; they were simply very important for setting the mood.

"So, what are you waiting for? Let's begin your first 'space exploration'."

Sigrún said with a loving smile. Erik nodded excitedly and stepped forward, but the excitement on his face soon turned to a slightly troubled expression as he realized that the gravity he felt was the same as that of the University planet.

"Fufufu"

Imagining what was going through the mind of her beloved disciple by his expression, Eleonora let out a small, amused giggle from her beautiful lips before gently touching Erik's suit. At that moment, she added cheerfully.

"The gravitational simulation functions are now deactivated."

"Thank you, Master!"

With bright eyes, Erik thanked her and quickly returned to his original position while erasing with a ghostly hand the mark he had left in the sand. He then took another step, floating slightly in the air—a sensation that filled him with immense joy, so much so that he couldn't contain himself and ended up uttering one of his all-time favorite phrases.

"One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

The three beautiful women looked at Erik somewhat confusedly, who was overflowing with happiness from having said that curious phrase—which, although it sounded marvelous, honestly made no sense to them. After all, visiting a moon was so inexpensive that anyone with free time could do it, yet apparently for Erik, it was something very special.

With a broad smile on his face, immediately after uttering the phrase, Erik pulled his notebook from his storage ring and scribbled something in it before quickly tucking it away. He then retrieved from a different storage ring a glass box in which he placed, with extreme care, a small fragment of the moon's surface marked by his footprint—a capture obtained with the aid of a spell.

The women looked at Erik with tenderness as he seemed to be living the best moment of his life. They followed him to play for a while on the moon—building sandcastles and exploring the inhospitable terrain—all while Erik stubbornly refused to activate the gravitational simulator on his suit. Even though, on several occasions, he nearly ended up flying off the moon because he couldn't properly gauge the force of his jumps.

Although the moon wasn't exactly a fun place, and the feats he achieved in weightlessness were things he could easily perform in normal gravity thanks to his super strength. For Erik, being able to stroll on the moon and build a sandcastle was an indescribable fantasy. A joy that he believed no one else could understand, since they would not grasp the context of the situation or what such an experience meant in his past life.

…

"Erik wants to make a flag?"

After playing for a while on the moon, Erik suddenly sat down in the sand and began to pull from his storage ring two platinum rods, a piece of blue fabric, needles, threads, ink, and a brush—an assortment that prompted Sigrún to ask in confusion, to which Eleonora could only nod somewhat uncertainly.

"That seems to be the case…"

Meanwhile, Seraphina—who had remained silently at the side, maintaining a professional and respectful demeanor—did not forget to take pictures of her adorable young master. She made sure not to miss a single detail; after all, moments like these were now very rare, and as her young master continued learning and experiencing new things, they would become even rarer. Thus, she had to record them in lavish detail to treasure them as they deserved.

With all the materials in hand, Erik began welding the platinum rods with fire magic, then proceeded to inscribe his name onto the fabric using a spell, since the brush proved of little use—something that should have been obvious, though his excitement was clouding his judgment somewhat.

After fashioning the frame and sewing the fabric, Erik completed a striking flag, which he planted into the ground with an enormous smile. He then retrieved his portable shelter—the same one he'd used in the tournament—from his storage ring, and set up a small scene where he began taking all kinds of photographs with the aid of a small crystal orb.

Meanwhile, Eleonora, Sigrún, and Seraphina watched with surprise and affection as Erik had fun like a small child, snapping photos of the improvised set he had assembled. Every so often, he nodded in self-satisfaction as he examined the pictures he'd taken. After a while, he turned to look at them and said in a cheerful tone.

"Masters, Seraphina, come on—we have to take a family photo, hehehe."

Those simple words caused the expressions on the three women's faces to melt with love, and before they could say a word, they were already gathered in front of their beloved Erik. He quickly led them to the shelter, then he made the orb float at a good distance from them. After checking that everything was in order, Erik arranged for Seraphina to stand between his masters, then wrapped his arms around all of them from behind and snapped several photos.

As Erik took 'family photographs' in various poses and settings, Eleonora, Sigrún, and Seraphina looked on tenderly at the enormous smile on his face—a smile that was probably one of the happiest they had ever seen on him in all the time they'd been together. This sight filled them with boundless joy—not only because they saw him so happy, but also because they now discovered a new facet of him, which made them feel much closer to him and would undoubtedly strengthen their bond.

Not long after, Ebonique and Ignis joined the photo session, helping the wolves stay afloat in the void of space so that they, too, could appear in the photos. The wolves tried to show their gratitude with a friendly lick, only to be playfully smacked on the head by the spirits. Erik quickly avenged the pups, returning the playful hit and chiding them for not understanding the little, helpless puppies.

…

"You really enjoyed this 'Moon walk'…"

After an "exhausting" photo session, Eleonora commented with a small smile while embracing Erik's left arm, as he gathered his belongings with the help of his ghostly hands. He replied, visibly happy.

"Hahaha, yes, it was great."

"Then the trip was worth it…" Sigrún wrapped her arm around Erik's right side, speaking with a beaming smile. Erik nodded in satisfaction and said in a contented tone.

"It was well worth it."

"It is a joy that the young master enjoyed it so much."

Seraphina, who had chosen to remain silent like the perfect maid she was, couldn't help but comment with a joyful smile on her face upon seeing her young master's happiness. Certainly not because she wanted to divert attention from the dark shadows covering the sandcastles Erik had built in the distance, only to then vanish into nothingness. No, of course not.

After a few more words, the group vanished from the moon with a flash, returning to the cruiser once again brimming with smiles and joy. There, they enjoyed a pleasant and sumptuous dinner together, with Erik "forcing" Seraphina to sit with them under the pretext of celebrating a very important occasion—leaving the perfect maid with no choice but to obey.

"With all these, where are the siblings?"

After finishing his meal—which he devoured as if there were no tomorrow—Erik asked somewhat curious, without even bothering to extend his Mystical Awareness into the ship, since he knew it would be blocked. Seated to his left with a perfectly professional expression, Seraphina replied in a serious tone.

"They are sleeping, young master; they ate too much."

"Oh, I see."

Erik said with understanding. After all, this had happened to him a couple of times before, if he ate too much, his body would fill with so much mana and nutrients that it needed everything to process them—and that made him sleep. At that moment, Eleonora, who was on his right, took his hand and remarked in a soft, calm voice.

"We should also go to sleep; it's already late…"

"You're right, it is late…"

Erik replied in a calm tone while discreetly studying, with his gaze, the hand and expression of his master with golden eyes. At that moment, Ebonique and Ignis—who were nearby in their small forms—flew over to perch on his shoulders.

"Yes, let's go to sleep." Ebonique said in a calm, casual tone, which made the pair of masters smile gently. Sigrún then added with a small smile.

"Ebonique, Ignis, why don't you rest in the spiritual realm? I think that would be much more comfortable for you."

"There is not the slightest possibility of that happening."

Surprisingly, Ignis responded with a firm, sharp tone—a response that mildly surprised Sigrún, who was already accustomed to that unfaithful spirit betraying her to go off with her beloved disciple. Not giving it much importance, she quickly replied cheerfully, though with evident mockery in her tone,

"Ignis, it is very rude to interfere in an 'intimate' moment between master and disciple; what a naughty girl you are…"

"Hmph, it is our duty to save Erik from a couple of perverted masters…" Ebonique quickly joined the fray, taking Ignis's side, which made her nod with pride. Inevitably, Eleonora elegantly interjected.

"Perverted masters? What are you talking about, Ebonique?"

"Hmph, what else could it be?" Ebonique retorted with an annoyed snort, to which Sigrún responded with a defiant smile.

"Yes, what could it be? I really can't understand it—after all, we are still pure maidens."

"Are you insinuating that we are not?" Ebonique quickly shot back, letting her murderous intent show, and Ignis added in a tone of genuine offense.

"Besides, you may be 'maidens' but 'pure'? Hehe."

"Ohh, it seems someone wants to fight…"

Sigrún commented in a dark, almost murderous tone, a vein throbbing on her forehead with anger. This prompted Ignis and Ebonique to let their auras flare, ready for battle. But just then, they heard a voice of a terribly bad actress trying to sound sorrowful.

"Oh no, I feel so sad, you have hurt my feelings… Erik, what can I do...? Do you think I'm not 'pure'...?"

Eleonora commented softly as she clung to the arm of her beloved Erik, who was clearly trying to play dead to avoid getting involved. She let her body fall onto her beloved disciple while looking at him with 'sad' and 'regretful' eyes, which only made the star-haired boy sigh. Shortly after, he spoke in a tired tone.

"Ebonique, Ignis, stop fighting with my masters. Besides, do you have any proof or evidence that they aren't 'pure' or that they're perverts?"

"No…" Almost deflated and visibly saddened by the reprimand, Ignis and Ebonique replied in unison. Erik nodded and said in a serious tone.

"Then apologize to my masters and, in the future, refrain from making comments of that sort."

The pair of spirits—possessing an unimaginable form and status—quickly nodded like little scolded children, then looked at Eleonora and Sigrún and meekly asked for forgiveness in low, sorrowful voices.

"Sorry…"

Seeing the adorable spirits so dejected, Erik couldn't help but be moved. He quickly extended his hands to grant them a generous portion of his mana, which visibly lifted their moods. At that moment, Sigrún said very seriously, as if discussing a matter of vital importance,

"Erik, to be clear, I am indeed 'pure'—I have never been with anyone in any way. Do not get the wrong idea."

"The same goes for me; I haven't even kissed anyone."

Upon hearing Sigrún, Eleonora quickly added, understanding the importance of avoiding any unpleasant misunderstandings, to which Erik could only nod, somewhat confused.

"I understand; I won't get the wrong idea…"

Seeing his masters nod in satisfaction, Erik couldn't help but shake his head. In the galaxy, far too much importance seemed to be placed on "purity" or, in other words, virginity—a notion that, to him, was honestly a bit silly. Although he couldn't deny that a virgin had her charm, he had grown old in his past life, and by that age one learned to enjoy other things. Moreover, an important lesson he learned was that inexperience is dangerous and can bring about unexpected and disastrous changes.

...

The day ended with a small internal war in Erik's room. Seraphina, Eleonora, and Sigrún wanted to sleep with Erik, but Ignis and Ebonique adamantly refused to relinquish their spots on the bed. In the end, the problem was solved by bringing out a larger bed, and everyone slept together in the company of the wolves, who howled lamentably so as not to be left out.

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I think this was a repeat chapter

Click to shrink...

Sorry, I didn't notice. I've already fixed it. Thanks for pointing it out.

 

[lordanl]

The next day, Eleonora and Sigrún were lying beside their beloved disciple, dressed in beautiful silk pajamas—black in Eleonora's case and light blue in Sigrún's. The pair of lovely Masters rested their chins on one hand each, propping themselves up on their elbows on the bed, their positions slightly elevated as they gazed at their adored disciple with gentle smiles.

"… Being in love is truly a wonderful feel…" Sigrún remarked in a low, affectionate voice while gently running her hand over Erik's sleeping face, to which Eleonora replied in a similar tone.

"Certainly, it is… although it is a bit painful not to be able to take things any further…"

Sigrún could only nod heavily at the words of her sworn sister; after all, she too felt that pain—dying to take one more step, yet unable to do so because of the circumstances. Still, she, Eleonora, and Seraphina were willing to bear that pain for the sake of their beloved; they were prepared to wait as long as necessary.

Although part of the reason they could not consummate their love was that social problems would arise. After all, they were powerful and coveted women throughout the galaxy, so their relationship would not only be frowned upon but would also serve as a pretext to attack not only them but also their beloved. To the extent that people might even begin to question the stellar achievements of their shared disciple. The real reason, however, was a more fundamental one.

The path of a mana user was one of constant evolution—both physical and spiritual—so that with each level, their bodies and minds grew stronger and more resilient. Although this did not directly impede the "act of love" itself, it did bring many problems; to the point that there had been cases where women, physically more powerful than their husbands—something especially common among knightly women—ended up unintentionally injuring or even killing their husbands in the midst of the act, as the euphoria prevented them from properly controlling their strength.

But there was something even more terrifying than that for them. To solve the previous issue, they could, for instance, try to avoid hurting him by weakening themselves with drugs, artifacts, or even by binding themselves. However, the problem was that even if they could avoid physical harm, if they truly took that step with him, it was possible that they would affect his talents and the speed at which he leveled up and evolved.

Because evolution was both physical and spiritual, the spirit held a vital importance in the development of a mana user. It was imperative not only to nurture and strengthen it, but also to avoid affecting it in any way—always maintaining a stable and focused mindset, especially during the early levels, which were the most crucial. And few things could affect the spirit and the mindset more than love and sex, particularly at the beginning.

For this very reason, mana users avoided romantic relationships in their early years and only gave themselves a chance when they began to settle down, which resulted in a dearth of married individuals at the university—a fact that had so intrigued Erik in his time and was also what prevented them from taking things further. They were genuinely terrified of hurting him and affecting his future.

Furthermore, being fully aware of the type of people they were, they knew that the moment one of them took the first step, there would be no turning back; all three would lose themselves in that spiral of desire and love, and without a doubt, end up harming the man they loved—something they could not allow under any circumstances. Thus, they reached an agreement to limit their acts of intimacy to nothing more than kisses on the cheek and hugs; anything beyond that was forbidden.

"I guess that's what they call 'boyfriend pain'? Although now it would be 'master pain', hehe…"

Sigrún commented with a playful smile, as she trailed a finger along her beloved's lips before bringing that finger to her own lips and softly kissing it. This inevitably made Eleonora laugh, and she added with a similar smile while doing something akin to what her sworn sister had just done.

"Fufu, I think you hit the nail on the head…"

"And then they say they are not perverts…"

Ebonique—who was also awake alongside Ignis—commented in an annoyed tone, which made the pair of Masters chuckle softly. At that moment, Eleonora said in a serious voice, as she turned to look at the pair of miniature spirits on the bed near Erik's head.

"By the way, you two—I hope you never again cast doubt on our purity in front of Erik. If he truly gets the wrong idea because of it, it will turn into irreconcilable hatred…"

"I'm sorry about that; we got carried away for a moment, but it won't happen again…"

"Yeah, we went too far."

Ignis remarked in a contrite, somewhat remorseful tone, as did Ebonique. The pair of Masters nodded in understanding, and the subject was dropped, giving way to a comfortable silence that lasted until the starry-haired boy began to stir gently. He slowly opened his eyes, a bit drowsy, and greeted.

"Good morning…"

""""Good morning""""

The pair of Masters and the duo of spirits all greeted in unison with calm voices, which caused a small giggle from the starry-haired boy. He sat up on the bed, stretched lazily, then got up and said in a cheerful voice.

"Well, I'm off to do my daily routine; see you at breakfast."

After bidding farewell to everyone, Erik began his daily routine of bio-mystical exercises, then took a bath and donned his university uniform—today his vacation officially ended, and it was time to return. He made his way back to the deck, where he found his Masters seated at a table made from the very floor, accompanied by his trusty personal maid and the adorable assistant spirits.

"Good morning, Seraphina." As he sat at the table laden with food, Erik greeted his maid with a smile. She responded with a respectful bow and a warm smile on her face.

"Good morning, young master."

After feeding the spirits and the wolves with mana, Erik finished breakfast with his Masters. Seraphina then cleared the plates with the help of her whips of darkness. At that moment, the group of siblings—Clara, Sofía, and Martín—stepped out from inside the cruiser, glancing around quite cautiously. Dressed in their assistant uniforms, they looked rather elegant, which only accentuated the beauty of the twins.

"Good morning, did you rest well?" Erik greeted the siblings, who appeared a bit uncomfortable. Sofía quickly composed herself and replied.

"Good morning, boss, and yes, we rested well—though we're still not used to all this luxury."

"Hahaha, I understand what you mean, but don't worry, you'll get used to it. And have you had breakfast yet?" Erik spoke in a calm and cheerful tone. Sofía nodded and responded in a serious tone.

"Yes, boss; Lady Ravenspell allowed us to eat in the cruiser's dining hall just a little while ago."

"That's good, then let's begin."

Erik nodded contentedly and quickly waved his hand gently. Instantly, three beautiful mahogany desks with an elegant, minimalist appearance—each with a comfortable, luxurious chair—appeared on the deck, aligned at the front. Then, Erik turned to look at his Masters and added with a smile, feigning ignorance about his previous invitation.

"Well, Masters, now I have work to do."

Unperturbed by the confused expressions of the siblings, Eleonora said with a small smile on her face, amused by her beloved disciple's silly attempt to leave them out of his first class.

"Enjoy your work."

After speaking, Eleonora looked at Sigrún with a mischievous smile, to which Sigrún responded in kind with a smile as she waved her hand—causing the floor of the upper deck to shift and form two more desks, very similar to the ones Erik had retrieved from his storage ring.

With a calm and confident stride, Sigrún and Eleonora sat at the fronts of the two new desks, while Ignis and Ebonique shrank in size and flew up to Erik's shoulders without uttering a single word. Likewise, Seraphina simply made the original chairs and table, where everyone had breakfast, vanish, then positioned herself by his side with a professional smile on her face.

Wordlessly, Erik observed how everyone seemed eager to participate in his impromptu class. He gave a blank look to his Masters—who were sending him mischievous smiles—and opted to ignore the pair of wolves that had seated themselves in front of everyone with silly expressions, gently wagging their tails.

After sighing in defeat, Erik urged the siblings to sit at their respective desks, as they looked rather uncomfortable and hesitant to move. They had no choice but to follow their boss's instructions and sat down, though it was evident from their expressions that they were afraid of damaging anything.

"Well, then let's begin…" Erik stepped to the front of the aligned desks and began with a question.

"Why do you think I decided to hire you?"

The siblings exchanged awkward glances, doubt written all over their faces. After a moment, Sofía raised her hand uncertainly and responded—though it was more of a question than an answer.

"Is it so that we repay, with work, the help that the boss has given us?"

"Hahaha, not entirely bad—but that isn't really the reason. But since they're here, let me first introduce you to my Masters." Erik said with amusement, pointing to Eleonora before continuing.

"First, there is Master Silverwood—the second-youngest person ever to reach the Master-level in known history, in addition to possessing many other incredible titles."

At the mention of her disciple's introduction, Eleonora waved and smiled from her desk at the siblings, who stared at her in astonishment, their faces as pale as sheets of paper—as if they were in the presence of a terrifying monster. This, however, did not bother Erik, who continued the introductions.

"And second, but not least, we have Master Eldurdóttir—the youngest person to reach the Master-level and, likewise, the holder of several more titles."

As Sigrún greeted them in the same manner as Eleonora, the siblings felt their heads spinning, utterly astounded by what they were hearing. After all, those they had believed to be their Boss's wives turned out to be his Masters. But the worst part was that they were Master-level—a title that no one in the galaxy would ever mistake, for even on their backward, impoverished planet, that title thundered like a deafening roar.

Master-level individuals were practically unreachable gods—far above everyone and everything—a status that rendered them living legends about whom the siblings had only heard fleetingly in class. Their exalted stature made it seem impossible that, in their lives, they would ever be on the same planet as such a powerhouse, much less work for his disciple. Since all Master-level figures, without exception, were absolute titans with overwhelming power, capable of destroying planets like theirs with demoralizing ease.

"Now that you know my Masters, let me ask again: Why do you think I hired you?" Erik asked once more, looking at the siblings, whose gazes were vacant—as if the world were spinning around them—in utter disbelief.

The siblings looked at each other once again, almost as if engaging in a telepathic conversation, having not the slightest idea why someone like their Boss—a Master-level disciple, someone not much different from a god to people of humble origins like themselves—had hired them.

The notion that they might be special in some way or possess hidden talents never even crossed the siblings' minds. After all, they were very aware of who they were—just a trio of very ordinary siblings struggling to survive amid poverty, hardly worth a speck of dust compared to someone like their boss.

Furthermore, although Sofía and Clara knew they were quite beautiful, they doubted that someone like their Boss—who was almost at the top of the galactic food chain and who maintained a "particular" relationship with his Masters, beings of inhuman power and beauty—could be interested in mere poor girls like them, no matter how pretty they were.

After a while, Clara—driven more by the discomfort of the silence and the intimidating gazes of such figures around her than by anything else—dared to speak. Raising her hand, which trembled slightly with fear, she ventured to say the only thing that came to mind, though she wasn't really sure what she was about to say.

"Because you seek loyalty, boss?"

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"Because you seek loyalty, boss?"

"You got quite close." Erik commented with a kind smile on his face as he looked at Clara, who lowered her gaze a little embarrassed, which amused him slightly, but he quickly continued speaking in a calm tone.

"Though Clara is partly right, let me be honest with you: the reason I hired you was pure coincidence—or you could see it as a whim. I found Sofía interesting, willing to pay any price for her brother's life, which is quite rare, if I may say so. So, after thinking it through a bit, I decided to hire you as a good opportunity to improve myself."

Upon hearing the reason, the siblings looked at their boss even more confused than before, but the star-haired boy simply smiled and continued speaking.

"The point is that, due to my goals, I need to address one of my biggest weaknesses, which is finding collaborators. So, when I saw someone like Sofía—determined, eloquent, hardworking, and above all, loyal to her family—it occurred to me that maybe you were a good opportunity to try to nurture loyal and capable collaborators from scratch, so I could learn from that experience."

The unexpected praise caused Sofía to blush deeply and lower her head shyly, feeling her heart pounding at full speed. After all, the person who had praised her was not only incredibly handsome and basically, her savior, but also someone of high status and extensive knowledge, making his compliment far more significant. Still, the young man kept speaking in that calm, magnetic tone that seemed to captivate her.

"Therefore, from now on, I'll focus on nurturing you, my first collaborators. All I want from you is loyalty and diligence. I don't expect you to be the best, nor do I expect you to be particularly good at anything. As long as you're not far below average in your tasks, everything is fine. I only hope you'll be loyal and hardworking."

Upon hearing the last part, the trio of siblings looked in surprise at their new boss. Even Sofía momentarily forgot her shyness, which allowed them to see that he was giving them a somewhat comforting smile, full of confidence, making them feel warm and safe inside.

Though it might be true that he had only hired them on a whim, an undeniable fact was that he was giving them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, one they might never have had under normal circumstances. Thus, in their hearts, their boss's image began to grow at a dizzying pace, while they were filled with an overwhelming desire to better themselves and exceed their boss's expectations, so they could repay all that he was giving them.

That feeling was especially strong in Sofa, since she was the one who had "risked it all" with the mentality of selling her soul to the devil for a mere spark of hope. Only to be rewarded with everything she had dreamed of and more. Inevitably, it led her to stand up and speak in a firm tone, full of conviction.

"Boss, I speak for myself and at the same time on behalf of my siblings to tell you that we, the López siblings, will work tirelessly to meet your expectations, and we will be your most faithful servants forever. The gratitude we feel for what you have done for us and for this opportunity you are giving us is something we will never forget, and from this moment, I dare swear that we could die a thousand times before betraying you."

At Sofía's words, Clara and Martin nodded determinedly, while Eleonora, Sigrún, and Seraphina looked at Erik in surprise, as he always ended up astonishing them with his great skill with words. After all, at the top of the list of his strange traits was the fact that he hardly ever socialized with anyone, and yet, in some odd way, he was quite good at it.

With his little "speech", Erik had practically delivered a masterclass in "leadership", if one wanted to make it sound nice, or, to be realistic, plain and simple emotional manipulation typical of leaders. First, he revealed his background and therefore his ability and position, and then he "opened up" about his weakness while erasing any notion of self-importance the siblings might have by mentioning that he had hired them by chance.

Then he praised Sofía, creating in the others the desire to be praised as well. Furthermore, although he seemingly relieved their pressure by saying there was no need to be the best, by placing all the emphasis on loyalty and diligence, he led them to the only possible logical conclusion—and the one Erik wanted.

As long as they remained loyal and worked hard, they would have the support of someone who was a disciple of two Master-level figures in a mutually beneficial arrangement that fostered closeness and trust. Thus, although they might not become the best, they would be far from average, especially Clara with her wood affinity. All while attributing their achievements to their boss and his support, further strengthening their closeness and loyalty, with Sofa's statement being clear proof of how effective the speech had been.

But the most impressive thing was that from start to finish, Erik hadn't told a single lie. Everything was truthful and verifiable; it was just the way he presented the facts that not only motivated the young people, eliminated their doubts, and inspired trust and familiarity toward him, but also built for himself an honest and sincere image. Moreover, there was still key information that Erik had deliberately withheld, which he would very likely use as the "final blow" to secure his image in the minds of the young ones.

"Hehe, that's good to hear, and I expect a lot from you." Erik commented with a slight smile, to which Sofía responded with renewed confidence.

"Don't worry, Boss. We'll do our best."

"Well then, with our overall objective outlined, let's now talk about our specific goals. For now, since I'm not entirely sure what your individual skills and strengths are, we'll be studying the basics and a bit of everything to develop a solid foundation on which to let your talents flourish.

"And while I'd love to take my time with that task, the reality is that it's not possible right now because I have a deadline to present my assistants for Artificery and Alchemy. So for the moment, we'll focus a bit more on those areas.

"But don't worry, you won't be my only assistants for that. However, I want at least two of you to reach the minimum necessary level so that you can be part of the two respective groups of assistants and act as a kind of undercover supervisors, able to directly inform me of any problems that arise."

"Artificery and Alchemy?!" The three siblings exclaimed, shocked by their boss's words, prompting Erik to explain with a small smile and a calm tone.

"Yes, I'm a certified alchemist and artificer, though only first rank in both professions."

The siblings, who thought they could no longer be surprised, once again found themselves dumbfounded upon hearing Erik's words because both Alchemy and Artificery were highly respected and absurdly profitable professions. Moreover, on their planet Aranta, they were almost like unicorns—so rare that the trio of siblings had never actually seen an alchemist or artificer with their own eyes, giving them a status comparable to nobility.

But despite their rarity, the siblings knew exactly what they were, and those professions were practically anyone's dream. Becoming an alchemist or an artificer guaranteed a life of luxury forever—let alone both at the same time. Thus, finding out they were now working for such a legendary figure, who would even teach them the craft, was utterly shocking, especially since their boss honestly didn't seem like an alchemist or an artificer. After all, the image they had of such professionals was that of wise old men with white hair, not a handsome young man full of energy.

"Boss… Are you really an alchemist and an artificer?" Sofía asked, astonishment written all over her face, to which Erik replied calmly.

"Yes, I'm both, but I think by introducing one of my masters' many titles, you'll understand it more easily. Master Silverwood is also known as one of the most important artificers in the galaxy, at the top of her field in the Arcane Order, while Master Eldurdóttir is no less impressive as an alchemist."

Erik's casual words made the siblings heads spin and left them feeling almost suffocated, receiving news after news that seemed more and more beyond what they thought was common sense. Even causing fear to invade them at the thought of being in the presence of such distinguished individuals.

Noticing the siblings' almost comical expressions, Erik decided to change the subject to lighten the atmosphere a bit. He pulled a beautiful black wooden desk out of his storage ring and began to draw on it, with the help of a special chalk that appeared in his hand, two beautiful magic circles surrounded by different runes.

Erik's actions ultimately caught the siblings' attention, and they began to watch what their boss was doing with curiosity. His calm and methodical movements helped soothe their overwhelmed minds a bit, all under the proud gazes of Eleonora, Sigrún, and Seraphina, who couldn't help but nod in satisfaction at their beloved's display of social skill.

After finishing drawing the runic-geometric circles on the desk, Erik placed in the center of the first one a lead ingot he had taken from his storage ring. He then turned to look at the siblings, who already had better expressions and whose paleness had receded quite a bit.

"Can any of you tell me what alchemy is?" Erik asked in a calm tone, letting his gaze wander over the siblings, at which point Clara timidly raised her hand.

"Go ahead, Clara."

Receiving Erik's permission, Clara took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself and then began to speak.

"Alchemy is a complex magical art through which powerful magic potions are made, capable of creating miracles."

Hearing her answer, Erik couldn't help being a bit surprised, but after a small laugh, he remarked,

"You're not entirely wrong, but you're embellishing alchemy a bit too much. Rather than a 'complex magical art', it's more like cooking: you use different ingredients and process them through various methods to achieve a specific result. Moreover, alchemy involves more than just making potions; you also refine materials and even do things like this."

After saying that, Erik placed his hand on the desk and channeled mana into the magic circle, causing it to glow softly. The siblings watched speechlessly as the silvery ingot their boss had put on the desk slowly began to change color until it became completely golden.

"This is known as transmutation. It's not the most useful thing in the world, but isn't it super cool? Hehe."

Erik commented in a cheerful tone, while Eleonora, Seraphina, and especially Sigrún looked at him with amused and affectionate smiles, particularly at his mischievous laugh. The siblings stared, stunned, at the now-golden ingot on the desk, and then he added.

"But you can also do other kinds of things with transmutation." Erik picked up the gold ingot and placed it on the second circle before adding.

"Such as this…"

With Erik's words hanging in the air, the magic circle beneath the ingot began to glow softly. It suddenly started to change shape, shifting erratically as if it had come to life, until it took the form of two beautiful golden wolves. This prompted Kaiser and Tiberius, sitting in front, to bark excitedly and jump over to sniff them.

While the wolves sniffed the gold figures and occasionally rubbed against their legs, Erik took out another lead ingot, along with a few mana crystals. He then made a few adjustments to the first magic circle to connect it to the mana crystals. Once everything was ready, Erik turned to look at the siblings with a slight smile on his face.

"Who wants to try it?"

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"Who wants to try it?"

At Erik's question, the three siblings raised their hands one after another with shy expressions, though the excitement they felt was evident in their eyes, which made Erik smile in satisfaction. He then pointed to Sofía and spoke in a calm tone.

"Since Sofía raised her hand first, she'll go, but don't worry, everyone will get a turn."

Following their Boss's words, Sofía stood up a bit timidly and quickly straightened her elegant black uniform before heading to Erik's side, her eyes practically on fire with excitement. At that moment, the star-haired young man explained.

"Well, even though what we're going to do is somewhat basic, try to keep your mana under control and send it in the most stable and regular way you can to the magic circle. The mana crystals will help provide the extra mana you lack, since you're still just an Initiate-level and your reserves are quite limited."

"Understood, Boss!"

Sofía exclaimed, brimming with enthusiasm. She quickly placed her hand on the magic circle and began channeling her mana, trying to do so as steadily as possible. Anyone could see it was a rather strenuous task for her, as beads of sweat even formed on her forehead.

Before long, the geometric runic circle came to life, glowing softly, which provoked a surge of excitement in the young woman. She watched, almost hypnotized, as the lead ingot at the center of the circle slowly changed color until it became pure gold, revealing a bright golden hue.

"This is awesome!!!"

Sofía exclaimed in excitement, only to cover her mouth in embarrassment moments later as she looked at Erik with a hint of panic. The star-haired boy merely laughed pleasantly and patted her shoulder in a friendly manner as he spoke.

"Hahaha, nicely done, Sofía. Now let's make it change shape."

"Yes, Boss!"

Sofía replied with shining eyes and her delicate fists clenched tightly. Meanwhile, Erik moved the gold ingot to the second magic circle, setting aside the wolf figures he had made earlier. With chalk in hand, he proceeded to make the same modifications he made in the first one, to the second circle, integrating it with the mana crystals, and then spoke warmly.

"Now I'll create a frame with my mana, and you'll fill it with yours to shape the ingot."

"Yes, Boss."

Sofía answered with a nod of her head, much like a chicken pecking at grain, which inevitably made her siblings Clara and Martin burst into laughter, both equally eager to try something so 'magical'.

Seeing Sofía's obvious excitement, Erik smiled gently and quickly created with his mana a frame of a dragon and a phoenix—something that definitely had nothing to do with the fact that there were two spirits mercilessly digging their claws into his poor shoulders, almost threatening to tear his uniform while casting envious glances at the wolves.

Following Erik's instructions, Sofía soon managed to give the gold ingot the shape of a majestic dragon and a beautiful phoenix, both boasting an impressive level of detail. The pair of spirits then relaxed their grip on poor Erik's shoulders, prompting him to let out a small sigh of relief as he turned to look at the second twin.

"Now it's Clara's turn."

Clara, who was even shyer than Sofía, approached Erik and did exactly as her sister had. However, the figures she created were two women of ethereal beauty with voluptuous, sensual figures, dressed in the uniform of the Arcane Order—something that definitely had nothing to do with two Masters shooting piercing looks at the poor star-haired boy.

"And lastly, Martin." While the twins stared in fascination at the figures they had created, Erik called the last sibling, who immediately responded in a firm voice, clearly tinged with excitement.

"Yes, Boss!"

Martin approached the desk and managed to go through the same process, though he needed a bit more help from Erik, since his mana reserves were even worse than his sisters'—which were already quite poor. A pleasant surprise, however, was that his mana control was quite outstanding.

The figures Martin created with his Boss's help were one depicting Erik himself alongside a beautiful maid with an elegant and professional appearance—something that naturally arose from the meaningful smile a certain maid gave the star-haired boy, while holding a tray of delicious cookies. And he, being a wise man who knew how to adapt to circumstances, instantly knew what he had to do.

"So, what did you think of your first practical alchemy experiment?"

Once the siblings returned to their seats, Erik asked in a cheerful tone while munching on a special cookie from the tray resting on the desk. The siblings answered excitedly.

"It was incredible!" Sofía exclaimed, brimming with excitement, quickly followed by Clara who, though she appeared much calmer, had an unmistakable sparkle in her blue eyes that betrayed her true emotions.

"It was really educational."

"I had a lot of fun." Martin added last, clenching one of his fists with delight.

Meanwhile, Eleonora, Sigrún, Ignis, Ebonique, and even Seraphina and the wolves picked up the detailed gold figures with their respective shapes and began examining them with pleased smiles on their faces.

"Well then, let me give you a little reminder…"

Without stopping his snacking, Erik took a lead ingot in his left hand, and a beautiful runic-geometric circle formed in the air above his hand. It was far more complex and intricate than the ones he had drawn on the desk. He transmuted the ingot into gold, and shortly thereafter changed its shape, turning it into three figures of the siblings.

The siblings watched their own figures in surprise as they floated toward each of them. At that moment, Erik spoke in a calm tone while he picked up another cookie from the tray.

"Well, with that, you now have a small idea of what we'll be doing from now on. Though we'll build a theoretical foundation—since it's required to pass the assistant exam—it'll be minimal, and we'll mainly focus on the practical side because that's what's most important to be an assistant." Seeing that the siblings nodded attentively, looking focused, Erik nodded in satisfaction and then asked calmly.

"Well, so now I need to ask you some questions to determine your current level of knowledge. First, how's your language proficiency? How many languages do you speak, read, and write?"

"Boss… we only know the Meridian language, though we can read and write it perfectly." Sofía answered with evident shyness, causing Erik to nod casually before asking.

"Alright, and what training do you have in mana control? Which mana control and Myst harmony techniques do you know?"

"We only got to attend school for a few years, so we only know the most basic ones like Mystic Breathing, a bit of Focusing, and the most basic mana control. We barely manage to draw mana out of our bodies…"

Clara was the one who answered in a clear, precise voice, though she obviously felt incredibly insecure and inferior—something her siblings seemed to share as they all hung their heads in embarrassment. Seeing this, Erik commented in a calm yet assured tone.

"Well, that's more or less what I expected. You're doing a lot better than I was when I started—I didn't even know how to read or write, much less what a mana control technique was."

Upon hearing their Boss's words, the siblings lifted their heads in surprise, only to find him looking at them with understanding and empathy. This made Sofía and Martin recall that he had once mentioned he actually lived on the streets in his youth, prompting Clara to ask in disbelief.

"Boss, is that really true?"

"Absolutely. As a baby, I was left in some random orphanage on a planet where they didn't even know traveling among the stars was possible. They threw me out of the orphanage pretty quickly, so I wandered the streets for a long time and never even got to learn to read or write in that planet's language. And although it's somewhat similar to the Meridian language, it's different enough that you wouldn't understand a single word if you heard it. Hahaha."

Erik answered in a relaxed and cheerful tone, all the while munching on his cookies with a huge smile on his face. For her part, Clara felt dizzy at the idea that someone with such poise and elegance hadn't been born among nobility and had actually been "just a simple beggar" like she was. In fact, her situation had been better; at least she had known her parents and lived in prosperity for a few years—he never had any of that.

Meanwhile, Sigrún, Eleonora, and Sigrún looked at Erik with complicated expressions before turning to look at each other, full of doubts. At that moment, Eleonora and Sigrún's minds were filled with Seraphina's clear and professional voice.

[Is it really okay to let him continue like this, without knowing anything about his origins…?]

[What else can we do? I already tried to tell him, but he didn't want me to. He wants to be strong enough to kill 'that scum' before he finds out…] Sigrún replied in a helpless tone, to which Eleonora added with a regretful sigh.

[I really feel sorry that Erik doesn't know how much his mother loved him or the sacrifice she made to give him a chance to survive…]

[It's really sad, but I believe Erik is right not to want to know right now. If he learns about it and isn't able to avenge his mother with his own hands, that could affect his mindset, which would seriously hinder his development and talent.] Sigrún commented in a serious tone, making Seraphina and Eleonora nod solemnly.

[That's true, although I think we should have everything ready for whenever Erik does want to learn more about his mother.] After a moment, Eleonora spoke seriously, and Sigrún and Seraphina nodded. That was when the perfect maid declared with a sense of duty.

[Leave it to me. I'll take care of searching for everything I can and have it all ready.]

[Let us know if you need anything.] Sigrún said firmly, to which Seraphina replied in a professional tone.

[I will.]

While the duo of Masters and the perfect maid conversed telepathically, Erik chuckled a bit at the siblings' astonished expressions. Then, in a cheerful tone, he continued while taking another cookie from the tray.

"Well, one of these days I'll tell you my whole story—though it's a bit boring. For now, let's get back to business. Regarding your shortcomings, for now, they're not so critical. We'll leave teaching other languages and delving into mana for later since it's not a requirement for the exam, although it's something you'll eventually have to master, so don't slack off and be prepared.

"But for now, your schedule—since you already know how to read—will be to focus on reading, with great dedication, the books I'm about to give you and to practice a lot. Also, twice a week, we'll hold a class like this one to answer your questions, review the mistakes you've made in your practice, and give you various exercises to work on. I'm counting on you to make an effort and master the knowledge you need to pass the exam."

"Yes, Boss!" the three siblings answered in unison, in firm and determined voices, which made Erik smile in satisfaction as he replied in a confident voice.

"I like that enthusiasm. So now we'll start the first class." Erik swiftly took a whiteboard out of his storage ring and set it behind him, then approached it and began writing as he spoke.

"Today we'll start with a basic introduction to the minimum skills you need to master in order to pass the assistant exam. So get your notebooks out and take notes—this is extremely important, and you can't forget it."

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