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Viera's jaw almost fell out of her head as she heard his statement. What did he just say? The exact meaning behind his prior statements… was he trying to infer that he had created an entirely new field of magic?
Or was she overthinking things here?!
Philip, however, enjoyed this moment fully, chuckling quietly as he witnessed her expression twist and turn, 'I like her reaction, it's about what I expected. Viera is a very traditional mage at the end of the day.'
'Makes me wonder how those even older mages would've reacted to it too… Though maybe… it wouldn't be hard to check it out if I wanted to.'
The moments passed, but Viera remained shocked, gazing at the knife, her trembling eyes moved in coordination with eyebrows and fingers, rising up and down…
She was going through multiple stages of... something… to say the least.
Her reaction sparked another curiosity within Philip's mind, 'I haven't had the chance to think about it… but could I mix this world's and Nyrn's magic?...'
However, he dismissed those thoughts without delay, 'That doesn't quite make as much sense in practicality as it does on paper. Formulas cannot be applied retroactively… since even though they share the same name, both are… highly divergent fields in reality.'
'One could say all things tie together eventually… but all things within a singular cosmos. The laws of creation bind together, but those of worlds abound… I don't think I'm quite ready for that.'
His thoughts trailed, almost sounding foreign… His brain thus raised a question as his eyes moved from Viera to his own hands. It asked, "So, where does Magicka come from?"
The answer came in a multitude of ways, but the truth was a little complicated. Nonetheless, it came to him just as all his thoughts eventually came, 'Magicka comes from Aetherius, the home of Magnus, the Architect of Creation, and his followers, the Magna-Ge.'
So, on that note... What happened to Magicka? How could he still employ it in this realm far from Aetherius where the Star of Magnus did not exist?
Could the System itself have drilled a world across dimensions just so he could use a tiny fragment, if not a mere spark, of the power coursing through that plane? Or, like he assumed before, it was all but an imitation of the worlds he had experienced before?
Philip turned around, focusing on the Enchanting Table. His hands moved, and the runes in them lit up, and blue mist rose above it…
Why think so much when he had a pretty capable mage right next to him?
"Let me ask you a question, what do you feel when you see this?" He asked as he pointed at the smoke
"What was that all of a sudden?... But… I don't feel much."
'The problem is not that... How did he do that? It seems a little familiar.'
While she wondered about the origins of his powers, Philip pondered over her response.
He tapped his table, "You don't?... Peculiar. Thank you for the answer."
He ignored her reception, turning around again, 'Perhaps nothing has changed. Magicka remains a force of its own, and it hasn't mixed with this world's magic… If this experiment holds any concrete value.'
Philip scratched his head in frustration. He'd been struggling with this concept for a long time.
/Exhale.../
"Sigh."
'Instead of getting too fed up trying to make sense of everything, I should just accept I'm a Hero and that everything works because of the System and be done with it.'
'It does not please me to surrender like this, but in a battle of priority, trying to make sense of this… falls a little short of everything else.'
/Frown.../
Once again, right before her eyes, Philip fell into deep thought… forgetting he wasn't alone in the room, much to his guest's complaint, "Excuse me… Please do not ignore me…" Viera complained, almost pouting.
Philip snapped awake, turning around with a mild smile, "Apologies, I lost track of my own thoughts."
He pulled a small shirt from his inventory, putting it on to make her feel a bit more comfortable.
Finally, sitting on his enchanting table, he raised an eyebrow at the growing mage, "Then? Did I answer all of your questions? Anything else you're holding back?"
"... Most of the ones I'm willing to ask. After I'm done here, I guess I'll just… rest a little."
Too tired to return to her studies or to wander around town, for once, the ever-diligent mage wanted nothing but to crash down and forget about her troubles.
"Oh? You do deserve some rest." Philip replied with a nod, "If you wish, you can ask Mita to help with that, she has a lot of things stored within."
Movies, songs, games, books, and more. And now, perhaps the entire culture of Eden, ready to be materialized in a half-world where everything she desires can be made true.
"Yes… but Mita? Did you change her name?"
Philip coughed lightly, "I couldn't keep calling her MT. It's a disservice to her ego and loyalty… so I named her Mita while you were sleeping."
"You'd think she'd be happy with any name, but it took quite a while for us to come up with one she liked, and it ended up being the one that resembled her original one the most." He added with a chuckle as he looked away
"Okay, I'll check it out later… But that isn't important now…"
She fiddled with her fingers, trying to gather some courage to speak...
"I was... you know… a tad…"
"Curious about my Magic?" He interrupted as he tilted his head
"... Y-Yes…"
She looked like a child who had done something mischievous. Asking a mage to learn their magic was somewhat rude, if not absurd. Much less something so personal as a new or exclusive magic…
Mage families would never let outsiders learn of their unique studies, nor would a grand mage teach a disciple their greatest secrets without so much as a second thought.
Just like how the principal is so picky about who hell choose to inherit his true teachings.
Philip may not know, but Viera's opinion of him had greatly changed right now. Even if his magic was proven faulty later, it was still a fact that he had done something, and that was already miles ahead of her…
So she unconsciously saw herself being more formal, and Philip noticed that right away, not only through her mannerisms but also through her emotions as well.
It was something he planned to correct, and it had to be now.
He found it amusing and partly worrying. A mage of talent should not need to look anywhere but her own studies, but she was not to be blamed for her own ignorance of the matter, "I can teach it to you… but not now." He replied after thinking for a moment,
"Really? I-I don't need to learn it fully, it's mostly for my own curiosity..."
She looked left and right, blinking multiple times quickly. Did she have to make it any more awkward?
Perhaps he was the only one who took things so casually…
"I'm not an enchanter per se, so anything not too overly complicated is fine…" She said as she brushed her hair aside
Philip patted her shoulder, "You shouldn't try to add more weight to your baggage… Though, I'll show you bits and pieces from time to time, how about that? Is it a deal?"
"... Deal!"
Her smile widened, and for a moment, it seemed her resentment had all but gone away.
'Viera does love Magic…' Philip thought as he looked at her almost jump for joy. And although he worried for her, it was good for him that she was direct with her desires. At least this way he'd keep company with her ventures as she explored the world her curiosity led her.
And to him, having a mage to follow through with his experiments could not be any better.
Philip and Viera talked for a little longer. She asked a few more questions, but none related to his magic, it seemed his talk was having its effects on her.
Once she was done and left, he took off his shirt and went back to work, this time taking out expensive materials, he was about to make something really good…
…
/A few minutes later.../
While Philip drew some things on a small notepad...
"You're lucky." Laplabe muttered, vibrating from his pants
This interrupted him, "When did you get here? I thought you were having a time-off." He asked as he reached out for his pockets
"And I was. Took a ride with her as she woke up… now, you should stop playing around."
"How so?"
Although Philip wanted to make a light joke, he wasn't in the mood.
Laplabe turned his pointers to the door, "The girl, I did expect her to fail, but I didn't expect her to go that far. Maybe at this rate, you'll get what you wanted all along."
Philip wasn't surprised, "But does it matter? A fail is still a fail."
"That is true, the old man was very strict. If someone failed his tests, he wouldn't give them a second chance unless he felt like it, and his mood swings were like those of a teen girl."
"… But he's clinging to her. He already sees her as his heir. I took a chance to talk with him, and it seems he won't be letting her go anytime soon."
His voice changed, becoming nostalgic, "Had his real self been here, I bet he would've thrown a fit for being refused like that, but since he isn't, he gave her some time to think things through."
"In the end, I still urge you to seek another suitable person, I don't expect you to find more than one at once, but even then, that would be perfect nonetheless."
Philip put his hammer aside, "... So we're back to step one. Or rather, we never left it…"
"Things would be so much simpler if you just…"
"No."
"Shame."
'The search for an inheritor is at the bottom of my responsibilities. But then again, finding one now may not be as complicated as before…'
Thinking about his closest aid, Philip went back to sorting his materials.
And like that, the day rolled by…
…
/Scrub scrub…/
Back in the workshop, as the sun took over the skies, rising to its mighty glory, Philip took his time polishing some tools lying around.
Next to him were dozens of such objects, some with clear functions, like several knives strapped to each other, likely a throwing set ready for action.
But others weren't, like a strange and small wooden coffin, a glove that spontaneously created red silk, and a small mace that sparked on its own from time to time.
Those items were once his trusty pals, his old yet not as old Hunter tools. After staying in the cold inventory for a long time, it was time to bring them back into the light.
/Whistle~/
Philip sang as he cleaned them, something he kept at the back of his mind whenever he hunted beasts in the past. It helped him focus and not give in to whispers that often tried to consume his mind.
Funny enough, while the whispers had long gone, he now often found himself plagued by something far too similar… If not the echoes of his own, inquisitive mind, then it'd be the momentary intrusion of his onlookers.
The equally grotesque being whose form was unknown, and the entity that had ascended into a state of existence Philip could not comprehend… In some ways, things hadn't changed after all.
Once they first left him, he even felt somewhat empty, but those feelings were long gone, the dark thoughts gathered within those times cured early on in his journey.
There was a reason why he had taken them from their sealed chambers. For as therapeutic as it was, cleaning them wasn't his goal, for inside the System, they wouldn't gather dust at all.
What he was doing was preparing them for what he was about to do, something he had pushed along for too long for varying reasons… soon enough, he would start improving them.
To the best of his ability, of course. With his knowledge of magic and his ever-growing Smithing Skill, he believed himself capable of improving them. And even if those alone weren't enough… this time, he had the greatest assistant known to mankind to help him.
"Hm… now… how to do this…"
Turning his head to the side of the table, he saw two swords resting there carefully amidst many other weapons, such as a large, scary-looking axe, a crooked hammer with a trigger, a bow, and a… cane?
His main weapon, the Darklight Sword, and the Vibration Blade. He had long desired to improve them, he just didn't have the means, or the creativity to do so.
/Thud.../
Philip lightly tapped the table, "I think this is enough…" Philip said as he took a step back, bringing forth his Skills from his newest Class.
{Mage -> Illusion: 1-78; Conjuration: 1-82; Destruction: 45; Restoration: 1-94; Alteration: 2-56
In-Between: Enchanting: 79
Warrior -> Smithing: 60; Heavy Armor: 35; Block: 66; Two-Handed: 43; One-Handed: 52
In-Between: Archery: 47
Thief -> Light Armor: 38; Sneak: 65; Lockpicking: 89; Pickpocket: 34; Speech: 1-93
In-Between: Alchemy: 1-12}
{Shadow Magic: 8}
{Blood Magic: 19}
{Flesh Magic: 2}
Philip spread his Skills around him, like multiple constellations in the sky, 'My Smithing Skill leveled 19 times since I got back to the forge. It has advanced my knowledge quite a bit, but not by much.'
'Some of my other Skills also improved during the raid to save Tredis' wife. Since most of them improve with direct usage, many will probably level up quickly in the coming days.'
"… I wonder if I can improve the efficiency… Would fighting inside Simulation Room count towards their progress? Not just fighting, but any action for that matter."
[Why not just test it out?]
A floating halo gleamed above him, but he didn't even bat an eye at its flashy entrance.
Philip continued to organize his tools and items, spreading them around without too much trouble, "Maybe after I'm done with this… how is our little experiment going?"
[Its going well. It has worked exactly as you intended… just as I said it would. It wasn't a surprising outcome, though not through the proccess I prefered]
He smirked, "At least that's one question resolved… but let's tackle our issues one at a time."
[Sometimes you're fast, othertimes you're way too slow…]
He laughed, stepping to the to where there was a large scroll hung on the wall. It was full of runes and complicated formations faintly resembling a circle, though some could say it was akin to a square.
In the end, the symbol representing Oblivion could be seen.
(Image?)
"Let's open a gate to Oblivion." He said with a wide smile as the halo above his head dimmed
[For all intents and purpuses… that is not a sound course of action]
But her master merely shrugged her words off, "So is everything I've been doing so far."
[Sigh… very well. I'll transfer it all to you, but don't say I didn't warn you when something unusual occurs!]
"We deal with things as they happen. Leave it to the regressor to think about what's to come." Philip replied as the halo above his head turned into a beam of light, connecting his head to… somewhere beyond sight
After a few minutes, Philip opened his eyes, "… Okay… I got it."
[I can't say for a fact that it's precise…]
"Then all we have to do is keep working until it works." He said as he reached out for his diagram, pulling it from the wall, "The more data we gather, the more precise your recreations will become."
'Until the world inside becomes just as great as this one.'
Philip sat down and began correcting and expanding the diagram.
…
The minutes passed quickly, and soon enough, Laplabe reached out to him:
"Philip… it's about time."
"Hm? Already?"
'So its almost time for her to arrive.'
The awaited meeting with the Azul family's daughter.
He put his pen and bundled the diagram into a scroll, "Viera should be able to welcome her, but it wouldn't be polite to welcome her like this…"
As he cleaned his face with a towel, he looked at the furnaces with an annoying glare.
"I understand now why most smiths have at least one assistant."
Cleaning the equipment and the workplace takes too much time. Magic made things simpler, but it didn't solve the issue. Nonetheless…
[You're the one who insisted on doing things like this. I could've helped you with everything if you wanted to]
He sighed, "Yes, I get it… I just felt like a waste putting this place behind me after waiting for it to get renovated… at least let me use it for a while, alright…"
Philip turned around, stretching his arms as he put some of his things away, "… This should be enough."
"There's still an hour before she arrives. It's the perfect time to take care of that pending matter."
He pointed at the air, commanding, "Open the gates!"
[…]
[Activating Skill, Liminal Planetarium (???)]
/Fwoop!/
A pair of arms materialized from the void, they stretched into the room, the pale fingers grasping at the empty air… and pulled.
Space tore open as a passage into the beyond took shape.
/Jump!/
Philip jumped inside, and the crack closed behind him moments before his long hair was swallowed by the darkness.
…
/Step…/
On the other side of the rift, Philip found himself inside an enormous castle, his clothes and condition refreshed, as a long blue cape strapped around his neck… for some reason.
After loosening his collar, he followed through its hallways without issue, threading through its confines with familiarity and intent.
Soon, the echoes of hammering reached his ears, but that was not his destination. He climbed to the top of the castle, over ten stories tall without complaints, and arrived at a large circular hall.
If one were to look beyond its windows, they would see a beautiful garden, one that did not quite fit its location… "… I still hate it how you made this place. My head hurts trying to walk around it."
[What's so wrong with it? I find it rather interesting that you can be at a garden, only to arrive at a massive mountain by crossing a bridge]
"Interesting for you, but it gives me a damn headache."
Mita chuckled, and he snorted.
He waved at the air, "… Open the doors, it's time to give those girls a light call."
The hall was decorated with two dozen doors over five meters tall, each like a tall, arched mirror.
Of those doors, only three shone differently from the others. They reflected places that were constantly moving, each at a different, yet familiar location.
The first door he passed through reflected the manor's general office, which had been taken over by Viera as her private study. And another reflected a decorated room where a young lady with long dark hair slept soundly…
Seeing this, Philip snorted, "Sleeping at this hour? She sure takes things easy."
[That's because you don't know how hard she works everyday. She spends most of her time with me studying and training, and last night, she only slept two hours]
He put his hands on his waist as he looked away, "Hm… I take back what I said then."
'I'll talk with her some other time then… I wouldn't want to disturb her dreams, not when I'm still learning how to control this ability.'
He turned to the other door, where a young lady rested beside her blade, sharpening it quietly.
"Let's see how she's doing…"
/Cross…/
Philip stepped through the mirror.
…
/Screek… screek…/
Sharpening her blade in silence, Ivia could not stop thinking of her last few days ever since "he" left, and the academy turned upside down.
'… I still don't get it. Just what was that move he did against me?'
Every day, whenever she could, Ivia would step inside the "gift" Philip had given her. Although apprehensive at first, through it, she achieved remarkable progress, the kind that would've taken her months if not longer otherwise.
For a few days, it was a simple ability where she was in control of everything. But at a certain point, something appeared within, an entity that would soon present itself to her as the "administrator" of that space.
Mita was her name, granted to her by no other than the guy who had left as suddenly as he had arrived.
The administrator helped her in more ways than she could name, in manners she didn't even know were possible, and in areas she didn't know she needed help with in the first place.
With her to guide her, Ivia's growth skyrocketed, and she found herself understanding something new whenever she stepped inside, constantly asking herself what she could do better… seeing what she could be, and growing stronger every moment, just as she always wanted.
The administrator called this space a "Dream World" where those permitted could gather. A world that copied the real one, growing the more they experienced.
Ivia always knew of her role, but with Mita being more explicit with her, she better understood her goal in this transaction… Philip might've given them the means to grow, but he wanted something out of it, even if that wasn't the goal at first.
Whomever she saw, the longer she stood around them, the greater their abilities would be transferred to the confines of the Dream World. This allowed her to truly test her abilities against all around her, and even understand the true might of her father, who had never trained with her without holding back.
Reality was cruel, however, for multiple times she fell at his hands… and while it hurt at first, while she felt fear when his hands reached for her neck… now… she wasn't quite appalled by it any longer.
She partially understood now the training Philip and her father had gone through before his departure, and to some degree, she understood even better now why he left the way he did…
'This time, I'll try to worm my way into the top 100…'
"Looks like someone is eager for a battle."
"?!?!"
Ivia threw her blade into the air, freezing as Philip raised his palm to catch the blade.
"You should be a bit more careful, this sword is quite sharp."
"Y-You…"
Philip gently lowered the blade to her, "I see you haven't changed much. Your goals remain as clear as they always were… if not just as rash."
"Philip?!"
"The one and only." He replied as he brushed his long hair back
"…"
Ivia was momentarily stunned. Compared to when she last saw him a week ago, he looked… no… he felt completely different!
Right at this moment, Ivia felt everything Viera had been feeling throughout these past few days all at once. The entire cascade of changes fell right on her, clogging her mind all at once.
Seeing her frozen expression, Philip closed his eyes dramatically, "Sigh, the curse of being too handsome… I freeze girls the moment our eyes meet."
"#!!"
That seemed to wake her up, as she was quick to get to her feet to face him.
'Was he… was he always this tall and… wide?'
"A pleasure to see you again, Miss Peos. How has your father, Professor Fabrin, been doing? Did he find someone to repair the pen I broke last time?"
She struggled to come up with the right words to answer, but after holding herself to speak, she finally muttered her first few words, "When did you… return?"
"Just now. Through this door over here." He said as he raised his thumb to the door floating behind him
The sight of the magical door that shouldn't be there twisted her already confused mind even further, which only made him laugh inside even more.
After checking the time on his pocket watch that was most definitely not a terrific monster, Philip reached out for the door, "In any case, I'm afraid I don't have that much time today, so I only came here to see how you were faring…"
"You see, the blessing I shared with you last time has undergone some major changes, so I wanted to see for myself how you were faring since then."
'And possibly to reinstate it if anything wrong was going on. Mita told me there was nothing wrong with it, but I wanted to see it for myself nonetheless.'
Ivia took a deep breath, trying to calm her own convoluted thoughts. But his words brought some semblance of balance to her mind, "Changes?"
"Have you not noticed it? I believed Mita has shared with you the details."
His eyes darted around, 'It also seems like Mita hasn't manifested to her outside of it. Which is fine, I suppose. She already spends most of her time inside… it's not like everyone needs an AI assistant.'
"The administrator? She has indeed…"
Philip smiled, "Then all is good. I apologize for my sudden intrusion. Next time, I'll plan things accordingly with you… Tell Fabrin that I sent him my regards."
"Huh? W-Wait! Don't just…"
/Fwoop!/
After he stepped through the door, Philip vanished without as much as a sound, freezing her in place as she found herself alone once more.
…
[You barely talked with her]
"There was no need for it. I already confirmed most of what I wanted anyway."
'Ivia is a talented girl with a lot of determination and a reckless attitude. To some degree, she is the right kind of person to have access to this world and train around with it.'
'But that also makes her the most vulnerable to it. So I wanted to see for myself how she was holding up with my own two eyes.'
[Just say you were worried about your precious lab rat]
Philip laughed, "You make it sound so dark when it's you who toys around with her."
He left the room of mirrors after glancing around for a little longer, stepping outside… this time appearing somewhere else entirely.
/Clang… clang…/
The echoes of metal reached his ears almost instantly. On the other side of the door, Philip found himself inside a wide workshop.
/CLANG!/
Dozens of smiths could be seen working diligently on whatever project they had been assigned to, but when someone observed them intently… they'd realized they all looked the same!
Two dozen Philip's stood within the workshop, working together or on their own!
"Things seem to be going well."
[Sometimes you have the most ridiculous of ideas…]
He put his arms behind his back, "What's wrong with this, anyway? Did you know every boy in my generation wanted the power to conjure shadow clones?"
An idea Philip had after experimenting with his Skill. If Simulation Room could already nearly replicate anyone registered within its databank, what about him, someone who was constantly under its effects?
Despite his original fears, most of those were cast aside as time passed, the chances of any of those reeling, or some other issue arising, diminishing.
And over time, his thoughts converged toward a single solution. If he couldn't create more time to work on his issues, then all he needed to do was create more of "him" to solve them!
And so, this bizarre scenario came to be… Multiple copies of him, each working on varying projects of his own design, continuing to do his bidding, despite not truly being alive.
Like echoes of himself within a dream, multiple versions of him carried on his rule. Once completed, all he needed to do was synchronize their memories to become up to date in whatever it was doing.
[Who would think of slaving themselves?!]
"This is not slavery! I wanted to work on all these projects… at best this is a… mildly compulsory… nightmare for them."
[How is that any better?]
He snickered, "At the end of the day, their memories will return to me, so isn't it fine in the end? If I had a better control over my own Mental Power, I might've been able to divide my mind and accomplish the same thing, so why bicker over it all?"
It wasn't originally meant to be like this. At first, Mita suggested the idea of working within this realm where she could fully assist him with any task.
A world where fire could burn as long as she desired, a world where metal could be molded and reshaped like water, and everyone of Philip's ideas could be explored with far less difficulty than in reality.
Alas, he chose to work in reality for nothing but his own satisfaction, leaving her with these copies of him instead…
[… Very well. This isn't the first out of the norm thing you've done, and won't be the last] Mita said as she accepted his words
[Shall we return to the manor? Or would you like to continue our training?]
He shook his head, "Let's go back. We'll resume our training later."
[Very well]
Another fissure opened, and Philip returned to his reality.
…
/At the same time…/
Viera sat at Philip's desk as always, studying her books with renowned energy after a short nap throughout the afternoon, while Mita floated above her, quietly observing her actions.
"Mmnn!"
Stretching her arms, she yawned, grabbing another book and opening it to a specific page. A good nap after who knew how much time inside the trial grounds was everything she needed.
Now it was time to put into words what she had learned there and resume her own studies…
/Knock knock…/
"Hum?... Come in." She said as she raised her head
/Creak.../
"Excuse me, madam, but our guest is on their way…" A Maid replied as she opened the door
Viera raised her head with some confusion, "Guest? Are we expecting a guest?"
'Did he invite anyone? Could it be... those ladies of his?!… Doesn't really matter, I'll just stay here... Maybe peek a little…'
The maid did not notice her changing expression, "Are you unaware? A few days ago, the Lord received a letter and…"
Barely had she started talking, Viera already got slightly annoyed. She had talked with him multiple times after she woke up, and in none of those times had he raised this subject with her!
"##!"
'Lazy bum forgot to mention it to me! No… he did it on purpose!'
Viera's expression turned dark as the maid continued, "... A lady from the Azul family will be visiting us in about an hour, perhaps even sooner. It's quite an honor to welcome a member of high nobility…"
The Maid seemed a bit tense as she finally noticed Viera's darkening expression… so her tone slowly softened, growing gentle and even somewhat weak:
"So I came here to…"
Viera suddenly raised her hand, "Wait, Azul? You mean… her?!" She exclaimed in surprise as her eyes shot open.
'Why is she…? Dont tell me they're also… wait, that can't be it, they barely even talked if at all!'
She finally connected the dots, their light conversation they had at the party, 'No way… is she here for me?! Oh no… I didn't even consider that possibility!'
Viera looked at herself through a hand mirror, noticing her wide, dark eyes… She didn't mind her appearance mostly, but it's true that thanks to the Maids and Philips incentive, she was now putting quite the effort into it.
However, now was different, someone she knew, a Great Noble at that, was making her way to her home… while her head was buried in books…
She rubbed her face, "I… need a shower."
"The water is already warm." The maid replied, smiling
As for the troublemaker…
...
/CLANG!/
/CLANG!
He finished shaping a small piece of metal into a bracelet, stopping to take a quick breath.
But in this moment of relaxation... he looked at a bucket inside the forge...
"Sometimes I forget how cool this feeling can be, I grew so strong I can just shove my hand in molten metal." He said with a playful tone as he tried moving his hand into the bucket full of molten gold
That said, he couldn't just shove his hands inside without some preparation. Whenever he did so, he would get mildly burned, like touching a hot pan. To shove his hand inside, Armament had to be raised to protect it… though that wasn't exactly the terminology for it now.
At the same time, he had a strange… no… utterly insane idea, 'Hm… I wonder how it tastes…'
Philip just plucked the bucket from within the forge, uncaring about the raging flames within. He lifted it up, finding it quite odd as the metal cooled around his fingers…
He even wandered if he could take a bath in it… laughing in amusement.
"Ha!… That would be a scene straight out of a Wuxia Novel."
'… Take a bath in molten gold to raise my cultivation…'
"Anyway, I now need to reheat this crap again… and clean my damn hand." He said with a helpless smile as he peeled off the cooled metal like aluminum foil wrapped around his arm
/SHAAAA!/
So he let it burn and bubble with a small smile… but after a while, he frowned.
"… Did I forget about something?"
[…]
Mita stayed utterly silent…
…
A bluish-black carriage slowly approached from the street, pulled by beautiful horses that galloped in harmony, and driven by a knight clad in full blue armor that looked both fierce and elegant.
It stopped somewhere around the entrance of the manor, where several people could be seen waiting patiently.
Viera, now in a beautiful dress, looked like a young noble lady. She even held what seemed to be a fan in her hands, a beautiful gem wrung around her neck.
Philip, with his hands in his pockets, looked very classy, yet somewhat bored as he held in his urge to snore. He wanted to brush his long hair, which had been done by the maids, aside, but whenever he raised his hands, one of them slapped his wrist from behind him.
So he turned his attention elsewhere… to a certain girl who was as stiff as a board.
"Relax, you look good." Philip said in a relaxed tone as Viera's eyes shook
She frowned, "Dont even start. Why didn't you warn me about this?"
"I already said I forgot, didn't I?"
But all he received was her scorn, "As if you would forget such a thing."
"Haha…"
'Damn right. I wanted to make it a surprise…'
Philip didn't have much to say to that; instead, he just looked ahead.
/Neigh!/
The horses grunted slightly as they clashed their hooves on the street as a beautiful lady with silvery hair stepped out from within the carriage with the help of the knight.
She wore a short, casual dress, made to be light and easy to move around in. An elegant, but simple dress that reached beneath her knees, with two sleeves that stopped short of her elbows.
Her hands were covered in two long, blue gloves, and her high heels were thinner than Viera's.
Philip even had the momentary illusion that there were flowers floating around her as she descended from her carriage, like a true princess from a fairytale.
She also had a small white hat on her head with a blue lace around it; it went well with her eyes.
Lastly, Philip noticed the small spider on her shoulders. The moment their eyes locked, the spider was frozen solid as it rolled backward, falling from her shoulders, as if dead.
The girl was stunned by this as well, but she acted as if the spider wasn't there, moving away from the critter as her smile twitched for a moment.
As for the knight, he was her escort, the sole one her family had sent to follow her, though more than enough for any task.
/Step…/
Following the girl, another one stepped from within, wearing blue and white clothes. It was her personal maid, as every Noble should have, equally as pretty as her.
She seemed like the serious kind of person, as she kept the same face, not changing her gaze at all even as she stepped out of the carriage with the knight's help…
Though… her expression went through a slight change as her eyes passed through Philip.
It seemed she wasn't the only one who noticed something was odd, as the knight also unconsciously moved his hand to his hips, but there was no sword there.
His sword had been left in the carriage, as carrying it here could be seen as offensive. He instead grew slightly embarrassed as he tried to hide this lapse of judgment, looking to the side and the horizon...
/Gulp.../
Seeing it all unfold, she whispered to herself, "Can I really do this?"
"Well... I don't think she bites, at least."
"..."
/Sigh.../
It was a small group of three people, but their presence was quite strong.
/Tap…/
Philip tapped Viera's shoulders, encouraging her to welcome them. For a friend coming over, wasn't that the best course of action?
He was only here to say hi, as once everything was over, he would leave the ladies alone with whatever they wanted to do, going on his way to… whatever else there was to do.
He did have some concerns about leaving her be, but with Mita to assist her, Viera would never find herself in an awkward situation.
"Ah…"
/Clears throat…/
Gathering her courage, Viera took a step forward to welcome her, paying attention to her small smile. Her expression was just as she remembered: elegant, confident…
But she seemed more relaxed now, even friendly.
[There are others here] Mita said as her voice echoed inside Philip's mind
'I noticed that too.'
Philip, on the other hand, moved his head to the side, looking at a pair of men staring at them from far away… One middle-aged, the other even older, missing the momentary glance Elyria threw at him.
One looked young and gallant, the other, wise and nostalgic, like a grandfather who was really kind…
His eyes flashed, and the world provided him with their Statuses:
[Duarlos Fesard... Azul
Level 1?
]
[Roland Sertir... Azul
Level 1?
]
For a moment, he was confused, but soon after, he understood, 'The Azul family?'
[That's her father and his buttler]
'Her father? That would make him High Noble Azul, one of the top aristocrats of the nation. Quite a doting family to have come this far.' He replied with a smile as he closed his eyes
…
"… It seems he noticed us, sir." Roland replied with a small, amused smile as he adjusted his glasses
But Duarlos was more intrigued than anything else, "We weren't trying to hide in the first place."
He scratched his thin, shaved beard with a smile, not very surprised that Philip had seen them, 'Now that's the demeanor of a young lad. I can tell from here he's quite the confident boy.'
'That kid, Rafiel, pales in comparison. Someone like this would be a much better fit for my daughter… but it seems like her little friend has already claimed him.'
"However…"
/Flash.../
His eyes sharpened as he looked at Philip, his right eye flashing with white light as his iris changed colors and shape… But after a while, they squinted a little as a small tear fell down his right eye.
Roland turned to him, "Sir?"
"Humph… mark me impressed."
He closed his eyes and wiped his tears. By the time he opened them again, everything had gone back into place.
As he folded his handkerchief, Duarlos felt nothing but respect for the boy, "Ho? What a surprise."
"She wasn't lying at all. If anything, she was underplaying his potential."
"This kid has an incredibly potent Spirit, either the reflection of a powerful body, an incredible Soul, or an equally strong spiritual affinity. Perhaps even all three together."
His smile grew cryptic, "I can even see traces of a domain enveloping his body, even if weak… How come a boy like this has remained unknown for so long?"
'He even stunned her Spirit Guardian. It seems like those aren't the only things he has in abundance… something else is hiding within him to shake the will of a Spirit of such caliber.'
Roland had to take a deeper glance at Philip, "A domain you say? Now that's a surprise… the younger generation never ceases to impress me, my Lord."
Nevertheless, Roland's gaze remained stoic, and nothing Fesard said seemed to surprise him.
He'd merely laugh dismissively, though his thoughts revealed more than his cold eyes showed, 'How could there be such a strong spirit in such an unassuming place... and on a young man of all people?'
'He carries too an aura of authority… Were there any such talents hidden amidst this generation?' He thought as the faintest of smiles reached the corner of his lips, 'At this rate, the Lord might feel inferior.'
'None of those kids of him, even his doted daughter, possess such potent prospects.'
/Bzzz…/
In the meantime, Lord Duarlos Azul took out a small rock from within his chest pocket, pointing it at Philip as he raised it before his chest. The rock faintly vibrated, and for the first time, Roland acted surprised.
"Even from this distance, it stirs."
He then stored the rock back in place before tapping his chest slightly, "Hum... My daughter mentioned him more than once during her reports, saying he had been the cause behind Rafiel's "demise"…"
"I bet Pyke is quite upset at this, though his lack of action is just like him. I did invite him to come too, but he did not even bother to answer."
Duarlos put one arm behind his back as he turned to the side, "I think I like him… he's much greater than I thought. Maybe we should go greet him too, but I don't really want to spoil the mood..."
Roland replied without much thought, "He doesn't strike me as someone who'd be upset at this. If anything, he seemed to find our visit amusing… Your daughter, on the other hand… wouldn't appreciate it… to say the least."
"Hahaha! Of course she wouldn't."
The more he looked, the more interested he became, and this definitely didn't escape Roland's sight.
Roland immediately brought it up in a playful tone, "Are you thinking about pairing him with little Eris?"
"I do need to see the boy for myself first… At the very least, I can say he gave me both a stronger, and better first impression than Pyke's son."
He sighed, "The issue would be the repercussions of this. If another commoner were to marry into the family… sigh, such troublesome matters."
The Azul Family, despite their history, had recently been at the center of much ridicule after its previous Lord picked a commoner to become the first lady. A fact that haunted them even now, for the current Lord Azul was called a "half-blood" by many.
Even though it wasn't a choice solely out of love, as it allowed exceedingly talented children to be born into their family, revitalizing their otherwise declining bloodline.
Which culminated in the most talented offspring they had in well over a century, the very girl at the end of their sight… who awakened not only great powers, but features last seen only in the first few generations of the family…
Nonetheless, it was a stigma they had yet to clear themselves of.
Duarlos cared more for his daughter's happiness than such matters, but at the same time, the pain of exclusion and ridicule wasn't something he wished to bring upon her.
Roland's playful smile slowly dissipated as his attention turned back to the manor, "I understand where you're coming from. I was there to see it all unfold."
"I can also tell Eri herself seems interested in him, if her letters reflect her true thoughts, at least… That's the biggest reaction she has ever shown to any boy her age."
Roland grew suspicious, "But he's too much. His identity and background are an inconsistency… almost as if he popped out of nowhere… Until we can figure out who, or what he is, I suggest we remain observant."
"Hum… we shall see." Duarlos replied as he turned around
Seeing this, he followed suit, "Shall we take our leave?"
"Yes, I've seen enough."
He checked the time on an elegant pocket watch, "It seems like the mission I gave my daughter has shown far more results than I originally intended."
"Somehow, what first began as an outing, turned out to reveal a bit more than I intended." He said as he turned around, tapping Roland's shoulders, "I'll leave her to you. Bring her back home by today, there can be no delays."
'She promised me she would leave in exchange for my request of digging into the Pyke Family's Head of administration, Ezekiel Perfor. From what she reported, I was already interested in this matter, but digging into another family's affairs isn't to my liking.'
'But since she insisted, I at least want her beside me if anything happens.'
".. Once she's done with this small tea party of hers, I'll meet with her back home. Her mother has been meaning to see her, you see… She's just as interested in this kid as we are."
He closed his eyes in amusement, "And I'm sure shell become even more curious after I share with her what I just saw. She might even come here herself if we allow her."
"Indeed, she will… Should I prepare a…"
Duarlos didn't even look back at him, gesturing with his hand, "Of course, my wife is a perfection freak."
"If she doesn't have a report with everything we can muster about this kid, she'll storm her way by tomorrow, so let's spare everyone this troublesome and awkward scenario..."
"Loud and clear, I'll write down everything neatly."
He smiled, "Now, if you'll excuse me, if I get late for my dinner and she realizes I had been spying on our daughter, you know what'll happen to me…"
"Haha…"
And like that, Elyria's father turned around, walking down into a small entrance in the ravine's wall, his figure slowly vanishing into the dark.
While Roland kept watching for a moment more before turning around as well.
"Hoho… so the young lady is finally growing up, it seems…"
/Sha sha…/
Several green tongues of fire rose from the ground, covering his body.
/Fwoosh…/
The embers vanished, not even leaving behind a mark on the ground.
…
.
.
.
Notes
Thank you for reading!
Now that most of his issues have been solved to some degree, Philip can resume his training with Mita's help. The growth of his Class and Skills so he may one day fuse or evolve them further is fast approaching.
We may not be far from his next Class iteration...
There isn't much else to say, peace!