Deep within the lush eastern forest, the footsteps of Ordion, Dylan, and Victor moved through the wild and untouched underbrush forest with a steady rhythm.
Although the atmosphere around them appeared quiet, filled only by the rustling of leaves blown by the wind, the three youths never let their guard down. Their eyes continuously observed every corner of the forest area surrounding them.
While continuing to walk and comb the area in search of a cave or any suspicious place within the forest, Ordion, who was leading at the front, suddenly broke the silence.
"Dylan?"
The soft yet clear call from the red-haired youth made Dylan, who was walking on his left side, turn his head.
"Yes? What is it, Ordion?" he replied calmly.
"I just remembered something." Ordion said without stopping his steps, his eyes still watching the path ahead. "Our husband once mentioned something about your power to me and the others. He said you possess a unique dark element magic. A power to spread terror directly into the mind, which can completely shatter another person's mental state."
Hearing that statement, Dylan's steps faltered for a fraction of a second. His red pupils immediately reacted in shock. How could our husband know the specific details regarding the nature of my magic, while I do not even fully understand the power residing within my own body yet?
However, that shock did not last long. Dylan quickly took a deep breath and resumed walking. His memory returned to one absolute fact known only to those closest to Arvin: the man who had now become his husband was someone who had traversed through time and returned to the past after death.
Of course he knows! Dylan thought, instantly casting his feelings of shock far away. He must have already known everything in the future!
"Do you already know how to use that power of yours now?" Ordion continued asking, ensuring the readiness of one of his family members in case they had to fight at any given moment.
Dylan shook his head slowly.
"To be honest, I don't know anything about how my power works yet." the black-haired youth answered candidly. "Ever since my power was awakened by him, I've never used it at all. I don't even know how to trigger that sense of terror into someone else's mind."
Ordion nodded in understanding, feeling very sympathetic to the honest answer he had just heard. Mental-attacking magic was indeed not something that could be mastered overnight.
Then, he turned his head to the right, looking at the youth who was walking with a slightly contemplative facial expression.
"What about you, Victor?" Ordion asked, ensuring the readiness of the purple-haired youth in their family. "Do you already know how to use your power?"
Hearing that question, Victor instead let out a long sigh. He looked down at his own two palms, then shook his head with an expression radiating doubt.
"I only know that my power is the result of combining the water and earth elements." Victor answered in a slightly listless tone. "Sometimes I wonder... will this power of mine, which can only produce and shoot mud, be useful if someday our husband or our family needs my strength in a real battle?"
For Victor, mud was considered a dirty, slow element, lacking any lethal destructive force compared to other pure elements.
Hearing those words filled with a lack of self-confidence, Ordion's steps immediately halted. He turned his body to face Victor. With a firm yet gentle movement, Ordion placed his right hand on the purple-haired youth's shoulder, staring deeply into his eyes.
"What are you talking about?" Ordion said in a relaxed tone but carrying a strong emphasis, absolutely not wanting to make one of his family members feel inferior. "Listen, Victor! He chose you. That means you are definitely strong! Who says mud is not lethal?"
Ordion's eyes stared at the damp soil beneath their feet.
"Try changing your perspective. Who knows, you might be able to manipulate the battlefield and turn the land area around the enemy into a quicksand of mud! You could swallow a platoon of armored knights into the ground until they suffocate to death without being able to fight back the slightest bit!"
Hearing that horrifying yet highly tactical description, Victor's eyes slowly widened. He had never thought about his magic to such an extent.
Ordion smiled faintly, recalling his husband's words when teaching and demonstrating magic of various elements while they practiced.
"You must remember this principle well, Victor." he said in a tone that now sounded like a mentor's. "Magic is not merely memorizing spells. Magic is imagination! If you want to create a large-scale quickmud trap, you don't need to find a natural swamp. You just need to focus your mana, imagining the solid ground around you losing its density, mixing with water, and turning into a deadly mud that will drown anyone who dares to step on it."
"H-How do you know such a flexible way of working with magic?" Victor replied quickly, not expecting there to be such a method of magic manipulation. "I thought every magic spell always had to be studied and memorized through the rows of magic books that exist in this world!"
Ordion chuckled crisply upon hearing the innocence of the academic doctrine still lingering within Victor.
"Our husband himself told us about that directly!" Ordion answered, his eyes radiating an unfading sense of awe whenever he remembered Arvin's prowess. "He broke all the rigid theories from the magic book. He demonstrated magic of various elements right before our eyes, manipulating their forms as he pleased while saying that magic is the imagination of its user."
Ordion slowly resumed his steps, followed by Victor and Dylan, who were now listening with full attention.
"He also taught us how to develop our own magic efficiently. Changing the form, density, and nature of the elements until we could use magic with extraordinary destructive power, yet only draining a very small amount of mana." Ordion explained further.
The red-haired youth then turned his head to the left, looking at Dylan.
"And that principle also applies fully to you, Dylan. Don't be fixated on theory. Use your imagination. Imagine the worst fears, despair, and horror, then project that imagination to infiltrate and spread terror into someone's mind."
Dylan fell silent, digesting the explanation. He recalled the words that once again echoed in his mind. In the bathroom of the shelter house, when his power awakened, Arvin had asked him to imagine his late mother, as well as the family that had cast him aside.
From his husband's words alone, Dylan instantly figured out how his own magic worked. Feelings of annoyance, disappointment, frustration, and anger blended into one.
Slowly, a faint smile laden with understanding etched itself onto his lips.
"So that's how the way to trigger my magic..." Dylan muttered, finally gaining a glimmer of enlightenment regarding the foundation of his power. However, a second later, the black-haired youth let out a soft sigh. "But, even though I understand the concept, it's impossible for me to test it on my own family to practice, right?"
Ordion smiled in agreement. He could not deny that logical statement. He understood perfectly well that a terrifying, mind-manipulating power like Dylan's absolutely required a living subject as a volunteer to see just how effectively that mental terror magic worked.
The application of the magic Dylan possesses is vastly different from what Victor has. Ordion analyzed inwardly. Victor only needs the empty ground around him to practice manipulating mud. Whereas Dylan, he has to find a human or a monster to be the test target for his magic. Without a doubt, that power cannot be used carelessly.
"No need to stress over it right now. Later, we will definitely find a solution together!" the red-haired youth said in a relaxed tone, reassuring Dylan. "If you need a human subject, we can ask His Majesty King Garland for permission to test your magic on the death row inmates in the prison. Or... while we are exploringng this area, we can look for monsters living deep within this forest for you to use as your magic experiment subjects."
"A reasonable idea!" Dylan agreed. His red eyes then gazed up at the sky visible through the gaps in the leaves. "But... if he were here right now, do you think our beloved husband could help me master this magic quickly?"
"If he were here... of course he could do it with absolute ease!" Ordion answered in a loud voice and without the slightest hesitation. "He is a genius and knows everything about magic. Later, once our husband's affairs are settled and he returns home, the two of you should ask directly to be trained by him. He will surely make you both able to master those powers of yours immediately!"
Hearing the barrage of words and motivation from the third spouse, a warm feeling coupled with a strong resolve slowly bloomed within Dylan's and Victor's chests. The doubts and lack of self-confidence that had previously taken hold were now burned away entirely. Both of them now possessed a new ambition they had to achieve.
They were determined to train hard, to prove themselves, and to not bring shame to the grand name of Arvin Vedegra, a noble descendant most feared and respected throughout the entire continent, as well as a husband they loved so deeply.