Stellar Echo: Heart of the Myst

[lordanl]

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.

Spoiler: Patreon

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

 

[lordanl]

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?!"

Spoiler: Patreon

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

 

[lordanl]

"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.

Spoiler: Patreon

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

Spoiler: The Lovers' Overlook

AI generated for reference only.

 

[lordanl]

"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?"

Spoiler: Patreon

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

 

[lordanl]

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…"

Spoiler: Patreon

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

 

[lordanl]

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."

Spoiler: Patreon

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

 

[lordanl]

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.

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 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."

Spoiler: Patreon

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

 

[lordanl]

"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."

Spoiler: Patreon

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

 

[lordanl]

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.

***

On Patreon there are public images of the characters.

Spoiler: Patreon

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

 

[lordanl]

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.

Spoiler: Patreon

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

 

[lordanl]

"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."

Spoiler: Patreon

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

 

[lordanl]

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.

Spoiler: Patreon

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

 

[lordanl]

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.