Stellar Echo: Heart of the Myst

[lordanl]

Near dawn, long before the sun cast its first rays of light, Seraphina lay peacefully reclined on a beautiful bed of elegant and refined appearance. Her figure glowed under the dim light that filtered through the heavy embroidered velvet curtains, seeming as if she had been plucked from a Renaissance painting; her skin was so white that it strongly contrasted with the ebony of her long hair, which cascaded over the pillow and spilled onto the mattress like rivers of liquid ink.

Despite being asleep, her face emanated a captivating serenity and grace, with her softly pink-toned lips slightly parted, allowing a glimpse of the tip of her tongue. Her black, curled eyelashes shaded her eyelids, and her rhythmic breathing raised and lowered her voluptuous chest in an almost hypnotic way.

The idyllic scene was interrupted when the beautiful woman began to gently open her eyes. Not long after, Seraphina rose from the bed and stretched a bit, then got up and walked calmly to the windows of the elegant and spacious room. She opened the curtains only to be met with the view of the beautiful garden covered by the night's mist.

With a tranquil smile, Seraphina took a couple of breaths of fresh air, then walked lightly toward a beautifully decorated, spacious bathroom, where she showered. She ended up dressing in a beautiful outfit that seemed heavily inspired by a Victorian maid's attire.

The base of the outfit was a deep black dress that reached the knees, with puffed sleeves ending in tight cuffs. However, instead of the typical white apron of Victorian maids, she wore a midnight blue silk apron, sprinkled with small crystals that shone like stars on a cloudless night.

The neckline of the dress was adorned with intricate lace resembling magical runes, and a crescent moon-shaped brooch held a scarf of the same blue as the apron. Instead of the typical flat shoes, she wore black velvet ankle boots with a moderate heel, which gave her a more sophisticated air.

After checking her appearance one last time in a full-length mirror in a corner of the room, ensuring that her image was nothing less than perfect and worthy of a perfect maid like herself. Seraphina left her room with a secure and confident step toward the kitchen, with a big smile on her face.

A few hours later, Seraphina emerged from the kitchen, surrounded by what appeared to be several tentacles made of pure darkness, which held at their tips various dishes with delicious delicacies of all kinds. Such as freshly baked bread that seemed to glow slightly, orange juice that gave off a captivating aroma, omelets made from all sorts of eggs, delicious desserts with shapes and colors that made them look like works of art. And, most importantly, cookies and a large cup of black coffee.

On her way to the main table, Seraphina greeted several attendants of the mansion with a slight nod of her head, to which they responded with a deep bow, expressing the great respect her presence demanded, immediately hurrying away without looking back, almost as if they feared being even near the main dining room.

After nodding in satisfaction at the proper behavior of the attendants, Seraphina walked to the main dining room. Despite the table being impeccably clean, almost gleaming, she proceeded to clean it with a white cloth with great dedication, while a beautiful, happy smile settled on her face.

After ensuring the table was absolutely spotless, Seraphina proceeded to arrange the dishes in a specific order, with great attention to detail. This was almost as if she were organizing a highly important stage set rather than a simple breakfast, with which she wanted to convey all kinds of feelings to the person it was intended for.

Seeking perfection, Seraphina continuously checked the position of the dishes, turning them slightly in different directions while looking at her work from different perspectives, ensuring that the whole arrangement conveyed what she wanted. But suddenly, the smile on the face of the perfect maid of divine beauty widened visibly when she perceived something through her Mystical Consciousness.

Hastily, Seraphina made a final review of the position of the dishes, the table, and the chair before standing elegantly to one side and lightly massaging her face, trying to erase her evident smile. She returned to her usual serious and elegant expression; after all, that was the image she wanted the approaching person to see.

"Good morning, young master."

With a slight bow, Seraphina elegantly greeted a sleepy Erik, who was dressed in simple black shorts down to his knees, without a shirt or shoes, and was stretching noisily while letting out a comfortable sigh. He was followed by two wolves about 30 cm tall, one silver and the other black, wagging their tails happily.

"Good morning, Seraphina, and thanks for the breakfast as always; it looks really delicious," Erik commented with a smile as he sat in the chair before the sumptuous breakfast, which caused a beautiful smile to bloom on Seraphina's face, which she quickly hid, then elegantly commented with a small bow.

"It is a pleasure to serve you, young master."

"You know, I've kind of given up on the 'young master' thing, but you should at least try to call me Erik. You can even call me 'green eyes'; just don't call me 'young master,' it feels uncomfortable," Erik commented somewhat resignedly, which caused Seraphina's brow to furrow slightly before she elegantly replied.

"That would be a great lack of respect; it is my duty to call you what you are—that is, my young master. Besides..."

Seraphina made a small pause, which she used to take a deep breath before continuing, although one could still see deep in her eyes a thick murderous intent as she spoke.

"I would never dare to call my young master by such titles as the one you mention, and the young master should not allow anyone to do so, under any circumstances."

"If you say so. Besides, it's nothing out of the ordinary for them to call me 'green eyes'; my eyes are green, after all, hehe."

Without giving it much importance, Erik smiled cheerfully, while Seraphina's expression twisted into one full of anger. That expression was replaced by an embarrassed smile the moment Erik tasted one of the cookies on the table and commented delightedly.

"This is especially delicious today, Seraphina; you've outdone yourself. You really are the best."

"It is a pleasure to be of service, young master."

With an expression that struggled to remain serious to prevent an enormous smile full of happiness from forming on her face, Seraphina slightly bowed as she spoke in a formal and elegant tone.

"Umu, you are the best, Seraphina. Mwah."

After finishing his cookie, Erik savored the exquisite taste a bit, then nodded to himself and commented cheerfully, ending by sending Seraphina a flying kiss with a smile. After which, he began to devour his breakfast as if he hadn't eaten in years.

Unable to contain herself, Seraphina's expression softened into one full of tenderness as she stretched her arm into the air and 'grabbed' something only she could understand, bringing her hand to her chest with a slight blush—all while watching Erik eat his breakfast with pleasure, almost hypnotized—until he finally finished and commented with a sigh.

"This was really delicious, thank you, Seraphina."

Truly satisfied, Erik stretched once more while yawning lazily, which snapped Seraphina out of her reverie, causing her to shake her head a bit. After that, she headed toward the largest sofa in the room and sat on it. At that moment, she adjusted her clothes a bit and took from her storage ring a beautifully carved crystal container that held several cotton swabs for cleaning ears.

Erik looked at Seraphina sitting there, who was gazing at him with a small smile while lightly patting her lap with the crystal container. He could only smile wryly before walking to the sofa and lying down on it, placing his head in the soft lap of the beautiful woman and closing his eyes. His nose filled with a soft and relaxing scent that reminded him of jasmine.

Seeing the young man with starry hair rest comfortably in her lap, Seraphina's smile became somewhat maternal. Without saying a word, she began to clean Erik's ears with delicacy and care, little by little, trying to be as gentle as possible. With her free thumb, she affectionately caressed the perfectly symmetrical features of her young master, which filled her heart with a warm and happy feeling.

But while Seraphina was diligently cleaning Erik's ears, occasionally, the beautiful maid's eyes couldn't help but wander a little over the athletic and perfectly defined torso of the star-haired young man. Filling her body with a different warmth that almost made her swallow audibly, something she restrained with all her might.

The endearing scene continued for a while until it was interrupted by Erik, who suddenly opened his eyes to look at a beautiful crystal card that had suddenly appeared in his right hand. It vibrated slightly before displaying a holographic call screen showing a name at the top.

"Chen? What does that idiot want so early?... Bastard, what a lack of manners to wake people up at this hour..." Erik commented ironically and put his card back into his storage ring without the slightest intention of answering, then reclined again on the comfortable lap of Seraphina with his eyes closed.

"Young master, don't you think it's rude not to attend to your friend? It must be something important if he calls at this hour," Seraphina commented elegantly, while delicately cleaning the outer part of Erik's ear with a beautiful, immaculately white cloth adorned with exquisite embroidery at the corners.

"Most likely, that idiot forgot to do an assignment for a class and has to present it today or tomorrow. Let's let him suffer for a while; that way he'll be willing to 'pay' better, hehe."

Still with his eyes closed, Erik chuckled mischievously but quickly turned over, ending up with his face resting on Seraphina's flat and smooth stomach. He then hugged the beautiful woman's back with one arm and added in a comfortable voice.

"Besides, I'm busy right now."

Erik's small action made Seraphina blush charmingly. Brimming with joy, she took a new cotton swab from the container and began to clean the other ear of her charming young master with great dedication, while commenting in a warm and tender voice.

"If you say so, young master."

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[lordanl]

With evident confidence born from years of living together, Erik settled into Seraphina's lap, enveloped by the warm and relaxing floral aroma of the beautiful woman, and enjoyed the moment in complete tranquility. Erik paid no attention whatsoever to his card, which was continuously vibrating in his storage ring.

After a while, Seraphina finished cleaning her young master's ear. She took a new white cloth with golden embroidery at the corners from her storage ring and began to clean the outer part of the star-haired boy's ear. Although she slowed down her pace as much as she could, the end still came. She had to comment elegantly and seriously, although a bit of reluctance could be seen on her face.

"It's finished, young master, and your bath should be ready by now."

"Thank you, Seraphina; you're the best."

Upon hearing Seraphina, Erik, who was beginning to fall asleep, got up from the enchanting maid's lap. After stretching a bit, he left the room and headed to his bedroom, closely followed by the wolves that had just finished their juicy feast of super-premium meat.

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

Meanwhile, Seraphina commented softly as she watched her young master's back until he disappeared, with an expression full of reluctance, almost as if she were about to leap after him. But in the end, she just sighed and got up from the sofa, at which point a cheerful and sing-song voice was heard behind her.

"Fufu, who would have thought that the unflappable shadow Seraphina could make so many expressions? It's a real surprise."

A smiling Eleonora materialized out of nowhere in the middle of the room, with a big playful grin on her face as she mockingly commented. Seraphina responded with her serious and professional expression while approaching the table to collect the dishes.

"Spying and gossiping about a humble maid is not fitting for your class and glamour, Master Silverwood."

"Hehehe, don't be like that, Sera, or I won't lend you Erik anymore."

Out of nowhere, Sigrún also appeared, standing near Eleonora with a mocking smile on her face. She commented in a sing-song voice, which made Seraphina's eyebrows twitch a bit. Shortly after, Seraphina commented in a serious and professional tone.

"Young miss, I don't know what you mean by 'lend.' This humble maid only serves the young master as is proper."

"Hoho, so that's how we're going to play. Then I, Sigrún, master and legal guardian of Erik, determined that having such a clingy maid with my disciple is something that cannot be allowed. So, from now on, I will appoint someone else to take charge of my dear disciple as his personal maid." Sigrún spoke with a mocking smile on her face, in a voice that tried to sound serious and determined, while attempting to act like a dramatic actress.

"I, Eleonora, also a master, second this motion. This situation cannot continue, or else it could greatly affect the development of our disciple." Eleonora quickly joined the little game and commented in a sing-song voice, trying to maintain a serious expression, but a hint of mischief could not be hidden on her face.

Upon hearing the words of that pair of women, Seraphina completely lost her serious and elegant appearance. Now, on her beautiful face, only indignation could be seen as she directed sharp looks at that pair of 'jokers,' which made them sweat a bit. But they were already too deep into the swamp; it was easier to reach the other side than to turn back, so they continued without fearing the consequences.

"Those jokes are not funny, Sigrún, Eleonora," Seraphina commented in a dark tone, full of indignation as she stared intently at the youngest Masters-level in history.

"Fufufu, how strange! The great Seraphina, the goddess of shadows, got angry." Eleonora mocked as she laughed in complicity with Sigrún.

"Hmph, what do you want now?" Seraphina snorted, annoyed, then asked while collecting the dishes.

"Hehehe, nothing really; we're just happy." Sigrún commented with a smile, and Eleonora nodded in agreement.

"Happy? What happened?" Surprised, Seraphina asked a bit confusedly, to which Eleonora replied mischievously.

"Fufufu, it's very simple. Our cute disciple will bring his first friend home."

"You can't be thinking...?" Seraphina opened her eyes, full of surprise, as she looked at Eleonora, not believing what she was hearing. At that moment, Sigrún added with a big smile full of mischief.

"Hehehe, exactly..."

"He is going to be very angry..." Seraphina looked at Sigrún, doubting if they would really do what she was thinking, to which Eleonora added in a sing-song voice with an almost wicked smile on her face.

"Fufufu, it will be very fun..."

...

...

...

After a pleasant bath, Erik dressed in a simple white sport set, which changed color to black using the convenient runes inscribed in the clothing. He then headed to his study, where he sat in front of his beautiful desk. Several books, agendas, and scrolls appeared on it, along with various holographic screens displaying all kinds of information.

While sipping tea that Seraphina brought him from time to time, Erik spent the rest of the morning performing various calculations, drawing different types of geometric circles, runes, and runic circles in an almost systematic way. At the same time, he reviewed different reference materials on the holographic screens, books, and scrolls. But his dedicated work abruptly stopped when he felt his student card vibrating again in his storage ring.

"It's true, that guy was looking for me for something..."

He commented to himself upon realizing, since he had completely forgotten. Erik took his student card out of his storage ring, where he confirmed that Chen was indeed calling him. With an ironic smile, he answered.

"And what calculations do you need to do now?"

"Hehehe, don't be so cold. Can't your good friend Chen call you to see how you're doing?" Chen commented with a little laugh, which brought an amused smile to Erik's face. He quickly responded mockingly.

"Oh? So you don't need anything from me? That's good because I'll be very busy for a couple of months. But thanks for the call; I'm fine, by the way."

"Hey, hey, Erik, don't be like that! Don't abandon me at this moment of great need—I could really die this time." Chen replied a bit hastily, which made Erik laugh a little. He asked casually.

"Then stop playing around. What is it now?"

"Hehehe, just some matrix arrangements that I can't create for the life of me..." Chen's voice trailed off as he spoke, as if he were a bit embarrassed, which led Erik to ask in an ironic voice.

"Isn't your family supposed to specialize in that?"

"Yes, and that's why I could die if I don't get it. My father is really angry this time, and if I don't manage to show a good result at the next clan assembly, he'll beat me to death!" Chen responded in a grave and agitated tone, at which Erik couldn't help but laugh, genuinely amused.

"Hahaha!"

"Hey!! Don't laugh; it's really serious. I spoke with my mother recently, and she told me that my father is really serious about this and won't accept any excuses. So I'm panicking now." Chen commented in a somewhat scared tone. Erik casually replied while reviewing one of the holographic screens around him.

"I suppose something happened."

"Yes... you know, clan stuff. But anyway, I really need your help with this." Chen responded somewhat evasively, to which Erik asked casually, feeling that a new reference from the Zazen Discipline would suit him right now.

"Alright, I can help with that, but aren't those secret things of your family?"

"More or less, but the ones to be evaluated this time aren't that secret. The university even has a few copies of the arrangements I need on this occasion." Chen responded much more cheerfully now that he had the genius in his pocket. At that point, Erik commented casually while deactivating the holographic screens.

"Then I'll see you at the library."

"Well, actually, I'm arriving at your master's mansion right now, hehehe."

Upon hearing Chen's mischievous tone, Erik opened his eyes, surprised, and quickly extended his mystical consciousness. Shortly after, he easily sensed Chen arriving at the mansion and Seraphina waiting for him at the door, accompanied by two more assistants. This led him to ask in a dark tone.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Well, actually..."

Chen tried to explain what had happened, but suddenly, his words were cut off when the call abruptly ended. Without wasting a single second, Erik quickly put away his student card and headed to the exit. But the moment he opened the door, he found his masters standing on the other side with charming smiles on their beautiful faces.

"Erik, it seems that a friend of yours has come to visit us. Let's go meet him." Sigrún commented cheerfully with a small smile on her face. Immediately after, she gently took Erik's right arm and held it firmly between her voluptuous chests.

"Yes, Erik, we can't keep your friend waiting. Let's go welcome him." Eleonora commented elegantly, at the same time smoothly taking his left arm, also immobilizing it between her ample bosom, while a casual smile could be seen on her face.

"An ambush orchestrated by my own masters—what a tragedy..."

Finding himself totally immobilized by two Master-level individuals, Erik could only comment in a dramatic tone while looking at his masters with deep disappointment on his face. They ignored him completely without any problem, then began to drag the reluctant star-haired boy to the main hall with mischievous smiles on their faces.

In the main hall was a visibly worried Chen, sitting on an elegant sofa in front of a coffee table, his gaze fixed on a cup of tea on the table. The only movement seen in him was his chest, breathing deeply. Meanwhile, Seraphina was standing at the door, and two other assistants waited to the side with serious expressions.

Soon after, Erik entered the main hall, dragged by Eleonora and Sigrún, who held him firmly by his arms. They reached the large sofa, where they sat with the star-haired boy in the center, who had a blank expression on his face, as if he were already resigned to his cruel fate.

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[lordanl]

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Chen Ming. I'm Sigrún Eldurdóttir, Erik's master."

Seated on the sofa, Sigrún commented elegantly and with a dignified demeanor as an assistant served her tea. At that moment, Chen stood up in a panic, then bowed respectfully while responding in a serious tone.

"The pleasure is mine, Master Eldurdóttir. This humble one is Chen Ming, heir of the Ming family and a great admirer of your work."

"You are very polite, Chen Ming, and it's also a pleasure to meet you. I'm Eleonora Silverwood, also Erik's master." Eleonora commented gracefully, a cup of tea in her hand, as she looked at the young man before her.

Eleonora's statement took Chen by surprise; he looked up in shock. After all, while it was well known that Erik was Master Eldurdóttir's first disciple and was very close to Master Silverwood, he had never heard that she was his master as well. This was quite rare in the galaxy, much like how no one likes to share their children with a stranger; no one likes to share their disciples.

Despite the shocking news throwing him off balance, Chen managed to compose himself quickly. He then bowed elegantly to the beautiful, golden-eyed Master-level and spoke in a serious and respectful tone.

"The pleasure is all mine, Master Silverwood. I'm also an admirer of your work, especially your runic-geometric refinement—it's sheer genius."

Meanwhile, Erik was lounging on the sofa with a tired and disappointed expression, showing no intention of looking at Chen. Two small wolf cubs about 20 cm tall, one silver and one black, were on him, licking his face and wagging their tails enthusiastically, looking quite adorable.

Some time ago, Erik had the idea to leverage his contract with the wolves—which allowed him to pass on knowledge like magic circles, runes, and the like—to give them specially designed runic circles. His first success was a spell that allowed them to change size, which was not only more mana-efficient but also enabled them to become smaller, although they were still limited by their maximum size—their actual size.

Since the wolves learned the new runic circle, they'd become almost addicted to staying in their smallest form. Erik theorized they did this because they were more adorable that way and received more cookies, which made him a bit jealous, though he'd never admit it aloud.

"Please sit down so we can chat a bit, Chen Ming. Tell us, how is our Erik doing in his classes?" Sigrún asked with elegant mannerisms, gesturing to the chair where Chen had been sitting before.

"He's undoubtedly a top-tier genius; he's been the best in all the classes we've shared. Masters Eldurdóttir and Silverwood are excellent educators and have a keen eye for talent." Chen said after sitting down again, a serious expression on his face, which greatly pleased the pair of Masters.

"Fufufu, thank you for the compliment. And how does Erik get along with his other classmates? Does he have more friends besides you?" Eleonora asked while holding a beautiful porcelain cup with gold decorations, looking directly into Chen's eyes.

"Um..."

Visibly uncomfortable, Chen glanced over at Erik, only to find him lost in his own world—eating cookies and playing with two wolf pups and what could only be described as a miniature jet-black dragon. He could only sigh and respond in a serious tone.

"One could say that Erik isn't particularly sociable, and others hesitate to approach him due to his impressive talent and serious demeanor."

"I see..." Sigrún nodded softly, then looked at Erik with a frown before sending him a telepathic message.

[So, acting like an antisocial snob, huh?]

Upon receiving Sigrún's telepathic 'scolding,' Erik simply turned his back to her and continued casually petting the belly of the adorable Kaiser, who looked especially happy, while Ebonique and Tiberius seemed quite jealous. This prompted a sigh from the beautiful, golden-haired Master.

"Though I'd like to add that, for someone in Erik's position, socializing could become counterproductive, so it's perfectly understandable." Chen said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. Inside, however, he was somewhat nervous, to the point of breaking into a cold sweat.

"It's commendable that you try to defend him, but this guy is indefensible. He doesn't even want to attend classes anymore and won't leave the mansion." Sigrún commented, a bit exasperated, as she shook her head. Erik quickly retorted in a tone full of 'indignation' and 'righteousness.'

"That's slander! I'm merely following the director's orders as the great faction member that I am. Using his great wisdom, the director decided I should stay away from classes for a while."

"Sure, because you didn't specifically request that as compensation, right?" Eleonora said with a slight smile, casting a sharp glance at the star-haired boy.

"Hmph, Erik doesn't need to associate with those losers; he's better off at home working on his own projects." Before Erik could defend himself, Ebonique exclaimed in exasperation. Erik quickly nodded and added in a complacent tone.

"Yes, tell them, Ebonique! Let's start a revolution against this tyranny that's trying to force me into trouble."

"Yes, this is a revolution against tyranny!"

Somewhat amused, Ebonique immediately played along with Erik. She spoke while growing slightly in size and coiling around the neck of the star-haired boy, then bared her powerful teeth menacingly at the pair of 'ruthless tyrants.'

"Stop playing around, you two. Erik needs to socialize more; it's not healthy for him to always want to be alone."

Suddenly, a strict voice resonated in the room, halting the 'revolutionaries' in their tracks. It came from Ignis, who had suddenly appeared beside Sigrún in a beautiful blue fireball. The lovely, golden-haired Master cast a mocking glance at the mediocre revolutionary group.

"Ignis, how could you betray us like this? Erik, you should stop giving mana to that traitor; she's no longer part of our noble group!"

Seeing Ignis, Ebonique spoke to Erik in an amused tone that tried to sound serious and just. The star-haired boy quickly nodded with a serious expression, then looked directly at Ignis and spoke in a tone full of authority, as if delivering an exemplary sentence to a criminal.

"Yes, Ignis, this is high treason against our revolutionary movement. You're punished—no more mana for you for a week."

Upon hearing the terrible sentence, Ignis seemed to 'deflate,' reducing her size before gently falling onto Erik's lap, turning her back to Sigrún—as if thinking that not seeing her absolved her of guilt.

"Ignis, you damn traitor! You sold out for a bit of mana!"

Witnessing the shameless behavior of her loyal spirit companion, Sigrún exclaimed loudly, 'offended,' though the amused smile on her face ruined her act. Erik promptly replied in a serious tone, sending a mocking glance at his beautiful master.

"Ignis just reconsidered and realized which side was right. Tyranny is always bad; she's not a traitor but a social benefactor who sides with the oppressed—in other words, our noble revolutionary group."

"Fufufu, it seems someone doesn't want any more cookies from now on." Eleonora suddenly remarked cheerfully as a tray of special cookies appeared on her hand. This put an expression of 'terror' on Erik's face, and he quickly added in a 'dramatic' tone.

"What great immorality—to seize the basic survival resources of the oppressed to coerce them! How low you've sunk, master; I never expected this from you."

"Fufufufu, starting a revolution is useless if you can't win, dear disciple..." Eleonora replied casually, an 'evil' smile on her beautiful face as she toyed with a cookie, drawing Erik's gaze.

As the group played among themselves, Chen watched the situation feeling a bit uncomfortable but also surprised—not only because it was inconceivable that possibly the most important Master-levels in the galaxy were happily playing with someone. After all, such behavior sharply contrasted with their public image, which was elegant and distant.

What truly surprised Chen was Erik himself; his behavior and expressions were things he'd never seen before. Despite knowing him for several years, the star-haired boy had always been serious and distant, though occasionally he'd crack a few jokes and pranks and would always end up helping him, even if he complained. This was possibly the first time Chen could say that Erik was genuinely 'happy.'

"Dinner is ready; if you'd like, you may proceed to the main dining room."

After a while, Seraphina's voice was heard in the main hall, abruptly ending the little play the 'hosts' had put together—they seemed to have forgotten about poor Chen. Everyone stood up as if nothing had happened, and Sigrún cheerfully said while looking at the boy from the Lotus Union.

"Let's go to the dining room, Chen Ming."

"It would be my pleasure, Master Eldurdóttir."

Upon arriving at the dining room, Chen continued to be amazed by the peculiar dynamics between Erik and his masters. The star-haired boy confidently took the head seat at the table, while Eleonora and Sigrún sat on either side of him. Meanwhile, Seraphina stood behind Erik with an elegant smile. As for Chen, an assistant guided him to sit at the opposite end of the table.

Such an arrangement was entirely unexpected. Normally, Sigrún and Eleonora would occupy the heads of the table, denoting their status and importance, while Erik, as a disciple, would sit in the middle—just like Chen himself.

But the way they were seated indicated that the most important person at the table wasn't the renowned and prestigious youngest Master-levels in history, but rather a young, unknown man—not even a century old—Erik himself. Moreover, the fact that the star-haired boy sat at the head with the Masters beside him was a very indirect way of sending a clear message: Erik was more than just a disciple.

(It can't be...)

A thought crossed Chen's mind—one quite terrifying and that could turn the entire galaxy upside down.

The main reason Chen felt particularly uncomfortable with the seating arrangement was because he was extremely familiar with such a scene. It mirrored how his own family dined: his father and clan leader at the head of the table, his mother—the first wife—on one side, and the second wife, his other mother, on the other side.

(Calm down, Chen. Something like that isn't possible. Most likely, Masters Silverwood and Eldurdóttir are just showing me the importance and affection they have for their disciple, to the point that they've even decided to share him... Yes, that must be it. It's impossible that Erik has managed to win over two of the most sought-after women in the galaxy. Haha, no, it can't be...)

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[lordanl]

While Chen was convincing himself of something, sumptuous dishes were placed on the table by the mansion's servants. They filled the table with life and color while releasing a delicious aroma that made Chen's stomach roar loudly, pulling him out of his thoughts.

(IMPOSSIBLE!!!!)

Despite the embarrassment Chen felt from the roar his stomach had let out, the shock of seeing the dishes on the table was immensely greater. On the table were items like Ancient Sage Beans, Golden Deer Chop, Ethereal Tree Risotto, and more delicacies that were incredibly rare and costly—so much so that a family like his could only afford a feast like this on a very special occasion, and even then, they wouldn't have such a varied collection of delicacies.

As if nothing were happening, evidently accustomed to excessive luxury, Erik began to eat with a cheerful smile on his face, occasionally feeding the wolves eagerly waiting at his sides, now each nearly a meter tall and wagging their tails rapidly.

Meanwhile, Eleonora and Sigrún took small bites from their plates with great elegance and delicacy, a display of their high status. Chen, on the other hand, didn't even dare to touch the food—it was simply too luxurious for a casual visit, prompting Eleonora to comment with a small smile.

"Chen Ming, you may eat with confidence."

"Thank you very much, Master Silverwood; it's just that I'm a little overwhelmed by the high quality of the food." Chen replied respectfully, visibly uncomfortable, which inevitably caught Erik's attention.

"Is this very expensive?"

Erik commented, a bit surprised, as he pointed to a juicy Galaxcero steak—a magical animal resembling a deer, incredibly rare, and only found on a very dangerous planet near the center of the galaxy. It had impressive properties, but the most renowned was the enormous amount of mana in its meat, far exceeding that of a common illuminated-level pill or potion, while being so tender that it could be consumed by an Initiate.

"This food is quite impressive..."

Chen wanted to explain to Erik how extraordinary the food they were eating was, knowing full well that common sense was not one of Erik's strengths—the guy seemed good at everything else—but his words stopped cold when he received a 'casual' look from Sigrún. After a moment, he could only speak while trying to appear calm, though cold sweat covered his entire back.

"... Though for someone at your masters' level, it's nothing."

"I see, I thought this meat was particularly juicy..."

Full of curiosity, Erik commented casually as he poked at the meat with a fork, while Chen tried to make himself as small as possible in his chair. He was overwhelmed by the terrifying pressure from Sigrún and Eleonora, who were both looking at him with slightly kind smiles on their beautiful faces.

"Young master, you shouldn't play with your food like that." Seraphina 'reprimanded' Erik with a serious tone, as he had stopped eating and was now inspecting each dish with curiosity.

"It's just that I want to know what makes this food special, Seraphina. Chen's family is wealthy, so for him to be surprised, it must be very rare, and I want to see what makes it special." Without stopping what he was doing, Erik commented casually. At that moment, Eleonora spoke with a small smile.

"Your cookies are more expensive, so don't worry about that; just keep eating."

"That makes sense..." Visibly surprised, Erik remarked as he looked at his beautiful, golden-eyed master.

After that, Erik resumed eating as before, while Chen wondered if the thing about the cookies was true. Now that he had seen the luxurious way Erik ate, it wouldn't surprise him at all, especially since he was well acquainted with the star-haired young man's obsession with those cookies.

Whenever Chen was with Erik, it was common for the star-haired young man to pull out a cookie out of nowhere and eat it, regardless of the situation. Moreover, those cookies looked exquisite and were loaded with mana, which made Chen curious to try them from the moment he saw them for the first time. The problem was that Erik treasured them like they were gold and had never let Chen taste even one.

After a while, and not wanting to anger the youngest Masters-level in history any further, Chen started eating with the elegance and grace befitting his status, savoring the incredible taste and the abundant mana flowing through his body. Despite the delightful aftertaste, he focused on nourishing his dantian and his body.

About 40 minutes later, Chen stopped eating, feeling tired and incredibly satisfied, with so much mana coursing through his body that even one more bite might have made him explode. He turned to see Erik eating leisurely while sharing his food with the animals around him.

(Damn monster... How the hell can he handle so much mana being only an Ascended?)

Watching Erik eat cheerfully, Chen could only smile wryly before slightly shaking his head and turning to address the distinguished Masters who were chatting calmly among themselves.

"Thank you very much for the meal, Master Eldurdóttir, Master Silverwood. It was incredibly delicious and nutritious."

"Fufufu, it's good that you enjoyed it. You should come another day to eat." Eleonora commented with a small smile, elegantly covering her mouth with one of her hands.

"Yes, a friend of Erik's is always welcome in this house." Sigrún added with an elegant smile.

"It is a great honor for me, Master Eldurdóttir, Master Silverwood." Upon hearing the generous invitation, Chen quickly stood up from his chair and bowed respectfully to formally express his gratitude.

While Chen was exhilarated by the warm welcome from two of the most important Masters in the galaxy, Erik gave his masters a blank look and immediately proceeded to ignore them and continue eating, causing a small smile from Seraphina.

Though Erik wasn't particularly bothered by Chen visiting the mansion, he really didn't like having guests much. For one thing, despite what his masters said, it wasn't his house, which made living there a bit uncomfortable for him—although he would never dare say it aloud again, as doing so had already caused a big argument with his masters. The point was that if it was already uncomfortable for him to be there himself, bringing a 'friend' was crossing a line.

On the other hand, there was the fact that even though Erik was fully aware that he was talented in several areas that might interest some people. He was even more aware of the relevance of his Masters in the grand scheme of things. Especially within the Arcane Order. Thus, he tried to keep Chen at a distance that he considered 'healthy' from them in order to send a message. After all, when the cheese is on the table, the rats are the first to appear.

After some time, Erik finished eating, leaving every plate served to him completely clean, which greatly surprised Chen, who watched in disbelief as the attendants collected the plates. At this point, the two wolves ran off to have their own meal—huge pieces of premium meat.

"Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, Chen Ming. We'll leave you to study; we can have tea in the garden later." Sigrún commented with a small smile and an elegant tone as everyone stood up from the table.

"That would be a pleasure, Master Eldurdóttir." Chen quickly responded in a respectful tone with a slight bow, at which point Eleonora added in a tone similar to Sigrún's.

"Fufufu, well then, we'll leave you. Have a productive study session."

After the two women left the room, Erik headed to one of the mansion's studies, followed by Chen, Seraphina, and the wolves, with Ebonique and Ignis on his shoulders, which surprised Chen a little once again. It was quite rare for a spirit to be so close to someone other than their contractor, but then again, the star-haired young man was damn weird, so it was just another peculiarity for the list.

Once in the beautiful study, Erik sat at a gorgeous black wooden desk adorned with intricate carved runes, while looking at the curious Chen. He was glancing around with eyes full of appreciation for the elegant and luxurious setting of the place. This was worlds apart from his study at the university—even his study back on his home planet wasn't this good.

"So, what are the matrices you're having trouble with?"

Hearing the question, Chen sat across from Erik and placed several magical scrolls pulsating with powerful mana on the desk, then explained seriously—wanting to convey the importance of these scrolls to his future well-being. After all, he could end up crippled after the beating his father would give him if he couldn't master them.

"There are three arrays—one for defense, one for isolation, and one for illusion. They're supposed to be not that complex, but for some reason, I can't successfully deploy them, and no matter where I look, I can't figure out why I'm failing."

Nodding in understanding, Erik took the scrolls and began reading them while Seraphina placed two beautiful porcelain cups with exquisite engraved details on the desk, pouring herbal tea that emitted a soft, captivating aroma, which surprised Chen a little.

(Is that Lavender Tears tea?!)

Without paying attention to Chen's stunned expression, Seraphina, with an elegant smile on her face, offered the cup to the young man from the Lotus Union, who looked at the cup speechless. But after a small sigh, he took a sip of the magical tea, a trace of anticipation filling him.

As the tea passed through his mouth, Chen felt his mind calm and achieve incredible clarity, so he decided to take advantage of the opportunity and began thinking of solutions to the problems he had encountered during his training—maybe even find his error with the matrices.

While carefully reading the scrolls, Erik took a sip of the tea, but upon tasting it, he stopped reading and looked at Seraphina, asking a bit confusedly.

"Lavender?"

"Yes, there's a new harvest, and it arrived just a while ago." Seraphina responded with a small smile on her face while holding the tray she had brought the tea on against her chest. Erik nodded in understanding.

"I see... it's good."

"It's a pleasure to serve you." Seraphina smiled cheerfully and bowed elegantly before leaving the room with a small smile on her face.

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[lordanl]

Several hours later, in the backyard of Sigrún's mansion, Chen and Erik could be seen surrounded by different types of materials scattered on the ground. These formed a strange pattern, with various types of Zazen discipline characters arranged around them or even engraved on the materials themselves.

"It works!!!!"

An excited Chen exclaimed loudly as he watched with great emotion a beautiful dome of whitish light forming around them. Shortly after, what seemed to be swords made of light appeared inside it, floating in the air for a moment before slowly 'turning off' and becoming invisible.

"Yes, it works, but don't you think it looks a bit ugly?..." Erik asked, hand on his chin, looking uncomfortably at the formation on the ground. Chen responded, full of excitement.

"Ugly? What are you talking about? It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen—it works!! Hahaha, now I can return proudly to the family planet."

"Mmm... I don't know, it seems very ugly to me. Let me change something."

After saying that, Erik, feeling something akin to an OCD attack, could no longer resist the urge to do something about that ugly formation. He quickly deactivated it and went to fetch one of the nearby scrolls, closely followed by Seraphina, who trailed him like the faithful and dedicated maid she was.

Chen looked at Erik, a bit confused by his sudden outburst to change the formation that had taken them so much effort to deploy. But thinking it was just another of his quirks, he began to note down on a magical scroll all the necessary steps, proportions, and specific characters to successfully deploy the formation, not wanting to forget even the smallest detail.

Meanwhile, Eleonora and Sigrún, who were sitting around a beautiful carved crystal table several meters away while calmly drinking tea, began to comment on the situation with different expressions on their beautiful faces. They made sure no one could hear them by setting up a stealthy barrier.

"Here we go again..." Sigrún commented with a sigh as she watched Erik change the position of several materials handed to him by Seraphina, while making notes in a notebook.

"Fufufu, it's really curious how Erik perceives inefficiency as 'ugliness'." Eleonora added with a slight giggle, her gaze fixed on her disciple, who began to change several characters in the formation.

"Yes... but the most absurd thing is that he instinctively knows how to 'beautify' it, even when he has no idea what he's actually doing most of the time..." Sigrún added with another sigh, while Erik analyzed the formation from various angles and occasionally replaced some materials and slightly modified the characters.

"Fufufufu, how long do you think it will take him to come and ask why it worked?"

Suddenly, Eleonora cheerfully asked, her hand on the table holding her delicate face as she looked almost hypnotized at the gallant figure of her focused disciple. This caught Sigrún's attention, who responded with an amused smile.

"Hehe, no more than a couple of weeks. That information isn't in the faction's public library, nor in any of our libraries, so he'll most likely give up quickly this time."

Sigrún's words caused a mischievous smile to form on Eleonora's face. She turned again to look at the golden-haired Master, then asked with a small, challenging giggle.

"Fufu, how about a bet?"

"Oh, how much are we talking about?"

Sigrún's interest was immediately piqued, so she quickly asked challengingly. Eleonora's smile grew as she elegantly sipped her tea, then responded in a questioning tone, looking directly into the sapphire-colored eyes of her sworn sister.

"I don't know, perhaps a whole day alone with our dear disciple?"

"That sounds good... but no crossing the line."

After drinking her own tea, Sigrún agreed, but didn't forget to warn in a serious tone. After all, there was an agreement to maintain. Eleonora licked her lips provocatively, then commented with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Fufufufu, of course not—we'll just sleep together a bit."

"You seem very confident of winning."

Ignoring the provocative joke of her sworn sister, Sigrún quickly replied in a challenging tone. Eleonora responded with a confident smile and a soft tone, while slightly pushing out her ample bosom and looking amused at the beautiful golden-haired master.

"Just a little."

"Well, we'll see about that. I bet on two weeks." Confident she would win, Sigrún quickly stated her bet while pushing out her chest similarly to Eleonora, who nodded cheerfully before giving her own wager.

"Then I'll go for one week."

"Closest under wins?" Extending her hand toward her sworn sister, Sigrún asked with a casual smile, to which Eleonora nodded happily.

"Of course."

With beautiful smiles on their faces, Sigrún and Eleonora shook hands conspiratorially. In the background, Erik laughed smugly in front of a stupefied Chen, who looked incredulously at how the sphere of light with swords inside was now twice as big as the original using the same amount of mana, thanks to the changes made by the star-haired boy.

"How did you do that?!!!" a shocked Chen exclaimed loudly, doubting whether what he was seeing was real.

"With a lot of effort."

A smug Erik commented as if he didn't care, not forgetting to reward himself for his genius with a delicious cookie given by his reliable maid. Though, he had to share his cookie with the pair of annoying wolves that appeared as soon as he took it.

Meanwhile, Seraphina casually glanced toward the pair of Master-levels in the distance, who laughed together conspiratorially. This caused her a bit of curiosity, but being the perfect maid she was, she couldn't spy on her young miss when she evidently wanted to keep her conversation private with the barrier she had placed around them.

"Why do you always say that? Would it kill you to explain something to me once in a while?"

Staring intently at the star-haired boy who was animatedly writing in his notebook, Chen asked in an exasperated tone due to his typical response. Despite having changed a bit as they got to know each other better and not saying it as often, it still slipped out occasionally, especially when he did something crazy, as if it pained him to explain his exasperating genius.

"Mmmm, I don't know, maybe if I receive a good gift, I could try harder to explain, hehe."

With a casual smile, Erik quickly evaded the topic with a random excuse, since he honestly had no idea why his 'arrangements' worked. He just felt that it looked better that way, and nothing more. But somehow it ended up becoming bigger, which honestly surprised him a bit, as he actually thought his changes would make it use less mana.

(It will really be a good time in the library until I find out why that formation did that...)

Erik sighed internally and consoled himself with another cookie while giving one to each wolf, who had started a tragic play in their puppy form to try to get more cookies from Seraphina, who just watched them amused without the slightest intention of giving them more.

For his part, Chen could only sigh tiredly at the peculiar friend he had made, who, for some reason, often gave him the vibe of talking to his esteemed grandfather. Though that might be because they were quite similar: obsessed with a random food, sometimes cheerful, sometimes grumpy, and above all, wanting to act mysterious with the young ones.

...

...

...

Some time later, in the middle of the hall of Sigrún's mansion, the two youngest Master-levels in history were gathered along with Seraphina, the perfect maid. They were calmly drinking tea while talking, sitting on comfortable sofas around an elegant tea table.

"Hehehe, seems like I'm the winner." Sigrún commented with a smug smile as she looked at Eleonora, who responded with annoyance.

"Hmph, that's cheating. The bet was supposed to be in weeks, and Erik took almost two months to give up."

"It's the same—it was seven weeks, and I said two, which makes me the closest under, so I win. Don't be a sore loser, Eli." With a smile on her face, Sigrún commented cheerfully while looking over her shoulder at the annoyed Eleonora. This piqued Seraphina's curiosity, who quickly asked.

"Are you betting again?"

"Yes, a little, you know..." Eleonora averted her gaze while speaking uncomfortably, which greatly increased Seraphina's curiosity. She quickly asked while staring fixedly at the pair of Masters.

"What did you bet?"

"Something meaningless, don't pay attention to it, Sera..." Sigrún responded evasively while focusing on her tea, at the same time scolding herself internally for her big mouth.

"Fufufufu, so you don't want to talk—how interesting. Maybe I should tell Erik that his beloved masters now use him as a betting chip." Seraphina commented with narrowed eyes, while the two 'accused' women avoided her gaze with all their might. This made the beautiful maid smile mischievously as she commented in a mocking tone.

"Fufu, well, then it's decided—I'll take Erik away for a year to keep him away from these bad women who only want him as a betting game."

"Hehehe, don't be like that, Sera. We just bet an insignificant day to go out with our disciple for a walk, nothing more." Upon hearing Seraphina, Sigrún commented hastily, still not daring to look at her. Seraphina replied in an accusatory tone.

"Hehe, so you leave me out of something like that—I see... It's good to know... Now I'll take Erik as punishment."

After speaking, Seraphina tried to get up from the sofa but was quickly stopped by Eleonora and Sigrún, who gave her flattering smiles while speaking hastily. They knew Seraphina was very capable of doing what she said.

"Hehehe, you don't have to be like that, Sera. Of course, you're included too; we were just deciding our turns in a bet." Sigrún commented hurriedly with a forced giggle, to which Eleonora nodded and quickly added similarly.

"Fufufu, Sig is right—it was just to determine our turns. After all, the great maid of the Eldur house, the queen of shadows Seraphina, rightfully has the final turn."

"Fufufufu, that's good."

With a satisfied smile, Seraphina commented and elegantly sat back on the sofa, while Eleonora and Sigrún secretly sighed in relief. After all, if Seraphina fulfilled her word, it would be a real mess to find her afterward, if they ever managed to. And although she would eventually reappear, neither of them was willing to be separated from Erik, especially not at this time.

"So, when do we start?" After drinking a bit of tea, Seraphina asked with a cheerful smile, to which Eleonora responded equally cheerfully, as she had come out ahead.

"Next month is fine; we need time to prepare."

"You're right—we have to prepare well..." Seraphina commented in a thoughtful tone; after all, there were many things she wanted to do.

After agreeing on their respective dates, the three women left the hall and departed from the mansion in different directions, intending to make the necessary preparations for their respective dates. After all, this would be their first date, and it had to be perfect.

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[lordanl]

Lake Lysandra is nestled in a secluded corner of the University Planet, a secret place known only to a few who had taken on the task of exploring the planet's lush forests. It remained pristine thanks to the university's strict measures to preserve the biodiversity of its "gardens."

As one approached, the first notable feature of the slightly oval-shaped lake was its crystal-clear water, which faithfully reflected the blue sky and the clouds lazily floating in it. In the center, the sun seemed to dance on the surface, creating glimmers resembling scattered diamonds.

Surrounding the aquatic "mirror" were dense forests of fir and pine trees, towering like ancient guardians. Their tall canopies formed a sun-filtering layer, casting dancing shadows on the ground, which was covered in a mossy carpet. Sporadic wildflowers added splashes of color—yellows, reds, purples, and whites—contrasting with the ever-present green.

Floating leisurely across the vast lake was a modest-sized boat with a special charm. Its polished wooden hull shone with golden hues under the afternoon light as it silently glided over the lake's waters.

The boat's deck was adorned with a burgundy and gold velvet carpet, on which sat a woman of beauty that bordered on divine. Her hair, resembling liquid gold, flowed in soft waves down to the middle of her back, and her deep blue eyes gazed lovingly at the young man resting in her lap.

Her clear, flawless face bore a slight blush that only enhanced her charm. Her body, a perfect blend of sensual curves and a toned figure, could inspire desire in anyone who saw her. But to the woman, the only thing that seemed to matter was the young man in her lap, whose hair she stroked with delicate care.

The young man resting in the beautiful woman's lap was no less remarkable in appearance, with enigmatic black hair as dark as ebony, adorned with glimmers that resembled a starry night, filled with stars and galaxies. His hair starkly contrasted with his pale skin and emerald-colored eyes.

"This is the life…" Erik commented with his eyes still closed, his calm expression reflecting the peace he felt.

"It's good that you like it. Besides, you should rest more often; it's not good to spend all day locked away." Sigrún spoke as she gently combed through Erik's hair, a beautiful smile on her face. The young man with the starry hair casually asked with a hint of curiosity in his tone.

"Mmm, maybe I should rest more often, it feels great. But what prompted this sudden idea for an outing?"

"Oh, nothing special, I just wanted you to enjoy a moment of relaxation." Sigrún replied with a small smile before giving Erik a soft kiss on the forehead, to which he smiled gratefully as he opened his eyes to look into his master's blue ones.

"Thank you, master."

"There's no need to thank me, you're my little baby. It's only natural that I do these things for you." Sigrún responded with a beautiful smile, then gently closed Erik's eyes with her hand and began massaging his face.

"Little baby? But I'm taller than you" Erik commented playfully with his eyes closed, to which Sigrún responded with a joyful and affectionate giggle while gently pinching the boy's cheeks.

"Hehehe, that doesn't change anything; you're still my little baby."

"Haha, if you say so." Erik could only respond with amusement to his master, who smiled in the same way before commenting in a 'strict' tone.

"Hehe, I say it because it's true."

The pleasant scene continued in peaceful and enjoyable silence, accompanied by the subtle sounds of nature that served as a backdrop to the memorable moment. After some time, Sigrún asked in a more serious tone, wanting to understand her beloved disciple a little more and clarify a subject that had been on her mind for a long time.

"Erik, why do you like being alone so much?"

Upon hearing his master's question, Erik opened his eyes again and looked into Sigrún's deep blue eyes, which were filled with concern and affection. After a moment, he explained in a more serious tone.

"It's like I always say—being surrounded by people eventually brings problems."

"Why do you think that?" Though she already had an idea of the answer, Sigrún still asked, wanting to understand her disciple's thoughts more deeply. Erik responded calmly.

"Well, throughout my life, I've met many people, and almost all of them ended up bringing problems into my life. Really, the only people who have been beneficial to me are the old blacksmith and you, my masters, who I consider the greatest stroke of luck in my life. So, I think I've already used up my luck in that regard, which is why I prefer to enjoy what I have rather than seek out problems elsewhere."

"But isolating yourself so much will bring you problems in the future…" Sigrún commented softly and with concern, gently caressing Erik's cheeks. He smiled warmly before beginning to explain his point of view.

"I don't think I'm isolated. I always have you, and Seraphina is great company too. Besides…" Erik directed his gaze to a corner of the boat where Kaiser and Tiberius, who looked like small pups, were peacefully sleeping under the sunlight. He added with a hint of amusement.

"…In case of an emergency, I'll always have those two."

With an ironic smile, Sigrún looked at the wolves basking in the sun without a care in the world, then turned back to Erik and commented in a serious tone.

"Humans are social animals, Erik. Socializing is a need, and depriving yourself of it will make you sick in the long run."

"But master, in all the years we've been together, I haven't seen you socialize with anyone besides Master Eleonora and that red-haired woman." Erik commented in a calm tone, which made Sigrún smile slightly before explaining.

"Hehehe, you mean Thalia. That's because our lives are so long that it's common to go centuries without meeting your acquaintances. But that doesn't mean I don't have friends. In fact, during my time as a student, I was very popular and knew everyone. I even had my own gang with whom we caused all kinds of trouble."

"And how did that turn out?"

While observing the somewhat melancholic expression on his master's face, Erik asked, already knowing the answer to his question. Sigrún looked away, as she understood perfectly what her starry-haired disciple was referring to, and he was right. Many of the problems she faced during that time were indeed caused by other people. After a moment, she looked into her beloved disciple's eyes and shared her true thoughts.

"It turned out well, you know. Although I did get into several problems because of it, it also allowed me to meet valuable people whom I greatly appreciate, so it was very worth it."

"Well, I went from being an illiterate orphan stranded on a deserted island to being the disciple of two of the most beautiful and powerful women in the galaxy. How many people can tell a story like mine? It's better not to push my luck and wait a couple of centuries—after all, I still have a long life ahead, hehe."

Erik commented with a small, amused smile on his face, which brought an uncomfortable expression to Sigrún's beautiful face. After deliberating for a moment in her mind, she asked in a soft and somewhat nervous voice.

"Erik, do you want to know about your parents?"

Hearing his master's question, Erik opened his eyes wider in genuine surprise, carefully studying every detail of his master's beautiful face before looking up at the blue sky for a moment, as if deliberating with himself about his response. Sigrún waited patiently in silence, gently massaging her beloved disciple's forehead.

"The truth is, I don't. Maybe a long time ago, I would've liked to. You know, back then, I used to imagine that my parents were heroes of justice and that when they defeated evil, they would come back for me. But over time, I realized they were just ordinary people who simply didn't want me. So it's something I've let go of, and now I don't need them. Over time, I met valuable people who actually cared about me."

After some time, Erik expressed feelings that had been buried in his heart for a long time. Sigrún, in turn, asked in a low voice with a complex expression filled with various emotions.

"And what if they did love you, truly loved you, and were forced to leave you?"

"It seems like you know something…" Hearing his master, Erik could only comment softly while looking into Sigrún's eyes. She nodded gently and let out her response like a sigh.

"Yes…"

"Are they still alive?" With a complex expression, Erik asked in a low voice, to which Sigrún shook her head and responded with a similarly complex tone.

"Your mother isn't…"

"I see… Is he a good person?" Erik asked with a blank expression, trying to hide his emotions. Sigrún replied with an even more complicated expression.

"No…"

"Was it him?" A small light appeared in Erik's eyes as he asked, something Sigrún quickly noticed but decided to tell the truth quietly.

"Yes…"

"Is he stronger than me?" The dangerous light in Erik's eyes grew even more intense as he asked. Sigrún responded, nodding gently.

"Quite…"

"I see…" Erik commented while looking at the blue sky, his mind drifting in a sea of emotions. But after a while, he closed his eyes again and spoke in a serious tone.

"We'll talk when I catch up to him."

"All right."

Sigrún responded with a small smile on her face, feeling much more at peace now that she had confessed what she knew to her beloved disciple. She had always felt guilty for keeping that information to herself, as if she were deceiving him in some way. But now that was no longer a concern, and if Erik wished, she would accompany him herself to seek rightful vengeance.

Some time later, Erik fell asleep in Sigrún's lap as she gently caressed his face, almost as if she were lovingly lulling him. After a few hours, the starry-haired boy woke up as the sky began to darken, finding his master looking at him with a pleasant smile.

"Did you sleep well?" Sigrún asked in a tone filled with warmth and affection, to which Erik nodded, feeling much more relaxed and even closer to the beautiful woman who always supported him.

"Yes, hehe, sorry for using you as a pillow."

"Don't worry about that. Let's eat something," Sigrún responded cheerfully, knowing that her beloved disciple must be starving. The young man nodded with a smile before rising from her lap.

After Erik got up from the ground, Sigrún quickly floated into the air to land on her feet on the boat. At the same time, a beautiful glass table with all kinds of food appeared near them, decorated with a lovely candelabrum holding aromatic candles. These candles released a soft fragrance of jasmine and vanilla, creating a play of light and shadows that added a romantic touch to the beautiful boat.

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[lordanl]

Once seated at the table, Erik began to eat with pleasure, while feeding Kaiser and Tiberius, who quickly approached upon smelling the delicious dinner, unlike Sigrún, who ate small bites with elegance.

"Sorry about earlier." Sigrún said, a little embarrassed, while stroking Tiberius' small head, which caused Erik to look up and, with a slight smile, he replied.

"Don't worry about it, I know you're just concerned for me, and that makes me very happy."

"Idiot, you know how important you are to me, of course I worry." Sigrún said while looking at Erik with a joyful smile and a subtle blush on her cheeks.

"I know, that's why I never get tired of saying that meeting you was the luckiest thing in my life." Erik said with an affectionate smile, which made Sigrún's blush grow exponentially, turning her face as red as a tomato as she tried, unsuccessfully, to hide it by petting Kaiser and Tiberius, who were now sitting on her lap.

Some time later, as night had fallen, Erik finished eating and began to stretch a little, at which point the table disappeared from the spot as if it had never been there in the first place. The boy walked to the edge of the boat, where he saw the wolves, now about a meter tall, joyfully swimming in the lake, barking and chasing each other playfully.

"How about we go for a swim, master?" Erik asked with a slight smile while looking at Sigrún, who was gazing at the sky with a melancholic expression.

Hearing her beloved disciple, Sigrún turned to look at the star-haired boy, a little surprised, but not long after, a beautiful smile appeared on her face as she replied with a cheerful voice.

"Sounds great."

As her voice faded, Sigrún's beautiful white robe with delicate gold and silver embroidery vanished, leaving Erik stunned by the hypnotizing beauty of the scene before him, his gaze locked on his stunning master.

Beneath her robe, Sigrún wore a striking deep blue bikini, which contrasted wonderfully with her fair and luminous skin, exquisitely highlighting her voluptuous figure. The top, shaped like triangles, gracefully supported and accentuated her generous bust, while the high-cut bottom accentuated the curve of her hips and visually elongated her legs.

Every detail of the swimsuit seemed to be designed to complement and enhance the natural beauty of the spectacular woman. From the subtle shimmer of the fabric to the fine strings that tied it to her body, elevating her divine beauty and hypnotic sensuality.

Noticing Erik's gaze, a slight blush appeared on Sigrún's cheeks. Although she felt shy inside, her heart was filled with immense happiness and a profound sense of victory, bringing a broad smile to her face.

After staring almost hypnotized at Sigrún for a moment, Erik seemed to snap out of his daze and quickly removed his clothes, leaving him in simple black waterproof shorts, which almost made Sigrún gulp audibly. But, using all her willpower, she managed to contain herself and smile elegantly.

After changing, Erik jumped into the lake and swam a little under Sigrún's tender gaze. But noticing that his master wasn't in the water, the star-haired boy gave her a warm smile and extended his hand to invite her.

"The water is great, give it a try, master."

"Hehe, alright," Sigrún replied cheerfully before jumping into the lake, splashing water over Erik, which made them both laugh a little.

"How's the water?" Erik asked with a smile as he approached his master, who looked like a fairy emerging from a painting with her wet hair.

"It feels really great..." Sigrún replied as she pushed her hair back, then added with a somewhat nostalgic expression on her face.

"It's been so long since I've done something like this..."

"When was the last time you did something like this, master?" Erik asked, a bit curious, at which point Sigrún looked off into the distance as if recalling old memories, then softly replied.

"I don't know, maybe 300 years ago, maybe even longer."

"Really? That long?" Erik swam over to his master's side and asked, a little surprised.

"Well, that's what happens when you live a long time." Sigrún shrugged with a smile as she answered, but soon after, she jumped on Erik with a big smile, wrapping her arms around his neck, then singing in a playful voice.

"But enough nostalgia, let's have some fun!"

"If you say so..." Erik said with a smile as he fell backward into the lake, pulling Sigrún along, causing them both to dive deep into the water.

"That's cheating..." As they resurfaced, Sigrún said with a 'mad' expression on her face, then splashed water at Erik with one hand.

"Is that a declaration of war?" Erik teased with a defiant smile, returning the splash.

"Hmph, now it is." Sigrún snorted 'angrily', as drops of water ran down her spectacular body, before launching a large wave of water at her beloved disciple with one of her hands.

With amused smiles on their faces, Sigrún and Erik began splashing water at each other. But it soon became clear that Erik was at a disadvantage, mainly due to Sigrún's overwhelming strength, as she could literally send waves crashing at him, while he could only splash in comparison.

Seeing that he was losing the 'war' quite badly, Erik decided to call in reinforcements, his wolves, who quickly joined in, barking happily and wagging their tails energetically, helping their master battle against the invincible blonde-haired 'monster.'

...

Later that night, two young people of otherworldly beauty lay side by side on the rug of a beautiful ship, smiling widely and still in their swimsuits, while in one corner, two 'puppy' wolves slept, exhausted.

"That was fun."

Sigrún said with a big smile while gazing at the stars adorning the sky like a chest full of treasures. But soon after, several memories passed through her eyes, and she added in a nostalgic voice.

"It's been so long since I had fun like that, such free and sincere fun, thank you so much, Erik."

"I should be the one thanking you. After all, it was your idea, and it's the first time I've had this kind of fun. It was really a wonderful experience, we should do this more often." Erik said with a small smile, gazing at his master's profile, which seemed to have been carved with millimetric precision.

Hearing her disciple's words, the nostalgic expression on Sigrún's face disappeared, transforming into a smile as anticipation for the future filled her. After silently vowing to herself to fill her beloved disciple's life with everything he had lacked, she enthusiastically said.

"Haha, then we must do things like this more often from now on!"

"Hehe, that would be nice, though, even with reinforcements, I lost miserably..."

Erik commented, doing his best acting of a man dejected by the injustice of the world, which made Sigrún laugh happily. She soon after turned around to hug Erik, allowing her to feel the warmth of her beloved disciple all over her body barely covered by a couple of pieces of cloth.

"Haha, that's what you get for going up against your master."

After finishing her declaration of victory, Sigrún tenderly kissed Erik's cheek, then rested her head on her beloved disciple's defined bare chest, at which point she commented in a soft, almost dreamy voice.

"You know, Erik, I don't think I've ever been as happy as I am now. I really feel so lucky to have met you..."

"I'm the one who's lucky to have met you; knowing you was the best thing that could've happened to me."

Erik replied in an equally soft voice, gently stroking Sigrún's golden hair, as she looked up at him with undisguised love in her eyes, almost with obsessive passion. But after biting her lower lip hard, she managed to calm herself and softly said.

"I really love you, Erik. I love you more than you can imagine."

After making her declaration of love, Sigrún pressed her head against Erik's chest with force, tightening her embrace around him, to which Erik responded with a gentle hug, whispering softly into the ear of his spectacular master.

"I love you too, Sigrún."

Thanks to Erik's words, Sigrún's face turned as red as a tomato, and her body heated up with fury, causing her to squeeze Erik even tighter, desperately trying to hide her face deeper into her beloved disciple's chest.

For his part, Erik gently stroked his master's beautiful hair while gazing at the stars with a dreamy look. His mind wandered through all the memories of his second life, how immensely happy he was and how grateful he was for his immense luck.

Though he didn't complain about his first life, the truth was that it had been quite a lonely one after his parents' death, which only worsened when he became wealthy. Even the few friends he had at the time ended up becoming money-hungry beasts, leading to several betrayals and thefts. This made him extremely distrustful and cynical of anyone trying to get close.

But now things were completely different. His masters were at the top of the pyramid, whether in talent, money, or power, yet they treated him with care and affection, always showing him sincere and real love—something he had only experienced from his parents in his first life.

Of course, Erik was fully aware that his masters 'liked him a lot,' but it was equally clear that something held them back from going further. So, he simply decided to go with the flow and refrain from making any moves on his own. After all, he very likely had millennia ahead of him with them by his side, and the first lesson learned when one grows old is that the best things in life should be savored slowly.

(Life is a very strange thing. The more time you have to live, the less you value it. You let so many special moments pass by in senseless haste. Only when you see death at your back, when even walking becomes difficult, do you start to appreciate the beauty of patience and realize that every moment is special in its own way. Humans truly are very stupid creatures...)

As Erik reflected on his experiences, a curious thought couldn't help but pop into his mind, making him smile a little. He then softly kissed his beautiful master's head and closed his eyes, letting time pass slowly while the curious pair found comfort in each other's warmth.

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[lordanl]

As every morning, Erik got out of bed wearing nothing but long shorts, surrounded by Tiberius and Kaiser, who were now sleeping in their puppy size. And Ebonique, who, for some strange reason, had recently started sleeping near the head of the bed in her smallest form. Although, according to her, spirits didn't need to sleep, well, as far as he knew, neither his masters nor Seraphina needed to sleep, and yet they did it every day, so who was he to question it?

After stretching, Erik looked out the window towards the garden, still dark due to the lack of sunlight. Noticing that it wasn't raining, he smiled cheerfully and left the room with a light step. Once outside, the star-haired boy began his morning exercises, consisting of the same set of martial arts movements he had learned on the island, although now they were a bit different.

Even though the movements could still be divided into four categories: the light and ethereal ones, which he often used to dodge or move across the field; the fast and precise ones, especially useful for attacking vital points; the elegant and fluid ones, which worked incredibly well to use the opponent's force against them; and finally, the firm and powerful ones, essential for blocking attacks or striking with great force—these movements had now changed a bit.

Over the years, and as his power level increased, Myst had slowly and gradually guided Erik to modify them, with small changes each time, until they accumulated into what he now had. Despite his increased strength during this time, the movements remained as effective, if not more, than the initial exercises, and they continued to "evolve."

With a calm and focused expression, Erik continued practicing in the early dawn until the sun began to rise, announcing the morning. After a few more repetitions, he approached the wolves and Ebonique, who had at some point arrived in the garden and were now lying on the grass not far away.

Seeing him approach, the pair of wolf cubs quickly got up from the ground excitedly and ran towards Erik, energetically rubbing their small heads against his legs while barking and wagging their fluffy tails at great speed.

"Good morning, Erik." Ebonique greeted in a soft voice while increasing her size from about 30 cm to around 2 meters, before approaching her dear contractor.

"Good morning, Ebonique."

Erik greeted with a cheerful smile, placing his hand on Ebonique's large head, who now looked less like a snake and more like a powerful dragon or something resembling a horned dinosaur to Erik. He began transferring to his curious contracted spirit the mix of Mana and Myst that she loved so much.

"It's really mysterious how your appearance changes from time to time, Ebonique."

As he "fed" and stroked Ebonique's powerful scales, Erik commented, a bit surprised. The mighty 'dragon' responded casually while relishing what was possibly the most delicious thing in the universe.

"Well, as you already know, it's all because of your growth. You leveled up recently, hence the change, but how do I look?"

With her question, Ebonique struck a majestic pose as small black lightning bolts crackled around her body. Erik, already knowing perfectly well the response his spoiled contracted spirit wanted to hear, commented with a small smile.

"Powerful."

The first change Ebonique "suffered" was when she grew arms; Erik nearly fell over when he saw her for the first time, absolutely astonished. But she explained that she was a somewhat special spirit who changed her appearance as her strength grew. Since she was connected to him through their contract, her strength increased whenever he leveled up, which greatly surprised Erik. However, after some research in the library, he found several documented cases of similar situations occurring in the past, allowing him to "understand" the strange phenomenon a bit more.

"Hehehehe."

Hearing just the compliment she wanted, Ebonique smiled shyly in her dragon form, then lovingly wrapped her body around her knowledgeable contractor. She felt that enduring the annoying tantrums of that crazy blue-feathered being for eons had been completely worth it—a great deal she would repeat, although she couldn't help but feel a little guilty about having to lie to Erik.

As time passed, Ebonique began to regret presenting herself to Erik with that false serpent appearance. Although she had done so only because she was following Ignis's tantrums and didn't want to draw attention, she now wished for him to see her as she truly was. The problem was that she was already too deep into the lie to say otherwise, not to mention that it could be dangerous for certain beings to discover her dear contractor.

Because of this, Ebonique started thinking of ways to show her true appearance to Erik without attracting too much attention, until she remembered that some young spirits changed appearance as they grew stronger. She decided to use that as an excuse to gradually reveal her true spirit form as he became stronger, while simultaneously searching throughout the spiritual realm for the wildest means to hide her dear contractor.

"Well, that's all for today." Erik gently patted Ebonique's head twice as she enjoyed her "breakfast" with her eyes closed, smiling as he spoke.

"It was delicious, as always," Ebonique commented in a blissful tone, then tightened her "embrace" around Erik as she cheerfully added.

"See you tonight."

After touching Erik's cheek with her head, Ebonique disappeared in a flash of black lightning. At that moment, the wolves began to jump and bark excitedly, their tails wagging furiously. This brought an amused smile to Erik's face, who extended his hands as he spoke.

"Alright, alright, come here."

Upon hearing their master, Kaiser and Tiberius barked excitedly and began to grow in size until they reached 6 meters in height, much larger than their mother, who was only about 4 meters tall. For some reason, they had started growing rapidly since they began training with Ebonique, although thanks to their usual shrunken state, it wasn't very noticeable.

Initially, the wolves' growth caught Erik's attention, prompting him to seek information. However, he didn't find much apart from some research documents discussing mystic wolves that were larger than usual, around 8 meters tall, found on rather special planets.

One particularly curious discovery during that little investigation was that mystic wolves existed in different parts of the galaxy, on planets with very different conditions, yet they were still the same species. To the point where two mystic wolves from entirely different parts of the galaxy could reproduce and still produce perfectly healthy mystic wolves capable of reproducing. Curiously, his home planet wasn't one of the planets where mystic wolves were found.

But that little mystery was easily solved when he asked Sigrún, who told him that, indeed, she had brought the mystic wolves, along with other animals on the island, as a tribute to her master. Who was a nature lover and a renowned wildlife researcher with several accomplishments documented in textbooks.

With practiced movements, Erik stroked the gigantic wolves while passing them the usual mix of Mana and Myst for quite some time until both were satisfied. At that point, they barked happily, although their size made them more terrifying than adorable. After that, the wolves returned to their mini size, and they all walked towards the mansion together.

Back at the mansion, Erik headed towards the main hall, excited and eagerly anticipating his breakfast. But he was surprised when, upon arriving, he didn't find Seraphina. Instead, the one waiting for him with a big smile was his master Eleonora, looking exceptionally beautiful.

Although Eleonora's beauty was always near divine, it now seemed to have gone a step further. She wore light makeup and a beautiful blue dress with a floral design beneath a lovely pink kitchen apron, contrasting greatly with the beautiful jewelry she wore—jewelry Erik easily recognized, as he had made it himself.

"Master?"

While alternating his gaze between his stunning master and the sumptuous breakfast adorning the table, Erik asked, confused, as he hadn't even sensed her presence with his mystical awareness, something Seraphina also liked to do. The beautiful woman with golden eyes smiled with happiness and victory as she commented.

"Fufu, good morning. How did you sleep today, Erik?"

"Very well, but…" Erik hesitated, unsure of how to ask what was on his mind. But at that moment, Eleonora smiled brightly and sang out in a cheerful voice.

"Fufufufu, Seraphina had some things to do today, so I'll be taking care of you."

"…"

Without saying a word, Erik looked doubtfully at his smiling master, taking in her incredible appearance. This seemed to greatly please Eleonora, who even posed a little to let her beloved disciple admire her in all her splendor. This brought a smile to the star-haired boy's face as he cheerfully thanked her.

"Thank you so much, master. The breakfast looks delicious."

"Fufu, sit down and try it. I made it with lots of love." Eleonora responded happily, adjusting Erik's chair so he could sit at the table.

Allowing himself to be tended to by his master, Erik sat down and took a steaming plate of eggs with bread, which gave off an almost enchanting aroma. He curiously tried it, causing his eyes to widen in surprise. After all, it was incredibly delicious, even better than what Seraphina usually made, prompting him to comment with a tone that reflected his delight.

"This is exquisite, master."

"Fufu, I'm so glad you like it. Eat more, it's all for you." Eleonora said with a big smile on her face, discreetly clenching one of her fists in victory.

"Thank you, master." Erik thanked her with a small smile before diving into his sumptuous breakfast with great enthusiasm.

The breakfast was beyond delicious, indescribable in words. While Seraphina's breakfasts were also very good, his golden-eyed master definitely had a prodigious talent for cooking. After all, her cookies were undoubtedly the best, though he would never say something like that aloud if he wanted to keep his poor life intact.

Meanwhile, Eleonora looked at Erik with affection and joy as he enjoyed what she had prepared with so much effort. Then she sat next to him, propping an elbow on the table while resting her chin on her hand, almost hypnotized by her precious disciple.

(Falling in love is such a wonderful thing. I've never experienced anything like this before. I only need this little moment to be happy... love truly is the driving force of life, and I was the one who was wrong... I guess I owe someone an apology...)

As Eleonora recalled a certain moment in her life with some embarrassment for the arrogance and inexperience she had shown at that time, Erik finished eating. Stretching lazily, he smiled and thanked her as he looked at his beautiful master.

"Thank you, master, it was incredibly delicious."

"I'm glad you liked it. But go now, shower and get ready; we're going out."

Hearing his beloved disciple's voice, Eleonora snapped out of her thoughts and commented with a radiant smile, greatly confusing Erik, who couldn't help but ask, somewhat curious.

"Going out?"

"Yes, we're going for a walk, so hurry. Oh, and by the way, wear something other than the uniform."

Erik looked at his excited master, intending to say something, but after a moment, he sighed softly and headed to his room. Not long after, Erik came back down wearing black pants and a white long-sleeved shirt, finding his master now without the apron, looking stunning in her beautiful dress. This enhanced her already impressive beauty with a touch of youth and energy, while a beautiful handbag hung from her arm.

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[lordanl]

The bag that Eleonora was carrying was one Erik had made for her some time ago. By the way, both her masters, Ebonique and Ignis, should already have a collection of all the bags they had made him create, even though they were rarely seen using them. And even though the latest ones they made were spatial artifacts like rings, in reality, there was no need for them thanks to storage rings. But since they liked them, Erik would occasionally make bags and other things for them.

The beautiful bag had a charming design that matched perfectly with her dress. After all, Erik had been 'heavily inspired' by a certain renowned brand from his previous life. Though realistically, he had simply copied the design shamelessly, as he had done with many other things he made for his masters. After searching everywhere, he realized that many of those designs didn't exist here, or, at the very least, had been lost to time.

"Umu, you look perfect like this, let's go."

Eleonora nodded, satisfied as she admired the appearance of her beloved disciple, then excitedly took his hand and led him out of the mansion. Outside, she seemed to remember something, so she took two pairs of glasses from her elegant and minimalist bag—one with a black frame and the other with a blue frame—and placed the black-framed ones on Erik's face with a smile.

"Don't take them off."

Eleonora happily commented, at the same time a magical circle appeared above Erik's head, causing his hair to turn completely black, completely hiding the typical starry pattern that accompanied him. She then added, looking quite satisfied.

"Now you're ready, fufu."

"Shall we go?"

While extending one of his hands toward his master, Erik asked with a smile, which made Eleonora smile charmingly in return. She took her disciple's hand, intertwining their fingers intimately, and then commented with excitement.

"Let's go!"

Hand in hand like a couple, master and disciple calmly walked out of the mansion. Erik couldn't help but notice that people on the street seemed to ignore them. While he had become relatively known ever since his photo had spread across the planet, that was nothing compared to his master. Although no one had the courage to approach her, whenever she stepped outside, she always attracted the attention of all the passersby.

But now it was almost as if they didn't exist. No one paid any particular attention to them, which surprised Erik quite a bit. Instinctively, he brought his hand to his glasses, which made Eleonora smile proudly. She quickly asked, happily.

"Fufufufu, what do you think of my little gadget? Pretty useful, right?"

"They're amazing... Are we invisible or something?" Erik asked while resisting the urge to take off the glasses to study them. Eleonora shook her head softly before replying.

"Not at all, they just slightly alter our appearance and presence, making us seem like ordinary people, which is why no one is paying special attention to us."

"How powerful are these glasses?" Erik asked curiously while looking around, to which Eleonora responded with a small smile.

"Well, actually, no one below a Master-level can see through them."

"Impressive…" Erik commented softly, making a mental note to ask his master for more information about them later. At that moment, Eleonora cheerfully added.

"Fufufu, let's go, or we'll be late."

With a light chuckle, Eleonora led Erik through a part of the city he had never explored before. Well, not that he explored much to begin with, but about 15 minutes later, the pair arrived at what seemed to be a train station, with its glass and metal architecture and all kinds of holographic screens displaying schedules and destinations.

As they passed through the automatic doors, they were greeted by a spacious and futuristic lobby, with floating holographic information panels and self-service terminals glowing with a soft blue light. Crowds of people hurriedly moved around, similar to the train stations Erik remembered, though perhaps more 'futuristic.'

With great familiarity, Eleonora led her beloved disciple by the hand to one of the self-service terminals, where she used a crystal card similar to Erik's, which she took from her bag. In a process, much like the one students followed to enroll in a class, she purchased two tickets.

After buying the tickets, Eleonora guided Erik to a small line where people placed cards of different colors into what seemed to be some kind of super-futuristic turnstiles. This was quite similar to what Erik remembered from train stations, although without any visible barriers.

"Erik, now you have to place your card next to mine when we pass." Eleonora explained with a smile once they were in the small line, attracting Erik's attention as he curiously looked around.

"All right, Mas…"

Erik nodded with a smile, but his words stopped abruptly when Eleonora squeezed his hand tighter. The beautiful woman with golden eyes then softly whispered with a small smile on her face, which, for some reason, looked quite terrifying.

"Eleonora."

"…"

"Eleonora." After Erik stared at her in silence, Eleonora repeated with a meaningful smile, leaving the young man with no choice but to surrender obediently and respond, defeated.

"Alright, Eleonora."

"Fufu."

With a big smile on her face, Eleonora intimately hugged Erik's arm, pressing it into her large chest, drawing a few glances from the people around them, who quickly went back to their own business, paying little attention to the 'exhibitionist' couple.

After placing their cards together on the scanner, Erik and Eleonora entered what appeared to be a Boarding Platform. However, unlike any train station or airport, Erik had ever been to. This area was made up of a series of cylindrical capsules lined up on elevated launch platforms, each resembling a futuristic train carriage, with tinted glass walls and ergonomic seats inside.

The couple entered one of the capsules through sliding glass doors that emitted a soft musical tone as they opened, accompanied by other passengers. Once inside, a synthesized voice welcomed them and instructed them to fasten their seat belts. The atmosphere in the capsule was soothing, with soft lights that changed color to relax the travelers.

When the doors closed and everyone was securely in their seats, a soft hum began to resonate throughout the capsule, increasing in intensity until it filled the entire space. At the same time, the holographic screens inside displayed a countdown as the synthesized voice narrated.

[Teleporting in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...]

As the countdown finished, a blinding flash of light engulfed the capsule, and after a brief sensation of weightlessness, the passengers arrived at their destination. They quickly began to unbuckle their seat belts and exit the capsule.

For his part, Erik observed the whole situation in amazement. Although this wasn't his first time teleporting, it was his first time using a facility like this. All of his previous teleportation experiences involved being taken somewhere by his masters or Seraphina. Since he rarely ventured out, he didn't even know something like this existed in the city, despite having lived there for more than a decade.

"I think I need to go out more often..." Erik commented thoughtfully as he exited the transportation station alongside Eleonora, which looked almost the same as the one they had entered just moments ago.

"Fufufu, you're starting to realize what you've missed by trying to play the hermit cooped up in the mansion. But don't worry, little by little, we'll get to know the entire planet and the rest of the galaxy." Eleonora commented cheerfully as she hugged Erik's right arm against her abundant chest, pulling the young man out of his thoughts.

"Thank you for the experience, master." Erik thanked her with a small smile, which only made them look even more like a couple in love to the passersby.

"Fufufu, it's still too early for that. We still have a lot of things to do." Eleonora replied with a sweet smile, which also cheered Erik, who responded with a bit of anticipation for what he was about to see and experience.

"Then let's go."

The couple left the station, with Eleonora still holding on to Erik's arm without the slightest intention of letting go. They quickly reached the street, which was a revelation for the hermit Erik, who never ventured out. Unlike the orderly scenery he was used to, where everything was perfectly organized and everyone wore similar white robes, things here were very different.

Even though they had just had breakfast, Erik now found the place shrouded in the darkness of night, illuminated by glowing runes and holographic signs of all kinds. It was as if someone had taken fragments from different eras and fused them into one scene, creating an impressive amalgam of the old, the futuristic, and the magical, leaving behind the tall buildings he was accustomed to.

The streets were full of people, none of who were wearing the university uniforms. Although many people were dressed similarly to Erik and Eleonora, there were also many different styles. Some wore ultra-modern business suits, while others sported outfits that seemed to belong to science fiction tales or fantasy worlds.

The architecture was a spectacle in itself. In addition to the typical glass and steel skyscrapers, the area was filled with older, more ornate buildings of all kinds, with unique designs ranging from castles to pyramids. Floating parks and gardens suspended in the air by magical wonders could also be seen.

As for the traffic, there were all kinds of land and aerial vehicles. Unlike the orderly, almost choreographed movement Erik was used to seeing when going to class, the traffic seemed more like a chaotic yet perfectly coordinated dance of machines of all types.

"This is incredible..." Erik commented dreamily as he looked around, playing the role of a country bumpkin, which caused Eleonora to laugh pleasantly before commenting in amusement.

"Fufufufu, welcome to District 9, also known as the Fun District."

"I can see why it's called that..." Erik muttered under his breath as he looked around, and Eleonora explained as she began walking down the sidewalk.

"Yes, this district is mostly made up of recreational and tourist attractions. There are several similar districts, and some even have special themes. We'll visit them at a later date."

"I had no idea this even existed. Today has been one new experience after another." Erik commented in a somewhat dreamy tone, which made Eleonora smile with amusement. After a small giggle, she added as she quickened her pace.

"Fufufufu, that's what you get for being a hermit. But come on, we'll be late."

"Where are we going, Mas..." Erik stopped abruptly again when Eleonora turned to look at him with a small smile, prompting him to correct himself. "Eleonora?"

"To see a movie, of course." Eleonora replied casually with a mischievous smile on her face, leaving Erik speechless as he simply let himself be 'dragged' by his beautiful master.

"…"

Looking quite excited, Eleonora led Erik down a street filled with all kinds of holographic screens displaying endless images and video advertisements, until they reached an area full of movie theaters. Erik glanced at the movie listings and noticed something peculiar.

"What is Arcane Reality?" Erik asked, a bit confused, as they approached what seemed to be the cinema's ticket booth. Eleonora explained with a small smile.

"It's a way of enjoying movies where you experience the story as if you're inside it. Occasionally, you even become a character within the movie, and that's the type of projection we're going to see."

"That sounds amazing..." Erik commented quietly, filled with curiosity about this intriguing 'way of enjoying movies.'

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[lordanl]

Shortly after acquiring their tickets at the box office with her crystal card, Eleonora led Erik to the food court, where she bought several types of popcorn, as well as various kinds of junk food with a big smile. She then handed Erik the large pile of food for him to carry, which left him with a blank expression.

Seeing Erik's face, Eleonora laughed mischievously as she flirtatiously approached him. She then took a fry from one of the countless containers Erik was carrying on a rather large tray and brought it to her beloved disciple's mouth, speaking in a playful tone.

"Fufufu, don't be like that, here's a fry for being such a good boy."

"..."

'Indignant' at the inhumane treatment he was receiving, Erik carried out the greatest act of protest possible in his situation by turning his head away from his master. However, that only caused his cheek to get smeared with a bit of oil from the fry, which darkened his expression.

"HAHAHAHA!!"

Seeing Erik's predicament, Eleonora laughed heartily, but after calming down a bit, she approached him with a sly grin and slowly licked the oil off Erik's cheek, ending by gently brushing her small tongue across the star-haired young man's lips. Erik, opened his eyes in surprise, turned to look at her, At which point the mischievous golden-eyed Master smiled flirtatiously as she looked into her disciple's green eyes, then continued walking towards the inner part of the theater.

As Eleonora walked ahead, Erik stood in shock for a moment, frozen in place, staring at his master's back. But shortly after, he sighed a little and followed her, carrying the large tray full of food like the good porter he was.

Not long after, the pair arrived at the entrance to the theater section, where an elegantly dressed young man in a red and black uniform politely asked Eleonora to scan her card on a device he held in his hand, which she did with a smile.

The young man was slightly surprised to see Eleonora's crystal card, but without showing any special reaction, he took three amulets with an embedded gemstone from a nearby shelf and handed them to her.

"Welcome, please proceed to Theater Number 3." the young man pointed to one of the theaters with a large sign displaying the number three before adding.

"Enjoy your movie."

"Thank you very much."

Eleonora responded gracefully and elegantly, after which she placed one of the amulets around Erik's neck with a smile before gently taking his right arm. She made sure not to destabilize the tray full of food so that it would not fall, and together they headed towards the designated theater.

Upon entering the theater, Erik immediately noticed that it resembled an old opera house rather than a traditional cinema, with seats that looked like thrones upholstered in velvet and decorated with golden threads instead of typical cinema chairs. It also had a dome-shaped ceiling that imitated the night sky, with stars twinkling as if they were outdoors.

Instead of a flat screen, there was what looked like an arch at the front of the room, filled with runes engraved that softly glowed in the dark. Additionally, there was no visible projector, which made Erik particularly curious about how the 'arcane reality' worked.

With a beautiful smile on her face, Eleonora guided Erik to seats located at the back of the theater, in an area that seemed quite 'discreet,' which led the starry-haired boy to look at his master with suspicion. However, she only 'answered' with an elegant and carefree smile, then led him to the most hidden seat in the theater.

"How has the experience been for you so far?" Eleonora asked, sitting in her chair as she gently leaned on Erik's shoulder, who finally set down his large tray on the extra chair beside him.

"Apart from being the errand boy, everything has been pretty interesting." Erik responded in an accusatory tone, which made Eleonora smile mischievously. She soon nodded in satisfaction as she spoke.

"Fufu, that's good."

"By the way, mas… Eleonora, why buy an extra chair instead of storing everything in the storage ring?" Erik asked curiously, though he had to correct himself subtly when he felt a slight pinch on his arm, to which Eleonora replied amused.

"For the same reason you didn't, to experience it, fufufu."

"I suppose you're right…"

Erik commented in a soft tone, while Eleonora observed his thoughtful expression with a smile. She then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and leaned back on his shoulder with a mischievous grin, which made the starry-haired boy smile somewhat amused as he asked with curiosity.

"And how does this arcane reality work?"

"Fufu, don't be hasty, you'll see soon enough."

Eleonora smiled with a tone that tried to sound mysterious as she took Erik's arm to hold it intimately, at which point the starry-haired boy gave her a kiss on the head and commented with a smile.

"All right."

Feeling the kiss from her beloved disciple, Eleonora looked up only to find him smiling at her with amusement, which made her smile mischievously. At the same time, she pressed her disciple's arm deeply between her large, elastic breasts, leaving his hand between her seductive thighs, causing the young starry-haired man to open his eyes wide in astonishment, which made her smile victoriously.

Seeing how playful his golden-eyed master was being, Erik decided to play along a little and firmly squeezed her juicy thigh, causing the beautiful master to tremble slightly. She turned to look at him with misty eyes, but after a moment, she bit her lower lip, then freed his hand and rested her head on his shoulder in silence with her eyes closed.

With a small smile, Erik gave his master a gentle kiss on the head and started eating a few fries, while more and more people filled the theater until it was completely packed. At that moment, Erik felt the amulet he was wearing start to vibrate lightly, but with increasing intensity, so he turned to look at his master and asked with excitement.

"Is it about to start?"

"Yes, it's about to begin." Now much calmer, Eleonora responded affectionately, smiling tenderly at her beloved disciple's excitement.

As Eleonora spoke, the arch at the front of the room began to fill with what appeared to be mist, which started to spread throughout the theater. Along with the softly glowing runes, it gave the scene a magical and mysterious appearance, as if it were the entrance to another world.

Time passed slowly with an excited Erik looking in awe at everything happening around him, until the mist filled the entire room, obscuring his vision. Not long after, it began to clear, revealing a completely different world.

Now everything around no longer resembled a theater, but rather looked like a university lecture hall. In the center of the stage stood a man who appeared to be around 30 years old, with an athletic build and a healthy tan, black hair, and brown eyes. He was giving a lecture on the importance of exploring ancient ruins and uncovering their mysteries.

Surprised and excited, Erik looked around, quickly noticing that he seemed to be just another member of the audience. The realism was astonishing, so he turned to look at Eleonora, who was smiling at him while still holding his arm.

"This is insane…" Erik whispered softly, his green eyes shining with curiosity and excitement, but at that moment, Eleonora placed a finger on his lips and then whispered gently.

"It's rude to talk during the movie, just enjoy it for now."

Erik nodded at Eleonora's words and turned to keep watching the lecture, which ended shortly after. The handsome man, who seemed to be the protagonist, left the hall, at which point the mist once again obscured his vision, only to reveal a well-organized office with various display cases holding what appeared to be relics.

Not long after, the man who had been giving the lecture entered the office—known as Edward Thorne, as Erik had heard during the lecture. He sat in the main chair behind a beautiful wooden desk where he found a letter sealed with a strange symbol.

The letter seemed to contain cryptic clues and a map pointing to the supposed location of the City of Shadows, the legendary treasure city, which caused visible excitement in the man. Without a second thought, he quickly rushed out of the office to gather a group of experts to assist him on his journey.

The movie continued, showing how Edward Thorne and his team of experts arrived at the site, and after passing several trials, they entered the city. They overcame numerous challenges while facing those who had sent the letter, but they overcame everything with their vast knowledge, combined with exceptional magical power, ultimately reaching the heart of the city, where they found the city's great treasure.

Feeling like a child, full of curiosity for everything he was seeing, Erik witnessed it all firsthand. He could sense the smells, the sounds, the excitement—everything. It felt like more than just watching a movie; it was a unique experience that filled him with excitement and a desire to uncover the unknown.

Meanwhile, Eleonora watched her excited disciple with a loving smile, occasionally feeding him popcorn or the food they had brought, as the starry-haired boy was so engrossed that he seemed to have completely forgotten about it. This made her feel that her idea of a traditional date had been the best decision, and she wouldn't trade these moments for anything in the world.

After the movie ended, the mist once again filled the room, and Erik found himself back in the cinema, at which point he collapsed into his chair, feeling somewhat exhausted from all the excitement he had experienced. Meanwhile, the mist solidified in front of the arch at the front of the room, forming what looked like a 3D screen displaying the movie's credits.

"So, how did you like the movie?" Eleonora asked happily as she looked enchanted at the enormous smile on her beloved disciple's face, who responded with excitement.

"It was awesome! The story wasn't the best in the world, but the arcane reality is something else—it's really impressive."

"Fufufu, I'm glad you liked it, but the day isn't over yet; we still have many things to do." Eleonora commented in a singsong voice as she stood up from her seat, holding Erik's hand affectionately. They left the cinema in search of the new adventures she had planned for their date.

As they left the cinema, Eleonora took Erik to what appeared to be a bus station, though it looked much more elegant and futuristic than anything the starry-haired boy had ever seen. The station was filled with screens displaying advertisements for various interesting products, the arrival times of different routes, and even a countdown timer showing the arrival of the next bus.

"Where are we going now, Eleonora?" Erik asked, full of curiosity, while glancing at the timer, wanting to see if the bus would actually arrive on time.

"You'll see, it's going to be a lot of fun."

Eleonora replied cheerfully, quickly noticing her disciple's intentions, which she found really amusing. Although she had taken the bus very few times in her millennia at university, she still remembered the first time she did it. She also became curious about the stopwatch and wanted to check if it was real.

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Just as the countdown timer reached zero, a bus arrived at the station, boasting an iridescent shine that changed color depending on the angle from which it was viewed. At the entrance, there was a small scanner where Eleonora and Erik swiped their crystal cards, causing the doors to open and allowing them to board.

Upon entering the bus, Erik was intrigued by the fact that the interior was larger than the exterior suggested. It featured beautiful leather seats decorated with various runes, which appeared adjustable due to the slight differences observable in the seats of different passengers.

The master and disciple pair sat at the back of the bus, where Eleonora showed Erik the button on the side that allowed him to adjust his seat. He only had to press it lightly, and the seat automatically adjusted to his body, providing great comfort and ease.

"Eleonora, I've been curious for a while but always forget to ask: why do some things work with buttons and similar mechanisms instead of using mana?" Erik asked with slight curiosity as he settled into his chair. Eleonora responded with a small smile.

"Well, that's because someone might have trouble activating devices that way. So, we simply use a button or something similar, so anyone can use it. Plus, it's much easier and cheaper to do it like this, which is quite common in public places."

"I see. I'll keep that in mind when I make artifacts." Erik commented understandingly as his notebook appeared in his hand. Eleonora cheerfully added.

"Fufu, that's something we do when making artifacts for general use. When it's something more personalized, we use different systems like activating it with mana and mental commands or voice commands, as it's easier and more efficient for the user, although it increases the cost and difficulty."

"Yes, I noticed when I was creating a couple of artifacts. Mental commands are somewhat complex, and it's easy to confuse them if not done properly." Erik shared his experiences working on artifacts as he finished jotting down notes, to which Eleonora nodded in understanding.

"Certainly. If it's not something very specific, it's easy for the artifact to get confused, especially if it's something abstract. That's why it's very common for mana users to 'whisper' the commands to form a clear idea when using extremely complex artifacts with thousands or hundreds of thousands of commands, since there are generally many that are very similar."

While they chatted pleasantly about artifacts, Erik looked out the window at the passing street. Suddenly, he noticed the landscape changing, suggesting that the bus was rising into the air, which filled him with doubts. Although it was common for magical artifacts to ignore physics and overlook inertia and such, he also saw, not far away, a couple of young people using the window as a screen while watching what seemed to be a miniseries.

"Actually, we're flying, fufu," Eleonora responded to the question written on Erik's face with a small giggle.

"Ohhh," Erik nodded with a dumbfounded expression, which made Eleonora laugh again as she once more hugged his arm and rested her head on his shoulder.

About 30 minutes later, after a quiet and peaceful journey, Erik saw through the window a new bus station where they were slowly landing. At the same time, a synthetic voice announced the stop, prompting several passengers to start getting up from their seats.

"We've arrived," Eleonora announced enthusiastically. Erik nodded as he stood up, then intimately took his master's hand and got off the bus.

After walking a bit, Erik found himself in front of an imposing wall featuring a gigantic ring as a "door," which was "guarded" by what seemed to be two gigantic stone golems with intricate runes engraved all over their bodies. They held enormous halberds, which functioned as a kind of barrier they moved to let visitors pass.

With evident enthusiasm, Eleonora led Erik to what appeared to be a ticket booth near the two golems. An employee asked for their cards, so she quickly took out her card from her bag and asked Erik for his, then handed them to the employee, who used a black crystal tablet to register something.

Shortly after, the employee returned the cards to Eleonora, who smiled happily as she put her card back in her bag and handed Erik his. They then walked in front of the golems, who raised their halberds, allowing them to enter the place. The green-eyed boy looked around curiously but quickly realized what kind of place it was.

Inside, the first thing Erik saw were attractions that defied both gravity and logic. Roller coasters twisting through the air without rails could be seen wherever he looked. There were also all kinds of carousels, featuring mythical creatures instead of simple horses: dragons, griffins, and unicorns that came to life thanks to the runes carved into them.

"Welcome to LorePark, one of the best amusement parks on the university planet." Eleonora announced enthusiastically, imitating a cheerleader, which made Erik laugh. Somewhat infected by his master's energy, he cheerfully commented.

"Everything here looks incredible."

"Fufufu, since we're here, first we have to ride the roller coaster. Let's go!"

After cheerfully commenting, Eleonora dragged Erik toward a small line in front of an imposing rail-less roller coaster with a holographic sign that said in large letters [The Arcane Dragon] in galactic language. After swiping their crystal cards through a scanner, several employees helped them sit in their seats in a beautiful wagon shaped like an incredibly detailed dragon's head, to the point where each scale seemed real.

Forged from enchanted metal that shone with an iridescent luster, the wagon seemed to change color depending on the angle from which it was viewed, just like the bus. Intricately engraved runes adorned each scale, appearing as beautiful decorative reliefs.

Unlike the conventional roller coaster wagons Erik was used to, this one had no safety bars of any kind. Instead, a series of runes activated when he took his seat, creating an invisible but tangible force field around him, which adjusted to the shape of his body, making it difficult to notice unless he actively tried.

"Get ready to feel 'The Dragon,' Erik." Eleonora said mischievously, leaving Erik confused as he turned to look at her with doubts written all over his face.

Shortly after the wagon started, Erik understood what his master meant by 'The Dragon.' The roller coaster "flew" without rails, performing impossible acrobatics. Erik was absolutely certain that if he were a normal human, he would have died performing them, which inevitably brought to mind the story of that roller coaster designed for painless death.

When the ride ended, Eleonora laughed happily at Erik, whose legs were trembling from the absurd journey—something he had never experienced before. After all, he had never suffered from fear of heights, and in his past life, he had tried various roller coasters without feeling anything special apart from a bit of excitement.

But that 'Arcane Dragon' was definitely on another level. He felt close to death on several occasions, taking impossible turns at absurd speeds. Moreover, for the first time in a long while, Erik felt the now unusual for him, G-forces as inertia whipped through his entire body.

"Fufufufu, it seems the dragon was too much for my little Erik," Eleonora teased mischievously while hugging him affectionately.

"..." Erik, for his part, shot a venomous glance at Eleonora but refrained from saying anything, simply taking a deep breath to regain his composure.

"Fufufufu, don't be like that. Now let's do something more relaxed."

After commenting amused, Eleonora, full of smiles, guided Erik to a new attraction, which he recognized at a glance, bringing a smile to his face. In front of him was a racetrack made of some material similar to asphalt, with countless runes engraved all over the road.

A little further ahead were different types of futuristic karts with various runes engraved on them. Above the entrance hung a beautiful holographic sign that read [Arcane Route], accompanied by a short video that brought a strange expression to Erik's face.

What he saw in the video could only be described as a photorealistic representation of a famous kart racing game featuring a small, mustachioed plumber in a red suit. This couldn't help but change the expression on the green-eyed boy's face to an ironic one.

Although Erik hadn't been much into video games in his past life, he knew that game well, having played it several times in his youth. Seeing the video gave him a terrible feeling about what was about to happen.

After swiping their crystal cards through a scanner, several employees helped Erik and Eleonora into a couple of karts. Along with other visitors, they were led to the starting line, where a huge holographic sign displayed a countdown.

Erik settled comfortably into his seat, which was very similar to the one on the bus and adjusted automatically to his body. A force field similar to the one he felt on the roller coaster enveloped him, keeping him firm and secure. Gripping the steering wheel with both hands, he gently touched the pedals with his feet, studying his vehicle. But he was abruptly pulled from his thoughts when Eleonora cheekily commented.

"See you at the finish line, snail!"

As Eleonora's voice faded, a loud beep sounded, and all the other participants sped off, leaving Erik alone at the starting line, blinking wordlessly while the surrounding employees tried hard to suppress their laughter.

After sighing tiredly, Erik's gaze suddenly sharpened, becoming keen and focused as his kart's engine roared powerfully, surprising those who had been watching the earlier comedy.

Not long after, Erik shot off at full speed in his kart, taking super-tight turns almost without braking at blinding speeds, leaving behind incredulous expressions on the faces of employees and visitors watching the race.

With incredible ease, Erik began overtaking racers until he noticed a large group of runes carved into the ground ahead, glowing in different colors and separated into small rectangular sections. Guessing their purpose, Erik drove over one of these sections.

After passing over the illuminated section, the runes on the road dimmed, and a holographic screen appeared in front of him, displaying an icon representing a kart covered by some kind of shield.

Skillfully, Erik continued overtaking competitors until, at one point, when he was neck and neck with two other karts, columns of fire suddenly erupted from the ground, approaching the cars at great speed.

Time abruptly slowed from Erik's perspective. He saw one of the competitors touch the holographic screen and accelerate sharply, moving away from the pillars of flame at a speed far exceeding the kart's maximum.

Figuring out what had happened, Erik touched the shield icon, and immediately a luminous shield enveloped him, protecting him from the columns of fire that soon reached him.

Curious, Erik turned to see what had happened to the competitor who hadn't activated anything. The racer who was hit by the pillars of fire slowed down, and the runes on the track glowed faintly, causing the kart to lift into the air and exit the track, autonomously driving back to the starting area.

After observing this interesting event, Erik refocused on the race, speeding ahead and continuing to overtake competitors while passing through special illuminated zones, gaining various temporary abilities as a result.

The temporary abilities were quite interesting to Erik. Not only did they include the shield or acceleration he'd seen before, but there were also abilities involving various mana constructs with light affinity, which, upon hitting an enemy kart or the track, produced different effects—very similar to how the game in his memory worked.

Mana constructs were extremely useful and widely used in the galaxy for countless purposes. Light affinity was used to create them because it was the best for the task—not only was it very efficient, reducing the amount of mana needed, but it was also not inherently destructive like fire, nor as complicated or costly to make as earth. It was stronger than wind and didn't have the low temperatures of water.

Creating mana constructs with light affinity was such a developed and widespread science that, to create his own Myst constructs, Erik based them on light-affinity mages. From there came the barriers he now created, the arrows, and similar things.

After two laps around the enormous circuit, Erik finally reached second place, where he spotted his master again. She glanced back and gave him a defiant smile while activating an icon on her holographic screen that made her accelerate abruptly.

Seeing his master's challenge, Erik smiled mischievously and took the next curve without braking, accelerating to the max until he caught up with her. Without giving her time to react, Erik activated an icon of an arrow with an attached clock on his holographic screen, causing a mana construct in that shape to shoot out. Caught by surprise, Eleonora couldn't evade in time, and the arrow hit her kart squarely, stopping it dead for three seconds.

Accelerating to the maximum, Erik passed by his master with a pleasant smile, lifting one hand from the steering wheel to "wave goodbye," sending a flying kiss at the end accompanied by a subtle wink.

After passing Eleonora, Erik's gaze became even sharper, and he began to accelerate fully, taking the curves almost perfectly, determined to maintain his lead until the end without giving his master the slightest chance to catch up.

...

At the exit of the kart track, Erik wore a defeated expression, while a smiling Eleonora kissed his cheek and hugged his right arm. In the end, Erik lost miserably to his master, who managed to beat him by almost a full minute—after all, a master's reflexes are on a completely different level.

"Don't be like that; you only lost a race, fufu." Eleonora commented cheerfully while pressing her beloved disciple's arm against her chest. He refused to speak, a dark expression on his face.

"..."

"Fufufu."

After a playful giggle, Eleonora dragged her beloved disciple to another attraction with a smile on her face. Near dawn, after trying countless attractions in the park, Eleonora took Erik to what he could say, without fear of being wrong, was the most absurdly large Ferris wheel he had ever seen. It seemed made of enchanted metal that shone like stars at night, with runes along its frame forming constellations.

After swiping their crystal cards through a scanner, two employees guided Eleonora and Erik into a private cabin. The cabin was a crystal sphere that, although silver from the outside, was transparent from the inside with impressive clarity. The seats were made of a material that seemed ethereal, like a cloud. Once the seats auto-adjusted for maximum comfort, the crystal ceiling began to display astronomical information and telescopic views of distant planets and stars.

"How did you like the ride?" Eleonora approached Erik and gently leaned on his right shoulder with a soft and happy expression, asking in a gentle and warm tone.

"It was a great experience. Thank you, Eleonora" Erik replied with a small smile, moving his arm to embrace his beautiful master by the waist.

"Fufufu, that's a relief" Eleonora moved closer to Erik and hugged him lovingly as they watched the sunrise together through the transparent crystal.

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In the middle of the conference room, which was possibly the most important in the entire Arcane Order, sat the director in the main chair. The director examined a set of documents on the table with an unusual interest for someone who had seen and lived through as much as he had.

"So that's what he wanted to do with the oil..." With a pleasant smile on his face, the director commented softly, to which Adrian, who was sitting in the chair to his right, added in a serious tone that couldn't hide his surprise.

"It was truly a surprise when these arrived at my office: 16 academic papers, plus I've already checked, and the boy has submitted 22 different patent applications. All of them are incredibly creative and many revolutionary, especially that magical plastic, or Manalite as he likes to call it in the documents. That single invention is absolutely insane. Sigrún really hit the jackpot with her disciple; geniuses truly recognize each other."

"Hehehe, well, actually there should have been 23 or maybe a few more. None of these documents mention the mana condenser we talked about last time." the director commented with a mischievous smile on his face as he spread the documents across the table, greatly confusing Adrian, who couldn't help but ask while staring at the faction leader.

"Mana condenser?"

"Yes, the first time I went to see him to discuss compensation, the boy showed me a mana condenser he had created. It was fully functional, and despite a few design flaws, they were minor compared to the huge benefit it represents, being at least 50% cheaper than those currently on the market." The director explained in a more serious tone as he looked at Adrian, who couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, knowing the director was serious.

"At least 50% cheaper?!!!"

"Yes, that's more or less how I felt when I saw it. I really wonder how that boy's mind works to achieve something like that in just a few years..." The director commented after nodding in understanding, which led Adrian to ask, struggling not only to believe what he was hearing but also to question life itself.

"Then why didn't he include something so revolutionary in his documents?"

"Most likely because I offered to hire him to develop it, so I suppose he thought it best not to mention it for now. Maybe he plans to accept my offer or has other plans in mind. In any case, this is an excellent gesture of goodwill from him." The director responded with a somewhat amused smile.

"That boy is a monster. Not only is he advancing like a rocket in his levels as a mana user, but he also managed to make such a groundbreaking innovation. How does he have time for everything? Does he have more hours in a day or something?" Adrian commented, visibly shaken, which made the director laugh heartily.

"Hahahaha, he is indeed a talented boy. But what's really most impressive is that magical plastic of his. Not only did he develop something never seen before, but he also presented several variants for different applications and even dedicated a patent and a full academic paper to the recovery, reuse, and utilization of waste. This will undoubtedly turn the galaxy upside down for a while."

"Yes... The craziest part is that it's really not especially advanced knowledge. Aside from the mana crystallization he must have learned from Sigrún, the rest are just super creative applications of relatively common knowledge, especially those production methods he wants to patent. They're truly revolutionary. How has no one thought of breaking complex creation down into simpler, easily controllable steps to improve quality and lower the entry level, making scalability easier?" While reading through Erik's academic papers, Adrian commented in a somewhat conflicted tone, causing the director to chuckle, slightly amused.

"Hahaha, yes, even I hadn't thought of something like that. The force of habit is more terrifying than I thought."

"Yes... it's truly terrifying..."

Adrian nodded in understanding, then commented in a low voice. But his expression quickly changed to a more professional one as he spoke in a serious tone, befitting the right hand of the great Arcane Order leader.

"But what do you think we should do with the patents and documents, director? While it's a good thing that he's shown such a grand gesture of goodwill by refraining from publishing such an important advancement as the mana condenser you mentioned, the specific handling of this must be well-planned, or it could lead to dissatisfaction."

"We don't need to do anything special about it. Just let the patents follow the normal process and send the academic papers for peer review. This work is good enough that we don't have to intervene. Also, prepare a solid editorial for the university journal and ready extra printers because we're going to be printing like crazy, hahahahaha!" The director responded with a jovial smile, ending in an energetic laugh, to which Adrian nodded seriously.

"Understood, director, I'll make the preparations."

After responding, Adrian left the meeting room, leaving the director alone, who stared into space for a long time as if reflecting on something. But shortly after, a smile appeared on his face as he stood from his seat, walked to one of the windows, and disappeared in the blink of an eye as if he were a ghost. Without the slightest change in his surroundings.

...

...

...

In the middle of a study filled with all kinds of books, scrolls, and holograms loaded with information, Erik sat behind a beautiful black desk, writing equations and drawing runes and magical circles of all kinds with a focused expression on his face. Two beautiful wolf pups rested peacefully beneath the desk, near his legs.

After a while, Erik stopped writing in his journal, then began tapping the desk lightly with the tip of his pen while holding his forehead with his other hand, reviewing the calculations he had written. This ended with a disappointed sigh, at which point he muttered softly to himself.

"It's really useless, everything leads to a dead end..."

One of Erik's greatest concerns at the moment was his inability to develop a solid theory to support his runic circles. Although they worked, and he could develop them without much trouble, things weren't as easy for others, even though they could use them with enough practice.

The main problem anyone faced when trying to develop a runic circle was that each one was unique. For the runes and geometric figures to combine and form a stable and efficient whole, many changes had to be made to both the runes and the geometric figures. Moreover, the way they interconnected also varied greatly from one runic circle to another.

All these changes were things Erik could accomplish without much trouble thanks to his good intuition. But it seemed like an impossible task for others, to the point where the two youngest and most talented Master-level individuals in human history were completely helpless before the challenge. This despite having the examples Erik had already developed and being able to cast them without much difficulty.

For this reason, Eleonora and Sigrún declared the runic circles as unviable for battle, as a spell had to adapt depending on the situation in a fight to get the most out of it. This required a deep understanding of its inner workings—in other words, a solid and concise theory behind it.

What really worried Erik about his masters' declaration was that if he couldn't find a way to support his runic circles with a solid theory, only a few people would be interested in studying them seriously. Even though they were superior in many ways to other systems. This would greatly restrict their development, as there was only so much one person could do, no matter how good they were.

As an engineer in his past life, Erik was fully aware of the infinite benefits of involving the community in developing a system. Since a magical system was literally a matter of life and death, it was, at the very least, absolute madness to use his runic circles in a real fight like the duel he had recently. With him being the only developer. After all, bugs tend to appear where you least expect them.

The problem was that his runic circles were something he had specifically developed to overcome his major disadvantage of not possessing elemental affinities, as their structure aligned very well with Myst, allowing him to use it integrally in the spell. Unlike other systems, which used it as an external enhancement, this gave him, whose greatest strength was his connection with Myst, a clear advantage that could potentially erase his disadvantage.

After a final tired sigh, Erik stored all his writing materials in his storage ring, deactivated the holograms, and began organizing the books and scrolls on the shelves around the study with the help of his phantom hands.

Though it seemed silly to use books and scrolls when holograms were so useful, the reality was that books and scrolls had an overwhelming advantage over holograms or similar devices. On paper, simplified versions of spells and similar things were generally created to allow for easy testing, along with other conveniences.

A similar concept applied to bookshelves compared to storage rings, which were spatial artifacts capable of holding incredible amounts of books. Additionally, they had specialized functions for organizing books, preserving them, and protecting them from any damage. And being larger, they were much cheaper and easier to make, as they used less expensive materials and required less skill, making them common across the galaxy.

With everything neatly arranged, Erik left his study, a bit disappointed, and walked to the main hall, where he found his masters sitting on the sofas, reading while sipping tea. They exuded an aura of unparalleled wisdom and elegance, making the room seem like the mythical representation of mystical beauty at that moment.

Erik quickly approached Sigrún, who was sitting on one of the large sofas, and without a word, he lay down on it, resting his head on his master's lap. This caused Sigrún to lift her gaze from her book, then look at her beloved disciple with a beautiful smile on her face, as she began softly stroking his starry hair.

"And how did my great researcher do today?" Sigrún asked in a warm and loving tone as she stored her book in her storage ring.

"..."

For his part, Erik refrained from saying anything. Instead, he simply turned over and buried his face in his master's flat abdomen, filling his nose with a rich, soft floral scent that relaxed his senses and calmed his mind.

"Hehe, looks like not so well." Sigrún commented with a smile full of love, though slightly amused at the same time. She then began massaging her beloved disciple's head to help him relax.

Meanwhile, Eleonora, who was sitting on one of the individual sofas across from Sigrún, smiled slightly as she rose from her seat. She then approached her beloved disciple and her sworn sister, where she removed Erik's shoes and sat on the sofa, placing the young man's starry-haired feet on her lap.

"Don't be like that, Erik. Not making progress in your research is very normal, and it's probably the thing you'll face the most in your life. The fact that you're only experiencing it now is what's rare." Eleonora commented affectionately as she massaged Erik's feet with dedication and a smile on her face.

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What truly bothered Erik wasn't the fact that he had hit a wall in the development of runic circles. After all, in his past life, he had experienced this countless times, even having to abandon projects that he had thought were incredible but turned out to be unfeasible in reality. He had even experienced failure on several occasions.

The problem was that this wasn't what was happening now. Erik was fully capable of developing the runic circles on his own. What truly frustrated him was his inability to develop a consistent theory to make it accessible to others.

It was almost like when you forget a specific word but remember its definition perfectly. You could even recite it from memory, but the word itself escapes you. At the same time, you feel as if you're on the verge of remembering it, almost like it's on the tip of your tongue, about to come out, but no matter how hard you try, nothing comes. It was an incredibly exasperating feeling, and Erik felt it multiplied by a thousand every time he tried to develop his theory.

Moreover, Erik had always been a man of applied sciences. He loved to develop and build things, to the point where he couldn't care less how the universe started or whether a god existed or not. The only thing that interested him was taking the knowledge discovered by those great thinkers, who cared about those things, and using it to create things in the real world that were useful or at least fun.

Thus, doing something so far out of his comfort zone, like coming up with a theory to explain something he could instinctively do, only added an extra layer of discomfort to the already exasperating situation he found himself in, which only worsened his mood.

"I get it, it's just so frustrating not being able to explain how something that comes naturally to me works…" Erik commented with a slight sigh at the end, while the scent of Sigrún's body soothed him.

"Hehehe, look at you, dealing with those genius problems." Sigrún said with a beautiful smile on her face as she gently massaged Erik's temples, trying to calm and relax her beloved disciple. Then she added with a touch of mischief in her tone.

"Although, you'd get into a lot of trouble on the street if you said that outside."

"..."

Once again, Erik chose to remain silent and opted to relax under the loving care of his masters, wrapping his arms around Sigrún's slender waist as she bent down to give her beloved disciple a tender kiss on the head.

"But you know, there's something that could take your mind off things and give you new experiences that might spark the inspiration you need."

As she gently and skillfully massaged one of Erik's feet, Eleonora commented with a mysterious smile on her face, causing the star-haired boy to slightly move his head, which was buried in Sigrún's abdomen, to look at her. He asked with some curiosity.

"Is there really something like that?"

"Fufufu, yes. Not long ago, an ancient ruin was discovered, and preliminary research determined that it is only accessible to a very select group of mana users. More specifically, you can only enter if you're a mana user under 300 years old."

Knowing she had successfully piqued her disciple's curiosity, Eleonora responded with a cheerful smile on her face, never ceasing her massage on Erik, who asked with some interest and obvious surprise.

"Really?"

"Yes, at the recent meeting, the topic was discussed, and several possible courses of action were considered. In the end, it was decided that a special tournament would be held to determine the participants in the exploration group. The participants would include the direct disciples of the Order and the top students from the university. From what we know so far, only a limited number of people can enter, and the other factions are already negotiating how the spots will be divided."

Sigrún explained with a slight smile, fully awakening Erik's curiosity. He turned to lie on his back on his master's lap and asked, somewhat confused by what he had heard.

"The other factions know about it too?"

"Yes, actually, the ruin was discovered by some miners who were looking for a good asteroid to extract resources from. They sold the information to the highest bidder, so all the important factions are aware of it, although nothing has been announced to the public yet." Eleonora responded cheerfully, as she began massaging her beloved disciple's other foot.

"I see… Those miners were quite brave…" Erik commented, a bit surprised by the miners' courage, but Sigrún chuckled softly at his remark and said.

"Hahaha, not at all. The information about a ruin is far too valuable to monopolize, and by the time anyone found out, the other factions would hunt down the weakest link in the chain, turning the miners' lives into a nightmare—if they survived at all. So selling it to whoever could pay was a pretty wise move on their part."

"That's true as well…" Erik nodded in understanding, then added, half confused and half curious.

"But there's something I don't understand. Why are ruins so important? What makes them special aside from being archaeological sites?"

"Fufufu, that's because, many times, they contain lost knowledge that hasn't been recovered or hold knowledge, technology, and resources that are unknown and extremely valuable. That's why they're generally treated as a 'strategic resource' by the factions." Eleonora responded with a playful laugh, greatly surprising Erik, who quickly asked in a tone filled with disbelief.

"Unknown knowledge and technology? How is that possible?"

"That's common knowledge in the galaxy. The only one who doesn't know is you because you're always reading the same things and not interested in anything else, hahahaha." Sigrún said in a singsong voice, ending in a cheerful laugh, which made Eleonora smile mischievously before adding with a light giggle.

"Fufufu, look who's talking."

"Hmph."

Hearing her sworn sister's teasing comment, Sigrún snorted in annoyance and shot Eleonora a venomous look, who responded with a mischievous expression while sticking her tongue out at her. This caused the youngest master in history to sigh before adding.

"The point is, there are special ruins in the galaxy, and these ruins contain incredible treasures, such as very advanced spells or pieces of technology never seen before. For example, the current artificial warp tunnel technology came from a ruin discovered a long time ago."

"But how is it possible for ancient ruins to have something like that? Shouldn't current technology be far superior after all the time we've had to develop it?" Erik asked, a bit concerned, to which Eleonora responded in a serious tone, trying to sound like a qualified teacher.

"Well, the truth is, we don't know why those ruins contain such things. We don't know anything about them except that they exist. We don't even know who they belonged to or when they were built. Everything about them has remained a mystery to humanity as a whole.

"This is mainly due to the fact that we've lost much of our knowledge about our past and the origin of our civilization because of the constant wars that took place in the past, which left a huge gap in what we know and understand about our own civilization.

"Although over time, several theories have been proposed to try to explain it, only two are the most accepted. The first one suggests that our civilization is the resurgence of a more powerful and advanced ancient human civilization that met a tragic fate.

"As for the second, it is said that these ruins were left behind by a much more powerful civilization that passed through our galaxy a long time ago or that there is simply a civilization that has a similar custom to ours of building hidden mausoleums, and they hid them here by chance."

"Hidden mausoleums? What's that?" Erik asked, his face full of questions, which brought a pleasant smile to his masters' faces.

"Hehehe, you really need to read more history, Erik." Sigrún affectionately pinched Erik's nose as she spoke, then began to explain as she looked at her beloved disciple's face, who stared at her with a blank expression.

"Hidden mausoleums are essentially an ancient custom in the galaxy, where mana users who have achieved advancements they consider significant enough to be remembered in the future build special places near their death that contain much of their legacy for future generations, and they hide them as best as they can.

"These places are created with the main goal of passing down knowledge to future generations or, more precisely, selecting a 'posthumous heir.' For this reason, they are generally filled with all kinds of tests and restrictions designed to select a worthy heir to carry their legacy."

"But why bother doing something like that? And why hide them?"

As Sigrún lovingly massaged his face, Erik asked with his eyes closed in a tone full of curiosity. Eleonora answered with a cheerful tone while playing with her beloved disciple's fingers.

"Well, that's because humans have an instinctive fear of disappearing, and a relatively effective way to avoid that is to be immortalized in history. But the problem is that achieving that is very difficult, and very few manage to do so. It was even worse in ancient times, when knowledge was highly valuable, and secrecy was fiercely maintained regarding any type of valuable knowledge.

"Because of this, the custom of building hidden mausoleums was born, as it was a way to leave a faint hope or a backup plan to rise again in the future, with the help of a suitable heir who could not only receive the knowledge and make a name for themselves but perhaps even take it further, ensuring the name of the mausoleum's creator and posthumous master would live on in history forever."

Sigrún nodded in agreement with Eleonora's words and continued with the explanation as she smoothed back Erik's starry hair, leaving his entire face free.

"For the same reason, the tests in those mausoleums tend to be quite challenging, as they always seek to test one or several characteristics of those who enter the place. The goal is for the person who claims the 'prize' to be the most suitable, in the eyes of the mausoleum's creator, to become their successor."

Similarly, Eleonora rolled up Erik's pants, revealing his legs, and began applying a cream with a fruity scent that appeared in her hand from her storage ring. She started massaging her beloved disciple's legs while continuing with the explanation.

"And the reason they are hidden is because, since knowledge was so valuable in ancient times, no one wanted their enemies to benefit from the mausoleum they left behind. So they hid them as best as they could to ensure that no one could find them until much later in the future, specifically long enough for all their enemies to be dead."

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"Do people still build hidden mausoleums?" Erik asked curiously as he adjusted himself more comfortably in his beautiful master's lap.

"In the arcane order, it's not as common anymore." Sigrún replied with a smile as she applied what seemed to be a fruity-scented exfoliating cream to Erik's face. She began massaging carefully while continuing to speak.

"That's mainly because it's easier to be remembered in history if you discover or develop something important, though some still do it to keep the tradition alive. I even helped my master build her centuries ago."

Noticing that Sigrún's tone had become a bit somber, Erik opened his eyes to look at her and quickly realized her expression had turned somewhat sad and melancholic. Gently, he reached out and stroked her face softly, bringing a tender smile to his master's lips. She kissed his hand lovingly, as Erik's face was still covered in cream.

"Don't worry, I've had centuries to learn to live with it." Sigrún softly returned Erik's hand to its place, then gently repositioned him on her lap and closed his eyes with her hand. She resumed massaging his face while adding.

"And as I was telling you, even though it's not as common in the order, in other factions, it's still quite popular and is practically a ritual when a relatively important mana user is nearing their death."

"I see… a very interesting practice. But the ruin they mentioned to me, is it one of those 'special ancient ruins'?" Erik asked curiously, to which Eleonora responded with a slight smile.

"That's the interesting part. No one knows for sure. Although it has incredibly strong restrictions, deserving of an ancient ruin, the entry limits are very strict—only those under 300 years old can enter, which is something never seen in ancient ruins. They tend to be more lenient, allowing Sages, Arcanes, and even Masters-level individuals to enter, depending on the ruin. But on the contrary, those kinds of restrictions are very common in hidden mausoleums, as they usually seek young heirs."

"That sounds really interesting..." Erik remarked with interest, which brought a big smile to the faces of both Eleonora and Sigrún. The beautiful master with golden hair then commented cheerfully.

"That sounded like my Erik wants to participate in the exploration."

"Yes, it would be interesting to take part." Erik replied casually, to which Eleonora laughed happily and added in a tone that revealed her joy.

"Fufufufu, then it's settled. We'll sign you up for the tournament that will select the participants."

"By the way, Why is there a need for a tournament to select participants? Wouldn't it be easier to just choose disciples from the faction who meet the requirements?" Erik asked, somewhat confused, to which Sigrún responded with a cheerful tone.

"Well, if it were a confirmed ancient ruin, that would be the case since being a 'strategic resource' requires several qualifications in terms of skill and trust to be selected for an exploration team. But the problem is that there are many doubts about this one, and the restrictions are very strict. So, the only ones who would meet those requirements are the direct disciples, and there are very few of them."

While demonstrating an absurd level of mana control by relaxing Erik's leg muscles using electricity without causing him any discomfort, Eleonora continued the explanation with a relaxed and joyful tone.

"Yes, the thing is that most of the direct disciples right now are over 300 years old, so we'd inevitably have to fill the slots with less-qualified individuals. And since the spots are limited, picking participants by hand could cause some internal discord, as someone under 300 years old is unlikely to have achieved anything impressive enough to silence critics."

As she massaged Erik's face with her fingers glowing slightly with a soft green hue—thanks to her wood affinity, known among other things for its overwhelming healing capabilities—Sigrún nodded at Eleonora's words and added in a somewhat playful tone.

"For all those reasons, in the last meeting, it was proposed to treat the ruin as a hidden mausoleum and hold a tournament to select the exploration team. And since this would be an excellent opportunity to show off disciples that no one wants to miss, everyone agreed, hehehe."

"It's true that disciples are a great way to show off…" Erik commented softly with a totally relaxed expression on his face, greatly enjoying the overly luxurious massage from his beloved masters.

"Hehehe, yes, opportunities like these are rare, so everyone is excited, even if they don't say it. So when you're there, make sure to kick everyone's butt, so your master can show off for a bit, hahahaha!" Sigrún said happily, switching to an even more complex massage technique that brought great relaxation to her beloved disciple while she continued exfoliating his face.

"Alright, I'll make sure to make a grand entrance, Hehehe." Erik said with a small smile, imagining the grand entrance he'd make alongside Ebonique, Kaiser, and Tiberius. Eleonora happily responded while beginning to insert incredibly fine metal needles into very specific points on her beloved disciple's legs.

"Fufu, don't do anything too crazy."

"Hehe, no promises." Erik replied with amusement as he felt a very pleasant electric current starting to stimulate his muscles, relaxing them completely. He then asked curiously.

"But, by the way, when will this tournament be held?"

"There's no specific date yet, but it shouldn't take more than two years."

Sigrún replied with a smile as she began pressing very specific points on Erik's face with her index finger, which emitted a warm green light that seemed to linger on his face for a few seconds. Erik, now sounding somewhat sleepy as if about to fall asleep, commented.

"I see… plenty of time to practice then."

"What are you planning?" Eleonora asked, a bit curious, to which Erik responded with a mysterious smile, though his tone was even softer than before.

"Hehehe, you'll see." A loud yawn couldn't help but escape from Erik, who shortly after asked curiously.

"By the way, where's Seraphina? I haven't seen her all day."

"She went out to prepare something; she won't be long, Hehehe." Sigrún responded in a playful tone, which made Erik open his tired eyes to look at her in silence.

"…"

After a moment of staring at his master's mischievous smile, Erik shook his head, then closed his eyes again, letting out another loud yawn before falling into a deep, peaceful sleep. Eleonora and Sigrún smiled amused, and after laughing softly between themselves, they resumed massaging their disciple with small smiles on their faces.

…

…

…

As on any other day, Erik finished his workout routine in the garden and 'fed' Kaiser, Tiberius, and Ebonique before bidding farewell to the latter. Ebonique disappeared in a flash of black lightning after giving one last 'hug' to her beloved contractor with her body. He then returned to the mansion for breakfast with the wolves in tow, but upon entering, he immediately noticed things were a bit different.

Though, as always, Seraphina was waiting for him in the dining room with a professional smile, today she looked especially beautiful and dignified. While she always looked beautiful and elegant in her uniform, today she seemed as though she were dressed for a grand gala, wearing a dress that Erik recognized—after all, he had made it himself.

Unlike Eleonora and Sigrún, who liked anything he made for them, Seraphina was a bit different. When he asked what she'd like as a thank-you gift for her care, she had only requested maid dresses after refusing hundreds of times to accept anything. So, she now had quite a collection of maid dresses with different styles, all made by Erik.

The dress, although inspired by a Victorian maid's uniform, had modern twists that made it perfect for a gala. It was black with subtle silver embroidery, hugging Seraphina's impressive figure exquisitely, accentuating her innate grace and sensual curves. The dress featured a voluminous but not exaggerated skirt, ending in delicate lace, with a row of small buttons running down the front, adding a touch of sophistication. It featured slightly puffed sleeves at the shoulders that ended in delicate lace cuffs.

"Are you going out somewhere? You look especially beautiful today, Seraphina."

As he looked the stunning Seraphina up and down, Erik commented with a smile and an obviously attracted expression, causing a slight blush to appear on the beautiful maid's cheeks. She quickly responded with a pleasant smile on her face and a slightly shy tone.

"Thank you for the compliment, young master, and yes, today we are going out."

"We are?" Erik asked, confused, as he sat down at the table, which was filled with a sumptuous breakfast, and looked at his beautiful maid, who nodded with a smile and proceeded to explain in a pleased tone.

"Yes, young master, we have several places to visit today. After all, we need to make preparations for the tournament and the upcoming exploration of the ruin."

"Oh, that's right."

Erik exclaimed with realization, which made Seraphina smile happily. After all, her young master didn't realize that Sigrún and Eleonora would definitely fill him with all kinds of useful artifacts and knowledge. To make his journey easier without the need for him to go out and buy things on his own. Which gave her free rein to make their date just the way she wanted it.

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

After his sumptuous breakfast, Erik stretched pleasantly, while Kaiser and Tiberius imitated him adorably in their puppy forms, which made Seraphina smile, who soon spoke while a beautiful black formal men's suit appeared on her hand.

"It's always a pleasure to serve you, but please put on this suit for today's outing, young master. If we wait much longer, we won't have time to finish everything we need to do."

"A suit?" Erik asked, confused as he looked at the suit, which appeared quite elegant. Seraphina smiled professionally and then responded in a serious tone, extending her hands to offer the suit to her beloved young master.

"Yes, young master, today we have to go to a couple of places where formal attire is mandatory."

"I suppose that's fine. I'll be right back; I'll take a quick bath and be ready to go." Erik shrugged and commented casually as he took the suit from Seraphina's hands and headed to his room to change, while his beautiful maid spoke in a professional tone, trying to hide her joy.

"I'll be waiting for you, young master."

Filled with anticipation and excitement, Seraphina waited for her young master at the mansion's entrance, a big smile on her face, which made the waiting time feel eternal. However, after several minutes, the beautiful maid could sense through her mystical awareness that the star-haired boy was approaching. She quickly turned to look at him while doing her best to control her expression and appear serious and professional.

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As she turned around, what Seraphina saw was beyond her expectations, to the point that she could only stare in a daze at the young man who appeared to be around 18 years old. He possessed a unique poise and elegance that seemed to exude attraction, with an otherworldly beauty. His perfectly styled, deep black hair was adorned with stars and galaxies, as if he held his own universe.

The young man's curious hair sharply contrasted with his porcelain-like white skin, and his striking emerald green eyes seemed to glow with wisdom. This blended seamlessly with his formal black suit and tie, the same color as his eyes, which rested against a pristine white shirt.

The suit was a two-piece, where both the jacket and pants appeared to have been cut from a slab of obsidian. The pointed lapels of the jacket added a touch of modernity, while the two front buttons gave it a classic feel.

"How do I look?" Erik asked with a small smile as he looked at the astonished Seraphina, who seemed to snap out of her reverie at his words, then replied while glancing him up and down with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"You look very elegant, young master."

"Hehe, thank you, Seraphina. Shall we go?"

After thanking her, Erik asked with a pleasant smile on his face as he slightly extended his arm for Seraphina to take. She did so with a beautiful smile, while the shadow of the perfect maid expanded greatly, rising into the air and wrapping them in a deep darkness, making them disappear from the place in an instant.

…

…

…

In the bustling District 12, known for being a place exclusive to those of great fortune and influence, stood the renowned auction house, "Aetherion's Hall." It majestically towered in the center of the district, with walls of bluish glass and grand doors adorned with intricate runes that softly glowed, creating an iridescent light show in the surroundings.

Inside the imposing building, the expansive main hall opened up with a ceiling that seemed like a recreation of the night sky, with moving constellations, twinkling stars, and beautiful walls lined with shelves carved from ancient woods, filled with magical artifacts from distant times and places that seemed to pulse with mana.

Suddenly, into the beautiful hall entered a handsome young man with hair that appeared to be an extension of the ceiling, followed closely by a woman of transcendent beauty. She wore a stunning black dress worthy of the occasion, though for some reason, she evoked the image of a dedicated maid.

The new arrivals did not go unnoticed, and as they passed, they captured the attention of men and women alike, leaving the onlookers awed by their exquisite beauty and elegance. Some recognized them, while others frantically searched for news.

"Welcome to Aetherion's Hall auction house."

Quickly, a beautiful woman with olive skin and brown hair, dressed in a stunning dark blue gown fitted to her body, approached the new guests and greeted them with an elegant tone while offering a courteous bow. Shortly afterward, she resumed her posture, adding with an almost magnetic smile on her beautiful face.

"It is an honor to welcome the esteemed direct disciple, Erik."

"You know me?" Hearing the comment, Erik couldn't help but ask with a slight smile at the beautiful woman in front of him, who quickly replied with an elegant tone and a knowing smile.

"How could I not recognize someone with the reputation of the direct disciple, Erik?"

"If you say so." Erik added with softness and elegance, causing the corners of the woman's lips to relax slightly into a more relaxed smile.

"My young master has decided to attend the auction. Please guide us there."

Suddenly, Seraphina stepped forward and spoke with an elegant and magnetic voice, full of professionalism, befitting the perfect maid she was. The woman responded with a slight bow.

"It is a pleasure to host such a distinguished participant at our auction. Please, follow me; I will guide you to the VIP area."

After receiving a nod from Erik, the woman led the pair of young masters and maids deeper into the building. A discreet guard, dressed in what appeared to be armor mixing metal with runic inscriptions, pointed to a side door, almost imperceptible to the untrained eye, which soon opened automatically.

Upon crossing the door, the group was greeted by a hallway softly lit by floating lights resembling magical fireflies trapped in crystal spheres. The floor was a mosaic of carefully set precious stones, and even the air seemed faintly perfumed with a subtle mix of exotic woods and unknown flowers, calming the senses and preparing the visitor for what lay ahead.

Truly captivated by the curious design of the place, Erik began to look around with an appreciative gaze. He paid special attention to the statuettes of mythical creatures and portraits of great Mana users from across the galaxy that decorated the hallway. Finally, they reached a second door, this time made of bluish glass, with runes that danced and intertwined around it, acting as a security system.

Entering the room, Erik was slightly surprised by the wide, circular space designed to resemble a stellar bubble, with a ceiling that appeared to be an enhanced version of the one in the main hall. It looked much more detailed and realistic. It seemed as if each star were real, while the deep blue, metallic walls were embedded with gems and minerals that glowed with their own light, creating patterns representing different star systems.

The center of the room was dominated by an oval obsidian table surrounded by floating chairs. In one corner of the room was an elegant bar offering drinks from any part of the galaxy, and a small raised stage hosted autonomous instruments playing calming, enigmatic melodies, adjusting their rhythm and tone to the general mood of the room.

"What an interesting design." Erik murmured to himself as he looked around the room with interest. This prompted the beautiful woman guiding them to smile pleasantly and comment with a slightly pleased tone.

"I'm glad the design of the room pleases you, direct disciple Erik. That makes all the effort worthwhile."

"Did you design it?" Erik asked, a bit surprised as he looked at the woman, who replied with a pleasant smile, revealing a hint of pride in her creation.

"Indeed, this is the result of countless efforts to create a room that is both comforting and mesmerizing, ensuring that our VIP guests feel at ease during our auctions."

"You have a great talent for design. Do you do it professionally, or was it just for this particular project?" Erik asked with some curiosity as he looked at the woman, who responded with her typical formal and elegant tone, though a touch of nostalgia slipped into her voice and expression.

"It's more of a hobby for me, and I don't do it professionally. I inherited this auction house from my grandparents and have aimed to elevate it to the highest level, so my efforts are focused here."

As the woman seemed to get lost in memories of fond moments from the past, Erik couldn't help but smile warmly and sympathetically, deeply relating to her. Much of his work in his previous life was driven by a similar motivation. He then approached the beautiful woman and extended his hand for a handshake while speaking in a much warmer tone.

"It's a pleasure to meet someone like you. My name is Erik; you can call me that from now on."

"The pleasure is mine as well, Erik. My name is Laura."

Although a bit surprised by the sudden change, the beautiful woman quickly responded and took the hand of the star-haired boy, who seemed to blend into the design of the room, initiating a handshake while speaking with a lovely smile. Erik responded with a smile as he presented a beautiful crystal card that appeared in his hand.

"It's a pleasure, Laura. If you're interested, take my contact information. If you ever feel like pursuing design, reach out to me. I'm keenly interested in having you design a building for me."

Hearing Erik's words, a beautiful golden card appeared in Laura's hand, a type of card Erik had never seen before, though he decided not to comment on it and instead made a mental note to investigate later. At that moment, the beautiful woman responded in a pleased tone.

"Of course, Erik. Though I don't do it professionally, I'd be happy to design a building for you as a courtesy."

As she spoke, Laura gently placed her card over Erik's, causing two holograms to appear, indicating that contact information would be shared. Both quickly accepted, and the handshake was released.

"Please charge me, Laura. Your work is excellent, and it would be uncomfortable for me not to pay for it." Erik commented with a smile as he stored his card in his storage ring, to which Laura responded with a small smile and a friendlier tone.

"Very well, Erik. Then I'll charge you. Contact me when you're ready to start your project."

"I will. Thank you very much." Erik replied with a smile. At that moment, Laura gave a slight, elegant bow and then commented.

"Then, once again, it was a pleasure to meet you, Erik. I'll step out now to continue receiving guests."

"Of course, see you later."

As Laura and Erik exchanged smiles in their farewell, Seraphina couldn't help but look at the scene filled with surprise and disbelief. After all, if one were to list the most prominent traits of her beloved young master, very high on the list would be his complete lack of interest in socializing, to the point that he seemed like a hermit. His only interest was interacting with them, reading, or working on his own things.

Whether male or female, rich or poor, pretty or ugly, Erik always disdained interacting with people. In nearly two decades since he arrived at the university planet, he barely had anyone who could be called a friend, and usually, it was always Chen who contacted him first.

Hence, Seraphina's great surprise upon seeing Erik interact so pleasantly and even exchange contacts with someone on his own initiative. It was something she had never seen before, which simultaneously filled her with an unpleasant sense of danger toward this woman. She had somehow managed to break with a few words the barrier her beloved young master placed in front of everyone, except for her and his masters, of course.

Fully alert, Seraphina began to analyze the woman from head to toe, carefully observing her appearance, manners, mannerisms, everything, trying to discover what had caused her young master to pay attention to her in the first place. After all, while she was incredibly beautiful, it wasn't something Erik hadn't encountered before.

In fact, Erik had interacted with women of nearly equal beauty in his classes on several occasions, never exchanging more than a couple of distant words with them. Something Seraphina knew from her regular security audits on her beloved young master, which she conducted to prevent any security breaches—not because she was stalking him or anything like that. Yes, it was just a security audit and nothing more.

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[lordanl]

When Laura left the room, Seraphina quickly turned to look at Erik, who had begun to once again examine the design of the place with interest. She then asked in a warm and professional tone, without the slightest trace of the annoyance and vigilance coursing through her heart.

"What building do you want her to design for you, young master?"

"Well, the truth is, I've been seriously thinking about starting my own business. And since the patents are almost fully approved, I decided to take advantage of the upcoming university journal publication to start off on the right foot. After all, they've already confirmed that some of my works will be published in the next issue, and from what I've researched, they'll pay me a good amount."

While looking at the bar with curiosity, Erik responded in a rather cheerful tone. After all, with the confirmation of his work's publication came the announcement of the royalties he would be paid—something that surprised him quite a bit, since the academic journals he remembered didn't operate under that model. But apparently, these journals were incredibly popular in the Arcane Order, so they could afford to share the profits, which he greatly appreciated. After all, this would be his first honest income in his new life.

"Congratulations on being featured in the university journal, young master."

Hearing her young master's joy, Seraphina gracefully congratulated him with a beautiful smile on her lips, not showing in the slightest that she knew this information even before Erik himself received the confirmation. After all, security work is very important, and they can't allow any kind of variables. Yes, that's the reason—and certainly not for things like obtaining information in advance to be able to 'persuade' the peer reviewers of her young master's works in case they rejected them. Yes, it's just a matter of security and nothing more.

"Thank you." Erik replied with a smile as he looked for a place to sit, at which point Seraphina asked with curiosity.

"But young master, why start a business and not just sell the licenses? Won't it distract you from your classes and research projects?"

"Don't get me wrong; I'll still be selling the licenses at a reasonable price so they become popular. But I've been thinking, and I want to develop a brand that represents the best version and maximum quality of my creations."

As he walked near the floating chairs, Erik answered with a smile, keeping the rest of the reason to himself. After all, developing that kind of brand was what he dedicated himself to in his previous life. This, after a lifetime of tireless dedication, ended up becoming a fairly powerful business group that suffered from monopoly lawsuits and the like sporadically.

Although it never fell because of any of those lawsuits—after all, he never competed unfairly and even gave opportunities to his competitors by offering them licenses of his patents at good prices so they could develop variants while he focused on maximizing quality. For Erik, his brand was something more sentimental than commercial and, therefore, more valuable than anything else.

"That's an interesting thought, young master, but how will you balance your classes with your masters, the university classes you'll have to resume soon, and your personal research projects with the development of that brand?" Seraphina asked with a smile on her face, closely following her young master like the perfect maid she was. He responded with a confident and self-assured tone.

"I've got it all planned out. The best option is to hire good collaborators who can help me with the brand while I become a sort of reviewer or something like that. So I'd only have to set the general guidelines for the brand and offer some innovation from time to time. Everything else would be done by other people, which would give me the free time necessary to do everything else."

"Young master, but how are you going to find those 'collaborators' when you haven't even been able to get your assistants for alchemy and artificery? By the way, you have little time left before the maximum deadline to register them expires." Seraphina asked with a professional smile, though slightly distorted by the amusement she felt, while looking at her young master's back, who trembled a bit upon hearing her.

"…"

Receiving a fatal blow from his reliable personal maid, Erik could only remain silent and sit on one of the floating chairs in the beautiful hall. He then gazed unfocused at the gorgeous constellations on the ceiling, causing Seraphina to laugh softly at the 'miserable' expression of her beloved young master.

For Erik, finding trustworthy collaborators had always been a great challenge. Even in his past life, it took him almost ten years to find a group sufficiently capable and in whom he could place enough trust to delegate important tasks in his business. This allowed him to focus on more critical aspects of his company, marking a period of unprecedented growth for his business group.

But it seemed that his rebirth only worsened his problem. After all, his sense of time was becoming increasingly distorted—after all, looking exactly the same for almost twenty years does that to you. Time passes without you realizing it, and before you know it, his five-year deadline to find his assistants was almost up, and he didn't even have a single candidate, which worried him quite a bit.

"Fufufu, don't worry, young master. In case of emergency, you can always take some of the assistants from the young lady or Master Silverwood to present them as your assistants, or even take some of my subordinates who have training in alchemy and artificery."

After having a bit of fun with her tender young master, Seraphina approached his back and began to massage his shoulders with a polished technique, speaking in a calm and comforting tone. This caused Erik to sigh softly before commenting somewhat resignedly.

"I suppose I'll end up relying on that, given how things are going…"

"It's alright, young master. There's still some time left, and you can always start training your own assistants from now on." Seraphina added in a warm tone, while Erik commented more casually, taking a notebook from his storage ring to jot down some things.

"Yes, you're right. I'll pay more attention to that."

The main reason Erik didn't want to end up relying on his masters' assistants or Seraphina's subordinates was mainly for two reasons. First, getting capable assistants was almost like a 'test' of skill for artisans and tended to reflect poorly on those who could not find and train them on their own. This often ended up affecting the artisan's reputation, much like a master's reputation is affected by their disciple.

The second, and main reason Erik wanted to avoid it, is because it had always been his weakness. He wanted to work on it and improve, since if he wanted to expand his brand throughout the galaxy, he'd have to be constantly discovering trustworthy talents and training them on almost industrial levels. He couldn't rely on his masters or Seraphina forever for that. His brand was his baby, his most prized possession, and the jewel of his crown, so depending too much on other people made him feel incredibly uncomfortable.

"By the way, Seraphina, why are we at an auction?" After putting away his notebook, Erik asked somewhat curiously, to which Seraphina immediately responded without the slightest hesitation.

"It's to buy some quality artifacts, as they can only be obtained at auctions like these. So we're stopping by to see if there's anything useful for the tournament and the subsequent exploration."

"I see… I didn't know they were acquired that way…" Erik commented in understanding, as he made himself more comfortable in his chair to better enjoy the incredible massage from his reliable personal maid.

For some reason unknown to Erik, since Sigrún and Eleonora's return to the university planet, Seraphina had officially become his personal maid, leaving her duties as Sigrún's maid. In the star-haired boy's books, this was a full-fledged demotion, which led him to ask his master to reconsider, since Seraphina had been very good to him over the years he had been with them.

But to his surprise, what he got in return was a sad Seraphina asking him in a subdued tone if he didn't want her, which left him both stunned and confused, while his masters mocked him. But well, that ended up with him now having a beautiful and very capable personal maid who followed him everywhere and pampered him all the time, so he wasn't complaining.

"Yes, generally speaking, good magic artifacts are difficult to make, and few have the necessary skill level. Add to that the fact that they require very costly resources to create, and it can only result in a scarce supply of high-quality magic artifacts, which is why they are often auctioned off."

Seraphina explained in a professional tone, while a beautiful comb appeared in her hand that seemed made of a material similar to platinum. She began to gently comb Erik's hair, then asked with curiosity.

"But, young master, how did you think magical artifacts were obtained until now?"

"Honestly, I thought they were custom-ordered from a skilled artisan like my masters, obtained directly from the faction, or that there was a specialized company somewhere. I thought auctions were more for relics, art, or similar things."

With his eyes closed, Erik responded in a clearly pleased tone, greatly enjoying the tingling that ran across his scalp with the gentle passing of the comb. Seraphina nodded in understanding before explaining with a smile.

"Well, you're not too far from reality, young master. Art, relic, and other such auctions are quite popular, and there are also companies specialized in the production and distribution of all kinds of magical artifacts. But that's more for common artifacts, like appliances, cars, and things like that.

"But in the case of magical artifacts for combat, or so-called 'specialized' ones, things change a lot. First, because making them is complicated—the requirements are generally quite high, which makes it mandatory to use very costly resources. And most importantly, it requires the skill of an experienced and capable artificer, which is the most complicated part to obtain."

As she explained, Seraphina put the comb back into her storage ring, then took a carved crystal flask inscribed with an infinity of runes. It contained what seemed to be a kind of lotion or transparent oil, which she applied to her hands before starting to massage Erik's temples and forehead, continuing her explanation.

"Like Alchemy, Artificery is a highly demanded profession throughout the galaxy, even more so because the supply of high-level artisans is scarce. The level of difficulty to reach an outstanding skill level is very high, which means the best are people of high status and very respected—like the young lady and Master Silverwood, although obviously, they are in their own league, far superior to the average high-level artisan.

"Because of that, placing a direct order for a specialized artifact isn't something just anyone can afford, as a great artisan generally only works for people of similar or higher status. That leaves the other possibility you mentioned: obtaining them from the faction, which is also possible but similarly complicated. You need to have sufficient merits, and usually when you do, it only results in the faction making the artifact request to an artisan of the faction or directly providing one from the treasury.

"So the only option left to obtain them is auctions. Artisans like to auction their works because, besides being an important income—since they generally sell at quite high prices—it also gives them something even more important than money: fame and recognition, especially if their works are highly contested.

"Additionally, in auctions, apart from artifacts from renowned artificers, it's also very possible to find ancient artifacts obtained from hidden mausoleums or things like that, which increases the chances of getting something good. So it's well known that if you want to look for a good specialized artifact, it's best to first stop by a recognized auction house before anything else."

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"I see... So this auction house is quite renowned."

As he felt his mind completely relax thanks to the massage from his incredible personal maid and the soft and soothing aroma of the lotion, Erik commented in a low voice. To which Seraphina nodded, then replied in a calm tone.

"Indeed, young master, especially in the last millennium. This auction house has been on the rise and today ranks among the most renowned of the Arcane Order."

"Is the owner's story real?" Erik asked, a bit curious, wanting to confirm the words of the beautiful owner, to which Seraphina responded with a slight smile.

"Yes, young master. A millennium ago, this auction house was quite ordinary. It was only after the new owner took over that it began to ascend."

"I see... then she's quite talented." Erik commented with a bit of interest in his tone, something that Seraphina didn't like much, although she managed to hide it while responding in a calm tone.

"The truth is, yes, young master. She has even auctioned Master-level artifacts, which has given her a great reputation."

"How interesting. But well, let's wait for the auction to start to see what they have today. Hopefully, they aren't too expensive because I'm broke at the moment, hahaha." Erik commented somewhat amused while slightly adjusting his position in the chair, to which Seraphina replied in a slightly accusatory tone.

"That's because you insist on wanting to reduce your monthly allowance, young master. If you weren't so stubborn, you wouldn't be as short on cash as you are now."

"Hehehe, this way is better. Getting used to money that falls from the sky only brings problems. If it were up to me, I wouldn't accept anything, but since they 'suggest' so strongly that I accept it, I'd better spend it well." Erik commented in a cheerful tone, to which Seraphina could only sigh, then began to massage her young master's ears while commenting in a soft tone.

"Young master, I really find it hard to understand your attitude toward money. Besides, the young lady and Master Silverwood have already told you many times that they aren't giving you anything; that money is also yours to use at will. Even the funds I've gathered over time are also at your full disposal. It's only because of your strange fixation on not using it that the monthly allowance was arranged, which you always end up spending on books and materials and end up with almost nothing."

"Well, then let me explain to you a bit my way of understanding money. For me, there are only two types of money: one's own and others'..." As Kai speaks, he suddenly felt Seraphina's hands around his ears tighten, so, like a wise man, he quickly chose a tactical retreat and added.

"...Understanding 'one's own' as income obtained from one's own legal commercial activity that contributes to society, and therefore, money can be spent in four different ways."

Erik created Myst constructs in the shape of mana crystals, some appearing as incredibly detailed crystal sculptures, while others looked faint and barely visible, then continued speaking.

"One can spend one's own money or others' on oneself or on others, thus configuring the four ways of spending."

Erik quickly created several Myst constructs in human form, which he divided into two groups of faint figures and two other solitary figures apart. He then attached them to the previous mana crystal-shaped constructs, configuring four different groups. Pointing to a group of human figures and faint mana crystals, he explained.

"The worst way to spend is others' money on others, since you don't know how much it cost to earn the money and, therefore, have no limits. Additionally, you can't know what others want, which results in a complete waste of resources." Erik quickly made the group he was pointing at disappear, then pointed to the second group, which consisted of a well-defined human figure and faint mana crystals.

"Another terrible way to spend is to spend others' money on oneself because you're not aware of what it cost to generate that money, but you do know what you want. This leads to spending without any remorse or limit, which generally ends in self-destructive excesses. Moreover, this also brings an extra problem: by living that kind of life for a long time, one ends up getting accustomed to it, which leads to complacency and believing that money is easy to get and will always be there when you want it.

"That mentality inevitably leads to not developing the necessary aptitudes and skills to build wealth, so if the source of funding is cut off, it's practically impossible to recover that lifestyle. For example, look at the spoiled children of the wealthiest people in the faction—they are all useless." Erik made the second group disappear and pointed to the third, which consisted of faint human figures and well-defined mana crystals, before continuing.

"Spending one's own money on others isn't so bad, but since you know how much it costs to earn the money, and you don't know what others want, this generally results in trying to reduce the cost to the bare minimum." Erik made the group of Myst constructs disappear, then pointed to the last group, which he surrounded with a new construct in the shape of a laurel crown.

"This leaves the last and best way to spend, which is to spend one's own money on oneself because you know how much it cost to earn the money, and you know exactly what you want, resulting in the best possible allocation of resources."

"It's a very interesting philosophy of money, young master, but your source of funding isn't going to be cut off. Besides, you are a responsible and sensible man who is always building yourself up, working on your projects, and continuously developing your skills. So using 'others' money shouldn't pose any problem for you." Seraphina commented in a serious tone, although she didn't forget to add a slightly dissatisfied intonation on the term 'others', while the last group of Myst constructs disappeared, to which Erik replied in a serious tone.

"That's a dangerous thought, Seraphina. With similar thinking, one ends up making the worst mistakes in life. It's better to be cautious, especially with oneself."

"You are absolutely right; please forgive my imprudence, young master." Seraphina quickly apologized solemnly, aware that she had made a mistake, to which Erik replied in a cheerful tone.

"Hahaha, don't take it so seriously; don't worry."

"Thank you very much, young master." Seraphina thanked him in a warm tone, then took a white cloth from her storage ring and began to gently clean any traces of lotion left on her beloved young master.

...

After a while, a couple entered the VIP room guided by Laura, consisting of a beautiful young woman with brown hair and captivating gray eyes, followed by a handsome and burly man with dark hair and curious orange-colored eyes, dressed similarly to a butler. They couldn't help but look at the pair of young master and maid.

The young man with starry hair was sitting relaxed in his chair, while the incredibly beautiful woman delicately massaged his shoulders and occasionally fed him cookies directly into his mouth—a 'task' that had not been her idea at all; it was simply her duty as the perfect maid she was and nothing more.

Noticing that someone had entered, Erik turned his head and nodded with a smile toward Laura, who responded to the gesture with a slight elegant bow, he then commented in a calm and relaxed tone.

"Hello again, Laura."

"Hello again, Erik. Allow me to introduce you to Her Majesty, the Princess of the Firestone Empire." Laura spoke in an elegant tone while pointing to the young woman at her side, at which point Erik stood up from his chair, approached, and greeted with a smile.

"Nice to meet you; I'm Erik. A pleasure to meet you."

"A pleasure to meet the renowned direct disciple Erik. Allow me to introduce myself; my name is Silvana Firestone." The beautiful young woman with gray eyes made a polite bow in front of Erik, who smiled courteously, then commented in a formal tone.

"It's a surprise that the princess of an empire knows me."

"Fufufu, the direct disciple Erik jests. How could I not know the reputed disciple of Master Eldurdóttir and Master Silverwood? Rather, it's an honor to meet you in person." Silvana commented while elegantly covering her mouth with one of her hands, surprising Erik a bit, who quickly turned to look at Seraphina with an expression full of doubts.

Although Erik did not yet possess any kind of telepathic ability, for Seraphina, as the perfect maid she was, a simple look was more than enough to know what her young master was thinking. She quickly approached him and whispered in his ear with a slight smile and elegance.

"Young master, it was not your friend Chen who spread the news; it was actually Master Silverwood herself who announced it personally shortly after your friend's visit to the mansion, as a good opportunity arose to give a warning so that a situation like the duel would not be repeated."

Upon hearing his reliable personal maid, Erik nodded in understanding. He really had no idea that his master had done that, and since his only window to the outside world in recent years, Chen, was on his family's planet, he knew nothing of what was happening outside his master's mansion.

"I'm not so impressive, Princess Firestone; I just seem better than I am thanks to the great reputation of my masters." Erik commented in a formal and calm tone, as if stating an irrefutable fact, which broadened Silvana's smile, who commented in a tone filled with appreciation and admiration.

"Truly, the direct disciple Erik is a humble man; your talents are widely known and are undoubtedly worthy of being the disciple of the most talented masters in the galaxy."

Confused by the comment, Erik again turned to look at Seraphina, who quickly whispered in his ear, which Laura couldn't help but find strange, as she couldn't understand how someone of the maid's level, capable of whispering something that even she herself couldn't hear, needed to do something like that in the first place, since she could simply send a telepathic message.

"She is not being sarcastic, young master; she is serious, and that's thanks to your display of power in the duel. The feat you showed shocked the galaxy, and now you are widely known as the possessor of unparalleled talent."

"Princess Firestone exaggerates; I haven't done much to deserve those words." Knowing the context, Erik replied with a courteous smile on his face, causing the princess to praise him, then again bowed respectfully after she finished speaking.

"Truly, the direct disciple Erik is a humble man; please accept my bow."

"I am truly honored." Erik commented with a smile, while making a slight courteous bow, at which point Laura commented in a respectful tone.

"I'll take my leave; I have to go receive the guests. I'll leave you to get to know each other better."

"See you later." Erik commented with a smile while looking at the beautiful woman, which earned Laura a couple of glances from the princess, the butler, and the perfect maid. She shortly afterward left the room after a respectful bow.

"Let's sit down and talk a bit more, direct disciple Erik." After Laura left the room, Silvana commented with a smile while pointing to the chair where Erik had been sitting, to which he nodded courteously.

"Sure."

Quickly, Erik sat down again in his seat, while Silvana sat in a nearby chair and initiated a conversation once more. At the same time, Seraphina stood behind her young master as the perfect maid she was—something the princess's butler also did, standing behind his mistress, although he couldn't help but glance out of the corner of his eye at Seraphina.

"And what are you looking for at today's auction, direct disciple Erik?"

"Actually, nothing in particular; I'm just here to look around a bit. If there's something interesting, I might buy it." Erik commented in a courteous but casual tone, to which Silvana nodded in understanding and commented.

"So, Disciple Erik is also interested in the special items at today's auction."

"You could say so." Erik replied with a slight smile, while adding to himself.

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"And what brings Princess Firestone here today?" Erik asked courteously as he looked at Silvana, who responded with a beautiful smile on her face.

"Actually, I'm here partly for the special items, but mainly for the lot of Sage Advancement Potions made by Master Brisanter."

"Oh, how interesting, but I thought taking those potions made it more difficult to advance to a higher level." Erik commented, somewhat curious, since he knew about those potions—or rather, he had read about them, and they didn't exactly have rave reviews.

Those potions were a special type categorized as advancement potions, which existed for each level up to the Sage level. Their purpose was to force an advancement in the consumer. For example, the potions Silvana mentioned, which were to be auctioned, could forcibly elevate a peak Illuminated to a first-rank Sage.

But despite being very useful and powerful, they had a significant social stigma, according to what Erik had read. This was because they had major drawbacks. Firstly, they were terribly expensive, requiring an extremely high level of skill to create—at least peak Arcane level—as well as scarce and highly demanded resources.

Secondly, they could only be consumed by someone who was at the peak rank of the level directly below that of the potion. For example, the Sage Advancement Potion could only be consumed by a peak Illuminated; otherwise, it could even kill the consumer.

But worst of all, if one advanced using a potion, the difficulty of increasing one's power level escalated by several tiers, to the point where simply advancing in rank became prohibitively difficult. Additionally, a mana user who advanced with a potion would always be weaker than someone who advanced by natural means.

"You are correct, Direct Disciple Erik, but reaching the Sage level is almost impossible for many people, and the Illuminated level becomes the peak for most. So, the potion is their only hope to climb higher and live a bit longer. There are many willing to advance in that way, despite its drawbacks."

Silvana commented in a calm and understanding tone, fully aware that for a supreme genius of Erik's caliber, it was at least difficult to comprehend the challenges faced by less capable people. The truth was that the young man was already being quite kind and considerate; someone else in his position might have mocked the moment they heard the phrase 'advancement potions.'

At the same time, the way Silvana looked at Erik changed a bit, appearing much more cheerful and interested. After all, while it was true, she came for those potions, under normal circumstances she would have avoided mentioning it. But she wanted to test the young man a bit, and he had passed with flying colors.

"Well, you're right about that; the difference in life expectancy between an Illuminated and a Sage is almost tenfold, so it might be worthwhile in certain special cases." Erik commented thoughtfully. He then took his notebook from his storage ring and began jotting down several things, which inevitably caught Silvana's attention. She remarked with a smile.

"Yes, you're absolutely right, Direct Disciple Erik, especially in our empire, which has several virtuous generals who have fought for the empire for millennia and deserve a reward."

"Given that they're quite expensive, your generals will be happy with their reward." Erik turned to look at Silvana and commented with slight interest while paying attention to her reactions. She responded with a small smile.

"I hope so, Direct Disciple Erik."

After a couple more comments, the conversation dwindled, and Erik focused entirely on the notes he was making in his notebook. This strongly drew the attention of the pair of women present, but only Seraphina could see what he was actually writing, which brought a smile to her lips. Her young master's notes were a set of ideas under a big title at the top that read [Business Ideas].

While her young master was enjoying structuring an entire profitable and easily operable business model based on the lucrative potions, Seraphina took a beautiful table out of her storage ring. She placed it beside her young master, then prepared tea accompanied by exquisite cookies, which she offered him with a smile.

"Young master, your tea and cookies."

"Thank you, Seraphina."

Erik turned to look at his reliable maid and thanked her with a smile. He then took a sip of tea and brought a cookie to his mouth, returning his focus to his work. Seraphina bowed elegantly and commented in a refined tone.

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

Meanwhile, Silvana and her butler watched with skeptical eyes as Seraphina served Erik like an efficient assistant, a beautiful and pleased smile on her face. After all, they were fully aware of whom that terrifying woman was and what she was capable of, so seeing her serve a young man with such devotion was, to say the least, surreal for them.

At the same time, the scene filled them with a chilling dread about the capabilities of the young man capable of achieving such a feat. After all, even their emperor had failed miserably when he tried and ended up being the victim of a brutal beating that, to this day, was a topic of conversation across the galaxy, turning him into a recurring joke.

After a while, more people entered the VIP room, all accompanied by what seemed to be assistants. But unlike Princess Firestone, Laura did not introduce any of them to Erik, despite some having an evident interest in approaching him. They attempted to do so, but a simple smile from Seraphina and a couple of powerful and intimidating wolves that emerged from Erik's shadow effectively calmed the situation.

Some time later, a part of the walls decorated with precious stones in the shape of constellations became completely transparent, revealing a panoramic view of an auction hall full of people. Unlike the cosmic tranquility of the VIP room, it was bustling with activity and contained excitement, while holographic screens emerged from the chairs.

Noticing the change, Erik quickly put away his notebook and reviewed the screen in front of him. The screen displayed a small tutorial on how to navigate the details of the auctioned items, place a bid, or simply check the total amount and specific rules of the auction.

The vast hall shone with a mix of golden and silver lights, with rows of seats occupied by a diverse crowd of people from all over the galaxy. Some wore elegant attire similar to what Erik and Seraphina wore, while others donned extravagant outfits that sparkled with jewels and magical artifacts. There was also a large number of people wearing the white robes representative of the Arcane University.

"Welcome, esteemed guests, to Aetherion's Hall! We invite you to this auction full of wonders, where only the worthiest hands can claim the treasures."

At the front of the room, on an elegant platform, an auction podium rose like an altar. The auctioneer announced in an elegant and mysterious tone, which immediately drew the attention of all present, silencing all conversation both in the main hall and in the VIP room. A crystal orb floated up to the auctioneer, then emitted a vivid hologram of a beautiful ceremonial axe, marking the start of the auction.

As the lots changed, one could sense the shifting atmosphere in the hall. Murmurs of admiration, sighs of desire, palpable tensions when two or more bidders faced off in a bidding war. Every gesture, every glance, every pause held meaning in this game of power and possession.

From their elevated position, the occupants of the VIP room could observe everything as if they were gods watching a game of mortals. They could judge, speculate, and, with a simple gesture, send their bids through holographic screens on their chairs, which were announced by several assistants located in the main hall.

After a while of items coming and going in the auction, the magical orb next to the auctioneer projected the image of four extraordinarily beautiful potions, contained in emerald flasks. The liquid shimmered with a golden and silver luminosity, almost as if they contained liquid stars. This caused Erik to glance discreetly at the princess of the Firestone Empire while reviewing the specific data of the item on the holographic screen.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you one of the most anticipated lots of the night: the lot of Sage Advancement Potions created by the great Master Brisanter." the auction master announced in a grave tone laden with authority, followed by a small dramatic pause.

The murmurs in Aetherion's Hall intensified upon the announcement of the lot. Although many artifacts and treasures had crossed the podium that night, this one in particular was eagerly awaited by many presents, causing the air to vibrate with anticipation. The auctioneer added seriously.

"These potions can elevate someone from peak Illuminated level to Sage level—an advancement that not only grants incomparable power but extends the life of the taker from 5,000 years to an impressive total of 40,000 years!"

While the auction master made the formal presentation, people of all kinds exchanged glances filled with calculation and desire. It was not just about possession, but the promise of power and longevity—a prize anyone in the universe would covet, despite its significant drawbacks and limitations.

"We will start the bidding at one million high-purity mana crystals; each increase must be a minimum of one hundred thousand crystals." the auctioneer announced firmly, initiating a furious bidding war unprecedented in the auction so far.

"1,500,000!!!"

"2,000,000!!!"

"3,000,000!!!"

"4,000,000!!!"

"5,000,000!!!"

The figures began to escalate rapidly, mainly due to the bidders in the main hall, who raised their paddles, shouted amounts, or simply made discreet gestures. Meanwhile, in the VIP room, Princess Firestone stared intently at her holographic screen, as did a couple more guests in the room. However, so far, it seemed that no one in the room had placed a bid.

For his part, Erik could only watch in surprise at the outrageous prices being shouted back and forth in the main hall. After all, it had already surpassed 5 million high-purity mana crystals—in other words, the annual salary offered to him by the director for developing his mana condenser.

That amount was almost five times his annualized monthly allowance, making him painfully aware that the business was much more profitable than he had imagined—or, better yet, how poor he really was. Although, to be fair, his monthly allowance was not low at all; with what he spent in a month, someone could buy a house on a less developed planet without much difficulty.

Although the term 'high-purity mana crystals' might sound elegant, the truth was that these were the lowest denomination mana crystals in the Order. They had that name because there were crystals of lower purity, but those were only used for low-level industrial purposes. These were followed by intermediate crystals and, finally, maximum purity crystals, with an intermediate being equivalent to about 50 high-purity crystals and one of maximum purity equaling about 250 high-purity crystals.

Meanwhile, the average income of a worker in the Arcane Order ranged between 30,000 to 40,000 high-purity crystals per year. So, in reality, Erik spent in a month more than double the annual salary of an ordinary person, which was why he was so reluctant to accept more money.

Seraphina looked at her young master with a tender smile on her face, as she could guess what he was thinking. She quickly approached his ear and whispered warmly, ensuring that no one else could hear.

"Young master, you don't have to worry about the prices. There is a fund of 100 million for you to purchase whatever you deem necessary for your journey in the tournament and the exploration of the ruin. Moreover, if necessary, it can be increased."

"..."

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Upon hearing the exorbitant amount, Erik could only put a complicated expression on his face, but his thoughts were interrupted once again by his beautiful maid, who whispered to him in a calm and confident tone.

"Young master, that money is an investment made by the young lady and Master Silverwood so they can comfortably show off in front of the other Master-level members of the order, so you can spend it without any worry."

After thinking for a bit, Erik nodded slightly while handing a cookie to both Kaiser and Tiberius, which made Seraphina smile with satisfaction and mischief. She chose not to give her beloved young master the exact amount of the shopping fund and only mentioned a small figure that would come out of her personal funds. After all, it's the duty and pleasure of a maid as professional as herself to take care of her young master's needs and worries.

"25 million, who offers more?" The auctioneer looked around the room, where pained and disappointed expressions could be seen before continuing.

"Allow me to remind you that these are potions rarely seen on the market, and they come from the great Master Brisanter, who contends with the great Master Eldurdóttir for the title of the best alchemist of the Arcane Order. This is a unique opportunity that cannot be missed."

"26 million." One of the assistants in charge of announcing the bids from the VIP room guests spoke loudly, his voice echoing in the silent hall.

"We have 26 million, 26 million going once..." Quickly, the master auctioneer announced in a serious tone, while looking at the attendees in the main hall and at the high wall at the back of the room, behind which was the VIP room.

"28 million."

One of the guests in the main hall, a handsome man with blond hair, announced loudly while directing his gaze toward a high area of the main hall resembling a balcony. This area was blocked by a beautifully designed wall that perfectly matched the overall design, while also preventing any view inside.

In the VIP room, Princess Firestone could not help but display an angry expression upon seeing the man 'directing' a defiant look at her, while she quickly manipulated the holographic screen. This was followed by a bid announcement in the main hall.

"30 million."

"32 million." The blond man once again announced in a confident voice and a slight smile as he looked back at the VIP area, which visibly displeased Silvana, who was forced to make a new bid.

"34 million."

"36 million." The man didn't lag behind and quickly announced his bid loudly, at which point Silvana sent her own offer, which for some reason caught Erik's attention.

"37 million."

"37.5 million."

The man once again announced his offer, but this time, although his tone sounded as serious and elegant as before, on this occasion, one could sense a hint of mockery in his voice, which seemed to greatly irritate Silvana. She quickly manipulated her holographic screen with a sullen expression on her face, causing a bid to be announced shortly after.

"40 million."

"Well, since the distinguished guest in the VIP area so strongly desires the lot, I will have no choice but to yield."

At the same time the bid was announced, the blond man in the main hall announced in a confident voice while making a slight bow toward the VIP area where the princess was looking with an evident expression of anger. But after an exasperated sigh, she calmed herself with the help of an aromatic tea served by her butler.

"40 million going once... going twice... and sold..." The auctioneer struck a beautiful black wooden lectern with a gavel made in a similar style, then added in a firm tone.

"Sold to the esteemed VIP guest! Congratulations."

With the announcement of the victory, several of the guests in the VIP area cordially congratulated the princess, to which she courteously thanked them. Meanwhile, Erik turned to look at Seraphina with confusion written on his face, causing the beautiful maid to approach.

"Seraphina, is it common for something like that to happen here? Deliberately raising the price is in very bad taste." Erik asked in a low voice, though with an evidently disgusted tone, to which Seraphina responded by intimately whispering into her young master's ear.

"Actually no, young master. Although veiled threats and the like are sometimes seen, blatantly raising the price in such a manner is very uncommon, since you need proof of assets to participate in the auction, and not paying after winning a bid is considered a breach of contract and carries a penalty of up to 300% of the losses perceived by the auction house, so no one is willing to take that risk. Most likely, it's a personal feud of the princess."

"I see..." Erik commented while nodding in understanding, looking much more relaxed, at which point Seraphina whispered into his ear in a more serious tone.

"Young master, but allow me to advise you that it's better to take a dominant attitude if you bid on any item; otherwise, they might try to do something similar against you."

"Understood."

Seeing her young master nod and return to looking at his holographic screen, Seraphina withdrew to her place behind him with a satisfied smile. While at the same time, her mind wandered into fantasies about her young master's dominant figure demonstrating his superiority and trampling the surrounding insects. Though it's not as if she had precisely brought her young master to the place where the most cases of intimidation of the weak occur to see him act in an authoritative and dominant manner—no, nothing like that.

For his part, Erik began to review the items sold to see if he found something interesting to do business with, since he really doubted there would be anything he truly liked. After all, most of the things that had been presented were things he already had or that he could make himself, or, failing that, things his masters would make for him if he needed them. So, although he took Seraphina's advice, he really didn't think he could use it.

At the auction, the attention in the hall was already at its peak after the incredible lot of potions created by one of the renowned Master-level members of the Arcane Order. However, the atmosphere changed abruptly when an unexpected figure made her appearance on the podium. It was as if a wave of magnetism had flooded the room, centering all gazes on her.

The one who appeared on the podium was a woman who seemed the epitome of grace incarnate, with olive skin that glowed like amber under the room's lights. Chestnut hair fell in soft, silky waves to the middle of her back, and a face with delicate and harmonious features bore an expression of firmness and authority. It was enhanced by dark, penetrating eyes that seemed to hypnotize anyone who looked at them.

The woman, who possessed a beauty that bordered on the divine, wore an elegant dress of deep, fiery red, which fit her curvaceous figure perfectly, hugging her small waist and sliding downward, accentuating her hips and long legs.

The master auctioneer, with a respectful nod, gave up his place to the woman, who, with determined and graceful steps, took her position on the podium. She then spoke with a firm and melodious voice, attracting the attention of all present.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the true essence of this auction begins now. I hope you are prepared for what Aetherion's Hall has to offer you tonight."

In the VIP room, all those present began to settle into their seats, attentive to the beautiful woman who smiled magnetically on the podium, ready to start the real war. Meanwhile, Erik looked with a bit of curiosity in Laura's direction, who emitted a completely different aura now that she was standing on the platform.

Soon after, from the crystal orb that was now beside Laura, the image of an ancient-looking scroll was projected. It seemed surrounded by a special and magical aura, decorated with threads of what appeared to be gold and platinum and in a case. At that point, Laura spoke in a melodious and alluring voice.

"The first item we will present is this scroll obtained from a ruin that turned out to be the hidden mausoleum of an ancient cultivator of the Jade Lotus Union, and it contains an Arcane-level body cultivation technique."

Upon hearing Laura's words, Erik's eyes shone like lanterns; after all, for quite some time he had been interested in knights, to the point where he had read everything he found about the knights of the Aegis System and Sacred Geometry in his masters' libraries and the university's.

But until now, Erik hadn't been able to obtain anything substantial about the body cultivators of the Zazen Discipline, apart from some loose bits he had gotten from Chen. But it was unreliable information—nothing like a complete body cultivation technique, which, according to what he had read, were techniques very similar to bio-mystic techniques.

However, unlike bio-mystic techniques, body cultivation techniques, besides body and mana movements, also used spells, pills, medicinal herbs, and other external things to 'refine' the body—in other words, bring the body's strength and endurance to the maximum, thereby greatly increasing the amount of mana their cells could store from the Revealed level onward.

Although that kind of refinement was not unique to the Zazen Discipline, since each of the three systems had its own way of achieving something similar. Having that scroll would be an important step to begin understanding the details of that system and, with luck, to push forward a project he had been working on, albeit with very slow progress. Not to mention that it could even be of great help for his rune circles project.

"The auction starts at 20 million high-purity crystals, and the minimum increment will be one million." Laura commented with a smile as she saw the evident interest and greed in the eyes of those present, which initiated a furious bidding competition.

"21 million!"

"25 million!"

"28 million!"

"30 million!!"

"35 million!!!"

For his part, Erik could only watch with disappointment the chaotic scene of uncontrolled bids and the other guests in the VIP room. They were on the edge of their seats waiting for the bidding to calm down a bit, to enter the fray. Although, some couldn't control themselves and ended up bidding recklessly.

Seeing her young master's expression, Seraphina couldn't help but smile tenderly, but she quickly composed herself and approached Erik, then whispered in his ear with a melodious voice filled with affection and care.

"Young master, you don't need to make that face; you can bid without restrictions for the scroll. There are more than sufficient funds for it."

A conflicted expression couldn't help but appear on Erik's face. After all, that scroll was too tempting, but it was too expensive, and given how the bidding war was going, he might not even have enough to buy it, even if he agreed to use the money. Besides, it was quite questionable to say he would need something like that in the tournament or the ruin exploration.

"You don't have to make that expression, young master. As I mentioned, those one hundred million are just a fund for things you need for the tournament and exploration, so don't consider them for acquiring that scroll. Think of it as an investment in your project; you only need to repay it when it works." Noticing Erik's expression, Seraphina whispered again into his ear with delicacy, which made the star-haired boy reflect deeply.

"You're right, Seraphina. I just have to make sure to generate valuable results to repay the investment, and if my project succeeds, it will be incredibly profitable." After a while, Erik commented with conviction, which made Seraphina smile charmingly, who quickly whispered happily.

"Of course, young master, so you can enter the bidding without regrets. By the way, young master, remember: don't let yourself be intimidated, because from here on, the 'guests' will start to show their true colors."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Erik nodded with a serious expression, which made Seraphina smile beautifully, who quickly went back to replenishing her young master's cookies and cup of tea, although in her eyes one could see a glint filled with expectation and excitement.

Spoiler: Patreon

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

 

[lordanl]

AI generated images for reference only, more images can be found publicly on my patreon.

Spoiler: Erik

Spoiler: Sigrún Eldurdóttir

Spoiler: Eleonora Silverwood

 

[lordanl]

This is an original story that I have been publishing for several months on other platforms, and I decided to publish it here as well. I will be publishing a chapter every other day with BNHA: SA, a fanfic that I also publish here.

 

[lordanl]

"We've reached 56 million; do we have any more bids?"

After a while, when the bidding war among the people in the main hall began to slow down, Laura announced with a slight smile on her face as she looked at the attendees. This somehow served as the cue for the VIP room, as the vast majority of those present began manipulating their holographic screens. This caused the assistants in charge of announcing the bids to start speaking in rapid succession.

"58 million."

"60 million."

"65 million."

"73 million."

"80 million."

"92 million."

"100 million."

As the bidding war unfolded, the increase in bid amounts perceptibly accelerated. But suddenly, one of the guests in the VIP room—a man with black hair and Asian features dressed in what appeared to be a black male hanfu with floral details embroidered in gold thread on the chest—stood up from his seat and spoke aloud in the Galactic language, making a slight bow at the same time.

"Our He clan thanks the honorable companions for allowing us to keep this item."

"150 million."

Along with the man's words, a new bid resonated in the main hall from the assistants. At that moment, a delicate and melodious female voice speaking in the Oriental language was heard in the VIP room.

"Our Yuan clan really needs this item, so I apologize in advance to the He clan for my discourtesy."

Upon hearing the voice, several attendees turned to look in the direction it came from, including the Asian man, who looked incredibly indignant, and Erik, who curiously observed the young woman with Asian features. She had black hair with pale pink tips and wore a curious dress that seemed like a combination of a traditional hanfu and a dark blue evening gown, embroidered with bird motifs in gold thread.

For her part, the woman gave an elegant and defiant smile to the man who had so proudly announced his victory. Shen then looked at the rest of the guests and added, with courtesy and confidence, speaking again in the Oriental language while still seated.

"I thank those present for allowing me to win."

"151 million."

As if it were déjà vu, a new bid was announced by an assistant while the young woman was speaking. This caused her expression to harden, and she began to look around the VIP room with eagle eyes. She quickly focused on an elegant and handsome young man with iconic black hair adorned with stars in a distant corner who was withdrawing his hand from the holographic screen.

"It seems that the great direct disciple Erik does not know my Yuan clan."

As the angry voice of the woman filled the room, speaking in the Oriental language, an oppressive pressure shook the air. Erik turned his gaze with a slight smile on his face, followed by his two wolves, who were lying imposingly at his sides, each measuring almost two meters. He then spoke in the Galactic language with a calm and courteous tone.

"Of course, I know one of the noble clans of the Jade Lotus Union; I don't know what you mean, Miss Yuan."

Erik's words brought a tense silence to the VIP room, as the ones confronting each other were heavyweights not to be trifled with. On one side was a super-genius disciple of possibly the most influential Master-level women in the entire Arcane Order. And on the other was the princess of the Yuan clan, a noble clan with two active Master-level individuals and who knows how many in seclusion.

But for the more knowledgeable attendees, including Princess Silvana, it was obvious that the best course of action for miss Yuan was to accept defeat in silence and leave as soon as possible. After all, beside the star-haired young man was one of the greatest terrors of the galaxy—the Queen of Shadows, the demon disguised as a maid, Seraphina Ravenspell—and things were never easy when that woman was involved.

"It is the first time I see someone make such a trivial offer above that of the Yuan clan, especially when it has become clear how much we value the item. Perhaps you don't understand how much this object means to our family."

For her part, the young Miss Yuan commented with a cold and threatening tone, still using the Oriental language. Erik responded with a calm tone and maintained a neutral expression, using the Galactic language, as if he was determined to confront the young woman.

"Miss Yuan, value is subjective, based on preferences and scarcity. Moreover, isn't the purpose of an auction to compete for what one desires?"

"There are ways to compete and ways to show discourtesy. I suggest you learn the difference, direct disciple Erik."

Upon hearing the 'mocking' comment from the annoying star-haired boy who refused to show her respect and spoke in that insulting Galactic language. Miss Yuan couldn't help but press her lips and comment with an even colder tone using the best of all languages—the Oriental—while Erik simply showed a smile and commented in a much more casual tone.

"Discourtesy is in the eye of the beholder. I have no intention of offending, simply of obtaining what I desire. And it seems that, for now, the auction is in my favor."

"200 million." A new bid resonated in the main hall, at which point Miss Yuan spoke again with evident threat in her voice.

"That scroll originally belonged to our Jade Lotus Union. I strongly recommend that direct disciple Erik refrain from making further bids if he wishes to avoid offending our faction, as it is well known how we act when someone tries to undermine our secrets."

"201 million."

In response to the evident threat, a bid resounded in the main hall that could only be interpreted as an act of mockery and disdain by those present, especially for Miss Yuan. She began to emit a thick killing intent while looking with evident anger at Erik, who was smiling as before. His wolves started releasing small electric sparks and thick darkness, both with predatory gazes completely focused on the young lady.

"It seems that direct disciple Erik does not respect our Jade Lotus Union, something I strongly advise against, as no one who has tried has survived so far."

Miss Yuan spoke with a tone laden with murderous intentions while her mana began to vibrate dangerously, causing her curious hair to rise in the air. Erik's expression did not change in the least, although his gaze became visibly dangerous as he examined the beautiful woman who had threatened his life from head to toe.

At the same time, a maddening and horrific killing intent that seemed to increase gravity flooded the room, suffocating all those present and causing them to have visions of death coming to claim their poor souls. A dignified voice filled with authority resounded in their ears, evidently emphasizing the pronunciation of the Galactic language.

"It seems that Miss Yuan forgets that she is in the territory of the Arcane Order, and we don't like those kinds of threats here. Our court in particular hates them quite a bit." Erik's words caused Miss Yuan's expression to visibly pale, and the star-haired young man added in a soft and almost mocking tone.

"Moreover, I recommend that you watch carefully the path back to your beloved Jade Lotus Union, as the cosmos is a dangerous place and no one knows what might happen, especially in the perilous borders..."

Along with Erik's words, black lightning surrounded his figure. At the same time, a terrifying and gigantic golden reptilian eye—leaving no doubt about the colossal power of the creature that possessed it—shone from behind him, filled with murderous intent. This made Miss Yuan completely pale; she remained seated in her chair in complete silence, covered in cold sweat, appearing like a statue as she did not dare to move a single finger in the presence of such a terrifying being.

"Do we have any more bids?"

While the VIP room was enveloped in an eerie silence, Laura's magnetic voice resonated throughout the place once again. This time, no one dared to say a single word, so after a prudent period of absolute silence, the beautiful woman in red elegantly announced the end of the competitive auction.

"Then the item goes to our honorable guest in the VIP room. Congratulations!"

After a light applause from the main hall as a sign of congratulations for winning the bid, the pressure and terrifying killing intent that had filled the VIP room disappeared as if they had never existed. The gigantic golden reptilian eye behind Erik closed, taking with it the mantle of black lightning that had covered him and allowing the guests to breathe again.

As 'peace' returned to the VIP room, Miss Yuan stood up from her chair in silence with trembling legs, then staggered out of the room. She was assisted by her female aide, who looked ghostly like Miss Yuan due to the excessive paleness of her complexion and the visible terror in her expression.

Meanwhile, next to Erik was an ecstatic Seraphina. Despite wanting to maintain her elegant and professional appearance, Seraphina had an expression on her face that was nothing but fascinated and filled with impure desire as she looked at her gallant young master. Her pupils were completely dilated, a deep blush adorned her cheeks, and heavy sighs loaded with excitement escaped from her beautiful red lips.

Pressing her thighs tightly together, Seraphina witnessed the whole scene as waves of pleasure and excitement coursed through her body, causing her to tremble slightly throughout the event. But being the perfect maid, she ensured that her 'vulgar' appearance could not be seen by anyone—except her young master, of course, who, if he had turned around, would have been able to see her as she truly was and not the false figure she had conjured for others.

When her young master was announced as the winner and Ebonique's eye disappeared, Seraphina quickly composed herself and adjusted her dress, swiftly regaining her elegant and professional appearance. She then deactivated the spell that covered the room, once again revealing her appearance to the public, although a slight blush was still visible on her delicate cheeks.

(It was definitely a great decision to bring my young master to this event. Such a dominant and authoritative presence—I still feel chills running through my whole body. Good thing I could record everything from the beginning; this will be a great 'midnight snack' fufufufu...)

While the perfect maid was lost in her 'malevolent' plans for her next 'misdeeds' during her much-anticipated 'date', the crystal sphere on the podium in the main hall changed to show the image of an impressive bow that seemed to vibrate on its own. At that moment, Laura announced with a slight smile.

"Well, now we will move on to the next item..."

Spoiler: Patreon

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

 

[lordanl]

At the end of the auction, Princess Silvana rose from her seat with a serene and calm expression. She then bid farewell with a smile to Erik, who seemed lost in thought, while Seraphina smiled cheerfully by his side.

"See you later, Direct Disciple Erik. It was truly a pleasure meeting you; I hope we can meet again."

"Oh, yes, the pleasure was all mine, and I hope the same."

Hearing Silvana's words, Erik seemed to return to reality. He stood up and politely said goodbye, at which point Silvana gave a slight bow before leaving the VIP room accompanied by her butler, who had taken care of receiving the items the princess had acquired at the auction.

Upon exiting the VIP room, Silvana was immediately surrounded by eight people dressed in elegant black suits, exuding a sharp and dangerous aura. They quickly escorted her to the exit, where a black car with golden details awaited her. It had a sleek and minimalist design, resembling a futuristic version of a royal carriage, without doors and featuring a windshield that extended to the roof, providing a wide field of vision.

After the princess boarded the two-seater car accompanied by her butler, the car's extended windshield darkened completely. Simultaneously, liquid metal covered the seams of the doors, quickly sealing the vehicle entirely, leaving the exterior with a seamless appearance, as if it were a single piece.

Shortly after, Silvana's vehicle rose into the air, surrounded by four other vehicles with a much more robust and angular design, featuring fluid lines and golden and silver details. They formed a small convoy that navigated through the air along the limited-access roads until they reached an impressive building that extended beyond the clouds.

Upon passing above the clouds, the convoy found itself facing a terrace that protruded from the metallic building, adorned with vegetation and tables. It gave the impression of being the entrance to an elegant restaurant among the clouds and was surrounded by multiple floating platforms with what appeared to be trees made of light in the center, with tables and chairs around them, giving the impression of outdoor dining areas.

Quickly, the convoy entered the building through a gate that opened automatically beneath the protruding terrace, arriving at a sort of garage where they landed softly. At that moment, the doors of Princess Silvana's car turned back into liquid metal and then disappeared, while the doors of the other cars opened upwards, gull-wing style.

As the cars automatically docked onto moving platforms that transported them into the building's interior, Silvana walked toward one of the glass elevators, escorted by her guards—the most experienced and lethal warriors of her entire army. The elevator took them to an elegant reception area, where they were greeted by two people, a man and a woman, dressed in elegant suits.

"It is a pleasure to have Princess Firestone in our humble establishment" The man spoke in a serious and elegant tone while bowing deeply along with the woman. Silvana nodded casually and then commented in a tone serious and befitting her royal status.

"Lead me to my room."

"Immediately."

The man responded professionally, then pointed to a wide corridor decorated with all kinds of paintings and sculptures, featuring a red carpet on the floor. They all walked along it until they reached a beautiful wooden door carved with various runes. Silvana entered after her guards checked the security, who remaining outside to guard the door.

The room was spacious with an elegant and cozy design made primarily of wood. One of its walls was replaced by a huge panoramic glass window, revealing the impressive landscape of District 12 on the other side—a district known as the playground for the rich and powerful.

"Are the preparations for the shipment of the items ready?" After ordering her meal, Silvana asked casually while sipping a cup of tea her butler had served, who responded in a serious and strict tone.

"Completely. We have contracted the three most important logistical companies of the Arcane Order to make a total of six shipments with the different items acquired at the auction, which will serve as decoys and distractions."

"Perfect. We can't let them ruin our plans, and we must be especially cautious with Maximo; he's been making very strange moves lately." Princess Silvana commented seriously as she placed her teacup back on the table. Her butler nodded and then asked in a serious tone.

"Understood. Does Your Majesty wish us to increase surveillance on His Majesty Maximo?"

"That would be good. Lately, he's been interacting a lot with the Lotus Union, and I don't like that at all." Silvana commented with a serious expression. The butler nodded, then spoke while bowing respectfully.

"I will personally take care of that."

"I trust you." Silvana commented casually while looking out the window of the private room at the starry sky, which led her to ask softly.

"By the way, what do you think of Disciple Erik?"

"A very talented and capable young man; he is truly worthy of his reputation." The butler responded in a serious and professional tone, which made Silvana nod.

"I thought the same. He's truly charming and self-assured. Moreover, the way he dealt with that spoiled girl Xia Yuan was very attractive—so much so that I'm thinking of initiating a closer relationship with him. What do you think?" Silvana asked, resting a hand on her cheek while recalling the moment that had impressed her, wearing a big smile. The butler could only respond in a deadly serious tone.

"Although Direct Disciple Erik would be a great asset to Your Majesty's faction, it would not be wise to enter into a close relationship with him at this time. After all, it won't take long for his closeness with Lady Ravenspell to come to light, which will undoubtedly incur the Emperor's displeasure and possible reprisals against the young man, which could involve you if you get too close to him."

"And that would be the last day of his life."

Suddenly, a melodious and enchanting female voice was heard in the private room, which, for the princess and her butler, sounded like a call from beyond the grave, causing their bodies to become rigid and cold sweat to cascade down their backs. After all, they recognized that voice.

After the beautiful voice faded, the silent room echoed with the sound of heels on the wooden floor, which, to those present—who had terror written all over their faces—sounded like funeral drums announcing their tragic fate, causing their throats to dry up and their hearts to race abruptly.

Shortly after, a smiling Seraphina appeared from the shadows of a corner of the room and walked slowly and almost methodically, yet with undeniable elegance, until she stood before Princess Firestone, who looked pale and evidently terrified, as if she were seeing a ghost.

"A pleasure to see you again, Princess Silvana." Seraphina greeted elegantly and made a small respectful bow before turning to look at the butler and commenting with a slight smile.

"And it's also a pleasure to see you again, Wilson."

Although paralyzed by fear, the butler, Wilson, quickly bit his tongue hard in an attempt to overwhelm the deep terror the woman instilled in him with pain. Thanks to the metallic taste that filled his mouth shortly after, he regained enough mobility to greet her back with a deep bow.

"It's a pleasure to see your distinguished figure again, Lady Ravenspell."

"Fufufu, there's no need to be so frightened; I'm just here to chat."

With a small smile on her face, Seraphina commented in a kind and polite tone, which only caused a shiver to run through the listeners' bodies. Knowing full well that they couldn't afford to disrespect the woman before them, Princess Silvana quickly forced her trembling legs to lift her from the chair. She then greeted with an equally deep bow, perhaps even more respectful than the one she gave when greeting the Emperor.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Lady Ravenspell; I didn't expect this surprise."

"Fufufu, actually, my young master is in the next room, so I decided to stop by and greet some old acquaintances." Seraphina commented softly with a mocking smile on her face, truly enjoying the slight tremors that occurred in the bodies of her 'acquaintances' every time she spoke. At that moment, Silvana commented in a serious and respectful tone.

"It's an honor that a lady as distinguished as yourself decides to pay us a visit; I feel truly honored."

"Fufufu, there's no need to exaggerate, Princess Silvana. I'm just a humble maid who came to visit some acquaintances; it's nothing much."

Upon hearing Seraphina's words, Silvana's expression couldn't help but turn into an ironic grimace, as she really couldn't understand what was going on in the mind of this terrifying woman who had a strange fixation on being a maid. But she quickly composed herself and returned to her serious and respectful expression.

"If Lady Ravenspell has any task for us, please don't hesitate to tell us; we will ensure it is fulfilled to the best of our abilities." Wilson immediately spoke with a respectful voice, full of reverence and a bit of fear as he addressed Seraphina, who appeared surprised and then asked while elegantly covering her mouth.

"What are you talking about, Wilson? How could a humble maid like me assign a task to the distinguished princess of the Firestone Empire?"

"Please, have no reservations about it, Lady Ravenspell. You can count on us for whatever you need; it's a pleasure for us to carry out a task for the honorable personal maid of the renowned Direct Disciple Erik." Princess Silvana quickly replied with reverence, getting an idea of how to deal with the terrifying woman.

Hearing Silvana's words, Seraphina couldn't help but smile with delight and satisfaction. She decided to reward the intelligent girl who recognized her honorable status at a glance. With a gesture of her hand, three potions appeared on the table in emerald green flasks, which seemed to contain pure liquid magic that shone with dazzling colors.

"A small reward for Princess Silvana for her quick-thinking and kind words. They are just some Sage Advancement Potions created by the young lady; they've been with me for a while, and the princess could make better use of them."

Seeing the potions on the table and especially the mark of a flame intertwined with a tree on the bottle, the princess felt as if lightning had struck her. After all, the reward was too extravagant for just a few words. But the fear she felt wasn't only because of the reward itself, but also because of the exact number of potions she was given.

Princess Silvana had exactly six generals in her hidden forces who needed an advancement potion to extend their lives. Her original plan was to use one of the potions on her visible generals and make it seem that another three, who were holding back their advancement, had also taken them to use the remaining three on her hidden generals. So the fact that Seraphina gave her exactly the three missing potions couldn't be a coincidence—it was never a coincidence when it came to that woman.

"Thank you very much for your generosity, Lady Ravenspell." Silvana thanked in a serious and firm tone while bowing respectfully before the terrifying maid.

"Don't worry, Princess Silvana; it's just a small gift so you can strengthen your dear generals. After all, they might feel left out if only half of them can get a potion." Seraphina commented with a small smile, which put a bitter expression on Silvana's face. But she quickly composed herself and returned to her serious and respectful demeanor.

"Truly, thank you very much, Lady Ravenspell; it's a very important gift for me."

"Fufufu, don't worry about it; just remember to do a little insignificant thing in return." Seraphina commented with a small chuckle, to which Silvana quickly nodded and then asked in a serious tone.

"Of course, Lady Ravenspell. What does your esteemed young master need from me?"

"Fufufu, you're really starting to grow on me, Princess Silvana, and actually, it's something very simple."

While looking approvingly at the intelligent young woman, Seraphina commented in a calm tone. But at that moment, the aura around her changed completely, becoming one filled with madness and bloodlust. She leaned in slightly to look directly into the princess's eyes and continued in a dark tone laden with murderous intent.

"Remind your father that the day he dares to come within a star system's distance of my young master, let alone touch a single hair on his head, will be the day his Firestone Empire ceases to exist. I will personally ensure that nothing remains breathing within its borders."

The instant she finished speaking, Seraphina's terrifying aura vanished completely, as if everything had been just a joke. With a kind and polite smile, she made a small bow and spoke in a melodious and friendly voice.

"Well, that's all. A pleasure to see you again."

After those words, Seraphina vanished from the place as if she were a shadow, leaving two terrified and utterly petrified people behind. After a while, the princess and her butler calmed down and quickly left the place without saying a word to each other, walking hurriedly.

Spoiler: Silvana's car:

Spoiler: Restaurant:

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 the most exclusive restaurant in District 12, the private rooms were a display of elegance and almost excessive luxury. The perfectly polished mahogany parquet floors reflected the soft light emanating from a large crystal chandelier that hung majestically from the center of the high ceiling with magical candles. The candles, in addition to illuminating the room, gave off a light woody aroma, similar to sandalwood, evoking tranquility and sophistication.

The center of the room was occupied by a round wooden table with golden veins, surrounded by elegant and comfortable velvet chairs. One of the walls had been replaced by an enormous glass pane that revealed the scene of skyscrapers above the clouds of District 12. On the other walls, aside from artworks and sculptures, there was a large sideboard displaying a selection of the finest wines and liquors in the galaxy.

Sitting on one of the beautiful chairs was a young man with deep green eyes and black hair adorned with stars and galaxies, dressed in an elegant jet-black suit. He looked incredibly disappointed as he slumped his upper body over the table, his face bearing an expression full of pain and regret.

While the young man seemed lost in his sorrow, Seraphina entered the room with an elegant and almost rhythmic stride. Upon seeing the state of her young master, an adorable pout appeared on her face. She approached him and hugged him from behind, leaning intimately against him, and whispered sweetly in his ear.

"You don't have to feel this way, young master; that money is yours to spend as you wish."

"But it was 500 million." Erik commented softly, his tone laden with regret, which made Seraphina smile amused. She whispered warmly, almost maternally.

"No, young master, it was ONLY 500 million. You are very thrifty with money and spend responsibly, so don't worry about that. Instead, let your personal maid attend to you and lift that sadness that envelops you."

As she finished speaking, Seraphina helped Erik up from his chair. At the same time, a beautifully crafted massage bed appeared in the room, decorated with countless runes carved all over its surface. She swiftly removed his elegant jacket, followed quickly by his tie and shirt, leaving his upper body bare. She then laid him face down on the massage bed.

"Thrifty? Even accepting the director's job, it would take me more than a century to pay off those 500 million. So, in the best-case scenario, I spent more than a century of honest work in just a couple of hours..."

Already accustomed to Seraphina's suspicious ability to remove his clothes in seconds, Erik spoke softly as his beautiful personal maid applied cream to his back, which exuded a relaxing and delightful aroma.

"Fufufu, don't see it that way, young master. The factories to produce the healing pills are already under construction, and the clinical trials are underway with very good results. Soon they will enter mass production, and the estimated profits are quite high, so it won't take you long to earn that amount of money." Seraphina commented cheerfully as she began to massage her young master's back with a satisfied smile.

Although Erik intended to sell licenses of his patents, he mainly referred to the devices he developed during his research and some variants of Manalite. As for the patents related to the healing pills themselves, he wanted his masters to exploit those exclusively for a while before selling licenses. Moreover, once the pills gained a good market share, pirated copies and similar patents would start to appear, so it wasn't a sure thing either.

Regarding the production processes he had patented, he didn't have much hope. Industrial processes were relatively easy to modify, so it wouldn't be long before others figured out how to change them enough to avoid infringing his patents. But since it was revolutionary, even if they managed, their methods would still be much less efficient and more costly than his, which, with luck, would give him enough time to establish himself in the market and somehow repay the great affection and care his masters had given him.

Furthermore, his brand would start as a small subsidiary of the company his masters were registering for the healing pills. Initially, it would focus on refining the industrial production process to make it as efficient as possible while bringing the quality to the maximum. This would allow them to release a special version to the market where he could proudly display his brand's name.

"Well, you may be right about that, but it doesn't change the fact that it was too much money, so I absolutely refuse to return to that place." Erik replied firmly and decisively, which made Seraphina laugh amusedly. She cheerfully added, while ensuring that her young master's skin properly absorbed the cream's properties.

"Fufufufu, don't worry about that, young master. You only ended up buying three items at the auction; they just turned out to be a bit expensive because they were from the Lotus Union and were of a relatively high level. But that's far from putting a dent in the funds at your disposal—you could even buy the entire auction house if you like."

Apart from the scroll, Erik ended up buying two other items. One was a quasi-master-level magical artifact in the form of a sword that reportedly possessed the famous artifact spirit and came from the same hidden mausoleum as the scroll. He wanted to study it carefully and compare its functionalities and capabilities against the wisdom runes that supposedly do something similar.

Meanwhile, the second item he bought was also obtained from the same hidden mausoleum: a sword technique of the Zazen discipline. It seemed to be both a kind of sword martial arts technique and a set of spells similar to bio-mystic exercises that combined body movements with mana movements inside and outside the body to unleash powerful slashes of all kinds.

Erik's plan with that 'sword technique' was to study it to compare it with his way of fighting with his machetes. So far, he had been using his self-taught bio-mystic technique with the machetes as an extension of his arms, which had been quite effective. But through comparison, he wanted to see if there was room for improvement.

Additionally, there was something else Erik wanted to analyze from that 'sword technique': the flying slashes. Recently, his own flying slashes were losing much of their effectiveness due to their simplicity, so that 'technique' could help with that. Moreover, he wanted to compare that kind of set of spells that complemented each other with those of the Aegis system and sacred geometry, which could lead to an advancement in his stalled research on runic circles.

"Back off, demon; I won't fall for your seductive temptation."

Hearing Seraphina's words, Erik replied firmly and decisively, like a warrior ready to face the demon himself. This caused a mischievous smile to form on the beautiful maid's face, who commented in a joking and playful tone.

"Fufu, in the end, you'll fall for the seductive temptation of spending, young master; it's useless to try to resist."

"Yes, but I'll fall with my own money. I refuse to return to that place of temptations until I get my own stable source of income, or they'll leave me bankrupt and full of debts!" Erik replied with firmness and integrity, to which Seraphina responded by leaning close to his ear and whispering in a tone laden with seduction.

"Don't worry about that, young master; if that happens, your personal maid will take care of you and provide for you for the rest of eternity..."

"So now I'll be a kept man? How low I've fallen..." Erik replied softly with a joking tone that tried to sound tragic. Seraphina quickly played along and added in a soft and seductive tone.

"Fufufu, that's right, young master; now you're going to live off your personal maid, so don't resist and just enjoy."

As she spoke, Seraphina began to massage Erik's shoulders with a highly professional technique, which was not only relaxing but also had the ability to improve and nourish the body with the help of a special cream. If Erik were to find out its price, he would never allow himself another massage; after all, that single jar of cream was several times more expensive than all the sage advancement potions the princess Firestone had in her possession.

Soon after, while Erik and Seraphina were joking among themselves, a small bell sounded in the room, indicating that the food was ready and requesting permission to enter. But before the star-haired boy could do anything, the perfect maid used her shadow to press a button on the table and open the door, at which point she commented out loud.

"Please come in and leave the food on the table."

Quickly, Erik turned his head to look at Seraphina, who returned his gaze with a slight smile. After sighing, he lowered his head again while the beautiful maid returned to her pleasant task of massaging, which of course was entirely her young master's idea and had nothing to do with her.

Shortly after, a group of three beautiful young women entered the room and promptly arranged all kinds of dishes on the table that exuded an exuberant aura, entirely ignoring the master and maid pair in a corner of the room. After all, that scene was far from the craziest thing they had witnessed inside a private room; the rich and powerful generally had very strange quirks.

After setting the dishes on the table, the women performed a polite bow and then left the room in an orderly and hurried manner, leaving the master and maid alone again.

...

"Young master, the food is ready; you may come and eat if you like."

After a while, Seraphina said, as she reluctantly withdrew her hands from her young master's shoulders. At that moment, a simple white T-shirt appeared in her hand, which she offered to Erik. He thanked her with an ironic smile, then took the shirt and sat down to eat with pleasure after putting it on.

"Thank you."

Some time later, Erik finished his meal and leaned back on the chair's backrest with a full stomach with a happy and satisfied expression on his face. Despite it not being as delicious as what Seraphina usually cooked for him at home, it wasn't bad and was quite satisfying; besides, it was interesting to eat something different once in a while.

As he stretched comfortably in his seat, Erik suddenly felt soft and delicate hands on his waist. He quickly looked down to find Seraphina gazing at him with a mischievous smile as she unbuttoned his pants.

Without saying a single word, Erik gave Seraphina a skeptical look, who quickly removed his pants with quick, fluid movements, demonstrating an absurd dexterity in the curious task, at which point she commented mischievously.

"Young master, I have to finish the massage since you need to be totally relaxed for what's to come."

"What's coming?"

As he settled back onto the massage table, Erik asked Seraphina with a curious tone as he looked at her. She was strategically placing different scented candles around the room so that their scent and warmth could fill the room evenly while giving a sense of elegance and order, while answering with a small smile.

"A small cocktail party organized by Miss Belmonte, young master."

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"A cocktail party? Miss Belmonte? Who's that, and why do I have to go to her cocktail party?"

Upon hearing Seraphina's words, Erik couldn't help but ask in confusion as he turned to look at her. The beautiful maid responded with a small smile while she began applying cream to the star-haired boy's legs.

"Miss Belmonte is the disciple of Master Sunforge, young master."

"And who is Master Sunforge?" Erik rolled his eyes and lay back down on the massage table as he asked. Seraphina replied in a calm tone.

"She is the Master-level mage who led the last mission on the battlefront, where the young lady and Master Silverwood participated."

"Ahhh, that redhead?" Erik asked in realization, which caused a small giggle from Seraphina. She replied while starting to massage Erik's legs with a very special technique.

"Exactly, young master—the redhead, fufufu."

"But that doesn't explain why I have to go to her disciple's cocktail party. I've only seen that woman once. Or is it because she's the director's granddaughter?" Relaxing under the slight tingling caused by Seraphina's massage, Erik asked curiously. The beautiful maid responded with a small smile.

"Not at all, young master. Actually, it's not that you have to go; it's just a good opportunity to meet your opponents beforehand. The most outstanding disciples and students under 300 years old of the Arcane Order are invited to the cocktail party."

"That makes much more sense..." Erik replied in a reluctant tone, but suddenly seemed to remember something. He quickly asked in a tone that tried to sound more serious.

"By the way, will Liliana be there?"

"Yes, young master. Miss Liliana is a close friend of Miss Belmonte, and it's most likely she will attend." Seraphina responded with a small smile, never stopping her massage, already having an idea of what her young master would say next.

"Can we not go? She hates me, and who knows what she'll come up with to 'get back at me', hehehe." Erik replied in a tone that tried to sound serious but was ultimately betrayed by a chuckle, which made Seraphina smile amusedly. She quickly replied in a calm tone.

"Please, young master. Miss Liliana only played a 'prank' on you once, and that was several years ago. Besides, you know very well how she behaves, so please don't look for silly excuses to get out of going to the cocktail party."

"But cocktail parties are annoying..." Seeing that his little stratagem was instantly dismantled, Erik couldn't help but comment with a defeated sigh. Seraphina asked with a small smile.

"Yes, they are, young master, but don't you think it's a good idea to take advantage of Miss Belmonte's effort in selecting the possible contenders for the tournament and thus save effort in formulating strategies?"

"You have a point..." Erik commented in a low voice, still evidently reluctant, which caused a small amused giggle from Seraphina. She quickly added in a cheerful and singsong voice.

"Fufu, so that's settled, young master. Just relax while your personal maid gives you this rejuvenating massage so you can arrive at the cocktail party de-stressed and full of energy."

"Alright, I count on you, Seraphina." Erik commented in a resigned tone as he settled more comfortably on the massage table, to which Seraphina responded cheerfully.

"Fufufu, leave everything to me, young master."

With a satisfied smile on her face, Seraphina began to massage Erik's entire body using different types of creams and elixirs that would frighten anyone to death if they saw them, due to their incredible value and rarity.

The techniques Seraphina used were also on a level of their own, applying mana in specific portions along with meticulous and precise movements following the shape of the muscles. This particular massage technique not only allowed for muscle relaxation but also stimulated their growth and power, making them stronger and more compact.

Another great effect of the massage that Seraphina was giving Erik was something for which many mana users in the galaxy would kill: it not only allowed for the detection of hidden injuries but also, thanks to the extravagant lotions, creams, and elixirs that Seraphina was using, could heal them while nourishing the body.

But the most important benefit of the massage was something that very few things in the galaxy could do. The massage technique, along with the extravagant lotions and the special massage table, nurtured, widened, and strengthened the body's mana circulatory system while also clearing and expanding the lifepoints—or, in other words, the points of the body through which mana is released.

That benefit alone would make any mana user salivate; after all, something like that was equivalent to improving someone's talent and greatly facilitated future advancements. But most importantly, it improved combat prowess, as, in theory, it would allow mobilizing a more significant amount of mana more quickly and fluidly.

Such a magical result was due to the tireless efforts of Eleonora, Sigrún, and Seraphina, in addition to an expenditure of funds so extravagant that it could single-handedly destroy the entire economy of small factions and entire empires—all to find a way to prevent any long-term damage to Erik's body due to that 'overdrive' of his.

Shortly after Seraphina heard Erik talk about his overdrive, she quickly informed Sigrún and Eleonora. The three of them began to develop an effective treatment for the possible aftereffects that something like that could leave on Erik's body. After all, that method, although effective, could easily cause long-term problems that could affect his growth.

The creams and lotions were created by Sigrún using the best of her ability along with incredibly rare ingredients, while Eleonora was in charge of creating the massage table, which had endless functions. Among them was examining Erik's body for injuries or damages of any kind and transferring the information to Seraphina, as well as regulating the mana in Erik's body. Facilitating the entry of mana and nutrients into his mana stream during the massage.

As for the massage technique, this was Seraphina's effort. She sent her people throughout the galaxy to obtain all kinds of medical and physio therapeutic techniques from different magical systems and cultures, aiming to develop a new, more effective technique. Once finished, it received audits from several Arcane-levels and Master-levels of different magical systems in the Arcane Order to perfect it to its maximum potential.

They achieved all that in record time, to the point that it would leave even the director himself astonished. The efficiency with which they managed such a monumental feat was practically unheard of—a true display of influence, power, and ability used to their fullest.

With a pleased smile on her face, Seraphina massaged Erik from head to toe, attending to each finger, each muscle, and pressing the lifepoints in a specific sequence. She also sent mana combined with the creams and lotions into Erik's body with the help of the massage table. This strengthened him from the inside out, taking the already formidable star-haired boy one step further.

But the fact that it was precisely a massage technique was not because the perfect maid wanted a good excuse to run her hands over her young master's body for hours and hours whenever she wanted or anything like that—not at all. It was simply the most effective treatment method and nothing more.

...

...

...

The hall, known as the Fire Room, reflected both the power and passion of its owner. With an arched entrance framed by scarlet stones that seemed to throb with burning energy, it gave way to this majestic space. The floor appeared to be made of black marble with red veins, simulating a night sky ablaze, emitting a warm glow with each step taken upon it, as if eternal fire lay beneath the surface.

Meanwhile, the high, vaulted ceiling was painted to represent the cosmos, with bright stars and nebulas in shades of red, orange, and yellow. A large crystal chandelier hung from it, illuminated not with candles but with dancing flames that floated freely, changing color to reflect the mood of the room.

Furniture sculpted from exotic woods and upholstered with rich silks and velvets filled the gathering place. Tables made of what appeared to be polished obsidian held crystal decanters filled with liquors of all kinds from different parts of the galaxy.

All around, the guests—some dressed in the university's representative white robes, while others wore elegant and expensive-looking suits—murmured and laughed among themselves, forming small groups scattered throughout the hall.

In a somewhat secluded corner in the middle of the hall stood Liliana, dressed in a beautiful dark gray evening gown that hugged her body, highlighting her beauty and making her look like a lady of the aristocracy. She appeared quite bored, holding a half-empty glass of wine while looking around.

"Do you think your fellow disciple will come, Liliana?"

A beautiful young woman with an energetic appearance and short golden hair next to Liliana asked with a small smile while looking at the beautiful girl with chocolate-colored hair. Liliana turned to look back at her and replied in a calm and familiar tone.

"Senior Brother Desmond isn't even on the planet; you know he went to his family's planet to resolve some matters and won't return soon."

"I know; I wasn't referring to him. I meant your 'younger brother'."

The young woman with golden hair replied with a small mischievous smile on her face, causing Liliana's lips to twitch a bit. But the girl with chocolate-colored hair tried to dismiss it by commenting disinterestedly.

"I highly doubt he'll come. He's a solitary guy who likes to spend his days locked up in Master Eldurdóttir's mansion. I was already quite surprised when I found out he was participating in the tournament."

"Fufufu, I hope he comes; I'm very eager to talk to Disciple Erik, since a certain person hasn't wanted to introduce us."

A beautiful young woman with black hair and an elegant appearance, who was on the other side of Liliana, commented with interest while looking toward the entrance of the majestic hall. The girl with chocolate-colored hair could only respond with a helpless and slightly irritated tone.

"Zoe, I've already told you that I practically don't talk to him. I can count on one hand the times I've met him, so why would I go see him to introduce you?"

"Fufufu, whatever you say—I don't believe you at all. Rather, you want to keep him all to yourself." The young woman with black hair commented mischievously, which caused Liliana's smile to twist a bit. Even so, she commented with a bit of annoyance.

"He doesn't interest me at all; you can do whatever you want with him."

"Then I'll gladly accept the offer, hehehe." The young woman with golden hair, Elara, commented playfully, and the young woman with black hair, Zoe, joined in.

"Yes, we accept your offer with joy." Zoe turned to look at Elara and softly added in a challenging tone.

"Although we have to decide who will get him, Elara."

"What are you talking about? Of course, he's for me; my master is quite close to his master—we're the perfect couple." Elara replied with a cheerful smile, as if she were just stating an irrefutable fact. Zoe smiled challengingly, then commented elegantly and decorously.

"Fufufu, you tell such good jokes, Elara. The closeness of their masters has nothing to do with this. It's better that he ends up with the one who has the best compatibility, so the best option is me."

"And why do you think that's you, Zoe?" Elara asked back in a cheerful tone, to which Zoe replied confidently and stylishly, lifting her head slightly.

"Very simple. Disciple Erik is a thoughtful and solitary person, so he needs a companion with simple and homely tastes, just like me—not an endless bundle of energy like you."

"Hmph, what Disciple Erik needs is someone energetic and cheerful to brighten his solitary life, just like me." Elara retorted with a defiant snort, still cheerful, while looking directly into Zoe's eyes.

"And can you two stop creating a fantasy world with someone you don't even know? Or is that too complicated for you?" Finally, Liliana interrupted the 'fight' between the pair of beautiful young women, commenting with evident annoyance on her tone, which made Elara and Zoe laugh. They commented with mischievous smiles.

"Fufu, don't be a spoilsport, Liliana."

"Yes, Liliana, you're ruining the fun."

Spoiler: The Fire Room

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