anwhile, within the Armand estate’s grand hall.
Garius sat upon the main seat, his posture straight, his expression composed.
Before him, the hall was alive with chatter and laughter. At the center of it, Veldrac and Lioness.
Already flushed and unrestrained.
Were locked in a loud contest over who could drink more, their families watching with varying degrees of amusent.
Garius only sighed quietly at the display.
His gaze shifted toward Francesca, who sat elegantly with the visiting Queens, their voices weaving smoothly through refined conversation. At his side, as always, were Erinnette and Alf.
Around the hall, his sons and daughters mingled with the Demon and Beastkin entourages. Marcellus, Cedric, and the others carried themselves as expected of Armand heirs, conversing with Veldrac and Lioness’s children, their wives and attendants blending seamlessly into the crowd.
But Garius’s sharp eyes caught an absence.
"Erinnette."
"Yes, my lord?" She stepped closer, bowing lightly.
"Where is Javier?"
Erinnette exchanged a glance with Alf before replying.
"We already searched his chambers, but he was not there. Liana and Gloria have gone into the estate to look for him. However... they reported sothing unusual."
Garius’s brow furrowed slightly. "...Unusual?"
"They could not detect young master Javier’s mana," Erinnette said softly.
"So... have you both tried to detect his mana?" Garius’s voice was even, but his eyes sharpened as he glanced at Alf and Erinnette.
Alf bowed slightly.
"We are sorry, my lord, but we also could not track it. I believe... he may have slipped outside the estate again."
Inside, Garius’s thoughts stirred.
Hmm... so he is hiding his mana deliberately. If even Alf and Erinnette cannot sense him, then he has grown stronger once again.
A faint smile touched his lips. He leaned back slightly in his seat, his tone calm.
"Very well. Just continue searching for him within the estate. But do not rush or cause a scene. I am certain he simply does not wish to mingle with the nobles... you both know how he is."
"Yes, my lord," the two answered in unison, bowing before stepping back.
Garius concealed his smirk behind his wine cup, eyes narrowing faintly as he took a slow sip.
Let’s see where this brat has gone...
Garius silently closed his eyes,.
Tracing skill...activate.
A faint ripple extended outward, invisible to all but him. He searched, sifted... and found nothing.
Hmm. So... he wiped out his mana trace completely. Good boy.
His lips curved faintly as he swirled the wine in his glass.
But still... that is only enough to fool the basic level of tracking.
He exhaled softly.
Advance tracking....activate.
The air around him shifted, undetectable to anyone else. His senses sharpened, his vision narrowing into hidden paths of mana no normal eyes could ever follow.
Again, the trail was faint, scattered, as if Javier had carefully erased his steps. But even the most careful erasure left whispers... echoes.
Hmm. He is doing well. Far better than before.
Garius smirked, raising the cup to his lips.
Without anyone noticing, the pattern of his right eye changed, runic lines glowing faintly for the briefest mont.
And then...
He found it.
So... he is there, hmm? Of all places...
The faintest chuckle rumbled in his chest.
Not planned. Not guided. And yet he walked straight into it. How amusing... fate does have its ways.
Garius’s right eye returned to normal just as Francesca approached, her every step graceful, her presence drawing the attention of nearby nobles even without effort.
Graceful... beautiful...
Garius thought, his stern expression softening.
"Dear~" Francesca’s voice was light, her smile serene as she stopped at his side.
"Ah... my love~" Garius answered with a rare, pure smile that only she ever saw.
Her eyes, however, sharpened slightly.
"Where is Javier?"
Garius smirked faintly, tilting his head.
"Why don’t you try to trace him?"
Francesca’s brows arched, her fan lifting slightly to her lips.
"Hmm? Is that a challenge to ?" She leaned closer, her whisper brushing against his ear.
"Just trace him," Garius murmured back, his smile never fading.
"And you will notice how much stronger he has beco."
Francesca only smiled at Garius’s whisper.
With a soft snap, she closed her fan and tapped it lightly against her palm. A ripple of mana spread out.
Subtle, refined, yet far sharper than the crude edge of force. Her tracing skill reached further, deeper, like silk threading through the air.
For a mont, her eyes widened.
Then the corners of her lips curved upward into a knowing smile.
She lowered her fan gracefully, her voice soft but edged with aning.
"...It seems he is at a place he should not be."
Her gaze lingered on Garius, playful and elegant, but the weight in her words carried truth.
Garius’s lips curved faintly as he leaned closer, his tone smooth.
"Oh? It seems you were able to track our youngest son faster than ."
Francesca’s fan rested lightly against her chin, her smile serene, her eyes glimring with quiet amusent.
"Of course. First, he is my son. Second, it is not all that difficult. We both know Buddy will always find him wherever he goes. That bird never strays far, and always knows whether Javier remains within his room... or slips outside the manor."
Garius’s smirk deepened, though he kept his tone asured. "Ah... clever as always."
Francesca closed her fan gently, tapping it against her palm with delicate grace.
"After that, all one must do is draw upon Buddy’s trace... repulse it outward, and the path to our youngest son becos clear. Simple, really~"
"Good thinking," Garius said with a faint smile, his voice low and asured.
Francesca returned it with a serene curve of her lips.
"Of course. I am your wife, after all. And besides..."
Her eyes glimred as she tilted her head.
"Have you ever seen Buddy leave Javier’s side? Hmm?"
She tapped her closed fan lightly against her palm, her tone light but precise.
"It is the sa with you, my dear husband. You do know Giddie is no different~"
Garius raised a brow, amused.
"Yes," Francesca continued smoothly, her voice soft as velvet.
"When you remain in your room, Giddie roams the estate... sotis even the forest nearby. But the mont you step outside the front door..."
Her smile deepened with subtle mischief.
"...he appears, as though he had been waiting all along. Is that not the sa as Buddy with Javier?"
Francesca’s fan brushed lightly against her lips as she spoke with calm certainty.
"And did you not notice? Whenever or wherever Javier tries to go... Buddy will always be there. That is why finding him is simple. We need only trace where Buddy is."
Her smile softened, eyes glimring with both elegance and maternal warmth.
"That mischievous pekko of his is not only a loyal companion, but also a valuable asset, for him, and for us."
Garius smirked faintly, his gaze steady on her.
"Yes... that bird is strong. Yet it acts just like him."
( End Of Chapter )
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