"How is everyone?" Lith asked, eager to change the topic. "How is it possible that everyone won before us? Aside from Zogar, I an."
Zoreth wasn’t ho at the mont of the attack, but a quick call and the nas of a few of the hybris stationed there had reassured Lith that unless a teor the size of a mountain hit Mogar, nothing would happen to the Professor.
"The White Griffon did the White Griffon." Kamila shrugged. She had received and read the reports of the attacks in real ti. "The Upyrs never got close to the castle gates. They didn’t even try.
"They played it smart and moved with caution, keeping themselves always outside of the area of effect of the main arrays."
"That’s weird." Lith scratched his head in confusion. "It’s a smart move, hence not sothing ln would do. Casualties?"
"None." Kamila’s answer shocked him. "No one died. The Upyrs escaped safely before being surrounded, and the injured Professors retreated behind the academy’s walls."
"What about Brinja?" Lith asked.
"The Distar bloodline went this close to extinction." Kamila shuddered at the thought. "ln sent one of his clones and plenty of Upyrs. If not for the Queen’s intervention, she, Ainz, and Milla would all be dead now."
"Fucking bastard!" Lith clenched his hands in fury. "That was his main goal, or he wouldn’t have sent a clone. Yet I don’t understand why killing the Distars was so important to him."
"We’ll think about that later." Kamila lifted the Hush. "You are all tired. You need warm food and rest in case there’s a second wave later."
"Wait, what about Professor Vastor?" Solus said. "I want to know what happened to him."
"At least soone cares about a poor, old man." The grumpy voice of the Professor ca out of Zinya’s amulet. "Thanks for your kindness, Solus. I bet that if I waited for Lith to call, I’d grow a beard long enough to reach the floor."
"Oh, please." Lith snorted. "Let guess. The Upyrs damaged only furniture that your arrays can repair, and no one died. Am I right?"
"Well, yes." Vastor cleared his throat. "To be honest, I didn’t even notice I was under attack. I was in my lab, and the security took care of the threat before a single alarm sounded. If Zin hadn’t called , I would have never known until I read the evening news.
"By the ti I left the lab, the house staff was already cleaning up the ss."
"Prisoners?"
"None." Vastor shrugged. "They were all small fish, and I doubt that ln would have sent soone who knew anything useful. Even when the Upyrs... bargained for surrender, they knew nothing of his plans.
"They ntioned only a few locations that I bet are going to explode under the feet of the first unlucky soul that goes there."
"Pity." Lith sighed.
"Yeah, thank you for your concern. Your worry for my well-being is touching." Vastor grunted. "That said, I also bring ln-unrelated good news. I’m done with my experints on Hatorne’s tattoos, and the Royals haven’t objected to your request.
"I can give you the first batch whenever you want and teach you how to apply the body-enhancing potions. I’m also working on a couple of variants, but it’s too soon to use them. I haven’t worked out all the kinks, yet."
"I suppose you can’t bring them here, can’t you?" Lith asked.
"No, I can’t. Sorry, but I’m too busy." Vastor couldn’t step inside the Verhen Mansion without the risk of the Guardians exposing his identity as the Master. "You can co whenever you want, or I can have Zin bring you the materials."
"I’d love to, but I don’t think I’m going anywhere for a while." Lith replied.
"Don’t worry, Lith. I’ll bring everything with when I return. I was just about to go check on Zogar." Zinya said.
"There’s no rush." Vastor sighed. "How many tis do I have to tell you that I’m fine?"
"I will be there in a minute. Love you."
"I love you more but-" Zinya cut the call the mont she heard the important part.
"See you soon." She waved goodbye. "Filia, Frey, ti to go ho!"
"That’s nice of you." Kamila said. "Staying here for the Demons’ sake."
"It’s not just that." Lith cleared his throat. "I need to check on Mom and Dad for a while. Be right back."
***
Elina cried learning about the brief return of the late Count Lark and was moved by her children’s attentions. Tista remained glued to her for most of the day, and getting rid of Rena beca nigh-impossible after she witnessed the events via a mind link.
"Don’t worry, my babies." Elina sobbed while hugging everyone, even the utterly confused Surin. "Mommy is not going anywhere. Gods, I love you so much!"
"Gods, I’m alive and there’s no threat here!" Raaz, however, didn’t take the never-ending hugs and non-stop surveillance so well. "Let go!"
"I love you, Dad." Aran sniffled, clinging to his father’s pants.
"I love you too, son, but if I don’t go to the bathroom in the next five minutes, we’re going to have a Surin-level sll crisis." Raaz caressed his son’s head while trying to escape from Tista’s iron grip.
"Can I co with you?" Aran asked.
Raaz was about to elaborate on how he needed privacy when he lost himself in his son’s big, watery eyes.
"Fine."
"Great! Co, Onyx." Aran nodded.
"Onyx too? I an, sure." Raaz couldn’t wait for that day to end.
At the sa ti, in the park, Lith offered Brinja a hot cup of tea and put Milla in the crib with the rest of the kids. The word crib didn’t do justice to the establishnt, especially when Shargein entered the picture.
The Doomslayer crib beca much bigger on the inside and gained all sorts of magical commodities thanks to the Guardians giving it their own spin.
"I’m sorry if I didn’t visit you earlier, Brinja, but after eting Trequill, my Demons would have rioted if I didn’t let them spend so ti with their families." Lith pointed at the tables at the other end of the park, where the Demons were having a picnic.
"Don’t apologize, Lith." She replied. "If you could summon my mother here, I would move to the Mansion, and no force on this planet could keep away from her."
Brinja paused, giving him a hopeful look.
"Can you?"
"I can try." He did, yet nothing happened. "Sorry. I have no idea how I called Lark back or if I can do it again with Mirim."
"Don’t worry. I’m actually happier this way." Brinja said. "Knowing that she moved on and it’s not trapped here, waiting to be avenged, is a big consolation. Also, I didn’t co here to receive sothing, but to give you this."
She handed Lith a silver amulet with a violet crystal embossed on its surface.
"That’s the recording of the assault and the Queen’s fight against ln." She said. "I hate to admit it, but the bastard has gotten dangerous."
"Dangerous how?" Lith asked.
"Have you ever heard of Source Magic?" Brinja asked, and he nodded for her to continue. "That plus several annoying, powerful bloodline abilities kind of dangerous."
"Thanks, I’ll put this to good use." Lith leaned forward to take the amulet, but Brinja stopped his hand.
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