A week had passed since Alys started living at Ryujin Mansion. The days blurred together in a whirlwind of responsibilities, and I hadn’t yet found the ti to et with Silas to secure her an entry into the Mage’s Tower. It wasn’t that I had forgotten—it was simply that my newfound title demanded more of my attention than I had anticipated.
With my recent acquisition of new territory, I was obligated to oversee its condition and establish proper governance. On top of that, the workload piling up on my desk had only grown heavier. Delegating was an option, but the burden of responsibility always seed to pull back, ensuring that every decision, every docunt, had my final approval.
"Why don’t you get another aide? I’m dying!"
Roan’s voice carried a distinct whine as he dramatically slumped over the mountain of paperwork on his desk. I barely spared him a glance before sighing, rubbing my temples as I leaned back in my chair.
He wasn’t wrong.
"Have you trained anyone yet?" I asked, already expecting the answer.
Roan shot up, glaring at as if I had personally wronged him. "Do I get enough ti to actually go and train another person?" He snapped, throwing his hands in the air.
I exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Send a letter to my vassals. Ask for recomndations for the post."
At that, Roan perked up, his expression shifting into sothing resembling excitent. "How many will you recruit?"
"Two more." I resud working, scanning over the docunts before .
"There are four vassals," Roan mused aloud. "Why not four?"
I glanced up, my eyes narrowing. "Are you sure? You’ll be the one to train them."
The enthusiasm in his eyes flickered, and he pouted, shoulders slumping in defeat. With an exaggerated sigh, he reached for a sheet of paper and started drafting the letters. Yet, despite his usual complaints, I caught a small smile forming at the corner of his lips.
I shook my head with amusent before turning my thoughts back to Alys.
Her mana presence was strong—much more pronounced than I had initially expected. The fire mana within her pulsed vibrantly, reminiscent of Eric’s, but there was sothing sharper about hers, sothing refined. Where Eric’s flas were powerful yet wild, Alys’s fire had a natural control that suggested an advanced level of understanding. Given different circumstances, she might have made a formidable ruler. But now, that was no longer an option.
In the few monts of spare ti I could afford, I taught her the basics, and to my surprise, she picked them up at an astonishing pace. She didn’t just learn—she absorbed knowledge as if it was second nature to her, adapting to each lesson with an efficiency I had rarely seen. It didn’t take long to realize that she had the talent to thrive in the Mage’s Tower, even without my intervention.
With the right guidance, she could easily reach the Master level in no ti.
There was a knock on the door. Before Roan could even check, I already sensed who it was.
"Call them in," I said, not bothering to look up from my paperwork.
Roan pulled the door open, stepping aside as Alys and Kai walked in, followed closely by Asher and Enora. The latter carried a tray laden with tea and refreshnts, the rich aroma of freshly brewed tea filling the room.
"About ti! I was famished," Roan groaned, imdiately abandoning his desk in favor of the armchair, his exhaustion montarily forgotten at the sight of food.
I glanced up as Kai bead at . "Master!"
Setting my pen down, I smiled and rose from my seat, joining them on the couches. Nox, who had been perched lazily on my shoulder, blinked his drowsy electric blue eyes open as I set him down on the table.
It was amusing how easily Kai won Nox over. Normally, the little owl never left my side, but with Kai, it was as if he had found a younger sibling. The tiny creature fluffed up his feathers and hopped closer to Kai, who gently scratched his head.
Alys, too, had started feeling more at ease in the mansion. She still carried a certain wariness, but she was opening up—especially around Kai. He had a way of drawing people in, his warmth breaking down walls before one even realized it.
"What did you do today?" I asked as Kai climbed onto the seat beside .
"Big Sister and I played chess!" he said excitedly. "I won three tis!"
"That’s impressive," I said, turning to Alys. Her silver hair was tied back neatly in a braid, and her green eyes flickered with sothing akin to embarrassnt.
The mana stone on her pendant caught the sunlight from the window, glinting green. It was a special disguise pendant I had given her, one that masked both her appearance and mana presence. As long as she wore it, no noble who visited the mansion would recognize her. For now, she could rest without the weight of being constantly watched.
"What about you, Miss Alys?" I asked.
She hesitated before replying, "I’m learning how to brew tea."
"Brewing tea?" I repeated, tilting my head slightly.
Enora chuckled. "Miss Alys wanted to learn so she could brew tea for you, Master, since she knows you like it."
I raised an eyebrow as Alys turned a shade darker. How cute.
Shifting my gaze, I caught Asher standing behind them, his expression unreadable as always. He had been frequenting the Oasis in his free ti. I knew what he was doing there, but since it wasn’t anything problematic—yet—I chose to let it be.
"And you, Sir Asher?" I asked, watching him closely.
"I’m fulfilling the duty you bestowed on , Master," he responded flatly.
I humd, taking a sip of my tea as Kai eagerly started telling about his day—how he played in the garden with Alys, read new books, and even managed to sneak a few treats to Nox. The tiny owl happily pecked at the food Kai offered him before settling back on the table.
"Master, can we take Big Sister Alys to Eldarf?" Kai suddenly asked, his bright eyes locking onto mine.
I glanced at Alys. She t my gaze, her expression expectant yet hesitant.
Kai must have told her all about his "Big Brothers" and "Big Sisters" from Eldarf.
"All right," I agreed. "I’ll take you this weekend."
Kai practically lit up, and even Alys’s eyes shone with excitent.
As Kai continued munching on sweets, chattering away about the children of Eldarf, I caught Asher watching him. There was a rare softness in his eyes—one he likely didn’t realize he was showing. It seed even the coldest individuals weren’t immune to the warmth of a child’s innocence. I had made the right choice putting Asher by Kai’s side.
Then—
"Ah!" Kai gasped.
I turned to see him covered in crumbs and cream, his small hands, mouth, and chin an absolute ss. Even Nox had a streak of cream sared over his black feathers.
I chuckled, pulling a handkerchief from my breast pocket.
"Hold still," I said, carefully wiping Kai’s face and hands before turning to Nox. The little owl twitched as I gently cleaned his feathers, then settled on my palm, closing his eyes again.
"He’s sleeping again," Kai pouted.
"He’s an owl," I reminded him, amused.
"All owls sleep in the dayti and stay awake at night," he said matter-of-factly. "Grandma Enora told !"
I ruffled his hair, making him giggle. "You’re learning well."
Just then, the mana stone on my desk glowed.
"Lord Ocean? Lord Ocean, are you there?"
Silas’s voice.
I stood, walking over to pick up the communication device. "I’m here. I have company."
"Co to the Tower when you’re done."
I glanced at Alys.
"All right. I’ll be there."
The stone dimd, the connection severing. I placed it back down before turning to my guests.
"It was Uncle Silas!" Kai announced.
I chuckled. "Yes."
"What’s the Tower?" he asked curiously.
"It’s where Uncle Silas lives."
"Where is it?"
"Hmm... Not too far from here."
Kai’s eyes practically sparkled with curiosity.
"You want to go, don’t you?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
He grinned.
His childlike excitent was showing more these days. It reassured that I had given him an environnt where he could grow safely—where he could just be a child.
"What about you, Miss Alys?" I turned to her.
She blinked, caught off guard. "I-I... I want to go too," she admitted shyly.
I smiled. "All right. I’ll let him know."
"I want to go too!" Roan chid in.
I looked at him. "Sorry, Roan. I’ll take you next ti."
He pouted but accepted his fate, returning to his sweets.
After finishing tea, I attached the communication device to my cloak and picked up the teleportation artifact.
Kai, and Alys stood beside .
"You can relax for the ti being," I told Asher and Lyall.
Then, with a surge of mana, we vanished—teleporting straight to the Mage’s Tower.
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