"Eh? Isn't that pretty normal? I mean I only feel tingly during times I'm really really angry" Duke sighed while his face fiercened up as he remembered the faces of the Bandits, Waxer, and the terrible Nobles that mocked him in Darius' party.
"Huh? What told you that was normal! Hohoho" Benjamin laughed as he heard Duke mistake Aura for something normal.
"Indeed, if that was a normal thing for warriors then I wouldn't have survived against Brune's finest... Those Varingians weren't something you could laugh at, you know..." Galleo shook his head in worry for Duke's lack of education.
"Y-You fought against the Varingian Guards?!" Duke exclaimed.
"Hohoho, so you've at least heard of them, huh. The Varingian AND the Praetorian Guards to be exact... Well, I was just one of the Mages in Venicia's army though... Or was I the Mage-In-Command?... I forgot, oh well. But let me tell you, we Venician Mages weren't pushovers. From the ancient and arcane Dunes of Gharheeb to the hostile and cut-throat Mercantile cities of the Caspricians, it was said that most of Venicia's noble families were exiles from The Deserts Beyond Gharibia, and overtime integrated with the Caspricians of Venicia. They say these exiles came from a land where Magic and Mana came from..." Galleo began to mumble on about the past.
"T-There are deserts AFTER Gharibia? H-How large IS the south?! Wait! Weren't we talking about this Aura?" Duke asked.
"O-Oh yes! Aura, of course. Well, my main point is... Wait, what was my main point again? Oh yes! That tingly feeling you've been having is a Miraculous gift, my boy! In fact, you might just be a 1 in a thousand genius since you've managed to awaken it at your age. But what's more unbelievable was the slight color we saw. I'm not gonna lie my boy. Duke... You might just be a one in a trillion genius in Aura" Galleo exclaimed as he praised Duke.
"O-One in a trillion?! Am I really that good at it?" Duke felt it was hard keeping his tears from falling. Duke felt extreme and rare pride from hearing a genuine compliment that he was finally good at something...
"Or was it a billion? No wait, maybe it's quintillion? Ah, whatever... Yes, Duke... You truly are talented" Galleo gently smiled at Duke.
"Hehe... He, Of course... I'm Duke Pendragon! And we pendragons are... Dragons!" Duke returned to his normal confident tone... But this time, he was no longer pretending to be confident...
*Yawn* Vivian stretched her arms as she yawned.
[I wonder what Duke's doing right now...] Vivian had just finished some paperwork, so she thought it would be a good idea to rest for a bit.
[No, wait a minute... He's been there for almost a week now! Did something happen to him?!] At first Vivian didn't worry much as she knew Duke could be trusted to get himself home safely, that and her instincts didn't give her that nagging feeling that something was indeed going wrong.
But now that she thought about it [Duke's been gone for almost 5 days now...]
But as worry began to take root in her mind a sudden *Bang* resounded in her door.
"Vivian!" Duke gleefully shouted as he surprised Vivian, opening the door with a bang.
"Eeep!" Vivian slightly squealed from Duke's scare.
"D-Duke!! You crazy" Annoyed, Vivian threw a book over to Duke.
Seeing the Book with his now heightened senses, Duke wanted to dodge the book like Neo in the Matrix... Sadly.
*Pak!* "A-A-Owe!" The book was still too fast for Duke's chubby body and it landed straight on Duke's forehead as he fell on the floor, contemplating his sad life choices.
Vivian immediately ran towards the fallen Duke.
"Duke! Are you alright?... Why'd you suddenly scare me like that!" Vivian pouted as she slightly pinched Duke's arm.
"Yeah... It was my bad, sorry..." Duke said as he thought [Note to self, never scare Vivian like that again!]
"Huh... are you alright?" Vivian worriedly asked.
"Oh, nothing a little patch-up here and there won't cure!" Galleo laughed as he saw the two young couple bicker.
"Benjamin! And that weird old ma- I mean the Philosopher-Candidate from the Milan markets! What are you two doing here?" Vivian saw the two old men... who also sneaked along with Duke because they were too embarrassed to enter inside the house they would be living off of.
"Hello miss Vivian... I, we were hired by sir Duke" Benjamin felt nervous as he thought Vivian might reject them due to their beggarly appearance.
But instead, they were welcomed with open arms.
"Duke did? Of course, you're welcome sir Benjamin, and of course you too sir Philosopher!" Vivian gave the two a genuine smile as she saw their ragged appearance. Vivian knew they didn't look like this the last time they met.
[Well, I guess Duke has his reasons...] Plus Vivian knew Duke had a good reason for taking them in despite their financial situation...
The four happily ate that night as Benjamin and Galleo each told Vivian of there circumstances.
That night Duke, along with Galleo slept early, exhausted from their long journey.
Only Benjamin and Vivian stayed late that night...
"Are you sure you'll go with this plan? If you proceed with this... You'll surely make a lot of enemies in the South..." Benjamin said with a grave and solemn voice.
"Yes, I am sure. Everything has all been calculated, everything... By the time my plan succeeds, those enemies will have no choice but to play nice with me" Vivian smiled coldly as the moonlight illuminated her beautiful face.
"That is if they still wish to eat..."
Vivian had what would be known to be the most infamous Business Scheme ever known to be thought up in this world. A business scheme so devious that later on, the start of world-wide Capitalism would be attributed to it.