"You learned the spell?" Maeve questioned as she sat beside sleeping Gracie.
"It is harder than I expected, I only managed to master 1 within half an hour" Ace answered.
"Is there any advantages?"
"Surprisingly, there are" Ace replied.
"If I summon a fireball using Herferd's way, around 5% of Qi is wasted, but if I summon a fireball with this spell, no Qi is wasted" Ace explained.
"WHAT?" Maeve questioned, it was a great discovery.
Though 5% may look less, it could be a decisive factor in a tough battle.
"Mhm, it is true, even I was surprised when I learned about it. As we thought, this world is much more interesting than we thought" Ace nodded.
"Shouldn't we then try and find more advance spells?" Maeve suggested.
"Well, we can, but I think I have an even better way" Ace answered.
"This spell does is nothing more than to specify the path that is followed by Qi to move from the core towards the palm.
A spell has 9 levels.
The First 3 levels require a chant; this chant is a way to order the Qi around.
The next 3 levels require a mage to speak the name of the spell out loud as the mage becomes proficient enough to order the Qi around without the whole chant.
The last 3 levels are when the mage become proficient enough to cast a silent spell" Ace explained.
"What I want to do is learn the most optimum path for Qi to travel and make my own spells. These spells lack power, I think I can make spells that are stronger than these normal spells and at the same time, it will save our Qi" Ace proposed.
"That is brilliant! This way, we won't have to steal from anyone else; we can just live our easy life while getting stronger at the same time!" Maeve exclaimed.
"Aren't I a genius?" Ace questioned with a prideful smirk.
"Yes, you are. You are a big genius. Happy?" Maeve rolled her eyes.
"Very" Ace replied and sealed Maeve's lips.
~
Just like that, 3 months passed by.
Ace learned that the path required to summon an elemental spell is different for every element. It means that the path used to summon a fireball won't be the best path for summoning an earth spike or a wind blade. As for other elements, Ace has to search for their basic spells to learn more about them.
Though Ace can try using hit and trial to find the best path, he was too lazy to do that and he decides to steal spells of different elements from other elders.
This time, he isn't pressurized by time. He doesn't have to become a divinity to kill someone therefore Ace decided to train all other elements together except the strongest 3 elements.
...
Right now, Ace was in his class, teaching the Fireball Spell.
"Casting a spell…" Ace was continuing the lecture, but he was interrupted by Sect Leader Kalm and Elder Ryan's arrival.
"I see you have settled well, Elder Ace" Sect leader Kalm spoke.
Ace just nodded with a smile and the sect leader continued.
"I am here to inform you that you will be coming with us to attend tomorrow's Annual Sect Competition, I hope you don't mind" Sect Leader Kalm informed.
"Hmm? Annual Sect Competitions? But Mr. Kalm, I have already bought the tickets, I planned to see it with my wife and daughter" Ace responded.
"It is not a problem; you can bring your wife and daughter with you. Plus, the seats we, as the sect has are a lot more comfortable than normal seats" Sect Leader Kalm answered.
"But wouldn't bringing them trouble others?"
"Of course not, other elders are also bringing their families along with their personnel disciples, so it won't be a problem. It is more like a trip than a competition for us elders. Hahaha!" Sect Leader Kalm laughed.
"Then I will be tagging along with you all then" Ace answered politely.
"Alright, I won't be troubling you and your class anymore then" Sect Leader Kalm spoke and turned around while just like in the past, Ace did not bow.
As the Sect leader left and Ace turned his attention towards his students, he realized many were looking at him with interrogative gazes.
"What?" Ace questioned.
"Elder Vorste, y-you have a wife?" Frankie questioned.
"Hmm? Why do you ask?" Ace questioned back, feigning ignorance.
"Umm… just for information purposes… it has been so long… but we still don't know about you at all…" Frankie answered.
Ace looked around and saw other students; especially girls were looking at him with an intense gaze.
"Sigh… I guess I should tell you guys about myself then"
'Plus, it is a great way to waste time…' Ace smirked inwardly.
"So, yes, you heard it right, I have a wife and a very beautiful one at that!" Ace spoke and lifted his chest up in pride.
"Her name is Maeve Vorste and she is the most beautiful girl in this world, but her title will be taken soon, so in the future, she will become the second most beautiful girl in this world.
The one who will take her title is my cute daughter, Gracie Vorste. She… She's so cute that I can't even describe her cuteness. She's very cute! Very very very cute!
Did I mention she is cute?" Ace announced with a face full of pride. Even though he usually laze around in the class while delivering his lecture, when it came to enlighten these ignorant fools about how great his wife and daughter are, his excitement rose to another level.
The way he spoke right now, if anyone in Herferd saw it, they will think that he is a completely different person, there were no signs of being an emperor left, this is especially true when it comes to talking about his wife or daughter.
Just like that, Ace continued blabbering about his wife and daughter to waste more time and before long, the giant bell rung, signaling the end of the class.
"Okay guys, I don't think any of you are participating in tomorrow's tournament so I want you all to cultivate diligently during tomorrow's day off. Class dismissed" Ace announced and quickly left the class.
The scene wasn't very uncommon for the students because every time, opposite to how sleepily their teacher enters the class, he leaves like flash, as energetically as he can be.
Ace was walking towards his courtyard while humming a song, due to living a carefree and cheerful life with his family for 3 months, his imposing aura of an emperor has dimmed a little.
He entered his house and his face brightened as he saw Gracie playing with her toys on the floor.
"My Nightingale! Did you miss Papa?" Ace sang cheerfully as he picked Gracie in his arms.
"Ehehe Pwapwa~" Gracie giggled and Ace's eyes went wide.
"What did you say? Repeat that again!?" Ace demanded in a surprised tone while he brought his face close to Gracie's.
"Pwapwa~" Gracie repeated and Ace's face brightened.
"Hahahaha! My nightingale! You are the best! Hahaha!" Ace laughed wholeheartedly before he started rubbing his nose with Gracie's making her giggle in response.
He then quickly dashed towards the kitchen where Maeve was preparing lunch.
"Hahaha! 'My' nightingale is best" Ace spoke, especially focusing on 'My'.
"What happened?" Maeve questioned. She knows Ace too well, and from the way he is acting, something good must have happened to him.
"Gracie, say that again and tell your Mama that you are 'My' Nightingale" Ace demanded as she turned Gracie's body towards Maeve.
"…" Gracie remained silent.
"Hmm? Nightingale?"
"…"
"What are you doing, love?" Maeve questioned.
"Just wait… she will say it…
Nightingale! Say what you said earlier!" Ace insisted.
"…" And… Gracie remained silent.
"Maybe it was a fluke…" Ace then muttered in a dejected tone.
"Pwapwa?" Gracie spoke as she sensed her father getting dejected.
Ace's face instantly brightened he then glanced at Maeve with a smug smile and just as he expected, Maeve has a surprised look on her face.
"Pwapwa" Gracie repeated, the more she spoke, the more Ace's face brightened in joy.
"Hahaha! See? She's said Papa first! I told you she will learn it first!" Ace laughed.
"Why? I even said Mama in front of her so many times…" Maeve muttered, of course, she was happy that her child spoke her first words; but she wanted it to be 'Mama'. She even competed with Ace to see who Gracie will call first. That was the only competition the couple had and Maeve lost it. She even cheated a little and tried to make her say 'Mama' when Ace wasn't around.
"Hahaha! I told you, she's her father's daughter. My nightingale! Hahaha!" Ace laughed and in the end, Maeve smiled back, how can she, as a mother, can't be happy by the progress her child was making?
"No problem… she will say Mama soon…" Maeve muttered.
"Mwamwa…" And as if granting her request, Gracie opened her small mouth and muttered new words.
Maeve's eyes widened and before long, her face brightened.
"Say that again! Say that again!" She demanded.
"PwapwaMwamwa" Gracie muttered unclearly and the couple's face brightened.
"Isn't my nightingale the best?" Ace questioned.
"'My' Nightingale" Maeve refuted.
"'My' Nightingale!" Ace refuted.
"'My' Nightingale!" Maeve shot back.
"PwapwaMwamwa" Gracie giggled.
"..."
Ace and Maeve glanced at Gracie before looking at each other, a smile appeared on their faces as they spoke in unison.
"Our Nightingale~"