"Charmcasters, huh? An interesting name," Anom remarked, his curiosity piqued by the revelation.
Now that he understood the general situation and the reason behind Tiana's sudden arrival, Anom calmly absorbed the information shared by her.
According to her, both she and Loreana belonged to a lineage of an ancient race that had existed thousands of years in the past. However, in the present, only a few individuals with diluted bloodlines remained scattered across the continent, devoid of their ancient glory.
The charmcaster race, as they were known, possessed a unique characteristic where only the females had the ability to awaken their inherent talents. Tiana proudly narrated how these ancient women were not to be underestimated, as they had once wielded enough power to rule a significant part of the world.
Anom fell into a momentary silence, his mind processing the weight of this revelation. Tiana interpreted his reaction as stunned disbelief, relishing in the notion of taming the country bumpkin who had dared to reach for more than he could handle.
Just as she was feeling a bit smug, Anom broke the silence with a question. "How did you find her location?" he inquired, pointing towards Loreana. "I mean, it couldn't be just a coincidence that you discovered she was in this mansion, right?"
"I can't tell you that," Tiana flatly refused. "It's related to the secrets of my race, which even low-level members are not privy to."
Anom nodded calmly, understanding her refusal. He had anticipated that she wouldn't divulge her method for locating her fellow sisters. Moreover, this topic reminded him of the story Loreana had shared about her past. Drawing connections between the two, Anom began to form a hypothesis, but he decided it wasn't the right time to bring it up.
"Anom," Loreana called out to him, her voice tinged with nervousness. Her hands fidgeted, betraying her hesitation about a particular decision. "Tiana... she has another purpose for her visit here."
Anom gazed at Loreana, a mix of surprise and flustered emotions evident on her face. "She's here to take you away, right?" he deduced. "It wouldn't make sense for her to come here just to greet you. That's not how a group striving to regain its former glory operates."
"Oh?" Tiana narrowed her eyes as she looked at Anom. "You speak as if you've encountered similar situations before." Her ridicule was evident, but there was also a hint of intrigue in her voice.
"Witnessing ancient races attempting to resurface and seize control of the world?" Anom chuckled, shaking his head. "Let's just say the place I come from has acquainted me with a few groups that exhibited similar traits, although the scale may not have been comparable."
Observing the thoughtful expression on Tiana's face, Anom turned to Loreana and spoke gently, "Don't be nervous about it. Just tell me your thoughts—tell me if you want to go or not."
Loreana paused, looking at him for a moment before smiling and nodding. "I... don't want to leave you," she said firmly.
As Tiana turned to Loreana in disbelief, she continued, "But I also want to learn more about this lineage that Tiana mentioned. Somewhere I truly belong, even if I wasn't aware of it."
She added, "Besides, Tiana promised to help me find any traces of Lady Faustina and Uncle Benny." Then, as if remembering something important, she added, "Of course, I haven't forgotten about your promise to assist me in locating them. It's just that I want to contribute my own efforts too. Going with Tiana seems to be the best opportunity for me to learn and help myself."
Anom smiled and nodded, relieving Loreana. "That's perfectly fine, and you don't have to act as though I'll restrict you," he assured her. "Whenever you believe in yourself, you'll find me supporting you."
"Anom..." Loreana looked at him affectionately, returning his smile.
"But what about Crystal?" he suddenly asked.
"Of course, she can come with us too." Tiana took the chance to clarify, without waiting for Loreana's response. "Although she may not possess much of our bloodline, she's still Loreana's daughter. She'll be welcomed by all of us just the same." She then turned to Crystal, smiling. "What do you think, Crystal? Have you decided to come with me?"
"I'll stay with Anom," Crystal shook her head, her gaze fixed on Loreana. "Mom has chosen her own path, and my presence might only distract her. Besides, I believe that being with Anom will help her feel at ease without worrying about me."
"Is that so?" Tiana nodded, casting another curious glance at Anom, pondering what made him worthy of such trust.
"It's settled then." Tiana turned to Loreana. "I'm eager to depart as soon as possible, but you can let me know if you require any assistance with your remaining matters."
Just as Loreana was about to shake her head, Anom interjected.
"Actually, we do need your help," he said, directing a bright but peculiar smile at Tiana.
"What is it?" Tiana asked impatiently. Although she was more than willing to assist Loreana and Crystal, she couldn't help but feel uneasy about Anom making all the decisions. Even Loreana seemed overly reliant on him, despite being a capable woman herself.
'Matriarch was right; men in command do lead women astray.'
"Are you referring to your plan, Anom?" Tiana heard Loreana speak, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Could it be that you've encountered some difficulties?" Her worried expression irritated Tiana, but she remained silent as she was not yet privy to the matter.
"Not really a problem." Anom reassured her with a smile. "I was just contemplating how to bring you girls to the capital. Tomorrow, I might be occupied with the Sorneos, and if my plan succeeds, it won't be feasible for me to accompany you to the capital. That's the issue I was pondering on my way here." He looked at Tiana with a smile. "I didn't expect to find a solution so easily."
Tiana narrowed her eyes at his words. Though she didn't understand the full context, the mention of one of the great families of the capital caught her attention.
Observing Tiana's intense curiosity, Loreana chuckled and began explaining the issue with the handlers and Anom's devised plan to address it. Crystal and Anom chimed in, providing additional information, and soon Tiana grasped the general situation.
"You're quite audacious, boy." After digesting the information for a while, Tiana turned her gaze to Anom and remarked, "You're essentially playing with fire here, you realize that, right?"
"Even our entire clan wouldn't dare to meddle with the Sorneo house unless absolutely necessary." As Tiana reevaluated their words, she couldn't help but reassess her perception of Anom, whom she had previously regarded as nothing more than an eyesore manipulating Loreana and Crystal.
"I took the necessary steps to salvage the situation." Anom smiled and continued, "Yes, we're treading on thin ice, but it's also the most effective plan considering the available factors, don't you think?" It may have seemed like he was showing off, but in reality, he was seeking Tiana's opinion. After all, besides being stronger than him, she appeared to be more familiar with the kingdom's situation than anyone else present in the room.
Reluctantly, Tiana nodded. "It does seem like the most direct and 'safe' approach, assuming you succeed at each step without making any mistakes."
Pausing for a moment, she then said, "Well, it sounds interesting enough. So tell me, what do you need my help with?"