Henry didn't wander anymore. He guarded Felicia as she completed her cleansing. He calmly watched as she became more and more anxious the closer she got to fully cleansing her body.
For her who had a lot of impurities in her body, the sensation of cleansing was vastly different compared to Henry. It was like shedding new skin while Henry washed his body.
The two tried to complete the same tasks, but Felicia's were more thorough. She needed this 'shedding of skin' to remove the scars of her past.
A few hours later, Felicia's body crackled, and deep-purple impurities exited her body. She coughed loudly and black blood splattered onto the ground.
"I-I succeeded!" Felicia exclaimed in joy.
She could feel the purity of her body. Her every movement seemed to align with the laws of the world and give her a profound aura. Her lack of confidence faded a bit from her.
"Congratulations, Mother."
Henry smiled at her. The joy on her face infected him and also caused him to feel happy.
"How do I become a magus, Dear?"
Felicia was nervous as she asked. She didn't know if he would really teach her. After all, it was too good to be true.
"Let's leave first. We stink."
Henry left first, and Felicia followed behind him. Her heart thumped in excitement for what was about to come.
'Her Lively Spirit is already healed. It's even stronger than before.' Henry mused to himself.
Felicia right now was vastly different from Felicia the day prior. The removal of impurities within her body allowed her to have a clearer thought and purer mind. She was able to get over her trauma with the hobgoblin.
This woman had a strong mind. It was a quality Henry admired. If he could raise her well, setbacks would become triggers for her to do better in the future.
The guard was still at the entrance of the cave. He had dozed off, and his snores were loud. Henry made hand motions and a ball of wind rotated around him. He pointed at the guard and the wind encased him, temporarily sealing him from the outside world.
"Let's go. He can't hear us," Henry said and ran out.
His Pure Mortal Body allowed Henry to conjure a slightly more complex spell. It wasn't at the level of a Low-class spell yet, but it was day and night compared to the spells he could use before.
Henry and Felicia ran to the nearby river.
The stream was powerful and clear. Columns of fish swam with the current, making them appear unmoving. These fishes headed downstream as soon as they caught sight of Henry and Felicia.
It was deep into the night. The starry sky above attracted Henry's attention. They looked the same as the past, the eternal background of the world.
"Everything comes and goes, but the starry sky will never change…" Henry muttered in a daze.
Felicia stopped and looked at his melancholic gaze. She could sense the passing of countless eras as she looked at him. It was a weird feeling that abruptly disappeared.
"I will take a bath further downstream."
"Dear…"
Felicia watched as Henry walked away with his back turned towards her.
She felt complex at the moment. She pitied him. She didn't know much about his past life, but she could slightly imagine what it would feel for everything and everyone you know to disappear and leave your grasp.
She understood now that Henry was carrying sorrow with him. He never showed them in his eyes, even when he was gazing at the starry sky. The mental fortitude required not to break down must be immense.
Their worlds of the past and the present were never meant to collide. It was only by chance that she became his mother in this life. This privilege made her feel stimulated to do her best to learn from him.
Henry knew Felicia was curious about his past, but he didn't say anything. As for the reason, it was simple. He didn't think it would mean anything if she knew or didn't. His past life was too distant for her to comprehend.
Henry removed all of his clothes and washed the impurities covering his skin. The pure river water revealed his pristine skin below. He seemed to appear younger.
'I'm just 17 in this life. I need to work hard and regain my magic and investigate my past.'
Henry was quite anxious to seek answers. His memories were not complete, and he could sense that regaining them would not be easy as his soul was badly damaged.
It became a jumbled puzzle that was split into countless pieces.
After about an hour of relaxation and washing his body, Henry walked out of the river. He let the cold wind blow on his naked skin, and he squeezed the remaining water off his hair.
He walked upstream along the river bank and found Felicia still soaking in refreshment.
"Come, I will accept you as my first disciple," Henry said and ignored her frantic attempt to cover her sensitive body parts.
He didn't care as his facial expression never changed.
"Right now?" Felicia asked as she blushed.
Knowing that Henry was reincarnated only made her feel more self-conscious being naked before him. She wasn't only his son, but also another man. It made the way she look at him change.
"I washed my clothes and hung them to dry. I see that you did the same. As we wait, we can become magi. But before that, you need to take the disciple oath," Henry answered.
He was relaxed when it came to this woman. He had seen everything her body had to offer, and in all honesty, he didn't feel any reaction; maybe because she was this body's mother.
Felicia couldn't argue with his reasoning, and her mouth was stuck in an open position. She shook her head and regained her calm. Henry's calmness infected her a lot these past few days.
"How do I do that?"
A sense of anxiety and excitement started filling Felicia's body.
"You already know who I am, and I expect our relationship to change, but you will still be my mother.
"I, Henry Cloudseeker, take the commoner Felicia as my first disciple in this life! May the stars witness, the trees listen, and the fishes give their blessings!"
He walked towards her into the stream. The surroundings shook. The stars seemed to twinkle in response, a cold wind blew and rustled the trees, and the fishes swam around the two of them in the river.
Henry's gaze changed, and he looked deep into Felicia's soul.
"Felicia, do you accept becoming my first disciple?"
Henry's heavy voice rumbled. It didn't seem like a question, but an order from Henry Cloudseeker. His aura changed and a timeless power gave Felicia the illusion of Henry's appearance in his past life.
She saw a handsome young man with silver hair and blue eyes. A magic tome floated behind him as he held a majestic staff in one hand, and a bright yellow sword in the other. These items carried powerful auras that made her soul flicker like candlelight.
His clothing was majestic and flowed as if the wind constantly blew on his body. The world around her disappeared, and she only saw him at this moment.
"Yes, Master!"
Felicia instinctively kneeled on one knee and lowered her head, not daring to gaze into her master's eyes.
"What does a disciple do?"
"Follow the master's teachings!" Felicia shouted and the faint roars of other people resounded from far away. They all said the same thing and a feeling of euphoria enveloped Felicia.
"You are now my disciple from now on. When I leave the world, you will take my teachings and pass them on."
"Disciple understands!"
Henry smiled and all the illusions vanished. His eyes dimmed, and his legs felt weak.
He was too prideful to accept Felicia without showing her his glorious past. He overdrew his soul and projected his memories of himself to Felicia's eyes. As a consequence, he wouldn't be able to cast spells of a higher level for a while.
"First, sit cross-legged with me," Henry ordered.
Felicia followed after him, and she looked at him solemnly and respectfully. After accepting Henry as her master, she became his mother second.
Her disciple duties exceeded everything else as Henry accepted her with full open arms.