Alex already had a place in mind for today's date.
There was a bazaar of magical relics new and old going to be held today in one of the many cities under the Magnus family.
He was fairly certain that this would be a success as Aria was a sucker for magic relics, it was her love for them that led her to pursue magic engineering in the first place.
As if their carriage passed through a warp gate which were placed in all major cities in the empire, he felt the peculiar feeling unique to space magic.
He felt weightless for a moment as if he was floating, then in the next moment he felt his surrounding's change once more as they arrived at their destination.
The city they arrived at was called Anrel, apparently it was named after a the person who founded the this city.
The city extremely lively today as people went about here and there.
"Hmm... Is there a festival or something going on?".
Aria asked with her voice brimming with evident curiosity.
Alex had a sly grin on his face resembling a fox as he said.
"You'll know when we get there.
Aria couldn't help but pout slightly which elicited a chuckle from Alex, earning him a glare from her.
If it was someone from her academy they would never believe that Aria von Magnus who was known for her indifference to people was pouting.
As they arrived at their destination Aria couldn't help but exclaim in surprise as she saw the bazaar while dismounting the carriage before asking.
"How was I not aware about the existence of this place before?". As her eyes darted all over the place.
"Well, that's because this bazaar is held every three years. The last time it was held, you were only 13 years old.
Even I didn't know about it until recently".
Alex said as he helped her get off the carriage.
After informing the coachman that they would stay in the mansion they had tonight and maybe might take a few days to return.
Originally, Alex planned on returning after the date but, if his hunch was correct, he had a lot more gain here than he initially thought.
Snapping himself out of his thoughts, he turned his attention towards his date. He knew that today was a very important day, and he could not afford to mess it up. Knowing that Aria was feeling a bit impatient, he said, extending a hand towards her.
"Shall we."
It was as if those word's were the starting signal for a race Aria grabbed his arm with practiced movement's before before making a mad dash for the shops and stalls.
Alex couldn't help but smile slightly as he compared her with a child in his mind. It was always like this whenever artifact's and relic's were involved Aria would turn into a child seeing the most delicious candy they had ever seen.
As they moved from one stall to another, they couldn't help but be fascinated by the wares.
All sorts of potion's and magic relics were available at the stalls promising all sorts of strange abilities to their wielders. From a sword with fire enchantments to a prank potion which allowed people to speak goblin if consumed, although dubious Alex still bought the potion and a few others out of curiosity. Although it didn't even compare to how many Aria bought, the combined amount of money the two of them spent combined would easily be able to feed an average family for 4 months easily and even that was if they spent it luxuriously but even this was not enough to put a dent in their savings.
The two had a light meal from the vendors before continuing to hop from one stall to another chatting and laughing along the way.
But as the saying goes
"Time dances swiftly when joy leads the music".
The sky had already started to darken when they realized what time it was, the two decided to quit for the day and have dinner.
As someone who had a bit of a perfectionist streak in the weirdest of things Alex had spent a while searching for the perfect restaurant for tonight.
Perhaps it was because he has subconsciously remembered the taste of food of the 21st century Alex was quite picky when it came to food it was to the point that he had even learnt cooking under the head chef.
He even wondered if it was possible to recreate dishes and spices from his original world, he was sure that he'd make a killing if he could and it wasn't impossible if he bought the information from the system.
Aria knew about his obsession with food so she didn't say anything as he led her into a small inconspicuous dinner.
It wasn't soon that the waiter served their dinner.
Alex had gone with a pasta where as Aria had chosen to order a salad and a meat sandwich.
They continued to make jokes and have a light hearted chat as they had their meal.
After finishing their meal, the duo decided to take a light stroll back to their estate in Anvell.
As the two continued to make light banter with each other amidst the banter a silent change it the atmosphere revealed itself an unspoken understanding that transcended the ordinary bonds of family.
The steps of the two slowed with the starry night as witness Alex spoke.
"You know there is something about the way I'm with you it's like finding moments of comfort like that of being home in this chaotic world. And home has never been complete without you".
As they continued in silence Aria spoke with her youthful voice.
"Tonight just feels different, like there's more to us than just being step-siblings. It's weird, but it's real, you know"
They both knew that tonight A new chapter in their relationship unfolded—one where laughter, sincerity, and the authentic voice of adolescence blended.
( Do you guys want me to write an r18 ch with Aria next or stall it and u know it was cheese so don't rub it in my face too much.