Afternoon.
"Where is Brother Lucas?" Liliya asked while she waited with her mother and an unfamiliar cousin named Olenna Kastarn, who, she learned, was an acclaimed genius within her mother's family
"He might be still in the library," suggested Olenna. "Shall I fetch him?"
"There is no need, Olenna," her mother replied, shaking her head. "He is already on his way here."
Liliya glanced at her mother's eyes and then followed her gaze. On the stairs, her brother took his time descending. Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized her brother's serious expression. She wondered what caused her brother to be like that. Was there a book that he couldn't understand?
As he approached, his attention finally shifted, and his expression finally eased.
"Hello," he greeted them and asked Liliya, "How was the tour?"
"It is amazing! There are so many magical things around! Too bad you weren't there!" she replied, playfully sticking her tongue out.
"My…. Hasn't Mother sold you to the market yet? I thought with how chirpy you are, you'd fetch a good price," he smirked, ruffling her hair and creating a delightful mess of her lovely hair!
"Stop! And no! Mom won't sell me, and it is wrong to begin with!"
"Is that so?" He ruffled her head even harder, and she attempted to resist, but it was a futile attempt.
"Now, now, don't tease your sister too much," their mother intervened, coming to the rescue and fixing Liliya's hair, who was glaring at Lucas. "Lucas, we're going to have dinner together."
"With Olenna?" He tilted his head toward their cousin.
"Yes, is there anyone else in the tower, Olenna?"
Olenna shook her head. "Everyone's at home, though Father will be coming here the day after tomorrow."
"Oh? Has your father returned? How was his journey?"
"He didn't say much, Aunt. You know my father. He prefers to talk directly instead of through messages."
"That he did," their mother chuckled. "Now, let's go, Olenna. Do you have any restaurant in mind for us to have dinner?"
"Of course! Follow me!" Olenna led the way toward the exit, with the three Harrens following behind.
While walking together, their mother asked Lucas. "What's on your mind, sweetheart?"
"Ah…. I'm just thinking about how to maximize my time in the archive. There are so many books, and our time here is limited," Lucas replied with a sigh. "I suggest we head to the academy tomorrow first to clear up the schedule and meet with Brother Eric."
"Yay! We're going to meet Brother Eric!" Liliya exclaimed happily.
"Speaking of Eric, Olenna, have you met him?" Their mother asked, to which replied with a nod.
"Yes, Aunt, Eric is my senior, and I have met him several times. But I haven't seen him recently. He seems busy."
"Yes, in his letter, he mentioned preparing for field training at Mount Ortaz."
"That's…. That's quite dangerous," Olenna looked astonished and confused. "Mount Ortaz isn't a place for training. There are many strong monsters there."
Their mother nodded. "Indeed, but don't worry, he won't go there alone, and there are two skilled tier 5 mages accompanying them."
"Let's hope they are enough then," Olenna said, sounding unsatisfied.
If Lucas remembered correctly, Mount Ortaz was divided into three regions. The base, inhabited mostly by weaker monsters that didn't deter stronger ones from appearing. The foothills, where stronger monsters roamed, and the summit, where the mightiest monsters on the mountain vied for supremacy.
Lucas recalled that his second brother, Eric, was a tier 4 mage, and there was no mention of whether he advanced. While Tier 4 was adequate for dealing with the monsters at the mountain's base, it fell short against the stronger ones. He simply hoped nothing bad would befall his brother during this undertaking.
"We have arrived," Olenna declared with a smug expression, standing in front of a restaurant. Lucas eyed the establishment and found it less than impressive. It wasn't a luxurious restaurant that nobles often went to, but appearances might be deceiving. The crucial factor was whether this restaurant offered delectable cuisine or not.
"This is my favorite restaurant because their prices are fair, and their food is delicious," Olenna commented as she guided them to the table.
"This restaurant is new, I presume?" Their mother inquired while taking a seat.
"Not really, it has been here for three years."
"Ah, then I might have missed it on my last visit. Well, let's see if what you said of their food is true."
The menu was presented, and Lucas picked for his favorite— a steak and fries accompanied by a loaf of garlic bread. When he ate the steak, it proved to be delightful. Olenna's endorsement was spot on. Even his mother and sister enjoyed the food they had.
"Delicious, isn't it?" Olenna asked with a smirk.
"Indeed, you really have a taste for food, Olenna," his mother smiled in satisfaction.
"Where are you guys staying?" Olenna asked after wiping her mouth with a tissue.
"We are staying at Lindsey Hotel. Do you want to stay with us tonight?" Their mother offered, but Olenna shook her head.
"I will stay in my room at the tower. Feel free to visit Aunt."
"We will."
.
*****
.
Back in the hotel, Lucas sat at the desk, while diligently working on crafting another spell scroll. This time, he proceeded with caution and not in a rush. He paid meticulous attention to every detail, carefully channeling just the right amount of mana, neither more nor less.
His sister was sound asleep, the city tour having completely worn her out. As for their mother, she leaned against the bed's headboard, engrossed in a book beside his sister. She patiently awaited Lucas to complete the scroll so she could inspect it. His mother might not have been a scroll crafter, but her experience made her adept at recognizing the qualities of a well-crafted spell scroll. While Lucas could inspect the scroll with his eyes, he felt the need for input from others to ascertain the accuracy of EoO and ensure he was not overly reliant on them. He dreaded the day when EoO might vanish, and in anticipation of that, he needed to make sure that he wouldn't be left incapacitated. He hated the idea of that happening.
"Mother, I'm done," Lucas announced as he completed his spell scroll and rose from his seat. His mother closed the book she was reading and stepped off from the bed to approach him.
"Let's see," she took the scroll and examined it. "Tier 1 spell, Flash. Hmm, you did good, dear." She kissed his head much to his embarrassment.
"So? What's lacking about it?" He asked with a flustered look. According to EoO, the scroll had a grade of D. One grade below the one he tried to copy.
"Too rigid. I see that you are trying to be careful, but don't let it hinder you too much. Do you know what happens when the diagram is too rigid?"
"The scroll might take more time to activate than intended," Lucas replied, and his mother nodded in agreement.
"Correct, too rigid, and you get a scroll that at worst can't be activated at all. Too fluid or too wild will get your scroll to explode in failure at worst. As for your control on mana, you already have a good grasp on it for a tier 1. How long are you able to maintain the same amount of mana?"
"At most thirty minutes," controlling mana for an extended duration demanded too much concentration, and as time passed, his control wavered.
"That's already good, but you need to increase the time. There is a reason why there is no rest when making a scroll. A friend of mine once said that once you are making a spell scroll, you must not stop until it is finished."
Lucas nodded, mentally noting the areas he needed to improve.
"Still, for a child who has only recently learned crafting spell scrolls. This is already good. Good job, my son."
Lucas smiled widely. He couldn't help but feel a sense of pride after receiving such praise.