Chapter 79 - A Brand New Starting Line!
Now, the pressure had shifted from Luke to Riveria.
Recognizing her mistake, Riveria's face visibly turned redder.
"I'm very sorry."
Riveria stood up, walked to Luke, and bowed deeply. Now that she recalls her previous actions, it was indeed inappropriate.
"Although it was just a suspicion, I did speculate about a fellow member of the same Familia with ill intentions. I am truly sorry."
Riveria's decisive apology caught Luke off guard. He didn't expect her to apologize so decisively.
In reality, Riveria hadn't done much; she had merely associated Ais's change with Luke.
Despite the positive outcome, this situation was indeed caused by Luke.
From the conclusion, Riveria's speculation wasn't entirely wrong.
The original purpose of calling Luke here today was to confirm whether Ais's changes were related to him.
The change in Ais that caused Riveria's concern was a sensitive matter, and there was no room for any negligence.
"Alright, Riveria is also concerned about Ais. Luke, don't blame her."
Seeing that the situation was basically settled, Loki stepped forward to smooth things over.
"Well, from the beginning, I never meant to blame Riveria."
Luke looked deeply at Loki. He couldn't shake the feeling that this goddess had anticipated how things would unfold.
After all, when Luke entered, it was a serious occasion, yet Loki had been grinning from the start to finish.
What was the situation with the unawakened skill on Ais's status?
Loki, being her goddess, should be the one most aware of it.
And the reason she deliberately didn't mention it...
Luke glanced at the somewhat embarrassed Riveria and sighed silently in his heart.
Loki probably intentionally made Riveria worry.
The following actions by Loki confirmed Luke's suspicion.
"Speaking of which, when Riveria learned about Ais's changes, she was quite worried. Could this be a case of a mother worrying about her daughter?"
Loki, with an evil grin, approached Riveria, teasing her incessantly.
"Who's a mother! I'm still single!!!"
Riveria forcibly suppressed her anger and glared at Loki.
But Loki had no intention of letting go of this topic.
"Hehe, we all know about it. Being single is just an excuse, a way for long-lived species to disguise their age. You guys are always like this, trying to cover up the fact that you are older...!!"
Smash—!
"Ah, ahh, ahh!!!"
Almost immediately, Riveria's magic staff about the height of a person fiercely struck Loki's calf before she could utter that taboo word.
With her face turning red, Riveria glared down at her familia goddess, who was rolling on the ground in pain.
Gareth, standing nearby, hurriedly pulled Luke aside, while Finn sighed and approached to 'mediate.'
...
After the commotion, the atmosphere among the group returned to its original harmony.
(PS: Whenever there is trouble within the familia or the team, Loki always manages to instantly lighten the mood with her playful remarks. This might be Loki's unique way of comforting others.)
At this point, Luke brought up another matter regarding Ais.
"Finn, there's something I'd like to discuss with you all."
"Again, it's related to Ais."
Although Loki holds the highest status among the five, it is generally Finn who takes the lead in decision-making within Loki Familia.
When Luke spoke up, the atmosphere, which had just eased, became serious again.
However, with Luke's current influence, confirmed to have a positive impact on Ais, his words carried more weight.
Finn and the others didn't interrupt Luke but signaled him to continue.
"I believe Ais should not be forbidden from using magic."
This statement from Luke immediately stirred up Riveria again.
However, this time, perhaps having learned from the earlier lesson, Riveria didn't directly oppose Luke's opinion.
Instead, she calmly expressed her own views.
"You should be aware of the power of Ais's skill, 'Avenger/Princess Revenge.' Possessing such formidable strength at such a young age, if she were to use magic as well..."
"Avenger/Princess Revenge"
*Activation at will
*Enhancement of attack power against monster species
*Superior enhancement of attack power against dragon species
*As the intensity of hatred deepens, effect of skill increases
Loki judged this skill to be an amplification skill without limits.
However, its side effects lead Ais to constantly harbor hatred towards monsters and, specifically, black dragon while using the skill.
Riveria and the others prohibited Ais from using magic to slow down her growth, allowing her to build a solid foundation and strengthen her inner self during the growing process, preventing her from being consumed by the dark flames of vengeance within her heart.
"So, you didn't tell Ais the incantation for her magic. If it weren't for the inability to prohibit the skill, you probably would have forbidden her from using it as well, right?"
"Since you know that, why suggest letting Ais use magic?"
Riveria's haste gradually transformed into confusion because Luke's analysis was mostly correct, aligning with the final result of Finn and the others' discussions.
"But the problem lies in the fact that you can't prohibit the 'Avenger' skill."
"Have you ever considered why Ais's magic and skill appeared?"
Luke's words prompted a sudden realization in Finn.
He asked in surprise, "Are you saying that 'Ariel' doesn't come from hatred as we originally thought?"
Perhaps misled by Ais's background and tragic vow, or due to concerns about the side effects of the 'Avenger' skill, Finn and the others always believed that 'Ariel' also stemmed from Ais's inner hatred.
Luke nodded at Finn. "Exactly, I believe 'Ariel' comes from Ais's love and longing for her mother."
Motherly love and father's hatred are the essence of Ais's two abilities.
Now, what Finn and the others have done is to prohibit Ais's love, pushing her continuously towards the direction of hatred.
"Then, haven't we... made a mistake?"
After hearing Luke's explanation, Riveria was stunned, finding it difficult to accept that she had almost harmed Ais.
Meanwhile, Finn contemplated for a while and eventually made a decision.
"The decision on this matter will be temporarily postponed. I need to observe further before reaching a conclusion."
"Everything will be decided after the expedition in three days. Let's wait until it concludes before making any judgments."
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