"Is the person you sent supposed to have blonde hair and stand at around 1.65 meters?" Austin asked Alysia over the phone.
His eyes remained fixed on the blonde girl who had just emerged through a mystical door, now eyeing the food he had ordered with a gleam in her eyes and a hint of drool.
"That's her. I'm going to hang up now; I'm still sleepy from last night." Alysia promptly ended the call with a yawn.
Austin stared at his phone speechless, pondering to himself. 'Did I somehow offend her? Why does she sound like she can't stand me and irritated with me?'
He decided to throw the thought back of his mind and focused his attention back on the blonde girl in front of him.
"Can I dig into these foods later?" the blonde girl turned to him with sparkling eyes.
"Sure thing, you may enjoy all of them," Austin replied.
"Thank you for your generosity, sir... um, what's your name, sir?" The blonde girl asked, a hint of embarrassment in her tone.
"Didn't Alysia tell you already?" Austin inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"Lady Alysia did, but I have a terrible memory, so I completely forgot," she admitted with a sheepish smile.
"Austin is the name."
She immediately put her witch hat down to her chest and performed a formal bow gesture, similar to the antics of medieval ladies from movies. "Pleased to meet you, Sir Austin. I'm Sonia, a member of the American Witch Sisterhood."
"American Witch Sisterhood? Is there by any chance you know Agatha too?" Austin asked thoughtfully.
"Absolutely! She's my senior sister, just a generation apart, so we're quite close," Sonia replied cheerfully.
"Generations?"
"Yes! In our organization, seniority is determined by generations. I'm the newest generation witch, also known as the seventh generation. Senior Sister Agatha belongs to the sixth generation." Sonia explained dutifully.
"I understand. I'll trouble you to check on my sister, then. I can't seem to wake her up. However, Alysia had mentioned that she's likely fine and she could have fallen into a deep sleep to better digest the energies she absorbed last night."
"Hold on. Your sister absorbed foreign energies? What type of energies are we talking about here? Can you provide me a brief explanation?" Sonia asked, slightly perplexed.
"My sister, Alysia, her servant, and I fought against Asmodeus's projection last night. While we emerged victorious, Asmodeus released all his energies from his cursed object into the city. So, my sister had no choice but to absorb them all... Was that really bad?" Austin noticed Sonia's face turning pale in fright.
"It's not just bad; it's incredibly dangerous! Sir, we're talking about Asmodeus, a demon considered one of the leaders of high-ranked demons! Summoning such a fearsome demon's projection requires a substantial amount of energy as part of the ritual. And you're telling me your sister absorbed all of it?" Sonia looked utterly astonished.
"But my sister was fine from night to dawn. We were chatting, laughing, and even... ahem, engaging in some intense workouts," Austin reacted.
Sonia's mouth hung open, looking like it could fit a couple of eggs inside. After a short pause, she responded, "That's really a wonder. Let me see your sister."
Austin led Sonia to the bed, where Satella lay. Earlier, he had thoughtfully dressed Satella in a comfortable robe, ensuring she wasn't completely naked.
To his surprise, Sonia deviated from the typical routine of doctors conducting thorough examinations. There was no pulse checking, and she maintained a noticeable distance from Satella.
Rather than actively assessing Satella's physical state, Sonia chose to stand silently beside the bed. Her gaze was intense and focused as if she could discern Satella's well-being through observation alone.
After some time, Sonia snapped out of her contemplative state and shared her findings with amazement flashing through her eyes.
"This is unbelievable. Despite containing such a significant amount of foreign energies, your sister's body actually managed to hold on and even tame them! Since they came from a cursed object, they were supposed to be wild and ferocious, but in your sister's body, they were like obedient children."
"So, that means there's nothing wrong with my sister, right?" Austin asked.
"Yes. Lady Alysia's guess was on point. I reckon your sister is likely going to awaken in about four to five hours."
"That's good to know. But how do you figure all of this out?" Austin heaved a huge sigh of relief.
"I possess spirit vision. It allows me to sense a person's condition by reading their aura," Sonia explained, gesturing toward her own grey eyes.
"What an incredible ability." Austin nodded and motioned toward the food. "Feel free to start enjoying them."
"Thank you, Sir!"
He observed with amusement as Sonia eagerly approached the table, took a seat, and began devouring the food as if she hadn't eaten in days.
"Aren't you a witch? Why are you acting like you haven't had a meal in days?"
"Well, I actually haven't eaten for two days!" Sonia raised two fingers, her mouth completely stuffed with food.
"And why's that?" Austin asked with puzzlement. Even a beggar could manage two meals a day nowadays.
"It's a bit of a long story, would you be willing to hear it?" Sonia asked, her eyes brightening.
"I'm sorry, but I'm off to college now," Austin declined, but quickly added, seeing her disappointed expression, "Just keep the story short."
"Alright, fair enough. Long story short, I got stranded on a deserted island with no food around for two days. It happened because I took the wrong direction and ran out of mana. I only arrived this morning, but my teacher immediately scolded me, and Lady Alysia did too. Before I could even grab a decent meal, she gave me another task, which was to come here," Sonia explained with a pitiful tone.
"Horrible memory. Awful sense of direction. This girl seems utterly unreliable!" Austin mused inwardly.
With a slight twitch of his mouth, he generously said, "Is that enough food for you? Why not order some more?"
"Can I?"
"Of course. Order whatever you like." Austin casually tossed the menu her way.
Sonia's eyes widened with gratitude, and she clasped her hands together, letting out an exaggerated gasp.
"Oh, Sir Austin! You're a lifesaver, a true hero in my hour of hunger! I'll forever be indebted to your generosity!"
Austin casually waved his hand and said, "I don't need you indebted to me. I just need you to keep an eye on my sister until she wakes up. Is that okay with you?"
"You can count on me, Sir Austin! I'm still a bit teleport-lagged and could use some rest. This works out perfectly; I can keep an eye on your sister while getting the rest I need," Sonia assured, patting her chest confidently.
...
After receiving assurance from Sonia, Austin left the hotel and hailed a taxi to reach his college.
Twenty minutes later, he finally arrived on campus.
As he exited the taxi, he sighed with a twinge of emotion when he looked at the familiar scene. "After what everything happened yesterday, I almost forgot that I'm still a college student."
As Austin was lost in thought, a few students around him couldn't resist glancing in his direction.
More precisely, at his appearance.
Austin's clothes were the same as yesterday, with numerous tears and tatters.
He chose to turn a blind eye to this and headed in the direction of his dormitory calmly.
A little while later, his phone began to ring.
As he glanced at the caller's name, a shiver ran down his spine. Calming himself, he answered the call. "Hey, Mom?"
"Is that naughty girl with you?" Austin's mom, Catherine, inquired promptly.
"What are you talking about, Mom?"
"Quit pretending. I've known from the start that your sister never went to her friend's house. Instead, she booked a plane ticket to come see you," Catherine stated sharply.
"Wait, you knew the whole time?" Austin asked in surprise. His sister had been so proud, thinking she had successfully deceived their mom. If she learned that their mom never fell for her trick, wouldn't she be disappointed?
"That's a given. Do you honestly believe any of you could escape my watchful eyes? I've lived longer than both of you combined and experienced more than you can imagine!" Catherine declared with a touch of pride before adding hesitantly, "Wait, that's not right. That phrase makes me sound like an old woman. Ahem! Anyway, where's that girl right now?"
"She's sleeping, Mom," Austin responded calmly, already used to her mother's weird antics.
"Sleeping? Is she right beside you?" Catherine's pitch took several notes higher.
"No, I'm heading to my college now. She's... well, she's resting in the hotel I booked." Austin struggled with his reply.
"A hotel? What kind of hotel did you go for? Is it one of those cheap hotels?" Catherine inquired.
"No, it's the four-star one."
"Four-star? Where did you get the money for that?" Catherine said in shock.
"Didn't I mention I sometimes take on part-time jobs? I've saved up some money from them."
"Ah... then where have you been staying these past few days?"
"In my dormitory, of course!" Austin lied without batting an eye.
"Are you being honest?"
"Yes."
"Don't lie to me. I know that when a long-distance relationship couple reunites, they usually cocoon themselves inside their nest and only emerge after unleashing all their burning passion!" Catherine stated.
"What exactly are you trying to say, Mom?" Austin had a headache trying to understand his mom's cryptic talk.
"Do you take me for a fool? Do you think I don't know about the kind of relationship you two have been hiding from me?" Catherine dropped the bomb.
"Pfft! Wh-what?" Austin choked on his saliva as his throat tightened suddenly out of nervousness. Guilt crept over him.
"See, your reaction tells me all I need to know," Catherine smirked.
"What reaction? I was just shocked by your strange phrase," Austin reasoned.
"Heh. Still lying to me? I've lived longer than both of you combined and experienced more than you can imagine!"
"Mom, you've said that twice."
"My main point is, it's pointless to lie to me. So, have you popped a cherry?"
"Mom!" Austin was embarrassed. Why would she suddenly ask such an indecent question?
"You don't get it? Then, how about this: Have you reached the fourth base with Satella?" Catherine continues to talk.
"Mom, why are you talking about your daughter like that?"
"Hmph! You're the one to talk! So how does it go? Did you wear a rubber while doing it? I know Satella is beautiful, and you're at a phase where desire is at its peak. After being separated for a few months and getting reunited, it's undeniable that you two won't be able to hold back your longing for each other and might start to lose control. But don't forget about protection," Catherine advised sternly.
"Mom! H-how long have you known about us?" Austin decided to come clean and asked guiltily.
"I've known about the relationship between the two of you from the start. When you two were being quite loud, did you really expect me not to be aware of it?" Catherine said with a matter-of-fact tone.
Austin recalled the things he had done with Satella years ago. Because they were quite inexperienced, they did it without reservation, thinking a piece of wall was enough to silence the noises they made.
"Lucky for you, I actually like the idea of you two being in a romantic relationship." Catherine suddenly said.
"Huh?" One moment, his mother sounds wanting to scold or berate him, but the next moment, she unexpectedly declares her support. Did something hit his mother's head just now?
"I couldn't stand the thought of my lovely daughter marrying into someone else's family and leaving ours. If the two of you got married, wouldn't everything remain the same? The two of you aren't blood-related either, so there shouldn't be a problem." Catherine stated thoughtfully.
"Did you just approve of our relationship, Mom?" Austin asked in shock after digesting her words. He never believed he would earn his mother's approval this easily. He thought he'd need to go through a lot of difficult trials and challenges just to convince her.
"You're an adult, so you should understand the consequences of your actions. Alright, I'm going to hang up; my class is about to start. And don't tell your sister about our conversation." Catherine warned.
"Alright, Mom,"
After he hung up, a surreal feeling washed over him.
'How did it never occur to me that Mom might know about us? She's usually so perceptive. It should have crossed my mind that she's aware of our relationship.'
'I'm so slow.'
...
As he approached his dormitory building, he discovered his two roommates engaged in a heated argument with a group of people.
Drawing nearer, he began to overhear their conversation.
"Austin's not around! How many times do I need to tell you?"
"You're his friend, and I don't trust you. Step aside, or I will have to resort to violence."
"I'll call the police if you dare to do that!"
Smirking to himself, Austin loudly announced. "I'm here!"