Chapter 26 - Florida Man Smokes a Carton of Cigarettes Daily to Become a Fire Mage
Robert's Office
Sierra stood in front of Robert, recounting everything she discovered about Felix. Robert squinted his eyes as he listened.
"Did I really misjudge him? I cast the appraisal spell on him many times, and there was no sign of mana circulation inside him. Are you sure you saw him using a mana breathing technique?"
Sierra calmly confirmed, "Yes. I sense fire mana coming from him. There is no mistake."
"A fire mage?" Robert was taken aback. "Is he from the Crimson Desert Empire?"
"The empire's people all have red skin, my lord. He's too light for a desert tribe's mage."
"…Then, how did he learn the fire-breathing method?" Robert stood up and paced in his office, unable to stop smiling. He smacked his forehead and clicked his tongue before his expression darkened.
"This is our loss. I should have paired him with Valley and absorbed the breathing method into our family! Wait, where is Jane? Call her over!"
Sierra lowered her head and left the room.
Minutes later, Sierra guided Jane to the office. Valley, who was close to Jane, followed her only bodyguard to see her father.
Entering the room, Valley hid behind Jane, trembling like a scaredy cat. Jane sighed deeply and bowed to the manor lord.
Robert bitterly smiled at Valley, who was still traumatized by recent events in Aero City. Looking at his daughter, he blamed himself for sending her to the academy there.
"We should have withdrawn from Aero City when we discovered the slave traders. This is my fault. I'm so sorry, Valley."
Valley lowered her head, avoiding eye contact. She clenched the hem of Jane's clothes and refused to speak.
Noticing the nervous girl's condition, Jane turned around and hugged the traumatized teenager. She looked at the lord and asked, "My lord, Lady Valley has developed a trauma. She always gets nauseous and has a stomach ache whenever she senses the presence of a wind mage."
"…Why is that?"
"The Turos are wind mages."
"…Oh."
Robert glanced at Sierra, who nodded and left the room. After the maid had left, Valley wept and hugged Jane. Looking at his daughter, Robert couldn't help but think of Bill Turo's face. If thoughts could kill, he would have murdered his rival a thousand times every day.
"Was she bullied at the school?" Robert asked.
"Not exactly. More like molested. Buck Turo once attempted to pull her into a private room to violate her. Young master Vane managed to rescue her. You know what happened next."
"Hmm. Yeah, those Turos…" Robert closed his eyes and nodded. He had read the reports from messengers and his father.
The relationship between the Turo House and the Lundop House had already reached the point of no return. It was only a matter of time before they officially declared war. As such, Robert needed every manpower he could get, even if the newly recruited personnel had dubious backgrounds.
"Jane."
"Yes, my lord?"
"I'm about to appoint a new honorary knight, and I want you to marry him."
Jane frowned and protested, "But I already have a lover."
"If your lover is Felix Ariel, you don't have to worry about it. You're going to marry him."
"REALLY?!" Jane widened her eyes, overjoyed. "When?!"
"Next week. I'll send a tailor to fix you a dress for the wedding ceremony. Also, I'll give you one last mission before I free you."
Jane had signed a magic contract with the Lundop House after Adam adopted her. In the contract, every house member could order her to do anything, including committing suicide if they wanted to. However, only Roland and Robert could void the magic contract and free her.
Currently, Jane was serving as Valley's bodyguard and only friend per Roland's instruction after they had successfully solicited Felix. However, Robert was about to reassign her a new task and void her previous order.
"Starting from today onward, I want you to support Felix Ariel as his wife and keep him working in Terra City for the next 10 years."
The magic employment contract between Robert and Felix was five years long. However, Robert wasn't satisfied with the limited scope - he wanted Felix to serve the Lundop House forever. Jane could also read his intention. and inwardly cursed Robert.
'Greedy bastard. He doesn't tell me when he will release me. This order will bind me with him for 10 years, and I can't leave or abandon the Lundop House. Ah, I wish Robert Lundop could just die tomorrow or something.'
Although Jane was frustrated, she had no choice but to accept the task. "I understand."
"And," Robert raised his finger, "if possible, get pregnant. If you have a baby, Felix Ariel can't go anywhere."
Jane frowned deeply. Unable to take it anymore, she boldly asked for the release condition, "What about my freedom, my lord?"
Suddenly, Valley tugged Jane's clothes and started sobbing, "D-Don't leave."
Jane shut her eyes and smacked her forehead. As Valley's only caretaker, she couldn't afford to abandon Valley even though the latter was already considered an adult. Since Jane didn't fully trust Robert, she couldn't tell if he would sell her off to a random old noble one day.
Turning around, Jane hugged Valley. "I'm not going anywhere."
Valley stopped crying, but her shoulders still trembled. Looking at Valley's condition, Jane didn't know what to think. She hated Robert, but she respected Adam, Mary, and Roland. Valley was also a little sister she couldn't abandon.
'Fuck my life,' Jane inwardly lamented, wishing for a miracle.
…
At 8 PM, Jane watched over Valley, who slept soundly in her bed. Upon making sure that the emotional teenager let go of her hand, Jane got out of bed and gazed at the sky through the balcony glass doors.
Two moons shone brightly in the dark sky, one bigger than the other. The larger moon had a gray surface and large asteroid craters, visible to the naked eye. The smaller moon strangely reflected sunlight, revealing its purple rays.
The locals called the purple moon "The Cursed Moon." Whenever it appeared together with the bright moon and two other moons, legends said that great disaster would fall upon the land.
Jane snorted at the purple moon as she didn't believe in the legends. She turned and exited Valley's chamber, sneaking out to relieve her stress. Her destination was none other than Felix's bedroom.
Sneaking into Felix's room, she noticed that the lights were on. However, the balcony doors were wide open, inviting some night mosquitoes inside. Felix was also standing on the balcony, puffing white smoke. Strangely, he wore a thick long winter coat that Jane had never seen before.
The room's temperature was oddly warmer than usual. As Jane sneaked closer to Felix, she slowly sensed unusual heat coming from his body.
Felix emitted a warm temperature like heated water in water bags during winter. Moreover, the smoke that followed the wind into the room felt like arid air from boiled water.
Jane found it amusing. She stood at the center of the bedroom, observing him in silence. Upon looking, she noticed a large mosquito flying from the garden and entering the room, bracing through the gray smoke. However, a second later, the pest turned red and fell as if burnt alive. On the ground, a hundred insects, mosquitoes, and bugs met the same fate.
Jane crouched and tried to pick up one of the mosquitoes. However, it crumbled into black powder.
"!?"
Something was not right about Felix today. Jane stopped being mischievous and retreated to the front door. Silently, she opened it and left the room.
*CREAK*
Hearing the creaking noise, Felix turned around, showing five cigarettes in his mouth and two in his nostrils. The gas mask goggles were so foggy that they concealed his bloodshot eyes. Puffing smoke and inhaling it nonstop, Felix spoke with his dry throat.
"Oh, you're back." Felix smiled. The other Felix also raised its head, pointing at her and indicating his mood.
Jane was taken aback by Felix's silly appearance. She slipped out of the room and silently closed the door. Then, she gave him a piece of bad news.
"My lord, can you break up with me?"
Felix raised his eyebrows, surprised. "Excuse me?"
"I may behave like a harlot, but I have standards. You're exceptionally ugly today, my lord."
"…"