"What do we do now?" Aya asked me as she gazed at the gift I had bought.
"We just need to find an elven guard. They should be secretly watching over little Alex," I replied, shaking my head before noticing Aya's furrowed brow. "Are you upset with them?"
"No," she said with a sigh. "It's understandable that their attitude toward Alex changed once they discovered his true identity. But it just makes me sad to think about how he might've felt noticing that change."
"Let's not dwell on it. It's better to find someone who might know where he is," I said, reflecting on her words.
Not long after, Aya hurried back to where I was.
"I found out where Alex is staying," she said as she headed toward the vicinity of Xyrus Academy. I quickly followed her.
Fifteen minutes later, we arrived at a small area lush with shrubs and a few tall trees. Soon, we spotted a modest house, simple in its design and rudimentary in materials. It seemed to be made entirely of wood, with a thatched roof of straw.
We exchanged glances, both of us frowning. Then, cautiously, we walked up to the door and knocked.
Moments later, the door creaked open. Alex stepped out to greet us, and both Aya and I were stunned. Alex had changed so much since the last time we saw him. His height was nearly the same as ours—he didn't look like a twelve-year-old boy anymore; he could easily pass for fourteen or fifteen.
His facial features were sharper, more refined. His golden eyes gleamed with an unusual maturity, and on his forehead, the beautiful crescent moon still stood out, giving him a distinct air. He wore an elegant white suit adorned with golden accents, a soft stole draped over his left shoulder, and a stunning crystal crown rested upon his hair.
"Oh! It's been so long since I've seen you two," he said, clearly surprised by our visit. "Come in, come in. You might catch a cold if you stay outside," he added, taking both our hands and ushering us inside, snapping Aya and me out of our daze.
As I stepped in, I glanced around and immediately noticed how different the atmosphere was compared to the Helstea household. The place was starkly simple: just a plain table with four chairs, a small worn-out couch, and a tiny kitchen tucked into one corner. The house didn't feel warm or inviting. Instead, it felt cold—almost lonely.
POV Alex Eralith
"Sir, I sense two mana signatures from white-core mages approaching," said Diablo, his gaze fixed in a particular direction.
"Who would come all the way out here?" I wondered, puzzled. My curiosity was piqued—there weren't many white-core mages on the continent. "Could it be Aya and Alea?" Honestly, I couldn't think of anyone else who would come to visit me.
"Hide for now, and make sure they don't notice you," I instructed, and Diablo vanished instantly.
Knock, knock.
Hearing the sound of the door, I quickly adjusted my clothing before heading to open it. As soon as I did, my suspicions were confirmed—it was indeed them. Seeing them was a pleasant surprise since I hadn't had visitors in quite some time.
"Oh! It's been so long since I've seen you two," I said with a calm smile. However, I noticed they didn't respond immediately. Realizing the chilly air outside, I quickly took their hands and ushered them inside.
Moments later, once they were seated on the worn-out couch, I used fire magic to ignite the small fireplace before sitting down near them.
"What brings about the miracle of you two visiting me?" I asked with a smile. "Did you miss your future husband?"
"Pfft, while I'll admit you've grown quite a bit, you're still years and strength away from having any chance of chasing after us," Aya replied, her trademark grin flashing.
"Exactly. You wouldn't believe how many guys would love to be with stunning girls like us—especially lances like us," Alea added with a smirk.
For a moment, the room was silent before our laughter filled the space, lightening the atmosphere. I couldn't help but revel in this warm feeling. Talking with them had always been so comfortable.
"And here I thought you were finally going to confess to me," I said with mock pride and a sarcastic tone, "saving me from any future confessions from the girls at the academy."
"Speaking of that," Alea began, a knowing smile forming on her face. "I heard Princess Kathlyn invited you for tea. Looks like you're living up to what you said the last time we saw you in Elenoir, aren't you?" Aya chuckled beside her.
Cough. "That's… that's just her way of apologizing for her brother's behavior," I said, quickly making excuses before changing the subject. "But still, it's strange for you two to visit me after becoming lances. Did something happen?"
"It seems you've truly forgotten," Aya said, shaking her head in mock disappointment.
Then, both she and Alea placed two small, beautifully decorated bags on the table. Curious, I opened them both, and moments later, I was stunned by what I found.
Inside one of the bags, there was a small chocolate cake with the words "Happy Birthday" written on it. In the other, a small necklace, though simple, filled my heart with a warm feeling.
"Is it my birthday?" I asked, my voice faltering for a moment. I really hadn't remembered. A slight itch formed in my eyes, and I quickly controlled my emotions, preventing myself from showing a truly embarrassing side.
At my early twenties (counting both this life and the last), it felt a bit too embarrassing to cry upon receiving a gift, so I held back as much as I could.
I was happy, excited, not knowing how to express it.
"Thank you so much," I said softly, holding both gifts as if they were the greatest treasures in the world. "Could you help me put on the necklace?" I asked, looking at Alea, who simply smiled and nodded.
She took the necklace and fastened it around my neck. It was a delicate chain of white gold, fine and radiant. At the center, a single pendant gleamed subtly—a ruby, tear-shaped, with a beautiful golden, pearlescent hue.
Afterward, I turned my gaze toward the small chocolate cake in front of me. Using a spoon, I cut a piece and tasted it. It was delicious; although I had eaten many cakes in my past life, this one had a unique touch that made it more delicious than any other.
"Did you like it?" Aya asked, watching me taste it. "It's a new recipe from a small bakery in the city center. This recipe just came out, and when I tried it, I loved it."
"Alea has been telling me about it all day, so I guess it's true," Alea said. But before they could say anything else, their mouths were filled with a piece of cake.
"What do you think?" I asked, as I tasted another bite of the cake.
They, surprised for a moment, quickly chewed and savored the piece I had given them.
"Delicious," they both said.
Seeing them, I couldn't help but smile. Soon, the topic changed, and they told me about how they had been lately—their trips to some dungeons and aspects of their announcement as the new lances. They also thanked me because the grandfather had chosen them, saying that, according to him, I trusted them a lot and had recommended them.
At this, I couldn't help but reflect. Although I was confident that Alea and Aya would eventually be named Lances, I wondered if my presence had influenced this in some way. So, I decided to make sure.
Afterward, they asked me about my experiences as an adventurer. I told them about some of the missions I had completed and showed them my adventurer rank, though I only showed them my C-rank card, since I always kept the one I received upon leveling up hidden.
"Little Alex, what about the Leywin family...?" Alea asked, leaving the question hanging in the air. Her doubts were evident, so I could only sigh in response.
"Don't worry about that," I reassured them, shaking my head. "Their stance is understandable. If even the Helstea family treats me with such care, how could they not? It's normal for them to feel uneasy seeing me, but they're not bad people. They raised me when I was young, so I hold them in high regard. Besides, Arthur hasn't changed his attitude toward me, and little Eleonor sees me as her older brother. There's no issue, so don't worry."
Upon hearing my response, Alea and Aya exchanged glances, unsure of what to say. Seeing their reaction, I could only smile and quickly change the topic.
"Come on, I want to show you something," I said as I sat on the floor of the room. "Sit in front of me."
They, with some doubt, sat side by side in front of me as I'd asked.
"Give me your hands," I requested, extending mine toward them.
"Oh, are you trying to take advantage of your older sister?" Aya joked, making Alea laugh.
"I didn't think Miss Aya was so shy as to not want to hold my hands," I replied sarcastically.
"Who's shy?" Aya retorted as she placed her left palm on my left hand, while Alea did the same with her right hand on my right.
"Feel carefully the flow of mana through my body," I told them.
"You're just circulating mana normally," Alea said with some doubt. "What's so special about it?"
"Normally, it wouldn't be special," I replied, "but let me ask you, am I currently practicing?"
Upon hearing my question, both of them looked me up and down, as if processing the idea in their minds, until they finally exchanged another glance.
"You're drawing mana without practicing," Aya concluded.
"Exactly, and this is what I want to teach you," I said as I stood up gracefully. "This is called 'Mana Rotation.' In simple terms, it allows you to absorb surrounding mana automatically while moving or fighting, which will enhance your mana resistance and control during combat."
"Who taught you this?" Aya asked unconsciously, to which I simply smiled, keeping the secret.
"But, are you sure about teaching us?" Alea asked, a bit unsure.
"Of course. They are close to me, and I know this will be useful to them in the future, which makes me feel more at ease. Besides, it will help them grow stronger, even if not directly, at least in the long run," I said calmly. "Are you ready to learn?"
"Alright, what do we need to do?" Aya asked, showing great interest.
"To do this, I need you to cast a spell while I try to channel mana into your bodies until you can do it automatically," I explained, thinking of the best way to go about it. "Since both of you have white cores, you should be able to float. So try to levitate while I help you."
"Is that really possible?" Aya said skeptically.
"Don't worry, trust me," I replied confidently, then looked at both of them. "Who wants to try first?"
Alea was the first to want to give it a go. She was quite curious about mana rotation, so she sat in front of me and extended her hands. After I took them, she began to float while Aya observed intently.
"Remember to divide your focus into two different aspects: one to maintain the spell and another to absorb the mana from the environment," I reminded her.
She nodded seriously. A minute passed with no changes, then two, then three...
"Phew, sorry. This is harder than I thought," she said, sighing.
"Don't worry. I was able to learn this because I formed my core when I was very young and got used to doing this process early on," I explained, trying to keep her motivated. "But for someone with a white core, breaking that habit isn't easy."
Then it was Aya's turn, who had the same result, frowning when she finished.
The exchange process lasted for several hours, during which they both started dividing their focus into two different parts, although they still struggled to master it completely. However, little by little, they began to grasp the concept.
Finally, as the sun began to rise, both started to understand it slowly. They took short breaks to eat something, but neither wanted to stop or rest, feeling that they were close to success.
"What a strange sensation," Alea commented.
"Focus and try to remember this feeling," I said softly, noticing that she was getting it. She nodded and continued concentrating seriously. Meanwhile, Aya soon managed to reach that feeling and focused on it. Slowly, I helped them less so they could finish on their own.
Their levitation became unstable at times, but they quickly corrected themselves before focusing on maintaining balance. When this happened, they would return to being still, as if meditating, until finally, almost at sunset, they stopped.
"It seems like you can finally do it on your own," I said, quite impressed by their progress. "Although you haven't mastered it yet, in a few months, you'll be able to manage it by yourselves, since you now have a foundation."
"Thank you so much, little Alex. What would you like as a reward?" Aya said as she approached.
"It would be great if you could remove the 'little' from my name," I said, not falling for her game.
"How boring," she said, then looked at the night sky. "It's time for us to say goodbye. We'll have to leave again soon."
"Goodbye, Alex, we'll see each other soon," Alea said, bidding me farewell.
"See you, little one," Aya added with a smile. "Take care with certain princesses."
Seeing them leave, I couldn't help but feel a bit sad, but I understood that they must be quite busy at the moment. With the war looming, things must be quite hectic for them as spears.
"Damn," I muttered as I went back inside.
"Yes, my lord," Diablo responded, appearing behind me.
"How are Kumara and the other preparations?" I asked, sitting in my armchair.
"Kumara is absorbing the mana cores from some white-core beasts, preparing to advance to the next stage and try to fulfill his task as quickly as possible," Diablo said calmly, then smiled. "As for the rest..."
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Author's Notes: How have you been? You may wonder, where have I been? Well, in my case I wonder the same about you. Well, I have always found myself in the same place as always, except that now I have finished my university year and I have started working for the holidays.
Inspiration ran away for a while because I was so busy, but I don't want to leave this Fic either. Therefore, I will try to continue with the story and plot that I had planned and written, only that I will modify some things in the future. Also, perhaps the chapters will become a little shorter than before.
I hope you are having a great vacation, depending on your country.