"I still don't think this is a good idea, my love." said Bryce to his wife as they helped Evelyn enter the carriage that would take them to the Leonardo Mausoleum.
"I know, but she kept insisting! And I actually agree with her reasoning. It would do her health good if she goes outside and breath fresh air after being stuck in her room for years. We can't keep locking her inside!"
"Alright! But we'll have to make this pilgrimage a quick one. No rest or stopping by along the trip. Just straight to the mausoleum and back!" insisted Bryce.
"Of course, my love..."
Hannah then joined Evelyn on the carriage while Bryce rode his horse.
Giselle, Evelyn's maid, was also in the carriage with the mother and the daughter.
Escorted by 20 knights serving the Leonardo family with Bryce as their leader, the carriage set off to the mausoleum.
They left the walls of the Leonardo Estate, onto the cobbled streets of the quaint Guardia town, and then to the dirt path that led to the depth of the open forest beyond.
Inside the carriage, Hannah fidgeted on her seat due to dread.
The Leonardo family head could not help but feel worry about the danger that may lurked around them considering what happened the last time they brought Evelyn with them on the pilgrimage.
Evelyn on the other hand was ecstatic. She sat on her seat fidgeting, but because of excitement, not dread. A bright smile was practically carved on her face.
"You must be pretty excited to go out again, my lady!" said Giselle to Evelyn.
"You're right, Giselle. But to be more precise, I'm excited to visit the mausoleum we're going to for this pilgrimage."
"That you are, my lady! You've been quite restless for the last few days because you were so eager to go on this trip."
Evelyn looked to her agitated mother. Not because of worry, but because of an indulgence.
"Mother, can I ask you something?"
"What is it, darling?"
Evelyn pointed to the suitcase above them that contained the Leonardo Grimoire.
"Could I be the one who chanted the good fortune spell in this pilgrimage?"
Hannah raised her eyebrows upon hearing her daughter.
"You wanted to do the chanting?" confirmed Hannah.
"Yes! The tradition only requires a member of the Leonardo family to chant the spell. It doesn't dictate that the family head should be the one who did it. Am I wrong?"
"No, you're right! But have you memorized the spell? If I knew you wanted to do the chanting, I would've brought the spell's phonetic guide so you could just read it aloud." said Hannah.
Evelyn shook her head.
"No need, mother. I've memorized the spell. I learned it secretly for the past few days as I heard you practice in your room."
Hannah frowned. She was not convinced her daughter managed to learn the long spell just from that method.
"I'm not sure, darling. You do know that we need to be back to the estate quickly. We have no time for you to stumble with the chanting and having to redo it several times."
Evelyn smiled at her mother's worry and proceeded to chant the good fortune spell flawlessly. The performance brought great surprise to Hannah.
"That's incredible!" said Hannah. "You memorized that long spell in just a few days! And the way you pronounced the words was so proper and fluent too! It sounded better than even your great grandmother's chant."
"Remarkable, my lady!" added Giselle with a huge smile.
"So, can I do the chanting, mother?" asked Evelyn again.
Having been shown such perfect chant, Hannah could not help but to nod and smile.
"Of course you can, darling!"
The Leonardo convoy then arrived at the mausoleum. It was around noon by the time they got there.
The Leonardo Mausoleum was located on a small hill in the middle of the forest while surrounded by knee-high old brick fence.
The mausoleum itself stretched underground like a dungeon, with the tomb of the Leonardo first family head located in the greatest depth.
Evelyn, Hannah, and Bryce disembarked from their ride, opened the mausoleum's gate, and began making their way toward the lowest level with the Leonardo Grimoire in their hands.
The knights and Giselle stayed outside as the tradition only entails the Leonardo family to enter the structure.
Even though it was the Leonardo Mausoleum, Bryce held up his sword as they journeyed to the lowest level.
"You don't think this place is safe, father?" asked Evelyn.
"It's better safe than sorry, my daughter."
"Your father's right. Although the mausoleum was found sealed when we arrived, but something still could've slipped in." added Hannah.
She then summoned an old magic staff to her right hand out of thin air. "We need to be prepared."
Evelyn nodded in approval to her parents' cautiousness.
"(That's the right attitude to have. One can never know when a demon will strike from the shadow.)"
Evelyn threw her glance around the mausoleum's interior. Inspecting the surroundings.
"(That being said, I've surveyed the entire mausoleum with my senses and I'm certain there's no demon in here.)"
She looked back to her cautious parents.
"(We're definitely safe, but I don't have to tell that to them. Let them keep their guard up, it's a good attitude to have considering what's waiting for this world in the years to come.)"
As they walked down to the lowest level, Evelyn observed the magic staff on Hannah's hand.
It was made of an old tree bark, with the wood coiling around from the base to the top of the staff. A golden magic crystal sat on the top, where the wood coiled around it, holding the crystal in place.
"You never told me that you have a magic staff, mother." said Evelyn.
"Oh? I guess we didn't cross a point where I had to bring it up." replied Hannah. "This is an heirloom of the Leonardo family. It is called Lucerna and it has been passed down from one family head to another."
"I see. So are you proficient with magic, mother?"
Hannah hesitated a bit before answering.
"…I've learned the basic."
Bryce chuckled upon hearing his wife which attracted Evelyn's attention.
"What's the matter, father?"
"Your mother is actually pretty gifted with magic, Evelyn." said Bryce. "If she weren't an only child and had an older sibling, or a sibling at all, your mother would have given up her baroness title and become an adventurer already."
"Really?!"
"That's not true!" denied Hannah.
"Don't lie, my love! When we were young, you told me that you would've become an adventurer had you have a sibling that could inherit the barony instead of you." said Bryce.
"Enough! Let's get to the lowest level quickly!" demanded the family head.
Evelyn chuckled at her parents' interaction.
"(What an interesting couple.)"