The visit wrapped up with us informing the king about the dagger and where Styrg could be found. After that, we spent a little time in light conversation, chatting about our plans for attending Andosa College.
Now, we're in the carriage heading west, back home.
"Well, that went pretty well, wouldn't you say?" I glance up at Victor.
"Yeah, I guess so," he replies, still looking a bit flustered. "Though... there's that whole engagement thing now."
I smirk. "It's not even official until we tell my parents. And anyway, it doesn't really change anything."
He nods. "Yeah, you're right. I just didn't expect this to be the way I'd finally stop being Victoria. It feels... strange."
"Too late now." I flash a devilish grin. "You're stuck with me—no more running away."
Victor chuckles. "I wouldn't dare."
We sit in comfortable silence for a moment before I break it. "Alright, enough playing around. I've been meaning to ask—you mentioned monsters get stronger with age. How old can they actually get?"
Victor's eyes light up, clearly enjoying the chance to explain. "No one really knows for sure. But the oldest monster on record lived over 50,000 years. It was a dragon, if I remember right."
"Fifty thousand years?" I gape at him. "How can anyone even track something that ancient?"
"It's all about the bond," he explains patiently. "When you bond with a monster, you exchange part of your soul with theirs. As monsters age, their souls change color, and with a bit of magic, we can tell their age range before bonding."
He pauses briefly, giving me a moment to absorb that, then continues. "Monsters between 0 and 99 years have a faint silver, almost translucent soul. From 100 to 999 years, their souls turn pale blue. At 1,000 to 9,999 years, it shifts to light purple. Anything over 10,000 years old has a black soul. And there are rumors of monsters even older than that, but nothing confirmed."
"And those colors correspond with their rank?" I ask.
He nods. "Yep. The stages are: Novice, Ascended, Master, and King or Queen."
"Is there anything stopping someone from bonding with a King-class monster right off the bat?" I ask, intrigued.
Victor shakes his head. "Aside from the fact that they're insanely rare, your body wouldn't be able to handle the power influx. You'd need to bond with a Master-class monster first to build up the strength for it."
I lean back, letting the information sink in. "So it's not just about finding the strongest monster—it's about working your way up to it."
"Exactly," Victor says, glancing at me with a small smile. "It's a process. But hey, with you being you, I doubt it'll take long."
I smirk, feeling excitement bubble inside me. "Well, it looks like I've got some serious hunting ahead of me."
"Yeah, and just so you know, bonding with powerful monsters can extend your lifespan a lot," Victor continued. "Some people end up living ridiculously long lives."
I sat up, curiosity piqued. "Mira?"
"Yes, young miss?" she replies, appearing effortlessly, as usual.
"How old were you when you bonded with my dad?" I ask.
"I was 9,800 years old when the Master bonded with me," she answers without hesitation.
I blink, stunned. "And how old are you now?"
"10,300," Mira says, as if it's the most normal thing in the world.
I stare at Victor, trying to process this. "Wait… My dad is 500 years old. What the fuck?"
Victor smirks, clearly amused. "I told you—people get old."
The cabin falls silent after that, Mira slipping back to the front. With nothing else to do, I snuggle up to Victor, and we both settle in for a nap, the soft rhythm of the carriage rocking us into sleep as we head home.
~~~~
"Wake up. Lyra, wake up." I hear Victor's voice faintly as my eyes flutter open.
"WAKE UP!"
"Wha—?!" My eyes snap open, heart racing as I scramble to figure out where I am.
"Finally," Vic sighs, relieved. "I thought you were going to sleep through the entire ride home."
"Are we there?" I ask groggily, wiping the drool from my cheek with the back of my hand.
"Yeah, we're pulling in now," he says with a small smile.
The sun is setting over the horizon, casting a warm orange glow across the castle's towering spires and the surrounding courtyard, giving everything a picturesque, dreamlike quality. As the carriage comes to a halt in front of the grand entrance, we push open the door and step out onto the cobblestone driveway.
Mother and Father are already waiting, standing at the top of the courtyard stairs, apparently notified of our arrival.
"Well, well," Father calls out with a grin. "Looks like someone brought home an extra passenger—and it seems like he's finally ditched the dress."
"Shut up, old man," I grumble, rolling my eyes.
Father feigns offense. "Old man? I'll have you know I'm still in my prime!" He narrows his eyes. "Where's all this coming from?"
Victor smirks. "Lyra just learned exactly how old people can get... specifically, how old you are."
"Wait—Morgana's—"
"Finish that sentence," Mother cuts in with a dangerous look, "and I'll kill you."
Clearing his throat, Father quickly pivots to safer ground. "Anyway... Victor, what brings you back so soon?"
"Well," I start, glancing at Victor, "we got the approval to attend Andosa together... but he also kinda got banished from the royal family."
"Technically," Victor adds with a sly smile, "it was 'Victoria' who got banished. Not me."
Mother crosses her arms, her gaze sharp. "So you're just Victor now? No title, no estate—nothing?"
"Not exactly," he says, keeping some things unsaid.
Mother's eyes narrow. "Lyra, explain. Now."
I take a deep breath. "Well... meet my husband-to-be and the newest member of House Valor."
The courtyard falls into absolute silence. Even the birds seem to stop singing for a moment. Father's mouth drops open, and his eyes widen as if he's about to pass out from shock. Mother, ever composed, raises a single eyebrow in response.
"Uh… you guys mad?" I ask cautiously, glancing between them.
Father breaks the silence with a booming laugh. "Mad? Ahh, my little girl's all grown up—bringing home a husband the moment she turns adult! Isn't this wonderful, dear?" He beams, practically vibrating with excitement.
Mother's response is more measured. "It's... something." She narrows her eyes slightly at me. "Lyra, isn't this a bit sudden?"
I shrug. "The Queen suggested it for Victor's protection, and I didn't see a reason to argue, so I agreed."
Mother hums thoughtfully. "I understand. Well then, Victor, welcome to the family. I know you're strong, but don't get complacent. House Valor doesn't tolerate weakness."
"Yes, ma'am," Victor responds with determination.
"Call me Mother. You're family now."
He clears his throat, slightly flustered. "Yes… M-Mother."
"And you can call me Father," Dad chimes in cheerfully. "Who'd have thought we'd gain such a wonderful son so soon?"
With that, the introductions—mercifully—draw to a close. I've been through enough Victor-related reveals to last a lifetime: first when he stopped being Victoria, then when we uncovered his reincarnation, and now with the announcement of our engagement. Honestly, that's more than enough drama for one life.
After the formalities, we sit down to have dinner as a family. Over the meal, Victor and I take turns recounting our time in the capital, describing the beauty of the city's architecture and sharing stories about an eccentric dwarf we met while wandering the streets.
Then, of course, we couldn't resist telling them about my duel with the King—and how I came out on top.
Mother beams with pride when she hears the story, as expected. She's just like me: always looking for a challenging fight. However, she can't resist scolding me for throwing away both my weapons mid-battle. "Reckless," she says, echoing the King's critique.
I grin, giving the same answer I did to him. "I still had my fists, didn't I?" That earns me a rare chuckle from her.
Eventually, Dad steers the conversation toward practical matters. "We've got a week and a half before the new term at Andosa begins. How do you two want to handle getting there?"
"I vote teleport!" I blurt out eagerly, wondering what it feels like to cross the entire country in an instant.
"I second that," Vic adds. "I'd like to see if I can advance my magic before we go."
"Good, sounds like a plan." Dad nods. "I'll teleport you two days before the entrance exams so you'll have time to explore the city and settle in."
"Oh, about those exams…" Mother begins with a mischievous grin. "I called in a favor. You'll both be enrolled as advanced students, and you'll take your exams privately—one day ahead of the public tests."
Vic tilts his head. "Wait, who'd you call in a favor from? Not even the royal family gets special treatment."
She smirks knowingly. "You'll find out soon enough. And no, they won't go easy on you."
"Mother," I interject, "can we train before we leave? I have some questions about the sword."
"Of course, dear." She smiles warmly.
With that settled, Vic and I now have our game plans for the days leading up to college. I need to learn more about aura—something it seems everyone else understands but me. Vic, on the other hand, wants to push his magic to the sixth circle before we leave.
I also need to figure out which type of monster to bond with after the exams. My biggest weakness right now is speed, and while my greatsword is powerful, it's not exactly fast. I need a monster that's both strong and quick.
Then there's the question of elemental affinity. Monsters with wind or lightning traits would boost my speed, but not all monsters come with specific affinities.
And, of course, there's the matter of age. I want a monster with some power behind it, but not one so old that its soul could overwhelm me.
So many things to think about… It's making my brain hurt.