After Loren’s father arrived things got a bit awkward for a split of a second, especially for Daimon since Vereth couldn’t hide the worried expression he had every time he looked at him.
But he also looked at his daughter smiling and chatting with Mireya and Calvin as they put the dishes on the table, and ultimately sighed, ignoring the five Half Emperors who could kill him on the spot he spoke what was on his mind.
“Some generations ago, my ancestor trusted the wrong person and my family paid the price, I know that none of the people here were alive back when it happened… or at least were not in a position to do anything about it”.
“But still, it’s a hard to swallow pill to get a call from my only daughter to be asked to trust the destiny of my family, to people she met not too long ago”.
Solomon who was drinking from his barrel turned around to see Vereth, back then when the Lefay family was set up and stripped from their records and spells, he was a kid, that’s right the only survivor from those times is actually him.
“Lefay kid, did you know I had ten brothers and was considered the weakest and less talented out of them, my dad once told me I would achieve nothing in my life and would die as a loser”.
“And now 92,000 years later, I was the only one that survived, took the control of my family and reformed it”.
“You said it yourself, back then even if I were to have any goodwill to your family, I had to way to help you, but that’s an error I’m correcting today, if I can bet all what I constructed in my life, in the monster little Erin and little Aura raised, then you can do the same”.
“Besides… we’ll be family sooner or later Hahaha!”.
Mireya who was surprised to hear her father saying something serious, suddenly felt the urge to choke him, with her own hands.
“Can’t you act according to your position, you old drunkard… where are you going to find other girl who can tolerate Calvin”, she mumbled as she helped Loren who’s face was completely red, sit down.
Forgetting about their statuses, even the other Half Emperors laughed, including Leena who most of the times had a stern expression.
Vereth, couldn’t help but change his vision of them, he knew the full story of how his family fell in disgrace, but this situation which was developing in front of him was completely different.
‘No one is looking down on anyone, nor trying to get the leader position or taking advantage of the others, how could this happen in a matter of days’, he thought.
Thousands of years of “business bonds” only and indifference were left behind, just because of the black-haired youth which was sitting a few meters away from him.
“Licht young master, my daughter means to me more than my own life, she trusts you, so I’m the same, my Lefay family will fight for you”.
Daimon cleared his throat, that pledge sounded as if Vereth was handing his daughter to him, but that wasn’t the case.
“Ahem, this is the contract that everyone has signed, once you are in, there is no going back”.
Vereth took the contract and after reading it, he was dumbfounded, unlike what he expected it wasn’t a master-servant contract, it was an alliance.
“To give a family with very few Archmages and low battle prowess in general, the same standing as everyone… you sure are quite different to the rumors”, said Vereth as he signed it with his blood officially becoming a part of the group.
Daimon chuckled, according the rumors he was blood thirsty maniac who tricked women and attacked anyone who didn’t align with his interests.
‘That reminds me, that I still haven’t asked those two how is Alexander’s “affair” going’, thought Daimon.
Now that her father signed the contract, Loren extended her index finger and white light gathered on its tip forming small marble sized ball of light, unlike the thunder arrow used by Aisha, she couldn’t throw it so instead she pushed it into a cup and burned a hole through it.
Vereth’s mouth was wide open as she blabbed.
“O-Offensive type light spell, where did you get it… why didn’t you tell me?”.
Loren scratched the back of her head as she stole a gaze at Daimon, Vereth got the message and was more than grateful, for the first time since they were betrayed, a star ranked member of the young generation had a spell to defend and it was a strong one on top of that.
Now that Loren’s problem was solved, the breakfast started and everyone dug in, as always, the food prepared by Calvin was quite nice.
“Mm?”, while Daimon was munching on a muffin, he got a message on his sigil lector, the sigil was a blue heart with a crown on top of it, which drew Erin and Aura’s attention.
“I got what you asked, open the door”, the message was pretty straightforward, this time Daimon stood up and opened the door, revealing that Lydia was outside.
Although she was offered to join them, she had to return to her academy so after handing Daimon and large coffer and receiving a bottle and a small case, she left not without saying.
“You got some guts, destroying Arthur’s pride like that in front of everyone, stealing from Lars and Maxim right in their faces… be careful of their disciples inside the magic ruin”.
Daimon accepted her warning and nodded in exchange.
“The list of participants will be announced later, just tell vice principal Stella the name of the guys from your academy, she’ll take them into account”.
Lydia became a light blue flash which shot itself towards the sky, before Daimon closed the door.
He opened the coffer and took out a case made out of red glass as well as well as two bottles, one containing a black liquid while the other had a purple dust inside of it.
Daimon handed Leslie the red case, as for the bottles one was for Yvonne and the last one was actually for Haylee.
Of course, they didn’t resist the urge to see the contents of their respective things and opened the containers.
“Sun Lily”.
“Water from the Nightmare Pond”.
“Purple Death Powder”.
The Half Emperors listed the names of the things, since the girls didn’t know some of them, needless to say but they were surprised, those three things were treasures from other academies led by Magus Kings, maybe weaker than Lydia but still able to stall Half Emperors.
“Lydia wanted for some reason stalactite milk and a piece of the thunder nimbus vine, so I made a deal with her, and she convinced those other stubborn guys to “share” some of their treasures with us”.
Yvonne and Leslie had slightly troubled expressions, but their mothers were smiling from ear to ear.
The Risha sisters seemed to have something to say but they were stopped by Daimon speaking first.
“We’ll discuss about it later, for now I need to ask you all something… have you ever killed before?”.
A slightly awkward silence fell in the room, but Daimon didn’t like to beat around the bush, that question was specially directed to Leena, Dana was the youngest and the weakest, meaning that if she hesitated to attack an enemy, she will die, no matter if he gave her protection items from the system.
She wasn’t a soulmate so there was a limit as to how much he could do for her and the same applied to the others, that’s why he shared the resources he got from Lars with them, even going as far as to trade with other academies with Lydia’s help, it was all with the intention that they had a better chance of survival, in Loren’s case it was impossible to find a light treasure in the White Fang galaxy, that’s why he handed her that spell instead.
Some of them actually nodded, Aleah, Arianna, Michael, Calvin and to Daimon’s surprise Leslie.
“Normally I wouldn’t meddle in other people’s teachings, but those who haven’t, must get used to the thought or preferably “practice”, before we go to the magic ruin on Monday”.
Of course, everyone didn’t know what to say, killing might be common in this world but that doesn’t mean people is indifferent towards it, or at least those who are in this room aren’t like that, even Zein whose tittle involves the word “assassin”, raised an eyebrow, because he tried to keep his granddaughter’s hands clean until she was an adult at least.
“You all saw what I did to Alexander, I’ll be honest with you, no one below the seventh- or eighth-star rank, either mage or knight is a life danger threat for me and yet I have a bad premonition about that place”.
The key point here was that a mage lord was allowed to go with them, as long as the badge bearer solved whatever test they had to, so it made sense that even someone as monstrous as Daimon was concerned about his classmates.
The adults ultimately nodded, in peaceful times mages were as good as scientists and theorists, but in war times, they were ultimately warriors too, so this lesson was bound to happen sooner or later.
Everyone was lost in his thoughts as they continued with their meals, Leena soon approached Daimon with a smiling expression on her face.
“I still want a piece of the thunder nimbus vine, in exchange I offer a bottle of one thousand years old Meteor Iron Essence, directly gotten from the principal of the Lancaster academy”.
Daimon’s eyes sparkled, that was the resource which escaped his hands, the one he wanted for Aisha, it was similar to the stalactite milk but for metal affinity mages after all.
“Deal”, said Daimon as he handed Leena the thunder nimbus vine, which will probably be pushing Dana to the one-star mage realm during this weekend.
Leena smiled and then excused herself with her niece and nephew, and they weren’t the only ones, Zein and Vereth did the same not too long after, leaving a slightly depressed Calvin who now had nothing else to do but to go upstairs and refine the stalactite milk, surprisingly Solomon followed him, meaning he will be training him too.
The only ones left were Aleah, Arianna, the Risha sisters and mothers as well as Daimon and the girls and Richard who was now giving Daimon a weird gaze.
Again, Daimon went straight to the point.
“You three have been acting weird since the tournament, so I guess it has something to do with that, am I right?”.
Despite they playing each with the treasures Daimon handed them, the three sisters answered at the same time.
“Yes”.
But then their mothers took over, or more accurately Anya and Veronica designated Irina to speak in behalf the three.
“How much do you know about the Risha family?”, she asked, making Daimon frown.
After making memory, besides the fact that they were related to bird type magic beasts, the Risha family seemed to be involved in some serious matters, despite them not having a Half Emperor, Richard for example was the instructor of the field marshal, there was also the thing about the light faction trying to get Yvonne and the others to marry their young generation.
“Not too much, besides what’s public of course”.
Irina nodded; it was supposed to be like that after all, she then pointed at herself as well as to Anya and Veronica before saying.
“Our branches descend from a legendary beast, which give us a big boost in battle prowess, but also takes a toll in our emotions, so we need to find a “center” to keep us in check… or this happens”.
As soon as Irina finished speaking, the three of them used something similar to what Yvonne and the others used at their matches, resulting in they manifesting wings, but they were different.
Veronica’s fire wings dimmed from time to time, also the flames weren’t bright like Leslie’s, in Irina’s case the black mist feathers fell from time to time creating holes on them, last but not least Anya, the light blue crystal-like parts who should act as the base of the wings were all full of cracks.
Their wings were pretty but at the same time evoked sadness.