Kapitel 13: Long Trip

"Tell me everything you've done in the past two weeks!"

Everything I've done in the past two weeks?

Everything was the same except I've been jerking off, using you as the material. But that clearly wasn't the answer you wanted to hear, right?

Lumien made a self-deprecating comment inwardly before recounting his usual routine, carefully leaving out anything that might earn him a slap or worse, a brutal beating.

"Well, basically, everything's the same," Lumien finished with a shrug, keeping his tone as calm as possible.

Azalea frowned, her brows knitting together. "That's strange. If everything you've been doing is the same, then why is your health improving all of a sudden? This has never happened before."

Lumien scratched the back of his head, trying to think of a way to ease her worries without drawing more attention to himself. "Yes, but isn't the fact that I'm healthier all that matters right now? Anyway, next week is my monthly check-up. When we see the physician, we can ask about the changes then. He'll probably have a better explanation."

Azalea hesitated, clearly still not satisfied with his answer, but she eventually nodded. "That's true. If anything's wrong, they'll notice it during the check-up."

She finally let out a small sigh, her tense expression softening as she dropped the subject.

The final boss stage had been cleared!

Lumien heaved a sigh of relief.

...

In the blink of an eye, the time for their departure had arrived. His family was now on their way to Duke Sauron's mansion. Several carriages had been arranged for the journey; two were designated for the family. Lumien's parents rode in one, while he and his sister shared another.

Lumien sat in the carriage, his chin resting on his hand as he gazed out the window. Beside him, his sister sat with her eyes closed, her breathing steady. However, Lumien knew she wasn't asleep. She was meditating.

[Author Note: The term "Mages" has been replaced. For a detailed explanation, please refer to the Auxiliary Chapter.]

He had long known that Azalea had become an Aspirant, a person who had successfully awakened a Mana Core. He still vividly remembered the incident when she first showed him her magic. In her excitement, she unknowingly stirred the flowing energy in his body, nearly killing him in the process.

Since then, she had never displayed her magic in front of him again. Still, she occasionally kept him updated on her progress.

For instance, as an Aspirant, the Mana Core was typically still in an unstable and developing state. However, Azalea had mentioned that she had long managed to stabilize her Mana Core. Now, she was simply waiting for the right opportunity to advance to the next stage.

If she succeeded in advancing, she would undoubtedly attract attention from numerous factions. After all, achieving the rank of Adept at the age of fifteen was a rare case. The norm for most was to reach that milestone around the age of twenty.

From the old records Lumien had read in Ofnir's family private library, he learned that, in the past, it was common for people to reach the rank of Adept at fifteen. However, that was because they awakened their Mana Cores at much younger ages. Unfortunately, this early awakening came with severe consequences.

Because these children were still in the midst of growing, the strain of an early Mana Core awakening often stunted their physical development and mental growth. In extreme cases, some were left permanently impaired, with their minds reduced to that of a child's.

Moreover, their early awakening robbed them of the opportunity to advance further. Their immature bodies couldn't handle the strain of higher-level Mana Cores, leaving them stuck at lower ranks for the rest of their lives.

Since then, the Churches and Kingdom have enforced a minimum age requirement of 12 years for anyone to awaken their Mana Core. This regulation was put in place to prevent the devastating consequences of premature awakenings.

As Lumien drifted into his thoughts, he noticed his sister stirring beside him. Glancing over, he saw that her eyes had opened, but something about them seemed different. Her crimson irises appeared darker, as if they were on the verge of being swallowed by complete darkness.

Caught off guard, Lumien hesitantly called out, "Sister?"

Azalea turned to him almost immediately. The moment her gaze locked onto his, Lumien felt his own shadow flicker unnaturally, as though it had come to life. A cold, crawling sensation spread across his skin, making goosebumps rise all over his body.

"What is it?" Azalea asked, quickly averting her gaze.

The chilling aura dissipated as swiftly as it had appeared, but Lumien couldn't shake the unease. "What's the matter with you?"

"It's nothing," Azalea replied curtly.

"No, it's definitely something." Lumien frowned and knocked on the carriage wall, signaling the driver to hold off on starting the journey. Turning back to his sister, he pressed, his voice unusually serious, "Are you having trouble controlling your mana?"

Azalea sighed, admitting. "Yes,"

Lumien's concern deepened. "How is that possible? Didn't you say you had already stabilized your Mana Core?"

Azalea hesitated before answering. "I did. But just now... I saw the opportunity."

"The opportunity for what?" Lumien asked, confused. Then, as her words sank in, his eyes widened in realization.

F*ck! I just told myself she'd be called a genius if she advanced soon, and now she's saying she saw the opportunity to advance?! What kind of timing is this? How is this scientific? No, that's not the correct word. What kind of sorcery is this?!

"You mean you saw the opportunity to advance to Adept just now?" Lumien asked with a surprise.

"Yes," Azalea replied with a simple nod.

"Then why did you stop? What happened?"

"It's not the right time," Azalea said, shaking her head slightly.

"Not the right time?" Lumien echoed, stunned. Then realization struck him. "Is it because of this trip? No way! I'll tell Father and Mother right now so you can stay behind."

As he made to stand, Azalea's hand pressed firmly but gently against his shoulder, forcing him back into his seat. Before he could react, she crawled onto his lap, her legs settling on either side of his, effectively pinning him down. Her arms wrapped loosely around his neck, and her crimson eyes locked onto his, now at an even level.

"Eh?! Sister, what are you doing?!" Lumien exclaimed, alarmed. He instinctively tried to back away, but her position left him with nowhere to go. His hands hovered awkwardly in the air as he leaned his head back to put some distance between their faces.

Azalea's lips curled into a sly smile. "I'm locking you here so you don't go running off to tell Father and Mother,"

Lumien raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Fine, fine! I won't tell them! So, can you get off me now?"

"No," Azalea replied without hesitation. "I don't trust you yet. I'll let you go after I'm sure you won't do anything reckless."

Lumien stared at her, utterly speechless.

Grinding his teeth in frustration, he asked, "So, how long is this supposed to take?"

Azalea's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Oh, let's say… a few hours of close observation. Maybe dozens. Who knows?" She tilted her head, clearly enjoying his exasperation. "Don't worry, I'll tell you when I'm done."

Before Lumien could retort, Azalea's expression softened as she sighed. "Alright, I'm going to sleep now. It's hard enough holding back the instinct to advance immediately," she murmured. Then, without further explanation, she nestled her head into the crook of his neck, her breath evening out as she quickly drifted off.

Lumien froze, his body rigid as he processed what had just happened. Damn it! If you can't control the urge, why didn't you just stay home?

He felt the urge to curse loudly but held back, knowing it would be inappropriate, especially with his sister fast asleep against him. He could tell by her steady breathing that she had truly drifted off. Disturbing her rest was out of the question, especially since she was battling the overwhelming desire to advance her rank.

Sighing quietly, Lumien leaned forward and knocked on the carriage wall, signaling the driver to resume their journey.

As the carriage started moving again, he adjusted his position carefully to avoid anything awkward pressing against his sister. The situation was already uncomfortable enough, and he didn't want to make it worse.

He silently repeated.

Namo Amitabha... Lust is merely an illusion... Women are nothing more than flesh and bones...