Incest/Taboo Magic, Love, Family

Author's note: This is a fictional story and all the characters engaging in any sexual activities are over the age of 18 years.

First time readers: I would advise you to read the previous parts.

Past readers: This is a slow burner, primarily focusing on world-building and defining story elements which play a major role in the upcoming parts.

There is also a glossary and maps page. Do take a look.

Edit 1: DevlinCarnate

Edit 2: alalu

A special thanks to alalu for being such a great, helpful person. You've been wonderful.

Character Introductions:

Gelodesh: Northernmost kingdom of the continent.

Ostorth: Capital of Gelodesh.

Ryhor: Smallest of the three cities of Gelodesh.

Samantha Tygrine: Ruler of the kingdom of Gelodesh.

Suzanne Tygrine: Twin sister of Samantha Tygrine. Marshal of Gelodesh Kingdom.

Miranda Tygrine: Eldest daughter of Suzanne Tygrine. Water Element Awakened.

Rose Tygrine: Younger twin of Miranda Tygrine. Fire Element Awakened.

Lily Tygrine: Daughter of Samantha Tygrine. Earth Element Awakened.

Raymond Tygrine: Younger twin of Lily Tygrine.

Shania Mosel: Lover of Raymond.

Ingrid Beltran: Royalty from the neighboring kingdom of Beltran. Friend of Suzanne's.

Theodore Henry: Chief of the Ryhor Branch of Henry Trading Association, the biggest trading association in the continent.

Raymond dragged himself out of his bed. Early morning rays streamed in through the large window in his room.

There's no use in thinking about it anymore. Aunt Suzy will be here in a few hours. I should get my training in before she arrives...

Troubled by the indifferent behavior of Miranda, Raymond had little-to-no sleep the previous night. He felt exhausted and drained of energy. He regretted his actions of the day before but couldn't think up a proper way to rectify his mistake. He just wanted things to go back to the way they were before... before he kissed Miranda.

"So impulsive... sigh..."

He lazily donned his usual training gear of light, leather armor, arm guards, and leather boots. Satisfied with his preparations, he glanced in the mirror at the corner of the room; his skin looked pale, dark circles colored underneath his eyes with purple and black tints. His short, dark hair was unkempt. He quickly combed through his hair and put on the cloak over his muscular shoulders. His six-foot tall frame was well hidden under the cloak. He picked up the broadsword that he kept by his bedside and left the house.

It was a quick ride on his horse to the northern outskirts of the city. On his way, Raymond passed by the guards on patrol of the city. A few of the shops were open, preparing for the day ahead.

Many young warriors walked towards the northern gate. Raymond guessed they were doing the same as him, getting in their early training before the day starts. Most people in the city, whether a man or woman, had some proficiency with weapons. But less than one in twenty of the populations were awakened individuals.

This number was actually unprecedented in the continent. Though Gelodesh was a kingdom rooted in military origins, it still could not justify the large number of awakened in the population. The average number of awakened individuals in any of the large empires in the continent amounted barely one in forty, well below the average of Gelodesh.

The kingdom-wide policy of compulsory magic training for individuals below the age of 21yrs, as well as the unique geography, played a major role in inflating this number. Nonetheless, the percentage of awakened warriors/individuals was unusual.

"Fucking cold!" Raymond grunted gazing at the white scenery in the distance.

Gelodesh was situated to the northern edge of the continent. To its north lied the cold, snow covered forests. The Northern Forest, as it was called, received heavy snowfall every winter and remained blanketed almost the whole year. As one went deeper into the forest, the number of prime beasts increased exponentially.

The Army base situated inside the forest reported several sightings of prime beasts during the summer. The hunt traditionally took place in summer, which was carried out to clear out these beasts that had wandered out from the depths.

Raymond mused about his cousin and sister. "I wonder how deep Rose and Lily went..." His tone was of intense longing. The path to the depths of the forest, visible out of the gates, reminded of the things he had missed.

The Northern Forests was largely an unknown factor in the continent's history. Before Gelodesh was established as a kingdom, no one had explored it, and the farthest expedition had only probed some tens of miles into the depths, stopping at a large lake, known as Badafloat.

When Raymond reached the gates, a number of people, who were just about to go out of the city, had lined up for inspection. It was done so that the city council could keep track of the nearby tribes' people coming inside the city.

Raymond rode to the front of the line where the guards on duty quickly let him pass through. He noticed that many of the guards were training their formations. A number of army captains were present as well, overseeing the drill.

Must be in preparation for my aunt's arrival.

"Good Morning, Sir Raymond," someone shouted in greeting towards him.

Raymond stopped his horse at hearing a somewhat familiar voice. He turned around to find a young man, not much older than himself, walking towards him at a brisk pace. The man had a powerful aura about him, typical of an awakened individual.

However, Raymond wasn't the least bit intimidated, and although he couldn't accurately tell the level of the man, he was sure his cousins were far stronger.

"Morning, Captain Fjord. What a pleasant surprise to meet you here!"

"It's always a pleasure to meet you, Sir Raymond," the captain replied curtly.

"What's this "Sir" business!? You have awakened your attribute now, so there's no need to address me as such." Captain Fjord only smiled politely to Raymond's remark.

Raymond shook his head, "Well, do as you please," he said distantly. "Is this all in preparation for my aunt's arrival?" Raymond asked, gesturing to the ongoing drill.

"Yes, sir. The marshal is set to arrive in a few hours, and we want to show her that the Ryhor base is not slacking off," Captain Fjord replied in a proud manner.

"How is the hunt going?"

"It is going very well. Lady Rose and Lady Lily have been a commanding presence. The morale of soldiers is always high when they are around."

"Good... good ..." Raymond muttered, a look of longing covering his face. He turned and rode off without saying anything more.

Captain Fjord sighed in sympathy towards Raymond's predicament. He could still remember a few years back when he wasn't an awakened individual, just an ordinary guard. He would watch Raymond reverently, occasionally greeting him when he was placed on duty for inspection. Raymond had always been polite to him, a little impatient to get going for his daily training but polite regardless.

What a pity!

Captain Fjord shook his head and rejoined his ranks in overlooking the training drill.

Raymond was lost in his thoughts as he slowly rode through the road going north towards the forest. It would take him a bit of time to reach his base, as he liked to call it, at the rate he was going.

He felt troubled by the apathetic response of Miranda towards their kiss. He had wanted so much to apologize, but in the end, he chose not to do so. Miranda had seemed distant, and he couldn't work up the courage to talk to her. All of the elaborate plans he made during the walk from Shania's place to his home were ruined when she told him about his aunt's arrival.

After recovering from the initial shock of the news, he chickened out. During dinner, he had again tried to speak with Miranda; however, he got unnerved by the disappointed look on her face as he broached the topic.

As if all this was not enough, he was forbidden to go out and meet Shania. He was sure Miranda was punishing him for his actions, and he was beyond himself with worry. He felt tortured by Miranda's sudden coldness and couldn't catch a wink of sleep.

This is so fucked up. I should not have kissed her. She's never been this... she didn't even say a word. This is so...

"I hope she comes back to normal in a few days, otherwise... otherwise, I won't know what to do," Raymond muttered dispiritedly, as he interrupted his own thoughts.

For as long as Raymond could remember, Miranda was the one who spoiled him the most. She was never angry with him, never fought with him, even as children. He could deal with the violent and moody Rose. He was used to the aloofness of Lily. But he had a hard time dealing with this behavior of Miranda, even if just for a day.

It had always been the four of them together, earlier when they lived in Ostorth with his mother and then later when they moved to Ryhor.

It was almost a year after the three of them had awakened in the same week that they moved to Ryhor. So much had changed during that one year. Rose, who upon awakening her fire element, instantly became popular with the army officials. She started spending much of her time in the army headquarters, making Raymond jealous of her attribute and her newfound popularity among the warriors.

Lily, who was already the quietest of the bunch, became even more withdrawn. Most of her time would be spent on her magic training or reading through the records. Though she still made time for Raymond, it was not the same. Unlike Rose and Miranda, their twin cousins, Raymond and Lily were always close and used to do things together. Suzanne even used to joke about how Raymond and Lily were the only actual twins in the family.

However, Miranda had never changed; she remained the same kind, loving, caring cousin. She would give him pointers on his training, bring him some snacks, or just drag him to the markets to accompany her. Being royalty, much of their life was restricted. Their interactions with kids their own age were also limited. Miranda was his beacon of light through all the dark and lonely times in the royal capital.

After they first came to Ryhor, Rose reveled in the spotlight of being a rare fire element warrior. Rose, who was the wild child of the family, enjoyed the freedom of being away from the eyes of her mother and aunt. In contrast, Miranda had taken responsibility for the four of them.

It had been very difficult at first, living alone without any assistance from servants. Their traditional training called for them to be absolutely independent. It was odd in a sense, for the royalty of a kingdom to learn to do those things, but it was undebatable and non-negotiable for all the awakened warriors to partake in it. Raymond was affected the most since he was the youngest and had yet to awaken his attribute. He loathed this "tradition" of leaving the palace, living alone after one awakened their attribute.

It was during that time that Raymond realized how much Miranda cared about him. She would be on a constant lookout to make sure he was alright, that his training was not compromised, and that he was adjusting well. Sometimes that came at the expense of her own training, which prompted Rose to chide Raymond for being "such a baby".

Clang...

Raymond was pulled back to the present by the sound of metal clashing.

"Huh. What's this!? A prime beast?! This far out?!" Raymond quickly rode towards the source of the sound.

A few warriors were trying to bring down a beast which looked much like a bear.

"Oh! Only a magical beast," Raymond sighed in relief.

Clang...

"Phew! What a scare!" he remarked and wiped the sweat off his brows. He observed the party trying to kill the beast. They worked well as a team. Three of them carried swords, while one particularly large man carried an axe. From the auras they were releasing, Raymond could tell there weren't any awakened ones among them. He remained seated on his horse, a good distance away so as to not distract their teamwork.

"Looks like they'll be fine. Some prime beast must have driven it out here. Four warriors against a single, Razor-Clawed Bear is definitely overkill..." Raymond muttered. He took his leave from the scene without alerting the party of his presence.

The Razor-Clawed Bear was a common magical beast in the Northern Forests. It had very sharp claws and considerable vitality. Though Raymond was confident in his ability to kill a Razor-Clawed Bear single-handedly, if he ever encountered its mutated counterpart, the Violet Horned Bear, his best option would be to flee from it... at least until he had awakened.

Prime beasts and magical beasts were worlds apart in strength. A single prime beast could easily overpower a small herd of magical beasts. Any party hunting for a prime beast must have more than a couple awakened beings in their ranks, else they could all be easily wiped out.

During the summertime, many prime beasts came out towards the outer parts of Northern Forests, pushing hordes of magical beasts to flee further outside and towards the city.

"I have to be careful; Lily mentioned something about unusual activity from beasts..."

People in Gelodesh earned most of their money by hunting these magical and prime beasts. The kingdom was scarce in natural resources and lacked significant agricultural lands. Magical beasts, though small in number, could easily take care of most of their needs. They were, of course, hunted for meat, but they also provided material for weapon processing, leather and hide for armor and, in some very rare cases, for obtaining magic stones harvested from the beast's corpse.

Summer was the ideal time to hunt and stock reserves. Though warriors could still hunt magical beasts in other seasons, it became difficult and the risks increased steeply. The Northern Forest was the only place to hunt for them, and it was very dangerous to go in when the snow had yet to melt. It was extremely hard to fight and sustain in that environment even for an awakened warrior, and a few of the magical beasts would become incomparably strong during that time.

The kingdom allowed for hunting, and the material obtained was owned by the party or individual. The tax was also nominal in regard. The beasts hunted by the kingdom were traded for the supplies needed, and the necessities thus obtained were rationed to the commoners. Typically, the army hunted only the prime beasts, leaving the magical beasts for the common people.

Raymond felt motivated after watching that scene of a few warriors hunting a magical beast. He sped up his steed and quickly reached his base.

"I have a good feeling today!" He dismounted and tied the horse to a nearby tree and went inside. The base, as he liked to call it, was nothing more than a cave he had carved out on a small hill.

The cave was a comparatively long one and provided him with a peaceful environment. He had already filled it with a futon and a blanket in preparation for a rainy day. He sat down in a comfortable, cross-legged position.

"Alright, let's try one more time to form the connection; maybe I will get lucky and awaken my attribute." Raymond psyched himself; for him, this was his daily ritual before he attempted to awaken.

Awakening, as it was known, entailed using the mana present in the atmosphere to give a shock to the mana pool. When successful, a half-awakened warrior, such as Raymond, would be able to evolve their mana pool and awaken their attribute.

Raymond circulated all his mana to his mana circuit. "Easy..."

Mana control, the ability to circulate mana, was the fundamental block for undergoing an evolution of the mana pool. As without sufficient proficiency in it, the process of awakening could backfire and blow up the body of the half-awakened warrior.

"Easy..." His mana was flowing vigorously and sweat covered his skin. He breathed deeply and slowly made contact with nature's mana. "Easy..." Just when it seemed like the mana present around him, nature's mana, would invade his body and fry his mana circuits, he channeled all his own mana back inside the mana pool.

"Fuck!" He screamed and fell down.

It was a resounding failure. The impact brought about by the sudden contact was not sufficient, and he couldn't use it to evolve the nature of his mana pool. "Fuck! So painful!"

"Why! Why do I always fail?!" Raymond had sufficient confidence in his ability to manipulate and control mana inside his body, but he was baffled by his continued failure to awaken. He exercised precise control for each of his attempts but still came up short. "I easily progressed from a magic warrior to a half-awakened warrior, so why am I stuck on the easier step?!"

A human became a magic warrior after he was able to manipulate the mana inside his body. The number of them wasn't small, and they made up the majority of numbers in any kingdom's army. The next step for a magic warrior was to become able to interact with nature's mana. A very large portion of them could never do it, could never reach that step to become half-awakened warriors.

"Arggh! So frustrating!" Raymond was infuriated as he waited for his mana to recover. He had been proud, proud of his achievement to be so accomplished in mana control. Though Lily was miles ahead of him in that regard, he could disregard it as a freakish case. However, he felt like a complete failure, unable to reach that next step. His heart felt heavy and sad as he inspected the condition of his mana pool. "Just fucking evolve already!"

Evolving the mana pool was the necessary step to cross the divide between a half-awakened warrior and an awakened warrior. The first thing required for evolving was to have a jam-packed mana pool. After that, the individual must have an apt level of mana control. It was essential because without it the individual wouldn't be able to fully circulate their mana through their entire mana network.

"I am convinced the problem is not with my mana circuits, so I don't understand why the fuck I still can't awaken!!" Raymond punched at the wall until his hands felt numb.

Circulation of mana and then aiming for the split second that the entirety of it interacted with nature's mana was what he needed to do to evolve his mana pool and awaken his attribute. However, he kept failing again and again.

"Fuck! I can't give up!" The pain from the earlier try had passed away. The impact on his mana pool had also stabilized. He thought about happy memories, such as awakening the fire attribute, to cheer himself up for another try. "Okay... Okay... I can do it!"

Attribute and evolution of the mana pool were closely linked. The instant when the entire mana of a half-awakened came in contact with the nature's mana, they had to promptly circulate it back to their mana pool, lest a mishap occurred.

That moment, that split second, was when the attribute of an individual was decided, and they would become an awakened. Because of this mutation of mana inside the mana pool, it would undergo an evolution. Although the chance to awaken an attribute different from one's clan members was small, it wasn't unheard of.

"I can't be the only one left behind... no way, dammit!" There was a feeling of desperation inside Raymond, even as he tried to calm his mind. "Definitely, I will do it too! I'll also awaken!"

A half-awakened and a magic warrior didn't have a lot of difference in strength; however, it was completely opposite in the case of an awakened. And that was where the desperation stemmed from for Raymond. The feeling of being powerless and inferior drove him to unrest.

"Fire! Fire! Fire!" He constantly murmured to himself, as if doing that would somehow help him succeed this time around. "I will..."

The difference between an awakened warrior and a half-awakened warrior was more than just having an attribute to their magic. A half-awakened could partially channel their mana outside their bodies and both can use body strengthening magic, along with the magic warriors, but once an individual awakened their attribute, they could completely manifest their mana outside of their bodies to use it in a physical form.

Raymond's heart was still a bit chaotic due to his anxiousness. To calm himself, he thought about the only person whose memory could always bring a smile to his face: Miranda. He thought about her azure hair and her beautiful eyes, the image of her kind face was enough to cheer him up. "Miranda..." he sighed.

Raymond mused as he steadied himself for another try, "I don't know how she did it...!"

It was a well-known fact that the bigger the size of the mana pool, the harder it was to make it undergo evolution. Raymond, who had a considerably large mana pool, paled in comparison to Rose and Miranda, both of whom had an absurd amount of mana. Lily, who was the prodigy of the family, made up for it with her techniques and efficiency.

"Ready!" He shut his eyes and breathed out heavily. Fully composed and concentrated, he circulated his mana. "Let's do it!"

"FUCK!!!"

This time, too, it resulted in failure. Raymond cursed in frustration. He lay twitching on the futon, gradually recovering from the pain of the impact to his mana pool. His mana, which was going crazy inside him, was turbulent, due to the aggressiveness of nature's mana, and all the attributes mixed in it. He felt drained and weak, as one did whenever they tried to use the entirety of their reserve mana. It would always leave them with some repercussions. That was also one of the reasons why awakening was such a dangerous process.

After a lot of time passed, he finally felt ready to try again. He lightly slapped his cheeks and took a deep breath. "Alright, final try. This time it has to work!" He bullishly remarked.

"Go!" Raymond forcefully circulated his mana, and then... he blacked out.

"Still a failure," Raymond mumbled after he regained consciousness. "At least there was no weird dream like yesterday..." He was still shaken by the dream he had the previous day and the creepy lady in it who looked eerily similar to his mother.

He rose from the futon and picked up his cloak to wrap it around himself. He thought about giving it one more try but gave up in fear of doing permanent damage to his mana pool.

Leaving the cave, he looked up at the mid-morning sun. A cold breeze blew through the forest, prompting him to pull the cloak tighter. "Fire element! If I awaken my attribute as the fire element one, it would be best! Won't have to deal with this fucking cold all the time..."

Raymond was lost in imagination before he realized he was close to being late. "Uggh. It's time to get back. Won't do me any good if I'm late for Aunt Suzy." He mounted his horse and made his return towards Ryhor.

There were a good number of people gathered outside the eastern gate of Ryhor. Army troops and city guards had lined up in their respective formations by the roadside. This road connected Ryhor to the other border city of Gelodesh: Purvoth. Marshal Suzanne Tygrine, who was about to arrive at Ryhor, spent most of her time in Purvoth.

For the longest time, there were only two cities in Gelodesh, The royal capital of Ostorth and the border city of Purvoth. Gelodesh shared its border with only two other kingdoms, Beltran to the east and Gervaland to the south. Though the three kingdoms had formed an alliance now, Ostorth in the south and Purvoth on the east were strategically located, well equipped to deal with any potential threats.

"Uhm..." Raymond cleared his throat as he clumsily stood beside Miranda. Just behind the cousins were the members of the Ryhor City Council, and further behind them were the major figures of the city, like the nobility and surrounding tribes' heads. Off to the other side of the road, army soldiers and city guards waited patiently. The four council members, excluding Miranda, were engaged in a discussion in hushed voices.

All the patriarchs and matriarchs of noble families in Ryhor were in attendance. Raymond looked around impatiently to take note of who was present. He smiled at the familiar faces of the council members. There were the Erickson sisters, Ronald Smith and, finally, Thomas Wilson. Representatives from all the trade associations were present, including Theodore Henry, who was the head of Henry Trade Association's Ryhor Branch.

Lena Erickson and Brenna Erickson were matriarchs of the Erickson Family, one of the more prominent noble families, evident by the fact that both of the council seats reserved for local families were occupied by them for the current term. The two sisters were initially commoners and led normal lives, until Lena, the elder of the two, awakened the wind element. She quickly rose through the ranks at the Ryhor army base.

This was not an unusual sight in Gelodesh. Many of the nobles of Ryhor did not have a storied past, historical presence, like the "real" nobles from the continent. But the whole city was shocked around three years later; Brenna awakened the much sought after fire element. Their fortunes quickly changed after that. Now retired from the army, together they had established the Erickson family as one of leading noble families in the whole of Gelodesh.

Ronald Smith and Thomas Wilson were appointed by the queen as the council members and did not originally come from Ryhor. Ronald Smith was from humble origins, but Thomas belonged to the famous Wilson family of Ostorth. The Wilsons had been loyal retainers of the royal family for many generations and held many of the important administrative positions.

"Miranda..." Raymond thought this was a good opportunity to gauge Miranda's present mood. He was sure, even if she wanted to ignore him or punish him, she would have to be civil while she stood in front of the city. Being the Council President, she had to welcome Lady Suzanne Tygrine, Marshal of Gelodesh, with every bit of respect one would otherwise reserve only for the queen herself. But all his hopes were dashed when Miranda only gave him a cursory glance before ignoring him altogether.

Dejected, he surveyed the audience around him and couldn't help but doubt the real intentions of the many gathered here to welcome his aunt.

Sure, she is coming here after a long time... but this is too much, he thought about the beautiful figure of his aunt. Putting on all this façade just to catch a glimpse of her, huh? With revulsion, he cursed at them in his heart.

A luxurious carriage drawn by horses, flanked by riders to the front and back, slowly came into view. The audience quieted down at its sight. All discussions ceased, and all focus turned to the approaching riders. A lot of the men hurriedly brushed their hair and tidied their clothes. Raymond, chief among them, asked Miranda in a low voice, "There's nothing wrong with how I look, right?" Unnerved by her glare, he could only brood in silence.

The gleaming metal carriage and its escorts came to a stop. The riders dismounted their horses and lined up at attention to the side. All eyes focused on the wooden door of the carriage. A fair arm extended out of the door and pushed it open.

A tall woman climbed down from the carriage. Her silver mantle fluttered in the gentle breeze. She lazily fixed her thin, golden headband to rein in her blowing, long, light purple hair. The enchanted, silver, flexible armor-vest was a snug fit over her body. Her breasts threatened to spill out from under her full-sleeved silk blouse. The black skirt barely reached down to her knees, giving a glimpse of her blemish-free skin. Her long legs were covered in knee-high stockings, complete with leg greaves and leather boots.

Mesmerized by the sheer beauty and aura radiating from his aunt, he firmly believed that she was the sexiest creature in the world. There was a certain aura around her, her every action and gesture oozed of sexuality. But behind the casual and teasing attitude lay immeasurable power waiting to be unleashed. Arguably, the strongest person in the kingdom, she was a well-respected and feared individual, even in the surrounding kingdoms.

Suzanne slowly raised her hand, adorned by the silver arm guards, and motioned for the army and city guards to disperse. She commanded the scene with ease, her almost casual manner was unlike any other army marshal. Raymond was rooted to the spot when she turned towards him and smiled her teasing smile, as only she could. Raymond was lost in her deep blue eyes, unaware she had arrived right in front of him.

"Pretty?" Suzanne asked, leaning forward and gazing into Raymond's eyes.

"Very." Raymond could only absentmindedly nod and mumble in response.

Suzanne squealed. "Oh. You, Sweetie! You sweet, sweet boy. Come here!" She pulled him tight into her embrace. Raymond was jolted awake by the frivolous behavior of his aunt. He blushed in embarrassment, ashamed at his goofiness. Feeling the beginning of arousal, he squirmed in horror, and struggled to get out of the hug, sighing in relief when she finally let go.

Miranda, who stood beside them, clenched her fists. No one noticed her as she mumbled something to herself, all the while glaring at her mother and her bumbling cousin.

"Miranda! Oh! My beautiful daughter, you are looking wonderful." Suzanne lightly hugged Miranda and quickly let go, as she regained her former demeanor of a war veteran.

"Welcome to Ryhor, Mother." Miranda greeted her mother without an overt passion in her voice.

The Erickson sisters, at their first meeting with the marshal in their capacities as council members, nervously welcomed Suzanne, along with the rest of the council. Suzanne lightly nodded in acknowledgment and moved towards the anxious noblemen. Once all of them had completed their round of light greetings and welcomes, Suzanne said a few words of encouragement and congratulated them for the progress shown in Ryhor.

Suzanne glanced at the crowd of merchants. She started when she saw Theodore Henry was also among the crowd of merchants.

"What a surprise! I'm honored by the presence of Henry Trade Association, coming to welcome a mere marshal of a small kingdom such as ourselves." Suzanne's tone was dry and unenthusiastic.

Theodore smiled jovially. "Indeed, it is. The Henry Trade Association is honored by this opportunity. We don't dare doubt the strength of the Tygrine Family." He continued in the same even tone, "We are humbled to be allowed to be present to welcome the mighty marshal."

Suzanne stared at him intensely for a brief moment before she looked away. She waved her hand and called for a horse to be brought to her. She glanced at Raymond before she rode off on the horse towards the city gate. "Let's go, Sweetie!"

Raymond was confused at the weird exchange between his aunt and Theodore Henry. He was also impressed by the fact that Theodore maintained a jovial smile throughout the conversation. It was seldom people didn't get flustered while talking to Suzanne. Most people, overwhelmed by her powerful aura and her beauty, would either stare too long or look anywhere but at her. He raised his eyebrows at Miranda to ask if she had any idea but was again rebuffed.

OH. MY. GOD. SHE IS DRIVING ME INSANE.

Raymond could only shout out in his heart in frustration. He was on the verge of tears because of the extraordinary levels of guilt he felt, as well as, for being ignored to such an extent.

Miranda sighed, "Come. We'll talk later," and then signaled for him to follow behind her.

Theodore, who watched the exchange between the two cousins, smiled mysteriously. "Interesting. Maybe there's some truth to the rumors after all," he mused to himself as he departed for the city as well.

Suzanne was silently contemplating the strange actions of Theodore Henry, in no mood to appreciate the new décor of her daughters' house. When she saw Raymond and Miranda walking in, she leapt in joy and embraced Raymond in a tight hug.

"Sweetie, did you miss me?"

"Of course I missed you. How can I not miss my aunt? My only aunt. I will be a madman if I don't miss my most beautiful and radiant Aunt Suzy," Raymond replied in an exaggerated fashion.

Suzanne did a quick twirl, showing off her voluptuous body. She had already taken off her armor and greaves. Dressed in a simple silk blouse and skirt, with her legs covered in high stockings, her curves were on full display. Raymond was entranced by the sight.

"Say, Sweetie, how do I look?"

"Like a goddess descended to the mortal realm." Raymond seemed prepared this time. He didn't make a fool of himself like he had done previously. "Like a swan flying across the moonlit sky," he added exaggeratedly.

"Oh, Sweetie. You flirt." Suzanne squealed in joy. "You know, it's not right for a nephew to flirt with his aunt like this," she teased.

"It's also not right for an aunt this beautiful to tease her nephew," Raymond smirked.

"You are just incorrigible." Suzanne lightly swatted his shoulder, enjoying their exchange.

Miranda, pushed to the background, left the room after she declared in an angry voice, "I'll be back with some snacks."

Suzanne glanced at Miranda's back, then back to Raymond and asked, "Sweetie, is something wrong with Miranda?" Raymond did a poor job of hiding his discomfort. A look of realization came upon Suzanne's face after she watched him noncommittally shrug his shoulders. "Oh. Maybe..." she continued, her voice growing confident, "No. It must be that."

Raymond had an unbelievable look on his face like he was panicked about a secret being revealed. He, almost inaudibly, asked, "What is it?"

Suzanne seated herself beside him and stared into his eyes, "I came here as soon as I heard..." Her voice turned grave as she resumed. "A war has started." She paused for effect. Satisfied with the almost soulless look on Raymond's face, she continued, "Kyrgstan has declared war on Zekovia. We have to make our own preparation. This could either be a huge opportunity or a huge disaster," she added in an equally somber tone.

Miranda, back with a tray of snacks, sat down on the opposite sofa to the both of them. She was skeptical of this news. "Mother, are you sure it isn't the other way around?" she asked in apprehension.

"I'm sure. That is, in fact, the most intriguing part." Suzanne glanced at her daughter with a meaningful look. Then both of them were lost in thought.

Raymond heaved a huge sigh of relief. Whew, that was scary. I knew Miranda wouldn't tell anybody. Anyway, it doesn't matter. I will make it right tonight! I will beg for forgiveness, then we shall see if she doesn't allow me back in. Raymond, lost in his own fantasies, missed the conversation about the war. When he saw the serious, frowning faces of Miranda and Suzanne, he was taken aback. What happened? What did I miss? No longer able to bear the heavy atmosphere, he lightly joked, "It doesn't matter to us. They are far apart from our kingdom."

Suzanne questioned, shock apparent in her voice, "Sweetie, do you seriously believe that?"

"What? Don't tell me we are affected?" Raymond was sure his aunt was being playful, as usual. But he was confused by the shocked look on her face. He turned to Miranda for an explanation who just smiled drably at him, clearly in no mood to explain anything to him. Losing conviction in his own words, he cleared his throat. "Will someone please tell me if I'm missing something here?" Raymond nearly yelled out.

Suzanne apologized with her gaze. "Miranda will explain it to you later." She then proceeded to check his progress in evolution of his mana pool by placing her palms on the front and back of his chest.

"I don't understand, how you are still stuck at half-awakened state... Why are you still unable to awaken?" Suzanne seemed baffled by what she found. "There's no damage or problems with your mana pool, so why?" She paused before adding, "In fact, you should've already been able to awaken your attribute..."

She stared into his slightly fearful eyes and informed him of her decision. "Well, since it has come to this, we can't wait any longer... we will use that method..."

While Raymond's face turned aghast, his aunt continued, "In truth, that's the main reason I came here, even before going to Ostorth."

"Can't we wait? I think I'm really close," he pleaded.

"With the situation in the continent changing suddenly, we can't wait for one more year till you are 22. When will Rose and Lily get here?" Suzanne concluded in somewhat of a sorry tone and asked Miranda when Raymond gave her the pitiful eyes.

"What? Rose will do it?!" Raymond shouted out loud and jumped from his seat. He was beyond scared by the fact that Rose would be the one he would have to fight to accomplish that method. Not Rose! She will kill me! This will be her chance. I HAVE to get out of this, somehow. He pleaded with his aunt, "Miranda can do it." Suzanne only shook her head in denial.

Well, maybe it's better if Miranda doesn't do it. With her current mood, she may actually kill me.

Raymond whined, "But it doesn't even work in most cases. Everybody would be using it if it worked". He made one last attempt to change his aunt's mind.

"Though it doesn't work for most people, it will work for you. You can control your mana better than many of the awakened warriors, and you have yet to even awaken your attribute... I'm sure it will work." Suzanne continued, "Where is Rose-"

"MOM, why didn't you tell me you were coming?" An annoyed voice interrupted Suzanne.

Rose barged in the room, Lily in tow, and headed straight for her mother. She stood in front of her mother, her hands on her hips.

Suzanne laughed and hugged her in response. "Oh, you big baby. I would've told you if I had the time." The joyful mother also pulled in the silent Lily to make it a group hug. "Say, how was your hunt?"

"It was good. The number of prime beasts has grown since last time, but they were no match for Lily and me," Rose replied in an excited tone. "Listen, there was this one-"

"Wait," Suzanne interrupted before Rose could launch into her story, "I have important news." She gestured for all of them to take their seats, "Kyrgstan declared war on Zekovia."

"What?" There was a combined gasp from Lily and Rose. "Are you sure?" Lily spoke her first words since entering the room.

Suzanne slowly nodded her head to that question, and as a result, a look of distress and agitation flashed through Lily's face.

Raymond, observing their reactions, was alarmed. WHAT? Them too!? Am I the only one who doesn't get it? Suddenly, his eyes bugged out. OH MY GOD. Am I the stupid one in the family? He intensely stared at Rose. Surely I can't be the stupid one, right?

"What's the big deal? Will somebody explain it to me?" All eyes turned to Raymond. But what hurt him the most was the disdainful gaze of his redheaded cousin.

Rose started laughing. "Does Little Ray-Ray not understand?"

Raymond was infuriated by the nickname. He wanted to retort, but he held himself back. You can't provoke her now. She doesn't know she will be the one fighting you. She will take out all her frustration in the fight if you provoke her now. He ground his teeth in silent fury and waited for the explanation patiently.​