Mav, not wanting anyone to catch him using his secret skills, stopped running once he was far enough that no one could spot him. He ducked behind the cover of the trees lining the road, waiting for the duration of his skills to end.

"Still 9 seconds left," he muttered, feeling a twinge of impatience. "If these skills last any longer, it's going to be a pain to wait them out."

A memory surfaced—Organos had mentioned during the testing of his Dark Ascension that he could manually end his skills early.

"Maybe I can apply that to the rest of my abilities," he thought aloud, focusing on the flames flickering around his body.

He concentrated, commanding the skills to deactivate. Instantly, the flames dissipated, the power receding as his senses returned to normal. The cool breeze brushed against his skin, sending a slight chill through him.

"Well, that worked," he said with a small grin, glancing at his status. The skills were now on cooldown. "But the cooldown's the same, even if I stop them early."

Shaking off the thought, he refocused on the current situation and started making his way back toward the village. After a few minutes of walking, he finally emerged from the woods, greeted by the full warmth of the sun on his face.

As he neared his home, his heart sank. In the front yard, his parents stood talking to someone, but they weren’t alone. A large carriage stood nearby, driven by a familiar figure—Voithos. Two knights in full armor flanked the carriage, and the village chief was present as well. The sight of the ornate carriage sent a shiver down his spine. It didn’t belong here, not in their humble village. It was as though royalty had invaded a forgotten corner of the world, shattering the peace with the cold gleam of their armor and pristine horses. The villagers, drawn by the strangeness, gathered like moths to a flame, their murmurs blending with the rustle of wind.

"Crap, this caused way more of a commotion than I thought."

Drawing closer, Mav finally caught sight of the person speaking to his parents. They had long green hair cascading down their back, tied with a yellow ribbon. His heart skipped a beat.

"No way… It couldn’t be."

As soon as Emily and Nacht spotted him, they called out in unison, “Mav!”

The sound of his name drew everyone’s attention, and dozens of eyes fell on him, increasing his anxiety. Finally, the green-haired figure turned, and his suspicion was confirmed.

Her long hair swayed gently as she stood, and as he approached, the golden gleam in her eyes and the delicate strands framing her pale face took his breath away, just like during their first encounter at the Bestowal Ceremony. The closer he got, the more he could see the grace with which she carried herself, a weight of authority far beyond her years. Her sharp, observant gaze seemed to notice everything, and even the light breeze appeared to move in her favor, lifting strands of her green hair as though in reverence.

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“Mav, I’m glad you’re finally here! We’ve been waiting for you for a while!” Emily’s voice snapped him out of his daze.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, he immediately knelt. "Your Highness Chloe," he said, bowing his head low.

"Are you Mav Rose?" Her voice was deeper than expected for a girl, cold yet measured.

"Yes, Your Highness," he replied.

"Stand up."

He obeyed, rising to his feet. Now standing face to face, Mav realized that she was nearly his height, which only made her piercing gaze more daunting. She studied him for a moment before speaking again.

"I remember you now. You’re the boy from the Bestowal Ceremony."

Mav blinked in surprise. "What? How do you remember someone like me?"

She gestured toward his hair. "Your silver hair. You were the only one there with that color."

Before he could respond, Emily chimed in with a proud grin. "Isn’t it striking? He got it from me!"

"Mom!" He groaned, his face flushing with embarrassment, while Emily chuckled.

Chloe cleared her throat, regaining their attention. "You probably know why we’re here?"

"Yes, Your Highness. It’s about the reward, right?"

"Correct."

"But... why come all the way here? You could’ve just sent your knights. I didn’t expect you to use up your valuable time to visit our village."

Her expression softened, if only slightly. "I wanted to thank you in person for what you did for my sister. Besides, she was insistent on coming herself."

"Adelfi!" she called toward the carriage.

The door creaked open, revealing a small girl in a delicate blue dress. Her golden hair sparkled in the sunlight, and a tiara perched on her head glittered as she moved.

She stretched out her arms, and one of the knights lifted her gently from the carriage. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she dashed toward Mav with surprising energy.

"Big bro!" she called, her face lit up with a wide grin.

Mav barely had time to react before she leaped into his arms. "Wai—" he stumbled, almost losing his balance, but managed to catch her, stepping back to steady them both.

She clung to him tightly, and Mav inhaled a sweet scent, like cheesecake and honey, wafting from her.

Over her shoulder, Mav noticed the two knights and Voithos glaring at him, clearly not thrilled with the princess's informal greeting. Hastily, he set her down and knelt before her.

"Your Highness, please don’t do that again. You’re going to get me in trouble," he whispered, his voice trembling.

"Adelfi!" Chloe scolded, her tone sharp. "How many times have I told you? You’re 8 years old now. You need to behave accordingly."

Adelfi shrunk under her sister’s gaze. "I-I’m sorry, sis. I just got too excited..." she mumbled, fidgeting with her fingers. Mav found himself surprised by her sudden cheerfulness, remembering how meek and quiet she had been when they first met after she had just awokened. The contrast was striking.

Chloe sighed, but let it go. Mav glanced at Adelfi and noticed a small smudge of icing near her lips. He reached out and gently wiped it away.

"I see you’ve had a snack," he said with a warm smile.

Adelfi giggled. "I couldn’t resist! The cheesecakes were too delicious!"

Mav chuckled, patting her head. "I can see that."

Standing up, he looked around, feeling the weight of all the eyes still on them. The villagers hadn’t dispersed, their curiosity far from satisfied.

"Maybe we should continue this conversation inside?" he suggested, glancing at the village chief.

The chief gave a knowing nod. "Alright, folks, back to work!" he called, clapping his hands. Slowly, the crowd began to disperse, though he could still hear their hushed conversations in the distance.

Turning back to Chloe and Adelfi, Mav gestured toward the house. "Please, come inside." His parents, the village chief, and the royal sisters followed him toward the house, the tension of the moment finally beginning to ease.