Stepmother looked at me curiously with an eyebrow lifted.

"Swordsmanship? I'm sure your father would be willing to teach you once you're a bit older. He tried to teach your older brother how to swing a sword properly. Your brother wasn't too enthused with that way of fighting."

"Kraimer didn't want to learn a sword style?"

"Sword style? Oh, no. Your father doesn't know a sword style. I thought you meant just holding a sword in general. That's completely different."

"Is it? I thought the styles were just another form of magic."

"Someone's been very active in their reading huh?'"

She smiled and pinched my cheeks when I got to the top of the stairs with her.

"I guess so."

"What've you been reading that has you thinking about the martial styles?"

"I was reading the one about the history of the Ruling Gods, Father suggested it to me."

"That boring thing? I bet he's told you to read that study of his right after too. What made him suggest you read through that anyhow?"

"It's not that boring. I asked him about reincarnates. It seemed interesting after learning about people with memories from another world."

"He could've just told you about them, you know?"

"I don't think that would be as good for me."

She sighed and patted my head.

"I'm glad you think so. You wanted to know the difference between styles and magic?"

"Yes, please."

"Do you remember that short story about the archer and the lancer?"

"I think so."

"Your father's taught you about mana right?"

"Yes."

"Perfect, then this'll be simple for you. An archer nocks an arrow and takes aim, that kind of concentration is like when you're about to cast a spell. The archer cannot defend themselves with anything other than that bow and arrow as it takes both of their arms to wield. A magician similarly relies only on their spells, are you following?"

Stepmother posed like an archer as she had spoken. She maintained a pose like an archer ready to release an arrow.

"Mhm."

"The archer's quiver is akin to a magician's mana pool. It is not bottomless, so the skill of the archer is determined by precision and effectiveness. Against non-archers, distance and positioning are the advantage the archer has over them. Non-magicians generally don't pose much of a threat to properly trained magician either."

She released an invisible arrow into the other end of the hallway.

"Oh."

"When two archers fight the only sure way to defend against incoming arrows is by stopping them by firing your own arrows to deflect them or moving out of the way before the arrows can land. Combat between magicians is much the same generally speaking."

Stepmother began wildly swaying, ducking and jumping around while pretending to shoot arrows into the ceiling. I giggled and chased after her as we made our way down the hallway.

"Hihi. Then what are style users like?"

"They're like a lancer. The lancer atop an armored warhorse can dash great distances across the battlefield. Mana doesn't leave the body of a style user because it fuels their movements internally and passively."

Stepmother suddenly grabbed me and started skipping around pretending to ride a horse.

"Is that all a style user gets from mana?"

I couldn't help grinning while receiving the free ride. She didn't stop leaping through the hall as she continued her explanation.

"Nope, the lancer has a strong shield. It protects the lancer against any hit so long as they brace properly and position it in time to receive an attack like arrow volleys. The warrior's aura is a style user's shield. This aura uses mana to protect against physical and magical damage."

Stepmother used her free hand to grab her coat as she pretended she was holding a shield that covered both of us.

"So that's how the Zen God managed to fight an Astral God?"

"Maybe. Fred, not everything is a lesson all the time. And besides I still haven't even mentioned the most important part, the lancer's lance. With the weight of horse and its momentum, combined with the protection of the shield, the lancer can reach any enemy and pierce right through. In the hands of a style user even a wooden stick can be just as dangerous as a steel blade. Here, hold on tight."

I was hoisted onto Stepmother's shoulders before I realized it. She pulled my hand forward as if I was holding a lance. In my other hand I held hers as my shield. Stepmother acted as my steed as she leapt and leaned over letting me hit at whatever made up thing we were supposedly fighting.

At some point during the winding ride, I recalled the story of the lancer and the archer.

The archer ultimately killed the lancer by shooting the horse dead through a hole in its armor right as the lancer had reached him. The lancer stuck underneath his dead horse can do nothing but wait to be killed by the archer. The archer followed through with a single arrow to the lancer's exposed head.

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I was lost in thought when suddenly I felt my Stepmother tense up. I noticed a familiar maid standing right beside us.

"Lus-"

My stepmother chanted instantly. Her face turned instantly predatory.

"W-woah, wait a second Madam! I'm sorry I didn't mean to surprise you."

Hilly was cowering and flinching as Stepmother held out her free hand in a gesture. In between Stepmother's fingertips was a faint glowing light.

"Hilly I told you before that you have to speak up before you walk towards someone."

I tried to calm my stepmother's nerves. She was clearly ready to fight. If there was any doubt left in my mind that Hilly wasn't shady just weird this moment dispelled it all.

"S-s-sorry. I was just trying to introduce myself Madam. I'm H-h-hilly."

"She's the new maid, mom. I know she comes off kind creepy but she's just quiet."

The glowing light in Stepmother's fingertips faded and she regained her composure.

"Very well, Hilly, it is nice to meet you. Please be sure to announce your presence next time. You'll end up getting hurt someday if you don't."

"Yes, ma'am."

The threatening aura of Stepmother's words rang in the hall for some time as she carried me inside of the art room. Hilly gave me a worried smile when I turned to wave at her.

Once me and Stepmother entered the art room we were Immediately swarmed by my siblings.

"Mom!"

"Mommy!"

"Mother!"

"Ooh, hey, watch out, you kids are going to tip me over."

Whitney, Vanilla, and Luca huddled around Stepmother tightly. Logan and Page also gave Stepmother small hugs as well.

"When did you get back mom?"

Vanilla asked immediately with an ecstatic attitude I wasn't used to seeing.

"I got here this morning, while all of you were asleep. What's everyone working on?"

Stepmother set me down on a table and took a seat.

"Oh! I've been working on this for a couple days now I wanted to get the lighting just right, it's still a little lighter than I want but I can darken it a bit more."

The canvas Whitney presented displayed a vibrant melody of color that matched the meadow just outside the city. There was a complexity to it that I barely noticed. The rays of the sun were peering over specific patches of the meadow, it was supposed to be a cloudy day in the painting. Whitney must've been taking her time painstakingly recreating the natural scenery and conditions.

The painting looked almost like I could walk through into it and find myself in that place.

"It looks gorgeous, Whitney."

"Thank you, but it's still not finished."

"Uhm, I was working on a project that I started during Father's lessons. It's just a little trinket, nothing special."

"Let me see Logan."

The trinket Logan spoke of was actually an intricately designed bracelet. There were several etchings around it that seemed like decoration at first, but having heard about it just today I suspected these were rune carvings.

"Here, let me turn it on first."

Logan grabbed the bracelet back before tweaking it a little until a piece in the middle of the bracelet began to move in the middle. After passing a certain point the bracelet would pulsate a silvery shine. I had no idea what the purpose of it was for.

I thought it might just be some form of sophisticated jewelry at the moment.

"Yeah it's not much right now."

Logan seemed a bit shy about sharing his project. It might've had to do with the fact that Whitney's painting was more visually stunning.

"That's no problem, you're getting practice in for engraving. The shape is also quite appealing Logan. Don't fret."

Stepmother reassured him with a head pat.

"I haven't started painting it yet but these are some sketches I've been working on, mom."

Vanilla couldn't wait a minute longer before presenting a stack of parchment.

"Could you hold this Fred?"

For once, Vanilla didn't have some foul stare awaiting me, but instead, a humble request for help.

I obliged and took hold of her various sketches. Vanilla went through every single sketch. One by one.

Stepmother didn't mind at all and gave small bits of feedback.

"I missed you so much mom."

Vanilla finished her presentation by giving Stepmother another deep hug.

"I missed you too Vanilla. I missed everyone, really."

Next came Page's robust vase. I was surprised and wondered where she had gotten the material to make it.

"Wow, how did you make this Page?"

"I started learning a bit of earth magic. It's not rune carving but I might start making figures with it if I get good enough. Maybe I'll sell them at the market too."

"Sounds like a plan, keep at it."

Stepmother expected Luca to show something too, but it seemed like he had quickly moved on from the excitement.

Luca was busy spilling dabs of oil paint onto a parchment before proceeding with mashing it with his fingers.

"Luca? What are you up to?"

"Oh, I was just mixing paints mommy. I wasn't really working on anything yet."

He rubbed his face with the hand he had just smeared the paint with. It left a streak of the unmixed colors on his forehead.

I didn't hold back my laughter. Luca was always finding ways to be the goofiest of my siblings.

A finger slid down my nose. Stepmother had gotten a glob of paint on her finger and marked my nose with it. I crossed my eyes to see an orange and blue stripe right on my face.

Luca started laughing, but I took a bit of the still wet paint and places my hand on my stepmother's cheek. She just smiled and started giggling too.

Stepmother carried me over to the sink in the room. She did her best to clean off the paint that was still marking my nose. She left my painted hand print on her cheek.

"Why don't we go see your mommy Freddy?"

There was a bit of nervousness in Stepmother's question. I didn't know why.

"Alright."

Stepmother and I took our leave from the art room, but not before getting into another group hug. She promised everyone she would talk about her experiences the past two years at dinnertime.

"Did you want to see the garden first, Fred?"

It was a strange question when we had planned to head straight to Mother's room.

"Sure mom."

We were at the third floor where most of the bedrooms were. Stepmother guided me to her room. Inside it was quite sterile, nothing had been moved for the entire two years that she was absent.

Stepmother sat on the windowsill. She crossed her legs and then tapped on her lap for me to come sit with her.

"Come on, have a seat."

I climbed into her lap and adjusted myself to get more comfortable. Stepmother turned my head to point me in the direction of the hidden garden.

"Whoa."

"Stunning isn't it?"

Kaleidoscopic flowers and leaves decorated the siding of a tall tower. It was Father's study but from an angle I had never seen before. The light of morning gave the garden a crystalline shine with the dew that accumulated on the edges of the plants.

"I almost wish Father left the garden in the courtyard."

"Hah, your older brothers kept pulling up the flowers and generally made a mess when stepping on them."

"Still it would've been nice to at least see it up close."

"You'd have to ask your father to help you with that. He's meticulous about taking care of it himself despite the trouble it is to maintain it in such an odd arrangement."

"How does he do it?"

"He levitates of course, then he douses the roots with water he conjures on the spot."

"Cool."

I kept staring at the garden for sometime while my stepmother caressed my hair.

"Your father's told me you've been quite busy this last year."

"What do you mean?"

"He told me that you instantly made some friends on your first trip to the city."

"Oh yeah. Phil, Julia, and Franny. They're fun to play with."

"Those are their names?"

"Yup."

Stepmother looked at me softly.

"I didn't think I'd miss so many important moments in your lives. And poor Ibis, I shouldn't have left her when she was so young."

I could tell Stepmother was starting to let out a little of the emotions of coming back home.

"Mom?"

"I'm fine."

"You shouldn't worry about the time you've missed too much. Now that you're back we can start spending more time together as a whole family. You aren't planning on leaving again so soon, right?"