[Lilia Helstea POV]
I was all excited, not just because it was Ellie's birthday, but because I could talk to Luz again. I waited for the right moment, which was after the dance he, Art, and El had done, to go to him.
Ellie told me where he was and I went in the indicated direction so we could have the conversation up to date, since we hadn't met before the party started, due to the roles he had been given. I ended up seeing him, talking to two people, while they had a kind of escort, they were a girl, a boy and a lady.
The lady was dressed in a white uniform with red accents, wearing a kind of white hood that covered her features a little, but it was possible to see her mouth and white hair. The girl wore a black formal dress, which matched her long black hair. And the boy, dressed in a vibrant red and golden yellow suit, with stylized brown pants, when I saw his face and hair I immediately recognized him.
"Curtis? You around here?" I said, when I was already close to them, Luz noticed my presence.
"Oh... Hi Lilia, I just came here to celebrate a good friend's sister's birthday, is there any problem?" Prince Curtis said a little jokingly, he and Luz ended up laughing at that.
"Oh..Wait..." I just realized something, I looked towards the black haired girl, who was hugging one of Luz's arms. "Kathyln? I'm sorry I barely recognized you."
"Alright, I think it would be difficult for you to associate a party of this level with us." She said without expressing any reaction and hugged Luz's arm more tightly.
"Tch" I made a noise with my mouth, without realizing it, as I reacted to her hugging him. I looked at the lady next to them. "And... Are you just here to keep an eye on them?" she just nodded, not speaking.
"Aaahn... Is there a problem, Lily?" Luz caught me off guard, even though that was a nickname he gave me, he only called me that in front of my parents or when we were alone.
"N-none actually, it's just that we've barely been able to talk until now since I got home from the Academy. I wanted to tell you some news." My cheeks got a little hot.
"Oooh! Haven't you told them yet?" Curtis spoke.
"Didn't tell? What?" Luz was looking at me with one of her eyebrows raised.
"I became a student council member at Xyrus Academy. My current position is secretary." I said smiling.
"Ooooh! My congratulati— wait a minute! Does that mean I'll have to get super formal with you again when I start taking classes?" He asked silly, Curtis chuckling at the comment.
"N-no need! Y-you can keep calling me like you've always called me. If anyone keeps questioning just say we're acquaintances. I mean, just be honest." I said still with hot cheeks, imagining the scene every time he comes to talk to me, he uses that nickname, in front of everyone.
I started to feel a strange thing around me, I ended up sneezing and feeling chills. Luz seemed to notice, as his silly smile soon faded and he looked right at me with concern. But speaking of looking, when observing the surroundings I could notice what gave me that feeling...
No, I didn't even have to look far, I just had to look at the boy's side that I feel good about... Kathyln Glayder, she was staring at me like I was... I can't even describe it, she just stared at me, with her neutral expression.
But that ended when Luz flicked Kathyln's forehead lightly, after realizing what was bothering me. "Kathy, weren't you taught that staring at others is wrong?"
"Huh? Was she staring at someone?" Curtis spoke, and their escort gave a light laugh, perhaps because the prince sometimes didn't understand his surroundings so well in a relaxed situation we were in.
"Wait a minute... Luz just called her Kathy? And not Kathyln?!?!" I thought, a few seconds after hearing that.
"Sorry... It's just... You said she's on the student council at Xyrus Academy... I also want to have that level of importance when classes start..." She said a little crestfallen.
"Relax, you were already considered a princess, before The Council was created, so you've had your time, let the other girls feel that too." Luz patted her to cheer her up.
"Ooh! Speaking of which... It's something that will start to exist next year, but the director said that she would be creating another important group at Xyrus Academy, which would have the function of resolving fights between the races, as next year begins effectively the coming of a lot of different people. Maybe you can get into that group, little sister." Curtis was saying it quietly, just for us to hear.
"Hmmm? I didn't know about that one. And why are you talking so low?" Luz also spoke softly.
"Even I wasn't aware of that." I ended up replying too.
"It's just that it's a group hand-selected by the director, and I'm among the possible members, I mean, she already warned me a few weeks ago and I accepted to participate. It can only have people with a moral considered acceptable in the eyes of the director, in addition to being very powerful students, not in the core sense, but in the technical sense." Curtis was talking quietly about this group that I didn't even know would be formed next year.
"Hm... High chances that I'll join that group, no?" Luz said and Curtis gave a good laugh and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Yes, of course, you will obviously get a proposal from the director to join this group, I bet Arthur will even have that same proposal." Curtis said smiling.
"Do you already know what would her name this?" I asked curiously.
"The director is still thinking about whether to call it the Disciplinary Committee or the Union Committee." Curtis said looking a little at the ceiling, as if he was trying hard to remember this information.
"Disciplinary Committee seems too rigid." Kathyln spoke, still not letting go of Luz's arm.
"Hm... Union Committee seems to have this idea a lot of a group that creates events to bring all races closer together." I spoke.
"Both are good. I think if Cynthia decides for a Disciplinary Committee, she will want them to be very aggressive, if she decides for a Union Committee, the members will be more peaceful." Luz spoke and Curtis laughed again, while my eyes were slightly wide and Kathyln remained neutral, but squeezed more Luz's arm than she was holding.
"Cynthia? Geez, do you call the director by her first name? I even had forget that... How close are you two?" Curtis asked curiously.
"Well, even though she's a powerful person, I can't stop seeing her as one of those cute grannies who make a lot of goodies and live next door... That and my first mentor is an old friend of hers, so kind of... can I consider her an aunt....?" Luz said the last part a little confused.
"Mentor? Wait, did you ever have a mentor before you were 10? May I know who it is?" Curtis asked curiously.
Luz seemed to look strangely at Curtis, so he took a deep breath, looking around as well. "I'd better not comment too much of him, he's just a crazy old bat who loved training people by throwing things at them and attacking them by surprise all the time. He said I could comment on his existence but never his name... I do not know why."
"Hmmm? I see. It really makes me curious to know who your mentor would be, from the description you gave and the fact that you mentioned that you are a good friend of Principal Goodsky." Curtis spoke and Luz just shrugged.
"Ladies and gentlemen! I'd like to get everyone's attention!" I ended up looking in the direction of that familiar voice, it was my father. He had a voice device to get people's attention there, and it seems to have worked well.
"Well, my wife and I decided to do a kind of 'healthy competition' at this special birthday party for the girl I consider my niece. Because she is a very excited little girl who loves to see new things, I will choose 4 people from the guest list randomly, and Eleanor will open their gifts right here!" I could hear some of the children a little agitated, as there was a chance their gifts would be revealed in front of the others. It would be pretty embarrassing then if any of them bought something silly as a birthday present for Ellie.
"And not only that! Among these 4 gifts chosen at random, you will all decide which one was the best, the winner will be able to win 50% of the sweets that are still on the candy table." When my father announced that, the children who were completely in agony, seemed to stop and stare at that table of goodies.
"Oh my god Vince.." I could hear Luz say this and start to hold back a laugh.
"Hmm... Is your father like this normally?" Curtis asked me.
"He must be drunk, but not to the point of passing out." I replied with a neutral face and facepalmed in shame.
I could see it on the faces of my mother and my aunt Alice, this was really being done at the last minute, but as my father was saying this, one of the employees started to cut one of the copies of the guest list and put the names separated in a cup. Ellie had to get closer to pick the four names in that lottery.
She shook the cup well and took four pieces of paper there at once, and handed them to my father, who began to read them. "Okay, looks like we have three school names for ladies here, Nicole, Letty and Noiry" He announced and the three girls were taking their presents back from the pile of presents we had made and heading towards Ellie. "And the last one chosen was a member of the Leywin family. Luz, I know your gift isn't in the pile we made, so can you go get it?"
I was surprised by that, I could see Luz's cheeks turn slightly red as he was asking Kathyln to let go of him. She did as he asked and soon he left the ballroom in a fast speed that almost lift up all dresses inside the room with the amount of wind mana used, going to get the gift he had for his sister. It took a few minutes, but he was soon back with a sizable box, with him carrying it very carefully as he walked over to Ellie.
"Fine, let's open the presents in the order I called!" My father spoke excitedly.
The first was a girl I had heard that was Ellie's best friend, Nicole gave her gift to the birthday girl, who opened it and revealed it to be a teddy bear, there seemed to be a mechanism inside the plush, because when Ellie pressed its belly, the teddy bear waved his arms up and down. The people around clapped their hands for finding it cute as the birthday girl hugged her best friend.
Now it was the turn of the girl named Letty, she handed the gift to Eleanor and she opened it, it was a silver bracelet decorated with glittering pink stones. Ellie gave her a big hug too and the guests clapped.
The last of Ellie's classmates, Noiry, gave the birthday girl a kind of little bag, when she opened it, we could see that inside it were three rings, one silver, one gold, and another made of something handmade with a blue stone as an ornament. Again, Ellie hugged the person and the guests clapped.
After all that, it was Luz's turn, who gave a light cough as he put the box on the floor. "Open it, Elly. I think you'll love it." He said smiling, while his sister bent down and opened the box.
Her first reaction was a thin little squeak of surprise, the people around were confused, until she took it out of the box, the gift was a kind of white and super cute dress with details in green, light pink and blue. Even her friends had the same reaction when that gift was on display for all to see.
Luz gave a light cough, again, before speaking. "This is a very special dress, I think it's impossible to have one like it, because I didn't buy it, I made it myself." My eyes widened, and not just mine, Kathyln, Curtis, Ellie, and almost all of the guests had the same reaction.
"Aside from being a great mage and a great cook, he's a craftsman?! The best question now would be, 'what CAN'T he do'." I still thought in disbelief what he said.
"D-did you do that f-for me?" Ellie said with her eyes filling with tears and gave her brother a big hug, everyone changed their expressions of surprise, and now it seemed that the only thing they felt was the sweetness of that scene.
"Yes! And even better, I had help from a person, who managed to turn this dress into a magic item." When he said that, everyone went back to their surprised state.
"Magic Item?" his sister said confused.
"Yes! While I was making the dress, I used a mana beast core that Jasmine got for me while adventuring with some of her friends. This mana core serves as a mana container to do magical things! When you, and only you, touch the dress, it will change size and will always fit you, without ever looking uncomfortable!" With Luz's words, several people started to murmur, some were not believing it, and others seemed to be talking about how much it would be worth if it were for sale.
"Wait, why would you do something like that if she's not even a mage?" Nicole asked while her face was envy, I just didn't know if it was envy that Ellie had Luz as her brother, or if it was envy that her gift wasn't the best.
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"I have full confidence that my sweet little sister will awaken her mana core, so I took advantage and made something that uses mana, besides that even if she doesn't awaken her core, the beast core on the dress is compatible with the fire element, something that me, our brother and our father have in common, so the three of us can always restock the dress for her." Luz replied smiling and hugged his sister tightly, to the point that she no longer had her feet on the ground, but soon released her.
"Well, the voting will end in the middle of the party, so you can go tell the maid in the orange uniform who you will vote for." My father would say, ending the whole situation for now.
I saw Uncle Reynolds, Aunt Alice, and Mom approach Luz, while Ellie walked away to be with her friends. Curtis and Kathyln were still on my side, Kathyln staring in Eleanor's direction, while Curtis looked kind of silly about the whole situation.
"Curtis?" I asked, poking his cheek.
"Ah-Ah... That's such an insane thing for Luz to do.. Seriously, this guy is an insane prodigy." Curtis said that and then looked at me. "Were you aware of this???"
"No, I wasn't, I'm just as shocked as you are. He cooks, teaches magic very understandably, knows how to fight, and on top of that he's a craftsman... What can't he do?" I was talking to Curtis while we were still in shock over that gift Luz was giving Ellie.
"He's actually quite interesting, but seems to have no common sense, handing something like that to his sister as a birthday present, and not even being afraid to say it's a magic item... Weird boy." Said the hooded lady, who was escorting the children of human royalty.
"I want a dress like that..." Kathyln said in a low voice.
"I think they'll all want too..." I said, seeing that the vast majority of Ellie's guests, and some of my parents' friends, were all eyeing Luz.
"Better protect our good friend well." Curtis said.
"I will." Me and Kathyln said in unison, and then looked at each other in a weird way, it seems we weren't both expecting someone else to say that. This caused Curtis to laugh.
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[Luz Leywin POV]
After showing my gift to my sister, everyone seemed very impressed with it, I felt like I would be plagued with questions from multiple people, but luckily, with my parents and Aunt Tabitha there with me, it was difficult for others to approach.
"Son, I didn't even know you were doing something like this, where did you have time for this?" My mother asked curiously.
"Well, I was using my study room for that, you don't know how complicated it was to hide the sewing machine in there." I said with a slight laugh.
"Oh! True, there was a moment when you asked my permission for two maids to help you carry something to your study room, so it was that old sewing machine we had kept. It was Vincent's mother's, but neither did he, nor did I know how to use it, and we never saw the need to ask anyone to use it. Lucky for you we didn't sell it." Tabitha said.
"Yeah, but it was really complicated to make that dress, and the hardest thing was, on the days I went to the shopping area together with you, to distance myself while looking for stores that sold fabrics and threads. But luckily the maids agreed to go shopping the things I asked for, using some of the money I earned." I breathed a sigh, as everything worked out.
"But is it really surprising, a dress that changes size to always fit your sister? And having a beast core just for that?" Tabitha asked.
"Actually, I didn't say everything the dress does, as I said, the beast core that's in it accepts the element that me, my father, and Art have in common, fire. Because of it, the dress has a secondary effect, Ellie will never feel cold while wearing it." I said, proud of myself and smiled.
"Wait, so this also serves as an anti-freeze adventure gear?" My dad asked, and we were all silent about it, but then I let out another sigh and he started to laugh.
"Even when it wasn't my intention, I ended up creating a kind of thermal armor... Oh my goodness." I said giving myself a facepalm, I could hear Zalgnity and Sylvia's laughter in my mind, but I decide to ignore them.
I soon noticed Gideon and Arthur talking a little outside the place, when they realized I had noticed them, Gideon was making a motion with his hand as if calling me there. I excuse myself from my parents and Tabitha, heading towards the two of them.
"Boy, explain to me, are you an inventor god or what?" was the first thing Gideon asked, with my presence there.
"No big deal, I just wanted something nice for my dear sister. But I still don't think it's better than the artifact Arthur bought in your hand." Art started to laugh at my answer and Gideon took a big sip from the glass of liquor he had in his hand.
"Yes, of course, but even so, at that age and already knowing how to be a craftsman of that level? Are you sure you wouldn't like to.. I don't know, work for me?" Gideon out of the blue gave me that job offer, and I ended up laughing.
"Haha! Is this serious? Because, like, I haven't even shown you my amateur rune research yet, and you're already wanting me to be your sidekick?" I said, still chuckling a little, as I noticed one of the employees passing close to where we were. He had a few glasses of juice, he offered and I was the only one who took a glass.
The conversation only continued after the employee walked away. "Actually, I was thinking that, depending on what your amateur study is like, I might make you my student." Gideon said.
"Wait, do you want Luz as your student? Explain yourself." Arthur asked curiously.
"Well, it's just that a little 'owl' told me that you two will start taking classes at Xyrus Academy in a few months. So I would make a recommendation for Luz to be my student, even if my classes are for advanced people." Gideon replied, taking another sip from his glass.
"Oh... So you're a professor there too? Good to know... But why just me and not me and Art?" I said while, secretly, taking a canteen inside my suit and putting some alcohol in the juice I had in hand, taking a light sip from my glass.
"Well, you seem to be more open to inventions and knowledge.. While that brat over there is bribing me." Gideon said, having a bitter expression on his face.
"As I said before, I'm not a person who is kind, I'm just looking for the advantages~" Art said snobbishly, the three of us ended up laughing.
"Well, I would incredibly accept this invitation to be your student, Gideon. I don't think Cynthia will have a problem with that." I said while still enjoying the alcoholic juice I was drinking, my body didn't seem to be affected as much as usual.
"Cynthia?!? Bah! You say her name as easily as if she were a friend of yours!" He said with one of his eyebrows raised.
"I consider her a good and kind granny. No matter how powerful and influential she is, I will always see her like that." I answered him with a silly smile.
"Bah, I see! Anyway, I expect a lot from you when you two enter Xyrus Academy." Gideon finished his drink.
"Fine... And speaking of school, is there any subject that involves Rune Studies?" I asked, curious.
"Well, actually, there are, but we have no teachers because almost no students sign up for this class, it's one of the optional subjects that students can take... To sign up, you have to fill out a form the year before, so what, depending on the size of the class, there is a kind of contest where a teacher is chosen and receives a salary that matches the number of students. That's how the optional classes work there." the scientist spoke while leaning back against one of the walls.
"Hm.. I can understand, but still, are there any books about it in the library there?" I asked, still very curious about this.
"Well, in the Xyrus Academy's library there are numerous books about all possible classes, including the optional ones. So if you want to try to study by yourself, without a teacher, there were always that option." He said looking up, his cheeks slightly red from the drink.
"That's good to know. Maybe I'll use some of my free time there at school to study there or to talk to you about what I know." I finished my alcoholic juice.
After we talked some more, I could see Kathyln, Lilia and Curtis heading towards us. Gideon was quite confused to see that Arthur and I knew and were friends with the Glayder children. I saw the scientist in a cold sweat and asking permission to leave us, maybe it was because he gave the artifacts, which were for the Glayder royal family, to Arthur.
The five of us stayed there interacting, with Curtis telling my brother about the new Committee that would be created at the school and that, possibly, he and I would receive a proposal from Cynthia Goodsky to join that group. It seems that this took Art by surprise, as he started coughing after hearing that.
Apparently that improvised contest by Vincent was over and, to no one's surprise, I won, but I decided to leave my prize, which were several sweets, to Kathyln and Lilia. I spent the rest of the party sitting in one of the chairs at the table reserved for our family, just watching the couples dancing on the dance floor, with the calm music that the hired band was playing.
But that changed when I felt a light touch on my shoulder and turned around, it was Lilia. "Luz, I know the party is almost over, but... Could we dance a little?" She asked, with slightly reddened cheeks, my option was just one, to accept that invitation.
We went to the dance floor and stayed together with the music that was being played at the time, it was something very slow and peaceful, it didn't need to be very good at dancing to adapt to that. I held her gently, with one hand on her hand, and my other arm giving a light hug to her waist.
"Eep!" She made a slight noise at the way I was holding her, but soon she was looking into my eyes as we danced. We stayed like that for a little while, but I could read her essence and see through her eyes, she was having fun and very happy there. Our movements were slow and smooth, never leaving the gentle rhythm of the music.
Until the music itself seemed to get a little more lively, and it seemed that now was one of those moments where you change partners during the dance. She didn't seem sad about it, so we just kept going, splitting up and dancing with people next to us, it was simple, and everyone seemed to do it in sync, maybe it was some noble dance, but still very famous and well-known, it didn't take long for I follow the same steps.
After I switched partners about 3 times, I now found myself dancing with Kathyln. To be honest, I was surprised to see that she was also in the middle of that dance floor, but soon I noticed that Curtis was there too, and now he was dancing with Lilia, possibly the two royal children entered that dance together.
As I danced with Kathyln, I noticed her gaze, it was icy, but not a bad icy, it felt like a mild chill after leaving home in a winter. Her aura was much happier than Lilia's, even though she didn't express anything on her face, she was like a porcelain doll.
The song was about to end, unfortunately, it didn't seem like there were any more pair-swapping moments, so it ended up with Kathyln still in my arms. She hugged me tightly, pressing her face against my suit, and I just giggled slightly and patted her hair gently.
The party was about to end, now the only thing missing was the cake. The Helstea family wanted to buy a very exaggerated cake for this birthday, but my mother pulled the strings so that it was only our family's responsibility. I used some gold coins from the fortune I won, so that cake was a three tier, each tier being a flavor, the base was chocolate, the middle was red berries and the top was black berries.
At the table where the cake was, Ellie stood between Arthur and I, with Alice at his side and Reynolds at my side. We clapped our hands until one of the employees came with a photo artifact and started taking pictures of us and the guests who were receiving the slices of cake. And of course, the first slice of cake was for our mother, something cute and quite obvious, coming from Eleanor.
"Thanks for coming, guys." I spoke to Curtis and Kathyln, who, like the other guests, were already leaving the place.
"The party was really good, even if the birthday girl was just your sister, I would love to go to your birthday." Curtis was saying excitedly.
"Hey, Arthur and I are going to celebrate on the same day to save money. And it won't be a big deal like this, just a muffin in the dining room or something like this." I said with a silly smile.
"Still, I'd like to go... When will it be...?" Kathyln said in a very excited way.
"Well, I can send the date to your mother, if I see that it's a good party... It's just that I don't think you would like something simple that our family is used to." I answered.
"Well, relax, at the very least we want to deliver presents for you and Arthur." Curtis said.
"You can deliver these gifts in person when Arthur and I will be at school." I spoke calmly.
"Okay." He said shaking hands with me, while Kathyln gave me a tight hug.
"Oh, and it was nice to know you'd be accompanying them…Zero, the most powerful of the Six Lances." I spoke, making the hooded lady suddenly raise her hand, but she soon stopped.
"What gave me away?" She said, with her face a little more apparent under her hood.
"The feeling of you being around... It's the same as two years ago, when you came here before with Kathyln." I answered her.
"How strange... I'm using an artifact that takes away my presence." She answered in her cold voice.
"Well then, it could have just been my intuition, young mages are said to confuse intuition with a sense of mana. Isn't it?" I replied and she nodded in agreement.
That was one of the things I had read in a basic mana theory book. If I had said that I identified her by seeing her essence, it would be much more confusing, so it's better to lie with something much more believable than the truth. It seems that she accepted what I said well, because after that, the three of them left, now only my family, the Helstea family, Elijah and the employees of the place remained.
Alice told us to shower and go straight to bed, apparently my sister wouldn't be able to open her other presents until tomorrow. We did as she asked, or at least I tried to, but before I could enter my room, Lilia stopped me, gripping my suit sleeve tightly.
"Tomorrow... I already have to go back to school early... Can we stay a little longer, tonight?" Lilia said, still holding tight to my sleeve, and I accepted her idea.
With Vincent's permission, we made our way back to the ballroom, which was now completely empty, but I noticed that the instruments the band used were still here. What made me curious, I thought the instruments were the band's, and not that the Helstea family had bought them if there were more festive events there.
Anyway, Lilia and I were seated in the stage area, me in the pianist's seat and she next to me. The only light there was that of the moon, which invaded the area a little through the tall windows and through the glass door that led to the outside area we were in before.
"Luz, tell me... You and Kathyln... Is there something going on between you two?" Lilia said without looking at me, she was staring at the piano keys.
"What?! Why do you say that?" I said a little surprised, I thought she was going to be saying these things much later, not now.
"Because she hugged you whenever she could... And I feel like she was staring at me like... She was threatening me..." my cute friend answered me, still staring at the piano keys.
"Lily… Relax. There's nothing bad going on, okay? She's just the type who can't express how she feels." I said scratching the back of my neck.
"Luz... I don't like that someone... someone..." She seemed to be holding back from crying, I put one of my hands on her shoulder, patting it lightly.
"That someone...?" I asked her to continue.
"I don't like that someone could steal you from me..." She finally said, looking into my eyes now, she had some tears starting to come out, and I was very close to her now, giving her a kiss on her forehead.
"We're all very young... We get confused about real feelings all the time... She might be confused about how she feels about me.. You might be confused about that too, but if you're not confused, and make sure you like me... Know that... you will always own a part of my heart." I said with a smile, and soon saw her face turn extremely red.
"D-Did you really have to say that?!" She exclaimed, her face remained red as a tomato, crying a lot and punching my arm a few times. I just reacted by lightly touching one of the piano keys, drawing her attention with the note.
"If that's what you wanted to know before going back to Xyrus Academy... Now you know... You can always count on me..." I spoke softly to her and it seemed that Lilia was now imitating Kathyln, as she hugged with strength in one of my arms, with her face hidden from my view.
I gave a simple sigh and, sitting there in front of the piano, I started to play some calm and soft music to make my companion relax. When I finished playing, I ended up noticing that she slept there next to me, her head resting on my shoulder.
". . . ." I had some deep thoughts, as I started playing again, still being a calm and simple song, not to make her wake up with fright. But after just one music, I stopped.
"Apparently I'll have to take her to bed today." I thought, a small smile forming in my face as I spoke sweetly. "Goodnight, Lily."