^Alastair Verlice is Arthur's cousin and Alice's nephew. Her older sister, Merlice married a man named Alveron Verlice. They had Alastair but died tragically. His mother's finally words were to go to her younger sister. Since then he's been staying with them. Face claim is Hanako or Yugi Amane from Toilet bound Hanako-kun. Also Alastair is 2 year older than Arthur.
Alastair has the power to see certain people that others are close to, although he can't see the dead. He also has blood manipulation which came from his dad. He can manipulate his blood or others and control them.
Arthur's P.O.V
The carriage pulled up in front of the building Mom and Dad said they were staying. I looked up at the building realizing how much I miss Rose. 'My cute Rose...' I thought before I shook my head. 'No! I can't be like this now! I'll be able to meet her again and tell her how I feel!' I thought as I walked towards the entrance. "We're finally home, Sylvie. Are you ready?" I asked the baby dragon on my shoulder before knocking twice on the door. 'I nearly died. I had lost someone important. I had killed and I had trained for my life. But none of these things we're as nerve-wrecking as this moment.' I thought to myself before I gulped waiting.
"Coming!!" a voice said from behind the door as I stared surprise. 'A little girl's voice?' I asked himself making sure he heard right. "Can I help you, young man?" An old lady asked me as she opened the door. "Er, nice to meet you. My name is Arthur Leywin. I was informed that my family is currently residing in this manor." I told her as I bowed to her. "Leywin?!" The lady said as I heard the surprised tone in her voice. "Who..." A voice said as I looked down noticing a little girl holding onto the lady's skirt. "Eleanor Leywin! There you are! What did I say about greeting everyone who knocks on the...door..." Mother asked as she trailed off upon noticing me.
"Eleanor... Leywin? My sister? Wait. Before that. H-Hi, Mom. I'm home." I told her as I started to cry. Mom ran towards me with tears in her eyes as we embraced. "I knew that voice really was you! Yes, yes, you're back now! My baby is home now!" Mom said as she hugged me tightly. "Mama... D-Don't cwy, don't cwy." Eleanor said as she clutched Mom's skirt. Suddenly I heard two pairs of footsteps. "What's the danger?" a voice I didn't recognize said as I heard Dad's voice. "Oh my gosh! A-Arthur... My son... Arthur!!" Papa said as he pulled Mama and I into a hug. "Son?" I heard the other voice said as I cried finally in the arms of my family.
"How are you feeling? The voice-- I mean, you--told us that you had an illness. Has that been fully treated? My baby us so thin, did you not eat three meals a day?" Mom asked me as I sat in between them. "Mom. I'm fine. Never better." I told Mom answering her questions. "You're asking too many questions at once, honey. Besides, just one look and you can tell how big and strong our son has gotten." Dad told Mom as she calmed down. "That's right. Ellie, Alistair, meet your big brother and younger cousin." Mom told the boy and my sister. 'Cousin, huh?' I thought to myself looking at the male who stood behind the chair my sister sat in.
"Big bwoder?" Eleanor asked before she slowly climbed down the chair where she held Sylvie. "Yes. The big brother in the stories Mommy and Daddy told you before bedtime." Mom told Eleanor as she walked a bit closer to me. "H-Hello big bwoder." Eleanor said shyly as I walked closer to her. I knelt down on the flower gently grabbing her hands. "Hello, Eleanor. It's nice to finally meet you... Sister." I told her as the boy walked closer to her. "Al!" The little girl exclaimed as he knelt down besides her and look at me. "I'm Alastair Verlice. Your cousin from your mother's side." He told me as he outstretched his hand to me.
"Arthur Leywin, but you probably already know." I told him grabbing his hands as we smiled at each other. He looked down at our hands with a glaze look before looking in my eyes. "I see. You finally meet her." Alastair said as I looked at him confused. "What do you mean?" I asked him before looking at Mom when I didn't get a response. "Al has the ability of blood manipulation as well as seeing the people you are close to by touch. He can't control it yet though since he just awakened a year ago." Mom explained as I nodded my head in understanding letting go of his hand.
"Alastair. What do you mean by I finally met her?" I asked him really wanting to know the answer. "The girl you are destined to be with, the younger twin of someone in the Elenoir kingdom." He told me as I looked at him shocked before I felt myself blush. He smirked at me before we stood up and made our way to the couch Mom and Dad sat on. 'After getting settled, I spent some time explaining everything from the beginning. While I trusted my family, I choose to leave out Sylvia, explaining my survival from the fall off the cliff as a combination of luck and my body's unconscious use of magic to protect me. From there, I continued on about finding Rose and spending time in the Kingdom of Elenoir, recovering.' I thought, blushing slightly when I mentioned Rose.
"And what about this little friend of yours?" Dad asked me pointing to Sylvie who sat comfortably on my head. "Kyu!" Sylvie said speaking to Dad even though he can't understand her. "While I was travelling, i stumbled into a mana beast's den with Sylvie's mother dying from an injury. I couldn't do anything for the mother, but I've been taking care of this one since then." I explainwd as Mom shifted slightly to look at me. "So are you sure you're all healed now? There's no chance of you getting that illness again?" Mom asked me concerned as I turned to her.
"You don't need to worry anymore. It more so had to do with the instability of my mana core from awakening so early." I told her as I waved my hand signalling it wasn't a big deal. 'I feel bad for keeping secrets from them, but until I get stronger, it's too dangerous for them to know everything.' I thought sadly before I saw Dad stood up from the chair. "That's right! Your mana core! What stage are you at now?" Dad asked me excitedly as I start to see fire appear behind him. "Rey! Your son just came home and you're already talking about mana core stages?!" Mom screeched out in disbelief at Dad.
"What's wrong with comparing our growth? After we got here, I've been working as instructoe for the Helstea Auction House guards." Dad told me before proudly pointing at the armband on his arm. "Oh? So it wasn't only your facial hair that grew? What stage is your mana core at now, Dad?" I asked him smugly as I teased him a little. "Heheh. Your old man broke through two years back and entered the dark orange stage!" Dad said proudly as he pointed at himself. I heard Alastair snickering at the pose that Dad made. 'Wow. It's easy to notice he's gotten bulkier, but to think he's broken through into the next stage...' I thought as I looked over Dad's physical appearance.
"You must've really worked hard..." I told him smiling before I trailed off. '...Or not.' I thought sweatdropping as I stared while he did a different causing Alastair to burst out laughing. "What kind of pose is that?" He asked before he started laughing again. "Impressed, huh? What about you, son?" Dad asked me ignoring Arthur who sounded like he was dying behind me. "Light... red." I told him looking away as I bashfully scratched my cheek. "Light red?! Holy shit!!" Dad exclaimed in surprise as his face expression changed.
"Shet!!!" Eleanor repeated happily after dad as Mom smiled bitterly. "That's amazing, Arthur... But Rey, dear... What did I say about cursing in front of Ellie? Honey..." Mom said as she smiled darkly at Dad who froze before he knelt down in front of Ellie. "Poor Uncle Reynold. May he be blessed." Alastair said as he raised one hand out forcing some tears to fall out of his eyes. "E-Ellie, please don't say that word." Dad told Eleanor before turning back to me. "Are you really light red? When? How?" Dad asked me as he shook me back and forth. "Forget it! We're moving to the backyard to spar, right now!" Dad explained as he pointed in a direction where Eleanor was heading.
I laughed at Dad as Mom held her head tiredly as Alastair looked amused. We headed to the backyard as Dad and I stood in front of each other. "I hope you're ready. Your father isn't the same man he was back then." Father told me as he got into a stance. "Neither am I." I told repeating his movement. Earlier, before we went outside. I heard footsteps running towards us. I looked back and saw a man with brown hair and glasses with a different sense of fashion. "Rey! I just heard that your son is alive?!" The man shouted as he stood in the door way. "What in the world is going....on?" The man asked as he pushed up his glasses. Then a woman and a girl that was probably around his age appeared besides the man.
'So these are the people that have been taking care of my family.' I thought as I glanced at them with Sylvie on my shoulder. "Vincent, Tabitha, I'd like you to meet my son, Arthur. He's really back, Vince!" Dad told him excited as he threw his arm around the man's shoulder. "I-I can see that..." The man replied before dad turned to look at me. "Arthur, this is Vincent Helstea, who runs the Helstea auction house, and my old friend who I now work for. This is his house, so introduce yourself before we start wrecking it." Dad instructed as I bowed to them.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr and Mrs. Helstea. I'm sure this may all come as a surprise to you but I was the one who asked them not to tell anyone how I was, so allow me to apologize for the confusion." I told them as they looked at each other nervously. "Wow... Are you sure you're related to your father?" Mr. Helstea said as he hit father in the chest. "Hey!" Dad shouted offended as I sweat dropped. "I get asked that a lot, but yes." I told him before Ms. Helstea put her hands on the younger girl shoulder. "Great to have you in our home. Arthur, this is Lilia. She's about your age so I hope the two of you can be friends." she said as Lilia stared at me with a shy smile.
Arthur smiled at her waving his had as Sylvie smiled at her from his shoulder. When she saw Sylvie she felt she got stab in her heart from the cuteness. "So... what was that about wrecking my house?" Vincent asked Reynold as his daughter went to Arthur and Sylvie. "Ah! That's right. Arthur and I were just about to go out back for some sparring!" Reynold said staring at Arthur. "Oh... Sparring-- wait, sparring?!" Vincent said as he took a moment to registered his word.
~a few minutes later~
"They really are sparring... Vincent said as he stared at the two as they stretched. His wife and Alice sat on the steps having a conversation as Lilia and Eleanor were playing with Sylvie. "Alice. Your husband can't be serious about Arthur being a light red core mage, right?" Vincent asked Alice as his wife gripped his sleeve. "Sit down, dear." Tabitha said to her husband as he stepped down the steps. "I was surprised as well but Arthur has always been a fast learner, and he has no reason to lie." Alice said looking at her son and husband.
"So, I'm just supposed to believe that an eight year old has not only awakened but has progressed three stages? Even those snobby genius brats admitted into Xyrus Academy are barely at the dark red stage, and they're eleven or twelve!" Vincent asked as he sucked slightly. 'I guess it'd be best not to tell him that I'm only at night red because I couldn't train my core while assimilating with Sylvia's beats will.' Arthur said as he stared at adults sitting by the steps. "Ayo, I feel like Arthur might beat you, old man!" Alastair shouted to Reynold who shocked his head in disbelief.
"I hope you're ready. Your father isn't the same man he was back then." Reynold said as he got into his fighting stance. "Neither am I." Arthur said following his dad as they stared at each other. Arthur smirked before he disappeared, dashing towards Reynolds. He appeared on Reynolds right side preparing to lunch him. Just as he punched him, Reynolds caught his hand. "You're going to have to try harder than-" he said to Arthur but he jumped up and hit his father's hand with his foot causing him to release him. He landed on the ground and pushed his elbow towards his father who lived to the side.
He grabbed Arthur's hand and pulled him like a whip. He gripped his shirt and tip his leg with his foot. Once he landed on the ground he gather all his strength to throw his father. Just as he threw him, Reynolds did a backhand spring away from Arthur. "So... what do you think?" Arthur asked his father as he stood up. "Not bad, not bad. I'll admit you caught me off guard. But your old man is going to get serious now." Reynold said before he punched his fists together as little crackles of fire appeared. "A little trick I learned after I broke through into the dark orange stage. Don't say I didn't warn you." Reynold said before as his whole upper body were covered in flames.
'Mages, starting from their awakening, have always had affinities, or strengths, interms of what elements they can best control. Parents seek out professionals for expensive testing on their child so that they can learn early on what route to push their newborn mage towards. In this world, conjurers have the innate advantage of being able to manifest and manipulate the element of their affinity. For augmenters, their affinity of elements are much more subtle, and actual manifestation of the elements come only after the augmenter crosses a certain threshold.' Arthur thought as Alastair stared at his cousin interested in what he will do.
'For my father, who had been fighting and training hard since an early age but had no formal training, it took him until the orange core stage to be able to turn his explosive mana usage into actual fire. From the world I had come from, elements weren't destined from birth, but a path that one took willingly. Talent was a large part of it, but since no one was restricted to just one affinity, hard work also played a significant role. For me, who had so many advantage since coming to this world, all of it culminated into this...' Arthur as Alice, Vincent and his wife stared at Arthur surprised.
"I learned a trick or two as well. Try not to be too surprised." Arthur told his father as lightning surrounded his body.