The sun continued to climb the blue sky, the clouds drifting below and the birds flying freely in the air. A glorious castle started appearing by the backdrop, large buildings and mansions popping up left and right of the wide and open streets.
Everyone has reached the noble's district, the air more quiet than the atmosphere downtown and the buildings more spaced out one after another. Estate after estate, luxurious carriages passing them by, a series of clips and clops ringing in the air.
With gardens popping up left and right, the air was filled with different scents and fragrances. From roses to tulips, then orchids and flowering trees, until the scent of the earth itself. The streets were filled with a serene and healing aroma.
"Waah～! So Yuna won the Carnival of Swords, huh? That's amazing, Yuna! Your Big Sis is so proud of you!" ［Vanessa］
"B-Big Sis Vanessa... I... I can't breathe..." ［Yuna］
"O-Oh! Sorry! Force of habit!" ［Vanessa］
The time was 10 o'clock, and it has been several minutes since Grey and Yuna were caught by Vanessa. Though usually nobles would ride carriages in the capital, they decided to walk back to the mansion, Vanessa arguing that it was good exercise.
And throughout their whole journey, Vanessa has been asking the two about their trip to Graystone and all the exciting adventures they experienced there. From their fight in the colosseums until the Labyrinth, they (were forced to) share their experiences.
Of course, even with how pushy Vanessa was, Grey and Yuna still left behind the details which needed to be kept secret. They only told the former about what was publicly known and what was exciting enough, keeping her satisfied.
"The Carnival of Swords, huh... I've also been wanting to join it too, but since I'm an army officer, I can't really leave the Kingdom..." ［Vanessa］
"Well, you have a lot of responsibilities, after all..." ［Yuna］
"I know, I know, and they're so annoying! I just want to push all my duties to Kurt and join the Carnival of Swords next year. That's a good plan, isn't it?" ［Vanessa］
"Please don't... Everyone would really be troubled by that." ［Grey］
"I know, I know, I was just joking, you know. Don't be so stiff～!" ［Vanessa］
Is what she says, and she really did sound like she was joking, but it was Vanessa they were talking about. One really doesn't know what is going inside the chaotic and playful mind of hers. It was pandemonium.
No, they already knew that Vanessa was prone to acting on impulse. It was best to stop whatever she was thinking of before things escalated even further. After all, she was someone who challenged Yuna in a duel when she was still pregnant.
"You two... You aren't thinking of something rude, aren't you?" ［Vanessa］
And to make things worse, she's especially sharp when the situation doesn't need it. One could only wonder how the Knight orders and the army was still fine when she was the one leading them. It must have all been thanks to Kurt.
"A-Anyway... Big Sis Vanessa, how is Anne doing? It has been some time since we saw her? She should be... 6 months old now, isn't she?" ［Grey］
"Yeah! That's right! My baby's growing so fast, I can't still believe she's 6 months old already. Time really does fly doesn't it?" ［Vanessa］
"Ehh～? I'm sure Anne looks so adorable now!" ［Yuna］
"You bet she does! After all, she's mine and Ranzel's daughter! I'm she will just be as beautiful as me when she grows up! You know, the other day......" ［Vanessa］
Thankfully, Vanessa was now much easier to handle than she was before. Grey only needed to bring up Antoinette's name and Vanessa didn't bother digging deeper into the topic, seemingly forgetting about it. She has turned into one doting mother.
Their walk continued, and so did Vanessa's gloating about her daughter. She kept on going about how cute she was, even showing Grey and Yuna a couple of the photos she took of the said little angel in their everyday lives.
Of course, Antoinette really was an adorable angel. She was still a few months old but she was already charming, capturing the hearts of Grey and Yuna. The last time they saw her, she still wasn't 3 months old, and now, she is such a cutie.
The little angel inherited Vanessa's red eye and Ranzel's white hair. She also got the beauty of her mother, but her composure and aura resembled that of her father's, a calm and gentle one. She was a true blessing to the world indeed.
"Waah～! So cute～! Anne's all grown up!" ［Yuna］
"Right～? I'm sure she's the cutest baby in the world!" ［Vanessa］
"Un! I'm sure she is! Our Anne is the cutest!" ［Yuna］
And now, Yuna has also become a part of Anne's little fan club. She was like an aunt who loves her niece just as much as the mother does. She and Vanessa admired all of Anne's photos equally, squealing like the chirping birds.
Well, it's not like Grey doesn't understand their feelings as he also found the little thing very adorable. If there was a concept of Godparents in Merusia, he would have surely applied to be one. The cuteness of the little angel was too much to pass on.
Just like that, everyone arrived at the mansion, a beautiful gate greeting them. The guards quickly opened the gates and let them pass through, bowing their heads as they paid respects to the three of them.
But rather than heading to the 3rd floor where their rooms were, they first headed down the corridors and into the kitchen to pick up something. It was still a little early for lunch, but there was no harm in bringing food towards their room.
"Is the food ready?" ［Vanessa］
"It's already prepared, Madam. Should we deliver it to the room?"
"No, I'll bring it myself. Thank you for the good work." ［Vanessa］
"It's always a pleasure to be in your service, Madam. Please don't hesitate to call us whenever you need something."
Though they didn't linger around for long, heading towards the 3rd floor as soon as Vanessa picked up what she needed. However, it wasn't any normal food, it was all but a bowl of banana puree thinned out by breast milk. It was baby food!
After all, Antoinette was now 6 months old. It was now time to introduce her to solid foods, and Vanessa has been feeding her for a few days already. And the little angel loves it so much, she squeals as soon as she sees her mother bring it to her.
"Normally, I'm the one who makes these, but it has been so busy today, I had to ask the chef to make it. Anne loves these so much, you know?" ［Vanessa］
"Waah～! Baby food... I don't think I've tried making that before... Are they hard to make, Big Sid Vanessa? I also want to try feeding Anne." ［Yuna］
"Fufufu! Don't worry, they're very simple! I'll teach you later." ［Vanessa］
"Un! I'm looking forward to it!" ［Yuna］
An excited expression on their faces, everyone finally arrived at the 3rd floor, and as soon as they opened the door, what greeted them were two familiar figures. One was the father, and the other was the angel sitting on the former's lap.
Compared to how Ranzel usually is with the knights, he looked even gentler when he was with Antoinette, carrying her as gently as he could in his reliable and loving arms. The little angel was also enjoying it very much, clinging tightly onto her father.
"Bba! Bba! Waah! Gaah gaah gaah!" ［Antoinette］
"Fufufu! Someone looks excited～! Did you miss Mommy, Anne?" ［Vanessa］
The moment the little angel saw her mother, she immediately started reaching out her hands for her as if gesturing that she wanted to be held by Vanessa. She wore such a sweet smile, it was enough to melt everyone's hearts.
Ranzel was also smiling when he saw her wife, but more than happiness, he was more confused about who Vanessa brought back with her. He looked at Grey and Yuna with contusion in his eyes, his mind filled with question marks as he tried to figure out who they were.
It was then that Grey and Yuna realized that they were still in their disguises, and one more trivial and interesting thing. It was that their illusion magic really does work, and it was Vanessa who was weird for quickly identifying them.
"Ah, right... We're still in our disguises. Sorry about that, Mister Ranzel." ［Grey］
Without wasting a second, Grey and Yuna quickly undid their illusion magic, their hair and eyes returning to their original colors and their appearance and voices reverting back to what they truly are. Grey and Yuna are back to normal.
"Oh! So it was you two! Sorry for not greeting you sooner. It's good to see you after such a long time, Grey, Yuna?" ［Ranzel］
"Fufufu! It's good to see you too, Mister Ranzel. Have you been well?" ［Yuna］
"I've never been better. Though, it looks like you're still cautious around people, huh. You can freely take off your disguises in the mansion. No one will chase you here so you can relax yourselves." ［Ranzel］
"No, that's not it, Mister Ranzel... Big Sis Vanessa quickly caught us earlier so we thought it wasn't working. Though... It seems like it did..." ［Grey］
Hearing Grey's words, Ranzel looked at Vanessa with a slightly surprised expression, and the latter responded in kind with a smile. He didn't ask any further about it and simply looked back at Grey and Yuna with a gentle smile on his face.
"Yeah. My wife is quite the mysterious one, isn't she? It's also one of the reasons why I fell in love with her." ［Ranzel］
"Oh, gee... Dear, you don't have to say that out loud, you know?" ［Vanessa］
There was no use thinking too much about it. As Ranzel recalled all the things he knew about Vanessa, he realized that there are too many strange things about her to be concerned about. He just accepted it without asking any questions. Love truly is amazing.
Shenanigans aside, Grey and Yuna chatted a little bit with Ranzel and caught up with him for the months they haven't been in contact. Since Vanessa already told them most of it, there really wasn't much to talk about so it finished quiet quickly.
If there was anything Ranzel was concerned about, it was the photo papers they bought from Grey before they left for Graystone. They have already used most of them, and only a couple rolls are left.
"How many rolls would you like, Mister Ranzel? I still have quite a few in stock. Would a hundred films be enough? It's a silver coin per film." ［Grey］
"A hundred is fine, but... Hasn't the price decreased too much? I remember it was still a gold coin per film before." ［Ranzel］
"No, it's alright. Production is already starting in the Enchanters' Guild so I don't have to keep producing these myself. And it would probably be even lower in the future. It might take a while though." ［Grey］
"I see... That sounds very reassuring. I'll take you up on your offer then." ［Ranzel］
Thankfully, Grey was in the rescue, handing a hundred films towards Ranzel for the price of 100 thousand kiels. It has gone down 10 times the price yet the total was still enough money to buy a good house and live comfortably for a good while.
Of course, it doesn't just go for the camera but the other products Grey and Yuna are developing as well. They plan to enable the public to have access to them, but as things stand now, only nobles could afford them. They are still far from over,
"Oh? You like these, don't you, Anne? Here, open wide～!" ［Vanessa］
Meanwhile, whilst Grey and Ranzel were discussing business, Vanessa was feeding Antoinette her favorite banana puree. The little angel was all laughs and giggles, happily and excitedly opening her mouth as Vanessa fed her.
Of course, as one would expect from a baby, she was also a little messy and playful, spraying her food from time to time and playing with it with her hands. She even tries to steal the spoon from her mother, looking as if she wanted to feed herself.
"Anne, no, no, don't do that. You shouldn't waste food, you know? Here, open wide, Mommy's feeding you another spoon." ［Vanessa］
"Baa! Baa! Buu! Hehehe!" ［Antoinette］
Even if you try to scold her gently and talk things out, the little angel would only giggle and continue playing with her food. After all, in her eyes, it seems like her mother was playing with her. What else would you expect from a baby?
"Let me help you with that, Dear... Here, I don't know why, but she's much more composed when you hold her like this." ［Ranzel］
"Oh, thank you, Dear! You're a lifesaver!" ［Vanessa］
And Papa comes to the rescue. Ranzel soon picked up Antoinette from the baby high chair and had her sit on top of his lap, the little angel's back resting on his stomach, and his arms wrapped around her little, chubby waste.
Just like Ranzel said, the moment he held Antoinette like that, the little angel started calming down and behaving, only playing with his father's hand and not with the food anymore. She seems to like being held in such a way, slamming her little hands towards her father's forearms.
Grey and Yuna could only observe such a wholesome and heartwarming, Grey's hands moving before he knew it and snapping a couple photos of the family of three. They didn't plan to visit the Filastra household, but glad that they did.
'I wonder if Yuna and I would also have a family like this...' ［Grey］
Such a thought echoing inside his mind, Grey continued to look at the three before him before his eyes shifted to the young lady beside him. He doesn't know what the future holds for them yet, yet he couldn't help himself from looking forward to it.
"Grey, is something wrong?" ［Yuna］
"Nothing... I just thought of something silly..." ［Grey］
Just like that, time passed some more, and Anne's feeding finally came to an end. Though it was fun seeing the little angel be fed, she still created quite a mess from how playful she was, a couple food particles flung here and there.
Thankfully, it wasn't too hard to clean after her. With a flick of their hands and a little bit of magic, the mess was quickly cleaned up as if there was none to begin with, all were squeaky and sparkly. Magic really is convenient.
After the feeding, what came was playing with the little angel, the sound of giggles and rattles resounding in the room as they gave her some toys to play with, all the while making silly faces to make Antoinette giggle as if there was no tomorrow.
"Then, I'll be heading out now, Dear. See you later, everyone." ［Ranzel］
"Okay～! Make you to keep yourself safe, okay? And don't forget to come back before evening drops. We still have a party to attend." ［Vanessa］
"Alright. I'll keep that in mind." ［Ranzel］
Unfortunately, Ranzel couldn't stay in the mansion forever. As he was a Lt. General like Vanessa, the two of them decided to take turns in both their work and babysitting Antoinette. Vanessa would go in the morning, and Ranzel in the afternoon.
"Anne, say goodbye to Daddy." ［Vanessa］
"I'll see you later, Anne. Keep an eye on Mommy, alright? Make sure she doesn't go around causing trouble for everybody." ［Ranzel］
"Dear, that's mean, you know? Don't say stuff like that to Anne." ［Vanessa］
"Hahaha. I was just joking... Then, I'll be going now. I love you both." ［Ranzel］
Before long, Ranzel finally took his leave and the little angel's eyes followed after him as he left. It seems like she already understands her father was leaving, still looking at the door even when the sound of his footsteps already faded away.
"Anne, let's continue playing, shall we?" ［Vanessa］
Thankfully, Vanessa was there to cheer up the little angel, playing the rattle to grab her attention and shaking it vigorously to make sharp and playful chimes. The sound of giggles soon resounded in the air, a lovely smile floating on the little angel's face.
Time passed some more and lunch soon arrived. Whilst Vanessa was eating, Grey and Yuna played with the little angel, and when it was their turn, Vanessa took the reins once again and played with her daughter again, making all sorts of absurd expressions and doing all sorts of silly things.
Afternoon soon arrived and the sun started sinking down the faraway horizon. Despite having played for a couple hours already, Anne was still energetic and playful, her giggles still resounding in the air. She really was Vanessa's daughter,
CLING CLING CLING CLING CLING
And just as they were playing around, the sound of chimes started echoing in the air. It wasn't just any chimes, but the familiar ringing sounds Grey and Yuna just heard back in the forest a couple days ago. A spirit has entered the room.
Throughout their observation, Grey and Yuna have noticed that there were more spirits in nature than in urbanized areas. It was already uncommon seeing them in the streets, much less inside a room. It was just strange.
"Baa! Buu! Waa! Waa! Gaah gaah!" ［Antoinette］
But perhaps what's even stranger was the fact that Antoinette seems to be able to see them. It wasn't just a coincidence, her eyes really were following the spirit and her arms were extending out as if she was trying to reach it.
"Eh...? Anne can see them too...?" ［Yuna］
"Hm? Did you say something just now, Yuna?" ［Vanessa］
"A-Ah! Nothing! I was just thinking how adorable Anne is." ［Yuna］
They were so surprised, Yuna couldn't help but let out her thoughts. Thankfully, she only whispered her words in a low voice so Vanessa couldn't pick it up. And just by mentioning the little angel, Vanessa was distracted again. Successful distraction.
Apart from that, Grey and Yuna initially thought being a Transcendent had something to do with seeing the spirits, but seeing as to how Antoinette could also see and hear it, their initial hypothesis was quickly proven wrong.
"Anne, what are you doing? Do you want to play with Mommy that badly?" ［Vanessa］
Moreover, even Vanessa also couldn't see the spirit either even though it was right in front of her. They don't know about Ranzel, but if he also couldn't see them, then it would be safe to say the ability isn't hereditary either,
The spirit in front of Grey and Yuna were also a Lesser Spirit like the ones in the forest from before. It was only the wind attribute and was like a mass of air and heater swirling around, a gem staying still at the core of it.
'So it only has one gem, huh...' ［Grey］
Speaking of gems, Grey and Yuna were right with their assumption. The more of them the spirit has, the stronger they become. This is because they are solidified aether which one could call their cores. They are the essence and ego of the spirits.
Grey and Yuna confirmed this after bringing along the 4 from before and naming them, a process which actually makes a contract with spirit. At the same time, it also allows the spirits to manifest in the physical world and use their full power,
『Grey, should we call them as well to see how Anne would react?』 ［Yuna］
『Hmm... I think that's a good idea... Everyone, come out for a moment.』 ［Grey］
At Grey's call, four figures quickly manifested out of thin air. One was a floating sprite of fire, the other was a bundle of moss and vines, one was a round rock with pebbles circling around it, and the last was a chunk of ice with snow around it.
The reason why they looked different than before is because they are now stronger. After being named, a second gem manifested on the spirits and they all got stronger, their ranks changing from "Wanderer" to an "Explorer", now at G-rank.
The fire-attributed one was named "Scheat", the earth-attributed one was named "Markab", the floating chunk of ice was named "Algenib", and the green ball of moss and vines was named "Alpheratz". They were named after the 4 stars which makes the Great Square of Pegasus.
CLING CLING CLING CLING
『Yeah, you can play with Anne. Just make sure to not hurt her.』 ［Grey］
CLING CLING CLING CLING
They could only communicate with bell chimes, but Grey and Yuna knew they could understand their words. In fact, when they asked them to tell the other spirits to not play around when people are present, the rumors immediately stopped as if they carried out their request with perfection.
They can pass through solid objects, they can gather information, they can use and fight with magic, they're really obedient, and they are also cute. They seem to be the perfect companion, however... There was just one downside to them...
『They look really cute, don't they? Should we contract a couple more?』 ［Yuna］
『That's... That might be hard... You also know the price, don't you? We'll be the ones in loss if we keep naming more.』 ［Grey］
... It was that they cost aether to make a contract with them. In other words, the mana in your very soul, your mana capacity, would be chipped away a little bit. And in turn, your combat power would also decrease by a proportionate amount.
While it was only a tiny bit of mana for the two, barely amounting to much, if they kept on going, they would have been in trouble. Additionally, they also need regular mana to maintain their physical forms. It was the reason why they stopped at 4 only.
"Waah! Baa! Baa! Hehehe!" ［Antoinette］
"Anne, do you really like Mommy that much? You keep on smiling." ［Vanessa］
Though, in the case of a little child like Antoinette, it may be better to make a contract with a spirit. The earlier they make the contract, the better. After all, the spirit could still continue to grow. The cost would be less that way.
Their plan was good and all, but there was just itsy-bitsy but vital problem...
『Now... How should we break this down to Big Sis Vanessa...』 ［Grey］
『Good luck, Grey. I'll leave it to you,』 ［Yuna］
『Hey, don't just run on me. We're both in this togeー』 ［Grey］
『Lalala-lalala～! I can't hear anything～! Lalala-lalala～!』 ［Yuna］
... They might sound crazy the moment they try to explain things, a lot of troublesome things coming soon after. Life is sometimes too cruel...
CHAPTER 350 END