2439 Weight of Power (Part 1)
"It would be the definitive proof that they are right. We'd make them think that we are afraid of them and we'd surely fall into a trap. All their accomplice has to do is push a few buttons to send us into the middle of a carefully staged trap from which we would have no way out.
"Sealed Space blocks even my link with my mother and with enough arrays, taking down the three of us is child's play."
"Good gods!" Nyka blurted out in surprise, taking over her own mouth for a second.
"Thank the gods you are here, Dawn." Solus was already rushing to cancel the reservation when she realized that the Horseman was right. "What do you propose we do?"
"Nothing." Dawn walked briskly toward her hotel, making sure that no one followed her and alerting Baba Yaga of Night's latest ploy. "As long as we stay in a populated area, there's nothing they can do to us.
"Remember that they want to capture us alive and that we are currently in a flying fortress. The automated defenses would take them down in a second and they know it. That's why they want us to panic and act without thinking.
"We'll continue our vacation as if nothing has happened and leave by flight without notice. We can either call my mother to pick us up or use another Gate since the accomplice of the living legacies can't interfere unless they know both our position and destination."
"I'd go for the latter. If we are followed, we would be attacked the moment we leave the city and Mother is busy at the moment. She can drop everything to reach us, but with Nestamaath constantly moving and no geyser around, it would take her time."
The word geyser made an idea pop into Solus' mind.
'I just need to wait until Nestamaath flies near one. At that point, Nyka seals Dawn, I conjure the tower, and then we'll tower Warp to Lith in a heartbeat without leaving a trace behind.
'If we call Malyshka, instead, she'd be forced to wait until Nestamaath is far away enough in order to not be mistaken by an enemy and attacked by the automated defenses.
"By the time the living legacies realize what has happened, I'll be back to Lutia and if they dare follow us there, they'll be the ones falling into our trap.'
***
Verhen Mansion, at the same time.
"Farm Night! I finally got some peace and she's already working to destroy my life." When Solus had called to alert Lith of the threat, he was having breakfast with his family.
"Don't worry about it." Solus' hologram shrugged. "I have still plenty of mana and I didn't use my breathing technique much. I'm not going to wait until I'm running on fumes so even in case we get attacked, I can defend myself."
"Send me the details about your departure via Soluspedia." Lith nodded. "Council amulets are supposed to be untraceable but better safe than sorry."
"Agreed. Good luck with your first lesson about Void Magic. I wish I was there with you." She said with a sigh.
"Me too. Preparing the slides has been a hassle. It took me days to dumb the concepts down enough so that even Kami understood what I was saying." His reply earned him a punch on the arm.
"What do you mean even I?" Kamila pouted. "I'm not stupid. It's just that I'm no mage and all those things you said were baffling at best."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that." Lith scratched his head in embarrassment. "What I was trying to say is that someone with limited knowledge of magic like you was the perfect test subj-"
A volley of glares from around the table made him choke on his words.
"The perfect student. Today I'm going to explain tier zero Void Magic and thanks to your job and Jirni's training, you have an understanding just below the fourth year students who'll attend my class today.
"If even you- I mean, since you managed to follow the lesson with ease, they should be capable of doing the same."
"Much better." Kamila glossed over her private lessons with Solus and her own practice of Void Magic.
She wanted to keep them a secret in order to keep Lith off her back. He already shadowed her like a Guardian. The last thing she needed was to give him a reason to spend even more time with her while he turned her into a war machine for the fun of it.
"Why didn't you teach us as well, Uncle Lith?" Leria tormented her long golden hair while staring at him with her patented big puppy eyes.
Alas, this time they had no effect.
"Ask your mother." He pointed at Rena.
"Auntie Kami is an Awakened while you are not." She walked around the table, lifting Leria in a sudden embrace that made her yelp. "You are still young. I want you to think less about magic and more about having fun."
"But Mom-" Rena's sniffling made the rebuttal die on Leria's lips. "I'm sorry, Mom. Please, don't cry. I don't care about magic."
Ever since the Royal Gala, Rena was having a hard time. Things had never gone so well for her family but her personal life was creaking. Onyx had Awakened, Abominus seemed to be close to Awakening, and Rena was afraid that Leria would be next.
The mansion was located above a powerful mana geyser and Rena had forbidden Lith to further Leria's magical education to keep her from Awakening. Rena was already struggling with the idea that her daughter would leave the household in a few years.
Were Leria to Awaken, she would be forced to stay with Lith until she mastered her new abilities and was no longer a threat to those around her. After that, the divide between Rena and her daughter would grow wider, just like it was happening with her husband.
Leria was an obedient girl, but Rena struggled to inspire respect in someone who could overpower her with a wave of the hand. She also had no idea how to answer Leria's questions about magic nor could take part in any game that required more than a measly bright red core.
Rena was cut out from her daughter's world and was terrified at the thought that Awakening would further set them apart. As for Senton, he was still ruminating about the Gala and the fact that no one bothered to even remember his name.
He couldn't take it out on the nobles nor did he resent Rena for it.
Yet his bitterness was there and it brought him to isolate himself often. Incapable of dealing with a feeling of inadequacy that grew along with Leria's powers, he would rarely talk to Rena anymore.
Senton did it to protect his wife and to not burden her, yet the result was that Rena felt like they were turning into strangers.
"Don't worry, my little girl, it's not your fault." Rena looked at Aran who lowered his gaze in shame, feeling somehow responsible for his sister's suffering since he was about to ask the same thing.
