《Taming My Vampire Servant》


 Chapter 1 - "Crimson Red"

    It was dead silent.


    The strong rustic smell of blood wafted in the air.


    "What is this smell¡­ Where am I?" the woman muttered to herself. Her hands, which were on her lap, were tied, and she was also tightly blindfolded. Struggling, she moved her hands trying to loosen the piece of cloth tightly wrapped around her wrists.


    It took her a moment before finally succeeding in breaking free and immediately pulled the blindfold upwards for her to see where she was¡­


    Only to find out that numerous dead bodies were scattered around her. Her vision was still blurry, but their gruesome appearances were already engraved in her mind. Some had deep cuts on their chests, while some were stabbed multiple times. She then glanced at the horrified faces of the corpses surrounding her. They were dead, but it was as if she was still hearing their terrified screams.


    The woman, wearing a beautiful white gown stained with blood, covered her ears and trembled at the awful sight. She couldn''t move because of fear. She''s all by herself, in a place covered in blood -- a place unknown.


    "Why¡­ What am I doing here?" she mumbled, confused as to what really happened. Her mind''s filled with boggling thoughts. She kept thinking whether to shout for help or silently try to escape the place.


    Mustering up her courage, she wobbly stood up and searched for something to help her. She tiptoed, trying not to touch the blood, but almost stepped on a bloody sword near her bare feet. She grabbed it and while covering her nose with the back of her hand, she quickly ran away from the room until reaching the hallway in a place that seemed like a castle. She was still figuring out what she was doing there and what happened before she was blindfolded. However, even in the hallway, there were corpses lying around. Most of them looked like knights, judging from their silver plated armors.


    She ran without looking back. She just concentrated on finding an exit from that filthy place, finally reaching a garden full of roses, with high hedges serving as a fence. It looked very peaceful; there seemed to be no bloodshed in that part of the castle.


    Relieved, she walked slowly, and breathed the fresher, flowery scent of the rose-garden. The stench of blood has finally disappeared.


    "Master," a voice of a man surprised her.


    She lifted the bloody sword up to her waist as she turned around to the man who called out. She scrutinized him from head to toe, "Who are you?"


    A tall handsome man was smiling at her. His crimson-colored eyes were as vivid as the bloodstains on his clothes.


    "I am your loyal servant," he softly spoke, smiling sweetly at her afterwards.


    The woman, enchanted with the man''s smile, trusted him immediately. She dropped her sword and stepped towards him, "What happened here? Why is everyone¡­ dead?"


    "Ah¡­ that," the man smirked, "They failed to protect you."


    "What¡­ do you mean?" her brows furrowed, puzzled as to why he talked bad about the dead people, "And please... don''t be rude¡­ I''m certain that they did their best."


    "Their best? You''re certainly sure that''s their best?" he suddenly laughed maniacally.


    His laugh sent shivers down her spine; her heart''s starting to pound fast. Slowly stepping backward, she realized that he may be insane, "What''s so funny?".


    The man looked at her with amazement and continued speaking, "Cause they''re all fucking losers! Why would they die if they are weaklings?"


    "But¡­ but I am alive?" she wanted to explain, but it was the only words that came out of her mouth. "I know, they did their best, that''s why I am alive right now, so-"


    "Master," he spoke softly before stepping forward, closing the gap between them. "I am the reason why you''re alive right now. Can''t you just be happy that you and I are both alive?"


    The woman''s eyes widened, "You? You protected me?". He nodded. She thought that it may be the reason why he was the only one alive with her. "Why, thank you¡­ Thank you so much¡­" she couldn''t help but shed tears, relieved that her servant was there to protect her.


    "I''ll do anything for you, master,'''' his crimson-colored irises gazed endearingly at the woman''s light blue irises. He gently grabbed her right hand, planting a soft kiss on the back of it.


    She smiled sweetly at him, touched by her servant''s loyal attitude.


    He caressed it as if she''s his treasure, "Do you accept me now as your only servant?" and stared at her, waiting for an answer.


    The woman acknowledged him without even wondering what his words meant.


    "Finally," the man grinned from ear to ear, intertwining his hands with hers.


    Out of the blue, she then asked him curiously, "But who killed them?"


    But it was too late when she noticed the change in his mood. His sweet smile turned into a blank expression. His endearing gaze shifted to dullness, and his grip on his master''s hand tightened, leaving the woman in pure shock.


    "They''re all not worthy to be your servants, so¡­" the man pulled the woman''s hand towards his face and brushed it onto his cheek. He stared at his master like he''s hungry for her, and he said,


    "There''s no one else in this place who took their lives but I."


    ¡­


    "GAAAAAH!"


    Ivory Sprucemint woke up from falling down the creaking, wooden bed. She stroked her butt, feeling sore because of her ugly fall. ''What a weird nightmare,'' she thought.


    "You''re so loud!" Her sister Katie, who is three years younger than Ivory, shouted. "Isn''t today your first day in Qawiun Academy? Why are you still here-"


    "GAAAAH!" She screamed and hurriedly ran out of the room.


    Ivory washed her face, brushed her teeth, and changed into her most comfortable checkered buttoned shirt, brown knee-length skirt, and favorite field boots in an instant.


    "Bye, mother! Bye, father!" She waved at her parents who were eating in the dining room. She just recently received the news that she''s now eligible to enter the academy, and she was very enthusiastic about it.


    "How about your breakfast-", her mother Anne tried to stop her, but she was already leaving the house.


    "She''s so excited to go to the academy," Her father Gordon laughed, as he felt proud of his daughter being chosen to go to the most prestigious school in the Kingdom of Destinia.


    Qawiun Academy is a special academy only for those people chosen by the Goddess Destinia herself. Upon birth, an indicator called the ''birthmark of Destinia'', which is shaped like a harp, has already been engraved on their skin permanently. These people possess an abundant amount of magic power or mana, and through the help of the academy''s Educators, they shall learn how to properly use their mana and learn combat skills.


    "Are you leaving Greensteid Town?" her neighbor Ken asked when he saw Ivory running. He was riding in a wagon which was pulled forward by his donkey, "Hop on, I can at least drop you off at Alpharion City."


    Ivory gave him a wide smile, thinking how very lucky she was on her first day, "Oh my, thank you Ken!"


    She rode the wagon and was asked to ride at the back with crates of fruits.


    "You''re going to deliver these to Alpharion City?" Ivory asked him.


    "I''ll be going around the three main cities, Omegalion, Alpharion, and Betania City."


    "I see¡­ So you''re going to deliver to stores, huh¡­" she stared at one of the crates, where the shiny vibrant red apples caught her eyes. She thought of stealing one, but pinched her cheeks hard to stop herself from thinking about such evil thoughts.


    Ken knew his childhood friend very well, so he told her, "Ivory, you see the crate with no cover there?"


    "Hmmm, yes," she tried not to look at the crate with the apples.


    "You can take as many apples as you want. It''s mine anyways."


    "You really know me huh?" she burst out laughing. "Thanks again, Ken! You really are the best!"


    Ivory took five apples from the crate and placed them in her bag. ''Did I take too many? Ahh, he said I can take as many as I want, so I guess it will be okay,'' she thought. She then took another one and ate it on the way.


    As the wagon went forward, the warm wind brushed on Ivory''s long and silky silver hair. She looked up to the sky and through her light blue eyes, the reflections of the clouds could be seen.


    The two of them took the Western course, in which they would pass through the green fields of Barion Town where wheat was being planted and harvested. If they took the Eastern course, they would need to pass through two cities and one town.


    It was after one hour that they arrived at Alpharion City.


    "I''m sorry I had to drop you here. This is as far as I can bring you," Ken said apologetically. He felt sad about not bringing his childhood friend to her new school.


    "It''s alright! You''ve already helped me a lot. If I were to travel alone, it might take me three hours!" Ivory replied in an energetic manner, before waving goodbye to him.


    ''Now¡­ I think I can walk to Qawiun Academy by myself,'' she mused, as she moved her feet forward.


    Compared to her hometown, Greensteid Town, which was secluded in the forests, Alpharion City seemed more alive. As Ivory walked past through a couple of stores and was reaching the middle part of the city, the sound of walking horses on cobblestone roads and the chattering of city folks became louder and louder. Merchants could be seen everywhere, selling a variety of goods, including jewelries and clothes. Ivory could also see some eateries around, and she dreamed of dining there once she got her allowance from the Castle.


    After around ten minutes of walking, Ivory arrived at the academy''s gate in which the letters ''QAWIUN ACADEMY'' were carved on very large orange-colored amber, its color intensifying whenever the sunlight struck it.


    "Excuse me, I have the birthmark of Destinia. Can I come inside the campus now?" Ivory politely asked the male gatekeeper.


    "Can you show me your birthmark?" he asked her.


    "Ahh¡­ That¡­ It''s¡­" she bit her lower lip, trying her best not to look at the man in front of her.


    "Will you show me or I''ll ask you to leave the premises?" the gatekeeper sternly asked again.


    Ivory was still biting her lower lip and her cheeks were starting to flush. Her legs squirmed upon hearing the gatekeeper''s question again, "That...i....it''s¡­''

 Chapter 2 - "Latecomers!"

    "Oh, is it in an awkward place? Sorry!" he turned to look at the female gatekeeper on the guardhouse found on the other side of the post. "Hey! Come here for a moment and look for this girl''s mark."


    The female gatekeeper approached Ivory, "Hi, so where is it?"


    "It''s¡­" Ivory whispered to her shyly and when they turned their back on the others, she let her peek under her skirt.


    With a small magic lantern with intricate wooden carvings, she searched for it under her skirt, and as a response to the magic light, the birthmark glowed. After finishing examining Ivory, she asked her for her personal details and went back to the guardhouse to make a gate pass. Using a quill pen dipped in black ink, she wrote Ivory''s information on a scroll and went back to her once she was done.


    "Here, Miss Ivory," the woman said with a big smile. "You should hurry! You''re already ten minutes late!"


    "GAAAAAAH!" Ivory shrieked as she took her gate pass scroll. She held it tightly and when the gate opened, she thanked the two gatekeepers before running as fast as she could.


    ''So that''s why there were no people outside the gate!'' she thought as she ran past the stoned road. The warm wind brushed her face, smelling the fresh scent of the poplar trees lined up on the opposite edges of the road. Soon after, she could already see the front building of the academy, in which the walls were composed of stone and wood.


    When she arrived at the door, a knight guard halted her, "I''m sorry, but the opening ceremony is already starting inside. I suggest you wait here until it''s finished."


    "But sir! It''s the opening ceremony," Ivory said in a desperate tone, "I might need to listen to it! Maybe there''s something important that I need to-"


    The knight guard raised his right hand, "No. Rules are rules. Latecomers will not attend the opening ceremony."


    "Gaaahhh¡­" she sighed and sat on the wooden bench at the side of the door. ''I wish I had a horse-drawn carriage so I won''t be late¡­ Ugh¡­ It''s because of that stupid nightmare that I woke up late!'' she thought, covering her face with her palms.


    The noisy sound of a closed-door horse-drawn carriage made her look at the road. It was a bright red carriage, with intricate gold-colored lines on the surface, and two majestic-looking white horses were running in front.


    ''Two horses¡­ Must be a rich person¡­'' Ivory muttered and continued to observe them from where she was seated.


    When the horse drawn carriage arrived in front of the front building, a person wearing a clean pressed and shiny black suit and suit-vest went down from the coachman''s seat and opened the door.


    "We''re here, sir," the butler said as he assisted the young man from his seat.


    A neat-looking blonde-haired guy wearing a plain white formal shirt underneath a dark brown faux fur collar leather coat and dark brown slacks got out of the carriage. He faced his butler and ordered him, "Pick me up before dinner."


    "Yes, sir Lucius," said the butler and bowed down as respect to him.


    "Sir¡­ Sir Goldwine!" When the knight guards saw him, they stood up straight and made a salute to him.


    "Good morning," Lucius Goldwine also gave a salute to them, "I guess I''m late for the opening ceremony."


    "Open the door-"


    "Hey, wait!" Ivory stood up from her seat upon hearing their conversation. She approached them and looked at the knight guard, "You''ll let him enter, but not me? Why? Because I look poor?"


    "Uhhh¡­ Miss, it''s because Sir Goldwine is-"


    "How about going in with me, miss?" Lucius said with a kind smile. "What''s your name?"


    "I''m Ivory Sprucemint, a new student," Ivory replied and tried remembering what the knight guard said a moment ago, "You''re Lucius Gold...Goldwing, right?"


    "Goldwine," he emphasized and a smile formed on his lips. "I''m a new student as well, Ivory" he extended his arms and they shook hands. "Nice to meet you, classmate."


    "Nice to meet you as well!" she responded happily. She''s pleased that the rich young man was kind enough to help her.


    "We''ll be going in, now," Lucius showed his gate pass scroll to the knight guard, and Ivory did the same.


    Ivory rolled her eyes at the knight guard who didn''t let her pass, disappointed that there was obviously a discrimination.


    As soon as they entered the large wooden double doors, Ivory widened her eyes in awe. There were plenty of students who were all lined up whilst holding their gate pass scrolls.


    "Oh no," she looked around the big hall, "Where should we line up? Hmmm..shall we look for an Educator and-"


    "Sir Lucius Goldwine! Good to see you!" a middle-aged man wearing a panama hat and a trench coat approached them.


    "Sir Arthurdane, hello. Sorry if I''m late," Lucius said as they shook hands.


    "It''s alright. I understand. You came from Megalia City, and it''s almost an hour ride going here," he patted the younger man''s shoulder and noticed the young woman beside Lucius. "Ah... Good day, miss. I''m terribly sorry for not noticing you. Are you from the Goldwine clan, too?"


    "Ah, no, uhm¡­ My name is Ivory Sprucemint, a new student¡­"


    "She''s a friend of mine," Lucius said when he saw him looking at her with a puzzled expression.


    Sir Arthurdane pointed at the blue flag, "By the way, you can line up with the students behind the blue flag. I need to go as I have other matters to attend to. Please send my greetings to your father."


    "Of course. Thank you, sir."


    After Sir Arthurdane left, the two of them lined up at the end of the said line.


    "Who''s the one we spoke to?" Ivory curiously asked.


    "He''s the principal of Qawiun Academy, Sir Zwain Arthurdane," Lucius answered after lining up behind her.


    "If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask."


    "Can I ask about you then?" she tilted her head.


    Lucius chuckled, "Of course. What is it?"


    "Why are they calling you ''Sir''? You''re¡­ you''re an educator, aren''t you?" Ivory looked at him suspiciously, "Are you just testing my behavior?"

 Chapter 3 - "The Goddess Blessing"

    Lucius shook his head and chuckled again, finding it amusing that she even thought of something nonsensical, "Like what I''ve said before, I am also a new student. I am just eighteen."


    "Oh! I''m a year older than you. What do you want me to call you?"


    "Lucius. Please call me Lucius. How about you, Miss Ivory?"


    "Call me Ivory," she smiled, feeling grateful she met someone as nice as him.


    Sir Zwain Arthurdane started walking towards the front of the wide, wooden stage. He cleared his throat as he called the attention of the hundred students in front of him.


    While using a conical object to amplify his voice, he spoke loudly, "Welcome to Qawiun Academy, our new students! I am Zwain Arthurdane, the principal of this school! As we all know, the Kingdom of Destinia is composed of three main lands: the Land of Olivea, the Land of Rosaria, and the Land of Sandria. But you should all know that in the past, these three lands weren''t unified! Once upon a time..."


    Lucius leaned closer to Ivory and whispered, "Looks like we''re going to have a history class."


    The other students sighed as the principal continued discussing the history of the Kingdom. While most students found the speech boring, Ivory did not think the same. She loved hearing about the history of the Kingdom ever since. She enjoyed listening to her mother''s bedtime stories when she was still a kid.


    "And so, as the chosen fighters of our beloved Kingdom of Destinia, you all have the obligation to do your best and fight for peace and order!" Sir Arthurdane said with conviction, "Today, you will summon your fated loyal Servants that will fight with you! Do you understand?"


    "Yes sir!" all the newbies shouted in unison.


    As soon as they shouted, a glittery illusion with tints and hues of blue filled the room, leaving everyone in amazement, including the academy staff. Seeing this magical phenomenon, the students got even more excited and noisier.


    Principal Arthurdane quickly conversed with the Educators about the surprising incident and after the discussion, he appeared again in front of the students as the shimmering light, now composed of white orbs, continued to scatter in the air.


    "Everyone¡­ This is the blessing of our Goddess Destinia! Your batch has been blessed and chosen to participate in the Servant Competition that will take place in three years, which is exactly after your graduation!" he said enthusiastically, then continued explaining,


    "The prizes include the following,


    Two horse drawn carriages of the top quality, with the horses being trained in the Castle''s stables,


    One hundred fifty thousand gold coins,


    Ownership to a stone mansion near the Castle,


    Two years unlimited supply of pork,


    and... either a Royal Knight position in the Castle or an Educator position here in Qawiun Academy!"


    The exhilarated first years started talking about the prizes.


    "I want that two years unlimited supply of pork," Ivory heard one of her classmates say. She then faced Ivory and asked her in a friendly manner, "How about you, what do you like most?"


    "I want the pork, too," Ivory chuckled, "But I want the horse drawn carriage right now! I was late today, and it was really awful¡­"


    Sir Arthurdane proceeded with his speech, "Settle down, settle down! It''s nice to see you all get excited! However, we can''t do the Servant Competition without the prerequisites. First, you need to summon your very own Servant. Second, you need to practice your combat and magic skills, and in the process learn to control your mana. Finally, you need to figure out your best fighting style and graduate with flying colors. So, to the new students of Qawiun Academy, are you ready to summon your Servants?"


    "Yes, sir!"


    "Come with me to the Coliseum!"


    The students followed the principal in an orderly manner. In three long lines, they walked behind him as their hearts were beating fast due to nervousness and excitement.


    The Coliseum was situated at the centermost part of the academy. The stone structure was shaped in a circle, which had no ceiling. Judging from the area it occupied and the number of rows that the stone seats had, the Coliseum could accommodate at least five hundred people.


    The one hundred new students sat around on the stone seats nearest to the center where the summoning circle could be found.


    One by one, they were called to the middle by the Educators, and they summoned their Servants by touching a crystal ball attached to a stone stable. A bright blue light emitted at the summoning circle every time a Servant got summoned. The excitement was evident on the faces of the Masters.


    "I wonder what kind of Servant I''ll summon¡­" Ivory uttered.


    Lucius, upon hearing her statement, explained, "It is said that your servant will appear in your dream in the same week as their summoning. Have you dreamed of anything peculiar this week?"


    "A dream¡­" she thought deeply. "But I''ve been dreaming a lot of things recently¡­ so how will I know?"


    "It''s like this-"


    An Educator suddenly called her, "Ivory Sprucemint¡­ Ivory Sprucemint? It''s your turn!"


    "Oh! I''m sorry, I need to go down, Lucius."


    "No worries! Good luck, Ivory," his gaze followed her.


    The elated Ivory stepped down the stone-made coliseum stairs and approached the summoning circle.


    "Don''t be afraid, young one," one of the Educators said, "Don''t be too surprised if the summoning circle glowed. Do not let go at all costs. It will just respond to your mana. Okay?"


    With a big smile, Ivory nodded, and she was asked to stand beside the Educators. In front of her was a crystal ball, and she was ordered to touch its surface with both of her hands.


    "Be calm, it will be quick. Are you ready?"


    Ivory responded with determination in her eyes, "Yes, sir!"


    Not long after, her palm felt cold on the surface of the crystal ball. To her surprise, it started shaking a little, and the summoning circle¡­


    ¡­emitted a bright red light!

 Chapter 4 - "Summoning The Stubborn Servant"

    The bright red light was an unexpected occurrence, as well as the strong gust of wind that came from the circle!


    "What¡­ What''s happening?!"


    "Educator Wallace, make it stop!!"


    "The crystal ball is shaking!! The new student might get hurt!!"


    "Make it stop now!! There''s an intense mana surging in the summoning circle!!"


    "If you don''t make it stop now, who knows what might happen?!"


    Ivory could hear the panicking Educators beside her, yelling at each other. The gusty wind started to terrify the crowd as well. She was told to hold onto the crystal ball and not let go. But now that she needed to let go, her hands were stuck on it!


    "Look! A Servant was summoned!!"


    A black-haired young man, with crimson-colored eyes, appeared in the middle of the summoning circle. He had fangs like a Vampire. Over his leather armour, he wore a black cloak, but the cloth appeared to have been damaged by fire. It was as if the man had just come from a bloody battle that he still had blood splattered all over him.


    The gust of wind gradually stopped upon his appearance, and the Servant completely materialized because Ivory did not let go of the crystal ball. When she realized that it was all done, she felt very weak until her knees fell on the ground.


    ''What a strong aura,'' Ivory thought. Even though she felt very weak, she was thinking positively, thinking about how high her chance of winning would be for the Servant Competition.


    She thought of the prizes:


    Two horse-drawn carriages of the top quality, with the horses being trained in the Castle''s stables,


    One hundred fifty thousand gold coins,


    Ownership to a stone mansion near the Castle,


    Two years unlimited supply of pork,


    and... either a Royal Knight position at the Castle or an Educator position at Qawiun Academy.


    Yes¡­ All of these things might be possible with a very strong Servant!


    While she was lost in her thoughts, the summoning circle stopped glowing, and the Servant looked around him, searching for his Master.


    The Servant approached one of the Educators and kneeled down before him, "Master. I am at your service. Shall we do the Contract Ritual?"


    "I am not your Master¡­ I am Wallace, an Educator here in the academy..."


    The Servant immediately stood up, embarrassed about kneeling down in front of the wrong man!


    "You''re not¡­ my Master?" he still could not believe what Wallace just said.


    Educator Wallace shook his head, "I already have my own Servant. Why do you think that I am your Master though?"


    "Because your mana quality is great," the Servant looked around again and studied the faces of the Educators in the circle, not even noticing the young woman who summoned him. "Who is my Master, then?"


    "I¡­" Ivory uttered, her knees still trembling from loss of mana, "I am your Master!!!"


    The Servant turned to Ivory, who was still on the ground and in a terrible state, and glared at her, "Come again?"


    Ivory gazed into his eyes and spoke in a loud voice, "I¡­ I am the one who summoned you! I am your Master!!!"


    The Servant raised his eyebrow and approached the helpless woman. He stared down and laughed at her, "You''ve got to be kidding me! A weakling like you cannot be my Master!"


    "Weakling¡­?" Ivory struggled to stand up, but she couldn''t, "But¡­ I am your Master¡­"


    "Ivory!" Lucius hurriedly came down after assessing the situation. He knelt beside her, helping her up before placing his arms underneath her thighs, and carried her like a princess, "Servant, this girl is your Master. You should be the one helping her in this situation!"


    "Human, who are you to order me?" the Servant gritted his teeth, annoyed about how the human talked back to him.


    "You insolent Ser-"


    "Lucius¡­ I feel¡­ really weak¡­" Ivory had no strength left to hold onto him.


    Upon seeing the struggles of the new student, Educator Wallace ordered one of the academy knight guards to bring Ivory to the clinic. He took Ivory from Lucius'' arms and marched out of the Coliseum.


    "Why the hell is she so weak," the Servant smirked.


    Lucius stared angrily at him, "How insolent! You rejected your Master in front of everyone!" He was very mad at the Servant. He took pity on his new friend; she was full of life that morning, but then suffered terribly just by summoning a useless Servant.


    "What I do is none of your business," he replied to him with a scornful look.


    Educator Rosanna Flameberg, known for bloody red long hair, was observing them cautiously. She was wearing a spiral bandage on her chest under her one sleeved black hakama, exposing the tattoo on her right shoulder.


    The educator realized that the Servant that Ivory summoned was not an ordinary one. Although the normal color of the summoning circle should be a shade of blue, it displayed a red one, and that means¡­


    "You''re a vampire, aren''t you?" Educator Rosanna asked him as she played with her hair, and everyone who heard her was shocked.


    Vampires, together with Werewolves, were punished by Goddess Destinia years ago because of the chaos that they had caused in the Silverblade Castle.


    "How come¡­ How come you were summoned?" Educator Wallace was dumbfounded. Was it also the Goddess''s decision to bring the Vampire Class back?


    "I belong to the Vampire Class. My name is¡­ Sigmund," he said in a cold tone. "I do not wish to serve someone weak just like that girl. It''s not befitting to someone strong as me to have such a frail Master."


    "Why do you think Goddess Destinia let you be partnered with a weak Master like her?" the principal finally spoke, "This may be your punishment for all your past sins-"


    Angered about his statement, Sigmund suddenly ran towards Sir Arthurdane to punch him and was lucky enough to dodge him!


    "You seem weaker than what I expect you to be," Sir Arthurdane told him as he looked down on Sigmund, lying on the ground, "You can sense mana, but you''re at a disadvantage in that state. It makes sense, though. If you don''t accept your Master and perform the Contract Ritual with her, you will never unlock your power. For now, you are nothing but a human with fangs."


    Sigmund glared at the principal, but he knew that he''s right.


    For Servants to use their powers, they must complete a Contract Ritual with their Masters. Every Servant had different ways of performing it, depending on their nature.


    "Nevertheless, you''re still that new student''s Servant, so we have to look after you," Sir Arthurdane told him.


    "I will never accept any help from you," Sigmund pridefully stood up and grumpily walked towards the exit.


    "We should follow him," Educator Rosanna suggested. "He might cause trouble in the city."


    The principal raised his hand to stop her, "Leave him be. He''s still a human. Let him starve outside, so he can think about returning to his Master. For now, we should focus on the summoning ritual."


    The summoning ritual continued, and the students were murmuring about what had happened in the Coliseum. They wondered what kind of mana Ivory had that made her own Servant despise her, and Ivory.... became the talk of the academy that day.

 Chapter 5 - "The Runaway Servant"

    The summoning rituals of the new students came to an end, but Ivory was still lying on the clinic''s bed. With consciousness coming back to her, she slowly opened her eyes and stared at the wooden ceiling for a brief while.


    "Ugh¡­" Ivory raised her head and slowly sat on the bed, feeling nauseous. "What happened? Where am I?"


    "You''re in the clinic. You were brought here after you lost consciousness. You gave a lot of your mana to materialize your Servant," the nurse explained the situation to her, "...and because a Contract Ritual was not done, you cannot get back your lost mana."


    "Sorry¡­. I¡­ I don''t understand¡­" Ivory spoke in a soft voice and scanned the room looking for her Servant. "My Servant¡­ Where is he?"


    The nurse shook her head, "He''s very stubborn and refused to accept you as his master, so he left the academy grounds."


    "What?!" she was so shocked to hear the news that her head throbbed. Servants were supposed to protect their Master, so how come he left her? In desperation, Ivory stood up and briskly walked towards the door, only to be stopped by a young man.


    "Ivory," it was Lucius, who came to check on his friend. "Where are you going? You should be resting!"


    "I am alright now¡­" she glanced and smiled weakly at him.


    "No, stay here-"


    "Please¡­ I¡­ I need to talk to my Servant and make him accept me-"


    Lucius held both of Ivory''s shoulders and looked at her in the eyes, "Listen to me, Ivory. You should rest first. He really took out a lot of mana from you."


    "The Contract Ritual is a spellbinding magic that lets the Servant and the Master borrow and share mana with each other. Without it, both of you will never get stronger," the nurse interrupted after seeing their worried faces. "The Educators advised you to go back home and rest today as there are no more activities this afternoon."


    "But¡­ I will have to walk to Greensteid town¡­" her eyes were staring on the floor.


    "You don''t have a carriage?" Lucius sounded surprised.


    Ivory shook her head.


    "Don''t you worry. I''ll ask for the principal''s help," Lucius said, offering his arm to her. "Let''s go to his office, which is near here. Come, you should hold my arm."


    Ivory was touched with his kind offer, but also a bit ashamed since it seemed like she''d been a nuisance to him since this morning. They just met that day, but all that Lucius did was to help her. If only her Servant accepted her, she wouldn''t have to bother him anymore.


    "By the way, where''s your Servant?" Ivory placed her hand on his arm as she wondered why he went alone.


    "My Servant is in my bag," he glanced at her.


    She widened her eyes in surprise. How was it possible that a Servant could be placed inside a small bag?


    "But how did your Servant¡­"


    "I got a creature from the Golem Class," Lucius explained, "He''s a warm, porous rock when passive. He''s actually big and heavy, so I can''t make him walk here in his true form."


    "I see¡­ We got totally different Servants, huh¡­"


    As they passed the hallway, students from different sections were staring at them, talking about her.


    "Speaking of the weakling¡­"


    "Isn''t that the student who got rejected by her own Servant?"


    "That''s so hilarious what the heck!"


    "I didn''t think it was possible at first! I wonder how weak she is?"


    "Don''t ask something stupid! The moment I saw her, she''s definitely at the bottom!"


    "Geez, her mana must be of low quality. If I were her Servant, I would also leave instantly!"


    "She''s a low class for sure. Look at her outfit, duh? It''s so out of style. She''s a country bumpkin!"


    Ivory furrowed her eyebrows in disappointment. The mean looks that she was receiving from the people around her made her feel so small. She clenched her fist, encouraging herself that she must not give up yet. Perhaps if she could meet her servant, they could get to know each other better and work together.


    Lucius glanced at Ivory who looked dispirited. He patted her back gently before speaking, "Don''t mind them. Their first impression of you doesn''t define who you really are."


    They arrived at the Principal''s office and were welcomed by Principal Zwain Arthurdane.


    "You''re here, come, sit," Sir Arthurdane said, and they sat at the velvet sofa. He sat on the other sofa across them, "How are you feeling, Miss Sprucemint?"


    "I''m a little dizzy, but I''m better now. Lucius has been helping me..."


    "Thank you, Sir Lucius, for being a kind classmate. As expected, you''re very responsible. No wonder your father has been training you to be his successor as a General."


    "He''s training me because I am his only son," Lucius chuckled, "By the way, sir. I would like to borrow your carriage so that I can bring Ivory home since it''s a bit far from the academy."


    Sir Arthurdane nodded, "Yes, of course, you can. Besides, I made sure that there are no activities this afternoon to let the new Masters rest." He then cleared his throat before staring at Ivory. In a serious tone, he said, "Miss Sprucemint, your servant¡­ is of the Vampire class."


    "Vampire...?" her head tilted.


    "We all thought that Goddess Destinia had banished them but honestly... none of the Educators exactly know what is happening right now. I might go to the Castle to talk to the Oracle tomorrow," the principal explained. "Your Vampire Servant has introduced himself as Sigmund. If you see him around town, call his name. He has no powers for now because you haven''t done the Contract Ritual. Also, you''re feeling weak because there''s no spellbinding magic that can enable you to mutually share Goddess Destinia''s mana with him."


    "Then I''ll go around town first before going home. I need to find him," Ivory stood up, but she only felt dizzier.


    "Ivor-"


    Lucius'' voice faded as she became unconscious again.

 Chapter 6 - "Warmth Of A Family"

    When she woke up, she was already lying down on her bed at home, with a lit candle on her bedside table. Her stomach growled from hunger and despite feeling weak, she helped herself up and slowly went to the dining area.


    "Give her some acorn soup!" her mother Anne ordered her twelve-year-old brother Flynn when she caught sight of Ivory, who quickly did as he told. "Ivory, how are you feeling? Are you hurting somewhere?"


    "I still feel weak, but I''m so hungry. I think I could eat all the soup you''ve made mother!" she chuckled weakly, then smiling faintly at his brother who placed a bowl in front of her.


    "By the way, you were brought here by a handsome young man who seems like the son of General Goldwine," Anne gave her a thin slice of loaf bread before sitting across her. "They''re living in Megalia City, and you know that I''ve been delivering acorns and blueberries at their house for many years already."


    "Ohh¡­ so that''s why the knight guards saluted him and the principal treated him warmly. He''s really famous..." she took a bite of the bread before eating the soup cooked by her mother.


    "Eat well, so you''ll recover soon!" Flynn beamed at his sister.


    "Aww, you''re always the sweet boy, Flynn," she looked at him with adoration and patted his head.


    "Hey, I''m not a kid anymore!" he retorted.


    "Big sis, look!" her ten-year-old sister, Gracie, came running to her, bringing a pink and purple flower necklace. "Try it!"


    Ivory placed the spoon inside the bowl before lowering her head. Gracie then wore the floral necklace consisting of freshly picked hydrangeas that afternoon.


    "This is so pretty, Gracie! I love it so much! Thank you," she pulled her little sister into her arms and gave a soft kiss on her cheek.


    Ivory has always been close to her siblings, Gracie and Flynn. But Katie, who''s three years younger than her, had become more and more distant as she grew up.


    "I''m home," Katie said, stepping in grumpily as she saw her family having a good time without her. She walked towards the table, glaring at her older sister, "You look pale. Are you sick again?"


    The mother caught Katie''s angry stare at her unwell daughter, "Katie, don''t you-"


    "Are you going to make mother and father exhausted again from overworking just to buy your expensive medicines? They even travel for three whole days just to get you those! Sheeesh¡­ You''re always a burden-"


    "Katie!" Anne scolded her daughter. "Watch the tone of your voice! You are speaking to your older sister!"


    "Mom, it''s okay¡­ I''ve been a burden to you and fa-"


    "See?" Katie turned to her mother. "She even knows she''s a BURDEN!"


    "She''s not a burden! Please... Don''t say such hurtful words-


    "Why?" the angry child scowled at Ivory. ''Because she''s chosen by Goddess Destinia? That''s why you have always been extra careful with her and not with us?"


    The youngest of four started crying while watching her other sister and mother fight again. Their brother kept glaring at Katie. Ivory felt so sorry and just pulled Gracie and Flynn on her side, embracing them tightly.


    Anne got up from her seat, "How many times are we going to tell you that your big sister has always been poor in health since she was a baby? We don''t mind traveling as long as your sister lives! "


    "You don''t have to tell me cause I''ve been hearing this since we were little! You don''t care about me that much because I am healthy!"


    "What are you saying? Of course, not. It''s just-" she tried explaining to Katie, but her child already left the dining area and slammed the door behind them. "Good thing your father''s asleep now, or he will scold her again," Anne sighed, sitting back on the chair. "I wonder why she has become like that¡­"


    Ivory couldn''t help but feel dispirited again. Aside from losing her Servant and getting rejected on the same day, she had to put up with a sister who didn''t like her even though she knew she hadn''t done her wrong. But being with her mom and her two younger siblings that night, she mustered up her courage and thought about recovering quickly. Because of her family, she has become more driven and more motivated to do her best in the academy.


    The next day, a white one-horse carriage arrived in front of their house. Upon seeing Ivory''s mother, who was sweeping the dried leaves, the coachman stepped down the carriage and introduced himself.


    "Good day, I''m Ebleu, one of the Goldwine family''s coachmen. I''m here to bring Miss Ivory Sprucemint to Qawiun Academy. I will also bring her back home after her classes," an old man with a big nose, grayish hair, and beard, announced.


    Anne glanced over her shoulder and was very surprised with the unexpected coach in front of their small home, "She''s just preparing! She''ll be here in a short while," she said as she waited for her daughter to come out.


    Soon after, Ivory stepped out of the house and was shocked to see the carriage Lucius had sent. She saw the coachman bowing at her and returned the gesture to Ebleu.


    "It is by Sir Lucius'' order that I am to be your coachman from now on," Ebleu said, "We are very fortunate that Megalia City and Greensteid town are just next to each other, Miss Ivory. "


    Lucius had been a big help ever since they met. Sometimes, she often wondered how she could repay him in the future, "Where''s Lucius?"


    "He left earlier than me, Miss Sprucemint. He said he needed to drop by somewhere¡­ Shall we go?"

 Chapter 7 - "The First Lesson"

    Even though Ivory arrived at the academy with a coachman and in a horse-drawn carriage, the mean looks from her classmates made her feel like she still didn''t belong. After all, everyone got their Servants with them, except for her.


    "The audacity to step inside Qawiun Academy after getting rejected by her Servant? How bold of her!"


    "How can she go further with the lessons without her Servant?"


    The first years were classified into random sections, and Ivory and Lucius were in the same class. Their adviser, who has black hair, a long face, and a pointed nose and piercing eyes arrived and called the class to order.


    "Good day, welcome to section Blue Gem. I am Titus Daionus, your adviser. Today, I''m going to give you a short briefing about your classes here in Qawiun Academy," he said before fixing his eyeglasses with a chain. "The five core subjects that will be taught in your first year are Tactics Class, Swordsmanship and Archery Class, Speed Class, Defense Class, and Magic Class, which are all going to be taught by powerful Educators. I will be the one to supervise you in your self-training time."


    As he discussed it with them, he wrote on the chalkboard in front and drew a class timetable.


    "As chosen children of our Goddess Destinia, it is your duty and responsibility to improve yourselves and be useful to the kingdom. Together with your Servants, you will learn how to fight and as time goes by, the bond and trust between you and your Servants will make your mana stronger. I will be your adviser for your three years here in Qawiun Academy, so if you have any problems, feel free to approach me."


    Titus then looked at the time from his chained pocket watch, "Alright, the first lesson will start soon. Always bring your pocket watch with you to know the time. I''ll leave you now for your next class, so please wait for Educator Alphonse."


    He placed his watch inside his pocket before leaving, "Miss Sprucemint? May I talk to you outside?"


    It''s just the start of the day, but she was already embarrassed. As Ivory came walking with the adviser, her classmates blabbed about her again.


    "Maybe she''ll get expelled. Everyone knows you can''t train without a Servant."


    "She''s dumb and weak. That''s all I know."


    "Servants and Masters must help each other, train with each other and get stronger as time passes by¡­"


    "I''ll bet 60 silver coins, she won''t be able to graduate!"


    "I''ll bet 100 silver coins on her failure, too!"


    "She won''t graduate! I''m betting 300 silver coins!"


    "She won''t, I bet 500 silver coins."


    "Then¡­ I''ll bet 600 silver coins if she graduates," a female classmate said while they glared at her. "Count me in."


    The other ones looked at each other and laughed. The girl, who bet more than them, looked calm. She has a small stature and has gray eyes and purple gray-colored hair with layered bangs.


    "You''re dumb as her! Are you hearing yourself? You''re spouting nonsense!"


    She then took a quill and an ink, plus an empty scroll from her bag. "Place your names, please. This will be a contract between us."


    "What a weirdo betting on a weakling."


    The five girls then signed their names on the bottommost part of the scroll.


    "Hey, write your name, too!"


    "Of course," she wrote her name in cursive.


    "Arcea Knightwing¡­ We''ll remember you! You better pay up on graduation!"


    Arcea smiled at them and nodded. She felt like she''s going to waste her money on a useless bet, but she placed her high hopes on Ivory anyway. She was interested in how long she could stand the people around her judging her. Besides, if she won the bet, she could take all their money!


    Just beside the door outside the room, Titus talked to his poor student, "I know this is unfortunate, but you can''t come to class without your servant."


    "But sir¡­ I¡­"


    "If you can''t find your Servant soon, I''m afraid you''ll have to leave Qawiun Academy-"


    "Don''t be too harsh on your student, Titus," a veiled Educator with black, long hair and dark yellow eyes came walking towards them while holding a furry white cat in his arms, "At least give her some words of hope."


    "Ah, Educator Alphonse Iceburgh¡­" the adviser was intimidated by his mere presence, making him leave after they exchanged greetings. The brown-skinned Educator, looking like a desert prince in his bejeweled veil and robe, hailed from Hunter Town just beside the Golden Desert in the Land of Sandria.


    "Hello there, fortunate student who summoned the Vampire," Educator Alphonse said as he offered to shake hands with her, "I''ll be your Tactics Class teacher. I''m Alphonse Iceburgh, and this is my Servant, Sabretooth."


    "Meowrr..." the cat glanced at Ivory and responded as if it understood its Master''s statement.


    "Nice to meet you! I am Ivory Sprucemint," she replied, and shook the Educator''s hand, which had multiple rings with colorful gems on them.


    "Since I am your Educator in your first class, I can have the authority to make you do something. Consider this a very important activity."


    "An activity?"


    Educator Alphonse nodded, "Miss Ivory Sprucemint. I''m not going to mark you absent, but you have to find your servant this morning before my class ends at eleven forty-five."


    "I uhm¡­ I''m sorry, but I don''t have a pocket watch," she pursed her lips.


    The Educator was surprised by her reply. She must be living a very poor life if she couldn''t afford one.


    "You need a pocket watch? Take mine, then," Lucius, who just arrived, responded as soon as he heard Ivory. He took her hand, placing his pocket watch on her palm.


    "Thank you, Lucius¡­ and thank you also for the carriage that you lent me," she held his watch tight in her hand as she looked at him.


    "Not a problem," he gave her a shoulder. "I saw Ebleu by the Academy gate. Go now!"


    "Thank you!" Ivory bowed at them and waved goodbye. With all her might, she ran as quickly as she could. It''s already nine-fifteen in the morning and wondered where her Vampire Servant might have been.


    Three big cities surround Qawiun Academy; on the leftmost is Omegalion, the central city is Alpharion, and the rightmost city is Betania. She wondered where she would start looking first.


    Her carriage was different from Lucius'' because it was partly open, which Ivory also preferred because she liked the feel of fresh air on her skin. "I''m sorry I had to seek your help, Mister Ebleu," she told him as she sat behind him.


    "We''re going to Omegalion first, left to right. What do you think, Miss Ivory?" Ebleu suggested.


    "Yes, please. I''ll leave the directions to you."


    The horse started to move, and as she felt the warm wind brush her face, the feeling of fear of being rejected again slowly surfaced, but she still anticipated to see her Servant as soon as possible.. With sheer determination, she had decided to do everything to convince him to come with her.

 Chapter 8 - "Finding The Runaway Servant-1"

    Hearing only the clopping sounds of the horses as they walked the cobblestone, Ivory noticed the big difference between Omegalion City from her hometown. As soon as they entered the arch with the city''s rock signage, there were only a few people walking around, from women wearing court dresses with frills and fancy hats to men wearing tailored suits paired with high top hats.


    Most people were riding horse-drawn carriages. She also spotted some stables and horse traders in which carriage sets were sold together with the horses, wondering if Lucius had bought his'' here. Aside from that, Ivory also saw some bookstores and pocket watch factories, indicating that Omegalion City is a place where the Scholars and Educators might frequently visit.


    However, after asking around, it seemed like there was no sign of Sigmund anywhere.


    They went off to Alpharion City, which is the favorite place of the merchants. Since it is the central city and is near the Academy, the area was always lively even at night. Different types of people stroll on the wide sidewalk, from commoners to nobles.


    Ivory saw the numerous eateries, which had tables and chairs arranged on the sidewalks as if inviting the passersby to dine. The bakeries, jewelry shops, and other interesting stores tempted her, but she did her best not to get swayed and go there.


    She continued to ask around while Ebleu was guarding the carriage, and when she conversed with a clothing shop owner, she received a clue of Sigmund''s whereabouts.


    "Ah, that man..." the owner furrowed his eyebrows as she recalled what happened, "He''s the rude man who kept on trying clothes, but it appeared that he didn''t have money. He just dirtied my products, and I washed them clean all night!"


    "Do you have any idea where he might go? Did he mention anything?"


    "Well, after all the ruckus, a red-haired man with a thick beard dragged him out. He paid for his new clothes and told me to throw his old ones."


    "Do you still have his old clothes? I would like to see if he''s really the one I''ve been searching for."


    The clothing shop owner went to the backdoor and took Sigmund''s old clothes from a pile of dirty laundry, "Here you go."


    When Ivory saw the tattered and burned war clothes of her Servant, she had confirmed it to be the clothes that he wore when he was summoned.


    The owner remembered something and added, "I heard the man told him that they are going to have a good time at Betania City. He was bringing a lute with him, so I think he''s a bard."


    "I see¡­ We''ll look for him there, then-"


    "Wait! Most of the taverns and pubs are closed at this time. I suggest that you go there at night¡­ although you need to be extra careful of drunkards."


    "I see... Thank you for your help," Ivory waved goodbye to the kind owner and went back to the carriage.


    "Where should we go now, Miss Ivory?" asked Ebleu after seeing her carry some dirty clothes.


    "Let''s go back to Qawiun Academy."


    And so, they went back. Educator Alphonse''s class had ended, and Ivory was just in time to see him step out of the classroom.


    "Miss Ivory Sprucemint," the Educator greeted her as he stroked the head of his cat, "Did you find him?"


    "I''m sorry," she said with a sad expression whilst lifting up her Servant''s old clothes, "I only got this, but a clothing shop owner saw him and told me that he went with a bard to Betania City¡­ And because the taverns and pubs there are closed at this time, I might have to search for him at nighttime."


    Educator Alphonse glanced at what she showed and nodded at her explanation. Still seeing droplets of sweat on her forehead, he was convinced that the student had worked hard to find her lost Servant.


    "Don''t worry, I marked you present at the attendance today for your efforts. You did well," he said with a smile. "I''ll explain your situation to Educator Rosanna."


    "Thank you so much, Educator Alphonse!" Ivory bowed to him, expressing her gratitude before he left. As Ivory returned to her assigned seat, the murmurs of her classmates loudened as they talked about her again.


    "As expected, she didn''t find her Servant."


    "Of course, what do you expect? Why did she even return?"


    "What a loser¡­"


    "She''s an eyesore. I wish she would return to her small town right away."


    Ivory sat on her seat which was beside the open window. The touch of the gentle cold breeze made her forget how exhausted she was. She closed her eyes and listened to the rustling sound of the trees and the chirping of birds as if they were creating music -- hearing such beautiful sounds from nature was better than hearing the nonsense talks of her annoying classmates.


    "Ivory, have you brought your lunch?" Lucius asked her, and Ivory shook her head. "Why? Do you prefer dining at the academy''s eatery? I''ll go with you."


    "Lucius, I really can''t thank you enough for your kindness... and for pitying me..." a long sigh was heard from her.


    Lucius stared at her for a while, thinking of what he would say next and being careful not to offend her. It''s in his nature to help, but it was also true that he pitied his classmate. Ever since they met, it seems that bad luck became her twin, from being late in the opening ceremony to the rejection of her Servant.


    "It''s okay, Lucius. You don''t have to be too kind to me because of pity. I know your father''s the General here in the Land of Olivea, but it doesn''t mean that you should help me too much¡­ I''m afraid that I might get used to it."


    He sighed, seeing her smile at him weakly. Ivory was not yet in her best condition which was evident in her pale lips, but she struggled to go to the Academy and also look for her Servant the whole morning. She shouldn''t be there; she should have rested at home to generate her lost mana.


    "Ivory, don''t worry about anything. I''m offering you my help because even though we have only met for a short while, I feel at ease when I''m with you. I already consider you as a friend."


    Ivory couldn''t help but shed tears. Out of all the negative things that she was hearing from the people around her, a warm statement from Lucius made her feel better. She could hear the envious girls bad-mouthing her from across the room, and they always glared at her for always being with him.. But at the end of the day, they were all irrelevant, and what mattered most was that she found someone to trust and rely on.

 Chapter 9 - "Finding The Runaway Servant-2"

    All the classes had ended for the day and Educator Rosanna, who taught about swordsmanship and archery, allowed Ivory to sit in her class even without her Servant. Adviser Titus also dismissed them early for the self-training class because there was nothing to train yet.


    Ivory waited in the carriage until the sun went down. Spotted by Lucius, he asked her to bring him along. They used Ebleu''s horse-drawn carriage since his own carriage was too showy and had an intrinsic design that displayed his status.


    At Betania City, not only drunkards, but male and female prostitutes were seen roaming around the streets. The loud singing of drinkers and even the clinking of glasses were heard from the nearby tavern. Ebleu parked the carriage in a safe parking spot, while Ivory and Lucius started walking around.


    "This is not a place for kids. Get lost!" one of the owners of a pub yelled at them. Ivory being nineteen and Lucius being eighteen, they were not the usual customers that the pub owners had been expecting.


    "Should we dress more uhh¡­ matured?" Ivory suggested, making Lucius laugh. "Why? What''s so funny?"


    "Nothing, it''s just that¡­ I don''t know what clothes we should wear to make us look mature," he scratched the temple of his head.


    "How about putting a beard on you?" she studied his face.


    "Do you want me to leave you here?" Lucius replied jokingly.


    "Of course not! I am just kidding!" she pouted.


    "I''m just kidding, too," he smirked then continued walking on the cobblestoned path.


    Suddenly, a man was punched right in front of them, making Ivory hide behind Lucius.


    "Screw you!" the man who was punched had bruises on his face. He repeatedly cursed one of the servers of the tavern, then yelled at him, "You''re just new here, yet you''re so full of yourself! I wonder why Edmond agreed to hire you!"


    "It''s because I''m handsome," the guy said, clicking his tongue and grinning afterwards. "You''re the one who shouldn''t be so full of yourself! Do I look like I care if you''re a regular here? What nonsense were you saying inside, huh?" he continued to kick the man''s body hard as he laid on the ground.


    They didn''t clearly hear what he shouted, so they wondered what made him so mad. He''s only a human at the moment without a Contract Ritual, yet he could still fight violently. "Sigmund! Stop!" Ivory yelled at the server of the tavern. Even if his clothes were different, she recognized him right away upon hearing his voice and seeing his facial expression, especially those fangs of his.


    Sigmund turned his head to her direction, his crimson-colored eyes staring at his Master''s light blue eyes. He almost called her ''Master'', but he didn''t. He''s gotten so much pride and sensed her low-quality mana, which unsatisfied him.


    "Oh, the weakling," Sigmund spoke coldly. "What''s your name again?"


    "Ivory. I''m Ivory Sprucemint," she approached him and grabbed his arm. "Let''s go back, please come with me-"


    Sigmund glared at her and shoved her hand, "Can''t you see, I''m working right now?"


    "Sigmund¡­ If you won''t go with me, I''ll be expelled¡­"


    The Vampire chuckled, "I don''t give a fuck. It''s your fault that your mana is very bad."


    Ivory turned her head down and uttered, "I¡­ I''m so sorry-"


    "You don''t have to say sorry to this ungrateful Servant, Ivory," Lucius stepped in between them as soon as he saw that Ivory was about to cry. He faced the tall Servant courageously, "Vampire, you should thank your Master. If not for her mana, you wouldn''t even have your physical body right now."


    "Heh. It''s you again. Her Knight in Shining Armor. Mind your own business." Sigmund crossed his arms, "You''ve got really great mana, you should give some to your lover."


    "I beg your pardon?"


    "That woman with very bad mana. She''s your lover, isn''t she?"


    "She''s my friend, you-"


    "Oh? I got it wrong, then. You''re too overprotective of her. I thought you were lovers. My bad...my bad."


    "It should be your job to protect her, you imbecile!"


    "Ehem¡­ What''s the commotion?" a red-haired man with a thick beard approached them. Ivory recognized that he fit the description of the clothing shop owner.


    "Edmond, they''re not even going to dine, yet they caused a ruckus," Sigmund complained. "I''m going back inside. Got some more dishes to serve," with that, the Vampire went back in.


    "Looks like you know the fearless man," Edmond smiled at them and despite the commotion, he warmly invited them inside.


    Lucius and Ivory followed Edmond''s lead inside the tavern with wooden tables and wooden chairs. They took a seat and soon after, Edmond served them a plate of salted steamed potatoes.


    "Go on, try some. It''s on me," the friendly Edmond said, seating across them. "Sorry that my employee acted like that. He''s new here."


    "Mister, he needs to go back with me," Ivory pleaded, pressing her palms together, "Please convince him."


    "You see how stubborn he is, right? I don''t think I can help you. Honestly, I was just passing by the clothing store when I saw him and the store owner arguing. I merely suggested that he be my employee to earn some coins and buy the things he wants."


    Ivory was at loss for words and didn''t know what to do anymore. She glanced at the Vampire servant, serving other customers instead of her. He never smiled, yet the women customers flock to him, asking a lot of unnecessary questions just to get him to talk to them. He looked patient and calm, unlike the way he had displayed earlier at the customer and at her, his Master.


    Hours passed, and the potatoes were all gone. Edmond had been singing on the small stage while also playing the lute. Sigmund had been paid to accompany two rich middle-aged women on one table, while he served them booze.


    "Young man, you''re the most handsome one I''ve ever seen since I was born," one of them named Priscilla, who had long curls, whispered into his ear. "I have a lot of gold coins at my mansion, do you want to go home with me tonight?"


    "Nah, I''m busy," Sigmund said in an unfriendly manner. It was that cold attitude of his that made the women like him so much.


    "How about spending the night with us¡­ You know¡­ That kind of thing," the other woman named Brenda, a woman with a bob cut and full bangs, suggested as she tried to put her arms around him.


    But Sigmund brushed her off, "Don''t touch me. I''m only being paid to pour drinks right now. This is a tavern."


    The two women giggled, pleased with his act, while Ivory, who was just behind their seat, irked in disgust. She thought that the two women must be crazy.


    It was dawn, and the two women finally drank the last drop of their booze. Sigmund noticed that the whole time, Ivory was staring at him and observing him as if she was his boss. He couldn''t help it any longer, so he finally approached them.


    "You two. If you''re not going to order, get out of here!"


    She retorted as she thought about the prizes of the Servant Competition, "I''m not getting out of here without you!"


    "Hah! What a persistent worthless Master," Sigmund smirked, noticing Lucius'' sleepy eyes. "Think about your lover... I meant your good friend who came with you. Do you think he''s not going to rest today? Don''t you have classes later?"


    Ivory realized that Sigmund was right. She caught Lucius'' head going forward and backward, and his eyes were almost closed, but he was struggling to keep them open.


    "Sorry, Lucius¡­ you can go on without me," Ivory told him, but he shook his head.


    "I can''t leave you in such a place, Ivory. It''s alright."


    "What a touching romance¡­ I meant friendship you have right there.. Why don''t you just make this friend¡­ your Servant? Since he''s the one willing to protect you," Sigmund chuckled, but his words made Lucius'' fist hit his face.

 Chapter 10 - "Naive Master, Sly Servant"

    "How dare you!"


    Another ruckus had started, and Sigmund returned the punch to Lucius. Edmond, on the other hand, regretted that he had taken the guy in. He shook his head and facepalmed as plates and cups were thrown here and there. Both men pushed each other on the furniture, stumbling on the wooden chairs. The Vampire lifted a chair and before he could even launch it, the General''s son shoved him into the bar, breaking some of the liquor bottles on display, then the door slammed open.


    "Halt! What is this commotion about?!" The ongoing chaos alerted some city guards, who were roaming around. Seeing them bring their swords and spears with them made everyone behave.


    Lucius, upon seeing the city guards, raised his hand, "We just had some¡­ misunderstanding."


    The city guards recognized the General''s son in an instant and saluted to him, "Sir Lucius Goldwine!"


    He returned the gesture, "I will pay for the damages, but do not list and report them. I''ll take all the blame and explain it to my father."


    "Yes, sir!" they approached Edmond afterwards and interviewed him for a while.


    Lucius and Sigmund cleaned the mess that they made, and Edmond had decided to fire Sigmund because all he did was to cause trouble. Lucius promised the tavern owner that he would return and pay for the damages. However, for Sigmund, instead of earning money, he even doubled his debt.


    "You have nowhere to go," Lucius told Sigmund as he placed the cloth with ice on his face. "Don''t be stubborn and just go with your Master."


    "Why should I? If I go with her, can she feed me well?" Sigmund also placed the cloth with ice on his bruise.


    "I¡­ I''ll work on an extra job to feed you¡­ I need to win the Servant Competition, so please cooperate with me, Sigmund¡­ Please, I beg you!" Ivory told the Vampire. She thought about the Servant Competition, and she wanted her family to live a better life.


    Lucius interrupted them, "Don''t believe in this insolent Servant. If you''d do the Contract Ritual, he doesn''t have to be fed anymore. Servants do not feel hunger. He''s just making excuses."


    "You," Sigmund pointed at Lucius, "Take me in. You look rich."


    "No way."


    "Think about helping your pitiful friend."


    Lucius paused for a moment, but when he imagined how his father might scold him for bringing someone else''s Servant home, he shook his head, "I don''t want to be disowned by my father by taking in a scoundrel like you. You go home with your Master."


    "Uhh¡­ Sorry to disturb you all, but..." Ebleu chimed in with utmost respect. "With just one horse and a small carriage, I can only bring two people with me."


    "You two go, I''ll just stay here," Sigmund said mischievously, making Ivory shake her head in disapproval.


    "It will be hard to find you again," Ivory quickly grabbed her Servant''s arm. "I''m not going to let go of you! Please! I need you in the Servant Competition!"


    "How about¡­ Master Lucius and I will return to Megalia City, while the two of you find a temporary place to stay?" Ebleu suggested.


    Lucius almost disagreed, thinking about his distrust in Ivory''s Servant, but on the other hand, this will be a good opportunity for them to bond. Hoping Sigmund''s stone heart to open up to his Master, Lucius gave them a bag of silver coins for them to spend.


    "You can afford two rooms with this amount, Ivory. See you at the academy," he told her before he went off with Ebleu on the carriage.


    Ivory bid her goodbye to her friend and to the coachman. The two of them walked around Betania City inquiring in taverns and inns, searching for vacant rooms for them to stay. Unfortunately, in every place where they asked, there were no more available rooms.


    Left with nowhere to go, Ivory and Sigmund returned to Edmond''s tavern hoping for an accommodation, but there was only one room available. Tired and sleepy, Ivory decided to take the room, while Sigmund had been uttering his concerns when they arrived inside with only one wide bed, obviously for couples.


    "You''re really stupid," Sigmund hissed as he sat down on the bed. "I don''t know if you''re stupid or¡­ you just want to take advantage of me."


    "Wow, you''re so full of yourself," Ivory rolled her eyes. She then looked around the room, searching for something. She noticed the thick rope beside the window, which looked like it was used to escape the tavern. She quickly took it and grabbed Sigmund''s arm.


    "What are you doing?" the Vampire acted as if he was confused, but basing on how she tied him, he knew he would easily get it off.


    "You might escape, so¡­" she murmured as if she''s an expert.


    "What a stupid woman. You don''t even know how to do a simple knot," Sigmund smirked, shoving her hands away and pushing her onto the bed.


    "Sigmund??" she held the rope tightly, but froze as they shared stares in the quiet room; her Servant on top of her.


    "How can I have a stupid Master like you?"


    "Get off me and stop staring-" she tried to look away, but Sigmund cupped her chin.


    "Just because I am your Servant, it doesn''t mean that you should lower your guard, lady. I''m still a man. Especially now, without a Contract Ritual, I am only a mortal with fangs."


    Ivory was at loss for words as she felt the weight and the warm body of her Servant. She struggled to get off. Her long, silver hair as well as the sheets turned messy on her every motion, but his hands reached for her wrists, pinning both of her hands near her head.


    Sigmund gazed at his new Master. She definitely differed from his previous Master, who''s a woman of intelligence and knowledge. If it was his previous Master that he had pinned down, she would have already escaped from his grip by kicking his balls. But it seemed like Ivory didn''t want to hurt him in any way. He wondered if it was because she needed him to win the Servant Competition.


    Ivory still couldn''t look straight to him. He finally released his grip and turned to the other side of the bed. "You don''t have to tie me up, I''ll willingly go with you tomorrow," Sigmund uttered, his back facing her. Since he''s a Servant who''s currently a mortal, he could still feel the tiredness in his body.


    Ivory, still feeling how tight his grip was, couldn''t move and stared at the wooden ceiling. With the rope on her hands, she wondered how she could properly tame her Vampire Servant in the following days.


    The next day, Ivory went to the Academy wearing the same clothes she wore the previous day while Sigmund was still wearing a tavern server''s uniform, turning his mood sour.


    "I thought you had extra clothes with you. This doesn''t suit my awesomeness you know," Sigmund whispered at his Master. "Tell your friend to switch his clothes with mine."


    She shook her head, "Your situation is better than mine. Look, these are the clothes I wore yesterday. Who knows what kind of rumors will circulate again."


    Everyone was so shocked to see Ivory going inside the classroom with her Servant. As usual, her classmates talked about her.


    "Poor girl, she must have searched all night for him. She looked like she didn''t come home."


    "Oh my. She''s such a country bumpkin. Her style is so bad."


    "What''s that smell? I''m gonna puke!"


    "She smells like booze...did she get drunk last night?"


    "What an untidy appearance."


    "I pity the Servant, having a loser as his Master."


    Nobody talked about Sigmund wearing a server''s outfit since their eyes were all on Ivory. When the students heard about Ivory summoning a rare Vampire Servant, she was already the talk of the academy. They all got curious and had high expectations about her, but seeing her from a low-class family, plus her Servant rejecting her on the day of the Summoning ritual, shattered all the good images of her.


    Sigmund refused to sit on the wooden chair beside Ivory. Instead, he sat comfortably on the window stool.


    "Good Wednesday, students," Educator Alphonse greeted the class. He noticed that Ivory had already gotten back her Servant. He smiled at them before continuing, "Today, I have an activity prepared for everyone. First, look for a pair."


    Ivory searched for Lucius, but he was not yet around. She was worried that he might have been scolded by his father after seeing his bruises from last night''s brawl.


    "Can I pair up with you?" a sweet smile was displayed on her classmate''s face. "I am Arcea Knightwing, and this is my Servant, Minxy." Her Servant is a fox golem, which rested on her shoulder. Golems are so heavy that they might break the building''s floors, thus when inactive or out of battle, they turn into a tiny version of themselves.


    "Ah, I''m Ivory Sprucemint, and he''s Sigmund," the two girls shook hands. Sigmund was uninterested in their conversation that he only sat on the window while staring outside.


    "Now that everyone had pairs, I will explain what you will all do in today''s Tactics Class," Educator Alphonse then dragged a box from his feet and placed it on top of the table. He took out one of the thin boards, with black and white checkered patterns on it,


    "You will all play checkers."

 Chapter 11 - "The Vampire Servant Is A Tactician"

    Educator Alphonse explained the mechanics, "Your goal is to capture the opponent''s stones by skipping to a vacant diagonal square¡­"


    Each player had twelve stones, one of them had the red ones, while the other had the blue ones. The pairs could choose where they would like to play and since fresh air could be felt in Ivory''s seat, Arcea was the one who moved towards her.


    As they played, it was too obvious that Ivory was a beginner. A really bad one. Even Sigmund, who sat quietly as he watched his Master play, couldn''t help but feel agitated on every wrong move she did. He even noticed that her opponent had been taking it easy on her, yet she still couldn''t see the right stone to transfer.


    "You''re such a dimwit," Sigmund whispered to Ivory.


    "It''s my first time," she pouted.


    "Even a five-year-old kid can do better than you."


    "Why don''t you teach me then? I''m curious about your greatness, Servant."


    "Okay. You better follow my words or I''ll return to Betania and find a better Master."


    Arcea noticed that they have been whispering to each other. She then moved one of her blue stones, hoping that Ivory wouldn''t notice the flaws in her plays, but with Sigmund guiding her, the game changed drastically. Arcea''s ten blue stones had become six in just two moves. Hers had an equal number of stones to Ivory, so she decided to go for defense.


    As if reading Arcea''s mind, Sigmund instructed Ivory what stones she should move, beating her with their aggressive plays. They didn''t notice that Educator Alphonse had been watching the match ever since Sigmund helped his Master.


    The delighted Educator clapped his hands and was more delighted to see Ivory and Sigmund''s teamwork, "Good game."


    "Your Servant is a good tactician," Arcea praised. "You''re very lucky to have him."


    Sigmund crossed his arms and retorted, "I just hate losing, that''s all."


    "Thank you for your help, Sigmund," Ivory smiled sweetly at him, but his head turned away as he looked outside of the window.


    "He''s a bit snobbish, I''m sorry¡­ But on behalf of him, thanks for recognizing his skill as a tactician."


    "Shall we go for another round?" Arcea asked her. "Ask your Servant to teach you¡­"


    When Ivory was about to call him, she saw his beautiful sleeping face. His previously furrowed eyebrows had finally relaxed and watched how his thick, black hair danced with the cool breeze. She let him sleep more, since, without their Contract, he''s only human. Besides, they only got a few hours of sleep at the hard bed of the tavern.


    Thinking about their night at the tavern made her remember such an embarrassing scene, but Sigmund''s warning to not lower her guard at him made her feel at ease. It was a sign that even though he had yet to make a Contract Ritual with her, he had been considering her as his Master. Even though partial, it was still a great progress for them. Him teaching her checkers also made her feel that he at least cared for her as his Master.


    "Let''s go to the academy''s eatery," Arcea looked at Ivory. "You seem like you haven''t brought any food."


    "But¡­ Aren''t you afraid that they might say bad things about you because you''re with me?" Ivory asked with a concerned look. "You seem like a rich person, so¡­"


    Arcea just laughed at her worries, "I''m just an average person, don''t worry!" She tucked her purple gray-colored hair behind her ears, "Plus, I don''t care about those stuff!"


    Ivory was delighted to meet someone humble like Arcea. Despite her saying that she''s just an average person, almost everyone at school knows her good reputation as the only daughter of a famous blacksmith in Megalia City.


    She agreed to come with her, so she woke Sigmund up.


    "You dare interrupt my good sleep?" Sigmund creased his eyebrows in annoyance. "What do you want?"


    "Uhh, sorry, I just woke you up to say that we''ll be going to the eatery for lunch. You should come with us."


    "Nah, I''ll get more sleep. Go on without me."


    Although Ivory had a hunch that he might escape again, there was a part of her that wanted to trust her Servant. They left, letting Sigmund get more sleep, but when they returned, he was nowhere to be found.


    One of their classmates approached her and said, "Hey, Ivory. Your Servant said not to look for him anymore."


    "He''s just probably in the bathroom or probably roaming around the academy. My Servant easily gets bored-"


    The girl laughed together with their other classmates behind her, "Oh shut up! You don''t know your Servant at all. He despises you so much that he ran away again!"


    As she heard their laughter, Ivory felt her knees weakened. Sigmund was already opening up to her, right? So why did he leave?


    Soon after, Educator Rosanna Flameberg entered the room. Seeing the expression on Ivory''s face made her ask, "What''s wrong?"


    She was about to explain the situation, but a classmate of hers butted in, "Educator Rosanna," the student crossed her arms, "Ivory''s Vampire Servant left again."


    "Maybe Ivory is too weak for a special Servant like him."


    "Yeah, you should think about why a country bumpkin like her is still here-"


    "QUIET!" Rosanna shouted, shocking all the students. "Natsu, I need you here. NOW."


    Suddenly, something emerged from the Educator''s shadow. It was her Spirit Servant, a tall man in a black hakama, wearing a white mask covering only his eyes. His spiky hair had the same bloody red hue as his Master. He''s half samurai, bringing with him his long and sharp katana, and half shinobi, having the ability to hide in any shadow surrounding him.


    "What is it, Master?" the man lowered his head as he asked Rosanna.


    "Watch them for me.. Anyone who misbehaves, spits out nonsense, and talks about things unrelated to the class discussion will have their feet pulled down to the abyss with you."

 Chapter 12 - "Emptiness In Betania City"

    And with that, Natsu returned down to Rosanna''s shadow. Because of what she had ordered her Servant, the class was very quiet as the Educator explained the basics of swordsmanship and archery. "Next week, we shall start with your combat trials. I want to know what sort of weapons will suit you and how your weapons will be compatible with your summoned Servants¡­ Class dismissed."


    The forty-five-minute break started and while the other students went out of the classroom, Educator Rosanna approached Ivory, "I thought he came back? I heard it from Educator Alphonse."


    "Yes, but¡­ he ran away again," Ivory said with a worried look, Arcea patting her back to comfort her. "I know he despises my mana quality and the fact that I don''t have enough money to buy anything he wants. Honestly, I don''t know what to do anymore..."


    "Don''t give up," the Educator said. "Think, Ivory. In what kind of places could he be hiding?"


    Ivory thought deeply about it. Maybe he longed to have wealth, so perhaps he''s in another pub working. He knew of his charisma and handsome look, and she''s certain that he would use it to his advantage.


    "Maybe he went to Betania City again," Ivory replied. "But if he didn''t have a carriage, maybe I can still catch up to him if I go now."


    "Oh no, we still have a class after the break time," Arcea worriedly said. "Maybe if we ask our Adviser Titus who will handle the next class, we can go together and find him¡­"


    "Huh? Ivory, why are you here?" Lucius, who had just arrived, asked her in confusion.


    "Well, I attended class¡­"


    "That son of a-" Lucius stopped himself from saying curses and calmed himself down. "I met him at the gate earlier. He asked Ebleu to take him to Betania because he said that you''re still at the tavern!"


    "What?!" Ivory stood up from her seat in surprise. She never expected him to lie about her because she thought that there might be a little chance for him to fully trust her. She then realized that Sigmund was a very, very complicated Servant to deal with.


    "I told you he''s a good Tactician," Arcea uttered after a facepalm. "I never thought he''d use it against you, though."


    "Your Servant is more troublesome than I thought. Why don''t you go now, I''ll explain everything to your Adviser. Take your friends with you."


    "But Lucius just got here, how can I ask him to come with me? I also do not want Arcea to skip classes just because of me¡­."


    With that, Ivory went out alone and borrowed Lucius'' horse-drawn carriage, even though it was a too flashy one. On the road, she saw how the people watched the carriage with intricate design as it passed by them, like a display of how high the status of the passenger was.


    When they arrived at Betania, they saw Ebleu''s small carriage parked in the area. Ivory quickly went down the carriage and approached him, "Mister Ebleu! Where''s Sigmund?"


    The coachman looked very confused upon seeing Ivory, "Where were you, Miss? I thought you were still sleeping in the tavern-?"


    "Where is Sigmund?" she repeated the question, not wanting to waste any more time.


    "He just went back to the tavern where you both stayed last night."


    She signaled Lucius'' coachman to return to Qawiun Academy, while Ebleu stayed at the parking area.


    Most of the taverns and pubs in the area were still closed, and the moment Ivory arrived at Edmond''s tavern, she knocked at the locked wooden door.


    "Mister Edmond! Please open up. It''s me, Ivory!" she knocked multiple times until the door opened.


    "What is it?" Edmond, who looked like he had just gotten up, asked her. "Oh, it''s you."


    "Yes. I heard Sigmund went here..."


    "He just left and went away with a rich lady."


    Ivor gaped, "A¡­ rich lady?" She hoped that she had heard him wrong. "Why would he go with her?"


    "They didn''t tell me the details, but young one, remember¡­ This is Betania. A lot of things may happen between a man and a woman¡­"


    "Wha¡­ What kind of things?!" she covered her mouth in shock, trying not to imagine things.


    "Well¡­ It looks like you are still innocent¡­ Grow up first young lady, and you''ll know the wonders of adulthood," Edmond felt sleepy and yawned before speaking again. "Anyways, I''ll go back to sleep, the tavern will be opening at five-thirty."


    "Wait! Can you please tell me where the rich lady lives?"


    "I''m sorry, but I do not know. Excuse me, I need to close the door now."


    "I am the one who should say sorry for disturbing you, Mister Edmond," she said and the tavern''s door closed.


    Feeling lost, Ivory leaned onto the wall of the tavern. She stared at the almost empty road in front of her, comparing how busy it was during nighttime. She then decided to look for Sigmund under the scorching heat of the sun. Because her mana had not yet been returned through a Contract Ritual, she could feel her fever returning and acting up as her body couldn''t return to its normal state yet.


    Taking a ride at Ebleu''s horse-drawn carriage, they roamed around the city. They searched for Sigmund even in the residential areas, but there were no traces of him.


    They decided to try to find him in Marina Town, outside Betania City, which was a small town famous for its big seafood harvests. Small fishermen''s boats were also lined up on the docks, and the cobblestoned roads even extended up to the seashore, allowing the passersby to view the mesmerizing emerald sea.


    The horse was given water to drink in the parking area, while Ivory and Ebleu sat in one of the eateries'' seats.


    "Welcome to Tuna House," a server asked them. "Can I take your order?"


    "Have you seen a tall man with black hair and crimson red eyes?" Ivory asked right away.


    "Is he wearing a uniform? Like a tavern server''s?"


    "Ah, yes! Where did you see him?"


    "He went to the vacation home with the owner of this eatery, Madame Priscilla."

 Chapter 13 - "Drenched In The Fountain"

    "Where can I meet Madame Priscilla?"


    "You can see her vacation home if you walk toward the end of this road. There''s a big fountain in front of it, so¡­ wait, are you going to order or not?! Hey, wait!"


    Without thinking twice, Ivory stood up and left Ebleu as she ran towards the cobblestoned road. Her body felt heavy because of her fever, but she didn''t stop her tracks.


    Meanwhile, in front of Madame Priscilla''s vacation home just behind the fountain, Sigmund was arguing with her, "I agreed because you told me I would become your butler and get gold coins! But a toyboy? What the hell?"


    The rich woman, holding a frilled umbrella to cover her sensitive skin from the sunlight, raised her eyebrow, "You seem like the type to serve other people, so I thought you should just serve me. What do you say?"


    "I accepted your offer as a butler, but not as dirty as a toyboy."


    "Why?" she started tracing his jawline with her forefinger. "You''re young... and you''re handsome," she let out a giggle, which only made him more annoyed. "Even if you don''t smile, you''re still charming and that''s what I like about you. Now, I want to have you as my own, Sigmund. Serve only me, and I will make sure that you can afford anything you want."


    Her offer was very tempting, and Sigmund wanted a good life just like before.


    His previous Master, Deshanna Fogheart, was a prodigy. Coming from a poor family in Barion Town in that same land, the Land of Olivea, and graduated with the highest ranking at Qawiun Academy, she was already assigned as one of the Royal Knights at the age of twenty-two.


    Sigmund knew she was special. Even after his Summoning, he already felt her strong mana, and they easily trusted each other after their Contract Ritual, making them one of the strongest and one of the most famous pairs in the Kingdom of Destinia. They were also invited to live in the Silverblade Castle and received special treatments, like eating fancy meals and being dressed in expensive clothing.


    How nice would it be if Sigmund could return to those wonderful moments. But checking on reality, he was no longer a Royal Knight''s Servant, and now, both him and his current Master couldn''t afford anything.


    Soon after, Ivory found the rich lady''s vacation home. She strode along the pathway, which had a shingle-style landscape on the side, and saw the ivy-covered mansion right after the fountain.


    "Sigmund!" Ivory shouted as soon as she saw him.


    "You¡­" The Vampire Servant was surprised to see his new Master in that place, "What are you doing here?"


    "Who is this woman?" Madame Priscilla asked, gesturing to her workers to shoo her away, "Don''t let her come near."


    The workers stepped forward and walked over to Ivory.


    "I''ll get out of here once I take Sigmund with me. Let''s not fight, please?" Ivory pleaded with them and faced Sigmund, "Let''s go..."


    Madame Priscilla scanned her from head to toe. She smirked, judging that she''s nothing but a poor woman, "Sigmund, you''ll come with a low-class girl like her? She looked like she couldn''t even afford a piece of potato!"


    Sigmund clenched his fist. Something inside him wanted to protect his current Master, but the other side of him wanted to stay as a human and live a luxurious life.


    Madame Priscilla saw Sigmund''s wavering eyes. She faced and yelled at her workers, "What are you waiting for? Get her out of my sight!"


    "No, I need to take Sigmund with me!" Ivory turned her body to the side, her hands balled into fists. Her knees were slightly bent and both feet were positioned accordingly, right foot at the back while the left foot pointed straight.


    "What are you doing, you dimwit?" Sigmund knew his current Master was a careless one and has not yet been trained for combat.


    "I''m¡­ I''m not going to back down! I am bringing you with me, Sigmund!" Ivory yelled, "GAAAAAHHH!"


    She charged onto the group of workers, who were in sleeveless striped blue and white sailor outfits. They were unarmed, yet their defined muscles were terrifying. She knew she would be flying in the sea once they hit her, but her goal was to reach her Servant and drag him out of Madame Priscilla''s residence.


    But of course, she was at a disadvantage. They easily blocked her and threw her in the fountain, making Ivory soaking wet from head to toe. Madame Priscilla laughed at her, while Sigmund didn''t know what reaction he should make. Should he be embarrassed for her?


    Since Ivory had already fallen in the fountain, the workers decided to drag her away in that pitiful state. But before they could even reach her, suddenly, the surroundings got misty. It became so foggy that they couldn''t see anything.


    "Wha¡­ What''s happening?!" Madame Priscilla panicked. "They might escape! Don''t let them!"


    Sigmund, who can sense a chosen person''s mana, hurriedly walked over to the direction where Ivory could be. She was still in the fountain, but to his surprise, he sensed a different type of mana within his Master. It was like Ivory''s mana got stronger that he didn''t recognize it to be coming from her!


    The Servant was amazed by the fact his current Master might have a great potential. Somewhere within him, he was curious and wanted to perform the Contract Ritual at that very moment. But the situation wasn''t very good, and they needed to get out of there first.


    He reached for Ivory''s arms and pulled her up.


    "Sig...mund¡­" Ivory''s weak voice called for him. "Come with me¡­ Please¡­"


    "I will, you stupid woman. Let''s get out of here. Where''s the coachman?"


    "At the eatery near the docks¡­ It''s called Tuna House."


    "Got it. Stand up, will you-"


    Ivory wasn''t able to stand up and fainted in Sigmund''s arms. Not minding his defined six-pack abs to be exposed, he removed his server''s shirt and wrapped it around her. His strong arms scooped her up and carried her like a princess. With haste, he ran away until the mist was almost gone.


    As soon as the fog completely vanished, Madame Priscilla was left in shock and ordered her men to look for the two. However, they were too afraid to move, which disappointed the woman very much. She grumpily walked over towards the fountain and was surprised that it was all dried up.


    "That was¡­ That was definitely magic. Then that girl¡­ She had the birthmark of Destinia?!" she exclaimed, feeling defeated over it.


    Sigmund finally found Ebleu and they rode the carriage, carefully positioning Ivory beside him and placing her head on his shoulder. His right arm was behind her head and his other hand was holding her arm as support. He was worried seeing his frail Master soaking wet. He touched her forehead and noticed that her body temperature had risen.


    "She needs to change her clothes, be quick!" Sigmund uttered as he held Ivory tightly, "You know where she lives, right? Let''s take her home."

 Chapter 14 - "Undressing His Master"

    As Ivory''s head rested on Sigmund''s broad shoulder, he could still feel her fever, and it seemed like she''d get a cold, too. While staring at his Master, Sigmund wondered if she did some kind of Conversion Magic because she was soaking wet when he pulled out of the dried-up fountain. Maybe she didn''t realize what she did and might not even know that she had another kind of mana within her. Or maybe she unleashed and accidentally used her locked mana in desperation. He still didn''t know. Then his train of thoughts was disrupted when the coachman called him.


    "We''re still far from her home! There''s still a forest we need to pass through, and then Megalia City. Then inside the forest at the West of it is Greensteid Town!" Ebleu shouted. Like Sigmund, Ebleu was also nervous while he drove the carriage as fast as he could.


    "Damn! That''s too far! Is there any shelter around?" Sigmund was looking at their surroundings, but they were in a forest full of pine trees.


    "I know someone living around here! A good friend of mine! I could ask him to lend us some clothes for Miss Ivory!"


    Ebleu turned the carriage to a sharp corner. Some small cabins were found scattered within the forests, and they stopped in front of one of them. An old man, who was inside sitting on his wooden rocking chair reading a news scroll, glanced outside the window. Upon hearing the neigh of the horses and seeing Ebleu, he quickly ran out to greet him.


    "Ebleu! It''s good to see you again," he then caught a glimpse of Sigmund and Ivory behind his friend, "Who¡­?"


    "They''re Sir Lucius Goldwine''s friends," Ebleu responded. "The woman has a fever. Do you have anything for her to change into?"


    "Yes, yes, but please get inside, first," the old man noticed the soaking wet woman carried by Sigmund as he waited for them, while Ebleu parked the carriage beside his cabin.


    The Servant then carried his Master into a small room, and she was laid on the bed, trembling.


    The old man handed Sigmund a plain white, long-sleeved, cotton nightdress, "This was my daughter''s. I hope it fits her." He also gave him a bath towel, "You should change her clothes immediately. I''ll just gather some firewood outside, so you can warm her in front of the fireplace." Before Sigmund could even speak, the man hurriedly got out of the room.


    ''How the hell will I change her clothes?'' Sigmund furrowed his eyebrows. He would like another woman to change his Master''s clothes since it is definitely inappropriate for a man like him to do it. They haven''t even done a Contract Ritual, so he wasn''t officially her Servant yet.


    "Hey, stupid woman," he shook her arms, trying to wake her up. "Wake up and change your own clothes!"


    But, Ivory just groaned. He placed his hand on her forehead to check her temperature again, and it seemed like the fever had not yet subsided. Sigmund sighed, thinking about how to undress his Master.


    He eventually sat beside her sick body, then unwrapped the server''s shirt first before he unbuttoned the plain brown blouse she was wearing, exposing her light skin. He gulped as he continued taking off her top carefully. His hands then reached for her long gartered skirt and pulled it off so carefully to not to wake her up.


    Sigmund felt his ears turned red and warm upon seeing his Master''s matching undergarments complementing her light complexion. He lifted her torso and as if embracing her, he unhooked her bra feeling her mounds against his skin. He gently laid her back on the bed, finally removing her undies.


    He wiped her with the towel from head to toe and as he did, he saw where her birthmark of Destinia was. On her upper inner thigh, an inch size mark with the shape of a harp was imprinted on her skin. The Servant leaned forward and his gaze became more steady as he got more curious about it. His heartbeat throbbed so fast as if the birthmark was calling him. He touched it and felt his Master''s mana through the tip of his finger and through his veins. But he noticed that the mana quality had returned to its bad state, unlike the strong one he felt when they were at Madame Priscilla''s mansion.


    The touching continued as it slowly turned to caressing his Master''s soft skin. The mana''s power was so inviting he wasn''t able to notice that Ivory was already moaning. He quickly got his hands off her when he heard the footsteps just outside the bedroom and quickly grabbed the nightdress to dress her up.


    The old man came back and directly lit the fireplace with the firewood he had gathered. He called over Sigmund after everything''s ready, carrying Ivory towards it. He carefully placed her down the wooden floor, letting her sit in between her legs and her face directly resting on his bare chest. He embraced his Master from behind to warm her.


    Sigmund could feel that she''s not trembling anymore and that her fever had gone down after touching her forehead. He mused about the unknown kind of mana and the magic technique that she might have used that drained his Master''s energy, so she needed to rest more.


    The Servant gazed at the fragile woman he was hugging from behind. Her waist-long, silver hair had almost dried, and she was in deep sleep. Seeing his weak Master, he wondered if a Contract Ritual would help, but he still wanted to be sure. Throughout that moment, he continued to give her warmth while also thinking of a solution.


    When Ivory woke up, she was still dizzy, but she was already feeling a bit better as her fever''s not that high anymore. She realized it was already nighttime and that she was already in her home in Greensteid Town, but she couldn''t remember anything apart from what happened in Madame Priscilla''s mansion.


    Her mother Anne came inside the room, bringing a cup of warm licorice root tea. "Ivory, how are you feeling?" she sat on the bed, "I prepared licorice root for you. Here."


    She handed over the cup of warm tea to her and Ivory replied, "Thank you, mother." Ivory realized that Sigmund wasn''t around. "Uhm, mother, have you seen... my friend?"


    "Ah, the young man who brought you here? He left as soon as he brought you in."


    "He¡­ left?" Ivory almost spilled the tea, staring blankly at the ripples of it.


    She knew that her Servant disliked her mana quality very much. He might also dislike the place where she lived or perhaps, he disliked her in general. After all, he had always wished to be rich, and he might have been disappointed that his current Master was just a country bumpkin.


    ''Ah¡­. Sigmund returned to Madame Priscilla,'' thought Ivory.


    And with that thought, she felt her fever acting up again.

 Chapter 15 - "Amidst The Fire"

    It was already midnight. Ivory''s siblings were asleep inside their room, while she couldn''t, as she kept thinking about what happened the other day. Since her bed was the nearest to the window, she sat up and stared at the bright moon.


    ''How can I convince Sigmund to return?'' she thought, feeling hopeless. ''Am I going to stay this weak in my whole life?''


    Although her fever had gone down, she still felt a slight pain in her head and felt groggy. She turned her head to the right when she heard a sound. It was her sister Katie, who got up from her bed, which was positioned at the other side of the room.


    "Where are you going?" Ivory asked.


    "I''m¡­ I''m going to pee," Katie replied nervously as she lit the candle. "Why are you awake though? Aren''t you sick? You should be sleeping."


    "Thank you, but I can''t sleep¡­" Ivory smiled as she thought Katie became concerned about her. She then noticed that her sister hadn''t moved an inch, "I thought you''re going to pee?"


    "Well... I was about to, but you surprised me. Go on, sleep," she took the candlestick holder with her and stepped out of the room.


    Feeling thirsty, Ivory also got up from her bed. She lit her candle with a match and carried the candlestick holder. With careful steps, as she tried not to wake up her siblings, she walked towards the door and pushed it gently. She slowly dragged her feet to the kitchen and placed the candle near the barrel full of clean water found at the left side of the kitchen. She was filling the empty cup she had taken from the wooden counter when a sudden movement behind startled her.


    "Katie??" she saw her younger sister in her outdoor clothes with her large duffle bag. "Where are you going at this hour?" she asked, surprised.


    Katie raised her eyebrow, "It''s none of your business," she answered rudely.


    She thought they were doing okay awhile ago in their room, but what''s with the sudden change of mood? "But it''s midnight... And I''m concerned-"


    "Stop acting as if you''re concerned!" Katie glared at her, as if telling her to get lost, "I''m sick of you and everyone in this house! Because of your existence, I have always been unimportant. Even if I go, I''ll never have their favor anyway! I wish you were never my sister!"


    With hastened steps, Katie walked towards the main door and ran away.


    "Katie!!! Come back!!!" she yelled, and the commotion woke up their parents.


    Soon after, the wooden door behind Ivory opened, "Ivory! What happened?"


    "Father, I''m sorry!!!" Ivory looked panicky at her parents. "Katie and I fought again and she ran away from home!!!"


    "Calm down for now, Ivory," Anne, who was also shocked with what happened, embraced her daughter. "We''ll look for her and talk to her."


    "Mother¡­ I''ll go, too-" she was about to walk with them, but she staggered as she felt a little dizzy.


    Her mother assisted her to the wooden chair, "Please stay here and look after your siblings. Your father and I will go after her."


    Ivory''s parents left the house to go after Katie, while Ivory, who was sitting and staring at the door, felt helpless once more. She loved her siblings very dearly, and her heart ached at the thought of Katie leaving because of her.


    She wondered if her life was cursed, or she was just unfortunate that day. She struggled to get up as she felt sick again. She took the candlestick holder, planning to return to her room but all of a sudden, she felt lightheaded and her body felt numb. She crashed to the floor, and the lit candle rolled over to the sacks of acorn. She tried crawling across the floor, reaching for it, but because she had little strength to move her whole body, she couldn''t.


    Soon after, the fire from the candle spread to the sacks and eventually formed a big fire at the corner of the house. Ivory widened her eyes in shock as she saw the fire starting to grow in their small house. She then realized that her two younger siblings were still sleeping inside the bedroom!


    "Flynn!! Gracie!!" she called over and over, but there was no response. She attempted to stand up but since the fire had spread, it had already weakened the ceiling. A loud crash was heard as a big, wooden beam dropped and blocked the way to their bedroom.


    Ivory tumbled on the floor and with hopelessness consuming her, she cried in despair as she prayed for a miracle to Goddess Destinia and for her young siblings to be safe.


    Suddenly, someone slammed the door with a bang, "Stupid woman!!" and a familiar voice was heard. She glanced to her right and saw a silhouette of a man running amidst the smoke.


    She was surprised to see who it was.


    It was Sigmund.


    The Servant approached his Master quickly, "Let''s get out of here-"


    Attempting to lift her up, Ivory shoved his hands away. "No!! Gracie and Flynn are still in the bedroom!!"


    "Do you want to be burned alive?! Come on-"


    She yelled as her tears fell down, pointing at the wooden door, "Please save them!"


    "I can''t!! The door''s been blocked by a large beam!!"


    "Then use magic!!" she yelled, "Aren''t you a Servant?!"


    "I am, but I''m only a human with fangs at this moment!! We haven''t done a Contract Ritual yet, so I can''t grant your request!"


    A Contract Ritual is different for each Servant, depending on its personality and identity. The source of a Master''s mana is through the birthmark of Destinia. In an ideal situation, after the summoning, the Servant and the Master should perform the Contract Ritual immediately. The mana that was transferred onto the summoning circle to materialize the Servant would be returned to the Master and after that ritual, they would be sharing mana for as long as the Master lived.


    "Then let''s do it now!!" Ivory pleaded as she tugged his shirt. She coughed before speaking, "Please, Sigmund!! Please help me!! I don''t want my siblings to die because of me!!"


    Sigmund sighed. He couldn''t believe he''d do the Contract Ritual under a burning house, but since it was an emergency situation, he had to act and think fast. He grabbed his Master''s arm.


    "You better listen to me, you dimwit," and looked straight into her watery eyes. "I will only do the Contract Ritual if you promise me three things."


    "I promise!! I will do anything for the sake of my siblings!!"


    "Good," the reflection of the blaze could be seen on his eyes "First, do not mingle and be close with other Servants. Second, don''t allow anyone to serve you, except me. And third¡­ Your body and blood will only be mine. No one else should be allowed to drink the blood flowing through your veins except for me."


    Ivory listened intently despite the weird conditions, but the last part made her even more confused.


    "What do you say, woman? Will you do the Contract Ritual with me or..."


    The Vampire sounded so terrifying as he recited the promises. The Master was still confused, but seeing the worsening condition of the house on fire, she finally nodded.


    "I agree with all your terms, so what do you want me to do now??"


    A smile formed on his lips. Sigmund was very pleased that she agreed with his conditions, which were not agreed upon by his Master in the past. He pushed her body down on the floor and made sure that Ivory was lying on her back.


    Ivory was startled when his Servant pushed her down the hot floor and when Sigmund tried to pull up her dress, she yelled at him, "What are you doing?!"


    "The f*ck you think I''m doing? I''ll be doing the Contract Ritual now!!"


    "Are you a pervert?! Why are you pulling up my dress?!" she held his wrists to stop him from what he was doing.


    "Why are so stupid?! Why will I take an interest in you in the middle of a fire? I need your Birthmark of Destinia to do the Contract Ritual, so don''t move!! We don''t have much time!!"


    Ivory was puzzled, "But¡­ how did you know that it''s there-" She got cut off when he finally managed to pull up her skirt, exposing her legs and thigh.


    "Shut the hell up and let me concentrate."


    Sigmund spread her legs apart and as soon as he gazed at Ivory''s birthmark, he could feel the power hidden within it.. Without thinking much, his attraction to his Master''s mana made him caress her inner thigh.

 Chapter 16 - "The Contract Ritual Of A Vampire Servant"

    Sigmund caressed the birthmark found on Ivory''s left thighs. He moved his body in between her thighs and lifted her knee, letting it rest on his right shoulder. She trembled with his touch and felt very sensitive when his lips brushed over her skin. He parted his lips, his fangs showing, and bit her birthmark.


    "Aaaaaaauuughhh!" she screamed in pain as her blood was sucked wildly by her Vampire Servant. Tears started streaming on her face, but she knew she had to overcome the Contract Ritual or else, they''re all going to be burned alive.


    Sigmund, who was continuously sucking Ivory''s freshly unlocked mana, noticed that it was slowly becoming sweeter and sweeter as he tasted more of her blood. It was surprisingly addicting, especially from someone weak like her.


    He licked her bleeding thigh, not wasting a single drop of blood from his Master. He felt how hard she trembled in pain, but her soft moans might have meant something different, which he shouldn''t care about at the moment. Ivory leaned towards Sigmund and grabbed his hair as his fangs went deep into her flesh. Troubled that he might lose his concentration because she had been shuddering, he took both of her wrists and gripped them tightly with his free hand. Ivory felt his assertiveness conquering her and bit her lip to bear the mixture of pain and pleasure.


    Feeling his Master''s abundant mana surge within him, the Vampire Servant''s crimson red eyes glowed as his power surfaced. His improved hearing enabled him to hear the cries of the children inside the bedroom, realizing that they''re awake already. He stood up and looked down at Ivory, who became unconscious after a few seconds.


    ''Oh, come on? What do I do with this weakling?'' he thought. He removed his shirt and quickly searched for water inside the house. He found the barrel of water in an instant and quickly submerged his shirt into it. He then covered her face with it before lifting her up to his chest. He observed the house first, the smoke almost surrounding them.


    Now that Sigmund had become a full-fledged Vampire Servant, he could use his own magic. As he tightly held his Master in his arms, he whispered incantations, placing an invisible shield around them that repelled the fire. Without any free hand to lift the wooden beam blocking the door to the bedroom, he kicked it, sending it flying into the air and breaking the wooden roof!


    Finally, he pushed the door with his foot where Gracie and Flynn were seen crying. He whispered some incantations again, placing a new set of shields to the children.


    "Don''t be afraid and follow me. The fire won''t hurt you," he said in a calm voice.


    But the kids couldn''t hide their fear.


    "Then, you''ll leave me no choice¡­"


    Again, he whispered incantations, and as soon as he did, a giant bubble appeared and enclosed the two children until they started floating in the air!


    Satisfied with this and making sure the bubble stuck close to him, Sigmund made his way out and walked away from the house, carrying his unconscious Master right before the flames consumed the whole house.


    "Gracie! Flynn! Ivory!" Anne shouted as she passed through the concerned neighbors who came. Gracie and Flynn were slowly placed to the ground by the giant bubble, and they were embraced by their worried mother.


    "Thank you for saving our children," Gordon, still exhausted from running, told Sigmund. "How can we ever repay you?"


    The Vampire Servant smirked at his Master''s father, still carrying Ivory in his arms. "Just let your eldest daughter repay me," he said and carefully placed her down under a pine tree, her back leaning on the trunk. "I''m not yet done. You wouldn''t want to have this whole forest on fire, hmm?"


    Sigmund turned around and walked back towards the burning house. Placing his hands and fingers in a triangle-shaped position right above his chest, he whispered an incantation repeatedly.


    A bubble-like barrier engulfed the whole house and inside the barrier, droplets of water formed in the air, and some were also lifted from the soil. Sigmund took advantage of that night''s high humidity and the forest''s damp soil to put out the fire.


    Finally satisfied, Sigmund went back to where his Master was.


    Ivory eventually opened her eyes and the first thing that came to her mind were her little siblings. "Gracie! Flynn-" and she was relieved to see them with their mother and father. Tears fell down from her cheeks, "I''m so happy you''re all safe!"


    "Thanks to him, this man saved you and your siblings. He also saved the forest," Gordon explained. "Is he your classmate-"


    "I''m her Servant. My name is Sigmund," he bowed a little to them, showing respect to his Master''s parents. "I only did what my Master had asked of me."


    Ivory thought that her Servant had finally become a real Servant after the Contract Ritual. She was very pleased with his attitude and his change in behavior. With an obedient Servant like Sigmund, it would be possible to be victorious in the Servant Competition.


    But her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed that Katie was still not with them and asked, "Where''s Katie?"


    "Katie, she¡­ she rode a carriage¡­ She told us that she will be staying at her friend''s place from now on," Anne frowned as she remembered that they had a heated discussion on the dirt road before she left.


    "Then, we can go visit that friend of hers¡­ Perhaps, she will feel our sincerity and come back home."


    Anne and Gordon looked at each other with gloomy faces.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Gordon replied, "She''s going to Prisma City."


    "What!? But that''s in the Land of Rosaria which is too far, so why-"


    "She said that she wanted a place where she wanted to belong to¡­ and she didn''t feel at home, so..." Anne started to shed tears. "I am such a bad mother to her, that I¡­"


    "Anne," his father held his wife''s hand, "do not blame yourself. We''re very poor and could not afford the things she wanted. If only I-"


    "Mother! Father! You haven''t done anything wrong! It''s all because of me. She even wished I wasn''t her sister..."


    While they were talking about Katie, Ken rushed to them together with the other neighbors who were also concerned about the incident.


    "Ivory!" Ken called out as went closer to his childhood friend. "I''m really sorry if I just got here! Are you alright?" He examined her shoulders and arms worried that she might have gotten hurt.


    "It''s all okay now, Ken," she weakly smiled at him. "My Servant used his magic to save us and to put out all the fire."


    Ken was amazed and proud that She had now gotten her very own Servant. He knew how much she wanted a Servant since they were kids when they first heard the truth about her birthmark. He looked at Sigmund, who''s taller than him, and the Servant smiled at him.


    But behind that smile was annoyance. He glanced at Ken''s hands that were touching his Master''s shoulder, wanting to cut his fingers one by one with a sharp blade in his mind!


    "Master," Sigmund called, "I used a lot of mana. Please let me replenish them."


    Hearing Sigmund''s polite request, she nodded. "Of course. So how will we-"


    "Excuse me," he glared and carried Ivory in his arms again. He told the others, "We''ll be back, soon."


    Ivory rested her head onto Sigmund''s shoulder as they went deeper into the forest. He kept on walking further and further, which made her confused.


    "Sigmund? Ugh... where are we going?" she looked up to him before looking at the surroundings.


    It was getting pitch dark and for a while, they only heard the sound of the crickets. Ivory wondered why her Servant wasn''t answering.


    She asked again, "Where are we going-"


    "Somewhere.... just the two of us."

 Chapter 17 - "Replenishing A Vampire Servants Mana"

    Only the crickets'' sounds could be heard deep in the forest, and after walking further, Sigmund finally found a good spot to replenish his mana. It was an area with a thinner canopy where the moonlight directly shone from above. He carefully brought Ivory down under a pine tree, her back leaning on its trunk.


    "Sigmund, before anything else¡­ I want to thank you. Thanks for saving my family. I know you did it because we had a Contract Ritual, but even so¡­ I want to thank you for your help-"


    "Shut up! Enough with the talk, weakling," Sigmund said in annoyance as he knelt in front of her.


    Ivory''s eyes widened in shock. She thought that he had already changed after the ritual!


    "Sigmund? What''s with that tone again- Hey!! What are you doi-" she yelled and was left speechless when Sigmund tore the collar of her nightdress like a beast.


    The Vampire Servant had gotten impatient as he felt weaker every passing minute. He needed to replenish his mana as soon as possible. Without wasting any more time, he grasped his Master firmly by the shoulders and tilted her neck before biting and hungrily sucking her blood.


    "Aagggghhh!! Sigmund!!" Ivory started to squirm out of his grasp. "St¡­ stop!! Please!!" Her tears started to fall on her cheeks.


    Sigmund got pissed with her movements and paused. "Stop moving! Do you want to die?" he said in a domineering tone and licked the fresh blood from his lips. His crimson-red eyes gazed at her light-blue eyes which made her scared stiff. "Let me remind you of your promise that your body and blood will be mine. You can''t escape me."


    Ivory cried in silence as she felt helpless in his arms. Was it the cost of having a Vampire as her Servant?


    She remembered promising him three things before the Contract Ritual. First, she promised not to be close to other Servants. Second, she can''t be served by anyone else except him. Lastly, her body and blood will be only his.


    "Sigmund¡­" Ivory whimpered. "I thought you''re going to replenish mana¡­"


    The Vampire Servant finally licked the wound a couple of times, savoring every bit of her blood and flesh, "This is how a Vampire replenishes mana."


    As Sigmund continued sucking her blood, Ivory could smell the flowery scent of his hair. It was the scent of lilies and strangely, it made her aroused. When the Vampire moved his right hand down to her waist while his other hand was caressing her back, his Master wrapped her arms around his neck, letting out several small cries. It was an unfamiliar feeling and even though she had no strength at all, it made her feel so good.


    Suddenly feeling sleepy, Ivory lightly pushed Sigmund away from her, "You already drank too much...I''m already feeling dizzy¡­"


    But he pulled her closer to his body, "You''re really a weakling, aren''t you?"


    "Shouldn''t you be calling me Master, now? What happened to the respectful Sigmund a while ago?" she pushed him again. Her voice was becoming faint.


    Sigmund chuckled, "I''ll call you whatever names I want."


    "I really can''t do anything about that attitude of yours huh¡­" she slowly closed her eyes and instantly fell into a deep sleep.


    "What a hopeless woman," he whispered to himself as he stared at his frail Master under the moonlight.


    It was his plan to lick the fresh wound as he was craving for more blood, but when he was about to check it, the wound had already closed!


    ''What the¡­'' He touched it and confirmed that it had already been healed.


    Sigmund was bewildered by his Master''s new healing ability that he had discovered. With a deep bite, especially by a Vampire like him, it was expected to heal for some time. Even his past Master had no healing abilities like that.


    As he carried his Master back to her family, he felt thrilled, wanting to know more about her.


    When the sun had already risen up, Ivory woke up on a woven mat on the floor. The first one she saw was her Servant, and she caught him staring at her.


    "Sigmund-"


    "Master, you''re awake," he smiled sweetly. "How''s your sleep?"


    Ivory''s brows furrowed. He''s being respectful again. Was what happened last night deep in the forest, just a dream?


    "I''m fine, thanks for asking," Ivory sat up and looked around the room. "Where are we?"


    "In your neighbor''s house," Sigmund assisted her to get up, "Do you feel dizzy?"


    "Not anymore¡­ But wow.. I haven''t felt this great these past few days!" her eyes and tone had gotten more lively.


    "Good. It means your mana has stabilized."


    "Where are my parents? And my siblings?"


    "Your father is building a temporary shelter, while your mother is with your siblings collecting acorns and blueberries."


    "I see¡­ Where''s my bag-" Ivory widened her eyes with the sudden realization. "It might have been burned! Oh no! Lucius'' pocket watch is in there, and my gate pass-"


    "Do you think they won''t get burned after the fire? Geez, you''re so stupid. I can''t believe you are being served by a Vampire like me," Sigmund smirked, making Ivory turn her head to him in surprise with his sudden wordings, "What?"


    "I should have never expected that you''ll change."


    "I tried. But after a few seconds, I got tired of acting not like myself," he grinned at his Master, whose face showed obvious disappointment, "I won''t pretend anymore."


    Ivory glared at him and pouted. He was amused in teasing her. The two were bickering when they suddenly heard the arrival of a horse-drawn carriage. It was Principal Zwain Arthurdane.


    "Sir!" she ran outside the cabin as soon as she saw the principal. She walked towards him, giving him a warm smile, "What brings you here?" It was unusual that the principal of Qawiun Academy visited her little hometown.


    "Didn''t your Servant tell you?" the principal responded, then glanced at the Vampire Servant who walked behind Ivory. "He went to me yesterday and asked about your condition, so I came here to check on you."


    "He¡­ what?" she was puzzled. Did it mean Sigmund was seriously concerned for her?


    "You know, Miss Sprucemint, even if your Servant acts like a thug, he cares for you-"


    "Shut up!" Sigmund yelled, his ears turning red from embarrassment with what Principal Arthurdane had exposed. "Why don''t you just tell us what you have to say? You don''t have to speak of lies."


    He chuckled, entertained in seeing the Vampire Servant''s expression. "Alright, then. Shall we talk inside the carriage?"


    They went inside the principal''s carriage, which was as big as Lucius'' carriage, but the design was not as intricate as his. His carriage also had two horses. Principal Arthurdane sat opposite of Ivory and Sigmund.


    "After the Summoning day, I went to the Castle and had an audience with Oracle Ghidarlgh. I didn''t mention Sigmund''s recent summoning, but I asked him if it was possible to summon a banished Servant Class," he said in a serious tone and cleared his throat afterwards. "He said that it''s impossible."


    "What?! How come I summoned one?"


    "That is the mystery right now. No one knows why, only the Goddess Destinia herself."


    "Can we ask the Oracle in the castle to speak to the Goddess'' messenger, Lyria? He can do that, right? Let''s ask him to relay the message to Goddess Destinia and maybe we can ask-"


    "Calm down, stupid woman," Sigmund frowned. "If you tell them about it, you''re going to be in big trouble, and Goddess Destinia might take back your mana. Do you want to lose your power and not win the competition? Do you want to become poor forever?"


    Principal Arthurdane nodded, "Your Servant is right. It''s only your first week at the academy, and you haven''t even started training yet. Since I am still unsure of the situation and until you achieve your best potential, I''ll help you and Sigmund hide from the castle''s army, so-"


    "But why? What did the Vampire class do in the past? Why were they banished?" she asked the principal worriedly.


    "Why don''t you ask the culprit who''s sitting beside you?"

 Chapter 18 - "Trusting The Vampire Servant"

    "What do you mean, Principal Arthurdane?" Ivory asked in a puzzled expression, "I don''t understand."


    "You''re really a hopeless Master. Why do you not get what he meant?" Sigmund smirked. "It was my fault why the Vampire Class was banished."


    "What?! But why? What happened back then?"


    Sigmund started narrating about his past Master, Deshanna Fogheart, who became one of the best Royal Knights in the Silverblade Castle due to her great combat skills. Because the two had immense trust in each other, her mana became of top quality, making Sigmund''s magic techniques become more amplified.


    The Servant continued, "After we moved into the castle, I was requested to be the prince''s official magic trainor and tutor, while my past Master was tasked to train the warriors in the castle''s training grounds."


    "Oh, Servants and Masters have separate duties?" asked Ivory.


    "Yes, but they shouldn''t be far from each other," Principal Arthurdane answered her question. "Remember, Servants need to replenish their mana. If their mana totally runs out, the Master will permanently lose the mana they used to materialize their Servant. It can lead to illness, or even death if prolonged," he explained. "Remember when you got sick because this stubborn servant of yours refused to have a Contract Ritual?"


    Sigmund glared at the principal who kept teasing him, while the newbie Master nodded at him. Ivory then turned to her Servant, "And then? What happened?"


    "Until one day¡­ I found out about an important secret that she purposely hid from me. It also came to my knowledge that she and the King used a barrier so that I wouldn''t hear them whenever they talked about it. I got mad at her, and the trust that we built between us shattered."


    Judging by how Sigmund''s expression changed, Ivory felt how much he cherished his past Master. It must be tough, suppressing his emotions. Even though they''ve only been together for a short while, and despite him being naturally stubborn and prideful, his Vampire Servant could be quite helpful in times of need.


    "They hid her in one of the castle chambers, and she was being guarded by Royal Knights and their Servants, and I¡­" Sigmund clenched his fist. "I used my magic to knock them all unconscious."


    The Principal cleared his throat, "Excuse me, Vampire. You didn''t make them unconscious. You killed them!"


    Sigmund shook his head and retorted, "No, I didn''t! I told you yesterday-"


    "I also told you that I am very sure that it was you because I was there when everything happened!"


    Sigmund''s jaw dropped upon hearing the Principal''s revelation. What''s the real identity of the Principal of Qawiun Academy? Even on the day of the Servants'' summoning rituals, he already told him about his ''past sin''!


    "You must be wondering why," Principal Arthurdane scratched the temple of his head. "I was a survivor in that chaos. Since I have a flying Beast Servant, I managed to escape¡­ but I was a cowardly Royal Knight back then."


    "So you were a knight¡­" he wondered if he had met him before, but there were a lot of warriors, so he couldn''t really remember, "Was it really me that you saw? Are you sure I was the one who killed them-"


    "Yes. It was definitely you. I saw you with my own two eyes. Your armor was tainted with splatters of blood, and your eyes were lifeless while you stabbed them all with your sword! After a few days, I even heard from the other survivors that you killed the King and the members of the Royal Family!"


    Sigmund widened his eyes in disbelief. "A sword? I never touched any sword that day!" Something was definitely wrong. It was as if someone tried to frame him for all the murders that took place in the Silverblade Castle.


    While they were arguing about it, Ivory suddenly remembered what he wore when he was summoned. There were blood splatters all over his old armor!


    What would she do if her Servant really killed the Royal Knights and the Royal Family?


    Sigmund saw the change in Ivory''s expression. It was obvious that fear had surfaced on his Master''s face. "Hey, stupid woman," he grabbed her arm and leaned in to whisper. "I saved you and your siblings from the fire. Don''t be so foolish, and trust me even just a little."


    When Sigmund moved his head away, Ivory gazed at her Servant''s eyes, and his hand was shaking. He had been acting strong and cocky all this time, but he seemed to have fear and uncertainties as well.


    Maybe¡­ he was afraid that his new Master would not trust him at all?


    Ivory took a deep breath. She decided that she would give her Servant a chance to prove himself. She held his trembling hand on her arm and gave a reassuring smile, "Of course, but you need to help me win the Servant Competition!"


    The Vampire Servant was relieved to hear it from her and a smile escaped from his lips. He took his hand away from her, then faced the principal, "Even if I''m a Vampire Servant, we can still join the Servant Competition, right?"


    "Yes, since your Master was there during the blessing. Goddess Destinia might have known about what happened before and have her own reasons why you were summoned again," he replied. But there was something else in his mind, so he suggested, "But for you and your Master''s safety, I would suggest¡­ that you pretend to belong to another Class."


    "Are you serious?" his forehead furrowed. "Everyone in the academy knows that she summoned a Vampire Servant, and I obviously look like one."


    Principal Arthurdane went silent for a moment. He was right; in the past, Ivory had become the talk of the school for summoning a Vampire Servant who rejected her. "How about... we spread rumors that you are actually a Spirit Servant..."


    Ivory nodded her head and agreed. After all, she had so many schoolmates who loved gossip very much.


    "After all, Spirits take on the appearance of their master''s mana type, so they can take any form. It''s perfect for you," the principal further explained. "So as a Spirit Servant¡­ You must not let others see you take your Master''s blood."


    "You''ve got to be kidding me!!! I''ll need her blood as a source of mana-"


    "Vampire, if you need blood then just bring your Master somewhere alone without anyone noticing."


    Ivory turned beet red. She remembered how Sigmund''s long fingers caressed her light skin. She remembered how he bit her on the neck last night, and how weird it felt when he was sucking her blood - it hurt, but at the same time, it felt so good that she liked it. She wondered how they would hide themselves within the academy if they would replenish his mana.


    Do they have to hide every single time? Just thinking of that possibility made her heart pound so fast!


    Sigmund rubbed his chin and smiled mischievously, "My my my¡­ why haven''t I thought of that."


    The principal glanced at his pocket watch, "I need to get going. I shall explain to your Educators and your Adviser your situation here, Miss Sprucemint."


    "But sir, about going to the academy, I¡­ lost my gate pass."


    "No problem," as a principal, he was known to prepare a lot of things inside his bag. He took a brown scroll made of hemp paper from his bag, a quill, a feather, and black ink. He wrote Ivory''s details and let it dry for a few seconds before rolling it and giving it back to Ivory. "This is your new gate pass."


    As Ivory held onto her new gate pass, she thanked the Principal. Aside from giving her a gate pass, Principal Arthurdane also extended some help to Ivory''s family. He gave some silver coins to her parents before bidding goodbye to them.


    After the Principal left, Ken called Ivory and Sigmund at a distance as he stood by the door, "I made carrot and potato soup for lunch. Come on, let''s eat!"


    "Okay, Ken, we''ll go in now!" she replied in a loud voice for him to hear clearly, then she watched him come inside the cabin again.


    "Are you hungry, Sigmund?" she asked him with a smile. "Do you eat carrots and potatoes?"


    "The hell? I''m a full-pledged servant now, and I don''t eat human food¡­ but do you know what makes me alive?"


    Ivory shook her head and asked, "What?"


    He grinned as he extended his arm. He tucked her hair behind her ear first before his hand slid down her neck and caressed it.


    "Should I make you remember?"

 Chapter 19 - "The Vampire Servants Possessiveness"

    Shocked by Sigmund''s actions, Ivory''s cheeks turned red, and she couldn''t think straight. She shoved his hand away from her neck and looked away, "I feel so hungry now! Let me taste Ken''s soup!" and hastily walked towards the house to avoid him.


    Sigmund found it amusing everytime his Master gets shy at his jokes. He chuckled as he followed her inside Ken''s cabin and proceeded to the dining room where he saw Ivory sitting on a wooden dining chair. She thanked Ken for cooking, and even though her friend had asked him to sit with them, Sigmund refused and told him that Servants do not need to eat human food. He stood beside the door and leaned on the wall instead and stared at his Master who ate like she hadn''t eaten for weeks.


    While Ivory and Ken were eating, the Vampire Servant thought of what happened in the past. He clearly remembered that he knocked them all out because they guarded his Master''s chamber, so someone might have pretended to be him.


    But he swore, in the name of Goddess Destinia, that he did not kill them.


    He knew that the principal was right. There was something mysterious that happened in the castle back then. And why he was summoned in those bloody clothes, he still didn''t know.


    Unfortunately, he couldn''t do anything at the moment since his Master couldn''t fight alongside him yet. If he wanted an investigation about the matter and take revenge, he needed to make his Master stronger, and build their trust in the process for their magic to be indestructible.


    Sigmund gazed at Ivory''s happy face as she continued to eat. He didn''t want the same mistake in the past to happen again, so he promised himself that day that he would never take his eyes off his Master and protect her at all cost. This time, he would make sure that he knew all of her secrets, even if it meant forcing her.


    Night fell, and the Sprucemint family decided to stay temporarily at the tent-like, bushcraft shelter made of planks of pinewood, beside Ken''s house.


    "Thanks for letting us stay for a while," Ivory told Ken. "We really appreciate it."


    "Ivory, we''ve been friends since we were little. Of course, I''ll help you," with a smile on his face, he patted and placed his hand on Ivory''s shoulder, which was quickly noticed by Sigmund.


    Sigmund spoke in a low voice as he suddenly placed his arms around her shoulders, making Ken pull away his hand, "Master, your mother has been calling you,"


    "Goodnight, Ken!" she smiled at her friend and waved her hand.


    Sigmund grinned, satisfied with what he had done. As far as he knows, a romantic relationship would just be a hindrance to his big plans for his Master. He was bothered that she might just get distracted if she got herself a lover and neglect her training in the academy. If that happens, he might not be able to know the truth about what happened in the castle years ago.


    "Mother! You called for me?" she asked Anne, who laid down the woven mat with Gracie and Flynn.


    The mother glanced at her daughter, confused, "I didn''t-"


    "Huh? But Sigmund said¡­"


    "Master, I''m sorry. I think I''ve heard it wrong," Sigmund responded and formed a sweet smile on his lips. "You should all rest now, and I will be outside to guard your shelter. Goodnight."


    As soon as the Vampire Servant stood guard outside, Gordon commented, "Your Servant is really a reliable one. He''s obedient, too. You are very fortunate to have him, Ivory."


    "Well¡­ uhm¡­ yeah, father," Ivory uttered, unsure of what she should say to him.


    Still, it didn''t change the fact that her stubborn Servant had saved her siblings. If not for Sigmund, she knew she wouldn''t be inside that tent with them. ''If only Katie''s with us¡­'' she thought. As she laid down and closed her eyes, she wished and prayed that things would work out well in the future.


    Early the next day, Ebleu came to fetch them. In their journey to Qawiun Academy, he shared to Ivory that he accompanied Sigmund to the academy as soon as he dropped her in her house yesterday, and he was really very worried about her. Sigmund was a bit snobbish, and he got shy right away when the coachman revealed it to Ivory, his ears getting red.


    After a while, they arrived at Qawiun Academy and as soon as Ivory and Sigmund walked inside the classroom, Arcea approached them.


    "Ivory!!! Why were you absent yesterday?" she clung her arms to hers.


    "I''ll tell you later," Ivory smiled weakly. "It''s a long story... a very unfortunate incident."


    "Aww... there, there," she rubbed her arm gently and when she glanced at Sigmund, he was seen glaring at her with his glowing crimson-red eyes. "Anything wrong?"


    "Nothing," Sigmund replied and looked away. He didn''t want anyone to touch his Master and the fact that Arcea was clinging to her arms made him thought of burning her hand in an instant. He clenched his fist and tried to control himself as he felt his possessiveness grow. It would be over if he let his emotions get the best of him, and everything would be over for them. He considered what the Principal had suggested yesterday and so, the Vampire Servant decided to pretend to be a Spirit Servant Starting from today onwards.


    Alexandra Iceburgh handled the first subject of that day. She was Educator Alphonse''s younger sister and both had black hair, but in contrast to her brother, Alexandra''s skin was light in color. She was wearing tight ninja clothes, a black cropped top with sleeves, and leather pants, both covered with metal armors. She was also wearing a black cape attached to her shoulder armor, and her outfit''s highlights were the intricate gold design on her chest and her black mask.


    Educator Alexandra started her lecture about speed and agility, "You need to consider these four to maximize your speed: technique, muscle endurance, flexibility, and strength & power¡­"


    After her long lecture was an activity; she told the students to change into their most comfortable light combat clothes and come with her to the field found at the back part of the academy.


    "We shall start with warm-ups!" She yelled and called her Servant, "Twilight! Help me monitor the students!"


    Suddenly, a woman that looked exactly like her, appeared behind, leaving the students in shock. "Leave it to me, Master," the doppelganger Spirit Servant responded.


    "Before we start, I''m going to assign you a partner. I have prepared here thirty magic marbles and each one of you will pick one. Since this class is even in number, everyone gets a pair. Now, line up," Educator Alexandra explained. Twilight then held out a glass bowl of magic marbles with different symbols. "Those with similar color and symbol will be your partner for Speed Class for the whole year."


    The students lined up and one by one, they took a marble. With excitement, they moved around the field, searching for their pair. Arcea waved at Ivory and upon seeing that they had different symbols, they went to their other classmates to look at theirs.


    After a few moments, everyone else had seen their partners, except for Ivory.


    "Oh, Miss Sprucemint? Why don''t you have a pair-'''' Educator Alexandra finally realized that a student was not present at that time. "I''m so sorry, since Mr. Lucius Goldwine is absent today, one will not have a partner."


    "It''s okay, ma''am¡­"


    "I know, why don''t I let you borrow my Spirit Servant? She''s human in form, too-"


    "I''ll do it," Sigmund interrupted them.. "I''ll be my Master''s partner."

 Chapter 20 - "Warming Up With The Vampire Servant"

    "Sigmund?" Ivory turned her head and faced him. She raised her eyebrow and whispered, with her right hand placed at the side of her mouth, "What do you think you''re doing? Do you even know how to warm up and exercise?"


    The Vampire Servant leaned in as well and whispered near his Master''s ear, "There''s nothing I could not do, woman. I am the great Vampire, Sigmund."


    "Why don''t you just let Educator Alexandra''s Servant help me? That way, you won''t be bothered," she shrugged.


    Alarmed by what she had told him, he grabbed her arm tightly and spoke in a cold tone, "You promised me that you won''t be close with other Servants."


    "Sigmund¡­ You''re hurting me," she uttered, and he released her from his grip. "I almost forgot about our agreement¡­ Sorry," Ivory couldn''t understand why Sigmund had asked her those three conditions. Were those conditions applicable to all Vampire Servants?


    Educator Alexandra agreed to what the Servant had suggested. She called the whole class to gather in the middle of the field and start their warm-up exercises. The students followed the Educator''s movements. Most students had a hard time since they weren''t used to these. However, some students, like Arcea, who had been in combat training at a young age, didn''t even break a sweat.


    "It''s been only five times, and you''re tired?" Sigmund smirked as they did hamstring curls. He was positioned behind his Master and was holding her heel. "Giving up already? What a weak-ass."


    "Can you please let me breathe first," she was panting so hard while kneeling on the ground and sweating all over her body. "I was very sickly when I was young, so¡­"


    "All the more that you have to take more effort. How can you win the Servant Competition if you''re a limp?" he gripped her thighs and legs to check if they''re in the right position.


    Ivory thought for a while. Yes, her Servant was right.


    The moment when Ivory learned of her birthmark when she was ten, she felt excited and honored to be one of the chosen citizens of the kingdom. Prior to entering Qawiun Academy, all she thought of was summoning a Servant that could help her in her everyday errands and help her when she gets a common job in the city. And on that magical moment, when the Goddess bestowed her blessing upon them during the opening ceremony, she had set a clear goal of winning the Servant Competition. She needed to be strong, not only emotionally, but also physically.


    If she ever wins the Servant Competition, she would choose to be a Royal Knight. That way, she could visit her sister Katie in Prisma City. She hoped that when that time comes, her sister wouldn''t be ashamed of her anymore, and perhaps be proud of her. Ivory wished for her family to be complete and that they would all live in the stone mansion near the castle.


    The next exercise was partner sit-ups, where one laid on the floor while the other sat close to their partner''s legs, holding them together with their arms. Sigmund waited for Ivory to lay herself on the grass with her knees tucked in before he sat facing her. He positioned himself very close to her legs and wrapped them in his arms.


    Ivory blinked, "Aren''t you too close, Sigmund?"


    "F*ck the rules," he gazed down at his Master''s face. "Get up."


    She hesitated at first before crunching up to her knees a bit, her hands were on her shoulders.


    The Servant clicked his tongue as she lowered herself gently back on the grass, "Can''t you crunch closer to your knees?"


    "Why are you so demanding¡­" she pursed her lips and inhaled before crunching up slowly.


    Finding her too sluggish, Sigmund grabbed her shoulder and pulled her body to her knees, their faces an inch closer from each other.


    Ivory''s cheeks turned tomato red when Sigmund licked his lower lips before grinning at her. It reminded of her the time he bit her neck with his fangs under the moonlight and how good it was.


    "Aren''t you so cute when you get so shy," he released her from his grip and watched her fall on the grass. "Keep it up, you''re doing good," he scoffed and his right hand caressed her thigh before patting it.


    Seeing that Ivory stopped her crunches, Educator Alexandra worriedly asked as she approached them, "Ivory? Is something wrong? Do you still feel weak from what happened yesterday?"


    "No...nothing''s wrong," she smiled, but avoided her gaze. She placed her arms on her chest before sitting up. "It''s your fault," she glared at Sigmund after Educator Alexandra left them.


    "Why is it my fault when I''m just trying to help you?" he was still grinning and again, amused how his Master turns red every time he teases her.


    The activity lasted for a whole fifteen minutes before they were told to run around in the open field in a long line. As his Master ran with the other students, Sigmund just followed her through his gaze as he walked to the sides.


    "I''m here, sorry if I''m late," Lucius suddenly arrived. "My mother was looking for me again," he explained.


    "I understand, Mr. Lucius. Family always comes first," she then pointed to the students. "They''re already jogging. I will just have to let you participate next time."


    "Thank you, Educator Alexandra. By the way, did Ivory come to class?"


    "Yes. She came to class with her Servant."


    Lucius spotted Ivory with their other classmates and saw Sigmund standing at one side of the field. He walked towards him and asked, "How''s Ivory? I heard she had a high fever."


    Sigmund glanced at his side and noticed the latecomer, "She''s perfectly fine. Look, she can even run."


    "Ebleu went to Ivory''s house yesterday, and her father said that you saved his children from the fire."


    "I did," he replied as he continued watching his Master from the side. "We did the Contract Ritual in the middle of the burning house that''s why I managed to save them."


    "I''m really glad to hear that. You know, you should have done the Contract Ritual earlier."


    "Do you know what it means to have a Contract Ritual with me, kiddo?" he glanced at the student.


    Lucius'' brows furrowed, "I beg your pardon?"


    "It means she''s mine now," Sigmund grinned.


    "What nonsense are you-"


    Sigmund glared at Lucius, "I forbid you from being too close to her. Do not pursue her. I won''t approve it if you become her lover."


    Lucius laughed hard when he heard it, "Who are you to decide on that? Are you her father? Do you own Ivory? I didn''t know you''re this hilarious, Servant."


    "Shut the hell up! I don''t want her to have any distractions as she trains in the academy. A lover will only be a distraction to her!"


    Lucius gestured his hands for him to calm down, "Easy, Servant." and let out a chuckle. "The other day you didn''t care about her, but now you care too much."


    Sigmund''s ears turned red, "Mind your own business, rich boy!" and even before Lucius could say anything else, the Vampire quickly marched away from him.


    Lucius found it weird that Sigmund had such a high level of independence as if he''s not a Servant. He''s just thankful that they''re bound by a contract now, which meant that he was obliged to protect her. He considered Ivory as one of his closest friends now, and if Sigmund became uncontrollable again, he would make sure to protect her with all his might. Ever since he helped her in the opening ceremony and got closer as days went by, he could be himself and felt at ease whenever he''s with Ivory.


    After the activity, Ivory saw Lucius from afar, and she waved her hand high, shouting, "Lucius!"


    Lucius waved his hand back as Ivory ran towards him, but her knees suddenly trembled because she was so tired from the exercises. She fell to the ground and scraped her knee.


    Sigmund, who saw her recklessness, hurriedly went to her. Some of her classmates, who always spoke ill of her, laughed when they saw her fall. Arcea and Lucius also approached Ivory with worried faces and were surprised to see Sigmund scooping her into his arms. They wondered how Ivory successfully tamed her stubborn Servant after a day, but they were happy for her.


    "I can walk, I am okay, so-"


    Sigmund ignored her and instead told the others, "I''ll bring her to the clinic."


    On the long and empty brown concrete hallway, knight statues were lined up as rays of light shone through the windows with rectilinear tracery. Only the Vampire''s footsteps could be heard, echoing in every step he made. He stared straight, while Ivory stared at his face.


    As she stared at the Vampire, she thought of how happy she was that he was acting more like her Servant ever since they did the Contract Ritual. And now, he was even willing to bring her to the clinic¡­


    But her happy thoughts were interrupted when she realized something.


    "Sigmund," she uttered after seeing the isolated and dimly lit corridor, "Wait¡­ This is not the way to the clinic."


    The Vampire Servant grinned, "I know."

 Chapter 21 - "Secretly Sucking Masters Blood"

    "Sigmund! Put me down!" Upon seeing that her Vampire Servant brought her to an isolated place, she tried to get off him by moving her whole body, but due to Sigmund''s physical strength, she couldn''t move away from him as he carried her in his arms.


    "I got tired from the activity, so¡­ time to replenish mana," Sigmund told her with a grin. He then looked around, searching for a safe spot.


    "You just warmed up, and you did not jog with us," Ivory asked confusingly, still trying to break free from his grasp. "You didn''t even use magic!"


    "Shut up, weakling! Whatever I do, I use mana. I am a Servant, after all," He walked further and deeper into the hallway where he noticed several doors. Using his extraordinary hearing, he checked if there were people inside, and to his luck, there was none. Sigmund thought it was a good spot to do the deed.


    "Perfect," he uttered as a sly smile escaped from his lips. "Don''t you know that you''re fortunate I found this room?"


    As soon as he put her down, Ivory tried to run, but with his hand that quickly grabbed her wrist, she failed to escape. With his free hand, Sigmund turned the knob and gently pushed the creaking, wooden door.


    "Sigmund, are you really going to¡­" Ivory stuttered as she spoke. She was too shy to look into her Servant''s eyes, so she just glanced at the hand tightly gripping her wrist. "As promised, I will¡­ give you my blood, so you can let go now-"


    She was suddenly pulled into the room with many tables and chairs and seemed like a storage room for the eatery''s furniture. She stumbled into Sigmund''s chest and felt his right hand resting on her back. The Vampire closed the door and locked it by sliding a small piece of wood from the door to the side of the wall. He then grabbed her hand, leading her to the nearest table and lifting her on top of it.


    "Are¡­ Are you going to bite me on the neck again?" Ivory asked, blushing. She could still remember the pain when his fangs bit through the flesh of her neck, and the sensation of him sucking her blood still lingered even if many hours had passed. With both her hands, she covered her neck, and then their eyes finally met.


    Sigmund''s crimson red eyes gazed at his Master''s light blue eyes, "Don''t you like surprises..."


    Ivory sighed in relief assuming that he would not bite her on the neck and lowered her hands when the Vampire suddenly raised her leg. "Let me clean your wound, Master," he said in a sarcastic manner. With his teeth, he rabidly tore the cloth of her fitted pants, exposing her knee.


    She let out a soft laugh as she felt ticklish when his wet tongue scraped her bleeding skin.


    Sigmund slowly licked every part of it, not missing an inch, and made sure that he consumed every drop of blood from his Master. As seconds passed, he swirled his tongue more on the wound, but got disappointed when there was only little to no more blood coming out since it wasn''t that deep. The Vampire Servant then removed both of his Master''s shoes without any warning and also took off the brown linen socks that she wore.


    As he lowered his head and knelt in front of her, Ivory chewed her bottom lip and held onto the edge of the table, "Sigmund, you''re not planning to-" But even before she could retort, he had already started licking the toes of her left feet before licking the ones on the right. She trembled and covered her mouth with her hands, struggling not to laugh so hard because it tickled her so much.


    Not yet contented with the amount of blood he had consumed, one after another, his fangs sank through the soles of her feet, and warm blood started trickling on her skin. Sigmund stared at the blood delightly before tilting his head to the side and licking her wounded feet simultaneously.


    The Vampire Servant glanced at his Master, whose eyes were closed. He paused from what he was doing while the blood dripped from her feet, "Open your eyes and look at me."


    Ivory slowly unclosed her eyelids.


    "Do not close your eyes until I''m finished."


    And when their eyes met, Sigmund gazed at her as he held her right foot close to his mouth. He grazed his lips on the ball of her feet before slowly licking her bleeding feet.


    The Vampire''s sight of him grazing his lips on her feet as if he was kissing these made her blush. The way his head turned to the side to suck from her and the way his crimson eyes gazed at the oozing blood remained on the Master''s mind.


    Ivory''s blood tasted weirdly sweet. It almost tasted like the chocolate he had tasted when he was still human, but perhaps even better. He slowly closed his eyes as he savored the warmness dripping from her skin. He wanted to avoid having the same problem as his past Master which led to their separation.


    ''I will make sure that my Master is all mine this time,'' he thought, as his tongue licked her soles once more. He felt pleased and contented over the fact that he was the only one touching and serving Ivory. The last time he had these feelings were in the past, and he couldn''t believe he got to serve another Master after Goddess Destinia put his soul into slumber.


    Finally, the Vampire stopped drinking Ivory''s blood. As he stared into her wounds, he wondered why these did not heal yet, when he was sure he saw her deep wounds healed very quickly in the forest last time.


    Growl~


    Ivory''s stomach suddenly growled which made Sigmund chuckle, "Shall we go to the eatery? It''s probably lunch time."


    "Uhh¡­ but my wound¡­"


    "I will carry you."


    "But that''s-"


    He placed his pointing finger on her lips to keep her from talking. "I said, I will carry you," he said in a domineering tone.


    His Master just quietly nodded as she saw him being serious. Then, the Vampire carried her in his arms and went out of that storage room.


    When they arrived at the eatery, cold stares followed them.


    "I heard that she summoned a Spirit Servant, not a Vampire Servant."


    "Eh? Then that country bumpkin isn''t special as the rumors say?"


    "Maybe she likes handsome men, that''s why her Spirit Servant''s form is like that."


    "Why is she ordering him to carry her? Does she think she''s a princess or something? What a disgusting sight."


    Ivory furrowed her eyebrows as she heard them talking, "These people love to talk about me and do not even bother whispering."


    He looked down at her, finding her furrowed brows cute, "Some students did whisper some things."


    "And what did they say?"


    Sigmund gave a sly smile, "They talked about how handsome I am."


    Ivory gave a short laugh, "You''re so full of yourself," and she was assisted down to sit on the wooden chair in front of Arcea and Lucius and thanked him.


    "Ivory, how''s your wound?" Arcea asked worriedly. "You were gone for a long while."


    "My wound has been cleaned very well¡­" she hesitantly replied and shot a glance at Sigmund, who sat beside her and smirked.

 Chapter 22 - "Seeds Of Doubt"

    "We''re almost done eating," Lucius said as he grazed his knife on the grilled spiced pork on his plate. He paused his actions, "But I''ll wait for you ''til you get your portion. Can you walk to the counter?"


    "I think I can, but-"


    The Vampire Servant grabbed her arm before she could even stand up, "Sit. I will get your food."


    The Master thanked him as he stood up and walked to the end of the line.


    Arcea followed Sigmund with her gaze as he stood in line before looking at Ivory, "Your Servant has been acting weird ever since you came back. What if he acts obediently, then leaves you again like the last time?"


    "We already did the Contract Ritual, so I think I''ll have nothing to worry about," she smiled. "He''s also been encouraging me to do well in the academy and train hard."


    "Hmmm¡­ if you say so," she puckered her lips before turning her head to Lucius, who was sitting at her side, "Lucius, what do you think about her situation?"


    Lucius recalled the conversation he had with Sigmund in the field that day, and it really seemed like he''s determined to make Ivory strong. If he had saved Ivory and her siblings from the fire the other night, then he''s a capable Servant. The only flaw of this Vampire was his arrogance. If he could eliminate that attitude of his, then everything would be fine.


    As he stared blankly on the table, he wondered if all Vampires were like him.


    "Hello, Lucius? You there?" Arcea waved her hand in front of his sight.


    Lucius blinked twice upon noticing her hand, "Huh? What?"


    "I was asking what you think about Ivory''s situation," she tilted her head while waiting for his response.


    "Sorry, I spaced out," Lucius said apologetically. "If you ask me, I think she should give him a chance. If he willingly did the Contract Ritual, then it means there''s a budding trust given to her. I think the same goes for Ivory."


    Arcea nodded her head at him before looking at Ivory again. "By the way, Ivory, there''s this strange rumor going around about Sigmund. They say he''s a Spirit Servant? So what''s the truth?"


    Ivory''s eyes wavered. She wondered if she would tell her friends about it, but remembering how seriously Principal Arthurdane explained the situation to them yesterday, she decided to hide the truth. "It''s¡­ it''s true."


    Even though Arcea believed her, Lucius didn''t. The General''s son had been taught to observe a person carefully and based on her little reactions, she''s definitely lying.


    Sigmund finally returned from the long line and gave Ivory''s portion. On her plate was a scoop of mashed potato, chunks of steamed carrots, and a thick slice of grilled pork.


    As the three of them ate, Sigmund just stared at his Master. Having superb hearing as a Vampire, he heard their conversation as clearly as a bell despite being in line to the counter. He was relieved that Ivory chose to believe in him and took Lucius'' words as support to the both of them.


    He then glanced at Arcea Knightwing whom he considered as a problem. Even if she was Ivory''s friend, he would never forget how she had planted seeds of doubt that could endanger his Master''s trust in him. He felt the urge to take the knife from Ivory''s hand and cut off Arcea''s tongue, but of course, he wouldn''t. However, the next time she does it again, he would make sure she would regret spouting nonsense.


    ---


    Finally, after a long week, the weekend came. Sundays were the only free day for the students of Qawiun Academy, and Sigmund and Ivory were asked to be present at Omegalion City to meet with Principal Arthurdane at his house.


    His home was found in one of the townhouse lanes in the city. A maid assisted them to get inside and asked them to wait for Principal Arthurdane in a small meeting room. There was a round wooden table at the center part of the room and as they sat on the wooden chairs, Ivory looked around, in awe of the interior design. The walls were made of huge stones while the ceiling had planks of finished wood. There was a large carpet that occupied almost all the area of the room. A head of a deer was hung on the wall, and a huge peacock replica was placed under a wide painting of a scenic view of the mountains.


    Sigmund, however, ignored the beautiful interior. He had seen more intricate designs and more expensive displays in the Silverblade Castle in the past. At that moment, what captured his attention more was his Master who kept looking around the stone room. He kept staring at Ivory. She was so interesting to him that she didn''t bore him in any way.


    "Good morning," Principal Zwain Arthurdane said with a cheerful voice as he entered the room. He pulled a chair and sat across the Master and the Servant, "Have you had breakfast? Or would you prefer brunch?"


    Ivory got startled on his entrance. "No, I am fine, sir. Thank you," she shyly said.


    ''What was that¡­ that was cute,'' Sigmund side eyed her as he thought.


    "Alright, then I will just tell them to prepare lunch for later."


    The same maid entered the room with a tea set trolley. She placed the two-tiered tray at the center of the table and arranged the assorted sweetened biscuits. With the help of another maid, she started pouring mint tea in their porcelain cups.


    "Sir Arthurdane, the rumor about Sigmund being a Spirit Servant had spread. Was it you who started it?" Ivory glanced and smiled at the maid who just poured tea in her cup.


    "Yes," he grabbed the biscuit tongs, took two pieces of sweetened biscuits, and placed them on Ivory''s saucer. "Aside from the three of us, no one else knows about this information. But... I am planning to tell this to your Educators. What do you think?"


    "I don''t mind. As long as you think you can trust them," Sigmund responded.


    "I also hid the truth from Lucius and Arcea," she fiddled her fingers. "It was hard, but I know I had to."


    "Good decision. We need to be careful who to trust. And by the way," he took out scrolls from his bag placed on the other chair, "I found these old scrolls at the city library yesterday. These are the very old versions of our Master''s guide scrolls back when the Servant Classes were still complete."


    "You mean¡­" Sigmund looked at the Principal.


    "Right before the Vampire class was banished."

 Chapter 23 - "Against Masters First Lover-1"

    Ivory hurriedly untied the thin, red ribbon, opening the scroll. Sigmund peeked at the writings as she scanned through the pages.


    Principal Arthurdane stood up from his seat and went behind Ivory and Sigmund. He scanned the scroll''s content until he found the part wherein the Vampire Servants'' information were written. He pointed out to the writing, "Here, read this part."


    "Vampire Servants are obedient towards their Masters upon summoning¡­" Ivory widened her eyes in surprise. "Principal, this is¡­?"


    The Principal shook his head, "There''s certainly something wrong with your Servant if he''s this stubborn, Ms. Sprucemint. Honestly, I haven''t seen any Servant who thinks and acts very independently, even acting against his Master."


    "Hey, what do you mean?" Sigmund raised his eyebrow as he stood up and looked down on him.


    "Whoa, there," the Principal took a step back, "easy, Vampire. What I want to tell you¡­ is that there''s something wrong. That''s just it."


    The Vampire glared at the principal, so the old man continued explaining, "My hunch is that it''s related to what happened back then. And only Goddess Destinia knows the answer. Why did she banish your kind, only to summon you after years had passed? Have you ever wondered what you''re doing here right now, serving a new Master?"


    Sigmund looked away, "Tsk. Darn it. If only I could talk to the Goddess-"


    "Principal, can''t we really go to the Oracle for help?" Ivory chimed in.


    The principal returned to his seat and sipped his tea before speaking, "I apologize, Ms. Sprucemint, but as weak as you are right now, I can''t risk your life here. As of the moment, Vampires are treated as criminals, so it will be too dangerous for you. And if you die, Sigmund will vanish, and we might never know what really happened during the murder of the Silverblade family."


    "That''s why I''ve been telling her, to be stronger and better," Sigmund murmured as he sat beside his Master again.


    Principal Arthurdane nodded in agreement, "So Ms. Sprucemint, I have a favor to ask of you¡­ Once you''ve become stronger, help us investigate this matter discreetly for the sake of the whole Kingdom. Can I count on you?"


    Before answering, Ivory glanced at Sigmund, who was staring at her with a serious expression. She then turned her head to the principal and nodded.


    "You better not slack off," Sigmund said in an assertive tone. "I''m going to be stricter this time, so don''t be distracted by anything and focus on your training!"


    "Of course! I''m doing this so that I can also win in the Servant Competition!" Ivory said with confidence. With a strong Servant with her in her journey, there''s a high chance for her to achieve her ambition. "Nothing and no one can distract me!"


    -------


    But the following week, Ivory was surprised that as soon as she entered the classroom, she received a bouquet of beautiful red roses from a young man with reddish-brown hair. He introduced himself as Jasiel Redlock, a second-year student.


    "Miss Ivory, I admire you so much. I hope you gladly accept my heart and become lovers," Jasiel, who was standing close to her, smiled sweetly.


    With several eyes watching them, it would be rude not to receive the flowers that he spent his coins on.


    Sigmund moved his way in between the two and pushed Jasiel and grabbed the bouquet from Ivory''s hands. "My Master says no," he said in a cold tone and went near the window. He threw the present outside!


    "Sigmund!" Ivory yelled at him as she dashed to him. "Why did you do that?!"


    He furrowed his eyebrows in disappointment and grabbed her arm. He whispered, "You promised us that you won''t be distracted by anything or anyone."


    "But this is different-"


    "Miss Ivory, is there something wrong?" Jasiel asked her as he walked towards them, "Why did your Servant¡­"


    "Ah, about that¡­" Ivory knew Sigmund very well and thought of an explanation for his reckless behavior. After all, everyone knew that Servants only do what their Master wishes. "Sorry! I am actually allergic to roses!" she said and removed her arm from her Servant''s grasp.


    "I''m sorry if I didn''t know. Your Servant must have been so worried about you. I''ll just get you another bouquet of flowers." Jasiel smiled sweetly again, "I''ll see you after school," and waved goodbye to her.


    Arcea, who saw what had happened, quickly approached her friend, "Ivory, you''re so famous that the second years are even smitten by your beauty," she giggled. "Aren''t you going to give him a chance?"


    "What! I barely even know him¡­" she retorted.


    "You''re going to get to know him in the process! Don''t tell me you haven''t gotten a lover in your whole life-"


    She shook her head.


    "Oh my god! Your beauty is radiating, and you tell me you haven''t gotten a lover yet? This is your chance! Accept him as your lover and experience love-"


    "Master," Sigmund, who became annoyed while listening to Arcea''s encouragements to Ivory, interrupted, "class is about to start."


    "Ahh¡­ yes, you''re right." Ivory rolled her eyes at him.


    "I''ll go back to my seat, too! Let''s talk about it at lunch break!"


    Throughout the class lecture, Sigmund observed his Master, who was obviously thinking about that sophomore. He didn''t expect that someone would confess to her this early, when it wasn''t even a month since she started at the academy. It bothered him so much he wanted to kick the second year on his ass.


    When lunch break came, Ivory asked Sigmund to get her food at the eatery because Arcea had bought her own, and Lucius was absent.


    ''What does she think of me, his errand boy? That stupid woman,'' he thought as he walked in the hallway. He stopped his tracks when he saw Jasiel, together with his fellow second years, who just came down from the stairs.


    "Too bad, if I knew she was allergic to them, I would have bought the tulips," Jasiel told them. "Damn, she''s hotter up close. I can''t wait to see her in my bed."


    "You just have to buy tulips next time, then," his companion said, "Are you really damn sure you''re going to make her yours¡­ even if she''s only from Greensteid Town? I mean, according to rumors going around, her family''s poor, and her Servant rejected her upon Summoning because her mana is of low quality. But.. they also said she''s a virgin so..."


    Jasiel laughed, "Dude, you know how I love preying on innocent ladies." A grin then formed on Jasiel''s face, "I''ll make sure she never stops thinking about me even after breaking up with her."


    "Man, you''re harsh. You''re not even her lover yet, and now you think of a breakup?"


    "I''m sure I''m going to be her lover. She''s going to be mine, very soon. You''ll see."


    When their laughter faded away, Sigmund was standing in a corner, and thanks to his heightened hearing, he heard everything. ''I will not give her to anyone else!'' he thought. He clenched his fists in anger, and his eyes glowed bright red. At that moment, he wanted to attack that guy and tore him into pieces.


    He needed to let his Master know that the second year was only toying with her so without further ado, he returned to the classroom.


    "Eh? You''re back already?" Arcea uttered, "We''re still talking about your Master''s love life-"


    But she was interrupted when Sigmund grabbed Ivory''s hand and ran out of the room with her. They talked on the space under the staircase with discreet voices.


    "What happened?" Ivory looked at her Servant''s face. "You don''t look okay."


    "Don''t accept that second-year guy as your lover." He held his Master''s shoulders and leaned her onto the wall.. With a serious expression, he told her, "I''m against it."

 Chapter 24 - "Against Masters First Lover-2"

    With Sigmund holding her tightly and as his crimson-red eyes gazed at her, she couldn''t move.


    "Why are you¡­ so against it?" Ivory asked.


    "I heard him and his friends talk about you. Trust me, he''s just messing with you. He wants you to be his lover for a short while and break your heart-"


    "Look, Sigmund, if this is about having a lover will interrupt my training, please drop it."


    "You''re really a birdbrain, aren''t you?" Sigmund stared at his Master''s eyes, but Ivory avoided his gaze. "You still don''t trust me," he smirked in disbelief and removed his hand from her. "I am telling you this not only because it will hinder your training, but also because¡­ never mind. If you don''t believe me, then don''t go on crying to me after you see his true colors!"


    "I¡­ I want to try to be in love," she looked at the floor as their supposedly discreet discussion had turned loud, "So please don''t stop me!"


    Sigmund was very disappointed. He didn''t want to see Ivory being taken by another man, and most of all, not by that second-year of a scumbag. He and his Master were just starting to get to be acquainted with each other and slowly building their trust, but now, she wanted to be in a relationship just because of a random kid. She even promised not to be distracted and swore in front of the principal!


    Seeing that Ivory had already decided her fate, he turned his back and started walking away from her.


    "Hey! Wait! Where are you going?"


    "To get your food, dimwit!"


    Ivory sighed and she stared at her Servant''s back, she was worried about how their conversation went. She wanted to give Jasiel a chance and trust him, and at the same time, she also wanted to experience being in love and being loved. It was the first time in her entire life that someone had confessed to her, so it was a very special feeling.


    Sigmund held a special place in her life too, but she felt that their relationship was totally different from what she wanted to have. She had little, lingering feelings towards him that would always surface whenever he touched her and sucked her blood. She knew that she shouldn''t feel those towards her own Servant because she''s very certain that they couldn''t be lovers.


    Servants are pure, and they do not sin nor feel desire... that''s what she learned in class.


    She assumed that Sigmund had been very possessive towards her because of what happened between him and his past Master. Maybe he didn''t want Ivory to leave him and untrust him, that was why he was trying to guard her so well?


    She then returned to her seat where Arcea was waiting worriedly, "What happened? Why did your Servant suddenly take you out?"


    "Ah, he¡­ He asked about what food I wanted to eat since I forgot to tell him," she said as an excuse. She even felt that she''s getting better and better at hiding what''s on her mind.


    Ivory felt the awkward silence between her and Sigmund that afternoon. She didn''t know what to say to him after insisting that she wanted to accept Jasiel as her lover. She wanted to get to know the second-year and felt like it would be worth a try.


    After class, when Arcea bid goodbye to Ivory and Sigmund by the academy gate, they saw Jasiel, who was leaning by the guardhouse.


    "Ivory!" he cheerfully called as he walked towards them. "I was waiting for you."


    "Jasiel¡­ Hello!" she smiled sweetly at him. "Do you need something?"


    "I want to take you out for dinner at Alpharion City. Are you free?"


    Out of concern, Ivory glanced at Sigmund first and when their eyes met, he turned his head in the opposite direction to avoid her gaze. He was clearly upset!


    But Ivory made it clear to Sigmund that she wanted to try having Jasiel as her lover, she''ll still accept him, "Sure, let''s have dinner together."


    Ivory rode on Jasiel''s horse-drawn carriage, which is more spacious than hers. He only had one horse, but judging its physique, it might have cost more than fifty thousand silver coins!


    Sigmund rode on Ebleu''s carriage, and the old man saw how sour his mood was. "Who''s the lady''s with?"


    "Her future ex-lover," he crossed his arms.


    Ebleu tried to stifle his laughter, "You don''t like him for Miss Ivory? He seemed like a nice man!"


    "Shut it. He''s actually rotten to the core," he furrowed his eyebrows. "And you know what sucks? She didn''t trust me when I told her that," he smirked.


    "You really care for your Master," he told him. "Do not worry too much, though. If she gets hurt because of her own decisions, just let it be. Sometimes, only through pain can we realize the important things in our life."


    "I''ll just let her be hurt? Even if I know it will happen eventually?"


    "The most important thing is for you to be there when she needs you."


    Soon after, they arrived at the city, and the two carriages parked at the free space near the eatery. Ivory asked Sigmund to wait with Ebleu, and he just glared at his Master.


    Jasiel smirked upon seeing the Servant pissed and when Ivory turned to him, he quickly smiled. They walked side-to-side, and the young man initiated the conversation, "So, have you ever had a lover?"


    Taken aback by the sudden question, she widened her eyes, then said shyly, "Uhm¡­ No¡­ Not yet!"


    "I hope I can be your first, Ivory," Jasiel glanced at her. "Who knows, maybe we''re meant to be."


    Jasiel then led her to a restaurant where metal tables and chairs were set under the awning of the restaurant. There were plants on the windowsill, and planters were also visible in the area, which both added beauty to the place. They both looked at the menu board placed beside the eatery''s door before taking a seat at the nearest table outside the restaurant.


    Throughout their dinner night, Sigmund had been listening to them from afar. ''That stupid woman¡­ She''s believing everything he says?!'' He thought when he heard him say that he wanted Ivory to become his wife someday. It was only their first dinner and he kept on saying things as if he planned to keep her forever!


    Sigmund was very bothered by this and although he felt his possessiveness towards his Master kicking in, he tried hard to resist it. The truth is, he wanted to drag Ivory away from the eatery and burn Jasiel''s hair until he''s bald as an egg!


    But then again, he pondered on what Ebleu told him on the carriage, so he should be patient and see how their relationship would unfold in the next days.


    After that night, they frequently had dinner together and after a week of being acquainted with each other, Ivory officially accepted Jasiel as her lover. During those nights, Sigmund had no other choice but to continue to silently lurk a few distance away from them. As long as he did not hold hands with her, kiss her, or take her to his bed like what he heard him say, he decided not to interfere.


    Lucius, who was absent for a week, was too surprised. "I can''t believe it. I was just away for a week and you already found yourself a lover. Don''t you think you accepted him so early?" he asked while conversing with them near Ivory''s seat.


    "What? You''re on team Anti-Love, too? You and Sigmund are too boring," Arcea rolled her eyes then chuckled, but none of them laughed. "Oh come on, boys! Don''t be too serious! Ivory is just starting to have her sweet, youthful love!"


    "You still do not know that person well. What if he''s not really the guy you thought he is?" Lucius asked Ivory with a worried look on his face, "I think a week is too soon. Maybe after a month, if you get to know him better, then-"


    "A month? No way!" Arcea exclaimed. "Jasiel will get tired of courting her if it''s too long!"


    "But if he really likes Ivory, he will wait, right?"


    Ivory knew that Lucius had a point, but her own excitement urged her to make that rash decision, "It''s too late to back out now. We''re officially lovers."


    "There''s nothing I can do then," Lucius scratched the back of his head. "But if he hurts you in any way, tell me. I will get back at him."


    Ivory got touched by her friend''s concern towards her happiness, "Thank you, Lucius. You''re really my best bud."


    Ivory and Arcea then talked about the dinner dates that she and Jasiel had, and when they weren''t looking at their side, Sigmund tapped Lucius'' shoulder.


    The Vampire told him, "Rich boy¡­ Let''s talk outside."

 Chapter 25 - "Against Masters First Lover-3"

    Sigmund and Lucius stood in the hallway, just beside the classroom door.


    "She listens to you, you should convince her to break things off with him."


    "What? But why?" Lucius'' brows furrowed.


    "I heard him talk to his friends, and he''s going to dump her once he''s tired of her. But of course, he''s been telling her sweet whatnots, and Ivory''s believing whatever he says! He''s troublesome, and I don''t want her-"


    "Sigmund, why are you always acting against your Master''s wishes?" Lucius asked. He had always observed him, and it was the first thing that came to his mind ever since he was summoned.


    "I''m acting according to my instincts. How about you, blondie boy," the Vampire stared suspiciously at him. "Why are you always so protective of her?"


    "I¡­ I don''t know. My instincts too, I guess. You see, I like helping people. It''s because of my upbringing as a General''s son."


    "Whatever. As long as you won''t be a distraction to her," he sighed. "Lately, she''s been slacking off. She goes home late because of their dates, and instead of reading reference scrolls, she says she''s too tired to read, then goes to sleep. I knew this would come. How I wished I broke his bones, even before they became lovers."


    Lucius chuckled, "I don''t think I can do anything to change Ivory''s mind." He patted the Vampire''s shoulder, "Calm down, Vampire. Your red eyes are glowing," and he went back inside their classroom.


    ''Why did he call me Vampire? Didn''t he believe the rumors?'' Sigmund pondered after he was out of sight. He really mustn''t underestimate the General''s son!


    Seeing how inquisitive the blonde student was, he also thought that he might be helpful for Ivory''s growth as a chosen one, so he''d just let him be close to her. But once he becomes a hindrance to their bond, Sigmund vows to take his Master away from him. After all, the Vampire had already experienced betrayal and rejection from his own Master in the past, and he didn''t want it to happen again. What he wanted to do now was to protect the trust that Ivory gave him.


    The weekend came again, and Ivory had a heated discussion with Sigmund in front of Jasiel''s solo apartment at Alpharion City. Merchants and passersby were looking suspiciously at them as they yelled at each other as the sun was about to set.


    "What the hell, you birdbrain?! It''s only been a week and a few days, and you¡­ you''re agreeing to spend the night with him?" Sigmund fumed in anger. "I warned you, he''ll just use you, and-"


    "No! He''s a kind guy! He told me he''s just going to teach me about magic techniques! He will never use me because I know he truly likes me!"


    "Magic techniques?! You''ve got to be kidding me! I know a lot more than that scum!" Sigmund couldn''t believe she''s easily been fooled by his facade. "He only likes you because you''re naive!"


    "You''re not the one who went on dinner with him, right, so how can you know?!"


    "How many times will I tell you I heard him-"


    "Stop saying negative things about him! You don''t know him!"


    "And you think you know him?!"


    "Just¡­ leave me alone, Sigmund!" Ivory yelled angrily. "Stop going against us!" She then turned her back on him and quickly entered the door that was opened by a maid.


    "You''ll regret this!" He shouted and kicked the potted plant that was placed beside the door, and the soil scattered on the cobblestones.


    Sigmund was so furious. He clenched his fist in anger and stared at the almost red sunset that could be seen at the horizon. If there was something that makes a Servant feel bad, it would be when the Master ignores him or her as it would make the Servant feel useless.


    But Sigmund knew that his Master was a naive person, so he somehow convinced himself to calm down and understand her ignorance. ''I am going to take her back,'' he thought, and when that time would come, he would do all means to prevent her from having a troublesome lover again.


    Ivory sighed as her throat felt sore with the yelling that happened. ''Jasiel is a good guy and a gentleman. Why else will I agree to sleep here?'' she thought. The second year student volunteered to teach her about magic, and she thought that he''s true to his words.


    Jasiel welcomed her with a warm smile. He led her to the dining room, which had a cushioned wooden chair comfortable to sit on. The interior of the whole apartment was made of polished wooden planks and bricks, an indication of an expensive rent. He asked her where her Servant went, and she told him that he might be roaming around the city out of boredom. He then told her that his Servant is a Golem Class, and that it''s in the living room, guarding the door in its smaller form like a stone figurine. His maid excused herself afterwards since it was already the end of her shift, leaving the two alone in the apartment.


    Jasiel served her a pot of pork stew, with meat so tender that made Ivory eat a lot. She loved meat, but because vegetables are cheaper, they rarely had meat at home.


    "My my my, you look so cute while eating," Jasiel gave her a crooked grin. "There''s more of it, but here, have a glass of juice first," he said as he extended his arm, holding the bronze cup with his hand, "It''s made from fresh blueberries."


    But before Ivory could even hold the cup, Jasiel loosened his grip, and the blueberry juice splattered on Ivory''s white dress!


    "Oh no! I am very very sorry! I thought you already held the cup!" he sighed while looking at the stain on her chest. He then patted her shoulder and said, "Why don''t you wash up and change your clothes, first? Come with me."


    Ivory felt embarrassed as she followed him upstairs. She was so surprised to see that the whole floor was Jasiel''s bedroom!


    Jasiell gave her a clean towel, "I know you''re uncomfortable, so use my bathroom and take a shower. The water coming out from the faucet is a bit cold, though," he smiled sweetly at her and stroked her head. "Take your time, I''ll wait for you."


    She nodded at him, her cheeks turned red, and went to the bathroom. She removed all of her clothing and hung them at the wooden bar behind the door. She was fascinated with a clean and good bathroom like that so she truly enjoyed her shower, because at home, she only had a big barrel of water inside the bathroom, and she needed to scoop the water using a dipper.


    As she cleaned her whole body with a fragrant soap that smells like jasmine and got rid of the sticky blueberry juice on her skin, she wondered if Jasiel was the one for her. He''s a patient guy and gentleman, in contrast with Sigmund who''s always talking back to her.


    Her Servant, Sigmund¡­


    When she was lathering her thigh, she saw her birthmark. Her cheeks turned hot when she remembered how Sigmund wildly did the Contract Ritual with her. She could still remember the sensation¡­ ''No, no! Why am I thinking of him when I''m here at Jasiel''s apartment?!'' she shook her head to get rid of these thoughts. Besides, he''s her Servant, and Servants were made from mana. He''s not human, unlike Jasiel.


    When she got out of the bathroom and changed into a clean, dark green knee-length linen dress, she saw Jasiel smiling at her, right in front of the bathroom door.


    "Ivory, you''re so beautiful, do you know that?" Jasiel uttered, her brown eyes gazing at her with lust. He went close to her and held the tip of her wet hair before kissing it.


    "Jasiel¡­" she turned beet red with his actions, not knowing about his true intentions.


    He suddenly reached out to caress her cheeks and said,


    "Ivory¡­ Can I kiss you?"

 Chapter 26 - "Breaking Doubts Through Ice"

    Ivory felt that she wasn''t ready to be kissed yet and her mouth still tastes like pork stew!


    "No, uhm¡­ I mean¡­ Not today¡­" she uttered as she pushed him away lightly.


    But Jasiel got disappointed by this. It was unfortunate for him that Ivory had Sigmund lurking around, so he had been waiting for that moment patiently. His past lovers only held on for two to three days, and Ivory had it the longest.


    "If I want to kiss you, then I''ll kiss you," with force, he dragged her to the bed and pushed her down. "I won''t accept no as an answer!''


    "Ouch¡­ It hurts!" Ivory screamed as Jasiel crawled over and pinned her down on the bed. "Jasiel! Please stop!"


    "You''re my lover, right? Come on, don''t be shy," he smiled roguishly, and with a sharp dagger, he cut the front of her dress as he became more impatient. As he stared at Ivory''s light skin, he lustfully grinned at her, "As expected¡­ Not bad."


    "No¡­ please don''t do this!!" Ivory screamed. "I thought you''re a good guy!"


    "Well, I am, if you just cooperate with me," he placed the dagger on the bedside table and cupped her chin. "Give me all of you tonight¡­ Ivory."


    Ivory''s tears fell at the sight of the man who betrayed her. So all of the gentleness that he showed these past few days were all fake? Sigmund was right, all along. Her heart ached when she recalled how she sent him off. She felt that she failed as his Master and she should''ve trusted him more¡­


    "Sigmund¡­" she murmured, closing her eyes, before Jasiel could kiss her.


    "Don''t call for your Servant''s name while we''re in bed-"


    "SIGMUND!!! HELP ME!!!"


    All of a sudden, the large window broke with the help of razor winds from the Vampire''s Air Elemental Magic, then he swung into the room, his crimson-red eyes glowing as he glared at Jasiel.


    Jasiel took the dagger and threw it at him, but Sigmund caught it with his bare hand. He slowly walked towards them as he played with the dagger, and he grinned upon seeing the terrified face of the second year student.


    Ivory covered herself with the thin, linen blanket she pulled from the bed and hurriedly went to Sigmund''s side.


    "You dare call my name right now when you were the one who pushed me away?" He told his Master with a serious expression while gazing into her light blue eyes, but then his expression softened when he saw Ivory''s tears, "Don''t look at me like that, dimwit. You better give me lots of your blood later after I knock him out."


    A bubble-like barrier suddenly lifted Ivory up and was protected inside of it. Her eyes widened in amazement as it was her first time seeing it.


    Jasiel ran out of the room and went downstairs.


    "Leave him¡­ Let''s just go, he might call his Golem Servant!" she exclaimed, but Sigmund shook his head.


    "Nah, I''m going to teach him a lesson."


    The panicking Jasiel quickly went to the living room and touched a stone figurine shaped like a woman. "Athena, awaken yourself!"


    He placed the figurine on the floor as the stone figurine glowed with blue light. The surface of the stone formed clumps until it became bigger and formed into a female warrior with armors on her shoulder, arms, and legs. His Golem Servant, Athena, has a sturdy body made of hard stone, with bits of amazonite shards incorporated in her. She was holding two sharp and polished, stoned swords in each hand.


    Golem Servants do not speak, but instead listen to what''s on their Master''s mind, making it the hardest Servant to build trust into.


    "He''s upstairs-" Before Jasiel could even finish speaking, Athena leaped up and broke into the second floor of his apartment by crashing her head into the ceiling.


    "Oh? Breaking your Master''s apartment, huh," the Vampire quickly stepped back. "How about I help you?"


    With the dagger he was holding a while ago, he fought with her, but seeing that he''s at a disadvantage because she''s holding two blades and her whole body''s made of stone, he decided to use Elemental Magic. He looked around the room and saw the bathroom door on the left, which was slightly opened. He formed his fingers in a triangular shape and placed them on top of his chest, and the water in the faucet continued flowing.


    As he whispered some incantations, the water droplets started to gather in front of Sigmund, and using Conversion Magic, he turned some into ice, while some turned into a large translucent water barrier.


    Jasiel was peeking at the door and saw the advanced magic abilities that Sigmund had. He wondered if Ivory was a prodigy if her Servant is already as strong as a Servant with a third-year Master!


    Athena swayed both her stone swords at the water barrier, but to her surprise, it became hard as ice the moment her weapons penetrated into it. The ice rapidly crawled to the golem''s arms, freezing her and not enabling her to move an inch.


    Sigmund used this chance to dash towards Jasiel, who was trembling behind the door.


    "Stop! Please spare me!" Jasiel pleaded as he knelt before the Vampire. "I regret it! I won''t ever talk to Ivory, I promise!"


    "Isn''t that too easy?" the Vampire Servant cocked a brow. "I want you to do something else. Something that would entertain me," he said in a cold tone.


    The second year nodded in panic, "What is it? I''ll do anything! Just spare me!"


    Sigmund bent over and whispered something to Jasiel, and the scaredy second year widened his eyes in surprise.


    "Are you crazy? If I do that-"


    Sigmund raised the sharp icicle against his throat, "If you don''t, should I display your head outside this wrecked apartment?"


    "Fine fine fine! I''ll do it!" He stood up, "Release my Servant."


    "Once we leave, the ice will melt on its own. I''ll watch you from afar, so you better do it properly," he walked away from him and reached out his hand to the barrier that protected his Master. He dispelled it and held her in his arms. "Hold onto that blanket, woman."


    "Where are we going?"


    Sigmund grinned, "Up on the roof.. We''re going to watch a show."

 Chapter 27 - "Biting Me Softly"

    When the two had gone out the broken window, Jasiel approached his Servant, and just like Sigmund told him, the thick ice started to melt. Athena broke through as the ice thinned, her head turned to him as if she was staring blankly at her Master, confused.


    "Come back to your inactive state, Athena."


    With that, she turned back to her small form.


    Moments later, Jasiel went out on the busy streets of Alpharion City. The night was as lively as the day, and there were still many people who were shopping goods. Some passersby wondered why the apartment''s window broke. Jasiel looked up to his roof and saw Sigmund and Ivory sitting there. He gulped as he saw his crimson-red eyes staring at him, thinking that the Servant might really be serious about beheading him!


    He took off his clothes in front of the people, leaving only his linen brief. "I AM JASIEL REDLOCK! I LIKE INNOCENT GIRLS! I AM A HEARTBREAKER! I AM DESPICABLE!"


    People looked at him disdainfully. He repeated yelling it, until the city guards went over to investigate why the middle of the street was crowded. On the roof, Sigmund and Ivory laughed at the amusing sight of the guards taking him for detainment!


    "What did you say to Jasiel to make him do this? This was so unexpected!" Ivory chuckled as the fear she felt that night had disappeared, thanks to the hilarious scene she witnessed.


    "He deserves it," Sigmund said. "I didn''t really think he''d do it. He must have been too afraid of me. Honestly, if I hadn''t stopped myself, I would have killed him on the spot-"


    His words were interrupted when she suddenly placed her head on his shoulder and whispered, "Thanks, Sigmund... Thanks for saving me¡­ If you were not there, I¡­ do not know what could happen to me..."


    Sigmund didn''t utter any word, nor did he move. He glanced at his master''s head and let her cry for a while. When he felt her shivering due to the cold wind, and because her dress was torn inside the thin linen blanket wrapped around her, Sigmund stroked her hair, "Should we go home?"


    Ivory looked up to him, "Isn''t it too far? And it''s already night. It might not be safe for us to travel by foot."


    "Hmmm... Should we look for a place to stay then?"


    "But¡­ I didn''t bring any coins with me."


    "I have an idea."


    The two of them went to Betania City, at Edmond''s tavern, which was only a few minutes far by foot. At first, he refused to accommodate them if they would pay late, but he remembered that the two were close to the General''s son, so he agreed in the end. Besides, seeing Ivory holding only a blanket to cover herself up must have meant they ran into some kind of trouble.


    Like before, they fortunately took the last room available. Ivory lit the candle on the bedside table, while Sigmund took off his dirty coat, leaving only his gartered pants on and exposing his six-pack abs.


    "Isn''t it funny that we ended up in this room again?" Sigmund said as he laid down on the bed. He slowly felt tiredness all over his body as he stared at the wooden ceiling.


    "I remember so clearly how troublesome you were. You even escaped again," Ivory recounted. She hesitantly climbed to the other side of the bed and blushed when she saw him topless. She covered herself up with another blanket to give herself warmth and stared at the ceiling, too. "You''re not going to do that again, right?"


    "Unlike before, I now have a purpose why I want to make you a strong Master. Don''t worry about me escaping," his voice was becoming faint. "Hey, I used so much mana to save you from that troublesome guy. You know what to do."


    "Ah, I almost forgot," She extended her left hand near his mouth. "Here. Go on and take a bite."


    Sigmund chuckled as he turned to his side, "Do you think you''re a tasty biscuit?" then grabbed her wrist and bit her on the palm.


    "Ouch¡­" She murmured as she flinched.


    Sigmund paused from sucking her blood, "You''ll get used to this¡­" He continued licking the blood dripping from her palm. Still not satisfied, he pulled his Master''s arm towards him, making her loosen her grip on the blankets.


    "Ugh, Sigmund? My dress is torn and it''s cold..." she faced him, but turned her eyes away from him as her cheeks turned red. She tried reaching out for the blankets, but Sigmund took them and tucked himself in with her.


    "Hey¡­ Do you trust me now?" Sigmund stroked his Master''s head, looking at her with adoration.


    Ivory turned beet red when she gazed at his crimson red eyes. He was stroking her head gently, and it made her feel so secured. "I do. I trust you more now."


    "Good," he pulled her close to his body. "Don''t push me away again¡­ And never doubt me." He cupped her chin and tilted her head upwards before leaning into her neck and sinking his fangs into her flesh.


    As Ivory let him suck her blood, she compared it to the first time he replenished his mana out in the woods. He was too aggressive that time, but now it''s different. It was as if she had really tamed him, and she wondered if it was because he felt lonely when she shoved him away that afternoon.


    Because of what happened that night, Ivory felt the trust in him grow more, and there was a warm feeling in her heart.


    ...


    The next morning, Ivory was awakened by the gentle breeze coming from the window. She felt chilly and as soon as she opened her eyes, she saw the handsome face of her Servant, who was staring at her. She widened her eyes in surprise and shrieked when she realized that she was just wearing her undies.


    Sigmund covered his ears, "Why the hell are you shouting?!"


    She hurriedly covered her body with the blanket, "You¡­ I¡­"


    The Vampire laughed so hard. "You''re unbelievable. Didn''t you remember that you let me replenish mana on the bed? And you were cold, so I had to warm you up," he stood up, "You immediately lost your trust in me. How cruel," and said sarcastically as he stretched his arms.


    Ivory thought he was serious, so she quickly stood up and grabbed his arm. "No, I¡­ I was just shy!" she said with a worried look


    He pinched his Master''s cheek, "I know, dummy! Let''s get out of here."


    "But¡­ but I don''t have any extra clothes to wear¡­"


    "Use my coat. It''s a bit dirty, but it''s better than a blanket."


    "But if I use this¡­ How about you?" Ivory said, panning her eyes at his six-pack abs.


    "The view''s great, right? No one will complain if they see this great body."

 Chapter 28 - "Visiting The Goldwine Mansion"

    Ivory facepalmed, "There you go again! Fine, I''ll use the coat, but borrow some clothes from Mister Edmond for yourself."


    ...


    Soon after, they started to head for Greensteid Town, which was an hour and a half by foot. They still needed to pass three areas before they could arrive home.


    They took breaks every fifteen minutes to rest. Ivory wiped the sweat on her forehead while looking straight to the path ahead of them. She knew it would be a long walk, but with Sigmund with her, she felt like she could withstand it.


    "Should I use mana and hop over to the tree canopies?" Sigmund suggested after passing by Marina Town.


    "And replenish it again once we arrive?" she cocked her brow and chuckled.


    He looked at Ivory and seeing his Master''s tired eyes from last night''s replenishment, he then looked away and led the way into the forest, "Nevermind. Let''s just walk. If you get tired, I''ll carry you."


    They successfully passed by the forest, taking breaks every fifteen minutes to rest and upon reaching Megalia City, loud sounds of clashing metals could already be heard as it is a place where city guards and warriors are being trained. Ivory glanced at the roads and buildings made of red bricks, and as they walked closer to the city arc, the Master and the Vampire Servant saw Lucius who was talking to the guards.


    Megalia City''s located in the Land of Olivea as well, and as their land''s Military City, it is also known as the home for several blacksmiths including Arcea''s father. This land is also renowned for producing most weapons, like swords and spears.


    "Oh? What are you two doing here at a weekend?" the General''s son asked.


    "We walked all the way from Betania," Ivory answered. "Stuff happened..."


    "She dumped Jasiel, and I scared the hell out of him," Sigmund proudly said. "You should have seen the look on his face."


    "He''s a scum, Lucius," she said, avoiding Lucius'' gaze. "I trusted him, but he¡­" she held onto the coat tightly.


    Lucius observed Ivory''s actions as she kept her hands on her chest, and seeing Sigmund''s coat wrapped around her, he instantly thought of inviting them for lunch since she needed some change of clothes and something more comfortable to wear. "You must be tired and hungry. How about lunch at my place?"


    After the two agreed, he led them to his home - the General''s mansion, which was located at the central part of Megalia City. It was considered as the biggest residence in the whole city where a huge obsidian sculpture of a human raising a sword was placed on the front gate, while stables and horse carriages could be found at the side gate. Also considered as a city hall, the brick mansion was guarded by some city guards.


    They were first led to a dressing room, and Ivory was given a moss green long-sleeved blouse and topped it with a black sleeveless dress to wear. She then returned the coat to Sigmund.


    "My clan has been heading the combat operations in the Land of Olivea for generations," Lucius explained as they walked in the corridor, with paintings of his ancestors hanging. "Only me and my father live here, though. My mother refuses to live here, so I frequently visit her in a small house in the southernmost part of the city. That''s why if you notice, I am always either late or absent. I take care of her whenever she requests."


    "You''re such a good son, Lucius. Your parents are fortunate to have you. I am also fortunate to be your friend!" Ivory smiled at him.


    "Yeah, what kind of friend lets you borrow a horse-drawn carriage and gets you a coachman, all for free?" Sigmund said as he glanced at Lucius suspiciously.


    "A rich friend. Why do you even ask an obvious question?" Lucius snickered. "Don''t look at me like that, Servant. I am just helping a person in need."


    At the end of the corridor, a maid ushered the three inside the brown-themed dining room with a tall ceiling, and the three-tier candle chandelier hanging right above the round dining table. A fireplace and wine glass display cabinets were also mounted on the walls.


    Sigmund sat beside Ivory, while Lucius sat in front of them. Soon after, the maids served honey mustard grilled pork and baked potato platters, as well as mushroom soup. Ivory drooled at the sight of these dishes, and she was distracted by Sigmund who covered her mouth with his palm.


    "Where are your table manners, woman?" Sigmund laughed a little. "Geez, why do I have a Master who acts like a pig?"


    "Who''s a pig!?" Ivory hit his shoulder and glared at him. "It''s because I don''t often see these kinds of food, so¡­"


    "Ivory, you''re welcome to come back here anytime. My home is always open for you," Lucius smiled wide at his dear friend.


    "You''re the best, Lucius!" and she started slicing the pork on her plate.


    "Hey, rich boy. Don''t spoil her too much."


    "It''s alright, Sigmund. I am always happy to see my friends happy."


    Heavy steps were heard, and it was Lucius'' father, who just came from a meeting.


    "I see you''ve got visitors," General Darius Goldwine uttered.


    "Father, this is my friend, Ivory. And her¡­ Spirit Servant."


    Sigmund observed the honey brown-haired officer who was wearing his dark blue uniform and dark blue peaked cap. A logo of Olivea could be seen at the center of the cap, which has pine leaves behind a pine cone symbolizing the abundant pine trees in the area. Ivory, on the other hand, quickly placed down the fork and knife and stood up from her seat, "Sir! I am Ivory Sprucemint! Nice to meet you!" she saluted him.


    The General returned the salute, "Sprucemint? Are you somehow related to Gordon and Anne Sprucemint?"


    Despite getting intimidated with his striking turquoise-colored eyes, she quickly responded, "Yes, sir! They''re my parents."


    "That figures. My wife loves blueberries and acorns, so we often order from your parents."


    "Father, can we give assistance to their family to rebuild their house in Greensteid Town? Their old house was toppled in a fire accident. Now, they only live in a bushcraft shelter without a bathroom and a kitchen."


    "I have heard of what happened, but I didn''t know it was your family''s," the General then nodded at Lucius. "Arrange for them to have a new house. I have an extra pouch of silver coins in the treasury for the housing budget, it should be enough for it, and it should be better than their old one."


    "Thank you, father."


    "Sir! Thank you so much!" Ivory exclaimed in excitement. "I won''t forget your kindness!"


    The General just smiled at her, then glanced at Ivory''s Servant. Sigmund nodded his head in courtesy.


    "Lucius, tell the maid to bring me some of those meals. I forgot I need to read some report scrolls."


    "Yes, father."


    As soon as the General left, Ivory sat down and faced her friend with a big smile on her face, "Your father is so kind."


    Lucius smiled back at her, "Yes. Let''s eat. The food is going to be cold."


    As they ate, Sigmund just watched his Master savoring every flavor of the meat.. He was amused to see the plenty of sauces on the side of her lips and on her cheeks.

 Chapter 29 - "Masters First Weapon"

    Lucius also noticed this, so he took a table napkin and reached out to her. "You''ve got some sauce over here," he pointed to his cheek to guide her.


    But when Ivory was about to take the table napkin, Sigmund quickly wiped the sauce off her face with his thumb and licked off the sauce on his finger.


    "Hmm¡­" he licked his lips and commented, "Not bad."


    Ivory was startled by his behavior, and her cheeks turned red as a tomato. "Sig¡­ Sigmund!" She couldn''t believe he acted like that in front of Lucius!


    Lucius withdrew his hand and looked at the Vampire dubiously. His possessiveness towards his Master made him think, what if the naive Ivory developed feelings for her own Servant because of his actions? He got worried about her because it seemed like she''s attracted to men that easily.


    Then the thought of him being too kind to her crossed his mind. What if Ivory misunderstood his kind intentions? He''s kind to her because he felt at ease when he''s with her. He''s always helping her because she''s his close friend, and nothing more.


    Looking at the bickering Master and Servant in front of him, he thought that the situation was okay for now. However, if the time comes and she needed advice, he would be glad to be of help to her as a friend should.


    ...


    The next week, classes were postponed for a major academy event. All first year students, together with their Servants, were called over to the coliseum, and the Educators and Class Advisers stood in front of them. This time, what was set up in the middle part of the dome was not a summoning circle, but several wooden weapons.


    "We shall assess all your mana types today. When I call your name, approach us here," Educator Wallace said. He and Educator Rosanna were in charge of the event, "After the assessment, you will directly go behind me and take the glowing weapon, which will be your lifelong armament."


    The students were chattering about why the weapons were made of wood.


    "What does Educator Wallace mean? We can''t change our weapons?"


    "What? I don''t want to have a wooden weapon!"


    "SILENCE!" Educator Rosanna yelled, making the students stop talking.


    "Let me explain. You''re not going to have a wooden weapon forever. These weapons will evolve three times depending on how well you do in your training."


    Together with their Servants, the Masters went in front as soon as their names were called. Each Master stood in front of Educator Wallace, who told them to touch the crystal ball he was holding. They moved to where the weapons were placed and took the weapon that glowed.


    Arcea and Lucius both had the same type of weapon, which was a sword.


    Then came Ivory''s turn.


    "I''m so nervous!" She told Sigmund as they walked towards the Educator.


    "Afraid that the weapon might run away from you?" he chuckled.


    "It would?" her jaw almost dropped. "Oh no! I hope it doesn''t happen!" his Master worriedly replied and walked briskly, leaving him behind.


    ''What a stupid woman¡­'' he thought.


    "The swords are almost depleted, Educator Wallace," Educator Rosanna told him. "We still have some bows, and plenty of magic staff."


    "Looks like this batch will have a lot of potential close combat-type warriors and some range-type," he sighed. "I guess magic-types are hard to find since we only have nine this time."


    Ivory greeted the Educators with Sigmund behind her, then went over to Educator Wallace. "Hello, sir, good day."


    "Miss Sprucemint, good day to you as well. Please touch the crystal ball."


    As soon as she did, the crystal ball gradually glowed. With the small amount of mana that it took from her, which was then fused with the magic of the ball, a blue glow then entered one of the magic staffs.


    Pleased with the tenth magician-type student, he spoke in a cheerful tone, "Congratulations, you''re a rare magic user! Go on, get your staff!"


    Ivory hurriedly took the glowing staff, and the moment she touched it, she felt her mana reacting to it, sending shivers down to her spine.


    The event ended, and everyone was told to go back to the classroom.


    "I''m excited, what will this sword evolve into? A real, sharp sword? A heavy axe? A dagger? Or a spear? Oh my!" Arcea shared as she raised her weapon in the air.


    "Isn''t your father a blacksmith? You must have plenty of weapons in your father''s workshop," Lucius told her.


    "Well, yes, but I only have one sword which I am permitted to use. But this magic sword feels different! I hope it evolves, soon!" she giggled, then turned to Ivory, "Hey, Ivory. I heard you''re a rare magic-type, and there are only ten out of a hundred students like you."


    "Yes, I''ve heard about it," she said. "But I''m still worried. Sigmund said that my mana quality is poor, so¡­"


    "Don''t listen to him! You''re already doing great!" she patted her head.


    Mad about what Arcea told his Master, Sigmund shoved her hand away from Ivory''s head. "I am speaking the truth. I do not lie to her."


    "You¡­" Areca squinted her eyes. "After all these days, you''re still this stubborn? What kind of a Spirit Servant-"


    "Arcea, I think Sigmund is just saying what''s on his mind. If he says that my mana quality is poor, then it is true¡­ That''s why I was wondering why I was given the staff¡­"


    Arcea glared at Sigmund, and he did the same. He always saw her as a hindrance to him and his Master''s buildup of trust. Aside from that, he would not forget that she was the one who encouraged her to have a lover before.


    The day ended, and Ebleu waited for Ivory and Sigmund by the gate. However, she then realized that she had left her staff inside the classroom!


    "Oh no, I forgot my staff! I''ll just go and get it!" she ran off with Sigmund following her.


    But when she returned to her seat, she saw that her precious, wooden staff was already broken in half!

 Chapter 30 - "Masters Suspension?!"

    Sigmund heard the faint sobs of his Master before he entered the room, and as soon as he saw her crying holding her broken weapon, he clenched his fist in anger.


    "Who would''ve done such a cruel thing?" Ivory''s tears fell on her cheeks. "Why does something bad always happen to me?"


    "Hey," Sigmund uttered, not knowing how to console her. "I''ll get to the bottom of this. For tomorrow, you should report this to the principal."


    "Sigmund¡­" she continued crying, "Thank you¡­"


    "Hush, stop it. You''re ugly now, but do you want to be uglier? Don''t cry!" he reached out to her face and wiped her tears with his fingers. "I will make sure that the culprit pays for this."


    Early the next day, Ivory went to the Principal''s office to report about what happened to her weapon. "I''m sorry about this. This happened because I forgot such an important thing¡­"


    "Do not blame yourself too much on this matter. Destroying other students'' weapons is punishable by suspension, community service, or errands from Educators. I also want to know who did this to you."


    Ivory nodded, "Sigmund is looking into it."


    "I see. His heightened hearing may be convenient at a time like this. If only he could do something with his short temper, you''d be a perfect Master and Servant pair."


    "Principal!" one of Ivory''s classmates barged in. "We need your help!"


    "What happened?"


    The student glanced at Ivory and looked at her with disdain, "This girl''s Servant is causing a ruckus in the classroom!"


    In a panic, Ivory and Principal Arthurdane ran as fast as they could. When they reached the classroom, they caught Sigmund in the act of him smashing the wooden swords of three Masters using his razor wind as his crimson-red eyes glowed in anger!


    Even confused, Lucius and Arcea still tried to reason out to him as well, but Sigmund did not mind them.


    The Servants of the three students, who were all under Beast Class, were then awakened in their true forms when their Masters cried. But even before they could charge at Sigmund, the Principal cast a powerful barrier, making the three stumble and come back to their small, animal sizes.


    "Sigmund, calm down," the principal muttered. As he stood beside him, "You''ll get found out if this gets out of the academy. Do you want this to reach the Castle and say goodbye to our planned investigation? Think before you act."


    Sigmund''s eyes stopped glowing and nodded at him. He turned his head to his Master who seemed very worried after seeing the broken chairs and window frames.


    "What''s your problem, country bumpkin?!" Amy, with short bluish-gray medium-length hair, faced Ivory, "Why did you order your Servant to destroy our weapons? Have you gone insane?!"


    "I didn''t-"


    "Well, Servants only follow what their Masters want!" Brinna, with oranged fringed bob, exclaimed. "Does it make sense that he will do this on his own? You''ll have no excuse!"


    Ivory didn''t tell them that Sigmund had been acting independently even after the Contract Ritual. She glanced at the Principal, who only shook his head. He might be thinking of the same thing.


    "Principal, we want her to be punished for this!" Cassie, with brown long wavy hair, cried out as she raised her broken sword, "Please teach her a lesson for this mess!"


    The class adviser, Titus, fumed in anger when he saw the classroom in a mess. He had asked one of his students about what happened and wished they would have let him expel Ivory. He thought of her as a troublesome student who was always bringing in bad luck not only to his class but to the whole academy.


    Titus went to the principal and supported the three, "I think Miss Sprucemint had gone too far. We should expel her or if you won''t permit it, suspension is also a choice."


    Principal Arthurdane wiped the sweat on his forehead. What could have happened that made Sigmund rage like this? What should he do as the principal? There were too many witnesses that morning and if he let the situation pass, they might say that he''s taking sides.


    "Miss Sprucemint and your Servant, come with me to my office," the Principal said. "I want to talk to you about your punishment."


    In the Principal''s office, Sigmund told them about what happened.


    "I heard them whisper about what they did to her magic staff. They also said a lot of unpleasant words about her, which were all stupid lies! Those brats¡­ they were jealous of her for being a magic-type."


    Ivory was saddened about this. It was unfortunate that they had no evidence that they were the ones who broke her staff. Her short-tempered Servant was only looking out for her, and she appreciated his effort. "Sigmund¡­ Thank you." It was all she could say to make him feel that she trusted him.


    Principal Arthurdane sighed, "I need to suspend you for a week at most."


    "What? Principal¡­ It''s too long!" Ivory tears started to form in her eyes. "Must you really suspend me?"


    "I need to punish you somehow. Although I believe Sigmund''s reason because he''s a Vampire with heightened hearing. There''s no evidence yet, so I can''t punish those three right now."


    KNOCK! KNOCK!


    Sudden knocks interrupted their discussion.


    "Come in, please."


    Educator Alphonse opened the door. "Sorry, do you have a meeting with the students?"


    "No, it''s alright. What can I do for you, Educator Alphonse?" replied the principal.


    He went inside and closed it, "I would like to request for student assistance."


    "For what?"


    "There''s no one to guard the relic in the Iceburgh family residence in my hometown because we have a clan meeting to attend, and it''s urgent."


    "All third year students have been deployed," the principal responded after reading a scroll from his desk. "I''m afraid I don''t have anyone to give you at the moment."


    "Oh, is that so?" the Educator sighed, "I guess I will not attend again this year for that very important meeting."


    "I''m sorry. If only I could assign you some students-" the Principal then glanced at Ivory and Sigmund, who were quietly listening to their conversation.. "Actually, you can attend your clan meeting. Take these two to Hunter Town!"

 Chapter 31 - "Hot In The Desert-1"

    The following day, it was announced that Ivory and her Servant had been sent away for a week for an Educator''s errand as a punishment for breaking three Master''s weapons. The two of them sat beside each other in a polished dark brown wooden carriage led by four horses, and with them were the coachman and a helper who sat in the front, and the siblings Educator Alphonse and Educator Alexandra who sat across them.


    Ivory kept on leaning her head towards the window since she couldn''t see the outside view very well. "Sigmund, switch places with me, I want to see the view," she requested her Servant, who was sitting beside the carriage door.


    "No, I need to be on this side so that I can protect you. What if there''s an incoming arrow to kill you or something?" Sigmund explained as he raised his arm to block her way.


    "Sigmund! Why would anyone kill me, I am just a nobody-"


    "You''re not a nobody-"


    "Why do you think so?"


    "It''s because you summoned the most handsome and strongest Servant-"


    Ivory jokingly placed her hands on her ears, "I''m not listening to you boasting¡­"


    He held her wrists and pulled them from her ears, "I am just stating the facts, stupid woman. Listen, I am-"


    "What kind of Servant calls her Master a ''stupid woman''?" Educator Alexandra crossed her arms, and the two of them quickly sat properly. He seemed alright when he helped his Master in the warm-ups before, "Care to explain, Servant? Why are you acting like this especially now that a Contract Ritual has been done?"


    Sigmund furrowed his eyebrows and turned his head outside. The two of them were used to acting like themselves, and because it would be their first time to travel together, they were a bit excited.


    "Uhm¡­ Educator Alexandra," Ivory looked at the Educator, "I''m sorry. I still haven''t tamed him yet¡­ It is my fault."


    "This is weird. It is my first time hearing a Servant acting so cocky. It''s already weird enough that you summoned a Vampire, but-"


    "Now, now," Educator Alphonse chimed in. "Aren''t they under the Principal''s protection? It means there''s a reason for this, and as Educators, we should guide them to the right path. So calm down."


    They took a full four hours traveling out of the Land of Olivea, making the horses rest every hour. They entered the Land of Sandria and the change in temperature was evident; it had become warmer. After spending some minutes in Empirica City, the Military City in that land, they left their horses with the coachman and the helper in a friend''s house and borrowed camels to pass the Golden Desert safely.


    Each of them had a camel, and Ivory''s camel was attached to Sigmund''s because he was afraid it would run away with his Master. It was a forty-minute trip and finally, they arrived at Hunter Town.


    Like any town far from cities, Hunter Town had no electricity, thus having only fire to light the whole city. Torches were scattered, hung outside houses, and were lit before the sun set. Nights were very cold, so each house had fireplaces and fire pits to keep them warm. Even though the front of the town was a desert, the back part was accessible to the ocean. Fish was their main source of protein, and they harvest fruits from edible cactuses.


    The group directed to the Iceburgh residence. After leading the camels to rest in a shelter, they went inside the house and were welcomed by the Educators'' parents and cousins. They were led to the dining area and were served with sliced prickly pear cactus and freshly grilled tuna.


    After dinner, Ivory and Sigmund were shown where their family relic was. In the middle of the first floor was a small dark room, but as if enchanted by magic, the relic glowed bright blue when they entered inside, responding to Educator Alphonse''s presence. The room had become bright, showing the vivid shade of the yellow painted wall. There was nothing else in the room except the three-tiered brown wooden sideboard where the relic was placed.


    The relic, which was placed on the second shelf of the sideboard, was a medium-sized golden jar with handles on both sides and a lid. The neck of the jar was designed with leaves, while the shoulder had fish-like drawings. Two swans and a bull''s head in between could be seen on the body of the jar. Every time someone from the Iceburgh clan was born with a birthmark of Destinia, a drip of their blood would be dropped into the jar. According to elders, that ritual was to let the ancestors protect their clan''s future generation. There were several thieves who had attempted to steal it, but they would always fail because it was always guarded.


    After the relic had been shown, they were brought to the guest room on the second floor. The room had marble walls and floors, and it had two separate beds, with pillows of different sizes, placed against the wall. The fireplace, which was mounted at the center part of the wall, with sconces on each side of it, served as their only light inside the room.


    "Take a good rest," Educator Alphonse told them. "My family and I will leave tomorrow morning. If the progress of our clan assembly will not be finished early, we might come back the following day."


    "Alright, sir," Ivory nodded. "We shall wake up early tomorrow and see you off."


    They greeted each other goodnight, and Ivory turned to Sigmund, who was sitting on the bed on the right side of the room and was staring at his Master.


    Ivory, feeling tired from the trip, yawned as she laid down the bed on the left. "Goodnight, Sigmund," she murmured before facing the wall.


    But before she could even close her eyes, Sigmund already positioned himself behind her. He turned his head to her before speaking, "Give me some of your blood," and with little force, he held her shoulder to make her face him.


    Ivory''s light blue irises gazed at her Servant''s crimson red irises, and she widened her eyes when she realized something - that she needed to give him some blood again and recalling how he would graze his lips on her skin made her blush. She wasn''t able to speak, and her heart was beating like crazy, especially that they''re alone in the room.


    She shook her head, disappointed in herself. ''No, Ivory¡­ He''s your Servant¡­ Don''t think of having any romantic feelings towards him because according to what was taught in class¡­ Servants cannot fall in love!'' she thought.


    "Hey, are you listening?" Sigmund shook her body a little.


    "Nothing¡­ Just thinking."


    "Of?"


    "It''s... nothing!"


    The annoyed Sigmund didn''t want his Master to keep secrets from him. His eyes glowed, and he lifted her back to make her sit. He held the back of her head and leaned his face closer to hers. "I am asking you a question, stupid woman, so you better answer me. You know I don''t want you keeping any secrets from me," he said in a domineering tone, but Ivory still kept quiet and avoided his gaze.


    "Ivory.... I asked, what the hell are you thinking of."

 Chapter 32 - "Hot In The Desert-2"

    Ivory was surprised to hear him say her name for the first time, and it made her heart beat like war drums. His deep voice sounded so sexy. She wanted to avoid his gaze because of embarrassment, but because of the way he firmly held the back of her head, she couldn''t look away.


    "I said it''s nothing, why are you-" Ivory was interrupted when she saw his eyes glow once again. Sigmund''s eyes glow whenever he''s serious.


    She finally concluded that Sigmund has been acting so possessive after their Contract Ritual because he did not want to break their bond and trust unlike what had happened in the past when his past Master kept a secret from him.


    "Fine! Fine! I''ll tell you what''s on my mind!"


    "Good girl. So what is it about?"


    "It''s¡­ you! I was thinking about you!" Ivory exclaimed. Her reply made her Servant calm down, so he finally let go of her head and sat up straight. She added while blushing, "I was thinking about¡­ where you would¡­ bite¡­"


    Pleased that he was the one occupying his Master''s mind, Sigmund smirked, "Where do you want me to bite you?"


    "Uhm¡­ I¡­ Uhh¡­" She stuttered, still avoiding his gaze. "In my¡­ p¡­ pfinger!"


    Sigmund chuckled as he took his Master''s hand, "As you wish, dimwit." He licked her pointing finger, then lightly bit her with his fangs. His bite was not that deep; it was just enough to let the blood ooze.


    Ivory stared at Sigmund as he sucked her finger. She noticed how handsome he was in front of the fireplace. Again, she felt attracted to his features, and the more she recalled how he had saved her more than once in the past, the more she felt her romantic feelings for him grow. However, knowing that they couldn''t be lovers, Ivory only settled with telling her secrets to her Vampire Servant but never her true feelings for him.


    Sigmund''s tongue gently licked her bleeding finger before grazing his lips on her fingertip. He then noticed his Master staring at him which caused her to blush even more, making her pull away her hand from his. Ivory, whose heart was already beating crazy, quickly turned around, laid on the bed, and faced the wall. She was about to cover herself with the blanket, but Sigmund slid next to her and tucked themselves under the cover.


    "Go to your bed, Sigmund," Ivory murmured before shutting her eyes.


    "You might get cold, so I''m staying next to you, weakling," Sigmund murmured as well and almost rested his forehead on her nape.


    Ivory felt his breath on her skin. She thought of sleeping on the other bed, so she slowly tried to get up, but Sigmund placed his arm around her waist the moment he felt his Master moving away from him.


    "You''re not going anywhere-"


    As soon as Ivory turned to him, Sigmund''s lips almost grazed over her forehead and her hair, which made her unable to move.


    The Servant gazed at his Master before speaking in a low tone, "Good night." and Ivory stayed still, only having an inch of sleep that night.


    The next morning, as Educators Alphonse and Alexandra were talking with the two of them while waiting for their relatives...


    "Don''t worry, one or two thieves will be easy for you to shoo away. So, while not doing anything, and since you''re here to be punished, you might as well clean the house," Educator Alexandra said. "They can do that, right?"


    Educator Alphonse laughed, "Yes, yes. Also, please feed the camels in the shelter. And please organize my library, and¡­"


    The list of errands kept on adding and Ivory just nodded at everything as she also kept herself from yawning in front of the Educators, while Sigmund raised his eyebrow as he listened quietly.


    Their relatives then arrived. The Educators bid their farewell, and the Iceburgh family left the residence in the care of Ivory and Sigmund.


    "Time to¡­ clean, I guess," Ivory finally yawned and stretched her arms up lazily. "Sigmund, let''s feed the camels first, then-"


    She was interrupted when she turned and saw him walking back to the house!


    "Sigmund! Don''t tell me you''re running away from the errands?" She walked fast to reach him, "Help me organize the scrolls in Educator Alphonse''s library."


    "Why should I help you? You''re the one who got punished, not me."


    "You''re so mean! I thought you''re going to help me because you''re my Servant!" Ivory pouted. The two of them passed by an arched doorway and reached the brick brown colored living room with an open ceiling. It was spacious, with only a lounge sofa set and a vintage red rug on the right part of the room. There were pots hanging on the wall, which served as decors, and a carved nightstand was situated at the corner. Alphonse''s library was located at the side of the living room.


    Sigmund headed for the cushioned seat and sat with a figure four leg cross. Seeing that her stubborn Servant did not want to clean the house, she proceeded to enter the library. The entrance was an irregularly-shaped arch, and only a linen curtain hung on a wooden bar gave the room privacy.


    Despite not getting enough sleep, Ivory started looking through the scrolls scattered on the wide, rectangular clay table. Almost all scrolls were labeled through a string tied at the top of it, and there she started sorting according to topic. There were several topics about tactics, and some were about fisheries. She took a long time organizing the documents, and when she was done, she decided to place them on the empty shelves behind her.


    One by one, she reached out to put the scrolls on the shelves. But she struggled to reach the upper shelves, so she took the dusty chair from the back of the room, dragged it, and stepped on it.


    Unfortunately, she did not notice that it had cracks on its old, wooden legs. As soon as she placed both feet on the seat, the wooden legs broke, and just in time, Sigmund hastily went to her and caught her in his arms, preventing her from falling to the ground.


    "Stupid woman. Why did you¡­ Ugh, what are you going to do without me," Sigmund worriedly assisted her to sit on his lap after their butts fell flat on the floor. "Good thing I peeked to see how you were doing."


    "I told you I need your help! But you said-"


    "Fine, fine. I forgot how clumsy you were," for a moment, Sigmund gazed at his Master''s face. He wiped the sweat on her forehead with his fingers, "I guess I have no choice but to help you, weakling."


    The truth was, Sigmund was just messing with her when he told her that he wouldn''t help. He planned on seeing how long she could do the errands alone, and he was very delighted to see that he was needed by his Master.


    Together, they did the other errands, as well. Sigmund took the bucket of grains and the sack of grass to the camel shelter, while Ivory helped in pouring water from the barrels to the clay basins. They wiped the dusty, painted clay pots displayed on the shelves in the living room and the kitchen. When Ivory''s stomach growled, Sigmund harvested some prickly pear cactus in the backyard. He accompanied her to the dining room and watched her gobble the fruits. He teased her about being a pig, and Ivory jokingly hit him in his arm. The two were bickering the whole afternoon, even as they lit up the torches and fireplaces around the house at sunset.


    Finally, when the sun made its way to the newly lit fire pit in front of the house, the two of them sat on the sofa made of hardened clay to rest, and at the same time, to guard the house.


    The sand, even though it was not near the sea, had its ripples that would definitely feel better when one''s feet had landed on it. Ivory rested her back on the pillow while wearing a thick cloak and enjoyed the windy, cold night.


    Ivory glanced at Sigmund, "Today was really tiring, but it was fun even though I didn''t get enough sleep!" She rolled her eyes but giggled afterwards.


    "You didn''t get enough of what?" Sigmund cocked a brow. "You were snoring and clinging to me the whole-"


    She turned beet red and quickly covered his mouth with her hand, "And¡­ It''s fun to see you working hard! I can''t wait to tell Lucius and Arcea about this!"


    He removed her hand, "If it wasn''t for me, you wouldn''t finish all the errands," Sigmund proudly said. "I am the Great Sigmund of the Vampire Class. I can do anything. Errands are nothing for me."


    "If errands are easy, then you won''t replenish your mana today?" Ivory looked at him with curiosity.


    "Dimwit, I still need to replenish mana. Because whenever I breathe and move, I use mana," he leaned in nearer to her and touched her long, silver hair. "Now¡­ Where should I bite this time?"


    "Sigmund¡­" Ivory gazed into his eyes. "Can you bite a little more¡­ gentle?"


    "But I am gently biting you lately, aren''t I?" He smiled at her, touching her cloak and shoving the cloth at the part of her neck. Her light skin was now exposed.


    "It''s cold, please don''t remove it... Aaaaa-" Ivory''s words were interrupted when Sigmund suddenly lowered his face down her chin and bit the left side of her neck.


    He paused for a moment, blood trickling down on her neck, and whispered, "Are you still cold?"


    "Yes¡­"


    The Vampire embraced her as he continued drinking her blood; his hands settled on her back. At first, Sigmund hadn''t planned on biting her deep in the flesh, but his Master''s scent drove him crazy for some reason. As his wet tongue grazed her wound, Ivory called his name in a soft voice, which made Sigmund feel something unusual awaken within him. Careful to let a single drop of blood be wasted, he did not mind these thoughts and continued concentrating on sucking his Master''s blood. And so, with the moon as their witness, the two of them shared mana and warmth in front of the fireplace.


    But their peaceful mana replenishing was interrupted when Sigmund heard some noises nearby. The two of them were shocked to see several silhouettes of people at one side of the house!

 Chapter 33 - "Hot In The Desert-3"

    Sigmund stopped sucking his Master''s blood and murmured, "We have enemies, and there are more than ten of them."


    "Can we handle them?" Ivory worriedly asked as they stood up. Realizing what these people might have been up to, she looked at her Servant, "The relic¡­ They must be after the relic!"


    "You brought your broken weapon, right?" He looked back at her and reached for the cloak to cover her exposed skin.


    "Of course," Ivory then placed her hands at her side. Her magic staff, which was sliced into two, had been attached to her cloth belt all along. She took them and held them firmly in her hands.


    "Good. Don''t let go of that."


    "But Sigmund, how-."


    Seeing that the silhouettes had moved, the Vampire carried his Master in his arms. "Let''s head to the relic room first!"


    Holding his Master tightly, Sigmund dashed inside the house, and using more mana, he fused it with the wind to push his body forward and make him run faster.


    They reached the relic room found in the middle part of the first floor. Sigmund locked the door before carefully placing Ivory down, "Whatever happens, do not let go of your magic staff. It''s broken, but it is still made from enchanted wood. Concentrate your mana in both sticks and look at the enemy before throwing the mana to them-"


    "Sigmund!!! I''m so nervous!!!" Ivory''s hands trembled. During the past weeks, they have only learned a few things about actual combats, and the Educators only focused on teaching them the basic theories and how to build their stamina. "What if I miss? What if I destroy the house? Oh no¡­"


    He held onto her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes. "Hey, dimwit. You wouldn''t summon me if there''s nothing special about you and your mana, so don''t think too negatively," he patted her head, "Think about why we were brought here in Hunter Town. Set your eyes on our goal: to protect the relic."


    Ivory nodded, her eyes filled with determination. She clenched the sticks she was holding. ''This is the staff that reacted and glowed with my mana during the academy event, so I should try to do it.''


    Soon, Sigmund heard that the footsteps were slowly approaching. The people easily barged into the room after breaking the door, then from the shadows came forward fourteen people dressed in tight ninja clothes and had cloaks that covered their faces and only their eyes were seen.


    "If you don''t want to get hurt, hand over the relic, outsiders," one of them stepped forward and said, "It has nothing to do with you."


    "We''ll never hand it over," Sigmund told them in a cold tone. "Leave, before I kill you all."


    The thieves looked at each other and laughed, "How will you kill us? You''re outnumbered. And it seems like..." he looked at Ivory who was hiding behind Sigmund, "You''re the only one who can fight."


    The Vampire''s eyes glowed as he uttered incantations, and the cold wind outside instantly entered the house, and a bubble barrier appeared afterwards. He took the relic and shoved it into Ivory''s arms, then pushed her inside the barrier, "Stay inside and guard the relic. I will make sure they can''t come in."


    He then dashed outside of the room and closed the door while the moving wind served as a barrier in front of the door to prevent the thieves from entering the room. One of the thieves came close to the door and when he attempted to touch it, the tip of his fingers was cut!


    Sigmund smirked, "Go ahead and try."


    The man, who seemed like the leader of the group, ordered them, "Everyone, keep on targeting him! If his mana gets drained, the wind barrier will dissipate!" As if at war, the thieves yelled, raising their weapons.


    It was fortunate enough that the Vampire had heightened hearing, so even if he couldn''t see what was behind him, he could avoid them. But because he needed the majority of his mana to make the wind current strong and protect his Master, who was inside the relic room, he couldn''t use most of his mana or else he would pass out!


    The combat was tiring for a battle of one versus fourteen. Five men charged at him with their swords, then another five men attacked him, this time using flails. After that, the four thieves positioned behind him would throw poisoned daggers at him. The cycle continued for a long while.


    Losing so much mana, Sigmund struggled to hold them off. He wanted to use Earth Elemental Magic using the sands, but he would also pass out if he did that as he had used the majority of his mana. He was already breathing hard until he fell on his knees.


    "You said you''re going to kill us, right?" the leader laughed, "Stand up, we''re not yet done!"


    The wind barrier slowly dissipated, and Sigmund turned his head to the relic room. "Shit¡­" Sigmund''s voice was faint and passed out.


    Ivory was shocked when the bubble barrier popped, and together with the golden relic, they were dropped to the ground. The thieves broke the door and barged into the room as soon as it happened.


    Ivory shrieked, "Sigmund! Sigmund!!!"


    "Is he your Servant?" one of the thieves said. "I admit, he held on for so long that we almost gave up. But he was protecting you and the relic, so he couldn''t fight to the fullest and is already unconscious."


    "No way¡­" she worriedly uttered. She placed the relic behind her and pointed the wooden sticks to them, "I will¡­ I will use my magic on you!"


    Seeing that she had been trembling, they just laughed it out.


    "What a cute little Master you are," the leader snickered as he looked at her from head to toe. "You look fine. You''ll pass as an eatery server. I guess we''ll just take you with the relic if you don''t want to let it go!"


    Ivory tried what Sigmund told her to do. As soon as she saw some of the thieves taking a step forward, she concentrated her mana onto one stick. She stared at the leader''s head and waved her magic staff towards him, but nothing happened!


    The thieves all laughed at her.


    "Okay, stop playing with your little sticks," he turned to his comrades. "Take this helpless woman with us, and make sure that the relic is safe!"

 Chapter 34 - "Relic Of The Iceburgh Clan"

    Ivory dropped her broken magic staff and hurriedly took the relic behind her. She embraced it tightly, "I''m coming with you, alright. But, I''ll carry this!" She fixed her cloak and glared at the men from the gap of the cloak.


    With the thieves guarding the front and the back of her, she couldn''t escape. She glanced at the side and saw Sigmund lying on the ground. She panned her sight around the house, and it saddened her that the clay pots and jars that she and Sigmund had cleaned that day had now been shattered into pieces. She was too afraid to do something reckless since there were swords pointing at her body as she was led outside.


    In front of the house, the leader suddenly ordered for the group to stop.


    "Sir, is something wrong?" his comrade asked.


    "I changed my mind," he faced Ivory. "If we take her with us, we might run into some more problems... Kill her."


    The thieves nodded and turned to Ivory right away. Embracing the relic of the Iceburgh clan tight in her arms, she looked around, "Do you really need to kill me? I still have dreams in life!"


    "It''s too late now, young lady! The moment you took the relic and agreed to protect it, then it means that you''re willing to die for it!"


    Ivory furrowed her eyebrows. She''s outnumbered, plus, she''s weak. Her tears fell as she felt very hopeless. She gazed at the full moon and asked if this was her last day alive. Her light blue irises reflected its beauty; it was as if it was calming her down and giving her strength instead. Ivory then took a deep breath and closed her eyes.


    "Looks like you have now accepted your unfortunate fate," the leader laughed. "Comrades, go. Kill her now!"


    But before they could approach her, a cold and steady wind blew all of a sudden, lifting the sand grains upward while the lid of the golden jar opened on its own. A clear liquid flowed out and vaporized into the air until a thick fog surrounded them!


    When Ivory opened her eyes, she was surprised by the sea fog surrounding her. Nevertheless, she could see through it for a reason she was not yet aware of. She saw the thieves moving around and bumping into each other, and she used this as a chance to go inside the house, unfortunately, the thief leader had arrived at the entrance before she did!


    "I knew you''d try to go in," he said as he glared at her. "I am no bearer of the Goddess'' birthmark, but I am an experienced fighter. I have defeated numerous Servants and nullified a lot of spells. A thick fog like that has no effect on me!"


    Ivory held the relic tightly in her arms, "You can''t get this-"


    "That relic is fake."


    "No-"


    "I was wondering how a young lady like you managed to carry a large gold jar. But that is no gold!"


    Ivory examined the liquid from the lid. Educator Alphonse had explained that blood was inside of it, but what she saw at that moment seemed to be only water!


    Using the fake relic as her shield, she charged onto the thief, holding it forward, hoping to hit his face. The experienced leader quickly dodged her, and she came stumbling down the sand.


    "I''ll get rid of you first, if that''s what you wish," he took out his flail and dashed to her!


    His flail broke the fake relic, which appeared to be only made of light wood, and water from the inside splashed on Ivory''s cloak, which made her take it off.


    Under the bright moon, Ivory''s long, silver hair shined. She glanced at the moon once more, then turned her head to him. "I have no choice but to fight you!!!" She yelled as she took a sharp piece of wood from the smashed jar and ran to him.


    The thief leader easily dodged her attacks and instead, used his flail to injure her shoulder. Ivory''s blood surfaced from her light brown blouse. She did not mind the pain and again, holding the wood firmly, she darted to him. This time, the man used his flail to gash her back and her arm.


    Her blouse was torn and had become tainted with her own blood.


    "I''m guessing you''re just a new Master," the thief leader walked towards her. "Your Servant is strong, yes, but his mana isn''t enough to use a lot of magic all at the same time. If you were a stronger Master, we all could have died right now."


    Ivory, who was already catching her breath, glared at the approaching thief.


    "It''s you¡­ who will die today! Farewell, young lady!"


    He hit Ivory''s back with the flail and as she fell to the ground, her blood continued to flow in the fine sand. He then went inside to find where the real relic was hidden.


    As Ivory laid on the ground, she stared at the entrance of the house. She had failed her mission to guard the relic, and it hurt her to think that inside, Sigmund was unconscious, who probably needed her blood that was now being wasted as it flowed to the sand.


    ''I¡­ mustn''t give up¡­ But how¡­'' she thought, over and over again.


    The thick fog had faded, and the thirteen men saw Ivory laying on the ground, drenched in her own blood. They thought that they had succeeded, when suddenly¡­


    ...they saw Ivory''s wounds healed on their own!


    She slowly stood up and saw the thirteen men in front of her. "No¡­ You''re not getting inside the house..."


    They knew there was something different in Ivory as they suddenly felt scared of her aura. She stared at them blankly while her light blue eyes glowed. But the thieves tried not to mind the sudden terror they were feeling. They surrounded Ivory and raised their weapons towards her.


    "No¡­ You''re not getting inside the house¡­" She murmured again, and using the cold wind, she turned them into razors which wounded the men badly.


    Seeing how the thirteen men got severely injured, she hurriedly went inside the house to find the thief leader.


    Her broken magic staff glowed, responding to the strong mana that surfaced within her. The two sticks swiftly followed the silver-haired lady as she passed by the living room. They flew right into her grasp, and upon gripping to them tightly, the glow even became more radiant that it could light the whole house.


    As she continued searching the whole house, she finally found the thief leader by the stairway as he was about to go to the second floor. "I won''t let you take away the relic!" she yelled as her blue eyes glowed more vibrantly.


    When the man turned around, he was shocked to see Ivory standing in front of him in her tattered and bloody clothes.

 Chapter 35 - "Masters Hidden Ability"

    "How come you are still alive?!" The thief leader shouted and noticed her healed wounds. "You¡­ Your wounds-"


    The man wasn''t able to finish speaking when Ivory didn''t let the man finish his statement. She raised one of the wooden sticks and used Earth Elemental Magic to trap his feet on the ground.


    "You¡­ What are you?!"


    Ivory''s light blue eyes glowed as the moonlight shone on her through the roofless living room, "Stay away from the relic¡­" her voice echoed.


    The man used his flail repeatedly to try to break the earth holding his feet. He knew that the woman before him was different from the helpless woman he first met earlier that night. It was the first time that someone survived his heavy flail.


    But before he completely smashed the hardened soil, the Iceburgh clan had finally returned!


    "Ivory!!" Educator Alphonse worriedly ran to her, seeing her bloodied clothes. "Your clothes... are bloody¡­ Are you alright?"


    As soon as she heard the Educator, her eyes and magic staff stopped glowing. She then turned to face him, "Educator Alphonse, I¡­ I''m sorry that everything''s a mess¡­"


    He shook his head. "No, it''s the first time that a lot of thieves attempted to get the relic¡­ Fortunately, I hid it before we set off¡­"


    Educator Alexandra, on the other hand, handled the thief leader. "Still not giving up after several attempts? Aren''t you a shameless one?"


    "Hey¡­ Long time no see, ex-comrade-" His head was hit by her. "Oww!"


    "I told you I won''t go back to being a thief¡­ Those were just my rebellious days."


    "But you still dress like one."


    "''Cause it''s comfortable. Stop saying nonsense," With a thick rope, she tied his hands at his back. "Bring this man with his comrades in prison," and asked her cousins to take care of the matter. She then turned to Ivory, "Miss Sprucemint, let me see your wounds."


    But the Educators were surprised to see¡­ that there was not even a scratch on her!


    Educator Alexanda examined her from head to toe, "No wounds, not even a bruise¡­ But judging by your clothes, you might have experienced so much pain."


    "How¡­ how is this possible?" Educator Alphonse brows furrowed. "Did you cast a spell on yourself?"


    "I¡­ I don''t know how¡­ I don''t know how I did it," Ivory replied and suddenly remembered that Sigmund needed her blood. "Uhm¡­ excuse me for a while, Sigmund needs to replenish his mana," she ran off to her Servant, who was lying near the relic room.


    She saw a dagger on the floor, most likely from a thief, and knelt beside the unconscious vampire. She placed her arm right in front of his lips and wounded herself, letting the blood drip into his mouth. She cupped his chin as she waited for him to regain his consciousness.


    After a few seconds, Sigmund''s eyes twitched and gradually opened. Tasting his Master''s sweet blood, he grabbed the arm in front of him and licked her wound fervently. Now having a little energy to speak, he slowly sat properly and was shocked to see Ivory''s tattered and bloody clothes.


    "Hey¡­ You¡­" He touched her light skin and checked the parts of her clothes which were stained with blood, but saw no wound at all.


    Sigmund sighed in relief and smiled weakly. "Good¡­ You healed," he patted Ivory''s head, "Good job."


    "You know about it?" Educator Alexandra asked. At the same time, Ivory looked at Sigmund, confused.


    "Yes. I''ve seen her heal herself. Once."


    Ivory tilted her head in confusion, "But¡­ How did I heal myself? I do not know any spells or incantations for healing..."


    He shook his head. "Honestly speaking, I don''t know yet."


    Educator Alphonse wondered before speaking, "We should ask Educator Wallace once we come back to Qawiun Academy. It might be the nature of her mana, or a spell passed on by her ancestors¡­ Everything''s unsure for now, but one thing is for sure, Ivory has a great potential to be a strong Master."


    "I agree," Educator Alexandra added, "Maybe she''ll become a really strong Master, and when that day comes, you won''t be able to call her ''stupid'' anymore," and rolled her eyes at Sigmund.


    Sigmund chuckled, "Yeah, right¡­ Ugh," he held his head after it throbbed.


    "Sigmund¡­?" Ivory gave him a worried look.


    "I feel very dizzy¡­ I need more blood."


    The Educators assisted Sigmund to the guest room and left him with his Master while they inspected the whole house and tidied the mess afterwards. While the two were changing into their cleaner clothes, Sigmund, who was still topless, headed to where Ivory was.


    Ivory covered her body with the dress she was about to wear as soon as she saw her Servant drawing closer to her.


    "You don''t have to cover your body," he removed her arms, exposing his Master''s cute lingerie and light skin, "I''ve seen everything."


    "What are you saying?!" she exclaimed, her cheeks turning red.


    Sigmund leaned closer and gazed at Ivory''s face, down to her shoulder, to her bosom, and her torso. He turned her around and looked at her back.


    "What''s wrong?" she glanced over her shoulder.


    "Hmm," he murmured, satisfied with what he had examined. "You really do have a healing ability. I''m amazed."


    The Vampire held her hand and walked towards the bed, then sat on it with his back leaning on the wall. Ivory sat beside him, hugging her arms. He took the dress from her grip and dressed her up.


    Ivory looked at him while blushing "Sigmund¡­ Thank you for trying to protect me and the relic."


    "Hey, dimwit," He turned his body towards her and looked straight into her eyes. "It''s my responsibility, but¡­ I failed to protect you. I thought I could manage strong Air Elemental Magic because I just took some blood from you, but I overestimated myself. I forgot that you still need to train so that the mana you''d share with me would be of great quality."


    Ivory suddenly felt emotional and tears fell from her eyes. "I''m so sorry¡­ If only I''m not weak, then I¡­"


    Sigmund wiped her tears, "Stop crying. You''ll get stronger soon as long as you do your best and train hard at the academy."


    "But that will still take a long while," her face was held low as tears still streamed on her face.


    "Do you know what you can do right now even if you''re still weak?"


    "Hm?" she wiped her tears and looked up to him.


    The Vampire smiled, showing his fangs. "Let me drink your blood whenever I ask for it," he then reached out for her and embraced her.


    "Yes¡­ I promised you, so- Aaaahhhh¡­" She reacted as she felt his fangs pierce her neck. She placed her arms around his waist.


    It wasn''t pain, but she felt relief as Sigmund drank blood from her. She was thankful that he''s alright, after everything that happened that night.. As she closed her eyes and felt his fangs into her flesh, she promised herself to get stronger to be able to fight alongside her beloved Vampire Servant.

 Chapter 36 - "The Moonlit Attic"

    Ivory and Sigmund stayed at the Iceburgh Residence for three more days. Together with the Educators'' family, they repaired the house, and did pottery to replace the broken jars during the fight with the thieves.


    Ivory sat on a low, small stool in the backyard.


    "You are doing bad, woman," Sigmund said as he stared at his Master''s hand. There were patches of wet clay on her arms. "A kid will do better than you. What kind of a pot is that?"


    "Hey, Sigmund, this is¡­" she stared at the potter''s wheels. "It''s my design!" She pouted, and the Vampire just laughed.


    He crouched behind his Master, extending his arms around her. He then reached out to her dirty hands, placing his palms at the back of them. "You really can''t do anything without me¡­" he whispered near her ear.


    Sigmund''s voice lingered in her mind and as his low voice sent shivers to her, she felt a little hot. She could feel his chest and broad shoulders on top of her and found him very sexy. She smelled his lily-scented hair, and when she sniffed for a few times, the Vampire asked her, "What are you doing?"


    "Your hair¡­ smells like lilies."


    "Ah, that," Sigmund uttered, avoiding her gaze and just staring at the turning pot. "Lilies are what my family brought to my grave when I was buried..."


    "You mean¡­ you were really a human before you became a Vampire?"


    "Yes. I was human¡­ But I died because of a plague. Back then, I prayed so hard to Goddess Destinia to become immortal, and she granted my prayer."


    "I see¡­ Sorry if I made you remember¡­"


    "It''s alright. I plan to tell you about it anyway," He glanced at his Master, who seemed a little gloomy because of the topic. "You birdbrain. Your pot is turning into a plate."


    "Oh no!" Ivory snapped out of it and tried to bring it back to its original shape. With Sigmund''s big hands guiding her hands, the two of them managed to create seven small jars. After a few hours, they painted them with animal blood and plant dye and decided to rest afterwards.


    And on the next day, they bid goodbye to the Iceburgh family. Ivory thanked them for their hospitality and apologized for all the damages, but the parents of their Educators said what was important was that they were safe, as well as the relic.


    The four of them rode a camel each, and proceeded to Empirica City to fetch their horse-drawn carriage.


    Then, they left the Land of Rosaria, and headed to the Land of Olivea, directly dropping Ivory and Sigmund to Greensteid Town. It was already nighttime.


    Ivory stretched her arms as she and her Servant walked in the forest. "Finally, I can rest. It was a crazy trip, right?"


    Sigmund nodded, "Educator Alphonse thought there would only be a few thieves, but we were unfortunate. I think they knew that a weakshit Master would be guarding the house."


    "What weakshit?" She furrowed her brows. "Ugh, I really don''t know how to react to those wordings of yours."


    "Because it''s true?"


    Ivory laughed and nodded at him, "I know I''ll never be able to be strong if I don''t recognize my weakness."


    Soon after, they arrived beside Ken''s house, but the makeshift shelter was not there anymore. When she checked to see the area where their old house was previously situated, she was shocked to see a newly built homemade with pine tree logs farther from their previous makeshift house.


    The new bungalow dwelling with an attic was made of logs that were tied together and served as the walls. A cobblestone chimney was also fixed to the log wall.


    "The new house has been built! Oh my, it''s so nice!" Ivory almost teared up. She did not expect Lucius''s father to immediately act on it. She noticed the garret of the newly built house, "There''s even an attic!"


    "That will be your room, Ivory," her mother Anne welcomed her daughter as she opened the wooden door. "Welcome home!"


    "Mother!" she hastily approached her and gave her a hug.


    "Sis!" Then came her younger siblings, Gracie and Flynn. "Welcome back!" they said in unison.


    Ivory patted their heads and beamed a smile, "Have you been good to our parents?"


    "Yeeeess!"


    Gordon, who had just finished washing the wooden plates, approached them, "I know you''re tired from the long trip. Why don''t you rest upstairs in your new room?"


    "I do feel a little tired, father. I''ll rest, then. Goodnight, everyone!" She embraced her parents, then her siblings before climbing the narrow stairs with Sigmund.


    Ivory opened a wooden door just a few steps after the stairs. The room was made with logs with a slanted window at the middle of the ceiling. Right below the window, a thick mattress on top of wooden pallets was placed against the wall. The bed was covered with white linens, and it was accented with a patterned red and blue rug positioned near the door. An ottoman chair was also placed beside the wooden pallets, and a shelf was mounted on the corner wall.


    "Wow, the moonlight can be seen here!" Ivory quickly sat on her soft bed as she stared at the round moon through the slanted window. "Ahhh! I love my new room!"


    Sigmund walked around the room, checking every corner, "Seems like it is strongly and properly built. That''s good." He then took off his long-sleeved, cotton shirt, then reached out to the cabinet, taking out a sleeveless, linen shirt, and wore it. He went directly to the bed, his back resting on the wall.


    Ivory turned her head to him and narrowed her eyes, "That''s my bed."


    "I know."


    "You seem like you''d occupy it..."


    "Oh? But we''re always sharing the bed at Edmond''s," he grinned at her, crawled towards her, and tucked her silky silver hair behind her ears. "Why are you getting shy now, woman?"


    Ivory turned beet red as she felt Sigmund''s fingers brush her skin. The moonlight had just made him extra handsome, and she couldn''t help but gulp at his stare. "St¡­ Stop teasing me!"


    She pushed him away from her, but went off-balance as she was sitting at the edge of the bed. Sigmund quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him, making his Master lay on top of him. His crimson red irises gazed at his Master''s light blue irises.


    The two of them shared a silent moment for a while.


    "Uhm¡­ Sorry..." Ivory uttered as she tried to move her body away from him.


    But the naughty Servant wrapped his arms around her waist!

 Chapter 37 - "Journal Of The Herbalist"

    "Sigmund¡­" Ivory blushed. She wondered why, even though her Servant was a Vampire, she had always felt his warmth. "Uhm¡­ please let go..."


    "Why do you look so shy whenever I''m near you, huh?" Sigmund snickered.


    "You-"


    But before she could even speak, Sigmund already let her go and spoke in a serious tone, "I am your Servant. You should be more comfortable with me."


    Ivory hurriedly rolled her body towards the side and turned her head towards him, "I am trying my best, but I hope you know I trust you now more than before. Isn''t it a good progress, too?"


    "I guess it is," he also turned his head to face her. "Didn''t you say you''re tired? Go to sleep. I''ll tuck you in."


    The Vampire assisted her, placing the blankets over her.


    ¡­


    The start of the week quickly came, and Ivory was allowed to go back to Qawiun Academy. With Sigmund behind her, she joyfully entered the classroom and greeted Arcea as soon as she saw her.


    "Good morning!"


    "Oh, Ivory! It''s been a while! I missed you!" Arcea embraced her friend tightly for a short while, then let go. She then turned to Sigmund who was quietly observing the two. "Leader of Ivory''s Anti-Love team, it''s a great morning, but you are frowning," she had always felt that the Servant despises her.


    "It has nothing to do with you, annoying woman," Sigmund crossed his arms. When he noticed that his Master''s friends weren''t complete, he asked, "Where is the rich boy?"


    "You know Lucius. He''s like a random mushroom growing on a wooden log. He just pops out of nowhere."


    As they spoke about him, Lucius suddenly entered the classroom. Upon seeing Ivory with her Servant, he approached them.


    "Good morning, mushroom!" Arcea teased, and he just gave a smile.


    "Lucius! It''s been a while!" Ivory said in a joyful tone. "By the way, I love our new house. Thank you for helping us with the rehabilitation."


    "No problem. It was a good thing that there were extra funds," Lucius responded. He then sat on the vacant seat near them. "How was your suspension? I heard that in the Land of Sandria, mornings are hot, but the nights are chilly."


    "It was a fun suspension," Ivory lowered her voice. "I mean¡­ It was a good experience."


    "According to rumors, you were tasked to clean the Iceburgh residential house. They also said that you did not do a good job¡­" Arcea shared, looking all worried. "Maybe it was those three girls who spread that awful rumor."


    Sigmund and Ivory were surprised that it was the rumor. The two glanced at each other, and they had the same thought: what happened in Hunter Town must be kept a secret for now. Maybe it was the Principal who let everyone know that the two just cleaned the house and nothing else.


    "It''s true that we cleaned the house¡­" Ivory told them, "And it''s also true that I did not do a good job. If Sigmund weren''t there with me, I don''t think I could finish cleaning everything."


    "Eh? It must have been hard cleaning a naturally dusty house! Poor Ivory¡­" Arcea muttered, then patted her head. "I''m sure you still did well!"


    Ivory gave a subtle smile, "Thanks, Arcea."


    It came to their knowledge that the three, Amy, Brinna, and Cassie, who were the main reason why Ivory was suspended, were transferred to another section. Their adviser, Titus, was against it at first, and just wanted to kick out Ivory from the academy.


    But of course, Principal Arthurdane refused. Although he knew that the three might have done it, he had no evidence to punish them. He knew that an intelligent Servant like Sigmund would not do such things without a good reason. Plus, he couldn''t just reveal that he was a Vampire Servant who he could hear whispers from a distance. After all, he made him pretend as a Spirit Servant.


    When the Magic Class ended, Educator Wallace called for Ivory and Sigmund in his office to talk about what happened in Hunter Town.


    "I was informed by Educator Alphonse and Educator Alexandra about your situation, Miss Sprucemint." Educator Wallace said as the two stood in front of his desk. He shoved an opened scroll, showing to them inscriptions about healing.


    "This is the only document where I have seen something about physical healing using mana."


    Ivory and Sigmund looked at the inscriptions written on the scroll. It was like an herbalist''s journal, but everything was about healing wounds. Most of the content included recommendations on what herbs one should use and how to prepare them. However, there was only one section about healing wounds using one''s mana.


    In that section, the herbalist wrote about how she got wounded from an accident in the mountains. One night, her carriage fell from the cliff. She and her coachman suffered from the blood loss from their wounds, but fortunately, there was an unknown adventurer who helped them. This adventurer was with his Servant, and when he pointed his magic staff to her, it glowed in response to his mana. His Servant held the other end of the staff, and in just a few seconds after exposure to its light, all of her wounds healed. They did the same with her coachman and after making sure that they were okay, they bid goodbye to them.


    "Miss Sprucemint, if there is a Master who can heal others using mana, I think you have the potential to do it, too. Right now, your ability still needs to be honed. Once you understand all the theories of magic, train hard, and work on the quality of your mana, you and your Servant will be invincible."


    Sigmund saw that Ivory''s eyes were filled with excitement. "Did you hear that?" he tapped her shoulder. "Your Educator said that you should study harder."


    "Excuse me, Sigmund, but I am studying very hard," Ivory rolled her eyes. "Isn''t that right, Educator Wallace?"


    "Well¡­ I heard from the other Educators that you need to work on your stamina¡­" the Educator replied, and he and Sigmund chuckled. When Wallace looked outside the window, he realized that it was almost sunset. "Please take this scroll. For the meantime, you can start studying those herbs. I believe it will be useful for you in your future. When you''re free, please also read the reference scrolls in the library about mana control."


    Ivory nodded, then thanked Educator Wallace for his big help. She rolled the scroll and placed it in her sling bag.


    When they left his office, the two quickly went out to the gate. Ebleu was waiting for them.


    "Shall we go back to Greensteid?" the old man asked them.


    "Yes, please!" And the three of them headed to Ivory''s hometown.


    ...


    The next day, early in the morning, Sigmund was requested by Gordon to help in harvesting some firewood in the forest, Anne went out to harvest some blueberries, while the two kids were still asleep. Ivory was the one who volunteered to cook breakfast.


    "We''re almost there. Thanks for helping out, Sigmund. My daughter is really lucky to have you as her Servant." Gordon said as they walked towards the house, pulling the sacks of chopped wood.


    Sigmund just smiled at Ivory''s father. He thought that helping her family would earn his Master''s trust, too.


    Then, the Vampire Servant suddenly heard his Master screaming.. He dropped the sack of wood, and hurried inside the house.

 Chapter 38 - "Licking Masters Palm"

    The Vampire saw his Master wailing at the sight of her own blood and quickly grabbed her wrist, "Don''t you know how to peel potatoes?!"


    "I.. I¡­" she continued crying as she watched the blood dripping from her palm.


    When Gordon entered the kitchen, he was shocked to see a pool of blood on the wooden kitchen counter. "Sigmund, tend to her wound, I''ll clean up," he looked at his daughter. "Ivory, be careful next time, okay?"


    She nodded at her father, then her Servant assisted her upstairs.


    And as soon as Sigmund closed the door, he looked closely at her wound and glared at her, "This wound¡­you did this on purpose, don''t you?"


    "Sigmund, I¡­ It''s really an accident-"


    With his free hand, he cupped her chin and forced her to look straight into his glowing crimson red eyes, "You''re a bad liar, Ivory. Tell me why you did this."


    Feeling intimidated by his gaze and hearing him say her name in an angry tone, Ivory decided to tell him the truth. "I¡­ I thought I''d heal myself, so I¡­"


    "You''re really a dimwit."


    "Because of what happened in Hunter Town, I¡­ I wanted to be very strong as soon as possible¡­ I don''t want my weak mana to hold back your true strength!"


    Hearing her say what was on her mind, his eyes stopped glowing. "You''re too reckless," Sigmund''s wet tongue then slowly grazed at his Master''s palm and licked the blood dripping from her hand. He repeatedly did this while they were both staring at each other''s eyes.


    On the other hand, Ivory felt like she was melting from the intense stare she and Sigmund were sharing. She had been cornered by her Servant by the door as her arm was tightly held by his right hand, making her unable to move. Embarrassed with their current position, she finally spoke, "Sigmund, I''m alright now, it doesn''t hurt anymore¡­ I''ll put some bandages-"


    But before she could even finish her sentence, Sigmund whispered, "Such a waste¡­ Your precious mana is flowing in your blood. Since you promised me during the Contract Ritual that your body and blood will be mine, don''t ever hurt yourself again." And he kissed her wounded palm.


    Ivory blushed at the kiss and just nodded as a response. She was used to Sigmund''s domineering personality as if he''s the Master and she''s the Servant, but still, she could feel that he genuinely cared for her in his own, unusual way.


    After a long while, Sigmund finally was satisfied, and he licked his lips, "Thanks for the breakfast."


    Ivory took a look at her hand. The wound was still open, but at least it was thoroughly cleaned. "Th¡­ Thanks¡­"


    "Hey. If I were you, I''d master the basics, first. After that, you''ll be able to easily understand advanced magic."


    She nodded and gave him a reassuring smile. "I promise, Sigmund. I''ll do my best!"


    And after that day, Ivory worked very hard with Sigmund''s guidance. She started spending more time in the library, reading scrolls about mana control and different theories of magic. She learned that the basic forms of magic came from the four elements: Water, Fire, Air, and Earth. Sigmund started explaining a few complicated lessons when she was almost done reading all the basic topics. Ivory still continued studying even late at night, so Sigmund would sometimes scold her whenever she got sleepy. Ivory would just shake her head to stay awake and continue her lessons.


    Aside from that, she also read about building her stamina and the importance of exercise that would give her a big advantage someday in real battles outside Qawiun Academy. Upon reading this, Ivory had been waking up every dawn, and together with Sigmund as her trainer, they ran laps around town. He would always yap at her whenever she slowed down due to tiredness, or fell to the ground because of a rock she did not see.


    Throughout those times, the feelings she had for her Vampire Servant only grew stronger, but she knew that he was only kind to her because she''s his Master and because he needed her blood to regenerate his mana. She felt a little frustrated because she was aware that Servants could not fall in love. Nevertheless, she continued her secret admiration for him and made him her inspiration instead.


    In those days too, Arcea and Lucius continued hanging out with her every lunch time, but Ivory used the other break times to read reference scrolls. She even started gaining the approval of Adviser Titus because he had seen how hardworking she was...


    ¡­


    And just like that¡­ their first year at Qawiun Academy ended.


    ¡­


    The little birds sang by the windows of the cabin''s attic one peaceful morning, when...


    "GAAAAAH!"


    Ivory screamed when she woke up from a weird nightmare, making the birds fly away.


    "Hey. Did you have a bad dream?" Sigmund tucked her hair behind her ear as he checked her.


    She nodded. "I dreamed that I got lost in a forest, and several white wolves were staring at me¡­"


    "White wolves?" he furrowed his eyebrows.


    "Yeah¡­ And when they jumped onto me, fortunately I got myself to wake up!" Ivory stood up and stretched her arms high up. "I''ll wash up, then let''s go."


    Sigmund stared at his Master''s back as she walked away. ''I have a bad feeling¡­'' he thought. He then shook his head and hoped that he was just overthinking.


    That day was her first day as a second year in the academy and just like in the past, she woke up late on an important day. But unlike last time, this time she had Ebleu to fetch her on a horse-drawn carriage, and Sigmund, who had always accompanied her.


    Soon after, they arrived at the academy''s gate in which the letters ''QAWIUN ACADEMY'' were carved on very large orange-colored amber. Its color intensified whenever the sunlight struck it.


    When the gatekeepers checked Ivory''s gate pass and recognized that it was them in the carriage, they let them inside the gate. Upon arriving at the school entrance, Ivory thanked Ebleu, and together with Sigmund, she ran to the second floor of the building as indicated by the guard. Ivory was just in time for class. She greeted Arcea and Lucius, then headed over to her seat, while Sigmund sat on his favorite window sill beside his Master.


    Adviser Titus walked sluggishly to the front as soon as he arrived.. "Good morning, Blue Gem class¡­ I know it''s the first day and everyone should be excited, but I have bad news," He looked around and sighed, "You were thirty students under this class during your first year¡­ But now, there''s just eighteen of you."

 Chapter 39 - "Fate Of The Unchosen"

    Everyone was shocked because they just thought that their classmates were just latecomers. From thirty students to just eighteen, it was certainly unbelievable!


    "The Educators said it''s normal¡­" Adviser Titus said and sighed. "I guess not everyone can handle the lessons."


    Arcea raised her right hand.


    "Yes, Miss Knightwing?"


    "Sir¡­ What will happen to them if they quit the academy¡­?" she asked curiously.


    "Well¡­ They are going to be taken to the Oracle in the Silverblade Castle to return their mana to Destinia."


    "But sir, if their mana is to be taken, how will their Servants replenish their mana?!"


    "That''s the end of being Destinia''s chosen one. The birthmark will also disappear¡­ together with their Servants."


    Noisy murmurs were then heard from the panicking students. Some of them wept for their old friends who had quit, while some were terrified as they imagined themselves in their places. Not everyone is destined to be chosen by the Goddess Destinia, so it would be such a waste if the powers would just disappear.


    However, having immense powers bestowed to them means they had to bear the heavy responsibility of serving and protecting their Kingdom...


    The adviser then hit the table with his fist, and the loud bam made the students settle down. "Listen, everyone! Qawiun Academy is only for the brave. If you have no guts, no determination, and no skill, you will never be allowed to graduate."


    One student muttered, "Maybe they could not handle the pressure because our batch was chosen by the Goddess to participate in the Servant Competition¡­"


    And another one said, "Perhaps they have no confidence to beat their batchmates¡­"


    "Class, we have to think positive amidst this predicament," Titus told them. "There''s a higher chance of winning the Servant Competition with less numbers."


    "But those few numbers are the strongest ones, then isn''t it harder for us to win?" asked a student, and the whole class agreed either by nodding or saying yes.


    Adviser Titus scratched the back of his head, not knowing what to say anymore. "Alright, alright. Calm down. Whatever happens, just do your best," he then reached out for the chalk and scribbled on the black board.


    Ivory murmured as she read them, "Special¡­ Specialization?"


    After writing, Titus then wrote the names of the remaining eighteen students and faced the class. "Starting your second year, you will all spend more time honing your special skills. Perhaps in your first year, you have a favorite topic or something that you think you are good at. You can write anything you like, and me and the Educators will organize a special class for your specializations¡­ Starting from the first row, Miss Knightwing¡­" He extended his arm and gave the piece of chalk to her.


    Arcea just wrote ''swordsmanship'', while Lucius wrote ''elemental swordsmanship''. On the other hand, Ivory was unsure what to write.


    "Miss Sprucemint, are you still undecided?" Adviser Titus then gave a different chalk to the student who was next to her turn.


    Ivory wanted to put in ''healing'', but they might all find it weird. After all, it was not known how she managed to heal herself from those deep wounds. Aside from this, Sigmund had also told her before that she could accidentally do Conversion Magic when in danger. And she did it twice already by transforming Water into Air, condensing it to form a fog. It was a type of Advanced Magic.


    Sigmund, who noticed that Ivory was taking so long in front, stood up from the window sill and approached her. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the side. He then whispered to her ear, "Bird brain. Did you forget how to write?"


    Sigmund''s deep voice made Ivory''s heartbeat quicken. While being too close with her Servant, she blushed, thinking that he was too near her¡­ and that she never gets tired of being embarrassed because of his presence.


    The two stood on the side while Ivory was watching the other students writing on the board. She looked up to Sigmund, "I don''t know what to write¡­" and sighed. "Should I put in ''healing'', ''conversion magic'', or ''elemental magic''... I am really confused. Can you help me think, Sigmund?"


    "Of course," he said proudly. He stood up straight beside her and explained. "Put in ''elemental magic'' because if you can truly master the elements, you can do Conversion Magic in any form."


    "Hmm¡­ You''re right!" She waited for another student to finish and went back to board, and with cursive letters, she wrote ''elemental magic''.


    "What the hell is that writing?" Sigmund said with a smirk as she returned to her seat.


    Ivory pouted, "Hmph. Meanie."


    When everyone else was done, Adviser Titus copied these into a blank scroll before he announced that the day was a free day for the second years because the first years would summon their Servants, and all Educators were needed in the coliseum.


    While on the way to the school gate...


    "Are you both going home right away?" Arcea asked Ivory and Lucius.


    "No, I''ll go to Alpharion and buy something for my mother," Lucius replied.


    "Eh? I''ll go to Alpharion, too! Why don''t we go there together?!" Ivory reacted.


    "Then," Arcea ran in front of them and said excitedly, "Why don''t we all go together! I suddenly want to go shopping!"


    With their respective carriages, the three, with their Servants, proceeded to the lively streets of Alpharion City. The carriages were parked in a designated space, and they started walking, leaving their coachmen behind.


    Ivory almost drooled at the display of freshly baked baguettes in the bread shop, and Sigmund teased her by covering her mouth. Meanwhile, Lucius went to the jewelry shop, and his friends followed him inside.


    "Ah, Sir Lucius Goldwine! Welcome, what can we do for you?" the shopkeeper asked.


    "I want to buy a necklace for my mother. Can you recommend some to me?"


    "Why of course!" she excitedly responded. She knew that Lucius was the General''s son, and that he could afford even the most expensive one. She brought out three necklaces for him to examine. "Here are our best necklaces."


    The first one had a diamond frame ruby necklace which had a big pendant in the middle. The shopkeeper then showed a necklace consisting of three layers of square-shaped emerald stones, and finally, she showed the tear-shaped sapphire necklace.


    "Hmm¡­ I don''t know what she''ll like¡­" Lucius muttered. He then called the attention of his two female friends, but only Arcea noticed him.


    "What is your mother like? I mean, her behavior or her favorites¡­ Anything," Arcea said, hoping some information about her would help him choose.


    "Uhh¡­ She''s¡­" Lucius was out of words. He was not sure how to answer Arcea, or if it was alright to talk about it.


    Seeing his dejected expression, Arcea just patted his shoulder. "I''m sure she will like anything you give her."


    He nodded at her and said thanks. He picked the emerald necklace, thinking that it had a unique design. While Arcea looked on the right side of the shop, Ivory and Sigmund were on his near left side. He heard their conversation.


    "If only I had some money, I''d really want to buy that¡­" she pointed to the moon-shaped crystal necklace. "It''s so pretty¡­"


    "It''s ugly," Sigmund retorted, and chuckled afterwards, seeing his Master pout in annoyance.


    As soon as Lucius heard Ivory, he whispered to the shopkeeper, "I''ll also buy that necklace¡­ the one that she just mentioned. Oh, and when she asks, tell her that it''s a freebie of the emerald necklace. Don''t tell her that I bought it."


    And when he said that, the Vampire turned his sight to his direction and narrowed his eyes....

 Chapter 40 - "Escape Of The Ex-Students-1"

    They left the jewelry shop, and Arcea noticed that Ivory had a new necklace.


    "Why is Ivory getting a necklace from you?" Arcea squinted her eyes at Lucius. "How about me? Unless¡­ you like her-"


    "Arceaaa! The shopkeeper said it''s a freebie!" Ivory hit her arm in a subtle manner, "You weren''t looking, so Lucius gave it to me!" and laughed. "Right, Sigmund? The shopkeeper really said it, right?" she hit his side with her elbow three times.


    "Yeah," he said before glaring at Lucius. "It''s free."


    Lucius noticed that the Vampire Servant''s eyes glowed for a while, as if he''s angry. He wondered if it was because of the gift he gave to Ivory and thought if he was worried that the incident about Jasiel would happen again.


    "Fine, fine!" Arcea chuckled. "That necklace suits you, Ivory!"


    "Thanks!" Ivory beamed.


    "Look, there are some pretty clothes over there! Come with me!" Arcea grabbed Ivory''s arm and pulled her with her as they excitedly entered the dress shop.


    The two men remained outside.


    "I almost forgot, Vampires have heightened hearing," Lucius told Sigmund. "Don''t worry about me being Jasiel the second. I won''t hurt Ivory because I don''t feel any romantic feelings towards her. My friends'' happiness is my happiness, too."


    "If that''s the case, why didn''t you buy something for Arcea?" Sigmund raised his eyebrow. "You hypocrite. It''s too obvious you favor Ivory too much."


    "I feel comfortable around Ivory, and I can always be myself when I''m with her."


    "Don''t you feel the same way with Arcea?"


    "Ivory and I are closer, but that doesn''t mean I have feelings for your Master, Vampire."


    "What a lame excuse, rich kid," he smirked. "But even so, my instincts tell me to trust you. Besides, you never told anyone about me being a Vampire, especially to the annoying Arcea, who can be a blabbermouth sometimes."


    Lucius laughed about the Vampire''s statement, and he nodded in agreement.


    Suddenly, several city guards were seen entering each store. When one of the groups reached the dress shop, Lucius stopped one of them, "Good morning. What happened?"


    Upon seeing him, they saluted, "Sir Goldwine!"


    One of them replied, "Three ex-students of Qawiun Academy had escaped the carriage going to Silverblade Castle. They are supposed to undergo the ritual to be unchosen."


    "Ah, I see. I apologize for delaying you. You may go now."


    "Yes, Sir!" They saluted again and continued searching the shops along the street.


    "I wonder who those three brats are. They''re brave enough to escape your father''s men," Sigmund commented.


    "Those three will have to be taken to prison after doing the mana elimination ritual with the Oracle. It''s a crime to escape it after quitting the academy."


    When lunch time came, they all rode their carriages and traveled back to their homes. After arriving at Greensteid Town, Sigmund and Ivory got down the carriage and bid goodbye to Ebleu. They started walking towards their cabin.


    "In the end, I never got to buy a dress," Ivory opened up. "When I think about spending 100 silver coins in a single frilly dress, I already feel bad."


    "Why don''t you just ask Lucius to buy it for you?" Sigmund laughed. "He''s the General''s son. A hundred silver coins? That''s a small amount for him."


    "I''m already indebted ever since my first day in the academy. To be honest, I already feel embarrassed," she pursed her lips.


    "Embarrassed, huh? But here you are, still accepting things from him."


    Ivory retorted, "But Sigmund, I-"


    They were interrupted when Sigmund suddenly stopped walking. He halted Ivory with his arm when he heard some rustling sounds from the nearby trees.


    "Hold up," he took her hand and moved her behind him.


    The Servant saw movements behind a tree, and he quickly approached it while Ivory followed him. He formed a triangle using his fingers and used Earth Elemental Magic to trap the suspicious people in an igloo-shaped structure made from forest soil.


    "Hey, let us out!"


    "We are not suspicious people! We''re just passing by!"


    "Yes, we''re just lost!"


    Sigmund and Ivory looked at each other and decided to let them out as the hardened soil shattered.


    "Well, well, well¡­ It''s the three little piglets," Sigmund grinned. "They''re the ones who broke your magic staff."


    "You three¡­" Ivory was puzzled. "What happened, why are you here?"


    The three of them looked at each other and immediately knelt in front of the two.


    "IVORY! PLEASE FORGIVE US!" the three of them said in unison while their Beast Servants were in their small inactive forms.


    "Eh?" she tilted her head. "I have forgiven you already, and it was so long ago," Ivory replied. "I also apologize because I let my Servant break your magic weapons."


    "Please let us stay here for a while," Amy pleaded as she stroked the rabbit in her arms, "We¡­ don''t want to part with our Servants, so we escaped..."


    "Ah, so you three are the ones the city guards were looking for! We''re going to turn you in-"


    "Okay, I''ll let you stay here," Ivory told them.


    Sigmund widened his eyes in surprise. He whispered to her, "Hey, dimwit. Do you know that we can also be imprisoned if we hide them? They''re considered criminals already."


    Brinna scratched her skin, "I feel itchy in this place¡­ Eww¡­ Bugs everywhere¡­" Her frog Beast Servant followed the motion of the flying bugs with its wide, round eyes.


    Cassie, who had her black bat Beast Servant on her shoulder, told Brinna, "Sssshh. We don''t have the right to complain¡­" She then turned to Ivory, "But Ivory, do you have a spare room?"


    "I apologize, but we do not have a space in the house for the three of you¡­"


    "Please!" She held her hands together as she pleaded. "Please let us in. We can sleep anywhere inside. "I am allergic to insects."


    In the end, Ivory let the three sleep in their house. The three were then introduced to Ivory''s family, and they had pleaded to stay for at least two days.


    And when night fell...


    "I get that you want to help them, but¡­" Sigmund scratched his head. "Why did you let them sleep in your room?! I can''t believe it, you actually agreed to sleep outside," he smirked as he was tying the thick rope on the tree trunk.


    "Well, the living room has many acorn sacks, so we can''t really sleep there." The two of them set up a small makeshift tent with a sheet of fabric just beside the cabin.


    "Fine, you decide," Sigmund responded, creasing his brows.


    Seeing that he had already set it up, Ivory plopped herself onto the cushions and placed her head above the pillow. "Thank you, Sigmund! Goodnight," she tucked herself in the thin blanket.


    Sigmund sat beside her, "Before you sleep, give me your hand."


    Ivory lifted up her right arm and her Servant grabbed her wrist. "Ah, yes... I almost forgot to give you blood."


    "I''ll only suck a little. You go to sleep."


    Soon, after the mana replenishment, Ivory fell asleep. Sigmund stood up and when he did, the moonlight shone on his Master''s face.


    "What a stupid woman," he muttered as he stared at her. He knew how hardworking she was and that she had become stronger, but if she had a weakness, it might be her naivety and wrong judgment of another person''s character. Ivory was too kind, and she had a pure heart. She had opened up one time and told Sigmund that she believed that every person has a gentle side. She believed that no person is truly evil.


    Sigmund entered the cabin because he planned to get some more blankets for Ivory, but then, he heard the three girls'' conversation from a distance, making his crimson red eyes glow in anger.

 Chapter 41 - "Escape Of The Ex-Students-2"

    The next day, Ivory noticed that Sigmund was quieter than usual. As they walked into the academy''s hallway, she poked his side. "Sigmund¡­ Is there something wrong?"


    He did not respond and just continued walking ahead.


    "Uhm¡­ Sigmund? Please tell me why you''re in a bad mood¡­" this time, she poked his toned arms multiple times until he got annoyed.


    They stopped walking and grabbed her hand. He said, furrowing his eyebrows. "Stop. It''s annoying."


    "Sigmund¡­ Did I do anything wrong?" she said in a worried expression.


    "We should turn them in. Those three are just tricking you! I heard them last night... They are not sincere in their apology, and they''re just going to use you."


    Ivory knew Sigmund would not lie regarding that matter. She sighed. Deep inside of her, she wanted to make amends with the three. "It doesn''t matter¡­ Let them be¡­" she gave a subtle smile.


    "Seriously?" He raised his brow.


    She nodded at him, "Come now, I''ll be late in class," and she walked ahead of him.


    During lunch break, Ivory, Lucius, and Arcea proceeded to the cafeteria. As they ate their steamed potato and grilled fish, they conversed about this weekend''s gathering.


    "What should we wear on your birthday feast?" Arcea asked. "Since it''s in Megalia¡­ Should I wear a knight''s armor?"


    Lucius chuckled, "Do you want to be one of the city guards? Before you can even eat food, my father will scold you for slacking off."


    "Eh? Boring," Arcea commented. "I thought we''re going to wear something different."


    "Yes, you will. Wear something formal¡­ A gown."


    "I''d prefer a knight outfit because it''s cool, but¡­ oh well, I guess I have to wear a gown," she said and turned to her female friend. "Ivory, why don''t we go shopping later?"


    But Ivory was distracted as she kept on looking around the room.


    "What''s the matter?" Arcea asked.


    "I wonder where Sigmund went¡­"


    "I wonder, too. That guy never left your side," she said and chomped on the fish meat.


    Lucius noticed that Ivory did not wear the necklace that he gave her. "Ivory¡­ Do you not like the necklace?"


    "Ah¡­ About that¡­ I left it at home. Sorry."


    "It''s alright." He gave a kind smile, "Wear it on my birthday feast, okay?"


    "Of course," she gave him a small smile. But the truth was, the necklace was missing. The last time she remembered, it was just on her bedroom shelf, but after she took a bath yesterday, it was already gone.


    When they were done eating, they returned to the classroom and saw Sigmund sitting on his favorite window sill.


    Ivory hastily ran over towards him. "Sigmund, where have you been?" Ivory said in a worried tone.


    "I just took a walk."


    "Your Servant is really weird, Ivory. He does whatever he wants to do," Arcea commented.


    "Whatever his reason is for leaving you during lunch break, it is something that you don''t have to worry about. Right, Sigmund?" Lucius asked. He knew that Ivory''s Servant cared so much about her.


    "Right. The rich boy is right." And a smirk was displayed on his lips.


    Ivory gave the two a confused look. Soon after, all classes ended for that day. The sunset could be viewed from the horizon of Alpharion City wherein Arcea and Ivory visited several dress shops to look for a formal gown, and Sigmund just quietly walked behind the two. On the other hand, Lucius excused himself because he was called over by his father for an important matter.


    "Ivory, I''ve chosen mine¡­ How about you?" Arcea asked. But when she saw Ivory furrowing her eyebrows while looking at the price labels, she told her. "Geez, if you''re going to look at the price, you won''t be able to choose a decent one."


    "I think I''ll look for more shops tomorrow¡­ Maybe there are cheaper ones¡­"


    "If you''re going to choose a gown, match it with the freebie necklace that Lucius gave you. That way, you''ll have fewer choices since you have to match your outfit with your accessory."


    "Ahh¡­ yes, the necklace¡­" She uttered. "I guess I''ll go back here tomorrow, then." She got very worried because she didn''t want to disappoint Lucius. How could she tell him that she lost it inside her own home?


    After shopping, they rode their respective carriages. Ebleu told them as soon as they approached the carriage, "A messenger just came a while ago. Sir Lucius requested you two to be there in the Goldwine residence, now."


    When they arrived at the Megalia City, there were many city guards wandering around. The ambiance seemed like something had happened.


    Sigmund and Ivory were brought to a dance hall. They were shocked to see that the paintings and fixtures around the room were broken, and some parts of the walls and floors were slashed and burnt!


    "Eh? What are you three doing here?" Ivory asked when she saw Amy, Brinna, and Cassie in a corner with their Beast Class Servants, and all of them looked powerless. Judging by the state of the room and the broken chairs and vases, it seemed like a fight happened.


    "Miss Sprucemint." The General uttered in a serious tone. "Can you explain¡­ why you hid the three of them?"


    "General, I¡­" Ivory couldn''t think of a plausible excuse. "I deeply apologize."


    "Your Servant was the one who gave the information to Principal Arthurdane, and he told me about it..." He then looked around the room. "What a mess¡­ It''s the first time I saw Lucius lash out like that."


    "Eh? Sigmund¡­ and Lucius¡­? But why-"


    "Ivory," Lucius suddenly entered the room. His shirt was torn on the sides, "Here," he gave the crystal moon necklace back to her.


    "Lucius¡­ Let me explain¡­ I¡­"


    But Lucius just gave her a subtle smile. "I know you have Sigmund, but rely on me too, as your good friend."


    "Lucius¡­" Ivory held tightly on the necklace. "Thank you so much¡­"


    The three ex-students were dragged away by the city guards, and they were charged with the crime of disrespecting the law of the Kingdom, as well as theft for Ivory''s necklace.


    Meanwhile, the two were scolded by General Darius: Ivory, for keeping the three in her home even though she knew she shouldn''t, and Lucius, for not controlling his anger and damaging the dance hall.


    After that, Ebleu was asked to bring Ivory and Sigmund back home. As soon as Ivory entered her bedroom, she flopped on her bed in the attic. She wondered whether her kindness or her naivety caused that mess. She felt embarrassed that Sigmund and Lucius saved her, as always. "Sigmund¡­ I apologize for all the trouble again," she covered her face with the pillow.


    Sigmund removed the pillow, exposing Ivory''s teary eyes. He pinched his Master''s cheeks.


    "Owww! What are you doing?" Ivory pouted.


    But Sigmund laid down on the bed, then turned his back on her and spoke, "You don''t need to have a lot of friends. Only keep the real ones."


    "Sigmund¡­" she gave a subtle smile. "You''re right. I''ve learned my lesson¡­"


    The Vampire suddenly turned to face her. Their faces were just inches apart, and Ivory felt her heart quicken. He caressed his Master''s cheek, gazed deeply into her eyes, then said:


    "Actually, you don''t really need them all¡­ because you have me."

 Chapter 42 - "Call Me By My Name, Sigmund"

    As the Vampire gazed at his Master, he continued caressing her cheek, which made her blush so much. In her mind, the scene was so romantic, but her thoughts were interrupted when she remembered that Servants could not feel such emotions. Everything she felt would only be one-sided in her whole lifetime.


    "But Sigmund¡­ When will you call me Master?" Ivory suddenly said.


    "When you''re worthy of being called it," The Vampire said as he tucked the loose silver hair behind Ivory''s ears.


    "Am I still not qualified to be your Master?"


    "At least graduate from the academy."


    "You mean, you did not call your past master ''Master'', until she graduated?"


    "I did."


    "I see¡­ Then I must still be weak in your eyes," Ivory furrowed her eyebrows, "Even after training a whole year for the basics, I still can''t live up to your expectations¡­ I''m disappointed in myself."


    Sigmund actually just wanted to tease her, but she got serious. "Tsk, don''t be too emotional," he pulled the blanket and tucked her in. "Sleep."


    "At least call my name, Sigmund," she grabbed his arm. "From now on, call me by my name¡­ Can you do that? Please?"


    Sigmund couldn''t predict what was on his Master''s mind, but seeing her cute, pleading expression made him say, "Fine, dimwit..." He chuckled, then whispered to her in a deep voice:


    "Ivory."


    Ivory turned beet red as she felt her heartbeat quicken. Their eyes met, and she turned her back on him, embarrassed about what she requested of him. ''He agreed¡­ He agreed to call me by my name¡­'' He usually called her name whenever he''s angry about something. But that night, the way he whispered her name was so seductive that it was hard for her to fall asleep.


    ¡­


    The day before Lucius'' birthday, Arcea and Ivory went again to the dress shops.


    "How about this, Ivory?" Arcea pointed to the red, frilly ball gown in the rack.


    Ivory shook her head, "It doesn''t match the necklace¡­"


    Arcea glanced at the necklace on her friend''s neck, "You''re right¡­ Let''s look for more shops¡­"


    The two of them, together with Sigmund who followed them from behind, strolled the busy city of Alpharion, looking for cheap dress shops. They stood in front of the fifteenth dress shop they visited.


    "Ivoryyyy, this is the last shop! I told you not to look at the price labels¡­" Arcea said. "I''ll let you borrow some money, okay? You can choose an expensive one!"


    "Don''t worry, if I can''t find anything, I''ll just borrow a dress somewhere¡­"


    "And where will you borrow a formal dress? You seem like you don''t have other friends aside from us."


    "That''s not true! I have another friend in Greensteid. His name is Ken. He knows a lot of shop owners, so maybe I''ll ask for his help-"


    "Let''s get inside," Sigmund suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her inside the shop to cut her off. For some reason, he disliked hearing her talk about her childhood friend. The Vampire hoped that his Master could choose a gown in that shop, so she didn''t have to seek Ken''s help.


    When the three of them went inside, they noticed that even though the shop was big, its interior was shabbier than the other shops. The walls and the floor were colored dark brown, and the windows were a bit dusty. But in contrast to that, it had the most colorful and elegant gowns of all the dress shops in Alpharion.


    "Welcome!" the shopkeeper said with a bright smile. "We have a lot of different types of dresses and gowns. What are you looking for?"


    "Uhm, I want a cheap formal gown that can match my necklace," Ivory said as she touched her necklace.


    The shopkeeper took a look at the necklace. She then said, "Please follow me."


    They were brought to the back part of the shop and showed them the racks wherein they could check out the gowns.


    Ivory couldn''t find anything that interested her, even though Arcea was already helping her choose. They were particularly looking for blue or silver-colored gowns to match the necklace.


    "I''ll just look at the gowns in the front," Arcea said, then walked away.


    Ivory walked around the back part of the shop, and when Ivory panned her sight to a mannequin in the dimmest corner of the shop, she widened her eyes in awe.


    Displayed there was an off-the-shoulder, navy-blue ball gown, which featured an embroidered white lace along the bust and sleeves. A knotted ribbon with a faux crystal on the center was placed in the middle part of the chest.


    It was like she was drawn to that very gown and imagined herself wearing it. The shopkeeper noticed her intense gaze at the gown and said, "That gown still needs to be repaired."


    "Oh¡­ that''s too bad¡­" Ivory sighed. She really liked the gown very much.


    Sigmund, who saw how his Master badly wanted the gown, asked the shopkeeper, "What''s wrong with the gown? Why do you have to repair it?"


    "Ah, it was torn at the side," she showed the wide slit on the right side of the gown.


    "Ivory, do you still want it?" The Vampire looked at his Master and when she nodded, he told the shopkeeper, "How about this. We''ll buy that dress, but since it is damaged, give us a large discount."


    The shopkeeper paused for a while, thinking about the deal. In the end, she agreed to it and even gave her a free blue floral headpiece. After paying seventy silver coins, the three of them went back home.


    When the night came, Ivory stitched the torn part of the dress. After that, she stood up and held the dress close in front of her, looking at herself in front of the mirror.


    "I''m done! Yay!" Ivory said excitedly. "I want to try wearing it."


    She ordered Sigmund to turn his back as she was about to wear the gown. Even though he told her not to be shy, she never got used to his presence whenever she''s changing. Maybe it was because she had secret romantic feelings towards him she still wanted her body to be hidden from her Servant.


    However, wearing that ball gown was not an easy thing to do. In the end, she sought help from her Servant to zip up the back part of her gown.


    Sigmund stood up from the ottoman chair and approached his Master. As ordered, he helped her with it.


    The Vampire stared at his Master''s moonlit, fair skin.


    "Sigmund? Are you done?" Ivory asked because he was not saying anything behind her. But what surprised her was, Sigmund suddenly caressed her skin with the tip of his fingers...


    His long fingers caressed her from her nape down to her exposed shoulders.


    "Sigmund! What¡­ What are you doing-"


    "Ivory."


    His low voice sent shivers down her spine, "Uhm¡­ What''s wrong?"


    "I regret helping you buy this gown."


    "But why? Does it look bad?"


    The Vampire grabbed both of her arms and locked them from behind.


    "What are you doing?" she glanced over her shoulder. "I can''t move-"


    "I changed my mind. Don''t wear this tomorrow," He tilted Ivory''s head to the side before grazing his tongue on the side of her neck down to her shoulder.


    Ivory shivered as she felt his wet tongue on her bare skin. She turned beet red, and even though she wanted to tell him to stop, a part of her wanted him to continue. After all, it felt really good and satisfying.


    "Ivory¡­" Sigmund whispered. "I will replenish my mana now."


    "Sigmund¡­ No¡­ Please, not on my shoulders¡­ It will leave a scar! If I wear this tomorrow, they will see-"


    But before she could even finish her sentence, the impatient Vampire''s fangs pierced through the flesh of her shoulder.

 Chapter 43 - "The Glamorous Birthday Feast-1"

    "Ahhh¡­ Sigmund! Ahhhh!" Ivory couldn''t help but moan because of the sensation and pain she was feeling as her Vampire Servant dominated her.


    With force, Sigmund placed his left hand on Ivory''s mouth to cover it and prevent anyone from hearing her, while his right arm embraced her waist tightly as he continued sucking her blood.


    The Vampire was firm on his decision not to let Ivory expose too much of her skin. When he was not yet satisfied with a single bite mark, he grazed his lips to the other shoulder and bit her again.


    "Sigmund¡­ Ahhh¡­ Please¡­ stop¡­" she murmured. "The blood will stain the gown¡­"


    "Shut up," he responded and held her mouth more tightly. He did not mind her and instead placed another one on her neck.


    Blood dripped from her fair skin, but Sigmund was always fast enough to catch the drops with his swift, coarse tongue.


    When Ivory felt the pain and pleasure mixing up inside of her, her tears fell from her cheeks. Not because she disliked it, but because his rough bites actually hurt her.


    Feeling his Master''s tears on his fingers, he licked her one last time, "Let''s see if you can go tomorrow without covering your shoulders and neck¡­" and he finally let go of her.


    But when he stepped back, he saw his three deep bite marks fade slowly in her moonlit skin!


    "What the f*ck-" Sigmund widened his eyes. "Ivory, you purposely healed yourself, didn''t you?"


    Ivory turned to face him. Sigmund saw her light blue irises glow, but it quickly disappeared, so he thought he was just mistaken.


    "Huh? What are you talking about?" Ivory asked him.


    "You just healed yourself. I bit you, but the wounds are gone now."


    "Really?!" She was delighted. Not only because she could wear the gown tomorrow, but it also has been a long while since she healed herself. She wanted to master everything about her own mana soon and use her healing ability for other people. And of course, she wanted to be of use to her beloved Servant.


    Sigmund wanted to be happy for her that she healed herself, but somewhere deep inside of him, he was irritated because she could wear the off-shoulder gown at Lucius'' birthday feast tomorrow.


    "Do whatever you want," he said. "Turn around," he made Ivory turn her back on him and unfasten the back of the dress. "And go to sleep, dimwit. You''ll be the ugliest of all the ugly people tomorrow if you sleep late."


    Sigmund was in a bad mood, nevertheless he sat beside Ivory as she laid down to sleep on her bed. To lighten up his mood, he extended his left arm and played with his Master''s long and silky silver hair strands, and as the round moon gave light to the attic, he imagined Ivory wearing the off-shoulder blue gown. He was certain that she would be the most beautiful woman in the party, but he didn''t want other people to notice her beauty.


    ¡­


    The next morning, Megalia City became livelier with several incoming intricately-designed horse-drawn carriages. To celebrate the birthday of the only heir to the Goldwine clan, the grand party would be held the whole day. Noble men and women from all over the Kingdom of Destinia, who were close to the General, were invited.


    Everyone wore fancy clothes and brought expensive gifts for the young man. Lucius stood by the entrance of the mansion''s wide dance hall, which was quickly renovated because of the damage he did before. It was a big hall with two candle lit chandeliers on the ceiling, a polished oakwood floor, and embellished curtains on the edges.


    Wearing a steel blue three-piece set of coat, waistcoat, and breeches with elegant gold embroidery, which showed his high status in the kingdom, Lucius greeted the guests with a warm smile.


    "Lucius, happy birthday!" Arcea exclaimed, as she extended her arms to turn over a box wrapped with colorful handmade paper. She was wearing a two-colored yellow and white long-sleeved ball gown with buttons on the bust paired with a mini laurel wreath with pearls dangling on the sides and a sun dangling on her forehead.


    "Thanks, Arcea," he then gave the gift to his butler and placed it on the gifts'' table. "Are you alone?" he asked her and glanced at the large double doors.


    "Are you looking for Ivory?" Arcea giggled. "Oh, Lucius, you¡­ Why don''t you admit it? You like her, don''t you?"


    Lucius chuckled, "I told you multiple times already. I don''t-"


    "Lucius, Arcea! Hello!"


    The two of them, as well as the other nobles inside the room, widened their eyes in awe as they saw the silver-haired woman enter the dance hall who was wearing an off-the-shoulder, navy-blue ball gown, which featured an embroidered white lace along the bust and sleeves, and a knotted ribbon with a faux crystal on the center was placed in the middle part of the chest. It was paired with the moon necklace Lucius had given her, and her straight, waist-long hair was neatly combed.


    Sigmund walked beside her, looking differently. He was only wearing hooded arm sleeves, abs exposed, and pants with a long waist cape. His dark blue outfit had gold streaks on the edges.


    They approached them. "Happy birthday, Lucius! Please accept my simple gift," Ivory gave him a small wooden box.


    When Lucius opened it, he saw a beaded bracelet. The circular, wooden beads were colored red of different sizes and hues, and they seemed to be polished roughly. "Thank you," he uttered. "Where did you buy it?"


    "Oh, I¡­ I made it at home."


    "Really? This can pass as jewelry if you sell this in Alpharion City," He took out the bracelet from the box and wore it. "I like it very much, Ivory. Thank you so much."


    "Yay, I''m happy you like it!" Ivory beamed.


    "We all look different today," Arcea chuckled. "Ivory looked like a princess, and Sigmund looked like a Servant."


    "Well, excuse me, but I am a Servant," Sigmund responded with a frown.


    Ivory glanced at Sigmund, who just stood there and only responded when Arcea talked about it. It seemed like he was in a bad mood ever since this morning, and it was as if his mind had been wandering off.


    "Sigmund looks so good in it, right? My mother said that the other guests might dress their Servants formally too, so she made it in secret. It was my dad''s old robe modified."


    "Now that I think about it, Sigmund has a nice body," Arcea said as she pointed at Sigmund''s abs. "If I were you, you should use him fully as a body pillow. Does he lay next to you when you sleep at night?"


    Ivory''s cheeks turned red as a tomato, "What are you saying, Arcea?"


    "What? Why are you being shy?" She laughed a little, "It''s only a ridiculous joke! He''s your Servant anyway, so he won''t do anything that you won''t like. Besides, they are pure entities. Even if he''s stubborn, I''m sure he won''t feel desire or lust for you. Servants do not sin, do not love, and¡­" she continued with her little lecture as if she was an Educator.


    Ivory didn''t know why, but hearing these things from her friend had hurt her. She had no idea about how hard it was for her to stop falling for her Vampire Servant. She felt the pain in her heart as if it was constricted with thorny vines.


    The observant Lucius saw Ivory''s eyes get watery, as she forced herself to listen to Arcea.. And when he peered at her reactions, he already knew, it might be too late for him to stop her from committing a taboo of falling for her Servant.

 Chapter 44 - "The Glamorous Birthday Feast-2"

    "Sigmund," Lucius turned to him, "Why don''t you take Ivory to the gardens? I think she doesn''t feel well."


    "What, really?" Sigmund responded. He looked at his Master and grabbed her wrist, "Hey, are you dizzy or something?" He thought that it might be because he sucked a lot of blood from her last night.


    "Uhh¡­ I''ll¡­" Ivory wanted to cry it out. "I''ll just take a walk in the garden¡­ alone."


    "Hey, I''ll come with you-" Sigmund said, but he was stopped by Lucius.


    Arcea told her she wanted to come, but Lucius also stopped her.


    "I think she needs some time alone¡­ How about we all go to the buffet table?" Lucius suggested. When Arcea led the way, Lucius told Sigmund discreetly, "You have heightened hearing, but if you hear her cry, let her be."


    "I don''t really get it. Why will she cry?" Sigmund asked, and after assessing the situation, "Ah. Did Arcea say something that hurt her? That blabbermouth-"


    Lucius grabbed Sigmund''s arm to stop him from going towards Arcea''s direction, "I think Arcea didn''t mean to hurt her. It was just¡­"


    "Oi, rich boy," he removed his arm from his grasp. "You know something, don''t you? Why not spill it to me?"


    Lucius shook his head and looked ahead, "You don''t have to know. I mean¡­ You shouldn''t. It shouldn''t happen-"


    "Son," General Darius Goldwine suddenly cut off their conversation. "Come with me. I''ll introduce you to General Bronzelain''s younger brother."


    "Yes, father," he responded. He waved goodbye to Sigmund and excused himself.


    After a while, Ivory found herself in the middle of the garden, full of bluish purple hydrangeas and white roses. As she admired them, she saw a hooded woman, who was wearing a long white wool cape, and her eyes were filled with loneliness even though she was gazing at the beautiful flowers.


    Ivory slowly approached her. "The garden is so well-maintained here. I haven''t seen such beautiful and healthy roses," she commented while admiring the roses in full bloom.


    The hooded woman got startled. She quickly looked around and fixed her hood to make sure that it would not fall off. And when she met Ivory''s light blue eyes, she couldn''t explain the comfort that she felt. "May I know who you are?"


    "My name is Ivory Sprucemint, Lucius'' friend from the academy," she said with a smile.


    "Ah, so you are Ivory, Anne and Gordon''s daughter," she smiled back at her. "I am Diana, Lucius'' mother. It''s good to finally meet you."


    And when they shook their hands, surprisingly, they easily felt at ease towards each other.


    Ivory''s eyes widened upon meeting her friend''s mother and held her hand tightly, "Hello, madame! I am so glad to meet you, too!" Her eyes sparkled with joy as she felt the same, comfortable feeling she had when she first met Lucius.


    Sigmund walked outside to find Ivory because he was worried about what Lucius said earlier, and when he arrived at the garden, she saw Ivory speaking with a woman. He couldn''t see the woman''s face because it was covered with her hood, and her back was also facing him. When he finally saw Ivory''s smile, he decided to watch and listen to them from afar.


    "Lucius would sometimes mention you in his stories," Diana said in a hoarse voice due to a sore throat.


    "Really? What did he tell you about me? I hope nothing too embarrassing," she chuckled. She wondered if Lucius had told his mother that she eats like a hungry pig.


    "He told me about the first day you met," she replied. "Since then, I''ve always wanted to meet you. It''s rare for him to tell stories about a woman."


    "If you''d permit, we can have tea sometimes and talk about a lot of fun things," Ivory said. "My mother gathers some herbs, which can soothe your throat. I''m sure you''ll like it!"


    "I''d love that!" Diana exclaimed. "But¡­ Did¡­ Did Lucius tell you about my condition?"


    She shook her head. Lucius has not talked much about his family. She thought she was just sick, but it seemed to be a more serious matter.


    "Actually¡­" There was a long pause before she spoke again, "I am afraid of Servants."


    Ivory tilted her head in confusion, and at the same time, she didn''t know what to answer. It was a bit awkward, especially that it was such a private matter. ''So that was the reason why she wasn''t living with them?'' she thought.


    "I''m sorry for revealing something dreadful," Diana held her hands once more. "But if you are going to visit me in my house, please tell your Servant to wait outside¡­ I hope you understand, dear."


    "This is understood, madame," she gave her a bright smile. "I really look forward to our tea time!"


    "I only went here to see what''s happening on my son''s birthday," Diana told Ivory. "Then¡­ I need to go home now, alright? I ordered blueberries from your mother yesterday, and I plan to make a blueberry pie for Lucius."


    "That''s very nice, madame! Also, I''m worried about your sore throat, so please drink either ginger-herbal tea or gargle salt water."


    "Thank you dear, you are a very sweet girl," Diana hugged Ivory. "My son is fortunate to have a close friend like you."


    She hugged the lady back, "I am actually more fortunate to have your son as my friend. He has helped me a lot. I owe him so much already."


    "Then let''s leave it as, you are both fortunate to have each other as friends," she smiled at her, "See you soon, Ivory," and then she fixed her hoodie, making sure that no one would recognize her.


    Meanwhile, General Darius saw Sigmund in the hallway and approached him, "Aren''t you Lucius'' friend''s Spirit Servant? What are you doing here?"


    "General, I''m waiting for my Master," he pointed out to the middle of the garden.


    He quickly panned his sight to the woman wearing the white cape. He widened his eyes in surprise, "That cape¡­ It''s my wife..." He tried to cover up his loneliness with a subtle smile. After seeing his wife and Ivory waved goodbye to each other, "Excuse me, but I have to return to the dance hall," he said and walked away.


    Seeing that Diana had already gotten out of the garden''s exit, Ivory walked to the hallway and was surprised to see Sigmund leaning on the stone walls.


    "Sigmund!" She called him. "Why are you here?"


    "I was waiting for you, dimwit," The Vampire looked around the hallway and when he saw no one, he grabbed her arm and cornered her on the wall.


    "Sigmund¡­ Ouch¡­ What are you doing?" she asked him.


    Sigmund''s crimson red eyes glowed, "Ivory. I told you not to keep any secrets from me."


    "I¡­ I am not! Ouch¡­ You''re hurting me!" she yelled as his hands gripped on her arm tighter.


    "Lucius said that you got hurt with Arcea''s words a while ago, and I don''t know the reason. So tell me why¡­ What is it? What''s on your mind?" He shook her arm repeatedly.


    Ivory knew that once Sigmund became aggressive, telling him what''s on her mind would calm him down. She replied in an irritated manner:


    "Fine, fine, I''ll tell you!"

 Chapter 45 - "Masters Body Pillow"

    Upon hearing her agree, the Vampire''s crimson-red eyes stopped glowing. He loosened his grip on Ivory and placed his arm against the wall.


    "Speak."


    "Sigmund, I¡­ Can I keep at least one secret from you-"


    His crimson-red eyes glowed once again, "Hell no."


    "Okay, then, I''ll tell you¡­ It''s because Arcea talked about¡­ your body," Ivory wasn''t lying though, she just chose which of Arcea''s words should she mention. "She said to use you as a body pillow, and I got offended."


    Sigmund''s eyes finally stopped glowing. He smirked, "Why?"


    "I¡­ am not that kind of Master!"


    Sigmund laughed because he found it cute.


    "Don''t laugh! What''s funny?" Ivory glared at him.


    The Vampire leaned near her and whispered, "If you need a body pillow, you can tell me anytime. I''m fine with it."


    Ivory''s cheeks turned as red as tomato when she heard his deep voice, so she wasn''t able to answer. She pushed his chest lightly, "Why don''t we go back¡­ Lucius and Arcea might be looking for us!"


    Sigmund stepped back. He grinned as he saw her walking fast towards the dance hall.


    Around early in the afternoon, Ivory and Sigmund excused themself to go home. Arcea decided to stay longer in the event because her famous blacksmith father had been introducing her to his acquaintances.


    "I apologize if I couldn''t personally lead you towards the city arc," Lucius said as he walked them towards the gate.


    "It''s okay! It''s your birthday, so you should focus on your visitors," replied Ivory. "By the way, I met your mother. She looks very much like you-"


    "What? She''s here?" he widened his eyes in surprise. She never showed up in family events.


    "She said she''s only here to see what''s happening on your birthday, and she went back home to bake you something."


    Lucius sighed.


    Upon seeing her friend''s sad expression, she quickly added, "Don''t worry! I asked her if we can have tea sometimes."


    "And¡­?" he glanced at her with his sad eyes?


    "She agreed¡­ on the condition that I don''t let Sigmund inside her house. She said she''s afraid of Servants."


    "Ah, yes, that''s true," Lucius sighed once more. "Tell me when you''re going to visit so that we can have some preparations."


    "Okay! See you next week," she waved. "Happy birthday, Lucius."


    Sigmund nodded his head as a way of saying goodbye.


    The two of them were brought back to Greensteid town by Ebleu. After greeting her parents in the living room, Ivory went up to the attic with Sigmund.


    "Sigmund, help me with my back," Ivory requested.


    The Vampire then went behind her and unzipped the back part of Ivory''s gown.


    "Thank you- Aaahhhh¡­!"


    Sigmund suddenly bit her shoulder and sucked some blood as he held her arms firmly. "Try to heal it again, Ivory," he whispered to her.


    "I¡­ What are you doing¡­" she shivered because of the pleasing sensation she was not ready to feel.


    The Vampire Servant also bit her neck. She almost screamed, but she bit her lip to stop her from doing so.


    The deeper that Sigmund entered his fangs into her fair skin, the more that Ivory bit her lower lip until it eventually bled, too.


    But Ivory''s wounds from the Vampire''s fangs did not heal like the last time.


    "I don''t get it¡­ this healing magic of yours," Sigmund uttered. He then pulled his Master''s arm to make her face in his direction. He was surprised when he saw Ivory''s lip bleeding.


    "Hey, your lips¡­"


    "Sigmund, you meanie¡­" Ivory''s tears fell, "It''s because your bites hurt, and I tried not to scream¡­ Why do you have to bite me many times¡­" and she pouted.


    "I just thought you''re going to heal," Sigmund sighed. He wiped the blood on her lower lip with his thumb, "Don''t waste your precious blood," and licked his thumb. A grin escaped from his lips, pleased about how sweet it was.


    Ivory turned beet red and made him face the opposite direction, saying that she''d change her clothes. It always made her crazy whenever Sigmund fed on her blood while looking straight into her eyes. As she went to find the clothes she would change into, she tried to control her hidden feelings towards her Vampire Servant.


    The several months with her stubborn Servant made her realize some things.


    The Vampire loved her sweet blood and liked to have skinship with her. He would always claim that her blood and body was his and his alone. He was very possessive towards her, and he would always glare at other people if they would catch them staring at her. And whenever Ivory greets her classmates and their Servants, he would quickly pull her away from them.


    Sigmund would surprisingly act sweet, but at the same time say the opposite things. Sometimes, Ivory would catch him staring at her when she opened her eyes in the middle of the night. He would caress her face but say, "You idiot. Go back to sleep". And whenever she''s lonely, frowning, or crying, he would always wipe her tears and pat her head but say, "You''re already ugly, so don''t cry or you''ll be uglier."


    What he disliked was keeping secrets from him because of the past incident with his master, and it would make his crimson-red eyes glow to warn her and force her to spill what was on her mind.


    He liked to be relied upon, even though he seemed to be complaining. Sometimes, he would watch Ivory peel potatoes and say that she''s doing a poor job. Then he would take the knife and say, "Give me that! I''ll do it¡­ Geez... What are you going to do without me?"


    He liked pretending to be a behaved Servant and would always accept little favors from his Master''s family, like transferring the sacks of acorns to the wooden cart, or bringing Flynn and Gracie to the roof to watch the stars together.


    Despite his odd behaviors, for Ivory, he was a fine Servant. She knew that without him, she wouldn''t last that long in the academy.


    "Sigmund," Ivory spoke in a soft voice as the gown fell on the floor.


    Hearing her call his name, the Vampire turned around and widened his eyes as he saw his Master wearing only her undies. "Ah, you''re not yet done changing-"


    But Ivory approached him as her light blue eyes gazed at him amorously.


    "Sigmund¡­" she wrapped her arms around his waist, "Thank you for everything¡­" she looked up to him before resting her cheeks on his chest.


    "Oi¡­ What are you doing?" The Vampire Servant gulped as he felt his Master''s bare skin. But he actually liked it very much, and so, he hugged her back.


    "I think it''s fine. I''ll have to thank Arcea for her suggestion."


    "What?"


    "Sigmund¡­ You''ll be a great body pillow."

 Chapter 46 - "Youre Mine Alone"

    When Sigmund heard it, he laughed. "I thought you''re not that kind of Master," he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her lightly, making her loosen her embrace. "Is there something on your mind again?"


    "I just thought I''d thank you for everything you did for me."


    "What are you saying, you birdbrain? You summoned the Great Vampire, Sigmund. Of course, I can do anything for you," Sigmund then gave a serious look. "Besides, you promised me. Once you''ve gotten stronger, you will help me find what happened in the Silverblade Castle and why I was accused of killing the royal family. You haven''t forgotten, right?"


    Ivory nodded at him, "I will do my best so that I can help you."


    He patted her head, "And once you''ve become a hero and a strong Master, you will not have a hard time convincing your sister to go back home. I will help you in that matter as well."


    She gave him a smile and led him to sit on the bed. She placed her hand in front of his mouth, "As a thank you, you can drink more blood from me."


    "How enticing¡­" Sigmund grabbed her wrist and chuckled. "But why will I bite your hand if you''re exposing your bare skin like that?" He panned his sight from her head to her toes.


    Ivory turned beet red, "Where do you want to bite me then?"


    The Vampire smirked at his Master''s question and pulled her onto her lap. With an arm wrapped around her as support, he bit her wildly and sucked her blood in different parts of her body.


    Ivory would always blush intensely whenever he would sometimes pause and stare at her. Sigmund, feeling elated seeing his bite marks all over her, would whisper in a deep voice, "You''re mine alone¡­" before sinking his fangs into her flesh, whilst Ivory would tighten her grip to his shoulders, trembling and letting out soft moans.


    He got so absorbed with the act and how delicious her blood was that he repeatedly bit and sucked her the whole afternoon until she passed out on his arm.


    "Shit. I overdid it," Sigmund muttered, embracing Ivory with one hand as she slept peacefully on his chest. He moved close to the wall and leaned his back against it before pulling the sheets to cover her back, making sure she wouldn''t feel cold.


    ...


    Ivory woke up at dawn, and she widened her eyes when she saw her arms wrapped around Sigmund.


    "Why are you surprised?" Sigmund cocked a brow. "You told me I''d be your body pillow."


    "Yes, but-" She then noticed the bite marks on her arms and legs, "These¡­! Sigmund, you''re so mean!"


    "You gave me the freedom to bite you anywhere, remember? Don''t act so surprised."


    "But I never told you to bite everywhere!" She playfully hit his arm, "How will I hide these marks? It would be troublesome if they knew you''re a Vampire Class¡­"


    "You''ve already rested. Why don''t you try to heal yourself?" He suggested, even though at the back of his mind, he wanted her to retain his bitemarks.


    Ivory closed her eyes, and she tried to concentrate. She recalled the lessons that she had on focusing her mana, and she tried to channel the mana onto the surface of her skin.


    But nothing happened.


    "What''s the matter?" Sigmund asked when she opened her eyes.


    "Uhm¡­ I can''t do it¡­"


    Sigmund smirked, "Wear something conservative later. From now on, I will not allow you to show too much of your skin."


    "Ehhh? But-"


    He pulled her back into his arms and whispered in a deep voice, "You''ll catch a cold, dimwit."


    Ivory couldn''t do anything since her possessive Servant did whatever he wished. Sigmund stroked her long silky hair until she fell asleep once again.


    ...


    And so when they went to class the next day, Ivory wore a red and blue green long-sleeved checkered turtleneck sweater and a long gray pleated skirt.


    "Eh? Isn''t it too early for winter?" Arcea uttered as soon as she saw her in the weird outfit. "I think you need to improve your wardrobe. How about I give you some off-shoulder dresses? You looked really gorgeous on Lucius'' birthday!"


    Peeking at Sigmund''s annoyed expression, Ivory replied, "Uhh, no. I''m okay, Arcea, thank you."


    Seeing an Educator enter the room, Lucius told them, "Let''s take our seats. Educator Wallace is here."


    "Everyone, settle down and listen carefully," Educator Wallace said, and the students kept quiet. "Today, you will all learn an advanced Water magic technique called Conversion magic."


    The eighteen students of the Blue Gem section became excited. Ivory glanced at Sigmund, and he nodded at her. Finally, she could learn the magic technique she had been doing unconsciously.


    The whole class proceeded to the coliseum where eighteen buckets of water were prepared for each student.


    The Educator explained, "Conversion magic is changing the phase of water, meaning turning water into ice or vapor. You can even turn it into fog."


    The students seemed confident, especially Ivory, who was already familiar with the idea of Conversion magic.


    "You have the whole day to do it, but here is the challenge. You must never use other elements to convert the water in your bucket. That means¡­ do not boil it using fire. Focus the mana on your magic weapons. Incorporate and concentrate on the Water element¡­ make it evaporate and condense, and..."


    The more the Educator explained further, the more they got nervous.


    After explaining, he told them, "You won''t go home until you convert the whole bucket of water into fog."


    And so, they all started trying Conversion magic. Educator Wallace and his Servant walked around to see if anyone needed advice with their magic control. His Black Eight-tailed Fox Spirit Servant, Furrene, had skin as dark as coal, ears like a fox''s, and curvy body like a human''s. Aside from the fancy knee-long black leather dress, she was wearing a furry robe of black and red color.


    Both of them made sure that nobody would use a different kind of element aside from Water.


    "I don''t get it¡­" Ivory sighed. She sat down on the cold, stone floor. "Tell me, Sigmund. Did I really do it before?"


    "Yes, you did."


    She then heard one of her classmates shout, "Yay! I did it!"


    They finished the task one by one. Lucius finished the earliest before lunch time, while Arcea finished around early in the afternoon. Slowly, the eighteen students were reduced to fifteen, then five.


    And before sunset, only two of them remained.


    "Still don''t get it?" Sigmund asked her. "How about I help-"


    But even before he could get near his Master, Furrene shot a ball of fire on his feet.


    "Hey!"


    "That is not allowed," she told him, and Educator Wallace chuckled when he saw him surprised with the ball of fire.


    "Fine¡­" he crossed his arms.


    "You can do it, Master Zephie!" The other student''s Butterfly Nymph Servant yelled. He''s a tall and muscular man with antennae on each side of his head and huge butterfly wings.


    The Servant then noticed Sigmund, staring at his Master with furrowed eyebrows. He stood beside him and said, "Why don''t you cheer for your Master as well?"


    But Sigmund preferred to cheer for his Master secretly. Even though he knew that she''s doing the best that she could, he just stood there and stared at her, because it''s not in his personality to openly voice out how much he cared for her. In an annoyed face, he responded to the friendly Nymph:


    "Nah.... I''m not a sweet Servant."

 Chapter 47 - "I Want You, Sigmund"

    Hearing this, the Servant chuckled, "I see¡­ By the way, I''m Metamorphus. From the Nymph class." He offered a handshake, but the Vampire only nodded at him.


    "My name is Sigmund."


    "It''s nice to meet you," Metamorphus withdrew his hand and just cheered for his Master once again.


    Ivory''s classmate, Zephie Malvigne, held her weapon tightly. It was previously a wooden staff, but it had beautifully transformed into a wooden flute, so in order to use magic, she had to play it. Like Ivory, she''s also one of the very few students who were given a wooden staff as an initial weapon.


    "You have such a nice magical weapon. When did it transform?" Ivory told her dark purple haired classmate, who responded with a smile.


    "A week after our first year ended," she told her, "I was self-training in the forest, when suddenly, it transformed¡­"


    Ivory took a look at her plain, wooden magical staff, which was still broken into two. "I wonder when I can transform this one¡­"


    "In time¡­" Zephie replied. "Goddess Destinia will grant you that wish at the right time."


    She tried to smile, "You''re right¡­ I''ll just have to do my best and wait for it."


    And when Zephie once again played her flute and concentrated her mana onto the water, the liquid turned into a thick fog!


    "Oh dear, I can go home now!" she happily exclaimed. "Metamorphus, I did it!"


    "Good job, Master!" the Butterfly Nymph Servant flew to his Master and patted her back.


    "Good work! Miss Malvigne, you may go home now," Educator Alphonse said, and the Zephie and her Servant bid goodbye to them. "As for you, Miss Sprucemint¡­"


    "I really do not get it¡­ Why can''t I¡­" she sighed deeply, wiping the sweat on her forehead.


    "The sun is already down, you should go home."


    Ivory shook her head, "Educator, I still haven''t done-"


    "You should also know when to stop. Go home and rest, you have already used too much mana." He then turned to Sigmund. "Make sure your Master rests."


    But Ivory couldn''t accept her failure. After coachman Ebleu brought them home, she immediately took a bucket and scooped water from the barrel. She stood behind the house and placed the bucket in front of her.


    "Hey, you already used so much mana," Sigmund uttered and tried to drag her inside the house.


    "No¡­" she groaned. "Why can they all do it, but I can''t? I thought I already learned the basics?" she was so frustrated that she started shedding tears, "Until now, I am still weak."


    "How about taking a quick nap first-"


    "NO!" she yelled. "Don''t mind me, just¡­ watch me from afar. I have to do this¡­"


    "But¡­" Sigmund saw the frustration in Ivory''s eyes. "Fine. Do what you want. I''ll just carry you back inside once you can''t do shit anymore."


    She nodded, and Sigmund went to lean on the cabin''s outer wall. He watched his Master and got annoyed at himself that he couldn''t do anything about her predicament.


    The disheartened Ivory stared intensely at the water inside the bucket and continued swaying her wooden sticks in many different ways, hoping for it to answer to her wish of turning the water into fog. Still, after a very long while, nothing had happened.


    Ivory cried in desperation and fell onto her knees because of hopelessness. In her mind, she was already degrading herself as a failure.


    Sigmund, still standing at a distance, sighed when he saw and heard her cry. "She should let it all out," he muttered.


    But suddenly, her body glowed under the moonlight.


    Sigmund sensed the different kind of mana overlapping her usual mana. Ivory''s light blue eyes glowed, and she swayed her sticks towards the bucket.


    To his surprise, the water inside the bucket floated. It followed Ivory''s swaying motions as if it was dancing with her. She looked so elegant with her movements until the water turned into fog once she stopped moving her sticks.


    Worried that he could not see her anymore, the Vampire hurriedly ran towards her direction.


    The fog where Ivory was standing had already dissipated, but the thick fog was still surrounding her.


    Sigmund caught a glimpse of his Master while her whole body was still glowing. He saw her glowing light blue eyes, but to the Vampire''s surprise, she had such a blank expression that made him worry.


    What was this strange, yet powerful kind of mana within his Master that she couldn''t control?


    The Vampire figured that she was not herself, so he quickly grabbed her shoulders with both of his hands and shook her, "Hey Ivory, snap out of it! Your mana is out of control! What are you doing-"


    Suddenly, Ivory grabbed his arm tightly and pulled him close to her body, giving him a deep kiss while staring at his crimson-red eyes.


    As if there was a strong force coming from Ivory, he felt her dominance and her display of power as his master. Sigmund tried to pull away, but he felt her soft tongue caressing his, and so he willingly submitted to her.


    The Vampire knew deep in his heart and his mind that he wouldn''t feel anything because he''s a Servant, but oddly, he had the urge to kiss his Master back.


    Ivory pulled away and gazed at Sigmund''s eyes. "I want you, Sigmund," she said in a very seductive tone.


    Sigmund gulped upon hearing her mesmerizing voice. He didn''t know what happened to Ivory, but he was pleased with her statement and responded, "I am your Servant. You already have all of me."


    "Mmmm..." she mumbled, wrapping her arms around his neck.


    Their faces once again neared each other, and she gave him soft kisses on his lips, glancing at his eyes under the moonlight. The Servant couldn''t grasp what was happening with his Master, but he was enjoying how her lips touched his, which kept him wanting more. He tucked her silver hair behind her ear before sliding his hand down her waist.


    When Sigmund was about to kiss Ivory again, she suddenly felt heavy, and as she fainted in his arm, the fog also dissipated.


    The Vampire Servant caught her body just in time. She carried her like a princess and brought her into her attic bedroom. As he tucked her under the sheets, he recalled their wild kisses vividly.. It felt like he had human emotions during that time, but he knew he shouldn''t, because he''s a Servant - an existence made from Goddess Destinia''s pure and holy mana.

 Chapter 48 - "Dont Touch Me"

    ¡­


    Ivory''s fair skin was illuminated by the bright full moon as she laid on the surface of the earth. She shivered from the cold air, which made her hug herself. "Where am I?"


    Only wearing a thin, brown linen night dress, she helped herself up and looked around. Finding herself in the middle of the forest, she was certain that it was not in Greensteid. Her town had pine trees, but surrounding her were oak trees.


    "Hello? Is anybody here?" her voice echoed as she walked on the damp soil with her bare feet.


    The bushes suddenly rustled behind her. When she looked back, several wolves in the shadows, which were all staring at her, sent shivers down her spine. They slowly walked towards her and as the moonlight shone and revealed their white fur, she helplessly fell on her knees and hugged herself in fear.


    One of the white wolves approached her slowly. The two of them gazed at each other''s light blue eyes for a moment until it sniffed her hair. It made her startled, but she somehow felt calmer after that.


    The wolf snuggled to her, and she eventually patted its head. She stroked its fur and said, "Does this mean we''re friends already?" and the wolf licked her cheek.


    But as soon as she embraced it, it turned into a palm-sized glowing white orb, which entered her chest, making her body feel intense pain.


    ¡­


    "GAAAAAHHHH!" Ivory screamed as she woke up drenched in sweat. She touched the front of her dress as she panted.


    "Sigmund?" she called out. It was odd that her Servant was not in the room. She quickly got out of bed and gazed at the window, realizing that it was already late when she saw the sun up in the sky.


    "It''s already noon? And nobody woke me up?!" In a panic, Ivory ran downstairs.


    "Dear, you''re awake! How''s your sleep?" Anne asked her daughter, who still seemed sleepy. "Why don''t you take some more rest?"


    "I have classes today, but¡­"


    "Sigmund told us that you depleted most of your mana when you practiced yesterday. He suggested not to wake you up," Anne placed the bowl of acorn soup on the table. "If you''re not sleepy, why don''t you eat first?"


    She smiled and nodded at her mother. "Have you seen Sigmund?" she asked as she sat on the chair.


    "No, I haven''t," and she went to the sink to wash her hands.


    Ivory furrowed her eyebrows in worry. She couldn''t remember what happened last night. The last thing she remembered was her crying at the back of their house after attempting to do Conversion Magic because she felt frustrated about her unruly mana.


    "Oh, maybe I passed out after that," she murmured. Then, she thought, what if he ran away again because he found out that she''s hopeless? What if he decided to give up on making her stronger? And what if he concluded that she would never be a great Master?


    "I have to find Sigmund as soon as possible," she told her mother, and after apologizing to her that she did not finish her food, she then headed out.


    As soon as she got out of the cabin, she saw his father and asked if he had seen her Servant.


    "I asked him to help me chop wood in the middle of the forest. There''s a sudden large order of firewood from Alpharion, and-"


    Gordon had not finished his sentence yet, but Ivory already ran ahead.


    She ran swiftly past the pine trees as she followed the trail, not wanting to waste any more time. She was relieved that Sigmund was only helping out her father and that he did not leave her.


    She arrived in the middle of the forest where her father''s workshop could be found. Logs and chopped wood were stacked outside a tent, and in the middle of the cleared area was a tree stump.


    Sigmund, who was topless and drenched in sweat, was lifting the axe up and piercing the top of the chunk of wood on a stump. In Ivory''s sight, he was very hot, and his exposed and firm six-pack and muscular arms made her gaze at him for so long.


    The Vampire dropped his axe beside the stump when Ivory approached him.


    "Sigmund," she panted, "I was looking for you," and was about to touch his arm...


    But she was shocked when he shoved her hands away.


    "I am¡­ sweaty. Don''t come near me," he looked away and stepped back.


    Sigmund saw Ivory''s confused expression, which was already expected. He has decided not to touch his Master until he forgets what happened last night.


    He couldn''t look straight into his Master''s light blue eyes, because he could still remember the way she gazed at him as they kissed. He could still remember the taste of her soft lips, and that strange yet pleasurable feeling when her body leaned on his.


    Sigmund shook his head, trying to shoo away these weird thoughts. He sat on the tree stump and stared blankly at the chopped wood.


    Wondering why her Servant was acting weird, she asked him, "Uhm¡­ Are you okay?"


    "Yes, of course, dimwit," he responded, avoiding her gaze. "I am the great Vampire, Sigmund, and I am always okay."


    "Ah, yes¡­ You''re right," she murmured and continued staring at her handsome Servant. "By the way, Sigmund, thanks for bringing me inside the house. I can''t believe I passed out without doing any Conversion Magic. I''m so pathetic."


    "I''m glad you know about it," Sigmund smirked. "So don''t force yourself anymore. It''s dangerous-"


    "No! I have to be really strong, so that you can use a better mana quality and have stronger magic," Ivory said with conviction. "I will definitely do my best. I will help you with your problem at the Silverblade Castle, and let''s win the Servant Competition!"


    "You''re all fired up," Sigmund almost patted her head, but quickly withdrew it. He then walked forward towards the trail, "Let''s head back."


    The whole afternoon, Ivory was practicing her magic at the back of the cabin. Like last night, she placed a bucket of water in front of her, and held the two sticks in separate hands. Sigmund stood at a distance, watching her very closely, but also feeling a bit nervous because she might be out of control again.


    But when Ivory concentrated her mana onto the water inside the bucket, her two sticks glowed with a white light.


    As she lifted the sticks up, the water also floated in the air. At first, it was a simple Water Elemental Magic, but as she continued moving the wooden sticks, it was as if the water danced with the motions of her hands.


    Sigmund stood there, dumbfounded, as he had already seen it last night. Even though this time, it was only the stick that glowed and not her whole body, he noticed that her light blue eyes glowed momentarily. And surprisingly, the mysterious mana was not overlapping her normal mana, but fused with it instead.


    But he still readied himself if there would be a sign of her normal mana getting overlapped by her unknown kind of mana.


    Compared to last night, she felt lighter when using magic. Perhaps it was because her long sleep had helped her rest her body and relax. Ivory also felt that she had already done her way of Conversion Magic before, so she didn''t have a hard time this time.


    And finally, when she stopped moving her sticks, the water turned into fog.


    "I did it¡­" Ivory uttered. She widened her eyes in awe, "I can''t believe it! I did it, Sigmund!" She ran towards him and without warning, she embraced him.


    Sigmund sighed, as he was very confused on what to do in that situation. He promised not to touch his Master until he forgets about the kiss, so he grabbed her arms that were around his waist and pushed her lightly away from him.


    In a cold tone, he said, "Don''t touch me."

 Chapter 49 - "Awkwardness Between The Master And The Servant"

    Ivory was shocked to hear it from her Servant, especially that he loved clinging onto her. "Why, Sigmund?" she uttered and negative thoughts started to flow in her mind. "Maybe you realized that I am¡­ not good enough as your Master, so that''s why¡­" and she took a step back.


    "Hey, birdbrain... what are you talking about-"


    "It''s because I am a weak Master, so maybe you''re already starting to hate me¡­ I¡­ I''m sorry, Sigmund!"


    And even before the Vampire could stop her, she had already returned inside the cabin. He hurriedly climbed upstairs and went to Ivory''s attic bedroom where he heard her faint sobs as she was laying on her stomach while crying under the pillow.


    After closing the door, Sigmund sat on the ottoman chair. "Oi, dimwit. Why are you even crying?" he sighed. "Stop it at once."


    But Ivory knew that her Servant wouldn''t understand. Ivory was willing to be treated as a weakling by her Servant, but to treat her coldly was too much for her. As she continued crying under the pillow, she felt her heart ache, not only because she feared that her Servant might already be tired of her, but also because her beloved man was avoiding her. After getting tired of crying, she drifted off to sleep.


    Sigmund noticed this and took away the pillow from her. Usually, he would quickly move her to a better sleeping position to make her comfortable. But now, he was still debating on himself whether he should touch her or not.


    Since he has been thinking about the immense pleasurable feeling he felt during their kiss, he felt unholy and dirty within himself. He didn''t want to touch her and lose control as he kept such lingering human-like desires that a holy Servant like him shouldn''t have.


    ¡­


    The following day, Ivory and Sigmund went to class, silently walking awkwardly and a bit far from each other. When they went to class, Lucius immediately noticed it and whispered to Ivory, "Are you alright?"


    "I am," Ivory smiled at him. "Thank you for asking, Lucius," she then saw Arcea coming inside the room and greeted her.


    Sigmund narrowed his eyes at his Master''s concerned friend, "Rich boy, how about me? Why aren''t you asking me if I am alright?"


    He chuckled, thinking how silly the question was. "Sigmund, are you alright?" he said in a sarcastic tone.


    "I am not alright," he whispered to him, making sure that Ivory wouldn''t hear her.


    "Oh? That''s rare," Lucius replied, wondering if it was a prank since he knew Sigmund to be always cocky and arrogant.


    Sigmund sighed, then nodded at him and excused himself. He sat on the window sill.


    Ivory sneaked a look at her handsome Servant by the window, who was looking at the flying birds. The Vampire also shot a look at Ivory, and when their eyes met, they immediately turned their heads away from each other.


    Their first class was under Educator Rosanna, and as soon as she entered, all students returned to their seats. With seriousness, she announced, "Blue Gem, upon discussion with the other Educators and your Adviser yesterday, we have decided that you''re going to be grouped according to your respective specializations for two months first, before returning to the normal Advanced Classes again."


    She took a chalk and drew a table with four columns and the titles written were: Magic, Close Combat, Long Ranged Combat, and Support. As the Educator wrote the names of the eighteen students in Blue Gem class separately in each column, Ivory felt excitement within her. She guessed that this might be a great step forward to becoming a stronger Master.


    Educator Rosanna asked them to group themselves afterwards.


    "Aww, I am in Close Combat," Arcea pouted. "I''ll be separated from both of you."


    Lucius chuckled. "It''s because you wrote swordsmanship before, didn''t you?"


    "Yeah, but you also wrote swordsmanship, so why are you in the Magic Group?"


    "I wrote ''elemental swordsmanship'', Arcea," he replied, then turned to face Ivory. "Let''s do our best, groupmate."


    Ivory was delighted that she had a close friend with her in the group. "Yes, Lucius," she beamed a smile. "I look forward to it very much!"


    Arcea waved goodbye to the two and went to the Close Combat group, while Lucius and Ivory proceeded to the Magic Group.


    "Hi, it''s you!" Ivory said upon seeing a familiar face.


    "Hi! Ivory, right?" she smiled at her. "Nice to see you in the same group!"


    "Likewise!" Ivory then introduced her friend, who was looking at them curiously. "By the way, this is my friend, Lucius¡­ And Lucius, this is Zephie."


    Zephie''s cheeks turned red upon meeting Lucius'' eyes, "I¡­ I¡­ I''m Zephie! It''s¡­ nice to meet you¡­" her hand trembled as she offered to shake hands with him.


    Lucius noticed that the girl was being extra shy, so he shook her hand gently, "It''s nice to meet you as well."


    "We may be all classmates, but we had not really talked to each other," a short pink-haired guy with violet eyes spoke. He was as good looking as Lucius and was wearing a comfortable white dress shirt, a striped suit vest, and a brown coat. "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Sir Lucius Goldwine."


    Lucius also shook hands with the young man, "Likewise."


    Caspian also shook hands with Ivory and Zephie and as they had introductions, the Servants also conversed with each other.


    "I am Metamorphus, a butterfly nymph," the muscular Servant with the butterfly wings introduced himself first. He then recognized Sigmund, "Aren''t you the Spirit Servant last time at the coliseum? Hello again!"


    Caspian''s Spirit Servant looked at Sigmund. She was a little girl with long braided purple hair and was dressed in white long sleeved dress, white elf cap with deer antlers, and black boots. "So you are a Spirit Servant as well!? I am Lutie, a reindeer Spirit!"


    Sigmund was unfriendly in nature, so he just nodded at them.


    Upon seeing them grouped, Educator Rosanna said, "You will all go now to your training locations. The Magic Group will go to the Coliseum. The Long Ranged group will go to the academy''s forest, while the Close Combat group will come with me to the open field. Finally, the Support group will stay here. That''s all."


    Ivory and her groupmates proceeded to the Coliseum. In the middle, there stood Educator Wallace, with several other students from different sections.


    "Twelve¡­ Thirteen¡­ Fourteen..." his Spirit Servant Furrene was doing a headcount to see if the students in the Magic Group were already completed. "The last three students from the Blue Gem section are already here, Master."


    "Alright, thank you," the Educator said and requested the students to stand in front of him. He said in a loud voice, "Welcome to the Magic Group! Although this group has the fewest members, my goal is to make this the strongest one!"


    The students clapped their hands.


    "Alright, settle down! Before we start your training, I want to test your mana quality and magic level."


    Upon hearing this and saw her Master give the signal, Furrene pushed a huge wheeled cart full of small wooden blocks. Each student was ordered to take four.


    "For the first challenge, I want you all to¡­ incorporate the four different elements into each block."

 Chapter 50 - "Unsuccessfully Resisting Master-1"

    The students felt very excited upon hearing this and buzzed about the said activity.


    "You think it''s easy, huh?" Educator Wallace said. "Bear in mind that you must not damage the block. For example, if you incorporate fire, you must not burn it even just a bit. There are more blocks in your cart, so you can use them if you mess up. However, they''re not going to be restocked. If there are no more blocks and you still need them, you will fail the challenge and will face punishments."


    The students'' excitement turned into worry.


    The Educator then pointed out three big wooden barrels in the middle of the coliseum and instructed them to get the Earth element from it.


    He continued the discussion, "There are a hundred ways on how to do it, and I am giving you free will to figure out how. You may discuss it with your classmates, but you will approach me individually in the far back of this stage and show me your blocks once you''re ready." He was about to go to the back, but then he remembered something, "By the way, Servants aren''t allowed to help. Furrene, you watch them."


    The female black fox Spirit Servant lowered her head, "As you wish, Master."


    The students grouped themselves into their respective sections, and the Servants were led by Furrene to the side of the stage. Sigmund frowned as he was always bothered by the two extra friendly Servants of his Master''s classmates.


    "What are your opinions over this challenge?" Caspian asked the three. "Starting with you, Sir Goldwine?"


    "Call me Lucius, please." Then he added, "About your question¡­ I think we should try covering the wood with another element before covering another element. I will try to cover up the block with hardened soil, before I cover it with fire. How about you, Caspian?"


    "I''ll use a contrasting Barrier Magic to envelop it first, then use the main element to cover the surface¡­"


    "Barrier Magic is an Advanced Magic Technique, isn''t it?" he asked Caspian, who chuckled upon hearing it.


    "But hardening the soil is also an Advanced Magic, isn''t it not?"


    "Well, the main goal of Educator Wallace is checking our level of magic knowledge and skills," Ivory uttered. "Maybe, as long as we do what he asks of us, we can pass the challenge. So we''ll use whatever means¡­"


    They nodded at Ivory''s opinion.


    "Zephie," Lucius called their quiet classmate. "Do you have something in mind? On how we should deal with the challenge?"


    Zephie stuttered when she heard Lucius say her name, "I¡­ I¡­ think I¡­ No, I have nothing to say," and she turned beet red, averting her eyes away from him.


    Meanwhile, on the Servants'' side, Metamorphus observed that his Master was having a hard time conversing with Lucius. "My Master is so cute," he uttered. "She''s being shy because her crush talked to her."


    "She likes that guy? But that guy already has a lover, right?" Lutie questioned.


    Sigmund glanced at the small servant, crossing his arms.


    "Really? Who?"


    "Didn''t you hear the rumors? They said that he''s going out with that girl," the little Servant said, pointing out to Ivory.


    Sigmund, who couldn''t help but react to that false rumor, said in a cold tone, "My Master has no lover, and she doesn''t need one."


    "Oh?" Lutie sighed, "So the rumors are false, I see!"


    "Then I shall say the good news to my Master later! I''m sure she''ll be delighted to hear this!" the butterfly Nymph said.


    Sigmund looked at the two energetic Servants. He wished for the day to end already, so he could suck his Master''s blood, but¡­


    ''What am I thinking of¡­ I can last at least a week without her blood, and I just have to conserve my mana. By that time, maybe I had forgotten about that kiss¡­''


    And so, the students did the challenge, and one by one, they went in front of the Educator. Most of them had successfully done the challenge, while some of them failed, so they took more blocks from the cart to try it again.


    Hours later, the blocks inside the cart were already gone.


    "Oh no, there are no more¡­" Zephie said when she peeked inside, "I need three more blocks for Air, Water, and Fire¡­"


    "Take mine," Ivory said as she handed over the three blocks to her.


    "Are you sure?" Zephie glanced at her hand. "But, you only have one¡­ What about you?"


    "I¡­ I have extras."


    "I see! I really apologize for troubling you!"


    As Ivory stared at Zephie, who then played her flute and started incorporating her mana onto the wooden blocks, she wondered why she gave her three blocks to her. Now, she only has one. ''If I break this, then I will just have to accept the punishment¡­ It''s not like I''ll get expelled, right?'' she thought.


    Sigmund heard their conversation from a distance and noticed Ivory''s lack of motivation. He wondered if it was because of him avoiding her, which was the reason why she cried last night.


    Almost everyone had presented their blocks, until there were only five students left. The other four were from the other sections.


    Ivory was the first one to approach Educator Wallace. When he saw that she only had one block left, he asked her, "Miss Sprucemint, I am sure I had asked you to have four blocks of different elements?"


    "Yes, Educator."


    He noticed that the student in front of him did not incorporate any element yet into the wooden block. "Are you going to give up like this?"


    "I apologize for not thinking straight when I gave my blocks. I will just accept the punishment."


    "How can I accept that kind of answer?" Educator Wallace looked at her intently. "This activity will enable me to see your level of magic. If you''re not going to show it to me, how can I evaluate you?"


    Ivory furrowed her eyebrows as the Educator spoke.


    The Educator noticed her saddened expression and felt that there might be something in her mind. Besides, two days ago, she failed to show her Conversion Magic to him and yesterday, she was not able to go to class to rest her exhausted body.


    "Can you at least incorporate an element into it?" he pitied her. "Anything will do."


    Ivory sighed. "I''ll try¡­"


    She closed her eyes, placed the wooden block on the stoned floor, and gripped her two sticks tightly. She concentrated her mana onto the sticks, which emitted a white light.


    But when she opened her eyes, her light blue eyes also glowed as she stared blankly at the block, which shocked the Educator. Slowly, she swayed her hands in the air and started infusing her mana into the wooden block until it floated in front of Educator Wallace.


    Sigmund sensed that strange mana from his Master and quickly dashed towards her.. He grabbed her arms and pulled her into a tight embrace from behind.

 Chapter 51 - "Unsuccessfully Resisting Master-2"

    The Vampire embraced his Master from behind, putting his left arm around her waist, then his other hand covered her eyes.


    Ivory smelled the scent of lilies, and she immediately knew who was behind her. "Sigmund¡­" she spoke softly under his palm. "You finally stopped avoiding me¡­Oh how I missed you-"


    Sigmund whispered near her ear, "You birdbrain. You are in front of Educator Wallace, and your classmates are behind you. Don''t lose control."


    She eyed him, "If I stop¡­ You won''t avoid me anymore?"


    "Yes¡­ Now stop using that weird mana of yours."


    Upon hearing Sigmund''s request, Ivory snapped out of it, but she eventually fainted into the Vampire Servant''s arms, who carried her afterwards.


    "What happened?" Educator Wallace''s eyes widened. "Is she alright?"


    "I think so, but she''s having a hard time controlling her mana."


    "Bring her to the clinic to rest," Educator Wallace told him. As Sigmund left with Ivory in his arms, Lucius, who was waiting for Ivory to finish, followed the two in worry.


    The Educator took the floating wooden block in front of him. He examined it and spun it slowly using the wind. He then noticed something unusual¡­


    All four elements were successfully incorporated into the wooden block, displaying four bright hues of red, blue, brown, and gray!


    ''Ivory Sprucemint¡­ Why do you have such power?'' Educator Wallace pondered. Of all the techniques to incorporate elements, she did the hardest and the most complicated one.


    Summoning a banished Servant Class was odd enough, but seeing Ivory''s powerful magic in person made the Educator even more interested in her. Now, he knew why Principal Arthurdane had been taking care of her and placed her under his protection.


    Educator Wallace was already looking forward to training Ivory soon, because he knew that with such innate power, she could become one of the strongest Masters the Kingdom of Destinia would ever have.


    ...


    Sigmund finally arrived in the clinic and laid his Master on the bed. The nurse checked up on Ivory and told him that she just needed some sleep. He then stood behind the window and gazed at the sleeping Ivory. Honestly, he was very confused about what was happening to his Master since he had no idea what kind of mana she was exhibiting.


    Lucius sat on the bed where Ivory was lying down and stared at her worriedly. "What happened to her?"


    "I don''t know anymore," Sigmund said. He then realized that the young man in front of him may know about it because he''s the General''s son. "Hey, rich boy. Is it possible for a human to have two different kinds of mana?


    Lucius'' forehead creased, "What do you mean?"


    "She has it¡­ Two different kinds," Sigmund explained in a soft voice so that only Lucius could hear him. "She has both a normal mana, and an extraordinarily strong mana, which she couldn''t control."


    "Two different kinds of mana, huh?" Lucius recalled what happened in their class. "Like what happened earlier before she passed out?"


    "Yeah."


    It was Lucius'' first time to hear something like this, making him a bit puzzled, "I''m sorry, but I haven''t heard of anything like that."


    Sigmund crossed his arms while thinking, "I wonder if she inherited her mana from her parents or ancestors."


    "Ah, it may be possible," he glanced at the Servant then back at the resting Ivory. "After all, there is a high chance that the offspring can inherit the birthmark of Destinia based on the elders'' records."


    The Vampire Servant continued listening to the General''s Son.


    "In Ivory''s case, if her parents weren''t fortunate enough to obtain the birthmark, then perhaps her grandparents or her early ancestors had it," Lucius explained. Majority of his ancestors, who became Generals of the Land of Olivea, had Golem Class Servants.


    Sigmund sighed. "I have another problem. When she''s losing control of her mana, her behavior changes¡­ and it''s giving me a headache."


    "Why? What does she do?" he asked him.


    When Lucius asked this, Sigmund suddenly remembered again the passionate kiss that he and Ivory shared under the moonlight. He could also recall how her voice sounded so sexy when she told him that she wanted him¡­


    The Vampire was stoned as he remembered these, so Lucius waved his hand in front of his face. "Sigmund, hey. You are spacing out. I asked you what she did before that gave you a headache?"


    The Servant just shook his head, "Nevermind. I''ll handle the problem myself."


    "If you say so." He then stood up and patted Sigmund''s shoulder, "I should go now. I''ll leave her to you. I also worry a lot about her, so if you ask her parents about their mana, tell me about it, too."


    Sigmund nodded at his Master''s most reliable friend, and Lucius looked once more at Ivory before leaving them the two in the clinic.


    When sunset came, the other students inside the clinic had already gone out. Ivory was not yet awake, and the nurse excused herself because she needed to be present in a weekly staff assembly, and that she would be back after two hours.


    The sun had gone down when Ivory opened her eyes. Still feeling a bit tired, she asked as she saw her Servant, "Ugh¡­ what¡­ happened?"


    Sigmund saw that Ivory was attempting to sit, but she wobbled. He placed his left arm on her back to assist her. "You used it again¡­ that odd and uncontrollable mana."


    "Uncontrollable mana?" She leaned on his side. "I don''t understand¡­"


    "Just like last night, huh¡­" he uttered and to support her back more, Sigmund sat behind her, placing his arms on her waist afterwards.


    "I¡­I''m sorry... I can''t remember anything." Ivory sighed and noticed his closeness to her, so she commented, "But Sigmund¡­ Is this alright for you?"


    "Hmm? What is?" He tilted his head to look at his Master''s face.


    "You are¡­ touching me right now," she got teary-eyed, because she thought about that painful feeling of her beloved Sigmund hating her. "I thought you don''t want me to be your Master anymore-"


    "You dimwit, stop overthinking! I never said I don''t want you to be my Master anymore," he embraced her tighter and whispered near her ear:


    "Now¡­ Should I remind you¡­ whom your body and blood belongs to?"

 Chapter 52 - "Vampire Servants Devotion"

    Ivory turned beet red upon hearing his deep, sexy voice. She was too embarrassed to turn around to respond to him, so she tried to move away instead.


    But Sigmund''s muscular arms held her waist tightly. "Ivory. You might have forgotten, but I have not replenished my mana for two days."


    "Sigmund¡­" Ivory murmured, feeling guilty about neglecting her Servant''s needs, "I apologize if I was an irresponsible Master to you for letting you starve..."


    "That''s why you have to make it up to me."


    "Did you avoid me because I am weak¡­ and I can''t control my mana?"


    "No. It was because of¡­" But he chose not to tell her about the kiss to prevent them from being awkward again.


    "Because of?" she asked him with a worried expression.


    But the Vampire Servant just smirked, "I''ve been holding back, but¡­ I guess I really can''t resist you, Ivory." Using his free hand, he shoved her hair to the side, exposing her neck.


    When Sigmund finally pierced her skin with his fangs, Ivory couldn''t help but give a loud moan. She missed having his lips graze on her skin, and having him miss out two days of mana replenishment made it even more sensual. She noticed that there was something different about the way he bit her in that moment; he sucked her roughly, but he held her body in such an affectionate way.


    Sigmund wanted Ivory to feel his devotion to her, and for him, replenishing her mana by sucking her blood in the most pleasurable parts of her body would make her adore him more. As he licked her skin, he could feel his Master''s body became warmer, and it was also odd that he felt warmer within himself, too. He then felt something bulge below him, which should not happen because he''s a Servant!


    Wanting to stop his crazy body from reacting further, he licked the oozing blood from Ivory''s neck before letting go of her. He stood up and offered his hand, "Come, let''s go home. Ebleu''s waiting outside for us."


    Ivory was craving for more, but seeing him return to his usual self made her feel contented, "Ah, I see¡­ Alright," she took his hand and slowly stood up.


    As Ivory held Sigmund''s warm hand while they walked in the hallway, she could feel that something might have already changed in their relationship... but she couldn''t point out what it was.


    ...


    When they reached home, Ivory took time to read some reference scrolls. She wanted to know what made her lose control of her mana, and she wanted to find a way to completely control it. She remembered that in her first attempt in doing Conversion Magic at her own will, she failed, and for some reason after she had collapsed and rested, she had a muscle memory of how she should swing the sticks and control her mana. It was a peculiar event, and it remained a mystery within herself.


    Sigmund, on the other hand, waited for Gracie and Flynn to sleep before talking to Ivory''s parents. He opened up to his Master''s parents that Ivory had two kinds of mana and to control it, he needed to know her ancestors'' mana type.


    "And that''s what happened in class today," Sigmund said with a serious expression, "In order for Ivory to overcome this problem, please tell me what Servant Classes her ancestors had."


    Anne and Gordon looked at each other troublingly. They didn''t expect someone would ask about their relationship with Ivory, especially not her Servant to ask something very personal.


    Since Ivory''s parents weren''t answering him, Sigmund repeated, "Alright. Let me ask what your ancestors did during the war?


    "My ancestors were hunters here in Greensteid Forest," Gordon was the first to answer.


    "And my ancestors were dressmakers," Anne replied to the Vampire as well.


    ''Something''s definitely not right,'' Sigmund thought as he crossed his arms and studied the couple who was sitting in front of him. "So, none of your ancestors were chosen by the Goddess Destinia?"


    Anne and Gordon looked at each other again before nodding at him.


    "Are you a hundred percent sure?"


    "A hundred percent sure," Gordon answered. He explained further, "We found Ivory in our cart one night. She was in a fruit crate covered with a thick, blue velvet cloth, and we didn''t know who put her there. Nevertheless, we treated her as our own and treated her as a real family."


    "Ivory is not blood-related to you, and no one told me about it?" The Vampire''s jaws clenched. He couldn''t believe what he just heard. "Who else knew about this?"


    "Just us, Ivory, and¡­ Katie."


    "So¡­ that''s why she was very unsympathetic towards her..." Sigmund thought everything was just sibling rivalry, but he now knew that it was not the only reason why she was always looking at her sister with disdain. On the other hand, Ivory loved her as if she''s her real sister.


    After knowing the truth about his Master, he entered her bedroom. Ivory was lying on her stomach and was still reading scrolls on her bed.


    "Ivory," Sigmund called her as he slowly sat beside her.


    "Yes, what is it?" she said without looking at him. She was concentrating on the scroll.


    He ran his fingers on his black hair and said, "Stop reading. Let''s talk." With force, he grabbed her arm and made her sit in front of him.


    Seeing that he''s seriously gazing at her, she questioned, "What''s the matter?"


    Sigmund gently placed his hand on her cheek. "Why didn''t you tell me¡­ that you''re adopted?"


    Ivory widened her eyes, puzzled as to why he suddenly opened up about it. "It''s not important, right? Besides, my whole family is here with me, and they always make me feel that I belong."


    "But aren''t you curious¡­ who your real parents are?"


    She sighed, "I am, but what can I do? They already disowned me¡­ like a rotten apple."


    "Ivory, I asked Lucius about your situation¡­ You have two different types of mana, and to control it, you have to know its nature. Hence, you need to find your real parents."


    "I have to? I mean, what about my family now? Am I going to be forced to leave them?" asked Ivory worriedly.


    "You just have to know who they are, so that we can trace back who your ancestors are and understand your mana types. It doesn''t mean that you need to go with them. After all, you''re already an adult, and you can decide for yourself where you''d like to go."


    "Hmm¡­ You''re right," she said with a subtle smile, "I wonder how my real parents would react if they saw me. I want to know if they''re terrified of being punished by the heavens because they gave away their precious child."


    Sigmund opened his mouth and was about to speak, when Ivory hurriedly placed her finger on Sigmund''s lips to stop him. "Hush, let''s not talk about it. Anyway, I will work hard to become a strong Master. Who knows, maybe if I win the Servant Competition, my parents might be the ones who will run to me. Perhaps Katie will come back and accept me as well."


    When he saw his Master''s smile, he patted her head, "Ivory, even if they turn their backs on you, you have me, Your Vampire Servant. You swore to offer your body and blood to me, and in return, I''ll serve you as long as you live."


    "Thank you¡­" Ivory felt touched by this, and she couldn''t help but shed tears.


    Seeing his Master''s lonely face made the Vampire Servant rub his thumb on her cheeks to wipe the tears falling from her eyes. "Come here," he said, and so he let her lean on her chest as she continued to cry.


    ¡­


    The next day, Ivory and Sigmund were called to Educator Wallace''s office to discuss what happened in class. The two of them stood in front of the Educator''s desk.


    "Miss Sprucemint¡­ The fact that you failed to get four blocks yesterday means you have already failed the challenge."


    Ivory pursed her lips, nervous about the consequences of disappointing the Educator. She said in a trembling voice, "Yes, sir, I apologize. I was not thinking straight and gave my blocks to another student..."


    "But¡­" the Educator''s tone shifted to a happier one, "But you have successfully incorporated the four elements into that single wooden block."


    Ivory widened her eyes in surprise, so she wanted to confirm it, "Really? I did?" yet she felt joy upon hearing about it, and a wide smile appeared on her face.


    Educator Wallace was puzzled, "You can''t remember what you did?"


    "I can''t¡­ I apologize¡­" she lowered her head, "I will accept any punishment, Educator Wallace."


    The Educator nodded, and then placed a scroll on the table. When he opened it, a map could be seen, and the Educator pointed to a small town in the corner of the Land of Sandria.. "Miss Sprucemint, you shall join the third years in the remote town of Gallean¡­ but you need to disguise yourself as a man."

 Chapter 53 - "Masters Handsome Disguise"

    "I''m sorry¡­ what?" Ivory thought she heard wrong.


    "You''ll disguise as a man in your stay in Gallean Town."


    It was explained to them that together with two third year students of Qawiun Academy, they would join the town guards of Gallean Town and patrol depending on their assigned shift. They were informed that they were in need of at least one pair of Master and Servant to try to match up with the rebels'' strength, and there was no one else to deploy at the moment. They were also permitted to fight to protect their lives and their comrades'', if needed.


    Having no more questions, Ivory and Sigmund exited the room, and then Principal Arthurdane entered.


    "You''re going to test her?" he said as he sat on the wooden chair in front of the Educator''s desk.


    "I think there''s more to it¡­ That kind of power."


    "I think so, too. Even Educators Alphonse and Alexandra realized it when she tried to protect their family relic and also believe she has more potential. I think her growth as a Master is our responsibility."


    "Right, sir," Educator Wallace sighed. "Also, I think Miss Sprucemint and her Vampire Servant can also help solve the problem in that town¡­"


    "You mean¡­ the issue with the Town Leader''s son''s rebellion? Our rebel spy informed me about their planned attack in the Town Hall."


    The Educator nodded, "I already asked for reinforcements from General Platinumcore in Empirica City, but she said that it might take a while because her trained men were recently deployed."


    "Those two third years can''t handle the situation there. We have no choice since all the other third years are busy in their designated training locations," Principal Arthurdane shrugged. "Oh well, we have to have faith in Miss Sprucemint''s determination and her intelligent Servant."


    Meanwhile, Ivory and Sigmund returned to their classroom. Lucius, who quickly approached her, gave a worried expression. He asked, "What punishment did Educator Wallace give you?"


    "I will be going with the third years to Gallean Town for a while, and we''ll stay there until further notice."


    "Gallean Town?" he widened his eyes in shock since he was familiar with the place. "Majority of the population there are males."


    "What?!" Ivory exclaimed, "Oh! I know, maybe that was the reason why he told me to dress up as a man!"


    "What was he thinking?" Lucius crossed his arms, "I think it''s too dangerous for you. It''s like sacrificing a lamb in a lions'' den¡­ Let me speak with the Educator and stop this-"


    "Lucius!" Ivory shook her head. "I trust Educator Wallace. He will not send me there without a good reason. Besides, Sigmund will be there with me."


    Lucius sighed, and after a long pause, he said, "Alright. But if something bad happens to you, I''ll raise this matter to my father."


    "I won''t let anything bad happen to her," Sigmund told him. "And that includes not blowing her cover that she''s actually a woman."


    Ivory chuckled, "You have to practice treating me as a man from now on."


    "Oh? Challenge accepted. But what should I call you?"


    "Hmm¡­ let''s see¡­" she placed her fingers under her chin. "How about¡­ Ivor?"


    "Ivor?" Sigmund smirked. "What a manly name."


    "I will make sure that Ivory will have a proper disguise, so let me help," Lucius smiled at them. "I''ve got several clothes for you to choose from. Let''s go to my house after class."


    And so, after class, the three went to Goldwine''s mansion. Lucius led Ivory and Sigmund into a clothes'' room filled with uniforms and set coats.


    "Why don''t you try some?" Lucius asked.


    Hearing this, Sigmund said, "I''ll stay here to help her-"


    But the young man shook his head and grabbed the Vampire''s arm, "The maidservants will help her. Come with me outside and wait."


    "But-"


    "Lucius is right, Sigmund, don''t worry about it!" Ivory beamed a smile.


    Lucius and Sigmund stepped out of the room and closed the door, leaving only Ivory and the three maidservants to assist her.


    While waiting, Sigmund opened up about Ivory''s lineage. "By the way, Rich Boy¡­ About my Master''s ancestors¡­"


    "Oh, what is it? Did her parents say anything?"


    "She''s adopted."


    "I see. Then it might take longer for her to know what''s wrong with her mana." Lucius had already noticed that everyone in her family had brown hair, except for her who had silver hair. He just thought that she must have taken these traits from some of her ancestors, but now he knew it wasn''t the case. "Let''s talk about this again after your trip to Gallean Town. I''ll search about this and see what I can do."


    Moments later, Ivory also stepped out of the room. Her long silver hair was tied in high pony, and she was dressed in a gray sleeved shirt, black gloves, black coat, and black plants. A reversible cape, with colors of silver and blue, was wrapped around her shoulder. Her two wooden sticks were tied on the sword belt.


    Sigmund turned his head towards his Master. Seeing how Lucius'' clothes somewhat fit Ivory, he commented, "You look great, Master Ivor," and laughed.


    Ivory pouted, "You meanie!"


    "What? It was a compliment," he smirked and covered her mouth with his hand. "Don''t you ever make such an expression when we arrive at Gallean Town." The Vampire Servant thought that whenever his Master pouts, she displays her cuteness.


    As Lucius observed the two bickering, in his mind was a series of thoughts concerning Ivory. He always saw her embarrassed face and her cheeks turning red whenever Sigmund teases her. She didn''t say anything or admit that she likes him, but all her actions were too obvious. Thankfully, Arcea was not as observant and skeptical as he was.


    Lucius shook his head to get rid of the thought. He must not worry because Servants do not feel human desires, and he could only wish that someday, Ivory would fall for another man, who is a human like her.


    He then interrupted them, "Ivory, you can bring more clothes and some armors with you¡­" and he led them to his closet once again.


    ¡­


    The next day, Ivory and Sigmund were fetched by a carriage from Qawiun Academy. She was already wearing a hooded button down trench coat, gray pants, and black boots.


    Ivory greeted the coachman before they rode the black wooden horse-drawn carriage.


    "Good thing Lucius'' clothes were altered for you, we didn''t have any problem with your disguise at all," Sigmund said, as he faced Ivory inside the carriage.


    "You''re right¡­ If his clothes didn''t fit me, I would have asked Ken for help-"


    "Why bother asking that guy for help when you already have the Rich Boy," Sigmund said. He felt Lucius was sincere when he told him he didn''t have any romantic feelings towards his Master, unlike Ken who would always grab the opportunity to touch her.


    Ivory shrugged, "You''re right, I shouldn''t bother Ken. He might be busy with his merchant duties."


    It was a three-hour travel to Gallean Town. Before reaching the Land of Sandria, they passed through the row of pine trees first until they reached the border of the Land of Olivea. As they moved farther ahead, they then traversed on the light brown fine sand and endured a hotter and more arid climate until they reached the military city of Empirica in their first one and a half hour.


    Being advised to change their transportation into camels, the coachman bid goodbye to them. Ivory and Sigmund rented camels, and paid for a guide traveler to lead them to their destination, in which the payment was sponsored by the academy. Date palms and a few rubbles were scattered along the sandy path towards the hidden town of Gallean behind the Gallean Mountains.


    They arrived at noon, and the two third years were waiting at the town arc for them. Ivory and Sigmund got down from the camel, took their luggage, and thanked the guide traveler. When he left with his camels, they started walking towards the arc.


    "I wonder how strong this second year is," the third year guy said. He was wearing a cropped sleeved black and purple jacket with black mesh shirt. He ran his hand through his black hair and looked at the other third year with his hazel-colored eyes, "I heard the principal even allowed him to use the academy carriage until Empirica City. He might be a teacher''s pet."


    The red-haired third year responded, "Perhaps¡­ How about... we make it hard for the newbie?"


    "What do you have in mind?"


    "I''m sure he''s looking forward to being friends with us, so let''s be unfriendly towards him," he grinned, excited about his petty little plan.


    But as Ivory and Sigmund came closer and closer to them, the red-haired third year widened his eyes in shock.


    "Are¡­ aren''t you Ivory''s-" He then glanced at Ivory who was dressed as a man, and she was also surprised to see her ex-lover there.


    "Oh? What do we have here, it''s our good friend Jasiel," Sigmund mockingly smiled as he looked down on him. "Long time no see...."

 Chapter 54 - "Masters Unexpected New Slave"

    Upon meeting Sigmund''s crimson-red eyes, Jasiel trembled in fear. How could he forget the wrecked apartment and his shattered confidence that his ex-lover''s Servant caused last year?


    "Welcome to Gallean Town. I am Morgan Maurer, a third year," he said in a cold tone with his arms crossed. "You are just in your second year, and since you''re younger than us, you must obey us all the time. You can''t slack off, and you should do all the household chores. Got that?"


    Ivory only nodded at him. Sigmund raised his brow, and when Jasiel saw this, he immediately interrupted, "What are you saying, Morgan? Don''t be too hard on the newcomer! He must be treated like our younger brother! Don''t make him do too much work!"


    Morgan narrow his brows in confusion, "Weren''t you the one who said to be unfriendly-"


    Jasiel covered his mouth, "Let us show them where they will stay!" He walked towards Sigmund and quickly took the luggage bags he was carrying, "I''ll carry these for you!"


    As the two moved forward, Ivory and Sigmund looked at each other and chuckled.


    The four of them then walked on the sandy path. Ivory and Sigmund looked around to check if the place was really composed of majority of men. And in every corner they looked, they only saw men. They could see very few girls, who all appeared to be underaged, but there were no adult women.


    They then entered a two-story adobe house situated in front of the sandy mountains. The exterior and interior walls were peach-colored, and the floor and walls were made of hardened clay.


    "Ah, your schoolmate arrived! Welcome, welcome!" the owner of the house, who was a tall young man, with muscular build and handsome features, approached the newcomers as he beamed a smile. He was wearing an all dark brown sleeveless collared zip up shirt, fitted jeans with belt, and knee high boots. "I am Nathan Sandfall. Please feel at home!" He shook hands with Sigmund, and then with Ivory.


    "I am Ivory-" she changed into a lower tone, "I mean Ivor Sprucemint, and this is Sigmund, my Spirit Servant. It''s a pleasure to meet you."


    Ivory instantly caught Nathan''s eye with her long silver hair. When he gripped her hand, he couldn''t help but to comment about how soft her hands were, "You have such... small hands."


    "Ah...I¡­" Ivory quickly withdrew it. "It runs in our family."


    "I see," he smiled at her. "I apologize for mentioning it. It''s just that¡­ it''s rare to find a man here who has such small beautiful hands."


    Sigmund glared at the owner and cleared his throat, "Master Ivor is tired. Where is his bedroom?"


    "About that¡­ Choose who among your schoolmates you''d like to share a room with. I apologize if we only have two rooms for the guests."


    "Share a room?" Ivory almost raised her voice, but quickly questioned him in a low tone. She then looked at Jasiel and Morgan. She would definitely not share a room with Jasiel, but she also did not like to share a room with a stranger like Morgan.


    Sigmund was already angry deep inside. He didn''t want his Master to share a room with a guy. Besides, she would be exposed, and worse, he might not be able to have a taste of her blood in private.


    Jasiel saw how Sigmund frowned. Afraid that he might still think bad about him, he raised his hand, "I will¡­ share a room with Morgan!"


    But Morgan retorted, "Huh? Are you nuts? Why will I share a room with you-"


    Jasiel quickly covered Morgan''s mouth, "Of course, you''ll agree with it! Uhh... I''ll help clean the room!"


    "Take a rest first, lunch will be ready soon," Nathan said and went back to the kitchen.


    After a while, their room was prepared, and Ivory and Sigmund went to their respective room. The bed covered with white linen was placed against the white wall. The room was then accented with brown tones found on pillow cases, rug on the side of the table, bed end wooden chair, and a brown drawer set up near the door.


    Ivory pulled the sliding wooden door and locked it by attaching a hook to the wall. She laid down on the springy soft bed, resting her sore back from traveling for a long time inside a carriage and on the camel.


    "I don''t know how long I can last in this disguise, Sigmund," she told her Servant, who was leaning by the door. "It feels a little hot because I had to put several layers of cloth to hide my chest¡­"


    "Should I help you take them off?" Sigmund grinned at her, and when Ivory saw his killer smile, she immediately sat back up.


    She shook her head, "We¡­ We still need to eat lunch with them later!"


    A sudden knock on the door interrupted them.


    "Who''s there?" asked Sigmund.


    "Uhh... It''s Jasiel¡­"


    "How dare you knock and-"


    "Sigmund," Ivory shook her head. "He''s our teammate now. Besides, he knows my identity¡­ Maybe he has something important to tell us."


    "But Ivory. He almost violated you... Why will I let him in?"


    "I bet he''s already regretting it after what you did to him. I am not afraid of him anymore because you''re here to protect me," Ivory gave his Servant a reassuring smile.


    Sigmund paused to think for a while before he unhooked the door latch. As soon as Jasiel entered the room, he closed the door and fell on his knees.


    "Ivory¡­ Forgive me! I have changed¡­ I will never do that sort of immoral act again¡­"


    Ivory and Sigmund did not expect him to kneel down to apologize. They thought that being caught by the city guards naked in front of the public might have changed him.


    "Do you mean it?" Ivory responded. "Did you really change?"


    "Yes¡­ I can prove it to you¡­ I will do all the household chores from now on, so you should just sit back and relax while you''re here!"


    Sigmund chuckled, "We look forward to that, Jasiel."


    "I will atone for my sin!" Jasiel then stood up. "Request me anything, and it shall be done!"


    "Oh? Can you even shine our shoes?" Sigmund teased him.


    "Yes! Yes, I will! Let me just get a shoe brush-"


    But Ivory told him, "Jasiel, no.. Instead of that, I would like to ask for a favor."

 Chapter 55 - "Lamb In A Lions Den"

    He turned to her, "Anything!"


    "Just answer my questions. You''ve been here for a few weeks, right? Can you tell me more about this town? Why are there very few women here?"


    "About that¡­" Jasiel leaned on the wall beside Sigmund and gave a serious expression. "It was the Town Leader''s wife. She ordered that when girls turn fourteen, they must be relocated to Empirica City."


    "But why?" asked Ivory.


    Jasiel shook his head, "We still do not know. Morgan and I are only allowed to roam around in this town, but we are not permitted to enter the Town Hall. The Town Leader and his wife are residing there, so it is heavily guarded."


    "I see¡­ But there must be a big reason why..." She wondered what made the Town Leader''s wife decide on such a trivial thing.


    "Kids, lunch is ready! Come out!" Nathan''s voice could be heard behind the door.


    "We''ll be there! Thank you!" Ivory shouted.


    When Sigmund heard that Morgan''s footsteps were fading away, he told Jasiel, "If you really want to be forgiven and atone for your sin, you should help us hide the fact that Ivory''s a woman."


    "Of course, I will," Jasiel said, looking straight into Sigmund''s crimson red irises. "I will make sure that she won''t be found out at all costs."


    "Good."


    Jasiel sighed. "This is a punishment for not completing a class activity, but I wonder what Educator Wallace is thinking for sending a woman here in a place like this?"


    "I think he wants to test us¡­ He wants to test her magic ability."


    "Ivory is powerful, isn''t she?"


    Ivory commented, "Maybe, but what''s the use? I can''t even control it¡­" There was an awkward silence afterwards, and so she said, "Anyway, we should head out and eat lunch."


    Jasiel opened the door, and the three of them went to the dining area, which was located at the side of the adobe house. It was also painted with white and had wooden windows. The dining benches were made of stone and were attached against the wall. Potted cacti were placed at the center of the wooden table while three fiber rope lamps hung from the ceiling.


    On the table were plates of camel meat pepper roast, sliced saguaro fruits, and tepary bean salads. While Ivory and Jasiel sat in front of each other, Sigmund stood behind his Master.


    "Presenting my specialty dishes! Eat to your heart''s content!" Nathan said happily as he sat at the end of the table. He turned his head to Ivory, "Oh, that''s right, I want to welcome you and your Servant in my humble home, Ivor. This house has been Qawiun Academy third years'' lodging since five years ago. The principal has been giving me enough resources to maintain this house as well as feed their students."


    "Oh, I see¡­ So when will we start patrolling the town?" asked Ivory.


    "I''ll ask my cousin. He''s the town guards'' chief."


    Jasiel then said, "Before sunset, Morgan and I will have to depart. Our shift will be until the moon rises at the very top of the sky."


    "Alright. I will help you both later in preparing your armors."


    "Thanks, Nathan," Morgan responded and asked Ivory, "Hey, Ivor. What combat type are you?"


    "Magic."


    Nathan commented, "Magic, huh¡­ They said that the Town Leader''s wife can also do magic."


    "Oh, she''s a chosen one, too?" Morgan responded. "I wonder what Servant she summoned."


    "Well, we actually do not know, because ever since she got married to the Town Leader three years ago, she never left the Town Hall. She only permitted some guards, officials, and helpers to enter."


    They continued eating the heavy lunch as they discussed about Gallean Town. They talked about the odd policy that all females fourteen and above needed to be transferred out of the town. All adult males were required to train for combat, and those who weren''t skillful enough were trained to be merchants. Those who left were promised that their families would be able to relocate to Empirica City. There were those who stayed because they took into consideration the protection of the land of their ancestors. But sadly, it was expected that soon, Gallean would lose the majority of its townspeople.


    Hours passed, and Nathan left the house to buy food from the market. Jasiel took Athena in her stone figurine form, and Morgan held his Owl Beast Servant in its smaller, inactive form by letting it perch on its shoulder.


    Ivory felt better knowing that they were the only ones left in the house. After making sure that the thick curtains of the bedroom were properly closed, she quickly took off her cloak, then unfastened her tight belt.


    Sigmund was standing by the door, "Do you need help?"


    "No, I can do this alone," she said, but she could not reach the string at her back that she needed to pull to loosen the other layer of cloth wrapping her.


    "Should I repeat the question?" Sigmund smirked, "Or are you being shy, Master Ivor?"


    Ivory turned beet red, "I am not being shy, and I''ll prove it to you! Come here and help me¡­"


    Sigmund was pleased that his Master finally gave it up and called him. He stepped towards her and stood behind her closely, "I''ll take these clothes off¡­" and finally pulled the string.


    The Vampire Servant took off the linen cloth, and the other pieces of cloth after that, exposing his Master''s bare back.


    Ivory felt more at ease, and she breathed in and out now that the layers of cloth were gone. She pulled the cloak towards her chest to cover her front.


    She told him, "Thank you- Hey, Sigmund¡­!"


    As soon as the Vampire saw her flawless skin, he couldn''t help but caress her nape repeatedly, and down to her lower back. He then kissed her nape and whispered near her ear, "You are truly a lamb in a lions'' den."


    "What do you think you''re doing?! Are you one of the lions?!" Ivory''s voice was trembling. He''s still caressing her back, and it made her feel stimulated.


    "Yes¡­ and the one who killed all the other lions just to have you for myself," and he bit her on the nape.


    "Sigmund..." She murmured, and her Servant placed his arms around her waist, hugging her tightly as he sucked her sweet blood. Ivory placed both her hands on her mouth, covering it to stop herself from letting out moans.. If her high-pitched tone would be heard by the neighbors, her disguise as a man might be blown.

 Chapter 56 - "If Only The Black Crow Would Turn White"

    Sigmund transferred his Master to an end table, which was slightly higher. He didn''t stop, as he was confident that with his heightened hearing, he could easily know if someone''s coming near. The Vampire continued to savor his Master''s blood, using his wet, coarse tongue to slide playfully from her neck down to her lower back.


    "Sigmund¡­! What are you-"


    "Sssshh. Keep quiet¡­" he leaned towards her and whispered to her ear, "Do you want your cover to be blown?"


    "Of course not-"


    "Then behave and let me replenish my mana," and he continued to lick her skin. His left hand held the edge of the end table, while his right hand explored her back.


    "But Sigmund, do you need to lick my back? It tickles¡­ Mmmm¡­"


    Ivory trembled as her Servant licked her exposed back. She closed her eyes in a mixture of embarrassment and pleasure while clutching on the piece of clothing covering her bosom. As her Servant planted kisses on her, she couldn''t help but feel like he''s acting strange.


    ''If only Sigmund isn''t a Servant¡­'' Ivory thought as she bit her lip, thinking what their relationship could have been if it happened.


    She imagined him being a protective lover, who would keep her away from danger, and he would be someone who would always be there whenever she needed him.


    She imagined going out with him in Alpharion City, holding hands, as they did some window shopping. She also imagined how it would feel every morning to wake up with him on her bed, saying the words ''I love you'', followed by a peck on the forehead.


    Realizing what kind of scenes she was fantasizing, Ivory shook her head repeatedly, ''What am I even thinking of? Am I crazy? He''s my Servant!'' Feeling something moist in between her thighs, she quickly got down from the end table when Sigmund loosened his hold on her.


    "Hey, why did you-"


    "I¡­ need to pee!" And she ran off to their private bathroom.


    When Sigmund saw his Master''s cheeks turn beet red, he smirked. He loved teasing her and seeing her comical, yet interesting expressions.


    But then again, the Servant knew that that''s all there to it. He could only tease her and touch her, without ever admitting his growing, forbidden feelings. Because he''s only an entity who existed because of the Goddess'' holy mana that She let humans borrow out of pity, he needed to accept that he and Ivory cannot be.


    ''Maybe if the black crow turns white, then I could be her lover,'' he thought, because he knew that only a miracle could let him have her.


    ¡­


    The following day, Nathan cooked spicy, sweet and sour grilled camel meat. The Masters sat with him in the dining area, while the Servants observed their Masters at the side. They neither feel hunger or thirst, and they were satisfied to see their Masters enjoy the food.


    "Man, I''m so exhausted last night," Jasiel said as he placed some meat on his plate, "Those town guards didn''t even let us have a break."


    "It''s your fault, you were too arrogant. You even spouted nonsense by saying that their town leader is under his wife," Morgan commented. He sighed, "Why did I even have a talkative partner like you?" He glanced at Ivory who was quietly eating.


    Ivory didn''t notice the conversation, though. She concentrated on munching the flavorful meat on her plate.


    "How about you and Ivor switch? Even though he''s a glutton, I''d rather have a quiet partner like him."


    "No way!!!" Jasiel retorted, banging the wooden table with his fist. "I mean¡­ You just can''t leave me. Besides, who knows when the academy will withdraw him from this area. He''s only a second year, so I think he will not stay for a year, unlike us."


    "But I think Ivor is favored by the principal, so-"


    Ivory paused eating and responded, "Apologies for breaking your good image of me, but I am here because I failed to do the task of Educator Wallace. I am not favored or anything¡­ And in my stay at the academy, this was the second time I''ve been punished."


    Jasiel and Morgan widened their eyes in surprise when they heard about it.


    "Oh? Then Ivor''s quite a mischievous one," Nathan reacted and he chuckled. He then started talking about how he was also punished when he skipped training during his first few days in the military. But he''s now working as a camel breeder in the farm, and he felt that he liked that job better.


    As Ivory listened to his stories, she did not notice that her mug was already empty. The spiciness of the dish had spread in her mouth, and when Ivory reached out to her mug, she noticed that she had no more water. The water jar on the table was also empty, "I''ll go get some more water at the kitchen."


    But Jasiel stopped her, "No, sit down! I''ll get it!" He quickly stood up and grabbed the jar.


    Jasiel got inside, and when he was out of sight, Morgan said, "Ivor, do you know Jasiel? I''ve noticed that he''s too kind to you."


    "Too kind?"


    "Yes. Even though he''s one hard-headed guy."


    "Well, we''re¡­ acquaintances, but he has sort of a debt to pay..."


    "I see, so that''s why. Good job on making him behave, then."


    Ivory gave a short laugh, then glanced at Sigmund, who smiled at her. Seeing her Servant''s handsome smiling face made her embarrassed. As her cheeks turned red, she quickly looked away.


    Soon after, Jasiel came back, and he poured water on Ivory''s empty mug. Then he went back to his seat, "What did I miss? What''s the topic?"


    "You were the topic," Nathan said, and the three of them laughed as they saw Jasiel''s confused reaction.


    The light conversation continued, and after eating their breakfast, Nathan led Ivory and Sigmund to his cousin town guard chief''s outpost, introducing them to him.


    The chief interviewed them for a while, and seeing that Ivory was slimmer compared to others, he assumed that she''s frail, so he assigned her to a lighter job of patrolling the marketplace in their morning shift - after sunrise until noon.


    Five days went by like a flash. The morning shift was not as stressful as the night shift, because the town guards, as well as Jasiel and Morgan, would always catch at least one rebel per night who was lurking around the town hall. They would go home drenched in sweat, and after cleaning themselves, they would replenish their Servants'' mana, then go straight to bed to rest.


    One evening, when Jasiel and Morgan went out to patrol, and Nathan went out to the pub, Ivory let Sigmund replenish mana. This time, they were sitting on the bed, her back facing him, and the Vampire had carefully removed her layers of cloth.


    As he admired his Master''s fair, flawless skin, he held her closely from behind to prevent her from moving around. He kissed her right shoulder first before sinking his fangs into her flesh.


    Ivory noticed that recently, Sigmund had been kissing her body, aside from sucking her blood. She was distracted by this, and as the Vampire was drinking her sweet blood, he noticed her spacing out.


    "You''re quiet," Sigmund whispered to her. "Ivory? What are you thinking of?"


    "Sigmund¡­ I''m just wondering...." She turned to face him, holding the linen cloth in front of her chest, "What if a Master and a Servant fall in love¡­ what will happen to them?"

 Chapter 57 - "Rebellion In Gallean Town-1"

    Sigmund widened his eyes with his Master''s sudden question. He turned serious, "It must not happen¡­ That kind of thing."


    "It never happened before?"


    He averted his eyes as his heart ached, "Are you really this stupid? It is common sense that a Servant won''t have human emotions. Unless that Servant is sick in the head."


    Ivory felt a pang in her chest. She knew her love wouldn''t be reciprocated by her Servant, especially a Vampire like him who just wanted her for her blood and mana. How could she forget that she was asked by Sigmund to help him unravel the truth about the tragedy in the Silverblade Castle years ago since he was accused as the sole cause of why Vampire Servants banished? At the same time, she also had asked for Sigmund''s help to win the Servant Competition.


    She had to accept that they just need each other to reach their goals, and nothing more.


    Sigmund suddenly heard several running footsteps approaching the house. The Vampire quickly pulled Ivory to stand up and helped her to quickly place back the layers of cloth around her. She was dressed just in time, when someone knocked at the door.


    "It''s me Jasiel! Come with us outside, it''s an emergency!"


    Ivory hurriedly wore her light body armor. She made sure that her two wooden sticks were attached on her belt, then she and her Vampire Servant stepped out of the room.


    Morgan, who was standing behind Jasiel with two more town guards, commented. "There''s an emergency meeting for all town guards in front of the town hall."


    "A group of people started a rebellion, and they''re now in the town arc. They said that they plan to take over the town hall and place the whole town under them," explained Jasiel. "Let''s hurry!"


    They ran as fast as they could, and when they reached the town hall, Nathan''s cousin, the town guard chief, had already started briefing the guards about their positions.


    "I need one more Chosen One inside the town hall to guard the Town Leader and his wife¡­" he glanced at the latecomers, "Aren''t you the students from Qawiun Academy?"


    "Yes, sir!" They answered at the same time.


    "Two of you will guard the gate. And one of you will guard the Town Leader''s room¡­" the town guard chief narrowed his eyes at them, thinking of what tasks to assign. "You, young lad with the silver hair."


    "Yes, sir?" Ivory responded.


    "Get inside with your Servant and protect the Town Leader," he was thinking that the rebel would not reach the town hall anyway if he placed the two stronger-looking ones at the gate.


    Ivory saluted him, then she and Sigmund ran inside.


    The town hall was the biggest adobe structure in Gallean, and it was located at the far end of the town. At the back of the building were the Gallean Mountains, and the mesmerizing view of Empirica City could be seen after climbing it.


    The flat-roofed two-storey building was made of hardened clay and has a tall front door in between two doric columns and double hung windows. The Master and the Vampire Servant entered the town hall. But how simple the exterior of the town hall might be, the interior was the opposite. It was very spacious inside, and it had a hidden extravagant design, such as sceneries painted on the walls as well as stone statues, that only those allowed inside the town hall could see.


    "Are you the Qawiun Academy student?" one of the guards asked Ivory, and she nodded. He then said, "Follow me."


    They were led to the second floor, where a black door was situated at the right corner part of the hall. The guard opened the door and led the way up to the spiral stone stairs.


    When they reached a red-painted door, the guard left them. Ivory glanced at Sigmund, and he used his heightened hearing to know if it was a good time to knock at the door. He heard a woman speaking to a man, and he deduced that they were the Town Leader and his wife.


    Ivory knocked at the door then said, "Good evening, I am Ivor from Qawiun Academy. I will stay here by the door to protect you."


    The door opened, and the Town Leader''s wife peeked. Wearing a red puff-sleeve bra top and a flowy long linen and chiffon skirt, she''s a small-faced beauty with big round light purple eyes and light brown straight short bob.


    "Great! You''re here. Please come inside."


    Ivory and Sigmund went inside, then closed the door.


    "Good evening, young lad. I am Euphorie, the Town Leader''s wife," she pointed to her husband, who''s sitting on his bed, "And he''s Diether Greatling, the Town Leader."


    Ivory turned her head towards the thin, shabby-looking man. She saluted him, "I''m Ivor, at your service."


    But Diether just stared blankly at her. He then glanced at his wife, then laid on his bed, turning his back on them. Euphorie quickly covered him with the blanket.


    "My husband has been sick, so I have to help him with his duties as a Town Leader. You''re a guest, so you must have been confused," explained Euphorie as she saw Ivory''s expression.


    "It''s alright ma''am¡­ We''re here to help."


    Euphorie then approached Ivory. Her light purple eyes stared deeply into her light blue eyes, and she touched her cheek. "I am pleased that a pretty boy like you will help me," she bent down to match Ivory''s height. She leaned in closer and whispered as her cleavage was exposed, "Do you want to talk in private?"


    Ivory was weirded out by it, and she held her by her shoulders, "Ma''am. What are you doing?"


    "Hmm? Why aren''t you affected?" Euphorie looked confused, and she tried looking directly into Ivory''s eyes again, "Young man, you must¡­ obey my orders..."


    Sensing the sudden surge of mana within the woman, Sigmund pushed her away, making her fall on the ground.


    "You¡­ You seem like a Chosen One," Sigmund said as he took his Master behind his back. "Where''s your Servant?"


    "My Servant?" She laughed. "I-"


    She couldn''t finish her sentence, because the wall suddenly broke. Dust diffused in the room, making them cough. As soon as the dust had almost been cleared, they turned her head to see what happened, and Euphorie widened her eyes in shock.


    "Hans Greatling?" she muttered. "What¡­ What are you doing here?!"


    In front of the giant white snake with piercing gray eyes which was a Beast Servant, was its blue-haired Master holding a board sword with emerald green pommel and golden chappe. He was wearing a blue cropped shirt and pants, which were embellished with oversized gold jewelries on his chest and belt. A dark blue cape was wrapped around his shoulder.


    "I am rescuing my father from you," he said in a serious tone. When he saw Ivory and Sigmund, he told them, "You''re from Qawiun Academy, right? Get out of here. This is a family issue that I needed to resolve alone. Stay out of this."


    Ivory and Sigmund ran away from them and stayed in one corner of the room, observing the two.


    Hans told Euphorie, "I plan to kill you today¡­ to avenge my mother."


    "Avenge? But I didn''t do anything-"


    "You seduced my father, that was why she killed herself!" he yelled. "And do you think I don''t know? You were seducing other men as well!"


    "Hah! You do not know my struggles, Hans. I don''t know why my spell wouldn''t work on you, but since you''re not willing to listen to me, then I guess we should just settle this once and for all until one of us dies!"


    "Venomsplash... Take her down!" Hans'' Servant then hastily crawled to Euphorie. The Master and Servant pair were trying hard to corner her, but because her mana quality was on par with them, she could always avoid their attacks.


    As Sigmund continued to observe Euphorie as she casted Air Elemental Magic, he noticed something, which he told Ivory, "The Town Leader''s wife¡­ her mana¡­"


    "What about her mana?"


    "It''s.... the same as your normal mana."

 Chapter 58 - "Rebellion In Gallean Town-2"

    "Eh? Are you sure?" Ivory gasped. She then asked, "My normal mana?"


    The Vampire Servant nodded.


    "Then she might be¡­ my relative?!" she opened her mouth in shock. "Oh my¡­ then I must save her!" Without second thought, she ran towards them and stood between the two.


    "What the f- that birdbrain¡­!" Sigmund stood up, then followed his Master.


    Ivory yelled, "Stop, please!"


    But it was too late. Euphorie''s legs were tightly constricted by Venomsplash, while Hans had already created a large ball of fire pointing to her.


    Ivory prayed to Goddess Destinia in her mind before she even tried to interrupt the fight. She might die in that situation, but she was very determined to stop their fight. If Hans'' fireball killed Euphorie, she might have a hard time finding another person with the same mana type as her. Where in the whole kingdom would she and Sigmund find a possible relative with the same mana? There were far too many people to look into!


    Sigmund suddenly sensed that she released some of her extraordinary mana, so he tried to jump in and save his Master who stood in the middle. But there was an invisible, strong barrier, which surprised him, and so he was thrown on the floor at the far back of the room.


    Ivory held the two wooden sticks tightly, and these glowed together with her light blue irises. She pointed one stick towards the ball of fire, and the other stick towards Euphorie.


    "No¡­ No one will die!!!" Ivory yelled with sheer determination.


    A second after, Hans released the ball of fire, but their attention was all caught by the blinding light coming from ivory. Slowly, at the same time, one small crystal ball appeared at the edge of each stick. The one pointed at the ball of fire had a white crystal, while the one pointed at Euphorie had a black crystal. The large ball of fire disappeared as soon as they approached the staff!


    Not only did Ivory stop the big damage it might have caused, but her broken wooden staffs also fused together into a single, long gray staff with a white crystal ball on one edge and a black crystal ball on the other. The shaft was also entwined with oakwood weavings.


    After seeing Ivory''s great power, Hans widened his eyes as he was stoned in surprise. He was overwhelmed by the superior magic technique that she had shown and decided to lay low while the strong Master was still in the middle.


    Sigmund then ran towards Ivory and checked on her, "Why the hell did you put up a barrier against me?"


    Ivory smiled at her Servant, "I apologize, Sigmund."


    "Good thing you successfully fused your extraordinary mana with your normal one and that you didn''t lose control." He grabbed her arm after, "Don''t do it again and let me handle such dangerous things... I was very worried."


    She blushed at the thought that Sigmund was worried about her, but she immediately erased the thought, incorporating the idea that it is common sense for a Servant like him.


    Since she used too much of her extraordinary mana, her cloak and layers of cloth were torn, and the string which was knotted behind her back had gotten loose. The true size of her chest and her feminine figure was exposed!


    "You¡­!" She stared at her with such anger. "What is a woman doing here?! This is my kingdom! I should be the most beautiful woman in Gallean Town and no one else!"


    Because Euphorie was startled with Ivory''s sudden revelation, Sigmund managed to weaken the hardened clay using his mana. He ran at full speed towards Ivory while setting up a bubble barrier, and pushed Euphorie away using his full strength.


    She ended up a bit further and laid flat on the ground, and knights in full armor suddenly entered the devastated room. They first took Euphorie and chained her hand at her back with enchanted metal cuffs and a specialized muzzle to prevent her from casting any kind of magic, while Venomsplash returned to its inactive, smaller state and wrapped itself onto his Master''s arm. It readied itself for further orders, but Hans willingly gave up himself to the knights, ordering his Servant not to do anything.


    "I really didn''t intend to cause a rebellion, especially in my hometown. I just wanted to free my father from that woman''s spell," he explained to them. "I apologize for the ruckus me and my companion rebels have caused. Please take care of my father¡­ And please tell the King¡­ to help Gallean Town to go back to normal, revise the city laws once again, and regain its glory."


    One knight, who has more flashy armor than the rest of the knights, removed his closed helmet and revealed his cyan hair and violet striking eyes, "I shall make sure it will reach His Majesty''s ears." He then turned to Ivory, whose bubble barrier had just dissipated. "That light¡­ It must have been caused by a strong mana. You are a strong Master. When did you graduate from the academy?"


    "Uhm¡­ I am only in my second year, sir," Ivory said politely.


    "I see, then you must be a prodigy," Seeing that the student''s Servant was glaring at him, he finally introduced himself, "I am Xenos Joltane, a Royal Knight."


    "A¡­ Royal Knight?!" she exclaimed, and she compared his armor to the others, which was icy white in color with grayish undertones and was accented with gold streaks. The closed helmet had gold wings at the end of the visor and the comb was designed with a crested dragon. "I apologize for not recognizing your armor, sir!"


    Xenos chuckled, "It''s alright. You actually helped us a lot, because this woman needed to be captured alive and be sent to the Silverblade Castle."


    "The Silverblade Castle?!" Ivory was worried that she might not discover Euphorie''s origin or relation to her if she would be sent that far. "Uhm sir, I need to ask her a few questions, can I speak with her?"

 Chapter 59 - "The Alpha Wolf In The Oak Forest"

    The Royal Knight raised his brow, "Hmm? About what?"


    Sigmund was worried that his Master would be too much involved with a Royal Knight. He had to make sure that they lay low for now so that the people from the Castle would not notice them, or else their plan to investigate the matter about the royal family''s demise years ago would be for naught.


    "Master," Sigmund suddenly interrupted, "Should we assist our comrades outside?" and he looked at her as if trying to get his message across.


    "Ah¡­ Oh no, I forgot about them¡­ I should hurry, and-"


    "Don''t worry about them. Everything''s under control. The reinforcement city guards from Empirica City also came, so we were able to capture all the rebels properly," the Royal Knight then patted Ivory''s shoulder. "You have a big potential to be a Royal Knight with such power. If you decide to do so, look for me in the Silverblade Castle, and I will gladly train you myself."


    "I apologize Sir Xenos for taking up your time¡­ then I''ll see you in the Silverblade Castle as a Royal Knight candidate, someday!"


    Xenos gave him a wide smile and told him that he was looking forward to it. He then waved goodbye as he marched with his fellow knights, taking the captured Euphorie, while the Empirica City''s reinforcements took the rebels with them including Hans and his Beast Servant.


    "That Euphorie¡­ What if she''s actually my relative?" Ivory looked up to Sigmund as he let her wear his cloak, making sure that her body was not exposed.


    "I get that you want to know more about your origins to let you control your mana better, but we should be careful with anyone from the castle," Sigmund told her with a serious expression.


    "You are right, Sigmund, but how will I know who she is?"


    "She''s a bit famous around town, isn''t she? Maybe some know of her origins. I will ask around."


    "Thank you¡­ Ugh, anyway, there''s a reason that I should be happy about," Ivory happily stared at her transformed magic staff, and she noticed that it could also be detached into two. "My magic staff is so cool!" she uttered with a big smile. She had been waiting for its first evolution, and she didn''t expect it to transform at that time.


    As soon as they saw the town guards assisting the Town Leader, they started walking away from the room. When they got out of the town hall, all of a sudden, she felt weak because she used so much mana to siphon the large ball of fire, at the same time she formed a strong barrier to prevent the impact of the attack from recoiling to their surroundings. Her knees slowly felt numb, and she staggered as they walked, so before even reaching Jasiel and Morgan who were waving from afar, she passed out. Jasiel and Morgan ran towards them when they saw Ivory fall, and fortunately, Sigmund caught her and carried her in his arms.


    "Servant, what happened inside the town hall?" asked Morgan.


    "The rebel leader, who is apparently the town leader''s son, attacked directly to his father''s bedroom. The town leader''s son and wife had a fight with their magic, and fortunately, Master stopped them, or they all could have died from the impact."


    Jasiel worriedly looked at Ivory, "Is your Master alright?"


    Sigmund nodded, "He only needs to rest due to loss of mana. I have to tend to him, so we''ll get going."


    While Jasiel and Morgan went to the town guard chief to report their contribution to apprehending the rebels, Sigmund hurriedly went to Nathan''s house and directly went to the bedroom to lay her down. He tucked her in using a blanket, making sure that she would be comfortable.


    "Is Ivor alright?" Nathan asked worriedly as he handed over a thicker blanket. "It is unusually cold at night, so please use this instead to cover your Master."


    Sigmund nodded at him. He decided to replace the blanket after Nathan had gone out of the room, so that he wouldn''t know her true identity. He then asked, "By the way, do you know more about the Town Leader''s wife?"


    "That woman, Euphorie¡­ She was a tavern server in Valios City, and she met the Town Leader when he traveled there before."


    "Her hometown is in Valios City? That''s in the Land of Rosaria, right?"


    "Yes¡­ But why?"


    "Master was asking about her," Sigmund sighed. After that, Nathan left them to let them rest and excused himself before he closed the door.


    In Sigmund''s mind, she thought that maybe the mystery of Ivory''s origin could be solved if they went to that city. As he gazed into his Master''s peaceful sleeping face, he promised to himself that he would be willing to go anywhere with her to help her with her predicament.


    Meanwhile, Ivory was in that dream again. She''s standing in the middle of the oak forest, where white wolves lurked. Their light blue eyes stared cautiously at her. She remembered the last time she had the similar dream where a white wolf approached her and befriended her, but became a white orb, which entered her body afterwards.


    Ivory looked around her, noticing that a number of wolves approached her and sniffed her. She was very anxious, and she felt her sweat dripping from her forehead.


    "Please don''t bite¡­ please don''t bite¡­" She murmured as she watched the furry animals smell her feet. Fortunately, it seemed like they didn''t regard her as their enemy. Instead, they sat near, turned around from her, as if they were guarding her.


    Ivory wished that the dream would end, because it felt surreal. First, she hadn''t been to an oak forest, and second, she had never seen wolves in her entire life.


    Suddenly, the wolves howled loudly, and they all ran ahead. In hope to see the end of her dream, Ivory followed them.


    Deep in the forest, a gigantic white wolf stood with a majestic aura. All the other wolves sat in front of him and lowered their heads as a sign of respect.


    The huge animal''s light blue irises gazed at her. She met its gaze, and the two of them stared at each other for a long while.


    But when the giant wolf''s eyes glowed, Ivory quickly woke up and opened her eyes in fear. It was already dawn, and she was drenched in sweat.


    Sigmund, who was leaning beside the window, asked, "You had a nightmare?"


    As soon as she nodded, her Vampire Servant approached her and sat on the bed. He then tucked her, "Get more sleep, Ivory. You still need to rest."


    "But¡­ I''m afraid to sleep..."


    "Tsk. Dimwit, the great Vampire Sigmund is beside you now, you''ll only have sweet dreams when you''re with me," he placed her left hand on his lap and squeezed it. He uttered, "Now, sleep."


    Ivory smiled at him and closed her eyes.. As Sigmund held her hand and gazed at her face, she felt drowsy, and eventually she fell asleep, without having a nightmare anymore.

 Chapter 60 - "Hold On Tight, Or Else You’ll Fall, Master"

    When the afternoon came, Ivory had slept for a long while and had fully rested. A guide traveler from Empirica City came with two extra camels, and he said that it was sponsored by Qawiun Academy.


    "Thank you for having us," Ivory bowed politely at Nathan.


    He gave a thumbs up, "No problem! Qawiun Academy students are always welcome in my humble home. Feel free to visit anytime, Ivor."


    "Morgan and Jasiel¡­ We didn''t spend time that much, but thank you for accepting a second year like me."


    "You are our schoolmate, it''s not a big deal," Morgan replied. "Actually, if not for your male outfit and your name, I would think that you''re a woman."


    "What!? What are you saying, Morgan!? Just look at Ivor''s manliness! How can he be a woman!? Have you heard about how he prevented the intense fight from happening?! He''s a hero!" Jasiel explained in a panic as Morgan raised his brow, and Ivory chuckled.


    "Master Ivor, we need to go," Sigmund said.


    "Alright," she waved goodbye to the three men. "See you again soon!"


    And so, Ivory and Sigmund rode the camels. After one and a half hours, they rested in Empirica City and transferred to the academy''s horse-drawn carriage, then exited the Land of Rosaria and headed back to the Land of Olivea. An hour and a half then passed again, and they were dropped off to their home in Greensteid Town. It was already time for dinner when they arrived.


    "You''re just in time, dear," Anne told her daughter and led her inside their home, "I made potato soup. Go get changed first, eat with us."


    "Okay mother!" and she ran upstairs as Sigmund followed her.


    In the attic, Ivory, who missed her family, quickly tried to remove the layers of cloth she was wearing. "Sigmund, help me, please."


    Upon the request of his Master, he went behind her and whispered near her ear, "Finally gotten rid of these obstacles."


    "What obstacles?" Ivory laughed, "What are you saying?"


    "Hmm. Nothing. Don''t move, it will be done in a while," and the Vampire gazed amorously at his Master''s bare back as he pulled the strings, loosening all those layers of cloth.


    When Ivory had finally finished putting on her loose linen nightgown, Sigmund suddenly remembered something. "I still haven''t told you something¡­ It''s about that woman, Euphorie."


    "Yes? What about her?" she peered at him with curious eyes.


    "I asked Nathan about her. She''s from Valios City."


    "Valios?"


    "That''s on the Land of Sandria, beside Prisma City where Katie is living right now. Do you want to check it out?" Sigmund asked. "And maybe¡­ visit your sister?"


    Ivory beamed a smile with what she heard from her Servant. She became excited that after a year, she would be able to see her sister once again. She then pulled Sigmund''s arm as she ran downstairs for dinner.


    ...


    The following day was a weekend, and Ivory and Sigmund visited Lucius in Megalia City early in the morning to borrow a horse-drawn carriage. Ordinary citizens like Ivory, who were not related to or were not members of the military forces, were not allowed to directly ride a horse to go outside to another Land. Aside from that, they didn''t have a private horse license scroll issued from Omegalion City.


    "You''re going to Valios City to look for your possible relatives?" Lucius asked after listening to Ivory''s explanation and request. He was still wearing his silk night robe, and the three of them conversed inside a waiting room. "I don''t have available coachmen at the moment, and I don''t think coachman Ebleu can travel that far. It will be seven whole hours from Greensteid."


    "I see¡­ It might be too much for his old age," Ivory sighed. "Do you know how we can travel there today?"


    "You have a Servant, why don''t you make use of him?" he pointed out to Sigmund, who raised his brow.


    "She can actually order me to use Air Elemental Magic. I''ll carry her there in less than seven hours, but I''d lose a lot of mana¡­" he chuckled, yet liking that silly idea. "You''re suggesting it because you probably do not know how a Vampire Servant replenishes mana."


    "Oh, right. I was actually curious about it, since details about the banished Servants were not allowed to be shown to the public¡­ So how do you-"


    "Uhm, excuse me! Lucius, how about we talk about how to get to Valios City?!" Ivory suddenly yelled, making both of them startled.


    "At the border of our Land, there are two big public carriages. One is headed to Empirica City in the Land of Olivea, and the other one is headed to Umbria City in the Land of Rosaria." He then stood up and headed in front of the fireplace. He glanced at the small wooden clock placed on top of the mantel shelf. "It''s six¡­ The public carriage going to Umbria City will depart in an hour. Since Ebleu is not here at the moment, I will let you borrow a horse to our Land''s border. Come with me to the stables."


    A moment later, Lucius took them to the stables at the back of the Goldwine mansion. He asked the stable lad to choose the best-conditioned horse that morning. A big, black horse was chosen, and Sigmund carried Ivory upwards to ride on the saddle. He then rode closely behind her and stroked her hair before letting her head rest on his firm chest, making her blush.


    As the Vampire took the reins, he said, "Hold on tight, or else you''ll fall-"


    "No way, I''m not falling for you- Oh¡­" she buried her face in his chest to avoid meeting his eyes. "I¡­ yes, I will hold on tight," and she mumbled and gripped his shirt.


    Sigmund smirked, then glanced at Lucius, "I will ask the city guard at the border to return the horse to you. We''ll be off, then."


    Lucius let Ivory borrow a bag of silver coins for them to spend. He reminded her, "Remember to proceed directly to General Bronzelain''s brother.. If you show my letter to any of the city guards in Valios City, they will lead the way¡­ Go now, and have a safe journey."

 Chapter 61 - "Sit On My Lap, Master"

    Ivory latched onto Sigmund''s waist very tightly, while he gripped on the reins as they made their way to the border. The swift, clopping sounds of the horse against the cobblestoned road could be heard, and anyone who was walking in front of them cleared the way.


    Soon they saw the Greensteid forest. They passed to the woodland edge, and in almost thirty minutes, they had arrived at the border. They approached one of the men who wore a border guard''s uniform, who immediately recognized them as soon as he saw the black horse''s emblem attached to its face piece. The Servant got down first, then caught his Master by her waist to help her feet reach the ground.


    Sigmund gave the rope to the border guard and asked him to give it to Lucius. Ivory, on the other hand, talked to the guard, "I am Lucius Goldwine''s friend, Ivory Sprucemint. We plan on going to Valios City right now-"


    "Quick, go ride that public horse carriage before it''s full!" He pointed to a two-storey wooden and iron horse-bus, which was pulled by four horses.


    "Sigmund, let''s go!" She pulled his arm in the said direction.


    However, the horse-bus was almost full. The lower deck had no more empty seats left, so they climbed up to the uncovered upper deck.


    "You''re just in time, there are two seats left," the assistant coachman told them.


    But when Ivory and Sigmund were about to sit, an old man suddenly pleaded, "Please let me ride! I can sit on the ladder¡­ My son is dying¡­ He''s living in Umbria City¡­ and I have to travel today-"


    "Apologies, I really cannot bring you with us. At the border of the Land of Rosaria are border guards who inspect public transportations, and they are strict with the capacity of passengers," the assistant coachman explained.


    Tears formed in the old man''s eyes. When Ivory saw this, she felt pity, and so, she stood up. "You can take my seat."


    Sigmund was surprised, and he looked at his Master in confusion.


    "May the Goddess Destinia bless you, young lady," the old man thanked her.


    "I apologize, but you have to get off now," the assistant coachman told Ivory. "You and your lover should be earlier next time-"


    "No, he''s not my lover!" Ivory retorted, blushing at his remark, while Sigmund chuckled.


    "Then he is your...?"


    "My¡­ My Servant."


    "Ah, then it''s alright! A Master and a Servant is considered as one passenger count."


    "But where will I sit-"


    Sigmund sat down on his seat and suddenly pulled her arm to sit on his lap. "Master, you can sit here," he said as he saw the other passengers looking at them.


    She turned redder than a tomato as she sat on his lap sideways, especially when Sigmund placed his arms on her waist. He wrapped her arms around his neck, too. "Sigmund, what are you doing? We''re going to be in this position for seven hours?"


    "So what? I''m your Servant. Think of me as a handsome chair. I won''t mind."


    She jokingly rolled her eyes upon hearing him praise himself. She then commented, "But this position is too embarrassing-"


    "We will depart now!" The coachman yelled, and the assistant coachman sat at his reserved seat nearest the ladder.


    As the horses started moving forward, the assistant coachman informed them that there would be some short stops in their trip to rest the horse, and they could use this time to eat and do whatever they like.


    An hour and a half from the border of their Land, they reached the border of the Land of Rosaria. There was a long line due to the border guards'' inspections.


    Holding a few scrolls, they peeked onto every carriage, making sure that they wouldn''t miss a person. They were told that apparently, a criminal escaped the Silverblade Castle prison at dawn, and the investigation was still ongoing.


    Ivory was sitting still at Sigmund''s lap, "Sigmund, is your leg alright? I mean¡­ Maybe your legs are already numb..."


    "You''re heavy."


    "Ah, I apologize-"


    She was about to stand up, but Sigmund stopped her by pulling her even close to his body. She looked away from him, her face getting redder again, as she felt his hand slid down the side of her buttocks.


    "I''m only kidding. What do you think of me, dimwit? This is such an easy task. It''s nothing," Sigmund responded. He was about to tease Ivory again, when he heard something interesting from the border guards.


    "This is such a hassle. We wouldn''t be doing this if the knights do their jobs properly. This is their fault, damn it."


    "Just because they trained directly under the Royal Knights, they are already full of themselves. They really think they''re special, but they''re just a bunch of Royal Knight-wannabes, who failed the hard examinations."


    "True," he sighs. "Unlike many low ranked guards like us, they''re the Chosen Ones, so they should at least use their Servants to find the criminal. Unfortunately, they''re all talk, and they do not use their brains. The Goddess'' mana is such a waste on them! I wonder how they graduated from Qawiun Academy!"


    Sigmund could hear the frustrated conversations of the border guards. A chuckle escaped from him, and his Master noticed it.


    "What''s funny?" asked Ivory.


    He whispered to her, "I just overheard the border guards. They''re talking about the knights in the Silverblade Castle. They said that they were the reason why the criminal escaped at dawn."


    "At dawn¡­ Oh!" she realized something, and she widened her eyes, "Don''t you think it''s a coincidence? I''m nervous about the identity of the criminal who escaped from the castle..."


    Sigmund thought for a while, turning into a serious expression. "How about we see their scroll?"


    When it was finally their public carriage''s turn to be inspected, Ivory asked one of the guards to let them see the face of the wanted person on the loose...


    ----------------------


    Important announcement (reposted):


    We will have a week-long break NEXT WEEK, JULY 4-10, 2021, to stockpile edited chapters! You all know that I am taking care of my novels and I didn''t want to upload an unedited one. T^T


    Me and my editor bestie <iridescentdream> are both preoccupied from our day job, but we love writing, so I make the chapters, she comments and edits on it, and then we both finalize the chapters together to upload it right after!


    Lately, we have observed that we are having difficulties in editing in the same day of the upload day, this is why I thought of having advanced edited chapters.


    We are hoping for your understanding <3


    ----------------------

 Chapter 62 - "To The Holy City Of Valios-1"

    As they looked closer at the sketch, they saw a man''s face. Their suspicion about it being Euphorie had been cleared. They instead saw a heavily-bearded man with thick, shaggy silver hair. His face couldn''t be seen well because of his facial hair, and his eyes were also covered with his long bangs. However, it was noted that the distinct feature about him was that he had a horizontal scar from a sword on the neck.


    Some of the passengers had already left when they arrived at Rubia Town, which was only ten minutes from the border. The place, being nearest the border and easily accessible to merchants, was filled with busy market places which resulted in a slow influx of transportation. Merchants offer different kinds of food, clothing, and smithing materials.


    An hour later, they arrived at Emeraldia Town, the Military Capital of the Land of Rosaria. High walls and towers atop hills surrounded the town. Inside the walls were military houses where the soldiers dwell in. Here, the number of passengers halved, and almost all the passengers on the second storey of the carriage had gone down. Because of this, Ivory was finally able to sit beside Sigmund since there were many vacant seats left.


    They were given a fifteen minute break in that town. Sigmund was asked by Ivory to buy grilled pork slices-on-sticks at the nearby eatery, and then she ate it at the carriage.


    "With your appetite, I don''t know if these silver coins that the Rich Boy gave us will last long for our journey," the Vampire teased her, giving a smirk. "I know you like eating, but lately¡­ I think you eat too much meat."


    "But it''s delicious¡­" Ivory pouted. "You''re a Servant; you don''t know the satisfaction of eating the food you like."


    "Hmm? So you think my tongue is defective?" Sigmund grabbed the last stick of grilled pork slice from her and leaned near her ear. He whispered in a deep voice, "If my taste has a problem, then how did I know that your blood is sweet and delicious?"


    Ivory realized that he might be right, and this made her blush in embarrassment.


    Sigmund took a bite before giving the stick back to her. He chewed the meat then commented, "Nah. I still prefer your blood, Ivory."


    She shot daggers at him, and he just laughed at her. While she continued eating her snack, the assistant coachman suddenly shouted, "Everyone, come back to the carriage! I repeat, everyone..."


    One by one, the remaining passengers of the carriage went back to their designated seats, and as soon as the horses were ready, they started to head for the next stop: Valios City.


    They arrived at two in the afternoon, and they were dropped off in front of Valios City''s arc since they decided to investigate Euphorie''s relatives first before going to Prisma City to visit Katie.


    The city of Valios is located at the top of a cliff where all white cave houses, connected with narrow stairs and pathways, were perched on the hill. The front doors of the houses were painted in shades of pink, blue, and green. On the western part of the city, the blue sea, which has breathtaking views especially when viewed on the highest point of Valios, attracts many visitors. Small shops of trinkets and eateries were also found here.


    Ivory and Sigmund looked around to search for anyone wearing the city guard''s armor. Fortunately when they turned to a corner of the pathway, a city guard was patrolling the area. They introduced themselves as visitors from the Land of Olivea.


    Sigmund remembered that Lucius had given them a letter that allowed them to see the General''s younger brother directly. Upon seeing the authentication of the wax seal of General Goldwine, he led them to a two storey, white-painted cave house built on an open air courtyard with a garden in the front yard.


    "This is the house of Sir Bronzelain," the town guard also asked them if they had any more questions, and when he confirmed that they had none, he told them in an energetic tone, "I shall head back to my post. Have a blessed vacation here in our city!"


    "Ah, thank you, Sir!" Ivory said, then waved the guard goodbye.


    As Sigmund led her upstairs, he said, "Knock at the door."


    The Master did what he just suggested. "Sir Bronzelain? Are you home?" Ivory yelled. "I am Lucius Goldwine''s friend!"


    Hearing this, the young looking man, with black medium length hair and bluish black piercing eyes with a mole underneath his left eye, opened the door. Dressed in a blue long sleeved tunic, black pants, and dark brown ankle high boots, he looked at them curiously, "Greetings, may the blessing of Goddess Destinia be upon you," he clapped his palms and slightly bowed. "What can I do for you?"


    Ivory gave the letter in response.


    The young man read the letter in a serious expression. After reading it, he let the two enter his house and led them to the living room. Ivory sat on a cushioned bench made of carved stone, while Sigmund stood behind his Master.


    The young man sat in front of them. "Welcome to my home, I am Preston Bronzelain, Lucius'' friend. You are?"


    "I''m Ivory Sprucemint, and this is my Vamp- Spirit Servant, Sigmund. It''s a pleasure to meet you."


    He nodded at her, "Likewise." He cleared his throat, "About the letter¡­ It says he''s asking for a favor to help you with searching for certain people¡­ May I know the details?"


    "I am looking for the relatives of a woman named Euphorie. It was said that she hailed from this town. She was once a tavern server, and when she met the Town Leader of Gallean Town, she came with him and married him¡­ That''s all I know."


    "Hmm¡­ I see¡­" He crossed his arms and cupped his chin, "But are you sure of the information you received? Unfortunately, there are no taverns here."

 Chapter 63 - "To The Holy City Of Valios-2"

    "No taverns? What do you mean?" Sigmund questioned. When he asked Nathan about it before, his face showed that he was very sure of it.


    "This is a sacred and holy city, so places like taverns, which serve liquor for leisure purposes are not allowed. Here, wine is being blessed in the Sanctuary, and is being used for prayer offerings and marriage rituals. It has always been this way since after the war."


    "I see¡­ Then we will have a hard time finding her relatives¡­" Ivory sighed.


    Seeing her disappointed face, Preston assured, "But since I am General Bronzelain''s younger brother, I have a wide range of connections in the cities, so I am sure we can find them. Do not worry about it," he then stood up and opened the turquoise-painted window. He called out to his Servant, "Mermaine, come here."


    Mermaine, his Nymph Servant, had been hanging out on the rooftop before she was called in by her Master. Her long, plum purple-colored hair swayed as the cool wind blew it. She responded enthusiastically, "Okay, Master Preston!" With her small, bare feet, she ran down the stairs.


    When Mermaine reached the living room, Preston noticed her feet. He got a little annoyed and scolded her, "I told you to get used to wearing footwear when you''re on land."


    "Master, I apologize!" she kneeled down.


    Ivory was surprised to see the Servant following her Master very obediently. At the same time, she found Mermaine so pretty with her long wavy hair hanging loosely on her skin-tight nude garment and her long skirt also looked like a black moor goldfish''s tail. Her shoulder armors were made of spider conch shells, and her gauntlet and breastplate were made of overlapping, flat capiz shells.


    "Get up, don''t apologize. I am only reminding you," he felt bad that his Servant was acting too hard on herself. He helped her to get up and tiptoed to pat her head because she''s taller than him. Preston then turned to his guests, "This is Mermaine, my Nymph Servant. Mermaine, they are our guests from the Land of Olivea. Treat them with care."


    "Yes, Master!" she beamed a smile to Ivory and Sigmund.


    "Mermaine, I have a task for you. I want you to go to the city guard chief and tell him to meet me here tomorrow morning. Come back before supper."


    Mermaine nodded at him with a smile, and she headed out.


    "It''s only been a few weeks since I summoned her¡­" Preston explained. "By the way, I am a first year at Qawiun Academy."


    "What?!" she was surprised that he already had a lot of influence in his Land, but then she realized that Lucius was also the same. She told him, "Oh, I mean¡­ It must be tough, traveling for seven hours everyday," replied Ivory.


    He shook his head, "I have my own carriage, and besides, I am staying at Lucius'' house twice a week, so it wasn''t too tiresome. I told him that if he needed help, I''d gladly help him anytime, whatever it is. Are you going to spend the night? I shall prepare the room-"


    "No, sir Bronzelain, thank you for your generous offer," Ivory said. "Since we are already here, we want to make the most out of it, and we might roam around ''til late at night. We wouldn''t want to bother your rest."


    "Oh, if that''s the case, I would like to recommend the Valios Lighthouse. I hope you''ll find the chance to climb to the top of it despite the long line of city visitors which is overlooking the city. You''ll see the city lights, and also feel the cool wind from the sea..."


    Ivory and Sigmund listened carefully to Preston''s recommendations. They knew they had gone there to search for Euphorie''s relatives, but of course, they would like to take the opportunity to go sightseeing.


    The young gentleman also gave them a copy of a map of Valios City drawn in a scroll. He promised to meet them in his house with the city guard chief tomorrow morning to start their search, and suggested that they should find an inn before sunset, so the two of them headed out after a short while.


    And so, they followed the map heading to the inns. Fortunately, it was only the afternoon, so they had easily found a place nearest to Preston''s house. After reserving the room, they roamed around the city.


    Ivory walked side by side with her Servant. She noticed that the pathways were a bit crowded and deduced that the people walking along the pathway were city visitors judging by the way they dressed. She compared them with the locals of Valios City who wore only simple, single-colored tunics.


    "Sigmund, I want to buy souvenirs for my family," she looked around and saw carved rocks shaped like shells and stars, painted in colors of pink, blue, or yellow.


    As they viewed the stalls one by one, a subtle smile displayed on Sigmund''s lips when he saw Ivory getting excited at the souvenirs. He stared at her amorously and wondered, if he''s a human, could he be standing beside her as her lover?


    "I''d like seven of these pretty blue shells," Ivory told the shopkeeper, and she gave a total of three silver coins. "Thank you!" and she placed them in her brown knapsack.


    "Why did you buy so many?" Sigmund curiously asked as they started walking forward.


    As she replied, she counted using her fingers, "I bought shells for mother, father, Gracie, Flynn, and.." then she gave a lonely smile. "The other one is for Katie."


    "I see¡­" The Vampire Servant then noticed the extra shell-shaped stones, "And the other two are for?"


    "Lucius and his mother Diana, of course. I shouldn''t forget them."


    "Why don''t you buy something for yourself?" he suggested, "After all, we wouldn''t know if we''ll be back here or not."


    "Hmm, you''re right. There''s no guarantee that Euphorie is my relative," Ivory then pulled Sigmund''s arm to go back to the previous shop. She picked two yellow-painted star-shaped rocks, then paid the shopkeeper.


    "I said buy one for yourself. Why did you buy two of those?" the Vampire Servant cocked a brow.


    Ivory placed one of the stars in her knapsack. She beamed a smile and extended her arm to him, giving the other one, "For you, Sigmund. Your souvenir."


    Although he didn''t want to show it, Sigmund was actually touched by his Master''s thoughtfulness. His ears turned red from embarrassment, "Dimwit, you don''t have to buy me one, you know. You''d waste the coins."


    But Ivory took his left hand and placed the star, "I insist!" she held his big hand with her small hands, "Allow me to show to you how thankful I am to have you by my side¡­ Okay, Sigmund?"


    "Well, what can you do without your great Servant?" Sigmund chuckled. "I know you can''t live without me, Ivory."


    It was as if time stopped that very moment as the two gazed into each other''s eyes. The pathway was crowded and noisy, yet they couldn''t hear a thing but the beating of their hearts.


    As Ivory held her Servant''s hand, she could really tell that he''s right.. She really couldn''t live without him anymore.

 Chapter 64 - "Groaning In Satisfaction"

    Ivory and Sigmund spent their afternoon sightseeing in Valios City. They were told to trek atop the cliff to get the most beautiful view of the sunset, and so they did. Both of them sat on the grassy part of the land and were amused by how beautiful the fiery sun kissed the blue ocean. And just after that, they were able to climb the white Valios Lighthouse despite the long line. They were glad that they had followed Preston''s recommendations.


    Later on, they indulged themselves with seafood dinner at the nearby eatery, and when the two of them had finished eating, they started walking back to the inn. The beautiful moon shone upon the whole city, and it seemed like Valios was glowing because of its white painted exterior.


    "Ah, I''m so tired," Ivory uttered while walking slower than Sigmund.


    "Should I carry you?" Sigmund stopped his tracks and glanced at his Master.


    "No way, it''s embarrassing," Ivory shook her head. She sluggishly walked towards him, "I can still walk. Besides, we''re near the inn."


    As soon as they entered their room, Ivory jumped on the bed. "I am so tired," she lied on her stomach and buried her head on the pillow.


    Sigmund sat beside her and touched the back of her leg. While massaging her, he said, "You can go to sleep if you want. I will wake you up tomorrow morning."


    "But¡­ how about your mana replenishment?" Ivory quickly turned around, then sat back up. She put her wrist in front of his mouth, "Here. Go on, bite."


    But Sigmund only laughed and grabbed her wrist only to put it down, "You''re funny, Ivory. Do you want to get bitten that badly? Hmm?"


    Ivory turned beet red, "It''s just that¡­ I don''t want you to think that I am neglecting my duties as a Master!"


    "That excuse again," he pushed her onto the bed.


    Ivory was shocked by her Servant''s sudden action, "Sigmund!? What are you doing?"


    He stared at her for a while and grinned, then uttered, "Turn around. I''ll massage you."


    Ivory followed him and she turned her body facing the bed. Sigmund crawled up on the bed and positioned her body in between his legs, "Don''t move. I''ll make sure to make you feel better."


    With the right amount of force, Sigmund massaged her entire back, starting from her lower head, her shoulders, and down to her upper back and lower back.


    "Mmmm¡­" Ivory groaned in satisfaction as she felt her Servant''s pleasurable massage. She felt that all the spasms on her back were being eliminated one by one.


    The Vampire smiled upon seeing her reaction. He also massaged her arms, hands, and fingertips, which made his Master giggle.


    "I said... don''t move. What''s funny?" Sigmund asked.


    Ivory tried her best not to giggle before speaking, "But¡­ but it''s getting ticklish!"


    "Alright then," he let go of her hand and pressed his thumbs on her lower back, just above her buttocks. "How does this feel, Ivory?"


    "It''s¡­" Ivory couldn''t continue what she wanted to say and just buried her face on the pillow, her cheeks were burning red. She started groaning on the pillow, her hips raising with every press of his fingers.


    Sigmund''s skillful hands really knew where to touch her. Feeling her slight movements in between his legs and hearing her groans, a bugle formed under his crotch. He gazed at her back, wanting to rip off his Master''s clothes even more and massage her while she''s naked, but he figured that Ivory was already too tired to move. After a while, her breathing changed, an indication that she had fallen asleep.


    "What should I do with you, Ivory¡­" Sigmund muttered as he played with her long, silky silver hair. "You should be careful when you''re with me¡­ When I see you this vulnerable, I try hard to control myself."


    The Vampire already knew there was something wrong with him having feelings for his very own Master. But what could he do? He couldn''t avoid her, nor confess to her.


    ¡­


    The next morning, Ivory and Sigmund went back to Preston''s house to meet the city guard chief. Mermaine served fried eggs and loaves of bread, and they ate as they discussed the details of how they would conduct the search.


    They went out two hours later, and the city guard chief dispatched some of his men, bringing with them a sketch of Euphorie''s face. Sigmund and Ivory went together with one of the guard groups and proceeded to their assigned area.


    They passed by an eatery and asked the owner about her, showing the sketch of Euphorie''s face.


    "She seems familiar, I am just not sure¡­" the man said. "I feel like I have seen her somewhere¡­"


    He had a long pause, as if thinking hard about it.


    Ivory, thinking that they''re already wasting their time, said, "If you can''t remember, it''s alright-"


    "I KNOW!" he told them. "I remember now!"


    "Really? Where can we find her?" asked Ivory, her eyes sparkling with excitement.


    "I saw her in the Sanctuary of the Goddess. She was at the entrance."


    "Sanctuary of the Goddess¡­?" she and Sigmund looked at each other, having no idea where it was.


    The city guard then explained, "The Sanctuary of Goddess Destinia is located in the middlemost part of the city. It is where Her disciples serve Her for the rest of their lives. Not anyone can become a disciple, though. Regardless of having the birthmark of Destinia or not, one should have a pure heart in order to serve her."


    "And how will you know if a person has a pure heart?" asked Sigmund, raising his brow.


    "That is¡­ I don''t know, but someone from inside the Sanctuary can answer. The security''s tight, but you may ask the knights guarding the entrance to let you see the disciple by the arc."


    "If Euphorie was in the Sanctuary, in which only those with pure hearts can enter, how did she become wicked, then?" Ivory wondered.


    Sigmund agreed with his Master, then faced the owner of the eatery, "Mister, when did you see the woman in the sketch?"


    "Just a while ago...."

 Chapter 65 - "Never Lie Inside The Goddess Sanctuary"

    Upon hearing the eatery owner''s statement, they immediately went to the Sanctuary to see for themselves who he was referring to. Their group passed by crowded yet narrow pathways, before they reached the entrance to the shrine.


    There were plenty of knights situated at the gigantic arc of the shrine. According to the city guard, these knights were not allowed inside the Sanctuary because of their records of violence, and their only duty was to make sure that no suspicious people lurk around it. Since these people desperately wanted to become disciples, there were instances that they attempted to go inside despite failing the Test of Purity.


    "What do you need?" clad in metal armor, one of the knights asked. He was also holding a spear, and he had a Golem Servant in its inactive state which rested on his shoulder.


    "We''re here to speak with this person," the city guard told the knight as he showed the scroll of the sketch. "We were told that she is one of the disciples."


    "Just a moment," he said, then went to the side of the arc where several thick strings were tied. Each string led to a certain part of the Sanctuary where the disciples worked, and pulling a string meant ringing a bell, which served as a signal that a disciple should go to the arc to meet his or her visitor.


    The knight pulled the rightmost string, and after a while, a female disciple reached the arc. She was wearing a white chalice sleeved dress, which displayed her simplicity and purity as a disciple of the Goddess.


    She first introduced herself and shook hands with them. For some reason, when she touched Ivory''s hand, it took longer than the others before she let her go. Her beige-colored irises intensely gazed at her light blue irises as she sniffed her.


    Afterwards, she received the sketch of Euphorie and asked them to wait for a while as she had to look for her. It took around thirty minutes of waiting when she returned, but she was all alone.


    "Uhm¡­ Is she not inside?" Ivory worriedly asked.


    "I apologize, but the Sanctuary Priestess would like to see you," the female disciple pointed at Ivory. "Only you."


    Hearing this, Sigmund got annoyed, "What are you saying? Why will I let my Master go there alone-"


    "Sigmund, I will be alright. This is the Goddess'' Sanctuary. I don''t think they''d do anything bad to me," Ivory squeezed his hand and smiled. "There must be a reason why, so don''t worry."


    He didn''t want to admit it, but Ivory might be right. The Sanctuary is said to be a place protected by the Goddess herself, and it is the holiest and sinless place in the whole Kingdom.


    Ivory went with the disciple and gasped as they reached the bridge. Her eyes glimmered in awe as she witnessed the beauty of a huge structure with turrets and arcaded corridors enameled in white. The four-level water fountain and beautiful landscapes of moss and a variety of flowering plants on the facade of the sacred place were definitely a feast for the eyes. She also felt calm and peaceful while listening to cascading water from the fountain and the chirping of the birds. As they continued to walk, she observed the other disciples wearing the same clothes.


    "This place is so lovely," Ivory told the disciple.


    "It is, yes," she responded with a bright smile. "If you want, you can join us here."


    "Huh? I''m sorry¡­ But I don''t know if I have a pure heart-"


    "But you are one of us."


    "One of¡­ What do you mean I am one of you-"


    "We''re here."


    It was only a short walk because the Sanctuary Priestess'' room was nearby. Ivory was amazed by the multicolored angel-stained mosaic windows in which an angel had beautiful colored wings and clothing. In front of the tinted windows, she gazed and admired the ginger-haired angel statue, whose hair was floating in the air. It was dressed in an all-white sleeveless satin ruffled top and silk pants.


    The Sanctuary Priestess was kneeling in front of the statue of the Goddess Destinia, with her hands together. She was wearing the same clothes as the disciples, but what differed was that she had a white veil. Under her veil was her long light silver hair and her icy, light blue round eyes were very noticeable under the tinted windows.


    She opened her eyes when she was done praying, then stood up. As she approached Ivory, she widened her eyes in surprise. The silver-haired girl looked like a teenager, yet she''s the head of the disciples.


    "Anything wrong?" she asked her.


    "Uhh¡­ I was just surprised to see you so young."


    The priestess giggled. "Oh! I get that a lot," she gazed into Ivory''s light blue eyes, which were of the same hue as her. "I am this Sanctuary''s Priestess, Althaia."


    Ivory extended her hand and shook hands with her, "I am Ivory Sprucemint."


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you. May I ask why you''re looking for the woman in the sketch?"


    "Ah, about that..." Ivory furrowed her eyebrows, not sure what to say.


    If she told her that her Servant told hers and Euphorie''s mana are of the same kind, she might ask her how her Servant sensed it. She was not sure if the priestess knew that only the Vampire Class had this ability. His cover as a Spirit Servant might be blown.


    "Priestess, I-"


    "If you''re not comfortable telling me about it, I can understand," she said with a kind smile. "Apologies, but lies are not allowed here in this sacred place."


    "Oh, I can tell you some of the details," Ivory explained. "I was told that the woman in the sketch, Euphorie, might be my relative. I am an orphan, and I have a hard time controlling my mana. They said that if I know the nature of my mana, I can easily control it."


    "I see, I understand," she nodded. "Then, I shall take you to the person who might be in that sketch."


    Ivory followed Priestess Althaia, together with six other disciples who lined up behind her. Whenever Ivory looked back at them, they would always give bright smiles, and she would greet them politely.


    She started talking about the place, "Miss Ivory, this Sanctuary was built twenty-three years ago. The late King Ulysses Silverblade had a very strong faith, and believed in the Oracle''s prophecy at that time that something bad will happen in the palace which can shake the people''s faith," Althaia then asked Ivory to walk beside her, which she immediately followed. "However¡­ a rogue Vampire Servant killed everyone in the Silverblade Castle two decades ago."


    Ivory suddenly stopped walking. She widened her eyes in shock upon hearing about this rogue Vampire Servant.


    "Miss Ivory, you look pale. Are you alright?" Althaia asked worriedly.


    But she didn''t answer, because she was not allowed to lie in that sacred place.

 Chapter 66 - "The Purification Ritual"

    A woman who looked like Euphorie appeared when they turned to a corner. She slightly bowed with respect to Priestess Althaia.


    "Ah, good timing, Alodia. We were just about to go to you," Althaia told her. She showed the sketch to her, "This is you, right?"


    "Hmm, maybe yes, maybe no," Alodia replied.


    "What do you mean?" asked the puzzled Ivory.


    "I have a twin sister, and her name is Euphorie¡­ I was about to go to you, Priestess Althaia, and it''s also about my sister."


    "What happened?"


    "The royal knights had requested a Purification Ritual¡­ it''s Euphorie who needs it."


    Ivory curiously asked, "What is a Purification Ritual?"


    "It''s¡­" the priestess thought it would be easier to understand if she saw it in person. "Come with us, I shall explain."


    "But¡­ Is it alright to bring a guest with us?" a disciple asked.


    Althaia smiled, "Do not worry, Miss Ivory is one of us."


    As Ivory followed them once again, her mind was like a web of tangled strings, confused about how many things came about, and why the heck do they say that she''s one of them. She followed them quietly hoping to have the answers to these.


    They followed Alodia towards the bridge. At the end of it, she was led to a stone stair and under it was a mossy stone door with a wolf''s head knocker and a silver handle.


    The loud, creaking door opened revealing several lit candles lined up on the floor, and as they walked several steps downwards, it got colder inside the dungeon. When the exit could already be seen, the echoes of the loud crashing waves on rocks could already be heard.


    After exiting the dungeon, two Royal Knights and ten knights were seen on the shore under the high cliff of Valios City. Euphorie was also in the scene and was made to wear enchanted handcuffs and a muzzle to prevent her from casting magic, and her arms were held tightly by two knights.


    One of the Royal Knights noticed the unfamiliar person that they were with. "You recruited a new disciple? She looks similar to you, Priestess," he said.


    Althaia smiled at him, "She''s not yet a disciple, but I plan on asking her to join us in the near future-"


    "No way," the other Royal Knight said. "She promised to join the Royal Knights once she graduates the academy!"


    Ivory turned her head to see who it was, "Oh, it''s you, Sir Xenos! It''s good to see you again!"


    "I apologize that I had forgotten to ask when we were in Gallean Town. What is your name, my lady?"


    "Ivory Sprucemint."


    "Right. Miss Sprucemint," Xenos chuckled, laughing at himself because of how forgetful he was. "Now, everything''s complete. Shall we do the Purification Ritual?"


    Using a small rock, the Priestess drew a big circle in the sand. She wrote ancient words that no ordinary human could understand. After that, Euphorie was made to sit in the middle and was left alone right after they took off her muzzle and her handcuffs. A few moments later, a blinding white light enveloped the circle.


    "You! Woman who pretended to be a man¡­ It''s all your fault!" Euphorie yelled in anger. "If you hadn''t appeared, I wouldn''t be caught¡­ ugh!!!" As she spoke, the pain of the Purification Ritual made her body sore. It was as if she was being beaten to death.


    "Euphorie¡­" Alodia muttered. "You''ll be alright if you don''t fight the purification. Don''t worry, you''ll return to normal once again¡­ as a normal human, without any power."


    "No¡­ No!!! I don''t want to return as a powerless human!"


    "Sister... You will be at peace if you-"


    "You won''t ever understand how I feel, Alodia!" there was anger in her eyes as she spoke to her twin sister. "Everyone praised you. You are the favorite one, the best daughter in our parents'' eyes! And I¡­ I was always ignored¡­ That''s why when I learned that a normal person like me can obtain power¡­ I never thought twice of having it. It''s the only way I can beat you!"


    "But Euphorie¡­" Alodia was already crying. She kneeled in front of the flowing circle. "I never once thought of us having a competition. Please accept the purification, or else your body will suffer thrice as painful-"


    "No! I will never accept- Uggghh!!!" Euphorie screamed in pain as she kneeled on the hot sand. She tried to fight back, but the purifying light was too strong. Smoke as dark as coal slowly rose up to the sky.


    Ivory stared sadly at Alodia, who kept on weeping in front of her twin sister who was being purified. She suddenly remembered her sister Katie, whom she fought with the last time they saw each other. She hoped that in that one year of not seeing each other, her disappointment in her had already disappeared, and they could go back to the happy times just like when they were kids.


    The ritual lasted for an hour. During that whole time, Althaia and the disciples who bore the birthmark of Destinia were concentrating on strengthening the magic of the purification circle, while Ivory was conversing with Xenos, who sat on the large rock beside her.


    "I am quite confused, Sir Xenos," Ivory told him. "What is the purpose of this Purification Ritual?"


    "Well, this is confidential, but since you are trusted by the Priestess of the Sanctuary, I shall explain it to you," Xenos cleared his throat. "What''s being cleansed is the Dark Mana within her."


    "Dark¡­ mana? What is that?" asked Ivory.


    "It is a kind of mana that shouldn''t have existed from the start. A normal person without a birthmark can have it illegally."


    "Eh? How is that possible? I thought mana came from our Goddess Destinia, and the birthmark is the proof of that."


    "We are still in the process of tracking how it all started and who started it. Honestly, if the Sanctuary didn''t exist and there are no people who can perform the purification, we''re all going to be infested with Dark Mana."


    "Why do you think so?"


    "Because humans are sinful in nature.. They easily succumb to envy, greed, lust, and other sins, which make the Dark Mana strong."

 Chapter 67 - "Don’t Make Me Lose Control, Master"

    When the purification ritual ended, the unconscious Euphorie was brought back to a boat by the docks.


    "Must you return to the Silverblade Castle with her, sir?" Alodia asked, "She''s already purified, and the dark mana had been eliminated within her."


    "I apologize, but we still need to question her," Xenos explained. "The increasing number of people with Dark Mana is very disturbing. We have to question everyone who was purified."


    She sighed. She knew that even though Euphorie had no more mana within her, she still needed to be imprisoned for breaking the peace and order of the Kingdom, and this was the price she had to pay. "I understand. Please take care of her."


    While five of the knights stayed patrolling on the sanctuary''s private shore for security, the other five rode the boat, as well as the other Royal Knights. Before Xenos hopped on the boat, he faced Ivory, "Goodbye for now, Miss Sprucemint. See you around."


    "See you, Sir Xenos! I will really¡­ apply to be a Royal Knight!"


    "I look forward to it," Xenos winked at her, then they departed.


    "Do you really want to become a Royal Knight, Miss Ivory?" Althaia asked her. "You can be a disciple if you want."


    She chuckled, "Thank you for your offer, but my goal is to really become a Royal Knight. Oh, and to win the Servant Competition."


    As Ivory told her about her dream, they all went back to the dungeon and up the stairs, until they reached the bottom of the bridge in the Sanctuary.


    As they walked over the bridge, Althaia told Ivory, "I trust that you keep the information about the Dark Mana a secret."


    "Yes. I will, I promise."


    "You can tell it to your Servant, though. He''s loyal to you."


    "Yes. How about the Principal of Qawiun Academy? He was once a Royal Knight, and he witnessed what had happened in the Silverblade Castle twenty years ago."


    "Oh, you mean Zwain who had a black crow Beast Servant?"


    Ivory nodded. "Yes, have you talked to him about it?"


    "Last year, he once passed a letter to me that he would like to ask for my opinion, and the knights had read it before I could. From that day on, he hadn''t sent me a single letter."


    "Principal Arthurdane didn''t want anyone from the Silverblade Castle to know. And that includes the knights..."


    "I shall meet that man as well someday, so you can tell him about the Dark Mana," Althaia smiled sweetly at Ivory and patted her head. "One day, if you can fully trust me and our kind, you are welcome to come back here and tell me everything. I won''t force you today, as I saw how uncomfortable you are."


    "Thank you for understanding¡­ But I wonder why you have been telling me that I am one of you?"


    "This is not yet the right time. I will tell you, once you meet His Eminence. Do not worry, I shall inform you through a messenger if the time is ripe. For now, you may go."


    Ivory embraced Althaia and thanked her for everything. After seeing Ivory walk far away, the priestess hurriedly went to her quarters with them, took a quill and ink, then wrote something on paper.


    She told one of the disciples, "Hand over this letter to Lycus," she gave him a folded paper. "Tell him¡­ to follow and guard Ivory Sprucemint from now on."


    "Yes¡­ But, may I know why, Priestess?"


    "Ivory Sprucemint is one of us¡­ but she also isn''t. I want to know more about her and get her to side with us in the warfare that will happen soon."


    It was mid-afternoon when she returned to Sigmund and the other city guards. As soon as the Vampire Servant saw his Master, he quickly approached her, "You birdbrain, you should have taken me with you. What took you so long? I almost fought with the knights just to enter the Sanctuary to find you."


    Ivory giggled when she saw Sigmund''s worried face. Even though he sounded angry, there was gentleness in his eyes. "I will talk to you alone about something once we get back to the inn."


    "Oh, it must be big news if you want us to be alone, or¡­" he whispered to her in a low voice, "Do you want another massage?"


    Ivory remembered how nice Sigmund''s massage was last night. She could feel her body heat rise as he touched her with his big hands, and she couldn''t help but groan every time he put pressure on her body. It felt so good with clothes on, what''s more if he touched her bare skin and spread the jojoba oil all over her naked body?


    ''What am I thinking of?!'' she suddenly slapped her own face once. She had just gotten out of the holiest place in the kingdom, how could she think about lewd things?!


    Sigmund chuckled when he saw Ivory''s face getting as red as a tomato. He then said, "Let''s go back to Preston''s first and tell him what happened."


    When they reached Preston''s house, some of the other city guards were already there. Ivory explained that she had found out that Euphorie was in the Silverblade Castle, and her twin sister was a disciple in the Sanctuary.


    Then, Preston reported to them that the tavern where Euphorie and the Gallean Town Leader met really existed. It was an illegal, underground tavern wherein some high-ranking officials had been gathering, and because of their search for Euphorie''s relatives, they had discovered where it was. The city guard chief had now ordered it to be closed, and he promised to find the others and close each tavern within the holy city of Valios.


    When their meeting adjourned, Sigmund and Ivory returned to the inn. She changed into a thin, linen sleeveless nightgown she had brought, while Sigmund just took off his cloak and vest, leaving only his pants.


    "Okay, tell me about what happened inside the Sanctuary," Sigmund quickly sat beside Ivory on the bed. He noticed how thin the nightdress she wore and how loose the cloth to her chest was, exposing her cleavage, "Oh, wait a minute," he took the blanket behind them and covered Ivory with it.


    "Thank you, but I''m not cold," she tried to put the blanket off her shoulders.


    But Sigmund touched her hand then gripped it, "No, don''t take it off," his crimson red irises gazed amorously at her, "Don''t make me lose control, Ivory."

 Chapter 68 - "Master, Stop Talking About Other Men"

    Sigmund gazed at his Master for a long while, before he realized that they should return to the topic they were about to discuss.


    "Don''t be stubborn, and don''t remove that blanket," Sigmund said in an authoritative tone, and when he saw Ivory nod, he told her, "Continue. What happened inside the Sanctuary?"


    "Well¡­ there''s this Dark Mana¡­ and Euphorie was purified using the magic of the priestess and the disciples¡­"


    "I can''t understand. Start from the moment you entered the Sanctuary''s arc."


    "Ugh, fine," she rolled her eyes. "Here''s what happened¡­" Ivory told him the highlights of her visit inside the Sanctuary - that she met the Priestess, Euphorie''s twin sister Alodia, Euphorie herself, the disciples, the knights, and the Royal Knights. She told him that she had met Xenos once again, and it made Sigmund''s eyebrow twitch.


    "And then he asked me again to become a Royal Knight¡­"


    The Vampire Servant was annoyed that she was talking about Xenos with a bright smile on her face, "You look excited to be taught by that man."


    "Why, of course. Isn''t it an honor to be friends with a Royal Knight?" she chuckled. "I always wanted to be one. Knowing someone like Sir Xenos is a great opportunity, and he even said he''d teach me personally, so-"


    Her story was interrupted when Sigmund used his palm to cover her mouth. And as he pushed her against the wall, the blanket that he used to cover her fell off, exposing more of her fair skin.


    Sigmund''s crimson red eyes glowed in annoyance, and he looked straight into her eyes. "Ivory. You seem to like that Royal Knight so much. Are you excited that he will teach you as a Royal Knight candidate?"


    Ivory stuttered, distracted by his topless body pressing on her chest. "It''s¡­ It''s because I respect him, that''s all¡­ He''s a Royal Knight whose abilities are recognized by the King," she mumbled.


    "If you''re just going to meet him there once you''ve become a Royal Knight candidate, then I''ll prevent you from graduating."


    She spoke a bit louder as soon as he pulled his hand away from her mouth, "What are you saying?!"


    "I''ll run away again," Sigmund said in a serious tone.


    "You''ll leave me?"


    His eyes continued to glow, "Yes, if you don''t stop talking about other men."


    She couldn''t believe what he told her and thought that he''s being childish, "That''s ridiculous- Mmmmgghh!"


    Her Vampire Servant suddenly lowered his head and bit the upper part of her chest, just above the cleavage.


    Ivory tried to struggle, however, with Sigmund''s hand tightly pinning her arms against the wall, she couldn''t stop him.


    "Ahhhh¡­ Sigmund¡­ Why are you biting there¡­?" Ivory''s voice trembled as she asked him.


    He then paused sucking her blood to respond to her, "To punish you¡­ for looking forward to meet that man," he licked the blood dripping towards her cleavage.


    Ivory was getting aroused, feeling her flower moistened. "But why¡­" she uttered, "Why are you getting angry about such a petty thing?"


    "Petty?" Sigmund replied with a low voice, "Have you forgotten the third condition of our Contract Ritual?"


    "Third¡­ condition?"


    "Your body and blood will only be mine¡­ You have forgotten, haven''t you?" It made him a bit angry, "I am only reminding you now¡­ whom you belong to," and he bit her once again.


    "Aaahhh¡­ Sig¡­ mund¡­ Stop¡­" she muttered.


    The Vampire did not mind her and kept on going. It was as if he lost control of himself and got immersed in his jealousy.


    "Sig¡­ mund¡­ stop¡­ please..."


    But he still continued to suck her blood and licked her skin.


    "Sigmund. I said stop."


    When Sigmund suddenly heard Ivory''s tone change, he slowly turned his head to look into her eyes. Ivory''s light blue irises were glowing, and he sensed that currently, her extraordinary mana enveloped her.


    "Let go of me, and stop sinning in this holy city."


    The Vampire widened his eyes in shock, and his eyes stopped glowing. He observed that whenever Ivory''s extraordinary mana envelops her, he easily complies to her dominance. He finally let go of her and sat up properly beside her.


    Ivory saw how surprised her Servant was. She extended her arms and embraced him from behind. "I''m not mad at you. You were out of control, I just stopped you before you drain all of my blood and mana."


    He felt her breasts on his bare back, and it made him gulp.


    "How about I make it up to you?" Ivory said, but her eyes were still glowing. A devilish smirk displayed on her lips, and she made Sigmund face her. "Sleep with me tonight."


    When he heard this, he was about to retort, "Are you out of your mind-" but his lips were sealed by her pointing finger.


    "I mean, I want to sleep beside you. Come here."


    With this, Sigmund stayed quiet, dumbfounded about what was happening. As if she cast a magic spell, he followed her orders and tucked themselves to bed. But he knew that it wasn''t a magic spell. For some odd reason, Ivory becomes too straightforward due to the extraordinary mana that she had.


    Ivory was pleased to see her beloved Servant beside her. She gazed into his eyes and stroked his hair with gentleness, "I''d love to see you this obedient because it''s cute even though I''m not used to it."


    "Master, are you just teasing me?" he held her hand.


    "No, I''m not," she giggled. "Chill, call me Ivory instead of Master. You''re afraid of me when I''m like this, aren''t you?"


    "I don''t understand that part of you," he avoided her gaze as his ears turned red with embarrassment. "Go to sleep."


    She laughed, "I am aware and alert when I''m in this state. And I also know that someone with a familiar scent is eavesdropping behind the thin walls of this room."


    Sigmund was puzzled and looked back at her, "What do you mean by a familiar scent?"

 Chapter 69 - "Prisma, The City Of Visual Arts"

    The confused Vampire waited for her to answer, but Ivory''s eyelids seemed to be getting heavy, and she had already fallen asleep after a short while.


    Sigmund was about to stand up and check the other rooms and outside to check if there was really someone eavesdropping on them, but his Master was already clinging onto him. He didn''t want to wake her up, so he just stayed by her side.


    "You''ll leave me hanging again and forget everything tomorrow, huh," he kissed her forehead, and embraced his Master very close towards him, "Sleep well, Ivory."


    ¡­


    Ivory opened her eyes as soon as the sun had risen. She didn''t know why, but she somehow felt a bit tired even though she had just woken up.


    "Maybe I had a dream, but I can''t remember anything," she sat and stretched her arms high up.


    The door suddenly opened, and Sigmund entered with a plate of baked potato and a thick slice of grilled bacon in his hand. "Hey, dimwit, you''re finally awake," he closed the door and placed the plate beside her. "Hurry and eat up. We''re going to visit your sister in Prisma, which is just next to this city."


    "Yes!" she excitedly responded. With her bare hands, she grabbed her food and munched them happily.


    "Do you remember what happened last night?" he asked her after sitting at the edge of the bed.


    Ivory almost choked from the baked potato she was eating and blushed. She swallowed the food before speaking, "You bit me in the chest?"


    Sigmund slightly shook his head, "After that."


    "I fell unconscious, right? Because you sucked too much of my blood."


    "Why am I even asking an obvious question," he muttered.


    "Hmm? What did you say?" she chewed on the thick slice of bacon while the corner of her mouth had sauce from the baked potato.


    "I said, don''t talk when your mouth is full."


    Ivory shrugged and just continued eating. Afterwards, she and Sigmund prepared to depart the place. She double-checked her knapsack, making sure that her gift to Katie was properly wrapped and placed in the safest part of her bag.


    Last time, Ivory asked Preston to inform Lucius about her being absent for two more days and he would be the one to inform their adviser. She hoped that the Educators and the Principal would understand if she''d tell them that it was an important, personal matter that would determine her fate as a Master.


    From Valios City''s arc to Prisma City''s arc was a fifteen-minute walk. As soon as they stepped foot in the city, also known as the City of Visual Arts, Ivory''s eyes widened in amazement upon seeing the half-timbered houses painted with bright colors. Most houses had decorated walls and had potted flowering plants in front of their houses, windows, or balconies.


    As they walked along, they noticed that there were some painters who were painting on the streets while many passersby watched them. In stores were paintings of picturesque flowers and vibrant trees, and they also offered customized paintings wherein nobles were usually their customers. Ivory enjoyed seeing the intriguing, colorful city, since they came from Valios City where all houses were painted with white.


    They then asked a patrolling guard about where the Prisma Gallery was located, because according to Katie''s letter in the past, her friend is the daughter of Prisma Gallery''s owner, and she''s working for them as an apprentice painter and a part-time docent with perks of accommodation and food.


    At a corner street stood the art gallery, a beige-colored half-timber building with a flat clay tile roof was seen.


    "Here it is. Prisma Gallery," the city guard said, and Ivory thanked him.


    When he left, Sigmund glanced at Ivory and saw how she stared at the door for so long. "Hey, don''t tell me you''re chickening out? I thought you''re excited to see her."


    "Yes, but¡­" she clenched her first as her heart was beating fast, ''But it''s been a year! I wonder if she can still recognize me..." she glanced at him with very worried eyes.


    He chuckled, "You birdbrain, of course she''ll recognize you. It''s only been a year."


    "Really? You think so?" she bit her lower lip and stared at the floor this time.


    "Yes. So stop hesitating and let''s get inside," he patted her back gently to comfort his Master who was really feeling anxious.


    They finally entered the wooden double-doors, and she gasped in awe when she saw the interior. Several bright paintings were lined up on the walls. Each wall had a specific theme, like nature and people.


    As Ivory was admiring the view, an assistant approached her and said, "I''m sorry, the other docent had just left. Please wait for the other group to finish. They''re almost done."


    "Thank you," Ivory told her with a warm smile. She and her Vampire Servant were led to a bench beside the door, and they sat beside each other while observing the visitors coming inside the gallery.


    A group of people was coming with a docent who seemed to be having her farewell message as their tour was just about to end.


    "And that''s all," the female docent gave a sweet smile to them. "Any questions?"


    A young man raised his hand while admiring the lady who was wearing a cream floral printed sleeved pleated gown paired with a brown bonnet with lace ribbon tied under her chin. "Miss Katie, can I ask a personal question?"


    "Hmm, what is it?" she turned her head to the man.


    "Do you have a lover?"


    "Oh, I do not have one," she giggled. "But I''d love to have one."


    Then a visitor commented, "How come the most beautiful girl in Prisma City has no lover? Perhaps you have too many suitors that you couldn''t choose from any of them."


    More questions were asked one after another, and Ivory and Sigmund observed them from afar.


    "Katie looks pretty in that dress," she smiled as she looked at her smiling sister. She was pleased that she found herself a nicer place to stay.


    "She almost looked like a noble. If not for her attitude-"


    Ivory pinched Sigmund''s arm, "Quit it, Katie''s a lovely girl," she sighed. "It''s just that she doesn''t like me, perhaps because I''m adopted and she doesn''t see me as family."


    "So¡­ Are you still going to see her?" Sigmund asked upon seeing her lonely eyes.


    Ivory slowly stood up from her seat and said, "I changed my mind. Let''s find a place to stay for tonight, and catch the horse-drawn bus tomorrow morning in Umbria City. Let''s just go home tomorrow."


    "You chicken," he reacted jokingly, and she shot daggers at him as they headed to the exit.


    But before they could even step out of the building, Ivory was stopped by a good-looking gentleman. His long green hair was tied on one side and his golden eyes looked at her with such adornment. He was dressed in a three-piece suit with golden embroideries on the lapel and vest.


    "Excuse me, beautiful lady," the young man told Ivory. "My name is Helios, the head painter in this art gallery. May I ask why you''re leaving before even seeing my paintings? Are they not to your liking?"


    "Uhm¡­ I apologize, but we were here for a different matter."


    "I see¡­ But can you please come with me for a while?"


    "Uhh, sure," she glanced at Sigmund and she was nodding her head, as if telling him that it''s alright. Sigmund narrowed his eyes on the man and cautiously observed him.


    Ivory, followed behind by Sigmund, was led to a portion of the gallery wherein there were no paintings yet, only a blank canvas and a cushioned stool in front of it.


    "Please take a seat."


    Ivory sat on the stool in front.


    "Okay, please don''t move until I say so."


    She didn''t know what was on Helios'' mind, but she still followed him with Sigmund''s go signal. The Vampire was closely observing how Helios drew Ivory on the canvas.


    "Is that the youngest master painter Helios?!"


    "Oh my, Sir Helios is so handsome, especially when he''s serious while painting!"


    "Who''s that woman? I''ve never seen her before. Is she a city visitor?"


    "She''s beautiful!"


    Ivory was viewed by many as a woman with a rare beauty, because of the color of her silver hair, as well as her light blue eyes.


    Katie turned around to see who had been stealing her spotlight.. And she was shocked to see her sister in the territory that she worked hard to build her reputation into.

 Chapter 70 - "Commotion In The Art Gallery"

    Katie glared at Ivory at a distance. Her adopted sister, whom she didn''t want to see anymore, suddenly came to her safe haven, the place where she was labeled as the most beautiful woman.


    Since she first arrived at the City, her friend Fiona, Helios'' older sister, helped her dress like a noble because she said that it would somehow attract a noble as a lover, and it was one of her life goals, to escape the poor town life.


    Thus, the girl from the countryside had lived a new life with Fiona''s help by discovering and enhancing her talent in painting. But in order for her to learn the more advanced strokes and techniques, Helios was the one who helped her.


    And she fell in love with him.


    It angered Katie so much that he had noticed her sister, great enough that he couldn''t wait to put her image into his canvas. She clenched her fists out of jealousy, stopping herself from charging onto her and she could only imagine kicking the chair where she was sitting into.


    Helios was smiling the whole time as he drew Ivory in his canvas. She started with the shape of her face, to the outline up to her waist, then started sketching the shape of her eyes. He was mesmerized by her beauty, and he felt that the world had slowed down the moment they locked eyes. It was as if she pulled him to her through her light blue irises.


    After two hours, Helios was done with his quick sketch of her, and the crowd gave him a big round of applause. When they had already dispersed, he told Ivory, "You''re the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I apologize if I took so much of your time. You seem like a visitor, and I don''t want to lose you and forget your face, so-"


    "It''s okay! Don''t worry about it," she peeked at the painting that he did, and she gaped in awe. "It''s great!"


    "I will make a larger version of this one and place it in the center. And when you visit this place once again, you''ll see that this part of the gallery is full of my paintings of you."


    Sigmund couldn''t stop the man from saying such things to his Master. Even though he wanted to punch the guy in his face, he couldn''t, as there were too many people around.


    Ivory got shy thinking about the paintings of her in that big room, "Uhm, you don''t have to, I am just a passerby-"


    "From now on, you''re my muse," he took Ivory''s hand and kissed the back of it!


    Sigmund was surprised that the man had taken a move on his Master, and he quickly grabbed his wrist, pulling it away from her, "My Master¡­ doesn''t like to be touched by men."


    "Sigmund, hey-"


    "Well, well¡­ What do we have here," Katie suddenly approached them. She displayed her frilly fan, and looked at Ivory in disdain. "What are you doing here?"


    "Katie!" she quickly hugged her, "I missed you so much, I-"


    "Get away from me, you filthy woman!" she pushed her hard, fortunately, Sigmund was behind her and caught her. Katie yelled, "My clothes are too expensive to be soiled by you!"


    "Why this little shi-" Sigmund almost used magic on her to burn the clothing that she had boasted to be expensive, but Ivory touched his arm and shook her head.


    "I will leave as soon as I give you this," Ivory rummaged through her knapsack and took one of the blue-painted shell-shaped stones she bought in Valios City. She smiled excitedly as she extended her arm to her, "Here, a souvenir from Valios City! I hope you''ll like it."


    Katie looked down on the shell that her sister was holding and raised her brow, "Do you expect me to take such a cheap item? I don''t want it."


    "But¡­ I bought this especially for you-"


    "I said, I don''t want it!" Katie shoved away Ivory''s hand, and the souvenir dropped and broke on the wooden floor.


    Ivory knelt and slowly placed the pieces in her palm. Sigmund also knelt to help her collect them while glaring at Katie.` `


    "How dare you come here and give me such an ugly and cheap thing," Katie mocked her in a bitter expression, "Who do you think you are? My sister? Hah! In your dreams! You are not my real sister anyway, and you should know your place!" she lightly kicked her leg as she looked down on her.


    Sigmund almost stood up to stop her, but Ivory was quicker to stand, making the pieces of the souvenir fall once again.


    Ivory faced Katie and since she couldn''t control herself anymore, she slapped her sister across the face. A resounding slap was heard in the gallery, which made the guests gasp in shock as they witnessed the most beautiful woman in Prisma City getting hit by the beautiful visitor.


    "I am still your sister, so respect me!" she exclaimed.


    While her cheeks were burning from the slap, Katie was very surprised because she didn''t expect Ivory to coldly talk back to her and even slap her. She stared at her glowing light blue eyes and trembled in shock.


    "You can only wear clothes like a noble, but apologies, you can''t change your identity," she glared at her while crossing her arms, "You are, and will always be, Katie Sprucemint of Greensteid Town. Even if you stay here forever."


    "You''ve changed¡­ Why did you slap me-"


    Ivory chuckled, "I wish I had done it sooner to correct your manners, Katie. After all, it''s also an eldest sister''s duty."


    The furious Katie clenched her fists, "I will never accept you as my sister."


    "Do you think I chose you as my family? It''s destiny''s fault, and if I have a choice, I''d love to have a different sister, not a disrespectful one like you," she turned her back on her. "Mother and father were very unhappy when you left. Even Gracie and Flynn kept on asking when you''re coming back. You should visit sometimes because they''re still your family."


    Katie didn''t answer after realizing late that there were people watching them.


    "Let''s go, Sigmund. Leave the broken, cheap souvenir on the floor," Ivory said in a sarcastic tone, and as she walked, her silver hair swayed gracefully.


    Sigmund dropped the pieces of broken stones that he held. He glared at Katie first, before following Ivory towards the exit of the art gallery.


    And as soon as she stepped foot outside the gallery, she fell unconscious, and Sigmund caught her just in time before she fell on the ground.


    Katie was so furious that she just walked away. The bedroom that she borrowed from Helio and Fiona''s family was located in the basement of the art gallery, and she directly went there to calm herself down due to embarrassment.


    Meanwhile, Helios stared at Ivory in his painting.


    "She''s one interesting girl," Fiona, his sister and Katie''s friend, came out from the crowd. "Is she the one you are looking for?"


    "Yes, and I''m glad to finally meet her.. After seeing her in person, my desire for her only grew stronger¡­ Thanks for befriending her sister for me, Fiona," Helios said with a wide grin.

 Chapter 71 - "As If Were Lovers"

    Ivory woke up two hours after, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself in an unfamiliar room. She sat up, "What¡­ happened?"


    Sigmund was by the window, and when his Master had awakened, he approached her and sat beside her on the bed, "We''re at a nearby inn."


    "Why was I sleeping?" She asked him curiously, but he only chuckled, "Sigmund, why are you laughing?"


    "You¡­ you slapped Katie in front of a crowd."


    "I¡­ WHAT?!" Ivory was shocked to hear this from him. "I have no guts to do that! You''ve got to be kidding me!" she jokingly hit Sigmund''s arm.


    "I am not kidding. You really did slap her," he explained. "How much do you remember?"


    "When the souvenir shattered on the floor¡­" she suddenly teared up and wept, "I just wanted to see her smile¡­ It''s been so long¡­ I really missed her, but she¡­"


    "Hey, you birdbrain, don''t waste your tears for that rude woman!" he pulled her towards him, and let her cry on his shoulder.


    As her Vampire Servant stroked her back, Ivory placed her arms around him and continued to cry. "I don''t know what to do with her anymore, I did my best..."


    "Stop crying," Sigmund continued consoling her. "I think she will think about how to treat you from now on. I hope that slap will make her realize how bad she had treated you."


    Ivory pulled away from his embrace and asked, "Did I really slap her?"


    The Vampire chuckled, "How many times do I have to tell you that yes, you slapped her? Your eyes even glowed. I sensed that you used your extraordinary mana-"


    "Oh no!" she gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "Did I attack her or something?!" she continued.


    Sigmund shook his head and stroked her long silver hair, "No, you were just so¡­ brave."


    "Brave¡­?" Ivory pursed her lips, worried about what had been happening to her.


    Whenever that other mana within her takes charge completely, she couldn''t remember a thing, and based on Sigmund''s story, she was becoming very powerful and fearless. Ivory remembered because she was just fortunate enough during that time in Gallean Town, wherein she perfectly fused her extraordinary mana with her normal mana. She hoped she could do it anytime and whenever needed.


    "Sigmund, if I did something bad or embarrassing when I am taken over by the extraordinary mana, please tell me, okay?"


    The Vampire Servant suddenly remembered that passionate kiss they had under the moonlight. His ears turned red, "Why, what if you did something embarrassing, what would you do?"


    "Well, I will apologize to the person whom I bothered. And I will tell that person that I will never do it again."


    Sigmund raised his brow, and from there on, he swore to himself that he would never tell her about that bittersweet incident. He changed the topic, "By the way, how about we forget about that bad encounter with that sister of yours and just enjoy the rest of the day around town?"


    "Hmm. Sounds great!" Ivory quickly got up from her bed. "I''ll just wash my face, then let''s go."


    The two of them spent the afternoon around town. They watched the street painters do their art live, and they made one of them to sketch her and her Servant.


    "You do know this might take a lot of time, right," Sigmund told Ivory in a low voice. "I told you we should lay low, because we are near the castle. What if someone from years ago recognized me?"


    "Eh, but I want a drawing of us to be hung in my bedroom. Besides, I only asked for a sketch and not a painting, so this will not last long¡­" she saw the painter furrow his eyebrow., "Oops, don''t speak too much and focus. We do not want the painter to make a mistake and take a longer time to finish his work.


    Sigmund just looked at her, then looked back towards the painter''s direction. He couldn''t help but grin a little, as Ivory gripped his arm more tightly and closely.


    ''Somehow¡­ it feels like we''re lovers,'' Ivory thought. She wanted to treasure every moment with her beloved Vampire Servant, and as she realized that their trip to the Land of Rosaria was about to end, she felt excitement within her. She knew this would not be the first and last time that they would have an adventure together.


    Afterwards, the painter showed them the sketch, and Ivory was overjoyed. She paid the painter with extra silver coins, then rolled the polished paper and tied it with a red string.


    Ivory got hungry after some time, so they went to the fanciest eatery where she ate a plate of thick-sliced slabs of herbed, grilled pork meat. Sigmund just watched her, and he chuckled as she munched the meat, not minding his presence at all. He would extend his arm towards her and wipe the oil at the side of her lips. Ivory would then blush every time he did it. She would say thanks, but avoid his eyes and continue to eat. The Vampire Servant gazed at her amorously until she finished eating.


    Unlike Valios City, which was located at the top of a cliff, Prisma City had a lower elevation, making the beach accessible to the public. Ivory and Sigmund stayed there until sunset, and as soon as the night fell, they searched for a nearby tavern to get some booze. Even though Sigmund stopped her, Ivory still insisted and ordered a large mug of beer.


    "You do know that you will still pay back what you''ve borrowed from Lucius, right?" Sigmund reminded his Master.


    "Yes, but I don''t know when we''ll get to have another vacation like this. Once I return to the academy, the training will get more serious, and when I become a third year, who knows where I''ll be stationed," she explained, then sipped some beer. "Bitter."


    "You''re not used to drinking. Do you want to get drunk?"


    "Yes¡­ Gaaaahh, I''m so frustrated!" Ivory exclaimed. "If I can turn back time, I wish we never went to that art gallery." She gulped the beer continuously, until it reached half-full.


    "No, I think you did well. I wished you had also pulled her hair as well-"


    She jokingly hit his arm, "Meanie!"


    And they stayed there until two hours before the moon had risen to the top of the sky.


    Sigmund carried Ivory like a princess as they returned to the inn.. He walked a bit slower than usual, taking advantage of his alone time with his Master, because by tomorrow, they have to go back to the Land of Olivea.

 Chapter 72 - "The Darkness In Normality"

    ¡­


    The next day, Ivory and Sigmund went to the next city, Umbria, to ride the horse bus back to the Land of Olivea. Compared to their first time, they already knew that they should arrive at least an hour before it departed, so they had successfully sat beside each other. They departed even though they were not yet full, because some passengers would be riding it along the way.


    Ivory took a nap as she placed her head on her Servant''s shoulder. He then placed his arms around her so that she wouldn''t bang her head to the person on her other side. And because of this, for the nth time, the assistant coachman and the other passengers thought that they were lovers.


    After eight hours with several stops in between, they finally arrived at the border of the Land of Olivea in the afternoon. Not wasting any more time, Ivory decided that she had to directly go to Principal Arthurdane.


    "So, Miss Sprucemint, how''s your vacation?" Principal Arthurdane knew where they were through Preston Bronzelain. He said sarcastically as he sat on the chair behind his desk, "Where''s my souvenir?"


    "I bought you a small painting of a peacock feather from Prisma City. It will fit well in your house," Ivory said as she gave him the metal-framed painting. She then sat on the cushioned chair in front of the principal''s desk.


    "I was just kidding, but since you''ve bought this for me, I can''t say no," the principal smiled wide and placed it on top of the table.


    "Sigmund, can you lock the door?" Ivory requested, which he immediately followed, then he stood behind her. "Now that the door''s locked¡­ Sir, I have something to discuss with you. This is something that should not be known to the public, and even the Educators."


    "I am getting nervous. I hope it''s not something illegal."


    "Well... it is illegal."


    "Then, no thanks. You can keep that secret to yourself-"


    "The Dark Mana¡­ Have you ever heard about it?"


    The principal thought deeply about it, but it was the first time he had heard of the term. He shook his head. "I apologize, but I haven''t heard such a thing. Please enlighten me more, Ms. Sprucemint."


    "It''s a type of mana of a person without the birthmark of Destinia."


    "What nonsense are you saying?" his forehead creased. "One cannot have a supply of mana without the birthmark."


    "Yes, sir, this is why they are currently finding out how normal people can acquire Dark Mana and who started this forbidden act."


    "But how did you go so far as to know about this confidential matter?"


    "As you know, I couldn''t control my extraordinary mana very well, and I was told that once I find out about my mana''s origins through my ancestors, I can study how to control it," she explained. "When we were in Gallean Town, Sigmund sensed that my normal mana and the town chief''s wife''s mana were similar in nature. It gave me the hope that she might be my relative, and so, we went to Valios City to find her family, but¡­"


    "But what?" the principal asked her to continue.


    Ivory cleared her throat, "But I was allowed inside the Sanctuary, and I witnessed a Purification Ritual. They purified the town chief''s wife, taking away the Dark Mana within her. Now, she''s a normal human once again."


    "I see- Wait. Don''t tell me¡­ Your normal mana is¡­"


    "I never told the Priestess of the Sanctuary that my Servant can sense mana types. If I did, she would know immediately that he''s of the Vampire Class," she clenched her fist. "She said that I may come back there if I can fully trust her, and she will listen to me and help me¡­ It looks like she knew that I was hiding something."


    "I really did sense it. Her mana and the town chief''s wife''s mana are the same in nature. Therefore¡­ Ivory''s normal mana might have been infested by Dark Mana for some reason. That''s the only plausible reason for now."


    "You''re right, Vampire," Principal Arthurdane nodded at him. "Since she has the birthmark of Destinia and she summoned a Servant, she is definitely a Chosen One. So the mystery here is, why did you sense the Dark Mana in her normal mana? It would have made sense if it was her other mana."


    "Her extraordinary mana is very far from it. How do I put it¡­ it felt very powerful, and I can''t remember where I have encountered something like that."


    "I see. Then we need to investigate further," he turned to Ivory, who looked deeply bothered. "How do you handle that extraordinary mana right now, Miss Sprucemint? Any improvements?"


    Ivory shook her head with a hint of sadness, "Perhaps the only way to properly control it is to find my real parents or relatives, and maybe seek help."


    "You must have been very stressed lately, Miss Sprucemint. You also have that problem, of not knowing your origins. I shall help you and notify you once I have more information about them."


    "I am really grateful for your help, sir!" she exclaimed, but then, the principal bent down to carry a box of several scrolls, and these were placed on the table.


    "Here are your take home readings."


    "I was only gone for two days-"


    "Yes, I know. I can count numbers, you know," the principal chuckled, "It''s not my fault. These are all reference scrolls from Educator Wallace. He asked me to give it to you, afraid that he might get caught by other students. These are about mana control."


    "Educator Wallace is so kind. I will thank him in secret," Ivory said. Sigmund then carried the box of scrolls, and they bid goodbye to him.


    Later on, someone knocked at the door. When he said that he''s allowed to enter, a man with a silver, waist-long hair entered the room. He was dressed in a white poet blouse with bishop sleeves and large frills on the front and the cuffs and black fitted pants.


    After closing the double doors, he gave a written letter to the principal, and he observed the man with his piercing light blue eyes as he widened his eyes in shock.


    "Priestess Althaia of the Sanctuary of Goddess Destinia sent me," he bowed a little to show respect. "I am Lycus¡­ Ivory''s distant relative."


    ----------


    [AUTHOR''S NOTE: Want more? Purchase Privilege if you have spare coins ;)]

 Chapter 73 - "Similar Light-Blue Irises"

    Meanwhile, Ivory and Sigmund returned to Greensteid Town. While Sigmund had taken their things and the box of scrolls upstairs in her bedroom, Ivory told her family about how Katie was doing. She told them how she dressed, and how pretty she was as she did her job as an art gallery docent. She also mentioned that she might have gained many suitors as she was titled as the most beautiful woman in Prisma City.


    But she did not mention what happened between them. She did not tell them that Katie rejected her gift, that she kicked her, and that Ivory slapped her unconsciously. She didn''t want them to worry about their broken relationship, since she knew that they already have plenty of problems, such as making ends meet.


    After the long chat, she excused herself to rest, so she headed to her bedroom attic, and once she entered, she was surprised to see her and Sigmund''s sketch on a frame, hanging at the top of the bed.


    Ivory was elated as she stared at the sketch. She teased him, "You look obedient in that drawing."


    He chuckled, then responded, "And you look very happy."


    "I am, of course. It''s because I''m with you, Sigmund."


    The two of them stared for a long while. But then, Sigmund broke the silence, "Of course. I am the great Vampire, Sigmund. You should be happy that a handsome man like me agreed to have a sketch with you." He chuckled, and Ivory gave him lots of subtle hits on the shoulder before laughing with him.


    "Hey, why don''t you go get dressed and rest for a while? I''m sure that eight-hour horse bus ride is exhausting for you."


    Ivory nodded, "Yes, I should. Please wake me up before supper."


    "Sure. I''ll go downstairs and see if the logs have been chopped."


    However, Sigmund was surprised to see a familiar carriage which had just arrived as soon as he went to the front of the house to find Mr. Sprucemint. When the carriage door opened, Principal Arthurdane stepped down.


    "Good day, Principal," Gordon said with a smile as he shook hands with him.


    "Good day, Mr. Sprucemint. Apologies for not notifying you about my visit."


    "You know you''re always welcome here, sir."


    Sigmund approached them, and faced the principal, "We met at the academy a while ago, did you forget anything?"


    "No, but I am here for a very important matter."


    The principal peeked through the opened carriage door and gestured for a man to step out. The silver-haired man got off the carriage with his waist-long hair flowing with the wind.


    "Mr. Sprucemint, Sigmund. This man is Lycus, Ivory''s distant relative."


    Lycus bowed his head a little to give his greeting, then shook Mr. Sprucemint''s hand, "It''s a pleasure to meet you. I am deeply thankful that you have raised and taken care of Ivory."


    Gordon examined him from head to toe, and he was amazed by the man''s resemblance to Ivory. The man was also dressed with a turtle-neck ruffled long sleeve blouse, and he seemed like a very decent man. "It''s nothing, sir. We already consider Ivory as our own daughter."


    Lycus gave a subtle smile, then faced Sigmund, and he extended his arm towards him for a handshake as well, "You must be her Servant."


    Sigmund felt that there was something off about him. "How did you know?"


    "I know you were with her in Valios City," Lycus was waiting for him to take his hand. "Nice to meet you."


    Sigmund rolled his eyes before he shook his hand. He noticed something as he took his hand, "Are you a Chosen One?"


    Lycus stared at him for a short while, before saying, "No." He then pulled his hand away from him.


    "I see," the Vampire muttered. He now knew why he did not sense any mana from him. Even so, he couldn''t trust the guy fully.


    "May I see Ivory?" Lycus said with excitement in his tone.


    Sigmund responded, "I apologize, she''s resting. She told me to wake her up for supper."


    "I know, why don''t you both join us for supper later?" Gordon said. "I''m sure Ivory will be glad."


    "Why not?" the principal chuckled. "Besides, Lycus will be renting a nearby house starting today. Consider it as a neighbor''s welcome."


    Sigmund twitched his brow once he heard about it. Where did this man come from, and why was the Principal helping him?


    "We still have to arrange some things for Lycus'' transfer. We shall come back before the sun sets," Principal Arthurdane said before bidding goodbye to them.


    As soon as they left, Gordon got teary-eyed. "Finally, Ivory will get to meet her relative. Although she doesn''t tell us anything, I''m sure she''s looking forward to it," he patted Sigmund''s back, "Let us go and chop wood! We''ll harvest some fruits and vegetables because tonight''s a feast!"


    When the sun had set, Ivory was woken up by her Servant, and they went downstairs to the dining area. She waved her hand when she saw the principal, and gave a shy smile when she saw the unfamiliar man beside him. She took a quick glance at Sigmund, whom she noticed had been frowning since a while ago. He never looked back at her and instead, he was glaring at the silver-haired visitor.


    "Ah, you''re finally here, Ivory. Let me introduce him to you," Principal Arthurdane told her as she slowly approached them. "This is Lycus, your relative-"


    But his words were cut off when suddenly, Lycus kneeled down before Ivory.


    "Lady Ivory, I am very honoured to finally meet you!"


    Everyone else was shocked with what he did, which obviously made Ivory feel embarrassed, "Uhm! Please stand up!" and she touched his shoulder.


    And as soon as he tilted his head up, they gazed longingly at each other for a long time.. What they felt was the feeling of a deep connection just by staring at each other''s similar light-blue irises.

 Chapter 74 - "Adoration, Revelation, And Jealousy"

    "Hey!" Sigmund marched forward towards them and grabbed Ivory''s arm. "What is the meaning of this? I thought you were her relative, why are you bowing to her?"


    "I am her distant relative, but she is the only daughter of the head of our household. I was sent under the orders of her father and the request of Priestess Althaia to watch over her and guard her at all times."


    "You don''t need to. I am here, and I can protect her-"


    "Sigmund!" Ivory panicked when Sigmund raised his voice. "Even if he''s being sent to guard me, he''s still my relative. Please don''t be mad at him."


    Ivory carefully grabbed Lycus'' arm and helped him stand up.


    "Who''s her father? Why did he leave Ivory in the crate?" Gordon asked curiously while also feeling pity towards his daughter.


    Lycus sighed, "It''s to save her life. There were several people who wanted her dead."


    "Oh dear," Anne reacted, then went to Ivory to hug her tight. "I''m glad we found you and kept you safe," she wept as she stroked her daughter''s back.


    A moment later, dinner was ready, and they all sat in their seats in the dining area. While Anne served them grilled potatoes and grilled corn as well as slabs of herbed, smoked meat brought by Lycus, they conversed about what happened twenty years ago.


    "Apologies if I don''t know that much, but all I know is that Lady Ivory''s mother was a Royal Knight, but I don''t know her name, and her father¡­ well, he''s¡­"


    Sigmund could see the hesitation in Lycus'' eyes. He wondered if he was telling a lie, or if at least half of his stories were the truth.


    "I was told not to disclose his occupation and identity, I apologize," Lycus explained when he noticed that Ivory''s Servant was narrowing his eyes on him and decided to keep it short, "Anyway, the point is, Lady Ivory, please do not worry, because you are loved by your parents. Your father would like to meet you, but he''s waiting for the best and safest time."


    Ivory''s tears streamed down on her cheeks like waterfalls. She was relieved that she wasn''t hated by her real parents just as she had feared.


    When she sobbed, Sigmund pulled her to him and embraced her to console her. And aside from that, he also wanted to show Lycus that she already belonged to him.


    After narrating a dramatic story, they proceeded with eating. Everyone noticed that Ivory and Lycus both ate more slabs of meat, and they wondered if it was because they were related to each other. Those around them could see very well their similarities, especially their silver hair and their light blue eyes.


    After dinner, Principal Arthurdane rode his carriage and bid goodbye to them. When he had already left, Ivory helped Anne with cleaning the table and washing the dishes, and Lycus stayed in the living room with Gordon and the kids to listen to Ivory''s childhood stories.


    Lycus learned that she was sickly when she was a child, but she never complained about her life in the countryside. She smiled the brightest whenever they brought her on a walk to the woods, and whenever she peeked at the window to gaze at the moon. She was also very helpful in picking blueberries and acorns for them to sell in Alpharion City. As the eldest child, she acted like a grown adult and was already responsible for taking care of her younger siblings as well.


    As he heard all these from Ivory''s foster father, his admiration towards her grew more. He peeked at the other side of the room and gazed at her as she happily spoke with her mother while tidying the dining room, and a subtle smile escaped from his lips. Deep inside him, he''s excited to get to know her, whom he would be spending the following days with.


    Ivory noticed that there was someone missing, "Where''s Sigmund?"


    "He said he''s just going out for some fresh air," Anne answered. She noticed the crease in her eyebrows, "Don''t worry too much. He''s quite independent and can take care of himself. He''s your Servant, I''m sure he wouldn''t go too far from here."


    Meanwhile, Principal Arthurdane had his coachman park his carriage at the side, just before the main dirt road. He didn''t notice that Sigmund had ridden his carriage beforehand.


    "So, Vampire¡­ Why did you sneak in here? What is it?"


    "I should be the one to ask you that," Sigmund faced him anxiously. "That man is suspicious. Where did he come from?"


    "He''s your Master''s distant relative. As you can see, they look very similar to each other. He eats very well and loves meat just like her. I have no doubts about it."


    "But he''s not a Chosen One, so I couldn''t confirm it with myself. Since he does not have mana, I could not sense his nature. What if he''s a fake?"


    "He came from the Sanctuary of Goddess Destinia where you both came from. I''ve read Priestess Althaia''s letter and she said, that man can help her control her mana."


    "What?!" he couldn''t believe what he was hearing. "But how? He doesn''t even have mana!"


    "I don''t know, but in the letter, the priestess said that he will surely help your Master."


    "I am good at controlling my mana, so why do we need him? I can try to teach her-"


    "Sigmund, you''ve already done a good job in encouraging her. Even though you have taught her most of the basic theories of magic, it''s not enough," Principal Arthurdane turned serious, "I know you''re worried for Miss Sprucemint, but we should try any method that we can-"


    Sigmund still insisted on teaching his Master, but...


    "Stop being stubborn for once, Servant. This is for your Master, and I think the priestess knows about Ivory''s real identity and how to handle her powers. That''s why she sent someone related to her who knows about their clan''s mana. You know how difficult and dangerous it might be for her if she cannot control it properly, right? So you should trust Lycus about this."


    Sigmund rolled his eyes. He didn''t want to trust the silver-haired man who gazed at his Master with so much adoration.


    "Now get out of here, or I''ll call my crow Servant to drop you off at the Sprucemint residence. You''ll love how high he can take you-"


    "I''m going out. Thanks for the offer, but no thanks," he knew that the principal was only kidding.


    Sigmund walked back to Ivory''s house in deep thought. When he arrived at the door, Lycus was standing there, as if waiting for his return, "Where have you been? Lady Ivory has been looking for you."


    "What are you, really?" Sigmund asked as he glared at him.


    "The look of distrust," Lycus chuckled. "I do not care if you trust me or not. Only Lady Ivory''s trust matters the most."


    "How dare you talk back to me, human?" he balled his fists, as if ready to punch him on the face.


    Lycus'' light blue eyes suddenly glowed, and the Vampire Servant was shocked because he sensed the extraordinary mana within him, which was similar to Ivory''s....

 Chapter 75 - "Hickeys Of Possessiveness"

    "You¡­ You liar! You said you weren''t a Chosen One! I know there''s something odd about you!" Sigmund stepped back, and readied himself to cast magic.


    "I am not a Chosen One," Lycus said, his eyes still glowing, "I am-"


    "Sigmund! There you are!" Ivory suddenly yelled through the attic''s window, "Can you do me a favor? Please?"


    The Vampire then raised his brow at Lycus.


    His eyes stopped glowing. "We''ll talk about it next time," Lycus said in a low voice, then walked away towards his rented cabin at the other side of the forest neighborhood.


    Sigmund felt nervous because he was not ready. He was not able to sense his mana before, but all of a sudden, he had it, and it was the first time that the Vampire encountered something outrageous like this. Still confused, he decided to proceed to Ivory''s bedroom. He saw her reading one of the reference scrolls.


    "Sigmund, come closer," Ivory requested, and he did as he was told. She was leaning her back beside the window as she read, "Help me understand this part¡­"


    "What is that about?" he stood in front of Ivory.


    She explained, "About the types of mana¡­ Today, I learned that my real mother was a Royal Knight. So I want to get stronger quickly, but to do that, I need to control my mana- Uhm¡­ Sigmund, what''s wrong?"


    Ivory was startled when Sigmund suddenly gripped her arms and placed his chin on her shoulder. She loosened her grip on the scroll, and it fell on the wooden floor.


    "Sigmund¡­ why-"


    "Sssshh¡­ Let me stay like this for a while," he whispered.


    Ivory didn''t know what to say. When Sigmund transferred his hands from her arms to her waist, she placed her arms around his neck, then stroked his head.


    "Why are you messing my hair?" the Vampire asked.


    "You look sad, so I was trying to comfort you."


    "I''m not a pet," he smirked.


    "Then¡­ how do you want to be comforted?"


    Hearing this, Sigmund felt better and stepped back. He said as his crimson red eyes stared at her amorously, "I want to suck you."


    "Ah, yeah, of course. You need to replenish your mana-"


    But she was interrupted when Sigmund suddenly held her chin. "No, not because I want to replenish my mana."


    Confused, Ivory stared at him blankly. She asked, "What do you mean?"


    "This is what I meant¡­"


    Without further ado, Sigmund placed his lips under Ivory''s chin and sucked it without biting. It sent shivers down Ivory''s spine, and as her Servant did it multiple times - to her neck, shoulders, and finally to her upper chest - she moaned with her soft voice.


    Her seductive moaning caused Sigmund''s thing to bulge under his pants, and as if a lightbulb had just lit over his head, he suddenly suspected why he had desires like a human.


    He paused after realizing what might be the cause of these odd feelings, and why he felt these for his very own Master, even though he''s just a Servant.


    "The¡­ Dark Mana in your normal mana," he uttered. "That must be it¡­ I''ve been consuming the Dark Mana in your blood."


    Ivory was confused once again. After feeling his lips on her skin, he suddenly stopped and talked about something again. She felt a bit uncomfortable because he left her hanging again, like he usually does.


    "If your normal mana is infested by the Dark Mana, then¡­ are you alright? I mean¡­ look at what terrible things Euphorie did. What if you seduce your classmates or something? I want to keep them all away from you-"


    All of a sudden, Ivory placed her arms around his waist, raised her head to face him, then kissed him abruptly. Her light blue eyes glowed as she stared at him, "Don''t worry. If I''m going to seduce someone, it''s only going to be you, Sigmund."


    The Vampire then tried to step back to escape the weird encounter, but she held onto him.


    "Can we talk about the Dark Mana next time? I want you to suck me more," she took off her nightgown, exposing her plain white undies. "Do it."


    Sigmund gulped as he stared at his Master''s voluptuous body. He was attracted to her domineering side as much as her softer side. She was too enticing, but even though he wanted to hold her tight and kiss her more, he tried hard to stop himself.


    "Ivory," he said in a low voice. He turned his eyes away from her, "Stop this. This is all strange, and-"


    "Even though you kissed me back before? And what are you doing now, not even sucking my blood for mana? Don''t tell me it''s strange. It''s obvious that you also like kissing me," Ivory placed both her hands on his cheeks, making them gaze at each other''s eyes. "You said, no secrets, right? I am already revealing everything to you-"


    He pushed her and cornered her on the wall, "Are you really Ivory? Or maybe she''s infested by the Dark Mana-"


    "I am your Master, Ivory Sprucemint. It''s just that¡­ whenever I am in this state, I never lie or hide anything," she looked at him dearly. "Believe me, Sigmund. I kissed you because I love you. Not as a Servant, but as a man."


    Sigmund widened his eyes in her revelation. He repeatedly sensed any trace of the Dark Mana, but she only had the extraordinary mana in her at the moment.


    She wasn''t lying at all.


    He responded, "Ivory. I am only a Servant¡­ and you know the ultimate rule, Servants can''t fall in love."


    "I know."


    "You know, but you still¡­?"


    "Then, how can I stop loving you? If you tell me an effective way, I will stop this nonsense!"


    Sigmund couldn''t find the words to reply to her. He knew it was his fault anyway. Now, he wondered why the hell did he let himself touch her too much? He thought that it would be okay if he could suppress his own feelings, but now that his Master''s feelings for him had surfaced, what should he do?


    Should he reject her and set things right, or should he give in to their forbidden romantic feelings towards each other?


    "I will never do this again," he uttered after thinking about it for a while.


    It occurred in his mind that Goddess Destinia would surely punish anyone who''d do something forbidden. And the banishment of his Vampire Clan and forcing his past Master to return her mana to the Goddess twenty years ago were clear evidence that She could do anything.


    Sigmund took the blanket from the bed, and placed it around his Master.


    When he turned his back on her, Ivory questioned with tears in her eyes, "Why, Sigmund? I am not asking you to return my feelings. Just kiss me, hold me like you usually do. You won''t develop feelings for me anyway, right?"


    The Vampire stood still as he listened to her pleadings while she cried.


    Ivory grabbed his arm, "You don''t have to develop feelings for me. I just want to be with you for as long as I live!"


    "I have my reasons, so don''t make it hard for me," he sternly told her. He removed his arm from her grasp and hastily ran out of the room.. In his mind, it would be better if they would not become lovers than be separated from each other.

 Chapter 76 - "The Broken Trust"

    ¡­


    The next day, early in the morning, Ivory woke up on the floor with only undies on, and the blanket was on her feet. She was shocked when she passed by the mirror, and while looking at the hickeys that Sigmund gave her last night, she turned beet red.


    However, she felt that there was something missing in her memory.


    Feeling a slight headache, she put on her checkered, long-sleeved turtleneck sweater and dark brown linen pants, then hurried to the dining area where she saw Lycus speaking with her parents.


    Ivory greeted them before sitting down, and she noticed that her Servant wasn''t around, "Have you seen Sigmund?"


    "He''s gathering firewood with Gordon," Anne answered. "He said he''ll be back before you go to the academy."


    "Guess what Ivory," Lycus looked at her with a smile on his face. "From now on, I shall attend Qawiun Academy as the principal''s assistant."


    "I see! What will you do then?" she took the sourdough bread from the basket and munched on it.


    A chuckle escaped from him, "Roam around¡­ But I''ll probably follow you wherever you go."


    "It''s like Principal Arthurdane will be paying you to guard me."


    The two of them laughed, and just in time, Sigmund and Gordon returned with a bunch of chopped wood.


    As Sigmund stared blankly at Lycus and Ivory, he felt that his jealousy would eat him up anytime. He hated how Lycus stared at his Master amorously, and he hated the way how his Master smiled at him.


    But he suddenly remembered what happened last night. When he left her in that odd state and ran out to the woods to think about things, he knew he needed to block their feelings for each other.


    Because normally, a Servant like him wouldn''t fall in love with anyone, especially his own Master. It was odd enough that his desires for his Master were too much, and he was already questioning the Goddess who made him immortal.


    What the hell did She do to his life? He almost had the perfect life before the massacre of the Royal Family.


    Twenty years ago, the Goddess assigned him to a great Master. It was Deshanna Fogheart, one of the best Royal Knights of the Silverblade Castle, who was assigned to be in charge of the youngest prince''s security by the old king himself, His Majesty Ulysses Silverblade.


    The prince had a great potential to become a powerful Master even without a Servant to unlock it. At the age of five, the mana locked in him was already seeping through his birthmark on his arm. Unfortunately, it was very painful for his small body to control his mana.


    Because the child''s life would be in danger if they wouldn''t do anything about it, Sigmund became the kid''s private tutor to help him understand more about the mana he held within him. While he spent time with the prince under the King''s request, his Master was outside, training the new knight recruits.


    He remembered he was a normal Servant back then. He never got jealous or too possessive towards his Master. He replenished mana only on his Master''s wrist where her birthmark was located, and sipped only a fair amount just to replenish the mana that was lost.


    He never kissed his Master, and it never crossed his mind for them to be lovers. Yet, they trusted each other very much, making their top quality mana one of the most powerful in the whole kingdom.


    Until one day, Deshanna was asked to investigate a suspicious tavern in Umbria City. Sigmund wanted to come, but the young prince suddenly became ill due to his overflowing, uncontrollable mana. However, being the one who could sense mana types, he was left with the physicians so that there would be a thorough check-up once in while.


    Having no one else available to accompany her, the King asked his Servant to accompany Deshanna. But the two of them didn''t return that night.


    A week later, Sigmund noticed that his Master had been avoiding his eyes, and whenever she and the King spoke, there would be a magic barrier, making him unable to listen to their conversation despite having heightened hearing. It was only after four months that he noticed what his Master was hiding.


    This triggered his rage, but he only remembered making them fall asleep using an Advanced Magic technique in order to speak with the heavily-guarded King Ulysses about his Master''s secret. The Vampire was really sure within himself that he didn''t kill any of them.


    He was dead sure he never used a sword or any weapon to kill them all, and until now, he didn''t know why the whole Vampire Class was banished because of a sin he didn''t remember that he did.


    The next thing he knew, he was already summoned by Ivory in Qawiun Academy. He didn''t know why he wore a warrior''s bloody clothes.


    As soon as he was summoned, he shortly heard Goddess Destinia''s voice, saying that his class and the King''s Servant''s Class were banished. Her voice then dissipated after the summoning circle stopped glowing.


    Because of one secret, the trust that he and his past Master built together for more than three years had shattered. This was the reason why Sigmund never allowed Ivory to keep secrets from him.


    But even though the extraordinary mana, which disabled her from keeping secrets, enveloped her when she told him about her feelings, he got worried more than being happy. It was an eye-opener for him that he remembered how Almighty the Goddess was. She could unsummon him and make Ivory be unchosen anytime She wanted.


    So for the first time, he was relieved that his Master couldn''t remember anything, that she had confessed to him and that he awfully rejected her last night.


    The Vampire tried to pretend that nothing happened, "You just woke up? You should eat faster, else we''re going to be late."


    "Geez, I really need to buy a tabletop alarm clock in Omegalion, but I don''t have money, so-"


    "Who''s fault was it that you can''t afford it now? You bought too much when we were in Prisma City," he started walking upstairs.


    "Don''t worry, before the year ends, I will be able to pay Lucius." She followed him behind, "To do this, I plan to make some wooden beads and sell many bracelets in the marketplace. Help me out and chop some wood, okay?"


    "Maybe, if you stop being such a glutton."


    "You meanie! I''m not a glutton, I just get hungry fast..."


    And their voices faded as they bickered while going upstairs. Lycus asked Ivory''s mother, "Mrs.. Sprucemint, are they always like that? Sigmund doesn''t seem like a Servant to his own Master."

 Chapter 77 - "Raising Suspicions"

    Hearing this, Anne only giggled, then replied, "Ivory said that he''s an independent Servant, who wouldn''t need her orders all the time because he''s an intelligent one. They''re more like... best friends, aren''t they?"


    "Best friends, huh," Lycus nodded. "Indeed. I think their trust towards each other will be unbreakable if they continue to be like that. Unless... something inevitable happens that might test their relationship."


    "Whatever happens, I am sure my daughter will overcome it. I believe in her," she smiled at him, then excused herself as she took the used plates to the sink.


    Moments later, Ivory ran down the stairs. She had changed into a brown long-sleeved maxi dress and boots. A white knitted scarf was also wrapped around her neck.


    "Are you okay? It''s not that cold, but you look like you''re ready for winter, Lady Ivory," Lycus asked when she passed by the front door. He accompanied her to Ebleu''s carriage.


    "This¡­ Ah, I just feel like wearing something different," Ivory stuttered, trying to hide the hickeys that her Vampire Servant left last night due to an unknown reason.


    Sigmund, wanting to interrupt their conversation, asked Lycus, "Hey, this carriage can only bring two people, plus the coachman. So how will you go to the academy?" He stepped forward, gesturing for Ivory to ride the carriage, and she did while he assisted her with his hand.


    "I was just here to see her off," Lycus explained. He knew that the Servant was already suspicious of him, but even though he wanted to fight him off that very moment, he didn''t want to cause a disturbance as it might disappoint Ivory. "The Principal said that he hired a coachman for me."


    "The principal pampers you a lot," he grinned at him. "I wonder what ridiculous things you told the Principal for him to treat a mere guard like you like a noble."


    "Watch your mouth, Servant. Even though I am not a noble, I am still part of Lady Ivory''s pa...family."


    "Now, now, don''t fight, young lads," Ebleu commented after feeling the tension between them. "Sigmund, why don''t you ride? We''re going to be late."


    Sigmund hopped on to the carriage and raised his eyebrows, "We''re off."


    "See you at the academy, Lycus!" Ivory happily waved her hand at him.


    "He looks very similar to you. Your brother?" Ebleu asked as he drove the horse.


    "No, but he''s my relative," Ivory responded. He remembered she never told the old man about it. "I''m actually an orphan, Mister Ebleu. Someone from my blood-related family finally came, and I''m so happy!"


    "I am really happy for you," the old man said with a smile on his face. "But the person next to you seemed to be in a bad mood. His eyebrows furrowed as if he never had his salary."


    Sigmund chuckled, "Old man, you really know how to make me laugh. My only salary is my Master''s mana, and I didn''t receive it yesterday."


    "It''s your fault that you didn''t get any mana from me. Remember? You su-"


    "Oi, are you going to let old man Ebleu hear what happened?"


    She glanced at the old man, who was laughing at them, and she turned quiet.


    "I will miss the both of you," Ebleu told them.


    Ivory asked, "Why, are you going somewhere, Mister Ebleu?"


    "I am going to retire soon."


    "What?! Really?!" Ivory was surprised. The three of them had been going back and forth between the academy and its vicinity, and thinking that he would no longer be their coachman somehow made her lonely.


    "Shouldn''t you be treating us with some booze?" Sigmund suggested jokingly. "We know of a tavern in Betania- Oww!" his Master pinched his arm to stop him from talking.


    She retorted, "No, we''re not going back to Sir Edmond''s tavern, or Betania, to be precise. We''re not fit to be there."


    "We''ve been there a lot of times though, why are you getting shy now?"


    "But we were there because we had no choice- Ah, I suddenly remembered what happened in Sir Edmond''s tavern..." she paused when she remembered her memories there with her beloved Vampire. Quick flashbacks of their first encounters - from the summoning ritual, to the days wherein she tried hard to find him, up to when she saved her family from the fire.  It was nostalgic; she already had a lot of adventures with him and that he had been there for her through thick and thin.


    But she thought that he did it because she''s his Master. Even though he''s stubborn, he still protects her, because it''s his responsibility.


    "You should forget those useless things," Sigmund said indifferently as if his mood turned sour.


    Ivory stared at her Servant''s side profile. He seemed to have troubles, as if something weighed on his mind. "Sigmund. Are you alright?"


    He raised his brow.


    "Something is off with you, but I don''t know what it is."


    Sigmund sighed, "Don''t bother asking. You''ll regret it if I tell you what''s bothering me. Now, keep quiet."


    Ivory peered at him suspiciously before she looked straight ahead. She didn''t know what he meant and why he had been acting a bit distant.


    Usually, when they ride the horse-drawn carriage, he would place his arm around her and let her rest on his shoulder to sleep for a little while. But, at that moment, she had observed that he crossed his arms and had been avoiding her eyes.


    When they arrived at Qawiun Academy, they proceeded to the classroom. There, Lucius was leaning by the window and reading a scroll. The other students, like Arcea, were reading their own scrolls as well on their seats.


    "Good morning!" Ivory happily approached Lucius.


    Lucius gave a smile to her, "Ivory, it''s been a while. I''m glad that you''re finally back."


    "What''s up? Why are you all reading?"


    "Oh, you were away, so you didn''t know," Lucius replied, then gave his scroll to Ivory. "Today is a half day written examination."


    "Written examination?!" Ivory widened her eyes in shock. "About what?"


    "About basic magic techniques. Magic theories, elemental magic, mana control¡­ everything that was lectured to us since first year."


    "Really? You''re not kidding?"


    Lucius nodded, "It''s true. Someone from the Silverblade Castle came yesterday, and it was said that Crown Prince Jirou wanted to recruit the best students for his three-week journey around the Kingdom next month. You can borrow my notes. You should read some before Adviser Titus comes."


    "Yes, thank you!" and she went to her seat to read the reference scroll.


    Sigmund leaned on the wall beside Lucius. He told him discreetly,"So many things happened in the Land of Rosaria."


    "What happened?" he responded as he looked at him curiously.


    "We went to- Wait. Shouldn''t you be studying right now as well?"


    Lucius chuckled, "I already studied last night, do not worry. Please continue."


    Sigmund told him that his friend, Preston Bronzelain, helped them a lot during their stay in Valios City. He also mentioned that Ivory went inside the Sanctuary of Goddess Destinia.


    But he didn''t mention about the Dark Mana because of his Master''s instruction that it was a confidential matter.


    "And so, the principal told me that it was the Priestess of the Sanctuary that sent Ivory''s relative here¡­"


    "Ivory''s relative? Then that person can help Ivory to control her mana."


    Sigmund then said in a serious expression, "I still do not trust the man. He said he''s not a Chosen One, but those glowing light blue eyes and that nature of his mana that I sensed¡­ it''s like Ivory''s mana."


    Lucius tried to analyze the situation like a puzzle, but he knew some things were still missing.


    "You should know this, Ivory is acting oddly whenever she''s enveloped by her extraordinary mana. She''s¡­ how do I say this¡­ she''s very frank. She even slapped her sister Katie in that state, but if she''s not enveloped by that mana, I don''t think she''d have the guts to do it."


    "I see. How about I investigate that man through my father''s connections¡­ What''s his name?"


    "Lycus- Oh, he''s here."


    By the door, Lycus came peeking to search for Ivory, while the girls who saw him got distracted because of his looks. His silver hair was tied in a half-up, half-down hairstyle, and he was cladded in a low v-neck long-sleeved top and black dress pants. He was also wearing a black turtlenecked coat with golden embroidery on the shoulder.


    "That''s him?" Lucius asked Sigmund. "I''m amazed. He looks so much like Ivory."


    "He is, but he''s still suspicious. Like he''s hiding something from us¡­" When they met eyes, Lycus nodded his head at him, but the Vampire glared at him..


    "Sigmund, now that Ivory''s true family is here... It makes me think¡­ only a few knew of your existence and real identity, that you aren''t a real Spirit Servant. What if her family learned that she summoned a banished Vampire Servant? What if they let Ivory become unchosen to protect their reputation-"


    He shook his head, "I know that she wouldn''t let me be unsummoned.. After all, she said that¡­ she wants to be with me for as long as she lives."

 Chapter 78 - "Masters Short Answer"

    Adviser Titus came in, bringing a box of scrolls, which he placed on the desk in front. The students panicked, especially Ivory who had not studied anything at all. She took a quick glance once more at Lucius'' reference scroll before returning it to him. Unfortunately, she had only read three paragraphs.


    Then came in Principal Arthurdane, and behind him was Lycus. There was a sudden ruckus among the students as soon as the handsome man steppen in their classroom.


    "This person is Lycus, my new assistant. He will be observing this class today and will be assisting your adviser in proctoring the exam."


    Lycus gave a sweet smile to everyone.


    "I feel like I can have a perfect score if a handsome man like him will proctor us," Arcea muttered, and the classmates nearby who heard her, laughed.


    Principal Arthurdane said his goodbyes and exited the room, and Lycus helped the class adviser to distribute the blank scrolls afterwards.


    "Alright, all Servants are to be placed in inactive mode or should stay in the hallway. Students, put away your reference scrolls and bring out your quill and ink now," Titus said, and they all followed.


    Sigmund and the others walked out of the room, but he took a quick glance at his Master who looked very troubled with the upcoming test.


    After distributing all the scrolls, Lycus then walked over to the back of the classroom, smiling at Ivory when he passed by.


    The adviser took a look at his pocket watch and told them, "The Crown Prince''s special written examination will start now."


    Everybody opened their scroll, but found nothing.


    "Sir¡­ My scroll is blank," Arcea told him, and the others also raised their hand, indicating that they received the same blank scrolls.


    "I''m going to write one question here on the black board," he said, then went in front to write the question.


    The students of Blue Gem class got nervous as the sound of the screeching chalk could be heard in the whole room. They wondered how hard the mysterious question was that they let them study everything they learned from their first year.


    When Adviser Titus was finished writing the question on the board, he faced them and said, "This is the question that Crown Prince Jirou wanted to ask¡­"


    On the black board, it said, "From all the lessons that you have learned in Qawiun Academy, pick the top three which you are the best and explain the theories closely related to it."


    "Yes, you are all reading it right," Adviser Titus said as he fixed his eyeglasses, "You have until the lunch break to write your answers. I want you all to explain everything in detail as much as you can. In the afternoon, the Crown Prince will visit and he would personally be selecting the students who would join him in his tour next month. Mister Lycus, please look after them for me, I have to go to the principal for a short while."


    Everyone started dipping their quills into the inks and wrote their names. Most of them started writing about the four elements, while a few had not yet written any answer as they were not sure what to write, like Ivory.


    While Lucius and Arcea had been writing their responses nonstop, Ivory paused after writing her name. She placed down the quill and leaned on her seat, and crossed her arms, staring at her scroll.


    ''The principal was in our house last night, but he didn''t tell me anything about this examination. Ugh, I feel like I''ve forgotten everything I learned during the first year!'' thought Ivory, and she tried to remember at least one.


    Lycus, seeing Ivory thinking hard about what to answer, walked towards her and said in a soft voice after he lowered his head, "Don''t answer it. If you get selected, I do not know what I''d tell your father."


    Ivory was surprised to hear this from her long-lost relative. She wondered what he meant by it. Should he be cheering for her?


    In the hallway, Sigmund stared at his Master by the door. Even though Lycus said it discreetly, he heard him because of his heightened hearing. He continued to listen to their conversation.


    Lycus whispered to her, "Avoid anyone from the Silverblade Castle for now. It''s not yet the right time. It''s the reason why the Principal didn''t tell you about it. So don''t answer anything or answer the examination wrongly."


    While he neared in close to her, the students wondered what he was doing. They suspected him of saying the answers to her, but what they noticed the most was their similar appearance - fair skin, light blue colored irises, and silver hair.


    Because their Adviser Titus was not yet around, Arcea had the guts to ask, "Mister, are you¡­ related to Ivory? You look really, really alike."


    "I am her distant relative," he smiled, and the girls squealed, while the boys listened quietly to the interesting revelation.


    Arcea got overly excited, "Ivory, you have such a hot relative! Why didn''t you tell me about him?"


    "I actually just found out about it yesterday," she told her.


    "We''re having an examination at the moment. Will you please keep quiet?" someone angrily said, and Arcea and Ivory apologized.


    "I apologize as well, I was a bit impatient. I was just asking her what she would like for lunch¡­ Please continue your test, I will be quietly watching you," he gave a quick glance and nodded at Ivory before he walked around the room slowly and peeked at the other students'' desks.


    Sigmund observed his Master if she would answer anything. After a few minutes, she took her quill once again and wrote something really short.


    When it was time for lunch, Adviser Titus returned, and he collected all the scrolls. He told them that the rest of the afternoon would be self-study time because all the academy staff and the Educators would be busy for the Crown Prince''s arrival.


    As soon as the class adviser and Lycus exited the room to drop off the scrolls to the faculty office, they got all noisy, asking each other of their answers. The Servants also returned to their Master''s side.


    Ivory, Lucius, and Arcea talked about the examination.


    "I feel like I squeezed my brain dry," Arcea commented as she massaged her own hand. "I just said I specialize in close combat, then wrote about speed, accuracy, and other stuff. What about you two? What did you write?"


    "I wrote about magic. And the theories related to incorporating the elements into one''s weapon," Lucius said in confidence.


    "You are highly likely to join the prince, Lucius. Aside from your great potential as a Master, you are General Goldwine''s son, so you might have inherited his greatness," Ivory uttered.


    "I would say the same for you. You have greatly improved since we reached our second year," Lucius said, but he saw her shake her head.


    "I didn''t do well on the written test."


    Arcea curiously asked, "Why? What was your answer?"


    "I wrote ''I''m not good at anything. I sincerely apologize''."


    "What?! Are you crazy?!" she yelled, "Even though you were absent these past few days, the question is answerable at least for someone who finished the first year. You missed this wonderful chance!"


    "Well, it''s not like I''d get expelled, right?" Ivory chuckled, "It''s alright. Besides, traveling around the kingdom would be tiresome."


    "Hmm, I just noticed something. Your Servant has been frowning since a while ago," Arcea told Ivory.


    "Why don''t you mind your own business? That curiosity and loud mouth of yours will be the cause of your doom someday," the Vampire said as he looked at her with disdain.


    "Why you-"


    Ivory stepped in the middle of them, "I apologize on behalf of my Servant."


    "Your Spirit Servant is the most stubborn Servant I have ever encountered. I can still remember those times when you were going out to find him because he ran away during the summoning ritual. Are you sure you''re alright having him around you? I mean¡­ Is he even following your orders?" Arcea asked Ivory out of concern.


    She nodded in response to it, "Sigmund is the best. I don''t know what I''d do without him, you know."


    Hearing this, Sigmund felt happy deep inside. For him, it''s better to be with Ivory as a mere Servant, than to be punished, unsummoned, and be away from her. He tried to keep their relationship as platonic as he could if it''s the only way to be with her.


    They all went to the academy eatery, and Lycus joined them after his assistance to Titus. After eating their lunch, it was announced that Crown Prince Jirou Dragonicus had arrived.


    The twenty-eight year old prince had fair skin, charcoal black hair, and piercing medium blue eyes. He was cladded in a collard blue military uniform with golden linings and a golden braid. His blue-eyed black dragon Beast Servant, in its inactive, smaller form of only twelve inches tall, rested on his shoulder.


    Ignoring the attention that he was having, he directly went to Principal Arthurdane''s office to check the students'' answers.


    "Your Highness, we prepared lime pie for you," the principal said courteously. "Would you like it to be partnered with green tea, or black coffee-"


    "What the hell is this answer?! How dare this student take my special examination as a joke!" the prince banged the table with his fists, after seeing a few words from a certain scroll.


    It said, ["I''m not good at anything. I sincerely apologize."]


    "Who''s this student?" Prince Jirou showed the scroll and pointed to her name.


    "Who would dare anger you, sir?" Principal Arthurdane took a peek at the scroll, "Oh. She''s-"


    "Nobody should mess with me, and I''ll make her realize it," the Crown Prince said in an authoritative tone, "Bring her here. I shall punish this woman."

 Chapter 79 - "Underneath Her Scarf"

    Meanwhile, in the classroom, Lycus was surrounded by Ivory''s female classmates. Even those who were from the other classes and years had come to see him.


    "So, uhm, Sir Lycus, where did you come from?" one of the girls from the other classroom asked.


    "From Valios City in the Land of Rosaria," Lycus answered with a smile.


    Arcea then asked, "Are you a Chosen One? What''s your Servant''s Class?"


    "Well, I am not a Chosen One. Apologies if I am not what you expected me to be."


    "Oh, we like you even if you can''t do magic!"


    "Yes, that''s right!"


    While the girls were so invested with the new guy at the academy, Ivory, Sigmund, and Lucius were looking from afar.


    "Is there anyone who even studies at self-study time?" Lucius chuckled. "These girls¡­ They even went here to see your relative, Ivory. What can you say about it?"


    "If I were a man, I''d be as handsome as Lycus," she responded, and they laughed about it, while Sigmund narrowed his eyes on the silver haired man.


    The Vampire Servant was observing him, if he would sense the extraordinary mana once again. But hearing that he insisted that he''s no Master, he deduced that he might have a big reason why he hid that he could use magic.


    The sudden barging in of Principal Arthurdane startled everyone, and those who were surrounding Lycus made way for the principal. Seeing the academy''s highest ranking staff, those who belonged to other classes and years ran out of the room, while those who belonged to Blue Gem section immediately sat on their assigned seats.


    The principal hurried towards Ivory and said in a panicking expression, "Miss Sprucemint¡­ You''re in trouble."


    Lycus also approached them when he saw his worried face.


    Ivory gaped in surprise, "What do you mean, sir? Is it because of my absence for two days?"


    The Principal saw how his presence drew too much attention in the room. He casted a magic barrier around them so that they wouldn''t hear their conversation. He then told Ivory, "It''s about your answer in the written examination a while ago. The Crown Prince is angry that you did not think of any answer."


    "But Principal, my answer is what is really on my mind. I was away for quite some time, so I can''t think straight."


    Principal Arthurdane lowered his voice and told her, "The Crown Prince felt disrespected, and now he''s furious. He wants to punish you, but I do not know how he would do it."


    "I should teach that punk a lesson. Take me with you," Sigmund told Ivory, but he saw the principal shake his head.


    Principal Arthurdane whispered to Sigmund, "Do you want your cover to be blown? What if he noticed your behavior?" he stepped back and looked at them seriously. "I suggest Miss Sprucemint should go alone."


    "If I am not allowed to come, let Lycus come with her at least," the Vampire suggested because he had no other choice, but he was shocked that even Lycus shook his head in refusal.


    "Apologies, but¡­ I have to avoid anyone from the Silverblade Castle because of my circumstances¡­"


    "What? And here I thought you can be useful-" he stopped speaking when Ivory touched his shoulder and squeezed it subtly.


    Ivory smiled at her annoyed Servant, "It''s okay, Sigmund. I will explain that I was away for a personal reason and I had not recalled the theories, that''s why I had not answered properly. I will apologize to the Crown Prince sincerely."


    "Stay here, Sigmund and Lycus¡­" Principal Arthurdane turned his head to Lucius. "You are Ivory''s most trusted friend, Sir Goldwine. Please come with us. I am a bit nervous about this encounter even though I''m the principal."


    Lucius nodded. "I shall assist you in any way I can."


    The principal had left the barrier for Lycus and Sigmund, then asked the students not to disturb the two as they conversed by the window. The three of them proceeded to the principal''s office.


    "Should we really stay here?" Sigmund asked Lycus. "I have a bad feeling about that prince."


    "Me too, but what can I do? I''m a wanted person who escaped the castle prison."


    "What¡­ What did you say?" He widened his eyes in shock. "You''re a fugitive?"


    "Didn''t you see my sketch with the border guards?" he let Sigmund take a look at the scar on his neck by sliding down the collar of his cloak.


    "So that man¡­ I didn''t recognize you. Your hair was all over your face, and you looked like you haven''t bathed for years," he crossed his arms while his head was tilted to the side. "But how did a fugitive like you become Ivory''s relative? Tell me honestly¡­ Did something bad happen to her family?"


    "Yes, you are right. Something unfortunate happened to our family¡­ But Lady Ivory had the worst experience. Being the only daughter of the head of our family, she was already being hunted when she was still a baby. Good thing the General helped us hide her."


    "The General? Who among the three Generals of the Kingdom are you referring to?" asked Sigmund out of curiosity.


    "General Goldwine."


    Meanwhile, Ivory knelt down in front of the Crown Prince as soon as she entered the office. She bowed her head, "I sincerely apologize, Your Highness. I was away from school for a while, as I was dealing with some personal matters¡­ I deeply apologize for my incompetence. My mind got blank, and I-"


    "Stop talking," Prince Jirou stared at Ivory''s head. "I''m not asking for an excuse."


    Ivory pursed her lips. She was intimidated by the Crown Prince''s authoritative tone.


    "Why is Mr. Goldwine here? I don''t recall telling you to bring him here."


    The principal tried to explain, "Ah, Your Highness, I-"


    "I insisted on coming, Your Highness. I am Miss Sprucemint''s closest friend, and I am worried about her."


    "Worried about what? You think I''d drag her to the guillotine and behead her in front of the crowd?" Prince Jirou laughed hysterically. "Am I that cruel in your eyes?"


    "Apologies, I am just-"


    "Hush, stop talking. Now, I want to speak with this insolent student," the prince stood up from the sofa and raised her chin up to forcibly look into his ocean blue eyes. "You¡­"


    "Your Highness, what are you doing?" Lucius asked and was about to approach them, but the principal stopped him.


    He whispered, "Sir Goldwine, please try not to anger him."


    "But he touched her-"


    "On a closer look, I think you have an exquisite beauty?," he grinned and offered his hand, "Stand up."


    "How can I ask for you to help me stand up, I am merely a peasant," Ivory humbly said.


    "It''s a royal order. Take my hand and stand up."


    She wouldn''t want to anger him once again, so she took his hand and stood up. She was then asked to sit on the sofa in front of him.


    The prince also said, "Don''t be afraid. I am very kind to beautiful ladies," he chuckled. "I want to get to know you better. What does the Sprucemint family do?"


    "Uhm-"


    "Your Highness, I believe this is not related to the matter at hand. Please do not ask her too personal questions," Lucius uttered, and the principal had not stopped him in time.


    "I am not doing anything wrong. I am trying to find out why her answer was like that."


    His black dragon Beast Servant in its smaller state suddenly flew in front of Lucius'' face and made him startled.


    Prince Jirou laughed, "If you speak once again, you leave me with no choice but to make my Beast Servant in its active state and destroy this room¡­ starting from your face."


    Lucius could only clench his fists, while Principal Arthurdane sighed. He was mad at himself that he''s the principal of the academy, but he had no power over the man who''s the future king of their kingdom.


    "Now, Ivory," he didn''t care if he was overly familiar with her, but he liked to call her name as if they''re close, "What do your family do?"


    "We gather firewood, harvest blueberries and acorns, then sell these to Alpharion City."


    "I see. What a humble and decent family background," the prince couldn''t help but smile. For him, Ivory was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen - those striking light blue eyes made him feel like he was staring at the moon, while her facial features seemed to fit for a princess. "What if I offer you to be my concubine- no, I I think with your beauty you deserve to be my Queen? Don''t worry about your family background-"


    "Apologies, Your Highness!" she suddenly slipped down the sofa to kneel once again.


    "You¡­ You dare refuse the Crown Prince of Your Kingdom?!" Prince Jirou stood up. In anger, he pulled her scarf, and he was shocked to see the numerous hickeys she had underneath!

 Chapter 80 - "Overbearing Crown Prince"

    "These are¡­!" Prince Jirou took a closer look at the marks on Ivory''s neck. "These are hickeys!"


    Principal Arthurdane and Lucius looked at each other in surprise, then approached her to see if it was true, and they had confirmed it.


    "No, these are¡­ scars from when I was in a battle-"


    "Don''t fool me! These are obviously hickeys! Are these caused by your lover?"


    "No, Your Highness, I don''t have a lover-"


    "If you don''t have a lover, how the hell did you have those? Do you think I''m a fool?!" his voice turned louder. "You dare lie to the Crown Prince of the kingdom where you live in?! Should I bring you with me to the castle and lock you up in prison until you tell the truth?!"


    Lucius suddenly stepped between them, "Your Highness! These are scars from when she and I sparred! The fireball that I made scattered into small pieces towards her, that''s why she had those burn marks!"


    Ivory briefly met Lucius'' eyes. While he smiled at her, she couldn''t help but have tears in her eyes. If Lucius wasn''t there with her, she didn''t know how to make the prince believe her lie.


    Crown Prince Jirou narrowed his eyes on Lucius. He was observing him if he had any hint of hesitation, but seeing him look straight into his eyes, he deduced gave up.


    "Then¡­ I shall send an effective ointment for you to use. You wouldn''t refuse my kind offer, right?"


    "I am grateful for your kindness!" Ivory bowed her head.


    Principal Arthurdane sighed in relief, and the prince noticed this.


    Prince Jirou faced him, "You, as the principal, should check all your students'' well-being. Make sure to restock all the medicines in your clinic."


    "A-apologies, I will make sure that we have every medicine on stock, Your Highness!"


    "And you, Sir Lucius Goldwine. How can you let a beautiful lady like her get all those burn scars!"


    Lucius apologized as well.


    Ivory was told to stand up, and she said, "Please blame me, I was not careful enough to avoid the... flames."


    Prince Jirou smirked, "You should have more experience in field work, then," he faced the principal. "I''ve decided, I will take Miss Sprucemint with me next month."


    "But sir, she didn''t do well in her examination. It will be unfair to the other students who did their best," the principal pleaded.


    Lucius added, "Your Highness, Sir Arthurdane is right. Besides, she might only hold your group back if she isn''t familiar with the magic theories-"


    "Why do you insist for her not to come with me?" the prince raised his brow, suspicious of the two. "Now, I feel like she didn''t answer the question properly¡­ on purpose."


    The office suddenly became quiet. Everyone was thinking of what to say next.


    But then, it was the prince who broke the silence. He grabbed Ivory''s hand, and gazed amorously into her eyes. "You are forgiven, but¡­" he kissed the back of her hand, then continued, "I have decided. I want you to go with me next month on my three-week travel. Not as a student of Qawiun Academy, but as my guest."


    "Your Highness¡­ I don''t get it."


    "I don''t care if you aren''t well-versed in magic theories, or if you aren''t a good fighter. I won''t require you to guard the group. Just accompany me. That''s all."


    Afterwards, Crown Prince Jirou took the remaining scrolls with him, his black dragon Beast Servant flew back to his shoulder, and he bid goodbye to them. He told them before leaving that he would be reading the answers in the castle and send a messenger soon to announce those who were selected.


    As soon as the prince left, the principal announced that all classes would be dismissed for the day, even though it was only early in the afternoon. He then called for an emergency meeting with Ivory, Lucius, Sigmund, and Lycus to his office, and just like what he did before, he placed a magic barrier around the room so that nobody would hear them.


    "It''s my fault. The plan backfired," said Lycus, who gave an apologetic look. "The best move was not giving the wrong answer. The best solution was not to submit any answer."


    "Don''t blame yourself. I am also at fault. I should have checked Miss Sprucemint''s answer first before I gave all of them to the prince," said Principal Arthurdane.


    Sigmund said in an angry tone, "I wish I went there when she met that punk. How dare he let you kneel that long. I don''t care if he''s next in line to the throne, I''ll kick his ass!"


    "Uhm! This is my fault¡­ It''s because I¡­" Ivory clenched her fists and got teary-eyed. "I am incompetent as a Master, and-"


    "No, I don''t think that''s it, Ivory," Lucius interrupted when he saw her disappointed expression. "Crown Prince Jirou was just smitten by your beauty."


    Lycus told her, "Yes, Lady Ivory, it''s not that you''re incompetent. It''s just that¡­ the prince''s weakness is beautiful women."


    Then the principal asked, "But those marks on your neck, Miss Sprucemint... Did you really get that from Sir Lucius'' attack?"


    "Uhm¡­" she took a quick glance at Sigmund, and caught him looking at her. She turned beet red, then avoided his eyes.


    "It''s true. Those are burn marks," Lucius quickly responded when he saw the two of them stealing glances at each other. He went in front of Ivory and fixed her scarf. He whispered to her. "You owe me," he smiled, and then stood beside Sigmund.


    The Vampire Servant uttered, "Why did you¡­"


    "I don''t want to see my closest friend cry in despair and loneliness if she lost you," Lucius explained to him discreetly. The two of them started conversing on their own as Ivory, Lycus, and Principal Arthurdane talked about the crown prince.


    "I do not want to part from her, so I chose not to pursue these feelings for her." Sigmund crossed his arms and stared at his Master amorously. "So I will not confess, but I do not know how to avoid being possessive over her. I get crazy especially when men flock to her."


    He raised his brow, "A Servant like you shouldn''t have any human desires, and I know you know that. What is going on?"


    "I want to know as well,"  the Vampire Servant shrugged. "Everything''s a mess, and I do not know what to investigate first."


    "I will help you. I''ll go to Omegalion''s public library and ask for old reference scrolls."


    Lycus had explained to all of them that he was a fugitive, and that Ivory''s family members were all hiding from the castlemen. He insisted that they need to do something to prevent her from being close to any one of the Dragonicus royal family. Especially King Yama, who knew a lot about Ivory''s family and relatives.


    "The truth is, it was King Yama who ordered all of Lady Ivory''s family to be captured. There are several of us inside the prison, and those who escaped and were not caught, like Priestess Althaia, hid in the Sanctuary of Goddess Destinia."


    "So the priestess is my relative¡­ Maybe that''s why she kept on saying that I am one of them," Ivory uttered.  "But what happened, why are we being targeted?"


    "It has something to do with the massacre of the Royal Family twenty years ago."


    Sigmund''s eyebrow twitched upon hearing this. He silently listened closely.


    "The truth is, King Yama committed treason. He''s no hero," he explained, and the others were too shocked with this revelation to say anything. "And your father, Lady Ivory, was the one who protected the late king Ulysses Silverblade until his death."


    "So this means¡­ we were serving the wrong King all along?" the principal voiced out.


    Lycus nodded. "And we plan on returning the throne to the rightful owner¡­ Someone with the blood of the Silverblade clan."


    Principal Arthurdane responded, "But nobody from their clan survived the massacre¡­ So who are you referring to?"


    "The youngest son of the late king¡­ He''s alive, but he''s hiding himself from everyone. Finding him is what our other relatives are doing right now."


    Hearing that the child he tutored before was still alive, Sigmund felt relieved. But, he also knew that he might resent him if he still did not know the truth about the death of his family.


    Meanwhile, before the prince departed the Land of Olivea, he called a border guard to speak with him for a short while.


    "I have a secret task for you," Prince Jirou took a bag of silver coins and gave them to the man. "I want to know more about a woman named Ivory Sprucemint."


    The guard happily received the bag of coins, then he said, "I''m at your service, Your Highness. What particular information about her would you like to know?"


    "Everything, starting from her family, her hobbies, her favorites, and also her Servant. And I especially want you to look into her relationship with General Goldwine''s son¡­ starting from when they first met."


    "I shall look into it, sir," and then, the guard left.


    The carriage started moving once again. As Prince Jirou gazed outside the window, he kept on thinking about who the hell made those marks on the woman whom he just had an interest with.


    Burn marks from a fireball''s scattered flames? Judging by the direction of the projectile which was most probably linear, how the hell did these leave a mark under her chin?


    And why did Lucius Goldwine cover up a lie for her? Was he her secret lover, or were they hiding anything else?


    He knew that Ivory''s marks weren''t burn scars, but kiss marks. And he would not stop until he knew who did it to her. He furrowed his eyebrows and thought that whoever did it, he''d make sure to make that person be killed, so he could have her all for himself.

 Chapter 81 - "Prove To Me That You Dont Hate Me, Sigmund"

    The night fell, and Ivory just had dinner with her family. Lycus asked her to come with him to his house to talk about her mana and to let her be more familiarized with it. The curious Sigmund followed them, but then he was asked to stay outside by the door and wait for his Master.


    Sigmund agreed, and when the two went inside, a smirk escaped from his lips. ''Lycus thinks I won''t hear it? He really thought I was a Spirit Servant. I guess he isn''t that impressive,'' he thought.


    Lycus'' house was decorated nicely with paintings hanging on the walls. The dining area had cushioned chairs while the living area had two single armchairs. There was even a cast iron wood heater and a lute placed at the corner of the living room.


    Ivory was made to sit on one of the armchairs in the living room while Lycus sat cross-legged on the wooden floor as he poked the fire. He told her, "Have you ever wondered what your mana nature is?"


    She leaned on the soft backrest of the armchair, enjoying the coziness she was feeling at his home, and he looked at Lycus with curiosity as the flames reflected in her eyes.


    He said, "Priestess Althaia said that you have two different types of mana. One from our kind, which you inherited from your father, and the other one was from your mother."


    To keep Sigmund''s identity as a Vampire Servant who could sense her two manas, she instead said, "Sigmund said that I healed myself, but I couldn''t remember what I did."


    "The mana you inherited from your father is a very special kind. To be able to control it fully, you have to know first the unique abilities you can do with it. One of these is healing¡­ under the presence of the moon."


    "Healing under the presence of the moon?" her brows creased. "What do you mean?"


    He glanced at her, "Our clan''s mana enables us to use our healing abilities, but only at night, Lady Ivory."


    Ivory gaped in awe. She was speechless and for a short while, it was only the sound of the crackling, burning wood that could be heard in the room.


    Lycus then added, "You can heal yourself, and you can heal other people using that mana. But please remember to keep this a secret, because if someone from the castle knows about your healing abilities, they will lock you up in the castle prison."


    She nodded, "I will be careful. But¡­ uhm, I can tell this to my Servant, right?"


    He shook his head, "I''m afraid I''d like you to keep this from him for now. I will tell you when to say it to him."


    "Oh, but he-" she was about to say that Sigmund could already hear by the door because of his heightened hearing, fortunately, she stopped herself. She instead asked, "But do you know why I can''t remember anything when I use that mana?"


    "The mana is too powerful for you to control at this moment. That''s the reason why instead of you controlling it, your mana overpowers you by surfacing your inner desires. That''s why you become a frank, honest and fearless person," Lycus explained it to her clearly and calmly.


    "I see. That''s why I slapped Katie hard! Gaaaah!" she yelled in frustration, then took the small pillow beside her and hugged it, lowering her head to cover her face. "I don''t want things like that to happen anymore. Poor Katie, she must have felt that I hated her."


    Lycus reached out for her hand, "At that time, you must have felt really disheartened. You love her as a sister and showed that you cared for her, yet she shoved you away like a beggar."


    Ivory listened to him intently and felt reassured with his words. A subtle smile formed on her lips beneath the pillow when he squeezed her hand gently.


    "Don''t worry though, what surfaced was your anger at that moment, but that doesn''t necessarily mean that deep inside, you''ll be angry at her forever."


    Ivory raised her head and glanced at him, "You''re right¡­ She kicked me, so I¡­ snapped."


    Lycus chuckled, "I could imagine your fierceness, Lady Ivory."


    She shook her head sideways, "Uhm, so... can you teach me how I can control this mana? I don''t want to let it happen again."


    "That''s why I am here, not only to guard you, but also to help you control it."


    She smiled sweetly at him, "Thank you. And... I''ve been wanting to ask, aren''t you a Chosen One? Where''s your Servant?"


    But Lycus only chuckled. "I can''t tell you what I am, but I am your family. I have the same mana as you and your father, but I do not have a Servant."


    She gave a puzzled expression, "But if you''re not a Chosen One, why do you have mana? Is it¡­ related to the Dark Mana?"


    "No, it isn''t. Do not worry," he gave a kind smile, "I want to tell you the secret of our true identity, but it''s not yet the right time. Until your father, His Eminence, says so, I do not have the right to make a move without his consent."


    "I see¡­ Then I have to wait," Ivory sighed.


    She was excited to know more about herself, but Lycus told her that it would be too dangerous for now. He then told her that he needed to teach her how to fully control her mana, and before their conversation ended, he informed her that they would start their actual training tomorrow night in the woods.


    Soon after, Ivory stepped out of the house. She was excited to learn more about her power/mana, but at the same time, there was a feeling of dissatisfaction as if something was still missing.


    Seeing this, Sigmund asked, "What''s wrong? What did he say about your mana?" he furrowed his eyebrows in worry, "I didn''t notice that punk made a barrier before we even came, so I was not able to hear anything."


    "He must have known that you like eavesdropping," Ivory joked. But seeing what she said only put him in a worse mood, she quickly apologized. "I forgot you dislike having sound barriers against you."


    The Vampire kept quiet as he was in a sour mood until the two of them reached their house, then the attic bedroom.


    "It''s been a long day, and I''m so tired," Ivory took a quick bath, changed into her peach ruffled long-sleeved night dress, then hopped onto the bed.


    "Hey you bird brain. Dry your hair first before you sleep. You''ll catch a cold," Sigmund uttered. He took a dry towel from the shelf, forced Ivory to sit up straight, and dried his Master''s hair starting from the scalp. He gently squeezed the strands and the tips of her hair.


    She blushed with her Servant''s action, and it definitely made her heart flutter. He did feel distant, as if he was avoiding skinship with her, but as he helped her dry her hair, she felt better. Tears formed in her eyes, and as if she was holding it back since early that day, she suddenly broke down and cried.


    "Hey! What''s the matter?!" The Vampire Servant''s eyes widened in confusion. He cupped her chin and gazed at her reddened cheeks, "Why are you crying?"


    "I¡­ I thought you hated me¡­" Ivory mumbled, wiping the tears which were streaming down her face. "I feel like you hated being close to me today."


    Sigmund felt guilty. He cursed the extraordinary mana that his Master had, and why it had to make her not remember anything she did as she was enveloped by its power. Wanting her to stop crying, he wiped her tears with his thumb and tucked her soft and silky hair behind her ear, "Stop it, why will I hate being close to you?! I need your blood and your mana."


    Ivory continued sobbing. In frustration, she looked at him with puppy eyes and said, "Then, Sigmund¡­ can¡­ can you prove it to me¡­ that you do not hate me?" Her voice was frail, but Sigmund could clearly hear what she was saying.


    He paused for a while as he stared at his crying Master who he thought looked extremely cute, especially that she was pursing her trembling lips.


    "Fine," he muttered. He rubbed her lower lip with his thumb before pulling her into an embrace. "Here. Stop crying, goddammit!"


    Slowly, Ivory stopped sobbing. She put her arms around his waist and embraced him very tightly. "I feel like I did something bad yesterday¡­ You never left me lying on the floor at night. It was the first time it happened."


    He sighed and patted her back gently, "You''re right. You really did something bad."


    Ivory pulled away from the embrace, "What do you mean?" she gazed into her Servant''s crimson red irises. Realizing that he was not joking, she worriedly asked, "Oh no, what did I do?"

 Chapter 82 - "The Never-ending Game Of Hide And Seek"

    "You confessed to me¡­ and kissed me."


    "No way!!" Ivory quickly moved backwards, turning beet red, "Why¡­ Why will I confess to you!? And why the heck will I kiss you!? You must be lying!! That''s too much!!" she was taken aback by the sudden revelation. At the back of her mind, she was not yet ready to confess!


    Sigmund chuckled, "Why are you asking me, dimwit?! You were the one who initiated it, not me! And do you even know that it''s not the first time you kissed me?"


    "What? When did I-"


    "When you tried the Conversion Magic at the back of your house," he explained, "You told me that you wanted me, then you kissed me."


    "In your dreams!" she retorted.


    The Vampire Servant noticed that she was blushing. He knew that her feelings for her were true, but since he already decided not to tell her that he felt the same, he told her, "I will forget about what you did, so let''s not get awkward with each other. It can develop distrust between us, which will lower the quality of your mana. I do not want that to happen, Ivory."


    Ivory just nodded, but deep inside, she was disheartened. She thought that Sigmund is a Servant, that''s why he couldn''t feel the same way towards her.


    Little did she know that he already had feelings for her despite knowing the fact that he shouldn''t. He''s trying hard to fight his feelings for her, and he''s afraid that if they become lovers, Goddess Destinia would separate them.


    It''s like the two were playing hide and seek. But how will they find each other when both of them are hiding?


    "I feel better now that I told you about it," Sigmund grabbed her arm and smirked at the sight of some hickeys in it. "Now, give me your blood," he was about to bite it, but Ivory withdrew her arm.


    "Let me first apologize for what I did, Sigmund. I caused you discomfort, and we almost fell apart as a Master and a Servant pair," she turned serious. "From now on, I will be more responsible for my actions and strive to control the extraordinary mana, so it will never happen again."


    He stared at her for a while and messed her hair. He said, "Let''s forget about it, so stop yapping and let me replenish my mana."


    Ivory stared at Sigmund as he finally sunk his fangs into her flesh. He was sucking her blood on her arm, but it wasn''t pain but relief that she felt when he did it. She was glad that he was honest with her and was relieved that he wasn''t avoiding her anymore.


    Sigmund, on the other hand, felt lighter after telling her about the kiss and her confession. Fortunately, it seemed like his fear of her avoiding him because of it would not happen, because she already apologized.


    As he licked the oozing blood with his coarse tongue, he stared at her, curious about her facial expression when she moaned. When he paused, she glanced at him.


    "Are you¡­ done?" Ivory bit her lower lip. "Can I sleep?"


    "Hmm? Why does it look like you''re wanting for more?."


    She blushed, "No, I¡­ I just feel tired," and looked away when she pulled the blanket to cover herself.


    Sigmund tucked her in the bed, "I guess we''re good?" he asked her for confirmation.


    Ivory nodded, "Yes, so please don''t avoid me."


    "Okay, dimwit," he chuckled and sat beside her. "Now sleep."


    She smiled sweetly at him, "Don''t leave me¡­"


    "I''m going to watch over you as you sleep. Don''t worry too much."


    When Ivory closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, a subtle smile escaped from Sigmund''s lips. He slid the loosened hair on his Master''s face to the side and stared at her peaceful expression.


    ¡­


    The next night, Ivory met Lycus in the wood chopping area in the middle of Greensteid Forest. She dressed herself with a dark blue dress with a brown leather vest on top and leather bracers wrapped around her forearm, brown pants, and leather boots. Lycus was only wearing a thin vest adorned with some feathers around his nape which slightly covered the sword scar in his neck, and a rivet plated shoulder armor on his left arm.


    Sigmund was made to watch from afar, outside a barrier made by Lycus. "That punk¡­ He kept on using barriers against me," he murmured as he kicked some small rocks beneath his feet. "I just hope Ivory can fully control that troublesome mana so all these efforts will be worth it."


    In the middle, Lycus started explaining to Ivory. "In this training, you must make me surrender. If you do, I shall reward you with anything."


    She asked him, "Uhm¡­ So how do I start?"


    "Use your normal mana first, but you have to make your other mana surface later on. Since we''re here in the forest, try to use either Earth or Wind magic."


    Ivory nodded and stepped back. Using her right hand, she gripped onto her long magic gray staff. She continued to observe Lycus, glowering at him while she held her staff tightly in her grasp.


    She suddenly yelled after concentrating her mana onto her staff wherein only the white crystal glowed. She raised her free hand and positioned it in towards Lycus. Her hands then glowed as well, making the ground beneath Lycus'' feet shake and crack.


    Before he was even devoured by the ground, Lycus jumped up as his light blue irises started glowing. He pointed his palm towards Ivory''s direction, accumulating the wind, and shot her with several razor winds.


    Ivory jumped to her left to avoid these, but the last two razors hit her badly on her shoulders. She rolled to a far part of the barrier where Sigmund closely stood.


    "Hey, you''re bleeding!" Sigmund said worriedly, clenching his fists. "I told that punk not to-"


    "Sigmund, I''m okay, please don''t interrupt," she gave him a weak smile. "I have to make the extraordinary mana envelop me."


    "By hurting yourself? Stop this!"


    "Believe in me," she said, her eyes teary, "Cheer for me at the side. That''s all I need for now."


    "You¡­ stupid woman¡­" he leaned on the tree and looked down on her. "Fine¡­ Kick his ass, Ivory."


    Ivory chuckled, resisting the pain as blood dripped from the cuts on her shoulders, "Thank you, Sigmund." Slowly, she stood up and she faced Lycus once again, who had already landed on the ground. He unleashed more wind razors towards her direction while she tried to avoid these by running near the barrier.


    As the wind razors touched the barrier, it dissipated, and the Vampire Servant sighed in relief. He almost dodged it and forgot that a transparent magic barrier was set.


    Ivory continued evading Lycus since he was not taking any breaks from attacking at all. She tried to attack him with the same element, but he was quick to dodge the razors. She also attacked him with pointed pegs made from hardened clay, but he only crushed them with wind. She was no match with his speed, and going against the extraordinary mana was too much for her.


    Lycus gave her more lacerations that even her clothes got torn. When he saw her lying on the ground, he said, "Lady Ivory, if this was a real battle, you''re already dead by now."


    "If this was a real battle in which I could really die, then the extraordinary mana would have already enveloped me," Ivory tried to stand up using her staff as her support, but she felt her knees weakening.


    "Then I should just try to kill you for real, so save yourself," Lycus told her, then he concentrated his mana onto his hands as he extended them in front of his chest. Soon after, the wind moved towards the center of his big hands, forming a ball of air.


    Seeing him make a powerful Air Elemental magic technique, Ivory gulped. She thought it would be the end of her if she wouldn''t heal herself, but she also hoped that Lycus wouldn''t kill her because they''re related to each other.


    But seeing how he took effort into using his precious mana into her training, she knew he was taking her seriously.


    Lycus released the ball of wind towards her, and it was fast as a running cheetah hunting for its prey.


    But when it reached Ivory, a loud explosion happened, and everything inside the barrier became clouded with dust. Lycus was worried that he really killed Ivory, and so he used the wind to shove away the dirt in the air to be able to see her.


    And when the dust subsided, Lycus gave a wide grin. Ivory was standing at a distance, her light blue eyes glowing brightly like the full moon. She had already  enveloped herself with the extraordinary mana, and her wounds rapidly healed.


    She played with her magic staff by twirling it in between her fingers, and looked at Lycus seriously.


    "Lady Ivory, I see you have successfully enveloped yourself with the special mana-"


    But she didn''t let him continue to speak. She immediately dashed forward, using the force of the wind to approach him as fast as she could, and used the staff to pin him on the ground.


    "Lady¡­ Ivory¡­" Lycus tried to push her as he strongly held the staff that was pressed tightly on his neck. But with the massive wind accumulated on Ivory''s back that''s making her extremely heavy, he couldn''t move.


    "I won, Lycus. I finally caught you off guard," she grinned as she looked down on him. "Now... I''ll tell you what reward I would like to have," and she glanced momentarily at Sigmund, who had been worriedly staring at her from afar.

 Chapter 83 - "How To Handle A Straightforward Master"

    Loneliness was displayed in Ivory''s eyes as soon as she saw Sigmund at the side. She remembered how he rejected her that night, but she shook her head to convince herself that they had already agreed not to get awkward. She dispelled her magic then stood up and extended her hand to help Lycus stand up.


    The young man gladly took it and shoved the dirt off of his clothes. He closely looked at Ivory''s body to check her wounds, and he confirmed that she had healed herself completely, "You''re amazing, Lady Ivory."


    "You almost killed me, what do you think I''d do?" she said in a sarcastic tone. "And my reward please. I want something."


    "Ah, my promise, yes," Lycus scratched the back of his head. "Don''t worry, I haven''t forgotten. What is it?"


    "I want you to¡­ tell me more about my father."


    He responded, "I apologize, but he asked me to keep his identity a secret for now-"


    "Not his identity. Just¡­ Anything. His likes and dislikes, his mannerisms, how he fought his battles..."


    Lycus smiled at her, "Very well¡­"


    He told Ivory that his father was a great magician and a warrior who fought alongside the late King. He was very well-versed about lunar healing magic, which was a special ability of their clan. His favorite was chicken meat, and the King had already offered him three carts of grilled chicken as a reward for his loyalty.


    Ivory chuckled when she heard this, because she also liked meat, but she liked pork more. She had heard that they had similar light blue eyes and silver hair, but he had a very dominating presence.


    When the two of them had finished talking, Lycus broke the transparent barrier. Sensing again the extraordinary mana, Sigmund had figured that the barrier was already down, and he rushed over to Ivory to cover her with his cloak. "Your skin is showing too much."


    Her glowing irises stared at his worried face, and she felt his sincere care for her. "Thank you," she uttered. As she stood still, she let him tie the string of the cloak while he stood right in front of her.


    Ivory''s look at her Servant''s handsome face. She clasped her hands on her chest and felt her heart beating fast. Yes, she should be used to it, but she knew she was in that state when she confessed, so she didn''t have any excuse not to remember it. She was embarrassed because she remembered how she pleaded with him to stay by her side even if he wouldn''t reciprocate her feelings.


    "What is it?" Sigmund asked, but his Master only gazed at him amorously. He awkwardly looked away and told her, "Let''s go back. I know you''re tired."


    Ivory nodded, and she waved at Lycus, who then gave a thumbs up.


    When the two had disappeared from his sight, he stopped pretending to be alright, and he panted as he felt weak. Ivory in that state was too strong for him to take on.


    ''It''s hard to have limited mana¡­ How can I help her get strong if I''m this weak?'' he cursed internally, then laid flat on the ground and closed his eyes.


    ...


    Then, something unexpected happened when morning came.


    Ivory''s light blue eyes continued glowing, and she did not come back to her normal state!


    "Hey, you still have that extraordinary mana enveloping you! Stop using it!" Sigmund said in a panic.


    She stared at the wall mirror and said, "I''m very pretty. Why don''t you just admit that you like me too, Sigmund?"


    "There you go again. I thought you were shy last night, since you hadn''t uttered a word since we came back here."


    "That''s what I truly felt last night, because I had to think about a lot of things," Ivory started combing her hair as she admired herself in the mirror. She glanced at Sigmund on the reflection, "I want to be as fearless and powerful as this state, but I guess not too frank."


    "Yeah, I''ll have a headache if you''d continue to be uncontrollable-"


    She suddenly stood up and approached him, placed her arms around his neck, and embraced him as she tiptoed.


    "Hey, what are you-"


    "Sigmund. I love you," she whispered near his right ear, "But I should accept that we really cannot be, and this is wrong in the eyes of everyone. So in this state, I will try not to seduce you too much¡­"


    "You are already¡­ seducing me in this position."


    "No, this is only a mild one. Be thankful that I did not get naked."


    Sigmund pulled away from her and gripped her shoulders, "Stop this right now! If you continue this, I don''t know how Goddess Destinia will punish us."


    Ivory sighed, "Fine, fine. I''ll let you off this time. I''m going down for breakfast."


    "Your eyes are still-"


    But she already stepped out of the room.


    Sigmund followed her downstairs, and he found her waiting for her bowl of freshly-cooked acorn soup. He observed her closely as she ate, and also observed her family, who didn''t seem to notice her glowing eyes.


    After they all ate, Ivory pleaded with her mother that she wanted to wash the dishes for her. She hugged Anne by the kitchen counter and said, "Mother, you should rest, and I will do all the cleaning. Come on," she led her to the living room where her husband and two kids were having a chat.


    What surprised them all was when Ivory told them, "I love you all, thank you for being here with me,"  and she bowed to them afterwards. She headed towards the kitchen, making them wonder why she said that, because she is not that vocal with her feelings.


    When Ivory went back to the kitchen, Sigmund approached her, "How sweet you are in that state, Master," and he gave a grin.


    "One more word about it, and I''ll kiss you."


    Hearing this, Sigmund took a step back.


    Ivory chuckled, "You''re a coward. I promised you I won''t seduce you too much, okay? I was kidding¡­ but if you change your mind, I''d gladly make out with you."


    "Stupid woman, I don''t want to hear you spout nonsense anymore," his ears turned red. "I''ll wait for coachman Ebleu outside. Do your cleaning properly."


    She laughed when she saw him embarrassed, and she continued washing the plates.


    Ebleu then came, and the three of them headed over to Qawiun Academy. When Ivory and Sigmund came inside the classroom, they proceeded to Lucius'' seat.


    "Good morning, Ivory!" Arcea, who was leaning on Lucius'' table, happily called.


    Ivory smiled at her, "Good morning. What are you talking about?"


    "The messenger of the Crown Prince came this morning," the young swordswoman said. "They will announce who will come with him next month!"


    "Oh, that''s fast," Ivory shrugged. "I guess the Crown Prince isn''t that busy in the castle."


    Lucius had observed that aside from the change in Ivory''s tone, her eyes had different hues as if they were lighter than her usual light blue. Because it was morning, he did not notice that these were glowing. He glanced at Sigmund, and the Vampire nodded at him, as if telling him that his hunch was right, whatever it was.


    Adviser Titus came in carrying a scroll with him.


    "There are two who were selected from this class," Titus said. "Sir Lucius Goldwine, and¡­ Miss Arcea Knightwing, congratulations to the both of you!"


    "Oh my goddess! I made it! I¡­ I can''t believe it!" Arcea jumped for joy, and most of their classmates clapped their hands.


    "Now, now, settle down. Today will be another specialized class training. Wait for the academy bell before going to your assigned areas¡­"


    As soon as their adviser left, Caspian Reagan of the Magic group approached Arcea to congratulate her.


    "Thank you, Caspian," she shook his hand and smiled as if she had won a lottery.


    "What did you answer in the written examination? What''s your secret¡­ How did you move the heart of the Crown Prince?"


    "I wrote the basics of close combat, and the importance of smithing the right materials."


    She thought that Caspian would be amazed with her answer, but instead, "What a plain answer. I was expecting something better," Caspian responded, which caught the attention of most of their classmates. They approached them.


    "What do you mean, Caspian? I did my best! I know I deserve-"


    "And you think we do not deserve it? You think we didn''t do our best?" he asked her. "Maybe you were chosen because your father pulled some strings. He''s a famous blacksmith after all."


    Arcea couldn''t believe it. She thought she was in a good relationship with her classmates, but she realized that she was wrong. She stood there in the middle, trembling.


    "Why don''t you ask the Crown Prince for another examination? Tell him straight to his face that his judgment was wrong."


    Their attention turned to Ivory, who was standing there, her arms crossed, and looking at them with her brow raised.


    Caspian faced her, "Ivory Sprucemint, you weren''t even selected, so you should side with us."


    "I''d rather not be selected if you''re going to do this to me. You jealous apes should just get lost and stop bothering Arcea," she glared at Caspian, who narrowed his eyes on her, and he couldn''t believe that he was facing the same Ivory he was within Magic specialization class. She added, "You seem confident if you are belittling my friend, Caspian. How about a duel?"


    Hearing such a bold challenge from her, Caspian smirked. "I''ll take you on, silver head."

 Chapter 84 - "A Battle Against The Ice Master"

    In the coliseum were the eighteen students of the Blue Gem section, the Magic specialization class, as well as Educator Wallace who was already facepalming when he saw what a mess it might be. The academy bell had just rang, but the stubborn students barged in to make use of the place.


    "What kind of trouble did Miss Sprucemint bring us once again?" Principal Arthurdane said as he sat beside the Educator.


    "I heard she challenged her classmate. Why did you even permit them to use the coliseum?"


    "Miss Sprucemint would not do this without a reason. That, I am sure."


    The stage was surrounded with water, which was previously filled up for the special class'' activity. Ivory was holding her magic staff tightly on one side, while Caspian was holding his scythe, which was steam blue in color and was emitting a sky blue light. The heel was embedded with a blue zircon gem with hoar frosts at the top, while both edges of the handle had lozenge shaped zircon gems.


    "Do you think your magic staff on just the second level will win over my maxed third level, fully-evolved ice elemental scythe?" Caspian said with confidence. He ran his hand through his pink hair, "Also, my Spirit Servant may be small, but she''s got a lot of techniques up her sleeves."


    "Oh, I see. Oh no, I am afraid now. I might lose if you are this confident," Ivory said sarcastically. She rolled her eyes, which were still glowing though not evident in that bright area. "But I do not want to reveal my Servant''s full abilities to you and everyone in this coliseum. So Sigmund, I order you to sit down and watch your Master take down this bitter guy."


    "Hey, I-" Sigmund was about to retort, but then he saw the determination in Ivory''s glowing light-blue irises. "As you wish, Master," then he sat beside Lucius.


    "You seem nervous," Lucius told him.


    The Vampire Servant sighed, "You don''t know what I had to go through while she''s in that state. She''s not the Ivory you all know."


    On the stage, Caspian told Ivory, "To be fair, I''ll also ask my Spirit Servant not to participate in this duel," he then gestured to Lutie to go to the audience''s seat.


    Ivory grinned. "Let''s start, shall we?"


    A soon as he heard this, Caspian suddenly ran towards her. And some steps in front of Ivory, he leaped high, positioning the sharp blades of his scythe to her.


    Ivory quickly blocked the ice scythe using her staff  as she held it tightly. Feeling the heaviness of Caspian''s attack, she furrowed her eyebrows in dismay, because she knew that in terms of strength, she might be at a disadvantage. After all, Caspian had been training in combat since he was a kid.


    She noticed that ice was forming in the middle of her staff because of the contact with the scythe. She had to do something to get out of that situation.


    "You can still surrender, Ivory Sprucemint! If you give up now, I will stop spreading ice magic on your staff-"


    But Ivory raised her feet, and using the wind as her main element, she forcibly pushed herself to Caspian''s direction, kicking his stomach!


    Caspian went sliding onto the stone floor. He slowly stood up, and when he saw that Ivory''s magic staff had separated into two, he laughed like a madman.


    "I do not know why you''re laughing," she said, raising her brow.


    Caspian answered, "Your weapon is broken."


    "Ah, don''t you know? My staff can be separated into two," she played with the staff by twirling them in between her fingers. "I guess I have to thank those three girls who broke them when it had not yet evolved."


    Holding the disjointed staff with her left and right hands, Ivory then ran towards Caspian, and he swung the scythe in front of him to protect himself. Small shards of sharp ice came flying towards her, and it gave some cuts on her cheeks. As blood continued to trickle down her face, she continued charging onto him, and he continued releasing ice shards as he stepped backwards.


    Without warning, Ivory threw the white-orbed half of her staff onto Caspian''s face. He successfully dodged it, and it fell far and rolled behind him, almost falling into the stage''s border.


    "You think throwing that piece of junk will startle me? You''ve got to be kidding me," he chuckled, while Ivory stood further away from him. "Oh, why did you stop moving? Maybe you''re tired-"


    But suddenly, Caspian felt the heat surrounding them. The white orb on the staff shone more brightly than before, and it set the edge of the arena on fire!


    "What are you doing?!" he yelled at her.


    She shrugged, "I am battling you seriously. It is obvious that you have mastered the solid state of the Water Element using the Conversion magic technique. I am merely using my brains to weaken your attacks."


    "Why go this far for Knightwing? She''s just acting like your friend because of Sir Lucius Goldwine''s influence!"


    "I only have a few friends because most have considered me as a mere country bumpkin," she said, twirling the other half of the staff. "Arcea may be a blabbermouth and can be annoying sometimes, but she just truthfully speaks what''s on her mind. I consider her one of my few friends."


    "You are a fool-"


    "Caspian, I almost thought you were a decent human being, but you were only kind to me because Lucius is my best buddy. You are an ass-licker, trying to look good because he''s the General''s son. I think you''d like a high position once Lucius takes his father''s seat someday," Ivory chuckled, "What do you want to be? The town leader of Alpharion? Or the chief of the border guards?"


    Caspian snapped when he heard this. He gripped the scythe he held and glared at her, "You talk too much!"


    That moment, a glowing, blue circle formed around him. Within it, the temperature had dropped, and the magic circle slowly widened until it enveloped the whole stage. The fire that Ivory had created was diminished until it was completely gone. Instead, the water around the stage hardened and opaque ice barriers formed around them, high enough to block the audience''s view!


    "Only the Chosen Ones with great mana quality can pull this off. You''re quite a strong Master, Caspian Reagan," Ivory commented.


    He laughed at her compliment, but he was catching his breath afterwards, "It''s the first time I''ve tried this in an actual battle. I didn''t expect this to be useful."


    "How did you get this strong?"


    "I summoned a reindeer Spirit Servant because the nature of my mana is ice. My grandmother was an Ice master magician, and I have acquired her traits as well," he responded, "When I was little, my grandmother often took me to the peak of Mt. Uma to train." He remembered his strict late grandmother when they traveled to the south of Umbria City in the Land of Rosaria to visit the small island where Mt. Uma is.


    "But having a dominant element has its pros and cons. Because it''s pretty obvious that you use ice, it''s easy for me to know that fire is your weakness."


    "You''re right. But right now, I''ve made this whole stage my territory," Caspian said, slowly walking towards Ivory. He raised his scythe as high as he could, and it lit a blue light. "The audience will not see how, but I shall end you today because of the insults you have given me. It means one less enemy during the Servant Competition!"


    As Caspian was gathering a large ball of ice he had been creating by dropping the temperature around him, Ivory''s eyes suddenly stopped glowing. She instantly felt weak to the knees and shivered terribly with the sudden freezing coldness she felt. She widened her eyes in shock to see herself in that grave situation.


    "What¡­ What happened?" Ivory murmured to herself. She looked around her and saw no one within the ice fortress. She couldn''t remember anything at all and what led to the current situation she was in.


    "Are you ready to die, Ivory Sprucemint?" Caspian asked. "Any last words?"


    "Caspian¡­ I can''t remember anything!" she said, as tears started falling from her eyes. She crawled towards him and kneeled, "Please stop! I don''t know what happened, but please-"


    "You have to do better in acting if you want to join the opera house. Apologies, but it''s too late to save yourself now!"


    Ivory yelled in fear, and just as Caspian was about to throw the humongous ice ball crystal to her direction, a Golem Servant suddenly destroyed a part of the ice fortress. Surrounded in flames, it hit the ice ball that Caspian had formed above him, and with great speed, it caused a huge crack to the other side of the ice fortress.

 Chapter 85 - "Small World"

    "How dare you try to kill Ivory?" Lucius started walking towards his direction. "You know that she''s my good friend.


    Caspian didn''t expect him to interrupt, so he instantly dropped his scythe, "Sir Lucius, I¡­ Let me explain-"


    He was startled when Lucius'' Golem Servant started punching the walls of ice.


    "I don''t have to hear your explanation," he glared at him. "I had my suspicions when you formed the ice fortress. You didn''t want us to see whatever you''d do inside the stage, right?"


    As Lucius interrogated Caspian, Sigmund quickly went to his Master, who was trembling in fear.


    "Hey, you got us all worried¡­" he peered onto her face, "You''re back to your usual self, but at the wrong time."


    "Sigmund¡­ I¡­" she sobbed, "Get me out of here¡­ Please¡­"


    He nodded and immediately carried her like a princess, then walked out of the stage.


    Fortunately, Sigmund had been monitoring his Master''s mana since the start of their battle. When he sensed her extraordinary mana was already fluctuating, he quickly informed Lucius about it. The two of them knew that it might put Ivory''s life on the line if she went back to her normal self in the middle of a duel.


    Sigmund took Ivory to the nurse''s clinic and laid her on the bed. The nurse checked up on her for a while and gave her water to drink, and a thicker blanket due to her exposure to the cold.


    After the nurse excused herself, telling them that she would boil hot water and prepare a warm drink for Ivory, Sigmund told his Master, "I should have battled with you," he clenched his fist. "I didn''t know it was a life and death kind of duel. If I knew, I-"


    Ivory held his hand, "This¡­ this is my fault. It''s because I am a weak Master," she cried.


    "Look, it''s not your fault. You can beat that guy into a pulp, it''s just unfortunate that your mana-


    "Sigmund, it''s because I am unable to control my strong mana!" she hid herself into the blanket and wailed. "Why am I like this? I¡­ I don''t deserve to be your Master!"


    "Ivory, calm down," Sigmund uttered, patting her side. "For now, you should rest as you''ve lost a lot of mana¡­ Let''s think about a solution when you''re fully recovered."


    Meanwhile, in the coliseum, Caspian was being scolded for what happened, and he stood in front of the principal beside his Spirit Servant.


    "I thought I said clearly that I will allow only a friendly duel, not a deadly one," Principal Arthurdane said. "I thought it would be a good class lesson for the other students to see it, but you let me down, Mr. Reagan."


    "I deeply apologize, sir. I was too hasty and was carried away by my emotions. I was very disappointed that I was not selected to be part of the Crown Prince''s voyage," he bowed with respect. He then turned to Lucius, who''s currently replenishing his Golem Servant''s mana by touching its crystal core. "Sir Lucius, I apologize to you as well."


    "You should apologize to Arcea for insulting her, and Ivory for almost taking her life," Lucius responded before turning his back on him.


    He''s disappointed, but he also knew that what he did was wrong. He grabbed his scythe from the stoned floor, approached Arcea and said, "Apologies, Arcea Knightwing. I should have accepted Crown Prince Jirou''s decision."


    But Arcea suddenly sheathed her sword and pointed it to his neck, "How about you duel with me? I will prove that I deserve that spot!"


    Caspian blocked her using his scythe, "I refuse. I already asked for forgiveness, and having a duel with you might put me in a more troublesome situation. Besides, I do not see you as a rival. For me, your power is only one-fourth of my ability." He smirked at her before he pushed it to the side, then walked out of the Coliseum with Educator Wallace. He was required to write a reflection letter of two scrolls long, indicating what he did wrong and what he should do, and submit it to the principal.


    Moments later after the commotion had subsided, Lucius and Arcea proceeded to the clinic to check up on Ivory where they saw the nurse giving her warm herbal tea.


    When the nurse was done and had returned to her desk, Arcea quickly ran to Ivory and embraced her, "I apologize, Ivory! This is my fault!"


    She patted her back, "It''s not your fault¡­ I am just a weakling, so-"


    "No, it''s really my fault, I am the weak one!" she pulled away, "Ivory, let me make it up to you, okay? How about I give you a hundred dresses, or a month''s supply of potatoes-"


    "Arcea! That''s too much!" Ivory giggled. "It''s alright, okay? I am alive and well."


    Arcea frowned as she looked at the cuts on her friend''s skin. "But you were hurt!" she paused for a while, and she suddenly remembered something. "Oh, I know! Why don''t I get our food and have our lunch here in the clinic?"


    They nodded at her, and after getting permission from the nurse, she quickly ran out of the room.


    "Ivory, how are you feeling?" Lucius asked.


    "I''m better now. I am indebted to you once again¡­" Ivory lowered her head. "You''ve been my savior since the first day of class."


    "No problem at all," he responded, giving a subtle smile. "I was taught to be helpful to others..." he furrowed his eyebrows.


    "Lucius? What''s wrong?"


    "I thought I''d lose a friend a while ago. I was so¡­ furious."


    "Aww, Lucius¡­" she grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "I have to be really, really strong so that you all won''t get worried about me."


    "If you need a sparring partner, I''d be glad to be one," he said. "But not to the extent that you''d be killed, of course."


    "I''d take your offer! Thank you, you''re the best!"


    Sigmund interrupted them, "Hey, you should rest tomorrow. It''s the weekend. No sparring."


    "Ah¡­ Yes," she sighed.


    When Lucius saw her sad expression, he said, "Tomorrow, instead of sparring with me, why don''t we visit my mother?"


    "Yes!" Ivory exclaimed excitedly. She instantly felt at ease with Lucius, especially to his mother..


    "By the way, I don''t see Lycus anywhere. I thought that guy will guard you?" Sigmund asked Ivory. "What a useless punk."


    "Lycus said he''d go today to my father to talk about things," Lycus said.


    The Vampire Servant realized what it was about, "Ah, maybe he thought of greeting him? Or to extend his thanks?"


    "Why, do they know each other?" Lucius asked, and Ivory glanced curiously waiting for Sigmund to answer.


    "General Goldwine was the one who saved Ivory when she was a baby," Sigmund explained. "Lycus said that her life was in danger, and he helped her escape by placing her in the crate of the Sprucemint couple."


    The two looked at each other, amazed about what little the world seemed. Who would have thought that Lucius'' father was the one who saved Ivory''s life? And as if it was fate, Lucius helped Ivory during their first day in the academy.


    "Maybe that''s why I already felt at ease when we first met," Ivory giggled.


    Lucius chuckled, "Maybe."


    Later on, Areca arrived with their share of lunch and with her fox Golem Servant, which was in its inactive state and was resting on her shoulder. After she expressed her concern for Ivory, she also sought the help of Zephie and her butterfly Nymph Servant, Metamorphus, since they were together in the Magic specialization group.


    They all had lunch together in the clinic, and the nurse had asked them to look after the room as she would have her own lunch in the academy eatery.


    The super friendly Metamorphus kept on bugging Sigmund to be his buddy since his Master had joined their group, but the Vampire ignored him. At the back of his mind, he disliked having too many people around Ivory, and he preferred it if they would just stay at home and read reference scrolls together.


    Classes resumed in the afternoon, but Ivory was asked to go home for the day. Sigmund carried her in his arms and explained to her parents that she had a duel and that she needed rest to replenish her own mana. They went to the attic after and laid Ivory onto the bed.


    "Sigmund¡­ I hope you won''t get tired of helping me¡­" she suddenly uttered.


    "What the hell are you talking about? Just sleep and rest."


    She furrowed her eyes, "Promise me, when I wake up, you''ll still be by my side."


    "Of course, stupid woman," Sigmund brushed the strands of hair away from her face.


    Ivory felt her eyelids heavy, and she drifted off to sleep.


    She didn''t expect that once again, she''d be going to that mysterious oak forest in her dream, and in her dream, it was nighttime, and the full moon shone brightly upon the forest. Ivory stood alone, and with her bare feet, she curiously followed a trail, with footprints of several pairs of pawprints.


    She was getting deeper and deeper into the forest, yet her gut feeling still tells her to continue to follow the trail. Her dirty feet even stepped on pointed stones and dried twigs which made her bleed, but she didn''t mind the pain. She felt that she needed to know what''s in the end.


    She gaped in awe when she saw a gigantic den.


    Ivory stared straight into the opening of the den, but all she saw was darkness. Eventually, glowing eyes appeared from the dark, wherein a few are light blue colored, but most are amber to pale yellow and even green.


    Coming from inside the den, a deep voice suddenly called her name.

 Chapter 86 - "Pricked With A Thorn"

    Ivory gulped in fear. "I¡­ I apologize, I am lost!"


    The man''s voice responded, "Do you want full control of your mana?"


    She widened her eyes in surprise. She didn''t expect him to mention it. "Yes, of course!"


    "Why?" he asked. "What is your driving force and inspiration? Why do you want power?"


    "I want to win the Servant Competition and give my family a better life, and¡­" she got teary-eyed, "I don''t want to be a burden to my Servant and friends!"


    "If you want control of that strong mana, you must finish the challenge that I am about to give you."


    "Challenge? What kind of challenge?"


    "If you can guess who I am, I will grant you the permission to use that mana freely."


    After hearing about it, Ivory deduced that the man might have something to do with her mana and was a powerful being, and so she nodded, "Okay, I¡­ I will try."


    "Before you go, let me heal your feet."


    Ivory sat on the ground and stretched her feet near the entrance of the den. Under the bright moon, her feet glowed, and when she took a peek, the wounds had already healed!


    "Same place, in your dream. See you next time..." the voice then faded, and when she opened her eyes, she saw herself in her own room in the attic.


    Ivory quickly sat and reached out to her feet, bending it to see her sole.


    "What''s wrong?" Sigmund asked.


    "I¡­ I dreamed that my feet were bleeding¡­"


    "It''s just a dream. Don''t worry."


    Ivory nodded at him, then she lied down once again. She felt that it wasn''t just a dream, but something to do with her mana. She decided to consult it with Lycus the next time they meet.


    She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She went back to sleep, and this time, without a dream.


    ¡­


    The next day, Lycus visited the Sprucemint family for breakfast. He brought with him deep-fried crispy beef tripe which he had cooked earlier, while Anne had prepared her usual acorn soup and boiled sweet potato that the kids dug up with her the other day.


    "Why do you look like our sister, are you also our brother?" the eleven-year-old Gracie asked him as her curious doe-like eyes peered at him.


    Lycus chuckled, "No, but you can call me your brother, if you''d like."


    "I want to call you brother, too!" Flynn interrupted, "Remember, you promised me you''d teach me cool combat moves!"


    "Now, now, Flynn, Lycus will not teach you if you won''t finish your meal," Gordon told his son. "If you want to be as strong as your sister Ivory, do not be picky with food."


    "Sister is the strongest Master of all! I want to be a knight in the castle if she becomes a Royal Knight!" the thirteen-year-old boy said, and the adults chuckled, pleased that in his young age, he already had a big dream to look forward to.


    "I will wait for that to happen," Ivory commented. "Let''s both protect our kingdom!"


    They had a pleasant conversation as they ate their breakfast. Afterwards, Gordon asked Sigmund to help him gather firewood deep in the forest. He hesitated at first because Ivory would be left with Lycus, but she told him not to worry too much, so he went with her father.


    Ivory and Lycus sat on the log behind the house. She told him about the dream she had.


    "You think it''s just a dream? I feel like I should take the challenge seriously."


    Lycus nodded, "You should do the challenge. Use all the elements in your dream. All that you see there. They''ll serve as clues."


    "Hmm¡­ Clues?" she looked up at the blue sky. "The oak forest¡­ the moon¡­ the large den?"


    "If you have other dreams, it may serve as clues as well."


    "My other dreams- Oh!" Ivory realized something. "Do you already know who that voice is?"


    "Of course, but I will ruin the challenge if I tell you."


    "Geez¡­" she sighed. "I have to recall my other dreams then."


    An hour later, Sigmund returned with her father, and as soon as he dropped off the cart of firewood in front of the house, she immediately looked for his Master.


    Sigmund first peeked behind the house, and saw Ivory laughing with Lycus as they sat side-by-side on the log. He clenched his fist as he felt jealous with the view.


    When Ivory turned her head, she saw her Servant with a frowning face, "Sigmund, you''ve returned!" she waved her hand.


    The jealous Vampire Servant then said, "We still have to pick some fresh leaves for your tea time with Lucius'' mother later. Let''s go now."


    "I thought I asked you to pick up some leaves on the way."


    "I¡­ forgot."


    Ivory chuckled. "I didn''t know you can be forgetful sometimes," she stood up, then went to his side. "Bye Lycus, see you around!"


    Lycus waved his hand. When Ivory turned her back on him, Sigmund glanced at him, then smirked.


    Sigmund followed Ivory from behind as she looked around while they walked.


    "Oh, nootka rose leaves!" she ducked and sniffed it first. "This is it."


    With her small hands, Ivory touched it, but she accidentally touched its prickly stem.


    As blood oozed from her pointing finger, Sigmund immediately approached her and grabbed her hand. "Dimwit. Why are you so clumsy?"


    Without second thinking, he placed her finger into his mouth and sucked it.


    This made Ivory blush, "Th-Thank you, it''s okay now-"


    But having a taste of his beloved Master''s blood plus him feeling jealous because of Lycus'' closeness to her made him crave for her blood. He pulled her onto him, his left hand grabbing her hair at the back of her head, while his right hand grabbed onto her waist.


    Ivory gasped as she was startled when her Vampire Servant bit her neck. Sigmund let his wet tongue graze on her fair skin whenever he sees blood trickling down.


    "Sigmund¡­ Why¡­?" she murmured.


    He paused in sucking her blood, his crimson red irises gazed intently into her light blue irises, "Do I really have to explain every time when I do this to you? Your body and blood is mine, after all," he grinned. "You''re my Master, and I am your Servant. It''s your responsibility to feed me with your blood."


    "Sigmund¡­ I know, our agreement when we had the Contract Ritual-"


    "And I don''t want to see you getting any closer to Lycus."


    Ivory was confused, "But Lycus is my relative- Oww!"


    Sigmund didn''t let her finish and instead savored the fresh blood of his Master.


    "Uhm¡­" she patted his back, "Please stop¡­ We still need to pick leaves for tea!"


    The Vampire paused once again, then whispered close to her ear, "I lied. I already picked them for you."


    And so, Sigmund continued to drink his Master''s blood. It was not for replenishing mana, but he wanted to make it clear to her and remind her that she belonged to him. The Vampire Servant was not afraid at all if someone would see them. After all, using his heightened hearing, he could easily know if footsteps were approaching.


    Ivory slightly trembled and gripped Sigmund''s cloak, "Mmmgghh¡­" she muttered, not minding the rustling of the bushes near them.


    From the bushes then came out some squirrels who curiously looked at them with their round eyes.


    "Sigmund¡­ They''re¡­ watching¡­" Ivory whispered when she saw them, but Sigmund only tilted her head using his hand and bit the other side of her neck. She screamed due to both pain and pleasure she was feeling, and it echoed in the quiet forest.


    After the Vampire got satisfied with the blood he had consumed from her, she took her hand and led the way back to their house. They returned to the attic, and they made sure that the bleeding had already stopped before she wore her casual dress. She also prepared the leaves for their tea-time with Miss Diana Goldwine later that day. She wore a black long sleeve top underneath the plaid turtleneck brown ankle-length dress with a thin fabric rope tied on her waist. On the other hand, Sigmund wore his usual cropped muscle shirt and pants.


    Ebleu fetched the two before lunch time. They went to Megalia City and proceeded to Diana''s residence, which was a bit far from Goldwine''s mansion. The guards let Ebleu''s carriage enter and after he unloaded Ivory on the front door, he and Sigmund went to the stables under Lucius'' request because his mother had a trauma for Servants. Ebleu then challenged Sigmund for chess, and that was what they played while waiting for further orders.


    Ivory was led by Lucius to the driveway and passed by the rose bushes, which she was delighted to see. Her eyes then widened in amazement as she finally had a closer look of the two story mansion with asymmetrical exteriors and neutral color palette in front of the bushes.


    Lucius glanced over his shoulder and smiled at the cute expression displayed on Ivory''s face. He led her to the doorway and opened the smoky blue door. They passed by the airy open hallway with wood flooring before heading to the marbled dining counter, where Diana had already set up.


    "Welcome to my humble home, Ivory. I hope the food is to your liking," Diana said as she gave her a clean set of fork and knife.


    "I''m sure it is!" Ivory exclaimed, then started choosing which among the meat dishes she''d like to eat first.


    "I told my mother that you love meat," Lucius told her. "Let''s eat. Take a seat too, mother."


    As the three of them started eating, Lucius opened up, "Mother, there''s something interesting that Ivory and I have discovered."


    "What is it?" asked Diana as she sliced the pork on her plate.


    Seeing that Ivory had been busy munching meat while she listened to them, he continued his story, "Father saved Ivory when she was still a baby."


    "Saved?" she looked at her son curiously. "Why, what happened when she was a baby?"


    "Her whole family was in trouble back then, and some people wanted to get rid of her. So her father asked the General for help," Lucius said. "She was hidden in a fruit crate loaded in the Sprucemint family''s cart. They raised her like their own daughter."


    "Oh, what a small world," Diana giggled, "Maybe both of you are destined to be friends after all."


    Ivory gulped water and she decided to join the conversation, "I wonder if my parents can still recognize me after all those years."


    "Don''t you have the birthmark of Goddess Destinia? I''m sure it can help in recognizing you," Lucius suggested.


    Diana nodded, "Yes, he''s right," she grazed another slab of bacon onto her plate. She added, "Where''s your birthmark, by the way?"


    "Ah, it''s¡­" Ivory hesitated. But she knew they were waiting for an answer, so she finally said, "... in my inner thigh."


    The knife Diana was holding suddenly fell on the ground, and its metallic sound echoed in the room.

 Chapter 87 - "Her Name Is Eve"

    "Your¡­ your inner thigh?" Diana asked.


    Ivory nodded at her, "Yes. It''s quite a troublesome place, right?" and chuckled. "Oh, I love your dishes, Miss Diana! Especially this grilled bacon," she took a slab of bacon onto her plate and continued eating.


    Lucius looked at her mother, who seemed to be shocked as she stared at Ivory.


    Diana noticed that her son was looking at her curiously in her peripheral vision, while she got teary-eyed. "I''ll just get some fruits in the backyard," her voice cracked as she hurried out of the room.


    "Continue eating, Ivory, I''ll just assist my mother outside."


    And so, the two of them went out, while Ivory continued to eat the savory, meat dishes.


    ''I wonder how Miss Diana cooked these¡­ All are delicious!'' she thought as she enjoyed munching the chewy lamb chops.


    Minutes later when Diana and Lucius returned, Ivory was puzzled why they had not brought the fruits.


    "Apparently, there was nothing to harvest yet," Lucius bluffed.


    "Ivory, eat well, alright? I still have a lot of pork stew in the pot," Diana quickly changed the topic, and smiled kindly at the woman whom she truly believed was her daughter.


    Lucius, on the other hand, was uncomfortable about it. What if she''s not what her mother thought she was? What if she treated her as her own daughter, but she''s not really her? He became determined to find out the truth, as soon as possible.


    "Mother, can I bring food to the city hall?" Lucius said. "I''ll also give some to Ebleu."


    "Yes," Diana said, nodding her head. "Come back before tea time."


    He placed some pork stew into two separate clay pots and tied a thick string into them so he could carry them with his hands. He first went to the stables which was several steps away from the house, and there he saw Sigmund and Ebleu playing chess.


    "I lost again," Ebleu sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Go easy on me, will ya?"


    "I can''t. I never want to lose in any game," Sigmund chuckled. "Let''s start a new game- Oh, hi, Lucius. How''s my Master?"


    "She''s eating well. Very well," Lucius replied. He gave the pot of pork stew to the old man.


    Ebleu replied with a smile, "Thank you, Sir Goldwine."


    "I''ll go to the city hall first to meet my father," he said. "Sigmund, do you want to come?"


    "No, I have to stay here in case of an emergency."


    "Alright. I''ll ask another coachman to bring me there so you can eat, Ebleu."


    The old man thanked his kind employer, and they watched his back as he walked away.


    When Lucius returned, it was already past tea time. Ivory had just gotten out of the house, and she''s waiting for Diana because she said she''s going to send some fruits to Anne.


    "Lucius, what took you so long!" Ivory exclaimed, "You missed our tea time-"


    She was startled when Lucius suddenly hugged her, his arms around her neck. She knew he wasn''t the clingy or touchy type of person, so she was very surprised.


    "Did something happen?" Ivory patted his back. "Are you alright?"


    "Ivory, I¡­" Lucius couldn''t find the right words to say. Instead, he just embraced her more tightly.


    She kept on patting his back, thinking that something might have happened that''s why he was acting odd. "It''s alright now," she said in a soft voice. "Whatever your worries are, I''m sure you''ll get through it. Believe in yourself..."


    Lucius pulled away, and her comforting words made him chuckle, "I feel alright now. Apologies for startling you."


    Diana came out of the door and gave a basket of apples, lemons, and oranges. She handed it to her son, "Send my regards to your parents."


    "Yes, Miss Diana, thank you very much for the fruits!" she exclaimed. "I really had a great time today, thanks to the both of you!."


    "Next time, I will bake apple pie for you," Diana hugged her for a moment. "Take care on your way home, Ivory."


    Lucius took Ivory to the stables and placed the basket of fruits in the carriage. When they had already left, he immediately returned to his mother''s house. He saw his mother staring at two blue shell-shaped stones displayed on the wall-mounted shelf, humming a happy tune.


    "Mother, what are those?" asked Lucius.


    "Ivory gave these to us. Isn''t she a sweet girl?" she smiled brightly. "I am very touched that she remembered us and bought us some souvenirs from Valios City."


    Lucius stood beside his mother, "Yes¡­" he was glad he gave her coins to spend. "I''m glad that I have been kind to her since the first day we met.


    And the two of them stared at the blue shells with hopeful smiles.


    ...


    The day of Crown Prince Jirou''s voyage was quickly approaching. A week later, Ivory and her allies were still in the process of thinking about how to avoid joining his three-week travel around the Kingdom. They had a brief meeting about it in the Principal''s room.


    "I received news that the Crown Prince looked into Ivory''s background," Lucius told them. He was sitting beside Ivory on the sofa in front of the principal''s desk, "A border guard told me that the prince paid one of them to do it."


    "No offense meant, but I think the prince selected Arcea and Lucius as the class'' representatives because they''re the closest to Ivory," Principal Arthurdane said as he sat on his cushioned chair of the desk.


    Lucius responded to this, "I''m not offended. Actually, it may work out fine, because if Ivory will be coming with us, then we''re sure that she will already have two allies with her."


    "But our main goal should be preventing her from coming to the voyage. We need a great reason¡­ one that can last for three weeks," Lycus suggested as he sat comfortably on the sofa in front of Ivory and Lucius. He then looked at Sigmund, "You, Spirit Servant. Perhaps you have thought of a plan."


    Sigmund, who was standing behind the sofa, glared at him momentarily, "She should just pretend to be sick for three weeks, and she''s safe."


    "Say that to the Crown Prince and he might send a lot of royal physicians," Lucius replied, and the Servant shrugged.


    "What if you send me somewhere for a punishment, principal?" Ivory asked.


    But he shook his head. "I''m afraid he might reduce the resources he''s been donating to the academy¡­ I know about him liking you, so why will I send you somewhere far on the time of his journey? I can''t risk it, right?"


    "Ah, apologies¡­" she sighed.


    Lycus raised his hand, and the others turned to his direction, "What if she goes for a secret training somewhere far?"


    "That''s a good idea," Sigmund said. "She and I will be going far-"


    "I will come with you," Lycus interrupted.


    "What the- We don''t need you. I am strong enough to protect her."


    The silver-haired young man stood from his seat, and approached him behind the sofa. He glared at him, his light-blue eyes glowing, "But I am stronger than you."


    Hearing this, Sigmund got angry, and his crimson-red eyes glowed as well, "She trusts me and can''t live without me."


    "She and I both belong to one family."


    "But she belongs to me-"


    "STOP IT!" Ivory yelled, making the two men''s irises stop glowing. "We should decide on where I''ll go before the Crown Prince arrives here to start his journey next month. We can''t solve anything if the two of you are going to be like a cat and a dog."


    "Who''s the cat and who''s the dog?" Principal Arthurdane jokingly asked.


    Ivory thought that Lycus could be her dog and he seemed to be loyal, while Sigmund was more the independent type and could be her cat because she loved cuddling with him.


    She didn''t answer this ridiculous question and instead suggested, "His journey will start here in the academy, so I have to train somewhere far."


    Principal Arthurdane crossed his arm and rubbed his chin. He stood up and went to the shelf on his right, and he took one of the scrolls. He unrolled it on his wooden desk and a map of the kingdom was shown.


    With his index finger, he pointed at the northeasternmost town of the Land of Rosaria.


    "Stay in Sapphiros Town for three weeks," the principal suggested. "The tribal town welcomes visitors and adventurers, but they do not allow anyone from the castle."


    "I''ve heard of that. It''s the only town in the whole kingdom that was not conquered by the royal family''s warriors. Instead, they have a peace agreement with them," Lucius added, "It''s a perfect place for you, Ivory. No town guards, no town leader, no one to report you to Crown Prince Jirou."


    Sigmund smirked, "If that''s the case, Ivory and I will go there. Lycus, you just stay behind."

 Chapter 88 - "Sigmund, You Are Always My Favorite"

    Lycus shrugged, "Servant, I''ve been there before, and I''ve met the Sapphirians'' tribe leader. I can get us a secluded area just for Lady Ivory''s training and meditation."


    "That will be very useful!" Ivory said excitedly, while Sigmund rolled his eyes in dismay.


    "Okay, so that''s the plan," Principal Arthurdane said. "I will be hiring a coachman from Omegalion City for the three of you. We do not want them to recognize and follow the academy or Lucius'' carriage."


    "Will you and Arcea be alright, Lucius?" she said in worry. "Should we tell her about our plan-"


    "No, it''s better if we do not tell her. You know that she''s a nice friend, but she''s not good at keeping secrets because she''s a very transparent person," he chuckled.


    "About our pocket coins," Ivory said. "I have some savings left, I think I can-"


    "I will give you coins to spend," Lucius chimed in.


    She shook her head, "I am already indebted to you. I haven''t even paid half of my debt."


    But the blonde young man shook his head, "I''ll give you as much as you need, all I want is your comfortable stay in Sapphiros Town. Don''t be shy now. We''ve been friends since our first day here," he took her hand and clenched it slightly. "By now, you should treat me like your brother."


    Sigmund raised his brow when he saw his unusual gesture. He bent over the sofa and extended his arms to separate the two, "Hey Rich Boy. For your information, my Master doesn''t want to be touched by men."


    "Oh no," he scratched the back of his head. "Apologies, Ivory."


    "No, it''s alright," Ivory said, and she narrowed her eyes at Sigmund.


    Her Servant then stood up straight once again, then smirked at her. He glanced at Lucius, who also narrowed his eyes on Sigmund. He already knew what his interruption meant because he had admitted it to him before.


    "I guess this meeting is hereby adjourned," Principal Arthurdane said. "If you stay too long here, your good friend Miss Knightwing will come and fetch you."


    "Yes, let''s go back," she chuckled, and so, Sigmund, Lucius, and Lycus followed behind her.


    ¡­


    Two days before the Crown Prince''s journey, Ivory, Sigmund, and Lycus rode a two-horse carriage at dawn in Omegalion City. Lucius had given Ivory two bags of silver coins for them to spend. He also gave them and the coachman special scrolls which had a General''s stamp, indicating that they were guests of General Goldwine. Showing this to the border guards indicated that they need not be inspected.


    "Have a safe trip," Lucius told them as he peeked inside the window of the carriage.


    "You and Arcea too," Ivory responded. "See you in three weeks."


    And so, the group started their trip to the Land of Rosaria. Knowing that it would be a whole five hours, Ivory grabbed Sigmund''s arm and gazed at his crimson red irises, "Sigmund¡­ Can I?"


    "What is it?"


    "Can I sleep on your shoulder?"


    He chuckled, "Of course. You don''t have to ask."


    And so, she leaned her head comfortably on his shoulder. Sigmund then placed his arm around her to keep her from falling in front.


    As soon as Ivory fell asleep, Sigmund told Lycus, "Honestly, we can manage. You can still leave, we''ll drop you off at Greensteid."


    He glared at him, "You''re the most arrogant Spirit Servant I have ever met. I think there''s really something wrong with you." Lycus sighed, and he couldn''t believe he was having a rubbish conversation with Ivory''s Servant. "What kind of Spirit Servant are you, anyway?"


    "I am the most handsome."


    Lycus shrugged, "I don''t know how Lady Ivory managed to get along with you for more than a year."


    "Do you want to know how?" he smirked. "I give her warmth everyday."


    "What the heck do you mean?"


    Sigmund held his Master more tightly. "I give her warm milk before going to bed."


    "Ah, I see," he thought he was telling the truth. "It can help her fall asleep."


    The Vampire chuckled. Of course, he lied to him. Why the hell would he tell him that he had been giving warmth to her by sucking her blood in different ways he could not even imagine?


    Hours passed, and Ivory had woken up. They took a quick break in Empirica City in the Land of Sandria to let the horses rest. Afterwards, they proceeded to the Land of Rosaria, and the coachman showed them the General''s stamp on the scroll. Seeing this, the border guards immediately let them pass through.


    Lycus took a deep breath when he saw the border guards already far away.


    "You''re thinking too much," Sigmund chuckled when he saw Lycus'' uneasiness, "You always wear clothes that cover your neck, so they wouldn''t see your scar. And with your hair straightened and properly combed, I don''t think they would recognize you as a fugitive."


    He nodded, "It''s good that you have someone like Lucius who has connections to the military."


    "He has always been my savior in many things," Ivory giggled, remembering her very first day in the academy. "It has been a year, but I can''t forget how he talked to the guards to let me inside even though I was late. Oh, and he also let me have old man Ebleu to be our coachman¡­ Ah, I can''t even count the numerous things he has done for me!"


    "Hey, I also did a lot of things for you," Sigmund interrupted, and he seemed like he''s sulking.


    This made Ivory smile, "You saved me and my siblings from the fire, of course how can I forget that moment," she reached out for his face and touched it. "Thanks, Sigmund. You are always my favorite."


    Sigmund''s ears turned red, and he immediately grabbed the hand that touched his cheek. He told her as he held it tightly, "I''m not surprised I''m your favorite. I am the Great Servant, Sigmund, and I-"


    "Okay, okay, I already know what you''re going to say," then she had a short laugh.


    After some more hours, they arrived at the front arc of Sapphiros Town. It was a gigantic structure which was triangular in shape and built with greyish to reddish brown bricks.


    Seven male and three female Sapphireans having several body tattoos and wearing intricately weaved colorful sarong stood firmly in front of the town arc. Most men wore nothing on top, while women only wore a bandeau top. They also had golden necklaces and bracelets, and weaved cloth as head pieces.


    It was a long line of carriages mixed with town visitors walking, and they were thoroughly inspected at the entrance. Finally, it was Ivory''s carriage approaching, and they blocked their way.


    One of them approached them and opened the door. Lycus was the first one who initiated to go down first. He greeted them with a kind smile and asked, "May I speak with your tribe leader?"


    "Why? Who are you?"


    "Please tell him it''s me, Lycus."


    The man suspiciously looked at him for some time, and then asked, "And the other two?"


    "They''re my comrades."


    Afterwards, the man entered the town, and they were asked to wait at the side so that the other town visitors could be inspected before going beyond the arc.


    When he returned, he brought with him the tribe leader.


    "Greetings, Mister Leopold," Lycus bowed in courtesy to the old man, who was smiling at him. He was wearing a feathered headdress resting at his head from his forehead to his nape, and had a beaded string wrapped on his forehead.


    "Greetings, Lycus. I am pleased to see you return here once again," they shook hands. "And you''ve brought some people today."


    "Ah, this is Lady Ivory, and her Spirit Servant."


    "Hello, sir," she gave a kind smile.


    The tribe leader nodded at her, and asked Lycus, "Is she one of your¡­?"


    Lycus nodded.


    Leopold said, "Why don''t we all come in and have a feast?" he turned to the arc guards, "Let their carriage in. I''ll be inside as well."


    Ivory and the others rode the horse-drawn carriage once again and it started moving forward. She peeked through the windows and saw how refreshing the environment was. The white houses had cone-shaped roofs made from gray stones that were stacked together tightly. There were even some green vines and some flowering vines on some walls which were a sight to see.


    "Thank you for agreeing to keep us for three weeks, sir," Lycus told Leopold, who''s sitting beside him in the carriage.


    "You have saved my life using your power. Such a simple request is nothing," he chuckled, "I hope the compound nearest the beach is alright with you."


    They arrived at the easternmost part of the town. They went down the carriage, and since the coachman had a separate designated residence which had a space for the horses, he went there.


    Inside the compound were two small huts and a space in the middle for grilling and dining.


    Leopold said, "I shall make preparations for the feast later."


    "Sir, you really do not have to-"


    The old man patted his shoulder, "Come on, do not be shy! I want to celebrate because you are safe, my friend."


    When Leopold left, Sigmund inspected the two huts. Each hut had a king-sized bed and a bathroom. He returned outside and told the two, "Ivory and I will stay in this one," he pointed at the hut on the right side.


    "No, I don''t think so," Lycus shook his head, "She will stay alone so she can have her privacy, and we will guard her hut."


    "But she''s not used to sleeping alone. I''m always in her room," he glared at him. "Why don''t you ask her, then?"


    Lycus nodded. He gazed into Ivory''s light-blue irises, asking, "Lady Ivory... What is your decision?"


    And she glanced at them both, trying to weigh her answers.

 Chapter 89 - "An Ally, But Also A Rival"

    "Ah, apologies, Lycus, but¡­ I feel safer if Sigmund is around me," Ivory said, and a wide grin appeared in Sigmund''s lips.


    "Alright, if that''s what you wish, Lady Ivory," Lycus responded. "While you rest, and while we wait for the feast, I will look around the beach and find a good spot for your training."


    Lycus put his things inside his hut and proceeded to the shore, while Sigmund and Ivory went inside their hut.


    "Finally, he''s gone," Sigmund said and sat on the bed, as he watched Ivory put their bags on the side.


    Ivory then headed to sit beside him, "You should get along with him. He''s my relative, you know."


    "I am trying."


    "Seems like you aren''t trying," she sighed. "What''s wrong with Lycus that you do not trust him?"


    Sigmund replied, "How can I trust that man? When I sensed his mana for the first time, he didn''t have one, but suddenly, he had it. And now that I have confirmed he had the extraordinary mana within him, he never showed us where or what his Servant is."


    "Do you mean¡­ he''s a Master, but he doesn''t have a Servant?"


    The Vampire nodded, "I''m thinking there might be two reasons for it."


    "What reasons?" asked Ivory.


    "First, he might actually be hiding his Servant from us," he said in a serious expression, "Second, his mana might be so plentiful that it seeped out of his body before even summoning a Servant¡­"


    "Eh? The second one¡­ it''s possible?" she responded. "Did you already encounter something like that?"


    He nodded at her, "The Silverblade''s successor, Prince Levian Silverblade. The kid I tutored twenty years ago."


    "But the Silverblades¡­"


    "Yes, Principal Arthurdane said that I killed them all," he sighed. "I really want to clear my name soon."


    Ivory looked at him with pity. She touched his hands and pulled them onto her lap, subtly squeezing them, "I will do everything to help you, Sigmund." Her kind eyes gazed at his crimson red eyes, "And to do that, I need someone who knows about my condition and the extraordinary mana. I need to be strong enough to fight everyone in the castle. So please... get along with Lycus, okay?"


    Sigmund averted his eyes away from her, turning his head to his right, "I''ll think about it."


    "Sigmuuuuund!" she pouted and neared her face onto his, "Please be good to Lycus! Please, please please-"


    When Sigmund turned to face, his lips accidentally touched hers. The two of them widened their eyes in shock, especially Ivory, but due to their lingering feelings for one another, no one pulled away. Truth be told, the Vampire had been craving for her soft lips ever since their first kiss. On the other hand, Ivory''s heart was beating like drums since it was the first time she had felt her Servant''s lips, not knowing how she tasted them multiple times when she was enveloped with her extraordinary mana!


    "Anyone here?" a voice suddenly called from outside.


    Ivory and Sigmund were both startled, so he pushed Ivory onto the bed and quickly stood up!


    Seeing that Ivory became absentminded because of that accidental kiss and was left laying on the bed while staring at the ceiling, Sigmund was the one who went out to see who it was.


    "Hello, I''m here to give thicker blankets. It gets really chilly here at night," a tribesman said, giving him the thick, cotton blanket which was tied into a roll by a thick fiber rope. "I''ve placed the other one beside the other hut. I hope you''ll have a pleasant stay here for the following days. See you later at the feast!" and then the man left.


    When Sigmund returned inside, he chuckled when he saw that Ivory had not moved an inch.


    "Stupid woman, were you too startled with that?" Sigmund pulled her arm, making her sit up, "It''s an accident, okay? Plus, it''s not the first time you brushed your lips against mine. So stop acting up-"


    "You meanie!" she playfully hit his arm. "Why do you have to bring that up again?!"


    He smirked, "I thought you''re not affected anymore."


    "Ugh, you know what? I''ll take a walk to the beach¡­ Don''t follow me!" she pouted and then stood up. She ran out of the hut with cheeks as red as tomatoes.


    "Haha¡­ She''s so damn cute," Sigmund muttered and still followed her from behind despite his Master telling him not to follow her.


    Soon after, a tribesman came to fetch them. They were invited to the activity center wherein tribe events were being held. It was situated on a hill, and only members of the tribe and Ivory''s group were invited.


    "Our good friend Lycus has come back," the old tribe leader Leopold said. He raised up the wooden mug filled with grape wine, "Cheers! For the peace and prosperity of Sapphiros!"


    "For Sapphiros!!!" the tribespeople yelled, and they raised their mugs then drank the fermented grapes, which were prepared three weeks ago.


    "Come on, drink for today," Leopold told Lycus, who only drank grape juice.


    "You know I don''t drink," Lycus replied. "I''m weak to alcohol." A short laugh escaped from Sigmund, which Lycus noticed. "I saw that, Servant."


    "What?" the Vampire raised his brow.


    "I also can''t take my alcohol," Ivory said. "We''re really alike, aren''t we, Lycus?"


    "Yes, Lady Ivory," he smiled sweetly at her, and this made Sigmund annoyed.


    Noticing that the Servant was glaring at him, Lycus just smiled at him as if mocking him, then proceeded to eat the grilled slab of pork belly.


    It was a fun feast. The Sapphireans had mentioned that Lycus saved Leopold when he was severely injured from a shark more than a month ago. The silver-haired young man clarified to Ivory that it was more than a month ago, way back before he returned to the Sanctuary of Goddess Destinia in Valios City.


    Observing that the Sapphirians were very impressed with Lycus, Sigmund''s mood turned sour. He saw his Master was also fascinated by the silver-haired man, well in fact for the Vampire, everything about him is suspicious. He told Ivory that he would try to get along with him, but with his identity not yet fully revealed, and there were still a lot of questions about him, he found it hard to accept him as an ally.


    After the sumptuous feast, they headed back to their rented compound near the beach. Leopold asked the tribesmen to bring them freshly caught herring and perch, which they could grill for dinner.


    Lycus volunteered to grill the newly caught fish on a makeshift grilling stand on two stones, while Sigmund made sure that the bonfire was properly lit, using fire magic to increase the intensity of the fire. On the other hand, Ivory sat and observed them as she sat on a carved stone seat.


    While they ate, they talked about what they''d do in the coming days.


    "I''ve secured a good place for combat training and meditation," Lycus said after he bit some fish meat, "It''s nearby."


    "Am I going to start tomorrow?" asked Ivory.


    "Let''s start with meditation. I suggest you dream about that dream first, and do the challenge successfully, then we move on to combat training."


    Sigmund raised his brow, "What dream?"


    "The weird dream in the oak forest," Ivory said and sighed, "What if I do not complete the challenge in my dream in our three-week stay here?"


    "Lady Ivory," Lycus said in a serious tone. "Don''t think about the what-ifs. I encourage you to think that you will definitely do it. Engrave it in your mind, that you''ll be able to control your mana within a week!"


    She clenched her fists and yelled towards the direction of the sea, "I can do this! I will control this mana! I won''t let it control me!"


    "That''s the spirit," the silver-haired guy said. "We believe you can do it!"


    Afterwards, they put off the bonfire and cleared the dining area. Lycus returned to his house after saying that they''d meet the next day after sunrise. Ivory said good night to him, then she and her Servant went back into their own hut.


    When Ivory had taken a quick shower and changed into her long-sleeved, plain white linen night dress, she climbed onto the bed. Seeing this, Sigmund, whose six-pack abs were exposed, immediately placed the thick blanket onto her.


    "Thank you, Sigmund," Ivory smiled sweetly at him. "Good night."


    "Wait."Sigmund then slid inside the covers and laid closely beside her.


    "Sigmund?" she looked at him in confusion. "Why are you-"


    "It''s chilly. The blanket is not enough to warm you up, dimwit."


    Ivory blushed. It felt so odd that she knew she''s the only one embarrassed by this. Things really changed ever since she learned that she had confessed to him while the extraordinary mana enveloped her. She easily becomes conscious in his presence.


    "I used mana to prepare the bonfire¡­ Give me your hand and let me take a quick sip of your blood."


    Ivory faced him sideways and placed her hand near Sigmund''s mouth. "Fine. But please be gentle."


    He smirked at her, and Ivory did not expect him to kiss the back of her hand while he gazed at her amorously.

 Chapter 90 - "Seducing The Vampire Servant"

    The two of them gazed at each other for a long time as the back of Ivory''s hand stayed on Sigmund''s lips. The open window behind her welcomed the cool breeze from the sea, and she pulled her hand away from him and closed her eyes.


    When she opened them again, her light blue irises glowed. She casted a sound-proof, invisible barrier for the hut, and she caressed his cheek, startling him.


    "Your eyes¡­ Sh*t, don''t tell me you''re-"


    But Ivory didn''t let him finish as she grabbed the back of his head and kissed his lips.


    Sigmund widened his eyes in shock. He tried to pull away by clenching her arms and pushing her away, but his naughty Master placed her leg onto his waist. Because of this, her wrinkled night dress exposed her flawless leg.


    Ivory finally paused and a smirk escaped from her lips, "I tried not to seduce you, but when you act so sweet, I couldn''t help it." She saw how dumbfounded the Vampire was, and she used this chance to sit on top of him.


    "Ivory, stop this at once-"


    "Hush. Lycus will hear you," she looked down at him with a grin as she playfully touched his chest.


    "Liar. I know you made a barrier," Sigmund didn''t know where to put his hands, but he was still able to grab her hands to stop her with what she was doing. His human emotions were engulfing his conscience. "I thought we already talked about this. You agreed to control yourself, but why the heck are you doing this?" he mumbled.


    Ivory gripped his wrists and pinned him down on the bed. Her silver-colored hair hung down on the side of her face. "Tonight might be the last day I''ll ever appear to you in this state," she said, "So I want you to see and feel my fearlessness for the last time, Sigmund."


    Sigmund stared at her for so long. She''s right. If Ivory managed to control her mana, then he wouldn''t be troubled with her odd behavior anymore.


    But he admitted to himself; he might miss this side of her.


    "Then what are you planning to do- Mmmggh!" The Vampire was interrupted with his words when Ivory suddenly lowered her head and planted a deep kiss on his lips.


    He found her too sexy to resist, and he murmured once she paused with her kiss, "Ivory¡­ You''ll forget this once you return to your usual self, right?"


    She nodded.


    "Then..." he removed her arms from her grasp and placed his hand at the back of her head. While gazing at her sensuously, "I won''t hold back anymore," then with subtle force, he brought Ivory''s head closer to his and gave her the wildest kiss.


    Their tongues danced with each other amidst their hot breath. Ivory purposely let her saliva into his mouth as she started moving her hips whilst on top of him, and because of this, Sigmund found himself submitting to her even more. Sigmund''s hands slid down Ivory''s legs and caressed them sensually, making her give soft moans.


    "Mmmmmggh¡­ Sigmund..." she called his name in a seductive tone.


    He kissed the lobe of her ear and whispered near it, "Master, you''re mine¡­ mine alone," then embraced her tightly, her neck now situated near his mouth. "Your body and blood¡­ all of you¡­"


    Feeling wet inside her undies, Ivory gave a response in a soft and bewitching voice, "Yes, Sigmund¡­ give me all you''ve got," and when he finally bit her, she let out a loud moan.


    Sigmund sucked her blood as his hands explored her back, and he would sometimes grope her buttocks to tease her. He had been feeling his manhood stiffen from the grinding she''d been doing, and as the night deepened, he wanted more of her.


    Ivory felt the same. It was her deepest, inner desire for her Vampire Servant that made her uncontrollable.


    While they shared torrid kisses and sensual touches that night, she looked straight into his crimson red irises and moaned on the kiss, "Sigmund¡­ I love you."


    "Hmm¡­ Me too, Ivory," he whispered, "I love you."


    The Master''s glowing eyes were so seductive while looking at him that he felt his manhood twitch under his gartered pants. This made Ivory smirk and she crawled down and pulled off his pants up to his knees.


    Sigmund wet his lips as he felt his Master''s warm fingers stroking the tip of his shaft, making him even harder with every caress she made. She lowered her head to lick his balls up to his shaft before putting it into her mouth. The Vampire reached for the crown of her hair, closing his eyes to the inexplicable yet pleasurable sensation that he was feeling at that moment.


    After sucking his juices, Ivory laid beside him and stared into his eyes. She noticed the slight wonder in the Vampire''s face, and so she smiled naughtily at him as she led his right hand deep inside her undies, making Sigmund lick his lower lip while his slender fingers were feeling the warmth and wetness of her opening.


    It was the sign the Servant was waiting for, to finally show his side and dominate his Master.


    With his hand still inside her undergarment, Sigmund pulled it off. He kissed her inner thighs before grazing his coarse tongue on her sweet spot and down to her opening again. A cheeky grin was displayed on Ivory''s lips as she spread her legs open, and a soft moan was then heard when Sigmund started stroking her down under with his slender fingers again.


    As the Vampire pumped his fingers inside her while staring sexily at his Master''s flushed face, Ivory arched her back and moaned for his name. Feeling two of his fingers inside her tight core made her flower wetter than before.


    ¡­


    The next day, Ivory woke up alone in the wide bed. She didn''t know why, but she felt so tired. Upon seeing that the sun had risen when she gazed at the open window, she immediately got up, knowing that she''s already late.


    "Hey, Lycus is already at the shore," Sigmund suddenly peeked through the window, "Get up, sleepyhead," and he chuckled upon seeing her panic.


    The Vampire Servant was in a great mood, and for a short while, he thought that it was only himself who knew the reason behind his smile.


    But no. Goddess Destinia, who sees everything, also knew what sin he had committed last night.


    Sigmund knew that because of what happened, the Goddess might do something to separate them, but how would she do that?


    Unsummoning a Servant and making a Master become unchosen were two rituals done by the Oracle himself, which were held inside the Silverblade Castle. Was the Goddess going to tell her messenger, Lyria, to invite them to the castle and be punished by the Oracle''s rituals?


    Honestly, no one in the whole Kingdom knew what exactly the Goddess was thinking. But two things were for sure: she exists, and she''s almighty.


    He''s now awaiting his punishment, but he had no plan to involve Ivory. Sigmund could fight for his Master''s innocence, because she didn''t know what she was doing under the influence of the extraordinary mana.


    Aside from that, him having human desires was one of the main reasons why he gave in to the temptation. Thus, he needed to know why he became like that.


    Soon after, Ivory, Lycus, and Sigmund headed to a designated spot for meditation. The three were mesmerized by the view of the sea as they walked the wooden planks. It was a long walk, and at the end of the dock was an open gazebo on top of the blue waters, and the breeze that brushed their skins felt very relaxing.


    "Servant, you''re in charge of guarding us," Lycus told Sigmund, who was weirdly cooperative that moment. Not minding this, he said, "Don''t let us be disturbed. I am going to accompany her in her dream."


    Ivory and Lycus sat cross-legged in front of each other. They performed some breathing exercises, before Lycus activated his mana.


    Using an Advanced magic technique, Lycus siphoned some of his mana onto Ivory, which made her mind fall asleep while still sitting up straight. He then enveloped himself with his own mana and concentrated on the spell.


    Inside Ivory''s dream, she was back to the same oak forest, but this time, she had Lycus behind to support her.


    "In order to guess who the creature is, you need to take a look at your surroundings," Lycus said. "Where in the Kingdom do you think we are?"


    "In the kingdom? This is an actual place in our kingdom?" she was surprised, "Oak forests are definitely not found in the Land of Olivea and Sandria. I think his place is most likely in the Land of Rosaria."


    "Alright, let''s head over to the den," Lycus started walking forward, and she followed him.


    Hooting owls could be heard in the silence of the forest. When they arrived in front of the den, Ivory called, "Sir, I''ve come back!"


    Several glowing slanted almond shaped eyes, with colors of light blue, amber, pale yellow and green. The biggest pair of eyes decided to reveal itself before their visitors.


    "Welcome back, Ivory," said the creature with a deep voice.


    In front of Ivory was a gigantic wolf, whose silver fur turned white the moment the moonlight shone upon him.


    "I hope you didn''t mind¡­ But I brought Lycus with me."


    "It''s alright. He and I are constantly communicating with each other through his own dreams," the alpha wolf responded. He then sat in front of them, while some of the smaller wolves also ran out of the den and sat at the side to observe them.


    Ivory glanced at Lycus, who was very quiet, just like the other wolves.


    The creature asked Ivory, "Are you going to guess who I am?"


    She nodded, her eyes filled with determination.


    "Then¡­ let me hear your answer."


    Ivory said, "Are you a Beast Servant?"

 Chapter 91 - "Just A Reminder"

    The wolf had a hearty laugh, and he told her, "Nice try. But you are incorrect."


    "What?! Hmmm¡­" she kept on thinking who the creature might be, which made her sit on the dry soil with a serious expression on her face, and gathered all the clues in her mind.


    The creature is a wolf in the oak forest, and he''s bigger than his pack. He said he''s not a Beast Servant, yet he''s powerful enough to be a Servant himself. She knew this the moment he healed her bleeding feet last time.


    As soon as Ivory had a hunch who the creature was, she widened her eyes as she couldn''t believe it.


    The alpha wolf''s light blue irises gazed into Ivory''s same hued irises. He wondered what she was thinking of.


    "I know..." she gulped, "You are a Servant¡­ A Werewolf Servant, one of the two Classes who were banished!"


    A smirk escaped from the gigantic creature''s mouth. "You''re right¡­ But I want a more complete answer."


    "Uhm¡­ I-"


    "Lycus'' time is up. Just return tomorrow," the wolf said, then he turned his back on her, and the other smaller wolves did the same.


    "But-"


    "Lady Ivory, apologies, but I''m at my limit¡­ Doing this easily drains mana."


    "Oh, no!" she worriedly looked at him. "Then, let''s go back!"


    Lycus took her hand and the two of them ran away from the den towards their starting point.


    A flash of light blinded them for a very short while, and when they opened their eyes they saw themselves still sitting at the docks.


    "Lycus, are you alright?" she asked upon seeing him drenched in sweat. "I didn''t know this is too much for you. I apologize."


    He shook his head, "It''s alright, Lady Ivory. Because my mana quality isn''t as great as yours, I couldn''t hold on for too long."


    "What do you mean-"


    Lycus stood up, and offered his hand to help her. Feeling her knees weaken from the tiring daydream, she stumbled after standing up, making her grab Lycus'' arm.


    The young man supported her balance by holding her waist. "Are you alright?" he peered into her eyes.


    "Ah, thank you, Lycus," she smiled at him.


    The Vampire Servant, who saw Lycus touching his Master, glared at them as his crimson red eyes glowed. His mood turned sour and with that, he quickly ran towards them, pulled Ivory towards him, and pushed Lycus to the ground!


    "Sigmund!" Ivory called. "What are you doing?"


    But the Vampire did not mind her. He continued to glare at the weakened Lycus.


    "What the heck, Servant," he reacted, his body trembling due to the lack of mana, "What''s your problem?"


    Sigmund swiftly moved towards the poor man and grabbed his collar, "You''re my problem!" He punched his face, and while Lycus couldn''t say anything, he gathered water from the sea onto his hands through Advanced Water Elemental magic, turning the water ball into a big and sharp ice shard.


    "Sigmund! Stop it!" Ivory screamed. She ran to him and hugged him from behind. "Please calm down!"


    Feeling his Master''s warmth behind him, Sigmund''s eyes stop glowing, and the ice shard he held turned back to water.


    "Aren''t you too possessive for a Servant?" Lycus asked in a weak voice. "Just what are you, Sigmund?"


    The Vampire clenched his fists. "I am just a Servant who looks out for his Master. Nothing more," he turned his back on him. "She doesn''t like to be touched by other men, so you better keep that in mind¡­ I''ll take you to our hut to rest, Ivory."


    As Sigmund grabbed Ivory''s wrist and pulled her to go with him, Lycus stared at their backs. He saw Ivory worriedly glancing towards him, and he just nodded and smiled, as if saying he''s alright.


    But as Lycus stared at the gazebo''s ceiling, he worried about Ivory having such a stubborn Servant like Sigmund. And then finally, he let himself drift off to sleep.


    Inside the hut, the angry Sigmund banged the door as soon as they got inside.


    "Sigmund, I told you to try to get along with him, why did you harm him?" Ivory asked in a loud voice, worried about her relative''s state. "He used too much mana in guiding me to that dream!"


    "He touched you!" the jealous Vampire responded. He held onto Ivory''s shoulders and looked her in the eyes, "I hate it¡­ I hate it when other men get close to you!"


    "Why?" she asked. "Why are you acting like this?!"


    "You promised me, so you should fulfill it!" Sigmund then forcibly took Ivory to lie on the bed. He raised her skirt, exposing her flawless legs.


    Ivory tried to push him away, but he was unaffected even though she was already hitting his shoulders as hard as she could. "What are you doing?!"


    Sigmund caressed the birthmark of Goddess Destinia on her inner thigh. "I am going to remind you of what you promised me back then."


    Ivory let out a scream as soon as Sigmund bit her flesh. The more he sucked her blood, the intense pain turned into pleasure, one that''s so strong that hitting turned to letting out soft moans.


    When she closed her eyes, she saw some things she didn''t recall doing. She immediately opened her eyes, and was confused about what it was.


    The Vampire paused sucking her thigh when she turned silent. He gazed into her light blue irises and asked, "Ivory?"


    "Sigmund¡­" she pursed her lips. She wondered if she was seeing things because the pleasure she felt doubled because it was the birthmark he bit. "It''s nothing."


    Sigmund licked the oozing blood until there was no more, and he slid down her skirt to cover her legs. "I''m done. This should be enough to make you remember our deal."


    "I¡­ yes," she uttered.


    When Sigmund left the hut with heavy steps, Ivory stared blankly at the ceiling, wondering why she saw those things.


    She was puzzled why she saw in her vision that she was violently battling with the bandits in Hunter Town, and that she also healed herself while fighting with Lycus in the Greensteid Forest.


    But the most shocking one was a vision of him and Sigmund kissing and pleasuring each other.


    And Ivory wondered if all these vivid visions were just part of her daydreams. "I must be tired because of my dream," she thought, shrugging these thoughts off of her mind afterwards.


    ¡­


    Five more days went on. Lycus could only accompany Ivory to the oak forest dream for a short while, so they only did it once a day. And in the remaining hours, Ivory took the liberty to think carefully about the mystery of the alpha wolf. Sigmund had been accompanying her to walk around Sapphiros Town every after her meditation, thinking that it might help her, and ideas might pop up if she''s not cooped inside the hut.


    Ivory and her Servant walked side-to-side in the streets of Sapphiros Town, which had some visitors roaming around. Ivory gazed at the sky painted with hues of blue and pink/orange/ where the crescent moon was already visible. She wanted to fully adore the simple white houses with potted plants in front, but she couldn''t appreciate their beauty as she kept thinking about her relative, who had become more exhausted with all the meditations they''ve done so far.


    "I feel bad leaving Lycus alone in the docks. He always needed to sleep long to rest," she sighed. "He''s been working hard to bring me to my own dream. I hope I finish the challenge soon."


    "You need any help from me?" Sigmund asked.


    But Ivory shook her head, "I have to find out for myself. Lycus said my extraordinary mana might be locked up if I''d be coached by another person."


    "What a troublesome challenge," he scratched the back of his head.


    As they continued to walk, Ivory then noticed a group of tribespeople dancing on the streets. A small crowd was surrounding them, and she got so curious. She told her Servant, "Sigmund, let''s watch them!" she took his hand and pulled him, "Come!" and the two of them went to watch the tribal performance.


    When they got tired of going around town, they returned to their compound. Hours later, the sun had set, and they knew it was the usual time for Lycus to wake up and return for supper.


    The hour had passed and it turned into two, but there was still no sign of him.


    Ivory and Sigmund rushed to the docks and saw Lycus still sleeping.


    "Hey, wake up," Sigmund said, and when he touched his arm, he felt that it was too cold. "Ivory, something''s wrong with him."


    "Why? Does he have a fever?" Ivory was about to touch Lycus, but she glanced at Sigmund first. When he nodded at her in agreement, she placed her hands on his forehead, "No¡­ He''s as cold as ice!"

 Chapter 92 - "Solving The Mystery Of The Oak Forest"

    "He''s still breathing," Sigmund uttered when he placed his hands under Lycus'' nose.


    "Let''s bring him to his hut to warm him up!"


    With haste, Sigmund carried Lycus on his shoulder and ran to the hut. He carefully placed him down the bed, and tucked him underneath the thick blanket. Ivory then lit the unused, small fireplace at the side of the bed. Afterwards, she yawned, feeling sleepy due to tiredness.


    "Hey, why don''t you sleep in our hut? I''ll keep watch of him," the Vampire suggested.


    "Eh? But-"


    "Don''t worry, I won''t do anything bad to your relative. Go now."


    Convinced with this, and since she trusted him, she walked towards their hut. And as soon as she laid down the king sized bed, she fell asleep.


    When she opened her eyes, she was back in the oak forest that she and Lycus frequented these past days: in her dream. She ran as fast as she could to the wolves'' den to ask for the alpha wolf''s help.


    "Ivory, you''ve been guessing wrong these past few days, but if you tell me who I am today, I''ll tell you how to save Lycus."


    "You''re a banished Werewolf Servant, and you''re in the Land of Rosaria¡­" Ivory uttered. Her fearless light-blue irises then looked straight into the eyes of the giant creature. "Werewolves are the Silverblade clan''s Servants, and if you are called the alpha wolf and the leader of all the wolves in this forest, then you might be¡­ the late King Ulysses Silverblade''s Servant."


    Hearing Ivory''s correct answer, the alpha wolf suddenly howled, and the other smaller wolves did the same.


    "So, uhm¡­ Did I get it correctly-"


    Suddenly, all the wolves in the pack turned into their human forms. They had wolf ears while their almond-shaped eyes glowed. Female Werewolves wore leather brassiere with fur collar, short leather skirts, fur armbands, and leather boots. On the other hand, males only wore leather skirts, steel armbands, and leather boots.


    And the alpha wolf, who had striking blue eyes, was the most handsome in the pack.  He had medium-length silver hair, and furred and cupped ears wherein the inner ear was silver in color while the outer ear was black in color.


    He was also cladded in a different armor; he was only wearing steel pauldron armor on his right shoulder, a steel gauntlet on his right hand, and pants with a steel armor belt. But what caught Ivory''s attention was the wolf''s head on top of the pauldron with eyes made of sky blue topaz gems, which symbolizes his power as their leader.


    Ivory gaped in awe. She was fascinated by the appearances of the banished Servants she saw for the first time in her life.


    Most especially, she felt deeply connected to the alpha wolf.


    "Ivory, let me introduce myself formally," the leader of the Werewolves said, "I am Wolfram. The late King''s Werewolf Servant," and he shook hands with her.


    "It''s finally nice to meet you, sir Wolfram!" she gave a warm smile, and she also waved to the other Werewolves who seemed pleased to meet her.


    "Now, about Lycus-"


    "He''s¡­ not my relative, isn''t he?"


    Wolfram gave a lonely smile, "He''s not, but you may consider him as your family. Besides, he really treats you as one¡­ like a member of this pack."


    Ivory was saddened to hear this, "Then he is¡­?"


    "He''s a Werewolf as well."


    "But he doesn''t have wolf ears! What happened?"


    "Twenty years ago, the Oracle was suspiciously replaced right after the king died during the massacre. According to him, Lyria, Goddess Destinia''s messenger, said that Werewolves should be banished because it was believed that my Master was an unjust ruler and the Silverblades used us Werewolves to instill fear onto the people¡­ but it''s all false."


    "Oh no¡­" Ivory murmured.


    Wolfram sighed as he recalled what happened, "Since my Master was already dead and I had returned to the Goddess'' side, I asked Her about it¡­ and She said that it wasn''t Her, but Lyria, who decided on her own. According to the Goddess, she used Her Sacred Scroll and gained her almighty powers temporarily," he explained. "So I had a deal with Her for all Werewolves."


    "What deal?"


    "To let all remaining Werewolves live separately from their Masters¡­ and look like humans."


    Ivory listened carefully to his stories. Feeling a bit tired from standing, she sat down on the ground, and Wolfram and all the Werewolves surrounding them also did.


    "They traded their superb hearing and wolf ears to be independent. They can freely control how they handle their mana, but only have them limited. The Goddess promised to make up for her messenger''s grave mistake, and let all the Werewolves left hide in the Sanctuary¡­ but there were some who were unfortunately caught by the castle, just like Lycus."


    "So if there were some Silverblades who got away, then the next in line to the throne¡­ Wait, is the massacre some kind of evil scheme just to get rid of the royal family?!" she widened her eyes in shock. "Then the current king and the current Oracle are fooling everyone in the Kingdom!"


    "You are absolutely right," Wolfram nodded his head. "Now, about Lycus¡­ Since he only had a temporary mana supply, he couldn''t replenish quickly. Perhaps traveling in your dream for several days took a toll on him."


    "So, how can I save him?" she asked. "Please help me¡­ I want to save him, for all the support he has given me!"


    "If you want to save him¡­ then you must become his Master."


    Ivory was too shocked to speak.


    "Yes, you heard it right," Wolfram said, "After I allow you to take control of the powerful mana, you can share it with Lycus. It won''t affect your current Servant''s mana supply at all."


    "Wait, that''s¡­" What would she say to her possessive Vampire Servant? She knew Sigmund wouldn''t accept this. She promised him not to be close to other Servants!


    "Do not worry, I''m sure your Servant will understand," he smiled at her to reassure her. "All Servants are understanding towards their Masters. They''re holy, and do not feel human emotions like jealousy."


    "Ah, yes¡­ That''s right," she replied, stuttering.


    Wolfram stood up, "Alright, come with me into the den. I will give you your most awaited wish."


    With that, Ivory and the other Werewolves followed the leader into the den. It was dark at first, but it got dimmer as they went deeper into the den. But soon after, a bright light could be seen at the end.


    Inside were two silver goblets, with wolves carved into its surface, and were placed on a carved stone counter height table.


    "I''ve prepared it just for you, Ivory," Wolfram took one of the goblets, and he gestured to Ivory to take the other one.


    The curious Ivory peeked into the goblet, and saw a red liquid, "I am weak at alcohol, sir."


    It made the alpha wolf laugh. "You won''t get drunk with that, I promise," he said, "However, before we drink this, we have to make an oath. It''s under Goddess Destinia''s orders."


    "I understand, sir."


    "Repeat after me¡­ I, state your name."


    "I¡­ Ivory Sprucemint..."


    "...will promise to properly use my powerful mana and do everything in my power to bring back the throne to the Silverblade royal family."


    Ivory then repeated after him. Now, she knew clearly why she had to go to that oak forest in her dreams - because Goddess Destinia gave her a very important mission.


    "For now, pretend that Lycus is a Spirit Servant. I will lose my communication with him after I entrust him to you as his Master. Please trust him as much as you trust your current Servant."


    Ivory nodded.


    "Great. Now, drink it up to the last drop."


    She gulped the red liquid, even though it had an odd aftertaste. As soon as she finished it all, Wolfram took the goblet from her.


    "Ivory, I now officially welcome you to the pack!" he patted her head with a warm smile, and all of the Werewolves clapped their hands to welcome her.


    She was delighted, but she was still confused, "Thank you, but¡­ can I ask something, sir?"


    "Hmm? What is it?" Wolfram uttered.


    Ivory sighed, "I''ve been wondering¡­ Why do I have a mana like a member of the Silverblade clan?"


    "You''re curious?" he chuckled, "Listen carefully¡­ It''s because you are..."


    "HEY!" Sigmund''s voice echoed inside the hut, "I noticed the sudden light inside that''s why I hurried here. Are you having a nightmare? Why do you look so restless-"


    But upon seeing him, she immediately embraced him with tears in her eyes. "I¡­ I did it! I''m done with the challenge!"


    "Then¡­ you can now control your mana?"


    She pulled away and looked into his eyes, "Yes¡­ but Sigmund, I have to tell you something¡­"


    The Vampire wiped the tears that fell onto his Master''s cheeks. He asked, "What is it?"


    "It''s about Lycus¡­ he''s a¡­ Spirit Servant!"


    "What the hell?" Sigmund said. "It must be the reason why he had so much control of his own mana¡­ But who is his Master?"

 Chapter 93 - "Dont Neglect Me, Master"

    Suddenly, there was a loud bang at the door. It was Lycus, who looked paler and thinner. He has puffy eyes, and his silver hair appeared lackluster. "Master¡­ please replenish my mana¡­"


    The possessive Vampire Servant  glowered at him, "She''s not your Master!"


    "She is¡­ from now on¡­" he answered, stumbling onto the floor.


    "Lycus!" Ivory knew she was the reason why the lone Werewolf had become weak. As she felt guilt running through her, she told Sigmund in the calmest way possible, "Please¡­ Please get out of the room."


    "Hey¡­ You promised me! So why are you-"


    "Please, Sigmund¡­ I don''t have time to explain!" she yelled and went to Lycus'' side. "Please go out for a while!"


    Sigmund wanted to drag Lycus out of the hut and burn him alive, but he knew he couldn''t. He was only able to clench his fists in anger as he walked towards the door, shutting it loudly.


    A sound barrier was then formed by the Master. "Lycus¡­ Lycus, look at me," she placed his head onto her lap to support him. "I do not know how a Werewolf replenishes mana. Please tell me, so I can help you."


    "Master¡­" he turned his head towards her and started to sniff her. "You smell so good, Master," he uttered, placing his arms around her waist to hold her nearer to his head.


    "Lycus, what are you-"


    "This is¡­ how a Werewolf replenishes mana."


    Outside, Sigmund was trying hard to control his emotions. ''Darn it¡­ I knew that Lycus would only bring trouble¡­ How dare he claim her as his Master¡­ What a joke, how can Ivory have two Servants?''


    He couldn''t help his curiosity, and when he opened the door once again, he caught Lycus embracing his beloved Master with his face buried on her neck.


    Using half of his mana, he broke his Master''s strong sound barrier!


    "You¡­" Sigmund''s crimson-red irises glowed because of his anger. "Bastard! What do you think you''re doing to my Master?"


    But Lycus didn''t move an inch and only rested his head on his Master''s neck.


    "Why you-" the Vampire Servant was about to grab him, but Ivory shoved his hand.


    "Can you please be a bit more understanding? Lycus is too weak right now, and he needs my mana!"


    Sigmund was shocked to hear this from Ivory. It never occurred to him that she would someday disobey him; perhaps it was because she got more guts due to the extraordinary mana that was naturally flowing in her. He thought he had already tamed her to satisfy his greediness and desire for her, but everything was back to square one.


    He suddenly remembered that day, when he discovered that his past Master, Deshanna, had been lying to him for four months already. And it involved the late King''s Werewolf Servant, Wolfram.


    The trust between Sigmund and Deshanna crumbled as soon as she and Wolfram became closer. It was as if he came in between them, even though he had another Master.


    Sigmund didn''t want history to repeat itself. Before, it was only about the trust between him and his Master, but now, it was more than that.


    Due to his occurring human emotions, he not only felt jealous, but also betrayed. During the contract ritual, he made Ivory promise him not to get near other Servants because of his past experience. Unfortunately, she has broken it.


    Sigmund kneeled in front of Ivory, who was sitting on the floor and was holding the back of Lycus'' head while his face was still buried at the side of her neck. The Vampire got teary-eyed with his glowing crimson red eyes, and slow tears fell on his cheeks.


    "Master¡­" he furrowed his eyebrows as his sight turned blurry. His deep voice trembled, "Don''t¡­ Don''t neglect me¡­"


    It was the very first time that Ivory saw Sigmund cry. Her Servant looked so pitiful, "I apologize if I shouted at you, but as you can see¡­ Lycus did his best so I can travel to my dream and solve the problem of my extraordinary mana¡­" she then gestured for him to come closer, "Sigmund."


    The Vampire Servant obediently walked closer upon seeing her beckoned to her side.


    "Sigmund, you know that I won''t neglect you," she reached out to him and caressed his cheek with her free hand, wiping the tears on his cheeks. "I promise. I will be your Master, and you will be my Servant¡­ until the day I die."


    He looked at her dewy-eyed, and slowly his eyes stopped glowing. He nodded at her, held her hand and kissed the back of it.


    "Come closer," she pointed to the other side of her neck, "This side is free. Why not take this side?"  and smiled sweetly at him. "Don''t be too upset now, okay?"


    Sigmund sighed, and he muttered, "Dimwit¡­ You think I''ll just accept this situation? You''re kidding me..." but he still sat behind his Master anyway, then rested his head onto her other shoulder.


    "You two¡­ Your heads are heavy, you know¡­" Ivory said. At the back of her mind, she was wondering how she would manage two Servants at the same time.


    ¡­


    The next day, Ivory found herself lying on the king-sized bed. Because of the comfortable warmth she felt, she managed to sleep very well, and when she realized why she felt so cozy...


    "GAAAAAH!" she yelled when she saw Lycus on her left side and Sigmund on her right. Both of them were topless and their firm abs were exposed, and she caught them staring at her amorously.


    "Good morning, Master," Lycus said.


    Sigmund then asked, "Hey, how''s your sleep?"


    Seeing the two hot, topless guys on the same bed as her, she turned beet red because of embarrassment!


    "Uhh¡­ good morning, you two! I had a good sleep!" she immediately stood up and ran towards the bathroom''s wooden door. She suddenly remembered something and glanced back at them, "Sigmund, help Lycus prepare our breakfast."


    "Master, I am now once again a full-fledged Servant, and I do not need to eat. So I will only prepare your share," Lycus explained as he sat on the bed.


    "Ah, yes, you are right¡­" she replied. "Then can you at least join me for breakfast and eat a little, just like Sigmund did these past few days? Eating alone can be too lonely."


    Lycus nodded, "Apologies. Then, I shall also join you for breakfast."


    "I am her first Servant, and you should learn from me. I know a hundred ways to make Ivory happy, but some are only done by me," Sigmund smirked and Lycus gave a confused reaction, and the two of them stood up and started walking out of the hut.


    ''I hope they will be alright,'' Ivory thought. A subtle smile displayed on her face as she felt lighter that the Vampire was talking casually to the Werewolf - a sign that he''s slowly opening up to him. She then proceeded inside the bathroom to wash her face. She looked forward to the upcoming training that she would have in the following days.


    ¡­


    Days went on and Lycus showed Ivory her training area, which was only a few steps away from their huts. On the first few days, a plank of wood was situated on the sea waters near the end of the dock. Ivory stood straight on it and kept her balance. She would sometimes fall, but after many tries, she eventually did it successfully. The goal was to move towards the shore by controlling the water underneath her.


    Lycus had informed her that blending her normal mana and the Silverblade''s mana was similar to blending coffee and sugar. Depending on the situation, the goal should always be just the right amount of the two.


    Her normal mana''s nature was more of the Fire Element, but Wind Element dominated the other mana. It was fortunate though, that in both manas, the gap in the other elements'' powers weren''t that far, so her disadvantage with her nature''s weakness would only be minimal, unlike Caspian Reagan whose level of Water Element in the ice form was already on the highest level.


    But the most challenging part for Ivory in their three-week training was keeping the identities of the two from each other. Sigmund was keeping the fact that he''s a Vampire, while Lycus also kept that he''s a Werewolf. They pretended to be both Spirit Servants, who had varying magic techniques and mana replenishing methods, because both their Classes were banished.


    One night, she tried to ask Sigmund what he''d do if he met someone from the Werewolf Class.


    "I''ll definitely burn him to ashes."


    And when she asked Lycus separately what he''d do if he met a Vampire Servant, he said, "Goddess Destinia won''t let any Vampire return to her Kingdom. They were banished because the Servant who killed the Silverblades in the castle was a Vampire. But if there''s a chance, I''d probably ask our pack to help me take him down and make sure he be unsummoned."


    Because of those answers, Ivory knew it was not a good idea to let the two reveal their secrets in front of one another!

 Chapter 94 - "Blabbermouth"

    To replenish Sigmund''s mana, she was always asking the obedient Lycus to stay in his hut while she and Sigmund went to the gazebo at the docks.


    "Sigmund," Ivory called as she and the Vampire sat in front of each other in the dark. She put off the candle because she didn''t want others to see that she was being bitten by her Servant. She asked him curiously, "Do you now accept Lycus?"


    "As long as he doesn''t disturb us," the Vampire responded. He started sucking blood on Ivory''s palm since a while ago.


    "Oww!" she reacted when he bit her again, on her other hand.


    "You''re still not used to this?" he peered into her eyes.


    Ivory responded, "Somehow, the darkness makes me surprised with the pain."


    The moon suddenly showed up when a couple of clouds moved away. Sparkles of light were shown on the sea''s surface, and gradually, the surroundings became brighter.


    Ivory glanced at her beloved Vampire Servant who both held her hands near his mouth. A subtle smile formed on her face, and she startled him when she pulled her hands away.


    "Ivory?" Sigmund gazed at her light blue irises.


    Her eyes glowed for a short while, and she observed her palms. The wounds started healing, and when it was done, her eyes stopped glowing.


    The Vampire sighed, "Can you not heal too fast? I want to suck more of your blood."


    Ivory giggled, "Apologies, it''s just that... I never thought that the time would come that I could control my extraordinary mana."


    "Do you really not wish to tell me what happened in your dream?"


    She shook her head.


    "Then it must be the Goddess'' orders," Sigmund then grabbed her arms and pulled her close to him. He cupped her chin and looked straight into her eyes. "It''s alright, I won''t force you to tell me if it''s Her holy orders as long as you will never part from me... But let me bite you somewhere I haven''t bitten yet."


    She raised her brow, her cheeks turned red as a tomato, "And where is that?"


    A smirk escaped from Sigmund''s lips.


    Ivory was startled when her Vampire Servant suddenly crawled towards her. With her reflex, she moved backwards, until she reached the back, and if she moved a bit more, she would fall into the waters. Seeing this, Sigmund immediately placed his arm around her waist.


    "What are you doing, stupid woman!" he exclaimed, embracing her.


    It was only the crashing of waves that could be heard at that moment, but the sound of her beating hearts came louder. When Ivory leaned her head on his firm chest, she could also hear his heart beating fast. She also embraced him and the two of them stared at the reflection of the moon on the sea.


    Ivory wondered, since when was Sigmund this sweet towards her? She didn''t realize how much time had passed since the first day they met.


    It amazed her that the Servant in front of her was the same Servant who ran away from her on the day of his summoning. She then raised her head to gaze into his crimson-red eyes and uttered, "I wish you were a human."


    Sigmund raised his eyebrows, "What the hell are you saying?"


    She chuckled with his surprised reaction, "Nevermind," and leaned onto him.


    "I will bite you next time at that part of your body that I have been wanting to bite."


    The two then spent an hour on the docks. Not to replenish mana, but to listen to each other''s beating hearts.


    ¡­


    Their stay in Sapphiros Town finally came to an end. The tribe leader Leopold and some of his tribesmen accompanied them to the town arc to say their goodbyes. They rode the horse-drawn carriage and the horse started to move.


    On the way, Ivory stared outside the carriage window. The oak trees outside reminded her of her dreams, and she wondered if she could meet Wolfram and the pack once again, after all, she made a pact with them, and they welcomed her warmly in return.


    Sigmund stayed seated while his arms were on Ivory''s back. He let her lean on him as she stared blankly outside.


    Lycus, on the other hand, felt no jealousy or any other negative emotions towards Sigmund even though he knew he''s very close with her as if he''s human. Ever since he became Ivory''s full-fledged Servant, all that mattered to him was Ivory''s happiness and safety. Also, as a Servant, he had no human desires, so he was able to get along with Sigmund as he treated him as his apprentice.


    The group passed through the border of the Land of Rosaria and entered the Land of Olivea. With the scroll of permission from General Goldwine, they were not inspected at all. They headed towards Omegalion City where they were dropped off.


    With that five hours of journey back to their homeland, Ivory felt her buttocks a bit numb, and her back sore. As they walked at the side of the cobblestoned road, she said casually, "I want a back massage."


    "Master, how about I give you one?" Lycus said happily.


    The competitive Sigmund glared at him for a while before saying, "No, I will massage her back, Lycus, and you just watch how I do it. Besides, I know the parts of her body where she would feel satisfied-"


    "Sigmund!" their Master turned beet red. She pinched his arm, "Behave!"


    "What? I was merely coaching him. He''s your new Servant, so he still needs to learn a lot. Isn''t this what you want? For me to get along with him?"


    "But¡­" Ivory facepalmed when he saw Sigmund nodding at Lycus as if he was forcing him to agree with him. "Sigmund, you meanie! Stop tormenting Lycus!"


    "What? I think I''m treating him well- Oww!" she loudly hit his back. "How violent!"


    "Because you were picking on him!"


    As the two were bickering like cat and dog, Lycus laughed a little, and they didn''t realize that they had already reached the city arc of Omegalion.


    Their loud laughters ended when they saw several knights in front of them. Sigmund and Lycus brought Ivory behind them, cautious and getting ready for battle.


    "Do not be too formal, Ivory," Crown Prince Jirou said in his majestic white horse as it galloped towards her front. "I heard you were coming back today, so I rushed my kingdom tour," he looked down at her, glaring in annoyance.


    Ivory glared back at the Crown Prince.


    Jirou knew that something had changed in Ivory. Her glare made him realize that she became fiercer and bolder. The training might have made her so strong for her to emit such confidence.


    "I want to take you to Silverblade Castle," he told her straight out, with a wide grin on his face, "I want to introduce you to my father."


    "What if I refuse?" she asked.


    The prince first stared at her before saying, "Then I shall leave now. See you soon, Ivory," he smirked. "Really, really soon¡­" then with the several knights, he left and then the sound of the hooves of horses against the cobblestoned roads slowly diminished.


    Ivory and her two Servants thought they acted weird, and decided to proceed to the academy to check up on things. Principal Arthurdane was at the gate, and as soon as he saw them approaching, he immediately ran towards them.


    "How was the training?" he asked them with a troubled expression.


    "It went well! I can now control my other mana," Ivory said. Seeing him look behind them, perspiring and his eyes were wavering, she asked, "What''s wrong?"


    "Well¡­ You know that Miss Knightwing and Sir Lucius went to the tour, right?" the principal gulped in nervousness, "Miss Knightwing said some things she shouldn''t say to the Crown Prince, that''s why Sir Lucius, he¡­"


    Ivory widened her eyes, anticipating what the principal would say next.


    "Lucius was brought to the Silverblade Castle''s prison."


    "What!?" she reacted, "Why? I mean¡­ What did Arcea say to make the prince mad?"


    The principal told them that he heard the knights talking about it. Since the start of their trip, Crown Prince was already in a bad mood because Ivory was not with them. To solve his boredom, he asked Arcea to tell him things about her closest female friend, and as soon as she started, she came blabbering about her thoughts, almost non-stop.


    Arcea then mentioned that she felt that there''s a strong connection between Ivory and Lucius.


    When Prince Jirou asked Lucius what he felt for Ivory, he responded with, "Don''t worry, Your Highness, I only see her as a sister."


    But when Arcea heard this, she mentioned a certain necklace that Lucius gave Ivory, and it made the prince snap. He thought that Lucius was lying to him.


    "Principal, there is nothing going on between Lucius and me¡­ and you know that."


    "I only knew of his imprisonment when they finished their journey and returned here."


    "Where is Arcea?"


    "She''s also in the castle¡­"


    "That prick," Sigmund said. "He took your friends so that you''ll personally go to him!"

 Chapter 95 - "Confrontation In The Silverblade Castle"

    Ivory clenched her fists in anger. She never felt negative about a person, and what made her mad the most was him imprisoning Lucius, who only ever helped her ever since the first day they met. She couldn''t even blame Arcea for running her mouth like that, because it''s her personality.


    "Master Ivory, what do you want us to do?" Lycus asked.


    "Huh? Why is Lycus-"


    "Sir Arthurdane, I now have two Servants, but now''s not the time to talk about it¡­ I have to move now and take my friends out of the castle."


    Principal Arthurdane nodded, and he asked them to take the academy''s horse-drawn carriage. With no more time left to lose, the three of them started to head to the Land of Rosaria. They traveled nine hours, with a resting time every two hours.


    They arrived at the gigantic gate of the Silverblade Castle, wherein the castle was protected with a line of tall bastions. To enter, they had to ascend and reach the gate opening in the middle of the two elevated towers. Underneath the elevation was a man-made river for protection and terrain advantage.


    They were blocked by the guards in front, and when they were asked who they were, Ivory said her name. She was allowed to go inside, but not Lycus and Sigmund.


    "Lycus, I want you to stay in the Sanctuary, while Sigmund, you stay in Preston Bronzelain''s for a while," Ivory ordered with certainty In her eyes.


    The two of them retorted, but then she held their hands.


    "Listen, you two. I will go to Valios City as soon as we''re done in this castle. Please don''t worry about me too much."


    "As you wish, Master," Lycus said.


    When Ivory let go of their hands, Lycus stepped back, but Sigmund pulled her to him, "I don''t want to leave you here. This is too dangerous."


    "I am not that much of a weakling anymore, thanks to this Silv- extraordinary mana," she patted his back. "I promise, I''ll be careful. Preserve your mana until then, and don''t move too much."


    When she pulled away, Sigmund looked at her with worry. His beloved Master would be entering the enemy''s territory, and on top of that, she would be meeting that jerk of a crown prince, who wanted his way with her.


    Ivory was allowed to enter, and her carriage proceeded inside.


    "Let''s go to Valios just as our Master said," Lycus told him.


    The Vampire nodded and started walking as well. As he followed Lycus, he gritted his teeth in anger. He cursed Crown Prince Jirou Dragonicus and his clan. And at the back of his mind, if something happened to Ivory, he would not hesitate to make himself the sinner they thought he was.


    Ivory arrived inside the castle and was assisted by one of the maidservants. As she walked on the red carpet in the hallway, she kept on looking around, amazed by the Silverblade Castle''s interior.


    Sigmund then crossed her mind. He lived for a long while in that same place where she had set her foot on. She wondered how he lived his life and wondered how he and his previous Master interacted with each other in the busy, yet majestic place.


    Did Sigmund suck her blood as intensely as how he did it with her?


    She shook her head to erase these unnecessary thoughts when they finally reached the throne room, where the crown prince was seated alone on his throne.


    Prince Jirou grinned as he saw Ivory enter the room. He quickly stood up from his designated seat and approached her.


    "I knew you''d come. I was waiting for you," he then grabbed her hand and kissed its back.


    Ivory looked at him with disgust as she pulled her hand away. "I am just here to fetch my friends."


    "You mean, friend?" Crown Prince Jirou said. "Miss Arcea Knightwing, am I right-"


    "Yes, and Lucius Goldwine," Ivory glared at him. "I am taking them both."


    The prince guffawed, "Why do you think I''ll set Lucius Goldwine free?"


    "I don''t think he''d done anything to harm you-"


    "But he stole something that''s mine..." he reached for her face, "And that''s you."


    Ivory shoved his hands away when he tried to caress her cheek, "I do not belong to anyone."


    "The hickeys¡­ was it Lucius-"


    "No!" she yelled. "We''re just friends!"


    "If you aren''t special to that man, then why did he give you a necklace?!" Crown Prince Jirou asked loudly; his voice echoed in the room.


    "It was only a freebie. I-"


    "Oh Ivory!" Arcea came rushing in with a wide smile as soon as she saw her friend whom she missed a lot. "How''s your training?"


    Ivory sighed as she looked at the unaffected Arcea. Did she not know that Lucius was thrown into the prison?


    "Where''s Lucius?" Ivory asked.


    Arcea replied as she twirled the ends of her shoulder length hair, "He''s in his room. Why?" she touched the middle of her friend''s creased brows. "Is there something wrong?"


    The silver-haired woman assessed her current situation. What''s the truth? Was Lucius in danger or maybe the news about him in prison is untrue?


    Ivory gauged the truth by examining the prince''s expression, but she couldn''t guess it.


    "I want to see Lucius. Bring me to him," she said in a demanding tone.


    "Very well. Follow me," said Prince Jirou. The three of them, followed by four maidservants and four knights., started marching towards the chambers for the guests.


    Lucius was not imprisoned in the castle prison, but was in a room arrest.


    "Ivory¡­ What are you doing here?!" Lucius was shocked when he saw her enter the room. When he was about to approach her, the knights pointed their swords at him, which made him step back.


    "Lucius, let''s go home-"


    "Ivory, enough!" Crown Prince Jirou grabbed her arm. "I''ve decided. It''s either you stay, or the two of them go."


    "Why the hell are you doing this?!" Ivory yelled disrespectfully at the prince, "You''re insane!!!"


    The knights pointed their swords at her, but after seeing the prince laugh, they took it down.


    "You''ve really changed, Ivory. What happened to the puppy Ivory who knelt before me at the academy?" Prince Jirou asked., "The three-week training made you even bolder¡­ I don''t hate it, though."


    She facepalmed when she heard him say it. He''s really insane, she thought.


    "Oh my goddess, just accept the prince''s proposal! That way, you don''t have to force yourself to be strong enough to win the Servant Competition. After all, being a Queen suits you more than being a Royal Knight. You''re too pretty to be in a war."


    It was as if something snapped within Ivory when she heard her friend say those things. She was trying hard not to be affected everytime Arcea ran her mouth like that, but telling her to change her dreams and aspirations in life and to become some crazy guy''s spouse made her very disappointed.


    "Arcea, excuse me, but¡­ I want to become a Royal Knight, and it doesn''t have anything to do with me being pretty, you know. And I am not forcing myself to be strong. I want to be strong out of my own free will," Ivory said in a straight face when she faced her, "Why don''t you learn how to control that blabbering mouth of yours and filter out what''s real and what''s not? That way, we can avoid any trouble like this one."


    "Ivory¡­ you¡­" Areca stuttered, shocked that for the first time, Ivory got mad at her, "Why are you saying such hurtful words? You''ve changed-"


    "Now you know that feeling of being hurt by words? You are always doing it. Not only to me, but also to other people," she tried to explain as calmly as possible, but for some reason, ever since she had control of the Silverblade mana, she could comfortably express her opinions and feelings. "Lucius is like a brother to me, and he also felt that way towards me. You are totally wrong about us!"


    Arcea, who was not used to being scolded, was already teary-eyed as she replied, "But he''s the only person you''re close with, and even he gave you a beautiful necklace-"


    "It was a friendly gift! Even so, who gave you the right to talk ill about us?" the angry Ivory crossed her arms. "You are a kind friend, but if you''re going to continue to be like this, then let us just end our friendship¡­ or the day will come that Lucius and I will both be dead because of you."


    "You''re too much!!!" Arcea cried, and she swiftly ran away from the group.


    Prince Jirou and Lucius, as well as the other castle personnels, gaped in surprise with the sudden confrontation.


    "And you, don''t be too hot-headed," Ivory faced the prince. "And don''t easily believe other people. I only have a few friends, and Lucius is my closest one because he''s the first one I met in Qawiun Academy¡­"


    The prince stared at her blankly after realizing that he might be the wrong one. Ivory wouldn''t say all those mean things to Arcea if it was not a serious matter. Instead of criticizing her, it even made him like her more.


    She sighed after feeling the intensity of what she did a while ago. She apologized to the prince before more trouble came to them, "I humbly apologize, Your Highness. I didn''t mean to disrespect you," she bowed her head. "Now¡­ I request once again that we be allowed to return to the academy."


    "Fine then, Lucius is not your lover," Crown Prince Jirou said, "But who gave you those hickeys? Don''t tell me such a lie that it was from a duel. I know the difference between a hickey and a burn scar."


    Ivory tried not to avert from the Prince''s gaze, but she was already fidgeting her fingers, and she could already hear her own heartbeat,  "Well¡­ its-"

 Chapter 96 - "A Bad Feeling"

    "Is that the random guy you met in Betania?" Lucius suddenly interrupted. "The one you said is your type? Or am I wrong?"


    Ivory widened her eyes in surprise that her best buddy once again thought of an excuse. She didn''t know why, but he would always cover it up. Did he already know who did it?


    "Well¡­ who''s this random guy?" the prince raised his brow.


    "The tavern was dark, so I couldn''t really remember," she responded. She talked as if she was recalling the event, and her straight answer made the prince believe her, "Anyway, I was drunk. Please forget that embarrassing moment."


    But at the back of her mind, she could faintly remember how her beloved Servant did it to her. Although she couldn''t remember everything that happened that night, she could still feel his lips grazing her skin.


    Ivory felt hot and she immediately turned her back from them. "So I hope we cleared up the misunderstanding¡­"


    "I''ll arrange a carriage for the three of you tomorrow," Prince Jirou said. He went beside Ivory and whispered to her ear, "Since you badly want to become a Royal Knight, I''ll wait for you to become one¡­ then I''ll ask you to be my Queen again."


    Ivory saw him smirk at her before he marched away with the knights. Afterwards, the maidservants led her to her chambers, which was beside Arcea''s. She got worried that she might have said too much that it would certainly end her relationship with her even though she didn''t really mean it that way. She only wanted her to be careful with her words in the future.


    With a worried expression on her face, Ivory knocked at Arcea''s room, but there was no answer. When she opened it, there was no one inside, so she figured she might have gone outside to get some fresh air. She asked a maidservant if she had seen her, and she said that she went to the rose garden, and she led the way.


    As they walked on the hallway going to the said rose garden, a flashback of her old dream suddenly went through her mind. It was still so vivid as it occurred on her first day at Qawiun academy, and she had confirmed that it was the same castle based on the splendid interiors, memorabilias and antiques.


    The horrifying dream included numerous dead bodies on the hallway, with their blood splattered on the doors, walls, and windows. She would never forget the rose garden and the Servant with crimson-colored irises who gazed at her intensely.


    It was the pre-summoning dream wherein she accepted Sigmund as her Servant and after recalling it, it left her wondering why it was brutal and bloody.


    When Ivory arrived in the rose garden, she was shocked to see Arcea struggling to fight a woman wearing a maidservant''s uniform. The woman, who had a blank expression on her face, was strangling her, and Arcea was taking a hold of her hands, trying to be freed.


    "Arcea!" Ivory called. She then asked the maidservant who was with her to call for help, and she ran away from the scene.


    With haste, Ivory grabbed the odd woman''s arms, and she was shocked because however she pulled it, it was too sturdy to move!


    "Something''s wrong-" Ivory was cut off when the woman pushed her, and she was thrown into the rose bushes, making her back bleed because of the thorns.


    The Vampire, on the other hand, was thinking about his beloved Master as he glanced at the night sky. He and Lycus just arrived in front of the Sanctuary of Goddess Destinia where they would part ways.


    "See you when Master Ivory returns," Lycus uttered.


    But when he was about to talk to the guards to let him in, Sigmund grabbed his arm. He told him, "I''ll go to the Silverblade Castle," he creased his brows, "I have a bad feeling..."


    Lycus stared at Sigmund for a while, "I thought I was the only one. I have been feeling uneasy since we left Master at the castle¡­"


    "Let''s go back-"


    "Not that way," he told him. "We''ll ask for permission to use the back shore."


    "Back shore?" Sigmund was confused but walked behind Lycus anyway.


    Lycus asked the knight guard that they needed to talk to Priestess Althaia. Upon confirming with a disciple that both of them were allowed, they walked inside, and when they reached the stone bridge, the priestess greeted them.


    "If you''re both here without Miss Ivory, then there must be something wrong," she said, then turned to Sigmund. "Welcome to the Sanctuary of the Goddess."


    Sigmund nodded at her as a simple greeting. "I am Ivory''s.. Spirit Servant."


    Lycus told her about the situation, and that he had become her full-fledged Servant. Althaia expressed her excitement and told him that it was an honor to be Ivory''s Servant, but they left out the other details because Sigmund was there beside him.


    Sigmund was sensing the extraordinary mana scattered throughout the place. If it was true that most people here were related to Ivory in a way, and they were protected by Goddess Destinia, then she must be a special person. And Lycus, who pretended to be a relative, turned out to be a Spirit Servant who served her family, so perhaps some of the people within the Sanctuary were also Spirit Servants. Although there were still many questions left to answer, he did not know how or what to ask her first.


    As long as she wouldn''t drift away from him like her past Master, he decided that he wouldn''t peer too much with the secrets involving the Goddess herself because he knew that it might cause problems for Ivory.


    Priestess Althaia, with other six disciples, went to the dungeon underneath the bridge, and they got out to see the back shore.


    "Sail on the waters and you''ll reach the Silverblade Castle''s shore. It''s directly linked to the prison because the Royal Knights have been asking us for help¡­ Anyway, you should go now," she pointed to the side of the shore where there was a small boat. "You two can fit in there. I highly recommend that you use Water Magic to make your transfer faster, just be careful of your mana being depleted."


    "I''ll go alone," Sigmund told them. "I''ll need you to be my Plan B, just in case something happens."


    "Plan B?" Lycus asked. "No, I''ll come with you. I''m also worried about our Master."


    But the priestess shook her head, "He''s right. Stay here, in case of emergency."


    Sigmund quickly ran towards where the boat was and rode it. He then used Water Magic to create some waves.


    As the view of the boat became smaller, Priestess Althaia''s brows creased. She was sensing something wrong with Ivory''s first Servant, but she didn''t know what it was.


    When Sigmund reached ashore ten minutes later, he had already seen the heavily guarded coast, and as soon as he stepped foot on it, he was instantly blocked by one of the knights.


    "I am Ivory Sprucemint''s Servant. She''s inside," Sigmund said. "Move aside, before I get mad."


    "My, my, how brave," a man in a different armor suddenly said. "Remember me?"


    "Ah, shoot. The Royal Knight from Gallean Town," he said. The knight unblocked the way, and the two of them talked as they walked on the hallway of the prison.


    "Why are you not with her?" Xenos asked him.


    "She insisted that I shouldn''t come. But I had a bad feeling, so I asked the Priestess in the Sanctuary to let me pass the shore. They said it''s the fastest way here."


    "Miss Sprucemint must be a special woman. The Priestess doesn''t just let anyone inside the Sanctuary, you know. Even us Royal Knights can only be allowed on their shore."


    "Even I still do not know everything about her," he responded. "And I also think there''s more about her that even she herself does not know yet."


    Xenos nodded at him, "I see. Then maybe she-"


    "SIR JOLTANE!" another Royal Knight came rushing towards him. He panted when he stopped in front of Xenos.


    "What happened?"


    "It''s a mess¡­ The garden is a mess!"


    Hearing this, Xenos and Sigmund followed him towards the rose garden. Before they even reached it, they already heard several explosions here and there.


    "What happened here?" Xenos asked a knight, who saw what happened.


    "The fight''s been going on," he said, panicking. "The knights and thirty maidservants are having a fight right now, sir-."


    "WHAT? What nonsense are you saying?" the blue haired Royal Knight knitted his brows.


    How did it become such a mess? Unfortunately, almost all the Royal Knights came with King Yama Dragonicus on a month-long journey to discover more islands around the Kingdom, so there were only a few Royal Knights left to protect the Prince.


    "How did this start?" Xenos continued interrogating.


    "Well, the maidservants started targeting His Highness Prince Jirou," the man gulped in nervousness. "How ominous! They acquired mana, even though they''re not Chosen Ones."


    "Sh*t. It''s the Dark Mana," Xenos murmured. He started walking towards the rose garden, and the Vampire went after him.

 Chapter 97 - "Cleansing The Thirty"

    The crowd of knights strived hard to block the path towards the Crown Prince and his visitors. But they were struggling because as much as possible, they should not hurt the maidservants under the prince''s orders. The only goal was to make them unconscious, then bring them to the prison. The more experienced knights, who were under Xenos Joltane''s supervision, knew what to do with people like them.


    The knights of Silverblade Castle are Chosen Ones as well, but they did not pass the hard battle test to be Royal Knights. If they fail, it''s either they quit or continue being a knight. If they choose the latter, they would train and retake the next battle test. They are of a lower rank, and unlike Royal Knights who directly report to the Royal Family, knights report to the Royal Knights.


    As the commotion went on, Sigmund and Xenos rushed to where Ivory and the others were. Although Sigmund wanted to burn them all, he was asked not to lay a finger on them. Royal Knight Xenos casted Earth magic, his mana''s dominant element, to hold the maidservants'' feet. Seconds later, a giant bear with a very thick golden white fur and  six golden horns came running in great haste, knocking down one-fourth of the maidservants unconscious.


    "Bavin, great timing," Xenos told his Beast Servant. He then gave orders to the other knights to bring all the unconscious maidservants to the prison beach. They would be brought later to the back shore of the Sanctuary to be cleansed.


    "This will be a tiring night," Xenos sighed, then with his Beast Servant, they tried knocking the others unconscious as well.


    When Sigmund successfully reached Ivory, she told him, "I thought I said you should not leave Valios?" Ivory used Air magic to push back the maidservants who were trying to approach them while she talked to him.


    Sigmund was also pushing them back. Some of them casted balls of fire, but the Vampire, a master of that element, only caught it with his enchanted hands, making it dissipate into thin air. He chuckled when he told his Master, "What can you expect? I am a stubborn one."


    Lucius, on the other hand, kept his Golem Servant in an inactive state because it might crush the maidservants'' bodies due to its size. His Servant''s type and his mana''s dominant element was also fire, same as Ivory''s.


    The blonde young man noticed his friend''s bleeding back, "Ivory, your back¡­ You''re wounded!" He stopped blocking the maidservants and instead wiped the blood dripping from her deep wounds with his handkerchief.


    "It must be when I was thrown on the thorny rose bushes a while ago," she gave a reassuring smile. "I am fine, don''t worry," she then looked at the moon above them, then her eyes glowed.


    Lucius gaped in awe as he saw the narrow lacerations slightly glowed when the moonlight shone on them. Slowly, the skin was pulled inward, and the wounds got smaller until there was not a scar left on her skin. "Ivory¡­ You-"


    Suddenly, a maidservant almost reached him at his back, fortunately, Prince Jirou knocked her unconscious. "What are you doing? Save the chats for later!" He noticed that the maidservants were all looking at him even though they were fighting the others. "Focus and don''t let them harm you. They might be sent to kill me."


    Ivory asked as her feet moved backwards, meeting the prince''s eyes, "Why would they? Who would dare kill you, Your Highness?"


    "My younger brother, Jaquin," he balled his fists. "Father challenged him that if he could kill me, he''d accept him as the new Crown Prince."


    "What a scum of a father you have- Oh! I mean¡­ How sad," she furrowed her eyes in dismay.


    She remembered what Wolfram told her back then in her oak forest dream, that the current king, Yama Dragonicus, was actually a traitor. He was the reason why the people of the kingdom turned their backs from the late king. Even though Ivory hated the Crown Prince''s overbearing attitude, she felt pity for him. It somewhat reminded her of her relationship with Katie, who despises her. However, it was more pitiful and must be hard because the prince doesn''t only have an ambitious younger brother, but also an evil father.


    When all the maidservants were knocked unconscious and the knights brought them out of the rose garden, Ivory and the others felt relieved. But all of a sudden, a shadow blocked the moonlight. There was a huge creature with large wings and long tail flying around.


    Prince Jirou looked up and frowned. "He''s here," he uttered. It seemed like his brother came to kill him himself. Out of worry, he grabbed Ivory''s arm and made her look at him, "Get all of your friends out of here. This will be a violent battle."


    "What about you?" asked Ivory.


    "I have to face him," he sighed, then caressed Ivory''s cheek. "I need to kill him in order to hold my position as Crown Prince. I want to see you become my Royal Knight, and the Queen of this kingdom."


    Ivory was speechless as she let the medium blue-eyed prince touch her face. Sigmund saw this, and he immediately called out to her, saying they needed to go.


    She only nodded in response to the prince''s statement, because she couldn''t even cheer for him.


    The silver haired Master then asked Sigmund to carry the unconscious Arcea, while the three of them ran away from the garden. At a distance, she took a final glance at the prince, and she saw a dark smoke surrounding him, an indication that their battle had already started.


    Five boats that could carry ten people each were lined up on the beach at the back of the Silverblade Castle''s prison. Each boat had six unconscious maidservants and four Royal Knights. Ivory, Lucius, Areca, Sigmund, and Xenos rode a different boat.


    They all headed towards the back shore of the Sanctuary, where wooden torches were lit and were aligned on the coast. Upon seeing the arrival of six boats, Priestess Althaia asked for the presence of more disciples. She would need more to help her with cleansing and eliminating the Dark Mana within them. Lycus was asked to guard the Sanctuary for a long while as they did things below the cliff.


    When the boats were anchored and the knights were about to carry the maidservants, Althaia stopped them and told them that she would just use the boats like a magic circle to trap and cleanse the Dark Mana. The knights got down, as well as Ivory and her group.


    "Miss Ivory, please come here," the priestess gestured for her to come closer.


    When Ivory got near her, she gave a confused look, "Is something the matter?"


    "I will teach you something useful," she grabbed her hands and placed them on one of the boat''s front. She made her grip it with all her might. "I will teach you how to cleanse Dark Mana."


    While Ivory was being instructed by Priestess Althaia with drawing the sacred symbol and with how she could incorporate her Silverblade mana onto the boat, they were watched by the three men from afar, while Arcea was on the separate boat, still unconscious.


    "I wonder why Ivory Sprucemint is very close with the people in the Sanctuary," Xenos opened up. "She even looks similar to some of them, including the Priestess."


    Lucius and Sigmund stayed quiet as the Royal Knight kept on talking about it. They knew they should be cautious with people under the King''s command.


    The Royal Knight noticed this. He felt like the two were hiding something important from him. "Who are Miss Sprucemint''s parents?"


    "Mrs. Anne and Mr. Gordon Sprucemint," Lucius answered. "They''re from Greensteid Town."


    "Ah, I see," he responded. When he was thinking of what else he could ask, one of the knights called him. He excused himself and walked away.


    "So, rich boy," Sigmund said, then sat on the stone behind him. "Any news?"


    "About what?" he raised his brow.


    "About¡­ that."


    Lucius paused for a while and tried to remember what he was referring to, before he answered, "No, not yet. But once we return, I will find out about your condition."


    "That punk Lycus wouldn''t tell us who Ivory''s parents are. He kept on telling us that her father didn''t want to reveal himself yet. I suspect they know about my situation. Either her mysterious father, or her mother who he said was once a Royal Knight," Sigmund uttered. "If Lycus said that Ivory''s family did something wrong before, then perhaps that''s the reason why I am such an odd Servant. Can you also use your connections to find out who Ivory''s real parents are?"


    "That-" Lucius avoided his eyes. "I don''t know how I''ll be able to find his father¡­" a bothered expression showed on his face.


    Sigmund narrowed his eyes as he saw the change in the blonde young man''s expression. Did Lucius already know something?


    "Rich boy, if you already know something, spill it, will you?" he requested. "Let''s not drag this on for too long."


    He shook his head. "Apologies, Sigmund," he turned his back on him and then walked towards the knights.


    Meanwhile, the boats started glowing and blinding lights formed on the side. When the maidservants went conscious, they went berserk, but they could not get out beyond the boat.


    Ivory followed Priestess Althaia''s instructions, and she held onto the end of the boat. The other disciples also did it with the other boats, and all at the same time they murmured their enchantments. It might hurt so much for the maidservants, but they need to do it in order to prevent them from harming more people.


    When the cleansing ritual was done, Royal Knight Xenos went to one of the boats and asked a conscious maid, "Can you tell me what happened before obtaining the Dark Mana?"


    The woman hesitated for a while. But seeing his intimidating gaze made her say, "We prayed in the Oracle''s tower..."

 Chapter 98 - "Resignation Of The Trusted Royal Knight"

    Royal Knight Xenos continued the interrogation. Ivory and the others also approached them to hear about it, "What did you pray for?"


    "I prayed for more coins to send to my loved ones in Hunter Town¡­" she responded.


    The lady beside her said, "I prayed for a richer husband¡­ I admitted I got fed up with my husband who kept on promising me things he couldn''t even afford..."


    The others also spoke up about what they wished, and most of them prayed for the things they felt that they couldn''t have. The maidservants looked at each other disorientedly as they talked more about their life struggles and what they prayed for.


    With his loud and commanding voice, the Royal Knight ordered the women to be silent. He then asked, "So Oracle Ghidarlgh asked the thirty of you to go to his tower and pray for all your wishes?"


    They nodded at him.


    "We prayed out loud¡­"


    "And then we drank the holy wine."


    "Holy wine?" he raised his brow, "What kind of wine was it? Can you describe the taste?"


    "Tastes like grape wine, but has an aftertaste¡­"


    "You''re right! And it was spicy."


    With the two maidservants'' description, the others nodded. Royal Knight Xenos crossed his arms and gave a serious expression. The said holy wine was too suspicious.


    "What did the Oracle tell you before you drink it?"


    "He said that once we drink it, we will be so powerful that our wishes will be granted."


    "When we drank it, we were shocked that we can use magic¡­ The Oracle said that it is due to Prince Jaquin''s mercy on us-"


    "Prince Jaquin?" Royal Knight Xenos widened his eyes in shock, "And¡­ Did you confirm it? That it''s really him who¡­"


    "He was there when we drank the wine!" one of them revealed. "And he said that he will give us anything we want¡­ if we kill the crown prince!"


    "Then after that, we couldn''t control ourselves¡­"


    "This is a very serious matter¡­ Do you know that you could be imprisoned for harming a royalty?!" Xenos yelled, "The Oracle and Prince Jaquin too... Everything''s a mess¡­ I wonder how the King would handle this situation¡­"


    "If Oracle Ghidargh and Prince Jaquin wanted the Crown Prince dead¡­ You should return to the Silverblade Castle as soon as possible," Priestess Althaia suggested.


    The Royal Knight nodded at her. "Although there are many knights on standby there, I know they won''t have the guts to go against Prince Jaquin. The battle might only be one on one," he gestured the knights to ride the boats once again. "I think this is about Prince Jaquin being the son of the King and his mistress. Prince Jirou''s mother came from a rich family, so his status is higher."


    "The Dragonicus clan is already falling apart," Lucius commented. "What will you do now, Sir Xenos?"


    "Once the King returns, I will ask for permission to investigate the matter," Xenos rode one of the boats. "Thank you for all the help, everyone. I will update you once I meet the King."


    When he and the knights finally left with the thirty maidservants, Arcea became conscious at last, and she was confused with what happened. She immediately cried out loud as soon as she saw Ivory, who she knew was mad at her. Ivory embraced her tightly and told her that she''s not angry anymore, and promised her that when they return to the Land of Olivea, they would go window shop at the dress stores in Alpharion City.


    The group returned to the Land of Olivea immediately, thanks to the help of Preston Bronzelain that they were able to rent a horse-drawn carriage.


    Lycus was welcomed by Ivory''s family as her Servant, but he was still asked to live in his original house due to lack of space. He followed his Master''s orders without further questions, because he knew that Sigmund would always be there to protect her, and that his Master''s first Servant was the one she fully trusts.


    ...


    After two days, it was announced that Prince Jirou had passed away due to an illness, and the King officially made Prince Jaquin the Crown Prince.


    Ivory clenched her fists in anger under her desk when she heard the news from their adviser in class. The King did it again, spreading such lies to the people of the kingdom. How nice would it be if she could reveal all his past sins, but she had no concrete evidence yet.


    She knew she shouldn''t underestimate King Yama. He could even make his sons kill each other for the throne. What other evil deeds could he be capable of?


    After their class, Ivory, Sigmund, and Lucius came rushing to the Principal''s office. Lycus, who hid the fact that Ivory was already his Master, continued to be an academy staff, and he also followed them. There, they saw Royal Knight Xenos with a frown on his face. It was also the first time they saw him in his casual clothing of a sleeved white tunic paired with brown pants with a brown belt.  He was also wearing a green vest on top of his shirt, and a pair of brown boots.


    "Miss Sprucemint, Mister Lucius Goldwine¡­ I''m here to tell you something," he approached them, who were standing near the door. "I resigned as a Royal Knight¡­"


    They were surprised with this revelation. They knew Xenos Joltane as a very dedicated person to his job.


    Ivory asked, "What happened, Sir Xenos?"


    They sat on the sofas as the resigned Royal Knight shared what happened.


    "His Majesty King Yama cut his exhibition off when he heard about Prince Jirou''s death. When he returned to the castle last night, I told him about the maidservants'' statements, and I asked for permission to investigate Oracle Ghidarlgh," Xenos sighed. "Unfortunately, he got mad at me, saying that the Oracle is chosen by the Goddess, and I am going to be punished for suspecting him."


    Lucius creased his brows, disappointed about the outcome, "Perhaps he already knows that his other son is involved. With what Prince Jirou told us before, it was the King who challenged his sons to fight for each other for the throne."


    "Indeed... I don''t think highly of the king anyways," Ivory couldn''t help but share her thoughts. "But he still has many people supporting him, thinking that he''s the hero who saved the kingdom from the Silverblades'' oppression. If only we had proof of him being a traitor¡­"


    Principal Arthurdane glanced at Sigmund, who noticed him looking at him. The Vampire stood up from his seat and approached him after seeing him nod his head. While Xenos was continuing to tell what happened in the castle, the two were speaking with each other at the back of the room discreetly.


    "Now, we''re talking about what happened twenty years ago. Don''t you know anything?" he asked Sigmund.


    But he shook his head, "If I knew anything, I wouldn''t ask for you and Ivory''s help."


    "How did we get to this mess? Last year, Ivory was just an innocent student who summoned a stubborn servant."


    "I don''t know, either. You already know that Lycus is Ivory''s Spirit Servant, right?"


    The principal nodded, but he creased his brows later in confusion.


    "Ivory is shrouded in mystery. There are many things about her that are still buried and undiscovered," Sigmund crossed his arms as he glanced at his Master who was listening to Xenos as he spoke. "Principal, why don''t you help me dig underground?"


    Principal Arthurdance jokingly responded, "But I don''t do gardening."


    "If you don''t, then let me teach you how," he looked at him and narrowed his eyes. "As an ex-Royal Knight, you should know Ivory''s mother."


    "Unless you tell me her name, I won''t know who it is."


    Sigmund sighed, "I should nag the Goldwine heir."


    "What can Sir Lucius know about it?"


    "He''s been acting suspiciously. I asked him about Ivory''s parents, and he said that he wouldn''t be able to find her father," the Vampire explained. "If he''s so particular about it, perhaps he already knows about Ivory''s mother."


    "What are you going to do? Lurk around their house like a thief?" Principal Arthurdane said. "Apologies, but I am not going to help you."


    "How boring," Sigmund told him, "Fine. I will first find out what Lucius has been hiding from me. Once I get the chance, I am going to find it all out myself."


    "If you find out her name, tell me, and I will try to remember. I might know her if I encountered her in the team training."


    Xenos vowed that even though he''s not a Royal Knight anymore, he would help investigate the Dark Mana and the Dragonicus family''s involvement in its creation. He agreed to meet them at least once a month for any update. Soon after, the ex-Royal Knight left the Principal''s office, saying that his forest bear Beast Servant was outside the building, waiting for him.


    Ivory and the others continued their conversation, "Everyone in this room knows that I have two kinds of manas, right?" she saw them nod, "Therefore, I would like to tell you all that Lycus here¡­ is my new Servant."


    Lycus bowed slightly at them, "I am now under the direct orders of Master Ivory. I am her Wer- Uhh¡­ Spirit Servant."


    "Won''t your mana run out? You now have two Servants whom you''d give your mana to."


    She smiled and shook her head, "I''ve learned that it''s like I have two jars of mana. Sigmund drinks on one jar, while Lycus drinks on the other one. It means they do not have to compete with my mana."


    "That will be great!" Principal Arthurdane exclaimed. "You will be invincible, Miss Sprucemint. Now, you have a Vampire Servant, and another Servant-"


    "What? Vampire Servant? Sigmund is?" Lycus glanced at Ivory, who facepalmed at the principal''s sudden statement. He then widened his eyes towards the smirking Sigmund.

 Chapter 99 - "Jealous Of The Second Servant"

    "Uhh¡­ Is that supposed to be a secret?" Principal Arthurdane said. "It''s just us. Miss Sprucemint''s most trusted people."


    Lycus suddenly pulled Ivory behind him and glared at Sigmund. "If he''s a Vampire, then he''s a dangerous one!"


    "Lycus! Sigmund is my Servant, you don''t have to worry about it!" she squeezed Lycus'' hand. "You can trust him, okay?"


    "But Vampires are the pa- family''s greatest enemy," the silver-haired Servant glowered, but Ivory placed her finger on his lips.


    "Lycus, I am your Master, so listen to me," she patted his head to calm him down."Sigmund has been with me for more than a year, and the trust that we built is already good. Whatever his past is, I accept it. The present and the future is all that matters to me now. Do you get it?"


    Upon hearing this, Lycus realized his position. He cared about his Master, but she knew Sigmund more than he knew him, and besides, a year of being with a Servant was not a short while. He knelt down, "Apologies, Master Ivory."


    Ivory continued to pat his head. "Don''t worry, I only know you did it out of your concern for me," she glanced at Sigmund, who gave a lonely smile to her.


    Ivory already knew long ago that it was Sigmund who was pointed to as the perpetrator of the Silverblade massacre, but the Vampire said that he never killed anyone. Yes, he gets angry when she''s clumsy and when she''s absent-minded, but he always makes her feel safe and secure. He may be rough on the surface, but for her, he''s kind and caring.


    As the Servant who has been beside her even as she sleeps soundly, she was confident that he had no intention to harm her at all. She knew Sigmund better than anyone else, so she trusts him very much.


    Lucius observed them quietly throughout. The family''s greatest enemy?


    Even as the day ended, Lucius couldn''t get it out of his head.


    He went directly to his mother''s house, and Diana gave her son a cup of warm chamomile tea in the living room. As the two of them sat in front of the fireplace, she asked him what was troubling him.


    "Mother¡­ I know you are afraid of Servants, but can I ask a quick question about them?"


    She saw her son''s bothered expression, so she nodded, "Yes, what is it?"


    "About Vampire Servants-"


    "Lucius!" Diana suddenly shouted. "Anything but Vampires¡­ Please..." she started trembling and covered her face.


    Lucius decided not to ask further after seeing his mother in pain. He stood from his seat and embraced his mother, "I apologize, mother¡­ I won''t ask anything about them again."


    ¡­


    The weekend then came, and Ebleu visited Ivory''s house. He invited them all to his retirement celebration, which would be held in his humble home in Megalia City that afternoon. He left right after to invite the other guests.


    Because Gordon still had to deliver the sacks of blueberries and acorns in Alpharion City, and Anne had to look after the kids, it was only Ivory, Sigmund, and Lycus who started walking to the city.


    Ever since Lycus had known that Sigmund was of the Vampire Class, he had been distancing himself away from him and would always glare at him. She wondered what kind of a mess would happen if Sigmund knew that Lycus was actually a Werewolf!


    As Ivory was walking, Lycus was on her right, while Sigmund was on her left. She felt like a very important person, or a noble who had her own mercenaries to protect her. She laughed to herself as this thought passed her mind, while the two Servants wondered what she might be thinking.


    After a ten minute walk, Ivory stopped, and she sat on a nearby rock to rest. They were halfway to Megalia City and still inside the Greensteid Forest.


    "Master, I can massage your feet," Lycus knelt down beside her, smiling as he waited for her to agree. When Ivory nodded, he took off her boots and carefully massaged her aching feet.


    Sigmund, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes on the dedicated second Servant. "Hey, what do you want me to do?" he then sat beside Ivory on a separate rock, "I can do better than massage your feet."


    "Oh, since when were you asking for orders from me?" she jokingly said.


    Sigmund crossed his arms, "Hey, stupid woman, I am the Great Servant, Sigmund, and I know I did well in helping you with your problems-"


    "Fine, I already memorized your speech, so-"


    Sigmund suddenly held her hand, which startled her. He pulled it near his face, and grazed his lips on her palm. After kissing it, he told her, "Now that Lycus knows that I am a Vampire, I should not hold back in drinking your sweet blood anytime I want," and afterwards, he bit the side of it.


    When Lycus saw what the Vampire did, he quickly checked his Master''s reaction, if she disliked it. If she did, he would push away the red-eyed man. But he was surprised when he saw an expression he had never seen before.


    Ivory turned beet red as she closed her eyes while feeling Sigmund''s wet tongue slid on the surface of her palm. She momentarily peeked on her Vampire Servant''s face as he did it, then closed her eyes after feeling pleasure. She did not notice that she grabbed Lycus'' hair, and when she did, she got startled and opened her eyes.


    "I apologize, Lycus! Did it hurt?" Ivory panickingly asked, and Lycus shook his head, telling her not to worry.


    And when Sigmund saw that his Master''s attention was shifted to the second Servant, he stood up and pulled her close to her, then carried her in his arms. He tilted his head upwards, and with that, Ivory knew that her stubborn Servant wanted to hop onto the tree.


    "Master!" Lycus worriedly called, but Ivory gestured for him to stop.


    "I am alright¡­ Can you wait here for us, Lycus?" she told him.


    "Why? Where are you going with the Vampire, Master?"


    She turned red as a tomato when she replied, "Just up in the tree¡­ We''ll be really quick. Wait here, okay?"


    Lycus knew that as a loyal Servant, he should follow his Master''s instructions, so he just nodded at her with no further questions. As he stared at the two when the Vampire hopped up the tree, he wondered why his Master acted that way.


    Sigmund went up the tree crown using Air magic to lift them upwards, and Ivory got amazed by the view of the sky and the other tree crowns. After checking the branches below, he sat on it and placed Ivory on his lap.


    "I did not send you up here to go sightseeing, dimwit," Sigmund whispered to her. "You know what I want."


    "What¡­ do you want?" Ivory asked, playing like she didn''t know at all.


    "I want you," the Vampire replied, smirking at her, "I want you, Ivory."


    Not giving her any chance to retort, he suddenly moved her head near him and licked her ear. He bit the lobule and it bled a little, and he sucked it.


    Hearing her beloved Vampire''s breaths made her tremble in arousal. She could also feel his hot breath below her ear.


    "Ivory, look at me," Sigmund told her, and she gazed at him. He caressed her cheeks, then her head, "If there''s anything you want me to do, you should tell me¡­ You know that I can massage well-"


    Ivory bursted out laughing when she heard it. It seemed like Sigmund was jealous. If only he''s not her Servant, she would think of it like that.


    "I''m not joking. You know how well I massaged your back before."


    She nodded and smiled at him. She pinched his cheek, "I know, okay? Don''t feel bad about Lycus massaging my feet. He offered first, so I agreed. Don''t worry, even if you don''t do anything, I''d still keep you as my Servant."


    Sigmund chuckled, "Oh? Like a body pillow?"


    She hit his shoulder subtly, "You''re teasing me again!"


    "What? You''ve been using me as a body pillow, right?" Sigmund told his Master, and he enjoyed their usual bickering.


    After Ivory''s ear lobule stopped bleeding, they went down, and the worried Lycus immediately looked around his Master if she''s hurt or anything. Ivory patted her Werewolf Servant''s hair and stroked it, saying thank you that he guarded the tree and waited for them patiently.


    Lycus offered for him to carry her so that she would not get tired, but Ivory declined. She said she preferred walking so that she could get some exercise.


    Ivory held Lycus'' hand on her right, while she was clinging onto Sigmund''s arm on her left. The Werewolf saw how comfortable his Master was towards the Vampire, and he thought that maybe she''s right, that the Vampire could be trusted.


    But then he worriedly wondered about what Ivory''s father would say if he knew about it.

 Chapter 100 - "Amorous Gazes"

    Minutes later, they arrived at Megalia City. They viewed the weeping willows and oak trees planted along the way before they reached the enormous city arc built with red bricks and had two turrets in the middle.


    As they walked forward, they saw Lucius on the narrow alleyway with roads made of red cobblestones and bricks. The three admired the beauty of the towers and turrets, as well as the modest bricked houses in the city. There were also some draping wisterias and grape vines on wires which were mounted on the brick walls.


    Lucius then led them to Ebleu''s house, which was just a few minutes walk from the arc. The old coachman lived with his wife in a small one story brown brick cottage, which could easily be distinguished because of its red door and chimney on the facade of it.


    Ivory excitedly knocked on the red door, which she found cute, and when the old man heard their voices outside his humble home, he quickly opened the door.


    "Welcome! Come in!" Ebleu said with a wide smile. He led them to a small dining room, while his wife put the freshly baked blueberry pie on the wooden table paired with jasmine tea.


    It was only Lucius, Ivory, Sigmund, and Lycus at the moment, and the old man said that he would hold a separate celebration the next day for his neighbors and friends.


    "Mother sends her greetings," Lucius said. "And father said he''ll come by later."


    "I see, thank you very much, Sir Lucius," Ebleu uttered. "It is thanks to your family''s generosity that we can have a celebration."


    Lucius gave a kind smile as he sliced some of the pie and gave a piece to the old man, "Thank you for your service all these years."


    "Thank you for being my coachman, sir Ebleu!" Ivory happily said, then handed over a pouch before sitting on the chair. "Please take this token of appreciation from me and my family."


    "Thank you, Miss Sprucemint!" he opened the pouch and gaped in awe. "These are¡­ the rarest tea leaves in the kingdom! But how did you?"


    Ivory giggled, "Lycus found it. He''s good at finding hidden things." She made use of Lycus'' heightened smell to find it.


    "Old man," Sigmund uttered. They were all surprised when he took something from his pocket and gave it to Ebleu. "I made this. It''s for you."


    Ebleu delightedly received the small item. It was a block of wood, and his face was carved in it. "Wow, you are good at carving, Sigmund! Thank you!" then he stood up from his seat and placed it on the shelf.


    "I didn''t know you could carve," Ivory told him as the Servant sat next to her. "From now on, I will make you carve many pieces of wood and let''s sell them together in Alpharion."


    "Give me a log and I will carve your statue. I don''t know if anyone will buy it, though," the Vampire jokingly said, and his Master hit him subtly at the side.


    While they ate the blueberry pies, grilled pork ham, and mashed potato, Ebleu''s wife also served the wine that Lucius gave.


    There was a sudden knock on the door, and Ebleu went to see who it was.


    "General Goldwine!" Ebleu exclaimed. "Please come in!"


    The General went inside and greeted the old couple. He then sat beside Lucius, and also greeted the others with a wide smile. He and Lycus just nodded at each other, then panned his sight towards Ivory and Sigmund. He turned to a serious expression.


    Upon seeing Ivory intake more than three full glasses of red wine, Sigmund took the glass from her, "You''ll get drunk," he then moved the glass far from her.


    "Sigmund, you shouldn''t stop your Master from drinking, you know," Ivory said, already sounding almost gibberish.


    "Master," Sigmund said in a sarcastic tone. "Do you want to puke on the way home?"


    She paused for a while and narrowed her eyes on Sigmund, "No."


    "Okay, then stop being troublesome," he said, then Ivory leaned her head towards his shoulder and closed her eyes. He placed his arm on Ivory''s side to prevent her from falling.


    "Lycus, may I speak with you outside for a while?" The General asked, and Lycus nodded, but he requested that they talk at a farther place.


    It was because Lycus already knew that the Vampire Sigmund had heightened hearing.


    While the General and Lycus went out, Ebleu and his wife went to the kitchen to do the dishes and check the ingredients left, while Sigmund held Ivory close to him.


    The Vampire gazed at Ivory''s long eyelashes, and a subtle smile formed on his lips.


    Lucius noticed how the Servant amorously looked at his Master. He commented, "As time passed by, you''re becoming more and more human, Sigmund."


    "Hmm? What are you talking about?"


    "I have never seen a Servant gazing at his Master like that," he explained, "You''re like her lover more than her Servant."


    "Rich boy, I am as confused as you, but I do not know how to stop myself from having these feelings for her," Sigmund sighed. "That''s why I''ve been nagging you to help me find Ivory''s parents. If she summoned me as a Vampire, then someone from her family might have summoned a Vampire before, back when the Class was still not yet banished."


    "I don''t know if I can find her father. You can ask Lycus about it."


    "How about her mother?" he stared at him. "You seem like you already know¡­ who she is."


    Lucius furrowed his eyebrows. "I am¡­ not sure how to handle the current situation."


    "What do you mean? What kind of situation are you talking about?"


    "Ivory''s mother¡­ She is-"


    "Do you want more wine?" They stopped their conversation when old man Ebleu came in. "I can open the other bottle, if you want."


    "Thank you, but I think I should bring my Master home," Sigmund told him. "Happy retirement. We''ll pay you a visit when we visit the city."


    Sigmund then stood up, then carried Ivory in his strong arms, while Lucius also bid goodbye to his ex-coachman and followed Sigmund behind.


    They looked around but did not see Lycus and the General, and so, Sigmund told Lucius that he would be going first, and asked him to relay the message to the second Servant.


    When Ivory woke up, it was already past midnight. She rubbed her eyes and sat up. She was surprised when she saw her two Servants by the window, glaring at each other.


    "I told you, you can stay at your own house. I can protect her alone," Sigmund said. "You know that she already trusts me a hundred percent, and our teamwork is already perfect."


    "No. From now on, I will stay here in her room. Besides, I don''t think you will be hiding something else, since I already know that you''re a Vampire," Lycus responded. He crossed his arms, "Or perhaps¡­ you are hiding something else."


    "What the hell, Lycus!" the Vampire raised his voice at him. That statement struck him guilty.


    Yes, he''s hiding something else: he loves his Master romantically.


    "What are you two arguing about?" Ivory asked, and she stood up from the bed. She approached her Servants and squeezed their arms to try to meddle in their heated discussion. "They will wake up if you continue to yell at each other."


    "Apologies, Master," Lycus immediately kneeled. "I just want to be by your side¡­ and protect you with all I''ve got."


    "It''s alright, I understand, Lycus," she patted his head.


    "Ivory, don''t tell me¡­ You are allowing him to stay here?"


    Ivory nodded, "It would be unfair for him, isn''t it? Lycus has been a good Servant. Such a simple request is nothing."


    "But-"


    Before Sigmund could speak, Ivory placed her finger on his lips. "Hush. Stop overthinking, okay? I won''t neglect you or replace you, if that''s what you''re worried about."


    Sigmund gazed at his Master''s beautiful light blue irises. He held the hand that was near his face, and kissed its back.


    As Lycus was being patted, he tilted his head towards them. What he saw was not the look of a Servant towards his Master, but the look of a lover.


    And when the Werewolf took a glance at Ivory''s face, he realized that she also looked at him the same way. He stood up as he thought about how big of a problem it would be.


    Ivory withdrew both of her hands from the two Servants and yawned, "Good. Then, I should continue sleeping," then she turned their backs on them and crawled to the bed.


    As soon as she did, Sigmund and Lycus immediately took both ends of the blanket and pulled it to cover her up.


    "Thanks, you two!" she giggled, "I''ll sleep now. No arguing, okay? I will be mad at you if you do not try to get along," then she felt her eyelids heavy and closed her eyes.


    The two Servants sat beside Ivory on opposite sides of the bed, and they glanced at each other cautiously to watch each other''s actions.

 Chapter 101 - "Mediator Of Two Servants"

    ¡­


    Weekend came, and Ivory was woken up dazzled by the sunlight shining on her face, and she widened her eyes when she saw her two Servants sitting at the side of her bed. But they were not looking at her, they were glaring at each other as if they''re ready to punch each other''s faces!


    Ivory sat up in between them, to settle down the tension in the air.


    "Master, good morning¡­ If there''s anything you''d like me to do, please tell me," Lycus said in a sweet tone.


    "Uhh, can you please help mother to gather herbs and fruits in the forest?"


    "Certainly," he told her.


    Sigmund, who was smirking, thought he would not be ordered to, but then Ivory told him, "And you¡­ Help father gather the logs and chop wood."


    He gave a confused expression and raised his brow. "Why me too? Don''t you need company here?" he asked.


    She shook her head, "I''ll be reading a few reference scrolls. I won''t be able to concentrate if the two of you keep on glaring at each other! Go now!"


    Lycus bowed his head down and compliantly went out of the room, while Sigmund left her with confusion still evident on his face.


    ¡­


    Days, weeks, and months went on by. After entitling Prince Jaquin as the new Crown Prince, there seemed to be peace within the kingdom, but it was only on the surface.


    Hidden from the public''s knowledge, the number of people affected by the Dark Mana had been increasing, and because of the resignation of the dedicated ex-Royal Knight Xenos Joltane, capturing them slowed down. Also, it was because King Yama chose not to investigate the matter further. Xenos continued to search for clues regarding the matter and periodically reported to Principal Zwain Arthurdane.


    During these days, the students of Qawiun Academy continued their magic lessons and specialization classes, which got harder and harder each day. Those who couldn''t handle Educator Rosanna''s strict teaching, and Educator Wallace''s tricky examinations quit school and were sent to the Oracle''s tower to be unchosen and have their Servants be unsummoned.


    Lycus was still hired as an assistant for Ivory''s class under the principal''s orders. Sigmund, on the other hand, asked Lucius to tell him what he knew about Ivory''s mother, but he insisted that he needed more information about it.


    Zephie and her butterfly Nymph Servant, Metamorphus, were welcomed into Ivory''s group, and together with Arcea, they sometimes stroll Alpharion City and visit libraries in Omegalion City.


    ...


    And the competition between the two Servants to get their Master''s attention continued. Whenever Ivory asked for a massage, Sigmund would always retort, and so she specifically asked for the Vampire to massage her back while the Werewolf massaged her calves and feet.


    It also happened that the stubborn Sigmund almost burned a part of the Greensteid Forest only because he lost to a petty running race with Lycus, when in fact, he was the one who challenged him! Good thing Ivory immediately used Water magic to extinguish the fire and prevent it from even spreading further.


    There were even times when Sigmund secretly took Ivory away into the deep forest while Lycus was helping Ivory''s mother in putting the acorns in the sacks. Sigmund just stayed still under a pine tree as he embraced her while on his lap. Sometimes he''d do nothing, and sometimes he''d bite her subtly in the neck or shoulder and taste her blood. Then after some minutes, Lycus could find them easily because of his heightened smell, and Sigmund''s mood would turn sour the whole day.


    Ivory spent all her days not taking her eyes away from the two of them. Even though Lycus was not really initiating a fight, she had to serve as a mediator to them because Sigmund was too stubborn and hot-headed!


    As she laid down the bed to rest one night, she held the hands of her loyal Servants and squeezed it. She said goodnight to them, and realized that she''s now used to having the two of them guard her as she sleeps.


    ¡­


    Until one weekend, Ivory visited Diana Goldwine once again in her house while Lycus and Sigmund were asked to wait in the Goldwine mansion or Megalia''s city hall.


    "I know you''re not required to eat or drink, but I should serve you something as my visitors," Lucius said as the butler gave each Servant a cup of warm jasmine tea.


    "Thank you," Lycus said, placing his palms around the cup.


    "So, rich boy," Sigmund looked straight into his eye. "How''s your investigation going?"


    Lucius furrowed his eyebrows, "Nothing. I still got nothing."


    "That''s unlike you," the Vampire crossed his arms. "Perhaps you are hiding it from me? Come on, it''s been months. I know you, you''re the General''s son, so you should have many connections-"


    "What are you talking about?" Lycus asked curiously.


    "About Ivory''s real parents. I need to know who they are because I have to ask a lot of questions."


    Lycus gulped as he heard this, while Lucius felt uneasy and kept on moving his foot underneath.


    Sigmund observed the two and found their actions suspicious. "Don''t tell me¡­ Both of you know who they are?" he narrowed his eyes on them.


    Both Lycus and Lucius spoke at the same time.


    "Yes!" the other Servant answered.


    While Lucius replied with, "No-"


    The two of them then looked at each other, knowing that they mishandled the situation.


    "What the hell?!" Sigmund''s crimson-red irises glowed and banged his balled fists on the marble dining table, making the cup of tea shake and spill. He stood up from his seat, "Who are Ivory''s real parents? Do I seem distrustful? Why didn''t you tell me-"


    Suddenly, a deep voice said, echoing in the whole dining room, "Because you might kill your Master if you knew."


    "General Goldwine," the Vampire uttered as he gave a confused expression. "What do you mean? Why the hell will I kill my own Master?"


    "Why can''t you not? You''re a Vampire Servant, and you''re of the same class as the one who massacred the Silverblades," the general sat on the opposite seat in front of Sigmund. "I was a fool to believe that you''re a Spirit Servant."


    Sigmund knew he was the one who the General referred to, but it seemed like he didn''t know that he was the one being blamed for it. He glanced at Lycus and asked if he was the one who told the fact that he''s from the Vampire class, but he shook his head.


    "Lycus is innocent. I only found out about you when I investigated Miss Ivory Sprucemint thoroughly upon the request of my son."


    The Vampire turned his head towards Lucius.


    "Isn''t this what you want, Sigmund? To know who the parents of your Master are? I tried to keep the fact that you''re a Vampire, but we shouldn''t underestimate a General''s access to information around the kingdom," the blonde young man said. "I think it''s time you should know that Ivory is my long lost sister."


    Sigmund widened his eyes in shock, "Your¡­ what-"


    "Yes, you heard it right. She''s my sister."


    "Then¡­ General Darius Goldwine is her real father?"


    Lucius was about to speak, but the General gestured for him to stop talking. Instead, he answered the Vampire, "Miss Sprucemint is my daughter." His son and Lycus were surprised that this was what he said, but they knew that the General might have something in his mind that he was planning.


    Sigmund''s eyes stopped glowing and he finally sat down. He assessed the situation. If the General is Ivory''s father, and if it was true that his family was in a predicament twenty years ago, it made sense that he was hiding his identity because he had such a high position at the moment.


    Could it be that his wife had something to do with it? He never saw her in public places and her identity was never revealed. All he knew was that she''s called ''Diana'', and it was as if she was being protected.


    "I asked Lycus not to leave you alone with Miss Sprucemint. I was afraid that a Vampire Class like you would betray his own Master."


    "Ivory and I trust each other more than you think. I will never betray her," Sigmund told the General, then turned to Lycus. "Lycus, you punk, why didn''t you tell us such a very important matter?!"


    Lycus stayed quiet, and to not raise any more suspicions, it was General Darius who replied, "I asked him to. It''s not yet the time for her to know."


    "But when the heck is the right time? It''s been so long!"


    "Sigmund, please be reminded that you''re in front of the General. I advise you to be courteous because you''re already acting so arrogant," Lucius looked at him with seriousness.


    "Ah, I did not notice," he scratched the back of his head.


    "Vampire, for now, don''t tell your Master. I want to be the one who''d tell her. If you have any questions, I suggest you wait until I settle everything else," the General told him in an authoritative tone. "I am planning to give her the Goldwine name, but I am checking some things to ensure her safety."


    Although Sigmund was against it, he had to agree with his Master''s real father. He nodded at him, "I will do everything to make sure that she''s safe."


    "Good. I am expecting everyone''s cooperation on this matter. And Lucius, please get her a new coachman and a larger horse-drawn carriage for her."


    Afterwards, General Darius excused himself and stepped out of the room.


    The conversation somehow eased the tension between Sigmund and Lycus, but the second Servant still refused to leave the Sprucemint residence.


    Ivory knew that it would be difficult for her to lose one of them, and wished that if Goddess Destinia permits, she wanted them to stay with her forever.

 Chapter 102 - "Snowy Last Day"

    ...


    It was almost the end of the year, and the snow started falling from the skies. Because of the cold weather, the demand for firewood rose, and the Sprucemint family''s business went well. There were many orders, so Sigmund and Lycus were both asked to help in preparing the wood and delivering it to Alpharion.


    In the Kingdom of Destinia, a celebration in each household is held every eve of the last day of the year to wish for a prosperous new year.


    It was also the day that the second year students of Qawiun Academy would be designated to a specific place in the kingdom for their third year apprenticeship. Unlike their first and second years, which are held solely in the campus, third years are assigned somewhere outside the academy.


    Adviser Titus entered the Blue Gem section''s room with Lycus behind him, who was assigned to bring a crate of scrolls. The adviser explained that in the scrolls were their names, and the places they were going to be assigned to along with their missions.


    Titus opened each scroll and read its contents, then gave the students their respective scrolls. The eighteen students of Blue Gem were all assigned with partner Masters who would be with them to do their assigned duty throughout the year.


    "Miss Arcea Knightwing will be assigned to Empirica City, Land of Sandria. You will be involved in city patrols," he said, before giving the scroll to the excited swordswoman. After she went back to her seat, he read the next scroll, "Mister Caspian Reagan¡­ You will also be in Empirica City, Land of Sandria. You will do the same duty as Miss Knightwing, and she will be your partner-"


    "What!?" Arcea retorted, glaring at the pink-haired guy who quietly stood up and took his scroll in front.


    "How unfortunate that I am to be partnered with you, Miss Knightwing," Caspian said as he passed by her seat.


    Arcea responded, feeling her face hot in annoyance. "I am the more unfortunate one!" she rolled her eyes at him, while Caspian sighed.


    Ivory, who sat behind Arcea, pinched her arm subtly and told her, "This might be the chance for you to be friends with him. Maybe if you got to know him, he might be hiding his gentleness."


    "Ivory, what the heck," she responded to her friend when she turned to face her. "He''s as cold as the ice he threw on you. I swear, I will never get along with him!"


    "It''s still too early to say that. Let''s see, if after a year you''re still mad at him," she giggled, amused with Arcea''s comical and annoyed expression. She then looked in front as she waited for the adviser to call her name. "I wonder who I''ll be partnered with."


    Almost everyone was done taking their scrolls, and there were two left.


    "Mister Lucius Goldwine, you are assigned to Topazeon Town, and your duty will be¡­ guarding the mines, and helping in the inventory of gemstones."


    Lucius smiled at his adviser and thanked him, then went back to his seat.


    "You''re the last one in this section, Miss Ivory Sprucemint. You will be assigned to Topazeon Town as well, and together with Mr. Goldwine, you will also be guarding the mines, and help in the inventory of gemstones."


    Ivory gave a wide grin as she took the scroll from their adviser. She glanced at Lycus who was standing in front and was smiling at her. When she went back to her seat, Sigmund gave a thumbs up, while Lucius chuckled, also happy that he would be going with Ivory in his full third-year experience.


    Adviser Titus wished the class a great next year and thanked them for being quite obedient. It would be their last moment with him as their class adviser, and so he went around and shook the students'' hand.


    "Miss Sprucemint, continue to be a great Master," he said as he shook his silver-haired student''s hand. "I look forward to the Servant Competition after your third year."


    "Sir Titus, thank you for your guidance!" Ivory smiled sweetly at her adviser. Even though they did not have a good start, she was glad that she strived hard that she was able to last two years in the Blue Gem section under his supervision.


    Everyone started walking out of the room. Zephie and Arcea bid goodbye to Ivory and Lucius, then together with their Servants, they left.


    "I am kind of excited next year," Ivory told Lucius. "I wonder what kind of town is Topazeon¡­"


    "It''s where all the ores in the kingdom came from. These are used for jewelries and the creation of currency coins," Lucius explained. He already saw the town back when he came with his father and General Bronzelain on a quick tour.


    When Lycus came back, Ivory and Lucius stood up from their seats, then they all headed out of the building. They walked on the ground covered with snow, leaving their shoe prints on it.


    When they reached the gate, Principal Arthurdane waved at them excitedly.


    "Congratulations on your two years in Qawiun Academy," he said. "Are you both excited for next year?"


    "Of course!" Ivory said, then placed her hands on the pocket of her checkered, green skirt. "I feel fortunate that Lucius is with me."


    "I decided on the pairings," Principal Arthurdane revealed.


    Lucius observed his expression and asked, "Topazeon is quite an unusual place. It''s a bit secluded, and I feel like you put us there on purpose. So what''s in there?"


    "You are always sharp, Sir Lucius. As expected from the next in line in the Goldwine family as the General," he then turned serious. "Aside from guarding the mines and assessing the ledger, I want you both to find something. It is related to the Dark Mana."


    "Did Sir Xenos discover something else?" asked Ivory.


    The principal nodded, "You have to find a special black gemstone. It is said to be the magical ingredient to the wine-like drink that the maidservants drank in the past."


    "Any other descriptions? How can we know that the gemstone is the one we''re looking for?" Lucius inquired, raising his brow.


    "Sir Xenos said that the Dark Mana gemstone reacts with a person who has Dark Mana. It gives off a reddish glow upon sensing it."


    Ivory nodded, "If that''s the case, we can find it," she knew that her normal mana had unexplainable traces of Dark Mana, just as Sigmund said when he assessed Euphorie''s mana nature before.


    Principal Arthurdane checked his pocket watch, "I guess we all have to go. I still have to cook the freshly hunted cow that my younger brother gave me!" he mentioned enthusiastically. "Have a great short vacation, and see you in a week for the third year''s orientation! May Goddess Destinia bless the new year!"


    When he left, Lucius told Ivory that his mother Diana would like to give something to her, and so, he rode his own carriage, while Ivory, Sigmund, and Lycus rode theirs.


    As usual, Lycus and Sigmund were dropped off to the Goldwine mansion or city hall, then Lucius took Ivory to Diana''s house.


    "We''re here, mother," Lucius called, and his mother hurriedly approached them as she held onto a basket.


    "I know you have to go back to prepare for the blessed new year''s celebration, so I''ll be quick," she took her gloved hands and handed over the handle of the basket.


    "Oh my, what is this, Miss Diana?" Ivory shyly asked.


    "Just some oranges from my backyard, and a scarf I knitted for you."


    "Oh, then I shall use the scarf now!" Ivory wore only a thick, turtlenecked sweater, and so she excitedly wore her new yellow scarf with the help of Diana.


    "It looks good on you, Ivory," Lucius said with a smile. He was also delighted when he saw his mother very happy with Ivory''s presence.


    "I promise, I''ll give you two gifts next year!" she said in high spirits.


    As soon as Ivory left, Lucius informed Diana that he would be with Ivory next year in Topazeon Town.


    "Whatever happens, please look after her, Lucius," she pleaded. "I don''t want to lose her the second time."


    "Mother, why don''t you just tell her about you¡­ and her real father?"


    But she shook her head, "It will actually be better if she never knew."


    "What?!" Lucius was shocked. "I thought you''d like her to know. Father even said he will give her the Goldwine name and introduce her as his daughter-"


    "No!" Diana yelled. "Until the issue with the Unholy Mana gets resolved, and until the Dragonicus Clan reigns, she and I will never be safe!"


    "Mother¡­ What do you mean? And what Unholy Mana?"


    "Powerful mana that can fully activate a person''s hidden, human desires. It is usually given to a normal person without mana and without a Servant. More human desire means more mana and stronger power," she explained.


    Lucius was already informed about the Dark Mana, and according to his mother''s description, the one she referred to as Unholy Mana must be the Dark Mana he knew.


    He was puzzled as to why his mother, whom he knew had no magic abilities, knew these confidential things, "But mother¡­ How did you know all these?"


    Diana gulped, and realized that she ran her mouth too much. As she started walking away, "These are the things I wanted to forget, but I know I just can''t because it''s already part of my life," she gave a lonely smile and uttered. "The truth is, I was once a Royal Knight, but I was punished and became an Unchosen one."

 Chapter 103 - "Wishes For The New Year"

    When Ivory, Lycus, and Sigmund were dropped off to their home in Greensteid Town, Gracie pulled Ivory inside, while Flynn pulled Lycus with him. Sigmund, on the other hand, was called by Gordon to ask him to help in preparing a freshly hunted deer for lunch.


    While the two were chopping the meat outside with a small bonfire lit beside them, Ivory helped Anne in crushing the blueberries. Lycus stayed in the living room and became the babysitter of the two kids.


    It was already past noon when they finished the preparations. Sigmund lit the fireplace, making the first floor of the small house warmer.


    It was a tradition in the Kingdom of Destinia that before eating, every member of the family would say their goals and wishes for the new year. They all sat on the floor in a circle; Gordon sat beside his wife Anne, then Gracie, and then Flynn. Beside Flynn was Lycus, then Ivory, then Sigmund.


    "I''ll start," the head of the family said, raising his hand, "I wish we''ll have a growing business and a happy, healthy family," Gordon turned his head to his wife and waited for her to speak.


    Anne uttered, "I pray to the Goddess that we''ll all be safe, especially Ivory, who''s going to a far away town," She smiled at her daughter and added, "Oh, and I wish Katie will go home soon. I miss her so much."


    "My turn, my turn!" Gracie said in an excited tone. "I want to have a new dress!"


    "Oh my, then I should stitch more dresses for you," Anne told her youngest child, and everyone chuckled.


    Flynn suddenly stood up and raised his hand. With a serious face, he said, "I will start learning how to punch and kick! And use a sword! Because I will become a guard!"


    "You''re going to be the youngest guard," Ivory told her thirteen-year-old brother, "And, of course, the cutest of them all!"


    "I am a big boy now, and I am not cute!" he sat down once again, then suddenly pulled Lycus'' arm to switch the attention to him, "Your turn, bro Lycus!"


    Lycus shook his head, "But I am not sure if Servants are allowed to-"


    "Come on, don''t be shy. Whether you''re Ivory''s friend or her Servant, we have welcomed you here," Gordon tried to convince him. He glanced at his daughter''s two Servants, "You both sat with us here, so you have to say at least a word."


    "If you say so, Mr. Sprucemint, then¡­ I wish to be Master Ivory''s Servant forever and stay with her forever."


    Although Ivory was touched by this, and the others clapped at the typical Servant-ish answer that Lycus gave, Sigmund was not pleased and instead frowned.


    ''That punk¡­ How dare he steal my answer?'' Sigmund thought as he glared at him. What annoyed him the most was Ivory''s wide smile as she patted his head like a dog, and it was obvious that he loved it very much!


    Ivory pulled her hand away, then sighed, "It''s my turn to speak, uhmm¡­" she thought very hard about what she wished for next year.


    To be stronger? To safely complete their duties in Topazeon Town? To graduate from Qawiun Academy with flying colors?


    But she knew that the thing she desired the most was not in this list.


    She wanted Sigmund and her to be lovers rather than being in a Master-Servant relationship, but she knew that even if she gave her life to the Goddess, She wouldn''t fulfill that wish.


    Ivory knew that much and stopped thinking about what''s impossible. She sighed deeply, before giving a smile, telling them, "Next year, may Goddess Destinia give me more wisdom and protect me from harm," she turned her head to her Vampire Servant and squeezed his arm, "Sigmund, your turn!"


    Sigmund glared at Lycus for another time, and the silver-haired man was confused as to why the Vampire looked at him like that.


    "I only have one wish," the Vampire said, and everyone stared at him, anticipating what he would say. He cleared his throat, then gazed at his Master''s light blue irises, "I want you to be happy."


    They clapped at Sigmund''s wish, except for Ivory, who turned beet red. She did not expect her stubborn Servant to say something so selfless.


    "Okay, now that we said all our wishes, it''s time for the feast!" Gordon said and stood up, and Anne followed him to the dining area. Gracie and Flynn also stood up, and pulled their favorite Lycus along with them.


    Ivory and Sigmund remained in front of the fireplace in an awkward silence. When they locked eyes, Ivory suddenly spoke, "Sigmund¡­" she then crawled nearer to him, "Thank you for another year with me."


    "It''s not a big deal. I am your¡­ Servant," he turned his head away from her and stared at the flames. "I will be with you until the day you die."


    She smiled and stood up, "Then... I have to live long, so that I can be with you for a long time, Sigmund," she offered her hand, as if telling him to stand up.


    Sigmund looked at her small hand and took it. But instead of grasping it and standing up, he grabbed it and quickly kissed its back.


    Once again, Ivory turned beet red, and as she saw him finally standing up, she froze in embarrassment.


    "Hey, dimwit, come on, the food''s going to be cold," Sigmund uttered before going to the dining area with the others.


    She clenched her fists and tried to not to mind what happened earlier. She should be used to it, that the Vampire had been like that for so long already.


    Sigmund would be sweet at one moment, especially when no one was looking, and then call her annoying names the next moment. He''s too unpredictable, and Ivory couldn''t guess what he''s thinking.


    With hurried steps, Ivory went to the dining area where her family were already starting to eat their late lunch. She sat in between her two Servants as she usually does so that Sigmund would not bother Lycus!


    Ivory and her family chatted and reminisced about the funny random things that happened that year. When they finished eating, Gordon, Anne, and the two kids went outside to build snowmen and have some snowball fights. Suddenly, Flynn went back inside just to fetch Lycus to play with them!


    Ivory and Sigmund were left inside to clean the kitchen. While wiping the wooden table with damp cloth, Ivory opened up a conversation. "Mother, Gracie, and Flynn really like Lycus, but don''t worry, you''re my father''s favorite one," she chuckled.


    Sigmund finished washing the dishes and turned to her. Leaning his back on the counter, he crossed his arms and said, "How about you? Am I also your favorite?"


    When Ivory saw his playful smile, she refused to answer. "What do you think?" she uttered and laughed, then she started walking away.


    "Hey, where are you going?"


    "Upstairs. I''m going to rest," she replied, and her Servant followed her.


    As soon as both of them were already inside the attic, Sigmund shut the door.


    Ivory did not notice it, and she directed herself towards the bed. "Oh my goddess, I am tired," she took off her indoor shoes and jumped onto it; her head on the side of the bed, while her left hand rested on the pillows.


    "Lay down properly, Ivory," Sigmund scolded her and sat on the bed, "Come on, I''ll tuck you in."


    Hearing this, Ivory followed his suggestion. She rolled and moved her body towards the side, but when she moved her feet, she accidentally kicked Sigmund''s stomach hard!


    "Ah, I apologize!" Ivory sat as well, beside him, and placed her hand on his stomach. She rubbed it slowly, "Did it hurt?!"


    As soon as she tilted her head to look at his face, she widened her eyes in shock. She did not notice that she was too near him!


    "Sigmund¡­" she murmured. "You''re okay, right?"


    Sigmund thought for a while, then told her, "I''m not okay."


    "Oh no! Can I see?" Ivory lifted his fleece shirt, exposing his firm abs, and she was startled. How could she forget the existence of those?!


    Shy about what she saw, she hurriedly pulled it down.


    "I thought you''re going to check it? I think it bruised," Sigmund said and lifted the lower part of his shirt, but he couldn''t help but smirk.


    Suspicious about that smirk, Ivory shook her head, "You''re totally fine!" she quickly moved back, then laid down on her bed. "Ugh, why do I keep forgetting that you''re a Servant?"


    Her statement caught Sigmund''s attention. He neared her, tucked themselves to bed, and uttered, "I''m the same. Honestly, when I''m alone with you, I also keep forgetting that I''m a Servant."


    Ivory was surprised with his response, "Why?" she asked, and when she turned around, she was startled to see his face only an inch away from her.

 Chapter 104 - "Warm Me Up This Winter"

    Ivory and Sigmund gazed at each other for a long time, before one of them moved backwards.


    The shy Master turned beet red, then turned her back away from him. "Sigmund, I am going to rest," she gripped the thick blanket tightly and covered her whole body in it.


    "Okay, I am going to stay here to warm your bed," Sigmund uttered. "I am your one and only bed warmer."


    "B-bed warmer?! We''re not in Betania CIty!" Ivory pursed her lips as she continued to feel hot, "Plus, I don''t have any coins to give you."


    "Huh? I am just warming up your bed for free, stupid woman. You''ll need me especially in winter. Think of it as a perk for summoning the Great Vampire Servant, Sigmund," he then moved down to also place himself under the covers.


    Underneath the soft and large blanket, Sigmund grabbed Ivory''s arm and pulled her towards him.


    "Sigmund!" she exclaimed, "Why are you-"


    But she was interrupted when he suddenly embraced her tightly.


    "I want to make the most of our time together while that punk Lycus is still away," Sigmund muttered.


    Ivory felt so shy as she felt his warmth. Were all Vampires that warm? Sigmund felt more like a human.


    She wished he was, but he''s not.


    "Sigmund," she turned to face him and placed her arms around his waist. "I''m¡­ sleepy."


    "Hmm. Go sleep," the Vampire stroked her head gently.


    "I''ll sleep while we''re under the covers? What if Lycus had the wrong idea?"


    He grinned, "What wrong idea?" he chuckled and then wrapped his arms around her back. "What wrong idea could there possibly be made between a Master and a Servant? Tell me, Ivory."


    Ivory moved backwards to gaze at Sigmund''s face. He suddenly seemed to be serious with that question, judging by the way he changed his expression.


    "You-You''re right. There will be nothing going on between us¡­ because we''re Master and Servant," she furrowed her brows. To hide that she''s getting teary-eyed, she buried her face towards her beloved Vampire''s chest.


    "I didn''t even say anything, what am I right for- Oi, Ivory!" he asked worriedly as soon as he felt her tears on his arm. "Geez, you birdbrain, why are you crying?" Then, he peered on her face and gently wiped her tears with his fingers.


    But she cried even more!


    "Sigmund, you meanie," she uttered as she wept, looking at her with desperation in her eyes. "I know I am just a birdbrain, a dimwit, or a stupid woman to you, so why are you wiping my tears?!"


    The Vampire Servant did not say anything. He just stared at his Master''s face and listened to her trembling voice.


    "I don''t get it. You are a Servant, and I am your Master. Why am I¡­ Why am I getting confused?" she grabbed his collar and neared his face, looking at his crimson-red eyes, "This is all your fault, Sigmund¡­"


    Sigmund felt like his head was going to burst as he searched for the right words to answer to his confused Master. He was afraid that Ivory would confess to him without the influence of the extraordinary mana. If that''s the case, how would they explain it to Goddess Destinia when She decides to judge their sins?


    "Sigmund, you meanie... If you''re going to be a Servant, act like one. Don''t act so sweet towards me- Mmmm!"


    To her surprise, Ivory was pulled upwards towards him making their faces leveled when his hands gripped her upper waist. He bit her lower lip, and as little blood oozed from it, he nibbled it.


    When he paused, he smirked, "You speak too much. I told you to sleep, didn''t I?"


    She widened her eyes with the sudden action. It was the first time that Sigmund bit her lip, so she turned red as a tomato!


    It made her even more confused. Did he really not understand her feelings? Was it because he''s only a Servant?


    Sigmund suddenly heard heavy footsteps with his heightened hearing, and he suspected that it was Lycus approaching the attic. He quickly pulled Ivory closer, then kissed her, and this time, he did not bite her.


    It was a true kiss.


    The confused Ivory retorted at first and tried to push him away, but Sigmund held the back of her head and wrapped his arm on her waist. She gave in when he inserted his  tongue in her mouth. Feeling weakened by this, she let him take the lead.


    The two were making out under the blanket when the door opened!


    "Master!" Lycus called. He noticed the bump under the blanket and sniffed to know if she''s there, but he also smelled Sigmund''s scent!


    With haste, the Werewolf Servant grabbed the blanket and pulled it.


    "Hey!" Sigmund yelled. "What are you doing! She''s sleeping!"


    Lycus glanced at his Master, whose face was buried on the Vampire''s chest. When he saw that her eyes were closed, he said, "Apologies. Her family''s looking for her, that''s why I came here. Gracie and Flynn wanted to build a snowman with her," he sighed, then pulled back the blanket to cover them fully. "I will tell them that she''s asleep." Then, he walked out of the room.


    When Sigmund heard the door close once again, he peeked, and saw no one. Confirming that it''s already safe, he lowered the blanket slightly, with their heads already sticking out. He arranged the pillows properly for them, "It''s alright now. He''s gone."


    But Ivory did not respond. She pretended that she was already asleep, so that she wouldn''t have to face Sigmund after that embarrassing, wild kiss!


    The Vampire could hear his Master''s heart beating so fast, so he knew that she''s just pretending. After embracing her tightly, he kissed her head and said, "Have a good rest, Ivory."


    She was more confused than ever. Why and how come she and her Servant were suddenly making out?


    She was just ranting about him being unpredictable and how he acted unlikely as her Servant!


    Ivory realized that she just made a grave sin. In her mind, she prayed to Goddess Destinia and asked for forgiveness about having feelings for her Servant. She knew that it was very wrong of her to think about him as a lover.


    ''But why does Sigmund act like this?'' she thought to herself, and she knew she wouldn''t ever know the answer unless Sigmund tells her.


    After a few minutes of thinking about what was happening to their relationship and promising herself that she''d never do it again, Ivory finally fell asleep in the warmth and comfort given by her beloved Servant.


    ¡­


    Then, a week passed by. Those days, Ivory made sure that Lycus was always there. She wanted to make sure that she wouldn''t be tempted to do something unacceptable with Sigmund once again.


    It was time for Qawiun Academy''s third year students'' orientation. Snow was still falling from the pale sky, and everyone was wearing their thick coats. Nobles wore their finest and most expensive fur coats, while those who were not nobles like Ivory, only wore long capes made of cotton.


    At that moment, they''re unclassified and without sections, she was able to see who might be her rivals in the Servant Competition after their graduation. Ivory, Sigmund, and Lycus arrived a minute late, and some of the students looked at her with disdain.


    "The country bumpkin is so lucky, she has a handsome Spirit Servant and a handsome relative!"


    "She doesn''t deserve it! Look at her, her clothes have some stitches, and has no sense of style. It must be hard to be poor."


    The gossip mongers talked about her, especially the two hot men with her who were gaining a lot of attention!


    Not minding these people who had nothing better to do, she walked in the hall to find her friends.


    "Ivory, here," Arcea said, careful not to louden her voice too much. Behind her was Zephie and Metamorphus, waving at her.


    She waved her hand back and gave a smile, then approached them. Lucius was there as well. Both his and Arcea''s Golem Servants were in their inactive state and in their bags.


    "Why do you wear such thin clothing?" Lucius asked her. He then took off his fur coat, then placed it around her.


    Ivory refused, but Lucius said that the thick clothes he was wearing could make him warm just enough. The gossip mongers became extra jealous of her because she''s treated kindly by Lucius!


    At that moment, Principal Arthurdane was already in front discussing the general rules of their third year''s kingdom working experience. Students, who are mostly in pairs, are assigned to specific cities with certain jobs, and it will depend on the one requesting assistance. If they quit midway due to certain reasons, they will be punished by repeating the year, or transferred to another place to do a new job. They were also required to write a monthly report on scrolls indicating what they did.


    He ended the orientation in a cheerful tone, "Take care of yourselves, and return to Qawiun Academy ready for the Servant Competition!"


    A loud cheer was heard from the students. Afterwards, the students lined up towards the exit to receive their own guide scrolls and apprenticeship permits from the Educators.


    While Ivory and the others were lined up, Sigmund made use of this time to approach the principal, who was watching from the side.


    "Anything? Did you already remember a Royal Knight named Diana?" Sigmund asked. Ever since he knew that Lucius'' mother is Ivory''s real mother months ago, he had been bugging the principal to remember her.


    But he shook his head, "I''m only forty-nine, my memory''s all good."


    "I doubt," Sigmund joked, and the principal laughed.


    "Maybe she belonged to another group. The castle grounds are vast. Maybe I had not met her."


    Sigmund sighed. He knew that Lucius'' mother had a trauma with Servants, so he couldn''t just barge in her house and ask her if she knew what his problem might be. He decided to give up asking the principal because it seemed like he didn''t know her. He went back to Ivory''s side and hoped that someday, in Goddess Destinia'' right time, he''d know the answer to everything.

 Chapter 105 - "Welcome To Topazeon, The Town Of Ores"

    ...


    Three days later, Ivory and her Servants were fetched by Lucius in a stagecoach at dawn. The four-seater wooden carriage with golden wheels had four horses, and a coachman with his assistant. Ivory''s luggages, placed atop the carriage, consisted of her favorite old knapsack and two worn-out leather duffel bags that his father lent her for Sigmund''s and Lycus'' clothes.


    Even though Ivory chose to sit beside Lucius, Sigmund pulled her towards him as soon as she rode the carriage. Lycus worriedly glanced at his Master, but she shook her head. She knew that her stubborn Vampire Servant wanted to be obeyed, so he would insist on what he wanted to do because that''s his habit.


    After saying goodbye to the Sprucemints, the horses started moving forward. Everyone in the carriage was excited for their journey.


    Lycus was elated that he would be going on a year-long mission with his Master. Lucius was excited as well, because he knew that in that one year, he would be with his older sister, and the two of them would be able to get closer.


    Sigmund, on the other hand, hoped that he could have some alone time with Ivory during their stay in Topazeon Town. He wondered if Ivory would be given her own room, but then Lycus would be lingering around, so the possibilities of being alone with her might be impossible..


    Ivory felt her Vampire Servant''s hand tightly holding her waist. He usually does this, but after kissing him more than a week ago, she got too conscious of him!


    "Ivory," Sigmund called in a soft voice near her ear. "You can sleep on my shoulder if you want. It will be a long trip."


    She hesitated for a while, but after thinking it through, it was only her who was overthinking. Perhaps, her Vampire Servant felt nothing about it and just wanted to shut her up? She nodded and smiled at him, before following his suggestion. From her waist, Sigmund placed his arm on her shoulder to serve as her pillow, and she leaned her head comfortably on him.


    It was a seven and a half hour travel. In the middle of it were several stops to rest the horses. When they were nearing Topazeon Town, they passed through the slanting gigantic arc ruin, which was as big as the hills. The sides were conjoined to the hills with gemstones attached on its surface.


    As they looked closely, they gaped in awe when they noticed the different colors of the gemstones shining as they reflected the yellow sunlight that afternoon. The snowy pathway had several hoofprints and wheel prints, too.


    Ten town guards and four castle knights were assigned in the arc to inspect the people coming in and out of the town.


    Topazeon Town is surrounded by several mountains rich in ores. All the gemstones and currency coins'' material came from that blessed place. At first thought, the excavated resources taken from the mountains surrounding the small town should have made the townspeople rich, but it was not the case. Sadly, it was the middlemen from other cities who were richer than the town''s miners.


    Upon seeing their identification scrolls and a permit from Qawiun Academy, the guards let Ivory and her group through. The coachmen, after dropping them off to the inn which was a property of the academy, left for a different inn which could house the horses.


    Like most of the houses in Topazeon Town, the academy''s inn was small in area. It only has one floor with an exterior painted in yellow. They walked along the pathway covered with snow.


    The group entered the inn with a simple, yet homey atmosphere. At the left side of the abode, a woman was sitting behind the long wooden table.


    "Welcome to Precious Inn," the female receptionist said with a warm smile. She was all dolled up and had tan colored skin and big light brown eyes. Her dark brown copper hair was tied at the back with her long fringes braided on each side. She was also wearing a pink turtleneck uniform with puff sleeves styled with pink topaz earrings and ruby necklace.


    She then examined the appearance of the three handsome fellows behind Ivory and wondered who they were. "How many rooms?" she asked, tucking her hair behind her ears.


    "We''re from Qawiun Academy," Lucius answered. He unrolled the scroll he held, and showed it to her, and Ivory did the same.


    "Ah, I have been waiting for you! I am Fiora, and I am in charge of this inn," she said, then immediately peeked through the small shelves below the long, wooden desk in front of her. She gave them three palm-sized, rectangular wooden tags with numbers engraved onto its surface. "One for Miss Ivory Sprucemint, one for Mister Lucius Goldwine, and another one for Academy Assistant Sir Lycus."


    Hearing this, Sigmund rejoiced internally, knowing that Lycus would be separated from them.


    The receptionist explained further, "For Mister Goldwine and Sir Lycus, I assigned them each to single-bed rooms. Although the principal asked for a two-bed room for Miss Sprucemint and her Servant, I apologize if I assigned you to a double-bed room¡­" Fiora creased her brows, thinking about the broken window on the room that should have been assigned to Ivory. "I hope it will be alright, since he''s your Servant."


    Ivory saw the troubled expression that the lady had. Although she hesitated because of the possibility that she might be tempted again to be weirdly intimate with her Servant, she shook her head and tried to erase the meaningless thought. She''s the only one affected anyway.


    "It''s alright," Ivory said. "Don''t worry about it."


    Lucius looked at Sigmund''s grinning face, and he facepalmed. Ivory is his older sister, and now that he knew this fact, it doubled his worry. What if through these coincidences, she''d fully sunk deeper into the abyss of a forbidden love? How could she get married and have a family of her own when she''s been developing feelings for her own Servant?


    On the other hand, Lycus crossed his arms, and it made him glance at his Master, who turned beet red. He already knew that she might have also started to have feelings for the Vampire, and there was nothing he could do.


    If he was the same old Lycus who was not bound by a contract ritual with Ivory, he would have stopped him and forced him to stay away from her. But the situation became different. In order to gain Ivory''s trust and improve the quality of the Silverblade mana, Lycus should ensure that she''s happy with his presence. He then thought, if the situation became worse and the time came that Ivory would be the one who''d want to stay away from Sigmund, he''d do everything to help her.


    "There are private bathrooms and fireplaces in each room. We also have a common kitchen in the room located at the end of the hallway!" she exclaimed. "Please enjoy your year here!" Fiora politely bowed her head, then glanced at the three handsome guys as they walked to the inner hallway. Now that she observed that Sigmund was a Servant, she dropped him off the list of the hot men she''s interested in, and she thought of taking either Lucius or Lycus as her lover!


    Precious Inn had only six bedrooms for rent, and a common kitchen was located at the end of the hallway. There were three rooms on each side. Lycus was assigned in Room 2, while Lucius was in Room 3, which were both on the western side.


    When they reached the middle of the hallway, they took a look at their tags and saw their assigned room numbers.


    Lucius yawned, "Please wake me up for the team dinner later. I want to sleep more."


    "You couldn''t sleep in the carriage, probably because you couldn''t put your head on Lycus'' shoulder," Sigmund laughed at the blonde young man.


    He responded to the noisy Vampire, "You''re crazy. I hope everyone is as fortunate as you," he chuckled, and Sigmund raised his brow on his statement, then waved his hands at them. He entered his room and closed the door.


    "Master, I want to stay in your room," Lycus told Ivory.


    Seeing Lycus'' puppy eyes, Ivory replied, "Don''t worry too much, Lycus. I will visit your room for your mana replenishment every night," she patted his head.


    If Lycus had a tail, he would have wagged it with delight by now. He loved it when his Master pats his head.


    Sigmund narrowed his eyes on the long-haired Servant, "That''s enough," he fumed with jealousy, then grabbed Ivory''s wrist that was patting her other Servant. He took her knapsack and his duffel bag, then with heavy steps they went inside room number four, which was across Lucius'' room.


    Ivory was startled with the loud bang of the door. She saw her Servant sliding the wooden latch to lock it. She then said, "Sigmund, you''re too harsh on Lycus."


    "You said you''ll visit him every night," Sigmund answered as he placed the bag on a small table beside the small bathroom''s door.


    "Of course. He needs mana, too," Ivory was trying to make him understand. "I only have one body, but I have two manas and two Servants. It''s not like you consume the same kind, so why are you being so selfish with my mana?"


    "It''s not the mana that I do not want him to have."


    "Then what?!" she said in an angry tone, "What is it that you do not want to share with him-"


    "You."

 Chapter 106 - "Flaws Of The Vampire Servant"

    "What¡­ What do you mean?!" Ivory answered, turning as red as tomato.


    "Again, I have to bring this up. Didn''t I say you''re mine, Ivory? Hmm?" Sigmund''s crimson red irises started glowing, an indication that he might be feeling intense emotions.


    Ivory already observed this in him. Her Vampire Servant''s irises glow whenever he uses a large heap of his mana, or in a very bad mood.


    "Sigmund, calm down, or else I''ll fight you," she said, pretending not to be fazed. But deep inside, she wouldn''t do it. How could she harm her own beloved Servant?


    "How brave," he smirked. He knew it was just a hollow statement. He continued stepping forward until Ivory reached the bed behind her.


    She gulped in nervousness, "Uhm, you should calm down. You know that I will never leave you, okay? I just needed to save Lycus, that''s why I agreed to be his Master. After all, I am the reason why he almost died- Waaa!"


    Not letting her finish her sentence, Sigmund moved forward and pushed her onto the bed. His Master widened her eyes in shock, and to prevent her from moving too much, he used Water magic, which he controlled from a barrel in the bathroom and came flowing towards the bed, then converted it in ice form. It spread onto the whole bed, locking her arms and legs with it.


    "Free me right now," she requested, but it seemed like the Vampire couldn''t hear her. He was not himself.


    Sigmund created a sound barrier in their room and formed a small block of ice and placed it onto his palm. "I will punish you¡­ for breaking your promise," he went on top of her.


    "How many times do I have to explain!? It was urgent, so I- Aaaahhhh!"


    Ivory was startled with the ice when Sigmund slid his hand under her shirt and rubbed it onto her stomach. He then moved his hand inside of her skirt, then to her sensitive thigh, and she screamed with the unexplainable feeling that she had.


    The Vampire looked down on his screaming Master who was pleading him to stop, but it was evident in her face that it was quite the opposite. She was beet red and at times, she would glance at him amorously, obvious how turned on she was.


    Actually, he did not do it to punish her, but to prove to her that he''s a better Servant than Lycus. He wanted to show her that he could make her happy in many ways. He wanted him to be the one occupying all of Ivory''s mind.


    Sigmund wanted Ivory to only look at him, and his desire for her grew dangerously each passing day.


    When his other hand caressed her face, Ivory pursed her lips. Her Vampire Servant was too hot for her to resist, but she knew she had to fight the temptation. Although she was trying to break free from the ice magic on her wrists, she was weakened with what Sigmund was doing.


    Sigmund moved backwards to do something that he knew would please her. Ivory shuddered when the ice neared her sweet spot, and she moaned in the unexpected pleasure she felt. She kept on moving her waist, and the thrilled Vampire pinned her body on the bed with his weight.


    Ivory''s body was already wet because of the ice that Sigmund rubbed onto her, but her precious flower was even wetter.


    "You''re cold now, and it''s snowing outside. Should I warm you up?" Sigmund asked, grinning at her as he looked down.


    "Sigmund¡­ Please stop¡­" she said in a weak voice.


    But he shook his head, "You look like you want me to do something to that trembling body of yours."


    Ivory gazed onto Sigmund''s glowing irises. Was she really helpless against him, or maybe deep inside, she wanted him to continue to make her feel satisfied.


    ''No¡­ This can''t continue!'' In her mind, she asked for forgiveness from the Goddess and prayed to give her strength. The silver-haired Master closed her eyes, and tried to concentrate on using her Silverblade mana to break free from the sturdy ice.


    Sigmund was shocked to see Ivory''s light blue irises glow when she opened her eyes. A fog formed, surrounding the two of them, and gradually, the ice turned back into water, freeing her from his magic!


    This made Sigmund get off her and stood at the end of the bed. Seeing that she managed to resist him, he readied himself to fight his own Master.


    Ivory lunged forward, but she did not hit or kick him.


    The Vampire, anticipating her attack, widened his eyes in surprise when she hugged him tight.


    "Sigmund¡­ Calm down, please?" she tightened her embrace, her arms around his neck.


    Dumbfounded by her actions and relieved that she came onto him on her own volition, he cooled down until his eyes stopped glowing. The sound barrier also dissipated.


    Ivory sighed, thankful that her beloved Vampire Servant finally calmed down. She pulled away from him and told him as he gazed in his eyes, "Can you please stop yourself from doing this, Sigmund?"


    "I am trying¡­" he turned away from her and walked over to the window. He stared at the falling snow with loneliness on his face.


    Ivory followed him and stood by his side. While also looking outside, she asked, "What is¡­ happening to you?" and then she glanced at his face, "Sigmund, I am your Master. Whatever''s happening to you is my concern."


    "I don''t even know myself, how can I tell you what''s happening to me?" he clenched his teeth.


    She sighed. What could be the driving force that made him uncontrollable?


    Was it the mysterious, lingering Dark Mana in her normal mana, or was it something else that they had not discovered yet?


    Sigmund also thought for a long while. Should he tell his Master about his problem? What if she misjudged him, or avoided him and favored Lycus more?


    Since he almost harmed her and used magic against her due to his strong desire, he decided that it might be the right time that she learned what his problem was.


    He turned his head to look at Ivory, "There''s something you should know."


    "What is it? Please tell me, I will listen," she responded as she reached for his hand, gently squeezing it .


    "Ivory, I¡­ I am a flawed Servant," he furrowed his eyebrows.


    His Master was a bit confused about what he meant. She looked at him curiously, not even batting an eye.


    "Ivory¡­ I have human desires."


    She stared blankly at his face. She was astonished, as it was the first time she heard of a Servant with human desires. Then, it weighed on her mind. If he had human desires, then what has he been feeling when he''s with her all this time?


    Noticing that Ivory just stared at him, he wondered what he was thinking of. Was she thinking of neglecting him? After all, human desires are dangerous. These could lead to distorted desires and sin. It would make sense if she''d want him to stay away from her.


    Ivory noticed his bothered expression. For sure, he did not bring it upon him. Now, she questioned why the Goddess made him with this flaw. She did not feel disgusted at him; she felt pity for her beloved Servant.


    "Sigmund," she muttered. A kind smile appeared on her face, "Don''t worry. I will help you figure it out."


    "Ivory¡­ Don''t you feel disgusted?" he looked at her questioningly. "Or maybe... you''d want Lycus to be with you closer from now on, because he''ll do a better job in becoming your Servant-"


    She suddenly placed her palm on top of his mouth to stop him from speaking too much. "Calm down...please," she pulled it away and said, "I will treat you just like before. I promise."


    The Vampire gazed at her fondly and couldn''t help but hug her tightly. He whispered near her ear, "You have heard this for numerous times already, but I will promise¡­ I will really promise that I will serve you for as long as you live, Master."


    After the hug, Ivory patted Sigmund''s head, and he gazed at her with affection.


    "So¡­ Can I have some of your blood?" Sigmund asked out of the blue.


    She nodded, "Just a little, okay? We''re going to have a team dinner later to meet the town guard chief and the gemstone inventory leader."


    "Yes, just a little drop¡­"


    With that, Ivory sat on the bed, then Sigmund knelt down and took off her linen socks. He grazed his tongue over her left foot and bit its side.


    Ivory gulped as he saw him licking and sucking her blood. She couldn''t help but wonder what he''s thinking of whenever he sucks his blood or has skinship with her.


    "Sigmund, I have a question," she uttered.


    He paused and glanced at her.


    Ivory continued, "I know now that you have human desires, so uhh¡­ What do you feel whenever you do these things to me?"

 Chapter 107 - "The Quickest To Replenish Mana"

    Sigmund thought hard. Should he tell her honestly what he was feeling, that aside from love, he also felt lust whenever he grazed his lips on her skin? He couldn''t bring himself to put it into words and respond to her.


    Exactly when he was about to speak, there was a sudden knock from the door.


    "Let''s talk about it next time," Ivory told him and patted his shoulder before hastily walking over to the door.


    When she opened it, Fiora gave a big smile and greeted her, handing over a basket of dry towels and soaps. She mentioned that she already gave some to Lycus and Lucius as well. But what surprised Ivory was that she asked if she''s a lover of any of the two!


    Ivory laughed at this and said that she didn''t have a lover. Seeing the relieved expression of the receptionist, she cheered for her, but she just said that Lycus was not interested in love, so that she wouldn''t bother her Servant. That left Fiora to think that Lucius was totally available!


    Soon after, it was already nighttime. Ivory and the others were given a map of Topazeon Town, and Fiora pointed out where the town hall was located. Although she wanted to come with them and try to get closer to Lucius, she couldn''t as she needed to work at the inn.


    Shoe prints were left as they walked on the thick, snowy ground. At the moment, they could only see a white-themed town, and they all wondered what it would look like once spring comes.


    "Ahh, it''s so cold!" Even though Ivory had gloves on and wore the yellow knitted scarf that Diana gave her, it was not enough to warm her up. She kept on rubbing her hands against each other and blowing her palm near her face.


    Without asking, Sigmund took his Master''s hands and warmed it up using his own. They paused walking as he did it, while staring straight into her eyes.


    Lucius worriedly looked at the two as they looked amorously at each other. Should he stop his sister from becoming happy, to set things straight? He glanced at Lycus, who did nothing but stare at his Master''s smiling face. For sure, he might also have felt conflicted about it, but he had no right to be against Ivory''s wishes. After all, he''s just her Servant.


    As Ivory''s blood-related younger brother, Lucius would like to see her happy as well, but not in a wrong way. Now, he''s already seeing the big picture - she''d be on cloud nine once they became lovers, but suffer her whole life if she''d be punished by the Goddess. He''s definitely against them being lovers, because he knew that Goddess Destinia would never permit her holy Servant to feel human desires. For now, they all did not know what was happening. Whatever it was, he guessed that their sweet relationship might not last forever.


    The town leader welcomed the group as soon as they entered the town hall, which stood out because it had a bell tower behind the main building. He took them to an assembly room, which also served as a dining room for officials working in the hall. There was a 16 foot long oak dining table with two small flower pots found at the center part of the room. There was a small statue of a raccoon placed near the cottage window and a painting hung on the wall.


    When everyone was seated, the town leader introduced those from Qawiun Academy to their supervisor, Mona Miller. The short-haired lady was the inventory officer assigned for excavated ores, while her husband Othello Miller, who''s sitting beside her, was the town guard chief in charge of them once they stepped inside the mining area.


    As they ate, they discussed what happens in Topazeon every year. Othello explained that during winter, they check the inventories of excavated ores. He requested that at this time, they should help in the task under his wife.


    "I think we shouldn''t waste time, so tomorrow, I will teach you all how to identify the ores and how to put a price on them. Okay?" Mona smiled at Ivory and Lucius, and they smiled back.


    "Are the mines going to be alright?" Ivory asked, "You sure you wouldn''t need us to guard the area?"


    "Yes, besides, the castle knights are the ones assigned when it''s winter. We always follow this set-up. Why, Miss Sprucemint? Don''t you like mathematics?"


    She couldn''t help but laugh a little, "I am sure I will learn a lot from you, Miss Mona!"


    And so, Ivory and Lucius shared to them some things about the Land of Olivea, which made Mona and the others amazed. They still haven''t seen pine trees their whole lives, and they requested that someday they would visit their place.


    When the team dinner ended around nine in the evening, Ivory and her group returned to Precious Inn. Fiora welcomed them once again, and informed them that her shift would end around twelve midnight, then a guy who lived across the street would temporarily take her place.


    They returned to their respective rooms and got dressed with their sleepwear. She almost laid on the bed to sleep, but she remembered her promise to her other Servant!


    "I''ll just go to Lycus," Ivory told the Vampire, who leaned on the wall near the door.


    "I''ll come with you-"


    She shook her head, "No need, I will be really quick. Besides, I¡­" she gave him an apologetic look, "I now know that you might feel like a human, so¡­ I assume you might get jealous of him."


    Sigmund just stared at her for a while before saying, "You have a minute."


    "Don''t be too harsh on the poor Lycus. Give me an hour-"


    "No."


    Ivory sighed. She didn''t want to show his authority to him too much but it seemed like she had to, "Sigmund¡­ Behave," and her eyes suddenly started glowing.


    The Vampire Servant creased his brow, giving up on the debate. Whenever his Master''s eyes start glowing and she''d order Sigmund to do something, he couldn''t dare refuse!


    When Sigmund opened the door, Ivory hastily stepped out of the room before he changed his mind. She knocked at Lycus'' room and when it opened, her second Servant happily let her in.


    Ivory sat on the stone stool situated beside the small table. "Come, Lycus," she said with a smile.


    "Master¡­" he looked at her with puppy eyes and kneeled down in front of her.


    Ivory gazed at Lycus'' beautiful light blue irises. As she stroked Lycus'' head, she wondered why she looked like him and Priestess Althaia. If it was because of the Silverblade mana, would the missing Silverblade prince look like them as well?


    "Master, is there a problem?" Lycus asked.


    She shook her head, "It''s nothing. You may start," and she placed her palms in front of his face.


    Lycus held his Master''s small hands and caressed it. A smile escaped from his lips, delighted that she''s spending time with him. He felt that as time goes by, he''s growing on her, and he wondered if he''ll be as close to her as Sigmund.


    Ivory stared blankly at Lycus as he buried his face onto her palms. She compared the mana replenishment of her first and second Servants.


    Lycus, whenever he did mana replenishment, jumps off to sniff her. This is why they always finish in less than five minutes. On the other hand, Sigmund would always whisper unnecessary things and touch any part of her body depending on where he wanted to. The Vampire licks her, even on parts where he would not suck her blood.


    Because Sigmund had previously admitted that he had human desires, Ivory felt like a big question in her mind was solved. She assumed that it might even be the cause of his odd behavior and why he was so stubborn.


    Not long after, Lycus finished smelling her scent. He stood up, then carefully let go of Ivory''s hands. "Thank you, Master."


    She smiled back at him, "It is my responsibility as your Master. This is such a small thing compared to what you have done for me."


    Ivory said good night to the Werewolf Servant and stepped out of the room. She was surprised when she saw Lucius leave his room.


    "Oh, hi, Lucius!" she greeted him with a big smile, "You can''t sleep?"


    "I was about to go to you," Lucius said with a bothered expression. "Can I talk to you in private?"


    Ivory then went with Lucius to his room. The two sat on the stone stools beside the window. Lucius then created a barrier, which sound-proofed the room.


    "What''s the matter, Lucius?" she asked worriedly.


    "Ivory, there''s something I''d like you to know."


    She peered into the blonde young man''s eyes and wondered why he seemed so serious.


    Lucius looked straight into her eyes, "From now on¡­ Please keep a distance from Sigmund."

 Chapter 108 - "Are You Guilty, Ivory?"

    When Ivory heard this, she covered her mouth in shock. Why would Lucius tell her this?


    She should be wary of what to tell him, so it took her a moment to answer. "He''s my Servant, so why would I-"


    "He''s a Servant, but his heart and mind is turning like a human''s!"


    She widened her eyes, surprised that he knew something about it. Should she open up to her closest friend? But what are the odds that he would not be against the love of a Master and a Servant, especially that Lucius is a son of a general and is very a righteous person?


    Ivory trusts Lucius, and she knows that he cares so much for her. She knows that he only wanted the best for her. Unlike Arcea, who runs her mouth without any filter in her words and almost put her in a dangerous situation, she knew Lucius to be the opposite of it. She''s sure he had a big reason for confronting her.


    The blonde young man observed his older sister. She seemed surprised, but she was not saying anything. Assuming that she''s too shocked, he explained to her in the calmest manner, "Sigmund admitted to me that he''s developing human desires-"


    "What the heck are you talking about, Lucius?!" she showed him a very disappointed expression. "We''re already in our third year in the academy. The Educators taught us about the very basic rule - that holy Servants do not have desires like humans!"


    "I am still looking into it, but I suspect it''s related to the Dark Mana," he patted her shoulder. "While I do my investigation, please stay away from your Servant for a while-"


    "No!" Ivory yelled, startling him and making him step back.


    Shock crossed Lucius'' face, "But Ivory, Sigmund is different. Can''t you tell from the day of his summoning?" but he drew closer to her and held her shoulders, making her face him.


    Ivory clenched her fist, trying to maintain her composure the whole time.


    Since his older sister was not responding, he assumed that she would finally listen to him, so he continued, "He''s an unusual Servant, plus, he''s a Vampire, a banished Class!"


    The silver haired Master was still trying her best to calm down and not argue with her closest friend, until¡­


    Lucius looked straight into her light blue irises, "Aren''t you even scared? Who knows, one day, he might be dangerous-"


    "Lucius! Stop it! Sigmund will never harm me!" she shoved his hands and slightly pushed him away from her. This was the time she lost her temper. She knows deep in her heart that her beloved Servant would not harm and hurt her in any way. "Don''t ruin us! Please, not you!"


    His forehead creased because that was not what he meant at all. "I am not ruining your relationship! I just want you to distance yourself, especially now that we do not know what is happening to him! Why couldn''t you see the danger in your actions?!"


    Danger? It''s because she loves him so much that she could even risk her life just to be with him! Tears started to form in Ivory''s eyes while she gazed into Lucius'' blue irises. Her heart ached so much as she listened to the insults against her beloved Sigmund.


    She said as she cried, "He may be stubborn at times, but he really cares for me. He looks out for me as his Master. What do you even know, Lucius?" she wiped her tears, "I am his Master, not you. I know him more than you do, and he''s not doing anything wrong to me-"


    "He''s not doing anything wrong?! Who do you think you''re fooling?! Then why do you even let him leave kiss marks all over your body?" he threw his hands in the air, "Is that what a Master does? To make your Servant your lover?!"


    Ivory glared at him with tears in her eyes before turning her back on him. She headed to the door, but he grabbed her arm and made her face him, "Why are you running away? Are you guilty, Ivory?"


    Her tears finally streamed down her cheeks. Yes, she''s guilty. She was not yet ready to face her real feelings, and the inquisitive Lucius was doing a great job in forcing her feelings to surface. She did not want to admit it yet, and was trying hard not to reveal her feelings.


    Ivory knew that once she openly admitted it to anyone, everything in her life would change.


    Seeing that he might have frightened her, he tried to speak in a kinder tone, "Ivory," he squeezed her arms subtly, "I am doing this because I know you''ll be even more hurt if this goes on."


    "But why, Lucius? Why do you even care about that petty thing?" she wiped her tears with the back of her hands and cleared her throat before speaking.


    Lucius saw how Ivory had her head set to deny it, "This is not a petty thing! We are talking about a grave sin, Ivory!" he exclaimed. "Didn''t you say a while ago that this is a very basic rule?"


    Ivory shook her head, "Enough, Lucius! I don''t want to listen to any more of your sermons."


    "Ivory," he sighed, reaching for her hands this time. "Please trust me. I promise I will help you solve this matter and do something about your Servant-"


    "Do not do anything to Sigmund!" she removed her hands from his. "Yes, Lucius, you and I are close, but the bond I''ve created with my Servant is deeper!"


    He was about to speak again, but she cut him off.


    "You''ve already helped me multiple times, and I am really thankful for that. I have not yet repaid you, but I will in the future."


    "Ivory..."


    "But this time, please..." she spoke with seriousness, "Please let me handle this on my own."


    "Believe me, you can''t handle this on your own!" Lucius clenched his jaw. "You''ll need a lot of information on this, even the archives. I won''t ask anything in return, so-"


    "Why are you even meddling with my life?! I am already an adult, Lucius. I know what I have to do."


    "Because I am your-" Lucius paused and realized that he had already said too much. He clenched his fists and averted his gaze from her. "Apologies."


    Ivory sniffed and heaved a deep breath. "Lucius, thank you, but do not worry about me. I am in control of my own feelings. As my only closest friend, I really hope you trust me with this one. So... please let this be the last time you confront me about it."


    Lucius still wanted to console her because of what he had said earlier, but Ivory left his room in a flash. He sighed and walked towards the window. As he dissipated the sound barrier, he stared at the falling snow. Surely, he did not expect things to turn that way. He only wanted to keep his sister away from trouble.


    In the two years that he knew her, he''s already aware of her character. If she''s feeling down, she won''t tell her friends. And when she sees her friends in trouble, she wouldn''t hesitate and offer to help them.


    Lucius tried to confront her about her feelings for her Vampire Servant because she did not want her to be punished and unchosen, just like their mother.


    When Ivory went back to her room, Sigmund sat cross-legged on the bed. He had just gotten out from a warm shower, and he remained topless exposing his abs, wearing his most comfortable garter pants. The cold weather had no effect on him since he adjusted his body''s temperature through Fire magic.


    "What took you so long?" The Vampire growled in an agitated expression.


    Ivory faked a smile, pretending that there was no confrontation previously with Lucius. If Sigmund would hear about it, for sure, he''d cause trouble. "I said one hour, right?" she avoided his gaze to avoid him from noticing her puffy eyes and the redness of her cheeks and nose. She went directly to her knapsack, then took her undies and long-sleeved nightdress. "Can you warm up the water?"


    Sigmund assisted his Master by preparing her bath by heating up the water in the barrel. Afterwards, he also dried her hair, using a simple Air magic technique that Sigmund devised. He collected air and controlled a small ball of wind in his hand. He rotated it until it blew towards Ivory''s hair.


    Ivory yawned after Sigmund combed her long, silver hair with his bare hands. It was already dry, thanks to that little wind emitting from his palm. She then tucked herself in the soft and thick blanket, and her Vampire Servant sat beside her.


    Sigmund was surprised when his Master suddenly grabbed his hand under the blanket, intertwining her fingers with his.


    "Good night," she murmured.


    "Hmm. Rest well," Sigmund said, tucking her hair behind her ear, and waited for her to close her eyes.


    Sigmund stroked Ivory''s head as he watched her sleep. He was elated to feel that nothing changed between them even though she already knew the truth that he is a flawed Servant.


    The truth might have been easier to accept because she already had lingering feelings for him, and Sigmund was not dumb not to feel it. He knew that his Master also wanted him as a lover, the same way that he wanted her.


    It should not be happening, but what could they do? They couldn''t teach their hearts to stop loving one another. For now, he should be contented to show her that he loves her only through his actions. Getting any more greedy than that would complicate things.


    As he controlled his body''s warmth, he tucked himself in and laid beside Ivory. He planned to do it for the whole winter season, wanting to prove to her that even though he''s a flawed Servant, he''s the most reliable one she could depend on.

 Chapter 109 - "From Rivalry To Chivalry?" (extra)

    In a neighborhood far from the Megalia City arc lived the Knightwings, who were a family of blacksmiths for generations. The eldest and only daughter of Kled Knightwing, the most famous blacksmith in the kingdom, was about to leave the Land of Olivea for a year of apprenticeship.


    A few minutes after sunrise, Arcea sluggishly checked her brand new duffel bag that she bought in Alpharion two days ago. She carefully slid in between her clothes her inactive fox Golem Servant that looked like a stone figurine.


    Her father noticed her pouting face, "What''s wrong? Aren''t you excited for the apprenticeship? I thought you said you''d be training with the city guards, that''s why I sharpened your blade."


    "Well¡­ Here''s the thing, father. I am excited, but¡­ I do not get along with my partner," Arcea sighed as she closed the duffel bag.


    "You have to try to get along with whoever that person is," he suggested, then gave Arcea''s sword.


    She took the sheath and wore the sword belton her waist. Her level 2 magic sword was a longsword with gradients of dark purple to gray. She chose to wear her brown skinny leather pants so that she could move freely. She also brought with her several training clothes instead of dresses; after all, she''d spend most of her time training for a year.


    When the horse-drawn carriage arrived, Arcea bid goodbye to her father. She and Caspian agreed to just meet in Empirica City in the Land of Sandria because both of them were not on good terms with each other.


    Hours passed. The last pine trees were soon passed by Arcea''s carriage, and the air turned dry and warmer. It was a sign that they''re exiting the Land of Olivea.


    The view turned to light brown with the sand, and the lush green sceneries were already gone. After getting past the border guards, they arrived at the Land of Sandria.


    As soon as Arcea arrived at the Empirica City arc, she saw Caspian had just gotten out of his own carriage, and behind him was his reindeer Spirit Servant, Lutie, who was like a cute little girl wearing a hat with reindeer horns. If she didn''t know that she was a Servant, she might have mistaken her as his daughter!


    She saw him looking at her, and after saying goodbye to her coachman, she walked towards them.


    "Hi," she greeted, averting from his gaze. She could still remember how Ivory got hurt because of him.


    "Hello," Caspian greeted her as well. Lutie smiled at her without saying anything, and after realizing the awkwardness in the air, they started going past the arc.


    Arcea followed them from behind. Even though she''s usually talkative, she couldn''t bring herself to be friendly towards the pink-haired guy. She wondered if she could last the whole year working with him. She wished and prayed to Goddess Destinia to make the days go by quickly!


    They walked on the dry lands of Empirica. The city was the military city of the Land of Sandria, and it is also where their General resides. The large structures as well as the big and small dwellings with angled towers and upper sections, were made of rocks and clay bricks. There were also scattered dates and palm trees around.


    They admired the arid landscapes while they passed through the narrow alleys. Soon after, they reached the centermost part of the city. They went inside the city hall after showing the guards their apprenticeship permit scroll from the academy. They met the city leader, and he led them to an apartment.


    Like the other buildings, Arcea and Caspian''s apartment was made from rock and clay bricks. They were toured around a two bedroom room with a common bathroom. The living room only had one white couch with different colored pillows and across it was a small fireplace. Beside that room was the dining room, and then the kitchen.


    When the city leader told them to enjoy their stay, the two faked smiles. Arcea and Caspian came from quite well-off families, meaning to say, they''re used to being spoon fed. Now, without any maidservants or helpers, they needed to live together in one house!


    As soon as the door closed, Arcea sighed and told Caspian with creased brows, "I thought we''d have our own apartment maidservant or something. How are we going to live together in this cramped space?!"


    "Don''t ask me. I do not know how I''m going to last a year with you," Caspian sighed. He walked over to the two-seater sofa in front of the small fireplace, while the excited Lutie went to check her Master''s bedroom. He told Arcea, "You can go back to Qawiun Academy and ask the principal to transfer you."


    "How about you, you''re not going to quit?"


    "Unlike you, I am a responsible Master. I am a fast learner, and cooking is a simple thing to do," he smirked at her. "Go quit. I don''t care."


    Arcea felt challenged with this. She felt as if the young man was mocking her. "No," she immediately answered. "I won''t quit. So from now on, mind your own business!"


    Seeing Arcea rushing to one of the bedrooms, Caspian let out a chuckle. ''How annoying,'' he thought. It was such a hassle for him because the two of them couldn''t even cook or do the laundry. He knew he would get nothing from her!


    Both of them knew that even a bit of teamwork would be hard to do.


    ...


    Days went on by, and the two still couldn''t get along. The trainors never saw Arcea and Caspian talk to each other for more than a minute. They just assumed that they were not close in the academy, and because it was not affecting their training in any way, the trainors let them be.


    During trainings, Arcea''s swordsmanship and close combat skills were excellent, while Caspian''s mana power and control were superb. The two concentrated on making themselves stronger in their own way, as if they went to Empirica City without a partner Master!


    Caspian learned how to cook from the neighbor, who''s a housewife, while Arcea often went out to eateries. Because of that, her pocket money for a year was gone in just three months!


    One time, Arcea went home, looking bothered. She walked sluggishly towards her bedroom while messing her purplish-gray hair.


    "You should really change that spending habit of yours," Caspian uttered when Arcea passed by the sofa. Since he had not seen her eat in their apartment, it was already a given that she''d run out of  money. He had also caught her plenty of times counting her coins every night before she slept.


    Hearing this, she stopped walking and faced him, "Why do you care? I told you to mind your own business, right?"


    "I just don''t want you to beg me for food. It will be quite a headache for me."


    "I''m sorry?" she raised a brow.


    "I said, don''t be a pain in the ass," he spoke so casually.


    "Ha! As if I''d want the burnt fried egg you''re cooking," she rolled her eyes. Did he really think she didn''t know how many eggs he had burnt every morning? She could no longer deny that she''d be penniless, but she would not want to eat burnt eggs cooked by him! "Why do you speak as if you''ve cooked food for years already?"


    Caspian got embarrassed. He did not expect her to notice the burnt eggs he had been cooking these past few weeks. He stood up in an angry manner, "At least I still have money. Compared to you, I am smarter and more frugal."


    Arcea grabbed him by the collar and glared at him, "You wanna fight? You think I''m afraid of your ice magic?"


    But Caspian did not answer. He just stared at her gray eyes blankly, as if telling her that he wouldn''t back down and to show that he''s not afraid of her.


    Suddenly, Arcea''s stomach growled!


    "Ah¡­ oh no¡­" she slowly let go of him. It was so embarrassing! She told him, hoping to hide in her lair because of shame, "Let''s duel next time."


    Before she entered the room, Caspian grabbed her arm and said, "Nevermind¡­ Come with me," he thought of something that would benefit him throughout the whole year.


    He should make use of that one good quality that the swordswoman had, so the pink-haired young man brought her towards the dining room and made her sit there. She was told to wait, and thirty minutes later, a flavorful aroma could be smelled in the whole room.


    Caspian placed down a plate of fried salami. He placed down a bottle of garlic white bean dip, and using a clean spoon, he scooped a spoonful into Arcea''s plate.


    The super hungry Arcea gulped as she stared at the newly-cooked dish in front of her. But because it was Caspian Reagan who cooked it, she knew he was up to something.


    "Before I eat and fall into your trap¡­ Tell me what you want."


    He smirked at her, thinking that she''s not that dumb as he thought she was. He replied, "Teach me more about close combat."


    Arcea thought she heard wrong. "You¡­ You''re asking me to teach you? You?" she raised her brow. She knew he wouldn''t easily let his pride down!


    "Looks like you do not want to eat," he grabbed the plate and jokingly pulled it towards him.


    "No! Give it back!"


    When she touched the plate once again to try to get it back near her, she was startled when she accidentally touched Caspian''s hands as well. She noticed how big his hands were and how good his long fingers looked. The back of his hand was smooth and a bit cold, probably because he always created ice using his magic.


    She pulled her hands away when she felt her heart beating so fast!


    Caspian peered into her eyes. He pushed the plate subtly towards her and uttered, "So, Knightwing, I will cook for you, in return, teach me close combat. How about it? Good deal, right?"


    Arcea turned beet red when he saw his sworn enemy gaze onto her eyes. ''What the heck! Ugh, what am I getting nervous for?!'' she thought, panicking deep inside her. The person in front of her almost killed Ivory! She must be crazy if she''s being overly conscious around him!


    "Knightwing?" he called, waving his hand when he saw her staring at him.


    "Fine, but aside from cooking for me, you should also teach me some difficult magic techniques."


    "Hah! Easy peasy. We have a deal, then," he extended his arm and offered a handshake. "Partners?"


    Arcea pursed her lips in hesitation, but as he saw Caspian''s killer smile, she eventually gave in. She took his hand and shook it. "Partners!"

 Chapter 110 - "Scouting The Mining Area"

    The following day, Ivory and Lucius walked to the inventory office, which is the first building in front of the mining area''s entrance.


    Lycus and Sigmund noticed that the two only greeted good morning, but had not uttered anything after that. They never saw them fight; it was the first time they seemed awkward with each other.


    In Ivory''s mind, she was afraid that Lucius would ask her about her feelings for Sigmund once again. Although she told him that she and her Vampire Servant are impossible to be lovers, she knew that Lucius is an inquisitive one. He surely would not believe her.


    On the other hand, Lucius was afraid that his sister might bring up what happened last night. He was afraid that he''d hate her even more, so he chose to stay quiet. After all, he did not know how long he could bear to see them develop their feelings more, and he might say something that she wouldn''t really like.


    They saw a circular shaped wooden two-door entrance with paintings of oak tree branches on the surface next to the doorknobs. A professional, yet warm atmosphere could be felt when they stepped inside the inventory office which had a dome roof, and rounded windows and doorways. The interior, as well as the chairs and tables, had earthy colors. A rectangular table with four chairs was also placed near the window and across it was a fireplace.


    Ivory and the others were briefed about Topazeon''s ore inventory office. The office had two divisions: gemstone and coinage.


    Mona is the current head of the Gemstone Division, and she has 10 personnels under her who sorts the excavated ores. Usually, when the ores are delivered in their office, they are already the size of a fist.


    She taught them how they do their job, like weighing ores using a table-top balance scale where they have to place the fist-size excavated ore on one plate and weigh stones with a standard weight on the other side to determine their weight.


    Aside from that, they were taught how to put price on the ores using some reference scrolls as guides. They were also taught how to identify the ores by seeking for their distinct characteristics.


    At the end of the day, after they were trained for a while, Mona required them to take some reference scrolls to the inn. They were tasked to study all the gemstones that could be excavated from the mountains surrounding Topazeon. Ivory was given half of them, and Lucius took the other half. They formally decided to exchange scrolls after two weeks to read the other remaining scrolls.


    Because Ivory noticed Lucius'' silent treatment towards her, she decided to go directly to her room. She sat on the stone stool, and she started reading the reference scroll. Several sketches of cut gems were drawn, as well as their raw ore forms. Beside each sketch were descriptions of their colors, hardness, fracture, luster, and more. Pricing tips were also mentioned in it.


    When she unrolled the next part, she was surprised to see that some of the descriptions were covered with blank ink. "Too bad, this one''s been covered with ink," Ivory uttered. Still curious about it, she tried to read some of the words in the descriptions that were still visible.


    Words like black, shiny, and sharp could be seen. But it was the last sentence that surprised her the most.


    "Oh my goddess! Sigmund, look at this!" she eagerly called her Servant.


    The Vampire, who was sitting in front of their small fireplace, immediately stood up and went behind his Master. He took a look at where Ivory pointed to.


    "Here, this part. It says that this stone is found deep in the mountain, which is always facing the sunset," she continued reading, "And it shows its true form only to the people who are very desperate to find it."


    "Hmm, interesting," Sigmund uttered. He then realized what the words might mean, "Hey, you think this is¡­?"


    Ivory nodded before he could even continue his sentence. She told him in a confident response, "I think this is the special black gemstone that Principal Arthurdane talked about!"


    Sigmund extended his arms and touched the surface of the old paper. He pointed his finger onto the sketch and rubbed it, "What the hell¡­ Whoever did this might be hiding this gemstone from the public."


    "If only we can remove the ink¡­" she muttered. The ink was too black and was already dried for quite a long time, so it would be impossible to separate the ink and paper even through an advanced water magic technique.


    "We''re still not sure if it is really the special black gemstone, but nothing will be lost if we go to the one mentioned in the description."


    "Deep in the mountain, which is always facing the sunset, huh¡­" she muttered the words she had read a while ago. "If it is always facing the sunset, then maybe¡­ it''s in the westernmost mountain among those mountains."


    Without further ado, Ivory took out a town map that was given by Fiora. She panned her sight towards the series of eight mountains where they excavate ores, and she pointed out to the southwesternmost mountain around the town, near the sea.


    "Sigmund, I have a great idea," she told him, "How about I scout the mining area tomorrow-"


    "Stupid woman, you''ll be in danger!" Sigmund cupped her chin, making her look straight into his eyes, "You think I''ll let you go there?"


    "Come with me, then," Ivory said with a smile. "I''ll also bring Lycus with us."


    The Vampire creased his brows. Although Ivory expected him to retort, she was rather surprised to hear him agree.


    "Lycus'' heightened smell and my heightened hearing¡­ That will be effective," he replied.


    "I know we''ll be alright," she giggled. "Now, here''s the plan¡­"


    ¡­


    The next day came, and as soon as their work in the inventory office was done, Ivory pulled Lycus and Sigmund with her to take a quick peek at the mines. Lucius, who thought that she''s still avoiding him and still had not yet forgotten his meddling, went back to Precious Inn and busied himself in reading reference scrolls.


    Ivory and her two Servants spent the whole late afternoon and night scouting around the mining area. They did this for a whole week, and they discovered that castle knights were the ones guarding the area. What''s more, six Royal Knights were even seen roaming around!


    She then asked Mona about it, and she said that it had always been like that ever since King Yama Dragonicus'' reign. The town leader and the townspeople of Topazeon Town agreed to let people from the castle mine some gemstones during winter in exchange for construction of an ore processing and sorting center, and added town security.


    It was weird to think that there was mining in such a dangerous season, and the King was letting his men into that very cold mining pit? It seemed like the special black gemstone, if it was really the one they''re excavating, was so important that they could even risk the lives of the castlemen.


    ...


    On the eight day that Ivory and her two loyal Servants went out to scout around the mining area, Lucius followed them secretly. Although she brought Sigmund and Lycus with her, he still couldn''t help but worry about his reckless sister.


    That whole week of lurking around the mining area was fruitful.  Aside from knowing the positioning of the knights, they also learned the patrolling time of the Royal Knights. Sigmund identified the key areas that had weakest security, while Lycus was the lookout when they built their secret pathway.


    Even though snow was still surrounding the town, it did not stop the two Servants from commencing the plan. While giving subtle warmth to their Master through Fire magic, they secured a path for them so they could freely enter the mining area. It was located behind the first mountain, and because their hidden pathway faced the sea, there were times when there were no knights guarding it.


    "In my estimation, an hour is what we need to reach the fourth mountain," Sigmund told Ivory and Lycus as they walked on the dim path. "The next time we come here, let''s try using Air magic to move forward more quickly. That way we can know how much mana we''d consume, and think about how we''d use it wisely."


    Ivory nodded and continued on inside the womb shaped cave. While walking in between her two Servants on the bedrock, she held Lycus'' hand, who was leading the way, while Sigmund held her other hand while he walked behind her.


    "We need to move fast, it''ll be harder to breathe," Lycus said, pulling his Master. The three of them walked briskly towards the cramped opening and crawled out.


    Ivory was shocked to see Lucius standing in front, looking at her with a frown. "What are you doing here-"


    "Why should I not be here? I am your partner in our apprenticeship," he responded. "I demand an explanation."

 Chapter 111 - "The Hailstorm Between Ivory And Lucius"

    They snuck out of the mining area and proceeded to Precious Inn.


    "Good evening- Oh¡­" Fiora''s greeting was cut off as soon as she saw Lucius pulling Ivory''s arm with a serious face as they walked swiftly with heavy steps. Behind them were Lycus and Sigmund who hastily followed them.


    Fiora wondered what was the matter. She wanted to know if she still had a chance with Lucius, and if she could trust Ivory''s words when she cheered for her. She also desperately wanted to know Lucius'' true feelings for Ivory. With her overthinking, it crushed her spirit, and she just sighed in frustration.


    In Lucius'' room, he let go of Ivory and yelled, "What the hell were you doing in that place? You know how dangerous it is!" he clenched his fists in extreme anger. "What if you got caught and fought them? They''re all castle knights, so they all possess magic! Don''t be too reckless just because you have Sigmund and Lycus!"


    "Please do not shout at me, Lucius," Ivory responded. "And calm down-"


    "Calm down?! Hah! You expect me to calm down?" he took a deep breath, and turned his back on her. "I know you do not want me to meddle with your life, but I couldn''t help it. I do not want to lose you. You are my sis- closest friend."


    The silver-haired young woman furrowed her brows as she stared at Lucius'' back. She knew how kind-hearted he was, and she knew that he genuinely cared for her. "I apologize, Lucius. But do not worry, we spent a week observing them, so the risk is lower."


    Nobody saw how Lucius'' lips trembled in fear, and his eyes teary-eyed. Yes, the risk would be lower because they had planned it wisely, but what if there was a very little chance of failure and it happened unexpectedly? What if he and his mother lose her once again? The blonde young man definitely wanted to fulfill his promise to protect Ivory.


    "Lucius?" Ivory called. "Are you still listening?"


    "I¡­ apologize, but I¡­ I am not really feeling well. Let''s talk about it tomorrow."


    She responded, "Apologies once again if we hid it from you. I promise, next time we go to the mines, I will not forget to tell you."


    Ivory did nothing more. Although she was worried and wanted to ask about Lucius'' condition, she chose not to ask him further to let him rest. She left Lucius alone in the room, and together with her Servants, they went to her bedroom.


    As soon as Sigmund closed the door, he asked Ivory directly, "So¡­ What did you do to piss off the rich boy?"


    "Am I really at fault here?" she rolled her eyes at him. "Wait, how did you know that we''re not okay?" and sat on her bed.


    "We''ve been observing you two since last week," Lycus was the one who answered. He kneeled in front of her, "Apologies if we did not ask-"


    "It''s alright, Lycus," she smiled at him. "Now¡­ I''ll replenish your mana first, so-"


    "Hey, it''s unfair," Sigmund crossed his arms. "Why does Lucius always replenish first?"


    Ivory chuckled, "We replenish mana faster," she then stroked Lycus'' head with gentleness, and he moved nearer to her.


    "Master, thank you," Lycus uttered and smiled at his Master. He took her left hand and sniffed the back of it, while feeling her soft hands stroking the top of his head.


    Sigmund stared at the second Servant as he replenished his mana. He''s his Master''s mysterious Spirit Servant, and for some reason, he still couldn''t trust the guy fully. He''s just thankful that he was not a flawed one like him who had human desires, or else there would be a war to fight for Ivory''s attention.


    He had encountered a lot of Spirit Servants, and they all had different ways of how to replenish mana. He had seen a dog deity Spirit Servant and a jasmine flower Spirit Servant sniffed their own Masters for the same cause.


    But sniffing the Master for mana replenishment was not only applicable to some of the Servants of the Spirit Class.


    "Lycus, did you know..." Sigmund suddenly said mindlessly, "...that if you had wolf ears, I''d think you were a Werewolf Servant."


    And his statement made Lycus pause in replenishing his mana.


    There was a moment of silence. Ivory rested her hand on Lycus'' shoulder when she stared outside the window. It was as if the weather was adapting to what happened earlier that night. She wanted to see the beauty of the moon, but the sky was moonless, and the view outside looked so empty. Small balls of ice suddenly began hitting the window and the howling of the wind could be heard outside.


    Ivory pursed her lips, guilty that she had been hiding his second Servant''s identity from Sigmund. Lycus almost did not accept the Vampire, but because the Werewolf was more perceptive of her feelings, he gradually accepted him as time went by.


    Her problem was how and when would Sigmund accept her Werewolf Servant. Knowing that he''s not an ordinary Servant and had human desires leading to his possessiveness and stubborn behavior, it led her to a decision not to make him upset. He''d be difficult to deal with if he lost control like the last time.


    The troubled Master was already thankful to the heavens that the two were trying to get along, and she did not want them to fight. She also knew she needed them to uncover the mystery behind the Dark Mana and to take down King Yama and his comrades.


    ''I''ll tell Sigmund someday,'' Ivory thought. She still couldn''t reveal to Sigmund that the remaining Werewolves after the late King Ulysses Silverblade''s death had a deal with the Goddess to let all remaining Werewolves live separately from their Masters and look like humans. They also traded their superb hearing and wolf ears to be independent, and in Lycus'' case, he wouldn''t get back his because she''s not his original Master.


    Ivory then faked a laugh, making Lycus look at her in confusion. She said as she touched Lycus'' head, "Lycus is... an oak forest spirit."


    Sigmund raised his brow, "What, is he a deer or something?" he chuckled. "He''s obviously not a Werewolf without wolf ears. I was kidding."


    Because Lycus was facing Ivory, Sigmund did not notice how worried his face expressed. The second Servant stared at Ivory''s face as he let her play with his long, silver hair. Although he was bothered that she had to lie to her first Servant, he was quite happy that she''s protecting him.


    Afterwards, Lycus left the room because Ivory needed to rest and sleep. It was another tiring night, and what''s more, she had that heated discussion with Lucius. As she laid down the bed, she kept on thinking how weird it was for Lucius to snap like that. Last year, whenever she did something wrong, he wouldn''t yell at her, and instead say, ''Well, just don''t do it next time''. He seemed different for quite a few months already, but she couldn''t remember exactly when he exhibited such behavior.


    "Isn''t Lucius acting too weird?" Ivory asked Sigmund as he let him lay beside him on the bed.


    Tucking themselves into the thick, cotton blanket, he told her, "He''s not acting weird, Ivory. If I was in his position, I''d be angry too," he faced her sideways. "You''re one reckless woman."


    Ivory also turned sideways to face him, "Am I?"


    "Don''t even ask," he caressed her face and stared at her beautiful light blue irises. "You''re the prettiest reckless woman I''ve ever met."


    The shy Master turned beet red upon hearing those words from him. If he''s a normal human, she''s sure he''d be a playboy!


    He chuckled upon seeing her dumbfounded expression, then placed his hand on her waist. He pulled her onto him, "Before you forget, give me your blood, Ivory."


    "Ye¡­ Yes, I almost forgot. Where do you want to bite?" she asked shyly. For some reason, she''s as gentle as a sheep whenever she is in bed with her beloved Vampire.


    ¡­


    The following day, Lucius waited for Ivory in the lobby of the inn. While waiting, he spoke to the young man who took over Fiora''s shift. The brown haired guy was wearing a black vest on top of a clover green muscle shirt, beige knee-high trousers, and a bandana on his neck.


    His name was Gerhalt, and he lived just across the road, in front of Precious Inn.


    "Do you know any miners around here?" Lucius asked him. At the moment, he knew he needed to gather more information about mining in Topazeon.


    "Almost every man in town does mining," Gerhalt responded. He ran his hair through his fingers and leaned on the long table. "I mine too, but only in the summer season."


    "I see¡­ I want to know who among the townspeople mine in winter."


    "We''re not crazy enough to mine in winter, unlike those castlemen!" he sighed. "I don''t know why they work hard to mine in such an extreme condition. Although the townsmen volunteered to help them, they refused."


    "What kind of ores do they excavate?" Lucius asked him curiously.


    "I am not sure¡­ but I heard they process their ores inside the castle."


    The blonde young man raised his brow. ''How suspicious,'' he thought. Well, this shouldn''t be too shocking now because everyone inside the castle is truly suspicious. He questioned, "Aren''t you angry at them for taking precious ores from your mountains? I mean, they can be an extra profit for you."


    "I heard from the inventory office that they never took the ores that we usually sell," Gerhalt then remembered something, "Oh, I have a friend who worked in the inventory office before. Once, he peeked at the cart that the castlemen pushed. He said that what they took seemed like coal, which is of little value compared to our usual ores."

 Chapter 112 - "Mashed Potatoes"

    "Like coal, huh¡­" he furrowed his brows. Could those coal-like ores hold the special black gemstone that the principal mentioned?


    "Good morning," Ivory said. Behind her were Sigmund and Lycus, who nodded their heads as greetings.


    "Good morning, Ivory," Lucius responded. He smiled a little, then said, "I apologize for last night''s-"


    She patted his back and then moved past him, "You do not have to apologize, you know. It is my fault after all."


    "Rich boy, let''s go, you''ll be late," Sigmund told him.


    Lucius thanked Gerhalt for the information, then walked behind the three. If what inn receptionist Gerhalt said was true, then he had to work with Ivory and her two Servants. Their enemy was the King, the kingdom''s most powerful person, and aside from that he had a lot of powerful allies in terms of magic and rank.


    After their job in the inventory office, they returned to Precious Inn, and Lucius told them about what Gerhalt said that morning. He also promised Ivory that he would help her, but she should also tell him about their activities in the mining area starting that day.


    She was pleased to hear from him that he''d help, and she promised to get him directly involved from that time on.


    ¡­


    There was not a day wherein they wouldn''t unroll the reference scrolls. Two weeks went on by, and during those days, Ivory and Lucius'' knowledge about the ores grew. Even though they still looked back to the scrolls to guide them, they were now able to identify the gemstones embedded in ores in sizes as little as grapes.


    Pricing ores was something that Ivory was not very good at, so whenever they would not dig their secret passageway, she spent most of her time reading the scrolls. However, there were some complicated formulas, and she''d go to Lucius'' room to seek help.


    The scrolls were unrolled on the table, and using a quill previously dipped in ink, Lucius wrote on a blank scroll and copied the formula. He taught her how to solve it, but Ivory kept on getting the wrong answer.


    While the two were concentrating on the pricing, Lycus and Sigmund were in the inn''s common kitchen.


    "Why do I have to peel potatoes?" Sigmund said as he peeled a jumbo-sized potato using a small knife. "It isn''t too befitting for a handsome Servant like me."


    "Would you rather cook?" asked Lycus, checking the fire underneath the charcoal stove. He learned how to cook from Anne Sprucemint because she sometimes would make him help in the kitchen.


    Sigmund shrugged, "If we''d grill, yes." It was the only method of cooking he knew, and for him, grilling was the easiest to do.


    "I am going to cook mashed potatoes for them," the second Servant then looked around the room, "Now where is the salt¡­"


    Fiora, who just arrived, heard him, and so she pointed to the shelf with the pouch of salt. She said, "If you need help with anything, I am available."


    And so, Fiora took the potato from Sigmund and she peeled it with the knife, while Lycus prepared the boiling pot. Sigmund, on the other hand, sat on the wooden chair behind them and rested his elbow on the table.


    "So, uhm¡­" Fiora striked a conversation, "Where are Mister Lucius and Miss Ivory?"


    "They''re studying," Sigmund said curtly. "Why?"


    "Well, I¡­ I want to ask, what is their relationship? I mean¡­ The other day, they seemed like they''re not okay¡­ But Miss Ivory said that they''re not lovers, but I sensed that there''s something else."


    Lycus glanced at the Vampire, and he shook his head. Sigmund nodded at him as if saying he''ll handle the situation.


    "That Rich boy¡­."  Sigmund crossed his arms while watching Fiora peel the potatoes. "Can''t blame you for noticing him. He''s smart, kind, and a skillful Master..."


    The receptionist''s cheeks turned red while hearing such qualities from Sigmund. Fiora couldn''t help but get excited to hear about the real status between Ivory and Lucius, and she was really hoping that nothing''s going on between them.


    "Interested that much, huh?" Sigmund smirked.


    "I''m just a little curious, but it''s alright if you don''t tell me now. Maybe tomorrow?" she joked and chuckled softly.


    But the Vampire''s tone changed, "Aren''t you scared of being jailed or worse, dying, woman?" and Lycus looked at him and sighed.


    Fiora glanced at him as well, quite surprised and scared with the sudden tone in his voice, "I''m sorry?"


    "How annoying."


    Fiora glanced at Lycus this time and faked a laugh, "Is he always that serious?"


    But Lycus didn''t respond and continued on with what he was doing.


    The reception looked back at Sigmund, "I told you, you can spill the secret tomorrow-"


    Sigmund said in a cold tone, "Last time, someone pried too much about my Master''s life, and that person was taken away by the knights. I suggest you don''t ask unless she allows you to."


    Fiora gulped when she heard about it. She stopped peeling potatoes because her hands trembled. Was Ivory a noble, with tight relations to the royal family? If that''s the case, she wouldn''t ask anymore!


    "Apologies, I just¡­ want to get to know you all, since you''ll all be staying in this inn for a year," she slowly placed down the potato and the knife on the wooden chopping board. "Excuse me, I should¡­ go back to the lobby!" and she hurried off to leave the kitchen.


    "You''ve frightened her," Lycus told him.


    Sigmund stood up, then stood beside Lycus by the kitchen counter. "I don''t care about how she feels. Some people need to know their place," he patted his shoulder, "That includes you."


    Lycus furrowed his brows upon hearing this from the Vampire in front of him. He understood that he was rude to him because he suddenly became a Servant of his beloved Master. He knew that he took some of her time instead of being with him. But even so, a true Servant does not have the freedom to do whatever he or she wants!


    Everything about Sigmund was weird. Not only because he belonged to the banished Vampire Class, but also because he''s too possessive and stubborn for a Servant.


    He tried to keep a calmed front and asked in a serious tone, "What do you mean, Vampire? Are you telling me to stay away from Master?"


    Sigmund raised his brow. He figured Lycus must have misunderstood him, "What are you blabbering about? I said move¡­ You peel the potatoes, I will check the pot."


    "Ah¡­ that¡­" Lycus scratched the back of his head. "Apologies."


    The Vampire sighed as he examined the second Servant''s expression, "Listen, Lycus. If Ivory wants to keep you, then I can''t do anything about it. The only thing I want is for her to be with me," he stared blankly at the boiling water. He continued to say in a low voice, "And I will eliminate anyone who tries to separate us¡­"


    Lycus saw how intense Sigmund''s emotions were. He saw his hand gripping at the edge of the counter, and to stop the gloomy conversation, he suddenly put the peeled potatoes onto the pot.


    Distracted by his actions, he asked, "Hey¡­ Don''t you need to slice it first?"


    "Ah¡­ I forgot."


    The Vampire clicked his tongue, "Nevermind. This will be cooked anyway."


    Soon after, the potatoes were ready to be mashed. In a porcelain bowl, Lycus used a spoon to crush the potatoes. He then placed some salt and pepper, then mixed it thoroughly. He transferred the other half to another bowl.


    Seeing that Lycus had already finished preparing the mashed potato, Sigmund immediately took one of the bowls. "You give that to Rich boy," then he excitedly headed over to Lucius'' room. Lycus followed him.


    Back in the room, Ivory finally solved the right answer, "Ah, I finally got it!" she exclaimed, "Thank you, Lucius!"


    "You''re welcome. Do not forget to check the weight of the first ore," Lucius explained. He was then surprised to receive a bowl of mashed potato from Lycus. "Thank you."


    On the other hand, Sigmund gave the other bowl to Ivory, "Here. I know you''re tired of facing numbers."


    She took the bowl and gave a wide smile, "Thank you so much! I didn''t know you could cook."


    "Easy peasy. There''s nothing I couldn''t do. Lycus peeled the potatoes, while I was the one who cooked," he said proudly.


    Ivory glanced at Lycus, and she saw him shrug. She immediately knew that Sigmund was just boasting. "Is it true, Lycus?" she still asked for confirmation.


    Not wanting any trouble to occur, he nodded. "He watched over the pot until the potatoes were cooked.


    She giggled at the thought that her first Servant was so proud of himself for a simple job of watching the potatoes shaking inside the boiling pot. She reached out her hand to the top of his head and stroked it, saying, "Good job, Sigmund."


    Although he was not the submissive type, Sigmund loved it whenever Ivory praised him. He loves how he pats her head, and at that moment, he felt victorious against Lycus, who was standing at the side staring at them.


    They ate the mashed potato while reading more about the reference scrolls. Sigmund sat on the bed, while Lycus stood by the door.


    Once done with their food, "So, shall we call it a day?" Lucius said after yawning.


    "Oh, sure! Apologies if I made you tired!" she said. "Thanks once again for your time, and goodnight!"


    "Sweet dreams, Ivory," he uttered, then watched her and her two Servants leave the room.


    ¡­


    The next day, Ivory and Lucius went to the inventory office. Thanks to them, the Gemstone Division''s workload was reduced because they were efficient workers. Ivory was the one who quickly identified the excavated ores, then she passed it on to Lucius who sat in front of her so that he could estimate the prices. Their teamwork was so effective that Mona announced that they''d be given a day off from their work!


    Having nowhere to go, the four of them went lurking around the mining area. The security was the same as nighttime, but because of the sunlight, it might be easier for them to be spotted.


    But right when they decided to go back to the inn around lunchtime, they saw Mona by the lobby. She looked very worried.


    "Miss Mona! What brings you here?" Ivory asked.


    "I know I told you to take a day off, but I need your help," she explained in a panic, "The new scrolls where the list of identified excavated ores were written¡­ are missing!"

 Chapter 113 - "Couple Rings Or Tokens Of Trust?"

    "What?!" Ivory reacted, "You mean the ones that Lucius and I also worked hard for?"


    Mona nodded, "As well as the others'' works¡­ Actually, all the recent inventory reports."


    Lucius analyzed the situation. What if it was the castlemen? But no, it wouldn''t make sense. Since they only took their ''coal'', it might not be them. The King was already rich, why would he get interested in normal gemstones?


    Thinking that the thief might be a normal person unrelated to the castle, Lucius said, "Let us go back to the inventory office. We should check how they went past the city guards."


    All of them hurried to the inventory office. The Gemstone Division''s shelves of scrolls were a mess, and their colleagues were trying to sort out the old scrolls once again.


    "So only the new ones were taken, huh¡­" Lucius muttered. He then turned to Ivory and said, "You should interview the town guards and residents nearby. Lycus and I will stay here and examine the area, maybe the thief left some clues."


    Ivory, together with Sigmund, went out of the office and asked the town guard positioned in front of the office. She asked him if she noticed someone suspicious or someone lurking around.


    But the guard said that his shift was only that morning. So far, he had not noticed anything odd. He then referred them to go to the town guard chief, Othello Miller, who is Mona''s husband.


    Ivory and Sigmund went to the town guards'' office, which was beside a small jewelry shop. They were greeted by one of the guards, asking how he could help them. After knowing that they were looking for Othello, he said that he was not around, and that he was patrolling the town.


    "I guess we have to return later," Ivory told Sigmund.


    Sigmund nodded, "Can''t be helped. Perhaps he already heard about it from his wife."


    "Yes. Maybe he''s investigating around. Now where should we go¡­" she panned her sight around and saw the jewelry shop beside the guards'' office. She pulled her Servant towards the store.


    The bell attached to the wooden door rang, and the female shopkeeper, who was sewing cloth by the counter, quickly put down what she was doing and stood up. She greeted them, "Welcome, good afternoon!" and walked towards them.


    "Hello, good afternoon," Ivory said with a kind smile.


    "What are you looking for? Ruby? Emerald? Sapphire? We have them all here," the purple-haired woman said. It was evident in her eyes that she''s excited for Ivory to buy in her store.


    Ivory noticed how pretty the shopkeeper was. Her purple hair was long and silky, and she had purple downturned eyes. She was clothed in a white long sleeve ruffled top under a red puffy blazer coat with flower embroideries on the laped. She looked like a noble by the way she dressed, and her ruby brooch and earrings seemed expensive.


    "Your brooch¡­ is very nice," Ivory complimented while she was staring at it. This made the shopkeeper smile.


    "You have very good eyes, miss," she said. While touching her brooch, she explained, "This is the work of the most famous master jeweler in town."


    "I see¡­ That''s why it looks so expensive."


    She led her to the shelves at the back part of the store. "These are all works of that famous master jeweller. Take a look, and if you want to buy, I shall give you a discount. I also accept weekly payments, miss."


    Ivory felt like she was almost going to buy it. She only went there to take a look, but because the shopkeeper was very accommodating, she might buy at least one!


    Her eyes were drawn at two sets of earrings and necklace. The first one was a clavicle necklace where a peacock at the center was surrounded by blue small circular sapphire gemstones. The peacock''s body, wings, and crown had rhinestones, while the head also had a small circular sapphire gemstone. The second one was a pink clavicle necklace made of crystals and rhinestones, where the rhinestones leaves were placed on top of the crystal leaves.


    "How much is one set of earrings and necklace?" she inquired.


    The woman showed her hands, "Five."


    "That''s quite cheap, isn''t it?" she was delighted to hear how cheap these were.


    "Five hundred gold coins."


    "What!?" her eyes widened before sighing. "I mean¡­ Uhh I see¡­"


    While Ivory kept on asking the prices of the jewelry on the shelves, Sigmund walked around the store, also taking a look at the items.


    He wondered if he could buy his Master one of those, but then again, he''s only her Servant. If he was a human, he''d definitely get a decent job and buy whatever Ivory wants.


    Sigmund reached the counter and examined the other jewelry displayed there. And as he went nearer to the back door of the shop, faint clattering and hammering sounds could be heard.


    He was about to go to that back door in his curiosity, but the female shopkeeper blocked her way.


    "Apologies, but the workshop is only accessible to authorized personnel only," she pointed out to the side shelf where Ivory was. "Please help your lover choose. She has been staring at the rings for a while now."


    Because he frequently wore casual clothes like a normal human''s, he was always mistaken as Ivory''s lover. He uttered, "No, we''re-" but he paused, since he liked the idea anyway.


    Before Sigmund walked away from the counter, he noticed the bright yellow silk cloak with a torn on the side. It was the cloth that the shopkeeper was sewing a while ago. Not minding it, he walked towards Ivory and saw what kept her so long.


    "Sigmund, aren''t these rings cute?" she asked when she glanced at his handsome Servant. The couple rings were rose gold in color, but in contrast to the man''s ring, the woman''s ring had several diamond stones. The shank also had a very unique and intricate pattern of waves which Ivory really loved.


    "As if you have a lover," Sigmund said bitterly. "Don''t waste your money on that."


    Ivory pursed her lips. Yes, she didn''t have a lover, but she had Sigmund, who she cherished very much. "How about I buy this, as tokens of our trust for one another?"


    The Vampire was confused, "What do you mean?"


    "I''ll buy these rings, but we wear them not because we''re lovers, but because we trust each other. It''s like a friendship ring¡­" she uttered these words out of desperation since she really wanted those rings for them.


    "If you''d buy a friendship ring, why don''t you give Lucius the other one, instead of me?" he was playing safe, even though he''d love to have a pair of couple rings with her. Deep inside, he really wanted her to convince him persistently to buy those!


    Ivory sighed, "Fine, if you don''t want to, then I won''t buy anything," it was obvious from her facial expression that she was sulking!


    She thanked the shopkeeper, then ran out of the jewelry store.


    Seeing how bothered Sigmund''s face was, the woman told him, "If you want to see her happy, just buy the rings, sir. I shall give you a big discount. You can even pay weekly."


    Sigmund was about to retort, but the woman hurriedly took out the couple rings from the shelf. She went to the counter to pack the rings in a small, red burlap pouch, and pulled the strings to close it. She gave it to Sigmund, "That set has a discounted price of 100 gold coins, but for now, give me any amount."


    When Sigmund looked at her suspiciously, the woman chuckled, "My shop is beside the guards'' office! If I do anything wrong, you can just report me, the same way I can report you if you do not pay me weekly. Do not worry too much, and just focus on making your lover happy!"


    Convinced with her statements, Sigmund searched his pockets, but there was only 1 gold coin. He remembered it fell off Ivory''s pouch a while ago and he just happened to see it so he picked it up!


    "All the coins are with her, so¡­"


    The female shopkeeper received a single gold coin from him, "No worries, sir. Almost all the men I''ve known had their pockets empty because it was their wives who managed their funds."


    When he bid goodbye to the shopkeeper, he tried to catch up with Ivory. He saw her turn onto a street, returning to the inventory office.


    "Found anything?" Ivory asked Lucius. Although she''s still upset that she was not able to buy the couple ring and Sigmund did not agree with what she wanted, she decided that it was such a petty thing and she should just focus on the problem in front of her.


    Lucius gave something to Ivory, "This. We found it hanging on the wire of the fence. It seemed like the thief went over to the side where the town guards do not pass much."


    The strip of cloth was made of silk, with a bright yellow hue.


    Lucius explained further, "I asked around, and it seemed like this kind of fine clothing is expensive. It is not common in this town."


    Sigmund widened his eyes when he saw the cloth. "I think I''ve seen it somewhere..."


    They looked at him curiously. Ivory asked, "Where?"


    The Vampire tried hard to remember, as he was sure about it. When he finally remembered, he said, "In the jewelry shop¡­ beside the guards'' office!"

 Chapter 114 - "Investigating The Missing Records"

    As soon as Sigmund informed them about it, they all hurried out of the office. In the middle of the road, they met Othello and other town guards.


    "Good timing, we were about to go to your office," Mona told her husband. "The thief might be in the jewelry store beside yours."


    "Huh? Are you sure?" but he just laughed. "That''s impossible! The safest places are those near our office."


    "Can we check?" Ivory asked.


    Othello seemed confident, "Yes, of course," he then faced his wife, "Stay here with your colleagues, we''ll handle the situation."


    Mona agreed, then they left. They marched towards the jewelry shop. When the bell attached to the wooden door rang, the female shopkeeper immediately said, "Welcome!" And upon seeing the five town guards, she gave a bright smile. "Sirs! Are you going to loan for your wives once again? I have a new loan plan- Oh, hello again!" she said when she saw Ivory and Sigmund.


    "Miss Vica, there''s a thief around town who took the latest inventory reports of the inventory office. Have you seen anyone suspicious?" one of the town guards asked.


    She shook her head, "Oh dear, that''s troublesome."


    Sigmund went to the counter and searched for the bright yellow silk cloth that was there before.


    When Vica saw him proceeding to the door, she said, "Sir, this area is a workshop, and it is not allowed for just anyone to enter."


    Because he was quite near the door, Sigmund could hear faint rumbling sounds from the inside, thanks to his heightened hearing.


    "Or perhaps, you''d want to loan once again for another set of jewelry?" the shopkeeper suggested.


    He shook his head, then slowly walked to Ivory''s side.


    Ivory asked Sigmund discreetly as they stood near the door, "Did you find it?"


    The Vampire furrowed his eyebrows and replied, "No. It''s not there anymore, but I suspect it''s in the workshop."


    Sigmund also told Ivory that he could hear rumbling sounds inside.


    "Thank you for your cooperation, Vica," Othello said, shaking hands with her. "I guess we''re done here."


    "You''re welcome, Othello. You can ask for my help¡­ anytime," Vica replied, and so one by one they stepped out of the store.


    Othello told Ivory and her group to call it a day because they might get too cold and that he and the other town guards would be the ones to handle it. He said that they would heighten the security and inspect all carriages and persons going out of town.


    But the falling snow did not faze them. Ivory and her group returned to the inventory office to report to Mona. The Gemstone Division did not waste any more time and so, they opened the stock room full of ores, identified and listed down the ores in new blank scrolls. They also computed their prices. The officials in the division were currently in the process of rewriting everything.


    Even though Othello asked Ivory and the others to call it a day, they couldn''t bring themselves to do nothing. After all, they also took effort in doing the inventory.


    While moving the ores to the table with the balance scale, Lucius asked Mona, "May I ask something personal, Miss Mona?"


    "Yes," she responded. "What is it?"


    "You and your husband¡­ How long were you married?"


    Mona giggled when she heard such an unexpected question from the blonde young man. She thought that he was already at an age wherein she''d get curious about getting married. "A month," she said, "But we dated two months before that."


    "I see¡­" Lucius then panned her sight towards the ore.


    "It was quite a short time, wasn''t it? We met when he saved me from an uncontrollable horse while I was walking on the streets," a sweet smile displayed from her lips. "I can still remember, it was a sunny day, and¡­"


    While she was telling her story, he exhibited a bothered expression. To confirm his suspicion, he asked her after she was done speaking, "Do Sir Othello and the shopkeeper of the jewelry store know each other?"


    It caught the attention of Ivory, Sigmund, and Lycus, and they all waited for Mona''s answer.


    "Yes, he knows him. Othello said that he''s alone in the shop, so he would sometimes eat lunch at their office which is only next door," she replied. "What was the shopkeeper''s name again¡­ Ah, it''s Vernon! Othello said that the shopkeeper is also the one who makes the jewelry, so he always gives discounts to him."


    Ivory was saddened by this. Could her husband have been lying to her? She tried to tell her the truth, "But Miss Mona, the shopkeeper is a-"


    But before she could continue, Lucius cut her off and said, "Discounts are very convenient. How nice it is to have a shopkeeper-jeweler friend who owns a jewelry shop... Isn''t that right, Ivory?"


    The silver-haired Master was dumbfounded at first, but seeing Lucius raise his brow, she responded with a yes. Lucius might have something in mind to ask personal questions to their supervisor.


    When they went back to Precious Inn, they greeted Fiora, who was sweeping the floor.


    "Good evening!" she exclaimed, but when she saw Sigmund, she averted her eyes in fear. Lycus, who knew what happened, glanced at Sigmund, and the Vampire just shrugged.


    They passed by the lobby and the hallway, and then entered Lucius'' room for a short meeting.


    Ivory and Lucius sat on the stone stool by the window, while Sigmund and Lycus stood leaning on the wall near their Master.


    "Let us analyze the whole situation, starting from the beginning," Lucius was the one who spoke first as their pseudo leader, "The stolen scrolls are all the latest ones. That''s a three-month list of excavated ores. Meaning to say, the thief wanted to know which are the recent ores. I don''t believe it is a coincidence that the excavated ores in the stockroom are exactly three months old. The thief might have known this."


    Ivory nodded, "But because the thief did not have the key to the stockroom, the ores were not taken?"


    "Yes," he responded. "Someone who knows about the contents inside the locked room, but doesn''t have the key. The thief could be someone from the Gemstone Division, or someone they know, but I have another suspect in mind."


    "Let me guess¡­ It''s the town guard chief, isn''t it," Sigmund uttered.


    "You''re right."


    "When Lucius asked her for some details a while ago, I also had a hunch," Ivory said. "But you, Sigmund, how did you come up with that conclusion?"


    "That shopkeeper and the town guard chief called each other by first name basis. At first, I thought they might just be close, but then I also noticed how different the two looked at each other," the Vampire explained.


    "I think Mister Othello never let his wife go near their office. How else could she not know that a woman was also in the jewelry shop?" Lucius added. "Any thoughts on this?"


    "Wait. I think there might be someone else in the shop," Sigmund said. He crossed his arms, "The back door, which she called a workshop¡­ I heard something noisy there. But she kept on blocking my way whenever I got near."


    "So there is a possibility that the only way to find out¡­ is to sneak in there," Ivory suggested, and Lucius narrowed his eyes on her, "What? You''ll also be with me, so it''ll be safe."


    Lucius facepalmed. "You''re just as stubborn as Sigmund."


    "Why compare her to me? She''s more stubborn than I am," the Vampire retorted, and Ivory shot a glance at him, and he smirked at her to tease her.


    Knowing that they''d soon commence the plan, Lycus said, "We should devise a good plan on how to avoid the town guards. It will be challenging because that area is heavily guarded."


    "You''re right, Lycus!" Ivory uttered. As if a light bulb lit atop her head, she excitedly said, "Okay, I''ve thought of something! So here''s what we''re going to do..."


    Later that night, Ivory walked towards the town guards'' office alone. The night was cold, and not all torches around the streets of the town were lit. Thanks to the pot of hot potato soup she was carrying, she somehow managed as it warmed up her cold hands underneath her gloves.


    The guard stationed near the office asked who she was, and what she was doing there. Ivory said she cooked a lot of soup and she wanted to share it to the hardworking guards. She requested to go in because it was so cold, and the pot was heavy. And because she''s quite pretty, the guard let her in!


    Inside the guards'' office were a few men who were sitting in front of the wide fireplace at the side. She greeted them, and then placed the pot in front. Due to its aroma, it did not take long before they finally got bowls and spoons from their pantry.


    As the guards were eating, Ivory asked, "Where is the town guard chief?"


    "Oh, you wouldn''t find him here. He''s at home," one of them said.


    But the other man, who had just arrived, said, "He''s not at home! We parted ways away from his house. He went to that place."


    "Ah, the chief''s at it again. He''s always in that place," another one commented. "I can''t blame him though. Although I pity his wife. She''s too trusting."


    The silver-haired Master got curious and asked, "What''s in that place? And what do you mean his wife is too trusting?"


    "Well¡­ He said that it''s a secret or else we''ll be fired, but you look harmless. Since you''ve given us such delicious food, we''ll tell you," the guard placed down the empty bowl and said in a serious tone, "Chief Othello has a mistress."

 Chapter 115 - "Don’t Move On, Master"

    Ivory felt like everything that was clouded became clearer. Their hunches were right. Othello Miller was up to something.


    She felt pity on Mona, who thought that her dear husband loved her devotedly. She realized the sad truth that not all couples were faithful and loyal like her foster parents.


    "By the way, where in town is ''that place''?" she inquired. They gave confused looks, wondering why the young woman was so interested.


    "Why, are you one of the chief''s mistresses?" the man across from her asked.


    Ivory immediately shook her head, "Of course not! It''s just my curiosity pitching in. I am new in town, and I want to know my new living environment."


    "Apologies if your new living environment isn''t so good," a guard said sarcastically, and they all laughed.


    The town guard then said, "That place¡­ is Miss Vica''s house."


    While Ivory was gathering information, the bell on the door rang, and Sigmund and Lycus infiltrated the jewelry store. The silver-haired Master was on alert in case any of the guards heard the sound of the bell, but the good thing was they were all laughing and enjoying the soup she had brought.


    Lucius, on the other hand, stood in front of the store while holding his warm Golem Servant in its inactive state, which kept him warm. Using fire magic was not the option at that time because it might gain the passersby''s attention.


    The rumbling sound that the Vampire was hearing before was gone. He asked Lycus if he smelled something odd, but he shook his head. Guessing that nobody was inside the store, the two of them opened the back door.


    As soon as they entered, they widened their eyes when they saw the numerous wall-mounted wooden shelves with many excavated ores at the size of a fist. At the middle was a long working table, complete with tools like hammers, knives, and saws of different shapes and sizes. The shopkeeper was not lying; it was indeed a workshop.


    The two of them parted; Lycus started searching the shelf on the left, while Sigmund on the right. They carefully examined each excavated ore, and when they finished, they looked over the scrolls on a separate shelf. They were all lists of acquired ores and sent out jewelries which were sold to different cities.


    Realizing that the missing scrolls were not there, they hurriedly ran out of the room and waited for the time when no one passed by before they stepped out of the door.


    Exactly when they were all outside already, they saw Ivory wave her hands to the guards.


    "Miss Sprucemint, if you need help, you can come here anytime. The potato soup was delicious!" one of the guards said enthusiastically.


    "Yes, he''s right," the other one said, "How about I bring your pot. It is not befitting to a pretty lady like you to carry something like this. Where do you stay?"


    When Sigmund heard this, he immediately went to them and took the empty pot from him. "I can do it. Let''s go, Ivory."


    "But- Uhm, Sigmund!" she couldn''t retort, her jealous Servant suddenly took her wrist with his free hand and pulled her out of the scene. Lucius and Lycus looked at each other and followed them.


    There was silence while the two of them walked on the snowy ground while the Werewolf Servant and the blonde-haired Master silently walked behind the two. Ivory didn''t know what to say. When they finally arrived at Precious Inn, Ivory signaled Lucius and Lycus to not follow them, and the two already knew what she meant and nodded to her request.


    Ivory was pulled inside her room, and she watched Sigmund place the pot atop the table.


    "I knew it. I shouldn''t have let you go there alone," he clicked his tongue. "Those beasts¡­!"


    "You know that the plan will only be effective only with me. If you''re there, or if it was Lucius, they''d probably be suspicious before even entering the door."


    Sigmund furrowed his eyebrows. "I just do not want them to think you''re available to have a lover."


    "But Sigmund¡­ I do not have a lover¡­ It means I am available to have one, right?" she peered into his eyes.


    Ivory had been thinking about it. Everything that Lucius said the other day was true. It was only her selfishness that made her deny everything to herself, when in fact, all the answers were already laid down before her.


    It was the answer to her lingering feelings.


    Isn''t the best way to move on from her impossible love is to try to learn how to love another man?


    When Sigmund heard her say that she''s interested in having a new lover, his crimson-red eyes glowed. No, he wouldn''t let Ivory have a lover or any men in her life anymore. Even Lycus was a problem for taking some of her time that should be spent for him alone. The Vampire Servant wanted her to become his, even though not as a lover.


    The possessive Vampire did not want her to move on from him!


    When Ivory saw his eyes glow, she told him in a serious tone while gripping his biceps, "Lose control one more time, or I''ll get mad at you," and she let her Silverblade mana envelop her and her light blue irises glowed.


    The two of them stared at each other with their glowing irises as if they were in a staring contest.


    But eventually, it was Sigmund who gave up. His eyes stopped glowing, "I do not want you to meet another scumbag like that redhead," he was referring to Jasiel Redlock, his Master''s first lover who turned out to be a playboy. Fortunately, Sigmund had already taught him a lesson and he straightened up.


    He did not want another Jasiel in Ivory''s life!


    "Sigmund," she patted his shoulder and said in a soft voice, "I¡­ I am thinking¡­ If one day, there''s a man who wants me to be his lover¡­ I think I''d agree¡­"


    "You stupid woman, a lover will only interfere with our mission!"


    "I''m not saying I''d get a lover at this time," Ivory explained. She was trying hard to reason out with herself. "I mean¡­ in the future¡­ you won''t get mad at me, right?"


    Sigmund felt his heart breaking. Did she mean that she''s already set on abandoning his feelings for him?


    This was the saddest thing when having a heart that was almost like a human''s. It hurt him the most. Sigmund could already feel the pain of not being with the love of his life, but at the same, he could not really do anything about it because he was just a mere Servant. He knew that even if they confessed their feelings to each other in the future, there would be no guarantee that their relationship would last long.


    Who knows when Goddess Destinia would separate the two of them?


    Words were not enough to express how bad the pain he felt at that time. Not wanting to answer her with a lie, he turned away from her, and carried the empty pot in his arms.


    "Where are you going?" Ivory asked.


    "Away from you," he answered, then opened the door, "I''ll return this to the kitchen," then he left her alone in the cold room.


    When the door closed, Ivory pursed her lips, wondering if she did the right thing. She doubted herself when she''d be able to keep it up.


    At that point, she chose to do what is right and according to Goddess Destinia''s values. She just hoped she wouldn''t regret it.


    Lucius saw Sigmund placing the pot at the kitchen counter with a bothered expression. He asked, "What happened?"


    "It''s nothing, rich boy," he sighed. Seeing that the blonde young man kept on staring at him as if waiting for his response, he eventually spoke, "Fine, I''ll tell you because I don''t have anyone else to tell."


    The two of them knocked at Lycus'' door and asked him to watch over Ivory. They said that they will be investigating around town and look for shopkeeper Vica''s house.


    On the almost empty streets of Topazeon, Sigmund spoke with breath vapor coming out from his mouth, "Ivory told me that she''s open to have a new lover."


    Lucius was surprised that the Vampire actually opened up to him. It was unlike him to do it, but seeing how he looked distressed, he guessed he needed to let his feelings out. It must have felt really bad.


    "Honestly, I do not know what triggered her to do it¡­ Maybe it was because she got surrounded by many men a while ago at the town guards'' office?" he messed up his jet black hair. "Damn it! I shouldn''t have let her do it!"


    Unbeknownst to Sigmund, the person he was talking to was already feeling guilty. Lucius'' words might have finally gotten through to his fragile sister who cannot resist falling in love with the wrong person. He kept quiet as the Vampire badmouthed the town guards, while he thought of what he should tell him.


    As the person who knew the Vampire''s secret feelings for his own Master, and also as the person who told Ivory to stop her ridiculous impossible love for his own Servant, he felt very responsible for the mess!


    They continued walking around the small community, when suddenly, Sigmund saw Othello by one of the houses'' windows. There, he was laughing with Vica. The two hid behind the stone fence, while Sigmund tried to listen to their conversation.


    But before he even heard a sound, a purple-haired young man suddenly spoke on the other side of the stone fence, "You two¡­ What are you doing there?"

 Chapter 116 - "Meeting The Purple-haired Jeweler"

    Lucius and Sigmund did not notice that someone was actually behind that stone fence, it was because the guy was crouching for an unknown reason. He has long wavy purple hair which was tied in a ponytail. The guy also had downturned purple eyes and was dressed in a mauve shirt and black pants under a juniper green velvet cloak.


    "Don''t lean on the stone fence. It''s freezing cold," his husky voice said. He hurriedly went in front of them and pointed to Sigmund, who was wearing his usual gartered pants and a plain white tunic, "You. You wear too thin. Take this," he quickly took off his thick cloak.


    Sigmund did not have a chance to shoo him off because he suddenly placed the cloak on his shoulders. He and Lucius were dumbfounded by the young man''s sudden kind gestures.


    "May I ask¡­ what are you doing outside? I mean¡­ Aren''t you cold yourself?" Lucius said, trying to extract information from him. He also wondered what the man was doing at the fence of Vica''s house.


    "I am waiting for them to finish," he uttered, looking at the window where Vica and Othello could be seen. "I won''t go inside unless they''re done."


    "Oh, so you live there?" Sigmund inquired.


    The purple-haired man nodded. "The woman is my twin sister. She always meets her secret lover in our house," he sighed. "I don''t want to hear their cheesy conversation. I am a bitter, single man who never had a lover in the nineteen years of my life."


    "Do not worry too much, I am also nineteen¡­ I''m about to turn twenty this year, though," Lucius told him. If the guy was Vica''s twin brother, then he could be useful for the investigation. He talked to him, sounding friendly, "By the way, I am Lu. May I know your name?"


    "Vernon."


    When they heard his name, Lucius and Sigmund glanced at each other. So the name Vernon was not made up by Othello. He''s a real person!


    "How about you?" Vernon raised his brow at Sigmund.


    "I''m... Sig," he said briefly.


    "Oh, you both have short names¡­ You can call me Ver then," he said. He right out assumed that those were their actual nicknames.


    With the Vampire''s heightened hearing, he suddenly heard the chair screech. He turned his head towards the window and saw Othello standing up.


    Sigmund told Vernon while he nudged Lucius as a sign, "We need to go." He removed the cloak from his back, "I''ll return this-"


    But Vernon waved off, "Oh, do not underestimate the chilly weather! You can return it anytime¡­ You know I live here anyway," he gave a smile. "But even though I''ve been living here in Topazeon, I mostly spend my time at the workshop, so I really do not know a lot of people. You know the jewelry shop beside the town guards'' office? That''s where you''ll find me in the daytime. I am a jeweler."


    "We''ll visit you there, then," Lucius said with a kind smile. "Nice to meet you, Vernon."


    It was a good thing that Vernon was kind and talked easily, so they learned a lot from him. And so, the two walked briskly, hoping that they wouldn''t be seen by Othello and Vica. When they turned to one corner, they ran as fast as they could. Fortunately, they successfully returned to Precious Inn without being seen!


    When they entered the lobby, Ivory was already standing there with her brows furrowed in worry. Lucius felt sorry since he was the one who told her to tell him such important matters concerning their safety, yet he was the one who violated that promise.


    "And where have you been?" she asked, putting her hands on her waist.


    "We scouted in the residential areas," Lucius uttered. When he saw Fiora staring at him and listening to their conversation, he told Ivory, "Let''s have a brief meeting in my room."


    Fiora stared at Lucius and Ivory''s back as they walked towards the hallway. She thought that whatever they had, had nothing to do with her. She was already trying to accept that she would never have a place in the blonde young man''s heart, when Sigmund suddenly uttered, "Don''t give up. Give the poor single guy a love life," he chuckled, then walked past the receptionist''s desk. Lycus shrugged, then followed Sigmund from behind.


    Fiora thought hard about what the Servant told her. She repeated the statement in her mind over and over again. ''Give the poor single guy a love life''? It only meant one thing. Lucius and Ivory were not lovers, and she was just overthinking! That''s it... She''d really pursue him and make him her lover before they leave Topazeon at the end of the year!


    In Lucius'' room, Sigmund was the first one who told Ivory and Lycus about what they saw in Vica''s residence. He shared that Vernon was a real person, and he''s actually Vica''s twin brother. He also told them that the young man seemed to be a kind one.


    "We will befriend him, and try to enter the house. At a time when the lady''s not home," Lucius said. "I feel bad exploiting his kindness, but¡­"


    "If he had nothing to do with the loss of the scrolls, then just ask for forgiveness once the truth is out. I''m sure he''ll understand, if your judgment of his character is correct," Ivory responded. "Tomorrow, after our shift in the inventory office, I''ll drop by the jewelry shop. I will try to extract more information from the shopkeeper."


    ¡­


    The next day was another exhausting day for the officials of the inventory office as they still had to redo and recheck the scrolls. After their shift, Sigmund insisted on coming with Ivory to visit the jewelry shop, but of course, she assured that it would be better to come alone and that she''d be back quickly.


    And so, Ivory went to the jewelry shop and as soon as she stepped foot inside, the shopkeeper greeted her immediately.


    "Welcome- Oh, you''re back! What would you like to buy?" Vica said in high spirits. Noticing that Ivory''s face saddened when she saw that the couple rings were not there any more, she told her, "Ah, well, the rings were already sold."


    "Ah¡­ I guess I''m too late," she said, as if she''s interested in buying it. But now that she had thought of giving up on her impossible, forbidden love for her own Servant, she felt relieved. Before she went to the store, there was a possibility that she really would buy the rings for them and continue to harbor such feelings for him.


    Just as she thought that it was the sign that they''re not meant to be together since the couple rings were not there anymore, the female shopkeeper suddenly said, "Why, didn''t your lover give you the ring yet?"


    Ivory gave a confused look, "What do you mean?"


    "Oh, your lover bought it. Please remind him that he needs to pay 100 silver coins per week-"


    "What?!" she shrieked. She was totally shocked about what she told her. Aside from the hundred silver coins debt, she also mentioned, "And for the record, I have no lover!"


    "Uhm the man who''s been with you before is not your lover? Oh no, apologies. He really did seem like your lover," Vica explained. "I''ve been in this business for quite some time, and I''d know if the person cherishes the other just by the way he looks at her."


    Ivory got totally distracted by what Vica told her. Why didn''t Sigmund deny that they weren''t lovers? If he''d continue to do that, everyone would have the wrong idea!


    Deciding to set aside her real purpose of going to the jewelry store, she bid goodbye to Vica and rushed out. She did not mind the cold; she''s focusing on going to Precious Inn immediately to scold her Servant.


    When Ivory got inside her room, he saw Sigmund sitting on the bed while tying his boots. The Vampire widened his eyes when he saw his Master''s already back.


    "Done already?" he told her, then stood up. He lightly kicked towards the floor to test if the boots were properly worn. "I''m going to head out with Rich boy. Lycus will be staying here to watch over you."


    But Ivory glared at him momentarily and then walked towards Sigmund. "Please wait. Let me see what''s in your pocket," she said.


    "Why- Hey!" he was startled when his Master suddenly touched his pants. She started searching for something bulky in his pocket. Not yet done searching for him, she went behind him and examined his back pockets.


    It was only at the moment she touched his back pockets with her two hands that she realized that he''s touching her Servant''s butt!


    "Are you enjoying what you''re doing to my butt, Ivory?" Sigmund asked, then turned to face her, seeing her turned red as a tomato, "What are you looking for that you have to touch my body?"

 Chapter 117 - "As Beautiful As A Magnolia Flower"

    Ivory avoided his gaze, then at the side of the room, she noticed Sigmund''s duffel bag that her foster father lent him. She jumped over the bed quickly, and when she reached for the bag, she opened it.


    "Oi, Ivory!" Sigmund yelled, knowing that he hid something in there that his Master shouldn''t see.


    Ivory took out a pretty red pouch which was closed with the strings drawn and tied. When she was about to open it, Sigmund lunged towards her, making her lay down on the floor beneath him!


    "Sigmund¡­ Get off me!" she said, struggling with her hands held down by the Vampire''s big hands.


    Sigmund gripped her hand tightly until the pouch was released from her hands.  "From now on, don''t touch my things," he said coldly, then sat on the floor properly.


    Ivory also sat and faced her Servant. "You''re my Servant, you shouldn''t keep things from me. You know that distrust will lower the mana quality and weaken our magic."


    "I know, but-"


    "And for your information, I already know what''s inside," she turned her head to the side, not looking at him, "Thanks to your deal with the shopkeeper, I now have a debt of 100 silver coins per week because of those useless rings."


    Sigmund was disappointed by Ivory''s words. It was as if his Master was trying hard to move on from him when in fact, she was the one who initially wanted to have a couple rings with him. He knew it was just a facade when she said that the rings could symbolize their trust towards one another.


    The Vampire was not dumb, and he could read through Ivory''s actions. But what hurt him was that she''s giving up on her feelings, while he''s still holding onto it, even though it might seem impossible. Just being with her was what mattered most.


    "It is not your debt, Ivory. It is mine," he said. "I bought it, and I will work so I can pay that debt."


    "But Sigmund, you''re my Servant. Your debt is my debt¡­" Ivory uttered. She stood up, "Don''t bother working. Just help with my tasks in the inventory office. Give me that, I will return it to the jewelry shop."


    Sigmund clenched the red pouch tightly since he did not want to return it.


    But he thought, if Ivory had given up on her feelings, why would he bother keeping the rings?


    Ivory took hold of the pouch, and she placed it in her pocket. "I will return this, so you won''t have a debt to pay. You can''t have a hundred silver coins in just a week anyway, even if you get three jobs a day. Please do not be this impulsive again, Sigmund. I am telling you this as your Master." Then she walked out of the room and closed the door.


    "Darn it," he muttered to himself. Could Ivory really forget him that easily? He could already foresee that their mana quality would be compromised because of it. He felt his body weakened as his heart felt like being torn into pieces.


    He cursed himself for having human desires.


    When Ivory reached the jewelry store, it was already dark. She saw a purple-haired young man getting out of the store and sliding the door''s latch.


    As soon as Vernon was done using the iron lock to secure the latch, he turned his head towards Ivory. He widened his eyes as he saw how beautiful Ivory was, and her rare silver hair stood out among the passersby. It was the first time he saw someone as beautiful as the magnolia flower he used to admire when he was a kid.


    "Uhm excuse me," Ivory uttered as she approached him, "I''d like to return a pair of rings."


    Vernon noticed the bitterness in Ivory''s tone. Did something bad happen to the beautiful woman in front of him? Why would she return the rings with a saddened expression on her face?


    "We''re already closed, but¡­ why would you return the rings? Is the design not to your liking?" he asked her.


    "Oh, no, it''s not that. I love the design¡­ It''s just that¡­" she sighed, "The person I was supposed to give this to... we can''t be lovers."


    Vernon felt her sadness when she saw her in that state. The chilly weather and their thick coats were not helping at all. "I can open the shop for you," he then said with a kind smile, "I am Vernon, the shopkeeper''s brother."


    Ivory offered for a handshake, "I am Ivory. It''s nice to meet you."


    The purple-haired young man shook her hands beneath those khaki-colored gloves. He then asked her to wait as she opened the lock once again. He lit the candle with a black metal handler placed on the side of the door, "I will just take a look at the list of jewelry. You can stay here or outside, and you can come with me, too. Whatever you''re most comfortable with," and then he walked towards the back door.


    Although Ivory did not know the man, he could sense that Lucius was right about him. The kindness in his eyes and his gestures made her assume that he didn''t have anything to do with the missing scrolls, and so she followed him from behind.


    Inside the workshop, all the lights were lit, and it gradually became brighter. Ivory was amazed with all the excavated ores displayed on the wall-mounted shelves, and how plenty and varied his tools on the table were.


    Vernon took the rings from Ivory and then went to the table at the farthest back to search for the list of the previously displayed rings. He immediately saw the scroll, and saw which rings were recently purchased. Taking a quill and ink from the side, he wrote that the rings were returned.


    A gold coin was given to Ivory, "Here¡­ I am returning the deposit to you."


    She took the gold coin, "Thank you, Mister Vernon."


    "Just call me Vernon," he said kindly. "Shall we go?"


    "Wait," Ivory figured it might be a big chance for her to ask anything she wanted. Besides, Vica was not around, so it''s safe for her to inquire, maybe she could have leads about the missing scrolls. "You''re a jeweler, right?"


    He nodded at her. He leaned his back on the table while listening to her.


    She asked, "How do you get the excavated ores? Where are they bought?"


    "Either in the ore processing center or buy them directly from the inventory office," Vernon explained. "In my case, it''s my twin sister who''s buying directly from the inventory office as raw excavated ores. It''s three times cheaper."


    "I see¡­ That''s interesting," Ivory said. Now, she knew that Vica might be involved in purchasing unprocessed, excavated ores. She panned her sight towards the tools on the table.


    Vernon saw the curiosity in Ivory''s eyes, so he asked, "Do you want to see how I make jewelry?"


    Ivory felt that he could be trusted so she agreed, and the two of them sat behind the long table in front of each other. She looked closely on how Vernon hammered the ore in half. While seeing through a special glass lens he acquired from Omegalion City, he hammered the surrounding surface of the stone and removed some parts of the emerald gemstone very, very carefully.


    After deciding on the size of the gem, he polished the piece of emerald. He went towards the back of the room and opened the windows, and placed the materials on a flat surface. Over an oil lamp he also bought from Omegalion, he was about to smelt the gold, but the fire went out.


    "Ah, what happened?" Vernon muttered as he looked closely at the lamp. He noticed that the oil inside the lamp was already gone. "Oh, I forgot to refill the oil¡­"


    "I have an idea," Ivory said. "I''ll be your fire. How about it?"


    He was confused, raising his brow, "What do you mean?"


    "I am a Chosen One," she answered.


    Vernon widened his eyes in awe. He doesn''t know a lot of people, so he felt very fortunate meeting a Chosen One like her at an unexpected time. And at that moment, he admired Ivory even more.


    And so she removed her gloves and helped him using her Fire magic. Vernon finally smelted the gold in the crucible held by tongs and after it melted, he poured it into a small container made of porcelain and waited for it to cool down. Once it hardened, he took it out from the container and dipped it into a special liquid. He asked for Ivory''s help again to heat the small piece of gold bar before flattening it with a hammer.


    Before forming the ring with a hammer and a mandrel, Vernon took the piece of emerald and measured its size on top of the flattened ring. The heating and hammering process continued after the claws were finally formed on top of the ring where the gemstone would be placed.


    As Ivory watched him carefully, she could say that the jeweler was very skillful with his craft and couldn''t help herself to be in awe with the process.


    It took Vernon more than two hours to demonstrate how to create a simple, jeweled ring. He made sure that it was polished before placing the hexagonal-shaped emerald in the claws of the thin flat gold band ring.


    After it was polished, Vernon gave the emerald ring to Ivory. "Here, a gift."


    "Uhm, I can''t possibly take something so valuable," she said shyly.


    But the young man took her hand and placed the ring on her palm, "It''s a gift, for being patient in watching the whole process."


    A bright smile appeared on Ivory''s face, and she eventually accepted it. She wore the simple, yet elegant-looking ring, and they went out of the workshop.


    While Ivory was waiting for Vernon to finish locking the front door of the store, an agitated Sigmund came rushing towards her.


    "What the hell, Ivory! I was looking all over town for you!" Sigmund panned his sight towards the purple-haired man, who smiled when he saw him.


    "Sig! Hello!" he then glanced at Ivory. He noticed the change in her expression. "Miss Ivory? You know each other?"


    "Yes," Ivory crossed her arms. "He''s my-"


    "I am her lover," Sigmund said, then a playful smile was displayed on his lips.

 Chapter 118 - "Where Are The Missing Scrolls?"

    "Sigmund!" Ivory glared at him. The jeweler might get the wrong idea!


    "Ah, you have a pretty lover, Sig," Vernon said. "But the couple ring¡­"


    She explained to Vernon, worried about what he might think, "No, he''s my Servant. He''s not my lover. Okay?"


    "A Serv¡­ What!" he exclaimed. "You are a Servant?"


    "Fine. Yes, I am," the Vampire said in a stern voice. "And what if I am a Servant?"


    "Cool¡­ That is so cool!" Vernon said excitedly. He had not yet conversed with a Servant, who looked very human. All the Servants he had met were either of the Golem or Beast Class, who belonged to some of his past neighbors.


    Sigmund facepalmed with Vernon''s reaction. He couldn''t find a reason to hate the guy; he''s too pure.


    "By the way, Sigmund, I already returned the rings, so you do not have a debt anymore."


    He did not respond to his Master, but when he noticed the emerald ring on her middle finger, he widened his eyes in shock. She returned the couple rings that were supposed to be for them, but now, she was already wearing a new ring?  He couldn''t help but say, "So you traded the two rings for one ring?"


    "Ah, this¡­"


    "It was a gift from me, Sig," Vernon said with a wide smile. "I gave it to her because she was there for more than two hours just to watch me create that ring."


    "So you were just with him all along, huh?" the jealous Servant asked his Master.


    Ivory whispered, "I''ll explain later."


    Sigmund then told Vernon that he would wash the cloak he borrowed from him before returning it. The young man said that he would give the cloak to him as a gift, so that it would be fair, because he gave a gift to his Master. They then bid goodbye to each other and parted ways.


    As Ivory and Sigmund walked on the snowy ground, they talked about the purple-haired jeweler.


    "That Vernon¡­ it''s the first time I met someone like him," the Vampire uttered.


    Ivory chuckled, "He''s kind, isn''t he? I like his personality and character."


    Sigmund saw a smile escape from her lips as she spoke about her new acquaintance. She rarely praised men, so he knew that she''s interested in the jeweler.


    It pained him to see the woman he loved start liking another man. He wanted to hate Vernon, but he couldn''t. He knew that Ivory would be in good hands if he''d become her lover. It''s not impossible for them to be a couple. The Vampire glanced at the emerald ring that Ivory wore. If she''d somehow end up with Vernon, she''d be able to wear fine jewelry like noblewomen.


    Sigmund shook his head to get rid of the sad thoughts. What they needed to do was to find the missing scrolls, and if Vica and Othello were really behind it, he wanted the pure Vernon to know the truth.


    ¡­


    The following day, Ivory visited the jewelry shop once again. Last night, Ivory and the others decided to trust the jeweler. Ivory mentioned what happened at the backdoor that night, and that she also thought that he''s quite a gentleman.


    At her shop, she told Vica that she was not there for jewelry, but for her brother. At first, Vica hesitated, but then Vernon peeked at the door. He let her enter his workshop, and his sister gave them some privacy.


    "You sure it''s alright if I''m here?" she asked him.


    Vernon slid up his customized goggles up his head so he could show his expression, "Yes. You are very welcome here, Miss Ivory."


    "Just call me Ivory," she chuckled. "Let''s be casual, Vernon."


    "Right. Ivory," Vernon laughed. He then brought down the hammer he had been holding since a while ago to focus on speaking with Ivory.


    "By the way, I want to thank you again for the beautiful ring," she smiled at him while looking at the emerald ring on her finger. "I still couldn''t believe that I''d get this for free."


    Vernon walked towards her, "May I hold your hand and take a look at it?"


    She peered into his eyes and nodded. The jeweler held her hand and smiled upon seeing his masterpiece on the beautiful woman''s finger. "Really suits you. I''m glad you love it."


    "Of course! You carefully and skillfully crafted this last night!"


    Vernon couldn''t help but smile from ear to ear. He still wanted to continue to chat with her, but if she went there in search of him, she might have needed something important, so he asked "What can I help you with?"


    "What is it again that you want to talk about?"


    "Well¡­ I came to ask you a favor. You see, actually¡­"


    While being cautious of Vica suddenly entering the scene, she explained discreetly why she had been visiting the jewelry shop, and it was because of the missing inventory records and the torn yellow silk cloak.


    As she spoke, his brown eyes gazed at Ivory''s light blue eyes. Vernon kept on nodding as he concentrated on listening to each and every word of the pretty woman he admired. Yes, he had admitted to himself that he had a crush on Ivory because he thought that she''s as pretty as a magnolia flower, but he liked her even more as she helped him with her Fire magic. He knew that controlling fire was not easy for a Master, because if not properly controlled, she could burn the whole workshop. In his mind, Ivory''s an admirable Master.


    When Ivory revealed about Othello''s unfaithfulness to his wife Mona, who''s the head of the Gemstone Division, it was a great shock to him, and he refused to believe it at first. The purple-haired jeweler never thought that Othello was already married after seeing those moments he was very sweet to Vica.


    Vernon only knew that Othello and Vica were secret lovers, and whenever he asked her where he met the guy, she''d just shrug. For him, their relationship was full of mysteries, but because he saw his sister happy with him, he decided not to pry.


    "So¡­ Can you help me find the missing scrolls?" Ivory asked.


    It took a few seconds before Vernon could answer. Who would he choose, the righteous woman he admired, or his suspicious sister?


    Then, being the pure person as he is, he nodded at Ivory and agreed to help her. He''s going to side with what is right, "Come with me," he wore his fur coat that hung on the rack beside the door. "We''re going to our house. I think I know where the scrolls are."


    Without missing any minute, Ivory stood up and walked behind Vernon. The jeweler told his twin sister that he would just go out with his new friend for a short while and promised that he''d be back soon.


    Vica was a bit confused, because she did not expect her brother to have a female friend. She knew he gets easily shy around women, and she never really saw him get close to a woman aside from his relatives. She saw his gestures and the way he looked at her, and as a long time shopkeeper of a jewelry shop, she deduced that he liked the customer. As she leaned at the backrest of the wooden chair she was sitting on, she smiled at the thought that finally, her twin brother, who''s the town''s master jeweler, could have someone to give his exquisite jewelry to.


    Soon after, Ivory and Vernon arrived at their house. Lucius was also there, as well as Sigmund and Lycus.


    Vernon offered for them to come inside. The first room they searched for was Vica''s bedroom, and they instantly saw a large burlap bag at the side of her desk. In addition to this, some scrolls were unrolled and placed on the desk.


    Ivory and Lucius positively identified the scrolls. They found some in which they recognized were their handwritings.


    On the other hand, Sigmund saw the torn yellow silk cloth hung on the rack. He compared it with the strip of torn cloth in his hand, and the size of the torned part matched. Lycus sniffed both, and the scents of the two cloth were also similar.


    "Now that we''ve seen the missing scrolls, what''s our next step?" Ivory asked.


    "Let''s bring everything to the inventory office and explain the situation to Miss Mona," Lucius replied. He then asked Sigmund and Lycus to place all the unrolled scrolls in the burlap bag and carry it with them.


    Because of his heightened hearing, Sigmund warned the others, "We need to hurry. I hear footsteps nearing the house?"


    And so, they quickly headed out the room. The two Servants were the ones who exited first, followed by Ivory, and then Lucius. Vernon stayed to check his sister''s room to make sure that nothing was left.


    Unfortunately, when Ivory and her group were about to leave the house, a group of town guards blocked their way. Town guard chief Othello then stepped forward and glared at them.


    "I didn''t know Qawiun Academy Educators teach students how to be thieves," he said in an angry tone, "Take them away!"

 Chapter 119 - "Haystack Thoughts"

    That night, Ivory and her two Servants, together with Lucius, were imprisoned in the small confinement area at the back of the town hall with a small window with metal bars. The room only had haystacks on the floor, and two rectangular logs on each side that served as chairs.


    "Do they think we''re horses?" Sigmund crossed his arms, and he kicked the hays underneath his feet. "That scum of a town guard chief¡­ I''ll make sure he''ll pay for this!"


    "It''s so cold¡­" Ivory muttered. She kept rubbing her palms to keep her warm.


    Noticing that his sister had no gloves on, Lucius tried to ignite fire using the hay underneath their feet, but he was unsuccessful. "I knew it. This room is magic-proof."


    "We should have fought them back then," Lycus muttered.


    "I rarely agree with this guy, but I also want to crack that man''s head," Sigmund said and clicked his tongue.


    But Lucius shook his head, "If we did, we''ll lose our chance to have a lighter punishment."


    "What is a light and a heavy punishment, rich boy?" the Vampire asked sarcastically.


    He answered directly, "Something that can still enable us to move our body, even though we''re confined in this space, while a heavy punishment is something like flogging numerous times¡­ At least in my understanding."


    "It''s subjective, don''t even bother to think about it," Sigmund answered. He almost held Ivory''s hand, but when he panned his sight on her finger, he saw the pretty emerald ring that was given by Vernon.


    "Did the jeweler betray us?" he asked. "Why isn''t he here?"


    "It''s his house, so why will he be imprisoned? We are the only ones being accused since we do not live there," she responded. "I still want to hope that Vernon did not betray us."


    Later on, Ivory and Lucius decided to rest, while Sigmund and Lycus watched over them.


    Ivory laid beside Lucius on the haystack, while they stared blankly at the stone ceiling. She noticed that he had not yet slept, "Can''t sleep?"


    "Yes," he then took some of the hays beside him and covered Ivory''s body, even giving her some of the hays covering him, "Here. I know you''re cold, Ivory."


    "Thank you, but how about you, Lucius?" she asked, worried about her best buddy.


    "I will be alright, don''t worry about me," he said with a kind smile. "Is the warmth enough? Do you need more hay?"


    "I''m still cold, but-"


    "Ask one of your Servants to lay beside you," Lucius suggested.


    He wanted to test if Ivory really had a plan on forgetting her love for Sigmund.


    Ivory glanced at her two Servants, who were both anticipating her decision.


    "Come here¡­ Lycus," Ivory finally said.


    When Sigmund heard this and he saw him lay down beside her, he felt disheartened. Now, he knew that Ivory was really set on forgetting him.


    Lucius, who saw the flawed Servant''s sad expression, felt guilty about it. He knew that he was the one who gave Ivory the idea of moving on from him. And even though he knew that Sigmund had feelings for her, he wouldn''t risk his own sister. There will always be a possibility of him endangering her.


    He couldn''t support Sigmund on something that was wrong, but to lift his spirits a little, he told him, "Sigmund, why don''t you lay down as well?" He patted on the space beside him, between Lucius and Lycus.


    "What the hell, Rich boy, are you saying I''d lay beside you? No way."


    "Don''t get the wrong idea," Lucius chuckled. "I am merely telling you to contribute to our group''s warmth. It''s too cold."


    Sigmund glared at Lycus, before he laid down in between the two men. Then both Lucius and him faced the ceiling.


    Ivory still shivered, and the second Servant noticed this. He turned towards her.


    "Master," Lycus whispered, nearing his head towards her face, "You''re shivering. Would you like me to warm you up?"


    Ivory smiled at his suggestion. She clearly saw the difference in personalities of her two Servants. If it was Sigmund, he wouldn''t ask; he would hug her immediately without any warning.


    Wait. Why was she thinking about Sigmund again? She needed to pull herself together and get used to not thinking about him!


    "Master?" Lycus worriedly muttered after seeing her frown. "Is something wrong?"


    "It''s nothing," she answered in a soft tone. She tightly embraced her silver-haired Servant.


    Ivory wanted to bury her face on Lycus'' broad shoulder, but she couldn''t help herself look at her beloved Vampire Servant, who was already laying on his side and was looking back at her with a serious face.


    While they were gazing at each other silently, Ivory thought deeply. She realized that she was too used to her and Sigmund''s closeness. She only wished that she would be able to forget the happiness she felt and his warmth whenever they cuddled on cold nights.


    She knew that setting things right would negatively affect the power and quality of their mana, but what could she even do?


    Should she rather accept her feelings for him to have a very powerful mana, or deny her feelings for him and just focus on building her trust with Lycus?


    She still has another mana, which is more powerful than her normal mana. She could easily train with Lycus because he''s not flawed unlike the Vampire.


    Sigmund, on the other hand, wondered how he could overcome this predicament. He knew he was just a mere Servant of Ivory, and he would be too greedy if he wished for them to become lovers. He couldn''t do anything, could he?


    Goddess Destinia made him a Servant because what he prayed before he died of the plague was to be immortal. He did not expect the Goddess to grant his request on his deathbed. His life with his past Master was almost great, if not for the mess with the Silverblades and the Dragonicus clan. He thought he''s done because of the crime that he was previously accused of, but fate was rather playful to bring him to the world once again, and to make things worse, he became a Servant who had human desires.


    It was a long moment of gazing at each other''s eyes, like they did the talking instead of their lips. It was as if they''re telling each other that they miss each other, but they both knew that they couldn''t be together.


    Because Servants do not sleep, Ivory got sleepy and closed her eyes. And when she did, Sigmund continued to stare at his Master. They''re just in the same haystack, but she felt so distant.


    Lycus, on the other hand, felt conflicted. He was pleased that his Master had chosen him at that time, but she saw the loneliness in her eyes. As he held her tight, he wondered if he could somehow lessen the pain he was feeling.


    But he knew that no matter what else he said or did, he could never replace her first Servant. He would just fulfill that one role given to him - to be her loyal Servant, and he''d be there for her if she needed a shoulder to cry on.


    ¡­


    When the sun had risen, Principal Arthurdane visited them in the small magic-resistant prison cell. It worried him a lot that it was Ivory''s group that was tangled in the town''s matters. Of all the staff of the academy, it was the Principal who knew of their character. He knew they would never do such a thing.


    His crow Beast Servant in its inactive state rested on his shoulder, observing them. "It''s all my fault¡­ I was the one who made you come to this faraway town," the principal told them as he held the metal bars, "Apologies."


    But Ivory and Lucius shook their heads. They never blamed the principal, because they were clear on why they were sent there - to investigate the special black gemstone which was an ingredient to create the dark mana. It was just unfortunate that they got tangled up on another matter.


    Lucius said, "It''s not your fault, sir. We were the ones who wanted to look for the missing scrolls."


    "They said that you stole it¡­ Of course, I did not believe it. Why would the son of General Goldwine steal those, right?" he scratched the back of his head. Honestly, he did not know how to explain it to Lucius'' father when they''d meet.


    "Did you meet a purple-haired man?" Ivory asked. "He was in the house that time. He''s the shopkeeper''s twin brother, but he can clear our name."


    Principal Arthurdane got confused. He was sure he saw him reporting them as the suspects. "Are you sure he''s your ally?"


    They all looked at the confused principal. They were very sure that Vernon was a nice guy.


    "Are you sure? He was the one who reported you and gave his statement in front of the town leader," the principal sighed, "But he said that he will tell everything that had happened once you''re all in front of the crowd, so that everyone will know what kind of people you are."

 Chapter 120 - "The Adept Liars In Town"

    Hours later, a small stage was built in front of the town hall. Because the news about the Qawiun Academy thieves had spread, the townspeople went there to witness what the fuss was all about.


    As snow slowly piled on stage, Ivory and her group were led to kneel. They saw the angry faces of the people surrounding them and even heard them cursing loudly.


    Town guard chief Othello then stepped forward. "People of Topazeon Town," he said in a loud voice, calling their attention, "Some days ago, the scrolls inside the inventory office were stolen. Fortunately, we saw these students from Qawuin Academy while we were patrolling yesterday, and they were caught carrying the missing scrolls with them!"


    The townspeople became more agitated, and they kept on shouting at the suspected group in front of them. They couldn''t believe that the Chosen Ones were brave enough to steal something from them.


    "May I now call on the witness and the hero of this problem¡­ Mister Vernon," a smirk escaped from his lips.


    At the side came Vernon, walking towards the front with a serious face. He glanced at Ivory and the others with a frown on his face.


    Even though Vernon usually spent his hours inside the workshop, he was quite well-known as a master jeweler. His jewelry was so exquisite that it could be sold at a very high price, which only nobles could afford.


    "Can you please tell our townspeople what happened?" Othello asked. He knew that he could end the apprenticeship of the nosy Qawiun Academy students very soon once Vica''s twin brother spoke.


    Knowing that the people trusted him a lot, the purple-haired young man mustered up his courage and told them, "I will tell you all what happened, so please listen carefully!"


    Othello caught a glimpse of Vica, who was grinning at the side of the stage. She looked so calm, confident that her twin brother would take her side. She is his sister after all, the one who had been with him ever since their parents died in a mining incident last year.


    "The truth is¡­ they''re all innocent!" Vernon yelled, and there was inaudible chattering amongst the crowd. "My sister Vica¡­ She''s the real thief! She''s working with the town chief!"


    Vica and Othello did not expect that Vernon would speak against them! He''s Vica''s brother, so why was he defending them? Isn''t blood thicker than water?


    "Mister Vernon, you might be mistaken!" Othello panicked. "Why will I be involved in something like that? You know me¡­ I wouldn''t-"


    "Yes, I have known you for a year already and have always seen you inside our house to visit my sister," the purple-haired young man revealed. He said loudly, "Now I know why Vica told me that your relationship is a secret¡­ It''s because you got married!"


    The crowd continued chattering amongst themselves Mona, who was watching with the crowd, stepped forward and walked towards the town guard chief. "Othello¡­ Is it true? Why¡­ Why would you betray me¡­" Tears trickled down her cheeks as she stared at her dumbfounded husband.


    "It''s not true! It''s only Vica who did it-"


    "You even call her on a first name basis! You were that close?!" Mona pushed him when he tried to touch her, "Release the students at once! What you''re doing is embarrassing!"


    Vica couldn''t take Othello who was acting to be innocent. She mustered up her courage and spoke amidst the chaos, "It''s all true. The town guard chief is involved in this!"


    "Vica-"


    "Othello, you don''t think I truly loved you, right?" she furrowed her brows, "I knew this day would come¡­ I''m going to take this chance and tell everyone how evil you are."


    Everyone was surprised with her reaction. As she spoke, town leader Dante, who was ashamed of what the town guard chief did, ordered the release of Ivory and the others. The town guards apologized to them as they only did as they were told, and the ropes were untied from their hands. The town leader also apologized to them, as well as to Principal Arthurdane who was mad about what happened. They went down the makeshift stage and watched how things unfold.


    Othello went to Vica and faced her, "Vica, what do you mean¡­ Why-"


    "I knew you were the reason why our parents died last year, you did not look for them immediately even if you knew that they''re trapped inside the mines!" she uttered, with tears in her eyes. "When you told me that you wanted to be my lover, I hesitated at first, but then I thought this might be my big chance to get back at you¡­"


    Vica continued telling everything she knew, and how greedy Othello was. When he learned that Vernon was a jeweler, he offered to put up her store beside the town guards office, and their secret relationship continued. He implied that he wanted to get rich, and so Vica gave him an idea to steal the latest scrolls.


    "I told you that there are rumors of an extremely rare ore which could sell 100 gold per piece, and it''s in the inventory office¡­ That''s a fake rumor. It was a trap to set you up."


    "You little-" he raised his hand to slap her, but Vernon quickly grabbed his arm. He glared at him.


    Vernon said with loneliness in his eyes, "If I only knew that Vica would do this, I could have stopped her beforehand¡­ And you, Mister Othello, should resign as a town guard chief."


    Hearing the jeweler, the townspeople agreed for him to resign, and some even said that they wanted him to be in prison!


    Town leader Dante started to calm the agitated townspeople.. "Using the authority vested upon me as the town leader of Topazeon Town, I hereby declare that the current town guard chief be stripped of his position. He will also be imprisoned for¡­ thirty years," the crowd cheered upon hearing this, and the town guards grabbed Othello. The old man continued speaking, "In addition to this, Miss Vica will also be punished for stealing important official documents from the inventory office. She will be put to prison for¡­ three years."


    "But sir-" Vernon tried to retort, but his sister grabbed his arm and shook her head, telling him that she''ll accept the punishment. She was then dragged away by the town guards.


    Since the two were already caught, the townspeople also left. Afterwards, the disheartened Mona requested to disenroll their marriage at the town hall, which was right out approved because the officer knew what happened to her. Ivory and the others went back to Precious Inn, and Fiora, who was very worried with what she heard around town, served them spicy garlic roasted potatoes, pumpkin soup, and the three whole grilled chicken given by the town leader as part of his apology.


    Fiora gave them their own plates and utensils to use, and when she was about to leave, Lucius called her, "Fiora, why don''t you eat with us?" he patted onto the empty seat beside him, "You can sit here."


    Fiora blushed, "Can I really¡­"


    Lucius smiled at her, and she eventually sat beside the blonde young man.


    While they ate, they talked about what happened.


    "Ivory, Lucius. Do you still want to continue your apprenticeship here?" Principal Arthurdane asked. "After all of what you went through, I''d understand if you won''t-"


    "Principal¡­ You know we still have something to do here, right? I want to stay. Besides, I know that Lucius would also like to stay.," Ivory answered, and she glanced at Lucius, who was sitting in front of her, "Isn''t that right, Lucius?"


    He nodded, "You''re right, Ivory," and smiled at her. "We still haven''t started finding that thing, so why are we leaving town?"


    "Alright," the principal sighed, "I''m going to leave the town later. I still have to meet Sir Xenos in Valios City for an update."


    "Please inform us about what he''s going to report," Lucius requested.


    "Of course. You need to know it because it''s related to why you''re both here. While I am away, look after them, Miss Fiora."


    "Yes, sir!" Fiora said enthusiastically. "I will make sure they enjoy their stay and live comfortably in my hometown!"


    As the Principal and Fiora talked, Lucius observed how quiet Sigmund was. He chose to stand by the door, away from his beloved Master who''s sitting beside Lycus. At times, he would catch him glancing at her, and they would meet eyes, but Ivory would turn away. Lucius shouldn''t, but he pitied the Vampire Servant in his current state.


    After eating and tidying up, everyone went back to their respective rooms. Sigmund asked Lycus to exchange rooms with him and guard their Master. Lycus immediately agreed, and he entered Ivory''s room.


    "Hi, Lycus," Ivory greeted. She peeked behind him, "Where''s Sigmund?"


    "He said he''ll be staying in my room from now on. We will switch."


    "Ah¡­ I see¡­" Ivory let out a sigh. "Okay, then. I''m going to sleep now. You may suit yourself anywhere in the room."


    Lycus noticed the loneliness in his Master''s eyes. He followed Ivory behind and tucked her to bed. "May I sit?" Seeing his Master nod, he sat on her bed and leaned on the headboard.


    "Lycus¡­ Can you give me your hand?" Ivory asked.


    As soon as Ivory took his hand, she pulled his arm slightly and covered her eyes with it.


    "Sleep well, Master¡­" he muttered. She was not answering, so he thought that she was already too sleepy to answer.


    But he was shocked when his arm suddenly felt wet.


    His Master was crying herself to sleep, and he couldn''t bring himself to ask why.


    It''s because he already knew.


    She missed her Vampire Servant very much.

 Chapter 121 - "I Miss Taking Baths With My Vampire Servant"

    ¡­


    Days went on by, and because the issue about the missing scrolls was solved, they could finally focus on finding the special black gemstone. Fortunately, they already secured a secret path for them to use.


    One midnight, they decided to push through their plan. It was one of the coldest nights, and so they noticed that there were fewer knights than usual. They only used their Fire magic when they got inside the womb cave.


    With very careful steps, they moved forward in a line in the narrow space to warm them up. Lycus was ahead of them to sniff what''s in front, followed by Ivory, and then Lucius. Sigmund was at the back to hear if someone''s coming their way. On the other hand, Volcius was in an inactive state in his Master''s sling bag, ready to be used in case they''d need to face very strong knights.


    They used Earth magic to fit themselves in the cave, but the truth was, they had not yet reached the very end of it.


    Sigmund and Lycus both examined the solid rock wall at the dead end. They deduced that beyond it was hollow, and they could break the rock wall to go to the other side.


    "There''s no one there. I am not hearing any movement," Sigmund said.


    "Then¡­ Let''s proceed," Lucius responded, and he touched the cold rock wall in front of them. Using an advanced Earth magic, he concentrated his mana onto it. After a few seconds, the wall cracked, and with one push, it shattered into pieces.


    "How impressive, Rich boy," the Vampire commented. "You even focused your mana only to the part of the wall you want to break into pieces. You really have mastered mana control."


    Lucius just chuckled, and he told him to stop babbling and just go forward to scout the next part of the cave. After Sigmund gave the go signal, they followed him out of the opening.


    The group now traversed the part where moonlight shone through some of the holes of the cave while still using Fire magic to warm them up using their own balls of fire. They were careful not to step on the icicles as they walked through them on the floor. As they walked ahead, it seemed like that place was not yet discovered, because there were no trails found.


    Then after some time, they reached a forked path.


    "I need to check first," the Vampire volunteered. He went closer to the paths. After his assessment, he pointed to the right side. "I hear people on that side, as well as hammering sounds. I think the castlemen are excavating ores there."


    The group walked slowly so as not to make their footsteps echo. The path they took was dark, but light came passing through some openings at the side. When they peeked at the bottom part, which was not very far from them, there were people who were excavating ores. There was also a railway which was used to transfer the cart of excavated ores.


    They all noticed that the ores were giving off a red glow!


    "I can sense Dark Mana in these people," Sigmund mentioned. Knights who were guarding the miners had Dark Mana, contrary to those outside who did not have it.


    "I knew it. There is something off about them working in winter," Lucius said. "They''re being forced to work."


    Suddenly, one of the miners collapsed. Sadly, no one came there to help the person!


    "I want to go there and cleanse everyone¡­" Ivory felt disappointed because they could only watch the people suffer.


    But Lycus reacted, "Master, you shouldn''t¡­ If they learned that you have the Silv- I mean, the extraordinary mana with you, they will hunt you down..."


    Lycus knew what kind of danger it might cause them if the people from the castle learned of their abilities. They deduced that it might be the real reason why King Yama wanted the banishment of the Werewolf clan - because he knew that it''s their holy magic that could cleanse the Dark Mana.


    Ivory was bestowed with a Silverblade''s mana, and she needed to be responsible. She promised in front of Wolfram, the late king''s Servant, that in the name of Goddess Destinia, that she would find the real heir to the throne and make him King.


    The silver-haired Master would sometimes ponder on the banishment of the Vampire Class Servants as well. It might be because Vampires could know the nature of one''s mana. They could even know if the mana is impure or had traces of Dark Mana.


    Both Servant Classes, if not banished, would immediately know whether something was wrong. Therefore, the scattering of Dark Mana gemstones might have been previously planned by them!


    But why only now? Why did they not spread the Dark Mana before? It was something that they did not know yet.


    Deciding that they could not do anything for now, they all walked away from that path. They decided to explore the left side, but at the end of that path was a dead end.


    Ivory and the others walked back to where they came from, and decided to return to their secret pathway. To be safe, Lucius sealed back the wall he broke using Earth magic. They walked in a line once again, and they successfully made it out safely.


    The moon''s reflection could be seen on the sea, and Ivory glanced at it as they walked. She felt quite at peace just by seeing it. Lycus noticed this, and he smiled. His Master really loved moon gazing, and he promised himself, he would bring her out sometimes to make her feel better.


    They went back to Precious Inn and caught Fiora sleeping on the receptionist''s desk. They walked slowly, careful not to wake her up.


    When Ivory returned to her room, she rested for a while, and asked Lycus to prepare the large barrel for her.  The Servant went inside the bathroom and filled the wooden wine barrel with lukewarm water. He also set the shampoo, soap, and towels on the low wooden table placed beside the barrel.


    When it was done, Ivory first took off her dirty coat and brown leather pants, as well as her brown winter tunic. Afterwards, she finally removed her undergarments, then soaked herself in the lukewarm water.


    She let out a long sigh as she let her body relax. ''What a night,'' she thought.


    When she washed her face, she felt a subtle itch on her head.


    "Lycus!" she called. "Come here for a while."


    Lycus, who was standing outside the bathroom, immediately went in. "How can I serve you, Master?"


    "Can you help me with my hair? It felt itchy¡­ Must be some dirt from the cave," she gave him an herbal shampoo, which she brought from Greensteid. It smelled like pines and grass with a mixture of the sweet scent of cinnamon. It was specially formulated by her foster mother Anne.


    "Yes, Master," he opened the container which was a small round wooden box. He scooped plenty of its green cream-like content and lathered the shampoo in his hands. He started shampooing the top of her head, and with his slender fingers, he combed her soft hair until its ends. He repeated combing the strands of her silver hair with his fingers to make sure the dirt would come off before massaging her scalp.


    Ivory felt her body relax a little. The stress of being away from Sigmund, plus the stress of being able to witness the harsh treatment of the miners from the castle made her feel disheartened.


    "Lycus," she uttered. "Thank you¡­"


    "It is my duty as your Servant. Please do not hesitate to tell me anything," he smiled at her. "Should I continue, Master?"


    "Please do," and she thanked her second Servant. Lycus accidentally hit her ear as he was combing her hair with his hands, and it made her flinch in pain.


    "Apologies!" he said in a panic.


    "No, it''s alright, Lycus," she lightly touched her ear as she spoke to him, "My earlobes have been quite sensitive lately. I think there''s a wound or something, but I couldn''t heal it myself. Can you check what it is?" Ivory requested when she looked at him.


    Lycus moved her hair to the other side, exposing her ear. At the front, it seemed normal, but at the back, it was swollen!


    When Ivory heard it from him, she just said, "It must be the cold weather. I hope it eases after the winter season," she sighed. She scooped water using her palms and stared at it.


    She already missed Sigmund; she missed him washing her hair and massaging her scalp. Sometimes, he would even put bubbles on her nose, and she''d splash water on him jokingly. His clothes would sometimes get wet from the splashing, and as a response he''d pinch her cheeks!


    Oh how she definitely missed those moments!


    "I wonder¡­ when will my winter end?"


    Not knowing what she meant by it, "Soon, it will be spring," he mentioned as he washed her hair. "Let''s take a walk once it arrives."


    Ivory just nodded at him as she stared blankly at her reflection in the water. She''d like to take a walk with her second Servant, but deep inside of her, what she wished for the most was to walk alongside her Vampire Servant as a lover, while watching the blooming of pretty and colorful flowers as well as the flowering trees.


    She did not know if she could enjoy viewing the beauty of the season without Sigmund by her side.

 Chapter 122 - "Drunk From The Sweet Potato Wine"

    TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter mentions cutting oneself. Readers discretion is advised.


    ...


    Then, it was finally the end of winter and the start of spring.  As the temperature gradually rose, the trees, plants, and flowers started to bloom as well. The white cold scenery slowly turned to a lush green scenery, and the students from Qawuin Academy finally heard the chirping of birds in the morning. They also saw the pathway to Precious Inn with dainty flowers of different colors on the edges of it.


    But while the season changed and had become warmer, Sigmund felt like it was still winter. His Master''s coldness towards him made him feel weaker every day. Every night, Ivory only cut herself with a knife and placed it on a small cup and gave it to Sigmund to replenish mana. She didn''t know that her blood, which had been sweet for Sigmund, was now tasteless.


    As Sigmund stared at the cup of blood given by his Master, he longed for her very much. Now that Lycus had been staying in her room, their trust was beginning to grow, and for sure, the extraordinary mana would be stronger than her normal mana.


    One night, he took the small barrel of sweet potato wine from the kitchen and brought it to Lucius'' room.


    The confused Lucius, who was reading reference scrolls at that time, closed the door and asked the Vampire, "What do you think you''re doing?"


    Sigmund placed it on the table beside the window, "Humans do this, right?" He took one of the two mugs by the table and opened the faucet of the barrel, filling their mugs with wine, "Getting drunk when heartbroken."


    "But you''re a Servant. You will never get drunk."


    "You''ll never know if I do not try. I even have these shitty human emotions, why can''t I not get drunk?" he gave a mug full of wine to Lucius. "Here''s yours."


    Lucius stared at the mug and said, "I am not sure I should be drinking tonight. Tomorrow is the start of our shift in the mining area-"


    "Rich boy, you talk too much, but I know you''re still going to drink it."


    He narrowed his eyes on Sigmund and looked at him suspiciously, but he eventually sipped on the drink. He widened his eyes, surprised that the booze was actually delicious and tasted like juice.


    "Hey¡­ I plan on leaving soon."


    Although Lucius was shocked by this, he assessed the situation. Based on Ivory''s behavior, he wondered if their situation would continue in the long run, and if she''d let her beloved first Servant leave her.


    If Sigmund leaves, he wouldn''t have to worry about his sister sinning for loving her own Servant, but he''s not sure if she could handle the loneliness of losing him.


    If Sigmund stays and he lets them become lovers, his sister will be very happy, but she would surely be punished by Goddess Destinia someday.


    Lucius wanted Ivory to be happy, and at the same time he did not want her to be punished. But how?


    Seeing that his drinking companion was lost in his thoughts, Sigmund said, "Oi, rich boy! Say something."


    "What do you want me to say, Vampire? Should I stop you from leaving?" He then said in a sarcastic tone, "Please don''t leave, Sigmund."


    The Vampire chuckled. "I don''t want to hear that from you, but from your sister," he drank the mug bottoms up.


    Lucius only gave a lonely smile, then sipped from his own mug. He said after a long pause, "Apologies. I can''t help you with Ivory."


    "I know, rich boy. I know you don''t want me to be your sister''s lover. You don''t have to hide it."


    Lucius furrowed his brows, guilty with what he said. "You understand why, do you?"


    Sigmund nodded at him and refilled his mug. The whole night, Lucius listened to the Vampire''s rants on how his life became a mess. He already wanted to barge into the heavens and question the Goddess why he was letting these things happen to them.


    It was already midnight, and it was unfair for Lucius, because he was already feeling his eyelids heavy even though he still wanted to chat with the heartbroken lad. They were on the topic of what they wanted to do after graduation, when he gave up and closed his eyes.


    A sudden knock at the door startled Sigmund as he carried Lucius in his arms. He said, "Come in."


    Fiora, thinking that it was Lucius who spoke, immediately came in. She was shocked to see Lucius in Sigmund''s arms!


    The Vampire carefully put him onto the bed and placed the blanket over him. He then approached the lady and asked. "What brings you here at this hour?" he smirked, "Oh, were you going to seduce the Rich boy? I got in the way-"


    "No, no, no!" Fiora shook her read several times, "I got a letter from Megalia City. It seemed really urgent as it came from the General..." she raised her arm and gave the letter to the Servant.


    When she left, Sigmund placed the letter beside Lucius. He tried to stop himself from getting his curiosity beat him and unroll the letter scroll. He placed it beside Lucius'' head by the bed.


    But then he was too curious. What if the letter is about Ivory?


    When he was about to reach it, Lucius'' lava Golem Servant Volcius, which was placed atop the table, suddenly grew in human size! His solid rock body emitted a burning light and smoke from the cracks of its body, and Sigmund could feel the intense heat from where it was standing.


    Its body heat charred the table where it was once placed. With his mouth opened, he angrily lunged forward at Sigmund and pushed him, making his back hit the wall. Its heat also left burn marks on the wooden floor with every step he made.


    When he approached Sigmund, the Vampire told him, "Hey, don''t cause a ruckus! Are you going to burn the whole inn?"


    Volcius stopped moving. He then changed in size and climbed to his Master''s bed. He sat beside the letter, then changed back to its inactive state like a stone figurine.


    ''Rich boy''s Servant is no joke,'' Sigmund thought as he carefully stood up. Because Lucius had become very strong as a Master, his Golem Servant could choose any size it wanted to have, between the size of a figurine to the size of a mansion.


    Because Golem Servants do not have the ability to speak, they are twice harder to tame and get their trust. Rigorous mental training with them is also needed, so the Master could give orders by just conversing with them with their minds. Only Golem Servants could do this.


    He hated to admit it, but the scumbag Jasiel, who had the Amazonite Stone Golem Servant Athena, had tamed his Golem Servant very well. In terms of close combat, it was quite powerful.


    Sigmund shook his head to put the Golem Servants away from his thoughts, then he went back to his room. He laid down on his bed. Although he knew he wouldn''t fall asleep, he closed his eyes and waited for time to pass by.


    ¡­


    The next day, Ivory knocked at Lucius'' room in panic. It was already time to go, but he was not yet awake. It was weird, because she knew Lucius to be very punctual. He''s usually minutes earlier than her at the inn''s lobby.


    "Lucius!" she called, "Let''s go!"


    But there was no answer.


    "I''m coming in!" Ivory opened the door, she was puzzled why there were burn marks on the floor in the shape of a huge pear. She saw Lucius still laying down the bed beside the inactive Volcius. "Oh no, we''re going to be late! Lucius!!!"


    Ivory kept on yelling, but he was not waking up! She eventually took hold of his foot, which had very thick knitted socks. She removed one sock and tickled it. "Wake up! Time to go!"


    But the blonde young man just groaned and turned around.


    Ivory placed back the sock on Lucius'' foot, then went to the side of the bed where he faced. She yelled his name repeatedly in front of his face, but it was no good.


    Fiora, who passed by, saw Lycus by the door and asked what happened. She then peeked by the door and told Ivory, "Mister Lucius might still have a hangover."


    "Hangover? The Lucius I know wouldn''t drink on the night before an important activity."


    She pointed to the small barrel, "That one came from the kitchen¡­ Maybe he drank a lot," Fiora explained. "Last night, I came to deliver a letter¡­ Your black-haired Servant carried him in his arms and put him to bed-"


    She was cut off when Ivory immediately went to Sigmund''s room. When she opened the door, she saw him changing his top. His 6-pack abs caught her eyes, but she shook her head trying not to get distracted with it.

 Chapter 123 - "Feelings Of Torture"

    "Sigmund, why did you make Lucius drink so much! You know that we''re going to have our first day today at the mines!" she yelled, and noticing that the Vampire had not yet worn his top, she gulped, "Get dressed! And¡­ do something about him!"


    Embarrassed, Ivory ran out of his room and decided to wait at the lobby.


    "She never changed," Sigmund murmured to himself and chuckled. He wore his plain white tunic and stepped out of his room. He then went to Lucius'' room.


    Cautious about Volcius, he told the Servant even in its figurine form, "I''m just going to wake up your Master, because my Master is angry right now. Don''t get violent, I will not take the letter nor harm your Master." Thankfully, the Golem Servant did not react to him, and he assumed that he might have understood his real intentions.


    "Rich boy, wake up," Sigmund uttered. "Hey." He kept on moving his shoulders.


    "Later¡­" he whispered. He then turned away from the Vampire. When he accidentally touched his warm Golem Servant, he quickly opened his eyes due to the warmth it gave. Beside Volcius was a scroll, tied with a string. "What''s this?" he took it and sat up.


    "It came from your father. The receptionist girl gave it last night."


    Lucius, upon hearing that it came from his father General, immediately untied the string and unrolled the scroll. He read silently the contents of the letter and widened his eyes in shock.


    "What is it?" Sigmund curiously asked.


    But Lucius did not answer. Instead, he stood up from his bed in panic. "Tell Ivory to leave first, but please wait for me in the lobby, Sigmund. I''ll be quick!"


    The Vampire was pushed out of the room, and so he went to the lobby. He saw Ivory sitting on the bench beside Lycus.


    "Rich boy said that you go first. He wants me to wait for him."


    Ivory just nodded, and the Master and the Servant both stepped out of the inn.


    "Are they lovers?" Gerhalt asked Sigmund out of the blue. "They look so much alike. If they''re not touchy with each other, I''d think they''re siblings."


    "Are all receptionists nosy?" Sigmund leaned by the receptionists'' desk. "You are no different to that receptionist girl."


    "Why don''t you call us proper names sometimes?" the young man sighed. "Anyway, what''s the truth? You are the Servant of Miss Ivory, so you should know."


    "They''re not lovers. It''s impossible."


    "Then why do I see Mister Lycus put Miss Ivory''s hand on his face sometimes? If they''re not lovers, what are they?" Gerhalt raised his brow.


    This made the Vampire very annoyed. He was open to the idea that he and his beloved Master were mistaken as lovers, but he did not want Lycus or other men to be mistaken as Ivory''s lover.


    Sigmund glared at him and made his eyes glow as a warning, "One more stupid question and I''ll beat the crap out of you."


    Gerhalt shook his head, remembering that he''s a powerful Servant, not a human.  "Okay, no more, sir¡­" if he won''t stop with his questions, he might really be beaten to a pulp!


    Fifteen minutes later, Lucius left his room, ready to go. He and Sigmund started to walk briskly towards the direction of the town guard office.


    When they reached the office, they saw that town guards, who were mostly men and only very few women, were starting to form several lines, and so Lucius ran to join them, leaving Volcius with Sigmund at the side. It was time for the seasonal training.


    Seeing that everyone was properly lined up, including the two academy students, a man in his late forties stepped in front and faced the armed men.


    "As a temporary fill-in for the vacant position of town guard chief, I welcome everyone today," Draven said in a commanding tone. He''s one of the veteran town guards that town leader Dante trusts, "We are very honored that for the training today, we will be accompanied by the General of the Land of Rosaria himself! Let''s all welcome, General Peter Bronzelain!"


    There was an applause, and everyone set their eyes on the General, who walked in an authoritative military manner. He was a tall man in his late 30s with short brown mid-fade cut hair and light brown eyes. He was wearing his green service uniform under his military-style coat and a peaked cap.


    General Bronzelain waved at them, and the applause stopped. He started his short speech about how the Topazeon is blessed by their Goddess. He emphasized the importance of resisting greed, and fighting for what is just and right. He also mentioned that as town guards of Topazeon Town, they should always train for the sake of protecting their town and not for their selfish desires.


    The General unsheathed his magic sword. It was a claymore magic sword wherein the blue-colored spiky chappe was connected to the gray-colored grip which protected the hand of the general. The sword was mostly bluish in color while the central central part of the blade had yellow carvings on it.


    While raising his sword up in the air, he yelled, "Let the seasonal training begin!"


    Everyone raised their weapons as well screamed at the top of their lungs. When the formalities had ended, the town guards, together with Ivory and Lucius, started jogging around town. They then had lunch by having a picnic at the nearby forest, in which the food were all sponsored by the General.


    On one of the picnic mats, Ivory and Lucius were seated. They were surprised when General Bronzelain sat with the two, and he asked his bodyguards to sit with them. While they ate, the General spoke.


    "I''d like to congratulate you both on finishing your first quarter in town. I heard from the Inventory Office that you were fast learners, and you did well on the tasks assigned to you. I should at least give you some kind of reward. What would you two like?"


    Both Ivory and Lucius politely refused. They said that they only did as they were told as apprentices.


    "Please don''t be shy," he chuckled. "I am serious about giving you a reward."


    Lucius and Ivory looked at each other and whispered among themselves. Afterwards, Lucius spoke, "We''d like to request that we be allowed inside the mines."


    "You mean, be assigned to guard the miners inside the mines?" General Bronzelain raised his brow. "What for?"


    "For¡­ experience, sir," replied Lucius with a serious face. They did not mention about the Dark Mana because aside from the presence of his bodyguards, they were not yet sure which side the General was on. Besides, from what he heard from his father, General Bronzelain is King Yama''s favorite. He seemed kind, but it would be better to be cautious.


    General Bronzelain examined Lucius'' and Ivory''s expressions, and both looked serious about the request. As the two anticipated his answer, the general sighed, "Apologies, but you have to wait until the middle of spring. All the posts have been assigned. Can you two wait?"


    Ivory and Lucius were pleased that their request was taken into consideration. They agreed and said they''re willing to wait, and thanked the General for his kindness.


    "For now, you''ll have rigorous training with the town guards. You have to build your stamina very well. Going inside the mines will need strong stamina," the General said, "Honestly, if I were in your position, I''d ask for a week long vacation or a bag of gold¡­ Maybe you two have so much sense of responsibility," he joked, and they all laughed about it.


    After eating and resting for an hour, they resumed the training. Stretching and warm-up exercises were done, then they proceeded to the training ground, which was near the mining entrance.


    General Bronzelain demonstrated several techniques on how to handle an enemy in close combat. While he did, Lucius and Ivory tried to imitate him. The demonstration went on for hours, and a sparring, hand-to-hand combat match was done afterwards.


    When the first day of the training ended, Ivory, Lucius, and their Servants were invited for a feast in front of the town guards'' office. A long table was placed on the street, and several chairs were taken out.


    Vernon had just gotten out of his jewelry shop. He first greeted them before he locked the door.


    Approaching Ivory and Lucius, he said, "Hello, how are you?"


    "Vernon! We''re fine. How about you?" Ivory asked. She noticed the tiredness in his eyes. "You look busy¡­"


    "Yes, because I am a shopkeeper by day and a jeweler by night," Vernon chuckled. "By the way, did you receive the package last time? I asked Gerhalt to deliver it. Is it to your liking?"


    "Yes, of course! I didn''t wear it today, though. It might fall off during the training."


    A few days ago, Vernon started to hang out with Ivory and Lucius. As a busy jeweler who''s always at the workshop, he only had few people to talk to, so the two would always visit him there to remind him to rest or go home already. Sometimes, he would join them for dinner at the Precious Inn after visiting his sister Vica in jail.


    When temporary town guard chief Draven saw Vernon, he asked him to join them. He also knew him because of the location of his store.


    Vernon sat beside Ivory and they talked about a lot of things. The two already felt comfortable with each other. On the other hand, Sigmund stared at his Master from afar. He wanted to leave, but something was still bugging his mind. Of course, he did not want to leave Ivory, but why else would he stay, if he was no longer important to her?


    As the Vampire stared at Ivory and Vernon, he wondered how long he could keep up with his feelings for his Master that kept on torturing him inside.

 Chapter 124 - "Farewell, Master"

    TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter mentions cutting oneself. Readers discretion is advised.


    ...


    During the weeks that went on by, Ivory and Lycus kept on going to the jewelry shop after their guarding shift to accompany Vernon until closing time. After closing the shop, he would always go to Precious Inn, wherein Lucius was waiting for them for a dinner prepared by Fiora.


    Ivory felt more comfortable around Vernon, and so did he. Whenever Vernon had a great idea for a jewelry design, he gave a sample jewelry to Ivory. Although he told her that these wonderfully-made accessories were only extra pieces, deep inside, it meant something else for him.


    Vernon''s admiration for Ivory grew each passing day that they spent time with each other. But for Ivory, it was only pure friendship.


    Ivory busied herself with the training and helped out Vernon afterwards because she needed to distance herself and keep herself from thinking about Sigmund. There were many times wherein she''d lock eyes with him; she wanted to hug him tight and tell him that she misses him.


    But she knew that it would only make matters worse, because once she held him in her arms, her plans of moving on would crumble down like a sandcastle hit by the waves.


    One time, Ivory went alone in the jewelry shop because he asked Lycus to buy food since Fiora couldn''t leave the inn. She sat beside him behind the counter as they both waited for the last customers before closing time.


    "How many hours of sleep do you have?" Ivory narrowed her eyes, "Tell me the truth."


    Vernon faced her and chuckled, "Three¡­ and I always tell the truth."


    "Hmm¡­ You''re right. Or I haven''t caught you lying?"


    He laughed, and suddenly remembered something, "Ah, please wait here, I want to give you something." Then, he stood up and went inside the back door.


    While waiting, Ivory viewed the displayed jewelry near the counter. She didn''t know that Sigmund was just outside the store, and he could hear their conversation.


    The Vampire Servant was always secretly tailing his beloved Master. Although it hurt him, he accepted their fate. He planned to leave for good once Ivory found a lover who would really take care of her.


    When Vernon got back, he had on his hands a small jewelry box. It was in the shade of cyan blue with floral carvings on the corners and the sides while the cover had three roses. All the carvings were made of gold.


    Ivory gaped in awe with its exquisite design. She asked as soon as Vernon gave it to her, "What''s this?"


    "A gift," he replied and smiled sweetly. "Open it."


    When she opened it, she saw several jewelry of different kinds - golden rings and necklaces, ruby and sapphire earrings, jade bracelets, and many more.


    Confused why she was given such an expensive gift, she asked him, "But why are you giving me a gift?"


    "Ivory¡­" Vernon slightly blushed as he told her. "Can I be your lover?"


    Ivory almost dropped the jewelry box that she held when she heard it from her friend. "Vernon¡­"


    "But¡­ But if you don''t want to, then it''s alright-"


    "No! I¡­" Ivory retorted. She knew how kind Vernon was, and so she wanted to give it a shot. "Of course¡­ Of course, Vernon." Maybe, he''s the one for her?


    Hearing this, Vernon gave a wide smile. He was so happy, as he finally got himself a lover. What''s more, it''s the woman he admired very much. "Thank you for giving me a chance, Ivory," he took a sapphire necklace from the box, then went behind her and wore it on her. "I will make you happy and give you everything you want."


    Outside of the shop, Sigmund clenched his fists. His Master took a lover sooner than he expected.


    It means¡­ the time has come for him to leave her.


    ¡­


    A few days went on by, and Ivory was quite enjoying her relationship with the pure-hearted Vernon. Unlike her first lover who showed ill intentions towards her in the past, her second lover was not like that. They were lovers, but he was never touchy and did not force her to do skinship with him. He was a gentleman who cared for her wholeheartedly.


    Sometimes, she wondered if she could love Vernon as much as she loved her Vampire Servant. But even though she''s her lover, she knows within herself that he''s only a good friend to him, nothing more.


    Her being cold to Sigmund was just a front. The truth was, she wanted to hold him in her arms tightly, but she also knew that if she did, she would not want to let him go anymore.


    One night, after Ivory and the others had dinner, Sigmund went to her room and asked if he could speak to her.


    Ivory told Lycus to step out of the room for a while, and after he did, she sat on the stone stool chair.


    Holding an empty, medium-sized bottle gourd, the Vampire faced her in a serious expression, and he suddenly kneeled in front of her. "Master," he called formally. He saw how surprised Ivory was, but he continued, "May I ask for your blood?" he gave her the gourd.


    Sigmund was surely acting weird. To try to know why, Ivory raised her brow and asked, "Why? Do you not like it fresh?" She was giving him new blood in a mug every night.


    "I do not want to disturb you anymore," he furrowed his brows, refusing to look straight into her eyes.


    "Hmm¡­ Alright."


    Not knowing what his real intention was, Ivory took the small knife which was intended to slice fruits. She wounded her palm and let her blood drip on the gourd. When she thought that there was too much blood that was lost, she healed herself and rested for a few minutes, then wounded her other palm.


    She did this until the bottle gourd was full.


    "I''m dizzy," she muttered when she gave the gourd to him.


    Sigmund tied the bottle gourd on his belt bag and thanked Ivory. "Would you like to lie down?"


    She nodded, and so he carried her like a princess towards the bed. He carefully placed her down, then covered half of her body with the blanket.


    Ivory stared at him blankly. It was only then that she noticed that he was wearing his outdoor clothes. When she was about to ask, Sigmund suddenly turned his back on her.


    "I hope you''ll be happy with the jeweler guy," he told her in a deep voice. "Farewell, Master."


    She did not know what he meant by this. Although she wanted to ask, she felt sleepier and sleepier each second. She felt her eyelids getting heavy as she stared at the closing of the door, and eventually, she drifted off to sleep.


    "Take care of her," Sigmund told his Master''s second Servant who stood beside the door.


    "Where are you going?" Lycus worriedly asked.


    "Anywhere my feet bring me to¡­ As long as she won''t see me."


    As Lycus saw him slowly walking away in the hallway, he got worried. For sure, Ivory would be sad if she knew that he left her. He told him, "Make sure to come back! Master will get worried, so-"


    "No, it''s better if you do not come back," Lucius, who just got out of his room, said after hearing it. "You know what I mean, right? I do not want Ivory to sin against the laws of the Goddess. Leave her now, before it''s too late."


    Sigmund never turned to look at them. He just paused walking and said, "I know, and I do not plan on coming back. I know you''ll all take care of her¡­" Even though he and Lucius became a bit closer, he understood that he said those things to him because he was just thinking about the welfare of her sister. He did not get disappointed at him and said goodbye, "I should go now, before I change my mind,"  then he resumed walking.


    While the two stared at Sigmund''s back as he walked away, Lycus furrowed his brows. He knew how his Master loved her first Servant. He was the only one who was there whenever Ivory cries at night. She would sometimes murmur the Vampire''s name while sleeping. There were even times wherein she''d accidentally call him ''Sigmund''.


    Lycus was pleased that his Master gave him a chance to be her main Servant, but it pained him to see her faking a smile most of the time.


    When Sigmund had left the inn, Lucius told Lycus, "I hope Ivory can accept their fate. This is meant to happen anyway, sooner or later," he sighed. "They chose not to confess to each other, but actions speak louder than words. We both know that their love will be impossible, not only in this world, but also in the heavens."


    Lucius went back to his room, leaving Lycus in the hallway. He went back to his Master''s room and saw her sleeping soundly.


    He sat beside the bed and stared at her.


    "Sigmund¡­" she suddenly murmured, and a smile appeared on her face. "I love you, Sigmund."


    The Werewolf Servant sighed. For sure, she''s going to be disheartened and heartbroken once she hears about Sigmund leaving her for good.

 Chapter 125 - "Spring Is Like Winter Without You"

    ¡­


    The next day, Ivory woke up in a good mood. In her dream were all the things she missed.


    She was in the Land of Olivea, and she and her beloved Sigmund were strolling the city streets of Alpharion, holding hands. After doing some window shopping, they went back home in Greensteid Town, and they had dinner with her family. Katie was even there, and she baked them fresh blueberry pie. Lycus was there as well; he helped set up the table, and all of them ate a sumptuous meal together. After they ate, Sigmund and her went up the roof to gaze at the twinkling stars. His arms were around her shoulders, and they whispered sweet nothings at each other.


    It was such a pleasant dream, the type wherein she didn''t want to wake up to. She wondered if that dream would really happen in the future.


    Would she and Katie get along well? Would she return to their home?


    Could she and Sigmund be together, not as Master and Servant, but as lovers?


    For how long could she stay that way, putting up a front? For how long could she try to deny her feelings and prevent herself from expressing it?


    As she was lost in these questions to herself, there was a knock on the door. She said, "Come in!" and Lucius went in.


    "Lycus is in the kitchen. He''s cooking breakfast," he approached her, and sat on the bed, "How are you feeling?"


    "Ah, I''m fine. I had a really great dream," Ivory giggled, and she stretched her arms upwards. She then asked him, "What''s our activity today?"


    "Only a drill in the afternoon. Sir Draven is doing an errand, so he''s not available this morning," he replied. "By the way, you slept pretty early yesterday."


    "Ah, it''s because Sigmund asked me for my blood. I gave him plenty in a bottle gourd- Oh, where is he by the way?"


    "About Sigmund¡­ He¡­" Lucius hesitated. Should he tell her the truth?


    Ivory saw how Lucius'' eyes averted. "Lucius?" she called, "Is there something wrong?"


    In the end, he couldn''t hide it from her, "Sigmund left¡­"


    "Where did he go?" she asked. "That stubborn guy¡­ He said he will always tell me where he goes to-"


    "He left Topazeon¡­ and he''s not coming back," her blonde guy friend said. "I did not stop him because- Ivory!!!"


    As soon as she heard that her Servant left, she immediately stood up, and ran as fast as she could. She did not wear her shoes, and went out barefooted.


    Ivory was teary-eyed as she felt the wind brushing her skin. She was not herself anymore. The further she went, the more wounds her feet had, but it couldn''t compare to the sorrow she felt at that moment.


    She couldn''t even see what''s in front of her clearly because her tears made her vision blurry.


    ''Sigmund¡­ Please don''t leave me¡­'' she thought all over again. She hoped that he would change his mind and come back to her.


    The unforgettable memories with him suddenly flashed through her head.


    She could remember the day of his summoning, and how crazy things had been during those times. She remembered how he called her names, but she couldn''t forget the feeling she had the first time he called her ''Ivory''. She missed all those bickerings with him. They seemed to have a cat and dog relationship, but whenever it''s time for her to sleep, he never forgets to cover her up with her blanket and keep her warm.


    Now that all those memories kept on coming back to her, she regretted being cold to him. They are right; you will know a person''s true value when he or she leaves.


    But where did things go wrong? Was it because she tried hard to stop herself from continuing to harbor forbidden feelings for him?


    She thought she was just doing what was right. She thought she wouldn''t regret that decision.


    She passed by the line of trees which were in full bloom. But even though spring had come to town, it still felt cold like winter to her.


    Ivory dashed forward using Air Elemental magic, and every townspeople who saw her were puzzled. According to the laws of the Kingdom, magic is not allowed to be used on the streets, unless there was an emergency or if there was a war. Some reported her to the town guards, and they followed her towards the town arch.


    Ivory stopped when she reached the arch, and she asked one of the guards who stood there.


    "Sir¡­ have you seen a tall man with pale skin, black hair, and red irises?"


    The guard shook his head. She then asked the others, but they also had not seen him.


    The town guards then took Ivory to the town hall to be interrogated. They asked her why she used magic out on the streets, when she knew it was forbidden.


    "I know it''s forbidden, but I still¡­" she let out a cry, and the officials wondered what was wrong with her.


    In her mind, she was thinking about something else. Yes, she knew it was forbidden, but she still loved her beloved Vampire Servant!


    Moments later, Vernon heard about her being caught and brought to the town hall. Vernon immediately closed the jewelry shop and went there. He saw that her eyes were swollen, but thankfully she stopped crying already.


    Ivory went with her lover, but she couldn''t look him in the eye. She was ashamed of herself for being such a coward and using her jeweler friend to move on from her beloved Servant.


    When Vernon left her in Precious Inn, Ivory went directly to her room and told Lycus and Lucius that she had no appetite. She told them that she wanted to be alone and reflect on things.


    But before she could close the door, Lucius grabbed the edge, stopping it from moving, "Ivory. You do not have to look for him... I was the one who told him not to come back anymore."


    Then she glared at the blonde young man as her tears fell.

 Chapter 126 - "Is It Too Late For Us?"

    "What did you just say?" Ivory asked. She hoped she heard it wrong. She did not want to get mad at her closest buddy.


    "I said¡­ I asked him not to come back," he said in a serious tone. "It''s all for your own good, so-"


    A loud slap echoed in the room. Lucius was shocked; it was the first time that Ivory hurt him!


    "I thought we already talked about this! How could you ask him to leave me¡­" as more tears fell on her cheeks, she felt her knees weaken. She knelt on the floor and cried as much as she could.


    Lucius tried to reason out with her, "I apologize, Ivory," he tried to reach out his hand to her, "I just-"


    But she shoved him away, "Why do you keep on meddling with my life, Lucius?! Do you know how hard I tried to keep my feelings covered up? I tried hard to move on¡­ look what happened¡­ he left me¡­ he promised not to, but he did..."


    Lucius furrowed his brows. He never wanted to see his sister cry like that. He kneeled down in front of Ivory, "Just accept the fact that you can''t be together¡­ Let him go. I am confident that Vernon will be a good lover to you¡­ Please don''t cry¡­" he patted her head. He then murmured, "I feel like a bad person..."


    "You are a bad person, Lucius!" she hit his chest repeatedly with her fists as she continued crying.


    He saw how heartbroken her sister was. While letting her hit him, several questions entered his mind.


    Why was the Goddess letting these kinds of things happen? Doesn''t she feel anything? Doesn''t she feel sorry for the people in the kingdom that he watches over?


    It was the first time he felt like his faith wavered.


    Because his mother told him about her being unchosen and her past Servant being unsummoned, he feared so much that it would also happen to Ivory. He''d do everything to stop her from loving her own Servant in a romantic way to keep her from sinning and be unchosen as well.


    He hugged Ivory until she calmed down, and he never left her in the room. He was afraid that she''d do something crazy like running away or hurting herself. When she cried herself to sleep, Lucius sat beside her on the bed, while Lycus guarded the door.


    When it was time for Fiora and Gerhalt to switch, they talked about what happened.


    "Geez, I told you, there''s something going on!" Gerhalt told Fiora as he watched her change the nameplate on the receptionist''s wooden desk. "This is the first time I heard her cry like that. I think that Sigmund is not really her Servant, and the academy assistant Mister Lycus is the real Servant¡­"


    "What do you mean? Miss Ivory and Sigmund enlisted and pretended as Master and Servant so that they could sleep together in one room? But in reality, they''re lovers?" Fiora widened her eyes in shock. "What nonsense are you saying!?"


    "It''s true! She was really angry at Mister Lucius, because he was the one who drove Sigmund away!" the enthusiastic boy said. "What do you think? Is it a love triangle?"


    "They said that it''s not like that! It was Mister Sigmund who said they''re not lovers," she responded with her brows creased, "Plus, isn''t the jeweler Mister Vernon her lover? I think your assumptions are wrong!"


    "If that''s the case, then¡­ is it a love square?" Gerhalt laughed when Fiora narrowed her eyes on him, "Why do you think Miss Ivory and Mister Sigmund have to hide their relationship? And why is the jeweler her lover in public? And why is Mister Lucius acting like he''s more than a friend?"


    Fiora shrugged, "I have no idea¡­"


    "What do you want to do? I thought you''re dead set on making Mister Lucius your lover?" Gerhalt asked. "You should hurry, before Miss Ivory chooses him!" He was encouraging her colleague to pursue her love this time, because she never confessed to the men he liked before. Whenever they all got married, she''d get drunk with sweet potato wine and regret that she had not confessed!


    "I¡­ I should ask him directly¡­" Fiora uttered. She knew she shouldn''t pry too much, as Sigmund already warned. But maybe his threat was an empty one? Maybe he just wouldn''t want to be found out, that''s why he acted coldly to avoid more questions?


    The female receptionist shook her head to try to organize all her jumbled thoughts. Gerhalt''s right; she''d dead set on making Lucius her lover, so she needed to think straight!


    When it was time for dinner, Lucius got out of Ivory''s room. He was surprised that the table was already set, and Fiora prepared several dishes.


    "Oh, hello! I cooked dinner for all of you," she said as she placed down the bowl of fried red potatoes, honey cured ham, mushroom soup, and pickled cucumber on the table. She stared at the blonde young man and excitedly waited for him to try the food she prepared that night.


    "It''s like a feast¡­ What''s the occasion?" Lucius asked as he panned his sight to the dishes. He started to take some food from the serving plates.


    "Well¡­ Uhm!" Fiora mustered up her courage. She knew it''s her big chance!


    Lucius raised his brow, waiting for her to respond.


    "I think I¡­" she gulped in nervousness, then said, "I want to¡­ cheer up Miss Ivory, so I made all these!"


    She messed up. It seemed like her courage was not yet ready!


    But she did not expect Lucius to smile at her, "Thank you, Miss Fiora. Ivory really needs it..." he placed some food on another plate for Ivory as well.


    Fiora noticed the loneliness in Lucius'' eyes. It was so obvious that he really cared for his classmate.


    Couldn''t contain her curiosity, she finally asked him, "Sir Lucius, may I ask something?" Seeing him nod, she continued, "Do you¡­ Do you love Miss Ivory?"

 Chapter 127 - "The Cave Of Uncertainty"

    Lucius was puzzled with her sudden question at first. "Of course," he uttered. But he knew at some point, the curious Fiora might have misinterpreted his care for his own sister. To avoid being misinterpreted further, he clarified, "She''s my sister."


    As if a thorn that was stuck at her heart was removed, she sighed in relief. "A sister¡­ Apologies, I didn''t know."


    "It''s alright. Even Ivory didn''t know about it," he gave a lonely smile.


    "Eh? But why?"


    "I will tell her at the right time, so Miss Fiora¡­ this is our secret. Please do not tell anyone."


    Fiora smiled widely at him, "Yes! It''s our secret!" she then placed her index finger on her lips. She was pleased that she and the man he likes have some sort of a little secret which made her feel special.


    Lucius went back to Ivory''s room and brought in two plates because he wanted to eat with her. He placed them on the wooden table beside the window, then approached Ivory, who was under the covers.


    "Ivory, you need to eat," he told her in a kind tone, "You have to build your stamina and-"


    "No¡­" she uttered. Lucius tried to take the blanket off of her, but she held it very tightly. "Leave me alone! I don''t want to eat, and I don''t want to talk to you!"


    "Ivory, no!!!" he pulled the blanket from her as hard as he could, exposing Ivory''s swollen eyes and her body curled up. "Don''t do this! You''re making us all worried!"


    She sat up and faced him. "That''s easy for you to say because you''re not the one who made a choice!" her tears started gushing out like waterfalls, "If I could turn back time, I''d be honest with him¡­"


    "It''s too late now, Ivory. I hate to say this, but you should stop being dramatic¡­ Vernon is your lover now, give him a chance-"


    "Lucius! I know you care for me as a friend, but you''re going overboard! Don''t you want me to be happy?"


    "I want you to be happy, but I don''t want you to be punished by the Goddess-"


    "Why do you care too much!? You''ve changed!"


    "I never changed! I am still the same Lucius you''ve met on our first day at Qawiun Academy, and I am just doing this for your sake!" he sighed, "Listen, Ivory. We''ve already talked about this, but loving your own Servant is a very serious matter! It''s forbidden!"


    Ivory knew he''s right. It''s forbidden, but how could she unlove him?


    "Lycus, eat my share of food and eat with your Master. I will¡­ rest in my room."


    As soon as Lucius stepped out of the room, Lycus approached his Master and asked, "Master¡­ Do you want me to bring Sigmund back?"


    Finally, his Master stopped crying. Lycus kneeled on the floor and gazed at Ivory''s light-blue irises, "Master, I¡­ only want you to be happy. Tell me if you want me to-"


    "Lycus¡­ Thank you for being here with me¡­" she wiped her tears and hugged him, "Everyone is against me loving Sigmund¡­ I feel like I want to disappear¡­ I regret everything..."


    "Master¡­ Even if everyone else turns their back on you because of this, I will never leave you. I swear."


    Ivory was touched by her second Servant''s promise. She remembered that Sigmund had the same promise before, and as she recalled that scene, it made her even more heartbroken.


    She expected Lucius to be her supporter in her complicated love story, but did not expect him to be too against it. She wondered what was going through his mind and why he acted too protective of her.


    After she calmed down, Lycus fed her carefully with the potatoes that Fiora cooked. Ivory told Lycus that he didn''t have to leave her to find Sigmund, because she needed him most by her side.


    Slowly regaining her lost energy for not eating the whole day, she told Lycus that she''s going to the bathroom, and so he assisted her until the door.


    As his Master was inside, Lycus thought if supporting her love towards her Vampire Servant was alright. For sure, if her father would know about this, he would obviously be against it, but it was also not Ivory''s fault that she fell in love with the stubborn yet caring Servant.


    In the past months that he was with the two, Lycus observed how genuine their feelings for each other were. Sigmund was the type of man who''d say things as if he did not care, but the truth was, he was always watching over Ivory. On the other hand, Ivory would also say things as if she didn''t have any feelings for him, but she''d always blush, so it''s obvious that she''s lying.


    Lycus knew their mutual feelings for each other, but because both knew that it''s wrong, they both did not confess or admit it to anyone. They did not need to do it, though; it was obvious just by the way they gaze at each other.


    However, the most mysterious thing was, why do a mere Servant have human desires?


    Aside from this, he should ask first why a Vampire Servant was summoned. Was everything happening part of the Goddess'' plan?


    Lycus never knew when these questions would be answered. As he waited for his Master to get out of the bathroom, he stared at the open window where stars could be seen. He hoped that wherever Ivory''s beloved Servant was, he would miss Ivory just like she did and return to her side so she could be happy once again.


    ¡­


    The next day, Ivory woke up early to prepare for their training. When Lucius was dressed up already and had just gotten out of his room, he was surprised to see Ivory in her full battle outfit.


    "Ivory, are you alright now?" he asked, "You''re still pale."


    "I''m not, but¡­ I have to attend the training."


    "If you''re still not feeling well, I can tell Sir Draven-"


    "I said, I''m going to attend the training!" Ivory got worked up, and she did not mean to shout at her friend, "I apologize¡­ Just let me attend the training, I want to be busy to get him off my mind¡­"


    She then walked on the hallway and Lycus followed her behind.


    Lucius furrowed his brows, as he did not know what to feel. Yes, he wanted his sister to move on from her Servant, but he did not want her to push herself. He was worried that she''d be too busy and forget to rest. If it happened, she might get even more sick!


    He immediately caught up with her. When they passed by the receptionists'' desk, they greeted Gerhalt, who observed them suspiciously from afar.


    Throughout the whole-day training, Ivory was taking the duels too seriously. She never took a break aside from the afternoon snacks of mashed potato. When she goes home, she goes directly to her room and takes her dinner there, asking Lucius to leave her alone. She only speaks to him whenever it''s related to their training, but unlike before, she never hung out with him.


    Although crestfallen, Lucius just let her be. He knew she needed to think things through since no no one else was there to help her but herself.


    Vernon was also very worried about Ivory. She still visited his jewelry shop, but he always caught her staring blankly. When he asked what was wrong, she always faked a smile and said she''s alright.


    With the kind soul that he had, Vernon never forced her to open up with him. He felt that what she needed the most was a friend she could rely on instead of a lover.


    ...


    Ivory''s tiring days and sleepless nights passed by quickly and she did not notice it was already the middle of spring. At that time, she and Lucius were allowed to go inside the mines to guard the local miners of Topazeon.


    Their shift is around six hours everyday. Before sunrise, they hurried to the mine entrance because the protocol was to be in the area before the miners came.


    Unfortunately, Lycus was not allowed by the town guard chief, because he was listed as an academy assistant. At the entrance of the mining area, they conversed about it.


    "Lycus, don''t worry, I''m going to protect Ivory in your stead," Lucius said, "We''ll be careful."


    "Lycus¡­ Wait for me here, okay?," Ivory told her second Servant. He nodded, and she patted his head which he liked very much.


    Ivory and Lucius wore silver headgears with a metal lamp bracket in the front.


    They walked further until they reached the mountain beside the one used to be mined by the castlemen during winter time. The front of the cave led to a deep tunnel of an ore shaft wherein the path was generally leveled. With the bright torches mounted on the walls serving as lights, they saw the railroad on the floor with unloaded carts. Also, since it was underground, it was damp and cold, so they had to wear thick clothing.


    Together with three other town guards, Ivory and Lucius stationed themselves in their designated areas. Lucius stood near the entrance, but Ivory was positioned farther from him. Since there were still no miners entering, Ivory sat on the cold floor of the cave. She was thinking of exploring the cave once everyone else gets distracted, unfortunately, Lucius was watching her.


    In Lucius'' mind, he disliked Ivory''s assigned position because she''s a bit further from him. He needed to watch her closely, especially that Lycus was not around. He knew that in her disturbed state of mind, she could do something very reckless that might hurt herself.


    While their minds were wandering, suddenly, there were tremors felt on the ground. At first, it was a very subtle shake.


    But it was followed by a strong earthquake!


    While the town guards went towards the entrance, Lucius ran towards Ivory.


    Unfortunately, rocks fell off the ceiling, blocking Lucius'' way.


    Without further ado, Lucius used his Earth magic to take the large rocks blocking his way. As he did, he prayed to Goddess Destinia that Ivory would be alright.


    But when he successfully made his own path and removed the rocks in front of him, he was shocked when he saw no one on the other side!

 Chapter 128 - "The Chase In The Marketplace-1" (extra)

    It''s spring time at last. Rubia Town is where merchants from different parts of the kingdom gathered. Because of the coldness of the winter season, there was a decrease in overall transactions and productivity in the town. Because it meant less profits for the merchants, they rejoiced when spring finally came.


    The merchants could stay longer outside to do business! Several kinds of people visited the town''s marketplace to buy goods. Most of them were shop owners who''d like to buy things wholesale because it would be cheaper than buying a few and being delivered to the buyers. Some of them were house servants and helpers of nobles tasked to buy a lot of things.


    The marketplace had a variety of different merchants. Although most of the products were food, there were also construction materials, tableware and kitchenware, house decorations, and jewelry.


    With the shift of the season, merchants had become more active in doing their businesses in their respective stalls. Unfortunately, not only the merchants became more active in the marketplace in this fruitful season.


    And then one day...


    "Miss Kimson! Mister Talonpierce! Help!" shouted a female merchant who had just seen a hooded thief grab two of her bags of flour. With only one helper, she couldn''t observe all the passersby and customers in front of them.


    Good thing that they were given Qawiun Academy students to do their apprenticeship in the busy marketplace. Ever since they came, more thieves and pickpockets have been caught.


    From standing nearby, the male and the female academy students from Blue Gem Section swiftly moved as soon as they heard their names.


    "The bags of flour are holding him back!" the female student said as she ran to try to catch up with the thief. She is a 22 year old lady with fair skin and bob cut hairstyle. Underneath her black leather sleeveless dress, she was wearing a three fourths sleeved shirt and pants of the same color. She also had a weapon belt on her waist consisting of a variety of daggers.


    Her Master partner ran beside her. He''s two years older than her, and he''s a tall muscular man with spiky short hair and long rattail at the back. He only wore his white ninja pants and brown boots, and around his waist was a light green waist cape. "I''ll take a detour! See you later!" and then he turned to a corner, between two stalls.


    The thief bumped onto people, not minding if they were hurt. The only thing in his mind was to escape and reach a safe hiding spot in the neighborhood. Afraid that the woman who was running after him could catch up, he threw one bag of flour towards her.


    Several daggers suddenly flew from the side, piercing the upper part of the bag. But it was safely pinned on one of the corners of the stalls without any damage!


    As the people around them clapped their hands in amazement, Jokerion, a clown Spirit Servant, appeared beside her. The female''s Spirit Servant had a jester mask on his face and his hair was covered with a red headscarf. He was dressed in a silver fitted muscle tee, silver gloves, pants, and leather pointed boots. A teal tattered cape was also wrapped around his shoulders.


    The Servant asked as he floated in the air beside his Master, "Master Josie, your orders?"


    "The usual," she responded.


    "As you wish¡­" he slightly bowed his head then he flew towards the direction of the thief.


    When the thief glanced back, he was terrified when he saw a smiling clown holding a dagger, floating fast towards him! He tried to run as fast as he could, until he almost reached the residence area.


    Suddenly, a black horse with blue flames on the edge of its mane and tail and underneath its feet blocked his way. It made him panic, making him stumble backwards.


    "You think you can escape from us? Dream on," Andrew looked down at him and smirked as he rode on Nightmarune, his shadow horse Beast Servant.


    The hooded thief trembled, until he just gave up on the bag of flour he held tightly. He dropped it, then ran away from them.


    Jokeria followed him though, and just like a circus show, he threw several daggers at him, pinning the sleeves of his shirt and the sides of his pants on the back of one wooden stall.


    Andrew and Josie approached the trapped thief who struggled as his clothes were pinned, like a bug on a spider''s web. When they removed his hood, they were shocked when they saw who he was.


    "Aren''t you¡­ the eldest child of Miss Germaine?" asked Josie with shock across her face. She was referring to the single mother who lived beside their rented house.


    "Don''t¡­ Don''t tell my mother¡­" he said quietly and pursed his lips. "Please-"


    He was cut off when Andrew grabbed his collar, "You''re already eighteen, young lad. You should know that stealing shouldn''t be done! Be responsible as the eldest son!"


    "You wouldn''t understand!" his voice almost raised. "I needed to buy two bags of flour, but I lost the money... My mother''s been saving our money for us to be able to eat! Mother will be sad and disappointed in me¡­" as he felt disheartened, he got teary-eyed, "You''re not even the eldest, you-"


    "But I am the eldest son," he responded. "So I also know how you feel."


    Andrew recalled the pressure of being the eldest. As the only one in five children bearing the birthmark of Destinia, he remembered how he was always told that he would get them out of poverty and to become nobles. This was because in the Talonpierce clan, there were only very few who had the blessing. It was the reason why he ran away from home.


    When the town guards arrived, Josie decided to remove the daggers pinning his clothes. With just a snap of her finger, the daggers turned into mud!

 Chapter 129 - "The Chase In The Marketplace-2" (extra)

    The academy students saluted the town guards, and handed over the thief to them.


    "Just a few words before you go, young lad," Andrew sighed, then told him in a calmer expression, "Listen. Do you think your mother would be pleased if she knew you stole the bags of flour? Apologize to the merchant and promise that you will never steal again."


    The thief did what Andrew told him, and he was brought by the town guards to prison afterwards. He would stay there for three weeks after some disciplinary actions.


    These kinds of chases happen almost everyday in Rubia Town. As long as the wide gap between the rich and the poor exists, there''s no end to people committing theft just to feed themselves!


    Josie and Andrew returned to their rental house, which is part of the small community. The domain of the town''s marketplace is wider than the residential area, that''s why almost every local knew each other. During winter, the two academy students got familiarized with them so that it would be convenient for their guarding tasks.


    Hours passed, and it was nighttime.


    "Finally, it''s the end of our shift," Andrew yawned. In his arms, he held Nightmarune in its inactive and smaller state, then stroked its back as if it was a puppy. When in its inactive state, the shadow horse Beast Servant does not have blue flames on its body.


    "You know¡­Whenever we catch thieves, I wonder... What if I didn''t change? Would I still be in prison?" Josie opened up.


    Belonging to a poor family, Josie was pickpocketing when she was a child. It was one way to help her parents who couldn''t be fortunate enough to have long term jobs. But their unfortunate life came to an end when she asked for help from the town guard chief of Megalia City. The old man was pleased with her guts at a young age to sneak into the training grounds where the clashing of swords could be heard. If it wasn''t for her nagging, her parents wouldn''t have a chance to be the town guards'' weapon polishers.


    The two of them started walking on the marketplace. It was not as crowded as it was in the morning, but there were still some people strolling around that time.


    Just when they thought they''d get to rest¡­


    "Help!!! Thief!!!" a jewelry merchant yelled. Josie and Andrew looked at each other and shrugged, then they ran towards the tall man in a brown linen cloak.


    The tall man ran too fast for the two academy students to do the usual tactic of trapping him. They saw that he used accelerated Air magic to move very quickly.


    Nightmarune turned into its active state, and Andrew rode it. He also took Josie to ride with him, while Jokerion flew beside them.


    "He''s heading to the forest!" Josie said, "Jokerion, you know what to do!"


    "Yes, Master!"


    The clown Spirit Servant then summoned several daggers underneath his black cloak and released it to the man''s direction.


    The mysterious thief felt his body weakening as his mana lessened. He did not actually expect to be chased, so his plan on conserving his mana failed. When he reached the forest, he held onto the vine and attempted to climb it. Unfortunately, the daggers cut it off!


    Andrew and Josie got off from Nightmarune and surrounded the man.


    "Take off your hood!" Josie yelled.


    And when he did, they were surprised to see who it was.


    "Aren''t you Miss Sprucemint''s Servant?" Andrew asked. "Why the hell did you steal? And where''s your Master?"


    Sigmund sighed as he sat on the damp soil. He leaned onto the tree feeling tired, then looked at them, "I have to give this to my Master," he showed them the strange ring having a gemstone with a red glow. "This is very important."


    Because the Vampire Servant couldn''t tell them what it actually was, he replied as vaguely as he could. Among all the jewelries displayed in the stalls, it was the only one he noticed that had a reddish glow. Who knows which other jewelry shops have it?


    If Ivory''s normal mana, which he consumed, did not have the Dark Mana, it wouldn''t react to him when he passed by. He knew he needed to tell this to Ivory and Lucius; the special black gemstones, which were embedded in jewelry, were being sold in the marketplace!


    "Miss Sprucemint might be worried, you should go now," Andrew uttered, so Sigmund stood up.


    Josie raised her brow, "After all the chase, you''re letting him go? He stole something, so he should be interrogated."


    "Look, the ring is glowing. It must be something like a lost family heirloom or artifact," her partner Master said. "C''mon. We''ve been in the same class as this Servant''s Master, so why should we not believe him?"


    She looked suspiciously at Andrew, "Or maybe you like his Master secretly, that''s why you''re going easy on him!"


    Guilty with this, Andrew blushed, "Well, Ivory''s pretty, and she''s hardworking- No, what are you talking about! Anyway, Servant, send my regards to your Master-"


    But when he turned around, Sigmund was already gone.


    "Where is he?" Josie asked her Servant.


    "He left as soon as Mister Talonpierce said that he should go," Jokerion uttered. "Apologies, Master. Do you want me to come after him?"


    She facepalmed, "Nevermind¡­ Let''s just say it''s our first failed task," she jokingly hit Andrew''s arm, "And you¡­ you should pay the jeweler since you let the Servant go!"


    "Uhh¡­ Alright. Then when we get back to the academy for graduation, I will tell Ivory that she owes me!"


    "You''re just using it as an excuse! The truth is, you just want to have a chance to talk to her!" Josie teased him even more as they started walking out of the forest with their Servants.


    They wanted to get home quickly, so they could eat supper and rest. For sure, they''d run around the marketplace the next day to chase some thieves again.

 Chapter 130 - "Under The Stalactites"

    "Ivory!" a man''s deep voice called, "Wake up! Hey!"


    Although Ivory awakened, she couldn''t open her eyes. The voice calling to her seemed familiar, and even though she wanted to move, she couldn''t as she felt very weak.


    She almost depleted her Silverblade mana in trying to save herself. The moment she felt the ground shake, she immediately used intense Earth magic to envelop herself in a hardened soil. Because she did this in a panic, she did not have time to think about the dynamics. What she wanted was to protect herself, and that was all she thought about. She did not have time to think about conserving her mana and use less mana-consuming techniques.


    Unfortunately, the solidified soil she formed using the Earth around her was too heavy for the cave''s floor to bear. In addition to the weakening of the ground due to the intense shaking, the bottom floor also broke, and she fell underneath!


    Although the hardened soil did protect her body, the impact was too much for her body to bear, so she blacked out. Those sleepless nights of thinking about Sigmund also took a toll on her.


    There were also some wounds and cuts on her body, which came from small rocks and flints that came in contact on her bare skin. Some parts of her clothing were also ripped because of these.


    "Shit, you''re bleeding! Hey, dimwit, wake up! Heal yourself!" Sigmund yelled in a panic as he shook her body. He also saw the broken miner''s hat near her head. This was what he feared when he felt the ground shake.


    Sigmund came back last night from Rubia Forest to bring some bad news. He discovered that the special black gemstone was being sold out in the market. Although he only saw one, he''s sure there might be more stocks of the jeweled ring hosting the Dark Mana. He wanted to inform Ivory and Lucius about this.


    Yes, he promised not to return, but what could he do? Seeing the special black gemstone in the marketplace called for an emergency situation.


    Or perhaps, he used that situation as an excuse to see his beloved Master once again.


    The truth was, the Vampire Servant had been following Ivory ever since she went inside. Because the fill-in town guard chief Sir Draven knew him as Ivory''s Servant, he was allowed to go in. But knowing how she and Lucius might react, he did not reveal himself to him.


    When the ground shook and he sensed it earlier than everyone, he immediately used Air magic to accelerate himself. He arrived even before the rocks that blocked Lucius fell. He was not sure though, if Lucius noticed him or not.


    The Vampire Servant then transferred Ivory to a farther but safer area. He found his way towards the other mountain, on the spacious part of the cave just beside their secret pathway. Unfortunately, he felt his energy drained. When he was about to drink to replenish his mana, he realized that he already used up all the blood in his bottle gourd.


    Sigmund panned his sight towards his Master''s wounds. He gulped as he felt his bloodlust! He did not want the dripping blood from his Master to be wasted. For him, every drop counts, because every drop contains her precious mana.


    He lifted her up and let her back rest on the wall. He wiped the dirt off of her face first, then whispered to her, "I will clean your wounds, Ivory."


    One by one, the Vampire licked her wounds, starting from her leg. While he grazed his lips onto the surface of her pale skin, he felt how much he missed her. He was so grateful that he''d finally have a taste of her fresh blood directly from her flesh. Going forward, he also pressed his wet tongue over that cut near her lips.


    He paused when he accidentally touched her lips with his. He asked himself whether he''d use the opportunity to kiss her.


    But he didn''t. It was because he already knew that she had a new lover. He wanted to respect her decision. What if she had already moved on from him?


    Sigmund replenished some of his mana and it was enough to break the wall the Lucius placed to hide their secret pathway. He was about to stand up, but Ivory suddenly spoke, "Sigmund¡­ Don''t leave¡­ Please¡­"


    When the Vampire glanced back, their eyes met. He immediately neared her and asked, "How do you feel?"


    But she did not answer him, "Am I dreaming?" Ivory muttered. She reached out to him and held her beloved Servant''s face while her tears fell on her cheeks.


    "Yes. This is a dream," he told her as he sat beside her. She might still be feeling a bit fuzzy because of the impact. "Heal yourself."


    But she did not respond properly. Instead, she sat up and responded, "I miss you so much, Sigmund¡­"


    "You already have a lover, so I can''t stay by your side anymore," Sigmund explained in a pained expression, "Ivory, I will leave again. I am just here because of something important- Mmmghh!"


    He was cut off when Ivory neared her face and kissed him on the lips!


    They shared a deep kiss, not minding the droplets of water that came from the ceiling. Slowly, Ivory positioned herself to sit on Sigmund''s lap, her chest facing his. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, as if she did not want him to leave her once again.


    Ivory then paused, and while gazing at his crimson red irises, she told him, "If this is a dream, I don''t want to wake up anymore¡­"


    He held her waist and supported her back with his hands, "If this is a dream, when you wake up, your lover will be waiting for you."


    "When I wake up, I will be honest and break up with him," she caressed his face, "And I will be more honest with you¡­"


    "Stupid woman¡­ You know we can''t be, so why will you continue this nonsense?"


    "Do you not want me?" Ivory said with a trembling voice as her tears continued falling down her cheeks.


    Sigmund wiped her tears with his finger, "I want you, of course. I just do not want you to be punished."


    "You know¡­ I do not care anymore," she bumped her forehead subtly to his and closed her eyes, "I will do anything to be with you¡­ even if I go against Goddess Destinia."


    Sigmund''s eyes widened, "Hey, don''t say that! What if she punishes you-"


    "I will deal with everyone who goes against us from now on," she gazed at him and held his hands tightly close to her chest. She then said, "Sigmund, the truth is¡­ I love-" it was cut off by a peck.


    "You dimwit. Even if you don''t tell me, I already know," he pulled her hand close to his mouth and kissed its back.


    "But Sigmund¡­ how about you? How do you¡­ feel about me?" Ivory''s heart was beating so fast as she waited for his response.


    The Vampire chuckled, and he brushed his nose against hers, "Don''t you already know the answer?" He replied in a deep voice while staring straight into his eyes, "What do you think? Of course, I feel the same."


    With teary eyes, Ivory smiled sweetly at him. It was as if the tiredness she felt from those sleepless nights were all washed away. She kissed him on the forehead, on the tip of his nose, and on his lips.


    Ivory reached for Sigmund''s big hand and led it to her boob for him to cup it. Sigmund smirked and bit her lower lip before kissing her deeply whilst groping her breast. She let out a soft moan and blushed hardly when her Servant ripped her vest open and pulled down her blouse exposing her breasts. While he continued cupping her bosom, he planted kisses on her jaw, down to her neck, and shoulder.


    Sigmund definitely missed her addicting scent and her soft skin against his lips. His Master pulled her long silver hair to the side of her face as he lowered down his hands on her buttocks and started nibbling on her perky nipple.


    Ivory bit her lower lip while feeling the tingling, yet pleasurable feeling of his coarse tongue gliding up and down of her perkiness. She felt Sigmund''s bulge under her and so she started grinding on top of him. She stroked his hair and sniffed his hair, which smelled like lillies. Teary eyed, she murmured near his ear, "I love you, Sigmund¡­ Stay with me from now on¡­"


    She hugged him, but she felt her body finally weaken and her eyelids heavy. She rested her head on his shoulder, feeling his arms around her.


    Sigmund noticed how Ivory''s body felt heavy so he patted her back gently. After a few seconds, she fell asleep.


    "This is nothing but a dream, Ivory. Too bad, you quickly fell asleep," he murmured near her ear and kissed it before hugging her tightly in his arms.

 Chapter 131 - "Dont Touch It, Youll Lose Your Sanity"

    Feeling some of his energy back, Sigmund carried his Master like a princess and turned to the opposite direction. He used his Earth magic to crack the boulders that blocked the way of the secret tunnel. After entering the large hole, he used Advanced Earth magic to rebuild the wall once again.


    On a normal walking pace, going to the end of the tunnel would last about an hour at least. Sigmund walked at a faster pace using Air magic to push his body forward.


    But as soon as he saw the end of the tunnel, he was surprised when he saw a familiar man.


    He stopped his tracks and faced him.


    "Rich boy..."


    "I knew it, it was you," Lucius said. The truth was, he saw him in his peripheral vision when he lunged forward towards Ivory. After observing that the earthquake had subsided, he went into their secret passageway when no one''s looking and waited for them. "I figured you''d use this as an escape route."


    "You''re always one step ahead. How could I trick you?" he furrowed his brows. The young man was already gesturing to hand over Ivory to him, but he was ignoring it.


    The Vampire still wanted to embrace his beloved woman.


    Planning to extend the time, Sigmund told Lucius about why he returned, "I have something to tell you."


    Light shone at the small opening in the cave and the dust particles could be seen by the naked eyes. They all sat down on the stony ground. As Sigmund explained what happened, Ivory leaned on his shoulder, while Lucius sat in front of them.


    Sigmund explained about the ring holding the special black gemstone with Dark Mana, which he stole from the marketplace in Rubia Town.


    "They''re really spreading Dark Mana¡­ We need to think of something to solve this," Lucius muttered. He then thought for a long while. What should they do so the castle men would stop mining the special black gemstone in the cave?


    Sigmund then had an idea, "How about cleansing the whole mountain?"


    "What?! Are you crazy?" the blonde young man said in a loud voice, "Ivory can''t possibly cleanse that much!"


    "Then just bring the other people from the Sanctuary to help her," he suggested.


    Lucius paused to think for a while. What Sigmund said was crazy, but it was a good idea. The problem was, they did not know just how many of those powerful gemstones were in the cave, and how many people were needed to effectively cleanse the mountain.


    There was an awkward silence, and Sigmund made Ivory lean on the cave''s wall before he stood up. "I have to go before she wakes up," he gave the jeweled ring to Lucius, "Keep it safe."


    "Where do you plan to go?"


    "Anywhere, as long as she wouldn''t see me," he said, then started walking away.


    When nighttime came, Ivory finally opened her eyes. She was inside her room at Precious Inn.


    "Master!" Lycus called, looking worried. "I am glad you have woken up."


    Ivory gave a weak smile to reassure her Werewolf Servant. She reached for his har and patted it. "I dreamt about Sigmund again, Lycus," she shared as she slowly sat down. She leaned her back on the headboard, "I thought it was real. It was so¡­ vivid."


    "I hope he returns soon," he told her with a kind smile. He knew how his Master loved her first Servant like her lover. It was a different kind of love that the Werewolf Servant knew he would never understand.


    Lycus liked it whenever his Master smiled. She could only smile whenever she had happy dreams with Sigmund. She would wake up with a bright expression and tell him what they did in her dream.


    It was the opposite of when she went out of her room. Outside, especially whenever Lucius was around, she couldn''t bring herself to smile. She was still disappointed in her friend.


    What if he stopped Sigmund from leaving, instead of pushing him to leave? He might still be there with her.


    But would she think differently at present?


    His disappearance made her become honest with herself. It made her realize just how important he was in her life, and how she cherished him.


    Disappointed in herself, Ivory clenched her fists as they rested on her lap. She knew that her beloved Servant always did whatever he wanted, and if he truly wished to see her, he would do it on his own accord.


    But seeing that until now, he was still not showing himself up, so he might not want to see her. She took him for granted, and now it might be too late.


    A knock at the door disturbed her deep thoughts. It was Fiora, who stood by the door while waiting for her response.


    "Good to see you awake, Miss Ivory! I''ve prepared grilled chicken. Where would you like to eat?" she smiled.


    "Uhm¡­ Where''s Lucius?" she asked first.


    "Mister Lucius said that he would be eating dinner with the town guards today¡­" Fiora replied based on what Lucius told her, but the truth was, he went to the jewelry shop to ask Vernon for a favor.


    Vernon locked the store entrance before they proceeded inside the workshop. They sat in front of each other behind the long wooden workshop table.


    "I''d like you to examine it, but please do not touch it."


    "Huh? But why?" the jeweler asked with his brows furrowed. He was confused; how would he examine it if he would not touch it?


    Lucius heaved a deep breath and tried to explain as simply as possible, "You might lose your sanity if you touch it."


    He was still confused. Noticing that there was nothing happening to the young man in front of him, he commented, "But you''re alright, though?"


    "I am a Chosen One, and you''re not. It is very dangerous for you," Lucius answered with seriousness in his voice.


    "Alright. I will just use the custom made glass lens," Vernon set up the lens, "Please hold it under the lens."


    Vernon quietly looked through the lens and examined the characteristics of the ring. It was a bezel set ring with a black gemstone in the middle.


    When he was done, he gestured to Lucius a thumbs up.


    "So, did you find out anything about it?" Lucius asked with his arms crossed.


    Vernon nodded, and a serious expression displayed on his face. "I know where it came from. This design is only made by one jeweler in the kingdom." It was familiar to him because he had already ordered some of her rings to be sold in his jewelry shop.


    "Who is it?" asked Lucius.


    "A woman named Feronia. She and her family reside in Prisma City."


    "I''ll look into it. Thank you, Ver."


    Lucius thought about asking for help from his good friend Preston Bronzelain, who''s the younger brother of the General of the Land of Rosaria.


    The problem would be when they would be able to focus in order to find the female jeweler.


    They still have two seasons left before graduation. After that, they would participate in the Servant Competition.


    Lucius knew he wouldn''t need the prizes of the competition, but he still planned on winning because he wanted to give all the prizes to his sister. For sure she''d love the unlimited supply of pork for two years!


    ''No¡­ I have to do something at least,'' he thought, placing the ring in his pocket. He needed to plan every step they had to make starting from now, because as they say: time is gold.


    Vernon told Lucius that he would just check the inventory, then he''d go home.


    "I''ll wait for you," Lucius uttered. He furrowed his eyebrows and stared at the floor.


    Vernon noticed how his friend acted these past few days. He knows that for now, he''s not on good terms with Ivory. Somehow, the two of them acted the same; they stayed in his store for a long while, but they never opened up to him.


    Wanting to help Lucius to lessen his stress, he thought of inviting him for dinner. Besides, he was always the one who visited them at Precious Inn. "Lu, want to have dinner in my house?"


    The blonde young man smiled and thanked Vernon. He then waited for him to finish his tasks while looking at the displayed cabinet of jewelry and even reading some  scrolls about jewel making. Vernon talked about other things related to jewelry and the town to ease Lucius'' boredom.


    Back to Precious Inn, Ivory took so long to eat. Because of the long sleep, she had not eaten properly, making her too hungry. Apart from grilled chicken, Fiona also served her mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables, but she ate more of the white meat.


    As his Master ate in the kitchen area, Lycus used this time to go back to Ivory''s room. He noticed beforehand a familiar scent, and he came there to check if his suspicion was true.

 Chapter 132 - "Secret Rendezvous-1"

    TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter mentions cutting oneself. Readers discretion is advised.


    ---


    Lycus followed the familiar scent, which was leading towards the window. Without further ado, he quickly opened it.


    "Hey," his Master''s first Servant called as he leaned on the wall beside the window. He smirked at him when their eyes met, "Long time no see."


    "You should have come earlier. You know how our Master misses you."


    "Well¡­ I attempted not to come back, but there was something that caught my attention. I had to return immediately."


    Seeing the Vampire Servant''s serious expression, he asked, "What happened?"


    "I passed by a jewelry stall in Rubia Town," he explained, "Then one of the rings displayed glowed a red light. I sensed Dark Mana coming from it, and so I¡­ stole it-"


    "Stealing is evil!" Lycus exclaimed, "Do you want to taint the holy Servants'' reputation?"


    Sigmund laughed, amused by how Lycus reacted, "I am tainted to begin with."


    "Apologies¡­" The silver-haired Servant said, and then there was an awkward silence between them. When he was about to speak, Sigmund cut him off.


    "How is she?" he said while looking at the bright, yellow moon. He certainly missed those days whenever Ivory and him went up their roof in Greensteid Town to stargaze.


    "She''s not fine without you."


    Sigmund sighed, "Didn''t she have Vernon as her lover already?"


    "Yes, but¡­" Lycus was about to tell him that Ivory had been longing for him.


    On her sleepless nights, she''d cry and utter his name. However, on times when she could finally sleep, she would display a smile on her face. Lycus knew that his Master was having good dreams of her beloved Vampire Servant, because as soon as she woke up, she would happily tell Lycus about it. She was actually very lonely that they''d only meet in her dreams, and kept on wishing that he''d return.


    But Lycus knew that these words should come from Ivory, not him. His Master should be the one who should confess her feelings herself and face it, rather than it coming from another person.


    Sigmund heard footsteps nearing to the direction of the room, and he gestured for Lycus to close the window.


    He did as he was told, then greeted his Master, who saw him  shut the window hard.


    "Ah, Master. Apologies, I was startled," Lycus switched to a different topic as to escape from further questioning. "Did you eat well?"


    Ivory nodded at him. She sat on her bed, and gestured for Lycus to sit beside her.


    "Master?" Lycus wondered why he was suddenly called to sit beside her.


    "Lycus," she uttered. "Do me a favor."


    "I will do anything for you," he said. "What is it, Master?"


    "I want you to¡­" Ivory pointed at the window and then to herself.


    The second Servant did not expect it. Did she mean, she already knew that someone was listening to them?


    Lycus stood up, then opened the window. But the Vampire already left.


    "He''s not here anymore. I will look for him."


    When Lycus left, Ivory leaned backwards, letting her body lie down on the soft bed. As she stared at the wooden ceiling, she felt slightly excited.


    What happened was, when she went to the lower shelf to put the cleaned plates, she saw him through the small kitchen window as Sigmund spoke with Lycus. At first, she was not sure, but when she took a second look, she got teary eyed.


    After pinching herself first and making sure that it was not a dream, she walked towards her room. She knew that his heightened hearing might enable him to leave once he heard her footsteps.


    "Please don''t run away from me, Sigmund¡­" she murmured to herself. She hoped that Lycus could convince him to return to her.


    ''Scrap that,'' she thought as she immediately stood up. She realized that she shouldn''t lay down there idly while her first Servant was trying to leave her for good!


    Ivory ran out of her room, and then out of Precious Inn. She looked around hoping to see him. Although she wanted to use mana to jump to the roofs, she did not do it as she might be caught again by the town guards. She peeked through the glass windows of the shops, hoping that somehow, he was there. She even passed by Vernon''s jewelry shop and almost bumped into him when he went out of the door, but she didn''t even look back and continued on searching for her beloved Servant.


    Ivory searched for Sigmund in almost all the streets as fast as she could, until she reached the mining entrance. Upon seeing her, the town guards greeted her, and she asked them if they had seen a tall, black-haired guy or someone suspicious. They said that they had not seen him.


    Not giving up, she went to Topazeon forest at the side of the mining area which was full of oak trees. While she slowly walked, she looked up to the trees, as he might be jumping from one tree to another. The moonlight passed through the gaps between the tree crowns, as if guiding her path.


    Then, she heard the rustling of leaves and immediately glanced to see who it was.


    "Master!" Lycus came running to her as soon as he sniffed her scent.


    "Lycus¡­ did you see him?!"


    "Yes, but apologies if I have not yet caught him. But he''s just around here somewhere. I can smell him nearby."


    "Then¡­" As if a lightbulb lit atop her head, Ivory had a good idea. She gestured to Lycus to keep quiet. She collected vapor on her palm and using Advanced Water magic, she transformed it to water and eventually to ice. She shaped it with the shape and sharpness like that of a small knife.


    Lycus widened his eyes when he saw his Master cutting her palm. He was going to stop her, but he saw determination in her eyes. She was desperate to find her beloved Servant, even if it meant hurting herself.


    The smell of Ivory''s blood wafted in the air.


    Sigmund had no heightened smell, but he could sense his Master''s normal mana. He knew she was there because he heard them talking, but the presence of her mana was getting stronger and stronger that it was already too hard to resist.


    He felt his bloodlust awaken within him. He hopped onto the branches of the oak trees, and when he caught a glimpse of her long silver hair under the moonlight, he chose one tree where could watch over them. He finally got a good view of her, and he saw them standing on the part where there were less trees.


    However, seeing his Master letting her precious blood drip on the forest soil made him very annoyed.


    Sigmund immediately hopped down to her side, and grabbed and bent Ivory''s wrist until she dropped the sharp ice she held. He then grabbed her other hand and licked her bleeding palm.


    Ivory saw how her beloved Servant''s eyes glowed; it meant he''s feeling intense emotions at the moment.


    Tears started to form in her eyes since she missed him so much. However, she still couldn''t help but to think that this might just be a dream.


    "Please tell me this is not a dream," she muttered, looking at him dearly, "I missed you so much, Sigmund."


    The Vampire stopped drinking her blood and tilted his head to face her, "Cutting yourself to lure me out¡­ You''re becoming bold as time passes by, Ivory."


    "But it was effective," she responded with a weak smile. Her light blue irises then glowed, and she showed him her left palm. Her wound slowly healed using the Silverblade mana. "It''s night time, so I can naturally do this anyway."


    Sigmund sighed. He never thought his Master would play tricks on him at that moment!


    Lycus, seeing that his Master and her first Servant needed to talk privately, excused himself and went up the oak tree.


    Ivory grabbed her Vampire Servant''s hand and squeezed it close to her chest, "Sigmund¡­ I regret everything." The moonlight was reflected in her light blue irises as her tears started to fall down her cheeks as if they were shooting stars. "What I want the most is to be with you."


    Sigmund widened his eyes in shock. "But this is against the laws of the Goddess. We will both be punished, especially you."


    "I do not care anymore," Ivory placed her arms around his waist and cried on his chest.


    "But Ivory¡­ If you get punished, the castlemen might track you and bring you to the castle. Then the Oracle might remove your mana and return it to Goddess Destinia. You know what it means, right?" He embraced her back and stroked her head gently. "Once all your mana is taken away, I will cease to exist, and we''ll never see each other again."


    "No... I won''t let that happen!" she desperately yelled and hugged him tighter this time. "If only I told you earlier, then maybe now, I have already come up with a plan¡­" the Master definitely regretted the time she wasted on fighting her feelings for him. She never imagined that she''d be this brave enough to disobey the ultimate rule.


    Sigmund sighed, then took a look at Ivory''s face. He wiped the tears that fell on her cheek, "I have been aware of how you feel about me, dimwit. I just chose to pretend not to know."


    "Sigmund¡­ you meanie¡­" she sniffed. "Tell me the truth¡­ how did you feel when you first knew about my feelings?"

 Chapter 133 - "Secret Rendezvous-2"

    "Hmm¡­ well¡­" Sigmund remembered the days when Ivory still had no full control of her extraordinary mana.


    The first time he knew of her lingering feelings for him was when Ivory practiced doing an Advanced magic technique in Greensteid forest. She converted the water into fog, but she lost control of herself. Sigmund recalled that it was the first time they kissed. It was also in his memory the time when he gave her hickeys on her body, but she suddenly lost control of herself and seduced him.


    Whenever he recalled those times, he''d form a smile on his face. He knew they already broke the ultimate rule, and he mentioned it to her again, "Deep inside, I was very happy, but I couldn''t admit it to you. You know the ultimate rule, Servants can''t fall in love."


    "I know."


    "What a similar scene," Sigmund commented, then chuckled. He knew his Master would not remember, and she raised her brow in confusion, "We already had this kind of conversation back then."


    "Ah, really? When?" Ivory asked. She tried hard but still couldn''t remember, so she suspected, "Was it the Sil- extraordinary mana?"


    The Vampire nodded. He added, "The difference from then and now is¡­ my answer now is different."


    "What do you mean?"


    He took a hold of her shoulders to move her back a little. He then neared her face and looked straight into her eyes.


    "Back then, I told you to stop loving me¡­ Now, I will not tell you to stop, because I love you so much, Ivory. I am now ready to fight for us¡­ even if we go against the whole kingdom and the heavens."


    "Sigmund¡­"


    Hearing this from her beloved for the first time made her teary eyed and her cheeks red. Sigmund smiled sweetly at her before planting a deep kiss on her lips, and the Vampire Servant and his Master shared a sweet kiss under the moonlight.


    It was followed by several kisses. At that time, they did not care about anything else. They did not care whether they would be judged by anyone. It was as if it''s only the two of them in the kingdom.


    Lycus was up in one of the trees, and he looked away when he saw them kissing each other, but he was glad to see his Master happy again.


    The second Servant prayed to Goddess Destinia to bless their relationship, hoping to make it possible for them to become lovers who do not have to hide from everyone. He wanted Ivory to experience all the good dreams she had with Sigmund in it, like walking in the city holding hands, and stargazing under the countless stars.


    But would it even be possible to alter the laws of the heavens? Would their Goddess fulfill their wish?


    Lycus hoped that Goddess Destinia would give them Her blessing. Like most Masters, Ivory was doing a great job on making her mana strong, and for sure she''d return the Goddess'' favor by serving the kingdom. He and the other Werewolves all believed that she could help reform the kingdom that was destroyed by the Dragonicus family. They believed that Ivory could find the Silverblade heir and serve him with loyalty. She could even become one of the Royal Knights as she wanted, just like her real mother.


    Thinking about this, a big problem popped up in his mind. His Eminence, Ivory''s real father, would surely object.


    But where does his loyalty lie? To His Eminence and the whole pack of Werewolves, or to his current Master?


    Lycus furrowed his eyebrows, bothered by his personal problem. If he was sent to Ivory, then it must mean he had to serve her and make sure of her safety.


    But if he decided to support her love for the Vampire Servant, would it mean he''s letting her be exposed to danger? After all, they said that it was a Vampire Servant who ended the life of a number of the Silverblades in the castle many years ago.


    Lycus clenched his fists. After thinking about it some more, he decided; he would be loyal to Ivory. If the time comes when everyone knows of their relationship and they try to separate them, he''d surely help them.


    His decision was the effect of seeing Ivory''s depressed state. He never wanted her to go back to that miserable state once again.


    Ivory and Sigmund pulled away from their hot kisses. There were no words spoken, but their gazes seemed to say a thousand sweet words. It was as if the two had gotten out of a previously opened cage - they knew that confessing to one another could free them, but they refused to do so in the past. Now that they did, they wouldn''t want to go back to a restricted world anymore.


    Sigmund asked while caressing Ivory''s cheek, "We''re finally lovers now, and it''s your fault, birdbrain. What if they knew about it?" he sighed, "Especially Rich boy, he''s against me."


    "Actually, I do not know," Ivory said, "But what I do know is that I do not want to part from you anymore."


    The Vampire continued talking, "What about the Goddess? What if She spoke to the Oracle to find you and I? What if you''re going to be unchosen, and I''ll be unsummoned-"


    He got startled when Ivory suddenly placed her fingers on his lips, "I will deal with it when that time comes. For now, I want to make up for the time I was not there for you."


    Sigmund smirked, "Oh? And how will you do that? Shall I undress-"


    "I know that you''re probably thinking about something perverted, and it''s not that!" she turned red as a tomato, "What I was saying is that I want us to always be together."


    With that statement, Sigmund then shouted Lycus'' name, so Lycus hopped down from the oak tree branch, then walked towards them.


    "Hey, pal," Sigmund then patted Lycus'' shoulder and told him, "Which side are you on?"


    "Obviously¡­ My Master''s side," he uttered, then took a quick glance at Ivory and smiled.


    "Then I guess you''d help us keep it from Rich boy?"


    Lycus nodded, "Of course. But I suggest you should meet in a safer place. As you know, the town guards have become close to him, so they might run their mouths and tell him that they''ve seen you. But this forest is unguarded, you can both meet here and have your secret rendezvous."


    "A secret rendezvous¡­" Ivory muttered, then laughed.


    Her beloved Servant asked, "Why, what''s wrong?"


    "I just did not expect us to do this¡­ I mean, you''re my Servant, so why will I need to have a secret rendezvous with you?"


    The two Servants chuckled, finding it funny as well.


    Sigmund said while placing his arms on Ivory''s shoulder, "Now that I''m back, I''m her favorite Servant again. Isn''t that right, Ivory?"


    "No, you''re wrong," she gave a wide smile, and glanced at the two of them alternately, "Lycus is my favorite Servant, because you, Sigmund¡­ is my beloved man."


    "You¡­" They did not see Sigmund''s ears turning red, "You''re becoming intelligent day by day. Should I stop calling you a dimwit?"


    Ivory giggled, "You''ve been calling me names, but just by your actions, I could tell that you cared for me. Isn''t that right?"


    "Hmm¡­ I''ll think about it," he teased.


    "Sigmund! You meanie," she jokingly pinched his cheek.


    The Vampire held Ivory''s waist and pulled her onto him. He kissed her on the lips momentarily, making Lycus look at the other side.


    "Should I give you more time for yourselves?" Lycus asked the couple.


    But Ivory told him that he did not need to leave, and they''re not going to do something lewd. The three of them eventually sat under one of the oak trees and chatted for a long while.


    Sigmund mentioned to Ivory about the ring he found in Rubia Town''s marketplace. He also told her that he gave the ring to Lucius as he would try to look for its origin and other information using his connections.


    They all did not notice the time that had passed by. Ivory was too excited and happy to feel sleepy. She stayed awake until the moon had gone down and the sun had risen up.


    "I should go. What if Lucius learned of me meeting you¡­ We''ll argue again," Ivory said and stood up, shaking the dirt off of her pants.


    Sigmund stood up as well, and he faced her, stroking her head, "You should not be too mad at Lucius. Remember, he''s been always there for you ever since you started in the academy. Besides, all he did was care for you. He''s just worried about you¡­ like a family."


    Thinking that she might have been too harsh on Lucius, she nodded. He''s right, Lucius was already like a family to her. She just questioned his intentions because she was too heartbroken over Sigmund''s sudden disappearance. "How rare for you to say things like this, Sigmund."


    Not disclosing the truth that Lucius is her blood-related brother, he just told her, "It''s because I understood why he wanted us to be separated. Too bad, we decided to disobey him."


    Ivory hugged Sigmund tightly for a short while. The two decided to meet in the forest every night, and Lycus agreed to help her sneak outside using the window!


    When it was time for breakfast, Lucius went out of his room. Last night, he got home at almost midnight, and he wondered if Ivory ate well without him. Missing his sister and worried about her condition, he knocked at her room.


    "Ivory, time for breakfast!"


    But there was no response.


    "I''m coming in!" he said in a loud voice.


    When the blonde young man opened the door, he was surprised to see no one inside.

 Chapter 134 - "The Ring That Caused A Ruckus"

    "Lucius?"


    A female voice called him, and he looked back. It was Ivory.


    Not expecting her to come from the hallway, he was confused. He asked her, "Where have you been?"


    "Oh, we bought some bread," she gave him a basket of bread consisting of baguettes, bagels, croissants, and breadsticks.


    Lucius carefully took the basket, wondering what the occasion was and why she''d buy that much. He examined his sister''s appearance, and she appeared to be better. It seemed like his presence did not bother her anymore, so he decided to give it a shot and ask her, "Would you like to have breakfast with me?"


    He was surprised when Ivory immediately nodded at him. What could have changed her attitude towards him?


    Whatever it was, he was relieved. He thought his sister would not forgive him forever.


    But Lucius was not regretting that decision. He would do everything to shove away all the dangers in his sister''s life. Besides, he also promised their mother that he would protect her.


    And so, they ate breakfast together. Gerhalt also left the receptionist''s desk for a short while to dine with them. Afterwards, Ivory volunteered to wash the dishes. Gerhalt and Lucius went to the lobby to talk amongst themselves.


    "It''s good that Miss Ivory doesn''t look gloomy anymore," Gerhalt said. "She''s even humming a tune. She seems to be really happy. What happened?"


    Lucius shrugged, "I don''t know. She just came back here in a good mood."


    "Did her secret lover come back?"


    With this question, he narrowed his eyes on the guy. "What do you mean¡­ secret lover?"


    "Ah¡­ I thought it''s¡­" Gerhalt started explaining what he had observed. He told Lucius that he thought that there''s a love square going on between Ivory, Sigmund, Vernon, and Lucius. He said that he assumed that Lycus was Ivory''s real Servant, and that she lied with her records so that she could have the same room as Sigmund, her true lover.


    Because of this, Lucius was alarmed. He knew of the gossip mongers in Qawiun Academy, but did not expect that the inn itself also had one. Who knows what else he was spouting with the locals!


    "Listen. You''re actually wrong. There''s nothing going on between me and Ivory, and most of all, Ivory and her Servant Sigmund. Ivory only has one lover, and that is Vernon, the jeweler," he explained, hoping that he''d believe him. "Can you please stop talking about something so foolish?"


    Although Gerhalt nodded, he knew that there was something else going on. If there was really nothing to be worried about, Ivory wouldn''t be depressed too much, would she?


    Lucius then said, "Please tell Ivory that I am going to buy potatoes in the marketplace."


    "Yes, Mister Lucius," and then Gerhalt waved his hand.


    As soon as Lucius left, the receptionist decided to sweep the floor while there were still no customers and visitors. While he swept through the lobby, his mind was somewhere else; he was still thinking about the gossip.


    The truth was, Gerhalt liked Fiora for years already. Unfortunately, she kept on falling for men who didn''t like her, plus she never had the guts to confess to them. He consoled her in her heartbroken moments, but he was also one with no guts to confess!


    Despite that, he was always beside her and made sure that she was also happy. He kept his desire for her deep in his heart, because he valued their friendship very much. He was afraid that a confession would ruin it.


    Gerhalt came across a small item on the floor. He crouched to see what it was.


    It was a ring with a black gemstone.


    "Wow¡­ I wonder whose ring this is..." he muttered.


    As soon as he picked it up, he felt the urge to wear it on his finger. Because it was smaller in size, he wore it on his pinky instead of the ring finger.


    As if something powerful took over his body, Gerhalt growled momentarily. He then looked at his hands, and tried to check if he was not dreaming at all.


    Then, visible streaks of air formed onto his palm. Wind brushed up on his face, making his hair strand flutter in the wind.


    Obviously possessed, Gerhalt gave a hysterical laugh.


    "I will¡­ make Fiora my lover," the young man, who was not himself anymore, muttered over and over again as he stepped out of the inn.


    Ivory, who heard his loud growl, went out of the kitchen. Lycus walked behind her and asked what it was.


    But no one was there as soon as they arrived at the lobby.


    "I guess... I misheard something¡­" she said, flinching as she tucked her hair behind her swollen ear. The back of her ear has not healed yet. She thought it was only because of the winter season, but she was wrong.


    Not minding her ears anymore since she couldn''t do anything about it, she and Lycus went back to her bedroom. Her eyes felt heavy when she laid down the bed, and eventually, she drifted off to sleep.


    Meanwhile, Gerhalt was walking like a zombie in the streets of Topazeon. Because he was quite the friendly type, he knew almost all the locals, and they greeted him whenever he passed by.


    But because he was not himself anymore, he ignored them. The only one in his mind at the time was Fiora. He wanted to see her badly, and because he knew where she lived, he went there directly.


    "Fiora! Fiora!" He knocked at her door like a madman.


    The dazed Fiora was awakened by the loud banging of the door. She''s alone in the house, since her parents moved to Prisma City because of their jobs as sculptors. It was her choice to live independently on her own.


    The door opened, and Fiora was shocked to see Gerhalt that morning.


    "What are you doing here? What about work?" she asked in panic.


    But Gerhalt only grinned at her.


    "Gerhalt? Is there something wrong?" she got creeped out by the way he looked at her and how he smiled. As her heart beat fast out of fear, she slowly moved the door to try to close it, "If there''s nothing else, I''d like to sleep for some more, so-"


    Gerhalt immediately grabbed the edge of the door while he continued to stare at her.


    "Ger...halt?" Fiora trembled as he entered her house. She shrieked when he touched her face with a blank stare.


    Just in time, someone grabbed his arm. It was Lucius.


    "Excuse me, what are you doing?" Lucius widened his eyes in shock when he recognized the ring that Gerhalt wore.


    But Gerhalt suddenly formed wind with his bare hands and used it to push him away. The blonde young man hit his back to the stone fence.


    Not wanting to let go of his beloved, Gerhalt hastily hit Fiora''s nape, making her unconscious. He carried her in his arms and broke the low ceiling and roof using Fire magic, and then used Air magic to hop up. He hopped from roof to roof, until he went to the forest near the mines.


    The passersby helped Lucius to stand up. There were also town guards nearby, and he excused himself, saying it''s an emergency that he had to use magic. He asked them to tell the fill-in town guard chief Sir Draven that he''d handle the situation alone because it would be too dangerous, so he only requested to ensure the safety of the locals.


    Upon knowing that Gerhalt went to the direction of the forest, Lucius was relieved. The forest would be a better place for a fight, Lucius thought. Even if he couldn''t use his specialty Fire magic because the forest might burn, it would be better there because other people wouldn''t be affected. And so, he dashed forward as fast as he could, using Air magic to push him.


    In Precious Inn, a town guard was in a panic, knocking at Ivory''s door. Lycus patted her shoulder to wake her up and told her that it seemed like an emergency. She told her Werewolf Servant to open the door.


    As soon as the door opened, the worried town guard told them, "There''s a chase in town¡­ This inn''s receptionist was kidnapped, and now, Mister Goldwine is heading to the forest to chase after them!"


    Hearing this, Ivory immediately got off her bed, then hastily wore her boots. She did not care any more if she was wearing her white ruffled long sleeve night dress.


    The town guard led Ivory and Lycus outside of the inn, then to the entrance of the forest. "We all saw them go there. But Mister Goldwine said that he''d handle the situation alone- Miss Sprucemint!" he yelled when she ran away.


    Aside from Lucius'' dangerous situation, Ivory was also worried about Sigmund, who''s hiding in the forest!


    "Don''t let anyone near the forest. We will help retrieve the kidnapped receptionist," Lycus told the town guard to assure him, then ran behind Ivory.


    Meanwhile, Lucius continued running towards Gerhalt. Using Earth magic, blocks of hardened soil kept on rising from the ground, following his every step. He tried to trap his foot, but for some reason, Gerhalt was able to dodge them all.


    But when Gerhalt stepped on weak ground, he fell on a pit, and Fiora slipped off from his hands and came flying in the air. Fortunately, Lucius caught her!


    "Nice catch," someone who was up in the tree said.


    When Lucius panned his sight, he narrowed his eyes on him. "Sigmund? Why are you still here in town?"

 Chapter 135 - "Hollow"

    Sigmund chuckled, and he teased, "Did you miss me, Rich boy?"


    "What the heck, Vampire. Of course not," Lucius sighed. If he could joke around him, perhaps he was not upset anymore with what had happened between him and Ivory.


    The Vampire continued teasing Lucius, "Don''t you lie to me-"


    "I was just asking why you are still here. Don''t tell me you already forgot the promise?" he looked up at him with seriousness in his face.


    "Well, I am fulfilling it, aren''t I?" he raised his brow. "I am out of her sight right now."


    "I thought you''re leaving the town for good. What if my sister sees you?" Lucius cocked a brow.


    When Sigmund was about to retort, they heard Gerhalt''s loud growl coming from inside the pit. The ground shook subtly, and the hardened soil that trapped him inside the pit cracked open. He eventually freed himself and jumped out.


    When Gerhalt saw his beloved Fiora in Lucius'' arms, he was so agitated. He glowered and clenched his fists into a ball before lunging towards him.


    But even before he could reach Lucius, someone fast kicked him straight into his stomach, sending him rolling onto the ground!


    It was Lycus, and he asked him, "Are you alright?"


    "Yes. Thank you," Lucius replied. "But why are you here? Where''s Ivory-"


    "You told the guards that you will handle this alone? It seems like you can''t though," Ivory said, walking towards him. "Why do you always act like such a nice kid?" she rolled her eyes at him.


    "I am a nice kid. I mean¡­ I am truly a nice man. I know you know that," he replied jokingly to her.


    She shook her head, "But you are mean to me."


    "Ivory¡­ If this is about Sigmund, you know that I only do not want you to be in danger-" he uttered, then glanced at the tree branch. The Vampire was not there anymore.


    "So, what happened?" Ivory asked as she assessed the situation.


    Lucius explained, "This is all my fault. The truth is, I received a ring with a black gemstone, which I believe has Dark Mana. The other day, I lost it on my way out of the inn."


    The Master and the Werewolf Servant stared at him while listening to his story.


    The blonde man continued, "When I walked back and was about to find it, I passed by Miss Fiora''s house. There, I found Gerhalt by the door, and she yelled, so I tried to talk to him to see what''s wrong¡­ I saw him wearing the ring I lost."


    "So this is a result of a possession of the Dark Mana, huh..." she muttered. If that''s the case, then she needed to use her Silverblade mana to cleanse it!


    "Master, your orders?" Lycus asked her as he looked at her.


    The silver-haired Master pursed her lips as she thought of what they should do. How could they trap the berserk Gerhalt?


    "Let''s trap him first, but we should use Miss Fiora," she eventually said. She felt bad using her to trap him, but it was an emergency. She told her companions with confidence and a determined face, "I will cleanse him!"


    Without further ado, Lycus, and Lucius, who was carrying Fiora on his arm, ran away from Ivory. They ran as fast as they could while searching for a good place to trap  the maddened Gerhalt.


    Soon, they found dead hollow oak tree trunks situated in the middle of the forest. They chose the biggest from the rest of the trunks.


    Lycus examined the dead tree stump and made sure there were no insects inside. Seeing that its hollow space was just enough to accommodate two people, he told Lucius, "This is alright."


    Lucius carefully placed Fiora inside of it, and he stepped backwards. "Is it alright to cleanse him while Miss Fiora is inside as well?"


    "Yes. Besides, cleansing only harms the Dark Mana. It will hurt Mister Gerhalt if he fights the holy light, but it will never harm Miss Fiora."


    The blonde haired Master nodded at him. Now, he and Lycus only had to wait for Gerhalt to come and get the unconscious woman.


    Ivory ran towards them, to notify them about Gerhalt regaining his consciousness. She immediately went to the tree stump and using a knife made of ice, she engraved the magic symbols onto the surface. Afterwards, she and the others hid themselves behind the trees close by.


    "Fiora!!!" Gerhalt shouted whilst his eyes roamed around the forest. He continued to move forwards to where they were, and upon seeing her in the tree stump, he dashed towards her.


    He then hopped inside the hollow stump. While he was carefully taking her out, the tree stump suddenly emitted a bright glow!


    "Gaaaaah!!!" Gerhalt screamed in pain as the holy light started cleansing him.


    Because of this, Fiora was awakened and she was terrified as she saw Gerhalt screaming like a madman. She cried and tilted her head to the side to avoid seeing his pitiful state. When she saw Ivory with glowing eyes as she pointed her staff towards them, she screamed, "Miss Ivory!! Save me!! Please!!"


    But she concentrated on exterminating the Dark Mana out of Gerhalt, so she could not answer her. Smoke as dark as coal slowly rose up to the sky.


    "Be brave, Fiora!" Lucius called from the other side. "It will be over soon! Close your eyes!"


    Upon hearing her beloved Lucius, Fiora closed her wet eyes, not wanting to see the monster within her long-time friend.


    With Ivory''s strong Silverblade mana, Gerhalt could not move an inch. But deep inside, he wanted to hold Fiora and lock her up somewhere where nobody could find her. He tried restraining the immense power enveloping him to take a look at the woman he loved, "Fiora! Come with me- Gaaaahhhh!!!"


    The frightened Fiora shrieked and covered her ears trying to block the sound of the painful growls coming from him. How did the kind and jolly Gerhalt become like this?


    As Ivory was cleansing the receptionist, she felt very mad about whoever made Dark Mana. While staring at Gerhalt''s pained expression, she remembered the thirty castle maidservants who were badly possessed last year.


    She made the light stronger, wanting to remove all traces of the hideous mana within Gerhalt. She pitied Fiora who should not have seen such a disgusting sight, but she had to do what was necessary.


    Surely, this Dark Mana brings out the darkness in a person. She vowed to herself she would live her life in the kingdom to exterminate this entity.


    When the remaining black smoke dissipated, the unconscious Gerhalt fell on Fiora''s shoulders. Shocked by this, she trembled as she peered into his face to check on him.


    Then, the glow on the tree stump was gone.


    Fiora glanced at her friend''s face as he rested on her chest. Contrary to what he looked like a while ago, he now seemed to be at peace. She was relieved that the possession''s over.


    Ivory and the others went towards Fiora. Lycus took Gerhalt, while Lucius helped the receptionist girl come down the trunk. With her knees weakened due to shock, she couldn''t walk properly, so Lucius carried her in his arms.


    "Thank you, Mister Lucius," she whispered, then tears trickled down her cheeks. "Will Gerhalt be alright now?"


    Lucius peeked at Gerhalt''s hand. The black gemstone in the ring was now gone. "He''s okay now¡­ I apologize deeply, Fiora. This is my fault."


    "How can you be reckless, Lucius?" Ivory uttered, placing her hands on her waist, "He''s quite a sociable guy, so they know him. They may also know he''s not a Chosen One, so how are we going to explain this to the locals?"


    Lucius sighed, "I cannot make excuses for my recklessness. This is because I was anxious about leaving the ring in my room, so I brought it with me. I truly apologize."


    "You better think about what we''d say to them before we go back, or else it will be a big problem," she told him.


    Lucius nodded at her, "I shall take full responsibility."


    When he thought of a plan, he discussed it with the two, then they started walking. Lucius and Lycus, who were both carrying the receptionists, were the ones who walked in front, while Ivory was slowly walking behind them.


    The silver-haired Master was hoping that she''d see her beloved Servant in that vast forest, so she purposely slowed her steps.


    Suddenly, someone grabbed her from behind when she passed by a wide tree. Her mouth was covered by that person''s big hand.


    But she never got afraid, because she knew his scent. It was the scent of lillies.


    When he brought her behind the tree, he removed his hand.


    Ivory smiled when she saw her beloved Servant. "Sigmund¡­" she muttered. "Why are you-"


    Her sentence was cut off by a deep kiss!


    Ivory closed her eyes. Sigmund used a little force on that kiss, but she did not hate it. When she was about to kiss him back, he pulled away, his crimson-red irises glowing.


    "You dimwit," he gazed at Ivory from head to toe.. "Why are you wearing your night dress outside?" he whispered in a deep and sexy voice.

 Chapter 136 - "When The Hot Milk Squirted On Their Faces-1" (extra)

    Barion Town, located in the Land of Olivea, was the smallest town in the whole Kingdom. It was known for its vast greenfields surrounded by mountain ranges and lush forests. In this peaceful town, Asher Riclett and Zephie Malvigne were assigned to guard the town hall and help the people in their errands as part of their apprenticeship.


    One sunny Saturday morning, the town leader asked the two apprentices to go to one of the cow farms to help in milking the cows for two days since the owner and two of the helpers were to deliver the milk bottles to the neighboring cities. They were instructed with the directions and excused themselves thereafter.


    Asher, being the gentleman that he was, led the way. He''s a tall young man who had medium-length orange hair and blue ocean eyes. He was dressed in a white sleeved shirt with three buttons undone, black pants, and brown under the knee boots. "It is our first time milking cows here, right? Are you excited, Zephie?"


    Zephie nodded her head, "I''m  quite scared... to be honest."


    "Don''t worry. If you can''t do it, I''ll do it in your stead," he told her with a kind smile on his face. "You know you can always count on me."


    Zephie returned the smile at him as they headed to the cow farm. With them were Zephie''s Butterfly Nymph Servant, Metamorphosis, and Asher''s Tree Nymph Servant, Rosetta. Rosetta has the body of a woman, but her arms, hands, and lower half of her body were made of intertwining branches. She was sage in color with a flower crown on her mint green hair. There were also small leaves and scattered flowers on her legs.


    Asher has always been so helpful and reliable to her, especially when doing difficult errands, such as carrying heavy tools and pushing the wheelbarrow filled with jars of milk. While at their post at the townhall, he would let her rest secretly for some minutes and even give her some snacks that he bought early in the morning. Whenever at home, they would eat their meals together, and he would tell her funny stories which made her laugh so much. Because they were together in this training period and because of the maturity and the jolly attitude of her partner, her admiration for Lucius had slowly disappeared.


    They walked on the concrete pathway surrounded by green pastures until they reached the base of the mountain. There, they followed a rut heading up the wide meadows where they saw some grazing cows. They hadn''t had a chance to climb up the mountains during their stay, so seeing the pine trees and the blooming dandelions, daisies, and lupines in the meadow under the blue sky were a sight for them to see.


    "Sir Riclett and Miss Malvigne?" a voice of a man called out.


    They turned to where the voice was coming from; he was a blonde haired man in his late 20s, who was wearing gray overtrousers on top of his blue flannel shirt, and with him were two female cows.


    "Good morning! I''m Lionel Fogheart. I''m an assistant here, and I''m tasked to help you milk the cows," he walked towards them while also pulling the rope tied around the cows'' necks. "It''s nice meeting you both."


    Zephie greeted him shyly, while Asher offered a handshake to the man. After shaking the assistant''s hand, he said, "It''s our pleasure meeting you too, Sir Fogheart. We''re really excited to milk the cows."


    She narrowed her eyes to her partner, and the orange-haired young man just chuckled.


    "Please just call me Lionel, Sir Riclett," he bowed his head a bit then studied the attire of the two students. "But first, you have to change. I''m afraid but Ms. Malvigne''s attire is inappropriate. We can only lend you overtrousers, so I hope you brought your working clothes with you."


    "I¡­ I apologize, but we were instructed to go here directly, but uhm," Zephie bit her lower lip while she checked her outfit. She was wearing a light brown checkered long sleeve maxi dress, and she didn''t want to cut one of her favorites. But in order to complete the task quickly and not be a burden to her partner, she suggested, "I could just cut the sleeves and the length of the dress-"


    "No," Asher retorted. "I''ll lend you my shirt. I can work topless anyway," he said confidently.


    Zephie''s cheeks turned beet red. She couldn''t just wear a man''s clothing, especially the ones from Asher. She wanted to speak, but she couldn''t find the right words to say that moment!


    "Very well then, let''s get you changed. Would you like to try holding these ropes on our way to the farmer''s shed?" Lionel asked.


    Without hesitation, Asher nodded and gladly took the ropes from Lionel and gave the other one to Zephie, whose cheeks were still blushing. They followed the lead of the blonde-haired assistant to the farmer''s shed situated near the pine trees, which was just a few walks from where there was. The one-storey shed was painted red.


    Lionel tied the ropes first on a chunk of wood before leading the students inside of it, while the Metamorphus and Rosetta stayed with the cows. Inside, Asher and Zephie saw some of the tools the milkers use in one corner of the room and also some chairs on the other side of the room.


    Lionel called their attention while pointing at the single door wooden comfort room, "Ms. Malvigne, you can change here. The overtrousers are placed on the table beside the comfort room. I''ll wait for you both outside the shed."


    When the assistant left them, Asher started unbuttoning his shirt, while Zephie was facing the other side. He walked in front of her and handed her his top, "Here you go, Zephie."


    Her eyes widened as her cheeks felt hot when she saw the topless man in front of her. He has broad shoulders, a slender body, and firm 6-pack abs. She averted her gaze and quickly stepped into the comfort room after grabbing the overtrousers from the table.


    "Let me know if you need help with the sleeves!" he shouted from the outside.


    But Zephie didn''t answer him. She could feel her heart beating so fast while she was changing her attire. His shirt was kinda loose on her petite body, but she liked it very much. She composed herself and tied her long purple hair into a ponytail before stepping out of the comfort room.


    Asher, who was wearing nothing underneath his overtrousers except for his pants, noticed how the sleeves weren''t folded properly, so he went over her and fixed the sleeves for her. He smiled at her, and they met Lionel outside the shed.


    They finally headed to one of the wooden cow sheds with a timber roof. The cattles were aligned in the feed fence and at the end of the barn was a space for milking the cows. Three cows were already tied in the post, and Lionel directed them to wear gloves before milking them with their hands. He then explained and showed them the process of milking, while Asher and Zephie stood on the side. He also reminded the two to keep a distance from the cows and to be very careful as they tend to be aggressive and uncooperative if not handled properly.


    Afterwards, the assistant asked them to show the process one by one to see if they were able to follow his directions. Asher was able to milk the second cow without difficulties, while Zephie was only assisted in pulling the first two teats. Metamorphus and Rosetta, who were watching on the side, cheered for them and clapped their hands discreetly when their Masters finished what they were asked to do.


    Satisfied with the results, Lionel let them milk on their own. He also directed them to tie the milked cows back to the feed fence and to get another batch after. He left the apprentices for the meantime and that he''d be back once done inspecting the other barns.


    Asher and Zephie were slow at first, but they got used to it afterwards. By lunch time, they were already done with the cows in the first feed fence. Lionel returned with a basket of bread and fresh milk for their lunch where they stayed under the pine trees near the farmer''s shed and enjoyed the green meadows while eating. Once done with their delicious meal, they continued milking the cows until four in the afternoon.


    On the second day, Asher and Zephie returned wearing their work clothes and accomplished their task more smoothly and quickly this time. Lionel was satisfied with their performance, so they let them be on their own while he checked the other sheds again.


    However, while Zephie was about to milk one of the cows, it became uncooperative and started stomping its feet, which caused her to fall off the low stool!

 Chapter 137 - "When The Hot Milk Squirted On Their Faces-2" (extra)

    "Ouch!" she exclaimed as her heart was racing with nervousness.


    "Zephie!" Asher called out as he dashed to her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and checked her face then her arms and hands. "Are you alright?"


    Metamorphus flew towards them. The Servant was about to go to her, but when he saw Asher to her rescue, he backed off. He observed his Master''s growing feelings for the young man!


    Rosetta was behind Asher, noticing how her Master cared for Zephie like a fragile doll. She right out assumed that he might have taken a liking to her. She glanced at Metamorphus, who seemed like thinking the same thing.


    "I''m fine," she assured them with a subtle smile on her face. "I just got surprised and fell off the stool when the cow stomped its feet."


    The two Servants sighed in relief, then Asher asked while staring at her face, "Are you sure you are really fine, or is your butt hurting?"


    Zephie''s face turned beet red! She quickly stood up and shook the dirt off of her overtrousers, "It''s not hurting!"


    Asher chuckled. He positioned the stool back on its place and patted it. He squatted behind the stool, and he faced the Servants, "Metamorphus... Rosetta, help us calm down the cow, please."


    The Servants nodded and diligently and did what they were asked to. Asher, on the hand, grabbed Zephie''s wrist and made her sit on the stool.


    "Just in case the cow becomes agitated again, I will be here to catch you if you fall," Asher said near her ear. He led her hands back to the udder and helped her with pulling the two teats.


    The purple-haired lady felt her cheeks hot and her heart beat fast once more as the young man put his arms around hers. She couldn''t focus well so she somewhat pulled the teats in their direction instead of the bucket! The hot milk squirted on their faces, making Asher and the Servants laugh.


    "Kyaaaaahhhhhh!! I''m so sorry!!" Zephie panicked and wiped his face with the gloves.


    Asher, who was now sitting on the floor, laughed and wiped his face using the sleeve of his shirt, "It''s alright, Zephie. Please calm down."


    "Uhm¡­ I''ll continue-"


    "Zephie," he held his arm. "Calm down, okay? You can go back to your cow now," she faced the cow, but since she was still in the state of panic, she accidentally pulled the teats in their direction again.


    She got surprised that she fell off on top of Asher''s lap!


    While Metamorphus and Rosetta handled the agitated cow, Zephie placed her palms in front of her chest, not knowing how to calm her restless heart! She was so nervous as it was the first time he sat on a handsome man''s lap.


    Seeing her spirited reactions, Asher chuckled and patted Zephie''s back, "Okay, that''s enough. Take a rest for a while. I will handle this one for you."


    They then heard someone cough, and it was Lionel who saw everything! The students quickly stood up, and Asher was the one who explained since Zephie was too embarrassed with what had happened. He completely understood the situation, but he reminded them to refrain from wasting the milk. The Masters, together with their Servants, sincerely apologized and promised that they''d do their best moving forward.


    Zephie got back on her track after taking a rest and calming down. At five in the afternoon, they managed to finish more cows than expected, and to thank them for their hard work and dedication, Lionel invited them for early dinner at his small humble home, which stood by at the highest point of the meadow where a number of pine trees scattered around could be seen. It was one of the few houses there, and it was surrounded with purple western asters and yellow buttercups.


    On their way home, Lionel talked about the dairy farm of Barion Town, and he shared his previous jobs and how long he has worked as a milker. He then let Asher and Zephie wash up while he cooked in the kitchen. As the two waited by the dining table, they watched the beautiful sunset and the pink and purple hued sky through the window. Rosetta and Metamorphus also viewed the sunset at the front porch of his house.


    After a while, Lionel served them burger steak, egg, and mushroom soup. Metamorphus and Rosetta were called in and while having dinner, Asher and Zephie were the ones who talked about their lives as students in Qawiun Academy and their experiences on their apprenticeship in Barion Town.


    "I am really happy to know that you both had a good time here," Lionel smiled wide. "Despite finishing their apprenticeship here, some of the previous students from your academy found this place too boring."


    Zephie sighed with what she had heard. "I disagree¡­ I think this town is interesting, and milking cows is¡­ fun¡­" she slightly blushed, remembering the fun mishap with Asher.


    "This town is really peaceful," Asher commented. "I''ve told Zephie many times how much I love it here, and I bet you had a fun and wonderful childhood, Lionel."


    Lionel''s smile faded from his face, and there was a sudden awkward silence in the room.


    "I apologize. I might have said something you didn''t like," Asher quickly mentioned.


    "I''m actually an orphan," the assistant revealed, and the student''s utensils slipped off of their hands. Asher and Zephie looked at each other and felt sorry for his revelation.


    "My family and relatives were killed by armed men who came here one peaceful night," he mentioned with seriousness in his voice, but he was staring blankly at the food served on the table.


    "Do¡­ Do you mean you''re the only one who survived?" Zephie asked.


    Lionel nodded, "Our house was situated downhill, and I ran up to the meadows and hid in one of the cow sheds. They burned our houses and left after. When I went back to our house that morning, I realized that I was the only Fogheart left, and I was only seven that time."


    Asher and Zephie could not find the right words to say. They thought that he had already suffered so much from a young age. It took a while before Asher to speak again.


    "Were you able to know who these people are?" Asher inquired.


    "I cannot forget how they look. They wore armors like that of the knights."


    Shock crossed the two apprentices'' faces, and when Lionel noticed this, he quickly said, "I apologize for being dramatic while having dinner." He let out an awkward chuckle. "I do not cook this much, so please eat and enjoy your dinner."


    After dinner, Asher, Zephie, and their Servants bid goodbye to Lionel and promised him that they would visit once in a while and help him in milking the cows. They were also grateful to meet someone as kind and hardworking as him. Before they left, Lionel gave them jars of milk and cheese as a thank you gift. The two thanked him and waved their hands while they walked away from his home.


    While Metamorphus and Rosetta led their way back home, Asher and Zephie carefully walked on the concrete path on their way down the meadow.


    Asher sighed, remembering the sad story of Lionel. "Who would have thought that this peaceful town had a dark past?"


    Zephie looked at him with a sad expression on her face, "I just wish that it wouldn''t happen again."


    "I am certain everything will be answered one day," he glanced at her. "By the way, I want to confirm something from you."


    "Yes?"


    "Metamorphus told me that you like Lucius Goldwine."


    Her cheeks turned beet red upon hearing his remark. How could he ask such a question when her admiration for Lucius was already replaced by him?


    "Please let me know if something''s going on between the two of you because I don''t want to step over boundaries," he told her kindly.


    "There is nothing going on between us!" she quickly replied. "I¡­ I just admired him, but it was all in the past."


    Asher''s lips formed a smile.


    Zephie could not look at him, but she was very curious with the sudden question. "Uhm¡­ Why did you ask?" she then pursed her lips.


    He glanced at the daisies along their way, "Do you know that you are like a daisy?"


    "Uhmmm... you didn''t answer my question," she said, looking at the daisies, too.


    "I said, you''re like a daisy. You''re so pure and soft."


    "Do you like daisies?" she asked.


    He stopped his tracks, saying, "I absolutely like daisies."


    He then took the daintiest daisy flower from the meadow. Zephie was confused as she observed his actions. Asher then reached for her head and patted it gently, making her beet red.


    As the tall handsome man smiled sweetly at her, he tucked a small daisy behind her ear.. And that''s when they realized, they might have started something new in that peaceful town.

 Chapter 138 - "Taming The Reckless Master-1"

    Ivory gazed at her beloved Servant''s glowing irises. Why would she mind what she wore if there was an emergency? At that moment, she had no time to change into her combat clothes!


    Not wanting Lucius to hear them, she whispered in response to Sigmund and explained slowly, "I was sleeping, when the town guard suddenly knocked on the door, and I-"


    "You let that town guard see you in this?" Sigmund said in a cold tone. He panned his sight towards her cleavage, then to her face. "I hate how you act reckless in times like this."


    "Sigmund¡­ I-"


    She was cut off when the Vampire took off his cloak and placed it around her. As he tied the string in front, he uttered, "I want you to go directly to the inn and change your clothes first, before you go with them to report to the town guards'' office¡­ I do not want those men to look at you with their lustful eyes."


    When Ivory was about to retort, Sigmund immediately lowered his head and bit her shoulder!


    At that time, only the noisy chirping of the woodpeckers could be heard, and Ivory tried her best not to let out a moan. It was the first bite that Sigmund gave her after becoming lovers, so the sensation was extra sweet than usual. Still sucking her blood while his right hand held her waist, Sigmund explored his left hand on Ivory''s breasts.


    But as she was starting to love how he touched her with his playful hands, a voice called out to her.


    "Ivory? Where are you?"


    When she heard Lucius call her, she realized that it was not the right time to be aroused!


    She slightly pushed Sigmund away, "I''ll come back later, okay?"


    Before she turned away, the Vampire grabbed her arm, then whispered beside her ear, "We are lovers now, so I want you to submit to me, Ivory. Be ready, because I will tame you."


    "But Sigmund¡­ I am already tamed, aren''t I?" she murmured.


    "Not yet."


    Ivory chuckled, noticing how cute he was when jealous. She then hugged him momentarily, which made Sigmund''s eyes stop glowing.


    He then told her, "Fine, I''ll let you go¡­ But do not forget what you promised me."


    "Yes, Sigmund. I will change into a more decent piece of clothing."


    Sigmund stroked her hair, "Good girl."


    Afterwards, she stepped sideways away from the tree, revealing herself.


    "Apologies. I saw a cloak on the tree," Ivory said as an excuse while she made sure that her beloved Vampire''s bite mark on her neck would not be seen. Because it was not night time, she could not heal herself yet. "I was cold. I did not have the chance to change my clothes a while ago."


    "I see. If you''re uncomfortable, I think you should change first. Lycus and I can go first to the town guards office."


    "Good idea."


    As they walked, Lucius couldn''t help but wonder if Ivory was telling the truth. What if in reality, he was the one who gave her the cloak? It might even be possible to assume the reason why Ivory was in a good mood since she came back that morning was because of Sigmund.


    He was assessing the situation and the coincidences. There''s a high probability that they already met! Since it was not the right time to talk about it, he set his mind again on what they''re supposed to do at the moment.


    While Ivory went directly to the inn, Lycus and Lucius took the two receptionists to the town guards'' office.


    One of the town guards who were waiting for them immediately called the fill-in town guard chief, "Sir Draven, they''re here!"


    As soon as he heard this, he walked in a rush towards them to know the situation. While they slowly placed them on separate chairs, he asked, "Can you explain what happened?" Sir Draven asked.


    Lucius looked at them in a serious expression. They were eagerly waiting for his response. "A while ago, there was a criminal Master and an invisible Servant who can possess a normal person¡­" he felt bad lying, but he had to. Otherwise, they''d know about the existence of the Dark Mana.


    Once a person knew of it, he or she would most likely be curious. Either they stop there, or become greedy. Most people usually become greedy, because it is the nature of a person to want something he or she does not have.


    Lucius told them that there were some Chosen Ones who chose the hard life of hiding from the public and doing unrighteous things. He also told them that they already dealt with those who caused the commotion and they were already taken by


    Qawiun Academy Educators. Fortunately, they all believed him. It was also because of his reputation as a General''s son.


    Through the help of some female officials from the town hall, Fiora was taken care of and brought back to her house. However, because of the shock she had, she needed company, so they decided that she would be accompanied by them until she got better.


    On the other hand, Gerhalt was temporarily confined in his home. His parents and siblings were the ones who would look after him while waiting for the orders from the town guard chief until it was safe to go out.


    Vernon, who was worried about what happened, visited Precious Inn and closed his shop for a while. He talked to Ivory in the lobby, while Lucius was helping Lycus to cook.


    "I hope you''re doing well, Ivory," Vernon uttered. He was holding in his hand a red string pouch.


    "Actually, I was about to go to you," she said. Mustering up her courage on what she was about to say, she told him, "You see, Vernon¡­ You''re a good lover to me, and most especially, a good friend. But I-"


    She was interrupted when Vernon suddenly held her hand, and handed over the pouch in her hand.


    "Vernon? What''s this? Why are you-"


    "Please open it, and you will know my reply."


    When Ivory opened it, she widened her eyes in shock.

 Chapter 139 - "Taming The Reckless Master-2"

    Inside the pouch were the two rings that she wanted Sigmund for them to wear as a pair.


    "I am aware of your feelings for him, Ivory. I am not dumb to see how much you care for him."


    Her tears formed in her eyes. It was evident that she had hurt Vernon because of her reckless decisions.


    "At first, I thought I could get my feelings across and change the man in your heart, but I was wrong. Your feelings for him were too deep, and I could not catch up to him," Vernon stood up, then reached out his hand. "Still, I want us to be friends. We can still be, right?"


    Tears fell from Ivory''s cheeks, and she nodded at him. "I deeply apologize for what I have done, Vernon. And¡­ thank you so much for everything¡­"


    "Well, then. I have to go back to my store now. You know how busy I am. See you around," he said. Even though he smiled, his eyes showed that he was dejected.


    As Vernon left the inn, he contemplated on why Sigmund said he was her Servant, when at his first impression towards him was he''s more like her lover. It was because of the way he stared at them in a pained expression.


    ''Masters and Servants¡­ they''re impossible to be together, right? Sigmund must be human, then,'' the lonely jeweler thought. He then returned to his store and reopened it for the day. Because of that heartbreaking experience, he decided that for now, he wanted to focus on becoming rich and expand his business to other cities, so that when his sister Vica comes out of prison, they would live a more comfortable life.


    Meanwhile, the breakup made Ivory absent minded. Guilt was what she terribly felt, and even though she already set things straight for her ex-lover, she couldn''t forget his lonely smile.


    During supper, she thought of her ill fate with Vernon. She used a fork in her soup, and a knife in her mashed potato!


    "Ivory? Are you alright?" Lucius asked concernedly.


    "Ah¡­ yes¡­" upon noticing what she was doing, she shook her head, "Haha, what am I doing¡­"


    Lucius peered in her eyes ,and he felt that something was wrong. "Maybe you''re tired. How about you eat a light meal first before sleeping?"


    Ivory agreed with him and she faked a smile. With haste, she scooped a spoonful of mashed potato, then hurried to her room.


    After washing her plate and utensils, Ivory went back to her room to rest. She then changed into her spaghetti strap night dress. Although she laid on the bed, she felt like she was forgetting something.


    Suddenly, there was a knock on the window.


    Lycus, who was standing beside it, sniffed first and determined the familiar scent. "Master¡­ He''s here."


    "Oh, I almost forgot¡­ Let him in."


    As soon as Lycus opened the window, a frowning Sigmund entered.


    While approaching her bed, he told her, "Did I hear it right? You almost forgot about me?" and his crimson-red irises glowed.


    When he was already near her, Ivory immediately reached out for his hand so that he would not get too mad, "Apologies, I was so tired¡­ I will make it up to you, okay?"


    Sigmund gazed at her lovely light-blue eyes as she stared at him like a puppy acting cute to her owner. He couldn''t help but pat her silky smooth silver hair, "Fine¡­ You''re forgiven."


    "Excuse me¡­" Lycus uttered, thinking that they might have forgotten his existence. "Should I leave the room?"


    Vampire chuckled, "Get out and guard the door."


    "Sigmund, why are you ordering my Servant?" she retorted and pouted.


    "Why not? I am your lover," he caressed her cheek, "What''s yours, is mine as well."


    "I know, but¡­ Uhh, you should have asked nicely," Ivory replied, then looked at her second Servant. "Lycus, can you please stand by the door and not let anyone in or disturb us?"


    "As you wish, Master," Lycus, glad that his Master was happy, so he gave a wide grin. Ivory thanked him, then he went out and closed the door.


    Sigmund casted a sound barrier in the room, took off his black top, then pounced on Ivory towards the bed. He whispered in a seductive tone, "Now¡­ Shall I start taming you?"


    Ivory gulped at the sight of her hot lover. She could feel her two front melons bumping on his  firm chest. The night dress she wore was loose and made from thin and soft chiffon fabric.


    "So... how will you tame me?" she asked, then bit her lip.


    The Vampire smirked, "Are you that excited to be tamed by me?"


    Unexpectedly, he pulled her on top of his lap and he made her lie on her stomach as he sat on the bed. He positioned Ivory with her butt facing him.


    "You are so reckless, Ivory. Here''s your punishment," he uttered, then hit her round butt once.


    "Ahh!" she reacted as soon as she felt his hand behind her, "What are you doing?"


    "Taming you."


    "But¡­ spanking is done on stubborn kids! I am not a kid anymore!"


    The Vampire chuckled, "Who said it''s only for kids?" he kept on hitting her butt, making Ivory squeal. Worried that he might have spanked her too hard, he lifted her night dress, seeing her buttocks quite reddish.


    As Sigmund caressed her buttocks to ease the pain, Ivory felt hotter and hotter every second. She already wanted to release the heat she had on her, so she turned her body around and sat up. The silver-haired Master faced him, and without further ado, the Vampire Servant brushed his lips on hers. Using his playful, wet tongue, he slid it into her mouth, and explored it inside.


    When their lips parted, a string of saliva was formed, bridging their mouths. Ivory felt to herself that she wanted more, so she wrapped her arms around him, and pulled his head closer to her.


    "I love you, Sigmund," she murmured, then initiated to kiss him.


    The lovers exchanged hot steamy kisses with the Vampire, she caressed his chest muscles and his 6-pack abs. Her hand went down his crotch and caressed his bulge, which made him smirk.


    With all the stroking she was doing, the strap of her night dress slid off of her one shoulder exposing one of her boobs. She sat on top of him, and Sigmund finally removed the other strap, exposing her jiggling breasts as she started grinding her core on top of his manhood.


    Seeing how Ivory grinds on him, he couldn''t help but say, "You seem sleepy a while ago, Ivory. What happened? Why are you so aggressive, hm?"


    "I want to spend more time with you and make up for those times that I was cold to you¡­" she touched his face, "From now on, I am all yours, Sigmund¡­"

 Chapter 140 - "Masters Grand Plan"

    "What are you talking about? You have been mine since we met," he reached for her face and caressed her cheek. His hand then slid down on her bosom and groped it hard, making her beet red.


    With her cheeks still feeling hot, she sat on the side of his leg and removed his pants, revealing his hard manhood. Sigmund sat upright and leaned himself on the headboard. He reached for her hair this time, stroking her long silky tresses before pushing Ivory''s head forward his cock.


    The silver-haired woman moaned as she felt his shaft inside his mouth. She bobbed her head, and hungrily licked his shaft and the tip of it. Almost biting him, he grabbed her arm.


    "Didn''t you eat dinner?" he said with sexiness in his voice.


    Ivory looked up to him while licking her lips. "I¡­ didn''t eat a lot."


    "Is that why you''re biting me now?" he smirked and lifted her body on top of his body. "Are you still hungry?"


    She chuckled softly, but her expression became serious when she said, "Yes, I am... hungry for you, Sigmund."


    "You asked for this, Ivory. There''s no turning back."


    Sigmund gazed amorously at his beloved Master. His long fingers lightly grazed on her thigh, then traveled to her sides. Pulling the back of her thighs forward, he  finally inserted his cock in her tight wet walls.


    Ivory let out soft moans as she started grinding her hips and with her bouncing breasts, the Vampire could not help it but to grope her breast more aggressively this time.


    While still groping her breast, he leaned forward embracing her with his other arm and kissing her neck. He bit her, then started sucking a little of her blood, careful not to take too much to prevent her from fainting.


    The grinding motion continued for a long while, until both of them felt that they''re going to come. Feeling her Vampire''s great desire for her, Ivory reached out for Sigmund''s face and kissed him deeply. Her legs shook as he hugged her tightly after feeling his hot juice inside her with some of it dripping down her thighs.


    After their steamy love making, Sigmund assisted Ivory to wear her night dress once again. He tucked themselves to bed, then whispered to her, "You don''t really need to wear anything when I''m here with you, but I do not want you catching a cold."


    She embraced her beloved Servant by the waist, "Thank you. You''re the best."


    "I know. And I should be the best man in your life, Ivory," he kissed the top of her head. Sigmund stared at his beloved Master, whose eyes were already closed as she rested in his arms. He could see how long and beautiful her eyelashes were. Like he did before, he placed strands of her hair that were blocking her face at the back of her ear.


    "Oww¡­" she reacted when his long finger touched the back of her ear.


    "Hm?" he asked her, troubled, "Did I hurt you?"


    She looked at his face, "My ears have been swollen since the winter season. If I remember correctly, it was during the start of our training."


    "Let me see."


    As he examined it, he noticed something different.


    He asked her worriedly, "Hey¡­ Were your ears this pointy before?" he traced the corners of one ear.


    She was extra sensitive with her ears, and so she held his hand to stop him from touching it, "I haven''t really paid attention to it. Just don''t mind it, it''s not that really important," Ivory replied. She then took his hands and placed it on her waist. "I''m so sleepy and tired¡­"


    "Be used to it. I will make you tired every night," Sigmund joked, making Ivory blush in embarrassment. The Vampire then gave a peck on her forehead and smiled sweetly at her, "Rest well."


    As she hugged him tightly, she felt how human-like he was. According to Sigmund, he was once human. She couldn''t help but wonder, what if they met when he was still a normal person.


    Will everything be better from now on? They no longer need to hide their relationship. They''re going to live a simple yet happy life.


    She buried her face on his firm chest. It was such a great feeling to be with the person she truly loved.


    But she knows there are consequences for the happiness they''re enjoying now.


    They knew, but they still chose to confess their feelings and be with each other against all odds.


    She knew that someday, the Goddess would punish them for breaking the ultimate rule.


    Thus, she thought of a grand plan.


    She recalled that she took an oath to Goddess Destinia, and pledged to do everything to help the Silverblade prince reclaim his throne.


    Her plan was to finish the year and to graduate, and to win the Servant Competition for her foster family. She wanted to look for the Silverblade prince and return the throne to him. She''d definitely fulfill that promise.


    And once the true heir is crowned, for sure he or the Goddess would ask her what she wanted as a reward.


    Then, she''d tell them to bless and permit their relationship. After all, she''s the Goddess of the Kingdom who lent them mana. She made the rules, so she''s the only one who could give them an exception.


    While thinking about all these, she fell asleep with a smile on her face.


    ...


    Two days had passed, and Ivory had been sneaking out through her window deep in the night, while Lycus stayed on guard outside her room. They were very careful not to get caught.


    She and Sigmund did nothing much. They only just hung out in the forest, talked, and reminisced about the funny past events that happened in their lives, while feeling nostalgic. Sometimes, Ivory would sleep on his lap, while Sigmund just stared at her beautiful face illuminated by the peeking moonlight.


    Sigmund also consumes a little of her mana, then they would whisper sweet nothings. Eventually, the mana replenishment would become a steamy scene, and they did not care even if the owls stared curiously at what they were doing!


    Before the sun would rise, Ivory would cut off their fun conversation, while Sigmund would stop her from leaving by embracing her tightly. The Vampire would only let her go once she kissed him.


    Ivory felt like she could get used to this setup. She noticed that she could not even feel the tiredness in her body in going in and out of the forest. Instead, she looked forward to the end of her shift, excited to spend time with her beloved Servant.


    Back to their lodging, Precious Inn was closed for a few more days because of the Dark Mana incident.


    One day, Principal Arthurdane decided to visit because he received a letter on the day of the incident. He apologized that he came quite late as he was busy with the academy matters.


    Lycus cooked a sumptuous meal before the principal. He then served them sweetened pork slices, mushroom soup, and green tea.


    "I will take full responsibility," Lucius uttered as soon as he finished relaying to him what happened. He bowed to the Principal, "If only I had properly kept such an important item, all of these wouldn''t happen."


    "Sir Lucius, it''s alright-"


    "Please do not hold back, principal. Please do not judge me according to my reputation. Punish me in accordance with your true judgment."


    With this, Principal Arthurdane became silent. He''s right, he had been treating him as the General''s son since he entered the academy.


    After seriously thinking about a good punishment, he finally spoke, "Very well¡­ Since the mining is suspended because of the earthquake''s damages, I want you to be the receptionist and manager of Precious Inn."


    Lucius could not answer at first, as he was weirded out by this punishment. "Isn''t that¡­ too light?"


    The principal chuckled, "Ho, you''re mistaken! You have to do what Fiora and Gerhalt have been doing."


    "Principal, the inn is open twenty-four hours. I will replace him in his shift," Ivory told him.


    "Since you''re Master partners, then I agree with it," he smirked at them, then took a blank scroll from his bag, and the quill and ink. After dipping the quill in the ink, he wrote a long list of to-dos.


    Principal Arthurdane explained their tasks as a receptionist and manager, "Most of the time you are at the desk, but when there are no customers, you shall ensure that the whole inn is tidy. Aside from that, you are also going to ensure that all the needs of the guests are properly given. Oh, and also, you shall cook for the guests."


    "I would like to help, especially in cooking," Lycus volunteered as he raised his hand.


    Principal Arthurdane nodded, "You are very welcome to do so," he then turned to Lucius, "You can start by deciding on your shifts. What schedule would you like to take? The morning, or the evening?"


    Wanting to know what his sister would like, he said, "I''d like Ivory to decide first."

 Chapter 141 - "Ivory Goldwine And The Familiar Guest-1"

    "I want to take the morning shift¡­" Ivory was thinking that it would be safer to spend time with Sigmund at night and she was already used to sneaking out.


    "Very well. Just talk about the tasks that I will assign you. I will be the one to notify Town Leader Dante and Town Guard Chief Draven about your temporary changed assignments. Although you occupy three rooms, there are three more vacant rooms, so there might be guests-"


    Hearing this, Lucius corrected, "We''re only occupying two rooms, sir."


    "Oh? Did the Vampire become friendly with Lycus?"


    Lucius said, "No, sir, he-"


    Not wanting the Principal to know what''s really going on, Ivory told him, "I sent Sigmund off for a task. He will be gone for a while, so for now, Lycus is staying with me."


    "Oh, I see. What task?"


    Ivory replied with a straight face, "About the special black gemstone."


    Guessing that Ivory was avoiding telling the truth, Lucius supplemented more details, "He was the one who gave me the ring. He found it in the marketplace in Rubia Town."


    "Hmm¡­ A truly disturbing piece of information... I will meet Sir Xenos and tell him about it. Although I think he already knows about that since he''s been investigating Dark Mana for a long time."


    With this, Principal Arthurdane told them that he''d exchange information to the resigned Royal Knight.


    When he left, Ivory cleaned up in the kitchen, while Lucius checked the empty rooms. Thanks to Gerhalt and Fiora''s hard work, the pillows and blankets in the beds were still neatly arranged, but he saw thick dust accumulating at the corner of the room.


    Lucius took the broom at the back of the receptionist''s desk and went back to that room. Unfortunately, he did not know how to use it!


    When Ivory was done with her task, she peeked in the vacant bedroom and saw Lucius trying to sweep the floor. She chuckled, which made Lucius turn around, embarrassed.


    "How about I teach you how to sweep the floor?" she said, then grabbed the broom from him.


    Lucius observed how Ivory did it. He thought he was already knowledgeable about a lot of things, but he was disappointed in himself when he realized that he''s not familiar with household chores. Now he knew that the Principal was not really holding himself back with the punishment!


    "Did you get it?" Ivory asked.


    "Yes," he said, taking back the broom. He noticed the sleepiness in Ivory''s eyes. "By the way¡­ You look tired. I think you need some rest."


    "Okay, thanks a lot, Lucius. You know, I think we need to study first how to manage this inn, before we open it."


    As soon as night fell, Lucius was standing behind the receptionist''s desk, reading some guide scrolls about managing the inn. Lucius first studied budgeting. Since Precious Inn is a property of Qawiun Academy, two thousand silver coins were sent to the place every month.


    Lucius started writing on a blank scroll with his quill which was dipped in black ink. As he did, he murmured to himself, "Repair and maintenance of the house structure and frontyard are already included in the two thousand silver coins¡­ I also have to save money for food. I wonder how Fiora and Gerhalt divide the money."


    Managing the inn required not only good decision-making skills, but also patience and good stamina to do the chores. He admired the receptionists even more who also managed all the affairs and logistics inside the inn.


    After studying for quite a long while, Lucius walked towards the kitchen as he felt thirsty. When he walked on the hallway, he passed by Ivory''s room and saw Lycus standing there.


    "What are you doing outside?" he thought it was weird, because Ivory usually wanted him by her side.


    "It is under her orders," Lycus responded curtly. He assumed that Ivory might be tired from cleaning as well.


    ...


    Those two days of trying to get used to their life as receptionists and managers of Precious Inn passed by, and they decided to open the inn for good.


    In the forest, Sigmund hugged her tightly as she did a beauty sleep under their favorite oak tree spot. Because Ivory took the morning shift, she returned to Precious Inn earlier than usual, two hours before the sunrise.


    Ivory immediately washed her face and changed into a beige ruffled long sleeve blouse and a long brown skirt with a khaki-colored apron. She checked the surroundings if she still needed to do some cleaning and arranging, especially the front yard. And when the sun had risen, she stayed behind the receptionist''s desk, patiently waiting for guests.


    She twirled the tip of her long, silver hair, and was startled when the front door suddenly opened!


    "Welcome¡­ Uhh welcome to Precious Inn!" Ivory greeted. It''s their first customer since they started to run the inn, and she was quite nervous.


    But as soon as she saw the customer nearing the desk, she couldn''t speak. It was someone she knew. He was a tall young man, with muscular build and handsome features, dressed in a long sleeve stand collar top with black belt and black leather pants. He had a long fringe and a short taper haircut on the sides.


    "Mister Nath-" Ivory closed her mouth and quickly covered it with her hands when she almost called his name. She realized that they met at Gallean Town last year, but she was under the disguise of a man!


    "May I know if you have a vacant room?" Nathan asked her as he ran his finger through his mahogany red hair.


    The more that he gazed into her eyes, the more he felt drawn to her. It was as if he''d already seen those beautiful light-blue irises somewhere.


    "Yes. We have vacant rooms, mister¡­"


    "Call me Nathan. My name is Nathan Sandfall," he offered to shake hands with her. "May I know your name?"


    At first, she was hesitating to take his hand, but it would be rude not to, especially that he''s their first guest!


    She finally took his hand and said, "I''m Ivory. My name is Ivory¡­ Goldwine,"


    Ivory realized that she messed up saying her fake surname. Lucius'' last name was the first one she thought of, and she forgot how famous it was!


    Nathan almost commented how soft her hand was, but he didn''t want to be labelled as a pervert just because he voiced out his thoughts. "Goldwine¡­ How are you related to the General of the Land of Olivea?" he asked instead.


    "Uhh¡­ I-"


    "His daughter," Lucius suddenly responded as he heard the conversation. Although he was puzzled as to why she did not tell him her last name, he knew she did it for a reason. Hoping that the man did not know that Lucius was the only declared heir for now, he greeted Nathan with a warm smile, "Good morning, mister. I am Lucius Goldwine, son of General Darius Goldwine."


    The two shook hands, and Nathan asked, "I hope it isn''t rude to ask, I am just very curious. May I ask why are the General''s children doing here?"


    "We''re temporarily managing the inn... It''s a long story, and some details cannot be told to anyone. They''re private, family matters. I hope you don''t mind."


    "Oh, no problem!" he scratched the back of his head, irritated at himself why he asked such a question. Seeing Lucius'' reaction, he might have been offended! He changed the topic, "Anyway, I am just going to be here ''til summer. I''m going to help in repairing the mining area for a short while," then using the quill he wrote his full name and other personal information on the registration scroll on the receptionist''s desk.


    Nathan was led to Room 2, which was Lycus'' old room on the left side of the hallway. While he was resting inside his room, Ivory and Lucius discreetly talked to each other in the lobby.


    "Are you mad at me, Lucius?" she asked him. "I apologize. I didn''t think it through because I panicked. I didn''t mean to use your surname."


    "It''s not a big deal, do not worry too much," Lucius chuckled. He was quite pleased; he knew it''s going to be her surname anyway, once his father pursued taking her back to their family. Curious as to who the man might be, he asked her, "Why are you hiding from him? Do you know him?"


    "Remember last year when Sigmund and I went to Gallean Town?"


    "Of course. You borrowed my clothes."


    Ivory continued her story with a worried look, "Well¡­ He''s in close ties with the academy. He accommodates third year students in his house."


    "Alright, then¡­ But why were you hiding from him?" he asked. "You should have just told him that you''re a woman... Well nevermind. Vernon might become jealous of him if you got very close-"


    "About Vernon¡­ We broke up¡­ a few days ago."


    Lucius gave her a suspicious look.


    "I¡­ decided to be truthful to him," she patted Lucius'' shoulder and stared into his blue eyes. "I know that you want Vernon for me. Believe me, I tried to love him¡­ but in the end I only hurt him. I am regretting that I started our relationship-"


    "It''s because of Sigmund, isn''t it?" he said in a cold tone.. "Ivory¡­ I know he''s back in town."

 Chapter 142 - "Ivory Goldwine And The Familiar Guest-2"

    Although he knew of this, he still hoped that Ivory would make safer and wiser decisions for herself.


    Ivory pursed her lips, not knowing how to react to her close friend.


    "When do you plan on being truthful with me about it¡­ Are you going to hide it from me until we''re done here in town?"


    "Lucius¡­ I¡­"


    "Just so you know, I have a big reason why I care for you so much," Lucius creased his brows, "And once you know about it, you''ll understand where I''m coming from."


    "What is it, Lucius? Can''t you tell me now?" she asked curiously.


    Lucius recalled that his father wanted to be the one to tell Ivory about it. "At the right time-"


    "Why don''t you tell me now so I would not be confused?" she crossed her arms, "If you''re going to delay this, you''re also going to delay my disappointment in you."


    Lucius sighed. He then turned away from her, saying, "Go ahead and be disappointed. I will not change my mind. I want Sigmund away from you." Then, he walked towards the hallway and entered his room.


    "Ugh¡­ So be it, Lucius. Wait ''til I get the Goddess permission¡­" she murmured to herself and went back to the receptionist''s desk afterwards.


    The whole morning, their guest did not come out of his room. Ivory figured he might be tired from his journey from Gallean Town, which is at the far end of the Land of Sandria. When lunch time came, Lycus cooked grilled chicken and tomato soup. With Lucius sleeping, only Ivory went to the kitchen to eat.


    Minutes later, Nathan finally went out of his room. From the hallway, he smelled the fragrance of the food coming out from the open kitchen. He walked towards it and saw Ivory holding the chicken leg with her bare hand and munching the meat, not noticing his presence archway.


    Lycus sat in front of Ivory, smiling as he watched his Master happily eating what he cooked. He panned his sight towards the door when he smelled an unfamiliar scent. "Mister, welcome to the kitchen. Why don''t you join us?" He knew he was the new guest that came.


    Ivory was startled when Nathan suddenly sat beside her. "Uhm¡­ hello mister!" she exclaimed. And upon realizing the oil trickling down her hands, she searched for a dry cloth to wipe it.


    Nathan formed a smile on his face, seeing how cute she was. Aside from the oil on her hands, she also got a tiny bit of chicken meat on her cheeks!


    The guest reached out for the dry cloth, which was beside him. He told her, "You have some oil on your cheeks, too."


    She widened her eyes, and in embarrassment, she wiped her cheeks with her bare hands, spreading more oil on her face!


    Nathan was already holding the dry cloth, which Ivory did not notice. He was actually offering it for her to use, but because she was thinking about not blowing up her cover that she''s Ivor, she couldn''t think straight whenever she''s in front of him!


    "Let me help you," he offered.


    Slowly, Nathan reached out the dry cloth to her cheeks. But before it reached her, the cloth suddenly started burning!


    He was so shocked that he dropped the burning dry cloth. Seeing this, Lycus was quick to use Water magic on it by lifting the water from Nathan''s cup and splashed it on the cloth. Thankfully, the fire was extinguished immediately before it reached the floor!


    "What¡­ What was that?" Nathan asked, and Lycus said he had no idea.


    But Ivory, on the other hand, suspected that it might have casted by someone she knew. She stood up, "Excuse me. I''ll just check something. Eat well, Mister Nathan."


    "Miss Ivory, but the fire-"


    Lycus cut him off so that his Master could leave, "Apologies¡­ I did not notice the enchantment on the cloth." He had a hunch on who the real culprit was, so he told him this to cover up for him. "By the way, I still haven''t introduced myself. I am Lycus¡­ an academy assistant."


    Nathan shook hands with him and gave a friendly smile, "I am Nathan Sandfall, from Gallean Town."


    "Gallean? The one in the Land of Sandria?"


    He nodded. "I am here because of a favor from a friend who works in Topazeon''s town hall. He said they badly needed to remove the fallen rocks blocking the miners'' tunnels. He told me he''ll pay me some silver coins, so¡­"


    While the two talked about Nathan''s reason for being there in the small town, Ivory was inside her room. As soon as she locked her front door, she ran towards the window and opened it.


    "I knew it¡­ It''s you," she raised her brow at the Vampire, who looked at her with a frown. She realized it was him because the kitchen could be seen from that position.


    "How dare he try to touch you," Sigmund growled with his irises glowing. He hopped inside her room and angrily closed the windows.


    "Sigmund¡­ I-"


    "I am the only one who''s allowed to touch you. Do not forget that," he touched the tip of Ivory''s hair and kissed it.


    Ivory''s cheeks turned red as a tomato while they gazed at each other''s eyes. She gulped, as she thought that there was something sexy in his possessiveness. Aside from that, she felt safe and secured knowing that he''s always watching over her.


    "I understand that very well, so please don''t get upset," she slowly touched his cheek and caressed it. "I was too caught up in thinking about how to hide from him. I didn''t want him to know that Ivor and I are the same. If he knew, he''d ask where you are, and he might ask a lot of questions which I do not want to answer."


    Hearing her explanation, his crimson-red eyes stopped glowing.


    "By the way¡­ Lucius already knows about us¡­"


    "I''ve heard about it when you two were talking," holding her hands, he told her in a serious tone, "I want to take you away from this place and hide from everyone, but I know it will only bring disaster in the long run. So I chose to be patient and face the hurdles together with you."


    "One day¡­ I will ask for us to be allowed¡­ I believe the Goddess is the only one with a solution for us."


    "Then, tell me what I should do to help."


    Ivory pulled him towards the bed, and they sat beside each other. "Let''s get stronger together and defeat all our enemies¡­ especially the King."


    "Of course, and I will be with you all throughout," he told her, stroking her hair. He then told her that he''s going to stay in her room from now on because he''s too worried about her living on the same roof as the male guest.


    After a warm hug, Sigmund finally let go of Ivory. She went out of her room and proceeded to the receptionist''s desk. An hour later, Nathan went to her and informed her that he would be returning late at night because he might have a long chat with his friend.


    When the guest left, Ivory sighed in relief. She knew she should not be worried too much, but she messed up bringing with her the Goldwine surname, that was why she was very bothered!


    "Good thing he''s going to return when my shift is done. I''ll just let Lucius handle him," she told herself.


    While waiting for guests, she started reading a few scrolls about the inn. She was so bored that she even started reading some records of the past guests in the inn. She picked a random scroll on the shelf.


    Then, a familiar name passed by her sight.


    ''Deshanna Fogheart, Master¡­ Sigmund, Vampire Servant¡­?'' she read in her mind. She rubbed her eyes, thinking that she saw it wrong. Checking the scroll, it was way back, before she was even born!


    When the sun set, Lucius got out of his room. He walked towards Ivory, who he caught was sleeping.


    "Ivory," he shook her shoulder, trying to wake her up.


    When he did, she was startled, not noticing the old scroll to fall beside her.


    "Great, you''re here¡­" she yawned.


    "You''re not going to eat supper?"


    Ivory shook her head. "I am more sleepy than hungry."


    "Are you still sleepy?" he chuckled. "But you seem to have slept a lot of hours. Just look at your drool..."


    She widened her eyes in surprise, and at the same time, wiped her mouth repeatedly with the back of her hand.


    "I was kidding."


    Ivory narrowed her eyes on him, and the blonde young man just laughed. She then informed him that Nathan would be arriving late that night. She said good night to him, then proceeded to her room.


    To avoid Nathan''s suspicion, Lycus stood by the entrance of the kitchen, which was very near Ivory''s room. He stood there staring at the empty hallway and stayed alert against anyone who would try to get near his Master''s room.


    On the receptionist''s desk, Lucius picked up the old scroll that Ivory dropped.

 Chapter 143 - "Do Not Enter!"

    Seeing the odd, irregularly-shaped wooden label tag and judging by its dusty appearance, Lucius figured out that it belonged to the shelf of records behind him. Although he read the texts inside momentarily, he did not notice what Ivory saw. He re-tied it with the fiber string and placed it back on the shelf.


    After a short while, in Ivory''s room, Sigmund helped her wash up in the warm bath. While her body was soaked in the large barrel tub, he massaged her stiff shoulders, making Ivory groan in satisfaction.


    Suddenly remembering what she saw in the old scroll, she asked as he looked at him, "Sigmund, by the way¡­ Have you been here before?"


    "What do you mean? Here in Topazeon Town?" his brows creased.


    "Yes."


    "Hmm¡­" he thought for a long while, then answered, "I don''t think so."


    Ivory got confused. "Isn''t your past Master named Deshanna?"


    "Yes. Her name is Deshanna Fogheart, a Royal Knight."


    She confirmed it when she heard the full name of his ex-Master. "Are you sure you haven''t been here before?" she sighed. "You are not keeping any secrets from me, aren''t you?"


    Hearing this, Sigmund''s hands stopped moving. He wondered why his beloved woman would ask about something like that. She knew very well that all he had in his heart was her, and she''s the only one who''s very close to him.


    But if she was talking about any kinds of secrets, he did hide one - her real connection with the Goldwines.


    Knowing that there might be other things bothering her mind, the Vampire moved forward and whispered near her left ear, bouncing the question back to her, "How about you, Ivory?"


    She pursed her lips, feeling guilty. The secret that she hid from him was that Lycus is actually a Werewolf. Aside from that, she had already spoken with the Alpha Werewolf, the late king Ulysses'' Servant. Knowing Sigmund''s dislike towards them, there''s a big possibility that he might lose control of his emotions once again.


    It was then that she realized that she did not know yet the exact reason why the Vampire hated the Werewolves.


    "Hey, dimwit, what''s with the sad face?" he placed soap foams at the tip of her nose, "I was just messing with you."


    "Sigmund! You scared me!" to get a playful revenge, she splattered water to his face, and he also did the same. The two of them laughed at each other''s faces as the soap foams landed on their faces.


    It took a long while before Ivory finished her bath, but she felt like all her stress dissipated. It was such a refreshing feeling.


    Unfortunately, she got a cold for staying there for so long!


    "Haaa... chewww!!!" Ivory sneezed. She sniffed, wiped her nose, and tucked the blanket towards her as she trembled. "Sigmund¡­"


    "Yes, yes, I know what you want," from sitting on the bed, the Vampire joined her underneath the covers.


    "Ahh¡­ So warm¡­" she hugged him as they laid next to each other. She tilted her head up and looked into his eyes, "You''re not going to catch a cold, right?"


    Sigmund chuckled, then replied to his beloved, "Of course not, birdbrain."


    She giggled, "I see you more as a human now."


    "I do not mind being one. How nice it would be¡­ if I am a healthy, normal human..."


    Ivory noticed a forlorn expression that she rarely saw him making. Thinking that he might have been disappointed in their fate because of what she said, she tightened her embrace, "Whether you''re a human or a Servant¡­ I''d still fight for you."


    She sneezed again, and Sigmund pinched her nose.


    "You should rest now. We do not want you to get even more sick?" he made sure that the blanket was up to her shoulders before kissing her forehead. Him patting her side gently made her even more drowsy, until she finally closed her eyes.


    ¡­


    Usually, Ivory would wake up an hour before sunrise. Although Lucius wanted to wake her up, Lycus prevented him from doing so. The silver-haired Servant did not move an inch in front of his Master''s door.


    "Apologies, but Master said no one should enter," he told the blonde young man.


    "Lycus. Don''t tell me, you''re also involved in this?" he narrowed his eyes on him.


    "I do not know what you''re talking about. I am just following my Master''s orders."


    Lucius sighed. He knew that Lycus had a heightened smell, and if Sigmund was really inside just as he suspected, he would recognize his scent immediately. Worried about his sister, he glared at him, "Then... you leave me with no choice," he formed a small ball of fire in his right hand, while he glared at him.


    "I am very much willing to fight for my Master''s wishes," seeing him use fire, Lycus used Water magic to collect moisture in the air surrounding them. When it formed into a ball of water, he positioned himself into a fighting stance, waiting for him to attack first.


    "I am giving you one last chance, Lycus," Lucius told him.


    Lucius did not want to fight Lycus, because he had always been a good Servant to his sister. For the same reason, he chose to fight him, and if that''s the case, he planned not to back down.


    The blonde Master knew that although Ivory and Lycus'' trust in each other had improved, the second Servant alone would not be able to beat him. Lucius, being the prodigy Master as he was, could even freely summon his Level 3 weapon anytime!


    Out of nothing, the fire sword formed on his left hand and gripped it tightly. It was a claymore sword with a yellow orange grip. It has two chappes, wherein the smaller one was in blue color, while the large one was bronzed color. The blade of the sword had spiky ages with a gradient color of dark orange from the forte and yellow to the point.


    When Lycus realized that he was at a disadvantage, he furrowed his eyebrows as he carefully watched him if he would move. Seeing that he summoned his weapon, it seemed like the blonde Master was serious about barging inside Ivory''s room to check up on her.


    He wondered why Sigmund was not getting out of the room. Was he pretending not to hear their conversation, or were he and Ivory doing something inside?


    Lucius stepped backward, quite far from the Servant. He then enchanted the whole hallway with a magic barrier so as to not let them damage the inn. Afterwards, he immersed the ball of fire from his right hand towards his sword, igniting the blade.


    From afar, Lycus could feel the heat from his sword. Perhaps if he did not enchant the whole hallway, the wooden floor and walls near him would have been scorched!


    Lucius held the fire sword with his two hands, placing it downwards with its tip touching the floor. He bent his knees a little lower, and his sword made a screeching sound as he lunged forward. When he reached Lycus'' front, he swung the blazing sword in front of him!


    The Werewolf Servant used the ball of water on his hand to form a colorless shield. The water in the shield kept on whirling endlessly, forming an impenetrable barrier.


    Although the were elements were opposing and Lycus'' Water magic weakened the fire sword''s effect, it was not enough to stop him. Being the wise person that Lucius was, he called his Servant from his room!


    The inactive Golem Servant Volcius, who was previously just a stone figurine on the side table, moved himself to fall down and gain the size of a human. With stone hands too hard to move the latch on the door, he just burned the door. Because only the hallway was enchanted, the door broke into pieces. Afterwards, he marched towards Lycus, making him move the water shield towards the Golem Servant!


    Because Lycus moved the shield, Lucius was able to push him away using the fire sword''s pressure. He only used the sword sideways so as not to injure him. The second Servant was thrown to the corner of the hallway beside the kitchen entrance. He was about to stand up to stop him from entering the room, but Volcius grabbed his hands to prevent him from moving. The Golem Servant''s grip on him was too strong, and he was too heavy to be pushed away from him!


    Grabbing this chance, Lucius sent away his sword, then broke the part of the door where the latch might be attached.


    As soon as he pushed the door open, he saw Sigmund laying on the bed, topless, beside his sister who wore a long sleeved, cotton night dress. Lucius marched towards the bed''s footboard, glaring at the Vampire who just looked back at him without saying anything.


    "What the hell, Sigmund!" he yelled angrily. "What are you doing on my sister''s bed!"

 Chapter 144 - "Using The Vampire Servants Body Heat"

    Lucius saw how Ivory hugged the topless Vampire so comfortably, and her hand was even on top of his six-pack abs!


    Sigmund then told him, "Looks like we''re caught."


    "Don''t tell me that crap. I know you can hear me outside the door," he was well aware that the Vampire was mocking him, and that he meant to stay and show himself to him.


    Sigmund explained, "I can''t open the door. Ivory will wake up if I move," and placed his hand on her forehead, "She still has a fever."


    "What? Why will she have one? You''re just bluffing." Hearing this, Lucius immediately walked towards the side of the bed. He wanted to know how feverish she was. After making sure that his hands were already cooled down from using Fire magic, he checked her temperature by placing his palm on her forehead too.


    "She really has a fever¡­"


    "I told you, but you did not believe me," Sigmund raised his brow. "Get her some herbal medicines."


    "You stubborn Servant. You buy her the medicine!" Lucius told him in quite a louder voice.


    "She''ll look for me once she wakes up!"


    "Ngh¡­" Ivory was then awakened because of their loud conversation. She stroked Sigmund''s six-pack abs, making sure that her beloved was still there. "Sigmund¡­ is it sunrise already- Lucius?! Why are you here?" she widened her eyes in shock.


    "I battled with your second Servant outside and of course, I won," the blonde young man uttered.


    "What do you mean?" She glanced towards the entrance of her room and as soon as Ivory saw her broken door, she exclaimed, "Lucius! What happened to the door? How will we explain this?!" she rose up from the bed, and Sigmund did as well. He also wore the tunic which was placed on the side table.


    "I can replace the doors, but how about you two? How will you both explain what you''re doing on the same bed?"


    The Vampire answered him, "She was shivering, so I let her use my body heat."


    Ivory''s cheeks turned red, "Yes¡­ Yes, he''s right!"


    "You''re both hopeless," Lucius crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes on them.


    Outside the door, Volcius sensed that the battle was over, so he slowly adjusted to a smaller appearance, then ran towards his Master''s room. After positioning himself to the small desk by the window, he switched to its inactive state as a stone figurine.


    Lycus stood up from the corner of the hallway and immediately ran inside his Master''s room. "Master!" he knelt down by the door and said out loud, "I have failed to guard the door. I deeply apologize¡­"


    "It''s okay, Lycus," she got off the bed and approached Lycus. As she was helping him to stand up, she said with a kind smile, "Thank you for being loyal to me. It can''t be helped. Sigmund and I both know that sooner or later, Lucius will know the truth. We know he''s very observant and quite inquisitive."


    "I will humbly accept any punishment, Master," Lycus said as his light-blue irises gazed at her.


    "There''s no reason to punish you. Lucius was just too much-"


    "Ivory, you''re making me the bad guy," Lucius shook his head. He then turned to Sigmund, who was standing behind Ivory. "Come with me, Vampire. We''re going to the marketplace to buy some herbal medicines."


    "Huh? Why me? No way-"


    But Lucius pulled his arm and told Ivory, "I have to talk some sense to this stubborn lad. Don''t worry, I will not drive him away."


    Ivory couldn''t retort to her close friend. What worried her the most was that Sigmund wouldn''t return, but if Lucius said that he wouldn''t  drive him away, then she had to believe him. Lucius removed the enchantment on the hallway and walked out of the inn with Sigmund, while Lycus assisted Ivory back to her bed and covered her with the blanket.


    It was already dawn, and they could already hear the singing of the birds perched on the wooden lamps along the road. The sky was covered with bluish and peachy hues as the sun started to rise from the eastern part of the town.


    Sigmund and Lucius conversed as they slowly walked on the street.


    "I can''t believe you broke the door just to catch us," Sigmund uttered.


    Lucius then responded, "I am very annoyed, Sigmund. What kind of excuse is body heat? I know a lot of ways to take care of a person with a fever. You need to be taught of those better options."


    The Vampire chuckled, "Lending her my body heat is the best option. She loves it so much."


    The blonde young man sighed. It was obvious that Ivory loved it, but from whatever angle you look at it, it was still really wrong to start their relationship. "I''ll tell you why I''m acting like this, Sigmund."


    "Because you''re her brother? I already know-"


    "Aside from that¡­" he furrowed his brows as he remembered what his mother Diana told him that unforgettable day, "Our mother¡­ She was a Royal Knight, but was unchosen."


    Surprised by this, Sigmund asked, "And for what reason?"


    "It is related to the Unholy Mana¡­ I think it''s the Dark Mana we all know now."


    "Unholy¡­ Mana?" Sigmund thought the term was familiar, but he wondered why he could not remember.


    Lucius continued explaining, "I think her experience as a Royal Knight has something to do with her trauma with Servants. I found out about it because she accidentally slipped her tongue. Otherwise, she would never tell me because she wanted to forget her past."


    Sigmund pondered on Lucius'' words. He understood his actions better now. He did not want Ivory to suffer, just like their mother.


    As soon as they arrived at the marketplace, they looked for the merchant who sells fresh herbal medicines. After buying the remedies for her fever, they took the opportunity to buy food for the whole week.


    When they went back to the inn, they were surprised to see someone in the front yard.


    "Oh, you''re back," Nathan said with a smile. He stopped hitting the hammer on the wooden planks. "I have a day off today and I saw the broken doors, so I initiated to make new ones. Academy assistant Lycus said that Miss Ivory is sick."


    "Yes, and we bought medicinal herbs for her," Lucius said.


    "I see. I hope she gets well soon," Noticing the black-haired man standing beside him, Nathan asked, "Oh, and this is?" he asked, looking at Sigmund.


    "He is-"


    "I am Ivory''s lover," he told him, smirking.


    "Oh, so you are her lover, huh," the guest examined Sigmund''s appearance from head to toe. What a great pair! He looked so fine, deserving of Ivory, who looks like a fairy!


    On the other hand, Sigmund was quite worried that Nathan would recognize him. But he didn''t, maybe because he wore common humans'' clothing instead of the eye-catching Servants'' armor.


    "Excuse me, I have to bring the herbs to my sister," Lucius said, then turned to Sigmund. "Help him with the broken doors, please."


    "You were the one who broke the doors, why would you order me to fix it? It looks like you are already taking advantage of the situation, huh?"


    Lucius just chuckled, then patted the Vampire''s back. When he entered the inn, Nathan immediately asked Sigmund, "You seem very close with your lover''s brother. Have you been lovers with Miss Ivory for a long time now?"


    Annoyed with the inquisitive person, he said curtly, "Yes."


    "I see¡­ Uhh by the way, what should I call you?"


    "If we are going to chat idly, we will never be able to make the doors. Why don''t we work quietly and finish these so that I can spend more time with my beloved Ivory?"


    Nathan scratched the back of his head, then took the wooden plank behind him. Using a small saw, he cut it to a narrower width. He and Sigmund worked together to attach the planks together, before hammering them with nails.


    Then, an unexpected person entered the gate, and she greeted them with a big smile.


    While the two were making the doors, Lucius prepared the herbal medicines for Ivory. He gave her a mug of warm water with lemon and the bowl of previously crushed basil leaves.


    Because Ivory had read the herbalist''s journal, she became familiar with medicinal herbs. She right out knew what it was.


    Lucius carefully scooped a spoonful of the crushed basil leaves and fed her with it.


    Ivory then chewed it very carefully and swallowed it. It was not bitter and not pungent, but because of its strong flavor, she scrunched her face. Because of the peppery and hint of anise of the leaves, she quickly reached out for the glass and drank the lemon water, "Thank you."


    "Let us close the inn for now," he helped Ivory lie down once again and covered her with the blanket. "For now, you should rest, okay?"


    She smiled at him, then asked, "Where is Sigmund?"


    "He is in the front yard, making the door with our guest."


    "What?! Oh no!" she was worried that Nathan would recognize him, and she did not want him to know that she faked her identity in Gallean town! She immediately stood up from the bed.


    Lucius stopped her, grabbing her arm, "Ivory, you''re sick! Lie down!"


    But she did not listen to him.. She pulled her arm away from him, then ran to the front yard in panic.

 Chapter 145 - "Most Treasured Secret"

    In the front yard, Fiora greeted the two, "Good morning! As of today, I am finally back!"


    "Oh, it''s you, receptionist girl," Sigmund said indifferently.


    "Mister! You''re back as well."


    "Yeah, and many things already happened while you were away. Lucius broke the two doors, and this guest volunteered to make new ones."


    "I see, what a kind gentleman!" Fiora exclaimed, and she reached out her hand to Nathan, "I am Fiora, and I work here in Precious Inn."


    "Miss Fiora, nice to meet you. I am Nathan Sandfall, from Gallean town in the Land of Sandria."


    "That''s quite far! What brings you here?"


    "A favor from a friend who works in the mines. I''m here to work and help with removing the boulders blocking the entrance."


    "I see¡­ Why don''t they just ask for the Chosen Ones'' to help move the boulders?"


    "If the Chosen Ones did the job, the locals and other normal people would not earn coins. Perhaps it''s to give jobs to those in need," Sigmund uttered.


    Fiora nodded upon hearing about it. She then asked, "By the way, where''s Mister Lucius and Miss Ivory?"


    "Oh, the siblings are inside. Miss Ivory is sick, so Mister Lucius brought herbal medicines for her," Nathan explained.


    Fiora widened her eyes, pleased with what she heard. If the guest knew that they''re siblings, then Lucius might have told her the truth. But she was a little sad because she no longer shared a special secret with the young man.


    Sigmund wondered why Fiora did not react to Nathan''s words saying that Lucius and Ivory were siblings. Could it be that she knew?


    A little while later, Ivory came rushing to the front yard, while Lucius came running behind her to try to catch up with her.


    "Oh, Mister Lucius, Miss Ivory! I am back for good," Fiora approached them. She then took Ivory''s hands and gave her a big smile. "I am glad you already know the truth, Miss Ivory. Actually, I''ve known it for so long, but Mister Lucius asked me to keep it a secret."


    "Huh? What secret?" she raised her brow.


    "That the two of you are actually siblings."


    This made Ivory confused. Distracted about the main reason why she went to the front yard, she removed Fiora''s hands that held her, then looked at Lucius.


    "Lucius¡­ What the heck is she talking about?"


    Lucius stayed quiet. He did not want to tell her yet, especially in that odd situation. Besides, he promised his father that he would be the one who''d tell her the truth.


    He assessed the situation. If he''d refuse to tell the truth and say that what he told Fiora was a lie, he''d be misunderstood. On the other hand, if he''d tell the truth, he''d be breaking his promise to his father.


    "What if¡­ What if it''s true?" Lucius asked her as his eyebrows creased.


    "Lucius. I know we''re very close, but I do not see why you have to tell that lie," Ivory told him. She felt that something was up, but she still didn''t know what it was. "You are a smart guy, so what''s your real purpose for it?"


    "It''s true," Lucius uttered. "I am actually¡­ your blood-related brother, Ivory."


    As if time had stopped, Ivory could not speak and stared at her close friend instead. She still could not believe it a hundred percent!


    "Your real mother is also my mother Diana. As soon as you told her where your birthmark of Destinia was, she knew immediately that you''re my sister."


    "I¡­ Haaa-chew!"


    The heartfelt moment was interrupted with her sneezing, and Sigmund immediately went to her, "Let us borrow another room with an unbroken door. I think she couldn''t sleep because there were so many disturbances."


    "Alright, but do not lock the door," Lucius narrowed his eyes on him. "I do not want to see you again on her bed."


    A smirk escaped from his lips, "It depends on what Ivory wants. I only follow her requests."


    Ivory, still dumbfounded because of the revelation, let Sigmund carry her in his arms, then went to the vacant room beside the lobby.


    When they were out of sight, Fiora asked Lucius, "I am very sorry. I thought she already knew, because the guest said that you''re siblings."


    He sighed, "It''s not your fault. I did not want to have any misunderstandings of being my sister''s lover just because we''re close. The truth will come out anyway. I am just surprised that it came out sooner than I expected."


    "Excuse me, did I do something wrong?" Nathan asked. When there was an exchange of words between them, he just stared at them, not knowing what to do. He felt like he needed to apologize. "If it''s my fault, then I apologize."


    "No, Mister Nathan. Do not worry about it," the blonde young man smiled kindly at their guest, "I am very grateful that you volunteered to help with making the new doors. Let me help you."


    "I can do this, do not worry!" Nathan wanted to be on good terms with the son of a General. He also knew he needed to make up for his blabbering mouth.


    "Why don''t you rest and sleep, Mister Lucius? I am here, I can take over your shift," Fiora assured him.


    Lucius then thanked her, and he also borrowed another vacant room because of his broken door. As he laid down on the bed, he placed his arm over his eyes to cover them. "How did I become so stupid¡­" he muttered to himself. Although he took an effort to enchant the whole hallway, he did not expect that he would need to call Volcius from his room at that moment. It was a smart move that Lycus was distracted, but he felt like a failure.


    Aside from breaking two doors, he also felt nervous about how he''d face Ivory once they met. He pursed his lips, then felt his eyelids slowly closing, as it was such a long and tiring day.


    Meanwhile, in Ivory''s borrowed room, she laid down on the bed, staring at the ceiling while she held her beloved''s hand. Sigmund was sitting beside her, his back leaning on the headboard.


    "Can''t sleep?" Sigmund uttered. With his free hand, he stroked Ivory''s head, "What are you thinking about?"


    "Is Lucius really my brother?" she clenched her Servant''s hand.


    "Yes. He is."


    Ivory widened her eyes, "How can you be so sure? What if he''s bluffing just to cover me from being found out by Mister Nathan?"


    "Ivory¡­ I knew all along."


    "What?!" she sat up, then turned to him, "How can you hide this from me?"


    "The General said that he would be the one who''d tell you. Between Lycus and me, it was him who knew first, but because of the General''s request, he did not tell you, too," Sigmund touched her face and caressed her cheeks. "Apologies that we had to keep this from you. Now that this secret is out, I now have no more secrets left to hide from you."


    "Sigmund¡­ you meanie..." Ivory''s tears started to fall. "I can''t believe it¡­ My real family has been near me all along, and I didn''t know..." she sniffled, then embraced Sigmund.


    The Vampire let her cry on his shoulder. "There there¡­" he stroked the back of her head, "When we return to the Land of Olivea, let''s visit the Goldwine mansion immediately, okay? I''m sure the General will prepare a feast for you. You should request a lot of pork dishes every day."


    "But I will be too heavy for the Servant Competition by then!"


    "Even so, you''re still pretty," Sigmund let Ivory rest on him with her back leaning on his chest. "Now go to sleep, stubborn woman," he kissed the top of her head, then let her lean on him.


    Ivory felt sleepier and sleepier every second, feeling comfortable in the arms of the man she loved. Even if she had a cold, she could smell the scent of lilies enveloping her, making her relax and eventually fall asleep.


    When night fell, Ivory and Lucius woke up. They ran onto each other in the hallway.


    "Ivory, how are you feeling?" Lucius asked.


    She''s quite undecided how she''d treat Lucius now that she knew the truth. She replied with a smile, "I am feeling better now, thanks to your medicine. The fever is gone now, but I still have a cold."


    "If you need more herbal medicines, I''d gladly prepare them for you."


    "Oh, it''s okay! I can prepare them on my own-"


    "No, no, I will-"


    "Enough, you two!" Sigmund yelled and chuckled. He wondered how long would the two be shy of each other. "Go to the kitchen, Ivory."


    She nodded at him, then lowered her head a little at Lucius. She proceeded to the kitchen where Lycus was cooking their supper.


    "Why did she lower her head at me? She''s my older sister, and it''s not like we''re strangers before she knew I''m her brother," the blonde young man facepalmed.


    "Maybe it''s because she knows that you know her too much. As her closest friend, you know how gluttonous you are, and you also know her stupid decisions in her life."


    "I already did a lot of scolding to her, I think it''s enough," Lucius sighed. He patted the Servant''s shoulder and said, "Sigmund.. Since it came to this situation¡­ I think it''s better if you pretend to be a human from now on."

 Chapter 146 - "Do Not Regret It And Catch Up With Him"

    Sigmund agreed to Lucius'' plan to pretend to be a human. Everything had been messed up; Fiora, Gerhalt, and Nathan knew that he and Ivory were lovers, but their registered information showed that they''re Master and Servant. Their true relationship is also known by the town guards and officers in the town hall, so what should they do?


    There''s also this problem: what if the Principal suddenly visits them? He knew very well that he''s her Servant! And what if he spoke with the people around them? They''d get busted!


    He and Lucius were contemplating on what to do from now on. Since they already discovered where the Dark Mana stones were mined, their purpose should be over, but it would be unfair to everyone if they would not finish their apprenticeship. In three weeks, spring would end and summer would start. They''ve been Topazeon Town for almost half a year, so it would be such a waste if they would not finish their apprenticeship.


    They all gathered in the kitchen, and sat on the middle part of the long dining table. When Lycus was done giving them plates, bowls and eating utensils, he sat on the vacant seat beside Ivory. Sigmund was, of course, sitting on the other side of his beloved. Fiora and Nathan sat beside each other, in front of the silver-haired Master and her Servants.


    Ivory panned her sight towards the food on the table. Grilled pork ribs were served, as well as savory herbed chicken. A pot of potato soup was also cooked.


    "Eat well, Ivory, so you can overcome your cold," Lucius uttered. He took a small bowl and poured soup, then placed it beside her plate. Afterwards, he used a fork to transfer some of the sliced pork meal from the large serving plate onto Ivory''s empty plate. "Don''t hold back, and be your normal self."


    Ivory pouted, "What do you mean normal self? Do you mean I eat a lot?"


    He laughed a little, happy that the awkwardness between them had somehow disappeared, "There, you said it yourself."


    "Silly," she then placed the meat slice onto her mouth and started munching it. "Oh, Lycus, this is delicious!"


    "Thank you. Please eat well, everyone," he smiled.


    Lucius saw Fiora and Nathan on his right, quietly eating the flavorful food that Lycus prepared. He found this as an opportunity to explain a somewhat believable lie.


    "Miss Fiora, Mister Nathan¡­ As people who are staying in Precious Inn, I''d like to clarify some things," the blonde young man said in a serious expression. "I know that records say that Ivory and Sigmund are Master and Servant, but they''re actually lovers who are forbidden to be together. Our parents are opposed to their relationship,"


    Fiora and Nathan stopped eating and turned their heads to Ivory and Sigmund. They looked at them with pity, especially Fiora, who got teary-eyed! She was actually cheering for them, so she thought, ''How tragic, it''s a love story against all odds!''


    Lucius did not lie. He already knew how their parents would react once they knew Ivory was in a relationship with her own Servant. He continued, "Lycus is Ivory''s Servant. He''s regarded by Principal Arthurdane as an academy assistant, but he''s actually a Servant of Ivory."


    Lycus stood up from his seat and bowed a little, "I am Master Ivory''s Servant. Pleased to meet you."


    "Ah, so the mystery''s really solved!" Fiora said in high spirits. She poured an empty mug with sweet potato wine from the mini barrel near her seat. "I''m sure Gerhalt would be pleased to hear it- Oh. I haven''t seen him since that time..." she faked a smile at them, then drank from her mug.


    The receptionist girl surely missed her long time friend. How good it would be if she could return to the good old days. She wondered how he was recovering from what he had experienced in the forest. Did he forget about her, or did his feelings for her only grew in her absence?


    Suddenly, someone called from outside. As soon as Sigmund heard it, he whispered to Ivory, "Someone''s calling at the lobby."


    As soon as she knew, she quietly stood up from her seat, and she initiated to be the one to see who it was. It was a messenger, and he gave a small scroll before leaving. It had Fiora''s name on a wooden tag.


    She went back to the kitchen, and she handed the scroll to fiora and went back to her seat.


    Fiora paused from eating to focus on reading the scroll. She read it word per word. And as she neared the end of the letter, she got teary-eyed.


    "Fiora?" Ivory called with a concerned expression, "Are you alright?"


    When Fiora finished reading, her hands trembled, and her tears fell like waterfalls. "Gerhalt, he¡­ He''s going to leave town for good¡­ Tonight, he and his family will depart for Umbria City."


    Nathan, who was sitting beside her, patted her back and gave her a dry cloth so that she could wipe her tears.


    Fiora continued to say her sentiments, "I can''t even say goodbye in person¡­ He did so much for me, but I¡­"


    Ivory stared at the crying receptionist. Of all the people in that room, she guessed she was the one who knew how much pain it would feel if someone close to you would suddenly leave.


    "Fiora, what time will he leave tonight? Did he mention anything?" she asked her.


    "It says on the letter¡­ Eight in the evening, they''ll start to pass through the town arch."


    Lucius took out the pocket watch from his pocket, "You have two minutes before eight¡­"


    "Fiora, if you go now, you can still catch up to him!" Ivory said. She stood up from her seat once again, "If you cried after learning about him leaving, he must be important to you. Don''t regret it and go!"


    "You speaking with her took a minute, Ivory," Sigmund said. "It''s too late. From here to the arch, perhaps it would take at least five minutes as the fastest time."


    "You''re not helping at all, Sigmund," she narrowed her eyes on him. He knew he was only telling the truth, but if she won''t do anything, there''s a chance that Fiora would regret not coming after Gerhalt. She then turned to Fiora, grabbed her hand, pulling her towards her and making her stand up from her seat. "I will make sure you meet him. Come!"


    "Ivory, you will be caught by the town guards if you use your mana!" Lucius retorted. He stood up as well, but when he was about to go after her, there was no hesitation seen in her eyes.


    Ivory took Fiora in front of the inn, and she used the Silverblade mana to use Air magic to form a tornado-like entity. It was as large as a horse-drawn carriage, but three times faster!


    She took two of the broken wooden planks in the front yard. They both sat in each of them, and not long after, Ivory''s small tornadoes positioned themselves below the planks. They floated and the wind carried them upwards.


    "Hold on tight," Ivory told her, and Fiora nodded. The small tornadoes flew up in the air!


    The two of them could almost see the whole town. While sitting in the wooden plank, Ivory controlled the two tornadoes, at the same time watching Fiora if she''s holding on tightly to her plank. Soon after, they reached the arch, and as they neared the ground, Ivory dissipated the wind.


    While Ivory was blocked by the town guards and asked why she used her magic, she explained that Fiora needed to speak with her friend, who''s going to leave that night. Some of the guards recognized Ivory, so they let them be.


    Fiora peeked through the carriages one by one. She did not care whether the passengers were already glaring at her, all she cared about was finding her friend.


    "Fiora?" Someone called from behind. Peeking out the window of one of the carriages was Gerhalt, and he beamed a smile as soon as he saw her.


    "Gerhalt!" Fiora exclaimed and ran towards him.


    But as she ran, the carriage also started to move. There was a long line of carriages leaving town, so they could not stop to talk for long.


    "Fiora! Did you read my letter?" Gerhalt yelled.


    Fiora replied in a loud voice, "Yes, I did!"


    "You didn''t need to come here at all, do you need something?"


    "Gerhalt, I¡­" she caught her breath, "Take care!" she stopped running when the carriage went on at a faster speed.


    "You too! Take care Fiora! Wait for my letter, okay?!"


    She kept on waving at him as the sight of the carriage became smaller and smaller. She sighed, disappointed at herself that she only said two words: Take care. But even so, she did not regret coming there.


    What happened to Gerhalt was still a mystery to Fiora, but she knew that it''s related to the academy students. Whatever it was, she knew she should not butt in anymore, after all, the damage had been done.


    He said in the letter that he sometimes had nightmares of what he did to her, and as long as he stayed in Topazeon Town, he was afraid that he could not move on from it. Although Gerhalt was only a friend to her, she''s sure that she''ll miss his silly stories and endless chitchats. For sure, she would remember him from time to time, and she knew that he would remember her as well.


    But she needed to accept that there are people in the world who are meant to be separated from each other.

 Chapter 147 - "Just In Time For Summer"

    "Miss Ivory, I am done," Fiora uttered as she saw Ivory conversing with the guards. She also thanked them for not stopping her.


    "We need to report it to the Town Hall, otherwise, people who have seen you will talk," one of the guards said. "Come with us, Miss Sprucemint."


    She nodded at the guards, and asked Fiora to accompany her. After Ivory explained the situation and signed in the written report, they were finally allowed to go back to Precious Inn.


    Lucius and the other men stayed in the lobby to wait for them. Sigmund almost went after the two, but was stopped by Lucius because it might ruin their plan to make him pretend to be human. Lycus almost left the inn as well, but then he was asked by the overbearing Sigmund to clean the kitchen.


    As soon as Ivory and Fiora entered the inn, they all stood up from the sofa.


    "How was it?" Nathan asked., "Were you able to see your friend?"


    Fiora nodded with a smile, "I was only able to say a few words, but at least I saw him."


    Sigmund walked towards Ivory and questioned, "What took you so long?"


    "I had to report to the town hall and explain why I used magic," Ivory replied. "Anyway, since Lucius and I have been training with the town guards, they already know we wouldn''t use our mana for nothing¡­ Haaaa-chew!" she covered her nose and mouth.


    "You birdbrain, you overdid it," he sighed in worry, placing his arms around her and told the others, "She has to rest. We''ll excuse ourselves," then led her towards the hallway.


    Because the wooden doors have been replaced, Ivory and Sigmund went back to their original room. She changed into her night dress, and Sigmund massaged her sore shoulders and legs. After a while, Lycus came in and made her drink ginger lemon tea. Lucius also came in, and he gave her more pillows and replaced her blanket with a softer one.


    With all the pampering she received, it wasn''t long until she fell asleep. The three men who cherished her stared at her peaceful, sleeping face, and they were pleased that she managed to rest after a tiring day.


    "I have to go back to the receptionist''s desk. Miss Fiora will need to go back home for today," Lucius told the two Servants.


    "Wait, rich boy," Sigmund said in a serious tone. "Thank you¡­ for allowing me to stay by her side."


    "Don''t get me wrong. I am still against the two of you."


    "But why did you let me-"


    "It''s just that, for now, I can''t do anything about it. But once we return to our homeland, you both have to be tough if you want to be together. It will be you and Ivory against me and the rest of the people," the blonde young man turned away from him and walked out of the room.


    "Damn it¡­" As soon as the door closed, the Vampire told Lycus, "You¡­ You will support us, right?"


    "Yes. My Master can only be happy with you by her side," Lycus uttered. "I have seen her depressed because you were gone. I never wanted to see that again."


    He patted his back, "That''s good. Do not cease to support us-"


    "But¡­ you should know that I am just a Servant, and my support will be meaningless. How do you plan to face her parents?"


    Sigmund shrugged, "I do not know yet, to be honest. I''ll think about it in the coming days, but for now..." he walked towards the bed, then sat beside Ivory, leaning his back on the headboard, "I will cherish the times that we are still free. While we''re here in Topazeon, I will be a human lover to her."


    ¡­


    Days went on by like a flash. While Fiora was the lead manager and receptionist of the inn, Lucius became her assistant and took over the other shift. Ivory, on the other hand, became in charge of the housekeeping and she''s helping Lycus in the kitchen as well. Sigmund became the one in charge of repairs and other manly maintenance tasks.


    The mining area was cleared of fallen rocks and boulders, just in time for summer. With this, Nathan''s stay in Precious Inn came to an end. In the lobby, he signed on the registration scroll, indicating that he''s leaving.


    "Thank you for having me here. It''s a pleasure to meet you all," Nathan said, then shook hands with them one by one.


    When he almost reached for Ivory''s hand, Sigmund blocked it and instead shook his hand with a tight grip!


    "Mister Nathan, you should go now, or else your friend''s carriage will leave you," he said, narrowing his eyes on him.


    Seeing this jealous reaction, Ivory giggled, then said her parting words to their guest, "Take care, Mister Nathan. See you again soon!"


    Hearing Ivory''s words brought a past memory to him. The way she said "See you again soon!" was similar to the academy student who visited Gallean last year. He realized that she actually looked similar to him. He panned his sight towards Sigmund, and he also realized that he looked similar to the young man''s Servant.


    Nathan shook his head, thinking that it might all be a coincidence. After all, Ivory is a female, and her lover is a human!


    After saying his goodbyes, he rode his friend''s horse carriage. While it moved forward, it was only then that he remembered Ivor''s name, and his Servant Sigmund. Too bad, he''s already far from the inn!


    Back to Precious Inn, Fiora told them about some good news, "Today¡­ We''re going to interview some applicants and hire three of them. I have asked Principal Arthurdane to raise our budget, and he''s approved of it."


    "Finally," Sigmund said jokingly. "I thought we''re going to be innkeepers until the end of the year."


    "Mister Sigmund, are you not going to work in the inn anymore? You''re not a Servant, so isn''t it dangerous for you to keep on pretending as one?"


    "What! I''d rather be a miner than stay cooped up in this boring place," he retorted.


    "Sigmund, the town guards and the others knew you''re Ivory''s Servant, so you can come. We will just meet Lycus in the secret pathway we made," Lucius then commented. "Starting next week, we are going to guard the mines. The Principal arranged it for us to patrol at nighttime. Fortunately, we were granted special permission to patrol the whole mining area."


    Fiora was worried about what they were planning to do, but she knew so well that her responsibility was only the inn. She promised to them that she''d support them by cooking dinner and making sure that their bedrooms are squeaky clean.


    When afternoon came, there were ten applicants who went for the interview, and all of them were locals. Lucius, Fiora, and Ivory stayed in a vacant room where they called the applicants in one by one. Sigmund stayed at the door, while Lycus was in the lobby to watch over the applicants yet to be interviewed.


    "Hi, my name is Ingrid," the woman had red-colored powder dye on her eyelids, and white powder all over her face, not matching the color of her skin tone. She also wore a ruffled, bright pink dress.


    "Hello, Miss Ingrid. Why do you want to apply here in Precious Inn?" asked Lucius.


    "Oh, it''s because¡­" she giggled when she met his eyes. "You''re handsome, so I want to be close to you¡­"


    "Apologies, but you failed this interview¡­ NEXT!" Fiora said and rolled her eyes. How dare she try to flirt with the person she liked!


    When she left with a frown, the next applicant then came.


    He was a man with a good build, and his body features were almost similar to Sigmund. He''s also quite good-looking and his beautiful striking lime-green irises complemented the dangling earring on his left ear. When he smiled, his dimples were showing.


    After fixing his brown brushed up hair, he started to introduce himself, "My name is Zen, eighteen, and I live beside the town marketplace."


    "Hello, Zen," Fiora sparked an interest in the man, "What can you do for our inn? Do you do household chores, or chop wood?"


    "I am... good at math, so I can help you with managing the budget," he added, "I started to do multiplication at age four-"


    "Impressive!" Ivory couldn''t help but praise the math prodigy because she''s weak at math.


    "What bullshit," Sigmund reacted, "It''s obvious that he''s bluffing. No other kid can do that-"


    "It''s not impossible. I learned multiplication at the age of four as well," Lucius commented, and they were all shocked with this revelation.


    Fiora then asked another question, "Aside from doing mathematics¡­ Can you cook?"


    "No¡­ But I am willing to learn anything."


    "That''s great!" Ivory said. He liked the positive attitude of the young lad, "You''re hired!"


    Sigmund almost retorted because he didn''t want a potential rival to join them, but Lucius spoke ahead of him, "You''re hired. Can you please sign this scroll?"


    Zen nodded. While they watched him write legibly in an elegant and cursive handwriting, Ivory and Lucius widened their eyes in shock when she saw him put his full name.


    It was ''Zen Silverblade''.

 Chapter 148 - "The Second Case Of Dark Mana In Topazeon"

    "Excuse me, Mister Zen, how are you related to the previous royal family, the Silverblades?" Ivory asked. Could it be that he''s the heir she needed to find? If that''s the case, she and Sigmund would be together sooner than she expected!


    "Apologies. How can I erase my surname?" Zen suddenly asked, dodging Ivory''s question. He forgot that his parents told him to hide it. "I made a mistake."


    "If you really are a true Silverblade, please do not be afraid. We are your allies," Lucius explained.


    "Ah, then¡­ Alright. Please do not show this to anyone," he told them. "When will I start working?"


    Fiora replied with a smile, "You may start tomorrow. Would you rather take the morning, or the night shift?"


    "The night shift, please."


    As soon as Zen left the room, Sigmund approached them and asked, "Is he really a Silverblade?"


    "He put it in his name, but he wanted to remove it. Did he really make an error, or was it because he let his guard down, that''s why he accidentally put in his real surname?" Ivory wondered.


    Lucius noticed that Fiora looked at them in a confused expression, "Can you get us a jar of water?"


    "Sure!"


    When the receptionist went out of the room and closed the door, they continued their conversation.


    Ivory asked her Vampire Servant, "Can you sense his mana?"


    But he shook his head. "He''s a normal person."


    "Then he''s not the one we''re looking for," she sighed. "Geez, I thought it was the prince."


    "He did not have a birthmark in his arm. I''ve seen the prince''s mark, so I am sure it''s not him," Sigmund said. "If he''s Prince Levian, his mana should be plentiful."


    "Anyhow, we should keep him with us. What if he''s really a Silverblade?" Lucius suggested. "Let us get to know him more."


    Hours passed, and the three applicants were finally decided on.


    The mathematics whiz Zen Silverblade would be assigned in managing the budget and shopping for goods and supplies.


    The young lady who lived next door, Grisha Mayward, would be assigned to do the household chores and cooking.


    And finally, the middle-aged man and ex-town guard named Trevor Drumelt would be assigned to do the heavy chores. He will also serve as a guard for the inn.


    Now that the Precious Inn staff were completed, it was finally opened after two days of training them for their duties.


    One day, while Zen was allocating the budget alone at the receptionist''s desk, Ivory went to him and asked, "Zen, can I meet your parents?" She was curious if Zen knew of the Silverblade prince.


    "Is there something you need?" he glanced at her and paused what he was doing.


    She nodded, "Please. I want to ask them something really important."


    "I see," he smiled, and his dimples showed, "Would you like to meet them later?"


    "Sure! That would be great!" she beamed a smile at him.


    Sigmund, who heard this conversation, interrupted them, "I''ll come as well."


    And so, after Zen''s shift, he led them to his humble abode. Like most houses, his home had a curved facade with a yellow round door. The whole roof was also covered with moss and the walkway was surrounded with small flowers.


    "Come in, please. Sit down, and feel at home," Zen uttered, then went to fetch his parents in the laundry area.


    Sigmund and Ivory sat on the sofa in the small yet cozy living room, which was just beside the dining area. They looked around, curious if there were traces of the past royal family, but they did not see anything unusual at all.


    It only had verdun green winged chairs in front of the fireplace with a two-colored rectangular rug underneath. There were some scrolls on top of the fireplace shelf, some small decors, and nothing more.


    A moment later, Zen returned with an old couple, whom he introduced as his parents.


    But as soon as Sigmund sensed their mana, he grabbed Ivory''s arm to stand up and then pulled her behind him.


    "Sigmund? What''s wrong?" Ivory asked worriedly. She looked back at the old couple, who stared blankly at them.


    "Ivory¡­ They''re infested with Dark Mana," he fixed his gaze at the couple.


    "What!?"


    Zen was already confused with the behavior they had been showing, and without delay, Ivory grabbed a chalk from the shelf above the fireplace and started drawing a big, magic symbol at the door.


    "Can you please tell me what''s going on here?" the young man creased his brows.


    "Zen Silverblade¡­ Do you know that they might not be your parents? And maybe if they''re really your parents, apologies, but they''re not in their right minds anymore," Sigmund voiced out, watching the old couple carefully.


    "I''m done, Sigmund. Let''s get out of here, or else we''ll be harmed as well."


    "Oh shoot. I forgot we both have some Dark Mana in us," Sigmund slowly moved backwards towards the door. As soon as the old couple walked towards them like zombies, he and Ivory quickly stepped out and closed the door!


    Sigmund held the door, while Ivory placed her palm on the surface. Concentrating her mana on the other side of the door where the magic symbol was drawn, she closed her eyes and said the incantations.


    Through the small gaps of the door and the windows, they saw the inside of the room glowed with a blinding white light. They did not only hear the old couple shriek in pain, but also heard Zen crying. Ivory felt bad for the young lad, but she had no other choice. She had to cleanse the old couple, and they had to know why they were infested with Dark Mana in the first place!


    Black smoke came out from the windows. When it dissipated into thin air and there was no more screaming, Ivory and Sigmund went back inside. They saw Zen kneeling beside his parents, trying to wake them up.


    Ivory bent down and patted Zen''s back, "Do not worry. They''ll wake up later."


    "What did you do to them? What happened?" the crying man asked.


    It was Sigmund who explained the situation, "We took out the evil entity within them. It''s something you might not understand. But now that they''re cleansed, they''ll be back to their usual selves."


    They waited for Zen to calm down and afterwards, Sigmund helped him carry the old couple to their bedroom. Later on, they both woke up, confused about what happened.


    "Mother, Father, how are you feeling?" Zen asked with tears in his eyes. He was so relieved that they had already woken up.


    The old couple looked at each other, before one of them said, "Apologies, but¡­ who are you?"


    His brows raised, "I am your son, Zen."


    "But we do not have a son¡­"


    They were all surprised. How come they could not remember Zen? It was only the Dark Mana that they removed, not the memories.


    While Zen talked with his parents and tried to make them remember him, Ivory took Sigmund to the corner of the room.


    She said discreetly, "Are there cases wherein the memories while having Dark Mana are forgotten? If I remember correctly, those we cleansed are aware of what they did. Remember when the thirty maid servants were cleansed? They said that they could not control themselves. That means they knew that it was out of their own will."


    Sigmund sighed, "Ivory, we still have a lot of questions about this Dark Mana. I also wonder if the Dark Mana is also the reason why I could not remember everything that happened during the time I was framed to be the murderer of the Silverblade family."


    "It can be the reason. Just look at what happened," she responded, worried about Zen. His parents did not die, but they could not remember him. It was almost the same as dying.


    "Or perhaps, there might be a separate enchantment spell that suppressed or altered their memories."


    Ivory suggested, "Let''s take Zen with us. How about it?"


    "As long as he''s not a hindrance to me and you¡­" Sigmund whispered, and Ivory pinched his bicep.


    "Choose a time to joke around, you meanie," she said, then rolled her eyes on him. Ivory then approached the old couple, and took the chance to ask how much they do remember.


    After some thinking, the old man shared what''s on his mind, "I can''t remember anything at all."


    "Even so, are you willing to take Zen, and treat you both as his parents-"


    "Apologies, but we have daughters living in Sapphiros Town. If we''re gone for too long, they''ll be worried about us¡­ We might have to travel there very soon," the old lady replied. "I am sure, the real parents of this young man might also still be looking for him."


    Zen furrowed his brows. He knew he could not bring back the happy past anymore. "Every joy I experienced with the two of you as my parents were fake after all," he rushed out with heavy steps, then ran hastily in the marketplace while crying.

 Chapter 149 - "Ivory And Sigmunds Teenager Son"

    Ivory and Sigmund went after him, worried that he might do something reckless, but it became easier for them to catch up to him because he had no mana. When they turned to a corner of the small street, it was a dead end, and Zen only knelt down. In his mind, there was no more hope for him, just like how he ended up on that blocked path.


    He broke down and cried as loud as he could, while Ivory and Sigmund let him take out his sadness. Afterwards, Zen let Ivory and Sigmund bring him back to the inn. Together with Lucius and Lycus, they talked with him in a vacant room.


    "I can''t remember anything, but I can only remember them as my real parents. At this point, I do not know myself anymore," Zen uttered as his tears trickled down his cheeks. He then drank water from a cup given by Lycus.


    Lucius reacted, "This will be hard. We need to know if you are truly of the Silverblade clan."


    "You never had a birthmark of Destinia, right?" Lycus asked. Upon seeing him nod, he added, "I heard¡­ that those of the Silverblade clan had immunity against Dark Mana. Even if you aren''t a Chosen One, you are protected by your powerful lineage."


    "Where did you hear that from?" Sigmund asked, raising his brow.


    "From... a trusted source."


    Zen then said, "The parents I recognize just call me Zen. All I knew was their surnames were Silverblade, but they told me to never reveal it because it is too dangerous. All my life, I stayed in Topazeon, and my only hobby is reading scrolls about mathematics and science. And all they did was to cook for me and buy me scrolls for my own entertainment, but not once did I ask where the money came from."


    As they heard Zen tell them his story, they were saddened about the lies they fed to him. But who was the culprit? Who controlled the old couple all these years, and brainwashed Zen into believing that they''re his real parents?


    Most of all, why did the Dark Mana controller let him live, and why did he or she let Zen remember his surname?


    "Zen, listen to me," Ivory stared at his face, "From now on, we are going to be your family. You can stay here at Precious Inn for as long as you want."


    "Thank you¡­ But I am not sure how I''d live without knowing my real parents-"


    "For now, I can be your mother, and this guy here," she pointed at Sigmund, "He can be your father."


    "What the heck, Ivory. He''s freakin'' eighteen, and he''s almost an adult. I am sure he will not like the idea-"


    Zen uttered, "I accept you as my father, Mister Sigmund," and a subtle smile escaped from his lips, then wiped his tears. At that time, he felt fortunate that he met them and thought of coming with them.


    Sigmund froze and could not believe his reaction, but he just let Ivory''s ridiculous idea because the young man seemed depressed. Perhaps, Ivory wanted to somewhat ease the pain he''s feeling.


    They were all called for supper and went towards the kitchen. Grisha already prepared stir-fry mushrooms and savory pork ribs. Although Zen could not eat that much because of the unfortunate thing that happened, he praised her cooking and smiled. Grisha slightly blushed at his positive remark and found his dimples cute!


    After a proper meal, Zen was led to his room. As soon as he changed into his gartered pants and light tunic, he laid down on the bed.


    Ivory tucked him in, and Zen smiled, showing his dimples. He said, "Father, Mother¡­ Thank you."


    "Sweet dreams, Zen," she patted his head, then glanced at Sigmund, who kept on staring at them by the door. "Why are you so quiet there?"


    "I was just wondering when I will get used to this," he smirked, "Should we use this opportunity to practice being parents?"


    With those words, Ivory turned beet red. How nice would it be, if she could marry her beloved Sigmund. She wondered if under the Goddess'' grace, would they be able to have children?


    Zen fell asleep while the couple was talking to each other. With this, Ivory and Sigmund left his room, and closed the door.


    "I''m sleepy," Ivory told her Vampire Servant. They were about to head towards her room, but someone spoke behind them.


    "Wait up," Lucius furrowed his brows and looked at the two of them suspiciously. He then faced Ivory with a frown, "I understand that you''re both in a relationship, but as your brother, I am responsible for your safety."


    Hearing his warning, the Vampire blocked his way and retorted, "What the hell, rich boy? I will never harm your sister. Don''t you see how much I care for her?"


    Lucius looked around, making sure that there were no other people. He said in a lower tone, "I know you are a Servant, but you are an unusual one. What if due to your recklessness, Ivory gets pregnant or something? Do you want the next generation of our clan to be cursed?"


    The two did not think of that beforehand, and they already made love! All they wanted was to cherish each other, and make up for the time they had lost during the time they were afraid of facing their true feelings.


    "But Lucius¡­ is it possible?" she questioned, "Can a Servant have children?"


    Lucius shrugged, "Under pure human logic, no. But only Goddess Destinia has the definite answer to that," he then glared at the Vampire and grabbed his arm, "You will be sleeping in Zen''s bedroom. There''s an extra bed there."


    "What? Are you kidding me? Why will I-"


    "Zen is your son now, so you should try to get closer to him," the blonde young man chuckled, obviously testing his patience. He turned to his sister, "Ivory, please understand. Although you are my older sister, our parents gave me the responsibility to watch over you. If you go back home with a child inside your womb, how will I explain it to them?"


    Ivory saw the seriousness in Lucius'' expression. She knew he had always looked out for her, and that she''s always troubling him by her life choices and risky decisions. But even so, he was kind enough not to send personal letters and let Principal Arthurdane or General Darius Goldwine know.


    "Fine. For our parents," Ivory finally told Lucius, and she saw him sigh in relief.


    "I can''t do anything about it, now that Ivory has spoken," Sigmund said. "But I still need to replenish mana daily. I want a private moment with her every night."


    "Okay," Lucius nodded at him. "But you only have five minutes!"


    "What? At least give me an hour!"


    "A lot of things can happen in an hour. I do not trust your human desires, Sigmund," he narrowed his eyes as he spoke.


    Ivory yawned, and so she uttered, "I need to rest now. Cleansing two people has depleted a lot of my stamina and mana."


    "Are you going to shower? I will warm up your bath- Hey, let me go!"


    Lucius immediately pulled his arm before he could even go inside Ivory''s room. He took him inside Zen''s room and left him there. Then, he went back to Ivory, "I hope you''re not disappointed in me."


    "I was disappointed in you¡­ But now I know about who you really are, I understand you better, so¡­"


    The blonde young man, happy that his sister finally understood him, grabbed her hands and clenched it subtly. "You can treat me as your close friend, just like before, okay?" he peered into her light blue irises. "You can tell me everything. I mean it."


    She nodded at her kind brother and gave him a warm hug. She got teary-eyed and emotional about it, "Thank you for everything, Lucius," then she stepped back and said goodnight.


    ¡­


    The next day, Ivory was awakened by the smell of meat being grilled. The aroma was so close, that it made her jump off her bed instantly. When she opened her windows, she saw Sigmund and Zen outside, who were grilling meat attached to a wooden board over an open fire.


    "Mother, good morning," Zen said with a bright smile. "Father is teaching me how to grill meat¡­ I have never tried it in my entire life."


    "So why do you have to grill near my window?" she put her hands on her waist, "Was it your idea, Sigmund?"


    "How did you know?" The Vampire chuckled, "It is more effective than us waking you up."


    "You meanie," Ivory pouted, and the two boys gave a short laugh.


    "By the way, you and Lucius need to condition yourselves again. We''re about to go back to patrolling duties. Fortunately, we''re assigned at night time, so we can sneak around the mines with less chance of us being seen."


    "Okay, Sigmund. Let us have a meeting about it later," Ivory then climbed her window and hopped to reach the two. She sat beside Zen and told him to get a knife and a place from the kitchen.


    But when he was about to stand up, he felt a sudden headache. He held his head and laid on the ground, and due to the intense pain he was feeling, he kept on yelling, until he passed out!

 Chapter 150 - "The Master Without A Servant-1" (extra)

    -----------


    NOTE: This is a very important extra chapter which introduces a very important person! Reading this will make you understand the upcoming main story chapters :)


    -----------


    Umbria City was the wealthiest city in the Land of Rosaria. The special thing about it was its view of the Silverblade Castle behind the terraced houses, which had vibrant colors, cascading down the hillside.


    Nobles rode their eye-catching carriages adorned with intricate designs. Those who were fond of spending their pot of wealth walk around town in their expensive outfits. They always brought with them their butlers or maidservants, letting them carry the things they bought.


    A brown-haired young man, with calm indigo blue eyes, strolled the busy streets while looking around the extravagant shops. Judging from his outfit - a white shirt with a standing collar underneath a brown overalls and light brown boots - he did not belong to the upper class. His shoulder armor on his left shoulder and light brown mitts had scratches, and the bandage on his right arm had a little dirt on the surface.


    Since his clothes were ripped by the thorny bushes when he set a camp in the forest, he wanted to buy himself something comfortable to wear.. As he panned his sight to the glass windows of the clothing shops, he narrowed his eyes on the wooden price labels.


    "A thousand silver coins for a freakin'' belt? No way," he murmured to himself as he shook his head. Disappointed, he walked past it and peeked at the next shop.


    He widened his eyes on the most beautiful mantle he had ever seen. The ermine trimmed royal blue mantle was hand-woven using purple silk velvet and satin with golden embroideries on the edges of it. The collar was also hand-woven with white silk.


    As he was imagining himself wearing it, the female shopkeeper went out of the shop and looked at him from head to toe. Although the brown-haired guy had a handsome face, the cheap and worn-out clothes he wore made her assume that he''s a lowly peasant!


    The shopkeeper asked, "That is the King''s mantle. It is worth ten thousand gold coins, so I am very sure you will never afford it." She then started explaining that her clothing shop has been one of the official dressmakers and tailors of the Royal Family for generations. "A nobody like you will never get to wear this. So get lost, or you will bring misfortune to my store! Scram!"


    But the young man just chuckled, "Apologies, but you''ll regret this day," then he left, leaving her dumbfounded.


    The young man had been to Umbria City a couple of times, and every time, he would get disappointed because of the rude people around him. The city was full of snobbish nobles who were hungry for attention, and desperate shopkeepers who were quick to judge their customers by their appearances.


    As a long-time adventurer, he had already seen all the cities and towns in the Kingdom. The most peaceful place was Valios City where the Sanctuary of the Goddess was located and the locals were kind and hospitable. But his favorite place was Sapphiros Town, which was the strictest but safest for him, because people from the castle were not allowed to enter.


    There''s one place that he had not yet visited after a very long time - the Silverblade Castle. As he was only around six years old at that time, he couldn''t remember much of what it looked like on the inside.


    The brown-haired man gave up on finding good clothes for him. He walked and walked until he reached the Umbrian Bridge, which connected the city to the main road. It was a stone bridge in which the balustrade was decorated with stone statues of dragons that were sculpted by one of the most famous sculptors in Prisma Town.


    He stopped for a while at the bridge and gazed at the view of the Silverblade Castle. As he sighed, he wondered when he''d be able to reclaim the throne that was said to be destined for him.


    A while ago, he had a morning nap while he slept under an oak tree. He dreamed about a cousin who did not know him anymore and introduced himself as someone who lived so far away. Both of them were chatting idly in that dream, to the point that he wondered what the point of that dream was. Even so, for Levi, it was such a pleasant moment, because he had not seen him after a very long time.


    Actually, he kept on dreaming about some of his relatives these past few days, but he never dreamed about his father who died in the Silverblade Castle.


    "Levi!" someone who was in a pleasant horse-drawn carriage suddenly called his name when it passed by. It was Cael, the adopted son of the Gilmore family head who owns a couple of restaurants around the Land of Rosaria.


    Levi immediately recognized his friend''s short silver hair and lavender-colored eyes as the carriage stopped in front of him. He waited for him to be assisted by the coachman in stepping down from the carriage.


    "Cael, you bigshot!" he flashed a wide smile as he saw his friend cladded in a blue suit with white cape placed over his shoulder. "Until now I can''t believe you''re one of the nobles. It feels like yesterday when you and I were still camping out in the woods."


    "Father said he wanted to adopt us both, but you refused," Cael sighed. Then, they both leaned on the railing. He told him discreetly, "I thought that being a noble can make you reclaim the throne easier, that''s why when I heard he''d like to adopt some sons in his household, I wrote our name in his scroll of choices."


    "Thank you, but I have another plan. Being a noble means being watched by many, and my cover will be blown by then. I want to stay lowkey, and attack that shitty Dragonicus King at the least moment he expected."


    "But Father is a supporter of the late King, so you will be safe-"


    "I''ve been through a lot during my travels, and I have learned to trust no one but myself."


    "But you have to trust us Werewolves," he whispered, "We traded our wolf ears to the Goddess just to conceal ourselves from the enemies, and live independently without Masters. You''ll need us once you fight with the forces of Dragonicus, and we''ll make sure to protect you until the last string of our mana. You know that we''ll do our best to be of use to you, Your Highness."


    Levi sighed, "Call me Levi. Did you forget? I told you to be informal with me. It''s an order," then patted Cael''s head momentarily. "Alright, here''s the plan. I need you to stay as a noble and tell me what''s going on within your circle."


    "Yes, I got it. I will make sure to tell you everything I''ll discover."


    With that, Cael offered Levi to ride his carriage and he agreed, then after a couple of minutes on the road, he was dropped off to Prisma City.


    The city of arts is colorful, and as Levi walked on the cobblestoned road, some street artists offered to give him a sketch, but he only gave them a gold coin and said that he''s very busy. The artists thanked his kindness and then bid their goodbyes.


    In that colorful and lively area, where there were half-timbered houses painted with bright colors, there was one place wherein he felt shivers down his spine whenever he passed by. It was the Prisma Gallery, which was a beige-colored half-timber building with a flat clay tile roof.


    He never once entered that place. Something inside of him had been telling him not to go.


    "Hey! Move!" a man in leather armor yelled, and Levi was startled.


    But the calling was not for him; it was for a four-year-old girl who suddenly crossed the street. She did not notice the horse galloping towards her.


    Without hesitation, Levi jumped off towards the center to save the girl and embraced her. He then used Air magic pushing them forward to go to the other side of the street quickly.


    The man stopped his horse and told them, "I am one of the King''s messengers!" he checked the pocket watch attached to his belt, "Damn it, I''m bringing important scrolls, and they can''t even be compared to your life!"


    Levi almost responded in an angry manner, but he stopped himself. It would not be wise to attract attention. Him using his Silverblade mana was a dangerous move to do, and he wished that no one noticed what he just did.


    When the rude man left, the little girl wiped her tears, and told her hero, "Thank you, mister!"


    Levi smiled sweetly at her and they both stood up. He helped her remove the dirt off her dress, "You''re welcome. Be careful from now on, okay?" When the girl was fetched by her worried mother, he decided to walk around to find himself a place to stay.


    But then, someone suddenly grabbed his arm!

 Chapter 151 - "The Master Without A Servant-2" (extra)

    The one who stopped him was a guy with cyan hair and violet striking eyes. A cute cub with thick, golden white fur and six golden horns stood behind him, and Levi immediately figured that the animal was a Beast Servant in its inactive state. He was dressed in all leather - a dark brown doublet and trousers, a leather vest with leather baldric, and boots.


    Wondering what the Master wanted in him, Levi asked, "Uhh mister. Can you please get your hand off me?" and he felt like his grip was getting tighter. "What do you want?" his voice was already getting a bit louder in annoyance.


    "Are you a Master?" he asked. "Where''s your Servant?"


    He feigned ignorance, and he pretended to be weak so that he''d let him go.


    "I saw what you did a while ago. You cannot fool me," he narrowed his eyes on him. "That was Air magic, wasn''t it?"


    "What are you talking about?" Levi still tried to convince him. "I know I am fast, and it''s all thanks to my reflexes. There''s no magic involved- Hey!" he yelled as the man grabbed his collar.


    "I am Xenos, and I was once a Royal Knight. Your lies won''t convince someone like me."


    He glared at him, knowing that he served his mortal enemy, "So you are an underling of that idiot?"


    "What did you say-"


    Levi''s unexpected words caught Xenos off guard. He quickly pushed him away and he stumbled on the ground. The Silverblade heir ran as fast as he could. Who knows what the Royal Knight might do to him!


    Bavin, Xenos'' bear Beast Servant, sensed the urgency to catch the brown-haired young man. He turned into his large bear form and as soon as Xenos stood up, he rode the Servant and went after him!


    Levi knew that using mana in public places is not allowed, unless there is a fairly good reason that''s why he chose not to use magic. When they were still running along the crowded road, he then found an alley in between two tall buildings, which had no people.


    As soon as he turned there, he used Water magic to build a wall of ice, blocking Xenos'' way!


    "Damn it," Xenos muttered. Never did he expect the lad to be smart and fast in casting magic!


    The bear Beast Servant stared at the wall of ice for a short while. He nudged Xenos at his back, as a sign that he wanted him to move aside. With Fire magic, he ignited his six golden horns, then made sure that the tips faced the obstacle. He moved back a little, then charged forward!


    Bavin hit the ice wall with his horns, making it crack, until it eventually, fully broke into pieces. The ice pieces turned into water, soaking the alley with ankle deep water, and the path was successfully unblocked.


    Xenos walked towards the Servant he fully trusts and rubbed its chin, "Good boy! Let us try to catch up with him, but before that, I will..."


    Meanwhile, Levi slid himself into another very narrow alley. He knew that if ever Xenos would catch up to him, the raging bear would not fit in. That would be one less of his troubles.


    With careful steps, he walked forward and put away the trash and all the worn-out canvases and dried up paint buckets that were piled up there. After long minutes of walking, he grinned when he saw the bright road at the end of that passage!


    But he was surprised that when he finally got out of that, ten city guards and four knights suddenly surrounded him!


    The knights, who were also Chosen Ones, caught Levi using Earth magic in the form of hardened clay to trap his feet and legs.


    Levi almost used his magic to free himself, but he chose not to because a crowd was already watching them. It would not be wise for his cover to be blown.


    "Thanks as always, everyone," Xenos came, riding on his Beast Servant, "Even though I am not a Royal Knight anymore, you still do me some favors." He then went down and Bavin turned into a cute cub once again.


    "It''s nothing. We just did our job," one of the knights uttered. "What did this man do to offend the well-respected Mister Xenos Joltane?"


    Xenos chuckled with how his former colleague praised him. He explained, "I just want to check on something." He carried Bavin in his arms and slowly approached Levi. He asked, "Why did you run away, huh? What are you hiding?"


    Deep inside, Levi was already annoyed and he just wanted to get it over with.


    Bavin stared at the bandage on Levi''s right arm. It became quite loose, and one end of it was hanging down. While the Master interrogated Levi, the bored little bear bit the hanging bandage, then pulled it numerous times. Although Levi tried to put his hands away from the playful bear, the hardened clay restricted his movements, and the bandage fell down!


    Xenos was shocked to see the bluish birthmark of Destinia in Levi''s arm. Did he misjudge him and mistook him for someone who had Dark Mana? If he was truly a Chosen One, where was his Servant, and why was he afraid to be caught using magic?


    Levi told Xenos to get near him, and he did as he was told. He whispered, "I am a Chosen One, but I have not summoned my Servant yet."


    "But how can you use magic without summoning a Servant?" he replied.


    "My overflowing mana has been my problem since I was a kid," the brown-haired young man said. "Someone taught me to control it so that it won''t harm my body."


    Xenos stared at him for quite a long while, thinking about what to do to him. Bavin hopped down to the ground and pounced on the bandage, playing with it with his paws.


    "I have decided," Xenos uttered. "Let''s bring him to Qawiun Academy. I need the help of the Principal."


    The knights and the town guards made sure that Levi''s hands were tied with an enchanted, thick rope to prevent him from casting magic. They then took him in a horse-drawn carriage belonging to one of the knights. Xenos thanked them, then rode on that same carriage.


    Xenos and Levi sat in front of each other. While Levi''s hands were tied, he was viewing the scenery outside. Xenos was observing Levi very carefully because he was afraid that the rope would loosen and he would escape. Thankfully, he was well-behaved, even when they stopped at some towns for a rest.


    After more than seven hours, they arrived at Qawiun Academy. Still not taking off the thick rope on his hands, Xenos assisted him to go down the carriage and walked towards Principal Arthurdane''s office.


    "Sir Xenos! It''s good to see you again!" the Principal greeted him with a big smile. "What brings you here today?"

 Chapter 152 - "The Master Without A Servant-3" (extra)

    "Well, it''s because of this guy," he pointed to him as he held his arm. "He has an odd case. He seems to be telling the truth, but I am not yet that sure. I want your opinion, Sir Arthurdane."


    The Principal examined him from head to toe. He noticed the bluish, faint birthmark of Destinia in his arm, "Hmmm¡­ It seemed to be quite different from our marks. I am going to call the other Educators for their opinions." He then asked someone outside to call some of the Educators who were available at the time.


    Soon after, Educators Rosanna of the Swordsmanship class, Educator Alphonse of the Tactics class, and Educator Wallace of the Magic class arrived at the Principal''s office.


    Levi stayed quiet yet cautious as the Educators examined his birthmark. Educator Wallace even opened some of his old scrolls for reference, while Educators Rosanna and Alphonse interrogated him.


    "So you mean, you have been using magic, but have no Servant?" Educator Alphonse asked.


    Levi nodded. "Yes, since I was a kid¡­ Now, can you let me go? My wrists are hurting-"


    "What if you use magic on us?!" Educator Rosanna glared at him. "No way!"


    Educator Wallace, on the other hand, widened his eyes when he saw the similar mark of Levi on the old, worn-out scroll. "Here it is!" He continued reading it, and as he read the words out loud, he gaped in shock.


    Levi had the same characteristic of the harp-shaped birthmark of Destinia of the late king, Ulysses Silverblade. Only those who had birthmarks with bluish color could be crowned as King.


    With this, Educator Wallace asked him, "Is your name perhaps¡­ His Highness Levian Silverblade?"


    Levi nodded, the Educator then knelt down in front of him and said in a loud tone, "Our Goddess had kept His Highness safe! Apologies for our rudeness, Prince Levian!"


    The others who had heard of it quickly knelt down in front of him. Although they were still quite confused as to how he ended up being tied by Xenos, his birthmark and the old scroll were the solid evidence of its genuinity.


    "I appreciate that you all recognized me as a Prince even though our family was already forced out of the castle¡­ But can you please untie me now?"


    Xenos immediately stood up and took the thick rope from him. "I apologize¡­ I thought you had Dark Mana, and I was alarmed, so-"


    "I''ve heard of this Dark Mana before, but I thought it was just mere hearsay," Levi asked them all to stand up.


    "But Prince Levian¡­ Where is your Servant?" Principal Arthurdane asked worriedly. The only place where Masters could summon their Servants was Qawiun Academy.


    "If you still do not know yet, ever since I was a kid, my mana became uncontrollable. It seeped out of my body because there were too plenty and my body could not hold all of it. Good thing someone taught me to control it at a young age¡­ Anyway, that man had betrayed my family, so let us not talk about it."


    "I have a suggestion," Educator Rosanna said, "How about summoning your Servant now?"


    "That''s a great idea, indeed!" Principal Arthurdane responded, "With you three Educators here, we can set up an effective Summoning circle in the coliseum-"


    "I do not want to catch too much attention."


    "Hmm¡­ How about setting it up here?" Educator Alphonse suggested, "Let''s move all the furniture to the side."


    And with that, they rearranged all the things in the Principal''s office to be able to draw a large summoning circle in the middle. They even rolled the large, square carpet to the side.


    Educator Wallace took a wooden container of enchanted, white chalk and started drawing the magic circle, while Educator Alphonse positioned the crystal ball on the Principal''s desk. Educator Rosanna gave Levi the instructions, that he should concentrate his mana onto the crystal ball, and not let go of it until they finished the summoning ritual. Principal Arthurdane placed a sound barrier so that no one would suspect anything happening inside his office, while Xenos and the Educators'' Servants were the ones who guarded outside the room.


    When everything was ready, Levi stood at the side, and as instructed, he placed both his hands onto the crystal ball and transferred mana on it.


    Soon after, the summoning circle had a white glow. The Educators made sure that no magic would slip off the circle.


    Then suddenly, the white glow was out. But there was no Servant inside.


    "What happened?" the Principal asked, "Why was the holy Servant not summoned?"


    The Educators examined the circle. Everything''s set and okay, but the white powder of the chalk became blue. It means that the Servant was already summoned before!


    They explained this, and Levi was confused. He never set foot into any summoning circles before, so how did that happen?


    Educator Alphonse then asked, "Your Highness, did you have any dream prior to this day? A pre-summoning dream where you can see your servant. You must have dreamt something unusual this week?"


    "Hmm¡­ Something unusual?" Levi tried hard to remember all the dreams that he had in the past days. He mostly dreamed of his relatives, but in all those dreams, he only had idle chats with them.


    But he then recalled a dream that did not involve a family or relative.


    "There was one¡­ quite unusual dream," he uttered.


    "What is it?"


    "In my dream, there was a woman whom I chased¡­" Levi paused talking when he remembered the beautiful woman he was referring to. Her eyes were pretty light-blue like the sky, and her long, silver hair as glossy as silk threads swayed as she ran away from him. "It was weird, she kept on running away from me."


    "I have a theory about what your dream meant, your Highness," Educator Wallace said in a serious tone, "I think it was destined for you to search for your missing Servant."

 Chapter 153 - "Why The Vampire Servant Hates The Werewolves"

    Grisha and Trevor took over in grilling the meat while Ivory and Sigmund worriedly watched over Zen in his room. They waited for him to wake up. Ivory frequently checked his breathing; fortunately, it seemed like he was not in pain anymore.


    But he had rapid eye movements as if he''s currently in a dream, so Ivory observed him carefully, and it didn''t seem like he''s having a nightmare.


    "He''s smiling," Sigmund said while observing him as well, "I wonder what he''s dreaming of."


    Ivory was relieved that he was not having a nightmare, but why did he suddenly have that odd headache and fell asleep? It was as if he was forced to sleep!


    After two hours, Zen woke up. He rose up from his bed, and as soon as he saw Sigmund by the door, he excitedly said, "Father! You know what? I had a nice dream!" he approached him as his eyes beamed with excitement and continued, "I was walking in the forest, and then I saw someone sitting on a tree stump. When he saw me, he called me Zeny, as if we were close. Turns out he''s my cousin, and my father is the brother of his father!"


    Sigmund did not know how to react to the overjoyed young man. He was so quick in narrating his dream that the Vampire still had to process what he was talking about!


    "He said that his name is¡­ Levian."


    This caught the attention of Sigmund, and coincidentally, Ivory had just entered the room, bringing with her a bowl of mashed potato. She also heard about it, and she asked Zen to tell them more of his dream.


    "He said¡­ that he had no control over his dreams, and it might be the Goddess who did it to us. It must be a way for us to communicate despite not knowing where the others are," Zen ge gave a worried expression. "He said that I should stay here and keep a low profile. He''s worried since I am not a Chosen One, and my life will be in more danger if the enemies would find me, so he said that he''d come for me once our clan has regained its glory."


    Ivory smiled at Zen, "We will help His Highness Prince Levian to regain the glory of the Silverblades. Don''t you worry¡­ Here, you must be hungry," she gave him the bowl of mashed potatoes.


    Zen jokingly looked for the grilled meat that they previously cooked, and Ivory said that nothing''s left. But, they expect to receive money from the academy next week, so they can buy more meat. Ivory then caught Sigmund staring blankly at nothing. He seemed to be in deep thought.


    After looking after Zen, Ivory asked Sigmund to accompany her in the forest to hang out. She was led to one of the tallest and oldest oak trees in the area. It had a big trunk with branches that spread vastly in the sky. He then carried her to one of the sturdy and thick branches of the tree.


    "Hold onto me, okay?" The Vampire uttered. When he saw Ivory confused on where to put her hand, "Nevermind. I will hold you." He then placed his arms on her waist, moving her closer to him.


    As usual, Ivory felt the sweetness of her lover, but she was wondering what he was thinking about. She asked in a worried tone, "So¡­ what''s on your mind? You were quiet when our son was telling you what he dreamed of."


    He chuckled when he heard Ivory called Zen their son. As expected, he couldn''t get used to it. "I was just wondering how the Prince is. He was only six when I last saw him."


    She nodded at him. Although she knew that it would be unfair to Sigmund, Ivory still chose not to say that she was already involved with Werewolves. But what if she tells him now?


    "Sigmund¡­ The late king had a Werewolf Servant, and you and your Master served him, so why do you dislike Werewolves?"


    As soon as she asked this, she felt Sigmund''s grip on her waist tighten.


    "Ivory. I found out that my Master was pregnant, and the Werewolf Servant of King Ulysses refused to tell me who the father was. He was the only one with her that night in the tavern, and he couldn''t even protect her!"


    Ivory widened her eyes in shock. King Ulysses'' Werewolf Servant? He was referring to the Alpha Werewolf, Wolfram, whom she met a couple of times in her dreams!


    He continued ranting, "But sometimes, I even wonder why the King was protecting her so much. Therefore, I also thought about the possibility of Master Deshanna bearing a child of the Silverblades. Until I was unsummoned by the past Oracle, I never knew the answer."


    But Ivory set that thought aside at that moment and focused on the emotional Sigmund. Seeing her beloved Servant''s irises turn red in anger for remembering the past, she caressed his cheek to calm him down. "Sigmund¡­ At times like these, I wish that you weren''t a flawed Servant so you can be devoid of negative emotions."


    "Ivory¡­" he took hold of the hand that was caressing him, and kissed its back, "You are the only one I''ve got now. I will never let you be close to other Servants¡­ especially those traitor Werewolves."


    The silver-haired Master felt guilty for lying to him. That''s when she decided, she''d never tell Sigmund about her dreams, and Lycus'' real identity.


    "Ivory," he called her again when he calmed down, his eyes weren''t glowing anymore. He gazed at her and requested, "Let me have some blood."


    She smiled sweetly at him, "Alright. Where do you want to bite?"


    The Vampire looked at her from head to toe as if she was his prey. In his mind, he was carefully thinking about what to choose!


    "Time''s up," Ivory suddenly said. "Too slow. No more blood for you." She teased him, giggling.


    "As if I''d let you escape from me, dimwit," he pulled her waist, then hugged her tightly.


    While the playful Vampire licked her neck and shoulder, Ivory pursed her lips. The forest was so quiet that only their breathing and the ruffling of their clothes could be heard. She was stopping herself from moaning because of the sweet and addictive sensation that she was starting to feel!


    "Why hold back, Ivory?" he smirked at him, "Don''t be afraid. I will try to be gentle."


    And so, Sigmund dug his teeth onto her neck. As he sucked his Master''s blood and licked her smooth skin, his embrace tightened. It was his own way of saying that Ivory would not be able to escape from him anymore.


    ...


    The management of Precious Inn was fully transferred to Fiora and the three new personnel. Since Ivory and Lucius would be returning to the mines next week, they started to condition their body.


    The two of them jogged around time at dawn ''til sunrise, then did some push ups and sit ups to strengthen their core and stamina. In the afternoon, they go to the forest to go sparring against one another using only close combat and non-magic techniques.


    Lycus and Sigmund observed the two from up the tree as they fought each other. Ivory and Lucius both held with them wooden poles as long as their actual weapon.


    "Ivory, you''re too slow!" Sigmund yelled as he watched his beloved Master''s every move, "Watch the position of your feet! You''ll trip if you keep doing it like that!"


    "Got it!" Ivory responded. She then stepped backward, then lunged towards Lucius.


    Already anticipating his sister''s move, he jumped up before she reached him. He saw Ivory look upwards as Lucius looked down on her with a smile.


    But Ivory did not give up. She pierced the wooden pole on the ground and used it to lift herself upwards. At that moment, Lucius had just gotten down behind her.


    Unfortunately, Ivory''s trick did not faze the blonde young man. While Ivory was firmly holding the wooden pole, Lucius charged forward, and he hit her pole, making her off balance!


    Ivory fell to the ground with her butt hitting the ground. "Oww!" she screamed, stroking her butt.


    "Apologies," Lucius helped her stand up. "Are you alright, Ivory?"


    "Ah, yes. I was too slow."


    Sigmund hopped down from the tree, "You''ve gained weight ever since we stayed here, that''s why you''re slow."


    "Sigmund! You''re teasing me again-"


    "The Vampire''s right, Ivory," Lucius sighed, "I think you should watch how much food you consume."


    "Ugh, I didn''t think I''d have this problem," she panted, and as she felt tired she looked for a tree and sat on its big roots. While she leaned on it, Lycus used Air magic to serve as a fan for her while he cheered her up.


    When they got tired from their training, they returned to the inn. Grisha had already prepared dinner, and they praised her cooking, which was said to be on par with Lycus''. Although Ivory ate a few, she said she was on a diet, and the new employee told her that she''d specially cook a separate dish for her from that moment on, to help her.


    When the week had ended, Zen had recorded the computation of the expenses for that week, and in his free time, he learned how to cook from Grisha. Fiora became the taste tester!


    On the other hand, Trevor had finished improving the fences of the inn. One night, he was hammering the new Precious Inn wooden signage in front. When he saw Ivory and her companions, he bid goodbye to them as they started marching towards the mining area.

 Chapter 154 - "Cleansing The Infested Boulders"

    They agreed to meet Lycus in the secret pathway, while Ivory and the others planned to directly infiltrate the mountain where the castlemen previously mined the special black gemstones.


    Ivory, Lucius, and Sigmund set up a bonfire in front of that mountain. As they sat down and gazed at the blazing fire, they talked about what they''d do inside.


    "It''s quite unusual that there are no knights here," Lucius opened up. "It seems like they''re not worried about the black gemstones at all. I remembered what Gerhalt told me before. The locals considered it as stones with no value because they looked like coal."


    "Those without Dark Mana cannot find it," Ivory said. She sighed as she remembered those helpless people infested by Dark Mana who were mining during wintertime.


    "Do you really have Dark Mana in your normal mana? Have you figured out why?"


    She replied to her brother, "I do not know why.. But it is true. Sigmund sensed it."


    "I did sense it, and I am sure," the Vampire said. "I am a flawed Servant, and I think consuming Dark Mana has something to do with it."


    "As long as the mana doesn''t harm you both, we can set it aside for now. Let''s seek help from our Educators when we come back and help you both solve that problem. Now¡­ let''s proceed with our plan."


    Sigmund said, "Our goal tonight is to know how vast the mine is inside. We need to know how many black gemstones we''re going to destroy."


    Lucius and Ivory nodded at him.


    He continued, "Since we only have Ivory and Lycus with the extraordinary mana, they''re the only ones who can cleanse. Thus, they will do it every night, little by little. Hopefully, at the end of autumn or before winter comes, we''re done by then."


    "That might work," Lucius uttered. "I just hope that there are no changes in assignments or that no one would suspect or catch us doing something inside the cave."


    "It''s nearly an hour since we parted with Lycus. Maybe he''s near the excavation area. Let''s go now."


    Ivory put out the bonfire and walked with the two men towards the cave. At first, the cave seemed to be like the others, but as they went further, the  space got narrower. The walls were formed with black basalt columns, while the ceiling had a honeycomb arch. The cave floor became darker in color, too.


    They all looked carefully if there were any red glowing rocks around, but there were none. They guessed that the location of the black gemstones was further than they expected.


    They followed the rails inside, and in fifteen more minutes, they reached a certain portion. They stopped their tracks and were distracted with the pungent, rotten smell.


    But in that part of the cave, there were glowing red stones embedded in huge boulders and rocks. As Ivory and Sigmund came nearer, it shone more brightly.


    A sudden cracking sound was heard, and the three of them looked behind. Above that area was the hidden tunnel where they used to watch the Dark Mana-possessed miners in the past. Lycus broke the wall of the tunnel where he was hiding in and jumped down to where his Master and his companions were.


    "There you are," Ivory said, then pulled his arm. "Let''s start cleansing some rocks."


    Lycus and Ivory took a white chalk from their pockets and drew a circle around the boulder. Then, within that circle, Ivory drew a magic symbol on the ground. Lycus did the same to another boulder.


    "Are you ready, Lycus?" she asked her second Servant.


    "Yes, Master."


    As soon as Lucius and Sigmund moved back, Ivory and Lycus started their incantations. The magic circle glowed, and just like the usual cleansing ritual, black smoke came out.


    It seemed easy at first, but both of them took a lot of time in cleansing the boulders. It might be because the thick rock had a lot of black gemstones within it. Now that they knew how tedious it was, they knew they could only cleanse two huge boulders per night!


    When there was no more smoke coming out, they stopped the cleansing ritual. Ivory panted, as a lot of her Silverblade mana was used. Lycus was also in the same situation, but he could manage it better because he''s not human.


    Sigmund carried Ivory like a princess and walked out of the cave. Lycus went back up to the broken tunnel, while Lucius repaired it by closing it once again using Earth magic, like nothing happened.


    Now that Ivory and Sigmund were out, the black gemstones stopped glowing, and the cave seemed like there was nothing unusual in it. Lucius had always wondered how much did his mother Diana know about the Unholy Mana she spoke of. Perhaps, she also knew a way to remove the Dark Mana mixed with Ivory''s normal mana.


    When Ivory woke up, it was already morning. She rose up and saw Lycus standing by the window, "Lycus! I apologize, I slept for too long."


    "It''s okay, Master. I understand. It seemed like the boulders were packed with too much Dark Mana."


    "Come here, I will replenish your mana."


    Lycus quickly knelt beside the bed, and he took Ivory''s hand. He sniffed her palm like a dog, "You smell really nice, Master."


    "Thank you-"


    "Oi, I heard that!" the jealous Sigmund suddenly barged in, "I didn''t know you were a sneaky one, Lycus."


    "Sigmund! Don''t look for trouble. He is just appreciating how fragrant I am." Ivory narrowed her eyes on him. When she turned to Lycus, she asked, "Tell me, what do I smell like?"


    He answered, "Master, you smell like¡­ lilies."


    Sigmund smirked, knowing that his scent had already stuck to Ivory. It made his mood change quickly!


    Ivory saw her beloved''s reaction and giggled. She then asked her Vampire Servant, "Have they eaten already?"


    "I came to fetch you for breakfast, but you can replenish Lycus'' mana quickly. I''ll wait for you in the kitchen."


    After transferring some of her Silverblade mana to Lycus, she went with him to the kitchen and sat beside Sigmund. While Trevor and Zen were out in the marketplace to look for some spices, Grisha and Fiora were also present to dine with them. Lucius, on the other hand, was late and he sat beside Fiora, making her blush.


    As they ate chicken with pomegranate sauce and sour bread, Grisha excitedly told them about the town''s long awaited annual event, "Guess what, the Summer Topaz Festival is coming soon! I am already making the dress that I''ll wear for the feast. Oh, I can''t wait!"


    "What''s the Summer Topaz Festival?" Ivory curiously asked.


    She replied with a big smile, "It''s a five day long celebration of Topazeon Town, thanking Goddess Destinia for bestowing us plentiful gemstones," she continued explaining and everyone listened to her as they munched their food.


    According to Grisha, on the first day, the Town Leader would gather the townspeople and deliver a speech. Then, everyone would pray for the town''s continued safety and protection. Everyone would be welcomed to put stalls around town and sell goods and offer services. The selling would continue on the second day to the fourth day. On the last day, they would hold a closing ceremony in the afternoon.


    "The last night of the festival is what we, young ones, have been waiting for."


    "What''s on the last night?" Lucius asked.


    "Well, all young men and women around town, dressed in their best attire and colorful masks, are required to join a traditional circle dance. Men are positioned on the outer circle while women are in the inner circle. The circle rotates and everyone dances, until it stops. As soon as the sounds of the drums and the lyres stop, the person in front of you is said to be the one destined for you!"


    "Ivory and I won''t join, we already have each other," Sigmund uttered. Ivory turned beet red, while Lucius glared at him.


    "It''s required according to your town''s tradition, right?" Lucius asked, and upon seeing Grisha nod, he said, "Then we will all join, including Ivory. But Sigmund should stay in the inn. He will just cause trouble with his short temper."


    Sigmund banged the table with his fists, shaking everything on top. "What the hell, rich boy? You really want us to get separated, huh? I refuse!"


    "We''re visitors in this town, so we should respect their festivities and traditions. Ivory is a young woman as well. I want to see her enjoy the feast in a nice dress. Don''t you want her to enjoy the festival?"


    The Vampire tried hard to control his anger so that his irises would not glow in front of Grisha and Fiora. He breathed deeply and closed his eyes.


    Ivory held his hands, which were on the table, "Sigmund¡­ Don''t worry. You are the only one in my heart."


    Sigmund''s ears turned red in embarrassment, as he did not expect his beloved to say these words in front of them.


    But Lucius was not pleased at all. Although he temporarily allowed the two to continue their relationship, Sigmund is still a Servant, and he refused to truly accept them, especially in the future. He promised himself he''d get his sister the best dress, and force her to meet a new, human guy in the circle dance!

 Chapter 155 - "The Summer Topaz Festival"

    ¡­


    The middle of summer came, and it was finally time for the Summer Topaz Festival. The town was decorated with bunting banners and garlands of colored paper. Each street also had installations of their precious ores and gems for public viewing. Those who were interested in selling goods and offering services set up stalls in front of their houses. Many were selling newly-grilled pork and freshly-picked fruits. Some sold handicrafts made from forest vines, and some offered feet washing for two silver coins. Visitors from other towns and cities also came to witness the joyous festival in Topazeon Town.


    Because many town visitors were looking for a place to stay, Lucius shared his room with Zen, Sigmund, and Lycus, while Ivory stayed alone in her room. This is to accommodate more into Precious Inn.


    At night until dawn, Ivory and her companions would cleanse as many rocks as they could in the southwesternmost mountain where the Dark Mana could be found. They''d sleep for a few hours in the morning, then at noon time, they would roam around town to see the different stalls.


    During the first day, when the speech of Town Leader Dante ended, everyone joined him in prayers to Goddess Destinia. Afterwards, Ivory and her companions roamed around town. Lucius, Ivory, Sigmund, and Lycus were together at first, but then, Sigmund took advantage of the crowd and pulled Ivory away from the two.


    "Sigmund! Where are we going?" she asked her lover.


    "We are going for a date. With Lucius with us, I can''t even hold your hand as we walk. He''s glaring at me."


    Ivory chuckled, "We should have let Lycus know about this."


    "He''s a good Servant of yours, I am a hundred percent sure he knows that we wanted some alone time," Sigmund then saw a very interesting stall. He pulled Ivory towards it.


    She read the wooden sign, which was carved with two words, "Fortune Telling".


    "Let''s do it for fun," The Vampire chucked, "Who knows, maybe our destiny is better if we ask a fortune teller."


    As the two held each other''s hands tightly, they approached the woman, who was dressed in a red long sleeve dress with leather suede bodice. Her dark brown hair was tied in a mid-pony. She was wearing a headband around her head and overlapping gem-studded necklaces.


    In front of her was not a crystal ball, but a big tetrahedronal blue topaz quartz placed on top of a wooden holder.


    "Ah, greetings, young couple!" the fortune teller said with a big smile. With just five silver coins, I''m going to tell you your destiny!" she gestured to Ivory and Sigmund to come closer.


    The woman then asked for them to touch the blue topaz together, and they followed it. She just stared at the tip of the stone and never batted an eye as she concentrated. After a minute, she said she was done.


    "First¡­ please pay five silver coins."


    Ivory took five silver coins from her pouch and placed it on the table.


    Upon taking each coin, the fortuneteller proceeded, "You love each other very much¡­ But whatever you do, however you want to fight what''s destined for the both of you, you cannot be together."


    "How ominous," Sigmund got mad at hearing the words of the fortune teller which was very close to the true situation. "Let''s go now, Ivory-"


    "Wait, let us hear her out¡­ Madame, how can we get through this predicament? Is there any way?"


    The fortune teller touched the tip of the topaz crystal, then nodded, as if it said something to her. "The solution will be hard and will involve people from both your past and future. I cannot guarantee you''ll get through this. It depends on how both of you can handle the truth, and how far your trust with each other can bring you."


    "What do you mean?" Ivory questioned.


    "It is the truth about your identities. Your true identities, that until now, you both do not know."


    "Can you please explain further?"


    But the woman, instead of continuing, showed her palm, "That will be twenty silver coins, miss-"


    "She''s a fake. Do not believe a word she says, Ivory. It''s obvious that she just wanted more coins," he glared at the fortune teller, who just smiled at him as if she had done nothing wrong. While grabbing Ivory''s wrist, they walked away from the stall.


    As they walked side by side, Sigmund never let go of his beloved''s hand. He was bothered by the fortune teller''s words.


    Ivory noticed his unusual quietness, and as she glanced at him, she assured him, "Forget what the fortune teller said, Sigmund. Only Goddess Destinia knows our fate. The fortune teller is only a mere human."


    He sighed, then nodded at her. She''s right. If they wanted to know their destiny, they should approach the Goddess instead. "If only we can ask the Goddess personally, then I wouldn''t be bothered at all."


    Wanting Sigmund to forget the fortune teller''s words, she pulled him towards a stall where they sell cheese potato pancakes. They bought two for them both, and the Vampire blew the top of the hot potato first before he let her take a bite on it.


    Afterwards, they went to another part of the town, where they saw a stall that displayed several women''s accessories. They approached it and Ivory gaped in awe when she saw a headpiece that matched with the dress she''ll wear in the circle dance.


    It was a crown made of shimmery turret shells embedded with tiny rock crystal quartz, and the tips of the shells were painted lavender. Its centerpiece was a cluster of mini conch shells with crystal quartz, and below it was a moon pendant with pearls and tiny pink quartz in the middle. Hanging colorful beads were also attached to the tiara.


    "Sigmund, look," she tugged her arm as she stared at the headpiece. "This is so pretty!"


    Sigmund smiled at how adorable she was. He stroked her long silver hair and commented, "The color really suits you."


    "I know! I have eyes for beautiful things," she beamed a smile at him.


    "How about handsome ones?"


    "Of course, you''re the only handsome man I''ve ever seen in my entire life," she pinched his chin, then paid for the crown.


    The Vampire smirked, "Even more handsome than your brother, Lucius, and your father Gordon?"


    "Even more handsome than brother and father," she answered while waiting for her change.


    Sigmund looked on the other side because he couldn''t contain his happiness, and he was already smiling like an idiot. As soon as she got her item from the merchant, he wrapped his arm around her waist and made sure she was close to his body.


    They strolled around town to entertain themselves further. After playing various activities like archery and ring toss, Ivory would already feel hungry. And so, they would buy a variety of meat dishes that she liked a lot from the stalls, and Sigmund would take his chance to kiss her and lick off the tidbits of food on her lips.


    "You''ve already had too much meat, let''s play another game," Sigmund took her hand and searched for a stall where they could play skittles.


    "Stop teasing me, you meanie!" she pouted, matching his pace.


    "I''m not teasing you" he cocked his brow.


    "If you''re not teasing me, then give me a kiss," she giggled.


    Sigmund stopped his tracks and pulled Ivory close, planting a sweet kiss on her lips.


    It felt like a normal date, as if both of them were humans. Ivory loved the feeling of being pampered and taken care of by her Vampire lover. She knew she had become greedy of his affections, but even though she knew everyone''s against them, she still wished for the Goddess to just let them be together.


    Realizing that they might have spent too much, the two of them went back to Precious Inn.


    And Lucius was at the lobby, waiting for them to return.


    "Took you so long. Where have you been?" he asked, raising his brow.


    Ivory answered first, "We were¡­ lost. It''s crowded, and-"


    "I don''t think so," he narrowed his eyes on Sigmund, "You did it on purpose, right? So you can have a date?"


    Sigmund pursed his lips, and glanced at Ivory.


    "Lucius! We just want to enjoy the festival together," she jokingly hit her brother''s arm. She pouted, then changed the topic, "By the way, I saw a beautiful headpiece, and I think it will match my dress."


    "That''s great to hear. I am sure you will be the prettiest woman out there and men will flock to you to ask for your name," Lucius said, and looked at Sigmund with a smirk.


    The Vampire knew that the blonde young man was mocking him. When he was about to say something, Ivory held his hand, then told Lucius, "I will run away from all of them because I already have a lover."


    Lucius knew his sister would be difficult to convince, "I have a feeling that you might escape the circle dance, so I personally told Town Leader Dante that you and I will be present. He said that he looks forward to it, and he will hunt a boar for the both of us."


    "You sneaky man," Sigmund muttered, glaring at him.

 Chapter 156 - "A Dance With The Vampire Servant"

    ...


    More joyful days passed by in a flash, and then, the fifth and last day of the Summer Topaz Festival came. During the day, Fiora accompanied Ivory to the dressmaker she recommended to fetch both their dresses.


    When they went back to Precious Inn, Sigmund hurriedly met Ivory in the lobby, "Did the dress fit you?"


    She jokingly hit his arm, "What do you mean? That I eat a lot?"


    Seeing her cutely pouting, he pinched her cheek, "I mean, I want to see you in that dress."


    "Wait until night time, then," Ivory giggled, then ran off to her room.


    Hours passed, and when the sun went down, the houses and streets in Topazeon Town were only illuminated with numerous fanciful and colorful lanterns, creating a magical feeling. Inaudible noises could be heard and excitement was evident in the crowd''s faces..


    The bright yellow moon appeared, and more and more young people wearing masks and their best attire, walked out of their dwellings.


    "Oi, what are you three doing there?" Sigmund kept on knocking at Ivory''s room. It has been an hour and a half since his Master, Fiora, and Grisha had entered the room. The Vampire was excited and impatient at the same time.


    Lycus and Zen chuckled as they saw him walking around the hallway, while Lucius just leaned on the wall, curiously observing all of them. Lucius wore a light pink three-piece set of coat, waistcoat, and breeches with elegant gold embroidery on the collar and edges of the coat. Zen, on the other hand, was dressed in a white bishop long sleeve blouse underneath a striped vest and black dress pants.


    Soon after, the latch on the door was unlocked, and it creaked open.


    The first one to go out was Grisha. Her short orange brown bob was adorned with a burn orange head wreath with gold leaves. She also paired it with dangling chain earrings of clustered carnelian gems, and at the bottom hang marquise citrine crystal briolettes. She was dressed in a yellow-orange and white long sleeve flared, floor length dress with bodice, which was made of satin and velvet.


    Then, Fiora came out next. She matched her sage green floral curtain dress with a sage green organza headband on her twisted ponytail for her long brown hair. The headband had fuschia-colored flowers made from organza as well. She also wore gold and jade dangling earrings to finish her look.


    And last came out Ivory. Her long and silky silver hair was beautified with the lavender shell crown embedded with crystals she bought with Sigmund on the first day of the festival. She looked like a princess with her ombre colored gown with tightlacing corset-vest and ombre mesh neck cape. The go


    wn was made of soft viscose fabric and was decorated with lace. The bust was light purple in color, while the skirt was lavender. She completed her look by wearing a pretty pair of purple flower earrings with crystal gems in the center and hanging flowers.


    As soon as Sigmund set his eyes on his beloved, he was captivated with her beauty. He knew well that she''s beautiful, but seeing her all dolled up made his heart skip a beat.


    Too bad, he already made a promise to look after the inn with Trevor. Otherwise, he''d surely sneak into the circle dance!


    Ivory gazed into her beloved Vampire''s crimson red irises. She approached him and asked, "How do I look, Sigmund?"


    "You¡­" he blushed as she neared him, "Where''s your mask? Wear it as soon as you get out of here!" he then turned around and walked to the kitchen with heavy steps. He was annoyed that other people would see her at her best appearance!


    "Let''s go," Lucius said, and the others followed his lead, wearing their eye masks adorned with multicolored gemstones.


    Ivory, who intentionally slowed down her pace, looked back to see Sigmund, but he never stepped out of the kitchen. She was quite upset, but what could she do? Him not coming with them surely ruined his mood. Perhaps he just wanted to dance with her.


    When they were gone, Trevor worriedly checked up on Sigmund. The middle-aged man asked him after seeing him sulk in the corner of the kitchen, "What''s the matter?"


    "You know well why I am acting like this," he faced him, "I want to hide Ivory from them all."


    "Brings back memories¡­ I met my wife in the circle dance."


    "Are you mocking me? Are you telling me that Ivory will meet another man and leave me?"


    "Calm down. That''s not what I meant," he chuckled, "What I meant was¡­ go after her and do not let her attend the dance."


    Sigmund widened his eyes in surprise. Surely he did not expect Trevor to encourage him that way!


    "I¡­ I will catch up with her-"


    "Wait. At least wear a proper outfit!" Trevor was amused with how Sigmund panicked and murmured to himself, "Youngsters these days need more guts¡­"


    Sigmund nodded, and took a random coat that was hung in Lucius'' room. He also wore a black three-piece set of coat with golden embroideries of feathers on the collar and edges of the coat.


    He ran out of Precious Inn after telling Trevor and Lycus that he''d be out for a long while. He had a hard time using his heightened hearing because of the crowd, but even so, he recognized Ivory and her companions'' voices.


    As soon as he saw her unique dress and headpiece, he grabbed her arm and ran away with her as they both blended into the crowd.


    "Sigmund!" Ivory panted as they ran, "What are you doing?"


    But he did not answer. When they arrived at the side most part of the town, there were no more people around. Sigmund carried Ivory like a princess and ran towards the forest.


    As she was taken away by her lover, Ivory''s cheeks turned red. The truth was, she was wishing that it would happen!


    When Sigmund saw a good place for them to settle, he placed her down on the ground.


    The curled branches of the oak tree slightly hid the bright, full moon.


    Ivory took off her festival mask. "So, Sigmund¡­ Why did you kidnap me?" she giggled. She already knew the answer, but she found him cute whenever she teased him.


    "Ivory, I-"


    Before he answered her, the banging of the drums in the festival suddenly started.


    "Oh, the circle dance is starting!" she said with a big smile. She knew that even though she wasn''t there, Lucius and the others would enjoy it.


    Some birds in the forest were startled, and Ivory was distracted as they flew over the branches of trees. She could see their silhouette under the round moon, and she stared at it in awe.


    But Sigmund was more in awe of Ivory''s beauty. While she was staring up at the moon, he called her, "Ivory¡­" and when she looked at him, he offered a hand to her and said, "Let''s dance."


    As soon as he asked her, the glowing fireflies flew from the trees and  surrounded them. Their glow illuminated the dim place as if they were mini lanterns.


    She widened her eyes in surprise, delighted about her lover''s gesture. She immediately took his hand, "I''d love to!"


    Sigmund placed his hands on her waist, while she placed her arms around him. Their bodies swayed side to side, following the beat of the drums.


    As more and more fireflies flew around them, they gazed amorously into each other''s eyes, waiting for one of them to speak. But it was as if they were both content while they silently cherished their dance under the moonlight.


    The beating of the drums only lasted for a few minutes, and when it totally stopped playing, they heard the subtle clapping of the crowd. Ivory and Sigmund also stopped, but did not let go of each other.


    "Remember what Grisha said? It was said that the person in front of you when the music stops will be your destined person," Ivory smiled at him and said jokingly, "You cheater!"


    "Admit it, I know you don''t dislike what I did," Sigmund pulled her even closer to him. He then whispered, "How nice it is though, if we can really cheat through our fate."


    ----------------


    Remembered NIKI''s song "Every Summertime" in the dance scene <3


    "Baby, I''d give up anything to travel inside your mind


    Baby, I fall in love again come every summertime"


    And the part "And dancing under streetlights" is dancing under the moonlight <3


    I''ve also set up Taming My Vampire Servant Youtube playlist:


    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3VRaNnNvNbYJH4pJycoWbm5VnpXREcLg


    You can check it out and listen with me <3


    ----------------


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 Chapter 157 - "A Summer Heartbreak"

    Two hours before sunrise, Ivory and Sigmund finally returned to Precious Inn. They did not expect Lucius to still be awake, and his eyebrows creased when he saw the two together, holding hands, and happily talking to one another!


    When Ivory saw him in the lobby, she asked, "Lucius? Why are you still awake at this hour-"


    "I was waiting for you," he then panned his sight to the Vampire, who averted his gaze, "Where did you take my sister?"


    "Calm down, rich boy-"


    "How can I possibly calm down? When I saw Ivory missing from the crowd, I immediately ran around town. I didn''t even get to attend the circle dance, just to find her. You troublesome guy," he sighed, trying to keep his anger in check, "If I had not checked back here at the inn, I wouldn''t know that Sigmund also left¡­ I had a hunch this might happen, but-"


    "Lucius, even though I did not attend the circle dance, I danced with Sigmund, so I am really happy right now. Don''t you want to see me happy?" Ivory told her younger brother, who was obviously upset because of their stubbornness.


    "I want to, but obviously, with your current situation, the two of you can only have temporary happiness," he then pointed at the Vampire, "You even took my coat without my permission!"


    When Sigmund heard this, he immediately removed it and gave it to Lucius.


    "Ssshh, the guests might wake up! How about you sleep now," she approached him then grabbed his arm..


    As Sigmund saw Ivory leading Lucius to his room, a short laugh escaped from his lips. But behind his smile, he wondered how long he and Ivory could mess around.


    ¡­


    The guests of Precious Inn said their goodbyes and left Topazeon Town. The Summer Topaz Festival was done, and the locals now spent a lot of time removing the decorations and cleaning the streets.


    While Lucius, Trevor, and Sigmund were in the front yard detaching the colorful lanterns, Ivory and the others were in the kitchen, preparing their lunch.


    Ivory and Fiora noticed how Grisha''s eyes gazed at Zen, while he was slicing carrots on the wooden chopping board at the counter. When Zen turned his head to her, she immediately pretended that she was concentrating on peeling the cucumber she had been holding for a long while!


    "How fortunate, they stood opposite of each other after the music stopped. I am sure Grisha''s on cloud nine right now," Fiora said, as she and Ivory were peeling potatoes on top of the dining table behind Zen and Grisha.


    Noticing the frown in Fiora''s lips, she asked her, "But why are you sad? Who was your destined man during the circle dance?"


    "It was my neighbor, ugh!" she skewered the small knife into the potato, "He has been bullying me since I was a kid!"


    "Oh, didn''t they say, the ''more you hate, the more you love''? Perhaps he''s really your soulmate?" Ivory chuckled, amused with Fiora''s reaction, then she paused in peeling the potato, "I apologize. It''s because I went missing that Lucius couldn''t go to the circle dance."


    Fiora sighed, "It''s not your fault. That''s just the Goddess'' way of telling me to give up on him."


    "Eh? You are already giving up?"


    "I think I have been doing my best, but I cannot move his stone heart at all[parang may mas better, not sure dito]."


    "I know you might have heard from me countless times, but I am telling you again. Do not give up, Miss Fiora."


    Fiora finally smiled, then responded, "Thank you. Miss Ivory."


    "What are you two talking about?" Lucius suddenly appeared in the archway.


    Fiora panicked, raising her voice, "Ah, it was nothing-"


    Unfortunately, when she waved her hand, she hit some potatoes, and three of them came rolling on the wooden floor. Fiora immediately stood up from her seat and she chased the potatoes, but they stopped at Lucius'' feet.


    Lucius picked up the potato that rolled towards his shoe. With a kind smile, he gave it to Fiora, who was kneeling in front of him.


    Fiora could not avert her gaze on the blonde young man''s smile. She was just speaking with Ivory about moving on, but so much for that. If her heart''s not yet ready to love another man, should she follow her advice not to give up on him?


    "Mister Lucius!" she said, mustering up her courage. At that time, she tried not to care about how many people were looking at her. "Mister Lucius! I like you! Can I be your lover?!"


    Lucius widened his eyes in surprise, not expecting Fiora to say it out loud. Although he already felt that she had some sort of affection towards him, he never thought that she''d be bold enough to confess in front of many people!


    He first offered his hand and helped her stand up. Then he uttered, "Apologies¡­ Can we talk, just the two of us?"


    "Ah¡­ yes," Fiora gulped, nervous about a private moment with her crush.


    The two of them went to the backyard, which was full of Grisha''s laundry that early morning. The sun was blazing at the peak of the sky.


    Being the gentleman that he was, Lucius stayed quiet and waited for the shy Fiora to speak up.


    Wanting to get out of the awkward silence, she finally spoke, "I apologize that I wasn''t thinking straight a while ago. I should have confessed in a better situation, but I am true to my words. I like you so much!" Fiora noticed the seriousness in Lucius'' eyes.


    The warm wind blew, and the damp blankets hanging on the clothingline swayed with it. But even in that windy noon, Lucius was not swayed with Fiora''s words even a bit.


    "Fiora," he called, "Apologies. I do not plan on having a lover right now."


    The receptionist girl knew to herself, that day would come. She knew that even the strong sunlight wouldn''t melt Lucius'' icy heart. She knew she already gave her best shot, and assisted him with the best of her abilities as a receptionist and manager at the inn.


    But just like her past crushes, she also failed with Lucius.


    It took her so long before she could reply. "It''s okay," she said, and tears were already forming in her eyes. She turned around, not wanting him to see, "Oh well, it''s not the first time I got rejected. I guess I have to move on, then."


    Hearing her fake a laugh, Lucius felt bad. He was already used to rejecting women, but even so, he felt a pinch of guilt in rejecting someone he already considered as a friend.


    Lucius excused himself to give Fiora some alone time. As soon as he returned inside the inn, Fiora hid behind the blankets, and she cried a bucket of her sorrow.


    In the hallway, Ivory blocked Lucius, and narrowed her eyes on him.


    He sighed, knowing what his sister wanted to tell him,  "I rejected her."


    "Fiora is a sweet girl. I like her for you."


    "Love is not my priority right now," Lucius shrugged.


    "Huh? What is your priority, then?" Ivory curiously asked.


    "Family."


    "What comes after family?"


    "Being strong. Master magic and mana control, as well as other Advanced techniques-"


    "Oh, Lucius, you''re going to waste your youth," Ivory shook her head and left him in the hallway.


    "What''s so good about falling in love?" Lucius muttered, and he did not notice Trevor behind him.


    He was carrying with him a basket of seed potatoes. "I heard ya," he chuckled, then told him to come with him to the backyard.


    Fiora was already gone, and the two men proceeded to the backyard, which had a vertical vegetable garden with rectangular wooden boxes placed against the fence. They crouched and using a shovel, Trevor dug up the damp soil and placed seed potatoes in the middle.


    "Kiddo, as a married man, let me enlighten you about that troublesome thing called love," Trevor said while he continued digging up the soil, "You know, me and my wife almost unlisted our marriage because I burnt the chicken I was grilling."


    Lucius was surprised with this, "Then what happened after that?"


    "I apologized, of course," he laughed, "It did not happen only once. It happened a lot of times. There was even a time that I almost burned our house. She was very furious at me and she ran after me around town while holding a kitchen knife!"


    The blonde young man was amused with Trevor''s stories about his wife. He seemed to have a cat and dog relationship with her, so he wondered how their marriage lasted for a long time.


    "You must be wondering why I am telling you this."


    "Yes, I wonder," Lucius chuckled, "It''s not like I''m finding myself a wife."


    "Well, I just want to tell you how much I love my wife," Trevor gave a big smile. "I am sure that in your lifetime, you will get to meet your destined person. It is not about how short-tempered she is, or how clumsy I am. I am staying with her through thick and thin, because it''s her. And she''s the only one I want to be with for the rest of my life."


    Still a bit confused with what the middle-aged man said, Lucius just nodded at him. Maybe now, he still didn''t understand the words he uttered. However, someday, when he would meet the one for him, he would understand what he meant.


    Maybe by then, he would understand why his sister went crazily in love with her Vampire Servant.

 Chapter 158 - "Hidden Gems In The Darkness"

    The warm days passed by, and the green foliages turned into red, yellow, and orange. The inn was surrounded with autumnal flowers, such as aster and chrysanthemum, and the pumpkin-spice scent could be smelled from the inn. The changes in the colors and the weather were an attraction, not only to the locals, but also to visitors and travelers. Ivory, together with the others, continued their tasks in the inn as well as in cleansing the black stones.


    One night, inside the mysterious cave, Ivory and her companions never stopped cleansing as many small to medium-sized boulders as they could. As she and Lycus removed Dark Mana, Lucius and Sigmund patrolled the cave, until they reached the very end.


    Using his heightened hearing, Sigmund confirmed that there was nothing behind the rock wall. "This is it, rich boy."


    "Hmm¡­ This cave is smaller than I expected," Lucius uttered.


    Sigmund responded, nodding his head, "I observed that most of the infested boulders are at the middle part of the cave." He then gestured for Lucius to walk ahead, and he followed. Both of them went back to Ivory and Lycus, who both finished the cleansing ritual.


    Afterwards, Lycus went ahead to the secret passageway to leave, while Lucius and the others decided to come out of the cave. But they did not expect Town Guard Chief Draven and three of his subordinates to go to that area!


    "Oh, Qawiun Academy students, what happened?" the man asked worriedly after seeing Ivory being carried by Sigmund with closed eyes.


    "She''s... too tired. Apologies, but it would be best for her to go back to the inn. I will patrol the mines myself," Lucius told him.


    Draven then shook his head, and glanced at the dark opening of the southwesternmost cave. "Maybe you''re tired as well. You are all too hardworking, even checking the inactive mines. I haven''t been there, but I''ve heard that the castlemen excavate coal-like stones which they use for the fortification of the castle fortress. For the locals, those excavated by the castlemen were worthless compared to the gemstones and coin materials. Why would they try hard to excavate very low value coal, when they knew the income cannot be compared to other ores, right? " realizing that he talked for too long, he said, "Ah, I held you back. Get going, you three. Take care, and see you tomorrow night again!"


    Lucius and Sigmund excused themselves and headed back to the inn.


    After putting Ivory in her bed and covering her with the thick, cotton blanket, Sigmund stepped out of the room. He told Lucius, "We''re almost done with our plan. I think they can cleanse everything in that cave before winter comes."


    "As soon as they finish the cleansing ritual, we must return to our homeland as soon as possible."


    "Rich boy, what if the castlemen check the cave?" the Vampire questioned in a serious expression.


    Lucius responded, crossing his arms, "Let them," he grinned, "I wonder how they will handle the situation."


    "They must have thought that only the Priestess and the disciples in the Sanctuary could cleanse Dark Mana. Those knights outside the Sanctuary are just for show. I am sure the King placed them there because they just wanted to keep an eye on them if they''d leave the holy place."


    Lucius agreed with him. Not yet sleepy, he invited Sigmund to talk outside, and they went to the front yard to discuss more about their upcoming plans.


    Fast forward, the night they were all waiting for finally arrived. With only one remaining big and thick boulder infested, Ivory and Lycus worked together to cleanse it.


    Sigmund stood on guard near the entrance, while Lucius watched how the two did the ritual. It took thirty-five minutes before they could fully cleanse it!


    Ivory felt her knees weaken, and she slid down the cold, rock floor. Yet, a wide smile escaped her lips, as she felt that she had achieved something great in her lifetime.


    "Master, are you alright?" Lycus offered his hand.


    "Yes, thank you," she took his hand and stood up.


    Then, they felt the ground shake a little, and suddenly, the aura of the cave changed. When they moved the lamp closer to the wall, they noticed the drastic changes around them. Lucius casted Fire magic to lighten up the inside even more, so they could see what was happening around them. The stone walls, which were previously dark in color, had now become ash blue. They were even more surprised when medium-sized blue topaz crystals were embedded in boulders, and tiny ones in stone walls!


    Without delay, Lucius immediately looked at the ore closely. When he touched it, he said, "Let''s bring a sample to the Gemstone Division."


    "Good idea," Ivory answered. "I wonder what that ore is," She remembered seeing it similar to the fortune-teller''s crystal back then during the Summer Topaz Festival.


    "It seemed to be? It is similar to a topaz''s description. If I remember correctly, the gem is considered sacred to Topazeon town. It is said to be rare, that only less than ten people in town are in possession of it."


    "It seemed like the Dark Mana suppressed the appearance of this special ore and hid its beauty," Lycus uttered while he was slowly scraping the Fire-and Earth-enchanted dagger on the surface of the rock. Then, when the small blue ore went off, he grabbed it and gave it to Lucius.


    And so, Ivory, Lucius, and Sigmund went out of the cave front, while Lycus still used the secret passageway. As he walked forward, he made sure to place behind him obstacles and boulders using simple Earth magic. Since the southwesternmost mountain became free of Dark Mana, there was no more reason to go back to it. After getting out, he broke and crushed the top portion of the secret passageway opening and made sure that nobody could enter it anymore.


    The next day, they went to the Inventory Office to ask about the ore they discovered. They visited Mona of the Gemstone Division.


    "THIS IS!!!" Mona gaped in awe as she examined the piece, "TOPAZ!"


    The others who heard this immediately ran towards her and swarmed around to take a good look of it.


    Mona pacified the crowd and told them to calm down, then gave the ore to Ivory. With her suggestion, Ivory and the others brought the ore and showed it to the Town Leader.


    Coincidentally, Town Guard Chief Draven was conversing with Town Leader Dante when they came. Like Mona''s reaction, the two were surprised as well.


    "Where¡­ did you get this?" Draven asked.


    "At the cave where the castlemen excavate the black stones," Lucius answered, "The reason why we were there everyday is because we noticed those ores, but we were not quite sure yet, so we explored the whole cave first. There are plenty of them, especially in the middle of that cave."


    The old town leader raised the small piece of blue topaz in the air, "This is the Goddess Destinia''s blessing! Our town will prosper even more. We give our thanks to the Goddess!" He exclaimed, then faced the town guard chief, "Dante, tell your subordinates to guard that cave. From now on, we will take over the cave. I will explain the details to the King, and I am sure he is kind enough to understand."


    Draven bowed his head, "Understood. Anything else, sir?"


    "We will hold a feast for this! I will invite the King and the royal family."


    Hearing this, Ivory and Lucius glanced at each other with creased brows. If the King realized that they were the ones involved in cleansing the black stones, they might be captured too soon! They must leave the town before the feast!


    Draven nodded at the old man, then patted Lucius'' shoulder, "Lad, this is a great achievement to you and your companions," he smiled at him and to Ivory and the others as well, "Our humble townspeople will be delighted with the good news! You will all be rewarded!"


    "Draven is right," Dante uttered, "We will grant a wish for each of you! Tell us anything, as long as we can give it to you within our abilities, we will surely give it to you."


    "There is something we all wish for, sir," Ivory answered. Even without talking to her companions, she already knew what to say, "Can you please grant us our three simple wishes?"


    The town leader and the town guard chief both nodded, and listened to them carefully.


    "First, please do not tell anyone that we were the ones who discovered the topaz in that cave. Second, please do not tell anyone that we were allowed to roam around the mines. If anyone asks, tell them that the Qawiun Academy students only guarded the mining entrance and were assigned only at the gates."


    "I will tell this to the town guards and every officer who knows of your tasks," Draven responded, pleased that they were humble young people.


    Dante then asked, "You said you have three wishes. What is the third?"

 Chapter 159 - "I Can Wait For The Right Time, Master"

    Ivory pleaded, "Third, please allow us to go back home as soon as possible."


    When Ivory said this, Lucius, Sigmund, and Lycus bowed at them and said in unison, "Please, sir."


    "But if you go back home, you won''t be able to attend the feast!" Dante said, "Do you dislike the feasts here in Topazeon? I noticed that you all did not attend the circle dance last summer."


    "About that¡­ Well, something suddenly happened¡­" Sigmund scratched the back of his head, and he glared at Lucius when he glanced at him.


    "We are sincerely sorry if we weren''t able to attend the circle dance," Lucius apologized with his head bowed a little.


    "Please do not take it to heart, sir. We really love Topazeon!" Ivory smiled, "But we miss our family and hometown already."


    The town leader sighed as he understood the situation, "Very well. I will allow you to go back home..  Draven, get them a comfortable carriage."


    "Yes, sir," he uttered. "When will they leave?"


    "After two days," Dante faced Ivory and the others, "I hope it''s alright. Please allow me to prepare some gifts for you and Qawiun Academy''s Principal and Educators."


    "Thank you for your kindness, sirs!" Ivory exclaimed.


    Lucius and the others also thanked them, and they excused themselves back to Precious Inn. When night came, all the inn''s personnels were called for a short meeting at the lobby about their departure.


    "Why is it so sudden?!" Fiora asked. "I haven''t even started creating my parting gifts!"


    "It''s alright, Fiora, you can even send the gifts through a courier," Ivory replied, patting her back.


    "But-" she cut her words off when she met Lucius'' eyes. She returned his smile, and then pursed her lips. Although she had already been rejected last summer, she still couldn''t be her usual noisy self whenever he''s around!


    "If you''ll leave¡­ Then how about me?" Zen asked worriedly, facing Ivory and Sigmund, "You said that you''re my new family, but you''re abandoning me soon..."


    Ivory and her companions already talked about this, so she told Zen with a smile, "We will take you with us. You can live at Lycus'' cabin, which is several steps away from the Sprucemint residence."


    Hearing this, Zen widened his eyes in excitement. He would soon see those pine trees he had only seen as sketches in the scrolls. Topazeon Town is surrounded by mountains and oak forests, and it is also located far from all the cities and towns. Aside from that, his fake parents told him not to leave town whatever happens. Now feeling like a dove that had been freed from a cage, he looked forward to traveling to see the other places!


    But Grisha, who likes him very much, was not delighted to hear him leaving. She remembered the great time she had when she danced with him during the summer festival. All of a sudden, tears fell from her eyes, and only when she sniffed did they notice that she was already crying at the side of the lobby.


    Fiora and Ivory approached her and patted her back. As her friends who knew her feelings for Zen, they understood her right away.


    "Why are you crying?" Zen asked.


    Grisha was disappointed and yelled, "You dummy!" she immediately ran out of the door.


    "Zen, go after her," Ivory suggested.


    He nodded at her, then went after the emotional Grisha.


    After some time, Trevor excused himself after being fetched by his wife. Lycus, on the other hand, proceeded to the kitchen to prepare sweet potato salad and lamb shoulder chop for supper. Lucius told Ivory and Sigmund that he needed to check his things, and he requested for them to knock on his door when it''s time to eat.


    With only Ivory and Sigmund left in the lobby, they talked about their predicament. Sitting beside each other, they held each other''s hands and squeezed them subtly.


    Ivory gazed into her lover''s crimson red eyes, "I guess¡­ We only have two days to be free."


    The Vampire kissed the back of her hand, still gazing at her, "I know."


    "What should we do?" she sighed. "When we return, it will never be the same for me, especially now that Lucius already told me about my real parents. I want to introduce you as my lover, but-"


    Sigmund stole a kiss from her pink lips, making Ivory cut her words off. The Vampire said, "I can wait for the right time. Do not rush."


    Blushing, she responded, "Thank you, Sigmund," she placed her arms on his neck and embraced him tightly. She whispered, "I will pray to the Goddess everyday to bless our relationship. Who knows, maybe she might hear me and marvel at our love for one another. Maybe she will have mercy on us."


    Sigmund placed his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. He did not say anything; he felt her warmth and her heart beat as he cherished the moments of their freedom as a couple.


    ¡­


    Everyone in town became busy with the upcoming thanksgiving feast. Because of Town Leader Dante''s announcement, they were all busy thinking about what to serve and what to wear. The King and the Prince were invited for the joyous occasion, and they wanted Topazeon Town to be favored by them.


    "What happened last night, why didn''t you return?" Ivory asked Zen in the backyard while they hung some shirts on the clothingline.


    "I asked Grisha why she was crying, but she didn''t tell me," Zen explained, "We stayed in the front yard for quite some time while she cried on my shoulder. Then, I took her home."


    "You slept at her house?" she put back the wet stockings she was about to hang and placed her hands on her waist, facing him.


    "No, mother! After I took her home, I went to my old home¡­"


    Seeing the sadness in Zen''s eyes, she patted his shoulder, "Are you alright?"


    He nodded, "We''re going to leave soon, and it suddenly hit me that I missed the old couple. That was why I slept there."


    Zen also mentioned to Ivory that the house was already empty, as if the old couple really forgot about him and moved out. Ivory listened to his sentiments, and also told Zen that the issue about the Dark Mana would need to be kept a secret.


    "Since you are my new family, I will comply with your rules," he told her. "I promise, I will behave and be good to you and father."


    "Oh, there''s one more thing I need you to know."


    Zen nodded, "What is it, mother?"


    "When we arrive at the Land of Olivea, please do not call us mother and father anymore. Call us by our names," Ivory smiled kindly at him and tried to explain, "In that place, Sigmund and I cannot be lovers. If the people knew about our relationship, something bad would happen to us. We might even be taken to the castle prison."


    The young man got terrified, "I promise, I will keep it a secret!"


    Ivory thanked him, then they continued chatting while hanging the wet clothes. Afterwards, they returned inside to pack up their belongings.


    The following morning was the feast. Even though it was such a joyful occasion, Ivory and the others had to leave town for their safety. A large black 4-seater horse-drawn carriage then arrived in front of Precious Inn. It had four horses, and in front was a coachman and his assistant.


    The carriage already had Town Leader Dante''s souvenirs and gifts for them which were placed inside two wooden chests.


    While Lycus and Sigmund were putting their things on the carriage, Ivory and the others said their goodbyes.


    "Take care, Zen!" Grisha wailed. She hurriedly hugged him tight and continued crying, "I am going to miss you! Please write me letters sometimes!"


    "Okay?" Zen was a bit confused, but he returned the hug and patted Grisha''s head, "I''ll do my best."


    "Take care, okay?" Ivory said. She embraced Fiora and whispered, "When I return here, introduce us to your husband."


    "Miss Ivory!" she pouted, and Ivory gave a hearty laugh.


    Lucius extended his hand to Fiora after she and Ivory parted, "Thank you for everything, and for taking care of us these past months."


    "It is my job as Precious Inn''s manager and receptionist," Fiora thought Lucius was being too formal, but she shook his hand anyway, "I am glad to have met you."


    "Likewise," Lucius smiled at her.


    When everything was prepared, Ivory, Lucius, Sigmund, and Lycus entered the coach. Zen requested to sit outside with the coachman and his assistant, and he was asked to wear his hooded cloak. Grisha, Fiora, and Trevor waved their hands as they saw the carriage leave.


    A few minutes later, they arrived at the Topazeon Town arch. Ivory''s carriage and the King''s carriage passed one another under the arch, unaware that they almost  encountered their fated enemy.

 Chapter 160 - "The Mermaid Servant And The Luminous Pearl" (extra)

    One night at Emeraldia Town, Preston and Mermaine were resting in his room after traveling from Valios City. Preston''s 21st birthday is in two days, and they always travel back to his hometown for his birthday.


    However, her Mermaid Servant hadn''t bought anything for him yet. She had been thinking about it for days now, but she had a hard time choosing what he''d like for his birthday.


    "Master," she hopped towards where he was seated, "What do you want for your birthday?"


    Preston pretended to think, "Hmmm¡­"


    "Hmmm?" the Mermaid Servant''s face lit up. If he''d give her a specific answer, she wouldn''t have a hard time thinking of a gift to give him.


    "Nothing. I really don''t need anything, Mermaine," he told her.


    "Really? Nothing?" she pouted..


    The Master with black medium length hair nodded, and the Mermaid pouted once more.


    "Don''t waste your time and don''t think too much. Your presence is enough," Preston patted her head before stroking her long, plum purple-colored hair.


    Despite that, Mermaine still wanted to give his Master a present on his birthday. Out of all the three past Masters she served, Preston was the kindest, even though he gets upset easily. He even gives her an allowance of one silver coin per day!


    And so, the night before her Master''s birthday, she secretly went out of the Bronzelain mansion and explored Emeraldia Town, while Preston was busy sparring with his General Brother, Peter Bronzelain. Taking with her a small pouch of silver coins for her allowance that she had been saving these past few weeks, she wore a hooded cloak and searched for a place where she could get a wonderful present.


    High walls and towers atop hills surrounding the town. Inside the walls were military houses where the soldiers dwell in, so it took her some time to find a tavern to listen to gossip. She sat on a table near a group of noisy men.


    "Have you heard about the legend of the Luminous Pearl?" the oldest man opened up.


    "I''ve heard about it many times, but it''s only a legend, nothing more," the other bearded man answered.


    "What''s the legend about?" the youngest lad asked before drinking from his glass of beer.


    "Well, according to the legend¡­" as he started to explain, almost everyone in the pub listened to him in their seats.


    He continued, "It is an enchanted pearl which the first Silverblade king acquired when he defeated a gigantic sea monster. It is a special artifact of the Silverblades. Once acquired, it will be embedded in a person''s skin, and he or she will have ten times more power. But once removed, the power will disappear and the pearl will be turned into ashes. That is why it can only be used once, and only by one person."


    There were murmurs heard as other customers reacted differently to what he just narrated.


    The waitress serving the other table heard them and approached the group. "It was said that the late king gave the artifact to his nephew. Unfortunately, he lost it in a house fire," she said, gaining the attention of the customers, "There are rumors lately that it appeared in the Marketplace at Rubia Town, and they said someone bought it."


    The old man nodded, "Guess what, the person is said to be headed here in our Town."


    The customers gossiped among themselves, and when Mermaine heard about it, she immediately stood up. She decided to try to find the rumored person, but when she was about to reach the exit, she bumped into a drunk guy.


    "What the hell, woman! Watch where you''re going!" he shouted at her.


    But Mermaine only covered her face with the cloak and waited for the man to leave. Unfortunately, he did not move an inch!


    "What are you doing? Move!" he pushed her shoulder, and when he saw her not following his demand, he pushed her hard on the table.


    Fortunately, a brown-haired young man caught her, preventing her from hitting the table. The drunk man was fuming mad, that he didn''t care who he was speaking to. He balled up his fist and was about to punch her in the face, but the young man was swift enough to shove him to the side. He grabbed Mermaine''s wrist and dashed out of the tavern. They ran away from the place and turned to the corner of the street.


    Before they stopped their tracks, the man glanced over his shoulder to check if they were being followed. Since they were already safe, he asked as his calm indigo blue eyes gazed at her, "Are you alright, miss?" He recognized her to be a woman because she''s wearing a skirt that could be seen under the hem of the hooded cloak.


    "I am alright. Thank you for saving me, mister," she fixed her cloak.


    "What are you doing inside a place like that, by the way?"


    "I am looking for something that my Master would like for his birthday," she sighed.


    "Ah, so you''re a Servant? You should always stay with your Master and not leave without permission," he glanced at her. "Anyway, have you thought of a gift for him?"


    "Yes¡­ I''ve actually heard of the legend of the Luminous Pearl, but it was just from the gossip mongers, so¡­ " she shrugged her shoulders.


    "If you do not mind, may I ask who''s your Master?"


    "He''s Sir Preston Bronzelain, the brother of General Peter Bronzelain ."


    "Brother of a General, huh?" he crossed his arms and rubbed his chin while thinking. If her Master is part of an influential and powerful family, then he would be a great help in reclaiming his throne. Now, he just had to persuade this Mermaid Servant to be on his side. "And your name, please?"


    "I''m Mermaine," she looked up to him. "Do you perhaps know my Master?"


    He shook his head, "But I hope to meet him soon," and he continued walking. He led her to an alley and checked if they were safe.


    Mermaine looked at him confusingly. Since he saved her, she somewhat felt that he''s a kind man, so she still followed him.


    "I will give you a gift that he might like, but you should promise me one thing," the young man took out something from his knapsack, and it was wrapped in a blue velvet cloth. He handed it to her small hands. "Promise me that your Master will be my ally."


    "Ally? What do you mean, Sir?" her forehead creased while also trying to figure out what''s under the cloth.


    "I would need several allies soon, and I need you and your Master to be on my side," he said with all seriousness in his voice.


    "But, how could I trust you if we just met?" she looked at him.


    "Take a look at it," he pointed at what she was holding.


    The Mermaid Servant carefully removed the velvet cloth covering the object, and her eyes widened upon seeing the bluish glow coming out of the pearl, "This¡­ this is the-"


    "Yes, it''s the Luminous Pearl," he uttered.


    "Why do you have this?" she couldn''t believe what she was seeing.


    "You''ll know soon enough," he patted her shoulder. "Send my birthday greetings to your Master. I will be off now."


    "Wait!" she grabbed her arm. "Who are you?"


    "I''m Levi," he gave her a kind smile. He remembered that he needed to leave Emeraldia town to meet Xenos in Valios City, because he found the other two luminous pearls. He said goodbye to Mermaine, walking out of that narrow alley.


    The following day, which was her Master''s birthday, Preston was waiting for her at the entrance of the Bronzelain mansion. He has been looking for her since last night. He only thought that his Mermaid Servant went to swim at the lake, but she was not in his room as soon as he woke up that morning.


    "Master Preston!" Mermaine called out, and when Preston saw her, he quickly ran to her.


    "You''re late! I''ve been looking for you since last night after my training!" he told her sternly as he grabbed her arm. "Where have you been?"


    The Mermaine Servant saw how his jaw was clenching his jaw, so she quickly knelt down in front of him. "I am deeply sorry for being late, Master! I just explored the town last night, but I lost my way?," she bluffed.


    "What are you doing? Stand up," he helped her stand up. "And you lost your way?"


    She only nodded and stood up.


    "Fine," he turned his back on her. "Let''s go inside. They''re'' waiting-"


    She took something from her bag when he was not looking, and pulled his arm, "Master!"


    "What is it?"


    And when Peter looked at her, his eyes widened in surprise. Mermaine was holding a clam shell wrapped in velvet cloth embroidered with the crest of the Silverblades.


    "Ta-da!" the Mermaid Servant beamed a smile at him.


    "What is this?" he took it and stared at her.


    "A gift!"


    "I told you I don''t need anything! You even made me worried-"


    "Just open the shell, Master," she told him, waiting in anticipation.


    Preston removed the cloth and opened the shell, revealing the luminous pearl given by the young man last night to the Mermaid Servant. He knew it was genuine based on the crest embroidered on the cover cloth. As he covered the pearl partly with his hand, a bluish glow was emitted, which was a distinct feature of the luminous pearl according to what he read from the old reference scroll in his brother''s library.


    "Mermaine¡­"


    "Happy birthday, Master Preston!" she gave him a quick hug. "I hope you like my present!"


    "Of course, it''s from you," he finally showed her a warm smile, touched with the sweet gesture of his Mermaid Servant. After re-wrapping the shell with the velvet cloth, he placed it in his pocket. "Come on, let''s get inside. Everyone''s waiting."


    And so, the two of them started to walk towards the mansion. Mermaine was happy that her Master liked her gift, but she didn''t know that for him, she''s worth more than a thousand pearls.

 Chapter 161 - "A Rough Night With The Vampire Servant"

    It was a seven and a half ride, but even so, neither Lucius nor Ivory slept during the trip. They were wide awake due to excitement that after many months, they would finally see their families.


    Ivory, Zen, Sigmund, and Lycus were dropped off first to Greensteid Town. While the men were bringing their belongings down from the carriage, the siblings conversed in a serious expression.


    Lucius told Ivory as he peeked at the opening of the carriage, "I am sure that father and mother would love to officially meet you as a Goldwine. I will send a messenger soon, okay?"


    "Alright, thank you so much for everything, Lucius¡­ Uhm and about me and Sigmund-"


    "Yes, I will not mention this to anyone," he creased his brows. "But my stand won''t ever change. As your brother, I only want what''s best for you, so I will not support your relationship," he said beyond a doubt.


    She sighed. Even after those months that Sigmund showed that he truly cared for her, Lucius still wouldn''t accept them.. How could she convince him?


    Back in Topazeon Town, Sigmund agreed at Lucius'' demand for the couple not to sleep in one room. He even agreed to be Lucius'' assistant when they went to the marketplace. Aside from that, Lucius made Sigmund harvest the potatoes and peel them all even though he hated doing it!


    Even after all the efforts that the Vampire gave just to please her stone-hearted brother, these were still not enough. Now, they already ran out of ideas on how to make him approve of their relationship!


    Sigmund couldn''t help but react, "Rich kid, I never stopped listening to your whines and requests. But I understand why you''re acting like this, so we''re good, okay?" he recalled the time Lucius told him about their unchosen mother who was once a Royal Knight.


    The front door of the Sprucemints'' cabin opened wide, and as soon as Anne saw her daughter, she immediately ran out of the door and hugged her tightly.


    "Mother¡­" tears suddenly gushed out of her eyes like waterfalls, and she wailed out loud!


    As Ivory hugged her foster mother and her two siblings, Gordon approached the carriage and thanked Lucius by the window for taking care of his eldest daughter.


    Lucius beamed a smile, "This is nothing compared to what you and your family had done for Ivory these years," when he saw him looking puzzled, he just told him, "I would like to invite the whole Sprucemint family to our residence soon. We have a lot of things to talk about."


    Even until Lucius left, Gordon raised his brow, wondering what might have happened.


    "By the way, I''d like to introduce my friend. He will be living in Lycus'' old home," Ivory patted Zen''s back.


    Zen bowed in courtesy, "I am Zen Sil- I mean, Zen."


    Lycus was then asked to accompany and watch over Zen as he lived in his old house. He was also tasked to temporarily protect him, and he willingly agreed. Besides, Zen is truly one of the Silverblades, whom the Werewolves served.


    Moments later, Ivory''s family told her to rest as it had been a very long journey. She remembered that she had not yet fallen asleep due to excitement, and as soon as she saw her bed, she felt her eyelids getting heavier and heavier each second.


    Sigmund finished taking his Master''s stuff into her room. He closed the door and slid the latch to lock it. When he saw that Ivory was about to lie down the bed, he grabbed her arm and said, "You should change into a more comfortable clothing."


    "Ah, yes, thank you."


    But when Ivory touched her top, she realized that it had been a long time since Sigmund saw her naked ever since Lucius forbade them to sleep together in one room. Cheeks flushing red, Ivory slowly undressed. Piece by piece, she took off her linen chemise with bell sleeves and leather pants.


    She knew that Sigmund was watching her from behind, but even so, she tried to act normal.


    But it was the Vampire who refused to act normal that moment. He made a sound barrier for the room, just in case they might get loud and rowdy. He approached her back, and as he slid his arms on her waist to her stomach, he whispered in a sexy tone, "It''s only the two of us. Don''t tell me you still get shy after months of being lovers?"


    "I just feel odd that we''re back in my room, but you''re my lover now," she caressed his hands in front of her, "Sigmund¡­ I am serious about you, and I want us to last a lifetime."


    "So am I," he responded, kissing her head. He turned her around to face him, and he embraced her naked body even more tightly.


    "Ivory¡­ Can we-"


    Before he even finished talking, she gave a kiss on his lips. As her light-blue irises gazed into his crimson red irises, the two of them felt that the room was getting hotter and hotter.


    "Ivory¡­ You''re mine, don''t forget that," Sigmund whispered. Seeing her nod, he then held her shoulders and kissed her neck.


    "Mmmmm..." she closed her eyes, feeling her beloved''s breath on her bare skin. She felt ecstatic, especially when he licked her with his wet, coarse tongue. She trembled as Sigmund bit her, then sucked her blood. Fortunately, there was a sound barrier, or else Ivory''s loud moan would be heard outside!


    Sigmund slid his hands from her shoulder down to her wrists and grabbed them. His playful tongue traveled from her neck to her bosom, as he lowered his body in front of her.


    She yelled when he licked her core, but in her mind, she wanted to grab Sigmund''s hair and pull her towards her to push his tongue deeper inside. But with him holding her wrists, she could only submit to him. "Sigmund¡­ Ahhh..."


    The Vampire heard her call his name in such a seductive voice. He licked her underneath for quite a long while, slurping her sticky juices dripping from her wet core. Afterwards, he paused to lead her onto the bed.


    Ivory was underneath the Vampire in heat, and when he was about to insert his hard thing into her, she touched his shoulder and asked anxiously, "What if I get pregnant? Would my child be a human, or a Servant?"


    Sigmund made her lie on her stomach and squeezed and slapped her buttocks roughly, "Don''t worry too much. Trust me."


    She screamed as he continued slapping her ass. Her eyes then widened, "What¡­ what are you going to do?" She shrieked when suddenly, she felt him rubbing the tip of his cock in between her butt cheeks!


    ¡­


    The sun had already gone down, when Ivory woke up four hours later. Her eyes slowly opened, seeing a small oil lamp illuminating the dim room on the side table.


    "Feeling tired?" Sigmund uttered.


    His deep voice reminded Ivory of what they did last night. She could still feel his grasps and how hot his breath was on skin. Her moans and screams still echoed in her ears as his Vampire Servant humped her deep behind. It was surprisingly good that it made the two of them turn as wild as they could ever be. As she recalled their wild moments, her legs squirmed under the cotton blanket. It made her slightly wet, and she turned beet red, quickly covering her face with the blanket.


    The Vampire chuckled, "How''s your¡­ back?"


    "It feels weird¡­ Let''s not talk about it!" she still refused to show herself to him.


    "Get up, now. I''ll dress you up, you need to eat," he then pulled the blanket hard, exposing Ivory''s naked body.


    "Sigmund! You-"


    The Vampire rolled her body to the side to check her buttocks. A smirk escaped from his lips, satisfied how red it was, before pulling her arm to make her sit. He firstly gave her a pair of dark green undies and helped her wear it. He then took a cedar brown long sleeve dress with pleated front bodice from her closet and dressed her. Sigmund combed her long silver hair afterwards using his long slender fingers.


    Afterwards, they went downstairs. Sigmund was teasing Ivory because she couldn''t walk properly!


    At the dining table, the Sprucemint family was already eating the freshly baked blueberry pie. She sat beside Gracie, who gave her a warm hug. While they were all eating, Sigmund leaned at the wall, observing his smiling Master. He''s happy whenever he sees her happy.


    Sigmund contemplated on what they should do about their secret relationship. How nice it would be if the people around them could right out accept a relationship between a Master and a Servant. But deep inside, he knew the possibility of nobody supporting them.


    For now, he would follow what Ivory wanted to do. He would serve her as a Servant and cherish her as a lover. While he stared at her at that moment, he swore to the heavens that he would protect her lovely smile. If his Master''s happiness and safety would be in exchange of revealing their relationship to others, then he''d rather keep it a secret forever.

 Chapter 162 - "Your Servants Are Spoiling You Too Much"

    ...


    The next morning, a messenger riding a brown horse came. The man said that he was tasked to deliver a message from the Goldwines. Ivory and her foster family came out to listen to him.


    "General Goldwine would like to invite the Sprucemint family and Mister Zen for a feast tonight. He wants to celebrate the safe return of Mister Lucius and Miss Ivory."


    "We would love to come, of course!" Gordon exclaimed.


    Anne then asked, "Uhm, do we need to dress up formally for the feast?"


    The messenger shook his head.. "You may wear anything you''d be comfortable with. It is an informal event, but it will be attended by some of the Town Leaders and Town Guard Chiefs within the Land of Olivea. The General also invited a drum and lyre band, as well as some lively dancers. Several dishes will also be prepared."


    "I guess we do have to dress quite nice," Ivory said, "Alright sir, thank you for informing us!"


    "It is my pleasure. See you all later!"


    As soon as the messenger and his horse were out of sight, Gracie said in an excited tone, "I want to wear my new dress!"


    "Alright, dear," Anne told her daughter and held her hand. She then told Flynn, who seemed to be excited about the feast as well, "Help me check if the clothes still fit you."


    "Okay, mother!" Flynn said, and the three of them went back inside.


    "You should inform your friend and Lycus," Gordon told Ivory. He then excused himself since he was about to chop firewood in the forest.


    Hours later, it was time for the feast. Together with Sigmund, Zen and Lycus, the Sprucemint family came, and they were led to a circular table inside the wide dance hall. On the ceiling were three candle lit chandeliers and the floor was polished oakwood. All dining tables were aligned on each side of the hall, and a big, square stage was positioned in the middle.


    At the end of the hall was a long, buffet table. Atop were several dishes like roasted pork, smoked ham, baked potato, and vegetable salad. Top quality wine was also served, as well as pineapple and cranberry juice.


    Gracie and Flynn couldn''t help but gape in awe with the majestic interior. It was their first time attending such a feast. They wore the clothes that Anne sewed last year. Gracie wore a white cotton bell sleeve dress with a navy blue front and shoulder lace-up, while Flynn wore a white bell sleeve top paired with a red lace vest.


    The Sprucemint couple wore matching outfits made of blue linen. Anne wore a cotehardie dress with front lacing and floral appliques, while Gordon wore a button down long sleeve top and black dress pants.


    Zen wore an aegean blue short sleeve tunic paired with black braided belt.


    Both Ivory''s Servants were dressed in embroidered suede coats, but differed in color. Lycus was wearing a white top underneath the dark red coat, while Sigmund was wearing a black top underneath the black coat.


    Even though there were many beautiful wives and daughters of Olivean officials who attended, Ivory stood out the most. Her waist-long, silver hair was neatly combed. She didn''t even need to wear a dress adorned with gemstones or with elaborate embroideries like the other women. She was only wearing a plain white off shoulder dress with long flare sleeves and front lace-up. Unfortunately, due to her itching ear, she couldn''t wear any earrings, instead, she wore Lucius'' old gift to her, which was a moon-shaped crystal necklace. It became the main accent for her whole outfit.


    Soon after, General Darius came walking on the stage. The previously noisy crowd became silent, waiting for him to speak.


    "Everyone, thank you for attending this feast even though it was a short notice. For those who do not know why I decided to set up this event, my son Lucius, together with his classmate, Miss Sprucemint, came to the faraway town of Topazeon to do their internship as third year Qawiun Academy students. They have returned safe and sound."


    There was a round of applause.


    After they settled down, the General continued, "Aside from this, I have an important announcement to make," he cleared his throat, "I am happy to announce that after years of searching, I have found¡­ my lost daughter."


    The crowd chattered among themselves. Some were surprised that the General had a daughter, while those who knew him since his early days as the General of the Land of Olivea thought that his daughter had died. Nevertheless, they were all happy for him and were excited to finally meet the said daughter.


    "I want to introduce her to everyone. She is-"


    "Father!" Lucius suddenly called with a worried face. He joined him on stage and discreetly told him, "I don''t think this is a good idea¡­"


    "Why? I think it''s the right time."


    "Think about what her foster family would feel at this moment," he sighed. "Aside from that, I don''t think mother will like this¡­"


    "I want to surprise Diana," the General knew how his wife longed for Ivory''s return to the family. He wanted to make it up to her because after all, he was the reason why she came into care of the Sprucemints.


    "She has her own reasons why she wanted to keep it a secret for now. I don''t think she would be pleased with this," he then pleaded, "Please, father. Please don''t be reckless."


    The General stared at his son for a short while. Seeing how serious his face was, he decided that it would be better to listen to him. He knew Diana better than him, because these past years, she only felt hatred for him for giving up on Ivory.


    "Apologies, it seems like I was too excited, not noticing that I still haven''t talked to her about it. Anyway, those are the two things I am celebrating about this feast. Enjoy the night everyone!"


    Even though the General and his son had already gone down the stage, the officials still couldn''t stop talking about it. Who was the mysterious daughter of the General, and why did his son stop him from revealing her identity?


    They were then distracted when a group of lady dancers, wearing olive green bras and long winged skirts adorned with yellow and green sequins, entered the stage. The beat of the music became lively, and the lute players started strumming in a faster manner.


    While the crowd was busy watching the stunning performance, General Darius and Lucius approached Ivory''s table.


    "I hope the food is to your liking," the General said.


    "Thank you for inviting us on this joyous occasion, sir," Gordon responded.


    "Your family is not a stranger to us. Of course, you are all welcome here," he turned into a serious expression, "Excuse me, but I would like to speak to you privately, Mister Sprucemint."


    Wondering what it was about, Gordon nodded at him and he followed him towards the hall''s exit.


    "I see you''ve taken quite a lot of meat, Ivory," Lucius commented as he stood behind her.


    "I get your point¡­ I know, I should watch my weight," Ivory pouted, "This is my last plate, I promise."


    He noticed that Zen and the two Servants were not around. "Where are Sigmund, Lycus, and Zen?"


    "Oh, they are-"


    "We''re back," Sigmund said as he placed a large plate of grilled, herbed pork on their table. "Here Ivory, your request."


    "Master, I brought you some savory bacon strips. I know you''ll like this flavor," Lycus then said, and also placed down the large plate.


    Ivory glanced at Lucius, who raised a brow at her.


    "Ivory¡­ Your Servants are spoiling you too much."


    "Then¡­ Let''s make today my cheat day!" Ivory said enthusiastically, piercing a meat slice with her fork.


    "Fine. I can''t do anything about your frequent hunger anyway," he sighed. He panned his sight around and noticed someone missing. "Where''s Zen?"


    "Eh? Didn''t I tell you two not to leave him alone?" she asked her Servants.


    "Apologies, I thought he was right behind us," Lycus said. Together with Sigmund, they went back to the buffet table at the end of the hall.


    When they arrived there, he saw Zen speaking with a bearded, brown-haired man, with the same lime green-colored irises as him. He seemed to be in his 50s, and judging from his neat and intricate three-piece set of coat and breeches made of satin and velvet, he seemed to be either a noble, or one of the officials invited by the General.


    "Oh, here are my friends," Zen said with a big smile, "This is Lycus, and this is Sigmund."


    As the man glanced at them, confusion was evident in his expression. When he turned to the silver-haired Servant, he smiled, as he already saw him in the past, even though Lycus couldn''t recognize him.


    But his face turned pale, and he trembled when he met the Vampire''s crimson-red eyes.

 Chapter 163 - "Another Witness To The Tragedy"

    "Zeny¡­ How did you meet this man?" the brown-haired man pointed at Sigmund.


    The Vampire raised his brow, "I believe that is none of your business, sir."


    "You¡­ You haven''t changed a bit," he muttered, then looked away.


    Although he said it almost inaudibly, Sigmund heard it because of his heightened hearing. He wondered who the man was, and why he looked terrified when he saw him. Perhaps he knew about his past?


    "Can I talk to you?" He told the bearded man, "If you knew me in the past, then I have a lot of questions."


    "I do not think you''re in the position to ask me anything," he said curtly. The man then faced Zen as he pointed at Lycus, "Zeny, I believe that this silver-haired man can protect you at all costs. You should choose your companions carefully.... Well then, I''m afraid I have to take my leave."


    "Ah, yes sir, it is very nice to meet you!" Zen waved his hand, and the three of them watched him exit the door.


    "Zen, you should not talk to strangers," Sigmund told him, "What did he tell you?"


    "He said he knew my parents."


    "And you believed him?" Sigmund raised his brow.


    "He said he knows my cousin Levian. He said he met him in his dreams, too."


    Lycus finally spoke after assessing the situation, "I have a hunch on who he might be," he then lowered his voice, after making sure that no one was near them, "He must be a Silverblade."


    "Hmm¡­ That is possible, indeed. He even had the same hair and eyes as him."


    "A relative¡­ Then, I should go after him!" Zen suddenly ran towards the exit. Lycus said that he would come after him, and so he requested Sigmund to  let Ivory know of the situation.


    Sigmund briskly walked towards his beloved Master, who was munching the grilled pork he served her earlier. He then whispered to her about Zen meeting a man whom they had a hunch was a Silverblade, and that he went after him.


    Although he told her that Lycus was already going after him, Ivory still couldn''t help but worry. She told Anne that she would be going out for a while to check up on some things.


    "I will look after the kids. Go on, take your time," her foster mother said.


    Noticing the expression on Ivory''s face, Lucius followed them.


    Meanwhile, the bearded man was at an isolated part of the Goldwine mansion. In front of him was a woman in a dark green lined cape with a neck hook and train.


    Zen, who successfully followed him, hid behind the wall. Unfortunately, he couldn''t see the woman''s face due to the hood. He listened to their conversation.


    "Darius sometimes does some troublesome things," the woman said, "This is why I couldn''t forgive him. There are some things that he thought would be good for me, but in reality, those things only brought me worry."


    "I believe he only did those things because he loves you, Miss Diana."


    "Sir Rheolous, his love is too much for me to bear," she then glanced at the pocket watch she was holding. "I need to go now, or else his guards will notice my departure. Thank you for helping me escape."


    As he watched her ride the coach, he asked, "But how about your daughter? Aren''t you going to see her?"


    A lonely smile appeared on Diana''s face, "Her safety is my priority. Now that the Silverblade heir has decided to fight for the throne, I need to meet the Werewolves as soon as possible."


    Rheolous then closed the carriage and watched it disappear from his sight. He was shocked when all of a sudden, Sigmund came jumping from the roof!


    "Don''t hurt him! He''s my relative!" Zen came running from behind the wall.


    "Don''t butt in, Zen," the Vampire''s eyes glowed, and Zen stepped back, frightened. As he held Rheolous'' wrists behind his back, he asked, "Who was that woman? I heard¡­ she went to meet the Werewolves." He only heard her say that she needed to meet the Werewolves but he had not heard everything.


    "You Vampire¡­ I thought you are harmless now and that you''ve already changed. I couldn''t believe I had been fooled a while ago in the hall," the bearded man  struggled to be freed from his grip.


    "I repeat. Answer me straight to the point. Who was that woman-"


    "You couldn''t even recognize her voice? What happened to you?" Rheolous uttered, "Or maybe, you''re just pretending. I can''t think of any reason why you couldn''t recognize me, because I am one of the Silverblades that you tried to kill with your bloody sword!"


    With that, Sigmund loosened his grip. He was stunned, not knowing what the man meant. As far as he knew, he never killed or tried to kill anyone, twenty-one years ago. What he did remember though, was that he made them sleep. Why would he use a sword, when magic was his specialty?


    The bearded man was saying the same thing as Principal Zwain Arthurdane, who saw him in person!


    "What did you say, sir?" Ivory slowly approached him. "Sigmund tried to kill you?"


    As soon as he set his eyes on her, Rheolous turned silent. The bright moon reflected in Ivory''s light blue irises, and her simple, yet elegant gown made her look like a deity.


    "You are close with this insolent Vampire?" he questioned. "He''s very dangerous, so why-"


    "He''s my Servant."


    Hearing this, Rheolous felt his knees weaken. He sat on the ground, giving a short laugh, which was then followed by a frown, "How tricky. Looks like the Goddess has her own plans."


    "What do you mean?" she asked.


    "That Vampire¡­ he''s the past Servant of-"


    "Sir Rheolous!" Lucius came rushing towards him when he saw him sitting on the ground. He said, "I apologize. Did this man hurt you?"


    "It''s alright. I''ve known for so long that he could hurt anyone," Rheolous glared at the Vampire, and he stood up with Lucius'' help.


    "I am innocent!" Sigmund exclaimed. He then turned to Ivory, cupped her chin and forced her to look at him, "Ivory, you do not believe this man, right?"


    Ivory could feel how frustrated her Vampire Servant was. She touched his hand and placed it on her cheeks. While looking directly in his eyes, she told him, "Of course, I trust you, Sigmund."


    Her words made him calm down, and his eyes stopped glowing.


    "I can''t understand anything," Zen told them. Confusion was evident in his face. Was the man whom he was calling ''father'' back in Topazeon the one who killed his family? He glared at Sigmund, and tears started to form in his eyes.


    "Do not misunderstand, Zen. Something''s amiss! I can''t remember some details from the past!"


    "Zeny, you should stay with me from now on," Rheolous advised. He then offered a hand, "Let me introduce myself formally. I am Rheolous Silverblade. I am your father''s brother."


    "You''re my uncle?" there was a hint of excitement in Zen''s voice.


    "That''s right," he gave him a kind smile as they shook hands.


    "I think it will be better for Zen to stay with him," Lucius suggested. "Zen has already lost his trust in Sigmund, and it will not be good for him to stay with the Sprucemints anymore."


    Zen furrowed his brows as he glanced at Sigmund. A part of him wanted to think that he was just framed, but Rheolous'' words kept on repeating in his mind. But how could he tolerate his presence and smile at the man who was suspected in harming the Silverblades?


    "I will come with my uncle. I apologize," he lowered his head in front of Ivory.


    "Don''t apologize, okay? It''s not your fault," Ivory patted Zen''s back as she hugged him, then whispered, "As someone who took you out from the shadows of your fake parents, please grant me a wish. Give Sigmund a chance to prove his innocence."


    Zen slowly pulled away from her when Rheolous'' carriage suddenly came, and instead of giving her a reply, he gave a deep sigh and displayed a subtle smile from his face. He walked towards Rheoulous, who was already waiting for him at the coach''s door.


    "When you were little, you almost never left your father''s library. Back then, Prince Levian would visit you sometimes and listen to your stories," he asked him as he recalled the sweet little memories of them as kids. "Zeny, do you still like reading?" and he gave a nod in response. He then told him that he also had a library in his home, and hearing this, Zen immediately rode the carriage.


    Ivory noticed Sigmund''s face; his eyebrows still furrowed, and he stared at Rheolous'' carriage. She decided to excuse themselves, as she needed to calm him down. Together with Lycus, the three of them left the area.


    As soon as they were out of sight, Lucius made sure to put a sound barrier, before asking Rheolous, "Where is my mother?"


    "She decided to leave¡­ She might not return for quite a long time."

 Chapter 164 - "The Master And The Servants Personal Problems"

    "What? But we finally found my sister, so why¡­" the blonde young man sighed. He was excited to bring Ivory to his mother''s residence at that time, but his excitement got spoiled because his plan could not proceed.


    "What the General did today captured the attention of many. For sure, they''d be curious about who his lost daughter is. Who knows, they might even attempt to enter your mother''s residence and check. You know that she has been hiding from the public ever since she entered your household."


    The bearded man was right, so Lucius stayed quiet. Some enemies of the Goldwines might think his mother''s already keeping his sister, and he didn''t want her to be harmed in case they barged in her residence.


    Rheolous bowed a little, "Please understand that your mother left for the safety of the Goldwine family and your sister. She''s also going to meet the late King Ulysses'' Werewolf Servant Wolfram to seek help from him and the pack. They''re quite close, so¡­ Ah, apologies, but we need to go."


    At that point, he became confused about the past. As Rheolous'' carriage left, Lucius stared at its back. He thought he knew his mother well, but he was wrong.


    What he knew of her is that she loves cooking and gardening. Diana is a kind and loving mother. She was the one who taught him that he should help those in need. She emphasized that regardless of a person''s status and intelligence, he or she must be able to discern the right thing to do. She said that those who do good things would also have good things in store for them. He became a caring and humble person because of her.


    But he discovered that these were just like the tip of an iceberg.


    He knew of her being an unchosen Royal Knight only before he left for Topazeon. And now, it was mentioned that she''s close with the King''s Werewolf Servant.


    How come? Didn''t she have trauma with servants? Just how many secrets did his mother have?


    When Lucius started walking back to the hall, his mind was clouded with numerous questions. He realized that it wasn''t just Sigmund the Vampire, who existed despite being said to be banished, but also the Werewolves. If these banished Servants were already co-existing with them, could something dangerous happen?


    But were the banished Servants their allies, or foes? Or perhaps Sigmund was actually their enemy? Did he really kill the Silverblades in the castle?


    What the hell was the truth?!


    "I''m getting a headache," Lucius murmured to himself, then he hurried to the buffet table to grab a mug of pineapple juice.


    Meanwhile, Ivory, Sigmund, and Lycus strolled the small orchard at the west of the Goldwine mansion, where white benches were placed under the hawthorn and yew trees.


    "Sigmund," Ivory called her beloved as she held his hand while walking, "Lycus and I are here. We will help you with your problem. Isn''t that right, Lycus?"


    The second Servant nodded, and gave a kind smile to Sigmund. Even though the man in front of him is a Vampire Servant, he knew he was the kind who wouldn''t dare kill an innocent person. He knew well that even though he''s usually stubborn and speaks highly of himself, deep inside, he cares for his Master the most. His love for Ivory is proof that even as a flawed Servant, he can endure and be patient enough to wait for the right time to openly be with her.


    "How can I prove myself? I can''t even remember a lot of things that happened back then," he approached and sat on the white painted wooden bench beside a small tree. He covered his face with his trembling hands. At first, he thought that it was only Principal Arthurdane who saw him personally during the tragedy, but it seemed that there were some survivors who also saw that it was him.


    "First, we need to know more details about what happened in the past. I think Principal Arthurdane can help us," Ivory uttered. She then sat beside her beloved Servant and clung onto his arm.


    Two hours later, the feast came to an end. Ivory and her two Servants went back to their table in the hall. Gracie and Flynn had just finished eating blueberry pies, and Anne checked if they had traces of food on their faces. Gordon, however, was quiet and he seemed to be down in spirits ever since he came back from speaking with the General.


    "Father, what''s wrong?" Ivory asked.


    "Ivory¡­ Let''s talk about it at home," he sighed, then he walked forward, and the others followed him.


    To their surprise, two carriages were waiting at the mansion''s gate. The coachmen said that they were tasked to bring home the Sprucemint family. General Darius waved at them from afar. He stood beside Lucius, who then gave a subtle smile.


    Gordon, Anne, and the two kids rode one carriage, while Ivory, Sigmund, and Lycus rode the next one.


    When they reached Greensteid Town and entered the house, Anne helped the children change their clothes. Gracie was on the bed already, and Flynn volunteered to be the one to tell a bedtime story to her.


    While the kids were busy, Anne took this chance to join Gordon and the others at the living room. As Sigmund and Lycus prepared the fireplace, Ivory and Anne listened to Gordon, whose eyebrows were furrowed.


    "So, Ivory¡­ I heard that you already know about your real parents," he told her, and Ivory nodded, while Anne quietly listened to the conversation.


    "Father¡­ My parents are-"


    "The General talked to me, saying that he wanted you to live in the mansion with them."


    Hearing this, Anne commented, "Dear, does that mean¡­?"


    "Yes, Anne. Ivory''s real family are the Goldwines," Gordon sighed, "General Darius said that you already know. Why didn''t you tell us sooner?"


    "I¡­ never once thought of leaving this house even though I knew of my descent," Ivory then sat in between her parents and held their hands. "I will never leave Greensteid."


    "But Ivory, he is the General, and the Goldwine family is one of the most powerful and influential families in the kingdom. I don''t think you should disobey him, especially that he''s your real father," he responded.


    Anne added, subtly clenching her daughter''s hand, "Ivory¡­ You may transfer to Megalia City, but our house is always open for you. You can come here anytime."


    "No¡­ I am not leaving¡­" she got teary-eyed hearing this from her grown parents, "Why do you want me to leave?!"


    "Think about it. Why bother living in this small house, when you can live in a mansion? You will live a better life. Maidservants and butlers will assist you everyday. You won''t have to get your hands dirty harvesting acorns and blueberries. You do not have to feel indebted to the General for permitting you to have your own carriage," Gordon told her with clenched fists, "We want you to live a comfortable life!"


    Ivory''s tears streamed down her cheeks like waterfalls. She never expected that on the day that they would discover the truth about her, they would shove her away instead of asking her to stay.


    Slowly, she let go of their hands. "I will not change my mind, even if you force me to leave."


    Anne, who was also already crying, told her, "But we''re poor! This kind of living isn''t for you-"


    "All the more, I must win the Servant Competition! My goal is still the same from when I entered the academy. I still want to win for our family¡­" she said with determination in her eyes, "And if I win, please do not try to convince me to leave again!!!" She could not contain her emotions, so she decided to run away!


    Sigmund and Lycus went after her. In that dark pine forest, Ivory used Wind magic to leap up the trees in frustration, and her two Servants had a hard time catching up with her.


    Ivory reached the northernmost part of Greensteid Forest wherein a gulf was situated. The moon was bright that night and only the whistling of the wind and the crashing of waves could be heard. She crouched as she stared at the other side of the gulf, viewing the torch-lit mountain ranges on the Land of Sandria.


    "I will win the competition next year¡­ I must win¡­" she murmured to herself.


    Even though the crashing waves were raging, she yelled and yelled to the waters, wanting to get all the negativity out of her.


    Soon after, Sigmund heard her frustrated scream, and with Lycus, they hurried to the direction of her voice. When the Vampire Servant saw his Master kneeling in front of the waters, he immediately ran towards her and grabbed her arm.


    He forcibly made her stand up, and as he peered into her light-blue irises, he told her, "Get a grip, Ivory! What the hell are you doing?"


    Ivory placed her arms around his waist as more tears trickled down her cheeks, "Train me¡­ I want to win¡­" she uttered, her voice trembling.


    The Vampire embraced her, "After we visit the Principal tomorrow to ask about my problem, Lycus and I will start to train you again. Alright?" he stroked her head gently, "Now, calm down. Let''s achieve our goals one by one¡­"


    Ivory only nodded at him as she got comforted with a tight hug.


    Lycus, who was standing behind Sigmund, gave Ivory a reassuring smile while she rested on Sigmund''s shoulder. "We still have three months to prepare for the Servant Competition, Master," he told her, "We, your loyal Servants, will do everything to help you fulfill your wish."

 Chapter 165 - "The Vampire Who Held A Bloody Sword?"

    ¡­


    The next morning, Ivory, Lycus, and Sigmund were walking on the main road from Greensteid Town. Suddenly, someone called them from behind.


    It was Lucius, who was riding in his horse-drawn carriage, and he waved his hands as he peeked through the coach door opening. When the carriage stopped in front of the three, the blonde young man asked, "Where are you three going?"


    "To Omegalion," Ivory said. "How about you?"


    "I am also going there. Let me give you a ride."


    Ivory opened the coach door and entered, sitting in front of Lucius. Sigmund sat beside his beloved, while Lycus sat on the vacant seat beside Lucius.


    As soon as the door was closed, the carriage started moving..


    "If you had informed me that you''d go out today, I would have asked for a carriage for you. What are you going to do in Omegalion?" he asked.


    "Because of the shit that happened yesterday, my mind is all in a mess," Sigmund said, furrowing his brows. He crossed his arms, "I need to know what exactly that pesky principal saw in the castle in the past."


    "I see. Then I''ll drop you off there."


    "Lucius, how about you, what will you do there?" Ivory asked her brother.


    "I''ll go to Omegalion Library to look for some archived scrolls," Lucius responded.


    After that conversation, silence filled the whole carriage for the whole forty-five minutes of their trip. Each of them had their own personal problems to deal with, and all were thinking about how to get out of their current situations.


    Lucius kept on thinking about his mother who ran away from home. Aside from being worried about her health and safety, he also wondered when she''ll be back.


    Ivory was anxious about the Servant Competition. She wanted to win for her foster family. But could she win against the best Masters and Servants of the academy? In addition to that, her ears had been itching since they were in Topazeon. She was worried that it might become a disadvantage if it would not be fully healed before the competition.


    Sigmund, on the other hand, was troubled about him and his Master''s current situation as lovers. He loves Ivory very much, but his love for her alone would not.


    And Lycus, a Werewolf Servant, still hid his identity from everyone except Ivory. Aside from that, he was conflicted, not knowing if he would tell his Master about her real father, His Eminence, and why the General wanted to take Ivory as his own daughter.


    As soon as Ivory and her two Servants were dropped off in front of the principal''s residence, Lucius'' carriage left in a hurry. They were then given attention by a maid, who was wiping the windows of the townhouse. Seeing them, she immediately excused herself and entered the residence to inform Principal Arthurdane.


    Seconds later, she guided them in, leading them towards a small meeting room. They sat on the wooden chairs surrounding the round, wooden table at the center. The interior of the room was almost the same as before; the walls were made of huge stones while the ceiling had planks of finished wood. A head of a deer was hung on the wall, and a huge peacock replica was placed under a wide painting of a scenic view of the mountains. But the previously red, large carpet was changed into light green, giving a refreshing feeling.


    Ivory and Sigmund remembered the first time they went to the principal''s residence, asking for advice about his predicament being a different Servant than the others. And now, they returned to that same residence to ask about him again!


    While the maid poured green tea in Ivory''s cup, Principal Arthurdane went inside the room. He sat opposite Ivory and greeted them all with a bright smile.


    "What a lovely morning to have this rare green tea," he mentioned about it being bought from the marketplace in Rubia Town in the Land of Rosaria. He then asked, "So, what can I do for you? If the three of you came here personally on a weekend, it must be something trivial."


    "It''s about me," Sigmund uttered.


    "You seem to give a lot of problems to your Master," the principal joked, but Sigmund only narrowed his eyes on him. "Well, let''s cut to the chase. What is it?"


    "Tell me everything you saw during the tragedy at the Silverblade Castle."


    Principal Arthurdane sighed as he recalled the unpleasant memories of his past as a Royal Knight.


    "I was assigned to the south gate of the castle at that time. That day, the war horns suddenly rang for a long time, which was an indication that there was a big attack¡­"


    He mentioned that the south gate was breached by several armed men, who he recognized as some knights and Royal Knights.


    "The south gate was the part of the castle with the fewest men, and we were outnumbered. I didn''t want to die in that pathetic way, so while my companions were busy fighting until their death, I ran inside the palace to check the safety of the King."


    The Principal creased his brows. He continued his story, saying that he only wanted to become a hero. But fear struck him when he saw several people, not only armed men, but also maids and butlers, were already lifeless in the hallway.


    "Blood was everywhere. I checked some of their wounds, and confirmed that they were killed by a sword."


    Ivory and her two Servants listened quietly as the Principal narrated the bloody event.


    He continued, "I continued walking in that hallway, until I caught you in the act. With your bloody sword, you sliced a knight''s neck, and when he died, his Servant also disappeared¡­"


    Sigmund widened his eyes, "What the hell? I will never do such a thing, especially to innocent people!"


    "And when your eyes met mine, I immediately jumped onto the window beside me. My crow Beast Servant carried me away, knowing that I was too afraid to think anymore," Principal Arthurdane uttered.


    "We expected that you would give us a lot of details, but I guess we''re wrong," Sigmund voiced, obviously disappointed. He then realized something, "Wait, if you were a cowardly Royal Knight, how the heck did you manage to become a Principal of Qawiun Academy?"


    "My grandmother was the previous principal."


    "So your cowardly old self managed to become a Royal Knight because of connections?" the Vampire mocked him.


    The Principal shrugged, "Even so, I am quite skilled. I won''t win the Principal Application if I was such a weakling."


    Ivory sighed. Feeling lost, she asked, "What should we do now? We only want to know the truth about the tragedy, but-"


    "His Highness Prince Levian can answer you directly."


    "That kid? What do you mean?" the Vampire Servant raised his brow.


    "He''s no longer a kid. He''s become a fine, young man! He came with Sir Xenos last summer."


    Lycus then said, "Where is he staying? Maybe we can go to His Highness today and ask directly."


    "I''m afraid you can''t meet him at this time. He has a problem with his Servant."


    They asked what the problem was.


    The principal replied, "His Servant was already summoned before he even used the summoning circle. Fortunately, he knew what she looked like, so he and Xenos went on a journey to find her. Once found, the Prince might become the most powerful Master in the Kingdom. I am very sure that his Servant is also a powerful one!"


    "Please inform us once he returns. I have a lot of things to say to him," Ivory was thinking about gaining his favor by helping him reclaim his throne, then ask him to allow her and Sigmund to continue their relationship. She remembered the oath she took last time in her dream with Wolfram, which was helping Prince Levian to take back his throne. If she successfully did it, she would be hitting two birds with one stone!


    Principal Arthurdane insisted that they have brunch at his residence, so he served a platter of sesame beef and cabbage stir fry. Each of them were given a bowl of butter spinach soup, as well as a plate of pan seared steak. The aroma of the food was so good that the Servants, who were not required to eat at all, couldn''t help but taste them. Ivory, on the other hand, asked for more steak when she finished hers. She ate more steak than vegetable meals!


    Full and satisfied, Ivory excused herself and thanked the Principal for the sumptuous meal. She and her two Servants walked towards Omegalion Library first to see if Lucius was still there.


    The two-storey library was similar to a big shed, but the interiors had magnificent and exquisite style. Scrolls which were classified into different topics were stacked on wooden shelves. It had secluded desks and even a secret door behind a shelf leading to where the banned scrolls were found.


    They walked around the first floor and saw Lucius on a corner, his eyes fixed on an old scroll on the table. Beside the scroll were several other scrolls which looked old as well. They then decided to sneak behind him to see what he was reading.


    But they did not expect him to read an archived document. What''s more, it was something banned!


    Lucius was startled when a hand suddenly touched his shoulder. When he turned, he met Sigmund''s glowing crimson-red irises.


    "What the hell, rich boy," he narrowed his eyes on him, "Why are you reading about Werewolves?"

 Chapter 166 - "Can You Handle The Truth?"

    Lucius tried not to succumb to fear. He knew it would cause a big commotion in the quiet library if Sigmund would not calm down. He glanced at Ivory, and he asked her to calm her Servant first.


    "Sigmund," she murmured as she held his arm, squeezing it subtly, "We''re in the library. Please calm down. Lucius must have a good reason."


    With the warmth of his Master''s hand, Sigmund''s eyes stopped glowing and took a deep breath.


    While the three were conversing, Lycus was already reading the opened scroll. It showed an inked sketch of a Werewolf, with thick hair and hairy, pointed ears. The wolf form was also drawn, and in the description, it was written that the whiter the fur under the moonlight, the higher the mana quality.


    Noticing that Lycus was already reading the scroll, Lucius told them, "Let me explain.. Why don''t we all go somewhere more private?"


    He then took the old scrolls, and went to the counter to inform the librarian that he would borrow them. It took quite a long while before he could convince him, but because he''s the son of General Goldwine, he believed that he would use the information on the banned scrolls only for good intentions.


    Sigmund and Lycus carried the scrolls, and they all rode Lucius'' carriage. They traveled for several minutes until they reached Greensteid.


    The four of them got down to Lycus'' old house, which was already empty because Zen left. While Ivory, Sigmund, and Lucius sat on the wooden chairs, Lycus prepared them a bowl of his mashed potato dish with his signature flavor, as well as green tea.


    When they were already complete, Lucius spoke about his mother, "Sir Rheolous told me that mother left us to look for the Werewolves."


    "So the woman last time was yours and Ivory''s mother?" Sigmund asked, "But why? Why is she involved with those scums?"


    Hearing this, Lycus dropped the spoon he held. Ivory glanced at him worriedly, and as he picked up the spoon on the floor, he just gave her a reassuring smile.


    Lucius responded to Sigmund''s question, "Honestly¡­ I do not know. I am ashamed and I felt like I failed as his son."


    "So mother kept it a secret all these years?" Ivory questioned.


    He nodded at his sister, "I only knew of her being an ex-Royal Knight before we left for Topazeon. She mentioned the Unholy Mana, which is I think, the Dark Mana we knew of right now."


    "It existed, even years ago?" the silver-haired Master creased her brow.


    Lucius nodded. "Because I know she has trauma with Servants, I did not ask about Dark Mana, nor about Servants any further. I never even got to know what kind of Servant she had back then," Lucius sighed, "I didn''t even know she was close with Werewolves, so I am really confused right now."


    Ivory sipped tea, and then said, "What if her Servant was a Werewolf?"


    "Are you saying she has Silverblade blood?" her brother uttered.


    "No! She''s not-" Lycus almost said something. Upon realizing that he should not tell them anything else, he did not continue his words.


    "What is it?" Sigmund peered into his light blue irises, "You were saying something?"


    "Oh yeah, Lycus. You knew father and mother before, right?" Lucius asked him, "And you know Ivory''s past. I think you are the one who could give us details."


    "Apologies," he immediately stood up from his seat, then knelt in front of them. He bowed until his forehead reached the floor, "I am not in the position to speak about this important matter!"


    Ivory widened her eyes, "Lycus! You were hiding something from me? I thought you were loyal to me?"


    "Master, it is a very important matter, and I do not dare tell you until Master''s father, His Eminence, says so!"


    Still not mentioning a thing about Ivory''s past, Sigmund''s eyes glowed. He grabbed his shirt and looked straight into his eyes, saying, "Why do you call General Darius ''His Eminence''?"


    "He''s not-" Lycus'' lips trembled as he let the Vampire lash out his frustration at him.


    "Continue! What were you going to say?"


    "Lycus, please tell us," Lucius pleaded, "It will be better if we know the truth!"


    But Lycus turned to his Master, "If I tell you the truth, you and Sigmund might not be able to handle it¡­ I am sure it will bring a wedge between the two of you!"


    "I love Sigmund, and I know he loves me too, Lycus. Nothing can come between us!"


    The second Servant creased his brows, then panned his sight to Sigmund, "How about you? Can you risk your relationship with Master Ivory to hear the truth?"


    The Vampire turned silent.


    "Sigmund, tell him that nothing will change between us even if we hear the truth today," Ivory held his hands underneath the table, "Let us show Lycus how great our love for each other is."


    Sigmund also clenched his beloved''s hands. When he turned his head to look at Lycus, he saw the seriousness in his expression. He knew Lycus as a smart Servant, so he must have had a great reason why he asked them first. He is very loyal to Ivory, but why was he hesitating to let them know?


    Would the truth really negatively affect the current relationship he had with Ivory?


    The Vampire turned his head. He stared at the table and said nothing.


    She felt his grasp loosening, "Sigmund?"


    "No¡­ I¡­" he murmured and covered his face with his hands.


    "What did you say?" Ivory made him face her and forced him to remove them from blocking his face, and look at him directly.


    He met her gaze, then looked at Lycus and yelled, "Keep that damn secret... Do not say it!"


    Ivory and Lucius were both puzzled at Sigmund''s words. They stared at him, wondering why he refused to hear the truth.


    Ivory nudged his arm repeatedly and stared at him teary-eyed, "Sigmund, are you not confident with our love for each other? We trust each other fully, so why-"


    "Ivory, you don''t understand! I''d rather not know the truth than lose you!"


    Hearing this, Ivory''s tears fell on her cheeks as she felt her heart break. She was frustrated because she longed to know everything about herself, but it was as if the Goddess gave another test to them.


    At the same time, she also knew where Sigmund was coming from and was actually touched and thankful with what he said. It was the sincerity in his words that made her finally decide.


    "If Sigmund does not want to, then I shall honor his wish."


    The Vampire sighed, relieved that she agreed to him. If she insisted on making Lycus tell the secret, who knows what might happen?


    Lycus bowed once again in front of Ivory, his head on the floor, "Please allow me¡­ to resign and leave as your Servant! I have done something that a Servant shouldn''t do - to keep secrets from my Master!"


    "Lycus¡­" Ivory''s eyes widened from the unexpected statement from her second Servant. Wolfram asked her to take in Lycus as her Servant and trust him like she did with Sigmund. Besides, he never ceased to behave well and cared for her as her second Servant. How could she just shove him away?


    Keeping a secret from someone is just a natural thing to do, especially when the secret could negatively affect the person''s life. That was the reason why Ivory did not tell Sigmund that she met Wolfram and the pack in her dream, and that she had a pact with them. It was also the reason why she did not reveal that Lycus was a Werewolf Servant without wolf ears. She would definitely tell him, but she felt like it was not yet the right time.


    As she contemplated these things, Ivory felt like she didn''t want to pretend as if she never kept any secret from anyone.


    "Please stand up," she ordered. When Lycus followed her request, she told him, "Didn''t you promise that you''ll help me get stronger? I need you to train me how to make my other mana powerful. Don''t leave me, please!"


    Lycus, realizing that he was too rash in his words, apologized to Ivory. He glanced at Sigmund, who gave him a short nod.


    Lucius sighed, then started gathering the old scrolls placed on the table, "If you''re not going to tell us anything, Lycus, I should go now. I have a lot of scrolls to read." It was evident in his face as he frowned, that he was disappointed at the second Servant. But he knew he couldn''t blame him at all because Ivory is his Master, and he only acted upon his own judgment thinking about her feelings.


    Although the blonde young man already knew that General Darius is not Ivory''s real father, he actually didn''t know who her real father was. But he observed how Lycus addressed him as ''His Eminence'', so for sure whoever that person was, he would be someone powerful or with great influence.


    "Apologies," Lycus said before Lucius exited the door.

 Chapter 167 - "No Resemblance"

    As soon as his carriage left, there was an awkward silence in the room. Ivory suddenly grabbed her two Servants'' arms and tried to lift up their spirits, "Since we are currently stuck with our problem, how about we focus on my training? What do you think?"


    "Sounds great," Sigmund said. "We should just wait for Prince Levian to come back, I am sure he has the answers to our problems. He knows everything we want to know?."


    "Yes, master," Lycus smiled at her. She patted his head first before messing up his long, silver hair.


    "Why are you patting him?" The Vampire narrowed his eyes..


    Ivory chuckled, and she also messed with Sigmund''s black hair. "You easily get jealous!"


    Afterwards, she gave her warm group hug to the two. "Let''s go to the gulf shore later and start my training."


    And so, a few moments later, the three of them jogged towards their chosen place for Ivory''s training. Even though they have a few months left, she knew she shouldn''t waste any time, because after the graduation ceremony would finally be the moment she had been waiting for - The Servant Competition.


    ¡­


    Days and weeks passed by, and most of the Qawiun Academy third years already came back from their assigned tasks. Knowing that the Servant Competition is drawing near, most of the Masters already proceeded to practice with their Servants, thinking of ways on how to have an edge at the competition.


    At first, there were more than ten sections, but as they moved to the following year, more and more students had quit. This forced the Educators to organize the sections into four, namely Blue Gem, Green Crystal, Yellow Shard, and Red Stone.


    Lucius, the top student of the Blue Gem section, trained in close combat with his father''s subordinates, and also practiced magic by himself in an enchanted, magic-repelling room in the mansion''s basement. In his free time, he would read the old scrolls and learn about Werewolves, hoping that when his mother returns, he could ask her the right questions.


    Diana Goldwine had not yet returned home. Lucius was worried, but the General was the one who was worried the most. Darius learned that Diana left because of what he almost announced during the feast, so he decided to be discreet about Ivory for the meantime.


    On the other hand, Ivory''s two Servants were teaching her how to efficiently use her two types of mana. They were near Greensteid''s gulf once again, sitting on the big stones to rest for a short while.


    "You will not win with just your normal mana," Sigmund said. "I suggest that you also incorporate your extraordinary mana. You already know how to do it, right?"


    Ivory nodded at him. "But... wouldn''t I break the rules?"


    "Master, you were born with two kinds of manas. I do not think it''s considered cheating. As long as you can mix them well, and work with your teamwork with Sigmund, you can bring out the best of your abilities," Lycus uttered, giving a reassuring smile.


    "By the way, Ivory, you''re a bit faster now than before. Looks like your diet worked," the Vampire told her, and she reacted with a bright smile. Ivory was relieved that her hard work was paying off.


    "But, you still have to lessen your meat," the Vampire mentioned. "I noticed you eat so much meat.


    "But¡­ but¡­" Ivory pouted. "Alright, I shall do my best!"


    Aside from reducing her food intake, she jogged at dawn every day to improve her stamina. She also did planks, crunches, and push-ups to strengthen her core, arms, and back in her mini training camp built by her two Servants by the gulf shore.


    Ivory would also spar with either Sigmund and Lycus, but the most challenging part was they would fight with her at the same time, because at the Servant Competition, both the enemy Master and Servant might attack at once.


    In addition to this, they spent time reading reference scrolls of different magic techniques. They developed advanced magic techniques combining many concepts of the magic theory, which they believed would give them an edge on the competition.


    ---


    One sunny noon, a messenger from the academy delivered good news to Ivory. He read the scroll he held, saying that Principal Zwain Arthurdane was inviting her and her Servant to the graduation ceremony. It would be held after three days, at four in the afternoon, in the Qawiun Academy campus.


    The messenger continued, "Please wear your best attire, and Servants are also required to be presentable. Hoping to see you there at the event¡­ That''s all, Miss Sprucemint."


    She then bid goodbye to the man. After watching him leave, she immediately went back inside the house to inform her parents and siblings about her upcoming graduation.


    They congratulated her, then Gordon turned to Sigmund and said, "Come with me, Sigmund. Let us hunt a deer to celebrate!" He gave him a bow and an arrow afterwards.


    But Sigmund returned it, "I can manage without this. I will use magic for you."


    "Well then, let''s go. You too, Lycus. Pick some herbs and fruits on the way."


    When Gordon, Lycus, and Sigmund left the house, Anne asked Ivory, "What will you wear for your graduation?"


    "Hmmm¡­ Any dress I can see in my closet."


    "Dear, no! You must wear a really, really, nice dress!"


    Their conversation was cut when suddenly, Flynn called, "Sister, you have a visitor!" he opened the front door wide.


    Outside, was a woman wearing a white long sleeve ruffled blouse with ribbon and a wine red ruffled skirt made of jacquard fabric of high quality. Ivory recognized her as a close friend she hadn''t seen in a long while.


    As soon as she saw Ivory, she came running towards her, dropping her red, wide brimmed hat. Her butler immediately picked it up and shook the dirt off the headpiece.


    "Ivory! Oh how I missed you!" Arcea said, embracing Ivory tightly.


    "Arcea, it is good to see you again!" she greeted her with a big smile. When Arcea let go of her, she asked, "When did you return?"


    "Yesterday," she giggled.


    Ivory noticed that Arcea''s quite energetic, "There is something different about you. Did something happen at Empirica City?"


    Arcea turned beet red, "Uhm, nothing!"


    She chuckled. "You say it is nothing, but your face says otherwise," observing her more closely, she told her, "Come to think of it, you are dressed like a noble lady going on a date with your lover. Are you going somewhere?"


    "What are you saying, Ivory? I just missed dressing up, because I was always wearing tights back in Empirica!"


    "Fine, if you say so," Ivory could not help but tease her friend. She did not believe her at all, because she even had her eyebrows drawn!


    "Ah, by the way, have you decided what to wear for the graduation ceremony?" Arcea asked.


    "I''ll just wear anything on my closet-"


    Anne heard this as she approached them, "Dear, didn''t I tell you not to wear just anything? Why don''t you go with your friend and look for dresses at Alpharion City?"


    "Great idea, ma''am! Then I''ll be borrowing her for today!" she grabbed Ivory''s hand and pulled her to the carriage. She asked her butler to sit beside the coachman as she would be catching up with Ivory. After returning her red hat, he hopped on beside the coachman and the carriage accelerated.


    While inside the carriage, Ivory looked at Arcea suspiciously as she told her some stories about her and Caspian while they were on internship. When she mentioned that they lived together in an apartment, Ivory teased her so much that she eventually admitted that she actually liked him!


    "How about you, Ivory? How are you and Lucius?" she asked curiously.


    "What are you saying, Arcea? Lucius and I are¡­" Ivory pursed her lips. But upon thinking about it, it would be best if she knew. After all, they''ve been friends for more than two years already.


    "Hmm? What about you and Lucius?"


    "Well¡­ I found out that he''s my brother."


    "Your¡­ WHAT?!" she widened her eyes, and she couldn''t believe what she just heard.


    "It''s true. We are related by blood."


    "But¡­how did it happen?" she paused for a while before speaking again, "I mean, I do not see the resemblance."


    Hearing this, Ivory realized that she''s right. She neither looked like Diana or Darius. None of them had light-blue irises or silver hair like her. "Now that you''ve mentioned it¡­ I also wonder why¡­" she muttered.


    ------------------------


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 Chapter 168 - "The Graduation Ceremony-1"

    When they arrived at Alpharion, Arcea immediately took Ivory to her favorite dress shop. The dresses there were not less than 2000 silver coins, and those with intricate designs cost more.


    "If you are Lucius'' sister, then you''re already rich now, so I know you can afford these," Areca told her.


    But Ivory shook her head, "I wouldn''t dare to spend a lot on a dress that I will only wear once."


    She facepalmed, seeing her friend did not change even after a long while, "Fine. Then choose anything, and pay just half. I will pay the other half."


    "Arcea, that''s too much, let''s just choose another store."


    She quickly pulled her towards the counter before she tried to exit the door, "I want you to be the most beautiful in the graduation ceremony! We haven''t seen each other for a long while, so grant my wish!"


    "But-"


    "No buts, Ivory!" she exclaimed, then asked the dressmaker to show them the dresses and gowns for the graduation ceremony.


    Afterwards, they went to another store for the accessories.


    "I already have something to wear as a necklace, so I think I will not be buying anything."


    "How about earrings?" Areca asked, showing a pair of beautifully-made diamond-studded earrings on one of the shelves.


    "I think I developed an allergy back there in Topazeon Town. My ears have been extra sensitive and itchy lately."


    Areca furrowed her brows, "Is that so? We should have it checked up with a physician, then."


    "Maybe on another day."


    Her friend nodded at her. Instead, she pulled her towards a shelf full of bejeweled bracelets and head accessories. Satisfied with what they bought, they went to the shop adjacent to it and chose pairs of closed heels.


    After they spent a lot of coins for their upcoming graduation outfits, Arcea took Ivory home. Ivory got down the horse-drawn carriage, and Sigmund was in front of the door with his arms crossed. His eyebrows furrowed, and he frowned when he saw who she was with.


    Arcea greeted the Servant in a high pitch, "Oh, long time no see!" she waved at him as she peeked by the coach''s window.


    "Damn it, where did you take her? It''s already sunset," he growled.


    "Now, now, Sigmund, help me take the things inside," she gave him two big boxes, "We just bought things for the graduation ceremony, so do not be mad."


    He carried the boxes, one in each arm, "But what took you so long? I was worried."


    "It''s been a while since we last met, so we did some catching up as well."


    Arcea narrowed her eyes on him, "How will my pretty friend find a lover, if you''re always guarding her?!"


    Sigmund was about to retort, but Ivory suddenly said, "I don''t mind it if it''s Sigmund who would guard me. He''s my Servant after all," she chuckled, easing the tension between them. "By the way, they prepared and cooked a newly hunted deer. Would you like to eat supper here?"


    "Ah, thank you, but I''m afraid I have to decline. I have a special guest at home, and my family also prepared supper," she said, her cheeks turning red.


    "Hmm, I think I know who this guest is."


    Arcea pursed her lips. She knew that Ivory might insist on her guest''s name, so she just told her, "I will surely join you next time!"


    After saying their goodbyes, Sigmund took the boxes upstairs. In the kitchen, Anne and Lycus had just finished making all the dishes. Flynn and Gracie already sat on the chairs, staring at the mouth-watering and colorful food served in front of them. Gordon placed the slabs of grilled deer venison on the table.


    When all of them had settled down, they started eating. Aside from the grilled deer venison, blueberry pie, rose pudding, and of course, Lycus'' special mashed potato were also served. As they ate, Ivory opened up about her memories in Qawiun Academy.


    "I couldn''t forget the first day I entered the academy. I was late, fortunately, Lucius helped me get in."


    "Maybe he already had an affinity for you as your brother," Anne said.


    Ivory shook her head, "Even if it wasn''t me, he''d help the person. He''s a very kind man."


    "Indeed," her foster mother responded. "What else can you not forget during your stay?"


    "Hmm¡­ When I summoned Sigmund¡­" Ivory recalled that her stubborn Servant rejected her, telling her that her mana had very low quality. He even escaped and left her!


    "Thanks to me, you''re already strong," the Vampire uttered.


    "And also thanks to Lycus," she added, and Sigmund narrowed his eyes on Lycus.


    The second Servant shrugged, and they all laughed at the first Servant who seemed to be annoyed. Ivory patted her two Servants'' heads while she was sitting in between them.


    For Ivory, moments like that were as precious as gold. Even though she had a lot of predicaments in her life, as long as her family and her Servants stayed with her, she felt like she could overcome anything.


    ¡­


    Two days later, the graduation ceremony commenced. The grand hall was decorated with long banquet tables on each side with long golden candles entwined with vines and strings of pearls as decors. The hall was also lit with luxurious wooden chandeliers and flags of the academy were hung on the walls.


    The Masters were required to wear their best attire, while the Servants were required to be presentable. Those who had big sizes in their active states like Golem and Beast Servants should be in their inactive state in the hall and would be reserved a vacant seat beside their Masters.


    Principal Arthurdane and all the Educators were already inside, and soon after, the sixty third-year students came one by one inside the grand hall, and proceeded to their assigned tables. They came with their best attire, considering it as a very important event.


    Most of the men were dressed in a three piece set coat consisting of a long jacket, vest, and trousers, while most women wore a half sleeve satin and lace ball gown.


    When Ivory and Sigmund came, all eyes were fixed at them. The Vampire Servant wore a black high collared coat with golden embroidery on the collar, shoulder line, and  hem sleeve, and black leather pants.


    Walking beside him and holding his arm was Ivory, who was wearing an off the shoulder lace ball gown with organza in colors of violet, plum, lupine, and dusty pink. She also wore the crystal moon necklace that Lucius gave her, as well as a golden circle headband and a crystal bracelet that matched it. Her long silver hair was loose, covering up her itching ears.


    The Educators did a head count, and realized that there was only one student who had not yet arrived.


    "Educator Rosanna, where''s your sister?" asked the Principal.


    "I told her not to take an afternoon nap today," Educator Rosanna facepalmed.


    A few moments later, she finally arrived.


    "Anastasia! I told you to come early!" she told her sister.


    Everyone in the room was mesmerized by her beauty and elegance. The ginger haired lady with ultramarine blue eyes was dressed in a cream ball gown with frills and paired with a wide brim hat.


    They observed her as she sat with her classmates at the table assigned to the Green Crystal section.


    Arcea, who was sitting on Ivory''s left side, whispered, "Look, Ivory. That''s Educator Rosanna''s sister. Their parents unlisted their marriage years ago and they got separated, that''s why they used different surnames. When the Educator graduated from the academy, their mother already had a different family, so she asked her to take care of her."


    "I see¡­ What a difficult situation."


    She continued, "I heard the young miss was bedridden for almost all her life, but the Goddess answered her prayers. One day, she just woke up full of energy. Fortunately, she was just a week late after the first day of our first year. She was able to catch up with the lessons."


    "I heard she''s the topnotcher in Green Crystal," their classmate in front of them uttered. "They said that her Servant''s so powerful that it never revealed its true appearance. Even so, I heard Educator Wallace even praised her superb magic abilities."


    "Do you know? They said she''s indifferent. She doesn''t have any friends, because she drove people away. She''s also known to be able to reject a guy in five seconds, before the guy even asked her to be her lover. They say she can read minds..."


    As she heard her classmates talk about her, she got more and more curious. Ivory had already seen her a few times during their magic class, but they never once had an opportunity to talk to one another. There was wonder in Ivory''s eyes, and she glanced at Anastasia, who caught her looking at her. To her surprise, she smiled at Ivory, and she returned the kind gesture. It seemed to her that the rumors about her being unfriendly were untrue.

 Chapter 169 - "The Graduation Ceremony-2"

    Soon after, Principal Zwain Arthurdane stood at a small stage in front. He said in a loud voice, "Welcome, Masters and Servants! As the principal of Qawiun Academy, I would like to tell every graduate in this room that I am truly proud of all of you. Several had quit and could not take the hard lessons as the training classes became more advanced, but all of you managed to last and even finished the internships," he raised the wine glass he was holding, "Congratulations!"


    Everyone raised their glasses with a big smile. Some had wine, and some only had grape juice. They raised their glasses and clunk them together before drinking their respective beverages.


    After his speech, Educator Heidi, who taught Defense Class, started to call the students one by one to receive an enchanted, graduation scroll. She was assisted by Educator Rosanna in handing out the blue scrolls with golden rods and red ribbons. These enchanted scrolls would glow once opened.


    After everyone got their graduation scrolls, the Principal announced, "I will now announce the specialized class awards and the top three highest ranks for your batch."


    Educator Rosanna said, "For the close combat specialized class, I would like to congratulate¡­ Miss Arcea Knightwing, for showing a unique defensive battle style that could reflect both hand-to-hand and long ranged attacks."


    "Oh my goddess!!!" Arcea couldn''t believe that she actually managed to make the strict Educator notice her combat skills. She walked forward, then received a nickel -plated trophy of a crow perched on a globe with its wings spread wide.


    Educator Wallace spoke up next. "I would like to give this award to¡­ Miss Anastasia Gaian, for showing great and powerful magic techniques on par with Royal Knights. She was able to cast the fastest of all the Magic class students. Please receive your trophy."


    Anastasia stood up from her seat and walked gracefully towards the stage. Most of the eyes were fixated on her again.


    As the other specialized class awardees were called, they were also given the same trophies, wherein the nameplate and title were the only differences.


    After awarding two more students after Anastasia, the Principal then announced, "Next, I am going to call forward the top students in every section. I will start with Blue Gem," he read the scroll, "The topnotcher for the Blue Gem Section is¡­"


    There was silence in the hall as they eagerly waited for the announcement.


    "Mister Lucius Goldwine, please come here and receive your trophy. Congratulations!" the principal said, and everyone in Blue Gem gave a round of applause.


    Lucius stood up from his seat, and smiled as he glanced at Ivory and Arcea. He slowly walked towards the stage and received a steel trophy smelted into two wing-like forms intersecting each other.


    The announcement of section topnotchers continued. For the Green Crystal Section, Anastasia was called once again.


    "For the Red Stone Section, congratulations¡­ Mister Varamond Arthurdane!" the principal proudly said.


    Everyone clapped their hands as the topnotchers were called onstage one by one.


    "Ivory, it''s the Principal''s younger brother," Arcea told her discreetly, "I heard he is aiming to be the next principal once Principal Arthurdane resigns."


    "What do you mean? Is he going to resign soon?" she asked curiously.


    "I heard that the principal is looking for a lover so he can settle down and have his own family. They said that some people caught him frequenting Betania City''s pubs and taverns-"


    "Ridiculous, how were you able to know all this stuff?" Ivory chuckled. Ever since they were first years, she always knew the juicy gossip!


    Afterwards, Principal Arthurdane proceeded to announce, "Next up, I will be giving trophies to the top three highest rankings of the whole batch."


    Educator Alphonse and two other Educators brought three trophies onstage. The trophies had a design of a woman holding a torch and her wings spread wide. The third highest would get a bronze trophy, the second would get a silver trophy, and the highest ranked would get a gold trophy.


    The principal continued his explanation, "The rankings were based on the written, oral, and practical scores submitted by the Educators for the whole three years¡­ The third highest rank is¡­ Mister Caspian Reagan! Congratulations!"


    The pink-haired young man widened his eyes over the announcement. He was not sure how to react. As he stood up from his seat, he glanced at Arcea first before walking towards the stage.


    "Congratulations, Caspian!" Arcea said as she clapped louder than the others. As she stared at him while he went onstage, she noticed Ivory smiling at her, "What, Ivory?"


    "I thought you were enemies, why are you cheering for him?"


    "We¡­ We''re okay now."


    She nodded at her, still smiling widely, "I get it now."


    "What are you thinking of?"


    "Nothing," she laughed.


    Principal Arthurdane then proceeded to the next awardee. "For the second highest ranking student¡­ Mister Lucius Goldwine. Congratulations!"


    Lucius stood up from his seat and received the silver trophy. The truth was, he was expecting to be able to have the first rank, but it seemed like he overestimated himself. He glanced at his sister and Arcea, who were clapping for his victory, and he waved at them.


    "Next, the first in rank¡­ Congratulations¡­" Principal Arthurdane cleared his throat, "Miss Anastasia Gaian!"


    The young miss received an award once again, and Educator Rosanna was teary-eyed as she watched her only sister come up onstage. Until now, she couldn''t believe that her bedridden sister would receive major awards and become the strongest Master in their special batch. In the Educator''s mind, she knew she could only thank Goddess Destinia for such a blessing.


    That was the last award given, and so, Principal Arthurdane asked for the food to be served. Slabs of smoked bacon and lamb were served, as well as vegetable salad and carrot soup. For dessert, they were given egg tarts and blueberry pies. Barrels of wines and fruit juices were displayed at the back side, and everyone''s free to refill their glasses.


    Not only that, the graduates were also given a bowl of mashed potato which Ivory recognized as prepared by Lycus due to its unique flavor!


    While eating, Ivory and her classmates conversed about what they want to do and where they would want to work after the Servant Competition, which would be held next week.


    "I want to be a sculptor. Someday, I want my works to be recognized by the Royal Family." one of them said.


    "But aren''t you in the close combat specialization class? Don''t you want to fight?"


    "Nah, after being in the academy for three years, I figured out I wasn''t a battle loving type of person. I will just waste my creativity swinging my axe. Besides, I am displeased everytime I see my cute tiger Beast Servant hurt," the young woman gently patted her Servant, who was sitting beside her. The black cub, who''s a big tiger when in its active state, let out a purr. She then asked, "I''m done, who''s next to share?"


    "Me! I want to work as a guard," another young woman said. Beside her was her Scythe Spirit Servant who held a big, sharp scythe, and his whole body was covered with white bandages. She continued her ambition story, "I will get really strong, and maybe I will apply as a Town or City Guard Chief someday. I still want to work here in the Land of Olivea! How about you, Arcea?"


    "I want to be¡­" Arcea glanced at Caspian, who was busy sipping red wine quietly at the side, "...the wife of that handsome guy who''s drinking wine-"


    They checked on whom Arcea was looking at, then teased her, "Yiiii, looks like something happened during the internship!"


    The young swordswoman turned beet red, "No, what are you all talking about!?" she quickly switched the spotlight to Ivory, "Oh, how about you, Ivory? What will you do after the competition?"


    "I will apply as a knight, and maybe someday, I will be a Royal Knight."


    "Oh, that''s great!"


    "I heard that when you win the Servant Competition, you don''t need to apply for the Royal Knight or the Educator position. It will be Principal Arthurdane who''s going to recommend the winner."


    Ivory sighed, "I am sure the competition will be tough."


    "You''re going to do well," Arcea said, patting her friend''s back, "I am very happy that you graduated with me. Actually, when we first saw you, I thought you''re not going to last in the academy."


    Hearing this, she noticed the two female classmates slowly turning away.


    Arcea quickly took a scroll on her velvet pouch bag. She showed them the contents, "Stop right there, you two. Your names and signatures are in this scroll. Aren''t you gonna pay up?"


    "What do you mean, Arcea?" Ivory asked, looking at her first then at the two who could not look at them directly.


    The two young women widened their eyes, shocked to see that the scroll from more than three years ago still existed!

 Chapter 170 - "The Graduation Ceremony-3"

    Arcea chuckled, "Let me remind you of what happened."


    The two young women gulped when Arcea started her narration.


    "When we were first years, I bet 600 silver coins if Ivory graduates. There are five of us who signed here, but those two girls already quit the academy last year. Since only the two of you remained¡­ You have to pay me 500 and 300 silver coins, as promised."


    After hearing her story, they hesitantly gave the coins as promised. They immediately walked away as soon as their pouches got lighter!


    Ivory gave a short laugh at her classmates'' conversation. "Arcea, you have to treat me to good food tomorrow," she tickled her side.


    "Of course! It''s all thanks to you that I got 800 silver coins. If those two did not quit, then I would have gotten so much more!" Arcea laughed..


    After an hour, the ceremony and feast officially ended. There was a line of students wanting to greet and thank the principal and the Educators.


    Ivory came last at the line.


    "You dimwit. You''ll have a chance to talk to the Principal because of our goal," the Vampire was referring to helping Prince Levian reclaim the throne, "Let''s go home. The line is too long."


    "Ugh, if only I didn''t get some apple juice, then I wouldn''t be last in this line," she pouted.


    Suddenly, someone greeted Ivory.


    "Hi."


    "Oh, uhm¡­ Hello, Miss Gaian?" Ivory gave a kind smile. "Congratulations on being the highest ranking student."


    "Thank you. Congratulations on graduating, Ivory. I hope I can fight with you in the competition," Anastasia uttered. Although she was already dropping the formalities, Ivory didn''t mind at all.


    As her ultramarine blue irises gazed into her light blue irises, Ivory couldn''t explain why she suddenly felt calm. There was something different in Anastasia that she wanted to speak with her more.


    "Ivory," she gently patted her head, and her light fingers slowly combed her silver hair downwards. "I think it''s time to be close to you-"


    "Do not touch my Master," Sigmund glared at the ginger-haired woman, shoving her hands away from Ivory''s hair.


    They were shocked when she laughed.


    "What''s your problem?" the Vampire asked.


    "I am just happy that you''re doing a great job protecting your Master," she gave them a wide smile.


    Lucius, who already finished greeting the staff of the academy, walked briskly towards them when he noticed the tension between Sigmund and Anastasia. "Is there something wrong?" he asked.


    "Nothing''s wrong," Anastasia responded, "I just told Ivory that I want to be friends with her. I have no friends, you see." She smiled at Ivory this time, who seemed confused with her actions.


    "Uhm, yes," she hesitated at first, "Maybe we can be friends," and she finally told the ginger-haired woman.


    "You birdbrain, can''t you see how suspicious she is?" the Vampire Servant whispered.


    "I know what I''m doing. There must be a good reason why she''s like this," she whispered back to him.


    "If you want Ivory to be close with you, I also¡­ want to be close with you," Lucius uttered, and the three widened their eyes. But the blonde young man only meant that he wanted to make sure that his sister''s safe.


    Anastasia giggled, "Lucius¡­ Are you flirting with me?"


    "Miss Gaian, do not misunderstand!" he immediately said, not wanting her to think about such a ridiculous thing, "I am not flirting with you!!!" he panicked, not realizing that his voice was loud enough to echo in the grand hall!


    The students became noisy as they talked about Lucius'' losing his cool. Some began to assume that he secretly liked Anastasia, while some thought that he was drunk that was why he took advantage of her. The gossips varied, but it all pointed out to one thing: Lucius liked Anastasia!


    "Don''t lie. You''re already caught," she poked his arm.


    Lucius'' ears became red and was not able to respond to the ginger-haired lady.


    "But apologies, but I do not want to have lovers in my life," Anastasia told him bluntly.


    The blonde young man sighed, "I told you, it''s a misunderstanding. I''ve chosen the wrong words."


    "Oh no, but what should we do? They''re already talking about us," she rolled her eyes and sighed.


    "Gossips will die down, especially if they are not true," he then turned to Ivory, asking her to go home with him because General Darius had something to give her.


    "We''ll be off, then," Ivory waved at Anastasia and gave a friendly smile.


    "See you around!" she replied to her and waved as they left.


    When they exited the hall, they saw Lucius'' carriage parked in front. He told Ivory before he rode his carriage, "Then¡­ I''ll be going. See you soon."


    "Huh? I thought our father''s going to give me something?"


    "It was a lie. It was just that Anastasia Gaian is just too annoying. Bye then," Lucius asked the coachman to move forward.


    As Ivory and Sigmund watched the carriage leaving, Lycus appeared at the side of the hall. He had just finished his kitchen duties, which was a favor from the principal.


    "Are we going home?" he asked.


    "Yes, let''s go!" Ivory happily pulled her two Servants'' arms and walked towards where their coach was parked.


    x x x x x x x x x x


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 Chapter 171 - "Watch Out!"

    ...


    There were only six days left before the Servant Competition. Most of the students who wanted to win resumed their training, while a few decided not to participate.


    Like before, Ivory and her two Servants trained by the gulf shore. They were not yet aware what terrain would be assigned to them on the first stage of the competition, and they talked about it while waiting for the tuna to be grilled for their lunch break.


    "According to the rules, there will be four possible terrains: Forest for Earth element, Torched Pillars for Fire element, Pond Bank for Water element, and Windy Mountains for Air element," Ivory explained, "These will be randomly selected once the principal picks a colored marble from a bowl."


    "It will be up to fate, then," Lycus uttered.


    Sigmund crossed his arms, "If you get either the torched pillars or the windy mountains, you''ll have an advantage, because those are the main elements of your manas."


    She nodded, "Now the problem is, who am I going to fight first, and what is that person''s weakness?"


    "Let''s assess your strong classmates," Lycus suggested. He pulled out a small scroll from his back pocket, "I''ve secured a list of your classmates'' information, plus their Servants."


    "How smart. Nice move," Sigmund complimented and chuckled. He read the scroll with Ivory.


    "So.... who among my classmates should I watch out for?" Ivory scanned the names listed on the scroll.


    "Watch out for Rich boy," the Vampire said. "The Ice brat as well. He almost killed you back then. Plus, he already mastered the Water element in ice form."


    "For Caspian Reagan, I can use fire against him. But our victory might lie on how we can outwit him," Ivory checked each Master and Servant, and checked which one would be the strongest and the most challenging opponent as well as their possible weaknesses. "This Diamond Golem Servant, I might have a hard time with it."


    "Hmm¡­" he read the name of the Master, "He''s the clumsy boy who always trips as if there''s an obstacle somewhere down his feet. I think you can handle him if he''s going to be your enemy. The Servant may be your weakness, but if the Master does not do well, you can still win."


    "Still, I will remember him. Fire and Wind might not be able to give a lot of damage to him," she continued to unroll the bottom part of the scroll. "Hmm, Clown Spirit? What''s that?"


    "Ah, the creepy Servant who summons daggers out of his cloak¡­ I met them back when I found the black gemstone in Rubia town. The Clown Spirit Servant''s Master and that spear guy helped me."


    "Spear guy?"


    The Vampire pointed at his name, "The guy who had a Shadow Horse Beast Servant."


    Lycus informed them, "By the way, Shadow Beast Servants are agile and they can easily hide their tracks. In your class, there are two Shadow Beast Servants, a horse and a tiger."


    "Tiger? You mean that cute black cub when in its inactive state?" Ivory asked.


    Sigmund nodded, "The Master of that cub was one of the women who bet on your graduation. She was the one who gave 500 silver coins to annoying Arcea."


    "I see¡­" she muttered as she read more on the scroll. Although she knew the faces of her classmates and some of the Servants, most of them weren''t sociable enough to have a conversation with her.


    "I heard the two support specialization students in the Blue Gem section forfeited the competition, so there will only be sixteen who will compete within your section. The winner in Blue Gem will fight with the champions in the Green Crystal, Yellow Shard, and Red Stone sections," Lycus explained.


    "I do not know my classmates that well, since I have only spoken frequently to Arcea and Lucius. Oh, and Zephie too."


    "That woman, Zephie¡­ Until the graduation ceremony, her butterfly nymph Servant kept on bugging me to be friends with him. He even offered an apple juice after putting three spoons of sugar..." he narrowed his eyes on his companions when they laughed at Sigmund''s story.


    After their discussion, Ivory realized that she shouldn''t lower her guard. She didn''t get any awards or recognitions, but she was already expecting that her grades would be lower than the others because of her poor performance during their first year. She almost got expelled before, but she stood her ground.


    She had a lot of enemies, and in the Servant Competition, her friends could be her enemies as well.


    But she shouldn''t give up. Whoever her first opponent would be, she''d never let him or her have an advantage over her, even for just a second. She swore to the heavens, she would do everything to win the competition. Besides, her victory would be for the Sprucemint family, who took care of her all these years.


    ¡­


    The day of the long awaited Servant Competition came. The gates were opened to the public so that they could watch the big event. The strict gatekeepers were busy checking their identification scrolls, especially that this was a special day. As expected, many people wanted to witness it.


    It was because it came to the people''s knowledge that during Ivory and her batchmate''s first year''s orientation, the Goddess had openly blessed them with orbs of holy light. It was an indication that she had given her approval for a competition to be held after their batch''s graduation. The people were very curious about what kind of magic abilities they had.


    Everyone gathered inside Qawiun Academy''s coliseum that morning. The arena was renovated especially for this special competition. It became wider since it could now accommodate ten times more people than before. The stage, where the students would duel, also became wider for the graduates to have a maximum experience of the terrains.


    Everything was set, including safety magic barriers which would protect the audiences from any type of magic that would possibly fly towards them unintentionally. The Educators were already positioned around the arena because they would be the ones who would change the terrain later on, using a secret magic technique exclusively taught to Educators.


    The principal appeared after the seats were all filled. While using a conical object to amplify his voice, he spoke, asking them to settle down and keep quiet.


    With full energy, he announced that the Blue Gem section would be the first to have a heated competition. After a loud cheer from the audience, the graduates of the first section lined up at the side of the arena, nervous about who would be the first competitors.


    "I will now announce the first battle!" While looking away, he picked a marble from a jar. He examined its color. Seeing that it was of red hue, he then said, "The first battle''s terrain would be¡­ Torched Pillars! And the first to battle each other is¡­"


    He unrolled the scroll that was previously given by the Educators, "Miss Ivory Sprucemint and Miss Arcea Knightwing!!! Please come here onstage!"


    The audience cheered loudly, but the two close friends, with widened eyes, looked at each other dazed and confused.

 Chapter 172 - "A Dagger Under Her Dress-1" (extra)

    It was such a fine day, and round, fluffy clouds like cotton crawled above Megalia City. It was still early in the morning, but the city made of red bricks and cobblestones was already filled with various people. Most of them were guards who were undergoing training, while some were city visitors who wished to buy weapons and armors.


    The subtle, cool wind made Educator Rosanna and her younger sister Anastasia decide that it would be the best day to look for armor for the Servant Competition.


    Educator Rosanna wore a cream closed bell sleeve top and skirt. It was paired with fern green gloves and a collared tight cape. She liked clothes which could make it easier for her to move around, compared to her sister who loved wearing more lady-like clothes.


    Anastasia wore a powdered blue long sleeve collared dress and knee-high brown boots, which was the trend among young girls at the moment.


    "Listen to me, Anastasia. In choosing an armor, you must make sure that the measurements on you are correct! You must¡­"


    As her sister was giving her tips about her armor, she just nodded repeatedly.


    Rosanna raised her brow, "You''re hopeless. I just can''t make you listen."


    Anastasia gave a smile, and the two of them entered the first shop.


    "Greetings- Ah, it''s you, Educator!" the shopkeeper said enthusiastically. "What do you need today?"


    The Educator responded, "I want a body armor for my sister. Something light, but sturdy."


    "I see. But apologies, I have to take her measurements. Maybe you can ask your sister to come with you next time."


    "Huh?" her brows creased. "She''s just right beside me-"


    But when Rosanna turned around, Anastasia was nowhere to be found!


    She immediately called her demon samurai Spirit Servant, who rose up from her shadow. The tall man with spiky red hair was wearing a black hakama and a white mask covering only his eyes. His spiky hair had the same bloody red hue as his Master.


    "Master."


    Rosanna ordered, "Natsu, find out where my sister went."


    "Understood, Master. Do you want me to bring her to you, or¡­ is this going to be like usual?"


    "You know her. You can''t drag her here with her mysterious, invisible Servant backing her up."


    Natsu nodded, "Then, I will follow her and report to you."


    As soon as Rosanna gave a thumbs up, he went back down her shadow.


    Meanwhile, Anastasia walked around. The city was full of red bricks and marching men, and there wasn''t anything eye-catching or pretty to see. Because there were only a few women and they wore either leather armors or metal armors, she stood out while she walked in her  powder blue dress,


    When she reached the end of the street, she came across a large, brick wall with metal gates. It was the Goldwine residence.


    Coincidentally, Lucius came out.


    The two of them met eyes momentarily. Although Anastasia smiled at him, the blonde young man frowned, and he turned away from her!


    Lucius pretended that he couldn''t hear her calling his name out loud. He walked as fast as he could, as if he was late in school. He could hear Anastasia''s footsteps as her heavy boots stomped on the cobblestoned sidewalk. Wanting to finally escape her sight, he ran as fast as he could!


    Anastasia creased her brows. She already knew that it was because of their awkward encounter during the graduation ceremony. Still, she wanted to get close to him if she wanted to gain Ivory''s trust.


    The ginger-haired young woman, noticing that Natsu was just around, called out to him.


    The Spirit Servant rose up from a shadow near her. "Miss Anastasia¡­ You called?"


    "Do me a favor, please."


    "As long as it won''t trouble Master Rosanna."


    "I want you to¡­" Anastasia whispered her plan to him.


    Meanwhile, Lucius had run quite far from the streets. He went to the direction of a watchtower he was familiar with, and he continued walking until he arrived at a training camp. The camp had a large training ground and dwellings that were specially built for trainees.


    There was no training ongoing at the moment. The caretaker of the camp said that the guards went jogging around the Land of Olivea, and would be back at night. The blonde young man asked the caretaker to let him stay for a short while in the place.


    Once the caretaker agreed, he asked some maids to serve Lucius with green tea and wheat bread. He then left him in a dining room.


    Suddenly, Lucius felt like someone was watching him. When he turned around, he saw Anastasia, grinning at her.


    Startled, the blonde young man quickly moved his chair, unfortunately, he fell sidewards, hitting his right arm hard on the wooden floor!


    "Oh, Lucius, are you alright?" Anastasia asked while she approached him. She was about to help him stand up, but Lucius shoved her hand away.


    "You''re too casual for a person you do not often talk to," slowly, he stood up, then went back to his seat.


    Anastasia sat in front of him. "You''re so cold to me, you know."


    "I find you very annoying."


    "I''ll forgive you for your straightforward attitude," she laughed a little.


    But Lucius couldn''t laugh at all. He narrowed his eyes on her, "Why were you following me, Miss Gaian?"


    "I shall tell you, if you call me Anastasia," she gave a sweet smile.


    "No way. I don''t want other people to misunderstand me again!" he said, banging the table with his fists. But this caused his right arm to ache, making him wail in pain!


    "Let me see, Lucius!" Anastasia uttered. She stood up from her seat and approached Lucius. She dragged the wooden chair towards him and sat down, facing him. "Geez, this happened because you ran away from me." She pulled his wrist to take a closer look.


    Lucius widened his eyes when he saw Anastasia lifting her dress up to her thigh. "Miss Gaian, what are you doing?" he could see her milky legs and thigh, making his ears turn red.


    But she didn''t respond and just examined his arm.


    He instantly looked away, "This is inappropriate-"


    Lucius paused when he saw her slide out a dagger from the holster wrapped around her thigh.


    Anastasia gave a reassuring smile, "Is your shirt expensive?"


    "Yes," he said without looking at her. He was dressed in a white long sleeve shirt and a leather dark red double vest.


    "Why did I even ask? It wouldn''t matter to a Goldwine."


    Before he could even retort, Anastasia pulled his sleeves, and without hesitation, she used the dagger to tear the sleeve of his shirt.


    Her actions made Lucius turn his head towards her, and he met her mesmerizing ultramarine blue eyes.


    Anastasia examined his arm and saw the wound on his bicep. She pinched his bicep, and he flinched.


    The ginger-haired woman said, "Apologies! I had to-"


    "I''m fine," he grabbed her soft hands, "Do not worry about me. This is nothing."


    "Please wait," Anastasia pulled her hand from him and took a pink handkerchief from her pouch bag. She wrapped it around his bicep, making sure that the tightness was just right.


    After that, Lucius asked in a serious tone, "Let me get straight to the point. What do you really need from me?"

 Chapter 173 - "A Dagger Under Her Dress-2" (extra)

    "Help me find a good armor for the Servant Competition," the ginger-haired woman replied.


    "That''s it?" he raised his brow.


    Anastasia nodded at him. "That''s the reason why me and my sister''s here in the city. I followed you because I know that you can help me, but you ran away from me! Good thing I asked my sister''s Servant to bring me to you."


    Lucius remembered that whenever the class wouldn''t listen to Educator Rosanna in the past, she would ask Natsu, who could emerge from any shadow, to grab one of the students'' feet. That way, the Educator made the class behave.


    He chuckled remembering that memory. Suddenly, his chin was cupped by Anastasia, and he turned red like a tomato as soon as their eyes met again!


    "You are more handsome when you smile."


    Right after hearing that statement, Lucius felt like his heart would jump out of his chest!


    ''What is this feeling?'' he thought.


    He wondered why a woman, whom he found annoying, would make him freeze when she''s near him. He wondered why he found her scent sweet, and why deep inside, he wanted to get to know her more.


    No, he knew he shouldn''t be feeling that way towards the Educator''s sister!


    Now, he contemplated on what he should do to stop making himself oddly nervous in front of her. He immediately changed the topic, "I''ll bring you to the Knightwings. Aside from their great weapons, they could also create magnificent armors."


    Averting his eyes away from her, he stood up from his seat and walked.


    Anastasia followed him and caught up with him. She walked side by side with the blonde haired young man.


    Lucius bid goodbye to the caretaker of the training grounds and after arriving at the road, he asked her, "Would you like me to bring a carriage? The workshop is a bit far if we walk. You might hurt your feet."


    But Anastasia only shook her head, "I want to walk with you."


    "Huh? But why?"


    "So I can spend more time with you, Lucius."


    It was another strike in his heart! Why was the young woman always saying things that could make him embarrassed?


    Lucius cleared his throat, "Shall we go?" and asked.


    Anastasia nodded with a big smile, "Tell me more about yourself, Lucius," she uttered, casually clinging onto his left arm.


    The blonde young man got tired of pushing her away from him, so he just let her do whatever she wanted.


    But might just be an excuse. He didn''t want to admit it, but he started to view her as someone very interesting.


    As the two of them walked to the Knightwings'' workshop, Anastasia never stopped asking Lucius about many things. What made him puzzled was when she started asking about Ivory. She even asked how she was when she went with him to Topazeon Town.


    Assuming that she was just speaking nonsense, he just said that she''s fine.


    "You should be a good brother to her, okay?" Anastasia told him as she looked straight into his eyes in a serious expression.


    But wait, how did she know that they''re siblings? As far as he remembered, he still had not told her anything about it!


    When he was about to ask her, they arrived in front of the shop. Outside was the sign, ''The Knightwing''s'', which was made of iron and had a forge, furnace, and tongs as design. It stood out because in that street, and it was only their gate that had an elaborate design. The gate was made of iron wrought with intricate design in the middle and mini spears on top of the gate.


    They entered the shop of the most famous blacksmith in the land, and inside were  wooden walls in which rows of different kinds of swords were hung. There were also some customized body armors placed on armor mannequins. Half of the shop''s space was already packed with guards looking around to find the best weapons and armors fit for them.


    "Welcome to Knightwing''s- Oh!"


    Because Arcea''s father and assistants were busy, it was Arcea who was the first to greet them. She gave a playful smile when she saw Anastasia clinging onto Lucius'' left arm. She knew that the lad was close with Ivory and herself, but they never clung onto his arm casually. She gave a suspicious look at Lucius.


    "Don''t misunderstand," Lucius knew how Arcea loved to gossip, so he already knew what his close friend was thinking about, "We are here because she needed armor for the Servant Competition."


    "Would you like it custom-made?" she asked the ginger-haired Master.


    Anastasia nodded, "Please."


    "Very well. I shall take your measurements. Please come with me."


    While Arcea was taking the measurements at the far side of the shop, Lucius walked around. He seemed to be looking at the displayed swords hung and lined up on the wall, but he was actually secretly glancing at Anastasia.


    ¡­


    The next day, Arcea invited Sigmund, Ivory, and Lucius for supper at the Knightwing residence. They stayed in front of the fireplace, wherein a long table was placed, and atop were delectable cuisines like braised short beef ribs, smoked ham, and tomato salad.


    "So, Lucius," Arcea uttered, "About yesterday¡­"


    "No. Nothing. I have nothing to say. Don''t misunderstand-"


    "How defensive," the swordswoman laughed.


    "Why, what happened yesterday?" Ivory asked as she let Sigmund put a slice of smoked ham on her plate.


    "Ivory, yesterday, Lucius entered our shop with Anastasia Gaian!" she giggled.


    "Uhh, there''s nothing wrong with that, unless she''s clinging onto his arm or something¡­ Right, Lucius?"


    The blonde young man pursed his lips, not knowing what to say.


    "The thing is¡­ she''s clinging onto her arm! And not only that¡­ There''s a handkerchief on his bicep, and it''s pink! It obviously came from her!"


    "Well, well, rich boy? Have you finally found the one who''ll give you a headache?" Sigmund grinned at him.


    "Shut up, if you continue to spout nonsense, this will come flying to your face!" Lucius pointed to the knife he held towards Sigmund.


    The Vampire chuckled, "You can try!"


    Ivory gave one loud clap, interrupting the tension between them. "Lucius, do not be embarrassed. It''s alright to like someone! As your supportive sister, I encourage you to do so!"


    He furrowed his brows. Him? Like Anastasia Gaian?


    ''What a ridiculous thing!'' he thought to himself all over again.


    But if he wouldn''t lie to himself; he actually enjoyed spending time with her yesterday.


    Anastasia was a woman without any filter to her words, yet he wished to listen to her. She seemed to be a genuine person. They only talked for a quite a short time in their lives, yet he couldn''t forget about the time he spent with her. He couldn''t forget her sweet smile, and her sweet scent that playfully crossed with his sense of smell.


    Curiosity was enveloping the blonde young man. If he''d be given a chance, he''d want to know more about her, and unveil the mystery covering her.


    Lucius realized that perhaps he really did take an interest in the ginger-haired Master.. He suddenly gave out a loud, long laugh, making the others look at him suspiciously.

 Chapter 174 - "Servant Competition: Ivory Vs The Steel-Armored Swordswoman-1"

    ----------------


    It''s finally the long awaited Servant Competition!


    As there are many Qawiun Academy graduates in Ivory''s batch, I will only write and focus on her and Sigmund''s battles.


    In the coming chapters, expect more action and relevant extra chapters!


    This web novel is ENDING SOON, around the last week of November or first week of December! Also expect more drama as Ivory and Sigmund''s identities are revealed!


    Editor iridescentdream and I are very happy that you have been with us to watch how Ivory grew as a Master. Although some dropped the book because she was a weakling, you are still with us until now that she became stronger. I hope you liked the development of her character!


    At this point, we would like to thank everyone, from the bottom of our hearts! <3


    ----------------


    Arcea held onto Ivory''s arm, and asked in a very worried tone,  "What should I do? How can I fight my closest friend?! What if I leave a scar on your beautiful face?!"


    Ivory chuckled, feeling her cold steel gauntlet, "Arcea, do not worry! I will try my best to dodge you."


    "I am not sure if I can fight you¡­" she whispered as she lowered her head.


    Someone suddenly grabbed her hand, "Hey, you should fight! Why did you wear that heavy armor we prepared for months if you''re just going to quit?"


    Upon seeing that it was Caspian who encouraged her, Arcea was dumbfounded.


    "Arcea, do not forget what we did in Empirica City. I taught you some magic, you taught me some close combat techniques. If you quit now, then all the things I taught you will be wasted! What do you think I will feel?"


    "But Caspian, I-"


    He made her face him and touched her shoulders, looking straight into her gray eyes, "Arcea, at least do it for me."


    She pursed her lips and her cheeks turned red as she slowly nodded her head.


    Caspian glanced at Ivory, "I am sure your close friend wouldn''t mind fighting with you. Am I right, Miss Sprucemint?"


    Ivory smiled, "Of course. It will be a pleasure to fight with the close combat specialization class awardee."


    Arcea took one last look at Caspian, who gave a reassuring smile at her. While she  was still holding onto Ivory''s arm, the two of them walked towards the stage with their Servants. They were asked to stand separately, and they followed the instructions.


    "Ivory¡­ I will do my best not to leave a scar on your face!"


    Ivory just nodded at her friend with a smile. She didn''t know why, but she''s quite excited to have a first time battle with her close friend.


    Educator Rosanna looked at the two competitors. She glanced at Arcea first, who was cladded in full steel metal armor. It had intricate designs all over it with oversized pauldrons on the shoulders. She was also wearing a helmet where only her mouth could be seen, and thigh-high poleyn. Ivory, on the other hand, was dressed in a metal layered breastplate, ruffled white leather skirt, and a mauve-colored leather covering her shoulders. She was also wearing golden metal boots and gauntlets.


    The Educator yelled from the side, "The Servant Competition is a battle of wits and magic techniques. You''ll have a maximum of 30 minutes to make your opponent use as much of her mana. Whoever had the most damage taken and the least energy to fight will be the loser. But for this terrain, even though the abyss is safe, you will also lose if either the Servant or the Master drops to the abyss underneath the pillars!"


    "Yes, ma''am!" the two of them yelled.


    "Oh, and one more thing. Your Servants can replenish mana in battle. That is, if your opponents give you the chance to stay still," she cleared her throat, "You may inflict wounds on your opponents, but killing them is a no-no. Going against the rules will automatically bring you to the Oracle and be unchosen, and that will be the end of your life as a Master."


    They nodded at her after hearing the rules.


    "Now, Miss Sprucemint and Miss Knightwing, and your Servants! Please do not move!" Educator Rosanna shouted, and her demon samurai Spirit Servant Natsu positioned themselves at one side outside of the stage.


    Soon after, a big rectangle appeared underneath, which raised them up above the ground. They gaped when pillars, positioned circularly around the stage, started to rise from the rectangular base and they balanced themselves as they were lifted high. The pillars finally stood still and blazing fire appeared on top of the pillars, except for the ones they were standing on.


    Loud cheers from the crowd could be heard, which made the tension in the arena build up.


    "What the hell?" Sigmund muttered while looking at the dark hole underneath them, "Is this some kind of entertaining game that they had to put so much effort on making the battle difficult?"


    Ivory scanned the whole stage and gave a reassuring smile as she held his hand tight, "May the Goddess be with us, Sigmund."


    When the loud horns played, indicating that they may start their battle, the audience started to get noisy in excitement.


    "Ivory, why don''t you attack first?!" Arcea yelled from the opposite side.


    "Aren''t you going to put your fox Golem in its active state? Come to think of it, I haven''t seen it for a long while!"


    "Then let me show you what Minxy can do!"


    The small, stone fox leaped onto the air and turned into a larger creature. Its green, fluffy, evergreen shrub-like tail glowed as it floated mid air, in front of its Master. Aside from that, its stone body turned into steel, the same as Arcea''s armor!


    Without further ado, Arcea hopped onto her Servant''s back. She materialized the scabbard onto her hands, then unsheathed her level 3 sword, which was a blue claymore sword wherein the fuller was silver in color, while the edge of the sword was indigo and sapphire blue. The rainguard also had an intricate design of a fox head which symbolized her Fox Servant.


    Seeing her stare in amazement, Arcea asked, "Why so surprised, Ivory?"


    "Congratulations on having a level three weapon," she responded with a smile.


    "Where''s yours?"


    Because hers wasn''t a level 3 weapon yet, Ivory still could not dissipate it and materialize on her own will. From her leather back belt, she grabbed her level 2 staff and pulled it up. She detached it in its middle, separating the white-crystal orbed rod on her left and the black-crystal orbed rod on her right.


    "Unfortunately, it''s not yet evolved."


    Arcea raised her sword with her right arm, "Then¡­ Apologies, but I''ll beat you today! Yaaaaa!!!"


    Seeing Arcea and Minxy charging towards them, Ivory told Sigmund, "What do you say, let''s go separate ways?"


    "That''s exactly what I''m thinking of-"


    But even before they could do their plan, their opponents were already near, in front of them!


    Sigmund, following his reflexes, carried Ivory to their left and enveloped them with a Water-type magic barrier. They spoke as he hopped onto each torched pillar.


    "I thought we''d go separate ways?" Ivory asked.


    "We should. I think the fire technique we developed can be done in this terrain!"


    "Oh, that one? But to do that, Arcea and her Servant should be in the middle of all these pillars," she uttered as she firmly wrapped her arms around Sigmund''s neck.


    "Right," he glanced back, seeing them still floating onto the side and coming after them. "Damn it!" the Vampire growled.


    It was as if Arcea was a knight at war, riding an agile, armored horse!


    As Ivory was clinging onto Sigmund''s neck, she could see Arcea and her Servant behind them. They were only coming in circles around the pillars as if there was no end to it.


    Minxy''s glowing, bushes tail could make itself float without any effort because it was an innate ability. Arcea just rode on her fox Golem Servant without any effort at all. The two weren''t even using magic, and they were just chasing them endlessly!


    It was quite obvious that they wanted Ivory and Sigmund to let them use Water barrier for a long time and attack them to make them consume mana, so that when thirty minutes passed, Ivory and Sigmund would have consumed too much mana and would be defeated.


    In the Servant Competition, even if one Master and Servant pair had a stronger mana quality, they would lose if they do not use their mana efficiently. Ivory and Sigmund knew of this fact.


    They already have disadvantages in that competition.


    One, she could not replenish Sigmund''s mana in that open space. If she did, the audiences might see that her Servant was a Vampire.


    Two, neither Sigmund nor her could float. Unless they use wind technique to lift themselves up, they''d surely fall into the abyss.


    Three, Arcea knew her well. She knew that her mana quality had improved over time while they trained in the academy. Perhaps it was the reason why she''s purposely intimidating them by chasing them around.


    Thinking about these, Ivory came to a big decision.


    "Sigmund.... drop me!"

 Chapter 175 - "Servant Competition: Ivory Vs The Steel-Armored Swordswoman-2"

    "You birdbrain! She will go after you!" he exclaimed.


    "Drop me on that pillar! The one without a fire!"


    "But-"


    "Just do as I say!"


    Giving up on Ivory''s persistent request, "Fine, you are the Master!"


    Upon reaching the fire-less pillar, Sigmund put her down.


    Ivory immediately used the black crystal magic rod to make the fire beside them stronger!


    As they were trapped in the flames, the steel-armored pair stopped moving. Sigmund used this opportunity to hop onto the pillars until he reached the opposite pillar which also had no fire. If it wasn''t the Servant Competition, he''d use magic to go to the opposite side, however, he and Ivory were doing their best to save mana.


    Although Ivory and Sigmund achieved their goal of being separated and were now opposite of each other, there was another problem. When Ivory looked closely at the opponents, she saw Arcea and her Golem Servant, unscathed, stepping out of the flame!


    "Surprised?" Arcea chuckled, slowly approaching Ivory as Minxy hopped onto the pillar where she stood. "Caspian helped me create this armor."


    "Oh? That''s sweet of him. He must be very fond of you," Ivory commented with a grin. She stepped at the very corner of the pillar.


    "Ivory, it''s not like that, he''s just helping me!" Arcea turned beet red.


    Although it seemed like she was teasing her close friend, she was already analyzing the situation. She knew Caspian had a very dominant Water-type element in his mana in the form of ice. If he helped Arcea with her armor, then it must be Water-type enchanted!


    Seeing her distracted, Ivory lunged towards her, slightly using Air magic in wind form to raise herself up. She gripped her two magic rods and swung them alternately to try to make her off balance.


    Arcea assessed her current situation. Her friend already used magic, which is her greatest strength. How could she turn the tables around?


    After contemplating on what she should do, the swordswoman got off Minxy. She ordered her Servant to watch Sigmund very carefully while she faced Ivory.


    With her orders, Minxy wagged its tail to shove off any bits of fire that clung onto it. Afterwards, it flew in the middle of the arena, floating using his special green fluffy tail, while facing Sigmund. Their plan was, if he moved or did anything, the fox Golem Servant would immediately charge at him.


    But Sigmund never moved from his position. He was just watching Ivory and Arcea from afar.


    Because Arcea decided to fight Ivory head-on, Ivory attached her two rods together to its original staff form to make it longer and easier to swing.


    "Aren''t you afraid that I''d hit you?" Arcea told her close friend, who stood at the far end of the pillar.


    But Ivory shook her head, "You''re one of my closest friends, and my shopping buddy. Why will I be afraid of you?"


    She chuckled, "Alright, Ivory. I promise to hit only your body and not your face."


    Arcea and Ivory positioned themselves into their fighting stance.


    The swordswoman was the first one to charge, gripping her level 3 sword, and swung it.


    Ivory parried it, spinning her staff sideways, but Arcea''s force was strong enough to make her fall backwards and off the pillar!


    The silver-haired Master used Air magic to make herself afloat. Although she knew she shouldn''t use too much mana, she had no choice at the moment; she wouldn''t want to fall down into the abyss.


    As soon as she managed to get back up the fire-less pillar, Arcea leapt towards her, but Ivory quickly detached her magic rods, forming a cross to block her sword.


    "Why aren''t you using magic to attack me? Isn''t it your specialty?" she asked Ivory, grinning at her as she was pushing her with great force.


    "It''s a surprise!"


    "My pretty friend, you''re making me wait too long! Let''s just finish this!" Arcea shoved her once again, then swung the sword towards Ivory.


    But she kept on blocking her. Arcea''s attacks and Ivory in defense lasted for a long while, until Ivory''s ears got itchy, distracting her!


    The swordsman used this opportunity to push her to one of the flaming pillars and a loud bang was heard when the fire in that pillar dissipated. The crowd also cheered for Arcea when they saw Ivory fall down.


    Arcea raised her brows, "Did I push her too hard?" she whispered. She thought that the fires on the pillars would never go out. On the other hand, Sigmund did not look worried at all.


    She stared at the silver-haired master lying down with her eyes closed. She also saw the white smoke rising up in the air from Ivory''s body. "Apologies, my dear friend¡­" she murmured, then called back Minxy. She rode it, and they approached Sigmund to mock him.


    As she glared at Ivory''s Servant, she yelled, "Sigmund... You are next!"


    "Am I?" he chuckled. At that point, the Vampire already guessed what was going on with the annoying swordswoman.


    Sigmund was keenly observing Arcea''s moves when she fought with Ivory, and how many times they used magic. As his Master''s close friend, Sigmund was well aware that despite Arcea''s good close combat skills, she''s quite weak in using magic.


    Having a Water-enchanted steel armor did give her an advantage, and he''s sure that it was Caspian who suggested it. Instead of casting a Water-type magic barrier to go against the fire in the pillars, Arcea effortlessly moved on the flames because of it.


    Unfortunately, because of that enchanted armor, Ivory wasn''t the only one with the advantage in the Torched Pillars, but Arcea, too.


    ''Her mana is Earth elemental dominant,'' The Vampire thought as he analyzed her mana type. He viewed her like a clay pot in a kiln.


    He knew that they needed to break her defenses. But how?


    Sigmund contemplated it for a short while, until he told Arcea to mock her, "You were the close combat specialization class awardee, right? Why are you too far?"


    "Why should I tell you?" Arcea glared at him, "You heartless Servant! Aren''t you concerned about your Master?" she pointed at Ivory, who still laid on the pillar.


    He chuckled, "Hah! I know what I''m doing. How about you? Do you know what you''re doing?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "It''s obvious that you''re waiting for the 30 minutes to pass. By chasing us away, you actually wanted us to fight back using magic. Looks like I underestimated you," he said. He observed that Arcea never casted any ever since the battle started.


    Judging from how she fought with Ivory a while ago, he knew that Arcea was avoiding to have a direct fight with them using her own magic. Sigmund couldn''t read into her if she''s doing it to save mana, or because she''s careful not to leave scars on her close friend.


    But whatever the reason was, he couldn''t care less. It was a damn competition, and for him, it was only Ivory''s victory that mattered!


    Arcea gulped as she saw him smirk with confidence. Although she knew that Sigmund had always been a wise Servant, she couldn''t think of the best plan on how to fight him head on.


    Unfortunately, her level 3 fox sword''s full potential could not be used in that terrain. It was a weapon that materialized in an Earth-type dominant mana. Its ability was - the more that it would be surrounded with soil, the more powerful the damage of its attacks.


    Sadly, Arcea could never use it in a Torched Pillars terrain.


    "I am sure Ivory''s all exhausted. Even though she hasn''t used much mana, if she doesn''t stand up, you two will still lose," the swordswoman told the Vampire, pretending not to have any drawbacks on the situation.


    Sigmund glanced behind Arcea, and saw that Ivory had stood up from the opposite pillar. Seeing his Master raise her hand, it was a sign that they would start using one of their developed, Advanced fire technique spell.


    When Arcea looked behind her, her mouth dropped wide open, "Ivory? How..."


    She shrugged and gave a wide grin, "Well¡­ I told you I''d use magic. I belong to the magic specialization class after all!"


    The Vampire Servant yelled on the other side, "Let''s do it!"


    "Got it!" Ivory then used her black crystal magic rod to give the other pillar a ball of fire.


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 Chapter 176 - "Servant Competition: Ivory Vs The Steel-Armored Swordswoman-3"

    Ivory and Sigmund did not even let Arcea a chance to charge at them. Through a powerful spell, the two of them made the flames in the pillars larger, rising up into the sky!


    They concentrated their mana until the blazing fires from all of the pillars fell towards the middle and attempted to directly hit the purple haired Master and the Fox Servant.


    Arcea and Minxy immediately formed a double, Water-element barrier as they were being struck by the raging fire. The swordswoman already knew she''ll have a disadvantage once she used her magic, but she needed to do it because they could not escape anymore. Fortunately, back in Empirica City, Caspian suggested that he''d incorporate some of his Water-type mana and enchant her steel armor, making Arcea easier to cast water spells, even though her mana is Earth-type.


    Ivory and Sigmund concentrated further on breaking her water barrier. Sigmund combined his hands and formed a triangle using his fingers and placed them in front of his chest, while his crimson red eyes glowed. Ivory''s light blue irises glowed as well while she incorporated her Silverblade mana onto her normal mana to amplify the magic she used.


    "Just continue using your magic!" Arcea yelled, trying her best to look confident while also fighting for her safety, "Thank you for letting me win in advance!"


    But Ivory and Sigmund did not respond to her mockery. Instead, they amplified the magic more, until all the fires from each pillar were connected with each other, forming an enormous ring of fire.


    "Gaaaaaaahh!" the swordswoman tried so hard to retain her water barrier.


    But Ivory and Sigmund''s magic were too powerful for her to handle. With the intensity of the fire element, the first layer of her water barrier broke, and eventually, the second too!


    All the fire directly went to Arcea''s water enchanted armor, and white smoke rose up from it. At the same time, her level 3 sword disappeared into thin air due to lack of mana to materialize it.


    "No!!!" she yelled in desperation. It was exactly what Arcea feared in that battle.


    Ivory and Sigmund used strong Fire Magic to trap Arcea in the middle of the stage. In addition to this, they even combined a Conversion magic, vaporizing the Water-type mana in her steel armor!


    Minxy''s green tail, not having any armor, stopped glowing, and instead scorched by fire. It felt weaker and weaker every second that passed.


    Arcea held onto Minxy''s crystal core in its head to try to replenish its mana so that it wouldn''t disappear. "Minxy¡­ I apologize¡­ I became too complacent!"


    Upon giving it some mana, Arcea felt her eyes heavy until she fell into a deep sleep.


    Seeing this, Ivory and her Vampire Servant stopped their casting. They observed whether Arcea''s Servant still had the energy to float, but because Minxy''s special tail had been heavily damaged, the fox Golem Servant couldn''t get itself to float anymore.


    And together with its Master, it fell into the abyss.


    There was a very loud cheer from the audience as the first battle finally came to an end. While the pillars slowly moved downwards, Educator Rosanna announced that Ivory and Sigmund were the winners of that battle.


    As soon as the pillars were on ground and the stage terrain returned to normal, Ivory immediately looked around. She then saw Arcea being carried by Natsu, and she''s holding the inactive Minxy who resembled a stone figurine in her arms.


    While the stage was being prepared for the next battle, Ivory and Sigmund followed Educator Rosanna''s Servant to the sidemost part of the lower arena. There, wooden folding cots with canvas were lined up.


    Natsu carefully transferred Arcea to the cot, and he excused himself as he would still have to assist his Master. When he left, Sigmund stood at Ivory''s side.


    Arcea slowly opened her eyes.


    Seeing her awake, Ivory nudged Arcea''s arm, "Apologies, Arcea. I overdid it."


    But Arcea shook her head and gave a weak smile, "This is the Servant Competition. It''s alright. My mana quality really couldn''t be compared to yours, Ivory," she gave a short laugh, but then she coughed.


    "Ah, you should rest! Are you hurt anywhere?" Ivory asked worriedly.


    "The armor is hot¡­"


    "Yes, I will help you take it off."


    While Ivory was helping Arcea, the swordswoman asked, "What happened a while ago, when I threw you into the fire? I thought it would take you a long while before you wake up...."


    "About that¡­ The truth is, my ears suddenly got itchy, so I was distracted. But when you threw me there, my water barrier clashed onto the fire, so it turned into vapor. I chose to rest for a short while, but at the same time, I was already gaining momentum for our spell against you." Back then, she was actually slowly incorporating her Silverblade mana onto her normal mana. She continued her explanation, "What we did was just one of the advanced techniques that we developed during our training practice."


    "How sneaky!" she exclaimed, but she coughed again.


    "Keep quiet now. You should rest, okay? Look at Minxy," Ivory pointed to Arcea''s hand that held the inactive Golem Servant.


    "Fine, Minxy and I will rest for a while. Watch the competition for me and tell me what happens after I wake up."


    Ivory nodded at her with a smile. She finally detached the last piece of armor and helped Arcea to lie down once again. Sigmund assisted Ivory to put away the steel armor.


    Moments later, a pink-haired young man came running towards them, calling Arcea''s name.


    Ivory placed her index finger on her lips to shush him, "She''s already asleep. Don''t worry, she''s not-"


    "What a cruel friend you are!" he glared at Ivory, "You almost killed her!"


    Sigmund grabbed his collar, but Ivory held his arm and shook her head.


    "Calm down, please," she told him, "The plan was to remove your enchantment in her armor to weaken her defense against magic. I also want to weaken her and make her use her own mana. You shouldn''t have worried, I can control the intensity of my own spells, Caspian."


    Caspian clenched his fists and stared at the sleeping young woman.


    "I have no intention to kill anyone in this competition, so all my mana was purposely used to push Arcea into the abyss. I think it''s the best way to win." Ivory then raised her brow, "By the way, it feels like yesterday that you''re both enemies. Who are you to worry about my friend? Are you her lover?"


    The young man was shocked with the straightforward question. He was about to say something, when suddenly, Principal Arthurdane spoke.


    Holding in his hand a conical sound amplifier, the principal yelled, "Now¡­ for the next battle!"


    Drum rolls were played, fueling intense emotions inside the arena!


    "Mister Lucius Goldwine and¡­ Miss Zephie Malvigne!"


    "Zephie, I''m going to cheer for ya," Asher Riclett, Zephie''s Master partner during their internship in Barion Town, said while he patted her head.


    Zephie''s cheeks turned red, and she nodded while shyly looking up at him.


    During their year-long stay in the small town, the timid and shy Zephie had switched her admiration from Lucius to Asher. The orange-haired lad had been a reliable person and he never ceased to help Zephie in her predicaments.


    Afterwards, she stepped up to the stage with her butterfly Nymph Servant, Metamorphus. Lucius, carrying Volcius in his arm, walked behind Zephie.


    The two of them faced each other on stage.


    "Please¡­ go easy on me," Zephie told him.


    He gave her a blank smile, "I won''t kill you... That''s what I can only promise."


    Volcius turned into its active state. From a small stone figurine, it became as tall as its Master. Normally, it could transform into the size of a house, but at that moment, Lucius decided that they could manage without him transforming into its gigantic size.


    The terrain was randomly selected once again, and they got the Torched Pillars, just like in Ivory''s and Arcea''s battle.


    And so, the battle started. Although Lucius knew that Zephie and Metamorphus were not strong, he didn''t hesitate to use strong magic on them. He learned from the previous battle that throwing the Master into the abyss would be a safer option to win.


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 Chapter 177 - "Servant Competition: The First Round Winners Of Blue Gem Section"

    The young master of the Goldwines stood casually on one of the pillars. Having Fire-type as his main element, he took charge of the whole battle.


    When Zephie saw the lower part of Metamorphous'' wings were caught in bluish flames, she raised her hand and announced that she was giving up.


    The battle did not last more than fifteen minutes. Asher was already waiting at the side of the arena and assisted Zephie and Metamorphus as they went down the stage. Assistants approached them, and they were led to the cots for treatment.


    Soon after, the next battle was announced.


    "Rich boy is merciless. I thought that given his personality, he would take it easy on that butterfly''s Master," Sigmund commented as they continued watching the battle after Lucius and Zephie.


    "I''m actually surprised," the silver-haired Master responded. "If he won''t take it easy on a friend, then maybe he also won''t take it easy on me."


    "If that''s the case, you might lose if you''re going to face Lucius."


    Ivory furrowed her brows. She knew that what her Vampire Servant said was not impossible to happen!


    The battles went on, and more people came to watch the special Servant Competition. The cheers were louder, and the audience was excited to see what would happen next. Contrary to that, the students got even more nervous, especially seeing powerful Masters. They were already aware of Lucius'' power and intellect, but they were so surprised how strong Ivory was.


    Caspian, on the other hand, was called around noon, and he won against a male Master and his Gear Golem Servant in a Pond Bank terrain, after he turned the whole pond into ice. In that battle, both the rival Master and the Servant couldn''t move as their feet were frozen.


    The last battle for the first round ended and an hour break was announced after that.


    Since Arcea was still sleeping, Ivory and Sigmund went back to where the Blue Gem Section contenders were located, but only the winners of the first round were allowed to stay.


    "Ivory," Lucius called with a smile, "How''s Arcea?"


    "She''s still asleep. I think she will wake up quite a bit later," Ivory replied as she and Sigmund sat on the bench in front of her brother.


    "Hi, you two," a half-naked young man with long black hair tied in a pony suddenly greeted them. He had shoulder tattoos connecting to both of his arms and chest, and he was only wearing his loose black pants.


    Three baby monkeys were standing on his shoulders too, and beside him was his monkey warrior Spirit Servant, who was wearing a feathered headpiece extending to the waist. He was also dressed in white crop top and white wide legged pants with golden armors on the shoulders, wrist, and knees.


    "Good afternoon, Mister Wong," Lucius said, while Ivory just smiled, and Sigmund narrowed his eyes on him.


    "I hope I can have the chance to battle with you, Mister Goldwine," Luhan told him with confidence, "My partner Master lost against Mister Caspian Reagan, but we both improved our magic abilities when we spent our internship at Gallean Town in the Land of Sandria. I am sure that I can last the whole thirty minutes against you."


    Lucius only gave him a smile.


    The baby monkeys that had been clinging onto Luhan jumped towards Lucius. They suddenly played and picked through his blond hair, and one baby monkey started munching on it!


    "Ah, you naughty trio!" Luhan yelled, making them jump back to him, leaving Lucius'' hair disheveled, "I think they like the color of your hair," and a smirk formed on his lips. Together with his Spirit Servant and his three monkeys, Luhan walked away from them.


    While Lucius stared at his back as he walked away, annoyed. It was obvious that he was only mocking him!


    Seeing her brother in a sour mood, Ivory stood out from her seat and approached Lucius, sitting beside him. "You poor guy..." she started fixing his hair and untangling some knots caused by the naughty baby monkeys.


    "Hmm, maybe your hair tastes like bananas," Sigmund commented with a chuckle.


    Lucius jokingly glared at him and his sister, who he caught laughing a little.


    While Ivory was continuing to fix his hair, the pair of Masters and Servants who had an internship at Rubia Town in the Land of Rosaria came to greet them.


    "Hi, nice to see you again," a short-haired woman greeted Sigmund with a smile.


    "Ah, hey," the Vampire waved his hand momentarily.


    Ivory narrowed his eyes on her beloved Servant. As far as she knew, he was never friendly with anyone in his class!


    Her glare made Sigmund notice that she was already freaking jealous. He smirked. He said, "What?" and chuckled, "She and that guy over there were the ones who helped me back in Rubia Town."


    "Correction, we didn''t help you. We let you off, but I guess that counts," the woman said, then went towards Ivory, and they shook hands.


    As Ivory met her eyes, she remembered what Sigmund told her about how he got the Dark Mana ring. She, her Servants, and Lucius were indebted to them.


    "Apologies, I should have greeted his Master first. I am Josie Kimson¡­ Uhm, Jokerion, come greet her."


    Behind her, the clown Spirit Servant suddenly appeared out of thin air, "Good day."


    Ivory was a little startled, and she only waved at Jokerion. After giving a courteous bow, the Spirit Servant disappeared once again.


    "By the way," Josie pulled her Master partner, who had been staring at Ivory since a while ago. A cute little black horse, which was his shadow Beast Servant in its inactive state, trotted behind him. Josie introduced the Master, "This is Andrew Talonpierce, my Master partner back in our internship. He was the one who convinced me to let your Servant go when we caught him."


    She gave a sweet smile, and offered a handshake to him, saying, "Hello."


    That one word and her sweet smile already made Andrew''s heart beat fast. He secretly had a crush on Ivory, but because she''s got the strong Lucius and the intimidating Sigmund always around her, he never had a chance to talk to her.


    Seeing Andrew''s reaction, Sigmund approached him and grabbed his hand that took long enough to release Ivory''s hand. He gripped it quite tightly, "You already shook hands, that''s enough."


    "Sigmund!" Ivory exclaimed. She pulled Sigmund''s arm and made him sit beside her. She whispered to him, saying that he should behave.


    "Andrew paid for that ring," Josie laughed shortly and hit Andrew''s arm jokingly with her elbow, "Aren''t you going to ask her to pay you back? That''s the reason why we''re here right now, isn''t it?"


    "No! I-" Andrew was stuttering and he couldn''t even look into Ivory''s pretty light blue eyes.


    "How much was it?" Lucius suddenly asked.


    "Well¡­ It''s about 3000 silver coins-"


    "I''ll have my butler deliver the coins to you tomorrow, Mister Talonpierce," he told him in a serious tone, "Now¡­ Ivory doesn''t have any debt from you."


    "Ah, alright, thank you," Andrew just said. He already felt that the young master of the Goldwines was shoving him away, so he told Josie that they should go and grab some snacks on the table.


    When they were already out of sight, Sigmund commented, "Thanks, Rich boy."


    "Huh? Why are you thanking me? I did that for Ivory. Having a new lover at this time will only distract her," Lucius sighed.


    "Aren''t you a sweet little brother?" she teased him.


    He then grabbed Ivory''s wrist and placed her hand on his disheveled hair. "Stop teasing me and please continue."


    Ivory chuckled, and just as Lucius requested, she continued to fix his hair.


    Sigmund looked around the Blue Gem''s resting area. He observed the winners of the first round. Some, like Josie Kimson and Andrew Talonpierce, seemed calm and reserved, while the others like Luhan Wong and Caspian Reagan, seemed quite aggressive and confident. The Vampire counted the winners and noticed that there were two graduates who had not yet gotten back from their breaks.


    As soon as the break time ended, the missing two came back just right on time.


    "Apologies if I was late, I checked on Zephie. She said she was not feeling well," Asher Riclett explained to Educator Rosanna, who stood at the side of the arena. With him was his tree Nymph Servant, Rosetta. She has the body of a woman, but her arms, hands, and lower half of her sage-colored body were made of intertwining branches.


    "I see... How about you, Miss Ginterdame?" the red-haired Educator raised her brow.


    Martina Ginterdame, who had pumpkin-colored wavy long hair, was wearing spiked shoulder armor matched with her high collared and sleeveless dress customized for warriors. She also held with her her level 3 twin axes, which had magical inscriptions on its metal surface.


    Her inactive shadow tiger Beast Servant seemed like a cute cub with full black fur. In its active state, purple lines from its head to its tail would glow intensely.


    "Uhm¡­ I have a stomachache¡­" Martina then averted her eyes. She actually wanted to quit the Servant Competition, it''s just that she didn''t want to disappoint her parents who were seated in the audience seat.


    If her opponent during the first round wasn''t that clumsy, and if he was not tripping onto random rocks during the battle, she might be the one who would lose. Although Martina won fair and square, she knew how half-hearted she was. She came from a family of nobles and she never dreamed of becoming an Educator or a Royal Knight. She was not interested in the prizes. All she dreamed about was to become a sculptor, yet, she had to put an effort in the competition for her family''s reputation.


    In low spirits, she went back to the Blue Gem''s resting area.


    As she passed by, Ivory noticed her slumped shoulders, and how she gave a deep sigh. The silver-haired Master asked in a worried tone. "Are you okay, Miss Ginterdame?"


    Martina gave a sad smile, "Thanks for asking. I am okay, I mean¡­ we all have to be okay, right? It''s the Servant Competition after all."


    Ivory saw the loneliness reflected in her tan-colored irises. While she gave her a nod, she wondered what she and the other contestants were thinking of about the competition. She understood Martina''s feelings. Deep inside, there''s a hint of worry and nervousness.


    But she had to overcome these in order to win the Servant Competition she had been hoping for ever since she became a student of Qawiun Academy.

 Chapter 178 - "Servant Competition: Ivory Vs The Protector Of The Forest-1"

    An hour quickly passed, and Principal Arthurdane checked on the Blue Gem section. When he confirmed that all first round winners were already complete in the resting area, he started to announce the next battle.


    "The second round¡­" he read the scroll given by Educator Alphonse.


    Murmurs among the Masters and Servants could be heard as they nervously waited for the next competitors. As Educator Rosanna looked at where they were seated, most of them averted their gazes away from him.


    "Miss Ivory Sprucemint and Mister Asher Riclett! Please come on stage!"


    There was a loud cheer from the audience as the two of them, together with their respective Servants, walked up to the stage and stood at the middle part of it.


    Principal Arthurdane grabbed a marble from the bowl. It was colored brown. "The terrain is¡­ Forest!"


    Educator Heidi of the Defense Class, with her large corundum Golem Servant beside her, said with a big smile, "I shall lead the creation of the terrain. Please do not move even though the ground will shake!"


    "Yes, ma''am!" Ivory and Asher yelled.


    Seconds later, they felt the shaking of the ground beneath their feet. They crouched and balanced themselves as the arena slowly changed. A slope of land rose up above and numerous cypress trees emerged from the soil.


    Afterwards, Educator Heidi explained, "The rules of the second round will be the same as the first round. It will also only last for thirty minutes. As for this Forest terrain, there is a quagmire underneath. If one Master or one Servant falls, it would be their loss!"


    Then, loud horns played, indicating that they may already start their battle.


    Asher was positioned on a higher slope than Ivory''s.


    Ivory and Sigmund were the first to charge at Asher and his tree Nymph Servant Rosetta.


    But in contrast to their movements, Asher and Rosetta moved backwards, creating a distance between them. He then casted Earth magic and formed a high wall, blocking Ivory and Sigmund''s sight. While he was materializing his level 3 weapon, he ordered his Servant, "Rosetta, go now."


    "Yes, Master," she moved to the side and entangled her roots onto one of the trees.


    Using Air magic, Asher jumped up the tree branch and waited for Ivory and Sigmund to break the sturdy Earth wall and pass by.


    As soon as Ivory and Sigmund walked in front of that tree, Asher released his weapon.


    Sigmund was the first to hear the whirling sounds of Asher''s weapon, "Watch out!" he yelled, pulling Ivory onto him.


    The slope and the intensity of his pull made them stumble and roll down the ground, while also hitting some of the roots of the cypress trees. They knew that if it continued, they might reach the far end, which was a quagmire!


    Ivory enveloped her Silverblade mana onto her normal mana and used Air magic in wind form to raise them up. Thankfully, they landed safely onto the ground.


    Sitting casually on the high tree''s branch, Asher raised his hand and grabbed his three-sided boomerang with polished elephant tusk on the sides. He stared at them not wanting to give them any chance to do something behind his back.


    "Sigmund¡­ We are at a disadvantage," Ivory murmured while patting the dirt off her armor.


    "I know. I can sense his Earth-type mana," Sigmund responded. "Aside from that, his Nymph Servant is a freaking tree Nymph."


    "Mister Riclett knows what he''s doing. He knew that once we got a hold of him, we would not let him escape. Plus, his boomerang works when he''s at a distance, that''s why he tried hard to keep us away."


    He nodded, "And look, he''s not even doing anything, he''s just watching us," he glared at his direction.


    "Okay, let us think about that certain technique that we developed specifically for the Forest terrain," Ivory suggested. "Now I wonder if it would actually work. I can imagine it working if I used the magic theories as references, but if we are up against Asher and his tree Nymph Servant, I do not know if it would still be as effective as I could imagine it to be."


    "We can only try, then," Sigmund said.


    "Okay, let''s meet at the top of this sloped forest."


    After talking about their next move, the two of them decided to go uphill, but in separate ways.


    Sigmund ran to his left, while Ivory to the right. They still needed to assess the situation. Because they did not know Asher that well, they did not know what his personality and temperance were like. They could not guess if he was an aggressive or a patient person.


    The Master-Servant pair continued to run up ahead, avoiding the trees in front of them. On Ivory''s side, she was able to run upwards without any distractions.


    Unfortunately, on Sigmund''s side, it was not the case. As soon as he reached a certain point, roots of the cypress trees suddenly moved and came after him!


    Good thing that his heightened hearing helped him be extra sensitive to the rustling sounds, and it enabled the Vampire Servant to move backwards and backwards, dodging the restless roots.


    The movement of the other trees surrounding him stopped when he reached a certain distance. This made Sigmund guess that the ability to control trees was only done in a limited distance from a certain point.


    ''It must be related to the tree nymph''s position,'' he thought.


    Concentrating on collecting a subtle amount of heat, he used Fire magic to mark on the small grasses and tree barks. He went to and fro, not stopping until he deduced by its shape that it''s a large circle away from where Rosetta could control trees.


    Just when Sigmund had already figured out the safe distance without the trees under Rosetta''s control, Asher''s boomerang came flying towards him.


    "Shit!" Sigmund yelled, and he ran in zigzag to avoid it.


    The tricky thing about Asher''s boomerang was that it could change its direction mid-air, depending on how Asher controlled it. The orange-haired Master had almost the same levels of Wind and Earth-type in his mana, and being in a Forest terrain would certainly be advantageous to him.


    Sigmund already knew this, since the boomerang never hit any tree.


    Meanwhile, Ivory had already reached the peak of the slanted forest. She scanned the area and since her Servant wasn''t still at their meeting place, she got anxious.


    ''Should I go there and help him?'' Ivory contemplated.


    If she went there and deviated from the plan, their goal to do their developed Advanced technique might be halted.


    However, if she chose to follow their plan and just wait for her Vampire Servant, Sigmund might be forced to use a lot of magic to protect himself.


    With a little Air magic assisting her, Ivory climbed one of the trees. She climbed up ''til she reached the tree crown.


    The problem was, her ears were acting up again. They were very itchy from time to time, and she regretted that she did not look for a physician prior to the Servant Competition.


    "Shit¡­ What the hell¡­ Stupid boomerang¡­"


    Ivory could suddenly hear subtle murmurs of a man''s deep voice, who she recognized as Sigmund. She thought she was hearing things, so she shook her head. Then, his voice was gone once again.


    "Geez¡­ What was that?" Ivory murmured with creased brows.


    Meanwhile, it was as if Asher was purposely chasing him to make him consume more mana because even a Servant''s movement also costs mana. He was using the advantages of the terrain, his tree Nymph Servant, and his boomerang, all against Sigmund!


    The boomerang then whirled back, and it disappeared in Sigmund''s sight. He used that moment to run uphill as fast as he could, hoping to reach Ivory soon.


    As he ran, he thought about the current situation. Perhaps, the reason why Asher took back his boomerang was to rest for a while, or perhaps he must be planning to move from his position. Or maybe he was planning another surprise attack?


    Whatever it was, Sigmund knew he should not delay their offense anymore. He and Ivory needed to do their grand plan as soon as possible!


    When Sigmund reached the peak, Ivory was not there.


    "Ivory! Where the heck are you?!" he called loudly.


    "Sigmund!" Ivory called from behind as she had just climbed down the tree. She ran towards him. "What took you so long?"


    "That boomerang kid-" he shook his head and stared into her light blue irises. "Hey, let''s not waste any time. Let''s do our plan before they plot something else against us."


    She met his gaze and nodded at him.


    "Give me your hands!" Sigmund held Ivory''s hand, and the two of them focused on gathering heaps of mana.


    "This is all or nothing. You understand that, right?" the Vampire asked his beloved Master.


    Ivory replied with determination in her tone, "Yes!"


    Seconds later, Sigmund heard the rustling of leaves. "Shit, they''re coming here!"

 Chapter 179 - "Servant Competition: Ivory Vs The Protector Of The Forest-2"

    Upon seeing the two of them approaching, Ivory then incorporated Silverblade mana onto her normal mana. While holding a visible thick rope of brown mana, she ran to the other side, leaving the Vampire standing there holding the other end.


    As the two of them reached the very ends of the hill, they put the rope of mana down to the soil. Sigmund formed a triangle using his fingers right in front of his chest and chanted a spell, while Ivory took out her staff from her leather back belt and positioned the end of it to reach the ground.


    Moments later, the soil started to stick onto the surface of the thick rope of brown mana, and it did not take long until the rope was completely surrounded by very thick soil!


    Just in time when the thick rope became a thick roll of hard soil, Asher arrived at the peak, and he saw Ivory holding her staff. With full force, he took this chance to attack the busy silver-haired Master and threw his boomerang towards her, making her stumble at the edge!


    "Don''t worry, the quagmire won''t kill you, Miss Sprucemint!" Asher yelled as he saw her fall from the cliff.


    Asher then raised his hand and got his boomerang back. Without wasting his time, he swiftly ran sideways to look for Sigmund to attack him next. He saw him standing on the other edge and yelled, "Your Master already fell down! She''s probably in a quagmire right now!"


    But Sigmund was unfazed with his announcement. He smirked, saying "She''s not one to easily fall down!"


    "Just accept it, mister Servant!" and Asher threw his boomerang once again.


    Sigmund leaned backwards and grinned at Asher before falling down the cliff.


    Asher saw him grin when he took back his boomerang. That was when he felt like he did something wrong and had fallen into a trap.


    Suddenly, the big roll of hardened soil at the peak started to form white smoke.


    Asher widened his eyes in shock. He knew he would be doomed if he stayed still in that area. If he was alone, he would just cast Air magic and fly to avoid it, unfortunately, Rosetta was still firmly attached to a tree!


    It turns out that the soil wasn''t pure soil. There were also grass, dried leaves, and small plants, which were all flammable.


    As soon as the burning soil rolled down the slope, the lad turned back in panic and ran as fast as he could, trying hard not to bump into the trees.


    "Rosetta!" he called when he finally reached her controlled area, and she successfully detached herself moments later and came gliding into the forest soil towards him.


    But Asher didn''t want to lose in that pathetic situation. Using Air magic in the form of wind, he grabbed Rosetta by the waist and formed a tornado to lift themselves up and avoid the large roll of intensely burning soil that destroyed the forest.


    While viewing the small forest on top view, he saw Ivory and Sigmund hanging at the opposite sides of the peak. It was then that he realized what happened earlier.


    When Ivory fell off the cliff, her staff was already tied to the brown rope of mana, the same went for Sigmund. It''s just that Asher was not able to see it from his point of view because of the big object in front of him. It was also attached to the giant soil roll, and they used their mana to burn it together. By pulling the invisible thing downwards, they were also able to pull giant soil roll and burn the trees downhill!


    Rosetta casted its own tornado and Asher let go of her. From above, they saw Ivory and Sigmund finally done with their plan. Using Air magic, they lifted themselves up on safe ground.


    Asher and Rosetta landed in front of them. Although Ivory and Sigmund stared intensely at the two to get ready for their attack, the orange-haired Master raised his hand and yelled, "I, Asher Riclett, forfeit this battle!!!"


    The silver-haired Master and the Vampire Servant raised their brows and looked at each other with the sudden declaration of Asher. Even though they were surprised, they still didn''t let their guard down.


    With that, Educator Heidi and her Servant stopped casting the special spell for the Forest terrain. The stage slowly turned back into its initial appearance, and the crowd got noisy as they were quite disappointed with what happened.


    Educator Heidi approached them and faced Asher, "Mr. Riclett, can you please explain why you quit this battle?"


    Asher sighed, "The trees are very important for me to win and conserve mana, but they were all burned. Plus, there was no more place to hide... I think Rosetta and I already lost as soon as Miss Sprucemint and her Servant reached the peak. "


    "Why did you stop chasing me back then?" Sigmund asked, raising his brow.


    "Ah, you were too far, and it would cost me more mana if I continued to chase after you," he explained.


    Ivory and Sigmund, together with Educator Heidi, listened to him intently.


    He continued explaining, "You see, the farther my boomerang flew away from me, the more mana it would consume¡­ Looking back, it was quite a move that I did not think through that much. After I replenished Rosetta''s mana, I also rested for a few minutes before I went to the peak, giving you the chance to cast a spell with your Master."


    Asher also explained that everytime Rosetta attaches herself to trees, it would consume lots of mana. He said that he used a lot of mana already and that he''s becoming quite sleepy, so he forfeited the round.


    "It was a good battle, Mister Riclett," Ivory said with a smile. and offered a handshake.


    Asher shook her hand and smiled as well, "Yes, and I learned a lot from the both of you. What an excellent teamwork you two have."


    Ivory then waved at Rosetta, who courteously bowed at her momentarily.


    When Ivory and Sigmund went back to Blue Gem''s resting area, Lucius came rushing to them.


    "Congratulations, Ivory!" Lucius exclaimed, "That was a breathtaking battle. You both did well."


    "Thank you, Lucius!" Ivory grinned at him.


    Sigmund commented with a smirk, "Hah! Rich boy, that was a piece of cake! Did you see our incredible Earth and Fire spell? That was our Blazing Rolling Pin technique!"


    "Huh? When did you two start becoming bakers?" the blonde young man joked, and the Vampire narrowed his eyes on him.


    Then, they heard clapping of hands nearby.


    "Very thrilling, Miss Sprucemint." It was Luhan Wong, with his three baby monkeys and his monkey warrior Spirit Servant, Goliath. "After I beat our section topnotcher, I wish to battle you, too."


    Ivory glanced at Lucius, who plastered a smile on his face. It was obvious that the man was testing his patience.


    "I am looking forward to battling with you, Mister Wong. I am sure you are as strong as you describe yourself to be," Lucius responded.


    Luhan laughed a little, "Of course, I am. I may not be of noble birth like you, but I will change my destiny. Don''t worry, though. After I win this Servant Competition, I promise to visit you in Megalia City and send my gratitude to you."


    He raised his brow, "Why do you need to send gratitude to me?"


    "I will thank you¡­ For being a weaker Master than I am," he grinned.


    "Haha, I look forward to it!" Lucius clenched his fists, which were hidden in Luhan''s sight, "If ever that time comes, I expect you to bring at least a blueberry pie!"


    While the two were feigning their laughters and glares at each other, Sigmund poked Ivory''s shoulder. "Come with me for a sec."


    "Huh? But-"


    The Vampire pulled her arm, forcing her to walk with him towards the end of the resting area. At the end was an archway leading to dressing rooms and comfort rooms.


    As they walked, Ivory could feel her arm hurting with Sigmund''s tight grip.


    "Sigmund? What''s the matter?" she asked with her brows knitted together.


    "Dimwit. Every time counts. Let''s use this time to rest¡­ and replenish mana."


    x x x x x x x x x x x x


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    NOTE: EXTRA CHAPTERS AHEAD!


    For the next two chapters, we have Ivory x Sigmund special chapters that happened some time during their training before the Servant Competition.


    Hope you will all like it! ;)


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 Chapter 180 - "When The Rain Poured And Its Just The Two Of Us-1" (extra)

    One fine morning, Ivory was looking inside her wardrobe for clothes to wear. She, together with her Servants, planned to visit the Qawiun Academy Library to do some research about Advanced magic techniques.


    While Sigmund was still helping her father with some errands in the woods, Lycus knocked at the door before entering her room.


    As soon as Ivory took a glimpse of his long silver hair from her peripheral view, she asked, "What are you going to wear, Lycus?"


    "Master, I apologize," Lycus bowed his head, "But your mother asked me to help her harvest blueberries."


    "You mean¡­ it''s just going to be me and Sigmund?" her cheeks then turned beet red.


    "Yes," the silver haired Werewolf Servant gave her a warm smile. "Please enjoy your day and take care. Your mother is already waiting outside, so I have to go now."


    Lycus bowed his head before leaving her room, and she waited for a few more seconds before jumping on her bed and burying her face onto the pillow. She squealed since she couldn''t contain her excitement of spending a day together with her beloved Servant. She didn''t wait any further and wore the prettiest outfit she had in her closet.


    She wore a cream long sleeve ruffled blouse under an emerald green cotton jumper knee length dress. She combed her hair and excitedly went outside her room. She hurried downstairs, and the first one she saw was Sigmund, who just came back from helping her father. A bright smile flashed on her face when their gazes met.


    "Father! We still have to do a lot of things, so we''ll be off now!" she quickly bid goodbye to her siblings before pulling Sigmund''s arm towards the front door.


    "Why are you in a rush? Where is Lycus?" he titled his head as he followed her lead. Sigmund was dressed in a ruffled white long sleeve top and black fitted pants. His chest was a bit seen because of the low neckline of the top.


    "Lycus is with mother, so it will just be the two of us," she said, smiling.


    The Vampire had a grin on his face after hearing that he would have an alone time with his beloved Master. He took the lead this time and assisted Ivory as she went inside the carriage. They sat close to each other with his arm around her shoulders while she leaned her head on his broad shoulder. Ivory certainly missed this feeling, and so did he.


    When they arrived at Qawiun Academy Library, Sigmund ordered the coachman to not wait for them and enjoy his free time instead. The coachman got confused at first, but he then followed his order and left the two.


    The academy''s library had three floors and walls painted in deep sky blue. Right above the centermost area, a three-tiered metal chandelier with carvings of a winged creature hung.


    After greeting the librarian and asking where the scrolls about Advanced magic were placed, Ivory and Sigmund went to the third floor and searched the shelves. They took the scrolls they needed and stayed on the table near the glass window. Ivory was seated near the window while Sigmund sat close next to her.


    "Should we start with Advanced Conversion Magic?" she glanced at him as she took the scroll with a wooden tag. Carved on it was ''Conversion Magic Theories''.


    Sigmund nodded, "Yeah, this is one of the most important Advanced magic techniques. If you learned everything in that scroll, you''ll be able to adjust while using your mana in any kind of environment."


    When he was about to take the scroll from her, their fingers accidentally touched, which made Ivory turn beet red. She pulled her hand away, but he was quick to grab her hand.


    "Why are you blushing?" he teased her.


    "I''m not blushing!" she almost shouted, which made some of the students, who were silently reading, stare at them.


    The Vampire pressed his index finger on her lips, "Shh, we do not want the librarian to get mad at us, especially that there are other students who are studying here, not just you, Ivory."


    She removed his hand, "It is your fault," and she whispered, pouting.


    "And why is it my fault?" he cocked his brow.


    "Because you are teasing me," she removed the string of the scroll.


    "Excuses, Ivory," he jokingly shook his head and patted her head. "Alright, you need to read now. We have two more types of advanced magic to study."


    The Master and Servant started reading about Conversion Magic at noon. They had a quick lunch at the academy eatery and went back to the library to continue reading the next types of advanced magic. They first studied Barrier Magic, wherein the Master could choose an element and make it as a shield. The last one was Combination Magic, wherein the Master could use two or more elements in a single attack.


    Sigmund took the quill and ink set in the middle of the table, which were free to be used by anyone. After unrolling a blank scroll, he started to draw.


    "What are you doing?" Ivory asked as she observed his hands move.


    "Let''s imagine how we can use all those theories in the Servant Competition," the Vampire then continued his sketch. Under it were some descriptions and the elements and theories they would be using in their battles.


    "They announced the four terrains and described them, so I think we should think about developing Advanced techniques for each."


    Sigmund nodded at her. "And we must create extra techniques in case of emergency," he unrolled more parts of the blank scroll, "We must remember that in every magic technique we will develop, we should put first how to efficiently use our mana. Although I think, we can use a lot of mana as long as the opponents are surely, directly thrown into the eliminating grounds."


    "But, they did not tell us what the eliminating grounds are," she pursed her lips while looking at his sketches.


    "Whatever they are, I am sure it will be hard to push the opponents there. We should be cautious, and save mana in the first half of the battle. That way, we can use Air magic in the form of wind to lift ourselves up in case they try to take us down."


    Ivory nodded, and gazed into his crimson red irises. For her, Sigmund was extra handsome when he''s tutoring her. "You are really brilliant, Sigmund. I wish I was as intelligent as you are."


    "Hah, no need for compliments. Concentrate, Ivory. Don''t stare at my handsome face too much," he pinched her cheek.


    "Oww¡­ Meanie..." she blushed and rubbed the cheek he pinched, before concentrating again on thinking about their strategies.


    After all the discussions, Ivory and Sigmund left the library late in the afternoon, and the two decided to walk back home to admire the beautiful peach sunset, and they also missed walking back to Greensteid. Everything was going well, but as they were approaching Betania City, the peach sky had turned gray.


    "I think it''s going to rain, Sigmund," she worriedly looked at him.


    But he shook his head. Of course, the fact that the sky was turning gray made him annoyed since he still wanted to spend more time with his beloved Master, so he just said, "Don''t think about it, and it won''t happen."


    When they were about to walk, an expected heavy downpour happened! Sigmund instantly held Ivory''s hand and dashed to the nearest awning shed of a pub.


    Ivory tugged the sleeve of his top, "Let me use magic so that we can go home quickly.


    "Why tho? Don''t you want to spend more time with me?" Sigmund asked, staring at her.


    She shook her head sideways, "I really want to spend more time with you, Sigmund, but it''s raining so hard," she sighed. She peeked at the sky and noticed that the gray cloud became even darker, "Seems like it won''t end soon. What are we going to do now?" Ivory looked worriedly at her beloved.


    He panned his sight to the familiar tavern in front of them. With a smirk, he then said, "Do not worry... I know a place."


    x x x x x x x x x x x x


    Hi readers, are you ready for the next part? What do you think will happen? Comment your thoughts. ;)


    x x x x x x x x x x x x


    Thank you for reading "Taming My Vampire Servant"! <3


    If you like the book, please add it to your library <3


    Please support us by giving powerstones and gifts <3


    Feel free to comment on paragraphs and chapters as well <3


    Please review the book, too! <3


    Want more of the story? Purchase privilege for just 1 coin and there''ll be a sneak peek of 2 advanced chapters! <3


    x x x x x x x x x x x x

 Chapter 181 - "When The Rain Poured And Its Just The Two Of Us-2" (extra)

    Almost everyone turned their heads to the drenched, yet dashing duo as soon as they entered the tavern. Edmond''s face lit up upon seeing his familiar customers, and he could not remember when was the last time he had seen them because it seemed to be so long ago.


    "It''s good to see you both again," the tavern owner said gleefully.


    Sigmund waved his hand as they walked towards the bar counter.


    And when he saw them up close, he worriedly said. "Oh! I didn''t notice that you''re both soaked. Let me get you some towels. Will you stay here for the night?"


    "Hello, Sir Edmond, it''s good to see you again, too," Ivory greeted him first with a smile on her face. "We''ll wait til'' the rain drops-"


    "We''ll eat dinner and stay here for the night," Sigmund chimed in.


    "But my family might be worried and might be waiting for us," she told him.


    "You are not a child, besides," he placed his hands on top of her shoulders and whispered in her ear, "We''ve been together since morning, so we should enjoy the night... Just the two of us."


    Ivory felt her cheeks warm and wasn''t able to reply. Edmond chuckled at the sight of the two and left them for a moment to get some towels. The Master and the Servant headed to the table near the window and scanned the menu.


    "Sigmund? Is that you?" a voice of a woman was heard from the entrance of the tavern.


    The couple glanced at where she was standing, and Ivory''s eyes widened when the woman, who had long curls, drew closer to their table.


    "It is really you! Oh my! I''ve been looking for you, handsome boy," the woman stood beside him and bent down to peck his cheek, but Ivory stood up from her seat and blocked her pouting lips with the menu!


    The Servant was irritated at first because she knew whose voice was that from, but a smirk escaped from his lips with what Ivory did.


    The woman glared at Ivory and raised her brows, "You¡­"


    "Please don''t disturb us," Ivory told her kindly, placing the menu on the table.


    "I can''t believe I met you again, Miss Trespasser," she emphasized how she called Ivory and looked around to check if the customers heard her. "Did you forget who I am?"


    Ivory noticed almost everyone in the tavern was looking at them. The woman, called Madame Priscilla by many, was already known in town, so it was no wonder that she''d easily attract attention from other people.


    "How could I forget how my men threw you in the fountain," Priscilla laughed, which made the customers chatter amongst themselves. "I''m certain Sigmund''s only with you because of your looks."


    "Of course, how could I forget the time you tried seducing my Se.. my lover," she shook her head and sighed. She then looked straight into her eyes, "I might be weak the first time you saw me, but don''t make me mad right now, or you might cry like a baby."


    The crowd laughed and clapped upon hearing Ivory''s reply, and the Vampire couldn''t even hide the smile on his face. Edmond, who brought two dry towels, just came back from the staff''s room and also had a good laugh with the encounter.


    Priscilla felt her cheeks flush from embarrassment and was out of words for a good long minute. She clenched her fists and hit the table, "Sigmund, I missed you terribly, so come with me, and I''ll give you gold coins-"


    "You heard my woman," he uttered while staring at Ivory, "You better leave now or else you''re gonna end up crying like a baby."


    The woman grabbed his arm and tried to pull him up from his seat, but the silver haired Master gripped on her wrist tight and glared at her with her light blue irises. Priscilla felt shivers down her spine as she felt the strong aura coming from the woman she called her weak earlier. She let go of Sigmund and quickly left the tavern without looking back.


    Ivory rolled her eyes and flipped her hair before sitting again, and when she saw Sigmund smiling sweetly at her, she turned beet red. Sigmund felt her braveness and hearing those words from his beloved Master really felt like he was on the moon. Edmond also approached them after Priscilla left. He gave them towels, and he also took their orders.


    After some time, they were served with savory grilled pork tenderloin, fried peanuts, and mugs of beer. Ivory hungrily ate her meat dish since she had been starving ever since that afternoon, while Sigmund watched her eat and also wiped off the sauces from her lips from time to time. While she was eating, Edmond entertained his customers by playing some songs with his lute. The rain had also stopped, but the couple stayed in the tavern to enjoy the fun music while drinking beer.


    Because of tiredness, Ivory already felt her eyes heavy and told Sigmund that they should leave. However, it seemed that they were really fated to stay in the tavern, because the rain still poured heavily. And so, the Servant carried his beloved like a princess into their room.


    The Vampire carefully put her down on the bed and sat beside her, "Your clothes are still damp, you should remove them before you sleep."


    "Can I just sleep-"


    "Oh, you just want me to do it for you," he caressed her cheek and saw how her cheeks turned beet red.


    "Alright, but you should tell me something about your childhood after," Ivory looked at him with puppy eyes.


    "Really now," he smirked and after placing a sound barrier around the room, he undressed her. He removed his clothes as well and positioned himself against the headboard and pulled Ivory to sit beside him. He then grabbed the covers and wrapped their naked bodies with it.  "So¡­."


    "So¡­" Ivory murmured and leaned her head on his arm/chest.


    "Where should I start?" he glanced at her.


    "You can tell me about anything, Sigmund," she held his hand and squeezed it gently.


    He nodded and started narrating his story about his parents, then his childhood. He told her that he had a simple family. He mentioned that he also helped his father chop wood and helped his mother gather herbs. He also told her his likes and what he usually played back then. He hasn''t told anyone about his childhood, not even to his past Master, so talking about them to Ivory really brought a smile to his face.


    "And¡­" Sigmund paused. "Ivory, are you still listening?"


    But there was no response from her.


    "Ivory."


    "Oh!" she said surprised, "Yes, I like that, too."


    The Vampire smirked and held her chin to face him, "Are you sleeping?"


    She shook her head.


    "Who said you could sleep, huh?" he stared into her light blue irises and down to her lips.


    "I wasn''t sleeping," she whispered, staring back at him with sleepy eyes.


    "You''re gonna be punished," he leaned closer to her face and licked her lower lip before giving her a deep kiss.


    Even if Ivory was already drowsy, she still wrapped her arms around her beloved Sigmund and let him take the lead. She felt his arm around her waist while his big hands groped her breast. She let out a soft moan as they kissed.


    The Vampire paused and gazed at her amorously, "Thank you, Ivory."


    "Hm?" she blinked her eyes slowly, confused as to why he was thanking her all of a sudden.


    "Thank you for making me feel special tonight," he whispered while he stroked her long hair, "No, not just tonight, but every time that we''re together."


    "Of course, you''re special, Sigmund. You''re very special and very dear to me," she smiled sweetly at him as she caressed his face.


    "I love you, Ivory," he uttered, but there was a heavy downpour of rain again, so she didn''t hear him clearly.


    "Can you repeat what you said?" she creased her brows.


    "I said I love you so much!" his voice was loud enough for her to hear, and it brought a big grin on her face. She planted a sweet kiss on his lips, and his hand stroked her hair before he held her nape.


    It wasn''t long until the Vampire Servant bit her neck as he caressed her back. Sigmund''s eyes were glued on Ivory''s fair skin, thinking hard how to touch her. He planned to satisfy her that night and make her not want to go home anymore.


    Ivory, on the other hand, shouted more cries of bliss as her blood was being tasted by her beloved.


    The couple felt like they were over the moon as they pleasured each other. They exchanged deep kisses and embraced each other as if they didn''t want the night to end.


    And as the night became colder, the love between the Master and the Servant served as fire that continued burning that night.

 Chapter 182 - "Servant Competition: Dirt On Lucius"

    "You mean-" her words were interrupted when Sigmund pulled her towards an empty dressing room. He slid the latch to lock the wooden door, before letting go of her.


    "Shall we use a sound barrier?" Ivory asked.


    "No need. We''d spend mana that way. Why, Ivory?" Sigmund grinned, "Why do you always need a sound barrier when you replenish my mana?"


    She turned beet red and looked away, "What if we''re going to talk about something¡­ important!"


    "You always speak nonsense at times like these," the Vampire Servant made her look into her eyes, cupping her chin, "How about be a bit quiet today, hmm? Can you do that?"


    She gave a shy nod. Afterwards, Ivory let Sigmund take off her shoulder armour. Feeling his fingers slide repeatedly onto the surface of her neck, she felt hotter and hotter each second that passed.


    Sigmund lowered his head and started to lick Ivory''s neck, while embracing her tightly. He couldn''t help but grin when he heard her trying her best to suppress her moans.


    When he finally pierced his fangs into her neck, Ivory flinched. With Sigmund holding her tightly, not giving her a chance to escape, she couldn''t move freely since her hands were stuck under his arms.


    While he bit her, his head sometimes bumped onto her ears, making Ivory purse her lips until it bled. Her ears were itchy and painful, and there were other feelings that she couldn''t explain. Nevertheless, she pretended to be alright. She knew that if Sigmund knew of her long-time allergy now, he might get too worried about her and become too protective, affecting their performance in the competition.


    Ivory knew how her Vampire Servant truly cared for her.


    "Sigmund... I love you, okay?" she whispered to him.


    Hearing this, he pulled away from biting her neck and gazed at her light blue irises, "I love you too," Sigmund then noticed her bleeding lip, so he grazed his lips on hers and nibbled it.


    Ivory, now with free arms, placed them around the Vampire''s neck. She felt his right hand cupping one of her melons, but she didn''t resist at all. She let him grope her, and a little while later, she let him remove all of her armor and clothing.


    "We are in a dressing room, so¡­" the silver-haired Master uttered, making the Servant chuckle.


    "Stop finding an excuse. Do you think we need them in this situation?"


    "Actually, no," she turned red as a tomato.


    "They''re all focused on the battles. There are three more battles left before the third round, so let''s take our time."


    And so, the two of them continued their mana replenishment...


    Some more minutes passed, and Sigmund finished replenishing mana. As he dressed up his beloved Master, a smirk appeared on his face whenever his sight landed onto the hickeys and bite marks on her body.


    Ivory noticed this and asked, "What''s the matter?"


    "I am just pleased to see my marks on you," piece by piece, he helped her wear her armor next. "If you weren''t wearing these, they''d see-"


    "Sigmund!" the silver-haired Master turned beet red, "Stop saying such things. If you don''t, I might not be able to concentrate later!"


    Finding his Master cute, the Vampire chuckled.


    After Ivory''s all set, the two of them went out of the dressing room and went back to the resting area. They approached Caspian, whose eyes were glued on the stage with a Forest terrain.


    "Hi," she greeted him, "What''s going on now?" and asked him.


    "Where were you?" he glanced at them, "It''s Sir Goldwine''s battle now."


    "Ehh? Already?" Ivory turned her head towards the stage. She widened her eyes when she saw her brother being bullied by the three baby monkeys!


    Caspian then narrated what happened earlier. He mentioned that the battle started with Lucius using his level 3 sword against Goliath, the monkey warrior Servant. During that time, the baby monkeys created mud balls with Luhan''s Earth and Water magic. While Goliath rested at the side, the monkeys started throwing mud balls on Lucius.


    Sigmund commented as he watched the disappointing scene, "That monkey guy has with him his three monkeys, plus his Servant. That''s five against two. Isn''t that cheating?"


    Caspian answered him, "No. When Mister Wong summoned the monkey warrior Spirit Servant, he had the three monkeys with him."


    "I can''t understand why Lucius kept Volcius in its inactive state," Ivory said, observing the fight at the stage, "If the Educators would permit me, I''d go there and-"


    The Vampire Servant patted Ivory''s shoulder, "Calm down. Lucius is a clever guy. He will not lose against that arrogant monkey lad."


    "Yes¡­ Yes, you''re right!"


    And so, the battle went on, until Educator Heidi announced that there were only ten minutes left.


    In the Forest terrain, the blonde young man''s hair had turned brown due to mud, and his previously squeaky clean armor and clothes were dirtied as well.


    Luhan looked down on Lucius as he sat on the cypress tree. He smirked at him as if he was already victorious and yelled, "I told you I''d complete the thirty minutes and beat you. Do you have anything to say, Mister topnotcher?"


    But Lucius only smiled at him as he wiped the mud on his face, "You must be feeling great today, huh?"


    He laughed out loud, "Of course. I am a very competitive man! I''m disappointed, though, you didn''t fight back, and let yourself in that embarrassing state."


    Lucius momentarily looked back at the Blue Gem resting area and saw that Ivory had finally arrived. "What took her so long¡­" he creased his brows. He just wanted Ivory to see how he''d handle the boastful Master, so that they could give him a slap on the face!


    Everyone was shocked when they saw him raise his hand, while he held Volcius upwards!


    "I guess being that damn dirty tainted the reputation of the Goldwines," Luhan chuckled, "I can understand why you wanted to quit now-"


    But he was startled when Lucius suddenly yelled, "Volcius!"


    His Golem Servant started gaining size. He hopped onto his rocky head, until eventually, Volcius became taller than the trees!


    "You know what to do, Volcius. I trust you a hundred percent!"


    Seconds later, the cracks on Volcius'' stone body emanated a brighter red light. Lava started to seep out from him, spreading on the forest soil. Lucius glared and looked down on Luhan and his companions. It was evident on his face that he was too shocked with the turn of events!


    Volcius roared. The flowing lava from its body started to come after Luhan and the others uphill. It started burning the trees, making him panic!


    Together with his Servants and the three monkeys, Luhan ran uphill as fast as he could. Volcius never stopped releasing lava from where he was standing.


    From the top of Volcius'' head, Lucius could see what part of the forest was burning. It didn''t take long before the whole forest got burned.


    Luhan and his companions were at the edge of the peak''s cliff, panting hard, "You will still lose!" he saw the giant Volcius approaching him, "You used so much mana, so-"


    But before he could finish his sentence, the ground started shaking.


    Lucius stared at Luhan with a blank face as the cliff started to crack.


    "No!!!" he yelled. Because of the fast turn of events, he couldn''t think straight, so his Servant and the baby monkeys were also confused. Eventually, he fell down the quagmire.


    Goliath followed him right after, hoping to save him by casting magic. But in split seconds, he lost his Master''s trust, making him doubt his actions. He opted to let himself onto the quagmire as well, together with his three monkey brothers.


    The crowd cheered so loud with the unexpected outcome of the battle.


    "Twenty nine minutes! End of battle!" Educator Heidi yelled and turned back the stage to its initial appearance.


    Lucius turned Volcius back to its inactive state and held its warm body. Covered with mud, he walked back to the Blue Gem''s resting area, while the audience loudly applauded him.


    Ivory was already waiting for him down the stage as she held with her a damp towel. She wiped Lucius'' face first, "You could have beaten him in ten minutes. Why did you let him do this to you?" she asked with furrowed brows.


    "I was waiting for you to come back," Lucius said with a kind smile, "Did you like it?"


    "It was awesome, but you had me too worried," she then wiped his arm.


    Sigmund teased him with a smirk, "It''s refreshing to see you this filthy, Rich boy."


    "How about you, why is there nothing pleasing coming out from your filthy mouth?" Lucius glared at him.


    "Now, now, stop it," Ivory told them, laughing. She took another damp towel from the shelf, and ruffled Lucius'' hair with it to remove some of the mud. "Lucius, I think you need to take a full bath."


    He sighed, "I was thinking about it, too."


    With that, Lucius went directly to Principal Arthurdane and asked permission to use the arena''s bathing room. Fortunately, he was allowed to do so.


    And then, the next battle started.

 Chapter 183 - "Servant Competition: Ivory Vs The Lass With Endless Daggers-1"

    Josie Kimson and her clown Spirit Servant, Jokerion were called on stage, followed by Martina Ginterdame and her shadow tiger beast Servant, Tigra.


    But before Josie stepped further away from Martina, she told her, "Josie, I have a favor to ask."


    The black-haired Master looked at her curiously.


    Martina told her in a soft tone, "Just fight me. Do not hurt my little cub."


    "O¡­ kay?" Josie raised her brow. "You know this is the Servant Competition, right? Why don''t we just give our best shot?"


    She shook her head, "You''re one of my closest classmates, Josie. I''ve seen your hard work since we were first year. I know that you deserve to win this competition, and even if both my Servant and I try to fight you, I know that you''ll win," she tugged her shirt, "What''s the use of having a strong weapon and a strong Servant, if what I really wanted is to become a sculptor and not a warrior?"


    "Martina¡­ Are you sure?"


    And Martina shook her head, giving her a serious look.


    The battle was on the terrain of Windy Mountains, wherein several rock mountains were floating in the sky.


    While Martina was trapped on the rocky mountain wall with knives pinning down some of her clothing, her shadow tiger Servant could only observe their enemy because of the plan.


    The crowd yelled Martina''s name. It was as if they knew that Martina could still go on, yet she was doing nothing.


    But amidst the loud cheers, Martina didn''t get encouraged at all. She was dead sure of what she wanted to do in the future, even though her family was against it.


    In the Blue Gem section''s area, Ivory and Sigmund talked about the battle.


    "What do you think? Why was she not moving? Seems like she didn''t have the will to fight anymore."


    Sigmund shrugged, "I do not know, and I do not care." Still, he initiated to check her mana, "Her mana quality''s great. Almost on par with you, Ivory."


    "Huh, then why¡­" she stopped talking when she remembered the true reason, which she told them during the Graduation Ceremony. She recalled that she wanted to become a sculptor and be recognized by the Royal Family!


    Moments later, the battle already ended. While Martina and her Servant were taken to the treatment area, Josie, as the winner, went back to Blue Gem''s resting area.


    "Congratulations," Ivory said with a smile as she passed by in front of her.


    Josie gave her a smile. "Thank you¡­ But I only won because Martina had other plans for herself," she sighed. "I actually admire her for chasing her dream. Dreaming is easy, but not everyone can chase their own dreams in their lifetime."


    Soon after, the last battle for the second round started. Caspian Reagan and Andrew Talonpierce were called by Principal Arthurdane, and together with their Servants, they entered the stage.


    Their battle, which was held in a Forest terrain, lasted the whole thirty minutes. Both had good control of their mana and had shown their impeccable wits and skills. But Caspian had already mastered Water-type in ice form, so he only used that element throughout the battle. Most of the spells he used were mana-efficient, Advanced techniques that he developed, which gave him an edge in their battle.


    When thirty minutes passed, the terrain went back to its initial appearance of a wide stage. Principal Arthurdane then activated a spell that was already rooted on the stage. It was a spell to analyze the contenders who would last the whole thirty minutes in battle.


    After a few seconds of activating it, glowing colors of two kinds of mana could only be seen by the principal. For the Educators to determine the winner, the principal controlled the used mana and collected them in an enchanted glass bottle, converting them into the form of a glittering, colorless liquid.


    Educator Heidi looked at the two big glass bottles. Andrew had the most liquid, meaning to say, he used the most mana than Caspian.


    The Educator announced, "Congratulations, Mister Caspian Reagan!"


    Losing the battle, the worn-out Andrew approached Caspian and shook hands with him. Displaying a wide smile on his face, he exclaimed, "Congratulations!"


    Caspian also smiled at him, "Mister Talonpierce, thank you for giving your all. I really enjoyed our fight."


    Leaving with his shadow horse Beast Servant, Andrew immediately went to the treatment area to rest and tend to his wounds.


    Principal Arthurdane peeked at the Blue Gem section''s resting area. Seeing that all four winners of the second round were already there, he announced using his conical-shaped, magical sound amplifier, "That ends the second round! Congratulations to Miss Ivory Sprucemint, Mister Lucius Goldwine, Miss Josie Kimson, and Mister Caspian Reagan! Okay, we''ll have a one-hour break before the third round!"


    The crowd cheered happily and also chanted the names of the four. The event was getting more and more exciting as the Masters were decreasing in number.


    Ivory and the other Masters faced each other on a small dining table at the side of the resting area. Lucius also came, refreshed from taking a thorough bath.


    Lycus, who chose to still work as a part-time academy assistant, was the one who brought them food. From the big basket of woody vines, he set the plates and utensils on the table, as well as mugs. Aside from that, he also placed on top a large jar of spring water. He then put down that basket and another assistant handed him another basket.


    He placed in the middle of the table two platters of grilled tuna and scallops, as well as a plate which had sliced pieces of sour bread.


    "These came from Marina Town," Lycus said, "If you want something to eat, please tell me, and I''ll go to the academy eatery to see if the food you want is available. It''s nearby, so it will not be a problem."


    Ivory then said, "I want your mashed potato, Lycus!"


    Seeing his Master''s sweet smile, he said happily, "Yes, Mas- Miss Sprucemint! I''ll be glad to make some for you."


    "Assistant Lycus, me too," Josie uttered, "I heard from the Educators that you were the one who made the mashed potato during the Graduation Ceremony."


    Lycus nodded at the short-haired Master, then excused himself. He hurried to the academy eatery to borrow the kitchen.


    An hour ended very quickly with the four Masters chatting about the previous battles while savoring the delectable mashed potato of Lycus and the other dishes. It was already five in the afternoon, yet the arena was still filled with expectators. They started cheering loudly when they saw the Principal hold his conical, magic sound amplifier.


    "We''re going to resume the third round! Is everyone ready?"


    The crowd cheered even louder than before, anticipating what kind of interesting battles were going to be fought soon. All of them were torn on whom to cheer for!


    "For the first battle," Principal Arthurdane read the scroll given by Educator Alexandra, "Miss Josie Kimson and Miss Ivory Sprucemint! Please go onstage!"


    Ivory and Josie glanced at each other and chuckled as they walked towards the center. Thanks to the chit chat they had during lunch, the two of them became closer. They could feel her heart race just by thinking about having a thrilling battle soon!


    The principal then picked up a marble from the bowl. When he saw its color, he said, "This battle will be in a Forest terrain!"


    Educator Heidi and her corundum Golem Servant started preparing themselves to change the stage. Soon after, the ground shook, and in only a few minutes, the whole stage became a sloped forest full of cypress trees.


    After the Educator explained the rules, a loud horn was then played.


    As soon as it did, Josie called out for her clown Spirit Servant Jokerion, and they moved to the further back of the forest until they reached the peak.


    "They saw what we did in the second round, that''s why they''re cautious," Ivory pursed her lips, "What should we do now?"


    "Think of a way how one of them can fall into the quagmire," Sigmund replied.


    "But her Spirit Servant can float. It can even disappear and appear at will. I don''t think it would let its Master fall into the quagmire."


    The Vampire sighed, "Why are we always at a disadvantage in this kind of terrain?"


    The two of them spent a whole three minutes thinking about their plan B. They only developed one special Advanced technique for the Forest terrain. Josie had seen it, and now she''s guarding the peak.


    "I know! I have an idea," Ivory grinned, then she told Sigmund about her big plan.


    ------------------------


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 Chapter 184 - "Servant Competition: Ivory Vs The Lass With Endless Daggers-2"

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    Dear our beloved readers,


    Apologies for the late upload! Something bad happened to our internet connection, and the technician is only available tomorrow T^T


    Anyway, I tried using data with hotspot for the first time! Although late, please enjoy this chapter for today! <3


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    Ivory and Sigmund charged uphill as fast as they could, until they almost reached the peak and saw Josie and Jokerion standing ahead of them.


    But when they were five meters near them, the clown Spirit Servant raised his cloak, and several daggers suddenly appeared to dart towards them!


    "Sigmund, the plan!" Ivory yelled as they dodged the incoming daggers in separate directions, thinking they would also be followed separately!


    But alas, Josie and Jokerion followed Ivory together!


    Sigmund, who was still closely watching his beloved Master, stopped his tracks and tried to go back to Ivory''s direction. But as soon as he turned, Jokerion''s twelve daggers pierced his arms and legs!


    "Sigmund!!!" Ivory screamed with her eyes widened, shocked to see her beloved Servant easily harmed.


    The Vampire Servant took a look at the daggers that pierced his flesh. He noticed that it went through his armor.


    There was no blood, yet the pain was real!


    Ivory could only watch Sigmund behind her opponents, lying down the forest soil as he yelled in pain. As tears rolled down her cheeks, she stared at Josie, "You do not want to show mercy, huh? Then, I am going to take things even more seriously from now on!"


    When their enemies saw Ivory''s light blue irises glowed, they stepped back. As more tears fell from her eyes, more Silverblade mana was incorporated into her normal mana. She held her staff in front of her, and the black and white orbs radiated with a red light.


    Ivory''s action caused Josie and Jokerion to move further away from her, afraid of what she might do. Jokerion, already gaining the full trust of his Master, acted on his own. He dragged the unconscious Sigmund, whose body had already weakened, with them.


    Questioning the actions of her Spirit Servant, she said in a worried tone, "Why did you take him?"


    "Master, this is for your victory," Jokerion responded while the two of them went downhill, away from Ivory''s sight.


    Because the Spirit Servant was wearing a jester mask, Josie couldn''t see what kind of expression he had. But she couldn''t blame her Servant at all; she knew that as a Servant, he only just wanted the best for her.


    After all, Servants existed to serve their Masters in their lifetime.


    But what worried Josie the most was to lose Ivory''s trust. She was starting to become someone like a friend to her, that was why she had second thoughts.


    "Master, if you want to win this competition, we should not give them a chance. Anything is okay as long as we do not kill them, right? So please, do not worry too much," Jokerion assured her, finally dragging and placing the unconscious Sigmund under one of the cypress trees.


    "I trust you, but I am afraid Ivory would-"


    "Master Josie, if you trust me, why do you keep on asking about my decision?" he glanced at her.


    She sighed, "It is not like that. It''s just that¡­ Ivory is-"


    Jokerion explained, "Master, I pledged my whole life to serve you. If the trust you have given me has already decreased, then it will be my failure as a Servant. Apologies, Master-"


    "No, you are not a failure!" Josie''s lips trembled as she tugged his sleeves. What did she just do? How could she distrust her Servant at this time?


    Seconds later, there were sudden explosions in the direction of the peak!


    Josie uttered, "She must be casting a spell already!"


    "She can cast Advanced spells and destroy the whole forest, but she''d lose that way. She''d be spending more mana than us," Jokerion explained. He took a closer look at Sigmund and made sure that he was not yet awake, before he continued saying, "If our enemies knew that my blades are fully made of your mana, they''ll know how to counter it."


    "Plus, my level 3 dagger weapon can give extra power to the blades you created. It can disable someone from using magic by blocking the mana flowing in their body. I think we should-"


    Their conversation was halted due to another explosion!


    "She''s coming for us!" Josie warned. "Let''s run further downhill. Just leave her Servant there. He won''t be able to move with the daggers on his body, as long as I have enough mana to leave it on him."


    With that, Josie and Jokerion ran away, leaving Sigmund lying on the ground. Moments later, Ivory found him still unconscious under. Her eyes stopped glowing as she became emotional in seeing her beloved pierced by several daggers.


    "Sigmund¡­" she wiped her tears, "I am already here. Please wake up!"


    Upon hearing her voice, the Vampire''s eyelids slowly opened. "I...vory¡­" he muttered, "Don''t look¡­ I''m pathetic¡­ Ugh!" he felt as if his body was being hit by a metal rod!


    "I''ll get these daggers away from you!" Ivory told him and bent her knees at Sigmund''s side.


    Though odd as it might seem, Ivory actually heard Josie and Jokerion''s conversation about the true composition of the daggers. She couldn''t explain how or why she did, but it was as if she had heightened hearing while her ears were damn itchy. Aside from that, her nose was starting to act up; it was too moist as if she suddenly caught a cold. But, she could not care about it at the moment because of the battle.


    Ivory''s eyes glowed once again as she used the Silverblade mana to take out the blades one by one. She gripped each handle and pulled them out from different parts of his body, such as his arms, chest, abdomen, thighs, and legs.


    Sigmund screamed in pain each time a dagger was pulled out. He did not expect such magic technique to be the one to take him down. It was as simple as it may seem, but it was actually very brutal for the one being stabbed.


    After she successfully took them out, she asked him with tears in her eyes, "How do you feel? Do you need to replenish mana?"


    He sat back up, and touched his arms and legs. Knowing that he could move freely already and that the pain was gone, he shook his head. "My mana did not decrease. I think the daggers only blocked my movement," the Vampire said in a serious tone. He stood up, and also helped Ivory stand up, "We need to devise a plan before time runs out."


    Ivory furrowed her brows. She clenched her fists, trying to hold back her tears. She thought she would lose Sigmund easily like that. Seeing him in pain made her panic that she almost burned down the whole forest. If she did not hear the conversation of her opponents, perhaps she''d already lose almost all of her mana before they even prepared an all-out attack.


    "Ivory," Sigmund uttered, patting her head, "Get a grip. I''m alright now, so-"


    "I want to hug you tightly, but everyone will see us..." she whispered.


    The Vampire smirked, "After this battle, let''s replenish mana in the dressing room."


    Ivory''s cheeks turned red as a tomato, and she nodded at him with a smile.


    After talking about their new plan, they ran downhill and searched for Josie and Jokerion.


    Ivory sniffed continuously, wanting to get the moist out of her nose.


    Sigmund noticed this, and he commented, "You caught a cold?"


    "Maybe," she replied, "But this is nothing, I-" she smelled something and stopped him from moving.


    Her Servant stopped and looked back at her, "What''s wrong?"


    "I smell her perfume," Ivory was so sure that it was Josie''s perfume, because she commented on it during their lunch time. It was a strong fragrance of jasmine flower, which was not present in the forest during her battle with Asher Riclett.


    "Really? I can''t smell anything," he responded.


    Ivory followed the direction of the scent, asking Sigmund to go with her. The more the scent went stronger, the more cautious she became.


    "Sigmund¡­ they''re nearby."


    The Vampire was confused as to how she was able to smell such scent like a dog, but he just nodded at her. Using his heightened hearing, he focused on listening to any faint sounds nearby.


    Suddenly, they heard the rustling of leaves, and several daggers came flying towards them!


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 Chapter 185 - "Servant Competition: Ivory Vs The Lass With Endless Daggers-3"

    Sigmund and Ivory stumbled backwards while they dodged the mana daggers, making them fall on the ground.


    "Sigmund, do not let these daggers pierce you, or else-"


    But she was pierced by daggers coming from underneath!


    "Ivory!" Sigmund yelled as he widened his eyes in shock. He felt like a failure, a weak Servant, who failed in protecting his Master.


    Josie and Jokerion jumped down the tree where they hid.


    "Surprised?" Josie smirked, "Well, it was Jokerion''s idea. I didn''t know it would work¡­"


    "Gaaaaaa!!!" Ivory screamed in pain. She could feel the daggers piercing her shoulders and thighs. Now, she knew how awful and how much pain her Servant had gone through a while ago.


    "Five more minutes!" Educator Heidi announced.


    Sigmund glared at the two, "Looks like I have to end this battle-"


    But he paused talking when he saw his Master moving, even though she had those mana daggers on her!


    Ivory stood up slowly, "Sigmund, we will end this battle¡­ together," her light blue irises glowed as she touched the daggers. She pulled them out of her one by one, and threw them onto the forest soil.


    Josie and Jokerion raised their brows in surprise. How did she get out of the magic technique? She was supposed to be paralyzed, just like what happened with her Servant!


    Even Sigmund was dumbfounded, and in the first five seconds, he only stared at her.


    Ivory stretched out her arms, then approached her beloved Servant as if she wasn''t pierced with Jokerion''s weapons awhile ago. "Sigmund, let''s do the Advanced technique..." she explained her plan discreetly.


    "Huh? In this terrain?" he thought for a little while, and looked around. He then replied, "Hmm¡­ I think you''re right. Okay, then."


    Without any minute to spare, Sigmund formed a triangle using his fingers, while Ivory took her fallen staff and held onto it firmly. Both their irises glowed as they concentrated on it.


    "Jokerion, now we angered the two," Josie told him, "Shall we forfeit- Hey!"


    But before she finished talking, Jokerion grabbed his Master by the waist and tried to escape from Ivory''s and Sigmund''s sight. Unfortunately for them, it was a dead end, because surrounding them were walls of spiky hardened soil!


    Jokerion, still holding his Master, noticed the ground shaking. He immediately hopped up the tree. The forest soil was then filled with spikes, so he concluded that there was no other way but to float up!


    "No, Jokerion! If you rise that high, your mana is going to be depleted! You can only float at a certain height, so please, let''s just forfeit."


    "Master, there''s only a minute left. They consumed a lot of mana, so they''ll lose. Please do not give up," he uttered and immediately rose up.


    Unfortunately, for them once again, they did not notice Air magic casted on the opening. As soon as Jokerion and Josie touched it, they couldn''t control their direction any longer!


    They were caught in a tornado-like entity. The wind was too fast, and seconds later, they were directly thrown into the quagmire!


    Exactly when it happened, the timer ran out! Educator Heidi announced, "The winner for this battle is¡­ Miss Ivory Sprucemint!"


    Although the audience did not see what happened because of the Earth wall, they saw how Josie and Jokerion were thrown into the quagmire, so they still cheered out loud. They chanted Ivory''s name repeatedly, rooting for her!


    The stage went back to normal. As soon as it did, Ivory ran towards Educator Heidi''s Golem Servant to look for Josie and Jokerion, and it pointed at the side of the stage. The two of them laid down, staring blankly at the ceiling. They still couldn''t believe what happened.


    "Are you alright?" Ivory knelt down beside Josie.


    "Yes," she gave a hearty laugh, "You got us there. You don''t really plan on piercing us with all the Earth spikes, do you?"


    She shook her head.


    "I knew it. It was a trap. You knew we''d escape that semi-closed space¡­ You and your Servant really are something."


    Jokerion sat upright and knelt beside his Master, "I failed you, Master. Please punish me according to your wishes."


    "Geez, it''s alright. If we''ve switched places and I was the Servant, I''d do exactly as you did. You only want us to escape that cramped space full of spikes," Josie replied. She reached out to Jokerion''s knees and patted it, "That''s enough. Just carry me to the treatment area. I want to sleep."


    Jokerion nodded, and he slowly carried his Master in his arms.


    Josie turned her head towards Ivory, "Hey¡­ I know this is an odd time and place to ask this, but¡­ Can we still be friends?"


    Ivory gave a kind smile, "Of course!"


    "Then I''ll call you informally from now on, Ivory," she gave a wide grin, "Congratulations! I''m going to root for you until the finals!"


    After the two walked away, Ivory went to Sigmund, "She¡­ said she still wanted me to be her friend."


    "That, I heard. You must be happy," the Vampire smiled at her.


    "Yes, of course," Ivory giggled, "Let''s replenish your mana?"


    "Whoa there, are you excited?" Sigmund smirked.


    Ivory turned beet red, "It''s not like that! I am just concerned as your Master!"


    The Vampire chuckled, and the two of them went back to Blue Gem''s resting area.


    "Congratulations, Ivory!" Lucius said in an excited tone.


    "Thank you, Lucius!" she couldn''t contain her happiness and hugged him tightly. As she did, she whispered, "I hope I can have a battle with you. I wish for your victory."


    "Hmm. I will do my best not to disappoint you, my sister," Lucius pulled away, and he gave a bright smile.


    Seconds later, Caspian approached them, "Congratulations."


    "Thank you," she responded.


    Moments later, Principal Arthurdane spoke, "Now, for the next battle, we have Mister Lucius Goldwine and Mister Caspian Reagan!" he then took a colored marble from the bowl and continued, "The battle will be held in¡­ the Pond Bank!"


    The crowd cheered loudly.


    Lucius clenched his fists. He knew that the Pond Bank terrain would be advantageous for Caspian, and now he needed to fight him there. With a terrain that was full of water, how could he turn the tables around, if he had a volcano Golem Servant, and his mastered element was fire?


    "Unfortunately, this is going to be my kind of battle," Caspian said with confidence in his words, "Looks like Goddess Destinia heeded my prayers."


    The pink haired Master chuckled as he and his little Spirit Servant passed by in front of Lucius to go up stage. He could only stare straight at him, then sighed as he thought about the situation.


    His sister was expecting him in the finals of the Blue Gem Section, all the more that he should not give up. He, too, wanted to have a battle with Ivory.


    Lucius composed himself, and as he walked towards the stage, he remembered Ivory''s previous battles. She and Sigmund turned the tables around all the time with their teamwork and wits.


    Once he stood on his designated position, he glanced at the smiling Caspian. He might have thought that he already won that battle, the blonde Master was determined to take him down.


    Educator Alphonse came to the side of the stage with Sabretooth, his Snow Beast Servant that looked like a white furry, harmless cat in its inactive state. It then turned active, giving a loud roar as its curved fangs grew longer at the sides of its mouth. Its eyes glowed as it continued roaring, indicating that it was psyched up to cast magic alongside its Master.


    Seeing that his Servant was ready, Educator Alphonse spoke, "I shall lead the creation of the Pond Bank terrain. The rules are all the same as the previous ones, but for this terrain, if any of the Master or Servant falls deep down the waters and could not return to the surface, that pair would lose. Contestants, are we all clear on this?"


    "Yes, sir!"


    Then, a large circle appeared in the space where they stood. It turned green, and a two-level pond made of sandstone and granite rose up. Enormous water lily pads were floating on the waters, while the pond bank was surrounded with different plants, such as cattails, blue moneywort, parrot''s feather, and aquatic mint.


    Afterwards, the loud horn played. Ivory intently watched Lucius from afar, and Sigmund looked at her.


    "You okay?" he asked.


    "I wonder what he''d do," she glanced at him, remembering what happened during her battle against Caspian. "He''s a master of ice with a strong Water-type mana. I hope Lucius will be alright in that terrain."


    She balled her fists, mentally praying for the Goddess for Lucius'' safety.


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 Chapter 186 - "Servant Competition: Sinking Lucius"

    Lucius and Caspian were standing atop big lily pads, while Caspian''s reindeer girl Spirit Servant Lutie stood closely beside her Master. If they are not careful enough and get off balance, they may fall down the waters!


    The terrain was advantageous to Caspian, who undeniably had Water-type mana. With every step, he and his Servant formed ice on the surface of the water, making him free to move anywhere he wanted. Although this may cost a little of his mana, he didn''t hesitate. Caspian planned on making Lucius lose for less than thirty minutes, and to do that, he needed to be aggressive in the first half before Lucius could think of a way to defeat him!


    The blonde young man saw in Caspian''s eyes and stance how desperate he wanted to win. As he recalled that time when the ice master almost killed Ivory, it came to him that he might repeat that incident again, so he had to be alert. Lucius knew that he should not let Caspian''s desperation be the cause of his fall.


    As he formed ice on every step, Caspian, through the assistance of Lutie, casted and made the small droplets of water to float around them. These then turned into little ice spikes and flew towards Lucius who was still standing on the lily pad in the middle of the pond!


    All those small droplets melted when Lucius materialized his level 3 sword. Due to its extreme high temperature in which he was already immune to, just getting near it would melt any of the ice that Caspian threw at him. But he didn''t order the activation of Volcius yet because he knew that he might only sink in the water.


    As Lucius kept on melting all the ice thrown on him, he was also thinking on how to beat the nimble Caspian. Without Volcius, it was only his level 3 sword aiding him. How could he escape from Caspian''s sight?


    "Is that all you''ve got?" Caspian smirked. He was pleased to see Lucius unable to move from his initial location.


    "I''ll deal with you later," he responded.


    "Deal with me now!"


    Caspian''s impatience grew even more when he saw Lucius trying to find himself more time to think. He hopped onto the nearest lily pad and casted ice magic.


    A ring of glowing light then formed around the lily pad where Lucius stood, accumulating more water from the pond, which turned into ice form using Conversion magic. Consequently, the ice cylinder rose upwards, blocking Lucius'' sight. And within seconds, the top of the ice cylinder was completely covered with ice, trapping the blonde-haired Master and its Golem Servant inside.


    The Ice Master swung his hand downwards and the whole ice structure sank. The crowd was left speechless for a moment, but after witnessing such a spectacle from Caspian, they loudly cheered for him. Ivory looked around the stage and got even more worried for his brother. She fidgeted her fingers and when Sigmund noticed this, he patted her shoulders comfortably as if saying that Lucius would be alright.


    Since Caspian could only view the very top of the ice cylinder, he waited for Lucius to gasp for air. However, even after a minute passed, the ice covering didn''t break and he did not appear.


    A wide smile appeared on Caspian''s face. Hearing from the cheers from the crowd and knowing that he defeated Lucius, who was the topnotcher for their section and was undeniably strong, he felt like dreaming at that moment.


    "Did I win?" overjoyed, he hopped onto the lily pad nearest the waterfall where Educator Alphonse could be clearly seen. He yelled, "Sir! I think it''s my victory! Lucius Goldwine already sank-"


    BOOM!


    A loud and deep explosion was heard, making the audience silent again. A big cloud of black smoke appeared from where Lucius sank a while ago. Following the explosion, the pond bank terrain shook, startling Caspian. He quickly balanced himself on the lily pad and looked back to see what happened.


    He was ready to win, yet his opponent suddenly appeared with a grand entrance. It made him feel embarrassed that he confidently announced his own victory in front of everyone.


    As small rocks and waters fell on Caspian, he and Lutie formed an ice barrier to shield themselves. Unfortunately, they did not notice that the rocks were blazing with Fire-type mana, so it only penetrated the shield by melting the ice.


    The drenched Lucius stared down while he stood near the waterfall. Using intense Fire technique, he broke the side stone walls of the waterfall, making the water flow tremendously!


    Caspian couldn''t think of a quick solution, and because of the rushing waters, the lily pad turned over, making him and Lutie fall from the waterfall. They fell into the plunge pool and because of the strong current of the water, they had a hard time swimming up above. While he and his Spirit Servant slowly were under water, he contemplated on what he should have done.


    What if he casted ice magic onto the torrent? Unfortunately, he would be at a disadvantage because all the ice particles would hit them. Since the falling rocks were blazing, even the ice shield would be ineffective.


    He didn''t realize that he already lost the moment he trapped him into that ice cylinder, away from his sight!


    Since Caspian and Lutie could not help themselves to get out of the water, Educator Alphonse finally announced Lucius as the winner of that battle. Sabretooth was ordered to assist the defeated ones, who were both soaking wet on top of the furry Servant.


    After Caspian helped Lutie to go down Sabertooth, Lucius approached Caspian and told him, "It was a good battle. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do."


    But Caspian only gave a hysterical laugh.


    "What''s funny?" the blonde young man raised his brow.


    "How did you¡­ How did you manage to escape the enclosure?" he creased his brows in wonder.


    "The moment you formed the ice walls, I destroyed the bottom and swam," Lucius explained while looking at the pink-haired Master. "Not just because I mastered the Fire element, I wouldn''t know how to swim, right?


    "Right," Caspian shook his head in disbelief.


    "And don''t forget, we Masters can use other elements. They are just weaker compared to our mastered element. I only used Air magic to accelerate myself and go directly to the waterfall."


    "I became too complacent. I thought you''d use only your fire element and that there''s no way you''d be able to escape when submerged into water. I am so pathetic," Caspian sighed, while Lutie comforted him by tugging his drenched shirt and giving him a cute smile.


    "Rest well, then. I should go now," the blonde young man said. Lucius smiled at him and turned back to the Blue Gem section''s rest area.


    Lucius momentarily turned to the strong, orange light of the sunset. They started the battles in the morning with sixteen of them in line. Now, it was only Ivory and him left as contenders.


    "So, Lucius¡­ I know you won''t take it easy on me," Ivory uttered when Lucius went near her.


    He responded to his sister while he pulled out a dry towel from the shelf and placed it over his shoulders, "I am really willing to win this. If ever I win, I''d give the prize to you, anyway. I know you''re going to win for the Sprucemints."


    She gave a kind smile. Ivory also took a dry towel, then placed it over Lucius'' head, "Don''t catch a cold before our battle."


    "Thank you, Ivory," Lucius smiled back at her, before glancing at Sigmund who kept on staring at him, "Why are you looking at me like that?"


    Sigmund chuckled, "You got mud bombed before, and now you''re soaking wet¡­ Rich boy, you catch too much attention in an odd way."


    "Hah, it doesn''t matter, as long as I win and not break any of the rules."


    Moments later, Principal Arthurdane stepped in the middle of the arena and spoke, "The winners of the third round are: Miss Ivory Sprucemint and Mister Lucius Goldwine!"


    The crowd cheered for them and also gave a round of applause.


    The principal raised his hand, and the crowd settled down. He continued his announcement, "To give them time to replenish mana, we will have a two-hour break before the final battle for the Blue Gem section!"


    After announcing, he assured everyone that there would be people who would go around to sell food and drinks. He also said that the comfort rooms were available.


    Principal Arthurdane went to the Blue Gem section''s rest area after stepping down the stage and greeted them, "You two did well. If only I can announce two winners, I''d definitely end this day, unfortunately, it''s against the rules. Looks like you two need to fight head on. Are you both ready?"


    The siblings nodded at the principal.


    "Good. Use the two hours to eat your early dinner and rest. Assistant Lycus will bring your food in a few minutes."


    "Thank you, sir!" Ivory exclaimed.


    When the Principal left, Lucius excused himself, saying that he needed to change his clothes and dry his armor. Meanwhile, Ivory and Sigmund went to the dressing room to replenish mana. Afterwards, the silver-haired Master felt her eyelids getting heavier and heavier each second.


    "Sigmund¡­ I feel sleepy," she muttered, leaning onto his shoulder while they sat on the bench.


    The Vampire placed his arms around her, "Sleep."


    "Wake me up if you hear that the food has arrived¡­" and she finally drifted off to sleep.


    In her vivid dream, Ivory was standing in front of the Prisma Gallery where Katie was currently staying. She didn''t know why, but she couldn''t get herself to come inside. She just stood there while staring at the opened door.


    "Hello, miss?" a man suddenly spoke.


    Ivory turned to him and asked, "Yes?"


    "Ah, you finally faced me. I couldn''t catch up with you as you were always running away," he slowly approached her, then stretched out his hand, "May I know your name?"

 Chapter 187 - "Servant Competition: A Fiery Hot Battle!-1"

    Ivory had suspicions about the brown-haired man. But the more she gazed at his calm indigo blue eyes, the more her instincts tell her to trust him.


    Yet, the kingdom was a dangerous place. Even though the man seemed nice, Ivory chose to be cautious.


    "I apologize, but I do not give my name to just anyone, especially to a random man who suddenly appears out of nowhere."


    She turned her back on him and started walking away, but the young man grabbed her wrist.


    "Please do not turn away from me today. I''ve been looking for you for months already!"


    Ivory raised his brow, "Apologies, but¡­ I already have a lover."


    This made him laugh out loud. Ivory gave a confused expression as she stared at him.


    "What''s funny?"


    When the young man calmed down, he replied, "No, it''s nothing¡­ Anyway, where can I find you right now? I need to-"


    "Apologies, but I have to go now," Ivory shoved his hands away as she glared at him, then immediately dashed away from him.


    As he watched her run away, he yelled, "Next time, I will surely get your name and know where you are hiding!"


    When Ivory woke up, she stared at the floor for a whole ten seconds. It was such a weird dream!


    "Ivory? What''s wrong, did you have a nightmare?" Sigmund asked while stroking her back.


    She shook her head, "I think... I am just hungry¡­ Shall we go outside now? Maybe Lycus has arrived!"


    "You''re expecting meat, aren''t you?" he teased her.


    "Of course! Lycus is an academy assistant after all. I am sure he considered my favorites," Ivory giggled.


    The two of them finally went out towards the dining area. Plates of grilled bacon slabs, garlic butter steak, and pesto were served. Ivory saw that Lucius had not yet arrived, but as she stared at the food before them, she''s tempted not to wait for him to eat.


    A grin escaped from Sigmund''s lips as he saw his beloved stare at the appetizing food before them. "Why don''t you eat now? The food will get cold," he suggested, "I am sure Rich boy will understand your appetite."


    "Meanie," she pouted, "I love meat, but I love my brother more."


    Lucius suddenly arrived after turning into a corner, "Haha, should I be touched?"  He was amused about his sister''s expression, because she obviously loved meat more than him. He sat in front of her, "Let us eat. Thank you for waiting, Ivory. And thank you Lycus for the food as well."


    "You''re welcome," the silver-haired Servant replied with a big smile, "I hope everything is to your liking. If you want more, I''d gladly get more food from the academy eatery."


    "Thank you so much, Lycus, but I think this is already plenty!" Ivory gave a wide smile, while Sigmund teased her, saying that the food would not be enough because of her.


    "It''s just the four of us. It''s been a while," Lucius uttered. "I wonder how they''re all doing at Topazeon."


    "I kind of miss our simple life there¡­" the silver-haired Master said. She placed the knife and the fork on her empty plate, then gave a deep sigh.


    Lucius narrowed his eyes on her, "Is it really the simple life you were missing, or your dates with your lover?"


    She turned red as a tomato, "Lucius!"


    Sigmund laughed a little, "But kidding aside, I wish our life was as simple as our life back in Topazeon. I regret taking it for granted."


    "What did you take for granted?" Lycus asked.


    "Being an innkeeper."


    The four of them laughed, and the two Masters had a pleasant two-hour break, with endless chitchat. It was as if Ivory and Lucius weren''t fighting for one position - to be the Blue Gem section''s champion.


    "Tonight, the moon is our witness! Who will be the winner of the Blue Gem section? Will it be Mister Lucius Goldwine, who already mastered Fire-type techniques, or Miss Ivory Sprucemint, who shocked us all with her developed spells that turned the tide of her battles?" Principal Arthudane yelled, and the crowd got very excited, shouting Ivory and Lucius'' names!


    At the side, Ivory was taking deep breaths, obviously nervous. Who wouldn''t be nervous at a time like that? She would be battling their topnotcher! Aside from that, she''s her strict brother!


    Lucius smiled at Ivory. He reached out to her trembling hand and clenched it, "Don''t be nervous. I will not kill you, Ivory."


    "I know, but¡­ You''re a great Master, so I''m nervous¡­" she glanced at him. "Plus, I know you do not hold back on your opponents¡­"


    "I know you''ll give your best shot, and I''m looking forward to see what you got," he patted her shoulder and started to walk towards the stage when Principal Arthurdane called their names upstage.


    Soon after they were called, they went to the middle of the arena. The two Masters stood in front of each other with a smile, excited to start the battle.


    Only the drums could be heard when the principal was drawing a marble from the bowl. When he saw what color it was, he immediately announced, "FOREST!"


    Lucius and Ivory widened their eyes in shock.


    "Forest again? Damn it," Sigmund murmured. Based on their two battles in the forest, they were always at a disadvantage. Also, they had already used Advanced techniques that would work great on the Forest terrain, and he''s sure that Lucius had already studied them.


    Educator Heidi and her corundum Golem Servant went directly to their position and held the side of the stage. As usual, they explained the mechanics once again. Nothing changed in the rules, it''s just that the surroundings became dimmer because it was already eight in the evening, and the beautiful yellow moon also would serve as the witness to the siblings'' fight.


    As the stage was being transformed, Ivory''s foster family joined a bigger crowd. As Flynn and Gracie were cheering for their sister''s name, Gordon and Anne got teary eyed because they were very proud of their hardworking daughter. Although Ivory was sickly when she was young, she gained an enormous amount of power, and worked hard to control it. For them, she deserved the prizes, and they prayed to Goddess Destinia for her to win.


    On the other side, General Darius Goldwine stood near the entrance. He actually had an assembly and a meeting at Omegalion City, but he dropped by to watch his son. However, he did not expect him to face Ivory in Blue Gem''s finals.


    "Sir?" one of his companions asked, "Shall we stay for another thirty minutes?"


    "Yes. We''ll leave after this battle."


    General Darius stared at the two young Masters holding their positions as the forest soil and rocky bottom of the terrain rose up. He wished that his wife was there with him to witness her children''s competition.


    When Educator Heidi and her Servant were done arranging the terrain, the loud horns played, and everyone raised their voices to cheer.


    Lucius was on a higher slope, and the first thing that he did was to summon his level 3 sword. Mastering the Fire element, he could control the intensity of the fire of his weapon. Next, he activated Volcius, and controlling its size, it turned as tall as its Master.


    "Sigmund, listen," Ivory told her Vampire Servant while they slowly stepped backwards. "I have a plan which is good at night time, but I do not know if it will be effective on Lucius. To do this, we have to separate."


    "Tell me your plan and I will help you execute it," Sigmund replied, and the two of them whispered about it.


    Lucius chuckled. He was curious as to how they would be able to defeat him. "Alright, here I come!" he excitedly said.


    With great force, he swung his sword towards the forest soil. Cracks formed, and the darkness enabled the red glowing light to be seen radiantly. The cracks followed Ivory and Sigmund''s direction!


    Seeing the attack, the two of them quickly jumped opposite each other!


    Lucius further pierced the blazing sword onto the soil, and the cracks continued uphill!


    As the ground shook, Ivory and Sigmund held onto the nearest tree where they stood. Because they were on opposite sides, all they could do was to glance at each other to check each other''s safety.


    After checking each other, they widened their eyes when they saw the whole forest was split into two!


    "Ivory! Don''t worry, I will go there-"


    "No, Sigmund! We must commence our plan!" with haste, Ivory pulled out her staff from her back belt and detached it. She threw the magic rod with the black crystal towards him, "Use this to fight Lucius!"


    The Vampire caught the magic rod, but he was still worried about her. "But it''s dangerous-"


    "Your Master already said it, didn''t she? You''re too stubborn! You never listen to her," Lucius stood in front of him at a distance, holding his blazing sword.


    But Sigmund saw Volcius facing Ivory. He said, "Shut up, Rich boy! I have to help her-"


    BOOM!


    Lucius casted a Fire ball beside him, burning the whole tree!


    "I am your opponent, Sigmund!" he yelled, then charged forward!

 Chapter 188 - "Servant Competition: A Fiery Hot Battle!-2"

    "Shit!!!" Sigmund yelled, then blocked his sword with Ivory''s magic rod.


    Lucius repeatedly swung his sword towards the Vampire as if he was desperate to take him down. He didn''t say anything; he concentrated on making him stumble.


    "What the hell, Rich boy! Calm down!" he told the blond young man.


    But it was evident in Lucius'' blue eyes that he wouldn''t let Sigmund rest.


    Sigmund knew he had to do something, or else Lucius would take the lead. Using the power of the black crystal in the rod, he used Water-type mana. Everytime that the rod would come in contact with Lucius'' hot sword, steam would come out and diffuse in the air. They continued their fight until their surroundings were already filled with white smoke.


    Ivory glanced for a quick while on the other side of the sliced forest. ''Sigmund already started our plan¡­ I should, too¡­'' she thought.


    Holding the white crystal rod firmly, she casted a Water-type spell as well, and as soon as she hit Volcius'' arm, thick steam was released from the cracks of its body.


    As if it was blood, lava oozed out of his arm. This made Ivory hop backwards and when she reached a nearby tree, she pulled the vines hanging on it and climbed it hastily to hide. She stared at the flowing lava underneath like a river on fire.


    While the Golem Servant was busy looking for her through the thick steam coming out of its body, the silver-haired Master gathered moisture and casted a strong Water spell. She focused the spell onto Volcius'' flowing lava, and soon after, her side was full of steam, too.


    There were murmurs in the crowd, as they could not see what was happening because of the fog. They could only see a faint red glow coming from Volcius'' lava and Lucius'' sword.


    Back to Sigmund and Lucius, they still continued their close combat fight. Whenever his sword hit a tree, the surface would get burn cuts and some would completely burn to ashes due to the great intensity of the fire.


    To step up his game, the black-haired Vampire now casted magic spells to distract his opponent. Sigmund pushed Lucius hard as soon as he blocked his fiery sword. With no time to waste, he raised the magic rod, and the black crystal glowed. An igloo-shaped Earth-type structure trapped Lucius inside. The Vampire purposely made several layers of soil so that he wouldn''t break it easily. He used this time to withdraw and run away from him. When he saw that he had gotten quite far, he climbed on a tree, thinking about his next step.


    Ivory used Air magic in wind form to lift herself up, atop the tree crowns. Coincidentally, Sigmund also did, and their eyes met.


    "Sigmund, I hope you hear me at this distance," Ivory decided to make full use of her Servant''s ability, "Are you ready to do the second step to our plan?"


    Sigmund assumed that she wouldn''t hear his reply, so he just raised his hand so she could see him from afar.


    CRACK!


    The earthen igloo where Lucius was trapped started to break its surface. It wasn''t long until Lucius successfully shattered it into pieces!


    Sigmund and Ivory used a small tornado-like entity to fly themselves uphill. As they went further, more trees behind them burned!


    They reached the peak, and stood at the edges of the cliff. The whole forest was already burning, and the two of them widened their eyes when they saw their opponent pairs walking amidst the fire!


    Lucius glared at Sigmund while he stepped slowly towards his direction. He dragged his sword downwards, sliding it against the forest soil, and leaving ash trails.


    "You''re doing this on purpose, right?" Sigmund creased his brow. "Do you resent me that much?"


    Lucius stopped walking, and told him in a serious tone, "Think about it. Do I have a reason to resent you?"


    He scratched the back of his head, "Well¡­ You do have a lot of reasons to resent me, Rich boy."


    "It''s good that you know. Don''t blame me for what I''m going to do with you!"


    Lucius suddenly charged forward, holding his sword with both of his hands.


    Sigmund raised the magic rod once again, and the black crystal glowed. He casted the Earth-type igloo he used a while ago. But as soon as Lucius was enveloped with the hardened soil, he leaped, turning his body while swinging his sword sideways. And within seconds, he had broken out of that enclosed space!


    "That''s it, Sigmund? I thought you were the greatest Servant back then?" Lucius mocked him, standing at a distance from Sigmund. He turned his head towards Ivory, who was sparring with his Golem Servant. "Your Master kept on looking at this side, that''s why she couldn''t defeat Volcius. You know what that means? She doesn''t trust you that much."


    "Nonsense. She''s just worried about me¡­ Or maybe you''re jealous?" he smirked, "You''re her brother, but she''s only worried about me."


    Lucius glared at the Vampire. In that scorching forest, he was also bothered that Ivory would not be able to concentrate on her own battle because of her Vampire Servant, who''s also her forbidden lover. Lucius told him, "It''s better to say that you''re only a distraction to her."


    Sigmund did not respond to him, but only stared at his blue irises with his crimson red irises. He was always arguing with the young man, but at that time, there was something in Lucius'' tone that he disliked.


    "Rich boy¡­ You want me gone, do you?"


    "A part of me wants you to disappear, yes," Lucius sighed, "Things would have been better if you weren''t flawed."


    "Go ask Goddess Destinia why she made me like this," Sigmund replied.


    "I always ask her many things, but of course, she never once responded. Are you crazy? She''s a goddess! Unless she descends from heaven, she wouldn''t be able to talk to me!" he turned into a battle stance, "Stop blabbering and let''s finish this!"


    Lucius once again charged towards Sigmund. The more he approached him, the fire on his sword got larger.


    Sigmund''s eyes glowed, disappointed in the young man. As a flawed Servant, he felt other negative emotions, which affected his judgment and decision. Raising Ivory''s black crystal rod, he casted a Water-type spell, gathering all the water left on the soil within his vicinity. Because of the burning environment and dry air, there wasn''t enough water to use.


    When Ivory glanced at how Sigmund was doing, she gasped. It was not part of their plan!


    Worried about his current state, Ivory raised her white crystal rod and used Air magic in wind form to fly up and dash to the other side. She bumped onto Lucius, and the two of them stumbled on the ground!


    This caused Lucius to drop his sword on the ground. Noticing that Ivory was on top of him, he muttered, "Ivory¡­ You''re heavy..."


    The silver-haired Master heard this, but she did not get off him yet. Instead, she placed her rod right above his neck.


    Lucius noticed his sister''s serious glare at him. When he saw her light blue irises glow, he quickly grabbed her arm, trying to get her hands off him.


    But as seconds passed, she only became heavier and heavier.


    The young master of the Goldwines now realized what she was doing. She was using her mana to effectively hold him down, and also preventing him from getting his sword!


    Sigmund was staring at the siblings to make sure that Lucius would not attack her back, until he suddenly heard heavy steps behind him. As soon as he turned, he saw Volcius was about to charge at him! Fortunately, Sigmund used an Earth-type magic to form a thick wall of hardened soil.


    But Volcius'' hard contact with Sigmund''s barrier shook the ground! And because Sigmund had weakened the soil by removing moisture, plus Ivory''s heavy mana-infused body, there was eventually a violent earthquake-like phenomenon.


    The crowd couldn''t get their eyes off the stage as they saw one part of the forest starting to slide to the side!


    The stones crumbled down, and some of the burning cypress trees were uprooted. As the soil eroded, the arena was quickly filled with dust and ashes, making it hard for everyone to see what was happening on the terrain.


    And in seconds, both Ivory and Lucius also slid down together with the forest''s soil.


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 Chapter 189 - "Servant Competition: A Fiery Hot Battle!-3"

    When Volcius saw his Master fall down, he also saw that Sigmund attempted to follow them. So he casted an Earth-Fire type of spell, which summoned a blazing wall and blocked Sigmund''s sight.


    "Darn it, you want the two of us to fight?" Sigmund asked, and the Golem Servant, who was already ready to charge, ran towards him.


    The two Servants clashed with each other within the burning forest. They fought each other using magic mixed with close combat. The two already stopped caring about the amount of mana that will be left of them, because they knew that the outcome of the battle would be up to their Masters, who both fell down the cliff!


    While falling down, the magic rod slipped from Ivory''s hand, but she did not give up! She reached for Lucius'' arm first and grabbed his shoulders tightly, and Lucius did the same. They did it at the exact same time, making them both surprised.


    "You are indeed my sister, Ivory. Seems like you''re not giving up that easily," Lucius grinned. He was actually pleased that despite the landslide, she was still serious about winning. Using Fire-type mana as fuel, Lucius accelerated his body, and switched places with Ivory.


    Ivory just stared at him without saying anything.


    Just when Lucius thought that Ivory had accepted her defeat, her light blue irises glowed even more!


    The Silverblade mana she used healed all of her wounds and bruises. Seeing Lucius startled with the sudden recovery of her willpower. Seeing Lucius startled with how she recovered from her almost defeat, Ivory didn''t waste any second and casted intense Air magic in the form of wind. It dissipated Lucius'' fire. At the same time, she was able to switch places with him again.


    Lucius knew he was no match for Ivory''s extraordinary mana. He tried countering it by casting a Fire spell, but it was no use. Her grip on his shoulders was too strong, and her strength was amplified by the support of the wind she was using!


    Seconds later, Lucius'' back hit the quagmire. But because Ivory could not instantly stop the force of her mana, she also dropped with him!


    As Educator Heidi saw the two of them fully submerged into the quagmire, she and her Golem Servant stop casting the terrain spell.


    The crowd went noisy. They saw how the two Masters struggled to switch places midair. Each one of them had their own favorites, so they yelled out different names!


    When the terrain returned to its initial appearance, Ivory and Lucius laid down on the empty stage, panting hard because of the tiredness they felt. They two had mud all over their body, as if they were clay figurines.


    Ivory turned her head towards Lucius, and he also looked at Ivory. They smiled at each other with one thing in mind: finally, their intense battle was over.


    The principal looked at the audience and announced, "The winner for the Blue Gem section is¡­ Miss Ivory Sprucemint!"


    The crowd cheered loudly after the announcement and clapped their hands for the intense and amazing fight. Many of them couldn''t believe that a random Master could beat the General''s son, whom they knew was a prodigy!


    They wondered who the silver-haired Master was. They became more interested in her, and they looked forward to how she would compete with the other strong winners in the grand finals.


    Sigmund and Volcius ran towards their Masters. While the Golem Servant turned into its inactive state beside Lucius, Sigmund carried Ivory in his arms.


    The Vampire whispered to Ivory, "Looks like I have to clean you up."


    Ivory turned beet red, although nobody could see it because of the dirt in her face.


    Lucius took the small Volcius and mentally thanked him, before he glanced at his sister and her Servant. "I thought I was going to win at that second. Good job, Ivory. You made our battle very exciting. Just seeing that you took the battle seriously meant a lot."


    "Of course, I''ve been looking forward to this day!" She gave a wide smile, then asked Sigmund to place her down, because she felt the strength on her legs coming back.


    Since the battle had ended, the audience started to leave the venue. Ivory and the others went back to the resting area, and the Educators and the Principal congratulated Ivory. Moments later, General Darius Goldwine approached where they were, surprising them.


    "Congratulations," he uttered, gently patting their dirty heads. He then went in between them and whispered, "I am sure your mother will be proud of the both of you. When she returns, be sure to tell her about what happened today."


    Right when General Darius excused himself and left for a meeting, the Sprucemint family came running towards them.


    "Congratulations, my dear!" Anne said in a high tone as she embraced her.


    "Mother, I am full of mud! You''ll get dirty as well!"


    Her foster mother pulled away and chuckled as she wiped some mud on Ivory''s cheeks.


    "We''re proud of you, Ivory," Gordon grinned, "I know you can do it!"


    "Thank you, father!" she beamed.


    "Sis, you stink!" Flynn commented while he pinched his own nose.


    Gracie, on the other hand, kept on laughing at her sister.


    While the Sprucemint family was happily speaking with Ivory, Principal Arthurdane stared at them from afar. He somewhat felt nostalgic as he remembered the first day of school of both Lucius and Ivory. He felt proud of them, especially Ivory, who was always in some sort of trouble in the past, including being almost expelled from the academy!


    Moments later, one of his messengers came.


    "Sir, I have received a scroll from the Land of Rosaria."


    The principal raised his brow, "From whom?"


    "From Sir Levi," he then handed over a scroll, which was wrapped with a string and stamped with a red wax seal.


    He turned silent as he read it. According to Prince Levi, he had not yet seen his Servant, but he might return to the academy in four days.


    "This is great, it''s just in time for the grand finals of the competition," Principal Arthurdane muttered, smiling while he rolled the scroll and tied it using a string.


    "Are you going to give a reply, sir?" the messenger asked.


    "Yes. Tell him that I look forward to it."


    And so, the battles for the Blue Gem section officially ended, with Ivory Sprucemint declared as the winner.


    Ivory and Lucius were told by the Educators that they could use the better bathing rooms found in the central building of Qawiun Academy compound.


    While the Sprucemint family waited in the lobby, Lucius, Ivory, and Sigmund proceeded to the hallway of the bathing rooms, holding with them clean sets of casual clothes for them to change into.


    Before Ivory and Sigmund went inside, Lucius pulled the Vampire''s arm, "Why are you also going in?"


    "I am her Servant, and it is my duty to help my Master take a bath," Sigmund grinned.


    Ivory''s cheeks turned red as a tomato, "Sigmund, I told you I can clean myself¡­"


    "No, you might miss some spots. I want you to be squeaky clean and fragrant."


    The blonde young man glared at him, "As her brother, I refuse! You stay outside," he tugged his arm, hard enough to make him step backward.


    "Fine!" Sigmund said. When he felt Lucius'' hand away from him, he opened the door for Ivory, then closed it. He leaned in front, "There. Happy now, Rich boy?"


    Lucius gave him a suspicious look. "I don''t trust you!" He then placed Volcius at the side of the door. He stepped inside the room and shut the door.


    Sigmund kept on glancing at Volcius, who currently seemed like a harmless figurine. "Are you really going to stop me, fella?"


    There was no response.


    "You know that my Master would also like it if I go in, right?"


    Again, Volcius did not move or respond in any way.


    "Tell your Master that I went to the lobby."


    With long strides, he walked in the hallway. When he found a large window at the side, he opened it and stepped out, then using Air magic, he made himself float.


    Meanwhile, in Ivory''s bathing room, she had just taken off all of her dirty clothes and armor. She looked around and admired the classy interior of the bathroom. It had walls painted with white and wooden cabinets. It had a big rectangular mirror and chandelier to light up the room. Afterwards, she stepped towards the circular bathtub beside the double hung window.


    "It will be nice if Gracie and Flynn would get to bathe in a nice room like this," Ivory murmured to herself and gave a lonely smile.


    When she saw that the water on the bathtub was enough, she submerged herself in it. Hardened mud that stuck onto her body was not washed out, turning the water from clear to muddy.


    While she was humming a happy tune, a knock at the window startled her. She used a little Air magic to slide the curtain to the side, showing Sigmund, waving his hands.


    Ivory''s cheeks turned red as a tomato. "Lucius said you should guard outside!"


    Sigmund was amused when he saw Ivory''s reaction not matching her words. He then used Air magic to lift the window''s latch, sliding it towards the side, successfully opening the window!


    The Vampire went inside of the bathing room and closed the window once again. He smirked at the naked Ivory and said, "Master¡­ Allow me to clean you up."


    Seeing her lover removing his armor, Ivory couldn''t help but bite her lower lip.

 Chapter 190 - "Bathing Room Romance"

    "Sigmund, we can''t do this," Ivory uttered.


    Sigmund chuckled as he took his armor to the side of the room. "What are you talking about? We''re not starting anything yet." He then approached her with a grin. "What do you want me to do?"


    Ivory saw how the Vampire teased her. She composed herself, "Help me clean my hair?"


    It was not the answer that Sigmund expected, but even so, he wanted to fulfill his beloved''s wishes. He nodded at her, then sat behind the tub. Using the shampoo found at the side, he put a handful on Ivory''s head. As he lathered the shampoo on her hair, he accidentally hit her ear.


    "Ah!" Ivory reacted, blocking her ear.


    "Shoot, apologies. Let me see."


    "No, I-"


    Sigmund held her wrist tightly and pulled it, exposing her ear. He widened his eyes when he saw Ivory''s ear all red. "What the hell? Is this still the allergy you got back in Topazeon?"


    She silently nodded.


    "You mean you went through the Servant Competition with this? You should have told me. We should have visited a physician before we-"


    "Sigmund, I''d rather train and study the Advanced techniques than waste my time at the physician''s."


    "Damn it, Ivory. I wish I noticed why you always let your hair down¡­" he held her shoulders and caressed them, "Tomorrow, let''s go to the physician, okay?"


    "Yes, Sigmund." Ivory sniffed.


    "You have a cold?"


    She shook her head.


    The Vampire sighed, "You stubborn woman. You obviously have a cold¡­ What should I do with you¡­"


    He continued to put shampoo on her hair and let it sit on her hair. After he helped her scrub her back, he replaced the water in the tub. As he washed her hair, he combed her slowly with his long fingers, careful not to hit her ears.


    At some point, Sigmund stopped touching her, making Ivory confused. When she turned around, she saw him removing his clothes, piece by piece!


    After seeing his defined six pack abs, Ivory turned away, embarrassed!


    "Oh come on, Ivory. We have seen each other naked many times already," he laughed a little. He set up a sound barrier for the bathing room, then moved his head near Ivory''s ears. He said in a deep voice, "I won''t do anything lewd. I want to clean myself as well. You''ll allow it, right, Master?"


    She shyly nodded, and Sigmund pushed her forward a little, before joining her in the tub. He let her lean on him, and he wrapped his arm under her bust.


    Sigmund suddenly licked Ivory''s neck, making her shudder. He whispered, "I wasted so much mana in the previous battle. I was not myself," he embraced her even tighter, "I apologize¡­ Master Ivory."


    There was something in the way Sigmund called her ''Master'' that made her gulp. His voice was so sexy, and feeling his naked body behind her made her feel aroused.


    She let out subtle moans as Sigmund pierced his fangs into her flesh. He only drank her blood for a short while, before he followed the dripping blood with his wet tongue.


    Ivory trembled, and clenched the Vampire''s arms that held her on her waist. Although she wanted their steamy session to continue, she held back with her emotion at that moment. She wanted an answer from him to know why he became reckless at the previous battle with Lucius.


    Sigmund replied, "Lucius mocked me, then I got pissed¡­ I guess it was also part of his strategy, since he knew that I am flawed. Although I mocked him back, he mocked me better, clouding my judgement," the Vampire sighed. "I made such a reckless decision to use a Water-type spell. He really got me there."


    Ivory then turned around and met her Servant''s eyes, "It''s all over now, but I hope this won''t happen again, Sigmund. Promise me," she placed her hand on his cheek, "Whatever the situation will be, always think about your decisions carefully. Hmm?"


    The Vampire took the hand that caressed his face, and kissed its back. "Yes. I promise." He stared at her amorously, then lowered his head.


    "Sig¡­ Sigmund?" she wondered why her lover was staring at her chest.


    He murmured, "The hickeys I gave you are still here, but I think these are not enough."


    The silver-haired Master blushed, "Oh, stop it¡­" she placed her hands over his shoulder.


    "You mean it? Should I really stop?" Sigmund grinned while he looked at her.


    Ivory thought she could fully resist the tempting offer in front of her since she was doing fine a while ago!


    "Ivory? What''s your answer?"


    Hearing the Vampire''s question, she pushed him backwards, making Sigmund lean at the edge of the tub. Ivory turned to her side and leaned closer before kissing his lips. She held his muscular arm while he held her waist as they exchanged deep kisses.


    The two of them made out for quite a long time, missing the taste of each other''s lips. Sigmund would sometimes bite her and suck her blood, but both of them knew it was not for mana replenishment anymore.


    And Ivory was well aware of this. Like usual, she let her Vampire Servant touch her. She loved it when he would go rough with her, although lately, he had become more and more gentle in bed. But she loves him so much, and she knew that he had become gentler to her because he had become more sensitive to her feelings.


    Ivory knew well that as time passed by, his love for her was becoming even deeper. Although their future is uncertain, her decision to fight for him never wavered. She had no plan on escaping her fate with him.


    After their steamy bath, they changed into clean clothes and dissipated the sound barrier. Sigmund kissed Ivory''s forehead, before escaping through the window. He carried with him his dirty clothes and armor as well.


    When Ivory opened the door, she saw Lucius leaning on the wall opposite her, making her widen her eyes, "Lucius! Uhm¡­ Let''s go?"


    Lucius first narrowed his eyes on her, before he agreed to walk with her in the hallway. Because Ivory was wearing an ankle-length turtleneck dress, he commented, "Don''t you feel hot with that dress?"


    "But I always wear high collars and long sleeves. Why, Lucius?"


    Lucius remembered that she was caught having hickeys by the late Prince Jirou in the past. He couldn''t forget that he made a lame excuse for her. He asked, "Is it because you''re hiding hickeys?"


    Ivory turned beet red, "Lucius! How did you know?" she looked at her sleeves, "These are long enough, so how did you see-"


    "What?!" the blonde young man stopped walking. He questioned, "I was referring to that time with the late Prince Jirou! Don''t tell me that lover of yours followed you in the bathing room?" he crossed his arms, obviously disappointed in her!


    She placed her hands on her mouth and blamed herself for not being careful with her words. She didn''t actually want to hide anything from Lucius, but she knew that he was only worried about her fate.


    Ivory sighed. She did not want to disappoint him further. She wanted to be a sister to the young man, just like how he had been looking out for her. But how could she make it up to him?


    "Lucius¡­" she tugged his shirt, "How can I make it up to you?"


    "Break up with Sigmund."


    "What?! No, I-"


    "I know you can''t, I was just kidding," Lucius facepalmed, "Although I wished for that to happen, I know that you won''t be able to do it."


    "Then¡­ Is there anything you want?" Ivory peered into his blue eyes.


    Lucius nodded, then they started walking again.


    "What is it?"


    "When our mother comes back¡­ Spend time with us, even for just a few hours in a week."


    Ivory gave a big smile, "Of course, I will!"


    When they arrived at the lobby, Sigmund was there, sitting beside Lycus on the sofa. Ivory met Sigmund''s eyes, and the two of them smiled at each other.


    Then, she met Lycus'' eyes. "Lycus, you''re already off duty?" she approached him.


    "Yes," Seeing her bringing her dirty armor and clothes, he volunteered to carry them for her.


    As the Sprucemint family walked towards the horse-drawn carriage, Principal Arthurdane asked Lucius, Ivory, and the two Servants to listen to him.


    "Prince Levi will return after four days. I will immediately arrange for you to speak with him regarding our plan to oust the Dragonicus clan from reigning in the kingdom. We need to put an end to their plans on the Dark Mana. We won''t want them harming innocent people just for their greed."


    The four of them agreed and nodded.


    The Principal then said, "The Servant Competition is not yet done, so I am quite busy here," he glanced at Ivory, "Rest well, Blue Gem section''s champion. Let us impress Prince Levi in the grand finals!"


    "Yes, sir!" Ivory replied enthusiastically.


    Oh how she looked forward to meeting the Prince! Once she spoke with him and won him over to their side, she''s sure that blessing her and Sigmund''s relationship would not be that far ahead!

 Chapter 191 - "Servant Competition: The Green Crystal Sections Winner"

    ¡­


    Ivory woke up in the orangish light that crossed her open window. She wondered what was wrong, and why the sunrise seemed like a sunset. She rubbed her eyes, but the color of the light did not change.


    Suddenly, her stomach growled loudly, so she stood up from the bed. She combed her long, silky silver hair, then dashed out of the room.


    As soon as she went downstairs, Anne greeted her while she was mixing on the cauldron. "Dear, did you rest well?" she tasted a bit of the food using a wooden ladle, "Perfect! Our supper''s done," and she started putting off the fire.


    "Supper¡­ What? I slept for too long!" Ivory sat on the dining chair and looked around, "Where are my Servants?"


    "They''ll be back soon. Gordon took them for a hunt to celebrate your victory."


    "But mother, I still haven''t won the grand finals."


    Anne giggled, "Oh, Ivory. Becoming the winner in your section is also worth celebrating for."


    Moments later, Gordon arrived, with Sigmund and Lycus. They brought with them a newly hunted pig, which they grilled whole later on. Gracie and Flynn, on the other hand, created a crown made from forest fines and pine twigs, and they put it on Ivory''s head.


    They happily spent time chatting over supper up to seven in the evening, until Ivory realized something.


    "Ah!" she dropped the wooden spoon on her plate. "I was supposed to watch the Green Crystal''s battle today! I totally forgot!" Ivory voiced out.


    "You forget everything in front of a roast pig," Sigmund chuckled.


    "You meanie!" she pouted.


    Afterwards, Sigmund agreed to try and catch up to the Servant Competition, so he and Ivory asked their new coachman to bring them to Qawiun Academy.


    Several minutes later, they finally arrived. As soon as they entered the arena, they gaped in awe. At the center of the stage was Anastasia Gaian, wearing a dark green short dress embedded with crystals and jade stones. She also had a brass collar with jade, shoulder straps, breast shells with straps, and a belt on top of her dress.


    As Anastasia displayed her huge, colorful mosaic-like wings, her opponent trembled. The poor man, whose legs were currently numb, crawled on the forest soil, trying to get out of her sight. His Golem Servant was already exhausted and it transformed into its inactive, small clay toy-like appearance.


    "Our Goddess Destinia, I pray for a miracle!" the young man said.


    It made Anastasia laugh out loud, before she cornered him at the edge of the cliff. "Are you done praying?"


    The man realized that trying to fight her would only be futile. He was the one who used too much mana on struggling to fight her head on. With his current state, he decided to end the battle.


    He jumped the cliff, and as soon as he reached the quagmire, the crowd went rowdy and excited. Anastasia''s name echoed loudly in the arena!


    Principal Arthurdane announced, "The winner for the Green Crystal Section is¡­ Miss Anastasia Gaian!"


    The crowd continued to cheer happily for her. Anastasia, still displaying her colorful wings, waved her hand with a sweet smile.


    Ivory and Sigmund were dumbfounded for a few minutes. In their mind, they wondered what she did to her poor opponent that he seemed to become a cripple in battle.


    "She''s strong¡­ oddly strong," Lucius appeared behind them. "I watched all of her battles. She made all of her opponents pray to Goddess Destinia."


    "Whoa, is she that ruthless?" Ivory asked.


    "She''s the strongest Master I''ve ever seen..." he realized that his sister was staring at him and seemed nervous about his comment, "Apologies! I am rooting for you, of course!"


    Sigmund teased him, "Hah, Ivory, don''t get upset! That woman is his lover, so-"


    "She''s not!" Lucius glared at the Vampire while he turned beet red.


    The crowd started to leave the arena, but Anastasia was still not yet dissipating her mosaic wings. Instead, she flew around the arena, as if she was looking for someone.


    As soon as she saw Ivory, she gave a big smile. She landed in front of them in a graceful manner.


    Ivory was startled when Anastasia suddenly embraced her!


    "Uhh Miss Gaian, congratulations," she uttered, and smiled awkwardly.


    "Ivory, I told you not to be formal with me!" Anastasia told her, then pulled away. She glanced at Lucius, "Oh, you''re here. Hello, Lucius."


    The blonde young man was disappointed that it was Ivory whom she saw first. Acting as if it did not affect him, he told her, "Congratulations."


    "Thank you, Lucius!" the ginger-haired woman exclaimed.


    Anastasia then turned her attention to Ivory. She told her that she''s going to battle her in the grand finals, before she went back to Green Crystal''s resting area.


    "What an odd lady," Sigmund said.


    "You assessed her mana-type, right?" Lucius asked. When he saw him nod, he continued, "What''s Anastasia''s mana-type?"


    "She has everything."


    "What do you mean?" he raised his brow at the Vampire.


    "This seems like a joke, but¡­ all four mana elements are strong within her."


    Ivory widened her eyes, "Impossible¡­"


    "It is possible, Ivory, if a Master is greatly favored by the Goddess," Sigmund told her. "By the way, should we head over to the physician?"


    Lucius tugged Ivory''s sleeve, "Are you sick?"


    "It''s nothing, just my allergy," she pointed towards her pointy ear. She showed the swollen and red earlobe. "I have had these since we were in Topazeon."


    "Now, she also caught a cold¡­ Maybe she''s allergic to something, so we need to get a physician to check up on her," Sigmund explained.


    Lucius took a closer look at her sister''s ear while he held her hair strands on the side. He couldn''t remember if her ears were as pointed as what he was seeing, but perhaps, it was the effect of being swollen and disfigured. But he felt like he had seen something like that before, but he could not remember where. "Once I return home, I am going to check the medical scrolls on father''s study."


    Ivory nodded, "Thanks a lot, Lucius. I am always grateful for your help."


    Lucius was the first one to leave because the coachman was already waiting for him in front. Sigmund and Ivory rode their carriage after it arrived, sitting beside each other.


    While the silver-haired Master leaned on her beloved Servant''s shoulder, she asked him, "Sigmund¡­ Do you think I can defeat Anastasia?"


    "What are you saying? Of course, you can," he told her, trying to lift up her spirit.


    "Even though she has an invisible Servant who can fuse with her body, making her materialize wings? Even though she has all four elements strongly present in her mana? Even though she''s very strong-"


    "Ivory, you''re the best Master for me, and you know that," he said in a deep voice.


    Ivory blushed, then turned her head towards him, "You can just say that she''s too strong for me! Why do you say things like that?"


    "To stop you from talking- Oww!"


    Ivory hit him jokingly in the arm. "You''re really mean¡­"


    She paused talking when she suddenly felt her eyelids heavy.


    "Ah¡­ I can''t control my sleepiness¡­"


    Sigmund allowed her to lean on his shoulder. "You must be tired after cheering with the crowd. Go sleep. I''ll wake you up once we arrive at home."


    A few moments later, Ivory unexpectedly had a vivid dream. While she was wondering why she was dragged again onto that similar dream, the young man from the last time walked towards her.


    "Hi again," he gave a sweet smile.


    Ivory creased her brows, "You? What do you want from me?" she asked, stepping backwards.


    "I need to know your name, and where you are right now."


    She still didn''t trust the man, so she told him, "I am in a carriage right now with my lover."


    The brown haired man chuckled, "Oh please, stop pretending to have a lover."


    "I really have a lover!" she turned away from him, "Stop pestering me. I am a busy person, you know!" and she ran as fast as she could.


    After several minutes, Ivory and Sigmund had returned to the Sprucemint residence in Greensteid town. Lycus met them and asked how it had been, and he apologized if he wasn''t able to come with them because he was ordered by Anne to grind acorns.


    Meanwhile, at the Goldwine mansion, Lucius started browsing his father''s scrolls.


    "What are you looking for?" General Darius, in his silk robe and indoor shoes, asked, "I may be able to help you."


    "Father¡­ Ivory had an allergy in her ears, and she also caught a cold. It has been months."


    "I see. Take a look at the westernmost shelf. I have a lot of old scrolls in there, maybe you can find good medical reference scrolls."


    Lucius did as suggested. Then, he found a scroll with a wooden tag of ''Herbal Medicines''. As he was attempting to pull it, the scrolls that were stuck in that row of the shelf were pulled together with it, and the scrolls rolled on the floor.


    "Lucius, are you alright?" General Darius asked while he crouched to help him take back the scrolls on the shelf.


    "I am fine," he replied.


    Then, his eyes crossed upon a very interesting scroll.


    It was a forbidden scroll with yellowish-brown paper and tied with a jute string. The tricky thing was, the string could not budge.. It was then that he realized that it was also protected with a strong spell, just like the scrolls he secretly borrowed from Omegalion library.

 Chapter 192 - "The Forbidden Scroll"

    There was no wooden tag attached to the scroll, but its string had a locking spell. Using his own mana, Lucius tried to open it, just like what he did with the forbidden scrolls in the Omegalion library.


    Unfortunately, it did not work.


    "Lucius, you seem to be so used to opening forbidden scrolls," Darius commented, narrowing his eyes on him. "Are you hiding something from me? What have you been looking into?"


    Lucius paused for a long while and had second thoughts if he would tell it to his father, but in the end, he chose to say it. After all, his father loves his wife very much.


    "Father, I told you that mother left because you almost announced Ivory''s existence to the public, right?"


    "Yes. What about it?" the General replied.


    The two of them stood up from crouching and sat on the armchairs nearby, facing each other.


    "Actually, Sir Rheolous said that¡­ Mother went to meet the late King''s Servant named Wolfram."


    General Darius widened his eyes, "But King Ulysses is already dead. How would she meet him?"


    "Apologies, I do not know the details¡­" Lucius sighed, then asked, "But father¡­ Why is mother involved with the Silverblades? And the Werewolves?"


    The General turned silent and looked away from Lucius.


    "Father?"


    "Lucius, please do not ask anymore. This is a dangerous topic," Darius then stood up from his seat.


    When he was about to leave the room, Lucius quickly stood up and caught up with him, tugging his arm, "Father! Please tell me! I am not a kid anymore!"


    His father slowly faced him. He stared at Lucius'' blue eyes and sighed, "Diana refused to tell me everything, saying that it''s safer that way¡­ But she asked me to hide the scroll about the birth of her daughter, Eve¡­ who is now named Ivory."


    The General walked towards the shelf and took the forbidden scroll from the stacks of scrolls that fell. He handed it over to Lucius.


    "How do I open this?" he asked him.


    "Lucius, only a direct descendant of the Silverblade King can open it."


    "Then¡­ once the prince returns-"


    "You must see first if Prince Levian would be Ivory''s enemy or ally."


    Lucius raised his brow, "He should be Ivory''s ally."


    "Even siblings kill each other for the throne, so you need to ensure her safety first," he started walking away, "For now, ask Ivory to open that scroll."


    He looked at him with a confused look.


    "Lucius¡­ I suspect that Ivory is Diana''s and the late King''s daughter."


    General Goldwine then excused himself, and left Lucius alone in the study.


    For a long while, Lucius stared at the forbidden scroll in his hand. Although what his father said was not yet confirmed, what if Ivory was really a Silverblade princess?


    Should he treat her as his sister, or as someone with authority? Should he stay friendly with her, or should he be formal with her?


    Lucius gripped on the scroll, then stepped out of the room. He called a messenger, and asked him to deliver a message to the Sprucemints.


    ¡­


    The next day, in the Greensteid Forest, the chirping of birds could be heard, and Ivory covered her swollen ears with her hands. They hurt so much, and the sound seemed to be amplified even more than the other day.


    "Hey, are you alright?" Sigmund, who sat beside her bed, gave her a worried look, "We''re going to the physician today, so get up." He then assisted Ivory to sit properly.


    All of a sudden, the ringing in her ears stopped. She placed her hands down her lap and told him, "It hurts so much¡­" she couldn''t understand her allergy anymore.


    Ivory was stunned when an aromatic smell of her favorite stir fry pork passed by her nose.


    "Stir fry pork¡­"


    "Hmm? What stir fry pork?" the Vampire asked her, looking around to see what she was talking about.


    The two of them immediately went out of the attic and ran down the stairs. They widened their eyes when they saw what Anne was cooking.


    "Oh, you''re awake! I cooked your favorite," she showed a bright smile.


    Ivory sniffed, "I can smell it from upstairs."


    "Really? You must be so hungry, then. Sigmund, help Ivory set up the table so we can eat breakfast, okay?"


    Sigmund nodded. He told Ivory to just sit down and he would set up the table on his own. As he did, he kept on glancing at Ivory. He saw her sniff and sniff, and assumed that her allergy was getting worse and worse. He wished that she would be healthy again, and he would do anything for it to happen.


    After they ate breakfast and washed up, Sigmund, Ivory, and Lycus hurried to the horse-drawn carriage parked in front of their house. They were surprised to see Lucius waving at them by the window.


    "Rich boy, what are you doing here?" Sigmund asked while Ivory and Lycus already rode the carriage.


    "What? I can''t join you to the physician?" Lucius raised his brow. He glared at the Vampire, who sat beside Ivory at the opposite side of the carriage.


    Ivory was sitting on the window side, while Sigmund sat in the middle. Lycus was sitting beside Sigmund, also beside the window. The carriage that Lucius brought was a 6-seater, there were four horses leading the way, and there were two coachmen on the front seat.


    "Ivory, sit beside me. There are too many people on that side," Lucius suggested.


    "Oh, okay-"


    Sigmund grabbed her wrist, "No. Lycus should be the one to sit beside Rich boy-"


    "Sigmund, it''s alright. Don''t be jealous, Lucius is my blood-related brother after all," Ivory gave him a sweet smile, and finally, the Vampire let go of her.


    When she sat beside Lucius, he immediately gave her a dark green colored chiffon cloth to cover her face, from her nose to her chin.


    "Thank you so much!" she exclaimed.


    Lucius gave a kind smile to her, then told the coachmen to go to their destination.


    While the carriage was on their way, Ivory said, "I hope the physician in Alpharion is available."


    "He''s not. I already checked with the city guards," the blond young man replied to his sister. "Instead, we''re going to one of the best physicians in the kingdom."


    Ivory and her two Servants looked at him curiously.


    "We''re going to Valios City."


    Ivory widened her eyes in surprise. The last time they went to Valios was when they escaped the chaotic castle through the waters leading to the Sanctuary of Goddess Destinia.


    And so, they traveled a whole seven-hours to the Land of Rosaria. It was already four in the afternoon when they arrived at Valios City.


    Because the trip was long, Lucius rented a group room at an inn. The white room has four built-in bunk beds. Two beds were colored light blue, while the other two  were cobalt blue. There was a wooden ladder, and a deep blue carpet was placed in the middle of the room.


    Sigmund glanced at Lucius after seeing that all of them would stay inside one room.


    "What?" Lucius chuckled.


    The Vampire retorted with the current assigned room, "Ivory is a woman. What if she changes her clothes, or take a bath, or-"


    "We will get out of the room if that happens, then. Why are you so mad?" the blonde young man looked at him suspiciously.


    Ivory said in a loud tone, "Stop it, you two! Why can''t you two be like Lycus?" she went towards the Werewolf Servant and patted his head gently, "See how behaved he is?"


    Lycus, who loved his head being patted, immediately kneeled in front of Ivory. While his Master was stroking his silver hair, he looked at her with puppy eyes.


    Lucius and Sigmund crossed their arms and turned back from each other.


    After they fixed their things, Ivory and the others went outside to go to the physician''s clinic. They were told that the clinic had an indigo colored wrought iron gate and a tall ocean blue double door with fanlight.


    As soon as they arrived, they were first greeted by an assistant and asked for Ivory''s information. Then, she was called by the doctor, and the three guys insisted that they''d come as well, but were blocked by the assistant. Ivory first went in.


    The clinic''s wall was made of concrete and was painted white, and an L-shaped wooden desk was placed on the corner of the room, just beside the gridded window.  There were small jars, pots, cheesecloth, and mortar and pestle atop the table. Blank scrolls, as well as ink and quills, were there as well.


    "Welcome to my clinic, how may I help you?"


    A woman with fair skin, hazel colored eyes, and long curly, coffee-colored hair tied at the back greeted them. She was also wearing a white ruffled high-collared blouse and a set of jade dangling earrings and necklace.


    "Well¡­ I have had this allergy since I went to Topazeon¡­ But before that, uhm can I let my companions inside as well? They''re worried, so they traveled this far with me just to know what happened to me."


    The female physician nodded as she slightly turned the stool sideways, "Sure, just tell them not to break things, especially my herbal jars."


    Ivory gave a wide smile and thanked the kind physician. She then peeked at the door and gestured for them to come in.


    One by one, the three went in. Lycus was the last person to enter, and as soon as he and the physician met eyes, they were stunned.


    "Lycus, you¡­ You escaped that hell?" she asked him with tears in her eyes.

 Chapter 193 - "Ivorys Checkup With The Mysterious Physician"

    Lycus was dumbfounded as well. He thought he wouldn''t see the woman again, "Master- I mean¡­ Miss Daphne..."


    Ivory looked at Physician Daphne and Lycus, who couldn''t get their eyes away from each other.


    "Uhm excuse me," Ivory patted Lycus'' shoulder, "What is happening?"


    The female physician wiped her tears with her fingers, "Uhh¡­ Apologies. I haven''t seen him for a very, very long time, so..."


    "Miss Daphne is my past Master," Lycus explained, "And Miss Daphne, this is Miss Ivory, my current Master."


    "A new Master? I thought you couldn''t-"


    "His Eminence permitted it¡­" Lycus saw Ivory and the others staring curiously at him, "Let us talk about it after the check up. For now, please take a look at Master Ivory''s allergy."


    Daphne finally calmed down, "I apologize, that was unprofessional of me... Let me see your allergy, miss."


    Ivory carefully removed the cloth covering her face and tucked her hair behind both of her ears.


    As soon as the physician saw this, she gasped, "This is insane¡­" she murmured. She examined one side of her ear first, then the other side.


    "Do you feel any more pain in your body aside from your ears?"


    "My nose¡­ It''s not painful, but I recently had a cold¡­ I kept on sniffing because my nose is somewhat moist all the time."


    "I see¡­" Using a quill recently dipped in black ink, Physician Daphne wrote down Ivory''s descriptions on a blank scroll.


    Ivory described the ringing in her ears, and how she sometimes hears things, as if she had heightened hearing. She also told her that she would sometimes smell a scent far from her, as if she had heightened smell.


    But she also voiced out that it might just be her imagination, because it was impossible for her to have those abilities. "Maybe I was just hallucinating or something¡­"


    As Daphne wrote everything down, a serious look was evident on her face.


    "Physician, is there something wrong?" Ivory asked worriedly, seeing her reaction.


    "Yes¡­ This is a very rare case," she responded. The physician also seemed to be in deep thought before speaking again, "Let me just take a look at my reference scroll. I will just look for an herbal medicine formula."


    Physician Daphne stood up and walked towards the shelf at the back. She panned her sight on every one of the wooden tags attached on the numerous scrolls, and when she found what she was looking for, she unrolled it, and copied down the medication in the scroll where she wrote.


    "Buy these flowers, leaves, and nuts in the herbal store in front of this clinic. You will need a handful of them in order to gain a small bottle of salve for you to use in a week. That''s for your ears," she explained, "And for your nose, drink warm peppermint tea after breakfast and supper. Come back to me after a week for a follow up check-up." After making sure that the ink had dried, she rolled the scroll and tied it with a jute string before giving it to Ivory.


    "Thank you so much, Physician Daphne!" Ivory exclaimed, shaking the female physician''s hand repeatedly.


    Afterwards, Lucius assisted Ivory to wear back her cloth cover. He, Sigmund, and Ivory went out to buy the prescription herbs, while Lycus chose to stay to speak with his previous Master. The clinic was closed for a while, and Lycus casted a sound barrier while he and Daphne spoke.


    "Lycus, I know now why she became your Master, and how it was possible. After seeing her condition, she''s really His Eminence''s daughter," Daphne furrowed her brows, "But if she''s his daughter, why is she¡­"


    "She has a birthmark of Destinia," Lycus said. "Master- I mean¡­ Miss Daphne, she still didn''t know about her true origins. She refused to know."


    "But why?"


    "It''s not my place to say it. I should not speak about that matter, because I am sure it will only bring problems to my Master. I apologize."


    The female physician shook her head, "I understand. She''s your Master now, it''s only natural¡­ So, uhh, enough about your Master, I want to know about you," Daphne placed her hand on his cheek, "How did you escape the castle prison?"


    Lycus mentioned his struggles during the past years ever since he broke her contract with her. He mentioned how he was caught by the roaming knights in the Land of Olivea, and how they tortured him in the castle prison.


    Physician Daphne asked Lycus to stop talking if it would only make him recall the pain he had gone through back then.


    But now as a full fledged Servant, the negative emotions that Lycus felt were lacking. He told her about it, that he was only telling her the details based on what he remembered, without feeling anything.


    Daphne cried and cried that moment, asking for Lycus'' forgiveness, telling him that she failed as his Master. She regretted that she sent him to the castle for a long-time errand to the King. Her tears shed like waterfalls while she embraced her past Servant very tightly.


    Two hours later, Ivory, Lucius, and Sigmund returned to the clinic to fetch Lycus. Lucius gave her a small pouch of silver coins, and Ivory thanked her for her help. She said that she''d come back a week later for a follow up check-up, as suggested.


    As soon as Ivory and her companions left the area, Daphne closed the clinic since her assistant already went home.


    A sudden knock on the front door startled her.


    "The clinic is closed!" she yelled. "Apologies, but come back tomorrow!"


    "Cousin Daphne. It''s me, Levian."


    When she heard this, she quickly unlocked the door and couldn''t believe whom she was seeing in front of her. A familiar brown-haired politely nodded and smiled at the teary eyed physician.


    "Levian¡­ Prince Levian¡­" Daphne uttered as she burst into tears, "I thought you were gone, I¡­ I am so happy to see you!" she gave a tight hug to her cousin.


    "Likewise. Did you get my letter?" he patted her back and looked at her.


    "I did. I just did not expect you to come sooner."


    Levian, with Xenos behind him, entered the clinic. Daphne closed the door and made sure that the windows were closed. The prince casted a sound barrier before they chatted about their grand plan on bringing down King Yama Dragonicus and his greedy allies.


    Meanwhile, at the inn, Ivory and the others had just returned.


    "Go buy food at the marketplace," Lucius told Sigmund. He gave him a pouch of silver coins.


    "I know you''re rich, but you just don''t go on throwing your coin pouch at random people and ask them to buy things," Sigmund retorted.


    "You are not a random person. I am specifically asking you to buy food, Vampire."


    "Why me? Lycus is better at errands-"


    "Sigmund, you''re treating Lycus indifferently again. I told you to treat him as your brother!" Ivory crossed her arms. "Punishment for you¡­ You go with Lycus at the marketplace!"


    "But that''s a bit far-"


    "Go, go, go!" Ivory jokingly pushed Sigmund towards the door, and Lycus chuckled at the funny scene.


    Lucius made sure that the Servants were out of sight, and that they already walked away quite far. He then went towards Ivory, who was sitting on her chosen bed.


    "Excuse me, do you have a minute?" Lucius politely said and got a nod as a response.


    The blonde young man sat beside Ivory, then took out the forbidden scroll that his father gave him. "Can you open this for me?"


    "Uhm¡­ How?" she asked confusingly as she took the scroll from him.


    "Just concentrate your mana on the scroll," he explained.


    "Hmm¡­ Okay, then!"


    With that, Ivory followed what Lucius had told her. She first used her normal mana, but it wouldn''t open.


    "I can''t¡­"


    "I know, maybe your other mana can. Please try again," he waited patiently.


    Ivory also did what she was told, but it did not work. Unfortunately, the harder she tried, the more pain she felt in her hands, like she was being electrocuted.


    "Ahh, I really can''t, Lucius. I apologize, I guess I am too weak for that strong locking spell," she sighed.


    "It''s alright. It''s not your fault¡­"


    Ivory was confused as she stared at the scroll, but Lucius was the more confused one.


    Did his father get it wrong? Was Ivory not the late King''s daughter?


    If not, who is Ivory''s real father, and why did their mother Diana hide it, to the point that Ivory''s birth information scroll was locked with a spell?


    Lucius knew that if he wanted answers, he should just find someone who could surely open the forbidden scroll.


    And that person is Prince Levian!


    x x x x x x x


    Thank you for reading "Taming My Vampire Servant"! <3


    If you like the book, please add it to your library <3


    Please support us by giving powerstones and gifts <3


    Feel free to comment on paragraphs and chapters as well <3


    Please review the book, too! <3


    Want more of the story? Purchase privilege for just 1 coin and there''ll be a sneak peek of 2 advanced chapters! <3


    x x x x x x x

 Chapter 194 - "I Believe In You, Master"

    x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x


    Hello, dear readers! <3


    The Servant Competition will resume! It''s the long awaited grand finals!


    Do you think Ivory will win the Servant Competition? Why or why not? You can share your thoughts~


    x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x


    ¡­


    Ivory and the others went back to the Land of Olivea early in the morning. It was a seven-hour trip and they arrived at around two in the afternoon. They headed directly to Qawiun Academy''s arena to watch the Red Stone section''s competition.


    Because it was already a full house, Ivory and her companions could only stand up at the side along with the other latecomers. As they stared at the stage, they saw Principal Arthurdane''s brother attacking directly to the opponent''s Servant in the Pond Bank terrain. His opponents threw themselves into the water when they saw his two-headed phoenix Beast Servant charging towards them from above. Half of the phoenix''s body was made of Water element, while the half was Fire.


    "The winner for this battle is¡­ Mister Varamond Arthurdane!" Principal yelled. Although he tried not to make it obvious, it was evident in his tone that he was proud of his younger brother.


    The crowd also cheered upon hearing the announcement. The battle went on and on, until it was finally night time. While on a two hour break before the finals of the Red Stone section, there were people who roamed around the arena to sell food and binoculars.


    "Ivory!" one of the vendors called out to her.


    "Oh, it''s you, Ken!" Ivory gave a wide smile. She saw him selling apple pies, "How is your family business?"


    "It is well. We recently moved our main store to Alpharion, that''s why I couldn''t visit our old house in Greensteid. It''s been busy lately," he responded.


    "I see¡­ Then for now, can you give me four of those apple pies?"


    Ken nodded and smiled. Using wooden tongs, he placed each pie on a piece of paper, then handed them over to Ivory and her companions.


    "How much is it?" Ivory asked.


    But the young man shook his head, "It''s my treat. I want to make it up to you for being away all the time."


    While Ken and Ivory chatted, Sigmund just glared at them quietly.


    Lycus only observed them.


    Lucius noticed Sigmund''s annoyed face, so he told him discreetly, "That guy''s life is improving. I can accept him into our family as Ivory''s husband if he keeps on being a hardworking man. Besides, they''ve known each other longer than you knew her."


    "Tsk, curse you, Rich boy."


    "Go on and curse me all you want. It''s not my fault that my sister''s neighbor is becoming richer and richer every year," a satisfied smile appeared on the blonde Master''s face.


    The Vampire could only glare at his Master''s brother. If they weren''t in a crowded place, he would have burned his bright hair! As time passed by, his teasing became bolder for some reason!


    Then, the final battle for that day came.


    On the arena stood Varamond Arthurdane with his two-headed phoenix Beast Servant flying above him. Their battle had a terrain of the Windy Mountains, and it lasted for twenty minutes after his opponent Master was almost drained of his mana.


    "And the winner for the Red Stone Section is.. Mister Varamond Arthurdane!"


    Ivory gulped as the audience''s applause got louder.


    "The grand finals will happen tomorrow at five in the afternoon! See you all at this long awaited event!"


    When the Principal announced the names of the four winners of each section, she clenched her fists and looked straight at the center of the stage.


    Finally, it''s the moment of truth. Ivory had been waiting for this time, yet she wondered if she could surpass the immense powers of her opponents. The silver-haired Master wanted to achieve her goal and make her family proud and happy.


    ...


    The following day, Ivory woke up in good spirits. After taking a bath, she applied the herbal medicine on her ears as prescribed by Physician Daphne. At breakfast, she also drank warm peppermint tea for her moist nose.


    Hours passed and when the afternoon came, Ivory changed her clothes and put on her armor. "Sigmund, can you help me fix the hip armor? I can''t reach my back."


    "Sure," Sigmund uttered. He then stood behind her and touched her back.


    She flinched a bit when she felt her lover''s finger touch the back of her waist, making her squeal a little.


    When the Vampire heard this, he chuckled, "Do I excite you that much?" Instead of continuing to put her armor, he instead slid his finger up and down!


    "Sigmund¡­ Stop it..." she turned beet red, then heard the armor drop on the wooden floor.


    But what surprised Ivory more was when Sigmund embraced her from behind!


    "Ivory," with his deep voice, he murmured beside her sensitive ears, as he tightened his arms that were wrapped around her waist, "I know you will do a good job later. I believe in you."


    The silver-haired Master couldn''t help but smile. Of all people, she wanted Sigmund to be the one to believe in her the most.


    "Sigmund, I have you with me. I do not have to worry about anything," she turned around, and hugged him back.


    They spent a couple of minutes in each other''s arms. They both knew that they wouldn''t be able to do it later on.


    Ivory and Sigmund went to the arena, together with Lycus and her family. Before they parted ways, the Sprucemint family hugged Ivory tightly and wished her well. Lycus cheered for his master, too. She almost got teary eyed hearing their encouragement and assured them that she''ll do her very best in her upcoming battles.


    Soon after, the Sprucemints went to the audience''s seats, while Lycus proceeded to the academy staff''s area to still serve as an assistant.


    Ivory and Sigmund went to the contender''s area, and when they reached their designated area, Anastasia came running towards Ivory!


    "Hello, Ivory!" she held her hand with a wide smile, "I told you, I''d see you here!"


    "Oh, hello, Anastasia¡­ haha..." she found it a bit awkward that she was too friendly with her when they were not really close. Nevertheless, she knew that the girl was not friendly towards other people except her and Lucius.


    The ginger-haired lady panned her sight to Ivory''s Servant, who was glaring at her, "What a grumpy Servant," she laughed a little, before turning their backs on them and sat on the bench at the side.


    "Ivory, I''m telling you she''s crazy. Don''t get too close with her," he whispered.


    "I don''t know... maybe she''s just lonely or something," she shrugged her shoulders.


    "How can you not be suspicious of her? She suddenly wanted to be close with you and Lucius during the graduation ceremony. She was your classmate in the Magic Specialization class, but she was not friendly towards both of you."


    "Excuse me, you''re both in the way," a guy with indigo hair and square glasses said. His body was covered with prussian spruce blue tight leotards with golden embroidery and loose-fitting pants of the same color. On his shoulder was a black-feathered day old chick, with curious, round eyes looking at the people blocking their way.


    Sigmund stepped in front of Ivory and grabbed her wrist to make her move to the side.


    "Good afternoon, Mister Arthurdane," Ivory greeted him in a friendly manner. After all, he''s the principal''s younger brother.


    But in contrast with his brother, he was not friendly to them at all. He gave a short nod, then left with creased brows.


    The Yellow Shard section''s winner also came in, with his female octopus Nymph Servant.


    It was not long until Principal Zwain Arthurdane held onto his conical sound amplifier, making the crowd settle down and look forward to the first battle of the grand finals.


    "Are you all ready?"


    Answering him, a loud "Yes!" echoed in the arena!


    "Who do you think will win the Servant Competition?!"


    The crowd chanted different names!


    "Without further ado, let us start! Now, for the first battle..." the principal took a scroll from one of the Educators and read, "...Miss Ivory Sprucemint and¡­"


    There were long drum rolls before the principal lifted the conical sound amplifier near his mouth.


    Principal Arthurdane first widened his eyes when he saw who Ivory''s opponent was. After composing himself, he then yelled, "Mister Varamond Arthurdane!"


    Ivory and Varamond were called onstage with their Servants. They stood in front of each other with such serious faces, not letting one another leave their sight!


    "For the terrain¡­" the principal took a white colored marble from the bowl. "Windy Mountains!"


    Varamond smirked, while Ivory clenched her fists, knowing that like her previous battles, she was again at a disadvantage.

 Chapter 195 - "Servant Competition: Ivory Vs The Tamer Of The Two-Headed Phoenix-1"

    The ground shook, and moments later, the platform where Ivory, Sigmund, and her opponents were standing ascended. While it happened, Ivory and Varamond never took their eyes away from each other since they didn''t want to be taken advantage of the other.


    Huge floating rocky structures with dried moss on their surface appeared above them as well as surrounded the stage. The orangish light of the sunset coming from the west was slightly blocked by the rocks, creating shadows around the terrain.


    When everything was set, the loud horns played.


    Ivory observed Varamond, who stood on the other floating rock as he patted the black chick on his shoulder. The small animal then hopped onto his palm, and Ivory''s mouth gaped wide open when Varamond threw the chick on the cliff!


    The silver-haired Master already thought he was a heartless Master towards his Servant, when suddenly, a loud wail echoed.


    Behind Varamond came flying a huge creature with two heads, as well as vast wings and a long tail. The left half of its body was metallic blue in color, while the other half was red in color. The left head had glowing blue eyes, and the right head had glowing fiery orange eyes.


    It flew around the rock structure where Ivory and Sigmund stood. Distracted, Ivory turned her head to the flying phoenix. As soon as she did, Varamond hopped onto their side using Air magic!


    Sigmund, who first noticed his movement, grabbed Ivory by the waist, then moved backwards. He took a look at how far the next floating rock was, then hopped to it.


    Varamond chuckled, seeing that his opponents were afraid of him. But he knew it was too early to be confident. He still could not determine Ivory''s and Sigmund''s temperance.


    All he knew was that Ivory is not an ordinary Master. Otherwise, she and her companions wouldn''t casually visit his brother. Varamond also knew that Principal Zwain wouldn''t waste his time with someone unimportant. Although he and his brother were close, he was not one who would also be close with the people whom he frequently interacts with.


    It was Ivory and Sigmund''s first time in a Windy Mountains terrain. They examined how far the rock structures were from each other. Because some were higher than the others, it required them to use more mana to lift themselves up. Aside from that, moderately strong wind was coming from somewhere in the terrain, making them adjust their direction prior to landing.


    Because the Pixia the phoenix was big, it could not fit into the gap of the rocks. It kept on flying around Ivory and Sigmund, purposely to threaten them and watch their moves, while its Master came after them on his own. The Beast Servant would not attack them with magic spells without Varamond''s instruction.


    Reaching the very end of the terrain, Ivory and Sigmund had nowhere to go. Varamond hopped onto their rock structure and slowly stepped towards them.


    "I think I overestimated you two," Varamond uttered. "Looks like you weren''t that strong. It''s only 10 minutes, yet you''re already driven into a corner."


    The two-headed phoenix flew behind him outside of the rock, awaiting its Master''s orders. On its left beak, a ball of water formed, while on its right, a ball of fire formed.


    All those times, Sigmund never let go of his beloved Master''s waist. He wanted to protect her at all costs, and if Air magic wouldn''t work, he would use that technique that only Vampires could do, just to prevent them from falling and losing.


    While Sigmund was embracing her from behind, she was gripping her level 2 magic staff in front, ready to block any attack. She made an Air magic barrier, collecting as much wind as she could around them.


    Varamond materialized his level 3 weapon, which was an odd-looking spear with spiky circular blades at one end. He charged in front, swinging it, and broke Ivory''s wind barrier!


    As soon as he did, he swiftly jumped back to his original position, and Pixia finally released the two elemental balls from its beaks, breaking the portion of the rock where Ivory and Sigmund stood!


    BOOM! CRACK! A loud explosion was heard and the arena was filled with smoke for a moment.


    When the smoke dissipated, Ivory and Sigmund were gone.


    Varamond wanted to make sure that they really fell down, so he peeked at the edge, but there was no one!


    He creased his brow. According to his calculations, they should at least be seen falling down, but that was not the case. He suspected that something was up.


    Varamond ordered Pixia to look for them within the terrain. As soon as Pixia flew away, the rock structure where he stood shook violently!


    It was then that he knew Ivory and Sigmund was plotting something against him!


    When Varamond ran towards the edge to try to hop onto the next rock, he widened his eyes when he felt a gush of air from the flapping wings of the Servant flying in front of him.


    Sigmund, whose underside of the wings had a bloody red color, while the outer part of the wings was dark gray in color, carried Ivory in his arms as he appeared in front of Varamond. He told him, "You''re looking for us, right?" he smirked, mocking the opponent Master.


    "How did you¡­" Varamond was surprised, because prior to the Grand Finals, he collected as much information available about the other Masters and Servants. According to his observation and the information he acquired, Ivory''s Servant never showed this ability to have wings.


    Frightened by this, Varamond quickly stepped back. Because the rock structure was previously broken, the space he could run to was narrower. Aside from that, it was the very end of the terrain stage.


    He knew he had nowhere to go, unless he used intense Air magic to lift himself.


    Pixia looked back, and upon realizing that his Master was in a predicament, he flew towards them.


    Sigmund carefully dropped Ivory to that narrow space, "Can you fight him?"


    Ivory nodded in response.


    Sigmund turned around, ready to block the enraged phoenix.


    The silver-haired Master then focused her eyes on Varamond, who glared at her.


    Varamond was wrong when he thought that they were weak. Now that he saw their true potential, he accepted that Ivory and Sigmund did deserve the title of being Blue Gem section winners.


    Ivory held her staff tightly. Her light blue irises glowed, and she charged onto the principal''s brother in full force.


    Varamond, who has a heavier and larger weapon than her, effectively blocked her attack.


    The bad thing was, when Ivory attempted to strike him at an angle, her weapon got stuck onto the spikes of her opponent''s weapon, and because it was still a level 2 weapon, she couldn''t make it disappear and materialize at will!


    Varamond took advantage of this situation, and he incorporated his mana onto his level 3 weapon. The weapon''s vibration made Ivory step back.


    Without any weapon, she felt her sweat trickle down her cheek as she observed her enemy''s movements.


    Treating Ivory''s weapon as a hostage, Varamond stepped to the side, until she and Ivory switched places. Now, Ivory was the cornered one!


    Meanwhile, Sigmund was exchanging elemental balls with Pixia in the air. Although the phoenix had two mana balls it kept on releasing at the same time, the Vampire was faster to move because he was lighter.


    Pixia glanced at its Master, and upon seeing that he was already at an advantage, it concentrated its sight on Sigmund.


    Sigmund noticed the change in the creature''s behavior, and when he glanced at Ivory, he saw her being cornered!


    With haste, the Vampire flew towards her. He swooped and carried her into his arms, saving her just in time!


    "Sigmund, my weapon is still¡­"


    "Forget that goddamn useless weapon and just focus on not falling down."


    The suspense in the air got thicker. The audience watched as Ivory and Sigmund flew around, trying to escape their predicament.


    Almost everyone in the crowd cheered for Ivory. But among the crowd, there was one person who didn''t want her to win.


    "Your sister is smart, I know she can win this," a young man said, who had green-colored, medium length hair which was tied to a low ponytail. "Am I right, Katie?"


    Katie faked a smile at her beloved Helios, who smiled brightly beside her. If it weren''t for him nagging her to come, she wouldn''t have gone back to her homeland.


    Using her binoculars to zoom in the view, she saw the bothered look on Ivory''s face. She smirked as she saw her at a disadvantage, and she wished for her ill fortune to last.


    x x x x x x x x x x


    Thank you for reading "Taming My Vampire Servant"! <3


    If you like the book, please add it to your library <3


    Please support us by giving powerstones and gifts <3


    Feel free to comment on paragraphs and chapters as well <3


    Please review the book, too! <3


    Want more of the story? Purchase privilege for just 1 coin and there''ll be a sneak peek of 2 advanced chapters! <3


    x x x x x x x x x x

 Chapter 196 - "Servant Competition: Ivory Vs The Tamer Of The Two-Headed Phoenix-2"

    Back to the arena, Ivory held onto Sigmund while they flew around to avoid the phoenix. She kept on looking at the stone structure where Varamond stood. Her level 2 weapon was still stuck in it.


    "Hold on tight!" Sigmund told his beloved Master. Behind them was Pixia, releasing more balls of water and fire from its beaks.


    Sigmund flew in a zigzag manner, and good thing that the mad bird couldn''t aim properly!


    "Sigmund, I have a plan, but I need my staff!"


    "Let''s just let the chicken behind us use all its mana-"


    Suddenly, a strong gust of wind appeared in front of them, limiting their movements. Sigmund flapped his wings, trying to get out of it, but it was useless!


    Ivory held onto Sigmund, and he did the same with her. They tried hard not to get separated.


    Varamond kept on using Air magic against them, because it was easier as it was abundant. He recalled how Ivory and Sigmund used Air magic against Josie Kimson and her clown Spirit Servant Jokerion. They attached a vortex of wind at the opening of that enclosed space, and it pushed their opponents onto the quagmire directly.


    And that''s what Varamond tried to do!


    Noticing that the wind was pulling them down, Sigmund sacrificed half of his mana supply to break out of it!


    The sudden release of mana from Sigmund caused Varamond to stop casting. He felt weaker because of the impact and the cost of his mana, but he showed a strong front.


    Sigmund immediately let Ivory down the rock structure where Varamond stood, then he left to guard Pixia once again.


    As Ivory quietly observed the principal''s brother, she glanced at her pitiful level 2 weapon, which was still stuck on his weapon.


    ''I can''t give up like this!'' Ivory thought to herself. She was determined to take back her staff at all costs, and win that round!


    Moments later, her light blue irises glowed, and unexpectedly, her staff glowed as well!


    Varamond glanced at his opponent''s staff that got stuck between his weapon''s spikes, and he widened his eyes when he saw it slowly dissipating into thin air!


    "I think I broke your weapon," Varamond told Ivory, "Apologies."


    "You don''t have to apologize¡­"


    Ivory did not believe that her weapon would break that easily. After all, it was already broken because it could detach into two, depending on her needed approach inside a battle. She wanted to be as resilient as her magic staff.


    Stretching her hands in front of her, Ivory deeply sighed as she concentrated her mana onto her palm, hoping to summon her weapon. To her surprise, seconds later, a long and bright staff materialized!


    The level 3 weapon retained its unique double-sided appearance, and the ends of the staff had different designs. One had a black-colored, sun-shaped object and the other object was a silver-colored full moon in between two crescent moons. The staff was made of steel and was embedded with glowing crystals.


    "No¡­ Why now of all times¡­" Varamond murmured while he slowly stepped back to try to be far from Ivory as much as he could. When he reached the end of the rock structure, he used Air magic to try to lift himself towards the other rock structure which was slightly more elevated.


    But the strong wind of the terrain made him lose a step. It was weird because he knew the distances between the rocks and how strong the wind was, after all, it was not his first time in the Windy Mountain terrain. That moment, he noticed that the wind was stronger than usual.


    Varamond, instead of controlling the wind, it controlled his direction instead. When he glanced at Ivory, he saw her surrounded by mist!


    Ivory took advantage of the terrain. The Windy Mountains had an abundant source of wind, and she used it to drag him around. Now using her stronger level 3 magic staff, she controlled the wind, twisting it around until it made Varamond''s vision blurry and he felt nauseous!


    Seeing that her opponent was weakened, Ivory did not waste any time and pushed him down to the abyss.


    Pixia, on the other hand, was having a hard time escaping from Sigmund''s sight. The two-headed phoenix was slower than Sigmund because it was heavier.


    The transformation of Ivory''s weapon also had a positive effect on the Vampire Servant''s magic abilities. Sigmund formed a triangle in his hand as he flew in front of the creature. He also used Air magic to serve as his shield. As soon as he saw Varamond almost reaching the bottom, he let Pixia go.


    When the phoenix Beast Servant flew down, Varamond already reached the touching point. This made them lose that battle, which lasted for 27 minutes.


    "And the winner for this round is Miss Ivory Sprucemint!"


    The crowd cheered loudly and enthusiastically as ever.


    When the terrain went back to its original state, Pixia also turned back to its inactive state. With little steps, the cute black chick ran towards its Master, who was lying on the center of the stage.


    Ivory approached him after she dissipated her level 3 staff. She bent down and offered a hand to Varamond.


    Ivory asked him, "You do not ride your phoenix, do you?"


    "So you noticed," He took her hand, stood up, and placed Pixia on his shoulder. Facing Ivory, he said, "Now I know why my brother is making such efforts in taking care of you."


    Ivory gave Varamond a confused look.


    Varamond chuckled, "You''re a very odd, yet strong Master. I think you will do well if you continue to train for more techniques."


    "I will¡­ I want to become a Royal Knight," she responded with a subtle smile.


    "A Royal Knight? Sounds great. I look forward to it, then."


    Varamond smiled at her, then he and his cute companion went to the treatment area to rest on the cot.


    When Ivory and Sigmund returned to the section winners'' resting area, Sigmund''s wings dissipated, and he fell on his knees.


    "Sigmund!" Ivory yelled in a worried tone. She helped him get up. "What happened to you?"


    "I used too much mana, but I am fine. I just need you to..." Sigmund suddenly touched the back of Ivory''s neck.


    Ivory knew what his actions meant, and she trembled upon feeling his touch.


    His smile told her right away that he wanted some alone time with her!


    Seconds later, Anastasia, who displayed a wide smile on her face, told them, "Congratulations!" she grabbed Ivory''s hand and shook it.


    Ivory replied, "Thank you!" she was surprised when the girl suddenly embraced her!


    As Anastasia did, she patted on her back, then whispered, "I knew you''d win."


    Sigmund and Ivory really found her odd. The Vampire Servant touched their shoulders and pulled them both away from each other.


    "Excuse me, I have to replenish my mana as soon as possible," he glared at Anastasia.


    But the ginger-haired woman chuckled, "Then I''ll leave you both."


    "Thank you, uhm¡­ I will root for you, Anastasia!" Ivory exclaimed.


    "Thank you, Ivory. See you in the last round!"


    Ivory and Sigmund then walked hastily towards the dressing room. Sigmund slid the latch sideways, locking the door.


    Observing that the Vampire Servant seemed weaker and weaker each second, Ivory immediately took off all her body armor, then her top clothing. Exposing her fair skin and linen bra, she approached him as he sat on the floor.


    "Sigmund¡­ Take my blood."


    "Ivory¡­" the Vampire murmured. He reached onto her waist and pulled her to him.


    With his coarse tongue, Sigmund first licked Ivory''s neck. He slid his tongue down to her collarbone, and down to her cleavage.


    "Mmm¡­ Aaahh¡­" Ivory let out subtle moans as she felt her beloved savor her body.


    The Vampire''s crimson-red irises glowed, feeling strong emotions of desire and bloodlust. He pushed Ivory by the floor and he positioned himself on top of her.


    "Sigmund?" the silver-haired Master stared straight into his eyes. She knew he was not himself. She reached out to his face.


    Feeling his Master''s warmth on his cheeks, Sigmund smiled. "Master, don''t let anyone serve you¡­ except me," he caressed her face and spoke in a very seductive tone, "Allow me to make you feel like you''re in paradise."


    Ivory nodded at her while she gave a sweet smile.


    Sigmund casted a sound barrier in the dressing room. Afterwards, he lowered his head and kissed her soft lips. He bit her lower lip, and upon tasting a little of her blood, he continued to nibble it.


    Not yet satisfied, he tilted her head to the side and slid his wet tongue on her neck. He closed his eyes before piercing his fangs deep into her flesh. As he drank her sweet blood, he started caressing her melons.


    Ivory glanced at her lover. He seemed so hungry that he might drink all of her blood!


    She grabbed his black hair, then said as she stroked his head, "Sigmund¡­ Calm down¡­"

 Chapter 197 - "Servant Competition - Grand Finals: Who Will Be Ivorys Opponent?"

    Hearing his Master''s plea, Sigmund slowed down in drinking her blood. Instead, he positioned his mouth at her upper chest and bit her.


    "Aaaaahhh!" Ivory screamed in pain and pleasure, and her grip on the Vampire''s hair tightened.


    After a while, Sigmund licked the oozing blood, then sat right up. He removed her remaining clothing and underwear, and admired the beauty of his Master''s body. He saw her wet core, and he lowered his head, licking it while he gripped tightly on her thighs.


    As the Vampire Servant pleasured her, Ivory moaned loudly, closing her eyes. She felt her strength leave her body every moment Sigmund slurped her juices.


    When Sigmund stopped doing it, Ivory thought that he''s already done and satisfied.


    But she was wrong.


    When Ivory opened her eyes, she saw the Vampire Servant atop her, all naked. She couldn''t help but gulp on his six pack abs, as well as his huge shaft.


    "Sigmund¡­ you- Aaahhh!"


    The silver-haired Master knew that the Vampire Servant was not himself, yet, she let him enter her. Sigmund''s movements were rougher than usual, and Ivory loved it even more.


    As her Vampire Servant rocked his body onto her, he embraced her tightly, whispering, "You''re mine, Master¡­"


    "Yes¡­ I am all yours, Sigmund¡­ Mmmmm¡­" she murmured, then she let him bite her in the neck once again.


    While the two of them were busy with their hot and steamy mana replenishment, the crowd watching the current battle cheered loudly.


    "And the winner is¡­ Miss Anastasia Gaian!"


    It was an easy, ten-minute battle!


    Three hours passed and the darkness enveloped the sky. Ivory had a good nap after feeling tired, and she had already replenished most of her mana.


    Sigmund, on the other hand, felt fantastic.


    When Ivory returned to the resting area in her battle outfit and armor, Anastasia greeted her with a wide smile.


    "Did you get a good rest?" she asked.


    Ivory nodded at her, then sat beside her.


    She was surprised when Anastasia suddenly said, "You smell like lilies."


    The silver-haired Master turned beet red, "I¡­ I do?"


    "Yes. It''s nice."


    "Oh¡­ Uhh thank you¡­" and tried to avert her gaze from the ginger-haired lady beside her.


    Sigmund, who was standing beside the bench, couldn''t help but grin when he heard it.


    "And now, may I call on¡­ our two winners! Who will be the Servant Competition champion? Will it be Miss Ivory Sprucemint, or Miss Anastasia Gaian?!" Principal Arthurdane yelled, and the crowd shouted their winning bet.


    Ivory and Anastasia were called on stage. As they walked, Anastasia grabbed Ivory''s hand and smiled at her. The silver-haired Master was confused that her opponent was too friendly with her, but she decided to just let her be. A mixture of excitement and nervousness enveloped her as they reached the center. They stood in front of each other at a distance.


    While the principal was choosing a terrain as his hand twirled around inside the bowl, there was suspense in the air. Everyone wondered what terrain would determine the champion''s fate!


    "I am so nervous, Sigmund," Ivory said, tugging his arm.


    "You''ll be fine, don''t worry. I''m here," the Vampire patted her shoulder. "Let us do our best, like usual-"


    Sigmund froze when he suddenly felt chills down his spine. He felt a strong aura from the audience, and he quickly looked around to see where it was coming from.


    "Sigmund? What''s wrong?"


    "Dark Mana¡­ A strong Dark Mana presence."


    "Dark Mana? Why would there be-"


    BOOM!


    Dirt exploded on a portion of the stage when a young woman jumped onto it. She carried with her a silver claymore sword with a dark gray fuller. The cross guard was shaped in the form of short double spikes towards the grip of the weapon.


    When the cloud of dirt dissipated, Ivory widened her eyes when she finally saw the face of the woman with light brown colored hair tied in a half-pony. She was dressed in a white off-shoulder white long sleeve blouse with a black corset, mini pleated black skirt, and a black ribbon necklace. One of her spiked metallic boots reached her thigh, while the other was below her knees.


    "Katie!? What¡­ Why-"


    Sigmund, after finally assessing the unexpected opponent, told her promptly, "The Dark Mana¡­ it''s strong within her!"


    While the crowd panicked and exited the arena, Katie flipped her hair and glared at Ivory, "You¡­ Why do you take everything from me¡­!"


    "What are you talking about? I never took anything from you!" Ivory couldn''t believe she would ever see her own sister with Dark Mana at the Servant Competition. She knew that she held a grudge against her, but she didn''t know what triggered her and where the Dark Mana came from.


    Gripping the handle of her sword, she responded while she walked slowly towards her, "You took my family from me¡­ And now, you even plan to take my beloved Helios?"


    The silver-haired Master creased her forehead, "Helios? Who are you talking about?"


    "Helios¡­ the man you met in Prisma Gallery!" it only made her scorn her more, "See, you can''t even remember him! He said he loves you¡­ He said that he would make you his lover, that''s why he dragged me here with him to watch you¡­ While I¡­ I am always with him, yet, he never loved me!"


    As Katie continued blabbering, Anastasia approached Ivory and stood behind her and Sigmund. She noticed that Katie''s companion was not around, even though she said that she went with him.


    Anastasia then whispered to Ivory, "I will go after that man, Helios. I will leave her to the both of you... Cleanse her," she quickly turned back, and materialized her huge mosaic wings, then flew away.


    Ivory and Sigmund looked at each other, confused as to how she knew of the cleansing spell.


    Meanwhile, Principal Arthurdane focused on getting everyone out of the arena. While he and the other Educators were securing the place, his messenger arrived.


    "Sir, Prince Levi and Sir Xenos are already at the border of our Land. They will arrive soon."


    "Oh no¡­ I need you to go to him immediately and tell him that something bad is happening here. Tell him not to go here for his own safety. Also tell him that we will handle this situation, and we''ll tell him if it''s already safe to return."


    "Yes, sir!" and the messenger left in haste.


    Back to the arena, Ivory and Sigmund stared cautiously at Katie who pointed her sword at them.


    "I won''t let you become the champion! I will kill you before you do!" Katie screamed as she charged forward!


    Seeing Ivory stoned in shock, Sigmund pulled her towards him and hopped backwards. He then casted Air Magic, pushing Katie hard away from them!


    "Katie!" Ivory worriedly yelled. She turned to Sigmund, "Don''t hurt her please!"


    "You dimwit! Should I just let her hurt you?!" the Vampire responded in a loud tone, then he materialized his wings.


    "But she''s my sister!"


    "Ivory, she''s infested with the Dark Mana! Her desire to kill you is too strong!"


    Katie leaned the tip of the sword against the surface to help herself stand up.


    "Sigmund, we have to cleanse her immediately¡­" her vision turned blurry when tears formed in her eyes. She closed her eyes, her tears falling down her cheeks.


    Sigmund wiped Ivory''s tears using his fingers, and nodded at her.


    When Katie charged towards them once again, Sigmund grabbed Ivory by the waist and flew upwards.


    "Get down here, you coward!" Katie yelled. She then formed a ball of Fire on her hand and aimed at the two.


    Katie threw the fireball, and the Master and the Servant dodged it. She did it again and again, but the two would always dodge her attacks.


    "Sigmund, I have a plan. I need you to¡­" she whispered her plan to her Vampire Servant.


    Sigmund carefully brought her down, then he flew at the opposite side. Now, as they surrounded Katie on both sides, he focused on what Ivory asked him to do.


    Katie''s eyes were only fixated on Ivory, and she didn''t care much about her Vampire Servant. What went on her mind was only to eliminate Ivory in her life!


    Ivory materialized her level 3 magic staff. She faced the moon-shaped side of the staff towards Katie. Her light blue irises glowed as she focused her Silverblade mana at the tip.


    "Yaaaaa!!!" Katie screamed while she ran towards Ivory. Her sword clashed with her glowing staff!


    Katie''s sword flew and landed behind her, while she was thrown down to the floor.


    Then, an unexpected scene happened.


    "Katie!" Gordon came running down the stage. He did not want his two daughters to fight each other. He crouched behind Katie and lifted her head.


    "Father, don''t touch her, she''s not herself-"


    But it was too late.


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 Chapter 198 - "At Last, We Met"

    As soon as Katie opened her eyes, she used Fire magic and burned her father''s left shoulder!


    Gordon screamed in pain, but the light brown-haired woman only pushed him away. She stood up and picked up her gray sword. Since Katie''s body felt heavy because of the intensity of the mana blasted on her, she almost staggered as she walked forward.


    Anne and the kids, who were at the audience''s seats, couldn''t do anything but cry and drown in fear as they observed what was happening. Anne held Gracie and Flynn near her as well as covered their eyes with each of her hands. She was afraid that witnessing violence and the fight between their sisters would haunt them in their sleep.


    Seeing that Katie was too slow to move, Ivory took this chance to collect moisture and envelop it to cool her foster father''s burning shoulder. Because he was too far and Katie''s in between them, Ivory could not approach Gordon. She only used her magic staff to amplify her mana use. The silver-haired Master cried when she saw her kind father scream in pain. She believed that it was the Dark Mana''s fault, because even though Katie could be stubborn at times, she wouldn''t dare hurt her parents if she was herself.


    "Ivory, I''m done!" Sigmund yelled, grinning at the magic symbol he drew on the side of the stage. He then gestured to Gordon to step out of the stage, and he did as he was told while he touched his aching shoulder.


    Hearing her Vampire Servant''s cue, Ivory quickly stepped out of the stage as well. She pointed the moon-shaped side of the staff towards the stage, then casted her cleansing spell.


    "Gaaaaaaa!!!!" Katie screamed and screamed while black smoke appeared from her body and rose up in the sky.


    At the side, Gordon asked Sigmund, "What is happening to my daughter?"


    "Something bad possessed her, and Ivory is taking it out. Don''t worry, she won''t die," he explained. "But you have to do something about that burn¡­"


    "Let us treat his wounds," Principal Arthurdane suddenly came, bringing with him some academy assistants, as well as Lycus.


    When Gordon was taken to the treatment area by the assistants, Sigmund explained to the Principal and the other Servant on how Katie appeared so suddenly with the Dark Mana within her.


    Lycus then helped his Master and also did the cleansing spell. And as he did, the Principal and Sigmund conversed.


    "I think the person who did this to Ivory''s sister already knew about her existence. Otherwise, why would that person waste time to bring that brat here from Prisma City?" Sigmund clenched his fists.


    The principal asked, "Who is it?"


    "Helios is his name. I remembered that green-haired guy was the one who sketched Ivory in the Prisma Gallery back then, but I don''t know how he''s related to King Yama and his allies."


    "Where is he now? We should look for him!"


    The Vampire creased his brows and said, "That weird girl Anastasia Gaian said she''d look for him. She even suggested that Ivory should do the cleansing, which is weird. We wonder how she knew of the cleansing spell."


    Meanwhile, Anastasia looked down on the ground as she used her bright mosaic wings to illuminate the dim streets. Aside from having all four elements fully strengthened in her mana, she could also sense a person''s mana type. It was an ability that she took from the Heavenly Sacred Scroll before her holy soul set landed on a girl''s frail body.


    She flew slightly lower in order to sense Dark Mana as accurately as possible. Unfortunately, even as she was about to reach the border, she couldn''t find someone with Dark Mana.


    But to her surprise, she found someone of invaluable importance.


    When Levi raised his head towards the night sky, he felt like he was back at the Sanctuary. He saw a woman with ginger hair with mosaic-like, colorful wings similar to the mosaic glass windows in the prayer room. He rubbed his eyes, thinking if he was dreaming.


    Anastasia landed in front of the man with a very strong Silverblade mana, and she dissipated her wings. She gave him a smile and offered a handshake. "Prince Levian?"


    The prince, still stoned in amazement, didn''t notice her hand. If it wasn''t for Xenos who nudged his shoulder, he wouldn''t be able to shake it.


    "Yes. Just call me Levi, but¡­ who are you?"


    "I think you already know who I really am, but you can call me Anastasia."


    It seemed as if the woman already knew what he was thinking about. He told her, "If you''re here down in our Kingdom¡­ then something bad must be going on."


    Anastasia nodded at him and said, "Take the fastest horse to Qawiun Academy, and meet your destined Servant."


    Levi widened his eyes, "My¡­ My Servant?" a big smile formed on his lips, "Finally!"


    "But¡­ the situation is a bit complicated."


    "What do you mean?"


    "You''ll know once you get there. Please be quick."


    The confused Levian just nodded at her. With the help of Xenos, they borrowed a horse each, then headed towards the direction of the academy.


    Anastasia was left with the border guards. She decided to stay there, just in case anyone with Dark Mana passes by.


    Back to the arena''s stage, black smoke still rose from Katie''s body.


    "Why does she have too much Dark Mana¡­" Ivory murmured. Does it mean Katie''s hatred towards her made the Dark Mana strong within her? Or perhaps, Helios did something or said something that triggered her to be like this?


    Good thing Lycus was there to help her with the cleansing spell. It took them several minutes before they fully cleansed Katie.


    When there was no more black smoke coming from Katie and as the sword and her body armor dissipated with the smoke, Ivory and Lycus stopped the spell.


    Katie dropped to the ground, unconscious, and the Sprucemint family ran towards her.


    "Katie, dear, please wake up," Anne uttered as she rested her daughter''s head on her lap. Tears started to fall from her eyes and down on Katie''s cheek.


    Ivory said, "Apologies that I have to do that, mother. It was to destroy the Dark Mana."


    "Dark¡­ Mana?"


    "Mother, it made Katie''s emotions and anger uncontrollable."


    Gracie and Flynn looked worriedly at their sister, who hadn''t gone back home for three years. They waited patiently for her to wake up as they stood beside their mother.


    Because she had not yet awakened, Principal Arthurdane decided to let her sleep in the academy''s clinic. Gordon was also there, getting treated for his burn on his shoulder.


    While the Sprucemint family stayed in the clinic, Ivory and the others talked outside of the building.


    "Thank you for helping us, sir," Ivory bowed a little to Principal Arthurdane.


    "It''s alright," he smiled at her, "By the way, the Prince is at the border. I asked my messenger to stop him from going here until it''s safe-"


    "Sir! We have a problem!" The principal''s messenger suddenly came on a horse.


    "Huh? What is it?" Principal Arthurdane looked up to him.


    "Prince Levian, he''s already¡­"


    Soon after, they heard fast galloping horses nearby. When they glanced behind, two men went down the horses, and they immediately approached them.


    "What''s this? You did not deliver my message?" the principal asked his messenger.


    "Apologies, sir, I was too late. I met them at Alpharion City."


    "Principal, stop scolding the poor guy. I decided to go here as fast as I can, because I was informed that my Servant is here-" Levi paused when he saw the woman behind the principal.


    The prince was mesmerized by her beauty. Her beautiful light-blue irises reflected the bright moon. Her silky, silver hair, and her fair skin were just like how they appeared in his dreams. He was too excited that it made his heart race, since he had been wanting to meet her all this time.


    On the other hand, Ivory stared at the Silverblade Prince. Meeting him for the first time felt as if her world slowed down, and for some reason, she was drawn in his presence.


    Principal Arthurdane noticed the Prince staring behind him. "Oh, I forgot to introduce them. These are Lycus, Ivory, and Sigmund."


    And the three of them bowed to the Prince.


    When Levi heard the names, he panned his sight towards the Vampire Servant, who was familiar with him.


    "Sigmund¡­" he glared at him.


    "Prince Levi. Long time no see," he knelt down in front of him. "I am glad to see you all grown up and healthy-"


    "How can you have the nerve to appear in front of me!"


    Levi was about to push Sigmund, but she was blocked by Ivory.


    "Your Highness, please, hear us out," her light blue irises gazed at him, "He couldn''t remember what he did years ago, so we are currently investigating it. There are many things that don''t make sense!"


    "Surely, many things do not make sense. Why are you protecting this insolent Vampire?"


    When Levi was about to touch Ivory''s face, Sigmund blocked him.


    He shoved his hands away, then pulled Ivory towards him. He did not care any more if he was the Silverblade prince. For him, Ivory shouldn''t be touched by anyone, especially since she''s his alone.


    "Don''t touch my Master!" he growled.


    The prince thought he heard it wrong, "She''s¡­ what? Your Master?"

 Chapter 199 - "Who Are You, Ivory?"

    "Yes. We formed a contract." Sigmund replied to the prince with a serious expression.


    "What- That''s ridiculous!" Levi laughed out loud. "If you chose to lie to me, make it believable, at least."


    "Uhh¡­ Apologies for cutting your conversation, but Ivory summoned Sigmund during the Summoning Ritual, and everyone saw it," Principal Arthurdane explained.


    Xenos also added, "I would like to add into it. She went with him to Gallean Town and that''s where we first met, when we defeated Euphorie, who was infested with the Dark Mana¡­ I was actually informed he was of the Spirit Class."


    Levi panned his sight around them, and that''s when he realized that Anastasia was right. It was a really complicated situation.


    He knew he shouldn''t outright reveal Ivory''s real identity. He still needed to know who among the bunch of people in front of him he could trust.


    And Sigmund''s out of his list.


    Lycus stayed quiet behind Ivory and Sigmund. At that moment, he wanted to say a lot of things to the Silverblade prince, but he couldn''t find the courage to do it. The Werewolf Servant wanted to seek Levi''s help regarding his Master''s situation, but his loyalty to his Ivory was stopping him from doing so.


    Levi noticed Lycus, who was oddly quiet. He also noticed his similar silver hair, "You¡­ Are you a¡­"


    Lycus nodded. He gave him a ''please keep quiet'' gesture, which the prince immediately understood.


    "This is troublesome," Levi muttered, scratching the back of his head.


    Seconds later, Lucius came running towards them, "The audience are all gone, they''re all safe-" he stopped his tracks when he saw an unfamiliar face, "Ah, apologies, I didn''t know you had guests."


    "This is Prince Levian Silverblade," the principal told him.


    Lucius gaped in awe. Finally, the Prince had arrived, and he looked forward to asking him a lot of questions. He bowed to him, "I pay respects to the Silverblade prince."


    "No need for formalities. And please call me Levi, as I have been living as a commoner."


    The blond young man smiled at him, "I shall follow your orders."


    "You are?"


    "I am Lucius Goldwine. Son of General Darius Goldwine and his wife Diana."


    "It''s good to meet you."


    Lucius glanced at Ivory, who seemed bothered. He told the prince, "I see you have met my sister."


    "Your sister?" the prince was confused. There was no other woman there with them, but Ivory.


    "Yes, Ivory is my sister. Is something wrong-"


    "But how is she your sister?!" Levi yelled, making them surprised, "Explain everything to me!"


    Lucius observed how the Prince was enraged when he knew about Ivory being his sister. But what was the reason? Whatever it was, he had to uncover the truth.


    "Your Highness¡­ Can we talk privately?" he asked politely.


    Judging by Lucius'' gaze, Levi knew something was up. He calmed himself down and nodded in response, and the two of them borrowed the principal''s office to talk.


    The moment that Lucius and the prince entered the Principal''s office, the first thing they did was to close the door and casted a sound barrier. Both sat on blue velvet-covered sofas opposite each other, which were located in the middle of the room.


    From his pocket, Lucius placed the forbidden scroll on top of the wooden coffee table. He told Levi, "I was told that only the direct descendants of the late Silverblade King can open this."


    "And this is?" Levi grabbed the scroll and studied it while waiting for his response.


    "My sister''s birth information."


    The prince nodded at him, and he followed Lucius'' instructions on how to unlock the spell. He focused his Silverblade mana onto the scroll, and in just a minute, the string disappeared, and the scroll unrolled on its own.


    Word by word, Levi read the content. As he did, he furrowed his brows, and paused for a long while to think.


    Noticing this, the blond young man asked, "Your Highness?"


    "Call your sister, and the man with silver hair," he ordered.


    Lucius nodded. "How about Ivory''s Vampire Servant?"


    "No. Tell him to wait."


    After Lucius opened the door for them, Ivory and Lycus entered. He blocked Sigmund''s path, "Apologies. It is instructed by the Prince that you wait here."


    "No way, I-"


    "Sigmund¡­ I am serious," he looked at the Vampire intently.


    The way Lucius stared at him made him shut his mouth. He seemed anxious, and whatever it was, he was sure it was related to Ivory. But what was it?


    How could he know, if they put on a sound barrier?


    "Please wait here. Do not anger the prince."


    Sigmund sighed, before he nodded at him and closed the door. He knew that the prince was furious at him for thinking that he was the one who killed his family, and he understood that part. Unfortunately, he had to endure it for now because there was no evidence to prove his innocence yet.


    Back at the office, Ivory sat beside Prince Levi, while Lycus sat beside Lucius.


    Levi handed over the scroll to Ivory, "This is your birth information."


    Ivory hesitated, for she remembered what Lycus said back then: "If I tell you the truth, you and Sigmund might not be able to handle it¡­ I am sure it will bring a wedge between the two of you!"


    Recalling that statement, the silver-haired Master glanced at her Werewolf Servant with a confused expression.


    Lycus stared at her, not saying anything. What could they do? If the prince already gave the scroll, then she had no other choice. The loyal Werewolf Servant wondered if she could handle the truth. But whatever her decision would be, he promised himself that he would honor it.


    Ivory''s hands trembled while she gripped the scroll in her hands. For some reason, she couldn''t bring herself to open it.


    Levi asked, peering into her light blue irises, "What''s wrong?"


    "This¡­ I can''t¡­"


    "Why? You can tell me what''s bothering you,"


    reached out to her hand.


    The moment he touched her, Ivory felt shivers down her spine. She began talking without hesitation, as if something''s telling her not to disobey the man in front of her. It was then that she figured out: her body might have reacted to Levi''s mana.


    "I''d rather die than know the truth," Ivory voiced out with a weak voice.


    Levi raised his brow, "Why do you refuse to know the truth?"


    "Lycus said¡­ that the truth will affect mine and Sigmund''s relationship."


    "Aren''t you overreacting? Why would you rather die if he''s just a mere Servant of yours?"


    "Because I love Sigmund... as a lover."


    Levi immediately pulled his hand away when he heard the shocking truth.


    Ivory, dumbfounded with what she had just said, covered her mouth, "What¡­ what happened? Why did I-"


    "I used my authority to make you speak, with the help of my mana. It is something that only a true Silverblade King could do," the prince answered in an assertive tone. He then grabbed the scroll from Ivory''s hands. He unrolled it and put it right in front of her face. "I want you to face the truth¡­ This is your fate!"


    The silver-haired woman widened her eyes, not believing the words in front of her sight. Seeing the names of her real parents, Ivory''s tears started to roll down her cheeks.


    "Mother¡­ Deshanna Fogheart. Father¡­ Wolfram of the Werewolf Class?"


    Lycus saw how confused she was, so he explained, "Miss Deshanna changed her name to Diana when she hid in the General''s mansion. At that time, you were in her womb."


    "Lycus¡­ This was the truth that I refused to know all this time?"


    The Werewolf Servant nodded at her.


    "Deshanna Fogheart¡­ isn''t that the name of Sigmund''s past Master? And Wolfram¡­ isn''t he the late King''s Werewolf Servant? What is happening!?"


    Ivory knew that logically, it wouldn''t be possible.


    Unless, someone high up above interfered with them.


    Ivory broke down and cried. At times like these, the truth should have already set her free, but it was the opposite. She only felt like she entered a cage of loneliness, and she could only be freed if she''d perish.


    "Sigmund hates Werewolves, and I am one of them¡­" she murmured to herself.


    Levi saw how the silver-haired woman was drowning in self-pity. Nevertheless, she had to face the truth. If she wouldn''t learn about it today, she would still be forced to face it someday. It would be best for her to know it sooner, especially that they needed to face the evil reigning King.


    The Silverblade prince said, "I will read the other parts of the scroll-"


    "No, stop! Please!" Ivory wailed as she hurriedly reached out for the scroll.


    But Levi threw it to Lucius and told him while he blocked Ivory with his arm, "Read it out loud, please."


    "Yes¡­" Lucius glanced at his pitiful sister, whose eyes were already red and puffy.


    Levi gripped Ivory''s shoulders, preventing her from going to her younger brother and taking away the scroll from him.


    "Uhh¡­" the blond young man cleared his throat. "The lower part of the scroll is a contract.. It says that the child of Wolfram and Deshanna will be Prince Levian''s¡­ Servant."

 Chapter 200 - "Softening The Iron Heart"

    As soon as Lucius read the last word, he accidentally dropped the scroll. In just one night, Ivory, who was full of dreams and hopes to become the strongest Master in the Kingdom of Destinia, came to know that she was actually a Servant. He pinched his arm to see if it was just a dream, but apparently, it wasn''t.


    Ivory murmured to herself, "I am¡­ I am His Highness''-"


    Levi clenched her shoulders, making Ivory face him. "You are right¡­ Take a closer look at my face, we''ve already met in our dreams," and he gave her a kind smile.


    Ivory looked into his eyes, and it was then she realized that he was telling the truth. His brown hair and his distinct calm indigo irises made her remember her odd dreams.


    Ivory was sure Levi was really the persistent young man in her dream, the one she was always avoiding and running away from.


    "If you drank the holy wine of the Werewolves, then you will never be able to escape your fate. You already became a true member of their pack," the prince explained, "Your Werewolf abilities awakened, and you will be my Servant whether you like it or not."


    Ivory furrowed her brows. She recalled her vivid dream in the oak forest. Wolfram did make her drink wine when she took an oath of loyalty to the Silverblades. Unfortunately, their conversation was cut off before she even asked more about them.


    Levi waited for Ivory''s response.


    At that moment, Ivory couldn''t speak, nor could she move. The truth was too much for her to bear, and she wanted to hide from everyone. It should be an honor to become the Silverblade Prince''s Werewolf Servant, but she''s half human. She had dreams and desires of her own.


    And most of all, she had Sigmund.


    "Prince Levian¡­ About Sigmund¡­" she uttered, "He''s a bit stubborn, but in reality, he''s actually kind-"


    "Whatever you say about that murderer, my opinion won''t change," he said sternly, almost glaring at her. "And guess what? He also attempted to kill your mother and you while still in her womb!"


    "No!" her voice almost raised, "Sigmund wouldn''t do it¡­ Please believe me, some of his memories are gone! He''s not that kind of person-"


    "So you believe that Vampire, instead of me, your Master? I''ve longed to meet you, but this is how you treat me?" Levi clenched his fists, "You leave me no choice. I am going to force you to unsummon that Vampire-"


    "Please don''t hurt him!" Ivory suddenly knelt on the floor. She placed her hands on his feet, looking up to the sitting prince. "I beg you¡­ I''ll do anything, just don''t make him disappear¡­"


    The moment he saw her desperation, the prince was mad that that situation made him seem like the bad guy. But he was only doing it because he needed Ivory to reclaim the throne, and aside from that, he strongly believed that it was their destiny to be Master and Servant.


    Still looking at her while she shed tears like waterfalls, the prince suggested, "How about a deal?"


    She looked at him with teary eyes.


    "Sever ties with your Servants. Be my full-fledged Servant until I become King," he gazed at her lonely eyes.


    "But... what will happen to them if I sever ties with them?"


    "I will let Lycus return to his past Master, and Sigmund will be under our strict supervision until I reclaim the throne. Once we achieve it, I will give you a chance to speak with Goddess Destinia. Ask for her blessing for you and that Vampire''s relationship."


    Ivory clenched her trembling fists.


    As Ivory sat in silence in front of Levi, Lucius was quietly observing them. It was good that he also knew about everything so that he could ask their mother what her plans would be once she returns. He would bombard her with numerous questions about her interesting past. That way, Diana would have no choice but to let her son be involved. He thought it would be the blonde young man''s way of protecting his pitiful sister, and his mother, too.


    The long meeting ended, and finally, Ivory and the others got out of the principal''s office. As the sound barrier dissipated, Sigmund immediately checked on Ivory, and noticed her puffy eyes.


    "Hey¡­ What happened?" the Vampire cupped her chin and took a closer look.


    Ivory held his hand and smiled. "Things just got over dramatic."


    "Don''t keep secrets from me. You promised."


    She nodded, "Yes. I''ll tell you once we get home¡­ Come now, we need to check up on Katie''s condition."


    Sigmund noticed how Ivory held his hand tightly as they walked on the hallway. He loved it when she''s having skinship with him, but for some reason, her sad expression was getting him worried.


    Ivory never let go of the Vampire''s hand until they reached the clinic. Her mind was clouded with anxiousness, fearing that she might lose her beloved with just a flick of a finger from Prince Levian.


    Walking behind them were Lucius, Lycus, and Prince Levian, but they did not comment on her actions.


    At that moment, Levi let his Werewolf Servant Ivory be with Sigmund. It was a disappointing sight because she blindly loved the wrong man. The prince knew it was not her fault, and maybe it was not the Vampire''s fault.


    Although he wanted to blame the Goddess for giving them a hard life, Levi shook off that thought. What was she doing at the border? Would she help him reclaim the throne personally?


    Perhaps something inevitable happened in heaven that drowned the Kingdom of Destinia in chaos. Whatever it was, he''s sure it was serious enough to make Goddess Destinia descend using a mortal''s body.


    Prince Levian waited at the door of the clinic with Xenos, while Ivory and the others went straight to where the Sprucemint family was.


    When they arrived, Katie was sitting on the clinic''s bed, crying over and over again. "I¡­ I can''t believe I hurt father¡­" she buried her face in her palm. "How can I do that¡­ I am so stupid¡­"


    "Katie, you were not yourself. Ivory already explained," Anne said while hugging her and patting her back.


    Gordon, whose burn wounds were already cleaned and dressed by the nurse, patted his daughter''s shoulder with his right hand, "Whatever happens, you will always be our daughter, Katie. Why don''t you return home for good?"


    Katie pulled away slowly from her mother''s embrace, then nodded, "I was never a good daughter to you¡­ but you still want me to return home? Even if I did a lot of bad things?"


    Gracie and Flynn tugged her arm in a playful manner. The two kids told her to come home because they missed her so much.


    Hearing her two siblings'' pleas made the stubborn Katie''s iron heart soften. She was touched that even though she was away for quite a long time, her family still welcomed her. The truth was, she actually knew how much they cared for her because they never ceased to write letters to her every week. It was only her who was arrogant and refused to open up to them.


    Katie glanced at the side, noticing Ivory''s swollen eyes. "I didn''t make you cry, did I?"


    "Katie¡­" Ivory quickly went forward and hugged her tightly. "I am glad that you''ll be returning home with us. Let''s get along, okay?" she pulled away, then shook hands with her as a sign of peace.


    Katie chuckled, feeling a bit better with the peaceful gesture. She told her jokingly while she clenched Ivory''s hand, "How about not getting along, like before?"


    "Sounds great. As long as you return home."


    The sisters once again hugged each other, then one by one, the members of the Sprucemint family household went to them, making a group hug.


    Afterwards, Ivory asked Katie, "By the way, can you remember what happened before you snapped? What made you feel intense negative emotions?"


    "Well¡­ Before your battle started, Helios told me that he wanted to be Ivory''s lover. He even showed me a beautiful ring, saying that he would give it to you. I got mad, and I snatched the ring and wore it¡­ That''s all I can recall."


    "What is the ring''s appearance? Does it have something like a gemstone on it?" Sigmund asked Katie.


    She answered, "It has a shiny, black gemstone. If you see it, give it to me-"


    "It probably broke after the cleansing ritual," Ivory voiced out, then saw the disappointment in Katie''s eyes.


    "That man Helios is too suspicious," the Vampire furrowed his brows, "How did you meet him?"


    Katie told them that it was actually Helios'' sister, Fiona, who introduced him to her. She was her friend at the painter''s club she joined at Omegalion City.


    "Helios is like my art mentor at Prisma Gallery, and we always spend time with each other. He''s a handsome gentleman, a talented guy, a wise person, and his smile is so-"


    "Katie! Can you not praise him too much?" Ivory retorted.. "Just tell us the relevant details."

 Chapter 201 - "Katies First Love" (extra)

    They said that once you meet the love of your life, everything will change.


    That was the case for Katie Sprucemint. A fateful encounter made her world turn in slow motion, the type wherein she couldn''t get her eyes away from the green-haired young man who smiled at her sweetly.


    As the youngest master painter in Prisma City, Helios had always been a ladykiller. Women from different cities and towns would visit the Prisma Gallery just to watch him do his live sketch and painting. He had an empty part of the gallery which had nothing on the walls, and he told them that he would fill them with paintings of the most beautiful woman he''d see.


    This was the reason why most of the women would line up and visit the gallery. They hoped that Helios would notice their charms and choose them!


    When Katie first arrived at the gallery, she was too shy to speak with the young man, which was in contrast to her behavior when she''s with her family.


    "Miss Sprucemint, welcome to Prisma Gallery. If you need anything, don''t hesitate to tell me," his kind gaze and calm voice made Katie starstruck.


    There was something magical in the man''s eyes that always made her stare at him for so long. She was not sure whether it was love at first sight, or she was just fascinated with his talent. Nevertheless, she was sure about something - she already liked him.


    In her first few days in Prisma Gallery, Katie adjusted a lot to her new independent life. Together with her friend Fiona, who was also Helios'' older sister, she cleaned the gallery everyday, making sure that every corner was dust-free. At first, she was worried that other people might belittle her.


    But later on, Katie did not mind it at all, especially when she also helped Helios clean his brushes. For her, the best part about cleaning was when both of their hands were submerged in the water. She would blush whenever Helios would accidentally get his hands near her.


    At some point, Katie found herself inspired and immersed in building up her own painting technique. When Helios saw her practicing alone, he offered to mentor her. Of course, Katie agreed right away.


    Because she spent most of her time with Helios, her admiration for him got deeper. She''d get mad if she saw him speak with other women, and her mood would turn sour once she saw him smile in front of the crowd. It might seem like she was bewitched, but she told herself that he''s truly a magnificent person so it would only be normal for her to feel that way.


    Still, she chose not to confess to him, worried that the friendship she developed with him would be affected.


    Several months had passed, and Katie achieved a better reputation in the city. From being a cleaning lady of the gallery, she became a docent, and was tagged by Prisma City locals as the most beautiful woman.


    It happened ever since Fiona and Helios'' mother gifted Katie a lot of expensive clothes, which were worn only by nobles. Although their mother was quite aloof, Katie positively viewed her as a hardworking person, who made jewelry nonstop under the gallery''s basement and rarely showed herself to them.


    Aside from that, her friend Fiona also encouraged her to dress up like a noble because it would most likely attract noble men. She told her she could have the best life if she worked hard in that matter.


    But Katie agreed, not only to attract rich men and be the center of attention in the city, but also to impress Helios.


    Just as Katie thought she wouldn''t have anyone to outrank her in terms of beauty, Ivory Sprucemint suddenly appeared in the gallery. What''s more, she was even sketched by Helios, kissed her hand, and told her that as the chosen one, he would display her beauty in the reserved part of the gallery which only had blank walls. In just one day, Ivory took all three things that Katie wanted Helios to do with her!


    The young woman disliked her foster older sister to appear in her territory. Like an angry animal, she kept on whining, frustrated about her.


    Katie hated it when someone stole her spotlight, especially when it would affect the reputation she worked hard for. It was one of the reasons why she left their house, because she felt as if no one noticed her good side. In her hometown, she''s only viewed as the blueberry picker Katie.


    Compared to a life being praised like a goddess rather than a measly peasant, she would choose the former. She only wanted to be recognized, which she felt did not happen before, so Katie swore to herself to never return to Greensteid!


    One day, the news about the Servant Competition spread like wildfire. When the news reached Prisma Gallery, Helios came rushing towards Katie in one of the painting rooms.


    "Katie, are you free tomorrow?" he asked with enthusiasm in his tone.


    His eyes twinkled in excitement, and he was more beautiful than the man she had been drawing since morning. Katie then said, "Yes. Why?"


    "Accompany me," he said. "I want to watch the Grand Finals¡­ Your sister Ivory will be there!"


    When she heard her name, she accidentally dropped her brush. The annoyed Katie was about to refuse, but seeing Helios in such a happy mood made her accept his nagging.


    And so the next day, she and Helios rode a private carriage towards Qawiun Academy Arena.


    Katie was already in a bad mood as she saw Ivory win the first round of the grand finals.


    Before the battle of Ivory and Anastasia, Helios took a ring from his pocket, then showed it to Katie.


    The young woman thought she finally had a chance at him and would give it to her as a gift, but she was wrong.


    "I really like your sister, so I want to give this to her afterwards. I will ask her to be my lover today."


    Katie furrowed her brows and clenched her fists. She snapped, grabbing the ring which was in front of her eyes. She immediately wore it, saying that she''s the rightful owner of the ring, and of his heart.


    And when Ivory and Anastasia''s battle was about to start, Katie suddenly felt a strong surge of energy circulating in her veins.


    ---


    They say that once you meet the love of your life, everything will change.


    But not all changes are good, and Katie Sprucemint was a victim of it.


    Her blind love for Helios only made her greedy and miserable, refusing to accept the bitter truth that he never loved her.

 Chapter 202 - "Run Away With Me, Sigmund"

    [Author''s note: Don''t get confused! Fiora = Topazeon Town, Fiona = Prisma City]


    Katie paused for a long while. She liked Helios for three years, doubting if she would be able to turn her back against him and spill his details to her family. But as soon as she panned her sight towards her father''s bandaged shoulder, she decided she''d help Ivory and her companions. Katie cleared his throat before she spoke, "From what I know, Helios'' mother is a jewelry maker, while his father is unknown."


    Sigmund crossed his arms. "The mother''s a jewelry maker? Now, I am even more suspicious of that Helios¡­" he explained as he thought about the black gemstones embedded on jewelries. The Vampire analyzed the situation, "Look, Katie met Fiona when she was in Omegalion City, even though there are many painters'' clubs at Prisma City. Why bother coming this far?"


    They all nodded.


    Ivory added, "You''re right, Sigmund. I think, from the start, they already knew that Katie''s connected to me¡­"


    The principal, who had a brief meeting with the Educators regarding assisting the prince, just arrived by the door. He noticed Prince Levian and Xenos leaning on the wall.


    "Your Highness, Xenos, why are you here outside? Why don''t you go in?"


    Levi shook his head. "No need¡­ By the way, I need to talk to you."


    Hearing this, the principal nodded, and together with Xenos, the three of them walked on the hallway. They went to the principal''s office and placed a sound barrier, before talking about Ivory''s real identity, and how she would be treated from now on.


    Moments later, the Sprucemint family rode the carriage to Greensteid Town. Principal Arthurdane''s messenger told Ivory and the others to not wait for the Principal, Prince Levian, and Xenos.


    And so, the Sprucemint family rode in one big carriage with four horses, while Ivory and her two Servants rode a smaller one. Lucius bid goodbye to them, then was called over to the principal''s office to join their meeting.


    When the Sprucemint family arrived at their house, Katie widened her eyes at the sight of their house. As far as she remembered it was not that cozy and nice!


    "General Goldwine sponsored to renovate our house? But why would he do that?" Katie asked as she assisted his father inside the house.


    Gordon responded, "The truth is¡­ Ivory is the General''s daughter."


    "WHAT!?" she glanced at Ivory, who just smiled at her. "You''re a noble! What are you still doing here instead of the Goldwine mansion?!"


    "I can''t make myself leave, Katie. This is my home, and it will never change."


    "You''re too sentimental. If I were you I''d enjoy the perks of being the General''s daughter," she jokingly rolled her eyes.


    "But I am not you, Katie," Ivory laughed. She then pinched her cheeks and said, "You know, this house is better with you. It''s more lively!"


    "You just want to say that I am noisy! You can''t fool me with your words!" Katie pouted, which made the others laugh.


    Afterwards, the Sprucemint family spent a few more minutes telling how things have been since she left. Ivory also told her that she had two Servants, Lycus and Sigmund because she had two types of mana. Katie said that she didn''t care, but when she learned that they''ve been doing household chores and harvesting fruits, she suddenly gave them a friendly smile. In her mind, she had plans on giving all her chores to both of them!


    After catching up, the Sprucemint family went to their room and slept. While their happiness continued in their dreams, Ivory, Sigmund, and Lycus conversed in the attic bedroom.


    Ivory opened an empty, big duffel bag and started choosing clothes and underwear from her closet. Both of her Servants looked at her with confused expressions.


    Noticing this in her peripheral view, she said, "Sigmund, pack your things."


    "Huh? Where are we going?" the Vampire asked confusingly.


    "I''ll tell you later. Just do as I say."


    Seeing Ivory serious with her request, Sigmund took the empty knapsack from her closet and put in some of his things. However, he couldn''t help himself wonder if her actions were related to what happened inside the principal''s office.


    Lycus, who was not asked to pack his things, just stared at Ivory and Sigmund. He didn''t even have to ask anything to her. He knew what she was trying to do.


    Closing the full duffel bag, Ivory turned to Lycus and told him that they needed to go.


    Lycus nodded at her and opened the window. "Master, Vampire¡­ Take care," he said.


    "Thank you so much, Lycus," Ivory gave him a tight embrace. "Please look after my family."


    He nodded, and Ivory stroked his head, saying that he trusts him and he already knows what to do.


    Sigmund first jumped down, and when he was ready to catch Ivory, he gave a thumbs up gesture.


    Ivory, confident that the Vampire Servant would catch her, jumped down. As expected, Sigmund caught her safely in his arms.


    After her beloved brought her down to the ground, Ivory waved her hand as she looked up to Lycus at the attic''s window. Then, she and Sigmund started walking towards the main road out of Greensteid Town.


    "Hey¡­ Where are we going?" Sigmund asked after a long silence.


    She turned her head towards him and replied, "Anywhere¡­ somewhere where no one knows about us. We''ll run away from all this mess."


    When Sigmund heard this, he was excited, but at the same time bothered. He was excited because it would be his chance to spend his everyday life with Ivory, but he was also bothered because of the way Ivory looked at him in a sad expression.


    They promised not to keep secrets. But what was it? What was bothering Ivory that her eyes seemed lifeless?


    When he was about to ask, Ivory suddenly held Sigmund''s hand tightly. She never let him go until they reached the border of the Land of Olivea.


    It took them a long time before deciding on where to stay. At the end of their debate, they chose the first town nearest the border of the Land of Rosaria - Rubia, the town of merchants!

 Chapter 203 - "Living Like A Married Couple"

    Ivory and Sigmund walked by foot to Rubia Town. They passed by the border guards, showing Ivory''s enchanted scroll indicating that she was a graduate of Qawiun Academy. They arrived in the busy town around noontime, and the first thing they did was find a house for rent.


    The two of them inquired to some merchants in the marketplace, until they were recommended to go to the small community. There was a really cheap cottage, but it was located at the far back of the community, near Rubia Forest. It was an isolated space.


    Hearing this, Ivory and Sigmund agreed, wanting to actually be far from other people.  They handed out 100 silver coins to the old woman who owned the small cottage, and she led them there. When they went inside, they realized that it would need a lot of cleaning!


    "We also offer cleaning services for 50 silver coins," the old woman said with a grin.


    "Ah, we can clean by ourselves," Ivory replied, trying to be polite, "Thank you. You may leave, we''re worried about your health because it is dusty here."


    As soon as the old woman departed, Ivory let out a sigh.


    "You''re good at finding excuses," Sigmund chuckled.


    "Meanie!" Ivory yelled jokingly. When she found a broom at the side of the living room, she ran towards it and threw it to Sigmund.


    "How brazen of you, Ivory. Asking your lover to clean," he said as he stared at her, then walked towards her direction.


    Ivory was then cornered, "You should do your part! You sweep the floors, and I''ll remove the vines on the walls outside!"


    Sigmund stared long at her, before she kissed her on the forehead, "Let''s clean this shitty house quickly so we can rest."


    Ivory agreed with him, then they got busy with their tasks. When Ivory stepped out, Sigmund used Air magic to gather all the dust in one place. Then, he used Water magic to mop the floor and clean the walls, and a little bit of Fire magic to warm up the room and dry it.


    Ivory, on the other hand, manually pulled the vines. And when she got wounded because she did not notice that some vines had thorns, the Vampire ran towards her.


    Sigmund held her hand and sipped the oozing blood from her pointing finger. Every time he licked her, Ivory shivered, and she let out a weak moan.


    "Can''t wait?" he smirked at her.


    "What are you talking about, I- Hey, you should be cleaning! What are you doing here?" she changed the topic as she blushed.


    "Obviously, replenishing my mana."


    Ivory then pulled her hand away from him and ran towards the house. She was shocked to see that it was already squeaky clean!


    "Aren''t I amazing?" Sigmund uttered.


    Ivory knew that it was in his nature to want to be praised by his Master. "Yes, Sigmund, you''re amazing. That''s why I fell in love with you¡­"


    When Ivory realized that she said something too sweet, she covered her mouth with her hands, and her cheeks turned red like a rose.


    Sigmund found Ivory cute when embarrassed. He teased her even more before they finally decided to finish cleaning the whole house, including the exterior.


    Because there was no furniture inside, Sigmund went with Ivory to the forest to gather leaves using Air magic. Fortunately, there were no town guards around, or else they''d be caught.


    As soon as they returned to their house, Sigmund took all the leaves on one part of the bedroom. "Let''s gather wood tomorrow and make decent furniture," he suggested.


    Ivory nodded. Suddenly, her stomach growled!


    The Vampire chuckled, "Shall we head over to the marketplace and look for something delicious?"


    "Yes!" she linked her arms onto him and with a big smile, they went outside.


    It was nearly sunset, yet the marketplace was still crowded. Rubia Town is famous as the center of commerce, and goods from all over the kingdom were taken there for merchant trade.


    While Ivory searched for meat, Sigmund looked at jewelries. Aside from being vigilant to assess if black gemstones would bring out red glow in reaction to their Dark Mana, he also wanted to give his beloved a present. But he knew that they should not buy something expensive because of their current poor status.


    It wasn''t long until they found food - something so cheap, yet inexpensive. In one part of the marketplace was a stall offering grilled pork. They bought some for supper and returned to their humble abode.


    Aside from food, they also bought some candles, blankets, and pillows. They took these items home, then prepared a barrel to store clean water.


    They had a simple, yet fun supper talking about their adventures together in front of the bonfire, just outside their house. It was Ivory who first reminisced as she stared at the burning wood, and Sigmund wondered why she was a bit dramatic.


    He guessed that maybe her actions were related to Prince Levian. Did he say anything to Ivory that made her decide to run away?


    When Sigmund asked this, Ivory nodded at him, but she changed the topic.


    The Vampire then said in a deep voice, "Ivory. Stop keeping it from me," his red irises glowed as he felt intense emotions, "Spill it. What did that kid tell you?"


    "He''s no kid, he''s Prince Levian. Watch your words, Sigmund, we can''t have him as an enemy..."


    His eyes stopped glowing once he saw the frightened look on Ivory''s face. Did the prince threaten her or something?


    Ivory then uttered, "Can we not talk about this? How about forgetting them all, and just enjoy the following days with me?" she then moved closer to Sigmund. She extended her arms on his shoulder and kissed him deeply.


    Because Ivory did that, Sigmund couldn''t speak further. It was obvious that his Master wanted him not to ask for details. It was a kiss to make him shut up.


    The couple then decided to rest for the day. In the dim bedroom wherein the window was opened, the moonlight served as their candle.


    Sigmund said, "Change into your sleepwear, Ivory. We cleaned the house, so our clothes are dirty."


    "Yes," she answered in a soft voice.


    The Vampire widened his eyes when she suddenly stripped in front of him. The moonlight illuminated Ivory''s fair skin, and upon seeing this Sigmund couldn''t help himself but gulp. He felt his pants tighten, and he knew he might not control himself.


    "Sigmund¡­" she approached him and caressed his cheek. "I love you so much."


    "Ivory¡­ I love you, too."


    The Vampire placed a sound barrier in the room, then wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her naked body closer to him, and pecked her in the lips, cheeks, and neck.


    It wasn''t long until he succumbed to his bloodlust. With glowing crimson red irises, Sigmund bit her neck and drank her blood like a thirsty man.


    The two of them did not stop themselves from making love as if there was no tomorrow. And after that steamy night, they laid down on the makeshift bed made of leaves, in the comfort of each other''s warmth.


    ¡­


    Two weeks went on by, and Ivory and Sigmund were slowly getting used to their life like a married couple. They gathered fruits in the forest and sold them to the marketplace. Ivory also crafted some wooden beads, and made cute bracelets. These were very liked by the peasants and the middle class, so these were always sold out.


    Sigmund thought they''d live peacefully together forever. Ivory said that it was her dream, to be with him forever even though she would only be the one who''d grow old. The Vampire assured her that he would take care of her even though she''d have wrinkles, and teased how she might pee in her pants.


    Although everything seemed fine, Sigmund knew that there was something wrong behind Ivory''s smiles. Whenever he asked about what was bothering her, she would just brush it off and said she wanted to make the most of their days and not care about anything at all.


    Until one day, he woke up without Ivory by his side. It was odd, as a Servant, he never slept, unless he was casted on a sleeping spell.


    He saw a scroll resting on the pillow.


    In panic, Sigmund unrolled it, and he saw his beloved''s handwriting in black ink.


    "My love, I may have left, but my heart will only be yours. Whatever happens and wherever I go, remember that I love you so much.


    Apologies if I couldn''t tell you what has been bothering me. I only want us to have happy memories before I leave for a long time.


    Please do not be stubborn, and wait for me until Prince Levian becomes king¡­ I promise, I will return to you when that happens."


    The Vampire''s eyes glowed, and in despair he shattered Ivory''s letter into pieces. Although Ivory told him she would return, he was not that crazy to be patient. Reclaiming Prince Levian''s throne would mean that a war would break. With such a dangerous event that would happen, Sigmund was too worried for his beloved.


    But when he was about to leave the bedroom, his eyes widened as he felt a powerful, invisible barrier blocking his way. Aside from blocking his path, the barrier also prevented him from using magic.


    A few seconds later, Levi came with Xenos.


    "Prince Levian," his eyes stopped glowing, "Where is Ivory?"


    "She''s in the carriage. She agreed to my request that we''re going to defeat the Dragonicus clan together," Levi said in a cold tone. "I am taking her with me, so be a good boy and wait here."


    Shocked with the Prince''s announcement, he dropped the honorifics and yelled at him, "What the hell? She''s not going with you! Bring her back to me, she''s my everything!"


    He glared at the Vampire Servant, intense anger could be seen in his colored eyes, "This is my revenge on you. You took my family away from me, so now.... I will take your everything."

 Chapter 204 - "Unexpected Feast With The Pack"

    Sigmund gritted his teeth in anger. Why was he being punished for something that he knew to himself he did not do?


    Xenos told Sigmund in a kind tone, "Apologies, but we need Miss Sprucemint."


    "If you need more powerful ones, just take me with you, damn it! You might need my help in the war!"


    Prince Levian glowered at him before he asked Xenos to guard him along with their other comrades. Afterwards, Xenos made a sound barrier for the whole house.


    "Prince Levian!!!" the Vampire called again and again, but it was no use.


    The prince entered the carriage, and he sat in front of Ivory. To his surprise, she seemed calm and composed.


    "Your Highness¡­ Thank you for giving me some time," she told him while she looked at him.


    In one of her dreams, after she ran away, Ivory met Levian. The prince made an addition to his deal, which made her grab the opportunity right away.


    Levi promised to help investigate the murders inside the Silverblade Castle years ago. He also promised that if found innocent, he would make a decree that Sigmund would be a free man, without any crimes. That way, those who witnessed him kill would know that he had been proven innocent.


    "You made the right decision, Ivory. I promise you, I''ll treat you more than just a Servant, but a human and a friend as well. If there''s anything you want, like jewelries and good clothes, I can-"


    "Your Highness, Sigmund is the only one I want."


    "You know you can''t have him, unless Goddess Destinia really permits you."


    "I know, but still I¡­" tears started falling from her eyes. The strong front she had been covering to herself had now shattered, showing her true emotions.


    Levi watched her cry and couldn''t find the right words to say to her. After all, he''s the reason why she got separated from her beloved Vampire.


    He then asked the coachman to take them to Valios City.


    Using Xenos'' connection with the knights and Royal Knights, Levi''s allies were able to replace the knights around the Sanctuary ever since they talked about their tactics. They were also able to distinguish and communicate with the Silverblade clan''s supporters around the Kingdom while searching for Ivory.


    As soon as Ivory went inside the Sanctuary, she was shocked to see that it was crowded. "Is there a gathering or a ritual?" Ivory asked the prince.


    "They''re here to welcome you," Levi responded. "Come with me."


    She was led to the prayer room where the statue of Goddess Destinia was. Behind the statue was a colorful mosaic window with the Goddess'' image.


    "Ivory, dear!" a blonde woman ran towards her and hugged her tightly.


    "Miss Diana¡­" She widened her eyes at the sight of her mother whom she had not yet seen for a long time. She embraced her as well.


    "My daughter, call me mother from now on, okay?" Diana pulled away and gazed at Ivory''s light blue irises, "Have you been well?"


    "I¡­" Ivory wanted to answer with a yes, but she did not want to lie. After all, she remembered that in the Sanctuary, it is not allowed to be untruthful.


    "Ivory," a man''s voice was heard.


    When she turned around, she was shocked to see a handsome man with silver colored hair, and a pair of wolf ears. She recognized him as the Alpha wolf she met in the oak forest, but this time, he wore a plain white tunic.


    "Sir Wolfram-"


    "Call me father from now on."


    Ivory widened her eyes when she realized that the friendly wolf she met in the oak forest had become intimidating.


    "Your Eminence, the table has been prepared for the feast," one of the disciples said.


    "Alright," he said, then told the people in the room to follow him.


    While they walked in the hallway, Ivory kept on staring at Wolfram. She wanted to ask about a lot of things, but somehow, the change in his attitude towards her made her hesitate.


    In a small room that seemed like a prayer room, a hidden door was situated behind the altar. Inside that room was a spacious dining hall. The room was full of candle-lit chandeliers, and in the middle was a wagon garden planter with a big spider plant surrounded by small evergreen shrubs.


    Wolfram sat in the middle, while Ivory was ordered to sit beside him on the right. On the left of Wolfram was Prince Levi, while on the other side of Ivory was Diana. The other seats were occupied by the other members of the pack, as well as the disciples.


    Priestess Althaia who had just arrived sat in the vacant seat beside Diana. She greeted her, as well as the others. When the holy wine was served, she rose up from her seat and lifted the wine glass.


    The silver-haired priestess announced, "We are all gathered here tonight for three things. First, for Prince Levi''s safe return."


    She raised her glass towards the Prince, which was followed by the pack and other disciples. Prince Levi raised his glass as well before drinking his wine.


    Priestess Althaia continued, "Second, for His Eminence and the fallen pack''s presence."


    The wolf pack bowed down their heads in front of Wolfram and he raised his hand with a smile. Ivory was told to bow her head as well, in respect to his father.


    "And third, for the official welcoming of His Eminence''s daughter, Ivory," the priestess smiled at Ivory, who showed a subtle smile. She looked around the room and saw the pack bowing their heads at her. The Prince and her father Wolfram raised their glass when the priestess called her name.


    Servants are not required to eat, however, that feast was a formality and a celebration. They all took a sip, except for Ivory, who just stared at the wine glass she held.


    "What''s wrong?" Diana asked in a worried tone.


    "What kind of wine is this¡­" Ivory murmured, bothered with the last time she drank the wine offered by the Werewolves. Because of that certain wine, her Werewolf abilities awakened, and she didn''t want more things to happen to her.


    "Drink it. You are disrespecting our pack and the Prince," Wolfram ordered.


    Ivory saw him look at her with disdain, and so she forced herself to sip on the wine.


    When Wolfram saw her disappointed reaction, he told her, "From now on, you are going to live your life with honor as Prince Levian''s Werewolf Servant and as my daughter."


    Hearing this, Ivory''s brows creased, then glanced at the prince. He did not even bother to look at her and just munched his food. Either he was pretending not to hear the Alpha wolf''s statement, or he was just too hungry.


    Ivory only wanted to ask her Master about it. Did Wolfram know about his deal with her regarding Sigmund?


    She decided to tell the truth to him, "There is something I want you to know, father. Actually, I am-"


    "Later¡­ Let''s talk about it after the feast."


    Ivory nodded, then took the knife and grazed on the savory medium-rare steak on her plate.


    While they ate, a disciple suddenly announced, "Mister Lucius Goldwine has arrived."


    Ivory quickly got up from her seat and ran towards Lucius. She hugged him tightly and cried, "Lucius¡­ Help me, I-" she paused, realizing that there were many fallen Werewolves in the hall, who had both heightened hearing and smell. They might think that she hated her own clan.


    When Ivory pulled away from her half brother, she gave a sad expression, hoping to get her message across. She wanted to tell him that she didn''t know what to do.


    Lucius, being a sensitive person, knew that Ivory was not alright. Although she could finally reunite with the Werewolf pack, she looked like she did not belong at all.


    Diana stood up and walked towards them. She told everyone not to mind them and to just continue eating or chatting.


    "Mother¡­" Lucius creased his brow, "You made us worried. You should have at least left a note."


    Diana patted her son''s shoulder. "Apologies, my son. I was in a hurry. I had to go to one of the oak forests at a specific time."


    She also explained that Goddess Destinia appeared to her dream, and the heavenly being told Diana that she was the key to the Werewolves'' summoning to the Kingdom.


    Seconds later, Wolfram also went to them. He greeted Lucius with a friendly gesture and shook his hand. "Thank you for taking care of my daughter."


    Lucius was quite intimidated with the Alpha wolf''s light blue irises, which were far too similar with Ivory''s. He said, "No problem, Sir. It is my responsibility as her brother."


    "Please join us. We reserved a seat for you."


    Lucius thanked him, and followed the disciple who led him towards the vacant seat beside Prince Levian. Ivory and her parents went back to their seats in the same row.


    As soon as Lucius met the prince''s eyes, he politely greeted him and sat down.


    "Good day, Mister Goldwine."


    "Hello, Your Highness. Good day to you as well," Lucius smiled, then took a slab of steak onto his empty plate.


    Levi asked him as he watched him eat, "Be honest with me. You don''t want Ivory to become my Servant, do you?"

 Chapter 205 - "Confrontation Between Ivory And The Alpha Wolf"

    The blond young man almost dropped his knife, shocked with his straightforward question.


    Yes, Lucius didn''t want his only sister to become a Servant. She was a woman with big dreams, but her plans were all ruined ever since Prince Levian returned.


    He couldn''t complain, though; he knew he was just one of the Prince''s pawns in reclaiming his throne. He''s a famous man in the Land of Olivea as the Goldwine heir. However, he''s still nothing compared to Prince Levian Silverblade.


    "I was told that it is not allowed to lie in the Sanctuary''s premises."


    Levi nodded at him.


    Lucius sighed, "Then I should be honest. Yes, I do not want Ivory to become a Werewolf Servant."


    The Werewolves who still had their wolf ears heard his statement, and all of them turned their heads towards him.


    It was then that he realized that he shouldn''t have said it so casually.


    "Apologies, I didn''t mean to offend the Werewolf Class. I am just concerned for Ivory''s happiness and wishes," Lucius tried to explain.


    Wolfram glanced at him and said, "I understand. All of this is too sudden for Ivory, but her identity as my child and as the destined Servant of the prince will never change."


    "I understand what you mean as well, Sir." The blond young man was taken aback with what the Alpha wolf said. It was as if Ivory had no other choice.


    He peeked towards the other side where his mother sat, however, she just kept quiet. Perhaps, she already talked with Wolfram about this matter. Lucius also noticed his sister''s forlorn expression.


    Ivory stopped eating; she just stared at the meat on her plate and obviously lost her appetite.


    She vividly remembered the cheap, grilled meat dishes that she and Sigmund bought in the marketplace. Even though they just sat on dirt as they ate in front of the bonfire, for her, that situation was way better than what she was experiencing at the moment. All the delicious dishes in front of her seemed to be distasteful.


    Diana patted her daughter''s back and asked, "Ivory¡­ Are you alright?"


    It was the question she didn''t want to answer the most. She just smiled at her and continued to stare at her plate.


    When Wolfram saw this, he asked, "Is the food not to your liking, or¡­ perhaps you still want to return to your old life?"


    "Sir Wolfram- I mean¡­ Father¡­ Apologies. I am not just feeling well."


    The Alpha wolf knew that she was lying, but despite that, he still told her with a calm voice, "I know you still want to live as a human¡­ If you''re not going to eat the food that the pack prepared especially for you, then don''t. We won''t force you."


    Hearing this, Ivory felt bad. She glanced at the Werewolves, who stared at her with wonder. "I will¡­ I will eat," she said, forcing herself to slice the meat on her plate and bring it into her mouth.


    Lucius saw how Ivory was in pain as she forced herself to munch the meat in front of the pack. If he knew that this would happen, he would have let Ivory be with Sigmund. He did not expect that being with her real family would only hurt her.


    Levi saw how Lucius frowned upon seeing the saddened Ivory. He then told him, "If you''re worried about how she will be treated from now on, don''t worry. I will naturally take care of her because she''s destined to be my Servant."


    "But¡­"


    "If you do not want her to be a Servant, should I make her my Queen?"


    "No!" Lucius said right away as if he was against the idea so much. He knew that ivory wouldn''t be happy in that choice. Instead, he told the prince, "Please make her a Royal Knight instead. That is her dream."


    "Hmm¡­ A Royal Knight, then. It''s a deal. After all this chaos, I shall delegate her to become a Royal Knight."


    When Ivory finished eating a slab of meat, Wolfram asked her to come with him outside to speak with her privately. She followed him towards the bridge at the center of the Sanctuary. At the end of that bridge was a stone stair and under it was a mossy stone door with a wolf''s head knocker and a silver handle.


    As the loud, creaking door opened, it revealed several lit candles lined up on the floor. The father and daughter walked several steps down the cold dungeon. When they heard the echoes of the loud crashing waves on rocks, they also saw the light leading to the exit.


    After getting out of the dungeon, the serene sea was displayed in their sight. Wolfram sat on the giant rock at the side of the beach. "Sit beside me, my daughter."


    Ivory nodded, then sat on the rock beside the Alpha wolf. She asked, "What were you going to say, father?"


    "Do you know what you did wrong?" Wolfram stared seriously at his daughter.


    She looked at him with a confused expression.


    "You let yourself be drowned in human desires, Ivory. Prince Levian already told me what happened."


    Ivory widened her eyes. "What do you mean-"


    "Sigmund, the Vampire Servant¡­ He''s your lover, even though he''s your Servant," Wolfram sighed, "I want to be happy for I will see you today, but you need to know what you did wrong. You let yourself be seduced by that Vampire, instead of choosing the right path-"


    "Sigmund did not seduce me!" Ivory retorted. "It was not his fault, he''s a flawed Servant who can feel human emotions."


    "A Servant who feels human emotions?" Wolfram raised his brow.


    She nodded, "Until now, we still do not know why¡­"


    Wolfram was honestly surprised to hear the same situation which happened to him years ago. He thought hard as he couldn''t believe that it would also happen to his child. He said, "I think this is related to the Unholy Mana¡­"


    "Father, you mean the Dark Mana?" she continued after seeing him nod, "Maybe¡­ Besides, Sigmund consumes my mana, and he said that I have that evil mana mixed in it-"


    "Just a correction, Ivory. Your normal mana is all Unholy mana. You were conceived because your mother and I were under the influence of a very strong Unholy Mana," Wolfram explained. "We do consider each other as comrades, but we do not love each other in a romantic way."


    Ivory couldn''t believe what she heard. "Then¡­ If I am cleansed, will I die?"


    ---


    [Dear readers, don''t get confused: Unholy Mana (term they used in the past) is the same as Dark Mana (term they currently use)]

 Chapter 206 - "The Most Beautiful Werewolf"

    [Dear readers, don''t get confused: Unholy Mana (term they used in the past) is the same as Dark Mana (term they currently use)]


    - - -


    Wolfram nodded at her. "This is why you were brought here, Ivory. We will fully awaken your Werewolf abilities, and put the Unholy Mana in you to sleep. That way, you will only use the Silverblade mana."


    "But isn''t it better if I have two kinds of mana in battle?"


    "The enemies can make a person be uncontrollable through the Unholy Mana. We can''t let them have that chance."


    Ivory contemplated her father''s explanation. He''s right. After all, throughout her journey, she already saw several people losing themselves under the evil mana''s influence.


    "But father¡­ I am going to be weaker," she worriedly told him.


    Suddenly, a man''s voice said, "Do not worry. I am going to give you a luminous pearl."


    Ivory and Wolfram glanced at the exit of the dungeon and saw Prince Levian, and behind him were Priestess Althaia, the Werewolves, and the disciples of the Sanctuary.


    "Luminous pearl?" Ivory raised her eyebrows.


    Levi stood in front of the two, while the others stood at the side. He told Ivory, "It is a powerful artifact of the Silverblades. You will have ten times more power if you embed it to your skin," he suddenly unbuttoned the first three buttons of his shirt, exposing his firm chest with a small, circular item on its surface. He pointed at it. "This is one of the three luminous pearls. I gave the other one to someone, and I will give you the last one."


    "How¡­ If I am your Servant, can I keep such an important thing?"


    "You are half human, so you will be able to receive its power," the prince held out his hand to her, "Shall we start?"


    Ivory first glanced at Wolfram, and after seeing him nod, she took her Master''s hand.


    "Choose where I will put the luminous pearl."


    "Uhh¡­ Where should I¡­"


    Levi sighed, "It''s up to you."


    "In the forehead," she answered.


    "Very well¡­ Brace yourself, this will hurt a lot."


    Ivory then knelt in front of Prince Levian, and clenched her fists very tightly.


    Levi unwrapped a small velvet cloth with a pretty shell inside. He opened the shell, then took the pearl, which had a bluish glow. The prince then cupped Ivory''s chin with his left hand, then with his right hand, he positioned the pearl on her forehead.


    He then concentrated his strong mana onto the pearl and pushed it onto her forehead, making Ivory scream in pain!


    It lasted a whole one minute before the luminous pearl was fully embedded to her skin. Ivory felt weak, and she almost fell to the sand. Fortunately, Levi grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to him.


    "Ivory, how do you feel?" he uttered near her ears.


    The pain in her head was gone, but she still felt dizzy. She told him, "Uhh¡­ I am alright."


    Levi assisted her to stand up.


    Wolfram approached them and asked his daughter, "Can you still handle another ritual?"


    Ivory held onto Levi''s arm, trying not to lose balance. Even so, she said that she can handle it.


    "The luminous pearl will take effect after an hour. Why don''t you rest first?" Levi suggested. "We can do the other ritual once you''ve regained energy."


    Ivory was about to reply, but suddenly, her sight blacked out.


    Hours had passed when she woke up, and she was in one of the sleeping rooms of the disciples. The first person she saw was Levi, who was sitting beside the bed while reading a scroll.


    When he noticed Ivory''s movement in his peripheral vision, he looked at her, "Ivory. I''m glad you''re awake. How do you feel?"


    Ivory sat back up and observed herself if she felt anything. Surprisingly, it was as if she never fell unconscious. "I am okay now. I feel... stronger."


    "The luminous pearl''s power already took effect, then," Levi rolled the scroll and tied it with a jute string. He placed it on the table, then stood up, asking Ivory to come with him.


    The two of them walked out of the disciple''s sleeping room and went to the center of the Sanctuary''s bridge. Everyone was already there, as if waiting for Ivory to arrive.


    In the middle was a circle, with symbols drawn that Ivory was not familiar with. She was made to stand up within, which she obediently did.


    A blinding light then enveloped her. Surprised by this, Ivory asked, "What is this for?"


    Wolfram answered her, "It''s to make your Unholy Mana sleep, and awaken all of your Werewolf abilities."


    "But what will happen to Sigmund?" she asked in a worried tone.


    Levi answered, "He will stay under Xenos'' supervision. Do not worry about him, your Dark Mana will only be put to sleep. It will not affect his existence."


    "Then¡­ please take care of him for me."


    The prince sighed, disliking how the Vampire Servant occupied Ivory''s mind even though they were already apart. He wished for Ivory to just focus on their goal to take down the Dragonicus clan.


    Moments later, Wolfram and the other Werewolves with wolf ears encircled Ivory and chanted a spell. Ivory quietly stood in the glowing circle, waiting for what would happen to her.


    After a while, she felt her whole body becoming itchy. When she was about to scratch her skin, she suddenly saw her nails slowly getting pointed. She stared at it with horror in her eyes as she watched it grow a little longer than before. She then noticed tiny fur growing on her wrists and when she panned her sight on her arms, the surface of her skin grew shining silver fur!


    She sat down as if she was pulled to the ground. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see how her own body would transform in front of everyone. Her whole body ached as if her bones were about to break, and as she crawled and dug her nails into the deck, she screeched in pain.


    When the light dissipated, the magic circle also disappeared. In front of them was a huge wolf with the luminous pearl embedded in her forehead, with its silver fur turning white with the touch of the moonlight.


    When the light dissipated, the magic circle also disappeared. In front of them was a huge wolf, with its silver fur turning white with the touch of the moonlight.


    Everyone was fascinated by the most beautiful Werewolf they have ever seen.


    Levi could only gape in awe when he saw Ivory''s Werewolf form. He couldn''t believe that such a magnificent Servant would be with him to reclaim his throne.


    Noticing Levi''s gaze, Ivory walked slowly towards him. She sniffed him, recognizing his sweet scent.. "Master¡­" she muttered, looking at him with longingness in her eyes.

 Chapter 207 - "Gamble"

    "Your Highness, why don''t you pat her," Wolfram suggested.


    Levi nodded at him, then turned to the wolf, extending his hands. Seeing this, Ivory lowered her head down so that her Master could reach her head.


    "Ivory, you''re so beautiful," the prince said while stroking her soft fur.


    "Thank you, Master," Ivory responded.


    While the Master and Servant were having a moment, Lucius was at the end of the bridge with Diana. He furrowed his brows as he saw his own sister become a true wolf, and he clenched his fists in disappointment.


    Diana noticed the grim expression in her son''s face. She told him, "Ivory will always be your sister, and my daughter. Do not worry, she will still recognize us."


    "That''s not what I am worried about, mother," he answered.


    "Then what is it?"


    "Ivory is now a true Servant of the prince, which means she''ll be devoid of negative emotions."


    "Isn''t that for the best?" Diana sighed, then stared at her daughter from afar. "That way, she won''t be able to be heartbroken again¡­ Look at how happy she seems to be with her Master."


    Lucius glanced at the wolf Ivory and the prince. They seemed to be happy, yes. But his gut feeling tells him that there was nothing to be relieved about.


    How could he be happy to see his own sister lose her previous self? He already missed the silly and stubborn Ivory.


    Lucius couldn''t bear the sight any longer. He turned his back, "I''m going to return home."


    "But why? We''re still going to have dinner," Diana said.


    He shook his head. "I do not have an appetite, mother. Apologies," and he marched straight to the gate.


    Lucius ordered his coachman to wait for him on the main road, as he would like to walk around for a while. With more minutes of walking, he arrived at the part of Valios City where the calm sea could be seen. The round moonlight reflected on the sea, and the lights lit up the busy streets and the walls of the dwellings.


    Lucius leaned on the railing and stared at the bright moon. He murmured, "Why did things have to be this complicated¡­ Why, Goddess Destinia? Why can''t we all just live in peace?"


    He knew that the Goddess wouldn''t respond to him, nevertheless, he didn''t have anyone to talk to about his worries.


    A cool breeze suddenly blew on his face, as if it was the Goddess'' response to him.


    "Are you comforting me?" he chuckled, "I must be crazy if I''m talking to myself."


    "What are you mumbling about, Lucius?" a voice suddenly spoke behind him.


    When Lucius turned around, he was surprised to see a familiar face.


    "Preston!" he laughed, "It''s just you. Don''t go surprising me like that."


    Preston chuckled, then stood beside Lucius. His Nymph Servant Mermaine greeted Lucius and stood behind her Master.


    General Bronzelain''s younger brother said, "I am more surprised to see you here. What''s the occasion?"


    "I just visited the Sanctuary."


    "Really? In my case, I was invited today. I find it weird though, because as far as I know, they wouldn''t let anyone enter easily."


    Lucius raised his brow, "That''s odd, indeed¡­ The truth is, my mother and my sister are inside."


    "Interesting. I haven''t seen them both yet. Why don''t you introduce me to them?"


    He shook his head. "I apologize, but I am going home."


    Preston looked at his friend suspiciously, "You do not seem like you''re going home. Something''s weighing on your mind?"


    Lucius replied, "A lot of things have been in my mind that I already cannot distinguish what''s wrong and what''s right."


    "That''s why you''re running away instead of facing it?" he uttered, "That''s not the Lucius Goldwine I know."


    His friend was right.


    As if everything became clearer in his mind, he looked at his friend with an intense gaze. This was what he needed to hear at that moment of discouragement. If he was in his normal self, he would rather face the problem than to run away from it, however hard it was.


    He didn''t expect that knowing his mother''s roots and sister''s true form would affect him deeply. It never crossed his mind that they would be directly involved with the true heir.


    Everything was such a mess.


    Lucius stretched his arms up high and sighed deeply. He gave a subtle smile, "Thank you for waking me up, Preston."


    "No problem. So, are you going with me inside the Sanctuary?"


    The blond young man nodded, and so he, Preston, and Mermaine went to the Sanctuary.


    Diana immediately approached her son by the entrance, "Lucius, you''ve returned- Oh, hello," she smiled at his companion.


    Preston smiled back at her. He already knew that she was Lucius'' mother because of her resemblance to him, "Good evening. I am Lucius'' friend, Preston Bronzelain."


    "Bronzelain¡­? Oh, you were invited by the Prince," she then led them towards the bridge.


    When Mermaine saw Levi approaching them, she gave a wide smile, "You''re the man who gave me the luminous pearl!" she turned to Preston excitedly, "Master, he''s the one I told you about."


    "I see¡­" he stared at the prince''s calm indigo irises, "It''s nice to finally meet you, Mister..."


    "It''s Levian Silverblade. But just call me Levi," he shook hands with him.


    "Silverblade¡­?" Preston thought hard about it. He heard that surname from his brother when he asked him who the previous royal family was. "A royal?"


    "Yes, I am the true heir to the throne. And I would like to seek your assistance."


    Preston raised his brow, "Wait. Why involve me in this? I am an outsider."


    "You are not an outsider. You''re General Bronzelain''s brother," Prince Levian explained, "Just say I wanted to take a gamble on you."


    "What kind of gamble are you talking about?" the Bronzelain young master asked.


    The prince answered, "Whether you would team up with us or not. I gave you one of the luminous pearls, didn''t I?"


    Preston, unable to decide immediately, glanced at his friend. Lucius nodded at him.


    "If Lucius will be helping you, then I will also be assisting you. Tell me what I can do," Preston said.


    "Let''s talk about our plans for the next few days. Everyone, let''s gather at the dining hall," Levi instructed, and they all followed him.


    The meeting ended at dawn, and Preston and Mermaine went back to their house within the city. While Lucius stood at the Sanctuary''s bridge as he stared blankly at his reflection on the pond, Ivory approached him in her human form.


    "Lucius¡­ You seem to be upset," she muttered as she saw him give a deep sigh.


    "I am not upset. I am just not used to seeing you be too close to another man other than your beloved Sigmund."


    Ivory gave him a confused expression, "Beloved¡­ Sigmund? What do you mean?"

 Chapter 208 - "Losing Humanity"

    Seeing Ivory''s dumbfounded face, Lucius asked, "Don''t tell me you forgot Sigmund?"


    "Of course I didn''t. Why are you even asking me that?" she chuckled, "He was my Vampire Servant, wasn''t he? But I already cut ties with him, and also Lycus."


    Lucius creased his brows when he heard how indifferent she was to the Vampire. It was unusual. He clarified to her, "Ivory, he''s more than just your Servant. You loved him as your lover-"


    "Ivory, there you are!" Wolfram suddenly appeared, together with Prince Levian.


    "Father! Master!" Ivory hopped happily towards them.


    Levi patted her head, then said, "How about I replenish your mana? Come with me to my room."


    Ivory nodded, then waved at Lucius. Levi, on the other hand, glared at him, before he walked away with Ivory.


    "I thought you already accepted your sister''s fate," Wolfram told Lucius.


    "I thought so too, but I was wrong. How can I bear to see her lose her humanity?"


    "You talk as if we did something bad to her. I am her father, and I know what''s better for her."


    Lucius sighed, "You won''t understand because you''re not human."


    "I may not be a human, but I know what is wrong and what is right. And the right thing to do is to prevent Ivory from falling in love with that Vampire. It will only bring her an unfortunate fate," Wolfram explained, "You''re her good brother, I am sure you know how it felt to see Ivory be intimate with a person she shouldn''t be with."


    A subtle pain pierced through his chest when he heard Wolfram''s words. He''s right; he was strongly against Ivory and Sigmund. He even made sure that the two of them wouldn''t sleep together back in Topazeon, and made Sigmund do a lot of odd jobs, hoping he''d give up on her.


    Now, Ivory''s feelings for her lover fell into slumber as her human desires were also swept away. Lucius should be happy, but instead, he felt heartbroken.


    He knew his sister well. If Ivory knew that she would forget about her feelings for him, she would never agree to the ritual!


    "I am disappointed in you and everyone, sir Wolfram," Lucius clenched his fists. "Before Ivory met the Prince, she was my friend and my sister."


    Wolfram said in a serious tone, "So you think we''re wrong? I hope you put this into mind and remember that Ivory was born as the Prince''s destined Servant, and it''s of  utmost importance."


    Lucius glared at the Alpha wolf. "So what if she''s Levi''s destined Servant? The times she spent with us and the memories we shared will never be replaced. You''re all unfair to her."


    "I am taking it easy on you only because you''re Deshanna''s son... But I suggest you sleep now and rest your confused mind, before you say anything else to offend us," then the Alpha wolf turned his back on him.


    That dawn, in Levi''s assigned room, the prince and Ivory were sitting on the bed in front of each other. Levi let Ivory hold his arm, while she sniffed on his birthmark of Destinia, where his mana supply was most abundant.


    As Ivory was replenishing her mana, Levi stared blankly at nowhere, thinking about what Lucius might have said to her a few moments ago. He was already doubting if the young lad would help them, or if he would pose a threat to his plans.


    When Ivory glanced at her Master who was oddly quiet, she asked, "Master? Are you alright?"


    "Ah, yes," Levi sighed. "I was just thinking about a lot of things."


    "Like what?" she stared at him with curious eyes.


    "Just some unnecessary things that I shouldn''t think about... I''ll go to sleep now, so go to your room."


    "But why can''t I sleep here?"


    "You can... but I want you to be in your wolf form."


    "But why?"


    "You ask a lot, Ivory," Levi chuckled and patted her head, "I just want to sleep on your soft fur."


    "Okay!" her body glowed, and then she slowly transformed into a big wolf, curling next to his Master on the bed.


    The truth was, the reason why he didn''t want Ivory in her human form at that time was because Levi remembered how Ivory cried in front of him when they first met. Whenever he saw her human face, he recalled that he was the cause of her previous pain, and he felt bad about it as her new Master.


    Levi slowly positioned his head on his Werewolf Servant''s side and rested his body on the bed. He murmured as he stroked her fur, "Goodnight, Ivory."


    "Goodnight, Master Levi."


    ¡­


    The next day, a messenger from Qawiun Academy came. He brought with him a scroll, saying that the message was for Ivory, and it was from Fiora of Precious Inn in Topazeon Town.


    But before Ivory saw this, it was Levi who first read the scroll. He wanted to make sure that it would not have anything to trigger her to remember her feelings for Sigmund.


    The letter said, "Dear Miss Ivory, how are you? We are fine here, the inn''s very busy. Ever since the celebration for the topaz''s reappearance, our town has been busy accepting visitors!


    Everything seemed happy on the surface, but according to the rumors, King Yama was disappointed that the black, coal-like stones they were excavating were all gone. Now, the castlemen are roaming around in all of our mines and mountains in search of it. It''s weird, right? Topaz gemstone is a lot better than that black stuff!


    Anyway, I hope you and your beloved lover Mister Sigmund will live happily ever after, because I am about to get married to my neighbor! Remember him? He was the annoying one who danced with me in the summer festival!"


    Levi creased his brows after seeing the long message with the Vampire''s name on it. But at least he knew about the situation in Topazeon.


    When Ivory in human form was about to approach him, he immediately burned the scroll!


    "Eh? Master. What is that?" she pointed at the scroll that turned into ashes.


    "A letter from Topazeon. The King''s men were looking for remnants of the black mana stones."


    "I see¡­ What should we do now?"


    Levi replied, "Let us commence the first plan tonight."

 Chapter 209 - "Take Aim"

    The prince and his comrades were busy the following hours just to make sure that their big surprise to King Yama would be successful. Since he had been planning these for months and already polished them days ago, the only thing to do was to execute them.


    Deep into the night, five huge carts covered in large linen cloth were transferred towards the empty Umbria City''s bridge. Levi''s allies were dressed in knights'' clothes to prevent suspicion, and they even got themselves fake identification scrolls.


    They first made sure that all of King Yama''s knights and allied city guards were busy with something else. Those who were too curious about what the carts held were ordered to go to another city, telling them that they needed to change shifts.


    Once cleared and all set, Levi''s comrades took off the cloth, exposing large weapons made from iron and bronze, attached to a two-wheel wooden carriage.


    The specialized cannon was tilted towards the direction of the castle. It was the inventor of these, Zen Silverblade, who gave the instructions and the cue. Wearing the same clothing as his allies, he stood near the barrier and looked around to check their surroundings.


    Since there was no indicator of any obstructions, he raised his arm and waved his hand, and his allies fired the first cannon. A huge ball of mana-made Fire was shot towards the castle.


    Zen used his binoculars, which were modified to have an impressive magnification ability, to see where the cannon hit. Seeing that it hit the garden of the Oracle, he scratched the back of his head. Although the Oracle''s favorite willow tree was already burning, it was not his target.


    "We missed," he uttered. He took a look with his binoculars again before speaking to his comrades, "Prepare for the next attack. Adjust the angle."


    With no time to spare, Zen assisted his comrades on where they should move the heavy object. The second and the third cannon fired in his signal, and he grinned as he saw the Oracle tower getting burned by the huge Fire balls.


    Zen wanted to know if the walls were magic-resistant, so he ordered to fire the fourth cannon to hit the castle wall, and his guess was right. It really was.


    "Sir, we need to go," one of the men told him.


    Before they left, they set up the fifth cannon in the middle of the first to fourth cannons. In thirty seconds, the fifth cannon blasted, destroying the whole bridge! All of the cannons sunk into the waters, preventing King Yama''s men from examining them.


    The firing of cannons and the burning of the Silverblade''s castle walls was the signal sent by Prince Levian to all the Silverblade family''s allies. It meant that the path to reclaiming the throne had started!


    ¡­


    It was the middle of the night, but almost everyone in Umbria City woke up. Some people on the streets kept on yelling about how their iconic bridge shattered, while the others flocked the broken bridge. The city was then declared to be under a state of disaster. Royal Knights and knights from the castle marched towards the broken bridge to examine it.


    The security got strict, that even when the sun arose, the knights were everywhere in the city. It was not only in Umbria city, but also around the Land of Rosaria.


    But it did not faze the prince at all. He had his own fortress: the Sanctuary of Goddess Destinia.


    The reason why the Sanctuary was the safest place of all, was that in every corner of it was an enchanted symbol. It could be activated at will and during emergency purposes in case of people influenced by Dark Mana barge into the sanctuary, and King Yama knew of it. This is why he never once tried to step in. It was a holy place that everyone in the Kingdom knew the Goddess of Destinia watched over.


    In the middle of the secret dining hall was a map of the Land of Rosaria. Wooden pins were placed on it, marking the positions of their allies.


    Levi and his comrades continued talking about the second step of their plan. Now that the Umbria bridge had collapsed, it would be hard for King Yama''s troops to go beyond Umbria City.


    A sudden opening of the door distracted them.


    "Everyone, we have a problem," Preston Bronzelain said in a panic. Behind him ran his mermaid Nymph Servant Mermaine.


    "What happened?" Levi asked.


    Preston approached them, took deep breaths, then responded, "My older brother changed his mind and refused to help us. Now, he ordered the Land of Rosaria''s city and town guards to assist King Yama''s knights!"


    Levi banged the table with his fists. This is why he was quite nervous that everything seemed to be going smoothly!


    "But I will still help you, as promised," the young man assured him.


    "How can I be sure that you will not betray us?" he looked at him intently.


    Preston then showed his wrist, where he put the luminous pearl. He then raised his hand, "I swear to Goddess Destinia, that I will serve the true king!"


    If Preston would betray him, he would lose one of the luminous pearls, because it can only be embedded onto one person. He was already thinking about imprisoning Preston and Mermaine in the Sanctuary''s basement if they actually rebelled against him.


    But the determination in his eyes made Levi gauge his trustworthiness. Those eyes were like spring water, clear from any doubts.


    "Very well. I would like you to assist the Werewolves in infiltrating the castle''s prison beach," he pointed onto the map, "Your Servant is a Mermaid Nymph, and I am sure she can be of great help. Will that be alright with you?"


    Preston nodded at him.


    Mermaid responded to the prince whom she considered as a distant friend, "I will do my best!"


    Levi smiled, then patted Mermaine''s shoulder, "Thank you. I knew I can count on the two of you."


    After the meeting that afternoon, Levi and Ivory went to the beach down the Sanctuary''s cliff. They saw Lucius sitting on the sand and staring at the open sea.


    "Lucius! So here you are!" Ivory happily called him, and approached him in a hopping manner. She sat down beside him.


    "How are the preparations going?" the blond young man asked his older sister.


    "Not so good," she sighed, "General Bronzelain backed out, and now he became our enemy. Your friend Preston and his Servant are still going to help, though."


    "His mind is just like mine, so I am sure he''s not going to let King Yama spread his evil deeds in our Kingdom¡­ Why are you two here, by the way?"


    Levi answered, "I am waiting for someone."


    Lucius raised his brow. Who could the prince be waiting for on that empty beach?


    Then, from the right side of the sea came large boats.. In front of the first boat, a woman was waving her hand up high, making her silky black hair sway with the wind.

 Chapter 210 - "Against The Humongous Wave Of Chaos"

    A smile escaped from Levi''s lips when he saw the energetic woman. They waited until all the boats were anchored onto the beach.


    Ivory and Lucius stood up from the sand. They watched the male and female guards in red uniforms step down to the sandy shore.


    The guards then lined up to make way for their General.


    "Welcome to Valios City, General Platinumcore," Levi shook hands with her.


    The young and valiant General smiled at him, not letting go of his hand.


    "Uh, Caille?" the prince tried to pull his hand away, but her grip was strong.


    Caille stared for a long while at the prince who should have been her fiance. If the Silverblades did not get kicked out of the Castle, perhaps the two of them were already wed.


    "Oh," she finally let go of him and chuckled. She gave a subtle smile to Lucius, but when she saw the pretty woman beside Levi, she narrowed her eyes on her.


    "By the way, Caille. This is my Werewolf Servant, Ivory," Levi patted Ivory''s shoulder, and she gave a smile to the General.


    "Ah, your Servant¡­ Hello," the jealous General quickly changed her expression to a softer one.


    Levi then asked General Caille and her comrades to go upstairs in the dungeon. While Lucius and Ivory led the newly arrived guards, the wilful General grabbed the prince''s arm and pulled him behind so that they were the last ones on the long line.


    "I was always on the neutral side, but because of you, I changed my mind. So once you become King, you have to keep your promise to me."


    "Yes, yes."


    "If you don''t, I am going to destroy your castle," she said discreetly, "I gave you all the food you needed when you were traveling back then, so it''s only natural that you pay me back¡­ Come to think of it, I am already doing too much for you."


    "Caille, I promise I''m going to make you my Queen, just like how it should have been," Levi then gave her a sweet smile, which made the female General blush.


    Hours passed, and it was a working dinner for everyone as they discussed their assigned duties. As soon as they finished it, they went to their positions in the Land of Rosaria.


    General Goldwine arrived with his guards by the waters. They marched from the south of Emeraldia Town, where they encountered the guards under General Bronzelain''s supervision. With them were some castle knights, who were Masters with their Servants.


    Lucius also came there with some of Levi''s allies, and he fought with his father and his troops. As much as possible, they only knocked the enemies unconscious or trapped them in pits using Earth magic, but just like any war, death was inevitable.


    General Caille and her comrades, on the other hand, positioned themselves in the middle of Valios and Prisma City. They needed to guard and block the other shoreline from their enemies because there could be a possibility that they would pass through that path in order to reach the castle''s prison beach. They were also assigned to protect the Sanctuary.


    Having the Earth element as her most powerful mana, it was easy for the General to form a huge wall made from hardened mud. The fortification blocked the guards'' way; the only problem left would be the knights who could use magic. And so, just like the others, General Caille and her comrades fought in their assigned place to avoid the enemies from infiltrating the holy city of Valios, and from passing by Prisma City.


    Preston and Mermaine, together with the Werewolves and Levi, headed towards the prison beach using the large boats previously used by the female General and her allies.


    Mermaine, having the Water element as her specialty, jumped and dived into the sea. As soon as her feet touched the salty waters, she grew a shiny, purple tail. She casted strong Water magic to make all the boats move faster, sending waves with strength just enough to push them.


    The most challenging part of infiltrating the castle through the prison beach was the high number of Royal Knights. These stronger types of knights lined up on the shore, as if they were waiting for Levi and his allies.


    As soon as their boats were seen, a man yelled, "Drown them all!"


    "Yes, your Highness!!!" the Royal Knights said.


    And all at the same time, they casted strong Water spells together. A humongous wave was formed, ready to bury the boats into the blue sea.


    The wave approached the boats. Seeing this, Preston ran to the edge of the boat he was riding in, and he summoned his level 3 weapon: a harp made of wood and gold. It had intricate wave designs on its golden pillar and its blue soundboard.


    In contrast with how it looked, the big harp was actually lightweight. When the young master of the Bronzelains plucked the strings, a loud, yet calming music resounded.


    The luminous pearl on Preston''s wrist glowed. It amplified his mana in every flick of the strings. Levi and Ivory also used their luminous pearls, and combined with Mermaine, and the Werewolves'' power, they were able to change the waves'' direction, back to the shore!


    The Royal Knights, who were overconfident with the spell, did not expect their own attack to go back to them. It was because ever since they trained at the castle, they had been practicing how to cast it together.


    The humongous waves crashed onto the Royal Knights, soaking them and their Servants wet!


    But not all were soaked. Just in time, a brown dragon Beast Servant turned big in its active state and shielded its Master, preventing him from being rammed by the saltwater.


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 Chapter 211 - "The Hidden Queen"

    "Prince Jaquin, please turn back!" one of the Royal Knights yelled. It was embarrassing to admit, but they did not expect the enemies to be that strong, and they needed to inform those who were inside, especially the King in his chambers.


    Following his subordinate''s suggestion, the hazel-haired prince made his big dragon in its inactive size, then ran inside the prison hallway, which would lead towards the interior of the castle.


    The Royal Knights, wanting to get back to Levi''s team, casted Conversion magic to turn Water into ice until the bottom of the boats froze, which made Levi and the others hop onto the frozen waters. Using Air magic in the form of wind to push them, they all dashed towards the shore!


    While Ivory and her comrades were caught up in a chaotic situation, Sigmund was still trapped in the small cottage. At first, he was trying to use magic to break the anti-magic and anti-sound mana barrier, but he decided that it was not a wise decision. He had to conserve his mana and energy because he couldn''t replenish without Ivory by his side.


    Sigmund gazed at the window and stared at the round, yellow moon. He wondered if his beloved was also thinking of him.


    Ever since Ivory left, Sigmund had a hunch that she would never return. Was her letter an empty promise, or perhaps Prince Levian forced her to leave him?


    The Vampire clenched his fists, annoyed at his and Ivory''s clouded fate. Feeling his heart ache, Sigmund laid down on the cold bed, missing the warmth of his lover.


    Meanwhile, in the King''s chambers, King Yama Dragonicus finished wearing his thick, multilayered armor made of steel. The helmet had a spike on each side, as well as its comb. Both shoulders had three spikes each, and three first-sized dark red gemstones were embedded in his suit. A sword was also attached to the back of his armor.


    "Father! Things aren''t in our favor on the prison beach!" Prince Jaquin yelled as he ran towards the King.


    He walked heavy steps towards Jaquin, his armor clanking. The King patted his son''s shoulder, "I want you to take some knights and Royal Guards with you. Wait for them to approach the rose garden and sneak up on them. I have something to do in the Oracle''s tower."


    "But the roof and the upper rooms are damaged, and Oracle Ghidarlgh has been in Prisma City since last night."


    "I know. I have another purpose... Go now," He said briefly, before he ran towards the tower''s direction.


    The Oracle''s tower was located at the south front of the vast domain of the Silverblade Castle. It is quite far from the King''s chambers, so it took King Yama seven minutes before he reached it.


    But the tower itself was not his real destination.


    Behind the tower was an underground passageway hidden by thick bushes. Every day, the King would visit it to check up on the two people whom he trapped in there.


    King Yama walked down the stone stairs, then lit the torch using his Fire elemental spell. After a few steps, a large door could be seen.


    Inside the big room with high and brown ceilings, big paintings of people were hung on the wall. There were side tables in between a red bed with a canopy, and a study table was also present in the corner part of the room.


    A woman, with long black hair and golden horns on her head, laid on the bed. As soon as she saw the King, she stood up, then knelt in front of him. She was only wearing a lace brassiere and underwear, and the sheer cloth attached to the tips of her black wings covered her legs and feet.


    "Drakeena¡­ Where is Jirou?!" he glowered at her and banged the cage beside him.


    "He left a while ago," Drakeena answered shortly.


    "How the hell did that boy stand up¡­" the King knew that due to Prince Jirou and Prince Jaquin''s battle two years ago, he became a cripple, and all the mana of his black dragon Beast Servant was destroyed. This disabled Jirou to replenish his Servant''s mana, and the mana he used to materialize his dragon was lost, making him weaker.


    King Yama then gazed at her body, and noticed something different.


    "You¡­ Did you give your tail to him?" he glared at her.


    "Yes, Master¡­ He had a nightmare that there''s a war going on outside, and he told me that he wanted to protect the woman he loves. Jirou said that the two years were enough, and he wanted to see her. He was in panic because the nightmare seemed real," Drakeena smiled at Yama, with tears in her eyes, "How can I just watch him suffer? After all... he''s our son."


    The moment that the King heard of this, his mind was clouded with anguish. Yama''s dragon Nymph Servant was initially three-tailed, and when Drakeena gave birth to both Jirou and Jaquin, she instantly lost two tails.


    "If you gave your last tail to him¡­ Then you''re not going to last! Why the hell did you do that?! You know how hard I worked just to give you all these things!" he pointed out to almost all the gold items in the room.


    "Apologies¡­ But this had to stop."


    "What do you mean?"


    "This kind of life¡­ Everything, Master."


    "No¡­ I can''t lose you!" King Yama helped her stand up, then held her arm, "I asked the Goddess'' messenger Lyria to make it possible for you to love me as much as I love you, that''s why the Unholy mana was-"


    "Apologies, although you made me flawed, I never once felt that I loved you the way you wanted me to¡­" tears trickled down her cheeks, then gave a weak smile, "But even though I feel miserable with what you''ve done with me, I never once stopped treating you as my Master. That''s the reason why I stayed all this time¡­ Master, Aren''t you getting sick of committing sins? Don''t you think it''s time to stop this nonsense?"


    "But if you die¡­ My mana supply will lessen greatly¡­ And the throne will-"


    "Is it me you didn''t want to lose, or is it the throne?"


    King Yama stared at his dragon Nymph Servant.. He found the question too hard to answer, and all he did was gaze at her golden irises.

 Chapter 212 - "Ivory Attracts Bad Men?"

    Meanwhile, Prince Levi and his comrades used almost half of their mana in the prison beach. Still, their teamwork and tactics were far more effective than the proud Royal Knights, plus, the Werewolves had both heightened hearing and smell.


    Preston and Mermaine were ordered to standby on the shore, so that they could conserve mana the instance that they needed to escape.


    The others were able to enter the castle prison, but when they arrived at the rose garden after the hallway, Prince Jaquin and his allies blocked them.


    The young prince grinned as he said, "As the heir to the throne, I have a duty to protect the castle from troublemakers like you¡­ Don''t you dare pass!" he unsheathed an enchanted broadsword, with inscriptions that shone a striking red glow.


    "What a bold statement, Mr. Heir," Levi glared at him, "Apologies, but you''re no heir. How can you be King, if you''re stupid?"


    "Stu- What? How dare you call me stupid!"


    "Master, please be careful¡­ I remember, he killed his own brother two years ago," Ivory whispered in a worried tone.


    "You¡­ I remember you!" Prince Jaquin narrowed his eyes on Ivory. "When I followed my brother secretly to the Land of Olivea, I was informed that he likes you¡­ That stupid brother thought I didn''t know his weakness! If I did not lie to him saying that you came back while we fought, he wouldn''t have turned his head around. He wouldn''t be a cripple in those two years-"


    "You mean¡­ Prince Jirou is alive?" she widened her eyes in shock.


    "Yes, but I destroyed all of his dragon''s mana. So he''s a weakshit now-"


    "Who are you calling a weakshit, Jaquin?" a man''s voice suddenly said.


    Everyone looked up, and saw a dragon with golden scales and beard. It had two frills on its neck and a pair of sail-like wings stretching from its shoulder down to its tail.


    Riding on it was a fair-skinned man with charcoal black hair. He smiled when he met Ivory''s eyes.


    Jaquin trembled as he saw his majestic golden dragon he had not yet seen before, "What the- I destroyed your Beast Servant, so why-"


    "Have you met mother?" he asked as he looked down on him.


    "She died when I was born, right?" the younger prince replied, "Wait. Why do we talk about her?"


    Prince Jirou only smirked, "I''ll tell you if you can take me down. Why don''t you come up here and settle our unfinished business?"


    "You''re so full of yourself. If father did not come to stop me, you would have died last time!" the impatient prince called his brown dragon Beast Servant. Without delay, he rode on it.


    "Ivory Sprucemint," Jirou called while he gazed at her amorously, "Just finish off my father''s dogs. Let me take care of this stupid brother of mine."


    "I-"


    "After this, I want you to give me a chance."


    When Jaquin flew upwards, he set his golden dragon to keep a distance, and the two brothers exchanged magic attacks while in the air.


    The confused Ivory creased his brow, not knowing what Jirou meant by it.


    Levi then asked Ivory, "You seem to attract bad men."


    "What do you mean, Master?"


    Prince Levian shook his head, saying it was nothing, and he and his allies finally charged at the castlemen.


    Meanwhile, in the middle of the Land of Rosaria, General Darius Goldwine and his men had successfully defended themselves against the Bronzelain guards and castle knights.


    Only General Peter Bronzelain remained standing. He gripped and pierced his bluish claymore sword with yellow carvings on it onto the bloody soil, as he tried to stand up with his two feet. But, he failed to do so since his swordfish Beast Servant depleted its mana as well.


    Lucius pointed his blazing sword in front of his face, "We all thought you were our ally. But at the last minute you backed out. Aside from that, you even told them our plans¡­ Were you the same General we met at Topazeon town?"


    The fallen General slowly raised his head and met Lucius'' eyes, "King Yama saved my life once, and I vowed to follow him at all costs."


    The blond young master added, "Is that the reason why you lied to Preston, your only brother?"


    "I am the General, and the King''s subject. My priority is to serve the King-" he stopped talking when he coughed blood. Clenching his chest armor, he breathed heavily.


    General Darius creased his brows, "General Peter. You and I had no conflicts as Generals, so I still want you to be my ally."


    "Tell Preston¡­ I apologize¡­ I am just doing my job as the General." General Peter coughed more blood, "Looks like I used too much magic¡­ This is my¡­ limit¡­"


    As soon as Preston fell down, the Goldwine General ordered his men to pick him up and bring him to the Sanctuary to be treated. He was hoping that a capable General like Peter would not die in that cold war.


    While General Goldwine''s guards were tending to their wounds, identifying dead bodies, and arresting some of General Bronzelain''s troops, Lucius excused himself to report to ex-Royal Knight Xenos Joltane, who was assigned to guard Sigmund in the gloomiest cottage in Rubia Town.


    As soon as he arrived at the town''s front, one of Levi''s men recognized him and led him towards the house at the far back of the community. Lucius felt the strong presence of the magic and sound barrier that was put in the whole house.


    "Sir Lucius Goldwine," Xenos uttered as he walked towards him from inside. "How''s the situation?"


    "I still do not have news about the prison beach team, but General Platinumcore''s team won. Me and my father also won and secured the middle part of the Land of Rosaria."


    While Xenos and Lucius were busy talking, they did not notice that a man wearing an allied guard''s uniform secretly entered the cottage.


    Sigmund saw a hooded man enter. When the man put the hood down, the moonlight from the window showed his green hair.


    The man chanted a spell, taking off the sound and mana barrier. He grinned at Sigmund, who was confused that a stranger could take off such powerful barriers.


    "Hi, Vampire. I am taking you out. Let''s go-"


    Sigmund grabbed his arm and glared at him, "Why should I trust you¡­ Who are you?"


    He paused for a short while, as if thinking about what to say.. Then, he told the Vampire, "My name is Helios."

 Chapter 213 - "Concealed Existence"

    ¡ª-------------


    Hello, sorry for the delay!~ @_@


    Here''s today''s chapter~ xoxo


    ¡ª-------------


    "Helios?" Sigmund raised his brow. His name was familiar, "By any chance, are you¡­ Katie Sprucemint''s lover?"


    Helios tried hard not to laugh out loud, "Is that what that crazy girl told you? Interesting."


    The Vampire narrowed his eyes at him. He recalled how Katie praised his kindness, which was opposite to the response he gave him.


    Sigmund gaped when he suddenly remembered him at a closer look at his face. He was also the man who casually kissed Ivory''s hand two years ago in the Prisma Gallery, and the one who sketched her portrait!


    The Vampire Servant grabbed the suspicious man''s collar tightly, "You knew Ivory even before you met, am I right?"


    "How sharp," he responded.


    "Then you''re no ally, so why would you release me in this prison? And how did you even manage to break the barrier?" Sigmund asked. He found his whole existence mysterious, and his powerful spell that broke the Silverblade prince''s magic and sound barriers.


    Just who was this Helios and what did he want with Ivory? And why did he give a Dark Mana ring to Katie?


    "I know you have a lot of questions, but this is not the right time to talk about it. Why don''t you go to your beloved Master and save her from the Silverblade Prince?"


    Sigmund widened his eyes, loosening his grip on him, "What do you mean? They''re allies-"


    "Prince Levian is closely related to the Werewolves, whom you hate so much. Isn''t it only natural that Ivory be in danger?"


    The Vampire knew for a fact that the Werewolves were the Silverblade clan''s destined Servants. They were the rarest, yet it was said that they were the most powerful Servants in the Kingdom, followed by Vampire Servants.


    He gritted his teeth as he remembered a bad memory about how his past Master Deshanna got involved with the late King''s Werewolf Servant Wolfram. It was as if it only happened yesterday; after she went out for an overnight mission as an errand from the King, she would always sneak out late at night and meet Wolfram, then they''d go to the King''s chamber to talk with him with a sound barrier.


    For Sigmund, it was because of Wolfram that his Master became distant with him.


    The Werewolves'' existence is nothing but a curse to him.


    "Do you know where Ivory is? Tell me."


    "Take my horse," Helios pointed out towards the back of the house, "It will take you to where your beloved Master is¡­ Oh, and by the way, be more cautious of Prince Levian. He found his Werewolf Servant. If you want to save Ivory, you have to kill that wolf."


    Without further ado, Sigmund snuck towards the back of the house. He found the guards lying down on the soil, sleeping like logs. He also looked for Lucius and Xenos, who were both guarding at the front


    The Vampire then swiftly went towards the bulky horse, rode it, and quickly left.


    When Lucius and Xenos heard the neighing of the horse from the back part of the house, they widened their eyes when they recognized who was riding it.


    "Shit, isn''t that Sigmund?!" Xenos panickly ran towards his horse at the side of the cottage. On his lap was his bear Beast Servant Bavin, in its inactive state. They went after the escaped Vampire.


    Lucius almost followed the ex-Royal Knight. But because he found it weird how the Vampire broke out of Prince Levian''s barrier, he turned around to check what happened in the cottage.


    With Xenos and his Beast Servant gone and the guards asleep, Helios went out of the small house through the back. He was chuckling as he slowly walked, thinking about how he fooled the Vampire.


    But then, he heard a woman''s voice behind him, "Sir, you dropped something."


    Helios turned around and saw a beautiful gingerhead lady smiling at him. On her palm was his amulet necklace which his mother gave him as soon as he was born.


    The necklace had a circular wire wrapped amulet. At the center of it was a tree, wherein its roots were attached to green beryl gemstone at the bottom, while the branches found were spread on the topmost part of the amulet.


    But before he even touched his amulet, the woman closed her palm.


    "So this is why I couldn''t find you all this time," she uttered, then stepped back, still clutching onto the necklace.


    Dumbfounded, Helios stared silently at her, observing what she might try to do. He knew her to be Ivory''s rival during the grand finals of the Servant Competition, "Anastasia Gaian, you¡­ Do you have holy blood¡­ like me?"


    "Oh, so you admitted right away that you have holy blood. Let me guess¡­ your mother''s a half-human and half-holy being, am I right?" Anastasia asked.


    Hearing this, he glared at her, "So what?"


    "What is your mother''s name?"


    "Feronia¡­ That''s her name."


    "Feronia?" Anastasia thought for a long while whether she had other half-human sisters who dwelled in the same territory as her.


    But she couldn''t think of anyone, other than Lyria, who worked for her as a messenger before she betrayed her in heaven.


    The gingerhead glanced at the God Protection Amulet, and it looked too similar to the one she had in the past. The necklace amulet existed to let the Gods and Goddesses act independently by concealing their existence from other holy beings. The Holy Supreme God, who was the creator of all, taught his pure children their main tasks by letting each of them manage a kingdom of their own.


    All pure Gods and Goddesses of heaven had their own amulets, given by their heavenly father, the Holy Supreme God himself. However, half mortals weren''t given one.


    Her trail of thought was cut off when suddenly, several fire balls flew towards Helios, making the both of them step back farther from each other.

 Chapter 214 - "A Bunch Of Fools"

    "Get away from her!" Lucius yelled at Helios after releasing the fireballs. He ran towards Anastasia and asked her, "Are you alright?"


    She nodded at him.


    Lucius asked, "What are you doing here? It''s dangerous-"


    "Do me a favor, Lucius," she took his hand and clenched it.


    The blond young man''s ear got red, embarrassed as he felt her soft touch, "What is it?"


    Anastasia whispered to him, "Help me capture this man and his family. I will ask the Werewolves to cleanse them."


    "Yes, sure- Wait. How did you know about the cleansing ritual?"


    "You''ll know soon¡­ Apologies, but we have to capture them as soon as possible."


    The two of them then faced Helios, who was already forming a shield made from hardened soil with his hand. Although made from soil, it was strengthened by his mana, giving it an appearance like the head of an angry horned animal.


    Lucius said discreetly, leaning towards her, "Anastasia, if he''s the one who broke Prince Levian''s strong barriers, then he already used a lot of mana. Then that means¡­"


    "This means that this battle won''t last, right?"


    "But I heard about what he said a while ago¡­ That he has holy blood."


    Anastasia nodded, "Yes, but I can only sense crude mana from him."


    "You can sense-" he widened his eyes, "What are you, a Vampire? You can sense mana type?"


    She pinched his side, teasing him, "Want me to bite you?"


    He blushed. "You''re insane¡­ Just focus on the battle, will you?!"


    Helios finished forming the Earth shield and hid behind the huge object, "Go on. I''m not afraid of the two of you!"


    Lucius observed Helios. He kept on taunting them, thus, he might have something planned.


    The gingerhead''s mosaic wings materialized, giving multiple colors in the night sky. She flapped them beautifully, and they glowed even more when she casted a spell.


    "What are you doing?" the blond young man asked.


    "Asking for help," Anastasia told Lucius to look at the night sky.


    He and Helios looked up, and widened their eyes at the sight of the dancing colorful lights.


    "How about we start, Lucius? I''ll distract him, you draw a closed shape on the soil." she whispered near his ears.


    Slightly distracted with her hot breath, he stepped back, "Yes, yes, I shall do that." He then took Volcius from his belt pocket. Its eyes glowed red, and Lucius crouched and tested if it could leave marks on the soil.


    "You think I don''t know what you''re trying to do?" Helios chuckled, and as he held his shield on his left arm, he formed a fire ball on his right. The big fireball became two, and he shot those toward them.


    Anastasia shielded herself with her wings, while Lucius grabbed the fireball with his hand and crushed it!


    Helios gaped, "What the-"


    Lucius took off the burnt leather gloves, "It seems like you did not watch me during the Servant Competition. Do you not know that I can absorb Fire-type magic spells?"


    The green-haired man trembled in anger. He wanted to figure out how to defeat the strong pair in front of him.


    When suddenly, someone called his name.


    "Helios! My son!"


    It was his mother, who has darker green hair than him. Running behind his mother were a lighter green-haired young woman, and a bald man in brown monk''s clothes.


    "Mother¡­ Fiona¡­ and Oracle Ghidarlgh?" he widened his eyes. "What are you all doing here?"


    "We''ll help you, of course," Fiona said as the three of them approached Helios.


    "Anastasia, why did you let them get near him?" Lucius asked discreetly.


    "Part of the plan¡­ Lucius, I can handle them all. Do what I told you to do."


    "You can''t possibly fight them all alone! The Oracle is even here, and he''s also involved in spreading the Dark Mana."


    "Thank you, but I already know¡­ Don''t ask me anything now, I''ll tell you at the right time," Anastasia answered, then she immediately stepped forward.


    Lucius sighed, knowing that he couldn''t win against Anastasia''s words. While being cautious on the enemies'' movements, Volcius prepared itself and shifted its sight on the soil and a fire beam was released from its eyes.


    Anastasia focused her sight on the four.


    Helios had an Earth elemental shield. Oracle Ghidarlgh pointed his black, wooden staff at her. Fiona, who did not have any mana, was behind Helios, while Feronia stood near them, holding a magic rod while glaring at the gingerhead.


    "Aren''t you afraid? You''re outnumbered," Helios mocked Anastasia.


    "You''re all a bunch of fools," she answered while materializing her enchanted, holy spear, then met the dark green-haired woman''s eyes. "Especially you¡­ Lyria."


    Lyria widened her eyes. Her appearance was totally different from what she looked like when in heaven, "How¡­ how did you know- Wait! Are you Dest-"


    Anastasia suddenly threw her spear, not giving Lyria a chance to speak anymore. It flew forward, piercing and breaking Helios'' Earth-elemental shield, and in only a split second, the spear also pierced Lyria''s heart!


    "Mother!" Helios yelled, loosening his grip on his shield. He and Fiona immediately went to her.


    When the Oracle saw this, he glared at Anastasia, "You will pay for this!" the bald man used an Earth elemental spell, lifting small rocks from the soil. The rocks then swiftly flew towards the gingerhead, but she shielded herself once again with her huge wings.


    Oracle Ghidarlgh kept on using Earth elemental spells to try to defeat Anastasia. But it was no use.


    Because of this, he decided to lunge forward as quickly as he could and yelled at Anastasia, saying that he''d get revenge.


    But when he was only a meter apart, their surroundings suddenly glowed with white color!


    The Oracle could not move, and a few seconds later, he felt like something hurt inside of him. Then, black smoke came out from his body, making him kneel down and scream in intense pain!


    "Just in time," Anastasia muttered. She was relieved that Lucius had drawn a proper enclosure as fast as he could, and at the same time, the Werewolves also came.


    One of them told her, "We saw your signal, so we came right away," like the other Werewolf Servants, he also raised his hand towards the enclosure to perform the cleansing ritual.

 Chapter 215 - "The Illusion Of Love Makes A Person Go Crazy"

    As Helios and Fiona held their dying mother, they trembled in fear as they saw the Oracle''s power being taken away from him. They knew that he had been meeting their mother at the basement because of their plans on spreading Dark Mana throughout the whole kingdom. The siblings were involved ever since they were sixteen.


    Fiona remembered how she was told to go to Omegalion to befriend Katie Sprucemint. At first, she couldn''t stand Katie because she was too arrogant and complaints a lot, but in the end, she realized that she just lacked attention. Her impression about her changed when she started living in Prisma Gallery. She was actually a hardworking person.


    Helios, on the other hand, recalled the moment when he was told that he would meet a really important woman, who was said to be Goddess Destinia''s strong pawn. He was not lying when he said he found Ivory Sprucemint too beautiful not to be noticed. There was this one space in the gallery where her bright faces were displayed on the dull walls. But everytime he stared at her face, all he had in his mind was to kill her and keep her corpse so that nobody would ever see her beauty.


    Lyria, still pierced by the holy spear in her heart, started coughing blood. She asked her children to help her stand up. Although they did not want her to, she insisted.


    As Helios and Fiona held her, she faced Anastasia, "I knew it¡­ You''re Her," she then spoke loudly, "The moment that I betrayed you, you should have killed me then! I know how much you despise me!"


    "Why should I, when I can''t even get mad at you?"


    "What do you mean you can''t get mad at me? You just pierced the holy spear into me! You''re a Goddess who hurt a human."


    "What are you talking about? You''re no human, but a monster, Lyria," Anastasia sighed, "After experiencing how to be a human in my own kingdom, I now knew the feeling of being betrayed. It hurts here¡­" she pointed to her chest.


    Lyria gritted her teeth in anger, "I don''t care. Once I take this off, I''ll die, and your holy soul will be tainted because it''s a serious sin!"


    "This is the first time that I wanted someone to die that badly¡­ You messed up with my people and destroyed the peace in my kingdom!"


    Feeling intense anger within herself, she controlled her holy spear, twisted it swiftly that its blade completely destroyed Lyria''s heart, and pulled it back to her hand.


    Although Helios and Fiona tried to stop the spear from moving, Anastasia did it all so fast that before they even held onto the holy weapon, it already flew back to her.


    Lyria''s blood and flesh splattered everywhere and tainted the soil. Lyria''s children cried out loud, as they came to realize the consequences of their greedy actions. It even made Fiona fall unconscious on the ground.


    Anastasia glanced at Lyria''s blood dripping on her bright spear. She couldn''t believe that her half-human sister had died that easily, so she looked around to see if there was a remnant of her soul orb. But there was none.


    The gingerhead took a deep sigh, then dissipated her colorful, mosaic wings.


    The cleansing ritual was also successfully done, and Oracle Ghidarlgh fell on the ground unconscious. While seeing the Werewolves take Lyria''s body and capture the Oracle, Helios and Fiona, Lucius approached Anastasia. The blond young man suddenly felt like she was a different person.


    He kneeled in front of Anastasia, "Apologies, if didn''t know you were-"


    "Lucius, stand up," she held onto his arm and pulled him up, "I am in Anastasia Gaian''s body, therefore, treat me as her."


    He retorted, "But you''re-"


    Anastasia placed her finger on his lips, "Hush. Don''t argue with me¡­" she then linked her arm on his, "How about we go to the Silverblade Castle now and help your sister?"


    Lucius nodded as he blushed a little, but he shook off the thought of Anastasia''s soft touch and sweet scent. Now that he knew she''s the Goddess they had been worshiping, he tried to control himself!


    Before the two of them rode an armored horse each, Lucius asked Anastasia, "By the way¡­ About the Oracle¡­"


    "He''a a fake. His mana came from Dark Mana stones. Lyria fooled my people, telling them that he was the Oracle by using her position as my messenger," she answered.


    Lucius wondered why the Goddess did not see her messenger''s betrayal, so he asked her about it.


    "She had been using my God Protection Amulet, which concealed her presence from all of us. Aside from that, I can''t possibly read and know everything that''s written in the Holy Scroll of Destiny. It had hundreds of thousands of people''s fate. Unless I know specifically whom I am looking for, I wouldn''t be able to know whose fate to read."


    "Then¡­ Do you not hear our prayers?"


    "There is a separate scroll for that, but it''s in my chambers in heaven," Anastasia sighed. She then decided to go back to the previous topic after she realized something, "By the way, seeing that neither Helios nor Fiona had the Dark Mana, it means that Lyria and the Oracle had been having a romantic relationship way back before he had the evil mana-"


    "What!? Romantic¡­ relationship?" Lucius widened his eyes after hearing it.


    She nodded, "Oracle Ghidarlgh is the father of Lyria''s children. I believe it might be her involvement with that greedy man that clouded her pure personality¡­ My, my, the illusion of love makes a person go crazy. Have you been in love, Lucius?"


    His cheeks felt hot and he immediately shook his head, "I am too busy to be in love."


    Anastasia just chuckled as she watched the shy lad ride the horse, then rode her horse afterwards.


    Back at the castle, the Werewolves won over the knights and Royal Knights, with the advantage that their wounds healed quickly in the presence of the moon.


    Jirou, with his new and stronger dragon, had successfully defeated his younger brother. When he saw that the Servant was lacking mana, he immediately attacked it, making it fall hard from his dragon Beast Servant and onto the garden soil. And because all of the dragon''s mana were lost and it was not able to replenish mana from its Master, it slowly dissipated into thin air.


    The fallen Jaquin was caught by one of the Werewolves in wolf form, and he panicked, releasing a powerful force of Air elemental spell to escape from his grasp.


    But Levi and Ivory were swift to corner the weakened Prince Jaquin. Behind the prince were rose bushes, and he couldn''t move back because of the thorns.


    "Don''t¡­ Don''t go near me!" he trembled as he yelled at the two.


    "I guess this is why you were seen as inferior to the previous Crown Prince," Levi mentioned, mocking him, "I have reliable sources of information, saying that you have been attempting to kill your own brother just for the throne. You failed to do so every time¡­ Ivory, end this pathetic man."


    "Yes, Master," Ivory said, then pointed her level 3 magic rod to his face.


    While the white-orbed side of the rod glowed, Jaquin closed his eyes, already expecting his end.


    Suddenly, there was an explosion in the stoned hallway!


    When they all turned to the direction of the explosion, they saw a man in full armor walking towards them.


    "Father!" Prince Jaquin yelled in desperation as soon as he recognized the metal suit.

 Chapter 216 - "Fate Of The Goddess - 1" (extra)

    It was the most awaited day of Goddess Destinia''s promotion as an Air Ethereal, who managed the Air Element in the whole world. She was promoted for being very generous and for letting her own people borrow her mana to achieve peace within her own Kingdom.


    Before the ceremony, she took a long bath inside a white, porcelain tub filled with different flowers, such as rose, sweet jasmine, and lotus. She then dressed herself with a deep neckline, feather applique sheer lace sleeved ball gown and paired it with white and gold stiletto heels with wings connected at the counter.


    The sound of bells indicated the start of the ceremony. When she stepped out of her quarters, holy souls assisted her to the grand hall. It was in color white with intricate designs of clouds in gold. Inside, Destinia''s brother and sister gods and goddesses awaited her arrival at both sides of the hall, while the Holy Supreme God sat in front of the big golden window, where the blue sky could be seen.


    "We are all here today to witness the designation of Destinia as the Air Ethereal," the Holy Supreme God spoke. His voice was so deep that it echoed in the grand hall.


    While Destinia listened to the god of all gods, a woman wearing a white hooded cloak suddenly opened the door.


    Everyone turned their head toward her, and when she removed her hood, Destinia''s eyes widened in shock. It was her half goddess and half human messenger.


    "Lyria, where have you been?"


    But Lyria only walked towards the center and even passed beyond the goddess.


    "Destinia should not be promoted as the Air Ethereal!" she exclaimed, causing murmurs among the gods and goddesses.


    Destinia furrowed her brows and looked at her, dumbfounded with her sudden change in attitude. She never complained, and Destinia knew her as an obedient and kind assistant.


    "Tell me the reason why, Messenger," the Holy Supreme God spoke.


    The Holy Supreme God, who has azure colored eyes, gazed at the messenger first before looking at the ginger-haired goddess. With four pairs of silver and golden wings, he also wore a silver and golden headpiece down to his chin, arm-length gloves, and a violet waist robe, showing his defined six-pack abs and muscular chest and arms. In his left hand was a twin-bladed s-shaped scythe.


    "Her lending of mana to the people in her Kingdom only caused tremendous problems. Those mortals are driven by greed, lust, and other worldly, human desires." she explained confidently, "This ''unholy mana'' has spread. The mana, instead of a blessing, turned into a disaster!" Lyria revealed.


    Destinia was shocked to hear this from Lyria. She accepted her as her assistant even though she was rejected by the other gods and goddesses. Was her judgment about her wrong? Why was she doing this?


    "Is she speaking the truth, Destinia?" the Holy Supreme God''s voice echoed so loud inside the hall and sent shivers down her spine.


    Hearing him speak stopped the chattering and made everyone stay silent. All eyes were at her as they waited for her to answer the question.


    "As far as I know, there is no such thing."


    "Liar!" Lyria yelled, then faced the gods and goddesses, "Why don''t you all see what''s happening in the Holy Mirror?"


    Behind the Holy Supreme God was a giant mirror. Upon raising his hand, it showed people walking like the undead and killing each other. Their eyes were lifeless, yet they could hurt the innocent with Elemental Magic.


    Destinia knelt in front of her holy Father and tried to explain, "It was not like that a while ago, I don''t know how-"


    "Destinia. I am withdrawing your designation as Air Ethereal."


    The ginger-haired goddess widened her eyes at the proclamation, while Lyria smirked.


    The Holy Supreme God only took a second to decide about Destinia''s fate. He showed his palm, and a ball, which emitted a blue glow, slowly formed above it. He then uttered, "For a fair judgment and to set an example to my sons and daughters, I will be sending your holy soul to the mortal world."


    There were murmurs among the other gods and goddesses.


    Destinia looked at her father. The look in his eyes said to trust him, which Destinia knew very well. As a pure goddess, it was her first time to experience such a predicament, and she believed that her father wouldn''t give her a trial she wouldn''t be able to pass.


    The Holy Supreme God ordered everyone in the room to be silent before speaking again, and they all obediently obeyed. "You will not be promoted until the mess in your kingdom will be solved," he said in a low tone. "You must return the peace in your kingdom, but in a human''s body."


    The Goddess glanced at Lyria, and saw how she was pleased with her punishment.


    He then stared at his daughter intently, "But Destinia, you cannot return to heaven unless this ''unholy mana'' is gone, and everything is settled."


    She was then encircled within a white glow and golden rays of light ascended from below, almost blinding her sight. She could not hear anything and could not see anything, but only felt a strong gust of wind surrounding her until she blacked out!


    Destinia was awakened from her deep sleep because of a bad dream. She gasped for breath as she sat up from her bed, but shock crossed her face. She was already under a warm and cozy blanket inside a room with a bedside table and bottles of herbal medicines atop of it.


    "Anastasia, I''m coming in," there was a knock on the door before it was opened by a woman with long bloody red hair tied up and wearing a hakama, exposing the tattoo on her right shoulder. With her was a tray of potato soup and a cup of chamomile tea.


    She quickly rose up from the bed and stood at the corner of the room, "Who are you?"


    The woman''s eyes widened upon seeing her weak sister standing, "Anastasia? You can already stand?"


    "I can," Destinia studied her face, and the other woman just cried her eyes out as she approached and pulled her for a tight hug.


    "Hail Goddess Destinia for this blessing!"


    The goddess froze in place while the woman continued crying on her shoulder. She was ready to defend herself just in case the other attacked her, but she was actually surprised with her actions. She calmed herself down and tried her best to remember what happened beforehand.


    ''Ah, I''m a mortal now, and my destined vessel is inside the body of a woman called Anastasia,'' she thought.


    As the two settled on her bed, Educator Rosanna recalled how Anastasia wanted to enter Qawiun Academy because she also has the mark of Destinia, but due to her weak body, she couldn''t.


    The goddess realized that upon her possession, Anastasia''s body became healthy. To mortals like Rosanna, it could be considered as a miracle.


    While the educator relayed how happy she was that her sister was now healthy and could finally stand and walk on her own, Destinia also accepted her fate and decided to be called Anastasia and act normal in front of the mortals until the issue about the ''unholy mana'' was solved.. And since Qawuin Academy has the best and most powerful Masters, she asked Rosanna if she could still enter the academy despite being a week late.

 Chapter 217 - "Fate Of The Goddess - 2" (extra)

    Rosanna assessed Anastasia if she could enter Qawiun Academy by checking her strength and stamina, as well as checking her state of mind. This gave a positive result, and even though Anastasia entered a week late, surprisingly, she was able to catch up to all the lessons and activities. She became superior at magic and combat, so almost all of her classmates and even upper class students admired and respected her.


    However, despite being superior, she was new to human emotions and desires. This made her seem quite odd, but her exquisite beauty made her popular among the students. Many of her female classmates wanted to be her friends and always asked her to eat with them at the cafeteria or hang out at Alpharion City.


    There was one afternoon when she went out with two girls because they were persistent.


    "Do you want to check this shop, Anastasia? They have the prettiest dresses here," one of the girls, who had a short curly bob, asked her when she saw her staring at the mannequin wearing a white off-shoulder frilled knee length dress with accents of light blue and light brown.


    Anastasia, who was still surprised with how pretty she thought it looked, only nodded her head and followed her classmates inside the shop.


    "Welcome to my shop! How can I help you?" A pretty young lady greeted them with a big smile on her face.


    Upon entering the shop, Anastasia''s eyes widened in amazement. She had never seen such beautiful pieces to be worn with different colors, designs, and materials. Compared to these, her clothing when she lived as Goddess Destinia seemed to be too sophisticated. Apart from the mannequin displayed in front, there were also dresses which were only hung in the clothes wooden stand.


    "Do you have new designs? We''d like to see it first," her classmate told the shopkeeper.


    "Of course!" she smiled wide as she led them to the center part of the shop where five mannequins were aligned and were dressed in short and long ruffled dresses. All of them looked at the displays, while Anastasia checked the dresses closely.


    "Can I touch it?" Anastasia asked the shopkeeper.


    "You should, miss! Apart from the colors and the designs, you should also touch and feel the material used to know which you will prefer," the pretty lady handed the skirt of the first dress.


    Anastasia felt her heart skip a beat upon feeling the softness and smoothness of the cloth used on the dress.


    The shopkeeper noticed her eyes were glistening, so she told her, "You can also try the dress to see if it fits."


    "I can?"


    "Of course, Anastasia! Why are you being so hesitant?" her classmate chuckled when she passed by them. "Is it your first time going to a shop?"


    "Then, I''ll try this one," she pointed at the dress at the center, which was the newest one.


    Inside the dressing room and after wearing the dress, she gazed at herself in the mirror. She lifted the sides of the dress and even did a twirling motion to see how it fitted her. Her eyes sparkled and felt really happy with the way she looked in that dress. Because she liked it, she bought her first ever dress in the mortal world.


    Apart from shopping wearing pretty dresses, shoes, and accessories, which became one of her pastimes, many boys have also expressed their feelings towards her. However, she never showed interest in men.


    There was an instance when she was only walking in the hallway and an upperclassman with red spiky hair confessed his feelings right in front of the other students.


    "I always see you around, and your beauty caught my heart," he stood in front of her, blocking her way.


    "I beg your pardon?" she raised her brow, confused with what he meant.


    "You really want me to repeat what I just said?"


    "I don''t even know you. Why would I even waste my time," she glared at him.


    "My¡­my¡­ I didn''t know you''re a bit scary," a smirk escaped from his lips, "I''m Jasiel, a second year student," and he knelt and handed her the bouquet of flowers he prepared earlier that day. "I really like you, Miss Anastasia."


    "Those flowers are just going to wither in the garbage can. Throw it away because I''m not interested."


    Even before the guy could finish his confession, she already walked away, which left the others with their mouths agape.


    How could these humans confess so easily to another person? How could they laugh easily about silly things? How could they cry just by becoming the top in class?


    Being a goddess before, she didn''t really understand humans, and all the feelings she felt after becoming a mortal were new to her. Ever since she became surrounded with more people and saw how they reacted to different situations, she started observing them and knew more about her own people.


    Although she was pretty, she had her own world, and some students were weirded out by her when she stared at them.


    One afternoon, when she turned second year, she searched for a scroll for her magic class in Qawiun Academy''s library. She scanned the books on the shelf until she found it on the topmost layer. She tried reaching for it by tiptoeing until she lost her balance and bumped on someone. When she glanced over her shoulder to see who it was, it was the blond guy from the Blue Gem section and as far as she knew, he''s the son of General Goldwine.


    Lucius reached for the scroll whilst Anastasia''s head was leaning on his chest. After handing her the scroll, he moved to the other side and took the scroll he was looking for.


    "Thanks," she looked at him, while he only looked at the scroll.


    "No worries. By the way¡­"


    "Yes?"


    "Stop staring at people. It''s rude," Lucius said and walked away.


    Anastasia blinked. It was the first time that someone directly confronted her about it. Ever since then, she gets cautious whenever he''s around.


    That night when Anastasia was about to sleep, she widened her eyes when she saw two scrolls beside her pillow. She opened one scroll and recognized the handwriting from Juno, one of her pure holy brothers in heaven.


    "Destinia, I have retrieved the Holy Scroll of Destiny stolen by Lyria," was written in the first line of the letter.


    Juno stated that they did not trust Lyria at all, so he came to check her room and found out that her God Protection Amulet was missing. He believed that she was able to descend and ascend from and to heaven, using Destinia''s reputation as leverage.


    She furrowed her brows because she had not suspected her at all. She trusted her messenger so much, but turns out she was a demon in an angel''s clothing.


    Anastasia opened the other scroll, recognizing it as the scroll of Destiny. Now feeling the human emotions called ''anger'' towards Lyria, she read it for a long while as if it was a novel, wanting to know how she should face her situation.


    She came across Ivory''s information, and a sketch was included in it. She gazed around the room as she thought who Ivory was, and when she remembered her in one of her magic classes, a smile escaped from her lips.


    "Interesting," she murmured, then read the remaining details, "This woman would be able to help the Silverblade Prince reclaim the throne after her graduation¡­"


    According to the Holy Scroll of Destiny, this is the right time to meet her, and as a goddess, she opted to follow fate obediently.


    ¡­


    A year later, after her apprenticeship at Valios City, the awaited graduation ceremony commenced. The grand hall was decorated with long banquet tables on each side with long golden candles entwined with vines and strings of pearls as decors. The hall was also lit with luxurious wooden chandeliers and flags of the academy were hung on the walls.


    Outside the hall, Anastasia noticed that Ivory was not in the long line of students yet until she panned her sight towards the back of the room.


    When she caught a glimpse of the silver-haired Master with her Vampire Servant, a wide smile escaped from her lips.. She had been waiting for this moment - the day wherein she would finally meet the destined savior of her Kingdom.

 Chapter 218 - "The Bloody Encounter In The Silverblade Castle"

    -continuation from chapter 215-


    The armored man continued to walk towards his son, who seemed too afraid and weak to move. He came late because he spoke too long with his wife. He also made sure that she wouldn''t escape by making a strong barrier at the stairway entrance.


    Levi glared at the head of the metal helm, "King Yama. You''ve finally appeared."


    Behind King Yama were Royal Knights and some knights, who pledged to protect the Dragonicus royal family.


    The King stared at Levi for so long, before he recognized him and said, "Look what we have here¡­ it''s the late king''s son! You even had some weak-looking allies and the Silverblade pets with you," he looked around and observed Levi''s allies, who were all cautious upon his arrival.


    Levi and his companions were alert as they only glared back at the King.


    "It''s too obvious that your family is favored by the Goddess," seeing some of the Werewolves in their wolf forms, he asked, "So¡­ which one of them is your Servant?"


    "Take a guess," Prince Levian responded. He then raised his hand and pointed to the King''s direction. Seeing the Silverblade prince''s instruction, they all charged at him.


    King Yama swiftly materialized his level 3 weapon, which was a four-claw steel sword with a detailed dragon''s head at the end of the grip. The blade appeared to have dragon scales on it.


    As Levi, the other Werewolves, and their other comrades fought with King Yama and his castlemen, Ivory stayed in human form and moved the tip of her magic rod on Prince Jaquin''s nose.


    "Don''t move, or I''ll either burn your hair or cut your nose," she warned.


    Jaquin looked away from Ivory and Jirou, and glanced at the side to see how his father and their allies were doing. When he saved Jirou from dying two years ago, King Yama mentioned that he did it because he couldn''t bear to lose them both, and the intense battle was merely a challenge for them to be competitive towards one another.


    Jirou hopped down his golden dragon and walked behind Ivory, distracting his brother''s thoughts.


    When Jaquin saw his older brother on the same ground as him, he pleaded with him to save him.


    But Jirou only glared at his younger brother and said, "Why will I save a person who tried to kill me in the past?"


    "You traitor!"


    "You changed your mind too fast. A second you asked for my help, and after a second, you got mad at me. You fool," Jirou then patted Ivory''s shoulder, "You may punish him as you wish."


    Ivory, knowing that Jirou''s suggestion was also Prince Levian''s wish, started casting a spell. A blinding light shone, and when she pushed the white-orbed side of her staff, Jaquin''s nose was cut off!


    "Gaaaaahhhh!" the wounded prince could only yell in pain while his own blood dripped from his face.


    Hearing his loud scream, King Yama immediately shoved away all those who were blocking his way and ran to his youngest son.


    "How dare you hurt my son!" He then gripped his sword tightly and charged at them. Ivory was able to block him, thanks to his heavy armor making him thrice as slow. She detached her magic staff into two and crossed her arms to block him.


    With full force, Ivory pushed him away. The king stumbled backwards, and Ivory threw a whirling ball of wind with sharp surfaces.


    The wind ball was incorporated with an extra mixture of Silverblade mana. As soon as it reached King Yama''s plackart, it broke the metal suit into pieces, leaving only his helm intact!


    King Yama removed his helm. He widened his eyes at the sight of his expensive armor on the ground. He remembered it to be magic proof, but how did the silver-haired woman break it?


    "Who are you?" he asked as he watched her approaching.


    "I am Prince Levian''s Werewolf Servant," Ivory responded.


    "But how did you-" King Yama paused when he saw the luminous pearl on her forehead, "That pearl is only for humans¡­ How come a Servant like you can hold onto it?"


    "I am special," she replied, before attaching her magic staff into one piece again.


    Jaquin, seeing Jirou distracted and staring at the woman he loved, formed a dagger made of hardened soil using his hand hidden behind him.


    When he was about to throw it towards Ivory''s back, Jirou saw his suspicious movement. Because of his instinct of protecting Ivory, he casted a powerful spell that started burning Jaquin''s whole body!


    The prince''s loud scream echoed in the hallway and the garden as he was being burnt alive. He hoped for Jirou to change his mind, but it only disappointed him. Jirou never casted a Water spell to remove the flames on Jaquin and just watched him fall to the ground, his skin slowly turned into charcoal and the metallic scent of his burning flesh could be smelled in the air.


    King Yama felt his chest tighten when he saw Jaquin getting burned, and he knew his time would come soon. Drakeena already lost two of her tails, and Jirou, who got stronger with her last tail, was not even his ally anymore.


    He felt too weakened, especially when his younger son died seconds later. It was as if the heavens were draining his mana.


    "The throne will go back to its rightful heir," Ivory told him, "But my benevolent Master can give you a chance to live. If you can unsummon your Servant and be a normal human and a commoner-"


    "No! No way in hell!" he gritted his teeth in anger. He didn''t want to lose both his power in the kingdom, and also his beloved dragon Nymph Servant.


    "Very well, if that''s what you chose¡­"


    Raising her magic staff, Ivory formed a ball of fire above her. It became bigger and bigger, and as it did, more colors were added, like blue, brown, and white.


    The threatened King Yama widened his eyes on the huge ball which was merged with all four elements. What a miserable way to die! He didn''t expect that kind of powerful spell to cause his demise!


    Ivory then smashed the magic staff onto King Yama''s head!


    But there was an explosion during that contact, and dust momentarily covered the air!


    When the air became clearer, they were all shocked to see a woman over the king, embracing him.. The intensity of the spell made her back severely incinerated, and the Dragonicus King screamed in remorse and misery.

 Chapter 219 - "Regrets Of The Dragonicus King"

    "Drakeena¡­ DRAKEENA!" King Yama screamed, embracing his wife. As his tears streamed down his cheeks like waterfalls, memories of the past flashed in his mind.


    Hailing from humble roots and working as a young miner in his hometown in Topazeon, Yama Dragonicus knew what poverty was like. Their bloodline had a very low rate of producing Masters, so he was regarded as the hope of their clan. So when he received a letter that it was finally the right time for him to summon his Servant and train at Qawiun Academy, his family sold their house and land without his knowledge to give him as many coins as they could for his allowance.


    Yama remembered the day he summoned Drakeena in the arena''s summoning circle at Qawiun Academy. She was the most elegant and refined woman he had ever seen in his entire life. As his Nymph Servant, she served him dutifully, making sure that all his personal needs were taken care of.


    He only learned that his family became penniless when he went back to Topazeon on his graduation day. Because of his worry that his family might do something against his will once again, he applied as an officer in the Inventory Office instead of applying for the knight position in the Castle.


    But he did not expect that an angel would come from heaven to speak with him in his dream.


    Yes, he thought that Goddess Destinia''s messenger Lyria was a holy and pure soul. It turned out she was just a demon in an angel''s disguise.


    Lyria influenced him saying that he could be the most powerful and richest man in the kingdom, and he could give his family the life they deserved. There was a condition, however: to gain the people''s trust, ruin the Silverblade royal family, and overthrow the Silverblade King.


    At first, he did not agree, because he knew that it would be a big problem for the whole Kingdom of Destinia.


    But as a young man who had strong desires, he succumbed to the tempting offer when Lyria said that with her power, she could make it possible for Yama to have a romantic relationship with his own Servant.


    After their deal, he roamed around the Kingdom, doing good deeds as a front while spreading bad rumors against the Silverblade family.


    "I shouldn''t have taken that offer¡­ Then maybe I¡­" the King couldn''t stop crying when he realized his mistake. If he knew that Drakeena would die this way, he would''ve chosen to be with her in a Master-Servant relationship forever. He shouldn''t have drowned himself in the riches of the Kingdom; he shouldn''t have become too greedy in his life.


    Drakeena''s body slowly crumbled into pieces, yet, even in her last moment, she continued to smile at Yama.


    The Dragonicus King let his last teardrop fall on her ashes as he gripped on his sword tightly. Slowly, he lifted his weapon up to his throat, looking at his enemies with pain and remorse in his eyes before slitting his throat. He dropped down to where his Nymph Servant vanished while the blood continued gushing out his lacerated neck.


    Prince Levian and his allies looked at the seeping fresh blood from the dead body of the evil King. With the scheming father and son gone, Levi''s allies cheered for their victory, yet, the prince could not fully celebrate because he was not yet sure about the status outside the palace. He ordered his allies to ensure that there were no more enemies around the castle, so they all marched around, checking for any traces of their enemies.


    Ivory, together with all the other Werewolves used their wolf form to trace enemies better. Their heightened hearing and smell would be twice effective in that form.


    After making sure that nobody would go against them within the castle, they fetched Preston and Mermaine from the prison beach. Prince Levian walked side by side with Ivory into the front line as they all marched towards the castle''s fortress.


    They noticed that a large part of the castle wall had already crumbled down. By sneaking into the forest connecting Prisma and the castle fortress and replacing the roaming knights, Zen Silverblade and his men were able to set their foot in front of the castle without any commotion.


    It was also the intelligent young man''s invention of using non-magic means to break down the walls. His tactic made the enemies unprepared because of their confidence that the enchanted walls would protect them against any spell, giving the Silverblade allies an advantage. Aside from Zen, Principal Zwain Arthurdane also gave assistance. Together with the support of some academy graduates who were supporters of the Silverblades, they were able to trace all of the Dragonicus clan''s allies and capture them.


    Levi, Ivory, and the others marched out of the castle afterwards. The Silverblade prince raised an old flag, filled with royal blue color and golden borders. The flag had a wolf''s head embroidered in the center. In addition to this, a whitish sword was diagonally stitched behind the wolf''s head.


    When they got out of the castle''s premises, their allies were already waiting for them, and the morning sun peeked at the horizon.


    But there was a disturbance ahead.


    One of Levi''s men came running to them as soon as he got off his horse. He said, panting, "A horse¡­ A horse was flying¡­"


    Levi patted the man''s shoulder, "Please calm down¡­ We can''t understand what you''re saying."


    "Your Highness¡­ Someone''s looking for you, and he made his horse fly above the broken bridge using Air magic-"


    He paused when he heard a horse''s loud neigh behind him. The man turned around, "Ah, he''s here!"


    When Levi saw the armored horse and the one riding on it, he narrowed his eyes, "What are you doing here, Vampire?"


    Sigmund got off the horse, then looked around. All were Werewolves, and there was no sight of his beloved Ivory. Everyone only had the holy Silverblade mana in them.


    He then remembered what Helios told him a while ago: "Oh, and by the way, be more cautious of Prince Levian. He found his Werewolf Servant. If you want to save Ivory, you have to kill that wolf."


    Sigmund''s emotions of longingness for his beloved Master made his crimson red irises glow.. He made his wings appear, and later on, he couldn''t control his anger anymore.

 Chapter 220 - "Clash Of The Vampire And The Werewolf"

    Ivory, still in her wolf form, stared blankly at the man who was once her Servant. She found it weird that as soon as she saw him, she felt like she wanted to cry.


    Why did she suddenly feel that something was missing within her?


    But Ivory shook her head, shrugging off the thought. Perhaps it was only because they once shared mana.


    Sigmund flapped his huge vampire wings, and the gush of the wind blew the dust away, making the surroundings unclear. Amidst the blinding dust, he started casting a strong Fire elemental spell, and multiple fireballs were thrown towards Levi and his allies, making them scatter.


    A strong mana-induced sandstorm covered the whole area. The phenomenon disabled them from opening their eyes and moving freely.


    Levi casted Air magic against the sandstorm, but he then realized that it was not an ordinary sandstorm; Sigmund also used Earth magic to control the sand.


    With the help of his Master comrades and the Werewolves, they all casted Earth magic to try to control the sand, too. It was after a long while that they collected these to the side.


    Unfortunately, as soon as their sight became clearer, Ivory and Sigmund were already gone.


    It turns out that Sigmund trapped Ivory into a ball of sandstorm, with the wind so fast that she felt wobbly in the twirling motion. They flew, heading towards the destroyed tower.


    At the top of the broken tower of the Oracle, Sigmund flapped his wings, still holding onto the sleeping Ivory inside the bubble barrier. He concentrated more mana in his hands, then with great strength, he pushed down and threw the sandstorm ball downwards!


    The collision awakened Ivory, but an intense headache followed her through. The luminous pearl, which protected her in the sudden impact, was detached from her forehead. It broke into tiny pieces and vanished slowly into thin air.


    Ivory knew she was at a disadvantage because she already used too much mana during the previous battles. Now that the luminous pearl was not with her anymore, she knew she would not be able to take on the berserked Vampire.


    The Vampire spread his wings wider, stopping him from being farther away from his enemy. Upon seeing her alive and well, he gritted his teeth in anger. He charged towards her at high speed, incorporating the Fire element in his fists.


    Sigmund extended his arm and aimed for her heart, but the wolf moved a bit and  pierced through her stomach.


    The blood spurted as the wolf howled in pain. Because of her weakened state and the absence of the moon, Ivory could not heal herself anymore.


    Then, Ivory heard a deafening, ringing sound. She didn''t realize that the Dark Mana that slept within her had awakened.


    Sigmund noticed the change in expression of the wolf, so he watched her closely while he wiped some of the blood off of his face. When the wolf''s blood smeared his lips, he licked it due to his bloodlust.


    He felt a familiar sensation - a mixture of happiness and sadness - when he realized who he had hurt. His red irises stopped glowing, and tears fell from his eyes in guilt.


    The Vampire widened his eyes as he watched her slowly turn into her human form while still crying in pain. Holding her wounded body, she turned towards the direction of the man who was once her Vampire Servant. She couldn''t understand why, but she felt her heart ache when she saw his worried expression.


    Their memories together flashed in her eyes, but Ivory could only cry. She was reminded of the day she summoned him and the first time he sunk his teeth into her flesh amidst the burning house. She recalled their moments together in different cities, how they met people, and how their bond became stronger as each day passed by. She was reminded of how he made her feel so many things; joy, pain, pleasure, and most of all love.


    Despair had taken over her.


    She felt betrayed. Out of all the people in the kingdom, she was betrayed by Wolfram, her real father, and Prince Levian, her own Master.


    How could they make her forget him, the man whom she cherished and loved?


    Even her real mother Deshanna, who was once a Royal Knight, didn''t even bother to stop this from happening to her own daughter.


    As she felt her heart ache and her chest tighten, her blood continued flowing on the ground. Her tears continued streaming down her cheeks as she felt sorry for herself and  for her miserable fate.


    For the first time, she regretted being a Chosen One. She shouldn''t have just left the Sprucemints in Greensteid. She shouldn''t have gone to Qawuin Academy.


    If she could turn back time and not suffer anymore, then she would, but it would mean that she wouldn''t be able to meet her beloved Vampire.


    Could she just pray for her and Sigmund to live a normal life, away from all the chaos?


    Sigmund''s hands trembled as he touched Ivory''s cheek then lifted her body up. "No¡­ Ivory¡­ Apologies, I didn''t know¡­"


    Why did they have to meet again in the most heartbreaking way?


    Sigmund and Ivory stared at each other''s eyes while saying nothing, but in their minds, were a series of questions they wanted to throw to the heavens.


    Why did they have to meet as a Master and a Servant?


    Why did they have to exist as enemies?


    "Ivory¡­ You can''t¡­ You can''t die!" Sigmund yelled, crying. "It''s my fault¡­ I didn''t know you were a-"


    "Hush," Ivory smiled weakly at her beloved, "Please don''t blame yourself. This is actually my fault¡­ I let them decide my own fate."


    "Ivory¡­ I love you so much, please don''t leave-" his words were cut off when Prince Levian and his comrades threw a strong Air spell to Sigmund, which pushed him away from Ivory.


    Wolfram, upon seeing his daughter who was lying down on the ground, dashed to the bloody and weak Ivory. Behind him followed the Werewolves, who assisted Levi and his allies in capturing the Vampire. Xenos had also followed, and it was his big, bear Beast Servant Bavin in its active state who put on his weight on Sigmund. The others took this opportunity to place strong anti-magic cuffs on his hands.


    As they held onto him, he screamed, "Let me go!" trying to break away while also screaming Ivory''s name.


    "You murderer," he growled, recalling how he witnessed him doing the same thing with late King Ulysses in the past. "Haven''t you killed enough? You even have the audacity to include my daughter among all those you killed!?"


    Sigmund thought he heard wrong. "Daughter? Ivory is? What nonsense are you talking about?" he asked, confused.


    But the Alpha wolf just said, "Deshanna and I didn''t even know how it was possible."


    Sigmund was dumbfounded. If Deshanna is Ivory''s mother, then why is she Lucius'' sibling?


    He told Wolfram, "That''s not true! Ivory is Lucius Goldwine''s sister, so she''s-"


    "Deshanna Fogheart and Diana Goldwine¡­ They''re one."


    The Vampire couldn''t believe it. Ivory is his past Master Deshanna''s daughter, and aside from that, she''s also his nemesis'' daughter! She''s Sigmund''s beloved Master, but is also a Werewolf Servant herself!


    Why didn''t Ivory tell him? Was she worried that he might not accept her the way she is?


    It must be hard for her. Sigmund knew that she had big dreams to become a great Master, but with Levi''s appearance, she suddenly became a Servant, who had no choice but to serve the Silverblade heir.


    Sigmund was disheartened for her and their fates, and he felt a tremendous pain in his chest. He felt his knees weaken until he found himself kneeling down on the dry soil.


    The Werewolves and Prince Levi''s allies marched forward, and as the Vampire was being dragged away, Ivory stared at him in silence, her tears falling from her eyes.


    She didn''t know if she cried because of her sadness, or because her wound was too painful for her to bear.. A few seconds later, she fell unconscious, with only her Vampire Servant occupying her mind.

 Chapter 221 - "The Chapel Prisoner"

    "There are more flying horses!" someone announced.


    Levi and the others looked at who they were.


    Two flying horses galloped in the air, then landed in front of Wolfram. Riding on them were Anastasia and Lucius.


    "Bring the Vampire Servant to Empirica City. There''s an abandoned chapel in there," Anastasia told them.


    "Follow her orders," Wolfram told the humans who were not aware of who she was. "Excuse me, but my daughter needs healing."


    "Go on. I''ll handle the matter with the Vampire."


    While Wolfram carried Ivory away, Anastasia asked Lucius to come with her to the destined city in the Land of Sandria.


    And so, they put the cuffed Sigmund inside a huge metal cage with an anti-magic spell. Underneath the sturdy cage were big wheels, and in front were four bulky, armored horses pulling him.


    Surrounding the cart were Prince Levian, some of his comrades, and some of the Werewolves in their human form. Lucius and Anastasia each rode horses and followed the parade from behind. The march took then seven and a half hours with breaks in between.


    At the sandy city of Empirica, where the sun made the sand glisten, people stared at the parade of troops, and they were curious as to who the man with chains was.


    They brought Sigmund to an abandoned small church with one bell tower and a willow tree in front. Tree stumps were also scattered around the area.


    Inside, there were no seats and tables left, and only the broken windows and fallen wood could be found.


    Levian''s allies, with the help of some Werewolves, dragged Sigmund to the eastern part of the chapel.


    The Vampire desperately wanted to see Ivory, but he couldn''t. He yelled in anguish as he was dragged to the priest''s platform, and his hands and feet were locked by anti-magic metal shackles. The chains attached were hung at the ceiling and floor, preventing his mobility.


    Levi then casted the Silverblade mana barrier, which he also used when he imprisoned Sigmund in the small cottage.


    "Levian, let me see Ivory! Release me at once!" the sound of chains echoed loudly in the empty space.


    "I will not allow you to see her ever again, Vampire," Prince Levian created a strong ball of white mana on his palm. Glaring at the red-eyed, he said, "You should disappear-"


    "No! Please wait!" Lucius yelled as he ran towards the stage.


    It was unexpected that the Goldwine heir would go against Prince Levian. Levi''s gaze followed Lucius, who approached and stood in between him and the Vampire.


    "What do you think you''re doing?" Levi asked. slightly raising his tone. "You dare protect this insolent Servant, who almost killed your sister?"


    According to his sources, Lucius was a smart man, and he was careful with his words and actions. What could be the reason why he sided with the evil being?


    Lucius then told him, looking straight into the prince''s indigo eyes, "As someone who was with him for a year during our apprenticeship, I know that he wouldn''t kill just anyone."


    The prince creased his brows as he listened to him.


    "I suspect something happened to his memories, or maybe the Dark Mana made him berserk and out of his mind, or it may be something else we had not yet discovered."


    Levi raised his brow, "And? What do you suggest?"


    "I volunteer to investigate my sister''s Vampire Servant. Allow me to uncover what happened today, as well as what happened years ago."


    "You don''t even have any leads!"


    Anastasia defended Lucius, "We have a lead, Levian. We discovered that the Prisma Gallery painter Helios is the son of my messenger Lyria, and the fake oracle Ghidarlgh," she nodded in affirmation upon seeing the Prince''s surprised face, "But seeing that he had no Unholy Mana within him means that they had him when Ghidarlgh didn''t have the Unholy mana yet. They even have a mortal daughter who was not blessed with mana."


    Levi sighed, realizing how messed up everything was. He turned once again to Lucius, "Since the Goddess has spoken, I permit you to investigate that matter, but only until my coronation day after three days."


    With that little time, Lucius knew that the prince didn''t want to have any further investigations as it looked like he had set his mind that Sigmund was the culprit. But he wanted to show his confidence, "I''ll be asking the assistance of my father and the other Generals, and use all of the Goldwine clan''s connections," Lucius bowed to him, "Thank you, your Highness."


    Levi just nodded at him, then turned to the Goddess when his name was called.


    "Levian, I want a word with you," the ginger-haired Goddess said in a serious tone. "It''s about your coronation."


    "Yes, our almighty Goddess," Levi politely said as he approached her.


    "And Lucius¡­ Although I cannot interfere with the Holy Scroll of Destiny, worry not, because I give you my blessing," Anastasia smiled at him.


    The blond young man smiled back and uttered, "Thank you, Anastasia."


    Hearing this, Levian told Lucius, "Address her as the almighty Goddess-"


    "It''s alright. You may all call me Anastasia, for I am in this body," she told everyone in the room.


    Confused, the prince just sighed and nodded, before leaving with her.


    Seeing them leave, Lucius approached Sigmund until in front of the mana barrier.


    Meeting his eyes, the Vampire said, "You birdbrain. You wanna die?" he creased his brows, "Don''t be a birdbrain just like your sister-"


    He paused talking when his beloved''s smiling face appeared in his head. It had been a long time since he saw her.


    Sigmund terribly missed the presence of Ivory. Although they did not start out well, their hearts beat for each other unexpectedly as time went by. The more memories of her were etched in his mind, the more painful it was to lose her.


    Everything about their relationship was unexpected. Before, he wanted to get away from his clumsy and weak Master, but now, he didn''t want her out of her sight. In the past, he wanted to leave her, but now, he wanted to protect her.


    Lucius noticed the Vampire''s silence. He took his watch from his pocket and told him, "I''ll be proving your innocence for the sake of my sister. Time is my enemy, so I''ll be leaving now."


    Sigmund stared at Lucius'' back as he walked away from him, on the broken aisle. It was such an unusual feeling. Never did he expect that the person who had been strongly against their romantic relationship would be the one who''d help him in the most crucial time.

 Chapter 222 - "Choose Only One, Ivory"

    ¡­


    When Ivory opened her eyes next, she saw paradise.


    Barefooted and only wearing a white chiffon flowing dress, she walked over the small yellow daisies and soft green grasses. Ivory couldn''t help but smile as she saw the big and small butterflies following her around. The sun was shining brightly, yet the subtle warmth didn''t hurt her fair skin.


    At a distance, a lush oak tree could be seen. Ivory got curious and walked toward its direction. When she got nearer, she saw a ginger-haired woman standing underneath.


    "Ivory, hello," she greeted. The woman''s familiar smile was brighter than the sun, but Ivory couldn''t recall who it was. The gingerhead was wearing a sleeveless fishtail gown. The bust down to the waist was made of metal in which the tip looked like feathers, while the end of the skirt''s made of brown satin.


    "Uhm, hello¡­ Who are you? And where is this place?"


    "My name is Destinia, and you are at the boundary of heaven and the world¡­"


    "Oh my goddess! What-" she immediately knelt down, "Apologies, I didn''t know! Uhm, I am Ivory Sprucemint, and I live in your Kingdom!"


    Destinia chuckled, "It''s alright¡­" and helped Ivory to stand up. "Actually, I was waiting for you."


    Ivory looked at her in a confused expression.


    "Because you have helped the Silverblade Prince reclaim his throne, I give you the freedom to choose your fate, Ivory."


    "I can¡­ choose my fate?" there was a sudden hope in her eyes.


    "Yes. You have displayed loyalty to the Kingdom, and this is my reward to you. Choose from the two options," she explained. "Choose to be a normal human by being cleansed and unchosen in a special ritual by me, or choose to become a full-fledged Werewolf Servant of Prince Levian and serve him and the Kingdom until his last breath."


    Ivory suddenly felt helpless. She realized what had happened to her so far. Now, the paradise''s beauty became nothing but an illusion.


    "If I choose to become human, my mana will be returned to you, and Sigmund will be unsummoned. But if I become a Servant, Sigmund will also be unsummoned¡­" she clenched her fists, then stared at the Goddess of her Kingdom.


    Destinia stayed quiet as she watched her cry.


    "Why do you torture me like this, Goddess Destinia? I did everything in my power to serve you and the Kingdom!" she cried out.


    Destinia already experienced being human, so she understood where her feelings were coming from.


    But as the Goddess, who was assigned to oversee her own kingdom, she knew she shouldn''t be too giving and should be fair to all of the citizens in her kingdom.


    Destinia had learned her lesson, and the Holy Supreme God said that it would depend on her judgment with Ivory whether she could return to heaven or not. At the heaven-world boundary, a person could change her fate with a God or Goddess'' permission.


    "I only asked you to choose one, dear," the ginger-haired Goddess told her.


    "How could I live without Sigmund?" Ivory''s tears fell from her eyes. "I''d rather die without him by my side!"


    Destinia sighed, then patted her head as she let her sadness out through her tears. And as the Goddess observed her, she finally came to a conclusion.


    "Very well. If you can''t decide¡­ then as the Goddess of this Kingdom, I shall decide for you."


    Goddess Destinia did not wait for her response, and her holy hand glowed so brightly, turning the surroundings hazy white, before Ivory became unconscious.


    ¡­


    "...ry¡­ Ivory!" Levi yelled when he saw Ivory''s eyes open. He sat on a wooden chair beside her bed.


    The intricately designed blue canopy seemed wavy in Ivory''s vision for a short while. She closed her eyes once again, and then rubbed them with her fingers.


    "How are you feeling?" The Silverblade heir placed an extra pillow behind her.


    She opened her eyes and looked straight into Levi''s eyes, "What happened?" Ivory took off her blanket, and saw her chest and tummy covered with several bandages.


    "You can''t remember?" Levi asked.


    Ivory stared at his confused expression, and she looked around realizing that she was in an extravagant place. The bed she was on, especially felt so soft, and had canopy and curtains. She looked around the room and everything was in shades of blue. She saw expensive looking furniture, a bedside table, and an end table near the bed. A big mirror and a dressing table were placed against the wall.


    Then, flashbacks of what happened during the war appeared at the back of her mind.


    Tears fell from her eyes, realizing her ill fate with her beloved Vampire Servant.


    Her voice shook, "Where¡­ Where is Sigmund?"


    But Prince Levian averted his gaze. Should he tell her what he did to her lover?


    "Ivory, later''s my official coronation as King, and I want you to be present¡­ But you''re still half-human, so for now, I''ll tell them to prepare your porridge," Levi said and stood up from his seat.


    Ivory immediately reached out for her Master''s hand and clenched it tightly. "Please¡­ I need to see him¡­"


    "After he went berserk three days ago? No, I will never allow you to meet him."


    Levi shook off her hand from her tight grasp and walked out of the room.


    Ivory''s tears trickled down her cheeks. What could have they done to Sigmund these past few days? Full of regret, despair was clouding her judgment.


    She recalled the deal that the soon-to-be king made with her. Prince Levian promised he''d help prove Sigmund''s innocence, and so she trusted him and accepted his offer.


    But that deal might have gotten nullified, after the prince saw him hurt Ivory badly. Anyone would lose trust towards someone who went violent in such a situation.


    Ivory got up from her bed and ran towards the door. When she slid it open, she caught the attention of two of Levi''s allies who turned knights, and they requested her to go back to her bed to rest more. She was also informed that Levi ordered them to not let her out of the room.


    The Werewolf Servant followed, and so she closed the door once again. But this did not stop her from thinking of another solution.


    She slightly pulled sideways the thick, turquoise-colored curtain on the wide window. Outside, she saw two knights standing below, and a few roaming around. She was only on the second floor.


    Ivory knew that she''s in the Silverblade Castle. The room was intricately-designed, and the carves and colors of the walls and ceilings were familiar to her since she went there before when she was invited by Jirou Dragonicus.


    Exactly when she thought of the half human, she saw him, riding on his dragon while soaring around.


    Jirou was doing his task of scouting the Silverblade Castle. By King Levi''s grace, he was given the position of a Royal Knight. Even though he was the late evil king''s son, he contributed greatly in their victory.


    The truth was, he longed to see Ivory. When he learned of her being a half human as well, Jirou wanted to be closer to her even more.


    Jirou glanced at the window of Ivory''s room. As soon as he saw her peeking outside, he moved his dragon to fly near it.


    Beaming a smile when he saw her in a better state, he told her after she opened the window slightly, "It''s good to see you awake! How are you?"


    But Ivory answered, "I need your help," her voice was shaking, "Help me get out of here."

 Chapter 223 - "Reunited At Last"

    x x x x x x x x x x


    Hello, our dear Readers <3


    How are you? We hope you''re all happy and well!


    Stay tuned for the last 10 chapters of this book!


    What will happen with Ivory and Sigmund''s forbidden relationship? How can they defeat the enemies, and the courses of fate that kept on testing them?


    Thank you for waiting for us and together, let us witness the ending of "Taming My Vampire Servant"!


    x x x x x x x x x x


    Jirou creased his brows, "The Silverblade Prince will kill me if I grant your wish."


    "Please?" Ivory looked at him with puppy eyes.


    He stared quite long at her light blue irises. "Where do you want to go?" he sighed, "I already know¡­ who your real lover is. It''s not someone you met randomly in Betania City, right?"


    Ivory nodded at him. "I beg you¡­ Bring me to him, Prince Jirou-"


    "Just call me Jirou. I am no longer a prince, but your kind Master made me a Royal Knight."


    "Then¡­ you''re now my new ally and friend, aren''t you? Can''t you help me with this once?"


    "You know how much I like you, and you''re using that card, huh?" Jirou chuckled, "Fine, fine. I''ll deal with the consequences later. Come, Ivory."


    Ivory gave a smile at him, then opened the window widely. She climbed the window sill and then jumped out, riding Jirou''s golden dragon Beast Servant.


    "Hold on tight, okay?" the ex-prince told Ivory. When the knights noticed Ivory''s escape, Jirou created mist around them to hide themselves using Combination magic of Fire and Water. They flew away, leaving the knights below confused.


    It was quite a long travel from the Silverblade Castle to Empirica City. Jirou''s golden dragon was introduced to all border guards, and since he became a Royal Knight, he was allowed to pass to the borders without being asked.


    Jirou''s dragon landed on one of the abandoned structures at the back of the city. It transformed into its inactive state, and flew on Jirou''s shoulder.


    Jirou was worried about Ivory wearing only bandages on her top, so he took off his black cape and wore it on her. He also pulled up the hood so that her silver hair wouldn''t be too eye-catching.


    Ivory thanked him, then they set off towards the city center. Jirou first bought a dark blue cape, and also covered himself with the hood.


    The half human led Ivory towards a small Goddess'' chapel.


    There were some city guards outside, and they recognized Jirou and Ivory when they took off their hood.


    Jirou faked and said that they were sent by the Silverblade heir, so they were immediately allowed to go inside. He asked the knights and city guards to stay outside for a while, while Ivory was stunned to see a topless man with well-defined abs tied to the wall chains.


    The man with black hair and a pair of crimson red irises glanced at them. He widened his eyes when he saw his unexpected visitors.


    "Sigmund¡­ Oh, my Sigmund!" Ivory shed tears like waterfalls as she ran towards his direction.


    But a strong barrier made her stumble backwards, preventing her from approaching her beloved Vampire Servant.


    Jirou explained, "It''s a special anti-magic barrier of the Silverblade clan. No one can dissipate it, unless it''s a God or Goddess."


    Ivory took a look at Sigmund, who was obviously uncomfortable with his chains. She cried and cried in front of him.


    Sigmund smiled, trying to reassure her, "Dimwit. Don''t cry, you''ll be ugly," he said, "You think these stupid chains and that kid''s barrier will kill me? No way."


    "Meanie¡­ You''re such a meanie¡­ It''s not the time to joke around!" she sniveled and wiped her tears with her hands.


    Sigmund stared at his crying lover and gave a weak smile. How he wished to embrace her tightly at that moment, but the chains and barrier wouldn''t let him. "Tsk, how troublesome¡­" he murmured, pulling the chains.


    However strong he pulled it, it was no use. The Silverblade mana was meant to counter his mana infested with the Dark or Unholy mana.


    Ivory reached out her hand onto the surface of the barrier. Whenever she touched it, it sent pain to the tip of her fingers. "How can I¡­"


    "It''s been three days, and Rich boy still has not gotten back."


    "Why, where''s Lucius?"


    "For your sake, he volunteered to help me prove my innocence. How foolish," the Vampire creased his brows, "Prince Levian is already dead set on punishing me, regardless of what''s the situation. For him, I am a murderer, whether I am innocent or not."


    "They already informed me about what happened to you before," Jirou said, patting the cute golden dragon which was standing firmly on his shoulder. He then turned to Sigmund, "If I were in the prince''s point of view, I''d see you as a criminal, as well. No witness ever said that you''re innocent. All of them said that they all saw you do such horrifying things."


    "I only remembered making people sleep with a strong spell, but not killing them!" Sigmund responded, his voice echoing in the chapel, "Damn it, I can''t remember a lot of things."


    Ivory nodded, "Yes, you can''t even remember you already went to Topazeon Town. You and my birth mother had records of your visit at the inn."


    "There must be something in Topazeon Town then. I hope Rich boy can think about investigating there-"


    "Of course, Vampire! You underestimate me," from the far back, Lucius entered, together with two robed individuals. One of them had a pair of anti-magic cuffs on his wrists, while the other one had none. Lucius pulled the thick metal chains attached to the cuffs as he walked forward towards the front.


    Sigmund, Ivory and Jirou were shocked to see Lucius bring the two green-haired siblings. How come they weren''t stopped by the guards? They did not notice that there were no guards awake anymore. They already fell asleep with Lucius'' sleeping spell.


    "You dumb Rich guy! What do you think you''re doing?!" Sigmund yelled.


    "Helios said he''d take you out of that Silverblade barrier again¡­ Isn''t that right, Helios?" but when Lucius turned to him, the young man was only looking at Ivory.

 Chapter 224 - "The Return Of The Half-Goddess"

    Helios just stared at Ivory for a long while.


    When Lucius noticed this, he right out covered his eyes, "Your promise."


    The green-haired man nodded, and Lucius took off the anti-magic cuffs, while being cautious at the same.


    In just a minute, Helios successfully took off the strong barrier, and the blond young man immediately returned the cuffs to him.


    "You promised me, you''d let me take a look at Ivory," he said, creasing his brows when he saw her crying as she took off Sigmund''s cuffs and chains.


    "Aren''t you already looking at her?" Jirou grumpily said.


    Helios ignored Jirou, and the moment he saw Ivory with Sigmund, he yelled, "You Vampire¡­ get away from her!" he briskly walked towards them, murmuring, "My muse¡­ my muse-"


    Lucius grabbed his arm and pulled him back, and Helios received a hard punch on the face, sending him down the broken floor. The blood gushed from Helios'' nose, but he still managed to smile at Ivory.


    "He''s lost it," Lucius sighed. "I just used his obsession with Ivory to make him destroy the barrier¡­ Apologies, Ivory."


    Jirou crossed his arms, "I know that you couldn''t ask the Goddess what to do with them. She disappeared yesterday, together with the Werewolves who were without Masters."


    When Ivory asked about her father Wolfram, Lucius told her that he already went back to the heavens.


    Lucius also added, "Prince Levian was too busy preparing for the coronation today, so he couldn''t stop my plans... Anyway, my job''s done, so I''ll return them to the prison cell now."


    Jirou was done observing the lunatic man Lucius brought, and when he turned his head, he met Fiona''s eyes. The young lady immediately looked away.


    "You must be the mortal older sister," Jirou told her, "How unusual that you do not have any mana in you. Your mother is a half-goddess, so why-"


    "How rich this woman''s mana is!" Sigmund''s special crimson red irises could still sense mana, "It''s kind of similar to that gingerhead, Anastasia- I mean¡­ Goddess Destinia. But only less abundant," Sigmund commented, but he got confused when they saw the shock on Ivory, Jirou, and Lucius'' faces.


    In just a split second, Fiona was able to break out of the cuffs and metal chains!


    "This is why I dislike Vampires. I easily get caught," Fiona muttered.


    It was then that Lucius realized what happened three days ago in Rubia Town. He recalled that after Anastasia pierced Lyria''s heart, Fiona became unconscious. He thought it was only a natural reaction upon seeing blood and flesh splattering, but it seemed like there was more to it.


    "You¡­ You''re Lyria, aren''t you?"


    Upon hearing the question, the green-haired woman''s hysterical laugh echoed in the empty chapel.


    "It''s so funny how you did not realize it!" Lyria removed Helios'' anti-magic cuffs using her own mana, then pulled him towards her. The mother and son stepped backwards, away from them.


    Lucius found it weird that they were releasing Sigmund that easily. What was the half-goddess planning? He tried to figure it all out in his mind.


    Like Destinia, Lyria is not all-knowing. There must be something that Lucius could use to their advantage¡­ something that could mock her.


    "Your husband, ex-Oracle Ghidarlgh¡­ You''re just going to leave him in the castle dungeon?" Lucius asked in a serious tone.


    "My husband is in the dungeon?" Lyria grinned.


    The surroundings suddenly became foggy. Amidst the hazy surrounding, Lyria and Helios ran away through the broken window.


    When the fog dissipated, Ivory found herself in Sigmund''s tight embrace. She looked at him with affection and worry, and felt relieved that he''s finally within her grasp.


    Ivory couldn''t help but cry again, "I missed you so much¡­"


    "I missed you terribly, Ivory," Sigmund whispered. "Do you know how long I''ve been waiting for this moment?"


    Ivory''s tears fell as if they were limitless. "Apologies, Sigmund¡­ I didn''t know it would come to this¡­ I didn''t expect my real parents to be-"


    "Hey, dimwit, stop crying!" he wiped her tears with his fingers. While looking straight into her eyes, he told her, "From now on¡­ Let''s not part ways, Ivory."


    But it only made her cry harder.


    Ivory remembered what the Goddess Destinia asked when she was in her paradise dream:


    "Choose to be a normal human by being cleansed and unchosen in a special ritual by me, or choose to become a full-fledged Werewolf Servant of Prince Levian and serve him and the Kingdom until his last breath."


    It was too unfair for Ivory. How could she choose a life without her beloved Vampire?


    Lucius formed a smile on his face when he saw his sister cry for joy. It was such a heartwarming feeling, and he felt that the real Ivory was finally back,


    "Ehem," Jirou stood near them, "Apologies for cutting your reunion, but we need to escape before the next shift of the troops come."


    Ivory nodded, immediately wiping the tears left on her eyes. The four of them went through the broken back window, and after making sure that the knights and guards were still asleep with the spell, they fled towards the marketplace.


    Sigmund and Ivory got new cloaks. They put on their hoods, and a piece of cloth also covered their noses and mouths.


    "Everywhere is Prince Levian''s territory. These past days, he had already established his influence, through the help of the Generals," Jirou told them. "


    "And we also have a problem," Ivory said, then turned to her brother, "Lucius, we need to follow Lyria to the castle dungeons. What if she set Ghidarlgh free? They will all flee, and we do not know what-"


    "That man''s not in the prison dungeon."


    Ivory raised her brows, "So it was a trap¡­ and she took the bait?"


    Lucius nodded. "He will be¡­ executed on the Umbria City plaza before the coronation of Prince Levian."


    "It''s to show that the previous king had fooled the whole Kingdom. He became an Oracle even though he''s not blessed by the Goddess," Jirou said, "Aside from that, they will also announce the crimes that they all committed."


    Sigmund sighed, "The problem is how you''d defeat those with the blood of Gods. I am not quite sure if mere Chosen Ones could defeat them. Who knows, they might have something else up their sleeves."


    "What do we do now?" Ivory uttered. "Shall we hide somewhere?"


    "Escaping is not an option. How about going directly to the castle? We still have¡­" Lucius took a peek on his pocket watch, "...four hours before the execution and six hours before the coronation."


    "But the travel time is scarce," she reacted. "Oh no, if we use mana-"


    "Ivory¡­ You didn''t use the Dark Mana in you, right?" Sigmund asked with curious eyes.


    "Yes¡­ Are we going to use it-"


    "Give me your blood," Sigmund said, "Let''s renew our contract."


    Ivory felt embarrassed that he said it casually in daylight.. With blushing cheeks, she nodded, not minding the annoyed looks of both her brother and her admirer.

 Chapter 225 - "The Renewal Of The Blood Contract"

    "Hold it," Jirou said, creasing his brows, "This is not the right time to-"


    "Calm down. I know you like my sister, but Sigmund has a point. They''ve been away for so long, and Sigmund almost depleted his mana. He only had the energy to walk now, but later on, he wouldn''t be able to stand anymore," Lucius explained, "That will be disadvantageous for us, don''t you think?"


    The black-haired ex-prince crossed his arms and looked away, "Fine. Let''s find a place, then."


    They asked some merchants where the nearest luxurious lodging was. It was found at the back of an alley, in front of newly-painted, clay-made apartments.


    Lucius rented two rooms, which were in front of each other. His and Jirou''s room were smaller compared to the couple''s room they assigned to Ivory and Sigmund.


    Before they parted, Jirou told the two, "We''re only here to replenish mana, so be quick!"


    "After losing blood, Ivory still needs to rest for a while," Sigmund smirked, "Why can''t you just accept that you lost against me?"


    "I just can''t believe that all this time, Ivory''s lover is her own Servant¡­ No, I refuse to accept-"


    Ivory patted Jirou''s shoulder, then said, "I really appreciate your help, Jirou¡­ but please let us have this opportunity to make up for our lost time together."


    She was smiling, but her eyes were lonely. Having noticed this, Jirou just nodded, and took Ivory''s hand away from him. He walked in the room, leaving Lucius with the couple by the door.


    "So¡­ Go now. After Ivory has rested, we''ll take flight. Only three people can fit on the golden dragon, so Sigmund should use his wings later," Lucius explained. He then asked the two to go to their room, and he set up a sound barrier for them.


    Sigmund closed the door and slid the wooden latch to lock it. They looked around the big room, where a white queen bed with fluffy pillows was placed against the windowed wall. It also has an intricate archway and three chandeliers of different shapes in the middle of the room. The lounge area even had chairs and a small circular table at the side.


    The two of them took off their cloaks and masks. After placing them folded on the side table, they glanced at the bed, and looked at each other amorously.


    "Can I¡­ Can I soak in the tub for a while?" Ivory said shyly. "I''ve been bedridden for three days, so-"


    But her words were cut off when Sigmund''s lips touched hers. He said afterwards, "Dimwit¡­ I haven''t bathe in days as well."


    "Sigmund¡­ you smell like lilies to me. My sense of smell has been heightened now that my abilities have fully awakened," she uttered. "I am too embarrassed. I smell bad, so-"


    Sigmund subtly caressed her lips with his finger, "I do not have a heightened smell ability like yours, but I find your scent to be too irresistible."


    As the lovers directly looked at each other, their faces slowly drew closer to each other.


    Sigmund embraced her, pulling her towards him. With one of his hands underneath her buttocks, he raised her up, making sure her legs were wrapped around his waist.


    Ivory placed her hands at the back of Sigmund''s head. Hungry for each other, their hot lips grazed each other, and no one dared to stop. Sigmund''s wet tongue played with Ivory''s wet tongue repeatedly, and would only pause to breathe.


    While exchanging kisses, Sigmund moved towards the bed and gently pushed Ivory to the pillows. He pulled away and crawled on top of her, "Before I forget, let me replenish my mana, Ivory."


    She nodded, and he let him pull her gartered pants down to her legs, exposing her brown linen panties. Showing on her milky thigh was the lyre-shaped symbol of the birthmark of Destinia.


    Sigmund moved towards her legs, and caressed her mark. When he heard her little moans, he slid his tongue from her knees to her birthmark.


    The sensation of his coarse tongue aroused Ivory so much, but she held herself in. Still, she couldn''t control her body, and the juices of her core oozed, spreading on her underwear.


    Noticing this, Sigmund smirked, "Apologies, but we''re only going to replenish my mana."


    But to Ivory''s surprise, the Vampire poked her center and caressed it gently with his thumb.


    "Aaaahh¡­ Sigmund, I thought we''re only going to do mana replenishment¡­ mmmmm¡­" Ivory couldn''t speak continuously as her body trembled.


    "I couldn''t help it¡­" Not yet satisfied, he slid the cloth to the side and moved his face closer to her wet, pinkish flower. He met her gaze before licking and inserting his tongue in her core.


    The Vampire was pleased to see Ivory stimulated because of him. From the start, she was his, and in his mind, he''s the only one who could satisfy her.


    Ivory grabbed Sigmund''s hair, and in just a short while, she came out. Breathing heavily, she slowly let go of him.


    "I am not yet done," the Vampire said.


    Realizing how much time had passed, he finally decided to do what they should do. Sigmund moved his head slowly towards the birthmark of Destinia.


    Ivory felt his hot breath, and she screamed in pain and pleasure when she felt his fangs pierce her skin.


    Sigmund''s bloodlust came to him, and he gripped her thighs tightly. He drank the sweet blood of his Master, whom he missed so much. In his mind, he would never, ever, take his eyes away from her anymore.


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 Chapter 226 - "Execution In The Umbria City Plaza-1"

    Ivory and Sigmund''s mana replenishment and rest were done in an hour. Lucius dissipated the sound barrier, and he entered the now unlocked room of the couple. He brought with him two sets of new clothes with armors for them to change into.


    Ivory wore a hooded cape and a golden breastplate with intricate designs over a white long sleeve top. Her white layered skirt also has golden designs on the edges.


    Sigmund, on the other hand, wore a thin silver and black breastplate on top of a purple collared long sleeve top. He was also wearing white pants and silver and black boots. He was given lighter armor so that it would not hinder him from flying fast.


    And so, they all ran towards the roof of the lodging. Jirou''s golden dragon then turned to its active state.


    "Let me help you up, Ivory," Jirou, who was sitting in front, said and extended his hand to her.


    But Sigmund materialized his wings then swept Ivory to his arms. He glared at him before carefully putting her at the back of the big creature. "I want to carry you all the way back to Umbria City, but if I do that, I might take you somewhere else cause you know, I''m still craving for your taste," he smirked and winked at her.


    Ivory blushed, "Sigmund, you¡­" she glanced at Lucius and Jirou, who were raising their brows at them. After the Vampire teased her, Lucius rode behind Ivory.


    Sigmund didn''t want her to be near Jirou, but he had no other choice. Ivory being in the middle would be a safer choice for the flight.


    The team left for Umbria Plaza. The 4.5 hours of travel was improved to an hour because of the golden dragon Beast Servant''s speed.


    Underneath them, the Umbria bridge was under repair by Zen Silverblade''s team, and it was planned to have a new design as well, befitting to the soon-to-be king. A floating bridge was temporarily placed at the side of the city, and sturdy ramps were also leaned onto the roads.


    Soon, they arrived at the designated place for the sinners'' execution, in the center of the Umbria Plaza. Descending from the sky, the new knights and guards looked at it, readying their weapons as the dragon''s body shone like polished gold. But Xenos, who was reassigned as a Royal Knight by Levi, recognized them and told them that they''re allies.


    As soon as Ivory and the others got down from the golden dragon, it transformed back to its inactive state. Sigmund, whose wings were too flashy, quickly dissipated them.


    "You''re just in time. The execution is about to start," Xenos pointed towards the center, where there was a large cage on top of a wooden wagon.


    Inside was a familiar bald man, whose hands and feet were in metal shackles. The shackles were connected to a long chain, in which some knights held onto.


    As soon as his name was called, he was dragged to the center.


    The crowd gathered around, curious with what would happen to the man they thought was the holy Oracle chosen by Goddess Destinia herself.


    Ghidarlgh was made to kneel in front of a spearman, who also served as an executioner. He gulped at the sight of the sharp spear, and just imagining its tip touching his neck sent shivers down his spine.


    "Ghidarlgh Menas¡­ You have committed several grave sins which are unforgivable to the whole Kingdom of Destinia," one of the Royal Knights uttered, reading a scroll which was drafted by both Lucius and Xenos last night. Listed there were the fake Oracle''s crimes. Just as when he was about to read it all, he paused at the sight of the future king. He bowed down to him, "Greetings, Your Highness!"


    Clothed in majestic armor, Levian had gotten rid of his previous aura of a peasant adventurer. He was wearing a black long sleeve shirt, black tight pants, and black gloves under his metal gauntlets, faulds, and boots. Around his shoulder was a royal dark blue fur cape.


    After going down his horse, he pointed towards the back.


    Two more cage wagons were being brought to the center.


    "Executioner, please add these two to the list. They escaped the isolation cell in Empirica City, then they were caught roaming around the castle prison."


    "What? We did not escape! It''s-" Helios glanced at Lucius, who gave a straight face. It was a trap. That was when he knew the information that Lucius purposely told them was wrong. Ghidarlgh was not in the castle prison, but was in the plaza, ready to be executed!


    Although the green-haired young man wanted to attack, the cage itself and the shackles on his wrists were magic-proof. They were personally enchanted by Levi himself.


    Ghidarlgh, seeing his daughter and son, pleaded to the executioner, "Please! Please don''t hurt my children!"


    Lucius immediately walked towards Levi, then explained the situation. In front of the people, Lucius revealed, "You''re wrong. Among the two people you see in the cages, only Helios is your child."


    Ghidarlgh gave a confused look. "What do you mean?"


    "Why don''t you ask your wife, who possessed your daughter''s body? Truly a loyal wife¡­ She forcibly took her own daughter''s body to continue to live in this world with you!"


    The ex-Oracle turned his head towards the woman whom he knew was his daughter. He looked at her with horror when he noticed her eyes were full of anger, which was in contrast with Fiona''s kind eyes.


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 Chapter 227 - "Execution In The Umbria City Plaza-2"

    Everyone watched the broken family''s drama. The revelation of Fiona''s situation shocked all, especially Ghidarlgh.


    "Is it true? Lyria¡­ did you really-"


    "Fiona will understand, dear," the half-goddess justified, raising her voice, "At least her body can experience having mana. That''s her frustration, being born as a pure mortal. She took after you, so you understood, right? Isn''t that why I made the unholy mana, to satisfy you and your greediness?!"


    Ghidarlgh felt conflicted. He knew she was only telling the truth.


    Their conversion ended when the executioner raised his hand, "Let us proceed with the execution!" and one of his assistants blew the horn. The executioner cleared his throat and continued reading the violation report of Xenos and Lucius against him, "Ghidarlgh Menas, you fooled everyone that you are the destined Oracle. You conspired with ex-messenger Lyria to bring chaos upon the kingdom."


    There was indistinct chatter among the people, while the bald man felt his knees getting numb.


    Ghidarlgh closed his eyes when he saw the executioner''s spear move.


    But unexpectedly, Lyria broke away from the strong mana barrier and destroyed his cage. Being a half goddess, Lyria was still powerful, and her anger made her even more remorseless.


    The half-goddess pushed away everyone near her husband, making them fly towards the walls and hit their bodies on the hard surfaces. Seeing the crowd disperse, she then went towards kneeling Ghidarlgh at the center, then broke his cuffs and chains.


    Lyria then raised her hand to the direction of Helios'' cage. But when she released a powerful ball of mana, Levi and Ivory blocked it using the Silverblade mana, sending it flying to the sky''s direction.


    Lyria clenched her fists. Then, as if a lightbulb had lit above her head, she looked at Sigmund, who was standing beside Ivory. She pointed at the Vampire, and at the tip of her finger was a fine line that seemed like a black smoke which extended towards Sigmund.


    Unexpectedly, the string of Dark Mana couldn''t affect him for some reason, and the half-goddess didn''t know why it couldn''t reach the Vampire.


    Realizing that it was futile, she changed her focus on Ivory, and she successfully attached the line of black smoke to her heart!


    Sigmund, Levi, and Lucius walked all at once towards Ivory, trying to break the connection. But even though they attacked it with weapons and magic, it was no use. Dark Mana kept on being inserted inside of her through her heart.


    Ivory trembled and felt like her stomach''s turning inside out. She closed her eyes, trying to endure the intense pain in her body.


    "You think only Destinia''s mana can make someone''s power asleep? Aren''t you all forgetting that I am still a goddess, although not entirely¡­" Lyria stopped giving her Dark Mana, when the black stone on her anklet broke into pieces. "This woman is my last gamble."


    Ivory screamed until she became unconscious. She was caught by Sigmund before she fell on the ground.


    But when she opened her eyes, they were blank. Upon seeing her beloved''s face, she pushed him away, then hastily went to Lyria and Ghidarlgh, guarding them.


    Lyria laughed hysterically. "Oh benevolent prince, heed my request. Release my son as well, before I let your Servant go!" They tried to get near her, but she grabbed Ivory''s neck. "Don''t you dare!"


    They all stepped back, and the silence made Levian, Lucius, and Sigmund think about the magic spell that Lyria did.


    The incident in the Silverblade Castle might have been done by Lyria all along.


    Sigmund''s crimson red irises glowed as he felt anger with what Lyria did to his lover. "You did this to me years ago, didn''t you?!" he yelled, annoyed with Lyria''s smug face.


    "What''s the use of knowing what happened in the past? You can''t do anything about it. You killed hundreds with that body of yours, and it''s irreversible!" Lyria retorted.


    "In my Master''s womb was her child born with both the evil and the good mana, and I consumed the evil mana flowing in her blood¡­ You knew this would happen, and took the chance to fool me by taking away most of my important memories¡­ Perhaps my Master and I already knew about the origin of the Unholy or Dark Mana!"


    Sigmund suspected it was the reason why Ivory saw his and Deshanna''s names in the Precious Inn''s registration scroll in Topazeon town.


    Lyria got impatient that they had no plan of releasing his son from the anti-mana cage. She let go of ivory''s neck, then told her, "Now, Ivory. Why don''t you finish off your Master? Remember that he fooled you and made you forget your lover. Isn''t he a cruel one?"


    Because only the Dark Mana was flowing inside of her, Ivory''s emotions were unstable, and so she felt the betrayal of Levi. She materialized her two-orbed staff, and the black orb shone red light.


    "Unfortunately, you won''t be able to become king, Levian," mocked Lyria.


    Ivory pointed her glowing staff to her Master, but when she finally bursted out a Fire elemental spell, Lucius blocked her!


    Mastering the Fire element, he absorbed her fire attack and was unscathed. Lucius warned his sister, "Ivory, wake up! Don''t listen to her. She''s just getting you all riled up!"


    But then Ivory replied, "No, Lucius¡­ It''s true¡­ Prince Levian, my father Wolfram, and my mother Diana¡­ they all betrayed me¡­" tears fell from her lifeless eyes, before she detached her staff into two, "Prince Levian, I do not care if you''re my Master, or if you''re the future King¡­ I will take my revenge!" She then lunged forward toward them.


    Just in time, Lucius materialized his sword. If his opponent wasn''t Ivory, he would have made Volcius in its active state. However, he was afraid that she''d be badly hurt.


    Ivory formed her rods in an X position, trapping Lucius''s blazing sword on it while she pushed him away, "Lucius¡­ You''re not my target. Get lost!"


    Lucius'' feet moved back a little. He yelled, "Sigmund, get Lyria!" the Goldwine heir suspected that he''s immune to the half-goddess'' control.


    And when the Vampire charged towards Lyria, Ivory immediately stepped back, then followed him from behind!

 Chapter 228 - "Ascension"

    Ivory used Air magic to push herself forward faster. She caught up with Sigmund, and grabbed his shoulder.


    The Vampire turned around to try to hold onto Ivory, and  when they locked eyes, Ivory got her Air magic out of control. In a few seconds, the casting of magic was stopped.


    This made Sigmund have the chance to turn the tide of the battle. He materialized his wings, then lifted her up by her waist.


    Ivory, with locked Silverblade mana, couldn''t transform into her Werewolf form. Instead, she struggled with all her might as they slowly rose up to the air.


    "You birdbrain, return to your old self, damn it!" Sigmund yelled, as he hugged her tightly..


    But the silverhead didn''t want him to continue to be at an advantage. She moved her head backwards, hitting the Vampire''s chin!


    "Ivory!" Sigmund yelled when he accidentally loosened his grip on her, making her fall down.


    Ivory, with her fast reflexes, made a tornado on her feet to help her float. She then summoned ball of fires around her magic rods and started shooting them towards Sigmund.


    The Vampire shielded himself with his wings, and flapped them harder to make Ivory lose focus with the strong wind. He also absorbed moisture from the clouds, and solidified water into ice, hitting the tornado lifting her up. His magic spells were enough to make her tornado weaken.


    And when she caught a glimpse of Lyria at the side showing a displeased face, she panicked. She released a spell, but it was too much and pushed Sigmund to the road.


    Because of the powerful impact, the cobblestones cracked and created a crater behind Sigmund.


    "Sigmund, I didn''t replenish your mana to go against me! I don''t want to hurt you, so don''t do this anymore and let me finish my task¡­" Ivory murmured.


    Because Sigmund observed her reaction a while ago, he figured that she could still be distracted, and hopefully she could change her mind.


    "Ivory¡­ do you love me?" Sigmund said out of the blue.


    Then, there was silence. It was obvious in Ivory''s weakening grip on her rod and the magic attack that she was already hesitating. The Vampire took this chance and switched positions with her. He blocked her with his arms while she was leaning against the road.


    To have the advantage, Sigmund held her chin tight, tilting it to the side and bit her neck. She felt his body pressing against hers, and her hands trembled, dropping the rods to the ground, and when she tried pushing him away from, she couldn''t.


    Ivory tried to get out of his grip, but Sigmund planted a deep kiss on her lips.


    It was the familiar sensation, and Ivory''s inner desire for Sigmund awakened her Silverblade mana. She placed her arms around his neck, savoring every second in kissing him.


    Sigmund never planned for them to make out in public! He just wanted her to snap out of it, but it was her who pulled him even closer and held him tightly.


    And when they pulled away, he was shocked to see Ivory''s eyes glowing.


    "Ivory¡­ your eyes-"


    "I am back," she said with confidence, then gave a peck on him.


    Sigmund knew it was not the usual Ivory. It was the fearless, powerful Ivory with the Silverblade mana! He could still remember vividly that steamy night they had before Ivory got full control of her mana. The naughty Ivory already said goodbye to him, so he never expected her to return.


    When Sigmund let her go, Ivory stood up and picked up her two rods, then attached them together again into a long staff. She glared directly at Lyria while she walked towards her.


    Not expecting it to happen, Lyria gritted her teeth in anger. She then noticed that at that moment, her body glowed a faint yellowish glow.


    Familiar with that kind of power, Lyria told her, "So it was Juno all along¡­ That meddler God!"


    Juno, one of the Holy Supreme God''s oldest sons, had always been fond of Destinia, who''s one of the youngest daughters. Destinia looked up to Juno and was always asking for advice on how to manage her own kingdom. When she decided to lend her holy mana to her own people, Juno had doubts. But when he checked the Holy Scroll of Fate, he learned that it was bound to happen, so he did not stop her.


    "I don''t know what you mean by that," Ivory said, "But this is the end of your foolishness."


    "You think a mere mortal like you can defeat a goddess like me?"


    "Correction, you are only a half-goddess, but I was sent by the gods to be the savior of this kingdom!"


    Suddenly, the sky roared like war drums. It was divided into four colors representing the four elements. As if the heavy clouds shed tears of desperation, it rained strongly, making the city folks retreat to the stores. But the knights, Royal Knights, and other troops stood firmly in their positions as they watched Lyria''s every move, fulfilling their duties as the Prince''s loyal comrades.


    Ivory was struck with lightning, but it did not faze her. Her robe was destroyed, and as the pieces of her garment fell down, they were all shocked to see her changing appearance. One by one, birthmarks of Destinia appeared in her body, starting from her head, down to her feet.


    "I, Ivory Sprucemint, humbly accepts our holy Goddess Destinia''s judgment," she muttered, feeling her body with an immense amount of mana that no person in the whole kingdom could bear.


    Lyria knew that they''d all be finished once Ivory attacked her.


    The rain continued to pour down, and Ivory held onto her staff tightly. As soon as she pointed the white orbed tip of her staff towards Lyria, the clouds formed a big circular gap and light descended towards her.


    Lyria shrieked in pain with the Holy Light shining upon her. She glared at the people around her, but when she laid her eyes on Ghidarlgh and Helios, tears fell from her eyes.


    She recalled how she became a monster. It was her own choice to love and become more human although she was supposed to pledge loyalty to the heavens.


    The young Ghidarlgh was a poet, speaking words of wisdom on the streets of Prisma City. It was fate that led Lyria, in human form, to be too absorbed in his speech. The naive half-goddess, half-human felt butterflies in her stomach, identifying it as love. Taking with her the God Protection Amulet so that she would not be caught by Goddess Destinia, she continued to meet the man each time she descended from heaven. And so, the two young hearts become one, giving birth to a mortal, who they named Fiona.


    But being poor led them to develop ambitions and supreme greed.


    Although Lyria had a god''s blood, she was not as strong as the purebreds. At that time, she still had to rely on magic stones blessed by Goddess Destinia, who trusted her a lot as her messenger.


    Topaz is one of the blessed stones, and its raw form was abundant in Topazeon Town. Lyria, Ghidarlgh, and the baby Fiona lived like a normal family in that certain town, and a year after, a baby boy with a little bit of god blood was born.


    But their relationship took a sharp turn. Ghidarlgh wanted to have mana even though he was not a Chosen One. He said that he was jealous of some of their neighbors, and even jealous of his own son. He mocked Lyria, saying that she''s a useless half-goddess because she couldn''t even make him a powerful human being.


    Taking it to heart, Lyria studied how to create the perfect mana stone. The strongest mana stone would also allow her to control the infested person. So, while there were no tasks from Goddess Destinia, Lyria took time and effort to find the cave of Topaz stones. After the mining shifts, she sneaked inside the cold and dark cave alone.


    With tears in her eyes, she was thinking about her unfortunate fate. She wanted to fulfill her husband''s wish. Lyria held on tightly to the first boulder of Topaz stones she saw, and concentrated her mana on it.


    Thus, the first ever stone of evil mana was created. It was a result of both greed and loneliness.


    When Lyria went back home, she made a simple necklace of carved, cone-shaped Topaz stone and gave it to Ghidarlgh. He was delighted, and they made up, never fighting again.


    Mastering the skill of jewelry-making, Lyria made a fortune by selling high-valued jewelry to the nobles. It was after ten years that she was able to buy the Prisma Gallery.


    Amidst the blinding light, Lyria floated, and her mind was becoming blank. Surprisingly, when she closed her eyes, it was not her husband, nor his favorite son, but her daughter''s smiling face that showed her sight.


    It was weird, but the truth was, Fiona''s body did not accept the Unholy Mana. Since she was young, she had been trying to give some to her, so Lyria thought that it left her frustrated until the end of her life.


    But why was she smiling in her vision? Why was her face more at peace than ever before?


    Lyria''s sight faded, and her body was taken up by the heavens. Following it, Helios'' whole cage floated up, and he yelled like crazy while looking down. The crazy, green-haired man repeatedly yelled Ivory''s name.


    Ivory just stared blankly at him without any reaction, while the others watched the two as they ascended towards the sky.


    As soon as the heavens closed, the rain stopped. Slowly, the people who were hiding went out to check their surroundings.. They looked at each other, then toward Ivory where the sunlight first shone and the bright rays of the sun spread on the mortals once again.

 Chapter 229 - "Goddess Destinias Final Judgment"

    Ghidarlgh, who was left alone by his family, couldn''t help himself but to cry and wiped his tears with his shackled hands. He couldn''t believe that everything seemed like a dream. His golden days were over, and he would surely miss his luxurious lifestyle as an Oracle, who was given a comfortable residence at the castle tower. His dream to be looked up to by the people was over.


    His wrongdoings were exposed, and now, the people looked down on him and treated him as a liar and as a despicable person.


    Levi''s knights dragged Ghidarlgh back towards the caged wagon. After it was locked securely, Prince Levian uttered his orders to the executioner and to Xenos, changing the bald man''s punishment.


    It was Xenos who announced the bald man''s final verdict, "With all his sins committed which were mentioned a while ago, we hereby sentence Ghidarlgh Menas to¡­ lifetime imprisonment. He will be detained in the Silverblade castle''s prison dungeon, and get whipped fifty times every passing day!"


    When the cage wagon left in the direction toward the Silverblade Castle, one of the knights noticed something.


    "My birthmark¡­ it''s gone!"


    The revelation urged those around him to check theirs.


    To their surprise, nobody had their birthmarks anymore, including Prince Levian!


    They all looked at Ivory, whose skin was full of birthmarks of Destinia. To clear his suspicion, Prince Levi approached her and looked thoroughly. As the Silverblade heir to the throne, he had a slightly bluish birthmark.


    He found a similar one on Ivory''s arm, where his mark was also located.


    "That''s my birthmark," Levi uttered.


    It turns out that in Ivory''s body were all of the powerful birthmarks of Destinia.


    Then one by one, each mark detached from her. With Levi''s birthmark at the front, the lyre symbols formed a long spiral chain and rose to the sky.


    Everyone''s gazes followed the rising chain up above. Ivory, on the other hand, started to feel too dizzy, and eventually, she passed out.


    "Ivory!" Sigmund screamed, trying to wake her up. But it was no use. Although he also suddenly felt quite weaker, his adrenaline pushed himself to have enough strength to carry his beloved.


    Merchants around the plaza who had seen her become unconscious, led them towards the nearest shop having a bed.


    They all thought it was over, when suddenly, something dropped down the sky.


    "Look, it''s a scroll!" someone yelled.


    Descending was a scroll with a golden bird figurine at the top, and the handle was made of silver with intricate designs of different colorful crystals embedded on it.


    Prince Levian took the scroll and unrolled it carefully. He read first the contents of the scroll, before turning towards the people. "Listen, everyone! Our Goddess Destinia has left us a message!"


    All those who had heard him went to the center of the plaza where the prince was and surrounded him.


    "Because we mortals had succumbed to greed, our holy Goddess gave her judgment¡­ From now on, we shall live as mere mortals, without her blessed mana!"


    There was indistinct chattering and the Chosen Ones who heard the Goddess'' holy letter immediately took a look at their birthmark of Destinia. Just as expected, it was gone as well. They tried hard to concentrate to summon balls of elements, but it was no use at all.


    They couldn''t believe it. In just a flick of a finger, the Goddess took away her blessing.


    "What will happen to our Servants?" one of his knights asked, and several worried faces looked at him.


    "Do not worry! Goddess Destinia said that all our Servants will still be with us. It''s just that, either they''re going to turn into a human, or an animal. They will have the abilities to decide for their lives and paths they will take. Aside from that, all our weapons will be materialized indefinitely."


    Seeing the confused look on the people''s faces, Prince Levian stepped forward.


    "We have become too dependent on our mana. Even I, who was born with heaps of mana, now feel like something is missing from my entire existence. But we need to move forward, and I, Levian Silverblade, will lead this Kingdom to prosperity once again. Please be with me!" he bowed in front of the crowd.


    There was a long silence in the plaza.


    Prince Levi knew that the people might blame him for being an incompetent heir to the throne. If he subdued the enemies earlier, perhaps the situation wouldn''t get that worse.


    But Levi''s comrade raised his spear, yelling "Long Live King Levian Silverblade!"


    "King Levian! King Levian!"


    Contrary to what the young royalty was expecting, the crowd cheered for his name. They knew that it was not the young man''s fault. They knew that everything was destined from the start.


    Everyone who witnessed the scene realized how powerful the heavens were, and the incident made their faith grow stronger.


    Levi thanked all of them for the support, and so, the plaza''s mood turned happy with the bright smiles of the people. These were the smiles of hope, and seeing it, Levi promised himself that he wanted to protect them.


    When the commotion outside was done, Levi went to where Sigmund brought Ivory. The merchants left the three inside the room.


    The soon-to-be-king glanced at the sleeping Ivory, then towards Sigmund, who sat in a chair beside the bed. He noticed his worried face then said, "She just needs to rest. Do not worry too much," as a kind gesture, he patted his shoulder.


    "I know, but¡­ I can''t help but worry."


    Levi felt bad at himself that he misjudged the man. It was evident in Sigmund''s expression that he loved Ivory so much. And so he said, "I would like to apologize about my past attitude towards you. Please let me make it up to both of you from now on," he offered him a handshake.


    Sigmund stared at the prince''s hand for a short while, before he finally shook it and accepted the kind offer.

 Chapter 230 - "The Miracle Of Destiny" (END)

    ¡­


    In order to announce the judgment of Goddess Destinia throughout the kingdom about what happened in the plaza, the coronation for that day was postponed. It resumed a week later.


    Levian wanted to be a King who was close to his people, and so for the first time ever, he had the coronation just outside the castle fortress of the Silverblade Castle. He planned it like that so that everyone - from the poor to the rich - could witness the simplest but most peaceful and united coronation that was ever done in the history of the Kingdom of Destinia.


    The newly-crowned king, together with his fiance, General Caille Platinumcore, traveled the Kingdom after the coronation. With the knights and Royal Knights, they marched on armored horses from the Silverblade Castle, to the borders of the Lands, and finally to Qawiun Academy. They stopped at some towns and cities to rest, and so the trip took a day and a half.


    They arrived at Qawiun Academy as their final destination. At the gate, the letters ''QAWIUN ACADEMY'' were carved on very large orange-colored amber, intensifying its color whenever the sunlight struck on it. In front of this majestic sight were Principal Arthurdane, the Educators, the academy assistants, and all the Chosen Ones'' Servants that already became companions and friends.


    "Welcome to Qawiun Academy, King Levian," the principal said, and together with the others they bowed down to him. They also greeted Caille with utmost respect, and she gave a kind smile to them.


    "How are things?" the king asked.


    "In a month, Qawiun Academy will be reopened as a school for scholars of knowledge. Many have applied for the Educator positions, and we have accepted the most outstanding of them. We just need to acquire more reference scrolls for mathematics, science, and agriculture¡­"


    The principal continued to explain the progress of his assignment. He also mentioned that Zen Silverblade would be in charge of the mathematics subject, making Levi pleased.


    "Would you like to clarify more, your Majesty?"


    The king paused for a while, then he remembered his ex-Servant, "The winner for the Servant Competition¡­ Did you give the prize already?"


    "Well, it was cut off, so the battle was-"


    "Ivory Sprucemint is the obvious winner, principal," Levi uttered. "Anastasia Gaian became Goddess Destinia''s vessel, so her joining the competition is void¡­ As the King, I therefore suggest that you declare Ivory the winner and give her all the prizes she deserve."


    Principal Arthurdane gave a bright smile, pleased with his judgment, "I will do as you say, Your Majesty!"


    Seeing that the meeting was already done, Caille asked Levi, "According to our schedule, this is our last destination. Are we going back now?"


    "Not yet," Levi turned his horse to the opposite side, "Let''s go to Greensteid Town."


    And so, the group traveled to the Greensteid forest, wherein a row of tall and lush pine trees were aligned along the dirt road. The King enjoyed listening to the chirping birds and the feeling of warm rays on his skin.


    When they arrived, nadatnan nila si Sigmund na nagsasampay ng nilabhan sa gilid ng Sprucemint residence. He wore a reddish brown v-neck lace up sleeveless shirt and black pants.


    King Levian asked everyone to stay put as he went down his horse and approached him.


    "Good day, Sigmund," he greeted with a smile.


    Sigmund was surprised with the sudden visit, almost dropping the fragrant, wet pants he was about to hang. He returned it to the wooden bucket, "Apologies, I didn''t notice," and he bowed to his knee, "Long live King Levian Silverblade. Congratulations on your coronation."


    "You may rise."


    Sigmund stood up straight, "How can I help you?"


    "I want to know how Ivory and you are doing¡­ and also to deliver the good news."


    "Greetings to the King!" the silver-haired woman said, bowing down to her past Master.


    Ivory had just gotten down from her bedroom attic after she dressed more appropriately upon peeking at the window and knowing they had unexpected guests. She was wearing a baby blue long sleeve square-neck midi dress.


    Levi asked her to rise, and after she did, she got an earful from her worried lover.


    "You birdbrain! Didn''t I tell you not to go out? Physician Daphne and Lycus just visited you yesterday, and they clearly said that you need to rest!" Sigmund told her, his hands on his waist, clearly agitated.


    Ivory chuckled, "Sigmund, your voice is too loud, the king is here."


    "Haha, it is alright!" Prince Levian said, laughing at the couple who seemed like a dog and a cat. "Now that Ivory''s here, I would like to tell you the good news¡­ Ivory, I declare you as the winner for the Servant Competition."


    She widened her eyes, then shook her head. "No¡­ How the heck did I win, if the final battle did not proceed?"


    "Anastasia Gaian is our holy Goddess Destinia''s vessel, so that means you are already the sole winner."


    "Oh my¡­ I¡­" Ivory''s tears suddenly formed and fell on her cheeks. She still felt like dreaming, "Thank you¡­ Thank you so much, King Levian!"


    "I will order the stone mansion to be prepared for you and your family, and the two horse-drawn carriages to be delivered here. Tomorrow, I will give you 75,000 gold coins, and the other 75,000 will be given at the end of this year."


    Ivory nodded, then asked, "Uhm¡­ How about my pork?"


    Levi chortled, "Of course. You can claim your fresh pork at the Alpharion City marketplace everyday, and as many times as you want, for two years."


    "Ivory, don''t forget your other prize," Sigmund messed up her hair.


    She gave a confused look at him while she combed her disheveled hair with her fingers. "What is it?"


    "Choose whether you want to be an Educator or a Royal Knight."


    It was such a challenging choice for Ivory. Now that her strength had decreased so much and she lost her two types of mana, she wondered if she would be able to become a good knight of the King.


    "I want to become a Royal Knight, but I am now weak¡­" Ivory sighed in dismay.


    Sigmund patted her shoulder, "Then become stronger."


    She looked at her partner who gave her an idea. "Should I¡­ train once again?"


    "Of course. There''s no other way to do it¡­ unless you want to give up on that dream-"


    "I still want to become a Royal Knight!"


    Levi nodded at her, "Then, once you become confident with your ability, come see me at the Silverblade Castle."


    King Levian and Caille then bid goodbye to them. When the royal parade was already out of sight, Sigmund immediately grabbed Ivory''s wrist. Looking at her suspiciously, he pulled her towards the house, then dragged her up to their attic bedroom. He made her sit on the bed.


    "Sigmund, don''t be too strict," she said, pouting, "I was careful-"


    "Physician Daphne said not to move too much! She said you need to rest!" Sigmund was already too annoyed not to raise his voice.


    "But I need to send my greeting to the king-"


    "You dimwit," Ivory''s lover ruffled her hair, "The other day, I caught you washing the dishes, and lighting up the fireplace! I told you I''d do all the chores, didn''t I?!"


    Ivory pouted, "But I feel better now, and I am too bored¡­"


    Sigmund sighed, "Ivory, you know that everything''s different now. I just don''t want anything to happen to you¡­ and our child."


    The silver-haired woman gazed at her beloved''s crimson red irises. Like his love for her, the rose-like color of his eyes also never changed, even though he was not a Vampire anymore.


    When Physician Daphne examined her yesterday, Ivory thought she was hearing things. She was suddenly pregnant, and the odd thing was, it was more than a month old.


    Lycus, now a human who became an official apprentice of the female physician who was his Master before, said that he had a hunch about what happened to Ivory. He said that she couldn''t get pregnant before when she was half-Servant, but the child''s soul orb was already there. And when Ivory became a true, full mortal, the child came to her womb.


    Ivory and Sigmund knew that the Goddess did this miracle for them as a compensation for the hardships they had encountered as a couple. Although they could not use magic anymore, the most important thing for them was to stay together.


    Their tricky relationship started in an unusual way. Trust grew, and their friendship was developed as time went by. It was truly like a zigzag road of broken cobblestones, yet they were able to reach their destination.


    Life is not perfect; it is an adventure that is full of the unknown.


    As we all continue to walk towards the road of time, bear in mind that every predicament we encounter will make us even stronger than ever.


    And who knows, just like Ivory and Sigmund, maybe somewhere along the way, we''d meet our destined person in a fateful encounter that we never expected!


    [END]

 Chapter 233 - AFTERSTORY 5: "Forgiveness From The Long Lost Daughter"

    Four years later¡­


    It was winter time, and seeing that the snow had piled up the soil of the Greensteid forest, it was wise that Sigmund already gathered enough firewood these past few days.


    "They''re here!" Ivory excitedly yelled. She was carrying her four-year-old son as she walked towards the front door.


    Every quarter, her family visits them, and the end of the year was the winter feast that they were looking forward to.


    Dressed in winter fur coats, the Sprucemint family got down the carriage one by one. They came from the stone mansion, which was located near the Silverblade Castle in the Land of Rosaria. It was Ivory''s choice to live with Sigmund in Greensteid Town with their child.


    "Please come in!" Ivory said with a big smile.


    Everyone then gathered around the youngest member of the family,in front of the fireplace. Baby Obelius had inherited Sigmund''s striking, crimson red irises, and Ivory''s silky hair. His round, curious eyes kept on glancing at the faces of the people around him.


    Katie told the child, "Aren''t you the cutest, Obelius?" she tickled him, making him giggle.


    "Not fair, let me hold him too!" Flynn told his older sister. He gave a wide grin when the little boy grabbed his hand and squeezed it.


    "Obelius, hello, do you remember me? I am your aunt! We played peek-a-boo last time, right?" Gracie poked the child''s cheek, "What a cute boy!"


    Little Obelius babbled and giggled at the sight of the familiar faces surrounding him.


    While the three siblings were busy with Obelius, Gordon and Anne proceeded to the kitchen to prepare for the feast. They brought with them some of the finest ingredients from the Land of Rosaria.


    "I caught a bull a while ago, and I just finished grilling. Just right for wine," Sigmund told his in-laws.


    "Perfect!" Gordon commented. He and Sigmund then went to prepare the meat.


    Anne and Ivory, on the other hand, started to heat up the cauldron. "Next year, why don''t we spend the winter feast at the stone mansion?" she sighed, "Dear, do you not want to live with us? The mansion has many rooms."


    "Thank you, mother, but I am training in Megalia City. I am about to finish it and will most probably take an assessment next year. I think I am quite ready to become a Royal Knight."


    "Oh my! Aren''t you overworking yourself?"


    Ivory shook her head, "Sigmund is a really supportive husband, and he takes care of everything. So when I go home, I can only eat and rest."


    "My, my, how nice. You should be kinder to him, then!" Anne replied. She and Ivory started cutting the potatoes and carrots, when she remembered something, "By the way, your mother Diana came to the mansion again."


    Ivory paused, putting the knife down the wooden cutting board. "And?"


    "Dear, you have been avoiding her. She''s still your real mother, your flesh and blood. Isn''t it time to forgive her?"


    "When I think about what happened to me and Sigmund¡­ I couldn''t," she resumed cutting the root crops. "Anyway¡­ What''s she up to these days?"


    "She said that she''s still living in Barion Town. Do you remember, she only had one relative there, because the late king Yama killed all her relatives in the past?"


    Ivory stayed quiet while she listened to her story. But she did not want to talk about it, so she changed the topic, "Mother, the water is already boiling."


    "Ah¡­ right," The awkwardness made Anne stop talking about Ivory''s real mother. It was a topic that she did not want to talk about anymore, yet as her foster mother, she was still hoping that the two would make amends.


    Hours passed, and they gathered on the dining table. On it were caramelized onion tarts, leek soup, potato and carrot stir fry, rye pork loin, and many others. The table was full, and it signified the numerous blessings that they had received from the heavens.


    After praying to the holy Goddess, they ate, while Sigmund carried Obelius in his arms and fed him with mashed potato. Ivory was the one feeding Sigmund, in opposite turns with her.


    All of a sudden, Katie stopped eating, and she stood up. "I would like to take this opportunity to announce something!"


    Surprised, they all glanced at her.


    Ivory asked, "What is it?"


    "I¡­ I am going to live in Omegalion City starting next week!"


    They were all shocked, and Obelius'' round eyes stared curiously at her.


    "Why? What''s in Omegalion?" Gordon asked. "If you live here, then Ivory and Sigmund will have to look after you-"


    "No, I will not be living here. I¡­ I already have somewhere to live."


    Ivory raised her brow. She knew something was up with the stuttering sentences, "Oh? Get straight to the point and spill it, Katie¡­ It''s a guy, isn''t it?"


    Katie''s cheeks turned red as a tomato, "Yes! Fine, I admit it! He¡­ he confessed to me, and I told him I like him too¡­ So we decided to get married as soon as possible!"


    The Sprucemint family wondered who the man was, and in their minds were a list of men that frequented the stone mansion to meet Katie.


    Then they realized that there was one who was always bringing extravagant gifts.


    Gracie, who had been suspecting someone, asked, "Sis, is your lover¡­ Royal Knight Jirou?"


    Sigmund choked when he drank wine, and Ivory dropped the fork. Both did not expect Jirou to fall for Katie, who was quite opposite with Ivory''s personality. If there was something similar with Katie and Jirou, it was their upfront and strong personality, and they wondered how the two lions would live together in peace!


    Gordon and Anne asked Katie to let them meet Jirou and speak with him before she lives with him. Flynn and Gracie continued to tease their sister. Ivory and Sigmund just looked at each other and laughed at how Katie and Jirou''s love life unexpectedly turned out.


    When the feast ended, the Sprucemint family wished for another prosperous year ahead. They spent the night at the humble abode, reminiscing their ups and downs in their old residence.


    They traveled back to the Land of Rosaria the next day, and as soon as they left, Ivory and Sigmund had another visitor.


    Lucius'' carriage arrived only minutes after the Sprucemints left. He brought with him crates of items and food, including a medium sized barrel of grape wine.


    As soon as Obelius saw Lucius, he reached out his hand to him!


    "Uncle, uncle!" Obelius said, and his uncle took him in his arms.


    "The kid is always fond of you," Sigmund crossed his arms, "I wonder why."


    "That''s because I smell like candies all the time. While you smell like herbs and burnt wood," Lucius laughed, and the black-haired man just gave him a glare.


    Ivory took a look at what her brother brought with him. Among the items was a rolled thick quilt tied with a rope.


    "Wow thanks for this, Lucius. I was thinking about buying at Alpharion, but I don''t have to anymore," she touched the surface of the quilt and examined its fabric. "Oh my, this is high quality wool!"


    "Actually¡­ Mother stitched it especially for you."


    Ivory paused when she heard about it.


    "Ivory¡­ she''s been asking about you. She hoped you would forgive her-"


    But before he finished his sentence, his sister ran upstairs to her attic bedroom!


    Ivory locked herself up in the room. She creased her brows, confused with what to do. She knew that Diana loved her, and that she had no choice but to trust Wolfram and Levi at that time. She also couldn''t do anything because of the contract as the Servant of the future king.


    The yellow scarf that her mother knitted was loosely hanging on the wooden rack. She reached out to it, and she held on it tightly.


    Downstairs, Sigmund got mad at Lucius for ruining Ivory''s mood.


    "You already know how much she hates talking about it," he voiced out, crossing his arms.


    "You don''t understand," Lucius said, "I just want my mother to be happy. Do you not want them to make up?"


    "I do, of course. It''s just that, I hate seeing Ivory unhappy."


    "Mama!" Obelius suddenly exclaimed when he saw Ivory approaching.


    Ivory smiled at her son and took him from Lucius.


    Obelius started playing with Ivory''s scarf. When Lucius noticed the yellow fabric on his sister''s neck, he sighed in relief.


    "This is my answer, Lucius," Ivory uttered. She then turned to her husband, "Sigmund, let''s visit mother after winter time."


    It was as if a thorn had been pulled out from Ivory''s heart. She never thought that after all those years, she would be able to forgive her mother.


    Lucius'' eyes brightened upon hearing his sister''s statement, and he had been waiting for them to reconcile. This was one of his wishes for the new year, but it seemed that the Goddess had granted his wish in the most unexpected time.


    Ivory gave his younger brother a warm hug before leading him to the dining area to eat some sweets.


    Sigmund patted the blonde man''s back.. He too was glad that the relationship between his Master and previous Master, now his in-law, would be having a fresh start again.

 Chapter 234 - AFTERSTORY 6: "Obelius Sprucemint And The Runaway Princess-1"

    One foggy night, a mysterious huge ship came from the east. On it were foreign people, who dressed very differently, and spoke with a strong accent. They brought with them gemstones which no one had ever seen before, and presented these to King Levi as a friendship offering.


    The travelers introduced themselves and said that they came from the Kingdom of Juno. They said that they wished to have a trading relationship with the Kingdom of Destinia.


    It has been more than twenty years since the reign of King Levian Silverblade. Because no one used magic anymore, the people focused on enhancing their knowledge and developing their talents. People mastering the arts produced exquisite crafts, like paintings, sculptures, and embroideries. Some of the best products were brought to the other Kingdom.


    As time went by, trade flourished. There was an ease of travel between kingdoms. The Kingdom of Juno had far more advanced technology, and their Emperor was kind enough to let Levi''s people learn.


    Because of the peaceful years, King Levian''s and Emperor Renci Huang''s friendship grew.


    And so, the two kingdom leaders agreed for their children to be married. The Emperor''s only son, Prince Weilan, would be tied to King Levian''s youngest child and only daughter, Cyrina.


    But on the day of the engagement ceremony¡­


    "Guards!!! Princess Cyrina is missing!" one of the maidservants yelled. She only took a quick pass to the bathroom, and when she returned, the princess was nowhere to be found!


    The knights and the maidservants panicked. They started searching the castle grounds, but she could not be found.


    When they saw Queen Caille rushing towards the princess'' chambers, horror struck their faces. For sure they''d be punished by the strict queen!


    "It''s only thirty minutes before the ceremony will start¡­ Why did you take your eyes away from her?" she balled her fists, trying not to be too mad at them.


    Cyrina might look like a demure and quiet girl in public, but Caille knew her daughter too well. She frequently caught her climbing trees and sneaking out to feed the squirrels. She had the adventurer heart that her father Levi had.


    The Queen was afraid that one day, her daughter''s curiosity about life outside the castle would lead her to running away from her duties as a princess of the Kingdom of Destinia.


    Caille went to Levi''s chambers to talk to him about it, but he did not react to it and handed over a piece of paper.


    "This is¡­?" Caille glanced at her husband. When she saw him sigh, she opened the folded letter.


    It says: "Please don''t look for me. Love, Cyrina."


    As soon as she read this, Caille instantly crumpled the paper. She was too worried that her only daughter would be out there, exposed to all sorts of danger. Noticing Levi''s calm attitude, she lashed out, "How can you be so calm in this situation?!"


    "I am not calm, Caille. I am trying to be," King Levian looked straight into Caille''s eyes, "A king cannot be too emotional¡­ Don''t worry, I will do everything to find her."


    Meanwhile, Cyrina had just gotten out of the forest. Her loyal maidservant Ofelia removed the small leaves and twigs on the princess'' orange, medium length wig. At a glance, the two seemed to be of the same status because they wore worn out peasant clothes.


    "Fortunately, I have here with me my father''s journal. This is where I learned about the secret passage from the Silverblade Castle to Prisma City," the naughty princess said, hugging the old scroll.


    "Ah, it is said that Mister Zen Silverblade once used the route to infiltrate the castle during the war," her loyal maidservant said. She then looked at Cyrina worriedly, "Princess, please be well. Please be happy, so that I will have no regrets."


    Cyrina patted her shoulder, "You spoke as if you won''t ever see me again. I''ll just be around¡­ See you when I see you!"


    The princess bid goodbye to Ofelia. She walked on the cobblestoned roads of Prisma City, and a big smile came to her face. She was delighted with how colorful it was on foot, compared to when she was on a carriage.


    But as her eyes looked around, she did not notice a handsome man with silver-colored, spiky hair in front of her, carrying a large, angel sculpture. Right in front of the Prisma Gallery, Cyrina bumped into him, and the man fell off balance.


    Unfortunately, the sculpture flew and it fell in the middle of the road. A horse stomped on it accidentally, creating scratches and marks on its surface.


    "What the hell!" the man rushed towards the sculpture. Seeing the damage that it had, he grumpily returned to Cyrina and yelled, "Why aren''t you looking at where you were going!? This sculpture was ordered by General Lucius Goldwine! It''s a present for the engagement ceremony at the castle¡­ How can you replace this, huh?!"


    But Cyrina only stared at the man''s striking, crimson red irises. "Such beautiful eyes¡­ Like rubies¡­" she murmured, not hearing any of his complaints.


    Seeing her in a daze, the silverhead raised his brow. "You¡­ I''ve never seen you here before. Are you a city visitor?"


    "I¡­ I am," Cyrina replied. She then took her coin pouch and gave him gold coins, "This is enough compensation, right?"


    "Hell no. Your coins won''t replace the beauty of my work! Ugh, how would I explain this to uncle Lucius¡­"


    "Obelius, why don''t you go back to Greensteid and redo the sculpture?" a middle-aged woman said. Beside her was a black tiger, who looked curiously at them.


    "But Madame Martina, it might take a week or two."


    "Still, it''s better than nothing, right?" the expert sculptor Martina Ginterdame told her apprentice, "You may borrow my carriage¡­ Say hi to your parents for me!"


    With the instruction, Obelius left the damaged sculpture in the Prisma Gallery, and rode Martina''s carriage. But he did not expect someone to forcefully come inside with him.


    "What the heck? Why are you here?" Obelius said, crossing his arms as he leaned on the backrest of the seat.


    "You said that my gold coins will never replace your work, right? Then¡­ I shall be your assistant from now on!"


    Obelius raised his brow on the energetic orangehead, "You will only cause trouble for me."


    "You''re underestimating me. You know, I am the great inventor Zen Silverblade''s apprentice, so I know many technologies-"


    "How will that help me with carving, huh? Unless you know how to cook."


    "I¡­ I can cook!"


    Obelius did not believe her when he noticed her eyes turning away. "You seem to be someone who does not have any experience in anything."


    "Excuse me, I am the great inventor''s apprentice! I can even explain to you the whole process of how to assemble a wheeled cannon!"


    While the trip proceeded, all that Cyrina did was talk and talk about the inventions of her father''s cousin. Obelius listened to her quietly, narrowing his eyes on her. He''s not sure if he''s going to believe her or not!


    When they were almost at the border, Cyrina widened her eyes when she realized something. "I¡­ I do not have an identification scroll!"


    "What?! How can such a person have none?" he became more and more suspicious of her. With that, Obelius slowly took out a knife from his belt. He pointed it towards her, "I never expected I''d use my father''s gift today-"


    "No, no, I''m not a bad person!" Cyrina pleaded. She crawled towards Obelius''s foot and touched it, "I have to get out of the Land of Rosaria! Please, kind sir, I have my reasons!"


    Obelius'' stone heart still wouldn''t budge out of mercy, "And what kind of reason is that?"


    "I¡­ I don''t want to be married to a man I don''t love!"


    For Cyrina, it was only a lame excuse. She just wanted to be free from the life of a princess.


    But her statement moved the heavy boulder in Obelius'' heart which hid his compassion.


    It was because Obelius had been hearing his parents'' love story since he was a teenager. His mother Ivory always tells him that marriage should be taken seriously, and that love should not be forced.


    "Fine, I''ll help you¡­ So go sit down and be quiet when we approach the border guards."


    Cyrina nodded at him, and so she stayed quiet as she was told.


    When the border guards checked on them, Obelius gave a wide smile, "How are you, sires?"


    "Ah, Obelius! My wife loves the rocking chair," the guard said in a happy tone.. His smile slightly faded when he took a peek inside the carriage. "Who is this¡­?"

 Chapter 235 - AFTERSTORY 6: "Obelius Sprucemint And The Runaway Princess-2"

    "She''s a beggar that I decided to take in as my assistant. You know, the usual charity works we had in the family," Obelius replied.


    The guard chuckled, "I see! You''re a General''s nephew, after all!" he then yelled to the one blocking the way, "Let this one pass!"


    "Thank you, sir," he waved at him, and so they managed to leave the Land of Rosaria.


    Moments later, they arrived at the Land of Olivea. Speaking again to the border guard, they were able to pass and went ahead to the Sprucemint residence in Greensteid Town.


    As soon as they got down from the carriage, Obelius quickly reached the door, but it was locked with chains.


    "Ah, they''re not home," Obelius took a key from his pocket and unlocked it. When he opened the door, he invited Cyrina inside.


    Cyrina curiously looked around the small house. She compared it to what she had in the castle, feeling fortunate that she had a better house. But then again, all the riches she had came with a price; she had to follow her parents'' requests and that she had to become a princess worthy of the Silverblade name.


    She shook her head and removed the thought. She told herself that she''s going to live her life in any way she wanted.


    "Take a nap or something," Obelius said, still pitying the unknown woman. He lit up the fire inside the chamber, and heated up the thick pan. While beating the egg on a small cup, he asked her, "By the way, what should I call you?"


    "I''m Cy- Uhm¡­ Rin. Just call me Rin."


    "Miss Rin¡­ Alright, nice to meet you. I am Obelius Sprucemint." He just talked, not looking at her because he was busy cooking. "I hope you don''t mind, I only have eggs in here today. But I''ll hunt a boar at dawn tomorrow so we can eat fresh meat."


    Rin just looked at Obelius''s back. When she heard that he''s a General''s nephew, she wondered why he was living in such a small house, and in the forest instead of the city.


    Her sight panned to Obelius'' muscular arms. His broad shoulders and long torso have been defined by the black sando he was wearing. The armor straps tied just below his chest made him even sexier in her eyes.


    Rin gulped at the man''s hotness, but she pinched her cheeks. She was not there to look for a lover; she just wanted an adventure!


    When the scrambled eggs were done, Obelius placed the pan at the center of the table. He called out to his guest, who was reading a scroll as she sat on the sofa.


    The woman with the orange wig swiftly put the scroll on her tattered sling bag and went to the dining table. She sat in front of Obelius.


    "What were you reading?" he asked.


    "Oh, it''s my father''s journal¡­ I still do not know what I''d do after running away from home, so I might choose something fun in his list of adventures."


    While Rin tasted the warm food, Obelius looked at her worriedly. He was anxious that some people might fool her. He observed her hands; they seemed smooth and judging by her skin, she seemed to be bathing in nourishing milk. Obelius recalled that she was even willing to give gold coins to compensate for the damages done to the sculpture.


    "Miss Rin-"


    "Please call me Rin," she smiled.


    Obelius nodded, "Okay, Rin. How about learning sculpture?"


    She stopped munching the egg, and looked at him as her eyes twinkled in excitement. "Yes, please teach me!"


    That night, Obelius let Rin sleep in his parents'' room, in the attic. He gave her a set of clean towels, his sister''s night dress for her comfortable sleep, and his sister''s casual tights and blouse for the next day.


    After making sure that Obelius went downstairs, Rin took out her wig, and soaked herself into the barrel tub. "Oh my, what a tiring day," she murmured.


    It was tiring, but she had never felt as free. Although the bed was made of several wooden crates and some cheap mattresses, she easily fell asleep.


    ¡­


    The next day, after they ate barbecue for breakfast, Obelius took the finest log from the lumber shed. He also took an extra, arm-sized wood for his new apprentice. They started shaping the wood while they stood under the shade of the pine trees.


    "You''re doing it wrong again! Didn''t I tell you to hold the chisel properly¡­"


    Rin turned beet red when Obelius went behind her, and placed his hands on hers. Obelius creased his brow as he gripped her smaller hands, trying to put her fingers in the right position.


    "Did you get it? This is-" Obelius stopped talking when he turned his head towards her.


    Rin''s face was too near him, and their lips were only an inch apart!


    A cool breeze passed by. It was as if their world stopped as they gazed into each other''s irises.


    Some strands of her wig covered her irises. Obelius was not the type of guy who easily acts sweet towards a girl, but he couldn''t help himself but to tuck her hair behind her ear. The tips of his fingers touched the princess'' ear which made her slightly startled until redness spread across her cheeks.


    Seeing Rin up close, he realized that it was his first time seeing such beauty. She has calm, round indigo irises and long eyelashes. Like what he assumed, her skin looked so clear and milky.


    As Obelius kept staring at her, Rin''s heart started to beat like war drums! She has never been too close to a man, and even enclosed his muscular arms.


    "What did you say?" she uttered, trying to maintain her composure in front of him.


    However, Obelius kept silent and only gazed at her.


    "OBELIUS!" A sudden scream of a lady interrupted them.


    Obelius immediately stepped back, then greeted his friend. "Minerva? What are you doing here?"


    The light pink-haired woman approached them slowly while she glared at the unfamiliar orangehead. Her long hair was up in a ponytail, and she dressed in a grayish light armor equipped with light metallic shoulder pads shaped like wolf heads, which was a uniform of the Olivean lady guards.


    "I''ve been your friend for so long, and it''s the first time I''ve seen you too close with a girl," Minerva Reagan, daughter of Educator Caspian Reagan and Head Instructor of the Olivean Guards Arcea Knightwing, looked at Rin disdainfully, from head to toe, "She isn''t even as hot as I am."


    "Don''t make a fuss, she''s just my apprentice," Obelius said. "Anyway, what brings you here?"


    "I just dropped by. I''m patrolling," she narrowed her eyes on the orange head, noticing some brown-colored hair strands on her nape.


    But when she was about to check it, Obelius blocked her.


    "Then go ahead and patrol, don''t bother us."


    With Obelius shooing her away, Minerva rolled her eyes, "I didn''t expect your taste in women to be this awful," then she marched away from them.


    "Don''t mind her, she''s always nosy¡­" Embarrassed, Obelius went to his own log and started carving the surface.


    Rin shook her head to forget what just happened, and she focused on the wood in front of her. She started taking her new skill seriously, not noticing that it was already lunch time.


    "Obelius, we bought lunch- Oh, you have a guest," a blonde, young lady said.


    Obelius greeted them, "Thea, Andreia. Why are you here so early? Were you skipping classes at the academy?"


    "Educator Caspian said that classes are postponed. His wife just gave birth," Andreia, whose waist-length hair was as black as the night sky, answered her brother. She had a beauty mark at the lower right of her lips, and she wore a white ruffled turtleneck long sleeve blouse and a striped navy blue high waist, ankle length layered skirt.


    "Lunch became free, so we grabbed a lot," said Thea, who was a blonde woman, and Obelius'' youngest sister. She wore a yellow plaid puff sleeve dress with a bow on the chest.


    "I see. Minerva was here a while ago. I''m sure she''ll be delighted to meet her seventh sibling¡­ By the way, this is Rin, my apprentice."


    "Hello!" she waved her hand at the two gorgeous ladies in front of her, and they gave sweet smiles to her.


    "Why don''t we all eat first?" Thea suggested.


    The four of them entered the house. Andreia took out from her basket a bowl of steamed broccoli and pepper steak stir fry, while Thea placed a big apple pie at the center of the table. A closed container with mushroom and carrot soup was also served after pouring it in a large bowl. Afterwards, Obelius placed the previously boiled potatoes on the table as well.


    As they ate lunch, Obelius'' two sisters observed how Rin ate elegantly, like a noble. She''s maintaining her poise as she slowly cut up the meat, without any sounds of the knife hitting the plate.


    In curiosity, Thea asked her, "How old are you?"


    "I am twenty-three," Rin responded with a sweet smile, "How about you?"


    Delighted that the guest was striking up a conversation, Thea responded excitedly, "I''m 18, Andrea is 20. Our older sister Kyra is a knight at the castle, so she seldom visits us. She''s 24," she glanced at her brother, who was busy chewing the meat, "Oh, and big bro Obelius is 29!"


    Rin widened her eyes with the age revelation, "You¡­ You''re 29?"


    "Yes.. Got any problem with that?" Obelius asked, raising his brow on her.

 Chapter 236 - AFTERSTORY 6: "Obelius Sprucemint And The Runaway Princess-3"

    Rin chuckled, "No, I think you look younger."


    Obelius was pleased with this, and so he gave her a slice of apple pie on a smaller plate, "Here. For the compliment."


    The two sisters laughed as they saw how their brother liked what Rin said. And so, the four of them continued chatting about random things.


    It was the first time that Rin got close to commoners, apart from her loyal maidservant, Ofelia. In her mind, she was already enjoying the company of the Sprucemints, and wondered if she could be truly friends with them if they''d known about her real identity.


    After eating, the Sprucemints washed the dishes, then cleaned the table. Although Rin volunteered to help, the two young women insisted that she should just wait at the living room, because she''s their brother''s special guest.


    Later on, Andreia and Thea bid goodbye, as they had to return to the Qawiun Academy dorm. Obelius and Rin continued sculpting.


    Obelius was quite a strict teacher, but Rin loved learning. He was quite amazed at how focused Rin was, and he thought that she was better than him in his beginner days.


    When night fell, Obelius and Rin had tofu skewers for dinner. When Obelius was done with taking a bath, he noticed Rin sitting on the carpet in front of the fireplace, reading a scroll.


    Rin was distracted with the lavender scent she smelled. When she turned around, she saw Obelius sitting behind him. "Ah, I didn''t notice you there."


    Obelius'' usual spiky hairstyle was now down with some water dripping from the tip of his hair.


    Rin turned beet red at how hot the man seemed, especially in front of the fireplace''s light. She stared at him for so long, making Obelius wave his hand in front of her eyes.


    "Rin?" he said, "Is that your father''s journal again?"


    "Yes. It''s fascinating that he even went to the secluded places in the Land of Sandria," Rin sighed, "I wonder how long I can be free."


    Obelius saw how bothered his young guest was. He wanted to try to make her feel better, but he did not know how. Instead, he stroked her head, "Don''t worry. You''re safe here with me."


    The runaway princess widened her eyes and blushed, surprised at Obelius'' actions. It was the first time she was comforted in that manner, yet it made her feel secured. "Thank you¡­" she uttered.


    Just when the two of them were enjoying each other''s company, there was a knock at the door.


    "I''ll go check who it is," Obelius said, scratching the back of his head. "Who is it at this hour- Kyra?" he was shocked to see his sister, wearing a knight''s armor. Behind her were seven other knights in their armored horses.


    "Big bro, hello!" Kyra Sprucemint said. Like all of her siblings, she had their mother''s light blue irises. She has a black short layered hair and side bangs.


    "What''s the matter?" he asked.


    "We''re looking for the missing princess¡­"


    When Rin heard about this, she swiftly ran upstairs.


    Kyra got a glimpse of the orange head from behind her brother, so she commented, "I didn''t know you had a lover."


    "Hey, she''s not¡­ She''s just my apprentice in sculpting," Obelius retorted, "Anyway, how can I help you?"


    "Here," Kyra gave him a scroll with a colored sketch of the princess, "This is Princess Cyrina¡­ If you see her by any chance, kindly report to the Silverblade Castle."


    Obelius got a quick look at the sketch, then took the scroll from her, "Alright¡­ Then with her missing, does that mean her engagement with the prince of the Kingdom of Juno was postponed?" he sighed in relief, knowing that he didn''t have to finish General Lucius'' angel sculpture immediately.


    The female knight nodded and said her thanks. She bid goodbye to her brother, then she and the other knights went to the next house farther ahead to ask about the princess.


    When Obelius closed and locked the front door, he saw that Rin was not by the fireplace anymore. However, she left her father''s journal.


    Obelius brought down the scroll with the sketch of the princess, then took the unrolled scroll. He had no intention to read it, but his sight came across something familiar: his parents'' names.


    He read out loud, "I met Ivory for the first time in person, and she looked as beautiful as she appeared in my dream. But I never expected her to be with Sigmund, the man I despised the most¡­ I swore in the Silverbade name, that I will do everything to get rid of¡­" Obelius already knew about the history of his parents and the King. He also knew that it was only the past, and now they''re on good terms after clearing up all the misunderstandings.


    Rin, upon seeing that the knights were gone, went downstairs, and she saw him  holding and reading her father''s journal.


    "Uhm, what are you doing!?" she immediately ran to him. She knew that the old journal contained clues about her true identity!


    Obelius knew she was going his way, so he purposely lifted up the scroll so that she wouldn''t reach it.


    Rin jumped many times, trying to reach the scroll above. But she couldn''t.


    The silver-haired man narrowed his eyes on her. He noticed that some long, brown hair strands were showing on her nape. With his other hand, he swiftly grabbed her orange hair, then pulled it away.


    And the princess'' long, brown hair was exposed, messily falling down her back.


    "You¡­! You''re the missing princess¡­ Shit, I''m in trouble," Obelius said. He dropped her orange wig, then reached out King Levi''s journal to her.


    Instead of taking the journal, Cyrina grabbed his arm, and her calm indigo irises gazed into his crimson red irises, "Please¡­ Please don''t bring me back to the castle," she started getting teary-eyed as she tightened her grip on him, "I don''t want to marry the prince of the Kingdom of Juno¡­ There are still many things I want to do in my life!"


    Obelius creased his brows. He didn''t want to make the woman cry and feel miserable, but he wanted to set things right for her, "Listen to me, your Highness," he wiped her tears with his finger, "You are a princess of our kingdom. Running away will not solve your problem."


    "Then.. What should I do?" she pursed her trembling lips, "I''ll just accept my fate and be caged in the Huang royal family''s palace? Become nothing more than just a crown prince''s wife who can''t set foot outside the palace grounds?"


    "That''s not what I meant. If you truly want to become free, you should directly tell your parents and convince them."


    "But they''re the King and Queen! And they always tell me how important this marriage is!"


    "You won''t know until you try, right?" Obelius touched the tip of Cyrina''s hair, "You look awful. Let me comb your hair. I always combed my sisters'' when they were younger."


    With the suggestion, Cyrina calmed down. She waited for Obelius to return, with his sister Andreia''s big brush on his hand.


    As Obelius was combing her hair, the runaway princess told him, "How about you come with me to the castle? Help me convince my parents."


    "No way," Obelius right out said, "Why should I? We only met yesterday."


    "But you took care of me¡­ You''re even combing my hair now."


    "I just¡­ I just felt like it," he said, his ears turned red in embarrassment. "Besides, I don''t know if the King can still recognize me. It''s been years since I last saw him. I was only six years old at that time."


    Cyrina pouted, disappointed with his reaction.


    ¡­


    When the sun had risen, there were loud knocks on the door.


    "OBELIUS! OBELIUS, OPEN UP!" a woman''s voice said.


    Obelius opened up after yawning, and saw an enraged Minerva. "Why are you so loud this early- What the?"


    Behind Minerva were his sister Kyra and several knights, who glared at him for an unknown reason!

 Chapter 237 - AFTERSTORY 6: "Obelius Sprucemint And The Runaway Princess-4"

    "I knew something''s up with your apprentice," Minerva raised her brow, "She''s the missing princess, right? When I saw her sketch, I recalled she had some loose brown hair by her nape¡­ She looked exactly like the drawing! I also noticed that her eyes are like the King''s!"


    "Big bro, I never thought you''re actually the princess'' secret lover," Kyra said with a disappointed face, "Come with us to the Silverblade Castle."


    "What secret lover? No- Hey, get off me!" Obelius yelled as the knights started grabbing his arm.


    Cyrina, who was awakened with the noise, immediately went downstairs to look for Obelius. "Obelius?" she called out and when she saw the knights dragging him out the house, "Let him go, please! He''s innocent! This is my problem, so just take me!"


    Kyra responded in a serious tone, "We''re just doing our job, Your Highness. PPlease don''t take it to heart."


    There was a horse-drawn carriage prepared for her, and she and Obelius rode it. They traveled for many hours and with two stops in between.


    When they arrived at the Silverblade Castle, King Levian and Queen Caille were waiting in the throne room.


    "I wondered who took away my daughter, and I never expected it to be you," the king said, meeting Obelius'' crimson red irises. "Aren''t you Ivory and Sigmund''s eldest son?"


    "I pay my respects to His and Her Majesty," he bowed down, then replied, "Apologies, but everything''s a misunderstanding."


    Obelius started telling them how he and Cyrina met. He even told them that he started teaching her how to do sculpture.


    "Apologies. If I knew it was her, I would have immediately brought her to you."


    "If you''re not her lover, then I guess the wedding''s going to proceed," Queen Caille told them. Noticing her daughter''s silence as she stood beside Obelius, she said, "Cyrina, you have nothing to say?"


    Cyrina trembled, trying to hold back her tears. She wanted to retort, but she was intimidated by her mother''s gaze.


    Obelius waited for Cyrina to speak. But seeing her reaction, he decided to help. "Excuse me¡­ I have something to say. I hope it''s alright, coming from a commoner like me."


    Levi nodded at him. "Your parents are not strangers to me. I shall let you speak. Go on, what is it?"


    "Princess Cyrina¡­ doesn''t want to get married."


    Surprised by the young man''s courage, the King and Queen looked at each other.


    Obelius continued explaining, "She wants to experience freedom, as she was inspired by His Majesty King Levian''s past adventures. I know that the marriage alliance is important, but I hope you can also consider her wishes."


    For a long while, the king and queen whispered to each other and discussed the unexpected situation.


    As they were busy talking, Cyrina pulled Obelius'' shirt and said, "Thank you¡­ For speaking up for me."


    "At a crucial time like this, you have to learn to speak up your mind. Otherwise, nothing will change," Obelius replied to her, "It''s just like doing sculpture. Most of the time, the initial plan changes as you think of how to beautify the craft¡­ If you think being free will make your life more beautiful, then don''t be afraid to take a risk."


    Obelius'' inspiring words gave a smile to the princess'' face. She replied, "Thank you¡­ I will remember it with all my heart."


    When King Levian and Queen Caille finished, they turned to the two. "Give us three days to decide on this. There are many things to consider, as this is a serious matter that might affect the relationship with the Imperial family in the Kingdom of Juno."


    During those three days, Obelius and Cyrina were not allowed to meet, as the king and queen were afraid that they might plot something together and escape the castle. Each of them were guarded by 10 knights, and assisted by 4 maid servants who reported their activities to Queen Caille.


    Within those three days, King Levian met with Emperor Renci. As the head of a kingdom, Levi was careful not to offend the Huang Imperial family, but he made sure to explain the situation in detail.


    On the fourth day, the king and queen asked Cyrina and Obelius to the throne room once again to say their final decision.


    Levi asked his daughter, "Are you willing to leave us, and your two older brothers¡­ and become a commoner?"


    Hearing this, Cyrina immediately nodded.


    "But you may visit us any time¡­ You''re just not required to do princess duties anymore," the Caille said. It was obvious that she was quite sad with her daughter''s decision, but she also realized how suffocating it must have been for her.


    "From now on, Cyrina Silverblade¡­ is no longer of noble status. Do you accept this?" the king uttered.


    Cyrina bowed to them, "I humbly accept my new status. Thank you very much for your understanding!"


    King Levi turned to Obelius, "Take care of our daughter. I''m leaving her to you."


    "But I¡­" Obelius almost refused, but seeing the excitement in Cyrina''s eyes, he eventually gave it up. "Yes, Your Majesty. I will make sure she will enjoy her life as a commoner."


    Afterwards, Obelius and Cyrina were brought back to Greensteid town with a horse-drawn carriage. The king and queen couldn''t help it; they still asked some knights to be with them on the travel.


    When they arrived, Kyra told her brother, "Apologies, big bro. I misjudged you."


    "Silly. I know you''re just doing your job," Obelius told his sister. He then bid goodbye to the group of knights who accompanied them, then went inside the house with Cyrina.


    To their surprise, Obelius'' parents were already home.


    "You''re late," Sigmund told his son. Noticing the familiar woman behind him, he asked who she was.


    "This is Cyrina Silverblade-"


    "Oh my, greetings to your Highness!" Ivory said, and she and her husband bowed to her.


    "Please don''t! I am now a commoner!"


    Surprised with this, Ivory asked, "Why? What happened?"


    "I just chose my own fate," Cyrina responded with a sweet smile.


    Obelius explained, "The King¡­ asked me to take care of her, so-"


    "Oh, I''m going to have a new daughter! Come, let''s eat, I know you''re hungry!" Ivory said, guiding Cyrina towards the kitchen.


    Sigmund noticed how his son looked at the young woman. "I smell something fishy."


    "But father¡­ I don''t smell anything."


    "I think we''re not going to have a new daughter, but a daughter-in-law," he chuckled, before proceeding to the kitchen as well.


    His father''s words left Obelius thinking hard about it. When he realized what Sigmund meant, he shouted to him, walking towards them, "It''s not like that!"


    And so, Cyrina became part of the Sprucemint family. After learning the basics, she and Obelius traveled to many cities, doing all sorts of sculptures made from different materials. Their works were also exported to the Kingdom of Juno, and later became famous in both Kingdoms.


    The two visited King Levian and Queen Caille during their free time and stayed in the Silverblade castle for some days. During their stay, Cyrina excitedly talked about her new adventures with Obelius, and how she has adapted to living as a commoner.


    "You''ve always been kind to my daughter, Obelius," Queen Caille said, teary-eyed.


    "You really take after your mother," King Levian commented. "How can we repay your kindness, young man?"


    "Your Majesty, you don''t have to repay me," Obelius answered truthfully. "Seeing Cyrina happy already makes me happy."


    This brought a blush to Cyrina''s cheeks and tried hiding it from her parents by looking at her side.


    "Is that so?" the king smiled upon the young man''s statement. "Then I guess, the Queen and I should give you two our blessings in case you two decide to get married."


    Obelius and Cryina''s eyes widened, and when they gazed at each other, they could feel their cheeks burning and their hearts fluttering.


    [END]

 Chapter 238 - The Making Of "Taming My Vampire Servant" (AUTHORS SPECIAL)

    CONCEPTUALIZATION AND TITLE


    Originally, the title of this story was "I summoned the strongest Servant in the Kingdom", which seemed like an action male lead novel ????.


    But then for the sake of the Webnovel Spirity Awards contest, I added Vampires and Werewolves into the theme, and upon discussion with my previous Webnovel content editor Qianyu, it was changed into "Taming My Vampire Servant".


    As some of you had suspected, yes, this book is also inspired by the famous Fate series. <3


    WORLD BUILDING


    I would like to say thanks to the developers of Google Earth ???? Me and my Editor "traveled" worldwide to find inspirations for the places in the story. Here are some:


    Land of Olivea:


    1. Omegalion City (City of Scholars) - Pals, Spain


    2. Betania City (City of Booze and Night Life) - La Petite Alsace, Strasbourg, France


    3. Alpharion City (Merchants'' City) - Beenhouwersstraat / Rue des Bouchers, Brussels


    4. Megalia City (Military City of the Land of Olivea)- Brest Fortress in Brest, Belarus


    5. Greensteid Town (Town within the Pine Forests)- Horstved Wood, Djursland, Denmark


    6. Marina Town (Town of Seafood) - Devon, Southwest England


    7. Barion Town (Town of Cattles) - Zakopane, Poland


    Land of Sandria:


    8. Empirica City (Military City of the Land of Sandria) - A?t Benhaddou, Morocco


    9. Hunter Town (Desert town by the sea) - Skeleton Coast, Namibia, Southern Africa


    10. Gallean Town (Town of hunks behind the mountain ranges) - Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA


    Land of Rosaria:


    11. Topazeon Town (Town of Treasures) - Switzerland


    12. Prisma City (City of Visual Arts)- Rothenburg, Germany


    13. Valios City (City of Destinian Religion/The Holy City)- Oia, Santorini, Greece


    *Sanctuary of Goddess Destinia - Simala Shrine, Cebu, Philippines


    14. Sapphiros Town (Tribal Town of Sapphirians) - Alberobello, Italy


    INSPIRATION FOR DRESSES/OUTFITS/COSTUMES


    Most of the outfits are medieval and Victorian era -inspired! Some casual outfits, however, are inspired by American outfits in the 1950s. I also started including lolita/gothic dresses upon the introduction of Anastasia.


    CHARACTERS


    I made Sigmund into such a stubborn guy, and the type that says some harsh words but acts sweetly. I think that kind of guy is cute ????


    Ivory, on the other hand, is somewhat a more complex character than Sigmund. To be honest, I like her upfront character more ???? And I enjoyed making the love scenes when Sigmund''s the bottom one ????


    For Lucius'' fans, sorry, but from the start, I really intended to make him Ivory''s half-brother ???? I made him as a good boy and a family-oriented person. If I were to choose someone I wanted to marry, it''ll be him ???? (oof sorry, Sigmund)


    Arcea is the type of person that some of us might have already met. The kind of friend who likes gossips ???? Although she''s a true friend, she''s annoying, but that''s part of her personality ????


    Goddess Destinia as Anastasia is someone I only added at the far end of the story, but I enjoyed making her character. ???? (Sorry, Lucius, I know you like the Goddess herself, but you can''t have her ????)


    AFTERSTORY


    At first, there was no "afterstory" special chapters, but when I was creating Ivory and Sigmund''s son, Obelius, a plot came to my mind like magic ????


    The other afterstory chapters are all those stories which were untold in the main story. So I decided to upload them as extra chaps because I think they should be revealed.


    WHY ARE THE R18 SCENES TOO MUCH?


    Is it? Then apologies, I got carried away ???? Compared to my other book, "Caring for Mr. Mutant", this has quite a lot. Actually, I didn''t expect it when I made the plot, but Sigmund''s and Ivory''s affection are just too much to handle ????


    WHY ARE THERE PLENTY OF WEREWOLVES, BUT SIGMUND IS THE ONLY VAMPIRE?


    The Vampires are in Heaven ???? If I have more time, I''d let them descend to the kingdom as well and open up the Vampires'' arc, but apologies if that plan was not pushed through (maybe if there is a 2nd book? lol)!


    Me and my editor are crawling into piles of work from our day job ????


    YOU FINISHED THIS BOOK, SO YOU MUST LOVE VAMPIRES AND WEREWOLVES?


    Nope, I don''t lol This is the first time I did a theme like this! Now that I''ve finished, I realized it''s not really my thing ????


    But the experience is quite refreshing. It''s always great to try something new!


    OFFICIAL VampireServant PLAYLIST:


    This is the link to our Youtube Playlist:


    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3VRaNnNvNbYJH4pJycoWbm5VnpXREcLg


    Or simply look for: "Taming My Vampire Servant" (Webnovel) playlist ????


    WHO''S MY EDITOR-CHAN?


    I chose <iridescentdream> as my editor and adviser because she''s my highschool bestie ???? We spent our younger days creating stories, and it''s such a great opportunity for us to work together after all these years!


    SPECIAL INTERVIEW FOR AUTHOR AND EDITOR:


    Who''s your favorite character?


    <AinaWang> : Lucius, mah good boi. And the dominant Ivory XD


    <iridescentdream> : Lucius and Lycus


    Who''s your least favorite character/character that you hate the most? (Not an antagonist)


    <AinaWang> : Arcea Knightwing haha gossipmonger team and Jasiel Redlock lol get nude in the streets boi


    <iridescentdream> : Katie Sprucemint, AinaWang already said Arcea HAHAHA


    Who''s your favorite antagonist?


    <AinaWang> : Uhhh none lol


    <iridescentdream> : Helios? I think he could show more of his power


    Who''s your favorite love team?


    <AinaWang> : Sigmund x Ivory¡­ get a room haha


    <iridescentdream> : Sigmund x Lycus / Lucius x Sigmund HAHAHA


    Where''s your favorite place?


    <AinaWang> : Valios City. Inspired by Greece. I wanna go there!


    <iridescentdream> : Places for me hehe Valios City and Barion Town


    What''s your favorite scene?


    <AinaWang> : sensually biting the birthmark of Destinia in the middle of the house fire lol (Chapter 16)


    <iridescentdream> : Whenever they travel cos it felt like I was also traveling with them and seeing different sceneries as well as experiencing various cultures


    What''s the most challenging part while doing the book?


    <AinaWang> : Looking for inspiration XD


    <iridescentdream> : Writing the outfits of the characters, especially when they''re wearing armors


    What''s a scene you wished you had added to the book?


    <AinaWang> : Ivory and Sigmund''s wedding <3


    <iridescentdream> : Ivory and Sigmund''s more after stories hehe


    FINALLY, <iridescentdream> and <AinaWang>''s MESSAGES:


    <iridescentdream>:   First of all, I want to thank AinaWang for choosing me as the editor for her story. To be honest, it''s been so long since I''ve written a story, so giving me this opportunity is such an honor. I''ve learned things in the process, especially that it''s also my first time editing a fantasy-romance story. Though describing some scenes, and many outfits and weapons was hard, I really enjoyed writing them.


    Next, I want to thank everyone who supported and read Taming My Vampire Servant. Taming My Vampire Servant''s already finished, but their love story and adventure will always remain in our hearts.


    Lastly, if you''re into romance, I would like to promote my first ever story ''The Hot Barista is Actually a Samurai''. It has a male lead, set in Japan.


    Thanks again, and I hope you continue supporting AinaWang throughout her journey as an author here in Webnovel!


    <AinaWang>: Oh my goddess, dear Readers, I am so happy that you''ve managed to finish the book! (Although I don''t know if you have unlocked this chapter lol)


    Those past several months that I had written this book are very special to me. While writing VampireServant, I was in the middle of having beginner''s creative writing classes, and so it was tough for me to adapt to a proper writing technique.


    One of the most challenging parts was having to balance the day job and web novel job. And so I practiced the work-life balance a lot, doing all the office work in the office, so that I can have my free time at home. I apologize for having all those upload delays due to personal reasons. I hope you all understand!


    Thank you everyone for your support. I hope you can support my other books as well. I have novels with other genres like sci-fi romance and teen romance (see my Webnovel profile for complete list). <3


    SPECIAL THANKS:


    Thank you, Webnovel Content Editors Qianyu and Islinda for helping me out in this journey!


    I also would like to thank those who proofread and gave feedback to some chapters: portholes_29 and moonwitch89! Plus, thanks to readers like waterlily646 who always point out our errors!


    Thanks to Aquila as well for helping me out in my writer''s block moments!


    And of course, to all readers, especially those who unlocked the chapters and gave gifts <3 We''re always extra inspired when we see the stats!


    -----


    Everyone, thank you so much for being with us throughout Ivory and Sigmund''s journey! I hope you liked the whole story!


    Please let us hear about your insights and put it in the review! ???? And don''t be shy to leave out comments!


    ¡ª From your forever grateful Author <AinaWang> and Editor/Mentor <iridescentdream>