TBATE - Not Bound By Fate

Part 18

It has been about two months since I arrived in Xyrus and reunited with my family. During this time I got a lot closer to mom as we would talk about all sorts of things, from relationship advice to my life back on Earth. I even taught her some recipes from there.

Ellie and Lilia have started the process of forming their cores. They were making progress at a similar pace as the last timeline, so just let them be for now. As the time to enroll in Xyrus Academy gets closer I'll help more.

Speaking of progress, I've been helping dad with his training a lot more than before. Like teaching him how to use his fire magic to make explosive movements similar to burst step. While I did this to help him in the future, it was mostly because after our spar he wouldn't stop bugging me about the movement technique I used against him. He got the hang of it pretty fast but there's plenty of room for improvement. I also gave him the core purifying spellform in secret. Why in secret you ask. Because I just don't feel like explaining how I can do something like that.

One interesting thing that happened is that my aether core started to change, at least according to Regis, I haven't noticed anything yet. From what he said, the aether inside feels even more pure than usual and denser, but he isn't really sure. I haven't had the chance to do any test or experiment with it yet so it remains unseen whether or not there has been any change. I thought about skipping the auction house anniversary but Sylvie said we should go because she wanted to show me something and beat up Sebastian if the chance presented itself.

And right now I was waiting for her, dad and Vincent so we could go to the event with mom, Ellie, Lilia and Tabitha. It took a while but they finally came to the front door, first dad, then Vincent and finally Sylvie. Everyone was left gobsmacked by her arrival as they were expecting a small and cute white fox to appear and not a girl who appeared to be around twelve years old and looked strikingly similar to me wearing a white dress with gold outlines that went down to her ankles.

"Surprise!" She said with a smile.

"Sylv, is this a good idea?" I asked, knowing it was easier to detect her now that her mother's spells were lifted, especially in human form, no longer concealing her presence.

She picked up on my worries and responded. "Don't worry Arthur, this is why I went to see elder Rinia before we left Zestier. She has a friend that helped her make this." She lifted her hand showing a simple gold bracelet with a few runs engraved on it. "It hides my presence from other Asuras and my horns from view." She said the last part through our bond so that no one else could hear.

"If you're saying it's okay then I trust you." I replied before turning around and facing everyone else. "Now that everyone's here, shall we get going? And no, I'm not explaining anything. If you have questions ask Sylvie."

I went to the carriage followed by Sylvie and mom and after a solid two minutes the rest joined us. The ride to the auction house turned into an interrogation about Sylvie's human form and why we looked so similar. We managed to quell their curiosity with a mixture of white lies and half truths before finally arriving.

At the entrance waiting for us were the Twin Horns, who were doing guard duty for the event once again. Jasmine was the first one to recognize me and rushed into a hug, followed by Angela's assassination technique. I felt Regis screaming in my room from jealousy. Durden saved me once again from suffocating. Adam finally caught on and tried to act cool but Jasmine, never wasting an opportunity to make fun of him, ruined his act.

The conversation shifted to Sylvie when Adam noticed her and I saw an opportunity. I asked him if he had already forgotten about my sister, at first he tried to deny it, but my mother soon joined in on my little prank and with a bit of effort and cooperation from the rest of the party we succeeded in gaslighting him into believing I always had a sister. I wonder how long he'll keep believing it.

After that we went to the VIP room where dad and the Twin Hors separated from us. Soon after Vincent went out and came back with the Sapin royal family. From there everything went about the same as last time with one big difference, instead of an entourage of guards, Blaine decided to have Bairon as the only guard. Thinking about it, he's probably here because of Varay, as she was somewhat aware of the situation with Sebastian.

Standing behind Sylvie I checked his core to see if he already used the artifact and saw he was still mid silver. Bairon noticed me checking and looked over but didn't say anything as Sylvie looks old enough to be a mage and probably just assumed she was curious. I tried sensing Varay's mana signature but didn't find it, meaning she's probably just far away or somewhere else on a mission.

As the event progressed I made a bit more of an effort into socializing with Curtis and Kathyln and we had a good time. He even invited me to a sparring session when I mentioned how I was looking for a new sword. Seeing I still have some time before becoming an adventurer I accepted, as the only thing this changes is how fast we become friends. As for Kathyln, she spent most of her time talking with Sylvie and asked her to come with me when I visit Curtis so that they can enjoy tea and sweets. Sylvie being the glutton she is, immediately accepted.

At the end of the event we all went to the warehouse so that Blaine could get the things he bought. Vincent handed me the cloak and mask I asked for and I took the opportunity to ask for a sword as well since we were already here and he agreed. I wasted no time and went straight to where I found Dawns Ballad last time and recovered my old partner. I know I don't need it, but it just feels wrong not having it, plus I need something for when I'm with other people for now as using aether blades will bring more trouble than it's worth.

And my night ended peacefully, at least it would have if Regis stayed quiet in my room like he said he would.

"Hey princess, I have demands. Comply with them or I'll go on strike." Regis called through or bond.

"What are you talking about?" Sylvie interjected.

"Don't interrupt, this is between me and princess."

"Whatever." She said, losing interest in whatever Regis was saying.

"What do you want, Regis?"

"I demand some pocket money and McDonalds."

"...What?"

"You heard me."

"I can give you an allowance, but what are you going to use it for anyways?"

"Commissions."

"Alright, sure. Just don't get me involved."

"And the second thing?"

"It's literally impossible to get McDonalds. But I've been missing a good burger for a while now, so I'll ask Maria to buy what we need to make then."

"Good." I could feel his satisfaction and Sylvie's hunger through our bond. I looked over only to see her drooling at the thought of eating a burger for the first time.

And that marked the end of the auction house's anniversary. Pretty uneventful overall.