For The Forever Lost Souls

Con Artist

"Consider yourself lucky. You'd be dead if I had gotten there even a moment later."

Athy stared blankly at Lucas, who was still in the form of a 10-year-old, munching on a cookie. She then turned to look at Azrael, who was calmly drinking his tea with too much elegance, and Ambrose, lying with his head on his brother's lap, giving them a 'why is this guy here' look.

Azrael, who caught the look first, shrugged. Ambrose huffed in irritation, turned his head, and hugged his brother. Athy sighed, realising they definitely knew why he was here.

"Seriously. Why are these so good? Ask the maid for more when she comes in." Lucas said, ignoring what was going on.

Athy sighed once more. At least I agree with him on one thing.

"Those cookies were made by Ambrose. You can ask him for more," Athy said in a monotonous tone.

Lucas made a face at her words and gave a quick glance to Ambrose before looking back at Athy. His face screamed 'you're joking, right?' to which Athy responded with a blank look.

"Oh yeah. Turns out your dad isn't the son of Aternitaus?" Lucas said as he remembered this fact.

"Are you stupid? Aternitaus has been dead for over 200 years already." Athy said as she looked down at Raven.

Everyone in the palace is looking at this moron as my saviour right now. I collapsed because the mana in my body was running out of control, but not a single magician in this country could heal me or even tell what was wrong. In the midst of all that, Azrael brought in this nut job, claiming he could heal me. As a young, gifted magician! Athy thought with exasperation.

And just why is he acting all polite? He wasn't like this when we first met!

"What? You want some of this? Wanna trade?" Lucas asked, holding out his cookie.

"I don't want it! And I'm not trading!" Athy yelled as she hugged Raven tighter.

"Who said I was asking for that wolf?" Lucas asked with a mischievous expression, looking in Azrael's direction.

Ambrose's head snapped straight up to glare at Lucas, while Azrael stared confusedly at Lucas, not knowing what he was talking about.

"What." Athy said, disbelief colouring her expression as she stared Lucas down.

"It's just a joke," Lucas said, raising his hands in surrender.

"But seriously, you wouldn't trade, even if that thing is the reason why you were like that in the first place?" Lucas asked.

"What?"

"By touching it like that, you absorbed the mana into your body, causing all this chaos. It's rare, but it seems your mana has a strong will to return to you. Or, you just have way too much of it," Lucas said, looking off to the side.

*Ah, no wonder, * Ambrose said, still glaring at Lucas.

*Guess she still spent too much time with Raven despite my warnings, * Azrael sighed.

"T-Then, does that mean I can't spend time with Raven anymore?" Athy asked, worried.

Lucas laughed at her as she spoke and then said with an arrogant smile, "You take me for an idiot who can't even solve a puny problem like that? You think I'd end up killing someone I just saved?" he said, earning a smack on the back of the head from Azrael.

"N-No...?" Athy said, holding back a laugh as she watched Lucas rub the back of his head while grumbling.

"Ahem. You should be grateful I stopped your dad from killing this. Anyway, your dad seems to really care for you, huh?"