Order Era, Year 1136.
Olifendor.
It had been three days since returning from the Ashen Corridor.
Liyana stared at the tightly shut doors of Xia Lun and Aina’s rooms, sensing the powerful aura of magic formations emanating from within, lost in thought.
On the very first night back, they had locked themselves inside.
Three days… How does Xia Lun even have that much stamina?
Aina should be fine, right? She’s just a delicate mage—she might not be able to handle Xia Lun’s… enthusiasm.
Well, it’s not like Liyana had any right to meddle in their marital affairs…
Just as Liyana was about to leave, the door suddenly creaked open.
A small head peeked out halfway.
Yisi and Liyana stared at each other in silence.
"Who are you? Why are you in Xia Lun’s room?" Liyana blurted out reflexively.
Yisi tilted her head slightly but said nothing.
This girl… looks so much like Aina. Liyana eyed the young girl suspiciously.
Could she be Xia Lun and Aina’s daughter?
In just three days, they managed to produce a child?
Those two really defy all common sense.
While Liyana’s mind raced with wild theories, Aina slowly pushed the door open.
Standing side by side with Yisi, they looked almost like sisters.
"Liyana, what are you doing outside our door?" Aina asked softly.
Liyana stammered, "Ah… nothing much. It’s just… this child…"
"Just think of her as my clone," Aina replied casually, brushing a strand of her silver hair aside.
Explaining the Void Broodmother would be too troublesome and might reveal unnecessary secrets—better to keep Liyana in the dark for now.
"Oh! I see."
But Liyana couldn’t help but wonder.
Aina couldn’t handle Xia Lun alone and needed a clone to help?
And… this girl looks so young, barely past adolescence…
Tsk, so Xia Lun’s a lolicon? And Aina just tolerates it?
Liyana pressed further, "Where’s Xia Lun?"
Aina raised a finger to her lips, signaling silence. "He’s exhausted from the past three days and is still resting."
The Goddess was gone, and so were her blessings upon the Hero. Xia Lun could no longer wield the power he once had as the Hero.
Though reborn and granted new abilities through Aina’s modifications, he was still unaccustomed to controlling his strength.
At Xia Lun’s request, Aina had sent him back to the Brood Nest, where Yisi helped him adapt to his body and abilities.
Yisi’s true strength lay in commanding her endlessly replicating insectoid soldiers—her earlier defeat at Xia Lun’s hands was purely due to her arrogance and lack of combat experience.
These past few days, Xia Lun hadn’t rested for a moment—sparring with Yisi by day and battling Aina by night.
"Then… are you okay, Aina?"
Aina, radiant and composed, covered her mouth with a graceful laugh. "I’ve never been better."
Liyana gasped, covering her mouth in shock. She never expected Aina to be this formidable—wearing out the Hero in just three days.
Truly, the ox may tire, but the field remains unbroken… That saying wasn’t just empty words.
"Ah, I won’t disturb you any longer, then." Liyana gently closed the door behind her and tiptoed away.
Three days… three whole days. Xia Lun’s really fallen deep into depravity.
Good for him.
If Liyana were the only one indulging in carnal pleasures, she’d feel a bit embarrassed.
"Time to play with my adorable little lion~" Liyana whistled cheerfully as she strolled toward the estate’s exit.
At the gate, however, she spotted a familiar figure.
"Isn’t this Teacher Kalinda? What brings you here?"
Liyana greeted Kalinda warmly.
"Miss Liyana…"
Kalinda knew full well that while Liyana was ostensibly a student here, she was actually the headmaster’s guest. She would never treat Liyana as just another pupil.
Moreover, after witnessing Liyana’s prowess in the Ashen Corridor, Kalinda was certain this elven archer was no ordinary figure.
"Teacher Kalinda, is there something you need?" Liyana asked cheerfully. "Come in for some tea first."
"No need. I’ve come to deliver your student IDs." Kalinda pulled three exquisitely crafted cards from her robe.
An Olifendor student ID was no trivial thing—it granted its holder significant privileges.
Discounts at high-end merchants and magic supply stores, priority access to quests and commissions, exemption from bureaucratic procedures like spatial teleportation, even high-limit loans at major banks… An Olifendor ID functioned just like a high-tier adventurer’s badge.
Such was the prestige and influence of the continent’s top magic academy.
"Were you heading out, Miss Liyana?" Kalinda handed Liyana her ID. "I’ll deliver the other two to Xia Lun and Aina."
Liyana found it odd that Kalinda addressed her as "Miss" but used Xia Lun and Aina’s names casually.
"Thank you, Teacher Kalinda." She didn’t dwell on it, accepting the ID before waving goodbye.
She couldn’t afford to be late for her date with Delyan.
The early morning sun slowly roused the sprawling estate to life.
Kalinda navigated the garden with practiced ease, arriving at the grand oak doors of the central villa. Since Liyana had just left, the doors stood wide open—though they were rarely locked anyway, protected as they were by Wolund’s formidable magic barriers.
Mechanical puppets tended to the estate’s chores, and one such humanoid automaton emerged just then, watering the flowerbeds with a jug in hand.
These puppets, crafted with cutting-edge magitech, could perform any artisan’s work flawlessly… though their own value could easily hire a hundred craftsmen. Only this unique estate could afford such extravagance.
Kalinda knew the place well—Wolund had occasionally resided here, and she’d often handled tasks beyond the puppets’ capabilities for him.
Ascending the ornate staircase, she soon reached Xia Lun’s door.
This time, Aina answered. Noticing the visitor, Yisi had already hidden herself away.
"Teacher Kalinda." Aina gave a slight nod.
Is this the master bedroom… Aina’s room? Kalinda wondered briefly.
Then her gaze drifted past Aina to Xia Lun, fast asleep on the bed.
"Aina… you and Xia Lun share a room?" Kalinda asked, incredulous.
"Of course. Is there a problem?"
"You sleep together?"
"Naturally." Aina nodded.
But aren’t they Wolund’s children? Siblings?
"No, Aina!" Kalinda exclaimed in shock, steadying Aina by the shoulders. "This cannot happen between the two of you!"