Magic, Love, Family Pt. 02

...

Rose was surprised by his reaction or lack thereof on hearing his nickname; she decided to ignore it, thinking that he was just eager to know the reason.

She took on the look of a wizened veteran. "Listen, plebe. This involves a total grasp of all the political intricacies and maneuvers going on behind the scenes." She paused to counter any comment that might come out of Raymond's mouth.

However, she suddenly lost interest, when she saw his expectant gaze. "Miranda, you explain it," she said, leaning towards Suzanne and hooking her arms on her mother's shoulders.

"We don't have the time for it now. I'll tell it to you after your fight with Rose."

Rose, who was rubbing her cheeks intimately on her mother's shoulder, jumped out to stand in front of Miranda, she asked in an animated voice, "What? Are we doing that?".

"Yes."

Rose started laughing at the top of her lungs. Miranda's reply had confirmed her suspicion. "So, that's why you were silent." She circled around him once, as if examining her prey. "Don't be scared Little Ray Ray. I'll make sure your bones are left intact," and she started laughing again.

Raymond harrumphed and turned his head away from her.

***

Raymond rode his horse with Lily to the left of him. Up ahead, Rose rode in the carriage along with Suzanne. They had already left the city through the north gate. At this pace, they would only take about half an hour more to reach the army base.

Raymond had mixed feelings about going to the army base. He would no doubt encounter many familiar faces, which would be something to take pleasure in. But at the same time, this would also serve as a reminder that he, a man already twenty-one-years old, despite being royalty, was still unable to awaken his attribute. Raymond peeked at Lily's aloof face; it brought him a sense of tranquility to see it the same as ever. He chuckled to himself, Come hell or high water, Lily's unfazed.

"How was the hunt?"

"Okay," Lily replied. She seemed to hesitate before answering him. "There's an unusual increase in the number of prime beasts this year."

"Oh." Raymond nonchalantly asked, "any problems?"

"No. Nothing in particular."

They both turned quiet after this exchange. Raymond felt nervous about his upcoming "fight" with Rose. He wondered if it could be even called that. More like, Rose bashing me up.

"Do you think it will work?" Raymond asked, breaking the silence. He was referring to the method they were about to use in order to awaken his attribute.

"No." Lily gave a succinct response.

"No? What do you mean, 'no'? If it won't, why even use it?" He cried out, upset at the prospect of being beaten black and blue without any cause or reason.

"It won't work yet," Lily replied in a composed manner, unfazed by his outburst.

Raymond chuckled at the lack of explanation on her part.; He then chuckled at himself for expecting anything more. How typical! You would think she has to pay taxes on each word she says.

"Lady Lily, ye of the few words, will you please elaborate the reason behind your skeptical answer to this humble brother of yours, for he is still far away from reaching the heights of your profound wisdom and all-encompassing ability? He is feeling quite aggrieved at his cruel and merciless treatment in the hands of his mean aunt and his exceptionally wicked cousin." Raymond dramatically pleaded to his twin.

Lily was unable to stop a hint of smile from creeping up on the corner of her lips. She took a moment before she voiced her thoughts while gazing straight ahead. "She is not strong enough to make it work... This method is based on the prime beasts' ability to burst out with a final splendor in the face of absolute danger. She'll have to simulate this same feeling of danger in your fight."

She paused to catch her breath before continuing her explanation. "This could work if she was actually stronger than she is, or if her control was precise enough. But not at your current level of strength."

Raymond tried to make sense of her words. So it won't work because I'm too strong for it to work, and he grinned at the conclusion. He reproached himself for being so pleased just because of that little praise. I don't know if I should be happy about it or not. It was only a few moments later when Raymond realized what laid waiting for him. If Rose isn't strong enough, that means Miranda and Lily are also out of consideration. Then... Raymond suddenly shouted, "NOOOOOO..." almost falling off his horse.

The riders flanking the two of them nearly stumbled at his loud shout. They were only pacified after Lily signaled for them to continue, that everything was alright. She ordered the riders to quickly inform their commander, who was leading in front, that they would catch up with the others later.

Raymond, finally coming out of his stupor, asked Lily in an urgent tone. "It's Aunt Suzy, isn't it? She will do it in the end, right?" He further despaired when Lily did not say anything in return.

"Just kill me. That's going to hurt like hell. First, I have to contend with Rose who, I'm sure is licking her lips at her chance to bruise me up, then the terrifying Suzanne Tygrine is next in line!? Do you know how much damage a single lightning attribute awakened does by just standing on the field!? Just kill me now. Why bother with the entire charade!?" Raymond muttered dispiritedly.

He was shocked when he glanced at Lily, who had a thin smile on her face. "You are enjoying this, aren't you?" He followed along and chuckled at the absurd situation he found himself in.

"Tell me, why don't more people use this method?"

"There are various reasons," Lily replied. She hadn't seemed intent to continue anymore until Raymond launched in another tirade of her praises. "Okay, okay, I will tell you," she added. "The method itself is very hard. You must have precise control of your mana for it to work. And that's not the problem with you. If someone possessed your level of technique, they would have already evolved their mana pool, awakened their attribute, and progressed even further. I don't think Rose can give you the sense of danger required for it to work."

"So, what you mean to say is, though it is only useful for unfortunate, poor souls like me, it won't even guarantee anything! Fuck! Why don't I find someone better than Rose to help me!" Raymond exclaimed in frustration.

"For common people, it is hard to find even any ordinary awakened to accompany them in their, sometimes very long, quest to awaken by using this method, much less an awakened strong enough to actually be able to help them."

"Hmmm...." Raymond felt quite fortunate that ultimately his own aunt, his Aunt Suzy, the famous and feared Marshal Suzanne Tygrine, would be there to help him awaken. Though it would be quite painful and may take considerable time to recover from the trauma, it's all worth it.

"Uggh... Why can't she directly fight me? Why do I have to fight with Rose first? She's going to take revenge for all the times I made fun of her. I'll be lucky to even survive-"

Lily scolded Raymond before he could complain any more than that. "Whatever you might think, she cares about you deeply." She continued in the same reproachful tone. "If she was not scared that she would really hurt you, you wouldn't even have to fight Aunt Suzanne."

Raymond was surprised by the intense reaction of Lily to his usual ramblings. What's gotten into her all of a sudden? She never reacts like that. He dismissed it as her just being on edge due to the upcoming fight. After all, he will be fighting Rose in a real combat, and it will involve real danger.

Uncomfortable by the now awkward silence between them, Raymond decided to lighten the mood. "So, if you can deduce all this by yourself," he teasingly smiled as he stared into Lily's eyes, "Do you mean to say you know more than Aunt Suzy?" he questioned her, his smile growing to a grin.

"When it comes to you," Lily answered in an even tone, as if stating a fact.

Raymond was dazed by her response. "Stop. You're going to make me blush," he muttered and sped away.

Lily gently smiled as she watched an embarrassed Raymond flee from her.

***

Raymond walked inside the spacious training grounds of the army base. The entire training grounds were empty, presumably by order from either Suzanne or Rose. It was the first time Raymond had seen the whole grounds empty; usually it was occupied by soldiers either practicing their spells or honing their weapon techniques.

He was shocked by the sheer size of it. Whoa, I never could've guessed it's that big. He could see all types of different weapons lined up along the walls, separated by their types.

Most of the spell and magic training rooms were locked. The ones that were open were simple enough to not pique his interest. There were three grounds for weapons training, two for close combat and one for ranged combat. He picked up a long bow, examining its detail. Nobody uses a bow in our family. Maybe only mother with her wind attribute. He put it back when he heard his aunt calling for him.

He followed the voice to the biggest sparring arena. It was nearly double the size of all the other ones. He rushed towards his Aunt Suzanne, who stood near the entrance with an extremely beautiful blonde woman. Raymond reined in his usual cheekiness and waited for his aunt to make the introductions, guessing the unknown woman, who appeared to be of the same age as his aunt, must be an important character to be able to stand beside her.

"Sweetie, let me introduce you to one of my most favorite people. This is Lady Ingrid Beltran. You must know her as the most famous healer in the whole of Beltran."

Raymond politely greeted her and asked to be excused to prepare for his fight. He found Lily waiting for him by the weapon rack. He quickly moved towards her, shaking her by her shoulders, "Did you see? She even brought along THE Ingrid Beltran with her, the light attribute possessing healer with mythical abilities. She already suspects I'm going to be half dead by the end of all this. Do something."

"I can't do anything."

Raymond gave up. There was nothing else to do other than serve himself up to get slaughtered. He demurely picked up a sword with a blunt edge and replaced it with his own sheathed broadsword, which hung at his waist. He gave Lily one last pitiful look and marched up towards the center of the arena. He stretched his muscles while anxiously waiting for Rose.

Rose entered the arena with a long sword in hand. Raymond lifted his face from his bent down position to gaze upon her. Her red, almost crimson hair, came down to her waist. A black, leather hair band on top of her head held back the bangs from falling on her face. A green sleeveless, crop top, and green trousers were the only pieces of clothing on her tall frame. Her fair skin, a shade darker than her twin, Miranda, was smooth.

There were no visible signs of any cuts or scars that could be found on it. Her ripped stomach and bellybutton were exposed for his eyes to feast upon them. Her slightly wide hips and thick thighs especially suited her long legs covered in leather boots, up to her knees. She took long strides towards the center of the ground with an air of nobility, the pride of an expert

He almost fell into a stupor, gone were all the worries of getting beaten up, gone was all the nervousness about the result, gone was all the anxiousness to awaken his attribute. At that instant, his mind was dominated by a single thought: She is HOT. He, though, quickly snapped out of it, chuckling at himself for being so entranced by a sight he had seen many times before. Apparently, this is who I am now, a deviant. A pervert; one who lusts after his own cousins.

Finished with his routine, Raymond picked up his sword with his right hand. He circulated his mana into his mana circuits and used body strengthening magic. It would raise his physical ability and make him contend with Rose a little better.

Rose didn't seem to have used body strengthening. She appeared confident that her superior ability and natural physical advantage due to being an awakened warrior, rather than a half-awakened warrior like Raymond, would be enough.

Body strengthening magic, it was the only magic spell that could be used by magic warriors and half-awakened warriors. It helped them in fights as it increased the sturdiness and power of their moves. Awakened warriors generally didn't like to use it, as it consumed a lot of mana.

When Raymond realized what she was doing, he was angry to be underestimated yet also happy that he could give her a surprise. He pointed at her and sneered in provocation. "Be careful, I have developed a new killer move."

"Like the last time!?" Rose replied, a smile blossoming on her face. "Or maybe like the time before that!?" she taunted, her smile growing into a full grin.

Before Raymond could get in his own quip, his aunt's shout interrupted them. "Alright, stop it, the both of you. Rose, remember, don't use any spells, only physical attacks. And Raymond, try to maintain the balance for as long as you can."

"Come at me, Little Ray Ray," Rose taunted one last time. Her whole demeanor changed in a matter of seconds, the look of a veteran warrior, ready to battle the opponent, on her face. She steadied herself in a defensive stance.

Raymond gauged the distance between them to be nearly 20 meters; he took his stance, his left leg forward, bent at the knee. His right foot pushed to the ground, his elbows in line with his knees. He tightened his two-handed grip on his sword. Raymond circulated all of his mana into his arms and legs. He dashed forward towards Rose. He reminded himself: The trick is to maintain it at this level without actually releasing the mana.

He covered the distance between them instantly, I can only use it at the rate of my natural recovery. He brought down his broadsword from up behind his shoulders, its full weight carried behind the diagonal slash. His fast move was easily blocked by Rose.

Raymond jumped back, increasing the distance between them. And when the pressure is high enough, I will instinctually try to release all of it. He readied himself to charge in once again. I just have to wait for that moment... Fuck! This should help to produce some impact the next time I try to awaken, or else.... He once again dashed forward, this time bringing his sword from below his waist.

Rose was almost caught off guard by the unusual move; it was difficult to execute, especially for a tall man such as Raymond. She almost lost her stance; her sword almost left her palms...almost. Her physical advantage still proved too much for Raymond to overcome with his low constitution. She easily kicked him away, increasing the distance between them yet again.

"Is that your "new killer move"?" Rose sneered at Raymond.

He was unfazed by her comments and dashed to his right, trying to circle around her. He closed the distance between them and launched his sword with force. He increased his speed behind the sword, using it as a decoy. Just as the sword was about to reach Rose, he shifted to his left and dived towards her exposed back.

The redhead easily parried the rotating sword coming at her but was unable to avoid the elbow strike to her back. Her sword left her hands due to the impact on her shoulders. She swiftly turned around, barely able to defend against the kick to her stomach. She flew off but regained her balance midair, avoiding the fall on her butt.

...

Ingrid Beltran was shocked at this display; she could hardly believe what was happening in the arena. An awakened was upended by a kick from a normal warrior!? What power! What ingenuity! She turned to her right and said, "Suzanne, your nephew is something else. I don't remember ever witnessing such a scene in my lifetime." Ingrid's surprise was evident in her voice.

Suzanne, who appeared to be immensely proud of her nephew, stated, "He certainly is a special one."

...

Lily, standing some paces to the left of her aunt, did not share in the same excitement as the two ladies. She watched on, unconcerned, aware of the result of this "fight". She was confident that Rose wasn't strong enough for this method to be a success, and it was made clear by the earlier exchange when he had taken her by surprise and skillfully disarmed her.

...

"Ha-ha. You've done it now." Rose cackled in anger. She did not bother with the sword in Raymond's hand and charged in unarmed. Her hair dancing behind her, she launched into a flurry of strikes with her elbows and knees, not giving him a moment's rest. Her moves got faster and more powerful with each strike. With a look of madness in her eyes, she roared with laughter.

Raymond was unable to contend with the swiftness of her attack. He couldn't bring down his sword in time to defend against her punches. His sword flew off in a long arc due to the strike on his arm. He could only contend unarmed.

This girl's crazy. Laughing like a madwoman, Raymond thought as another punch came his way, followed by a kick to his thighs. A wave of pain ran through his body. His arms almost lost all their strength. His legs stung.

Another round of elbows and knees later, Raymond couldn't help but accept defeat in his mind. I can't take this anymore, I think most of my bones have cracked. Fuck. I'm barely able to control my mana.

Raymond neared his breaking point, his face bloodied, and his whole body black and blue from the intense beating. He couldn't even lift his hands anymore. All of his energy was focused on standing there and controlling his mana. He felt a sudden impact in his mana pool. Now! He shouted the command in his mind. He tried to release it all... a moment passed, and then he fainted on the spot.

***

It was late in the afternoon. The sun was about to set. Raymond lay asleep on his bed under a thin blanket. A noise outside his door woke him up. He groggily opened his eyes. Taking note of his surroundings, he concluded that someone must have brought him home. It must've been Lily. He felt dispirited when he gazed at the bandages wrapped around his left leg. His spirits further suffered when he confirmed his failure by checking his mana pool. Well, she predicted as much.

He slowly examined himself and was grateful to find that there was no swelling on his face or anywhere else for that matter. The feeling of nausea and a headache was at a manageable level. He silently thanked the beautiful Ingrid Beltran for doing such a good job of healing his injuries. After making sure all was well, considering, he let out a volley of curses at his fate for not awakening, even after that intense round of beating.

*Knock. Knock*

Rose entered the room before he could react to the noise, and came up to his bed.

"Shift," she demanded and ordered him to make a place for her. Raymond rolled his eyes at her but quietly shifted to one side. She slipped inside his blanket and laid her head on the same pillow as him. Finally settled, she asked, "How are you feeling?"

Raymond was speechless by her actions. It had been years since they had shared the same bed. The last time they did this, he was fourteen-years old. He silently stared at her, waiting for an explanation.

"It must be alright if you are not whining," Rose muttered, not meeting his gaze.

Raymond had half a mind to kick her out. Exasperated, he asked through gritted teeth, "is this some new way of gloating I'm unaware of?"

"Didn't you want to know about the war between Kyrgstan and Zekovia? Miranda is busy. So...."