Chapter 28 – Improvements (Part 2)
Mother then turned toward Amy.
"And you as well."
Her voice remained calm, but there was unmistakable warmth behind it.
"Your progress has also been excellent."
"I don’t need to remind you to keep working hard."
Amy straightened proudly and gave a confident grin.
"Of course!"
Mother gave a small nod.
"I won’t be joining you for lunch today."
"I still have matters that require my attention."
"I’ll see both of you at dinner."
Then, before leaving, she stepped closer and gently pulled Amy and me into a brief embrace.
It lasted only a few seconds.
A quiet...
Simple...
Yet precious moment.
Soon, she released us.
Without another word, she turned around and walked toward the exit.
Her footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
But the warmth she left behind lingered in the training room long after she was gone.
⸻
After standing there for a short while, Amy stretched her arms above her head.
"Well..."
She smiled at me.
"Want something cold?"
I immediately smiled back.
"Definitely."
That had become our routine after training.
No matter how exhausted we were, we’d always head to the kitchen afterward for a cold drink before doing anything else.
As we walked through the mansion together, I glanced at Amy.
"So..."
"What are you having today?"
"I’m thinking grape juice."
"How about you?"
Amy rested a finger against her chin as she thought for a moment.
"Hmm..."
"I’ll go with apple juice."
"I’ve been craving it since this morning."
I laughed.
"Fair enough."
"Then you grab the drinks."
"I’ll get the glasses."
"Deal."
We naturally split up, just like always.
I headed toward the cupboard and retrieved two crystal glasses while Amy walked into the cold storage room.
A few moments later, she returned carrying two bottles.
One filled with deep purple grape juice.
The other with bright golden apple juice.
We poured our drinks before taking seats beside one another.
The kitchen was unusually quiet.
Only the faint sounds of servants working in the distance reached our ears.
For once...
Neither of us spoke immediately.
We simply enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere.
I took a sip of my grape juice before leaning back in my chair.
Today had been...
Eventful.
I had awakened.
Formed my Mana Core.
Obtained Eclipse.
Learned how to reinforce my body with mana.
Experienced my first true growth as an awakened individual.
And despite everything...
I wasn’t tired mentally.
If anything...
I felt excited.
It felt as though my real journey had finally begun.
⸻
As I absentmindedly stared at my drink, an idea suddenly crossed my mind.
Without thinking too much about it, I raised my hand.
A tiny stream of mana gathered around my fingertips.
I focused.
Ice Affinity.
The mana gradually condensed before a small sphere of crystal-clear ice slowly formed in midair.
I smiled faintly.
Not bad.
I gently dropped it into my grape juice.
Clink.
The tiny ice sphere floated lazily near the surface.
Amy immediately noticed.
"Oh?"
Without saying a word, she raised her own hand.
The next moment...
Several perfectly shaped ice cubes materialized above her palm.
Unlike mine, every cube was identical.
Smooth.
Balanced.
Completely stable.
They looked as though they had been carved by a master craftsman.
She casually dropped them into her apple juice.
Clink.
Clink.
Clink.
I stared at them for a few seconds.
Then I looked back at my lonely little ice sphere.
"..."
I sighed dramatically.
"Yours are way better."
Amy smirked proudly.
"Obviously."
Then, noticing my slightly defeated expression, she leaned closer.
"But your control isn’t bad."
She pointed toward my glass.
"You’re shaping the ice too quickly."
"You freeze it before compressing the mana evenly."
I blinked.
"So..."
"I should compress first..."
"And freeze afterward?"
She nodded.
"Exactly."
"The shape becomes much more stable that way."
I immediately tried again.
This time, I carefully compressed the mana first before freezing it.
A second ice sphere appeared.
It wasn’t perfect...
But it was noticeably smoother than the first one.
My eyes brightened.
"It worked."
Amy smiled.
"See?"
"I told you."
I couldn’t help smiling back.
Even outside training...
Amy was always teaching me something.
And honestly...
I didn’t mind it at all.
We quietly finished our drinks together, enjoying the peaceful silence.
Sometimes...
Moments like these were worth more than training itself.
⸻
Once I finished my grape juice, I stretched lazily.
"I think I’m going to take a nap."
I rubbed the back of my neck.
"A lot happened today."
"My brain feels more tired than my body."
Amy laughed softly.
"I can imagine."
Then she stood up.
"I’m going to see Mom."
"I need to discuss something with her."
I waved casually.
"Alright."
"See you at lunch."
She smiled.
"See you later, little brother."
With that, we headed in different directions.
⸻
By the time I returned to my room, exhaustion finally caught up with me.
The moment I reached my bed, I practically collapsed onto it.
I pulled the blanket over myself.
The mattress felt unbelievably comfortable.
"...Just one short nap..."
That was the last thought that crossed my mind before my consciousness drifted away.
⸻
About an hour later...
Knock.
Knock.
A gentle voice came from outside my room.
"Young Master."
"Lunch is ready."
"The Young Miss is already waiting in the dining room."
I slowly opened my eyes.
"...Already?"
Time really flew.
I sat up, stretched, then answered,
"Thank you."
"I’m coming."
"You may go."
"Yes, Young Master."
Her footsteps gradually disappeared down the hallway.
I slowly got out of bed, washed my face, adjusted my clothes, and headed downstairs.
Just as expected...
Amy was already seated at the dining table.
She noticed me immediately.
"Took you long enough."
I chuckled.
"I fell asleep almost instantly."
"I can tell."
"You’ve still got pillow marks on your face."
"...Seriously?"
She burst into laughter.
"I’m joking."
I sighed in relief.
"Don’t scare me like that."
She simply grinned mischievously.
Just like every other meal...
Lunch passed peacefully.
We chatted casually about today’s training.
Occasionally discussing Mother’s lessons.
Occasionally teasing one another.
Nothing extraordinary happened.
But somehow...
Meals shared with family always tasted better.
⸻