Heimarian Odyssey

Chapter 321: Lively

Dinner was served earlier than usual tonight. It was a celebration of the return of the mansions lord. The guards around the premise were still the same bunch thatd left Faustian with Angelina six years ago. It could be said that a total of two hundred soldiers had spent their peak years here in Aomar.

When Locke and Angelina had arrived in Botania one year ago, the Faustian nobles that came to Princeton for their five-year study had returned to the kingdom. Duke Gage, was an exception that remained in the city for he was personally appointed by the king to care for Angelina. He stayed on Sachiel Street and was renting a small courtyard not far away. There was no way he would return to Faustian without the princess.

Fortunately, there was a slight drop in property prices over the last two years, which allowed the young duke to afford a courtyard on Sachiel Street. Gage couldve chosen to remain in the princess mansion but apart from the royal guards, the people living there were servants and Lockes women. He figured it was rather inappropriate for him to live with them.

Duke Gage was always a good judge of character. Hed thought highly of Locke since theyd just left Faustian. For one, Locke was definitely special. The man had managed to charm the talented Faustian princess and if he wasnt a seasoned romancer, he was certainly genuinely capable.

Indeed, everything happening now was a testament to Gages judgement. Locke had improved exponentially over four years; hed climbed all the way to become a high-rank Knecht from the bottom. Locke had used four years to complete the entire life journey of a regular knight. The youngest high-rank Knecht in Faustian was thirty years old and he was a record-breaker.

Angelina and Lockes return had reached Gages ears through a quick-witted young royal guard. The princess escort consisted of both the secret and royal guards. While Gage reserved no authority over the secret guards, he had many subordinates recruited in the royal guard troupe. Plus, Gage was old friends with Aslan, the commander of the royal guards.

The dining hall hadnt been this vibrant in a while. Apart from Locke and Angelina, Lia, Glace, Suzzane and Kristin were present at the table. They were enjoying a warm meal as a family and Gage was invited to the dinner after meeting Angelina upon her arrival.

Kristin was the most excited of them all. When a royal guard had dropped her word of Lockes return at her institute, shed quickly abandoned her magic experiment despite her mentors obvious displeasure. Currently, Kristin was attending the same institute as Glace, Suzzane and the others. Though it wasnt as excellent as the Imperial Academy, the quality of its education wasnt too shabby.

Typically, students at her institute would do their best to avoid offending the mentors. It became clear that Kristin had placed Locke at a higher priority over trying to get on the good side of her instructors. However, she did have bragging rights for she was a dual user of magic and impetus. Lockes initial decision to have Kristin learn impetus and magic simultaneously had unknowingly unleashed the young girls full potential.

Since shed grown up smothered by her aunt Glace, it was almost impossible for her to endure tough training or boring magic experiments. The unorthodox combination of impetus and magic practises had instead provided a good balance suited for her attention span.

Her current impetus was only as strong as a low-rank Knecht while her mana reserves were that of a beginner Lehrling. Though she wasnt the best at both, it was considered amazing since shed only picked it up two years ago. As a comparison, Locke too had only become a low-rank Knecht after a full year of impetus cultivation.

The simultaneous pursuit of magic and impetus was odd but it had made her the star of the institute. Many mentors were interested in taking her in as a pupil but the Magister thatd received her was beginning to doubt everything.

Kristin was truly compatible with her element but it was impossible to have the young girl settle down for meditation. If shed followed her mentors regime strictly, she wouldve become a low-rank Lehrling already. Her inability to work on her mental abilities was the main key to her stalemate.

She wasnt embarrassed about skipping classes either. Kristin raced straight to Lockes side upon arriving home, immediately attacking him with a barrage of questions. It felt almost as if she was desperate to find out where and what Locke had been doing in the past year. Time sure flew. Locke couldnt help but marvel at how much Kristin had grown. She was only as tall as his waist back then. But of course, it was physically impossible for Kristin to grow that much in a year. The separation had merely amplified changes and the sense of bizarre unfamiliarity in the air was only natural.

Lockes concern and Kristins bubbly personality eventually burst the bubble and kept the conversation on the dining table going. The two were even whispering to each other at the other end of the table. Among his lovers, there was one particular woman that Locke couldnt look away from: Suzzane.

Suzzane was positively radiant tonight. Shed grown more charming than when hed brought her away from Shalor. The maroon dress hugging her body had accentuated lovely curves. If Kristin hadnt plastered herself to his side and Gage wasnt in the hall, Locke wouldve lunged forward to get a taste of her soft warmth.

In Lockes absence, Suzzane had channelled the funds he left into starting a few businesses around Princeton. While Locke had given her plenty to start a business, it wasnt enough to afford a shop lot along the glamorous Sachiel Street. Most of her establishments were in the east of Princeton City, where most of her clients were regular people. Shed started two jewellery shops, one antique store, a hotel and a trading house. Billies family had been kind enough to guide her through it.

After hearing it from Suzzane, Locke began to ponder an appropriate time to visit Billie to express his gratitude personally. At the thought of the pretty caster with green locks, Locke couldnt help the faint smile forming on his lips.