After the dinner that lasted longer than it possibly should have, which ended with Alia lying on the table with a bloated tummy, and Rio with his back to the chair and face to the ceiling- aning just like how it did when they were little.
Like they literally stayed there while the maids cleared the table and started putting out the lights, and even then to leave, had to get help from their respective shadows.
"I'm never trusting you again." Rio said to his sister, who for the first ti was without any energy to respond.
…
Luckily they got to sleep peacefully in their beds, and next morning, no alarms rang to wake them up, and no staff ca to disturb and drag them out.
When the duo of siblings finally left their beds, the sun was already over their heads. And ti for breakfast was changed to late lunch ti.
(3pm)
…
The first few days at their ho got spent very fast, I an all they did was et people they haven't seen for months, greet them, have a talk, see so sights, and there, the day was gone.
Rio stood by the balcony, watching his sister training against her shadow, Erza, with little Tanya just sitting by the sidelines cheering for her friend.
She was just 15 years old now, but due to her innate blessings, the food she cooked far surpassed those who spent their whole lives in a kitchen.
The saying that taste is in the hands and not the dishes, recipes, or ingredients _ yeah that was probably made just for her.
I an, Rio had yet to taste a single dish which she made and wasn't magical. Though she had yet to find the effect where she can give people buffs, or attributes, or anything_ but the taste...(slurp)
Every ti Rio ate sothing she made, he couldn't help but praise his decision to save her mother and get her under his care.
Just like in the novel, her father was a dick who left them after stealing all their savings and ran away. Selling even his house in a gambling ga, and getting them kicked out. _ If not for the strict rules of human trafficking and illegal slavery in Damascus, Rio could bet, the man would've sold his wife and daughter too. That's how much of a jerk he was.
But due to his tily interference, the pair of helpless mother-daughter didn't have to suffer a single loss.
In the novel, Tanya's father ca back into their life to trouble and emotionally blackmail them when she beca famous on the floating islands due to her restaurants, giving Leon who was her regular custor, a chance to shine through and save her.
But that event is never gonna happen, as years ago, Rio buried that deadbeat dad's body a thousand miles deep in the sea, and watched as sharks ate him up. He hated cliches, and he hated even more, those people who repaid love with a betrayal.
So Tanya and her mother were now fully free from the shadows of their past, giving them a life of happiness and a place for fresh start.
Tanya found her obsession with food and fan-girling over her 'big brother' Rio as a way of living, and if he believed what Es reported, then her mother, Irene, had found love in Ayla's father, Augustus.
Two kindred spirits he saved to secure the heroines, found their happiness in each other.
This was also the reason why Tanya stayed behind at the castle, and didn't follow him, or Es, to floating islands, delaying her tutelage under the Dorsian magic chef called gourt wizard. (Introduced in ch 223)
She wanted to make sure her shy mother doesn't ss up her happiness overthinking things. And protect her if Augustus ever broke her heart. _ a really good daughter she was.
"So Ayla and Tanya are gonna be sisters now huh?" Rio asked with a smile.
For all the calculations, cruelty, and coldness he harbored in his heart, sohow, sowhere, a part of him always felt happy seeing the happiness of others around him. Maybe he wasn't as heartless as he thought himself to be, after all.
"Not really." Es spoke, bringing him out of his thoughts, "I an, Tanya has no problem with her mom's second marriage or anything, I suppose nor would Ayla. But the single parents are too shy and scared to start the talks for their future, and risk losing what they have now."
Rio chuckled in response, but didn't plan to interfere in any way. The duo had their hearts broken once before, so it was understandable why they'd hesitate to tie the knot for that kind of commitnt again.
…
Rio walked towards Erza once her spar with Amy ended. The sick and frail looking vampire girl from childhood whom he saved from death and slavery, had now grown quite sturdy and strong. _ Her talent however was still the sa as before, sowhat lacking, like sothing binding her from ever reaching the heights her big sister did.
"It was a good fight." Rio said, sitting beside her, watching Alia and Tanya just chatting a little distance away, fighting as Amy ate the cookies she made for him too.
"I still lost." Erza replied, her tone as calm and distant as ever.
"You'll always lose to her." Rio said as in a matter of fact, as she hated roundabout talks, "The point is how long can you delay the defeat."
"And for that I'd say you did pretty good." He said pointing at the tir on his watch. [7 minutes 32 seconds] "Don't you think it's much better than your initial 2 minutes ti?"
"It's not enough." Erza replied.
"I see." Rio said and nodded his head, "Then I'd suggest you start working on your bloodline abilities and bloodlust."
"When was the last ti you had a full drink, or truly let yourself go?" Rio asked, pausing as Erza looked down and started thinking hard.
'Ohh God, mother,..' Rio said to himself, already aware of his mother's hard training and challenges for her. Letting a vampire live without fresh blood was obviously sothing she or Myra would do. 'Kill, but don't drink' The sa rules which were made for Es too.
But then again it was necessary too, as bloodsuckers always betray their masters when they're drained dry. So this training can enhance their limits and test their loyalties.
"When you join Es on floating islands, I'll give you a list of people. Take care of them for , and no need to hold yourself back." Rio said and sorted out a mission for her in his mind.
"As you wish." Erza nodded, her beautiful red eyes shining in a haze of thirst.
Rio looked at it and then ignored it. "So how was your final mission? Heard you had a near death experience."
"It was tough." Erza explained, "Zorkswish lands are hard to navigate, and there's just so many weird things." (This mission was ntioned in ch277)
"Yeah, like what?" Rio casually asked, and carefully listened to every word she said next. From her entrance, to the way she survived there for two months, and then found a way out with a hair's breadth. What traps she encountered, or what monsters she faced, and how she dealt with them. Everything.
"You seem awfully interested in that place." Erza said after a period of silence. Her tone, still the sa straightforward and to the point.
"There's sothing waiting for at that place, so I'll go there in the future. Call it early preparation." Rio replied and smiled upon seeing her just nod his head.
Zorkswish lands holds the entry point for a place which leads directly to a mysterious space where a monster whose strength surpasses even the rank of Zenith is resting. One of Arcadia's top monster bosses before the army of Leviathan, Fiends of hell, beasts of heaven, and Pronze of purgatory appeared in the mortal planes.
Of course this beast was still sothing Rio wanted to purge himself. It was in a way, his son of sorts...
[Erza is one odd bunch, isn't she?] System said, stopping his thoughts.
'That's what makes talking to her more interesting, right.'Rio replied to his system and then ignored it again.
"Here, I didn't know we'd et this sooner, so I couldn't buy anything good for you." Rio said, handing her a skill book, "But I found this in the house's treasury this morning, it'll suit your personality, so you can try to learn it."
Erza looked at the thin skill book, whose papers seed to be drenched in dry blood, with a title [Path of Blood] written in witchy handwriting, and then looked at him emotionlessly again, "Why?" She asked.
Rio chuckled hearing her question before replying, "Let's call it a gift, a reward for you clearing your final mission, and officially being my sister's shadow."
"Protect her well." He said.
"I will." Erza replied, putting the book away.
Rio was going to ask her about so other things, when Alia's voice interrupted him.
"Brother, are you bribing my shadow?"
".... Okay, that's my cue." Instead of replying back, Rio just said that and stood up to leave.
"Hey Erza, he didn't bully you, did he?" Amy asked, after seeing his leave.
"No, he gave a gift for clearing my final mission." Erza replied stoically, showing her master the skill book.
While Amy just ignored that skill and stared at her with a rich expression, before turning around and rushing into the house.
Erza just stayed outside with confusion, until she heard her master shouting and fighting with her brother, over why he didn't tell her sooner so she could prepare a gift too, and how he made her look stingy, and feel embarrassed in front of her shadow now.
… .
Back at night, Rio stood outside his mother's room with a box in his hands, hesitating to knock and enter inside. Preparing himself slowly for the conversation to co next.
Until the door opened on its own, with his mother looking his way with a weird expression.
"You know whenever you just stand outside and don't speak, I start getting these bad vibes. So tell , what request do you have now?"
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