[ FLASHBACK ]
Aries, Abel, Sunny, and Isaiah stood inside the chamber in the forbidden mansion. Aries was standing beside the bed while Abel and Sunny were across from her. Isaiah was leaning against the wall, his arms folded under his chest. There was also another person in the corner of the chamber, Sunny's uncle, Leon La Crox.
"I can't." Aries shook her head as she breathed out heavily. "I cannot force him out of his slumber."
"Hmm…" Abel folded his arms, gazing down at the man lying motionless on the bed. "That is strange."
"Your Majesty, we already tried everything with everything we can." Isaiah peeled his back from the wall when he rested enough after performing a powerful yet silent spell to wake this man up together with Sunny, Aries, and Abel.
"There are only two reasons he wouldn't wake up even when we already tried," he continued, watching Aries look back at him while Sunny raise her head. "One, in particular, is that we needed more power to make this spell work."
Right now, even if the four of them joined forces in waking up Conan's father, maybe it wasn't still enough. Aries's control over her witch significantly improved three months after she was crowned the empress. Against an average witch, Aries could win without a doubt.
However, she was still like a toddler who barely learned how to stand compared to Isaiah, who had honed not just his swordsmanship but also his control in creating effective spells. Abel might be originally a vampire, but he lived long enough to master different spells. Sunny might be a child, but she was a Grimsbanne, and this little girl's raw talent made her a lot better than most experienced witches.
To put it simply, they had to lower the mana they release to match the power Aries could control to not overwhelm her. Perhaps, if she had full control of her witch and had a full understanding of her prowess, she could do it without their help. But that would take ti — forcing it out of her could only harm her.
"What is the other one?" Aries asked.
"He doesn't want to wake up," answered Isaiah after several seconds of silence. "There were many reasons a vampire enter their slumber. One of the common reasons was just like with the Marquess. If their core blood was damaged or they fought to exhaustion, they will hibernate to replenish the lost energy. The only ti they would wake up is when their blood finishes repairing the damages from within."
"Another common reason is their lack of will to wake up," he continued solemnly, explaining this matter to her since Aries was too impatient in this matter. "Unless you are soone more powerful than him, only then you can force him out of his slumber."
"Isn't Abel a lot more powerful than him?" Aries returned almost imdiately.
"Darling, I am, indeed, at the top of the blood hierarchy, but I'm not a born witch," Abel chid in a knowing tone. "Isaiah is still a better warlock than I am."
"Then why can't you do it, Your Grace?"
"Because my ability has its restrictions," answered Isaiah solemnly. "Not because soone is a witch or a warlock, they can do all the spells if they work hard. Hard work can only contribute a little amount to this matter. So born witches can only master ten spells at most throughout their lifeti."
Isaiah unfolded his arms and opened his palm, which was covered by a black leather glove. "Only a few can do more than that, at least ten percent of witches. And there's only one percent who could perform ancient and forbidden spells. Those I had ntioned were one of the most powerful spells."
"It all depends on one's mana flow," he added, flexing his fingers as if so strings were attached to his fingertips. When Isaiah closed his fist, Aries's heart thudded as her breath was taken from her. Only when Abel complained did Isaiah release his grip.
"I can't breathe, Isaiah." Abel frowned, and the air in the room returned.
Sunny's eyes twinkled, propping her little arms against the edge of the bed. "Uncle, can you teach Sunny how to do that?"
"Did your previous ntor didn't teach you that?" asked Isaiah after casting Sunny a quick glance.
"No…" Aries gasped for air as she clutched her chest. "Marsella didn't explain things like this. She just taught to move things through my mind and stab straw dolls with Abel's hair on it."
"Marsella is so rude! Seriously!" Abel comnted incredulously.
"Grandpa, until when will pretty grandma stay in seclusion?"
"I wish it'll be forever."
Isaiah let out a faint sigh upon hearing Aries's answer, ignoring Sunny and Abel's shallow conversation.
"I'm not sure what sort of exercise she wants to train you for," he remarked as it seed Aries barely had any idea of the basics.
"Marsella just doesn't have any experience of teaching soone." Abel shrugged. "She's probably freestyling."
"My pretty grandma is still outstanding." Sunny grinned brightly. "Even though my grandmama barely knows the fundantals of alchemy, she still improved a lot."
"Indeed." Isaiah rocked his head, setting his attention back to Aries. "You will need to relearn everything from scratch, Your Majesty. Although it is amazing you had this progress, it could end as a double-edged sword that can harm you as well."
Abel raised a finger and nodded. "Sure. How did I not think of that?"
"Grandpa, you did. It's just that you will be jealous if the huge uncle spends more ti with my grandmama than you."
"But what about him?" Aries pointed at the man sleeping on the table. "I do not mind relearning things from the start, but ti is passing. Until when will we keep this secret from Sir Conan?"
"About that…" Abel rubbed his chin, darting his eyes between Aries and the man on the bed. "... it's your call, darling."
"Pardon?"
"Grandpa said since you're the only one who feels bad about keeping this secret from the handso uncle, you tell him when you feel like it," Sunny explained, while Abel nodded at the little girl in satisfaction.
"Good job, Tony," praised Abel, making Sunny's smile stretch wider.
Abel then lifted his eyes back to Aries. "I'm telling you, though. If you think he disliked Isaiah — he does — but he doesn't swing his sword each ti he sees him. Not anymore, at least. Conan is really different when it cos to his family. Telling him his defenseless father is just around might have a terrible outco. He might end him and put him in an eternal slumber."
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