Reincarnated in the Astral World

All eyes turn to Lis as she claims that Aria's powerful spell wouldn't work on her, leaving the group with an increasingly negative impression of the cunning lady.

"Oh?" Aria tilts her head, her expression a mix of curiosity and mild disappointment. "My little trick isn't good enough? Or perhaps you're not as willing to cooperate as you claim…"

"That's not it," Lis replies with a friendly smile, stepping closer to Aria and pointing to her own forehead. "You can check for yourself. There's nothing I can do about it."

"What do you—" Aria doesn't need to physically touch Lis to analyze her with magic. Her eyes flash briefly as she inspects Lis's body, and what she discovers leaves her visibly surprised. "Wait… this…"

Aria's shocked expression piques Arthur's curiosity and concern, but Lis's smile only widens.

"Yep, it's a Winged Barrier, as you can see," Lis says proudly, though her gaze at Aria becomes more inquisitive. "So it's you… the ungrateful apprentice my Master spoke of so often…"

"Really?" Aria raises an eyebrow, skepticism clear in her eyes. "The Old Rag wasn't one for talking much when she taught me…"

"Hahaha~" Lis laughs, revealing a more casual side. "I bet! I always had to get her drunk to spill anything. But when she started complaining about how you could've been a greater mage than her in just a matter of decades but abandoned everything…"

Lis can't hide the envy flickering in her eyes as she looks at Aria, which only makes Aria's expression subtly more self-assured. However, there's also a hint of nostalgia and curiosity in Aria's gaze that Arthur doesn't miss.

Aria instinctively glances at Arthur, her expression softening into a warm smile and a gentle look before turning her focus back to Lis.

"There's more to life than magic and power," Aria says with a sigh, her eyes returning to Arthur momentarily. "Our Master lacked it—a real life…"

"She has a magical barrier in her mind," Aria explains, "one that could only have been crafted by the same mage who was my master long ago."

"I see," Arthur says thoughtfully. "So, she's an apprentice of the same Master as you… That's good, right? We can trust her?"

Aria turns her gaze back to Lis, but even with their shared Master, her expression remains cautious. "Can we?"

"Of course," Lis answers with a friendly nod. "We're practically siblings, aren't we? Besides, the barrier in my mind prevents you from stealing my memories with that trick of yours."

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"No barrier is unbreakable," Aria responds sharply. "That's what our Master taught me."

Lis nods quickly. "Yeah, she told me the same… But that's why she spent centuries perfecting this spell. Well, since you're her brightest disciple, you

might

be able to break it, but it would take a lot of time and effort…"

A glimmer of excitement flashes in Aria's eyes, and Lis's confident smile fades, replaced by a worried look. "Hey, don't go down that path, okay? This barrier was my final request to our Master—a last gift to help me reach my goals…"

Aria's gaze sharpens, and Lis grows visibly paler. "I'm serious; there's no need for this. You know my work puts me in constant danger, and this barrier protects my mind from my enemies… We can reach an agreement, can't we? I will make a pact, and with this barrier, no one can get in my mind, you know."

"Hehe~" Aria chuckles arrogantly. "Alright, little fox. I can be friendly with a fellow apprentice. But tell me, how is the Old Rag these days?"

Lis exhales in relief, discreetly wiping the sweat from her brow. "I haven't seen her in five years… But when I last did, she seemed to be at rock bottom. Probably never got over your departure. She had high hopes for you."

"Isn't every Master like that with their apprentices?" Aria asks, her tone almost teasing.

"Not really," Lis responds earnestly. "I just happened upon her, and she helped me, but you were different… I still remember her talking about how your potential was limitless—a mage with the most powerful dark inheritance and an unparalleled Arcana, united perfectly."

Aria grows strangely silent, leaving Arthur even more curious about his mother's past and especially her family.

Lis seems equally curious as she presses on, "But the Master said you're afraid of using your Dark Magic, right?"

"…" Aria's demeanor turns icy for a moment, and everyone feels the sudden tension in the air. Her natural aura can be intimidating to anyone not part of her beloved family.

"Ahem!" Lis quickly realizes her mistake and puts on a friendly smile, glancing at Arthur. "The Master also complained about you chasing bad influences like a stupid stray cat…"

Arthur finds this statement intriguing, and Lis's smile grows more confident. "Who would've thought that stray cat would end up as the heir to the lion clan in this continent, kukuku~!"

"You'd better be careful with the enemies you make," Aria says in a neutral tone.

"Oh, don't misunderstand me!" Lis raises her hands defensively but maintains her smile, especially towards Arthur. "I did a recent job for a very interesting woman—your aunt, I presume."

"…" Arthur doesn't respond, but it's clear Lis knows who he is and about his family.

Lis's eyes gleam as she looks between Arthur and Aria, connecting many pieces in her clever mind. "Only such a peculiar union could produce an individual so interesting… I look forward to—"

"It's best we not discuss this here," Aria interrupts. "I can maintain several protective barriers around us, but we're still in the middle of the forest, and our hostess needs to finish dealing with earlier misfortunes."

"Of course," Lis nods and then glances warmly at Eliza. "Lady Whittlee, I believe you've already received enough assistance for today, haven't you?"

Eliza responds with an obviously displeased expression, but she takes a deep breath and maintains a calm and composed demeanor as she turns to Arthur. "I can never thank you enough, but the least I can do is offer you a hot bath and clean clothes…"

Arthur smiles as he sees a light blush on Eliza's rosy cheeks. Part of him remains quite curious about Lis's relationship with his mother, but he doesn't want to pry into Aria's matters, and, honestly, a chance to rest after such a grueling battle sounds wonderful.

"A bath would be great," he replies enthusiastically.

'You just want to take a bath with her, don't you?!' Nyx's voice rings in his mind.

'It's not that!' He quickly responds. 'Well… I'd prefer if you were there too, but maybe… it wouldn't be bad if she…'

'I know, I know…' Nyx sighs in his mind; her tone isn't cheerful, but she doesn't seem angry either. 'She might have potential, but it's still too early to tell if she's worth it.'

'I agree,' Arthur says to Nyx while nodding politely to Eliza. "Shall we?" Enjoy more content from m-v l'e|-NovelBin.net

Eliza can't help but smile at Arthur, but then she remembers something, turning a stern gaze to the two individuals still lying unconscious on the ground behind the group.

"Just a second," she asks Arthur softly before walking over to her brothers, still passed out on the ground. With a swift wave of her hand, she creates an ice block in the air, pouring extremely cold water from it onto both men.

"AHHH?!?!"

"NOOOO!!!!"

Preston and Tobias wake up confused and alarmed, glancing around frantically until they see the danger has passed—and Eliza's stern glare fixed on them.

"Sister?" Tobias rubs his temples, feeling dizzy.

"Eliza? What the hell happened??" Preston asks, his gaze scanning the area before landing on Arthur's group. His expression immediately hardens. "What did they—"

"Shut up and listen!" Eliza commands, her tone icy and authoritative. "They saved us today. Do you understand that? Arthur, his mother, and Madame Renard truly saved our lives, so you will show gratitude and respect."

Tobias immediately falls to his knees, bowing toward Arthur and his group. "Thank you! Thank you so much! My family owes you an eternal debt of gratitude!"

The young Whittlee master's words are heartfelt, but Preston's resentment toward Arthur is evident. It makes Eliza even more frustrated. "Preston, do you want to die?"

"Of course not!" Preston mutters, swallowing his pride as he bows stiffly toward Arthur. "Thank you for your help… This won't be forgotten."

"Preston—" Eliza starts to reprimand him, but Arthur gently interrupts her. "It's enough, Eliza."

"Oh?" She glances at him, her expression softening and even brightening slightly, before turning back to her brothers. "I'll take Arthur back to the mansion so he can clean up and have the best accommodations we can offer."

Preston's face twists in frustration. "But—"

"And

you

will clean up this mess!" Eliza cuts him off sharply, pointing at the mutilated bodies strewn around the battlefield. "We can't let this spread now, so deal with it quickly and discreetly!"

"Ehh…" Tobias and Preston exchange bewildered looks, clearly unsure how the battle turned in their favor.

Eliza sighs, exasperated, but before she can say more, Lis steps forward with a warm smile. "Leave it to me, Lady Whittlee. My servants are already cleaning up the mess near the lake; I'll send them to assist your brothers here as well."

"Thank you, Madame Renard," Eliza says, nodding graciously before turning back to Arthur. "Shall we?"

Arthur glances at his mother, and Aria nods. "Go ahead. Lis and I have much to discuss, so we'll head back to the mansion shortly. Let Margarett and Eve know we're fine."

"Sure." Arthur nods and gestures for Eliza. "Lead the way."

Eliza nods courteously and begins walking down the forest trail toward the mansion. Along the way, her excitement is evident in her quick, animated pace.

Arthur notices her enthusiasm and can't help but share in her energy, though his excitement is more directed toward the thought of a hot, relaxing bath after such an intense battle.