Chapter 14: Adulthood?

The ceremony eventually continued after the commotion of Crystal's good future was let go.

(The rest of the kids were as expected nothing special, but the Cardinal gave everyone words of encouragement at the end, which was nice considering how bad they must have felt after Crystal stole the show.) Alaric sighed as he witnessed the situation.

It was not long until the ceremony was finally over, and as they were leaving, Alaric, however, had this weird impression that the Cardinal was staring at him, but since the person in question was blindfolded, he could not say for sure.

Training continued and 6 months passed since training started. All of Alaric's attributes had increased to 18, while his skills had stayed at the basic level.

Just as promised, Uncle Ross handed him a formless weapon in the form of gauntlets, one for each hand.

The first month of the year 712 was upon them and the time for them to add weapon training back into their routine had started.

Since the ceremony, Crystal's strength and body limitations increased to even higher than Alaric's, and eventually, it showed as she became the most physically apt of the three siblings, which was nice to see, as both girls were actually putting in work. Also, soon Alaric would eventually have his own coming-of-age ceremony.

-later-

The year was flashing by as months flashed past and before Alaric knew it, almost 8 months had passed, and he was now already 12 years old.

It was time for Lilian's 14th birthday and a few days later, the next coming-of-age ceremony was already happening, as they found themselves sitting as Lilian was up in the alter with the Cardinal after a long wait. Similar to the last one, it seemed like the whole thing would be about 7 hours, though mom warned th kids that they should be ready for it to last 11 hours at worst.

[Baptism Status]

[Name: Lilian Nyx Lofn
Age: 14 years old
Sex: Female
Class: Slasher Samurai(Unique class)
Bloodline: Half-Papinijuwari(12 stars), Hellhound(7 stars)
Physique: Half-Papinijuwari(12 stars), Hellhound(7 stars)
Blessings: #%@?@
Fate: So long as she remains on the path of self-improvement, she will someday have the power to bring upon Justice.]

Another wave of commotion broke out just like last time.

(Papinijuwari?… Lilian is pretty lucky… Also, This hellhound situation is... Interesting, and it says something about a possible common ancestry, oh well, I'll see when the time comes.

(Plus a unique class... I heard both my older siblings also had unique classes... This family really is full of talent, why the hell are they just above normal commoners?...) Alaric was confused thinking about it.

In time things calmed down and they were able to leave after the Cardinal greeted them, followed by the archbishop.

"Greetings dear children, it seems once again the kids of Lofn and Nyx family could not escape greatness. Congratulations." Cardinal Ark smiled as he spoke having a calm aura around him.

However Dad didn't seem too pleased or interested in talking to him, simply crossing her arms with a somber expression and a very forced small smile. That was when Mom interjected to speak instead.

"Hahaha! Thank you very much, Father Cardinal, it is very kind of you to take time to talk to us, but I imagine your time is too precious to waste on us."

"Sister, I know you worry for the future of the little ones, but your words towards the Cardinal are unacceptable. Forgiveness is still within your reach, so please repent." Despite talking in a calm manner, the archbishop's expression was anything but happy with veins popping out of his forehead.

For a bit, there was only silence, and the archbishop lifted his hand and an aura began to put pressure on the whole family, something which caused Ross and his party to get riled up, as a fight was about to break out, but before it could the Cardinal was the one to speak.

"That won't be necessary, Archbishop Renti. As she said, I have a few matters to attend to, stay well, children."

The Archbishop gave them a death stare, before dropping it and just following the Cardinal.

"Break a leg, old man." Grandma said to the Cardinal.

This caused the Cardinal to smile and the archbishop's eye to twitch.

"Hey keep it low! Do you really want to start a fight in the church?!" Grandpa asked her with a tired expression.

That was that, and it ended there.

As they were leaving Alaric had a weird feeling about having his gaze on him, which made him feel weird, but soon disappeared once they were far enough.

(Odd... What just happened?… There's definitely a link I don't know there... But if that's the case my family is something else.

(In Absolute Fantasy, magic worlds like this with strong faith in the Celestial beings they call Gods, a Cardinal is no ordinary person, they are dangerous Midgame boss-level entities… So just what is his relationship with my family?) Alaric was curious about the whole situation.

Days followed and their training continued, as the kids made advancements both physically, and Alaric also advanced magically.

Two months after the coming-of-age ceremony, it was finally Crystal's 15th birthday and the year she chose to enroll in the Zellrith Magic Academy, the most prestigious magic academy in the Mormial Kingdom.

With her talent, it was possible to enroll in the Sage Gustav Academy the best, not just in the Crismentia continent as a whole, but the entirety of Mirth, found in this continent because of its place as the neutral grounds of the world for the other continents.

In the living room, the siblings were resting during their break.

"So, do you think you'll go to the Great Sage Gustav Academy, like Melvania and Rylith?" Lilian questioned as a sigh left her mouth.

"Maybe… I don't know if I want to. Those two were already there, so it's not like it's special… But I guess I'll beat their score there if I do… Yeah... As if…

"Then again, Zellrith is in this Kingdom so, it might be best if I want to come home more often…" Crystal replied her arms crossed as she thought about it.

(It's odd, I still don't know why this place is the neutral ground of the world, there seems to be something dangerous going on in here…From what I know it has to do with a single man…) Seeing their conversation made Alaric wonder.

"I'll go there, it's the best, so I'll make the most of it... I got the invitation, I won't waste it…" Lilian revealed with a serious expression.

Crystal looked at Lilian for a while, as silence took over before he got serious too and said.

"No way you are doing better than me! Know that I'll be one step ahead when we go to the Great Sage Gustav Academy!" Crystal responded with determination.

Of course, the reason she was sent the enrollment invitation was the results of her baptism and even Lilian got her enrollment invitation last month.

Due to Lilian having a 12-star bloodline and physique, she's been given up until she's 18 to enter the academy, which is the age cap to enter the academy, just to show how much they value her inherent talent.

Despite all that, Lilian choose to follow Crystal and enroll this year as well, or more accurately the beginning of the next year, as the scholarly year begins in the month of creation, the first month of the year.

Right now they were at the 10th month of the year, the month of disaster, which oddly enough coincides with Earth's October more than just in number, cause since the month was considered to be one where bad energy and misfortune rules, there was a tradition in which people dress up as monsters and devils to ward off evil spirits.

Especially the younger ones since it is believed that their innocence attracts more attention from those evil beings, so to distract the children of what's going on, it has become commonplace to give them sweets during this time.

It used to be called the day of the children, but was later renamed, Sweetodon by a scholar said to be from the Uava Kingdom, a neighboring country.

Almost two more months from then, the day of their departure had come.

"You know Alaric, I kind of wanted to stay here for another year and go stronger altogether, but if I do that I'll enter the Great Sage Gustav Academy in the last year of my special admission, and people will start making rumors about how I was scared of going or something like that, which I can't allow.

"Since someone as fabulous as me can't have a bad reputation, so I'll hope you hold yourself to at least the same level." Crystal announced with her chest puffed out and a smug smile that seemed to be permanently engrained on her face at this point.

"That's probably the trashiest goodbye speech I ever heard. Can't you just say I'll miss you like normal people?" Alaric couldn't help but point out.

"What?! You little rascal! I can lift trees off the ground now! Do you think you'll be able to escape a beating?!" Crystal had a slight blush on her face as she let out the frustration he had just caused her.

Even threatened him with her newfound strength, which even allowed her to rip off trees directly from the ground.

"I'll survive. Besides, aren't you going cause you want to widen the gap between us before I have the chance to catch up?" The boy called her out.

"Stupid Goober... As if I would ever need to do that. Just don't disappoint me next we meet, cause I'll beat you up." She said before turning and entering the carriage without saying anymore.

"Bother... It's a pity we have to say goodbyes already... Though I'm sure after your baptism you'll be so absurd we won't be able to catch up, that's your style after all.

"Just take care of yourself and be ready cause I'll move on if you can't make it... Hope to see you again." Lilian spoke once Crystal was in the carriage, before coming in to hug him, and then kiss his cheek.

That was followed by her instantly disappearing, which he imagined was her going into the carriage.

(These two are something else... I think I'll actually miss them…) Alaric smiled as he thought to himself.

According to Uncle Ross, Lillian awakened a power 4 times stronger than Crystal's even though she didn't show it off, everyone kind of noticed it.

(Bullsh*t! My sisters just got power ups given by the Gods and now their frikin OP! I worked my ass off! If I don't get anything good from my baptism...

(I won't stop trying, no quite the opposite, I'll train the hardest I ever did, just so I can someday beat the cr*p out of the celestials who set this sh*t up. They can't blow out my passion!!!) Alaric was not satisfied that his efforts to be overpowered didn't seem to pay off the way he expected.

After the girls left, he decided that it was time to start betting on the most powerful class in AF, a class that started as normal and not that special but would eventually become the most outrageously broken class, even more so than the Hero or even True Hero classes in certain scenarios, however, that class can't be obtained through normal means anyway.

That day, later on, he talked to Uncle Ross and convinced him to help him kill a bunch of low-level monsters, as it was one of the requirements for the class he wanted.

"Fine, I'll help you. It's not like you'll be able to get past the first limit but at least you'll be somewhere." Uncle Ross nodded to the idea.

With that, they started.

-Later-

As time passed since the girls' departure, the year 713 blinked by, and the year 714 was four months in, and on day 7 of the month of destruction, it was Alaric's 14th birthday. He had finally come of age and by the end of the month, was going be given the chance to shine if his baptism goes well.

"Hahaha! Our son is finally an adult! Time to take over and carry the responsibilities of the family, you better be ready or you fall to the weight but don't worry too much, I'll help you through some of it." Dad said with a huge smile on her face.

"Unbelievable! How can time be so cruel? Taking away all my babies from me! Loralaine! I want another child, now!" Mom was very emotional as she was almost ugly crying as she made an unreasonable demand.

"Hahaha!... I don't think we should do that, we're getting old and we can't just keep having kids like that... " Dad replied with an awkward smile on her face.

"No! We're not even near being halfway through our lifespan! Heck, we're not even a fourth of the way through! Of course, we can have more children!" Mom argued.

"Yes, but by human standards, we're old people and we agreed not to stand out too much.

"How are people going to react if another miracle birth happens? Because of how popular our first children were around here, most people are aware that we are over 60 years old by now...

"It was already surprising enough for them that you had Alaric at the time that you did, let's at least wait it out until we eventually move, and then we can talk about having more children." Dad retorted.

"Tch! Fine! But you're giving me these children one way or the other!" Mom pouted.

"That's the spirit, my daughter! Do better than your mom, who let a selfish bastard talk her out of it!" Grandma added wood to the fire.

"Seriously?! What's with these women and wanting way too many children?..." Grandpa commented.

"I agree with grandpa, who needs children anyway." Aunt Numia, who came again for Alaric's party added.

"If you ask me, I'm not against it, but having that many children sounds way too tiring." Aunt Litia also gave her perspective.

"You girls just don't understand cause you haven't had any yet." Grandma responded to them.

"Hey Ross, are you also planning to have lots of kids?" Roshva asked him with a teasing smile.

"No, too much of a bother. The family already has more than enough descendants away." He answered with his dry tone.

"I mean... Maybe you should really think about it... Cause you know.... It would kind of be a waste to not pass down your genes... Plus, I heard that the happiness you can get from children outweighs the headaches." Timina spoke in a rather timid way.

"Don't worry, someone like him will find a mate, whether he believes it or not. It will happen." Ermidia firmly commented.

"Hahaha! The younger generation doesn't even know how to flirt anymore. How adorable." Grandma said and it resulted in a unanimous semi-awkward laugher.

Alaric could only laugh awkwardly... Before deciding to change the focus.

"Dad, I would like to start a business with you." He declared.

"Hum... Interesting, what exactly do you have in mind?" Dad inquired.

"Entertainment games that can be played by people of diverse ages." He responded.

"Is such a thing even truly viable?!" Dad looked at me very surprised and so seemed the rest of the room.

"Well, after reading the various war books we have, I just had an idea I believe would work marvelously for us." He added with a smile.

"Great! I'll see where you're going with this, but you better be ready to pay back whatever I invest in this." Dad said half-jokingly.

"Will do! Don't worry, it's unlikely to fail, we just have to choose the appropriate time to launch it out to the public, though we first need to create two a version for nobles, and get their interest as well as sell it to them way before it comes to the public, after all, people like exclusivity and preferential treatment." Alaric said letting out a somewhat malicious smile without even noticing.

"Hahaha! That's our son! Let's get down to taking care of that tomorrow, but today we celebrate you!" After that, the party atmosphere returned and things proceeded as normal.

Chapter end