"I can only assume that there is another strange power inside you that is helping you use this Magic Circle, a strange, mysterious power."
Astra spoke and Vaan's expression changed as he glanced at Flamey flying around the room with an unbothered look on her face.
"Krrriiiii!!"
The mysterious and strong power his mother was talking about.
"Kri?
Krrriii!!"
Flamey, who noticed Vaan's gaze stopped and waved her little hands at him in excitement.
Vaan chuckled.
"Anyways, since it increases your strength, it is a good thing, just release your Circle's design and everything will be alright," Astra didn't ask how Vaan did it. She decided to trust her child.
Honestly, Astra found it strange how she was continuously trusting her child again and again, however, it wasn't a bad feeling.
"What if they come after me after they 'fail to understand' the principles behind the Magic Circle? I don't believe that Mages would simply give in just because they cannot understand something. What if they take extreme steps to satiate their curiosity?" Vaan questioned.
Mages were said to be people who could go to any lengths to satiate themselves. There was even a case of a Mage committing mass murder just to understand some stupid theories behind life and death.
Vaan's question was logical, however, Astra simply laughed it off.
"Heh? I thought you were braver than that." Astra teased.
"I may look rash, but I am quite calculative, Mother," Vaan replied.
"Calculative, huh? You sure don't like one."
"I have my mother protecting me, so I let loose sometimes." Vaan smiled.
"What a spoiled child," Astra commented.
"Not my fault that I have an amazing mother." Vaan shrugged.
"Look at you." Astra extended her hands and started pulling Vaan's cheek.
"It hwurts." Vaan complained.
"That's your punishment."
Astra laughed.
The two then sat down on the sofa, Vaan placed his head on his mother's lap. Astra smiled, then,
"You don't have to worry too much. No one would take 'extreme steps' against someone from the Vesta Family. How do you think we are still standing even though there are so many forces eyeing our Vesta Family's treasures?"
Astra spoke with a confident look on her face.
"What about mages of the Vesta Family then?"
Vaan questioned.
He had been to the Vesta Family meeting, there were some troubling individuals inside the family. Individuals who shouldn't be there for the Vesta Family to remain as strong as it does.
"As I said, do not worry,
Those people won't lower their pride to come to you. They might use underhanded tactics to target you,
But it is not like you are scared of them, right?" Astra smiled playfully.
"Why would I be scared? I have the strongest Mage supporting me."
"I am not the strongest."
"You are strongest in my eyes, Mother." Vaan grinned.
Astra, however, just started pulling his cheek again.
"Uggghhh..." Vaan groaned.
Bootlicking his mother was quite hard.
"Anyways, how did it go?" Suddenly, Astra stopped pulling Vaan's cheek and with a curious look on her face, she questioned.
"Huh? How did what go?"
"Haaah? You dare act smart in front of your mother? Your little date with that foolish girl."
"Are you talking about Elara?" Vaan questioned.
"Of course. Who else would you go on a date with?."
"I didn't go on a date with her either."
"The two of you locked yourself inside the room for 2 hours."
"It was a magic training room, we were studying magic." Vaan clarified.
"Tsk." Astra shook her head in disappointment.
"..." Vaan didn't know what to say.
A sense of nostalgia washed over him as he recalled his mother's relentless insistence on marrying his girlfriend in his previous life.
Honestly, Vaan felt like there were a little too many similarities between Astra and his mother in his previous life. It was to the point where different theories started forming in his mind.
After all, it was a fantasy world where magic existed and something similar had already happened to him, what is stopping him from believing that the same happened with his mother?
However, he decided to stay silent for now.
Rather than thinking about all this, he just wanted to enjoy this warm feeling in his heart.
"What do you think about Elara?" Suddenly, Astra questioned.
"Mother seems to like her." Vaan replied.
"I am not asking about that, you fool. Of course, I like that girl.
I am asking about you, do you like her?"
"Can someone even hate Elara?"
"There was a certain someone who did," Astra replied as she looked into Vaan's eyes.
"...well that certain someone was definitely a fool."
"What about you?"
"I..."
Vaan turned silent.
Then, with a strange look on his face, he replied,
"I don't think I deserve to be with someone like her. My past actions must have hurt her."
"By that logic, you don't deserve to stay here either, don't you think?"
"..."
Vaan turned silent.
"Your past actions hurt her, Vaan.
But that doesn't mean you can't change that with your future actions.
That foolish girl cares about you.
Do you think I was the one who forced her to become your fiancé?
Well I did at the beginning, making a 5-year-old girl your finance without asking her just because I saw how talented that child is, was my fault, however, when I noticed how you were treating her because of your petty jealousy, I told her to break off the engagement,
She was the one who rejected my offer.
Don't make her regret that decision Vaan.
You said you changed, didn't you?
You said how you would become the son I would be proud of, right?
Then be sure to become a man who treats his fiancé well. Make that girl the happiest girl in this world."
Astra spoke as she looked into Vaan's eyes.
Of course, she knew it was wrong to force someone to love someone else, especially when she decided to break off her engagement and marry Vaan's father, but humans were selfish creatures.
Astra wanted Elara and her son to be together. She absolutely hated thinking about how someone, not her son would marry her lovely pupil.
Astra wasn't willing to give Elara away.
"..."
Hearing her words, something inside Vaan changed.
Astra was right...
He was not Christopher anymore; he had now decided to live as Vaan. The biggest factor that was stopping him was that the person Elara cared for was Vaan, not him.
However, right now,
He was Vaan.
Just like how he decided to mend his relationship with his mother,
He needed to do the same with Elara.
Not as Christopher, but as Vaan.
"I understand, Mother.
I will not disappoint you, or... Elara..." Vaan spoke.
"Good, because if you do, then don't expect me to be on your side,
I will always be on my student's side."
Astra commented.
"But I am your son," Vaan complained.
"So what? Elara is my cute student."
"She is cute, that I agree with." Vaan nodded.
"She is much better than that Seraphina girl," Astra commented.
"Hm hm, I agree again."
Vaan continued to nod his head.
"Ri-"
Astra was about to speak, but then,
*Knock* *Knock*
A knock was heard.
"What is it?" Astra questioned.
"Lady Astra, Young Master Vaan's friends have come to visit him."
The servant reported, and hearing that, an evil smile appeared on Vaan's face,
"Guess my moneybags are here."
