Chapter 108: [Chapter 108 ● Exposed Desires and the Contrast of Dawn!]
There was an overwhelming amount of information displayed before her.
Core diagnostics, bloodline analysis, soul status, mental condition, and Elemental Power evaluation were all laid bare. Yet none of it managed to hold Auguszta’s attention for more than a fleeting moment. Instead, her eyes remained completely fixed on a entirely different section: the Emotional State panel. More specifically, she was staring at the alarming amount of detailed information it had revealed.
A faint blush immediately spread across her face as she realized the bracelet had seen straight through her. Not only had it pierced her private thoughts, but it had publicly displayed everything for everyone present to read—her jealousy, her agitation, her suppressed emotions, and even her unfulfilled desires.
"This..." Auguszta’s lips parted as she muttered under her breath. "This thing is outrageous."
For perhaps the first time since obtaining the mysterious bracelet, she looked down at it with genuine suspicion.
Meanwhile, the others had already finished reading the exact same displayed information. One of them looked highly amused, while one was deeply sympathetic. One was trying very hard not to laugh, and another was rapidly approaching her from behind.
Before Auguszta could fully recover her composure, a familiar weight suddenly settled upon her shoulder, causing her to freeze instantly. Aezaleon had appeared right beside her. Resting his chin lightly upon her shoulder, he leaned forward and calmly continued reading the status panel from over her shoulder.
"Oh?" he murmured, his lips curling slightly into a smirk. "Looks like my little wife has been suppressing quite a few things."
Auguszta stiffened even further, and the bright blush on her face deepened.
A dangerous, playful sparkle appeared in Aezaleon’s crimson eyes. "And here I was, completely unaware that the situation had become so serious."
His tone was filled with mock concern—the distinct kind that made it entirely obvious he was enjoying himself far too much at her expense. Auguszta’s eye twitched in annoyance, but Aezaleon, naturally, ignored it. Instead, he reached out and tapped the Emotional State section.
"Primary Emotional State: Elevated Attachment Drive," he read aloud. He spoke the words slowly, rolling them out very deliberately. Then he glanced toward her, raising a single brow. "Though now I’m curious. If things were really this bad, why were you suppressing all of it in the first place?"
Auguszta immediately regretted allowing him anywhere near that glowing screen.
Sitting on the side, Aphryne, who had also been quietly going through her own status panel, shifted her attention toward her husband and sister upon hearing their conversation. Considering that her own emotional evaluation was more or less identical to her sister’s, she immediately understood exactly what the two were discussing. Knowing how surprisingly embarrassed Auguszta could become over the most unexpected things, Aphryne decided to step in and answer on her behalf.
"Well, after everything that happened, we had a lot of things we wanted to discuss with you, share with you, and explain properly, husband," Aphryne said calmly, though there was a faint trace of amusement hidden within her voice. "So we decided to suppress those feelings for a short while. Otherwise, we’d probably end up getting distracted before we finished everything we wanted to do."
Aphryne shrugged her shoulders lightly. "It wasn’t anything overly complicated. We simply wanted to spend some quality time with you after getting done with these tedious matters."
"Oh?" Aezaleon nodded slowly, his lips curling into a warm, faint smile. "So that’s how it was, huh?"
By this point, Aezaleon had already pulled Auguszta fully into his embrace. One of his arms rested firmly around her slender waist while the other held her close against his chest. The girl had become thoroughly flustered throughout the entire conversation, her face carrying a deep crimson tint that only seemed to intensify whenever the others drew attention to her emotional status. Needless to say, his playful teasing was not helping her calm down at all.
"Well, it’s already two in the morning, so the matter of the Academy can wait," Aezaleon remarked, glancing down at the time displayed on Auguszta’s bracelet. It read 2:07 AM. His lips curled into a small, knowing smile as he shifted his attention back toward Auguszta and Aphryne. "For now, I think the two of you have much more important matters to worry about."
The effect of those words was immediate. Both women’s expressions brightened noticeably at his statement. After all, the Academy was not going anywhere anytime soon. Their husband, on the other hand, was sitting right here in front of them.
Turning toward the other side of the clearing, Aezaleon looked over at Anastasia and Clementine. "What about you two?" A teasing glint appeared within his eyes. "Want to join us?"
Anastasia laughed softly at the sudden offer. "I’d love to, but I think my sisters deserve some private time as well, especially after being so incredibly patient," she replied warmly, her smile remaining sincere. "As they did for me, I can certainly do the same for them."
Clementine, however, simply shrugged her shoulders. "I don’t have much else to do at the moment, but I’m far more interested in studying little Anna’s Elemental Power—Eclipse—and her unique element, Velith Frost." A faint spark of excitement appeared within her crimson eyes as she spoke. "So while you three are occupied, we’ll remain right here and do some experimentatal training."
Anastasia blinked in surprise at her words, then she smiled, her lips curling into a subtle smirk. Aezaleon gave a firm nod. That settled the matter completely.
Without wasting any more time, Aezaleon cast a meaningful glance toward his two increasingly eager wives. The message was received immediately by both of them. In the next moment, he withdrew his consciousness from the temporary physical manifestation and returned it directly to his true body outside the Soul Sea.
Aphryne and Auguszta did not hesitate in the slightest; the very instant he vanished from the space, the two of them followed closely after him.
The wide grassy plains suddenly became much quieter. Clementine rose to her feet and, with a casual wave of her hand, dismissed the remaining illusory physical manifestation that had been created earlier. Watching the three of them disappear so quickly, she clicked her tongue in mock annoyance.
"Tsk. So rude."
Anastasia couldn’t help but chuckle at her reaction. Given the circumstances, she honestly couldn’t blame them at all. In fact, she was fairly certain she would have done exactly the same thing in their position.
"Come, little sister," Clementine said with a bright smile appearing on her face as she turned back toward Anastasia. "Let’s see what you’ve become."
— — — — —
The next morning...
"Hm, the day is so different from the night," Aezaleon muttered quietly to himself.
He maintained a slow, steady pace as he walked through the crowded streets of the Oakhaven District. Situated near the outer borders of the Eastern Region—the vast sector where the Adventurers Guild held almost absolute influence—the busy district was practically bursting with life.
Shops of every shape and size had already opened their doors for morning business. The avenues were packed with a constant stream of people coming and going, moving as though guided by an invisible current, while carriages of all kinds rolled through the streets. Their wooden wheels rattled loudly against the stone roads as drivers competed fiercely for every stretch of open space. The vibrant city felt entirely different from the dark, quiet one he had witnessed only hours ago.
The sun hung brightly overhead in the sky. The heavens were clear and expansive, with soft white clouds drifting lazily upon the gentle morning breeze. Loud merchants enthusiastically advertised their colorful wares, eager adventurers gathered in rowdy groups outside taverns and guild branches, young children ran through the streets without a single care in the world, and cheerful laughter echoed from every direction. There was a profound sense of peace woven deeply into the atmosphere—a natural warmth, a simple cheerfulness, and a comforting feeling that everything in the world was exactly as it should be.
Looking around at the peaceful scene, it was truly difficult to believe that blood had flowed so freely during the previous night, that innocent lives had been lost, and that an entire district—the Gildemark Ward, located not far from this one—had suddenly become the center of a grim mystery that would soon draw the attention of the major powers throughout Varion. Yet the common people currently knew absolutely nothing of it, and perhaps that was entirely for the best..
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[Soulmatter — Soulmatter is the metaphysical substance that forms the structure of a soul, much like flesh, blood, and bones form the physical body. It carries one’s spiritual existence, allowing the soul to possess shape, stability, resilience, and interact with metaphysical forces].
[Bloodmatter — is a special state of blood where blood is elevated beyond normal biological substance and becomes a medium that can interact with matter, energy, and information directly. In simple terms, it is blood transformed into a higher existential substance capable of destruction, devouring, protection, law-concept-based interaction and many more].
