[Beavercastle Ice Field, Volskova Kingdom]
Artur gazed at the sunlight shining on his face. Winter had passed, and summer was soon approaching. The piles of snow in front of the Volskova wall gates were beginning to show signs of melting.
However, the air remained bitterly cold, and Artur had to wear three layers of clothing. Despite living in this place for several months, his body still hadn't adjusted to the climate. It had become too accustomed to the humid air and dew-filled mornings of Heles City.
"I'm ready," replied a red-haired woman as she hugged Artur from behind.
It was his wife, Rini Valya. She decided to use the Valya surname after marrying Artur. Rini's family also agreed to her decision, prioritizing their close ties with the renowned House of Valya. Although Rini was a powerful mage and had the chance to be the heir of the Djarum family, she wasn't the only candidate.
As a result, even after their marriage, Artur had never visited the Shaltshed Kingdom to visit the Djarum family. He and his wife only stayed in the House of Valya mansion without stepping outside at all since the wedding. What did they do during that time? Mostly, they kept each other warm in the cold Beavercastle Ice Field air.
"Hmm..." Artur nodded, squeezing his wife's hand.
"Have you been waiting long?" Rini asked, releasing her embrace.
"No... I'm just eager to meet our friends again," Artur said, caressing Rini's cheek before kissing her forehead.
"Hehehe, me too," Rini smiled, feeling tickled.
"Let's go before we miss the train," Artur said, pulling Rini's hand.
"Hmm..." Rini simply nodded.
Together, they boarded the luxurious horse-drawn carriage prepared by Sergei. They were supposed to depart together with Zilya, but their aunt couldn't wait for the young couple and decided to leave first. Besides, Zilya was a class president who had to organize her class members before reporting to Robert.
Strangely, Zilya's husband didn't accompany her. He had his own unit to take care of, so their paths diverged. Until now, Artur still didn't know the name of Zilya's husband. Zilya never talked about it, and Artur didn't want to meddle too much in his aunt's marital affairs.
"Artur, what if I become pregnant while we're at war?" Rini suddenly asked during their journey to the train station.
"What do you mean? We've checked, and you're not pregnant right now," Artur asked.
"I mean, not now, but later when we're in the midst of battle," Rini clarified.
"Huh? I still don't understand. Are you referring to a delayed pregnancy due to some anomaly?" Artur grew more confused, thinking that Rini might have a unique bodily constitution that could delay her pregnancy.
Rini blushed and tried to explain, "No, that's not what I mean... I mean... We're a young couple, and we both have a high sexual drive. What if I suddenly become pregnant in the midst of the war?"
Artur gaped, his mouth wide open. He felt the urge to crack open his wife's skull to see what was going on inside her head. How could Rini not think about whether they would survive or not when entering the Second Species Mana War and instead think about how much sex they would have later?
Artur wanted to scold his lustful wife, but her question actually made him less nervous. He could only laugh and shake his head. He didn't forget to kiss Rini's forehead and express his gratitude.
He realized that Rini was trying to comfort him, so he wouldn't be too nervous. Artur could only thank his wife for her thoughtfulness.
"Don't worry, mage couples can't get pregnant just like that," Artur said jokingly.
However, his joke was actually the truth. Unlike the human body in general, a mage's body had slight differences. It could be said that they were more complex. Therefore, the stronger a mage became and the higher their constellation level, the more difficult it was for them to have offspring.
"Well..." Rini giggled upon hearing Artur's words.
Finally, their horse-drawn carriage arrived at the train station. Holding hands, Artur and Rini entered the train car indicated on their tickets. However, when they stepped inside, they noticed there were no other passengers around, only uniformed servants in red.
A female servant welcomed them with a smile, bowing and saying, "Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Valya. Thank you for using the Mana Train VIP service."
Hearing that, Artur turned to Rini and saw her wearing the same expression as his own. They both smiled.
Sergei not only prepared the luxurious carriage to take them to the train station but also booked VIP tickets for the Mana Train. Artur sighed inwardly.
Once, he felt proud to have his own cabin when boarding the Mana Train, but now he had an entire dedicated train car for himself and his wife. Along with the servants ready to provide anything they needed, Artur truly understood why nobles would never want to become commoners.
At the same time, he was truly amazed by his mother, who was willing to leave this luxurious life. Rini felt the same way when she remembered her mother-in-law's bright smile.
The two of them boarded the train, and not long after, the wheels of the Mana Train began to turn, accompanied by billowing black smoke from its chimney.
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With the services available in the Mana Train VIP car, the journey felt short, and they soon arrived at their destination. The Citadel of Unity, once just a small village, had been rebuilt as the headquarters of the human alliance when the second mana species war began.
Here, all the forces from various kingdoms under the human alliance would be gathered and given their respective missions. The newly graduated cadets from the military academy were also included.
Artur and Rini stepped out of their train car with bright faces. It seemed that the service provided by the Mana Train VIP car was worth the price. It was highly satisfying.
They were immediately greeted by the hustle and bustle of passing mages. They were dressed in various outfits, and most of them were adventurers or elite teams from different kingdoms.
They didn't have to wait long to figure out where they needed to go. From a distance, they spotted a group of young individuals in military academy uniforms. Artur even recognized some of them.
They approached the group of cadets from the military academy. However, before Artur could greet them, he heard a familiar voice from beside him, accompanied by a tight hug.
"Haaa... Here comes the newlyweds! You finally made it! We thought you wouldn't come because of your bedroom affairs!" Sigurd exclaimed, ruffling Artur's hair playfully.
"Heh... I never would have guessed that you were from the House of Valya all this time. No wonder Zilya always helped us when we fought against Milton and his cronies," another familiar voice chimed in. It was Anton, standing with folded arms and a smile on his face.
"Wow, so you must be really powerful now, right? Tell us about the spells you've learned during these past few months. I'm really curious about the signature spells of the House of Valya. I heard they're the kings of the Ice Spell Faction," Dony joined in, adjusting his glasses with his middle finger.
"Hehehe... Rini, you have such a radiant face. How much protein have you been siphoning from Artur all this time? Don't tell me you've been draining him dry every day. Do you want to kill your husband? Quickly, tell us!" Lila suddenly appeared and pulled Rini away from Artur's grasp.
Unbeknownst to the two of them, this commotion attracted the attention of all the other cadets from the military academy. Weddings between cadets were not uncommon, but a marriage between an Ex-Mana Ruling Family member and a noble family was something worth gossiping about.
As a result, for a while, Artur had to satisfy the curiosity of his fellow cadets. He felt like a celebrity facing the press, as his friends didn't hold back in asking any questions that came to their minds.
Fortunately, Artur was lucky to be asked about how he became a member of the House of Valya and the spells he had learned from them. Rini, on the other hand, faced a more challenging fate. The teenage girls couldn't resist asking about their married life, even delving into their intimate experiences. Rini's face turned extremely red and hot, enough to fry an egg on her forehead.
However, the commotion didn't last long as a loud voice startled everyone, "Demon's Slayer, get ready!"
All the cadets immediately assumed their positions and turned their bodies toward the source of the voice. Before them stood a cadet wearing the military academy uniform, but with a badge on his arm that read "Commander."
His blond hair, cut short at the nape, gleamed in the station lights. On his back, there was a large sword that two adult men combined might not be able to lift. Yet, he carried it as if it were a mere twig.
He was Robert Gaht.
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