After surprising Artemisia, Aion had to suffer for a while by enduring her powerful hug. It didn't matter how much stronger he could get, and she always found a way to crack Aion's ribs with her tiny arms.
"I see… so all that happened," Artemisia took her time to absorb all the information that Aion gave her.
After dinner, Aion told his mother a lot of things, but he kept hidden the fact that someone knew that he was a soul from another world. That was the only thing he could hide from the person he trusted the most.
"So, our ancestor truly decided to live a normal life while Malon decided to pursue new heights and make sure that no one would be able to use time magic," Artemisia added. "This is a lot to understand already, and there is also the stuff about people from the past and future that can become enemies… It looks like you have a lot on your plate, Aion. I had a dream that you would start looking for a wife once you returned, but maybe I will have to wait for a while for my grandchild."
Artemisia had some sharp senses… Aion actually thought that he would do that as well. In any case, that was a pity since Aion also wanted to be able to relax a bit. Still, he couldn't unless he knew that is living in a peaceful era.
On Artemisia's end, she didn't have much to say. She only mentioned that she had to work a lot in order to avoid boredom. Thanks to that, the territory had prospered a lot. Still, Aion was more worried about why she wasn't asking about the souls of her parents and brother. Aion never thought that she hated them.
"It is late, and you have worked hard for quite a while, so you should go to bed, Aion," Artemisia smiled once she noticed what he was thinking.
"All right, see you tomorrow, mom," Aion forced a smile since she was told to go to bed at his age.
In the end, Aion slept like a rock, and when he woke up, he tried to call Arc, but he didn't want to say anything. He was a stubborn gramps, and so were his wife and his son… that runs in the family, apparently, since Artemisia insisted on ignoring that when they had breakfast the next day.
"I think that you should rest for at least a week, but I can tell that you won't be able to relax during this time," Artemisia said and then took a sip of her coffee. "If you have any doubts about this Arlana person, you should probably use the relics to confirm that future. The place where the future changed should be where you will have an easier time finding that kind of future you need to see."
"Are you that familiar with time magic, mom?" Aion asked after blinking several times. "Come to think of it, most people would have a hard time understanding the concept of the future changing the past, but you didn't look confused at all."
"Well, I didn't expect that you would get involved in that kind of a mess, but my family has investigated time magic for many generations," Artemisia said while looking at her cup. "Can't you force my father to tell you what he knows? He must be much more knowledgeable than me."
"I don't know…" Aion said while scratching his back.
To be honest, there wasn't much that Aion could learn from Arc since he had his knowledge as an earthling, and he knew the basic concepts and how time could work. Besides, if they studied for a long and they still ended up being exterminated, they probably didn't learn any spells. People in the past could use it because they existed before the restrictions, and people of the future could use it because they could ignore the restrictions since the relics have gotten weaker.
"Before you ask, I can tell you that I didn't get along with them in their final moments because of their stubbornness," Artemisia said. "If father and mother don't to talk with me, then that is probably for the best since they didn't repent for starting a war that killed millions. Brother is another case since he had his responsibilities."
"I see…. I understand now," Aion said while looking down.
"That being said, having the power to see some other futures might be convenient," Artemisia said in a serious tone. "However, everything has a price, and you might regret seeing what you will see."
Aion was aware of that… seeing different versions of the present and future might make him want to change or wish for those timelines to be real… it was truly a fearsome power that could act like a two-edged sword. Still, he had to confirm what Arlana said.
"I don't think much time will pass here, but you shouldn't worry too much if I take some time to return mom," Aion said and then got up. "Still, I need to confirm all those things as soon as possible."
"I know, just don't try to change what you will see, Aion," Artemisia said while looking at her coffee again. "You can only change the future of where you live."
Aion nodded, and then he began to fly as fast as possible…he felt bad for leaving so much work in the hands of his mother when that work was originally his. Aion also felt that he should find a wife soon and have some kids. Artemisia will probably feel more at ease knowing that Aion can live an everyday life and a family. Still, he also felt that he was putting the carriage in front of the horses.
On that very same day, Aion reached the Eastern side of the Zaera kingdom, and before crossing the desert, he used the relics to see where they would point. He wasn't surprised when it pointed near the fortress where he healed his sisters… it was a few kilometers South of it, so Aion knew that no one would see him using the relics, and when he touched them, he found three mirrors appearing in front of him…
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om