"I hope you went easy on her, Ripha. My mother is a gentle soul." Lith sat on his bed, sighing in relief. "Of course I didn't. I had to hit her as hard as a sack of bricks." Menadion scoffed. "What? Why would you do that?" Kamila was flabbergasted. "Because there was no roundabout way to make Elina stop." Menadion replied. "She needed the harsh truth delivered by a friendly voice." "So not by you." Lith groaned. "Very funny. The next time do it yourself, smartass." Menadion said. "For what is worth, Elina thanked me after. She can't have taken it too bad." *** In the following days, nothing changed in Elina day-to-day behavior so Lith assumed that once again his paranoia had played tricks on him. When the day of the departure arrived, everyone assembled in front of the Warp Gate in the barn. "Don't worry if you have forgotten to pack something." Lith said. "We're staying in cities with their own Gates so we can come back here anyt- Farm me sideways!" "Is anything wrong, dear son?" Elina had just walked through the door dressed like no one in the family had ever seen her before. She always wore demure clothes but this time there was not a centimeter of skin exposed despite the heat of summer. She had a parasol to keep her hands busy and everyone else at length. Worst of all, her smile didn't extend to her eyes which looked sad and dim. It was as if someone had taken her joy of life, shoved it inside a closed lantern, and left only a small opening for the light. Elina kept her distance from Lith, giving him plenty of personal space. "I'm fine, Mom. The question is: are you?" Lith used Invigoration to give her a quick check-up, discovering she was as fit as a fiddle. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂 "I'm fine, thank you. You are so caring, son." Even her chuckle sounded fainter, almost muffled. "No problem, Mom." Lith found himself covered in a cold sweat as he regretted ever raising the issue. "Our first stop is the Royal Palace. Are you ready?" "One moment." Kamila shapeshifted her clothes into a beautiful day dress and so did everyone else. Elina's dress was so ample and dull in color that a casual observer would have thought she had recently become a widow. "Want to go together, Mom?" Lith offered her his arm, knowing how awkward Elina felt whenever she was surrounded by nobles. "Nonsense, son." She refused, clinging to Tista instead and sending a chill down his spine. "You have a wife. Kami should have the honor of standing by your side to avoid misunderstandings. Isn't that right, dear?" "Sure, Elina." Kamila repressed a gasp. It was the first time that Raaz was absent and Elina turned down the opportunity to be escorted by her son. 'Congratulations, I think you've broken your mother.' Kamila said via mind link. 'I noticed.' Lith replied. 'I need a solution. Now.' "How come you chose to start our vacation from the Royal Palace, Mom?" Rena asked, trying to lift Elina's spirits. "We've been there plenty of times." "Indeed, but always for this ceremony or that." She nodded. "I could never take a good look at the paintings or admire the various pieces of art. We were always in a rush not to keep those in line behind us waiting. "Don't get me started about the Throne Room. It was always so packed that all I could see were gala dresses and hairdos. I couldn't miss the opportunity to have a tour of the Palace now that the Kingdom is at peace." "Great thinking, Mom." Rena nodded. "Thank you, dear." Elina lit up, looking like her old self until her eyes fell on Lith again. "Let's go, son." 'Son?' He swallowed her. 'Why does she call everyone dear, sweetie, and all that mushy stuff as usual while I only get a deadpan "son"?' 'The next time, be careful what you wish for, Lith. You might get it.' Solus sighed. Lith had requested access to the public wings of the Royal Palace in advance so the Royal Guards were ready for their arrival. "Are you alright, Lady Verhen?" Even Captain Ekler who had never met Elina before could tell there was something wrong at first glance. Yet all the IDs checked out, Lith's and Menadion's Magus robes were impossible to forge, and Tista was impossible to forget. Even the Royal Fortress armor picked no signs of illness, slave items, or blood cores that could explain the weird vibe the woman exuded. "I'm fine. Thank you for asking, Captain." Elina gave him a polite nod. "Do you need a guide? It's strange they didn't assign you one." Ekler checked the log multiple times but the result was always the same. "Thanks, but it's not going to be necessary." Lith replied. "I'll do the honors myself." "Are you sure?" The Captain was flabbergasted. "The castle is vast and it contains countless masterpieces. It takes months to memorize the history contained in a single wing." "I'm sure." Lith replied, confident in his abilities and, most of all, in Soluspedia. He had prepared for the visit, storing every book he could find about the areas of the Royal Palace accessible to the public inside his dimensional library. "Then you can start from here." Ekler said. "Just please, step away from the Warp Gate. People come and go from the Palace at every moment and no one is allowed to obstruct passage." "Of course." Lith moved to the side and his group followed him. Then he started commenting on every piece of art, subject of a painting, and statue by combining the knowledge he drew from different tomes. Lith opted not to just state the year each piece was crafted and what it depicted. He also explained its historical meaning and added tidbits of information about either the author or the subject of the art. They were short fun facts that made wise rulers sound silly, described the rare cunning decisions of foolish nobles, or recounted obscure details of the turning point of a famous battle. 'Where the heck did Verhen learn all this stuff?' The captain thought. 'I've been a Royal Guard for over a decade yet it's my first time hearing most of what he is saying.' Lith's stories were so interesting that many guests and valets stopped to listen to him, creating the small crowd that Ekler had tried to prevent. "You truly have a way with words, dear." Elina brimmed with pride seeing so many people hanging on her son's every word, but she kept her distance from him. "I can see why your classes as an Academy Professor are always filled to the brim." "Thank you, Mom, but it's nothing much." Lith shrugged. "You know I've always had an easy time learning and 'remembering' any topic. As for my lessons, Solus and I are the only ones who truly understand Void Magic. "That's why my classes are always full. It has nothing to do with my ability as a speaker." "These people might beg to differ." Elina chuckled while pointing at the spectators. Only then did the noble visitors and servants realize they had been standing there in disregard of their duties and being late for their appointments.