Lucius approached the gate. As he stepped closer, he could see that Daxton, the headguard of the Volcaria family, was there.

    Daxton looked at Lucius and was surprised upon seeing him. Daxton called him out. "Lucius? What are you doing here?"@@@@

    Daxton then walked toward him. "From what I know, you are still a student at Astra Academy and you shouldn''t be able to leave, right?"

    Lucius smirked. "Things have changed. I recently advanced to Platinum Class. One of the perks of that status is the freedom to come and go as I please."

    Daxton was surprised again. "Platinum Class? Didn''t you only spend one year at the academy?"

    Lucius smirked as he was amused. "Did you forget what the Matriarch said about me? She called me a genius. I''d say her judgment wasn''t misplaced."

    Daxton laughed hard and grinned. "Right, right! I almost forgot about that. You really are something else, Lucius. Not many students manage to reach Platinum Class—let alone in a single year."

    Lucius shrugged lightly. "It''s not such a big deal. The academy just happens to be a bit... easy for me."

    Daxton raised his eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Only you would say something like that. Still, it''s impressive. So, what brings you back here? Something important?"

    Lucius only chuckled. "Let''s just say I felt it was time to reconnect. I''d like to meet with the Matriarch and Patriarch—just for a moment."

    Daxton nodded and smiled. "I see. Well, you''ve come at a good time. They''re in the main hall right now. You can go straight to them."

    Lucius smiled and nodded. "It''s perfect. Thank you, Daxton, and nice to meet you again."

    Without waiting for a response, Lucius stepped past Daxton and went inside. Luna and Liora also followed him from behind.

    Daxton watched them go and was curious about what his real purpose was, but he was a family so as long as it benefited the family he didn''t care much.

    ---

    Lucius approached the double doors of the Volcaria Estate''s main hall. He pushed it open and entered. At its center, the Matriarch, Savra Volcaria, was sitting on a throne.

    Luna stepped forward and smirked. "It''s an honor to be acknowledged by you, Matriarch."

    Savra tilted her head and smirked. "A sharp tongue. I see why you keep her close."

    Savra then turned toward his other maid. She looked at Liora for a moment before being surprised by her. "Wait a moment. You''re Liora, aren''t you?"

    Liora nodded and turned to her. "Yes, Matriarch. I am Liora, in the flesh. The one you bought last year."

    Savra narrowed his eyes. "How strange. I distinctly remember you as a beastman. How is it possible that you''ve become human?"

    Before Liora could respond, Lucius stepped in. "It wasn''t as complicated as it seems. Liora was already half-human by lineage. I simply made a few... adjustments with the right materials."

    Savra''s brow arched as she was surprised. "You mean to say you evolved her into a full human? You can do that?"

    Lucius chuckled. "It''s amazing what luck and the right concoction can achieve. With some effort, the transformation was easy."

    Savra leaned back. She was clearly intrigued by it. "You never cease to surprise me, Lucius."

    She then glared at Liora and asked Lucius. "Did she gain a beast-taming talent through this... evolution?"

    Lucius nodded. "Fortunately, she did. She''s now a capable tamer and serves as my personal bodyguard."

    Savra smirked. "That''s fitting. Neither you nor Luna were beast tamers, so it''s a smart move to have someone with the talent by your side."

    Lucius smiled and nodded. "Precisely, Matriarch. It''s all part of the bigger plan."

    Savra nodded. "You''ve certainly grown into your ambitions, Lucius. It''s no wonder you''ve risen so quickly."

    Lucius smirked. "Thank you for your praises, Matriarch. It was good being praised by the mighty Savra of Volcaria.

    Savra only smirked after hearing it. She rarely praised people but for Lucius, she could not help but praise him.