CHAPTER 54: A MORNING VISIT

"Mwahahaha, so Master is super strong!" Mimi proudly closed Emilia’s status window.

Her tiny chest puffed up with pride, tail swishing like a banner in victory. With a master this powerful, she felt way more confident about her new life. Emilia could protect her, or even carry this little furry ass blazing through dungeons, power-leveling her along the way!

Well... actually, it wasn’t that simple.

Because in Arventia, you couldn’t just get carried or leech experience for free.

Experience wasn’t divided evenly among party members—or even between master and companion. Instead, it was based entirely on contribution. Which meant if Mimi didn’t actually do much, she wouldn’t earn much experience... or sometimes none at all!

Well, it’s not like she could in the first place. She already had the Sixfold Sacred Suppression curse hanging over her, drastically cutting her experience gain.

Still, Mimi wasn’t about to give up. She already had a few sneaky ideas to get around those limits!

For instance, even if she couldn’t contribute much in combat, she could still make herself useful by scouting ahead with her sharp cat senses, tracking monsters, or sniffing out rare herbs and materials. She could also warn her master of ambushes... or, at the very least, just be cute and lift her party’s spirits by being there! Now that’s insane contribution!

And not to mention, she still remembered the layouts of many dungeons and knew a handful of tricks to clear them faster!

Right?

Well, Mimi still needed to test what really counted as contribution then...

"Oh wait... with Dragon Sense... and Flame of Purification... together with my Divine Curse Reversal... maybe we can clear that dungeon?! THAT boss?"

Her eyes sparkled.

"Oooohhh!"

"OOOOOOH!!!"

In that instant, a brand new plan lit up her mind. Her tail flicked excitedly as she imagined it. Once the Rite of the Dragon Vein began, Emilia would finally be allowed outside. That would be the perfect time to put her plan into action!

"Mwahahaha! Mwaaaaaha!" Mimi cackled in triumph. "By beating that boss, Imma gain so many level! Damn! This gonna be so fun!"

...Though to anyone else, her "evil laugh" was nothing more than a string of cute little cat chirps.

Already, she could picture it: charging into that dungeon, defeating the boss, and raking in levels like crazy!

***

Emilia finally allowed herself a moment to breathe. Her training had come to a pause, giving her a chance to rest. She walked over to the base of a nearby tree where she had left her bag, pulling out a simple yet beautifully designed water flask—her water bottle.

She tilted her head back and took a long gulp, cool water sliding down her throat. Then she poured a little into her palm and splashed it across her face. The chill stung pleasantly against her flushed skin, washing away the heat of exertion. Her hair was already damp with sweat, but now strands clung even more to her cheeks. Droplets rolled down her jaw, glinting like tiny gems in the morning light. When she opened her eyes again, her long lashes shimmered with sparkling beads of water.

A soft, contented sigh slipped from her lips.

But just then—

Tap... tap...

Footsteps echoed across the stone ground.

Someone had entered her training ground.

It was a young man—tall, broad-shouldered, and muscular. His short, spiky crimson hair burned as bright as flame, and a deep red cape billowed lightly behind him with each step. He wore a noble’s attire: a tailored white tunic embroidered with golden threads, polished leather boots, and a gleaming longsword resting at his hip.

"Alexander?" Emilia’s eyes widened, her face lighting up with surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Indeed, it was Alexander Silvervein, the eldest of the three children of Draco and Lady Arianna.

Because Alexander’s Arzarenia bloodline was stronger than his Silvervein heritage, his appearance resembled their father more closely, marked by striking crimson hair and fiery red eyes.

"Hey, what? I can’t come visit my dear little sister?" Alexander said with a grin, his tone teasing but warm. His crimson hair caught the sunlight, and the proud cape at his back fluttered lightly as he stepped closer.

"Well, of course you can!" Emilia said brightly, though she tilted her head with curiosity. "But... don’t you have training today as well?"

"Shhhh!" Alexander pressed a finger to his lips, leaning in as if to share a great secret. "I snuck out."

"What?!" Emilia gasped, her brows shooting up. She leaned forward, voice dropping in a whisper. "W-what if your instructor finds out?"

Alexander laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "Haha, don’t worry. Miss Fiona won’t kill me... though she’ll probably leave me half-dead." His grin faltered for a moment, the faintest shiver running down his shoulders. Then he straightened up boldly. "But screw that! I was worried about you! Marco was worried too!"

"Hey, I’m fine!" Emilia protested quickly, puffing her cheeks a little. "Mom and Dad also came yesterday. We talked things out, and even went to see Lord Siamelumis."

"What? Really? The Guardian Deity herself?" Alexander blinked, genuinely surprised.

"Yup!" Emilia nodded firmly. Then she recounted what had happened, telling him about their father’s three punishments. As for the other part—when Lord Siamelumis spoke privately with their parents about the summoning ritual—well, Emilia wasn’t allowed to listen, so that was all she could share.

"Oh damn..." Alexander gasped. "Cat food for a whole year? Ahahaha, now that’s a terrifying punishment!"

"Haha, I know, right?" Emilia chuckled, recalling the moment. "Poor Father... I hope he survives that!"

Alexander burst into laughter as well, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.

"Oh well, at least it’s better than a twenty-level drop!"

"Yup! Absolutely!" Emilia nodded.

"Anyways..." Alexander’s tone softened. He reached out and gently patted her head, ruffling her damp silver hair with a brotherly smile. "I’m just glad everything turned out fine."

Emilia’s lips curved into a warm smile.

The two then moved to a nearby tree and sat down together beneath its shade. The morning breeze rustled the leaves above them, carrying the scent of grass and earth. For a few minutes, their conversation continued, mainly just Emilia telling Alexander more about Mimi, about how cute she was, and how for some reason, she disliked the most delicious cat food in the world.

"Oh! I see! So that’s probably why she wanted to punish father with that! Now it all makes sense!"

Alexander laughed.

Emilia chuckled too.

However, just then, the conversation shifted suddenly, as Emilia’s expression turned a little bit more serious.

"Big Brother, there’s something I wanted to ask," the little sister said, her voice lowering just a little.

"Oh? What is it?" Alexander tilted his head.

"...About the Rite of the Dragon Vein."

The moment the words left her lips, Alexander froze. His expression hardened in an instant, eyes widening with shock.

"What? Are you planning to participate too?" he gasped.

"Yes. I will very soon" Emilia nodded.

"No way! Are you freaking serious?"