Chapter 311: Leave Mediocrity Behind

Even after more than a decade, Boey and Seien still looked practically the same physically. However, a single glance was enough for Priam to notice the monumental change in both of them.

They had both become Level 9 Mage Disciples. A subtle vitality and energy emanated from their eyes. Boey radiated a warm and striking presence, while Seien carried a soft, almost sacred glow around her.

Priam took a deep breath. During those years, it wasn’t only his sisters who had devoted themselves to training and studying. His mother, who had once been nothing more than a simple Mage Acolyte, had also climbed all the way to the absolute peak of the mortal plane.

And it was only natural. Priam had left them the fundamental teachings granted by the System, extremely high-quality purification potions, and a blank check to acquire any available resources.

Now, his parents were extraordinary figures, above the average of any Mage in the mortal plane.

Seien wrapped Priam in a crushing hug, holding him tightly against her chest for several long seconds. She didn’t cry; deep down, she had always known that her son would return, and that he had shed blood and sweat in the Divine Plane to make that reunion possible.

Boey gave his son a firm pat on the shoulder, his eyes watering and his throat tight with emotion at seeing him again.

As soon as everyone entered the mansion’s hall, the main door opened again. An elegant figure crossed the threshold.

Priam turned around and felt a painful tightness in his chest when he looked at Orlaith.

She seemed to have aged. Although she still possessed the austere beauty of a distinguished middle-aged woman, the signs of emotional exhaustion were undeniable. There was a deep shadow beneath her eyes and a melancholy ingrained in her posture.

"Priam... you’re back," she murmured, a small spark lighting up in her dull eyes.

The longing she felt for her family and the pain of the past were eating away at her from within.

Orlaith’s life had been marked by tragedy: she had watched her husband die, had been forced to take her own son’s life, and had helplessly witnessed the collapse of the clan she led. She hadn’t been able to prevent any of those blows of fate.

Even while enjoying the peace and opulence of that metropolis, surrounded by material wealth, the loneliness and crushing weight of guilt consumed her day after day, stealing away her desire to live.

"Aunt Orlaith! Bro said he came to take us away!" Meien exclaimed with radiant excitement.

Upon hearing the young woman’s words, Boey and Seien froze in shock before deep relief spread across their faces. They knew better than anyone how dark and painful Orlaith’s existence had been throughout those years.

"Is... is that true?!" Orlaith asked, her voice trembling, almost afraid to believe it.

Priam slowly nodded, his gaze understanding.

He truly wanted to help his former clan leader climb out of that inner abyss, although he knew that some wounds needed time. Perhaps, by returning to be close to her children, her life would become warmer. With time, maybe the wheel of fate would turn, and something good would happen to her.

Everyone settled into the spacious living room. Priam then began explaining what had happened as much as he could.

He told them about the Sovereigns’ dangerous mission in another world and revealed that, for him, only two years had passed since the last time he had visited them.

He explained that he had completed the mission excellently and that, as a reward, he had earned the right to rescue them long before being accepted into the inner sect.

Besides...

Priam turned toward the twins, who were staring intently at him, their eyes shining like two gleaming pearls.

"I managed to get Faction Leader emblems for both of you. In six months, you’ll be able to take the test to become external disciples. You’ll be allowed to create your own factions, exactly like I did."

Both of their expressions changed instantly.

Suien frowned. "B-but... are we going to have to be separated from our Big Brother?!"

Priam let out a slight snort and shook his head. "Factions are meant for training, organization, and resource distribution. It doesn’t make any difference to our daily lives as long as you’re at the same level within the sect. In actual missions and battles, the sect is one. Besides, it’ll be excellent for you to learn how to command and fight in groups on your own. Staying under my wing all the time won’t be good for your growth in the long run."

Suien took a deep breath, although she still looked a little reluctant. Meien, on the other hand, immediately nodded in agreement.

Priam smiled faintly. They had grown up and become adult women, but the essence of their personalities remained the same. Although Meien felt the same way as her sister, she was extremely methodical and pragmatic. Suien, on the other hand, was pure emotion and acted according to her instincts.

Priam continued. "In the future, when we’re all in the main sect, we can simply merge our factions. That way, I’ll gain plenty of competent subordinates. You can think of your factions as divisions of recruits training to join mine. So give it everything you’ve got to live up to the standard. I won’t accept your factions if their performance is mediocre. My vice leader is the one who handles this, and she’s an absurdly strict commander without a shred of mercy."

"WE’LL DO OUR BEST!"

The two answered at the same time, in the same excited tone and with impeccable synchronization.

Everyone in the hall let out a muffled laugh. Despite having such different personalities, deep down, the connection between identical twins always stood out at the most unexpected moments.

Priam decided not to waste any time. Orlaith and her family were eager to finally set foot in the Divine Plane, and every day spent waiting there was one less day of training for his sisters.

In the past, he had the System and a vast array of unique abilities. On top of that, he had been incredibly lucky to meet Dandara, who managed and commanded the soldiers in his faction perfectly. If it weren’t for her, Priam would have had serious headaches trying to keep everything organized.

The twins, however, had none of that. He couldn’t expect them to stand out in the sect with only the basic knowledge he had left them.

They were still Mages from the mortal plane, and Priam had to give them at least some proper training. It would only be a few months, but he believed it would help them immensely.

...

That same afternoon, Boey gathered all of the family’s material possessions and sold them without hesitation.

Priam had instructed him to buy as many high-level resources as possible from the local market.

In the Divine Plane, materials from the Mortal Plane would be considered garbage, but for Boey and the twins—who were Catalyst Mages and constantly needed resources—they would be extremely useful during the transition period.

When night fell, they rented out an entire restaurant in the center of the capital to celebrate their departure with one last grand meal.

It was a feast, filled with laughter, drinks, and deep conversations.

During dinner, Priam discovered that his mother had specialized in the highest-level Nature Magic Art that he had obtained from the Pristine Wild-Spirits in the past: the Mark of Nature.

It was possible to see deep emerald-green marks gently drawn across Seien’s skin. They were nature energy sealed within her body, ready to be released in moments of emergency.

Day after day, she accumulated more power within those marks, creating a reserve. In a life-or-death situation, his mother would be capable of suddenly unleashing an ocean of energy. That was why this Magic Art was considered high-level. But after using it once, she would be without it for a long time.

The twins had also been taught to use the same technique.

In Suien’s case, since she had inherited her mother’s bloodline, the process had been natural. Meien, on the other hand, had inherited the Pyrix bloodline from her father, which had required a frightening amount of effort from her to be able to use it.

But just like Priam had always possessed an affinity for fire and nature energy, even without the bloodlines, it was possible to learn it through enough effort and with the natural affinity inherited from their parents.

She had managed to master the technique and now maintained a reserve of nature energy sealed within her body. As an Alchemist, this energy served as a trump card for instant healing in critical situations—which made every second of torturous training worth it.

Suien, on the other hand, had taken the opposite path: she had worked hard to master her father’s fire element. She kept a hidden flame dagger for emergencies. If released by surprise, it could unleash a terrifying explosive attack.

When the conversation turned to Priam’s mission in the other world, he tried to change the subject, giving short, vague, and direct answers. The problem was...

Mirra was an incorrigible chatterbox.

Noticing Priam’s evasiveness, the twins changed tactics and surrounded the little girl with sweets and affection. As expected, Mirra started chirping like a little bird, practically spilling everything.

Whenever something truly confidential threatened to escape her lips, Priam would give her a murderous glare, and the girl would immediately freeze. But he was completely unable to stop her from telling them everything else.

"Oh? So that means Bro has a girlfriend?" Meien said with a mischievous smile, resting her chin in her hands.

Priam choked on his drink. "What?! It’s nothing like that. Dandara is just my vice leader; we’re just..."

He stopped in the middle of the sentence, unable to find the words to defend himself.

Thinking about it, after everything Mirra had just told them about the two of them spending time together, any sane person would reach the exact same conclusion: they were almost intimately close and acted almost like a couple.

"We’ll meet her very soon... so don’t push your brother too much. For now," Priam’s mother intervened.

She maintained a gentle tone and an extremely sweet smile, but... there was a different glint deep in her eyes.

The twins looked at their mother and nodded in perfect sync, exchanging knowing glances that said everything.

At that exact millisecond, Priam realized that poor Dandara was going to go through a brutal interrogation in the future.

Noticing her son’s strange expression, Seien took a sip from her glass and continued with extreme calmness: "It’s perfectly natural, my son. As your mother, I need to know who the woman by your side is. But... don’t worry. You’ll have to go through something similar in the future as well."

Priam narrowed his eyes.

Dandara’s family still lived on a planet ’protected’ by the sect. But since external disciples couldn’t leave the sect whenever they pleased, neither he nor Dandara had been able to visit her people yet.

In the future, Priam intended to rescue Dandara’s race from that place and give them real protection. But now... he felt that perhaps it would be better to avoid doing that.

In his mind, the idea of simply sending Dandara there when the time came crossed his mind.

But...

The next second, he felt rather strange. It was the feeling that Dandara would be quite disappointed, and that he couldn’t run away from this in any way.

’Why am I even thinking about this? We don’t have that kind of relationship...’

He shook his head slightly. But deep down, he felt that this feeling wasn’t so bad after all.

...

The night passed amid laughter, teasing, and warm memories, with everyone enjoying every second of their time together.

As the first rays of sunlight broke through the dawn, the group finally boarded Priam’s imposing Flying Boat.

It was time to leave the mediocrity of the Mortal Plane behind.