Gunmage
Chapter 192: Favoured by the arcane

Chapter 192: Chapter 192: Favoured by the arcane

Selaphiel and Mirelle walked through the winding corridors, eventually reaching a large hall.

"So this is the third floor,"

Mirelle whispered, her voice swallowed by the ornate silence.

Everything here seemed one step more extravagant than the rest of the mansion.

Along the way, they passed many strange paintings that seemed almost alive—eyes subtly shifting, colors rippling with unseen motion.

Masterfully crafted sculptures lined the walls, some so realistic it was unnerving.

A rusted piece of armor stood forlorn in the corner of a room, as if its wearer had simply vanished mid-step.

"Don’t touch anything,"

Sela reminded her sister sharply, her voice clipped.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time,"

Mirelle muttered, though she kept her hands folded tightly behind her back.

The directions had been clear and concise. It didn’t take long for them to find the fountain he was talking about.

Although initially skeptical about an indoor fountain, seeing it in person was beyond ridiculous.

It was large—grand, even—and made entirely of glass.

Colored lights, strategically placed, gave the cool water a blood-red shimmer, casting the walls in shifting crimson. For a moment, the two girls were motionless, transfixed.

"Hey Sela,"

Mirelle said eventually.

"What is it?"

"What do you say to getting a fountain in our rooms?"

"...Absolutely unnecessary."

Turning right, the door to the room was just up ahead.

They walked up and rapped at the wood politely.

"Come in."

A voice echoed from within.

Once they opened it, they were ushered into a large and grand room, with massive stained-glass windows depicting flamboyant patterns, velvet drapes, a king-sized bed, and even a personal library.

The entire place looked like it belonged to a monarch, not a relative.

Their grandmother, the elf Selaphiel, was reclined on a comfortable couch as she munched on grapes, each bite a gesture of leisurely indulgence.

Aside from her, there was no one else in the room.

No—wait. There was one person. Actually, two. No, three.

Three people, all with the same face and build, dressed in plain indoor clothes. One was hunched over a table, while the other two sprawled across the floor with pencils, large papers, and an avalanche of measuring tools.

All three were hard at work crafting some kind of image.

"He doesn’t look very injured,"

Sela frowned.

"You’ve finally arrived,"

Selaphiel said, as she opened her eyes.

Calling her "grandmother" still felt strange—disjointed. She looked no older than they did. Honestly, if she didn’t insist on it, they might never have believed the connection.

"Now, would you tell me what both of you were doing on this floor?"

They both snapped to attention.

Mirelle was the first to speak.

"Well, I just wanted to check on Lugh’s condition, that’s all."

"I was curious,"

Sela added bluntly.

"Hmmm."

Selaphiel hummed, then said,

"Well, there he is."

Without much fanfare, she turned back to her grapes, closing her eyes in bliss as she savored each one.

Both Mirelle and Sela approached the Lughs, whispering to themselves in overlapping tones.

"How can there be three of him?"

"Who knows? Maybe that’s how his awakened ability works."

"Awakened? Oh, right..."

"Grandma?"

Mirelle said aloud.

"What is it?"

The elf replied, unhurried.

"What is an Awakening? Aunt Sylvera told us to ask you."

There was a pause. Then Selaphiel clicked her tongue.

"That unruly child... Always skimping out on her studies. I ought to whip her into shape."

Again, hearing someone who looked no older than nineteen calling a grown woman "child" was disconcerting. But they were starting to get used to it.

Selaphiel’s voice didn’t echo—it drifted over like smoke.

"An Awakening is a gift—or perhaps, a brand. It is proof that a person is favored by the arcane."

Both girls stared in confusion, hoping for a more concrete explanation.

Selaphiel didn’t disappoint.

"People who have awakened manifest unique arts—ones previously unheard of, or strange variants of existing magic. This often advances magical research by leaps. Those who awaken are expected to share their knowledge... if they can."

She turned her gaze toward Lugh. One of the Lughs paused his drawing, clearly listening.

Unfortunately for them, he most definitely wasn’t an Awakened. He was merely borrowing powers granted by a very ancient being—something older than memory.

Perhaps that being was an Awakened once. He couldn’t say. What he did know was this: he couldn’t teach anyone how to use his magic, even if he tried—not unless they possessed the Mawglass.

Best to clarify things now.

"My magic is dependent on the mutation in my right eye,"

Lugh said calmly.

"It can’t be taught to anyone who doesn’t have this feature."

Everyone perked up, ears tuned.

Selaphiel raised a brow.

"Oh? And what exactly is your magic, pray tell?"

"What’s yours?"

Lugh shot back.

She chuckled, a soft, almost musical sound.

Then, contrary to his expectations, she answered.

"Like you, I’m an Awakened."

Both Mirelle and Sela flinched in surprise.

She continued, still reclined.

"My ability is a variant of wind magic. I manipulate vibrations in the air to control sound."

Both sisters’ eyes widened.

"Wait—so that was your magic?"

Mirelle asked.

Selaphiel turned her gaze lazily toward them.

"How old are you two?"

They were caught off guard.

Sela was the first to regain her wits.

"I’m twenty years old."

"I’m nineteen,"

Mirelle added.

"Quite impressive,"

Selaphiel said, sounding genuinely pleased.

Lugh, meanwhile, looked confused. One of his bodies had stopped working entirely, caught in a loop.

"I don’t get it. What’s impressive?"

"Their levels, of course,"

Selaphiel said simply.

Lugh waited for her to elaborate.

"You see, I made a curriculum,"

She said.

"A magic curriculum. One that was to be taught to all children of the Von Heim bloodline. It starts with basic Force Control—that’s the foundation every human mage knows."

"Then, it narrows into wind magic. Those who show promise and increased speed o progress through the beginning stages are introduced early to basic sound magic—specifically, noise dampening."

She smiled.

"That’s the level you two are at, right?"