Just a few minutes before that, though, Lillian made a call to someone she hadn’t called in a very long time.
Ring...! Ring...! Click.
"Lillian?"
Lillian decided to call her family, more specifically, Victor, her brother.
The Legacy Table, the noble meeting Marionette would undoubtedly go to under orders of her family, was an event for only strong or influential noble families.
If Lillian’s plan to enter the event as an attendant failed, it would be nice to have a plan B.
Since Lillian’s family was a Ker, wasn’t she eligible? Although she hadn’t heard much about the Arius family in the game, surely they were either influential or strong enough to be sent an invite, right...?
Hearing her brother’s voice through her phone, Lillian unconsciously smiled a bit.
And right as she was about to greet him...
"Heya, big bro—"
"LILLIAN?!"
She heard her brother scream her name in shock over the phone.
"FATHER! MY LITTLE SISTER IS CALLING ME! I’M GOING ON BREAK!"
Lillian’s face twitched rapidly.
She had remembered her brother had some sort of fixation on her, but she didn’t know or... Was aware it was to this extent. Maybe it was because of Past Lillian’s naivety about these sorts of things.
’Or... It may be because I haven’t called in a while, that may be the reason...’
After hearing her brother enter a room on the other side of the call, Lillian then became a victim of a seemingly never-ending barrage of questions.
"Little sister! Have you been well? Eating well? Sleeping well? How about showering? I heard the dorms weren’t yet ready, so how’s the water in the apartment complex? Have you been studying well? You aren’t under any type of stress are you? How about your memor—"
"I’m fine, I’m fine! I promise!" Lillian chuckled nervously, relieved that her words finally calmed him down. "How are you? And how’s mum and how’s dad and his injuries? Work been alright?"
"I’ve been splendid! The two of them are as lovey-dovey with each other as well, and as for dad’s injuries, they’re more or less good now. But don’t get me started on work! Those barbarians in the North had been making such ridiculous demands for chimeras and even resources needed to create homonculus that it’s becoming an issue procuring everything!"
’The North?’ At this point in the game, the players weren’t given much information about what was happening in Nolstra (Northern Nation).
But Lillian had to assume it was preparations for... An upcoming war.
After a little back and forth with her brother, getting to know his well-being, how his day was going, as well as their parents, Lillian finally moved on to what she wanted to know.
"Huh? The Legacy Table?" Victor repeated, "What is that again?"
"Hm? It’s a... Well, a nobles meeting for people to—"
"Ohhh! That thing. Yeah, I’ve heard about it in the past. What about it, you interested or something? Isn’t that place just so a bunch of arrogant nobles around your age could hook up?"
Discovering that this was the impression her brother had of the event, Lillian smiled wryly. If it’s views like these, no wonder Marionette didn’t want her to go.
After explaining what she wanted and asking whether she had received an invitation for it, her brother suddenly bursted out in horror:
"Little sister! You wish to go to an event like that!? Are you planning to commit the unthinkable act of cheating? Even I won’t support you on that—!"
"I’m not cheating!" Lillian pinched the gap between her brows, "I would never cheat, I just want to get into the event, so did they send an invite or no?"
"Well... No, we don’t get any invites for that event..."
"Really?"
Apparently, even though her family was a Ker, they weren’t really that strong of a family, nor that influential outside of the bioengineering sector.
"But we do have a badass laboratory if that’s something! You should come back sometime, Lillian! Your Big brother misses you! And uh, dad too."
"Hehe... Sure, I’ll visit sometime when I’m with my girlfriend. I’m sure you two would hit it off!" Lillian chuckled before saying her goodbyes and ending the call.
She then breathed out a sigh before walking around a bit, eventually walking around a corner. She soon found herself standing in front of an open doorway to an empty courtyard.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Well, partially empty.
This courtyard was actually one of the academy’s many training grounds, more specifically, for those wishing to train their martial prowess against others.
However, at this time of day, it was unusually empty. But that could be because of the rather familiar people inside.
Stepping into the training ground, Lillian was met with the sight of two men clashing.
One was dressed in a large black robe, big enough to be flamboyant, but small enough to be viable in close-quarter combat. They had a long black ponytail, blue eyes, and a handsome face as they swung a steel sword.
His opponent was a man roughly his height, with short black hair and black eyes; features that would’ve been plain on their own if it wasn’t for his ridiculously handsome face.
Lillian swiftly recognised these two from the time back in the tournament, Kuro Vincent and Jericho Von Blade.
But they weren’t the only ones here, for there was a third person as well, acting as a spectator.
"What the—?"
Sitting at a bench near the entrance, a man with short white hair, red eyes, and an irritable face was found wide-eyed as he locked eyes with Lillian.
This was Cecillion, the Blood Mage.
Spitting out the water he was drinking, he stared at Lillian, frozen in place.
At first, he was in awe of Lillian’s stunning beauty, but as seconds passed, he felt a sense of familiarity with the woman... Especially in his lower regions, which suddenly throbbed with pain.
Jericho, who was locked in a struggle with Kuro, glanced towards Lillian and raised an eyebrow; his focus split. Because of this, Kuro was able to swiftly disarm him before knocking him to the ground with a low sweep of his leg.
"Don’t lose focus. How many times do I have to tell you that, Mizuki?" Kuro scolded in Ancient Keri.
"Hahaha, don’t be so serious, my friend~! We have a visitor! And a rather familiar one at that." Jericho responded in the same language.
At his words, Kuro finally spared Lillian a look, his eyes wandering over her face and body as he finally realised who it was.
"Hm? Weren’t you the one I faced in that tournament held in Louis?"