When Aina saw the sight before her, she smiled and excused herself. The scene was very familiar to her because Arthur often had his beasts around him whenever he got injured. As she stepped out of the clinic, she sensed the familiar, ominous aura of someone approaching.
"I heard my disciple was injured," Eve stated flatly, her face expressionless and as cold as ever.
"Yes, he is," Aina replied, her tone slightly forced. She and Eve rarely spoke and only exchanged greetings when their paths crossed. Eve assumed it would be the same as usual and was about to walk past the red-haired woman when Aina spoke again.
"Can I have a word with you?"
Eve paused, perhaps contemplating what Aina wanted to discuss, but eventually nodded, and the two women walked outside.
"Thank you for training Nox, even though he's my son," Aina said once they were in Celine's garden, a vibrant place filled with a kaleidoscope of flowers.
"It's nothing," Eve replied, looking straight ahead. Aina fumbled with her hands as they stood side by side. Although they were both six feet tall, Eve appeared taller because she was looking ahead.
"Is that all?" Eve asked with a bored expression, as if she was already weary of the conversation before it had fully started.
As expected, Eve was as brief as ever.
"I know we have our differences," Aina began. "But I hope you'll look past them and teach Nox everything you know. He and Nyx are all I have. Even if it's not for me, at least do it for Arthur."
Eve briefly paused when Arthur's name, which brought back so many memories, was mentioned, but she resumed her walk a moment later.
Although she tried to hide it, Aina could tell that Eve still held grudges against her. Over the years, Aina had tried to maintain a cordial relationship despite their history, but Eve's heart remained as cold as her demeanor.
Seeing that the conversation wasn't progressing, Aina was about to leave when Eve called her back.
"Take this," Eve said, handing her a book.
Aina looked at the book with a puzzled expression. "What is this?"
"It's something you need to give Nox," Eve said while walking away. "Besides, it's something that rightfully belongs to you."
As Eve departed, Aina stood there, holding the book. She flipped it over, and her eyes widened.
"This...this is Arthur's handwriting."
Eve checked on Nox and left shortly after. She didn't waste time, much to Fluffington's relief. The gloomy woman's presence meant relentless training sessions, which Fluffington hated. As for Thirteen, Eve was his best friend.
The panda got along well with anyone who shared his enthusiasm for training! The two were quite different. While Fluffington was a lazy cat who enjoyed milk, sleep, and massages, the panda was hardworking and disciplined.
Nox's greatest wish was for Thirteen's work ethic to rub off on Fluffington.
"Ugh!" After a while, Nox woke up to find two furry faces staring at him intently.
Fluffington: [Finally, you decided to wake up! Such a fragile boy.]
Thirteen: [Yay!] Before Nox could even speak, the panda hugged him tightly, as if afraid he would fall asleep again and the connection would be lost.
Nox patted the panda on the back to calm him down and assured him he wouldn't go anywhere. He then turned to the white cat. "Go ahead, tell me how much you missed me."
[Hmpf, you wish. The only thing I missed was my daily dose of milk and my massages.] Fluffington huffed and looked away.
Nox couldn't help but shake his head. He briefly checked his HP and saw he was back to full strength. Surveying the room, he realized he was in the familiar clinic. His gaze shifted to his missing arm, and a relieved sigh escaped his lips.
This world was truly magical. Back on Earth, he would have been left armless, but thanks to Celine, his arm seemed to have grown back.
"Sigh, in five years, I've been admitted to this clinic twice," Nox lamented, reflecting on his life choices.
As he was lost in thought, Aina and Nathan entered the clinic. Both were visibly angry and demanded to know how he got injured. Nox couldn't reveal the truth. He didn't want to disclose the Dimensional Key to his grandfather and mother, so he twisted the story, saying he was nearly assassinated.
He couldn't tell them about the Dimensional Key that allowed him to enter dimensions randomly around the world and had no restrictions on the level of dimensions. They would definitely stop him from using it.
Dimensions were perilous places, even for seasoned warriors. It seemed the dimensions Nox had visited were relatively low-level, which explained why he had faced little difficulty. Had he encountered a higher-level dimension, he might have been in serious trouble.
'So it's really an assassin,' Nathan pondered thoughtfully. He made a mental note to investigate this demonic assassin roaming the human domain. A while later, he left to start his investigation, leaving Aina alone with Nox.
Aina pulled out a book and handed it to Nox.
"What's this, Mom?" Nox asked, puzzled.
"It's your father's diary," she explained. "It's one of the few things we didn't burn. I initially wanted to keep it as a valuable treasure, but I thought it would be more suitable for you."
It was the truth; after Eve gave it to her, she wanted to treasure Arthur's handwriting and keep it close to her heart, but after going through the content, the book seemed much more suitable for Nox. Aina suspected it was the reason Eve had given her the book.
"Alright, I'll see you later."
After planting a kiss on Nox's forehead, Aina left, leaving him with a puzzled expression. A book that would be more suitable for him? He glanced at the bold title of the book.
"A Guide to Beast Taming."
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