Soon, while Nero was at Etherium Academy, time passed quickly.
Not wasting a moment, he only attended his mandatory classes while focusing on perfecting the Tier 1 basic water element.
Instead of spreading himself thin, he chose to master what he had already started.
Looking at the millions of books he had to copy into the Heavenly System, Nero sighed.
"This is going to take forever…"
As days passed, Mira finally found time to visit Nero's residence to teach him how to cook.
"Welcome~" Nero greeted her.
"You have quite the grand place," Mira said, smiling as she took in the sight of his home.
Most student residences were just single rooms expanded by space arrays.
But Nero's was a full-fledged mansion, occupying a massive plot of land.
"It's not bad," Nero nodded.
Though incomparable to his family's castle, his residence was at least livable.
Cutting through the chatter, Mira quickly asked for the kitchen.
Feeling a sense of familiarity in Nero, she didn't mind their close interactions.
As she started teaching him the basics of cooking, Mira soon fell silent in disbelief.
"You don't even know the names of the ingredients?"
"Should I?" Nero muttered in puzzlement.
He was only three years old.
With his time consumed by compiling perfect knowledge, he had never bothered with trivial matters like cooking.
If not for wanting to be independent and spend more time with Mira, he wouldn't have bothered learning at all.
"Whatever…" Rolling her eyes, Mira began teaching him the very basics of cooking.
Living on her own, Mira mastered the basic use of ingredients.
Teaching Nero a thing or two shouldn't be a problem.
Soon, after an entire day of lessons, Nero managed to prepare a few basic dishes.
Yet, noticing countless imperfections, he still couldn't bring himself to eat his own food.
Days passed, and Nero settled into a regular routine.
Attending his mandatory classes, perfecting the Tier 1 compendium of the water element, and continuing learning to cook from Mira.
Life felt fulfilling.
The teachers at Etherium Academy weren't bad either.
Listening to their lectures, although he noticed a few minor discrepancies it was nothing significant.
Satisfied with his progress, Nero made sure to visit his family, seeing he finally had some time.
Discover stories at My Virtual Library Empire
"You're back, Nero! I thought you'd forgotten about us," Skye teased.
"How could I forget my most beautiful mother~" Nero coaxed.
"I missed you too!" Nero smiled, looking at his brothers and sisters.
"Are you going to introduce us to this beautiful lady?" Skye asked, glancing at Mira.
"This is my friend, Mira!" Nero said happily.
Wanting to introduce her to his family, he had invited Mira to come home with him.
"Nice to meet you, Aunties…" Mira greeted with a polite smile.
Curious about Nero's background, she had agreed to visit, thinking he was simply the son of a wealthy powerhouse.
But when they arrived at the majestic castle, she was momentarily stunned.
This ignorant little boy was actually part of the most powerful family in the Etherium Realm—the Shadowcrest family.
Owning nearly everything in the Etherium Realm, it was no wonder Nero lived in such a lavish manor.
While she was still processing the revelation, Nero's sisters dragged her away, eager to discuss interesting things at the academy.
Meanwhile, after coaxing his mother and sharing his experiences at the academy, Nero was pulled aside by his brothers.
"How's your progress with Mira? Did you hold hands?" Max asked excitedly.
"Progress? We're already friends. Besides, she's teaching me how to cook, so of course, she has to hold my hands." Nero replied in confusion.
"Max, stop it. Nero's still a little kid. Don't talk like that," Nathan scolded.
"Nero just made his first friend. Don't ruin it," Liam also added.
Although they were extremely satisfied with Mira, they didn't want to push Nero into anything.
He was too young to be concerned with love affairs.
Considering it had taken them thousands of years to find a significant other, they weren't in any hurry for Nero to do so, either.
Yet, looking at their young brother, who was already securing his future wife, they couldn't help but admire him.
Among them, Nero was probably the most talented when it came to relationships.
"What do you think about Mira, brother?" Not carrying, Max asks Nero teasingly.
Seeing them banter, Maximus could only shake his head.
He didn't believe Nero would succeed so easily.
Over the years, Maximus and his wives watched Nero grow.
Not wanting to miss a moment of their child's growth, they stopped going into long-term seclusion and started major projects.
Even then, while on vacation, Maximus didn't stop investigating both the Heavenly System and Mira.
Using the power of the plane origin, he even attempted to pry the Heavenly System away from Nero.
Though it was a useful tool, having an unknown variable attached to his son was a risk he couldn't ignore.
Unfortunately, the existence of the Heavenly System was on a whole other level.
No matter what he did he couldn't pry it away.
As for Mira, she was easier to investigate. With just a bit of effort, Maximus quickly uncovered the reason for her arrival in the Aeon Plane.
Her Plane-Level Physique, the Plane of Balance, grants her the ability to manipulate the rule's equilibrium itself.
According to his deductions, if Mira had enough power, she could reverse the very structure of the Aeon Plane, turning overlords into mortals and mortals into peak powerhouses.
Fortunately, it seemed she was on a mission.
Moving toward a critical node of chaos and change, Mira had chosen to enter the Aeon Plane in preparation for the future.
Maximus seemed to have become a traction point of fate, guiding events according to his will.
Drawn to the unknown variable brewing in the Aeon Plane, Mira had joined the fray even at the cost of starting over.
Although she might be a Tier 13 powerhouse, the protection of a plane could not be bypassed by mere strength.
Losing her power and memory was a small price to pay for smuggling herself inside.
Now, residing in the Etherium Realm, Mira could only rely on her innate talent and abilities to grow.
Only when she reached Tier 10 or 11 would she regain her memories and begin her true mission.
With such a long time ahead, Nero had a high chance of winning her over.
Unfortunately, even if Mira had lost her power and memories, her past strength was still far too overwhelming for Nero to bear.
Maximus could only bless his son to the best of his ability and give him the slightest chance.
Soon after showing off, his friend Nero and Mira returned to Etherium Academy, promising to visit again.