Steel and Mana

Chapter 353 – Thirteen

The sun was out in full force, climbing high in the sky, bathing the whole city of Avalon in a golden glow, signaling that it was time for early summer. Around the by-now-most famous Primary School, the scent of fresh bread, cakes, and sweets from nearby bakeries was calling for the kids inside, ready for their summer break. Which was about to happen soon, as this was the last day of mandatory classes. At the edge of the schoolyard, right when the final chime of a bell echoed through the halls, more than a hundred children of various ages spilled out of the main gate, their sharp laughter ringing through the air, many of them celebrating the incoming break in their studies. And, of course, their good grades. Well, at least most of them. There were always those who now had to think up reasons to tell their parents why their report cards showed some barely-passing grades.

But most simply enjoyed the warmth of the sun, which was raining down on them from the clear, blue sky.

"That was not that bad! I told you that you were worrying about nothing; you aced it all!" A young girl, about thirteen years of age, stretched her arms high, letting out a satisfied sigh, fixing her blonde curls, her blue eyes shining brightly. "Mmhm! Finally, it's summer break! I thought those exams would never end." She giggled, looking at her own card, which was fine... with a healthy mix of simply average grades when it came to anything related to math. Unlike her younger brother, who aced everything. Again. Not that she was jealous, but quite the opposite; she was happy for him.

Beside her, her younger brother, barely a year younger, only nine months in fact, adjusted the strap of his satchel, nodding quietly while listening to her. Unlike his older sister, he wasn’t one to burst out with excitement, but there was an undeniable relief in his eyes nonetheless.

"I thought Professor Alaric was going to keep us there forever," he murmured, glancing back at the school gates as if the stern-faced teacher might still be watching.

"He is stern because being a Principal in the school that Merlin governed at first is a rank nobody wants to disrespect by not giving their all!" His sister laughed, slinging an arm around his shoulders. "Oh, come on! You aced that history exam, too, didn’t you? I saw you scribbling away like your life depended on it."

"Hauh..." His cheeks quickly flushed, listening to her, "I… I just didn’t want to get anything wrong. Or leave out.."

"You never do," She teased, ruffling his black hair. "But you need to loosen up a little. It’s summer! No more books, no more rules—just freedom!"

"I don't know about no rules..." He fidgeted, blinking his green eyes, knowing there were still plenty of rules they should follow.

"Hey!" A few of their classmates gathered around nearby, chatting about their plans as the two passed them by. "Are you coming to the festival this weekend?" a girl named Elara asked, bouncing on her heels as she looked at them. "There's supposed to be a huge fireworks display! The new stuff that Krel's Toy Emporium sells!"

"The one that Professor Edmund perfected?" She asked while grinning, nudging his younger brother, who was sure to say no to the invitation. He was never up for... crowds. "Of course we will! We wouldn’t miss it. No?" She turned to her younger brother, her tone softening. "You’ll come too, right?"

She asked with a gentle smile, knowing that dropping Edmund's name may make him change his mind. He really admired the man who was one of the first people to become the dean of Avalon's Primus Universitas, their city's highest place of education. As for what its name actually meant, nobody really remembered the explanation, but because magic formations were also being taught there for those getting into it, it was also called a School of Universal Knowledge.

"Um..." He hesitated, shifting his feet, clearly feeling a bit torn about his answer. "I… I don’t know yet," he mumbled, eyes darting toward the ground. Large crowds weren’t exactly his favorite thing... not at all.

"Oh..." Elara tilted her head, her curiosity piqued. "Why not? It’s going to be amazing! There’s going to be music, games, and even a dragon dance!"

"..." His eyes widened slightly at the mention of the dragon dance, meaning there would be airplanes flying by, drawing colorful smoke in the sky, but he quickly looked away. "I just… I don’t like being in big crowds," he admitted quietly.

"It's up to you," His sister gave him a knowing smile but didn’t press any further, knowing it would simply reinforce the thought in him that he should really stay home instead. "Well, if you change your mind, you can come with me. You know I’ll keep you safe."

"I-it's not that!" He stuttered, the warmth in his sister’s tone reassuring him more than words could say, making him blush as she looked away, "Thanks..."

As their classmates bid farewell, the two continued to wander through the streets of Avalon a little, as his sister 'forced' him to accompany her by holding his hand.

As for Avalon... The two really couldn't tell, but the city has changed a lot in the past thirteen years since they were born. Their home had grown into a formidable power, and the city itself reflected that. Many of the original buildings were taller now, and some of the new districts were even three stories high. Not to mention that outside of the city, new districts were being built as they began expanding. Roads were being paved with smooth stone, connecting the future streets with the inner city, while an outline on a secondary wall was also being drawn up by the Ministry. What was something new, though, even for the siblings, was the hum of mechanized trams traveling along the main streets, rolling on their tracks, powered not by steam but by two long rods connecting them to so-called powerlines running above them. They were like... rectangle puppets, they thought. City Trains, as many called them.

"Avalon's grown so much," Someone mused as a group of merchants walked past the two, "I remember that they only had one market square; now, two new ones have been added! And these... small trains? Incredible."

"Yeah, but those two markets are outside the city walls." The second man answered, smacking his lips, "Mostly populated by foreign traders. Only those getting a spot in the inner city can actually get the real goods!"

"Luckily, we started early," his partner said with a low chuckle. "Thank the Gods for Chairman Alvor's decisiveness."

"Atuvians..." the young boy muttered as he glanced at the back of the merchants disappearing in the crowded street. "Their accent... I think they are from the Goldlight Guild," he added softly, pursing his lips. Multiple details appeared in his mind as he put everything into place. He was doing all of that subconsciously, recording any details that his ears or eyes caught, something he couldn't help. One of the reasons he disliked crowds... it... felt overwhelming. Too much data and too many sensations to make sense of.

"I didn't even hear any accent in their tone." Her sister mused, but she noticed his nervous glance toward the busier streets and reached for his hand again, squeezing it. "Come on, let’s take the quieter route through the gardens. It’s much nicer this time of year!"

They veered off the main road and stepped into one of Avalon’s many established green spaces. The gardens were beautifully maintained and filled with vibrant flowers from all over, not just the northern region but also from the entire of Ishillia. Butterflies flitted between their petals, and the cool shade of young oak trees provided relief from the sun’s excessive warmth. As they walked slowly, she watched as her brother visibly relaxed, his shoulders easing.

"Thanks…" he murmured, squeezing his sister’s hand briefly before letting go. He always felt safer when she was around... and she always knew when he was getting uncomfortable, finding the perfect excuse to pull him away.

She didn't say anything; she just smiled at him and enjoyed the little quiet. As they walked, her attention was suddenly caught by a group of younger children playing by one of the fountains in the park, one that was the original, first sculpted prize of their city. One that was deemed a historical piece by the Ministry. One of the kids, a tiny girl with braided hair, tripped over a stray pebble inside and fell with a yelp. Before she could cry, she was already kneeling beside her, brushing the blood off her scraped knee.

"Oh no, are you alright, sweetheart? That was a big tumble." She asked; suddenly, her hands glowed as a miniature formation appeared above it, closing the wound at once.

"Woah..." The little girl sniffled as she nodded. "Mhm… It... it doesn't hurt!"

"That's good~" She smiled at her while she pulled her up, patting her down. "There, all better. Be careful, though!" She beamed, ruffling the girl’s hair before letting her go back to play with the others.

Her brother watched quietly from the sidelines, his green eyes filled with warmth. His sister had always been like this—kind, patient, and motherly—maybe even more so than her actual mother. It was in her nature to take care of people, and even though she sometimes embarrassed him with her doting, he couldn’t deny that it made life a little easier.

"You’re good with kids," he said softly as they continued walking. "Better than me, anyway."

"Pft, we are also kids, silly!" She chuckled. "Hmm... Maybe you just need to practice. You’re great with animals, though. Remember how you calmed that stray dog last week? I thought it was going to bite me, but you just… talked to it, and it listened."

"Ugh..." He shrugged, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Animals are easier. They don’t expect you to say the right thing all the time. They focus more on body language, and that is much easier to convey than putting thoughts into words."

"You have too complicated thoughts, then." She nudged him playfully. "Still, you’re better with people than you think. You just need to give yourself a chance."

He was about to answer as they left the gardens when a familiar voice called out to them.

"Oi, slowpokes! Galahad! Morgan!"

It was Morgan who turned first to see their older siblings calling out to them, waving as Arthur, Leyla, and Lancelot approached the two. Their older siblings were taller than the two, already looking like fine adults, even though there was, at most, only a four to three-year difference between them. Arthur, at sixteen, had inherited their Father’s strong, commanding presence, while Leyla, with her similar firey, red hair, was the spitting image of their mother, Sasha. Lancelot, just a year younger than the twins, grinned the same way Yuri used to as he jogged toward them, the energy of his unmatched stamina still untamed. Something that drove their parents mad because he was constantly... causing trouble by going on his own 'adventures.'

For example, just last year, Lancelot mailed himself into Atuvia... Testing the border security of Avalon, luckily, getting caught on the borders. Although he said he did it by himself, the fact that there was magic on the box he hid in revealed that the twins were involved in it, too, probably something the three had come up with as a joint operation.

"Took you long enough! We’ve been waiting for you to finish school all day!" Arthur laughed, crossing his arms and scanning his youngest siblings. "Did you get lost on the way back?"

"It was our last exam day," Morgan huffed playfully. "We deserved a little time to enjoy ourselves."

"Yeah? Well, Father wants us home before dinner. You know how he gets," Leyla said with a knowing smile.

Galahad perked up at that. Despite his shyness, he always felt safe at home, away from the crowds and the noise. And his Father was the only one who seemingly knew how it was to remember everything... and how to deal with it. Something that he seemingly inherited. It always helped when he talked with him, easing his mind, almost feeling like it had a chance to... reset.

"Probably wanting to see our report cards." Morgan sighed dramatically. "Fine, fine. But you owe me an ice cream for rushing us."

"Suuuuure!" Arthur rolled his eyes but smirked anyway. "Lancy will pay. Come on, let’s head back."

"Wait, why?" Lancelot gasped, his hand on the little bag on his waist, hiding his savings.

"Because," Leyla looked at him with slanted eyes, "You were also late, out training, I mean, jumping around house roofs, scaring the citizens."

"I was following clues!" He protested.

"That is the city guards' job." Arthur waved his excuses away, "You are just going to play parkour, as Dad used to say. And he is right. Anyway! You pay us!"

"Or we tell Dad," Leyla added, making Lancelot shrug. She looked at Morgan, but she just smiled innocently.

"Ugh... Sure, sure... but only two pieces per person! I have not much on me..."

"You don't need to––" Galahad started, but Lancelot just waved his words away.

"It's fine, Gala. Come! An ice cream does sound nice~!"

As they made their way through Avalon’s streets together, the city stretched before them. It was alive, thriving, and ever-growing, yet still the safest known place on the continent... A city where its Sovereign's children could walk and play around freely, a city that was Leon's dream brought to life... and he intended to keep it that way.