Warrior Training System

Just as Laureen had said, Lucy returned a few minutes later—right as Cassian and Laureen had finished getting dressed. But what caught Cassian off guard was that she wasn't alone.

Beside Lucy stood another woman, her facial structure closely resembling Lucy's, though softer and more delicate. Her large eyes, small lips, and petite nose gave her a cute appearance, but unlike her mother, who carried a more mature charm, the younger woman had a bolder presence. Her skin was a smooth, sun-kissed brown, and her short pixie cut only accentuated her sharp features.

She was taller than Lucy, with a leaner frame, and while her curves weren't as prominent as her mother's, she had a certain athletic grace to her. Her outfit—pants and a fitted shirt—was a stark contrast to Lucy's usual attire, making her stand out even more.

There was no doubt—this was Lucy's daughter, Vivienne.

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Lucy, noticing Cassian and Laureen together, raised an eyebrow before turning to the young woman beside her. "That's the boy I've been telling you about, Vivi."

The woman in question stepped into the room, standing taller than her mother but just a bit shorter than Cassian. He had grown quite a lot recently, nearly reaching 190 cm. It was a good height, but he didn't exactly want to look like a towering giant. Thankfully, since he was nearing sixteen, he figured he wouldn't grow much taller.

"Oh, so you're Cassian," Vivienne said, her voice carrying a teasing lilt. "Mother told me you were quite handsome, and I can see she wasn't exaggerating." She extended her hand toward him, and Cassian immediately noticed the two dark blue, intricate circles etched onto her skin—proof of her status as a Second Circle Warrior.

Surprised by both her forwardness and her rank, he kept his expression neutral as he took her hand for a firm shake. "Thank you, Miss Vivienne. I must say, you're even more beautiful than I imagined Miss Lucy's daughter to be."

Lucy, who had been watching the exchange with amusement, let out a playful huff. "Oh? And what exactly do you mean by that?" she asked in a mock-offended tone. "Are you saying I'm not beautiful? That I'm ugly?"

Cassian chuckled at Lucy's playful accusation, shaking his head. "Of course not, Miss Lucy. You're plenty beautiful yourself. I was just… pleasantly surprised."

Lucy narrowed her eyes at him with a smirk. "Hmm, nice save," she mused before turning to Vivienne. "See? He's got a silver tongue. You might want to be careful around him."

Vivienne let out a soft laugh, crossing her arms as she looked Cassian up and down. "Oh, I don't mind a smooth talker."

Laureen chuckled, flashing a knowing smile. "You should be careful, Vivi. The smooth talkers are the ones to watch out for. Before you know it, they'll have you wrapped around their finger."

With that, she stepped forward, arms slightly open, pulling Vivienne into a warm hug. Vivienne returned the embrace with a smile. "It's been a while, big sister."

"Yeah, it has," Laureen said, squeezing her gently before pulling back. "Life been treating you well?"

Cassian, watching the exchange, raised a brow in surprise. He had assumed Laureen didn't know Vivienne that well, but their closeness proved otherwise. A small sense of relief washed over him—he hadn't made any careless remarks about Vivienne to Laureen before. That could've been awkward.

"Just enough to keep me from getting depressed, but not enough to let me relax," Vivienne said with a sigh.

Meanwhile, Lucy had already made her way to the bed and sat down. Looking at Cassian, she said, "Lady Katherine asked you to come to her lab later this evening." Her brows furrowed slightly as she added, "We ran into her at the main gate of the tower—she was heading to the city in a hurry. Seemed urgent."

"Oh, she's probably going to inspect some of the artifacts found in the secret treasury of Valtross Academy," Laureen chimed in, her eyes glinting with excitement. "I heard they uncovered some really strange and taboo magic-related items. Everything's being kept under wraps from the public. I actually spent the whole day helping Lady Katherine experiment on one of them…"

She paused for a moment, as if recalling something, before adding, "She wanted to inspect a few more, but the higher-ups weren't too keen on letting unknown artifacts into the tower. So she must have gotten permission to study them out there."

Cassian's brows furrowed as Laureen spoke about the artifacts. The mention of Valtross jogged his memory—he was supposed to stop by the department to collect his reward for completing his last mission. But between his exhaustion, sleep, and then getting caught up in other activities with Laureen, it had completely slipped his mind.

His eyes flicked to the window; the sun was still up, meaning he still had time. Hurriedly, he stood up, grabbing his coat. "I have to go by work—I forgot something," he said, already making his way to the door.

Then, turning to Vivienne, he flashed a smile. "It was nice meeting you. Let's talk more this evening."

Vivienne raised a brow but smirked. "Looking forward to it."

"It's good that you two are getting acquainted tonight since you'll be working together from now on," Lucy remarked as Cassian left the room.

Laureen, looking surprised, turned to Vivienne. "Wait, you got a job at the same place Cassian works?"

"Yeah," Vivienne nodded. "I just finished the exam today. I'll be joining soon after they finish the vetting process."

With that, the three women continued their conversation while Cassian made his way to collect his well-earned salary from the past hellish month of work. He hoped it would be something worthwhile—maybe even a decent sum of money. Not that he had been spending much of it anyway. Between his busy schedule and others covering his expenses here and there, his funds had barely been touched. Still, a little extra never hurt.

He was also hoping to get a glimpse of those taboo and strange items Laureen had mentioned. If he could, maybe he could snag something from them as part of his reward.