Chapter 679: Don’t Be Surprised

This chapter is a bonus update for the "From Today Onwards" reward.

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"Wah!"

The one making an entrance was none other than the unchallenged ruler of Nameless Castle, Thorn Sprite Jie La.

She naturally recognized Jie La. Sometimes, when Liszt went to the seaside castle, he would bring her along, so she was quite familiar with her. However, this was the first time she had seen Acheronides·Truth with legs, yet she showed no surprise—likely because her intelligence wasn’t high enough to be astonished by whether Acheronides had legs or not.

Moreover, Acheronides was dressed in fairly common wizard's robes.

Perched on Liszt’s shoulder and clutching a strand of his light golden hair, Jie La casually waved at Acheronides as a greeting—the sea spirit’s mother-of-pearl tub was nice for soaking, but since she hadn’t brought it this time, Jie La quickly lost interest in her.

Then she spotted Shivers rubbing against Liszt and immediately raised her hand, making as if to scatter seeds.

Seeing this, Shivers instinctively leapt back before realizing Jie La hadn’t actually thrown anything. It snarled at Jie La in response.

But soon, it turned its head away to continue studying Acheronides—whether out of eagerness to observe her or fear of facing the bully Jie La was unclear.

Acheronides reached out, wanting to pet Shivers.

With a single glance from Liszt, Shivers stood still, allowing the siren, who stood just over 1.55 meters tall, to stroke its sleek, jet-black fur.

"Shivers is so obedient. It’s been by your side through battles, truly a loyal Blizzard Beast," Acheronides remarked while petting it, then glanced toward the depths of the apple orchard. "The eight little ones have grown so big, almost as large as Shivers now. Is the smallest one Tupo?"

"Yes, it’s a shame Tupo can no longer bear little Blizzard Beasts. Otherwise, I could have raised an entire Blizzard Beast army—taking cities and conquering territories would be effortless."

Just then, the butler Carter Potkin approached, bowed, and asked, "My lord, may I ask who this esteemed mage is?"

"Acheronides·Truth. She is my sister, Mr. Carter. From now on, Acheronides will reside in the castle and hold the same status as I do," Liszt introduced Acheronides to Carter. "Have Mrs. Mossen prepare a room for her. Buy whatever she needs. Also, Acheronides is a strict vegetarian—ensure her meals include plenty of fruits."

"Right away, my lord."

Carter promptly bowed to Acheronides. "Greetings, Miss Acheronides. I am Carter Potkin, the butler of my lord’s castle. Please do not hesitate to give me any orders. On behalf of the castle staff, I am at your service."

In truth, he was quite curious about Acheronides’ identity—how she had become his lord’s sister. Having served the Tulip family his whole life, he knew the blood relations of its members like the back of his hand. There was definitely no relative named Acheronides.

The family didn’t even have any mage relatives—nobility rarely practiced magic.

But this didn’t stop him from following Liszt’s orders, treating Acheronides as a mistress of the castle and refraining from speculating about her true identity or her relationship with Liszt—simply accepting them as genuine siblings.

Acheronides nodded silently.

Around strangers, she preferred not to express herself.

Soon, Liszt led Acheronides to the castle’s parlor while Carter quickly gathered all the servants to welcome the castle’s new mistress. However, the introduction wasn’t overly formal—Acheronides disliked noisy gatherings and preferred quiet reading to socializing.

At lunch in the castle, only Liszt and Acheronides sat at the table. Acheronides had only a small fruit platter with an assortment of fruits, while Liszt’s side was laden with chicken, fish, meat, and eggs, each in heaping portions on oversized plates.

Compared to Acheronides, who could fill up on just a handful of raspberries for a meal, Liszt consumed what would amount to years’ worth of a commoner’s food expenses in a single sitting.

Not only did he eat and drink lavishly, but his magical expenditures were even larger—after all, there was also a Fire Dragon living inside him.

When they had finished eating, Liszt asked, "What do you think of castle life so far?"

"It feels a bit restrictive. Acheronides isn't comfortable with so many people watching her eat. It feels strange."

"I wasn’t used to it before either, but I’ve adapted now. That's just how society works—these are the basic etiquettes a noble must maintain."

"Mhm."

"Then let’s go see your room. If there’s anything unsatisfactory, just tell the servants to change it."

Acheronides’ room was next to Liszt’s. Since the castle had long lacked female residents, the furnishings—such as the quilts and bedsheets—were all prepared for Liszt beforehand. Liszt preferred plain, muted tones and a somber style, so her room looked a bit dated.

It lacked the lively charm a young girl’s bedroom should have.

But she didn’t mind at all. The only thing she wanted to improve was the lack of books: "A bedroom without books is uncomfortable. There should be a few bookshelves, to lose yourself in an ocean of knowledge. That way, even while sleeping, one can dream of exploring truth."

Liszt smirked. The small mermaid had indeed been captured by truth, like most magic apprentices do, constantly yearning to seek knowledge and explore truth.

"Carter, move all those magic books piled up in my study to Acheronides’ bedroom… On second thought, just bring half. The study still needs some magic books for decoration."

...

In the afternoon.

They headed out for Black Horse Island.

Liszt planned to ride Rainbow Whale Rosi and take her along to Flower Town.

However, she, who had been a bit down in the castle, perked right up once they entered the sea: "Brother, there’s no need to ride Rosi. Let me take you to Black Horse Island in a seashell!"

"Oh?"

Soon, Liszt understood just how amazing her seashell could be. Not only could it transform into a hairpin to be worn in her hair, but it could also work as a seaship.

A water vortex supported the shell as it sped forward, reaching speeds of at least 200 kilometers per hour.

The shell maintained a height of ten meters above the sea, whooshing over the waves. In just half an hour, they smoothly arrived at Black Horse Port. When Liszt and Acheronides leaped off the shell and landed on the wooden planks of the dock, all the workers, led by the port officials, quickly bowed to Liszt.

Liszt hadn’t brought any attendants, nor did he make a grand display, but this did nothing to diminish his heroic image—in the territory of Black Horse Island, he was practically worshipped.

Soon, an official brought two horses.

"Change it to a carriage." Liszt hadn’t taught her to ride yet, and a magician’s robes weren’t suited for horseback riding. The port official wasn't very observant.

Once in the carriage, they headed straight for the Mage Tower.

At the same time, he sent word to Parris, the captain of the patrol, to come over.

On the first floor of the Mage Tower, at the Magic Academy, Cris Truth saw her beside Liszt. Her petite stature and flawless face stood out immediately. Moreover, as a Great Magician, Cris could sense an aura of magic emanating from her that sent a shiver through her.

"Lord Viscount, who is this magician?" Cris asked directly.

"Let’s find a quiet room to talk." Liszt wasn’t trying to hide her from Cris. In fact, he needed Cris’ support for her magical research.

Under Cris’ guidance, the three went straight to her office on the upper floors of the Mage Tower.

After shooing away the apprentice assistants, Cris personally brewed tea for Liszt and Acheronides—tea had now become a popular drink in the Mage Tower.

"Cris, please sit." Without any preamble, Liszt came right out and said, "You must be curious about Acheronides Truth’s identity. I hope you won’t be too surprised. Aside from being my sister, she is also an Archmage."

No sooner had he spoken.

Cris’ hand trembled, and she dropped the teacup. The hot tea went splashing all over the floor.