It was late at night when Lia took a bath in the luxurious bathhouse under the castle. She took in sharp breaths every time her still-red buttocks moved or touched the water's surface, making it hard for her to submerge into it.

"Hauuuh…." She moaned with teary eyes, her lengthy hair held up in a bun. "I just wanted to play… no fair… I can't cast ice magic…." She sniffled, feeling wronged and hurt as Reyra did spank her. Right in front of the castle and letting all the servants see how her fair buttocks turned bright red in an instant. "Damn… Koa, you snitch!" She bit her lower lip, finally submerging herself into the water and releasing a sharp cry as it stung like nothing before. 

In one of the castle's spires, Reyra was sitting in a study surrounded by tall, extensive bookshelves. The window behind her looked over the mountains, the clear, starry sky, and the giant full moon in the distance. Before her, a sturdy oak table was holding up hundreds of dossiers as she sat on multiple booster seats, doing her duties as the head of the family. She was going through reports from the 4th branch, from the land they ruled over, and from their subordinates and agents in different kingdoms. A knock came from the door close to midnight, and Reyra just waved her hand, unlocking it with her mana. 

The one who came in was a young, fit girl, reaching around 150 centimeters in height. She was wearing tight-fitting leather trousers with a sleeveless vest, prompting dozens of pockets. It left her stomach free and showing, same with her fair hands, only wearing a tank top under it. Her purple hair was tied in a ponytail as she placed a hand on her chest, bowing towards Reyra ceremoniously. Her age was, at first glance, around 16, and her violet eyes were looking at Reyra with unquestionable loyalty. 

"How have you been, Aurora?" Reyra smiled, putting down the papers and watching her adopted daughter. 

"Fine." She replied but not by words but by writing in the air with a finger, letting the characters float before her in a dark-purple hue before disappearing.

She was rescued as a little kid by Kawu and Reyra when the two were on a trip, and they came across a bandit attack on a merchant's caravan. There were a few survivors, including a little baby who lost her parents. Nobody was willing to take her in but neither Reyra nor Kawu was to let her alone, so they brought her home and named her Aurora. The pair raised her as their own, and soon she showed talent, especially while casting magic with the element of darkness. As she grew older, it was apparent that she did suffer an injury that was not evident at first as she never managed to form words. She could only communicate by hand gestures and by writing. 

Not that it mattered to her. By the time she was 14, she had shown great interest in battling the undead, and she was one of the youngest to join the family's 4th branch. Since then, she has been out with them, gaining experience with deadly encounters and being a Solren's Vanguard squad member. She came back a week ago to make her reports, and it seemed Reyra had a mission for her now.

"Have you been briefed by Kawu?" She asked, and Aurora just shook her head in answer. "Mhm. I am going to have you accompany my daughter to the Academy. You are going to enroll as another student."

"Me?" She pointed at herself, asking with her eyes instead of words. 

"Yep. It is a good experience! But besides learning, I want you to keep an eye on her!" 

"Yes!" She signed, nodding heavily, taking it as one of the greatest honors to be the bodyguard of one of the direct bloodlines of Reyra. 

"Relax~ It shouldn't be a difficult or heavy job! You just need to make sure of three key things!" She stood up and walked before her table, sitting atop it so they would be at eye level. "One: Don't let Koadriana drag her into trouble."

"Koadriana…" Aurora tilted her head, writing in the air before she recognized the name. "Ah. The granddaughter of Lord Parthorn. She tried to woo me. She does not look too bad, but I am not into girls. I assume she is still just as wild?"

"Kinda." Reyra chuckled. "She is a kind girl but loves men and women way too much! I know she wants to share her love for everybody, but… eh… don't let my little angel become a succubus! She has to keep her virginity until marriage!" 

"Lady, your little angel is already a little devil. At least, that is what I heard." Aurora quickly signed, tilting her head to the right with raised eyebrows.

"Geh…" Reyra flinched, but soon she just sighed. "I am not playing around, Aurora. She has to remain a virgin until she is married. We need strong descendants, and she must fulfill her duty as a daughter of mine! I was the same! She can't be fooling around and wasting her precious blood until she settles! Got it? Keep. Her. Intact!"

"Roger!" She nodded, saluting and waiting for her further instructions.

"Second: She must complete the four years of the Academy. Even if it takes six years."

"Um…" Once again, Aurora tilted her head towards the right, but her finger stopped mid-air, not questioning the numbers. 

"If she, for whatever reason, flunks out, gets expelled, don't even come back home," Reyra said, looking into her eyes, making Aurora shudder. "Third: Protect her life. If she gets into trouble, you don't have to bail her out every time! Just make sure she does not die! Injuries are permitted! Setbacks are permitted! Even if she loses a limb, we can replace that! What we can't lose is her life! Got it?"

"Of course! Don't worry, My Lady! She won't die while I still draw breath!" Aurora signed with her hands, making a solemn vow to Reyra, going onto one knee.

"I know. That is why I am sending you with her." She jumped off the table, raising her up, hugging her body. "I trust you, my little night flower~ You are my daughter; I wouldn't trust anyone else with this!"

…

….

…..

The 3rd branch's home was a few hundred kilometers away. It was located not amongst the mountain ranges but at their opposite, natural border, the shores to the Endless Blue. It was the single, biggest body of water surrounding the continent of Meriath. At their end, the water was dark-blue, cold, and filled with big chunks of ice when winter came. Yet it was not inhospitable at all. Their country had a substantial fleet of fishing boats, harvesting the seemingly inexhaustible riches of the Endless Blue. Up here, at the most Northern point of the continent, the soil was hard and not the best to grow enough crops for the millions of people living here. So most of their food came from the sea. The 3rd branch was always tasked to ensure that the food supply never failed and that everybody was appropriately fed in their territory. 

Right now, in a luxurious villa on the pebble-filled shores, a young girl was watching the dark waves hit against the hundreds of little rocks on the ragged beach. She was relatively tall with her, 175 centimeters. She wore only her long, black hair, reaching right down to her perky, petite butt. She was holding onto the iron bars fitted onto the window of her room, watching the outside world.

"Uuuuu, no faaaair!" She moaned, twisting her waist left and right, but she was literally imprisoned in her own room. Even worse, she was told that she would be sent to school. Even if that is the Academy of legends… it was still school. She had already finished her studies once, so she was not looking forward to returning to school again. At least on paper, after turning 16, she was already a woman. She should be free to do what she wants. Yet, being the descendant of one of the Six Houses, there were more red tapes than she liked. Especially when it came to boys. Or girls. Or both at the same time. 

"Koadriana." Her father's voice came as he opened the door, walking in. He was similar to Parthorn in both build and facial features. He looked like a dashing young man in his early twenties with curly, shoulder-length black hair. "Damn it, girl, dress up already!" He shouted, seeing his daughter standing nakedly at the window. "Others may see you!" 

"Let them watch! They like it!" She countered, perfectly proud of her slim, fit, deeply tanned body accompanied by her glowing, deep-blue eyes.

"You…" Her father stumbled, not knowing what to do with her. She was always like this. They even caught her molesting one of the maids when she was only six. It was a constant battle to keep her… pure. Ultimately, her father, Tamuas, decided to place a seal on her daughter's chastity, ensuring that part of her at least remains… intact. 

"Booooo, I want to go out!" She rolled on her bed, bored to death. 

"You are going to have time to make friends at the Academy." Tamuas sighed, starting to clean up after his daughter. He just couldn't help it… she looked like his late wife, and he couldn't reprimand her in any way when he looked into her eyes. 

"Then take the seal off of me!" She pleaded, looking up at him, sprawled out on her bed.

"No!" He replied immediately. "It stays! I would have taken it off, but you are not bringing a husband home! You just goof around with different guys and girls all the time!"

"How would I know which is the perfect fit for me if I can't test them?" She answered, clicking her tongue. Her father's only response was nothing but rolling his eyes. "At least I won't go alone but with Lia!" 

"Well, you should not have stolen your grandfather's scepter!"

"It just collected dust anyway! What is the big deal? We are one family, are we not?"

"And you steal from family?" Tamuas asked, placing his hands on his waist. 

"Ugh… it was not stealing… She just wanted to borrow it to have some fun…." Koadriana protested weakly.

"This is why you go to school. Again! You need to re-learn some things, it seems! You may be 16, but you act like Lia, who is 11!"

"And you act like 40!"

"I AM 40!" He stomped in place before sighing and rubbing his face. "Look, kiddo! Just for once, please, be a good girl… and take care of your cousin while you are away. Okay?"

"That, I can do~," Koadriana said with a kind voice, prompting a smile. "I like that little whirlwind!"

"Good." Tamuas nodded, rubbing her head before going out of the room. As he was halfway through the door, he suddenly stopped, looking back over his shoulder. "Also, Aurora is going to accompany you two." He added, closing the door behind himself, hearing her daughter's wailing from the other side.