Chapter 865: Old Friends (Ko-fi Bonus )

Chapter 865: Old Friends (Ko-fi Bonus Chapter)

Inside the gazebo by the small man-made lake in the backyard, old friends gathered and caught up, their conversations filled with joy and laughter. The atmosphere was lighthearted and warm.

The ethereal light from the twin moons bathed the beautifully maintained garden. As their glow touched the pond, it seemed to dance across the water’s surface, glittering with magic.

Eleiney, Aiden, and Arthur were present, getting to know their mentor’s childhood friends. Edward, Lisa, and Biden were naturally there.

Apart from them, two more people were also in attendance.

“Why didn’t you come meet me when you arrived in Ravenfell?” Daneli asked with an inquisitive gaze as he swirled the wine in his cup.

“If I had known, I would have sent some people over. I’m sure residing in my manor would have been much better than wherever it is that you’re staying currently,” he added.

“Haha, it’s quite alright,” Edward let out a light laugh. “Besides, the accommodation arranged for us by Saratoga is quite nice. We’ve got everything we need.”

“I see.” Daneli nodded ever so slightly. He then turned to Biden, who was the quietest one out of the bunch, and asked amicably, “And you, Biden, how are you liking Ravenfell so far?”

“It’s different from Caleport, I’ll tell you that,” said the young man. He took a small sip from his wine glass and added, “Hmm, how should I put it? If Caleport is the sun, then Ravenfell is the moon. Does that make sense?”

“…A fair analogy.” Daneli’s lips twitched a little. “I’ve traveled to Caleport in my youth. It is quite sunny there and the landscape is warm. The city has a modern architecture compared to most cities in Acadia.”

He paused, setting the empty wine cup down on the table. The next moment, a slender and fair hand grasped the wine bottle from the table and poured some wine into his cup.

Daneli gave a light nod of appreciation to the person sitting beside him before continuing, “Whereas the architecture here at Ravenfell is more traditional and gothic, reminiscent of the style the cities had in the olden days.”

“Indeed, I don’t think I’ve seen any city like Ravenfell during my recent travels.” Arthur nodded. He turned to his friend, Aiden, and asked, “What do you think?”

Aiden silently shook his head, enjoying the wine.

He and Arthur had gone to the Constantine Estate earlier in the day and managed to convince Rowan to give them a barrel of wine.

The man knew that they were Adam’s students, so he didn’t hesitate to go to the cellar and fetch one of the countless barrels stored there. He figured that his Master wouldn’t mind either.

“Speaking of your travels,” Lisa suddenly chimed in, turning her attention toward Adam’s students.

“Where did the three of you go? I remember you telling me you were away from Ravenfell for around five years, was it?” She asked, her emerald eyes flickering with curiosity.

Apart from Caleport and Acryon, she hadn’t visited many places in Ulier. So she would always feel intrigued listening to recounts of her friends traveling to the different towns and cities on the continent.

Back at the Tower, she almost always spent all her time studying the arcane or honing her fighting prowess under the guidance of her mentor, Marcella Ridley.

When asked the question, Arthur cast a secretive glance at Daneli, who was basically his senior within the organization, and noticed he was looking at him with a deadpan expression.

Luckily, Eleiney was quick to find an excuse. “Haha, you know, just here and there. Though we’ve mostly been traveling around the eastern coast.

“Mentor told us that if we wanted to become strong, then we would have to travel across the lands and find challenges to overcome.”

Aiden took a sip from the wine glass and added. “Yes, I think Mentor said something along the lines of, ‘sheltered flowers may know beauty, but only those who grow wild will learn the strength to weather the storm.'”

Arthur and Eleiney simultaneously nodded. They had thoroughly carved all of Adam’s teachings deep into their hearts.

Right at that moment, Daneli’s cold snort echoed in the air. “Hmph, sounds like something that drunkard would say. He’s got quite the poetic flair, after all.”

A melodious chuckle rang from beside him. The person covered their mouth and recalled Adam’s attempt at broken poetry the last time they met him.

“Oh, by the way, did you guys know?” Arthur’s eyes lit up when he thought of the unexpected person he and Aiden had met at Adam’s manor.

“What is it?” Edward asked curiously. He downed the entire wine in his glass and filled some more, eliciting a slightly displeased look from Lisa.

But he didn’t care. He was tasting wine brewed by Adam after so many years. He planned to thoroughly enjoy the night. And the wine, of course.

Arthur’s lips curled into a grin, and he continued, “Did you guys know that Mentor has an elder sister?”

“What?!”

Everyone present exclaimed in unison.

Suddenly, Edward thought of something and couldn’t help but mumble, “As far as I know, Adam’s parents had passed away when he was very young. I think he was no older than five at the time. And then…”

Suddenly, his eyes widened in surprise. He exchanged a stunned glance with Lisa, and they spoke in unison, “Anna!”

“I didn’t know Adam had an elder sister!” The person sitting beside Daneli leaned forward, finally revealing her appearance.

She was a beautiful elven young woman, with luscious golden waves cascading down her back and eyes that seemed to sparkle with the very vitality of Baja itself.

She shared a striking resemblance to Daneli.

It was none other than his twin sister, Atiel Ambermind.

“How rude of him not to share that with us.” She pursed her lips.

She turned to Arthur and gestured for him to continue, “Do tell us more, Arthur.”

Arthur’s heart skipped a beat when he realized Atiel was speaking to him. She was by far one of the most beautiful women he had ever laid eyes on.

His face instantly flushed red, and he found it difficult to find the words to speak. “Uh, yes, ehm… my sister, Adam… uhm, I mean, my father…”

Fortunately, Edward helped him out promptly, saving the young man from drowning in a pool of his own embarrassment.

“Well, I don’t think Anna is blood-related to him,” said the blue-eyed young man. “However, I can’t be sure about that.”

“Is that so?” Atiel tilted her head, thinking of something.

Then, she displayed a radiant smile that seemed to overshadow the splendor of the twin moons themselves.

“Then, how about we go meet her tomorrow?”

Before anyone could even answer, they suddenly heard the sound of footsteps coming towards them. Turning to the direction of the grand manor, they saw four young men approaching them.

None of them were familiar faces.

No, there was one.

They had gotten acquainted with him only a little while ago.

Edward rose from his seat and walked towards the edge of the gazebo. When he laid eyes on the person walking at the forefront, he let out an enthusiastic laugh.

“Kahaha, Mikar, there you are! I thought you’d already gone back to your quarters.”

Mikar Atkins stepped forward with a friendly smile and clasped the blue-eyed youth’s outstretched hand.

“Hope you don’t mind, Edward,” said he, “I’ve brought a few friends along with me.”

Edward grinned, then glanced at Kahn, Charlie, and Chris standing behind. His grin widened.

“Come, come, we’ve got plenty of wine!”

He paused, threw his head back, and laughed heartily.

“And I promise you, this is the best wine you’ll ever taste!”

6/6 Bonus chapters completed! A big thank you to Chaotic, Mike, Kryonic, and Emperorhunterr! I’m very grateful to you guys. All of you, please be sure to thank them in the comment section. Haaa, I can finally rest a little :)))))