"S-Stop talking nonsense, Father! And say, 'Why have you summoned me already!?'" Lia demanded.
"…" James remained silent.
"Wh-what!? Why are you making a face like you're about to cry!?" Lia continued, flustered.
"It's been so long since you called me Father! How could I not cry!?" James replied, mock-seriously.
"Wh-wha… I didn't say anything! You're just imagining things!" Lia protested.
James remembered the photo his subordinate had shown him earlier. Seeing his daughter smile after so long, today even calling him "Father," warmed his heart. All thanks to that boy…
Sigh~ in the end, should I accept him as my son-in-law… James muttered.
Lia's face immediately turned bright red.
"Wha-wha-what are you talking about!? Who would marry that stinky guy! Not to mention, he's a training maniac and barely talks!"
"Oh! What a coincidence! Aren't you two rather similar then? Could it be a match made in heaven?" James teased.
Her blush deepened, tomato-red.
"Oh! Come on! I'm leaving!" Lia shouted, trying to escape.
"Okay, okay! Wait! I'll talk about the main thing now, stop!"
Reluctantly, Lia stopped running.
"Th-then say it already; I have to train, humph," she grumbled.
She resembles her mother so much when she gets angry, sigh~ James thought.
He finally got serious. "So, the main thing I wanted to say is…"
"Hmm?" Lia tilted her head.
"Bring that boy Rio with you this weekend to meet me. I need to talk to him about something," James said firmly.
"What!? Why would I bring him!?" Lia objected.
"Just do as I say," James replied, calm but unwavering.
"But,"
"No excuses. Bring him, or I'll come myself," James threatened.
"O-okay… but why do you want to meet him?" Lia asked, confused.
"I must fulfill a promise I made to an old friend," James answered.
Though puzzled, Lia agreed reluctantly and left for her room.
After Lia departed, James' butler, who had been quiet until now, asked, "Master, are you really going to give 'that' to him?"
James nodded calmly. "Yeah, 'it' belongs to him anyway…"
Jold District – Arte's Starwatching Tower
Rio gazed at the evening sky. Slowly, a faint, hazy star appeared, visible even before the sun fully set.
It's time, he thought.
Moments later, a notification appeared before him:
[You have discovered the entrance to the hidden floor of Arte's Tower.]
[Would you like to enter?]
[Yes / No]
"Yes," Rio selected.
A blinding light enveloped him, and when it faded, he was gone.
Unlike teleportation magic that requires mana and circles, this method only needed a set mechanism and a medium,the individual's body. The star and tower acted as the mechanism, while Rio was the medium.
This ancient method had long been lost since the arrival of mana. Today, only history enthusiasts like Kira knew of its existence. Most of the world was unaware.
The Hidden Floor – Dilapidated Library
Rio opened his eyes to a decayed library. Most of the books remained intact, though written in a language he couldn't understand. Only someone knowledgeable, like Kira, could read them.
For history buffs, this is heaven. For me? Total waste of time, Rio thought, shaking his head.
He searched for the largest bookshelf and found it after a few minutes. He pulled a book labeled with a dead dragon, pierced by a spear with a star mark.
Rio carried the book to a statue in the library's center. The statue, resembling the legendary Dirham, held empty hands. Placing the book there, a mechanism activated.
He then slid the bookshelf aside, revealing a small room. A pure white stone floated in midair,the room was otherwise empty.
Rio ignored the surroundings and grabbed the stone, channeling his mana into it.
[Perfect-Rank Enhancement Stone discovered!]
[Effects: unknown]
[Would you like to use it?]
[Yes / No]
"Yes," Rio chose.
The stone crumbled to dust, releasing a steady, warm energy into Rio's body. It flowed all over him, leaving him strengthened and invigorated.
[Perfect-Rank Enhancement Stone absorbed successfully!]
[Hidden attributes, such as resistances, perception, reaction speed, etc., improved significantly.]
[Skill 'Body Strengthening' promoted from C+ to B-.]
[Resistance to physical and magical damage increased!]
As expected, coming here was the right choice, Rio thought.
He then activated a teleportation circle, returning to the tower's top floor.
The Ogre Encounter
No sooner had he arrived than Rio sensed danger from behind. He moved with incredible speed and narrowly avoided the attack. A massive ogre stood there, wielding a club that had smashed the floor where Rio had been.
I forgot,my sword broke during the fight with Link. Such bad luck, sigh~
The ogre swung again, but Rio easily dodged. Its attacks were too slow, but Rio knew this wasn't a permanent solution.
The ogre, frustrated by Rio's elusiveness, began moving faster, likely fueled by a berserk skill.
Should I finish this now? Let's end it. No point dragging it out…
Rio reached into his spatial ring and pulled out an ordinary wooden stick.
[Sword Aura: Sword Enhancement!]
[Lightning Strike!]
With a flick, he channeled the aura and lightning through the stick. The ogre froze, then collapsed,its head followed by its massive body.
I wish Lia was here to see how cool I am, sigh~ Rio thought with a smirk.