Author’s Notes:

This will be a short pov switch Chapter. Since it’s been a while since we last saw Ruvian’s family, I thought it would be nice to visit the Castelor household before heading back to the main plot ;)

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[Avina’s POV]

Avina Castelor was the first to wake that morning. Well, she always was. As the mother of the family, she rose before everyone else to prepare breakfast and take care of the morning chores.

The pale light of dawn slipped through the small window beside her bed, and she stared at the golden light spreading across the wall of her bedroom.

’It’s already morning.’

As she sat up from her bed, she took a moment to gaze at the person she loved most in the world, her husband, Dieren.

The man slept soundly, one arm draped over his chest. Avina looked at his hands, years of labor as a carpenter had left faint calluses there, and traces of old scars along his forearms.

Then there was the other occupant of the bed beside the man.

A tiny little girl.

Though her position was not what Avina expected.

Her feet were planted right on top of Dieren’s face, while the rest of her body occupied most of the pillows. She was hugging a chipmunk stuffed doll tightly, as if she never wanted to let go of it.

Avina shook her head slightly.

’Haa... this little girl of mine.’

Then, she carefully fixed Ciela’s sleeping posture before quietly leaving the room.

*****

The morning air greeted her as she opened the back door.

A cool breeze brushed against her skin while the first rays of sunlight peeked over the distant rooftops. Somewhere nearby, a rooster announced the arrival of a new day.

Then, she began her usual routine.

Fetching the water from the barrel, sweeping the front step and tidying the small living area before lighting the stove. Eventually, the gentle crackling of firewood filled the kitchen.

She kneaded the bread dough while a pot of stew warmed over the fire.

By the time the sun had risen a little higher, the house was beginning to fill with appetising scents. Satisfied with her progress, Avina wiped her hands on her apron and headed toward the front door.

That was when she froze, slightly shocked.

There was something resting on the doorstep.

’Huh? This wasn’t here last night?’

Avina frowned before picking up the letter.

She was certain that space had been empty before she went to bed. Besides, no letter should have ended up inside the house on its own. The courier would usually leave any correspondence on the doorstep for the homeowner to collect later.

And more than that, there was something unusual about the letter.

A faint purplish light shimmered along its edges, making it look expensive than anything usually addressed to the Castelor household. On top of it sat an official seal stamped in violet wax.

Avina turned the envelope over in her hands.

Even someone like her, who knew little about magic, could tell this was no ordinary letter — it was enchanted by a spell!

For all the records, the Castelor family had never received one before. Because this was very... very expensive. In fact, Avina doubted she had ever held one in her life.

Her brows slowly knitted together.

"Who would send something like this to us...?"

Her first thought was that there had been some kind of mistake. Perhaps the courier had delivered it to the wrong house.

Yet the possibility quickly vanished.

The envelope clearly bore the Castelor family name. She examined the elegant handwriting more carefully.

Mrs. Avina Castelor.

’Could it be...’

Then, she thought it was finally a letter from her son, who had somehow managed to go months without writing home after enrolling in the academy.

But then, she doubted that.

No matter how talented Ruvian might be, how could he possibly afford a letter like this? The cost alone was probably enough to buy several months’ worth of groceries!

She knew her son.

Ever since he was little, he had been careful with money. If given ten copper coins, he would spend one and somehow save the remaining nine. There was no way he would willingly waste such an extravagant amount on a simple letter home.

’Unless...’

Avina’s eyes widened slightly.

Perhaps the academy had sent it.

The thought did little to calm her nerves.

If the academy was contacting the family directly, then surely it had to be something important. Her fingers tightened around the envelope.

’Did something happen to Ruvian?’

A dozen unpleasant possibilities surfaced one after another. The more she thought about it, the faster her heart seemed to beat.

Then her gaze fell upon a smaller line written beneath the academy seal. It was easy to miss at first glance. Because the letters was much smaller than the recipient’s name!

Avina leaned closer.

Sender: Ruvian Castelor.

For a moment, her thoughts came to a complete stop. The morning breeze drifted through the open doorway, rustling her apron and brushing against her hair. Then slowly, very slowly, a warm, motherly smile began to appear. (+25PP)

Even the worry in her chest melted away.

Avina sighed.

"Haa... that son of mine. I see... It was from him. Took him long enough to send his mother a letter. I was beginning to think I’d never hear from him."

She pressed the letter against her chest and closed her eyes.

"But seriously... that boy, if I hadn’t received this today pr any later, I might’ve barged my way into the academy myself."

Then her eyes suddenly snapped open.

"Wait."

A look of alarm spread across her face.

"Don’t tell me the reason he’s been so busy all this time is because he finally found himself a girlfriend!?"

Unable to wait any longer, Avina carefully broke the violet seal.

The moment the wax cracked apart, the faint purple glow surrounding the envelope brightened slightly — tiny motes of light drifted into the air before slowly dissolving.

Carefully unfolding the parchment inside, her eyes quickly moved to the first line of the letter.

===============

Dear Mom,

First of all, I should probably apologize.

I know it has been quite a while since I last wrote home. The academy has kept me busier than I expected, so it took me some time to get used to the schedule here.

But I have been doing very well so there is no need to worry. I am learning a great deal about spells and magic lately, too. They are interesting in their own way. Though, I still have a long way to go before I can call myself a proper mage, but I think I am making good progress.

More importantly, how are things at home?

How are you, Father and Ciela? I hope you are all well.

There is also another matter I wanted to mention.

Regarding the academy fees and other expenses — there is no need to worry about them anymore.

I have already managed to settle everything on my side. The details are somewhat complicated to explain, but things have worked in a good way.

So please do not spend time worrying about money anymore.

===============

For a moment, Avina simply stared at the words.

"Eh? Settled? He had it settled already? How?"

The question slipped from her lips.

The academy fees were not a small amount. They had worried about them countless times. Even after his enrollment, the concern had never truly disappeared.

Yet it was already settled?

Avina lowered the letter slightly and stared into space. No matter how much she thought about it, she could not figure out how her son had managed it.

Eventually, she let out a small laugh.

"That boy..."

Even without knowing the details, a warmth spread through her chest. More than the money itself, she was relieved.

Relieved to know that he was doing better than she had feared.

She knew that Ruvian had always been dependable. If there was work to be done, he would do it. Because he had always been a hardworking child.

"I’m glad you’re doing well, sweetheart."

Then, she continued reading the next paragraph.

===============

In fact, by the time you receive this letter, I will most likely be participating in an academy practical examination. The academy will be sending us to a private island for ten days as part of the assessment.

So if possible, do wish me a little luck.

Lastly, I have prepared a few gifts for everyone.

===============

Soon, a ripple of violet light spread across the parchment.

"Hm?"

Before she could react, a small object suddenly emerged from thin air above the letter.

A pouch. (+75PP)

It dropped toward her hands.

"Ah!"

Startled, Avina instinctively caught it before it hit the floor.

The pouch was surprisingly heavy.

Her eyes widened.

"What in the world...?"

The violet glow lingered for a brief moment before fading away completely. Then new words slowly appeared beneath the last line of the letter.

===============

There should be 30 gold coins inside the pouch.

Please use them however you see fit. Consider it compensation for the several months I failed to write home.

That is all.

And of course, love you all.

──────── ✦ ────────

[Chapter 213: Your Son, Ruvian Castelor]

Plot Points= 19,330