Chapter 33: Go for it, Brother-in-law 10

Slan snatched the paper and examined it carefully. Though still skeptical, he rolled it up all the same. "I never expected you to graduate so early. I’ll keep this diploma for you for now; we can frame it and hang it on the wall later."

Nightfeather replied with a hint of smugness, "There’s no one left in the academy who can beat me. The headmaster had no choice but to let me graduate."

Just then, a servant brought a set of cutlery and placed it before Nightfeather.

Slan frowned slightly, but his brow soon smoothed out. "Now that you’ve graduated, what are your plans?"

Nightfeather looked at Slan warily. "Can’t you let me rest for a few days and relax?"

Slan was blunt. "I had originally intended for you to stay at the Magic Academy as a teaching assistant, but since you’ve already graduated, it seems you have no interest in that. I will write a letter of recommendation, and tomorrow you will go to the royal palace to serve as a magic apprentice."

Ignoring Nightfeather’s groans, he continued, "You can learn a great deal there. Stop looking for trouble every day; the mages there are far more formidable than those at the academy. That’s settled. Now, eat."

Impressive. Slan was unexpectedly decisive. Xining had been worried that adding another male supporting character would disrupt the plot, but Slan had solved it in one stroke.

He seemed so capable, so why was he always losing his composure over Maria?

It must be true love. Experience told Xining that having the female lead’s halo could make any man blind.

She kept her head down and ate, saying nothing. After all, this was the Gamio family, and it was a matter between two brothers.

A new day began. At breakfast, she saw Nightfeather with a long face. Once breakfast concluded, Slan went to write the letter. After it was written, a servant would take it and, by carriage, escort Nightfeather to the royal palace.

The Gamio family was the premier magical lineage, even older than the kingdom itself. Through the ages, every king had, to some extent, relied on the support and aid of the Gamio family. Thus, even if Nightfeather’s magic was a disaster, as long as he could light a candle with a magic wand, the king would accept him as an apprentice.

Seeing Nightfeather’s clear displeasure, Slan chose to ignore it, and Xining just focused on her meal.

In truth, Slan was doing the right thing. As the second son of the family, unable to inherit the title of patriarch, one must either strike out on their own or rely on the charity of the eldest brother. To put it bluntly, without ambition, one would only remain on the estate as a useless parasite.

Nightfeather clearly had high latent talent. Becoming an apprentice at the palace was the best path to becoming a formal mage. Even if he didn't stay to serve the crown, he would be "gold-plated." If he later sought employment as a household mage or a private consultant, his starting point would be far higher than those ordinary mages who braved the elements for a few silver coins while following mercenary bands.

Looking at Slan, who was so capable and resolute, she wondered again: why was he so muddled when it came to Maria?

Well, it must be true love.

***

While they were still at breakfast, the sky outside suddenly darkened. By the time they finished, the clouds were thick, and rain began to pour.

Seeing that it wouldn't stop anytime soon, it seemed Nightfeather would have to depart tomorrow.

Watching Nightfeather’s long face retract and a smile creep onto his lips, Xining truly wondered if fate was helping him or if he had conjured the rain himself.

As the rain continued, Xining borrowed a book and sat by her room's window to read. Jasmine laid out a rug nearby and sat on it, busy with needlework.

A knock sounded at the door, and the rhythm told her exactly who it was.

Xining stood up to open it. "Brother-in-law, is something the matter?"

Upon hearing her address Slan as brother-in-law, Jasmine glanced at them, gathered her sewing, and quietly slipped out.

Slan entered the room, pacing back and forth with his scepter; he clearly had something on his mind.

"Brother-in-law, could you please stop? You’re pacing back and forth, and you’re making me dizzy," Xining called out.

Slan finally stopped, looking anxious. "Maria is living in a cave now. What are we to do?"

Xining’s expression was strange. What kind of drama was Maria pulling now? According to the original plot, Maria ran into a cave to cultivate after her clothes were torn. But back then, the original host was already dead, and the Pompard Estate had been destroyed.

Now that the Pompard Estate was perfectly fine, why was she running off to a cave?

Xining blinked. "Why did my sister go to a cave?"

Slan’s handsome face showed distress. "She must be trying to temper her will, which is why she went to the cave to cultivate. She must be angry... the cave is so harsh... No, I must bring her back."

"Brother-in-law!" Xining quickly intercepted him, fearing he might use magic to teleport away. She grabbed the sleeve of his wide magical robe. "Don't be so hasty."

They had just fought yesterday. Even if she ran off in a fit of pique, she had only spent one night there, and Slan was already distraught. If that wasn't true love, nothing was!

She couldn't let Slan indulge Maria’s constant antics. More importantly, if Maria didn't suffer a bit, the contrast between her current hardships and the luxury she would enjoy once she was pregnant and brought to the Gamio estate wouldn't be as stark.

Without comparison, there is no pain. Only by having experienced the cold would she truly feel the dependence brought by being well-fed, well-clothed, and well-cared for.

***

Xining dared not let go. "Even if you drag her back, she won't be grateful to you, and she won't marry you."

"Then what should I do?" When it came to Maria, Slan’s intellect plummeted instantly. He was completely lost, showing none of the resolve he had when planning his brother’s future.

Xining thought for a moment. "Let my sister struggle for a bit. If she cultivates and still can’t beat you, she will give up. You don't need to scour the mountains and plains to find her. Trust me, she will come back to challenge you again. It won't be too late to keep her then."

Hearing this, Slan calmed down, thinking she had a point. Finding someone was unlikely, and while he knew she was in a cave, he didn't know which mountain or which cave. Rather than searching, it was better to wait for her to come to him.

Reflecting on his earlier agitation, Slan smiled sheepishly. "I didn't think it through. Thank you for the reminder, Miss Su Yun!"

"We’re all family now, no need for such formalities." Xining’s words made the clouds vanish from Slan’s jewel-like eyes, and they sparkled once more.

Xining sighed. Such a fine man—what was Maria even playing at?

Slan exchanged a few more polite words and left.

No sooner had Slan departed than Nightfeather appeared—Jasmine hadn't even had a chance to return.

Nightfeather flashed into the room and stood before Xining.

He was incredibly fast. Xining pretended not to notice and calmly turned a page of her book. "Master Nightfeather, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Nightfeather sat on the windowsill, one long leg propped up, clutching his scepter in his arms as he watched her for a long time.

Xining just kept reading. Let him watch; he could watch all he wanted. The original host wasn't as ethereal as Maria, nor did she have her curves. Unless he had a brain injury or a very peculiar taste, he wouldn't be interested in a host who still acted like a child.

Nightfeather stared intently, but seeing that she remained completely unruffled, he spoke with a hint of malice. "What kind of conspiracy are you up to?"

Xining looked up, shifting her gaze from the book to Nightfeather’s equally handsome but far more flamboyant face. "Speak like a human being!"