Danmachi - Infinite Mana System! - Chapter 168 - Altena 08.

[Chapter Size: 1800 Words.]
Third Person POV
Altena.

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...

Two weeks had passed. Lucius was gazing at the city at night, listening to the faint sound of footsteps from below, softened by the great height of the skyscrapers in Altena.

The city never slept, and they had only confirmed that in the past weeks as they settled into their own routines in Altena.

He sat on the balcony of his apartment, sipping some wine on one of the city's uppermost floors, enjoying the view, when he heard a soft murmur. Someone was stirring, looking for him in bed.

Riveria sat up when she couldn't find him. Still sleepy, she glanced towards the balcony of the bedroom, where he sat. Wrapping herself in a blanket, she approached Lucius.

"Why did you leave the bed? Aren't you sleepy?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she drew closer.

"I was thinking about some things and lost sleep," he said, his eyes still fixed on the city.

"Are you still thinking about the research on Athena's magical artifacts?" she inquired as she stepped closer.

"Yes... You know... Athena lacks the runic knowledge I possess. Even with what we acquired from Antares’ prison, they still only have a fragment of the runes. That knowledge comes from another city in the abandoned world, but it's still limited, preventing them from accomplishing much. And yet, they don't even know how to use the runes they already have..." Lucius said in a calm tone.

"You know you're an exception, right? Even I can't use those runes. The knowledge is useless in my hands. But you still haven't answered why you're so restless," she noted, sitting beside him as the sounds of the city and the night wind began to fill her ears. She raised an eyebrow again, noticing him drinking at such an hour.

"I was thinking about the possibilities. I can transform Athena's artifacts myself, create revolutionary things... I could even change people's lives in this world," Lucius said, smiling at Riveria as his gaze fell back onto the city.

"What do you mean by that?" Riveria looked at him, surprised by his words.

"During our travels... we saw how full of problems the world is. We found impoverished villages, small war-torn countries, people unable to feed themselves because their lands are infertile... and unable even to approach the forest because the elves won't allow humans there," Lucius remarked. They had seen such places during their months of wandering. He was now referring to the forest they had secretly entered to access the elves' library. Humans near the forest faced immense difficulties, unable to draw close for food or water as the elves guarded it fiercely.

"Do you simply want to force the elves to give up the forest?" Riveria asked cautiously. There were things she could not condone, and Lucius understood that.

"You misunderstood me. I know the forest is preserved today because of the care your people have for it. What I want is to help in human territories, to create devices that can make life easier for everyone, you see," Lucius explained.

"Do you really think you can do that? Aren't you full of plans already? You live like a mortal—you shouldn't focus on just one thing?" Riveria said, watching as Lucius smiled.

"Yes... But who said I can't focus on that after stabilizing my magical tower in Orario and building portals? Not just for the dungeon but also for travel and connecting the entire world," Lucius replied.

"I can't say you'll need more than that to change the world, Lucius, but if you say you believe in it, then I believe in you..." she said. Riveria deeply trusted that Lucius could achieve incredible things for this world.

"I'll call it the Great Age of Magic," Lucius said with a smile as his thoughts wandered into the future.

"Don't you think Athena could help you as well? You seem to keep her in the dark about everything," Riveria asked. Although she disliked the idea of Lucius sharing too much, she still wanted to understand why he held back. Athena, after all, would be an excellent sponsor.

"I’ll tell her about the portal before we leave. She only asked me to train her family, so I’m not willing to do much more," Lucius said calmly.

"But she’s trying..." Riveria remarked.

"Are you jealous? It’s not my fault. She was shocked when I put two dozen house elves to work copying the entire library and now wants to know exactly how my powers work," he replied.

"Just like every mage in the world..." she murmured, knowing that ever since the news of Lucius Drakenar residing in the city had spread, even people from outside Altena had come flocking to him. They were all kinds of people but primarily magic users. They constantly requested an audience with Lucius, desperate to become his apprentice, study him, ask for his blood, and even stranger requests—like having his children. The latter was the oddest, as if he would just give away his lineage.

"Being considered the greatest mage in the world can be quite troublesome. Luckily, Athena’s family is handling most of that for me," he said calmly, and Riveria nodded in agreement.

"Such behavior is normal. Throughout history, anyone who rises above the mortal world draws worldwide attention. Worse things could happen," she said, almost making Lucius worry.

"You’ll have to protect your husband from women trying to sleep with him," he laughed, and she shook her head.

"Lyarra and little Julius will be safe," she said with a smile, playing along.

"You still remember that..." he chuckled, recalling the incident on the eighteenth floor of the dungeon.

"Of course, I almost killed you out of sheer embarrassment," she said, crossing her arms.

"Speaking of that, elves have some difficulty conceiving... don’t they?" he asked.

"Yes... It’s no wonder I was my father’s only child in the last 100 years," she replied.

"Well, I don’t think we’ll have that problem," he said.

"What do you mean?" she asked, looking at him.

"I think our future is full of children," he said, picking up his glass and finishing the rest of his wine.

"I don’t think that would be a bad thing, then..." she remarked, placing her hand on her stomach. Becoming a mother was a dream of hers.

"Lyarra and Julius might have many siblings. Speaking of which, I’ve heard rumors from some people outside the city. It’s no surprise, really; everyone already knows the elven princess is in a romantic relationship with a human..." he said.

"Yes... my father already knows about our relationship," she admitted, her tone filled with a rare worry Lucius had never seen in her before.

"You don’t have to worry. I’ll deal with your people. Unless, of course, you regret all of this..." he said, watching her closely, searching her eyes for any trace of doubt. Their relationship was forbidden among her people, shocking to anyone in the world.

She simply smiled. "It’s a little late to think about that. When I gave myself to you and, as an elf, decided we would be together forever, I made my choice. I’m by your side, and there’s no doubt in my eyes, and you know that," she said firmly.

"Well, then your father will have no choice but to tolerate me and our children," he said, then added:

"But this is also something we can’t avoid. We must visit the Elven Kingdom. After all, when we leave Altena, we’re bound to have many elves coming after us. So it’s better to meet your father than to wait for his hounds to come after us," Lucius said, making Riveria shiver slightly at the thought.

"Alright, I agree with you," she murmured.

"We’ll travel to a few more places and then return to Orario after meeting your father... I have a feeling something is about to happen to the city of Orario," he murmured.

Lucius no longer had a clear understanding of the future, as his knowledge of this world had been limited after the event involving the Xenos. Now, he was blind to what might happen. Moreover, he knew he could no longer trust that knowledge, even if he still had it, since his very presence in the world had altered the future. He needed to rely on his abilities to face the challenges and problems yet to come.

Riveria, although curious about Lucius' feelings, asked no further questions. She stayed by his side until he pulled her closer, holding her as they gazed at the city together. Occasionally, they talked about lighter and more random topics—something normal for a couple. This continued until dawn, when the first rays of sunlight illuminated the towers of Altena. Lucius and Riveria were ready to start the day.

Without any surprises, they prepared quickly. Riveria donned a beautiful cloak, while Lucius adjusted his attire. Throughout the day, they would spend some time together while Lucius attended to certain tasks. Riveria planned to visit the library or the magical artifact workshop to check on the dimensional pouch—an artifact she believed had the potential to revolutionize logistics within the dungeons. Even though it was small, it could greatly increase efficiency for raid groups, especially for her family.

As they left the apartment, Lucius already sensed a presence waiting for them on the other side of the door. When he opened it, he raised an eyebrow at the girl standing there.

He stood there, staring at the familiar figure for a few seconds. "You’re here again," he remarked, already used to this scene.

In recent days, the red-haired girl—none other than Victória Roadster—had been showing up at the same time, waiting for him. Sometimes, he would simply teleport away, vanishing and leaving her to wait all day.

"I’m here to accompany Master Lucius," she said with determination.

"I don’t recall ever making you my apprentice. No matter how much you insist, stop calling me Master..." Lucius replied.

"I still believe the Master might change his mind. I’m here to insist! I’d be the best apprentice the Master could have," the girl retorted with conviction.

She had repeated that phrase countless times, and Lucius sighed while Riveria, standing beside him, watched the scene without interfering, already accustomed to the redhead’s persistence.

Over the past few days, the girl had begun calling Lucius "Master," as if hoping her sheer persistence would eventually make him relent and accept her as his apprentice.