Ambient Mage

What was that?

Aurelia von Liebenheim Svarmet.

Lucas von Svarmet.

Me, her husband?

It felt so foreign in my mouth after hearing it from a god.

"Did you see that too, Lucas?"

Charlotte spoke, waking me from my daydream.

"Sorry, sorry."

I pulled apart the chain that I had used to keep her pinned to the ground.

"I forgot I was even tied up, I saw something incredible."

"Really? What did you see?"

I wanted to know if a god had contacted her.

"I saw a wheel, and some stars."

So maybe the god of blacksmithing and Nyx?

"Really?"

"Yeah, what did you see?"

I didn't know if I should be honest or lie about my encounter with a god, so for now, until Nyx tells me I am allowed to, I won't speak of our conversations.

"I saw a field of stars too, but I didn't see any wheel."

"I see, that's interesting."

She spoke as she dusted herself off.

She began to tell me about her fascinating journey in Nyx's realm as we walked back to camp.

***

When we returned to camp we were greeted by many, for relieving them of the mind control.

Some were unhappy being pulled out of their dream, and others became a little depressed.

Overall, the camp's populace was happy.

As I left to Rose's office to begin my next mission, I saw Aura.

The sight of her sent my mind reeling.

I felt like I was pushed back into the world of Nyx's.

She must've notice the look on my face.

She started towards me with a concerned look on her face, and all I could muster was a face that resembled a hostage trying to smile with a gun in their face.

"Lucas are you okay?"

"You didn't sustain any mental hits did you?"

"No."

Well, I did, but Nyx's healing magic made me fresh mentally and physically.

Also there was no need to worry her unnecessarily.

"Lucas what happened?"

She cupped my face with her hands.

"Wife."

Is all I was able to muster out.

I was feeling more and more bogged down.

I felt like I was sinking in a mire that made you lose the ability to resist.

I watched as the world fell apart once more.

"perhaps..... .....my power.... ..... too much....."

I felt my mind lifted.

What was happening?

"Aura?"

"Shh. You idiot."

"Not in public remember?"

"Sorry, sorry."

"Are you sure you didn't take any mental attacks?"

'No Mommy, Daddy didn't take any mental damage, I can feel it.'

'Thank you my precious daughter.'

Aura and Alea were getting along as I'd hoped.

In the future we'd make a nice family.

Weird.

It feels as if I forgot something.

***

*Rose's Pov*

He's back.

I had ot prepare a good welcome back surprise.

So I decided to make the camp welcome him back.

On top of that, he should be taking control of the camp now.

My door slammed wide open.

"Hey Rose."

I saw Lucas standing there with his hand on the open door.

"Lucas."

I wasn't ready.

I jumped out of my chair.

I needed to distract him from the mess of paperwork I hadn't finished.

"Lucas, are you ready take over? Or did you want to take on another mission yet?"

I really hoped he wasn't ready to become admin yet.

The work I hadn't finished was an embarrasment to myself and my family.

"No, no Rose, I'm here to see you."

Ah.

What?

My cheeks got warm.

"So where are you going now?"

I steered the conversation away from me.

"Trying to forcefully change topics huh?"

"Well, we still need to take care of the Tyrant in the colosseum."

I hated the smug smile on his face.

But I quickly lost any anger, as I realized he was right.

The Tyrant was a massive problem.

"What do we know so far Lucas?"

"Three of it's eyes are open, and it's fifth one is destroyed by my hands."

"Is it possible the eye healed?"

"No I stabbed it so no matter the food, unless the monster ascends to 7th tier the wound will remain."

I sighed a sigh of relief.

"I assume the eye of foresight is closed still?"

"Yes, because it hasn't engaged in battle, the eye is closed."

"So which eye is the one destroyed?"

"The annihilation eye."

"Good, I saw you stab one of them, but I couldn't tell which, and neither could Aisha."

"Anything else?"

"The minotaur should still be alive in the arena too, provided the tyrant hasn't killed or eaten it."

"Let's hope it has."

I was optimistic.

"Anyways, Rose, how are you doing?"

"Not too bad I hope."

He was seriously doing this now?

"Enough, get out."

I told him to leave.

With that he left.

I twirled my hair around my index finger and thumb and pinched it.

Anything to distract from his words.

***

*Luca's Pov*

Rose was too cute not to tease.

"Not too bad I hope."

She pouted.

It was seriously adorable.

"Enough Lucas, get out and start preparing for the trip or I'll tell Aurelia all about your flirts."

I put my hands up in surrender.

"Alright."

I walked out of the office feeling good about my teasing of Rose.

I began to move towards my room to begin packing for my trip to the arena center.

As I entered I found a very vulnerable Aura.

'Daddy, Mommy is resting right now and-'

'Daddy knows, so don't wake her.'

I held her hand with one hand and carressed her face with the other.

"Wow, Lucas, you're way closer to Aura than me, but right in front of me?"

Charlotte's voice.

"Charlotte?"

"Yeah, I figured you'd come see her after you got back."

"Sorry Charlotte."

"No, don't be, I just want my time with you too."

"Everytime either of you have gotten hurt or been tired, you have been together, but what about me?"

She looked a little hurt, abandoned.

I looked at the floor, unable to meet her accusing eyes.

"I also...."

I stared at her face.

"I also want to be petted to, you know?"

She said quieter than ever.

I stood up from the chair next to the bed, and moved to the one in the corner of the room.

I pulled Charlotte into a hug and sat down with her in my lap, and began to stroke her head.

"Lucas.."

"Sh."

I quieted her as Aura was still sleeping.

I held her waist with my left arm, and reached up to stroke the top of Charlotte's head.

I watched as her ears and cheeks turned red while I continued my brushing of her hair.

Eventually she started to lean back onto me.

And then she fell asleep too.

Things were peaceful.

And the second night in the dungeon passed.

***

As I opened my eyes I saw two beautiful ladies lying next to me.

The bed.

I guess Aura woke up in the middle of the night and the two made a comprimise over my body.

'Isla?'

'Yes, master?'

'Did I miss anything from yesterday?'

'Did you mean after the meeting with a god, or after you fell asleep?'

I missed something after my meeting with Nyx?

'What happened after I met Nyx?'

'The goddess gave you a ring for Aurelia and yourself.'

'She did?'

'Yes, it exists here within my mind palace.'

'Woah.'

'So what about after I fell asleep?'

'Well, Mistress Aurelia woke up and half awake pulled your arms towards her.'

Right she can't really sleep without me can she?

'It woke mistress Charlotte when she did, leading both to properly wake up.'

'In the end they comprimised to sleep with you and extend the size of the bed.'

Wow.

I guess they don't really fight over me anymore, which is good.

But I'm not sure how they managed to both keep me asleep, and keep Isla and Alea quiet as well.

It was sneaky, but seeing their faces as I woke, was really nice.

I got up, careful not to disturb their sleep.

I began to pack and think about who I would take with me.

Naturally the team I took could only consist of 5th tier combatants, and 4th tier supports.

Any less would mean deaths.

Therefore I put together a team.

Aisha and Sister Annastasia would support the 6 of us.

Claudia, Charlotte, Aurelia, another 5th tier boy, Aldex, and a girl Remia.

We had a healthy team composition of casters and swordsmen.

Both long range and short range.

Overall this elite unit consisting of those five and myself, were going to be the combat unit.

Naturally, the support unit had to be small in order to move agilely, as well as be strong enough to protect themselves.

Sister Annastsia can heal, buff, and protect herself via clairvoyance.

Aisha was a tank and was a healer, not to mention her defense magic was superb.

Claudia, Aurelia and Aldex made up the caster line up.

The attributes were space, light, lightning, metal, and the 4 basic elements.

Charlotte, Remia, and I made up the swordsmen line up.

The auras' presented here, were of the attributes of holy, light, and fire.

The auras' also had the attributes of regality, sharpness, and murderous.

With this Rose checked our setup and cleared us to go.

We made sure to get everything we needed.

I assured the 7 of them, no one would die, and by the end of the battle, we would be home.

Which was true considering that the professors finally found enough 8th tier beings to feel comfortable breaking into a dungeon with a 7th tier beast, although I had killed it already.

The 8 of us began the long trek back to the center.

"Hey Lucas, doesn't this feel nostalgic?"

Aisha said to me.

"Yeah, it reminds me of when we first got here."

Charlotte jumped in.

"Then we met you just a little further away, and we decided to face the minotaur there."

"And Harry voted against you being leader because he thought Charlotte wouldn't use him as bait."

We all laughed again.

Except for Aldex, and Remia who thought we were monsters for that joke.

We ended up explaining why it was so funny, and they also ended up laughing by the end of the story.

Finally we arrived at the colosseum.

I could see the entrance.

Behind the open arch leading into the arena, I saw the tyrant.

It still only had 3 eyes open.

It wasn't healed from the little wounds I had inflicted, but it did look like they were better at least.

"Remeber team, we cannot allow the tyrant to lose aggro on us, and therefore, we must keep attacking so our support is not targeted."

With that I sent Aisha and Annastasia up to the spectator stands.

Aurelia, Charlotte, and I stood on one exit.

Claudia, Aldex, and Remia stood on the other.

I pulled out the comm orb everyone had.

"3....."

"2....."

"1....."

"Go."

We all kicked off from the entrance, and the tyrant immediately sprung into action as well.

As if expecting our fight.

He didn't even have his 4th eye, yet he was still dodging attacks.

Fortunately the 4th eye cannot predict anything about itself.

I moved towards the beast.

It lunged at me, fast as ever, wings creating gusts of air in their wake as the tyrant tried to cleave me in half.

Unfortunately for him, I had faced the pressure of a 7th tier beast, and as a result gained a god's blessing and rose my mana quality and amount.

I was still not his equal, but I was ni longer the pushover I was when I first started to fight this beast.

"Lucas, now."

Aura used wind magic to propel me up.

I came down with a heavy slash towards the eye of clairvoyance.

By mere stroke of bad luck, I missed cutting the other eye of his beneath the 4th eye.

His magic.

Worse more, the magic eye wasn't cut deep either.

This was going to be a drawn out battle.