"Do as you please,"
Ivan was indifferent to this.
He had no desire to meet Earl Hobson, either. After witnessing the destuctive might on the island, his reverence for the power and authority wielded by nobles diminished, while his yearning and ambition for the power of sorcerers grew stronger.
Ignoring Pearney's eager entreaties, Ivan insisted on returning home first.
In the Marichadon family, Peggy was pruning the low shrubbery in the courtyard when she heard a noise at the gate. She looked up to see a familiar figure standing there, blinking hard, thinking she had seen wrong.
Ivan, watching his sister's stunned expression, smiled and waved.
"I'm back, Peggy."
"Welcome back, Brother Ivan."
Peggy, now certain she wasn't mistaken, hastened to open the door. She stood in front of Ivan somewhat awkwardly, wanting to greet him more warmly but restrained by the decorum expected of a lady.
Ivan gently patted her head.
Seeing someone messing with a lady's hair again, Peggy huffed and pummeled him with two light punches.
The reunion after more than two months was filled with an indescribable depth of sibling affection.
Only Peggy and Aunt Kasey were at home, Sean's whereabouts unknown, and their father and Paul had taken the mercenaries on a mission and had not returned.
It was then that Ivan learned that Beaman had left home nearly a month ago to seek his fortune in the Capital City of the Aromatic Wheat Dukedom, 'Fragrant Stalks City,' hoping to secure a place in the reserve of the Glory Knights Order.
Peggy, who made a new discovery, couldn't help but ask, "Brother Ivan, how did your hair grow so fast, and why is there so much blue in it?"
"You wouldn't understand if I told you,"
Ivan said vaguely. Now his hair was mostly brown with hints of dark blue mixed in, longer than shoulder length and tied back with a string—an influence of the Curse of Demon's Resentment.
"I wouldn't have asked if you were going to talk like that," Peggy didn't trouble her brother further, instead turning her attention to his clothes, "That's a sorcerer's robe, isn't it? I've heard about them."
"This is a sorcerer apprentice's robe."
Peggy carefully pinched the fabric, somewhat disappointed, "It's quite plain, doesn't look mysterious at all."
She always seemed so serious, but apparently, she was a curious little thing.
Ivan laughed and replied, "Like I said, you wouldn't understand. It's made from the softest skin of a sea beast called 'Silver Bone Ray.' Warm in winter, cool in summer, dust-repellant, breathable, and waterproof. Considered a rare treasure in the Aromatic Wheat Dukedom."
Ivan took a glance at the black layer on the ground and then at the dense flying swarm, unable to help his astonishment at their prolific breeding abilities. He remembered clearly, there used to be far fewer of them.
Feeling like he had settled another score, he unapologetically began collecting the insect eggs and larvae; the larvae floated in the water nearby in a dense mass. He collected a jarful of each and another jar for the dozen or so adults he had snatched by hand earlier before turning to leave the cave.
The Marichadon family.
By mid-afternoon, Sean returned home in high spirits.
"Peggy, Peggy, listen to me, I have big news."
"Sean! Who let you skip coming home at noon? Do you know who has come back?"
Upon hearing Peggy's scolding, Sean instantly wilted like a frostbitten eggplant, thinking his father had returned and that he was in for it.
Peggy glared at him, "What's that look for? Hurry and go see Brother Ivan."
"Who?" Sean, startled, sprung up and rushed to another room, pushing the door open to see a long-haired figure in a strange robe, "Ah, who are you?"
"Sean, you've grown bolder."
Ivan, having heard the commotion, approached within a few steps and gave his brother a knock on the head.
As the old saying goes, "strike while the brother is young."
The force of it made Peggy, who followed behind, cringe in sympathy, secretly thinking it was a good hit.
Sean's expression wilted for a moment before he began gesticulating excitedly, "You don't know, I saw with my own eyes a powerful sorcerer catching a Silver Bone Ray with his bare hands, the one known as the 'Silver Blade Ship Slayer.' So long and so big, it was amazing.
Don't disbelieve, that captured Silver Bone Ray is still on display in the government square, you can go see if you don't believe me, I guarantee you've never seen anything like it."
Seeing his face filled with excitement and admiration, Ivan felt too embarrassed to tell his brother that he had caught it by chance, and catching it with bare hands was impossible.
"Ivan, someone from the City Lord's Residence has come to invite you," Aunt Kasey's voice rang out.
Ivan came to the front yard and found a butler-like person, with two guards standing at the gate.
"Lord Marichadon, Earl Hobson and Miss Pearney invite you to a banquet tomorrow."
Ivan received a gold-embossed invitation from the butler's hand, indeed inviting him to the afternoon banquet the next day. He also noticed the two guards outside were surreptitiously sizing him up, a sense of inexplicable respect in their gaze.
Without much thought, Ivan casually accepted, "Okay, I will be there on time."
After all, he and Pearney had shared adversity, and giving this face was due. The invitation also mentioned the possible attendance of two important personalities.