"You two, especially you, Luke, don't drag your brother and wife along any longer," Maximus advised.
A few hundred years ago, Sam and Luke married Valentine and Nora.
While Sam and Valentine married in confusion, Luke and Nora entered their marriage with entirely different feelings.
Nora married Luke for the sake of a marriage alliance, treating herself as a sacrifice, a transaction for the betterment of the Fritz Family.
Meanwhile, Luke unknowingly developed feelings for Nora.
Unfortunately, his love was unrequited. To Nora, everything was merely a transaction.
Although she was respectful and willing to do everything a wife should, Luke could see in Nora's eyes that she felt nothing for him.
The very rationality in her gaze, the trait that had initially captivated him, now stood as a barrier between them.
Seeing those same rational eyes turned against him, Luke was devastated.
Delaying his training, Luke began devoting himself to wooing his wife, hoping to make her fall in love with him.
Unfortunately, even after hundreds of years, Nora remained indifferent.
"Husband, stop this. Listen to Father. I am forever yours. No matter what you want, I would gladly offer it to you, even my life," Nora said, holding Luke's hands.
"But—" Luke looked into Nora's eyes, still as distant as ever.
What he wanted was true love, the kind shared by his father and brothers.
Although Nora called him "husband" and would do everything he asked—even to the extent of giving up her life—Luke knew she only acted out of duty and sacrifice, not love.
If that was the case, what was the difference between Nora and the mechanical robots he had created?
Because of this, Luke had even begun to loathe the machines he once loved.
Why couldn't Nora be more disobedient, shout, and fight with him like Valentine did? Why couldn't she disagree with him if she truly didn't want something?
Feeling the weight in his heart, Luke sank into a state of confusion.
"Luke—" his father's voice broke through his thoughts, pulling him back to the present.
"As your father, I'm here to tell you this: if things aren't as you wish, then change them. If you can't do it now, do it later. With our endless time and life, don't be too impatient."
"At a time like this, you should prioritize your strength over everything. Relationships can be cultivated later. Right now, there are far more important things to focus on."
"That was in the past. Now, I have as many as you need."
Maximus still had an extra quota of 30 million strands of causality that he couldn't use himself.
That amount was more than enough to help his family nourish their streams of knowledge.
Hearing that they could have as many strands of causality as they wanted, smiles blossomed on their lips.
Knowing a disaster was about to descend upon the Aeon Plane, they felt a heightened sense of urgency.
Furthermore, the stronger they became, the more they could harvest in the Virtual Trial, giving them a critical edge in the future.
"Don't you want to rest for a few years?" Maximus asked.
"No, we've only been in seclusion for a thousand years. We'll have plenty of time to rest once we're strong enough."
The experience they had gained in the Source of Knowledge paled in comparison to what they had just done.
"Then continue your training. But at least take a few days off," Maximus suggested, pulling his wives into a warm embrace.
Having not seen them for a thousand years, Maximus misses them dearly.
Smiling, his wives nodded, looking at him affectionately.
Even his children decided to take a few days off, rushing out to enjoy themselves.
---
Soon, a few days turned into months, then years.
A few days were not nearly enough to make up for the thousand years they had been apart.
Training and cultivation could wait.
Furthermore, Maximus manipulated his system to nourish their streams of law during this time.
Although it was slightly slower than active cultivation, it was far better than exhausting themselves.
After enjoying themselves to their hearts' content, his wives and children eventually returned to seclusion. Meanwhile, Etheria began weaving her River of Law into the Etherium Realm.
Maximus, on the other hand, teleported to the Source of Knowledge to inform the old scholars that he no longer needed Ether Refiners.
With his Origin Coins not keeping up with consumption, it was time to create an Ether forge to replenish them.