The air in the Altavis family estate buzzed with quiet anticipation. Tomorrow, Kazien and his future spouse, the High Elf Alvin, were leaving for the Royal Capital.
In Kazien's spacious chamber, the packing process was in full swing, though carried out with a strange mix of meticulousness and casual conversation.
"Our journey will take about six days until we arrive at the royal capital."
Alvin, perched elegantly on the edge of the large bed, adjusted a small, intricate travel case. "That's quite a long time, isn't it? But my dear, why don't we just ride Lidaz and Roviz?" he suggested, referencing the Altavis family's magnificent, winged steeds.
Kazien straightened up, his expression firm. "Wouldn't our presence be very conspicuous? I don't want us to be the center of attention."
Alvin's delicate brow furrowed with annoyance. He knew Kazien was trying to keep a low profile, but sometimes his fiancé's obliviousness was genuinely irritating.
"You stupid husband-to-be!" Alvin scoffed. "Don't you realize? My figure will also be the center of attention of many people!"
Kazien froze, the realization hitting him like a physical blow. He had completely forgotten. Alvin was a High Elf, a race of such breathtaking beauty and rarity that his presence alone would cause a stir far greater than any carriage. His golden-yellow hair, mint green eyes, and ethereal grace were the definition of conspicuous.
Yet, even faced with this undeniable truth, Kazien still didn't want to ride the winged steeds. He had an internal plan—a desire for a private, undisturbed journey that went beyond just avoiding attention.
Alvin watched his fiancé's internal struggle and, with a mischievous glimmer in his eyes, played his trump card. He leaned forward, voice dropping to a seductive whisper.
"So, you don't want to hug my body while sitting on my lap for a long time, huh?"
The effect was instantaneous. Six days of sitting comfortably on his lap, the warmth, the scent, and the relaxed intimacy-made traveling by carriage suddenly seem like a much better idea.
Kazien noticed the rapid change in Alvin's eyes and smiled triumphantly inside. Alvin quickly agreed to travel by the Altavis family's royal carriage, then with sweet and spoiled coaxing, he managed to get his seat—sitting on his future husband's lap for the entire journey.
"Wow! So, this is what he looks like when he's flirting with me? He's so cute!" Kazien thought, a warm, mesmerized haze enveloping him.
It wouldn't be Kazien if he didn't act on his sudden affection. He stepped closer, his fingers gently tracing the sharp line of Alvin's jaw before resting to cup his face.
"Hahaha. Why do you even have time to be mesmerized by me?" Alvin chuckled, his eyes full of tenderness.
"Of course, I'm mesmerized by you. Because looking at your cute face is the source of my happiness, Alvin!"
After the packing was finished and the tender moment had passed, a different kind of curiosity took hold of Kazien. He had been so caught up in the preparations that he'd almost forgotten the astonishing gift the Goddess Nirfelia had bestowed upon him: Creation Magic.
He closed his eyes and focused, his mind forming a vivid, specific image: a gold bar. Pure, heavy, ingot-shaped.
Magic activated!
A soft thump sound, and the golden weight materialized right in the palm of his hand.
Alvin gasped, his mint green eyes wide with shock as he stared at the gold bar that had appeared out of thin air. Kazien, too, was momentarily stunned, though this time by the sheer ease of it.
Terrible magic! Goddess Nirfelia, isn't this ability the same as the ability of a god? I have to be careful in using it! I don't want anyone to know about this ability!
Kazien quickly dispelled the gold bar, leaving only the lingering magical scent in the air.
"My dear, where did that gold bar come from?" Alvin asked, his voice trembling slightly.
Kazien knew he couldn't keep this from Alvin. "I used the creation magic given to me by the goddess Nirfelia. This creation magic allows me to create something that has never existed before!"
Alvin felt an intense wave of unease—goosebumps crawling across his elven skin.
Wasn't that the power of a god? Why did Goddess Nirfelia trust him so much? Did she have special plans for him?
Kazien, oblivious to Alvin's existential dread, was already moving to his next task: creating danger-detection necklaces for his entire family.
With a series of quick, mental commands, Kazien conjured a large magic crystal and several simple gold necklaces. Alvin could only shake his head, a mixture of awe and disbelief at the absurdity of Kazien's abilities.
Kazien laid out the necklaces on the bed. Using his Alchemy Magic—a less secret, but still formidable, talent—he combined the powerful crystal with all the necklaces. He meticulously enchanted them, turning them into a multitude of danger-detection necklaces that also increased the wearer's magical and physical strength.
"I will give this to all my family members! I don't want them to be in danger."
"My dear, is this the same danger detection necklace that you gave to Sis Selena?" Alvin asked, recalling the incident that had forced his sister-in-law to see her ex-fiancé's true colors.
Kazien nodded. "Precisely. And this one is for you, Alvin! Even though we are always together, I want you to be able to detect people who have bad intentions towards you!"
Alvin's tension eased, replaced by a soft, grateful look. "Then my dear, please put the necklace around my neck."
Kazien happily obliged, securing the elegant chain around the neck of the person he loved so much. Once it was on, Kazien smiled, pleased that the simple gold necklace suited Alvin's perfect, cute face very well.
"I will give these necklaces to them now!"
Accompanied by Alvin, Kazien headed straight for the mansion's large dining hall. Fortunately, everyone—his parents, his siblings, and their spouses—were gathered there, enjoying a late evening tea.
"Father, Mother, and my brothers and sisters, I will give you this necklace!" he exclaimed, holding the shimmering multitude of chains in his hands.
Duke Elgard Altavis looked up, a curious smile gracing his stern face. "What is this necklace, my son?"
"Besides being able to detect someone's evil intentions, it can also increase the wearer's magical and physical strength! When I go to the capital, this necklace will always protect you from harm!"
Duchess Larina's expression softened. She stood up, reaching out a hand. "Could you please put this necklace around our necks, dear?"
"Of course, Mom, I will gladly put this necklace around all of your necks!"
Kazien moved around the table, placing the necklace on each family member one by one: his mother, then his father, his siblings, and finally his brothers and sisters-in-law.
When he came to Ritalia, his youngest sister, he leaned in and spoke in a low voice. "When Hudeon is officially your husband, give this necklace to him, but tell him not to reveal its effects unless absolutely necessary!"
Ritalia's eyes widened. "What will happen if he does?"
"There will definitely be a lot of people who want that necklace! I don't like being faced with anything troublesome! Especially nobles! After what happened to Sis Selena, I really dislike nobles!" Kazien declared with conviction.
"Even though you're a noble yourself?" Selena, his eldest sister, interrupted, her purple eyes sparkling with amusement.
"Of course! Because there are many nobles who are good on the outside but are very rotten on the inside! For example, like your ex-husband! Even though he was holding a wedding, he tried to kill you!"
Selena smiled wistfully. "But thanks to that, I was able to marry Sarias, my true love."
Kazien gave her a sharp look. "If it weren't for Sarias, you would have asked me to take responsibility for marrying you, right?" he retorted.
Selena burst out laughing. "Hahaha. That's because you were the one who first proposed to me when you were little!"
"Don't ever talk about it again!" Kazien exclaimed, his cheeks instantly flushing scarlet with annoyance and deep embarrassment.
Selena adopted a high-pitched, childish voice. "Sis Selena, when I grow up, I want to marry you!"
"Sis Selena, stop! Please stop!" Kazien pleaded, covering his face.
His family burst out into peels of laughter, seeing Kazien become utterly flustered by the memory of his embarrassing childhood pledge. But inside, Kazien felt a deep wave of relief and happiness to see the genuine, carefree laughter of his entire family.
A few moments later, having escaped the teasing, Kazien found himself in the quiet of the mansion's backyard. Now, he would solve the transportation problem.
He closed his eyes, focusing intensely on his desired creation. He didn't want a simple carriage. He wanted a moving haven.
The exterior would be the same size as a regular, unremarkable noble carriage, and it would be able to absorb shocks. But the interior would have to be complete like a minimalist house. It must have a bathroom, toilet, bathtub, dining room, kitchen, bedroom, living room, small library and all the necessary furniture.The horse would have to be a golem—one that could run automatically, tirelessly, and continue running freely even at night.
Crucially, all the waste from defecation and urination would have to be purified using purification magic! The exterior would remain ordinary, but the interior must be elegant and magnificent. I want Alvin to feel comfortable in this simple house!
Creation Magic activated!
A heavy thud reverberated through the yard.
Standing before him was a simple, yet sturdy-looking carriage, complete with a horse-shaped golem that radiated a faint, stable magical energy.
Kazien immediately went to check the interior. A living room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, small library, toilet—everything was there, elegantly furnished and shockingly spacious, despite the carriage's unassuming exterior. He was satisfied with the arrangement.
But then, he realized one important thing was missing.
"Ah… I forgot about the lighting!"
He quickly imagined a massive magic crystal imbued with unlimited magical energy and created it, placing it deftly within the ceiling of the living space. Forever, the interior of the carriage would never lose its source of light.
Satisfied, Kazien left the room and, using his Storage Dimension ability, stored the custom carriage within his personal pocket space. Then, he used the rest of his energy to create seven more special carriages for his family, without golem horses, because they already had their own mounts.
I'm sure they will be very surprised by these carriages!
After storing all the carriages, Kazien returned to the mansion, his heart filled with a mixture of excitement and resolve.
Tomorrow morning, Alvin and I will leave for the capital! What will our life be like there?
He knew the answer to the most important question. One thing for sure, I must be able to protect Alvin from danger! I will not let anyone try to hurt him!