"Very good."

Raylo nodded.

"You don’t need to worry about the finer details. Just get the main framework built. Anything after that is not our problem."

He wasn’t about to offer after-sales service when doing business with Necromancers.

Raylo looked at the distant night sky, where the stars were shining brightly.

"I’ll leave this to you, then."

With that said, Raylo didn’t linger. He turned and mounted Baofeng’s back once more.

The Storm Griffin King soared into the sky, quickly disappearing into the deep night.

On the highland, the clamor started up once more.

A little over an hour later, Baofeng’s wings cut through the deep night sky. The majestic and familiar silhouette of Black Stone Castle slowly grew larger in the Moonlight.

Baofeng landed smoothly, his folded Iron Feathers making a soft rustling sound.

Raylo returned to the castle and pushed open the bedroom door. A warm, sweet fragrance washed over him, chasing away the chill of the night that clung to him.

The Flame in the fireplace danced merrily, casting a warm, yellow glow throughout the room.

His wife, Avril, was sitting sideways on a soft couch in front of the fireplace.

She wore a comfortable silk nightgown, her soft, long hair draped casually over her shoulders. She held a heavy Magic Scripture in her hands, so engrossed in her reading that she didn’t even notice him come in.

Raylo softened his steps, his gaze lingering for a moment on the book’s cover.

General Theory of Elemental Magic.

He smiled silently, circling around behind the couch. He leaned down and gently wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Hm?"

Startled by the sudden embrace, Avril relaxed the moment she recognized his familiar scent. She leaned her head back, resting it gently against his chest.

"You’re back."

"I’m back."

Raylo inhaled the clean scent of her hair and felt himself relax completely.

His gaze fell upon the bed, and he couldn’t help but smile.

On the wide bed, the three little ones were huddled together, sprawled out in every direction.

Somehow, the three of them had taken over the large double bed, leaving only half of it free.

Avril’s voice held a hint of laughter; she was clearly just as helpless about the sight as he was.

"It’s fine. At least they won’t be causing a ruckus in the middle of the night."

Raylo’s gaze returned to the book in Avril’s hands.

"Still reading up on Elemental Magic?"

"Mhm. Master Marlin said my fundamentals aren’t solid enough, so I need to put in more work."

Avril closed the book, a little embarrassed. She had just been promoted to an Official Mage and was still just a Tier One novice.

"But my progress is slow. I don’t think I have much of a talent for it."

Raylo took her hand, slid the book from her grasp, and casually set it aside.

"Perhaps you could try a different path."

"What path?"

"Spiritual Magic."

Raylo’s voice carried a sense of certainty.

"For example, Illusion Technique, or Mind Technique. You should have a talent for that sort of thing."

Avril turned her head, her beautiful eyes full of curiosity as she looked up at him.

"How can you tell?"

A teasing smile played on Raylo’s lips. He leaned close to her ear, his warm breath tickling the sensitive skin there.

"Because you’re wide awake this late. If your spirit is this strong, you must have a talent for Spiritual Magic."

Avril paused for a second, then realized he was teasing her. A blush crept onto her cheeks, and she gave his chest a light punch, the force as gentle as a cat’s paw scratching an itch.

"You’re impossible."

She chided, but her eyes welled up with a smile as sweet as honey.

Raylo laughed, deciding to stop teasing her. He tightened his arms and scooped her up by the waist.

Avril let out a small gasp and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Holding her, Raylo glanced at the bed, which had been conquered by the three little ones, then looked back at the beautiful wife in his arms. A helpless, wry expression appeared on his face.

He didn’t wake the three soundly sleeping little ones. He simply held Avril, turned, and walked toward the door.

With a light flick of his foot, the door to the adjacent guest room swung silently open.

"Tonight, we’ll use a different room."