"I don't have one, I guess." Her icy tone made it clear she didn't want to continue the conversation, so I strayed away from it, switching the topic.
"So, if you're king-class," I began.
"Right. So if you're pope-class, then why aren't you in the military?"
"Someone had to raise you and Xiaoyue. No matter how badly he wanted to, Yichen couldn't just abandon the kingdom for you." Yanjing explained, pursing her lips.
I stood up from my chair, bowing ninety degrees, as was the custom when requesting to be trained. The last time I had done this was when I was barely a hatchling, begging Fei Lian to train me.
I recapped what I had learned and inferred about aura. It was the power of the Aesir, which was what I remembered from my time before I was sent here. I hadn't really bothered to learn much back then, so I was limited to what I was recently taught. Aura was the manifestation of one's spirit, and could take different colors, and shapes for king-class aura users.
It travelled through the body, through the bloodstream, as opposed to mana, which had its own vascular system. From there, the physical manifestation would enhance physical abilities for pawn-classes, and would steadily progress, becoming more and more tangible as one's class progressed.
There was a select group of aura users who also had the ability to heal others through an unknown method. Seeing as Yanjing's aura took the shape of an angel, I had a suspicion that they drew upon the angels' power. Perhaps Yanjing was the key to taking my revenge on Uriel.
"Okay, very good! You understand mostly how it works!" Yanjing smiled. "You and Xiaoyue are on the same level of understanding now."
She directed us towards a large table in the library. As we sat down, I asked, "What class is Xiaoyue?"
"I doubt it," Yunshu interrupted, swinging the doors open, his two sons following close behind. He reached through a portal and pulled out a platter with a covering on it, lifting the cover off to reveal a batch of steaming meat buns.
My mouth began salivating as I resisted the urge to grab one and scarf it down. The fragrant scent of the aromatics wafted through the air irrestistably. Yunshu was undoubtedly the person I hated most at the palace, his elder son a close second, but damn, did he make some good food.
"Ah, well. I heard you guys were working on aura fundamentals, and I just thought it would be nice for Huotian and Xiaolong to sit in. That way, I can explain the fundamentals of magic to this guy here," he said as he ruffled my hair. "What's wrong, little guy? No meat buns for the prince?"
I slapped his hand away from my head angrily. "I told you I wasn't sent by anyone, so knock it off."
"Oh, come on. I apologized already. We're past that, aren't we?" he grinned stupidly.
I grabbed the bun midair, taking a massive bite out of it. I was willing to do a lot of things, but wasting good food was not on that list. As I scarfed down the meat bun, I grumbled angrily.
"If we were past it, then you wouldn't be pestering me about using mana."
I stayed quiet, pondering the possibility of my mana returning to me. My heart raced as images of my older self wielding aura on par with Yichen's while slinging spells around flashed though my mind. Actually, maybe it was the deliciousness of the buns that was making my heart race.
In response to my silence, Yunshu pressed on. "I mean, that's the stuff of legends, you know?"
"This is what you and Yichen fought over?" Yanjing asked incredulously. "You attacked a child?"
Yanjing shifted uncomfortably at the mention of Xiaoyue being a mage, almost as if she knew Yunshu was about to say something inflammatory next.
"One of his parent's was a mage righ-" Yunshu's voice faltered. "Sorry. I wasn't thinking."
"Right! So, kiddos, who can tell me what aura is again?" Yanjing asked cheerfully, attempting to alleviate the tension in the air.
"Not quite, actually," Yanjing corrected. "It's the manifestation of someone's spirit. A lot of people, even some rook classes, will make that mistake. The two terms aren't the same."
"I have no idea what any of those words mean. Can I go?" Huotian asked at the same time.
Huotian whipped his head around staring at me with bulging eyes. A vein on his neck pulsed before Yunshu put a portal between us, preventing us from lashing out at each other.
"Cool it, both of you."
"Dad!" Huotian complained. The look on his face was priceless. His eyes widened like saucepans, clearly revealing his mismatched purple and red eyes. If I had to guess, I would say that Yanjing had done something to him during training that traumatized him, if the fact that his irises were shaking was anything to go off of.
Yunshu ignored him, turning towards Xiaoyue and I, flashing us a grin, highlighting his sharp canines. He ran a hand through his sky-blue hair and asked where we wanted to go.
"To Mister Li's shop!" Xiaoyue demanded, practically bursting with joy.
"Mister Li's shop it is." Yunshu agreed.
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