Chapter 153 Atavism
Now that they didn't have anything else to do here Erin transported them back to her mansion.
Seeing Dana's slightly tired expression Leena patted her head as she spoke with Gabriel.
"Gabriel take Dana with Erin's younger daughter so she can rest and get to know her new team mates".
"Elaine show them the way to the guest's mansion please, tell Liz to help them settle their things for the weekend".
Erin understood Leena's intentions by sending away, just to avoid any "accident", she asked Elaine to escort them.
Elaine nodded, she stood up and guided Gabriel and Dana to the exit of the mansion.
"This way please".
Gabriel seemed to have something to say, but ultimately, he remained silent and left the mansion with his little sister.
Once they left Leena focused her attention on Daimon.
"Kid how did you know the peculiarity of Dana's lightning… even that Arthur bastard was only impressed by Dana's battle senses and reaction time".
Of course, it's not like a half emperor with lightning affinity such as Arthur or Aura couldn't see there was something different, but they couldn't pinpoint what it was so they discarded it.
Leena was a bit worried that her niece's secret might be seen through by others, so far in the eyes of others Dana used some kind of defensive magic treasure to defend from physical attacks, which isn't uncommon among the heirs of big families below the lord realms, since they can't automatically protect themselves with a defensive spell.
She even has made some tests in the presence of a mage with special eyes similar to Yvonne and the result was the same.
Unfortunately for her, Daimon's truth seeker eyes combined with sixth sense under certain situations could discern the basics of laws, that's how he learned blink, so there was something besides lightning at the moment the axe clashed with it.
Daimon chuckled, he took out the earring he "confiscated" from Leir and showed it to Leena.
"I think others get swayed away thinking that something like this is protecting her, but my eyes are special and even if it was for a split of a second, that little girl's lightning became "heavy", also they way she dispersed the wind arrows… it's a similar to how a knight protects himself with battle aura".
Mana and battle aura are the weakness of each other, it's easier for a knight to disperse a spell than to a mage, the same applies for a mage, the defense of battle aura is easier to pierce with a spell.
Not to the point of crossing realms to defeat each other, but that's how things are and that's why there is an eternal competition between mages and knights, but in words of the Greenwich Sage, each one has its own pros and cons.
However, Daimon was both a mage and a knight, the first of its class in the wonder myriad stellar chart, since for some reason nor Aura or Aisha had lightened up their life sparks yet.
That's why Daimon was a bit interested in Dana's variation, because she created an effect similar to battle aura with mana.
Leena's eyes glowed for a second, yellow electric currents appeared on her hand which she showed to Daimon.
"Do you know what is the story we tell the younger generation about the origin of the Jolbaris family?".
Daimon shook his head, every family has some records about their past, unfortunately for some reason all the records end a few generations after what is considered the ancient age.
The races of the beast faction all shared the believe that their ancestors were magic beasts which took human form, but not all had records of their origin, the Revy clan for example didn't know the name of the beast from which they supposedly descended, the same for the Argent family.
"If I remember correctly, Alexander mentioned something called "storm tiger", so I guess that's the story everyone knows".
Leena nodded.
"It's not exactly a lie, but it's also only half right, the Jolbaris come from the union of a Storm Tiger and… a Star Lioness, the storm tiger has the normal orange and black fur known by everyone, but according to the record a Star Lion has white fur".
Erin frowned, she tapped her finger on the table and then said.
"If I remember correctly in the whole Jolbaris family, only those two kids and you have that characteristic white and black color, everyone thought it was just a pigment problem since there wasn't any difference in your lightning".
Leena smiled, the yellow lightning in her hand changed to have a copperish tone, then Daimon felt as if his body was being pressed downwards, it was similar to the effect of the shackles of despair, but instead of being applied in only living objects, all the room was affected.
Of course, nothing happened since Leena wasn't trying to harm Daimon and the things in Erin's mansion were of the highest quality.
This time Daimon took his time to inspect Leena's lightning.
"As I thought there is something mixed in that lightning, it looks like earth element but it's different at the same time… could it be gravity?", he thought.
While others only saw electricity, Daimon could see things with a different perspective, although he couldn't understand it, there were some symbols floating here and there inside the elements.
By raw observation he saw the symbols any lightning has but there were also some other things mixed with it.
Erin contemplated things for a moment before giving her verdict.
"Now that you mention it, your parents which were from the same generation as my mother, had normal orange hair… atavism, you and those two children are presenting characteristics which have been latent in your family for who knows how many years".
Leena stopped what she was doing, her lightning changed back to its original yellow tone and then disappeared.
"Something like that, but unlike Dana I only learned how to do this when I was an Archmage, also for some reason Gabriel doesn't have this ability".
"The record that explains the origin of the Jolbaris has always been in the hands of my mother's family branch, when my parents died, the record ended in my hands… unfortunately the ancestor which survived of that time was Arthur's father, so I just stepped aside and he ended up having almost none influence in the clan, until he died and I became a half emperor in secret".
Daimon suddenly remembered something and he interrupted Leena.
"Wait, the stripes on Alexander's hair aren't black but white".
"Arthur's main wife is a distant relative of mine, when he saw my white hair, his supposition was that I was I variant, so his father arranged a marriage with a cousin from my mother's side of the family".
"So, Alexander inherited that too, but just like Gabriel he doesn't have this ability, that's why Arthurs still believes it's just a change in the color of our hair… of course he attributed the "great talent" of his son, to himself".
Daimon leaned his back against the chair and then looked at Leena directly to her eyes.
"Why are you telling us all this?".
Leena snorted.
"Because you probably already have an idea of it, besides with the contract I can't do anything to you… I never imagined a little kid would see through a secret I kept for hundreds of years after seeing Dana fighting once".
"Anyway, you already have bad blood with Arthur and the fact that your condition for the contract was to have an amnesty with me, means co-existing is possible".
Daimon saw Erin nodding at him, although Leena and her have fought and competed against each other, none of them tried to kill the other.
With Arthur things were different, he tried to force Liz and Elaine to marry Alexander, and things could have gotten out of hand if it wasn't for Erin returning in time.
Daimon shook his head.
"Making enemies without having allies is going to be your downfall Arthur Jolbaris".
Erin hugged Daimon with a smiling expression.
"That was my first lesson to you, an extra ally is a future possible enemy less".
Aura inwardly sighed.
"Well, that same "ally making" is what worries me… those three women from the Risha family aren't here just to visit the hot springs".
The atmosphere of the room became relaxed again, it's easier to get along when people have something in common, Arthur being an idiot with all of them was the common factor here.
This time Leena took out a bottle with a bright red liquid inside from her storage ring and poured its content in a few glasses.
"This is Blood Tiger juice, a specialty of the Jolbaris family, give it a go".
She then rose her glass at Erin and took a sip of it, as a sign of goodwill between nobles the one serving always had to drink first.
Daimon accepted her toast and drank the juice in one go, the flavor was similar to cherry but it also had a bitter aftertaste.
"For a happy cooperation".