Hearing the open conversation between his husband and his sister, Alrain felt a great burden lifted from his shoulders. The doubt and hesitation that had crept in earlier now evaporated without a trace. He realized how foolish he would be if he continued to doubt his own husband's intentions.
In the previous life, wouldn't Sister have gotten engaged and eventually left me to start her own life anyway? Alrain thought, trying to calm his logic. My goal in this life is to ensure she isn't killed again. As long as she is safe, that is enough. I shouldn't be selfish.
Without thinking twice, Alrain reached for the elixir bottle containing the golden liquid on the table. He opened the cap, and with one steady motion, he drank the elixir until not a drop remained.
Seeing Alrain finish his potion, Ordion, who had been listening with sparkling eyes, felt spurred on. He did not want to be left behind. With burning excitement, Ordion immediately reached for a bottle of elixir near him. However, because he was too enthusiastic and did not pay attention to the bottle he had grabbed, he accidentally took the bottle containing the dark purple liquid that swirled like a galaxy.
Instead of the 'Elixir of Immortality', Ordion drank the 'Elixir of Archmage'.
Arvin, realizing the mistake, moved immediately to stop him. "Ordion, wait! Not that one—"
But Arvin's words were too late. The purple liquid had already been completely consumed. The glass bottle was now empty.
The next second, the atmosphere at the dining table changed drastically.
Thump!
Ordion's heart suddenly beat violently like the pounding of a drum. The red-haired teenager's face turned a deep crimson. An extraordinary heat began to spread from his stomach, racing through all his blood vessels to the very tips of his nerves.
"Ugh..." Ordion groaned. His head spun wildly as if the world were being turned upside down.
The mana inside his body, which was originally calm, now overflowed wildly without control. That magical energy tore through the limits of his old, restricted mana capacity, forcing the mana circuits throughout his body to expand extremely wide to form a new vessel that was far larger and more powerful.
"AAAAAHHHHH....!!!!" Ordion finally screamed, groaning in pain while clutching his chest tightly. His body trembled violently, and cold sweat began to drench his clothes.
"That is what I felt back then, Ordion." Allen said in a calm but sympathetic tone. He remembered the same pain he felt when he was forcibly made to drink by Arvin in the classroom. "Good night..."
Thud!
The sound of a dull impact echoed as Ordion's head fell helplessly onto the dining table. He fainted instantly. His body lost consciousness, unable to bear the burden of the massive power currently overhauling his entire energy structure.
Alrain and Yonna sat petrified, their eyes wide as they clearly witnessed the immediate effect of the potion the red-haired teenager had just consumed. Ordion's body was slumped helplessly, drifting into a forced evolution that was overhauling the total structure of the mana within him.
Now, there was no more doubt in the siblings' minds. They both believed completely that the purple liquid swirling like a galaxy inside those glass bottles was no lie or mere decoration. Absolute power was truly stored there, ready to be unleashed.
Alrain swallowed hard, his eyes shifting from Ordion's fainted body toward the remaining bottles of Elixir of Archmage still standing neatly on the table. A thought crossed his mind.
"My Love..." Alrain called out slowly, breaking the silence. He looked at his husband's face with an expression of hope mingled with caution. "If my sister drinks this purple potion, will she also become stronger like the two of them?"
Arvin returned Alrain's gaze calmly. There was no hesitation in the blue eyes of that man.
"Of course, Alrain!" Arvin answered without a single pause. "This potion works on anyone who drinks it, regardless of their previous magical background. That is why I brought out four bottles of Elixir of Archmage tonight. All of those elixirs were indeed prepared by me to be consumed by the four of you."
Hearing the direct confirmation from Arvin, Yonna, who had been quietly observing until now, gathered her courage to speak. Her heart pounded between the fear of the pain she might endure and the enthusiasm of gaining strength.
"Are you truly okay with giving such a precious potion to me, Arvin?" Yonna asked. She sought to confirm the decision of the blue-haired teenager sitting in front of her, feeling hesitant because she was merely the sister of one of his spouses, not part of the inner circle of their family.
Arvin turned and looked at Yonna's face with a very flat yet reassuring gaze.
"Yes, of course, it is no problem. Drink it!" Arvin answered casually, as if he were merely offering a glass of plain water. "But, make sure you drink that potion in your room, Yonna. Not here. So that you can immediately lie down and fall asleep comfortably in your bed when the effect begins to react."
Yonna nodded in understanding. A sense of gratitude and wonder once again welled up in her chest. Arvin is not only protecting me, but he is also giving me a potion so that I can protect myself.
After giving the instructions, Arvin moved his hand over the table. The space above his palm distorted once more. He took the small bottle containing the Elixir of Immortality that was supposed to be drunk by Ordion, then stored it back into his dimensional storage to be given to Ordion later when he regained consciousness.
Without much talk, Arvin rose from his chair. With movements that were very efficient and powerful, he gathered Ordion's slumped, slender body and carried him bridal style.
"Allen, Alrain, Yonna..." Arvin called out before he stepped away. He looked at the three people still sitting at the dining table. "If you wish to drink your portion tonight, remember this! Make sure you do not drink it here at this dining table. Take your bottles and do it inside your respective rooms."
After ensuring the message was received, Arvin turned and walked away from the dining room with steady steps, heading down the mansion's hallway toward the bedroom to lay Ordion's body down.