In that dining room, the atmosphere grew quiet once more. Now only he and Allen remained, accompanied by the deepening night and the last two bottles of potion still on the table, waiting to be taken by the two of them.
The light from the crystal chandelier in the dining room reflected on the surface of the two elixir bottles on the table, as if confirming that magical power was churning inside.
In the silence surrounding them, Alrain looked straight at Allen.
"So, what about you, Allen?" Alrain asked, his voice breaking the silence calmly yet scrutinizingly. His eyes were fixed on the first spouse's face. "You've drunk this potion before, right? Are you going to drink it again tonight?"
Allen gave a thin smile, a smile that always managed to radiate calmness. Without a shred of doubt, his hand reached out and took his bottle of Elixir of Archmage from the table.
"Of course!" Allen answered with a very firm tone. His fingers gripped the glass bottle tightly. "Even though I've felt it before, Arvin didn't give this without a reason. To become stronger and support our husband in the future, I will definitely drink this elixir again without hesitation."
Hearing Allen's answer, which was full of devotion and strong resolve, any bit of doubt in Alrain's heart instantly vanished. He nodded in agreement, feeling inspired by the steadfastness of their husband's first spouse.
Alrain reached out and took the last bottle of Elixir of Archmage remaining on the table. The bottle felt cold in his hand, but he knew its contents would soon set his bloodstream ablaze.
"In that case, let's head to the room quickly to drink this and rest." Alrain suggested. He rose from his chair, preparing to face the pain for the sake of the great power already before his eyes.
However, Allen didn't follow him immediately. The pink-haired teenager also stood up, but his gaze swept across the dining table still cluttered with tableware.
"Go to the room first, Alrain." Allen replied in a casual tone like a diligent housekeeper. "I have to tidy up and clean all the tableware on this table first. It's not good to leave the dining room in a mess like this."
Seeing Allen intending to do all that alone, of course Alrain as the second spouse wouldn't let the first spouse work by himself. He immediately put his potion bottle back down on the edge of the clean table.
"Of course I won't let you do it alone." Alrain said while rolling up his shirt sleeves to his elbows. "I'll help you so everything gets done quickly. Let's finish this task together."
Allen chuckled softly seeing Alrain's enthusiasm. He nodded in agreement. "Alright, let's start."
The two of them began to move deftly. Without needing many instructions, they cooperated in gathering plates and glasses toward the kitchen. Once they arrived at the dishwashing area in the kitchen, they ensured not a single piece of tableware or cookware was still dirty or left on the table.
And 15 minutes later, their task was done. After ensuring the dining room and kitchen were spotless again, Allen and Alrain washed their hands and dried them.
With their respective potion bottles in hand, they walked side by side up the stairs to the master bedroom on the second floor.
Arriving at the door, Allen turned the knob slowly so as not to make a noise. As the door opened, they were greeted by the dim lighting of the bedside lamps.
On the king-size bed, they saw their husband, already sleeping soundly with Ordion, whose breathing was already steady after passing through his magical evolution process.
Without a second thought and with very careful movements, Allen and Alrain stepped inside. They climbed onto the soft mattress, finding comfortable positions on the remaining empty side, then sat cross-legged facing each other.
The two of them opened the elixir bottle caps simultaneously. A strange yet intoxicating sweet scent immediately wafted through the room's air. Both looked at each other in the dim light. No words were spoken, but a synchronized nod signaled it was time to start.
In a spontaneous motion that was almost simultaneous like a reflection of each other, both Allen and Alrain lifted the glass bottles to their lips. They downed the dark purple Elixir of Archmage to the last drop, leaving nothing in the bottles.
Allen lowered his empty bottle. Slowly, he leaned toward Alrain.
"Let's wait for the effect to react in a lying position." Allen whispered softly near Alrain's ear, keeping his voice very quiet so as not to disturb their husband and Ordion.
"Yes, let's lie down now." Alrain whispered back, worried he wouldn't have time to take a position before fainting.
The two of them lay down on the bed. Their gaze stared straight at the ceiling, counting second by second while waiting for the potion's effect inside their bodies.
And then...
Thump!
The first abnormal heartbeat hit their chests like a sledgehammer blow. The potion's effect began to work brutally.
Both Allen and Alrain instantly gripped the sheets very tightly. They bit their bottom lips, enduring the extraordinary pain as their blood vessels felt as if they were being filled with flowing lava and their mana capacities were forced to tear and expand manifold. However, no matter how agonizing the sensation was, the two of them held back with all their might so as not to make a single noisy groan in the quiet room.
Cold sweat poured down their faces. Their conscious defense began to falter, hit by a massive surge of magical energy. And finally, the pain tolerance limit was reached. Both instantly lost consciousness on the bed, following Ordion into the dark subconscious realm.
However, in the silence that once again enveloped the room after Allen and Alrain fainted, a pair of blue eyes slowly opened in the darkness.
Arvin, who apparently hadn't fallen asleep at all, turned slowly and looked at the faces of the two of them who were now unconscious and drenched in sweat. He gave a thin smile while shaking his head slightly.
"If you two want to groan in pain, just groan and don't force yourselves to hold it back like that." Arvin muttered in a very low voice, almost like a breeze. His eyes looked at Allen and Alrain's faces alternately with affection. He knew very well how agonizing the process was, but he was also proud to see their toughness. "Goodnight to the two of you."
Arvin slowly sat up. With very careful movements, he adjusted Allen and Alrain's sleeping positions, which looked stiff from fainting while holding back pain. After ensuring his three spouses were lying in comfortable positions, Arvin lay back down. Not long after, he also fell fast asleep with the three of them.