Leon went silent at the question. After thinking for a moment, he finally spoke. "I am. I really am just a D-Class knight."

"Come on, bro." Sol waved his hand dismissively. "You can relax around us. We already saw what you were capable of back then. That speed, that strength... It’s something only a Disaster-Class knight can possess."

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Unless..." Sol leaned forward dramatically. "You’re actually some old veteran who got plastic surgery to look young?"

Leon twitched at Sol’s ridiculous imagination. Then he let out a tired sigh.

"The power you saw wasn’t permanent," Leon explained calmly. "It’s a technique that temporarily boosts my strength for a very short amount of time."

’They only witnessed the result, not the actual details,’ Leon thought inwardly. ’So telling part of the truth is fine. But there’s no way I’m revealing the exact time limit. If someone learns about that weakness, it can turn out to be fatal later.’

Sol’s excitement dimmed a little. "How short are we talking about?"

Leon pretended to think for a moment. "I’m not entirely sure myself... but probably around thirty or forty seconds maximum."

"That short?" Sol looked genuinely disappointed. "What a buzzkill."

Emily glanced at Leon quietly before speaking. "A technique capable of turning a D-Class knight into something comparable to a Disaster-Class knight... even for thirty seconds... is already terrifying enough."

Her blue eyes met his. "After all, we’re only alive because of that technique, aren’t we?"

Leon gave a small nod. "It really is a unique... and game-changing technique."

Sol fell into thought for a few seconds before suddenly asking, "Can you teach me that technique?"

"Ah..." Leon scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I don’t think that’s possible. It’s less of a technique and more like... an awakened ability, I guess."

"Oh." Sol’s excitement visibly dimmed again.

Emily, however, remained calm. "How many abilities do you actually have?" she asked while quietly observing him.

"Umm..." Leon looked troubled once more.

After thinking carefully for a while, he finally answered, "I can use a sword, those support-type abilities, summon objects, and... this boosting ability."

"Nothing else?" Emily pressed further, her sharp blue eyes fixed on him.

Leon hesitated for a brief moment before shaking his head. "No."

But inwardly, he felt uneasy. ’I can’t tell them about the ice magic, too. That would be way too absurd. Having this many abilities is already abnormal enough.’ Leon lowered his gaze slightly. ’How can a nobody like me possess multiple abilities? And if the wrong people find out... what if they try to turn me into some kind of guinea pig for research?’

Emily stared at Leon for a few seconds, as if carefully weighing every word he had said.

Then she finally spoke. "Alright. Just one last question. Why did that primal feed you those crystals from monster bodies?"

Leon’s expression remained calm. "I don’t know either. Maybe they were some kind of medicine." He answered tactfully, avoiding the real truth.

Emily raised an eyebrow slightly, clearly unconvinced, but she didn’t press the matter any further.

"Fine." She stood up gracefully. "Get some rest. Once you’ve fully recovered, we’ll arrange for your return."

Leon nodded quietly.

Emily then turned and walked out of the room.

Sol stood up as well. "Take care, bro. I’ll come check on you again later." With that, he hurried after his sister.

Outside... Emily had already walked quite a distance down the corridor before Sol finally caught up to her.

"So..." Sol glanced at her curiously. "What do you think? Was he telling the truth?"

Emily looked at him calmly. "You didn’t tell him about my ability, did you?"

Sol immediately looked offended. "Do I look stupid? Other than Mom and Dad, nobody knows you can use mind-reading magic. Not even our uncles or cousins."

Emily nodded slightly. "Good." Then her expression turned thoughtful. "As for Leon... what should I say?" She paused briefly. "He wasn’t being completely honest. But that’s only because he doesn’t trust us fully."

Sol frowned. "What do you mean?"

Emily’s voice remained calm. "He can devour those monster crystals to grow stronger."

The words struck Sol like a thunderbolt.

"He can WHAT?!"

"And that’s not all," Emily continued. "He can use ice magic as well."

Sol’s face froze completely. He raised his hand and started counting fingers. "One... Two... ... Four... He has four abilities? What exactly is he...? A monster?"

Emily shook her head faintly. "No. He’s human." Her blue eyes narrowed slightly. "But his abilities are terrifying."

Sol stayed silent for a moment before asking carefully, "Should we tell Dad?"

Emily immediately shook her head. "No. We shouldn’t force him to reveal things before he’s ready." She continued walking slowly through the corridor. "He’s hiding his abilities for safety, not because he has ill intentions. And you didn’t forget about that lady’s warnings, did you?"

Her tone softened slightly. "Let him rest for now. Once he recovers, we’ll send him back to his country." With that, she turned and started walking.

Sol stared at her strangely before a grin slowly spread across his face. "Send him back?" he repeated teasingly. "You don’t want our brother-in-law to stay here?"

Emily instantly stopped. She slowly raised her right hand, a tiny ball of fire materializing on it immediately. The surrounding temperature rose slightly. "What nonsense are you talking about?" Emily asked coldly. "Do you want me to remind you how you should speak to your sister?"

"I was joking! I was joking!" Sol raised both hands defensively before immediately retreating. Then he quickly turned around and fled down the hallway. ’For God’s sake, I’m her actual brother. Why can’t she smile and talk to me like that, too?’ he complained inwardly while escaping.

Meanwhile, Emily strode forward, a faint smile slowly appearing on her lips.

Next morning...

Leon was still asleep when sounds of steel clashing filtered through the window. He slowly opened his eyes and walked to the balcony.

In the courtyard, four people were engaged in a mock battle. Sol was one of them.

Among the three others, two were boys, and one was a girl.

Sol was clearly on the losing side, and it felt deliberate.