Ethan really looked satisfied, because frankly, Rue had been a summon he wasn’t even fully sure how to deal with.

He had even tried, at some point over the last thirty days, to use the Fusion skill with Rue to learn more about her. But the system had hit him with a message that essentially said: Fusion with Rue is not possible at this time.

Ethan turned back toward her, with a smile on his. "You may go now, Rue. Eduardo will bring you more things to read."

She nodded , then turned and walked back toward the stairs, her three cats trailing behind her in perfect synchrony.

As she disappeared from view, Ethan mentally willed the system to display her progress bar.

[Rue]

[Current Rating: Knight Class]

[Next Potential Rating: Knight Class → Commander Class]

[Experience Points: 0 / 3,000 XP to Commander Class]

[Progress Bar: ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 0%]

Ethan stared at it for a moment, then made the system bring up Nina’s profile as well. She was the only summon of his who was anywhere close to reaching Emperor Class.

[Nina Dragonheart]

[Current Rating: Legendary Class]

[Next Potential Rating: Legendary Class → Emperor Class]

[Experience Points: 14,850 / 15,000 XP to Emperor Class]

[Progress Bar: ███████████████████░ 99%]

Ethan nodded. "Almost there."

He dismissed the screens with a mental command, stood from the couch, and made his way upstairs.

-

As soon as Ethan stepped into his room, his eyes found Isabella standing on the balcony.

She leaned on the railing, her gaze fixed somewhere beyond the manor grounds, lost in thought.

And she hadn’t heard him enter either

Ethan watched her for a moment, taking in the way her fingers gripped the railing just a little too tightly. Then, quietly, he crossed the room and stepped out onto the balcony behind her.

Without a word, he slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her back into his chest.

Isabella smiled a brief second while leaning into him and tilting her head slightly to rest on his shoulder.

For a moment, they were like that in silence before Ethan spoke. "You’ve been gloomy for a while now."

Isabella let out a soft breath but didn’t respond.

"It’s the longest time I think I’ve ever seen you like this," he continued.

She smiled a bit. "Have I been that obvious?"

"Yeah," Ethan said simply.

Another silence settled between them before Bella said, "Rayleigh’s pretty much the only sibling I really have right now."

Ethan’s arms tightened around her slightly. He understood what she meant.

Aside from sharing the same mother, Rayleigh was the only one among the king’s children who truly cared for her, and the only one she could trust.

After a moment, Ethan asked, "Didn’t Rayleigh go on much dangerous expeditions before?"

Isabella turned her head slightly, glancing at him. "Those were different."

"When Rayleigh traveled to the Demon continent, he went with people who were strong," she explained. "He had protection, so It was easier knowing he wasn’t alone."

She paused, her voice dropping. "But this time, he was all alone. And if Ishtar hadn’t awakened her power when she did..."

She trailed off, but Ethan understood.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "I get it."

They were quiet again, the weight of it all settling over them. Then Ethan exhaled and loosened his hold on her, stepping back just enough to turn her around so she was facing him.

"Alright," he said, a small grin forming at the corner of his lips. "Let me distract you from all this."

Isabella raised an eyebrow, with a hint of amusement flickering in her eyes. "Oh?"

"Yeah," Ethan said.

Isabella studied his expression for a moment, then a slow smile spread across her face. "Are you talking about sex?"

Ethan’s gaze widened a bit as he was caught off guard.

"Because I’m interested," she continued, her tone was teasing but honest. "But I’m not sure my mood will let me enjoy it as much as I’d like. And I don’t want to be... less fun than you’d want me to be."

Ethan let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "Oh, no. No, this is outdoor stuff."

Isabella’s expression shifted to confusion. "Wait. Are we doing it outside?"

"Jesus, no," Ethan said quickly.

She tilted her head, her confusion deepening. "Then what are you talking about?"

Ethan chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not that kind of outdoor stuff, Bella. I mean training, just training."

"Oh." Isabella muttered, then laughed softly. "You could’ve just said that."

"Yeah, well," Ethan said with a grin. "I haven’t trained in a while. I’ve been in and out of the workshop so much lately... so haven’t had time for it."

He paused, then added, "But since I’m not going to work today, I figured now’s a good time. You could watch. Or join. Just... something to take your mind off everything."

Isabella nodded. "Okay."

Then, almost as an afterthought, she tilted her head again. "Babe, can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Ethan said.

"What is this ’Jesus’ thing you keep saying?" she asked, her tone genuinely curious. "Most times when you to react to something, you mention it. And sometimes you say ’Christ’ too. What is that?"

Ethan froze for a second, his eyes widening in surprise.

Then he laughed so genuinely, shaking his head at the habit he carried it over to this world. He usually forgot one in this world knew what those names meant, so it would probably sound weird hearing them.

"What?" Isabella asked, a smile tugging at her lips as she watched him.

"It’s just..." Ethan paused, still grinning. "It’s nothing serious, speech mannerisms..."

"Hm.." Isabella’s expression shifted slightly, with some understanding dawning.

"Come on," he said, nodding toward the balcony railing.

Together, they stepped up onto the railing, and with a shared glance, they both leaped off the balcony.

The wind rushed past them as they descended, and just before they hit the ground, they both used flight spell. Ars Levitas

Their magic circles flared beneath them, slowing their fall until they touched down gently towards the manor’s backyard.

"Now that I’m here, it’s kinda hard knowing exactly how to kick off," he said, half to himself. "My old training regimens aren’t as effective anymore."

Bella tilted her head, watching him with a curious expression. "How developed are your classes?"

Ethan turned to her with a playful grin. "Dare I brag? I am the best summoner in this world."

Bella laughed, shaking her head. "That’s highly debatable."

Ethan shrugged, then continued more seriously. "For Caster class, I’m good there. And if I’m being honest, with the right talent level, all you really need is access to good spells and time to master them completely."

Bella nodded, looking thoughtfully "That’s true."

"Exactly," Ethan said. "As for Saber, I’d say I’m good. By my calculations, I’m around A-tier level with it."

He scratched the back of his head. "Magi-Engineer is barely a fighting class, but I’ve got a pretty good grip on how it works."

Bella watched him as he continued.

"Ranger, though..." Ethan sighed. "That one needs real work. The only time I’ve ever had any real practice was with my sniper summon. It was mostly training about focusing your eyesight to zoom into targets. Most of the gimmick there is with the eyes."

He paused, then added, "I’m still only at the fourth meridian opening with Warrior, and my Guardian is at the third foundation phase."

Bella’s eyebrows lifted. "Only third?"