Lilith!
The radiance in Leo's eyes—bright enough to dim sun and moon—drew inward at once, leaving only deep, gentle warmth.
In that moment, he looked no different from the mayor who worried himself sick over tax ledgers—save for a new fathomless glint in his gaze.
"Come in, Lilith!"
The door opened, and Lilith Grey stepped lightly inside.
The seventeen-year-old girl was like a newly blossomed lily. She had inherited her mother's moonlit silver hair and her father's sea-deep blue eyes. Her skin was fine as first snow, her features so delicate they stole one's breath.
She wore a simple linen dress, yet could not hide the glow that was gradually unfurling from within her.
In her hands she carried a carefully woven little basket. Soft moss lined the bottom, and atop it lay several oat biscuits baked to perfection, breathing out the fragrance of honey and nuts.
"The meeting ended a while ago, and I saw you hadn't come back,"
Lilith came to his side and set the basket on the table, a smile of curiosity and anticipation on her face.
"Happy birthday, Father!"
"These are the breads I learned to bake with Ms. Timan. They don't look very pretty, and I don't think they're as sweet as the ones from the bakery…"
Her blue eyes looked up at him like a forest fawn's, a little nervous.
Leo's heart felt wrapped in the softest velvet.
Gazing at those humble biscuits—into which Lilith had poured so much time and care—he seemed to see her clumsy yet focused figure bustling in the kitchen.
In a border town like Dalton Town, delicious food counted as a truly luxurious gift.
He reached out and gently stroked her hair, spun like moonlight.
"Silly child, you've worked hard."
"Bread baked by my daughter—how could it not be sweet?"
Light blossomed in Lilith's pupils; she flashed a bright grin.
"Haha, Father always knows best. Quick, try one!"
"Ms. Timan kept saying it wasn't sweet enough, so I secretly added a whole big bag of sugar. It should be perfect now, hehe…"
At that, Leo's hand paused above the basket. Gratitude aside, he couldn't help feeling relieved.
He still remembered the salad Lilith had made a few months ago—it had him running to the privy for a week…
His eyes fell on Lilith's dress, washed so many times it had turned pale. Guilt, deep and heavy, quietly spread through him.
Her delicate brows and eyes—especially those clear, stubborn blue irises—were so very much like her mother's.
He remembered those youthful days of traveling abroad.
In a southern city famed for moon-rose blossoms and vintages of grape, he had met her by chance.
She seemed a star-spirit who had accidentally fallen into the mortal world, and yet Leo could glimpse in her gentleness a faint, unfathomable sorrow.
As if by fate, two resonant souls drew swiftly together, and they fell in love.
That time had been sweet enough to intoxicate, yet as brief as a summer shooting star.
Then, on a morning without warning, when Lilith was three years old, she disappeared.
On the bedside table she left only a silver crescent pendant etched with strange starry symbols.
At first, Leo sent people everywhere to inquire, but there was never any news. At last, desolate at heart, he returned to Dalton village.
He swore that at the very least he would give Lilith a stable home—a thriving hometown.
In the blink of an eye Lilith was already seventeen.
Dalton had grown from a ruined village into a town, and he had become its beloved mayor.
But the shame of failing to give his daughter better circumstances had never left the depths of his heart.
Lilith had spontaneously awakened mana resonance at the age of seven. She possessed a natural interest in magic and a startling gift.
Even without systematic instruction, even upon this mana-poor land, by unconsciously drawing mana she had already reached the level of a Junior Mage.
Even so, Lilith had never complained or asked for anything. Lively and clever, she had understood from a young age how hard life was for her father.
Precisely because she was so considerate, Leo's guilt ran even deeper.
He had planned to save enough by next year to send Lilith to a magic academy in the neighboring city.
Until this very moment—until the system's descent.
"System!"
He called silently in his heart.
"Give me the finest potion—perfectly suited to Lilith—that can rebuild her foundation and awaken her potential."
[Ding!]
[Recommended: Stellar Goddess's Tear, condensed from the power of the Astral Origin. Immaculate compatibility. Flawless!]
Without a sound, a small vial—like something sculpted from eternal ice and flowing starlight—appeared in his system space.
With a turn of the wrist, it was in his palm as if conjured from thin air.
The vial refracted the glow of the crystal lamps, spilling iridescence—so beautiful it hurt to look at.
"By the way, Lilith, I have a gift for you too."
He smiled and offered the crystal vial that flowed with starry radiance.
"Look—this is a special potion from the far south. I went to great lengths to acquire it."
"A potion?"
Lilith took the bottle curiously—and in an instant was struck speechless by its indescribable splendor.
"It… it's glowing! This…!"
She trusted her father completely and did not question the origin.
Enthralled by its beauty, she gently pulled the stopper.
A fragrance seemed to spread that gathered all the world's purest breaths into one.
With just a single inhalation, she felt her mana cavorting joyfully through her body!
She hesitated no longer and tilted back the vial of Stellar Goddess's Tear.
There was no explosive impact—only a warm, vast energy sweeping through her limbs and bones in an instant!
A faint, pure starlight shimmered over her body; beneath her skin tiny stars seemed to flicker in and out. She became ethereal, sanctified.
The process lasted for about the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea.
When the light gradually drew inward, Lilith slowly opened her eyes.
They were clearer and deeper than before; it was as if an entire galaxy was reflected within her blue irises, circulating with the light of wisdom.
"F-Father!"
She stared at her hands in disbelief, feeling the upheaval within, her voice trembling.
"W-What is this?! I feel… my mana—gentle, as if it has a life of its own!"
She suddenly looked up, her blue eyes brimming with shock.
"This is far too precious, Father!"
"Did you use the town's funds, or something you've treasured for years…?"
"It must be priceless. Did you—"
She dared not continue, afraid her father had made some great sacrifice for her.
Seeing his daughter's mingled joy and fear, Leo's heart nearly overflowed with tenderness.
He reached out and gently patted her head.
"Silly child. Believe me—this is not as precious as the afternoon you spent baking bread for me. So long as you like it, that's enough."
Looking into her father's calm, profound eyes, Lilith felt warmth flood her chest.
She nodded hard, tucking this heavy, precious love deep into her heart.
"Thank you, Father! I… I'll work hard. I won't let you down!"
When the excitement ebbed, Lilith suddenly remembered something.
A flush of excitement rose to her cheeks.
"Father, I just happened to have news for you!"
"A mage from the royal capital arrived in town today. He said my magical talent is excellent and he's willing to recommend me to study at the Crossbridge Academy in the capital!"
"He said that if I go, I'll definitely become a powerful mage. When I return after my studies, I can help you—and help Dalton Town—even better!"
Her eyes shone with yearning for a wider world and a hunger for strength.
But Leo's smile faded slightly, and a barely perceptible light flashed in the depths of his gaze.
A mage from the royal capital?
His awareness spread like an invisible web, and in an instant it blanketed all of Dalton Town.
That so-called "powerful mage" was enjoying himself in the best inn in town, greedy calculation glittering in his eyes.
Leo's perception became a surgeon's scalpel, laying the man bare at once.
A murky soul that had clawed its way to Intermediate Magus by some dark method—his spirit was entangled with countless fine, blood-red threads.
A cold anger coiled, silent and tight, around Leo's heart.