While Delphine busied herself preparing a meal for the Empress, Legion teleported to the second floor to check on Her Highness.
Even in small tasks, he wanted to use his abilities to push, train, and evolve them as quickly as possible.
Truth be told, he was excited.
With Blink Step, he had only been able to move short distances, carrying only himself and small objects.
But with Teleportation, he had successfully transported both himself, Delphine, and a heavy sack of supplies in one go.
And he wanted to know just how far this power could go.
He stood outside the Empress's chamber, listening.
Silence.
He hesitated, considering whether to knock, but then realized...
He had no reason to be here.
If the Empress asked him why he had come, what was he supposed to say?
He didn't have a valid excuse for disturbing her.
Legion sighed, shaking his head.
His eyes drifted to the knight armor standing in the corner, positioned near the Empress's door.
An idea sparked in his mind.
Slowly, he approached it.
With Object Manipulation, he had never been able to control something this large before.
But now...
He lifted his hand and placed his palm against the armor's cold metal chest.
Then, he whispered...
"Marionette."
The moment he spoke, a small, blue star appeared where his hand touched the armor.
And then...
He felt it.
A connection.
It was… bizarre.
He was standing in front of the armor, and yet, at the same time...
He could see himself from the armor's point of view.
Two different perspectives, yet his mind could distinguish between them clearly.
Legion swallowed hard.
Then, a new thought occurred to him.
What if he used Teleport on an object connected to Marionette?
Could he command it to teleport separately from himself?
Focusing on the armor, he gave a silent command in his mind...
For it to teleport to the front of the Empress's chamber.
Then, he said it aloud...
"Teleport."
And just as he willed...
The armor vanished... appearing right outside the Empress's door.
But he?
He remained where he stood.
Legion's heart pounded with excitement.
"Can I teleport myself and the armor to two different locations at the same time?" he murmured.
Only one way to find out.
He focused.
He commanded himself to teleport to the center of the hall...
And for the armor to teleport outside the palace entrance.
Then, he spoke...
"Teleport."
A flash of energy.
The world around him shifted...
And then...
He stood in the center of the palace hall.
At the same time...
He saw the armor standing outside the entrance.
His breath hitched.
"I did it," he whispered.
A rush of thrill ran through his veins.
What else could he do?
His gaze flickered to the other sets of armor stationed around the palace hall.
Could he... ?
He stepped forward, placing his hand on another.
"Marionette."
The blue star appeared again.
Another connection formed.
Legion moved to a third set of armor.
"Marionette."
Then a fourth.
By the time he finished, four knight armors stood before him...
All connected to him.
And the most insane part?
He could see through all their eyes at the same time.
Yet his mind wasn't overwhelmed.
He could tell which perspective belonged to which armor, keeping them all separate yet synchronized.
This was unreal.
Legion gave a silent command...
For all four armors to fight each other.
And...
They moved.
Not like lifeless puppets... but like trained warriors.
Their movements were fluid.
Precise.
Deadly.
They fought as if real knights were inside them.
And the most terrifying part...
They fought exactly like him.
Each one mimicked his combat style perfectly.
Every dodge, counter, and strike...
Legion flexed his fingers, feeling the connection deepen.
Though he could feel through them, he wasn't physically affected when they took damage.
They were him...
And yet, at the same time, they weren't.
A small smirk formed on his lips.
"This… is unbelievable."
Legion didn't just control objects.
He could command an army of himself.
And suddenly...
His name, Legion, felt more fitting than ever before.
"Oh my god!"
Delphine's shocked voice echoed through the hall.
She had just stepped inside, carrying a tray of Malvera pie and Malvera juice she had carefully prepared for the Empress.
Her eyes widened as she took in the sight...
Four knight armors, locked in combat, moving fluidly, gracefully, and intelligently as if they were actual warriors.
She turned to her brother, gaping.
"Are you controlling all of them at once?"
Legion, a grin spreading across his face, nodded.
"Yes."
There was undeniable pride in his voice.
Delphine stared, both awed and horrified.
"Does it… feel weird?" she asked hesitantly.
Legion thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"No. I feel… normal."
They both stood there, watching the armors continue their battle, until...
"Oh no!"
Delphine suddenly gasped, eyes darting to the tray in her hands.
She had almost forgotten about the Empress's food!
With hurried steps, she turned and rushed upstairs, heading straight to the Empress's chambers.
Legion watched her leave... then smirked.
Stopping the knight armors, he teleported directly in front of the Empress's chamber doors.
He arrived before Delphine.
When she reached the top of the staircase and saw him already waiting, she rolled her eyes dramatically.
Legion chuckled.
Ignoring her silent complaint, he knocked three times before pushing open the door, holding it open for his sister, whose hands were occupied with the tray.
Delphine walked inside, while Legion followed... uninvited.
Her eyebrows twitched in irritation, but when she threw him a warning glare, he simply grinned.
"Your Highness?" Delphine called softly.
Her eyes scanned the room until she spotted Ceres...
Curled up in bed, eyes closed, seemingly asleep.
They hesitated.
Should they wake her?
Approaching quietly, they stepped toward the bed, watching her sleeping form.
For once, she looked peaceful.
The weight of the previous night's breakdown had left its mark, but she no longer looked like she was on the verge of breaking apart.
Delphine gently set the tray down on the side table, then leaned forward.
"Your Highness?"
She reached out and touched Ceres's shoulder, shaking her lightly.
A soft groan escaped the Empress, but her eyes barely fluttered open before she shut them again.
She shifted slightly, snuggling further into her pillow.
"Do you feel unwell?" Delphine asked, placing a hand on Ceres's forehead to check her temperature.
She wasn't warm. No fever.
"Just tired," Ceres mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.
She didn't even bother opening her eyes fully.
Delphine frowned in concern.
"Would you like to eat later, then?" she asked, though she was worried.
The Empress had skipped breakfast.
Ceres let out a deep sigh, then murmured...
"I'll eat now."
However...
She made no move to get up.
Delphine and Legion exchanged glances.
Seconds passed.
Still, Ceres didn't budge.
"Your Highness… would you like me to feed you?" Delphine suggested hesitantly.
A long pause.
Then...
"Okay."
Still, Ceres didn't move.
Delphine looked at Legion for help, clearly uncertain.
Before she could say anything, Legion stepped forward...
And to her shock, he sat on the edge of the bed.
"If you'll excuse me, Your Highness," Legion said smoothly.
Before Delphine could stop him, he wrapped an arm around Ceres's back and lifted her slightly, adjusting her so that she was leaning against his chest in a sitting position.
Ceres barely reacted...
She simply moved into the warmth, resting against him like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Legion then turned his gaze to Delphine, gesturing with his eyes.
His message was clear...
Feed her.
Delphine, still stunned, took a second before snapping out of it.
She quickly picked up a fork, sliced a piece of the Malvera pie, and carefully brought it to the Empress's lips.
Ceres, her eyes still half-closed, took a bite, chewing slowly and lazily.
Her body relaxed further, sinking against Legion's chest, as if she had no energy left to hold herself up.
Delphine, watching the scene unfold, felt a strange mix of emotions... concern, curiosity, and an odd sense of amusement.
But she kept quiet.
She simply continued feeding her, while Legion sat there, calm on the outside, yet his ears were visibly red... a clear sign of his unease.
"How do you like the food, Your Highness?" Delphine asked, waiting for Ceres to finish chewing.
Ceres took her time swallowing, then murmured, "It's good."
A brief pause.
"What is it?"
"Malvera pie," Delphine explained. "I thought you might get tired of eating just the fruit, so I baked it into a pie. I also made juice."
Ceres hummed in approval, letting Delphine continue feeding her in small, delicate bites... until she finally raised a hand, signaling she was done.
"That was delicious," she muttered, but she still sounded tired.
Delphine frowned, worry creasing her features.
"Your Highness, are you sure you're okay?" she asked again.
Ceres sighed. "Yes. I'm just incredibly exhausted."
Legion, who had remained silent, finally spoke... his tone careful yet firm.
"Does it have something to do with granting us our gifts?" he asked, his arms still loosely wrapped around her as she leaned against him.
Ceres barely hesitated.
"Yes."
The siblings exchanged glances, surprised by her direct answer.
"Did you go to the Royal Kitchen to collect our monthly food supply?" Ceres asked next, shifting slightly before detaching herself from Legion and laying back down on the bed.
Legion instinctively tensed at the sudden loss of warmth.
It was a ridiculous thing to be bothered by, and yet... he couldn't ignore the subtle disappointment creeping into his chest.
Silently, he stood up and adjusted her blanket and pillow, making sure she was comfortable.
"Yes, Your Highness," Delphine confirmed.
"Did you teach that stupid Royal Chief a proper lesson?" Ceres asked, her voice casual as her eyes fluttered shut again.
The siblings smirked, recalling the absolute nightmare they had inflicted upon the disgusting old man.
"Yes," Delphine answered simply.
Ceres let out a soft, contented hum.
"Good."
A short pause.
Then...
"And Legion," she murmured, her voice turning slightly sharp, "if you're going to experiment next time, do it somewhere else. It's too noisy."
Legion froze.
A hint of panic flashed in his expression.
"I… I'm sorry, Your Highness. It won't happen again," he quickly assured her.
Ceres lazily waved a hand.
"It's fine if you're just making minor movements," she said, still half-asleep, "but right now, I can't tolerate even small discomforts. I feel them seven times worse than normal."
Silence.
A long silence.
Delphine and Legion exchanged looks... their minds racing with unspoken questions.
They were hesitant, but…
Curiosity was winning.
Ceres must have sensed their hesitation, because despite having her eyes closed, she spoke.
"If you have something to ask, just ask," she muttered indifferently. "If not, you can leave. I need to rest. My body feels too tired."
Legion swallowed before gathering the courage to speak.
"Your Highness, we were always told that you have no mana. That you can't perform magic." He hesitated before continuing. "But the abilities you granted us… How was that possible?"
He exhaled, his gaze unwavering.
"Only Celestial Beings can bless humans with abilities and skills at birth."
A long pause.
For a moment, he thought she wouldn't answer.
"I may not be able to detect or control mana," Ceres murmured, still snuggling into her pillow, "but I still have magic."
The siblings stiffened.
"I don't have MP like the rest of you, though."
Legion's brows furrowed.
"Then… how did you do it?"
Ceres let out a small breath, as if answering was exhausting.
Then she said it...
"I use my life force instead of mana every time I perform magic."