"Is everything clear?"
The twins nodded in unison, their small faces taking on a serious expression.
In fact, such a solemn introduction was unnecessary. Their mother explained all the important information to them long ago and clearly. It happened about a year ago, when precocious Grace and Gray began begging their beloved mother to teach them magic.
They have often watched their almighty mother perform various miracles: lighting candles with a snap of her fingers or using the wind to catch falling objects. They even saw Cassia using advanced shadow magic to hide from their playful hands.
Unaware of what the twins were thinking, Adam continued to play the role of a strict and omniscient father.
"According to the universal memorandum of the Roman Empire, magic cores are classified from E to S, in rare cases even SS. Their rank depends on their bandwidth, and their type depends on their predisposition to magical elements."
"For example, I have an S+ level magic core with a predisposition to the rare element of light. This doesn't mean that I can't use the magic of other elements, but my mastery of light magic is almost unsurpassed. The magic of other elements is limited to basic spells to avoid overloading the core."
Adam expected an enthusiastic reaction, but all he saw were eager glances. The twins ignored his boast and asked in unison:
"What's Mom's name?"
There was genuine interest on their faces. Their mother always answered this question with a mysterious smile: "Very strong." She promised to reveal the details when they awoke their cores, which only piqued their curiosity.
Adam coughed awkwardly and continued: "Your mother has a special class core–a Colorless Adaptable Core. The more she uses the magic of a certain element, the stronger she becomes in it. Theoretically, your mother can master any existing magic at a high level with enough practice. However, this requires her to constantly maintain a balance between all the elements used."
The children's eyes lit up, and they stared at their mother with undisguised adoration.
"Fu Fu fu, what did I tell you, you little rascals? Your mom is the strongest," Katerina said proudly, puffing out her chest. But then she added in a serious tone:
"But remember, core rank is not everything. It can be improved with rare resources or hard work. Take your Uncle Aurelius, for example. He originally awakened a Class B earth element magic core, but through relentless training and searching for rare resources, he developed it to Class A+, almost reaching level S."
"I see," the children replied in unison, a twinkle of anticipation in their eyes.
"What about Kasi? What kind of core does she have?" the girl asked curiously.
Katerina thought for a moment: "Honey, Kasi is not a human being. She's from the cat tribe. Her body is designed differently, she doesn't have a core, but she has an affinity for shadows, so she can hide in them. You don't need to go into details. Just know that beastmen evolve in a different way. You'll learn more when you're older."
"This concludes our little lecture," Adam interjected. "We are going to your awakening ceremony, which will be conducted personally by the cardinal of the Church of the Holy Light, Alaric."
"Okay/Uh-huh."
Adam took little Grace's hand and headed for the exit. Smiling, Gray hugged his mother's neck. Picking up her son, Katerina easily got out of bed and followed her "husband."
After passing the royal palace, the library and the colosseum, the family reached the Ceremony Building.
It was a majestic circular Acropolis surrounded by snow-white marble columns. Statues of the departed heroes of the province of Light stood in a circle on a massive slab connecting the columns. There was no roof – the open space let in the sun's rays, creating a solemn atmosphere inside.
In the center of the hall stood a majestic altar in the shape of a quadrangular pyramid. On one side there was a cutout for lifting, at the top there was a small platform capable of accommodating up to three people.
The altar was located at the place of the greatest concentration of light energy. It served as a permanent prayer place for the royal family and was used for offerings and communion with God.
Behind the altar stood a statue of Apollo himself, the almighty patron god of the province of Light, the most beautiful and famous deity. Nicknamed the Radiant and Radiant in Rome, the patron god of the arts was embodied in stone with such beauty that any man felt insignificant when looking at him, and a woman felt warm moisture under her tunic.
All the active nobility of the prefecture lined up around the altar, in the shadow of the fallen heroes. All members of the royal family were present, including children and concubines, Centurions Claudius and Aurelius Starlight, representatives of all noble houses and numerous church novices. Allaric, Eva and Fulvius, the current cardinals of the Church of Light, knelt in front of the altar itself, preparing for the start of the ceremony.
All the men were dressed in standard loose tunics of pure white with wide sleeves. The women wore similar tunics, but without sleeves, revealing graceful shoulders. The hem of the women's tunics barely covered their knees, leaving room for imagination. This holy image was completed by a thin belt made of golden rope, emphasizing the slender waists of the ladies.
Gray involuntarily took another look at his beautiful mother, remembering how stunned he was when he first saw her in an outfit "for sacred ceremonies." He remembered looking at his mother and sister in fascination, and all sorts of "sacred" thoughts were swarming in his head.
He didn't understand where these confused feelings came from, but he genuinely enjoyed her beauty.
When the governor appeared, all those present ceremoniously paid their respects to their lord with a loud shout.:
"Long live His Majesty!"
Adam looked at everyone with a calm gaze, lingering on Eve, Alucard, Claudia and Aurelia. He smiled tenderly at his first wife, who reciprocated. This exchange of glances did not escape Katerina's attention, causing her irritation.
Ignoring this, Adam approached the three men to shake hands in the Roman manner–a mutual wrist shake. It was another tradition, demonstrating the lack of hidden weapons up his sleeve.
With this gesture, people seem to be saying to the interlocutor: "See, I don't have a gun, we are friends."
After finishing with the formal greetings, Adam gestured for everyone to relax. Immediately, quiet whispers passed through the crowd.:
"Dear Light, this is Her Majesty Katerina! They say she's the most beautiful woman in the world!"
"I didn't believe in this nonsense before, but today I realized that I was wrong."
"I still think that Her Majesty Eva's sacred grace is second to none."
"Look at Princess Grace! How sweet she is! She's like a miniature version of her mother."
"Only our governor is worthy of possessing such priceless treasures of beauty."
Catching a glimpse of these comments, Adam proudly smiled a victorious grin. Who doesn't like it when his wife's beauty is praised? Who doesn't like being envied?
Meanwhile, Gray hugged his mother tighter. He instinctively disliked the looks of others. He had to demonstrate his ownership clearly. Unfortunately, his gesture was perceived by others only as an attempt to hide his own embarrassment.
No wonder, because his appearance was also actively discussed in the crowd.
"This is His Highness the Third Prince. Why does he have black hair? The king's hair is light, and the queen's is ash-white. There's something wrong here."
"You've heard that the third Majesty and the viceroy haven't been getting along lately. I'm sure there's a wonderful story behind the prince's appearance."
"I heard that the king's youngest son was cursed at the moment of birth by a celestial eclipse when darkness descended on the whole of Eridania at noon."
Meanwhile, Grace shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. Her pretty face twisted, and her eyes darted in search of her mother.
Don't underestimate children. Although they cannot match adults in the art of reading the atmosphere, their instincts allow them to sense the intentions of others, especially when these intentions are not too carefully hidden.
And right now, Grace was trembling under the gaze of the crowd. She felt a mixture of insecurity and fear. She felt as if she had been forcibly dragged out of her corner of paradise to be thrown directly into the spider vipers.
The girl clung tightly to her father's hand, hoping to show her concern. It's a pity that Adam, with his powerful cultivation, didn't notice the change in the little girl's grip.
To her relief, Katerina was already heading towards her in the company of her younger brother. There was a gentle and soothing smile on her face. The woman tried to comfort her angel:
"Don't worry, honey, Mom will always protect and support you," she promised, stroking the child's head. "Don't be afraid of the attention of the crowd, only the most outstanding can earn it. If people look at you, be proud, don't show weakness. Show everyone why you deserve to be called the most beautiful princess of the Alaz Continent!"
Feeling her mother's caresses, Grace's small eyes lit up. Her figure stopped shaking, and a cheerful smile returned to her face. Just like that, with just a few words, her worries were put aside, leaving only impatience and anticipation.
"Uh-huh," Grace nodded softly to her mother, making it clear that she was fine.
My brother didn't stay idle either. Under his father's disapproving gaze, he hugged his little sister and whispered softly in her ear with a malicious smile that foreshadowed only a prank.
"Sis, can we have a bet?"
"A dispute? What kind of argument?" – Grace squeaked softly, interested.
"Who has the strongest core."
"But we're twins. Everything is the same with us. It must be..." she objected, confused by her brother's stupidity.
"Who knows?" the boy replied with a sly grin, resembling a little fox.
"Dear, although you were born on the same day and you should have the same talents. But that doesn't mean that your cores will also be the same." Katerina intervened in the conversation, having heard the children talking about betting.
"Usually, twins have the same type of core, but different bandwidth. This is a very mysterious phenomenon. There were cases when different types of cores appeared that could mutually reinforce each other. Fu-fu-fu. Quite enviable abilities, aren't they?"
At the moment, the children were unaware of the celestial phenomena they had caused. Katerina did not want to tell them about this, because she was sure that it is not talent that makes a person great, but many years of hard work and diligence.
Nevertheless, she couldn't help but smile proudly every time she recalled the heavenly manifestation that appeared at the birth of the twins. Despite the fact that it was interrupted by an unexpected eclipse, Katerina did not consider it a bad omen.
Her maid was a user of shadow magic and was still very sweet and kind. Catherine did not grow up in the Roman Empire and did not fully understand their prejudices.
She knew for a fact that at the birth of a gifted descendant in the werewolf tribe, the full moon lit up the entire sky, as if celebrating the arrival of a new member of the pack. Elven children could cause blooms around them, regardless of the time of year.
Rumor has it that five years ago, at the birth of the elven princess, the legendary Igdrassil tree of life swayed for three days and three nights, welcoming a new genius.
The world was full of extraordinary geniuses. She won't be upset even if her son's element is changed by fate. The type of force is not important, what matters is exactly how that force is used.
A little lost in her thoughts, Katerina turned her attention back to the twins' conversation.
Good. We're arguing. The loser will fulfill the wishes of the winner for a whole day!" said Grace, provoked by her younger brother's smug grin.
"I bet!" replied Gray, rubbing his hands with impatience.
"Father, when is the ceremony?" The girl asked impatiently, completely forgetting about her previous worries.
"Don't worry, honey, it's starting soon," Adam nodded approvingly, noticing his daughter's impatience.
Going out to the center of the Acropolis, the governor raised his hand, asking for silence.
After making sure that everyone was silent and all the attention of the crowd was focused on him, Adam took his word.
"Ladies and gentlemen, citizens and believers. I, the rightful ruler of the province of Light, Adam Starlight, in the name of the great Roman Empire, welcome all of you to today's historic event."
"Today, my two children, who for the first time in the history of the province have awakened phenomena at birth, will take their first step! With the blessing of our merciful God, I declare the ceremony open."
"Tsk, what is he talking about anyway?" thought Katerina, feeling a little impatient and agitated. - "Why so much pathos at the usual awakening of children? Won't all this pomp make them too arrogant?"
Although Katerina mentally cursed Adam for making the event too serious, concern was clearly visible on her own face. After all, when have humans ever been logical creatures?
"The auspicious hour is approaching, and my daughter, Grace Starlight, will be the first to ascend the altar."