Chapter 16 – Coming Of Age Ceremony

Author`s note: The chapter is a bit short then last time, so bear with me. But Lucifer throws one hell of a party. I think this is the last chapter for the beginning arc and soon the school arc may began, If i am still alive. Also forgive me for the grammar, this chapter for not proofread like any of my other chapters.

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The night was cold, heavy rain and snow cascaded all over the human continent. A huge drop in temperature had occurred, many people stayed enclosed in their homes, waiting for the rain to pass away. Beside the Lu Ismever mansion, in the forest, if one looked closely, a faint speck of light was weaving through it.

Most people would think it was rather absurd, as a blizzards were not unexpected occurrences this time of the year; frost bites were frequent, and if one didn`t have an affinity with ice. They could lose a limb permanently.

“Snuff, did you find it? “Lucifer asked softly, while a wiggling flame floated above him.

“Yes, master” Snuff pointed with his paw towards a spot in the snow.

Increasing his heat aura, he melted the snow around him, finally seeing what he was looking for, a crystalline blue rose erect at the spot. He had finally gotten the herb he had been looking for and without Snuff`s help it would have been nearly impossible. Plucking it gently, he pocketed it into the rucksack he had brought long. Inside the rucksack, a wide range of herbs were clustered together, some of them were extremely rare.

[Flashback]

Lucifer in Aunt Hilda`s library, was keenly going the heap of books, she had acquired. He had almost finished all of her books, her library compared to Alexander`s was many times smaller, but she had also accumulated a few rare books. As he finished reading the final set of books, he placed it on the table, before pacing around the library, his mind constantly deriving methods to murder Richard without drawing attention to him.

As he moved around library, he reached a shelf at the far corner of the room. It had accumulated a lot of dust; it seemed it had not been touched for years. Picking a book from the shelf, he opened it trying to read. However, the book contained letters he could barely make out. Putting it back, he went through the books from the bottom to the top. As he reached the very right book at the top, and opened it a key flicked out and slammed onto the ground, making a bit of thump noise.

Picking it up, he scanned it, detecting the distinct engravings on the key. Looking around the entire room, he headed towards the library entrance, widening his perception radius, he checked for anyone in the vicinity around him. Altered that there was no one around, he closed the door softly.

Searching around for a key hole around the hexagonal shaped library, he spent an hour, to no avail. Walking to the shelf he had previously found the key in, he thoroughly inspected it. Finding a key hole on the sides of the shelf, far from anyone`s sight.

Inserting the key he twisted it, the shelf swung open like a door revealing a stairway. As he walked down the passage, the odor of rotten bones filled the air. Eventually, he reached a room, which only consisted of a table and a small bed. The table had a stack of books and a rucksack on top of it.

Picking up the books, he carefully examined them. The books were utterly magnificent; they contained instructions on how to produce various elixirs and tonics, as well as training methods. What grabbed his attention was that there were instructions to produce undetectable poison tonics.

As his gaze landed on the rucksack, he sensed the mana revolving around it. Inspecting it, he found out to his astonishment that it had a distorted dimensional space. Carefully studying the books he memorized the contents and stored them into his mind palace, before burning them to crisps.

He wanted to monopolize the knowledge. Exiting the room, he sealed it, vaporizing the key with his flames.

Departing from the library, he headed back into his room. Along with Snuff he planned out the diverse herbs they had collect to set his plan into motion. Moreover, it would be easy task, as snuff had the unique trait to smell out herbs. So he spent his nights, in the forest, collecting the listed herbs.

[Back to the present]

Having acquired the final ingredient, he had arrived back into his room with snuff. There were at least 4 hours remaining for dawn to break. Following the methods, he grinded the herbs in a bowl with a sap he had extracted from a tree. Soon, the mixture was produced. Vaporizing the liquid at high intensity, a white powder was left behind. Pouring the powder into a vial, he went back to bed, as sleep overtook him.

Hearing a soft knock on the door, he got out of bed. Freshening himself, he wore the newly stitched suit which was presented to him by Aunt Hilda. Exiting the room, he headed downstairs, today was an important day, his Coming of the age ceremony. Having a quick breakfast, he was sent to a city a little further from Casaria for his Mana capacity test along with Aunt Hilda, mother didn`t come along, clearly showing her dislike towards him. Richard`s capacity test marked him as exceptional, so he was scouted by many institutions. Mother was very pleased, seeing that her favorite son was such a ‘genius’.

The journey took an hour longer then the time they travelled to Casaria, the carriage halted in front of the cathedral. Lucifer departing from it, he followed Aunt Hilda into the cathedral, as he entered. A large amount of nobles were gathered inside waiting for their child`s test.

A large translucent pillar stood at the center, beside it an elderly man stood clutching a scroll. In a loud and stern voice, he spoke” As I call the names of the children, they should touch the pillar”

Then he began to read out the names of the individuals, as the children touched the pillar it brightened in varying intensities. It was divided it four levels Palsy, average, adept and exceptional. Some of the nobles, yelled at their kids as they received the palsy. It meant their son or daughter was a cripple at mana manipulation and that his future prospects were very limited. Very few noble children received adept their families jeered with joy, as famous institutions would take them in.

Finally, his name was called out, “Avaritia Lu Isemver comes on stage”, as he gracefully walked towards it; many nobles stared at him wide eyed. As always, his features were extraordinary, he could feel the gazes on his from all sides. The females were in a trance, while the males looked at him with jealousy and envy.

Reaching the stage he placed his hand on the pillar, suppressing his mana to the very minimum. The brightness of the pillar covered the entire cathedral. The elderly man, trembling muttered "Exceptional potential”. The entire cathedral was in an uproar they hadn`t ever seen such intensity even for other exceptional individuals.

All of a sudden, an elven individual appeared in front of him. He spoke in gentle tone, “I am ‘Serion vel Demios’ the dean of Sirvius institute and I would like to invite you to our institute”

Lucifer had heard about it, it was a very well-known institute throughout the continents and they only selected gifted individual were selected to join it.

He instantly responded with a “yes”. Any person would have done so.

Walking back to Aunt Hilda he looked at her. Her expression was of utter delight, ruffling his hair they headed back to the mansion. She had gotten a memory crystal from the dean which explained when he should arrive at the institute, so he had to leave for the Epouranios the elven continent after two days.

Returning back to the mansion, as soon as he entered a huge celebration had begun, as his test results were revealed Aunt Hilda had contacted back home. So that a celebration would be held, as the event began only three people were distraught, Mother, Douglas and Richard, as the party went at full blast many nobles congratulated him, as the event went on, he noticed Douglas and Richard sitting side by side at the corner of the room, while mother was nowhere near because the nobles were showering her with praise due to his achievement.

He ordered snuff to distract their attention, taking the vial from his pocket he directed the powder into Richard`s and Douglas`s glass. Quickly telling snuff to withdraw, no one noticed what he had done. He started talking with many nobles to develop an alibi; the poison would take two hours to kill the person after it was ingested.

Carefully observing Richard and Douglas, they had completely emptied their glass. After a while, a cake was brought in, which Lucifer would have to cut. Douglas, Richard and mother accompanied him. As he was cutting the cake, Richard`s and Douglas`s body started to violently spasm before the fell lifeless onto his cake breaking the table along.

As mother saw the lifeless corpses of her dearly beloved and son, something had snapped within her. Her eyes turned bloodshot, before turning towards the nearest noble. She lobbed of his head, with a dagger which appeared out of nowhere. She went on a massacre, as she diced the people in front of her. Nobles were scrambling around, running for their lives, Lucifer watched from the corners as blood spilled everywhere dyeing the walls and table wear red.

Nobles and servants were decimated, at that moment Aunt Hilda appeared in front of mother impaling her with a short knife. A hole was left on mother`s abdomen. Before she lifelessly fell to the ground, Aunt Hilda was trembling violently before fainting.

Malcom, Cynthia and Angela rushed to Aunt Hilda, scrambling around her crying uncontrollably, Lucifer gazed from the corners of the room, no one had noticed where he had slipped off to before the massacre began and they couldn`t care less. Most of the nobles were diced into pieces along with the servants who tried to stop her. Very few survived this blood bath, Lucifer using mana stopped the blood low to his head, falling unconscious onto the floor. He had to make it look authentic, so no one would be suspicious of him.

After a few minutes, many experts had appeared from thin air, grapping the survivors, before transporting them to a remote location. Lucifer woke up in a cabin, god knows where, as he stepped out. He noticed the greenery all around, huge canopy shaped tress provided him with shade. As he reminisced the events that had occurred, his expression turned jubilant and his mouth curved into a smile.

“Snuff, where you are?” he sent a mental message

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