My System Just Exploded, And You Ask Me to Become a God?-Chapter 53 --The Voice of House Rima

"Haah..."

High above the clouds, white mist slid continuously past the sides of the airship. Sunlight filtered through the leaf-shaped sails atop the mast, casting speckled beams across the deck—like a paradise floating in the sky.

Joad leaned sleepily against the railing of the airship, half-dozing in the warm breeze.

Come to think of it, this was probably the first time he had ever traveled this far from home. His activities in the past had been mostly confined to the Ilan Principality—or more accurately, the modest grounds of the academy.

Just then, Ivy, in her elegant gown, gracefully approached Joad.

Joad found it somewhat strange. Lately, Ivy hadn’t been bothering Leit anymore. Instead, she had started to spend more and more time around him.

Sure, he did love mana stones, but whenever Ivy came over, she never discussed business. Instead, their conversations were always about trivial daily matters.

Even now, it was no different.

Joad was growing sleepier by the minute. Struggling to stay awake, he hastily changed the subject.

"Miss Ivy, what kind of business is House Rima doing in the Luminous Pearl Kingdom this time?"

Ivy gave him a soft smile. "Just basic goods—things like minerals and textiles. But the real reason the elders decided to come along is because several of our younger family members are also participating in the Trial of the Luminous Pearl."

"Call it overprotection or giving them experience... either way, in the end, everyone just decided to tag along."

"I see..." Joad replied absentmindedly, clearly uninterested. Then he asked, "By the way, I haven’t seen Uncle Maron around lately."

Ivy paused for a second, then smiled. "Uncle Maron had to return to the family headquarters to handle some business."

As they spoke, Senior Leit approached the two of them.

Joad quickly stood up straight and greeted him respectfully.

Leit nodded and turned his gaze to Ivy.

"Ivy, how’s your mana affinity coming along?" he asked.

"Thank you for asking, Senior," Ivy replied politely. "It’s been steadily improving lately."

Leit looked pleased. He patted her on the shoulder in encouragement.

"Very good. As long as you keep this up, I’m sure you’ll surpass me in no time."

Ivy simply smiled without saying much else.

But Joad felt uncomfortable standing nearby. Leit touched her shoulder!

In the past, that kind of gesture would’ve turned Ivy’s face red and flustered. She wouldn’t have been able to speak a full sentence straight.

But now?

She maintained her noblewoman’s grace with ease—and even seemed to subtly overpower Leit in presence.

What was going on? Had Ivy... changed her affections? 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Realizing this, Joad glanced sideways at Ivy again and couldn’t help but mutter under his breath, "Girls at this age really are like the weather in March—changing in the blink of an eye!"

Clang!

Just then, a clear chime rang out from the bell mounted on the airship’s prow.

That sound meant only one thing: the long journey had come to an end. They had finally reached the Luminous Pearl Kingdom.

...

The airship descended slowly toward a floating port. As it pierced through the thick cloud layers, Joad looked down—and his jaw dropped.

Below was a sprawling, luxurious estate, vast enough to cover half a town.

He had heard that House Rima was wealthy, but now that he saw it with his own eyes, he realized just how unfathomably rich true nobles could be. His imagination had never come close.

Everyone, including Joad, exited the ship using a magical elevator, descending to the estate’s vast courtyard.

House Rima had even laid out a red carpet to welcome them.

Standing at the end of the carpet were three middle-aged men of similar age, each exuding an imposing presence.

The man in the center wore the most elaborate attire and carried an unmistakable aura of authority.

Ivy, who had appeared from who knows where, stepped beside Joad and began to introduce them.

"The man in front is my father, Howard. He’s also the current head of House Rima. The two beside him are my uncles—Rodney and Nelson."

Hearing this, Joad fell into thought.

He vaguely remembered overhearing some drunken gossip at a tavern once—that the leadership of House Rima was indeed composed of one main patriarch and two vice-leaders.

Now that he saw them, it all made sense.

These three brothers had clearly formed a stable "iron triangle" of power through mutual balance and restraint, which had enabled House Rima to flourish for so long without internal collapse.

And that, Joad thought, was actually kind of admirable.

After all, in this day and age, leaders willing to share power—especially with their own kin—were few and far between. History had shown time and again that splitting authority within a family often led to its destruction.

At that moment, Howard, head of House Rima, walked up the red carpet and warmly embraced Headmaster Simar. The two exchanged cheek kisses in traditional noble fashion.

Finally, Howard chuckled, "Simar, how long has it been since we last met? Long enough that the barley wine I buried under your porch has probably started to mold!"

Simar laughed as well, clearly delighted. "Howard, do you really think there’s a wine in this world that could escape my nose? I drank that bottle the same day you buried it. Bet you didn’t see that coming!"

The two old friends bantered cheerfully, catching up after so many years apart.

Meanwhile, Ivy stepped forward and gently took her father’s arm. In a formal noble setting like this, family accompaniment was essential.

Howard was momentarily stunned. He turned to examine his daughter carefully.

His eyes curved into crescent moons as he smiled in satisfaction.

"Simar," he said, "thank you so much for guiding her. It seems sending little Ivy to your academy was the right choice after all."

Howard was no fool—no fool could ever become the leader of House Rima.

The moment he laid eyes on his daughter, he noticed the dramatic change in her aura and demeanor.

This wasn’t some act or facade. It was the natural confidence that came from advancing to the rank of elite mage.

What’s more, Howard could sense the mana in the air slowly converging toward her body.

It was proof that her mana affinity had grown significantly—far beyond what it once was.

Off to the side, Uncle Rodney couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.

Then, his gaze turned to Leit.

"You must be the talented array mage, Leit," Rodney said warmly. "Just like the rumors say—so young, yet your presence is leagues beyond your peers. You have a bright future ahead of you."

Rodney found himself liking Leit more and more.

After all, it was no secret that his niece Ivy had entered Ilan Royal Academy with the intention of pursuing this young prodigy.

Now, her strength had improved rapidly, and her mana affinity had increased as well.

Everyone present knew that only array mages truly focused on improving mana resonance and affinity.

It was obvious that Leit had helped her a great deal behind the scenes.

Maybe the two of them were even...

Rodney suddenly shook his head to dispel the thought.

No, no. The friendship between young people is pure. How could he—an adult—view it through such a filthy lens?