Reincarnated as a step-dad in a fantasy world

[Name: Lilia Eswald

Age: 64

Strength (sealed): 250

Agility (sealed): 200

Stamina (sealed): 200

Defense (sealed): 200

Mana points (sealed): 0

Abilities: Space (sealed), Fire (sealed), Earth (sealed), Water (sealed), Lightning (sealed)...

Nicknames: Battlefield Queen, Blessed by the Gods, Incredible Talent, Harbinger of death...]

"...."

Alex didn't know what to think for a long while. Lilia's rate of progress was simply too astonishing. Just a few weeks ago when they had parted ways, her stats were all around one hundred and fifty points. But now, all of her stats had shown an incredible increase. 

A fifty-point increase in a single stat was already impressive, but for all of her attributes to have increased by at least fifty points was extraordinary. It was worth noting that in the system's status, a fifty-point increase in strength, for example, translated to a five hundred-point boost in real-world terms.

Alex wasn't entirely familiar with the typical rate of progression for others due to a lack of experience in comparing stats, a knowledge gap he was actively working to close, but even so, he was certain that Lilia's speed of progression was off the charts.

By examining her status, he also noticed that Lilia's strength stat was now higher than her other attributes. Previously, all of Lilia's stats had been evenly matched, but now, for some reason, her strength was ahead of the rest. He didn't know if this was intentional on her part, but either way, Alex was glad to see that his wife was making such rapid progress.

Seeing Lilia's increased stats, Alex felt even more motivated in his own physical training, understanding that her fast progress was likely due to her awakening Zid.

A bit after noon, both Alex and the girls finished their tasks and resumed their journey.

***

"We're close," Maya informed, "beyond those mountain peaks lies the territory of Baron Drisidd, where the auction will be held."

A few hours had passed since they resumed their travel, and now, as the sun was beginning to set, casting an orange glow over the frozen landscape, Maya had delivered the piece of news that all of them were waiting for.

"Finally," Alex sighed in relief. From his perspective, it had taken them far longer than necessary to reach this point, though he understood that the delay was due to them enjoying their time together during the journey rather than rushing.

"I doubt we can cross the mountains before nightfall, though," Amelia, resting her head on Alex's shoulder, murmured.

"Mm," Alex nodded in agreement, "let's camp tonight and set out at first light tomorrow," he suggested.

"There's actually no need to camp tonight," Maya interjected. "There's a city nearby where we can spend the night."

Alex raised an eyebrow and decided to scan their surroundings with his senses as he gradually lowered the flying carriage.

It wasn't long before he spotted the city Maya was referring to, a few kilometers away from their current position.

Judging that it was indeed better to stay in the city than camp out in the cold, Alex directed the flying carriage toward it. However, as they drew closer and Alex and Amelia's eyes locked onto a signboard indicating the city's name, an ugly expression appeared on their faces.

"Why do you two look like that?" Maya asked, noticing their change in expression, but unable to see as far as the siblings could.

"That city we're heading to is Eidross," Alex informed her with a neutral expression.

The instant Maya heard the name "Eidross," her expression shifted into a deep frown.

Eidross was an infamous city known to every noble in Fiore. The reason for its notoriety was simple: the inhabitants of this city harbored an intense hatred for the nobility. For the people of Eidross, all nobles were the same—detestable and corrupt, with no exceptions. 

Eidross wasn't some ancient city with a rich history spanning centuries. No, it was a relatively new city, its existence only dating back a decade. 

In an empire like Fiore, with its vast territories, dozens of new cities were founded every year. Most of these cities went unnoticed, except by the local lords who governed the lands where they were established. However, Eidross made a name for itself just months after its founding, as its inhabitants and officials began treating nobles very differently compared to other cities. This distinct hostility quickly drew attention from across the empire.

In the history of Fiore, and perhaps throughout the entirety of Imperion, there had never been a locality where nobles were openly scorned and where common folk dared to insult them—until the creation of Eidross. Naturally, this infuriated most noble houses in the empire, leading them to unite in putting pressure on the baron whose territory included Eidross.

But to the surprise of the noble families, the baron dismissed their complaints and sent them packing. This only fueled their anger further. It wasn't long before the Earl was called upon to handle the situation, but once again, the nobles were shocked when the Earl declared that he couldn't do anything against Eidross.

This back-and-forth continued until the nobles, feeling desperate and humiliated, went directly to the emperor to demand action against Eidross and its defiant inhabitants. The sight of the noble houses practically mobilizing against a single city was literally absurd, and many among those nobles felt deeply ashamed of having to take such a drastic measure. However, their pride simply couldn't accept the existence of a city where they were neither revered nor respected.

Thus, it was with shock and disbelief that the nobles stood dumbfounded when the emperor dismissed their complaints as nothing more than the whining of spoiled children. He quite literally chased them out of his palace, commanding them to cease their attempts to interfere with Eidross. 

That day was likely one of the most humiliating in the lives of many nobles.

Despite the emperor's command, the nobles didn't give up their vendetta against Eidross. Though they couldn't openly attack the city, they sought other means to destroy it.

The solution they came to was rather simple to : utter isolation of Eidross. After all, a city couldn't possibly thrive if all its access to food, goods, and trade were cut off.

Unfortunately for those nobles who were particularly eager to see Eidross collapse, not every noble saw the city as a thorn in their side. Some saw its existence as an opportunity. With the rapid growth of Eidross' population, they smelled profit and if crossing a few nobles house was the price to gain that profit, then so be it. 

Fortunately, the lord and inhabitants of Eidross, despite their disdain for the nobility, understood that it would be foolish to refuse business with nobles who managed various territories and cities. In the end, a compromise was reached: Eidross would engage in trade with certain noble houses, but those nobles were strictly forbidden from ever setting foot inside the city.

Ironically, the rapid growth in both population and infrastructure within Eidross made many nobles realize something unsettling: they were widely despised by the common folk.

The most arrogant nobles scoffed and ignored this revelation, unbothered about the fact that mere rats disdained them. However, those who were more perceptive and cared about maintaining their power took the hint and began improving the lives of their people.

In a twisted way, the emergence of Eidross had led to better living conditions for many across the empire.

"Well, I think we can sneak inside the city unnoticed," Alex said, his expression returning to a calm, calculating demeanor.

He was confident that unless someone was a well-known noble or bore distinct features associated with a noble house, slipping through the city's gates wouldn't be too difficult. After all, Eidross had grown into a bustling metropolis in recent years, with countless people coming and going daily. There was no feasible way the city could keep track of everyone.

"You two might pass unnoticed, but..." Maya pointed to her striking orange hair and eyes before continuing, "...these are unmistakable traits of the Drazen family. Plus, you might not know it, but I'm actually a bit famous, especially in this region."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Alex replied with a reassuring smile as he snapped his fingers.

Immediately, a portion of the purple carriage shifted back into its gaseous form and swirled around Alex and the girls. In moments, their hair had transformed into the same deep purple hue as the carriage. But that wasn't all— their skin tone subtly changed, becoming slightly more tanned, blending in seamlessly with their new appearances.

As Alex's control over his smoke ability improved, he had mastered not only the art of altering its texture to mimic human skin but also the ability to change the natural color of the smoke itself. 

"With this, we should be able to enter without a hitch."