Chapter 171: VOL 3 - 9: You are exactly what I need.
After lunch, the trio of siblings, Sofía, Clara, and Martín, followed Seraphina to Erik's private study, where they found him seated behind his imposing wooden desk. There he was writing on magical scrolls with a concentrated expression on his face, surrounded by books and holographic displays, while a beautiful blue phoenix and a black dragon watched from the sides atop the desk, and two wolf cubs—one white and the other black—slept in a corner.
Without making a sound, the group of four entered the study. The three siblings stood by the door, while Seraphina moved to Erik's side and served a cup of tea, which she placed on the desk alongside a plate of freshly baked cookies, then stood silently behind him like a faithful shadow.
After nearly ten almost suffocating minutes of silence, during which the only sound was that of the quill stroking the paper, Erik lifted his gaze to meet the siblings. At that moment, he set his quill beside the magical scroll, then picked up the still-steaming cup of tea from the desk while greeting them with a smile.
"Good afternoon, and my apologies—I was about to finish and did not want to lose my train of thought."
"Good afternoon, boss, and don't worry, we understand perfectly."
Sofía quickly stepped forward and spoke in a respectful tone as she executed a courteous bow, then turned her gaze toward the majestic spirits and greeted them equally respectfully.
"Good afternoon, Your Excellency Caelestis and Your Excellency Nox."
Along with Sofía's words, Clara and Martín stepped forward and bowed respectfully before simultaneously greeting with seriousness.
"Good afternoon, Boss, Your Excellency Caelestis, Your Excellency Nox."
"Good afternoon, little ones."
Ignis greeted in a warm and cordial tone, then rose into the air to perch on the back of Erik's chair, which looked like a minimalist throne made of black wood adorned with gold decorations—a move mirrored by Ebonique, who also greeted in kind.