"So, you're free. Which means you can spar," I said brightly, smiling at her like I'd solved a puzzle.
"That's true, but I haven't even eaten this morning," Ann said, her sigh turning into a groan.
"You haven't? How late do you usually eat?" I asked, genuinely confused.
"How early do you eat?" She shot back, raising an eyebrow at me like I was the odd one here.
"When I wake up," I answered simply, her expression twisting into something between disbelief and amusement.
"You force your chefs to prepare food the second you wake up?" Ann asked, her tone accusatory, making me feel oddly guilty for a second.
"No. I keep prepared food in my storage so I can eat anytime. I also made a lot of it myself," I explained, making her stare at me like I'd grown another head.
"Is it raw?" she asked slowly.
"Maybe..." I admitted, glancing away.
"Monster meat?" she added knowingly.
"It's good for protein," I said defensively, still avoiding her gaze.
Ann chuckled, shaking her head. "Well, seeing what you are, that makes sense. Eating raw meat suits you."
"That's quite mean," I shot back, though I couldn't help laughing with her.
"It depends on how you take it," she replied, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"So, are we going to spar or not?" I asked, cutting through the playful exchange to get back to the reason I was here.
"Kitsuna, I'm not even out of bed. How the hell am I supposed to spar like this?" Marquis Anabald groaned, her tone halfway between irritation and amusement.
"Mom, why are all the servants outside your room?" Oh-Kitsuna Draig, why are you here?" Katie's voice cut in as she walked through the door, her glare landing on me instantly.
"Well, I'm here to ask a favor from your mother," I explained, gesturing at Ann, who still hadn't moved from her sheets.
"While she's in bed?" Katie asked, raising an eyebrow, her tone dripping with judgement.
"Yeah," I replied casually.
"Isn't that a bit rude?" she pressed.
"I guess, but I'm on a tight schedule," I said simply, earning a synchronized sigh of annoyance from both mother and daughter.
"What do you mean by a tight schedule?" Ann asked.
"Well, the tournament is in six days, so yes, it's a tight schedule," I said with a grin, leaning back on the bedpost.
"What do you want to learn in our spars?" Ann asked, finally pushing herself up on her elbows, her eyes narrowing.
"Well, it's more like testing things out and practicing," I explained, forming a small dagger in my hand from crystals. I let it glint in the morning light for a second before letting it crumble away into shards.
"Can't your sister and her boyfriend help with something that simple?" Ann asked, looking at me strangely.
"No, they can't."
"I know they might be weaker than you, but that doesn't mean you can't practice against them," she pointed out.
"That's the problem. If I mess up, I might kill them because they're weaker than me," I said, my tone dropping into something more serious.
"So, what exactly do you want to practice?" Ann pressed, her expression hardening as she demanded a clear answer.
"Umm..." I hesitated, scratching my cheek.
"Just say it. It's not like it can be that big of a secret."
"Well, it's almost on the same level as me," I admitted reluctantly.
"It is?"
"Yes."
"Can you at least give an example?"
"I just did, though?" I said, frowning.
"Yeah, well, I didn't understand that at all." Ann shook her head, unimpressed.
"Well, you know I create weapons, right?" I leaned closer, lowering my voice so the servants outside couldn't hear. Katie still could, of course, and her glare didn't waver.
"Yes, with your ice magic."
"Well, I asked a Smith King for some lessons, and he taught me a way to make a certain weapon to kill certain beings in this world. Forceful beings," I explained carefully.
Ann's eyes widened, almost popping out of her head. "You can't be serious."
"I am."
Her disbelief melted away into sharp resolve. "I'll be ready in five," she announced, vanishing from her bed in a blur of movement.
"Awesome. I'll wait outside then," I said, even though she was already gone.
"Huh, what were you two talking about?" Katie asked, her voice uncertain for the first time.
"Your mother will tell you later, probably," I said with a shrug as I walked out of the room, Katie trailing behind me.
"Why can't you?" she pressed.
"Because I don't want to. And if you knew, you'd probably call the tournament useless," I said, glancing over my shoulder with a smirk.
"Why would I do that?" Katie snapped, her voice sharp.
"Because I have a cheat, hehe," I said, laughing.
"So? Everyone in the country can join the tournament," Katie countered, her glare unshaken.
"Yes, but the number of people who can use this cheat can be counted on two hands," I said, flashing her a massive grin.
"Seriously?"
"Well, maybe a bit more, but they're too old to join anyway," I said thoughtfully.
"I still don't understand why I can't know the reason you want to spar with my mother."
"You can know, but I'd rather leave it to her to tell you," I said firmly.
"Sigh, fine," Katie muttered, finally relenting.
"So, how's it been these days?" I asked, softening my tone as I remembered her struggles.
"After Mom came back, it's been a lot better," she admitted, her smile genuine.
"I'd think so. You might be an heiress, but you're still a kid, and you haven't even gone to the academy yet," I said, shrugging. I didn't really know what they taught there, but I knew Grandma Amaris was the principal.
"The academy isn't for learning to run a territory. It's for making connections with the lower nobility," Katie explained, answering half my unspoken thoughts.
"Really? That's the reason?" I scoffed.
"Yes. I can see how you wouldn't care, because you're... well, you," Katie said with a laugh.
"Hey, what do you mean by that?"
"We need the lower nobility to help run territories," she said, changing the subject slightly.
"Sigh. I won't be head of house, so it doesn't matter. I won't be working with them in Black Ops either," I said, waving it off.
"On the contrary, most Black Ops come from those northern nobles," Katie said with a grin.
"I didn't know that," I admitted.
"You might want to care more, especially if you want to take over Black Ops one day," Marquis Anabald said as she stepped out, fully dressed and ready.
"Why would I? Amari will run the house and Black Ops, not me," I said, tilting my head.
"Dean may be head of house, but Stacy has the real power when it comes to Black Ops," Ann said, grinning.
"Isn't Dean the leader?" I asked, confused.
"Yes, but orders from him get double-checked with Stacy. Always."
"Huh. I guess that makes sense. But it's still Amari's job, not mine."
"You wouldn't be taking it away-you'd be helping her. Running a territory isn't straightforward," Ann said, her grin widening.
"What about Zagan?" I asked, testing her.
Ann's grin disappeared. "Really? You want to leave the strongest attack force to someone who rushes everything and barely thinks?"
"...Sigh. I guess," I admitted reluctantly.
"Anyway, that's not important. Follow me. Let's go to the field."
"The field?"
"Yeah. It's where Stacy and I spar."
"Alright."
"Sorry, daughter. You'll have to leave us today. I'll explain everything tonight," Ann told Katie, her tone leaving no room for argument.
[5 min later]
"Alright, we're here. Now show me your progress," Ann said, standing across from me on the field, her stance sharp and ready.
"Okay, just one thing-don't panic when it blows up. It's not enough to kill me, anyway."
"What?"
"You'll see. Just don't run toward me when it explodes, alright?" I said firmly.
"Alright, I won't."
"I hope so," I muttered, gathering mana and shaping it into the beginnings of an ice demigod weapon.
The energy surged violently, unstable.
"Shit," I hissed, raising a wall of ice between my arm and face.
Boom!!
"Kitsuna!" Ann shouted, her voice breaking through the smoke and ringing in my ears.
"I'm fine, don't worry," I coughed, waving the smoke away. My stomach dropped when I glanced down-my arm and half my chest were gone. But my face and neck were intact thanks to the shield I'd formed at the last second.
"Huh. It did less damage than before," I muttered, forcing my regeneration into overdrive. Flesh knit together, bone reformed, skin closed. Within moments, I flexed my hand like nothing had happened.
"Is this really the least damage one of those explosions can cause?" Ann asked, worry etched across her face.
"Yeah. It'll explode, but I won't die," I said, shrugging like it was no big deal.
Ann pressed her hand against her forehead. "Now I understand why Stacy always complained about you."
"Everyone has their own fighting style," I said, grinning.
"Yes, but yours is suicidal."
"Hey, I'm not that reckless in real fights," I lied smoothly.
Ann narrowed her eyes. "I've seen you take gambles firsthand."
"Yes," I admitted, looking away.
"Sigh... Alright. Try again. I'll see if I can spot mistakes. Though, I doubt I'll find any," Ann said, her voice filled with reluctant resignation.
"Sorry," I murmured, before beginning the process again.
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Chapter 175:
"So, you have a 3 out of 10 success rate?" Marquis Anabald said, looking at me sitting on the floor. Her tone was sharp but not mocking, more like a teacher trying to figure out how much of a mess her student was. Her crimson eyes glowed faintly in the dim light of the training hall, and even though I wasn't intimidated, I still felt like I was under a magnifying glass.
"Yes," I admitted without hesitation. I crossed my legs and leaned back against the wall, letting my breath calm. My shoulders were a little sore, not from the crafting, but from all the strain of testing and sparring earlier. Sweat dripped down the side of my face, and I wiped it off with my sleeve.
"Can you save these three, or do they only hold that long?" Ann asked, her gaze fixed on the swords still faintly humming with leftover mana. She didn't approach immediately; she just studied them from afar like she could judge every flaw by sight alone.
"No, they can be saved," I replied. To prove it, I put them into my storage for a moment. The blades flickered out of existence with a soft snap. Then, with another thought, I pulled them back out, the three demigod swords appearing in my hands again. Their weight was solid, their edges still shining as if newly forged. "See?"
"Hmm," she mused, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Let me guess. Is their durability as good as real demi-god swords?" Her words were phrased like a question, but her voice carried certainty, like she already knew the answer.
"Well, probably," I said, lifting one blade to the light and giving it a twirl, "but their power is the same." I countered her tone with a grin, one I knew would annoy her just a little. Confidence was everything in these little games.
"You know weapons don't have their powers, right?" "Ann," he said, finally stepping closer. The soft thud of her boots echoed against the stone floor, and she stopped just short of me, eyes narrowing like she was testing how much I really knew.
"Yes, it depends on what I do with it," I muttered. My ears twitched slightly with irritation. It was the kind of statement that every beginner weapon user got drilled into them on day one. For her to throw it at me felt insulting, like she thought I was a child. I gripped the sword tighter, feeling annoyed but concealing it with a shrug.
"Didn't Steve tell you?" Ann pressed her lips together, tilting her head as strands of dark hair fell over her shoulder.
"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Weapons have three things that matter," she explained slowly, holding up her fingers one by one. "The three important factors are durability, sharpness, and their effectiveness when mana is fused into them." Her tone carried authority, like a lecture she'd given a hundred times. "That's it. Everything else is just flair."
I blinked, thought it over, then nodded. "Ah, that makes sense." A grin spread across my face again, because it confirmed what I'd suspected deep down. "Alright, my swords are way better but less durable." I said it with a big-ass grin, practically baring my teeth.
"Well, it will be better when you use it," Marquis Anabald admitted, crouching down. She reached out and, without hesitation, picked up one of the weapons. The sword almost seemed to respond to her touch, the surface of the blade faintly vibrating.
"Umm, are you going to try infusing mana into it?" I asked quickly, eyes darting between her and my sword. I wasn't exactly nervous, but I felt a strange twist in my gut as I watched her handle something that I had created with my own power.
"Yes," she said simply. Then she smiled faintly, not unkindly. "Now come, let's spar." Her mana surged, a chill filling the room as she effortlessly fused her energy into the blade. The sword gleamed with a crystalline sheen, ice crackling along the edges. She did it so naturally that I almost hated her for it.
"Is it hard?" I asked, trying to sound casual. The truth was, I'd nearly pulled a muscle the first time I tried doing that with one of my creations.
"Not really," she said with a flick of her wrist, the sword humming with life. "But this sort of thing was never hard for me." She let her words drip with confidence, almost a brag.
"Are you bragging?" I grumbled, frowning at her smugness.
"So what if I am?" Ann said with a grin that matched mine earlier. She clearly enjoyed turning it back on me.
"Well, it doesn't matter to me. "Okay, let's go," I said, shaking my head. I grabbed the other two swords, dropped into stance, and without wasting a second, I infused one with fire and the other with lightning, the elements sparking and crackling. Then I charged at her.
"Don't do reckless things," Marquis Anabald said calmly, swinging her sword sideways in a motion so smooth it almost looked lazy.
"Don't worry. I am not naive," I shot back, teleporting a step behind her and swinging both blades at once.
"You are like Stacy," Marquis Anabald mused, her body twisting away from my strike as though she'd predicted it before I even moved.
"Well, she is my master," I said, smirking even as my attack missed. The thought made me proud, even if it wasn't helping me land a blow.
"Hmm, one thing, though." She raised her sword, ice glinting. "Don't infuse your swords. We are only sparring and testing them out." Her gaze fixed firmly on mine. Even though she was still holding the blade full of mana.
