by Virlyce
“I know I’m the best, but what am I the best for in this particular moment?” Durandal asked, raising an eyebrow as he neatly received my hug. I’m not even angry at him for throwing me out of the carriage anymore. Well, maybe just a little.
“Mirta! I found you!” The door to the suite flew off the hinges before I could say anything to Durandal. An elf lady walked into the room … followed by the man in the sky? What was he doing here?
***
I knew kidnapping Mirta was a bad idea! Her grandmother tracked us, and Cain followed her as well. But why is Cain here anyway? It can’t be that those two are together, right? It’d be bad for a demon to associate so closely to the upper echelons of elven society. We may be at peace, but tensions are still running high. There’s tons of unofficial skirmishes happening at our borders in the lawless lands. Then again, anyone will attack anyone in the lawless lands regardless of race.
“Elder Marilyn, Lord Thunderfire,” my father said, rising from his couch. “What brings you to this duke’s humble residence?”
“Mirta!” Marilyn said, ignoring my father while rushing into the room. “Are you alright!?”
“Oh,” Lucia said, stepping behind Mirta and placing her hand on the little girl’s head. “You must be Ily—Mirta’s mother! Mirta wanted to come along with us, so I brought her here and gave her some hot chocolate. We’re close friends.” She smiled at Mirta who was shivering. “Right?”
“R-right,” Mirta said after swallowing her hot chocolate. “Grandma, this is Lucia. And this is Ilya. They’re nice people.”
Marilyn furrowed her brow. “I’m Mirta’s grandmother,” she said to Lucia. “Not her mother. How dare—”
“Not her mother?” Lucia asked, her eyes widening. “But you look so young!”
Oh my lord, Lucia’s trying to trick Mirta’s grandmother like she tricked my father. There’s no way a high elf would fall for such blatant flattery!
Marilyn drew her head back and raised an eyebrow. She smiled at Lucia. “Really? You think so? I do take good care of my skin.”
She fell for it! There really is no god!
“Is she a friend you made during the competition, Mirta?” Marilyn said, crouching by Mirta and patting her head. “I saw her perform. All three of you did very nicely. But you shouldn’t eat tablets just because everyone else is, alright?”
Cain cleared his throat, and everyone turned to look at him. “Sorry for dropping by uninvited,” he said. Was he here because of Lucia? Did she infuriate him that much? He was getting antsy during the competition, especially during that third one with the defense. He almost killed everyone with tenth-circle spells because of Lucia. Wait. Why’s he looking at me!? I’m not the culprit! I’m a victim too. “It’s been a while since I last saw you, Duke Pentorn. You raised an impressive daughter.” He paused and smiled. “And I just happened to be searching for a disciple.”
What? Disciple? Me? Father looks confused as well. “Ilya’s already Rogath Winemark’s disciple,” my father said and rubbed his chin.
“A relic from the past,” Cain said with a snort. “He’s been alive for how many years and still only a magician with eight circles? Ilya’s potential must be nurtured carefully; Rogath can’t do that. I can.”
“A relic from the past?” Marilyn asked and raised an eyebrow. She smiled at Cain and crossed her arms over her chest. “Then what does that make me?”
“An even older relic,” Cain said with a smile. “Perhaps an antique? Or prehistoric even.”
Wow. It seems like Cain and Mirta’s grandmother don’t get along well at all. They just coincidentally arrived in our suite together? I suspected it during the competition, but Cain’s … crass, nothing like the person I thought he’d be. He has a perfectly valid reason to be arrogant since he’s the strongest person in the world, but I expected him to have a more noble character like a hero in a story. With his current personality, isn’t he more attuned to the antagonist’s role?
Mana fluctuated through the room, and I had to take a step back. Were the two going to fight? Why in our inn of all places? Lucia tugged on Mirta’s grandmother’s sleeve, and the pressure in the room disappeared. Lucia’s actually going to mediate between two people? Isn’t she usually the cause of destruction? “Hey, hey,” Lucia said. “If you enchant my stuff, I’ll help you beat him up.”
…I spoke too soon.
“Am I being underestimated?” Cain asked, raising an eyebrow. “This is certainly an unpleasant feeling. I’ve been wanting to teach you a lesson, chipmunk. Give me a reason to.”
“Eh?” Lucia tilted her head. “You want me to be your disciple? No way!”
“Disciple?” Cain asked. “No! That’s not what I mean by teaching you a lesson. Ugh, dealing with idiots is so frustrating. And even if you thought I wanted you to be my disciple, how could you refuse instantly like that?”
“Well, there’s nothing you can teach me,” Lucia said with a nod. I’m pretty sure Cain can teach you a lot, Lucia. Like learning how to read. Or how to distinguish north from south. Lucia raised her hand and pointed her sword at Cain. “And I don’t like you. Your face is too thin for your wide body. It’s weird to look at.”
Mirta’s grandmother snorted before laughing. “Did you hear that, Cain? I may be old, but at least my body’s proportionate.”
Huh, Cain’s face is a little narrow now that I can see him more closely. And his torso is a bit wide in an unflattering way. He’s not fat, but he’s not … normal-looking either? I don’t know if I’ll be able to see him the same way again.
“This is a guest of your house?” Cain asked my father, ignoring the sword in front of his face. “Is she free to be as unbridled as she likes?”
My father’s expression darkened. What a tough decision he has to make, I’m glad I’m not the duchess yet. Should he take Lucia and Mirta’s grandmother’s side, or should he take Cain’s side? What decision would I make? Just how much stronger is a tenth-circle magician compared to one with nine circles? There’s the wall that has to be overcome, but could Cain win if everyone in this room were to turn against him?
Lucia’s an idiot, but she’s not a bad person … as long as she doesn’t mistake someone for a rare spirit beast. Cain’s a genius, but his character’s not that great. But the pressure he could put on my father if he’s offended would be a lot greater than the pressure Lucia could put on. My father could possibly lose the position of duke if Cain complains to the emperor about my father’s behavior. Speaking up for Lucia in this scenario could also be seen as speaking up for Mirta’s grandmother, a high elf. If people learned my father favored an elf over a demon, there wouldn’t be good opinions about him. The obvious choice is to placate Cain and coax Lucia to calm down with sweets.
“I apologize, Lord Thunderfire, but could you please leave?” my father asked. “Right now, I’d like to relax with friends. I’d be happy to accommodate you back at my home in the future.”
…Or I thought about it too much.
***
“This…,” the man no longer in the sky said. “I know you may be a bit muddleheaded from her presence, but do you understand the implications of telling me to leave?”
What implications? If Ilya’s dad wants you to scram, then scram! I can totally take this person on in a fight; my tail hasn’t stiffened in his presence. Can it be that I’m as strong as a tenth-circle magician? Wouldn’t that make me the new strongest person in the world? Mm, I really want to try fighting him now. Huh? He’s leaving?
The door closed as the man no longer in the sky left the room. Ilya Number Two’s grandmother raised an eyebrow and looked at Ilya’s dad. I wonder if she’s married. Wouldn’t it be weird if Ilya Number One and Ilya Number Two actually became sisters? Wait, no. If they got together, then that would make Ilya Number One an aunt-in-law to Ilya Number Two, never mind. Ah, I can’t believe the tenth-circle magician wanted me to be his disciple though. I can’t even use magic.
“Why’d you turn Ca
in away, Father?” Ilya asked her dad. “Wouldn’t that cause a lot of problems?”
Ilya’s dad smiled. “Why? Were you looking forward to being his disciple?”
Wait, what? Wasn’t I the chosen one? Mm, it’d make more sense if it was actually Ilya since she can fart out flames. Could it be that I don’t know how to read situations properly? No way, that’s impossible.
Ilya lowered her head. “I was for a little,” she said. “But he was rude and a bit cold. I don’t think I would’ve gotten along well with him. I’m sure if I hadn’t met Lucia, I would’ve appreciated a teacher like that.”
It’s nice to know I leave such deep impressions on people. After traveling with me, no one else can satisfy Ilya! That’s the second-best compliment I’ve received! The first is being compared to the Godking. Durandal said that all the Godking was good for was manipulating children, but that is impressive in itself! Look at how I’ve created a relationship with someone who can enchant items by bribing a child with hot chocolate. And look at how I became best friends with nobility by dragging around a duke’s daughter. It takes skill to be this conniving! Not that I’m a bad person, I’m practically an angel with a fluffy tail.
“You know how nobles have been trying to undermine my power for a while now, right?” Ilya’s dad asked, folding his hands and placing them in his lap. “Sending men to pose as bandits. Belittling my ideas during the imperial court. Cutting off trade routes. Bribing cooks to poison my spices. Those kinds of things?”
Ilya nodded.
“The only reason why I can’t stop the problem completely is because it’s not within my power,” Ilya’s dad said, leaning back. “But I’m a duke; who’s above me? The emperor. Maybe the crown prince. And powers beyond the empire’s control.”
“You’re saying Cain is trying to bring our family down?” Ilya asked, her face paling.
“I didn’t want to believe it,” Ilya’s dad said and shrugged. “But after seeing how he behaved today….” He shook his head. “You couldn’t see it because you were participating in the competition, but the reactions on the lesser nobles’ faces upon seeing Cain confirmed it for me. A baron bordering our territory can easily be squashed if I complain to the emperor, but what if the baron has the backing of a tenth-circle magician?”
Ilya bit her lower lip. “Does that mean the emperor is against us as well?”
“He’s adopted a wait-and-see approach,” Ilya’s dad said. “Since it’s already come to this point, I might as well bring the background to the foreground and garner some support with the elves while I’m at it.” He stared at Ilya Number Two’s grandmother.
Jeez, politics is confusing. Life would be a lot easier if you could beat up anyone you didn’t like without worrying about the consequences. But it wouldn’t be fun to get beaten up by someone just because they didn’t like me. That’s why I have to become stronger than everyone else in the world, so I can beat everyone without getting beaten myself! All this talk about beating is making me hungry for some eggs. I’ll make some food while Ilya and her dad figure things out.
“Ily-Mirta.” Oops. Almost called Ilya Number Two by her nickname in front of her grandmother. “What do you want to eat for dinner? I’m a really good cook, you know?”
“Roasted rose petals and ginger roots,” Ilya Number Two said. “And bean curd with olive oil.”
“Yeah, I don’t have that. Pick something else like steak. Steak sounds good, right?” Don’t name things I don’t want to eat! Why would I keep those things stored in my interspacial ring anyway? My space is very valuable; how else am I supposed to fit all my gallons of hot chocolate?
Ilya Number Two tilted her head. “Um, can I pick something else?”
“No. I gave you a choice, but you didn’t pick something practical, so I chose for you.”
“But roasted rose petals are practical….”
“Too bad. Welcome to the real world, kid.” Looks like steak is the unanimous decision for tonight’s dinner! “You’re fine with steak too, right, Mrs. Mirta’s Mom?”
“Well it seems like I don’t have a choice,” Ilya Number Two’s grandmother said. She nodded at Ilya’s dad. “I’ll be imposing upon you tonight. I apologize for the trouble.”
“It’s no trouble at all,” Ilya’s dad said. “A friend of Ilya will always be welcome in my home.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you, Duke Pentorn,” Ilya Number Two’s grandmother said. “But I hadn’t heard you stepped past the eighth circle. And I certainly didn’t know your daughter was this impressive.”
“You flatter me,” Ilya’s dad said. “Everything is thanks to Lucia. Without her enlightenment, I would’ve been stuck with eight circles for a much longer period of time. She’s also the reason for Ilya’s meteoric rise. Half a year has passed since they first met, but Ilya jumped from the third circle to the sixth. If Mirta sticks around her, I bet she’d see vast improvements as well.”
I never thought receiving compliments could be so embarrassing. I guess that makes me a humble person. Why am I so virtuous and amazing? I deserve a medal.
21
It’s been tough since I removed the poison from Lucia’s body and accepted it into my own. Before I went to sleep, I might as well have been a god in front of Lucia. After I woke up, I was comparable to an ant. But now, after months of cultivating and training within the space in my weapon body, I’m finally strong again. Though I can’t be stronger than Lucia, at the very least, I’ll be her equal. Her body might be overwhelmingly more powerful than mine, but I should be on par with her with the thousands of techniques I know! Or at least that’s how it should be.
“Eh?” Lucia tilted her head to the side, propping my weapon body up on her shoulder. “You sure you don’t want Puppers to help you? You might last a little longer if he does.”
Today’s after-dinner spar with Lucia has, once again, been a complete loss for me. It’s not fair! She’s only adept in three techniques: Breaking Blade, the Steady Mountain Footwork, and her Armor of Slaughter. But no matter what I try, I can’t win. The weight of her sword let’s her win in any direct collisions. Her Armor of Slaughter reacts faster than she can, blocking any sneak attacks. Feints don’t work on her for a similar reason. The few times I manage to scratch her, her wounds heal in a few seconds. Though an attack fully infused with qi can pierce her armor, the speed of the strike slows down, and if she grabs my weapon within that time, I immediately lose because nothing can escape from her grip. She’s like a towering mountain; how do you fight a mountain? Truly, her body was blessed by the earth. An ordinary person has no hopes of matching up to her, magician or not.
As her weapon spirit, I will never be able to pass her, only able to grow alongside her. That’s under normal conditions. Before, I was stronger than her because she wasn’t my original owner, but finding a new master that’s stronger than Lucia to surpass her is impossible. Which leaves one other method: enchantments. Unfortunately, the only divine enchanter I know just so happens to be this high elf who’s spectating on the side. I say it’s unfortunate because a long time ago, Roland kidnapped her with my help. Did I mention that every time Roland kidnapped a child, I’d be forced to play the antagonistic role? After the child was thoroughly terrorized by me, Roland would swoop in like a savior, elevating his existence in their eyes.
So it’s safe to say Marilyn despises me. Elves have great memories despite their long lifespans. You think they’d forget things that happened over fifty years ago, but they don’t. “And history repeats itself,” Marilyn said, clapping her hands. “The spirit gets whipped by its master.”
“Hey! Don’t make fun of Durandal. He’s trying his best.” Lucia frowned. Don’t you understand that your sincere concern hurts a lot more than being insulted by an elf? Yes, I’m trying my best, but my best is not enough. “In the upcoming fights, I’m going to let him fight for me, so he can rebuild his confidence.”
“Mm.” Marilyn smiled and nodded at Lucia. “I never thought I�
�d enchant a weapon spirit that once imprisoned me. Now that I’ve seen how you use a sword and how he fights, would you like to begin?”
“Yes, please!” Lucia nodded. She had wanted to enchant me after I reached the peak of the divine realm for a chance to break into the legendary realm, but Marilyn had crushed that hope. Unless Marilyn broke through to the legendary realm, all her enchantments would only operate within the divine realm. There would be no chance of me breaking through, so Lucia decided to upgrade me right away. This won’t be my first time being upgraded, but Marilyn was going to wipe the slate clean before applying better enchantments. Maybe after being enchanted again, I’ll uncover a new skill. I thought I’d gain a new ability after breaking through to the divine realm, but I didn’t.
“Ah! But can you enchant my socks first?” Lucia asked. “I want to see the process done on Puppers before you do it to Durandal.”
Marilyn raised an eyebrow. “Sure,” she said. “But you know my enchantments never fail, right? Whether I enchant Puppers first or Durandal, there’ll be no difference.”
“That’s great and all,” Lucia said and tilted her head, “but I wasn’t worried about failure. I just want to make sure you don’t touch them in inappropriate places during the process.” She nodded twice and placed her hands on her hips.
Marilyn coughed. “Inappropriate places? Like where?”
“Like their penises,” Lucia said with a straight face. Luckily, Ilya had covered Mirta’s ears before Lucia had answered. That demon girl really can read Lucia like an open book.
Marilyn coughed again. A strange expression appeared on her face. “A little touch can’t hurt.”
“No touch!” Lucia snarled and bared her teeth.
Marilyn took a step back. “I was joking,” she said and raised her hands into the air. “There will be no inappropriate touching during the process. In fact, I won’t even have to make contact with their spirit bodies. There’s no reason to get so … prickly.”
