I can’t help but glance at Julio every few minutes—I’m still surprised by his display from earlier. When we decided to move to a more comfortable place, I thought we would all walk there, but something strange happened.
I felt spatial mana swirl around me—the sensation lasted less than a second. It was pure coincidence that I sensed where the spell came from. I happened to look toward the group of obsidian ranks gathered together and realized what was happening.
Before I could react, I was already on the terrace of Susan’s house—not just me, everyone had been teleported at the same time in less than a second. Julio continued as if nothing had happened, as if using such an incredible ability was an everyday occurrence.
That display of power gave me a reality check—I’m still very far from being an obsidian rank. I’m still just a child in terms of strength compared to them. Any person in that group could annihilate all of us without even lifting a finger.
Now I’m more aware that I need to improve my death and space affinities somehow—they’re the ones I use the least. Gravity, ice, and electricity are on the right path; none of them have fallen behind, all of them improve every day. My life affinity, on the other hand, is a strange case—I don’t know if I’ve improved it, but it’s already very efficient, far better than most at my rank.
I relax my thoughts for a moment—this isn’t the time to overthink things. First, I need to focus on reaching the next rank, and more importantly, we’re still celebrating the tournament final.
I just need to be careful with Eisty—she keeps trying to freeze me every now and then. If I’m not careful, I’ll end up as a popsicle.
“What’s wrong? You stopped talking.” Brendu whispers in my ear. She’s being completely discreet—no one has noticed.
“It’s nothing, I was just thinking a bit about the future—nothing important.” I gently rub her hand with my fingers to reassure her.
“The future? Are you already ready to have babies?” When she asks that, I almost spit out all the wine in my mouth. Luckily, I manage to cover my mouth and control my reaction so I don’t attract attention.
Only the three girls notice—we’re sitting too close to fully hide my reaction. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling sick?” Sol asks from the other side.
“It’s nothing—he just seems ready to become a father with all of us.” Brendu sends those words using her mana so only we can hear them. No one else nearby should be able to.
I can feel curious gazes from a distance—I don’t even need to look to know who they are. It doesn’t surprise me that they can easily bypass the princess’s attempt at secrecy.
“That’s not it—I was just thinking about what the future holds for us.” I clarify quickly. The curious gazes disappear. It makes me a little sad to see the girls slightly upset, but I can’t let Brendu’s joke escalate.
“Brendu! You’re already close to reaching ruby rank and finishing school. Your position to become a mother is much better than ours. Our parents would kill us if we got pregnant right now.” Marga scolds her. She looks more disappointed than angry.
“Yeah, Marga’s right… although I think my father wouldn’t be angry.” Sol pauses halfway and ends up saying something completely different.
“My uncle might not mind, but my father… it’s complicated.” Arisa joins the conversation—she’s clearly overthinking it.
“Stop joking—you’re drawing attention.” I tell them. They lift their heads and see Areci and Shawu watching us suspiciously.
We quickly give them an explanation about it being an inside joke. They don’t seem entirely convinced, but they accept it. They feel slightly offended since the girls suddenly stopped responding to them.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
The party continues peacefully. I become the target of the girls’ jokes at times—it seems everyone enjoys hearing embarrassing things about me. They don’t overdo it, though—I find myself laughing as I remember those moments.
When the sun begins to rise over the horizon, we realize it’s time to end the celebration and continue it later. Most people want to go to the fair to watch the shows in the afternoon, so it’s better to sleep now and not be drowsy later.
Before I leave, the emperor calls me aside. He promises to deliver my rewards at a calmer moment. He wants to make sure the rewards will be useful for my future—he’ll take the time to find the right ones. I wouldn’t be surprised if I receive them right before entering the hero’s dungeon.
For the first time in a long while, I completely relax my body the moment I touch the bed. At some point, Brendu managed to get a bigger bed where all of us can fit without disturbing each other—I don’t know when it was installed.
I fall into a deep sleep—I’m surprised I didn’t feel when all of them got up to get ready. I only wake up when Arisa gently pokes my face with her finger—she’s the one in charge of waking me up.
We’re all ready. Each of us is wearing a transformation garment—we want to go unnoticed. We’re only going to the safest area, where nobles, wealthy people, and influential figures gather. Within the entire fair, it’s the least dangerous place.
It’s a shame we can’t go where most people are. I have to consider the girls’ safety. I can take care of myself, but it would be difficult to protect all of them if something happens. Considering how influential their families are, it’s better to avoid those kinds of problems.
We enjoy all kinds of food, and the shows are impressive. There are far fewer people here, so we can move around freely. No one seems to recognize us or show much interest.
I win many games against them—they bring out my competitive side, and I don’t let them win a single one. Most of the prizes are stuffed animals for them… winning feels a bit like losing when I don’t get anything.
The hours fly by. Since we slept all morning, we lost a large part of the day, but for us, a few hours is enough.
We decide to return home because tonight there will be the final gathering. All the schools will begin leaving tomorrow, and not just them—everyone will return to their routines.
The girls will stay a few more days. They want to see what the school is like, my routine, how my classes are as a teacher, and more. They want to make the most of their time.
In the middle of the party, I step aside to get some fresh air on the balcony. I want to admire the view and feel the breeze. I sense someone walking directly toward me.
“You’re not going to turn me into a popsicle, right?” I say when she’s a few meters away.
“No. You’re already too aware of my movements, and using more power wouldn’t make sense—you’d freeze in a second.” Her voice carries clear resignation. Eisty stands beside me, lighting something similar to a cigarette. It looks the same, but the smell is very different.
“Thinking about the future?” I turn to look at her when she asks, our eyes meeting. “Don’t worry too much—overthinking will only make it worse. Take things calmly. You’re young and strong—you have a long path ahead of you.”
Eisty winks at me before continuing. “Now that I’m in your life, I won’t let anything happen to you. If someone tries to harm you, I’ll take care of them myself.” I feel a trace of fury leak into her Imra before she quickly controls it.
I feel a bit of fear at the strength of her Imra—my legs almost give out. But I feel more at ease after hearing her words. Having an obsidian rank willing to help me is a huge relief. Unlike the others, Eisty isn’t bound to anything—she can move freely wherever she wants.
“Thank you. Someday, I’ll repay the favor—I promise.” I feel something strange as I look at her—her eyes remind me of my mother. She’s looking at me the same way my grandmother or mother would.
“I’m not looking for that, but it would make me very happy if it happens someday.” Her gentle eyes take on a sinister glint. “But don’t get the wrong idea, Maki—I’ll make you suffer many times. The best way to improve and learn is when you’re forced to give everything to win. You’ll face very dangerous situations along the way.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less. If your training gets boring, I’ll run away.” I say the last part jokingly—I don’t intend to be ungrateful.
“You little brat with a sharp tongue.” She places her hand on my head—Eisty loves ruffling my hair.
We talk for almost an hour. Mostly about me—she’s very interested in small details she couldn’t learn from Susan. It feels like talking to a relative I haven’t seen in a long time.
We both decide to go back. No one dared approach us while we talked, but I could feel the girls’ gazes every few minutes—she must have noticed. I’m surprised by Eisty’s interest in my romantic relationships. She told me I should be careful with women—they’re dangerous.
Eisty Gelor… let’s see why fate has decided for us to meet. I’m looking forward to finding out.