Chapter 98

Chapter 99: Training with Ais (Three Updates Begging for Subscriptions!)

Morning… no, it should be the dead of night.

When the entire city was still in a state of quiet repose.

Within the headquarters of Loki Familia, Twilight Manor, lights from two different rooms flickered on almost simultaneously.

Not long after, they turned off one after another.

Silently, two figures emerged from their respective rooms, treading lightly across the mansion’s interior without making a sound, not disturbing anyone.

The corridor’s magic stone lamps flickered like candle stands, their unstable flames casting a faint golden glow.

This mansion was also known as the “Long Estate,” surrounded by heavy night shades.

Even though the main deity had already said there was no need, two members were always assigned to guard the main gate at all times.

It was no different now; a male and female human pair swapped shifts with an elf and beastgirl.

At the same time, within a women’s tower where the beautiful girls enticed by the lecherous deity resided…

A figure suddenly sat up.

She propped herself up in bed, placing her delicate legs wrapped in a cute sleepwear onto the floor, quietly walking to the window and pulling aside a corner of the curtain.

Outside the window lay a tranquil night.

The moon still hung obliquely high in the sky; it was still early before the sun would rise.

“I woke up too early…”

Gazing at the scenery outside, the elf girl whispered softly to herself.

Yesterday, she had explored the Dungeon in the afternoon and was tormented by Izay’s magic in the morning, leaving her only able to rest at night.

So after dinner, after spending some time with Ais, Tiona, and the others, Refia returned to her room and collapsed onto the bed.

This was why she could wake up so early now.

“Ais practices every morning. Maybe I can join her today…”

Realizing this, the elf girl smiled softly.

In the pitch-black room, the rustling sounds of clothes rubbing against each other echoed.

Afraid of waking her roommate who was sleeping soundly, Refia quietly changed her clothes and stepped out of the room.

Swinging her tightly tied honey-colored long hair, she carried her staff and skipped happily towards the courtyard, where Ais usually practiced swordsmanship in the morning.

When Ais arrived as usual shortly afterward and found someone already there…

“Refia, you woke up earlier than me! Practicing so early is really impressive～”

“Not at all～ Ais-sama, I still have much to improve, all of this is necessary hehehe～ please praise me more!”

On a certain serene plain with azure grass, it seemed that the scent of peaches wafted through.

The elf girl indulged in her fantasies, her expression in reality revealing the same relaxed and silly smile.

If only she could learn swordsmanship from Ais-sama, then there would be more opportunities for intimacy!

The scent of peaches grew stronger…

But upon realizing the possibility of Riviria-sama’s staff landing on her head, Refia abandoned this tempting idea.

Arriving at the aerial corridor connecting the tall towers, looking at the lawn courtyard where the magic stone pillars had already been extinguished, Refia suddenly realized it was still the wee hours of the morning.

“…I might as well practice on my own first.”

Without feeling disheartened, Refia consoled herself and prepared to descend the aerial corridor while holding her staff.

At this moment, her peripheral vision caught two shadowy figures darting about silently.

They were atop the towering structures, the blonde boy and girl leaping skillfully between the spire towers, seamlessly clearing the high walls surrounding the mansion before leaving the headquarters.

“!!!”

“Ais-sama and Mr. Izay? They… they!? ”

By chance, discovering the duo sneaking out of the headquarters without going through the gate, Refia was instantly shaken.

The next second, her azure eyes sharpened, resembling a cat catching the scent of fish, and she followed them almost instinctively.

On the streets shrouded in the night, the elf girl trailed behind their silhouettes weaving through the buildings.

“To the north? Why?”

Initially, Refia thought the two would go explore the Dungeon, but unexpectedly, their direction was straight north.

Regardless, she had to keep following!

And then, Refia’s efforts finally bore fruit.

She successfully lost sight of the two…

On the other hand, on the northern city wall.

From here, one could take in the entire view of the inner cityscape, the vast panorama breathtaking.

The scene at dawn naturally revealed Orario’s night views, with many places in the city still illuminated by magic stone lamps, the lanterns creating a picturesque scene.

Izay and Ais arrived here one after another.

They didn’t come here for any other reason but to train.

After returning home last night, Izay specifically sought out Ais, hoping she could help him with some training for personal combat.

And Ais immediately agreed without hesitation.

The most ideal training partners should have been the three faction leaders, after all, those three possessed personal combat techniques honed from the dark ages, with a significant level gap compared to the younger generation.

However, reality was that the three were very busy, having no time.

Finn had to handle faction duties, Riviria occasionally helped him, also taking responsibility for teaching Refia and Izay, and Gress managed logistics.

No one could spare the time to continuously train Izay.

Thus, they had to settle for Ais.

As for why they didn’t train in the courtyard, it was to avoid disturbing others.

Izay’s chosen method of training was simple.

Actual combat.

Using blunt weapons for actual combat naturally meant less noise.

If they trained in the courtyard of Twilight Manor at this time, considering most people were still asleep, it would amount to disturbing the peace.

Then perhaps even Loki would be awakened, and seeing him practicing fervently with Ais in the yard might cause quite a commotion.

After all, most of the area of Twilight Manor was occupied by the mansion, clusters of spires, and the central tower, leaving very little open space. Training within the headquarters couldn’t avoid these issues.

Whereas the city wall, rarely visited by people except for fixed patrols twice daily, was an excellent choice. (PS: More guards are stationed at the base of the wall.)

Izay’s current problem was his body failing to keep up with his brain’s judgment.

This was due to lack of experience, unrelated to ability values.

Ability and technique are two different things.

So, just train!

Through combat, cultivate muscle memory, gain experience, and learn during combat.

Intuition and insight could assist Izay in achieving this!

Subsequently, Izay confronted the disparity between himself and a Level One adventurer.

“Clang clang clang clang clang———”

The sharp and intense metallic clashing sounds rang out, representing rapid consecutive strikes!

Countless flashes crisscrossed through the air as the spear and sword clashed together, even sparking sparks.

In the initial two or three seconds, Izay and Ais engaged in fierce conflict.

But, it was merely these initial two or three seconds.

From the start, Izay activated “Insight.”

Even so, he still couldn’t keep up with the speed of the girl before him.

Every counterattack was inevitably slower by a fraction, subsequently becoming increasingly difficult to defend against.

“Clang!”

“Phew——”

The blade deflected the spear, presenting a huge opening before the girl.

Not planning to let this opportunity slip by, yet refraining from slashing with the sword, what followed was an unrelenting side kick.

Izay flew away.

From the beginning, he knew the girl definitely wouldn’t use her true strength, nor did he delude himself into thinking he could defeat her.

He merely wanted to see how long his current self could hold on.

But he hadn’t expected to be downed so quickly…