I returned to my room and when I got there the maid assigned to me was already inside my room. She looked a bit startled when she saw me but she continued doing her work which was cleaning the room.
"Can you leave me alone for a while?" I asked with an urgent tone.
"Um...But Mera-sama said-" She was hesitating.
"Don't worry, I will talk to her in case you will get in trouble, just go and do your thing for an hour then you can return and finish what you were doing." I reassured her.
"Um...Alright." She awkwardly bowed to me and went towards the door.
"Thanks." I said with a small smile and she also released a smile while nodding her head before closing the door.
Finally alone...
I thought and sit in a cross-legged position on my bed while leaning my back against the wall.
I have to quickly absorb that feeling from the time when I was controlling Mera's wrigglers.
I could feel that there were numerous types of them, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.
I closed my eyes and started absorbing all information from that time until I finally opened my eyes after a whole hour passed by.
I get it now...Although I can't actually command them, I can at least feel the connection with them, right now.
---
[Congratulation on gaining a new class Beastmaster. This class is already passive from the beginning, however, it is also because it is completely different from other classes. This class doesn't improve your actual stats but improves how you blend with surroundings, improves your communication with nature and its inhabitants. You can improve it by simply spending time within nature or by communicating with neutral, peaceful or even aggressive beasts. The higher level you attain in this class, the stronger beasts you can tame. The strength of the beasts also decides how many of the same strength category you can tame at the same time. The stronger beast is, the less of them you can control.]
Beastmaster (Lv. 1) 0/10 NXP (nature experience points)
---
---Mera's side---
"?!" Mera who was walking towards the dining room suddenly stopped with a slightly surprised expression before it transformed into a defeated smile.
"Mera-sama?" Both maids also stopped behind her and asked her with a confused expression.
"It's nothing." Mera shook her head with a small smile and continued walking.
'So he was really able to comprehend it just from paintings...what a monster. Not only he now knows our utmost secret, but he also learned Limit Removal while at it. Such a strange feeling when I know that I can't actually do anything to him even if I wanted to. But what he had shown to us is more than a sign that he was meant to be part of us. I no longer even feel like getting back at him for what happened 5 years ago...Also, his offer sounded interesting, hiring us for eternity, huh? Hehe.' Mera thought with an amused smile and she even completely forgot about the matter with Taeko. She started to slowly accept Akashi as part of her clan, family. She no longer felt bothered with him being around.
------
The maid returned to my room to finish her job and I left her to it. I went outside of my room to finally get breakfast.
When I finally arrived at the dining hall, I instantly noticed numerous maids and also Mera with her two special maids. I quickly noticed even Taeko who was nervously sitting at the table and when she saw me, she immediately smiled brightly at me.
I took my plate and went to sit next to Taeko, unfortunately, the only empty seat next to her was on her right which would also mean that I would sit next to Mera.
Was it intentionally planned like this? I don't see any reason why her maids aren't sitting on her each side. Whatever, although I find her slightly creepy, she might even run away if I will sit right next to her.
"Hi, Taeko! Do you want to practice today with me? I might have found the way how to improve your techniques and blend them more together." I immediately greeted Taeko with a smile while sitting down.
"Good morning, Akashi! Do you really mean it?! I definitely want to!" She greeted me back with a slightly shy smile and flushed cheeks but she immediately turned enthusiastic when she heard word "practice" and improvement of her techniques.
"Oh? You were already able to think of a way how to make Taeko stronger?" Mera exclaimed with a surprised expression and an amused smile.
"Maybe..." I turned my head to the opposite side just to see Mera's face quite close to me so I answered with a forced smile.
She really is creepy, I don't know why...maybe because of her insects?
"I am looking forward to it the same was as Taeko...right, Taeko?" Mera said while looking at Taeko's slightly red cheeks.
"Yes!" She instantly nodded her head with a resolved expression without noticing that Mera was trying to tease her.
"*I congratulate you for succeeding. Aren't you really interested in joining us? I don't really see you as someone who cares about authority.*" As we were eating, Mera suddenly whispered to me while gently wiping her mouth with a handkerchief.
So she felt it...I can feel a connection to some of her wrigglers so she must have felt when my sudden connection to them formed. After all, they are still hers.
"*You are right, I wouldn't care about authority if under different circumstances. I can actually imagine growing up here would be fun but there is no need to join or something like that now. With my relationship with Taeko...you can even consider me as part of your organization.*" I whispered back my honest thoughts with a slightly nostalgic smile when I thought of my times in my previous organization.
Although I would have perhaps gained some kind of trauma from growing up in the environment filled with only women and 1 old man.
I thought with an amused smile.
"...*sigh* I will be going now if you will excuse me." Mera looked at my smile with a complicated expression before she suddenly stood up from her seat, leaving us.
"M-Mera-sama?" Her maids exclaimed with surprised faces and wanted to follow her but...
"Gil, Dora, don't follow me, I want to be alone for a moment. Just finish your breakfast in peace" Mera said and walked out of the dining hall, leaving her maids staring at the door with dumbfounded faces.
Taeko was also confused by Mera's behavior but she quickly dismissed it and continued eating while occasionally glancing at me with a shy smile. I couldn't help but gently smile at her after seeing her act like that.
I felt someone's glare while I was looking in Taeko's lime green eyes.
I turned at the opposite side where Mera was previously sitting just to see Gilberda leaning closer to me and intensively staring at me.
"? What is it?" I asked with raised brow after seeing her face so close to me.
"What did you do to Mera-sama? What is so special about you?" Gilberda asked me but it sounded more like she was muttering this to herself while holding her chin.
"Gil, I think that you answered your own questions just an hour ago" Cassandra said while calmly taking a sip of tea with one of her hands while other 3 were also actively doing something useful.
...How enviable...but I guess people won't treat you with respect and love in that condition. And even your own parents will reject you.
I thought when I saw what everything was Cassandra doing at the same time with a little bit of pity in my eyes.
"Oh, right...Tell me, how were you able to perform Limit Removal without ever learning it?" Gilberda asked me with a curious expression.
Taeko immediately raised her head from food with a shocked expression when she heard Gilberda's words.
"So that state was what you call Limit Removal? Indeed, it felt like I removed unnecessary parts in my brain that were restricting it a little bit."
It is indeed very powerful state of mind that can enhance your entire body and not just mind because the brain itself limits your body to certain extent so you know what you can do and what will tear down your body. Although it won't immediately damage your body, it's still a state that's extremely taxing and I was able to endure it only for around minute on my first try.
"Hah?! You didn't even know? I thought that you somehow learned it in secret from someone but to think that you achieved it without any help...Most likely even Oarburgh ancestors would be extremely proud of you." Gilberda exclaimed while giving me a weird look before it turned to a slightly envious one.
"Everyone has something...I heard that you have been born a bit stronger than other girls" I said with a provoking smile when I mentioned " a bit stronger"
"Hah?! What do you mean by 'a bit stronger'? Do you want me to prove it to you that it's not just a bit?!" She immediately exploded and shouted with an upset expression while rolling up her sleeves.
"Heh, I have also heard that your temper is very explosive. I couldn't understand the context before but now I am pretty sure that I understand. Oops, I didn't mean to say that aloud, excuse me." I said with an amused smile and closed eyes while holding my hand in front of my mouth.
"Pfft" Taeko suddenly started to giggle which angered Gilberda even more and a thick vein popped up on her forehead while she was clenching her fist positioned on the level of her stomach and forcing herself to widely smiling.
"Fine! How about a little competition in arm wrestling, little man?!" She suddenly stood up from her seat and went to the stone table and sat down on the chair while dropping her hand at the table just to create a crack across the entire table.
"Hehe, I am fine with that but you already destroyed the only stone table here...so...I guess we have no place where to compete" I chuckled seeing her temper and just shrugged my shoulders while saying this with a small smile.
"Let's go Taeko, we can have some practice, maybe we will be able to make your techniques even stronger." I stood up and extended my hand to Taeko who nodded with a gentle smile and took hold of my hand.
As we started leaving the room...
"Ha?! Wait! What kind of man are you?! Hey! Are you listening to me?!" Gilberda kept shouting at me but I completely ignored her.
Ugh, her tempter is even bigger than her rack.
I thought with a small smile while leading Taeko outside.
.
.
.
Taeko asked me if I was really able to remove my limiters but once I confirmed it myself, she immediately believed me. She was overly happy for me, perhaps too much. Maybe it was due to me becoming closer to her clan, to be honest, I already knew almost everything from Oarburgh. I could practically be considered a member, which I wouldn't mind if it wasn't for my goal to unite Empire and secure its position for once and for all.
If I can have Oarburgh on my side, they will be a great help in doing so, not to mention that they can also raise other assassins. Now that I thought about other assassins...I have yet to see those twin sisters, Meela and Loris.
I borrowed a practice sword and we began practicing together.
I will remain only for a few more days before returning, I was outside for too long without any news about the Capital which makes me a little bit nervous. Although I am quite reluctant to leave Taeko here, I am sure that Mera won't try anything but still, she was behaving really strangely as of lately.