"whoa! Today's meal is great!" I was saying with great pleasure since the meal really was great. It was curry. the thick flavour and spicy aroma filled our senses.
"The exquisite flavour of the curry and the small chunks of meat among the vegetables and slightly chilly flavour went great with rice."
As I gave such 5 star reviews, Systy also nodded with a smile, she was taking bite after bite not stopping one bit. On the other hand, the one I was praising looked….. Smug….
"Heh! What did you think! my noble Self has made this Curry! It is flawless!" Alice answered, puffing her chest. She was quite proud of her cooking.
After a lot of trial and error, the prodigy had proven herself right, no matter what it was… she could certainly learn it if she wanted. the uniqness of her cooking was how it was filled with intense flavours and the flavours had somehow seeped into the ingredients making it extra delicious.
"You know I never saw someone being so smug. Also, I have never seen a cook say such haughty words… well as I say, praise should be given where it's due so I can't argue…" Even though Alice's attitude had not changed in the slightest, she had become quite good doing house work and even cooking. no matter how reluctant she was, she learned what was expected of her and even improved upon it.
"Well since Alice can only cook the Curry, it is understandable how delicious it can be but I have to Agree Master. Alice is the best curry maker!" Systy gave such critiques while also chuckling to herself. it seems after getting some of it inside of her, Systy was in a state of eating leisurely now. of course after a heavy training our body craved food unlike any other, so we ate most of our meals very silently, and only start talking while our eating pace slowed down.
"Yeah, you should praise me, because this is only when I am here! My noble self is never going to do it when I get back!" Alice was still talking about that stuff. I had made her work since the day we got in here. I liked equal treatment and independence. Being strong doesn't mean you deserve to lord over others. I thing doing what needs to be done at any cost was what made someone strong.
"But Alice, when we go on overnight adventures, we will have to prepare our food and sleeping arrangements, you know?" Systy said. we were planning on adventuring around the human lands after we get out from here.
"Hmm, then….. Yeah, Rekka will cook obviously! Aren't you gonna be my husband , take that responsibility and feed me!" Alice said in the least womanly way possible. it wasn't even a question, it was an order, she could be so demanding sometime. But by now I was already used to her antics. So I responded with the tone of a husband in love with his wife.
"I don't mind working or feeding you, if you want, I can even spoon feed you My Lady~…" I said sarcastically which made Alice really mad, she pouted and glared at me with utmost killing intent, her glare could kill normal men like nothing, that was how strong she had become, but for me and Systy, it was nothing, as if her glare bounced of, I chuckled at how agitated she got.
"You know? if you make such a cute face, I might really have to do that. feeding you by hand, the two of us, alone in the middle of the night, and we can share desert." Alice may have had the same attitude but by now she had lost that venomous arrogant side. she was still arrogant, that was her trademark but she had become more noble in a way. Doing everything you have to do and relying on oneself alone. That experience makes a human grow in ways one can't imagine. The same had happened to Alice. she grew up with a more refined arrogance.
But as I said such things, she got red in the face. her pout got even fuller and she turned back with a "hmph!" of course eating desert together, it was just a phrase, but she knew what I meant, thus why she got more mad, not that she disliked it, but it seems getting mad was the only way to hide her embarrassment for now.
"Master, you are becoming more and more good at making women fall for you. and you flirt so easily now too. your becoming more and more grown up by the day..." Systy said looking at the scene… seeing Alice's red expression Systy sighed with a small disappointment, did she want to get embarrassed like Alice too?
"Come on, I am not like that? the only reason I am flirting with Alice is since we are already betrothed. and you don't fall for my flirting so it's nothing to worry about." I said refuting her comment. but then again, thinking about it, flirting came so naturally to me now, I don't even have to try to start flirting, some times these two girls even said they can't look at me in embarrassment.
"Hey I also didn't fall for him, I am just following him because.. it .. it's convenient! I don't like his one bit!" Alice on the other hand seemed look back as she denied any and all feelings for me. she looked at me as if I was nothing, of course there was this expectation in her eyes saying rather than her falling for me, she wouldn't mind me going after her at all.
"hmm? aren't you supposed to be a honourable noble? How can you just use me as an opportunity like nothing with your honour on the line… I can't believe I am doing so much for you and you still look at me like that." As I got Alice in her own net, she started to fidget a lot… I know that she loved me, but hearing her say that with her own mouth felt so great I can't stop myself from wanting to tease her more and more.
she wanted honour as a noble, she wanted recognition as an adventurer and she wanted to be loved as a woman, but seeing that she wanted to have that all coming from me first was what made her so unique to me, there was a time, when she would say that having my grandparents acknowledge her was enough for her, but no, I think even I am included in that list now. and feeling her having such trust in me that even if unknowingly she requests so much from me makes me feel special to her. it seems we have come to a point where Alice leans on me very effortlessly.
"I..I mean… I wont be with anyone other than you… you know... so I can use your help….. can't I..? even if I can't say I love you or... like that!" Alice said with such a soft and shy tone that anyone could hardly believe that this was the same haughty girl who was bragging about how good her cooking was. falling in love.... she really did fall for me huh. really, the girl who knew nothing about love... even I don't know how that happened... since I don't even know How I had fallen for her as well.. was it her clumsy way to avoid telling me her feelings but still doing things that made her easy to understand she loved me?
I couldn't blame anyone here… although, Systy did say that Alice's demanding nature was what had made me fall for her.. But I don't know if that was the reason or not… still, to think the girl who wanted to marry me only since I was stronger than her would become like this. The change was unimaginable.
"Oh ho! If I really stay with you two lovey-dovey couples I am gonna die love sick! So stop flirting in front of me!" Systy said with a shy but irritated tone… since Alice was looking at me with eyes of concern thinking if I was really disappointed on her or not, it was easy to see that Alice wanted to get close and hug me at the very least to show just how strong her feelings were, and seems Systy being here had stopped that from happening.
"Ha ha well sorry for that… you're beautiful too, you can easily land a good guy no problem. just be like yourself Systy." I said to Systy with a cheering tone, on the other hand, she looked extremely dissatisfied.
"Master, don't just compliment me like that, you're not even aware of what I have to control to not fall for you...haaah!' she sighed, hiding her blushed face… well sorry about that, these lines just come to me I can't help it…
Calling her just beautiful was underestimating her charms after all… and I don't want to make the situation any more stickier than it already is… so I am sticking with beautiful for now.
"Hmph! I am glad that I am not the only one!" Alice said, patting Systy on the back. of course two girls who can't fiind it in them to confess their feelings straight on could easily find friendship among them.
"Don't add me with you guys! And hey don't look at me as if you get what I am going through.."
Both of them had become really good friends in these 2 years and I had to say, the duo presented quite an alluring and cute sight. Alice with a fiery attitude and her long wavy hair that was styled in a ponytail with a haughty nature and a beautiful face with eyes that could destroy men with one single gaze, Alice was as lively as one could get, then the blue haired Systy with a cool and composed attitude with the same ponytailed long hairstyle and an equally elegant face of a charming women.
These two together can make any man daydream…. And since they were still growing teenagers, they looked like blossoming flowers.. their vibrant features changed every day little by little.
"It's hard, you guys are getting Beautiful day by day! I can't stop myself from thinking this and that." I say this line frequently, actually since I was getting desperate for Leila…. half the time I fantasized about her, about how she promised to do lewd things once I get out of here and about how we would stay together after she moved in. the feeling of wanting to live with her overwhelmed me.
"Hmph! I know I am beautiful! You should be pleased you could be my husband!" the haughty remark of Alice and "come on master don't torture me like that!" the shy but pleased look of Systy with a modest answer.
Although Alice can be a little shy when I get a bit physically romantic with her, she still takes all the compliments with a smug face. when we are not alone though.. Unlike Leila who becomes daring when we get alone, Alice gets shy and meek, I really needed much more time to figure her out.
Systy on the other hand since I had accepted her as my first underling or worker, she had made a vow to be at that post, so no matter how she felt about me, she made a "would try to avoid being in love with me" stand.
I did say that it's not a problem, if we officially started dating, but she was insisting on hanging on to our current relationship of master and servant as long as she could, so I also agreed to her wishes.
Since Leila had already said she wouldn't mind me having more wives or mistresses, I wasn't in any trouble either. So if Systy ever would say that she would want to be with me, I would agree to her in a heartbeat. She was a good natured girl and very obedient. I could really like nothing more! of course with time, the blessing from the goddess of love changed my personality a lot, around the girls who like me, and the ones that I like, it is normal for the situation to become complicated with feelings.
At this point, I was accepting the fact that I would probably go down the line my granny had made… the womanizer line she was famous for. and the blessing seems to have adapted that into it's functions. more than that, I really felt no hesitation towards wanting to love more girls. what was this? I was sure that when I was younger I never even dreamt like this.
As such our dinner ended and we all headed to our rooms. The night although would have been more romantic since the dinner looked like it was filled with fuzzy scenes where the three of us teased one another… as soon as we left to our rooms…. Yeah… we fell asleep in a heartbeat.
On the other hand where my 2 beautiful companions were getting more and more beautiful with each day, I was changing too. I had become quite tall at 5.9 feet. In these 2 years, I was approaching 6 feet very fast. It seems that my training these 2 years also contributed to my growth, although I was strength training and all, I didn't turn into a bulky muscle man.
In fact my muscles looked balanced and made the body look like a battle toned warrior with speed specialty, but the truth is, I was equally that much stronger too. These muscles were condensed to this point. so even if I looked slim, my body weighted quite a bit, even I was surprised at that.
Anyway the thing was, I was enjoying not being a kid anymore and the blessings that I had were also affecting my attitude a little. Especially the love goddesses blessing. it made me compliment women without me even realizing it, in a sense… I was becoming someone who wouldn't be able to hold thoughts about the girls that would come around me… although being honest with girls is good and all… I don't know if… it would make things easier or harder....
if any women that I liked as a opposite sex talked to me, I would easily drop out flirty lines like I was a professional player, the blessing had changed the characteristic that I had of holding my thoughts. it seems in the future, I won't be hesitating around women any longer.
The problem was that it wasn't an empty flirt like those players did.. If I like a girl for her eyes, I could only say good things about her eyes... I hated people like that on earth from my core but this is Irony I guess, now I can complement any girl without batting an eye too. Well I hope I won't go around doing affairs and such since after getting out, I will get engaged! But at least I won't be giving people empty flattery, that was at least somewhat relieving. although the blessing had become rather problematic since it made me go all out charming girls, there were certain restrictions too, I would never be charmed by any girl that had ulterior motives, and even if I wanted to, I could never be in a relationship with a girl that I wasn't in love with, so if ever any business dealing comes up for marriage, I don't think it would work for me.
Ooh!! Leila, when will I see you?
I was a teen. What would you expect from me? And since I was going through puberty again for the 3rd time... it felt like life was really playing a joke on me….
Man I should have just become an Immortal. At least I didn't have to start over from scratch every time.
As such thoughts went around in my head, I rustled on the bed. Sleep was nowhere to be seen, although I had trained all day, exhaustion did not come to me. although I could sleep of course but I felt as if it would be fine even if I don't sleep…. My body had changed to the point superhuman would be an apt word.
[You still have a long way to go.]
"I know… using your power to strengthen myself isn't working at all…"
[The 10% is probably your threshold, you have to feel despair to harness my strength!!]
"Yeah yeah! Just go to sleep!"
Amanori was saying something about how without despair I wouldn't be able to get more of her strength… it was really convincing… I had nothing to despair over! Life was great! I can't despair over that now can I?
As the night became morning, all of us got up. The one with the cooking duty cooked. And after breakfast that was silent, each one of us headed our own way.
Just like me, Alice and Systy had found what they wanted to do. They did their own things. I had already drilled enough info that could help them with enhancing their strength, the knowledge about the body and the knowledge about their own elements.
At the end of the day… They had to find the rest of the strength on their own. Unlike me who used spirit energy, mana had a lot of limits after all.
"So Amanori, I wanted to ask, among your wielders, the one that held you the longest, he was a demon?"
[Yeah, although he was a good demon. He even married a human girl. They lived very happily.]
"Wow… that might have been a nightmare for you."
[Yup, I had no way to kill him.. I could slowly slowly steal his life span. Even still...]
"Still?"
[He died one of the worst deaths I could have ever seen…]
"Haah…. I see…"
[I thought you were like that demon at first, although I couldn't kill him for hundreds of years… he was still dying from holding me.]
"But I am not like that, fortunately, my soul is sturdy."
[Although you resemble that demon too much.]
"I do?"
[That's why, I am going to teach you something that demon could do, with this technique, your weakness in defense would disappear.]
"...A demon's technique… I wonder if it will work."
[Of Course it will.]
"Alright lets try."
As I used Miasma, it covered my body. It was normal, this usually happens when I let go of the control of the miasma. Now it only hovered around my body.
[It's already near perfection, just like that demon… your body's characteristics are the same, now you just have to concentrate the Miasma into a fog-like aura, it's not a barrier, think of it like a layer of thin Miasma.]
"What does this technique do anyway?"
[This technique harvests the souls that you kill.]
"Wh-what?!"
[It's not a bad technique!]
"Yeah right! I don't want to be a reaper!"
[Sigh!.... You fool. I am the reaper!]
"I'm not going out to kill people indiscriminately!"
[This is a great technique that has a deeper meaning to it…. Now learn this obediently so you won't despair!]
As Amanori said… I although was reluctant… I still Started to learn the technique… although I didn't know what it meant to actually harvest a soul was like…
There is truth in the sayings where age meant wisdom. And the things that Amanori forced me to do… those fell in that category. The wisdom from her was wisdom that kept you from making mistakes. And no matter how horrifying her techniques were… if she forced me… then they would probably come in handy some time… just like those Miasma whips… they were unthinkably the strongest long range weapon I had now.
Like that time passed. Two years are nothing when you concentrate to improve whatever you can… more so… when you feel detached from the world.