Housing for District One was as ostentatious, and over the top as any place Zee had ever seen. Her place had its own fenced-in yard, with expansive gardens, manicured lawns, flowering fruit trees, and lavish decorations.
It was a freaking mansion, with a dozen rooms at least. Her obsidian token hummed, and the ornate metal gates opened as she approached, sliding seamlessly inward. Turns out, once the key was bound to her token, the gate would open at will.
Bastion whistled, "That is an impressive fountain," Bastion said.
Zee glanced over to where he was looking. Sure enough. Standing in the center of a pool of water, was a shirtless marble statue of a male human with a chiseled physique. It wasn't the statue's well-defined muscles that drew her eye, but instead, the water that danced through the air around him.
It was clearly some sort of array, or ritual causing the spectacular effects, but that didn't make it any less impressive.
"Do you think these are ripe," Bastion asked, walking over to a small tree with bright green fruits.
"I have no idea. Isn't it the wrong time of year for a tree to have fruit on it," Zee asked.
"Normally yes, but I hear some fruit trees only bear fruit in the winter," Bastion said.
"Try one, who knows, they might be good," Zee said.
Bastion picked two of them, the branches shaking as he tossed one to her.
The fruit was light, and squishy, with a soft green skin. Zee was hesitant to try it, but Bastion had no such compunctions.
He took a large bite, his expression turning thoughtful as he chewed.
"Well," Zee asked.
"It's a bit sour, but the flavor is good," He nodded, taking another bite.
Curious, she took a tentative bite. There was an explosion of juice in her mouth. It was a little sour but also incredibly tender with a fruity taste.
"Mmmmm, that's good," Zee said, thoughtfully eying the tree. "Do you think this fruit would make a good pie?"
"Not sure. Let's grab some more, we can test it out," Bastion said.
She picked a half dozen of the larger fruits and then followed Bastion inside her new place.
The place was gigantic, with thick carpets, fancy paintings, glass chandeliers a wine cellar, and a well-stocked kitchen.
Everything was suspiciously clean and maintained, with only the freshest ingredients in stock.
That was a little bit confusing, as she checked all seven rooms in the mansion and there was no sign anyone lived there. The house was protected with arrays and further isolated into sections.
It was probably to give the people staying inside the mansion privacy. That would be more important to people who had a cadre of servants with them.
In this case, Zee didn't like it. The quality of the arrays made it so her spatial ripple skill couldn't see into every room in the house. She didn't like not knowing what was in those rooms at any given time.
"We could set an array to monitor the perimeter of the place," Dern offered.
"That's an excellent idea, I don't trust the arrays on this place in the slightest. For all we know, someone could have a way inside without us knowing," Zee said.
Dern gave her a mental grunt of approval, before running off.
"Kur Zul, did you find anything," Zee asked.
The ghost faded into view from one wall, only partly in view.
"No mistress, I have found nothing. If there are any secret entrances, they are very well hidden," the ghost replied.
"Thanks for looking, could you keep an eye out? I don't want to be caught off guard," Zee said.
"Of course mistress," Kur Zul said, fading from sight.
The ghost was as creepy as always, but she was getting used to it. The fact she saw having a sentient ghost, and a soul-sucking monster as her spirit companions as normal was telling of just how messed up her life was.
Speaking of which, she needed to find a way to purchase fresh, early beast king corpses. The ones she had in her spatial necklace would go bad before too long, and she would need more to keep Dern from getting hungry.
Fresh corpses were best, and the higher the grade the better. The main problem was that the souls didn't linger for very long after a monster was killed. Thankfully, Kur Zul wasn't as demanding as Dern to sustain.
The ghost's only requirement was a supply of energy which he slowly drained from Zee to sustain him. Most of the cost was when she summoned him, but maintaining him was just a trickle. He had his own energy stores and could run out just like she could.
Zee still wasn't sure if there was a price if Kur Zul's vessel was destroyed. The price for Dern's form getting destroyed was steep after all, and she doubted Kur Zul was any different. Zee wasn't crazy enough to destroy Kur Zul's vessel multiple times to find out, but she was curious.
She shook the troubling thoughts from her mind. All she had to do was not let either of her spirit companions get destroyed too many times, or more ideally not at all. Given how much trouble she routinely got in, the latter was extremely unlikely.
Hence why she was planning on stocking up on monster corpses. Getting corrupted by the stigma of taboo was still an issue, but it only affected the one at the focal point of the ritual. Given that was usually Dern, Zee wasn't affected. Her aura would stay clean of the taint as long as she kept using the rituals on him.
Well, mostly, she had been forced to tap into that poisonous well a time or two in the past. After making a pleasantly delicious pie with Bastion, she sat down on one of the comfy couches while she perused the information crystal the clerk had given her.
It had all sorts of information, from her class schedules to the names of her instructors. The living book flapped around the lounge room, slowly inching its way toward a bookshelf in the corner.
"I see what you are doing," Zee said in a sharp tone, not looking up from the crystal.
The book ruffled its pages, turning and sulkily flapping in the other direction.
Beside her, Bastion was eying the living book dubiously. "What a menace, I swear, every time you let it out of its bookcase it is up to no good," Bastion commented.
"It is a pain, but I can't just keep it locked up all the time. That would be needlessly cruel. Besides, the living book is a lot more helpful when I let it out to play around from time to time," Zee replied.
"It really is like a pet isn't it," Bastion said.
"I guess so," Zee replied, distracted.
Bastion stood and stretched. "Well, it's been a fun day. I should get back to my place and get some rest. The next year of the academy starts bright and early tomorrow," Bastion said.
Zee looked up from the information crystal and raised an eyebrow at him.
"What? You are not staying here," Zee asked.
He smiled. "I didn't want to presume. If you want I can," Bastion said.
"Of course I want you to. I am not staying in the huge place all by myself," Zee said.
Bastion grinned, "Well then, let's get to bed, we have an early start," Bastion said.
Zee yawned, "You are probably right. Let's go to bed, my first course is well before sunrise," Zee said.
The next morning, Zee waited in the large training hall. Today was the first day of the advanced sword combat course.
There were already two dozen people in attendance, waiting for the instructor to arrive. Just as she thought Allison would be late, the woman walked in through the door.
The effect was immediate. Most of the students watched her enter, whispering excitedly amongst themselves, while some even shouted greetings. Zee had heard the princess was popular in the academy, but she hadn't realized it was this popular. She was somewhat of a celebrity after coming in tenth place in the E-grade combat division.
The princess politely brushed passed several people who approached her, making a B line right for Zee. That seemed to draw no small amount of attention to Zee, who was off to one side by herself. They muttered amongst each other, many curious as to who she was and how Allison knew her.
"You look good in that uniform," Allison said in greeting.
"You don't look too bad yourself. I like the braiding in your hair, did Yukna do that for you," Zee asked.
Allison nodded.
"Are you excited for combat training," Allison asked.
"Ya, but I am more curious as to why everyone knows you," Zee asked.
Allison glanced around at all the other students pretending not to listen in.
"Well, I did come in tenth place in the combat tournament," Allison said.
"But that's only tenth place, I doubt that would make you this well-known all by itself," Zee said.
"Sure it does. That's a tenth place out of a hundred thousand E-grade cultivators," Allison replied.
Zee blinked at that. "Holy crap. How did you get tenth place, that is insane," Zee exclaimed, immediately changing her mind.
Allison beamed, tucking her thumbs in her sword belt. "While you were off fighting monsters, I was training to sword fight under Julian and then advancing my skills further from Master Fier," Allison said.
Zee's heart skipped a beat. "That's exciting. I can't wait to spar with you, I haven't fought a real person but Glendale in years," Zee said.
"I thought you fought a lot in the death chasms," Allison asked.
"I did, but those were monsters, they don't fight the same as people," Zee replied.
Allison nodded," Ahh I see what you mean. Well, this should be fun then. I can't wait to see how much better you have gotten," Allison said.
Someone cleared their throat loudly, and the training hall went quiet. Zee turned to see who it was. Master Fier was a tall, stalky man with corded muscle. He was bald, with dark brown eyes and a jaw that could cut stone. His nose was a bit crooked, having been broken and sloppily reset several times. The bronze skin of his face had several scars across his sunken cheeks and splitting his thin lips.
With a no-nonsense tone, the man spoke in a deep commanding voice.
"Greetings everyone, I am Master Fier, and this is advanced sword combat training. I will not lie, this will be a grueling six-month-long course. Unlike other courses, there will be no written tests. You will pass, or fail based on my judgment, and mine alone. If any of you have a problem with that, the door is over there," Fier said, with a gesture towards the closed doorway.
When no one headed for the door he continued.
"Many of you are doubtlessly here to earn a black sash. If you are, let me tell you this. I don't care if you are the lowest commoner or the richest of nobility, you will all be graded on personal competence. If you think money or your parent's lofty station will get you a sash, you are mistaken," Fier said firmly.
Zee noticed that more than one of the people in the room looked upset by that.
She found herself liking Fier immediately.
Noting the unhappy muttering of a few of the crowd, Fier grinned.
"Any who do not like it, you may leave now and spare us the headache. I am sure there are other combat instructors who will give you a passing mark given enough money," Fier said.
"This is ridiculous! Such disrespect for your betters. Do you not know who I am," A student snarled angrily.
It was a man and his lackey standing near the front. Given the expensive rings he wore and the intricate crest, with a diamond token sewn into his uniform, he had to be the son of high nobility.
Fier smiled, looking happy instead of upset. "No, I don't, but I'm sure you are about to tell me,"
"I am Hespa Mulnac heir to the Mulnac clan," He said proudly, looking down his nose at the instructor.
Fier didn't look impressed. "I don't care… I am personally employed by his imperial majesty to whip you all into shape. If you don't like that, then by all means, you are free to go complain to his eminence," Fier said.
Hespa looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel in his forehead. Fier ignored the snobby noble who looked like he swallowed a lemon, addressing the rest of the group.
"Everyone put on a pair of bracers, grab a practice sword, and pair up," Fiere said, gesturing towards an open crate that hadn't been there a few seconds before. "The bracers are suppressing artifacts that restrict your ability to channel skills. Wearing them is not an option. I will not have one of the students dying because some idiot accidentally uses a skill." He clapped his hands and continued. "Now, hurry up and put them on."
Once they had all done as asked, he addressed them again.
"Now that everyone is ready, I want you to pair up and spar. Show me what you can do," master Fier said.
Zee and Allison paired up, while others did the same.
They moved away from the crowd to get some room and faced off. Pushing aside all distractions, Zee settled into a defensive stance and focused on her opponent.
Allison held herself with a relaxed calm. The stilted way she used to hold herself was gone, replaced by smooth and graceful movements. Every step was calculated, every movement designed for proper balance, and the ability to react in an attack or defense.
The woman's calm confidence would have been concerning, but Zee hadn't been slacking off. She had been thrown into a death trap and come out the other side. What was a duel in comparison to that?
Allison made the first move. In a seamless swing, she lunged, and cut at Zee's right shoulder. Back when they first met, Allison had been fast. Now firmly in middle E grade, she made her old self look slow in comparison.
Startled by the speed, Zee frantically flicked her sword upward, deflecting Allison's strike above her head. Her hands stung from deflecting the heavy blow, but Zee didn't hesitate. The blunt weapon whooshed over her head, missing by a hair's breadth. Zee leaped into the opening, not bothering to bring the blade back around. She swung the pommel of her sword towards the side of Allison's head.
A smile tugged at her lips as Allison released one hand from her hilt, and caught the strike on her forearm. The exchange was quick and revealed Zee had a slight advantage in speed.
Allison was stronger though, and had a reach advantage.
Zee backed away, and they circled, each looking for an opening. With a cold expression, Zee recognized all too well, Allison watched her every move looking for weakness.
Zee did the same, eying the taller woman's wide stance, and bent knees.
Allison's wooden longsword was held in a two-handed grip at waist level, the tip aimed at Zee's throat.
There were no visible openings, so, she would have to make one. Deciding to take the initiative, and change things up, Zee attacked.
She unleashed a flurry of rapid sword strikes towards Allison's head. Their weapons cracked together in a staccato rhythm, the sound echoing around the training hall. The repeated billowed towards the head opened a gap that allowed a kick through that clipped Allison in the ribs.
Allison winced, settling into a more aggressive stance, and accepting the blow without comment.
In the next moment, Zee was put on the back foot.
Allison flipped the momentum around, sending Zee scrambling back under a relentless series of smooth, and quick strikes.
Their swords collided over and over, and Zee's heart raced in her chest. It was thrilling, fighting someone who pushed her so hard, forcing her to fight with everything she had. Fighting only the bone lord hasn't truly allowed her to see her growth. After all, he never let her win, even once.
Now she got to test herself in a straight-up duel with someone at her own grade. They weren't using any skills or aura, but they were both nearing the peak of E grade. Even suppressed by the bracers, they moved far faster and hit much harder than any normal person could.
With their few testing strikes out of the way, they both sped up, their swords cracking together in a blur of motion. Everyone in the training hall paused and watched, the instructor included as it looked like Zee and Allison were trying to kill each other.
There was kicking, punching, full forced body checks, body throws, and viciously aimed sword blows that could cause some serious damage if they hit.
After all, what was the point in gentle sparring?
An enemy or monster wouldn't be gentle, they wouldn't pull punches, or give you a chance to catch your breath.
Zee and Allison both understood this. Even the full-contact sparring they were doing was gentle in comparison to a fight to the death.
Besides, they were using wooden swords, so getting hit would cause painful bruises, and maybe a broken bone. It was nothing a healing pill couldn't fix.
They clashed again and again, the crack of wood echoing around the hall. Zee weaved through intricate sword stances with lithe grace, and a focused ferocity.
Allison was equally skillful, though more measured in her approach, using her longer reach to keep Zee at bay.
It had only been a few minutes but Zee's arms ached, and her hands stung from blocking the heavy blows. She was covered in bruises even though it had only been a few minutes. Still, she was grinning ear to ear, an expression that was matched by Allison.
"That's enough," Master Fier said calmly.
Both sported a few new bruises, but both looked disappointed that it was already over.
Master Fier walked over while the crowd watched on.
"I hope you were all watching closely. That is what we call full-contact sparring. It's much less pretty than the dueling style many of you practice, but it is more realistic," Fier said.
Someone in the crowd scoffed.
"You expect me to fight like an uncouth barbarian? Ridiculous!"
Master Fier clasped his hands behind his back, addressing the man who spoke out. "Yes lord Hespa i do. Using only dueling forms in combat will get you or your squad mates killed," Master Fier replied.
Hespa sneered. "Duelling forms have served me well so far. I came here to get better with my sword, not to shame myself by punching people like a commoner," Hespa said disdainfully.
Master Fier visibly calmed himself.
"Lord Hespa... The point of this training is to use every weapon at your disposal. Your body is your main weapon, your sword is merely a tool." Master Fier replied.
Hespa didn't look convinced. Zee knew she should keep her mouth shut and lay low, but she couldn't stop herself.
"If dueling is so superior, then perhaps Hespa can show us." She turned to Allison as though looking for approval," Who knows Allie, we might be doing it wrong," Zee said.
Her words were meant to back him into a corner and force him to accept the offer or lose face. Hespa might be snobby, but he wasn't an idiot. He had seen them sparring and knew perfectly well that he was out of his depth. So, instead of answering, he changed the subject.
"I don't believe we have met," Hespa said, eying her unadorned combat uniform with a dismissive gaze. He was wary of being too rude however as he had no idea of her noble station.
Given the fact she didn't use his noble title of lord, she had to be of equal or higher nobility to him. Zee understood this and saw no reason to dispel his doubts.
"No, we have not met. I am Zee, it's good to meet you Hespa," Zee replied, smiling upon seeing his look of calculation.
Hespa's brows furrowed, but he didn't press. He was no doubt planning to do some snooping to find out who she was.
That was okay though, as he would surely discover the incident with the tailor. That should reveal the fact she had a black token, and it would let Hespa know she was staying in one of the best mansions in district one.
She could have just told him all that but that would complicate things. No, it was better to let him find out on his own.
Master Fier cleared his throat," As much as this amuses me, we have work to do. Get off your asses and start sparring," Fier said, his voice cracking like a whip.
As fun as playing politics was, they were here to get more proficient with the sword. Hespa gave her one final glance, before walking away.
With the distraction over, everyone found a partner and started sparring. As you would expect of an advanced combat class, most of the students already had experience with the rough fighting style Master Fier taught. Others like Hespa were less so.
After watching him spar against one of his lackeys, Zee had to admit, that Hespa was skilled with his sword.
His lackey was no slouch either. The main problem was, that his lackey was holding back. There were several times where there was an opening to elbow, kick, or knee Hespa, and yet, his sparring partner didn't take them.
"Alright, switch partners," Master Fier shouted.
Zee knew exactly who she wanted to fight next. Leaving Allison to her own devices, she crossed the training hall.
She ignored Hespa and walked up to his lackey instead.
"Wanna spar," Zee asked.
The man looked uncertain, glancing over to Hespa as if asking permission. The noble looked curious, giving a nod of approval.
Zee sparred with the lackey for a bit, and she wasn't even surprised when he threw a perfectly timed knee toward her ribs. Zee punched him in the gut for his trouble, but it had been a good hit.
"Why do you hold back on Hespa," Zee asked casually.
The lackey scowled. "That's lord Hespa to you. And I am not holding back," The lackey retorted.
"Your actions say different. You are clearly more skilled, and yet, you let him win every time," Zee said, forcing him back under a series of arcing slashes.
"He is the heir to house Mulnac. I could lose everything if I get on his bad side," The lackey muttered, furiously defending.
"But, if you coddle him, he will die at the first sign of trouble," Zee said, pushing him harder.
"You don't think I know that," He hissed under his breath, looking angry, more at himself than her.
His step faltered. Using the opening, she batted aside his sword and she threw him onto the ground. His breath left him in a whoosh as he landed hard on his back.
She walked passed the downed man as he gasped for breath on the floor.
Leaning over she whispered. "Consider this. If he dies, and you could have prevented it by training him properly, it's your fault," Zee said.
She didn't wait for a response before walking away.
Allison saw her and jogged over.
"What was that about? Why did you beat that guy up," Allison asked.
"He is Hespa's instructor and I presume he is also the noble guardian," Zee said.
"Uhh, okay? But why do you even care," Allison asked, confused.
Zee shrugged. "It cares because that man is responsible for keeping Hespa alive. He is the man's guard, and he is doing a shit job, that's why I beat him up," Zee replied as if that explained everything.
Allison raised an eyebrow. "That seems like a waste of effort. Beating up his guard won't convince Hespa of anything. All you did was put yourself in Hespa's sights," Allison said.
Zee smiled. "I'm fine with that. I am confident that Hespa won't try to get in my way, the opposite in fact." Zee said.
"That's a dangerous game. What if it goes in the reverse, and he comes after you? Zee, you should be wary, that man has a diamond token," Allison warned.
"I assume that means he is someone important," Zee asked, casually rocking back on her heels.
Allison's expression turned serious. "Of course it does. Namely, don't piss off anyone with a gold token. Do your best to stay out of the way of anyone with a diamond token. And under no circumstances insult someone with an obsidian token," Allison said.
"You mean like that diamond token Hespa has," Zee asked.
"Exactly... That token means he is the son of a high noble, either a duke or a count," Allison said.
Zee tugged on a chain around her neck, and for a brief moment, an obsidian token was visible. It was hidden from all but Allison, and quickly disappeared.
Allison's eyes widen, "What the, how did you get that," The princess shout whispered.
"I will tell you later. Please keep it to yourself, it's a secret," Zee said with a grin.
"I should have expected something like this," Allison muttered, shaking her head in exasperation.
The remainder of combat training was a lot less hectic. They sparred, switching partners, all the while Master Fier walked around watching everyone closely.
At the end of their two hours, Fier called a halt.
"Alright, that's enough! I have seen what you can all do, and I am not impressed. Tomorrow morning we will start training for real. Leave your sword and the bracers in the crate, you are all dismissed," Fier said, leaving the training hall without so much as a backward glance.
Wiping sweat from her brow with a sleeve, Zee took off the suppressing bracers. She put them, and her sword into the crate, before walking towards the door.
She wanted to get a quick shower before her next class. Allison jogged to catch up, matching her step.
"That was fun," Allison said.
"Ya, do you know what he meant by real training for tomorrow," Zee asked.
Allison waved a hand dismissively. "He will give us drills for conditioning and will start giving us more pointed instructions. It will be pretty rough, I expect some of the others to drop out after a few days," Allison said.
"That doesn't sound so bad. A bit of running never hurt anyone," Zee said.
Allison laughed, a sound that was foreboding.
"You are going to regret those words. Anway, I'm off to my next class, see you tomorrow," Allison said jogging down the hallway.
Zee shook the foreboding words from her mind and headed back to her mansion to get a shower. Being in a sweaty combat uniform would be unpleasant when she had to sit for hours on end.
Zee had endured a lot worse in the death chasms, like that time she fell in a pit and it was filled with viscous, sticky, goo.
Zee shuddered in remembrance. She could still see the writhing mass of living beings clinging to the cave ceiling. She had fallen in what must have been a pool of their excrement.
She quickly shook her head, bile rising in her throat as she remembered the overpowering smell.
Having just under a half hour, she returned to her living quarters, had a quick bath, and dressed in a more formal uniform. Tossing her dirty combat uniform in a corner, she left, heading to her next class.