Walking with SilverAsh, Asmodeus was thinking of how to benefit from this to the maximum. His businessman senses were tingling.
"Hey, your sister. Enya was it? She's currently undergoing the trials to be the saintess right?" Ash asked her with an interested look.
"That's right, it was my plan to instate Enya as the saintess. Now that I think of it, she must hate me for it." SilverAsh frowned heavily.
"Hmm, why?" Ash didn't know much about the situation of the saintess and just knew that she was like the pope of Kjerag. He was also interested to know if Kjeragandr is real.
"The saintess will be stuck at the summit of mount Karlan. The sacred mountain of Kjerag where our god lives... And she will act as the messenger." SilverAsh explained and he nodded.
"She must hate you." He frankly agreed to her suspicion that her sister loathes her and she frowned at him.
"What? Don't look at me like that, you're the one that decided to instate her as a saintess." He rolled his eyes and SilverAsh sighed.
"I... I know, but it's what's necessary so they will still have a place to live even after centuries of geopolitical unrest over the world." She looked forward and glared at the Karlan temple.
"Well, well, well, when are you going to learn that your actions have consequences, woman?" He snorted and she winced from his words.
"It's already too late to make her stop now. Will you at least help me centralize power to Enya and make her the ruling body? While the tri-clan council turn into a parliament?" SilverAsh wanted to change the current politics of Kjerag.
"Hmmm, let me think... No." He smiled at her sweetly and teased her. "W-what?" She didn't expect the sudden rejection and looked broken hearted.
"You'll centralize power to Enya yourself, while I consolidate my economic hold on Kjerag. Having extreme popularity with the masses. And then, they'll think you and your sister are one of the reasons they're so blessed." He smirked evilly.
He was already planning on spreading propaganda all over Kjerag. That since the matriarch got married and her sister turned into the saintess, their lives suddenly got really easier with Ash's support.
It's like a political candidate's campaign to make the clueless suckers to vote for them.
"So that's your game... Because of your vast economic might, you will have the support of the masses... And then a rebellion will naturally ensue if there's news that the rulers are abusing Asmodeus enterpise." SilverAsh closed her eyes and nodded in awe at his slow, but sure takeover.
"A rebellion? No, no, no, I'm just giving the people better lives. And then they'll gravitate towards me in thanks. I'm just a really good man with good intentions." He smirked and she chuckled.
"Hey, that's the first time I've heard a genuine positive emotion from you." He patted her head and caressed her leopard ears, he was curious after all.
"Hey, don't touch me like that! We're not married couples. And I am not emotionless." She huffed at him and he raised his hands.
"Okay, okay, what a cheapskate. I was just really interested in your ears and tail." He saw her thick tail that was really fluffy. Her ears were also really soft and fluffy.
"Well, not in public at least. Letting you touch it is the least I could do for your acceptance of this farce." She sighed and gave in.
"Really? Cool, I love fluffy things you see." He smiled and the leopard's ears twitched, testing his reaction to her tail and ears moving.
'He's like a kid who saw something that caught their interest.' SilverAsh chuckled and Asmodeus' hand slowly gravitated towards her ears.
She smacked his hand away. "No, not in public I said." Ash shrugged and gave her a meaningful look that made her apprehensive on her decision on giving him free reign to touch her ears and tail.
"So, tell me more about yourself? You're going to be my wife, might as well consider this walk to Karlan our first date, wifey." Ash mused and his tone sarcastic.
Rolling her eyes, SilverAsh thought about it. Nobody was ever interested in her life since her parents died. And then it was pure determination from then on to take care of her sisters.
"I... Our parents died in a train accident when we were young. My father is actually the reason why I'm progressive, he was too." SilverAsh couldn't remember her parents anymore.
It was a long time ago, and all the preparations she did. The sacrifice and humiliation in being exiled. She was planning her return to Kjerag in order to bring change for years.
She then glared at him and thought it was all his fault. "Hmmm, I'm guessing that you think I'm the reason you're in this situation? Don't be delusional woman, it was your fault." He snickered at her and she playfully smacked his shoulders.
"Anyways, the Silverash family got taken out of the tri-clan council... Enya and Ensia were so young back then, they didn't even have an inkling about how the world worked." She bit her lip and remembered the fear and dread of her sisters about being exiled.
The look on their faces as they asked where their mom and dad was. And why were they leaving home.
He just kept on listening and she appreciated his thoughtfulness. "It was us against the world. I was barely a teenager. And the world is not kind at all." She squinted her eyes.
"So I maximized our funds, learned everything I needed to not be tricked. Found a subordinate that I can trust, like Weiss and my chancellor." He could tell that she had iron will.
"I then studied in Victoria, prepared dutifully until my return here in Kjerag. I was able to establish the Karlan trade by teaming up with the matriarch of the Browntails, Ratatos. The grand elder agreed." She sighed, because Karlan trade will be in his control now.
"I was planning on exploiting the mines and other resources of Kjerag that has been untouched for centuries." She squinted her eyes at him and he shrugged.
"Well, look at where being an asshole got you." Ash snickered at her and she glared daggers. "Ugh, how many times are you going to rub it in my face? I'm sorry okay?"
He was petty and very spiteful. It wasn't even that bad of a case in trying to make her feel bad. Because he was capable of much worse.
"Hey, aren't you a warlord of Kjerag? You can fight well?" He remembered something upon looking at her cane that has a hidden sword.
"Yes, I'm quite excellent in combat skills. But my strength, speed, and durability are just standard. What I pride myself with is my tactical acumen which is without arrogance, outstanding." She explained calmly and confidently.
"Hmm, you've got yourself figured out. I like that, hey, so I can't really fight. Can you teach me?" He smiled at her and she raised a brow.
"You can't fight? But you're an Oni right? All they do is fight." SilverAsh was confused and he scratched his head sheepishly.
"Ahhh, I'm not an Oni. I'm actually researching what race I am. I'm very different from the Oni and Sarkaz." Ash explained and she nodded in interest.
"But you can't fight huh? Even though you're so strong?" She remembered him manhandling her even though she got him in a hold where she got control of his joint mobility.
It was simply a terrifying display of strength. Normal people would have dislocated their joints, but he just powered through it like child's play.
"Nope, I just exercise and do calisthenics to be healthy. My sister really wants me to be healthy you see?" He couldn't say that he died because of an unhealthy lifestyle.
"Interesting... Interesting indeed. And you can use arts, can't you?" She remembered his exceptionally quick travel and nobody saw him coming from any kind of vehicle. He just popped out of nowhere.
"Yeah, I would like to say I'm proficient in my arts." He lifted her up with telekinesis and the leopard woman went wide eyed at that.
"You can use telekinesis? Isn't that really powerful!?" She got heated up and he was surprised because she got really close and personal.
"Yeah, of course. I was thinking of weaponizing it too." Ash had ideas on how to use telekinesis. But he lacks the skill to do it right now. He's got the power and reserves to do something cool now though.
"Yeah, you can snap someone's neck with just a look. Break their spines and paralyze them. Cancel their arts by twisting their arms or breaking their fingers." Silverash's inner warlord was getting excited.
It was limitless potential in her eyes. He could fly, make shields, kill people in a distance, have invisible attacks. He was perfect as a war machine. And that was just his arts.
She noticed from earlier that his skin is impenetrable from her bite. And as a snow leopard ancient, her bite wasn't really a joke.
His strength was also great, and his height means he has a size advantage against a lot of people.
"I'll train you later alright, you'll be an unparalleled warrior." She smiled and he was looking forward to it.
Their little walk then ended and they were now at the Karlan temple. The duo entered and the abominable council was already there which made SilverAsh's mood sour.
But she sucked it up for Kjerag. Thinking that their days as the oligarchs are numbered. And Enya will be the political head of the country in due time.
"Enciades Silverash, Asmodeus Naumann." The grand elder of the vine-bear court acknowledged them.
Ash just listened in and thought that the Browntail matriarch isn't really conservative, she was a schemer that goes with the flow. Flocking to the victorious and sucking up to them.
While the Paleroches are stuck up bastards. And the grand elder is a typical old fuck that doesn't want change.
"You're dealing with some nasty people here." Ash whispered to her and she nodded. "You can say that again."
They've gotten pretty close with their little talk from earlier and the council even thought that their whispering with each other was a result of a good relationship.
And while the meeting was being held, they've gotten some news that was hot right now in Kjerag due to Weiss, the deer ancient subordinate of SilverAsh.
He quickly spread all over the country that his mistress was together with Asmodeus. And he had a picture to prove it.
Ash facepalmed and SilverAsh blushed a bit. Forgetting to stop him from spreading rumors about them and blackmailing Asmodeus in agreeing to the marriage.
"You didn't call him to at least stop it? Or even a message?" Ash got annoyed. "It all happened too fast, I... I forgot, okay?"
"Ohhhh! It seems that Asmodeus has accepted Enciades' as his wife. Kjerag is joyful in this union of two people from different backgrounds. Love is clearly a strong force." The grand elder looked happy.
"Did he just use the power of love bullshit on us? This old guy's senile or something." Ash whispered to her and she cringed.
"Congratulations Enciades, I'm glad that you're happily in love." Ratatos Browntail smirked at her.
"Thank you, Ratatos. It's been love at first sight I guess." SilverAsh's eyes twitched and she lied through her teeth. Because why would she try to set him up in the first place if that was the case.
"Let us celebrate with a countrywide festival for the union of the Silverash matriarch and Asmodeus Naumann." The Paleroche head acted delighted.
"Now they'll throw a party for us, this is your fault once again. How many times will you mess up woman?" Ash gave her the side eye.
"That's the last time, I swear!" She yelled in a whisper to him.
__
They returned to the Silverash estate and plopped down on a couch. The duo were forced to greet people and socialize like nobility.
As an equivalent of a duchess, SilverAsh was really important to Kjerag. And he was basically getting married to one of the royal families there.
So the people and all the bootlickers wanted to get a piece of the pie in their union like waiting crocodiles and vultures.
"I hate politics and old people, fuck." Ash groaned and he massaged his temples. Avoiding tons of traps and invitations while being polite and firm.
He could feel his energy levels drain in real time. SilverAsh then chuckled. "You'll get used to it, dear husband." She teased him and he raised a brow.
"You know, you gave permission earlier..." He stared at her fluffy ears and tail. Snow leopards got cute ears and a thick tail after all.
She flinched and followed his line of sight. With a sigh, she nodded. Ash then smirked and lifted her up, putting her in front of him.
Ash began to fluff up her ears and tail. "You know, I was really curious about this for a long time. My sister, Adele. She's a caprinae, so she doesn't have ears like this."
The first time he saw some animal ears, his curiosity was piqued. But it was of course rude in trying to touch someone like that.
And now that he's got a feel on SilverAsh's fluff that is of course well taken care of because she was basically royalty. Something was awakening inside of him.
"Be careful, they're sensitive." She informed him with a slight reddening of her cheeks. Not even Ensia and Enya were like that with her ever after all.
It was a new experience for her and she honestly liked the feeling.
"Ahem, my lady. It seems you are back, mistress Enya and Ensia gave their regards to your marriage." Weiss appeared out of nowhere and she froze.
But Ash was just continuing in his quest to fluff animal ears and tail, so she coughed. "Is that so? Send them gifts and invitations to our marriage, Weiss."
She wasn't a family head for nothing, after a split second. She calmed down and had a dignified aura on her once again.
"By your will." Weiss ran away like the wind once again after bowing. "Hey, are you still up to practice?"
SilverAsh looked at him as she craned her neck and he nodded. "What would you say is a good weapon for me?"
He thought about it and only knew how to shoot guns.
"Well, have you ever used something before?" She asked curiously and he shook his head. "I've used guns, but in my opinion. They're very weak, even the Laterano ones."
She hummed and stood up, looking at him carefully. "What? Analyzing me or something?" He chuckled and it felt like he was going to minmax his weapon type.
"Yeah, I am. And I can't really see your muscles with your clothes, can you strip?" She seriously uttered and he just stared at her for a moment.
"Uhh, sure." Seeing that she was dead serious, he took off his clothes and because it's from Higashi. Where the clothing are typically one big piece, he was naked underneath it.
"Why are you not wearing any underwear?" SilverAsh deadpanned at him, trying not to look downstairs.
"Well, it's Higashi's culture to not wear any under your kimono." His common sense about it was flawed because he heard it from his previous life from weebs.
"Hah, whatever." She patted all over his body and checked his muscle mass, flexibility, etc.
"I'd advise you to get something heavy." She thought of a weapon that would fit him, but there's nothing that comes to mind.
"How about a great sword? I'll be able to use my power and size. With the force I can generate, I can also cut nearly anything with the speed of my swings." He calculated his maximum strength right now.
Before his suicidal surgery from earlier, he was sure he could punch through concrete walls. But now, he most likely could run at one and he'd leave Asmodeus shaped holes in them.
"That's true, I'd like to see how strong you are. Let's go and hunt some claw beasts." SilverAsh pulled him to their armory and let him pick a suitable weapon.
And he took a 2 meter great sword, checking it out by swinging a bit.
"Un, this works nicely." He smiled and she was checking out his form. "Your swings are incredibly powerful and fast. I'm sure you'd brute force anyone. But it's sloppy, I can outmaneuver you and stab you at vital points."
She analyzed his noob handling of the weapon and he smiled wryly. "Of course it's sloppy, I'm a newbie remember?"
"That's right, so we'll start with the basics and try it out against the local claw beasts." She nodded at their itinerary.
SilverAsh made her do practice swings, the basics. An over head swing, horizontal, and diagonal.
"Your edge alignment sucks ass. I think you're not cut out for this." She chuckled, teasing him.
"Hey, I'm just starting! We all started from somewhere." He gave her a dirty look and she laughed with her deep voice.
"Instead of being an ass, show me how it's supposed to be." He crossed his arms and his slitted eyes went even sharper.
His vision that was already 40/20 improved like no other and he compared it to an eagle's. His dynamic vision made it seem like she was going on slow motion if he focused.
Compartmentalizing her movements inside his brain. He tried his new and improved muscles with far more twitch fibers.
SilverAsh watched him practice his edge alignment and swings with closed eyes. Imagining her movements with clarity.
"Wow, my surgery gave me photographic memory huh?" He could visualize it so clearly. And it made him happy with the results, still seeing the changes.
"Pretty good! Your swings are much better now. But you can't copy me to a tee, I'm a woman. We have vastly different bodies." She advised him and he nodded.
"Let's go hunt then?" He smirked and was itching to try his newfound strength on the local wildlife.
She took a snow mobile kind of vehicle and drove them to a deserted place. She then took out some blood from a vial and dropped its contents on the ground.
"Any minute now, we'll be surrounded by the claw beasts." She informed him and he nodded, gripping the hilt on his sword.
After a few moments of waiting, some white wolves started to appear and they were circling around them.
"Ohh, they look vicious." He got a bit worried, seeing their rippling muscles. The things were clearly much stronger than normal wolves.
"This your first fight? Breathe in calmly and just swing at them when they arrive. It's not rocket science." She patted him on the back.
"Fuuu, let them come then." He calmed down and remembered he has magic. Besides, their bites would be ineffective on him anyways.
"Come and get it then you wolf bastards." He squinted his eyes at the wolves and they moved in packs, running at him while she observed from the back.
Two wolves that lined up neatly for him jumped for a double team. He swung his sword horizontally. The wind getting cut from the force of his swing.
The clawbeasts as SilverAsh called them got sliced in half and they squirted blood like a waterfall. Staining the white snow.
"Damn, that was pretty gory." He could see their guts and organs falling on the snow. But the other pack members wanted to avenge their brethren.
This time, they came at both of his sides. And with quick thinking, he ran towards one of them first and cut it down from above. Bisecting it cleanly.
And before the other could lunge at him, he swiped it sideways, killing it as well. "Impressive, newbies would've panicked and froze on the spot."
She ordered her hawk to attack the leader of the pack and agitated it. The hawk was fast and hit it right on the eye.
Ash saw the opportunity and quickly ran towards the wolf, stomping on the ground to gain more speed. And with one last strike, he took care of the pack leader.
"You saw the opportunity and didn't complain that I was meddling. You're a natural at this, maybe you should just leave your business to me? I'm gonna be your wife anyway." SilverAsh complimented him.
"Really? I just thought that you shouldn't wank like an idiot when your enemy is clearly distracted. Especially monologues, I hate monologues." He squinted his eyes.
"Yes, you strike them without talking. Tv shows that explain what your technique does before using it is simply retarded." She snorted and was satisfied at his performance.
"Let's train your basics more. And forget about my movements. You'll be wrong, because you're a man." She slapped him on the back and smiled.
They returned to the Silverash estate and continued on with his lessons. This time, with the correct positioning.
__
And while he was doing so, SilverAsh's personal bodyguard appeared and he got distracted because she just stared at him. "Hey, who's that lady over there that's just... Watching?"
"Ohh, that? She's my personal body guard." SilverAsh called out to the caprinae and she also had an idea. The blonde woman with majestic horns walked up to them and she smiled at Ash. (pic)
"I am Degenbrecher sir, nice to meet you." She then smirked at SilverAsh and the leopard rolled her eyes. "So he's your to be hubby eh, ma'am?" Degenbrecher smiled at her.
SilverAsh groaned and she glared at her. "Shut up, I have a task for you. You use a greatsword and sword breakers right? You're also the greatest warrior that I know." She ordered her and the caprinae already knew the assignment.
"As you wish madame, the sir here needs instruction right?" She looked at Ash more clearly and patted all over his body like what the leopard did earlier.
"You're SilverAsh's bodyguard? Take care of me, you must be amazing if you're her personal guard." He was curious on why a caprinae was her guard. They're more used to originium arts, especially if they come from Leithanien.
"Yes sir, this Degenbrecher will surely help you." She smiled at him and SilverAsh nodded in satisfaction at her attitude. Thinking that the caprinae surely saw massive potential in him if she was that eager to teach him.
"Are you from Leithanien? That's actually where I live with my sister, Adele Naumann." He asked her and she had a blank expression for a second. "Yes, I did come from Leithanien. But I wasn't able to use arts." She said with melancholy, but it didn't bother her that much anymore.
"Ohh, well at least you got a good career and fled Leithanien. People there are either music snobs or arts supremacists, disgusting combination if you ask me." He chuckled and she laughed.
"Hmm, she's a three time champion in the Kazimierz's triennial major jousting tournaments. Though it's basically a gambling den now for the greedy corporations there. She was about to be removed, so I hired her as my guard." SilverAsh elaborated on her loaded credentials.
"Wow, so you won against knights that are pretty much well trained in arts and fighting? Aren't you super strong?" Ash was excited to learn from her.
"Aww, you're gonna make me blush sir." She patted him on the back and started to put him in position for his movements for wielding a sword.
"Don't be fooled by her humbleness, she's called the dark knight. And she would most likely be the best knight that Kazimierz would ever see, in the history of their major tournaments, she dominated it for years." SilverAsh snorted.
"Don't tell the sir that information ma'am, he's gonna think I'm old you know? I'm a youthful woman still." She huffed and SilverAsh rolled her eyes. "You're in your 40s, what do you mean youthful woman?"
They stared at each other and Ash seemed to see lightning between their eyes. "Wow, you look really great for being 40." He complimented her, but it was lacking tack.
Degenbrecher's eyes twitched. "Thank you sir, how about you? How old are you exactly?" She was curious in how old he is. Ash was an economic titan already and he was also really strong.
The caprinae had a curse of being unable to use originium arts, but she was blessed with great strength. And she could feel that his swings would most likely make her hands go numb and her weapon fly if she tried to block it directly an not parry.
"Hmm, Adele's 15 years old right now. So I'm 14? I don't know exactly, but around that range." He rubbed his chin and decided that he was one year younger than Adele. He was an orphan after all, he has no idea how old he really is, though he is definitely younger than Adele.
SilverAsh and Degenbrecher froze in their place and stared at him like he has two heads. "Sorry, can you please repeat that sir?" Degenbrecher checked her ears if it was working correctly.
"Yeah, I'm 14. Man, time goes by so fast if you're busy. I can remember my first major shipment when I was a kid. Good thing penguin logistics is really cool with things like that." He shrugged and reminisced the start of his business.
"Y-you're 14!?" SilverAsh's eyes almost popped from her sockets. Degenbrecher then started laughing boisterously. "You're a cradle robber, madame! Kyahahaha!"
"She's what? In her early 20s? It's fine, we aren't a real couple anyways. Don't you think so?" Ash explained and SilverAsh coughed after his words, calming down due to him rationalizing their marriage.
"Well, I would like to see your full potential sir... It must be quite something." Degenbrecher's spirit as the grand knight want to teach him to his maximum might and fight him.
She saw his training with her employer earlier and concluded things. "You learn super quick, your body adapts to your movements rapidly, your agility, dexterity, and flexibility are also adequate. In this state, you can already probably win a tournament in Kazimierz by training in a month."
SilverAsh raised a brow at her words. "You think he's that strong? He's a complete amateur." She knew that Ash was physically gifted, but it was too high praise from the grand knight.
"He'd 100% thrive there as a warrior, let's go sir. Practice makes perfect." Degenbrecher smirked and wanted to train him now.
He thought about it after hearing the opinion of a warrior that was probably at the top in skills. "I actually have a regenerative property. I can fight for days, let's spar and I will learn everything while in combat."
Ash requested and Degenbrecher beamed at him. "Is that so? Then we'll have tons of fun sir." She took a blunted sword and he also got one. "Now, come at me."
Degenbrecher went into a stance and gestured for him to fight. "I'll engage!" His eyes got sharper and he ran towards her at full force. The ice and snow below his feet cracking and flying respectively.
"What speed!" Degenbrecher grinned and Ash raised his arms for an overhead slash as his braided muscles contracted with extreme speed. The grand knight stood her ground and blocked the swing by attacking with her own slash.
And when their swords met at the middle, SilverAsh had to close her eyes as a shockwave escaped from their clash. "Such strength, he can even match Degenbrecher? No, she's at a disadvantage!" She saw Degenbrecher retreat, her hand trembling.
'What a monster, my hands are numb.' Degenbrecher looked at her hands and he didn't have a problem at all. And like a savage beast, Ash's slitted eyes stared towards her like he was a predator that's hunting down prey.
With his dynamic vision, he was analyzing her movements to react accordingly. But his inexperience showed as he charged at her again with reckless abandon and swung his sword horizontally to try and make her block it once more so she'll lose her grip.
"Predictable, sir!" Degenbrecher jumped at his swing and he could see her smile at him in slow motion, his blade barely touching a hair on her head as she went airborne.
And with their similar speeds, he was unable to dodge the kick right at his chin because his body can't keep up with his dynamic vision.
He flew like a bullet and SilverAsh was worried about him. "Degenbrecher! You kicked him in the face full force!"
"Hmph, it's of no matter ma'am." She pointed at the explosion of snow in where he crashed. "Fuck, that hurt." He was shaking his head to rid himself of the dizziness.
"His durability is insane. A knight receiving a full powered kick on the chin like that would likely tore their heads off." She grinned like a maniac and was showing her lust for a good battle.
"Come on lady, I'm not done yet. Let's fight!" His blood was boiling, his genes that were hard wired in his blood as a peerless demon of calamity was coming alive.
SilverAsh and Degenbrecher also noticed it well. His muscles were being pumped with blood. Making his physique larger, the horn on his right forehead was beginning to leak an ethereal energy.
The horn on the right began to pulse a bright orange like it was alive. His teeth got sharper, and the scale like armor on his face grew to his neck for protection against an all out frontal assault.
He roared and threw his sword right at Degenbrecher like a javelin. She went wide eyed and bent backwards to dodge it. And when she fixed her posture, she saw him froze for a second. Frowning heavily.
"Wait a minute." He looked like he was constipated and after a minute, he returned back to his normal form from earlier. "What happened Asmodeus?" SilverAsh raised a brow at him.
"I don't know, I suddenly lost control of my reasoning and wanted to have an endless battle." He breathed in deeply, thankfully noticing it pretty quickly.
"Do you have a tendency to go berserk or something?" Degenbrecher got worried that he might go on a rampage. And she wasn't sure that she'll be able to stop him in his form earlier.
"Not really, I'm pretty calm you know? Why do you think your employer got forced to marry me in the first place?" He snorted and SilverAsh squinted her eyes at him.
"You definitely won't let me live that down huh?" She sighed and he smiled at her. "Anyways, I guess it'd be bad to have a full blown fight. Let's start with practicing how to be a good swordsman and how to fight barehanded as well."
The dark knight suggested and he was fine with that. "Okay, though I'm confident that I can control it. I don't know when it will pop up again." Ash thought it was most likely because of his elder heritage.
"Hey, SilverAsh. I wonder if you also know someone who can teach me arts?" He was already there, and the matriarch is a person who most likely appreciates talented subordinates.
"There is, and I would reckon that you two would get along well." She called for her chancellor and childhood friend, Gnosis Edelweiss. Ash and Gnosis analyzed each other when they met.
The man was a stylish guy wearing a trench coat, looking like a quintessential smart person with his glasses and apathetic expression.
"Gnosis huh, nice to meet you." Ash shook his hand and Gnosis nodded. "It's a pleasure to see Enciades' husband." Gnosis said blankly and SilverAsh was still getting used to it.
"He's the CTO of Karlan trade, he mainly focuses on research. But he's an excellent caster. Specializing on ice arts." SilverAsh explained. "So, is this about arts? Enciades." Gnosis looked at her and she nodded.
"Explain and train Asmodeus in his arts, it is imperative for him to learn it at the best of his ability. It's extremely powerful." SilverAsh ordered him and the blank faced Gnosis nodded.
"Please let me see your arts." Ash started with something simple and used telekinesis, lifting some ice. Lighting some snow on fire, and making water freeze instantly by taking away their heat energy.
"Enciades... Does he really need my instruction?" Gnosis gave her an inquisitive look and she shrugged. "I do not know, he says he does. Maybe he does not understand something about it?"
"I actually know how to use arts, but I feel like I'm losing a lot of energy by doing so." Ash explained why he wanted an arts teacher. With his energy manipulation, he could feel a sizeable leak whenever he manipulates his energy.
"So you lack control is it? Use it again please." Gnosis put a hand on his back and Ash thought he was most likely trying to get a feel on the flow of his arts.
Doing everything once again, Gnosis requested him to do it a couple of more times. Nodding to himself, Gnosis seemed to have made a conclusion.
"At all times, you've been brute forcing your arts. You must have a clear picture in your mind in what is going to be the effects of what you cast and pour in the necessary energy to reach that effect. Too much, you waste, too low, it'd be weaker than you imagined." Gnosis explained to him.
"Isn't that too unscientific? Is there a parameter in which we can measure how much to use? You just practice and have a good feel on the balance?" Ash raised a brow and Gnosis blinked a few times.
"Ahh, you surprised him. As I thought, you will get along." SilverAsh snorted and Ash thought that was him being surprised? Just blinking a couple of times.
"That is correct, it has always been that way... But it seems I have gained insight from you, Asmodeus. Thank you for this enlightenment, I will research about that." Gnosis bowed at him.
"Okay?" Ash thought he was a bit weird, but he had some plans in placing him as a lead researcher. The guy was one of his people, researchers that has that obsessed look in their eyes once something bothers them.
"Then how about you use your arts while fighting the both of us? Use arts on me only though, the madame doesn't have much resistance against arts." Degenbrecher suggested so he could practice it at the same time.
He thought about it and would just use simple energy projection for now. "The image and put a tight leash on how I pour energy, is it?" Ash nodded and prepared to train with the two.
Meanwhile, at Leithanien. Adele was using the papers from Babel and Ash's research on the effects of originium energy.
Humming while writing another paper about catastrophes, Adele heard a knock on her door. "Come in."
Their butler came inside slowly, holding a letter in his hands. He looked at her with a frown and Adele raised a brow.
"What is it? Why the long face?" Adele tried to lighten up the mood and smiled. "My lady... Sorry for your loss." He gave the letter to Adele and she immediately thought about Ash.
"Did something happen to Ash!?" She ripped open the letter and quickly read it. "No... This isn't real right?"
She was horrified and the butler bowed at her. "I'm afraid that is true my lady. William university sent it to the household this morning. The sir's colleagues at the university has confirmed it."
Adele dropped down on the ground and looked at it one more time, reading the letter multiple times, in denial.
"T-this is impossible. Mother and father are lead researchers here in Leithanien, they would've seen it coming right? They couldn't have!"
The long time butler in the house hugged her. "My condolences, lady Adele." Tears started streaming out of her eyes and she shook her head. Thrashing from his embrace.
"No! No! This isn't real!" Adele started hyperventilating. "They were researching at the field on volcanoes my lady. Accidents can happen at anytime, the madame and sir knew it."
She pushed him and pointed at him with a trembling finger. "Y-you!? What do you know! You're not a researcher! They would've checked the activity of the volcano intensively!"
The butler sighed at her grief and left her to her own devices for now. She checked the letter again and thought there must be something wrong. "T-their bodies are in William University..."
She ran like a girl, possessed. Her eyes were bloodshot and she ran towards the university where her father worked like her life depended on it.
"They're alive, they must be! You can't retrieve corpses from pyroclastic flows!" She panted and ran with her short legs as hard as she could. Her quads feeling heavy like they were lead.
The people in the university saw her basically kick down the doors and was whispering. But she did not care at all.
Going to the office of the lead researchers in originium, she saw the colleague of her father. "Where are they!?" She basically assaulted the man and gripped his shirt upwards.
The adrenaline in her body, made her little frame stronger as she lifted him up. "You can't see them yet, little Adele! They're irradiated with originite!" He yelled at her as she got impatient and let go of him.
Observing the halls outside and seeing a room with people standing outside, she concluded that it was the one. "Stop! Adele!" The other researchers who knew her tried to stop her.
She casted arts and fired it at the door, breaking it down and the researchers diving down so they won't get caught up in the blast.
Slowly but surely, she entered the repurposed morgue for the bodies of her parents because the university had some AOS from Asmodeus, unlike the nearby funerals that do not have access to it normally.
Adele's heart dropped out of her chest upon seeing the state of her parents. They were badly burned and she could see that the AOS of Ash managed to protect them enough that the other research members managed to save them.
But the severe burns and originite in the pyroclastic flow inevitably killed them. It was only thanks to Ash's AOS that they didn't die of oripathy and turned into crystalized corpses.
Her legs and arms trembling, Adele's eyes were wide open as she slowly walked towards them. "M-mom, dad... This isn't funny, wake up."
She arrived at their side and the couple of course did not respond. With her small arms and hands, Adele hugged the corpses of her parents and cried out in anguish.
"Why!? Why them! They were good people!" Adele shouted above as if to cry her grievances to the heavens. But no answer came of course.
"Get her off of them! She'll contract oripathy!" The researchers pried her off of the corpse of her parents. Adele tried to thrash and escape, but she was only a child, with her adrenaline coming off of her system.
"Quick! Check if he contracted it!" The researchers and colleague of her parents yelled in urgency while two others dropped her on the ground and stopped her from struggling.
Adele heard their shouts and hurried steps, but her eyes were focused on the burnt corpses right in front of her.
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Thank you for reading everyone, and I'm using Enciades' codename in Rhodes island, SilverAsh. It's the capital A that differentiates it from their family name. Anyways, ciao.