Verity's POV
Two days after I asked permission to practice this morning, Mason and Delmira still escorted me to the field. Mason told me that if an assassin's training differed from a regular warrior's, it would take a long time and be quite dangerous each time.
That's why the nickname dark whisper sounds scary, the silence step no one can ever feel. Only a few people with great concentration could detect the presence of the assassin's dark whisper.
We got to the training ground; Mason promised me when all the work was done. He would teach me self-defense measures when in trouble, and my being notified of my power explosion two months ago told me a shocking new reality.
It was an ELF power that exploded due to my wolf power weakening since being rejected by Jacob. This showed me that I am not a wolf of human blood but ELF blood. As a result, I lost some emotions because of that in exchange for a power where I could adequately judge someone; I felt a difference after the power explosion that time.
My senses were weakened, but my hearing senses sharpened more rapidly; even the sound of someone's breathing in a far distance could be heard by me.
I reached the location where I sensed a lot of people, but in my eyes, the field was empty apart from one black ELF man standing with his hands behind his back, looking at us and shouting.
"Finish your training!!" just as he spoke like that, people appeared before me individually.
They looked at us and made a unanimous mistake before walking off the field, the elf man came at us without smiling, and Mason let it slide.
"Hey, Warrens. Long time no see; the beginner's practice is improving. But I can still hear the sound of their breathing, even the movement of their feet." said Mason to the male elf in front of us.
The man glanced at me appraisingly, "They've only been training for a year. The longest training is up to 3 years, and this is already the fastest rookie this year; they can already hide their presence from prying eyes." he explained, still staring at me which made me frown subconsciously to judge this elf man.
His body is taller than Mason's; his skin is black. His eyes are dark green, his ears are pointed, and his eyebrows are bright white—a strange combination but a strong jawline and big muscles despite visible cuts on both arms.
"What brings you here?" asked Warren to the chuckling Mason.
"You never change, straight to the point."
"Just tell me, what do you want?" Warren asked again, looking at me disapprovingly.
"I came to practice," I answered ahead of Mason, who was surprised by Delmira. "I want to practice, and Mason allows me, so is my answer satisfying you?" I asked him again.
"I don't take students for granted, and you are coming here with Mason doesn't impress me at all," Warren answered without looking at me; I didn't understand.
"I want to practice, not receive impressions from you." my reply again surprised him.
Warren laughed, and I was confused again, was my answer funny until he laughed?
"Was my answer wrong?"
The three adults shook their heads together, "Nothing. You're right, and Warren seems surprised because it's the first time someone doesn't even see him as important here." Mason rubbed my shoulder with Delmira, who also chuckled a little.
"Our daughter wants to practice and doesn't ask for your attention and a good impression." Now Delmira is talking to me.
"I want to be strong; teach me, Warren. Mason said you were the right person to teach me the basics about my ELF powers." I said, one step closer confidently.
I stared at Warren intensely, this big guy grinning as if he was happy to get a new toy. I stood straight before him, who walked a step closer, and I needed to look up higher to see his eyes turning a lighter color; it felt threatening.
"Good, I won't hesitate to ruthlessly tutor you even if you are my superior's daughter! Whatever it was, I never discriminated against my students because they were of royal or pure blood. All are equal in my eyes!" Warren told me.
Delmira took a step forward, "Warren. She just recovered, don't be so cruel to my daughter."
"Take it easy, madam. You who brought your daughter to me know how I train my apprentices and don't take instructions from anyone if I don't want to be kicked out, or I'll be the one to leave here!" Warren threatened back at Delmira, who I saw was very angry at the answer.
Mason pulled his wife's shoulder; he smiled at Delmira before turning to look at Warren with a look and aura that changed drastically.
"I did ask your help to teach my daughter but not to trouble her; believe me, I'm not afraid to lose you. But teach properly not to give scars that don't result in anything, so do you still feel this is a joke?!" asked Mason, holding my shoulder.
I looked at these two big men, confused; why were they fighting? Even though I just wanted to practice to get stronger, seeing the assassins' training here made me realize. How weak I am, if I remember half a year ago.
I could have killed Liliana with my strength as a Luna, but my lack of experience made it easy for warriors to catch me. Troubled, trampled, and abandoned.
After that, we agreed that I practice daily with Warren and his students, who have taken an oath and written a magic contract belonging to the association. This means they cannot tell their identity as a dark whisper rookie to anyone, even if it is their family.
There will be a new identity for those who have families if their job in the association is not as a contract killer but as a worker in the inn. But most of the assassins here are orphans rescued by Mason and Delmira from the black market in Leftbay, a town full of criminals and slave sales, and gambling; all of them are indiscriminately mixed in with various races.
The strong have strength, and the weak have to kneel down and even lick the shoes of the strong; that's how Leftbay has stood until now.
Mason and Delmira left me at the training ground; they said they would come after me after work. And Mason advised me not to spend too much time chatting with boys, especially when I came across Alpha Alaric, a frequent visitor to the primary office association. I was told not to talk to him; I just said yes, so they both quickly left.
I walked side by side with Warren, this man took slow steps, but it took me two steps to catch up to him.
"Okay, after the rest, the kids will come again to do some camouflage practice, or you could say it's easier to be invisible. I promise I will train you well if you don't want to be scolded by your parents, but I can't guarantee that children can respect you like Mason; of course, they don't like spoiled children who ask their parents to practice when they don't have parents. Warren said this to me in a disdainful tone.
"I know,"
Warren chuckled at my answer, "Heh! I'll be waiting for your whining for training with people who already considered Mason and Delmira their parents as saviors, meeting the daughters who took their parents. This is sure to be fun." he said to me.
Not long after that, around 20 children came to the field. Five girls were there; the rest were tall boys of various races, and there were even mixed-race wolves and ELFs like me.
"Okay, damn kids, I will introduce you to a new friend today. Verity Morana is the daughter of Mason and Delmira. I hope you can make good friends or go to hell if today's practice doesn't satisfy me!" Warren said, making the atmosphere boisterous, but then the white-haired man with red eyes walked forward facing me, and Warren was full of courage.
Everyone had heard the news about me being the adopted daughter of the owner of the most significant information association on the continent of Osiris; some were quite curious, while others stared at me with disapproval and didn't even care about me. Even though I didn't accept their request, everyone already thought of me as their daughter, and they always mentioned 'my daughter,' which everyone misunderstood.
"I refused to let her into our practice group!!" he spoke without fear; right when he finished speaking, the atmosphere became heavy, and some children had pale faces.
"Ezekiel! I'm not asking for your opinion; I'm asking you and you guys to accept it. Let's do the exercise, use invisibility, camouflage, and hide. Let's make this a game of hide-and-seek; anyone I get a whiff of will get a hard beating without mercy!!!" Warren threatened before turning to me with an excited grin. "You young lady too, I will tell you the basis for camouflage. And if you can't hide with that power, then prepare to get hit by this branch!!"
"How can I camouflage in one try? That doesn't make sense." I answered, confused.
Warren chuckled, "That's up to you. I give you an hour to practice; camouflage is a natural strength of an ELF. And you have that blood in you, so try it after I tell you this."
Warren lifted a tree branch in his hands from nowhere, showing it to all of us, and I saw all the children here whose faces were getting paler and even sweating coldly. The air changed drastically until the girl with long white hair and eyes, a boy named Ezekiel, commented.
"What's wrong, Elijah? You want to protest too like your brother?!" Warren spoke first.
"Of course!! We just got camouflaged; how can we trick your keen senses!! This isn't fair; you know that teacher!!" Elijah said to Warren.
"Correct!! This is not fair!" the children started croaking, following the two brothers to Warren.
Ezekiel even puffed out his chest feeling victorious, and grinned down at me, "In the past, we were even told that we were immediately given training like this, but you gave her an hour; that's not fair. We'd love to do her drills as long as she joins us right after you teach her the easy basics of camouflage!!! There is no convenience even though she is the daughter of Mason and Delmira!!" his reply made me frown.
Everyone here was unreasonable; even talented people couldn't pull it off.
Warren looked even happier while looking at me, "You see, don't you? Nothing is easy once you enter the Dark Whisper assassin aspirant training, well, or I will do whatever I want with you!!" he said.