Heya me again i kinda making a mistake in previous chapter, Lecia weapon is not Rapier but small thin sword.
Because her sword is so thin i thought she's using Rapier.....
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After Rei agreed to help Lecia with her training, he finally resumed his own practice.
Lecia, now having no reason to hide, sat on the sidelines, her gaze fixed on him. She watched intently, captivated by the grace of his Butterfly Dance style and the subtle power of his wings.
Rei trained for an hour, his movements fluid and mesmerizing, while Lecia silently admired him, her admiration growing with each passing moment.
In the middle of his training Orchid finally arrived. At first, she was confused to see Lecia sitting there and not doing anything.
But after Rei explained the situation, Orchid simply nodded, understanding how Lecia felt.
After all, she herself enjoyed watching Rei and Narmaya train together with their Butterfly techniques.
Once Rei finished his training, he and Orchid began their usual daily routine. After having breakfast, they went out of the town, knowing that morning was when monsters often appeared to search for food.
Meanwhile, Lecia returned to her duties as the commander of the Enforcers.
And so, the next day arrived.
At the break of dawn in the training ground, Rei and Lecia were facing each other.
Since Rei's sword style differed greatly from Lecia's, he didn't really know how to correct her posture or fighting technique directly. For now, he decided the best way to evaluate her skills was in a real fight. He suggested they spar, so he could observe her movements properly.
For several minutes, Lecia had been swinging her sword at Rei while he effortlessly dodged her attacks, all the while observing her carefully.
Her sword, enveloped in bright green wind, extended the range of her slashes, making it appear like a raging storm. Even though her blade was small and thin, the wind expanded her reach, allowing her to hit a much wider area than most people could.
Despite her powerful display, Rei continued dodging without breaking a sweat, his expression calm as he watched her swings, her footing, and the movement of her waist.
Finally, he moved in, grabbing her wrist just as she was about to launch another slash, stopping her mid-swing.
"All right, that's enough," Rei said as the raging wind surrounding her sword scattered, sending a gust that blew debris around them.
After sheathing her sword, Lecia looked at him, anticipation and worry evident in her expression.
Rei stood silently for a few moments, seemingly lost in thought, before finally meeting her gaze.
"Your posture is impressive, Lecia," he began. "Even with such a small and thin sword, you handle it well. And your wind element? It's powerful. The way you use that raging wind—if a normal person were hit, their skin would be shredded. You'd defeat them easily."
Lecia's face brightened with hope, a smile forming as she heard his words of praise.
"But the keyword here is if you're fighting normal people." Rei's tone turned serious. "Gandharva isn't normal. He easily countered your attacks. And in the future, you'll likely face many opponents like him."
Lecia's expression fell, her earlier excitement replaced with disappointment. She knew he was right. Against Gandharva, her wind attacks had been crushed, and her blade couldn't penetrate his hardened draph skin, honed by years of rigorous training.
"Do you usually fight alongside Monika or your subordinates during Enforcer missions?" Rei asked.
"Yes, we always work as a team to capture or fight targets. That's how the Fourth Hall operates," Lecia replied.
Rei nodded, his expression thoughtful. "I see. Then that's the problem."
"What do you mean?" Lecia asked, tilting her head.
"Monika," Rei began. "She's the former commander of the Fourth Hall, and you were her vice commander, always accompanying her on missions. I haven't seen much of Monika's fighting style, but I did catch a glimpse of her training once when we first arrived here."
He continued, "From what I saw, Monika's sabre technique uses wind in a wide area. She weakens enemies with her ability, and you finish them off with your sword."
Lecia's eyes widened slightly in surprise. That was exactly how she and Monika worked together in combat.
"With the two of you, it's a perfect combination that makes defeating enemies easy," Rei said before adding, "and that's the problem."
Lecia's confusion turned to realization as his words sank in.
"I see... If we get separated…" Lecia murmured.
"Exactly," Rei confirmed. "You're too dependent on Monika's ability to weaken your enemies. Without her, your wind power and attacks aren't strong enough."
"I need to increase my strength," Lecia said with determination, her eyes widening as she clenched her fists.
However, realization quickly set in. "But how do I get stronger? I've been training every day, and I'm still like this," she admitted, frustration creeping into her voice.
Rei shrugged. "Well, you probably need to fight someone stronger than you. If you get used to that, your body will adapt, and you'll grow faster and stronger."
For a moment, Rei considered suggesting she spar with her father but quickly dismissed the idea. He knew Lecia wanted to prove she could surpass her father, not rely on him.
Monika was another option, but Rei figured that with her busy schedule—and the fact that Lecia had likely sparred with her often—Monika wouldn't provide much new growth.
"Do you have someone who can spar with you?" Rei asked casually.
Lecia didn't answer immediately. Instead, she stared at him—no, she stared deeply at him.
Rei froze slightly under her intense gaze.
The moment he mentioned sparring with someone stronger, Lecia's mind had already decided. That person was standing right in front of her.
"Wait, Lecia. I don't mind being your training partner, but Orchid and I are leaving soon," Rei reminded her gently.
It had already been nearly a week since Rei and Orchid arrived on Amalthea Island. Over the past few days, more and more members of the Enforcers stationed outside the island had returned. Now, with the majority back, he and Orchid were preparing to leave and rejoin their companions.
"Oh… right. I forgot you're only here temporarily," Lecia muttered, lowering her gaze, clearly disheartened.
Seeing her disappointment made Rei feel a twinge of guilt. He had gotten her hopes up by agreeing to train her, only for her to realize their time together would be short-lived.
"How about this?" Rei said, trying to cheer her up. "As long as I'm here, we'll spend the entire day training. Well, not literally the entire day—we'll divide it into three sessions: morning, evening, and night, if you can handle it."
Hearing his proposal, Lecia looked up with a mix of surprise and hope.
Rei continued, "I know it's going to be intense and probably exhausting, but it's the best way I can think of to help you make some progress before I leave."
"All right… then can we start now?" Lecia asked eagerly.
"Sure, I don't mind. Let's pick up where we left off," Rei said with a nod.
And so, they began sparring again. This time, however, Rei didn't just dodge her attacks—he started countering them, forcing her to react to his movements.
For this morning's session, Rei's focus was on improving Lecia's reflexes. He needed her to adapt quickly to changes in an opponent's attacks, something she lacked during her fight with Gandharva.
As their swords clashed, the sound of metal echoed through the training ground, accompanied by Lecia's determined grunts and Rei's calm, measured instructions. Though it was just the beginning, Lecia's resolve to improve shone clearly in her every move.
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Another days passed.
With Rei agreeing to train Lecia, their daily routines had shifted significantly. Rei now spent his entire day juggling responsibilities: morning training with Lecia, helping around town, evening training again, cooking for Orchid because she's asking for it, and ending the day with another intense training session.
Although Lecia's abilities hadn't improved drastically in such a short time, her reflexes had sharpened. She could now anticipate Rei's counters more easily, though dodging them remained nearly impossible. Every sparring session left her bruised and battered from Rei's calculated punches and kicks.
Fortunately, Rei's healing ability always restored her body to perfect condition. However, while he could mend her wounds, he couldn't replenish her stamina or mental strength. Each counter that sent her flying weighed heavily on her body and spirit, but Lecia stubbornly ignored her fatigue. As long as she could still move, she was determined to get stronger.
After another grueling day of training, Lecia could be found in the open bath reserved for female Enforcers.
"Ahhh…" she sighed as she sank into the warm water, trying to relax her aching muscles.
The bath was empty, as it was already late at night, leaving her to enjoy the peaceful space alone. She leaned back comfortably before pulling her hands from under the water, inspecting her palms and wrists. Her gaze moved over her entire body—her shoulders, her small chest, her waist, and finally her legs.
"It's amazing how Rei's healing ability can completely restore me like this," she murmured.
Despite the severe wounds she endured daily during training, Rei's powers always left her body in perfect condition. Even old scars she'd carried for years had disappeared, leaving her skin smooth and unblemished—something she hadn't seen in herself for a long time.
"But they're leaving tomorrow…" she said softly, her voice tinged with sadness.
Most of the Enforcers had returned to Amalthea Island, meaning Rei and Orchid's time here was coming to an end. Tomorrow, they would hold a small farewell party to thank the two for everything they had done.
"Hahhh…" Lecia sighed deeply, her heart heavy with the thought of their departure.
"What's with the sigh, Commander Lecia? What if someone saw you like this?" a familiar voice suddenly teased from behind her.
"Eek?! Monika!? What are you doing here?" Lecia exclaimed, panicking as she immediately submerged her hands underwater and sat up straight.
"I was curious about who might be using the bath this late, so I decided to check," Monika said casually, heading to the shower to clean herself.
In truth, Monika already knew it was Lecia in the bath. She was here for a different reason.
After rinsing off, Monika walked over and slipped into the bath, settling down beside Lecia.
Lecia turned and immediately found herself staring at Monika in awe. Her vice commander's figure never failed to amaze her—her petite frame was complemented by her big ample chest that floating on the water and slender waist, creating a striking contrast.
Sometimes Lecia even wondered if Monika was secretly Draph with a body like that.
"What are you thinking about?" Monika asked, interrupting her thoughts.
"Ah! I was just… thinking about tomorrow," Lecia stammered, flustered.
"Hmm, tomorrow, huh? Yeah, it does feel strange. The first time we met Rei and the others, we were interrogating the Black Knight and asking for their help. Now, both of them done so much for this town and island," Monika said as she leaned back, her tone relaxed.
"And Rei's been training you these past few days, right? What do you think of him?" she added.
"What do you mean?" Lecia asked, confused.
"I mean, what's your opinion of him after spending so much time with him?"
Lecia thought for a moment before answering. "Well… he's a good person. No, I don't think 'good' is enough to describe him. He's done so much for us. Without him and Orchid, this town would've been destroyed by Gandharva."
She paused, recalling all the help Rei and Orchid had provided. "Even after defeating Gandharva and the Erste soldiers, they could've left. But instead, they stayed to heal everyone, repair the town, and keep it safe from monsters."
"And he's been helping me train too. He kindly points out what I'm lacking and shows me how to improve each time. And…" Her voice trailed off as her thoughts deepened. Her expression shifted, her eyes filled with a longing she didn't fully understand, and she bit her bottom lip.
Monika observed her closely, immediately recognizing the signs of something more. Unlike Lecia, Monika understood what she's feeling right now.
"You want to follow them, don't you?" Monika asked suddenly.
Lecia jolted, completely caught off guard. "Wha—what are you talking about?!"
"It's obvious, Lecia. You want to follow them—whether it's to improve yourself or for… other reasons," Monika said, deliberately leaving the last words hanging.
Lecia stayed silent, her body tense.
"No… I'm the commander of the Fourth Hall Enforcers. I can't just leave them," she finally said, her voice firm but uncertain.
"I see," Monika replied simply, her tone unreadable.
Her response felt odd to Lecia, but she decided not to press further.
In the end, the two continued to bathe in silence for a few more minutes before Lecia got up and left, leaving Monika alone in the quiet bathhouse.