Merlin's POV
It's been 5 months since the orphans officially became acolytes. I must say their natural talent is miserable compared to Willow and the average witches of the Boiling Isles.
Their sensitivity to elemental particles is weak, but by the standards of the mage world, they're average, except for Circe who has rank 2 talent.
She's the worst compared to Grimm and Vivianne who have average rank 3 talent. These two have even managed to reach rank 2 acolytes under my supervision, but Circe is stagnating.
"It's not important for now, I know how to make Circe evolve but I need her despair to increase just to 'suggest' this path to her."
I was referring to the path of demonic arts that Leylin Farlier practiced in the world of gods, or more precisely the use of the gluttony dagger.
If Circe agrees to use this object, then her evolution will be guaranteed, but I need her loyalty to be even more ingrained in her.
I want her to be literally a fanatic since this object is dangerous. Circe's will will be severely tested by using it because of Beelzebub's influence.
This object literally touches his law, it's inevitable that Beelzebub will be able to sense Circe in the future and possibly take an interest in her.
"Young master, it's time for your morning training," Vivianne calls me.
Despite her remarkable evolution to a rank 2 acolyte at a young age and a great knight, she still treats me with respect in public and as a protective sister in private.
"There's no one around, Vivianne, you can stop playing the servant," I smile at her as I approach.
"I know, but I notice that you like this treatment from me," she gave me a teasing smile before accompanying me to the training ground.
I'm currently a simple preparatory knight and my physique isn't the best among them, but no one is better than me with the pure sword.
Bradley has often complimented me on this, he even told me once that I should consider the path of a knight if that of a magus is inaccessible. Of course, he quickly apologized for this mistake.
I'm literally the child of a magus, there are clans and organizations founded with just a single rank 1 magus at their head. It would be humiliating for Kroft if his child didn't try to be a magus too.
"Young master!" Grimm called me casually before approaching me with a wide smile.
If Vivianne is a person ready to do anything to satisfy and help her "brother", then Grimm is literally the reliable "friend" I can count on.
He always does his best for me but unlike Vivianne and Circe, he has a certain independence and he often opposes me during the execution of my plans to share his opinion.
To put it simply, if Circe and Vivianne put my will at the top of everything, then Grimm will oppose me if he judges that my will could cause harm to me or to Circe and Vivianne.
I don't know if he's a success or a failure but I need his talent for now and if I judge that he could cause trouble, then he'll end up as a sacrifice for a high-ranking demon of Baalor or for a reasonable rank 8 being.
"I see you're in good shape, want to play?" I took a training sword before testing it a bit to get an idea of its balance.
"Always ready for a sparring with you, young master," he was all smiles until now but once on the field, he lost his jovial smile and took on a serious look.
Like all my 3 servants except for Circe, he's a rank 2 acolyte and a great knight. Despite his 12 years, Grimm had an incredibly strong physique and with my immature 4-year-old body, I have no chance of winning in a fight.
Fortunately for me, our duel is just pure swordsmanship.
*Bing* The sounds of swords resonate in the training ground.
Despite my small size in front of Grimm, I deflect and dodge his attacks. I could feel the vital energy flowing in him and I use this to predict his attacks, there's also the factor that he uses the sword style of the Farlier family and that of Bradley.
We continued to exchange for 1 hour before my body reached its limits and I fell to the ground.
*Clap* Sounds of applause.
"As expected of young master Merlin," Circe came with a towel to wipe the sweat and dust off me.
"I lost," I said in a falsely sad tone.
"Don't worry, I'll avenge you," Vivianne in training outfit entered the field before giving me a little wink.
I just smiled in response. In the end, Grimm suffered a crushing defeat and it seems that Vivianne didn't appreciate that I lost since she injured Grimm at every opportunity during their sparring.
After a few additional hours on the training ground, I returned to the manor to take a shower and I called all the others.
"I'll get straight to the point, I'm broke," I say this with a serious face.
They looked surprised, do they think raising a magus is easy?
I manage to accelerate their growth thanks to various tricks that Leylin took knowledge of in the sky city. I also wanted to create potions but it would be embarrassing for several reasons and my lack of spiritual energy is too much of a flaw.
"If you called us, it's because you have an idea, right?" Vivianne took the lead.
She really knows me well, this little one.
"Yes, I have a way for us to get money to help you get rank 0 spells."
I would have liked to give them some but it would just be too suspicious.
I slightly trust Kroft but I don't trust the Leslie family behind Kroft.
If they discover that I've given spells to acolytes, it will be embarrassing. I prefer to make transactions with them and have Vivianne regularly seen buying various things to cover my tracks.
This will slightly slow down their progression but it's necessary and anyway they have to face the outside worlds sooner or later.
I start explaining to the trio the tasks they will now get, they will officially be wandering acolytes and will do mercenary work for the Leslie family.
This way, they can earn magic crystals and make some transactions with the Leslie family.
This can justify the origin of the rank 0 spells that I will provide them when Kroft or a third party seeks information.
"So, are you ready to become mercenaries?" I said this with a smile slowly forming on my face.
It's really a shame that the paths of a beast Spirit master are not suitable for the southern continent, powerful creatures are rare.
"Why this question Merlin? You know the answer," Grimm smiled kindly at me before the others nodded towards me.
I nodded before making a childish smile in front of them as usual when we are in private.
...
Amber's (Willow's) POV
It's been a few months since dad lost mother because of the crown he brought back.
He and I were like locked in our own world for different reasons during this period.
Personally, I was seeking to maximize my training as a knight but also as a magus in order to help him quickly.
On the other hand, father was throwing himself heart and soul into research related to supernatural objects but also his work, it seems he wanted to drown his grief and madness by keeping his mind occupied.
Yes, I did say madness. This crown that my father has in his possession is slowly but surely driving him to madness.
Although I'm currently 3 years old, I've been able to have a physique solid enough to start using my advanced meditation method.
This has allowed me to see more correctly how this object influences father's mind and slowly but surely makes him addicted to it.
"If only I could simply destroy it but the situation isn't that simple." The object literally has a link with father's mind and soul.
They are currently one, it would take master to be here to study his case and possibly break their bond.
"The other option is to increase my understanding of the soul but it's a distant field for me and even in my lifetime in the Boiling Isles I couldn't really progress in this field."
It just made me understand how incredible Leylin Blight was, I was really blessed to have met him.
Apart from slow but sure progress as a future magus, I've also read and studied the book I stole from Simon.
Thanks to it, I've been able to learn enormously about this dimension where I found myself after my death in my library.
I've also learned about other existing dimensions extremely close to this one, a case similar to the Boiling Isles and Earth.
An example is "The Nightosphere" which is the equivalent of a hell, I'm extremely interested in taking a tour there to collect souls to advance my path as a spirit beast master.
Last time, I couldn't evolve to a rank 1 spirit beast master because of the lack of sufficiently powerful creatures.
If I had succeeded then maybe...
No I must stop thinking about my incompetence on the Boiling Isles, I should just focus on the present.
"I must also worry about this war between humans," I could only sigh at this bad joke.
Not only did I have to quickly become powerful to reach rank 4 to increase my understanding of the soul and try to break the link between Simon and this crown, but in addition, I have to worry about surviving this extreme and close situation.
I wouldn't worry if it was a banal war between countries but it's a world war.
Civilians like father and I will inevitably be affected and I also worry about mother who is somewhere out there.
"What should I do Leylin? Should I focus solely on strength as before my death or should I try to give the weaker ones a chance again?"
I knew I would have no answer but I couldn't help relying on this reliable person.