Aisha took a deep breath, her bright green eyes sparkling with excitement. She spread her arms theatrically and, with contagious enthusiasm, repeated the chant aloud:
"Let the great protection of water be on the place thou seekest. I call a refreshing burbling stream here and now. Water Ball!"
In front of her, a small sphere of water floated in the air, spinning gently before falling to the ground.
The little girl's eyes widened with pure joy."I did it! I did it!"
Aisha clapped her little hands together, bouncing on Lilia's lap, who was still frozen in shock.
Ghislaine, who had been watching everything, frowned, clearly impressed.
"She is really talented... I still haven't managed to cast the Water Ball spell." Her voice was serious, without a trace of jest.
Rygar was at a loss. "As I said, Ghislaine, it's easier to learn when you're young."
Lilia's eyes widened as she stammered. "She... she really did it...?"
Rygar glanced at Eris, expecting her to be irritated by the little girl's magic display, but to his surprise, the redhead crossed her arms with a proud air and smiled.
"Hmph! I already managed to cast a Water Ball last week!"
Rygar blinked, surprised by her reaction, then burst into laughter. He leaned forward, clutching his stomach from laughing so hard.
Eris frowned, blushing slightly. "W-what?! You always tell me that my talent is in swordsmanship! So it's fine, right?!" Her voice was firm, but the hesitation in the last sentence made it sound more like a question than a statement.
Rygar wiped away a tear of amusement before smiling at her. "No, Eris, it's fine. Everyone has their own talents. In the end, effort is what matters most."
Aisha, still beaming, grabbed Eris' hands and exclaimed, "Yes! Big sister is amazing!"
Eris' face turned as red as her hair. A shy smile appeared on her lips before she huffed, turning away abruptly.
"Hmph! I'm going to train!" And without waiting for anything else, she jumped off the wagon to practice, leaving everyone behind.
Eidar, who had only been observing until then, calmly wiped the blade of his sword. "But this little girl's talent is truly shocking." He looked at Rygar with a teasing smile.
"She might be as talented as you, Rygar, or even more. I remember you casting your first spell at three years old, right? Who would have thought... the leader of the Iron Legion losing to a little girl. Aisha has already surpassed you in that."
Rygar narrowed his eyes and raised his hand as if preparing to cast a spell.
"What?!" Eidar tried to get up and jump out of the wagon, but he wasn't fast enough.
"Sonic Explosion."
BOOOOM!
A shockwave of air blasted over him, sending him flying out of the wagon in an awkward arc.
Eidar screamed before landing on the road, rolling several times before finally stopping.
Aisha laughed, amused.
Geese, who was at the front of the wagon, guiding the horses and analyzing the map, didn't even look up. "We'll arrive at West Port in two or three weeks."
Rygar chuckled, unfazed by Eidar's groans in the background. "Okay, Geese."
Eidar ran back and climbed into the wagon again.
Rygar then turned his attention back to Aisha, who was still glowing with her accomplishment.
"You think that was impressive? Aisha, now try to replicate the feeling you had while saying the words, but without chanting."
Aisha tilted her head, confused. "But don't spells need chanting?"
Rygar smiled. "Not for those who are talented. Try it."
"Okaaay..."
The little girl closed her eyes, furrowing her brows in concentration. She held her tiny hands in front of her body and held her breath. Her cheeks puffed out, making her look adorably cute. However, as she strained, her face started turning red, as if she were about to explode.
Lilia and Eidar watched intently. The tension grew.
Suddenly, a water ball emerged before her, spinning in the air.
Eidar and Lilia exclaimed at the same time, "What?!"
Rygar simply smiled as Aisha opened her eyes, blinking a few times before realizing she had cast the magic without words.
"Uwaaaah! I did it again!" She clapped her hands, laughing excitedly, but soon felt dizzy and collapsed into Lilia's lap.
"Don't worry, it's just slight mana exhaustion," Rygar leaned back slightly in the wagon, his eyes gleaming with deep thought before saying to Lilia:
"Honestly, I'm also interested in recruiting Aisha's brother. Rudeus, right? He's only eight years old?"
Lilia nodded, still shocked, folding her hands in her lap.
"That's right. But he's very intelligent and mature for his age. He's always been impressive.
"Rygar smiled slightly, reflecting on her words.
"Just like Aisha."
Lilia hesitated for a moment before responding, her expression becoming a bit more serious.
"I know you want Aisha to be your disciple, but Rudeus was the reason Aisha and I survived. We owe him."
Rygar raised an eyebrow, his gaze fixed on her.
"And didn't I just 'save' you in the same way?" he questioned, his voice calm but sharp.
"Besides, from what you, Ghislaine, and Geese told me about Zenith, she would never have left you in this situation. And Paul, as much of an idiot as he is, wouldn't have let you go through this if he could help it. So while Rudeus played a role, he wasn't essential."
Lilia remained silent, her eyes shifting slightly.
"Know that I don't want Aisha as my disciple to 'repay a debt.' I want her because I recognize her talent."
He looked at the little girl, sleeping peacefully beside him. "And I believe that with my guidance, she can reach unimaginable heights. If she joins the Legion, her family will naturally be protected as well. And you know our organization already has a group dedicated to searching for those who went missing in the teleportation incident."
Lilia bit her lower lip slightly, lost in thought. She knew Rygar wasn't lying, but the idea of giving up the future she had planned for Aisha was still difficult to fully accept.
Before she could respond, Eris' bold voice broke the silence.
"Rygar! Let's train!"
He smiled, standing up without hesitation. Before leaving, he looked at Lilia once more and said:
"You still don't fully understand her talent. In fact, neither do I."
Lilia remained seated, watching him walk away with Eris. Geese, who had been silently listening to the conversation, scratched his chin and commented:
"He's not wrong, you know. Aisha deserves more than living as someone's servant with such talent."
Lilia sighed but didn't respond.
Meanwhile, Rygar and Eris headed to the improvised training field. Eidar joined them, spinning his sword between his fingers with a challenging smile.
"Let's see if we can hit you today, boss."
Rygar just smiled. The training began quickly and intensely. Eris attacked ferociously, her aggressive Sword God style being refined with each strike.
Eris's only goal in recent months was to catch up to Rygar and Eidar and reach the Saint level. She never said it aloud, but she watched everyone carefully, and even without words, Rygar could tell she sometimes felt useless.
With Rygar constantly telling her she had talent with the sword, she decided she would prove herself worthy of it. With the dedication she had been showing lately, Rygar and Ghislaine estimated she could reach that level in two or three years.
Eidar, on the other hand, was already an experienced warrior, but now he was delving even deeper into the "Flow," perfecting his movements. However, if he truly wanted to advance to the King level, he would have to learn one of the secret techniques at the Water God Style dojo.
The sound of clashing swords echoed across the plains of Milis. The pace was frantic, each strike filled with intensity and precision. The wind cut through their movements, and the gleam of their blades reflected the setting sun.
One day, Rygar suggested training non-stop during the journey, and it became somewhat of a tradition to train while following the carriage's movement. It was much more exhausting, but in Rygar's opinion, it helped them adapt to the environment rather than focusing solely on the enemy in front of them.
Eris attacked relentlessly, sweat dripping from her forehead, her eyes shining with fierce determination. Rygar dodged and blocked her blows efficiently, never underestimating her, never allowing her to land a hit easily. Eidar joined the fight, adding a new dynamic and forcing Rygar to be even more attentive.
The training lasted for hours, ending only when night began to fall. Eris collapsed onto the grass, panting but smiling.
As he looked at the carriage, Rygar was lost in thought.
Rygar knew he needed to change Lilia's mindset about Aisha's future. The woman still saw her daughter as Rudeus's future servant, but he couldn't accept such a waste. The girl was intelligent, charismatic, active, and had a natural talent that couldn't be ignored. So, he began subtly planting the seed of doubt in Lilia's mind. Over time, she started reflecting on Aisha's possibilities, which was already progress.
Geese was preparing food again and called them to eat.
As they talked, Lilia mentioned her former position as a servant of Princess Ariel Anemoi Asura. With a neutral expression but eyes filled with memories, she recounted an incident that had marked her forever.
"To protect the princess, I blocked an assassin's dagger with my leg. The poison seeped deep into my bones, and no matter how much they tried to treat me, a full cure required a King-level healing spell. Something completely out of my reach. My career as a swordswoman ended there. In fact, I was lucky to be merely dismissed and not 'discarded,' considering the situation within the Asuran royal palace."
Rygar frowned. "A King-level healing spell... or a detoxification spell specific to that poison. Either of those would work, right?"
Lilia nodded. "Yes, but both the detoxification spell and the King-level healing spell are monopolized by Milis. The doctors in the capital claimed they didn't know how to use them."
"So, do you know what poison it was?"
"Yes, the doctors told me when they explained why they couldn't cure me."
Rygar quickly wrote a list on a piece of paper. "These are the detoxification spells I currently know. Is any of them the one you need?"
Lilia took the paper, surprised, murmuring, "Of course you'd know detoxification spells..."
She scanned the list one by one until her eyes widened as she spotted a familiar name.
With a slightly trembling finger, she pointed at one. "This one. This spell can neutralize the poison... but how do you know it?"
Rygar smirked. "Let's just say I've had some conflicts with Milis. This is part of the spoils of war. So… can I try?"
Eidar, who was writing a letter, raised an eyebrow. "Have you used this spell before?"
Rygar crossed his arms. "Not on a person, but I have tested it. It should work."
Geese, who was analyzing a map, glanced at him with an amused expression. "Boss, you're confident in this, huh?"
Rygar chuckled. "Worst case scenario, I can always make her leg grow back, right?"
The joke made Geese shudder. "Urgh… I'd rather not imagine that."
Lilia remained silent for a moment, pondering. Her gaze fell on Aisha, who was sleeping peacefully nearby, and then she took a deep breath, making up her mind.
Moving carefully, she shifted her daughter aside and slightly lifted her dress, revealing her smooth, well-shaped leg.
Rygar blinked, caught off guard for a moment, his mind briefly clouded. 'What was that?' A strange thought crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it and focused on the task.
He placed his hand on Lilia's leg and closed his eyes, channeling his magic. Energy flowed from his palms, enveloping her skin in a soft glow. Seconds later, Lilia felt an intense pain radiate from her leg. The discomfort was almost unbearable, and she let out small whimpers of pain but remained firm.
A dark smoke began to rise from her leg and dissipate into the air. Rygar frowned.
"The poison is deeply embedded in your bones. I managed to remove most of it now, but to ensure it doesn't return, I'll need to repeat this process once a day until it's fully extracted."
Lilia was sweating and breathless, but she felt something different. Geese looked at her curiously and commented, "Your leg… looks better?"
Cautiously, Lilia moved her foot and stepped on the ground. The pain was still there but was incredibly less intense than before. Surprised, she tested the movement a few more times. "The pain… it's almost gone. I still feel a little, but it's barely noticeable compared to before."
Rygar simply nodded, satisfied with the result. "This is just the beginning. We'll continue the treatment until the poison is completely gone."
Lilia looked at him with an unreadable expression. For the first time in a long while, a spark of hope shone in her eyes. She pressed her lips together, holding back her emotions, but her heart was overflowing with gratitude.Perhaps, just perhaps, her future wasn't as sealed as she once thought.
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