With two hours to kill, Adam returned to his room, where he found Quintella conquering more numbers with her shiny quill. Chuckling, he shared with her the good news—he'd replace Grimhilde in training her.
She jumped on her chair, arms raised, but he cut through her delighted triumph with the voice of someone who trusted his sister yet knew children often took risks too lightly.
"I need you to give your all during my training, you understand? It won't be easy for any of us. Trust me, I don't want to see you struggling, but you must learn how to defend yourself."
Quintella nodded, her pink eyes sparkling. "If you're training me, I'm sure to become the strongest!" She clenched her fist in front of the grin broadening across her face. "Count on me, big brother! Grimhilde won't win this bet—I won't stain your reputation."
