Ais wakes up before dawn like usual, and made her way to the training area. She stood at the center of the area, her smooth, silky blonde hair fluttering in the wind.
She unsheathed her rapier and slashed diagonally, then made a horizontal strike and connected it with a thrust.
That was her usual way to train, at least before Arin joined their familia and they started to train together on the outer walls.
And that became her new normal. Ais had gotten so used to sparring with Arin on the outer walls that even when his punishment was decided, on the first day of punishment, Ais unconsciously made her way to the outer walls only to realize halfway through that they can't train together until his punishment time was over.
She doesn't understand how they can be so cruel. When his punishment was decided, she wanted to complain that it was just too cruel, or rather, she did complain to Riveira. But after Riveria asked her if she was fine seeing Arin jumping into danger alone again?
To which Ais could only shake her head, seeing Arin's behaviour at that time, she somewhat understood how others felt when she used to put herself in danger just to get stronger.
Punishment is necessary. Just like how Riveria punishes me when I overdo it. But… She stopped her blade in mid-air, remembering how Arin did not let her know of his plans and didn't ask for her help.
At least, Arin should have invited me. Ais thought, as the chibi Ais also nodded her head, her hands folded together.
She thought as she continued her training, but even though she was swinging her sword for a long while now, she did not feel any kind of fulfilment; she felt it when she and Arin sparred together on the usual basis.
Thankfully, Arin's punishment will be over tomorrow. She thought a kind of vigor was coming back in her swings. As the chibi Ais also floated here and there in excitement.
She kept doing her training and only stopped when she saw the sun rising. Ais put her sword back into her sheath, and walked back into the tower, making her way to the bath area, to cleanse herself of all the sweat.
Then we can train together again.
She remembered the usual sparring that they do every morning, and thinking about that, a memory was jolted in her head, about how, when she found out that Arin was training with Ryuu and that far eastern beauty, she felt a little Jealous and afraid.
Jealous because she was no longer the only one teaching him how to fight, and afraid that Arin would no longer need her to train.
And she ended up asking Arin the same thing, to which he replied that He needed Ais not because she was strong, but because of who she was.
Ais didn't understand it completely, but those words put her mind and heart at ease.
Besides, Ryuu is teaching him how to use a bow, while that far eastern beauty was helping him improve his Iai move, and I don't know how to use either of those.
She reminisces on the past, and how she found a good friend in Astraea familia, someone outside of her own familia.
And that someone is Ryuu, the other member of Astraea familia also treats her well, like Alise, but if asked who she was closest to in that familia, Ais will, without a doubt, say Ryuu's name.
Because of Arin, I made some good friends other than Tiona, Tione, and Lefiya.
She kept practicing for a while until finally she was done.
After that, she made her way to the cafeteria to get her breakfast.
"Ais!!!" She first heard someone call her name, and then she felt herself being wrapped in a bear hug by a girl with brown skin.
"Good morning, Ais." Another woman with similar skin color to the first one greeted her and took a seat across from her.
"Good morning, Ais-san." A third voice called out. This one was from an elf with golden yellow hair, as she also took a seat on the right side of Ais.
"Good morning." Ais greeted back, still held in Tiona's arms.
"Tiona, it's enough now, get away from Ais because if you keep sticking to her like that, she won't be able to eat." Tione reprimanded her little sister.
"Yesss… Sorry, Ais." Tiona reluctantly released Ais and apologized.
"No, it's fine." Ais was long used to Tiona hugging her like that; she no longer minded it.
"Ais-san, do you want to go on patrol together after breakfast?" With Arin no longer in the picture for a while, Lefiya sees that as her chance and asks Ais, as they have been patrolling together for a few days now.
"Sur–" Ais' words were cut short by Tione.
"Ah. I forgot to mention Lefiya, but Lady Riveria asked you to be present in the library, something about teaching an important theory or something today."
Hearing that Lefiya's face clearly fell, she wanted to spend more time with Ais, but going against her magic teacher, much less a High elf royalty, was not something Lefiya could do. So she could only answer with a..
"Yes, I understand," she said, her voice so small that it was hard to hear for anyone. After that, she looked at ais. "Sorry, Ais-san, I won't be able to come with you."
"No, it's fine, Lefiya," Ais replied with a bright smile, which was rare for her. The other took notice of that as well, as Tiona asked.
"Ais, you seem in a good mood, something happened?"
"Is it because you will be able to talk with Arin soon?" Tione, being sharper in that situation, asked her.
"Yes," Ais replied with a short answer and started eating her food in a good mood. The chibi Ais was also bubbling with energy. Though Lefiya was not happy with that answer but she couldn't say anything about it.
"That's good, you looked really down for the past few days," Tiona said, gulping her food.
"From tomorrow onwards, I can train together with Arin again." Unusually for Ais, she explained further. But her explanation made others arch a brow.
"Ais, I think you misunderstand something. Arin's punishment will be over the day after tomorrow, not tomorrow."
Clang….!
The spoon that Ais was holding slipped from her hands, as she froze along with the chibi Ais.
She crooked her neck robotically towards Tione. "B-B-But, it was for seven days, right?" She asked.
'Yeah, and that will be the day after tomorrow." Tione simply explained again.
"B-But the punishment started on that night, right? That means that was the first day. They clearly said from 'now on'." She again asked her doubt.
"Ummm… Ais, that's not how it works, even I can understand that much." Tiona said from the side.
Ais stood up from her chair and started walking, her head lowered. The chibi Ais floated with her in the same posture.
"Ais-san! Where are you going?!" She heard Lefiya's voice from behind her.
"Patrol." She said and walked away. From then on, Ais did everything on autopilot, while muttering "Liar Liar" under her breath, until the night arrived and she approached Loki's office to get her status updated.
And even when her status was being updated, she kept muttering.
"Liar, Liar, Liar, Liar."
"Like I said, I am not a liar! You just interpreted the words to your own convenience!" Even Loki did not like being called a liar without any reason. And she was so annoyed that she even forgot to touch Ais like a gentleman.
"Anyway, here is your status."
Hearing that, Ais stopped speaking and grabbed the status sheet.
____________________________________________________________________________
STATUS
Lv. 5
STRENGTH G247
DEFENSE H153
DEXTERITY F346
AGILITY F303
MAGIC G202
HUNTER E
ABNORMAL RESISTANCE F
SWORDMAN I
MAGIC
AIRIEL
Magical Endowment (Enchantment).
Wind Element.
Chant: Awaken, tempest
SKILL
AVENGER
Increase all stats against monsters.
Stats increase with hatred towards monsters.
____________________________________________________________________________
Looking at her steady increase in strength, Ais finally calmed down. While Loki could only sigh, looking at the smile on Ais's face. Knowing the reason for her steady gains in her stats.
Ais was smiling, but the next moment her small smile was gone and replaced with confusion.
"But why are they growing so much?" As the words left Ais' mouth, Loki could feel herself sweating like a pig.
"Th-that's must be because you were fighting stronger opponents recently, you know, first that Gorran guy and then the Evilius incident and then your fight with Delphine! And after that, taking care of the remnant of Evilius! Of course, you will grow strong at that speed!"
Loki spoke so fast that she even forgot to breathe properly.
Ais was silent, still staring at her stats, then at Loki, and then back at her stats. The Chibi Ais followed her movement.
Loki watched Ais with bated breath.
Until finally…
"You are right, Loki, that must be the reason," Ais said, and again looked at her stats.
"Does that mean I won't grow stronger like that anymore?" She asked her patron goddess, her face downcast, chibi Ais trying to console her.
Being stronger was one of her main goals. Because the being she intends to fight was not an easy Target.
With her current strength, she won't even last 5 seconds against that monster.
Loki hesitated, but looking at Ais's sad face, she decided to speak up. "I don't think you need to worry about it, Ais. I am pretty sure you will grow just as fast, if not more."
"Really?" Ais looked at Loki's face and questioned.
"Yeah, there is no point in lying to you, is there?"
Seeing her goddess, who usually behaves like a ruffian and drinks herself to sleep, trying to cheer her up brought a small smile to Ais's face.
"You are right, Loki. If you are lying, then I can just stab you." She spoke in a quiet voice.
"Wha! Ais-tan! Don't say things like that! I don't even know if you are joking or not!"
Ais looked at her goddess and thought.
Arin was right, Loki is uncultured.
"Why do I feel like you just mocked me? Anyway, get going now," said Loki, and picked up a bottle of alcohol.
Ais made her way back to her room and lay down on her bed, still thinking about her status and about her ultimate enemy.
She knew she alone couldn't win against that monster; she needed all the help she could.
But she didn't want to put the people she came to care for, like a family, in danger either. But she knew that if they came to know about her goal, they would definitely fight by her side. She didn't know what decision Finn would make.
But she knew at least, Riveria and Arin would be there for her and fight alongside her. Since Riveria cares so much about her, she will never let her go alone to fight that monster. While Arin had already declared that he would defeat that Black Dragon.
While she was thinking about that, another question came to her mind.
But Arin didn't even know anything about my past. I want to tell him about it, though. I want him to know about me.
And I want to know everything about him as well.
Why do I feel that way?
She thought deeply but was not able to come up with an answer. Seeing her feelings troubled, Chibi Ais could only shake her head.
I will just ask Riveria about it tomorrow.
Ais did not stop to think for a moment, why would she ask Riveria about it when the concerned party is Arin himself?
Chibi Ais could only sigh at her.