Strength: 10 → H116 | Endurance: 10 → H121 | Dexterity: 10 → H189 | Agility: 10 → H198 | Magic: 10 → D588
"Training alongside Tiona and Tione in live combat… my own growth isn't any slower than when I was Level 1."
Strength and Endurance hadn't risen much—he hadn't focused on direct clashes. But Dexterity and Agility had climbed sharply, likely from all the running and repositioning.
Loki could more or less picture how Tsunayoshi had been putting the sisters through their paces. This "accompaniment," this private coaching—was even more lavish than she'd imagined.
"Ais is going to be so jealous her eyes turn green," she thought with a crooked smile.
As for Tsunayoshi himself, even acting as a sparring partner wasn't hindering his development. If anything, Loki felt he was actually tamping down his own growth rate on purpose.
She understood why. Without the proper feat, even maxed parameters couldn't push you to the next level. Better to cultivate steadily, to let growth settle layer by layer until the moment was right.
"Handle your pace yourself," Loki said.
"You're not like the others. They can't all push every parameter beyond their limits like you can."
She had zero worries about his growth. His Level 1 phase alone had told her enough; there was no point fretting further. All she needed to do was nudge him at key junctures so his arc stayed clean and stable.
"Loki, you're almost too confident in me," he said.
"What do you think?" She gave his back a light pat to signal he could put his shirt on. He dressed, and when he turned, Loki patted the mattress beside her. He sat; she promptly pillowed her head on his lap.
"You make it easy to be confident."
"You're wary of everything—and even Finn can't match you there. And despite the power you're hiding, you don't let it cloud your judgment."
"Back when Finn, Gareth, and Riveria started out together, their antics could get pretty reckless. You, though—special power and all—are still more cautious than even I am."
In Orario right now, that caution mattered. It didn't just mislead the resident gods; it also misdirected the covens lurking in the dark.
"The familia's direction is covert," Loki went on. "We've made your power public in-house so every child understands it exists. That same power gave them hope, so they're choosing to understate their own true strength—part to help conceal you, part to protect their hope.
"Compared to emotional bonds, tangible interests hit faster and stick better for most kids."
Tsunayoshi chuckled.
"So we're calling them pragmatic."
"It's not an insult. In this city, a little self-interest keeps you alive. And they're my kids. You want me to have them hand their hard-won hope to the whole city?" She snorted. "Any god would tuck away a boon like yours rather than parade it around."
She didn't care about the label. Her children needed to mind their house first. As long as they weren't out there grinding down ordinary folk, she had no problem with them keeping sharp elbows.
"Good. I thought you meant their pragmatism was a problem," he said.
"You overthink." She shot him a glare. "They're not ruining our reputation, not skimming in crooked ways—just keeping a family secret so it pays bigger later. And it started with you. Any complaints?"
"None."
Why would he object to the familia helping him keep a secret? As Loki said, he was the one who set the tone. Of course he wanted them to grow into careful 'old foxes.' Some things should be held back.
"You don't mind, the main god doesn't mind—then it's settled," Loki said, brushing past the question entirely.
"About the Dying Will Circuits," she added. "That's the power Tiona and Tione pulled from you."
"Not magic?"
"No. Because they gained it through you. They didn't awaken it on their own. That's why it sits under Skills, not Magic—and why it's named 'Dying Will Circuits,' not your 'Dying Will Flames.'
"The root is in you; what they hold is a portion of that root."
"In essence, though, it works the same."
Origin and branch—that was the difference. The origin expressed as magic; the portioned-out branches manifested as a skill. The branch carried the nature of the source, but unlike the source, it couldn't be split again.
Loki actually preferred it that way. It all but guaranteed Tsunayoshi would only diffuse this power inside the familia.
"So—who's next?" she asked, eyes glittering. "And are you planning to teach it to everyone you 'approve' of?"
(End of Chapter)
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