Chapter 106 Who can be relied upon at critical moments
Aaron looked at the silver armor that stopped in front of him, his mouth agape in surprise.
Gines saw Aaron's stunned gaze and said lightly, "Transfiguration? Your subordinate knows a little."
"This, this, this is too smooth."
"To avoid suspicion, it will be your opponent, Young Master.
This armor won't care about faces. In other words, it won't hold back."
Aaron's expression changed slightly, and the hand holding his sword trembled involuntarily.
Is it really appropriate to play this trick on a beginner?
Shouldn't an opponent like this be arranged for me after I've mastered certain skills?
"Young Master, don't worry. Its attack skills are average, and its movements are not as flexible as a real person's.
So, defeating it is not that difficult."
"That's not important. What's important is that if I'm not careful, I might be seriously injured.
Didn't you think about that?"
Gines raised an eyebrow, "This armor has no weapons in its hands..."
"This is enchanted armor! Its fists are probably no worse than swords!"
"Just dodge it, right?"
Aaron's mouth twitched, "But what if I don't dodge it?"
"There's no 'what if.' I have confidence in you, Young Master.
Besides, even if something unexpected happens, there are high-quality healing Potions in the treasury that can help you recover from your injuries in the shortest possible time."
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Aaron clapped his hands and exclaimed, "I give this arrangement full marks.
This must be my dad's idea. Even a tiger doesn't eat its cubs, but he's really willing to be so harsh on me!"
"The Family Head also has good intentions," Ginesexplained with a wry smile. "Young Master, you are Gaius's next successor, and you became an Advanced Magicianbefore the age of twelve.
This is a threshold, but since you, Young Master, have crossed this threshold, your future will have to bear more than others.
This is a rule set by the first patriarch. I'm not entirely clear on the specifics, but the Family Head will tell you sooner or later.
In three generations, only you, Young Master, have met this condition. You could say you are Gaius's hope for a century.
Because of this, your training has to be a little stricter."
Hearing this, Aaron was stunned, his brows furrowing unconsciously.
He had been trying his best to hide his talents, but he didn't expect that he hadn't hidden them deeply enough, and he certainly didn't expect that he would inexplicably have such a heavy burden placed upon him.
Although he didn't know what it was, he knew there was no escaping it.
This was equivalent to an ancestral rule; his small frame simply couldn't defy these millennia-old regulations.
The hope of the entire family for a century—that title wasn't so easy to bear.
"Tell me, how much do you know about this ancestral rule?"
"A little."
"Speak."
Gines shook his head, "It's not time for you to know yet."
"Heh!" Aaron sneered, "You are the butler, and I am the Young Master. You should be clear on that point."
"Young Master, please don't make it difficult for me," Ginessaid with a bitter smile. "I've signed a contract. Unless you advance further to the level of a Magician, I must keep the secrets I know."
Aaron rolled his eyes helplessly, feeling speechless in his mind.
This was truly watertight! Unless he exposed his true strength now, he could only suppress his curiosity.
But could he expose himself? Not even if he died!
Just being an Advanced Magician made him the hope of the entire family. What would happen if he were a Magician?
Whoosh!
Aaron took several deep breaths, steadying his emotions slightly.
"From now on, I won't ask what I shouldn't.
It's not because I'm considerate of you, but because I know it's pointless to ask."
Gines agreed wholeheartedly. 'It's good that you know, it saves me from explaining.'
"But for my first training session, giving me this is a bit too cruel, isn't it?"
"Suffer more now, and you'll suffer less later," Gines said earnestly. "Those who aren't hurt don't know pain. Getting hit is a necessary lesson in life. Remembering this feeling is much, much more effective than simple training."
"You're right, I can't argue with you, okay!" Aaron rolled his eyes, then seriously picked up his sword and moved a few meters away from the armor. "Come on!"
"Wait!" Gines hastily cast a Shield Charm on Aaron. "This is a moderately difficult defensive spell. It can greatly reduce the damage you take. If you, Young Master, want to learn it, I can teach you."
Aaron:... "No, no need.
Swordsmanship is the main course for this holiday. Let's get started quickly!"
"Alright." Gines snapped his fingers, and a streak of light flashed across the armor, re-energizing it.
The next second, the silver armor burst forth with astonishing speed, its clenched fist smashing down.
Aaron's pupils contracted sharply. Without the slightest hesitation, he leaped backward with all his might.
Bang!
A clear fist-print appeared on the floor, with spiderweb-like cracks visible around its edges.
Aaron couldn't help but swallow. As expected of magicarmor, wearing it might even allow one to spar with a Troll.
Missing its first strike, the silver armor did not pause. It raised its fist and attacked again, targeting Aaron's chest this time.
Aaron raised his sword to block, and a few sparks flew at the point of impact.
But the armor's strength still pushed him back several steps, and his longsword almost slipped from his grasp.
Just as he hadn't yet regained his footing, a silver fist suddenly appeared before his eyes. Its force was slightly less, but its speed was much faster, even producing a sonic boom.
"My life is over."
Aaron closed his eyes in despair. He knew the power of that punch all too well, and he didn't think his head was harder than the floor.
The image of a watermelon falling from a rooftop and being smashed Diffindo appeared in his mind. At that moment, he clearly felt death so close to him.
However, a second later, he felt no pain.
He thought Gines had intervened in time, but when he opened his eyes, a three-meter-tall white Dragon was standing in front of him, blocking the punch for him.
Abey looked down at the silver armor, exhaling white, thick breaths from its nostrils.
Its pupils were full of disdain, mixed with intense fury.
To bully its master right in front of it, and dare to strike so heavily.
This was truly unbearable, truly unbearable, truly unbearable for a Dragon.
Abey raised its white right claw and slammed it down fiercely. The silver armor instantly went Diffindo, reverting to its pre-Transfiguration form.
But it didn't stop. It continued to slam down, claw after claw. After more than a dozen strikes, these silver components were embedded in the ground, and then a Dragon Languagebreath swept the area.
The scorching flames spread across the ground like a tide, burning the armor and shattered stones to a glowing red, which barely appeased its fury.
"Abey!"
Aaron was moved to tears, then contemptuously pouted at the dumbfounded Gines.
At the critical moment, who was truly reliable? It was clear at a glance!
After dealing with the armor, Abey quickly shrank and pounced into Aaron's arms, doing its best to soothe its master's fragile mind.
Through the Dragon Language, he understood the concern, worry, and even a hint of fear in Abey's roars.
After all, this was its master's training. It couldn't help but intervene. What if the butler got angry? There might not even be an apple for breakfast anymore.
"Well done, brilliantly done," Aaron praised, patting its Dragon head. "Such commendable loyalty!
Forget about dieting. You've grown so big; what's wrong with eating a little more?
From now on, I'll decide: an extra roasted chicken with every meal, and plenty of meat."
Abey nodded repeatedly, its Dragon eyes narrowing into crescent shapes, happiness written all over its face.
"Young Master, this is, this isn't right!" Gines stammered, "Didn't Dumbledore say Abey was only about a meter tall now? How did it get so big?"
"Is it any of your business?
Maybe my family's Dragon was just anxious to protect its master and unleashed its potential!"
"This... this is truly incredible!" Gines exclaimed. "This kind of situation is very rare among magical creatures, but didn't it act a bit too ferociously?
The floor is fine, relatively speaking. Although severely damaged, it can be restored with a repair spell.
But that magic armor is different. It took a full combo from a Dragon and was torn to pieces. We'll have to ask a professional blacksmith to melt it down and remake it."
"Hmph!" Aaron snorted, "You have the nerve to say that? You know how dangerous that situation was just now. I almost died."
Gines:... "Not that bad, really not that bad.
Your subordinate knows his limits. Even if you took that hit, Young Master, your life wouldn't be in danger.
With the Shield Charm protecting you, at most, you'd get a black eye."
"Heh heh! Don't you hit someone, but not their face?"
Gines chuckled sheepishly, "You can't expect your future opponents to hold back.
Enemies are never merciful. Forget about hitting the face; as long as they can attack effectively, they'll often stop at nothing."