“Welcome to the Training Hall,” Kia announced as I stepped inside.

The room was so big, I didn’t know what to say. The floor was made of dark oak wood, and the walls were covered with every kind of weapon you could think of: swords, axes, maces, spears, bows, just to name a few. In the center of the room was a large, slightly raised platform with a yellowish tiled floor. Two sets of stairs led up to each end. At the far end of the room stood a group of what I guessed were training dummies. Kia had moved ahead of me and was now crouching in front of a wooden box.

“And why are we here exactly?”

“To train, of course.”

It took me a few seconds to process what she had just said.

“Pardon?”

“I will personally teach you the art of swordsmanship. Are you not excited?”

She then stood up and stretched her arm toward me. To my surprise, she gave me a wooden sword. I stared at it for a moment.

“Training? Me? I don’t know if…”

Kia noticed the hesitation in my voice.

“I am aware that it may come as a surprise, however, swordsmanship is one of the skills expected of those who serve our family.”

She paused and held the wooden sword out towards me.

“I promise, as long as you follow my instructions, you will become a fine swordsman.”

I reluctantly accepted the blade from her. Even though her encouragement felt nice to hear, I still couldn’t picture myself fighting with a sword. After watching Kia handle hers so well, I knew I couldn’t reach her level.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you. I just…”

I looked down at the sword in my hands.

“I have a hard time imagining myself actually being good at this.”

Maybe it was the gloomy look on my face, or the sad tone of my voice, but then Kia walked towards me and placed her hands on mine.

“Shako, every person has to begin somewhere. That you may not be good at it today does not mean you cannot become good at it tomorrow.”

She paused and added quirkily:

“Or what, did you think I was born good at this?”

“Well, it did look like that when you were fighting that Heldebeast.”

“Hey now.”

Kia let out a cute chuckle.

“Do you really think I can become good at this?”

“I promise you will.”

“Really?”

She took a step back and answered:

“On my title as Princess of Elysium, I promise you, Shako Ikitayashi, that I will make you the best swordsman that I can.”

Her confidence was so overwhelming that I couldn’t argue with her. I bowed deeply and said:

“Then I will put my care into your hands.”

“Oh! Before I forget it.”

She unsheathed the sword hanging at her side and held it.

“Yesterday, you asked me how I do this.”

Suddenly, her sword was covered in flames again. The colors were bright, and the heat felt intense.

“My Gift, Morning Glory, enables me to channel the accumulated energy within my body to enhance my physical capabilities and ignite objects.”

“Your Gift?”

“Yes. In short, a Gift is a power bestowed upon us during puberty. It grants us the ability to harness the forces of nature in different ways.”

[Morning Glory: The wielder harnesses accumulated internal energy to either enhance physical capabilities beyond typical human thresholds or project this energy outward to ignite nearby objects

. Tier: Level 4.]

“You mean like magic?”

Kia tilted her head, looking confused.

“I am afraid I do not know what this ‘magic’ you speak of is.”

“Right, I’m sorry.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Back in my world, there were tales of people who could do things like that. We called them wizards or witches. Usually, they did all sorts of crazy things, like shooting fireballs from their hands or calling down lightning.”

“I see,” said Kia, pausing to think about my explanation. “In that case, I suppose you could say they share a similarity.”

What she said caught my attention.

“So people here can actually do that?”

“Well, you just saw me set a sword on fire, did you not?”

“You’re right,” I responded awkwardly.

“Those who possess a Gift are called Wielders. Each realm has an affinity toward a particular element of nature, and that affinity influences the Gift its people acquire. Elysium’s affinity is Fire, hence why we are called Flame Wielders.”

“What other types of Wielders are there?”

“You have Storm Wielders, Flood Wielders, Gale Wielders, Frost Wielders, Earth Wielders, and Shadow Wielders.”

The more I learned, the more intrigued I became. Elemental powers, giant monsters, breathtaking scenery—was I sure I didn’t wake up in the world of an RPG? I swear, if next she tells me there is some kind of power system in this world and everyone can gain levels, I think we’re going to have a problem. Surely the one writing this script must have little originality by now, right?

“However, let us return to the reason we came here.”

Kia snapped me out of my thoughts and took me toward the court in the center of the room.

“Every swordsman must forge a bond with their blade. Hence, we will begin by honing your swing. First, put your dominant foot in front of your weak foot. Next, raise your arms and hold the sword right above your head. Finally, swing down.”

I followed Kia’s instructions and swung my blade.

“Brilliant! Now repeat that motion a hundred times.”

“A hundred times?!”

Kia nodded.

“Repetition is key to learning something. Or did you think you would master this on your first try?”

I shook my head and did as she told me to. I swung, and swung, and swung. I started losing the feeling in my arms, and my breathing became ragged as well. My body was covered in sweat, and it became more difficult to hold my sword. After I finished the exercise, I clasped my knees and gasped for air.

“Is everything alright?” Kia asked, slightly worried.

“Y-Yes. I’m… not used to… working out this much… is all.”

“Should we take a break?”

“J-Just give me five minutes, please.”

When those five minutes ended, Kia taught me other techniques, like blocking and parrying, and tips for positioning myself in a fight. And yes, I had to do all those a hundred times. Exhausted would be a kind way to describe how I felt after all that. As I gasped for air once more, Kia walked over and placed her hand on my shoulder.

“You did great.”

“T-Thanks. That is nice to hear.”

At that moment, the front door slid open, and Astress came in. She carried a metal tray with two sandwiches and two glasses of Ignis. We joined her at the bottom of the podium.

“Right on time,” Kia said jokingly.

“Your lunch, My Lady.”

Astress gave one sandwich and one glass to Kia, and the other two to me. She quickly took a big bite of her sandwich and washed it down with some Ignis.

“These sandwiches really hit the spot after a long training session.”

I followed her example and took a bite.

“You also asked for my assistance?”

“Yes.”

Kia looked over at me.

“I want to give our new servant here a demonstration.”

“Give the rookie a demonstration? With all due respect, My Lady, do you not think giving him a demonstration this early will be a bad idea?”

“I do not see what could be so bad about it. Who knows, he might pick up a thing or two from it.”

Astress sighed, sounding resigned.

“If you say so, My Lady.”

The two of them stepped onto the podium and took positions on opposite sides. Kia put away the wooden sword and held her golden—very real—sword, while Astress held… nothing?

“Hold on, you two! Isn’t this a bit unfair for Astress?”

I must have said something bad, because Astress immediately turned her head towards me and gave me a venomous stare.

“Please refrain from making such unfounded statements. Every servant of the Diablo family is trained to handle any threat, regardless of what weapon they wield. The very fact that you doubt my abilities is not only an insult to me, but to us servants as a whole.”

“Easy, Astress. Try to see it from his side; to him, this probably looks a little unfair.”

“Though I would love it if he could keep such things to himself. Us servants have our honor to maintain, after all.”

“I know.”

I had my doubts about whether this was a good idea. Despite their reassurance that they would both be safe, I struggled to accept it.

“Do not fret, Shako. Astress is a master at close-quarters combat. She will be perfectly capable of protecting herself against me.”

“That said, I never had the honor of battling Lady Kia before.”

Both took on an active stance.

“Are you ready, Astress?”

“But of course, My Lady.”

Kia began counting down. Each count felt like an hour. On three, she dashed towards Astress at immense speed. She moved so fast I could barely keep up. Kia swung her sword at Astress, but she ducked underneath it, as if she predicted her attack. She turned and swung her foot toward Kia’s face, but Kia managed to jump back just in time. Astress quickly steadied herself and threw a series of punches at Kia, who dodged every one. However, in the end, Astress threw a feint and managed to catch Kia off guard. Kia blocked Astress’s attack, but its sheer strength made her step back.

“Not bad,” she complimented Astress.

“I am honored to hear such kind words from you,” she replied.

“However, you will need more than that to best me.”

“I assure you, My Lady, I am still warming up.”

They then continued where they had left off. As the battle dragged on, the sounds of their attacks echoed through the training grounds. They refused to give each other even the slightest opening, ducking and evading attacks when they had to and launching only when the risk was low. Kia moved rapidly, yet Astress didn’t fall behind either. She perfectly adapted to Kia’s pace, matching her movements and attacks without hesitation. At one point, I almost forgot that they were only sparring. I became so enthralled by the way they fought that it was the only thing I could focus on.

“I am most certainly impressed. Only a handful of people have ever managed to survive this long against me.”

“I am most honored to hear that. However, I am simply doing my job as a servant of the Diablo family.”

Their faces were covered in sweat, and they were panting heavily. They had definitely given it their all, yet no winner was decided.

“It seems I have to go all out then,” Kia said, with a slight smirk on her face.

She closed her eyes and steadied her breath. Seconds later, bright orange flames covered her legs. Heat rose from where she stood, drying the air in the room. She held her sword firmly in front of her and took an offensive stance. Astress braced herself for what came next. Kia’s legs glowed brighter and radiated even more heat. She leaned forward and launched herself toward Astress. But all I saw was an orange blur. Before Astress could even react, Kia was already pressing her blade against the side of her neck.

“Checkmate,” she announced.

Astress looked surprised, but it quickly faded.

“Congratulations.”

Kia pulled back her blade and slid it into its sheath, letting out a tired sigh. What did I just see? Those flames and that speed—were they all part of her Gift? I already knew her Gift was strong, but watching her use it like this changed how I saw her. Wait, now that I think about it, did she purposefully hold back until now so Astress had a fighting chance? I guess it wouldn’t be much of a demonstration if she could end it whenever she wanted. Still, their fight was intense and thrilling to watch.

“My Lady, your arm!”

Kia had rolled up her sleeve and showed a big blue bruise on her arm. As I got closer, I noticed a slight swelling in that same area. The bone was clearly broken, but she seemed perfectly fine.

“Oh, this? It must have happened during our battle. Do not worry, it looks worse than it is.”

But when Astress took hold of it, Kia shrieked in pain.

“Do not lie to me! This is all my fault. If I had been more careful, this could have been avoided.”

“Astress, you are not responsible for this. I requested that you fight me, so if anyone is at fault here, it is me.”

Even so, Astress did not seem satisfied by her kind words. And I had a feeling she never would be. She was just too dedicated to her work as a maid to do that.

“Despite this, allow me to relieve you of your pain.”

She gripped Kia’s arm firmly and closed her eyes. As she moved her hand over the bruise, her hands started to glow a bright orange. A gentle warmth filled the room. I felt the tension fade from my body and all my worries disappear. Amazed, I watched the orange light around Kia’s arm become brighter and brighter. Gradually, the swelling went down, the discoloration vanished, and the bruised skin slowly returned to its normal color. In a short time, her arm had regained its correct shape.

“Wow! What was that?”

“I used my Gift, Spring’s Embrace, to heal My Lady’s wound.”

[Spring’s Embrace: The user illuminates their hands, emitting a warm and soothing heat. This heat, when channeled directly onto a specific spot, can cure injuries and illnesses. The heat alleviates only a small portion of the pain one experiences. Tier: Level 3.]

She threw me a suspicious stare, but said nothing after.

“Thank you, Astress.”

“Do not thank me. It was the least I could do.”

Kia then turned to look at me.

“So, did you learn anything from that?”

“Well, if anything, it looks like I still have a long way to go before I can be as good as you two.”

“With enough perseverance and training, I am certain you will.”

I meant it partly as a joke, but part of me was also less hopeful. Seeing how well they fought, I didn’t think I could ever be as good as them. I just didn’t think it was possible. However, I promised Kia that I would trust her. If she said I could reach that level, I had no reason to doubt her.

“Apologies for the interruption, My Lady. May I confirm that your training with him is complete for today?”

“I think this is a good time to stop, right?”

She looked at me expectantly, to which I slowly nodded.

“Great! Then I will take him from here. Please, follow me.”

“Pardon?”

She turned around with a devilish grin.

“What? You did not believe your day of training was complete, did you?”

At that point, I couldn’t help but think:

Maybe working for Kia’s family was a bad idea

.