“Who are we waiting for?” It’s been two weeks since my first fight in the air. Today I decided to face that huge eagle-like monster again, and of course Brendu wanted to come with me.

  “They won’t take long.” She keeps looking from side to side. “They’re finally here.” In the distance, I can see the people she invited walking toward us.

  It’s Areci and her whole group, all wearing casual training clothes, walking calmly. “How did you invite them?” I had no idea about this. It’s a complete surprise.

  “Areci asked if we had plans, so I told her you wanted to fight a monster in the air, and everyone decided to come. It’s not every day you get to see a sapphire-rank mage fighting in the skies—it’ll be a show. Don’t embarrass me.” Her bright smile leaves me speechless, and she even nudges my ribs with her elbow.

  I’ve trained hard these days, pouring every hour into my flying skill. Right now, I feel like a different person. I’m confident fighting grade 2 and 3 monsters in the air. I even set a restriction: I can only use my swords and maybe a couple of constructs. Summoning dozens of Joyeuse blades for a single monster wouldn’t be fair.

  Thinking about it, I’m grateful they all came. I wouldn’t have been fully focused with only Brendu watching—my mind would be half-worried about leaving her alone. With everyone here, especially if Areci decides to move, I can relax.

  “We came to see a good show. Make the fight last a bit,” Areci says after greeting us.

  “Yeah, Maki, if you beat it using only one arm, dinner’s on me,” Humyr suggests.

  “You should also avoid long-range attacks, otherwise you’ll turn that bird into a pincushion,” Shawu shouts from the side.

  “I accept the challenge! No backing out halfway.” Humyr and I shake hands firmly to seal the deal. Brendu had told me about each of their backgrounds in more detail—though I had heard parts of it before, I didn’t really understand how important some of their families are.

  Humyr is the son of an obsidian-rank like Susan. His father holds a position similar to my master’s. His family status is not inferior to that of a duke—definitely something to keep in mind. The one with the least economic and social power is the healer. Her family is influential in this city, but not on the same level as the others.

  The walk to the area where the giant monster usually rests feels like a stroll. Most monsters avoided us, and only the stupid ones acted—and died without understanding why.

  “Leave some for us, you’re hogging all the fun,” Ogine complains. Her sound magic has improved a lot; it reminds me of someone I knew recently… someone who died not long ago.

  “Who wants to take the next ones?” The twins immediately raise their hands. They stare at each other in silence and then start playing rock-paper-scissors. The first time I saw them playing that game, so common in my old world, I was shocked—it seems to be an ancient tradition here.

  Maybe some reincarnator or assimilated person spread it? Or maybe it’s just coincidence.

  Brak wins on the sixth round. “Me, next.” She points at herself. They’re still as expressionless and quiet as usual. Only when they’re drinking do I ever hear them speak in longer sentences or show emotions.

  The next group of dumb monsters appears, and we all ignore them while Brak makes them explode like fireworks. Her affinity is incredibly offensive and dangerous; her attack power is no joke—if one of those hits me, it won’t be easy to block or shrug off.

  Both twins have attack power close to ruby-rank. They just need to improve in other areas. They’re not lazy, but they also don’t like spending too much time training. Am I the only weirdo here? Have I really gone insane from overtraining?

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  The next monsters don’t fare any better. Her brother uses the same affinity with his long spear—every touch causes an explosion. His strikes aren’t as strong as his sister’s, but they’re more consecutive thanks to his speed. His weapon talent is amazing, not inferior to Areci’s. Another very gifted person.

  Humyr also took a turn, and Shawu was last. Ogine limited herself to using her abilities to track monsters; she abstained from fighting and only wanted to test her improved detection skills.

  “Do any of you want to go next?” I look at Brendu and Areci, who have spent the whole time chatting.

  “No thanks.” Brendu waves her hand dismissively.

  “I’ll pass this time too,” Areci replies.

  We finally reach the mountain slope where the monster usually dwells. We’ve crossed paths many times these past weeks, and it’s time to settle our short rivalry.

  I rise into the air, and I hear an admiring whistle from Humyr. Looking down at them, they all look relaxed—someone even pulled out chairs to sit comfortably. I increase my speed. After several minutes, I find the huge monster. The moment it sees me, it flies closer, hovering in front of me.

  Honestly, I feel a bit bad about killing it. This eagle-monster is intelligent. It knows when to retreat and seems aware I don’t want to kill it. Humyr’s challenge only requires me to win, not kill.

  “Glia, is there a way to make it my roommate?” A flying monster with wind affinity would be a great companion.

  “I’m not sure. If the monster willingly submits, it might be possible. I doubt it could live inside your cube like I do, but you could tame or subdue it using your Imra.” My companion’s understanding keeps growing—every time she gets stronger, she unlocks more memories from her mother.

  These past days she’s been fighting grade 2 and 3 monsters, devouring their cores and becoming as strong as that rhinoceros monster from two weeks ago. She’s also recovered fragments of her mother’s memories—another reward for her growth.

  “Hey! If you submit to my Imra, I’ll try to make you my friend. Otherwise, just try to survive.” I shout at the monster. It’s not intelligent enough to understand fully, but maybe it’s getting there.

  My body shoots forward like a rocket. When I swing my sword near it, I cut only air—the monster had moved behind me moments earlier. Its wind affinity lets it accelerate almost instantly to near-top speed. It’s a fantastic ability.

  A small cut appears on the eagle’s body. Not deep—its wind protection and sudden shift saved it. “Damn… if I keep using this weapon I’ll end up killing it.” My Thundersnow Fangs are meant to be lethal. I store the blade and rely only on my reinforced fists.

  The fight becomes one of speed, reflexes, and flexibility. The eagle starts fighting seriously: sharper movements, focused eyes, rapid improvement compared to two weeks ago.

  Scratches and cuts appear on my skin. Its enormous talons look even bigger with wind mana; its wing-gusts slice me lightly, and its beak is basically a giant drill made of air.

  Even so, it can’t withstand me. Its body is battered, my blows have destroyed its stamina, and it can barely stay airborne. It flaps close to the mountain, landing occasionally to rest.

  I deactivate all my abilities and approach slowly with hands raised in peace. Then I realize this monster doesn’t know what that means. So I extend my Imra instead, letting it feel my intentions. At first, it rejects me completely, but after several attempts, it accepts the signal.

  We can't speak—only exchange emotions. It’s confusing at first, but little by little I manage to convey my intentions.

  The monster was cautious at first. Now it’s relaxed. It knows I won’t kill it and lets me get close. Its reply reaches me moments later—hesitant, conflicted, and eventually a clear refusal. Before I can ask why, it sends an emotion that takes me a few seconds to understand.

  I look toward a cave high above. I place a hand on its head and float back, sad that I couldn’t make it my familiar, but happy I could understand it.

  “It’s pretty wise for a monster whose intelligence is still developing.” Glia somehow grasped the whole rough communication too—just impressions, emotions, and vague images.

  “Yeah… but I’m not giving up. I’ll try again.” I can be as stubborn as a mule, and this is one of those times. “Be a good father. I’ll come back soon.” I’ll talk to Susan about blocking this part of the dungeon, or maybe I can claim it as part of my reward. Glia would enjoy hunting monsters here to grow stronger.

  “That was strange. I thought you were going to kill it.” Shawu is the first to speak when I return.

  “I didn’t think it was necessary.” I look at them all, then focus on Humyr. “The bet was to win, not kill. So—where are we having dinner?” Everyone turns toward him.

  Humyr smiles wide, knowing he lost. “Let’s go to the city. You choose on the way. You won fair and square.” Everyone starts shouting suggestions about where they want to eat.

  “No one’s going to ask about my fight?” I think, a little sad that no one mentioned my flying skills.

  Brendu appears beside me and takes my hand. “You improved a lot with your new toy. Now you can fight in the air without much trouble.” I smile at the princess, who must have noticed my tiny expression earlier.

  And then everyone starts asking questions, praising me, giving me advice—and two minutes later, they’re all arguing over restaurants and why their choice is the best.