“Hey. Is it just me… Or have the lot of us been slacking off a lot lately?”

  Upon hearing Julie’s musing, Bori stared at the archer incredulously.

  “Is that a serious question?” He said in indignation. “We just got done clearing out the demon-infested mines. Our group has been going on hunting expeditions nonstop for the better half of the year. We have killed so many demons, we have basically cleared our annual Goddess Tithe thrice over already!”

  “Well, yeah, but… Our skills haven’t been improving much, have they?” Julie pointed out hesitantly.

  “What?! We just took down a Gold-Core demon in the mines the other day!” Bori pointed out. “In case you forget, all five of us are still Bronze-Cores! I’d say that makes us pretty damn impressive already.”

  “I mean, I would attribute that success more to the equipment that Eri made for us,” Raharim coughed. “But even then, I agree with Bori. It’s not like our skills have remained stagnant. We are far stronger and more experienced than most Bronze-Core Chosens by this point. Our strength is nothing to be ashamed of or worry about.”

  “Okay. Fair. Counterpoint.” Julie raised a finger and then pointed it at the open field ahead of them. “How do you explain that then?”

  Within Castle Elathion’s training grounds, a duel was taking place — one between the scions of House Elathion and House Dervaine: Dulcina and Joarris, respectively.

  However, perhaps calling it a duel was too much.

  It was clearly a one-sided massacre with Joarris on the losing end.

  Steel and clashes rang as the bout continued. Joarris’s longsword came down in great, heavy arcs. The air trembled under the weight of his swings.

  All that strength mattered nothing as Dulcina weaved between his strikes with almost insulting grace. The noblewoman vanished into blurs of navy blue aftermaths, her rapier flashing like quicksilver. She slid past the guard of his shield, the point of her blade cutting hard as Joarris turned just in time, such that the blade sliced against his pauldron rather than his neck. She danced away before his counterattack even began its swing.

  Undeterred, Joarris pressed forward, shield first, hopping to crash into her. Magic bloomed from his Core as mana turned his attack into an Arte.

  [Shield Paladin Arts, First Form: Holy Charge]

  Dulcina had a smile on her face as she activated her own abilities.

  [Dancer of Frost, Second Form: Rime Veil Cloak]

  An icy shroud of mist appeared as Dulcina pulled forth a shimmering pale cloak from her Core and threw it over herself, turning her invisible. Joarris’s attack smashed into her last seen location, but it was hopeless; his charge ended with him hitting nothing.

  Dulcina reappeared a split second later, her rapier already flicking and darting, hunting for weak spots in his armour. Each thrust landed with a crisp clink, signalling a wounding strike.

  Joarris exhaled. He threw his shoulder into her, shield battering forward. She spun aside, boots brushing hard against the sand. A flick of the wrist had her rapier tracing a line across his helm — harmless, but a tinge mocking, albeit probably unintentional on the Heiress’s part.

  Dulcina had already landed multiple fatal ‘wounds’ on Joarris while the man had yet to land one.

  “This hurts to watch,” Alvine admitted. “Julie might have a point if a girl almost five years our junior is kicking our ass.”

  “Her Core control is exceptional, too,” Raharim hummed in surprise. “Joarris’s usage of his Arte is good — barely any mana wastage — but that’s to be expected given the years he already spent with his Bronze Core. Dulcina only received hers recently. How is she so adept at using it already?”

  A Chosen’s Core became more stable the longer a Chosen held on to it. The difference in quality between a freshly minted Bronze Core and another on the brink of ascension was night and day — not just in raw power, but also in stability, control, and precision.

  Dulcina, despite having her Bronze Core for a far shorter time than Joarris, was now employing it with a level of expertise that not only matched Joarris's but also exceeded him.

  “This is bullshit,” Bori grumbled. “This doesn’t mean we are weak! It just means House Elathion’s has a freakishly strong scion.”

  “She’s not the only one,” Alvine muttered. “Don’t forget that they have the demon child with them now.”

  “You’re still calling him that?” Raharim sighed.

  “Unlike the rest of you, I’m not so eager to bow over to him,” she said neutrally.

  “Doesn’t stop you from using his equipment when it suits you…”

  “Guys, focus. We need to do something,” Julie groaned.

  “Do we?” Bori questioned, his tone unsure.

  “Yes! Our group is supposed to be one of the most kick-ass Bronze Core Chosens in the north, but our leader is fighting about as well as a blind monkey with two left feet!”

  “I can still hear you guys, you know!” Joarris shouted as he tossed aside his shield in an attempt to grapple Dulcina, only for her to somersault over him and kick him in the back of his head, sending him face-first into the sand.

  “I stand by my statement!” Julie shouted back, ignoring Joarris’s groan or Dulcina’s quiet laughter. “Oi, noble girl! Stop bullying our leader already.”

  “That depends on him.” Dulcina turned to Joarris. “Do you yield?”

  Joarris spat out sand, then sighed. “I yield. I am not your match, Lady Elathion.”

  “I told you to just call me Dulcina,” the Heiress said as she offered a hand and pulled the fighter to his feet. “Do not be so despondent. The match was closer than you think. Had even a single hit connect, I would be down on the ground instantly.”

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “I thank you for your kind words, but I am well aware of the gulf between us. Your speed is absurd, not to mention your Core control was nothing short of exceptional.” Joarris shook his head. “If I may ask, how have you improved so much so quickly? It is as if years of experience were made manifest over the course of a few mere months.”

  “I had assistance,” Dulcina answered politely.

  “It’s Eri, isn’t it?” Julie bluntly stated. Dulcina’s smile became a tad apologetic. “No fair! Why do you get to hog him? Is he feeding you special meals or something?!”

  “Is food the only thing you think about?” Raharim groaned.

  Joarris looked at Dulcina questioningly. She shook his head. “I’m not sure if my circumstances with him are… replicable. You will have to ask him about this.”

  The man sighed. “Maybe I will. It will not do for House Dervaine to be overshadowed so utterly.”

  Especially when news of the ongoing conflict in the West was growing bleaker each month. Some might call Joarris superstitious, but the man could not shake the feeling that things were about to go downhill soon.

  ~~~

  “Special training?”

  Eri looked at Joarris questioningly, briefly stopping in his tinkering of some giant machine with too many copper coils, lenses, and strange sparking crystals stuck to it. The entire apparatus was also glowing an electric blue.

  The man ignored the ominous lightning device and cleared his throat. “Specifically, I would like to enquire whether the phenomenal improvement you have given Dulcina is reproducible for others. I mean no insult to the heiress, but her growth is startling — bordering on impossible.”

  “And hence you deduce I was the one responsible,” Eri hummed.

  Joarris gave a half-smile. “It seemed a fair assumption, given your track record of pulling off miracles. I’m still extremely curious how you obtained your Silver Core so quickly.”

  “You and everyone else,” Eri muttered. “I’m lucky the Church is so busy these days, otherwise they might have investigated the rumours of my rapid ascension already.”

  The boy climbed down from his machine. He sat on a bench within his workshop and awkwardly gestured for Joarris to sit as well.

  “Don’t mind me for a second. I have to… stare at you,” Eri blushed. “I swear it’s not for anything weird. I just need to check something. It’s so that I can answer your question.”

  “Hm. Well, I do not mind. Go ahead,” Joarris said, a little puzzled. “You can ask me questions as well, if it helps.”

  “Thank you.” Eri brought up his System UI and examined his ‘Bond Level’ with Joarris.

  /-/

  [Companion Bond Level]

  Dulcina Elathion (Bond Level 3; Bond Point: 1105)

  Elen Ravelyn* (Bond Level 0; Bond Point: 48100)

  Joarris Drevaine (Bond Level 0; Bond Point: 950)

  Note: A few Companion Bonds are currently locked. They will be made available once certain conditions are met.

  /-/

  The last part was not new; Eri had seen it ever since the debacle with the Duskcrown assassins ended. He ignored it for the moment and focused on the other bonds.

  His Bond Points had grown across his three ‘companions’ — with Dulcina rising the most, though it was not reflected as he had been spending her Bond Points somewhat recklessly in order to fuel her training — but none of their ‘Bond Levels’ had improved.

  In Joarris’s case, that meant Eri couldn’t access the Bond Shop needed to give him the same XP boost treatment he gave Dulcina.

  “I don’t think I can help you the same way I do for Dulcina,” Eri apologised.

  “If it’s a matter of motivation, I assure you—”

  “It’s not that. It’s more… I suppose you could call it an issue of insufficient friendship?” Eri answered hesitantly.

  “... Ah.” Joarris looked uncomfortable. However, he then cleared his throat and straightened his back into a more professional demeanour. “House Dervaine is, of course, willing and able to improve the relationship between our families. Although my father is not present, as the current heir, I am more than capable of approving official transactions in his place. A sum of gold will be a fair start to negotiations, but if you require less monetary forms of compensation, House Dervaine has multiple guild connections that might interest you—”

  Hold on, does he think I’m asking for a bribe?

  “Wait, wait! Joarris, I didn’t mean ‘friendship’ as in, erm, a ‘scummy political’ sort of way,” Eri interrupted panically, feeling terribly embarrassed. “I would never do that to you! I swear, I would help you if I could, but I literally can’t!”

  The man blinked. “Ah. My apologies. I assumed with your new title as House Elathion’s scion that you would be taking steps to engage in noble intrigue. Or ‘scummy politics’, as you say.”

  “It’s my fault. I should have worded my meaning better,” Eri groaned. “I still suck at basic conversations. Can you really imagine me participating in your noble games? All those cloak-and-dagger manoeuvring and backstabbing hidden subtexts…”

  “It’s not that bad,” Joarris chuckled. “The north is pretty tame with these things, especially compared to the grand schemes happening in the central continent and the Royal factions. Still, I am confused about what you mean by ‘insufficient friendship’. Judging by your reaction, I would assume this isn’t a roundabout way to ask for compensation.”

  “N-no! No, it isn’t,” Eri said insistently. “It’s just… It’s hard to explain. It’s even a little stupid, if I’m being honest…”

  “I will not judge,” Joarris promised. “This is in relation to your strange powers, is it not?”

  “Yes. Sort of.” Eri hesitated to elaborate more.

  The Bond Shop was a boon related to the System. In general, Eri had still been trying to keep the finer details of his enigmatic powers hidden. Telling Dulcina — his ‘Big Sister’ — was one thing; more of a familial obligation than any genuine desire on his part, if he was to be perfectly honest.

  But telling Joarris? The man was a good friend, and Eri honestly looked up to him. Their first meeting had been rough, but in nearly every instance afterwards, Joarris had always acted as a respectable and caring leader — a Chosen who displayed ‘heroic virtues’, in Eri’s eyes.

  That did not mean Eri was ready to confide in the man the same way he had with Dulcina. It was not even remotely close to the unconditional trust Eri gave Elen.

  “You do not have to tell me the finer details if you do not want to,” Joarris said, noticing Eri’s hesitance. “I am more keen on the practical, rather than satiating my curiosity on the theoretical. I believe your willingness to aid me without any ulterior motives is genuine, and it makes me grateful beyond words. It is shameless of me to say this, but I still wish for your help. For your aid, I will never ask to impose beyond the bare minimum information you deem necessary.”

  “Thank you,” Eri exhaled in relief. “I want to help, I really do. You… You can sense it too, can’t you? This… impending feeling of something bad coming.”

  “Yes! I’m relieved to see you feel the same,” Joarris nodded eagerly, now much more reassured. “To stay idle breeds restlessness, yet my team is already at the best they can be without resorting to more drastic training measures. We are nowhere that desperate, but… Whatever miracle you have given Dulcina appears to have had no side effects. At first, I had thought it might be an alchemical mixture or enhanced training regime, but judging from your words… Does your power operate on a more abstract plane?”

  Eri blinked. That was a surprising amount of thought that Joarris had put in. Eri was once more reminded that the scarred-face giant of a fighter was not simply all brawn.

  The boy considered for a moment, weighing the benefit of revealing his secret against the cons.

  It’s not like I have to tell him everything, Eri grimaced. House Dervaine is a close ally of House Elathion. If things go badly in the West, I’d much rather have Joarris and his party at full strength.

  They are my allies. It would be stupid and pointlessly selfish not to help them. Not to mention the boons that come with a higher Bond Level — stat gains, more attribute points, more XP… It’s better that I unlock them earlier rather than later so that the bonuses can add up over time.

  Besides, if they wanted to expose me… They have already seen more than enough of my ‘powers’ to do so. But they haven’t. That has to mean something.

  Eri sighed. “Alright, I’ll tell you. Not everything, but enough for you to understand the problem.”

  Who knows, Eri thought. It might even present a solution…

  If I’m ever going to understand Elen and why she left me, maybe interpreting how this ‘Bond Level System’ functions will help.