#ADRIAN REYNOLDS POV#
I put my pen down as I look over the Ward system that I designed
Selling the Sacred Gears that I just didn't want or need was the right call...especially since I managed to haggle it over to 1.7 billion dollars
Still though... these upgrades are going to be expensive...even with my new fund
It's going to take around 700 million dollars to get everything that I need and want...plus a bit extra to play around with for my later projects
But...I am being really optimistic about the price of the materials themselves
Thankfully, I managed to get some of the materials delivered to me by a few of my contacts
I frown as I realize one thing
Prices may go up if the people I am buying the stuff from realize that I need more materials for something
I take a deep breath and go back to working on the actual diagram of the Ward system that I want to put up
Biting my lip, one flaw is made clear to me as I see that the amount of information that I am going to be getting is going to be immense, just for me alone.
I...could try to teach...
Shaking my head, I put the papers to the side as I get a new one
The Monitoring Ward is going to be the most difficult of the Wards
Primarily because of the other...Wards
The Draining Ward, the Magic Storage Ward, the Restoration Ward, the Pressure Ward, the Strengthening Ward, the Camouflage Ward, and the Fusion Matrix Ward, which allows all of the Wards to work together...not seamlessly, as I am still going to have to work out the kinks and all
A sigh of relief hits me as I confirm that yes, the Fusion Matrix Ward can have other wards added over time, but only the time to set up each one after setting it up will take longer than the previous ones.
Damn...maybe I can work on that aspect a bit...see if there is anything I can do to mitigate it at least...and patch up any holes that maybe left behind while doing so
#TIMESKIP 1 WEEK LATER#
"You...want to garden?" I ask Asia again as she fidgets in place
"Y-yeah," She says meekly, concerned that I would refuse
"Sure, I will need to get a list together for the things around the estate, though," I comment as I already start putting a mental list in my mind
"I can!!!" She exclaims rather loudly as I nod
"Thank you," She says before hugging me, causing me to smile as I hug her back
"I may have to hire someone to help set it up. I will also get you some books on gardening while we are on that...," I stop for a moment as she looks at me curiously
"Do you want to get normal plants and stuff, or magical ones?" I ask her
"What do you mean? Plants are plants aren't they?" She asks me looking confused
"Ok, normal plants it is then...I could probably hire someone to teach you enough to get you started," I comment, making her nod, still confused, and I explained the differences between magical plants and mundane plants
She got it instantly and confirmed that she would rather start with mundane plants.
"By the way, Asia, do you know where Xenovia and Irina are?" I ask her
"Xenovia is in the training grounds, and I think Irina says she was going to do some laundry today, she might be in the laundry room," She answers
"Thanks, I will look into hiring someone to teach you gardening and stuff. See you later," I say my goodbyes as I go look for Xenovia first
I stop and stare as she destroys the training grounds...again
I watch for a few minutes as she wields both Excalibur Destruction and Durandal at the same time, while a blue hue covers her body
Xenovia is the second strongest in our group after me
I look thoughtfully at Xenovia, and aside from appreciating her really nice figure, I take note of the physical changes that Study Saint has done for her body
Her muscles are more defined than before, yet...they don't take anything away from her beauty at all.
I know some Sacred Gears can influence the bearer's body...but Xenovia is the second extreme example of it that I have seen personally
Still...Sturdy Saint definitely suits her
Due to it, she can handle the backlash of both Excalibur Destruction and Durandal at the same time
Whereas before, she would only be able to wield both of them for a short time before her body gave out
I blink as she stops and lets both blades hit the ground as the hue around her disappears, and I gulp as I see her body covered in sweat
Damn...I've been finding out more about myself these past few months that I ever have before
I go closer to her and watch as she puts Durandal away in a storage seal while holding Excalibur Destruction over her shoulder
"Adrian, did you need something?" She asks me with a small smile, and I have to admit, her interaction with me has definitely helped her social skills
"Oh, I wanted to ask how Sturdy Saint feels. Does it feel weird when you activate? Do you feel tired after using it for a long period of time?" I answer as she gets a thoughtful look on her face
"How best to describe it...right, so when I activate it, imagine a blanket suddenly appearing around your body. It was unexpected the first time I activated it. But, I already got used to it," She answers my first question, and I nod
"About how long can I keep it activated?... I am not sure about how long I can hold it if I weren't using both of my swords, but I can use it for a while as I am practicing. I don't know how long I would be able to hold it in real combat, though. I still need to find that out," She says, answering my second question
"But..." She starts while sighing
"But what?"
"As useful as my new Sacred Gear seems to be...most of the defensive abilities that it gives me are hit with the backlash of my swords, leaving me with a very minor increase in my defenses in the end," She says, and I nod my head
Durandal is said to have been equal to Excalibur, which makes sense
On the other hand, while not as powerful as Durandal or the complete Excalibur, it is still strong enough on its own after all...Excalibur Destruction is the sheer raw destructive force of Excalibur
Being a Holy Sword Wielder allows her to wield them, using them correctly, on the other hand, is a different matter altogether
Durandal itself requires immense physical strength, an immense amount of Willpower, and a lot of skill to bring out its true power
Something that Xenovia is working on
Excalibur Destruction, on the other hand...is the opposite
One can use its full power with every single strike, which unfortunately means that its power runs wild and it can even harm or, in some very extreme cases, kill the wielder
Thankfully, Xenovia was able to deal with it before, and now with Sturdy Saint, she is able to withstand the full backlash of Excalibur Destruction even better than before
Wielding both for some time is her current limit
"You look like you enjoyed yourself," I comment, noticing Xenovia's pleased look
"I am...I can't wait to go out on the field again," She says with a small smile that I return...
#A FEW HOURS LATER#
"Irina..." I call out as she caresses the red gauntlet with a green jewel in her hand
She turns her head to look at me, and she has a sad look on her face
Taking a deep breath, I get near her and hug her
She returns the hug slowly, as she shivers in my arms, I don't say anything for a few moments as she calms herself
"What are you thinking, Irina?" I ask her
"I...I was thinking about this..." She answers, separating from the hug and closing her fist, and looking at the Twice Critical on her hand
"I know that...the Lord was ok with me getting it and all...But I just feel...sad...Whenever I bring it out," She says softly
I give her a side hug and let her vent to me about her emotions for a few minutes
"Irina...I...I don't know what you are going through, and I am not going to lie to you about that. I know you are hurting...a lot. All I can tell you is...try to move forward, we can't change the past...we can just accept what happened," I tell
"You are telling me to just accept it and move on!" She says a bit angry at me
"I am not telling you to move on. I am telling you to accept the fact that your friend is dead. Sure, he didn't deserve to die the way that he did, and he could have possibly become a good friend to me as well. Don't move on if you don't want to. But accept at least that he is gone," I tell her, feeling terrible as I give this advice
It has helped me deal with what happened in my childhood, thanks to my parents' beliefs
Irina stays silent for a bit before nodding and slowly walking back inside, and I let my head drop
Damn...I hope I didn't fuck up...
#THAT NIGHT#
I open a box of materials that I ordered and start placing them around the areas of my workshop that I prepared beforehand in order to start preparing the Wardstones, and a few other things that I need for the defenses
Someone knocks on the door, and I go to answer
"Griselda!!! What are you doing here? Not that I am complaining, of course, but..." I stop as she cuts me off
"We have a...small issue..." She stops as she closes and opens her mouth
"What is it?" I ask her seriously as I start getting rather worried
"The Fallen Angels from Kuoh..." She starts with grimace
"What about them?" I ask her
"Due to some concessions...it has been decided that they are to serve your group..."