(Ais POV – Twilight Manor, Courtyard)
I stand frozen, lips pressed tight, watching Riven and Hestia hug each other on the ground. She's crying openly, her hands trembling as she holds him. He bleeds in a dozen places, cuts, large and small, lining his arms and chest, but he's smiling like it doesn't bother him.
My chest twists. I want to step forward, to apologize, maybe help. But just as I begin to move, a hand presses firmly against my shoulder.
I glance back and Riveria meets my eyes, then gives a small shake of her head.
'Not yet.'
I stop. My fists clench, and I remain still, forced to watch the damage I caused.
Even though the guilt refuses to leave me, another thought keeps circling my mind.
'How?'
The memory replays itself, clear as glass.
His sword shattering under my strike, and the moment I realized I couldn't stop the blow… then his blue eyes flashing red as everything about him changed. He lost the manic thrill and excitement and became calm, sharp, and unyielding… almost mechanical.
He caught my blade with his bare hands, redirected it, shifting it's trajectory away from his body, and forced the excess force into the ground. My attack, a move enhanced by both my strength and my magic, was dispersed into the courtyard instead of cutting him down.
And he's only Level One.
Even with my full speed, full strength, and magic layered on top, he withstood it, and survived.
'He's… amazing.'
The admiration only makes the guilt cut deeper.
'I shouldn't have gotten carried away.' My fists tighten until my nails dig into my palms. 'It won't happen again.'
I wait silently until Riven and Hestia finally rise. The first thing that greets me is not his smile—but Hestia's glare, red-eyed and filled with rage.
"You could've killed Riven!" She shouts, her voice cracking.
I can't deny it. If it had been anyone else, they would be dead.
"…I'm sorry." I bow deeply, my voice even but heavy.
The words are simple. But behind them I bury everything I can't say aloud—
Sorry for breaking the rules.
Sorry for letting myself lose control.
Sorry for injuring him.
Sorry for chasing a technique instead of respecting the spar.
All condensed into two words that I feel are far too small.
"That's it?" Hestia's voice drops low, her body trembling. "You think a simple sorry is enough? You don't even sound remorseful… do you have any idea what could've happ—"
She cuts off as a new voice interrupts her.
"Hestia." Riven's voice is calm, almost… cheerful.
"It's fine." He lifts a hand, as if to brush the anger away, as he pays her head. "I know it wasn't intentional, and getting hurt is part of the risk when you spar with someone."
I don't move. My head stays bowed.
"But what if you weren't fine?" Hestia presses, her voice breaking again. "What if—"
"…It won't happen again." My words are quiet, but certain. My fists clenched harder. "I'll make sure of it."
Hestia looks like she'll erupt again, but Riven sighs, tired and amused all at once.
"Hestia, I said it's fine. Everyone makes mistakes. What matters is learning from them." His eyes flick toward me. "And I think Ais has learned."
A moment of silence passes, then Hestia mutters, "Fine…" through gritted teeth, while still glaring at me with watery eyes.
"You can raise your head, Ais. All is forgiven," Riven says lightly.
I straighten slowly. His smile greets me, and it's like nothing happened.
Then his gaze shifts to Riveria. "But… I'll be compensated, right? That was part of the agreement."
Riveria's lips press into a thin line, her expression formal. "Indeed. Our apologies that this occurred. We will provide appropriate recompense, once your wounds are treated."
He shrugs indifferently. "I'm not that hurt. But alright."
Then his eyes turn back to me, and I tense. I expect anger, rebuke. Instead—
"…I might've lost, but it was fun." He grins, a spark of excitement flashing in his eyes. "I'm looking forward to the next one."
"You're already thinking of fighting again?!" Hestia explodes, turning on him. "You're hopeless! No fighting until you recover. You're grounded!"
His jaw drops. "…Grounded? Goddess, I wasn't saying right away—"
"That's a lie." She folds her arms with absolute certainty.
And he clicks his tongue in frustration.
Their exchange pulls a blink from me. The tension in my chest loosens just enough for me to speak.
"…You didn't lose. You won."
My voice is plain, but filled with certainty. I broke the rules first. I used power I shouldn't. By that alone, he won.
"Nah," Riven replies immediately. "My sword broke. That's my loss." His tone leaves no room for argument. "Just accept the win. Only those who fail greatly can achieve greatly, and losing gives me more reason to work harder so I can win next time."
And then I understand.
'This is why he's so strong.'
Because he doesn't fear failing. He burns to improve, to rise higher, no matter how many times he falls.
I nod silently.
'I'll work harder too.'
As more Familia members rush in with potions and supplies, I step back, watching quietly as Riven's wounds are tended.
(Riven POV – Twilight Manor, Courtyard)
'Damn… I almost died.' The thought lingers, heavy but almost amusing.
If I'm being honest… yeah, I'm not really as okay as I make it seem, physically that is.
A lot of things caught me off guard. My sword snapping, for one. I thought it was because Ais didn't hold back, but according to GS…
[Answer: Weapon integrity was already compromised prior to the clash. Excessive strain was caused during the spar, and breakage was inevitable.]
'So it was my fault?' I groan inwardly. 'Why didn't you warn me?'
[Answer: You did not request monitoring of your equipment.]
'…That's on me.'
I shake my head slightly. When her attack came down, I was mostly confident I'd survive. In the worst case scenario, I'd sacrifice an arm or leg, use Blue Papilio Powder, and patch myself back together.
I'd live… probably.
Luckily, I didn't have to. GS's Auto-Battle mode kicked in, she seized control of my body, and used the Fist of Flowing Water to divert the strike away from my body. Then, she channelled the force of the blow through my body and into the ground. It nearly tore me apart inside, but better that than actually getting cut up.
'Still, my body feels like shit.' I grimace. There's no pain thanks to my skill, but the internal damage was real. And even if I've been healing it with Blue Papilio Powder, it's not something I'd want to repeat again.
While I'm stewing on that, Hestia is already uncorking potions with furious speed, practically shoving them down my throat.
I swallow despite the terrible taste. Letting her fuss over me feels nice. My thoughts drift back to what I gained from all this.
'I need to master all my techniques properly, and the dungeon is the best place to do that. I should also focus on raising my stats and levelling up.'
And the biggest surprise of all—
[Notice: Analysis of Wind Element Enchant Magic: Ariel, complete. Magic acquired.]
That's why I'd been so cheerful. Because the moment she used it, I knew I could copy it. And now I had.
'I can't wait to test—'
"Stop."
Hestia's sharp little voice cuts into my thoughts like she's reading my mind. She's pouting, cheeks puffed, eyes narrowed.
"You're thinking about doing something reckless. I can feel it."
"…Goddess." I force my expression into something neutral. "Am I not allowed to think? Thinking isn't a crime, right?"
"Hmph!" She crosses her arms, glaring at me like I just confessed. "Think all you want. But the second you try to do something dumb, I'm stopping you."
I sigh, and another potion gets jammed into my mouth before I can argue. So much for testing Ariel.
The cuts knit together, my flesh stitching back without scars, and I let Blue Papilio Powder accelerate the internal healing. A few minutes later, and I'm whole again.
I roll my shoulders, stretching experimentally, then grin at Hestia. "Good as new. Actually… better than new."
Her lips press tight, but I catch the faint relief in her eyes. "…Don't you dare put your life on the line like that again."
"I'll try not to " I promise, patting her head gently. Her cheeks turn red, but doesn't swat my hand away.
Riveria finally steps forward, her composure restored. "It's good that you're well." She inclines her head slightly. "Once again, apologies for what happened. We take responsibility, and compensation will be arranged."
"It's fine." I wave it off easily. "Really. I got more out of the spar than I expected."
Still, I wonder what to ask for. Money? That's pointless. I have enough avenues to earn it quickly.
I'd like to ask to see them use their magics and skills, or be trained in Elven Magic, but that would draw suspicion, and they'd likely refuse. So, if I wanted to play it safe…
"…For compensation, could I see Lady Loki's wine collection?"
Silence. Everyone stares at me. Even Hestia, who looks at me like I've grown another head.
"HELL NO!" Loki's scream splits the courtyard, and the next second she's lunging at me like an enraged beast. "You little bastard! First you try to steal Ais from me, and now you want my wine?! Over my dead body!"
Riveria catches her mid-charge, gripping her by the collar as she thrashes violently.
I raise an eyebrow, kind of amused. 'Interesting. She didn't fight this hard over Ais. So wine really is more important.'
"I wasn't asking to take it. Just look at it." I clarify calmly.
The struggling slows. Loki's face contorts as she processes my words. Then she freezes—only for her eyes to blaze again.
"…What?! Just look?! You think my wine isn't good enough for you?!" She thrashes harder, Riveria pinching the bridge of her nose as she deals with her eternal burden, as she covers Loki's mouth and silences her.
From beside me, Hestia sticks her tongue out at Loki, pulling faces like a mischievous child, making the goddess fume even more.
"…Are you sure that's all?" Riveria asks at last, her voice patient but wary. "It doesn't seem like much."
I nod sincerely. "I like new experiences. I enjoyed the fight, I learned plenty, and seeing the collection would satisfy me. That's all."
Riveria studies me for a long moment before finally inclining her head. "Very well. Follow me."
I see her doubt, but don't push it.
'I hope they have Soma.' I muse inwardly as I trail behind with Hestia. 'If GS can analyze it, we'll serve it in the shop. Customers would never stop coming.'
***********
A/N: Hello Everyone. How are you? If you've enjoyed the chapter and book thus far, please consider leaving me some comments, reviews, or power stones. It really helps the book out.
So, this was the chapter. Riven gets Ariel (and as I looked it up, that magic is OP AF), especially with his skill set. Then, there's not much else to comment on. He used Fist of Flowing Water, from OPM, and realised he needs to train.
Let me explain that part. He knows all the info, and all the techniques, and can use them quite well, the issue is more like familiarity and ability to choose the right one for the current scenario. And even with GS doing simulations, if he never uses them, he won't be as good as her. I suppose I consider GS as perfect at any technique, and Riven is at like 50% to perfection (yes, perfection), when he gets it. But still worse off than her until he properly begins using it.
Then, I guess the next chap will be some other people's reactions (yeah, you can guess who). One of them is Loki. The other... 👀
You can also read 10 chapters ahead, and support me at [email protected]/AMV_WEAKLY
But yeah, That's all from me. I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, and you all have a good day/night. I shall be going to sleep😴.
P.S.: There's a vote on discord for the harem members, for anyone interested. It lasts for a week. And I plan to be going through all the backed up comments tomorrow 😭
Link to discord: tPss8TMZYG