—— Hikari's skills ——
[Telekinesis] Ability to move massive objects around
[Reinforcement] Using her telekinesis to harden her body and her weapons.
[Barrier] A basic spell with her bottomless mana pool behind it, blocking everything from cannons and fireballs.
[Dagger storm] Her throwing daggers fly in a storm of steel, creating a screen around her, shredding smaller enemies as they charge through.
[Gliding] Using her telekinesis and leg muscles to launch herself into the air and glide through it. Allowing her to cross territories within a day.
[Incinerate] A short-range, intense blast of her RazenHeir flames that incinerates everything.
[Brandishing] Channeling her flames into her sword and daggers to ignite her foes.
[Weapons mastery] Clay, short sword, handcannon, spears, bow and arrow. Every kind of weapon if she can get one big enough for her.
[Stomp] Using her boot and weight to stomp her foes into paste.
[Ultra vision] Her innate ability to see in the pitch dark like it was day
[Mana sense] She can sense mana gathering from a mile away.
[Acute hearing] Sharp hearing that allows her to hear a musket being loaded.
— Ria's skills —
[Acute hearing] Allows her to eavesdrop on conversations to gather information
[Accounting] Knowledge of numbers and ledgers and the ability to work with them.
[Basic flame magic] Good enough to light a lantern.
Ria's room.
A luxurious space for her size.
Polished wooden tiles, a lantern hung from the ceiling.
The common light crystal lit the room.
A table adjusted to her height where she spent most of her days.
Reading, studying, and going through ledgers.
A stack of books and paperwork leaning against the side.
Badum! Badum! Badum!
Her heart pounded as images of the day flooded her mind.
She started breathing heavily, gasping for air.
The sound of gunfire.
The pair of giant boots.
She placed her hand over her chest as her heart raced out of control.
The pair of giant boots, thicker than tree trunks.
Black, polished wyvern skin impervious to musket fire and field artillery.
Towering over her.
"Down."
The voice echoed in her head.
It came from above her.
She looked up and saw nothing but the ceiling.
She squirmed in her seat.
Strong.
"Down."
Her voice was so strong too.
Her legs closed up.
Strong.
"Down."
"Ahh…!"
Ria fell off her chair.
She was panting.
She couldn't think straight.
Images of the gigantic knight kept flashing before her.
"This is unbecoming."
She got up and composed herself.
Her shirt was soaked, and her table was in disarray.
"I don't think I'm in the mood to be reading."
She closed her book and cleared the table.
She folded her handkerchief neatly in one corner.
Her handkerchief.
Badum! Badum!
Her chest tightened.
"Are you there?"
She called out.
"Yes, my lady."
A maid entered her room.
"What's my schedule? I should have lessons today."
"None, my lady. Your tutors are unable to travel due to recent incidents."
"Still?"
"Yes, my lady. The estate has been on lockdown. Nobody is allowed to leave."
"What about the merchants?"
"Same."
Ria paced around the room.
She had some free time.
"My fencing outfit, where is it?"
She picked up her rapier and swung.
Her maid was surprised by the suggestion.
"The storerooms. Forgive me, but my lady hardly drills."
"Is that so? I think some drilling is in order."
"Yes, my lady. I'll go fetch it right away."
…
The RazenHeir drill hall.
The pride of any house.
Even as the Lord of the estate and his knights were off to war, it remained meticulously kept.
The maids swept and dusted the place at least once a day.
Arms lined the walls.
Swords, Rapiers, Javelins.
The RazenHeir flame sticks to their foes and consumes them slowly.
A flame that would ignite cold steel.
Every small hit from a musket ball enchanted with their flames builds up flame.
Even a lone scout could take down a giant.
"Good morning, Lady Ria!"
A burly knight greeted her with a coarse and bellowing voice.
"Good morning, drill master."
The RazenHeir drill master.
He had seen every recruit who walked through the drill hall on their first day.
A tank top. His hair was grey and scarce, with a notable shine.
His physique was impressive except for his conspicuous belly.
"You are certainly a rare sight around here! Finally sick of being cooped up in your room with all the paperwork, I see."
He laughed with youthful energy.
"Stop it."
Ria cast him an annoyed look.
Her drilling outfit: a plain white tunic, black pants.
A set of knee and elbow guards.
Ria surveyed the halls.
The arms hanging on the walls- she had seen these items only as numbers on a ledger.
She noticed some peculiar things.
In one corner, a set of elbow and knee guards the size of tower shields.
A pair of flat shoes the size of wagons.
Ria rubs her eyes.
They were huge.
She thought the vast drill hall was messing with her sense of distance.
Badum! Badum!
He heart starts racing.
Her breathing got heavy.
The giant pair of shoes.
Badum! Badum!
Who wears them?
Her knees felt weak.
"Ahh..."
She squeezed her thighs together.
Skid marks on the polished ground.
What could have caused them?
Her heart pounded.
She could barely keep standing.
"There you go!"
The drillmaster presented her with a straw dummy.
"The boys bundled up the straw not too long ago. Have a go at it with your rapier."
Ria placed her hand on her chest.
Slow breaths.
"Haha! Relax. If you're still worried about the ledgers, some exercise would melt away the stress."
Ria drew her rapier.
The Drillmaster watched.
"Drillmaster."
"Yes, my lady?"
"What are you wearing?"
Ria notices the drill master wearing a triangular piece of wood between his legs.
It was strapped tightly around his waist.
"Umm… well… That's uh… dummy crotch armor. Umm… crotch guards. Yes! crotch guards, you see."
The drillmaster awkwardly adjusted his crotch guard.
He lifted his belly to make room.
"Dummy crotch armor?"
She looked past the drillmaster.
A full box of those curious items.
The signboard above it read 'please take one and do the thing back in your room'.
"I see. Shall I take one?"
Sir Parkel nervously tugs at the shoulder straps on his tank top.
"No… No… That… won't be necessary … wearing armor right now will just weigh you down. You'll have to do some weight training first!"
Ria shrugs. The thought of doing weight training got her.
She took a stance, rapier pointed at the straw dummy.
Hand behind her back for balance.
She gritted her teeth as the rapier weighed on her wrist.
Guard, thrust, guard.
The tip pierced into the straw.
One motion and she was already short of breath.
"Your form is correct, but your stamina needs work."
The drill master was right.
Ria had resigned herself to her fate as a 'desk knight'.
As a pure-blood knight, she possesses the unique mana form of her bloodline.
That reason alone makes her too valuable to risk in combat, so she never trains for a fight she won't get.
After a short break, Ria assumed her stance.
A good thrust, arcing upwards to hit the dummy's chest.
Her arm ached.
"The guard's too slow. Seems like you are having trouble with just the weight of the sword."
Ria thrust again.
Her rapier got stuck in the straw.
She tried to pull it out but lost her balance.
Thud. Her bottom hit the floor along with her rapier.
"Looks like your body is all stiff from sitting at your desk."
The burly man laughed.
Ria rubbed her back. It hurts.
A few thrusts of her rapier had already done her in.
Her arms and legs were sore.
"Legs straight, try to touch your toes."
Ria straightened her legs and bent forward, fingers grabbing the tip of her shoe.
"At least, your flexibility is excellent."
She felt rested enough to pick up her rapier.
"I like your energy."
"Stop it."
Ria takes a stance.
Footsteps.
Heavy footsteps.
Big.
They were far.
Long pauses between each one.
Nearer and nearer.
Badum! Badum!
Ria's heart pounded in her chest.
A sudden rush of excitement.
She did not know why.
Thud. Thud.
The footsteps got closer.
Thud.
Heavy but soft.
Thud. Thud.
Badum!
Her heart pounded.
She froze.
"No worries, take your time."
The drill master patiently encouraged her.
Thud. Thud.
But she couldn't focus.
The footsteps.
Her hearing was sensitive.
Thud.
Big.
Badum!
Her heart pounds.
Her stance wobbles.
Her grip on her rapier loosens.
Thud.
The footsteps got closer and closer.
Thud. Thud.