7:11 p.m.
Graham's Lodge House.
Vivian, Felize, Gaze and Torr were inside a room.
"Let's continue where we left off yesterday -- I mean, this morning," Vivian said as she sat down on the floor.
In front of her was a metal slab used for training Magic Arts. The slab had a square shape, measuring up to 12 inches on each side and 3 inches thick, it had a small half-ball-like stand on each side to make it stand like a table, and it could withstand the Magic Force of up to Adamantite-grade.
Felize sat down across from Vivian. She took out a piece of cloth that was twisted like a rope and placed it between her teeth.
Gaze and Torr, on the other hand, sat down beside her.
"Amf reydy, Onored Rystess," Felize said as she presented her palm.
Vivian nodded and activated a spell.
[Wind Arrow].
Woooh!
"Arhhh…!"
Felize bit down hard and held back her tears as an arrow made out of a green aura burst out of Vivian's hand and shot right through her palm, leaving a hole before disappearing on the metal slab.
Drip.
Drip.
As blood dripped down from her wound and Gaze and Torr supported her by holding her back and shoulders, Vivian activated another spell.
[Wind Arrow].
Woooh!
"Arrhhh…!"
This time around, the green arrow shot through her wrist and formed a hole. Beads of sweat began to appear on Felize's forehead as she continued to grit her teeth and hold back her tears.
[Wind Arrow].
Woooh!
"ARRRHHH…!"
This time, the green arrow shot through her forearm. She leaned forward and the piece of cloth between her teeth almost fell down but Gaze and Torr pulled her back.
[Heal].
A faint yellow light enveloped Felize's body, closing her wounds and removing most of the pain she felt.
"I still have some mana. I'll go one more round," Vivian said.
[Wind Arrow].
Woooh!
"ARRRFFF…!"
***
Some time later…
[Wind Arrow].
Woooh!
"Ugh…" Felize groaned weakly. Her face was pale, the piece of cloth between her teeth was soaked with saliva and barely hanging, and her entire body was covered in sweat.
Vivian positioned her hand.
Felize pushed the piece of cloth between her teeth with her tongue.
"W-Wait…"
"You finally got it?"
"Y-Yes…"
[Heal].
A faint yellow light enveloped Felize's body and it healed her wounds.
[Heal].
Another faint yellow light enveloped her body. Vivian cast another one just to be sure.
"Show us."
Felize raised her hand with the help of Torr and activated a spell.
[Wind Arrow].
Woooh!
A 15-inch arrow made out of green aura burst out of her hand and dissipated when it struck the metal slab.
"Congratulations, Felize!" Gaze and Torr said with excitement.
"Congratulations," Vivian said and nodded before turning to Gaze.
Wait…
I don't think I can ask any of these boys to bath Felize…
They don't look gay…
She got up.
"I'll take Felize to the bathroom and wash her. We can't leave her in this state. Her body is already so weak and she's covered in dry sweat. She will only get sick."
"I-It's… okay… I can…"
"Stop being hardheaded."
Vivian scooped her up and turned to Torr.
"This will also allow me to recover some mana in the meantime for your [Fire Mastery]."
She turned around and headed to the bathroom.
"Thank you, Priestess Vivian!" Torr said and bowed.
And as for Gaze, he bowed as well. However, deep inside his heart, he felt a tinge of envy starting to take root, because unlike Torr and Felize, he was the only one who didn't have any Magic Art Affinity.
Growing up, since they were neighbors and became childhood friends, they all looked up to him as their leader. But ever since they took the path of becoming an Adventurer, which was his idea to begin with, he couldn't help but feel that the distance between them was slowly growing each day.
It first started when he and Torr went to the Temple of Warriors office building to apply. The treatment he got compared to the treatment Torr got was vastly different.
It wasn't like they cast him out or insulted him. There was just this sudden switch of complete indifference when the facilitators found out that he didn't have any Magic Art Affinity. The way they looked and speak to him, it was as if they were addressing a cripple.
But despite that, he remained calm and promised himself that he would master all of the Physical Arts and become a very powerful Diamond Rank Adventurer one day.
Next was when they started to open Magic Arts.
First off, the cost of an Awakening Ceremony was 50 gold coins. In the case of Felize, her family didn't have enough coins to pay for it so they had to borrow from lenders and Torr convinced his family to chip in for the Awakening Ceremony of her [Lightning Mastery].
As for how Torr convinced his family, he told them that since he had the Fire and the Dark Magic Art Affinities, he would focus on opening his [Fire Mastery] by burning himself. And once they become stronger and increase their Adventurer Rank, that's when they would open their other Magic Art Affinity -- [Dark Mastery] for him and [Wind Mastery] for Felize.
With that in mind, although Gaze already was starting to feel that growing distance between them, it still didn't bother him that much because it meant that he still had time to catch up with Felize and Torr when it came to Magic Force by training his Physical Arts. However, that completely changed when they encountered Vivian.
Putting aside Vivian's age, it showed them, especially Gaze, the difference and importance of having Magic Arts and a high Magic Force. The ability to completely block off spells without lifting a finger and move at a superhuman speed with precision was a huge wake-up call.
However, what truly pricked Gaze's heart was that Felize just opened her second Magic Art Affinity and the next one would be Torr which would ionly further ncrease the gap between him and the two of them.
***
Inside the bathroom.
The bathroom had a bathtub equipped with a faucet, a bucket with a pail along with another faucet, and a toilet seat on the side. There was also soap, two towels, and two bathrobes.
Vivian placed Felize in the bathtub and helped her strip, causing her to blush and look down.
"H-Honored Priestess... I-I can do it myself…"
Vivian rolled her eyes.
"Why are you being shy? Do you have some sort of ugly-looking scar, birthmark or something?"
In her mind, although Felize was only 15 years old, she was also now a female.
What am I going to do...?
Ravage her with my tongue and fingers...?
"No… It's just that…" Felize said.
"Let's just get this over with."
Felize gave up resisting and Vivian continued stripping her down.
A few moments later…
Vivian was sitting on the edge of the bathtub and watching Felize wash herself.
Gotta see how women in this world wash themselves...
Are they disgusting...?
I mean...
From documentaries about medieval history that I watched...
Medieval people seemed disgusting....
Taking a bath once a year…
Shitting everywhere…
"I noticed that you've shaved your armpits and it looks clean. What do you use?" Vivian asked.
"I use a cream that my sister bought at the apothecary shop."
"You don't use shaving blades?"
As a man in her previous world, she only used either shaving blades or an electric razor.
"I prefer cream is because you just need to rub it on your skin and wipe it with a piece of cloth."
"I see."
"Do you prefer using shaving blades, Honored Priestess?"
Vivian thought about it for a moment.
"Personally, I think the cream is better. However, once you're out traveling for long periods of time, a shaving blade is better."
"That makes sense..."
"Honored Priestess…"
Vivian didn't say anything.
"Do you know anything about relationships…?"
"Huh?"
Although Vivian had some experience in dating, she wouldn't consider herself an expert. And plus, her only experience was from the perspective of a man.
"Well…" she said and massaged her chin. "Let's see, I can't say that I'm an expert when it comes to relationships, but I think I know a thing or two."
"But you're strong, beautiful and confident, and you're also a Priestess. How is that possible?"
"Sure, but like they say: Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder."
A confused expression flashed across Felize's face.
"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder? What does that mean?"
"Basically, what you may consider something beautiful, others might see it ugly"
Felize thought about it for a moment and then nodded.
"I understand now. It's a beautiful saying, Honored Priestess."
"Well, I guess."
"Honored Priestess…"
Vivian didn't say anything but she started to feel her stomach turning to knots.
"Do you think... do you think Gaze is handsome…?" she asked as her cheeks turned bright red.
An image of a smiling Gaze without his two front teeth flashed inside her head.
"Well… he's not bad."
Come to think of it…
Does teeth still grow at his age…?'
Wait…!
Can [Greater Heal] heal it…?
I should ask Criselle or someone about it…
"Then how do I make him like me…? Am I ugly…?" Felize asked.
Vivian's raised an eyebrow.
"Look, if there's anything I know about love and relationships, you can't force anyone to like you -- they either like you or they don't. And even if you somehow managed to be in a relationship with a person where you like them more than they like you, it will be a one-sided one. Have some self-respect. Life is too short to waste it over someone who thinks so little of you.
"But of course, that doesn't mean you shouldn't self-improve. Whatever flaws or bad habits you have, work on improving them."
Felize stared down at the bath water and rubbed her shoulder.
"That's… I understand… So I have to be better than my older sister…"