LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 14: A Cloudy Afternoon
SCHWING!
DODGE!
“HUP!” VWIIINNNG! SLASH!
DODGE!
“<SKULL BUSTER>” VWOOM! BOOM! CRACK!
DODGE! “MY TURN”
{!}
DASH! ‘<COMBO BREAKER>’
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BAM!
THUD! THUD! THUD! CRACK!
“GUGHH!”
BOOM!
CRASH!
In a mountain clearing near Shander, Amelia and Sharon began to spar, the spar had been going on for a while and was pushing Sharon to her limit, the fight started with Sharon closing the distance and swinging her halberd with precision but never hitting their mark, much to Sharon’s annoyance. After dodging another <Skull Buster> Amelia went on the offensive, using only her fists and an attack called <Combo Breaker> which involved two powerful punches before a flurry of kicks that pounded Sharon’s body and her armor. Before sending her crashing onto the ground.
“Haghh…Haghh. Damn…. fighting you is a pain” Sharon sputtered as she lay on the grassy field, tossing aside her armor and letting her hair that’s now disheveled down. Her face was dirty and unkept with a tired expression on her face.
“Well. I lowered my power to your level, so if this is tiring. You won’t even last a second if I went all in” Amelia calmly replied as she began to retie her hair,
“Damn you and your heightened abilities. At least cut me some slack and let me land a blow or two” Sharon complained as she looked at her friend, a bit of envy and anger as she saw Amelia still in pristine condition, barely bothered by their spar.
“If I did, I would only be giving you false happiness. If you want true satisfaction, land a blow by your skill alone, not me giving you an opening that you can exploit” Amelia told her as she sat by her side.
“Fine. Fine” Sharon voiced
“You mentioned in the academy you were trained by Ophelia…was it always this hard?” Sharon asked as she sat up
“No. it was much harder. She did not hold back at any point” Amelia replied with a wry smile
“Really? How hard was it?”
“Well. for starters she was SS-Rank when she began my training, by the end of it all I became SS-Rank myself but I could no longer read her stats. As if she became even stronger”
“You couldn’t even see her rank?”
“I only saw SSS but I still have a feeling it’s more than that. But she stopped adventuring as her duties and responsibilities as a noble became more and more demanding”
“I see. Well anyways, what are we going to do now?”
“For starters, we will head back to Shander, accept one more quest then head to the Erstad Duchy. We’ll continue your training there. At least if we’re there it will be safe from prying eyes” Amelia told her as she rose to her feet, dusting herself off and then extending her hand to Sharon
“Alright then. But are we going now?” Sharon asked as she got to her feet
“We will have to go to the adventurer’s guild again. See if there is an update to your stats and if there’s no change, accept one more quest, finish it, then we pack our things and make for home” Amelia repeated
“Cool. but mind if we stop by my place on the way? It has been a while since I last saw my family, I miss them” Sharon voiced with a hint of sadness as she envisioned her family’s smiling faces in her mind.
“Sure. why not?” Amelia replied.
The two of them then began walking back to Shander, Amelia storing most of her things away in her item box while Sharon packed up her armor and her large bag. The sight from the mountain was breathtaking as they saw the lush green-covered mountain ranges that stretched into the far north, with the exception of the mountain range blasted to bits and ash by Amelia last time. From their vantage point, they also saw the town in the distance, with the largest buildings looking so small to them, even Amelia with her enhanced eyesight could see people coming and going from the town, while Sharon could only make out small silhouettes in the distance.
“Are you sure you wish to leave this all behind?” Sharon asked as they continued their descent, her eyes on the town.
Stopping in her tracks and facing her friend behind her, Amelia’s expression turned serious and resolute, Sharon too stopped as she locked eyes with her best friend.
“Yes. yes, I am. This empire is about to crumble from the inside with Visnet in charge, and the church is as corrupt as it can be with Jacon being the next pope. I will not stay here and subject myself to their whims. I will get everyone I and she cares about out and safely away. And besides. Wherever she goes, I will follow” she answered her friend, a fire in her eyes could be seen.
“And besides, shouldn’t I be the one to ask you that question? Miss Heiress to the largest producer for the Imperial Market? Are you sure you wish to leave this all behind?” Amelia added mischievously
“Haha very funny. And….Yeah. I am, to an extent. Sure I have made many friends here and there, and I love the atmosphere provided by the many cities and towns. But it is as you said, the political winds are shifting and me and my family do not like where it is going. Plus I have to go with my mother to the Kingdom of June and be the next Crown Princess. Which is weird, I never really thought of myself as the regal type” Sharon replied with a wry smile
“I think you’ll fit in just fine, to be honest” Amelia voiced as she continued to descend
“Why?”
“Well for starters you have amazing social skills. You made everyone like you when we were back in the academy”
“They just wanted to get close to me to curry favor”
“You are really smart considering you had the best grades in class”
“Those are the one’s not related to adventuring. Plus I am pretty sure you and Ophelia were not trying at all in our final year”
“You are really kind and caring to those who are closest to you”
“That’s something everyone does”
“And humble to those who give you compliments. Although that part can be a bit annoying as you brush off even your achievements”
Sharon stayed silent at that final comment, looking at the back of Amelia’s head and making a resigned expression as she agreed with she said comment in her mind.
“And the last thing, you know how hard it is for both sides when it comes to nobility and commoners.
What do you mean?” Sharon asked as she raised an eyebrow at the statement
“Well, you told me in the academy that whenever you have free time at home you volunteer to help the farmers in their fields”
“That was before, nowadays whenever I’m home I have to take care of Yulen and Yulan”
“True, but you did spend time with the farmers did you not? Learning how to perform their jobs and learning the hardship that comes with it”
“That. that is true. I did learn those things”
“And thanks to that experience, you know exactly how most of us commoners have it. How hard our lives are compared to you nobles. Something I can see as helpful when you go to the Kingdom of June, considering they have a lot of rural communities and coastal folk”
“Hmm”
“Well, there are other factors but I’m too lazy to list them. And wha-?”
But before Amelia could finish her sentence, she felt a sudden shift in the wind and a slight ringing could be heard in the distance that was rapidly getting louder and closer,
“What the?” Sharon exclaimed,
Her best friend’s exclamation made Amelia turn her head and seeing that a flower trinket hanging on her utility belt give off a bright glow,
PWOOM!
CATCH!
{!}
CATCH! CATCH!
“Yulen?! Yulan?!”
“Sister!”
“Turner?!”
“My lady”
The flower trinket broke off the chain it was being held by, lifting up into the sky before turning into three golden orbs that quickly took the form of one large person and two smaller, ones. The large person landed in Amelia’s arms and Sharon acted quickly and caught the two smaller figures. When the golden light subsided, both of them were surprised by who had just arrived, an elderly man in a butler outfit, and two five-year-old twins who were on the verge of crying.
“What are the two of you doing here?” Sharon asked as she set her siblings down, concern on her face as she wiped away their tears,
“Hnng. Mother and Father…” Yulen cried
“Scary dragon man came….hnngg” Yulan added
“Huh? What do you mean”
“Hrgg. a dragonking my lady” Turner answered the confused Sharon
{!}
“What was the color of the dragonkin?” Amelia asked as she helped the elderly butler stand upright
“He had crimson scales, he was wearing a tribal robe used by the Götterdämmerung clan and he had unusual purple hair”
{!}
“Amelia…”
“Yeah. Fuck.”
“The scary dragon man said he was there to..to..bwern our home” Yulan said as she clung to her sister
“Yeah! He said hee wanted to bwern our home” Yulen added as he too clung to her
“What about mother? What about father? What about everyone?!” Sharon asked as she turned to the elderly butler
“They ordered me to escape with young Yulen and Yulan. The last I saw was them about to fight”
“Will mother and father be ok?” Yulen asked as he looked up to her
“Will they?” Yulan added
“Yes, of course. Mother and father are strong, don’t worry” Sharon reassured them
“Kier you petty bastard” Sharon growled as she held her siblings close to her, removing the top parts of her armor to make sure they didn't get cut on it.
“I…I’m sorry” Amelia apologized as she bowed her head
“It’s not your fault Amelia. That bastard had me in his sights ever since I repeatedly humiliated him in the academy” Sharon replied with a cold expression
“Excuse me but what did you do to this fellow my lady?” Turner asked
“The academy hosted two tournaments every semester the summer and winter tournaments. Students would be required to join as a way to gauge their skills, and throughout my entire time there I defeated Kier every. single. time. we were paired” Sharon answered an angry glint in her eye
“Usually a student who had been humiliated repeatedly in the tournament would decide to just let it go or just accept that someone was better than them. But Kier being a dragonkin was too prideful to do that. Which I assume is why he is acting out now” Amelia added as she leaned against a tree
“Petty bastard. I’ll rip his wings out for this” Sharon growled, making her siblings flinch,
“I’m sorry” she quickly reassured them as she held them tightly to her chest.
“Turner can you tell me exactly what happened” She ordered as she turned to him
“He made his intentions very clear my lady. He wants her” Turner replied as he gestured to a surprised Amelia
“What do you mean?” Sharon asked, dumbfounded
“He told us he wanted to know her location. Saying that your family knew where she was since you were with her” Turner replied
“That doesn't make sense” Amelia muttered
“They have tracking magic on me, so why would he…” Amelia trailed off before her expression turned into rage and her clenched fists began to shake
“Visnet” Sharon finished her thought.
“That manipulative snake!”
BAM!
CREEAK!
THUD!
Amelia shouted as she punched a nearby tree, snapping it in two, much to the twins and Turner’s amazement
“That bastard wants to isolate me, remove anyone who has sort of power. He can’t go after the duchy thanks to the Emperor so instead he went after your family. A family that hasn’t joined his side. FUCK!” Amelia continued as she grabbed another tree trunk and began punching it repeatedly, the bark breaking under every blow
“I…I’m sorry” Amelia apologized once again as she slowed down. Her knees weak as the weight of everything dawned on her, making her kneel down and cover her face
“Like I said, it’s not your fault” Sharon replied, standing up, holding her siblings in each hand, walking over to her best friend
“Kier would have come for me sooner or later, regardless of what Visnet might’ve said to him. And don’t worry, remember? We all knew that there were trials ahead, and this is one of them. Granted I don’t like that it came like this. At least I know who I’m fighting and who is going to pay for all of this. So please, don’t be like that, what I need right now is my SS-Rank best friend who can help me get rid of that bastard once and for all”
“Thanks. Your right. Alright, let’s do this” Amelia gave a small smile as she stood back up, hugging Sharon briefly
“Give it to me straight. Can I beat him?” Sharon asked
“He should be around Lance’s level in power, but given the fact that he is a dragonkin where they have regenerative abilities. I give you a 60/40. It will be tough, but I know you’ll win” Amelia answered as she dusted herself off
“Not good enough. I want a 100% chance I beat him. I want to dominate his petty ass and make sure he can never threaten me or anyone ever again”
“I understand that. That’s why I have an idea”
“Oh? And what would that be?”
“The <Blessing> known as <Dragon Slayer> apparently it was used by the 1st Saintess when she had to fight a dragon. Should be more than enough for you”
“I want more, I want him to see that no matter what he does, his attacks will never hurt me. I want to shatter his pride and make him face reality”
“Hmm..that’s a tricky one. There are several I can think of. But I guess I’ll just give you all of them”
“Right. Umm, children, can you stand over there for a moment” Amelia asked the twins who were still clinging to their sister
“Yulen, Yulan. Listen to your big sister Amelia, stand over there with Turner it will only be just a moment”
““Ok”” both of them answered as they wobbled over to the elderly butler.
“Alright, here we go” Amelia stated as she rubbed her hands together before aiming her palms at her best friend
‘<Blessing of the Dragon Slayer> <Blessing of the Divine Weapon Maker> <Blessing of the Damned> <Blessing of the Saintess> <Blessing of the Chosen>’ she thought as she focused Holy Magic into her hands and blasted it into her friend, in the form of a large stream of golden light.
“Oh wow, oh wow! Oh yeah!” Sharon exclaimed with delight as she felt a surging force fill her, checking her stats she saw the blessing that was being granted
Blessing of the Dragon Slayer [Damage against Dragons and Dragonkin are increased and are guaranteed to be fatal]
Blessing of the Divine Weapon Maker [Weapons wielded by the user are given <Blessed> attribute, increasing their damage and making them <Indistructable>. Hits from these weapons nullify <Regeneration> and other passive healing abilities. ]
Blessing of the Damned [All fatal hits on the user are nullified. The user is able to use skill <Dead Man’s Present> is available for 12 Hours]
Dead Man’s Present [A magic bomb is bound to the target chosen by the user, if the user is killed, it is activated. Can be remotely activated or set with a timer. The user can set rules that can set off the bomb]
Blessing of the Saintess [When a fatality is ensured on the user, skills <Regeneration> and <Saintess Boost> are activated to keep the user alive until health arrives at a point where the user can survive. Can block <Appraisal> skill. Can be deactivated by the user if the user wishes]
Saintess Boost [All stats of the user are increased a hundredfold]
Blessing of the Chosen [All magic used by the user is increased a hundredfold]
“Damn that is some impressive blessings, some of them even make sure I don’t die” Sharon remarked as the golden light subsided.
“Well, you wanted that. And I provide”
“That you do, that you do. Well, I guess we should head out now. Considering that the bastard most likely has my family hostage. And I don’t want to give him a chance to harm them anymore than he should” Sharon added as she began strapping her armor back on
“True. but I want you to take some time practicing with those blessings for a moment, if you go in recklessly then those blessings while keeping you alive, won’t be used to their full potential. I can only keep those up for 12 whole hours so I think we can spare an hour or two”
“Yeah. but my parents?” Sharon reiterated
“You needn’t worry about them my lady” Turner chimed in as he held a crystal ball in his hand
“What do you mean?” She asked as she looked at him
“I have been informed that they are safe, they are currently with the rest of the staff and the remainder of the knights in what remains of the stables” He answered as he handed her the crystal ball
“Mother! Father!” Sharon cried as she saw the image of her parents, bruised and bandaged, but still alive
““Mother! Father!”” The twins also cried as they huddled next to their big sister and saw the same thing she did.
“My babies! Thank Goddess your safe!” Ilena cried as she saw her three children
“Are you all alright there?! Where are you?” Pyotr asked as he leaned on his wife,
“We’re fine. We are in the mountains near Shander” Sharon answered her worried parents
“GASP but that’s so far! Is that where you’ve been training this whole time?” Ilena asked
“Yes mother. But I have grown stronger, I am confident I can beat that dragonkin bastard right now and-”
“No!” Pyotr cut her off before she could finish
“No?” Sharon repeated
“Don’t come here. I don’t want you to be in danger. That dragonkin wants your friend so let’s just give her to him. I don’t wish to risk you”
“But father I-”
“I don’t care! I will not permit you to sacrific-”
BAM!
“oW!” Pyotr cried as he rubbed the back of his head
“You big idiot!” Ilena yelled, making everyone and her children look with confusion
“You really think he just wants her friend?!”
“Well yeah I-”
“Did you forget the part where he burned down the manor?!”
“No I-”
“Then what makes you think he just wants her friend!? It's obvious that he wants our daughter as well!”
Pyotr’s face fell as he understood what Ilena had told her before he remembered that the dragonkin was asking where her daughter and her friend were.
“Sorry” Pyotr muttered apologetically
“I understand your concern honey, and I assure you Sharon does too. But now is not the time to think that she can’t handle herself. She has been training for months for this, remember?” she continued as she stroked her husband’s head
“Right. Right, she has”
“Sharon what’s your rank right now?” Ilena asked as she turned back to the crystal ball
“We were about to head to the adventurer’s guild to check, then Yulen, Yulan and Turner showed up”
“Alright. Miss Amelia, what level do you think my daughter is?” Ilena asked the girl she assumed was there since the only thing she could see at the moment were her children
“By the power she has now. A solid S-Rank” Amelia answered as she took the crystal ball after being offered it by Sharon
“I see. Please check her stats then if she is still not strong enough, train her until sunset. Then come back here”
“It will be done Lady Halfriva” Amelia answered
“Thank you. And while you are there, Sharon. Keep an eye on your siblings, don’t worry about me and your father, it looks like he is content with just staying by the burning manor”
“Please. Keep my family safe Miss Amelia” Pyotr chimed
“I will, so please be at ease Duke Halfriva” Amelia answered
“Alright. Yulen, Yulan. Listen to your big sister ok?” Ilena told them
““Yes Mother”” the twins answered
“Good. Turner, teleport back here, we need you to help organize everyone” Pyotr added
“At once my lord”
“See you all later, and goodbye” Ilena and Pyotr bid farewell as their image disappeared from the ball.
“Right. I will be going too my lady”
“Stay safe Turner, we will be back by sunset” Sharon told him as he took back the crystal ball
“See you then my lady”
VWSIH!
And with a small motion, Turner disappeared in a vortex of yellow light, leaving nothing from where he was standing.
“Alright with all of that out of the way, let’s get moving” Amelia stated as she turned to the siblings,
“Your right, let’s go. Yulen, Yulan. Do you want big sister to carry you?” Sharon asked the twins, the question making their faces light up
““YES”” Both of them shouted as they held up their arms, before being scooped up by their sister who held them close
“You want me to take your bag?” Amelia asked
“No, no need. I’m fine with this” Sharon replied with a smile as she kissed her siblings each on the cheek.
“I see, well. Let’s get going. Oh and before I forget, I will remove the blessings for now, don’t want the readings to be tampered by them”
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Reaching the adventurer’s guild in Shander. The four of them found themselves waiting in line as there were many other adventurers lining up for the reception desk. Some of the adventurers in line kept glancing at Amelia with some of them recognizing who she was the last time she had made a scene, others were glancing at Sharon who was simply chatting with her siblings who bombarded her with questions on what she has been up to. Her voice and smile soothed them and gave them a sense of warmth and safety. Also giving Sharon ease of mind as she held her two siblings close to her.
As they reached the reception desk, the harpy receptionist Yleta and the wolf beastkin Amari greeted the Halfriva siblings with a smile,
“I would like to ask for a review of my rank” Sharon stated as she looked at the receptionist duo
“I see. Would you please hand over your guild card and place your hand on this crystal please” Amari answered as she brought out a clear-colored crystal and placed it on the desk
“Alright. One moment, Yulen, Yulan, stay with big sister Amelia for the moment” Sharon said as she put down the twins who nodded at her instructions and wobbled to Amelia’s side.
She then pulled out a white card with her information encased in a clear crystal casing and handed it over, before placing her hand on the crystal on the desk.
“Ok. please keep your hand on the crystal until told otherwise, it will sting a bit so please be prepared for that” Amari added as she took the card and brought out a cable that she plugged into the crystal and into the card casing
“Alright. Please channel some magical energy into the crystal until I say otherwise” Amari instructed as she kept her eyes on two items.
“Alright” Sharon answered as she focused
HUMMMMMM
{!}
“GNNGH”
“Please keep it going miss” Amari told her as she noticed Sharon flinch
“Right, right”
HUMMMMMMMM
As Sharon poured more and more energy into the crystal, it gave a small hum and it shifted from clear, to gray, then to blue, then red then finally green. The glow of the crystal shifting from bright to dim to bright again before finally settling on a stable glow as it turned green.
“Alright, you can stop now miss. Please wait in the cafeteria for now as I process the results and input them onto your card” Amari instructed with a smile as she took the crystal and card and disappeared into the door behind her
Sharon, satisfied, followed the instructions and made her way back to Amelia,
“So? How’d it go?” Amelia asked as she was carrying the twins before handing them over to their sister
“Well, they told me to wait. They’re currently processing it, so why don’t we wait over by the cafeteria? Grab some food for myself and the two of them” Sharon replied as she received the two of them.
“Yulen, Yulan. What do you guys want to eat?” she asked them with a smile
““Sweet Rolls!”” both of them answered with delight as they smiled at her
“Err…what if there are none?” Sharon asked with a wry smile
“Ummu…what would sister like?” Yulan asked
“Yeah. if sister likes it then maybe we do too!” Yulen added
“Hmm. I usually eat, VEGETABLES ohohhoohhoh” Sharon answered, causing her siblings to shiver in fear at her words
““NOOOO”” both of the twins shouted as she playfully rubbed her head on theirs, cackling as she did so.
“Fufufufu, you don’t like your vegetables hmm. That’s bad. You won’t be able to grow into a strong person like me” Sharon told them
““GASP NOO, WE DON’T WANT THAT!”” The two of them answered her, tears in their eyes
“Ok ok, no need to cry both of you” Sharon told them as she wiped away their tears.
“Let’s go get you those sweet rolls then. I believe they're selling some” She added as she began walking towards the cafeteria,
‘Hmm. she really is a different person when her siblings are around’ Amelia thought as she followed behind them
Getting a table while the siblings went over to the counter to order, Amelia noticed a lot of eyes on her, using her Holy Magic spell <Intention Clarification> she was able to read the thoughts and intentions of those eying her, some of them ranged from admiration of her beauty to trying to get close to her for money and bets. But two particularly caught her attention, one was from a man draped in a cloak sitting by the counter, his intention was to shadow her and find out what she was doing here and afterward eliminate her, while another. Being a lone adventurer sitting on a table behind her, was to eliminate her and bring her head before his leader.
‘Vermin’ she thought as she sent a telepathic message to Sharon
‘I’m going to remove some vermin following me’
‘I understand. Do you want some sweet roles after?’
‘Save me two. I’ll pay you when I get back’
After ending her chat, she rose from her seat, seeing the twins scurry back to secure the table, she gave each one a pat on the head and went out of the guild, and sure enough, a few moments after she left, the two who had conflicting goals rose up from their seats and exited the guild in search of her.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Amelia wandered about for a few moments, noticing that the two of them were right behind her, although on different paths with the man in the cloak stalking from the rooftops, while the adventurer was simply walking behind her, they were still following her which was a good thing.
‘Let’s see if you can keep up’ she thought as she quickly bolted into a nearby alley, causing the two to quicken their own pace and dash into the same alley,
The two chasers landed in the same alley and both recognized one another as fellow bounty hunters, which didn’t surprise Amelia who was still in the alley, hiding right next to one of the pipes and covered by her invisibility spell.
‘Hmm. let’s not drag this on for too long, I have more pressing matters to attend to’ she thought as she unsheathed her daggers, looking for the precise time to strike
“So you're here to kill that girl huh?” The man in the cloak asked
“Yup. a certain client of mine wants her dead, and you?” The adventurer answered with a smirk
“Same. My client wants her dead. Something about her being the “Saintess” an affront to their religion or some shit”
“Oh? My client never talked about her being the Saintess. Shame really, but hey do you want to split the corpse?”
“I take her body, you take the head?”
“Exactly”
“An interesting proposition” Amelia told them
{!}
SCHWING! SCWHING!
GLUKK CLRRUKK
In two swift swings, Amelia sliced their throats. Clean and deep cuts drew out pools of blood, with neither of them being able to do anything as their vision turned to black
“Unfortunately for the two of you” Amelia said as she sheathed her daggers
“I don’t plan on dying anytime soon” she finished as she began making her way back to the adventurer’s guild,
“Just to make sure no one finds your bodies” she muttered as she blasted the bodies with <Holy Fire> to make sure no one could find anything left, knowing that the spell left no ashes
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Back in the guild, Amelia saw that the siblings were enjoying the food, they had ordered. The twins were enjoying two kiddy meals consisting of some marinated roasted meat and steamed vegetables, and a pair of sweet rolls for the two of them to share meanwhile Sharon had ordered a a larger version of what her siblings were eating, chomping down on a mutton before eating a spoonful of vegetables, and on her part of the table was two pair of sweet rolls on a plate.
“I’m back” Amelia told them as she sat back down, picking up one of the sweet rolls and taking a bite, enjoying the goey frosting
“So. you good?” Sharon asked as she took another bite from her meal
“Yep. what about your card?”
“Take a look at this” Sharon said excitedly as she pulled out her card,
Taking the card into her hand, Amelia smiled as she saw
Name: Sharon Halfriva
Race: Human
Age: 20
Power Rank: S-Rank
Date Joined: Hruvet 3rd 1016
Date of Expiration: Hruvet 3rd 1021
(A/N: Pondering whether to make 12 fantasy-sounding months to replace the usual January, February etc. let me know if I should or naw)
“Good. now that we know you are for certain S-Rank. We will spend the entire afternoon training, with and without the blessings” Amelia told her with a smile
“I understand. But can I take an hour to sleep first, Yulen and Yulan also need to rest”
“I understand. Don’t worry, we have until sunset to do this anyway, it’s currently 1:00 in the afternoon, so by 2:30 we will start training”
“Thanks”
As the four of them enjoyed their lunch, the skies above the empire began to come together, bringing a cloudy atmosphere to the entire nation as the day was far from over.
A/N: And we are back baby! granted it will be at a slower pace thanks to school, but hey an update is an update. anyways I hope you enjoy the chapter and I hope you continue to enjoy the series! thanks for reading and I will see you all in the next update! stay safe!