Despite the volatile atmosphere, I met her gaze with a calm and steady one of my own. I couldn't afford to look weak; otherwise, she wouldn't take me seriously. It was clear, however, that Seraphina was teetering on the brink of lashing out. I had hoped that my unwavering resolve would encourage her to rethink her actions, but it seemed to be having the opposite effect.

Unable to contain her fury any longer, she sprang from her seat, her worn blade slicing through the air toward me. The patrons gasped, scrambling to put distance between themselves and our table. I remained seated, carefully monitoring her movements. Her attack was fast, but it was also predictable. Her anger had compromised her precision, giving me the advantage I needed.

Just as her blade neared me, I swiftly lifted my gloved hand, capturing the blade mid-strike. A gasp echoed through the cafe as the patrons stared in disbelief. The friction between my glove and the dull sword produced a screeching sound, but I didn't flinch. Instead, I applied more pressure, gritting my teeth as I felt the metal begin to bend and warp. Thankfully having Umbra as a glove was the right call however the pressure still hurt like hell.

With a final, resounding crack, the sword shattered, the pieces clattering to the ground. The room fell silent, the only sound being the echo of the broken sword hitting the wooden floor.

Seraphina stood there, her arm still extended in the attack position, her hand clutching the hilt of what was now just a broken sword. There was no shock in her wide, hazel eyes as they flickered between me and the shattered blade. Her breath hitched, her grip on the hilt slackening as the reality of the situation sank in.

I broke the silence with a slow clap. It was, without a doubt, not her best strike. She was probably looking down on me, but I wasn't complaining. "Haha, you nearly broke my wrist," I exclaimed.

I sighed, releasing my grip on what was left of the blade. I enjoyed this. Intimidating people wasn't my style, but the reactions when they underestimated me were glorious. Seraphina had left me no choice. I needed to show her that I wasn't an enemy and that she couldn't intimidate me.

"Your brother is your soft spot, huh?" I said, my voice calm but stern. "Don't worry, I have no intentions of using that against you. I'm not trying to be your enemy."

Seraphina stared at me. She seemed to still be on edge, but with her sword broken, she probably wouldn't attack me again. Her protective instincts had put her on the defensive, and I couldn't blame her. But it was time for her to see the bigger picture. It was time for her to calm down.

"If you want to protect your brother, Seraphina, you need to start by trusting those who want to help you. You can't rely solely on your own abilities yet," I said, meeting her gaze firmly. "Let me reiterate, I want to help you enroll in the Academy."

Her eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering like a live wire. "You want to help me?" she echoed, her tone laced with derision. "Why are you trying to help? What's your game?"

Her sharp skepticism wasn't surprising. After our tumultuous encounter, her trust wasn't going to be easily won. "You seem to be very difficult to convince. I'm merely fulfilling my part of the deal," I admitted, meeting her pointed gaze with a calm one of my own. "And as for my game... I enjoy working with your brother. Although he's a bit lazy, he's very helpful."

She scrutinized me, her gaze a probing laser. She seemed to be sizing me up, trying to decipher my motives. Eventually, her gaze fell to the broken sword in her hand, her fingers tightening around the hilt. A weary sigh escaped her lips, her shoulders sagging slightly as if the weight of the world was pressing down on them. "And how exactly do you plan on doing that?" she demanded, her voice barely above a whisper. "We're neck-deep in debt, and it's practically impossible to pay it."

Her words tugged at my empathy. It was clear that she was dealing with too much for her age. "You say it's practically impossible to pay?," I said, reaching into my bag to pull out a pouch full of gold. "I have high expectations of your brother. His potential is one of a kind; investing a bit of gold is to be expected."

She stared at the money in my hand, her eyes scanning over it to confirm it was real. The shock on her face was apparent when she realized what she was holding. "This... this is an insane amount of money..." she stammered, her voice fraught with disbelief. "But... this isn't enough. The loan sharks don't allow us to pay more than a certain amount in order to gain more from interest."

"Is that so? Well, that is a problem," I countered with a smug grin. "You know what, why don't I ask someone to meet them? Why don't you tell me where they stay?"

She glared at me, her expression a tumultuous mix of disbelief and suspicion. She looked as if she was about to retort, but seemed to swallow down her words. Instead, she accepted the gold with a surprisingly gentle touch and tucked it away in her pocket, her hand lingering near the pocket as if she was afraid it might vanish.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

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"Alright, Ash, Desolara, and Seraphina, follow me," I instructed, leading the trio through the labyrinthine alleys of the bustling city. Ash, as usual, had an air of nonchalance about him, while Desolara walked with an intensity that contrasted his laid-back demeanor. Seraphina, on the other hand, wore an expression of guarded skepticism. She had just met us and was still trying to figure us out.

Ash, oblivious to the palpable tension, turned to me and asked, "Where exactly are we going, Kael? You asked me to bring Sis and Des along, but you didn't mention why."

"Ash, you ought to watch yourself. From what I can see, Desolara doesn't like being called 'Des'," I replied. Seriously, this kid needed to learn how to behave. I had been mistaken to believe he was mature. Desolara was clearly getting frustrated with Ash, and I couldn't really blame her.

"I don't mind if you call me Des, Kael," Desolara said, addressing me. "But dealing with Ash is testing my patience."

I glanced at him, then at the two women. Desolara's irritation was evident; her patience with Ash's carefree demeanor was wearing thin. Seraphina, too, seemed less than thrilled, her eyes flicking between Ash and me with a look of suspicion. I couldn't blame her; she cared for her brother a great deal.

"Patience, Ash," I responded, a smirk playing on my lips. "All in due time. And as for why Des and your sister are here...well, you'll see."

Desolara broke her silence then, her tone laced with frustration. "Honestly, Ash, your indifference is infuriating. You're always so...so...laid-back while I'm here, busting my ass for less pay than you."

I nodded in agreement. "I understand where you're coming from, Des," I said, using her preferred nickname. "And Seraphina," I turned to the younger woman, "I'm sorry to have brought you along, but I feel like it's necessary."

I led them further into the city until we reached our destination: a bustling marketplace teeming with vendors and customers. As we entered, I turned to Ash and Des, handed them a small pouch of money, and said, "We're here to shop. I want you both to pick out whatever you need or want." I walked up to Ash and whispered, "Help me out with Desolara. Help her get some good stuff, I don't want her holding back."

"You got it, Kael. Does that mean I don't have to hold back?" Ash asked.

"Don't you dare get anything unnecessary. If you do, I'll make sure to cut it out of your pay."

"Tsk, fine."

I shooed them away and walked up to Seraphina. "And you, come with me." Although Desolara and Ash were being paid, I felt the need to spoil them a bit. Desolara and Ash were both kids, no matter how mature they were. Letting them run around buying things should boost their dopamine levels.

Sera looked at me suspiciously. "Why do I need to follow you? I don't understand what you're aiming for."

"Ugh, come on. How could I just let you run around with a broken old sword? Since I'm the one who broke it, I'll buy you a new one."

Seraphina's brows furrowed as she glanced down at the shattered hilt of her old sword, a peculiar mix of wariness and curiosity glinting in her eyes. "And why should I trust you?" she asked, her voice soft but steady. "Why should I trust you to pick a weapon for me?"

I grinned, tilting my head to the side in a friendly manner. "Well, for one, I did manage to break your old one, didn't I?" I pointed out, my tone light and teasing. "And to be honest I wanted to browse through swords. Besides, you can pick the one you like. I'll just pay for it." I'm quite curious to see the difference between my sword and a basic sword.

I could tell she was still skeptical, her body language guarded and uncertain. "Alright," she finally said, "I'll follow you. But don't expect me to thank you."

"That's fair," I agreed, nodding approvingly. "You know, you dont have to hold your excitement back." She has obviously wanted to get a sword but could never afford one, I can see it all over her face, haha, think I she has quite an interesting personality.

As we navigated the busy marketplace, I could see Seraphina's eyes widening in amazement. She tried to hide it, but the wonderment was clear in her gaze as she took in the sights and sounds of the city. It was a stark contrast from the tense confrontation we had earlier. It reminded me that, despite her tough exterior, she was still a young woman experiencing new things, not that I'm any different.

We arrived at a bustling blacksmith's shop, the air thick with the aroma of burning coal and heated metal. The warmth of the forge embraced us, warding off the evening chill that had begun to seep into the city streets. A burly man, smudged with soot and sweat, acknowledged us with a friendly nod, his eyes twinkling with a craftsman's pride. The blacksmith, his muscular arms a testament to years of hard labor, welcomed us into his dominion filled with weapons of all sorts. I introduced Seraphina and explained our purpose - we were in search of a new sword. His eyes sparkled with a new intensity as he unveiled an array of blades for Seraphina's perusal. Yet, none of them seemed to catch the attention of the system, a rather disappointing outcome.

Seraphina, her expression focused and discerning, studied the weapons laid out before her. The orange glow from the forge danced in her eyes as she carefully picked up one sword after another, testing their weight and balance. Finally, her hand landed on a particular blade - a katana-like weapon, slightly longer than the usual ones I'd seen in anime. I observed as her eyes lit up, the subtle shift in her demeanor a clear indication that she'd found her match.

With the newly acquired sword securely sheathed and balanced over her shoulder, we left the blacksmith's shop. Its blade, still untarnished and gleaming under the fading sunlight, was a symbol of our successful trip. Seraphina was quiet, her gaze often drifting to her new weapon. But beneath her silence, I sensed a spark of contentment. As we navigated our way through the labyrinth of streets to rendezvous with Ash and Desolara, I broke the silence.

"Seraphina," I began, my voice steady, "you should visit the loan sharks to whom you owe money tomorrow. Afterward, ask Ash to bring you to my shop."

She remained silent for a long moment, her gaze cast on the cobblestone path beneath us. Then, in a voice barely louder than a whisper, she responded, "Thank you, Kael. I...I appreciate it. I'll make sure to visit them tomorrow."

Seraphina, undoubtedly, was a tough nut to crack. Her demeanor was prickly, her trust hard-earned. But I believed I could manage. I was genuinely looking forward to seeing how our relationship would unfold. I hope Zeke managed to deal with them without killing them as I asked him to.