After that I had a lighter conversation with Alister. He told me a bit about their life in the village. Farming was hard work. While the Empire used mages to prevent droughts and eradicate pests, the fields were still tended to by people. And nobody provided them with any magical tools either. In my own county I would need to look into ways to change that.

I continued to eat my way through the buffet and eventually reached the dessert. Lily made something like chocolate brownies. They were less sweet than I expected but had a glaze that tasted like oranges. I liked them.

People kept drinking and were in a good mood. Normal beer had very little effect on me, because of my high constitution. But I did have some dwarven whisky. I shared it with Lucy and both of us got slightly drunk.

At some point Myla, one of the new recruits, approached us. She seemed a bit tipsy. “Um… could you give us a fighting demonstration?” She asked.

“RECRUIT! That is not the way you address your superiors!” Iris shouted.

“Yes ma’am! Sorry Ma’am!” She squeaked.

“It’s fine.” Lucy said. “What do you say, shall we spar?” She asked me.

“Sure, it could be fun.”

We decided to use our proper weapons but no magic.

“Go big sis!” Ben cheered. “Wait, you are both big sis now. Who do I cheer for?” Ben scratched his head.

“You cheer for blood!” Shani suggested.

“No. There won’t be any blood, right?” Lynn asked.

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“We heal quickly.” I shrugged.

“It’s fine mom!” Lucy said.

We chose a spot slightly away from the festivities. My sword had less reach than Lucy’s spear but I was a lot better. With the fighting knowledge I had gained when entering this world I was essentially a sword master. Lucy only had the training of a normal soldier. In most fights her sheer physical power and speed made all the difference. But now she was fighting an equal.

Our strength and speed were surprisingly close. We might have caused a slight bit of destruction when we clashed. But we made sure that neither the farm, nor the feast, got damaged. In the end my skill prevailed. I scored multiple hits on Lucy. Nothing that really hurt her of course. This was just a friendly spar.

When we stopped I realised that two trees were cut down and we were standing in a small crater.

“Did we overdo it?” I wondered.

“Nah. Nothing important got hit.” Lucy said. “You are way too good with a sword. Next time I need to try fighting as a fox. I am stronger that way I think.”

A lot of stares and open mouths greeted us. The recruits were really impressed.

“Are you alright?” Lynn asked, concerned.

“Just scratches that are already healed.” Lucy assured her. “But I could go for more food now.”

“That is the spirit! How is the grill? Do we have more meat?” I asked.

“There is plenty of meat left.” Minerva said and went to the grill.

By now it was already getting dark. Everyone had finished eating a while ago, but there was no reason to not start again!

“You were so fast! And so strong! Dad is so slow at felling trees. Can I do that too when I grow up?” Ben asked.

“If you train hard!” Lucy said. That was not really the truth though. Lucy’s power and transformation into a kitsune came from her pact. I suppose I could make Ben a warlock too when he grew up. Or maybe we could give him power another way? He was still young.

“Yay! We will slaughter so many things together when I am big!” Ben announced. He picked up a stick and stabbed some imaginary enemies.

“He is sooo adorable!” Shani said.

“He certainly has a lot of energy.” I observed.

Lily picked up a stick herself and was now fencing with Ben. Lynn was fussing over Lucy. My girlfriend tried to prove her durability by cutting herself with a magical dagger and showcasing the increased healing. I was not sure if that was a great way to convince your mother.

“That was a great demonstration.” Iris said. “Your swordsmanship is impressive, my lady. I am sure it will inspire the recruits.”

“Thanks.” It was nice to be praised by someone with a lot of combat experience.

The party continued and I enjoyed some more flaming buffalo. Lily conjured small balls of fire and was juggling them. Ben loved it.

We all had a good time. Eventually people started getting tired. Ben was the first to sleep and soon his parents followed. Slowly the feast was coming to an end. We did not want to crowd Alister and Lynn’s home so we simply camped outside. It also provided us with more privacy.

I snuggled with Lucy and fell asleep in her arms. Life was good and I was happy.