The sound of something cutting through the air echoed at The Chalice’s backyard. The surroundings were unkempt, contrary to the main entrance at the opposite side, as it was littered with old furniture—sets of garden tables and chairs taken over by vines, and closed-up parasols.

It gave the sense that it had been used as a sort of open-air café at some point, but maybe even the skilled Raphael couldn’t manage everything by himself. For now, it was being used as a training ground for both Lilithra and Ascalon.

The girl was swinging her battle banner at the knight, trying her best to hit him. He avoided every attack with minimal movement, appraising Lilithra’s skill. She was wearing her usual clothing, except her hoodie was a sportier one, with the sleeves rolled up. Sweat glistened on the bare skin of her arms and legs, a few droplets descending down her face. She looked exhausted.

Ascalon took notice of her increasingly sluggish movements, and decided to let her catch her breath. “Let us rest for a moment.” He spoke with a gentle tone, smiling at the girl. She immediately fell to the floor, gasping for air. Despite the tired image she was conveying, her face showed a content smile.

“Whew… I haven’t… sweated like this in… a good while… not even against the… doggies!” She said wheezing, raising one of her arms and appraising how it trembled slightly. Her muscles were burning, but it felt nice.

Ascalon walked up to one of the dilapidated tables, where a few water bottles rested, some already empty. He grabbed an unopened one and brought it to Lilithra. “Thanks!” She exclaimed, taking the bottle and sitting up. She almost pried open the lid in a hurry, and gulped down the liquid in one go.

“Ah, I needed that!” Feeling refreshed, she let out a cheerful voice. Ascalon chuckled, and extended a hand to the girl. She blushed a bit and grabbed it, feeling her body being lifted effortlessly by the knight.

She let go and breathed in and out slowly, then shot a determined gaze to Ascalon. He nodded, and walked back a few steps. “This time I won’t dodge, Lady Lilithra.” He said suddenly, as his t-shirt disappeared into his inventory.

Lilithra opened her eyes wide, feeling shocked at his words and blushing at the sight of his bare chest.

“Huh?! Y-your s-shirt… I mean! I-I don’t want to hit you!” Lilithra protested, looking conflicted and somewhat curious. But Ascalon shook his head.

“I apologize, I took off my clothing so it won’t get damaged. You need to connect some hits to get more accustomed to the feeling. I saw you wavered with the wolves, and as thankful as I am for that, I know it’s bad for your growth, Lady Lilithra.” He stated, and Lilithra bit her lip in shame, knowing he was right.

Although she managed to hit and take down some of the wolves back at the dungeon, she hesitated whenever a hit struck its target. She realized how hard it was to strike at a creature that didn’t resemble a monster, showing how inexperienced she still was.

She gathered her resolve, and nodded, as Ascalon’s voice rang. “Begin!” He declared with a firm tone, resuming their training.

Lilithra lunged at him, charging with her banner in both hands pointing forward. She steeled herself, and struck the knight with a thrusting motion. The banner hit his abdomen, and she felt her arms go numb.

“Wha-?!” She let out a surprised sound as her weapon bounced back, staggering her for a moment. Lilithra felt as if she had just struck a rock, but Ascalon’s gaze seemed to urge her to keep going.

Leaving her befuddlement behind, she moved her arms in a horizontal arc to the left, and then swung his banner in the opposite direction. This time, she struck with the right end of the cross-shaped banner, and it felt different. Ascalon had taken note of his toughness, and decided to relax his muscles as much as he could.

Now it actually felt like she was hitting a living being, though the blade still didn’t penetrate his flesh. Although she didn’t want to hurt him, she felt annoyed somehow. Prompted by her desire to prove herself, she inhaled as much air as she could, and unleashed a chaotic barrage of swings and thrusts.

“Hiyyaa!!!”She let out a battle cry to pump herself up, as wind began to blow around her due to the whirlwind of attacks. Though erratic at first, her movements were slowly becoming more precise and stronger.

Ascalon stared at her meticulously, trying to hide his disbelief. Her growth was astounding; he was witnessing her improvement in real-time at an incredibly fast rate. He recalled how her stats also increased a lot when she had leveled up, and thought that maybe she was some sort of prodigy.

But as he was pondering about that, Lilithra’s arms gave out, the banner falling to the floor with a clank. She stumbled forward and fell into his arms, hugging him to avoid collapsing. Her face was completely red, partly because of her exertion and also the fact it was now pressed firmly against his bare chest.

He was a bit taken aback, worry overcoming his senses, as he held her up and pried her from his chest—a weird, sticky sound accompanying the movement due to her sweaty skin.

“Sorry! I n-need… A bit of… rest.” She blurted out, embarrassed by the situation. She kneeled and sat on the ground, heaving again. She was a bit ashamed of her stamina.

“I’m… so weak… haha… ugh…” Lilithra looked really crestfallen, but Ascalon smiled gently and reassured her.

“Do not worry about such matters. Gods’ blessings aside, when I started training, I was but a frail boy.” The girl looked at him with curiosity, listening intently between her panting.

Ascalon reminisced about arduous training days, harsh discipline, and despair at his own frailness and doubts.

“I knew nothing about fighting, and my masters were unforgiving. I try not to follow in their footsteps, though.” He admitted with a soft chuckle, and Lilithra sighed in relief. He wasn’t exactly spartan, but his current strictness was good enough for her. Any more severe and she would crumble!

“But I did my very best. I trained day after day, came rain or snow, even throughout the night if my trainers deemed it necessary. My will was tested several times, haha!” He laughed, and she smiled softly. One would think such memories wouldn’t warrant a laugh, but she realized the fondness he felt for these times.

He recomposed himself, and gestured with her palm for her to wait. He went to fetch some water once again, bringing it to her. Her smile widened, as her cheeks blushed a bit more. She refreshed herself, drinking slowly, as Ascalon spoke again.

“What matters most is perseverance! You already have a clear and noble goal, Lady Lilithra, and I am certain it is taking your growth to greater heights!” He talked with enthusiasm, and she felt encouraged.

He always managed to motivate her, though she was unaware she did the same for him, all the time. “Ready to continue?” He asked with a bold smile, and she nodded with determination.

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“Yes, Master!” Master?! The suddenness of such a title startled him deeply, and she blushed slightly at her own words. But she felt it was fitting to call him so… after all, she had been meaning to find another way to refer to him, just like she called Selorien ‘Selly’.

It wasn’t as endearing a nickname as she hoped for, but it would suffice for the time being. She knew she was the only one that would address him that way, and that was good enough for her. She also wanted to see Selly’s reaction to it!

They were about to resume the training, when Ascalon noticed she was still breathing heavily, her face reddening not subduing. He picked up on her subtle movements, seeing how she shifted in her hoodie, visibly uncomfortable. How had he missed that? Guilt assailed him, realizing she had to be enduring additional heat under her hoodie, possibly to hide her horns—maybe because of him.

He deliberated within himself, his expression a torn one. Lilithra quickly noticed, and tilted her head worriedly. “Are you okay, Ascalon?” Her voice pierced through, once again, and he felt his chest tingle, a raging emotion overcoming him. How? How could she, even in that situation, still care for him above her own well-being?

How much had she endured? Hiding, behind that hoodie, that barrier that seemingly served as her safe space. He wanted to be worthy. Worthy of her trust, for her to not worry about her appearance when in his presence. He clenched his fists tight, resolving himself, a light shining deeply in his core.

He adopted a more suitable expression, a reassuring smile on his face, and voiced his thoughts. “You should take off the hood if you feel uncomfortable, Lady Lilithra—I gather the heat is hindering your movements.” At his words, her eyes widened, a mix of panic and surprise taking over her visage.

She grabbed the hood with both hands and pulled it down slightly, hiding her face a bit more, her gaze remaining on the knight.

He could see her trembling, yellow eyes, filled with doubt. It must have been a harsh request, but he wasn’t going to back down. “Please.” He pleaded with a soft expression, the most gentle he could ever muster.

Lilithra hesitated, but slowly let go of her hoodie. Then, after a couple of seconds that felt like an eternity, her hoodie banished into her inventory.

Her long, red hair danced in the wind, her horns now in plain view. She trembled slightly under his gaze still, her face showing anticipation and a hint of fear. Ascalon’s stare didn’t waver. This time, the discomfort of seeing her horns was fiercely overridden, by a stronger, all-encompassing feeling: acceptance.

He felt liberated, somehow, as if a shackle embedded in his heart had been undone, and smiled warmly at the girl. “That is much better, isn’t it?” She seemed shocked, as if expecting a different reaction altogether, and her eyes shimmered with emotion as she nodded happily.

“Yeah… thank you, uhm, Master…” Her face reddened as she stumbled over the word. She had decided on using it, but boy did it sound awkward! Still, she was determined to get used to it… for better or worse.

They both readied themselves once again, a newfound, refreshing feeling washing over Lilithra as she smiled happily. She too felt liberated, and enjoyed the feeling of baring her true form, so to say, to the knight. She felt it was a good time to put her hair in a ponytail, now that her hoodie wasn’t there to keep the mess in check.

They spent the next few hours repeating the same training, as Lilithra’s handle on her weapon steadily increased. Her knowledge about fighting also grew as Ascalon gave her pointers: Things like the best angles to strike in order to save stamina or deal more damage, body movements to watch for to anticipate certain attacks, the advantages of her longer reach, how the cloth of the banner could be used as a distraction, and using terrain to her benefit—advice born from years of experience.

The results of her training also showed up in the form of new levels, as she had surprisingly leveled up twice—a quite unexpected event, since it was just training, but they couldn’t really dwell on it much amidst their tiredness. Maybe it was her conviction pulling through!

Ascalon himself basked in her determination, his resolution to help her filling his chest with warmth. As time passed, she reached her limits, the afternoon light already settled in. They both sat on the ground near the tables’ area, above cracked tiles that had let the grass grow freely.

Ascalon had put on his t-shirt again and was sitting cross-legged, facing Lilithra. Despite his straight posture and the firm vibe surrounding him, he felt a bit drowsy. Lilithra gazed absentmindedly at some chairs, sitting with her legs stretched out and her hands serving as support. They were enjoying a quiet moment of rest, which went on for a couple of minutes before someone approached them.

Raphael walked towards them with an immaculate posture, a silver tray balancing neatly in his right hand. On top, a couple of tall glasses could be seen, droplets glistening on their surfaces and filled with bubbly, orange-colored beverages.

His voice then resounded through the almost empty backyard. “Well, well. Seems like you two worked up a sweat.” He expressed with a bold smile, his gentlemanly demeanor exuding the usual confidence. He noticed Lilithra’s bare horns, letting out a thoughtful 'hmmm', warmth taking over his visage.

“Since I’m such a good uncle, I brought you some refreshments.” As soon as he reached them, he bowed deeply. The glasses on the tray remained completely still, their contents undisturbed, showcasing the masterful skills of a true steward.

Ascalon’s face was overcome with admiration, while Lilithra smiled happily and picked up her drink, appreciating the gesture. “Thank you, Uncle!” She expressed her gratitude, Raphael smiling gently at her words. Ascalon too grabbed a drink, and appraised the colorful substance and the bubbles emerging to the surface.

With the tray now free, Raphael stood tall once again, and waited patiently in front of them. Lilithra was the first to drink, gulping down the liquid slowly. At the sight, Ascalon followed suit. A refreshing, fruity flavor filled his mouth, widening his eye in amazement.

It was truly a fitting beverage after a day of exercising. Lilithra finished her last sip and let out a satisfied breath, Ascalon following close behind. Seizing the moment, Raphael spoke again.

“So, how did it go? For you to train with Ascalon after rejecting my own proposal… I hope it was worth it!” He said jokingly, yet one could see he was a little concerned about it. Lilithra felt momentarily guilty, but Raphael promptly ruffled her hair with affection to dispel her creeping thoughts.

Ascalon watched in silence, admiring how perceptive and caring Raphael was. Then, Lilithra voiced her thoughts. “I’m sorry Uncle! But in my defense, that was a while ago and I wasn’t… uhm, feeling it. But now, I needed to train!” She exclaimed, with resolution on her expression. At her words, Raphael raised an eyebrow slightly.

“That’s right, you mentioned something like that the other day, is something going on?” He asked, and Lilithra tensed up as she racked her brain to come up with an answer.

But to her dismay, Ascalon replied before she could. “Lady Lilithra wants to be ready for her upcoming ‘Guild War’.” He explained bluntly, the older man looking flabbergasted. It was the first time he had heard about this matter, and shot a sharp stare towards the girl.

“Hmm… I see, I see.” He replied as he stroked his meticulously maintained beard. Lilithra shook her head while gazing at Ascalon, trying to warn him, but he kept talking.

“They are going to fight in the ‘colosseum’, against the Guild called the Flaming Fists. It may be my fault, since we had an altercation with them the other day. They wanted me to join their Guild, though I refused, and Lady Lilithra…” Suddenly, a soft, small hand was covering his lips. It was Lilithra, who looked panicked. Ascalon was confused, still not grasping the situation.

For a brief moment, Ascalon could feel an intense, powerful aura emanating from Raphael. His senses perked up instantly, as his good eye fixed itself on the older man.

“I see… The Flaming Fists, huh? I see…” He let out a few, cryptic, words which hid a deep, swelling anger. Ascalon was taken aback.

He felt as if a slumbering dragon had just been awakened, the world around him seemingly warping while the wind howled. It was but for a moment, though, as everything went back to normal in an instant. Lilithra herself seemed to be unaware of what had happened, making Ascalon question if any of that was even real.

Raphael sighed deeply, and voiced his opinion with a soft voice. “You should have told me, Lil. But, oh well. I will cheer for you and Selly, maybe… maybe even bet on you! Hoho, I’m going to call Marygold right now!” He expressed enthusiastically, a stark contrast with what Ascalon thought he had just experienced.

“I’m sorry, Uncle! But, uhm, maybe don’t bet on me hehe. Actually, don’t even go!” Her words showed her conflicted feelings, as nervousness and awkwardness washed over her, her arms flailing up and down.

Raphael simply chuckled as he walked back to The Chalice, and Ascalon watched him go, a suspicious glare fixed on the steward. Was it just his imagination, or did the master of The Chalice hide a most mysterious secret?