As The Days Goes On 

The day was started with a sword training again. His new teacher's name was Ariel, and she was teaching him how to use a sword properly.

She entered the centre of the stage with a slow yet swift pace and looked at Kaplan coolly. "You have gained enough durability and muscles to use a proper weapon," she said monotonously. She took out his sword and swung swiftly.

"A lot of people of these days use their swords wrong." She pierced the ground with her sword, and rested her hands on its hilt. "Especially, the fighting style of remnant changed into a brutal, barbaric, kid show. They just swung their sharp toys, making a lot of unnecessary moves to harm grimms or their enemies just because they are physically stronger, or their semblances have more advantages."

Kaplan nodded. Not everyone in his books of course, but the new generation was a bit mess with swords... or any weapon particular. He guessed Ariel just liked to mention swords more.

"Now, I would like to tell you that your generation is full of little shits who like to play with their weapons like dumb baby donkeys. But, I am an humble lady, so I will stay quiet," Ariel scoffed. Kaplan first time in his time here saw that Ariel scoffed as he snorted quietly. He was thought to fight like that in some in time he was a pith fighter.

'And yeah, you indeed stayed quiet,' he thought with a smile.

"Anyways, we have been training over a month now," Ariel said. "It was just you and I, but this will change from now on," she looked at Kaplan's behind where the door was at. "Welcome, Erza. Irene said you will be learning sword art by me again."

Erza looked at her teacher and nodded. "Yes, teacher," she said seriously. Ariel pointed out next to Kaplan as Erza went next to Kaplan and sit.

"Okay, then," Ariel said coolly. "Let's get this over with."

X—X—X—X—X—X—X

Ariel was a slave driver, but Kaplan got used to that for some time. He was okay with physical stuff about sword wielding, but he lacks precision, swiftness, and elegance that Erza and Ariel had with their sword styles.

Ariel's style of sword was killing swift and elegantly. She was hitting the exact point she want with elegance, precision and speed; she would parry the attacks with a fast, strong hit thanks to lacks any unnecessary moves; and she would evade strikes with such an elegance and grace.

Erza almost just like her too. She would hit the spots she wanted, she would parry the attacks with a fast and strong counter, and she would evade attacks with elegance and graces. But, the difference was Ariel's sword style was like an art; she was faster, experienced, and more confident with her sword. That resulted her movements seemed like a beautiful and deadly sword dance.

In other hand, Erza's was like learning the dance rapidly. In addition, Erza's raw strength was much more than Ariel's when she was Erza's age. Hence, Erza would be a better swordswoman in the future if she went like that. Ariel even said she was learning different weapons, and she had natural affinity with all weapons. Thus, she also learned various martial and weapon arts in instant. That resulted she would change her attack and defence styles as much as she wanted.

That was dangerous. The surprise factor was too much to handle. Kaplan was sure Erza's opponents could not understand her pattern since she would change her attack pattern in instant. That meant she could surprise attack the person more, that meant she could hit the person more, that meant she would harm them more, and that meant she would win...

Also, she was thought by her mother, Irene how to use her aura when she was younger. That resulted she was managed to strength her aura on her body, and she was close to reach her shoulder. It was extremely hard thing to manage, and Ariel said that since she had no competition when it came to fighting, she was not giving her full at her teachings.

...Now, that was scary. She was very strong and deadly as it was now, and if Kaplan showed up as a rival to her; she would grow more rapidly.

...Simple math.

Kaplan had to think a way to counter Erza now, he could not accept any loses. But he had to cut the training dummy with enough unnecessary movements at that time at that time, since Ariel was there sitting on a chair while drinking a lemonade while watching him.

In the other hand, Erza was looking at Kaplan intensely while a strawberry cake on her hands. She was eating her cake slowly; with each bite Kaplan could feel the immense joy Erza felt, but that changed in instant as she looked at Kaplan intensely yet again.

'I wonder why she was so worked up for,' Kaplan sighed. Well, whatever. He had to finish his training before evening since he had his spear lessons.

X—X—X—X—X—X—X

Kaplan went his spear lessons after he rest for an hour. It was a hard sword training session since Erza was putting daggers at him while he was training. Kaplan did not know why, but the reason was probably Irene. Erza and Irene did not get along well, and Irene brought him there.

Well, whatever. It was time to learn to use spear.

The last month with her new spear instructor was a bit different than Ariel's training. Spear teacher was teaching him the most basic art of spear for a month, and she told him; "You had to learn the basic spear stance if you wanted to learn more 'cool' stuff as you younglings say."

Kaplan sighed. It was a month now and the basics were still going on. He wanted to learn more, but he waited in patience. With a sigh, he entered the training centre and saw his spear teacher.

Her name was Scáthach, and she was an extremely beautiful woman. She had long purple hair that flowed with winds gracefully and red eyes that makes you feel in daze; she was wearing a full-body outfit that highlighted her curvaceous body that tight on her alluring breasts and bouncy ass. She was carrying a two spear named Gáe Bolg Alternative and wore a black veil over her head and short cloak over her shoulders, connected by the shoulder pads.

(AN: I REALLY REALLY REAAAAAAALLLLYY LOVE SCHÂTHACH! She is not as powerful as her real lore, but she is 'the best spear user' in entire word of Remnant. She is not the 'most powerfull person' in Remnant, but she is in top 10.)

(AN: Did I say I really love her? 'Cause I do.)

(AN: BUT I LIKE IRENE MORE!)

Kaplan really loved his spear teacher. She had a brutal yet effective teaching method, and she had similar semblance like him.

[Shadow Lands], that was what she called her semblance. She could manipulate shadows, with that; she could bend with shadows, attack with shadows, and feel any living presence that had shadows.

Even though she had such a cheat semblance, she did not use it often.

'One lost his other skills if he use his most powerful skill every time,' she said to Kaplan. She was right, if he uses his semblance in every fight to defeat his enemies easily; when a person who could counter his semblance came, he would be dead.

"What are you thinking," Scáthach asked emotionlessly.

"Nothing, master," Kaplan said politely.

Scáthach looked at him. "If you want to be so mystery, so be it. Come along, child. We have a long day waiting us," then she added while placing one of her spears on her shoulder while other on his hand down to the surface, making a pathway with its tip.

Kaplan smiled more. While he was not a natural freak of a swordsman like Erza and Ariel, he was bloody talented with spear.

X—X—X—X—X—X—X

After training with Scáthach over, Kaplan exhaled a deep breath. Scáthach was drinking her tea slowly while looking at Kaplan.

"Kaplan, we have a discussion to make," Scáthach said coolly.

Kaplan tilted his head to her teacher. She did not say anything about a discussion for now, but he would follow the suit, nonetheless.

Scáthach see Kaplan's attention with her. She looked seriously at him. "Next time, give a reply. People may think that as an insult if they did not see you or have to look somewhere else," she said.

"Yes, master," Kaplan said immediately.

"Good," Scáthach said. "I will say to you what I expected from my discipline since you have endured the training so far, you have to know what will it implies to be my discipline," she said seriously. Her alluring red eyes was looking at Kaplan seriously as her posture was stiff.

"Yes, master," Kaplan replied at once. It seemed he passed an exam he did not know about, and she had her expectations on him. It was okay, he would do it. It was his favourite teacher after all.

...He wondered why he liked Scáthach that much. Must be a divine work, no?

"I like men of valor. No ordinary warrior will do, nor will a simple savage. But a brave warrior for sure, that's what I like. Such men are of unlimited potential," she said coolly.

A man had to be brave, Kaplan could understand that.

"Thus, I will tell you this. I will be teaching you the ultimate spear art even Erza nor Irene did not know," she said. "All I ask you is be brave and beat me. When you beat me, you will have your reward," she then added.

'Reward?' Kaplan thought and looked at two Gáe Bolg she had. Scáthach looked at where Kaplan was looking at. "No, that will come before that reward," she said.

Kaplan looked at his teacher. "May I know the reward, teacher?" He asked politely.

After that question, Scáthach released her bloodlust. Every part of Kaplan's body alarmed in an immediate pace as he jumped backwards and make a defensive position with his spear.

It was an instant feeling of death that surrounded him. The sweat was flowing through his back like a waterfall, his heartbeat was too high, and adrenaline spread through his veins; letting him feel the area more easily, increasing his hearing and reflexes.

He was ready and the feeling was there over a while now. Kaplan was expecting an attack, but it never came. He waited bit more until the bloodlust vanished; left Kaplan with full of sweat and awe.

"You may know when you stood up for that amount of bloodlust," she said coolly again. "Training is over. You may go."

X—X—X—X—X—X—X

Irene's training with his aura was progressing very slowly. He couldn't manage to strength his shoulder, nor body yet.

'I still have time,' he repeated the words repeatedly. Erza managed to strength her body when she was 10, after two months later when Irene taught her. He still had one more month. Hence, he frowned and focused more.

Irene saw him being stiff and giggled. "It is okay now. Let's talk about another subjects, shall we?" She said softly.

"Yes," Kaplan said with a sigh. Controlling his aura was taxing exercise than any other exercises he had during the day. He was managing to endure intense physical trainings, but Irene's training was still hellish than others.

The aura training was more like mentally exhausting. He had to focus continuously, and he could not lost his focus even for an instant until he learned how to use his aura like Irene.

Aside from that, he learned how to utilize his semblance by Irene. It was more like; try and learn process, but it was effective. He was sure he had a badass semblance, but after he learned Irene's semblance he was not sure how to scale his semblance compared to her.

He still did not know much about her semblance but based on the things she showed him; It was dangerous.

X—X—X—X—X—X—X—X—X—X

[Flashback]

"Okay, Kaplan. That is enough," Irene said after she saw Kaplan's solidified darkness destroying androids. Androids got less damage than grimms, but it was still effective. Kaplan had a great, multifunctional semblance that could use for either offence or defence; ranged or melee.

She observed darkness that Kaplan had anti-grimm traits. She was not sure what to think; in the books, silver eyed warriors used their 'light' powers to kill grimms, but Kaplan's semblance was different. It was not giving a sinister feeling like grimms' presence, but it was still dark feeling.

...Books must be wrong. Probably, that was the case.

"Okay, that is enough practice," Irene said.

"Yes, mistress," Kaplan said and wiped his sweats. He was tired by fighting with Androids and grimms all day.

"Now, I told you I will tell you about my semblance, no?" Irene said sweetly. Kaplan tilted his head and nodded in affirmation. "Then sit, it is time," she then added after Kaplan's nod.

Kaplan sat cross-legged and looked at Irene in expectation.

Irene saw eager boy in front of her and giggled. "As I said I am the ultimate food supplier of Remnant, even though I did have the 'largest' fields to produce food," she said. "How? Simple. I can enchant any living or non-living object," she said sweetly.

"Enchant?" Kaplan tilted his head questioningly.

Irene smirked. "Like this," she said and snapped her delicate fingers. Kaplan saw a crimson circle mark on his chest shined brightly. "I give you an order now, try to resist," Irene said.

Kaplan nodded.

"Get up," Irene said, and Kaplan did not obey. In instant, a sharp pain hit every nerve of his body. He gasped in pain and about to yell, but the pain went off before that.

"As you can see, I can make any person obedient. If not, you can understand~," Irene said sweetly. "I can do more of course, but you have to wait and see~."

Kaplan gulped. He now understood how he could fuck up if he angers his mistress.

"Now, basically my semblance had many more functions. But I can enchant a specific field to fasten the vegetables and animals growing rate. I can make animals in heat and they will mate, produce more children, and they will be healthy while growing more rapidly," she said.

Kaplan looked at her. Was not that dangerous? The food science was there because of a reason. The animals that grow rapidly normally hormonally unstable. They insert many hormones and let them grow. It was a fast, but unhealthy way to produce an animal.

...Irene was using her semblance, but there could be a risk.

Irene looked at Kaplan and shook her head. "No, they are not the way you think," she said. She could see in his expression that Kaplan was thinking that it was not healthy to grow them rapidly.

"My method is making the food natural. That is why people are buying from me. I, alone, destroy the hormonally unstable and genetically changed products~," she said sweetly.

[Flashback ENDS]

X—X—X—X—X—X—X—X—X—X

"So, since you are learning how to use your aura and semblance by me for a month, it is fair if I teach you other subjects, as well," Irene said sweetly.

Kaplan looked at Irene. "Yes, mistress," he said politely.

"Good. Well, since you are going to help me to beat Schnee's Dust Company... It is acceptable why I hate them so much," she said a little irritatedly and angrily.

Kaplan tilted his head and looked at his mistress. He was seeing Irene angry for the first time.

Irene narrowed her eyes and looked at Kaplan intensely. The same feeling when Scáthach showed her bloodlust emitted deep inside of his souls as he slightly paled. Irene's bloodlust was different. It was like a thick mist that surround his surroundings, showing only her cold brown eyes.

Kaplan, at that sight, scared at Irene. He forgot how to breath, think or focus. Just stand there like a statue.

"...But I will tell you this only once. Asking about me before I became pregnant with Erza is forbidden," she said with a coldness that could froze the hell over.

Kaplan gulped. He remembered Scáthach's words. 'Be brave,' he thought. That must be a test, or she was just do not want to be asked about that subject... or both.

'Whatever.' He dismissed his thoughts and looked at Irene's cold brown eyes. He was fearing, but he would get over his fears and become strong. His only wish was killing his parent's murderer. Technically, he had no other goals in life, so he was holding that subject to the end.

Irene narrowed her beautiful brown eyes. "I'm impressed," she said emotionlessly. "There is no many who could put such a bravery on my killing intent." Then she gotten closer.

She put her head on Kaplan's head and patted him. "Good boy. You passed the test. Scáthach owes me one now~, " she said softly, but something was off. "But, my threat still stands," she then added seriously. "You will not ask my young days. AM. I. UNDERSTOOD?" she grabbed Kaplan's head tightly.

Kaplan, with a sharp pain on his head, gulped. "Yes, mistress," he managed to say. Why every person there was dangerous? Honestly, it was a bit frightening.

"Where was I? Oh, yes. SDC (Schnee's Dust Company) …" she scoffed. "Are you wondering why I hate them?" she asked.

"Yes," Kaplan said weakly.

"Be more confident, boy. You resisted my killing intent. Few could say that," she said seriously as she patted, scratched Kaplan's head.

Kaplan purred unintentionally with such a divine feeling. Irene's eyes widened for a second before she cooed. "How cute~," she said. "Honestly, I might get you for my huggy bear if you continue like this~."

'Huggy Bear?' Kaplan thought. Was it the thing he thought?

Irene giggled. "Yes, it is," she said sweetly. She was reading Kaplan like a book as always. "But, enough with that," then she said seriously.

Kaplan disappointed. He wanted to be a huggy bear. That titanic bosoms seemed to be comfy; either he died in a comfortable way by chocking like a man of culture, or he will wake up in a comfortable way like a man of culture.

...Either way was fine! But, he had time to do that. He put that on the list he wanted to achieve at that time.

"Jacques Schnee, the current CEO of SDC, thanks to the Willow Schnee's idiocy, wanted me as her consort," she said darkly. "There was no such a law like polygamy at that time, but when you wealthy and powerful enough... You can have another 'wife' thanks to the justice Remnant has," she said irritatedly. It was easy to see she was truly angry at Jacques.

Kaplan narrowed his eyes. "Why they did not bring him to the Justice. With everything he does; someone must make something, right?" Kaplan asked.

He saw what SDC did on the internet and TV. Since, Jacques Schnee became the CEO, they were marking faunuses with hot iron bars and enslaved them to work in mines 'permanently.' But, no one ever managed to bring them to the law.

...It was a hard truth.

Irene laughed aloud for the first time. When Kaplan consider the past time he had with Irene, she did show a lot of her first impressions on that day.

"Justice, my dear child, is a weapon," she said while trying to stop her laugh. "It is basically a dangerous toy for people who got the power such as me," she then added sweetly. She scratched behind the Kaplan's ears slowly as Kaplan was trying to resist purring.

"So, no. When you are extremely powerful. Justice will only harm you only if you act extremely stupid," she added.

Kaplan, while resisting purring, nodded. "So, let' say; I have found an evidence Jacques harming his employee. Will it work?" He asked.

Irene thought a bit, then shook her head. "It might have a little effect. It has to be shared a lot, of course," she scratched Kaplan's ears more. "But, either way he would be free not much later."

Kaplan understood something at that time. If you had an extreme power, such a weak tactics would not work on you. It was a hard truth about the word, and Irene was teaching him that.

"But enough about Justice," Irene said as the air around her turned colder, darker, and sinister. "That fool is trying to set a marriage between my daughter and his bloody son, Whitley Schnee!" She scoffed.

Kaplan looked at her. He only interacted with Erza properly once, and it was training. Hence, he did not know about Erza much, but Erza would break Whitley on the first day... And when he thought about broke, he did not mean mentally.

"I do not think any man could handle Erza, but..." Kaplan commented warily.

Irene looked at him seriously. "Of course, they could not. She is my daughter after all," Irene scoffed. "He asked me to become his consort when I was pregnant. At the same time when his wife also pregnant as well," she said darkly.

"And since I was a used female, I should be 'honoured' to become his woman." Irene's brown eyes narrowed. "That fool of a man. I will destroy everything you build, wait for me!" She hissed.

Kaplan understood why she wanted to use him to find dust mines. "Okay," Kaplan said. He was wondering who her husband was, but he stayed silent. "I do not like SDC anyway."

Irene looked at him seriously and sighed. "Yes, you do not," she exhaled. She was angry again; years of pent up was hard for her. Hence, he patted Kaplan's head and walked to her desk, sat down her comfortable chair, and looked at Kaplan.

"Now, on to another subject. Your hand-to-hand martial art teacher is still away, probably died," Irene said, her voice was a bit cracked. "I did not bring it up since you already had your hands full; but this is worrying me now." She narrowed her eyes. She put her legs on another and leaned on her chair while crossing her arms below her bosoms; making them bounce slightly.

Kaplan tilted his head. "Is it something I can help, mistress?" Kaplan asked.

"No," she said seriously. "He is the third strongest person on this mansion. If he..." She gritted her teeth. "He got killed; it is only reasonable you will too if you go, as well," she said darkly.

Kaplan looked at Irene seriously. "Are you sure he is killed, mistress?" He asked.

Irene narrowed her eyes. "my semblance's one of the quirks is sensing the person I marked when they are alive," she said; her voice was serious, but with guilt and worry. "I cannot sense him today. Hence, I must send one of your teachers to find him... Hopefully Alive," she said.

Kaplan understood, but which one. "May I know who is going?" Kaplan asked.

Irene sighed. "Scáthach," she said coolly. "After all, she is the second strongest here."

'First one is you?' Kaplan wondered. "Understood," he said sadly. He wanted to learn about spears more, but he had to wait it seemed.

"Do not worry. I will not change tour training schedule. You have free on noon for a while now," Irene said with a sad and soft voice. She looked at the time. "Oh, dear. It is already late. Go sleep, we will continue later," she then added.

"Yes, mistress," Kaplan said as he left the room.

X—X—X—X—X—X—X—X—X

Kaplan entered his room and saw Mira was sleeping on the couch again. It was becoming a regular habit for Mirajane, and Kaplan was fine with it. Who did not want a beautiful girl sleeping in the same room with you?

Come to think of it, he did not see Brake for a while. He did not plan any punishment for him; the days were taxing and since Mira was taking care of him now, he forgot about that bastard.

'I can deal with it later,' he thought as he looked at uncomfortable position Mira had. She had no blanked covered her body while the room's windows were open. She freshened the air in the room and wanted to rest a bit probably. But, being a maid at the age of 12 was exhausting, so she fell asleep on the couch.

Kaplan smiled and shook his head. Since Mira appointed to be his personal maid; he was eating beautiful meals, seeing his room prepared and tidy, remained the things he forgot, and learned subject like math, English, history etc. More easily thanks to her.

He was grateful, grateful indeed. Mira, unknowing to him, becoming an important person on his life.

Kaplan chuckled at the thoughts of his. He was okay with it; Mira was a sweet girl. But he was still young to interest any girl... Well, not really; but he did not want to mess it up.

...Maybe in the future; revenge would not his only goal.