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Kat PoV

Staring at Mother for a few seconds, I tilted my head as I asked "Is something wrong? Are they too spicy? Too cheesy?"

She was staring at me for another few moments, remaining silent, her blue eyes alternating between Anput and I before she hesitantly asked "Did… did you mark her, Miss Anput?"

Freezing, Anput choked on the pierogi she was eating, her cheeks darkening as everyone turned to stare at her.

The Marquess was grinning widely, her eyes holding a knowing gleam as she glanced at Jahi, while the Countess had pursed lips.

Sighing, I nodded to Mother, making her blush slightly at how readily I admitted to it.

"Mother, I am… well, I guess the easiest way to say it is that we're ALL together…"

That made the Countess frown for a moment, her eyes moving over each of us before she turned towards the Marquess, only to shake her head a moment later.

Considering the possessive glint in her azure eyes as she did so, I held in a chuckle as I realized that she was wondering if she could have done that as well.

Though, she certainly grew into being able to, considering Mothers pregnant bump.

Letting out a chuckle, the Marquess grinned at her daughter as she slyly said "That's my girl~"

Jahi grinned back at her, only for it to stiffen as the Marquess 'innocently' asked "Any plans to grow that number?"

That made all three of us, Anput, Leone and I, to glare at Jahi, the Demoness raising her hands as she said "Nope. Never even considered it! I swear!"

Seeing her daughter instantly get 'put in her place', the Marquess chuckled again as she glanced at the Countess, a wry smile on her lips as she said "Trust me, I know that feeling well…"

The Countess just raised a brow, a 'smile' on her lips as she looked at her wife, only to return to eating when the Marquess shivered.

However, Mother then asked "Katherine, are you sure..?"

Seeing the worry in her eyes, I chuckled as I nodded, gesturing to the Vampire, Jackalkin, and Demoness.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Besides, without me these three would be completely lost…"

Jahi rolled her eyes, Leone nodded, and Anput pouted, however none refuted my claim.

Mother sighed before nodding, staring at her plate in silence for a few seconds.

"Well, as long as you all are able to respect one another…"

"We do. Besides, Kat's not wrong; she's the one to solve most of our problems, and she keeps the house in good order. Last thing I'd want to do is piss her off."

The Marquess grinned at her daughter as she nodded, saying "Never a good idea to piss off the housekeeper. You'll lose out on quite a bit~"

What followed was small talk; the Countess asked about the Academy, Mother reminded us to take it seriously, the Marquess suggested some specific courses for each of us…

The meal passed by pleasantly enough, and once it was finished I started clearing the table, stacking the dishes and utensils in the sink.

That was when the Marquess let out a cough, poured herself a drink, and gave Jahi a serious look, her ruby eyes locked on Jahi's amethyst ones as she asked "So, spill it. What happened?"

Hearing that, Leone and Anput stiffened up, looking over at Jahi, while I glanced over my shoulder to see a frowning Countess alternating her stare between her wife and daughter.

Jahi reached forwards and poured her own drink, taking a gulp from her glass before sighing.

"We've been going to Zhu'Rong Caverns…"

That made the Countess relax for a moment, only to stiffen as Jahi continued.

"And on our last expedition, well… we ran into a Draconas."

The Marquess frowned, her eyes narrowed as she waited for Jahi to continue.

However, the Countess shot out of her seat, her eyes flaring for a moment as she shouted "How in the hells did you encounter a Draconas?! They only roam deep in the Caverns!"

Her eyes were accusatory as she glared at us, but that didn't perturb Jahi, as she held her hand up and said "Listen to the story, Mother… please."

Letting out a huff, the Countess sat back down, her arms crossed as she glared at her daughter.

Glancing at my own Mother, I saw her frowning as well, however her eyes held worry as she stared at me, only relaxing when I gave her a small smile.

"When we were down in the Caverns, we found a crevasse in the wall, one that led into a deserted city…"

Jahi explained everything that happened down in that city; how we found it, what was inside, the eyes, the ritual, Lord Pele…

She told them about it all.

Recounting the fight, I could see her eyes flicker gold as she stammered over the part where I had almost been choked to death; her tone had turned self-depracating as she clenched her fists, telling them about how Leone had managed to come and save me at the last moment.

Leone pursed her lips, staring down at her pale hands, while Anput sneered, her fists quivering before she closed her eyes taking in deep breaths.

Hearing that I had almost died, Mother stared at me in worry again, her hazel eyes watery as she listened to Jahi's tale.

Giving her another smile, I then looked at the Marquess and Countess, the two women showing different expressions.

The Marquess was staring at her daughter silently, her gaze hard as she rested her chin on her palm.

As for the Countess, relief was writ clearly on her fair features, the golden haired Elf letting out a sigh as Jahi finished telling her story.

Jahi could only meet her Mom's gaze for a moment, quickly turning her eyes elsewhere as the Marquess remained silent.

Letting out another relieved sigh, the Countess looked over each of us, her azure eyes gentle as she said "At least you made it out unscathed. Not many first years could say they faced, and beat, a Draconas and lived to tell the tale."

However, I could see that those words held no comfort to the other three; Anput's lip rose again as she grit her teeth, Leone bit her cheek and continued staring at her hands, while Jahi glanced over at me, her golden eyes filled with a glimmer of shame.

The Countess noticed that too, the Elf slumping into her chair as she looked between the three girls.

Was I feeling the same as them?

Of course; I had a whole damn system to help me get stronger, and yet I had been the one to be tossed around like a doll.

We all had thought of ourselves as strong, but that fight had humbled us quickly.

But that fight also taught me that there truly is always a bigger fish; and after the fish, there are the birds.

There will always be something out there ready to claim our lives.

That was why I wanted to pour more time into my fine tuning my magic; it was why I had started walking the road of an enchanter.

I had dozens of ideas for tattoos to help boost my strength, ideas for spells that simply required more mana than I currently possessed.

My bladework and footwork could always be better; I could be quieter, I could hit faster and harder.

My healing and support magics could be broader and more individualized; each of the women I loved had something they did better than the others.

Besides that, I could put much, much more effort into improving my foundations; better control, better strength, better agility…

Each was something I could train on my own daily; be it weights, sprints, stretches, continuous mana cloaks…

Something.

There was always something I could do to improve.

However, I was also aware that, so far, there was more to our lives than individual strenght.

Jahr was a Marquess; Anput and Leone were both Princess's.

That meant events, dealing with the others nobles, other nations…

Jahi would eventually take over March Asmodia, and we would be supporting her.

Currently, our next challenge wasn't some monster, nor a dungeon.

It was a banquet, where we would fight not with blades, but with words; our battlefield would be a ballroom, not a cavern.

So, I needed to support each of these three women, to make sure that, when we reached that banquet, they had everything they needed; dress, jewelry, etiquette…

After all, that was the most I could do for this 'fight'.

I could support them to the best of my abilities, but that was it.

Shaking my head, I observed the silent Marquess, the giant Demoness remaining silent.

Jahi sat, unmoving, under her Mom's stare, her pale blue skin growing clammy.

The Countess looked like she wanted to step in, but after seeing her wife's seriousness she closed her mouth, remaining quiet.

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Sorry for the late upload lol

Jahi PoV

My eyes flitted towards Mom's hard ruby ones, only for me to look away a moment later, finding comfort in Mother's azure ones, or Kat's warm ambers.

However, I would always turn back towards Mom, my heart plummeting the longer she stayed silent.

𝓲𝖓𝓃ｒ𝒆𝔞𝚍.c𝗼𝙢

Of all that sat at this table, her opinion of me was the one I valued the most; I wanted her to be proud of me, happy that I was her daughter.

And yet, each passing second felt like a new crack appearing on my heart, slowly but surely pushing it towards shattering.

My heart pounded in my chest, my skin grew clammy, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to attempt to steady my emotions.

Eventually she moved, standing up and looking down at me.

"Outside. Now."

Her voice dripped with irritation, and I shuddered as I stood up, my eyes meeting hers for a moment.

Those dark rubies held a sinister flame, one that burned deeply within her.

Walking towards the back door, I was aware of her behind me, only to flinch as she said "Everyone else, stay where you are."

Brushing past me, she entered the training grounds, stepping onto the sand pit that we used.

Flicking her hand out, she used her scarlet mana to grab two wooden blades, before tossing one towards me.

It fell short, and she narrowed her eyes, growling "Pick. It. Up."

Feeling her mild anger grow, I grit my teeth before picking up the blade, clenching my fist around the handle.

Staring at her, I saw her standing there confidently, her posture relaxed but perfect, capable of exploding into action at a moments notice.

"You don't deserve anything I've given you."

She said that with the same ease at which she observed the weather; calm, in passing…

And as an indisputable fact.

My eyes widened as I stared at her, and she sneered at me, her deep sapphire skin making her expression more dreadful.

"You want to call yourself an Asmodia?"

She smirked at me, her ruby eyes glowing with a sadistic mirth as she spat out "With so much given to you, so much talent and so many blessings, you not only managed to fall for something like that obvious trap, but nearly had your own women killed?"

Each word felt like a blade, cutting deep into my heart and soul, digging into the insecurities I had held since that day.

"Light Magic. A blade forged from some of the strongest materials this Empire can provide. Training from ME?! And you almost fall to something as weak as a Draconas?"

Stepping forwards, she leaned down slightly, bringing her eyes level with mine as she whispered "You don't deserve anything…"

However, what followed that line made my built up emotions run rampant, anger flooding my system.

"You sure as hell don't deserve Kat."

Gritting my teeth, I pushed her back before swiftly swinging the blade towards her skull.

Except, she used that push to step away from the blade, a mocking smile on her lips as she said "You really don't. She has all that talent…"

Pivoting away from another thrust, Mom grinned as she said "And with barely any teaching at all, she's managed to catch up to you. Do you think she'll remain by your side forever? With her abilities, she'll be able to carve out a County of her own someday."

Growling, I sent a flurry of slashes towards her, only for each to be easily blocked by her own blade.

"Kat won't need you; she won't need you to protect her, to provide for her. All she needs is herself."

Slashing out again, I then shot my left hand forwards, attempting to grab her collar.

However, she smirked at me as she grabbed my wrist, easily pushing the bones against one another as she held me.

Leaning forwards again, her face went still as she said "I have no need for a useless daughter."

Letting out a shout, I slammed my head against hers, feeling a crunch as I cracked her nose.

Chuckling, she leaned back, a small gash on the bridge of her nose.

"There you go. Finally recalling ONE of the things I taught you, hmm? Is that the extent of your knowledge?"

"SHUT UP!"

Letting out a roar, I pulled my arm from her hand and used her momentary unsteadiness to slam my blade into her side.

At least, that was the plan; instead of the wood thunking into her muscular side, it thwacked against her own blade.

Smiling a little, she pushed my blade away and went on the attack, her sword raining down blows from all angles.

Barely managing to block each one, I grunted as I was pushed back, glaring at her.

"Come on Jahi! Show me that I'm wrong! Come on!"

She continued to swing her blade effortlessly, pushing me further back.

Meeting her blows, I eventually swung my blade hard at hers, using that moment to roll away and regain my footing.

Watching as she simply stared at me, her brow raised as she said "Running away? Is that all your good for? Running from your problems; from your enemies?"

My anger flared at her words, but I bit my tongue, using the pain to clear my head.

Smiling at that, she said "Finally, using more of what I taught you…"

Twirling her blade, she pointed it at me as she said "An Asmodia never runs. With your talent and magic, it should never even be a though in your mind."

Hearing the word 'magic', I activated my mana cloak, feeling all the small bruises and scrapes heal instantly.

However, she just grinned at me as golden light cascaded over my body, making me frown.

Covering my blade as well, I lowered my stance before shooting forwards, the tip of my sword flying towards her throat.

For a moment I was worried, as she made no effort to block or dodge the blow, but I was already too far into the thrust to stop.

As the tip made its way to her throat, I grunted as the blade shattered, making my eyes go wide.

The point that it had collided with was covered with a thin red screen of mana, and Mom was staring at me with a smirk.

"What now?"

Her blade was still in her hands, and she was standing just a foot away from me, standing there like she was relaxing, not fighting.

Jumping back again, I put my hands together and shaped my mana into a blade, falling into a basic, yet practical form.

Nodding, she said "Maybe you retained what I taught you."

However, she flickered forwards, a wide grin on her face as her blade crashed into mine, making me grunt.

"But it's still sloppy. You've had time to train, Jahi!"

She swung her blade back down towards me, and I grunted as I redirected it to the ground, attempting to trap it.

Kicking me in my gut, she sent me flying backwards, rolling a few times as I landed on the ground.

"Learn from your mistakes, Jahi. Don't dwell on them; act on them. Yes, you almost died. Boo fucking who. Are you going to stop fighting now? Are you scared?"

Getting up, I coughed as I tried to ready my blade again, only to find myself back on the ground.

"Good. Use that fear of dying to push yourself forwards. Go back over the basics; they're severely lacking. Continue training, until nothing in this world can threaten not only you-"

Leaning down, she stabbed her blade into the dirt beside me, making me flinch.

"But those you love. For Kat. For Anput. For Leone. And eventually, for any children you have."

Pulling the blade from the dirt, she stared down at me, her ruby eyes narrowed as she said "So? Are you going to improve yourself, or are you going to be this ugly, useless, self deprecating mess that you are now?"

Panting, I looked up at her before getting to my feet, holding my ribs.

Glaring at her, I spat "Couldn't this lesson have been spoken, not beaten into me?"

Chuckling, she grinned at me as she said "Nope. Words have clearly not worked on you; I'm sure Kat has told you to stop being an idiot multiple times, yet here you stand. Besides, you're like me in too many ways; that's why I beat it into you."

Still glaring at her, I healed my ribs before sighing, a slight weight lifting from my shoulders.

"Did… did you ever go through..?"

She nodded, using her mana to put the blade back on the rack.

"I used to traverse the Caverns solo during my time at the Academy. During one such delve, I got corner by a dozen Adventurers. If I lost, I was likely sold off to some noble as a slave. So, I put everything on the line and almost died.

That brush with death petrified me for a few days; I drowned in pleasures to distract myself, but… after awhile, I found myself back down in the Caverns, hating how I had almost lost to a bunch of idiots.

I trained myself back to form, improved on what I knew, and continued to learn new things. At that time, I had started to really care for Ria, so I wanted to be strong enough to not only protect myself, but her as well.

I needed to be the strongest, so I clawed my way to where I am today; a Knight of Cinder, a Marquess, and one of the Empress' most trusted. I wield more influence than you could imagine, and one day…"

Laying a hand on my shoulder, she smiled gently at me, saying "You will too. Just… stop this emotional shit. Does you more harm then good in our line of work."

Letting out a chuckle, we both eventually laughed at that, until I said "I'm going to beat the daylights out of you in the future."

Draping her arm over my shoulder, she smirked at me as she said "Nah, no you won't. I'm just better than you."

Laughing again, we made our way inside, back to where everyone was waiting.

—

Was that… harsh?

Yup.

But I think that it fits Chordeva and Jahi; their demons, fighters, killers…

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