Fishing Day

The next day had come, and Natalia's older sister had come to the manor to visit. Immediately heading to her beloved little sister's room and seeing the two sleeping bodyguards, resting gracefully on the soft carpet, of course, she became enraged.

"Useless!"

Bash!

"Incompetent"

Bash!

"Unworthy!"

They knelt down on the packed dirt, within the training grounds. Repeatedly, their heads were hit with wooden swords.

Caelum and Yezekael begrudgingly took each hit, with their hands behind their back. Quietly.

Yezekael whispered, just quiet enough for only Caelum besides him to hear "Natalia didn't tell us about her psychopathic older sister…"

"I don't blame her. I wouldn't either."

"What was that?!" She yelled out.

With her senses enhanced through countless battles, she was able to pick up on the quietest sounds. 

The woman was tall and fit, with short, wild blonde hair with streaks of red hair, wearing a white shirt with one button left unbuttoned.

Her black pants were fastened with a brown belt, another belt higher up her torso to hold the large greatsword that hung behind her. A semicircle was carved into the swords blade.

"You two lazy lacking simple-minded creatures born of pure stupidity… if you're gonna be required to guard my pure-hearted sister, then you have to do it right!" She lowered her head, yelling furiously.

I want to get up and give her a piece of my mind, but our mission is way more important than my emotions and how I feel. 

"I don't think I've seen a duo of more good-for-nothing, idiotic, ugly-"

Caelum interrupted, his head still facing downward "Ugly is too far, miss. And quite frankly, irrelevant."

Yezekael snickered.

"You're laughing…?"

She's getting mad at me instead of the person who spoke up! What kind of-

Footsteps were heard, as a certain individual entered the training grounds. This individual lightened the woman's face.

"Amelia… you've already come back home?" Natalia's voice was quiet, as she rubbed her tired eyes. She was still in her nightwear and had just put some slippers on to meet her sister. 

"Sister, be careful with what you wear. The hungry eyes of men stop for no one."

"She's… covered head to toe, though?" 

Caelum added "And she's not my type, anyway."

"Insolent…!"

Ignoring what Caelum had said, or maybe just not hearing it at all, Natalia continued speaking, with an interrogative tone.

"My servants… You have them here to be punished, why?"

"A servant who can't even serve is a bad product!"

"… Sister, is that for you to decide? Punishing my own servants, whom I paid with my own money."

"…"

"Say, what if you were to severely injure one of them? Would you be able to pay the price?"

"But… sister… they're incompetent!"

"Although you are my sister, I cannot let such a wrongdoing slide. If you're speaking about how I allowed them to sleep next to me, you have to understand that they have sharp senses and can perceive danger even while sleeping."

"…"

"Is there anything you have to say? Instead of sulking there?"

"I apologize!"

"Now, come. We must talk. I've missed you, sister," Natalia said, with a light smile. With her sister, she left the training grounds.

"That was… intense. How could she treat an elder sister like that?" Yezekael sighed a breath of relief, glad that he would no longer have to be hit with those wooden swords.

"More importantly, why did she save us?"

"I don't know…"

. .

The day went by extremely quickly, with their servant duties. They simply had to do normal things, like clean around the house, serve food to Natalia.

She appeared to have a lot of fun bossing them around, though.

Caelum found himself working inside the house, while Yezekael was forced to accompany her fishing trip. Though, it couldn't really be called a trip. Within the large plot of land, there was a lake surrounded by a forest.

Natalia wore grey-green trousers, with a white button-up shirt, her sleeves rolled up. Besides her, on a bench, inside a brown bag, was all her fishing equipment.

"I'm here for what purpose?" Yezekael sighed, pacing back in forth. A couple of times, he skipped rocks over the lake.

"Fish can get pretty big. I might get swallowed whole," She chuckled. Yezekael did not find it funny. Within the forest, it got humid. With the season, it was starting to get a bit hotter outside.

Reaching for a white string, she tied her hair up, revealing her nape.

Yezekael found himself staring for a few seconds too long.

"…"

She then reached further into her bag, grabbing a brown hat. Placing it on, gently.

"I hate the humidity. But I enjoy fishing."

The bait she used was a worm. She cast the line.

"Fun fact, Yezekael. This lake is extremely deep. I've never swum inside of it, so I'm not sure what it looks like. It allows for a lot of biodiversity. It might even be wider. Who knows?"

"…"

Yezekael watched.

If you're positioned like that, you'll fly away if even a 1-kilogram fish tugs. Heh. She looks like she's shielding herself from the wind. Is she sure she enjoys fishing?

"Why can I feel you judging me, stupid brat?" She did not turn around as she said this.

"I'm not. Just your imagination. Focus on the line. You lose your focus for a second, you'll get pulled right into those waters."

"What, are you some kind of fishing expert?"

"I know my stuff."

"Uh oh. I feel something pulling."

Natalia immediately shifted her hips, altering her footing.

So it's only now you want to adjust? But surprisingly, she's doing pretty well.

"This one's big!" she yelled out.

Suddenly, Natalia's arms rose up.

Water splashed all about, as the fish shot into the air. It was a large salmon. 2 meters tall, or so. Its scales were iridescent, and it basked in the sunlight.

"Woah…"

Yezekael muttered.

With the sudden change in how much force she was using, Natalia flew backward, the fishing rod still in her hand.

"Woah!" She yelled out.