SWNOVELXO Chapter 59: Little Princess, I’m Counting on You
Chapter 59: Little Princess, I’m Counting on You
Upon learning that a hole had been blown in our house, Reina lost her appetite for a leisurely breakfast and hurried home to check the situation.
“Xier, once you’re done with breakfast, hurry back home too. I’ll wait a bit longer and head back with Aier. Oh, and I’m bringing a guest along.”
Watching their mother walk away, Yake turned to his sister to relay the message.
“I got it. After I finish eating, I’ll help Mom clean up the mess at home. You and Aier weren’t too rowdy last night, right?”
“No… The only damage in the house is a hole in the living room; everything else should be fine…”
Yake had merely glanced at the situation yesterday and didn’t bother to inspect it closely, hence the word “should.”
“Well, whatever. We’ll find out when we get back. I just hope Mom doesn’t faint from the sight of the damage.”
Xier knew her older brother wasn’t the most reliable when it came to everyday matters, so she felt it was best to see for herself.
“Okay, I’m sorry to trouble you, but I’m heading back to the inn. If there’s nothing left to eat, Aier will definitely blow up the inn.”
Holding the steaming breakfast carefully, Yake rushed towards the inn, trying not to spill anything while hurrying back.
“Sorry, I’m back! Is the Princess still asleep?”
Upon returning to the inn, Yake noticed Aierjisi still snoring away in bed.
“It’s probably because last night’s battle drained the Princess’s magic power too much. Let’s not wake her up for now; she should rest a bit longer to recover her magic.”
“Got it. Teacher Aisi, here’s the breakfast I brought back. Please enjoy.”
“Mm. Thanks, but you can just call me Aisi from now on. Even though you’re the Princess’s servant, you’re not my student, so there’s no need to call me teacher.”
“That’s not acceptable! Since you’re the Princess’s teacher, you’re also mine. During my time with the Princess, I’ve learned so much magic from her. Although, due to my lack of talent, I only managed to learn physical enhancement.”
Yake scratched his head in embarrassment.
“There’s no shame in that, kid. A chef has his talents, a thief has his talents. What kind of magic you can learn doesn’t matter as much as how you use it. A well-learned physical enhancement can strengthen your body in every aspect, turning the tide of battle in an instant.”
Aisi patted Yake on the shoulder. In fact, many mages trained in physical enhancement to protect themselves from assassins and not end up waiting to die.
“But… I can’t even use physical enhancement well. I can only enhance either strength or speed, but not both at the same time.”
“There’s such a thing? That shouldn’t happen; it must be that the Princess taught you incorrectly. If you have time later, I’ll personally teach you physical enhancement.”
This was the first time Aisi had heard someone say their physical enhancement could only choose between strength or speed. It was likely the way the Little Princess taught was amiss.
“Really? I can’t thank you enough!”
Naturally, Yake was extremely grateful for the opportunity to receive Aisi’s personal guidance.
“Alright. I did say when I have the time. One more thing, I’d like to apologize to you on behalf of the Princess.”
Aisi suddenly stood straight and bowed slightly to Yake in apology.
“Huh? Aisi, why are you apologizing for the Princess? She hasn’t done anything wrong to me!”
“No… The Princess signed a contract with you without permission, pulling you from your ordinary life into this painful fate. It must be quite distressing for you.”
For someone like Yake, he was originally supposed to live a normal life in this small town. However, now due to the contract with the Princess, his fate was tied to hers, thrusting him into a life of hardship.
“It’s not like that, Aisi. I don’t feel any pain at all; instead, I’m grateful. Thanks to the Princess signing the contract with me and willing to share her life, I’m here. This life was meant for her; no matter how much hardship I face, as long as I draw breath, I’ll fight through fire and sword for her.”
Yake never lamented being bound by the contract with Aierjisi. He had willingly become the Little Princess’s servant; without her, he would have surely perished in those ruins.
“That may be, but the battles ahead will be even harder. So, Yake, do you have the confidence to fight alongside the Princess until the end of your life?”
Aisi gazed at Yake, applying pressure on him. It’s easy to say, but hard to do. The enemies the Little Princess would face in the future would be stronger than themselves. He needed to confirm Yake’s mental fortitude. If he couldn’t even withstand a mental attack, then he’d be doomed against future foes.
“Uh…”
Yake suddenly felt a heavy pressure, much like the mental pressure the Little Princess applied through the contract. But so what? He wasn’t a stranger to such mental assaults. The Little Princess had been training him with such attacks to strengthen his mind.
“I’m confident that no matter what enemies we face in the future, I’ll fight alongside the Princess until the very end!”
Yake withstood Aisi’s mental strain and shouted this out loud.
“Good. That’s the spirit! Since you can handle my mental attack, I’ll consider you preliminarily qualified. The Princess will be left to your care, so take good care of her.”
From Yake’s words, Aisi sensed his determination. Even if his power was still lacking, his resolve was already noteworthy. He decided to acknowledge him for now.
“Sure… But why do I feel like everyone in the Blood Clan can use mental attacks? Aier does it sometimes too.”
“Haha! Actually, I’m the one who taught her mental attacks.”
“Eh? You taught her that too?”
“Yes. Mental attacks are quite useful; during battles, they can disrupt an enemy’s mind, weakening their combat ability and increasing one’s own chances of victory. Therefore, everyone in our Blood Clan basically learns this skill.”
“That’s impressive! Teacher Aisi, can you teach me too? I want to learn that skill.”
Yake immediately wanted to apprentice himself to learn this more overpowered mental attack.
“No way! In order to learn mental attacks, you must have a strong mind first. At your current level, you’re not ready yet. Focus on learning physical enhancement for now.”
Aisi unhesitatingly rejected him. Mental attacks were a double-edged sword for the user, and if one didn’t possess a strong enough mind, it could backfire terribly.