Chapter 49 - Preparations

Entering his room, he saw Ais. Seeing that the latter still had doubts, he thought about how to make her feel happy again until he found something.

Lying on the bed, he looked directly in her golden eyes while saying

"As soon as things settle down, let's go on a date, what do you think?"

Hearing his words, she remembered what a date was. Although she didn't know if it made her happy, she understood that Ethan cared about her...

With a nod from her, the two went directly to sleep.

'Today will be the day of the event..'

Embracing Ais, the two felt the warm feeling that always accompanied her while they held each other. In this somehow relaxed mood, Ethan and Ais fell asleep.

---

In the meantime, the Ganesha Familia was checking that every single monster was properly in their cages.

"Ok, let me see, I controlled every single monster expect this one..."

Reading the description of the Aqua Serpent Variant, Shakti was speechless

'They found an Aqua Serpent with red scales...the report says it was in a weakened state. So there's some monster that kill them? This situation seems really strange'

Going in the room where the monster was, Shakti checked the monster couldn't escape first. After that, she put a cross on the 'check made'.

With her job completed, she checked a last time for the other preparations before heading towards her own room.

'I hope everything will go as expected...'

'I finally have my chance to make people understand how strong I am...this will be easy.'

With a chuckle, the man continued to exercise his skills...

---

Waking up, Ethan felt the sunbeams on his face. Opening his eyes, he found Ais attached to him even more than before. With a happy smile, he kissed her lips a few times.

This stimulus made Ais wake up and, before even the two of them knew about it, they were kissing each other more and more. After some minutes, he took a break, panting heavily while saying

"Good..morning"

Looking directly in his eyes, Ais nodded before moving her head on his neck. Feeling her breathing, he felt chills down his back.

After some seconds, she started to kiss his neck. Smiling, he felt the sensation of her lips on his neck for some time before he started to stroke her hair.

With this, she decided to continue their kiss for some moments before he said

"how was trying to be the one to kiss my neck?"

Thinking about it for some seconds, she answered

"I think.. I like both ways..."

Nodding, Ethan added

"What makes me feel even more good is when you are happy and react to my kisses..so I prefer having the lead"

With a 'smile', she got up from him while he was surprised by her actions.

'Normally I would have to ask her to continue later...'

Surprising him again, Ais said

"We should prepare.. I will go in my room"

Nodding, he saw her exit the room without saying anything more.

'Is she anxious?'

Undressing, he asked this question to himself.

'I should bathe directly in my room'

Taking out his [Bathtub], he filled it with water.

'I can probably boost the temperature...the only thing I have to pay attention to is to avoid making it too hot. Otherwise, it will evaporate...'

With these thoughts in mind, Ethan put the boost on his whole body while entering the bath. Feeling the temperature slightly raise the more he was in it, he felt happy.

'Although my mana is being used, I will probably attend the event in the afternoon or late in the morning, so I just have to meditate a few hours to restore my mana pool'

After the bath, he felt even more relaxed than before. Dressing in a new pair of clothes, Ethan was 'ready' for the event.

Exiting his room with the intention to go to Ais, he felt speechless. This because every single core member was in front of his door, including Loki who, upon seeing his shocked face, made a chuckle.

Without the time to even ask what they were doing here, she said

"You sure took your time. Didn't you know that in official events you need to go with us?"

Seeing this scene, Riveria sighed while Bete made his classic 'tch'. Nodding, Finn added

"We will come to see your 'show', honestly I'm curious to see how you will face the crowd"

Making an awkward chuckle, Ethan said

"I have my plans"

Smiling, Tiona approached him while saying

"Will you fight them? tell me"

Without replying, he felt as if he needed to act cool in front of her

"Asking for spoilers before the show isn't that good, you will see for yourself"

Even though she wasn't satisfied by his answer, she still made an 'eeeeeh?' before making a disappointed face.

"Come on, Tiona, stop bothering him"

Smiling at her, Ethan replied while looking at her

"She isn't bothering me, but I would like to make her, like everyone else, see how strong I am"

Sighing, she didn't say anything while Riveria was curious about his progress. Approaching him, she had a sheet and a pen in her hands.

"Tell me, how studies are progressing?"

Seeing Lefiya with the gloves he gave her next to Riveria, he passed his gaze on her for some seconds before answering

"I found out a new efficient way to use my magic, but I grew curious to see its effects against [Magic Resistance]"

Writing some questions to ask him after the event, as well as theories to test, she replied without even looking at him.

"You can test against me, I have [Magic Resistance]."

"I..don't know how its effects can work against someone else. Honestly I am afraid of killing someone by accident"

Hearing his words, she felt surprised, but, she said

"Your magic can be strong, but not nearly enough to even damage me, you don't have to worry about that"

He knew this as well, the problem were others for him. Clenching his hand in a fist, he added

"I wouldn't hesitate to kill someone in different circ.u.mstances, but I don't wish to make a genocide today, so your help can make me understand how strong someone on a different league is..."

Even though the two were planning to make a quick spar, time wasn't on their side.

"The event will start in three hours, we must be there in time, I think it isn't possible for you two to lose time"

He understood this as well but, now that reality was in front of him, he really didn't want to risk.

'I trained so hard to control my powers better, but the fact is that against real people, I really never used my magic. I can't simply knock everyone out like a ninja, although I would like to do so'

Looking directly in Riveria's eyes, he said

"I think I can easily arrive there in 30 minutes if I use my Boost Magic to the extreme, with potion's help, I'll be able to restore my mana in 20 minutes, so I think I have time... What do you say, Riveria?"

With the 3rd sigh of the day, She understood he probably was anxious over this matter, so it was necessary to 'test'. What surprised her, was that Lefiya said

"I.. I have [Magic Resistance] too.. I-I will remain with these two making sure they won't be l-late.."

Hearing this, Loki made a sigh on her own. Understanding it would cause quite a stir if Ethan killed someone by accident, she nodded while saying

"We will wait for you directly on the Colosseum. With the crowd of people and our parade, we'll be there just in time for the event to start, so we'll meet each other directly there.."

With a 'whew', Ethan smiled while saying

"Thanks, Loki-sama"

Hearing him call her with honorifics, she felt strangely disappointed but, thinking it was probably because he was always bold with her, she let the matter lay.

'The real question is why I admitted him to call me without honorifics in the first place?'

Seeing how happy Ethan was, Bete made another 'tch'. Heading towards the exit without a care in the world, he was intercepted by Tiona

"You'll never change Bete, at least wait for us!"

Looking away with a somewhat pissed expression, he replied

"I don't need to wait for you! I'll wait you outside while you're all friendly with that weakling!"

Putting his hands in his pockets, he continued to walk towards the exit while Tiona glared at him from the distance.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she turned around to see Tione shaking her head.

"Leave him alone, it doesn't matter"

Understanding her twin was right, she waited with her for others to start moving.

Looking at him, Ais said

"I will...wait for you.."

Nodding, he let her go to Tiona and Tione while Gareth approached Bete to make him calm down.

With this, Loki finally made her familia exit the Manor. Seeing his familia's parade start, he made a smile before looking at Riveria and Lefiya.

"We should go in the training area"

With a nod from Ethan and Lefiya, the group arrived in some minutes at their destination. Leaving her staff, Riveria said

"Try to use that magic on me"

Feeling confidence radiating from every single part of her body, Ethan felt slightly mad but, without minding such a strange feeling, he nodded before boosting his arm.

'She will be fine anyway. A Target can't be compared to a level 6 veteran.'

Unleashing his full power, he tried to use [Avian] on her. With the distance between them so low, he expected her to retreat but, she made him hit her.

Feeling like he hit a mountain, his [Avian] created shock waves on the surrounding while she was perfectly fine.

Nodding, Riveria said

"The difference in our level is too big, but you have the same mana as a level 3. Your magic made my barrier vibrate slightly, so I think you're strong enough to face everyone that will be against you today"

Feeling a little down, he thought he could've at least make the barrier break.

'This is the level of an elite adventurer... I see. I need to get stronger and stronger to be able to overcome this mountain'

Deciding to add something else, She looked at Lefiya

"You shouldn't use your 100% against a normal level 3, but let's try with you, Lefiya"

Lefiya, with a blush, replied

"Y-Yes, Ethan, try against me!"

Chanting her own protection magic, he returned his focus on Lefiya.

'I shouldn't think about this for now. I'll ask Riveria if she can train me more, she will probably accept because she is curious about my magic'

Chuckling, he smiled while saying

"I will put the 100% of my force as Riveria said"

With his determination reaching the peak, he boosted his whole body again before trying to use [Avian] on her.

Although there was resistance, he successfully broke the barrier but, instead of cuts, she was just pushed away a few meters before Riveria stopped her.

Looking at his fist, he understood another Important thing of his [Avian]

'If I want my target to live, I can just control the Air instead of the wind...how stupid I am, to think the control determined by distance...'

Healing her, Riveria asked

"Is everything okay?"

Nodding with a smile, Lefiya answered

"I am perfectly f-fine. Although that hit launched me away, the effect was different from the technique I saw him use"

Pointing her head towards him, she saw him lost in his own world.

'That expression, he found out something important again. To be able to understand his own power with just two uses...he's really a genius...'

Although she felt slightly proud of him, she approached him with her [Magna Alfs] before hitting him on the head.

Feeling the intense pain, he rubbed the spot where he was hit while saying

"Did I do something wrong...?"

Sighing, she replied

"I didn't stop you because the hit wasn't that strong after the barrier was destroyed, but you needed to react faster to disperse your magic. If I hadn't been here, she would have crashed in the wall"

Feeling bad about it, he immediately approached Lefiya. Bowing, he said

"I didn't want to hurt you..I aplogize.."

Blushing, she replied

"N-No..I'm fine, don't worry.."

Seeing the two continue to talk, she took her sheet and the pen, mainly to fix some parts of her own understanding of his magic and to add some more questions.

'I will train him hard, so that he will become a powerful adventurer, and because I want to see how his magic will develop'

Making a small smile, she continued to write her own theory about his magic...

---

(I have a discord server. discord.gg/cpVr5X8 If you enter it, you can choose one of Ethan's future powers from the pool I created, but that's not all! On the server, you can see the reference on some things that will be present in the story! Right now you can freely see some things like the [Twin's Digimon] and [The Devoted Heart].)

(Alternate Titles: "Riveria after 20 years: I raised that boy -Author: Let me see if you know the quote", "Lefiya is a punching bag now", "Ethan is for gender equality at this point")