DING! DONG!

The bell rang. I was busy reading a comic so I couldn’t go to the door. I looked at Daichi and he ran towards the door under my gaze. It was nice having a subordinate around. I guess this is how she felt when I was her squire.

“Ibuki!”

“Bleh. What is it?”

“A friend of yours is here.”

“A friend of mine? Mira? But she isn’t supposed to come here today.”

I jumped down from the couch and went to the door. Standing there were a big man wearing a black suit with shades and a little girl with dirty blonde hair.

“Mary?”

I scowled at the haughty princess.

“Ibuki.”

She responded.

“Why are you here?”

“You asked me to.”

“I did?”

I asked, having no memory of telling her to come over.

“R-remember what you said?”

“What I said?”

“A-about the ……”

“About what?”

“The… you know.”

“The what?”

“Training.”

She muttered something embarrassingly. I couldn’t fathom why she was so shy about what she was saying.

“Come again, I didn’t catch that.”

“The training! I came for the training, ok!?”

“Training? What training?”

I cocked my head in confusion. Mary had avoided me ever since that fateful confrontation some months ago, so why was she coming to me with this now? We hadn’t so much as looked each other in the eye.

“R-remember? From that time you beat me.”

I tried thinking back to that day. It wasn’t really an important moment to me, so saying I remember exactly what I said was a lie.

“I guess I remember something like that.”

“If you knew then why were you troubling me like that!?”

 She yelled at me. Her rude attitude was starting to get on my nerves again.

“Shut it. Servants don’t talk back to their masters.”

“I just came here for the training you abnorm-”

I smacked her head with a tiny bit of force, making her bop.

“It’s boss! Don’t use that term around me. I don’t want C.C hearing that.”

My mother was up in her room with C.C tending to the ever-needy child. I sort of missed that kind of treatment, but I wasn’t that young anymore. I found it odd, but I was getting very comfortable in this life time. Maybe, my block in growth wasn’t because of anything other than my current mental state. Though my environment also played a huge factor into that. If I wanted a fast growth like before, I would need to be plunged into life threatening situations. If I had any qualms about this world, it would be that it was too safe.

“C.C?”

I ignored her to take a look at the driver, expecting some sort of reaction but I got none. It was so weird how he didn’t even attempt to protect her.

“I shall be here at 4 to pick up Lady Mary.”

“Very well. Do try to be on time.”

He bowed and made to leave, but his lack of any proper communication with my mother was concerning.

“Don’t you want to talk to my mom first?”

I asked.

“No need. I have already spoken with your security guard, so she should know.”

With that answer, he left us and we watched him walk to his car.

“Quite friendly, that one.”

I sarcastically remarked

“He’s just a driver. Now let’s get a move on with the training.”

She walked past me into my home, but I tripped her.

“Hey! What was that for?”

“Ever heard of a slave walking ahead of its master before?”

“Huh? Since when was I your slave?”

“Since you stepped into my abode. Resident king, me. Resident queen, my mother. Resident princess, C.C. Then we have the two slaves, Alexis and Daichi.”

“Alexis? Isn’t that your dad?”

“Yes.”

“Then how is he your slave?”

“Obviously because cuteness rules all!”

“Huh?”

“Let’s head to the back.”

“Hey Ibuki. Are we going to train?”

Daichi came up from the hall.

“Mary, this is my idiot brother Daichi. He is my right-hand man, and your boss when I’m not around so please be kind to him.”

“Eh?”

“Nice to meet you, Mary. My name’s Daichi Ryo. Let’s get along. Also, don’t worry about Ibuki. You’ll get used to her.”

“I heard that.”

I delivered a force packed kick to him in the stomach and he took it like a champ.

“I see your body reinforcement is going well.”

“Yep. I can now handle your kicks.”

It seems, since I hadn’t ever really given him a proper kick, my brother had gotten cocky.

“Sure, sure. Keep telling yourself that.”

“Hey kids! Was there someone at the door?”

Down the staircase, mother walked in with C.C in her arms. Seems like she was making baby food for the lass.

‘Ambrosia!’

“Yes. Mary’s driver came to drop her off.”

I answered as I walked up to her.

“Mary? That name sounds familiar.”

“My name is Mary Mignard. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

The princess introduced herself with a bow.

“Have we met before?”

“Not formally, no, but you may remember me from the fight incident.”

“Fight incident?”

She had no memories of it!

“Yes. Some time back, I fought Ibuki.”

“Wait, you’re the weak perverted kid that punched Ibuki?”

“Weak perverted!?”

“Indeed.”

Daichi responded. He had acquired Yellen’s habit of calling all those around her perverts. I really hope I don’t get that weird habit.

“A-Ah… Although not my finest moment, yes.”

She admitted to her mistakes. At least that meant the person raising her was good. They thought her proper manners instead of her going the usual route of trying to blame me for simply existing.

“Oh? What are you doing here? Is your guardian around?”

“No.”

“Then what are you here for?”

“I invited her to come train with me.”

“Eh? Fine. As long as Ibuki is ok with it, have fun.”

“Sure thing, mom.”

I walked past her towards the backyard, dragging Mary by hand.

 

__________________________

“To master the force, feel the force and let the force feel you. Muster up the most amount of force you believe you can and let me see.”

“Huh? That sounds complicated.”

“Complicated it is not. Stupid you are.”

“What?”

“Become a knight you wish. Training you I am.”

“What’s with the way you are talking? It’s weird.”

“Ah, uncultured you are. Fine, fine. Anyway, try to feel the force. You are already at Early Deacon stage. So, you should know what the Force is like.”

“Yea…”

I walked back and looked at her.

“Do you know how to temper your body with Force to make it harder and more durable?”

“Huh? Hmm… I just know that my body is harder than most normal people.”

She shrugged.

“I see.”

It would seem that since she’s still a child, no one has properly thought her how to use Force. If she had trainers, they probably thought everything was too complicated for a kindergartner and refused to explain the harder concepts that required focus.

‘Her body was naturally built to withstand attacks then. In that case, if she learns how to temper it with Force, I wonder what will actually be able to injure her in the future… Other than mom, that is…’

“Ok then, I’ll show you how to do that. It’s easy, actually. Just let the force flow through you and settle right on top of your skin.”

I showed her an example by doing just that for her to see.

“It’s like wearing a coat of force.”

I rose my hand and let her see my aura.

“Ah! I can do that just fine.”

She angrily complained and came to grab me by the collar. I slapped her hands away and she fell to the ground.

“Show me.”

With an outstretched hand, the impulsive brat started channeling force into her hand. From my perspective, it looked like a disgusting formless amoeba making its way out of her skin forcefully and painfully. It bubbled up and popped and her skin was slowly turning red from overheating.

If she continued this, she would die from an implosion.

‘Guess I have to stop this.’

PA!

I slapped her face into the ground and the disgusting force stopped.

“Hey! Why’d you do that!?”

“What kind of idiot uses force in such a hurtful manner? It was hard to even watch. You lack the grace and finesse required to be a proper chevalier.”

Angry, Mari stood up and aimed a punch for my face. I kicked her back with no issues.

“You see? A simple kick like that can’t even conjure up wind, yet it was more than enough to push you to the ground even when your defense is higher than most at our age and some teenagers.”

I could hear her heavy breathing from the floor. What she did was too dangerous, so being unable to move was understandable. However, if I didn’t drill it into her now that she’s not supposed to do that, she will end up forgetting this lesson and killing herself.

“First of all, what kind of idiot forces all their force through one limb? Even with your exceptionally tough body, that could lead to you never being able to use that limb again. It’s like taking all the blood in your body to just one part when you aren’t elastic or rubber man. You will die.” I kicked her in the side. “Second of all, what kind of form was that? The force you displayed was visibly disgusting. Make it more refined and presentable. We are slaying monsters, not trying to become them. And lastly, don’t force it. Feel it and let it settle on you.”

She was still panting on the ground. I decided to let her recover her strength after an hour or two. Even got some fans ready for her. She was burning up.

When she recovered, we tried again. Overtime, she managed to get the fundamentals of getting her force out down. We would focus on her proper control at a later date.

“Ok then, I’m going home.”

Mary said exhaustingly. She looked deathly pale, almost like she had almost died. I guess it sort of was my fault for not telling her that if her control was weak, she could end up burning up her body from the inside instead. The very first chevaliers were known as human bombs.

‘What can I say? It’s not like Holy Force was originally intended to be used by humans.’

“May the force be with you.”

“Huh? Oh, I see how it goes now.”

Mary confidently said. Maybe she did learn something from this training after all.

“May it be with us all.”

“No! You ruined it! Ah! Get out of my house!”

“I did?”

“Leave you uncultured harlot!”

“Ah, sorry!”

She ran out of the door crying and got into the car. The driver just looked at me then walked into his car.

‘Ah well, I think that’s the last I’ll be seeing off her.’

“Wait… she wasn’t wrong. Oh well.”

The next day after school, both Mary and Mira showed up at my door, saying that they came for practice, making me realize what kind of task I had given to myself.

And that was how I lived for some time. Mira and Mary would come over, then we would train or just watch TV. With Mary around, I had someone other than Daichi to spar with. Someone who wouldn’t quit after the first beating. And her tempering was progressing along nicely and she could take a few punches without complaining. Although she did have a sort of boon in our fights, since my cores are refusing to get any stronger.

Then there was Yellen who had been very busy with my baby sister. Because of that, she was no longer able to drop us off and Alexis who was also gone, for heavens know how long was not available. Something about family members. I think Yellen explained that my grandmother passed. I wasn’t sure if he still abandoned us or Yellen was still making up excuses for him. Anyway, because of that, I had Daichi picking me up from school every day.

Why Daichi? My mother said there was no point in making the servants do it since they were busy in the household. Not like I had a problem with any of that, but wasn’t that kind of reckless in this current age? Although exhausting, it was an ok experience and I had gotten used to it.

It got to a point, Mira’s father decided that Daichi could walk both Mira and I home alone, so he would just come pick her up later. Life as a guild master probably wasn’t easy. The haughty princess decided to join us in this routine. I don’t know why, but her guardian allowed it. That is, until one day, something weird happened.

We were walking home like usual, when a young thin looking man in a uniform came up in front of us.

“Hey kids! Want some ice crea-?”

“No thank you.”

Daichi shot him down in an instant. He didn’t even slow down to talk to the man. I get that he was following mother’s orders to the letter, but that was beyond cold.

“D-Daichi. Can I get some ice cream?”

Mira asked, making the oaf pause in his movements. He contemplated it for a moment and it looked like he was going to say no. Mira tugged me in the back and hit me with her puppy dog eyes.

Dear heavens, I was a sucker for little kids. They always won.

“Ugh, let’s get some ice cream, Daic-”

“What Ice cream do you have?”

The boy was already talking to the man about getting us some ice cream. Maybe I didn’t need to speak after all.

“Why don’t you come with me to my ice cream van?”

I looked there, but all I saw was a white van. There was no design on it that shouted “Ice Cream”. Literally a plain white van.

“Eh? Who’s going to fall for such a stupidly obvious trap?”

I spoke out in a rage.

“What trap?”

He questioned, but I properly scanned his body. Originally, I felt it was weird someone possessing force was a mere ice cream man, but I attributed that to how the current world allowed anyone to choose whatever profession they wanted with little to no discrimination.

“Eugh, what kind of ice cream man has a cobra tattoo on his arm?”

I asked the obvious kidnapper, and he tried to cover up with his sleeve.

“We’ve got vanilla flavoured ice cream.”

“Real smooth… Now move you perverted lolicon!”

I yelled. Daichi was immediately on high alert, but just stayed back, like the good boy he was supposed to be.

“Let’s keep it down.”

The kidnapper tried to calm me down, but it wasn’t going to work.

“Pervert! There’s a pervert trying to kidnap us! A sick old perverted lolicon!”

“Ah, damn it. You little shits.”

Suddenly, men burst out of the van. There were about five of them, all wearing black unlike this man. Before we could react, they grabbed all of us and threw us into the van. They were real professionals at this if they managed to move faster than Daichi could react.

“Hey! What the hell is this?”

“Shut it you brats.”

“Oi! Stop this or else…”

“Or else what, little lady?”

“…Little… lady?”

‘He just called me a little lady! I’ll blow this guy’s head off!’

“Damn it! I’ll kill these bastards.”

“I-Ibuki! Wait-!”

<A/N: Well, this was supposed to come yesterday. Sorry, my bad>>