Conquering The Novel

As I was pondering, I quickly made it to my dorm room.

I swiped my room card, and the doorknob turned green, unlocking my room, and as soon as I walked in, I was greeted by Irethiel.

She was sitting on the couch, watching anime on television.

"...."

I was reminded of Ivica's words when I observed her.

"Don't put all your trust in Irethiel; I know she's your slave now, but I still wanted to warn you about her. A Demon can never be trusted! Consider it my final piece of advice to you,"

That was her supposedly final words to me...

"Oh, you've come back? What are you doing standing there staring at me?" Irethiel asked, bewilder, as she noticed me staring at her.

"It's nothing!" As I proceeded toward my room, I muttered and averted my glance from her.

!?

"What's the matter with him now?" Irethiel shrugged it off and went back to watching her anime.

***

As I stepped out of the shower and sat back on my bed, I began to reflect on all that had transpired today.

"So she won't be able to live until the tournament, huh? Which means now I have to cope with her thorny sister," As I rested my eyes, I murmured.

...

...

¶¶¶

In a land far beyond our own, Where dragons roam and magic is known,

A kingdom stood, proud and tall, protected by a mystical wall.

The king, a sorcerer of great power,

ruled with an iron hand, hour by hour, but his people lived in peace and prosperity, for he kept them safe from all adversity.

But one day, a dark force did rise, bringing chaos and destruction to the skies,

The king knew he must take a stand, and gather his army to defend the land.

With sword in hand and spell on the tongue, he led his men to face the young but powerful sorcerer who threatened all,

In a battle that would decide their fate, once and for all.

The battle was fierce, and many fell, but in the end, the king did prevail,

The dark sorcerer was defeated and the kingdom was saved,

And peace once again, the land embraced.

The king returned to his castle, his heart was heavy with memories of battles past,

But he knew that he had done what was right, and that his kingdom would endure, long into the night.

¶¶¶

...

...

Buzz! — Buzz! — Buzz!—

The vibration of my phone startled me to consciousness.

"...Was that a dream?" As I grabbed my throbbing head, I mumbled loudly.

I then picked up the phone, which was still vibrating from the incoming video call.

"...Lia? What makes her call me now?" I mumbled prior to answering the phone, when I checked the caller ID.

[Hello?]

[Hello, Ah! Ares, did I wake you up?] When Lia saw my worn-out appearance, she questioned with an uneasy expression.

[Yes, you did awaken me. In any case, why did you call me now?] I questioned.

[Regarding that! I just finished making one of your Shurikens, and I was going to send it to you right now so you can test it and let me know if it works well or if there is anything I should change!] Lia said.

[...You've already completed creating one of the shurikens?] I asked, astonished, but as I looked at her more closely, I saw that she had heavy circles under her eyes, suggesting that she had been working tirelessly and had been up all night.

[Eh? Y-Yeah, I worked on it nonstop for the past three days, but I'm sorry I could only complete one!] Lia made an anxious remark.

"...."

'It's already astounding that she was able to create even one in such a short length of time, considering casting a spell on a weapon would take many days,' I mused inwardly.

[Don't worry about it; you finished even one far more quickly than I anticipated.

So, are you sending me the completed shuriken right now?] I inquired.

[Yeah, hold on, I'll send it to you immediately!] Lia responded by moving closer to the medium-sized white box, then scanning it with her camera.

Tring!—

(Lia wants to send you a package; do you want to receive it?

|Recieve| |Reject|)

I pressed the Receive button.

[Receiving a Package...]

The medium-sized white box then quickly appeared in front of me.

[There are also other prototypes in there, as I practiced crafting the ideal shuriken you want on different materials before using that valuable stone.

You can use it, discard it, or do whatever you wish with that prototypes.] While yawning, Lia made a remark.

Yawn~

I opened the box right away and discovered that it contained several prototype shurikens as well as a special palm-sized box, which I assume contains the shuriken constructed of Onyx stone.

The prototypes already made an impression on me.

'If prototypes are this good, how good will the real shuriken that I requested be?' I thought to myself as I took out the special box and slowly opened it.

"...."

As soon as my eyes fell on the palm-size shuriken, I was mesmerized by its unique design.

The shuriken was midnight black in color, with only two razor-sharp and lethal blades. The blades had gleaming silver edges that added to the weapon's ominous aspect. The shuriken's small size and compact shape made it easy to conceal, contributing to its utility in surprise strikes.

The silver edges also suggest that it is composed of high-quality premium metal, which makes it sturdy and reliable.

[...What do you think of it?] Lia inquired, her voice apprehensive.

[Oh, of course, I love it!] I gave my answer with a big smile.

[Pheww, that's great to hear. Oh, and I also cast a spell on it, so you have to put a drop of your blood on it so it can become your familiar and you don't misplace it.] Lia remarked, sighing in relief.

And when she observed me acknowledging the first weapon she crafted for someone else, she smiled with delight.

[...So I have to add a drop of my blood to it for it to bind with me?] I spoke as I transferred a drop of my blood to the shuriken.

The shuriken started vibrating as soon as my blood touched it.

Shreing!

— Shreeing —

[Bravo! It is now linked to you. You can use it and let me know if there are any improvements you would like me to make or if I should add more functionality to the other two shurikens.

Although I had previously made daggers for myself, this was my first time creating a weapon for someone else. I would greatly appreciate any feedback you have.] said Lia.

[Sure, I'll let you know how it performs after a week or so of use.] I reacted while attempting to control the shuriken made of onyx stone.

And I could immediately tell the difference because, in comparison to anything else I had ever used my telekinesis on, the shuriken felt far easier to handle.

Shrieng! Shrieng! Shrieng!—

The shuriken began to flow quickly around me, and I was able to manipulate it as if it were a part of my body.

As I continued to utilize it, I couldn't help but smile.

[...A-Ahmm, I-I believe I should end the call now so you can practice with your new weapon.] When Lia saw my smile, she made an embarrassed face.

[Oh, right, I'll get in touch with you later. love you, take care!] I quickly hung up the phone.

Beep!—

And as soon as I hung off the phone with her, I stopped smiling and resumed my serious demeanor.

"You're doing it again? Playing with the emotions of women?" As Irethiel stood on the doorstep of the room, she said abruptly, her tone accusatory.

Ares leaned back on his bed, a smirk flashing across his lips.

"I had to do it because I want a high-skilled craftsperson on my team in the future, and before she meets Lucas, I have to make sure she falls for me so she doesn't end up joining Lucas's team later," He responded casually.

"...."

'...So he believes that women in love are easy to manipulate?' Irethiel thought to herself.

"Of course, I recognize it's an unconventional approach; messing with a woman's emotions is not something a good person would do."

He paused for a moment before adding with a sly grin,

"...But I never said I was a good person!"

Ares could feel the disbelief in Irethiel's eyes as she stared at him, but he didn't let it bother him.

He was aware that his methods were questionable, yet they always resulted in success. He would do whatever it took to get what he wanted, even if it meant playing with other people's emotions.

As Irethiel stood there staring at Ares, the tension between them was evident. She finally shook her head in disdain and turned to leave, grumbling to herself.

!?

"...what's the deal with her?" Ares mumbled as he watched her walk away.

***

"...."

"He said "love you," didn't he? ...N-No, I must be exhausted since I am hearing things; Y-Yeah, I suppose I should go rest for the time being," Lia whispered to herself, her cheeks flushed red.