These were the battle maids that the Demugen family painstakingly raised with their refined teachings and techniques that they had developed over the course of the many generations that have passed since the founding of the family.
While Raydon was examining these eight people, his eyes were suddenly drawn to the glowing eyes of Belicia.
'Why is she staring at me like that? ' As Raydon's gaze met Belicia's intense and radiant eyes within the group, an unexpected unease coursed through him, causing a ripple of discomfort to settle in his core.
Throughout the course of their interactions, Belicia had always treated him with warmth, similar to how an affectionate older sister might treat her younger brother. Her gaze frequently conveyed a mixture of fondness and sympathy toward him, as if she felt sorry for the circumstances he was in.
But now, as Raydon continued to delve deeper into the depths of her unwavering gaze, he perceived a change in her typical demeanor. Even though the tender affection was still there, the previously present undercurrent of pity had completely vanished, making way for a completely different feeling. Raydon had a hard time articulating the precise nature of this new expression, but "adoration" seemed to be the most appropriate word for it.
While Raydon was attempting to make sense of this change in Belicia, another battle maid from the group deftly advanced forward, bowed elegantly, and addressed Diam in a tone that was respectful. ''Yes, Miss Diam. ''
Raydon's expression turned sour as he recognized yet another familiar face. This person was none other than Tika, with dark hair pulled back into a ponytail to expose pointed ears resembling those of an elf, which added extra allure to her already stunning appearance.
Raydon's sharp eyes also caught sight of Tika wearing something other than her usual maid outfit. A striking garment that resembled a cape hung down from her right shoulder all the way to her waist.
'Apparently, her arm hasn't fully recovered. ' Raydon realized that the additional garment served a purpose beyond aesthetics; it concealed the remnants of her previously severed arm that had yet to fully heal. Because Dan had previously reported the incident, he was aware that Fang was the one who had attacked Tika during her previous visit.
In a world where item holders could regenerate even the most grievous injuries within minutes, seeing Tika's continued struggle to heal days after the attack served as a stark reminder of the immense power that was behind Fang's attack.
'Was it a unique ability that prevented the healing effect from taking place on the body, or was it due to the elemental effect? ' Raydon pondered.
As he continued to increase his spirit stat, he became increasingly aware of how beneficial the elemental attribute was. The more potent an item holder's element, the more potent the skills that become of that element when they use it, and even different effects will manifest themselves depending on how powerful the element is.
The most illustrative example of this can be found in Raydon's black flames. As a result of the ash attribute he possesses in both his MP and HP, he was even able to kill the blue giant, which was an accomplishment that seemed impossible in the previous inheritance.
"Okay, then I will see you around later. '' Galen gave Raydon a reassuring pat on the shoulder before saying and then hurriedly leaving.
After that, Diam also left, heading down another corridor, and the other battle maids, with the exception of Tika, followed behind her like baby ducks following their mother duck.
Immediately following Diam's departure, Tika's expression changed to one of disgust. ''This way. ''
Tika was no longer constrained by the need to wear a fake smile, so she was able to express her genuine feelings towards Raydon.
Tika was filled with a profound sense of annoyance and disgust at the mere thought of serving a seemingly insignificant and powerless young master like Raydon, despite the fact that she possessed an incredible amount of power and was regarded as a formidable battle maid.
If it weren't for the stringent rules that the family insisted on enforcing, she would have left him a long time ago in search of a new young master who would be more deserving of her devotion. Alas, such a possibility was firmly out of reach, as she was bound by a lifelong commitment to serve the very master chosen for her—Raydon, her inescapable destiny.
Raydon chose to disregard her behavior and began to follow her instead.
"You must think you're quite the big deal now, don't you?" Tika remarked, her words dripping with sarcasm as they strolled along the long, expansive corridors.
Raydon did not respond and continued walking as he observed the expensive-appearing portraits that were hanging on the walls as well as the flowers that were placed in vases on the tables.
Tika furrowed her brow and then continued speaking after realizing that she had been ignored. ''Being lucky doesn't change the fact that you're weak. Even now, nobody cares about you; all of their attention is focused on your new master. ''
The tone that Tika used was filled with derision and contempt with every word that she spoke. Her carefully chosen phrases and the deliberate way that she spoke appeared to be a practiced technique, the aim of which appeared to be to provoke a reaction from Raydon and unsettle his composure.
However, when she realized that her words had been ignored once more, she gritted her teeth and made the decision to give up her fruitless efforts because she did not want to embarrass herself any further than she already had.
Tika's annoyance was palpable as she muttered, 'Tch, he was insufferable even in his crippled state, and now he has become an even greater eyesore. '
She regained her composure and continued to walk quietly as they made their way down the hallway. She realized that she had failed to complete the mission assigned to her by the elders, which was to destroy Raydon's confidence prior to the meeting.
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