"..."
In front of Sylvester's serious gaze, devoid of any lust, Lady Bethany felt slightly ashamed of her theatrics, prompting her to stand firmly upright.
"Hah, I was merely teasing you, Your Grace. I believe you are the only man who would not pounce on me in such attire. Your commitment to duty and faith is something Bards sing of, and I would have been utterly disappointed if they were wrong." She spoke and unceremoniously walked over to sit on the bed, not even bothering to keep her attire modestly covering her body.
'Why are all these powerful women so carefree with their modesty? First Aurora, and now this.' Sylvester wondered, as he had not seen any man do anything similar. 'Is it the sense of freedom that comes with power?'
"Many women have tried much worse in the past, my lady," Sylvester turned his chair around to face her.
Lady Bethany's eyes shone. "Oh, who was it? Any high nobles?"
"The wife of Duke Daemon of Ironstone. She was a witch, and her true form was much more hideous. She's dead now, thankfully." Sylvester remembered the old assignment with distaste. "In any case, I suppose you are here to discuss your struggle for winning the inheritance."
"Aren't you here for that too?" She inquired.
Sylvester sighed and took out a letter from his table drawer. It was in a red envelope with the Church's seal on it. He did not open it, however. "I came to deliver this and announce something. It appears you were not informed of this by your Duchy's spymaster. A few days ago, Divine Dragons came as omens. The war is returning, Lady Bethany. All of us will be fighting the Beastaria soon."
Lady Bethany lost any semblance of calmness and rose to her feet. "I heard a faint roar a few days ago, but never thought it could mean something so horrifying. Your Grace, if this is the case, then taking this Duchy is even more important to me. I have no faith in my brothers' ability to run this place well in times of war. Too many families cease to exist during long wars, and I do not wish for my family name to be added to that list."
"That is the second reason why I am here," Sylvester replied. "I need you to rise to the rank of Grand Wizard and, at the same time, become the Duchess. You will not be called to war this time and will be kept here in case Masan becomes too ambitious."
She agreed almost immediately. "I am aware of Masan's machinations. I've been vigilant and, in the past, have caught many of their spies."
'So, that's why Masan's decades-long conspiracy had no impact on Normani?' Sylvester realized it then.
"My lady, ascending to the rank of Duchess is not a hard task for you. Since you already enjoy public support, a few carefully-crafted rumors could do wonders for your bid for the seat. Moreover, if you were to attain the status of Grand Wizard, it would be the cherry on top. And, if I were to publicly endorse you by blessing you, I cannot imagine the kind of praiseful words that would circulate throughout the Duchy."
Lady Bethany chuckled as she discovered a new side of Sylvester. "Certainly, behind that name and fame was a wise and cunning man. How else could you have endured all the tribulations?"
Sylvester stood up and walked toward the balcony door. "Now that we have a plan, it is time for you to depart. It is inappropriate for a woman of your stature to be in a man's room at this hour...in such attire."
"What if I wish to sleep here?" She asked in a playful tone.
Sylvester rolled his eyes, feigning boredom. "Then I shall go into town and rent a room at some shabby tavern."
"What if I come chasing you?"
'What is the matter with her?'
Sylvester sighed, clapped his hands, and chanted a hymn. But it was not holy, so there was no halo.
?O' Lord of Light, rescue me from this plight.
This woman tries to lure me with all her might.
Her beauty is alluring, but I take no delight.
BEGONE, woman!—out of my sight!?
"..."
Lady Bethany's shoulders sagged, and the thin straps of her negligee slid down a bit. She was stunned and bewildered by Sylvester's quick wit.
Finally, with a sigh, she stood up and passed by him. "Such harsh words for a beautiful maiden. Oh, Lord, when will I find the one meant for me?"
"I can recommend someone, a Grand Wizard. He's a widow and has a daughter, however. But, he's not an old man." Sylvester suggested. "He's Lord Einarr in the Sorrow Kingdom, and he's trying to rebuild the entire Kingdom from scratch."
Lady Bethany's eyes had a flash of hope. "Then I pity that man more than anything else. This war has come at the worst time for him. But thank you for the suggestion, as I might just consider it. He will certainly be better than all the rich fat oafs my father keeps finding for me. Anyways, good night."
Woosh!
With no care, she jumped off the balcony. It was very high in the tower, but for a powerful wizard, there was no need to worry.
"What a strange woman…But quite interesting and beautiful." Sylvester mumbled and headed back to the table.
'Let's write a letter to Inquisitor High Lord next.'
…
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Sylvester did not sleep, so he quickly responded to the door. To his surprise, there was Felix, who never woke up early unless it was a battle.
"What happened?"
Felix strode into the room. "Sylvester, can I ask you something?"
"What?" Sylvester had a bad feeling. "I hope it's not something stupid."
"No, no. I have a query I need your help resolving. I've had an epiphany that kissing your girl is gay. What do you think?" Felix inquired with a completely serious, unreadable expression.
Sylvester frowned as he saw the strange question coming from a mile away. He loved his great friend, but sometimes Felix was a bit too curious for his own good. "How is that possible? She's a woman."
Felix shook his head, standing his ground. "Consider this, Max. When you kiss your girl, you're essentially kissing what used to be another man's seed."
"..."
"Get out!"
"No, I mean, think about it… The sper…"
"If you continue talking about that...the thing, I'll break your arms!" Sylvester pressed on Felix's shoulder with considerable force to shut him up.
He then returned to his desk as the PTSD kicked in. Yes, years had gone by, but the memory remained fresh.
Thankfully, after that, Felix remained silent and soon dozed off on Sylvester's bed. The sun hadn't risen yet, so it was given.
But Sylvester was left scratching his hair. "Argh! I can't concentrate on writing letters now! Alright, let's find Lady Bethany and train with her. I need a hard exercise."
But before leaving, he patted Miraj, waking him up. "Chonky, I'm annoyed with Felix. So, go and sleep on his face, suffocate him."
Miraj allowed Sylvester to carry him and set him on Felix's face. In no time, the fluffy ball of fur began to snore.
"Fe-Fe bad…" Miraj mumbled in sleep.
…
Having fought multiple Grand Wizards and trained with Lady Aurora countless times, Sylvester knew what to expect from a Level One Grand Wizard. As a result, he was able to assess Lady Bethany's strength and calculate how much more she needed to rank up.
"As you said, you're truly close to becoming a Grand Wizard. However, you need one final push, a life-and-death situation that would force you to give everything and more," Sylvester advised Lady Bethany. They had completed their five-hour-long training, and Sylvester was exhausted, just as he desired.
But, considering Lady Bethany was level ten Archwizard, and he was level five. It was not a huge difference that he could not overcome with his experience in warfare, which he had a lot more than the noble lady.
She panted while laying on the ground on her back, exhausted as Sylvester made her run around for her dear life from his Wrath of Heavens and Hellfire Purge. "H-How… Are you… Hah… So strong while being lower ranked than me?"
Sylvester answered her sternly, "My lady, I have faced death countless times, and each time my will to live has helped me overcome. Therefore, unless you possess the necessary skills and the intention to kill me, you cannot pose a threat to me."
Lady Bethany blew hot air from her mouth and sighed. "My father sheltered me for years, and despite my talent being checked by the Archbishop, I never got the chance to train with a mentor. Instead, my mother forced me to learn women's skills, such as praying, singing, dancing, sewing, and courting potential husbands. I'm afraid I've wasted precious years."
Sylvester sat down beside her and conjured a blob of water for himself and Lady Bethany to sip slowly. "Then how did you become so strong, my lady?"
"Ugh… Just call me Beth since we're partners in crime at this point. As for my strength, it was all due to my luck. You see, my mum died, and my father went into depression, unable to look after the realm, let alone me.
"During that time, I found myself a trainer at the nearby Holy Army camp. I learned everything from that person in a single year and grew stronger, making leaps in my rank and level each month," Lady Bethany said excitedly, reminiscing about her past.
"What was your mentor's name?" he inquired, wondering if he knew the person.
Lady Bethany fondly smiled. "She's like a sister to me. Her name is Lady Aurora Foxtron."
"..."
'It all makes bloody sense now!'
________________________
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