I grow stronger by making my wife happy.

Chapter 135: 135:Proposal.

For nearly three hours, Silver and Ravenna remained completely immersed in their own practice, barely exchanging more than the occasional glance.

Outside the large observation window, however, the corridor had become noticeably busier. Contractors passed by between sessions, some slowing their pace just enough to watch the pair inside.

It wasn’t unusual to see young contractors training, but it was unusual to see two people with such obvious discipline.

Silver’s movements had undergone a dramatic change over the course of the morning. At first, every activation of Space Slash had been deliberate, requiring him to consciously separate his swordsmanship from his spatial ability. By the end of the session, the distinction had begun to disappear.

The silver distortion now flowed naturally alongside the blade instead of following behind it. There were still imperfections, but each repetition looked cleaner than the last.

Several experienced contractors exchanged approving looks through the observation glass.

"He’s adapting quickly."

"That’s not raw talent alone."

"No, that’s thousands of deliberate repetitions."

The comments remained quiet, spoken only among themselves, but they reflected a shared opinion.

The young swordsman wasn’t simply training harder than most people; he understood how to train.

On the opposite side of the room, Ravenna had reached a similar rhythm.

Instead of overwhelming the practice dummies with flames, she focused on precision. A thin ribbon of fire wrapped itself around the length of her sword before slowly changing shape as she guided it through one sword form after another.

The flames no longer flared wildly; they obeyed her. Every movement remained smooth, every breath controlled.

Watching the two train side by side created an oddly balanced picture. Silver pursued efficiency while Ravenna pursued control. They took different paths but arrived at the same determination.

Among those watching through the reinforced glass stood a young woman with long blue hair tied neatly behind her head. Bright blue eyes carefully followed every movement Silver made.

She wasn’t staring because of his appearance, at least, not at first. She watched because of the discipline hidden behind every motion. The way he corrected tiny mistakes instead of chasing spectacular attacks.

The way he stopped immediately whenever something felt unnatural before patiently repeating the movement until it flowed correctly.

It reminded her of something her father often said.

’Real strength isn’t flashy. It’s built through thousands of boring repetitions that nobody else wants to do.’

A small smile appeared on her face.

"He really trains seriously..."

One of the instructors walking past noticed where she was looking.

"You know him?"

She shook her head.

"No, I was just curious."

The instructor chuckled.

"Those two rented the room this morning; they’ve barely taken a break."

She nodded thoughtfully before quietly remaining where she was.

By the time noon finally arrived, both Silver and Ravenna were breathing noticeably heavier. Silver lowered his sword and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel before glancing toward the wall clock.

"Our time’s up."

Ravenna extinguished the flames surrounding her blade before placing the weapon back into its sheath.

"I’ll clean up the room a little."

Silver nodded.

"I’ll wait outside."

She smiled.

"It’ll only be a minute."

Silver left first, allowing the heavy reinforced door to close quietly behind him. The hallway felt much cooler after spending hours inside the training room.

He had only taken a few steps before someone politely called out behind him.

"Excuse me."

Silver turned.

Standing several metres away was the young woman who had been watching through the observation window. Her blue hair rested neatly over one shoulder, while calm blue eyes met his without hesitation.

She wore simple training clothes, but the quality of both the fabric and the sword hanging at her waist suggested she came from a wealthy family.

She approached with relaxed confidence before offering a small smile.

"Sorry for stopping you; I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Gloria Mandez."

Silver returned the polite smile.

"Silver."

Neither of them offered a handshake. Among contractors, names alone were usually enough.

Gloria glanced briefly toward the closed training room before looking back at him.

"I watched part of your training. You have excellent discipline."

Silver scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Thank you, I’m still learning."

She laughed softly.

"I think everyone says that, but not everyone spends three hours correcting the same movement until it’s right."

Silver couldn’t deny that.

"It becomes a habit. For me, if something feels wrong, I’d rather fix it immediately."

"I noticed."

There was genuine admiration in her voice.

"My father always says talented people are common. Disciplined people aren’t."

Silver smiled.

"He sounds like a wise man."

"He can be."

The conversation remained surprisingly comfortable. There was no awkward silence, just two young contractors discussing training.

Eventually, Gloria spoke again.

"I’m actually preparing to leave for the Academy soon. I’ve been trying to improve as much as possible before the entrance evaluations."

Silver’s expression remained calm.

"I see."

"And you?"

He gave a vague smile.

"I’ll probably continue travelling for a while."

It wasn’t exactly a lie. He simply had no reason to reveal his own plans to someone he had only just met.

Gloria accepted the answer without pressing further. Instead, she looked at him for a moment before speaking more carefully.

"This might sound a little sudden... but would you be interested in getting to know each other sometime?"

Silver blinked once. He understood what she meant immediately. There wasn’t even a hint of hesitation in his answer.

"I’m flattered." He smiled apologetically. "But I already have a girlfriend, and I’m happy with her."

The words were gentle and firm, completely without ambiguity. For just a brief moment, surprise crossed Gloria’s face, then she laughed quietly.

"I thought that might be the case. I saw you training together; I just figured I’d regret it if I didn’t at least ask."

Silver appreciated the honesty.

"I hope you don’t take it personally."

"I don’t."

She shook her head with an easy smile.

"If anything... I respect a straightforward answer."

Just then, the training room door opened behind Silver. Ravenna stepped into the corridor carrying both of their bags.

She stopped for a brief moment after noticing Silver talking with another young woman. Neither of them had seen her yet.

She quietly listened as Gloria finished speaking.

"Well then, I hope your travels go well, and maybe we’ll meet again someday."

Silver nodded politely.

"I’m sure we will. Good luck with your training."

"You too."

Gloria offered one final smile before turning and walking calmly down the corridor. She never looked back.

Only after she disappeared around the corner did Ravenna walk over.

"So..." Silver glanced toward her. "You heard?"

"I heard enough."

She adjusted the strap of her bag before looking ahead again.

"You answered quickly."

"There wasn’t anything to think about."

He spoke so matter-of-factly that Ravenna couldn’t help smiling.

"I’m glad."

There was no jealousy in her voice, only quiet satisfaction. She had never doubted Silver. Hearing him reject someone so naturally simply strengthened that trust.

The two left the Association side by side, stepping into the bright afternoon sunlight. The sanctuary bustled around them as contractors hurried toward missions while merchants called out to passing customers.

Silver stretched his shoulders.

"My sword feels a lot more natural now."

Ravenna nodded.

"My fire control improved too. I think today’s training was worth it."

Silver smiled.

"I’d say so."

He looked toward the busy streets ahead.

"Now... how about we finally go on that date I promised?"

Ravenna’s smile widened just a little.

"I was wondering when you’d remember."

Silver laughed.

"I never forgot."