"I will be joining the family soon, so I should know something about it, no?" Isabel questioned, however,
"Haah…?"
Orion paused.
He then turned towards Isabel and with a big frown on his face, he questioned. "Why would you join the Vesta Family?"
Hearing those words, Isabel blinked in surprise.
"Am I not obliged to?" She questioned.
"Why would you be obligated to join the Vesta Family?"
"The Teacher is part of the Vesta Family, since I will be learning from you, isn't it obvious that I should be joining the Family? After all, only a member of the Family should be allowed to learn the Core skills of Teacher. He cannot teach it to any random person he meets.
I perfectly understand that.
As a member of the Vesta Family, you would obviously have some responsibility towards it, no?"
Isabel spoke.
Honestly, all these things Vaan had told her made perfect sense, this was why she never doubted him before.
Orion, however, blinked in surprise, soon however, a possibility came up in his mind and his mouth started twitching in annoyance,
"Isabel…"
He called out.
"Who told you all this?"
Orion questioned despite knowing the answer.
With how his mouth hadnt stopped twitching and his fists were clenched tightly, it was easy to guess what was about to happen to the culprit.
"It was Vaan."
The answer was exactly what Orion expected.
"Come with me. I need to teach that bastard a lesson."
He spoke, taking Isabel to the Vaan's house.
Isabel frowned, "A lesson? Has he done something wrong?" She questioned, then, as she narrowed her eyes, she asked another question,
"Did he… lie to me?"
"My techniques are my own. Even if I am part of the Vesta Family, the Family itself has no hand in my current strength.
My techniques are not bound to the Vesta Family.
I can teach them to whoever I like and I do not need Vesta Faily's permission to do it."
Orion made it clear.
"So… he lied to me…?" Isabel's expression changed.
"He did.
I would love it if you were to join the Family in the future, however, in no way, are you obligated to join it. So you do not have to think so hard and tie yourself up with one of the powers at such a young age.
You have your entire life in front of you right now, don't be hasty."
Orion suggested how a good teacher would.
Isabel, however, was thinking about a completely different thing and didn't even reply to Orion's words. Something that had never happened before.
"Isabel…?"
Seeing that the girl was oddly silent, Orion called out.
Then suddenly, Isabe; raised her head and with a forced smile on her face, she questioned,
"Teacher, I actually have quite a few techniques that I haven't shown you yesterday.
How about I and Vaan have another spar today?"
Seeing the expression on her face, Orion was taken aback. He could tell that his son had provoked someone he shouldn't have and honestly, he had no wish to protect him either.
'He deserves it.'
Orion nodded to himself and,
"Sure.
I actually wish to see most of your skills today, so I doubt it would end in just one spar.
Don't worry, I have enough healing Potions with me, I have also arranged one of the Healing Mages for the day.
You can have as many spars as you want."
He spoke and realizing that the two of them were on the same page, a bright smile appeared on Isabel's face, and,
"Thank you, Teacher!"
She bowed her head.
"Hahaha~
This is something I, as your teacher should do."
Orion laughed.
The Teacher and Student were bonding with each other.
And the reason behind that bond… was their combined wish to beat up Vaan.
…
"Uugghh… Why do I suddenly feel so strange…?"
Vaan, who was currently eating together with Elara questioned out loud.
Just now, he felt his entire body tremble, he could even feel goosebumps all over his body without any apparent reason.
It wasn't something that had happened often so it made Vaan frown. He wondered if it wasn't some strange magic sickness in this fantasy-like world.
"What happened?"
Elara questioned with a worried look on her face.
"I don't know… I just feel strange…
It is as if something bad is about to happen…"
Vaan's instincts were warning him about the impending doom, he just couldn't understand the signal.
Elara held Vaan's hand to ease his worries, seeing her making the move, Vaan couldn't help but smile, but then…
"M-Maybe it is related to Sir Vaan's battle tomorrow…?"
A man spoke up.
He was from Vaan's 'personal broadcasting' club, it was a club that Vaan didn't even bother remembering the name of, he just wanted to use them for broadcasting his message and today, he had called him to say a few things about Isabel joining them.
"Hmm?"
Vaan turned towards the man and frowned.
"What are you talking about?" He questioned.
"S-Sir Vaan and Lady Elara are about to face two 4 Star Swordsmen tomorrow, both of them might not be the best swordsmen out there, but their teamwork is quite impeccable.
Shouldn't Sir Vaan and Lady Elara be training right now…?" The man spoke.
Seeing as how Vaan and Elara were having a feast instead of trying to figure out a way to win…
It made him feel strange.
"Aren't the two of you a little too carefree…?"
He couldn't help but say out loud.
Vaan, however, while taking a bite of the chicken leg piece he was holding, glanced at the man and,
"Do you think just one day of training would make any difference? No amount of training from both sides could change the result of the battle tomorrow, after all, if you couldn't do something in years of training, what could you possibly achieve on the last day?
Instead of trying to tense yourself, it is better to relax your mind."
"But shouldn't you at least look into your enemies' previous fights!? I have actually brought all the articles about their previous fights, I am sure Sir Vaan would get some valuable insights if you read them." The man suggested.
Vaan momentarily paused, observing the man in front of him.
"What was your name again?" He questioned.
"I am Ethan Ericson," Ethan replied.
"Hm." Vaan nodded.
"You are worrying too much, Ethan. Tomorrow's battle, I assure you, we will be the victors.
You can leave everything you have brought here, also, from now on, make sure you are the only one they send for an interview or articles, you are bright, I believe that with your help and suggestions, I would have an easier time manipulating media."
In an instant, Ethan's eyes brightened up.
"A-As you say, Sir Vaan!"
He exclaimed.
"Now eat well. We will have an interview after this." Vaan spoke as he nodded.
Ethan nodded back, however, just as he was about to eat,
"Look at you~
Aren't you carefree, guess that's what happens when you lie left and right, eh?"
A voice was heard.
Ethan turned around, confused as to who would be so daring to say those words to someone as intimidating as Vaan, but the moment his eyes fell on the woman standing at the doors, his eyes widened in fright,
"L-L-Lady Isabel!!"
He was shocked.
He knew Vaan and Isabel were close, he had heard what had happened in the Leadership and Personality Development Class today.
However, even then, he didn't think the two would be so close that Isabel would barge into Vaan's house without as much as a knock.
"What are you doing here?" Vaan questioned with a frown.
He knew Isabel would come to train, however, this was 2 hours before the given time.
"To beat you up of course."
Isabel answered.
"What…?" Vaan narrowed his eyes.
"She is talking about training together with you, my dear son."
Suddenly Orion walked into the room as well and the moment Vaan noticed the smile on his father's face, he understood the crux of the situation.
'Fuck…' n1In
He cursed in his head.
He finally understood why he felt so strange all this while.
He glanced at Isabel and seeing the look on her face, he smiled innocently and,
"I-I have a battle tomorrow, so I need to train for that. How about we skip are training session to tomorrow? I'll be sure to compensate you."
"Oh don't you worry, I'll make sure to train you well for tomorrow. So much that even if you take any hits tomorrow from a real sword or an Artifact, you would feel like they are nothing."
Isabel's intentions were clear.
"…"
Vaan gulped.
"S-Sir Vaan…"
In between all this, Ethan called out.
"Regarding the interview about Lady Isabel joining the Vesta Family, would it be possible to have Lady Isabel in it as well?"
He questioned with a hopeful look on his face.
However,
"What did you say?"
'You fucking bastard…
I was wrong about you…'
Vaan cursed in his head.
