I am Tenshin Trius.

  A week passed by, and it was the middle of the afternoon. Desha and Rias were working on another assignment I had handed them, and they worked on it as Vieta was behind the seat I usually sit on. I wasn’t there until I came through the room carrying something in my arms.

  "Guess who’s back!" I exclaimed.

  "Welcome back, Master Tenshi," Vieta said as she pulled my chair back, and I sat on it.

  Rias looked up at me. "What were you even doing you? You took a while."

  I pulled out what was in my arm, revealing a canvas. "Ta-da," I said, showing her the artwork, which was a perfectly drawn and colored painting of her.

  Rias gasped and dropped her pencil as she looked at it, joy shining in her eyes. She grabbed the canvas, examined it, and exclaimed, "You actually did it!? This is the best!"

  I nodded with pride. "Yup, sorry it took a bit, but here it is now." I looked away. And also a sorry gift after you figured out what masturbating was. No regrets. I looked back at her with a grin. "Shouldn't you say...?" I paused, waiting for her to respond how I wanted.

  ***

  A few minutes went by, and I placed the three books on a desk in the library and explained to Vieta what I was doing. I also asked if she could give me some company along the way so I don’t get bored.

  She tilted her head and pondered for a moment before looking back at me. "So, you really want to learn nearly all these languages?"

  "Yup, and you're going to help me by keeping me company," I said with a wink. "Unless you have some tips you could share along the way, that would be great."

  She put her hand down. "I’m not trying to bring you down, Master Tenshi, but wouldn’t this take years? A decade or so, even?"

  I shrugged my shoulders. "I guess we'll see when I give out. Come on, Vieta, please. You’re the best company I’ve got. Rias gets bored easily, and Desha is just… Desha. Actually, maybe she could give some pointers on the demi-human tongue, but that can wait for another time. Come on, my good friend V."

  A small smile crossed her face, and she seemed a little embarrassed as she looked away. "Well, I suppose it wouldn’t be so bad since I don’t do much myself…" She looked back at me. "All right then, I’ll join you."

  "Sweet! I knew I could count on you. Let’s get started on some demi-human language, then!"

  ***

  Three days went by, and it was the afternoon. Vieta and I were back to learning a different tongue. This one was demon tongue, and we were in my room this time. I was currently banging my head on the desk, saying, "Ughhhhh, this is so hard!"

  Vieta pondered as she looked at the words and said, "We were doing so well on demi-human, but this language… it doesn’t seem that easy at all. Not a single word is easy, even the small ones."

  "Kill me, I thought this was easy…" I whined.

  Vieta looked over at me. "I say we take a break. It’s best you don’t push yourself too hard, Master Ten—"

  She was interrupted by shouting out the door. "I hate this, I hate this, I hate this!" The person behind the door shouted, and we also heard running. It sounded like Rias.

  "Hang on a minute," I said as I got up and walked out the door.

  "Please wait, Lady Rias!" a woman shouted. As I looked to my left, I was caught in between the woman’s breast

  Titties!

  She quickly backed up. "Oh, my apologies!" She apologized as she bowed her head. The woman looked like she was in her mid-twenties. She also matched the term cute.

  I quickly shook my hands. Huh, who's this cutie… "That’s all right. You must be…?"

  "Oh, right." She would do a curtsy bow. "My name is Lyvra Ilenis." She would stand straight. "I am the dance teacher for Lady Rias, who just ran off…" She sighed.

  Oh, so that’s who she is. I quickly glanced back into the room, hoping Vieta hadn’t seen what just happened. She had a pouty look and was flustered. I gave a nervous smile, turned my attention back to Lyvra, and stepped away slightly to avoid appearing like a complete pervert. "So, you’re having trouble with Rias?"

  Lyvra nodded, looking disappointed. "Unfortunately. She was doing well in most of her classes with me, but she quickly became bored and often took long breaks. I see her potential, but she doesn’t seem interested in tapping into it. I can’t imagine the poor girl coming in on her birthday just to be laughed at for failing."

  I looked away, muttering, "Yeah, well, maybe it will teach her a lesson or two…"

  She looked up at me, confused. "Pardon?"

  I met her gaze again and shook my head. "Nothing, I just expected this from her. I’m her tutor, actually."

  She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "A young boy like you? No disrespect! It’s just surprising. You must know Lady Rias quite well, so… if you don’t mind, could you please encourage her to attend her dance classes more consistently?"

  I was taken aback by her request and felt completely unprepared. "W-Wait, you want me to encourage Rias to attend her dance classes more?"

  She nodded eagerly. "Yes, please! If Lady Rias listens to you, I don't see any problem with you discussing this with her."

  "Well, sure, but for her classes with me, that took a lot of time. She’s barely even…" I thought about it and started to feel a little bad for her. I sighed. "All right, but I can’t promise anything."

  She smiled brightly. "Thank you so much! Just please try your best. I believe in you."

  I really didn’t want to do this, but I looked back into the room, seeing Vieta shrugging her shoulders as if she was saying she didn’t mind.

  Rias looked back up at me with a casual expression. "Oh yeah, thanks." Then, she returned her gaze to the painting and smiled again.

  I looked at her with a poker face. "Wow, not even a smile for me…?" I muttered. I looked away and smirked. Little does she know it was drawn by an actual professional painter. Now I know I drew my beautiful master slash goddess fully colored, but in reality, I do not know shit. Like, I don’t know at all. I don’t know if I cast some spell on myself to make me a good painter for only Larah, but really, I don’t know shit… shit! I did draw the outline, though.

  Vieta looked down at me. Noticing my smirk, she said, "Uhh..." I looked up at her after forgetting she was there, smiled, and then focused back on Rias and Desha as they continued their work.

  ***

  After a couple of hours, I was done tutoring for the day. Rias, Vieta, and I all followed Desha, and both Rias and I had the same leather armor we had last time we sparred with swords since Desha was going to continue training us. As always I invited Vieta to come watch.

  I looked down and noticed Rias continuing to hold the painting of herself. I looked up at her and said, "Rias, don’t you wanna keep that in your room? Isn’t it strange to just bring it with you outside?"

  Rias looked back at me and replied, "I don’t need to do what you say." Rias would look back ahead. "Besides, I love it," She said with a smile.

  I shrugged it off and smirked. Well, glad she liked it, at least. I looked ahead and noticed Salina walking by.

  Rias ran up to her, exclaiming, "Mother, look at this awesome painting Tenshi drew for me!" She displayed the painting with a bright smile on her face.

  Salina returned the smile and said, "That’s wonderful, my dear." However, when she looked up at me, her expression shifted to one of disapproval, as if I had done something wrong. Confused, I looked back at her, but she simply walked away.

  I watched her leave and turned to Vieta. "Do you know why she doesn’t seem to like me?"

  Vieta shrugged her shoulders, indicating that she didn’t have an answer.

  I would look back at her leaving, and I would sigh.

  ***

  Five months had passed, and it was summer. Both Rias and I were currently sparring with wooden swords in the castle courtyard. Vieta was inside the castle, so she decided not to join us. As we continued to clash swords, it became clear that we were evenly matched.

  "Ha!" we both shouted as our swords collided. We grunted with effort, pushing against each other. Suddenly, Rias ducked down and tripped me with her legs.

  "Ah!" I yelped as I stumbled.

  "Haa!" Rias exclaimed as she slashed her sword at my ribs before I could hit the ground.

  "Gah!" I spat out as she managed to strike me on the side, which made me fall.

  Rias would pant as she aimed her sword right above herself for the finishing move.

  I would roll over, look right up at her, and shout while waving my hand in front of myself, "WAIT, WAIT, WAAAAIT! I SURRENDER, I SURRENDER!" However, Rias wouldn’t care and would continue to stab the wooden sword down at me. But Desha would quickly swoop in and grab Rias's arm.

  As Rias persisted, still pushing and grunting, Desha looked down at her and said, "Rias, he surrenders; you’ve won the training session. You can put the wooden sword down now."

  Rias sighed and let go of the sword, which would hit me on the head. I yelped, "Ah!" Rias snickered and took a step back. As I sat up, I began using healing magic on myself, starting with my face.

  Desha glanced over at Rias with a small smile and said, "Excellent work, Lady Rias. I can confidently say you are making progress. You are definitely not nearing saint rank, but you made a hell ton of progress."

  Rias would have a big smile and raise her hands in a cheering gesture as she shouted, "Yes! I’m the best!"

  I would pant as I was on the ground, continuing to use healing magic. "God, it is hot out here…" I said with a tired breath. I looked up at Desha while continuing to heal myself. "What about me? In the language of my father?"

  Desha looked down at me. "You can do better than that. In my words, your skills fall just a little short of Rias’s; surprisingly, you're still doing decently well, though."

  Once I healed myself, I stood up from the ground and stretched my arms. "That's good. I plan to aim for saint-class before I get home anyway."

  Rias picked up her wooden sword from the ground and aimed it at me with a grin. "Don’t think you’ll reach my level, Tenshi. I’ll get there before you, and then I’ll go for king-class, emperor-class, and finally, god-class." Rias would let out an evil chuckle.

  I looked back at Rias. "I never intended to compete in the first place, but whatever floats your boat." I would get out the leather armor, and so would Rias. I looked back at them. "All right, so magic lessons now or tomorrow?"

  "Now, now!" Rias exclaimed with excitement.

  "Okay, okay, calm down," I said with a smile. "Let me just go find Vieta and see if she is down for a lesson today."

  Rias looked at me with a pouty expression. "Ugh, fine, but hurry up because it’s hot out here."

  "Yeah, I’m on it!" I ran back into the castle.

  ***

  A couple of minutes went by, and I walked through the castle halls as I flipped my wand in my hand. Huh, usually, I see Vieta around here cleaning. Maybe my room? As I continued walking for a bit longer, I would reach my room and look inside as I opened the door. "Vieta? You in here?!" I shouted as no one was in my room. I continued to look around the castle, checked Rias’s room, and shouted, "Vieta! You cleaning this room or something?!" But there was still nothing.

  I continued walking around the castle. Man, where the hell is she? Eventually, I found Charles holding tea as he was walking down the hall. Oh, Charles! I walked up to him and said, "Hey, Charles!"

  Charles looked down at me and said, "Why, hello, Master Tenshin. What may I do for you? As you see, I am a little busy at the moment, delivering tea to Lord Terits."

  "Oh, sorry, I was just wondering if you know where Vieta is."

  "Ah, yes, Miss Vieta is currently in her room."

  "Great, thanks!" I rushed off to get to her as Charles looked back, wondering why I was in a hurry but shrugged it off and continued walking.

  ***

  A few minutes passed by and I was standing out a door, looking directly at it. Not sure if this is her room, but I do frequently see her going in there, so I’d take a gamble at it. I was about to knock on the door, but I noticed it was already a little open. "Huh, already opened."

  I would carefully open the door and enter it. As I looked into the room, I saw that it looked quite bland. Just a bed and a bedside drawer with a window. "No wonder why she’s a depressed introvert; I would be too with a room like this." I would look over to another door where there was light coming through it, like candles or an oil lamp.

  I walk over to the door, and as I reach it, I turn my head to see if anything is in there with my ear, but there is still nothing. "Well, guess I’m going in." I open the door and stand frozen after finding Vieta in there.

  She was wearing something completely different from what I was used to. I had always seen her in a maid outfit, but this outfit was an interesting one.

  She was wearing what I liked to call a birthday suit, so this meant I had seen her in a maid outfit and in her birthday suit, which was just her being naked and was about to enter the bathtub.

  We both looked directly at each other, not knowing how to react, but Vieta was definitely heavily embarrassed and just stood frozen, looking as if she were about to freak out. Holy… as they always say, flat is justice. I looked at her from top to bottom and had a perverted grin but quickly shook my head. No, out of anyone else, I can’t let Vieta think badly of me. How about I just… I would slowly back away and close the door.

  Clearing my throat, I said, "Hey, Vieta, I was planning to do more magic lessons, and I was wondering if you'd be interested in that—when you’re done, of course!" I let out a small, nervous laugh.

  Vieta stayed silent for a moment, making the situation feel even more awkward than it already was, until she finally responded, "...Okay."

  "All right, same place as always, sorry." I would walk away from the room and close the door fully. I looked back while letting out a breath of relief, and I grinned back at what happened. Oh, but I see a future B to C-cup in her. Always have to remember: Flat is justice. I would start walking away to go back to Rias and Desha. Maybe I should say that once I meet Larah again for a confidence boost.

  ***

  Twenty minutes passed, and I was back outside with Desha and Rias, as well as Vieta. I was in the middle of training them and have been for the past few minutes. I would currently be holding my magical guidebook in my hands while looking directly at them.

  I would say, "Now, remember what I said. Now, fire!"

  The three of them would put their hands out, and both Vieta and Desha would say, "Let the mana within me surge through my hands. Water ball!"

  Rias also talked with them, but instead, she said, "Let the mana wifin me to… surge…? Eh, never mind."

  A water ball would float in front of their hands and look like a perfect sphere, but Rias’s would look like a crumbled-up piece of paper.

  I was impressed when I looked over at Rias and noticed her water ball looked a bit off. I had a good idea of why and said, "Rias, you need to say the full incantation next time."

  Rias turned to me with shock. "What?! That’s not fair! You didn’t always have to say incantations, so why can’t I?!"

  I cleared my throat. "Here’s what my master taught me. Incantations are like training wheels." That's a lie; there probably is no such thing as training wheels but it went something like that. "They help you release whatever magic spell you’re casting, making it cleaner, which means it has a better chance of hitting its target or achieving the desired effect in this situation. And since you aren’t at king-class yet, your spells won’t be perfect without incantations just yet."

  Rias looked back at her messed-up water ball. "Well, whoever created magic sucks," She said with disappointment.

  I scratched the back of my head, wearing a small fake smile. "Let’s just try other spells..." I glanced over at Desha and Vieta; Vieta looked back at me before quickly looking away, flustered. Oh, right, hopefully, she isn’t too hating on me for the… yeah. I would look over to one of the windows and notice Salina watching, and she would walk away. "And to this day, I’m still wondering…" I murmured.

  ***

  A month and a few days passed by, and I was currently making another outline painting of Larah and would finish it. "Done! It’s done!" I exclaimed as I held the paper up. I started using paper more often since it was easier to carry. The painting was similar to the other outline drawing I had, but this time, her skirt was more lifted, and was able to see more of her panties.

  I looked closely at it as I blushed. "Oh, my beautiful master, cute and hot as always…" I whispered. "Ah!" I yelped as I heard knocking on my door. I quickly set the paper down and pushed the others aside. "WAIT! DON’T COME IN!" I called urgently while trying to flip the others to the other side.

  The person behind the door knocked again. "Tenshin, I would like to discuss some changes regarding tutoring Rias," Terits said from the other side.

  I managed to finish what I was doing and slowly turned my head. …Oh no. Looking up at Terits, I asked, "Oh, Lord Terits, uh, this isn’t bad… right?"

  Terits chuckled lightly and shook his head. "No, it’s just a few temporary changes that are needed for a specific occasion."

  I let out a sigh of relief. Thank God… I would look back up at him. "Oh, come in and take a seat; I’m not using that chair right now," I said as I moved aside.

  "Thank you," he said as he walked over and took a seat in my chair.

  I went over to sit on my bed and looked at him. "So, what's this whole change about?"

  "Well, I’m planning a revel party for Rias’s tenth birthday, which is coming up in just a month and a few weeks. I’ve already hired a dance teacher for her, and since Rias enjoys her free time, it would likely be impossible for her to attend classes at night. Therefore, I’ve decided to schedule her dance lessons every morning to afternoon during the week on most days. This means I’ll need to slightly reduce your payment to nine gold and two silver for this year. However, I believe the payment for teaching Rias magic shouldn’t be a problem, correct?"

  "BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" I laughed. "Rias dancing for a crowd? On her birthday, even? You’re joking, right?" I genuinely thought he was joking since it's something almost impossible to get Rias to do, or at least I thought.

  "Pardon?"

  I quickly shook my head, reminding myself he was a noble. "I-I was just coughing my throat," I said as I cleared my throat. Wait, did I just say coughing my… Never mind… "Sorry, I meant to say I’m fine with that." I would have a small nervous chuckle. But oh my God, does he really think Rias could do that? I mean, all the embarrassing things she does, she gets violent and heavily embarrassed.

  Terits stood up from the chair. "Well, that's everything. I'll be off now," he said as he began to walk away.

  Before he could exit the room, I called out, "Wait!" He paused to listen. "Is her dancing really necessary? Can't she just celebrate her birthday or revel thing in her own way?"

  Terits chuckled, thinking I was joking. "Is that what you believe? A noble or royal's daughter or son dancing on their birthday is a customary tradition, and here it’s expected. It’s usually so the son or daughter would have a chance to find a potential partner, which is already difficult enough and isn’t strictly necessary but could assist in maintaining my lineage since Rias is my only child." He continued walking away, exited my room, and closed the door behind him.

  I would lay back on the bed and think to myself for a moment. Rias dancing… A partner…? Dude is already thinking about Rias having some boyfriend or husband. Doesn’t seem like a Rias thing, but what if she can’t do the dance? What then? I continued to think and ways of things going wrong would all go through my head. I quickly shook my head. It’s going to be weeks anyway, so I shouldn’t worry. I would smile. Ima look on the bright side. "Oh yeah! I got some time off!" I lifted my hand in a cheering manner.

  ***

  A few days passed by, and I was enjoying myself often talking to Vieta and doing more and longer magic lessons with Desha, Rias, and Vieta, and also more of Desha’s help on getting better with sword. I was currently at the library going through books.

  I flipped through one and put it back as I said, "Nope." I would look through another and do the same. "Nope." I continued doing so a few more times. Man, all these books suck. I try and try, but all these books have no good storytelling. People in these times really just read these overly formal storybooks and just a bunch of other trash crap? I would eventually get to one that caught my eye as I went through it.

  "No..." I said as I flipped through the pages of a book on how to speak demi-human. "Oh, come on! I thought this world only had one language! What the hell?!"

  Tertis walked by and remarked, "Ah, so you're quite the reader, it seems?"

  I turned to Tertis. "I thought this world only spoke one language. Why is there a language called 'demi-human' now?"

  Terits looked at me, surprised. "So, you thought this world had only one language? Nonsense. Every human may speak the same language, but most other races have their own distinct languages. The demi-human tongue isn’t so different from the human tongue and is quite easy to learn."

  I looked back at the book. Ohhhh, so that’s what confused me. Every human speaks the same language, not every race, but still, this sucks. I hated being a foreign kid and having to learn English back in the day.

  "I’d suggest learning it if you plan on finding a demi-human to marry or have some fun with one day. Just imagine not knowing it, and a beautiful demi-human passes by, but unfortunately, she would only understand demi-human. That would be a completely missed opportunity, wouldn’t it?"

  I looked back at Terits as he spoke, and my mouth opened wide. I blushed at the thought, realizing he was right. I looked back at the book. He’s right! What if that does happen? Oh my god, Lumi! What if I go up to Lumi and flirt with her in some demi-human way? I can just imagine. Her getting all hot and then pushing me onto the bed. Oh, and then clothes come off, and we start having some… I grinned pervertedly at the thought. I looked back at Terits with a smirk. "Lord Terits! It’s official! I’m going to learn to be a good demi-human tongue speaker!"

  He lightly clapped. "Marvelous decision. So, do you have any favorite features of a demi-human? I’m talking about wolf types, tiger types, cat types, dog types, you know? Ones like those."

  I nodded, and without hesitation, I responded by saying, "Ears! Just touching those ears, seeing how they would react, is just the best thing to see—getting all embarrassed and begging them to ask me to stop."

  Terits nodded in agreement. "Yes, most definitely. Tails, on the other hand, in my opinion, using that weak spot gets them even more… reactive. Demi-humans are so cuddly and augh! Just amazing!" Terits looked back at me. "Are you sure you aren’t in my line of the family? For being in another, you just seem so connected to our branch."

  "I’m just a cultured man, Lord Tertis! Also, are there any other languages?"

  He nodded. "Demon tongue, God tongue, dwarven tongue, and more. You should find some more on this shelf, but the language ones are definitely in this area. Here's some." Terits grabbed two books off the shelf and placed them on top of the demi-human book I was carrying. "Good luck to yourself, Tenshin. Take care now." Terits would walk away.

  "Thanks!" I would look at the small pile of books, which was quite big. Man, this is either going to be really fun or really boring, but I guess I have something to do.

  "Hello, Master Tenshi," Vieta said, appearing from behind me.

  "Ah!" I shouted in surprise as I turned around and tripped. "Ow, ow!" I yelped as both books fell on top of me.

  One of the books landed on Vieta's head. "Ow!" she squeaked in response. I got up while gathering the scattered books. "S-Sorry, Master Tenshi, that was my fault," she said, rubbing her forehead.

  I glanced over at her. "No, it's fine." I continued to look at her, my eyes widening as an idea struck me. "Hey, wait, Vieta, I have a question."

  She looked directly at me. "Of course. Ask away."

  ***

  A few minutes went by, and I placed the three books on a desk in the library and explained to Vieta what I was doing. I also asked if she could give me some company along the way so I don’t get bored.

  She tilted her head and pondered for a moment before looking back at me. "So, you really want to learn nearly all these languages?"

  "Yup, and you're going to help me by keeping me company," I said with a wink. "Unless you have some tips you could share along the way, that would be great."

  She put her hand down. "I’m not trying to bring you down, Master Tenshi, but wouldn’t this take years? A decade or so, even?"

  I shrugged my shoulders. "I guess we'll see when I give out. Come on, Vieta, please. You’re the best company I’ve got. Rias gets bored easily, and Desha is just… Desha. Actually, maybe she could give some pointers on the demi-human tongue, but that can wait for another time. Come on, my good friend V."

  A small smile crossed her face, and she seemed a little embarrassed as she looked away. "Well, I suppose it wouldn’t be so bad since I don’t do much myself…" She looked back at me. "All right then, I’ll join you."

  "Sweet! I knew I could count on you. Let’s get started on some demi-human language, then!"

  ***

  Three days went by, and it was the afternoon. Vieta and I were back to learning a different tongue. This one was demon tongue, and we were in my room this time. I was currently banging my head on the desk, saying, "Ughhhhh, this is so hard!"

  Vieta pondered as she looked at the words and said, "We were doing so well on demi-human, but this language… it doesn’t seem that easy at all. Not a single word is easy, even the small ones."

  "Kill me, I thought this was easy…" I whined.

  Vieta looked over at me. "I say we take a break. It’s best you don’t push yourself too hard, Master Ten—"

  She was interrupted by shouting out the door. "I hate this, I hate this, I hate this!" The person behind the door shouted, and we also heard running. It sounded like Rias.

  "Hang on a minute," I said as I got up and walked out the door.

  "Please wait, Lady Rias!" a woman shouted. As I looked to my left, I was caught in between the woman’s breast

  Titties!

  She quickly backed up. "Oh, my apologies!" She apologized as she bowed her head. The woman looked like she was in her mid-twenties. She also matched the term cute.

  I quickly shook my hands. Huh, who's this cutie… "That’s all right. You must be…?"

  "Oh, right." She would do a curtsy bow. "My name is Lyvra Ilenis." She would stand straight. "I am the dance teacher for Lady Rias, who just ran off…" She sighed.

  Oh, so that’s who she is. I quickly glanced back into the room, hoping Vieta hadn’t seen what just happened. She had a pouty look and was flustered. I gave a nervous smile, turned my attention back to Lyvra, and stepped away slightly to avoid appearing like a complete pervert. "So, you’re having trouble with Rias?"

  Lyvra nodded, looking disappointed. "Unfortunately. She was doing well in most of her classes with me, but she quickly became bored and often took long breaks. I see her potential, but she doesn’t seem interested in tapping into it. I can’t imagine the poor girl coming in on her birthday just to be laughed at for failing."

  I looked away, muttering, "Yeah, well, maybe it will teach her a lesson or two…"

  She looked up at me, confused. "Pardon?"

  I met her gaze again and shook my head. "Nothing, I just expected this from her. I’m her tutor, actually."

  She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "A young boy like you? No disrespect! It’s just surprising. You must know Lady Rias quite well, so… if you don’t mind, could you please encourage her to attend her dance classes more consistently?"

  I was taken aback by her request and felt completely unprepared. "W-Wait, you want me to encourage Rias to attend her dance classes more?"

  She nodded eagerly. "Yes, please! If Lady Rias listens to you, I don't see any problem with you discussing this with her."

  "Well, sure, but for her classes with me, that took a lot of time. She’s barely even…" I thought about it and started to feel a little bad for her. I sighed. "All right, but I can’t promise anything."

  She smiled brightly. "Thank you so much! Just please try your best. I believe in you."

  I really didn’t want to do this, but I looked back into the room, seeing Vieta shrugging her shoulders as if she was saying she didn’t mind.

  ***

  A few minutes passed, and I headed in the direction where Rias had run off. I went down a set of stairs and continued walking until I reached the bottom. Leaning over the balustrade, I spotted Rias lying on a patch of grass and flowers.

  "There you are! I knew you’d be in a place like this." Rias noticed me but continued to ignore my presence. I walked closer to the stairs, glancing down at her. "Don’t worry; it’s just a few dance lessons for a party, okay? We can try to—"

  As I took a step on the stairs, suddenly, Rias threw a pebble at my forehead, and I yelped, "Ah!" I rubbed my forehead in surprise. Really? I took another step forward, but she responded by throwing more pebbles at me. "Ah, ah!" I yelped with each impact. Well, what did I expect? Taking a step back, I returned to my original spot and rested my hands on the balustrade again. …Jeez, this is going to be a hard one, but I’m going to have to figure out something…

  I would try and think of something. I’m just going to be simple. I would lay my hands back on the balustrade and say, "Rias, can you just try…? Please?"

  Rias stayed silent for a bit till she said, "...Why should I do some stupid dance?"

  "Well, tradition, right? Just learn how to dance for this one time, and it can all be over with." Ignoring the finding a husband or whatever thing.

  "No, I can’t do it. I’m not just going to learn a dance and get in there just to fall off and be laughed at by everyone, especially if I have to do it with someone. I can’t do something that I can’t do. I tried with that random lady, and nothing went well. I can’t."

  "Maybe have more confidence in yourself. Ask her ways to make it more fun even." I suggested.

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  "It’s not that easy. Maybe it is for you, but I’m not very smart like you, I’m not good at magic like you, I’m not a good painter like you, and I’m not as patient as you. I just… I can’t do everything like you can…" she said with a shaking tone in her voice.

  I began to feel bad for her as I tapped my fingers on the top of the balustrade. Wow, I guess the fierce Rias isn’t as confident as I thought. Behind her tough tsundere side is just… fear. I’ve grown so much in this world that I’m being recognized for amazing things, but no matter what, I can't forget the hell I went through in my past.

  I looked up and saw a tree with a mother bird with her baby birds in a nest. I had many opportunities to pursue different paths, but I missed those chances because I couldn’t stop dwelling on the past. I was afraid of what might happen next, so I just stayed inside, trying to feel calm. She may not go through as much as I did, but either way, she’ll understand a bad feeling if she does turn out somewhat like me… the feeling of regret… by the time she sees all those missed opportunities as I did, it will already be too late. I would watch as the mother bird pushes off the baby bird, and the baby bird starts to fly.

  And I won’t let that happen. Just like me, Rias has too much potential to give up, and I know even Larah would say the same. I had a small smile and looked back down at Rias. "Hey, you know, I can’t do everything a painter can; I don’t have the patience to craft my own wand, and I still can’t stop thinking about the past. On top of that, I’m not as strong as you. But I keep trying. Right now, I’m focused on learning as many languages as I can. I’m not great at it yet, but I continue to push through.

  Rias gave me a side-eye and started to listen more closely. She said, "That’s stupid. Why would you go through all of that?"

  "Because I wanted to see where it would take me. It led to something better than the life I could’ve had. I’ve been able to learn amazing magic, make new friends, and build my confidence. It felt incredible to be encouraged by the people I love, too. It’s like exploring a cave; the entrance is easy, but as you go deeper, things can get tough, and you might face extreme pain. But, if you keep going, you’ll find it a bit easier after getting used to it. There would still be a few extra things you are still not used to, so it would be a complete zigzag. But once you reach the end, you feel much better, and all the treasure you find in that cave is everything you want to achieve. Does that make sense?"

  Rias wouldn’t say anything, but she would think about what I said for a moment before she said, "Yeah, well… I don’t have anyone I like that can do that."

  "You have me. I think of you as somewhat of a friend, I guess. I’ll encourage you through it and help the best I can. So please, Rias, keep doing dance class, and let me be someone who can encourage you."

  Rias looked like she was continuing to ignore me as it went silent. I would sigh. Well, guess that didn’t work. I did my best. As I opened my eyes again, I noticed Rias was no longer on the patch of flowers. "Huh?" I would feel a punch on my right cheek. "Ow, ow, ow, ow!" I exclaimed from the punch as I rubbed my cheek. I noticed it was by Rias as she stood looking directly at me.

  She said, "Then if you really think it’s so easy, then fine. But this is your fault if anything goes wrong."

  I was surprised that my speech actually encouraged her. I smiled.

  "That was a beautiful speech," Vieta said as she stood beside us.

  "Ah!" I jumped as she appeared out of nowhere. "Where do you keep coming from?!" Rias would look surprised and a bit embarrassed.

  "I apologize. I got bored and wanted to see how everything was going with finding Lady Rias. I heard something about dancing?"

  "Huh? Oh, yeah, Rias’s tenth birthday is coming up, and that person who visited was her dance teacher—" Rias slapped the back of my head. "Ow." I rubbed the spot where she hit me.

  "You don’t have to tell her that much," Rias said, still feeling embarrassed.

  "Okay, okay." I stopped rubbing the back of my head.

  Vieta chimed in, "I take it Rias could use a bit of help with her dancing. You know, I used to dance a bit myself; maybe I can help?" She said with a shy smile.

  I was surprised. "You? Dancing? Really?"

  She nodded. "Before you came along, I would dance on my own in my free time. I kind of slowed down, but I still remember how to do it."

  Huh, well, you learn new things every day. I would think for a moment till an idea popped up. "Actually, I have an idea for something you could do, but I’ll save it for another time. I just wanna see how Rias does on my own. Thanks for telling me about it, Vieta."

  She nodded. "Of course," She said with a smile as she felt great for feeling useful. Salina was watching our conversation through a window, and she would just walk away.

  ***

  An hour went by, and Rias, Lyvra, and I were all in a solar room. I had just finished seeing Lyvra show me an example of the dance so I could replicate it, and I gave a thumbs-up to her, saying, "All right, got it."

  "Okay, good, let's begin," She said as I nodded back to her.

  I would go over to Rias as she waited and pull both my hands out to her. "Show me what you got, Rias."

  Rias was feeling a little embarrassed but held my hands as I said so.

  "And, begin!" Lyvra exclaimed.

  Rias and I started the dance together. It began with a few simple steps. All right, good so far, I thought to myself. We took a few more steps around the floor, and then she did a small spin. As she stopped, she grabbed my hands but nearly tripped and ended up grabbing my arms instead. She quickly corrected her mistake. "Rias, try to stay calm," I reminded her.

  Rias looked at me, visibly stressed. "What do you think I’m doing? This is the calmest I’ve ever been…" she whispered.

  Yeah, maybe a little more calmness would be nice. We continued with a few more steps, and she did another turn, picking up speed. "Rias…"

  "I’m fine, I’m fine," she insisted, moving faster.

  I would start getting a little scared. "R-Rias. Please, calm down."

  "I’m calm, I’m calm, I’m… CALM!" In a sudden burst of energy, she accidentally threw me against the wall.

  "Ah!" I yelped as my back hit the wall, and I fell face-first onto the ground. "Ow…" I whispered as I lay there.

  "Hmph," she huffed, looking away.

  I looked up at her. Jeez, guess this requires a bit more help after all.

  ***

  Many hours went by, and it was currently night. I was on my own in my room since Vieta went off to bed. Today, I barely learned much of anything, but I didn’t care; I was just sitting down and happily writing something on paper. I was currently writing a note to Larah.

  I wrote. Dear Master. I wanted to write to you to let you know I’m doing well and give you an update. After you left, I got a couple of new sisters. I’ve gotten better with new magic types, too, and I made a new demi-human friend. I’m currently in the city of Celine, taking a job here for four to five years for my uncle’s daughter, Terits. I made another new friend, too, and I think you’ll like her; she reminds me of you a bit. I want to ask you for some advice, but I think I’m doing just fine. Also, I plan to learn as many languages in this world as I possibly can, so I was hoping you would write back to me with some tips for learning the demon tongue and some words of encouragement in case something in my life goes wrong. Much love to you, Master, and for goodness' sake, I can’t wait to see you again! By your awesome student, Tenshi.

  I would smile and blush with excitement. God, I love that! I feel so focused ever since I was reincarnated into this body. Not having ADHD anymore is a blessing beyond anything. Gonna keep this up and see what more I can do without it…

  I would ponder for a moment. I don’t have ADHD anymore, right?

  ***

  A day has passed by, and it was the afternoon. I was outside, and I stood in front of the stand where the guy would sell aphrodisiacs and other stuff. "Excuse me," I said.

  The man woke up from his chair, looked down at me, and said, "Oh, hello there, young man. Is there anything I can interest you in?"

  "I don’t know if you remember me, but I was here to buy an aphrodisiac once." I thought back to when Rias drank most of it. "Yeah…" I cleared my throat.

  I took out a paper from my pocket and showed him a painting of Larah, which was the one with her skirt a bit up. "You seem like a good salesman, so I was wondering how much you think I can get for this?"

  ***

  A few minutes went by, and I was walking away with three silver coins, one mini silver coin, and one copper coin. Well… Guess he bought it off me… I would look at the coins in my hands. "But wow, for him to get it for this much is just amazing." Perfect, since I’m getting low pay this year. Maybe I should do this more often. I mean, things will get quite pricey when going to Seria, after all. I smiled.

  I would continue to think to myself. And I think it’s also about time I get some help from Vieta. Some good tips or whatever.

  ***

  An hour went by, and I was talking to Vieta in a solar room, where we were alone, sitting on couches. I talked about how I needed help with some of her dance lessons. She pondered for a moment and said, "All right, so Lady Rias can most definitely be a little tough, but I think I have some tips that could help."

  I would scratch my cheek and say, "Yeah, see, some tips would be nice, but I had a better plan." Hopefully.

  She tilted her head with curiosity. "Really? All right, whatever it is, I’ll help the best I can."

  "Great, but it may feel a little embarrassing, but trust the process."

  ***

  Thirty minutes passed by, and we were in the solar room with Rias and Lyvra. Vieta and Rias were standing side by side as they both looked at me, and Vieta said,

  Rias would be embarrassed, looked over at me, and said, "Tenshi, why her?!"

  I was leaning on the wall, looked at Rias, and said, "Because I’d rather you not hurt me; besides, Vieta probably knows more of what to do than I do."

  "But—"

  "Just do it." I interrupted.

  Rias clenched her fist and pouted, "...Fine!" Rias turned back to Vieta, and Vieta did the same.

  I looked over at Vieta. "All right, Vieta, you remember everything I taught you?" Vieta nodded. I looked back at Lyvra. "I think we are good now."

  Lyvra smiled, looked over at the two, and exclaimed, "Begin!"

  Both Vieta and Rias grabbed each other's hands and started doing the dance just like last time; it started with a few steps. I continued to spectate and nodded as everything went well. All right, either this works or works, I said to myself

  Rias would do a small spin and feel ever more embarrassed. She would stop, look back at me, and exclaim, "Okay, okay, just come back, Tenshi! I promise I’ll listen! I don’t wanna dance with someone else, especially her!"

  Damn, what did she do? I said to myself as Vieta side-eyed her as she felt disrespected. I looked over at Vieta with a smile. "Thanks, Vieta, you can go now." I winked at her.

  "You're welcome." She walked away and opened the door. She looked back at me as I walked towards Rias.

  "All right, Rias," I said as I pulled my hand out. "Let's get to it."

  Vieta would leave the room and close the door behind her.

  ***

  Three weeks passed, and it was currently night. My routine had mostly stayed the same: learning the demi-human language, attending Rias's dance classes, and more. Currently, I am helping Rias with her dance practice by dancing alongside her, and we have just finished a dip.

  "And perfect!" Lyvra said.

  We both turned to her, and I asked, "So, is that it?"

  She nodded.

  Rias and I exchanged smiles, but as I brought my arms back together, I inadvertently caused Rias to fall. "Really? So, no more dance classes?" I asked as Rias got up from the ground and slapped me on the back of the head. "Ow!"

  She looked back at Lyvra. "So that really means I don’t have to do this anymore?!"

  Lyvra chuckled. "Mhm." She looked back at me. "Thank you so much, Master Tenshin, for your help. Rias will do very well in dance now, especially with you as her partner."

  "M-Me? Uh, you do know I won't be the one dancing with her, right?"

  Lyvra's eyes widened as she realized this. She scratched her head and offered a nervous smile. "I think she'll still be fine. As long as she remembers what to do, everything will go well."

  Rias raised her hands in excitement and exclaimed, "Yes! I'm going to do awesome!"

  I looked back at her. "All right, Rias, you and I should get some rest. We were at it the whole day, after all." Rias nodded as she continued to smile with pride. Going to be sleeping hard tonight!

  ***

  It was the middle of the afternoon the next day, which was Rias’s tenth birthday. The great hall of the castle was filled with elegantly dressed guests, many of whom were getting to know each other, and there seemed to have been a whole buffet of food downstairs.

  I found myself in one of the castle's bathrooms, also dressed elegantly. I had slicked my hair back while trying to tame three stubborn cowlicks that refused to cooperate. Frustrated, I muttered, "Come on, you stupid cowlicks..." Eventually, I gave up and set the comb down. Dude, how the hell do I have cowlicks this strong?! Yeah, I give up. I quickly ran out of the bathroom, and as I was speed walking in the halls, it was completely empty since everyone was in the great hall currently.

  ***

  A few minutes later, I was hurrying through the hallway that led to the great hall. Just as I arrived, I bumped into a maid who was carrying a massive plate of food. "Ah!" she yelped as the food nearly toppled from her hands.

  I quickly reached out and steadied her, ensuring she wouldn’t fall. I pulled my hands back and exclaimed, "Sorry!" before resuming my brisk walk. Phew, that could’ve gone worse. I looked around the area, which was full of people. Wow, it seems like all these people really came here to celebrate her birthday. Rias better try, or all that work for nothing.

  I looked ahead and saw Vieta sitting at a table, eating a plate of food. I smiled and went over to her. As I got behind her, I touched her shoulder and said, "Hey, Vieta! You’re here." Vieta seemed a bit startled, causing her to choke on her food and cough. I gently patted her back. "Whoops, sorry about that."

  Once she stopped coughing, Vieta looked up at me. "Thank you, Master… Tenshi?" She glanced at me from head to toe. "You look..."

  I smiled as I felt a bit embarrassed and scratched the back of my head. "Well, I thought since everyone else was dressing up fancy, I should do the same. It feels a bit weird, though. Almost like having a mom that went a little too far on the hairstyle."

  "Really? I don’t think you look bad at all. It’s not too much; it just seems like your hair is a bit more combed back, and your vest looks more... noble-like…? You’re just well-dressed for an occasion like this, I mean."

  I wouldn’t know how to react. Guess I’ll take that as a compliment. I smiled. "I also brought the wand because something about it makes me look cool," I said as I took my wand out of my pocket while flipping it a few times and later putting it back. "Well, thanks, V. Where'd you grab the food anyway? I’m starving."

  "Oh, right." Vieta pointed to a table piled with food.

  I headed over and said, "Awesome, thanks!" I would quickly go over to the food, and as I got to it, I looked at it with my eyes sparkling with excitement. Oh my god! There's so much! There would be a whole lot of food to grab for everyone at the party, like appetizers, main courses, pastries and desserts, wines, and just a bunch that made my mouth water.

  I quickly grabbed a plate. I would get almost one of anything but the pastries.

  Good, good, good! I’m going to be eating like royalty today… nobility… the hell does it matter?

  I would walk off. I would stand against a wall and start eating some of the food. I smiled at how good it was. That is the best thing ever. I don’t even care if I’m eating a dragon's dick or something right now; it just needs some hot sauce, rice, and I’m all set…

  "May I have your attention, please?" Talinae exclaimed, capturing everyone's focus in the room. "Thank you all for coming! We hope the food and services are to your liking. Please continue to enjoy this celebration for Lady Rias's tenth birthday and continue to be welcoming to others. Don’t worry, the main event will be starting shortly!" she said with a smile while Rias stood between her and Terits, and Salina watched from behind.

  I would nearly choke on my food but quickly swallow it back in the right pipe. Shit, I forgot this was still happening. I would quickly start eating more of my food, and after a couple of minutes, I’d already be finished. I would go over to throw it out in the trash bin and continue to walk around for a bit.

  "Greetings, Master Tenshi," Lyvra said as she approached from behind me.

  I quickly turned around and responded, "Oh, Miss Lyvra! It's good to see you here!"

  "Well, why wouldn’t I be? I had to see how my student would perform after all that hard work," she replied with a smile.

  I nodded in agreement. "Absolutely," I said, returning her smile.

  Lyvra glanced over at Rias with concern. She was currently performing curtsy bows for everyone who greeted her. "Are you worried about Lady Rias? She has come so far with us, especially under your guidance. Yet now she’s dancing with people she barely knows. I can’t help but remember how much she disliked dancing with that green-haired maid."

  "I understand what you mean… but what can we do from here, right? We just have to hope for the best. Besides, one person, and she's good to go." I reassured her.

  Lyvra sighed but tried to remain optimistic.

  I looked over to my right, and I noticed someone familiar. I had a feeling who it was. Wait a minute. If that’s who I think it is, then maybe I know a way for Rias to feel more confident. I walked over to the person, and as I got behind her, I noticed that she was currently nomming on some food. I said, "Hey, Molly!"

  The girl turned around, and it would indeed be Molly Salish. She said, "Oh, hrey! Henshi!" She exclaimed as she had food in her mouth. She swallowed her food and said, "Tenshi! I knew you’d be here since Lady Rias was also here." She smiled as she spoke.

  "Uh-huh, uh-huh. Please do me a favor. It's for Rias," I said as I had my hands together.

  Molly sighed. "Oh my, is this another one of those quick things you want to tell me without any explanations?"

  "Listen, you need to help lead the song with your singing once the dancing starts. I’ll take care of getting Talinae’s permission. Please do this; I think your singing will help calm her—"

  At that moment, Talina shouted from the front, "Attention, everyone! The main event is starting! To all children, especially noble children here, please step forward if you’d like the favor of the Yanery house and take my niece’s hand in the dance!"

  N-Nobles?! I said to myself with shock and worry as Rias felt the same after all of a sudden hearing nobles. There was even more pressure now. I looked down at Rias as I saw her starting to tremble. Shit… I can’t get Molly to go up now with it already starting… please, Rias, try your best… I said to myself with worry.

  A boy, who appeared to be in his early teens, stepped forward in front of Rias. He was standing next to his mother and father and looked well-dressed, which made me think he was from a noble family.

  He extended his hand to Rias and said, “Noble to noble, would you care to dance with me, Lady Rias?” He wore a confident smirk as he spoke.

  “N-Noble? I mean, okay,” Rias stammered, trying to maintain her composure, though she still seemed a bit nervous. Taking a deep breath, she grasped his hand and they started dancing. the harpsichord and violins started to play as they both took a few steps in the dance.

  Rias was so far doing good, but her heart kept pounding, and she sweated, with some going in her eyes.

  The boy helped her do the spin, but Rias missed her step for a second and then got back in the dance. This made her even more anxious, and she went a little faster, hoping this would end fast.

  "Lady Rias, may you please stay at my pace? It’s getting too hard."

  "Uh… uh-huh… yeah…" Rias tried to slow down, but she started to go even faster as her heart also beat faster.

  "Ah!" They both yelped as they fell and tripped.

  I clenched my hand as I watched. Lyvra closed her eyes, and many of the other guests were disappointed by the scene.

  "Ah! She went way too fast!" the boy whined. He walked back to his parents as Rias stood back up, feeling dizzy and hearing a bit of ringing, not knowing what else to do after the situation.

  Terits would facepalm as Talinae looked at her with disappointment as she exclaimed, "Try again, Rias! You can’t disappoint us!"

  Rias continued to stand there, not knowing what to do. I continued to look in worry. I quickly grabbed Molly's hand as she yelped, "Ah!" I ran around the crowd as I brought her with me.

  I need to do this quickly before it’s too late. I continued running until I reached Talinae. Looking up at her, I said, "Excuse me for the interruption, Lady Talinae, but I have a suggestion. It’s a way to help Rias, please."

  Talinae glanced down at me, ready to listen with impatience. "Fine, spill it, boy. What do you suggest?"

  I positioned Molly in front of me. "Let her be the lead singer. Rias loves her, and I know that her singing can help soothe Rias. That’s all I'm asking."

  Molly was taken aback by my unexpected request but waited for Talinae's response. Talinae smirked at her and said, "Ah yes, you're the famous songstress here in Celine. Of course, I wouldn’t mind."

  "Ah? Huh???" Molly said, confusion evident in her voice.

  I pulled her back to me and encouraged, "All right, go up there with the rest of the musical group. Just sing something random that goes with the beat, all right? Go!"

  Molly was still processing my request and hesitated before saying, "O-Okay!" She quickly ran up to join the others and took her place in the middle.

  I watched her as she got situated, and then I adjusted my tie back into my vest. All right, here goes. I walked over to Rias, extending my hand as I positioned myself behind her. "Lady Rias, may I please have the next dance with you?"

  Rias’s eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly turned to face me. I took a deep breath, feeling a bit anxious. All these people… I have to stay strong; just get this over with.

  Rias's breathing slowed, returning to a normal pace. She said, "Okay," as she grabbed my hand.

  Molly would pull out her ukelele and start to sing once we started dancing. The song was really soothing.

  As she sang, Rias and I started dancing. It was going well for a while, but gradually, she began to shake a bit and missed a few steps. I looked up at her with a reassuring smile and said, "Hey." Rias glanced back at me, still looking down in worry. "Everything will be okay. Ignore everyone else and just pretend it’s you and me like back in the solar room."

  "Huh?"

  "Just chill is what I’m saying. Think of this like… sword practice! Think of each step, each spin, as another attack to dodge. React quickly but stay at my pace. Trust me and yourself, okay? So please, Rias, just take a deep breath and focus. If you can beat me in sword, then you can match me in dance. Ready?"

  Rias gulped but nodded, trying to stay determined as she said, "Mhm."

  "All right, then dodge." I spun Rias again. "Dodge." Rias stopped, and we continued with the stepping parts.

  We continued dancing as Molly sang. Rias took a few deep breaths. We continued to dance as I kept giving her signals. Rias slowly got better and better. She smiled slightly and started to perfectly match my pace as I spun her.

  "Now you’re doing it! Now—" Before I continued, a random memory appeared in my head. It was about my final exam, which was with Larah when we went on the horse when she and I were saying hello to every person who passed by. I smiled. "Let’s do the same thing without signals. Just a little longer, Rias."

  Lyvra, in the audience in surprise, said, "H-How?"

  Rias nodded and did her best.

  Rias’s smile grew bigger as she felt more confident. She’s doing it… I’m doing it… I’m no longer stage fright. Shit, this is intense but awesome! I said to myself with happiness.

  Everyone would look amazed, including Salina.

  Doing more of the steps, more spins. I said, "Good job, Rias," I said with a smile.

  As Molly finished singing and put the ukelele back on her back, Rias and I ended it off with a dip. We both looked at each other, panting from all that dancing.

  It was quiet for a few seconds, and then everyone started clapping. Molly took a deep breath and smiled as she murmured, "Jeez, this was unexpecting…"

  Talinae was also clapping and said, "Hahahahaha! Well done, Rias and Tenshin! See that, everyone? That is the talent of the Trius family!"

  Rias and I stood normally and looked back at her. She felt a little embarrassed, but we both looked at each other with a small, embarrassed laugh.

  ***

  Several minutes went by, and I went over to the table to grab a cup of wine and drink it. "God, that was intense…" I said tiredly.

  "Excuse me, Master Tenshin," Lyvra said as she went up to me.

  I turned to her. "Huh? What is it?"

  "If you don’t mind me asking, how did you get Lady Rias to gain confidence in an instant? I did think it was because of you being there, but it still feels like there was more to it," She said out of curiosity.

  I scratched the back of my head as I said, "Well…" I continued to think. "I’m not sure," I said flatly.

  "Huh?"

  "Well, I did get the help of Rias’s favorite songstress to sing, and I did tell her to take each step or spin or whatever as dodging, like sword training. Then, once she heard each one of my signals to do the next part, she did so, and then I stopped and let her do it on her own, and we started getting it perfectly, and bam, that's it."

  Lyvra would ponder for a moment. "Having the songstress up there sing while having Lady Rias think of it as swordplay… interesting…"

  "Hey!" Molly exclaimed as she approached me from behind.

  Lyvra and I noticed her, and Lyvra glanced back at me. "Well, I’ll just be around here if you need me," she said with a smile as she walked away.

  I turned to face Molly fully. "Oh, Molly! I'm really sorry for what happened so suddenly. It was just—"

  "Thank you so much!" she interrupted, bowing repeatedly. I was confused by her reaction. She stood straight and looked directly at me. "Because of that, I actually had an audience of much, much more than fifteen people for once! It felt amazing! Thank you, and of course, thanks to Lady Talinae for giving me that opportunity as well."

  I would quickly smile. "O-Oh, no problem then. And thank you, really. The reason why I wanted you up there was because I thought Rias could be more confident. She really does love you singing."

  "Yeah!" Rias exclaimed as she jumped behind me to take me in a hug. "You made me do awesome, Tenshi and Molly!"

  Molly chuckled. "Heh, you're welcome. Once again, I helped Lady Rias with something." She looked back at me. "So much has happened ever since I came here, thanks to you, and it’s amazing. Well, I’m off. I wanna go see if I can find more fans!" she said excitedly as she ran off.

  "Bye!" Rias shouted.

  "Goodbye!" I echoed as Molly ran off.

  Once Rias released me from her hug, I looked back at her. "But come on, you can't say it was all my doing. You did things well yourself, too."

  Rias flipped her hair and smiled proudly. "Heh, of course I did."

  "A little too much pride there," I remarked.

  I would look over to the right and notice Vieta still in her same chair, looking bored. Rias said, "I’m going to go use the bathroom now; I really need to pee after that." She walked away to go upstairs to the castle bathroom.

  I continued to look at Vieta. Wow, so she’s just going to have no fun at all? Ehh, how about I show her fun? I walked over to her until I reached her side. "Are you really just going to sit there for the rest of the party?"

  Vieta turned to look at me, a hint of surprise on her face. "Oh, right. I’ll get up soon."

  "To do what?"

  She gazed ahead, seemingly lost in thought. "I want to help clean, I guess. I was mainly here for the food. I saw you having some fun with Lady Rias. I bet you must have had some… fun," she said with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes as she glanced at the crowd enjoying themselves.

  "Hey." I extended my hand to her, and she looked at me with surprise, her cheeks flushed. "We still have time before this is over. How about you join me for a little dance?"

  Before she could respond, Terits approached us and looked directly at me. "Excuse me, Tenshin. If you don’t mind, I’d like to speak to you at some point tonight." He looked down at Vieta as she looked even more embarrassed and back at me. "Never mind, I’ll save it for another day." He turned away but added, "Oh, and there are a few young ladies who also want to dance with you, possibly wanting… more if you let them. You have my permission, but please make sure it’s somewhere private if you do end up doing so."

  I’d blush. Oh god, is he really saying that I have admirers who want to do some bedtime sparring?! I’d have a perverted grin and chuckle at the thought as he walked away. I quickly stopped having a perverted grin as I looked back at Vieta."S-Sorry." I cleared my throat and had my smile back on. "So?" I asked as I let my hand back out again.

  "W-Well…" Vieta would scratch the top of her lap with witty nervousness. "I-Its just… there is… so many people, don’t you think?" She asked as she looked down.

  "And who cares, they are dancing too. Just once, okay?" Vieta would continue to look down, not knowing what to say. I sighed as I put my hand down. "Fine, that's all right. Guess I’ll go see if anyone else would wanna dance with me." I took a step to walk away. Vieta’s eyes widened to how I responded and quickly grabbed my sleeve.

  "Wait…" I looked back at her, waiting to see what she wanted. "Just this once."

  I looked at her with surprise but smiled. I quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the chair as we joined many of the others who were also dancing. I looked back at Vieta and grabbed both her hands. "I’m sure you remember what to do, right?"

  Vieta would look at me for a couple of seconds and then nod.

  "Great. Let's do this then." We both started to take a few steps and danced. Man, today has been an interesting day. I spun her as I said, "Nice!"

  As we continued to dance, a smile from Vieta would slowly trigger.

  "And then we do." We’d let go of each other with our right hand and grab again. "Nice again." Vieta flustered and felt really happy as she looked directly at me. I guess it doesn’t really matter what people think of you as long as you try. It was difficult for both Rias and I, but I’m glad everything turned out well. Now, I’m dancing with Vieta, and seeing both of them smile after overcoming their fears makes me feel something special. I’ve learned a lot in this world, and I will continue to learn each day, month, and year I grow. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I feel inspired by myself. No, I’m Ichitami Takigashi, the man-child who was inspired by a great young boy named Tenshin Trius. I would end the dance-off with a dip. And I thank you for helping me.

  ***

  Many hours passed, and it was night. I was in my room, as Desha, Rias, and Vieta were too. Rias was sitting on my chair, while Desha was leaning on a wall, and Vieta was just standing as I sat on my bed and looked at them.

  I cleared my throat and said, "All right, I brought you here tonight for an award for all your progress in magic." I looked back at Rias specifically. "And a good job gift for how well you did back there."

  Rias smirked with pride.

  I looked back at all of them. "So for reaching advanced-class on magic, you all get…" I would dig through my pocket. "This," I said as I pulled out three wands which had blue gems and looked much smaller than mine but cheaper. Rias’s opened wide in excitement as she quickly grabbed one.

  "Hehehehehe! Yes!" She exclaimed with excitement as she looked at her new wand.

  "Congrats on being an advanced-class on fire magic, Rias." I looked over at Vieta as I handed her one.

  She took it and said, "Thank you, Master Tenshi."

  "No problems. Congrats on reaching the advanced-class in earth magic," Vieta looked at me with confusion. "Yeah, I thought you’d reach advanced with fire magic way after Rias and Desha, but for some reason, you do better with earth. It's strange since you using fire magic looks way more powerful than Rias’s, Desha's, and about my level, but no, you're just intermediate."

  Vieta was still confused as she looked down but looked back up at me with a small smile. "Well, I’m glad to still reach advanced in some way. I’ll focus more on my earth magic then."

  I nodded with a smile and looked over at Desha, handing her one of the wands. "And congratulations on reaching the advanced-class in fire magic."

  Desha carefully took it, went down on one knee, and said, "Thank you very much, Master Tenshi. I am honored to have reached this level and become an advanced-class user of fire magic."

  I nervously chuckled. "Again, no need to be so formal; just a simple thank you is fine."

  Desha looked back up at me. "This was normal in my days to show respect to a teacher who trained me in swordsmanship. So please, accept my gratitude."

  "Oookay then," I replied, looking back at everyone as Desha stood up. "I apologize if the wands look a bit cheap; I wanted to save some money. You may wonder why I still bought these, but it's customary for a magician to have a wand after reaching the advanced-class my master told me, so you're welcome."

  Rias put hers in her pocket. Desha suddenly looked as if she just remembered something. "Crap, I seem to have forgotten to get Lady Rias a gift," she said, looking over at Rias. "I apologize."

  Rias looked disappointed. "Aww, so all I get is a wand? I had more gifts last birthday."

  I glanced over at Rias and responded, "Rias, you don’t need so many gifts. Don’t you think you already have enough?"

  "Actually, wait," Desha interjected. She removed her right blue earring and walked over to Rias. "Here, take this as my gift, Lady Rias," she said, handing Rias the earring. Rias accepted it with a big smile, examining it closely. "It should just attach, so no worries about it stabbing your ear."

  Rias put it on her right ear and turned to me, asking, "Tenshi! Do I look even prettier?!"

  Don't tell me she likes that earring more than the wand! I forced a smile to boost her confidence. "You look really nice, Rias..." Then I turned to Desha. "But an earring that just sticks to your ear?"

  Desha looked back at me and replied, "I’m not a fan of being stabbed when I know it’s coming, so I chose it like this."

  Coming from the great king-class swordsman? Never mind, I won’t pry into it too much. I yawned. But today was a long day. I really need to get more sleep, but who needs sleep when you have some fully awake people to hang out with? "Hey, Desha, mind telling us a story about your adventures with your party."

  "Sure, I don’t mind, but the whole thing?"

  "Guess little by little, most days we probably won’t finish it all tonight, I bet."

  "All right then, but shall I include the parts of Taren’s sex life—"

  "No, no. Just the more normal and undisturbing stuff," I interrupted as Vieta felt a little flushed from what Desha said.

  "Hm, all right. Guess it will be kept short after all."

  ***

  It was the next morning, and daylight had broken.

  “Mmm,” I mumbled as I struggled with my tiredness. I sat up and glanced at the clock, which read seven a.m. “Ugh, why am I up so early?” I muttered to myself. Oh, and I was wearing the uncomfortable-as-hell clothing instead of wearing something comfortable. I heard a bit of snoring to my left, so I looked over there and noticed Rias was also in bed.

  I blushed as I saw her. But thank the Gods, I get this! I would pervertedly grin as my hands would slowly get closer to her under the blanket as I reached her behind, I stopped and backed away. Why do I not want to…? I quickly shook my head. "Never mind. I should get up before Vieta gets the wrong idea."

  I was about to get up by pushing myself up with my hands, but I felt something to my right that didn’t feel part of the bed. "Huh?" I would pull the blanket and notice Vieta also on my right who was also sleeping peacefully.

  I blushed again and had a big smile on my face as I lifted my hand in a cheering manner. OH MY GOD! I OFFICIALLY HAVE REACHED MY POPULAR PHASE!!! I would quickly come to the realization of something. Wait, if I just get out of bed and one of them wakes up, they will probably freak out. Ah, I would like to just sleep here like this and just stroke their skin, I pervertedly giggled. But god damn it, unfortunately, not yet. I sighed

  I would slide myself off the bed. As I stood up, I looked back at the bed and pondered. "But who should I carry to bed…?" I would look over at Rias.

  ***

  A few minutes went by, and I was currently carrying Rias in my arms as she was still sleeping. Guess all that sword training really increased my strength. I smiled. Already this strong. Crazy, I have a lot more ahead of me. Maybe Taren’s sword will finally feel lighter. I would look to my left as I felt a small breeze of wind.

  I saw Terits, who was walking with a maid to the balcony. Hmm, I wonder what he’s doing up this early. I would continue to look ahead. Who am I kidding? This is probably the normal time to wake up, while my tired ass always wakes up at ten.

  ***

  A few minutes passed, and I found myself in Rias’s room. I gently laid her down on the bed, but as I did, her hair fell across her mouth, causing her to move her head slightly.

  I began to panic, fearing that she might slowly wake up. Oh crap! No, stay asleep. Rias would slowly open her tired eyes. Wait, I know a technique that might keep her asleep—a technique parents often use. "Shh, go back to sleep…" I whispered. Rias would then close her eyes back shut and continue to sleep. "Phew…"

  I would put the blanket over her and walk out of the room. "That could’ve gone worse…" I said as I closed the door behind me.

  I continued walking, and as I looked to my right, I noticed the balcony again and saw some interesting stuff between the maid and Terits. I hid behind the corner as I saw them having a pleasurable time. Oh my God, is he doing doggy style with a cat-type demi-human!?

  As I stayed quiet, I heard the moaning of the demi-human stop, and I heard Terits call out, "Tenshin!"

  Oh shit, I’m caught now. I’m fucked! I slowly took a few steps out of the corner and noticed the maid walking past me, looking flustered. I would pervertedly grin but quickly held it in as I looked back at Terits. "Oh, uh, sorry Lord Terits. I was just putting Rias back to bed and just didn’t want—"

  "Don’t take it too seriously. Nothing to concern yourself with; I just wanted a bit of relaxation, you could say," he said as he looked out at the balcony.

  "R-Right. I promise not to tell Lady Salina."

  "Tell her or not, it won’t matter. It was a demi-human, not anyone else but that, so no worries," he said casually.

  I would be taken aback by how he responded. Wait, why is he taking this normally like Salina wouldn’t care? Are demi-humans seriously a use for sex too?! If so, then I may be in luck and should also never bring Lumi here.

  "I want you to come here for a moment."

  "Huh? Okay." I slowly walked up to the balcony, and as I stood beside him, I noticed something interesting outside. "Wow!" was my reaction. In the distance, not too far from the castle, there was a large purple and blue magical circle surrounded by dark clouds, though not too many. "Is someone doing a shockwave strike or something?!"

  "I'm not quite certain myself, but it’s been there for quite a while without doing anything," he replied.

  I looked up at him. "You’re acting so calmly about this. Do you know what it is, or has sex kept you calm? Sorry."

  He let out a light chuckle, shaking his head as he continued to look outside. "It's wise to remain calm about things until you know whether there’s a reason to worry. As long as our lives don’t change from this, then we shouldn’t worry."

  I would look back at it as the magical circle continued to slowly spin around the dark clouds, continuing to do nothing more. I guess he’s right. I would get memories from doing the shockwave strike for the first time, along with Larah. I smiled.

  ***

  A few minutes went by, and I went back to my room. I snuck inside but noticed Vieta was no longer on the bed. "Phew…" I ran over and jumped on the bed and then sniffed the pillow Vieta was on and Rias’s side. "Ah… smells awesome…" I whispered. I turned and looked directly at the ceiling in silence. I sighed. Wow, all of a sudden I remember him... Herrick... I wonder how he's keeping up. Maybe by the time I'm back, he might be up from his coma. I'm hoping I can see him again just to say thank you. I wonder how Lumi would react, though. "Hopefully not terrified..." I murmured.

  would look over to the window and notice the random magic circle still there. But seriously… what is that?