The dinner progressed normally after that, and a few conversations continued throughout the al. Lyra also tugged at his leg twice to ask him to refill her bowl before finally finishing that huge amount of food.
But sohow, Kael continued to get the feeling that sothing was wrong with Iris.
She still looked lost in her thoughts at tis, but since she was unwilling to talk about what was bothering her, Kael decided to give her so ti.
The next morning was a busy one.
Since Leon had expressed his desire to participate in a monster subjugation mission, it was finally ti for Kael to start sending requests.
In theory, any team would be happy to have the hero join them during a fight, but reality was different.
Not every team wanted Leon at this point, especially the high-ranking ones, and there was a good reason behind it.
Most of the high-ranking teams went on dangerous missions, and no matter how good Leon and Seraphina were, they were still rookies with no experience. They would be more of a liability than an asset.
But that did not an Kael was going to give up.
He decided to use his connections and contact one team that would take anyone along with them...as long as the price was right. And since it was a reputable high-ranking team, Kael knew he could trust them.
’Still, it wouldn’t be right to trust strangers too much. I should accompany Leon, Seraphina, and Iris as well to make sure it is truly safe.’
__________
"You are doing well. Make sure you cover your right side better."
Iris told Leon as he attacked her.
He was leaning heavily toward his left side, leaving his right side open. But she knew that it was a trap.
Even so, since she had nothing else to point out, she decided to ntion the obvious.
Leon ignored her advice and tried to feint an attack to take her down.
She countered it but was pushed back a little by the sudden assault.
Her body mass was much larger than Leon’s, so it was hard for the kid to push her back. On the other hand, she was easily able to maintain the advantage...this ti.
But she could feel how fast this kid was growing.
It wouldn’t take long before he would no longer need Iris.
She would finally be free...
And then what?
’My contract with Kael will end as soon as Leon is able to stand on his own feet. What will happen to after that? Where will I go once I am free?’
Iris had once dread of freedom.
She had wanted to visit everywhere she could and et new people to adventure with.
She had wanted to see the world, eat as much food as she could, and fight whenever she wanted.
But all of that felt trivial compared to her current life.
It had only been a short ti, but now she could not imagine living a life away from Kael.
Every ti she closed her eyes and tried to picture a life apart from him, her heart hurt and her head threatened to split apart.
’What am I going to do? Should I...sabotage Leon after all? I don’t think anyone will notice, and I will get to stay here longer—’
The contract humd beneath her skin, reminding her that she was not free to do whatever she wanted.
It made Iris flinch, and Leon decided to take advantage of her distraction.
Iris’s instincts kicked in, and she dodged before striking his wrist to make him drop his sword.
"Fuck—"
Leon let out a curse as his sword flew away before he went to retrieve it.
But his face did not look happy as he clutched his sword.
"That last attack would have gotten you if I had a little more reach. Don’t you think you’ve been getting too distracted during these past few training sessions?"
Leon asked without much respect in his voice.
He did not even consider her a teacher, but rely a sparring partner he could use to practice his techniques.
Moreover, Iris hardly ever needed to teach Leon much.
It was as if he already knew what he needed to do, but his body could not keep up with his mind yet.
This kid’s overwhelming talent would make anyone jealous, and Iris was no exception.
And his lack of respect only added salt to the wound.
"You should stop complaining. You’ll only have the right to criticize once you’ve actually won against . Why don’t you keep your mouth shut until then?"
Iris snapped back instantly.
She was not one to speak like this often, but this kid was pushing all of her buttons in the most annoying way possible.
Her anger did nothing to faze Leon.
He simply picked up his sword and swung it around a few tis to check how well it was holding up.
"Well, based on how things are going, I don’t think it will take long before that happens."
Leon did not hold back his words, and he usually said them in a way that stung.
Iris could not understand why he disliked her so much.
She had not even done anything to him.
"Tsk, talk more politely to . You’re like a completely different person when Kael is around."
She complained, and Leon refused to answer.
However, she was not going to give up.
She felt like she had to get an answer from him today, or she would go mad.
"Leon, what is your problem with ? Don’t try to deny it. I know you have one. If it’s sothing I can work on—"
"I don’t have a problem with you. Besides, I’m like this with everyone, not just you. The only person I trust here is Kael and no one else."
"But you treat Seraphina just fine—"
"She is too soft, and Kael would worry if I was harsh with her. But you don’t have that problem. So I treat you how I want to. You’re the only person here I don’t wear a mask around."
That was a huge confession, but it did nothing to make Iris feel happy.
"I see. Well, I feel like I’m the sa. We both don’t need to show fake kindness to each other. Now, should we start the next fight?"
Iris asked, and Leon attacked her.
She was still worried about the future, but there was nothing she could do about it right now.
’But perhaps, if I find another use for myself...maybe I can convince Kael to keep . No, I have to convince him to keep at all costs. I will not lose him.’
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