That evening, we all gathered at the table—Mia, Hek, Marj, and I. There was plenty of drinking and joking. I pulled out two fourth-class swords I had purchased at the Vangan Crafting Guild and handed them to Marj.


    “One is yours; give the other to Bern and tell him I regret not seeing him.”


    “Are you leaving already?”


    “Not right now, but in a few days, for sure.”


    Marj seemed to lose his mood. I refilled the glasses and pushed one into his hand.


    “Hey, warrior, cheer up. I’m not leaving forever!”


    Dinner ended quite late, and Mia and I returned home. I barely had time to wash up before Mia was already bouncing around in her birthday suit, wagging her fluffy tail. What energy this girl had! I pulled out two black seventh-class daggers and handed them to her.


    “These are for you.”


    “Whoa!” She grabbed them. “I can’t see their class…”


    “Seventh.”


    “Seventh?!” she exclaimed in surprise.


    Mia executed a few almost dance-like steps with the daggers. Quick and agile, the blades suited her far better than they ever would me.


    “Just don’t swing them around too much. People have sharp eyes, and even sharper envy.”


    “But I have nowhere to hide them…”


    I pulled out the storage of the old mage from the Misty Forest, emptied it, and unlocked it.


    “Here, this is yours now too.”


    “Oh, it’s so profitable to have you as a boyfriend!”


    That night, she didn’t let me get a wink of sleep in bed. Cat nature.


    “What are we doing today?” she asked when the sun was already peeking through the windows.


    “I won’t say what you’ll be doing, but I have very important business. I’ll be brewing medicine for the old man.”


    I stepped into the backyard and placed the alchemy cauldron in the center. Then I took out the necessary ingredients, activated first-circle magic, and filled the cauldron with chemically pure water. A large, bright-red circle spun around me, making Mia’s eyes go wide like buttons.


    I activated second-circle magic, and an even larger, bright-red circle descended to align with the first, beginning to rotate. Then, I cast a fire wall spell at the lowest intensity I could manage and placed it beneath the cauldron.


    “I’m going to burst!” I heard Mia’s voice behind me. “You’ve mastered magic?!”


    “Yeah, but only up to the third circle, so it’s nothing to brag about.”


    “Do you even hear yourself? Warriors don’t wield magic above the first circle; that’s why they become warriors. Just like mages don’t possess an aura beyond the first class, because they’re mages. It’s impossible to be both a warrior and a mage at the same time!”


    “Judging by me, I’d say your information is outdated.”


    I laughed, but Mia still looked at me with disbelief. Our perfect morning as newlyweds was interrupted by Heck, who brought vials for the potion.


    “You’re a mage too?!”


    The old man gawked at Mia, waiting for her to refute what he had just witnessed. She only snorted and went back into the house. I watched her go, understanding the state she was in. But I had to focus on saving the old man.


    “Hey, Hek, set the bottles on the table. I’ve just started; it’ll be ready in about three hours.”


    I took the first batch of ingredients and tossed them into the cauldron.


    “That’s a fire wall spell, Aney. I know this spell for sure, but how did you make it so small and keep it steady for so long? And how are you even using second-circle magic when you’re a Battle Ancestor?”


    “As you can see, silently and successfully.”


    “And what are those magical circles spinning around you? I’ve never seen anything like them.”


    I continued preparing the potion while the old man paced around me, hoping I would explain something. Meanwhile, Mia kept glancing at us from the house window. Finally, the process neared completion. I deactivated the magic and strained the potion through my aura into the bottles, then sealed them tightly.


    “Done!”


    I handed the last bottle to Hek.


    “Try it, and take one a month—no more often.”


    The old man took a sip and twitched.


    “The taste could use some work.”


    I laughed and explained that I wasn’t humane enough to care about such things.


    With that done, I threw on a hooded cloak and stepped outside the Merchant Guild’s gates. I still had a few matters to attend to in this city. First, I headed to the Church of the White Twins. From a distance, I located the aura of the abbot and restrained him with my own. Ha, there was a time when I couldn’t even move under his pressure.


    “The clerics still wear black, despite the Church of the Twins being White. Good day, Abbot Kram.”


    Kram was silent because I wasn’t letting him speak.


    “Abbot Kram, I’ll release you now, and we’ll have a calm conversation—no sudden moves, alright?”


    I eased the pressure slightly, and when he nodded in agreement, I withdrew my aura and sat on a bench beside him.


    “It’s rather impolite, Master Aney, to use force on a clergyman inside a church. That could invoke the wrath of the gods. Both gods.”


    “Abbot Kram, I didn’t come here to quarrel.”


    “Then state your purpose. I can’t read minds.”


    “I wanted to talk about my friend, the head of the Merchant Guild.”


    “What about him? The church has no issues with Master Hek at present.”


    “Exactly. Here’s the thing—we were drinking together last night, and I accidentally gave him a second-class potion. As a result, let’s just say he became… a slightly different person. You wouldn’t believe it, but we liked the effect so much that I gifted him another hundred bottles of the stuff! I hope the church won’t be too strict about our—let’s call them—childish games?”


    Kram remained silent. I turned my head to look at him.


    “Master Aney, this request puts me in a rather difficult position, as I don’t even know what you’re talking about…”


    “Oh, come on, Abbot Kram,” I pulled a bottle from my pocket, prepared in advance for this conversation. “Nothing serious.”


    He took the bottle, opened it, and sniffed it carefully.


    “Good Lord, what a vile stench!”


    Kram handed the bottle back to me.


    “So, is everything all right? The second class isn’t prohibited within the principality’s territory?”


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    “The potion is fine, there’s no problem with it. But there is one issue, and that is you, Lord Aney. After all, what level are you now, if you don’t mind me asking?”


    “High-grade Battle Ancestor.”


    “Right, and you are… What? High-grade Battle Ancestor?”


    It seemed this was the first time I had seen the abbot bewildered.


    “Calm down, Abbot Kram. I just stopped by for a few days to visit friends. I have no intention of disrupting the balance of power in the region in any way and will soon leave the principality.”


    “May I ask a personal question, Lord Aney?”


    “Of course, we’re practically friends already. Go ahead.”


    “How did you become this strong in such a short period of time? It seems to me that when you first appeared in the city less than three years ago, you were a high-grade third-class warrior… So, what’s your secret, Lord Aney?”


    “Oh, come now, Abbot Kram, what secret? I was just lucky.”


    Kram gave a crooked smile, as if I had just driven a needle into his liver.


    “Well then, Abbot, I’ll be on my way to prepare for the road so that you can quickly regain your peace of mind and rid yourself of worries about the principality.”


    I stood up and walked toward the exit of the church.


    “Safe travels!”


    Along with his words at my back, I felt a heavy and unfamiliar gaze on the back of my head. And it wasn’t Kram, even though we were the only two in the church. I hesitated for a second, my hand on the door handle, but in the end, I left without looking back at the statues of those wretched gods.


    There was one more person I needed to remind of my presence. Just for preventive measures. From the church, I went straight to the princely court. I passed through the guards—terrified by my aura—without any issues and entered the prince’s chamber, not bothering to stop in the waiting room this time.


    The chamber was rather crowded. It seemed I had interrupted either a princely council or a celebratory feast.


    “Out, all of you!” I slightly emphasized my request with an aura laced with bloodlust. “I need to discuss something privately with the prince.”


    Like cockroaches, the people scurried away through the wide-open doors. Only the loyal Len and Vyr remained by the prince’s side, though they were visibly uneasy.


    “Greetings, Prince! You haven’t forgotten about me, have you?”


    “Lord Aney? I was under the impression that we had an agreement, one that I have followed strictly all this time.”


    “Oh, Prince, I’m just here to say hello and ask if you were satisfied with the expressive exposition I sent you?”


    The prince clenched his fists.


    “I believe, Lord Aney, that you have appropriately punished the traitor to the principality, through whom we suffered great losses.”


    “Glad to hear it from your own lips, Prince! I hope we will continue to uphold our agreements! And now, allow me to take my leave. Vyr… Len…”


    I waved my hand at them in farewell and walked away. Sometimes, scum need to be reminded that justice exists in this world.


    “Grace, forgive me, but I cannot kill this bastard just yet,” I whispered quietly to myself.


    Late that night, Mia and I lay in bed.


    “Do you remember, I promised you that I would take you with me when I became strong enough?”


    She turned to me, propping herself up on her elbow, and looked into my eyes. Her thick, auburn curls fell onto my cheek.


    “I think the time has come. Will you come with me?”


    Mia wrapped her arms around my head, pressing me to her chest.


    “I’ve waited so long for this moment! Yes. Wherever you say.”


    In the morning, I walked into Hek’s office and silently sat in a chair.


    “I’ve resolved the matter with the church.”


    “So, once again, you took the hit for someone else?”


    I had no answer to the old man’s question, so I remained silent.


    “Aney, I do, of course, greatly appreciate our relationship, but this can’t go on. You shouldn’t be deciding everything for others. Look at the situation from my perspective. I was supposed to die soon, but you’ve postponed that event by ten, maybe more, years. Am I grateful? I never even dared to hope for such a gift. But what do you do next? You leave and take the blame from the church upon yourself. How am I supposed to react? How should I feel? Like a worthless fool? A fool whose benefactor granted him life and took the consequences upon himself? Why did you do this to me?”


    I was surprised and, frankly, slightly irritated by his words.


    “Because,” I raised my voice slightly, “I can handle the consequences.”


    “Ah, and I, according to your words, cannot. Well, you’re a Battle Ancestor now, and what am I? Just a nobody…”


    Damn, this conversation was going completely off the rails.


    “I’m sorry, Hek. I didn’t think you would take it this way. I never meant to offend you.”


    “Eh! Forget it. You’re still young, so you have the right to make mistakes.”


    We fell silent again for a while.


    “I take it you’re leaving?”


    How does the old man see right through me? I nodded slightly.


    “Is this because of the church again?”


    “Not exactly. Partially, maybe, but it’s really time for me to return to Lygote. There are things I need to take care of. I’ll be taking Mia with me.”


    “Please do, because she’s been scaring me these past two days. It seems she still hasn’t convinced herself that I’m actually me. I don’t want to wake up one morning with a hole in my throat.”


    “Ha-ha-ha, she’s just joking!”


    Hek’s look practically screamed how much of an idiot I was.


    “Old man, how is Grace’s daughter doing? Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to notify her father.”


    “Don’t worry, she’s fine. She works at the guild. And as for her father, do you really think he doesn’t know?”


    I looked at him, trying to understand what he meant.


    “It was Grace’s last wish, so I have to fulfill it.”


    “Your will, Aney…”


    “Hek, perhaps my next question will be inappropriate, but your opinion is important to me.”


    “I’m listening.”


    “Do you think it’s possible to weaken the church’s absolute power in the empire with money?”


    The old man leaned back in his chair and was silent for a while.


    “No.”


    “And what if, for example, I were to buy a couple of guilds in the Northern Empire? That would give leverage over the church’s politics in this region and might allow us to change some of the rules.”


    “Aney, listen, first of all, no one will sell you even a fraction of a guild. That’s not how it works. And second, the church controls the continent—what is one empire to them? And it’s not about money at all. It doesn’t matter how much you have. The Church of the White Twins has two gods. Not like the Eye of the Judge, whom no one has ever seen, but two real, damn gods who personally descend to the continent from time to time. Anei, these gods… they are pure power, the mightiest that exists. Can you influence such power with money or by any other means? I think you already know the answer to that question.


    I sat there, dejected. Gods… gods really do exist.”


    “Alright. But I do see one option.”


    Hek looked at me with interest.


    “To become a god myself.”


    I thought he would laugh, but he didn’t. He was completely serious.


    “If anyone else had told me that, I’d have sent for a healer by now. But you’re different. I even believe that sooner or later, you will have to become a god. Of course, only if you’re careful until you gain enough strength to openly oppose them.”


    “Ha, old man, I didn’t expect that from you.”


    We both laughed heartily.


    The rest of the day, I watched Mia say her goodbyes to her colleagues and loot Hek’s guild, dragging everything she liked into storage. Women are a terrifying force.


    The next morning, we set off for Lygote. Mia slept almost the entire way. In good weather, she lay on the covered roof of the cart, basking in the sun; when clouds gathered or it started drizzling, she climbed inside. When she wasn’t sleeping, she was either making treats or pulling me into the cart for mischief. Either way, we had to stop much more often than when I had traveled here alone.


    “Can we stop here for a day or two?” she asked as we entered the Misty Forest.


    “Did something happen?”


    “I want to train a little.”


    “Kid, you’re already a Battle Master. First- and second-class monsters are too weak for you.”


    Mia pouted, so I cursed under my breath and pulled the cart over to the roadside.


    “Go ahead.”


    “Thank you!”


    She took off her boots and began her transformation. Her eyes widened, long thin whiskers grew on her cheeks, fangs flashed behind her lips. Long, sharp claws appeared on her fingers and toes. She crouched, preparing to leap from the cart.


    “Hey, what are you doing?”


    “What do you mean? I’m going hunting!”


    “Quit playing around and take your daggers. Train with those instead.”


    “But I’m a catfolk!”


    “So what?”


    “My claws are my weapons!”


    “Mia, claws aren’t weapons. Take the daggers, I said.”


    “What do you even know about us catfolk?!”


    “Alright, I really don’t know much about your kind.” I climbed down from the cart. “Attack me with your claws. I won’t dodge or fight back. If you can even scratch me, I won’t make you train with the daggers.”


    I took off my cloak and shirt and stood a few meters from the cart. I wasn’t taking any risks—the difference in our strength was too great. I wasn’t sure if Mia fully realized that, but she lunged at me like a wild beast, slashing at my torso and face with her claws. She stopped after a few minutes, realizing it was useless.


    “See? But with those daggers, you could easily wound a Battle Ancestor—or even kill one.”


    “Really?”


    “Yes, I wouldn’t lie to you. They’re seventh-class weapons, of course they’re dangerous even to Ancestors, especially in the hands of a Battle Master.”


    I exaggerated a little, of course. A Battle Master wasn’t fast enough to land a hit on a Battle Ancestor. But the daggers themselves were undoubtedly lethal.


    “Fine.”


    She retracted the claws from her hands—but only from her hands—drew her daggers, and leapt into the forest. I followed from a distance, watching her hunt. Not bad—she compensated for her lack of technique with raw strength and agility. But if I trained her properly… I almost licked my lips.


    If I could enhance her agility with my Consecutive Steps technique… I wasn’t sure if it would work, since a catfolk’s transformed muscles were slightly different from a human’s. Could it be adapted?


    For several hours, as Mia chased monsters, I observed the workings of her musculoskeletal system, thinking of ways to make it work. And I think I found a solution.


    “Well? How was it?” Mia finally returned to the cart.


    “You know, I’m actually impressed. Very good.”


    She retracted her transformation, stepped closer, and began playfully tugging at my shirt.


    “Really? Will there be a reward?”


    “There will be! Definitely. But not now.”


    I paused, watching disappointment spread across her face.


    “Do you remember my Consecutive Steps technique? Do you want to try learning it?”


    “Oooooh! Yes, of course! I really want to!”


    “Then watch closely. I’ll show you first, then explain how to adapt it for you.


    I stepped away from Mia and performed the first Consecutive Step. She watched intently. I repeated it several more times until she grasped the basic principles. Then I returned to her and, placing both hands on her thigh, slowly moved them downward, sequentially pressing my aura onto the muscle groups that needed to activate at the right moments.”


    “Got it? — I asked when my hands reached her foot.”


    “Uh-huh!”


    “Now transform your legs again and try it. I want to see.”


    Mia prepared herself and attempted the step—but instead, she tumbled forward and rolled across the ground.


    “It’s not working…”


    “Redhead, shorten your claws. You just plowed the ground like a damn plow!


    She glanced behind her and burst into laughter. Good grief, what am I going to do with you?”


    “Get up and try again.”


    The training stretched on for several hours. I only stopped when I saw that she was completely spent. Well, for a first attempt, not bad. Mia barely dragged herself back to the cart and immediately fell asleep. Yeah, we definitely needed to work on her endurance. I climbed onto the driver’s seat and set the cart in motion again.