Lara could not help but be shocked for a moment. She had not expected him to answer her in such a normal way. For some odd reason, she had half expected him to do or say something crazy while also guessing that he would completely ignore her. Either way, she was happy with the current outcome. She quickly gathered her wits about herself.
“I am very confident in my ability to identify spirits under the Valor level. I can also identify their strengths, weaknesses, and habits. My father made sure to educate me on spirits to the point that I can even make a living as a professor on the topic.”
Lara lifted her chin in pride, but the reaction she had expected did not come. Darius simply continued with his deadpan expression and said, “Very well. Explain your abilities to me. If I had to explain my abilities to you, your observational abilities would come into question.”
Lara was about to blow her lid. To think that Darius would speak in such a lofty manner. She wanted to reprimand him, but one quick look into his eyes stopped her dead in her tracks. Normally she would have been able to complain about his tone, but she now needed his help. At the moment, might was right, so she could do nothing.
“Ehem. My abilities are…”
…
In Kylian and Donald’s booth, the latter was uncontrollably laughing.
“Wow, I never thought I would meet someone more arrogant than you! Hahahahahahahaha! Oh, my stomach hurts.”
Kylian snorted in disdain. “Your sense of humor disgusts me. That boy is right. He made the logical decision and simply pointed out the truth. She tooted her own horn like that, so he had to put her down and show her her place. The weak have no right to be arrogant.”
Donald was stumped by Kylian’s response. He knew that his friend was odd, but to think that it was to this extent. Donald awkwardly coughed and attempted to sit upright in a more courteous manner.
“Ehem. Anyway, it seems that the boy has a calm head on his shoulders. To think that he would be this calm even while under a glory level Indomitable state. If I remember correctly, even Lady Farah’s was only at the Valor level. Moreover, this is his foundation ability, so it’ll grow with him as he gains in power. I’m telling you: this boy’s future is limitless.”
Kylian said nothing as he carefully observed the screen. Nevertheless, Donald’s words were not without merit and made him fall into deep thought.
…
“Wow, he really put Lara in her place,” said James with a cheeky grin.
“Serves her right. She’s too cocky,” said Lionel with a satisfied smile.
“Hey now, little brother. No need to be so antagonistic toward your twin. She is, after all, your flesh and blood,” quipped Peter.
“Peter is right, my son,” the emperor said, “Envy should never appear so unsightly, at least openly. It is unbecoming of a qualified prince of my empire.”
The emperor enunciated the word “qualified” carefully, trying to stress it as much as possible in an attempt to annoy Lionel. The old fox’s words hit the bull’s eye. Lionel sulked back in his seat, mumbling words only he could hear.
“Stupid old man, I’ll get you back for this!”
…
“I see.”
This was Darius’s reaction to Lara’s explanation of her skillset.
‘I see? That’s it? Does he have any idea how useful my ability is? It’s Honor-level, darn it!’
Lara’s ability was Omni-Boost. Its primary ability was Ambidexterity, which granted her complete use of both hands and an extra pair of arms. It also improved her eyesight and peripheral vision. Her secondary ability, Double Critical, increased her Agility. It was a fantastic foundation ability for those who wanted to set out on the path of a speed-focused Spiritknight.
“Your abilities make you perfect for scouting. My senses are superior to yours overall, but your vision is an asset to us since it is better than mine. I am confident in being able to sense danger with my strong perception when anything threatening approaches, but we will have to rely on your experience and skills to look for the flag’s location.
Our duties are simple: you track the spirits while searching for the flag, and I protect us from immediate dangers. Once we reach the flag, you will assist me in battle. Once we have gained an understanding of our target, we will retreat and come up with a plan of action. If the spirit is sufficiently weak for this to be feasible or a potentially lethal match for either one of our skill sets, then one will distract the creature while the other captures the flag. Any objections?”
Lara was not used to being on the back foot. After all, she was a princess. She was a natural-born leader, raised to tell others what to do. Despite this, she could not refute Darius’s plan. It made sense to her, and she had anyway been planning to suggest something similar. Her pride was not pleased by the circumstances, but she had no choice. Thus, she swallowed her pride and agreed to his plan.
The least she could do was take the initiative, so she picked a direction and started running. “Follow me.”
Darius was not happy with her seemingly ‘random’ action, but he acquiesced and followed. It was better to simply pick a direction and move forward.
The duo sprinted through the forest until they found an incredibly tall tree. Lara signaled for the duo to stop. She climbed the tree without telling him anything about what she was planning to do. It only took her a few moments to reach the top where she quickly scanned the surrounding area and then returned to the ground.
Darius understood her intentions and silently approved.
‘This girl is certainly quite capable.’
Her rating in his mind went up a notch. Lara couldn’t care less about what a hick thought of her, but she now had no choice but to work with Darius. She wanted his talents to fuel her ambitions for power, so she would play second fiddle for now.
‘Enjoy this while you still can. Once this test is over, I’ll have you wrapped around my fingers!’ Lara grimly thought.
