The next morning was something that made Axton realize how freaking sore his body was. Despite the recent level-up, Axton still felt the pain from every injury. At least when he woke up, his tear ducts decided enough was enough and set him free. That didn't mean they were still wet though. It was dry enough that he swears that it cracked on his face. Amid came in the morning and checked him over. To his credit, his flinching was down, so Amid took to announcing she was going to touch him.

It worked. So as long as I know if someone is going to touch me, then I should be fine, right? His mind went to Lefiya. Not Ais, like it normally did, but to Lefiya, a girl one year his junior. That made him pause. Do I already think of her as more? That was far too early, even for Axton's standards.

"Are you in any pain?" Amid asked, trying to get him into a conversation, even if it was only a medical one at best. She had heard him crying himself to sleep, after all. It etched on her heart to hear such cries. Someone so strong suffering so much..."I'm going to touch along your upper back, okay?"

"Mm," he said, giving consent. "Not really? My abs are sorer than anything. So bending is difficult."

"You can have Miss Wallenstein wrap your chest in a salve to reduce soreness," Amid suggested quietly. Her hands worked diligently over his muscular back. Amid can say a lot of things, but first-class adventurers have neatly defined muscles and curves in some cases.

Axton thought it over for a moment before nodding, "That'd be swell. So..."

Amid already guessed his line of thought, "You can leave on probation tomorrow. I will be checking in to see if you haven't damaged yourself even more. Touching your forearms."

Her hands felt soft and he found himself shivering from the touch. Amid pulled her hands back before she noticed the goosebumps. The Doctor had a rare smile on her face, unnoticed by the boy. "Fine, I don't plan on doing much. I'll mostly be reassuring the Familia that I'm awake and alive...I just...don't know if…"

"...if?" she prompted. She was willing to let it go if he didn't finish his thought. It would take a lot of time for him to be at his normal again. That was just Amid's personal thought.

"...if I'll ever be the same...what she did...it would traumatize a person for the rest of their lives, and I'm only sixteen, level six, so I have a long life of recurring nightmares ahead. Probably PTS at the very least, and the D comes later…" he flushed. "I retract my previous statement." Axton heard a rare sound that day. Amid giggling.

She really shouldn't but the fact he was embarrassed about such a silly sentence—of which the origin was true—that Amid has heard before. It makes him more endearing. The Doctor pulled back, now done with her examination before returning to her normal visage. However, Axton saw the hints of the smirk she was hiding.

"You don't need to embarrass me so," he pouted before huffing out a breath.

Amid gave a slight bow, "I know I shouldn't have laughed, I apologize, but please inform me of nightmares or other stress-related symptoms. On that note, do you want me to apply the salve to your ribs while you stay here overnight to see if there is a difference in your pain?"

Axton hid his flinch, not well enough for the Doctor's keen eyes but nodded. He won't be able to reach all the important places anyway. The young Wallenstein sighed, "Just warn me where you touch."

Amid easily agreed. That was how she doted on him for the next hour. Ensuring that he was completely lathered in the salve, she stepped away with a small blush. Axton, on the other hand, showed no signs of that. In actuality, he tuned himself out.

He did give hums of acknowledgment when she applied it to a new area. The only part she didn't do was his lower half, for reasons that did get him to blush. They both chose to ignore that and never bring it up again. Like how he noticed her hands shake just before she touched him and how he had goosebumps on his arms when she did.

Still, Axton wondered about a lot of things. He didn't like how he didn't remember anything of what happened. All he recognized was pain. The way his ribs gave way on themselves, how he could feel blood dripping off him like it was sweat. How all he could do was take the punishment given to him. It insulted his pride, and it hurt to know that he was powerless against it.

Only one question remained though.

This question would linger in the back of his mind for a long while. Instead, the blond swordsman laid down, feeling exhausted from his short mental debate with himself. He laid back and attempted to get some last-minute sleep.


Once he left the clinic, he winced at the sunlight bearing down on him. That also meant once he got to the central street, people gawked at him. Amid warned him of what she would do if he injured himself as carelessly as before.

In his defense, it wasn't careless, just horribly unfortunate. The numbing salve worked wonders though. He could still feel the occasional twinge of pain in his leg and chest, but a little salve should help. Worst case, he can also go back for more.

Axton swore that he heard Martha and Bernadette teasing Amid about something before he left. Even with his hearing, he didn't bother to inquire about it. He chalked it up to a girl thing.

Of course, the populace of Orario heard the Prince was critically injured and had to stay in the clinic, so people were immediately gossiping about how he was out and about. Requiem was on his side, like normal, but Axton knew better.

He was a long ways away from being fully healed. Physically, he's fine. Mentally…might as well go fight Balor as a level three. He was beyond fine, actually terrible.

As he was walking, he heard a voice. One that made him smile despite the situation. Axton deliberately looked down the street to see the two people he wanted to see. Well, there was a third, but she was probably at the Manor, worried again.

It made Axton's heart skip as he thought back to that moment. The small smile slipped from his face, not realizing it, as he thought back to those blue eyes that trapped him. Wow, sappy much me?

Thankfully, when he saw a flash of gold in front of him, his smile returned. In front of him was his sister. She looked shocked that he was walking and inspected all over him, visually.

"You can gently touch, just don't be weird about it," he teased his elder.

Ais Wallenstein stood in front of him, out of her armor surprisingly, and in her signature one-piece dress. Her golden eyes frantically flocked over him again and again. The person she was speaking to looked confused as to where she went.

"You went really fast in order to lose him," he teased again, trying to get her to respond.

Arms gently encircled him, making him tense slightly before they loosened and he wrapped an arm around her waist. "Don't ever make me worry like that." She reprimanded him.

"Not so fun when the shoe's on the other foot. Think about how I felt every time I dragged you out," he shot back without missing a beat. She pouted slightly but didn't respond.

The siblings separated, each scrutinizing the other. Then they both smiled—his slightly forced and hers small, not a radiant one—at one another before Ais turned back to the person she was talking to. "Bell…"

Axton's eyes flicked over her shoulder to see the boy, Bell Cranel, looking quite sheepish at the moment. If Axton had to guess, it was because Sword Royalty was staring him down. The younger sibling looked between the two before deciding that jumping to conclusions was a bad idea. "So uh…whatcha talking about?"

The trio moved over to the side of the road but it didn't stop people looking at Royalty and a person who looked like a rabbit. It gave some semblance of privacy. "Do you want to use a private room at the Guild?" Axton inquired. They were outside of the Pantheon anyway, so it wasn't like it was across Orario. They both declined.

Bell looked awkwardly between Ais and Axton. "We uhm…"

"I returned something of his and offered to train him," Ais said, answering a few of Axton's internal questions.

This did set off a red flag for Axton, "Training? Ais, no offense, you don't train, and when you do, it's usually with me in a spar. You have a better chance of killing him. You don't know your own strength." Then he turned to Bell before he could refute, "That isn't meant to be an insult. She struggles with controlling her strength, and our spars prove it."

"I do not," Ais said, pouting slightly. Axton noticed the shift in Bell's expression, seeing him confused, then getting lovesick. A smirk was sent in his direction.

"How bad do your spars get?" Bell asked innocently.

Axton snorted, wincing immediately after, holding his side, which snapped Ais out of her pout and checked him over.

"Ay ay ay, relax, Ais," he sighed. "Pretty bad. You've heard of Windy Lane? The street over that way?" Axton pointed in the direction of the road leading straight past Babel.

"I believe I've passed there once. That street doesn't get any wind…?" He sounded confused, the poor boy.

"That's what happens when we disagreed on something years ago to the point that it resorted to fighting in that very street, and that was when we were level…four, I believe?"

"Three," Ais corrected.

"I forgot what the argument was about," Axton admitted. Ais did too. Bell was shocked that he learned a piece of Orario's history because of the pair that was in front of them. How bad did it have to be in order for it to be named that?

"Me too," Ais said. "In other news, Axton. You owe me Jagamarukun, you promised."

The blond smiled softly—a genuine one—and lightly teased, "Sure, when I'm able." No matter what, she always loves those things. Granted, I do too. Can't blame her. "Anyway, Bell, you are going to train with her, right? Mind telling me the reason? I don't have control over who my sister spends time with, so humor me."

Bell stared back at Axton with a determination that made him shift into a guarded state. Unnoticeable to Bell himself, but not to Ais. As he began to speak, a smirk made its way to Axton's face, "I have people I want to catch up to and surpass. I want to be able to stand by their side and help people."

He's definitely the one, Axton thought, smirking. The one to save my sister from the black flames. The hero. The only reason Axton came to this conclusion was because of this determination. Bell would not let anyone get in his way. It was perfect. For a split second, the color of Bell's hair reversed and Axton saw someone that wasn't Bell.

Ais just wondered how strong he got considering he was on the tenth floor, "How long have you been adventuring?"

"A little over a month…thirty-seven days?" He replied, looking up, doing the mental math.

Axton couldn't hide his shock even if he tried, "A month and you made it to floor ten? It took like eight months for me to make it down there."

"You were actually ahead of me at that time," Ais commented. "But only for two weeks."

Bell looked super sheepish, "Yeah…"

The Wallenstein siblings glanced at one another, then back to Bell, ""Don't overdo it.""

Heh, still got it, Axton thought.

He raised his hands in a placating manner, "I won't, I won't. I just have to be stronger to stand beside them."

Stronger. A word that means to be more powerful than others, something that everyone craves. It may not be physically in some cases but in others, it could be mentally.

"We've gotten sidetracked," Axton said, bringing the conversation back, "Ais, where do you plan on training him?"

She leaned over, "Top of the Northern Wall closer to the western side, out of sight of the Familia."

He whispered back, "Yeah, I see. Okay, I'll join you when I can," he spoke up, "So are you starting tomorrow?"

"Yes," Bell replied eagerly.

The younger sibling chuckled, "Sucker for pain, I see. Anyway, while I'm here, might as well let them know…"

"Know what?" Ais asked accompanied with a head tilt.

He grinned, "I am not falling behind you again." Bell didn't catch that meaning but Ais certainly did.

She smiled at him, "Congrats!" She looped an arm over his shoulder and smushed her cheek against his.

The grin faltered, "Just not happy because of the manner it happened…"

That reminder wiped the smile off of Ais's face, her golden eyes shaped into concern. "Was it because of…"

"Two factors, I'll tell you all later," Axton said turning again to Bell, "Sorry, this I can't tell you. Your level up was announced, right Ais?" A nod. "Well, mine will be joining yours shortly."

"Congratulations, Mister-"

"Call me Mister Axton, I'm gonna cuff you. Please call me Axton. Not Sword Prince, not Mister Axton, not Mister Wallenstein, just Axton, got it?" His tone was light but the warning was not.

The rabbit gulped at the slight turn of events, "R-Right, Axton."

"Better. With that, I'll be off," Axton said, leaving his sister and her now charge behind.

The Sword Prince entered Pantheon and all eyes turned to him but he ignored that and strode over to an open reception window. It just so happens to be Eina Tulle, Bell's advisor, and Riveria's friend. "Sword Prince… uhm, how can I help and I'm pleased to see you on the mend," she greeted.

Eina adjusted her glasses before Axton spoke, "I need a specific sheet. The one that Ais filled out a few days ago. Unfortunately, I don't have my sheet with me to show you, but once I head back to the Manor I'll get you one."

Eina covered her mouth before she blurted out information. "You…"

A sad smile graced his face, not that Eina knew it, "I did. Gotta keep up with my sister you know? Can't let her outshine me."

Eina quickly gave him the level-up paperwork and he was on his way. Now comes the hard part.


Safe to say, the guards on duty did not expect to see the Sword Prince stroll up to the Manor with such calmness, "Hello, can you let me in?" They seemed stunned, Axton waved a hand in front of them. "Are you going to let me get to my room or are you going to gawk at me all day?"

They didn't seem to pay attention until they turned around and both shouted, ""The Sword Prince is here!""

Sooner than he could anticipate, a wheat-colored blur was in front of him and Axton found himself being picked up and shook, "Princey!"

Tiona had heard the shout and ran like a bat outta hell.

"Puhlease put me down! I'm still injured!" Axton gasped out—slightly frantic—as her Amazonian strength pinned his arms. Tiona looked sheepish as she lowered him to the ground where he was able to breathe.

Taking a moment to regain his composure, he closed his eyes. "Please never do that again without my permission."

"Wh-"

Tiona was cut off by a look she rarely saw from Axton, a stern 'Don't fuck with me' stare that explained a lot. It was also given to the guards. "A lot happened and I don't know how much you're informed of."

Thankfully, the topic shifted as Tione exited the Manor next. Her eyes locked on Axton holding his ribs. "Tiona, did you have to squeeze him?"

She nodded with an embarrassed look on her face. Her skin didn't show it but a blush was very much present.

The elder Hiryute sighed, "How are you, Axton?"

"I'll be better when I can talk to Finn, Riveria, Gareth, and Loki. I got business to talk about, involving a certain level."

The guards looked at Axton in shock, "You leveled up?"

A tired grin, "Yeah, and right now, my bed is looking mighty comfortable…it's been a week since I last slept in it."

Tione inspected him closely this time, "You're different."

"Who wouldn't be after that?" He asked with fake cheerfulness, a more subtle hint to drop it. The elder Hiryute seemed to grasp the hint, realizing it went further than just some broken bones.

The siblings were told to stay behind in case something came up and they were needed. Tione said that she wanted to stay with the Captain, but he shot that down with logic. That was the reason they didn't come along on the rescue Prince operation.

Tiona took an extra moment before the pieces fell into place and she had a mixture between sympathy and empathy. The guards remained clueless as they will be. They will never be privy to those details. It might scar them.

After that, they entered Twilight Manor's gates, Axton giving himself a wide berth of space between him and the Hiryutes. If they noticed, they didn't comment.

As he opened the door, he was greeted by Cruz and Raul. They were greeting him with a light pat on the shoulder before his instincts went into overdrive. Before he knew it, Axton had grabbed Raul's hand and shoved it off.

Wide-eyed, only after the fact, Axton apologized, feeling ashamed at the current moment. "That…I…"

Cruz whispered lowly, "PTS?" A small nod. "No hard feelings then. If you need help, come talk to me, I know how to keep the symptoms at bay."

Sending a tired smile at him, Axton nodded, apologized to Raul, and slipped away to where he believed his Captain, Vice-Captain, Vice Vice-Captain, and Goddess were. He really needed to be alone, that processing still wasn't over yet. It probably will be a while before it hits him.

The walk to Finn's office was easy, and with a knock on the door did he hear a, "Come in."

Axton opened the door and entered with as much swagger as he could scrape together, "Miss me?"

Gareth barked out a laugh, "Good enough to make a joke are ya, lad?"

Loki all but jumped him, which he put a swift stop to. Though, he didn't expect her to stop, look into his eyes, and pulled him into a gentle hug, "Welcome home, Axton." It made him feel warm inside. He didn't flinch from her, and he chalked it up to her being a divine being. Maybe he was just at ease.

The High Elf looked him over, "Did she give you clearance?"

"Probation was the term she used. It doesn't help that Tiona hugged me unexpectedly. Did you seriously not fill them in?" Axton was understandably upset. Getting injured was not the problem, it was not informing them of the potential side effects.

Finn, however, was scrutinizing him, "How are you feeling?"

"Slightly sore, but good enough," Finn simply raised an eyebrow, asking the question for him. "No, in my current condition, I believe that I am not fit for the Dungeon right now and even if I was, I wouldn't push past the eighteenth. Also, I've seen Ais, she's fine and aware that I'm awake and alive."

"If I was to order you to stay here while we went on our expedition, would you refuse?" Finn placed his hands under his chin. Right now, he is Braver, the Captain of the Loki Familia.

Axton stared back, "I'd accept it with grace and humility. That doesn't mean I can't just so happen to enter the Dungeon an hour after you leave and coincidentally show up, now can I?" There was a little teasing in his words but Finn knew he was serious.

The dwarf snorted, "How did I guess that you would say something similar to that, laddy?"

"You know me too well," Axton said, still looking at Finn.

Riveria had something to say, "I will be the judge of that. Now explain how much you're afflicted."

Loki looked him over, "No weaseling your way out here, Prince, spill."

So he did, to his personal experiences. He's still not ready to fully talk about it, the wound is still too fresh. That week of time blurred together from his capture to his escape and to his time in the hospital. Axton was obviously uncomfortable yet still persisted through it. They deserved to know, as they were responsible for his well-being. "I'm okay with being touched if I know it's going to happen. Unexpected contact is a no-go."

He was pointedly looking off to the side, not wanting to see the looks of sympathy or pity that they probably had. When he glanced to the side, he saw none of those. Right now, he was facing three executives and a Goddess. Axton bristled at the change of posture, clenching his fists at his sides.

Riveria was the first to drop the serious posture. However, she stood up and marched in front of Axton and stared him down. She whispered in a soft voice that even Axton's newly level six sense had trouble picking up, "I'm going to hug you."

Then, the little boy was wrapped in a warm embrace which made him freeze for a split second before his hands hesitantly landed on her back. It felt so warm and motherly that it made the boy be reminded of the mother that he's fighting for. Tears pricked at his now shut eyes.

"Now go, mingle with the Familia if you're up for it. Most won't directly say it, but they missed you," Riveria pulled back before sending him toward the door.

Axton smiled as he shut the door, hearing Riveria say she wasn't a mother but because neither one of them was going to do anything.

He knew that his Familia would be there for him. Isn't that the point of one? To be there when they're needed?


Lefiya was studying in the library with Alicia Forestlight, a level four, and a fellow elf when she heard the commotion in the hallway. Her long flowing, slightly curly, blonde hair flowed down her back. Her green eyes carried an older sister's feeling. She's loved by the Familia because of this. However, she is loyal to Riveria and would probably do some dangerous things if someone ever peeped on her. "Hmm?"

"What is it, Miss Alicia?" Lefiya asked.

She turned to her junior elf, "It looks like the Prince has arrived." Lefiya paused in her studies, gaining a nervous look, which fired off Alicia's older sister instincts. "Is something wrong?"

"Nope, nothing!" Lefiya answered, burying herself nose-deep into her magic studies book. The Loki Familia library is expansive and has books dating back to over eight hundred years ago, unlike the former Zeus and Hera Familia's libraries that dated back the full one thousand and beyond years ago, which goes into the Age of Heroes before the Age of the Gods.

Alicia kinda figured it out, "You just are dying to see him right now, right? Well, now's your chance."

Lefiya shook her head, she decided to think about something else, like her training with Miss Filvis. That was actually helpful. She learned how to at least dodge while holding her chant. However, she still needs to learn how to attack and counter while chanting.

Magic casting is a difficult thing to comprehend if one knows little to nothing about magic. Sure it looks simple but this is a 'don't judge a book by its cover' thing. Filvis was kind to point out the small missteps that she was making.

While Filvis is an elven swordswoman, Lefiya is strictly a mage. So, in Filvis's case, she had to adapt to magic casting, hence why Concurrent Chanting is easy for her. Add on to the fact that her chants are shorter than most elven spells makes it far easier.

"I think he needs time," Lefiya finally said to Alicia's expecting look. "He…" she trailed off, not wanting to badmouth him per se…just didn't want to divulge too much. Most of the Familia is unaware of the true extent of damage and for good reason. "It's just not the right time."

Alicia scrutinized Lefiya—who was currently sweating bullets and fighting off a blush, marginally succeeding—before the elder elf dropped the look with a shrug, "Suit yourself, just don't be upset or jealous if he gets a girlfriend."

"What makes you think I'll be jealous or upset?!" Lefiya all but shouted. Alicia shot her a smug look that explained it all.

"Lower your voice for one," Alicia admonished the elf. "Second, I know that he isn't interested in someone, at least right now, maybe that's changed since the last expedition."

Letting out a sigh, Lefiya muttered to herself, "I hope he hasn't found someone yet…" because I want it to be me. Does that make me selfish?

As she gazed out the window, she saw the target for her hidden affections walk with a stride that she hadn't seen before. He looks…scared.

A small thoughtful frown appeared on her forehead, is there anything I can do for him? Does he even want to see me?


The Sword Prince greeted the Familia quickly before grabbing dinner and retired for the night. He can't handle so many people with inquisitive stares right now. Again, it's too fresh to even talk about much less think about.

He did actually want to thank Lefiya for before. It felt…nice to have her worry like that. He doesn't mean it in a bad way…it's just…no one worries for him like that except for Ais and the executives. They think that just because he's a first-class adventurer, that means he doesn't have problems. He decided that he would talk to her before the expedition. Maybe invite her out somewhere.

Somewhere in the Manor, that very elf got a small tingle in her spine.

So, when he went to sleep, he could only see that woman, Revis, laughing while she was beating on him. He woke up with a start and panted in his bed, the sheets themselves were soaked with sweat. Axton gripped his hair hard enough to feel the pain radiate through his skull. "It was only a dream…"

That's what he told himself, at least. The problem was it was his reality for a time. It's not something he wants to go back to.

In retrospect, that should be a major concern but he's treating it as a minor concern. It's not healthy and he knows it. The Prince turned towards his window, peeking through the curtain to see a full moon. The glow illuminated the sky, barely affecting Orario itself because it's a city that never sleeps. Sometimes, Axton wonders what he would be doing if he wasn't an adventurer.

Not that he'll ever leave Ais behind, no. It was just a thought. I'd be dead for a thousand years if not for that unexplained event…

A frown came to his face before he snapped out of it and watched with curious eyes as Ais snuck out. "She must be going to training with Bell…I'll join her soon."

Axton cleaned himself up, dropped his sheets off to the laundry room, and put fresh ones on for tomorrow night.

As he prepared himself, he reached for Requiem and felt his hand shake, more than previous. A frustrated sigh escaped him. "I need to be better than this."

Ignoring the twitch in his hand, he strapped Requiem to his belt and exited his room. He skipped breakfast because he owed Ais something and if she left in such a hurry, then she obviously would appreciate something to eat.

The young Wallenstein snuck out in a more convoluted manner than his elder sister. Meaning, he just walked out the front gate without a care in the world, telling the guards that he'll be back later. If asked, he wasn't planning on going near the Dungeon. Finn didn't exactly order him not to, but it was a heavily implied suggestion.

Walking the streets of Orario as the sun came up was a different experience entirely. Sure there were a bunch of people scattered about but it was quieter than before, obviously. People were just waking up and getting to their places of work. Some adventurers were milling about, having exited from their nightly run of the Dungeon. They all shared a nod from one adventurer to another. Small waves were included. Some even went for a handshake. Axton declined those, as per usual, but he avoided them even now.

Underneath those golden-onyx eyes was someone who was scarred, not that they knew. At this point, the sun was just about to peek over the horizon, so Axton made his first and only stop, a Jagamarukun stand. Ordering four of them, he left four hundred valis on the table, not caring about change. Scooping them all up, he walked with purpose towards the wall.

To his senses, he could hear the sounds of a scuffle and the grunts of exertion. Normally, that would be an alarm for Axton. However, if someone ever did something to Ais, they would conveniently go missing the next day, having 'died' in the Dungeon.

The scuffle was actually coming to an end as He reached the top of the stairs, just as Ais landed a roundhouse kick to her poor target's head. The target did a spin and landed on the concrete wall with a resounding thud.

"Taking it real easy on him I see?" Axton said as a greeting.

Ais, having heard and smelled the treats in his hand, looked conflicted. Her eyes traced Bell's unconscious form then the Jagamarukun in his hand.

"Him first, then these," Axton said. And so, the Sword Prince got to witness the Sword Princess give the boy a lap pillow. The most interesting thing was not the position she was in. It was the fact she was petting his hair like one would a rabbit, but she also had one of the softest smiles he's ever seen.

Axton flicked his eyes between his sister and the boy on her lap, wondering if this was really his sister. He shook his head and sat opposite of the pair. It was a wholesome scene, truthfully.

The trio sat in silence for ten minutes. The snacks were still warm as Bell woke up, dazed and confused. Axton decided to tease him, "Morning, sleeping prince." Ignoring the irony, "Comfy?"

Bell quickly realized what he was going and shot up from Ais's lap with the speed of a rabbit…

"S-Sorry!" He apologized. Ais pouted that he left. His hair was super soft and he looked so peaceful. Axton spectated with curious eyes before watching the gears start in his sister's brain.

"Here," Axton said, tossing a potato snack to his sister, which she caught. "Eat something, Bell."

The boy caught the snack, looking royally confused before seeing Sword Royalty snacking. They looked like two normal kids hanging out. Take away the weapons and armor and they would be just that. Kids.

Deciding to not break the moment, Bell ate the slightly hot snack with a satisfied smile.

Once they were done, Axton turned to Bell, "So, how was the first impression?"

"Well…"

Axton snorted, "She tried to explain something and did poses?" Ignoring the frown from said she, he nodded with a small wince. "Alright, go again, I want to see you fight like you're trying to make her surrender. From there, we'll go for an in-depth discussion, got it?"

"Okay," he said excitedly.

"Begin."

Ais was already ready and dashed towards Bell. Surprisingly, he dodged the initial strike. Desperate resided in the sheath since blunt strikes would hurt worse than being punctured by it.

Bell, to his credit, absorbed the blow in his armor and swung his knives in a cross strike. It was a good move…if it was for a monster.

Ais knocked away one of the knives, ignoring the other one in favor of kicking Bell in the stomach, sending him back, skidding on his feet.

His recovery time was exceptional. He launched himself at Ais. Axton frowned, his blows were wild, uncoordinated. It had the markings of a style that hasn't been refined enough yet.

Calling it a style though was kind of an insult. Axton had to call it as he saw it. This boy is by no means weak, to hell with what Bete said. Bell has the strength of someone who won't be stopped, even if there was an impenetrable wall placed in front of him.

Bell struggled to dodge a lot of his sister's hits. Resulting in Ais taking the initiative and pressing forward for attacks of her own. With Ariel, she's faster than almost everyone on a good day. Without it, a handful of people are faster. The rabbit didn't expect the speed and it just kicked in that he was quite possibly in over his head.

Axton believed that the determination he saw yesterday was only the beginning because wow…

...Bell kept getting knocked out all morning…

…and he kept getting back up, almost eagerly so…

Am I sure he's not a masochist? Axton grimaced at the thought and once Bell woke up once again, he started talking. "You'd do great against monsters on floor thirteen. However, against another adventurer, you'd struggle. You leave far too many openings and make over-exaggerated movements. I did notice you'd adapt after one was exposed and exploited. Adaptation is great for the purposes of this, you'll need to."

"Well…"

Axton cut him off, "I'm not done. Hand me the knife," Axton held a hand out and Bell put his knife in the Prince's hand. The runes on the knife faded, making Axton look curiously at it. When it was in Bell's hands, it probably felt like a proper knife.

When it was in Axton's hands, it felt like a paperweight. Curious.

Ignoring the question for now, he guided Bell how to properly strike at a person, like Ais. The disadvantage of a knife is the range it has but the advantage was that he could maneuver it in such ways to block off avenues of attack. "Mitigating some of your over-exaggerated movements can make you a better asset to yourself and your party. I noticed that you seem to be stiff on your feet. We'll need to loosen you up on that." Ais nodded at her brother's observation, she noticed it too.

Bell nodded with a serious expression as he was given his knife back. Once that happened, the runes lit up again in a faint purple. So the knife only works for him? Only one person is capable of making such a thing.

Ais spoke up, "You've done well for the first day. I'm impressed with your drive to improve."

Bell blushed under the praise and critique from Royalty and bowed to them, "Now, I got her to the Dungeon, my supporter is waiting for me! Until then!"

Bell brushed by the two siblings while Axton called out, "One of these days, when I'm…slightly more recovered, you and I will take a turn to tango. Unlike Ais who won't use magic, I will."

"But Axton, is that not allowed?" Ais questioned, attaching Desperate to her hip again, a bit upset that today's training was coming to an end.

"Correction, you don't allow yourself to use it. I can make modifications, remember?" He side-eyed her. She had a look that he sometimes has and sees in the mirror at night. Longing.

Longing for what was the key difference between them.

For as much as Sword Royalty is the same, they for sure are two different people. However, when they combine their resources and prowess, they are not to be messed with.

"Are you going to be alright?" Ais asked whilst looking at the rising sun.

He scoffed, admitting quietly to her, "I haven't been alright in almost eight years, since the dark days. This was only adding to it."

To both of the level sixes, they dealt with experiences that would make most people shy away in fear. This was just another one of those experiences. Ais wanted to add something but she felt it wouldn't be helpful. So, the silence stretched between the two as they continued to watch the sunrise of a new day.

Despite that, their combined focus was on Revis, the woman that bested both of them, injured both of them—in two different manners—and then taunted both of them with an objective.

"Ais…"

His voice sounded scattered like he was unsure of what he was going to say. She turned to her younger brother with a somewhat expectant and surprised look. Gold met Gold-Onyx.

"I need your help."

When she turned to him, she saw the tears. On an instinct she didn't know she had, she opened her arms and brought him into a hug. Her cheek rested on his head. She softly kissed his forehead and hummed, pleased with the contact. It's not often they share affection like this. Most of the Familia often wonder if they ever do.

He didn't tense, he didn't flinch. He just fell into her arms and started to ugly cry. For once, he really was the younger sibling again. He cried harder because he didn't know how much he missed this feeling. He clutched her like a baby to its favorite blanket.

Ais gained a soft smile, and that was because he was opening up with his inner turmoil, and she gently brought them to their knees so she could hug him better. I will always be here, getting stronger means nothing if I don't have my family with me. "Whatever you need, Axton, I will help to the best of my abilities."

"T-Thank you…" he sniffed, "Ais?"

"Hmm?"

"Can we stay here a bit longer? I'm-"

She shifted their position so she could give him a lap pillow, "Of course, rest as long as you need to. I will be here when you need me to be."

His tears still ran down his face as he stared up at his sister. He smiled—a true full genuine smile—and closed his eyes, "Thank you, big sis…"

"Anytime, baby bro." She looked up at the sky, running a hand through his hair. Slightly rougher than Bell's hair—by the smallest of margins—but she didn't mind. Not one bit. "Anytime."

The road to recovery was a long one, and all it took was one small step. That small step can grow into large strides when helped along. Ais vowed to help Axton wherever he needed her. She already knew that he would do the same.

Sword Royalty enjoyed the peaceful silence for a few hours longer. They knew no one would disturb them.

...

See? A nice sibling moment. Before that was the start of the training. There will be more, so all you raising your pitchforks and torches in the back just chill the hell out.

More will be coming. And I'll try to go in-depth with them, but don't expect greatness.

Also, it's been exactly a month since the last chapter...sorry. Delicate Balance held my attention as it is in a spot where I need to go through my docs with a fine-toothed comb and make sure I squeeze out every last important detail.

I'm aware that Axton seems inconsistent with his temporary phobia. It would be pretty repetitive if I said he tensed at every bit of contact. He does but it passes quickly. Contact with Ais, Riveria etc. is one thing. Ais is his sister, Riveria the mother figure. Loki the divine being.

Cruz and Raul, that was pure reflex, as he was still fresh off the mend, his mind needs to take a moment to catch up to the current day.

I think that's all I wanted to say for now, I suspect that a certain someone will bring something up in their review. Peers eyes into the review section...you know who you are...

Oh, this should be the last of the "of the Prince" chapter titles. It just made sense. His recovery is still progressing.

Until then everybody.