0713MM: Hey guys! I welcome you to the 49th chapter of The Silver Valkyrie! I do not own Black Clover, nor its characters, nor the OCs that are used in this chapter. The OCs used in this chapter belong to guardian of the aura Aurasoul and Warmachine375. Chapter start!^^
Chapter 49
"Ah, that food was delicious." Yuno smiled as he and Ren exited a diner in the Royal Capital of the Clover Kingdom they had gone for another date. (They've been dating for around a month now, due to how this 1 year training arc works.) "We even have desert from it for later when we finish training up at the Golden Dawn base."
"Good thing I bought some new tea leaves." She smiled, hugging Yuno's arm as they walked.
"Mm… Tea with our dessert will be quite nice.~" Yuno smiled. The 2 then hear a blipping sound. Where is the sound coming from you may wonder? From Ren's pocket. Yuno heard it and almost groaned out loud, but restrained himself.
"Who's calling you at a time like this?" He asked Ren. "If it's Asta or Noelle, then were they lying about revoking the rules on you?"
"Wait, what month is this?" She muttered half to herself and half to Yuno.
"I dunno." Yuno remarked. "Are we talking in general? Or for Noelle's pregnancy?"
"If it's for Noelle's pregnancy, she should be at 7 months." Bell spoke up as she flew out of Yuno's grimoire. "So with that mind, she won't be doing much of anything. Well, not doing anything that'd be deemed too strenuous for her body."
"Yeah. Now it makes sense." Ren hummed, picking up her communicator.
"Ren? That you?" Asta's voice came through via Ren's communicator. "If it is, hi!" He paused, then continued. "I'll get straight to the point of why I'm calling."
"And what would that point be, Asta?" Yuno asked his foster brother.
"Let me guess: It's time for Noelle to go to Elysia since she's close to her due date and you want to be prepared. Especially for the shit storm which is labor and the long list of swear words Noelle will be yelling at you when she's in labor." Ren replied knowingly. Asta opened his mouth in surprise and wanted to retaliate, but didn't. Though eventually he did reply to her, saying:
"That's….exactly what I was going to say." Asta answered. "The asking you if it would be alright to move Noelle to Elysia, I mean."
"Yeah, I thought as much. I'll be there in a bit and we can take her there." She replied.
"Thank you Ren." Asta smiled. "I'll be inside House Silva in my and Noelle's bedroom. As for Noelle, she's lying on the bed and sleeping."
"As she should. I'll be there soon." Ren replied.
"I thank you again, Ren." Asta remarked before hanging up. Afterwards, Yuno couldn't help but groan.
"Ugh…!" Yuno groaned loudly. "And I wanted to spend my time with you more."
"And you will." Ren replied, kissing Yuno. "I'll just be dropping Noelle and Asta off at Elysia and explain to Koji and our head healer. Once I do, I'll be back right before dinner and we'll have our dessert and tea all to ourselves in our room~" Yuno began to inwardly drool at the thought and he nodded at Ren's words.
"Alright~" He nodded. "Shall I return to the Golden Dawn base and wait for you to return?"
"Please do my star~" She purred, kissing his cheek.
"Good.~" Yuno smiled, kissing her back before flying off with their desserts in tow. Ren smiled softly before she blinked to hear gagging and looked down at Fay.
"Oh gods. I think I threw up a little in my mouth." Fay gagged. "You could just tell he was ready to drool."
"Oh hush." Ren chuckled, forming her wings. "Now come on, let's go."
"Alright, that's enough for now, take a breather." Koji watched with a deadpanned expression as the Diamond soldiers sluggishly returned to their huts before he sighed.
"You'd think I was torturing them for secrets." He sighed.
"They see it that way." Secre shrugged. "A shame, too. All you're doing is what's best for them. If they can't see it, that's their problem."
"It can't be helped. We're pressed for time, so I have to pound it into their brains. Which doesn't help that they never experienced this form of training and magic lessons before." Koji sighed. "Thankfully that Queen of theirs and those generals are quick learners."
"We have to be." Anna remarked as she, Evanora, Andreas, and Tantalus. "If we weren't able to adapt and learn fast, we wouldn't be very good protectors of the Diamond Kingdom, would we?"
"Mm…" Tantalus mused as he finished eating a sandwich. "That is true, Anna." Anna glanced over at Tantalus and nodded. Evanora snickered at Tantalus's antics, while Andreas just facepalmed and groaned.
"Hmm maybe." Koji hummed. "Although." Koji easily moved in speed right behind Anna with a smirk. "You could work on reflexes." He smirked, poking her side. Anna shrieked with a jump while Koji snickered.
"Hey!" Anna crossed her arms.
"You people are so easy-! Ack!" Koji pouted at Secre, rubbing his head as she deadpanned at him holding rolled up papers.
"No more of that." Secre told him firmly. "Riling them up is the opposite effect of what you want. If you want to be trained right and stay on our side for this upcoming battle, then no more riling them up. You hear me? Otherwise you'll be sleeping outside tonight."
"Yes ma'am." Koji sighed. Evanora and the generals blinked, looking between the 2.
"Wait a gosh darn second here." Anna glared.
"Wait…" Evanora began. "You 2 are dating? Since when?" Koji and Secre blinked looking at one another for a moment.
"I would say a few months now?" Koji guessed.
"Sounds accurate." Secre agreed.
"The heck?!" Anna gaped.
"Pfft!" Evanora laughed. "And I, nor Acier helped with this! I'm so happy!"
"Of course you're not questioning the how." Anna sweatdropped at Evanora.
"It's not like Secre and I are the most out there people." Koji shrugged. "We prefer our privacy and we stick with it."
"Indeed." Secre agreed. "Though it's not really a secret here in Elysia, but that's fine."
"And how did this fly over our heads?" Anna questioned.
"You never asked." Koji stated, making Anna gap.
"Oi!" Anna pouted. "Well whatever. We know now. So better to learn now rather than later. Or never."
"Exactly." Koji nodded, before sniffing, catching a familiar scent. "And it looks like we have some guests coming."
"Oh?" Evanora wondered aloud, before picking up powerful mana. "Ah. Ren's come back."
"Not just her, but it seems Asta and Noelle Silva are with her as well." Koji remarked, walking forward.
"The Heads of House Silva are here?" Evanora spoke. "Wonder why."
"We're about to find out." Koji replied. In a gust of wind, Ren flew down and lowered the cloud she had Asta and Noelle ride on.
"Hey chief." Koji smirked.
"Hello, my right hand." Ren grinned, hugging Koji. "Tired of being in charge?"
"More like tired of lackluster troops." Koji smirked. "So what's with the early visit?"
"Oh we just have a delivery." Ren replied, motioning to Asta and Noelle.
"You make it sound like me and Noelle are a package." Asta remarked.
"We call labor deliveries as well Asta." Ren stated.
"Oh." Asta blinked.
"Wait, you're having her give birth here?" Koji questioned in surprise. "Why? Something up with the healers at Clover?"
"More like they don't have experience with this one." Ren smiled. Koji raised an eyebrow then looked at Noelle who was being helped by Asta.
"... Twins?" He asked.
"Triplets." She answered.
"Oh boy, I do not envy you Asta." Koji deadpanned. "How thirsty were you?"
"Oi!" Asta pouted. "I didn't mean for it to happen! It just…happened!"
"A likely story." Evanora laughed.
"I can definitely see why you had them brought here." Koji hummed. "Gonna inform Gradielle?"
"She's the best healer of our tribe. Ergo, the best midwife for Noelle once she gives birth." Ren confirmed with a smile.
"Mimosa would like her, then." Noelle spoke up. "Since Mimosa herself plans to become a healer, too."
"Then she'd love to learn under her." Koji chuckled. "Gradielle is one of the older elves here and the top healer of our tribe. She has taught all our healers, including Alina and even the chief here herself. She's a lady you do not wanna cross."
"Duly noted." Asta remarked.
"Well on that note, best introduce you to her then." Ren smiled. "No doubt she's gonna be snippy with me because I practically set up her best student with someone."
"Mmm…" Noelle nodded. "Yup. You set Alina up with Captain William."
"Again, not intentionally." Ren pouted, making Koji and Fay snort as she glared at them. "I needed a healer that would be able to match William's stubbornness and more so. The fact she was his type was just an added bonus I didn't know was there."
"Unintentional or not, Captain William needed it." Asta chimed in.
"Oh believe me I know. I heard about his living situation before he became a Magic Knight." Ren scowled as she led. "And believe me, if I ever saw his family, they'll wish Damnatio had been their judge."
"If I recall right, his Mother was the main issue." Noelle recalled, frowning. "Either way, Captain William didn't deserve such harsh treatment. I suppose that's why he believed in Patri's vision so easily."
"I know, the poor boy." Ren sighed softly. "Another reason why I needed Alina to be his healer. While stubborn and firm, she has a gentleness to her that can heal both physically and emotionally."
"Hence why she's Gradielle's best pupil." Koji added.
"I know we're about to meet her, but what's Gradielle like?" Noelle asked, curiosity in her voice as they trekked through Elysia towards the central area of the tribe.
"Well as Koji said, Gradielle is one of the older elves of the tribe. She's served as healer for the last 2 tribe leaders before me." Ren explained. "She's quite stern with a no nonsense business attitude. Especially when involving her patients. But she is fair with a kind touch. And if you ever need advice she's the lady to go to."
"Oh don't forget her music touch. She's quite the musician." Koji added with a grin.
"Oh?" Noelle wondered aloud. "That's pretty interesting."
"Indeed. If she hadn't found her passion in healing, she would've been quite the musician of our tribe." Ren chuckled. "You should hear her flute playing. It's stunning."
"I'd like that at some point." Noelle smiled.
"Alright, here's the Infirmary." Ren hummed, stopping in front of a larger hut.
"Quite a big hut." Asta noted.
"This is the Infirmary for elves that are injured, sick, expecting, and so on. We take the health of our tribe members very seriously, so we constructed the infirmary to be larger in size for both patients, in case of large quantities, and to hold in supplies." Ren explained.
"Whoa…!" Noelle breathed before wincing due another kick. "That's amazing. It truly is."
"We're one big family in this tribe. We take care of our own and more." Koji shrugged, going for the front. "Gradielle! We got an expecting mother for you!"
"I could tell. Bring her in!" A middle aged woman's voice spoke out. Koji moved aside to allow Noelle and Asta to step inside. They saw some elf healers moving about while some elves laid on cots. Then they took notice of the one obviously in charge. In her appearance, she looked as if she could be someone in her 30s. Her long white hair was up in a bun wearing a blouse and long skirt in pure white with gray sandals. But it was her eyes that truly caught their attention. For her eyes were that of a rainbow like color.
"Oh…!" Noelle whispered.
"I can see why she's in charge of the infirmary." Asta whispered to Noelle. "Her ki is giving off a leadership role all over."
"Gradielle." Ren smiled, walking to the older elf.
"Ren, welcome home. Though I can tell this is a short visit." Gradielle noted with a light smile, hugging Ren back.
"Yes. For you see, I am hoping for your assistance." Ren replied, motioning to Asta and Noelle. "This is Asta and Noelle Silva, the current heads of the Royal Silva House in the Clover Kingdom. And as you can see, Noelle here is expecting."
"So I see." Gradielle remarked, taking a good look at Noelle. "Triplets?"
"Yes. I figured you'd be the best person to help her once the labor sets in." Ren nodded.
"That is fair. I do believe that the Clover Kingdom hasn't experienced triplet labor yet. A rare twin labor maybe, but I highly doubt a triplet labor." Gradielle remarked. "How far along is she?"
"She's in her 7th month." Ren informed her.
"And I should dare hope she hasn't been working." Gradielle glared. "Carrying triplets, especially for new mothers, is extremely delicate work and progress. She shouldn't be doing anything that would be too strenuous for both her and the babies. For they will be requiring her for their nourishment and safety until they're born." Asta sheepishly chuckled while Noelle began to whistle, as if either ignoring/not hearing what Gradielle said.
"Oh ho! You'll want to hear this Gradielle!" Ren scoffed with a smirk. Noelle turned to look at Ren and gave her the "Don't you dare!" glare.
"What?" Gradielle demanded with a scowl. Ren went up to Gradielle, whispering in her ear. Once she finished, Gradielle gave Noelle such a look.
"Young lady." Gradielle began.
"Oh there she goes." Koji moved back.
"I'm out." Fay said, going into the grimoire.
"Yes?" Noelle asked.
"Do you have any respect for your life?!" Gradielle yelled, making Noelle squeak. "For the love of the gods, you passed out how many times, and you still believed you could continue working?! Are you out of your mind?! No person in the right mind would've or should've let you work, especially in your condition and state! Yet you still thought it was a good idea to work!? Do not think for one second that will be allowed here under my roof! Not for one second!" Gradielle glared at Asta who yelped. "And you should've made her stay in bed instead of working, young man! Especially since you are her husband!" She scolded. "Honestly I do not know what in the world those fools in the Clover Kingdom were thinking! Oh they weren't because the majority of them were fools who only gave a damn for status and wealth! They are very, very lucky I do not live over there myself! Otherwise hell hath no fury like a healer who will get her point across no matter how pig headed those morons are! Now you are to stay in bed for the remainder of the day while I examine you and I better not find you sneaking about! Am I clear?!" Both Asta and Noelle had shrunk down to the floor and were shaking in fear. Neither of them dared to answer.
"I said, am I clear?!" Gradielle scowled.
"Y-Yes m-ma'am!" Both Asta and Noelle yelped, fear still written on their faces.
"Good. Now bed!" Gradielle snapped. Asta and Noelle's fear changed to slight confusion.
"Uhh…" Asta began, uncertain. "Wouldn't me and Noelle be in one of the guest huts?"
"That is tomorrow. But today I need to give her a physical, check the progress of the babies, get an examination, and she is to rest for the rest of the day so I can monitor her." Gradielle listed.
"Oh." Asta spoke. "In that case, should I stay here for the night with Noelle?"
"If you like. So long as you don't become a distraction." Gradielle stated.
"I won't be." Asta replied.
"Then that's fine. As for the rest of you." Gradielle looked at Koji and Ren. "Out. All of you. I know you have better things to do than being here. Now scram!"
She's intimidating! Both Asta and Noelle thought.
"Yes ma'am." Ren and Koji replied, leaving the Infirmary completely unfazed. Asta and Noelle watched Ren and Koji leave the infirmary in awe.
"How….. Whaaa….?!" Both young Heads of House Silva sputtered out, uncertain what to make of what they just saw.
"Alright. Now bed." Gradielle spoke. Noelle got up from the floor, with Asta's help, turned to look at Gradielle and nodded.
"Alright." She retorted. "Lead the way, then."
"Hahaha! Gradielle sure is gonna have her hands full with those 2." Koji laughed, as he and Ren walked.
"Well this will make Noelle learn her lesson." Ren scoffed.
"What lesson?" The Diamond Kingdom Queen asked, since she took notice of the 2 first.
"To work when she's pregnant with triplets." Ren deadpanned, making Koji laugh. Evanora took the information in, then sweatdropped and put a hand to her face.
"Honestly…!" Evanora groaned. "The House Silva stubbornness courses through Noelle's veins for sure alright."
"Yeah, and it's been driving me crazy since I've been in Clover." Ren deadpanned.
"Oh wow." Evanora remarked before she snickered. "Have fun with Asta and Noelle's kids then. When they're born, I mean."
"Don't start with me." Ren scowled.
"Well at any rate, you should head back to Clover." Koji smirked. "Don't worry, those 2 will be fine here."
"Thanks." Ren nodded. "And keep a close eye on Noelle. She's a sneaky little thing when she wants to be."
"I'll keep an eye on her." Evanora nodded. "I mean, I have to keep an eye on my 3 girls. Adding the youngest Silva child to my list shouldn't be that bad."
"I appreciate it." Ren nodded, letting her wings form. "Well, I'll be off then."
"Back to Yuno, I imagine?" Evanora grinned knowingly.
"Why yes I am." Ren smirked, making Fay groan loudly.
"So when's the wedding?" Koji smirked.
"Quiet you." Ren scoffed. "See ya." Ren then took to the skies and flew off.
"And there she goes." Koji hummed.
"Mmhmm." Evanora agreed.
"Well, better get back to work." Koji stretched. "Oi! Break time's over! Time to get up!" At once, all the Diamond Kingdom soldiers got up from their breaktime spots and prepared to continue training.
Ren flew like a star, easily reaching the Clover Kingdom and to the Golden Dawn base before elegantly landing at the courtyard with a hum. Mimosa looked up from the book she was reading on one of the courtyard's benches and smiled at Ren.
"Hello Ren!" The youngest House Vermillion child greeted Ren.
"Mimosa." Ren smiled. "Am I late for dinner?"
"When did you and Yuno leave from your date's location and how long were you gone after that point?" Mimosa asked.
"I say around late noon since we had gone for a lunch date. And I say about less than 30 minutes." Ren hummed.
"Then no, you haven't missed dinner." Mimosa smiled, putting her book down.
"Ah excellent." Ren smiled. "And where is everyone else?"
"Inside." Mimosa answered with a hum.
"Well in that case, I'll leave you to your reading." Ren replied. Mimosa shook her head at Ren's words.
"I'm done reading for the day." Mimosa replied. "Besides, I have something else I need to do anyway."
"Oh? What's that?" Ren asked curiously. Mimosa opened her mouth to say something, but she closed it. Though at the same time, didn't want Ren to think she was hiding some big secret, she decided to spill.
"Umm… Mind sitting down with me for a bit?" Mimosa asked Ren. The Elf Tribe leader raised an eyebrow curiously, but nodded and sat down next to Mimosa. Mimosa fell silent again, then picked the book up she was reading and showed it to Ren.
"Well…for one, this book is something I found in the library of my House." Mimosa spoke up. "It's…well, about curses and how to deal with them. Since I've been cursed, I've been reading this book to see if any of the solutions it offers can help me."
"I see. That makes sense." Ren nodded.
"So far, the only solution I found interesting is being sent into another dimension." Mimosa remarked.
"Another dimension?" Ren blinked.
"Mmhmm." Mimosa nodded before frowning. "But I'm not sure how I'd be able to manage that."
"The only close thing to that is going to the Glamor World." Ren hummed. Mimosa looked up at Ren, surprised, yet also thoughtful.
"Captain Dorothy's Dream Magic: Glamor World?" Mimosa wondered aloud. "Yeah, that could work." She frowned before continuing. "But due to how it works, if I fall asleep in there, I'd be asleep forever."
"That depends on the user." Ren replied. "The effects of the Glamor World, including stability and the environment there varies on the user who controls the world with their magic. Meaning so long as Dorothy wills it, you won't sleep there forever." At that, Mimosa sighed in relief.
"Oh. That's good." Mimosa smiled softly. She then nervously laughed. "Eheh… This is probably silly of me, but I'd like you to stay here a bit longer. I want to call Captain Dorothy, but I don't want to do it alone."
"No problem." Ren smiled with a nod.
"Thank you Ren." Mimosa smiled as she called up the Captain of the Coral Peacocks.
"Hello…?" A groggy Dorothy Unsworth answered the call, signifying that she just woke up. "What is it? Who's calling?"
"It's Mimosa and Ren, Dorothy." Ren spoke. As soon as Ren spoke, Dorothy got up from bed and sat up straight, now wide awake.
"Hello!~" Dorothy greeted cheerfully. "What can I do for you 2?"
"We need a favor." Ren replied.
"Sure thing!~" Dorothy replied. "What's the favor, if you don't mind me asking."
"Go on, Mim." Ren nudged Mimosa. Mimosa looked over at Ren, then back at the hologram of Captain Dorothy.
"U-Umm…" Mimosa began. "Well, you see Captain Dorothy… I umm….got cursed went I tried to save Yuno from Vanica Zogratis. The Devil she's contracted to is Me-" But before she could finish saying the name of the Devil, the curse on her abdomen flared up and it caused her to cry out in pain. "Ahhhhh!"
"Shit!" Ren hissed. "So she placed that countermeasure on your curse, too." Dorothy frowned sadly at what she was witnessing. Eventually, the pain on Mimosa subsided and breathed heavily.
"Oh dear…" Dorothy murmured. "It's worse than I thought, too… Alright, I'll help Mim Mim out. And yes, my Glamor World spell can weaken, and eventually erase, curses from one's body. Though it'll take quite some time. Perhaps Queen Lolopechka should also be a part of these sessions that Mimosa will be doing as well."
"That would be wonderful." Ren nodded.
"Mmhmm!~" Dorothy smiled. "Though it'd be best for you to warn her that I'll be entering her dreams from now on to help her get the curse placed on her removed. Though as I said, it'll take quite some time."
"Of course. I'll send a message to her right away." Ren nodded.
"Great!" The Coral Peacocks Captain grinned. "Is there anything else you 2 need?"
"No, that should be all. Thank you again Dorothy." Ren replied.
"You are most welcome!~" The cheerful purplette Captain smiled. "Bye for now!~" She then hung up. Ren set down the communicator and rubbed Mimosa's back.
"How are you feeling, Mim?" Ren asked. Mimosa looked up at Ren, her body occasionally shaking.
"I….I'm not sure." Mimosa admitted. "I want to say that I feel partially sick now. But at the same time, I don't. It's weird."
"That's a countermeasure the devil placed on your curse." Ren frowned. "She places it as a warning so no one will know her identity and try to find her to break the curses she places on her victims. It's like a brand of hers. I should've known that she would've done it to your curse too, even when I could say her name. That was irresponsible of me. I'm sorry Mimosa." Mimosa blinked at Ren's apology, but simply went and laid her head on Ren's lap.
"It's alright Ren." Mimosa told her. "It's not your fault that this happened to me."
"And neither is it yours before you try saying it was." Ren frowned, stroking Mimosa's hair. "That includes Yuno's mark too. I know you feel bad about not being able to help Yuno against Vanica, but that was completely out of your control. You both should be glad you made it our alive. That's something to be grateful for, believe me."
"What do you mean?" Mimosa asked curiously.
"I've had my fair share of battles with Vanica and seen her carnage." Ren frowned darkly, continuing to stroke Mimosa's hair. "She only enjoys fighting with a short attention span for anyone weaker than her. She would kill the ones she deems as weak and leave alone those she found enjoyable to fight. In her mind, if she does that, they would become stronger in order to beat her. She relishes in that in order to fight more and more. Even using her own disciples as her toys and allows Megicula to experiment on them with her Curse-Warding Magic. And I have seen the end results of those, and believe me, you wouldn't want to see the end of that outcome." Mimosa shivered at the mere thought.
"Y-Yeah… I probably wouldn't…" Mimosa spoke softly. "A-And you're right in what you said earlier….. Vanica saw me, Klaus, and Letoile as weaklings. Well, me and Klaus in particular. Not sure about Letoile. A-And well….she deemed Yuno a "worthy opponent"." Ren lowly growled at hearing this.
"No doubt she knew his heritage and sensed his mana. That's why she thought that." Ren growled. "She's lucky I wasn't there for daring to lay a finger on my star. And what she allowed Megicula to do to you is just as unacceptable." While Mimosa had took in the other things Ren said, her mind fixated on what Ren called Yuno.
"Yuno's your star?" Mimosa asked. "Is that a nickname you decided to give him because you 2 are dating?" Ren blinked, realizing what she just said and scratched her cheek that was slowly turning pink.
"Er uh yeah. You can say that." She admitted. The vermillionette girl just giggled.
"That's an adorable nickname to give Yuno.~" Mimosa smiled. "Especially since it's coming from you.~"
"Well he calls me his goddess and angel. I figured this was fair." Ren shrugged with pink cheeks.
"Aww~" Mimosa giggled. "So adorable."
"Oh hush." Ren scoffed, lightly poking Mimosa's forehead. Mimosa giggled a bit longer before stopping, a light smile present on her face as she let Ren continue to stroke her hair.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't help it." Mimosa told her. "But I'm done teasing now." She looked up at Ren. "And thank you."
"It was no problem." Ren assured with a smile of her own.
"Ah, there you are Ren." Ren looked up and smiled to see her star walking up to her and Mimosa.
"Here I am." She agreed with a giggle.
"I was wondering where you were." Yuno remarked. "I knew you went back to your tribe temporarily, but I didn't know how long you'd be gone. It's good that I found you out here." He looked down at Mimosa, who nervously waved up at him.
"If you want me to leave so that you 2 can be alone, I can." Mimosa told Yuno, nervousness still in her voice as she spoke.
"Huh? You're fine, Mimosa." Ren blinked, surprised.
"W-Well…" Mimosa began. "It's Yuno, you know. He umm…..prefers to be alone with you. R-Right Yuno?" Yuno looked at Ren, then down at Mimosa, then back up at Ren.
"Heh…" Yuno laughed lightly, a small smile on his lips. "While that is true Mimosa, I don't mind you staying out here with me and Ren. Besides, I can tell that you'd prefer Ren to not leave you right now."
"He was only that cranky about it because of Asta and Noelle's rule with me at the time. It was driving him up the wall and back." Ren said with a teasing smile.
"Humph." Yuno's smile vanished and he grunted in response. "Well, there rules were incredibly stupid. What were they even thinking in the first place?"
"Oh leave them alone Yuno. They're going through a lot. Not to mention dealing with those worthless shit heads in the parliament." Ren added in a low growl.
"...Okay, fair." Yuno remarked. "Then again, I suppose their rules weren't all bad. It's not like they kept you locked up in House Silva all day and night."
"Of course. Otherwise I wouldn't be doing my job and teaching your squad, even they knew that." Ren stated.
"Right." Yuno nodded.
"And I suggest that you apologize to them when you see them again, Yuno." Mimosa told her squadmate. "After all, they made a mistake."
"I'm with Mimosa on that one Yuno." Ren agreed. "You should be kinder to them. Especially when they had been under a great deal of stress as well. The least I could do was lighten the workload for them."
"True." Yuno agreed. "Though I'm not sure if they appreciated that or not." He paused, then shrugged. "I'll just say that they did appreciate it and move on. No reason to make a big fuss over it now. Especially when they're now in Elysia." He put a hand to chin. "Now that makes me wonder a few more questions. 1.) Who will be temporarily in charge of House Silva until Asta and Noelle's return? 2.) How long will Asta and Noelle be staying in Elysia? And 3.) When do we get to go to Elysia?"
"1.) Technically Nozel since he is the oldest. I'll assist him in paperwork with Courtney so he doesn't get swamped with both family and squad work. 2.) Since she's in her 7th month, Noelle will most likely give birth in another month or 2. Then once the babies are born, they'll be monitored for a few months just to make sure they're fine. And such I say 2-3 months at best that'll be when they come back. 3)-?" Ren blinked. "Why do you want to go to Elysia?"
"Why?" Yuno repeated as he sat next to Ren. "I'll tell you why. Because I want to see it. I want to see where you grew up."
"Eh?" Ren blinked, surprised.
"Is that okay?" Yuno asked.
"O-Oh! Y-yeah absolutely!" Ren quickly said, flustered. "It just… Caught me off guard."
"Sorry." Yuno retorted. "I didn't mean to catch you off guard like that." Ren smiled softly, stroking Yuno's cheek.
"I meant it in a good way, my star. Plus you've been doing it since we met." She smiled. "Don't see any reason to stop now."
"Oh!" Yuno gaped in realization before smiling. "That's good." Ren smiled happily, kissing Yuno's cheek.
"Better warn you though. I'm pretty sure the entire tribe knows about us. And they'll be dying to meet the human who captured their chief's heart." She teased.
"Heh… I'll take that risk." Yuno smirked.
"Oh prepare to eat your words my star~" Ren teased with a giggle.
"Oh, I am.~" Yuno grinned, kissing Ren's cheek. Ren giggled, her face flustered pink as she nuzzled Yuno. Meanwhile, Mimosa was still here, laying her head on Ren's lap. She would have said something to let the 2 know that she was still here, but she opted not to.
It's best that I don't ruin their moment. Mimosa thought. It'd be unfair to them, after all.
"Mm…~" Yuno hummed as he nuzzled Ren back. "Want me to go get our dessert from our lunch date earlier?"
"We still have dinner." Ren reminded him. "Wouldn't want to ruin our appetites." Yuno just made a pouting noise in response.
"But we still have time before dinner though." Yuno countered.
"My dear star, don't you want to curl up together in our room to share our dessert and tea after dinner? All to ourselves~?" Ren purred. Yuno blinked, then he laughed lightly.
"Ah, true." He smiled. "I'd like that a lot.~"
"Perfect." Ren smiled.
"U-Umm…" Mimosa spoke up, albeit softly. "I umm…. I'm still here, you know." The 2 blinked and looked down at Mimosa, who sheepishly waved.
"Oh! I am so sorry Mim." Ren apologized.
"It's okay Ren." Mimosa smiled softly. "I should have just left when I brought it up." Yuno shook his head, surprising his squadmate and friend.
"You're my friend, Mimosa." Yuno told her. "I know I don't always act like it, but you are. If I wanted you to leave, I would have said something. Besides," He gestures to Mimosa and her laying her head on Ren's lap. "it's clear that you need someone to be with you right now. In fact, I should have been more considerate."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Mimosa asked him. Yuno looked down at Mimosa, a form of uncertainty written on his face.
"I….I should have been there for you." Yuno answered. "I should have been a form of emotional support for you after you got cursed by Megicula. But instead, I neglected to help you and only focused on my training to become stronger. To that end, I wasn't a very good friend to you."
And this is my turn to be silent. Ren thought, watching the 2.
"Yuno…" Mimosa spoke softly. "It's okay. I should have asked for it."
"But I should have done something, considering that you were in pain." Yuno countered. "And I didn't. I'm really sorry Mimosa." Mimosa shook her head lightly and raised her right hand up, to which Yuno placed his hand on top of hers.
"As I said before, it's okay Yuno." Mimosa told her squadmate. "We've all been under stress these last several months. I'm not mad at you. And you shouldn't blame yourself for the pain I'm going through now. Me getting cursed wasn't your fault. So please, don't paint it as your fault. I got captured and cursed because I chose to try and save you from being captured. Me being captured right along with you was just an unfortunate circumstance." She smiled softly before continuing. "But if you're willing to, you can make up for it now." She paused, then added. "Speaking of, what did you 2 get for dessert during your lunch date earlier?"
"Oh, we got this lovely dark chocolate cake that they said goes really well with tea." Ren replied.
"Ooh!" Mimosa smiled. "Would it… Would it be okay if I had a slice of that after dinner? If not, that's alright."
"Oh sure; we brought plenty. Mostly because Yuno-!" Yuno was quick to cover Ren's mouth before she could finish.
"Don't finish that sentence Ren." Yuno warned her lightly. Mimosa just giggled at the 2's antics.
"Oh?" Ren smirked, removing Yuno's hand. "What are you gonna do about it?"
"Pin you to the bed in my room.~" Yuno grinned, almost seductively. Ren purred with chills down her spine.
"Promise~?" She teased.
"Promise~" Yuno grinned. Bell and Fay loudly groaned at their masters.
"And there they go again…" Bell groaned.
"Aaaah! I don't need to hear this…!" Fay groaned.
"Back into the grimoires?" Bell asked.
"Indeed." Fay agreed. Soon thereafter, the 2 spirits went back into their Masters's grimoires.
"At any rate, we have plenty to share with you Mim." Ren smiled.
"I'm happy to hear it." Mimosa smiled. "So, what now? Is it more training time? Or are we saving that for tomorrow?"
"Well it's almost dinner and I would rather not have everyone collapse again. So we can hold it off for tomorrow." Ren hummed.
"Mm… Yeah, that's fair." Mimosa hummed in agreement.
"Hey Mimosa, it's just about dinner-!" David was coming out, calling for Mimosa when he saw Ren and Yuno. "It's the angry goddess! Everyone run!" Yuno just rolled his eyes in slight irritation at David's words while Mimosa just laughed in amusement at such a statement. But at the same time, she wondered what time it was.
"Hey David," Mimosa began. "how long have I been out here?"
"A good hour." David began.
"One time. And you guys are never letting me live it down!" Ren scoffed.
"Nope!" David grinned.
"Well if I've been out here for an hour, then we still have 4 or so hours before dinner, right?" Mimosa asked, a light smile on her face.
"Yeah. But I figured I'd save you from the lovey dovey couple over there that should just hurry up and get married already." David grinned.
"Don't make me sick a Seraph Knight on you David." Ren deadpanned. David yelped and ran back inside the Golden Dawn base. Mimosa just giggled at his antics.
"Oh David." She laughed. "I don't need saving from the lovey dovey couple.~"
"Are you sure you're ok? I mean I know mine and Yuno's flirting can be a bit much." Ren replied.
"I know." Mimosa replied. "But I don't mind. As silly as this may sound, you 2 flirting…well, it kind of helps me feel better right now."
"How so?" Yuno asked curiously. "I thought you'd start gagging like Langris and Alecdora." Mimosa just deadpanned up at Yuno in disbelief.
"Well for one, I'm not those 2." Mimosa retorted. "And second, considering what I'm going through right now, I can't help but feel soothness whenever you 2 are all lovey dovey and I'm around. It, in a strange way, helps me remember that I'm loved, too." The 2 blinked, looking at one another; surprised by Mimosa's explanation. Mimosa, realizing what she just said, looked between the 2.
"What? It's true." Mimosa added.
"I suppose we're just used to the gagging, or people getting flustered by us." Ren remarked.
"Mmhmm." Yuno hummed in agreement at Ren's statement. "But if you really see it that way, Mimosa, then that's fine by me." He paused, then added. "Like I said earlier, I see you as my friend. As such, I'd like for you to be comfortable. Or even if you want to tell me anything, you can. That includes anything about your curse and if you just need someone to ease the pain from it in any way, shape, or form." He blinked as he noticed that Mimosa was beginning to cry. "Uhh… Did I say something wrong?"
"Oh Mim." Ren cooed softly, wiping her tears.
"I'm sorry…" Mimosa spoke softly. "I just…..couldn't help it…"
"It's ok. No need to apologize." Ren assured her gently.
"Is it really okay?" Mimosa asked.
"It is." Ren smiled. Mimosa raised her head up from Ren's lap and looked at the 2.
"Well…. May I….?" Mimosa asked softly. Luckily for her, Yuno understood what she was trying to ask.
"You want a hug from us?" Yuno asked her, to which Mimosa nodded silently.
"I don't mind." Ren smiled.
"Neither do I." Yuno nodded. The 2 opened their arms out to Mimosa and she went in as they hugged her.
"Thank you…" Mimosa spoke softly. "I…I greatly appreciate this…"
"You're welcome Mimosa." Yuno told her.
"Take as much time as you need." Ren said. Instead of saying anything, Mimosa just hugged the 2 tighter. Tears began to trickle down her cheeks and onto their shirts.
"I'm sorry…" Mimosa murmured. "I hope that once I go and see Captain Dorothy once a day, the pain from the curse should begin to gradually decrease. But until then, I… I'm in so much pain and stress…"
"Then we'll help you ease it anyway we can." Ren assured her.
"Of course." Yuno nodded in agreement.
"Thank you Ren, Yuno…" Mimosa whispered.
"Alright, lay back down Noelle."
"Please tell me we're going to be done soon!" Noelle pouted, lying back down on her cot when Gradielle told her to. While Gradielle was making notes on a clipboard, sitting next to the cot Noelle was lying on.
"This all could have been avoided if you hadn't been working." Gradielle stated, not looking up from her notes.
"Ugh…!" Noelle groaned. "What was I supposed to do? Let Ren do everything around the house while I just sit and do nothing?"
"And what's your husband, chopped liver? Or was he just too lazy to do anything?" Gradielle deadpanned, still not looking up while Asta gaped. "And you're not doing nothing when you. Are. Resting. As you should be, you reckless endangerment to your health."
"Hey!" Noelle pouted again. "And yes, Asta has been doing the work."
"Then you shouldn't have been acting like a stubborn mule when it's him and Ren working and not you." Gradielle stated. Noelle sighed and closed her eyes for a few seconds, then opened them again.
"You know that my family is just filled with stubborn people." Noelle remarked. "Asta and I are no exceptions to that statement."
"Hence just backing up my 'reckless endangerment to your health' statement." Gradielle stated.
"Well I won't be working on anything for the next…what? 4 months?" Noelle wondered aloud. "Although, at least I can still get training from Raguel while I'm asleep."
"Hey Gradielle." Asta spoke up. "I probably asked this earlier, but could you tell me what these examinations you're doing on Noelle are?"
"Just common physical and look overs for herself and the babies to make sure they're both healthy. And the process is going smoothly." Gradielle stated.
"That's good." Asta smiled lightly. Though his smile vanished as he looked back over at Noelle and saw her wince. "Are you okay Noelle?"
"Yeah… Just another kick is all." Noelle replied. "A bit harder compared to the last several times though."
"No surprise they are active. And by the looks of it, they have their papa's insane strength." Gradielle remarked. Asta chuckled awkwardly while Noelle playfully glared at Asta. Though not long another couple of kicks, making Noelle wince again, she couldn't help but laugh lightly at Gradielle's remark about the babies having Asta's insane strength. She looked over at Asta and mouthed "She's not wrong there.".
"With how things are going, you'll be able to give birth by next month or early 9th month." Gradielle remarked. "Depending if they also inherited your impatience."
"Hey!" Noelle pouted.
"Wait." Asta spoke up. "Doesn't a woman's pregnancy usually last 9 months?"
"That's just a natural estimate. In most cases, women can go into labor a month early. Especially those with twins and triplets." Gradielle stated, finishing her notes. "It's one thing creating one living baby in a person, 2 is pushing it. But if you're doing 3 all at once, it's only a matter of time before you're ready to hurry up and pop."
"Is it possible that I'll be able to last until month 9?" Noelle asked Gradielle.
"You could, but the chances of that are slim." Gradielle replied.
"Oh." Noelle spoke, rubbing her enlarged belly with her left hand, while holding Asta's hand with her right hand. Despite her short response, her lips bore a light smile. "Somehow, I expected that answer. Which is alright."
"I should say so." Gradielle smiled. "Now you should be all clear. Just need to rest as I said before."
"Right." Noelle nodded. "Speaking of which, will I rest here in the infirmary? Or will I get to rest in one of the guest huts? Should one be available, that is."
"No, you can stay in one of the guest houses. No need for an overnight stay here." Gradielle assured.
"Okay, great!" Noelle smiled brightly. "Thank you!"
"Speaking of which," Asta chimed in. "is one of the guest huts across from the infirmary available?"
"I think someone is living in that one." Noelle noted. "Though I believe it's only one person and no one else."
"That's right." Gradielle confirmed. "And before you ask who, I'll answer that unasked question: It's Shirley Silva. Such a nice lady." Noelle opened her mouth in complete surprise by that revelation. Asta looked at Noelle, then back at Gradielle. Noelle on the other hand, was overtaken by shock by what Gradielle just told her. She was, for a lack of a better term, at a loss for words at the given moment.
"I take it you know her?" Gradielle asked with a knowing smile.
"You do Noelle?" Asta blinked.
"Of course I do." Noelle gaped. "Shirley Silva is my Grandma." Asta blinked for a few moments.
"...EHHHHH?!"
"It's true." Noelle answered, ultimately unfazed by the loudness of Asta's voice in regards to his surprised reaction. "And I remember now. Mother and my siblings, along with myself, helped Grandma move here after she retired. Or rather, wanted an official retirement home. That was roughly 10 years ago." She paused, then added. "I wonder if my Grandma would be okay if me and Asta lived in her place here temporarily." She turned to face Gradielle. "Do you think that'd be alright?"
"Hmm…" Gradielle mused before she lightly shrugged. "I don't see why not. Though that's not up to me, but Shirley herself."
"I know." Noelle replied. "And don't worry, we will knock."
"Good." Gradielle nodded. "Oh, and you're all set for the day, Noelle."
"Thank you." Noelle nodded.
After another couple hours at the infirmary (Mainly due to Noelle trying to move out of the bed on her own, only for her to get a pain in her back and having to be put back in the bed for awhile before she could leave.), Asta and Noelle made it to one of the huts across from the infirmary. Asta rang the doorbell for the hut. While he and Noelle waited for an answer, Asta turned to face Noelle.
"Are you okay?" He asked her.
"Hmm?" Noelle turned to look at Asta before she lightly chuckled. "Oh. Yeah, I'm okay. A tad nervous though."
"Nervous?" Asta repeated, to which Noelle nodded.
"Yeah." She replied. "I haven't seen my Grandma for roughly 10 years. I….I don't know what she'll think of us being…well, together."
"Wait, if I remember right, she's the one that came to visit when you turned 10 years old, right?" Asta asked. Noelle blinked at Asta's question before she laughed lightly.
"Haha. Yes, that's right Asta." Noelle smiled. "I'm a bit surprised you remembered."
"I only remember because she always wore her hair down and she was wearing a headband." Asta replied. Just as Asta finished talking, the door opened to reveal a woman with her silvery grey hair, wearing a headband in her hair, the clothes she is wearing is that of a blue colored nightgown. Surprisingly, the woman didn't have any wrinkles in her skin, though bore some stress lines on her forehead. Her pink eyes bore a light within them; her lips curved into a light smile as well.
"Ah, Noelle dear!" The elderly woman smiled. "Welcome! Please come in, both of you!" Asta looked at Noelle, who smiled lightly, allowing her Grandmother to lead both her and Asta inside the hut. Once the 2 were inside, Noelle's Grandmother led the 2 to the living room area.
"Do you 2 want anything?" She asked them.
"Some ice cream would be nice." Noelle smiled. "Thank you Grandma Shirley." Shirley nodded at Noelle's request, then headed into the kitchen to get a bowl for her to scoop the ice cream into.
"Normally I wouldn't question your requests dear, but why ice cream?" Shirley asked her granddaughter.
"Call it a craving." Noelle hummed. This reply got Shirley to stop what she was doing and look into the living room.
"A craving?" Shirley repeated. "You only get that if you have a sweet tooth, which I know you do, or-" She stopped, remembering seeing a ring on Noelle's left hand's ring finger. She looked over at Asta next and she saw a ring on his left ring finger, too. Shirley smiled, lightly chuckling. "Ah. I see Acier dear's matchmaking has come through. Now normally I'm against arranged marriages. But from what Acier has told me whenever she called, she said that you love each other. So in that case, I'll give arranged marriages an exception." She paused, then continued. "But back to my earlier statement. You only get a craving if you have a sweet tooth or if you're a pregnant woman. Which I can tell that you are." She gestured to Noelle's swollen stomach, which made her youngest grandchild blush lightly.
"Yes I am." Noelle answered.
"How far along?" Shirley couldn't help but ask.
"7 and a half months now." Noelle answered. She paused, looked over at Asta, who nodded, then she turned back to her Grandmother. "Ah Grandmother. This may be rude of me and Asta to ask this of you, but would it be okay if we stayed here at your place until…you know." Shirley took in what Noelle was saying and she nodded.
"But of course!" Shirley smiled brightly. "After all, I'm quite happy to be alive. Especially considering that it means I get to see my great-grandchildren.~"
"Grandma!" Noelle groaned. Asta sheepishly laughed while Shirley smiled.
"I'm sorry Noelle dear. I couldn't help it." She chuckled. "Now then, since you and Asta dear are going to be parents soon, I'll give you some tips." She paused, then added. "Well to be more accurate, more to tell you about how children gain their magic attributes. This, whether you believe it or not, is important."
"I know there are 2 ways that a kid gains their magic attribute." Asta recalled from what Acier told him one time. "One method is through their personality. And the other is through the parents themselves."
"Very good Asta dear." Shirley smiled, impressed. "Now I have to bring something connected to that up."
"What's that Grandma?" Noelle asked as Shirley gave Noelle her bowl of ice cream, and gave Asta a box of cookies, to which he happily opened and began to eat some.
"The magic attribute Acier dear has is Steel Magic, yet her husband bore Water Magic." Shirley remarked, saying the word "husband" with venom laced with it. "And now that Asta's magic attribute has been revealed to be Star Magic, the possibility for your children to possess either Star or Water Magic is there. As well as its variants. For example: Water Magic can Mist or Ice Magic. Like Asta dear said earlier, the personality of the child can have an impact on what magic attribute they get. Not only that, but the personality of said child can also affect what type of spells they receive, too. Though it mostly affects the magic attribute." She paused, then continued. "Let's use Nebra as an example. She bears Mist Magic. Which in turn is used by those that love tricks and toying with their opponents." She then gestured to Asta. "And now here's you, Asta dear. You bear Star Magic. Now, why is that?" Her smile remained on her lips as she continued. "I believe that the reason you bear it is because you want to open up a bright future for the world, not just for Clover. Star Magic shines above all. As for you 3's children, they could bear Star Magic, Water Magic, or something very similar to either. But regardless of what magic they end up with-"
"Hold on Grandma." Noelle interrupted. "What does Steel Magic mean? Or rather, what does the personality of the child have to be to have it?"
"Hmm well it varies. For Acier, she had a strong personality with a drive to protect and shield others, just as a steel shield would." Shirley hummed. "While others with Steel Magic are solid and very straightforward people." Asta looked at Noelle, thinking of something before eventually saying it to her.
"Four Eyes?" Asta muttered to Noelle with a grin, making her giggle.
"Haha. Yes. Klaus is exactly like how Grandma described." Noelle laughed lightly. Though her own smile became a frown. "When you mentioned that Steel Magic, in Mother's case, can be used like a shield to protect others, does that mean… Well, that they also prefer to do things alone as well?"
"No, that's just a Silva thing." Shirley smirked, making them laugh sheepishly.
"Eheh." Asta chuckled. "I'm a Silva through marriage, but I've almost always been like that before all this. I guess Lady Acier influenced me a lot throughout my life."
"Try practically every chance Mother has gotten to spend time with you as well as her children." Noelle snickered.
"That sounds right." Shirley chuckled. Asta went into thought again as he took another cookie from the box and ate it. Just then, a lightbulb went off in his head.
"Oh! This talk about magic attributes and how children get them is making me wonder something." Asta spoke up. "What is your magic attribute, Lady Shirley?"
"Just Shirley dear, you're part of the family." Shirley smiled. "As for my own magic, it's actually Silver Magic."
"Silver Magic?" Asta repeated, his eyes slowly becoming starry as his interest piqued. "I wanna see!" Shirley chuckled in amusement before concentrating her magic and liquid silver began to form around her to their awe.
"Whoa…!" Noelle breathed in awe. "I've heard stories of your magic from Mother. But to see it with my own eyes… It's incredible…!"
"It really is…!" Asta agreed.
"Now if I was in my youth, like say, 30 or so years younger, I'd be more then happy to spar you, Asta." Shirley told him. She looked over at the clock and chuckled. "Oh dear. I don't recall when you 2 got here, but it's getting late. Now get ready for bed dears. Grandma herself is going to sleep very soon, so you 2 should as well. Especially considering my granddaughter is going to give birth to my great grandchildren very soon." Now normally Asta and Noelle would argue. But this time, they looked at each other and nodded, turning back to face Shirley.
"Alright Grandma/Shirley." Noelle and Asta spoke simultaneously. Shirley smiled at the 2's response, then she headed upstairs and to her bed.
"The guest bedroom is right next to mine." Shirley called down to the 2.
"Alright. Thank you Grandma." Noelle called up to her Grandmother.
Later that night, Asta and Noelle laid on the guest bedroom bed of Noelle's Grandmother's hut, now in their pajamas. The 2 were aiming to go to bed soon, but there were a few things on their minds.
"Hey Asta." Noelle spoke as she rubbed her stomach gently again. "I….I'm not sure I'm ready for this. To be a parent, I mean." Asta turned to look at Asta, a light smile on his face.
"To be honest, I'm not sure I'm ready either, Noelle." Asta admitted. "And I'm sure Queen Acier thought the same when she got pregnant for the first time. And well, she turned out to be a wonderful Mother to all 4 of her children. Even if Solid is a bit of a pain to deal with." Noelle giggled at the Solid remark. Though overall, was happy to hear Asta's words.
"Thank you Asta." Noelle told him. "And I'm sure that you're nervous too."
"I am." He replied. "I never thought of marriage or love, except for Sister Lily. Though looking back at that now, I realize how silly and foolish of a dream that was. Especially considering the love for her was one-sided and it'd be an unfair relationship to her." He wrapped an arm around Noelle's back. "But with you, it's different. I genuinely love you." He chuckled. "And I'm sure Yuno is the same with Ren. And even if we, and them too, aren't ready to be parents, we'll probably end up regretting not becoming parents and having children of our own later in life."
"Haha. True." Noelle laughed lightly. "Even though Mother kind of forced this upon us, it's not like we were against the idea of getting married. As for having children… Well, I believe that we would have wanted children anyway. Regardless of whether or not Mother had us sleep in the same bed after the Seabed Temple mission which caused…well this." Noelle rubbed her stomach again, as if empathizing her words in the last sentence.
"With that mindset, you make it sound like we're ready to be parents." Asta chuckled.
"Well, we're both good with children, so it works out." Noelle hummed. "Anyway, let's go to sleep now." She didn't even give Asta a chance to fully reply as she slowly fell asleep soon thereafter. Asta did the same. Though the young married couple were nervous, they both felt a twinge of excitement as they fell asleep soundly and peacefully.
0713MM: And that's Chapter 49 for you guys!^^ Nozel, Nebra, Solid, and Noelle's Grandmother, Acier Silva's Mother, has been revealed. And yes, I am aware that I'm putting more effort towards Asta and Noelle becoming parents over actual training for this 1 year training arc. But you have to understand that if I were to include every little thing in each chapter that represents a single month, each chapter would be like 40-60 pages long. Maybe even longer if I come up with more things to add to them. So instead, I focus on things that are important and will be important later. Plus, this a training arc. It's kind of like the equivalent of filler for an anime. But don't worry, plenty of action will becoming once this 1 year training arc is over. And I'm certain that there's some fights that you guys are looking forward to. Speaking of that, which fights are you guys looking forward to later down the line in this fanfic? Is there a specific fight between characters you'd like to see happen? If you have any specific fights you'd like to see, feel free to leave it in a review or to PM me it and I'll try to figure out how to incorporate it into the story when I get to that point. If I don't end up doing it, it's not because I didn't like your suggestion, but because I couldn't find room or find an appropriate place to do it.