Going back in time for a bit, everyone went home to prepare for the upcoming day after seeing Kisuke off. However, an hour later, Loki and Riveria came running to their estate while dragging Line along with them. "Oi!!! Kisuke! You bastard! Come out!", yelled Loki from the gates.
Feigning a cough, Riveria reminded Loki, "Loki, you're in public. Please be mindful of your image."
"I don't care! I need answers!", replied Loki and called out to the mansion again.
With a timid expression, Line who was dragged over here asked, "Uhmmm... Loki-sama, Riveria-sama... What are we doing here?"
"We're here to complain!", answered Loki.
"Complain about what?", asked Line with an innocent expression.
"Your behavior, of course!"
Line tilted her head in confusion, "Did I do something wrong?"
Loki and Riveria gawked at her. "A-are you seriously not aware?", asked the latter with a twitching mouth.
But before Line could say anything else, a tall woman with long purple hair and a pair of glasses came out of the mansion, wearing a simple maid uniform. However, her gait made her look more like a high-ranking aristocrat instead of a maid. This contrast made Loki, Riveria, and Line quiet for a moment.
The maid approached and opened the gates for them before greeting them, "Good morning, Loki-sama, Riveria-sama and Line-sama. What can I do for you?"
While rubbing her chin, Loki stared at her for a while before asking, "Are you Kisuke's rumored new woman?"
Chuckling, the maid replied to her, "I have no idea what you're talking about, Loki-sama. Besides this isn't our first time meeting."
"Hmm? We've met before? Maybe with my children within the Dungeon, but I would never forget someone as striking as you."
The maid nodded and added, "It's a complicated story, but I'm Medusa."
Riveria and Line's eyes widened at her words, but Loki took some time to pull out 'Medusa' from her memories, "Hmmm? Medusa... Wait... What!? You're that little kid!?"
"As I said, it's a complicated story. Anyway, please come in.", Medusa then ushered them in.
"Where's Kisuke?", Loki first set aside her shock and asked what she came here for.
"Unfortunately, he once again left for more business and we don't know when he'll come back.", answered Medusa as they walked.
"Again!?"
"He's a busy person and doesn't know how to rest."
Loki started scratching her head in frustration before saying, "Fine! I'll complain to that pipsqueak instead!"
"Hestia-sama, is it? I'll lead you to her."
Reaching the living room, Loki and her companions came face to face with Hestia, who was sitting cross-legged on the couch with her arms crossed and having a scrunched-up face, "What menace have you brought upon this home!?"
Loki didn't say anything to her and instead panned her sights to her side, "Can I knock her head?"
Artemis, who was peacefully sipping her tea, smiled at her and said, "Be my guest!"
Loki smirked and approached Hestia with a threatening glare. With Artemis' permission, Loki unhesitantly raised her fist.
Flailing her arms around, Hestia immediately took back what she said with a panicked expression, "Wait! I just wanted to say that at least one time!" But Loki didn't listen to her and everyone could hear a fist knocking on the head resounding throughout the whole room followed by a scream of pain.
A few minutes later, Sona, who was in the same room asked the guests to sit down, "What can we do for you today, Loki-sama?"
Of the three of them, only Loki sat down and made herself feel at home, "I'd like to issue a complaint to that bastard, but I've heard that he isn't here."
"He has important business to attend to."
"To your homeland again?"
Sona shook her head and told her the truth, "He actually followed Yoruichi-san and Kuroka-san who had previously gone to the Dizara Region."
"So that's where they went... But for what?" Asked Loki but she only received silence from Sona.
Accepting her 'answer', Loki sighed, "Dizara Region, huh... I have a feeling that they'll wreak havoc in that place... I want to see it. Do you have any teleportation circles here?"
Sona smiled wryly, "Loki-sama, you do know that something like teleportation magic can't be dispersed to the public easily. On top of that, only those who are experts in Space Magic could execute it safely."
Sona and Akeno could only do it despite both of them not being experts due to their Devil Lineage that gave them an edge through 'summoning'.
"That's true... A lot of regulations would first have to be decided before instantaneous transfers could be used safely. Speaking of the Dizara Region, it reminds me of Astarte. I've heard that she's been active around that area."
"What about her?", Hestia asked Loki.
"Well, if she knew that Takemikazuchi was in Orario, she would probably scale the great distance between Dizara Region and here just to give him a beating. She's been chasing him for a few millennia after all, and I think that she still hasn't given up."
"Ah, I think I've heard about that back in Heaven. So she still hasn't given up on him?"
"Yep, but not in the sense that you're thinking. Last I've heard from her was when she declared that she'd hunt down Takemikazuchi and tie him up for a few hundred years to express her resentment. Ever since then, Takemikazuchi has been on the run from her."
"So that's why he didn't choose a popular spot when he descended.", muttered Artemis in realization.
"I also think that's the case.", Loki then smirked maniacally, "I sincerely hope that Kisuke would become the bridge for their reunion~ I can't wait to see the carnage~!"
From behind, Loki suddenly heard Riveria's cough which made her return to her original expression, "Ehem, I got sidetracked. Anyway, I want to know what that maniac fed to my Line during her stay with him!"
"Loki-sama!?", Line exclaimed in confusion.
At those words, Sona, Artemis and Hestia all made complicated expressions while Medusa could only smile wryly. "W-what did he do to you? D-did he cross the line?", Sona asked Line in a flustered voice.
"Cross the line?", Line repeated the question before realizing what it meant. With heat instantly rising up to her face, Line started flailing her head and arms as she vehemently denied her assumption, "N-no, no, no! Nothing like that happened! I swear! He only left me alone with some books and taught me some things! That's all!"
Hestia, Artemis, and Sona sighed in relief. But they also knew that if Kisuke wasn't careful, another one would be on the edge, like the High Elf beside her.
"So, what happened?", asked Hestia.
Clearing her throat, Loki started telling them what happened this morning.
Editors:
28th00: Ah, their ‘healthy’ habits. Sleep is for the weak, after all. Unless you’re Ophis. Then Sleep is for the strong because they make their own rules. Riveria is at the edge! She’s a Sona-type after all.
Alexander: Takemikazuchi, ehhh? Didn’t know about this. So, what is it going to be? The start of a manhunt all over Orario or the completion of the “Deity trio” for Kisuke’s future harem?
Goyya: Takemikazuchi’s history with Astarte is just an original flavor that I added.
The next day, after a night of celebrating Line's return, everyone from the Loki Familia went back to their new training program, practicing Magic and Ki. However, not everyone was in it as some of them had to take care of the daily needs of their Familia.
Supposedly, Line should also be within this group who were rotating to take care of the chores, but all of them insisted that she should rest. Without anything to do, Line went towards the backyard, where everyone who was free, practicing and training.
Once she reached her destination, Line immediately noticed two divided areas. One area was for Magic practice while the other side was for Ki training. Surprisingly enough, Riveria and Lefiya were not practicing their magic. Instead, they were with the rest of the executives to train their Ki.
After Line thought about it carefully, this was also a good choice. Training Ki is a lot more effective if you're doing it with others, while Magic could be learned in the convenience of your own room.
"Yo! Line!", Tiona approached and called out to her with a large smile, "Came here to join?"
"Yes. I've got nothing to do and figured I should take a look at how everyone was doing."
Ais approached them while wiping her sweat and asked, "Shouldn't you be resting more?"
Line immediately shook her head and said, "I've already rested enough." She then looked towards the ongoing training and first saw Bete and Tione intensely sparring while Riveria, Finn, Gareth and Lefiya were silently practicing circulating their Ki off to the side.
Seeing her line of sight, Tiona explained, "They're waiting for their turn. Finn told us that we can't spar without anyone looking due to the danger of letting their Ki go out of control."
Ais nodded at her words, "Tiona and I just finished ours."
"I see... Without a dedicated healer, Elixirs are just too expensive for any injuries.", muttered Line.
Tiona and Ais looked at each other. They had a feeling that something was wrong with her words just now, but couldn't tell what it was. Deciding to ignore it, Tiona changed the topic, "Anyway, since you have nothing to do, what would you like to practice first? Ki or Magic?"
Line thought for a bit before deciding, "Hmm... My research on Magic was cut short, so maybe I'll continue that."
Tiona tilted her head in confusion, "Research? Didn't that guy teach you Magic? Even Ais here really wanted to learn more but the only thing she got from him was a book. So why do you need to do research?"
Ais nodded along with her question with a serious expression. She doesn't know if Kisuke forgot about his promise or just giving her the book was really the end of it.
"Ah, Kisuke-san taught me the basic things, but beyond that, I've had to progress with minimal help. He told me it's to cultivate a creative mind, after all, complex Magic is just cleverly combined simple Magics. He said that if I can experience this combining process myself, it'd be a lot easier to create more complex Magic in the future.", explained Line happily. However, she didn't tell them that Kisuke only allowed her to do so because she was special in the way that she could effectively heal herself and also practice while she's at it. Line believed that she wasn't that 'special', so she didn't mention it.
Ais and Tiona were shocked at her words when Riveria's voice came from behind them, "If it was me from before, I would have called those claims nonsense. However, I wholeheartedly agree with him after learning some simple spells."
Bete and Tione were done with their sparring and it was now Finn and Gareth's turn. While the former two decided to lay down and rest, Riveria and Lefiya approached the three, "Line-san, are you sure you should be moving around too much?", asked Lefiya with a worried expression.
Happy with her concern, Line nodded, "I'm fine. Thank you for worrying." She then pointed to a certain free spot and said, "By the way, can I use this spot to practice my Magic?"
"Sure. Go ahead. I'm also interested in how Kisuke taught you to practice.", replied Riveria.
The others also followed Line, being curious. After reaching the spot she wanted, Line took out four stainless steel plaques the size of a book. On each of its surfaces a Magic Circle was inscribed. "So he also gave you a 'bag'. By the way, what are those for?", asked Riveria curiously.
Line laid down these plaques two meters away from each other, creating a square with her in the middle. After that, she took out four, specially processed Magic Crystals, and put them in the middle of the Magic Circles, "Kisuke-san gave me this simple barrier so that I wouldn't disturb anyone when I practice magic."
While the other three nodded in understanding, Riveria frowned in confusion. But before she could ask why she would need a barrier to practice magic, Line activated the Magic Circles and a translucent pyramid-shaped boundary was erected between her and the outside.
Due to that unusual scene, almost everyone from the Loki Familia looked in her direction. However, Line had already started focusing and took out several notes from her bag and a pen to review where she's at. Thanks to the habit that she'd developed with Kisuke and maybe the side-effect of the 'refreshing' candies she was having, most of the information outside started going through her senses without her processing it very much. If she was not in any immediate danger or an emergency situation didn't arise, she won't exit her 'concentration mode'.
Riveria and the girls talked to her and asked her several questions but she was already unresponsive. "W-when did she develop such an intense concentration?", muttered Riveria in amazement. She knew for sure that their voices were reaching her as the wind would go through her barrier.
Riveria then asked the others not to talk to her anymore and let her concentrate. The others agreed and decided to watch what she's doing closely. They wanted to know what she'd learnt in her time of absence.
A minute later, Line stopped reading her notes and raised her left arm. While looking at it, a purple Magic Circle suddenly manifested on the top of her hand without her muttering anything.
'She's already at this point!?' Riveria exclaimed internally as she couldn't even materialize a Magic Circle as fast as her, not to mention, it was much more complicated than what she'd ever tried to do.
All of sudden, crackling sounds started popping out as electricity started dancing around her Magic Circle. It was the rarest type of Elemental Magic, Lightning Magic.
But before others could react, the electricity started getting stronger until it suddenly exploded on her left arm, "Kyaa!"
With her small scream and her Magic failing, Line's Magic Circle instantly disintegrated and her arm was lacerated numerous times. As a large amount of blood started dripping on the ground, Riveria shouted in panic, "Lefiya! Take out the strongest Elixir! Now!"
"Y-yes!", answered Lefiya as she scrambled to grab her Elixir and give it to Riveria. But as Riveria stepped forward with the Elixir in her hand, she realized that the barrier was still up and blocking her way. "Line! Open the barrier!", she yelled as she knocked on it.
But to her and everyone else's shock, Line still ignored Riveria's calls and grabbed her pen instead, "So Lightning Magic isn't just about controlling the Magic Power, but also controlling the charges. According to Kisuke-san's book about 'Physics'. I wasn't able to understand most of it but it says that 'Electric current moves from 'positive' to 'negative'. In other words, I have to create a set of instructions in my current Magic Circle to create this 'positive' and 'negative' to guide the Lightning. It seems that I have to review that book again and figure out how to do that.", she started muttering with her right hand right on her notes while her left arm left hanging in the air, healing with her already mastered Healing Magic.
Everyone was speechless. For the first time since the Loki Familia started training the mysterious method, the Twilight Manor's backyard became silent. It was so silent that everyone could hear Line's muttering and the sound of people's activity from outside.
The silence and shock continued as they didn't want to disturb Line who was apparently healing her wounds. If that magic were to fail too, it would be their fault.
A quarter of an hour without movement, Line finally finished healing her arm back to its original state and she was also done with her review and revision. "Yosh! Let's try it again!", she cheerfully shouted.
"STOP!!!" Riveria's intense shout finally interrupted Line's line of thought.
Line was startled and hurriedly answered, "Y-yes!? Riveria-sama? What is it?"
Riveria and the others were stunned yet again with her clueless expression. "Have you... Is this how you always do your 'research'?", asked Riveria with a twitching mouth.
Not knowing what she was angry about, Line answered honestly, "...Yes. It's a really good training method as I can also practice my Healing Magic. Kisuke-san also agreed. Though he prohibited me from doing any experiments with large scale and complex Magic without his supervision."
Riveria put her hand on her forehead as a large headache attacked it, "...Ais... Call Loki and drag her here."
Ais nodded and ran towards the interior of the Twilight Manor.
After seeing her off, Riveria then glared at Line, "Let's wait for Loki and discuss what just happened now."
Of course, she wasn't angry at Line, but at the irresponsible guy who'd taught her this way.
Without much choice, Line had to nod and answer, "...Yes."
.
.
.
"And that's what happened this morning.", Loki finished her story, "I was really shocked at the expression they were making when I arrived, you know? Especially Bete's. That's the first time I've ever seen his jaw drop that much."
After hearing her story, Hestia, Artemis, Sona and Medusa could only make a deadpan expression.
Seeing this, Loki added, "What? Say something."
As she requested, Sona indeed said something, but it wasn't the response that she expected, "Give it up."
Editors:
28th00: Yes. Give it up. This is weak sauce training compared to them. If you can still heal yourself, it’s obviously not that dangerous!
Alexander: Yep. There is no need to fret about training in the basics. The mortality rate is still low after all.
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