I Own the Evolution Domain

Learning and adapting mana blade to a method more suited to her is quite easy, as for the mastery of it to the point that she can continuously wield it as Novus can, Medea felt like it was a completely different matter altogether.

’It will take quite some time to master it...’ she said to herself as she watched the wind swirling around her blade fade with the disappearance of the magic circle sustaining it, showing just how much more she needs to do in order to perfect this technique.

However, she is already quite satisfied with how it came out, gratefulness swelling from the bottom of her heart as she stares at the one who taught her this technique, as for mages like the two of them, it is no simple or easy task to teach a self-modified magic to others, much less a self-developed one like this.

"Looks like I’m buried in quite the debt now, Junior Novus~~," she said as she saw him watching her continue practicing her own variant of Mana Blade, that familiar mischievous smile appearing on her face as she approached him before she muttered in a teasing tone.

"I wonder how I can repay it~~ hm~~ ah, how about this!!" she stands proudly as she lifts her head, her nose raised, pointing up to the skies as she states her offer.

"How about the privilege of having this lady as payment?" she teases with a smile that turned her eyes crescent, a trace of shyness apparent in her voice as if even she herself wonders why she just said such words.

Her embarrassment will be all the more apparent the moment she hears his reply to her offer.

"Hm... not a bad offer, to say the least." he nods as if he is truly mulling over whether or not to accept this offer, his serious contemplation taking Medea by surprise to the point that she cannot even find it in herself the words she wants to say.

"Wha— y-you— I—" there was nothing but stuttering that came out of her lips, her face now clearly flushed as she wonders what is going on in Novus’ mind right now, her body involuntarily taking a couple of steps back in hesitation, within her mind, loads of thoughts relating to this pop out, her distracted self making it so that she didn’t even notice when those thoughts escape through her lips.

"I-I... areyousure?? B-beforewecommittothat, l-let’s have a serioustalkfirst..."

Her words came slurred as her composure completely collapsed, her expression complex, both expectant and hesitant as she waited for his reply.

Novus himself notices her response to his words, taking him aback as he had just planned to play with her a little; however, seeing her reaction, he couldn’t help but assume that there is more to what she says than just a mere tease like she usually does.

"Hm, right, it would be great to have THE Sword Princess as a personal assistant after all." still, he decided against pushing the conversation further into such an ambiguous direction, diffusing the tension with a smile on his face as he said those words.

"Personal... assistant..."

And as if a bright spark being doused by cold water, Medea’s flushed face immediately turned deadpan in a matter of seconds, her gaze as she stares at the young man sharp, as if she wants nothing more than to stab and slash him with her blade right now.

"Forget it!" she said with a frustrated tone as she turned around, refusing to face him as she directed her attention over the horizon, staying silent as if she were waiting for him to approach her and talk to her instead.

Seeing her clearly throwing tantrums because of his words, Novus couldn’t help but feel like right now, he is facing a completely different Medea altogether, that confident, playful nature of hers now totally stripped bare, making him feel like her shoulders are a bit narrower than they were before.

He heaves a sigh, a certain passage from his father surfacing in his mind, something that he just mentioned out of nowhere as the two of them enjoy their bonding, fishing over a clear, crystal lake with water calm and cool.

"Remember, my boy, when you grow up, you must always think four, no, five times before saying something to a lady, and even if what you thought of after five times of mulling it over still made the lady angry, as a man, you must always stick to one thing."

"What is it, father?"

"They are often quite emotionally volatile, so learn how to ask, not beg, for forgiveness, my boy"

’Now that I think about it, father did have a little injury back then... I wonder why.’ As those thoughts appeared in his mind, Novus took a step forward, and seeing that Medea was still in her previous spot, he proceeded to approach her before eventually standing just a couple of steps away from her.

"I’m... sorry about that, Medea."

"Sorry for what?"

"I might’ve spoken too lightly."

"Just that?"

"I think."

"You didn’t even know what you did; how can you really be sorry for it?"

"I..."

He didn’t know what to do as he expected it to be settled with him asking for forgiveness; however, the question she returned to him made him speechless as thoughts of her being right this time popped into his mind.

Still, he isn’t completely clueless about the current situation, causing him to sigh once again as he attempts to explain himself.

"Like I said, I just don’t want to see you like that, and helping you isn’t really all that much of a trouble for me, Medea, so there’s no need for such a grand gesture of gratitude... I am grateful for the offer, though..." he voiced his thoughts, his words causing the lady’s shoulders to tremble as she thought of something else because of her words.

"So... you refuse the offer?" she asked, her tone serious, as if this were an all-too-important matter to her.

"I-it’s not that..."

"What is it then?" before he can even finish his words, she interrupts and asks, her tone being fainter as time goes by, yet the determination in her voice never fades, and in fact, only seems to grow stronger with each passing second.

"I think I need to do much more than that for the offer to be fair, Medea." He smiles helplessly, not even sure about what he’s saying anymore.

Uncertain as he is with his last line of words, it seems to be key that cracked down her frustrated, angry self as she finally turned around, her eyes slightly red as she walked even closer, right now, not even a single step separates the two of them as she looks up at him with a relieved, wide smile on her beautiful face.

She held his gaze far longer than usual, as if she were bracing for the realization that had already hit the two of them.

"Then treat it as an advance payment, Novus~~" she said, now with a playfulness amidst her trembling voice showing that her mind is now in a better state than before, that smile, along with her tone, mesmerizing the young man as his heart skipped a beat.

"Do I even have the choice to refuse?" he said with a wry, helpless smile as he replied, his sharp features, partnered with that genuine smile, making her pause for a second as well, her gaze locked on his eyes for a while before she finally regained her bearing, her heart beating loudly and fast as she took a step back before she answered.

"Nope, not a chance~~" she stated with a gorgeous smile on her face, the two of them feeling like they’d grown even closer now after all the trials they had gone through; their eyes locked at each other, seemingly telling so much more than what they could say.

It should’ve been such a special moment for the two of them, had it not been for the interruption that snaps them out of their daze, focused on each other.

The ground trembles, shaking the towering tree they are resting on.

Then, the two of them felt it, the origin of that sudden tremor, causing their attention to shift away from each other and towards the source.

From the distance, a loud, resounding boom erupted as chaos followed, a portion of the island’s woods burning in hot embers in the aftermath of such a massive explosion.