Chapter 76: A long conversation with Xenovia

Strax barely knew what to say... I mean, come on.

Was it obvious that Xenovia might be using Strax to somehow gain freedom from this family? Yes, it was quite possible.

Xenovia had been cold for a very, very long time, and honestly, it was hard to know if such a woman could even have any feelings... But now...

"Why." Strax said; he really wanted an explanation. He wouldn't accept just an "I like you."

"How could I not fall in love with someone who tried everything to stay by my side? Tell me, little brother, tell me how I could avoid this." She asked, her tone shifting completely into a mix of seriousness and cuteness—something Strax... never thought he'd see. She was pouting while speaking seriously, and he almost choked with the urge to laugh.

"Ah~" Strax sighed. He didn't know what to do in this situation. He wasn't sure if he had any feelings for Xenovia, but of course, he wouldn't reject her.

"I have three wives." He said, to see what she would think, but...

"Yes, I know. Well, I knew of two, but the third must be the maid, right? Well, it wasn't hard to find out; Xyn already saw everything." She said without any hesitation. It seemed she had accepted her position from the start, and that would be even harder for Strax in a way; this meant she wasn't joking.

Okay, it wasn't bad, but the challenges that would come from accepting Xenovia would be the most difficult of all, so difficult that even he, who wants to be the strongest of all... didn't know if he could do it.

He thought, really thought about what he could do, but the only question he had, he asked directly to Xenovia.

"I can't think of a way to accept you without going through various problems that I'm not even sure I can handle. If I accept you, you are mine until death, and I will continue to have more women as time goes by; I'm a free man." Strax said and continued. "What exactly do I have to do for this? As you said, they wouldn't accept it." He questioned.

Really, just thinking about a relationship between them was like a slave marrying a queen.

Xenovia let out a low laugh, something Strax had never seen... and honestly, it was very beautiful.

"Strax, dear, I'm not asking you to put me on a pedestal or give me special privileges. I just want to be by your side, and of course, I will be yours until death," she said after laughing, and now the mood had really calmed down... "however... for this to happen, you'll need to be strong."

"I don't know what Father would demand for this to happen, but it's easier if you achieve something through a reward." Xenovia moved away from him and sat on the floor. "Father thinks I went crazy when I brought you back, but I already knew about your unique body. Back then, I was an expert cultivator and barely endured Xyn, but you, you were not even a cultivator and didn't suffer anything from it.

Xyn has already told me it was impossible without having a unique physique, and a very strong one. That's why I brought you back, to train you, to turn you into a strong man will be easy, but... what the hell are you? I mean, damn it! In five days of training you've already learned everything!

I'll have to increase the training; I thought it would take you a month to learn to condense elemental mana, but here you are, using ice as if it were nothing!"

"Well, it's impossible to have a Diacronic Physique being Human, at least it should be, and in all my years of life, I've never seen anything like it..." Xyn said, observing Strax's reactions.

"Y-Yes, it must be impossible, right?" he said, stammering as he looked at his Status. Of course, what was impossible for them wasn't impossible for him; he still had this thing called System.

Ah, speaking of the System... Well, it had been quite active in the last few minutes, with so many notifications that it automatically silenced itself...

"What are we going to do?" Strax asked again.

"First, let's get the sword. In a few days, Father will allow you to take the Garden Test again. When that happens... Try to get one of the Superior Swords," she said. Then she added, "But focus on the sword that's calling you. If its voice still calls you further...

it means it's not one of the superior swords. Abyssalith and Tiamat, swords with their own Will, would be good but quite complicated..." Xenovia murmured.

"The founders' swords..." Xenovia said. "Well, I find it unlikely since Father can barely hold them for a few moments," she concluded, but Xyn intervened. "Swords with Wills like mine cannot be held by those we don't allow, so if it's one of them calling, it doesn't matter; it will be his," Xyn concluded as if making a prophecy.

"I understand, so in a few days, I'll have a decent sword..." Strax murmured. "And then?" he questioned.

"You will reclaim what was taken from you, the position of Heir to Vorah," Xenovia said.

"I don't want that," Strax responded.

"It's easier for you to return to the family until you have the strength to leave. If you think I can protect you forever, that's not the case. Your sister is strong, not invincible," she said, but Strax... couldn't believe what she was saying. "There are people stronger than me within the Family, especially... Father's aides.

They are all at the King cultivation level," she added.

Strax became thoughtful... Was his sister really not the strongest? I mean, the stories about her had always been terrifying, so terrifying that they made him believe she was the strongest after his father, but if that's the case, then her concern makes sense.

She wasn't the strongest; she was the strongest of the Siblings, not of the Vorah Family, or rather, the Vorah Clan itself. After all, talented people were also part of his family in a way, as they provided resources in exchange for loyalty.

"We need to start training again, this time... Training with everything," Xenovia said. Her eyes seemed really determined after theoretically being accepted by Strax...

"Not even a little kiss..." Strax thought as he stood up. "This time, I think Ice won't be Enough." He said, as a fire sword appeared in his left hand and an ice sword in his right. "So you were holding back... you arrogant boy." Xenovia murmured, summoning black fire swords.

"Bring it on, big sister," he said.