Chapter 169

Birthday parties were rarity nowadays, even though Hector was the leader of that city, he wasn't rich. The coins he and Amanda obtained were used to helping the city in some way or another... noticing that, Leon started to wonder if he was doing enough.

Anyway, even though Leon forgot the present for Maya, the situation solved itself pretty easily. He just asked her what she wanted, and she said that she wanted to fly. Thus Leon flew with Maya in an earth platform for several hours. Even though it wasn't his birthday party, Leon felt like it was. He felt so happy when they passed through a few clouds, and Maya smiled happily like a pure little angel. As much as Leon wanted, he couldn't play with his niece all day, he had survivors to teach magic, but he reminded himself to fly with Maya now and then.

It didn't take long for Leon's new students to notice that it wasn't easy to learn Heal, thanks to that, the word quickly spread all over Europe that Leon wasn't trying to favor anyone, not even his compatriots.

"I guess I can finally focus on my own training again…"

Just when Leon thought that Betty approached while smirking. It was finally time to show the results of her training. It was obvious that she didn't do anything but meditate and shot Fireballs in the last weeks. Betty was full of confidence. Perhaps her magic skills were enough to damage monsters to the point where she could consider Fireball a part of her arsenal.

"Well, show me what you got," Leon said.

"Heh, don't blame me if you get hurt," Betty smirked and shot a Fireball. "DIEEEE!"

Leon frowned when he heard that Betty was as weird as always, he also recalled that she always said that when it was payback times in those fighting games… Despite her words, she didn't aim at Leon's head or heart. She just aimed at Leon's hand that he put in front of himself to block the spell. This time, he didn't use Mana Armor and just used his hands to block the attack, hoping that his defenses would be enough… it didn't.

"Ouch!" Leon used to Heal to dissipate the pain soon afterward.

Although it didn't burn his hand, Betty's attack was powerful enough to damage him even though his mentality was high. Leon thought that would also make Betty mad, but he was wrong.

"… I guess one month of training can't surpass four years so easily." Betty sighed. "Well, I damaged you, now you have to teach me more."

"I guess you did grew up after all those years, after all." Leon smiled. "Even though you are as small as always…"

"Hah, you will have to try harder to make me mad." Betty crossed her arms and said proudly.

Although his time to practice by himself decreased once again, Leon was more than happy with it since he was helping his friends.

One month after his return, Leon finally was skill enough to heal five wounds at the same time, but he still didn't learn Regeneration, and that was very weird.

"I guess I'm not practicing the right way… perhaps, just wounding my arm isn't enough since the wounds are close from each other."

Leon wounded his foot, arm, and his cheek, and then he noticed that it was very difficult to heal those since they were so apart from each other, but that would be a good practice nonetheless. While Leon started his new training, Amanda approached. For a change, it looked like she had a day-off.

"Brother, I'm happy to see you are helping so many survivors and the city," Amanda said. "But I think you are working too much."

"Is that so?" Leon frowned. "But it's not like I have anything better to do."

"Well… that's true." Amanda nodded. "Then why don't you find a hobby? You also can always join Betty and Hector on their gaming sessions."

"They have games?" Leon frowned again.

"Yes, even though there's no internet, console games can still be played," Amanda explained. " Betty and Amanda managed to buy several consoles and games that some survivors managed to recover over the years. Hector didn't use all that much in the last years, but once Betty came here, they started to play together very often."

"I see… what a bunch of assholes, they never invited me." Leon realized. "But I guess it isn't that surprising since I can't play with one hand…"

"No, they didn't invite you, because they don't think you are the same Leon of the past," Amanda explained. "You are always doing something related to magic, be teaching or practicing yourself… in their eyes, they think you are a soldier who won't be able to live a life outside the battlefield."

Leon nodded since that was very accurate. Training his magic in his free time was like breathing to him, and teaching was necessary to decrease the burden on his shoulders. Besides, he would feel guilty if people die when they could have survived some situations that even basic spells could have saved them.

"Thus, I think you should relax now and then," Amanda said. "You can always play games with Betty, read books with Sasha, take sunbathes with Gisela, and… what does the Empress of Japan like to do?"

"… Dear little sister, didn't anyone say to you until now that you aren't very subtle?" Leon forced a smile and stroke Amanda's head. "Still, to think my little sister would try to play the cupid for me makes me both happy and depressed…"

"I'm just saying that you already fought for far too long," Amanda said. "You worked too hard and now can relax a little bit… maybe it is about time for you to have your own family."