WIEDERGEBURT: Legend of the Reincarnated Warrior: Volume 2 (Light Novel)

• Action
• Adventure
• Drama
• Fantasy
• Harem
• Martial Arts
• Mature
• Romance
• Seinen
• Supernatural

• Reincarnation
• Second Chance
• Time Travel to the Past
• Past Life Memories
• Time Loop / Regression
• Cultivation
• Power Progression
• Ruthless Protagonist (when necessary)
• Strong to Stronger
• Overpowered Protagonist
• Cheat-like Powers
• Hard-Working Protagonist
• Tragic Past
• Magic
• Martial Arts
• Alchemy
• Sect/Guild Building
• Nobles
• Political Intrigue
• War
• Large-Scale Battles
• Kingdom Building
• Ancient Secrets
• Secret Organizations
• Harem Seeking Protagonist
• Harem with Real Romantic Development
• Loyal Subordinates
• Loyal Love Interests
• Monster Girl Heroine
• Beastkin
• Childhood Friends
• Arranged Marriage
• Jealousy
• Love Interests Grow Stronger
• Slow-Burn Romance
• Strong Female Leads
• Tournaments
• Fights Against Stronger Opponents
• Arrogant Young Masters
• Face-Slapping
• Scheming Antagonists
• Assassination Attempts
• Epic Battles
• Revenge
• Demon Beasts
• Demon Lords
• Betrayal
• Bloodline Powers
• Body Tempering
• Forbidden Techniques
• Mystical Realms
• Cunning Protagonist
• Protective Protagonist
• Determined Protagonist
• Charismatic Protagonist
• Strategic Minded Protagonist
• Cares About His Subordinates
• Does Not Hide His Strength

The situation had been tense for several days. Some of the people pulling the night shift guard duty had said they spotted several shadows in the sky. If they had been birds, not only would it not have been worth mentioning, but the guards wouldn’t have even seen a shadow of them. There was no bird in this world with a wingspan over ten meters long.

I had posted more guards outside at night, in the event that what people claimed they saw were Demon Beasts. Several days passed and nothing happened. Many of the Nevarian Spiritualists grew complacent. I supposed it was only inevitable, given the situation. People could remain high-strung and fully alert for only so long before the lack of danger lulled them into a false sense of security.

“KKKKEEEEE!!!”

It was late one night when a loud screech woke me up. Kari and I both jolted as the sound tore through our souls. We were heedless of our own nakedness as we jumped out of bed and rushed toward the window.

What we found horrified us.

“Those are…” Kari’s eyes widened.

“Yeah,” I said as a chill raced through my heart. “Those are Demon Beasts. Pteranodons.”

A large number of creatures were soaring through the air. They had long crests and beaks filled with needle-like teeth. Their wingspan was impressive. While their leathery bodies weren’t all that big, their wings must have been at least a couple meters long. What’s more, they might not have any hands, but their tri-pronged feet were covered in sharp claws that could easily rend flesh from bone. The one nearest to our window opened its mouth and unleashed a terrifying screech that rattled the windows. Its mouth was filled with razor sharp teeth.

“Let’s hurry outside!” Kari shouted.

I nodded. “I’m right behind you!”

The two of us quickly donned our armor. Since we were rushed, Kari did not bother with her breast bindings. However, she did grab her weapon. It was a ranseur, a type of polearm with a spear tip affixed with a cross hilt at its base. The hilt possessed a crescent shape, giving it an appearance similar to a trident. The spear was blood red in color. Kari once told me it was made by mixing adamantium with the blood of a strong B-Rank Demon Beast that her mother had slain.

My weapon was nowhere near as powerful or sturdy. It was just a regular broadsword.

Several Spiritualists had the same idea as us. They were running out of their bedrooms and heading toward the entrance hall. Many of them were carrying weapons, but a few looked like they were going out barehanded.

We rushed outside to find pandemonium had already spread. The Pteranodons swooped down and slammed their massively clawed feet into the roofs of several buildings, destroying them outright. People from inside the buildings came rushing out, screaming in terror, where the Pteranodons picked them off one by one.

As I saw a young man get grabbed by the shoulders and lifted off the ground, I hardened myself and rushed forward alongside Kari.

“Spiritualists!!” I shouted. “Form up and protect those who cannot fight! Anyone who can’t fight, get inside the mansion!”

My words were barely heard over the Pteranodons’ shrieks and the people’s horrified screams, but those who did hear me immediately did as I instructed and helped those who couldn’t hear me. The Spiritualists alongside me raced toward where the Pteranodon threat was thickest. They motioned with their arms, tapped their feet against the ground, and launched elemental Spiritual Techniques that flew from their weapons.

A young woman wearing heavy armor swung her Zweihänder in a simple slashing motion followed by an upward swing. The first swing did nothing except make the blade glow red, but on the second swing, the generated Spiritual Power was unleashed. A powerful crescent wave of flames emerged from the blade, which struck one of the Pteranodons in the chest. The creature shrieked as it was forced back. Another tried to swoop down and attack her from above, but Kari twirled her body around, gathered her Spiritual Power, and launched it at the Pteranodon with a thrust of her ranseur. A powerful bolt of light shot from the tip and pierced the Demon Beast’s heart.

I leapt forward as the Demon Beast fell, jumping on top of it and using the carcass as a springboard to launch myself through the sky. My parabolic arc took me to another Pteranodon. I stabbed my blade into its back as I fell. The Demon Beast released a horrified shriek as it tried to tear me off. It slammed into the wall of the mansion, which crumbled like it was made of bread.

Still hanging on, I gritted my teeth and channeled lightning through my weapon. A surge of Spiritual Power flowed through me. My weapon lit up as lightning coursed along the blade, entered the Pteranodon’s body, and fried its insides. Smoke poured out of the creature’s nose, mouth, and ears. I could hear the sizzling as its body was electrocuted, though I felt nothing thanks to the creature’s strong hide.

The creature died before it hit the ground. I leapt off and rushed back toward Kari, who was spinning her weapon around in terrifyingly powerful arcs. Light emitted from the blade. Each bit of light became a small orb that emerged from the weapon’s tip, which crackled with repressed power. With another motion of her ranseur, the orbs zipped through the air, piercing through several smaller Pteranodons as though their bodies were made of dried parchment.

It looked like the battle was progressing smoothly, even though we had already lost two Spiritualists. Most of the civilians had survived. However, there were not that many Spiritualists from the start. There were only ten of us to begin with. Now that we had lost two, our forces were down to eight. To make matters worse, Pteranodons were C-Rank Demon Beasts, which often required a squad to defeat. Only Kari and I could defeat them on our own.

“THERE ARE MORE DEMON BEASTS COMING FROM THE PATH!”

A loud cry went up. I looked over to where one of the Spiritualists was standing, a young woman who’d been guarding the entrance. At that moment, one of the Pteranodons grabbed her by the skull with one of its claws and carried her off. Now we were down to seven.

As if the world was trying to make matters worse, the outer wall surrounding the mansion near the gate exploded and a horde of Demon Beasts rushed in. There were small ones, large ones, ones with horns, and others with claws. I wasn’t very knowledgeable about Demon Beasts, so I couldn’t tell what each type was, but I knew we were in trouble.

“There are too many!” a cry went up.

“What are we going to do?!” another scream echoed.

“Everyone, calm down and follow me!” Kari shouted as she raised her ranseur and slammed it into the ground. A powerful surge of energy raced out from the weapon’s bottom and spread toward the Demon Beasts running at them. The ground cracked, swelled, and then exploded, sending a large number of Demon Beasts into the air.

“Civilians! Gather between the Spiritualists! Spiritualists, form up on Kari!” I ordered as Kari rushed into the gap her attack created.

Left with no other choice, the civilians and Spiritualists could only do as I said. They followed after Kari and I with resigned looks. It was like they believed they were going to their deaths.

I did not let their expressions bother me. Rushing headlong into the fray with Kari, I summoned my Spiritual Power and channeled it through my sword. The sword cracked, a small line that appeared on the gleaming surface, but I ignored that as lightning agglomerated along the weapon, then extended, and then transformed into a ten-meter long blade, which I swung in a horizontal motion.

The lightning blade cut through the legs of many Demon Beasts, causing the entire group in front to crash against the ground. Pools of blood spread across the grass. The Demon Beasts behind the frontline slammed into the ones in front, creating a massive pileup.

Kari took several swift steps forward, spun around, and gathered Spiritual Power. With a loud cry, she spun her ranseur in a complicated pattern and thrust it forward. A massive, cylindrical beam of energy burst from the spear. It grazed the ground, shot forward, and overwhelmed the horde of Demon Beasts. Numerous D and C-Rank Demon Beasts simply disappeared. They weren’t killed. They were incinerated. This created a massive hole in the Demon Beasts’ formation, which myself, Kari, and everyone else charged through.

I had no time to pay attention to anything happening around me as I hacked away at the Demon Beasts that came close. A monster on four legs and covered in fur leapt at me. I swung my broadsword, still coated in lightning, and cleaved right through it. Spinning around, I waved my hand and released a surge of Spiritual Power that created a wave of lightning. It struck several more Demon Beasts, paralyzing their bodies.

Kari remained at the front. She danced across the ground, swung her ranseur, and unleashed a multitude of attacks. White spears were formed in the air and rained down, impaling a large number of Demon Beasts. Beams of condensed light shot from her ranseur and slammed into more of her foes. When she waved her weapon in a circle formation, she created a ripple of white light that spread outward and sliced through the bodies of numerous Demon Beasts.

Her incredible prowess stunned me. I liked to think I was strong, but Kari was a monster on the battlefield. My chest swelled with pride.

We had reached the end of the path. I could see the mountain pass up ahead. It was a twenty-meter-wide path set between two cliffs, and it was the only way to get to this place. That was part of the reason we had chosen it. We thought it would keep us safe by limiting the number of attack points. Instead we had become trapped.

“We’re almost there!” Kari shouted. “Just a little further!”

Just as we were about to reach the pass, a loud roar shook our bodies. The ground rumbled. Everyone was forced to stop as a massive creature appeared inside of the pass. It stood on four legs thicker than several tree trunks combined. Each time it raised a massive paw and brought it down, the ground shook. Its elongated body rippled with muscle as it moved. Lips peeled back in a snarling muzzle, revealing row upon row of sharp teeth. Located on its forehead were two large horns, one near the top, and another slightly smaller one immediately beneath it.

“That’s a Behemoth!” Kari shouted in shock.

A Behemoth. That was a B-Rank Demon Beast, a creature that only a group of highly skilled and especially powerful Spiritualists could take down. Most Spiritualists who hunted for resources in the Demon Beast Mountain Range tried to avoid these. It normally required a group of people who each possessed the strength of a Royal Guard or Nevarian Spiritualist Captain just to defeat one.

“This is the end! We’re going to die!” someone screamed.

“No one is going to die!” I snapped before turning to Kari. “What do you think?”

“It’s going to be difficult with just the two of us.” Kari bit her lip. “But we can’t escape from here unless we defeat this thing.”

I nodded. “I was thinking the same thing.” I turned toward the others. “Spiritualists! Protect the civilians while Kari and I take care of this!”

I couldn’t hear their response. The Behemoth’s roaring drowned out everything else.

Kari and I rushed forward, her in front and me slightly behind her. She was faster than I was. Her speed allowed her to zip right underneath the Behemoth before it could even try to squash her. She swung her glowing white ranseur at the Demon Beast’s left front leg, but all that happened was that her weapon glanced off. Sparks flew as she was knocked back. Her eyes went wide as it tried to stomp on her, but she recovered swiftly and leapt away before she could be crushed.

“It’s hide is too thick!” she shouted.

“Let me try!”

The Behemoth glared at me as it opened its mouth, unleashing a powerful cone of fire that was at least a meter in diameter. I could feel the heat from here. It was hot enough that I felt my skin getting singed.

Part of what made B-Rank Demon Beasts so difficult to kill was their ability to use Spiritual Attacks.

I dodged the fire breath and channeled lightning through my blade. An explosion behind me created a gale wind force that pushed at my back, but I kept myself steady as I charged forward and merely used the resulting force to increase my speed. I ignored the cracking sounds that issued from my weapon as I poured Spiritual Power into it and swung as hard as I could at the Behemoth’s left leg. I gritted my teeth as my lightning blade met the leg. Nothing happened at first, but as I roared and unleashed even more Spiritual Power, the blade slowly bit into the leg before taking the whole thing off.

The Behemoth roared in agony and anger as it crashed to the ground, causing everything to shake. Kari had already darted out from underneath the creature. She ran around toward the front, leapt into the air, and thrust her ranseur forward.

“Take this!!”

Her ranseur impaled the Behemoth through the eye. Blood gushed from the wound and sprayed Kari’s breastplate, but she completely ignored that and continued shoving her weapon further and further into its body. The creature roared as it tried to shake her off. Kari planted her feet on its muzzle, pulled her ranseur out, and jumped backward. She landed on the ground next to me as blood gushed from the now-destroyed ocular organ.

“Now, Eryk!” Kari shouted.

“HAAAA!!!”

I channeled more Spiritual Power into my sword, creating another massive blade composed of lightning. It was easily three times the length of my body. A loud shrieking emitted from the blade, but it was overpowered by my scream as I swung the weapon down, striking the Behemoth in the middle if its torso and splitting it in half. The creature released an agonized cry, but that soon died down into a pained whimper as it bled out.

“Ha… ha…” I breathed heavily as the sword in my hand shattered, shards falling to the ground. Dropping the now bladeless hilt, I tried to stand up straight but nearly fell over. Pouring all that Spiritual Power into a single attack was exhausting.

“You okay?” Kari let me lean on her.

“Yeah...” I puffed. “Just... need to catch my breath.”

Nodding, Kari turned to look behind her.

“Everyone!” she shouted at the Spiritualists and civilians who had survived. “Let’s go! Keep running! Do not look back for any reason!”

There weren’t as many people when I turned around and looked. Two more Spiritualists and about five of the remaining twenty civilians had been killed, mauled by Dire Wolves and other Demon Beasts. I could see a pair of women, three men, and two children: one young boy and a girl around eleven or twelve. Despite how many died, those who survived followed our lead and ran. We rushed through the pass, Demon Beasts nipping at our heels, and as we did, my heart grew heavy.

The home that we had lived in for three whole peaceful months was gone.

***

It was early in the morning, and I didn’t have to work at the library today, which was why the entire day was going to be dedicated to training.

“Come on! Try to keep up!” I shouted to the person behind me as I continued running, leaping over obstacles, weaving around trees, and jumping onto boulders.

“Ha… ha… just keep going! I won’t exhaust myself on a simple obstacle course!” my training partner said.

“That’s good! Now less talking and more running!”

“Ugh…”

I had extended the obstacle course from thirty minutes to one hour. When combined with the increased weight of my clothing, which now amounted to about 348 kilos, it was a pretty exhausting challenge. That said, I had been doing this for a while now. After factoring in the Body Forging Pills I’d been taking every night, something like a ten-kilometer obstacle course with 348 kilos of extra weight was… well, it wasn’t nothing, but I could handle it.

When I finished the obstacle course, I took several deep breaths and looked back at where I had come from. I waited for a few minutes. Finally, emerging from around a boulder, was the person I had been waiting for.

Her red hair swished back and forth within a leather cord at the back. It reminded me of fire. The hair framed a pale face that featured narrow green eyes, a small nose, and soft, luscious red lips. This young woman was currently wearing blue shorts that stopped just a few centimeters below where her thighs met her butt. Her long, pale, and muscular legs were glistening with a layer of sweat. The boots she wore were a dark brown. Similarly bare, her torso was covered only by a pair of thick strips of fabric that wound across her chest and back in an X-pattern, leaving her stomach, shoulders, and sides exposed.

Given our current activity, I could only assume she’d chosen something like this to avoid getting her clothes drenched in sweat. Her stomach and chest, glistening with rivulets of sweat that trailed down her body, might have been exposed to the sun, but at least she didn’t have to deal with soaking wet clothes like I did.

“How do you feel?” I asked as Fay finally stumbled into the clearing.

“How do… how do I feel?” she huffed, her face red as sweat dripped down her cheek and off her chin. Her shoulders heaved and her breasts jiggled within the confines of her… what did I call those strips of fabric anyway? It certainly wasn’t a shirt. Either way, she made for an enticing image. “I am fine. Thanks for asking.”

I couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic yet. Fay had only begun exercising with me ten days ago.

Grabbing a leather pouch filled with cool water, I took a short swig before handing it to Fay. She looked at the pouch in her hand as if she didn’t know what to do with it.

“Aren’t you going to drink?” I asked. “You should drink some water to regain the fluids you lost.”

“Er… but isn’t this… I mean…” Fay’s eyes wandered around the clearing. It was the same clearing she and I had met in. Her cheeks were stained a brilliant shade of fetching pink. “It’s… you know…”

“No, I don’t know.” I withheld the urge to roll my eyes. “Is there something wrong with the water?”

Fay seemed startled, but as I stared at her, the feeble excuse she had for not drinking water seemed to disappear.

“No… there’s nothing wrong,” she said softly before taking the pouch from me and putting the opening to her lips. I sighed in relief. The last thing I needed was her passing out from dehydration on me.

“Once you’re done rehydrating yourself, join me in finishing the rest of our exercises,” I said.

“O-okay.” Fay nodded as she held the pouch close to her chest. I frowned at her for a moment, noticing her strange actions, but then I shrugged and began finishing the rest of my exercises.

Fay had been displaying some unusual behavior like this, though it had only been happening recently, within the last two days. She would occasionally blush, stutter, and sometimes question me on certain matters. It was like she was embarrassed. I didn’t really understand. Could anything be more embarrassing than when I cured her of Spiritual Poisoning? Given what happened between us, I didn’t think taking a sip from my water pouch or seeing me without a shirt was that big of a deal.

She eventually joined me and we finished our exercises, though she actually finished before me despite starting later. Since she had just started ten days ago, she didn’t have to do as many reps of each exercise as me, and she wasn’t wearing 348 kilos of additional weight.

“Take one of the Three-Way Spiritual Widening Pills and begin circulating your Spiritual Power,” I instructed as I began doing my squats. I needed to do 1,000 of them. “I’ll join you once I’m finished.”

“Yes.”

Despite being covered in sweat, exhausted beyond belief, and obviously sore from her exercises, Fay didn’t complain as she followed my instructions. Actually, I hadn’t heard a single complaint from her since we started training together. Her actions reminded me of myself. Back then, when Kari had first begun training me, I never once complained about how hard, grueling, or painful it was. I did everything I could to get stronger.

My respect for Fay grew.

I joined her after doing my squats. Fay blushed a bit when I sat beside her, but I think that was because I had removed my vest. I didn’t wear a shirt when training my Spiritual Power, so my torso was bare. That said, it wasn’t like her strips of fabric were covering much either.

We sat silently for a while, our legs crossed and our minds focused inward. Both of us were doing the same exercise. However, our reasons were completely different.

I was working on controlling the vast amount of Spiritual Power I had. Meanwhile, Fay was currently trying to increase her Spiritual Power. By using the Three-Way Spiritual Widening Pill and actively circulating the Spiritual Power within her body through her Spiritual Pathways, she was able to not only widen the pathways to allow for an increased flow of power, but the power that she did have also increased.

Of course, while we were both doing the same exercise, I had added to the difficulty of mine. I sat with my legs crossed, hands on my legs, palms pointed toward the sky. Floating two centimeters above my palms were a pair of leaves. While it looked like they were just floating there, the truth was that I was circulating my Spiritual Power through my palms to keep them in place. If I generated too much power, the leaves would blow away. If I generated too little, they wouldn’t float. It was all about control.

“Fay?” I asked suddenly.

“Y-yes?” Fay seemed startled. She opened her eyes and looked at me.

“Did you ask a seamstress to create those clothes I said you need?”

“I did.” Fay nodded several times. “I actually went to a seamstress the same day you said I needed them. She told me they should be ready in fifteen days.”

“So you have five more days before they are ready.” I mused over that information before nodding. “That should be enough time. I think you’ll be ready to use weighted clothes by that point. The timing is about perfect.” I nodded once more, and then asked, “How have you been feeling since you started training? There are no problems?”

Fay’s eyes widened a bit, but then her expression softened and a gentle smile replaced it. “There are no issues. Actually, I’ve been feeling great.” She paused, then grimaced. “Well, I don’t feel too great immediately after we finish exercising, but I always feel amazing the next day. I think those alchemy pills you created for me are the reason.”

“The Body Forging Pill,” I said. “It’s considered a middle-grade pill, but its ability to heal and strengthen your body is impressive. The effects will eventually wear off and the pill won’t work once your body reaches a certain point of acclimation. However, that generally takes between five to six months before the pill loses its effect. By that point, your physical capabilities should be a match for any Royal Guard Captain.”

“That’s really incredible!” Fay exclaimed in surprise. “The Royal Guard Captains are elite Spiritualists whose bodies have been honed by at least two decades of intense training and grueling combat. I’m told that a single Royal Guard Captain is capable of defeating a C-Rank Demon Beast on their own! Some are even capable of defeating a B-Rank Demon Beast, or so I’ve heard.”

“The ones who are capable of defeating a B-Rank Demon Beast are probably rare,” I said. “I’ve heard that Empress Hilda can defeat B-ranks, and that she even defeated an A-rank before, but I haven’t heard of anyone else who has defeated a B-rank on their own.” I paused and tilted my head. Even while thinking, I didn’t let my control over the floating leaves slip. “That said, you might have the physical strength to go toe-to-toe with a B-Rank Demon Beast, but it requires more than just strength to defeat one of those. Half the reason they are so much trouble to fight is because they can use Spiritual Attacks.”

Spiritual Attacks were Spiritual Techniques that Demon Beasts used. Because they did not require movement to unleash like a Spiritual Technique, they were called Spiritual Attacks instead. While they were much more crude and inelegant than a Spiritualist’s Spiritual Technique, they were also incredibly powerful. I’d never seen a Spiritual Attack with less power than a B-Rank Spiritual Technique.

“Do you mind if I ask how strong you are right now?” Fay questioned, her tone laced with curiosity.

I shook my head. “You can ask, but I honestly don’t know how strong I am at the moment. I haven’t had a chance to really test myself against anyone.”

“Oh…” Fay looked disappointed. However, before she could get too sad, something caught her attention, causing her to gawk at me. “Do you mind if I ask another question?”

I shrugged. “Go ahead.”

“Why is there a snake hovering over your shoulder?”

…

…

I slowly craned my neck and found a snake centimeters away from my face. It was a pretty unusual snake. It looked like a member of the cobra family, but it was too long at almost six meters in length. Bright black and yellow scales covered most of its body. Two eyes that appeared somewhat golden in the sunlight were staring at me.

The snake flicked out its forked tongue and licked my cheek. I turned back to look at Fay.

“Don’t mind the snake,” I said in a nonchalant tone. “It just likes to follow me around.”

“O… kay.” Fay nodded slowly, and then refocused on her training.

No sounds were made as the two of us once again committed ourselves to our spiritual exercises… unless one counted the hissing sounds made by the snake.

My eyebrows twitched.

***

The Spiritualist Academy was a place where talented young men and women gathered and learned how to control their Spiritual Powers. It didn’t distinguish between social classes. While that had been the case once upon a time, Empress Hilda had opened the doors to anyone who possessed the talent to become a Spiritualist. This hadn’t made her popular with some of the nobles. However, ever since she’d done this, the number of talented Spiritualists in Nevaria had increased.

Kari was quite proud of her mother. She really was. Even if she was sort of at odds with the woman due to how her mother had restricted her freedom, she still cherished the woman who’d given birth to and raised her.

One day, I will prove to my mother that I am strong enough to journey outside of the city!

Walking through a wide hallway, Kari did her best to ignore the eyes of passing students as they lingered on her. She also tried to ignore the whispers. Because she was the daughter of Empress Hilda, there were a lot of people who heaped praises and expectations onto her. They complimented her beauty, her talent, her pedigree. None of these people actually knew Kari, the girl who wanted to explore ruins and go on adventures.

Eryk understands me, though…

Thoughts of Eryk warmed her heart. It had been over a month since the two of them had met. Even if she disliked a lot of what was happening in her life at the moment, he was the single thing about her current situation that remained bright. With him, she could be herself and forget about her troubles, even if it was just for a little while.

It was with these thoughts in her heart that she entered her classroom.

Classes at the Spiritual Academy were designed to be lecture halls; they were big, the seating was tertiary, and there was enough space for about 500 people to sit. Kari was not sure why the rooms were so big since most classes only consisted of about 50 to100 students, but she didn’t ask about it either. Sometimes people just like to build things big. That was what she assumed.

A lot of people gazed at her as she walked in. Kari almost shivered at the hungry leers several boys sent her way, but she had dealt with these looks for a long time. Ignoring the scrutiny, she walked up the stairs and searched for a seat.

Someone stood up and moved in her way. He had dark blond hair and blue eyes. His pale skin looked soft and unblemished, denoting his noble status. He didn’t look very muscular, but there was a broadness to his chest and shoulders, which couldn’t be hidden by the dark red tunic he wore. It was cinched together by a leather belt. A strap ran from his left shoulder to his right hip. Attached to the back was his weapon of choice, a glittering broadsword with a jeweled pommel.

“Lady Kari,” he greeted with a polite smile that couldn’t hide the blatant desire in his eyes. “You look lovely today.”

“Thank you, Grant.” Kari tried not to grimace as she smiled back.

“I’ve saved a seat for you,” he said, gesturing to the empty spot beside him. “Why don’t you and I speak today? I would love it if we could get to know each other a bit better, given our circumstances.”

“I am sorry.” Kari bowed her head slightly. “But I actually promised to sit with… Fay today.”

Grant’s eyes flashed, but he was able to mask it quickly. Had she been anyone else, she might have missed the anger that crossed his eyes at her rejection. The polite smile on his face also became fixed, like it had been sewn on.

“Then why don’t I sit with you both?” he suggested. “After all, given how the three of us will eventually be living together, it might be a good idea to strengthen our bond now. It will make our transition easier.”

It took everything Kari had to keep her smile in place. “I’m sorry, but Fay and I actually have some things to talk about. You know, girl talk.”

“Ah. That is unfortunate.” He inclined his head in a faux polite gesture. “Perhaps next time.”

“Perhaps,” she answered with a noncommittal reply before rushing past him and hurrying up the steps. She was keenly aware of his eyes on her as she raced up to where Fay was sitting. “Do you mind if I sit here?”

Fay blinked several times, looking quite startled. Her eyes had slight bags under them as she stared up at Kari. It looked like she was close to falling asleep.

“Go ahead,” Fay said with a soft yawn.

“Thank you.”

Sitting down, Kari glanced occasionally at the young woman beside her. Should she say something? She wanted to talk to Fay, but with their shared history, that might not be possible. Still…

“You look tired,” Kari said tentatively.

Fay blinked some more as if surprised to hear her talk. “I am. I’ve been training a lot recently.”

“Me too.” Latching onto the topic, Kari tried to keep it going. “Instructor Brynhild has been really hard on me, but I think I’m getting a lot stronger.”

“So you’ve been training hard too, huh?” Fay gave her a tentative smile. “I guess we both have it a little rough, though I can’t bring myself to complain.”

“Do you also have an instructor?” asked Kari.

Several seconds of silence passed as Fay seemed to consider the question before she nodded. “Yes, I suppose you could say that. He’s not really my instructor, though. It is more like we are training together.”

“So… this person is a friend?” Kari questioned.

“I guess,” Fay mumbled, her cheeks growing red. “I don’t know if you could call us friends, but… he’s really helped me out a lot. He’s very intelligent and knowledgeable, and he’s so dedicated to becoming stronger that I can’t help but be inspired by him, yet he also takes the time to train and teach me about things I never knew.”

Kari clasped her hands underneath the table. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest as she struggled to get the words out. She wanted to close her eyes, but she kept them open even as she chanted a prayer in her heart. It took her a long time before she could ask the question she wanted to.

“Do you… do you think I could maybe join you two sometime?”

While Fay appeared somewhat shocked by the question, she eventually shook her head. “Considering your social status, I do not think that would be a good idea.”

“Oh…” Kari uttered as her shoulders slumped. She wouldn’t cry. She wouldn’t. “That’s… Yes, I suppose you have a good point.”

“I’m sorry,” Fay muttered, looking away.

“Don’t be,” Kari said.

An awkward silence hung in the air until class started.

Step-by-Step Guide to Sideload EPUB Files Purchased from Shopify onto Kindle

Amazon now supports EPUB files on Kindle, but you need to send them through Send to Kindle or convert them. Follow these steps to get your EPUB books on your Kindle.

Method 1: Send to Kindle (Recommended)

Amazon now allows you to send EPUB files directly to your Kindle via email or the Send to Kindle app.

Step 1: Find Your Kindle Email Address

Go to Amazon → Manage Your Content & Devices (Link).

Click the Devices tab.

Select your Kindle device and note the "Send-to-Kindle Email" (e.g., yourname@kindle.com).

Step 2: Send EPUB to Kindle via Email

Open your email client (Gmail, Outlook, etc.).

Compose a new email to your Send-to-Kindle Email.

Attach the EPUB file you purchased.

Send the email. Amazon will convert it and deliver it to your Kindle.

Alternative: Use the "Send to Kindle" App

Download the Send to Kindle App (PC, Mac).

Drag and drop the EPUB file into the app.

Select your Kindle and send it.

Method 2: USB Transfer (For Advanced Users)

This method requires converting the EPUB to Kindle’s MOBI or AZW3 format.

Step 1: Convert EPUB to MOBI or AZW3

Download Calibre (Link).

Open Calibre and add your EPUB file.

Click Convert books → Choose MOBI or AZW3 as the output format.

Click OK to convert.

Step 2: Transfer to Kindle via USB

Connect your Kindle to your PC/Mac using a USB cable.

Open the Kindle folder in File Explorer (Windows) / Finder (Mac).

Drag and drop the converted file into the Documents folder.

Eject your Kindle, and your book will appear in your library.

Bonus: Use a Third-Party App

Apps like Send to Kindle for Android/iOS or Readwise Reader can also sync EPUBs to Kindle.

Now, enjoy your book on Kindle! 📖🔥