Free Web NovelChapter 1623: Chapter 1622: News
"Mhm, that is indeed why you need to be a bit more careful when you do something like that, Nicoletta." fгeewebnovёl.com
Looking down at the pouting pup, I held back a chuckle and watched as she began to carefully and somewhat morosely sweep up the wooden sword she had been using, her string of vicious and alarmingly powerful strikes breaking the weapon.
It was the third one she had gone through this week, and it seemed to be a rather sore point for my feisty girl since she couldn’t help but glance over at Camilla, who was whaling away at her own dummy with a series of very powerful strikes.
And yet despite smacking her dummy around in a way that actually made me flinch a little, Camilla’s weapon was showing no signs of cracking and splintering like Nicoletta’s had, and that was where my feisty pup seemed to be so confused.
Her eldest sibling was capable of such ferocity yet also had it tempered by a somewhat uncanny precision that allowed her to prolong the lifespan of her practice blades, something that Nicoletta had failed to achieve just yet.
For all intents and purposes I was beginning to think that Camilla was the culmination of Anput’s physical power and my impeccable precision, embodying what made the two of us as deadly as we were in martial combat.
That sort of incredible talent for both power and control seemed to have blossomed inside of Nicoletta as well, but it was clearly to a lesser extent, something that my pup couldn’t understand just yet.
It must have been grating to see her eldest sister doing everything she thought she was capable of yet failing where Camilla had succeeded, but thankfully I was more than aware of what was going through her head. freewebnoveℓ.com
"When you attack, try and strike specific spots instead of just hitting the dummy wherever. Angle the blade in a way that it moves smoothly off of the target instead of just trying to go through it, and don’t concern yourself with using all of your strength.
A single perfectly placed strike is far more deadly and rewarding than simply butchering what is in front of you. It is also far safer for you, allowing you to go from one target to the next without becoming bogged down in unnecessary duels."
Nicoletta nodded, and although her expression was still somewhat downtrodden her ears and tail were twitching in the way that showed she was holding back her excitement, and when I handed her the next blade she went back at it immediately.
I could see how she was trying to take my guidance and use it immediately, but sadly she was far too accustomed to her somewhat brutish style of combat, so it was going to take her time; I wanted to continue to watch, but seeing Leone stride in with a mask of a smile pulled me away immediately.
"The Demon Clans have informed us that the Fiends are becoming far more active now... We are safe since we are so deep inside of the Empire, but because of that we are expected to offer more to those cities that are on the fronts."
Her quiet voice was unheard by the pups, though even if they did hear it I doubt they would understand what it meant, so I didn’t mind replying to her in a similar tone, speaking freely here surrounded by my pups.
"By how much, exactly? We might have had the time to establish ourselves, but even with everything we’ve done we aren’t exactly sitting on an excessive amount of resources of any kind. People especially."
The Vampire pursed her lips and took a moment to look around before she murmured "Thankfully we aren’t expected to send anyone up to fight, but we are being asked to provide arms, armor, supplies... and of course, food. As for how much... a lot."
It wasn’t exactly a tangible number she gave me, but gauging by how she said it I figured it had to be somewhat of an absurd number, which didn’t initially fall in line with what I was thinking the Demon Clans would ask of us considering the relationship we had.
Yet at the same time it felt exactly like something Belian would send to us since it had been so long since we had been established; it was a test to see how much we respected the relationship we had with the Demon Clans, and it was also a test of what we had done.
"Jahi already knows?"
Leone nodded, so I just shrugged and added "Then everything is fine. Knowing our wife, she’ll want to send up quality over quantity to offset the lesser quantity of food we send. Anput and I have work now, I suppose, and you’ll need to begin brewing a fresh, potent batch of potion."
The Vampire just stared at me for a moment before smiling wryly as she replied "Well, Jahi actually... doesn’t want either of you working...", which made me roll my eyes as I said "Then she needs to come here herself and explain that. Neither of us are pregnant, and neither of us are suffering from much of anything."
"What do you need me for, my love?"
Feeling the familiar hands of my lover sliding over my hips, I just welcomed the possessive embrace that followed even as I looked up and said "Anput and I are going to produce enchanted arms and armor for this ’tithe’ that is being levied against us."
It was a statement of fact and not a request, causing the Demoness to raise a brow before she leaned down to kiss my brow, murmuring "I would rather you two not strain yourselves... it only makes it harder for me to-"
Pinching her arm and looking down towards the five pairs of eyes that were curiously - and timidly - looking at us, I smiled and said "Keep training, my pups. You have another few minutes before you earn yourselves the cake you begged me for.", causing them to all perk up before they threw themselves at the dummies.
"If I let you work how you want to, do I get ’cake’ as well, my love~?"
My reply was just to pinch her even as she used the Soul Bond between us to make it clear to me what she was going to do to me later, and even then it was redundant since I could feel her pressing against me as we stood there, watching my five pups train as hard as they could at the promise of desert.
