I JUST WANT A PEACEFUL LIFE

"Angus.. Angus… Big sis is losing!!" exclaimed Anna while forgetting about the rabbits.

"Anna, don't move around or I will not carry you." rebuked Angus while ignoring her remark.

"Ehh… No!! Anna loves being carried. Anna is too lazy to walk." replied Anna bluntly.

While Anna and Angus are chatting, Jayna and Brigida continue their sparring. From a glance, the two women seem equal. But Angus knows Jayna is losing. Although Brigida's body is not fully recovered, she can compensate for it with her vast combat experience.

Moreover, she is not the prodigy of Nergal for nothing. With limited movement, she could easily parry and counter all Jayna's moves.

"Hmm?? Why is Big Sis not using fire?" asked Anna curiously.

"Because her fire is useless to Brigida. Jayna's fire's main strength is melting the opponent's weapon and armor. However, Brigida's halberd is an artifact that she is fully mastered. It means it could withstand Jayna's fire."

"If Jayna keeps channeling intense fire mana to her sword, it will deplete her mana faster. On the other hand, Brigida could just parry her attack and wait for Jayna to exhaust herself." explained Angus.

"Not using a flaming sword at this time is a good decision. Though it heavily reduces her attack power." added Angus.

Suddenly, Brigida points her finger at Jayna during the exchange of blows and shoots a lightning bolt [2nd Circle - Lightning Bolt]. *Zzztzz* The lightning bolt instantly hit Jayna and zapped her for a few moments.

Using this opportunity, Brigida hit Jayna's sword and threw it away before pointing her halberd at Jayna with a ragged breath. Brigida's body and stamina are still bad. She could fight in prolonged physical fights.

"Urgh.. How were you able to instantly cast spells like that?! I thought Angus was the only one capable of doing it with his freaky mind." Jayna said while trying to erase the numbness in her body.

'Freaky mind?!' thought Angus inwardly.

"It's movement spellcasting." replied Brigida while retracting her halberd.

"Movement spellcasting?" asked Jayna in confusion.

"If I am not wrong, it is an advanced technique to cast a spell by using complicated movements and mana manipulation rather than a common way of casting, right?" chimed Angus from the side.

"Yes, Master Angus." replied Brigida respectfully.

'Why did she look more respectful to Angus than me?!!' thought Jayna inwardly as she noticed the different way of speaking.

"Advanced technique?! Angus, did you know this?" asked Jayna, ignoring Brigida.

"Well, I heard about it and read it in the books. But, it has a lot of restrictions and takes too much time to practice just to cast a single low-circle spell. It is not a suitable technique for a magician with many spells like me. Hence, I never practice it." said Angus.

"Hmm… Can you teach me?" asked Jayna.

"No." replied Angus directly.

"Ehh.. Why? Isn't it useful for me to have that? I didn't know too many spells besides the low circle one." Jayna.

"Because it takes a long time to practice and has a lot of requirements. Brigida, how long does it take for you before you can cast lightning bolts like that?"  asked Angus.

"Five years of full practice. I also agree with Master Angus, Princess Jayna. There are too many strict requirements for this technique. The user also must not be distracted during the movement casting since it requires manipulating the mana in the body in a certain way."

"Any single distraction may lead to backlash or injury. You cannot avoid injury or backlash unless you reach a certain level. However, I am rarely able to use this technique since fighting is always full of distraction, especially when fighting an unknown opponent." explained Brigida.

"Hmm.. I don't believe I couldn't learn it faster with [Analyze]." said Jayna.

"No, you can't. [Analyze] will not help too much with this technique. In fact, this technique is a straightforward concept. As long as you know the right mana and body movement for the spell, you could use it." said Angus.

"However, the implementation is too hard. It is similar to training mana control. That's why I told you it is a waste of too much time to practice and you can only cast a low-circle spell. It is not worth the effort." added Angus.

While Angus talks and evaluates the two women's performance, a knight approaches them.

"Excuse me, Baron Victory. Duchess Amberblaze asked for your presence." said the knight respectfully.

"Sure. Alright, continue your practice. Anna, don't wander around. I will go first." said Angus before following the knight.

"Hm?? Okay." replied Anna cheerfully while hugging her fluffy ball.

Entering the room, Angus finds Aunt Extalia sitting behind the desk and talking to a few nobles in front of her. Most of them had a high military position.

"Good. Everyone is here." said Duchess Amberblaze after noticing Angus' arrival.

"There are a few things I need to discuss with you. First, I want you to be ready to battle in the next few days. There is a possibility we will battle for real." explained Duchess Amberblaze.

"During this period, I want the cavalry army to be ready to be deployed anytime…" ordered the Duchess to other nobles.

After giving a series of instructions, "Baron Victory, how about the research of the mysterious tentacle beast? Is there a possibility it will return?" asked the Duchess.

"We are still not able to identify the creature. The beast is not from this Humane region. But we are certain the beast is no longer here. After a series of investigations, we theorized it may be attracted to the Krugguar Emperor or strong lightning elemental." said Angus.

"To be safe, I suggest not to use potent large-scale lightning attacks in the area for a while." added Angus.

"Hmm… There should be no problem. Most of our soldiers are using fire elemental. However, Nergal is famous for its water and lightning elemental users. Still, it is good news that the beast is no longer here." said the Duchess.

"Alright, everyone out and do your task. Baron Victory, stay here." added Duchess Amberblaze.

After everyone goes out, "Is there anything else, Aunt?" asked Angus worriedly.

"There is some news about the religious group that ambushed us before. It is confirmed that the Blirin religious group is completely annihilated. Same like all the followers of Bliasm we met before, most of the devoted ones killed on the spot while the regular more left with a serious injury."

"Surprisingly, many people in our kingdom also have this injury. Some even have important positions in the kingdom." explained Aunt Extalia.

"That's quite a problem. We need to do better screening for our people. So, how about the kingdoms and the main territory of Blirin?" asked Angus.

"They are… A few days ago, all the residents were mysteriously gone in one night. According to the report, not even their corpse or blood was found in the area. However, there are some traces of battle." replied Aunt Extalia.

"In one night? No blood and corpse? Vampire." said Angus shortly.

"Yeah, there is a possibility it is done by them. With Master Darren's spatial mastery, I believe it is easy to eradicate all these kingdoms in a short time. Since the movement is too big, many national leaders are urging another World Alliance meeting."

"However, the elves refuse to hold a meeting over this matter and completely turn a blind eye. I don't think I need to tell you this."

"But I don't want you to get into too much contact with them anymore to avoid unnecessary trouble. They are beyond our power and scope." warned Aunt Extalia.

"I will see what I can do. But, no promise. You know how unpredictable Anna can be. How about the other religious group we caught?" asked Angus.

"Since they are attacking us outside our territory, we couldn't do much to them besides some torture. You know how tough those religious bastards are. Sometimes I think they are just a bunch of masochistic nuts."

"Currently, We are in the middle of negotiating with Karum and Zion for compensation and remuneration. There are some possibilities that we need to release them after the other group pays some remuneration." explained Aunt Extalia.

"But, I doubt it. You should know how angry Leon was after hearing about the ambush. If he is not busy with the Udrary Kingdom, he may already lead an army to purge all the Karum and Zion believers in our kingdom." smirked Aunt Extalia.

"I see." replied Angus shortly.

"Don't even think about it, Angus. You should not get too much contact with them." said Aunt Extalia.

"Hmm? What are you talking about, Aunt?" asked Angus.

"*Sigh* There are only a few forces capable of hitting a worldwide organization like the Temple of Death in this world. Moreover, a few days after they get hit, you come up with a lot of divine and healing art. It is clear who the mastermind behind this attack is." said the Duchess.

"Tch… I thought King Leon was supposed to keep this secret. Isn't he bound by a contract?" said Angus.

"Well, sorry to say. There is no secret between Leon and me. No non-disclosure contract will work for the two of us. It is like you and Jayna." replied the Duchess.

"Anyway, I am not saying we shouldn't get in touch with them since sometimes we also need their service. But, I just hope you are not involved with them too much." added Aunt Extalia.