Chapter 100: Preparations

"The Apex Mansion?" she repeated, staring at Caelus. "Why are we supposed to meet at your residence?"

Caelus adjusted his sleeve. "Because I’ve already arranged it, and it has better facilities than any place we could secure at the Academy on such short notice."

"That doesn’t mean you get to decide everything for us."

"I decided where we would meet. You’re welcome to decide what we do once we’re there."

Anna’s expression tightened, but Caelus had already started walking.

She looked ready to continue the argument, then apparently reconsidered. The Academy’s training facilities were useful, but the more popular areas were frequently occupied, and finding somewhere private enough to assess their abilities without an audience would take time.

She had no practical objection to the location.

That, unfortunately for her, left only the argument itself.

"Fine," she muttered, following him. "But don’t expect me to let you order everyone around just because we’re at your mansion."

Caelus glanced over his shoulder.

"Would you prefer I order you around somewhere else?"

Anna’s pace quickened.

"You’re doing it again!"

"Doing what?"

"Being insufferable!"

He turned forward again, concealing the faint smile that threatened to appear.

He had three days to prepare this team for a battle against Lucian and Eve, and somehow, the most immediate obstacle was an Imperial Princess who regarded every sentence he spoke as a personal provocation.

Perhaps he should have prayed after all.

By the time they reached the Apex Mansion, Caelus had decided that the journey had been sufficiently educational. He now knew that Anna could walk for several minutes without speaking, provided he gave her something to be annoyed about, and that Ruven was perfectly capable of remaining silent when he suspected a conversation might end with him being threatened again.

Seren, meanwhile, had barely said a word.

She followed the others with her hands clasped in front of her, occasionally glancing at the mansion before quickly lowering her gaze. Even after arriving, she seemed uncertain whether she was permitted to enter without someone explicitly telling her to do so.

Caelus noticed her hesitation and held the door open.

"Come in."

"Th-thank you."

She stepped inside.

The Apex Mansion offered considerably more room than the ordinary Academy residences. Its private training grounds were the principal reason Caelus had chosen it, though the additional space would also allow them to discuss their abilities without drawing the attention of half the student body.

He led them through the main hall and toward the training area, where enough space had been cleared for practical exercises. He had no intention of spending the afternoon discussing strategies around a table only to discover that their theoretical plans fell apart the moment anyone moved.

They needed to understand one another in motion.

"Before we begin," Caelus said, turning toward the group, "we should establish what each of us can do. We have three days. That’s enough time to develop a workable strategy, provided we don’t spend it arguing about where to hold a meeting."

Anna folded her arms.

"That last part was unnecessary."

"I thought it was relevant."

"Of course you did."

Caelus ignored her.

"Let’s start with you, Your Highness."

"Fire," she replied. "I’m a Martial Artist with a Fire Affinity. I specialize in close combat, and I can use my Affinity to reinforce my attacks."

She offered no demonstration, nor did she seem particularly interested in elaborating. As the Emperor’s daughter, Anna had grown up surrounded by people who understood what her position and training implied. She had little reason to prove her strength to three students who were supposed to be her teammates, especially when one of them was Caelus.

He didn’t press her.

Her abilities were the least concerning part of the team. He had enough information to begin considering how to incorporate her into their formation, and he could ask for more details when they began practical training.

"Ruven?"

The Knight straightened.

"My specialty is close-range combat with a claymore. My Wind Affinity allows me to enhance my movement and the force of my attacks."

He described his training and preferred approach to combat with considerably more confidence than he had demonstrated during the final moments of their duel. He also made no mention of the injuries he had sustained.

Caelus listened without interrupting.

"Caelus Vespera," he said when Ruven finished. "Mage Department. Water Affinity. I specialize in spell construction and adapting my magic to the situation."

He kept the description brief.

That left Seren.

She had been watching the others with increasingly anxious eyes. When Caelus looked toward her, her shoulders drew inward, and she lowered her gaze to her clasped hands.

"Seren?" he prompted.

She opened her mouth, hesitated, and tried again.

"I-I have a Special Ability c-called Vector Sight."

Caelus waited.

When she didn’t continue, he asked, "What does it do?"

Seren glanced at him, then immediately looked away.

"I can see the d-direction of movement. And... the force behind it, to some extent. When something moves, I...can tell where its m-momentum is carrying it. Sometimes I can t-tell where an attack will leave an opening."

Her voice was so quiet that Caelus had to concentrate to catch the last few words.

"Can you see attacks before they happen?" Ruven asked.

Seren shook her head quickly.

"N-No. I have to see the m-movement first. I can’t read what s-someone is thinking, and I can’t...predict what they’ll decide to do. I...can only u-understand what their body is already doing."

"How many people can you track at once?" Caelus asked.

"I... it depends."

"On what?"

"H-how fast they’re moving, how complicated their movements are, and..."

She paused, then continued in a smaller voice.

"If something b-blocks my view, I c-can’t see through it."

Caelus regarded her thoughtfully.

Vector Sight was an unusual ability, but its potential was immediately apparent. Someone who could identify the direction and force of movement could provide valuable information in a team battle.

It wasn’t precognition, and it wouldn’t make Seren a capable fighter by itself. She still needed to interpret what she saw and communicate it clearly enough for the others to respond.

That last part appeared to be the problem.

Her ability could provide information the team needed, but its value depended on whether she could convey that information before the opportunity disappeared.

Still, Caelus found himself reconsidering his earlier assessment.

He had mistaken her lack of confidence for a lack of usefulness. The distinction mattered, particularly when his team was going to need every advantage it could obtain.

"That’s useful," he said.

Seren lifted her eyes.

"R-really?"

"Of course. Information about an opponent’s movement can be decisive, especially when fighting a coordinated team."

Her expression brightened for a fleeting moment before she seemed to remember herself and lowered her gaze again.

Caelus continued. "We’ll need to test the limits of your ability. If you can identify openings and communicate them quickly enough, we can use that to coordinate our attacks."

Seren nodded, though she still looked uncertain.

Anna, who had remained quiet during the introductions, finally spoke.

"She has a good ability. You don’t need to make her explain everything at once."

Caelus looked at her.

"I asked what she could do. She answered."

"You kept questioning her."

"Because I need to understand how her ability works if we’re going to use it."

"And you couldn’t have said that without making it sound like an interrogation?"

Caelus stared at her for a moment.

He had asked three questions.

Three.

If that constituted an interrogation, he was beginning to understand why so many people struggled to exchange information efficiently.

Before he could respond, Seren spoke again.

"I-It’s all right. I can answer."

Both of them turned toward her.

She immediately stiffened.

"I-I mean... I don’t mind. I w-want to help."

Anna’s expression softened, while Caelus resisted the urge to point out that they had somehow managed to make a simple conversation more intimidating than the questions themselves.

He settled for nodding.

"Then let’s see what you can do."

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A/N: We’ve officially hit 100 Chapters! xD

Honestly, thank you to everyone who’s been reading, supporting, commenting, and sticking with this story. Every bit of support means a lot to me, and I’m genuinely grateful that you’ve chosen to spend your time reading my work.

I hope you’ll continue supporting the novel as we move forward, because there’s still a lot more story left to tell.

Regardless of what happens, I’ll keep writing. We’ve made it to 100 Chapters, and I’m not planning to stop anytime soon.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Here’s to the next 100!