"Father, why do you want me to be strong?" I ask my cold-hearted father who was training to use Astral Swords.

"As a member of a noble bloodline, you must be powerful, a weak Noble would just be eaten by the trash called commoners." Father answers with displeasure. The hundred and twenty swords circle around me, talking advantage of every holes in my defence.

Father once praised that I was talented in our Lineage Art: Astral Swords but the only thing I was rewarded after that was strict training from the age of six.

Father never moved a single step whilst training me, he only moved the flying swords around him to attack me using their blunt edges, tripping me over or bruising me whenever I was careless.

"I don't want to train, I want to live normally like my friends, I want freedom!" I roared towards my father who emotionlessly watched my tantrum. For five years, I've endured pain and suffering for something I don't even desire to have. Why should I care about nobility or power?

"It seems I've pampered you too much at a young age." Father narrowed his eyes coldly then broke my manifested swords with a snap of his finger.

"You must think that you're the most pitiful girl in the world, that strength doesn't matter at all to nobles like the both of us, but you're wrong. So wrong in fact, that it makes me want to punish you, why can't you be more mature like Fredrick's son? If you had half the determination of his son, you would have been able to unlock the second layer of Astral Swords and earned glory for our noble Household!" Father growls in anger. His eyes seemed to contain a blazing inferno of rage.

"I'm sorry." I give up and apologise.

I don't want Father to hate me. I don't like it when father looks at me like that.

After mother died, father hasn't been the same, the times when father would look at me in such a way increased.

I don't know what father feels when he makes that face but I know that it's because I did something wrong.

I'm sorry, father, your daughter will try harder. I won't ever complain anymore.

I didn't lower my head nor did I cry, I used actions rather than words to communicate what I felt. I closed my eyes for a second, and when I opened them, I felt more in touch with my ability. The swords hovering around me doubled their number to eighty before I attacked. A surprised expression appeared on my father's face before he casually blocked.

"Good! Good! You've grown. You may just be able to reclaim our Household's lost glory. Now that you've surpassed my younger self in all aspects, I'm sure Helen would be proud, good girl!" My father praised as the fire in his eyes cooled down. A satisfied smile curved onto his lips as he praised my talent.

"As a reward, name something you want and I'll give it to you." Father generously says as he gave me a hug.

"I want Simon to be my personal servant." I ask with a blushing face.

I only noticed him after he beat Jack up with his strange Arts and Spells. He's so cool~ He's like a legendary Hero~

"He'll naturally become your personal servant if he can reach the third level of Aura Manifestation, in fact, he'll become something much more than that if he is able to draw out his potential at such an early age." Father's smile was a little scary as he said that.

Simon is going to become something more than a personal servant?

"Forget it, you yourself should be making preparations to enter the third level of Aura Manifestation as well."

"What is the 'third level'?" I couldn't help but ask. Father never really gave me much of an explanation on it.

"The first level is just the augmentation of the flesh, the second level is Manifestation of the elements, but these two are merely the foundation used to reach the third level: Skill Root." Father patiently explains.

"You may not be able to understand right now, but you should keep in mind that the first and second level of Aura Manifestation aren't weak. It's just that those two levels aren't able to be as 'Mystical' as the third level." I wasn't able to understand father's warning very clearly, and my expression seemed to be unable hide my thoughts, father could only sigh as he explained further.

"As I've said many times before, those who increase their mastery over the augmentation of flesh are classed as Warriors whilst those that focus on the second level of Aura Manifestation are classed as Magicians."

"These two professions are weaker in close-combat compared to those classed as Combatant but they are still dangerous in their own right." Father informed while shaking his head.

"But what's a Skill Root?" I didn't really have much of an interest in learning about Magicians or Warriors because Combatants are cooler~! I heard that some of them can teleport! Father sighed he looked at me for a moment.

"Skill Root, as in the 'root' of all your future skills, a very important foundation for your future development as a Combatant. My own 'Sword Eyes' Skill Root is one of the few high quality Skill Roots that exist within the world. However, you must remember that I'm unable to help you any further than giving you pointers. A Skill Root isn't something that can be sought, it is something that's found, I want you to try to find your own root."

Father left after leaving behind those words, and after I made sure no one was looking, I lazily lay on the grass of my own personal Training Grounds.

Father's 'Sword Eyes' Skill Root is amazing, just thinking about how showed off his Skill Root a few days ago makes me feel excited about what my own will be like, a fire burns deeply in my heart as I looked at the cloudy sky.

I want a Skill Root as well. Father said he'll let me adventure if I'm able to create one before the age of fifteen.

"Young Miss, what are you thinking about?" Anna suddenly appeared beside me and asks with curiosity.

I wasn't really that surprised by her sudden appearance, Anna always liked to scare me like this when I was younger, but now it's just childish. I'm not that same little girl anymore.

"I'm thinking about how talented you are in using your Dark Aura." I say sarcastically. I definitely wouldn't show this side of me to father, who knows how father would after seeing me like this, would he be disappointed in me?

"Young Miss, don't even mention my talent, I've never even heard of someone like you who could instantly learn Ninja Techniques I had so painstakingly mastered." Anna says with dispiritedly. A smile couldn't help but curve on my lips as I saw her mood.

"I know I'm a talented genius. So praise me more~" I say playfully and gave her a hug. I'd never be able to forget how easy forming 'Shadow Images' were.

"By the way, have you invited Simon over? I want to meet him." My eyes brighten as I ask enthusiastically.

"No worries. Martha should be bringing him here any moment." After hearing her words, I gestured her to prepare a table, it'd be embarrassing if he saw me lazily laying on the grass.