Before I started my training I wanted to measure my mana and ki. There were tools for that and Hoss granted us one for every one of us.

I took out the tool and used it. Soon two illusions took shape and showed me my current maximum mana and ki. My mana was 123 and my ki 114. It wasn't too bad, an adult person usually had around 100 in both but thanks to my training and the goblin hunting I already had one-quarter of mana more than a civilian.

The initial mana and ki didn't vary too much among people so it was a reliable indicator of how strong one was.

I was still far away from feeling strong though, usually, an empire's soldier had around 200 ki or mana depending on their role while an eastern warrior had around 1000 in one of the two. When one reached 10.000 in one of the two, they would be considered an elite and if one reached 100.000, they would become legends.

There were also three people and one entity that managed to surpass the million: Horus, Myrine, Claire, the hero of humanity, and the Dark Lord. No one knew the exact amount of their mana and ki but it surely was more than a million in at least one of the two.

Being a magic swordsman though I planned to raise both ki and mana more or less at the same pace, so in my case, you had to look at both to measure my strength.

After I finished checking my strength, I started my demonic attribute training.

The demonic attribute was technically legal in Hoss but it was still deemed evil by the population. So of course the higher-ups wouldn't allow me to use it, since they probably planned to use me for propaganda.

Because of that, I could do nothing but accept when Alua asked me not to use it for “safety reasons”. But unfortunately for her, she didn't check if I had my fingers crossed.

There's no way I could have accepted to use the virgin holy attribute instead of the chad demonic attribute, isn't it?

I trained my demonic attribute mana and ki manipulation every evening. The plan was to learn to use demonic martial arts, since I could train in the basics even inside of this room, and improve my demonic magic energy as much as I could, so that when I would become good enough I could unlock the charm attribute.

The charm attribute was a hybrid attribute created by mixing the dark and demonic attributes with approximately 2/3 to 1/3 proportions. Its magic influenced the target's mind by tricking their senses or even controlling them. It was also expensive mana wise and it didn't work if the target had strong defenses against magic but if used well it would be even more powerful than illusions in creating openings. Also, the idea of influencing people's minds enticed me.

The demonic attribute enhancing technique was quite similar to the fire's one but much more powerful and risky, it gave an even more massive boost but damaged the body parts in which it was infused. It was very dangerous but I judged that it could be one of the aces in the sleeve that one day would allow me to get away from Hoss's grasp.

During those two months I decided that one day I would get away from these bastards before they tried to use me in some war or some demon king subjugation; not before I could take all I could from them though. I would let them feed me all the spells, techniques, and equipment they wanted, then, as soon as I got the chance, I would escape using the aces in the sleeve I've been practicing in secret.

Then I would live a free life, not having to answer to anyone, while accumulating more power. I might even start practicing the other type of magic that I wanted: necromancy attribute magic. It was something I always wanted to use even before I came to this world, the standard of villainousness, the coolness made attribute.

It was a hybrid attribute created by mixing the dark and demonic attributes with 1/3 and 2/3 proportions that would allow me to control dead bodies like puppets and eventually turn them into full-fledged evil subordinates obeying all my orders, the dream of a life. Then I would have my personal place with loyal servants and no one to ever disturb me.

But while I could already secretly train in the demonic enhancing technique and would be able to test charm magic on myself when I would be able to use it, there's no way I could train in necromancy while in Hoss.

I went rapidly one floor downstairs and set up a rune. The rune would be maintaining the illusion of a very thin line that would arrive in my room and was made so that it would be destroyed by someone coming near it. It was a very rudimental alarm but it was the best I could do. Of course, I had no doubts that Alua would find it if she got up the stairs, she was a scout after all. But warning me was only half of its function, the other half was being found.

I returned to my room and started my training with demonic mana manipulation. I cast the energy outside of my body and then started manipulating it, changing its shape and moving it as far as I could without losing control of it. In this way, I trained my control on the attribute and also raise my affinity a little.

When I consumed a little less than half my energy I changed to demonic ki training. I started circulating the ki inside my body without activating it, adapting my body to that attribute and training my control on it. Like that, the buff I got and the damage to my body were minimal but it still hurt a bit. I didn't mind the pain though, physical stimuli were insignificant, the strength of the mind and willpower were everything that mattered, I would never let something like physical pain stop me from reaching my goals.

I decided to try using the demonic enhancement martial art on a punch. I recalled what I read in the library and tried applying it. I gathered ki on my right arm and compressed it, making the pain get sharper. I was still slow at doing it but eventually, I would be able to do it in a few instants. After compressing the ki until I could, I had to activate the martial art.

The demonic attribute was believed to be the actualization of the idea of "Drive". Demonic magic and martial art were fueled by one's desires and ambitions, the more intense the drive the more you became one with the attribute, generating more power from the same amount of energy.

The affinity represented the compatibility with an attribute and how much you could potentially enter in harmony with that concept. By focusing on that concept, you harmonize with it and can use your affinity to its most. Harmonizing with the concept or meditating about its nature often raised your affinity in the long run.

In the case of holy and demonic, the concepts were serenity and drive. Those were very volatile concepts and their affinities were the ones that could vary the most during one's life. For the demonic attribute, chaotic and selfish desires were the most efficient ones, which made it the ideal attribute for me.

I imagined my punch launched in an explosive punch, hitting Hoss's citadel and making it crumble, burying Alua and all the city's upper class under a mountain of debris.

I felt the energy rumbling and swirling erratically inside my arm, then something clicked, and guided by a feeling I unleashed the martial art and punched the air.

I launched a right with inhuman strength, generating a gust of air. That was the first time I managed to do it correctly. Now the energy in my arm was gone and it felt like my arm was burning from the inside but I was feeling nothing but satisfaction. I started to prepare for another attempt when I suddenly saw my alarm disappearing.

I hurriedly started to cast pure holy magic energy to erase the demonic energy in the air and then I prepared my disguise.

I heard fast steps outside the door. I didn't know if it was Alua but I could do nothing but prepare the disguise in case it was her. I was hoping it wasn't, I didn't know if my basic Holy attribute manipulation was enough to hide the fact that I used demonic energy.

The steps soon arrived at my door and then Alua opened the door without knocking, unlike usual. What was in front of her eyes though was just a young man lying on the bed, under the bedsheets, looking at a crude illusion of her naked body. The sheets were also bulging near my groin, I did it with my fingers but she couldn't know it.

“...............”

“................”

She then slammed the door and said:

“ come to the living room, I wanted to have a word with you.”

Then I heard her walk away.

'All according to plan.'

Thanks to this facade I could justify the alarm I put on the stairs. Like that, I managed to know when she would arrive, to justify the alarm, and to have her go away from my room as fast as possible in one move. And if she asked me why I didn't cancel the illusion when seeing the alarm, I could just say I was too busy contemplating our guardian angel's graces to notice it.

I waited a couple of minutes and then went downstairs to talk to her. She just wanted to tell me that since I got quite good in Vossian, this world's language, I would cut an hour of Vossian from my daily schedule to study more in-depth adventuring tactics. It seemed that in the end, she decided to keep me as party leader.

After that, I returned to my room and did some more secret training before going to sleep.

---Alua's point of view---

'That damn brat, I can't believe he's using illusions like that.'

I thought as I was walking towards Ron's office.

I hated the thought of that kid masturbating at me, but it couldn't be helped, after all my duty was also to entice the two male heroes. It meant I was serving my country well but I couldn't help but desire they were two females and one male instead, in that case, their main guardian would have been Ron instead of me.

I entered the office and stood in front of Ron's desk, he was doing paperwork while seated in front of me. The last time I saw him was when we disembarked after saving the brats, two months ago.

He now was the girl's magic teacher but most of the time he was working as an Agens around the city, probably gathering information for the holy empire.

Being an Agens, one of the empire's fanatic puppets, he had a bigger authority than me. I hated it but It couldn't be helped, this country couldn't afford to be without the empire so we had to be deferential towards them, at least for now.

“All is proceeding well, the heroes are quite talented this time, David seems to be a good party leader, his blessing still hadn't emerged though.”

I said.

“Tell me about today's subjugation.”

I told him how they did in detail and he listened without raising his head from his paperwork.

“The girl seems quite stressed out, I think it's the right time for you to start reassuring her. The two boys seem quite alright, David showed interest in me but Oliver still didn't show any interest. I also think that David needs to blow off some stress.”

I continued.

“You can't offer yourself to him, otherwise you would lose Oliver, go take some demi-human from the slums, I will take care of the afterward.”

“Copy that, may I take my leave?”

“There's still something. The empire is planning to train our heroes together. This time we, unfortunately, got only one hero and he seems to know one of your heroes. he has no one that can share the burden of being a hero with him, so in the next few months the empire might decide to send him to train here. That's all, you can go now.”

I took my leave and left the office, I felt irritation creeping up on me, talking with those arrogant Eshians never failed to upset me.

I sighed, thinking of the day where we could finally be an independent state both in name and facts. I thought about the recent rumors about hollows having infiltrated the upper ranks of Zaven. Normally one would hope for it not to be true but I thought it differently. If it turned out to be true and war broke out, it could be the opportunity for us to get rid of the enemies that slowed us down until now and obtain achievements. Then Hoss could finally let its voice be heard. It wouldn't free us from the empire's influence but without Zaven's threat, Hoss would lose the reason to rely on the empire's army. It was a start, at least.

I hoped that day would come soon but until then I had to be patient and do what I needed to do.

I then returned to my room to take some rest while thinking about what I would have to do tomorrow, being a guardian was stressful as hell.