“I..”

Before Alex speak, the grand duke asked.

“How about a spar?”

Alex was surprised, he consider this offer seriously and nodded “Thank you for your guidance”

Alex and grand duke was separated for a few meters. But before they started, suddenly someone called,

“Father”

Both of them look at the voice source.

“Can we talk?”

“Alicia?” Grand duke surprised. Yes, the owner of the voice was Alicia. “Sure”

“Father, I want to go to the dungeon again”

Grand duke and Alex was shocked. Their eyes widened.

“Alicia?” Alex was stunned.

“Alicia, Are you serious?” Grand duke asked.

“Yes” Alicia nodded.

“Why?” Grand duke asked again.

“Because of him” Alicia pointed at Alex.

Grand duke immediately sent an angry glare at him.

“Alex is strong, but I’m too weak to help him, I don’t want to be protected all the time, I don’t want to stand behind him all the time. I want to stand beside him, always beside him. Even the whole world see him as an enemy, I want to stay beside him, I want to help him. So when the time come, I can proudly said I am his woman.”

“Alicia” Alex’s heart was moved. “Then I will follow you to the dungeon”

“No! You can’t follow! Everybody can, except you. If not, you will only protect me again and again.”

Grand duke was shocked, his playful daughter was grown up. He want to reject this idea at first, but seeing the determination in Alicia’s eyes, the word stuck in his throat.

“Sigh…It’s time the girl in the house to grown up and soar to the sky”

“Your sister Mia also want to the dungeon, how about you follow her?”

“Can Firia also joined?”

“Yes, She only have three people in her group, so with you two make it five, it perfect then. You talk to her about it”

“Yes Father” Alicia smiled and left to find her sister.

After Alicia left, the grand duke give a sharp glance at Alex.

“Now, Our time to spar” The grand duke smiled evilly. Even though he already approved and engage him with Alicia, but seeing Alicia grown up and leaving him like this still hurt him a bit, he want to vent all this to Alex.

Alex was shivered, he want to reject but can’t reject, he want to cry but have no tears and reluctantly accept.

Alex and Grand duke readied their stance.

“Your stance….” grand duke astonished.

“I never learn sword art before, I only practice some basic sword movement such as Slashing, stabbing, or parrying. This stance was the result from fighting with many monsters” Alex explained.

The duke nodded solemnly, Alex reaching this point alone in his age was really surprising. Even hunter or adventurer who dealt with monsters daily might not reach this if they are in Alex’s age.

Alex right hand hold the sword and his left hand hold his spear. He rarely use his spear and sword simultaneously when fighting monsters. He only use them together when he had a hard fight, of course, the spear was provided by system. His right leg was in front his left leg by one step away and his body turned a bit to left.

Grand duke observed this stance a bit, He thought this stance have weakness from Alex’s right side since his body turned a bit to left, that might be a blind spot he thought. But seeing Alex’s left hand that held a spear, he shook his head inwardly. The spear’s length make it a bit impossible, Alex can cover his right side.

“Let’s start, you can make your move first” Grand duke said.

Alex nodded, he use his boost step right of the bat, he hope this speed can make the duke a bit shocked and give him opportunity.

The duke was astonished with Alex speed, he noticed the little bit explosion under Alex speed that might be the reason for Alex’s speed change but he soon recovered. He wave his sword toward Alex.

Alex parried it, ‘Strong’ He thought. He was overpowered by grand duke raw strength.

He use a couple boost step on his hand. He manage to repel grand duke’s sword. Grand duke was astonished with this. It’s seems this peculiar techniques not only can be use for his speed, bu also for his power depending how he use it.

The grand duke move a few meters away from Alex.

“How versatile that techniques of yours, that techniques can give you speed or power depending how you use it. It might give you another boost on another area, from my observation, you can use this techniques on all your body part”

Alex shocked, the duke was spot on with his speculation.

“Well…try to use all your techniques, though my element was wind, I might can give you some advice from my own experience”

“Thank you for your guidance” Alex said.

As soon as he said that, Alex use another boost step toward grand duke.

“I said to use all your techniques, using the same movement in a fight continuously might give your opponent a chance”

Alex only smiled. He use his boost step to stop his advance two meters away from grand duke. He thrust his spear to duke’s head.

“It might be dangerous if your spear was at high rank, but this is only a normal spear.” He parried the spear thrust easily.

Alex and the duke was exchanging blow and blow. They clashed for around two hundred blow, series of clashing between Alex’s sword and spear with duke’s sword was heard around the mansion. Alicia who was still packing up her clothes, opened her windows and watching this.

The madam who was in her study room also got out from her room and watching this scene. Servant that went pass by also stopped for a while to watch the spar between Alex and grand duke.

“Fire Arrow”

Alex sent around twenty fire arrow to grand duke.

“Boom Boom!” Series of explosion was heard in there.

“Oi, Are you going to destroy this garden?” Grand duke teased.

“Ummm, Sorry” Alex apologize, he didn’t have any intention to do that, he was just caught up with the fight.

Grand duke saw many people come to watch this, there are his wife, Alicia, Mia, butler Ji and Some servants.

“Let’s finished this with one sword strike, I will just use my Wind Strike”

This wind strike was similar to Alex’s flame sword wave, The duke already showed it to him during this spar. But Alex still haven’t show his Flame Sword Wave.

Alex nodded, He raise his sword, pouring his mana to his sword.

The duke saw this shocked, he grinned,

“Good good. This techniques of yours was really good, it was similar to my Wind Strike. What is the name of this techniques?”

Alex swing his sword while shouting “Flame Sword Wave”

A tyrannical and beautiful red colored sword wave move toward the duke. Mia who watching this scene felt oppressed. Because her element was also fire element, the fire element inside of her body was suppressed by Alex absolute Flame, this ‘Flame Sword Wave’ was a techniques that utilize Alex’s absolute flame.

“Good, I can’t lose can I? This is my Wind Strike”

A wind crescent sword wave fly toward Alex.

“Crap, I use too much power” Grand duke said. “Alex Dodge it”

But grand duke was too late, Alex’s Flame sword wave and his Wind Strike Already clashed with each other, because the difference in power, Alex’s Flame sword wave was destroyed. Though Alex’s Flame sword wave manage to fight a bit but soon destroyed.

“Alex!” Alicia shouted. Alex didn’t manage to dodge this strike.

“BOOM!” The duke’s wind strike reach Alex.

The fog was soon cleared away, Alicia already tear up. But she soon saw Alex figure standing between the smoke.

Alex using all of his mana to use ‘Flame Armor’ to make a shield made of flame on his right hand to guard The wind strike.

Alex head was fuzzy, his body was hurt all of her. Because of this strike he got internal injuries, he need around a week to recover.

“Alex!” Alicia relieved when she saw Alex was fine. All people who watching this was also relieved. Especially grand duke who release his wind strike. He scared, is he going to personally kill this son-in-law by his own hand…

Alex spurted blood and collapse to the ground.

“Alex!” Alicia immediately ran out from the window and went to Alex.

Grand duke immediately arrived at Alex and support him, not letting he fall to the ground. The closest was madam.

“How is he?” Madam asked with much concern.

“He is fine, he only passed out.” Grand duke assured her.

“Sigh” The madam was relieved, but soon become angry “But you should control your own strength, look at what you done. You almost kill him, are you going to make Alicia become a widow”

Grand duke was sweatdropped.

“Alex!” Alicia already arrived at the back garden.

Alicia check his condition.

“Don’t worry, he only passed out” Grand duke said apologetically.

Alicia relieved when she heard Alex was fine, but soon throw an angry look at her father, “Father, why are you doing this, you are a rank 7 while Alex only rank 4. Are you out of your mind father?”

Grand duke was sweatdropped again. His back was full of cold sweat. He secretly sighed, ‘His son-in-law already fully snatched his daughter. Now, she can scold her father because of him.’

“Don’t worry, he will be fine” Grand duke can only said that awkwardly.

They carried Alex to his room.

…

At night, Alex woke up, he slowly opened his eyes. He saw a familiar ceiling.

“This is my room?” Alex recognized this room.

He check his body condition, though there are no physical injuries, only a sore body. But he get some internal injuries, even with rank 2 restoration pill he need around three days to recover, but he didn’t have any stock for restoration pills now. He might need to rest for a week.

He want to raise his left hand, but he felt like his hand was hold by something. He look at his hand, he saw Alicia sat on the floor beside his bed holding his hand while sleeping. Alex smiled gently, his heart was filled with warmth.

Alex try to get up slowly. He manage to get to the sitting position. Alex gently smiled to Alicia, he raised his right hand weakly to reach Alicia’s head. He slowly patted her head and stroke her hair. Alicia awoke because of this.

“mmm” Alicia slowly opened her eyes, she felt comfortable when Alex patted her head and want to sleep again with that feeling. But she forced her eyes open. She look at Alex.

“You woke up” Alex gently smiled.

“Alex!” She hugged Alex strongly.

Alex closed his eyes, and slowly stroke her back. “I’m sorry for making you worried” He said gently on her ear.

“Wa!” Alicia realized, she was impulsive just now. She slowly released him awkwardly. She was embarrassed, her face become so red like a tomato.

Alex look at her face that become so cute, Alex said with a low voice “Thank you”

Alicia who heard this was surprised, her red face that was so cute was filled with a very big smile.