CHAPTER 88: CHRONICLES OF THE TOURNAMENT

"Sometimes you act like a kid," Lyra teased, folding her arms. "And then sometimes, you act so mature it’s hard to keep up. But Celia and Linda? They’re not S-rank. Not yet."

Nolan sighed. "Maybe so. But I’ll be ready when the first day of the tournament begins."

Lyra shook her head with a faint smile. "We’ll see," she said, turning for the door. As she stepped out, she added, "Rest well. The matches start the day after tomorrow."

The door clicked shut behind her.

"Tomorrow, I’ll check the arena myself," Nolan muttered. "See how strong the place really is... and test the hot spring while I’m at it."

He stripped off his jacket, leaving only his shorts, and slung a towel around his neck before heading downstairs. But the moment he reached the backyard, his steps froze.

Celia, Linda, Lyra—and even Cynthia—stood there, each wrapped in nothing but towels, steam rising faintly behind them.

"What... what are you doing here?" Nolan stammered.

They all smiled at once. "We’re about to take a bath. You can join us if you want to," they chimed playfully.

Nolan’s face flushed red in an instant. "N-no! No thanks!" He spun on his heel and marched back inside, his heartbeat racing. By the time he reached the stairs, he muttered under his breath, "My heart... I can’t handle this stuff."

He shut himself in his room and flopped onto the bed. "I wanted to enjoy the hot spring today, but it looks like that’s impossible. Guess I’ll just stay here. I’m bored... should I train? Should I try stopping time again?"

A few minutes later, there was a soft knock on Nolan’s door.

He pushed himself off the bed and opened it. Standing there were Celia and Linda, both freshly bathed and dressed in clean dresses, their hair still damp from the steam.

"Master... can we come in?" Celia asked gently.

"Uh, yeah. Of course." Nolan stepped aside, and the two of them slipped inside.

They stood before him, hands clasped in front of them like children caught in mischief.

"We’re sorry," Celia said first.

"Yeah, we didn’t mean to startle you earlier," Linda added quickly.

Nolan blinked, scratching his cheek. "Wait—sorry? What are you two talking about?"

Linda fidgeted, then glanced at Celia. "We... didn’t want to tease you, but Lyra sensed you’d be coming outside and told us it might be funny to play a prank on you. So we went along with it. We’re really sorry, Master. It won’t happen again."

"Ohhh, so it was about the hot spring." Nolan let out a breath of relief, the tension slipping from his shoulders. "Let’s just forget it. It’s fine, really."

"Okay master," Celia said, smiling now.

Nolan shook his head with a wry grin. "Looks like I walked right into your prank."

The three of them shared a short burst of laughter, the awkwardness melting away into something more comfortable.

"So now that that’s done..." Nolan rubbed the back of his neck, his tone suddenly more serious. "I want to talk to you both about the tournament. If something happens in the arena, I won’t be able to step in and help. The rules don’t allow it."

"Master, you worry too much." Celia’s eyes softened, a small smile curving her lips. "We’ll be fine. We’re strong now."

"Yeah," Linda added firmly. "Believe in our strength, the same way we believe in yours."

Nolan let out a quiet breath, then chuckled. "You’re right. You believe in me... so it’s my turn to believe in you."

He stepped closer and gently placed a hand on their shoulders. With a soft glow, he removed the protective crests he had secretly placed on them. "I didn’t even realize until now... but I’ve been shielding you without asking. If you’re going to fight in this tournament, then I have to trust you completely."

Celia and Linda exchanged a surprised glance.

"But before that," Nolan said, his voice lowering, "I want to tell you something. Did you know... that I can stop time?"

Both of them froze.

"Stop time?" Linda whispered. "No... we didn’t know. You’ve been hiding something like that from us?"

Celia’s eyes widened, awe shining in them. "Master... to stop time... that’s something only gods can do," I always knew you were god."

Nolan groaned and waved his hands quickly. "No, no, no—don’t say that. I’m not a god. Why do you always call me that?"

Celia’s expression grew earnest, her voice soft but steady. "Because, Master... we demi human worship Archangel Michael, who is said to hold the power of time itself. And you carry that same ability. That’s why I want to stay by your side forever. To serve you... and to see where this path takes you."

"I also want to stay by your side forever," Linda said softly, her hands tightening around her dress. "To be with you... and to serve you."

Celia nodded quickly. "Same here. I want to follow your path too, Master. But there’s no need for us to serve you. Just... being with you is enough."

Nolan’s chest tightened at their words. He gave a faint smile. "Would the both of you just staying by my path... really be enough for me? Yes. That’s more than enough."

Silence fell between them. Celia’s face glowed bright red, and Linda’s wasn’t much different. Both girls quickly looked away, refusing to meet his eyes.

Nolan tilted his head, baffled. What’s going on? Why are their faces so red?

He stood from the bed, brushing aside his thoughts. "Anyway... there’s something important we need to do. Do you two know how to increase your mana capacity?"

The girls exchanged a puzzled glance. "No... we don’t," Celia admitted.

"That’s what I thought." Nolan’s tone grew serious as he looked at them. "Listen, the more mana you have, the stronger even your smallest abilities will become. Skills that seem basic now could turn into powerful weapons. You need that for the tournament."

Celia and Linda stepped closer, determination flickering in their eyes. "Then... please," Linda said.