Zhu Qiu jumped out from behind the leaves looking awkward.
“What’s wrong? Is it a crime to watch?”
“Watch? You’re a Sword Saint. What is a Swordmaster doing watching us practice magic? Isn’t that… a bit strange?”
“What’s strange about it? Who says a Sword Saint can’t watch magic?”
Zhu Qiu replied instinctively.
“Brother, why are you here again?”
Because there were only the three of them present, Sote couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity.
“Brother?”
“Brother?”
Dinksway and Zhu Qiu exclaimed in surprise at the same time.
“Sote, are you saying this Sword Saint is your brother?”
“Brother? Why did you run off to study magic?”
Both expressed their confusion. Dinksway didn’t believe that Sote, who possessed Magic Talent, would have a brother who was a master of swordsmanship.
Naturally, Zhu Qiu also found it hard to believe that her brother could learn magic.
Left with no choice, Sote slowly explained the situation to both of them.
It would have been better if he hadn’t explained.
Once he finished, Dinksway made a request that was impossible for Sote to fathom.
“Sote, since you say he’s your brother, we won’t use a Magic Creature for today’s training material. Instead, why don’t you brothers have a match?”
“A match? You stinking Goblin! We are brothers of the same flesh and blood, yet you actually want to sow discord between us? What are your intentions!”
Zhu Qiu was the first to object.
Although the two had chosen different paths, it didn’t change the fact that they were brothers.
Moreover, she was the older brother—how could a brother attack her own younger brother?
Similarly, Sote did not agree with Dinksway’s proposal.
“Teacher, maybe we should just practice with a Magic Creature.”
“No, you two must have a match today. Don’t be afraid that you can’t win. Even though you’re just a beginner in magic, dealing with a Sword Saint who only knows how to play with a sword is still easy. Besides, I want to see exactly what kind of creature this Sword Saint is.”
Dinksway revealed his true purpose, but the two brothers focused on the first half of his sentence.
They treated his last remark as a casual provocation.
“Sote, don’t be fooled by this stinking Goblin. He hasn’t had good intentions from the start.”
“What are you standing around for? Get to it! If this were a real battlefield, you would have been killed by someone else already.”
Sote wavered between the two of them.
On one side was his own brother, and on the other was the teacher who would lead him toward glory.
“Don’t hesitate, Sote. Have you forgotten our agreement? I promised you that I would train you to become the second most powerful Magician of the Human Race. But look at you—dithering in the face of your teacher’s instructions. You truly disappoint me.”
Dinksway spoke with a stern expression and a rebuking tone.
“You stinking Goblin, what’s with all the gibberish? Don’t even think about brainwashing my brother. He won’t listen to you!”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Dinksway removed the **[Ice Cage]** and released Zhu Qiu.
“Sote, if you dare to disobey my orders today, then get lost immediately!”
“Teacher! I’ll listen!”
Dinksway grinned.
For a student of this age, as long as he threatened him with expulsion, the boy would definitely compromise.
This was also why he only accepted students under 18 years old—they were immature and easy to manipulate.
“Good. Then Teacher won’t interfere. I’ll sit back and watch you two perform.”
“Brother, don’t really let him brainwash you…”
Zhu Qiu couldn’t understand it.
Her own brother actually intended to fight her for the sake of a Goblin.
“Brother, I’m sorry. I’m being forced into this too.”
At this point, Zhu Qiu’s expression changed.
She was no longer relaxed and casual but became serious.
“Brother, since you’re so obsessed with listening to him, I’ll just have to beat some sense into you.”
“**[Jian Gege]**, Holy Sword!”
Zhu Qiu summoned the Holy Sword and took a combat stance.
“Don’t blame your brother for bullying you. I’ll let you have the first two moves. Come at me.”
“I’m sorry.”
After a short incantation, Sote activated his ice magic.
“**[Ice Needle Technique]**!”
In an instant, 10,000 transparent ice needles as thin as pinheads appeared above Zhu Qiu’s head.
“Fall!”
Under Sote’s control, the ice needles shot toward Zhu Qiu at high speed.
‘What? You actually intend to do it?’
Zhu Qiu was briefly surprised, then she reacted instantly.
She swung the Holy Sword rapidly.
At that moment, in her eyes, time seemed to slow down.
The falling ice needles moved like snails, and she cut them to pieces one by one with her Holy Sword.
“**[Giant Ice Spike]**!”
Sote did not hesitate.
Having prepared the incantation in advance, he launched a second round of attacks.
This time, it was a massive spike of ice that appeared above Zhu Qiu’s head once more.
‘Wait? Are you for real?’
Although this ice spike was massive, its speed was even faster than the small needles from before.
Seeing the ice spike about to crash into Zhu Qiu, Dinksway chuckled.
‘It seems that in the contest between magic and swordsmanship, magic wins after all.’
Zhu Qiu’s pupils shook as she stared at the giant ice spike above her.
‘This speed… It’s over. I won’t be able to dodge in time.’
Just as the ice spike was about to hit Zhu Qiu, that feeling appeared again.
The surrounding time slowed down once more.
Zhu Qiu could even see the ice spike hanging in the air without falling.
She immediately chose to dodge, then scratched her head.
Looking at Sote, her tone remained as magnanimous as an older brother’s should be.
“Brother, do you really intend to kill your own brother? I haven’t treated you badly, have I? You’re acting like we have some deep-seated grudge.”
She waited for a long time, but Sote never responded.
“Hey! Don’t play dumb! Now it’s my turn to attack.”
Zhu Qiu walked forward and pulled back the black cloth covering Sote’s face.
“Look me in the eye and answer me!”
But Sote still didn’t have the slightest reaction. ‘Huh? That’s weird.’
Zhu Qiu then walked over to Dinksway and pulled back his face covering as well.
“Hey! You ill-intentioned, stinking Goblin! Get away from my brother right now, you hear me!”
Dinksway remained unresponsive, just like Sote.
“What’s going on today? Have you both turned into wooden statues?”
Just as Zhu Qiu was feeling bewildered, Zhu Xiaxia suddenly appeared in front of her.
“My dear daughter, let Mother give you a kiss! Mua~”
Zhu Xiaxia hugged Zhu Qiu and showered her with kisses.
Zhu Qiu was stunned.
“Stop! Zhu Xiaxia, why are you here? Aren’t you afraid the Human Race will discover your identity as part of the Dragon Race?”
“Oh? I am a member of the Dragon Race to begin with, so what is there to fear? Is it possible these people could even defeat me?”
Zhu Xiaxia set Zhu Qiu down.
“I suppose that’s true. Zhu Xiaxia, what are you doing here? Also, why are they standing completely still?”
Zhu Qiu asked.
“My dear daughter, I came here to tell you that you have already activated a unique ability belonging to the Dragon King.”
“A unique ability of the Dragon King? What ability? The ability to make them stand still?”
Zhu Qiu looked around, feeling a bit of self-doubt.
“Besides, I don’t think I’m a Dragon King, am I?”
“How could you not be? As the daughter of Zhu Xiaxia Gracia, what else would you be if not the future Dragon King?”