Dante couldn't quite understand why they looked so confused.
"...What do you mean, why you?"
Amber stared at him.
"My lord... You called my skill incredible." She smiled awkwardly. "What exactly do you mean by... incredible?"
"It means exactly what the word implies. It's incredible."
This time, Elric spoke.
"My lord, forgive my bluntness. I do not question your judgment. But Lexa implied you possess some form of Appraisal Skill."
"I do."
"And your appraisal tells you exactly what a skill is?"
"Correct."
Elric exchanged a glance with Amber.
"Then... how did you reach that conclusion?"
Dante leaned back.
"My appraisal only tells me the skill. It doesn't tell me how to use it. It doesn't tell me hidden evolutions, nor does it tell me future potential. It simply tells me the skill."
Amber frowned.
"Then... how?"
Dante looked at her as though the answer should have been obvious.
"Tell me. What do you believe your skill actually does?"
Amber hesitated. She had answered that question countless times throughout her life — to teachers, instructors, even to nobles and finally researchers, and every answer had always been the same. After a moment, she answered.
"It absorbs mana. It stores mana. My mana reserve continuously grows. But unlike normal people, I can't release or circulate that accumulated mana. So despite possessing enormous quantities of mana, I can't properly use it."
She paused before continuing.
"I can also perceive mana. The structure of spells. The construction of techniques. I can vaguely sense the flow of Skills."
She shrugged helplessly.
"That's... essentially everything, vague and useless right?"
Dante remained silent. Amber continued.
"From what every instructor concluded, my skill creates an endlessly growing reservoir that cannot be meaningfully utilized. So while I possess extraordinary mana, I can't actually convert it into combat strength."
She laughed softly.
"A very expensive storage container. Nothing more."
Dante stared at her for several seconds. Then he looked toward Elric.
"...Who taught her?"
Elric frowned.
"Our family's instructors. The people responsible for educating our younger generation."
"I see." Dante rubbed his forehead. "So they're idiots."
Silence. Neither Amber nor Elric immediately responded — not because they were offended, but because he hadn't even hesitated. He had dismissed generations of experienced instructors in a single sentence.
Amber forced a smile.
"My lord, those people have decades of experience. Some are renowned scholars. Several specialize specifically in Skill Theory."
"I know. Which makes it even more impressive. They managed to waste a Legendary Skill despite knowing what they were looking at."
Amber blinked.
"...Waste?"
Dante nodded.
"You—" He pointed directly at her. "—you've never actually understood your own ability. And unfortunately, neither did anyone who trained you."
Amber instinctively frowned.
"My lord, with respect, I've spent years experimenting, and so have they. We tested dozens of applications. Every conclusion reached the same answer."
Dante shook his head.
"No. You tested dozens of applications based on the assumption that your understanding of the skill was correct. They weren't experiments. They were confirmations. You began with the answer. So naturally you kept finding evidence supporting it."
Elric's eyes narrowed slightly. That wasn't an unreasonable criticism.
Dante continued.
"Tell me. Outside of storing mana, what else have you tried?"
Amber thought carefully.
"We attempted spell casting. Mana reinforcement. Weapon infusion. External release. Compression. Conversion. Circulation. Everything failed. So eventually everyone accepted that the mana simply couldn't be used."
"And after that?"
Amber paused.
"...After that?"
Dante responded, "You stopped asking different questions."
She remained silent. Dante sighed.
"You know, the biggest weakness intelligent people have is convincing themselves they've already reached the correct conclusion. They become idiots who think they know it all."
Amber slowly lowered her gaze. For some reason that sentence bothered her more than she expected — because she couldn't deny it. Once every respected instructor had agreed on the same explanation, she had stopped searching herself. She had accepted their conclusion as fact.
Dante leaned back again.
"You know what? I'll make you a deal."
Amber looked back up.
"I won't explain another word. Not yet."
Confusion crossed both cousins' faces. Dante calmly continued.
"If you become my subordinate, I'll explain how your skill actually works. And, in due time, I'll grant you another skill specifically chosen to make understanding your original ability significantly easier."
He smiled faintly.
"I think I understand your situation now."
Elric folded his arms.
"So everything depends on whether we accept."
"Correct. You may take your time. I'm not demanding an answer this second. But—"
Dante looked at them for a second, his expression flat and calm, contrary to what his hand was doing.
"My patience isn't infinite. In three weeks, the Special Entrance Examination begins. By then, I expect an answer."
Silence settled over the room. Neither cousin spoke immediately. Finally, Amber quietly asked,
"If we agree, are we free to leave later if we decide to no longer serve you?"
"No."
The answer came instantly, without hesitation. Amber blinked.
"...No?"
Dante looked genuinely puzzled.
"Why would I invest resources into someone knowing they intended to leave? That would be idiotic."
The bluntness caught both cousins off guard. Elric asked another question instead.
"And if we stay, how do we know you won't simply exploit us?"
Dante looked at him. Then, without saying anything, his hand casually slid around Vexion's waist before gently resting beneath her backside. She merely giggled before leaning further against him.
Dante looked back at Amber.
"I already have this."
He lightly squeezed Vexion's ass.
"What exactly would I gain by mistreating you?"
Amber's eyebrow twitched.
"I know I'm not as beautiful as Lady Vexion, but that was rather direct."
"I wasn't talking about beauty." Dante shrugged. "I was talking about value. I don't destroy useful things. If you're useful, I'll invest in you. If you become more useful, I'll invest more. It really is that simple."
The honesty was almost unsettling. There wasn't even an attempt to disguise it with pretty words. No promises of family. No speeches about friendship. No declarations of trust. Only straightforward self-interest. Oddly, that made him easier to believe. He wasn't pretending to be kind. He wasn't pretending to be noble. He was simply telling them exactly how he viewed the world.
Then Dante turned toward Elric.
"As for you — your ability is excellent. It'll become incredibly troublesome in the future. But don't misunderstand your position."
He casually gestured toward Vexion.
"Either she or Lexa could kill you. You'd survive longer than most, I'll give you that. But calling you a difficult opponent would honestly be me flattering you."
Elric didn't become angry. Instead, he smiled. Because unlike the others who had approached him, Dante wasn't trying to inflate his ego, nor was he attempting to intimidate him — he was simply stating what he believed to be fact. Whether those facts were true, Elric intended to find out himself.
Elric was perceptive enough to realize that words alone meant very little. If Dante truly believed his subordinates were exceptional, then the simplest way to verify that claim was to witness their strength firsthand. He looked toward Dante.
"It's still early. How about a spar? Against one of your subordinates. You choose."
Dante didn't even consider it.
"Vexion would destroy you. She's already capable of fighting Enlightened Sages."
Elric's expression stiffened. The confidence he had carried into the conversation faltered ever so slightly. Amber also looked toward Vexion in surprise. Throughout the entire discussion, Vexion hadn't paid attention once — she remained quietly nestled against Dante, her face buried between his neck and shoulder, inhaling his scent as she enjoyed his gentle caress of her thigh and bottom, seemingly more interested in resting comfortably than listening to negotiations. There wasn't even the slightest hint of concern in her expression, as though the outcome of the proposed spar had never been in doubt.
Dante finally looked toward Lexa. He casually reached over and patted her head. She merely sighed. By this point she no longer possessed the energy to complain.
"You want me to fight him?"
Dante nodded.
"Mm. That'll do."
Lexa returned a simple nod.
"Understood."
Dante looked back toward Elric.
"You'd already planned this before I arrived. You wanted to judge my subordinates before deciding whether I was worth following. That's reasonable."
He gestured toward Vexion.
"But she's excessive. Lexa is enough."
Elric raised an eyebrow.
"You're very confident."
"I'm realistic." Dante shrugged. "And I also know what you're trying to accomplish. You don't want to give me time to prepare. You know I already understand your skill. So the best test is an immediate fight. No planning. No preparation. Just instinct."
Elric couldn't deny it. That had been exactly his intention. It wasn't particularly sophisticated, but it was practical, and Dante had seen straight through it.
After a brief silence, Elric smiled.
"...You're right. That was my plan. So let's do exactly that. One day from now. The arrival platform. We'll take a transport to the Combat Mountain training grounds."
Dante nodded once.
"Fine."
The tension surrounding the negotiation quietly faded. The conversation shifted toward lighter topics. Lexa briefly answered questions about academy life. Vexion occasionally added a comment of her own, though her focus was more on enjoying the attention Dante was showing her — the gentle squeeze of her bottom was both arousing and equally thrilling, more than that it was relaxing.
Amber found herself observing the three of them more than participating. The dynamic between them was strange — far more casual than she had expected from a leader and his subordinates. Yet despite the informality, neither Lexa nor Vexion questioned Dante's authority. If anything, their trust in him seemed absolute.
Eventually Lexa stood.
"Master. We should leave. We still need to prepare."
Dante nodded.
"Fair enough." He rose from his seat. "Then we'll see each other in three hours."
Elric inclined his head. "We'll be there." Amber offered a polite smile. "Thank you for coming."
.....
The three quietly departed. Once they had left the residence, Lexa released a long sigh she had been holding back. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "My lord."
Lexa finally spoke.
"Hm?"
"...Why are you like this?" Dante looked genuinely confused. "Like what?"
"You promised me you'd behave normally."
"I did."
Lexa stopped walking.
"You believe that was normal?"
"I was exceptionally restrained. I made a conscious effort. I even chose my words carefully."
Vexion couldn't suppress another laugh. Lexa slowly pinched the bridge of her nose.
"You have an incredibly distorted understanding of the word 'restrained.'"
"I disagree. I showed remarkable self-control."
"You also embarrassed me three separate times."
"Only three?" Dante looked pleasantly surprised. "That's an improvement."
Vexion burst into laughter. Even Lexa found herself struggling not to smile. She quickly hid it behind another sigh.
"I don't know why I even try."
"Because deep down—" Dante answered with complete confidence. "—you believe I'll eventually improve."
Lexa stared at him for several long seconds. Then she simply turned around.
"I've already given up."
"See?" Dante smiled triumphantly. "No disappointment. No expectations. That's healthy."
"Technically you're the one who demands far too much."
Lexa waved him away without looking back. "I'm going to prepare. Do whatever you want."
She disappeared into her room. Vexion watched her leave before quietly smiling. "She really does worry about you."
"I know." Dante shrugged. "That's why I don't mind teasing her." Vexion shook her head with an amused smile.
"You're impossible. So I've been told."
Together they entered the residence, each preparing for what would undoubtedly be an eventful afternoon at the Combat Mountain.