Pluvia hissed softly in pain as one of the maids rubbed a sore spot on her arm. Lying in her warm bath, Pluvia was being attended to by multiple maids. Despite having taken a full health potion after being bea- trained by Hakurou, Pluvia's body still felt plenty sore. The old man had given her hell instead of insight.
Pluvia cursed him out in her mind as she rose from her bath and stepped out onto the mat before her. The maids gently dried her and covered her in a silk robe. She spared them barely a thought as she moved back into her room.
' Should I even keep doing this... What's the point in training? It wasn't very fun and was instead incredibly painful. Sure, it had taken up a lot of time, but most of that time was spent being beaten up! What had she gained from that? Actually... As much as Pluvia didn't wish to, she did have to acknowledge that she had learned a decent bit of fighting from that lesson. She just didn't know if it was worth it.
Pluvia's mind was lost in her thoughts as her maids dressed her for dinner. She had missed lunch because she had been busy being viciously bullied by that old man. Pluvia glanced at her maids as they worked; she barely ever spoke to them. She had never found a reason to, though she had heard her brother speak to his maids quite often. Why he wasted his time with them, she would never know. Though... It's a bit much to expect proper thoughts from that brat.
Pluvia walked slowly through the halls as she made her way to the dining room. Her eyes drifted out of the windows and gazing uncaringly over the view below. Her mind filled with different ideas about how she could have done better in her training. She barely registered the guards as they bowed and opened the door to the dining room for her.
Her eyes drifted over the group already sitting and waiting for her. Her father, mother, and Lady Ciel were in deep discussion over some important topic or another, and her brother was playing with his food uninterested. She made her way over and sat down next to him calmly, a servant filling her plate for her.
" -us and the others continue to push us around. While they are all more worried about how many mortals respect and worship them, they should really be more focused on... that thing."
Ciel spoke firmly as she discussed with her father and mother. Her father sighed as he responded in a deflated manner,
" I know, but we're outnumbered in the order. We need to focus on meeting with some others and recruiting them to our side so that we don't lose more worlds to that thing. "
Pluvia listened half-interested to their discussion before being distracted by her brother. With her finally at the table, it seemed he had turned his attention away from his food and now to her. He grinned as he reached for her, attempting to grab her arm or something likely. Pluvia glared at some maids at the side of the hall, and they quickly rushed over to persuade Tamura to go back to eating.
She sighed, annoyed, and debated leaving the hall to do something else, but her growling stomach convinced her to actually eat. Using her fork and knife, Pluvia ate quickly so she could leave early. She glared as her brother seemed to resist the maids and continued to try to mess with her. Glancing at her parents, she noticed them completely engrossed in whatever conversation they were having. Surely, they wouldn't notice if she...
" Don't even try, Pluvia. "
Her mother, Chloe's eyes flickered to her briefly as Pluvia's hand froze over her brother's head.
" I was going to be gentle... "
Pluvia muttered quickly as she drew her hand back.
Her father groaned softly as he regarded her.
" Pluvia, you can't hit your brother every time he annoys you. He's still a baby. "
" He's four! That is grown enough to realize that he's being a bit-! "
" Pluvia! "
She froze as her words stuck in her throat.
" Where did you learn that word? "
Her mother questioned her with a firm glare.
" Um... I ... heard father say it a few times... ?"
Her mother and Lady Ciel's heads snapped towards her father, their gazes sharp. Pluvia could see the color drain from his face under their eyes.
" Ah haha...ha... um... "
Pluvia slipped out of her seat and made her way out of the room, her mouth full of food, as her mother and Lady Ciel began to berate her father for his bad use of language. Swallowing, Pluvia walked through the halls with shaking breaths.
' whew... barely managed to avoid that... '
Pluvia glanced to her side as she noticed motion out the window. There she could see several individuals moving quickly through the fields.
' Soldiers... '
She noted in her head. At the head of the line, she could see Sir Benimaru pushing the men forward to continue their run. Pluvia felt her heart throb in her chest as she wished to be out there, to be training.
' But... do I really want to? I mean... It hurts... it's not very fun... '
However, the more she tried to deny it, the more she could feel her body wanting to be out there. It was painful, yes, it wasn't very fun, for sure, but... something about it excited her in a way that nothing else had. Training, getting stronger... it was the first time something actually challenged her in her life. That challenge only drew her in more.
" I should go train more later... "
Pluvia couldn't deny herself anymore. She had to keep training.
After all, it was the only thing that was interesting in the place.
' I have to prove I'm better than those goblins at least. '
Pluvia calmly justified her choice in her mind as she started to move again.