Chapter 81 - Amy vs Elena 1
We made our way through the Imperial Palace.
As I looked around, I quietly admired the magnificent surroundings.
To most people, this place would probably seem like an entirely different world.
But to me...
It simply felt like another ordinary day.
If I had to choose...
I still preferred my own home.
Throughout the walk, Mom and the Empress chatted casually about various things.
Nothing particularly important.
Just two old friends catching up after not seeing each other for a while.
Meanwhile, Isabella walked beside Amy.
The two of them talked about training, recent events, and Elena.
I quietly followed behind them.
For a brief moment, I wondered if I should join the conversation.
But...
I quickly dismissed the thought.
Watching quietly suited me much better.
Before long, we arrived at the training hall.
It looked surprisingly similar to the one back at home.
Inside the private training area, two girls were sparring.
The moment I saw them, I noticed the resemblance they shared with the Empress.
Their silver-white hair and sapphire-blue eyes made it obvious.
They had to be Elena and Luna.
I quietly stood beside Amy as usual.
The moment they noticed the Empress’s arrival, both of them immediately stopped training.
Elena’s eyes instantly lit up the moment she spotted Amy.
Without hesitation, she sprinted toward us.
However, before greeting Amy, she first bowed respectfully to her mother and then greeted Mom.
Only after receiving a small nod from both of them did she happily rush over to Amy.
"Amy!"
"I’ve missed you!"
Amy smiled warmly.
"I’ve missed you too, Elena."
The two immediately began chatting as though they hadn’t been apart for months.
Meanwhile, Luna calmly followed behind her older sister.
Unlike Elena’s energetic personality, she carried herself much more gracefully.
She first greeted the Empress, then Mom, and finally Astrid.
I remained silent throughout the entire exchange.
Instead, I quietly walked over to Astrid’s side and observed everyone.
There wasn’t any particular reason.
It was simply more comfortable for me this way.
The Empress noticed my actions.
She glanced at me for a brief moment but chose not to say anything.
She seemed to understand that I wasn’t the type to force myself into conversations.
A faint smile appeared on her face before she turned her attention back to the others.
Not long afterward, Isabella slowly walked over to me.
"You seem rather quiet."
Her voice was calm and gentle.
"This is your first time visiting the Imperial Palace, isn’t it?"
I nodded.
"Yes."
She studied my expression for a moment before asking,
"Are you feeling uncomfortable?"
I shook my head.
"Not really."
"I just prefer listening."
A faint smile appeared on Isabella’s face.
"I see."
"I thought you might have been feeling left out."
I smiled slightly.
"I’m fine."
"I actually like watching everyone interact."
She gave a small nod.
"I can understand that."
After that, the two of us continued our quiet conversation.
Neither of us talked very much.
But strangely enough...
The silence between us never felt awkward.
Then Amy walked over with Elena.
She stopped beside me before smiling proudly.
"Elena."
"This is my little brother."
"Isn’t he adorable?"
Elena looked at me before nodding with a smile.
"He really is."
Then she extended her hand toward me.
"Hello."
"My name is Elena."
"I’m Amy’s best friend."
I smiled politely and shook her hand.
"Hi."
"I’m Gray."
"It’s nice to meet you."
"It’s nice to meet you too."
After greeting me, Elena immediately turned back toward Amy.
"So..."
"How much stronger have you become?"
A grin spread across her face.
"It’s been a while."
"Come spar with me."
Amy shrugged helplessly before looking toward Mom for permission.
At the same time, Elena turned toward the Empress.
The two mothers looked at each other for a moment before smiling.
"Go ahead."
"It’s been a while since you two last sparred."
"There shouldn’t be any problem."
After all, this wasn’t an official duel.
It was simply a friendly spar between two close friends.
Then the Empress looked toward me.
"As for you, Gray..."
"How about sparring with Luna?"
"You two are the same age."
"And you’ve both reached E-Rank."
"It’ll be good experience for both of you."
I was slightly surprised by the suggestion.
After thinking for a moment, I nodded.
"I don’t mind."
"But I’d like to watch Amy’s spar first."
The Empress smiled.
"Of course."
Then she looked toward Luna.
"What do you think?"
Luna calmly nodded.
"I have no objections."
"Very well."
The Empress smiled with satisfaction.
"Then it’s settled."
"You two will spar after Amy and Elena finish."
She looked toward Luna with gentle eyes.
"I’d also like to see how much you’ve improved."
Mom nodded as well.
"I feel the same."
"I’d like to see how much Amy has grown."
Amy smiled confidently.
"Then don’t blink."
After changing into her training clothes, she stepped into the sparring arena.
Across from her, Elena had already taken her position.
The two smiled at each other.
Then...
The atmosphere around them instantly became serious.
The two walked toward the center of the arena and drew their wooden swords.
For a brief moment, silence filled the training hall.
Then—
The match began.
Amy disappeared from her spot in an instant.
Lightning crackled around her feet as she shot forward like a bolt of lightning, her wooden sword slashing straight toward Elena.
Clack!
Elena calmly raised her own wooden sword and blocked the attack.
Neither of them exchanged a single word.
The moment the battle began, all unnecessary conversation disappeared.
Only the sound of clashing wooden swords echoed throughout the training hall.
After exchanging several blows, the two separated.
Elena immediately raised her hand.
A beam of Light Mana shot toward Amy.
Without hesitation, Amy formed an Ice Shield and blocked it.
At the same time, lightning burst from beneath her feet and spread across the floor toward Elena.
Instead of dodging, Elena calmly stomped the ground.
A large crystal suddenly rose beneath her feet, lifting her into the air just before the lightning reached her.
The electricity surged across the ground but failed to climb onto the crystal.
Standing atop the crystal platform, Elena remained completely unharmed.
Watching from the sidelines, I tilted my head.
I turned toward Mom.
"Is that... glass?"
Before Mom could answer, the Empress smiled.
"You noticed?"
"No."
"It isn’t glass."
"It’s Crystal."
"Elena’s second affinity."
My eyes immediately brightened.
"Really?"
"Is it similar to Ice Affinity?"
"Or is it closer to Earth Affinity?"
The Empress chuckled softly at my curiosity.
"Neither."
"You could say it lies somewhere between the two."
"That doesn’t mean it’s stronger than either of them."
"It simply shares certain characteristics with both."
She continued while watching Elena fight.
"Crystal can be shaped into weapons, platforms, barriers, and many other forms."
"It possesses incredible hardness and excellent defensive properties."
"But unlike Ice, it has no freezing ability."
"And unlike Earth, it doesn’t possess the same level of control over the ground."
"Every affinity has its own strengths and weaknesses."
"Elena still hasn’t brought out Crystal’s full potential."
I listened carefully while continuing to observe the battle through my Dimensional Awareness.
"Wow..."
"That’s amazing."
"I’ve never heard of Crystal Affinity before."
Then another question popped into my mind.
"May I ask something else?"
The Empress laughed.
"You’re such a polite child."
"Of course."
"Ask whatever you’d like."
I nodded.
"Are there affinities like Gold, Platinum, or Silver?"
"I’ve never heard anyone mention them."
Her smile widened slightly.
"There are many affinities in this world."
"Some are unique."
"Others overlap with one another."
"For example, a Space Mage can manipulate gravity to a certain extent."
"But someone born with Gravity Affinity will always possess finer control over gravity itself."
"The same principle applies to many other affinities."
"It all depends on their individual strengths and limitations."
I nodded thoughtfully.
I could always ask Mom or Astrid these kinds of questions later.
But hearing the explanation from the Empress gave me a different perspective.
The more viewpoints I learned from...
The better I would understand this world.