Let's Train Heroine

Lucan sat at the edge of his desk, pen in hand, scribbling on a worn-out notebook. Maris stood across the room, her arms folded and her lips slightly pursed, waiting for him to finish writing. His throat was still blackened from the backlash of his magic, making speech impossible for the time being, but it didn't stop his sharp mind from racing through strategies.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

He held up the notebook for Maris to see.

"The black substance that took Nyx—it's the second Evil Magician," the notebook read. "If we face both of them together, we can't win. Not yet."

Maris's expression remained calm, but there was a flicker of defiance in her eyes. She nodded, but then shook her head with a slight grin forming on her lips.

"I get what you're saying, Lucan-sama, but you're underestimating me," she said, her voice calm but confident. "My power has grown, not just a little, but by a huge margin after the battle."

Lucan raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, and tapped his pen impatiently against the notebook. Maris held her ground, her hands on her hips now.

"I'm Region Class now," she said, her tone a mix of pride and excitement. "I've surpassed everyone. I'm the strongest person in this world."

Lucan's response was immediate. He stood up, crossed the room in two quick strides, and smacked her lightly on the head with the notebook.

"Ouch!" Maris exclaimed, rubbing her head and pouting.

Lucan quickly wrote something down and shoved the notebook in front of her face. The letters were large, bold, and a little crooked.

"If YOU reached Region Class, why do you think Nyx and the other Evil Magician can't?"

Maris blinked, her pride deflating a little. Lucan was right. It was foolish to think she had grown stronger without considering that their enemies might have done the same. She chewed on her lip, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

"Yeah... I guess you have a point," she admitted, sticking out her tongue at him in playful defiance. "Fine, fine, they're probably Region Class too."

Lucan nodded, satisfied, and sat back down. He began scribbling once more, the pen moving swiftly over the paper as Maris watched him.

"We can't take them lightly. That means we need every advantage we can get." He paused, then looked up at her with a piercing gaze. "Where's Bing?"

Maris hesitated for a moment, then smiled proudly. "I sealed her away," she replied, crossing her arms with a smug look.

Lucan's eyes darkened, and he sighed silently, then stood up again and bonked her on the head with the notebook once more. This time, harder.

"Ow! Stop hitting me!" Maris grumbled, rubbing her head again.

Lucan quickly wrote down another message and held it up for her to read.

"You should've killed Bing. When she turns into an egg, we hatch her and make her think you're her mother. She forgets her old life. That way, we get a strong ally."

Maris blinked, the realization sinking in. "Oh..." she muttered, feeling a bit embarrassed for not thinking of that herself. "Right. That makes sense."

Lucan nodded and sat back down, his mind clearly already moving on to the next issue. He paused, staring at the paper for a moment, a look of mild regret crossing his face as he wrote again.

"Too bad we can't control Lilith. If we had her on our side, she could probably reach Region Class in just a few days with her talent."

Maris's expression soured at that. Her eyes narrowed into slits, and she crossed her arms tighter across her chest.

"Why are you talking about her like that?" she snapped, jealousy evident in her voice. "Don't tell me you're getting attached to that Dark Fairy Queen."

Lucan looked at her with a raised brow, his lips twitching into a silent chuckle. He waved her comment away dismissively and returned to writing.

"She's useful. That's all."

Maris gave him a skeptical look but didn't push the matter. She sighed, shaking her head. "Whatever. She's sealed away for now, anyway."

Lucan tapped his chin, thinking for a moment, then quickly wrote another question.

"What about Iris? Holy Phoenix."

Maris shook her head, her expression serious again. "I've looked everywhere, but I can't find Iris. She must be hiding in some small world. She's not in the region."

Lucan nodded thoughtfully, tapping the pen against his lips as his mind churned. It wasn't ideal, but if Iris had truly hidden herself away in a pocket dimension or some hidden world, then there was no point wasting time trying to find her. They had more immediate problems to deal with.

He scribbled another message.

"Anyone else strong enough to help?"

Maris frowned, considering for a moment. "Reshmi's powerful, but she's not Region Class. She's not enough."

Lucan paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as a thought crossed his mind. There was one other person—someone who might be strong enough. He quickly jotted down the name.

"Archpriest Kerum."

Maris's eyes widened in surprise. "Aechpriest Kerum"

Lucan nodded, writing again. In the game, he died. Reason unknown. But here, he should be alive. The temple had some weapons which give user Region Class Power but only those who practice Holy Magic. So Kerum could be helpful.

Maris furrowed her brow, her eyes turning distant as she concentrated. "I can try contacting him," she said, already gathering her magic to scan the region.

A few moments passed in silence as Maris extended her senses, searching far and wide. Finally, she opened her eyes and frowned.

"He's not here. I searched everywhere in this region, but I can't find him," she said, her voice laced with confusion.

If she can't find it. Then it's mean he's either dead, or he's hiding in a small world, just like Iris.

Lucan drummed his fingers against the table, deep in thought. He nodded after a moment, accepting the information, though his expression remained grim.

If Kerum's gone, he can't count on him. That means the only option left is for him to reach Region Class, too. It seemed he need to unlock the second ability of his Evil Magic.

After all, everyone have two abilities. Nyx's space and time ability.

Lucan's Word's ability and...