Unnamed

I awoke being held by a beautiful girl. The girl of course was none other than Serena. Her mother stood not too far away. The look in her eyes was one of cold flame. Her eye brow arched and she had a smirk on her face. She seemed to be holding back her anger as she spoke.

"You love my daughter huh? Was all of this just a ploy to her her to press her soft chest againt your face?"

A sense of dread began to fill me at the icy words. I desperately wanted to explain, but before I could the woman began to laugh, a smirk replacing the scowl.

"Well done child. Most beasts who attempt what you just did end up dead."

It took me a moment for me to register what she said, but I eventually shook my head. "It was a foolish move on my part. If I had not been rescued by master and that old man I would be dead."

With that being said, I could feel that my mana was completely full. I could sense the abundance of mana around me, desperately trying to gain access to my core. Still, the gains I had obtained from this venture were considerable. I knew my mana would likely never run out. This could be considered the ultimate cheat. Unlimited mana.

Well almost. My mana did have a limit. The ability was more like unlimited mana recovery. If I attempted to cast a spell that was above my mana level I would be unable to. I would still need to raise my Intelligence to raise my mana limit.

The woman interupted my thoughts. "It is expected that your master and that meddling man would interfere. In a very real way you are now their source of life. They will continue without you, but can only enter a deep slumber until another successor is found."

"Successor?"

The woman nodded. "Yes there can only exist a single sword master at a time. That sword master must be accepted by that blade. Through the years many have tried to gain its approval, but before you, only one was successful. That was my sister and your master Tigress."

I remained silent for awhile. I had no idea that the sword had such a history. For me it had just been a weapon, something that had been forced on me.

"What of the old man? Where did he come from?"

The woman's eyes gained a strange look at the mention of him. "That I do not know. I have seen and met him many times through Tigress, but his past is a complete mystery."

"You met him? Like today when master summoned herself?"

The woman nodded. "Yes, that is a special ability the blade has, but it can only be used once a month. They can summon themselves for a period of time, but even if you had unlimited mana, the time period cannot be extended. I believe the highest Tigress was able to summon him was for an hour."

I thought for a moment before speaking again. "So what is the plan now? Where do I go from here? Also, what is your name?"

Serena's mother laughed. "Most people call me Mistress or Headmaster. However, because of your relationship with my daughter while in private I will allow you to call me by name name. Elizabeth Riverwood the 3rd."

"As for what to do from here, I have already discussed this with Tigress. From tomorrow onward you will be attending the accademy with my daughter. Your studies will focus on unarmed combat as well as natural weapons."

"At night while you sleep you will train with Tigress and the old man. In other words you will have little free time. You will be placed in an almost constant state of training."

I looked at the book shelves with a sense of longing. Reading after all was the one thing I truly enjoyed.

The woman, no Elizabeth laughed. "You will have a little free time. Your precious books will still be able to be read." She shook her head as she spoke next. "You and Serena are truly two of a kind. Even with the prospect of great power, you worry about your precious books above all else."

Elizabeth turned to leave. "The necessary documents will be delivered in the morning. A servant will bring the both of you dinner soon. My advice is to enjoy the little time of relaxation you have left, it will be the last you will get for a long while."

A shiver ran down my spine as those words echoed in my ears. But, even in my worst nightmares I would not realize the hell that I was about to enter of my own free will.