Friction?

Davis learned a few Battle Techniques before, some that even uses his Soul Forging Cultivation. Except they couldn't be called Battle Techniques, but Supporting Techniques, also called as Soul Technique or Arts in some regions.

The Soul Techniques he chose were known as Dark Concealing Shroud Art, Soul Suppression Art, Sacred Mark Art, and Unholy Brand Art.

Dark Concealing Shroud Art is a Low-Level Sky Grade Soul Technique. It is used to conceal a person's presence, energy, and soul aura using soul force. The soul force exhaustion is minimum, especially at night since it is dark attributed.

Davis would have been only able to use this support technique if he had cultivated in a dark-attributed Soul Cultivation method, but fortunately, he had his Death Book, which emits a unique dark and evil-like energy which actually is compatible with the technique. He learned it when he tried to practice it.

Soul Suppression Art is a Peak-Level Earth Grade Technique. As the name implies, it suppresses the target's soul, causing the target to face heavy pressure. If the target is weaker than the user in Soul Forging Cultivation, then the target will not be able to make any movements at all, at least, in theory.

But if the target is stronger than the user, then the technique will provide a suppression effect depending on the target's cultivation level.

When Davis found these two support techniques, the Sacred Mark Art and the Unholy Brand Art, he was shocked. These two arts were soul techniques that can be used to brand a person's soul, making that person into a Soul Slave.

Even though the name Sacred Mark Art sounded righteous, it was no different than Unholy Brand Art.

These two Battle Techniques, also called Soul Techniques, needed a person to cultivate either a light-attributed or dark-attributed Soul Forging Cultivation Manual.

Davis decided to train in both since he had both the light and dark attributes from his Sacred Luminance Mist Soul Forging Cultivation Manual and the Death Book, as well as for various reasons such as being able to throw his opponents off-guard since it took only some of his time.

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"There are many other Battle Techniques as well, but once you learn all these by yourself, even if you learn other techniques, it may not be much use since these are some of the top Battle Techniques we have..."

"So what you are doing when you are in my study is, secretly practice it. Now memorize these Battle Techniques. I'll stay here looking around for a few more useful techniques."

"Is it truly okay? If I get caught, you will be the one facing trouble…while I might possibly die..." Ellia uttered with some worry in her heart.

"It's really fine. Even if someone got a complaint, it would have to go through my Imperial Father. However, my Imperial Father is the only problem since I think my mother wouldn't bicker much. Well, I'll handle it at that time." Davis casually replied.

'Is he thinking that he is above everyone else in the Empire?' Ellia became dumbfounded.

Though she was really happy and thankful towards Davis, she couldn't help but think that if he was an idiot, but on second thought, she knew that he was shrewd rather than an idiot.

Davis would puke blood if he knew what she was thinking right now.

Silently making progress on the battle techniques, they stayed at the Royal Library for a few hours.

Davis saw many miscellaneous Battle Techniques. He took a liking to some of them and memorized for training in them at a later time.

For example, the Family Disabling Palm, which is aimed at one's kidney. It indirectly ruins a person's ability to use his member and renders it useless.

The technique should be used precisely, or else it would only damage the target's kidney and not have an effect on the member.

Another technique is called Meridian Crippling Palm, which cripples the Essence Gathering Cultivation of the target if one can successfully sever the meridians.

Although, he garnered that it is useless for someone at the higher stages.

Davis became interested as he thought of using the Family Disabling Palm on his father, but after a moment of contemplation, he thought that it was too cruel to his mother, so he let go of his evil idea.

In the end, he decided to learn these techniques as they might be quite useful in this world. As he just finished memorizing these Battle Techniques, he went to look for Ellia.

Just as he saw Ellia, he stood surprised.

"Brother told you to learn here, you say?" An adorable voice echoed.

A little child about five years old questioned with a cold gaze.

"Yes, Prince Davis told me to learn these Battle Techniques, which he recommended personally." Ellia looked left and right, waiting for the arrival of Davis.

Once she caught sight of him, she shouted.

"Prince Davis!"

"Brother!"

They then both looked at each other.

Davis laughed, "Haha, Clara, I was just about to visit you."

"Hmph, you didn't visit me for a week." Clara pouted.

"How could I? Didn't mother take you to tour around the Royal Capital for a week?"

"Yes!" Clara's face brightened up.

After that event, the relationship between Clara and her parents became normal again as they brought her out for a trip.

The true reason they brought her out was to not let Clara find out about Davis's punishment, or else things would rather turn awkward between them again.

Davis also didn't mention that to Clara as he possessed a tacit understanding with his mother Claire. He didn't want to create problems either.

"Good! Come, let me introduce you to my personal maid, Ellia." Davis patted her head.

"Ellia, this is the First Princess, Clara Loret, my little sister."

"Ellia pays her respects to the First Princess." She bowed down gracefully and smiled.

"Personal Maid? No wonder she would say that you told her to learn here..." Clara nodded her head in understanding.

"But that doesn't mean a mere maid can learn our Sky Grade Battle Techniques, let alone stepping into the Castle Library."

"And the way she calls you Prince Davis, it's almost as if she is acting..." Clara narrowed her eyes and gazed at Ellia like a hawk eyeing its prey.

Ellia's smile froze. A second later, she looked at Davis for help.

'Such accuracy! My little sister's kinda scary!' Davis blinked.

She only heard her say a single time but managed to see the deceit in it.

"Haha, that's my sister. Honestly, you have the potential to become a detective, but I won't talk about that right now. You see, Ellia is my friend, and she calls me Davis..."

"A friend? Not a maid?" Clara became confused.

Davis coughed, "Both…."

"What!? Which is first?" Clara looked at Ellia and asked with anger.

"Uh… I am a maid, then a friend." Ellia answered truthfully.

She had no idea but thought she should not lie to this person since Davis seemed to be honest.

"Brother! She seduced you!" Clara yelled as she stood in front of Davis and blocked him from Ellia.

'Eh? Isn't that the opposite?' Ellia inwardly cried while Davis facepalmed.

'This is gonna be a headache.' He thought.

"Erm… Clara, it was I who told Ellia to call me Davis. I wanted her to become my friend, you see…."

"How can a royalty lower oneself to be friends with a maid? Brother, this is atrocious and disgraceful!" Clara looked behind and shouted furiously, though it still looked adorable.

Ellia put her head down in shame.

In the end, her official identity was still a maid. There was nothing she could do about it.

'Ah, my life as a personal maid is going to end, probably even my life.' Ellia thought with a rueful expression on her face, afraid that she would be abandoned now that the secret was out.