chapter 5 : the test 2

after the chef give stella the perfect score, she and the duchess went to the field where the knight at their mansion are training.

"miss aiura, what a pleasent suprise, what can i do for you, ?" say the knight.

"i want you to test this girl, she's new here, so please don't go to hard on her," say the duchess who then the knight nod and look at the little fox girl who look not older than sophia, before turning around and grab a wooden sword.

"we're gonna fight using this wooden stick, since our objective to see how good are you," say the knight who give stella a wodden sword and make stance to prepare for stella attack.

"ready when you are," say the knight who give stella a head start but before he manage to react properly stella already in front of him, at that time stella swing her sword toward the knight who quickly block stella attack but at that time stella continuesly attack the knight before suddenly she make a stance and swing her attack that was infuse with fire magic.

'shit, this is bad,' though the knight who at that time only focus to block stella attack and swing it's sword toward her attack, create a shockwave from their fight.

"you really good if i have to say are you really just a mere child, by the way my name is oscar thank you for saving my brother," say oscar to stella who nod and continue their little sparring completely forgotten about the test.

"i see we had a newcomer here," say a voice who the duchess turn around and see a man who was at least at his forty wearing an armor with a blue cape with a symbol of arbento family.

"good afternoon sir ergi," say the duchess to the captain of the knight.

"good afternoon to you as well madam, if may ask, what bring you here, ?" ask ergi to the duchess.

"i want to test the skill of this girl, although it quite the suprising feet that she got into," say the duchess with amazement in her low voice, so that stella won't be able to hear although she won't even bother to listen to hear surrounding since she herself already busy with her enemy.

"in this girl the one who save young lord barton, and miss sophia, ?" ask ergi who see the movement of the girl, although the girl skill is still lacking but compare to any kids on her age, stella can be consider a genius, especially if she can hold a candle again one of the knight of arbento estate.

"yes," say the duchess who still look at the fight between stella and oscar who at that time reach the climax.

"you really good stella, but i think is time for us to finish this," say oscar who at that time make a stance where he infuse his magic to make the sword more powerful, the same with stella who at that time use her fire magic and infuse it with her sword.

"she can also do that huh, very impresive," say the head knight who look at the fight.

and the two charge their attack, a shockwave was create around them making a crack the ground the we're standing, at that time the duchess has to cover her face because of sudden dusk that fly toward her.

at that time 2 figure we're visible in her eye and she saw the sight of stella who was defeat and lying on the floor, with her wooden sword broken as well as a couple of bruise on her body.

"is she alright, ?" ask the duchess who look worried at the child.

"yes, she just tired, a couple of hour rest that should be enough, i bought her to infarmary then," say ergi who lift stella, while punish oscar for using to much of his power in the test.

"so how is she, ?" ask the duke who was sitting in his desk while doing his job.

"she has a talent is you ask me, among the test that i gave her, she manage to make me impress," say the duchess to the duke who stop writing the paper on his desk and look at her wife.

"i see then she must be quiet good, how about her fighting skill, our children say that the one who save them from a pack of monster is her right, if that the case then she must be really good," say the duke.

"she has a remarkable talent sir," say ergi who at that time open the door of the office without knocking it.

"i'm sorry that i didn't knock sir, but there are a reason why i choose to barge in when miss stella name was mention," say ergi to duke who caught his interest.

"hoh, then what is it, ?" say the duke.

"i will like to request to put miss stella under my care," say the knight head who at that time, the duchess widen her eye for such remark.

"i'm sorry but stella is someone that my daughter recommend to be her maid," say the duchess.

"is true that miss sophia that bring miss stella to this household, but from the fact that she able to match up to oscar, is already a remarkable feat for a mere 6 year old girl, surely madam understand that stella has a talent to become a knight or even a wizard itself, so i don't want her to waste her time learning something such a serving some noble a tea, while at that time she can make her own name," say ergi who brought up a good point on his argument, while the duchess can't help but grit her teeth because her reasoning are all about her daughter, and not for stella herself.

meanwhile the duke become more interest about the girl, she never meet the girl, but she make a quite the reputation and manage to get the interest of the head knight, of course he want to meet the girl but he has a lot of work before and one of them is something from the king itself so he can't turn in down, because it wouldn't be respecful.

"how about we ask the girl itself then," say the duke who later got the attention of his wife and the head knight.

"surely with that, you guys will be satisfied right, Ergi while you said that stella had a talent and might has a bright future a head, but i think you need to think of her own feeling and what she want to do, sophia already ask her to be her maid, and she came here to take that job, i hope you respected that ergi," say the duke to the old knight who bow his head, although it would be a waste for the girl but he will respect it, the girl still young and need a lot of practice to begin with.

"but i allow you train her, once a while, and teach her a proper combat as well, sophia may one day need a maid or a bodyguard who can also fight," say the duke who make the knight pretty happy, although he can't make stella a full pledge knight under him, but at the very least he can train her, to become one of the best fighter in the duke household.

meanwhile in the infarmary, stella begin to slowly regain her conciousness, and opening her eye, only to see a white ceilling.

'look like i lost huh,' though stella who try to stand up and sit at her bed.

"how about the test, did i fail, ?" stella who at that time, she heard the sound of foodstep.

"good you're awake," say the figure who look at stella, she has a dark yellow long hair with her a brown eye.

"how long was i out, ?" ask stella.

"about an hour, you exhausted yourself, so rest," say the the doctor who told stella to lay down, and rest.

after a while a man who look like the duke of this mansion, enter the infarmary to visit the exhausted fox.

"how are you feling, ?" ask the duke.

"i'm fine, and you are, ?" ask stella.

"apologize for the late introduction, my name is philif arbento, the duke of the naval kingdom, i would like to thank you for what you did to my children and apologize for showing such a poor treatment for our guest," say the duke.

"no, it's alright, you must be very busy, i'm already thankful that someone as high as you sir, wiling to take your precious time to visit someone like me," say stella to fhe duke.

"don't sell yourself low, you save my children and brought them here even though is not your responsibility, you are a hero, be proud of it," say the duke to stella who only nod.

"as for the reason why i'm here is to offer you a job," say the duke who make stella tense.

'am i going to be accepted, but being maid huh, i'm still have't use being a girl let alone being a maid, hell wearing that kind of clothes already making me feel unconfortable,' though stella who look at the duke.

"would you like to become my daughter bodyguard, ?" ask the duke.