I looked at Elise as she pouted, her big blue eyes staring up at me. “Don’t go,” she muttered, gripping my sleeve tightly.

For a moment, I hesitated. The City of Mercenaries could wait—but my little sister wouldn’t always ask me to stay.

I sighed and ruffled her golden hair. “Alright, I won’t go.”

Her face brightened instantly, and she hugged me tightly. “Promise?”

I chuckled. “Promise.”

But that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to have some fun.

---

A Few Days Later – Chaos Arrives

I leaned back in my chair, sipping tea in the courtyard while enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. Elise sat beside me, happily eating some sweets.

Then it happened.

The front gates slammed open, and I saw two exhausted figures dragging bags twice their size behind them.

Rean and Arther had finally returned.

Their clothes were dusty, their expressions dark, and the moment they spotted me sitting comfortably…

"NETHEEERRR!!!"

I smirked, watching their rage build as they realized I had dumped all the work on them.

Rean dropped his bags with a loud thud and pointed at me. “You… You really just left everything to us?!”

Arther cracked his knuckles. “I should throw you across the yard for this.”

I leaned back lazily. “Welcome home, brothers. You both look… refreshed.”

"REFRESHED?!"

Ivansia, who had been watching from the side, burst into laughter. “Oh, this is even better than I expected.”

Elise giggled beside me. “Rean, Arther, you look like you fought a bear.”

Rean groaned. “Might as well have.” He glared at me. “You could’ve at least helped!”

I shrugged. “I had to take care of Elise.”

Elise nodded innocently. “Yup! Big brother promised to stay with me.”

Arther groaned. “We were tricked.”

Rean sighed and slumped into a chair. “We’re never letting you handle things again.”

I smirked. “We’ll see.”

For now, though, I enjoyed the moment. The fun was just getting started.

-----

Sylphy’s Return & Elise’s Training Begins

The next morning, as the sun cast golden rays across the capital, a familiar presence entered our home.

Sylphy had finally returned.

I stood at the front steps as she walked toward me, her long white hair flowing in the wind, her green eyes locking onto mine.

"You're late," I teased, smirking.

She rolled her eyes. "And you're still annoying."

Before I could respond, a small figure darted past me.

"SYLPHY!" Elise squealed, launching herself into Sylphy’s arms.

Sylphy caught her with a laugh, spinning her around. "You've grown, Elise!"

"Mhm! I missed you!" Elise said, hugging her tightly.

Sylphy smiled warmly, but then her eyes narrowed at me. “And you, Nether? Did you even miss me?”

I crossed my arms. “Maybe a little.”

She raised an eyebrow. "Just a little?"

I chuckled and pulled her into a hug. "Fine. A lot."

She hugged me back, whispering, “Me too.”

Elise, still in her arms, pouted. “No fair! I wanted the first hug!”

We laughed, but before long, it was time to get serious.

---

Training Elise

Elise had always been talented, but now that we were settled in the capital, it was time to properly train her. Since she was still young, we decided to give her a foundation in magic, swordsmanship, stealth, endurance, and physical training.

With all four of us teaching her different things, Elise was about to experience the most intense training of her life.

---

Magic Training with Ivan

We started with magic first.

Ivan stood in the training yard, flames flickering around his fingers. Elise stood in front of him, watching intently.

"Magic is all about control," Ivan explained. "You already have a strong mana core, so now you need to focus on releasing it properly."

Elise nodded eagerly. “Okay! What do I do first?”

Ivan extended a hand, summoning a small flame. “Try to do this.”

Elise closed her eyes, focusing. Slowly, a spark flickered at her fingertips before vanishing.

She frowned. "I did it, but it disappeared!"

Ivan smiled. "That’s normal. Try again. Feel the mana, control it, and make it yours."

She tried again. This time, the flame stayed longer before vanishing.

Elise stomped her foot. "Why isn't it staying?!"

Ivan chuckled. "Patience, Elise. Magic isn’t about forcing it—it’s about guiding it. Think of it like holding a butterfly. If you grab too hard, it’ll get crushed. If you’re too soft, it’ll fly away. You need balance."

Elise took a deep breath, focused again, and this time…

Whoosh!

A small flame hovered above her palm.

Her eyes sparkled. "I did it!"

Ivan smiled proudly. "That’s my little sister."

---

Sword Training with Me

After her magic lesson, it was my turn.

I stood in front of her with a wooden sword. "Alright, Elise. Show me what you’ve got."

She picked up her own wooden sword and got into stance—though it was a bit shaky.

I grinned. "Not bad, but you’re too stiff. Loosen up. Swordsmanship isn’t about brute force—it’s about flow and precision."

She adjusted her stance. "Like this?"

"Better. Now, try to hit me."

She charged forward and swung. I casually dodged, sidestepping with ease.

Elise blinked. "Hey! Stand still!"

I smirked. "The enemy won’t stand still for you."

She gritted her teeth and attacked again, but every swing missed.

Elise panted. "This is impossible!"

I knelt down to her level. "It only feels that way because you're thinking too much. Trust your instincts."

She nodded and tried again. This time, her movements were smoother. She was still slow, but she was learning.

I tapped her forehead with my sword. "You’re improving. Keep practicing, and one day, you might actually hit me."

She pouted. "I will! Just you wait!"

---

Stealth & Endurance Training with Rean

Next was Rean’s turn.

He led Elise into the woods. "Stealth isn’t just about hiding—it’s about moving without being noticed. Watch."

Before Elise could blink, Rean vanished into the shadows.

Her mouth dropped. "Whoa! Where did you go?!"

His voice came from behind her. "Right here."

She jumped. "That’s not fair!"

He chuckled. "You’ll learn. Now, your first lesson—how to walk without making noise."

Elise nodded seriously. "Okay!"

She took a step forward—snap! A twig broke under her foot.

Rean sighed. "Lesson one—watch where you step."

---

Physical Training with Arther

Finally, it was time for Arther’s training.

Unlike the others, Arther’s training was simple—pure physical endurance.

Since Elise couldn’t use telekinesis, Arther focused on speed, strength, and stamina.

"Alright, Elise! Let’s start with 50 push-ups!" Arther said cheerfully.

Elise’s eyes widened. "Fifty?!"

He grinned. "Fine, we’ll start with 20."

Elise groaned but got down and started.

After push-ups, it was running.

Then squats.

Then sit-ups.

By the end, Elise was lying flat on the ground, panting. "Arther… why… so much…?"

He laughed and patted her head. "Because a strong body makes a strong warrior."

Elise groaned. "I feel like I’m dying…"

Arther chuckled. "That means it’s working."

---

End of the Day

After a full day of training, Elise collapsed onto the couch, completely exhausted.

Sylphy, who had been watching, sat beside her and handed her some water. "You did great, Elise."

Elise smiled weakly. "I wanna sleep forever…"

I chuckled and ruffled her golden hair. "Rest up. You’ll need it for tomorrow."

Her eyes shot open. "Tomorrow?!"

Ivan smirked. "Of course. Training isn’t just one day, Elise."

She groaned. "You guys are evil…"

We all laughed.

Elise was growing stronger, and as a family, we would make sure she became the best she could be.

-----

 End of the Chapter