Chapter 558: The Gap Between You and Me is Too Large
After devouring several more pastries, Brandish finally paused her feeding frenzy. She grabbed a napkin, delicately wiped the crumbs from her mouth, and fixed Noah with a curious stare.
"Alright, enough catching up. You still haven't answered my question. Why did you suddenly sneak across the border?"
"Before I answer that, I need to ask you two something," Noah's tone shifted, becoming noticeably more serious. "Do either of you have any close ties or relationships with anyone in the Alvarez military or the imperial government?"
"No, absolutely not," Grammi answered immediately, slightly taken aback by the gravity in his voice. "I despise war, and the Empire is constantly launching military campaigns. We keep to ourselves and have zero contact with government officials. Why? Is something serious happening?"
"Since you know the Empire is constantly expanding its borders..." Noah looked directly into Grammi's eyes. "Do you think there is a possibility that Alvarez will launch a full-scale invasion against the Eastern Continent?"
"You mean... the Empire might invade Ishgar?!" Grammi gasped, her face instantly draining of color. "But... what about Lady Layla and Mr. Jude?!"
Having lived in Alvarez for years, she was intimately familiar with the Empire's terrifying military supremacy. The Spriggan 12 and the imperial armies conquered neighboring nations with ruthless, overwhelming efficiency. The citizens practically worshipped war because it always brought them prosperity and victory. Furthermore, Alvarez had attempted to invade Ishgar centuries ago. A second attempt wasn't just possible; it was highly probable.
"Don't panic. An invasion isn't happening anytime soon," Noah quickly reassured her, seeing her sheer terror. "Launching a cross-continental war requires a massive, undeniable logistical buildup. Unless they have a fleet of teleporting mages, transporting an army across the ocean requires hundreds of battleships. I scouted the coastline and the major naval ports on my way here; there are zero signs of a military mobilization of that scale."
"Oh... thank the gods," Grammi let out a long, shuddering breath, sagging against the back of the sofa.
She took a moment to compose herself before looking at Noah with renewed determination. "So, you came to gather intelligence on the Empire's military capabilities, didn't you? Is there anything I can do to help? I can try to listen in on the local soldiers..."
Even though she had built a comfortable life in Alvarez, her loyalty belonged entirely to the Heartfilia family and Ishgar. If the Empire was plotting an invasion, she wanted to help stop it.
"I appreciate the offer, Aunt Grammi, but I have to decline," Noah shook his head firmly. "I did come to gather intelligence, but I only came to this city to check on you two.
"If a civilian who normally ignores politics suddenly starts poking around military affairs, the Imperial Guard will notice immediately. Espionage requires professional training; if you make a single mistake, you and Brandish will be executed for treason. I won't let you risk your lives. Besides, my methods of gathering intelligence are far more efficient. You don't need to worry about a thing."
"I understand," Grammi nodded slowly. She knew Noah's magical capabilities were beyond her comprehension. If he said he had it handled, she wouldn't interfere and risk ruining his operation. "But please, if you ever need a safe house or anything at all, you are always welcome here."
"Thank you, Aunt Grammi," Noah smiled warmly.
"Uuuugh, so annoying..." Brandish groaned loudly. She flopped sideways onto the sofa, sprawling out like a boneless jellyfish. "War is just so incredibly troublesome. Why can't people just take naps instead?"
"War is inherently troublesome. It ruins lives and complicates everything," Noah chuckled, shaking his head at her lazy demeanor. "But enough about politics. How is your magical training coming along? You haven't been slacking off, have you?
"Knowing your personality, the probability of you taking naps instead of practicing is incredibly high. By the way, I should probably mention... before I left Ishgar, Lucy successfully mastered Dual Star Dress. She can open two Zodiac gates simultaneously."
"WHAT?!"
Brandish shot up from the sofa like she had been electrocuted, her eyes bulging out of her head as she stared at Noah in absolute shock.
Because her mother was a former Celestial Spirit Mage, Brandish had grown up reading advanced celestial theory. She knew exactly how unimaginably difficult it was to sustain a dual-gate summon. The sheer magical strain usually destroyed a mage's internal circuits. To hear that Lucy—who was exactly her age—had already achieved it was mind-blowing.
"Oh my goodness! That is absolutely incredible!" Grammi gasped, her hands clasped together in sheer delight.
As a former practitioner, Grammi knew better than anyone how impossible that feat was. While Lucy couldn't compare to her prodigy mother Layla—who could open three gates simultaneously as a teenager—mastering Dual Star Dress put Lucy in the top 1% of Celestial Mages in history. Grammi was genuinely thrilled for her.
"Yep. Dual Star Dress. She's getting incredibly strong," Noah smirked, leaning forward. "So... you haven't been falling behind, have you?"
"Obviously not! I've been working incredibly hard! I've improved a ton!" Brandish defended herself instantly, crossing her arms and pouting.
Even though she was inherently lazy and hated putting effort into things, growing up alongside Lucy had fostered a deep, underlying rivalry between them. Even after moving to Alvarez, under her mother's strict supervision, Brandish had diligently stuck to the training regimen Noah had designed for her years ago. Hearing that Lucy had hit such a massive milestone instantly triggered her competitive spirit.
"Really? You've improved a ton? I find that hard to believe. Why don't you prove it?" Noah teased, a challenging glint in his eye.
"Hmph! Why should I prove anything to you? I'm not a circus animal," Brandish huffed haughtily, turning her head away.
However, out of the corner of her eye, she subtly pointed a finger at Noah, secretly channeling her Command T magic to radically shrink his physical body.
Nothing happened.
Brandish blinked in confusion. She pointed her finger again, channeling a stronger pulse of magic to shrink him into a miniature doll.
Still nothing.
"Don't waste your energy, Brandish. The gap between you and me is far too large. Your magic cannot affect me," Noah chuckled, noticing her subtle finger twitches.
"That makes no sense! I wasn't even targeting your physical body the second time; I was targeting your clothes! Why didn't they shrink?!" Brandish demanded indignantly, completely abandoning any pretense of innocence now that she was caught.
"Because I have a passive, high-density Ethernano barrier enveloping my body and my clothes at all times. Your magic lacks the penetrative force required to breach my localized shields," Noah explained smoothly.
"Ugh! You're so annoying!" Brandish grumbled, realizing her prank was completely useless against his absurd power. She slumped back onto the sofa, crossing her arms and refusing to look at him.
"Noah, since you mentioned an invasion isn't imminent, does that mean you have some free time before you resume your scouting?" Grammi asked hopefully. "If you do, would you consider staying here for a few days to guide our training?"
Grammi knew exactly how peerless Noah's magical intellect was. Before the borders closed, Noah had meticulously adjusted their training regimens every year when they visited Ishgar. Without his guidance, they had simply been repeating the same exercises for three years.
Since Noah was here, she desperately wanted him to evaluate Brandish's progress. Her daughter possessed terrifying potential, and Grammi didn't want it to go to waste.
"Of course, Aunt Grammi. Even if you hadn't asked, I was planning to impose on your hospitality for a few days anyway," Noah smiled. "I need to see exactly where your magical circuits are at so I can overhaul your training routines. Brandish's potential is far too great to let her slack off."
"Really?! Oh, thank you so much, Noah!" Grammi beamed, thrilled by his agreement. "Is there anything I can do to repay you? I'd feel terrible just taking your help for free."
"Well... since I had to sneak into the country, I haven't really had the chance to sit down and enjoy a proper, home-cooked Alvarez meal. If you wouldn't mind cooking a few local specialties, that would be more than enough," Noah suggested.
"That's not a request at all! Of course I'm going to feed you while you stay here!" Grammi laughed, rolling up her sleeves. "But since you specifically asked for local specialties, I'll go all out. Lunch is a bit too soon, but I will prepare an absolute feast for dinner tonight!"
"Thank you! I'm looking forward to it," Noah smiled.
"I want the spicy seafood stew! And the honey-glazed roast!" Brandish instantly chimed in, her head snapping back around at the mention of food.
"If you eat too much, you're going to get fat and turn into a pig," Grammi deadpanned, shooting her daughter a ruthless glare.
Brandish's jaw dropped. Yep, that's my biological mother alright. Noah asks for food and gets a feast. I ask for food and get called a pig.
"Noah is our honored guest. You live here," Grammi added, easily reading her daughter's mind.
"Oh, speaking of food, I actually picked up some incredibly famous desserts on my way here. You guys should try them," Noah said, remembering his stop on Caracol Island. He reached into his spatial pocket and pulled out three chilled boxes of Star-Mango parfaits.
"WOAH! The Star-Mango parfaits from Caracol?!" Brandish instantly leaped off the sofa, her eyes literally sparkling as she snatched one of the boxes. "I've wanted to try these for years, but the island is way too far away for a casual trip!"
She popped the lid, grabbed a spoon, and practically shoved a massive bite into her mouth, her eyes fluttering shut in sheer, sugary bliss.
"Brandish, manners!" Grammi scolded.
Brandish completely ignored her, rapidly shoveling another spoonful into her mouth.
"Aunt Grammi, try yours. They really are fantastic," Noah smiled, pushing the second box toward her.
Grammi hesitated briefly before opening her box and taking a small, polite bite. Her eyes immediately widened in surprise. She finally understood why her daughter was eating like a starved animal; the dessert was genuinely heavenly.
Noah didn't touch his box. Once Brandish had violently scraped the bottom of her container clean, she eyed Noah's untouched parfait. Without a hint of shame, she reached across the table and claimed it for herself.
However, this time, she ate it slowly, meticulously savoring every single bite.
"Alright, I'm going to head to the market to buy the ingredients for dinner. You make sure you take care of our guest while I'm gone," Grammi instructed her daughter after finishing her dessert.
Brandish, whose mouth was currently stuffed with mango cream, simply nodded lazily.
"Hurry up and finish that," Noah said once Grammi had left the house. "Once you're done, we're going to find an empty training field outside the city. I need to test your combat reflexes and see exactly how strong you've gotten."
"No way," Brandish mumbled around her spoon, deliberately slowing her chewing to an agonizing crawl. "This dessert is incredibly rare and expensive. If I eat it too fast, it'll be gone forever. I have to savor it slowly to burn the flavor into my memory."
She stared at Noah, blinking her large, innocent eyes at him.
She wasn't fooling anyone. Noah knew perfectly well she didn't care about 'burning the flavor into her memory.' She was intentionally dragging it out, silently trying to manipulate him into magically producing a few more boxes from his spatial pocket.
~~~
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