Card Apprentice Daily Log

Date- 18 April 2321

Time- 14:17

Location- Card World, Southern Region, Blossom District, Sky Blossom City

As much as Wyatt wanted to use his soul pupils on the Field Marshal to learn more about her, he did not. Mostly because he would get caught by the Field Marshal's unique eyes. Also, he could just asked her what he wanted to know. It was a decent thing to do and basic common sense. However, this was not the time and place.

"Aurelia, enough playing around," Wyatt said looking at Aurelia who was still on the floor holding the Field Marshal's legs begging her to spare her.

"Playing around? Boss, I am down here bargaining for my life," Aurelia remarked not letting go of the Field Marshal's leg. The Field Marshal seemed to be enjoying Aurelia's antics. After a mind-numbing day, dealing with someone as shameless and spineless as Aurelia she was starting to feel unnerved and decompressed.

"If this is what you call bargaining? My dear, then to you beggars must be salesmen peddling sympathy," the Field Marshal commented listening to Aurelia. She wanted to call Aurelia's mother and ask what she had been teaching her daughter. Since she had met Aurelia, she had seen her spend more time kneeling on the floor than standing on it. To her Aurelia's action couldn't just be explained by the term spinelessness.

"Your Highness, the weak have their way of survival and the strong have their way of survival. Then, why do the weak look up to the strong when the strong look down on the weak?" Aurelia suddenly asked the Field Marshal with a serious tone and sincere gaze. Causing those present to think the Field Marshal's words had offended her.

The Field Marshal was taken aback by Aurelia's sudden change in demeanor and tone, feeling that Aurelia had her pride and her comment might have been insensitive. She contemplated her question trying to think of a good answer only to hear Aurelia answer the question for her, "It is because the weak are kneeling they have to look up to the strong who are standing. Hahaha, get it?"

Listening to Aurelia joke, the Field Marshal's neck vein threatened to pop as she tried to control her anger. She had thought despite her spineless and shameless ways Aurelia might have her pride but she was wrong this girl seemed to have been born without those things.

"Come on, I thought that was a good one for something I came up on the spot. I guess you guys are not my kind of audience," Aurelia said shaking her head and getting comfortable on the gymnasium floor.

"My dear, what kind of audience is your kind audience? I am guessing spineless snails," having controlled her anger, the Field Marshal said letting out a small chuckle.

"Hey, you smiled, does that mean you forgive me, Your Highness?" Aurelia said striking the iron when it was hot.

"Sure honey, only if you agree to undergo my special training just for you," the Field Marshal had a gentle smile on her face as she compromised with Aurelia.

"Special training tailored just for me when do we start," Aurelia was many things but slacker and quitter were not one of them.

The bandages wrapping around Aurelia's body covering her bruises and lesions were evidence of the hard training she persistently undergoes to master various body reinforcement martial arts as it was her only way to get stronger with a quirky physique lacking proper active soul control talent. So when the Field Marshal said that she had special training prepared just for her Aurelia could not help but get excited like a child seeing presents under the Christmas tree come Christmas morning.

"After Wyatt fixes your physique," the Field Marshal answered but her gentle smile hid a knowing smirk. However, Aurelia who was too psyched about the special training failed to notice it. Letting go of the Field Marshal's feet, she sprung on her feet performing an acrobatic maneuver. Then, she hurried to Wyatt's side and said, "Boss, hurry I have a special training to attend to."

"Are you sure you want to attend the special training, it might come in the way of your daily duties as a Bright Lions member?" Wyatt subtly tried to warn Aurelia with his eyes catching the Field Marshal's smirk.

"Boss, please can I take a few days off for the special training?" Aurelia failed to receive Wyatt's signal as she was too enthused to be offered a special training tailored just for her by the Southern Hero Field Marshal Heatsend, her childhood hero, herself.

"Fine, suit yourself," Wyatt agreed with Aurelia seeing she was beyond help. He understood that despite all her antics, Aurelia was still a child. It was hard for her to resist such temptations. Then, turning to the Field Marshal Wyatt bluntly said, "After you are done having your fun with her, please, do give her the training she deserves."

"..." Listening to Wyatt, Aurelia could not help but frown finding his words were peculiar but she could not put her finger on it as she was too excited about the special training to suspect anything about it.

"I plan to do just that," the Field Marshal informed arriving behind Aurelia and placing her hands on her shoulders. Then, she uttered to Aurelia, "Don't worry, my dear. It's good that you applied for leave because you would be too tired from training to do your day job."

Listening to the Field Marshal, Aurelia nodded in understanding. She couldn't wait to start the special training.

Recalling Anna's training, Wyatt could not help but make one last attempt to stop Aurelia, "You sure about this Aurelia? There are other easier and safer ways to get stronger you know."

"Boss, for my talent easier and safer ways don't work. The hard and slow way is my way," Aurelia said with a unique confidence that caused even the Field Marshal who was planning to take pleasure in her suffering during the so-called special training couldn't help but take her seriously putting her sadistic thoughts aside.

"Fine," Wyatt too was unable to persuade Aurelia anymore seeing her radiant confidence and turning to the Field Marshal, he asked, "Speaking of special training? How is Anna's training going on? When will she join us?"

"What's the matter, do you miss your girlfriend?" the Field Marshal asked, not forcing Anna's mother's narrative of Wyatt being their son-in-law on him anymore.

"Honestly, yes. I miss that crazy girl," Wyatt replied. Listening to him be honest, the Field Marshal was taken aback. It was hard to get a straight answer from Wyatt, but seeing him answer honestly now, she guessed her approach previously was wrong.

"I don't know when she will be out but she is at the crucial period of her training, if manages to pull through it, her future will be limitless," the Field Marshal answered. However, Wyatt found it funny considering how the development in the Card world was limited no matter how talented one was the Field Marshal, herself, was one such example.

"What about Ann? How does she grow?" Wyatt asked trying to understand Anna's origin card better. Wondering shouldn't Ann be doing something to lessen Anna's burden by undergoing training herself? Instead, while Anna struggled to grow stronger, Ann ran around doing her mother's chores.

"Ann's condition is special. She will automatically grow when Anna breaks through," the Field Marshal avoided talking about Ann's status as Anna's origin card. Ann, just like every other origin card, would grow stronger undergoing a baptism as their card apprentice advances to a higher realm.

"Um, fascinating. I always thought it was the other way around," Wyatt found it hard to imagine Anna cultivating seriously, he believed that of the two, Ann and Anna, Ann would be the one pulling the weight while Anna partied. But it seems even Anna could not escape the struggles of a card apprentice with her sentient origin card.

"Believe it or not, Anna used to be diligent. At your age, she was already preparing to break through into the card lord realm. However, things changed when her mother decided to send her to the Morningstar university feeling that everyone in the Royal palace was cuddling her too much.

Anna's mother was not wrong to fear that if things continued Anna might grow into a sheltered flower with no real-world experience but she miscalculated and underestimated the Morningstar University. Not that I am blaming the university for Anna's questionable qualities but had they not ignored Anna's complaints and acted on them she might have stood a better chance there.

Honestly, considering how Luna turned out, I find myself wondering if Morningstar University is the right place for our descendant's education," the Field Marshal could not help but wonder.

"Don't worry now that you have handed the Southern Academic city to me, I will turn it around," Wyatt said feeling that Field Marshal was confiding in him. This was the first time she did not talk about punishing Luna for hurting their honor but talked about her like a caring grandmother.

"I trust you," the Field Marshal did not argue about the possibility of Wyatt's absurd claims just went with it.

...

[AN: Check out Reader's Quest Board in the Author's Thoughts section for mass release.]