Eleonore stirred awake in the carriage, giving no friendly look to Sora who'd knocked her out. She tugged Louise aside to sit, glaring cold at Sora while roughly kneading Louise's soft cheek. Sora shrugged helpless at Louise's pleading expression.
The Vallière family traced as royal branch, rooted northeast generations, feuding fierce with Germania's Zerbst clan. The duchy spanned one-tenth Tolistine entire.
The trio rattled through a day, reaching Vallière estate.
Territory farmers tilled; hills verdant, waters clear—scenery pristine natural.
Passing leaders doffed hats to Louise and Eleonore leaning from carriage.
"Nice turf, Louise," Sora praised.
"Naturally—Vallière top-tier nobles. Territory care's given," Eleonore boasted proud.
Louise leaned, whispered Sora's ear: "Sis Eleonore unwed, runs much family land."
"Oh—didn't spot it. Got skills."
"Hey—Louise, no badmouthing," Eleonore arched brow.
Louise smirked: "What? Praising you to Sora, sis."
"True? Hmph—my virtues endless; men's blind."
Sora smiled wordless.
Soon carriage hit Vallière castle front, moat-spanned.
Eleonore hopped out, called across.
"Me—brought Louise. Drop bridge, let in."
Verified opposite, drawbridge lowered shortly.
Guards lined; maids greeted. Center: pink wavy-haired beauty like Louise's, but ample-chested.
"Welcome home, sis Eleonore, Louise," she said soft.
"Sis Cattleya!!" Louise squealed joyful, leaped hugging.
"Louise." Cattleya embraced back; pink locks mingled mother-daughter-like.
"Hmph— that's my bond with Cattleya. No babying me," Eleonore muttered low.
Sora's keen ears caught, grinned. "Try gentle with Louise, Eleonore."
"Loud, brat. Inside."
Carriage crossed drawbridge; group entered Vallière castle.
Courtyards, lakes, groves—unique innards, castle lazy-aristocratic.
Platinum residence gleamed; they entered hall.
Eleonore ordered kitchen feast; four sat left-side row: Eleonore top, Cattleya, Louise, Sora bottom. Main seat empty.
Sora eyed sisters: Vallière trio shone merits bright-moving.
Eleonore strong-arrogant; Cattleya gentle; Louise cute extreme. They chatted laughed harmonious, hall brightened.
Gorgeous, tasty—Sora dug in happy.
Post-meal, Cattleya eyed Sora.
"Louise—no intro? This gentleman?"
Louise snuggled Cattleya: "Hate—sis Cattleya teases too."
"Sora here—Louise's man. Advice future, Cattleya." Sora smiled, extended hand.
"Mm—Louise's age fits. Advice, Sora." Cattleya smiled soft, shook.
"Impudent—no titles. We're Louise's sisters—call us sis. Got?" Eleonore griped.
"Ha—want that? Ahh, sis Eleonore—" Sora drew funny long.
"Ugh—gross. Stay as-is." Eleonore goosebumped.
Louise, Cattleya laughed.
Mid-chatter, hall doors shoved; high-bun woman aura-staggering strode quick.
Louise's daughters rose: "Welcome, Mother."
Louise quaked scared, body trembling.
Duchess stabbed gaze at seat-Sora.
"Who? Rude."
"Rise, Sora," Cattleya whispered.
"Don't buck Mother—awful," Louise feared.
"Yo, mother-in-law." Sora waved smiling.
Duchess eyes sharpened instant.
"Mother-in-law who?! You defiled daughter!!?" Sleeve-wand slid, pointed Sora.
Sora surged up, drew Delphlink-wand, matched point swift.
"Clack"—wands clashed, air-halted.
"This?" Duchess blinked—twin-mold carved wands.
"Gale's Galin—ex-Griffin captain, Tolistine strongest wind mage. Duchess Karina Desirée du la Vallière." Sora stated. "Current Griffin captain—me."
"Brat. Griffin captain equals me?" Duchess sneered; magic surged body-wide, air roiled—wind blades, hammers imminent.
True senior square-rank: first-tier spells silent-cast. Real scrap? No match now. Sora eyes shifted, sheathed wand.
"What's up—you Louise's mom, my elder. Dare fight you?"
"Still Louise's sis," Eleonore muttered.
"True—Louise? Louise—here." Duchess snapped.
"Yes, milady." Louise sad-faced toward Duchess.
Sora hand-caught Louise.
"Words, mother-in-law?"
"Sora." Louise anxious.
"Fine—I got." Sora dipped, forehead-kissed Louise, met Duchess eyes.
"Good—good. Tease daughter before me? Taste [Gale Galin] wrath." Duchess fumed. "Outside."
"Yearned—advice, mother-in-law." Sora released Louise, trailed Duchess.
Vallière sisters followed worried.
Courtyard: Duchess, Sora spaced ten meters lawn-side, lake nearby.
"Karina Vallière—square-rank wind mage. You'll learn defiling daughter costs." Duchess wand-gripped grave.
"Sora—line-rank water-fire-wind triple mage, swordsman. I'll win your blessing—for me, daughter." Sora wand-belting, drew Delphlink.
"Whoa—old bat's fierce, careful partner," Delphlink warned.
"Old bat who—rusty sword." Duchess glared; wand-swung few.
Whoosh-whoosh-four half-meter wind blades slashed Sora up-down-left-right.
Silent—handy. Sora stepped side, body-shifted, sword-slashed facing blade. Delphlink blade flared, gulped severed wind.
Remaining three scarred Sora's old spot ground-deep.
No attack time.
Boom—half-person air ball struck. [Wind Hammer]
Sora crossed Delphlink, impact-shoved back.
Duchess chanted short-potent.
"Inz Wendy 2 Gluck." [Great Wind Hammer]
Bigger air block air-condensed, blue-visible, three-meter fist-diameter. Smashed unavoidable Sora.
"Delph—fireball." Sora sword-clenched tight, slashed incoming hammer.
Person-sized orange fireball blade-shot, met block.
"What?" Duchess surprised.
Block-fireball met: "Rumble"—huge blast, fire spread, shock hurled Sora far. Sora lake-splashed. Impact nudged Duchess two steps.
Blast-after, Sora lake-waded wet, sword-alert Duchess.
Duchess wand-gripped firm.
"Sword stores your magic, instant-release—right?"
"Gale's eye—spot-on. Not just mine—absorbs others too, limit cap." Sora explained.
"Natural—else mage-killer. Tier-three breaks it." Duchess nailed.
Sora awed inner: scary—judged Delphlink limit one clash. Fresh-Delphlink took tier-two, ~4000 destruct; water-elf baptism halved tier-three, ~8000. Tier-three at 4000 mana: ~16000 power. Tier-four at 8000 mana: ~64000—way past Delphlink max.
"Spot-on—treasured blade, bullies tier-three-less kids." Duchess said. "Know your strength—lie down."
"Gruss Wendy 3 Spar." [Eye of the Wind King]
Duchess quick-chanted tier-three; air-suck eye bloomed Sora-front. Eye-rim gales shoved back Sora; micro-winds lacerated omni; soon dozen+ shallow paper-cuts.
"Magic beats magic." Sora loud, free left drew wand to Delphlink blade.
"Yah Mayfair 2 Albrook." [Big Fireball]
"Inz Wendy 2 Gluck." [Great Wind Hammer]
Twin tier-twos—wind-elf baptism cut wind-cost; Sora mana backed, wand-guided.
Sword flashed: red, blue sequential—absorbed both. Wand-sheathed, two-hand sword, Sora grave.
Wind King Eye swelled meters-radius, surrounds raged.
"Ready—take it." Duchess shoved Eye Sora-ward.
"Hah—" Sora deep-breath, two-hand sword overhead.
Mini-tornado six-seven meters bore.
"Come—flames sever."
Sora fierce-slashed.
"Hoo-boom-rumble"
Dazzle-flames sword-burst; air-agit flames swelled fierce-turbulent, five-six meters instant, tornado-rushed.
Boom-boom-boom.
Flame-stream bombarded tornado face; part sliced scattered, half wind-fueled blazed through.
Sora mana-drained, two-hand sword bypassed stalemate tornado-flames, blitzed Duchess.
"Naive." Duchess startled at four-five meter close, wand-pointed Sora.
Whoosh-whoosh-four wind blades parallel-cut stronger.
Sora sly-grinned, sword-slashed blades.
Delphlink max-glowed, gulped all four.
Sora forward-swung: solid one-meter wind blade Duchess-ward.
Duchess face-changed, wand waved front.
Light-blue half-person wind shield blocked; blade cut through, air-dissipated powerless.
Sora seized gap, sword-thrusted Duchess.
"No." "Milady." "Sora." Sisters cried.
Duchess sly-smiled, wand-fierce-waved.
"Whoosh-boom"—solid blue wind hammer wand-front-blasted sword; huge shock Sora couldn't grip—released.
Delphlink air-spun, grass-sank five meters rear.
Duchess wand-chest-pressed Sora, chin-up haughty.
"Hah—" Sora sighed, hands raised. "Lost. Amazing, mother-in-law."
"Naturally—not born when I hit square." Duchess mood-bright post-scrap. Wand-sheathed, quarters-turned.
"Eleonore—room him. Sweaty fight—boil bath water, maids. Bath time." Duchess exited.
"Yes, milady."
"Okay, Sora?" Louise ran.
"Fine—mana empty." Sora retrieved waist-Delphlink.
"Long since mage pushed Mother so. Louise—good eye," Cattleya smiled.
"Sis Cattleya." Louise coquettish.
"Back—Sora, clothes soaked—shower, I'll prep change," Cattleya.
"Yeah—thanks." Sora group re-entered mansion.