"Rae," Eve called out, "Attack me."
Raven, who had practiced his hardest to at least catch up with the current body's level, dashed instantly towards her.
Swinging his axes at her almost instinctively now, he aimed both the axes separately, one at her guts and the other to her neck.
Clang!
A single strike of her sword, and she blocked them both without even bothering to.
The recoil rang his arms, but without backing down, his body flowed, and his legs swung to strike hers.
Eve merely stepped back once and escaped.
But Raven was elated with his progress.
He no longer had to think about his next moves.
Combined with Raven's memories, he had caught up with his level in physical combat.
The axes flashed in front of Eve as he aimed to strike her face, which was a clear feint, but turned into a real attack instantly.
Clang!
Blocked again.
Each of his attempts died instantly to Eve.
She parried with minimal movements, redirected his attacks to guide him, and corrected his stance with taps.
Her expressions stayed neutral, but her eyes tracked everything.
"Better," She said, as she disarmed with one quick movement. "That's way better now."
"Better than whatever that was 3 weeks ago." She praised him.
Then, she looked at the sand hourglass and tapped his back, "We could've gone further, but it's time."
Raven nodded.
It was finally the day of departure.
Jennifer still had a few days left in her summer break, but it was different for Eve.
Eve was officially one of the main decision makers in the Ivory Kingdom's branch of the Church.
Since she was already from the Shelburg, she was made the head of the entire western and southern part of the Ivory Kingdom's Churches, based in Shelburg.
It was already the second biggest city in the nation, so it only worked out in their favor.
The second and last cardinal stationed in the Ivory Kingdom controlled the rest, while being based in Leville, the capital.
But any summons from the Holy State was absolute, even for them.
Last time, it was due to Cardinal David Moll's funeral.
The entire family, except Raven, visited the Holy State with Eve.
And now, it was time for another summon.
This wasn't a secret either.
It was most likely due to the new commissioning of the Arbiter Order.
"Let's go!"
They were already well-dressed for their journey as they stepped out of the training ground and towards the main gate.
Morris, Dorothy, and Jennifer were waiting on the main door, right in front of the carriage they were supposed to ride on.
Dorothy ran and hugged Raven tightly before anyone even got the chance.
"If you ever feel like you can't do it anymore, just come back to me," She said, as she hugged him even tighter.
"Miss Dory, I am no longer a child," Raven said, struggling in her embrace.
It was quite a strange experience to be held by a mother figure like this.
It felt warm, but it was slightly embarrassing.
"Let me have this, Rae," She said, her tone solemn, "Knowing you, you would probably not quit, and I won't see you for a while."
Her guess was right on the dot.
He planned to stay out for a while, till he figured out his Apostle mark.
As long as his job allowed.
He couldn't say anything to that and just stayed silent.
Dorothy gradually let him go and moved to Eve.
Despite Eve's expressionless face, she knew how she was feeling.
After all, she was her mother.
She cupped Eve's face and softly said, "Come back safely, and make sure no one bullies your younger brother."
Eve nodded silently.
Having taken enough of their time, she backed down.
Jennifer immediately pulled Eve to herself, leaving Raven alone with Morris.
It was silent.
An awkward one at that.
They both stared at each other for a while before Morris finally said something.
"Don't come back unless you have earned enough to sustain yourself."
"Mm!" Raven nodded firmly.
"And be safe out there." As he finished the sentence, he immediately moved his gaze away.
Raven was silent the whole time.
It felt a bit surreal due to the original Raven's memories.
A few moments later, Jennifer also arrived in front of him.
Her face was uncharacteristically grim.
Unlike her usual jolly, teasing, and mocking tone, the words that came out of her mouth next were rather gloomy.
"Stick to Eve, no matter what, and don't get in trouble."
And just like her father, she also left the spot before Raven could react.
Sigh!
As he said, surreal.
Ruffle!
Eve ruffled his hair from behind and said, "Let's go."
They both stepped into the carriage, waving back to Dorothy.
"Bye bye, my honey pies, come back soon," She shouted in front of the entire household.
But none even dared to react.
Raven and Eve waved back, and the carriage finally started its long, bumpy journey.
A journey that will change the Marlowe family forever.
…
"How are you liking the carriage ride?" Eve asked Raven, who was slumping down the other side of the bench.
"Extremely uncomfortable and boring," he said.
It had already been hours since they had departed from the Marlowe Manor, and nothing interesting had happened yet.
"This is a state-of-the-art carriage, the best you can get." She explained to Raven, then asked, "How are you uncomfortable in here?"
'Who's going to tell her about suspensions and shock absorbers?' He grumbled internally. 'Even if I explain it to her, I fear the Divine curtailment would obstruct my speech.'
Not even the softest of the cushions could compare in this bumpy pathway.
'Wait, shock absorbers?' He suddenly thought, getting active in his position.
'Can I somehow integrate that into my-'
As he was having some 'eureka moment' with himself, a loud bang came from outside.
Their carriage came to a sudden halt, and loud chattering filled the surroundings.
'Anyone obstructing the carriage of a Cardinal is either the stupidest person in the world, or the strongest.'
And to confirm his theory, he also stepped outside with Eve.
'The stupidest it is.'