The Price of a Prodigy’s Appetite

“In any case, I look forward to your care, Miss Anna.”

Anna gazed up at Allen, her eyes wide with apprehension. “Um… I truly eat a great deal. Are you certain you won’t send me away?”

“Hah, eat to your heart’s content! How much could a few meals possibly cost?” Allen, with a grand, sweeping gesture, spoke with a burst of confidence. Yet, the moment the words escaped his lips, a piercing alarm blared in his mind, followed by an unsettling premonition.

‘I have a terrible feeling… Did I just inadvertently set myself up for disaster?!’ he mused. ‘She mentioned her appetite… but how truly voracious could it be? Could it be that the Heretical Inquisition sent her here precisely because they could no longer afford to sustain her?’

Allen swiftly amended his offer: “Very well, I have a condition. So long as you can safeguard my family and the de Laval estate, you may dine at my home every day. However, I must first witness your capabilities.”

“Oh, splendid!” Anna’s spirits immediately lifted. “How shall I demonstrate?”

Allen, emboldened by his future sight, had initially intended to declare, with a flourish, “Give me a single punch; let’s see what you’ve got!” Yet, an overwhelming surge of self-preservation forced him to bite back the words. ‘That,’ he realized, ‘would absolutely be a death flag!’ Instead, he asked Anna to demonstrate a series of martial arts forms.

Anna assumed her stance, launching into a set of forms that moved with the force of a whirlwind! Each punch she delivered was accompanied by the faint, menacing whisper of a sonic boom!

The sheer, terrifying power on display sent a chill down Allen’s spine, leaving him drenched in a cold sweat. ‘Had I truly allowed her to strike me just then, I might well have perished on the spot!’

Despite her terrifying raw power, Anna’s actual technique was utterly abysmal! She possessed the brute force to shatter mountains and cleave stone, yet her movements lacked any discernible form or discipline.

“Your forms are truly dreadful,” Allen declared, shaking his head after observing Anna’s performance. “I shall teach you a single technique; let us see if you can master it.”

Following the familiar tropes of web novels, a ‘natural airhead’ like Anna often possesses some form of innate, divine constitution, which accounts for her extraordinary strength. As the adage goes, the greatest truths are often the simplest. With such an unblemished spirit, Anna might well be a martial arts prodigy, one in a million.

Allen drew a deep breath and commenced his demonstration:

The Lunging Punch! His left leg lunged forward into a deep bow stance, while his right fist shot forth like a cannonball, creating a subtle ripple of air in its wake!

The Throat-Thrust Kick! His right fist snapped back to guard his waist, even as his left palm shot upwards and forwards with the speed of a gale. Almost in the same instant, his right leg, taut and pointed, lashed out like a whip, striking directly ahead!

The Horse Stance Cross Strike! His right foot landed heavily, kicking up a plume of dust, and his body simultaneously dropped into a stable horse stance. His right fist, tightly clenched, carved a fierce arc from his waist, striking out savagely to his right flank!

The Inward Parry and Uppercut! His arms crossed before his chest, then violently parried outwards as if cleaving through a colossal weight. Immediately, his right fist arced sharply from below, sweeping upwards in a cunning, swift hook!

The movements were swift and formidable, seamlessly connected, conveying a sense of concise, brutal practicality.

Even though Allen’s stamina faltered, causing some slight imperfections in his movements, his utterly focused expression and meticulously executed forms left the passing servants and Marianne utterly dumbfounded.

What Allen demonstrated was a modern martial art, stripped of the intricate complexities of ancient techniques, refined to its purest form with the sole purpose of defeating an opponent—

Military Combat Arts!

The bodily memory, etched deep into his very soul, was thoroughly reawakened as he executed the forms! Allen only miraculously recalled these Military Combat Arts after his encounter with The Observer. Yet, this memory felt as though it had materialized out of thin air, leaving Allen himself with a subtle, inexplicable sense of discord.

‘Had he truly learned these Military Combat Arts before his transmigration? Why did he possess absolutely no recollection of them? Perhaps there was indeed an issue with Allen’s memories as a transmigrator.’ He found himself pondering, ‘When exactly was this “beginning of all stories” that The Observer claimed he had forgotten?’

****

On the second-floor terrace, Viscount Bernard de Laval and the elderly butler, Jean Leclerc, had appeared at some point, unobserved.

“Old Jean,” Bernard murmured, stroking the short beard on his chin, “These movements Allen is performing… did he devise them himself, or are they some form of divine revelation? They appear unconventional, yet they don’t seem to be mere flashy displays, do they?”

Jean Leclerc’s clouded, aged eyes were fixed intently on the garden, particularly on that clean, decisive Inward Parry and Uppercut.

“My lord, in my youth, this old servant witnessed true battlefield combat techniques. The young master’s ‘forms’—the method of applying force, the angles of attack, that ruthless drive to abandon all flourish in favor of outright victory—are astonishingly similar! Indeed… they are even more refined in certain vital strikes! It is only a pity that the young master’s physique is too frail; he cannot unleash even a tenth of their full power.”

Bernard’s gaze deepened. “He is truly my son, through and through.”

The butler cast a subtle glance at Bernard’s slightly prominent belly, then quipped, “My lord, these forms of the young master’s seem quite effective for physical conditioning. Just observe your own increasingly ‘substantial’ physique…”

Bernard’s aged face flushed crimson, and he retorted, “Oh? Are you implying I’ve grown stout? Then don’t merely observe! If we are to practice, we shall do so together!”

The butler gave a wry smile, waving a dismissive hand. “My lord, please, have mercy on these old bones of mine!”

As they conversed, both men watched Allen’s lithe figure, their eyes alight with warm, knowing smiles.

****

Having completed the entire set of Military Combat Arts, sweat drenched Allen’s linen shirt, clinging stickily to his skin. He stood still, steadying his slightly ragged breathing, feeling the waves of deep soreness emanating from his muscles. Despite the discomfort, the corners of his lips curled upward involuntarily.

‘My physical constitution is proving to be better than I had anticipated…’ Allen murmured to himself, his fingers unconsciously kneading the aching muscles of his arm. ‘I was nearly depleted after my earlier session with Marianne, yet now I’m able to complete this highly strenuous set of forms? This rate of recovery is… unsettling! Is it some latent cheat ability? Or did… The Observer manipulate my body?’

Pushing aside his burgeoning doubts, Allen turned to Anna. “Well? Can you replicate it?”

Anna had been observing Allen’s martial arts with absolute focus, her utterly absorbed and single-minded posture sparking a potent sense of alarm within Marianne.

‘A magnificent person like the young master is inherently prone to attracting all manner of peculiar individuals!’ Marianne thought, a pang of jealousy striking her. ‘She must quickly bind Allen to her side… no, rather, she must make Allen utterly dependent on her ‘gentle care’. Otherwise, an increasing number of ‘unseemly’ women would vie with her for Allen’s attention! Allen, who so vehemently resisted her ‘enthusiasm,’ was now inexplicably gentle with Anna. Could it be that he harbored a preference for such naive and guileless personalities?’ For the first time, Marianne felt a sense of injustice regarding her own sharp wit and intelligence.

It was only when Allen spoke that Anna seemed to awaken from a trance, a brilliant smile blossoming across her face. “That was incredible! I’ll try!”

She composed herself, steadied her breath, and assumed the opening stance, instantly entering a state of profound focus, her gaze intense and serene. In that moment, her gentle, almost childlike demeanor vanished without a trace, replaced by an aura of formidable righteousness.

Then, the young woman unleashed her strike!

This time, it was Allen who was left utterly dumbfounded!

Anna not only perfectly replicated every single technique but also imbued them with her own unique understanding, rendering her movements even more fluid and their power elevated to an entirely new level! Her terrifying, monstrous strength, combined with these refined techniques, caused her combat prowess to surge exponentially!

Allen suddenly found his confidence in his own ‘invincibility’ wavering. ‘This naive nun, also without a false mark, possesses combat capabilities far surpassing my own current strength!’ Allen had inadvertently nurtured a potential adversary so formidable that she could even disregard his ‘future sight.’

A sudden chill snaked down Allen’s spine. ‘Oh no! The adage of the apprentice outshining the master applies here! If this lass truly masters these techniques, how will I ever distinguish myself? To lift a stone only to drop it on one’s own foot—such is the fate of a foolish antagonist!’

Anna finished her demonstration, then, like an overjoyed large dog, let out a delighted cry and bounded towards Allen, enveloping him in a crushing embrace!

“Wow! Allen, you’re absolutely incredible!” she exclaimed, her boundless enthusiasm and immense strength plunging Allen into a soft, inescapable ‘abyss’ of her embrace.

“Guh… Help… someone, help me…” Allen felt as though he were suffocating, casting a desperate, pleading glance towards Marianne.

“!!!” Marianne’s eyes seemed to spark with fury! ‘To call him by his given name after such a brief acquaintance? And to dare embrace him so tightly?! What further improprieties did she intend?!’

“Release the young master at once!” She rushed forward, attempting to pry Anna’s hands away, but they remained utterly unyielding! ‘That accursed woman of monstrous strength!’

“Oh, but I don’t want to…” Anna tightened her embrace further, burying her face in the crook of Allen’s neck and nuzzling. “Allen… you have a scent that I find rather delightful!”

“Good heavens! I am not food! Marianne! She must be absolutely famished! Fetch the chef immediately!” Allen, observing the suspicious glint of what appeared to be drool at the corner of Anna’s mouth, was utterly terrified, his soul nearly fleeing his body!

Ultimately, Marianne, brandishing a freshly baked, fragrant loaf of bread, successfully diverted Anna, whose eyes were wide and glazed over with hunger.

Allen collapsed to the ground, gasping for air, feeling as though he had just narrowly escaped the clutches of death. ‘Good heavens, even in such an ordinary, everyday scenario, a death ending is possible?! This world, seemingly riddled with potential death scenarios, is truly terrifying!’ Allen’s apprehension towards women deepened yet another degree.

****

“Oh, this is absolutely delicious! It’s been ages since I’ve eaten my fill like this!”

In the dining hall, a veritable mountain of empty bowls was rapidly accumulating before Anna. Allen and Marianne stared at this ‘mountain of bowls,’ their faces etched with bewildered disbelief. ‘But… my dear girl? Were you, by any chance, a mythical beast in a past life? You appear quite slender; by all accounts, your stomach should not be so capacious, should it? How can your stomach possibly accommodate such an enormous quantity of food?! Do not, for a moment, try to tell me the preposterous notion that a young woman’s stomach is somehow connected to a black hole! This defies all scientific explanation!’

“Young master… this single meal…” The butler’s hand, clutching the daunting bill, trembled almost imperceptibly.

Allen waved a dismissive hand, his face a mask of utter resignation. “Don’t… don’t tell me the total sum…” As he watched Anna’s brilliant smile, radiating such profound satisfaction and happiness, some of the gloom in his heart seemed to dissipate.

“Ah, well…” Allen sighed, offering himself a measure of comfort. ‘Raising a supremely powerful, yet utterly naive, nun might be costly, but so be it… at the very least, she provides a certain emotional value.’ Pondering this ’emotional value,’ he found himself instinctively reaching out to gently ruffle Anna’s vibrant red hair once more. ‘Ah, the sheer delight…’ ‘Come to think of it, throughout all my reincarnations, why did I never think to adopt a dog? If someone were to harm my dog, wouldn’t my rage empower me tenfold? I could eliminate my enemies with merely a pen!’ Allen couldn’t help but crack a strange smile. ‘Ahem! No, no, don’t misunderstand! I simply have an undeniable weakness for adorable little creatures!’

“Young master… are you already growing tired of me?” Marianne’s voice drifted over, laced with a subtle threat, her gaze like daggers aimed at Allen’s hand as it rested on Anna’s head. “I spent the entire morning in… ‘intimate’ training with you. Can I not receive some reward?”

Allen vehemently protested, “What do you mean, ‘intimate’?! Choose your words carefully! What we engaged in was a perfectly wholesome physical exercise session!” Allen, imagining a household simultaneously housing both a cat and a dog, knew it would be utter chaos, and a shiver ran down his spine.

“Hehe, Allen, I like this so much…” Anna, head being stroked, purred contentedly, her eyes narrowing as she leaned closer to Allen.

“…”

“…”

“You’re still stroking her head!”

“Ow, ow, ow! That hurts! Marianne! A gentleman uses his words, not his hands! No, not even his words! Are you trying to bite me to death, young lady?!”

Bernard and the old butler watched the chaotic yet lively ‘shura field’ unfolding in the dining hall, exchanging wry smiles.

“He is truly my son,” Bernard murmured.

At that moment, a certain inquisitor, busy preparing for an upcoming meeting, suddenly sneezed. “Achoo! Why do I suddenly feel… a refreshing sense of having exacted a great revenge?”