Waled's perspective was indeed shared by many vampire mages. However, Tris hadn't expected that Waled, only six years old, would also grasp this concept. It left her somewhat troubled: "This child is so determined, once he sets his mind on something, not even a herd of oxen could pull him back. I wonder if this is a good thing or a bad thing..."
Hearing Waled's words, Tris continued, "Even so, can you guarantee that you'll always have a group of high-level undead with you? Or do you find it convenient to have them around?"
"Convenient? It's not exactly convenient. But where in the world is there a perfect situation? If you want something, you have to be prepared to pay the price," Waled replied, sounding like a little adult. "Besides, I don't always need to have them with me. When it's safe, I can be alone. I can also distinguish between safe and dangerous times and places. I can handle that."
Listening to Waled, Tris felt like she was on the verge of breaking down. Despite her century-long experience and extensive travels, her expertise lay in elemental magic, with some knowledge of dark magic and combat skills. She had never been trained in the art of debate. As previously mentioned, Tris wasn't particularly eloquent. It was already a feat to have kept up with Waled, a child with the mind of a seasoned individual.
"But even so—what if there's an assassin so strong, stronger than your entire group of high-level undead and vampire knights? What would you do if he came to kill you?" Tris asked, though her question was somewhat unreasonable. If such a person were to target Waled, what could he possibly do? He'd have to accept his fate.
Waled shook his head and continued, "I think that if an assassin can bypass the high-level undead and vampire knights surrounding a vampire commander, then my half-baked combat skills would be completely useless. Even warriors who specialize in combat wouldn't stand a chance. Should I, a mage with only rudimentary combat skills, be expected to fare better? In such a situation, it would be more practical to focus on improving my escape techniques."
"You—" Tris was at a loss for words. Waled had repeatedly challenged her authority as a teacher. Even with her good temper, she was now angry. She also realized that sometimes, with children, especially clever ones like Waled, reasoning alone wouldn't work. Sometimes, a bit of force was necessary.
Regardless of what Waled would become in the future—a legendary wizard or a notorious tyrant—at six years old, he was still just a mischievous child. The best way to deal with such a child was to catch him, pull down his pants, and spank him. He needed to understand who was in charge and how important combat skills truly were.
It's worth mentioning that Tris had taught another child from the Carstein lineage—Waled's sister, Isabella. However, Tris hadn't been as strict with Isabella as she was with Waled. She had been more lenient with her. If Isabella had any grievances, Tris wouldn't have disciplined her. Physical punishment, like what she was considering now, had never been used on Isabella.
Tris had her reasons for this approach. It wasn't because she was afraid of the Carstein family's power or because she was intimidated. Such negative emotions were almost non-existent within vampire society. The reason was that Waled was male, the heir to the Carstein family, and the only direct descendant. She had a responsibility to teach him with the best attitude and the strictest standards. This was her way of repaying the Countess, who had shown her kindness, and of fulfilling her duty to the vampire community and to Sylvania.
As for Isabella... if Waled were to die, she would become the second in line for succession and might receive more rigorous education and some preferential treatment in terms of resources. But for now, that wasn't the case. However, such a lenient approach to education wasn't necessarily a bad thing. And being as strict with Waled as she was, might not necessarily be a good thing either.
With this in mind, Tris decided to teach Waled a lesson to make him understand the respect due to a teacher. However, Waled had seen as much bloodshed as Tris. Seeing the look in her eyes as she approached, he knew exactly what she intended to do. He subtly took a step back, avoiding her line of attack.
This surprised Tris, who had been about to lift Waled by his ankles. "Huh?" she exclaimed. But she was a seasoned veteran. She quickly changed tactics, pulling out a short wand enchanted with twenty-four ice arrows from her waist. She aimed for Waled's knees, striking with just enough force to knock him down without causing real harm.
Yet Waled remained composed, simply stepping back again to avoid her attack. This further surprised Tris. Once might be a coincidence, but twice? Thinking this, Tris increased her speed, launching a series of attacks, all of which Waled managed to dodge. This made Tris feel even more embarrassed. She decided to stop holding back and went all out!
Suddenly, countless shadows appeared around Waled, and the ice-crystal wand in Tris's hand seemed to form a wall of ice. The speed and power were perfect, almost flawless. If any human knight with a high opinion of themselves had witnessed this, they would have been utterly humbled.
Under such an onslaught, Waled had to abandon his strategy of merely dodging—it was impossible to evade all of Tris's attacks. Soon, the cunning young count launched his own counterattack. His moves were simple but devastating, a fighting technique he had learned in his previous life in the military.
The two exchanged dozens of blows without a clear winner. They were now fully engaged in the fight, with no time to think about anything else. They even forgot why they had started fighting in the first place. Fortunately, they both knew their limits and only used physical attacks, not magic. Otherwise, with the thirty-six ice arrows in Tris's wand, Waled would have been turned into a sieve.
However, after a while, the situation changed. Waled, being young and not fully grown, couldn't match Tris's stamina. He gradually fell into a disadvantage. While he had enjoyed the fight earlier, now that he was on the receiving end, Waled began to feel annoyed. He thought of a way to end the battle.
Just as Tris swung her wand at his shoulder, Waled had an idea. He pretended to be a step too slow, taking a small hit.
This was enough for his act. He had always been a master of deception when playing with his sister, Isabella. Even if Isabella had fallen for it a hundred times, she would still fall for it the hundred and first time. How much more so for Tris, who was experiencing it for the first time?
Waled let out a cry of "Ouch!" and fell to the ground. Clutching his left shoulder, he looked up with tears in his eyes.
Seeing this, Tris realized what had happened and panicked. She rushed over, crouching down to check Waled's injuries—only for Waled to hook his leg around hers, causing her to fall on top of him. As she tried to get up, she felt a cold sensation at her neck. Looking down, she saw a mithril dagger pressed against her throat. Waled's triumphant voice rang in her ears:
"Teacher Tris, do you think my skills are enough to keep me safe now?"
...
An awkward silence followed. Normally, Tris's figure wasn't noticeable through her clothes, but now, pressed against Waled, he realized she was one of those people who "looked thinner with clothes on." Due to Waled's height, her chest was pressed against him. The physical activity had caused her to sweat, and the current position made her ample bosom almost spill out in front of him.
This world hadn't yet invented anything like a corset, and due to the sweat, Tris's nipples were erect, brushing against Waled's nose with each breath, causing an itch. Combined with the feminine scent emanating from her, Waled couldn't help but feel the urge to sneeze...