I grow stronger by making my wife happy.

Chapter 232: 232:decision

Silver eventually realized something. Antony wasn’t trying to impress them, he was simply constantly talking, and somehow... It wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

After nearly twenty minutes, Antony suddenly looked at Silver.

”So?”

Silver blinked.

”So what?”

”Have you decided?”

Silver glanced at Ravenna. They hadn’t actually had time think about it. Antony was asking the question before Silver had even had the chance to discuss it with her.

Silver looked back at him.

”No.”

Antony frowned.

”Why?”

”Because tomorrow isn’t here yet.”

Antony stared at him, then laughed.

”That’s a good answer.”

Silver sighed.

”We’ll talk tomorrow.”

”Fine.”

Antony stood.

”I’ll see you then.”

He walked away again.

Ravenna watched him disappear, then she looked at Silver.

”He is something else.”

Silver nodded.

”Right, i couldn’t even follow most of his conversations. You seem to be listening just fine.”

Ravenna nodded.

”He’s funny. The stories were good.”

They finished their dinner in relative peace after Antony finally left. Silver paid the bill, then they returned to their room.

The moment the door closed behind them, Ravenna turned toward him.

”This was good, we should do this often.”

Silver looked at her, then nodded.

”I will.”

He walked toward the sofa and sat down. Ravenna sat opposite him.

Silver took a breath.

”I think we should let Antony join us.”

Ravenna tilted her head.

”You’ve already decided?”

”Not completely.” He shook his head. ”But I’m leaning toward yes.”

”Why?”

”He’s strong.”

”How strong?”

”I believe he’s Rank Two.”

Ravenna considered that.

”That’s useful.”

”Very.”

”Do you know his ability?”

Silver shook his head.

”Not exactly.”

Ravenna looked surprised.

”You don’t?”

”I know it’s strange.”

”How strange?”

Silver smiled.

”You’ll have to see it yourself.”

She narrowed her eyes.

”That sounds suspicious.”

”It isn’t.”

”Then why won’t you tell me?”

”Because explaining it won’t make sense.”

Ravenna thought about it.

”Then how do we test him?”

Silver leaned back.

”We could spar.”

Ravenna’s eyes brightened.

”That works.”

”Or go hunting together.”

”Sparring is better.”

Silver nodded.

”I thought you’d say that.”

She smiled.

”If he’s Rank Two, I want to see what he can actually do.”

Silver laughed.

”Fair.”

Ravenna stood.

”So tomorrow” she looked at him. ”And if he’s good?”

”We let him join.”

”And if he’s strange?”

Silver smiled.

”He’s already strange.”

Ravenna laughed.

”Fair enough.”

She walked toward the bed. Silver watched her for a moment, the decision seemed simple. Yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that meeting Antony had been another turning point.

Now Antony had approached Silver instead, that alone was another deviation. Silver didn’t know where it would lead, but perhaps that was the point.

.

.

.

Silver woke before Ravenna, as usual. For several seconds, he simply stared at the ceiling.

Now that Antony Braille was supposed to become part of their journey. Silver still wasn’t entirely sure whether that was a good thing, that alone made the situation complicated.

In the original story, Antony had met Dillain under completely different circumstances. Now he had approached Silver, and that meant the future had already shifted again.

Silver turned his head. Ravenna was still asleep, her hair spread across the pillow, and her breathing calm.

Silver smiled.

At least one thing in his life had become simple.

Ravenna stirred, her eyes slowly opening after feeling his stare. She looked at him.

”You’re going to burn a hole into my face.”

”I was thinking.”

”About?”

”Antony.”

She groaned.

”Of course, you were.”

Silver laughed.

”We need to meet him, as soon as possible before he comes knocking again”

She sat up and stretched.

”Are we actually sparring today?”

”That’s the plan.”

She climbed out of bed.

”I’m curious what he’s like in a fight, especially after the way you hyped him up.”

”So am I.”

After breakfast, they were met with a waiter who gave them a small paper. It pointed to the direction of the training area. They nodded their thanks and walked toward it.

As expected, he was already waiting in the hotel’s training area.

Silver wasn’t surprised.

Antony seemed like the sort of person who would arrive early simply because he had nothing better to do.

The hotel’s training facility was considerably better than anything they had used in Delta Four. It was a large reinforced room with thick walls and a floor designed to withstand Contractor abilities.

There were barriers around the edges, several training weapons available, and even a healing station outside the room.

Silver looked around.

”This place is impressive.”

Antony grinned.

”In this beautiful rich sanctuary.” He spread his arms. ”Everything is excessive here.”

Ravenna looked at him.

”You seem comfortable.”

”I like expensive things, it shows my class. What’s the use of looking homeless when I have the money to better myself. You know... self love.”

Silver smiled, unable to answer.

Antony walked toward the center of the room.

”So.” He looked between them. ”Who am I fighting?”

Ravenna stepped forward.

”Me.”

Antony’s eyebrows rose.

”Really?”

”Yes.”

He looked at Silver.

”Are you sure? I’m not looking down on her or anything but... are you sure?”

Silver shrugged.

”She’s stronger than she looks.”

Ravenna smiled.

”That’s true.”

Antony looked amused.

”I like your confidence.”

Ravenna drew her training sword.

”I’m not confident.” She raised the blade.” Just certain of my abilities.”

Antony laughed.

”Even better, it makes me want to fight you even more. Maybe I could beat some confidence out of you... that was a joke, but also don’t cry when I defeat, you know I’ve beaten men until they cried.”

”We’ll see, you might be the one to cry.”

He chuckled softly.

”Thinking abou winning already... what do you eat when you win. I tend to eat some junk food, crisps to be exact and when I loose,” he chuckled,” I don’t loose... this jacket is taking longer than necessary to remove. Does it always happen to you, I burnt my favorite jacket because it became too small for me... I know I have beautiful muscles, that why.”

”Silver,” Silver nodded,” do you want to compare biceps?”

”No, just finish taking off the jacket will you?”

”Yeah sure... you seem to be more impatient than I thought,” he mumbled to himself.

He removed his jacket and tossed it toward one of the benches.

Silver watched him carefully.

Antony’s body looked completely ordinary. There was no excessive muscle and obvious physical enhancement, yet Silver knew better.

He had read that Antony was a Rank Two, and there was something else.

Silver couldn’t forget the ability. The strange ability that had made Antony so memorable in the original story.

Antony stretched his arms.

”Before we start...”

He looked at Ravenna.

”Do you mind if I show you something strange?”

Ravenna frowned.

”That’s what I’m here for.”

”Good, I like shocking people.”

Antony smiled.

His body began to change.

Ravenna’s eyes widened. Silver remained calm, though seeing it directly was still strange.

Antony’s frame shifted; his shoulders narrowed, his facial structure changed, his orange hair lengthened slightly,and his body became distinctly feminine. Within seconds, the man standing before them had become a woman.

Ravenna stared.

”What the hell is this...”

Silver simply exhaled.

”So that’s it.”

Antony’s new voice was feminine, but the same personality remained.

”Surprised? I know you are, people always get surprised, someone once fainted. I swear on my dead fathers grave that this is the truth. ”

Ravenna lowered her sword slightly.

”I can’t even fathom what on earth was going on.”

Antony smiled.

”I can change between male and female.” He pointed toward the tattoo on his body. ”My constitution and beast synchronization allow me to change forms.”

Ravenna studied him.

”And the difference?”

Antony grinned.

”When I’m male...”

His body suddenly shifted again, and returned to his original form.

”My physical strength is considerably higher.”

Then he transformed again and the female form returned.

”But when I’m female...” he crouched slightly. ”...my agility increases.”

Silver immediately understood.

”Two combat configurations.”

”Exactly.”

Antony smiled.

”Male form is better for strength, while female form is better for speed.”

Ravenna’s eyes narrowed.

”How much of a difference?”

Antony shrugged.

”Enough.”

That wasn’t a satisfying answer. Silver suspected Antony simply enjoyed being mysterious.

”What beast did you integrate?”

Antony smiled.

”That’s the interesting part.”