My goodness, but my niece was acting all grown up, now."Okay, yes. That kind of date is easy to make, and nobody cares if, when the time comes, I feel...like doing something else instead. It's cheap, convenient and safe." I smiled."So you think I'm going to break your heart?" No. I think it might be the other way around," I said."Oh! So you're going to break my heart," she said. "Get me all excited and then leave me in the lurch? Call me a slut and complain that I'm losing my touch? Knock me up. “See this pass? It’s barely wide enough for a cart. There’s an outpost there, and if I know Adarian, he’ll have it fully-manned by now. Unless Zander has a portal from here to there, you’ll have to go around,” Elena drew her finger in a wide circle, “and take a fortnight getting there.” “And we don’t have that kind of time.” Brock grumbled. “Why do we need these tribes to petition the Ten?” Mom asked, not bothering to take the stone, “Why not go to them directly as we are? Will they not bow to. Any fight between combat worshipers was sure to entertain.“Begin!” said the announcer.The man, who the announcer introduced as Colin, attacked first. The tip of his blade sparked before he went into a thrusting stance and lunged at Axel from across the field.It reminded Axel of Ava’s aggressive attacks. Instead of dodging, Axel waited until Colin got range then released his mana.Colin was close enough that Axel had no need to direct the burst of mana. It radiated from him in a hazy blue burst. I beg you!”“Nyet,” I answered as I walked out the door, half-regretting it due to what she just told me.Part of me would have loved to be with a girl who didn’t sweat my womanizing for a change. I still couldn’t put up with slapping, though. It was, as I told her, a dealbreaker. If I had slapped her, I would have been wrong, too. Who knew ... maybe in a year’s time or something, but maybe not.All that I knew was that I wouldn’t put up with that kind of bullshit. Not now. Not ever. It was a.