Divine Luck: SSS-Rank Battle Maid Harem

Zach had been worried that since a lot had happened or was happening, the Empress Dowager would be too busy to accept such a sudden request to visit. Fortunately, she was as far from busy as one could get. She was sitting in her garden sipping tea when Zach, Nessa, and their familiars arrived.

Naturally, she invited them to join her.

Nessa was a little nervous. She knew Zach was close and friendly with the Empress Dowager, but she was still someone at the peak of the Empire. Then, she remembered that she was close friends with Zoe, who was the ruler of the Underworld. It wasn't the same as being the ruler of the Empire, but it was a prestigious position.

Ursula looked at Zach after they exchanged greetings and he introduced Nessa.

"You didn't come here just for a polite visit, did you, Zach?" She asked without beating around the bush. She was way past dancing around the topic, and Zach was the last person she would bother doing it with.

"No." Naturally, Zach would respond in kind. "I wanted to ask you if you think my vessel can handle another familiar."

Ursula tilted her head, and she put down her cup of tea.

"Normally, I would say yes. It has been a while since you summoned Mandra, and your body should have grown a lot since then. You're still young, after all. I would also say that you would know best since it's your body.

"The fact that you're uncertain enough to ask me…" Ursula didn't need to finish her sentence.

It looked like Zach's vessel might not be quite ready for another familiar until he recovered from the backlash of using Surge.

Zach pursed his lips in disappointment. But he didn't let it get to him.

"There is a summoning chamber in the Underworld, Zach," Nessa chimed in. He had come to the Empress Dowager to ask if he could borrow her summoning chamber and summon his fifth. But since he wasn't ready yet, he would either have to come back later or visit another summoning chamber.

"Oh?" Empress Dowager was a little surprised.

"I didn't know underworlders were interested in summoning."

"Some of them are, but Zoe arranged it for Julius and us," Nessa answered.

"I see…Zoe is quite capable, then."

"Very." Nessa nodded firmly. She had been there when Zoe fought Ugor. Ugor had won against her, but only because Zoe had been tortured for almost a thousand years. Now that she had not only recovered her strength but even grown stronger, she did not know anymore more capable than her.

But she had still been defeated by that Apostle.

They needed someone who wasn't just strong. They needed someone who did the impossible. They needed Zach.

"Thanks for the advice, Ursula. If you don't mind, I have another question."

"Feel free to ask it."

"Are you familiar with Ozra—"

"You should ask the principal any questions related to her," Ursula interrupted as soon as Zach got her name out. Ursula's expression was strict. She did not want to talk about Ozra.

Zach's eyebrows rose in surprise. He was not expecting such a response. He knew something was up with Ozra, based on the way she had attacked him and since there was no information about her at the Academy.

But it seemed like her past was worse than Zach could have guessed.

"Alright…" Zach turned to Nessa. "Do we have time for a stop at the Academy?"

Nessa nodded. Violina's barrier should hold that long. And it was almost on the way. With Darkwing's speed, it wouldn't matter much.

"Wait." However, Ursula stopped them when they stood up and turned around. They turned back to Ursula. Ursula looked at Zach with a grave expression.

"How did you hear that name?" She asked.

"From the person herself."

"You met her?!" Ursula exclaimed.

"And you're fine?!" She asked in disbelief.

"Well, I'm not fine, but that's not because of her. If anything, I'm only this healthy because she helped out in the fight against the Hydra." Zach said with a shrug. He was starting to feel that Ozra had a really bad reputation.

"Are you sure it was Ozra…?" Ursula asked suspiciously.

"Yeah. I don't think it was a coincidence unless the principal has had another student called Ozra, who was also close to becoming his inheritor."

"Is that why she left you alone? Because the principal wants you to succeed him?"

"Nope. That's why she attacked me. She said she was going to test me, and if I failed to live up to her standards, I failed to live. Needless to say, I proved myself by headbutting her. No, wait. She headbutted me. I punched her in the gut."

"Did…did you defeat Ozra in a fight…?" Ursula asked, full of doubt. Zach shook his head.

"Nope. We started getting along in the middle of it, so I'm pretty sure she went easy on me. And then I spooked her off with my contract skill. After that, the Hydra wanted to play, so we played with her instead."

"Your contract skill?"

Zach grabbed his empty teacup.

"This isn't precious, is it?"

"I mean…" Everything in the Empress Dowager's palace was a treasure ordinary people couldn't amass in their lifetimes.

"Is it fine if I destroy it?"

Ursula nodded.

Zach Extracted a white marble from the porcelain cup and tossed it to Ursula, whose eyes were fixed on the crumpled shell of the cup. She snatched the marble. Instantly, she could tell that it was far harder and more solid than the cup's porcelain had been.

"And you can do this to living beings…?" She asked with a mixture of horror and surprise.

"It's harder, but yeah."

"No wonder…With something like this, I also wouldn't want to fight you, Zach. I have no idea how to defend against what you just did."

"I'm pretty sure strength of will is the way to go. Of course, a lot of energy and a solid body helps. But I've found that the harder a monster or something resists, the more difficult it is for me."

"But you still succeed, right?"

"Mostly."

"Mhm. That practice makes it hard to defend against. You're used to using it. Whoever you use it on is not used to defending against it. This might be your strongest contract skill if you continue honing it, Zach."

Zach's eyes widened.

It was not just a fast and efficient way to get Alzara better materials, then.