Master (2)

“Ugh, I’m clearly still far from it… but you’re strong.”

The crackling sparks were like lightning.

The mace collided with the sword, pushing it back with a thunderous sound.

However, its properties were clearly different from lightning. Rather than being rough like lightning that destroys everything, it was closer to erasing everything.

“You’re amazing. Even if you awakened through holy water, this level would be challenging for most holy knights.”

“No, it’s all thanks to my master’s excellent teaching…”

Maria gently put down the mace as big as her head and smiled brightly. As the captain of the holy knights who taught her how to fight said, her skills were rapidly improving.

It was true that she had talent. Thanks to Isilia, the properly awakened power of Parma reigned with an overpowered compatibility that had an advantage over any power, be it holy power or mana.

However, that wasn’t all there was to her talent. Born as the daughter of a mere tenant farmer and doing piecework sewing, she had the talent for combat inherited from her ancestors.

‘This is what I’m meant to do.’

Realizing her talent, Maria could hardly contain her joy from the elation she had never felt before. Doing something she was talented at was something not allowed for a poor person like her.

Thanks to this, these days she felt like she could fly every day.

More than the luxurious meals and high-class life provided by the Order, she liked the fact that she could fight like this, wielding weapons and awakening her inner talent.

“Looks like you’ve completely gotten used to it now.”

“It’s all thanks to you, High Elf.”

After finishing training with her masters, she always went to Isilia’s room to wash together.

Entering the hot bath together and practicing power activation while relieving fatigue with Isilia’s help had become a kind of routine.

By now, she was even used to watching the water spirits bubbling and playing.

“It would be convenient if Ian did this too.”

“That’s…”

Isilia could help more people than just Maria. Ian, the next hero, could also relieve fatigue much faster and improve his training results if he received Isilia’s help.

The problem was the method. Even though they were from the lower class, they knew about the separation between men and women.

Maria glanced around, remembering when Isilia calmly appeared with Ian in the bath.

Ian, who appeared thinking no one was there, saw the two of them inside and ran out in shock, while Isilia just laughed out loud, seemingly not embarrassed at all.

As she got to know Isilia’s personality better, she began to wonder if that behavior was sincere or just a prank.

“Well, other people will take care of the hero. That should be enough. How about the other one? Melissa.”

“She… refused herself.”

Melissa’s story came out of Isilia’s mouth without much thought as she yawned. At that, a spark flashed briefly in Maria’s eyes.

‘No.’

Maria still remembered that moment. The words and face of Melissa who refused, saying no, even as she pitifully prostrated herself on the dirt ground and begged for mercy.

Others might not know, but Maria clearly saw it for a fleeting moment. That face smirking down at her from the carriage was definitely not the face of someone who was refusing reluctantly.

It was the typical face of someone filled with a sense of superiority and arrogance. Maria, who had lived an impoverished life, was not unfamiliar with that face.

It wasn’t just Melissa. Not a few adults showed such faces to her, thinking she was weaker than them. Among them were those who coveted her body in exchange for a few coins.

As if to say, what could a girl like you do if you refuse a few coins? Of course, her father would jump in and fight whenever such guys appeared.

“How do you want to use your power?”

“I should save the world.”

“…The enemies that appear in that process may not just be monsters crawling out of erosion sites.”

Right after she awakened. Isilia asked her seriously about the future when they were alone.

How and where will you use this almighty power you’ve now obtained? She added that while the world is in crisis, because the world is in crisis, that power could be used in other directions as well.

The first thought that came to mind when she heard those words was revenge.

When Melissa trampled on her hope and left. When she nearly lost her mind seeing her father lying down. The intense anger burning in her heart at that time would surely have exploded in all directions if she only had the power.

Whether money or force, she needed power. The miserable lower class and powerful rulers were divided by whether they had that power or not.

And now, Maria had been given that power.

“You say you’ll use it for me? Forget it. No need.”

In the end, Maria, who couldn’t find an answer then, knelt before Isilia and swore to use her power for her.

This 10,000-year-old elf was both her benefactor and teacher. But Isilia, who was looking down at her while wiggling her crossed legs, snorted.

“Do as you please. In a way that won’t shame the ancestors who passed down that power to you.”

Instead, Isilia handed over the choice to Maria.

The words saying she would give her freedom were unfamiliar to someone who had lived at the bottom her whole life, but as Maria began to learn more and more, she gradually started to decide what she wanted to do.

She learned writing, etiquette, about the world, and martial arts. There was no time to care about past grudges as they faded away.

The true saint known to the world was Maria herself, who had awakened the power of Parma, and it was her that the Order and envoys from various factions came to visit.

“Infinite luck to the hero and saint, both of you. The same goes for the great High Elf.”

Moreover, everyone now knew who Maria’s guardian was.

Seeing those she once looked up to now bowing their heads to her, it didn’t take long to recover her self-esteem that had fallen to the bottom.

It was then that Melissa, whom she rarely encountered, came to visit.

“You want to see Isilia?”

Maria put down her teacup with a flat tone. Melissa, looking somewhat gloomy, politely clasped her hands and stood still like a servant, bowing her head.

“When I inquired separately, they said I must get Maria’s permission…”

Melissa looked at Maria carefully. Her once sky-high nose was now gone. Being quick-witted, she had realized who the real power was and where the authority lay.

Conversely, Maria, who had learned what that watchfulness meant, seemed to understand why Isilia had passed Melissa on to her. It meant to resolve past grudges with her own hands.

‘She’s completely become a has-been.’

Maria also knew about Melissa’s situation. Originally, Melissa should have been the one revered as a saint. Like Maria had dreamed, it wouldn’t have been impossible for her to be adorned with gold and silver and enjoy authority and power.

But not now.

The true saint was Maria, who possessed the irreplaceable authority of Parma’s power, and Melissa, who was merely a healer, was just a sub or second-in-command.

With everyone’s interest gone, there was nothing Melissa could do.

“Why do you want to see her?”

“I heard that if I receive her teachings, I can become stronger. It seems my training isn’t progressing…”

“The teachings she gives aren’t like that.”

Maria held back a snort. It seemed Melissa thought she too would achieve something if she met Isilia, seeing how Maria kept making rapid progress with Isilia’s help.

‘Her spirit’s a bit dampened, but she’s still the same.’

And Maria read the momentary resentment that flashed in Melissa’s eyes. In fact, Melissa was thinking that Maria was preventing her from meeting Isilia to keep her in check.

‘What should I do?’

Countless thoughts flashed through Maria’s mind.

Right now, she literally had power.

If she wanted to, she could return the same treatment to Melissa. She could pinch and bully her like Ian had suffered, or ignore and trample her like she herself had experienced.

She erased the option of kindly persuading her. In Maria’s view, Melissa was still not fully trained.

The venom nurtured while rolling in the lower class and being abused by adoptive parents, just like herself, couldn’t be erased with this level of humiliation. She had to remove that venom first. She believed this was not just for herself, but for Melissa’s own good.

“I think it would be good if we became closer. In a way, we’re comrades, aren’t we?”

“…Pardon?”

Finally, Maria smiled brightly, having made up her mind. However, despite that beautiful smile, Melissa hesitated, bewildered.

Because she knew better than anyone that that radiant smile was a ‘mask’ hiding her true colors.