Chapter 107

Chapter 107

Investing Through the Status Window.

Episode 107: A Master’s Grace (3).

-…Is there a reason why it’s hard to talk about it?

-Ugh…!

Oh, Holy Ooonnneee…

The Blind Saintess, who was eavesdropping on the meeting through the door, was so tense that she almost wet herself.

…If it was revealed that she had succumbed for 40 gold coins, she didn’t even want to imagine what terrifying consequences might follow.

-You’re… in love with Ordnung.

And then, her master’s sudden remark, as if hitting her in the solar plexus…

Love…?

The word, which she had never even imagined, made the Pinkette Saintess gasp and hold her breath.

Just when she thought, fortunately, that the Master had missed the mark.

-Yes…!

…came the firm response from the Group Leader.

The shocked Pinkette Saintess fell back from the door, stood there dumbfounded for a moment, and then hurriedly dashed back to her room.

Ordnung leaned against the closed door, panting for a moment.

-You are in love.

-Yes.

It was a conversation so shocking that her heart sank… A little more than when she was offered 40 gold coins…!

Love. In love, with me…!

She really had no clue. She had never thought of herself as someone who was oblivious… To think what her master saw through immediately, only she herself was unaware of.

Am I really that dense? Why didn’t I know? I really didn’t know. Really. …The Group Leader… in love with me…!

The Blind Saintess had been thinking too simply all this time. She had simply thought he wanted to keep her because he needed her… It now explained why he tried to keep her by offering a novice, who had just completed her first expedition, a huge sum of 40 gold coins.

Love.

Something felt hot in her stomach. Ordnung tried to calm the strange sensation wrapping around her insides by rubbing below her solar plexus with her palm.

I do have some beauty, but still…!

There was the mage with huge chests and the swordswoman, who was neither fun nor had any breasts, so why her? Honestly, Ordnung couldn’t quite understand.

But if the Master was that confident in saying so, there must be something certain… Perhaps he fell for the holy saintess image she had shown so far.

This is why the Master told me to be careful of men…!

“Ah.”

What should I do with this blasphemous body that seduces men just by breathing?!

As she was indulging in self-praise alone, suddenly someone swung the door open and came in. Judging by the tremendous force that pushed her forward despite leaning back, she could tell who it was without even looking.

Having finished the conversation, her master abruptly entered her room, perched on the bed, and started smoking a cigarette. Her face was full of worry and concern.

“…You heard everything, right?”

“Wh-What are you talking about…?”

“This girl is pretending not to know? Who are you trying to fool?”

“Ah, that… just a little bit… Hehe.”

The Blind Saintess standing in front of her master was restless. The Master exhaled smoke with a puff and spoke.

“Why does he like this foolish girl? Good grief.”

“…Still, I have some beauty…”

As her master stared intently at her, the Blind Saintess cut off her words and dropped her gaze.

The Master, who had been silently smoking for a long time, quietly opened her mouth.

“What will you do? Now that you are all grown up, I will respect your choice. You can come back with me, or you can stay here.”

The Pinkette Saintess couldn’t answer immediately. The master, who was quietly watching her hesitant disciple, smiled crookedly.

“…It seems you like it here. Seeing as you’re not quick to say you’ll come with me.”

Hearing that, Ordnung bit her lower lip. The grace of her master still lingered in a corner of her heart, pricking at her conscience… Though she was holding on with a shield of gold coins for now.

At that moment, the considerate master brought up the Group Leader to slightly ease the guilty conscience of her unfilial disciple.

“Group Leader Allen… he seems like a pretty decent person. From what I’ve heard, his abilities aren’t bad either. He doesn’t seem like someone who would block your path.”

“…Yes, he’s a good person.”

“You’re taking care of him like he’s your lover.”

“Ah, we’re not like that yet…!”

“Yet? So, you do have some feelings for him?”

“…No! I’m devoted to serving the Holy Spirit…”

“Ugh, Holy Spirit my foot.”

“Ah, that’s a blasphemous statement…!”

“I’m going to give you a real beating, really.”

The Blind Saintess awkwardly laughed.

“…I told you to be careful with men.”

“Group Leader Allen is not a dangerous person. Nothing like that happened at all. I acted very modestly… And I didn’t feel anything like that at all…!”

“It’s so apparent. Ugh, you’re so clueless… You’re just the type to get completely taken in by a man, completely taken in.”

Ordnung felt a bit wronged, but she couldn’t argue because it was true. Despite having spent so much time together as comrades, how could she not know that?! Even her Master recognized it at a glance!

…Thinking about it quietly, there were certainly many times she could have realized it. Foolishly, she just brushed it off as nothing important.

“It’s not like that?! I know how to take care of myself too…! Being devoured by a man. That will never happen!”

“So, are you saying you want to stay?”

The Blind Saintess couldn’t answer again. Then her Master snorted.

“Good for me. I need to be free from taking care of my disciple.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Her disciple really seemed to like this mercenary group. It was probably due to Group Leader Allen’s influence.

…Truly, fate has twisted…

Though she was mocked as a fortune-teller hag, Aloa was the continent’s greatest prophet. Yupi had never seen her predictions fail… Except this one!

Since I’m already out, I might as well go see her.

The Master was very curious about how Aloa’s overly confident face would change after her first failure… Actually, it was somewhat amusing. The thought of breaking her self-assured nose.

“Rest well. You’ve just returned, so you need to relax… And from tomorrow on, it’s special training again.”

“What?!”

The Blind Saintess jumped up, asking what she meant. She had been excited to have fun starting tomorrow.

“You damn girl, did you think you could just play around? You’re still lacking in so many ways!”

“But I just got back today…!”

“Oh? Why has my disciple’s mouth grown so long? Huh?!”

Ordnung pouted her lower lip and became mute.

“Anyway, just keep that in mind… Always be careful with men’s willies. Got it?!”

“Oh, it’s not like that…”

The Master glanced up and down at her disciple, who was losing strength in her voice, and left the room.

Phew.

Standing in the hallway, the Master felt a heavy weight on her chest along with a short sigh… The source was the money pouch that Group Leader Allen had subtly handed over as a token of sincerity.

Upon returning to her room and counting the contents, there were 100 gold coins. She felt oddly elated.

No one said to traffic people. Just reap some benefits from your disciple.

…As Aloa had said, the Master decided to occasionally reap some benefits from her unworthy disciple.

Oh, honestly, after raising her this much, can’t I at least get this much benefit?!

Two days after returning to Vermandois, early morning.

The Itty Titty Swordsman finished a brief meditation and stood up from the dirt ground. Despite being in a backyard attached to a stinky outhouse, it was the only place with enough space to practice swordsmanship.

Natasha carefully incorporated her accumulated experiences and insights into her swordsmanship. Though there were still certain parts that were awkward, she could feel that she was definitely improving little by little.

After completing a round of sword practice and catching her breath for a moment, she heard someone clear their throat.

Hmm?!

Startled, the Itty Titty Swordsman swiftly pointed her sharp sword towards the source of the sound. There stood the woman who was said to be the Blind Saintess’s master… However, to Natasha’s surprise, she hadn’t sensed any presence until just a moment ago.

Master Yupi also recognized at a glance that the talent of that flat-chested beauty swordswoman surpassed even that of her disciple… She looked at most in her early twenties.

Where did such a raw gem come from?

Her talent was rare enough to be counted on one hand across the continent, making it hard to believe it was mere coincidence… It was only then that the Master truly realized the true nature of Group Leader Allen.

The fact that he chose my disciple and this female swordswoman wasn’t just a coincidence… He has an eye for picking raw gems. That man…

In fact, Yupi was somewhat annoyed when Group Leader Allen asked her to take a look at a fellow member’s swordsmanship, but that feeling vanished the moment she saw her. After all, she too was fundamentally a martial artist.

“Are you… a guest of the Group Leader?”

“I am the master of Ordnung.”

“What brings you here…?”

“Group Leader Allen said there was a skilled swordsman here, so I came to take a look.”

The Itty Titty Swordsman immediately understood that the Group Leader had asked her to briefly look after her.

At the same time, they began to size each other up.

“Shall we try to match our movements…?”

“…Yes, sure.”

Natasha felt a surge of challenge. Sparring with a strong opponent. There was no better experience for improving skills… And she was curious about how strong the master of the powerful Ordnung was.

As befits the master of the bare-handed Ordnung, she also stood before Natasha without a weapon.

As Yupi flicked her hand, the Itty Titty Swordsman almost simultaneously pushed off the ground and shot forward.

Even a single mistake could lead to severe injuries, and the dizzying strikes continued. However, no matter how hard Natasha tried, her sword only narrowly grazed her opponent. On the other hand, Yupi effortlessly dodged the sword while occasionally tapping Natasha lightly with her fists, as if to let her know that an attack had landed.

After the rather lengthy sparring session ended, Natasha sheathed her sword and respectfully bowed her head. The breath of the Itty Titty Swordsman was rough and uneven, but her opponent appeared as calm as if she had just taken a stroll… The gap between them was that significant.

…This woman is truly an incredible monster.

The master of Ordnung was a figure with overwhelmingly formidable skills, enough to send chills down one’s spine. It was easy to understand the strength of the Blind Saintess…

“May I say a few words, presumptuously?”

Yupi took a hand-rolled cigarette from her pocket, placed it in her mouth, and struck the flint to light it.

“I am willing to receive any teaching.”

“Your basics are excellent. That’s good… However, that’s all. It might work against a novice, but against someone of equal skill, it’s hard to determine the outcome. You now need advanced techniques. But since your basics are solid, you’ll learn it quickly.”

“…I’m sorry, but I don’t know how to learn that.”

The problem was that Yupi only knew how to throw punches and wasn’t well-versed in the sword. Of course, if she were at a low level, she could roughly teach what she had picked up with her eyes, but her opponent was a genius who couldn’t be dealt with by sloppy teaching. Therefore, she needed someone well-versed in swordsmanship.

After a moment of contemplation, Yupi took a long drag on her cigarette and exhaled a puff of smoke.

“…Perhaps if you ever have to go to the capital next time.”

The pondering Master finally made a decision… Such talent couldn’t be left to waste.

“Go find Magnus. That guy knows swords better than I do.”

Natasha hesitated for a moment… Could it be the Magnus she knew?

“Magnus… you mean…?”

“The Group Leader of the Magnus-Mercenary Group.”

Ah.

“If you say Yupi sent you, he’ll understand.”

Swordmaster Magnus.

A Group Leader of one of the Top 10 and one of the continent’s greatest fighters.

…At that tremendous name, Natasha momentarily felt dizzy.