episode_0047

After the fight with Ethan.

I returned safely to the villa and to my companions.

My companions seemed to be very worried about me, so they were waiting for me without even sitting down, pacing around the inside of the villa.

And when I finally showed up, the group reacted with considerable surprise.

It wasn’t too much of a stretch. At that time, I looked like a total wreck on the outside.

I was able to immediately confirm that I was safe, contrary to what I seemed, and was able to calm the group down and somehow end the situation.

The companions looked like they wanted to ask in detail what had happened, but of course they did not reveal the entire situation.

I vaguely explained that something had happened, and the uncertain looks in my companions’ eyes made me unable to ask any more questions.

So, the eventful day finally came to an end, and the next day began… … .

“… Why are you here?”

An unexpected guest came to the villa.

“That’s the first thing you say when you see a face. He’s a guy with no affection.”

The person complaining with a grumpy face was, of course, Ethan.

I never thought he would come visit me again.

His goal was to stick with me, and as of yesterday, that goal was achieved.

So I thought there was no reason for him to come visit me any more, but he still came here like this.

Not being able to guess the reason, I looked at him with puzzled eyes.

“Now, take it.”

Ethan suddenly threw an object at me.

Of course, I accepted it reflexively.

“This is… … .”

“It’s a sword. You know it when you see it.”

As Ethan said, the object he threw at me was a sword.

A sword that looks unusual at first glance, stuck in an ink-colored scabbard.

“Why are you giving this to me? ?”

“I told you to put down your sword. So I brought it.”

… Come to think of it, I did say something like that.

But I didn’t really mean to ask.

In any case, it’s just something I do without thinking.

In the first place, the sword I used was an ordinary iron sword bought at a local weapons store, and I could buy it again with my financial resources.

However, Ethan, who had only reacted in bewilderment when he said that, actually brought the sword like this.

And that, at first glance, is an unusual sword.

“Pick it out.”

“… … .”

Following Ethan’s words, I slowly pulled the handle of the sword.

Sereung─

Making a pleasant metallic sound, the silver sword body appeared under the scorching sun.

“… Can I really take this?”

Those words naturally came out of my mouth when I saw the sword revealed like that.

Because I recognized it right away.

This sword is at least not a normal sword.

Take “. It’s a sword that isn’t even at the level of being called a famous sword.”

Ethan said it as if it was no big deal, but I couldn’t agree with what he said.

This sword may not be the world’s most famous sword, but it is because I have clearly seen that it is something that can easily be included in the category of famous swords.

First of all, the material is not ordinary iron.

I’m not sure exactly what the material is, but the feeling it gives is different.

Moreover, from the build quality to the center of gravity. You can tell right away that it was made with great care by a skilled craftsman.

Perhaps dozens of gold coins would not be enough to buy this sword.

Even if I can’t do it, I’ll probably get to three digits.

Considering that an iron sword usually costs less than a single gold coin, it is truly an incredibly expensive item.

“… … .”

widely.

I sheathed the sword again and held it out towards Ethan.

“No matter what, this is too much.”

Although it may be a reasonably priced item, this was beyond the norm.

It is too much and too much to receive for just a broken iron sword.

That’s why I tried to return the sword.

“ done. Don’t give it back.”

Ethan did not receive the sword for a second.

“But… … .”

“It’s a sword you won’t use anyway. Even if I kept it, it would just collect dust. So take it.”

“… Then you can sell it.”

“What am I going to do by selling it? It’s not like I don’t have money.”

… After listening to it, I realized that it was true.

“No matter how much you give it back, I will just throw it away on the street.”

The voice was so decisive that it left no room for further thought.

“… I will write well.”

In the end, I had no choice but to meekly accept the sword.

“It should have happened a long time ago.”

Ethan looked at me like that with a satisfied smile on his face.

“Anyway, what are they doing this morning?”

As I was looking at him with subtle eyes, Ethan changed the subject as if he would no longer talk about the sword.

Since I couldn’t force the topic back in such a situation, I followed him and looked away.

There, two familiar faces were exchanging swords.

It’s Aira and Cedric.

“Sparring?”

“Yes.”

The two have been sparring often recently.

As for the timing… I remember it was probably after arriving at the Bluenoa family mansion.

From that day on, Aira showed much enthusiasm for training and training, and even went to Cedric on her own to request a sparring match.

Cedric also readily accepted the offer.

It’s because he always shows an expressionless or indifferent appearance, but he is also a guy who is more serious about his sword than it appears on the outside.

Anyway, the sparring between the two felt like a daily morning routine.

So much so that even the people who looked at it curiously at first no longer paid much attention to it.

Actually, to me, the sparring between the two wasn’t a very refreshing picture.

Because I’ve already seen it with my own eyes twice.

And the sparring was more one-sided than expected.

However.

The aspect of Dalian that I see now is different from what I saw then.

“Hoo.”

Ethan let out a short exclamation.

“Except for exceptions like you, I thought there was no junior among my peers as bad as that cheap guy… … .”

There was a slight strangeness in those eyes.

“It was there?”

“… … .”

I did not specifically agree with that statement.

I just look at the two of them sparring quietly.

The current sparring between Aira and Cedric was completely different from the sparring at the academy.

Cedric is definitely a genius.

Except in my case, Cedric’s talent probably won’t fade in front of anyone.

I don’t know exactly, but if you were to simply consider the size of his talent, there would be no one, not just limited to first years, but even in the entire academy’s combat department, who could compare to Cedric.

It’s not for nothing that the giant named Sword Saint took him as his disciple.

He probably took him on as his disciple because he saw such potential in Cedric.

Ira is a person who is often associated with Cedric, and her grades are second only to Cedric, but to put it bluntly, the gap between the two is not that narrow.

The child certainly had the talent to be called a genius, and his skills were overwhelming compared to other peers, but he had flaws compared to Cedric.

In fact, in two sparring matches that took place during the first semester of the academy, Aira lost in both.

People who don’t know much might say that it was a great sparring with Park Bing-ui, but the reality was different.

Cedric never lost his composure and defeated Aira without showing his full power.

Watching those two sparring, I thought it wouldn’t be that easy for Aira to catch up with Cedric. Unless something special happens.

but.

At this point, a change occurred in that thought.

Kang! Kagang!

A close combat where swords clash with swords.

The person leading the situation there was none other than Ira.

It holds the upper hand. Ira. Against that Cedric.

Of course, Cedric was not cornered at all.

However, it was not a leisurely situation either.

Cedric, who had never lost his composure against Aira during the sparring at the academy, lost his composure.

“Has there ever been another talent like that? After all, the world is wide.”

Ethan watched the two sparring with a cheerful smile on his face.

“… hmm. But you have a strong grasp on swordsmanship, so you don’t seem to come from an ordinary family?”

As he said that, Ethan glanced at me.

The intention of that gaze was clear, so I opened my mouth right away.

“I am the daughter of a guardian knight.”

“Oh, really?”

Ethan opened his eyes wide and looked at Ira again.

“Then I guess I can understand it.”

He nodded slightly.

“… Do you know each other?”

Considering the time when Ethan began his activities, it would not be surprising if he met the Guardian Knight, Gale Librion.

So, out of curiosity, I asked.

Ethan answered that question.

“We met just once.”

He answered in a calm voice.

“Roughly… Has it been more than ten years? It was a time when the front lines were still in disarray.”

Ethan’s eyes looked into the distance, as if he was reminiscing about something.

“At that time, he and I were unknown, but the moment we met, I felt it. I’m not saying my skills are average.”

“So what did you do?”

“What should I do? I said let’s fight.”

… It seems that Ethan is still the same as always.

“What are the results?”

“We lost miserably.”

Ethan smiled coolly.

“At that time, I had not reached the level of consciousness. And now that I think about it, that man had already reached the level of consciousness.”

It is not a new fact that Gail Librion was a person who reached the heights of determination.

Considering his accomplishments, such as single-handedly stopping an army of monsters and defeating a calamitous monster single-handedly, he must have been in awe.

In the first place, the only one who can deal with a disaster-level monster on his own is a Ten Sword-level warrior.

“For that nobleman’s daughter, it’s understandable that she has that level of talent.”

Ethan’s gaze, which had briefly traveled to the past, returned to the sparring between the two.

Then he nodded slightly and added:

“Pretty good. Physique and strength are unilaterally disadvantageous conditions.”

In the world of nothingness, physique is a more important factor than you might think.

There are several advantages to having a large physique.

Among them, the most representative ones are distance and power.

Simply put, it goes without saying that the larger the physique, the stronger the strength, and as the limbs become longer, the distance naturally increases.

It was a huge advantage in this world where a single span of distance could cost a life.

And from that perspective, Aira is not a very suitable physique for cooking radishes.

Women are already at a disadvantage compared to men in terms of strength and physique, but even among those women, Ira is quite small.

However, right now, Ira was putting pressure on Cedric as if there was no such penalty.

“Sure, it’s pretty good, but… … .”

Ethan, who was watching Ira’s movements with interest, opened his mouth.

“Not yet.”

And at that moment, the nature of sparring changed.

Kang!

“… … !”

Cedric cut off Aira’s swirling flow.

And from there, it became Cedric’s flow.

Cedric did not miss the opportunity that arose, and as time passed, the situation went in his favor.

In the midst of all this, Aira struggled and sometimes even tried to counterattack.

“… I lost, I lost… … .”

It didn’t change the outcome of the fight.

“… … .”

Cedric glanced at Ira, who had a look of exasperation on her face, and sheathed her sword.

“Good. It will be a lot of stimulation for both of us.”

Looking at that scene, Ethan grinned again.

“Of course.”

I also agreed with that statement.

I don’t know why, but Aira has changed.

As if a dormant talent had awakened, the person had completely changed.

If things continue like this, it is obvious that Aira’s skills will improve, and it will also be of great help to Cedric.

A race with no one chasing you gives you a sense of stability, but it also makes the runner more lazy.

The two will become helpful competitors.

Thinking so, I nodded.

“Sparring is over… This is a guest.”

At the end of their sparring, Alexis opened the door and came out of the villa, as if she was measuring the timing, and when she saw Ethan, to be more precise, she pretended to know.

And, starting with Alexis, other members of the group also appeared outside the villa.

“You shamelessly stuck your head out again.”

Estelle looks at Ethan with disapproval.

“… Hello.”

“… … .”

Mary, who rarely greeted me with a stern expression, and Rachel, who glared at Ethan without saying a word.

“… Why are my eyes looking so strange?”

Ethan must have recognized the gazes of his companions as he scratched his cheek with an embarrassed expression.

“… Well, something like that happened yesterday.”

I could roughly guess why the group reacted that way.

It’s probably because I wasn’t in good shape when I returned to the villa yesterday.

“No, this is unfair. You weren’t really hurt, right?”

“… Yeah, well.”

It really didn’t hurt that much.

Except that my clothes were a little torn and outwardly a mess.

I tried hard to explain it to my companions, but it seems like my feelings for Ethan didn’t go away.

“… Well, just take it.”

That was all I had to say.

It seemed like no matter how much I tried to explain his innocence, the group’s eyes wouldn’t change.

“I’m so dumbfounded… … .”

Ethan, who continued speaking with a truly aggrieved expression, trailed off mid-sentence.

And in an instant, that expression hardened.

I didn’t ask him why he was acting like this all of a sudden.

Because my face also hardened just like his.

“Why are you doing this all of a sudden? With such a heavy expression.”

Estelle’s voice was filled with confusion, but Ethan and I turned our heads elsewhere instead of looking at her.

Right behind us, towards the lake.

“Wade? What’s wrong?”

“Wade?”

I heard Mary and Rachel’s voices one after another, but I didn’t have time to pay attention to them.

“… … .”

“… … .”

Ethan and I said nothing and just stared at the lake and the island in the center.

For a while.

Jeokjeok─

With the sound of something cracking.

Crack!

There was a crack in the air.

Not a metaphor, really.

“What… ?!”

Alexis sounded confused.

“… This seems like a big problem.”

“… … .”

To Ethan’s words, I silently agreed.

That’s right, that’s… … .

“It is a crack.”

Because it was a signal that monsters from another world would appear.