Ch.4242. Venting (2)

In the end, Siabel granted Sione’s request.

Eventually, they found themselves facing each other in an open space outside the camp, suitable for crossing swords.

Though the sun beat down harshly without a single tree for shade, fortunately, a cool breeze blew in from the forest.

As soon as she entered the grounds, Siabel tied her long hair, which she had briefly let loose, into a tight ponytail and said,

“Since serious injuries could occur, I’ll prohibit the use of Mana.”

“I’ll comply.”

Sione readily agreed to her words.

The difference in violence between sparring with Mana and without was significant.

In these mountains crawling with monsters, sparring with real swords rather than wooden training ones was not a wise choice.

Especially since Sione, who wasn’t particularly skilled with swordsmanship, had no choice but to agree with her sister’s words.

Siabel, having tied her hair, swept her bangs back and said,

“Sione, are you ready?”

“Huff… let’s begin.”

“Very well then.”

With a shrug of her shoulders, she drew her sword with precise movements in response to Sione’s words.

Sione too was on edge for this sparring session with her sister after several years.

Shing.

Perhaps because her sword felt heavier than usual?

Sione’s expression became complicated as she drew her weapon.

“I’ll try to control myself so you don’t get too hurt.”

“…I’d prefer if you didn’t hold back.”

Siabel shook her head firmly.

“Enough. I can’t concede any further than this. Moreover—”

Siabel took her stance, positioning her sword at middle guard.

Taking a textbook-perfect, solid stance, she continued,

“I am a knight of the Expert class, am I not?”

Sione fell silent at Siabel’s words.

She knew well that asking an Expert knight not to hold back was nothing but arrogance and childish stubbornness.

“I’ll give you the first move. Come at me freely.”

“…Thank you for indulging me.”

“It’s nothing. If my sister wants to vent her frustrations, it’s only natural for me as her elder sister to help.”

“I’ll begin.”

No sooner had Siabel finished speaking.

Thud!

Sione kicked off the ground, leading with her sword.

“Hah!!”

The moment her blade came within striking distance of her sister, she swung without hesitation.

There was no need to hesitate for fear of hurting her opponent.

Siabel was, as she had said herself, a knight of the Expert class.

Surely she would easily read such an obvious attack.

Clang!!

The sound of blades clashing rang out sharply.

As expected.

Siabel easily deflected her sister’s attack.

And so it continued for several exchanges.

Watching Sione flailing about, consumed by emotion and unable to control her anger, Siabel clicked her tongue softly when her sister briefly pulled back to catch her breath.

“…Tsk.”

Sione’s swordsmanship, which she witnessed through this sparring after several years, was even more pathetic than she had imagined.

Before Sione had retreated into her own world, her skills wouldn’t have been this miserable, even with a different sword.

With emotions rather than cool reason guiding her blade, this outcome was inevitable.

Nothing changed even as Sione’s sword came at her again and again in sweeping arcs.

There was no trace of the Sianella swordsmanship designed to penetrate demons’ weak points with demonic precision.

Worse still, a sword that merely vented frustrations, consumed by emotion, had no chance of reaching her.

Facing Sione was…

Honestly, it made her want to yawn despite holding a real sword.

“Hnngh!!”

“You’re completely consumed by your emotions.”

Sione’s form was embarrassing to even call swordsmanship.

Even kitchen cooks with years of experience could handle a blade in such horizontal and straight lines.

What moved Sione was not the swordsmanship she had learned with Siabel years ago, but her frustration.

“What exactly happened?”

So she asked.

What could have happened to make Sione so consumed by her anger?

This was a child who had secluded herself without even thinking of harboring such deep-seated anger despite being constantly compared to her sister.

Certainly, her sister had been unkind to her servants over the years, but she had never been so completely consumed by her emotions like this.

Sione, who had been wildly swinging her arms, exhaled roughly and said,

“…I encountered an Arachne.”

“An Arachne?”

Having rushed to find her sister immediately after hearing that Sione and her servant were receiving treatment upon returning to camp, her sister’s words were truly shocking.

Siabel’s thoughts deepened at Sione’s words.

Encountered an Arachne?

The situation became partially clear with those words.

Her servant must have been injured and collapsed because of that spider.

And Sione, who cared deeply for him, became angry.

But something didn’t add up.

Sione lacked the skill to face an Arachne.

And Arachne were cunning, vile monsters that never let their chosen prey escape.

How was Sione here crossing swords with her without a single major injury?

“You encountered an Arachne?”

“I should have returned immediately when Ray urged us to go back.”

Sione’s expression, which had been heated with anger, cooled.

“Even as his arm was being crushed, he said he would protect me… The image of him driving his sword into the Arachne’s head while burning what little Mana he had is still vivid in my mind.”

“……”

“Do you know what’s even more ridiculous?”

A bitter, self-deprecating smile settled on Sione’s lips.

“I couldn’t even help him by firing a single arrow. I just watched from a distance.”

“…The situation was what it was. An Arachne is one of the top predators in the Beltrin Mountains—”

“No.”

Sione cut off her sister’s words and shook her head firmly.

“If I had come to my senses from the beginning, or if I had enough skill to help Ray—”

Anger once again clouded Sione’s face.

This time it was controlled anger, governed by reason rather than consuming her mind.

“He wouldn’t have needed to sacrifice himself alone, throwing me far away to safety.”

Sione finally gripped her sword quietly and stared at Siabel.

Unlike her poor swordsmanship, Sione’s blue eyes held the cold edge of a knight’s gaze.

“He’s a man who never showed fear or made a sound of terror, worried I might be anxious when facing demon worshippers.”

Sione’s spirit had changed.

Her panting breath had settled into calm inhalations.

With a clearer mind, she finished preparing to cross swords with Siabel.

“I can’t forget his screams of agony.”

The tip of her sword pointed at Siabel.

All preparations for a final strike to vent her frustrations were complete.

“With this final exchange… I want to completely change myself.”

Siabel also read the atmosphere.

She willingly prepared to receive her attack in accordance with her resolution.

“Hnngh!”

Thud!

Sione charged forward again, kicking off the ground.

In an instant, she approached Siabel and…

The gleaming edge of Sione’s sword faced the sky, slashing upward from below.

Kiiiiing!!

The clashing metal began to wail coldly.

Sione’s sword rode up along the blade of Siabel’s sword.

It was then.

-The best approach is to quickly slash at the enemy to check them, then thrust, and then retreat to secure a safe distance.

As Ray’s past words about single-edged swords came to mind.

“Hah!”

She exerted force on her wrist while exhaling.

The trajectory of the single-edged sword, which had been riding up Siabel’s blade at an angle, changed.

As if it had never climbed her sword, it thrust forward, aiming for Siabel’s neck.

It was a light yet swift thrust.

“Oho.”

The corner of Siabel’s mouth twitched.

A small smile formed and disappeared repeatedly.

Siabel raised her sword and blocked her strategy at close range.

Pause.

“……”

“……”

Sione’s sword stopped just before Siabel’s neck.

Unlike her previous sloppy attacks, this was a rather sharp strike.

For a brief moment, Siabel and Sione’s gazes met.

As Siabel deflected the sword and pushed back, Sione retreated far back to create distance.

“Huff……”

Though her attack was blocked, Sione seemed to have vented her frustrations somewhat.

She sheathed her sword with controlled movements.

Seeing her sister, Siabel raised the corner of her mouth imperceptibly and whispered,

“Interesting.”

She was genuinely enjoying this situation.

From the fact that the interesting man who could use magic had ultimately defeated the Arachne alone,

To her sister who had changed so much because of it.

And that final attack was quite impressive too.

It was a situation without a dull moment.

“Ray—”

Come to think of it, that Ray who had demonstrated magic before her was involved in all of this.

A man who not only used magic but had the fortitude to drive a sword into an Arachne’s head even with his left arm shattered.

He was fundamentally different from her timid servant Bronte.

The first person to ever make me feel entertained.

“I should speak with him when he wakes up.”

With that small murmur, Siabel collected her sword and approached Sione.

Sione bowed her head in response.

“Thank you for indulging me.”

“Well, have you finished venting your frustrations?”

“Yes… Thanks to you, I’ve been able to sort out my thoughts somewhat. Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. As I said, it’s only right for an elder sister to help with her younger sister’s frustrations.”

Having said that, Siabel deliberately composed herself and folded her arms.

Then, twirling and untwirling her silver hair with her index finger, she said,

“However… from capturing the Arachne to exactly what happened… I think we need to have a separate conversation.”

“…We found a place that appears to have been used by demon worshippers for a ritual.”

“Let’s talk when we return to camp.”

Siabel said as she walked past Sione.

“Oh, and… if you want to change, it’s best to change decisively from now on. If you show the same indecisive attitude with half-hearted resolve, you might risk losing him again, and—”

A subtle pleasure began to spread across Siabel’s face as she passed Sione.

“You might even have him taken from you.”

Following behind Siabel, Sione spoke with firm resolve,

“You needn’t worry, sister. I will ensure that I neither lose him—”

Her determined gaze looked toward her future.

“Nor have him taken from me.”