Chapter 258: The Knight Never Forgets His Grudge (1)

“Hey, Rose.”

“What’s wrong, Lily?”

“Don’t you think the male students have been different lately?”

“…”

“D-don’t you think they’ve become a bit rough lately?”

“Hmm, I don’t know. They are still the same in my eyes.”

“A-am I the only one who felt that way?”

The girl called Lilyna Boarne, who was given the title of Chick Number 12 by Lee Han was the daughter of a baron, and most of the people who inherited the Boarne bloodline were famous for being handsome and beautiful. So naturally, as a descendant of Boarne, Lilyna was also a beautiful girl with a neat appearance and a promising future.

However, compared to her peers, her growth rate was relatively slow. Because of that she developed a complex due to his looks that was similar to a little kid who hadn’t even had their coming of age ceremony yet. But after completing the training that her instructor had prepared just for her, the girl who was only 130cm grew to 139cm in 8 months.

Yet, the instructor advised her to keep training because she could grow even taller due to her growth plate hadn’t closed yet, so Lilyna didn’t suffer from the complex anymore and trusted her instructor 120%.

However, the reason why others didn’t admire the rapid change that happened to her was probably because it was just a drop in the bucket compared to the relatively extreme changes of the people around her.

“Whooo… Whooo…”

“Just one more, just one more!”

“That’s right!”

“Pull up! Pull up!”

The people who were hanging from the horizontal bar and doing pull-ups right now weren’t the bears. They were the young masters. In other words, the nobles.

Their upper body was exposed for everyone to see while they were training their muscles. Probably because of that, their upper bodies seemed to have gotten a lot bigger.

It’s not that Lily didn’t like the look of them, and they’re not flabby at all. On the contrary, their muscles had really gotten bigger. However, she just found it strange that an aspiring knight who used to say that having too much muscle mass wouldn’t make them a better knight suddenly acting like that.

Probably seeing her question on her face, someone who knew her master so well answer her curiosity,

“They have been hanging out with the bears a lot lately because of the restoration work of the Great Temple. I think they had some kind of communication there.”

“Ah…”

“And my master said that when a man’s abs become more defined, they will naturally want to train other parts of his body.”

“??”

Miss Levy, who had come over before Lily even realized, gave a good explanation. However, rather than answering her question, it only made her curiosity grow.

Why did they want to grow their muscles?

No, raising them was one thing, but why do they show them off so much…

“Well, it’s similar to a lion showing off its voluminous mane to a lioness. But It’s a sentiment I don’t quite understand.”

“…I agree.”

Lilyna sighed as she shook her head. It’s not like she didn’t really understand them. After all, Lilyna also boasted to those around her that she had grown a whopping 9cm.

But…

Smell of sweat…

Do they really have to do it so openly?

If they wanted to do it, they should have done it in a place where people couldn’t see them.

“You should just understand them. Males are like that. They did it to court females they like. The monkeys living in Kunta’s hometown often acted like that.”

“Kunta, if you say it like that, you indirectly say that they are on the same level as monkeys…”

“Monkey and human had a similar body structure.”

“…What’s with this persuasiveness?”

The girls were convinced by the Barbarian’s remark that had come before they knew it.

However, the talk about the young masters wasn’t finished yet.

“But I think the young masters will get in trouble. If Teacher saw them, he would be furious.”

“Teacher? Are you talking about the Instructor?”

“Yeah. Instead of doing what Teacher told them to do, they use their time to grow their muscles. Teacher will probably…”

He trailed off.

And before he could continue.

“Why are you who should be a track and field athlete trying to become weightlifters!!!”

Bang-!

They started getting slapped.

However, unlike a crisp and light sound that resounded every time someone was slapped, what echoed around the training field was a heavy thud.

“…I think I understand why Rose didn’t show much interest when she saw those people.”

Lilyna shook her head as she looked back and forth between their instructor and her male classmates who had fainted while clutching their foreheads.

“Her standard is too high.”

Who would be amazed at raw stones that weren’t even polished yet when they always saw a perfect diamond?

It had been about a month since Lee Han saw the cadets last.

Sending them to the Great Temple recovery effort under the pretext of training was one of the reasons, but there was also the test. There were written tests and interviews to judged whether the cadets were ready to advance to the next grade, and because of that, the swordsmanship department had a two-week break.

So, it was the first time they had seen each other in a while, and since the winter break started next week, he should at least give some warm encouragement as an Instructor.

However,

“Why are you trying to waste the effort you had put in making yourself a human?”

“We aplogize.”

“In the first place, you shouldn’t have done something you will be sorry for.”

“Umm…”

“Haa, you guys should just do aerobic exercise for the time being.”

“…Understood.”

“Why is the answer so weak?”

“UNDERSTOOD!”

Before long, the 10km aerobic run, which seemed like an extreme reunion rather than a happy reunion, started. The male students ran until they were out of breath.

“Why should we do it too, Instructor!”

]

“We were just watching their posture…!”

The bear-like guys complained. They found it unfair that they were punished together with the young masters.

But in front of their complaints, Lee Han just laughed.

“Don’t you know the so-called shared responsibility?”

“What about the chicks?”

“Unlike you, they are still weak. They will run out of breath as soon as they run at full speed.”

“!?”

The Bears wanted to tell the Instructor that it was gender discrimination, but they simply couldn’t couldn’t bring themselves to say it because they knew that the young ladies’ fierce gazes would come at them tomorrow if they said it.

Probably because she saw through them, Levy walked towards Lee Han at that moment.

“Master, why are you wrapped up in bandages like that? Did you fight a legendary monster?”

“Legendary Monster?”

Levy showed genuine concern at him, who had bandages wrapped around his body. At the same time, she was also curious. After all, who could hurt him that much in the Kingdom?

Recognizing the looks Levy gave him, Lee Han had to scratch his cheek and give a clumsy answer.

“I just did something stupid, so don’t worry too much.”

“??”

Yes, he did something really stupid.

He ran at [Sword Duchess] without even caring about his life.

It’s truly fortunate that he didn’t die after such a stupid and reckless action.

That grandma doesn’t show any mercy.

Lee Han’s body throbbed as he recalled the swords that had been stabbed into his stomach, thighs, and arms. Through an unknown method, she didn’t leave any scars or major wounds, but the ‘pain’ remained intact. The reason he had to wrap his body with bandages was because it helped in reducing the pain. Though, whether it was a placebo effect or not was debatable.

At the same time.

…I also realized a new way to use willpower.

Lee Han gained a new way to use willpower.

Felicia’s willpower was spreading deep inside Lee Han’s body like poison or a virus, and Lee Han had to use extreme amounts of willpower in real time to either extract or remove Felicia’s willpower from his body.

Felicia said fighting her would help him train his willpower, and now Lee Han understood why she said so. The only thing that could counter her willpower that’s digging into his body was his own willpower.

In that sense, it was definitely good training. Overcoming the willpower of a woman called the Sword Duchess was bound to make him show tremendous growth.

It was truly a fateful encounter.

However…

It’s really hard.

The problem was that the method was akin to mutilation.

“It seems like she is repaying kindness with enmity…”

“Huh?”

“I’m just talking nonsense, so let’s just move on. By the way, what do you have in your hand?”

“Oh, it’s just a walnut. You told me to build up my grip strength don’t you, Instructor? I’ve been trying to find a way to do it and have been cracking walnuts. Recently, I’ve finally been able to crack five walnuts at once.”

“…You’re the best.”

While the aspiring knights willingly threw away their strength, the girl who started the latest was working hard to make up for her shortcomings and growing steadily. Even though she looked thin on the outside, she had significantly strengthened her tendons and ligaments, including her internal muscles. Compared to back when she first joined the Academy, she’d developed roughly four times stronger.

If the Martial Power was added on top of her current power, she would show strength that was incomparable to back then. In other words, it meant that although she looked skinny on the outside, she actually had a body that wouldn’t lose to a gorilla in a showdown.

That’s one hella scary growth rate…

On top of that, she’d grown rapidly because of the experience she gained while staying in Offen.

If we held a ranking match, maybe she’ll rank around the middle?

A kid who hadn’t even been seriously holding a sword for a year was capable enough to enter the middle ranks among the elites who hit the ground running ever since they were young?

Wasn’t that like someone who hadn’t even kicked a soccer ball for a year being selected for the national team?

Is she growing up according to her name?

An extraordinary figure befitting the name Jeanne of Arc.

Lee Han stuck his tongue.

If she was already at this level in less than a year. How strong would she be next year? What about when she graduates?

No…

If there’s even a chance, they’ll appear and attack her.

He didn’t know when it would be, but Lee Han had a gut feeling.

“It’s time to start teaching him proper swordsmanship… What do you think, swordsmanship Assistant Instructor?”

“…Did I do something wrong, Instructor?”

“Um… Skipping class for a month?”

“Okay, I’ll admit I did something wrong, but still, punishing me by appointing me as the Assistant Instructor is a bit….”

The black-haired nobleman, Roen, took a step back with a stiff look in his eyes.

At the same time, cold sweat was dripping down his body.

Roen was genuinely surprised.

What the? The instructor has grown even stronger?

If someone heard what he thought, they would chide him from the nonsense he was spouting. However, Roen was truly taken aback.

[G-Grrrrr…]

Even the Mystic of the North, the [Black King] sleeping inside him was surprised.

The reason Roen took a step back and sweated buckets was not just because of the joke about him becoming an assistant, but because the instructor’s presence had become even stronger.

Not much time has passed. So how…

If Roen had known that Lee Han was surprised by Levy’s rapid growth, he would have told him this:

She’s not as fast as you!

It was not an exaggeration to say that his instructor had become a different person in just a month. Moreover, even though he’s injured, Roen didn’t feel confident that he could fight and win against him.

Even if he used the help of the Black King…

While Roen was feeling tense like that,

“Forget about the Assistant joke, just teach her one swordsmanship that she’ll be able to use. If you teach her properly, she’ll be pretty fierce. Oh, if you don’t want to teach her, I should ask that guy Illiad. He had pretty decent swordsmanship.”

“…You are probably the only one who said the Sword Saint’s swordsmanship was pretty decent, Instructor.”

“So, you’re saying that you’re worse at teaching than that guy who had retired?”

“……There’s swordsmanship that’s right for her. A swordsmanship that’s just for her.”

“You should’ve said so in the first place.”

Although Roen knew it was just a friendly provocation, he still responded to it. After all, he knew the swordsmanship of the great hero known as the ‘Mercenary Queen’ better than anyone else.

“You came to a good conclusion.”

thought well.”

“…But is that the only reason you called me here, Instructor?”

There was no way he called him over while he was busy with his work at the Great Temple just because of swordsmanship. The instructor he knew wouldn’t come looking for him just for that reason.

As Roen expected,

“I have another business with you.”

“?”

“I’m just asking just in case, is there anyone among your subordinates who is a master of tracking or has some kind of Mystic regarding tracking?”

“…If I said I have, what do you need them for, Instructor?”

“I need their help.”

Rustle-!

“I didn’t feel good because I still can’t hit that guy properly for what he’d done to me.”

“…”

At that moment, Roen saw the red and wriggling drops of blood in the small vial his Instructor took out from his pocket.

“Do you want to go ‘hunting’ with me?”

“That…”

How interesting.

Roen smiled as if he had received a perfectly satisfactory year-end gift.