episode_0024

I first met my master when I was just 7 years old.

Back then, I hated wielding a sword.

My arms would ache, my palms would blister.

And it was so boring.

Just repeating cutting and stabbing.

I would swing the sword hundreds of times until the sun went down.

For young me, sword training was nothing but torture.

No matter how noble the duty of the Jurma family was.

That day, as usual, I got scolded by my father for misbehaving.

Feeling so unjust, I couldn’t hold back my anger and left the house.

“I didn’t even want to do it.”

It was the first time I had left the mansion alone, but I wasn’t afraid.

I enjoyed wandering the bustling streets filled with people.

I gained confidence that I could continue living happily on my own.

What kind of confidence was that back then?

Looking back now, it’s laughable. It was genuine at the time.

Unfortunately, the lights on the street quickly dimmed.

The atmosphere of the night was completely different from the morning.

Laughter disappeared, and only the cold air lingered around me.

The determination I had on my face quickly faded. I want to go back.

But for a 7-year-old who didn’t know the neighborhood well, finding his way home on a dark night without even moonlight was too cruel.

I kept walking forward.

A growling sound was heard from my stomach.

I felt weak.

But I couldn’t stop walking.

I could hear the footsteps of many people behind me.

Maintaining a certain distance, but the fear of not being able to move forward again if I stopped dominated my whole body.

Tears welled up. My hands trembled. My breath caught in my throat.

Step by step.

The footsteps that had been keeping a distance started to get closer.

At the same time, without looking back, I ran.

I ran to avoid being caught.

I kept running.

But no matter how hard a child runs.

The speed was ultimately just the fastest among children.

“Hey! It’s a noble!”

“Really? It’ll fetch a high price after a long time.”

“Hey…! Let go of me!!”

“Well… but looking at the attire, he seems like a noble. What should we do, sir?”

“What should we do. First, strip him of everything we can sell, and then… take him to that Artaern? The noble over there.”

“Hey!! Let go of me!!”

Despite shaking my whole body and resisting, there was no change in the end.

They seemed indifferent, as if they were used to it.

“Indeed, this chubby one will like this product.”

“Yeah, so if you touch him like last time, we’ll kill all of you.”

“Well, we have our own code of conduct too. How can we touch such an expensive product… Hey!!!”

The man holding Kadira’s arm split cleanly into two.

Standing alone in the dark alley, the figure of the person in the middle was not clearly visible.

But his figure glimpsed through the torches held by the thugs was familiar.

“Miss, are you hurt anywhere?”

…

It was my master.

I couldn’t answer his question. I didn’t even have the strength to stand up anymore.

“Is that your answer? Understood.”

My master raised his sword above his head. And swiftly struck the man who had grabbed me without mercy.

Thud.

The man’s body was split vertically, but still separated horizontally.

That was the first murder I witnessed.

What should I say.

The first thought that came to mind was, of course, fear.

But the second thought was ‘cool.’

Fear seemed to have dried up, as the figure of the master rushing towards the enemies without hesitation was truly that of a ‘warrior.’

The third thought that came to mind was anticipation. Could I do that too?

I carefully stored in my mind the sight of the master dodging every attack and cutting down the enemies.

It was a really short time.

The master, who had wiped out an entire criminal organization, stood alone in the alley, holding a sword as blood dripped…dripped…from it.

Step by step.

The master approached me.

Unlike the blood-stained sword, there were no bloodstains on his clothes.

“I apologize. Were you scared?”

I nodded.

“Is that so…I will tell the owner on the way back that I will stop teaching you swordsmanship.”

Surprised by his words, I grabbed his sleeve with what little strength I had left.

“Pl…please…”

“Young lady?”

“I…I won’t…”

“…Will you not regret it?”

I nodded.

“I understand. However.”

The master pressed down on my puffed-up cheek.

“Rest comes first. I will teach you swordsmanship afterwards.”

I don’t remember what happened after that.

I just opened my eyes to see my parents looking at me with worried expressions.

I had to take more rest.

In reality, I wanted to start sword training right away.

‘Where did the master go.’

Surely he didn’t go somewhere else.

Or did I run away because I had no talent with the sword.

– Rest comes first. I will teach you swordsmanship afterwards.

He definitely said he would teach me. The master will come back.

But the next day.

And the day after that.

Days passed, but the master did not return.

I was anxious. Yet I waited.

I did not let go of the sword until I fell asleep from exhaustion.

‘The master will come back.’

With that belief alone.

After finishing enough rest, I wielded the sword every day.

Naturally, there were many more unnecessary movements felt than when the master was there.

I received training like that.

Every movement felt awkward.

So did he run away. Because I am so untalented.

On days when my mind was filled with such thoughts, I spent the night in regret.

Swish! Swish!

But the training did not stop.

For the day when the master would return.

To hear his praise of ‘well done’ from his lips.

I swung at the empty air as always. And a week passed, and this lifestyle began to feel familiar.

In the quiet training ground, someone’s voice echoed.

“Your stance still has many flaws, but you have worked hard. I am proud of you.”

It was the master.

“…Well, I said I would do it.”

I grumbled, but in truth, I was happy.

A week felt like a year, and there were only days of frustration.

But the fact that the master smiled at me and came back erased all those moments from my mind.

I avoided the approaching gaze of the master.

“You said you would teach me again if I rested…”

“While you were resting, I also took a short break.”

“A break?”

“Yes, I realized that I had never taken a break since I started teaching Lord Katarus of the current Jurma family.”

“…Did Dad teach you too?”

“Of course. The previous Lord also disliked sword training like you.”

“But I like it now. So, don’t go anywhere in the future.”

“I will remember that.”

“So, where did you go on your break? You didn’t go to find a new disciple, did you?”

“I did meet a boy of the same age as you during my break.”

“What?”

“It seems like your cheeks are still swollen.”

“I-I’ll fix this!”

I looked into my master’s eyes.

“…Who was that? Are you going to teach them in the future?”

“That person was a disciple of my senior who taught me. How dare someone like me teach my senior’s disciple.”

“Hmm…”

It wasn’t something that sat well with me.

No matter how great that senior person was, I felt like our master was stronger.

But still, if you worry about such trivial things, you’re still immature.

I am now someone who will live as a brave knight, as a courageous warrior.

So, I don’t really have any emotions about this conversation.

Before that.

“Master.”

“Just one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Was he stronger than me?”

“To be honest, your master’s disciple was a descendant of a noble family of priests.”

“Oh? So he was weaker than me…”

“But he was stronger than the young lady. And his basics were solid.”

“…”

“After seeing that scene, I once again confirmed the hierarchy between me and your master. No matter how much I was raised as the head. He was still your master’s disciple.”

“…”

After that, I didn’t say a word until the training was over. Or rather, I couldn’t.

The moment I opened my mouth, guilt would well up, and I felt like tears would fall. It’s because I’m weak.

And at the same time, jealousy also arose.

So, in order to affirm that he was below me.

I tried.

The news that the kid who had been out of touch for a while was enrolling in the same academy as me made me feel relieved.

And I secretly watched his match.

It was truly disappointing.

No matter how you looked at it, he was weaker than me.

Whether in basics or swordsmanship.

He was someone who beat Aude with the performance of his sword rather than his swordsmanship.

In every aspect, I was superior.

When I told my master about it that day, he seemed even happier than when he heard my news. Was it because I didn’t get first place?

No.

My master was just happy that the kid had picked up the sword again.

He was happier that the kid had picked up the sword than I had grown stronger over the years.

Still, I endured.

I am a knight and a warrior.

I am not a foolish person who would swing a sword with such emotions. That’s what I thought until a few days ago.

At the martial arts competition, as the incident unfolded and the kid’s reputation grew, my master’s words.

-He’s truly your master’s disciple. To think he could protect so many people alone…

No.

He was trying to distance himself from us to escape.

Even when the heretics attacked him in the first place, he couldn’t do anything.

And he was alone?

And he caught that Aster?

It’s unbelievable. I am stronger.

The dormant jealousy flared up. I wanted to expose the false reputation of the former rascal.

At first, I asked Sara, but she refused. She didn’t explain why, but that’s okay.

Next, I asked Lina.

I was sorry to Sara, but I wanted to prove that this guy was cheating.

With my nullification ability.

And just as I thought, the former rascal was too weak.

He was trying to end it too easily…

I could have won…

The atmosphere changed.

The posture that was armed with flaws was filled with something and the gaps disappeared.

Bang!

“Don’t be discouraged even if you lose.”

***

“It’s just a training, but…”

It was the first time I heard a friend’s request.

I can’t lose.

[Privilege) Liberation]