episode_0135

At least the swordsman didn’t try to cut me with a real blade.

The problem was that the good points weren’t ‘good points’ that really resonated with me.

Anyway, even if I get cut by a real sword, I can turn back time and go back to before I got cut, so getting cut by a sword is no different from just ‘just hurting’. However, since the sword Lucas uses is a very sharp sword like the Black Prince uses, I didn’t feel pain right after getting cut. It was also because my brain, which got cut by the sword, was rapidly releasing endorphins.

So, anyway, there wasn’t much of a difference in ‘being hit and hurting’. In a way, this ‘club’ that didn’t release endorphins felt more painful to me.

Besides, if you get hit once, you have to turn back.

Unlike Lucas’ swordsmanship, which usually ends after I dodge by swinging once, Geomseong’s swordsmanship came flying repeatedly, so it was a hassle in its own way.

“Hmm.”

Geomseong, who had made me turn back time a dozen times by striking in a blink of an eye, raised one eyebrow as he placed his sword on his shoulder.

“How strange.”

And then he muttered something he had heard a few times before.

“I have no talent.”

“Talent… … ?”

Leo, who was listening from the side, muttered as if he was surprised,

Exactly!

“Huh!?”

He made that sound after being hit in the forehead by the sword that Geomseong was holding.

“You are my disciple, can’t you tell if someone is talented or not? This kid has no talent in any way. To be honest, the way I see it now, the way you are avoiding things just looks like luck. ”

It was a very accurate judgment. I was avoiding it as much as possible.

Although I thought it was as elegant and clean as possible, it is true that there is no system to the movements. It is just a movement that goes on as it is, without any school or anything to follow.

In that sense, Geumseong was far superior to Lucas in terms of teaching ability. Even if Lucas had the ability and talent to simply fight, Lucas would have judged that my physical ability was purely great after seeing my movements.

… … And that must be why he declared that he would cut me down.

“You bastard, your identity is—”

“S, Master.”

When Geomseong openly called me ‘you’, Leo, who was standing calmly next to me, was startled.

“Huh? What is it?”

“That, that’s… … ”

Leo approached Geomseong, covered his mouth with one hand, and whispered something to Geomseong. It was probably about my true identity. To be more precise, it was about my identity as the ‘Princess of the Empire’.

Exactly!

“Kkuk!?”

But as soon as Geomseong heard that story, he immediately struck Leo on the forehead.

“Is being the princess of the empire that important? Have you ever thought about why I’m living in this hut on this cliff? I’m sick of status and politics. At least in this place, swordsmanship is the only thing that determines a person’s position. So, ”

Blacksmith Frederick raised his sword and pointed it at me as he spoke.

“You are no different from the lowest status person in this place.”

First of all, my appearance is one that can never hide my femininity, but why do they call me a ‘guy’?

… … Well, if you think about it, ‘You b*tch’ might be a bit too harsh. The character already has a bit of an old fart side, so it would be difficult if he were to be labeled as unlikable.

Of course, seeing his teacher using expressions like ‘low status’ when looking at me, Leo’s face was gradually turning from ‘white’ to closer to ‘blue’.

To be honest, well, I’m a disciple too. My master doesn’t remember me though.

In that sense, I was also Leo’s classmate.

“Okay.”

So, well, I guess I can say this for my fellow students.

“Hoo.”

Geumseong raised his lips as if he was having fun.

“Well, good. You came all the way here to find me, but you didn’t use that gun, so I guess you’re not the enemy. I’ll listen to what you have to say.”

And then he pointed to an empty chair as if telling me to sit down.

*

I sat down and honestly told him why I had come.

Of course, I am excluding stories related to my abilities or lineage. It is not a story that can be revealed right away. I will talk about it someday, but for now, I thought I should resolve the situation right in front of me.

“So, your stepbrother wants to cut off your head, and you want to find his stepbrother?”

“Yes.”

“And, there is a story he wants to share with his stepbrother.”

“Yes.”

“His stepbrother is supposed to be stronger than me.”

“Yes.”

“… … Do you want to die?”

Geomseong asked with a dumbfounded expression.

Well, I don’t think it’s my place to talk about it.

He had a look of interest on his face for a moment when he heard that there was a stronger inspector than him, and when we met before, he was the one who immediately accepted me as his disciple when I told him I would introduce him to Lucas. If we were to go by the term ‘wanting to die’, it felt a little funny that he would say such a thing to me, a gentleman who thought much less of it than I did.

I didn’t really laugh though.

I am also a person who knows how to read the mood.

“… … .”

And while the two of us sat and talked, Leo’s face, who was standing next to me and pouring tea into my cup, was frozen hard.

When I didn’t answer, there was silence in the cabin for a moment.

I silently picked up my teacup and took a sip—then, for the first time in a long time, frowned purely because of the taste and looked up at Leo.

Leo, who met my eyes, had an extremely aggrieved expression on his face.

What Leo gave me… … seemed to be different from the tea I was drinking. Looking at it again, the color was pitch black, and it looked more like herbal medicine than tea leaves. Maybe it was made by boiling the grass that was in the basket that Geomseong threw earlier.

“No sugar?”

“Huh.”

When I asked confidently, Geumseong laughed as if he was proud.

“Are you serious? You want to drink herbal medicine water with sugar?”

“… … .”

Thinking about it again, it didn’t seem like a very good idea.

I put down my teacup without saying a word.

And he spoke to the swordsman.

“I have no intention of dying. However, there is something I really need to ask you.”

I should have heard a little more about why Lucas chose me. Besides, if Garukas had been watching the facility from the beginning, he would have known how I ended up flowing in there, or at least how I suddenly popped out.

And that’s where Claire came from.

I may not know much, but Lucas is the only person I can get information from right now.

If it goes wrong, you can turn back time and make it seem like it never happened. Then Lucas won’t have to kill you, and while you’re at it, you can also undo the dark history of calling Jaden “brother.”

As we headed to the battlefield, the sight of her shining face proudly introducing me to the commander as her ‘little sister’… was something I wanted to forget.

“Hmm.”

After hearing my story, Geomseong turned his gaze and looked at Leo.

Leo’s face was stiff and tense.

“But, while looking for a person called Grucas, I wonder why he ‘exactly’ came to me.”

Turning his gaze back towards me, Geomseong leaned slightly over the table and asked me.

There was a clear interest in his face, even more so than when he heard the information about me.

“… … Lucas,”

I spoke slowly, hoping that Geumseong would be convinced by my words.

“Because before they reach their final goal, they will definitely come to you as an intermediate goal.”

In fact, in the original work, Geomseong dies a long time later.

And now Lucas may or may not be chasing me.

So it was unreasonable to expect Lucas to suddenly appear in front of me within a few days.

But at least Lucas can show up ‘anytime’.

If he heard that Lucas had appeared in front of the Sword Master, he could have simply turned back time and come to find the Sword Master.

And to do that, the best way was for Black Knight Frederick to come out of hiding and come down from the mountain. If he were to be out in the open, he would be more likely to be noticed, and his determination would improve.

If possible, it would be better to bring it near the island.

“Hoo.”

At my words, Geomseong smiled even more wickedly than when he saw me entering the hut earlier.

“You’re saying that you see me as more ‘dangerous’ than me.”

“Yes.”

“How arrogant.”

“… … .”

I saw Geomsung grip the sword handle again and my body stiffened with tension.