Rock-paper-scissors

Zaite stopped his training and encountered a woman.

“Hmm.”

Her graceful and neat swordplay was more like a demonstration of swordsmanship rather than rough training.

But there was a certain elegance that the sword should possess, so this was undoubtedly swordsmanship.

“Impressive.”

Asha Elaine. She was the pillar of the Irans, the twins of Evan, who would lead the family in the future.

With Evan, the eldest son, absent, Asha’s presence was like a refreshing rain in a drought.

Living up to those expectations, Asha showed remarkable growth every time.

“But today, she seems more impatient than usual. Is she conscious of Rebecca?”

If someone asked if his daughter was a genius, Zaite would nod without hesitation.

But if asked if she was the best swordsman on the continent, Zaite would remain silent and look in one direction.

In that gaze, Rebecca Laurence would be there.

*Swoosh!*

Rebecca sparred with the knights of the family. Zaite couldn’t help but admire their sparring.

*Clang!*

“Ugh! I lost.”

“What? It’s over already?”

With just a few moves, the sparring came to an end.

Of course, Rebecca Laurence was the winner. The loser accepted the defeat without regret, as if expecting the outcome.

“At her age, to be at her level already…”

Asha had made remarkable progress following last year’s defeat, but instead of closing the gap with Rebecca, it only widened.

Asha knew it too, as her gaze towards Rebecca was not friendly. Every time she looked at her, she bit her lip and narrowed her eyes.

Jealousy was futile. It was in their nature.

No matter how much evil she tried and worked hard for years, the gap between them would remain unchanged.

And Asha was not even worthy of being jealous. Jealousy was an emotion felt towards a seemingly unattainable or regretful opponent, and when one looked down from a far higher position, it only led to admiration.

“Such enviable talent.”

Lucas, who was once a member of the former hero party.

Would he have gone against his belief in self-improvement and taken Rebecca as his disciple?

In a field where an undisputed genius had verified her skills, there was no room for doubt. Rebecca was an undeniable genius.

That’s why Zaite couldn’t just cheer for Asha’s revenge.

“…I’m worried.”

In the upcoming friendly sparring, Asha would taste defeat once again.

If she were to despair like Evan, what should he do? With growing concerns, Zaite tasted bitterness.

#

After a tearful reunion with Mojangan, I quickly left.

Although she seemed a bit disappointed when I said I had to go, such a awkward atmosphere was absolutely not acceptable.

“It’s hard to wait, but would you like to have a drink at least?”

“Forget it. I can’t stand that kind of atmosphere.”

I replied dryly to Alfred’s question.

He looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“…Time flies so fast. The troublemaker who used to cause so much trouble has matured so much… I’m sad but also very happy.”

Wiping away his teary eyes, he sniffled.

Were tears a common trait in this household? They all seemed problematic.

“Your father still hasn’t said anything, has he?”

“There’s no need to be too upset. He’s been busy with his expedition work lately, that’s all. He’s not intentionally neglecting you. He’ll probably call you right after finishing the afternoon training.”

“Didn’t he say the same thing three hours ago?”

“…Ahem.”

I knew very well how Evan’s father treated me.

But as much as Alfred was concerned, I wasn’t too upset.

There’s no rush, right? Hurrying won’t bring any benefits, and waiting won’t cause any harm either.

And if I were to go see the patriarch now, that would be even more embarrassing.

“I’m getting tired of this.”

If I were to point out a complaint, it would be that waiting is getting tiresome.

I feel like pouring myself a drink, but causing trouble at someone else’s house is not ideal.

“There will be a lot of people at the training ground, right?”

“Yes. The lord will also be there. And… it would be best if you didn’t go to the training ground if possible.”

“Why? Afraid of running into my father?”

“…No. There are other reasons. So, how about doing the training in the private training ground for the young master? The backyard gets plenty of sunlight and has a nice view.”

He hesitated before answering and then quickly changed the subject, as if trying to hide something.

“Could it be because of that woman, Rebecca?”

Although mentioned in Mary’s letter, even without that, the name seemed familiar.

Rebecca, who was she?

According to the novel’s information, she was the villain who left a deep trauma on the hero Evan. Furthermore, in the future, she would take on the alias ‘Blackstar’ and duel with the hero Evan once again.

Of course, Evan was defeated in that duel as well. Despite considering it a tragic porno genre, Evan in that scene was quite pitiful and pathetic.

Anyway, I don’t know why Rebecca’s name sounds so familiar.

“Hmm. I don’t know. What’s the point of remembering anyway.”

Since I can’t remember, she must not be an important character. I decided not to worry about it.

“So, where is my private training ground?”

“If you follow me, I will guide you. The swords are displayed on the wall, so you can use any of them.”

Alfred led the way without bothering to explain in words.

Thanks to him, I arrived at my destination without getting lost.

But damn, this mansion is huge. I wonder if I can find the bathroom when I need it.

“It’s been a while since I held a sword.”

I clenched and then released the hand holding the sword.

Perhaps because my hands are small, the grip didn’t feel as good as before. Nevertheless, there were enough calluses to prevent slipping or pain.

Anyway, I need to clear my mind and loosen up.

Taking a few deep breaths to focus, I immediately swung the sword.

– Swish!

Evan’s swordsmanship, which he tried out in earnest, was pathetic.

The already insufficient strength was dispersed, resulting in a disarrayed posture.

It was disappointing, but not despairing. I expected my body to be like this from the beginning, and the potential for improvement depended on what I did.

“Phew.”

Although I am currently trapped in this pitiful body, in my past life, I was a superhuman who transcended the realm of humans.

A being who, even the empire’s sword masters couldn’t handle, was now a helpless existence borrowing someone else’s words.

Based on the profound realization I had in my past life, I would assemble my body.

It’s like shaping useless clay into beautiful pottery.

– Hoo!

Thrust and bend.

Various movements towards the imaginary enemy in front of me.

– Swish!

– Swish!

I repeated it countless times.

With a posture that didn’t tolerate any slight deviation, I performed the same swordsmanship dozens of times in a row.

And at some point.

The speed at which the sword was swung began to slow down.

The acceleration given to the sword strikes, embarrassing to call it acceleration, was swinging slowly.

The muscles had reached their limit.

Evan’s body, already lacking in muscle, consumed a tremendous amount of stamina to swing the sword.

But this was enough. The synchronization of body and sword had been more or less completed.

In simpler terms, I had a feel for it.

Now it’s time to move on to the main point.

“Swish.”

The most important thing in mastering swordsmanship is the aura. From the beginning to the end, everything changes depending on how you blend the aura.

And to supplement this weak body, the help of magic was most urgent.

As I finished my thoughts, I slowly closed my eyes, trying to concentrate the aura.

“Evan, hyung!”

But my concentration was interrupted by a voice coming from behind.

Who the hell is this?

#

Evan turned his head nervously.

Following him were a blond boy and girl.

“Oh. I almost doubted my eyes for a moment. Evan hyung, who ran away with those country girls, really came back.”

“Hehe. You still look handsome. Hello, Evan oppa.”

At first glance, they seemed to be teasing, but maybe they’re actually nice kids? Like Mary.

Evan observed the boy’s face carefully with such casual thoughts.

“What, why are you staring at me like that?”

Annoyed by Evan’s gaze, Damian frowned.

“If you keep staring at me like that, I might get angry, you know? Do you realize we’re the only ones here?”

Really?

With his tough tone and defiant face, he didn’t seem like a nice kid at all.

Evan asked cautiously.

“What’s your name?”

“What? Did you hit your head or something? Damian Laurent! Can’t you even remember that?”

Damian Laurent…

I’m sure they’re Rebecca’s siblings with the last name Laurent.

Other than that, they seem like insignificant extras with no weight.

“Yeah, Damian Laurent. I’m Evan Elaine. Nice to meet you.”

Evan reached out his hand for a handshake.

“…Nice to meet you? Are we on such good terms to exchange greetings?”

“Not really? Then forget it.”

Evan withdrew his hand.

“Geez. Are you completely out of your mind? I’ll fix that broken head of yours. You must be in a lot of pain right now.”

Eureka, who was standing beside them, burst into laughter.

Encouraged by his younger sister’s reaction, Damian took a step towards Evan.

“Evan hyung. Or should we play rock-paper-scissors after a long time? It might bring back some old memories, don’t you think?”

“Playing rock-paper-scissors like kids is ridiculous. Play with him a lot.”

“Huh? Hehe. Evan oppa, you’re acting strange.”

“…Ha.”

Damian’s eyebrows furrowed like a wet paper, and then he loosened his fist, giving off a threatening vibe.

Eureka laughed as if she found his behavior amusing.

“Evan hyung is really hopeless.”

Damian’s hand momentarily grabbed Evan’s collar.

Feeling the fierce grip, Evan’s neck was slightly scratched.

“What happened to you hanging out with those country girls? You’ve become so arrogant since I last saw you.”

Facing Damian’s fierce gaze, Evan thought.

Is he really picking a fight?

The doubt soon turned into anticipation.

‘Is he really picking a fight?’

In fact, due to the stress he had accumulated, there hadn’t been a single day of rest.

And there was no better way to relieve stress than violence, and Evan secretly hoped for a fight to break out.

But there was no fight.

When he visited the famous mercenary warriors, all that happened was a drinking battle.

And when he deliberately provoked a fight with Amir’s gang, it ended in failure.

And the families who had been in conflict for 5 years welcomed him warmly.

And just as the sense of violence was fading away.

The kids who came out of nowhere and pestered him sparked a great interest in Evan.

“What’s the matter? If we get into a few fights like we used to, maybe you’ll remember. I’m reminiscing about those times too.”

Demián blinked his eyes, feeling a sense of discomfort.

Then, his other hand moved towards Evan’s face.

Smack―

“…?”

Instead of recognizing the pain that was being transmitted through his brain, a question arose first.

Did I just get slapped?

When was the last time I got slapped in my life? The most recent one was a few years ago from Karen.

But getting slapped by a young child like this was a first in my life.

“It’s some kind of review, right? Since a mishap like today’s could happen again, should we also review what’s to come? What do you think, Evan hyung?”

Tap tap

Demián casually patted Evan’s cheek and then was about to deliver another smack.

“Didn’t you say let’s play rock-paper-scissors?”

“What?”

“You said it. Let’s play rock-paper-scissors after a long time.”

If it’s a child, then we should play like children.

And since Demián is a teenager, a bit of roughness can be added here.

Evan smiled and took the rock-paper-scissors stance.

“If you lose, you lose. Rock-paper….”

“This guy is really crazy―!”

“Scissors!”

At the same time as that voice, Evan’s fist struck Demián’s face.

Thud!

Evan threw a punch. More accurately, he threw a punch.

On the other hand, Demián didn’t throw one. So, he lost.

“Aaaah!!”

Like he had wings, Demián flew far away. Along his flight path, a grand festival of blood was erupting.

And amidst that color, there were white teeth.

“…?”

One of those teeth flew towards Erika’s cheek and hit it.

“Aaah!!! Oppa!!!”

A shrill scream burst out of Erika’s mouth.