Chapter: 260
The skeleton, struck by my mace, wobbled as it tried to stand back up, only to fall back to the ground with a chuckle.
To put it accurately, it would be better to say it was brought down rather than just falling. Its bones around the knees had shattered, after all.
“The power of the Evil God is dissipating. Is morning approaching?”
What was keeping me moving was the energy infused by the Dark Evil God. Once Tariki’s time was over and morning came, the skeleton’s body would inevitably crumble.
The skeleton surveyed its slowly crumbling form, smirked, and finally raised its head.
The skeleton, the remnants of Garad’s memories, was looking at me with the eyes of one who believes themselves to be a noble knight.
But there were no pupils. No eyes. No brows, furrows, or expressions. Yet, I felt a softness in the skeleton’s face.
It was a strange thing. When thinking about the previous situation, the feelings that should have emerged from the skeleton would be anger and irritation.
It’s obvious. All the insults I had hurled at it were things no one would find strange to say.
But the skeleton didn’t respond like that.
“Excellent. To have such skill at such a young age. Surely your name will go down in history.”
Instead, it simply filled with genuine admiration for me.
That softness made me feel embarrassed.
Some were ready to use every means necessary to avenge a grudge born from nothing but the skeleton; while others seethed in countless insults but never once used an assassin’s blade.
The moment that thought passed through my mind, I had an intuition.
Right this moment, I realized I had won but also lost.
I had win the fight, but as a human, I had lost.
Wait, did I even truly win this match?
No matter how much I think about it, I feel like the annoying brat who keeps jabbering even though the grown-ups are letting me win on purpose.
Honestly, if the skeleton hadn’t taken it easy on me, I would have been dead ages ago.
…
Let’s not think about it. The more I think, the more miserable I feel.
[What are you doing, girl?!]
I was mumbling to myself without a reply, when Grandpa’s voice rang loudly.
[It’s time to finish! Wrapping it up! You’ve been getting battered normally and talking a lot…]
‘If you keep this up, I’ll throw you to that Clumsy Fox as a toy.’
I was already feeling down as the boost from the Mesugaki skill was fading away, so why was he still jabbering next to me?
I was planning to yell out how terrible he is no matter what he says, but that thought made me genuinely want to end it all.
So let’s stop! If you want to be licked by the Clumsy Fox, I won’t stop you!
Hearing that, Grandpa hurriedly closed his mouth.
“Why so silent? Ah! Are you worried about what was said during training? Don’t mind it. Fighting is rightfully about doing whatever it takes to win.”
Skeleton, stop it! Don’t keep showing such adult behavior!
You’re ruining my filthy side with your noble face!
“Above all, this fight was born out of my inadequacies. If someone should apologize, it should be me.”
For heaven’s sake, stop!
No, please stop.
Don’t turn me into even more trash than I already am!
Can’t you just sacrifice a bit of your honor to save my soul?!
“Take this sword. While it may not compare to what I once wielded, it’s still worthy of being called a fine sword.”
Isn’t it bad enough?!
“No matter who you give it to, or even if you sell it, it will be useful in some way.”
Ugh. I actually said something like ‘You’re a pathetic princess with no skills, no charm, filled with perversion!’ to a person like this?
My self-esteem and guilt were mixing in my head, making it a complete mess.
Adding to my despair was the harsh reality that all the insults I’d just unleashed were meant to provoke my opponent, unrelated to the Mesugaki skill.
There was nowhere to pin the blame! What do I do now?
I felt like I was sinking deeper without a bottom; how should I handle this?!
As I screamed internally, I wanted to erase that devil’s whisper that popped into my mind.
Because if I didn’t, I felt like I’d never be able to turn back.
“Now, instead of saying thanks, I’ll ask you one thing.”
Just as I was able to bear it and even thought about responding, the skeleton asked quietly.
“Are you receiving teachings from Ruel?”
…Ah. You caught on. You figured out I was getting help from Grandpa.
Well, considering all the trash talk earlier, he would have to know.
I nodded without denying it, and the skeleton let out a chuckle.
That laughter was accompanied by the sight of its pelvic bones scattering away.
“Indeed. I thought you were pious because you showed no interest in women, but is this type of girl your preference?”
[…What crazy nonsense are you spewing?!]
“How disgraceful, Ruel. You hide behind your student, mocking your friends. That’s why you haven’t received a shield.”
[How many times must I say? The reason the angel didn’t give me a shield back then was that I already had a shield blessed! It has nothing to do with nobility!]
Knowing the various episodes in the game, I understood Grandpa’s words were right, but I didn’t correct him.
[No, no, this isn’t the time! Girl! Quickly shut that mouth of yours spewing nonsense!]
I could see the skeleton’s ribcage crumbling; time must be running short.
I had been the one to burden the skeleton until just a moment ago. In whatever way possible, I should repay this debt.
[Girl?! Are you ignoring my words?!]
For a long while, the skeleton kept insulting Grandpa, but suddenly it seemed to remember something, trying to clap only to realize its arms had vanished and let out a hollow laugh.
“…Ruel. I’ll tell you something fun that you probably don’t know. Do you think what that lunatic Charon created is the only one left?”
[What?]
Something must have shocked Grandpa enough to make him shut up. A silence settled in, aside from the sounds of the skeleton continuing.
“Let’s drop the teasing for now. Child of divine love, there are many trials ahead for you. I’ve said many unkind things, but that grumpy knight you’re dealing with is reliable. He may be picky, but if you trust him, he will surely be a great help.”
Even without needing to say, I already knew better than anyone his reliability. If I didn’t trust the only one who understood the pain I felt, who else could I rely on?
“Please don’t give up; keep moving forward. It’s a little embarrassing for someone who’s been a burden to say this.”
‘Don’t worry about it.’
“What’s to worry? Do you think I’m going to lose to the trash on the floor waiting to be composted? That’s why skeletons are brainless, eyes devoid of reason.”
“Cough. Even so, I’ve been told often that my insight was sharp in my life.”
After laughing for a long while, the skeleton noticed its shoulder crumbling and slowly looked up at me.
“Stay strong.”
With those parting words, the skeleton’s head fell to the floor.
I rushed over to try to catch it, but by then, its head had already turned to dust, scattering across the ground.
Ugh, damn it. I hate dealing with good people. The conclusion feels unfinished. It’s much nicer when the opponent is trash—then smashing their head feels refreshing.
On my way out, I wanted to throw out some curses.
Could this possibly have been a grand plan?! Creating a sense of discomfort for me while simultaneously boosting its own reputation?!
…Ugh, that’s stretching it too far.
[Girl.]
‘Yes.’
[Is what that fellow said true?! Did Charon really leave behind dungeons?!]
The moment I heard Grandpa’s voice, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
No sir, Grandpa. In this situation, you should be feeling the lingering effects more than I am, shouldn’t you?!
Why are you only worried about yourself and not even glancing at the skeleton?! Are you really a knight?!
‘It’s true. It’s also a place I might explore one day.’
I have no intention of seeking it out.
It’s hard to get in, plus it’s not like there’s anything worth enduring through that hardship for.
But there’s no need to tell Grandpa that straight out.
[…Girl? What do you mean, you’re going to explore it? Girl?! Girl?!]
Hahaha. Fear the day your dark secrets might be revealed, Grandpa!
Ignoring Grandpa’s anxious voice, I lifted my head and saw Karl.
He seemed to have taken quite a beating, with not a single part of him intact, and he lowered his head wordlessly.
That guy, Karl, is really strong. Even though Luca was in a condition where he’d lost all reason, Karl was still strong enough to be considered a warrior.
To take down someone like him without a scratch…
Maybe the Clumsy Fox helped a bit?
“Are you going back right away?”
‘No, just a moment.’
“What a useless knight waiting for their master like a dog completely disregarded their title?”
“I’m really sorry! Young Lady!”
After tossing Luca’s body to the ground like a sack of potatoes and leaving Karl there with his face dug into the ground, I opened the quest window.
I wanted to properly check the rewards I had just received.
…Huh? Why is there another quest I didn’t know about?
“Clear the Knight’s Trial.”
Oh right. They said they’d give a reward for passing the trial at the start. How could I forget?
I spaced out because of the Evil God’s interference.
Hmm. First, let’s check the rewards I already know. After all, the best goodies should come last.
[Reward ‘Divine Domain’ granted!]
Divine Domain. A skill that envelops a certain radius around the user in divine energy, making that area advantageous for allies and disadvantageous for enemies.
Sounds vague.
This is a great skill in the late game, but you’d only get its real utility by then.
Using it consumes an enormous amount of divine energy, and if the quality of the divine energy is low, it tends to dissipate without activation. Not to mention, maintaining it requires a huge amount of divine energy too, making it too difficult to use.
Honestly, it’s a technique that’s hardly ever used unless you’re going for a high-tier concept.
After neatly defeating the Dark Evil God, it’s frustrating that the reward is this lousy skill!
Yet, I held back the urge to complain.
After all, the useless God’s reward would eventually prove its worth someday.
I could afford to complain later on.
Who knows? If it has the God’s divine energy, it might behave differently?
But I guess it’ll be best to check once I’ve regained my physical state.
Now, let’s look at the other rewards.
What could it be? What are they giving me this time?
Since I’m not feeling very hopeful because of that useless skill I just received, I should still check.
[You have gained recognition from the Guardian of the Trial.]
[A feat unimagined even by its creator.]
Huh? Is this how it was described? I thought it had a different explanation?
Am I misremembering something?
[…]
[In the past, the hero Garad excelled at capitalizing on his opponent’s weaknesses. Some of the abilities he held have been granted to your mace.]
[Weakness Perception]
[From now on, you will become better at identifying weaknesses.]
Wait, is there such a skill in Soul Academy?
If there was a skill with such a great effect, there’s no way I wouldn’t remember it!
Arms crossed, I mulled it over and eventually reached a conclusion.
This skill isn’t in the game.
…
What the hell.
So right now, I’ve been awarded a skill that didn’t exist in the game?!
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