Whoosh!
Thud!
Swoosh!
Thud!
After a quick meal, Rachel arrived at the training grounds with Elden and began an intense sparring session.
It was much like their first training session.
Since she had acquired her skills through practical experience rather than theory, they continued with a reality-based training focused on sparring.
But something was different.
“…None of my previous attacks are working.”
Every repeated attack pattern was perfectly countered, even the occasional irregular strike she threw in was narrowly dodged by Elden.
His keen, observant eyes gleamed, as if he were a predator on the hunt, searching for any opening to exploit.
His once reckless punches had now become calculated, waiting for the right moment, while his previously stiff shoulders felt limber.
He no longer solely relied on charging forward; his footwork displayed a variety of movements.
This was odd.
Rachel hadn’t seen him practice separately since their first duel.
He had been too preoccupied with his readings or other daily activities.
For years, she had witnessed her Lord brawling like a delinquent.
And she had wondered.
《He seems to stagnate.》
Just as one naturally picks up cooking skills the more they cook, one’s fighting skills should also improve with time.
Just like how a baby learns to run after crawling, everything should progress through practice.
Yet, Elden was defying that natural law.
He was nothing but a mindless brawler.
Of course, he wasn’t completely stagnant.
But when compared to how often he fought, his progress seemed painfully slow.
And so, the current situation made no sense to Rachel.
Moreover, she hadn’t taught him anything special.
Their first training was merely to gauge his level through a simple spar.
Rather than teaching him, it was more of a session trying to knock some sense into her student.
But had he learned something from that brief encounter, after all?
‘What is going on?’
With his current skills, she could easily envision him winning an amateur fighting contest.
His improved abilities and that new light in his eyes were strikingly different.
What had changed so drastically in just a few days?
Had he perhaps consumed some kind of miracle potion?
Sure, compared to her own abilities he was still just beginning, but his leap from the crawling stage to suddenly jumping around was astounding.
Maybe,
…Is it a difference in willpower?
That could be it.
While he had previously fought for the sake of fighting, he now possessed the will to [Learn], and that innate talent was merging with his desire to grow, resulting in rapid improvement.
Of course, it’s too early to make any assumptions.
Whether he appeared to be improving due to a low ceiling of potential or was genuinely experiencing an absolute rise is something that requires more observation.
Regardless,
…This is pretty fun.
While others might grasp new skills in mere attempts, Rachel had to struggle through hundreds to get the same results due to her limited talent.
The Purple Knight.
It took her 10 long years to earn that title.
Even after enduring countless hardships, far more than others, she couldn’t become the greatest knight in the kingdom.
Ironically, she never thought it was because she was a woman.
Her physical weakness could easily be masked by magic.
No, she simply lacked the inherent talent.
Having only “grit” as her natural quality, she could not rise beyond the title of Purple Knight, and had to be satisfied with that.
She realized that the absence of talent couldn’t be compensated by effort, and later understood how foolish it was to struggle against that natural order.
Could that be why?
…If it goes well.
Her curiosity was certainly piqued.
Elden, who had previously fought without realizing his innate abilities, and she, who had dived headfirst into battle without any talent, were two similar yet distinct individuals.
Given their inclination towards practice over theory, something remarkable might emerge from their sessions together.
Maybe…
If his growth continued, perhaps Elden could help her break past her own limits?
Suddenly, hope blossomed in the Knight’s heart.
Of course, whether his growth was just a flash in the pan or a steady downpour remained uncertain.
Whoosh!
“Ra-Rachel?”
Thud!
Swoosh!
Unknowingly, Rachel was tensing up.
Her light punches became heavy, and her speed increased paradoxically.
Her gaze, once sharp, became unfocused, lost deep in thought.
As the power in her strikes grew, Elden’s voice rang out, attempting to pull her back from delivering a merciless beatdown.
But Rachel’s ears were shut tight.
“Hey?!”
Swoosh!
Thump!
“M-Mentor?”
Swoosh!
Bang!
“Ugh!”
Eventually, she couldn’t contain her strength, penetrating Elden’s defense, and with a forceful strike, he went soaring back, sprawled out on the ground.
Thud!
Even then,
Rachel’s eyes were still struggling to regain focus.
It hurts.
Like damn hell.
What started as an easy spar, designed merely to revisit the first session, took a turn at some point.
Suddenly, her punches gained weight, culminating in a genuinely powerful blow.
The result was her guard breaking, with a tremendous impact slamming into her chest.
By the time I realized what had happened, I was sprawled out on the floor.
Today, the sparring session took place in an outdoor training ground, allowing me to glimpse the clear sky.
A blemish-free, vibrant blue sky.
“At least I held my own.”
Though I felt as if I’d been hit by a rhinoceros, surviving not one but three whole minutes in comparison to that less-than-a-minute fiasco during our first spar was significant.
That must be the reason,
Despite the agonizing pain in my chest, I found myself smiling.
Even drenched in sweat, I felt as if I were soaring through the skies.
In our first spar, I had been completely outclassed.
I was too occupied with dodging her blows to think further, but this time, I managed to at least glance at the chance to counter.
My improvement was evident.
While I replayed the events of the first round, I could tell that I gained much more from this session.
As I tried to lift myself,
Rachel seemed still a bit dazed.
“Mentor. Wasn’t that a bit too much for a beginner like me?”
Having been rightfully chastised by her student, she finally regained her awareness and looked down at me on the ground.
“Ah… I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
“Did you suddenly gain enlightenment or something?”
“No.”
I raised one arm.
Given the sharp pain in my chest and the tremors in my legs, I could not stand.
“Well, if you’re sorry, at least help me get up?”
“……”
Despite regaining her senses, Rachel still seemed off.
Just as I contemplated giving up and trying to stand on my own, she approached me.
“Yes, yes.”
Her response was a bit delayed.
What had her so lost in thought, I wondered?
As Rachel gripped my hand tightly, putting her full strength into the hold, I smirked.
“It’s vengeance, Teacher.”
During our first spar, she had warned me to never let my guard down.
Always be prepared for an unexpected attack.
So, this time, I wanted to show her I hadn’t forgotten her words.
Undoubtedly, witnessing her disciple effectively applying the teachings must be a teacher’s greatest joy.
Of course,
I didn’t anticipate her actually falling for my clumsy tackle.
Rachel’s reflexes were practically superhuman after all.
Gathering all the resolve, infused with the spite of a seasoned player after numerous defeats in pvp matches, I swiftly hooked Rachel’s leg.
But then,
“…Huh?”
Contrary to my expectations, the hook succeeded.
Rachel didn’t react.
Once I initiated the tackle, I couldn’t stop it, even when I hurriedly tried to release her hand.
If I continued, I was sure something regrettable would occur.
Yet Rachel didn’t loosen her grip.
Our eyes met.
…A delayed realization sparked in her expression.
At that very moment, she released her hand, but the course of events was already set.
“Ah.”
Thus,
Thud-.
We both fell over.
………
And I ended up on top of Rachel.
As realization dawned on her, her brows knitted together.
We were close enough to hear each other’s breaths— a rather soft, squishy, yet somewhat awkward moment of connection between teacher and student.
“My Lord, please maintain some distance.”
“How can my Knight protect me if she’s too far away?”
“I can shield you from this distance.”
“I’ve said this countless times Rachel, I never imagined you’d fall for that.”
“Did you?”
“And it was you who held onto my hand. I certainly tried to let go of mine.”
“I see.”
……So, obviously, you don’t.
Eventually, I gave up trying to persuade her.
Rachel’s stubbornness truly was legendary.
As we maintained a distance between us, we finally arrived at the annex.
The sun was setting already.
Today had been quite tiring.
The perfect way to finish the day would be to bathe, have some dinner, and then lose myself in the latest novel Ariel had recommended.
Unfortunately,
Rendler rushed toward us as if something terrible had occurred.
“My Lord…! Where have you been? You weren’t at the training grounds…”
“Ah, since the guards weren’t practicing today, I was at the outdoor training grounds. Why? Is there someone waiting for me back in the annex?”
From Rendler’s expression, it seemed something had indeed happened while I was outside.
So, I joked.
“Her Grace, the Third Northern Duchess has been waiting for your return for quite an age, My Lord. But she left a note for you…!”
“…What?”
My eyes twitched at Rendler’s reply.
I took the note from him.
Fortunately, it didn’t appear to be a cursed artifact like the one I had sealed away.
It was merely a note, roughly folded.
From its state, I could already anticipate her mood.
“…So, what’s this?”
“I’m not sure, My Lord. I was simply told to deliver this to you.”
Taking a deep breath, I opened the note.
Hmm-.
Could this be,
A challenge?
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