Chapter: 480
Yuden’s expression when talking about Luca was surprisingly bright.
“You’re friends with that pervy professor? I dunno, you two seem like a mismatched pair, what with your empty head,” she teased.
“On the contrary! His idiocy is what makes us such a great match!” Yuden replied.
It seems Yuden had fond memories of the times she spent with Luca. She immediately began recounting tales from back in the day when she was an adventurer before becoming the Sword Saint.
“He was always good at teaching others. I learned a lot from him.”
Yuden credited Luca for giving her tons of advice, claiming his presence had helped her grow even more as a person.
However, as someone who knew the whole truth, her story sounded quite different to me.
Luca had never genuinely tried to help Yuden.
Overcome with jealousy over her talent, he always tried to hold her back.
But his plans eventually backfired.
The talent that Yuden possessed, which led her to become the Sword Saint, was beyond what Luca could ever comprehend, and his schemes only served to enhance her strength.
All of his efforts to dim her light ended up making her shine even brighter.
“So when he threw in the towel as an adventurer to start teaching, I was a bit disappointed. He really seemed like he was on the verge of taking off, you know? But seeing him doing well as a professor now, it must’ve been the right choice after all.”
As I watched Yuden chuckle lightly, I felt a sense of certainty.
This person… she could genuinely make Luca’s life miserable.
If anyone could shatter the mask he wore, it would be her.
“I personally regret that I haven’t seen him since he got busy with his teaching job after that. Even when I became the Sword Saint, he only sent me a letter of congratulations.”
“Do you want to meet him?”
“Of course! He’s one of the few people I met as an adventurer who’s actually decent.”
Now wouldn’t be the best time to point out Luca’s potential scheming behind Yuden’s back.
Her close friend’s relationship with someone like me, a cocky brat, made it easy to see whom she’d trust.
So I stayed silent, letting her eyes guide her to Luca, allowing her genuine feelings to provoke him.
Ah, just imagining it is already amusing. Would Luca be able to maintain his composure when Yuden expresses her heartfelt gratitude?
“Oh, orc girl. You clumsy fool must have loads of things you want to ask me, right?”
“Y-yes! Exactly!”
“Well, speaking of that, there’s an idiot out there who’s a perfect fit for someone as clueless as you.”
As I hinted for her to mention a favor, Karia smoothly chimed in.
“I’m talking about the Young Lady of the Kent family. You’ve heard of her, right?”
“Oh, that one? Of course! I’ve actually seen her swing a sword before.”
“You have?”
“Yes! The Young Lady Kent used to participate in various tournaments. Back then, I was dragged around by that famous Sword Saint as I attended those events.”
Yuden’s expression shifted slightly at the mention of Freya, the swordfighter.
I wondered why she looked that way. Could it be that she feared losing her spot to someone like Freya?
But that didn’t seem likely. She had practically planned to pass on her Sword Saint title and simply let it go.
Then why the face? While I was lost in thought, Yuden carefully spoke up.
“Perhaps Lady Alrn wants me to assess Young Lady Kent’s swordsmanship?”
“Yep, spot on. My, for an orc, you’re sharp as a tack.”
“I don’t know what she’s like now, but if the Young Lady Kent remains the same as I remember, then my presence won’t change much.”
This line was something I had heard in the game.
After progressing through Freya’s personal story, Yuden would leave saying those exact words right before she annihilated Freya.
Knowing how the story continues made me chuckle at the sight of Yuden’s frown.
“So, you’re not that desperate to meet my nincompoop of a dad, huh? You claimed to admire him, but is that all there is?”
“Why the sudden change in topic?”
“When we return, I think I’ll tell my nincompoop dad all about you. You’re skilled but only that; you’re lacking in looks, brains, and character. Honestly, you’re just a boring beast to stick with.”
“Why not? I can do it!”
It seemed Yuden’s admiration for Benedict wasn’t in vain, as she caved under my threat.
Now I had a pretext for bringing the Sword Saint to the academy, while also helping out Freya and Arthur.
Anyway, Yuden’s sword skills really are immense; one of the best on the continent, so it would be great if those two could gain something valuable from this.
“Ugh. Why must the cheerful and upright knight have such a daughter like me…”
As I watched Yuden sulk with her head down, unsavory words attempted to escape my lips.
Was I really that hostile toward a character like Yuden? I hadn’t felt much one way or the other about her previously; so why was she grinding my gears now?
If I continued like this, I felt like I’d poke at Yuden until she exploded, so I subtly turned my gaze toward the pervy Apostle.
“You’re coming with this idiot.”
“Me too?”
“Yeah. There’s no way this beast can handle things on his own.”
“The Sword Saint isn’t that incompetent!”
“Barking a lot for a pervert who can’t take his eyes off a girl’s thighs. Just do it. Trash.”
“…Thanks for the promotion! Yes! I’ll do my best!”
*
In the Terasha Empire’s arena, remnants of a storm left by a young girl still lingered in the streets, adorned with angelic jewelry scattered about.
Everyone claimed those trinkets were genuine products crafted by the Art Guild, yet the quality of the jewelry varied significantly from the guild’s real deal.
“Tsk.”
As the blacksmith Inuki observed the fakes lined up, he clicked his tongue. The trash in this place never seemed to change over time.
Instead of improving his skills, these sellers only sought to rake in money by any means necessary.
“Hey there, old man! Come have a look at this! It’s a trinket produced by the Art Guild! A treasure that chases away misfortune and brings good luck!”
Despite the merchant’s voice echoing in his ears, Inuki tried to pass by, but the seller wouldn’t let him go. A stubborn merchant’s hand clamped onto Inuki’s shoulder.
“…Huh?”
Then the merchant sensed something was off. The frail old man’s shoulder felt as solid as some kind of unbreakable metal.
“What do you want me to look at?”
As Inuki turned his head, revealing his stubborn gaze, the merchant’s face faded with realization; he realized he had touched the wrong person.
“Hey, you. Is this piece really made by the Art Guild?”
“Y-yes! Of course!”
“Shut up. There’s no way that lunatic Frete would ever allow this trash to circulate.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? This is the real deal!”
“Where should I start? The materials? The looks? The finishing? Ugh, damn it. Not a single thing stands out. If the Goddess knew about this, she’d be furious, you punk.”
“Old man, you’re being way too harsh!”
The merchant understood that Inuki wasn’t wrong but raised his voice instead.
If he admitted the object’s shortcomings, his entire business would go down the drain. He had to insist the old man was simply mistaken.
“Just because your eyes have aged doesn’t mean you can speak like that!”
“Want me to show you whether I’m a decrepit human or not?”
Just as he decided to retaliate, the merchant met Inuki’s gaze and was rendered speechless. An instinctual fear overwhelmed him.
Witnessing his reaction, Inuki shook his head in disappointment, picked up a piece of jewelry, and crushed it in his hand.
“Cheating’s one thing, but don’t insult the gods, you brat.”
“…Yes, yes, sir.”
After tossing the crumpled jewelry onto the ground, Inuki stepped into the back alleys of Bardronel Street.
“Inuki-sensei! You’re here!”
From a run-down shop in the alley, a young man appeared.
The young man, covered in sweat as if he had just finished working in a blacksmith, looked over Inuki’s form.
Inuki approached the man and kicked his shin.
“Whoa?! Why are you doing this? Did I mess up or something?”
“No, you haven’t done anything wrong. I just got annoyed seeing my easygoing disciple’s face.”
“…I wasn’t that relaxed.”
“Bah! If my master feels that way, then it’s true! I let you be too easygoing!”
Glistening with sweat in fear of being reprimanded, the young man fidgeted and raised his voice in a hurry.
“B-but more importantly! A guest came by recently!”
“A guest?”
“Yes! It was Lady Alrn from the Alrn family! She specifically expressed her wish to commission you!”
A Lady Alrn? The daughter of that monster? I hear she just won the tournament, so it seems she’s traveled all the way here looking for a proper blacksmith.
Well, she seems to have some talent, but even so, I doubt she’d need to request me to hammer something for her.
Maybe if she had a father like me. That little brat wouldn’t match my stature.
“Why not just make something decent and say it’s the best of mine? That bratty Young Lady probably won’t notice the difference.”
“No, Master! She knows about my shortcomings!”
“…Are you completely serious?”
“I wouldn’t dare lie to you.”
Oh? Considering her decent appearance, the rumor must have been exaggerated.
“Well then, what was she like?”
“A warrior who possesses incredible talent yet doesn’t rest on her laurels—someone who continuously works hard.”
“Proof?”
“I inferred that from the armor she wore. I’m sure you would have made the same assessment.”
“Really? Alright, then, let me take a look.”
Once I gave my permission, the young man sprinted inside and returned holding a small piece of armor.
The armor appeared to have been crafted for a young noble child, and even I had to admit it was pretty decent quality.
Considering how few people can make small armor like this, it seemed the family had given it a lot of thought. Yet, the user of this armor had clearly been ignorant of their family’s effort.
Otherwise, there’s no way she could have mistreated it like this.
As I examined the many marks left on the armor, I couldn’t help but smile.
“The Young Lady Alrn is quite different from the rumors, isn’t she?”
“Yes, indeed.”
“Good. This works for me. I was getting tired of this damned street.”
“Are you going to meet her?”
“First, I’ll check and assess.”
I deliberately put on a grumpy voice, but deep down, I felt a certain satisfaction as I gazed upon the armor.
The evidence of effort left on the armor was enough to calm the old man’s picky temperament.
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