Chapter: 404
After being stuck in the dungeon for nearly a month, Frey returned to her territory and swung her sword to feel her transformation.
While she had somewhat sensed this change during her encounters with monsters in the dungeon, reflecting on it carefully after returning home left her in shock.
In just under a month of hunting monsters like her life depended on it, her physical abilities had noticeably increased.
But the changes that Frey felt didn’t stop there.
Every time she swung her sword, she saw sword paths that she hadn’t noticed before. A better way to wield a sword appeared in her vision.
So, after returning to her territory, she went into a trance and swung her sword relentlessly.
If her younger sibling hadn’t urged her to get to the academy, she might still be there swinging away.
When she first arrived at the academy and was grumbling at her younger sibling, her thoughts changed as soon as she saw Lucy’s face.
“Lucy got here early too?”
“Perfect! I wanted to show Lucy my growth anyway!”
What would Lucy say if she saw her swinging her sword right now?
She would surely compliment her, right? Maybe even pat her head!
Lucy was smiling honestly now! Captivated by her face the moment she saw it, Frey abandoned her younger sibling and rushed to meet Lucy.
Though Lucy showed annoyance at Frey’s sudden visit, she didn’t refuse the duel request. Lucy wanted to fight too!
She wanted to test how much she had grown in real combat!
After hearing Lucy’s provocation, Frey smiled brightly and headed to the training grounds with Lucy.
There weren’t many people at the training grounds a week before the academy started.
In fact, those few who were there practically lived in the training grounds.
They had seen enough of Lucy and Frey’s faces to stop what they were doing the moment they spotted the two.
The fact that the two were there meant a duel was about to take place.
How much had the two, renowned as the best talents of their generation, grown during the vacation?
What incredible insights could be gained from their duel?
People’s eyes gathered with interest on the two, but Lucy and Frey remained nonchalant.
To them, the attention of others was just a part of daily life.
“Lucy, today will be different.”
“You say that every time, but the only thing that changes is your losses, right?”
“Not today.”
“I really hope so. Being disappointed every time is kinda hard, you know?”
With Lucy’s chuckling sound in front of her, Frey gripped the sword’s handle tightly with both hands.
She hadn’t completely embodied the growth she had gained from the dungeon. Even her dad said she still had a lot of room to improve.
But it was no problem. If it wasn’t perfect, she could seek perfection through real combat.
“What are you waiting for? You seemed so confident, but are you scared already?”
Having repeatedly dueled Lucy, Frey knew she was intentionally provoking her.
Lucy understood that she was poking at Frey’s nerves to drag her into her territory.
Still, Frey smiled and channeled her magic into her sword, charging forward.
Delaying from a distance would only lead to Lucy’s provocation winning out.
In that case, it was better to charge before her emotions got out of control.
This way, she could at least claim the initial initiative.
CLANG! The shockwave spread through the training grounds as the colorless sword energy clashed with Lucy’s shield, filling the air with a sharp sound.
“You’ve gotten a little stronger, huh? I think I can do your hair now!”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
Returning Lucy’s annoying grin with her own, Frey gritted her teeth and struck Lucy’s shield.
Each blow from Frey’s sword, perfectly embodying her aura, was as threatening as a giant’s punch.
“Forget what I just said~ I don’t think this sword could even slice through fluff!”
But Lucy’s shield held steady against it.
Lucy’s incredible shield technique, overwhelming physical abilities, and the divine power supporting her perfectly negated Frey’s attacks.
Seeing the gap between them, it wouldn’t be strange for Frey to feel despair, but she continued to press the offensive, observing Lucy’s movements. She absorbed her actions with her eyes.
Then she had a question.
“Strange. Lucy now is different from the usual Lucy.”
The Lucy she had faced up until now didn’t do so many things.
Comparing the Lucy she fought in the past with the Lucy of now, Frey realized what the difference was.
The Lucy she had faced before looked like a completed knight.
Despite her playful demeanor, her controlled, efficient movements revealed what kind of fights Lucy pursued.
But now it was different.
Now Lucy wasn’t efficient.
Each of her movements had several wastes in them.
At first glance, they could even seem to be taking a step back.
But one thing was better now than before.
Lucy’s current movements were much more beautiful and natural.
Even I, facing the threat of Lucy, couldn’t help but be drawn in.
“Stop staring! Does ‘different’ mean you went from a fool to a pervert?!”
Frey, leaping back to dodge the shield swung by Lucy, found the path to victory based on the information she had just gained.
She didn’t know why Lucy had abandoned her original style.
But one thing was certain; the current Lucy was more clumsy than the old one.
With confidence, Frey immediately poured all her magic power into her body and pushed her physical abilities to the limit.
She must not give Lucy a chance to grasp her problems.
If Lucy was the one she knew, she would immediately correct her movements the moment she sensed a hint of defeat.
As long as the problems remained, she would take down Lucy.
She would win against Lucy!
THUD!
Frey, shot forth like a magical projectile, aimed her sword at Lucy’s side.
Lucy, a seasoned warrior, realized that Frey was merely trying to intimidate her, but her response was clumsier than usual.
Seeing the opening, Frey poured sincerity into her feint.
Her aura-charged blow sliced the air as it flew toward Lucy.
BOOM!
Even clumsy, Lucy was still Lucy, and she belatedly tried to respond to Frey’s attack.
However, the twisting that arose from her hasty movements couldn’t be hidden.
“Gah!”
Confusion spread across Lucy’s face as she blocked Frey’s flurry of attacks.
Noticing this, Frey forcibly suppressed her excitement.
She couldn’t afford to let this opportunity slip by—who knew when she would get another chance to defeat Lucy.
This could very well be her only chance.
Calmly.
Collectedly.
Without emotion.
She must only think about bringing down Lucy.
She would seize the momentum with continuous attacks.
Aim for the right leg, then drop down with a powerful strike to break her balance.
Finish with a full-power hit.
“Tsk♡”
As Lucy clicked her tongue, her atmosphere changed dramatically.
The clumsiness and beauty vanished, replaced by coldness and efficiency.
The original Lucy. The already accomplished knight had returned once more.
She thrust her shield forward just as Frey raised her sword to swing.
Thus, Frey’s full-powered attack lost more than half its force and easily was blocked by Lucy’s shield.
“Arrogant♡ Foolish swordsman♡”
Faced with Lucy’s fierce glare, Frey felt keenly that she had missed her chance. Yet instead of backing down, she faced Lucy’s fury with a grin.
*
[Seems like I still can’t use it in real combat.]
‘Yeah, I almost lost to Frey.’
Just now, it was genuinely dangerous.
If I had been just a moment slower, I would have been hit by Frey’s strike and rolled on the ground.
No, that Frey is definitely a cheat character.
Even though the technique I’m working on with Grandpa is still in its early stages, I can’t believe she’d try to overturn the spec gap between us with skill.
She probably still hasn’t raised her proficiency to the level cap, so it’s clear she’ll get much stronger from here.
Geniuses are indeed geniuses.
“Lucy, that’s so unfair.”
Lying on the ground, only able to raise her head, Frey puffed out her cheeks and complained.
“Couldn’t you let me win just once?”
“I’d love to let you win, but you’re just too weak for me to do that. It’s not my fault you’re weak, right?”
“Almost lost, you know.”
“Didn’t you consider it like I was just playing with you? You’re really dumb.”
“Ughhh.”
Frey flailed her limbs in annoyance but couldn’t get up. She was half-exhausted from pouring everything into the duel.
I felt exhausted too.
I struggled to find improvements while testing out new techniques mid-duel.
Should I rest a bit? It’ll take Frey a while to get back up anyway, so sneaking in a breather is fine.
Leaning on my shield, I let out a long breath and turned to Frey, who was staring at the void.
“Hey, foolish swordsman. Why did you come to the academy so early? Were you lonely in your territory?”
“I missed Lucy.”
I was momentarily speechless at Frey’s honesty, hastily turning my head. But she didn’t care and continued.
“But that’s not why. My younger sibling made a fuss.”
“…younger sibling?”
“Yeah. Parnah. She just enrolled this time.”
“How?”
I wasn’t sure if I should ask this, but didn’t she seem a bit dim? How did she pass the admission exam?!
“The same way I did.”
So, she got in through her martial arts skills. Well, she is from the Kent Family. Although she may not be as good as Frey, her talent must still be overwhelming.
…Wait a minute. The fact that she’s here means I’m going to have to deal with Parnah’s fuss for the entire time we’re at the academy.
It won’t be bad if it’s just a few days, but if it’s every time, it’ll surely drain me. I have to avoid her as much as I can.
“More importantly, Lucy. I…”
“Frey unnie! How could you leave me! Waaaah! Lucy unnie!”
Hearing the overly cheerful voice from behind, I turned my head with a creak to see Parnah running toward us with a bright smile.
Looking at that grin, I got a glimpse of my future. No way would I be able to avoid that positive energy.
…Huh? The face that Parnah is dragging along looks familiar.
It’s cute and pretty.
Ah. I remembered.
That’s the son of the Newman Family I saved, right?
Why’s he all ragged and being dragged around by Parnah?
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.