Chapter: 164
Five winters had passed since the man met the girl, and as the warm winds began to blow.
The girl’s height, which had once barely reached the man’s chest, now stood at his shoulder, and her beauty had blossomed to the point where calling her a girl seemed utterly strange.
“…Lately, haven’t we been having an odd increase in physical contact?”
“Hmm, I don’t know. That’s just your delusion. I think I’m acting just the same as before.”
The girl, being aware of her own charm, increased physical contact to flaunt her growth to the man.
“I thought I had become a bit more mature, yet here I am acting like a spoiled child; it seems you are still as childish as ever.”
“…Do I still appear as a child to you?”
“A child indeed. How can I treat a novice swordsman, who can’t even surpass this unworthy swordsman, as an adult?”
Despite the passing years, the man continued to treat the girl as if she were still a child.
Feeling a bit frustrated, the girl pouted and said to him, “…Let’s see how long you can keep treating me like a child.”
“Sure, I look forward to the day when you can surpass me.”
Laughing off the girl’s complaints, the man ascended the mountain peak with her.
Even though the man treated her the same as before, he had been increasingly troubled lately.
This was because, contrary to his earlier words, he was feeling the girl’s growth.
Not in physical terms, but in her development as a swordsman.
The man captured the sight of the girl wielding a sword beside him.
Her sword was sharp and quick.
Who could possibly call her a novice after witnessing such skill?
She was already above the level of his earlier self before climbing the mountain.
Having trained swordsmanship alongside her, he had also grown stronger, so he could still teach her; however…
The man felt that her talent was far beyond his own, and he sensed that the day when she would surpass him was approaching.
In the midst of these thoughts, the man noticed the girl’s sword had come to a stop and asked her, “What’s wrong?”
“…Oh, it’s nothing really. I just feel like I’ve hit a wall lately. It’s just that I worry you might be disappointed since my skills aren’t improving much even though you teach me earnestly…”
Seeing her look concerned about his feelings, the man replied to reassure her.
“Disappointed? Even if you remain at this skill level for the rest of your life, I will never be disappointed in you. With your talent, it won’t be long before you overcome this wall.”
“…Even if you say that, you’ll still be disappointed if my skills don’t progress.”
“Then I’ll just keep teaching you until you surpass that wall. So don’t worry, just swing your sword.”
“…Alright, I’ll do that. Hearing that makes me feel a bit relieved.”
With a relieved smile, the girl resumed swinging her sword.
Hitting a wall like that won’t last forever.
The man imagined the moment he would no longer be able to teach her.
And he burst into a bitter smile at the feeling that had crossed his mind.
A student surpassing their teacher should be a moment of joy, yet he felt lonelier than happy about it.
He thought that all that was left for him in this world was to reach that level he saw that day.
Unbeknownst to him, something else had taken root in the priority of his heart next to the sword.
Without realizing it, it had come to be.
The man murmured with a wry smile, “How long until I can still teach her the sword?”
All he could do was make the best of this moment.
*
Contrary to the man’s expectations, the girl had not managed to surpass the wall she encountered.
Days turned into weeks, which led to almost a month passing by.
Each time the man swung his sword, he could sense the girl felt anxious about his opinion.
Each time, he reassured her that he wasn’t bothered and everything was fine.
He had experienced something similar before.
Knowing that the toughest opponent she faced was none other than that wall made him worry more about her state.
What could possibly be keeping the girl from progressing?
Perhaps it was some psychological factor.
Having devoted all his focus to the sword in training, he found it hard to concentrate on it due to his worries about the girl.
It seemed the girl sensed that, as she had said he needn’t concern himself.
After every training session, exhausted to the point of collapsing into sleep, he found himself waking up in the middle of the night.
Waking up at an unusual hour and letting out a sigh.
Despite thinking he had trained himself to not be disturbed by trivial matters, he couldn’t help but feel troubled.
In such instances of turmoil, swinging the sword in a state of total concentration was the best remedy.
The man grabbed his sword and set out from the cabin to the mountain peak he always trained at.
The calm sky devoid of wind was filled with dark clouds hinting at the impending rain.
Although the dark mountain trail made visibility poor, the man’s steps showed no signs of hesitation after years of taking the same path.
However, just before reaching the peak, his steps suddenly slowed.
He heard an unidentified sound from the mountain peak, where no one should have been.
Was it a wild animal, or perhaps a ghost fitting for such a dreary night?
As he speculated about the source of the sound, he reached a point where he could see the peak of the mountain and noted something moving within the darkness.
“…Ah.”
It was a beautiful dance.
A swordsman’s dance, united with the sword in a state of trance.
In the darkness, swaying even darker hair, the girl was dancing as if she were a single blade of a sword.
He couldn’t even fathom the intricacies contained in each of her movements, but he could tell she had reached a level far beyond his previous considerations.
The man simply gasped in awe as he took in the spectacle.
And at that moment, it abruptly ended.
The dance he wished would continue forever came to a halt.
In the place where the dance had ceased, only a girl remained with her flustered expression looking towards him.
“I… I didn’t mean to hide this!”
The girl’s shout echoed.
At that moment, the man realized something.
All the clumsy appearances she had shown him up to this point were a façade.
Since when had it been?
When had she surpassed him to reach such a level?
Perhaps it had been from the very beginning.
“I… I just…”
The girl mumbled with a frightened face.
Would he be angry?
Would he look down on her for hiding her true abilities, despite possessing such skills?
In fear of having all her deception exposed, she quivered.
More than anything in this world, she feared being hated by the man.
And so, towards the trembling girl, the man reached out his hand.
The girl simply closed her eyes, waiting for whatever punishment would come.
He was ready to accept any anger directed at her.
However, the man’s hand did not reach for her neck.
“…Huh?”
At the warm sensation on her head, the girl opened her eyes gently and saw the man’s large hand petting her hair.
The man chuckled and smiled.
“Why are you so scared? Don’t worry. I had a suspicion that you might be hiding your real skills.”
“…You knew?”
“How many years do you think I’ve spent with you? You were always a quick learner. I just found it odd that you seemed a bit sluggish only in swordsmanship. But I never imagined it was to this extent.”
The man spoke casually, as if it were nothing.
Hearing this, the girl murmured with unease.
“…You’re not angry? I deceived you.”
“Angry? Let me just ask you one thing. Did you deceive me to mock me or take pleasure in it?”
“Of course not!”
“Then that’s fine. I can understand your reasons for hiding your skills, so there’s no way I would be angry.”
With that, the man continued to stroke the girl’s hair.
If she had shown her true skills right away, he surely would have been wounded in pride back when they had just started spending time together.
Thinking like this, she must have hidden her true self.
What a kind-hearted child she was.
Still patting her head, the man smiled at her.
“Though I do feel a little disappointed, you know? I was genuinely worried about you not improving lately that I lost sleep over it. To think that was all just an act.”
“Ugh… well, that’s…”
“Do you really have to hide it, knowing someone else is worried about you?”
“Ugh, I have no excuse for that… But, but…!”
The girl, pouting in response to the man’s teasing, suddenly blushed and murmured with a tiny voice.
“If I had known you would find out about me surpassing you… you wouldn’t have taught me anymore, would you?”
“Hmmm, so you really wanted to learn from me. Even though I’d be far behind.”
“…Still, I wanted to keep learning from you. That way, I could spend time with you.”
The man smiled wryly at her words.
He was a man who lived and died by the sword.
To spend time with a guy who dedicated most of his day to swinging a sword, the only way was to train with him.
Yet that relationship could no longer continue.
“However, now that I know you’re stronger than me, you can’t have me teach you anymore.”
“…Is that too unreasonable? I could always teach you instead.”
“Who in their right mind is taught by their own student? While you showed consideration, I still have my pride as a swordsman.”
The pride of a swordsman is indeed quite an absurd thing.
Though it may be fine now, whenever the girl was around, it would always occupy his thoughts.
The man asked the girl.
“Once a student surpasses their master, they ought to step down. Now that you’ve become a proper swordsman and more, I feel my role is complete. Do you intend to leave the mountain?”
“…Must I really do that?”
Seeing her reaction, the man sighed as if he knew it would go this way.
And he murmured with a wry smile.
“Really, you’re still such a child.”
Muttering to himself, the man questioned the girl.
“I’ve forgiven you, but you still harbor some guilt for deceiving me, don’t you?”
“…Of course. I only feel sorry for you.”
“In that case, I can ask you for one favor.”
“Ugh, wh-what… whatever you want, I’ll do it…”
Flushing and mumbling, the man said to her.
“Then, draw your sword.”
The girl’s face stiffened in surprise.
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