Somehow, I’ve messed up.
That’s the conclusion I reached after much concern. I just played along with a kid’s whim. Thunder Dragon Sword Technique? No way that exists. But the little punk pulled off a technique that shouldn’t exist at all.
And he learned it all by himself. It’s a talent that sends chills down my spine. No, it’s beyond that. If I were to sum up that kid in one word, it would be, quite literally, a monster of talent.
In that moment, for some reason, a character popped into my mind. By the way, I still didn’t know the kid’s name. Maybe I was instinctively avoiding it.
Because I didn’t have the confidence to handle it. Right now, I’m not just some extra. I’m the Time Stop Breeding Uncle. Wouldn’t I accidentally trip up the main characters?
“Hey, kid. Can I ask you something?”
At first, I honestly thought it was a boy. But as time went on, I had to face the truth. The kid was a girl. Plus, I recognized her face from somewhere.
I tried my best to ignore it. I didn’t even want to know her name. Because I couldn’t handle it. But there was only one character who could implement a swordsmanship that was close to delusion within my memory.
Someone with unparalleled talent when it comes to swords. The being praised as the Sword Empress. And strangely enough, the Sword Empress also had dark red hair.
There was no escaping now. No matter how stupid one might be, anyone would realize it at this point. But I needed certainty, not just a hunch. I finally opened my tightly shut mouth.
“What’s your name?”
“Pardon? My name?”
“Yeah.”
Just in case, I hoped it would be a wild guess. The girl, tilting her head at my question, quickly smiled brightly and said.
“Then will you praise me?”
“…Yeah.”
“Helia.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the name popped out of the girl’s mouth. And that name was all too familiar. The Sword Empress, Helia. A knight who dared to look up at the sky with a human body.
And she was also one of the main heroines of the game. Her red hair fluttered in the wind. Helia’s red eyes that looked up at me curved beautifully as she smiled.
“Could you please call me Helia?”
I just realized the reason. No, to begin with, Helia was well-drawn in the illustrations. Even in the game, she had great performance, and her personality was subtly cute, making her extremely popular.
But the reliable person next to her is just the Time Stop Breeding Uncle. What can I say, it’s just depressing. I worried that Helia might get a bad influence.
But aside from that, Helia’s talent is real. She successfully realized the nearly imaginary Thunder Dragon Sword Technique within just a week. I couldn’t help but admire that.
However, feeling faint, I bit my tongue to pull myself back together. I needed to stay alert. I couldn’t afford to influence her negatively any further.
“You really worked hard, Helia. I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you, Teacher! But can I ask just one question?”
“What is it?”
“I’m curious about the name of this technique.”
“……”
How the hell would I know? That thought shot up to my throat in an instant, but I suppressed it with superhuman patience. Stay calm, I need to come up with a plausible answer here.
Logically, considering I thought she had worked hard to learn it, how could I say it’s a lie now? Of course, she would get angry. I would get angry too. Damn it.
“Thunder Dragon Sword Technique, First Sword, Thunder Dragon Strike.”
After wracking my brain, I managed to give a somewhat plausible answer. The truth is, the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique never directly appeared in the martial arts novels. It was just a brief mention as an extra sword technique.
Of course, it garnered a cult-like popularity with a cool name for an extra but the important thing is, there’s nothing known about the Thunder Dragon Sword Technique at all.
In other words, to summarize the current situation, I suddenly have to come up with everything from basics to advanced techniques for the Thunder Dragon Sword. I only imagined it, and my head already started hurting.
“Thunder Dragon Sword Technique, First Sword, Thunder Dragon Strike…!! I’ve engraved it deep in my heart!”
“There’s really no need to engrave it that deeply.”
“No! I will absolutely not forget it!”
“R-really?”
“What’s the next lesson? I’m ready!”
Helia looked at me with a determined expression. Her readiness for the next training was certainly impressive, but unfortunately, I wasn’t prepared. I racked my brain.
“You’re too hasty.”
“Pardon? But…”
“Do you really think you’ve mastered Thunder Dragon Strike?”
“……!!!”
Faced with that question, Helia could not dare to answer. It was a question that shattered her arrogance. Could I confidently say that I’ve mastered Thunder Dragon Strike?
In front of my teacher? I couldn’t bring myself to say it. I already knew in my head. I hadn’t perfectly mastered Thunder Dragon Strike. Soon, embarrassment washed over me.
“If it’s just about cutting quickly, anyone can do it.”
How could I, of all people, show such an embarrassing side in front of my teacher? The shame was unbearable, making it hard to lift my face. But I couldn’t turn away. It’s my fault.
[The indomitable spirit that never gives up.]
“My teacher always gives me answers.”
The foolish disciple finally realized. My teacher gives answers all the time. If you make a mistake, recognize it and fix it. At the very least, I should be a better version of myself than yesterday.
What my teacher taught me wasn’t just a sword technique. It was life itself. To realize that now, I must be very foolish and pathetic. Helia blamed herself.
It was like a whip. Isolating herself with guilt and anger, she aimed for greater growth. The talent that could even overwhelm the sky had already instinctively recognized.
A flash of inspiration struck. The sun had completely set, leaving only darkness. But with no care for the darkness, she grit her teeth and continued to swing her sword.
“I’m not there yet! Not at all!”
I want to walk the same path as my teacher. I want to be the sword that swings under my teacher. That desire slowly broke her limits. Iron becomes stronger steel through tempering.
And Helia’s talent was also gradually blooming through extreme training. A talent that was originally supposed to bloom through tragedy is now blooming due to the desire for just one person.
But is that truly the correct flowering? A talent that should have bloomed through losing everyone around her is now blooming for just one person. It’s an utterly twisted flowering.
Helia still doesn’t know that fact.
And she likely doesn’t want to know.
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