Chapter 41
Insight: Angela's eyes carry a merciless gleam, yet it does not unsettle me as it once did
A merciless gaze. Yet that was Angela's measure, not mine.
To scare me... at least the look she had when she tried to kill me in my previous life...
Even though she charged at me with a blade pointed and a threatening aura, Angela had never once tasted real combat.
But that aura was impressive enough to earn respect.
After all, with a swordsmanship professor for a father, she clearly possessed considerable skill.
“Haap!”
Angela let out a battle cry and drove her blade straight toward me.
Not a practice sword. She went for the kill with everything she had.
I dodged it easily, though I felt a pinch of unfairness.
‘Had I really done something wrong?’
I had only broken Professor Akan’s strength to prove myself.
And while my interference had contributed to his sabbatical, the choice to take a break wasn’t one I had made for him.
Angela’s relentless pursuit was no challenge at all.
Naturally, it was far easier than sparring with Akan had ever been.
“E, eek?”
While I remained relaxed, Angela’s face contorted with every swing and thrust of her blade.
She must have already sensed the massive gap in skill.
Yet she refused to stop attacking.
No, she couldn’t stop.
Out of sheer stubborn pride.
After blocking a few attacks, I stepped back sharply to create distance.
Angela, who had been unleashing a barrage, immediately slowed when she saw the gap between us.
She had been attacking without a proper break, so I finally found time to catch my breath.
“Speak up. What exactly do you hope to gain by fighting me?”
“Do you really not understand? Do you not know how deeply my father is grieving because of you?!”
“Hmm. From my perspective, it seemed rather different.”
“You know Father better than I do!”
Angela charged forward once more.
Her grip on the sword suggested she was about to deliver a powerful overhead strike.
This time I did not dodge.
I caught her blow head-on with my blade crossed firmly in front of me.
Our swords clashed and the power struggle began.
Angela pushed with all her might; I held firm.
As I slowly gave way, she flashed a smug grin.
“As expected of a brat. Your body moves fast, but your strength is lacking!”
“This time I deliberately didn’t dodge.”
“What?”
“That’s exactly what I intended.”
I slid my body sideways on purpose.
Angela, who had been relying on brute force, lost her balance and lurched forward.
“Ugh!”
On the verge of falling, Angela rolled forward at the last moment and used the momentum to push herself back up.
‘Oh. She has some decent footwork.’
We had called it a duel, but with such a clear skill gap, the term hardly fit.
If it had been boring or worthless, I would have ended her right then.
But Angela was far too intriguing.
Her movements, her spirit.
“Professor Akan is truly a wonderful man.”
“Save the flattery.”
“It’s true. A true swordsman feels it through the clash of blades. Angela, when your sword touched mine just now, did you not sense anything?”
“You sensed my arrogance. A young girl spouting old man’s talk!”
I wanted to talk, but Angela was only filled with the drive to fight.
If things continued like this, I would have to crush her spirit to get her to listen.
“Since I won’t dodge, come at me with everything. As a professor, I’ll teach you how to feel each other through the clash of blades.”
“I hope you really do teach me!”
Angela’s relentless blade strikes.
I refused to dodge even once.
Instead, I blocked every single one of her attacks.
And what I realized was that Angela’s fundamentals were truly solid.
Yet she was far too straightforward.
‘She really is just like her father.’
Angela relied solely on her sword; she never used her whole body.
I remembered how surprised Professor Akan had been the first time I attacked with an elbow instead of the sword.
Throughout all my idle thoughts, Angela’s attacks continued.
But with every clash, her power gradually weakened.
Little by little, Angela was running out of strength.
“Hah… huff… ugh!”
Angela forced out a battle cry and tried to stab me once more.
But now her speed was so slow that even someone who didn’t know how to use a sword could dodge it easily.
There was no point in blocking anymore.
The moment I dodged, Angela collapsed face-first onto the ground, unable to rise.
“This child… said she wouldn’t dodge…”
“Because it was an attack not worth receiving. Still, I finally understand why Angela tried to defeat me in a duel.”
“I understand, but you made me like this?”
“Understanding and indulging are two completely different things.”
Since there were too many eyes watching, I decided it was best to talk calmly.
We had fought for a long time along the main road, so a crowd had gathered to watch.
I sheathed my sword and lifted Angela onto my shoulder.
Angela struggled and thrashed, but with all her strength gone, she barely moved at all.
“W-what are you doing?! Put me down right now!”
“Losers keep quiet.”
“It’s not over yet! I’m still…”
“Rules are clear. When one side admits defeat or can no longer stand, it’s over.”
“…”
Angela finally accepted her defeat and stopped struggling, closing her mouth.
“Luar.”
“Yes, Brother.”
Luar had been watching the entire duel from the sidelines with perfect calm.
As expected, her expression showed absolute certainty that I would win.
“Will you bring Angela’s sword?”
“Of course.”
Luar picked up Angela’s blade and followed behind me, while I carried Angela back toward the Liangesse Tavern.
At the tavern door, Innkeeper Martha opened it wide for us to enter comfortably.
After I sat her down, Angela buried her face in the table and refused to lift it.
Whether she liked it or not, I ordered three drinks.
Martha brought them over herself.
“Here are the drinks you ordered. And this is a limited menu item: ice chocolate.”
The cup for the ice chocolate was far from ordinary.
It was beautifully crafted, and the ice inside was frozen with magic.
I pushed the ice chocolate toward Angela and offered it.
“Drink it. Nothing is better for quick energy than sweets.”
“No thanks. I don’t feel like eating.”
“We ordered it specially, so if you don’t drink it, I’ll have to throw it away. Innkeeper, how much does this ice chocolate cost?”
“Twenty silons.”
“W-what…?”
The moment she heard the price, Angela’s eyes, which had been barely open, snapped wide open.
“Why is it so expensive? It’s just a drink.”
“Basically, chocolate is grown only in distant regions. It’s the distance and the transport that makes it expensive. That’s why it’s limited.”
“So it’s expensive. But if you don’t want it, I guess I’ll just have to throw it away…”
“Wait!”
Angela grabbed my hand before I could set the cup down.
“If I’m going to throw it away anyway, I’ll drink it.”
“Enjoy it to your heart’s content.”
Angela’s nose twitched as she brought the cup close.
She was smelling the sweet aroma of chocolate.
Angela was completely drained of strength—famished, in other words.
At first she resisted, but once she caught the sweet scent, her body craved the ice chocolate on pure instinct.
The first sip was careful, but the moment she tasted it, she gulped it down in huge swallows.
Soon the expensive drink vanished without even lasting five seconds.
The lifeless eyes sparkled again.
“It’s insanely delicious.”
“Right? And you’re drinking it after sweating hard.”
“If you still feel like fighting after that, I’ll keep sparring with you.”
For a split second, Angela’s hand tightened around the cup.
But then her strength slowly faded.
“No… it’s fine. I can’t deny it. You’re stronger than my father.”
“You’re not weak either, Sister.”
Luar offered a kind word from the side.
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“It’s not forced. You’re not weak. It’s just that Brother is far too strong.”
Angela let out a soft laugh at Luar’s words and toyed with the cup before speaking again.
“You said you could feel each other through the clash of blades… I think I understand a little. You took my anger without resistance.”
“It’s fortunate you realized that before you tried to kill me. I felt it too.”
“What did you feel? That I was pathetic?”
“That Professor Akan is a truly good educator.”
Angela’s expression, which had softened for a moment, hardened again.
“Are you mocking my father right now?”
“No, I mean it. Angela’s movements had no useless extra movements. Unlike people who boast that their swordsmanship is nothing but showy flair.”
Finally, I saw it in her eyes.
Hope.
This was my chance.
“Would you like to change your class schedule?”
The perfect opportunity to create skilled students instead of beginners and spread the word!