Chapter 138
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 138
Ciel stared at the golden sword in my hand and asked, “I’ve never seen that artifact before. Is it a hidden trump card?”
“It is. My newly forged Azoth Sword—the true symbol of an alchemist.”
I smiled, tilting the blade so it caught the light.
As if recognizing the weapon's true value, the expressions of Beatrice and several others in the crowd shifted. Even among [Legendary] grade items, there were tiers, and the Azoth Sword was clearly in a league of its own.
Ciel watched me with calm, steady eyes. “I see. I suspected as much when I saw you hadn’t given up.”
Shk—
Ciel brought her fists to her chest, slid one leg back, and settled into a low, focused stance. She was getting serious now, her gaze locked onto me with predatory intensity.
“From now on, I will face you with everything I have.”
…Wait, you weren’t serious until now?
I gulped, glancing at the floor of the training ground, which was already cratered as if it had been hit by a carpet bomb.
Fwip—
Before I could even finish the thought, Ciel vanished, charging at me again. Without panicking, I struck the floor with the tip of the Azoth Sword.
Crackle—
Magical lightning arced across the training ground. Instantly, a wall of stone shot up, curving over me to form a protective dome.
KRRRUMBLE—
Through [Transmutation], I had converted the floor tiles into a reinforced barrier. This process didn't just change the material's shape; it infused the structure with my mana, making it far more durable than the original stone. Even if I transmuted a wall from mere sand, its durability would far exceed that of a natural rock face.
However...
KRA-BOOM—!
With a deafening roar that threatened to burst my eardrums, both the transmuted barrier and my Aegis Shield were pulverized in a single blow.
“……!”
Crrk—
Ciel’s fist instantly bypassed the physical resistance of my suit, sending a bone-rattling shockwave through my entire body. I couldn't hide my astonishment as the force of the strike sent me hurtling backward.
Her strength is truly monstrous.
Whoosh—
An inexplicable, overwhelming pressure emanated from Ciel. Her fists were now wreathed in a blazing, ethereal blue light.
It was a hallmark of high-level martial artists: an aura of mana concentrated around the limbs. A Fist Aura. While it lacked the precision and cutting edge of a Sword Aura, it was specialized for pure, destructive force. It suited Ciel perfectly.
Fwip—
As I retreated, I snatched several steel ingots from my pouch and scattered them across the floor, once again invoking [Transmutation] to create a defense.
Crackle—
The moment the Azoth Sword touched them, the steel ingots swelled with blue lightning, elongating into lethal, jagged points.
Shwwwk—
Though the limited volume of the ingots meant the spikes were thin and conical, the sharpness and hardness of magically transmuted steel were second to none.
Fwip-fwip-fwip—
The conical steel spikes surrounded me like a deadly phalanx.
“……!”
Ciel, mid-charge, saw the massive steel spears erupting before her and immediately gathered mana into her fists.
CRASH—
She advanced, shattering the transmuted steel with her bare hands. But I simply re-transmuted the floor and the broken fragments, continuously erecting new walls in her path.
KRRRUMBLE—
I grinned as I watched the steel barriers rise one after another.
…It’s not like I’m running low on mana, anyway.
Roen was a character with mediocre physical stats but exceptionally high mana and intelligence. Furthermore, I was currently equipped with [Millia's Mana Gloves], which reduced consumption, and the Azoth Sword, which significantly lowered the cost of transmutation magic.
Thanks to this synergy, my natural mana regeneration was almost enough to cover the cost of the continuous casting. And even if I did run dry, I had a mana replenishment stone ready to refill my reserves. I was a literal infinite power source.
KRRRUMBLE—
“Tch.”
As the sharp steel barriers relentlessly blocked her path, Ciel bit her lip and retreated a few paces.
Drip—
I noticed a thin line of red on her skin. It seemed that after being repeatedly grazed by the sharp spears, the protective barrier of her student ID had finally been depleted.
I’d had a rough idea of her durability after she destroyed the lab wall, but seeing that a few scratches were enough to exhaust her ID’s barrier and wound her arm proved that these transmuted spears possessed incredible offensive power.
I watched the wound on Ciel’s arm and calculated my next move.
If the time limit runs out like this, I win.
Now that Ciel’s protective barrier was gone, I was in no rush. As long as I wasn't knocked out or forced to surrender before the ten-minute mark, victory was mine.
Ciel took a ragged breath before charging at me again like a bolt of blue light.
Pak—
I couldn't perfectly track her movements with my eyes, but I didn't need to. I simply continued to transmute steel spears in a radius around me, maintaining the barrier. I was like a hedgehog bristling with razor-sharp quills.
KRRRUMBLE—
No matter how powerful the predator, it cannot subdue a hedgehog without getting impaled. And if those quills regenerated infinitely every time they were broken, there was nothing more frustrating to face.
Pshk—
As Ciel forced her way through the forest of steel, she failed to dodge a spike that shot out from her blind spot.
“Kugh.”
With a spray of blood, Ciel staggered back. I flinched slightly at the sight of the deep wound on her arm, but I didn't dispel the magic. It wasn't because I was desperate for a win at the cost of her safety—keeping Ciel from getting hurt was far more important to me than a ranking match.
But I did not withdraw my mana. I wanted to use this battle to understand Ciel’s heart.
The emotion Ciel is showing right now isn't just competitiveness or a desire for victory.
She looked as if she were protecting something precious. Perhaps through this match, I could get a glimpse into her true thoughts regarding Roen. Understanding the will of Ciel, the person who served Roen most closely, would be vital for my future. Until I figured it out, I couldn't afford to stop, even if she got hurt.
Ciel tore a strip from her uniform to staunch the bleeding and charged the barrier once more.
Thud—
Like a wounded beast, she threw herself at me relentlessly.
Pshk—
She didn't stop even when the steel spikes bit into her flesh. Instead of faltering, she simply gritted her teeth and pushed through the pain.
KRAANG—
A spear shattered under her fist, its fragments whistling through the air. In its place, another spear shot up from the ground, wounding her leg.
“Ugh.”
She staggered, but her eyes remained sharp, gleaming with a desperate ferocity.
Fwip—
Watching her, I felt an indescribable weight in my chest. This wasn't just a match to her. Even though this was just a ranking bout, Ciel refused to yield, even while covered in blood. It made me wonder if there was a reason she absolutely had to win.
“Hah… hah.”
The battle dragged on. At first, Ciel had been unilaterally overwhelming me, but the moment I drew the Azoth Sword, the tide had turned. Her powerful fists could no longer reach me, and the wounds on her body continued to multiply.
The gap in skill had been bridged instantly. This was the true power of a [Legendary] weapon in the hands of an [Alchemist]. A legendary weapon was a balance-breaker, capable of overcoming level gaps and elemental disadvantages. Combined with the fact that I was finally fighting as a proper Alchemist rather than relying on cheap tricks, the result was inevitable.
Whoosh—
Ciel’s footsteps, once a blur, had slowed to a crawl. The power behind her strikes was no longer enough to shatter the steel spears.
Ting—
Ciel’s fist was deflected by a spear. She retreated a significant distance, cradling her bloodied hand.
“Hah, hah, hah.”
She gasped for air, her uniform tattered and stained red. After kneeling on the floor for a moment to catch her breath, Ciel forced herself back up on trembling legs.
I watched her, my expression clouded with worry. “Are you alright?”
“……”
She remained silent for a long moment, then parted her dry lips and spoke cautiously. “There is… one thing I would like to ask.”
“Ask away.”
The arena was soundproofed; no one outside could hear us. Ciel wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and looked me in the eye.
“The shoes you were wearing at the tailor shop the other day… did you really throw them away?”
“……”
Her question pulled a memory from a few days ago to the surface.
*
A few days ago.
I had received a call from Altair and visited his tailor shop. He told me he had a gift for me.
“Here, take this,” Altair said, handing me a pair of shoes inside a transparent glass case.
They were the old, worn-out shoes I had told him to discard—the ones with the strangely high heels that I found so uncomfortable.
I looked at the case and frowned. “Didn’t I ask you to throw these away?”
Now that I had a custom-made pair, there was no reason to keep the old ones. Altair shrugged.
“I was going to, at first. But upon closer inspection, they turned out to be no ordinary item. It seemed a waste to just toss them. I wanted to get the owner’s permission before I took the liberty of repairing them.”
“No ordinary item?”
I turned the glass case over, examining the shoes. I hadn't noticed anything special about them before, other than the height. But as I looked closer at the interior lining, I caught a glimpse of something and let out a soft gasp.
“Ah.”
A small piece of cloth was stitched into the lining. On it, next to a signature, a phrase was embroidered in tiny, meticulous letters.
[As long as I am stronger, I will be sure to protect you by your side. - Ciel Eurafia.]
As I stared at the words, Altair spoke up.
“Yes, after checking carefully, it seems they were a gift from the young lady who accompanied you. The material is high-grade leather, magically treated to grow along with the owner. From the wear and tear, I’d say they’ve been worn for five or six years. Didn’t you know?”
“……”
I had always found it strange that Roen, who spent money like it was going out of style, had stubbornly worn such old shoes. This was why.
I also remembered Ciel’s crestfallen expression when I had asked to have them thrown away.
I almost made a terrible mistake.
I had asked to trash them right in front of the person who had poured her heart into making them. I hugged the glass case to my chest and bowed my head to Altair.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. I just did what was right. For such an excellently crafted pair, it’s a bit odd that the heels are so high, but even so, they’re a fine piece of work. I can repair them if you’d like.”
“……”
Why would such high-quality shoes have heels that were slightly too high, as if they were defective? I thought about it.
He said they’ve been worn for five or six years, so they’re from his childhood.
At that age, girls often hit their growth spurts before boys. It was highly likely that Roen had been shorter than Ciel back then. Given Roen’s prickly pride, he probably couldn't stand being shorter than his maid. Ciel must have added the extra height to the heels so he wouldn't feel inferior standing next to her.
And Roen, despite his nasty personality, couldn't bring himself to throw away Ciel’s heartfelt gift. He had kept wearing them long after they had worn out.
I didn't know if my guess was 100% correct, but one thing was certain: those shoes were precious to both of them.
I handed the shoes back to Altair. “Then I’ll leave the repairs to you.”
*
Recalling that moment, I shook my head and looked at Ciel.
“No, I had Altair repair them completely. They are resting safely in my research lab.”
“……”
“Is… that so. I’m glad.”
Ciel slowly bowed her head, a look of profound relief washing over her face. With that, her eyes drifted shut.
She collapsed on the spot. I rushed forward, catching her in my arms before she hit the floor.
Vwoom—
The moment Ciel lost consciousness, the training ground’s protective barrier deactivated. I quickly pulled a high-grade recovery potion from my pocket and tilted it into her mouth.
Fwaah—
A soft green light bloomed, and the wounds on Ciel’s skin began to knit back together. Within moments, her skin was flawless once more, though she would still need rest to recover from the blood loss and exhaustion.
After finishing the first aid, I looked up at the electronic display. The result of the match was displayed in bold letters.
[Roen Devalis. Rank 100.]
With this, I had officially secured my place among the hundred strongest individuals in the Union. But more importantly, I had learned something far more valuable.
“You really aren't honest with yourself, are you?” I whispered to the unconscious girl in my arms.
I thought back to the words written inside those shoes.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re strong or weak. You’re the best maid there is. You may always… stay by my side.”