Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Stay With Me
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41. Stay With Me
***
Class A Training Hall.
Night had deepened, the clock ticking past eight in the evening.
Though it was time for the cadets to finish dinner and return to their dormitories, quite a few remained in the training hall.
And among them, there was a space that the cadets conspicuously avoided.
*Swish!*
A fierce gale struck a training dummy, carving countless wounds into it.
*Whip!*
With a violent toss of her blue hair, a woman retrieved her sword and swung it once more.
Glacia was brandishing her sword almost manically, unleashing her Trait.
It was an act she had been repeating for hours. As her Trait imbued her actions with immense power, gales of formidable destructive force repeatedly swept through the training hall.
*Whoosh—!*
The cadets who had been near Glacia had long since moved to other spots or kept their distance.
The raging winds were a hindrance to their training, but knowing that Glacia's Trait was wind, they all understood and gave her a wide berth.
And now.
Someone was approaching her despite it all.
*Step.*
“Glacia. Why don’t you take a break? You’ve been swinging that sword for hours without rest.”
It was Leonhardt.
*Shhh.*
At his words, Glacia slowly lowered her sword and turned her head.
Her unfocused gaze sharpened as life returned to her blue eyes.
“I’ll manage.”
*Tch.*
With that one indifferent word, she began swinging her sword again.
Seeing this, Leonhardt let out a deep sigh and spoke once more.
“...Right. Training is a personal matter. But even if I wanted to leave you to it, Glacia, your body isn’t in any condition to continue.”
As Leonhardt added his frustrated words, Glacia finally glanced down at herself.
Her cadet uniform was a complete mess, and the hand gripping her sword was trembling faintly.
Her stamina was at its limit.
Knowing this, Glacia had been stubbornly, forcefully, continuing to swing her sword.
“Glacia. Leonhardt’s worried, and I’m a little worried too. Why don’t you stop and rest? If you keep this up, you might collapse.”
Yumia, clinging to Leonhardt’s side, spoke up, and Glacia let out a small sigh.
“Why is everyone so interested in my training?”
Another curt reply.
As Glacia ignored them as if she were talking to a wall, Yumia let out a scoff of disbelief.
“This is the thanks we get for caring... No wonder you’re always alone in class.”
Even as Yumia openly taunted her, Glacia remained silent.
*Whoosh—!*
Instead, a wind even stronger than before began to rise, continuously battering the steel training dummy.
At this sight, Leonhardt sighed and looked at Yumia, who was still attached to him.
“Yumia. Haven’t I told you not to talk like that? Why do you speak without considering the other person’s feelings?”
“...I know that. But Glacia is being unreasonable. She won’t listen to reason, so sometimes a harsh word is necessary.”
“That depends on the person. No one learns from insults. Those who are willing to listen will understand even kind words.”
“Really? But Leonhardt, Glacia always has that attitude. Are you sure you’re right? I don’t think so.”
“...Yumia.”
As Yumia continued to speak with a sharp edge, Leonhardt called her name coldly, meeting her gaze.
Their eyes locked for a moment before Yumia finally looked away.
Her cheeks were faintly flushed.
“Fine. Glacia... look, what I said was a bit... harsh.”
Even as Yumia offered an apology, Glacia continued to swing her sword with a vacant expression.
She was so immersed in her training that she was no longer aware of her surroundings.
Leonhardt watched her silently, feeling a pang of pity.
Putting aside any personal feelings, it was painful to just stand by and watch someone destroy their own body.
“...”
Then, letting out a soft breath, Leonhardt slowly drew his own sword.
*Shing.*
Several days had already passed since he had reached level 3 of the Sword of the Azure Sky.
Having made dazzling progress, Leonhardt could now freely wield the energy of the Sword of the Azure Sky with natural ease.
*Flash!*
In the instant a brilliant blue light enveloped his sword, Leonhardt swung it as fast as light itself.
*Clang!*
The moment the blue light left a trail in the air, Glacia’s body staggered violently, and the sword she had been holding was sent flying effortlessly into the air.
—A single strike.
The trajectory of the sword Leonhardt displayed was already on a different level from what he had shown during his duel with Han Cheon-seong.
“...Leonhardt!?”
Just as Yumia cried out in shock at his unexpected action.
Glacia’s expression hardened completely as she turned to face Leonhardt.
“Leonhardt. Don’t you know that deliberately interfering with a cadet’s training is against academy regulations?”
“I do.”
“And you’re still going to interfere with my training?”
Despite Glacia’s voice, which was no longer indifferent but clearly filled with anger, Leonhardt did not avert his gaze.
“Yes. So, I’ll accept the corresponding punishment. Therefore, Glacia, stop your training for now and come with me to see the instructor.”
When he spoke with a faint smile, willingly accepting punishment, Glacia hesitated, staring at him.
Even Yumia looked at Leonhardt in disbelief, but he simply looked back at Glacia and urged her on.
“Why? If you want me to be punished, go ahead. I admit that I interfered with you. That’s why I just swung my sword.”
Seeing his attitude, as if he didn’t care in the slightest about being punished, Glacia let out a deep sigh and shook her head.
“...Forget it. I’m done training.”
Retrieving her sword, she turned to leave. Leonhardt watched her go with a slight smile, saying nothing.
‘Was this enough?’
The thought crossed his mind.
If she were truly a malicious person, she would have gone to the instructor to report me for punishment, but while Glacia could be blunt and assertive, she was by no means a bad person.
“Leonhardt! What was that just now...? What would you have done if you actually got punished?”
He smiled faintly as he looked at Yumia, who spoke in utter shock.
“Who knows. Fortunately, it seems Glacia didn’t want me to be punished.”
“No, really! Do you want to ruin your grades from the start? A disciplinary action has a huge negative impact on future evaluations!”
“...I know. But I just felt like I had to step in.”
He appreciated Yumia’s concern even as he answered.
It was just a shame that her kindness and gentle nature were directed only at him...
“Hah. Honestly, Leonhardt. Sometimes I look at you and I don’t understand you at all. Why do you have to be so nice? You should treat people the way they treat you. Why are you so foolishly kind? Take Glacia, for example. She’s choosing to ruin her own body, so is it really our place to stop her? Is Glacia a seven or eight-year-old child? Do we have to worry about every little thing for her?”
...I said nothing as Yumia raised her voice in genuine anger.
I simply accepted her worry and her frustration.
As I met her gaze silently, Yumia sighed deeply and looked at me with exasperation.
“You, really. Every time I see you like this, you seem so foolish.”
“...I’m sorry.”
“If you’re sorry, then please don’t act like that again. Do you know how much it hurts me to see you like this?”
...At Yumia’s last words, I slowly nodded.
Honestly, it wasn’t something I had thought through.
In that moment, I just felt that stopping Glacia’s training was the right thing to do, even if it meant I would be punished.
“I’m sorry, Yumia. I don’t have an excuse.”
“Hah. Seriously, what would you do without me? I get anxious just thinking about someone taking advantage of you.”
“...In that case, Yumia, you’ll just have to stay by my side.”
I replied with a light smile to her affectionate words, and Yumia instantly fell silent.
“...”
As Yumia remained quiet, I found myself enjoying her reaction.
Leaving the training hall, I gazed up at the darkened night sky, feeling an incredibly strange mix of emotions.
The thought that several days had already passed.
And just as I had achieved dazzling growth, someone came to mind.
The only cadet with whom I had fought to a draw.
‘Han Cheon-seong.’
He must have improved as well.
I wondered how much stronger he had become in these past few days.
It suddenly made me curious.
That guy, who surely possessed a talent greater than my own...
***
*Click.*
*Clack.*
Glacia, who had left the training hall early, walked slowly back to her dorm, her mind in a daze.
‘Trait level 4...’
How on earth could I reach it?
How... could I reach the same level as Han Cheon-seong?
For the past few days, I had been completely engrossed in that single thought, but no answer came.
I had even tried sparring directly with Leonhardt, just as Han Cheon-seong had, but I couldn’t find the slightest clue.
When we sparred with all our might, I had to admit defeat in less than a few minutes.
...Unbelievably, Leonhardt was stronger than I could have ever imagined.
He was growing at an absurd rate with each passing day. As our swords clashed, I felt my own will beginning to break.
*Click.*
“Why. Why can’t I do it?”
Within my weary voice... my heart felt heavy.
Han Cheon-seong, a Common-grade, had fought on equal footing with a monster like Leonhardt—no, he had launched an even greater offensive, proving his own worth.
I had replayed that moment dozens, no, hundreds of times in my mind, but I still couldn’t understand.
...Why couldn’t I, with a Trait two grades higher than Han Cheon-seong’s, achieve the same result?
I tried to emulate the confidence, willpower, and indomitable spirit that Han Cheon-seong had shown, but I couldn't reach it.
It felt hopelessly inadequate.
Even as I pushed my creaking body to its limits in training, I felt absolutely nothing.
I simply couldn’t comprehend how Han Cheon-seong’s mysterious fighting spirit was possible.
“Oh.”
An unfamiliar voice broke through my thoughts.
“Glacia. Heading back now?”
The voice was calling my name... I blinked without thinking.
“Han Cheon-seong?”
Why was this man here, right in front of me? Especially at this late hour.
“You’re really something else. Wow. You must train pretty hard.”
“What’s that supposed to mean, the moment you see me.”
“What do you think it means? Glacia, take a look at yourself.”
At Han Cheon-seong’s words, I blankly looked down at my appearance and let out a dry laugh.
A complete mess.
I had foolishly immersed myself only in training, but thinking about it now, it was all just a futile effort.
Training that only abused my body and unleashed my Trait, without any real meaning.
“Glacia. Don’t tell me you didn’t know you were in this state?”
“...No. I knew.”
“Then why are you training like this? You know as well as I do that pushing your body so hard isn’t good for you.”
As he asked, as if he found it strange, my gaze was simply drawn to him.
His black hair was darker than the night sky, and beneath it, he looked at me with a faint smile. He still seemed overflowing with confidence.
In fact, after his duel with Leonhardt, this man seemed to have changed even more.
Something... something about him felt different.
It felt as though Han Cheon-seong had changed in some way in just a few days.
‘...Why?’
While I was stagnating like this, was this man already about to climb the next step?
I couldn’t understand it, and at the same time, I was curious.
“...Han Cheon-seong.”
“Yeah.”
Looking at the man who answered so casually, I didn’t know what to say.
It was just a chance encounter, but I felt I couldn’t let Han Cheon-seong go just like this.
There was definitely something about Han Cheon-seong that I didn’t know.
Something I couldn’t comprehend at all.
If that was the case... I needed to learn more about it.
“How much would it cost...?”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“I want to buy your time, Han Cheon-seong.”
I spoke calmly, but my first thought was that I needed to spend at least a little time with him.
Because that’s what he had said last time.
If so, that must be the answer. That if I spent time with him, I would naturally come to understand him.
“Buy my time? What kind of talk is that? Besides... it’s already night. It’s time for us to go back to our dorms.”
Han Cheon-seong’s words brought me back to reality.
But if we parted ways like this tonight, I felt I would spend another fruitless day tomorrow.
I really, really hated that idea.
The thought of having to spend my time stagnating in futility once again...
“Please, I’m begging you. Han Cheon-seong... stay with me. I’ll pay whatever it costs.”
Without even realizing it, Glacia was speaking in a desperate tone.