The End of Lies (3)
Elsie and I made our way toward the Trial, our figures completely concealed by the effects of Amyah.
To avoid repeating my past mistake, I had suggested from the very beginning that Elsie hold onto my sleeve. Of course, given the heavy atmosphere between us, even that simple gesture felt incredibly awkward.
It was Elsie who broke the awkward silence first. Although we were moving stealthily, there was no one around, so speaking in a low whisper was safe enough.
"First an all-purpose wind ability, and now a dagger with a stealth effect... Aren't you just carried by your items?"
I couldn't deny it. I was compensating for my lacking physical stats almost entirely with items. To add to that, there was the Awakening Pill, and though I didn't have it on me now, the Gravitus Replicant. But still...
"Using the right items is a skill in itself, you know."
"Well, technically yes... but it's still a bit pathetic."
"Don't worry, I won't be using any of those items today."
"Are you going to use that as an excuse later, claiming you didn't give it your all?"
No, of course not.
"I can win easily enough even without them."
Honestly, considering the stat difference between Elsie and me, it was going to be a tight match. But as Libero had said, 'swordsmanship' was born from the very beginning to overcome differences in raw strength. And my swordsmanship had reached a level more than sufficient to bridge the gap between us.
"You're very confident. But I want to see you fight with everything you have."
"I'll think about that after seeing how well you do."
While we bickered like that, we finally arrived at the Trial. I stood beside Elsie, looking down at the mist-shrouded lake.
"You know, Elsie. Honestly, every time I look at this lake, it brings back some unpleasant memories."
"How surprising. I feel the exact same way."
"Did you go to the Trial in Basil?"
"Yes, though Gwen practically threw me into the lake."
The Trial of Basil belonged to the God of Regret. It was obvious what memory Elsie must have faced there.
It must have been the day her kingdom fell.
If so, I could understand to some extent why she was being so stubborn. But understanding didn't mean I would back down. The current state of the kingdom was not something Elsie could handle—not when she had grown her strength solely for the sake of revenge.
I have no choice but to make her realize it herself.
This was what she had requested, not me. If words couldn't reach her, I had to show her directly.
I stepped into the lake almost in unison with Elsie. My consciousness faded in an instant. I made a request to the God of the Trial.
Please set the same conditions as last time.
At the same time, a small part of me hoped. Had the God of Chains returned? But there was no response.
Of course. What did I expect?
For now, I had to focus on the task at hand. The Trial Space unfolded before my eyes, and Elsie stood right in the center of it.
"By the way, how is a student able to use the Trial as they please?"
"Because I made a contract with a god. Unlike usual, this space can't be observed from the outside."
The Hero Academy's Trial had been modified through a contract with the Magic Tower, allowing professors and observing students to look inside. However, because I had contracted with a god, I was able to temporarily disable that function.
"Wow, you say that so casually. But when you say a god, do you mean that obnoxious one?"
The obnoxious god she referred to was undoubtedly the God of Regret.
"No, it's a different god. The god of this place is much more reasonable compared to that one."
Of course, I couldn't know their true intentions.
"Does that mean... I can call you Alan here?"
Come to think of it, even after finding out my true identity, Elsie had been addressing me with vague titles like "you."
Was that her own way of being considerate?
I nodded. In this space, it didn't matter what she called me.
"Should I call you Ersiala as well?"
"No, Elsie is much more comfortable to hear."
Honestly, it was the same for me.
"Then, Alan. Are you ready?"
She drew her sword, Breeze Bringer, from her inventory.
I had no choice but to draw a sword as well. It was a far cry from the Gravitus Replicant I had left in the care of the God, but it was a decent, ordinary blade with reasonable craftsmanship.
At least it won't shatter from Elsie's attacks.
I raised my sword. It was time to settle this once and for all.
Considering my plans, it was a reunion I shouldn't have wished for, but I was still glad to see Elsie again. Even our trivial bickering on the way here had been pleasant.
No, simply being with Elsie brought back memories of our time in Vasilium, making me happy in a way I hadn't expected.
But now, it was time to return to being Sung Yu-rang. Because that was what was best for Elsie.
In the next instant,
our blades clashed.
I could immediately feel myself being overpowered by Elsie in terms of raw physical strength. But it wasn't a major issue. I just had to naturally deflect her strikes.
"I heard from Gwen as well. Your swordsmanship back then was decent, but it had hit a limit somewhere."
Our exchanges didn't connect in rapid succession. After clashing swords, she quickly backed away to gauge me. She was unusually cautious, unlike her usual self.
"But... looking at you now, it seems that's no longer the case."
Back then, my swordsmanship rank was only B+. But now, it had reached S-, having surpassed that limit several times over. It wasn't just surpassing a limit; it was more accurate to say I had shattered the impossible.
"In the first place, it's hard to even call your current style the Lidval family's swordsmanship."
That was true. The style I was using now was a hybrid, patching up the parts of Libero's swordsmanship—which would be lost if my memories of the second Trial disappeared—with the Lidval family's swordsmanship. It would indeed be hard to call this the Lidval family's style.
By the way...
Elsie quickly closed the distance, clashing her sword against mine. But unlike before, she didn't back away; she immediately chained her strike into the next.
Is she starting in earnest now?
Elsie's rapid consecutive strikes rained down. Currently, Elsie's swordsmanship rank had reached A. An A-rank was a level I hadn't been able to reach even under the broken conditions of Libero's guidance, the Precocious trait, and the God of Regret's blessing.
"You've worked incredibly hard, Elsie."
Honestly, even when I sent Elsie to Gwen, I hadn't expected her to grow this much in such a short time. But the current Elsie was a skilled warrior who wouldn't look out of place in Swordsmanship Class 1, clearly ranking among the top in the academy.
"Yes, because I wanted to become your companion no matter what."
What on earth was that "companion" title that she was so obsessed with? As I continued to parry her attacks, her sword grew faster and faster.
She's definitely fast.
Indeed, it was a speed that would make even Yoo Seora feel pressured. It was the result of combining Elsie's already outstanding agility stat with the Lidval family's swordsmanship.
'The Lidval family's swordsmanship itself is excellent. Of course, it's not a flawless, perfect style, but it's a decent one that cleverly highlights its unique strengths.'
Those were the words Libero had left about the Lidval family's swordsmanship. Since ancient times, the heroes of the Lidval family could wield the powerful Rose Sword, but their lifespans were extremely short. Therefore, the swordsmanship had evolved in a direction that allowed them to unleash as many attacks as possible in a short amount of time.
At this rate...
It seemed difficult to block her with basic forms. If so, I needed to draw out a bit more of my own power.
Wind Authority.
Wind began to swirl around my blade. Because of this, I could somewhat mimic Libero's swordsmanship, which crossed space and time. From that moment, I gradually began to match Elsie's speed.
"Is this that wind ability too? Isn't it a bit too versatile?"
I thought so too. Though she probably didn't know how much training I had to undergo to reach this level of proficiency.
It's about time to end this.
As the acceleration continued, my swordsmanship finally entered the Time Domain. Elsie's movements grew slower and slower, and within that slowed time, my blade moved rapidly. However, I couldn't help but be surprised.
She's following, even if just a little?
Being able to swing a sword, even slowly, at this speed—that alone was surprising enough. But she didn't stop there; Elsie was actually managing to barely parry my strikes.
Just how much did she practice?
Even the Ersiala that Sung Yu-rang had raised using Libero's route hadn't achieved this much growth in such a short period. That didn't mean Gwen was a better teacher than Libero. This was accomplished solely through Elsie's sheer effort.
Now I understand.
The reason Yoo Seora had been pushed back by Elsie wasn't because of speed or swordsmanship. It was because of this unknown grit Elsie possessed. Harboring that fierce determination, she had achieved a growth that would have been impossible in any other playthrough.
I wasn't the only one who shattered the impossible.
It was at that moment. Elsie, gritting her teeth, deflected my attack and thrust her sword from a blind spot. No, to be precise, I perceived it that way through my Wind Authority.
If I hadn't known the effect of Elsie's holy relic, I would have fallen for it. But I already knew the effect of her relic.
Vicious.
It was an ability she could have used much earlier. Nevertheless, Elsie had saved it until now to catch me off guard.
I ignored the gentle breeze created by Elsie's Breeze Bringer and lightly blocked the real attack.
No matter how much Elsie had surpassed her limits... it was still too early for her to beat me in swordsmanship.
Of course, in two years, it might be a different story. While my swordsmanship had stopped growing, Elsie's talent still had plenty of room to mature.
If she continues to grow like this and activates the Royal Sword...
Reaching the Sacred Rank might not be out of her reach.
But...
Not yet.
Finally, time stopped completely. Elsie's body, frozen mid-strike after her failed surprise attack, came to a complete halt. Moving alone in the quiet world, I pointed my sword at her neck.
This was the end.