Chapter 12
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 12. Cliches of Romance Fantasy
[Think about it. Young Lady. I sent you to battle once and three of the Seven Wild Monsters rushed in. The Young Lady is merely at the 3rd Rank, but those Seven Wild Monsters bastards are at a whopping 6th Rank. In the barbarians' language, isn't the 6th Rank 'One who has the stars right before their eyes'. Just coming back alive from the Seven Wild Monster Donota is a miracle. A miracle.]
Grand Duke Gayrad spoke firmly.
[I will forbid going out to the battlefield for the time being. I think it fits the order to build up strength in the Grand Duchy first.]
The words are stretched out, but to express it simply.
To be exact, describing it exactly as it sounded in Elise's ears.
[You're damn weak, aren't you.]
Since it sounded like this.
Elise needlessly kicked an innocent stone on the ground and finished recalling the Grand Duke's words.
[Interaction with my children is also good. Interaction with the Seven Wolves is also good. Build up strength. For the time being, build up strength and then go out to the battlefield. In this current state, eating the heart possessed by the Dragon of Eternity is an absurd story.]
The Grand Duke's words were rational.
In her first life, in Korea, wasn't there such a saying too.
The more urgent it is, go the long way around.
Elise decided.
To rather think positively.
Even if she doesn't face the Seven Wild Monsters right now, aren't those comparable to them right here in the Northern Grand Duchy.
‘Seven Wolves.’
Wolves of the North.
The Grand Duke's warriors and hunting dogs who block the barbarians of the North.
If she builds her skills while fighting them, wouldn't a path become visible somehow.
Elise decided to try meeting the Seven Wolves for now.
Before that.
“Elise. Elise.”
“…Uh. Um. Yes. Ravia.”
“Can't you speak informally to me?”
“…Yeah.”
She had to deal with this child of the Grand Duke, the third and youngest of the Deltarch Grand Ducal House, Ravia Deltarch.
Hearing informal speech from a child didn't feel bad.
Because in her past life, Han Su-ah of the Mount Hua Sect also often heard informal speech from swaggering rising stars of the Orthodox Faction.
Of course, she couldn't kick Ravia's butt like those rising stars back then though.
Above all, Ravia is different from them.
“Elise. Elise. So you're going to the Seven Wolves?”
“Yeah. I want to learn a move or two while fighting.”
“Oh…. Amazing. I am at the 3rd Rank same as Elise, but I am in a position to be instructed by the Seven Wolves. Besides, as you know, I got beaten by the Seven Wild Monsters.”
“No. Ravia. You are strong too.”
“Really? Hehe. Thanks.”
Saying so, Ravia clings to her, hugging Elise's arm.
Elise wondered why she was acting like this, but it turned out there was a reason.
“You really don't know how happy I am that Elise came. Other nobles don't come to the Grand Ducal House. Because the North is unusually cold. Besides, Father doesn't particularly get along with nobles either. You know. Because the Grand Ducal House has power. If we needlessly hang out with nobles, we get glared at by the Imperial Family.”
Ah, was it such an issue.
Indeed, in a Romance Fantasy worldview, the existence of a Northern Grand Duke is deformed.
While being far from the capital, they possess succession rights.
Along with that, they possess a massive army.
When hearing only this explanation, those who are not Ro-Fan readers say this.
[In that situation, what are they doing not taking over the country?]
Actually, in Romance Fantasy, because it focuses on romance with the Northern Grand Duke who possesses strong authority and power rather than such questions, it does not dwell on such trivial probabilities.
However, in the original work of this world Elise possessed, along with the existence of barbarians, it is additionally described that the Deltarch Grand Ducal House is loyal to the Imperial Family generation after generation.
Elise briefly recalled the setting after hearing Ravia's words.
“Elise. Elise. So who are you going to visit first?”
At Ravia's question, Elise opened her mouth.
“Probably….”
***
“Oh my. Lady Ravia and Lady Elise?”
The first one she visited was none other than Kalix, whom she had met before.
“I heard the news. I couldn't go visit you in the sickbed because of work….”
“No. Dame Kalix. It's fine. I appreciate the thought at least.”
“Hehe. Then that's a relief. But what brings you here?”
“Ah. That is.”
Elise explained her circumstances.
Then Kalix nodded and spoke.
“Gasp. If it's for that reason. Of course I will help.”
“Ah. And may I also ask something I'm curious about?”
At Elise's question, Kalix nodded readily.
“Of course!”
At those words, Elise also nodded.
Because there was a part she couldn't understand in this novel worldview of The Withered Flower Finds Its Own Light anyway.
‘Rank. What is this…. It didn't seem to be a simple thing.’
What barbarians call the power of stars.
Mana.
But chewing over what they say, I wondered if there was another power hidden.
For reference, there is a part where the Romance Fantasy worldview differs from male-oriented web novels.
For instance, looking at fantasy or martial arts web novels in male-oriented web novels, they like to weave the stages meticulously.
Hunter genres start from S-rank down to F-rank.
Fantasy wizards from 1st Circle to 9th Circle.
Martial artists of Murim from third-rate to transcendent peak.
But Romance Fantasy is simple.
Hanging titles like Sword Master or Magic Tower Master, it simply expresses the strength of the male lead.
From what Elise of her past life, that is, her first life, remembered, it was like that.
Besides, the female protagonist's power usually came from an extraordinary mind, quick wits, or regression, possession, and reincarnation perks.
Cases of building up military force like Elise right now were rare.
Above all, Alicia of the original work wasn't such a case either.
Therefore, Elise didn't know about Rank even when recalling the knowledge of the original work.
Then I must find out.
‘The original male leads just came out as the strongest in the worldview, though.’
They were amazing.
The youngest daughter of the Shudroy Ducal House among the 5 Great Ducal Houses of the Empire, Alicia Shudroy.
The faces of the main male leads approaching her were splendid.
First, the Crown Prince of the Empire.
Second, the First Sword of the Empire.
Third, the Mastermind of the Empire.
The faces were too splendid, but strictly speaking, they fit the Ro-Fan cliches.
The Crown Prince goes without saying.
The First Sword of the Empire is one of the features a Ro-Fan male lead commonly has.
The last is a bad boy protagonist, slightly twisting the so-called villain.
Moreover, including the sub male leads Alicia passed through, there are more.
For instance, Yuric, the second of the Grand Ducal House.
Or Adian, who was Elise's fiancé.
As a result, Alicia Shudroy is the very person who blew up a scandal that will shake the Empire.
They say life is a comedy when seen from afar, but a tragedy when seen up close.
Looking from Elise's standpoint, it is to the point where there is no case as tragic as this.
“…Young Lady?”
“Ah. Yes. Dame Kalix. I apologize. For briefly thinking about something else. Actually, what I'm curious about is….”
Elise asked about Rank.
Then Kalix nodded and spoke.
“Ah. Rank? Indeed, you must be curious. Since you said you were lying down for a long time.”
Kalix carefully held out her hand and spoke.
“Shall we go. Young Ladies. Let's go to the training ground and I will explain.”
***
The training ground situated inside the castle of the Grand Duke, in the Northern Grand Duchy.
A Wolf of the North, Dragon Spear Kalix began her explanation with the two Young Ladies.
“So. Rank isn't simply a concept of how well you handle mana.”
“…Is it not?”
At Elise's question, Kalix nodded.
“Yes. So Rank is….”
Kalix pointed to herself and spoke.
“Ego. In other words, a single weapon honed from one's own conviction. It's easy to think of it as the extent of that weapon's sharpness.”
“Weapon…. Sharpness…?”
“Yes. To explain it a bit more.”
Kalix took out her trident and spoke.
“Mana is a formless power floating in the empty air. And our ancestors struggled to handle this power. Because they needed power to fight equally with other races.”
The formless power, mana, accumulated in the bodies of living beings and reacted to their will.
“The method to accumulate mana in the body. Through this method called Mana Cultivation Method, or Mana Training Method, we became able to efficiently accumulate mana in the body. And this mana soon reacts to the will of life. The power emitted outside the body through will is soon called Aura.”
Elise nodded.
Aura…. It had similar aspects to Sword Qi.
“This Aura harbors various characteristics. Since it's a weapon refined from one's own will, the effects are different for each person. There are various research results, but we still don't know well. There must be some reason for the Young Lady fluttering those flower petals too, but since asking is rude, I will pass over it. Anyway, to summarize, Rank means the degree or stage to which a martial artist has forged the formless energy called mana with their will.”
“Stage….”
“Yes. For instance, the stage called Sword Master. Have you heard of it?”
“I have heard of it.”
“Commonly, Sword Master is said to be the 7th Rank. A true Sword Master is the 8th Rank, the stage above that. It's not simply the level of swinging an Aura Blade forged by one's own will, but a stage beyond that. It is power at the level where one's own will intervenes in the world.”
“…Yes?”
Good heavens. Don't tell me.
That thing the First Sword, one of the main male leads of The Withered Flower Finds Its Own Light, occasionally showed?
‘…I just thought it was roughly a Romance Fantasy development and passed over it moderately.’
In the work, when the First Sword of the Empire male lead swung his sword, enemies just all died at once.
It turns out that was….
The 8th Rank, and the power of the First Sword who had realized the true meaning of a Sword Master at that.
Perhaps that seems to be identical to what Kalix mentioned.
‘Seems like that's that. They died like it was some instant death skill.’
Only now did Elise understand the context.
She carefully raised her hand.
“Then. Is there something one can do at each Rank.”
“So…. As the Rank goes up, the things you can do with Aura diversify. There are many various techniques accordingly.”
“…Oh.”
“Shall I teach you? This, is also different for each person respectively. In the first place, since Aura is processed according to one's own will. Even if taught, it is slightly different for each person.”
What is this.
It gives off a strong smell of an unorthodox path.
A feeling where one would shout a scolding roar without realizing it.
Elise held back while trying to shout a roar containing internal energy.
It was fortunate that she was a dog who ate all sorts of novels in her first life.
“Would it perhaps not be rude. It seems this kind of technique isn't something one can easily teach others.”
Elise knew well about this point.
Because when she was in the Murim, the rule of not passing it down to non-disciples always operated.
When Elise asked, Kalix pondered for a moment and then opened her mouth.
“Hey. Young Lady. We are already family and comrades-in-arms. What more is needed. Besides, warriors of the North consider it proud to teach their techniques. Because they think it is valuable just that their techniques can be passed down to the next generation.”
However, Kalix raised her index finger and added one word.
“However, taking this as an excuse.”
Whirl—.
Kalix took out her trident, spun it lightly with her hand, and took a stance.
“Young Lady. I apologize, but may I ask for one move? Because I am also a warrior. Seeing the Young Lady's skill, my blood boiled a bit?”
At those words, Elise's hand went up to her sword handle.
“As much as you like.”
Elise did not hesitate.
If she comes, naturally I must fight.
Isn't that what a martial artist is.
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