Siriel's Grudge
Siriel charged! I freaked out at the elf's sudden long sword thrust and swung Abigail's sword to knock away the attack.
"Eek!!"
But the more I parried her strikes, the more venom filled the elf's eyes, her swordplay growing sharper by the second.
At this level, her swordsmanship is about 5th grade?
Her overall physical abilities seemed like an early teen's, paired with 5th-grade sword skills. She could pull her weight in an 8th-grade dungeon at minimum. If she had other talents, she could even handle 7th-grade ones... but
I can see it all.
Her swordsmanship was high-level, but somehow familiar, making it effortless to block. Plus, her physical stats were below mine, so every attack trajectory was crystal clear in my vision. I suppressed the urge to glance at her chest and focused on the swordplay.
Still, this sword style... I've definitely seen it before?
A familiar face and familiar technique. So why couldn't I remember? Growing annoyed with just parrying, I decided to switch to offense—time to ask some questions too. Dealing with an enemy charging in blind rage was a piece of cake. I used her momentum to twist her movement direction just a bit.
"Ack?!"
She was prepared for that, of course, but I'd anticipated her counter. Infusing the principle of na—drawing her in like opposite poles of magnets—I clashed my sword with her long sword and deflected the attack.
Clang—
Her long sword, thrown off control, slammed into the floor. I smashed the guard into her wrist holding it, disarming her. Then, lunging in, I grabbed her throat with my free hand as she entered my range, pinning her cleanly.
"Guhk!"
"Your skills say you're not an instructor. So who the hell are you, coming at me with a sword out of nowhere?"
Even if elves were protected under the World Treaty, I had every right to self-defense against unprovoked attacks. I'd come here in a good mood, thinking of training Jeong-hwa, but this ambush soured it. Amid the chaos, that nagging sense of familiarity kept swirling in my head, so I examined the elf closely.
Long, glacier-melt-blue hair and eyes. Porcelain skin that probably never saw sunlight. Perfectly proportioned features, and lips tinged a vivid pale pink, glaring at me with an indignant expression. Below her face: breasts so large they seemed out of place on a slender elf warrior, a developed pelvis, a narrow waist, and firm thighs forming a glamorous figure.
Typical elf warriors prioritized agility, slim and lithe regardless of gender. They relied on spirits for strength, minimizing weight for extreme speed. Magic-using elves, on the other hand, tended to be bulkier. Living in forests without forcing a slender build like warriors, their muscles developed naturally. To withstand the strain of spellcasting, male high-elf mages grew physiques like physique competitors with age, while females became more voluptuous—yet still beautifully proportioned, true to their reputation as a race of beauty.
By that logic, this long sword-wielding 'elf warrior's' glamorous build was definitely abnormal.
"Yeoul! Hands! Hands!"
"Oh."
"Guhk! Kek! Haa, haa...!"
Lost in thought, I'd been choking the elf warrior's neck too long. At Jeong-hwa's words, I hurriedly loosened my grip, and the elf woman collapsed to the floor, gasping raggedly.
"Sorry about that, but you started it—you know that, right?"
"Hoo, hoo. You bastard. Still don't remember me?"
"That's why I'm asking—who are you?"
"Siriel. Ring any bells now?"
"Siriel? Siriel... Wait. No way—Instructor Hose's daughter?"
"Yeah, finally clicked, huh?"
Now I remembered. Siriel Winter Forest. Daughter of this place's manager, Hose Winter Forest, and the elf I'd beaten in swordplay ten years ago.
But back then, she had blonde hair, no chest, and was way shorter.
No wonder I didn't recognize her—her looks had changed way too much. The Siriel I'd met at fifteen was a golden bob-cut pixie barely scraping 150cm, flat as a board like her height suggested—a total kid. She'd brashly challenged me to a duel, boasting about her forty-plus years of training. Thirsty for sparring back then, I'd jumped at it, only to win too easily and feel disappointed.
"I've trained my sword nonstop for ten years to avenge that day, and you don't even remember me...!"
"Was it that big a deal? We sparred once, I won, end of story, right?"
"Didn't you know elf ears can hear murmurs from 20 meters away? I still remember it. Even, 'An elf should've trained decades more than me—can't believe she sucks this bad?' You can't deny that!"
I scratched the back of my neck.
"Uh... normal humans forget stuff from ten years ago, y'know?"
"...!! So that's short-lived races' memory for you...!!"
"No speciesist talk. Anyway, sorry if I said that and it stuck with you. My bad."
"...At least you apologize honestly right away. Not bad."
I barely remembered, but no need to doubt an elf's memory or sincerity. Guess I said it. Who knew she'd hold onto it for a decade? Since it was my fault, I apologized sincerely, and Siriel's expression softened—satisfied, apparently. Nothing worked on elves like genuine remorse; they could instinctively sense truth.
"Get up for now."
I offered a hand to Siriel, who was still rubbing her throat on the floor. She glared childishly at it for a moment, sighed, and reached out.
"Hoo. I'll accept the apology, but you owe an explanation for not coming here in ten years... Hiyak?!"
"Huh?"
As Siriel grabbed my hand to stand, her foot caught in the floor groove her long sword had gouged earlier from the fight. She lost balance and toppled toward me. Her lower body hooked like a tackle; trying to catch her, I fell backward too.
"Ugh. You okay... Hek!"
"I-I'm fine. Sorry. You startled me..."
Siriel apologized, but that wasn't the issue.
"Uh, your pants..."
"Huh? ...Oh?"
My pants had slipped off in the fall. Problem one: I'd worn tight drawers today of all days. Problem two: Siriel's fall had her breasts pressing right into my crotch. Naturally, my serpent down there began stirring under the soft, massive pressure—erecting.
Feeling the wriggling growth beneath her ample chest, Siriel's gaze dropped.
"Eek?! S-Sorry!!"
Spotting it nestled under her breasts, she yelped, scrambled up, and apologized. I stood, hastily fixing my pants. Two pairs of eyes watched the whole time.
Jeong-hwa, why're you staring too?
Jeong-hwa, who'd been spectating with glee, blushed at the unfamiliar male outline.
"Wow..."
Even sighing in awe. I wasn't insecure down there, but this was too sudden—embarrassing and flustering. My [Vitality Enhancement] skill had thickened and lengthened it lately; even flaccid, it bulged noticeably through my underwear. Now erect? The shape was basically on full display, pants or no.
Any sympathy for Siriel vanished; I felt resentful. To break the awkward air, Siriel spoke first.
"I-I didn't see anything."
Politely pretending ignorance. I glanced at Jeong-hwa. You saw it all.
"Jeong-hwa, you?"
"Huh? Me? See what?"
"...Never mind."
After her shameless denial, I slumped my shoulders and decided to forget the mishap. It wasn't intentional, but I'd flashed two women. ...Though it felt like gazes lingered on my crotch still. Probably imagination.
"Ahem. Anyway, Instructor Hose said another instructor would be here today—know anything, Siriel?"
"Oh, that's me."
"...? You?"
At my dubious look, Siriel bristled.
"What's with that 'no way' face? I am a proper instructor here."
She showed the mana seal on her hand—more intricate than ours regulars', marking an instructor.
"...Honestly, seems like I'm better with swords. For real?"
Trembling with suppressed anger, she replied.
"Obviously! I didn't use spirit arts, my specialties dual daggers or archery against you! I tried winning with the same long sword and lost—not 'cause I'm weak, right?!"
Yeah. If you're scared, just charge in.
"Of course not."
I thought it, but said it nicely. She looked young, but was over fifty—an elder. Blunt honesty would be rude. But my white lie didn't fool her elf senses.
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Liar. And you thought something rude inside too?"
"I'll plead the fifth."
"Eek...!"
Catering to a fifty-year-old acting like a teen was exhausting. Good thing her earlier display wasn't her full strength. Spirit arts and archery were elf warrior basics; dual daggers as a specialty was a surprise—perfect for dagger-using Jeong-hwa. Hose assigning Siriel as her instructor made sense.
"...Anyway, I'm your instructor. Dad said someone needed teaching, but I got nothing for you. That human girl—you?"
"Probably. Name's An Jeong-hwa."
"Nice to meet you. Siriel. Forget my earlier blunder."
"Sure thing~"
Seeing Jeong-hwa extra sweet to her teacher, I asked what to do.
"So I train solo?"
"Checked the admin system—your main skills are all 3rd-grade, plus military experience. No instructor for you right now. Raise your hunter rank higher for better ones; solo till then."
"Tch. Figures."
"How about this?"
As I sighed at the expected answer, Siriel proposed eagerly.
"Spar with me once a week. I'll use my full specialties next time—pure skill only."
"Oh? That confident?"
"Yup. Unlike some liar, I'm dead serious about my skills."
"Ah?"
Sparks flew in our stares. Pure technique, no skills or abilities? With equal physicals, I feared no one. Her taunting me on skill alone? Recalling her cocky past attitude, I shot back.
"Didn't you say the same back then and lose?"
"That time...!!"
Hummm—
"Enough."