The Exam (3)

"Phew..."

I steadied my breathing and raised the rapier in my hand. Across from me, Arin stood watching me with a longsword in hand.

Almost simultaneously, without waiting to see who would move first, we both charged toward each other.

Clang!

The rapier and longsword collided violently. My wrist and palm ached, but I gritted my teeth and held on.

Though the blade wasn't sharpened, the sheer weight behind it was still something I couldn't get used to. A tingling numbness spread through my wrist, making me grimace.

Taking advantage of my slight stumble, Arin immediately seized the opening without hesitation.

'Silpi.'

[I know!]

At my command, a Wind Barrier intercepted the longsword.

Using that moment, I swung my rapier toward her. But Arin, as if she had anticipated it, lightly parried with her longsword.

Then, she abruptly lowered her stance and prepared to swing again. Seeing this, Silpi clenched his teeth and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠thrust out his hand.

Whoosh!

Two Wind Blades shot toward Arin. With a soft exhale, she leaped into the air, dodging them.

[Good, she's airborne!]

"O wind."

With a short chant, I gathered the wind into a single point. The flow of air reversed in an instant, and Arin's expression flickered slightly.

The image in my mind—a bullet fired from a muzzle.

I could feel my strength draining rapidly, but there was no time to hesitate. No matter how powerful the attack, there was no guarantee it would work against her.

"Good judgment. But—"

Bang!

A sharp Sound of Breaking Air rang in my ears as a streak of wind shot forward. Arin grinned and swung her sword wide at the bullet-like attack.

The sheer wind pressure generated by the swing alone was enough—the projectile scattered in all directions.

"Wind can be blocked by wind."

"Tch."

She had crudely generated wind midair to deflect it. Her physical abilities were far stronger than I had imagined.

Is this how powerful Abel's physique is when Arin wields it? Gritting my teeth, I raised my rapier again.

Clang—the metallic clash repeated as rapier and longsword met once more.

"The strength of a rapier lies in rapid strikes."

A fierce exchange of blows unfolded between us. Barely managing to block attacks too fast to follow with my eyes, I struggled to keep up.

Even with my physique enhanced by Silpi's power, matching her strikes was exhausting.

"Lady Adel, you're still not utilizing that advantage."

I know.

It's only been about a week since I first picked up a rapier. If I were talented enough to master it in such a short time, I would've chosen the path of a knight long ago.

It's not something you can just realize as easily as she says.

Clank!

"Ugh—!"

My rapier was sent flying from the sheer force. Simultaneously, her longsword darted toward my throat.

I had expected to lose, but now that it was happening, I couldn't help feeling frustrated.

"Phew..."

Rubbing my tingling wrist, I steadied my ragged breath. Arin, who had closed the distance without me noticing, offered her hand.

I took it and slowly pulled myself up.

"Good work today, Arin."

"Not at all."

It was already 11 PM. Normally, training would end around this time, but I couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't enough.

"Maybe we could extend—"

"No."

Before I could even finish, Arin cut me off firmly. Just like last time, she wouldn't budge.

If she judged that injuries or excessive fatigue were a risk, she refused without hesitation—no matter how much I pleaded.

For me, I wanted to train even a little longer, to find some clue that would make me stronger.

As if reading my thoughts, Arin shook her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠head vigorously and spoke.

"If you rush, you might end up taking a much longer detour."

"...Understood."

I couldn't argue with her genuine advice. It probably came from her own experience.

And I didn't want to take an unnecessary detour either.

"Here, a potion."

"Thanks."

I downed the potion Arin handed me in one go. The moment it passed my throat, a foul stench assaulted my nose, making me gag involuntarily.

No matter how good something is for the body, this potion was too bitter.

Of course, the upside was how quickly it worked. My slightly sprained wrist had already returned to normal.

Rumored to be a Special Potion purchased directly from the Duke's Family, it was definitely worth its ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠price. There were even whispers that a single dose could heal a punctured abdomen in no time—enough said.

"See you tomorrow, then."

Nodding at Arin's words, I forced my trembling legs to move. Silpi, who had been floating beside me, wrapped me in a gentle breeze.

With that, each step became a little easier.

"Thank you."

[Don't mention it.]

His attention to detail truly resembled Abel's. And just like Abel, he brushed it off as if it were nothing.

That man too, though appearing indifferent on the surface, actually looked after others quite thoroughly behind the scenes.

[...That man really is something else.]

"Hm?"

[No, just talking to myself.]

Silpi said this and walked ahead. I followed him down the Duke's corridor. The barren hallway devoid of any decorations came into view.

At first, I thought it was rather eccentric, but now the sight had grown familiar.

'Come to think of it, Lily didn't come today.'

Until yesterday, she would have come to the training grounds to meet me when the time came. Worry crept in—had something happened?

As soon as we arrived at my room, Silpi opened the door with a gust of wind. Beyond it, Lily's figure came into view.

She had fallen asleep leaning against the bed. No matter how warm it was inside the Duke's estate, sleeping like that would surely give her a cold.

'You must have been exhausted, Lily.'

Well, these past few days, she had been coming to meet me after training even during the hours she should have been sleeping. The accumulated fatigue must have knocked her out.

Carefully, I lifted Lily and laid her down on the bed. Gently, I draped the blanket over her so she wouldn't wake.

Then I plopped down on the opposite side of the bed.

The bed was so large that there was plenty of space even with Lily lying there.

[Hey, Contractor.]

"Hm? What is it?"

Silpi, unusually, initiated the conversation first. Normally, it would have been me who started talking. I looked at him, thinking this.

His face seemed full of contemplation.

[Why are you so desperate?]

"Desperate?"

When I echoed his question, Silpi let out a faint sigh, as if frustrated.

[Yeah. An ordinary person would have passed out from exhaustion by now.]

"Well..."

Why was I so desperate?

The reason was simpler than expected.

"Because ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I'm weak."

Yes, I was weak.

Weak enough to die instantly from a single slash by Evan. Weak enough to face the Emperor's hand and die over and over again. Weak enough to nearly fall off a cliff after being pushed back by a calamity-level monster, shield and all.

Weak enough to rely on Abel's strength because I couldn't even protect Lily properly. Weak enough that Lily had to desperately block assassins just so I could barely escape.

Weak enough to fail to save even one old woman who had once saved me.

It wasn't until I was on the verge of death that I realized just how weak I was.

[Are you afraid... of failing to protect them?]

"Of course. Terrified."

So terrified my limbs trembled, so terrified I couldn't even string my thoughts together.

It was a fear born not just from my memories as Adel, but also from my past life.

"Silpi. You know I don't truly belong in this world, right?"

[...Yeah. I couldn't not know. That's just how an empathic link with a spirit works.]

When we first formed our contract, it was inevitable. The bond didn't just let me sense emotions—it also let me glimpse fragments of memories.

That's why I could speak so openly with him. Because if not Silpi, no one would believe me.

Even Abel, if I told him such things, might dismiss it as a joke and move on.

And if that happened...

It might hurt more than a little.

[What do you think about that man?]

"That man"—he must mean Abel.

"He's someone I'm grateful for."

At first, I truly thought he was terrifying.

He discarded people without hesitation if they didn't align with his goals, treating them as nothing more than tools.

But over time, I realized how much he cared for me.

The way he teased me without reserve, the way he looked after me in small ways—it was all for my sake.

'Though it might also be for the Este Company.'

If it were solely for that, he wouldn't have gone out of his way to care for me so meticulously.

He wouldn't have been so furious when I nearly died during the Hunting Festival.

That's why I came to trust him. Someone as distrustful of humans as I was could only do so because of the way he had shown himself to me.

Above all else, the sight of Abel saving me when I was on the brink of death had been truly dazzling.

As dazzling as the knights who rescued princesses in the fairy tales I loved as a child.

"That's why... I want to grow stronger."

I didn't want to rely on Abel any more than I already did. I no longer wanted to be like the princess in those fairy tales, always waiting to be saved.

Instead, I wanted to become the knight who could save him. I wanted to be his pillar of support, someone he could lean on.

Even if it seemed impossible now, I was certain I wanted to become that someday.

'...I really think about Abel a lot, don't I?'

If the me from a few months ago could hear my thoughts now, she might be shocked. She might even jump up and scold me for lying.

The thought made me chuckle softly.

Now, even the Hardenberg Ducal Estate felt like home.

That's how enormous the change these past few months had been.