Chapter 539
Chapter Title: Punish Me
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Verchia, caught off guard by the unexpected counterattack, pushed herself up.
She wasn't seriously injured.
But.
'Master.'
A moment ago, she had clearly glimpsed Kyle's shadow.
However, Verchia couldn't fully accept what she had seen.
"What did you say?"
Leo pointed a finger at himself.
"I am."
Leo said bluntly, then pointed at Verchia.
"Your."
And then, he declared nonchalantly.
"Master."
Even at his words, Verchia stared at Leo with dry, lifeless eyes.
"Nonsense."
A cold sneer followed.
'She won't believe me.'
It was only natural.
The story was too absurd.
In that case...
"I'll just have to prove it."
Leo held out his palm.
*Vwoom—!*
Verchia's expression turned wary at the magic radiating from Leo's hand.
*Fwoosh—!*
And soon, amidst the snow-covered ruins, a single flower bloomed.
Verchia's eyes widened at the sight.
One flower, then two, began to bloom, and soon they blossomed all over the area.
Verchia's eyes trembled as she watched.
"The magic... that makes flowers bloom..."
There was no way she could forget this magic.
How could she ever forget the face of her master, smiling brightly as he created a field of fully bloomed flowers?
Verchia's hands trembled.
'No. This is... this is...'
At that moment, a spirit appeared on Leo's outstretched palm.
Verchia gasped at the sight.
"Spirit arts?"
Then, a gray aura emanated from the sword in Leo's hand.
Using magic, commanding spirits, and emitting an aura.
Verchia knew all too well what that meant.
"...All... Class."
Mumbling in a trembling voice, Verchia met Leo's eyes once more.
Behind Leo, the image of someone else clearly emerged.
"Ma... Master..."
There was no way she wouldn't recognize him.
The magic that bloomed flowers.
The ability of an All-Class.
And even that appearance.
Countless pieces of evidence pointed to Leo being Kyle.
"Kugh!"
Verchia clutched her face.
Leo took a step toward her.
*Thud— Clomp—*
At the same time, Verchia stumbled backward.
"No..."
"Verchia."
*Thud— Clomp— Clomp—*
"Don't look at me..."
"You did nothing wrong."
"I'm not the same as I was back then! Don't you dare understand me!"
Verchia screamed as if having a seizure.
Seeing her master understand her only made her mind crumble faster.
Watching her, Leo clenched his fist.
He knew.
He knew his presence alone couldn't save Verchia.
She had fallen too far for that.
It was too late for her to lean on someone.
'Even if it was hard, she wouldn't have leaned on anyone.'
That was how Leo had taught his student.
To walk her own path silently, without relying on anyone.
"Aah!"
The hatred burning in her chest was agonizing.
The fact that her master was here to see her hideous form and be disappointed was despair-inducing.
Verchia, who had squeezed her eyes shut to quell the maddening emotions, suddenly snapped them open.
She raised her head and looked at Leo.
"Master."
Verchia, who had been backing away, spoke in a trembling voice.
"Please... please punish me."
*Clomp— Clomp—*
Verchia approached Leo.
"Punish me for this hideous form I've taken as an undead... Punish me for trying to destroy the world you saved."
Only one person.
The only person with the right to judge Verchia for her sins.
That was Kyle, who had sacrificed everything to protect the world.
And it was also a way to escape this terrible pain.
Looking at her, Leo spoke.
"Yes. Running away is one path."
Hearing his words, Verchia's face began to relax.
But his next words made her freeze completely.
"Asking the man you thought of as a father to kill you and find peace... that's not a bad choice, Verchia."
Verchia's body began to tremble like a leaf.
She remembered.
What if her own child asked her to kill them?
How would she feel, hearing those words?
Her stomach churned.
Her self-loathing deepened.
*Thump—!*
"Aaaah."
Verchia threw her head back and let out a groan.
"Aaaaaaaargh!"
Screaming in agony, Verchia began to lose control.
Her mind grew distant.
Overwhelmed by uncontrollable emotions, her reason faded away.
In that moment, her eyes met Leo's.
It was those eyes again.
Eyes filled with pity... with sadness... with understanding.
When was it?
The first time my master looked at me with those eyes?
Since when?
Since I started thinking of my master as a father?
As her consciousness faded, Verchia lost her mind.
"Leo!"
At that moment, an urgent voice called out.
Leo turned his head to see Lunia, Eiran, and Chen Xia running toward them, their faces pale.
"What about Lady Verchia?!"
Looking at the frantic Lunia, Leo said.
"Her mind has collapsed."
The faces of Lunia and Chen Xia hardened.
Eiran's face went white.
"She's about to go berserk."
"Th-That can't be..."
Eiran looked at Verchia.
"Wh-what... what do we do...!"
"Don't worry."
Leo spoke calmly.
His gaze was already fixed on the unhinged Verchia.
He had never intended to give up in the first place.
That word wasn't in Leo's vocabulary.
But...
'Even if I wanted to give up, when she looks at me with those eyes... I can't.'
Leo's grip tightened.
The image of Verchia looking at him with terrified eyes, right before her mind broke, was seared into his vision.
He had only seen Verchia look that terrified once before.
It was the same back then.
'Back then, too.'
***
Another day of incomprehensible training had ended.
"Kiiiiiiieeeek!"
"Anyone would think you were a wild beast."
Kyle looked on indifferently as Verchia, collapsed on the ground like a hissing animal, glared daggers at him.
Kyle's training was a repetition of the basics.
The most fundamental of fundamentals: swinging her sword endlessly while endlessly reciting the spells she could use.
It was easy at first, when her stamina and mental energy were abundant.
But as time wore on, Kyle's training grew more difficult.
Mistakes began to creep in as her stamina and mental energy depleted.
And Verchia had been repeating this ordeal for two months.
If she couldn't succeed in swinging her sword and chanting spells for a full day, she couldn't move on to the next stage.
The task Kyle had given her was extremely simple, and just as difficult.
For Verchia, who had a strong desire to become stronger, Kyle's training was nothing short of torture.
Not that Kyle would indulge Verchia's childish complaints.
No matter how rough a life she had lived, a child was a child.
The difference in how Luna and Ar-on treated Verchia compared to Kyle was night and day.
Kyle showed Verchia not a shred of emotion.
No, he was actually cold and malicious.
If Verchia fell during training, Luna and Ar-on were the ones who would come and help her up.
Kyle would wait for Verchia to get up on her own, then knock her down again.
That was why Verchia hated Kyle.
She knew his training was helpful, but that made it difficult to follow.
Before she knew it, it was dawn.
Verchia, sitting on the floor, mumbled.
"I'm hungry."
She might have to starve until tomorrow.
At this early hour, Luna and Ar-on would be asleep.
And it wasn't as if the Kyle in front of her would get her a meal...
"Eat before you go."
"Huh?"
Verchia stared up at Kyle, her eyes wide with surprise.
Kyle looked at her and said listlessly.
"You don't want to eat?"
"If you're offering, I'll eat."
As an orphan, Verchia wasn't one to skip a meal just because she disliked Kyle.
You had to eat when you could.
Verchia knew that better than anyone.
Getting to her feet, Verchia trotted after Kyle, who was walking ahead.
'Is Master Kyle a good person, surprisingly?'
The thought came naturally, but she immediately hated herself for thinking it.
Calling someone a good person just because they give you food.
That's ridiculous.
Shaking her head vigorously, Verchia's eyes filled with defiance and spite.
'This man is a bad person.'
Of course, it didn't take long for that thought to change.
'Master Kyle is a good person.'
Verchia chewed on her fork with a blissful expression.
Then, with a 'Hah!' expression, she shook her head furiously.
'No, he can't be a good person just because his food is delicious!'
As Verchia steeled her resolve, Kyle watched her gobble down her food and asked incredulously.
"Do Luna and Ar-on not feed you?"
'Nope, I was wrong. He's a good person. I'm sure of it.'
"They do."
"I bet they feed you what they make, calling it 'nutritious food' or some nonsense."
Kyle clicked his tongue mercilessly.
"They should just buy you food."
*Nod, nod—!* Verchia nodded without realizing it.
It was a sacrilegious thought to have about the masters who loved her unconditionally, but the food Kyle made naturally brought it to mind.
While eating, Verchia looked around Kyle's house.
It was desolate.
It didn't feel like a place where someone lived.
"There's nothing in your house, Master Kyle."
"That way, you don't form attachments."
Kyle said calmly.
"What does that mean?"
"If you have a place to return to, you develop attachments. Then, in your final moments, you'll have regrets."
Being so young, Verchia couldn't understand his words.
But she could tell that as he spoke, Kyle's face looked somehow lonely.
*Clink—*
Verchia put down her fork and asked.
"Can I sleep over?"
"If you're done eating, go."
At his words, Verchia pouted.
"Stingy."
*Thwack—!*
***
"It's strange."
"What are you talking about, calling all of us here except Kyle?"
Dweno asked listlessly.
Looking at him, Luna slammed her fist on the table. *BAM—!*
"Verchia has been eating at Kyle's house every day lately! Cooking for her was one of my greatest joys!"
"That is strange. Why would she do that? The child doesn't even like Kyle, does she?"
Lisinas tilted his head.
Looking at the two, Dweno said.
"You really don't know why?"
"Dweno, you know why?"
Dweno looked at Lisinas, who asked with a puzzled face, as if he were truly pathetic, and said.
"Isn't it because the food Luna makes can't be called cooking, so she eats at Kyle's house?"
"Ah! That must be it!"
Ar-on nodded in understanding.
"You old geezer! What's wrong with my cooking! Compared to yours, my food is a work of art!"
"Don't insult art. And my cooking is a product of originality. Besides, unlike yours, it's beautiful on the outside."
Dweno scoffed.
"I'd rather eat raw monster meat than your and Lisinas's cooking."
At his words, Lisinas and Luna used magic to restrain Dweno.
"You first?"
"No, let's hit him together. I'll take his face."
"I'll take his solar plexus."
"Hit me all you want. You'll only hurt your own hands."
Even while being beaten, Dweno remained composed.
After the commotion died down, Luna said seriously.
"Alright. So it's because Kyle's cooking is more delicious? Then I'll start practicing my cooking from today!"
"Playing parent to Verchia must be tough."
"Huh? Do Luna and I look like her parents?"
"Ar-on, get a grip. I was talking about Kyle. Do you want to look like a parent alongside *this*?"
"No."
"You two really...!"
Luna swung her staff wildly at Dweno and Ar-on.
Shaking his head at the scene, Lisinas looked out the window.
Out there, Verchia was trotting along behind Kyle.
Lisinas watched them and nodded.