Chapter 338: Bread and Dagger (36)
Chapter 338: Bread and Dagger (36)
The Academy, far removed from the North, was peaceful.
It was the same routine as always, the same kind of day.
Moving according to a fixed schedule provided a sense of stability. Sometimes, people found true peace of mind within the confines of limited freedom.
Seria was no different.
If there was one thing that set her apart from the others, it was that her days were far more intense.
Single-minded focus.
She closed her eyes and held her breath. Mana flowed through her meridian points, granting her a surging power. She felt that sharp sensation tingle all the way to her fingertips.
Several scenes drifted through Seria's mind.
It was the swordsmanship shown to her by the man from the future.
That supersonic strike, which had been impossible to counter—or even react to.
The single line of light that had torn the world asunder remained vivid before Seria’s eyes.
Seria’s goal was to replicate that technique.
It was an absurd ambition.
Every sword style hid its own subtleties, often referred to as secret arts. The technique used by the man from the future, in particular, did not look ordinary even at a glance.
And yet, she intended to replicate it simply because she had been hit by it a few times.
No matter how much of a genius one was, there were limits. It should have felt like nonsense.
And yet, it was strange.
Seria did not feel that it was impossible or daunting. On the contrary, it felt as though she were reclaiming something that was rightfully hers.
Look, even now.
A deep blue line was devouring the space.
A single horizontal stroke, fired without even a hint of a precursor.
Belatedly, the severed atmosphere let out a death rattle. The resulting burst of wind sent Seria’s gray hair fluttering.
To an onlooker, it was a perfect strike.
However, Seria merely bit her lip and let out a sigh.
The one wearing an expression of utter disbelief was Celine, who had been training alongside her.
She stared at Seria with a bewildered look in her eyes.
"…What’s the problem this time?"
Her voice sounded completely fed up.
It was a scene that had already been repeated countless times. Only a sense of futility could be read in Celine’s gaze now.
Seria shook her head with a gloomy face.
"There’s still a preparatory movement. The core of this technique is that it’s fired without any warning, making it impossible to even react to, but…"
"Ah, right. Sure."
Celine cut her off, having heard enough.
If she let the explanation continue, Seria would undoubtedly launch into a long-winded lecture that Celine wouldn't understand anyway. Having become close with Seria over the past few months, Celine had learned the necessity of cutting the conversation short at this point.
She scratched her head and offered what comfort she could.
"Still, isn't it getting pretty good now? Don't be so impatient. I’d be satisfied if I could achieve even half of what you can."
"Well, that’s because Miss Haster and I are different."
"…Do you want to die?"
Seria was still showing her lack of social skills. It was lucky her companion was Celine; otherwise, she would have reminded everyone why she was called 'the Rude Brat of Yurdina.'
After their bickering, the two eventually made their way toward the Academy’s Central Avenue.
It was already lunchtime.
No matter how urgent their training was, they couldn't neglect their nutrition. Even so, Seria looked as if she felt every second spent eating was a waste.
She lamented to Celine.
"I have to get to the North soon. My sister and Senior Ian are waiting… I shouldn't have time to waste like this."
"Hey, hey, you loner… I told you, you worry too much. It’s Senior Delphine and Brother Ian we’re talking about. What’s the big deal if you’re a few days late?"
"B-but still…"
Seeing Seria sulk, Celine clicked her tongue.
She instinctively realized that offering comfort was useless.
Instead, Celine decided to change her strategy. She opted for a more honest conversation.
"At least you were told to follow them later. You’re lucky you have talent. If you’re acting like this, what are people like me, who have no talent, supposed to do?"
"As I said before, Miss Haster and I are different."
"Hey, you really are going to—!"
Just as Celine was about to lose her temper, unable to take it anymore.
The sound of whispering reached them from somewhere. There was no way the sensitive hearing of Celine and Seria would miss such an anomaly.
Their eyes turned toward the source of the commotion.
There, a girl with black hair and golden eyes was stopping passersby. It was a face they had seen somewhere before.
"H-have you seen my brother?! He’s, well, he’s cool and kind and righteous, and he loves his younger sister more than anything… that kind of person!"
"Ah," Celine’s gaze was the first to turn cold.
Seria followed suit. Since they had lived under the same roof until recently, there was no way they could have forgotten her.
Ria Percus.
The girl who should have remained at the Percus Mansion was, for some reason, roaming the Academy.
Celine and Seria’s eyes met in midair.
It was a look that asked, What should we do?
Of course, locking eyes didn't provide a solution. Both were equally perplexed, unable to grasp the details of the situation.
They had no idea why the younger sister of the man they both liked was here.
And they couldn't even guess why she was looking for him.
In the end, there was only one thing they could do.
Talk to Ria.
Celine took a step forward with a somewhat reluctant expression. She decided it was better for her to step up, since she had known Ria for a long time.
That judgment was correct.
Ria, who had been stopping people with a tearful face, immediately locked her gaze onto them.
Ria stared blankly at Celine.
Then, as if she had found a lifeline, she stumbled toward them. Celine cleared her throat and composed herself.
She intended to show the composure of an elder.
She would stay calm and reason with her.
Before long, Ria rushed over and grabbed Celine’s hands with both of hers.
In a voice that was practically a sob, Ria said to Celine:
"Ce-Celine! Do you know where my brother went? He has hair like ebony, and his sorrowful golden eyes are like topazes, and he has a sharp nose and a sleek jawline, and his sturdy shoulders are so reliable, and most of all, he loves his sister so, so much that he even promised we’d live together just the two of us later…"
"W-when did Brother Ian ever say that!"
Celine’s resolve to treat Ria maturely shattered in an instant.
Celine immediately flared up and raised her voice, while Ria tilted her head.
Huh? Ria placed an index finger to her lips and pondered for a moment.
Then, tilting her head again, she muttered.
"Oh, wait. Celine, do you not know where my brother is either?"
"I do know, but… why would Brother Ian live with just you?!"
Watching the two of them start to snarl at each other, Seria wore a look of disdain.
She thought to herself secretly.
Should I just take care of both of them later?
With a sharp crack, the body of a silver-furred leopard was split in two.
It was a feat accomplished with a single sword. A clean bisection that didn't even make the sound of flesh being carved.
The two halves of the leopard's corpse fell to either side. Only then did the surging blood cover the pristine white snow.
As hot steam rose, the mossy ground was briefly revealed.
This was the Coniferous Forest.
One of the continent's forbidden zones, where even blood and tears were said to freeze.
Beyond this place lay the land of ice and snow, where one of Delphirem’s corpses was buried. It was a place so cold that nothing could survive except for a tiny fraction of creatures adapted to the extreme environment.
Of course, I had no intention of going that far.
My goal was located within this Coniferous Forest.
The old knight, having witnessed my strike, clapped his hands. His two gauntlets met with a metallic ring.
His name was Alex, a man I had already met twice before.
He let out a boisterous laugh and spoke.
"To fell a demonic snow leopard in a single blow… You have reached a level of maturity before I knew it."
"Even so, I haven't been able to bloom my Aura attribute yet."
I offered a self-deprecating smile and spoke with humility.
My swordsmanship and mana capacity were already approaching the mid-tier of the Expert level.
Nevertheless, my Aura attribute had yet to bloom. Back when I defeated the Corpse Giant, I felt as though my hand had touched some kind of line.
Since then, that sensation had not returned.
Of course, such concerns were trivial in front of a veteran who had seen it all.
Sir Alex gave me a faint smile.
"Aura is the manifestation of one's mental image. When one's will reaches its peak… the spirit transcends the flesh and distorts the surroundings. It is simply that the opportunity hasn't come for you yet, Young Master."
"I'll keep that in mind, Sir Alex."
As I spoke, I naturally took the towel offered by the girl.
The one attending to me was Avian, dressed in a maid's uniform.
In a way, it was a very peculiar group.
Sir Alex was a vassal dispatched by the Yurdina family to assist me.
Not only was he an acquaintance, but his skills were outstanding, and having fought on the frontlines, he was well-acquainted with the geography of the Coniferous Forest.
This meant Senior Delphine had put quite a bit of thought into assigning him to me.
And Avian was a servant Senior Neris had attached to me.
She said that while Avian would never divulge the location of the elf village, she would know the hidden paths of the Coniferous Forest well.
Though it was hard to trust her completely yet, she seemed to understand her situation.
She likely realized that if she crossed me, her end would not be pleasant.
Today, we decided to split the party to scout the Coniferous Forest more broadly.
The forest was not small enough for us to grasp the general geography while moving together. There was a higher chance of discovering something if we scoured the area in groups of two or three.
Of course, if Avian spoke up, we could achieve much more, but that would be too cruel a demand.
In the end, I chose Sir Alex and Avian as my group.
To be honest, I wanted to pair up with those I was more intimate with, but the sharp glares from the Saintess and Senior Elsie made me hesitate.
I felt like if I took one and left the other, the one left behind wouldn't stay quiet.
Frankly, it was terrifying.
It was more comfortable to receive advice from Sir Alex.
While Sir Alex and I were talking, Avian, who had finished cleaning my sword, stared blankly down at the snow leopard's corpse.
"T-that snow leopard, in just one blow…"
There was a faint trace of fear and admiration in her eyes.
Well, Sir Alex had said that the snow leopard was one of the most common predators in the Coniferous Forest.
The elves must have suffered at the hands of this demonic beast more than once or twice.
I gave a bitter smile and placed my palm on top of Avian’s head.
Avian let out a terrified gasp.
What a harsh reaction.
All I had done was knock her unconscious a couple of times, hadn't I?
I spoke in a gentle tone to reassure her.
"Don't worry too much, Avian. I'm not so weak that I can't protect a single person like you."
Avian nodded silently with a fear-stricken expression.
Sir Alex watched Avian and me with a strange look. It wasn't a look of suspicion.
It was thanks to Avian hiding her pointed ears with her specialty, transformation magic.
Sir Alex simply let out a single remark in a nonchalant voice.
"Then you'll have to put in some effort, Young Master."
Just as I was about to ask what he meant with a relaxed question.
The string of my tension was pulled taut once again.
It was a sort of intuition. A sharp whistling sound that started from somewhere pierced my ears.
My hand shot out and caught something flying toward Avian.
It was an arrow.
A crude arrow made of wood.
However, the killing intent imbued within it was unmistakable.
It was then that Sir Alex, who had been watching my performance with his arms crossed, drew his sword.
"It's elves… Judging by their small number, they seem to be a scouting party."
How foolish.
Adding that, Sir Alex wore a fierce smile.
On the other hand, Avian’s face turned deathly pale.
She seemed unable to believe the fact that she had almost been killed by her own kin just now.
Though they probably hadn't shot the arrow intending to hit her specifically.
I swallowed those words of comfort and gave a bitter smile.
"…Keep your eyes closed."
Because I couldn't show her the sight of her own people being slaughtered.
Sir Alex and I kicked off the ground almost simultaneously.
It was time to spill blood upon the snowfield.