Chapter 50: The First Letter (50)
Chapter 50: The First Letter (50)
Delphine’s naked form was put on display, the moonlight serving as her spotlight.
Her skin was flawless, without a single blemish. Her body, tracing smooth and lean curves, was as beautiful as a masterfully carved statue. From her supple breasts that looked as if they would overflow a single hand's grasp to the intimate areas that should never be shown to anyone but a lover.
Everything was exposed. Yet, it was Ian who was more flustered than Delphine.
Unlike Delphine, who stood frozen by the sudden turn of events, Ian stared blankly at her naked body for a moment before stumbling backward in a panic.
His hand naturally sheathed his sword. Ian waved both hands in frantic denial.
“N-No… I mean, Senior Delphine, this is…”
Just then, a knock, knock echoed against the door. Then came a woman’s voice.
“Lady Delphine Yurdina, I heard reports of a disturbance in your room. May I come in?”
Delphine flinched, trembling in a way that was entirely unlike her. Instinctively lowering the hand holding her dagger, she tried to hurriedly deny the entry.
“N-No… I’m f-fine… Hngh?!”
The problem was that her robe had brushed against her injury.
The wound on her shoulder blade was shallow, but it was still a wound. No matter how soft the fabric was, the friction caused her to let out a faint moan the moment the cold air hit the sensitive skin.
She had forgotten about it in the sheer shock of the situation, but as she stammered in her confusion, her senses had suddenly come rushing back.
Hearing that sound, the servant on the other side of the door immediately burst in, sounding alarmed.
“L-Lady Yurdina! What is the—”
The maid who opened the door froze on the spot.
A woman exposing her snow-white naked body, and a man standing right across from her. Finally, the sweet scent of alcohol lingering in the air.
She didn't even notice Ian’s hand, which was dripping with blood. A sound that was somewhere between a gasp and a sigh escaped the maid’s lips.
Delphine tried to rush out a denial. Her face flushed with shame as she raised her voice.
“N-No… Th-this is…!”
“M-My apologies. Please forgive my intrusion…”
However, the maid, already convinced she had tactlessly interrupted a young couple’s "private time," simply bowed her head and made a swift exit.
Delphine’s gaze dropped to the floor. Her face was bright red. she bit her lip hard, trying to endure the overwhelming embarrassment.
The atmosphere was suffocatingly awkward. Ian, whose face was equally flushed, cleared his throat awkwardly and turned his back.
“Uh… L-let’s just say I lost. Yes, well, see you next time…”
He clumsily gathered his hand axe from the floor and practically fled the scene.
That was the full story of the incident.
And the rumor of it spread through the Academy in the blink of an eye.
*
Lately, I had been feeling the sheer injustice of rumors. Even now, it was the same.
Every time I walked down the street, whispers followed me as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I had grown somewhat used to that, so it was bearable.
The problem was the content of those whispers. My senses, which had become hypersensitive since losing my memory, could pick up even the things they thought they were saying under their breath.
“I heard he threatened Senior Delphine with a hand axe while she was unarmed.”
“They say it was to humiliate her. Does he really hate high-ranking nobles that much?”
“Ugh, how scary… I shouldn't talk to him if I’m a Count or higher.”
It was an absurd rumor. Senior Delphine was the one who provoked me; I had simply responded. Yet, the rumor had spread as if I had committed the act out of some deep-seated hostility toward high nobility.
What reason would I have to hate high-ranking nobles?
The only conflicts I’d had with high nobles so far were beating Seria until she was half-dead, thrashing Teahn’s gang, pummeling Senior Elsie, and now clashing with Senior Delphine.
Come to think of it, that was actually quite a lot. Nevertheless, I couldn't shake the feeling of being wronged.
There had been a reason for every single one of them. It just so happened that the opponents were all high-ranking nobles.
The false rumors spread as if they had grown wings, and now, people were even arguing over the details of the story.
“I heard Senior Delphine was only able to point a dagger at his throat at the last second because she’s so skilled…”
“What are you talking about? I heard the Hand Axe Young Master had a blade to her neck the whole time.”
“Hey, why would the Hand Axe Young Master use a blade? Then he’d be the ‘Blade Young Master.’”
“O-Oh, I guess that’s true?”
Overhearing the whispers of passersby, I could only swallow a hollow laugh.
My primary weapon was a sword, but somehow, the hand axe had become too famous. Thanks to that, even Senior Delphine had momentarily forgotten about my sword last night.
Still, the fact that my sidearm was getting more attention than the weapon I had trained with my whole life hurt my pride. My shoulders slumped.
I wanted to be a master of swordsmanship, not a master of the hand axe.
Yesterday’s battle with Senior Delphine had given me many realizations. She was the top student of the Swordsmanship Department among the fourth years. Her skill was the real deal.
At the time, Senior Delphine was unarmed, forced to use a dagger—a weapon she wasn't used to. She was drunk, and I had even caught her by surprise.
Despite all that, the fight would have ended in my defeat nine times out of ten. I managed to scrape a draw by relying on the element of surprise at the last moment, but I felt that if we fought again, I would surely lose.
That was true strength. Skill that doesn't lie, even without relying on unpredictability, even when placed at a sudden disadvantage, and even when ambushed.
I needed training. The silver lining was that, as I felt last night, my skills were steadily advancing.
It happened after every battle. First, my senses sharpened, then I became proficient with the hand axe, then I grew skilled at throwing, and lately, I felt that not only my judgment but also my swordsmanship had improved to some degree.
It was as if I were reclaiming lost skills the more actual combat I experienced.
However, my mana capacity still refused to budge no matter how hard I tried. And while my swordsmanship had improved in many ways, my basics were still lacking. In the end, it meant there were no shortcuts for these two things.
Only training remained. I steeled my resolve. For the first time in a while, I felt a surge of motivation.
It was almost time for my evening training session with Seria. I hadn't seen her this morning because I was at the Temple, so I figured we should talk about Senior Delphine when I saw her today.
I didn't mind extending the training hours, either. I felt that just keeping up with Seria’s training volume would make me better than I was now.
My footsteps faltered in front of a bulletin board.
A flyer was posted there. As always, it was an advertisement for a school event.
[Hunting Festival Schedule Announcement]
The title caught my eye immediately. After a moment of hesitation, I stepped closer to the board to examine the details.
Most of it was information I already knew. This event was the favorite festival of the Great Conqueror Emperor Idalos; the winner would be the one who caught the strongest demonic beast in the forest, and there were separate special prizes for the person who hunted the most prey. And so on and so forth.
Where my eyes stopped was a different section. A single line that conveyed the information I needed.
[Applications for the Hunting Festival will be accepted until 6:00 PM, one week prior to the day of the festival.]
The Hunting Festival. I suppose I have to participate.
According to the letter, I was supposed to take part. It even said I would win, though I couldn't fathom how that was possible.
A cowardly thought crossed my mind. I could try to coax Professor Derek into assigning me a less dangerous demonic beast.
Even among named-class demonic beasts, there were tiers. Professor Derek was a powerhouse among powerhouses who had personally hunted named beasts that had terrorized entire nations.
I presumed the demonic beast lurking in the forest wouldn't be of the highest tier among named beasts. If it were, I couldn't see any future where my teammates and I could hunt it, no matter what we did.
Even then, it was at a level where I couldn't judge if it was possible or not. This was true even though I knew the future of its appearance and its weaknesses.
A sigh escaped my lips. Honestly, I didn't even know if I had to follow the letter’s instructions exactly.
It claimed the world would perish otherwise, but what on earth did winning a Hunting Festival have to do with the end of the world? It was a problem that felt far from real to me.
Perhaps just preventing casualties from the forest's demonic beast would be enough. Such weak thoughts tempted me, but there were still two people weighing on my heart.
Seria and Senior Delphine.
Seria wanted to prove herself to her family. She said this year’s Hunting Festival was her last chance. And Senior Delphine had gouged at Seria’s most vulnerable wound, all to control her as a variable.
Though last night’s incident had fizzled out due to that unfortunate accident, it was clear that Senior Delphine had done something unforgivable.
The times Seria had spent sobbing, staggering as if she were about to collapse.
I wanted to help her—the girl who hid such a fragile core. This, too, was my sincere wish. Thus, my worries and anxieties only deepened.
Should I take the risk to help Seria, or should I take the safe path?
Choosing between two options was always a painful endeavor.
*
When I arrived at the forest clearing, Seria was already waiting, as she always was.
The sunlight sparkled, illuminating her gray hair. Her eyes, resembling aquamarine, and her fair skin that made their color stand out even more.
She was a beautiful girl, no matter how many times I saw her. Sensing my presence, she immediately turned her gaze toward me.
I raised my hand to greet her.
“Seria, I’m her—?”
I was about to wave happily, but my voice trailed off.
Seria didn't even acknowledge my greeting; she simply walked toward me without a word. Before I knew it, she was standing right in front of me.
Unable to understand why, I could only look at her with a puzzled expression.
What is wrong with Seria?
Before I could put that question into words, Seria’s slender hand grabbed my collar. Then, with a firm tug, she pulled me toward her.
My upper body lurched forward, and our faces were suddenly inches apart. A distance so close our breaths seemed to mingle.
Seria smelled fresh. If Senior Delphine’s scent was like a sweet rose, hers was like the subtle fragrance of wild grass and flowers.
That was the only thought crossing my mind at the moment. That was how sudden Seria’s action was, and I couldn't even begin to guess the reason.
Then, I heard the voice slipping through her lips.
“…Senior Ian.”
Her voice, whispered low, was a bit deeper than usual. A cold voice, carrying an unidentifiable emotion.
My flustered gaze sought out Seria’s eyes. Her aquamarine eyes, usually clear and brilliant—the evidence of her warm heart despite her cold exterior.
Yes, they were supposed to be like that.
“What did you do with my sister yesterday?”
But those eyes, once so clear and beautiful, had lost their light and sunk into a murky depth, like an abyss.
I found myself completely speechless. I could only think one thing.
She’s terrifying. More so than Senior Delphine, who had held a dagger to my throat.
Cold sweat began to pour down my back.