Chapter 192
Chapter 192
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Private Tutor (3)
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"...What? You're grateful for my understanding...? So even in this situation, you're refusing to teach me your technique? Even after seeing that just now!?"
Charlotte's response to Rishir's return amid this damp and blatant deception.
She was so flabbergasted that she immediately shed the mask of deception.
"Lady Charlotte...?"
Rishir was just as flustered.
No way.
You're admitting with your own mouth that you're lacking?
That you're acknowledging it?
"Ahem."
It was then.
That the two tutors intervened.
The bespectacled middle-aged woman.
Magic tutor Raviel spoke.
"Sir Rishir. I am Raviel, the magic tutor currently in charge of Lady Charlotte's magical education. If I may be so bold, might I offer my opinion here?"
"Ah, please do—"
"I have no detailed knowledge of what sort of education you intend to provide, or what you planned to teach the lady. Nor do I know the specifics of your relationship."
And yet!
Raviel added this while adjusting her glasses.
Those thick lenses seemed to gleam.
"I can say with certainty. Lady Charlotte will be able to keep up with your teachings. Whatever you expect or intend to teach, she will respond with results beyond that. Just to confirm, surely deep down, you think the same?"
"Pardon?"
"Didn't you just see what Lady Charlotte did, from the same spot as me?"
"Hm."
Then swordsmanship tutor Montyun let out a low hum and joined the conversation.
He stroked his neatly trimmed mustache and spoke in a thin voice.
"Since Lady Raviel has spoken, allow me to add a word. I am Montyun, temporarily in charge of Lady Charlotte's swordsmanship education. Sir Rishir. Let me say upfront that I respect you. I don't know much about you—but your mere presence here, as her tutor, proves you are already vetted. Thus, I make it clear: I hold you in due respect."
Which is why—
Montyun added, fiddling with his mustache.
"I feel I must point out that your actions right now, objectively speaking, leave room for controversy."
"...Is that so?"
"What conversation you and the lady had before, and what relationship that may have formed between you—I, a third party, dare not speculate. But let's set that aside for now."
Montyun's gaze turned to Lady Charlotte.
"The lady just now proved her talent. A talent more than sufficient for any education. And you saw it clearly. Yet you refuse to teach her, citing lack of aptitude?"
Hmm.
Montyun shook his head, stroking his mustache.
"In that case, your own judgment and insight may come under scrutiny."
In this situation, refusing to acknowledge Lady Charlotte's talent could only mean one of two things.
Stubbornness.
Or lack of insight.
That was the conclusion drawn by the two tutors, who had witnessed Charlotte's talent.
The conclusion drawn by Charlotte herself, who understood her own talent.
"Hm..."
Rishir fell deep into thought at the two tutors' words.
In truth.
Rishir also acknowledged Charlotte's talent.
Among all the people he had seen so far, very few could handle both Resonance and Blue Breathing.
And those few were none other than the Hero Slayer and the White Shadow Church's High Priest in disguise.
'She doesn't want to learn, yet I see why they're so insistent on teaching her.'
Plus the active urging from these two renowned tutors.
Rishir was wavering.
'Is that so? Am I being too stubborn?'
The two tutors inwardly clicked their tongues at Rishir's demeanor.
What kind of stubbornness is that?
At this point, they were dying to know what his lesson content was.
"Hoo..."
Soon, having sorted his thoughts, Rishir let out a deep breath and nodded.
He looked at Charlotte with resolve in his expression and said,
"I'd like to hear the lady's opinion. Do you absolutely have to learn this technique?"
Charlotte's expression twitched.
Pretending to ponder briefly, she said,
"...Yes. I want to learn it. No—I must learn it. After all, I've come this far already, haven't I?"
Charlotte felt a strange sensation.
Magic. Swordsmanship.
They were things she didn't particularly care about.
Even if she occasionally bothered to acquire those skills on a whim?
What returned wasn't a sense of accomplishment, but doubt.
Along with the memories of 'that day.'
'Why am I doing this?'
But now was entirely different.
Charlotte was definitely feeling something akin to accomplishment.
Magic swordsmanship.
Pride in herself for mastering it through her own power.
'Rishir...'
She felt pleasure watching his reactions.
Right now.
One expectation was fueling Charlotte.
'And we've only just reached the halfway point for this reaction...'
What if she fully mastered magic swordsmanship?
And it turned out she had more talent for it than anyone.
'How will you react then?'
A joyful smile appeared on Charlotte's face.
The moment the young lady first felt joy in enthusiasm.
"Am I perhaps putting you in a difficult position as my teacher? Being a bother or—"
"Pardon?"
"If so, please tell me anytime."
Charlotte tried to form her usual elegant smile.
That sly, sadistic one.
But what appeared on her face now was a purely bright smile.
Of course, the sadism was still there.
"If you really can't teach me, I'll just learn it on my own. As you saw just now, I've pretty much got the hang of it? At this rate, it won't be long before I can do what you did back then, right?"
Self-study?
In magic swordsmanship?
"...!"
Rishir's eyes flashed as he mulled over Charlotte's words.
The image of the lady suffering Seven Apertures Blood Burst from self-studying a strange technique(?) came to mind.
"..."
Unsure how the lady interpreted her teacher's expression, she added even more delight to her own.
"Then let's do this."
Rishir spoke in a tone like persuading a hostage-taker.
"Will you promise me just a few things?"
"Promises?"
"First, magic swordsmanship training only when you're with me."
"..."
"And if your body starts straining during training, we stop immediately. Ah. Here, I'll be the sole judge of what counts as strain."
"..."
As the talk progressed, dissatisfaction darkened on the lady's face.
"If you promise to follow all that, I'll teach you step by step from the basics again."
"From the basics, step by step?"
Those words pricked the lady's pride.
She snorted 'hmph' and wore a provocative smile.
"So that means I don't even have the basics right now?"
"That's—"
"Ah, it's fine. Everyone has different thoughts and standards. I'll respect your opinion. Of course, I won't bend my own."
Heh heh.
The lady continued with an even deeper smile.
"Teacher. While learning magic swordsmanship without your help this time, I had a thought. Guess what it was?"
Charlotte winked one eye.
Then extended her palm forward, blocking Rishir's face from her view with it.
"Is Rishir the teacher's help really necessary to learn this magic swordsmanship?"
She removed her palm, revealing his face again.
The lady looked utterly delighted.
"Teacher. I thought of something even better than what you suggested. How about this? You demonstrate magic swordsmanship for me properly. Without hiding it behind sand dust like before. Then—I can figure out your magic swordsmanship on my own, without you having to bother guiding me."
Ah!
Something even more fun occurred to her!
Charlotte snapped her fingers.
"And we add the conditions you just mentioned."
"Add conditions?"
"Yes. Magic swordsmanship training only when you're there. You watch right beside me as I self-study how to do your magic swordsmanship. How's that?"
Self-study under the teacher's supervision.
The reason Charlotte made such a unique proposal wasn't anything else.
'What reaction will you have when you see me mastering magic swordsmanship without your help?'
Her expression brimmed with joyful anticipation.
Remembering Charlotte's expression from their first meeting, Rishir couldn't bring himself to crush her expectations.
"The other conditions still apply?"
"Other conditions?"
"Stopping training immediately if strain occurs."
"Which you judge?"
"Yes."
Charlotte imagined one scenario.
Her fine, but Rishir suddenly calling off training.
Because he was wary of her growth.
"That sounds fun too. Alright."
Fun?
Not fully understanding her words, Rishir nodded anyway.
As long as those two conditions were kept, no problems would arise while she learned magic swordsmanship.
"Oh right! Look at me spacing out. Teacher. When I learn magic swordsmanship, can I get help from the magic teacher and swordsmanship teacher—the two of them?"
"Yes. Of course."
"How generous~ Or is it confidence? Like it doesn't matter either way?"
Charlotte clasped her hands and grinned.
"Anyway, that settles the agreement, right? Shall we start right away?"
The two tutors couldn't hide their bewilderment at Charlotte's demeanor.
That enthusiasm.
That anticipation.
Was this really the same lady they had been teaching?
'What on earth—'
The two tutors' curiosity had peaked.
What in the world was this magic swordsmanship that had the lady so hooked?
The tutors felt anticipation too, turning their gazes to Rishir.
Just then.
He was already regulating his breathing, preparing to demonstrate magic swordsmanship.
"Wait, hold on...!"
Magic tutor Raviel unwittingly cried out.
"That magic swordsmanship technique—can you show it to us too?"
"No major issue there?"
Magic swordsmanship.
Judging by the unfamiliar name, it was surely Rishir's secret art.
Sharing that secret art with Charlotte?
That was possible.
A great house would offer commensurate compensation.
Moreover, taking a genius like Charlotte as heir to the secret art was fortune in itself.
Thus, sharing the magic swordsmanship secret art with Charlotte wasn't a big deal.
But them—the two tutors?
'What if we decipher the principles of that secret art?'
If things soured later and they were held accountable for leaking the secret art, it'd be nothing but trouble.
As they worried about getting dragged into needless hassle,
"Hoo."
I'll begin.
Having prepared, Rishir began drawing up mana.
"First, the most important condition for handling magic swordsmanship proficiently."
"Ah."
Charlotte wore a mischievous smile.
Saying 'As you just saw, we can skip that part, right?' here would be too rude, wouldn't it?
"The first is—"
'Being able to use both Blue Breathing and Resonance.'
Like a student who had previewed the material, she watched Rishir's demonstration with characteristic leisure.
"Blue Breathing and Resonance."
'As expected.'
Charlotte watched Rishir intently.
To check how close her answer was, using him as reference.
'Resonance first, right? Otherwise, mana operation efficiency drops sharply—'
"First, use Blue Breathing and Resonance simultaneously."
"?"
Huh?
Charlotte. The two tutors.
One of the three let out a dumbfounded sound.
Perhaps all three.
"Wait, hold on!"
Unable to hold back, Charlotte raised her hand.
"Why!?"
"Pardon?"
"Is there really a need to use both? Isn't the core of magic swordsmanship disrupting the opponent with magic, then striking with swordsmanship?"
That was what Charlotte had realized from directly seeing and feeling the magic swordsmanship.
Rishir nodded.
"Correct. But not the full answer."
"Not the full answer...?"
"The core of magic swordsmanship is minor advancement. Realm elevation through minor advancement. Only with that backing can you use magic and swordsmanship simultaneously to complete the 'magic sword'."
"...?"
Charlotte tilted her head.
She thought she had perfectly understood magic swordsmanship, but she couldn't comprehend what he was saying now.
"From the start... what's the connection between realm elevation and using both breathings at once?"
"I'll explain now. First, induce mana rampage with Resonance."
Rishir's mana surged wildly.
Magic tutor Raviel jumped up in horror.
"Wait...! That'll—"
"Yes, exactly."
Rishir nodded.
Seeing that, Raviel sighed in relief.
For a moment, she feared this man was about to induce self-overload like a madman—
"In this case, overload occurs."
Drip.
Drip.
Blood began pouring from Rishir's face.
"..."
Raviel's mouth gaped.
"Wh-what are you doing...! N-no time for this—call a healer now...!"
"No. It's fine. Calm down and listen. This is where Blue Breathing comes in. Use Blue Breathing to minimize the strain on the body."
"Wh-what nonsense! Controlling overload with Blue Breathing? Blue Breathing isn't all-purpose—"
Montyun's shout.
At the same time, Rishir's bleeding stopped.
Montyun wore the same expression as Raviel.
Ignoring them, Rishir looked down at his body.
Realm elevation.
Confirming the minor advancement's manifestation, he nodded and said,
"Do you feel it? Realm elevation. This is the minor advancement I mentioned. This much forms the basics of magic swordsmanship. And next—"
"Wait—..."
"Yes?"
Charlotte cautiously raised her hand.
"Too fast... slow down a bit..."
Then to the magic tutor.
"Teacher Raviel? I don't understand something—the part about inducing mana rampage with Resonance."
"..."
Raviel stared silently at Charlotte.
It was a point she wondered about too.
Had any mage in the world researched deliberately rampaging their own mana?
"...Or Montyun? That—controlling overload with Blue Breathing. Could that principle let me manage the fatigue from linking Resonance and Blue Breathing?"
"..."
Montyun stared silently at Charlotte.
He wondered about that too.
Had any swordsman ever tried countering overload with Blue Breathing?
"...Don't you two have anything to say to me?"
After much deliberation, the two tutors spoke.
"We'll resign."
The lady was left alone.
After Teacher Rishir's first lesson.
Charlotte went straight to butler Catherine.
'I can't give up like this...!'
With the two tutors gone.
To gain the upper hand in her relationship with Rishir, she needed a new ally.
The reliable choice here was butler Catherine.
That capable butler always found solutions to any problem.
Like bringing in that man named Rishir to pique her interest.
The lady believed she'd do the same this time.
"Catherine! I need a new tutor!"
The capable butler answered the lady's wish without question.
Asking what kind of tutor she wanted.
At that reliable sight, the lady promptly said,
"—...So, someone who can help with learning that minor advancement would be good."
"..."
The butler pondered briefly.
"Come to think of it—there's intel that the master of minor advancement is staying in this city."
"Master of minor advancement? The holy sword of minor advancement? The one the Hero Slayer stole. Wasn't it recovered by the Drvilan Special Forces?"
"Likely a new master of the holy sword has emerged. If the intel is true. Coincidence or not, there's much similarity between the holy sword of minor advancement's power and the power Sir Rishir wields. Perhaps—the master of minor advancement holds the answers you seek."
"..."
Then.
Perhaps influenced by being eroded by that man Rishir?
An absurd possibility popped into Charlotte's mind.
"Actually—isn't that man the holy sword's master? And that minor advancement is really the holy sword's power."
"The power Heroes wield is strictly the holy sword's power. Can't use it without the holy sword. And Heroes can't wield any sword but the holy sword due to its dominance. Was the sword Sir Rishir uses a holy sword?"
Catherine methodically corrected Charlotte's outlandish thinking.
Only then did Charlotte relax and nod.
Seeing her like that, Catherine said,
"I'll look into the master of minor advancement."