150. The Siblings' Dream
150. The Siblings' Dream
I ended up sparring with Ashtar.
Until five minutes ago, I'd been thinking I should avoid laying a hand on her... but opportunities to spar with someone I can rationalize even a crushing defeat against are rare, so I accepted.
Of course, that's a joke.
I have no intention of losing, and I don't think I will.
The reason I accepted is simple.
She seems stronger than me, and her Tier is higher than mine.
At this academy, there are very, very few students with a higher Tier than me.
Fabiana, a third-year, and Ashtar, a second-year.
From what I've heard, Hudd with a sword in hand is at least Tier 6, and Persio Eustetia, a collateral branch member of House Eustetia whom I've never met, is also said to be Tier 6.
By that count, about four people for now.
There seem to be a dozen or so at Tier 5 like me, but they're no match for me anyway.
Probably, Eurasia alone will be enough to finish all of them. And I'll beat Eurasia using only my right hand.
Well... in an actual fight, Eurasia's movements would change too, but I still won't lose.
Anyway, before the sparring began, I told Ashtar she could use Intent.
Rather, I asked her to use it.
Partly to show Eurasia, but I was also curious. I've never properly experienced the Intent of the current generation, after all.
Leona and the Flame Emperor. They never once revealed their Intent.
Fabiana. She won't spar with me.
Sara. She says she'll get scolded by her mom and dad if we spar, so she won't.
Mom and Dad. They won't either.
The only one I've actually seen it from is Samaella, the Black Wizard.
That woman's Intent was... both the Intent of a Black Wizard and something with substance, so it was easy to deal with.
But Wizards and Martial Artists are different.
Personally, I find a Martial Artist who uses Intent harder to deal with than a Wizard of the same level.
So I told her to use it.
Also, I was curious about my own progress.
For one thing, opportunities to fight someone of a higher Realm than me without staking my life are not that common.
On top of that, I'm a ducal house's daughter.
The only people in a position to beat me up without hesitation are from the grand-ducal house and the imperial family.
"Hmm... are you sure you're okay with this, junior?"
"We're using wooden swords, not real ones, so what wouldn't be okay?"
"But this is a northern wooden sword...? A wooden sword that can easily smash a person's head."
"That doesn't mean you're going to split my skull open with it, senior."
"Oh my, oh my. We only met today, and you already trust me that much?"
Even as she said that, Ashtar smiled brightly, as if pleased.
"Well... among people who like Ronan, I've never met a bad one."
"Ahaha!"
Hilde, that lunatic woman, came to mind and made me a little uneasy... but surely that kind of taste wouldn't have been passed down to a distant descendant.
After finishing my preparations, I bounced lightly in place. The twin tails tied to either side swayed along.
My body feels light. I'm a little hungry since I haven't eaten, but it makes for decent stimulation.
Ashtar looks to be in good condition too.
Maybe it's been a while since she last sparred. She looks like she's itching to move as soon as possible.
That love of swinging a blade—she really does take after her ancestor.
"I'm ready. How about you, junior?"
"I'm ready too."
"Then, Eurasia, would you give the signal?"
"Yes. Understood."
Eurasia, wearing a serious expression instead of her usual grinning face, stood on the right side of the training hall.
"We will begin when the bell rings three times."
Ashtar gripped the wooden sword with one hand.
Her stance isn't bad. But the sword doesn't seem to be her main weapon. I can see an opening.
An opening? No. That's a deliberate lure.
If I go in there, the spar will end in an instant.
Jangle—
I examined her a little more closely.
Slender muscles reacting to my gaze catch my eye. Ashtar, sensing my gaze, curved her red eyes into a smile.
Ignoring that look, I studied the shape of her muscles closely.
Sword, spear, axe, hammer... shield, and the fingers—bow.
Well, well.
Jangle—
She seems to handle just about every weapon.
Among them, the one she uses most is... the spear.
If she wields a spear with that long, slender body, she'll be an incredibly troublesome opponent.
Then what about her Intent?
Jangle—
When the last bell rang, I set aside my thoughts.
I'll find out as we go.
*****
Ashtar quietly gazed at the small girl standing across from her.
Pink hair like cherry blossoms in full bloom, and eyes that seemed to hold spring itself.
Her firmly shut, dainty lips and pert nose harmonized with her large eyes.
The pure-white shoulders visible through her oversized cardigan looked so slender and soft they might break if she moved wrong.
It wasn't just her shoulders.
The girl's entire body was small and delicate.
Eliarnes Eustetia.
From the rumors going around the academy, she was known as quite the hellion of a noble daughter.
Her looks were enough to vie for first or second place in the academy's childish Top 5 Beauties ranking (there's a separate beauty ranking, too).
A girl wrapped in the atmosphere of cherry blossoms, visible for only a very short time even amid the spring when all flowers bloom.
Wherever she passed, a refreshing mint scent lingered, and now even a sweet fragrance remained.
That was how incomparably pretty and radiant her outward appearance was.
But inside was different.
A rough way of speaking worse than mercenaries who'd spent twenty years on the battlefield.
Wicked behavior, wantonly toying with the tail of a Beastkin who couldn't speak.
A ruthless personality that cursed constantly and wielded violence without a second thought.
She even acted without reserve toward Silina de Hermann, an imperial princess.
And behind her were the first-ranked and second-ranked first-years.
Eurasia, called the top student, smiled amiably anytime and anywhere, but if something happened to Eliarnes, she gave off a more murderous killing intent than anyone.
As for Stella Verheigen, the second-ranked... there were many who said she was a bit of an airhead for a marquis's daughter, but she was still a very famous genius among Wizards.
Those were the rumors.
Of course, Ashtar didn't believe such rumors.
Weren't rumors just rumors?
Even at the start of the semester, vulgar rumors about Hudd and herself had circulated.
The source of those rumors was the academy Community. Therefore, Ashtar didn't believe such rumors at all.
But, just a moment ago...
Despite so many eyes watching, the way she casually hurled curses at her senior Hudd and tried to throw a punch... had slightly shaken Ashtar's heart, which had not believed the rumors.
Could those rumors... really be true?
At the start of the semester, she had cursed at the Vice Dean, and afterward had been called separately by the Vice Dean for a private conversation.
And she had summoned the second-years who had displeased her and put them through disciplinary training.
On the first day of admission, she had glared murderously at her homeroom professor, Adelia, torn the timetable Adelia handed out to shreds... and then had been called in again for a private conversation.
And on Friday afternoons, she didn't attend any classes and vanished from the academy.
There was even a story that after vanishing, she used her family's power to leave the academy and then... committed truly terrible deeds.
They were utterly absurd stories.
But, but... that behavior just now was the kind that lent credibility to absurd rumors.
Even so, not yet.
Ashtar did not believe the rumors about Eliarnes. She didn't believe them, but she did intend to scold her soundly.
Still, calling a senior a crazy bastard, a son of a bitch, a fucking bastard, and a bald ogre bastard was a bit much, wasn't it?
No matter that they were comrades who both liked Ronan, this matter should not be let slide easily.
The only people at the academy who could discipline Eliarnes were herself, a van Chaser, and the imperial family.
So she had requested a spar, and Eliarnes had readily accepted.
There, Ashtar felt guilt.
Because her reason for requesting the spar was impure, and she felt as though she was deceiving Eliarnes.
So she planned to end the spar appropriately, then confess her thoughts and apologize solemnly.
To do that, she had to win the spar.
Naturally, she didn't consider defeat.
Her own victory was a given.
A Martial Artist still at Tier 5 versus a swordswoman who had reached Tier 6 and wielded Intent. Even at the same level, a swordswoman had the advantage, and there was also a difference in Tier.
She didn't entertain the thought of losing at all.
And yet.
"Senior, were you thinking about something else?"
Thump. She landed on her backside.
"...Huh. Huh?"
Ashtar blinked and raised her head.
She saw Eliarnes pouting, as if something displeased her.
The girl was scowling hard, but it looked like a kitten throwing a tantrum, so it wasn't frightening.
Rather, it was cute.
But that cute girl's fist.
Trickle. A nosebleed ran down.
Just a graze was enough to draw a nosebleed.
Was the nose the only place hit?
No.
Feeling the throbbing spots, Ashtar replayed the spar from moments ago.
The first to move had been Eliarnes.
Her speed was faster than expected. But not so fast that she'd lose track of her. No matter how careless she'd been, it was absurd to say that Ashtar, who had opened her Upper Dantian and come to see a different world, couldn't see her.
So she reacted.
She let the wooden sword trail behind, stomped her foot, and swung upward—and in that instant, she felt a slight resistance, as if cutting through flowing valley water.
Then her arm was grabbed.
When? No, how?
There had been no process. Yet she had been grabbed.
And then her leg was hooked, tripping her.
In that process, a fist drove into her ribs, an elbow slammed into her abdomen, a fist grazed her nose, and the girl's toes grazed the tip of her chin.
In a single instant.
Before the tripped Ashtar hit the ground.
Eliarnes had struck a total of four times.
Moreover, before she hit the ground, she had lightly caught Ashtar's body to soften the impact.
Even that, she only recognized now, while replaying the spar.
At the time, she hadn't even felt it.
"You're not in bad condition, are you?"
In a sulky, clear voice, Eliarnes asked.
"If you're not feeling well, we can do this another time."
"...No, no. Honestly... I let my guard down. I thought I could win without using Intent."
The dainty lips poked out even more.
As if that weren't enough, her cheeks puffed up slightly.
Maybe her baby fat hasn't gone away yet.
"Well... that can happen. I'm only Tier 5, and you're a whole Tier 6, senior."
"I didn't mean to look down on you... I'm sorry."
"I should blame my own weakness, not anyone else."
Grumbling, Eliarnes extended her hand to Ashtar, who was still sitting.
"Still, if you're sorry, do it properly this time. Use your Intent, and... you can even use a weapon you're confident in. You're more used to the spear than the sword, aren't you?"
"...Ahaha."
At the words that suggested she'd already figured out her main weapon, Ashtar smiled bitterly.
"You're right... I really do need to take this seriously."
Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to touch a single hair on her.
Thinking that, Ashtar grasped the white, delicate hand extended toward her.
"Yes. Then I'll look forward to it this time."
Eliarnes's hand, slightly damp with sweat, was a little moist, small, and soft.