Self-Objectification

Translator : Elizabeth

Chapter 20. Self-Objectification

The silence that settled on the training ground pressured Danel more suffocatingly than the fierce nerve war with Vince just moments ago.

One step, and then another step.

Arisa closed the distance toward Danel.

Her steps were soundlessly resolute like a leopard walking on snow.

Danel instinctively stepped backward.

He had survived death crises on numerous battlefields, but he had absolutely no immunity to this kind of 'spirit.'

"W-Why are you being like this, Lady Arisa."

Danel's back touched the cold Ice Steel Stone wall of the training ground.

"!!!"

There was no place to retreat anymore.

Arisa, who was a head shorter than Danel, approached right in front of Danel's nose, raised her heels, and looked up.

'C-Close!'

In her eyes, the nobility befitting the bloodline of the Ashuhalt family and the pure desire befitting a seventeen-year-old girl were mixed and shimmering.

"Too stiff."

At the words Arisa suddenly spat out, Danel opened his eyes round.

"Yes?"

"I mean your tone. Where did that spirit go, pushing me as if to kill me just moments ago? Call me Arisa, comfortably."

Danel swallowed dry saliva.

'Is she crazy, really….'

Calling the name of an Ashuhalt direct line recklessly was akin to offering one's life in the North.

'C-Calm down. You survived countless crises, Danel. Calm down.'

Taking a deep breath like that, Danel opened his mouth.

"Ah, I understand now. You're displeased that I used a killing move against Lady Arisa in the spar just now, right? So you intend to trample me to death with the family's authority?"

However, Arisa's reaction was far from what Danel expected.

"Pfft! You're really funny, Danel."

Arisa burst into giggles.

Then she suddenly put her hands on both of Danel's shoulders and lowered her voice.

A posture where Danel, blocked by the wall, couldn't escape.

AKA Wall-Slam (Kabedon).

"Thinking about it, calling you 'Hey, You' when you're three years older than me is a bit off too. It's not polite, right? So how about this? Danel… Oppa?"

"Kuh-euk! Cough!! Kugh, cough!"

Danel turned his head and coughed violently as if choking, even though he hadn't drunk water.

For a Lady to call him, a commoner mercenary origin, 'Oppa.'

Thinking about someone hearing this, Danel's spine chilled.

"P-Please, could you refrain from doing that? Lady, I feel my lifespan shortening."

"Why should I? I am Ashuhalt. There is nothing I have to endure in the North. Unless the opponent is the same Ashuhalt."

In that extremely confident declaration, the arrogance of the strongest family in the North dwelt.

But the reason that arrogance wasn't hateful was that it felt like a natural right coming from her overwhelming background and talent.

Danel desperately racked his brain to escape this labyrinth-like situation.

It was time to squeeze out the wisdom of mercenary life, rolling like a dog risking his life for 10 years.

"Are you serious?"

"About what?"

"That you like me?"

"Yeah. Just realized it. Maybe this is the first love people talk about?"

It was an absurdly calm and reckless statement.

He didn't know what ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠romance was at all, but Danel squeezed his brain to the max.

"A-Ahem! Then you should act like that even less. If the Lady truly thinks of me, that is."

Arisa tilted her head and narrowed her eyes.

"Huh? Why?"

"That… Could you please remove these arms first and speak?"

Danel was currently being wall-slammed by Arisa.

A distance close enough to hear Arisa's breath.

"I don't want to?"

Even Danel, who experienced all sorts of hardships, thought for the first time that the Duke's family's power was unreasonable.

'Damn it.'

Eventually, Danel had no choice but to open his mouth at a span's distance from Arisa's face.

"It seems the Lady doesn't know how popular she is."

"What? First time hearing that."

'Good, she fell for it. Calm down.'

"Of course. Who would dare approach when you're this cute, strong, and pretty? Everyone is just suffering inwardly. But if the Lady approaches a commoner like me calling 'Oppa', what would happen? Isn't it obvious that those numerous wolves admiring the Lady would view me unfavorably?"

Arisa narrowed her brow as if lost in thought for a moment.

"…Understood. So, you mean the more I take care of you, the more other guys will bother you?"

"As expected of Lady Arisa. Correct. I am not Ashuhalt, so I have no talent to endure their jealousy."

Danel cheered inwardly.

Logical persuasion was the best as expected.

Arisa nodded as if convinced, then soon smiled mischievously and whispered in Danel's ear.

"Feels good though, so Danel also thinks I'm cute and pretty, right?"

It was a question completely unexpected.

"……T-That is so."

Arisa said with an alluring smile.

"Fine. I'll hold back in public places. But I can't yield calling you 'Oppa' when we're alone."

"Why? Please…."

"Just, because I want to. If you refuse even this, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I'll just go around saying you're my fiancé."

Curses almost came out for a moment, but Danel endured with extreme patience.

"That will be a big trouble!"

"Danel, this is me yielding a lot. You think I don't know your thoughts? The moment I go around blabbering you're my fiancé, touching you is a direct challenge to Ashuhalt. Isn't it?"

I couldn't close my open mouth.

"……."

"Why, you think I can't do it?"

Danel admitted.

That he was the weak one in negotiations involving romance.

'Damn it, to think I had such a weakness.'

He thought he was confident in dealing with people after meeting countless crazy bastards for 10 years, but he was caught by the ankle in a completely unexpected situation.

Danel admitted his lack and sighed deeply.

"Understood… Instead… only when we're alone…?"

At that, Arisa laughed.

"Fufu, seems Danel wants to be alone with me?"

Another unexpected answer.

Damn Ro-pan.

Danel ended up admitting complete defeat.

Returning to his room, Danel locked the door and sat cross-legged on the floor, putting aside the desire to collapse on the bed.

"Phew……."

He inhaled air fully.

He quietly closed his eyes and looked inside himself.

Only four days since practicing the cultivation method.

Nevertheless, the amount of Aura accumulated in Danel's body had expanded exponentially.

Originally, Aura cultivation is a boring and arduous process of refining atmospheric mana and accumulating it in blood vessels and the dantian.

But the 'Acies' cultivation method enhanced by Trace exceeded common sense in efficiency.

It was like a giant sponge sucking up surrounding mana like water.

'Honestly, the Cold Blue Stone Fungus was a bit wasteful too… but with this efficiency, I have no regrets over spiritual elixirs.'

Rotating the grand circulation a few times, Danel opened his hand.

Flare—

A white flame several times larger than before reflected on Danel's retina.

'It's about time to create a situation to use the second Ahisha's Eye.'

Obtaining the Aura cultivation method was good.

And grafting the techniques of Acies Mercenary Corps brothers was also good.

However, there was still an unsatisfactory part.

Not the cultivation method, but the operation method of Aura when using it.

Not simply talking about increasing destructive power.

Ashuhalt's swordsmanship exerts magic-like effects with the sword, such as creating ice and releasing sword energy.

And so did Danel's enemy, Leorel's swordsmanship.

However, Danel's swordsmanship only increased range and power, but could not exert such magic-like effects.

'I need to confirm how they move Aura when using forms.'

That was Danel's next task.

Finishing the energy circulation, Danel naturally recalled one person.

Mercenary King Dayrolls.

The legendary mercenary of the East.

Why did he leave his territory and flow into this barren North?

And why did he throw the Cold Blue Stone Fungus to a nameless mercenary like himself of all people?

'The East is a battlefield amidst abundance right now. Kingdoms are aiming for each other's throats over that vast land. There's no way such a person came to the North without reason. There's definitely something.'

But with his current skill, it was hard to even become a piece on that giant chessboard.

Prepare before things happen.

That was the surest survival method learned through 10 years of mercenary life.

Next morning.

Having finished showering with cold water after all-night training, Danel was walking around the room with only a towel wrapped around his lower body.

Water droplets falling from wet hair flowed down his solid muscular body.

Knock knock—

At the sudden knock, Danel opened the door inadvertently.

"Who…?"

Outside the door stood Kailey, Ashuhalt's vassal and Lorraine's aide.

She opened her eyes wide at Danel's naked upper body and wet appearance visible as soon as the door opened.

"……!"

"Huh? Kailey? What is it from the morning?"

Kailey's face flushed red in an instant. She wandered her gaze not knowing where to put it, then abruptly turned her head away.

"A-Ahem! It's a message from Lady Lorraine to see you briefly after breakfast. Come to the Lady's office without being late."

"Okay, got it. I'll be there soon. But why are you talking without looking at people's faces properly?"

"S-Shut up! Wear clothes properly, you ignorant mercenary bastard!!"

Kailey spat out words as if shooting and ran down the hallway as if fleeing.

But that gait was somewhat strange.

"Hey, you're moving your left hand and left foot together again!"

"I-I told you it's a unique training method!! Mind your own business!!"

Danel chuckled and closed the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠door. Teasing that picky woman was also one of the small pleasures of Ashuhalt life.

Dealing with Kailey is this easy, but Arisa….

'Am I perhaps the type weak against women who come on strong?'

Danel felt the need to look back at himself objectively.

A while later, Danel, neatly dressed, knocked on Lorraine's office door.

"Come in."

Lorraine's calm voice was heard from inside.

As he opened the door and entered, Lorraine, who was reviewing documents sitting at the desk, raised her head.

Her complexion was a bit sharper than usual.

'What happened?'

When Danel was thinking that, Lorraine's chilly question came.

"…How did this happen, Danel?"

"What do you mean?"

Lorraine pressed her temples and sighed deeply.

"Arisa came to my room since dawn. And then…."

Only then did Danel remember the story Arisa told yesterday.

'She really put that into action?'

Lorraine sighed.

"My cosmetics, perfume, even the clothes I usually enjoy wearing and… th, that is… un, underwear too. She swept everything away. Saying she'll return them after buying similar ones…."

Damn it, this situation again.

I really don't know what to say in this kind of situation.

Eventually, Danel ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.

"I, I see."

But Lorraine's gaze was different from usual.

Not the usual warm and affectionate gaze, but a strangely cold gaze as if she wanted to confirm something.

Lorraine quietly rose from her seat and approached Danel.

The subtle scent of winter flowers emanating from her tickled Danel's nose.

"Arisa said so. That Danel's ideal type is someone like 'Sister Lorraine'. So she even declared she would surpass me and win Danel."

"……."

"I want to ask. Did you use me?"

Danel was speechless.

"That… well, you see…."

Before Danel could think of an excuse, Lorraine's mouth opened first.

She asked staring straight at Danel with shining eyes.

"Or… am I really Danel's ideal type?"

A moment of silence.

Danel squeezed his non-functioning brain and threw a question.

"I, It is difficult to understand the reason for asking that."

Then he had an illusion of seeing a bright light of pale pink from Lorraine.

She opened her mouth with a trembling voice.

"Th, that is…."

"Yes, Lady."

"Th, that is… That is…. Because I don't want to lose Danel to Arisa."

Danel felt a throbbing headache.

Crossed one mountain, and another mountain.

This damn Ro-pan guy was not easy at all.