Chapter 5
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 5
Obtaining a Master (2)
Why on earth was she acting like this?
Although she was surprised to hear Allen's proposal, she wasn't greatly flustered.
There were countless people who had asked to be accepted as a disciple or to be taught, admiring a strong person like her.
But Aniel had never once taken anyone in as a disciple.
It stood to reason; why should she have to do something so utterly bothersome?
There was no need to cultivate disciples; she just had to solve things alone.
Those who were going to become strong could become strong enough without her teachings anyway.
Therefore, she had thought that something like a disciple would absolutely never happen in Aniel's life.
"But I accepted."
Stopping her walk, Aniel quietly looked at the night sky.
Dawn would arrive soon, and the appointed time was approaching.
She thought about it carefully.
Why did she accept that proposal even though she clearly refused at first? And attaching such an absurd condition at that.
She thought and thought again, but only that man's face came to mind.
Even this was strange.
She was someone who erased memories if there was no particular need to remember them.
Making an excuse that perhaps the first meeting was a bit special, Aniel let out a sigh.
If it seems bothersome, she can just break it off anyway. It’s not like there’s a reason to keep it like with Lucia.
"First, I should test his skills."
Erasing miscellaneous thoughts, Aniel began to plan how she should teach the first disciple she ever took in.
She intended to spar because she needed to know his skills first to prepare specifically how to teach.
Usually, one or two times were enough to gauge the opponent's skills.
So Aniel intended to spar just twice, no more, no less.
"G-Grand Duchess. Until when do you intend to do this?"
"....."
They had already gone over five sparring matches. And with one more just now, this made the 6th.
Why am I doing this? Aniel couldn't understand.
Clearly, the evaluation of his skills was already finished from the first spar.
There was no need to go even to the second. But Aniel was continuing to repeat sparring with Allen.
Right, it was correct to view the current situation as meaningless.
Although she specified in the condition not to refuse sparring, she didn't make it to use it in this way.
But she had kept thinking this thought since the 3rd spar.
She thought she should stop now, she should stop now, but she couldn't stop, as if feeling thirst in her throat.
"I can't do, anymore."
"Ah."
My stamina was facing its limit.
I could assert that my body would be wrecked if we sparred any more than that.
As if really intending to only check my level, Aniel just blocked without attacking for about 5 minutes.
But even then, because the gap in skill was superior, I couldn't land a single proper valid hit on her.
Because Aniel evaded everything as if she had read all my movements.
After 5 minutes passed like that, Aniel lightly threw a punch at my abdomen.
Not even with the wooden sword. She closed the distance in an instant and threw a punch.
Even though several hours had passed, the hit area still ached faintly. This won't last for several days, right?
Anyway, I thought my skill measurement would end with that first spar.
But that was firmly my mistake.
Aniel continued to make me spar even after that.
By around the 4th time, it was hard even to hold the wooden sword in my hand.
In the 5th, I lost without even lasting 10 seconds.
And as soon as the long-awaited 6th ended, I fell flat and fainted just like that.
Wondering if this wasn't bullying under the guise of teaching, I even contemplated stopping the teaching here and avoiding her.
But as soon as I had that thought, Aniel appeared behind me like a ghost.
I bit my lip.
It's a bit much to bring this up after asking for teaching, but if this is indeed bullying towards me, I had to hurry and find another way, not her.
So I intended to say that I'm sorry but she can stop the teaching here.
"Sorry about today's matter."
Exactly until Aniel apologized.
"Grand Duchess?"
"I should have done it moderately, but strangely, I couldn't stop."
Did I hear correctly? Or was my hearing perhaps damaged during the spar?
And what on earth does that mean? That strangely she couldn't stop.
While flustered, I tried to look at her expression, but Aniel had already turned her back.
"I came to speak about that. To say that I absolutely didn't mean to bully you or anything like that."
Looking at Aniel leaving after saying only what she had to say, I was somewhat puzzled.
Why she is even bringing up such words.
The person named Aniel that I've heard of is absolutely not the type to hang onto human relationships.
Rather, she is a person who draws a strict line and puts up a wall so others don't approach her.
Or do I know it wrong? Even thinking that, I had never seen her conversing with anyone other than me.
Since entering the Academy, exactly after encountering the person named Aniel, I came to have many thoughts like 'why' or 'how come' in my head.
Is receiving the interest of the strongest in the worldview a good thing or a bad thing?
While it was difficult to be certain, someone approached.
"What is your relationship with Aniel, you?"
A woman with beautiful silver hair and a cynical smile.
Didn't they say a clear sky unfolds after a storm passes?
But right now, it seemed like an earthquake came suddenly after a storm came and went for me.
Seeing that the one person I least want to be involved with appeared in front of me like this.
"Greetings to the Princess."
"It's been a long time. Little Marquis Wiesent. Have you been well all this while?"
As befitting the words 'long time', it had been a whopping 10 years since I last met her.
I am an acquaintance of Princess Lucia.
When she first debuted in high society, it was the year I also debuted in high society.
But that was the last meeting. The reason is.
"I was very worried because you never came out to high society even once after that."
"Because my body wasn't feeling very well."
Because I cut off my steps to high society, as she said.
"It seems you have fully recovered now? Seeing that you can confidently enter the Academy like this."
This person is mocking me right now.
If it's someone already attending the Academy, they would all know how I entered.
I smiled bitterly, but I had nothing to say to that.
Because even the Princess right in front of me entered here fair and square with her skills.
And she is a tremendous genius who could have even gone to become the Magic Tower Master if she weren't royalty.
I was in no position to say anything in front of this person.
"So what is your relationship with Aniel."
Is it Aniel? Since the two are definitely best friends, it's natural to be concerned.
But shouldn't she ask Aniel that rather than me? At least she would be more comfortable asking than I would.
In the first place, I was also a bit cautious to speak about a relationship Aniel hadn't mentioned.
Superficially, I am Noble Faction and Aniel is Imperial Palace Faction.
Around the time I was thinking such things, realizing I couldn't make Lucia wait forever, I opened my mouth and spoke.
"We just shared a conversation briefly while passing by."
"That's a lie."
Asserting it was a lie at once, Lucia's expression turned cold.
More than that, what just now?
"That's because Aniel does not speak to others."
At Lucia's attitude of speaking as if convinced, I lost my words.
Because it's an established fact that she knows Aniel better than I do, who just met her.
"I suppose I should punish the person who lied."
"Did you say punishment?"
Is something wrong with my ears? Even so, we are in the same grade. To say she will punish me.
But as if I didn't hear wrong, Lucia smiled murderously and said,
"Did you perhaps think you could just move on after mocking a Princess?"
"P-Princess Your Highness."
Looking at that smile, my spine chilled.
Thinking about it, the reason I didn't even set foot in high society was all because of Lucia.
Because I was firmly marked by her when I first entered high society.
Feeling intimidation, I stepped back for a moment, but Lucia approached right under my nose before I knew it and whispered.
"Don't be too scared. Even if it's me, I don't harm someone I haven't seen in a long time."
There was no one around to help me.
In this place, it was only me and Lucia, just the two of us.
Lucia smiled and said to me.
"Shall we continue the work we couldn't finish back then?"
Looking at her, beautiful yet scary, cold sweat formed on the back of my hand.