Chapter 62
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Scene 062 Love-Hate
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Hup!
The one who blocked Wendys small fist was Blanche.
Dont be scared. Even if Miss Wendy hits me with full force, I wont get hurt.
Nyeth!
Wendy replied energetically.
The place they were at was the training hall set up on the Ruelverta estate grounds.
This spot, where Wendy and Blanche held their martial arts lessons, was quite largesuitable for the two of them.
The fact that such a facility could exist on the vast estate grounds made one truly feel the immense wealth of the Ruelverta family.
Blanche, who had been blocking Wendys fists one by one with her hands, opened her mouth.
Your punches have gotten pretty sharp. It seems the results of building your stamina are showing.
R-Really?
Yes. Though its still too early to take on a brown bear.
N-Nyeth??
Dont worry. If you follow my guidance well, Miss Wendy, youll be able to take down a red bear with ease.
Eek!? D-Do I have to fight a r-red bear?!
Even back in her hometown, Wendy had heard plenty about the red bears infamous reputation.
A ferocious magic beast that lived deep in the forests.
Its height was said to be 35 meters, and its weight over 500kg.
Even among the villagers, there were those who entered the forest and became meals for red bears, never to return.
And now she was being told to face such a monster?
Blanche nodded to the pale-faced Wendy.
Its big, but its an opponent worth clashing with once. Itll surely be a good experience for Miss Wendy.
W-With my strength, fighting a monster like that is im-impossible!
Fights arent won with strength alone.
I-Itll kill me if it bites!
If it bites gently, you wont die.
Nyeth?!
Blanche gently grasped Wendys shoulders and spoke.
As expected, Miss Wendy is too timid. Even against a red bear, if you dont get scared, you can survive.
I-Its normal to be scared, right?
Miss Wendy undervalues her own abilities too much.
Uuu. In front of a monster like that, Id happily undervalue myself as much as possible.
Hehe.
...?
Due to the huge height difference between the two, Wendy had to look up at Blanche.
She could see Blanche, who always maintained a stoic demeanor, desperately holding back a laugh.
But it was only for a momentBlanche quickly returned to her usual expression.
...Sorry. I unwittingly showed an unsightly side.
Why wont you smile, Instructor Blanche?
Yes?
As Blanche tilted her head, Wendy hurriedly explained.
Ah! W-Well. Y-Youre so pretty, Instructor, s-so I thought youd look even prettier if you smiled. J-Just my opinion, though.
...You think Im pretty?
Nyeth! H-Havent you heard that from others?
Hmm. Lady Bella has said something like that before.
Blanche brought a hand to her face.
She didnt think her appearance was strange.
Bella always said it was a shame her pretty face went to waste, but Blanche knew that came from the girls kind heart.
On days when she went out with Bella, plenty of people would glance at them.
And most of those were aimed at Bella; the moment their eyes met Blanches, theyd hurriedly look away.
As those experiences piled up, Blanche came to think:
They were probably avoiding her face.
Miss Wendy youre truly kind.
Nyeth?
Blanche smiled softly and stroked Wendys head.
Thank you even if its just words.
Blanche wasnt as pretty as Bella.
Nor was she as cute as Wendy.
She lacked the charm and appeal they had.
If she had to name something she was confident in compared to Bella or Wendy, it was her outstanding athletic body.
Her well-trained physique boasted perfect balance, like a sculpture without a single flaw.
It was Blanches one and only source of pride.
And there was one man who had recognized the value of that body.
-Pay with your body, since at least thats usable.
Thinking back to that moment made Blanches insides itch unbearably for no reason.
It had all been a misunderstanding in the end, but she had jumped straight to vulgar thoughts from the Counts words aloneshe wanted to crawl into a hole.
Ugh that shameless bastard.
..
Blanche had been prepared to endure any insult.
She was confident she wouldnt break no matter what humiliations the Count heaped on her.
And she had planned to repay him in kind for every shame she endured.
But Tristan hadnt done that.
He hadnt pulled any dirty tricks, nor sought petty revenge for the deep wounds she had inflicted on him.
It was utterly unlike him.
Blanche couldnt help but consider one possibility.
Could it be Tristan really has changed?
She didnt know what the trigger was.
But lately, the atmosphere around him had shifted.
Bella, whom she served and who had despised Tristan so much, had even gone to the academy to meet him.
And this girl before her eyes had grown more talkative compared to their first meeting, even showing adorable expressions.
Even the oblivious Blanche could tell.
It wasnt the face of someone serving a trash-like man.
It was the face of someone who had found happiness.
And all of itwasnt it because Tristan had changed?
The thought flashed through her mind, but Blanche shook her head.
Her opponent was Tristan Ruelverta, a genius of evil deeds.
Whats more, Tristan had killed her once.
Back then, as she was shot and sank into the cold sea, hadnt she vowed?
She would never forgive Tristan.
She would kill him with her own hands.
But Blanche knew that every time she met Tristan, that resolve wavered.
Blanche could only sigh inwardly.
If he truly was the shameless man she imagined
At least then, she could have hated him without reservation.
At that moment, Wendys cautious voice reached her.
Instructor? Are you okay?
Ah. Sorry. My head hurt for a moment.
Then m-maybe we should stop here for today? You should go rest early, Instructor.
Wendy asked worriedly.
To reassure her, Blanche slapped her cheeks with both palms to steel herself.
That seemed to clear her mind a bit.
Im fine. We still have time, so lets spar.
Eek?! S-Sparring?
Wendy, perhaps recalling bad memories, asked while trembling in fear.
Realizing her mistake, Blanche scratched her head and apologized.
Ah, sorry about last timeI couldnt control my strength properly. Ill definitely hold back today, so dont worry.
Fwew. Instructor Blanche is too strong.
If Miss Wendy trains hard, you can become like me.
Impossible. Totally impossible. Instructor isnt even human-level anymore.
Ignoring Wendys whining, Blanche stretched.
Use everything youve learned so far to attack me.
N-Nyeth.
Dont think half-hearted attacks will work. Imagine youre fighting a red bear and come at me.
A-A red bear? B-But.
Dont worry, Miss Wendy.
Blanches eyes gleamed as she took her stance.
Im much stronger than a red bear.
While Wendy trained with Blanche,
I too was undergoing intense training in the study.
Whew.
One might wonder what kind of training could be done in a study full of books, but this training was plenty possible with just books.
Whew.
I was doing squats while holding a stack of books in my hands.
However, they werent ordinary books.
A while ago, Id decided to experiment further with using magic to alter bullet trajectories.
Using Moon Magic, I absorbed the surrounding mana and infused it into the books.
Then, just like with bullets, I made all the books point toward the ground.
The books suddenly grew much heavier.
Whew.
It felt like gravity had doubled.
I used those books as dumbbells for squats.
The more mana I channeled into them, the heavier they got, and my hands trembled under the weight.
My body was soon drenched in sweat.
Sweat pooled on the floor, but I didnt care.
After squats, I manipulated the mana to shape the books into dumbbells or barbells for more exercises.
In truth, controlling the mana with Moon Magic was far more exhausting than the workout itself.
Maintaining the books like weights while adjusting their mass was something no sane person could do.
But I repeated it without rest.
Even when my limits came, I tried not to use Patience and pushed through.
To truly grow stronger, I had to devour my limits, not just endure them.
I devoured my limits over and over, picking up and setting down the books repeatedly.
After repeating that until my arms went numb, I set the books down to rest briefly.
Whew
Hm?
Looking out the window to catch my breath, I spotted something.
In the distance, riders on horseback were approaching the mansion.
As they drew closer, I could make out the flag held by the leader.
It bore a familiar gray lion emblem.
Finally is it time?
I wiped the sweat with a towel and hurriedly prepared to go out.
Knock knock!
At that moment, urgent knocking sounded, and a servant delivered news I already knew.
My lord Count. The dispatched troops have returned.