Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Regression - 4
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"...You okay?"
Suddenly, Ariasfil appeared from behind the tree. No way she saw that crazy stunt from earlier?
"I get it, so shut up! Just!!"
Is it because I'm impotent? What kind of Sage has less empathy than a fingernail?!
"...Uh... Sorry..."
Leo suddenly yelled, and she apologized. In Ariasfil's eyes, it must've looked like he asked if she was okay and then immediately told her to shut up.
"Ah, sorry. That wasn't aimed at you."
"What...?"
"How's your body? You didn't get hurt, right?"
To hide his crazy behavior, he asked as casually as possible.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine."
Ariasfil's face was flushed red. He could even hear her heartbeat from beyond her wrist.
No matter how strong she acted or spoke, she was just a 13-year-old kid.
'No wonder she's startled.'
Thinking that, Leo carefully set her down.
"Sorry, I was too focused on training."
"Training...? That was...?"
He vaguely recalled his earlier actions.
No need to reminisce—the surrounding mess told the tale of the madness plainly enough.
Who the hell's fault is that, you old geezer?
Leo might've overreacted in excitement, but from his perspective, he had every right to lose his shit.
Imagine an old ghost suddenly overlaying his body onto your face.
And not just a solid form, but with every intricate internal organ perfectly rendered?
Even without eating, you'd hurl.
'Even thinking about it now... Urk, especially the kidneys...'
Of all times, he was eating stir-fried pork kidneys for protein. Ended up puking it all up instead.
"...I've never seen a training method that makes you that angry."
Leo had tried it for the first time too. Never wanted to again.
"Well... you see, there were circumstances. To protect my dignity as a human..."
Should I just kill you? You're already dead.
"...Y-yeah! Anyway, I really didn't mean to do that! I'm truly sorry!"
Swallowing his anger at the old man, Leo bowed his head to Ariasfil in apology.
She was the victim in the end.
"...It's fine. I'm not hurt, and it was my fault for coming uninvited."
"But... why did you come?"
There was still time before their sparring date. It'd only been a day since they made the promise, yet here she was.
"...That is..."
Ariasfil hesitated in her response.
And understandably so...
'...Why did I even come...?'
She herself didn't know the reason.
Her heart had led her here.
'...But...'
She couldn't say that outright.
He'd definitely think she was a weirdo.
"...W-well... I was curious about that unique training method you were doing..."
"...Training method? You don't mean that thing from earlier?!"
Leo recalled the earlier madness. Being interested in that was seriously bad for mental health.
Ariasfil, thinking the same, frantically shook her head.
"Not that! The mana training method!"
"Oh... You mean Mana Physical Training?"
Leo minimized his mouth movements and replied in a small voice.
"Naming sense is meh... but it's good to have some kind of name, right?"
"Talking to yourself again?"
He'd muttered, so the person right in front of him couldn't miss it.
He had to find a way to handle this, or he'd really look like a lunatic.
"...No, just... I talk to myself a lot."
"I see. That's unique."
Fortunately, she let it slide.
"...I've never seen training like that. Even our house doesn't have a method like it."
Was that the Sage's lip corner twitching up? Nah, just imagination.
Wait, no—his lip was curling up vertically.
"Personality's a bit lacking, but I have a good teacher."
Ah, really no. Not a bit—severely lacking.
"I see..."
Ariasfil nodded, then looked at the sword Leo held. He easily guessed what her gaze meant.
"Since you're here, want to train together?"
"...Train?"
Her usually expressionless eyes sparkled at the word.
"...But I don't have a sword..."
"Then take this one."
At her words, Leo drew the sword from his other hip.
"It's cheap, but usable."
It might not be up to snuff for a lady of the Hero Family used to famous blacksmiths' blades, but to Leo, it was decent.
"...Thanks."
"What?"
It felt weird.
As a squire of her house, Leo hadn't heard thanks that often. Probably few enough to count on fingers and toes combined.
"...Why?"
But she was thanking him—rude to act standoffish.
"Ah... Nothing. Just thought I misheard."
Leo wiped the awkward look from his face and raised his sword.
"Then, let's start."
"Yeah. Got it."
She gripped the old sword and began gathering mana.
The Sage's jaw nearly dropped the moment he saw her training method.
"A genius. A real genius."
Ariasfil Reinhardt was splitting mana particles exactly like Leo's training.
No, not exactly.
'She's splitting them finer than me.'
At that level, it wasn't splitting—it was grinding the particles. She could absorb plenty of mana without physical training.
'...Wait...'
But as she started, he sensed something off.
"...What's this..."
She was doing well.
"For a normal person."
A genius like Ariasfil didn't stop at "good."
'Come to think of it, it was the same in our first fight.'
He'd chalked up her weakness to youth then. But watching her swordsmanship a second time revealed the issue clearly.
"Hold up. Stop."
"...Why?"
"That's not it."
Ariasfil tilted her head.
"...You split the particles fine."
"Not that. Your swordsmanship."
Leo grabbed her sword.
"Your swordsmanship is wrong."
Her eyes sharpened at the critique. She took pride in her skills.
The house knights, her instructor Jehard, even her father the Family Head acknowledged it.
"What's wrong? I did exactly as taught."
She was pissed at the criticism of her cherished swordsmanship.
"Who taught you? That escort knight?"
"Yeah, just like Jehard taught me."
Personality aside, Jehard was a knight recognized by House Reinhardt. His skills and achievements outshone other houses' knights.
"That's the problem then."
"...What?"
The Sage and Ariasfil asked in the exact same tone and pitch.
"...That's the problem?"
"Yeah, problem."
To Leo, it was undeniably a problem.
"...Why is that a problem?"
"Let me ask then—what do you and that Jehard guy have in common?"
Ariasfil hesitated at the question.
"In common...?"
"Yeah, physically the same?"
She didn't hesitate long.
'That's...'
None at all.
Jehard and Ariasfil differed in gender, build, height, flexibility, muscle mass—even talent.
"None, right?"
"...Yeah."
"What's the point of copying the swordsmanship of someone totally different from head to toenail? It's a completely different case."
Imitating your teacher's swordsmanship was natural for sword beginners.
'But that's only for absolute novices just starting out.'
Once proficient, you needed your own style and flair—especially if talented.
'But Ariasfil hasn't.'
Not due to lack of talent—quite the opposite.
'Still no flexibility, huh.'
Ariasfil was too rigid. Always prioritizing rules and discipline.
She used her knowledge exactly as learned. Excelled in taught directions but couldn't adapt sideways.
Perfect summary.
'In my previous life, that moron got fired, and she soared even higher.'
But no need to wait that long.
"Get into stance."
Ariasfil gripped her sword and assumed position.
"...Roughly..."
Leo lightly grabbed her leg with one hand and adjusted.
"Around here?"
"...?!"
Her face flushed at the sudden touch. Heart racing, body heating up. But Leo, focused on her leg and form, didn't notice.
In that field, Leo was the top expert.
What was he supposed to do? If this was for dirty motives, she'd swing the sword or slap him.
Not fully, but he could emit Aura like this.
He figured it'd resonate with the Sage's Stone to produce sound.
Half-doubting, but it actually worked.
Leo finished adjusting her stance and let go.
"Okay, now swing."
"...Y-yeah! Okay!"
Why so flustered? From all the touching? But she wasn't the type to care.
Whoosh!
She swung amid her fluster.
A short, sharp whoosh.
Followed by long, heavy wind pressure.
The forest trees shook,
Summer leaves fell like late autumn.
The scene was like a storm's arrival and vanishing.
This was a true genius.
The genuine form of the genius
I could never break in my lifetime.