Chapter 13
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: About My Disciple Being a Genius (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Somehow, I'm screwed.
That was the conclusion I'd reached after much deliberation. I'd only played along with the kid's whims. Thunder Dragon Swordsmanship? No way something like that existed. And yet, something utterly impossible had happened—the kid pulled it off.
All on her own, through self-study, no less. It was a talent that sent chills down my spine. No, it went beyond that. If I had to sum up this little one in a single phrase, she was a monster of talent, plain and simple.
In that moment, for some reason, a certain character popped into my head. Come to think of it, I still didn't know the kid's name. Maybe I'd been instinctively avoiding it.
Because I didn't have the confidence to handle it. I wasn't just some extra anymore. I was the Time Stop Breeding Uncle, of all things. What if I ended up holding back the protagonists?
"Kid. Just one question."
At first, I'd really thought it was a boy. But as time passed, I had no choice but to realize the truth. The kid wasn't a boy—she was a girl. And her face looked familiar, too.
I'd done my damnedest to ignore it. I hadn't even bothered learning her name. Because I knew I couldn't handle it. But there was only one character in my memory who could pull off swordplay bordering on fantasy.
A genius in the sword no one could rival. The being hailed as the Sword Empress. And, in a cruel twist of fate, the Sword Empress had deep red hair, just like hers.
I couldn't run from it anymore. Even an idiot would figure it out at this point. But suspicion wasn't enough—I needed certainty. I opened my tightly shut mouth.
"What's your name?"
"Huh? My name?"
"Yeah."
What if I was jumping to conclusions? And honestly, I hoped I was. The girl tilted her head at my question, then flashed a bright smile.
"Will you praise me if I tell you?"
"...Yeah."
"Helia."
No sooner had the words left her mouth than the name hit me like a ton of bricks. Helia, the Sword Empress. A knight who dared to challenge the heavens with a mere human body.
And one of this game's main heroines, to boot. Her red hair fluttered in the wind. Helia's crimson eyes curved into a beautiful smile as she looked up at me.
"Will you call me Helia?"
I finally understood why. Helia's illustrations were top-notch from the start. She had great performance in the game, and her personality was subtly adorable, making her insanely popular.
But for her reliable companion to be none other than the Time Stop Breeding Uncle? What could I even say? It filled me with self-loathing. What if she ended up influenced badly because of me?
That aside, though, Helia's talent was the real deal. She'd turned the fantastical Thunder Dragon Swordsmanship into reality in just one week. The sheer terror of it made me click my tongue.
But as my mind started to haze over, I bit my tongue hard to snap myself out of it. I had to stay sharp. I couldn't afford to influence her negatively any further.
"You did great, Helia. I'm proud of you."
"Thank you, Master! But may I ask one question?"
"What is it?"
"I'm curious about the name of this swordsmanship."
"... ."
How the hell would I know? The words nearly burst out, but I swallowed them with superhuman patience. Calm down. I had to come up with something plausible here.
If I told her now that it was all a lie after she'd worked so hard believing she'd learned it? She'd blow up, obviously. I'd be pissed too if I were her. Damn it.
"Thunder Dragon Swordsmanship: First Strike, Thunder Dragon Fang."
I wracked my brain and finally managed a halfway decent answer. Truth be told, Thunder Dragon Swordsmanship never actually appeared in any wuxia novels. It was just a throwaway extra technique that popped up briefly.
Of course, for an extra's sword art, its cool name gave it a cult following. The key point was that nothing was known about Thunder Dragon Swordsmanship.
In short, the situation boiled down to this: I had to invent the entire thing from basic forms to ultimate techniques on the spot. It was all in my imagination, but my head was already pounding.
"Thunder Dragon Swordsmanship: First Strike, Thunder Dragon Fang...!! I've engraved it deep in my heart!"
"You don't need to engrave it that deeply."
"No! I'll never forget it."
"R-Really."
"What's the next lesson? I'm ready."
Helia gazed at me with a resolute expression. Her readiness for the next training session was impressive, but unfortunately, I wasn't prepared. I racked my brain.
"You're being too hasty."
"Huh? But..."
"Do you really think you've mastered Thunder Dragon Fang?"
"...!!!"
"Anyone can just swing fast."
Not bad for improv, I thought. Helia even looked enlightened. Honestly, I wasn't one to talk, though.
"I understand what you mean, Master."
"Good."
"Yes, I'll refine it further."
"...Yeah."
She didn't need to refine it any more, but Helia didn't stop there. She started practicing even harder. Not wanting to get in the way, I slipped away.
I'd muddled through for now, but the real problem was next. I had to establish the forms and ultimate techniques of Thunder Dragon Swordsmanship and demonstrate them convincingly, or I'd be found out.
Damn... How did I end up in this tangled mess with a main heroine? I scratched my head roughly. There was nothing good about hanging around the Time Stop Breeding Uncle.
Back at the cabin, I hurriedly started fleshing out the details of Thunder Dragon Swordsmanship. If Helia asked, I'd need a solid framework to bluff my way through.
"This is tough. Really tough."
Thank goodness I had some wuxia knowledge. If I'd had to create this from scratch, I couldn't have. Actually, would I even be in this situation if I didn't know?
Who knows.
Just get to work.
I made a mistake.
The sense of accomplishment from succeeding had turned into arrogance. Without realizing it, Helia had slipped up. She'd asked to learn the next technique right away—an rude demand of her master.
[Never wield this power recklessly.]
The lesson from the first day came back to her. Don't swing this power carelessly. She'd thought she'd internalized it back then. But she hadn't. It was just empty words.
[The sword itself is blameless. Only the one wielding it can err.]
Her master had said the sword was innocent; the wielder was at fault. He was right. The Thunder Dragon Swordsmanship he'd taught her wasn't meant for reckless use either.
"What's the next lesson? I'm ready."
"You're being too hasty."
"Huh? But..."
"Do you really think you've mastered Thunder Dragon Fang?"
"...!!!"
Helia couldn't bring herself to answer that question. It shattered her arrogance. Could she confidently claim she'd mastered Thunder Dragon Fang?
In front of her master, no less? The words wouldn't come. She already knew in her head that she hadn't perfected it. Shame soon washed over her.
"Anyone can just swing fast."
Of all people, to show such an embarrassing display in front of her master. Shame kept her from lifting her face, but she couldn't turn away. It was her own fault.
[An unyielding spirit that never gives up.]
"Master always provides the answers."
The foolish disciple had finally realized it. Her master always gave the answers. Recognize the mistake, correct it. Become better than yesterday—at the very least.
What her master taught wasn't just a mere sword art. It was life itself. To only realize it now? She was so foolish and pathetic. Helia berated herself.
It was like cracking the whip. Isolating herself with self-reproach and anger, aiming for growth beyond that. Her talent, which could overwhelm even the heavens, had instinctively grasped it.
A flash gleamed. The sun had fully set, leaving only darkness in the sky. But she paid no mind to the dark. Gritting her teeth, she kept swinging her sword.
"I'm still far from it. This isn't enough!"
She wanted to walk the same path as her master. She wanted to become the sword he wielded. That desire chipped away at her limits bit by bit. Iron becomes sturdy steel through tempering.
And Helia's talent was blooming through extreme training. A talent meant to awaken through tragedy was now blooming through desire for one person alone.
But was that the right way to bloom? A talent awakened by losing everyone around her—awakening for just one person was no different. It was a twisted blooming, truly.
Helia didn't know that yet.
And she had no desire to know.