Kal still rembers the ti he t his lady, the one he vowed to serve for life.
At that ti, she was still fragile. It had only been about a week since she began her training, so she wasn’t as chaotic as before, but she was still at that level.
She was just an ordinary person, exceptional only in her ability to handle a shield.
Back then, Kal didn’t have high expectations for Lucy's talent.
He knew how outstanding the divines of the sa generation were across the continent.
No matter how remarkable her talent was, he was sure there was no way she could catch up now.
Kal's judgnt was perfectly reasonable. He had seen countless talents until he settled into his position, and he had also watched them fade away.
However, there was one thing Kal didn’t consider. Common sense only applies to those who stay within its bounds.
For soone already standing outside of common sense, the word itself holds no aning.
Lucy Alrn, this monster, proved to the world what it ans to bear the blood of the Alrn family in just a year. She made it known that the heroic tales written by Benedict Alrn had sequels.
It was the sa now.
Before Lucy stood not an ordinary being. The skeleton claiming to be Garard, a fragnt of a hero, clearly possessed strength worthy of that na.
The imnse magical energy lingering near the seemingly flimsy bones.
Even though hundreds of years had passed since his death, he still radiated presence.
Each of his movents exuded overwhelming martial prowess.
It proved that point.
As soon as Kal faced that skeleton, he assessed whether he could win against him.
And soon, he concluded it was impossible. He could stall for a while with his life on the line, but that was all. Even if he collaborated with Professor Luka beside him, the outco wouldn’t change.
Even now, Kal did not think his judgnt was wrong. The sword strikes aid at his lady were overwhelming.
Although they weren’t powerful, as he seed to show consideration for his opponent, the mastery emanating from the hand holding the sword, the arm wielding it, and his body was far beyond Kal’s level.
If Kal tried to block that sword now, he would be toyed with and thrown to the ground.
That swordsmanship was worthy of the na of a hero.
Yet Lucy received that swordsmanship far too easily.
The first attack.
It looked light, but because it contained the extres of swordsmanship, if one responded carelessly, they would be cut down by the shield. She deflected it.
The second attack.
Kal thought it would be a horizontal slash, but in reality, it was a rising attack, thrusting upward from below.
The third attack.
Instead of being blown away by a sword ant to throw her shield, she pushed it back.
The fourth attack.
She effortlessly matched a swift strike that Kal could barely keep up with.
If the sword wielded by the skeleton was fitting for the na of a hero, Lucy’s shield techniques were equally overwhelming, evoking the image of a hero.
Despite having successfully blocked that swordsmanship four tis, Lucy’s face overflowed with ease.
“...Did I just catch that?”
Hearing the skeleton's exclamation, Lucy casually checked her shield. Despite surpassing four trials, the shield she held remained pristine.
If soone saw it, they might question if she had just entered the trial.
“Is it strange?♡ Did I hear wrong?♡ The pathetic skeleton was supposed to show the weight of a hero~♡”
As she pushed her shield forward, her voice carried the usual giggle.
Regardless of her opponent, her unique vocabulary made it impossible to contain her anger. One of Lucy’s blessings.
Hearing that, the skeleton gripped his bones tightly enough to creak, but Lucy did not stop.
“Hey♡ Is this what the weight of a hero feels like?♡ Kya ha ha♡ It’s way too heavy♡ It’d make a great paperweight!♡”
“...Enough.”
Unlike the past, Lucy now knew how to discern right from wrong. She surely understood that such provocations would shatter her opponent’s consideration.
Yet, despite that, she continued to taunt him.
“Kyaah~♡ I’m sorry~♡ You, the pathetic skeleton knight, can’t even break through the shield of a girl~♡ Have you forgotten you were a hero because you’re so weak?♡ If only you were a little stronger!♡ Kuep♡ Huh!♡”
She was unsatisfied with the previous attacks.
She couldn’t accept that such attacks were considered trials.
“Ha.”
Kal couldn’t help but exhale in admiration upon realizing Lucy’s intent.
It had only been a year.
Only a year since she sincerely began her training!
And yet, she was already effortlessly overshadowing the divines of her generation and stepping boldly toward the seat of a hero.
It wasn’t because of the blood of the Alrn family. It wasn’t because she received divine love.
It was simply because the talent of Lucy Alrn was too imnse for this world to bear.
Ah. It’s too fast. Her growth is far too rapid.
The girl who used to collapse while running had beco this strong in no ti.
At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before this re knight wouldn’t be able to stand by her side.
That cannot be allowed.
I cannot permit that.
This knight has vowed to dedicate his life to her.
Regardless of everything else, I cannot accept being discarded due to a lack of ability!
I must train. I must train more.
So I can beco stronger.
So I can stay by her side.
I must.
“Pathetic senior?”
Just as Kal was solidifying his resolve, Luka spoke up beside him.
“Didn’t you say we shouldn’t be impressed by trivial matters? What do I know?”
Kal couldn’t bring himself to answer that.
It was true that the lady's faithful dog was sufficient on its own, and he was indeed feeling jealous about having soone else by her side, acting petty.
Did Luka think he had found a weakness in Kal’s firm deanor? Just as he was about to latch onto that, an enormous energy surged from the skeleton.
The mont he saw it, Kal tried to move before thinking.
That energy. That energy is not sothing the lady can block now.
No matter how excellent the lady's shield techniques are, there are limits.
How could she possibly block an attack from a completely different realm?
But Kal’s charge was blocked by Luka. Luka grabbed his wrist.
“Let go! I am—”
“Kal. Are you not trusting your lady, a knight?”
“It’s not a matter of trust! This is—”
“I believe. Are you less loyal than I am?”
At Luka’s question, Kal froze.
“You.”
“Just watch. You’ll see the miracle your lady creates.”
It’s quite enjoyable to watch.
Hearing that and seeing Luka smile, Kal made his decision.
“...I suppose.”
After this is over, he decided he would ask Luka for a duel.
‘Hmm. It seems so.’
Listening to the old man’s frantic voice, I looked ahead.
An aura was being applied to the skeleton’s sword.
Though it didn’t seem like he was seriously intending to smash yet, the fact that he was adding his characteristics ant it was still dangerous.
Despite my knowledge of the skeleton’s strategies, the power he possessed far surpassed mine.
If this weren’t a trial, wouldn’t I be smashed by that skeleton in just a second?
That being said, he was swinging a sword with an aura. If I made even a slight miscalculation, I’d be split in half, becoming "Lu/ci" instead of Lucy.
‘And now you say that? It was you who egged on from the start!’
Who was it that had rambled on about what would irritate Garard as you got all hyped up midway?
‘You rember that you laughed loudly and provocatively while thinking “Whatever happens, happens”?’
If you say sothing else now, it’s going to be troubleso, old man. For this, we are accomplices.
Maybe feeling guilty, the old man fell silent.
Oh, the old man is peculiar. Now that there’s no way to go back, what good is it to bring up past mistakes?
We should be discussing how to navigate the dangers that lie ahead right now.
‘What is it?’
Old man. Have you just noticed? Given how slow you are today, I guess your conscience is feeling quite guilty.
I chuckled as I infused divinity into my shield.
‘Because I’m confident.’
Why would I not be calm? Isn’t it obvious?
I’m confident that I can block it.
After all, the attack he’s unleashing is part of the trial, right?
No matter how strong the opponent’s attack is, as long as it’s part of the trial, it’s not a problem.
This is the trial of a hero.
Heroes do not present disasters that the opponent cannot surpass.
No matter how trashy a human they might be.
It’s the sa now.
Surely the attack that the skeleton is preparing is powerful, but just as much, he’s providing with many clues.
Where he’ll attack from. How he’ll attack. When he’ll attack.
All the clues are in my hands, so why can’t I block him?
‘It’s fine, old man.’
‘You don’t need to emulate the old man.’
How many tis do you think I’ve faced that skeleton?
I an, co on. I faced that skeleton countless tis just to break one achievent.
From all those experiences, do you think I haven’t faced such attacks?
Ultimately, what’s important in this trial is timing.
If I can accurately capture the mont his attack is unleashed.
If I can appropriately move my shield in that mont.
There’s no need for any extraordinary skills to break through this trial.
Just push the shield forward.
Take a deep breath.
Focus my eyes.
Observe the entire body of the skeleton.
Before long, the skeleton’s jaw shakes.
A signal that the sword is about to swing.
Having captured that, I quickly gathered my thoughts and strengthened the grip on my shield.
I let out a snicker.
Ha. You stupid skeleton.
What does it matter if you imbue your sword with aura?
With intentions that are so obvious, it’s no different than giving an invitation to parry.
It would be much more threatening if your previous attack had been fast enough to catch off guard.
There’s no need to rush.
There’s no reason to be tense.
There’s no need to exert all my strength.
Just extending my shield at the precise mont is sufficient.
When the sword imbued with aura collides with the shield surrounded by divinity.
With a clear sound piercing my eardrums,
The sword that had touched my shield rebounded backward.
Beyond the shimring aura, I saw the skeleton’s empty eyes.
‘I told you, old man.’
I’m confident, you see?
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