White steam puffed from Lena Ainar's mouth. Her body, drenched in sweat from rigorous training, emitted wisps of steam.
She was in an open field. After finishing her training, Lena had hung her sword behind her house and went inside, but ca back out to douse herself with cold water.
By rging the backyards, an implicit rule had ford between Leo's house and Lena's house.
Leo, Noel Dexter, and Dehor used the well on Leo's side, while Lena Ainar and her mother used the well on their side.
There had been no formal agreent.
Since Lena's mother was the only one who knew how to cook in both houses, the water for cooking was drawn from the well on Lena's side. Hence, the division was made that way.
Lena, who had changed into her casual clothes after going up to her room, dried her hair. Eventually, she found it too botherso, shook it dry, and sat on the floor to stretch.
She first grabbed her soles and stretched forward—
Her chin touched her knees. She twisted her waist to fill the space left, adding so relaxation to her tired body. Changing her posture, she bent her back backward while thinking.
She was hungry.
She knew it was almost alti. While drying her hair roughly with a towel, she went down to the living room and spoke. Her hair, not being very long, dried quickly.
"Mom— What's for dinner?"
"You cheeky girl. You don't co when called. It's in the kitchen, go get it."
Another rule between the two houses was related to the timing of shared als. The Dexter father and son usually ate at Lena's house, but they only dined together when Dehor was ho. If Lena's father, Dehor, was out hunting, Noel Dexter wouldn't co. Only Leo ca occasionally.
Thus, it was Lena's job to carry als over. She divided the food onto two trays.
Since the backyard terraces were connected, she carried the trays through the back door of Leo's house.
Leo's house was sowhat desolate.
They had the economic ans, so there were fireplaces, tables, chairs of the sa height, good quality curtains and carpets, so silver candlesticks, and picture fras—almost everything, yet it felt sowhat eerie.
It was starkly different from Lena's house, which was filled to the brim with small souvenirs and decorations.
"It's because of that armor. That armor."
Lena blad the innocent armor. The real reason was that Leo's aunt wasn't around, but ntioning her was taboo. This was also one of their implicit rules.
Lena passed by the armor displayed in front of the study. Though it was clean, it sohow slled of blood.
- Knock, knock.
"Dinner's ready."
Leo's father, Noel Dexter, was almost always in the study.
Since retiring at a young age, he seed intent on spending the rest of his life reading. The study was piled high with books, which Lena thought contributed to the desolate feel of Leo's house as she set the tray down.
Noel Dexter, who had been reading in a rocking chair, moved to his desk. He thanked his future daughter-in-law and then asked,
"Is Leo still the sa?"
"It seems so."
Noel Dexter nodded. His expression was a bit bitter, but he adhered to the household's implicit rules.
Lena took the tray and headed towards Leo's room. After coughing a few tis in warning,
- Bang!
She kicked Leo's door open.
"Hey! Ti to eat!"
Idiot.
She almost added that but held back. She set the tray on the table and approached Leo, who lay on the bed with his face covered by one arm. Sitting beside him, she coaxed,
"Leo! Get up so we can eat together."
Although it seed he wouldn't move, his arm groped around until he found her. Holding her wrist, he sighed deeply, perhaps reassured or even more worried.
"Hey!"
But Lena wasn't the type to care about such pathetic displays. Whatever his problem, he'd been lying there all day, and that was enough.
"Get up and eat! No training, what are you doing?"
She pushed his arm away from his face. Reluctantly, Leo's face, full of a frown, was revealed.
Short, neat hair. Handso, if one had to say. His jawline and eyebrow lines were strong, making his appearance either loved or hated, but at least he looked manly.
Of course, Lena had no complaints about his looks. If she had a complaint, it was only about his eyes.
"Why, why are you looking at like that?"
- Squeeze.
The hand holding her wrist applied slight pressure. Feeling the faint tremor, Lena's heart softened.
"Do you have sothing on your mind?"
"..."
"If you don't answer, I'll hit you."
"...Ow, ow!"
Lena tugged at his ear. Despite his strange expression, she pulled without rcy until his face looked more tolerable.
"Get up and eat. Hurry. I'm starving."
"...Alright."
Leo got up. At the small table, a bit cramped for two, Lena and Leo began their al.
"You know the caravan that's here now."
"..."
"Can you respond?"
"...Yeah. What about the caravan?"
"They're leaving tomorrow. There's sothing I want to buy. Will you co with later?"
Tomorrow?
Leo's expression grew puzzled. But soon, as if losing interest, he nodded his head back and forth. Lena's eyes widened.
"You an the leather straps?"
"What?! How did you know?"
"We went together."
"But I didn't say anything... Did I? I didn't, did I?"
Was I that obvious?
If she had known he would notice, she would have gone alone. Feeling deflated, Lena pouted, but after finishing his al, Leo went back to bed.
This ti, he turned his back to her completely, so Lena jumped on him. Pinning him down, she asked,
"So, are you coming or not?"
But maybe she was too close. Turning to face her, Leo's face was right in front of hers. They were close enough to kiss.
Leo's expression was very emotional, his eyes downcast, and Lena thought,
‘Ugh. He's going to kiss .’
But nothing happened. Leo raised a hand to stroke her cheek.
"Lena."
"...What?"
"Let's... run away together?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
Seizing the mont, Lena pulled her face away. Sitting halfway on the bed, she asked again,
"Why would we run away?"
"I just... want to go far away and live alone together. Don't you?"
Haha. Lena finally got it. Leo was joking around. He had been so convincing and rarely joked, almost fooling her.
“Oh my, did you want to run away with in a romantic escape? That’s quite touching, but do you have the money?”
“...”
“Stop with the nonsense and get up. If you’re making strange jokes, you must be feeling better.”
Lena stood up. Although Leo grabbed her hand tightly, she cruelly pulled his hand back.
“You have to go train with your father. Get ready quickly. Huh? What’s this?”
[Achievent: Bound Item, 1/3]
[Sword – Indestructible.]
[Mirror – Unusable.]
Lena picked up the hand mirror on the bedside. Its fra had a simple pattern, and she squinted as she turned the unadorned back side.
“Hey! Where did you get this? You bought it from the caravan leader, didn’t you? How could you buy it alone? You’re so an!”
“It’s yours.”
“Yeah! I’ll take it... Huh?”
Leo sat up on the bed, pulling Lena closer as he grabbed her.
“It’s a gift. A bit early, but... more than that, Lena.”
“What, what is it?”
“...”
Leo was silent for a mont. He buried his head in her stomach and didn’t move.
It was the first ti Lena had seen Leo look so small.
Feeling sorry for him, she stroked his hair. Leo soon stood up, and the large shadow of his fra fell over her.
The sulking was over.
Leo hugged Lena, who seed to fit perfectly in his arms. His fingers brushed against her hair, but fortunately, he didn’t realize. If he rembered the previous engagent, he wouldn’t have been able to endure the sensation.
“Let’s go.”
Leo grabbed his sword, and Lena, holding the hand mirror, stared blankly at his back.
“What’s wrong with him?”
She couldn’t understand.
*
“You’re here.”
Her father was waiting in the open field.
Noel Dexter didn’t bla his son, who had been shut in his room all day since yesterday. After sparring with Lena, he kicked her out with a strong boot to her backside.
“Ow, ow, ow... Ugh. Just wait until you’re old. I’ll scorn you every day, regardless of being my father-in-law.”
Lena muttered as she handed over her place to Leo. She couldn’t bring herself to say she’d surpass that monstrous man. She felt she might catch up eventually, but by then, her teacher would likely be old.
That’s how great Leo’s father’s skills were. If he hadn’t retired, he would at least have been the knight commander, a fact Lena deeply respected.
Leo held his sword.
Instead of stiffly tensing up, he extended his sword leisurely. Noel Dexter, standing opposite, felt his hair stand on end with tension.
Instinctively, he realized that his son, no, the opponent before him was an incredible adversary and straightened up his posture. He didn’t say a word.
“Huh?”
Lena also held her breath at Leo’s changed aura.
All of Leo’s habits she had seen hundreds of tis were gone. Whether they were bad or good habits, they had all disappeared. The person before her was serenity itself. It was sharper because nothing could be sensed.
- Clang.
A cautious clash. The two exchanged one strike to determine the starting direction.
Their clashing swords indicated they had chosen the right side. Noel Dexter took the initiative.
Raising his arm with their swords touching, he intended to lift his opponent’s sword and step inside with his horizontal blade.
There were countless ways to respond, making it impossible to list them all. But broadly speaking, there were evasive counterasures, those that took advantage of the situation, and those that led to a power struggle.
Normally, Leo would have driven it into a power struggle.
Unable to dare face his father in swordsmanship, he would have relied on his confidence in a contest of strength.
But Leo countered. He lowered his stance slightly and instead moved inward, causing Noel to quickly reverse his grip. He raised the handle higher to create a downward strike angle.
In this way, Leo’s vertically held sword beca useless. Even if he managed to slash, Noel would dodge, and a hole would be made sowhere in his body by the stabbing sword.
In such a situation, one must either retreat or similarly raise their sword to push away the downward strike angle.
As it was a set sequence, Noel prepared for the next move...
Leo raised his arm. But only his left arm.
Noel wondered what he was doing, then saw that Leo was pushing Noel’s sword with the forte of his sword while spinning. With his arm raised high, Leo’s right elbow flew towards Noel’s unguarded right armpit.
“Ugh!”
He didn’t foresee the spin. Not expecting Leo to let go of his sword, Noel was caught off guard, but his son had already prepared to spin.
Noel had no choice but to turn his back. Receiving the elbow on his back, he also spun around. As he swung his sword held arrogantly in one hand, he executed a grand rotation.
- Clang!
But, holding the sword in reverse, he reached a beat too late. By the ti he had jumped up and spun like a top, Leo was already in a stable stance.
So I’m the only one who got hit. Even worse, I’m in a disadvantaged position...
Before he could even admire, his son pressed in. Before Noel could regain his balance from the grand rotation, Leo pushed like a charging bull.
Noel braced his hind legs. Drawing out all the strength he usually concealed, he endured, but his body slid back.
At this point, one could trip the opponent with an inside leg or thrust the sword during the opponent's retreat.
Noel Dexter broke into a cold sweat. If he didn’t focus now!
He slled a thick scent of blood. The days of internal conflict from a decade ago surfaced with tension.
- Chaang!
Leo pushed Noel’s sword aside forcefully and retreated. Returning to the calm stance from the beginning, he wasn’t even out of breath.
“Ha ha...”
Noel Dexter laughed hollowly.
He knew his son had been hiding his skills. For a long ti, he had been blocked by a wall, and when that wall broke, he expected him to make great strides.
But this...
He looked at Leo in amazent. Lena Ainar, watching from the side, stared at Leo with eyes of disbelief.
Phew.
anwhile, Leo managed to calm his troubled mind. His strong swordsmanship, backed by his sturdy body, filled his empty heart with confidence.
I am strong.
Except for the Apostle of the Evil God and the three Sword Masters on the continent, there would be no one stronger than . Even Sir Bart, who once seed so distant, was now below him.
Leo quietly sheathed his sword. That didn’t an he intended to be arrogant.
After all, there were still stronger people, and this world was filled with powerful rulers beyond individual strength.
I am still just a swordsman.
‘I can’t go help Rev. By the ti I arrive, Nevis will be surrounded. I can’t leave Lena behind either.’
So in this cycle, I have only one thing to do.
Leo looked up. He hoped that this wasn’t just a trick.
[Quest: Duelist 986/1000 - {Swordsmanship} ability will increase by one level.]
I must fill that up in the {War}. If my skills improve here, if they can improve...
[Sword Master]
...That’s all that’s left. The rank of the continent’s strongest was beckoning him.
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