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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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Morning.
In the dining room, maids were bustling about serving breakfast. A man I’d never seen before was sitting next to Benek.
“Sylvia! It’s been so long!”
The man stood up when Sylvia and Ethan entered the dining room. Once standing, he was about half a span taller than Ethan, a young man whose radiant silver hair suited him well.
“Brother Aen, have you been well?”
Sylvia gave Aen a formal greeting.
Aen von Linchester, a figure who had recently made a name for himself in the Linchester branch family.
Linchester Territory was located in the empire’s westernmost region, and beyond the empire lay the Demon Territory, filled with primeval forests.
And Aen was the one protecting Linchester Territory from magical beasts on the western front.
“When I heard you were returning to Linchester, I hurried back to the city. You’ve grown even more beautiful since I last saw you.”
“You flatter me, Brother. Ethan, give your greetings. This is Linchester’s proud knight.”
As always, Sylvia replied in a composed tone. Ethan gave a slight bow in greeting.
“Oh? Ethan? Ethan, is it? This is your disciple I’ve heard about?”
The silver-haired young man smiled slightly while looking at Ethan. At first glance, Ethan still had the look of a novice and seemed almost laughable.
‘So this is Sylvia’s cherished disciple. Well, I suppose that’s that. I wonder if he can even act like a proper man.’
Aen smirked. However, he didn’t show his true thoughts outwardly.
“This admirable fellow has slain two demons in just his first semester since enrolling.”
“And Sylvie has taken a liking to him.”
At the Family Head’s interjection, Sylvia showed subtle signs of embarrassment. Watching her, Aen gave a good-natured smile.
“Sylvie! How surprising that you’ve taken a liking to someone!”
Aen examined Ethan anew.
“Indeed, he looks very young. But skill has nothing to do with age. Ethan, was it? What star rank are you? If Sylvia acknowledges you, surely you must be at least 6-star…”
Sylvia stepped forward to stop Aen.
“Brother, Ethan is still a Hero Candidate. He hasn’t yet earned any star ranking.”
“Ah… my apologies. I got carried away at the news of Sylvia taking a disciple. I’m sorry, Ethan.”
“Not at all.”
Ethan replied with an easy smile.
Soon breakfast began. During the meal, the Family Head asked Aen various questions, and Aen responded with good-natured laughs and humble answers.
“Aen, I hear you’ve slain several named magical beasts while guarding the entrance to the Demon Territory?”
“Yes, Family Head. The frontier is gradually expanding. At this rate, we might even be able to build a city in the Demon Territory soon.”
Benek laughed heartily.
“Keep up the good work. Coming from the position of Western Guard Captain, it’s a shortcut to advancement in the central government.”
“For the Linchester family.”
“Yes, yes. For the family.”
The atmosphere had grown quite bright.
“Do you know, Aen? There’s a saying that goes around Linchester.”
“What saying is that?”
“A man who hasn’t protected the empire from the Demon Territory is no man at all.”
Aen laughed out loud.
“Then protecting the empire’s western region deserves applause.”
“I’m honored that the Family Head would say so.”
As breakfast was ending, Sylvia rose first. It would become awkward if she stayed too long and the topic of marriage surfaced.
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‘This is really uncomfortable.’
I grumbled inwardly.
Coming to Linchester was fine. It wasn’t just the change in sleeping arrangements that made me feel this way.
It must be because of the oppressive atmosphere.
I could understand why Master didn’t want to come home.
‘If it were me… I wouldn’t want to come home either. All these pointed looks.’
Just then, Master called me.
“Ethan. Focus. It’s training time. Take up your sword.”
I grabbed the wooden sword standing beside me.
Master stood about six paces away, holding the Rod of Discipline.
“Release your mana and come at me with everything you have. I need to assess how you’ve grown.”
If I didn’t take this seriously, I’d get beaten like I did at the start of the semester. I released my mana smoothly and immediately leaped toward Master.
It was an initial skirmish to gauge each other’s abilities. A series of crisp sounds rang out.
Thwack! Thwack!
Master easily blocked my consecutive strikes with one hand. It was the Fourth Form of Linchester Swordsmanship, Sword Dance.
“Is that all you can do! How do you expect to take me like this?”
Thwack.
I held my wooden sword horizontally to block a strike aimed at my crown. Master’s consecutive strikes were infused with mana. If this had been the start of the semester, I would have simply taken the hits.
“Master! I have no intention of taking you!”
“Am I not to your liking?”
Whoosh—
The rod cut through the air. Somehow it seemed to carry emotion.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Hmph, with such pathetic skills, you’ll never be able to take me anyway.”
The suggestive connotations of “taking” naturally broke my concentration. This is driving me crazy.
Moreover, Master wasn’t just pretty—she was beautiful.
With her silver hair flowing as she wielded her sword, and her balanced body flowing through sword forms, she looked like a dancing butterfly.
“Ethan! Focus.”
This won’t do. I need to say what needs to be said.
“Master! There’s something I must tell you.”
Pause.
For a moment, Master’s fighting spirit dimmed. Seeing my chance, I hurriedly continued.
“Could you please stop using the word ‘take’?”
“What is my disciple saying?”
“Before being your disciple, I’m still a man, so when you keep saying things like that…”
Surely she’ll understand what I mean?
I carefully watched Master’s expression. An amused smile appeared on her lips.
“Ethan… how dare you have such indecent thoughts about your master!”
Ah, I just added fuel to the fire.
Sylvia began to berate me with a slight smile. I had forgotten. That Master had sadistic tendencies.
In other words, she enjoyed my suffering.
“Huh, with skills like that, you can’t even act like a proper man.”
And I had just admitted that I was troubled.
“Indeed, I must properly punish you for those improper thoughts.”
Her strikes seemed to have gotten even faster.
More mana was infused in them too. At this point, it had gone beyond a preliminary bout and could be called a real duel.
The wooden sword and rod crossed.
We exchanged force once, pushing against each other’s weapons.
Master aimed for my lower body with a foot sweep. I hurriedly retreated a couple steps before pushing off the ground to close the distance again.
‘Linchester Swordsmanship Fourth Form, Sword Dance’
Master countered the following strikes with the same technique. A faint smile played on her lips.
Slash, thrust, block, and slash again.
The sword’s movements drew gentle curves, the blade cutting through the air dozens of times in semicircles and full circles.
Suddenly, Master leaped backward once.
“Ethan! I said stop!”
“What…?”
Not just “stop,” but “I said stop.”
It meant she had already ordered me to withdraw my sword once.
Coming to my senses, I saw the ground was cratered from my rampaging mana. The wooden sword was damaged beyond repair.
Ah…
Only now did I get a chance to examine myself. Various parts of my body were aching. I must have been hit several times during our exchange of attacks.
And there was a line of blood at the corner of Master’s mouth.
“Master… there’s blood on your…”
“It’s just a split lip.”
As if it were nothing, Sylvia wiped her mouth.
“I’ve assessed your skills well, Ethan. I am very disappointed. How futile is a sword wielded with no regard for one’s own body?”
I let my wooden sword droop lifelessly.
“It’s lunchtime now. Go cool your head.”
I couldn’t bring myself to follow after Master as she turned away.
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Sylvia sat in her chair, leaning back against the soft cushion. She could still feel the sensation of clashing swords in her fingertips.
“You’ve grown stronger, Ethan.”
A smile kept forming at the corners of her mouth. Her disciple had grown stronger beyond imagination.
“If this is talent, he might truly surpass me soon.”
Sylvia pressed her throbbing temples. She never gave empty praise. That was her principle.
Empty praise made one overestimate their abilities and become arrogant. She wanted her only disciple to wield his sword for a long time.
“…For a moment, he even entered the ‘Sword’s State of No-Self.'”
Of course, Sylvia hadn’t shown all of her abilities either. But she hadn’t expected to allow any of Ethan’s attacks to land.
If this had been a real battle, she might have been caught off guard and died together with him.
Still, Ethan’s skills had clearly improved. But perhaps she had been too harsh with him.
‘I hope I didn’t hurt his feelings…’
Her worries deepened.
Sylvia closed her eyes and reviewed their battle once more. In the dark void, she could see herself exchanging sword strikes with Ethan.
‘Could you please stop using the word “take”?’
‘Before being your disciple, I’m still a man, so when you keep saying things like that…’
Slowly, with an attitude that suggested no need to hurry, Sylvia opened her eyes.
“Indeed, how impudent, my disciple. Having such thoughts about your master.”
Though the content was serious, her tone suggested she found it adorable.
‘Hmph, did he imagine his master’s naked body?’
When her thoughts reached that point, Sylvia finally felt she understood Ethan.
“It might be fun to tease such a disciple.”
Knock knock.
Just then came a knock at the door. It was Dania. After receiving permission, Dania entered Sylvia’s room.
“Lady Sylvia, it’s time for lunch. By the way, did something good happen?”
“Ah, Dania. Just had an amusing thought.”
Dania watched Sylvia smiling vacantly. In all her time serving Sylvia, she had never seen her smile so mischievously.
“Nia, do you know how to tease men?”
“What? Teasing them?”
“Yes. The more wicked the method, the better.”
Hmm, Dania hummed once. The rumor about a possible marriage between Sylvia and Ethan had already spread among the servants.
Of course, along with the word that it had fallen through.
“By wicked methods, you mean?”
“Ways to torment Ethan.”
“Ah, I just thought of something interesting.”
“Oh? Do tell me in detail.”
Dania spoke with a grin about her method. To Sylvia, it seemed like a good approach.
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Poor Ethan, he’s cooked 😭