Chapter 82
“Daphne trainee. Choose your opponent. Assuming you pick properly, I’ll add one point.”
The children swallowed dryly upon hearing Nike’s words. Then, they subtly avoided Daphne’s gaze. Teffi, who had rushed to Daphne first earlier, had completely turned her back on her.
“I choose.”
Daphne pointed straight at one spot. There stood Joshua.
“…Me?”
“No. Not you.”
Daphne wiggled her finger, and Joshua instinctively sidestepped.
Then, Mark Brown, who had been hiding behind him, was revealed. He was the one Daphne had thoroughly beaten at the Pinch Marquis’s house before.
“Since we’re old acquaintances.”
Daphne smiled brightly and waved at him, while Mark trembled with a face as pale as a sheet.
Wasn’t Nike’s instruction to ‘choose someone stronger than yourself’? So why pick me, someone she’s fought once? Mark’s eyes wavered, and he soon realized Daphne’s scheme.
“In terms of age and build, you’ve chosen an excellent opponent. Daphne trainee, one point added.”
“Thank you!”
On the surface, she picked me because I look stronger, to get the point and then beat me to a pulp!
You wicked…!
“Oh. At least the lady has some conscience.”
“Yeah. I thought she’d pick some scrawny kid.”
You guys don’t know anything! You don’t!
“But Mark will win, right?”
“Hey. He’s twice her size. Of course he’ll win.”
I can’t win.
I’ve already lost once, you idiots…
Mark sniffled.
***
“Hoo, hoo.”
Arius had been swinging his sword nonstop for hours.
He continued the sword trajectory while picturing in his mind the first form of the Galaxy Sword that he had learned alongside Daphne.
But…
‘Why on earth.’
Why doesn’t my body move like it does in my head? Why is my body only capable of this much? Could it be that I have no talent? Am I…
Swoosh—
Arius’s feet tangled, and he fell flat on his face.
“Ow. It’s bleeding.”
Arius pressed a handkerchief to the wound on his knee to stop the bleeding and let out a sigh.
After Daphne left, Arius had been training with the knight order. Since the knights were also learning the Galaxy Sword, Arius could follow along with them.
But there was a difference between a child and adults. Arius gradually couldn’t keep up with them. That’s why he was training separately like this, but his body wasn’t moving as he wanted, and frustration was building up.
“Talent, talent. Is it really because of talent?”
Arius bowed his head, puffing out a long breath.
Daphne probably doesn’t struggle like this.
She copied it perfectly after seeing it once.
Daphne is Father’s real daughter, and I’m the fake son. Is that why I can’t measure up to Father? Because I have no talent…
“Ah, let’s not think like that.”
Arius shook his head to clear his mind. Then he recalled Heros, who had come to him a few days ago.
-Your center of gravity is on the right. Think of the center and focus.
-The Comet Wave Slash isn’t necessarily a fast sword. Think of each trajectory as a single strike and swing accordingly.
Heros had come to guide him even though Daphne wasn’t there. And he had instructed him on the sword for hours.
It was something Arius had never imagined, so that night he was so excited he could hardly sleep.
He was even disheartened the next day when he heard Heros had gone out again on His Majesty’s orders.
Anyway, Arius had received guidance from Heros without Daphne, and that fact planted a faint hope in him. The hope that Dad might return to how he used to be.
“To make that happen, I need to work even harder.”
Talent or whatever, it doesn’t matter. I just need to work hard. Then, at least, I can stand behind Father.
Arius gripped his sword tightly and stood up.
It was then.
“Young Master!”
Lloyd’s voice called out. It seemed the knight order’s training had ended.
“Are you still training? Aren’t you tired?”
Arius smiled faintly and replied.
“I am tired. Look at this. My legs won’t even move properly.”
As he said, his legs were trembling. Blood was still oozing from his knee. Lloyd frowned.
“How about stopping now and heading back? You need to eat too.”
“Hmm…”
After a brief moment of thought, Arius shook his head.
“I’ll do one more hour and then go. I feel like I’m getting the hang of it.”
“…”
Lloyd felt a renewed sense of admiration.
Even sturdy knights would collapse if made to train this long.
But Arius had been swinging his sword for the same amount of time day after day, and even that wasn’t enough—he was pushing forward for more.
If only the knight order guys had half of that.
Lloyd thought of those who had dashed off to drink beer as soon as training ended and smiled self-deprecatingly.
“His Excellency’s words were right.”
“Huh?”
Arius, who had been lifting his sword high, widened his eyes.
“What did Dad say?”
“He said you have grit.”
“…What?”
Lloyd continued.
“He also said your tenacious personality that doesn’t give up is a talent. I agree. Tenacity isn’t something that can be made.”
“…”
Arius opened his mouth halfway and closed it repeatedly.
Just moments ago, I was despairing over having no talent, and now hearing this…
It felt somehow embarrassing. His ears grew hot.
“What? My talent sounds pretty lame.”
Arius chuckled and gripped the sword firmly.
“But it’s not bad.”
Then, step by step, he advanced and unfolded the sword form.
“It seems good.”
Galaxy Sword, First Form: Comet Wave Slash.
For the first time, a complete comet bloomed from Arius’s hand.
***
“Abbyo!”
Daphne was literally flying around. One moment here, the next there. On top of that, using both fists and feet without discrimination, Mark couldn’t even put up a proper resistance and collapsed with a thud.
“Ha. That was a tough fight.”
Liar.
Anyone could see it was a one-punch affair.
The children muttered, unable to calm their surprised hearts.
“Did the instructor anticipate this and tell her to choose?”
“Probably, right?”
So the children’s gazes naturally turned to Nike. And there he was, eyes wide as saucers and mouth agape, looking utterly shocked.
“Uh, um, uh, wow.”
Nike stammered out exclamations, his mouth opening and closing.
“What the heck, really…?”
The fighting Daphne had just displayed was truly excellent. It was like the movements of someone who had devoted decades to fistfighting. That flexibility, that situational awareness, that kick, that punch! All perfect.
Of course, Daphne was actually a dragon who had been fistfighting for decades, but to others who didn’t know, Daphne was nothing short of a genius.
“Da…phne trainee. That was excellent.”
At that, a few children clapped. From their perspective, Daphne looked truly amazing.
“Daphne trainee has shown that even a small, weak child can defeat a larger opponent. You all should follow suit and choose stronger opponents. Understood?”
“Understood!”
The children, now with more life in their eyes than before, scattered in groups of three or five, and Daphne, who had already finished her spar, could sit comfortably and rest, just like during swordsmanship class.
“Why only me…”
Only the beaten Mark was left pitiful.
☆▪︎▪︎▪︎☆
By Anna 💓
