Midterm Evaluation (5)
“Hmm….”
It was the day of Selena's training.
She didn't seem to be in a good mood.
Zeke watched Selena train with disapproving eyes.
He really didn't like how she answered everything with short replies and acted halfheartedly instead of showing her usual enthusiasm.
“Selena. Draw out your internal mana properly.”
“I'm doing it.”
Selena drew mana from within her.
Abundant mana surged forth.
Until now, she had been using mana by drawing external mana and releasing it immediately.
The reason why she could generate sufficient output with this method was that her mana road itself was so large and wide that she could draw in a large quantity of mana, even the sparse mana of this world.
“Once you've drawn it out, fill the empty space with external mana.”
This was the reason why he taught Selena how to handle external mana first.
If she got used to using only her internal mana from the beginning, it would take a long time to replenish the mana she used.
Of course, the easiest and most convenient way is to use the readily available mana and let it recover naturally.
However, that would not only reduce her combat endurance but also her resistance to others' mana.
Circulation - drawing out internal mana and simultaneously filling the empty space with external mana.
It was an essential technique that Selena, who consumed a lot of mana for the Heavenly Dance of a Thousand Swords, had to master.
But today, Selena couldn't focus at all.
She drew in external mana, but instead of it entering her internal reserve, it leaked out.
“Stop.”
Zeke said, frowning.
“Selena. Are you not going to train properly?”
“...I will.”
However, Selena still spoke curtly, as if she was still upset.
Zeke's eyebrows twitched.
To be honest, despite his usual stiff demeanor, direct speech, and eccentric training methods, Zeke wasn't a particularly difficult person to deal with.
Rather, he was the type who would wear any clothes given to him, and wouldn't complain much about things like food or sleeping arrangements, even if they were uncomfortable or not to his liking.
However, when it came to the sword, he was different.
Whether he was holding bread or a wooden sword didn't matter.
The moment he decided to treat something as a sword, it became a sword.
From Zeke's perspective, who believed that one must have the mindset of a swordsman when wielding a sword, Selena's lackadaisical attitude was unacceptable.
‘Yes, I know why she's acting like this. I went to the Yohaiden Dukedom alone yesterday without her, so she's protesting like this.’
However, even if she could talk about her grievances at the mansion later, it was no excuse to lose focus during sword training.
Bringing personal matters into training was truly disappointing.
Selena was different from Yuri.
Yuri Gilbert hadn't yet decided to wield a sword on her own.
The reason she was here was because of the First Prince's coercion and pressure, so there was no need to hold her to the same strict standards.
But for Selena, whose swordsmanship talent was inferior to Yuri's, to show such an attitude was definitely a problem.
‘But I believed in her determination when she insisted on becoming a knight and trained so hard…’
Then, Zeke suddenly thought of a possibility.
‘Ah, is she misunderstanding something?’
He wondered if Selena might be thinking of herself as strong and special.
Of course, she was special.
She was his benefactor, had a kind soul, and possessed an overwhelming amount of mana.
Moreover, Selena's techniques were the most flashy and eye-catching compared to other students.
Her training, where she used her abundant mana lavishly, was enough to intimidate other students.
‘And because she has to train in the Heavenly Dance of a Thousand Swords, she doesn't even undergo physical training…’
While others were sweating profusely running laps, she would be sitting alone on the floor, meditating.
While others were paired up to learn swordsmanship, Selena was the only one who received one-on-one instruction.
‘Ah, this is my fault. It's understandable that she would misunderstand.’
Zeke nodded.
Of course, if it wasn't about the sword, Selena could have such a sense of superiority.
However, when it came to the sword, only perseverance was the royal road.
Zeke had no intention of giving her special treatment, at least not in swordsmanship class.
‘You should be spending that time practicing your mana control like crazy. There's a limit to taking the sword lightly.’
This kind of misunderstanding was dangerous.
Once arrogance took root in one's mind, passion and diligence would gradually rot away.
Of course, this was the first time she had rebelled like this, perhaps due to a combination of personal grievances and the events of the day, but if he didn't correct her now, it could happen again at any time.
‘If you start blaming your personal feelings or circumstances for your sword training, you'll be ruined in no time.’
Zeke thought about how he could make Selena realize her mistake.
He couldn't step in and defeat her himself anymore.
Selena knew his strength and considered him an insurmountable wall.
Then, a girl caught Zeke's eye.
“Selena.”
“What…?”
“Don’t misunderstand.”
“What do you mean…?”
“Do you think you're working hard enough? It's absurd. Are you already starting to get complacent with your meager skills?”
Zeke rebuked her in a cold voice.
“Don't underestimate the sword.”
“I’ve never underestimated it!”
“Well… Your current attitude is completely different from when you first came to me asking to learn the sword… I wonder if you can become the knight you dream of if you continue like this.”
Selena bit her lip.
Tears welled up in her blue eyes.
‘You went all the way to the Yohaiden Dukedom without even telling me!’
Honestly, wasn't it too much?
If he had the ability to go there and back alone in a single day, he could have waited until she finished the academy and gone with her.
The previous day, when she returned to the dormitory after the academy, all that greeted her was a single piece of paper.
[I'm going to the Yohaiden Dukedom. I'll be back around dawn, so go to sleep first.]
A sense of betrayal washed over her.
But without even knowing how she felt, he accused her of underestimating the sword and said she couldn't become a knight.
Selena had never been less than diligent in following Zeke's instructions, even when other students grumbled and complained.
Just today, for one day.
Couldn't she have a bad day too?
‘It's the Instructor who's wrong…’
Selena glared at Zeke.
Then, the Instructor let out a scoff.
Suddenly, he said,
“Yuri Gilbert.”
He called Yuri's name.
“Spar with Selena.”
“Yes!?”
“Yes…?”
* * *
Yuri Gilbert, who had been the first to pass the downward slash training and was preparing to go home, gripped her wooden sword again at Zeke's call.
She faced Selena.
For some reason, Selena seemed to be in a very bad mood.
Her palms, holding the wooden sword, became sweaty.
‘How can I possibly beat her…’
She couldn't understand what the Instructor was thinking.
Yuri had already witnessed Selena's destructive power firsthand.
The sound of air exploding even when she swung her bare fists.
If she was hit, wouldn't an arm or a leg be blown off?
Then, Yuri recalled what Zeke had said.
- I won't care what he does, so feel free to do your best.
Ah, was this what he meant?
To completely remove her from the equation here and prevent her from carrying out the First Prince's orders?
‘What a pathetic life…’
Unwanted black hair and black eyes.
A life where she possessed nothing of her own, led and swayed by others.
Yuri looked at Selena, who stood before her.
The Princess of the Duke's family, who had grown up without lacking anything.
She could always sense that Selena had been raised with love, regardless of her high status.
‘She's even choosing to learn swordsmanship herself.’
Then, shouldn't she at least lack talent in swordsmanship?
The silver-haired girl, so different from herself.
The difference was so stark that she didn't even feel jealous.
Sigh—
She let out a deep sigh.
‘I hope I only suffer moderate injuries…’
At least she should be thankful that she wouldn't have to take the medicine, which she hadn't wanted to do anyway.
Her heart tightened with anxiety, wondering what the First Prince would say to her father about this.
“Then, let's begin.”
Zeke's calm voice cut through the air between them.
“Selena Yohaiden of the Yohaiden Dukedom. Pleased to meet you.”
“Yuri Gilbert of the Gilbert County. Pleased to meet you.”
The two girls raised their swords, each with different thoughts in their minds.
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