LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 45
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Elma brought me a drink while I was enjoying the breeze.
“Oh, I’ll enjoy this.”
“Honestly… this training session was so amazing that I couldn’t even tell who the senior was. My judgment in choosing Ran as my partner is becoming more and more gratifying.”
“No, it’s thanks to you quickly devising the strategy.”
While I was holding Jane back, Elma snatched the cloth from Rienna.
It was a tactic that sharply exploited the weaknesses arising from the confrontation between seniors and juniors.
“I didn’t expect Jane to be my opponent, while Elma would head towards Rienna.”
“Most first-years wouldn’t last three minutes against Jane. With blessings added, it wouldn’t be three seconds.”
Surely, the power of that four-syllable blessing was incredible.
‘Was it a blessing that overlays the power of a paladin?’
The sword and armor made from holy power are particularly specialized in defense.
That’s the nature of holy power itself.
‘Protection and healing.’
A defensive and warm power.
In game terms, it corresponds to the support position.
‘I wouldn’t have penetrated without my killing intent.’
The “reduced healing” embedded in my killing intent is the pinnacle of the holy power.
If Jane had handled holy power directly, my still lacking killing intent would have been pushed back.
‘After all, it was just a buff.’
Focusing my killing intent, I created a hole in the blessing laid on Jane.
From that point, I drove my strong intent into it and broke the structure of the blessing.
It was a method of awkwardly breaking through with strength while breaking the defense, so I expected it to be somewhat catastrophic.
“Who would’ve thought my sword would break…”
I also never expected it to shatter into pieces.
-‘No, my sword!!!’
Jane’s appearance, holding just the hilt of her sword and crying out, was quite pitiful.
Later, I heard it was a rather expensive sword.
“Even if I offered to compensate, she utterly refused.”
“As a senior, I can’t accept money from a junior. And Jane is usually quite dramatic.”
Well, Rune is something else.
Isn’t it the best prestigious family that hasn’t given up its noble status in almost every round?
Being a promising child of such a family, she could easily buy a few of those swords without a care.
-‘Haaah! Open your eyes!! Get a grip, my sword!’
…That would be the case.
“I have nothing to teach Ran personally. So from now until the festival, we should focus on training to match our movements.”
Elma nodded, seemingly planning with her eyes closed.
‘A sword, huh.’
Thinking about it, it might actually be time to get some new gear.
The one I’m using now isn’t bad, but there are slight issues with versatility.
For someone like me who operates multiple sword styles at once, being restricted to a single form for a sword is a somewhat painful story.
Swordsmanship only fully demonstrates its power when executed with the corresponding form of the sword.
‘The festival is coming soon.’
For that time, I should start searching soon.
Polaris’s first hidden piece.
*
“…You chose me as your partner.”
Angela looked at Pernia with cold eyes.
“That’s surprising. I thought you hated me and would naturally participate in the festival with someone else.”
“Angela. Haven’t I always said? Everything has a reason.”
Pernia leaned back in her chair.
The fierce expression on the sisters’ faces, unfortunately, was all too similar.
“I am a princess. Also, the student council president of Polaris. Every action I take is intentional. Even if it’s not by my will.”
When Pernia forms a partnership with a child of another family, one can expect various comments.
Even with a single step, an ant can be crushed.
Those in power must move carefully enough not to leave any room for such comments.
“It’s better to partner with you and showcase the royal family’s strength than to pair up with someone else and tarnish its reputation.”
“……”
“Despite appearances, we are blood relatives.”
Polaris is filled with children from high-ranking families.
If one forms a partnership with them, it could be seen as the royal family’s intention.
No matter how much Polaris promotes equality as a virtue, it becomes nothing more than a hollow custom from the moment classes are delineated.
“Don’t think you can refuse. You have no choice.”
“Does that mean you have choices, sister?”
“What are you talking about?”
“For the royal family’s sake, you forcing me to be your partner means you also have no choice.”
Angela continued to regard Pernia with dry eyes.
Now, she could only look at her like this.
She wasn’t like this before.
At one time, she could gaze up with the utmost respect.
Pernia was that kind of existence.
“You lack a sense of self. Right now, sister.”
“You’re being ridiculous.”
She has changed.
From a caring sister to the first princess.
“The individual ego doesn’t matter to someone with great ambitions. Moreover… isn’t it you who has discarded your true self?”
“……!”
“How laughable. To think you’d make such a choice for a single man.”
Pernia’s lips curled into a smirk.
“Therefore, when you go underground, erase any traces left behind.”
“That’s….”
“Only I will know. I have no intention of revealing it. Isn’t this how a sister should act?”
She spoke in a subtly sneaky voice.
“Both now and in the past, your secret remains ours alone.”
“…I’ll take my leave.”
“Festival. I’ll be looking forward to it.”
Angela left the student council room and headed straight to her personal training facility.
Zzzt!
As the lights turned on, the interior of the messy training facility came into view.
Deep sword marks were carved into every wall, and the scarecrows had already been sliced to bits multiple times.
“Lacking….”
Angela drew her sword.
“With this level… I can’t protect…!”
A golden stream of energy swirled around her.
Brilliant light gleamed in her sharp eyes.
*
“Leave pass?”
“Yes, it’s possible, right?”
“…It’s not impossible, but….”
Reina tilted her head in surprise.
“First-years only have one day when it drops. You know that, right?”
“One day is enough.”
“Well, you’re right about that.”
She pulled a piece of paper from the drawer and swiftly signed it.
“Here, take this. It’s a one-day leave pass.”
“Don’t you want to know where I’m going?”
“I’m not going to micromanage personal schedules or circumstances. Cadets have their own lives. Besides, I don’t think you’ll get into trouble out there.”
“Being trusted feels nice.”
“…Don’t get cocky.”
Reina turned her head sharply.
Her slightly flushed ears were quite impressive.
“Should I pick something up on the way back? I saw you liked cake last time.”
“Uhm, not really….”
“Last time it was chocolate, so this time maybe cheesecake? Or crepes would be nice too.”
“Wow~ I like cake too.”
…
“…Professor Karen?”
“K-Karen?!”
Suddenly, Karen joined us with the brightest smile, looking back and forth between us.
“You two looked so close that I couldn’t help but butt in!”
“Oh, that’s a misunderstanding, Lady Karen…”
“Hm~? What misunderstanding? Ahaha! It’s good for a student and a professor to be close, isn’t it?”
Karen patted Reina’s shoulder.
Suuuu…
Is that blood-red thing in her hand really killing intent?
Is killing intent necessary while patting someone on the shoulder?
“Ran, are you going out?”
“Yes. I have errands to run outside.”
“Hmm~ Be careful. If you buy a cake, please get one for me too.”
Gwaaaak!
Karen added more strength to her grip on Reina’s arm.
“Anything’s fine as long as it’s not ‘ice cream’ cake.”
“Ah… understood.”
“Reina, would you like to have a chat with me? I’ll be waiting at the usual terrace~.”
Karen breezily left the scene.
‘Not quite sure, but isn’t she angry?’
I cast a slightly sympathetic glance at Reina.
I felt like I was at fault for causing this.
“Umm… Professor Reina, I’m sorry.”
“…Huh? What for?”
“For being with Professor Karen and….”
“I don’t understand what you mean.”
She shot up from her seat.
‘Whoa.’
Surprisingly, there was no worry or concern on her face.
Instead, she looked full of excitement and anticipation.
“I’ll hurry on then. Lady Karen is waiting!”
“……”
“Hehe… It’s great that such opportunities are becoming more frequent lately.”
Reina vanished like a gust of wind in the direction Karen went.
“…Oh dear.”
There really isn’t a single sane person.
I shook my head, turned in my leave pass, and stepped outside Polaris.
Since it was the weekend, the tram platform was pretty crowded.
“I hope I won’t run into another pervert….”
As a man, having such thoughts feels somewhat shameful.
But being squeezed here and there isn’t a pleasant experience at all.
‘This hidden piece will be enough for a day.’
Unlike the “Complete Manual,” the hidden piece I’m about to open now isn’t time-consuming.
Instead, it needs a lot of something else.
‘Let’s go.’
To earn some money.