[To the esteemed Hans Byron,]
[Although merely from a baronial family, your name is remembered thanks to the reign of your father, the head of the Byron family.]
[I’ve heard of your fame as a martial tournament champion, and it is indeed a strange fate to meet you here at the Academy.]
[Could you share those tales of valor with me? I promise a modest reward in return.]
“Hmm. This time it’s a separate invitation from the Circleia baronial house.”
Luke and others alike. Why is there so much interest in a mere servant?
“Well, at least it’s not as abrupt as it was with the Daimon family.”
Pretext is more important than I thought. It’s useful for understanding someone’s motives.
In that sense, the letter from Ricky Circleia, also from the West, seemed worth considering.
‘Given the delay, he must be trying to lure me to his side.’
Perhaps they would dangle family interests in the West as bait.
This could work out well. The other party clearly had intentions of harming Luciana.
This would be an opportunity to glimpse their true intentions.
[I deeply appreciate the invitation from the Circleia family, which I have admired since childhood.]
While asserting our shared Western origins, I wrote with a tone of admiration, as if I was eager to join their ranks.
“Just need to set a date.”
Naturally, I’d need to inform Luciana as well. I could report to her when I went for aura training.
“Lady Luciana, may I come in?”
I knocked, but there was no response. I wondered if she had already gone to the training grounds and tilted my head in confusion.
“Sigh. Come in.”
With a soft sigh, her voice drifted from inside.
“Ahem! Hans, did you not feel something odd just now?”
“Odd, you say? Hmm, I’m not sure.”
Was it some kind of riddle? As far as I could tell, everything seemed normal.
If anything, it was just that Luciana’s response to my knock was slower than usual.
“…I see. Perhaps my training is still lacking.”
“Did you sense some disturbance? It seems unlikely here at the Academy, but given the precedent with the Magic Tower, it’s possible. Should we cancel today’s training in case of a terror threat?”
“It’s nothing. Let’s get ready. There’s no time to waste. The urgent task is to train your body, the vessel that will foster the growth of your aura.”
Normally, Luciana would have walked slowly with my guidance.
Such a person, she now strides ahead of me toward the training ground.
“I too have class tomorrow, so today I will speed up the training. Pick up your dagger.”
“Very well. Fortunately, my favorite dagger has just returned from the blacksmith. There won’t be a repeat of last time’s disgraceful collapse.”
As soon as I drew the dagger with the raven’s claw handle.
–Clang!
Following her direct gaze, the rapier thrust forward, creating a silver streak.
“Ugh!”
Was this a rapier or a greatsword?
The weight that came down on the barely blocked dagger made me groan involuntarily.
‘It seems stronger than when we sparred a few days ago.’
She was undoubtedly strong, but since we regularly sparred with swords, I could be certain.
Somehow, her sword had changed.
Had she gained some insight during her training alone today, instead of attending class?
‘…It’s good news, actually.’
Luciana’s downfall had ultimately occurred because she was weaker and lost to the saint.
Her getting stronger meant that she could avoid such a tragic ending.
“By the way, I heard from Liza that you were different when you sparred with Lady Caspera.”
As I struggled to defend, she whispered to me.
“Uncharacteristically, it turned into quite a long battle.”
Underneath that conversation, there was a question about how I had managed my chronic stamina problem.
“Judging by your current form, your body still isn’t suited for long battles.”
“…Ha, you see right. I’ve said it before, a craftsman chooses his tools carefully.”
I displayed my black dagger as if to flaunt it.
“Hmm, unexpected. When you spar with me, there seems to be no change.”
“It can’t be helped during training. This artifact shows its true value when I need to dodge. Otherwise, it would defeat the fundamental purpose of our sparring.”
Muscles, after all, become stronger when torn and healed.
To develop a body capable of holding aura, sparring with Luciana always had to be genuine.
Recalling this, Luciana looked at me anew and smiled faintly.
“Indeed. It seems I’ve ended up tying your hands and feet in our sparring sessions.”
“Not at all. It’s you who makes time late at night for this. I’m just grateful.”
“Heh, always the smooth talker.”
As soon as I finished speaking, Luciana closed the distance between us in an instant. I tried to counter by swinging my dagger, but the clash did not go in my favor.
-Clang!
Despite the clear sound, the situation was grim. The hand gripping the raven’s claw dagger showed signs of twisting. I was overwhelmed by pure strength, and it all happened in an instant.
“Ah, to throw away your weapon right away. That’s not an easy choice for a warrior.”
“But it was the right choice. If I had held on, my wrist would have snapped, and I would have been defeated right then and there.”
However, that only delayed the inevitable defeat. My true strength lay in the artifact. Though I don’t like to admit it, without the raven’s claw dagger, I was just an empty shell.
The outcome was obvious.
“I lost. I surrender! Any more and I might actually die. It hurts!”
“You started off strong, but it ended rather anticlimactically.”
The performance of the backup dagger was nowhere near enough to surpass Luciana armed with the Speda family’s treasured sword. As usual, it ended with me getting thoroughly beaten.
“Still, you lasted quite well. At least better than last time. You definitely have more muscle now.”
She commented while still seemingly unsatisfied, licking her lips. Because I knew I stood no chance, I pretended not to notice, but suddenly she mused bitterly.
“I must admit, I do envy men in that regard. The speed at which muscles develop is just different.”
Muscles are the vessel for aura. The sturdier and larger the vessel, the more aura it can handle. That’s why generally, men have an advantage over women when it comes to wielding swords and other heavy arms.
“I haven’t even fully formed my vessel yet, just forcibly crammed it full. Maybe that’s why I still haven’t reached the level of an expert.”
It was a self-deprecating remark, but to others, it might appear emotionless. However, I could clearly see her frustration, her determination not to lose, and her desire to improve. There was not a trace of jealousy towards her opponent.
Emotions born from a desire for improvement melted into the dignified aura surrounding her, elevating her nobility.
I decided then, even if it meant spending one or two months’ salary, I needed to get it.
The recording marcasite.
That, I had to have.
Pushing aside all distractions, I met Luciana’s eyes.
“…There’s no need to obsess over physical strength and muscles.”
If it were originally the case, Luciana would have realized on her own and reached the realm of an expert.
‘How can I stand by after seeing that?’
I wanted to give her a small hint to help resolve her concerns.
“What do you mean?”
“Although Lady Luciana’s aura is vast, the problem is that you physical condition does not allow you to fully utilize that aura.”
“…Indeed.”
Perhaps because her shortcomings were pointed out, she nodded her head reluctantly. Nevertheless, I continued speaking without care.
“Let’s change our thinking. As per your esteemed opinion, Lady Luciana, there are limits to how much muscle can be increased.”
A protein-based diet. Consistent exercise and training. Techniques and breathing that make it easier to harness the aura. Even if such efforts are made in conjunction, there is a natural limit to how much muscle a human can build.
“Then, why not adjust the aura to fit the body instead?”
“…What?”
Responding willingly to the student’s request for further explanation, I offered, “Let’s assume we put stones in one bowl and only dirt in another. Which one would be filled more seamlessly?”
“You pose a random riddle, but naturally, it would be the latter.”
Exactly that.
To Luciana, who still didn’t understand and sounded bewildered, I smiled knowingly.
“Currently, your aura can be likened to the stones—each with its own shape, making it difficult to neatly fit into the vessel.”
Luciana’s magical powers, tamed by her family’s training methods. However, the techniques of Speda were originally designed with warriors and men in mind, which often misaligned with her use.
Thus, rather than forcibly fitting those stones, there was a need to process them. The next step was the compression of the aura. This was what fundamentally distinguished a sword user, a sword expert, and further a sword master.
“If it’s you, Lady Luciana, you can do it. Imagine breaking the rocks into gravel, and grinding the gravel into dirt.”
“…That’s fascinating. I have heard similar resolutions from my father and various mentors, including the head of the knights, but no one has explained it like you.”
Impressed by Luciana’s gaze, I subtly turned my head away. Nothing more.
I just prettily explained things based on original knowledge, but since I didn’t experience it myself, her sparkling eyes were quite burdensome.
…Still, I felt quite good.
Regardless of the burden, the attention and recognition of my favorite character were always welcome.
“By the way, have you ever studied the theory? How can a beginner in aura explain this?”
“Aha! My father, who had walked the path of aura, told me. It always came with scolding aimed at a dullard!”
I apologize, Baron Byron.
Let’s try to live up to that name as your child.
***
-A sword master, you say? Haha, Lucy, you’re still far off. Well, if you want to know… remember that your aura and mine are fundamentally different.
Her father’s advice was too vague to be of much help.
It must have been just for fun that he responded to the whims of a childish child.
-The sword master is a state I haven’t reached either, but I know at least how to become an expert. How? Through training alone!
The next rugged knight commander she met advised starting by preparing a body that could accept the aura.
It felt like a bit of light was shining on the uncertain path.
However, after many years, she realized it was nearly impossible.
At least ‘for myself’, is all that remains for her now?
For a warrior, this was a great misfortune.
The moment she held the sword, Luciana thought there was no woman or man.
What is gender? There is only the warrior.
Yet, the ideal was far away, where her father stood.
But the reality was just the fringe of a sword user who hadn’t even reached expert level.
This gap was so heavy that it always took a place as a burden in a corner of the heart.
Now too accustomed to this weight, she comforted herself that she was at a higher level than her peers.
-Then conversely, fit the aura to the body…
A solution suddenly pushed by the servant’s mouth.
It was even so clear that it penetrated all the problems she was pondering!
Fueled by this, a fiery passion blazed in Luciana’s heart once more.
After finishing the sparring, the servant had left the arena.
Luciana, who had returned here alone, drew up the aura within her body.
‘From rock to gravel, and further to soil,’
Luciana knew it.
That she harbored a vast aura compared to others.
Support from the family was indeed a factor, but her natural affinity for magical power played a significant role.
However, this was nothing more than superfluous details that could not even be contained within the body.
‘If Hans is right, then an unrefined rock would be suitable.’
To fix her affection on that rock, Luciana took a deep breath.
‘Hoo…’
Breathing is the most basic act in handling aura.
At the same time as awakening the aura throughout her body, she meticulously carved out the sensations felt inside her muscles, reducing their size.
It’s common knowledge that the more magic power clumps together, the more massive power can be quickly and easily drawn out.
But now, going against this, to crush it into something as small as sand grains.
If she said there was no hint of anxiety, it would be a lie.
No professor, nor peer.
Even though they might say to increase the aura, no one had ever advised reducing it.
To make one’s own aura smaller by oneself.
Could it, perhaps, make it weaker instead?
‘…Believe. Isn’t he my servant? It would be foolish not to trust his wisdom.’
Luciana’s blue eyes closed between her eyelids.
How much time had passed, leaning on this infinite trust?
It was about when she could hear the birds chirping, announcing the morning.
She had tried her best but hadn’t yet finished even one arm. However, the magic power had somewhat transformed from rock to gravel-like.
‘What would it feel like to wield this…!?’
Luciana’s eyes suddenly opened wide.
-Uh-oh.
As soon as the thought occurred,
The aura she had been fervently carving shot out of her control towards the muscles of her right arm.
No.
Precisely towards the ancestral sword in her right hand.
Attempting to control it, Luciana swung the sword as if enchanted.
Her right hand extended as if it became the sword.
A subtle and familiar sensation that could only be experienced briefly after intense training and enlightenment.
It felt as if she had become one with the sword.
That illusion turned into a brilliantly shining aura, and was shot outwards from the sword.
-Kaboom!
On one side of the sparring arena, a loud noise and its mark were engraved.
‘Ah…!’
Her waist trembled with an unparalleled sense of accomplishment.
There was not a single falsehood in her father’s advice.
Her aura at that moment was clearly of a completely different nature than what she had been harboring just before.
The majesty shown by Professor Marks.
She had succeeded in mimicking it, albeit modestly.
‘Sword expert…!’
For Luciana, it was a meaningful growth that she had felt for the first time in a long while.
‘With this, if I can just grasp the feeling, I could even perform telepathy. Hehe…!’
Along with that growth,
Luciana also eyed growth in other aspects.
The disappointment towards her servant, who had not heard the voice inside her heart.
It felt as if that issue had been resolved, doubling her joy.
Cliche Novel 