TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 174
The unpaid money is a heavy law.
Even if it’s just 1 Gold, the difference between not receiving it and being unable to receive it was significant.
It wasn’t a matter of good or bad feelings, but the very idea of working for free was simply absurd.
Although I wasn’t in a position to nitpick, considering my reality of working for the Young Lady without charge, I could forgive her because she was beautiful.
After arriving in the Capital City, I handed the Young Lady over to Darbav and headed toward the Academy.
-You’re here. Olivia.
-Father, give me an allowance.
-Are you happier to see money than me?
-Yes.
-You’re honest.
Leaving behind the Young Lady’s allowance negotiations, I departed for the Academy, wearing an awkward smile at the unpleasant memories of the Academy.
-Get lost, you filth of the Academy!
-Never come back here again!
-I never liked that guy from the start.
The memories of the Academy brought a bitter smile. What began with anticipation ended with cold criticism, making it an unwelcome story.
I didn’t think of it as unfair. Since it was something I could understand, I could move past it lightly, but the unpleasant memories still left me with a bitter smile.
“I should have taken all the fortuitous encounters and left.”
It was a slightly misguided regret, though.
How long had I been walking, lost in memories? Night had fallen by the time I realized I had been wandering around the Academy, forgetting my original purpose.
Along the way, I played hide-and-seek with familiar faces.
-Isn’t that Ricardo?
-Why would he come here? No, actually… I hope he does. I’d love to curse him out thoroughly.
-What are you talking about? Oh, but did you hear that rumor? The one about Ricardo fighting a heretic at the banquet hall.
-That was Princess Chartia and Mikhail, wasn’t it? The Student Council officially announced that ages ago.
-Was it?
While avoiding people, time flew by. Since it was already late, I decided to leave it for another time and wandered leisurely around the training grounds. That’s when a familiar voice began to reach my ears.
-How long… how long do you intend to keep this up?
Hanna’s voice came through.
-I cannot acknowledge your talent.
The stubborn voice of The Man followed. I didn’t know why that The Man was here, but I could tell for sure that the atmosphere was unusual.
Holding my breath, I approached the training grounds and witnessed the rare sight of three people standing together.
Mikhail.
Hanna.
Rowen.
I thought I’d never see this combination again, especially Hanna and Rowen.
Because of what happened last time, I thought Rowen’s spirit had been broken, but seeing his unyielding demeanor, I let out a faint sigh and shook my head.
The conversation was taking an unusual turn.
-Malik has refused to take the Head of the Family position.
There’s even talk that the Proprietress has gone mad.
-I still have not acknowledged your sword.
I realized that the stubbornness of the adults hadn’t changed. And neither had Hanna’s clumsy challenges.
-Let’s try it once. A duel between Father’s Disciple and me.
Unintentionally, I came to know about it.
*
The Sword of the Empire did not hide its displeasure.
Perhaps it was because I hadn’t seen the handsome face of The Man in a long time, but I looked at Rowen with a small smile, feeling the envy wrinkling my forehead.
“Why aren’t you answering?”
Taking a gamble on a duel I was sure to lose, I spoke.
Hanna could defeat Mikhail, but the gap between Rowen and me was vast. However, I couldn’t back down because I had to uphold the dignity of a mentor in front of a disciple.
Only then could Hanna find refuge in my shadow. Smiling, I said.
“Is it because I’m a swordsman overflowing with talent in the eyes of the Sword of the Empire?”
“What a crude provocation.”
“Well, I’ve learned a lot of crude things.”
A cold current began to flow.
The chilling air flowed between The Man, who had reached the pinnacle in the field of swords, and the possessor, who knew The Man’s weaknesses all too well.
I was certain.
That The Man would not respond to my provocation.
It was a battle with nothing to gain, and if, by any chance, he lost to me, he stood to lose even more. There was no reason for him to accept such a fight.
While my hunch as a swordsman assured me of victory, his thoughts as the Head of the Family were not so simple.
Smiling faintly at my own provocation, I stared at Rowen, who, in turn, looked at me without saying a word.
Hanna looked at me with wide eyes, as if she had seen her savior, never expecting me to be here.
“Butler…?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
With a small smile, I organized the overheard conversation in my head and spoke to Hanna.
“You’ve stirred up something interesting, haven’t you?”
“I’m sorry… I was just so angry.”
“It’s fine.”
Rowen and Hanna’s discord.
The new Disciple, Mikhail.
And the duel involving Mikhail and Hanna.
It was a ridiculous story.
Especially the final wager.
In the novel, Mikhail becomes Rowen’s Disciple. It wasn’t as Malik’s substitute but as a story where Yuria filled the sorrow of a father who had lost his daughter, naturally leading to Mikhail’s growth.
At first glance, it seemed like a positive development, but looking deeper, it was a laughable tale.
Because the reason for bringing up a disciple was to instill a sense of deprivation in one’s child.
While it was true that Mikhail needed a mentor, this wasn’t the right direction.
There was no guarantee it would last until the end. It would’ve been better for me to teach him as a masked, mysterious mentor.
For these reasons, I thought making Mikhail’s mentor in this way was unreasonable.
I glanced at Mikhail before turning my gaze to Rowen.
“Didn’t I tell you last time? Not to concern yourself with my beloved Disciple.”
“I don’t recall answering that.”
“How petty.”
Rowen frowned as he looked at the Black Sword Blade at my waist.
It seemed he wasn’t pleased that his collection was in my possession.
Startled by the gaze of its original master, I hid the sword behind my back. By now, I had grown too attached to it to return it.
Thinking about it, since it was a sword I had obtained through legitimate means, I calmed my startled heart and moved the Tirbing, which I had hidden behind my back, back to my waist.
Rowen let out an empty laugh, as if he found my actions absurd.
“It’s amazing. That you’re holding that sword without losing your mind… or have you already gone mad?”
Rowen spoke, exuding a chilling mana.
“How strange.”
The weight of the rising mana felt different. It was denser and purer than the mana emitted by the Archbishop.
Rowen’s aura began pressing down on my shoulders.
I shrugged off Rowen’s aura lightly and said, wasn’t he ashamed of himself as an adult?
“Don’t emit killing intent. You’ll scare the Disciple.”
A red aura began to seep from the sword ominously.
The heavy aura settled around the sword, gently enveloping it and starting to erase Rowen’s pressure.
Aura, the greatest turning point that could suffocate a swordsman. As the foundation of a swordsman and the symbol of nothingness, the aura spread like a chilling shadow.
It was the answer I could give and the proof I could provide as a swordsman.
And as Rowen’s sword began to tremble faintly at my aura, which was said to be my greatest strength.
“I believe I am fully qualified to teach.”
“…”
“I also believe that my eye for recognizing the Seed of Talent surpasses that of the Sword of the Empire.”
Rowen gritted his teeth and glared at me.
“You never lose an argument.”
“That’s because I belong to the Desmond Household.”
“…”
Rowen let out a deep sigh and held back his words.
The answer to my question had already been decided, and it was an undeniable reality.
Rowen was the first to withdraw his aura, releasing his hand from the Sword Hilt. In the cold air of the Training Grounds, Mikhail and Hanna shivered.
Among them, Mikhail looked at me with disbelief. His silent scream seemed to say, ‘Is there still this much difference?’ He let out ragged breaths and collapsed onto the ground.
With a Small Smile, I released my grip on the sword, and at that moment, Rowen spoke to me.
“My eyes were not mistaken.”
He spoke while clinging to his Pride.
“I have nurtured and discovered many Knights by recognizing and cultivating the Seed of Talent.”
“…”
“This time will be no different. As it has always been, there will be no exceptions.”
Before Rowen’s words could fully sink in, I turned to Hanna.
“Do you think it’s possible?”
“What do you mean?”
“Mikhail. Do you think you can win against him?”
“I…”
Hanna stopped mid-sentence and looked at me, as if seeking an answer.
“What about you, Butler?”
With a Small Smile, I answered Hanna.
“My eyes are special.”
Smiling, I looked at Hanna, who, without hesitation, drew her sword with a ‘Sreung’ and slashed through the Empty Space in a long, horizontal arc.
“If Butler says so, then it must be true…!”
Mikhail also drew his sword, releasing his Aura.
The bright light of the Aura wrapped around Mikhail’s hand, signaling the Battle Bell, and Mikhail exhaled calmly before speaking.
“I surrender. As I am now, I cannot defeat Hanna.”
Looking at Rowen, I smiled.
“It seems I’ve won, hasn’t it?”