Chapter 220: Reminiscence (4)

༺ Reminiscence (4) ༻

1.

The one-sided sparring session that could hardly even qualify as training came to an end.

Eloa returned to the hotel where she was staying.

She had plans to meet Branch Manager Sua later in the afternoon, but since the training was finished earlier than she expected, she had some free time.

As she relaxed in the lounge with a cup of coffee in her hand, she reflected on today's events.

Originally, it was her suggestion to teach Siwoo how to master the Myriad Weapons Mastery Covenant.

There were two underlying reasons why she did so.

First, just like she openly admitted, it was a way for her to keep an eye on him, ensuring his safety while waiting for any potential meddling from Ea.

Second, the other reason she didn't explicitly say...

She hoped, maybe, by watching him, that she could catch a glimpse of Ravi's wonderful swordsmanship, something that she couldn't even dream to see anymore.

This was her only hope to reminisce about her dear apprentice.

"..."

However, even that slight hope took a disappointingly bleak turn.

The Myriad Weapons Mastery Covenant was undoubtedly one of the most useful self-essence magic for close combat.

It would guide its user to move their body and handle any weapons they wielded effectively.

But, it was similar to when one assigned a high-end bike to a regular rider and threw them to a race. It still wouldn't make the playing field even.

His moves just couldn't measure up to Ravi's skills.

And so, Eloa's hopes to see her dear apprentice's beautiful swordplay was completely crushed.

"It's a shame."

She knew that Siwoo wasn't to blame.

And she wasn't blaming him at all.

If anything, she was just disappointed in herself for getting too hopeful about this.

"Is something the matter?"

Sitting down across from her, Branch Manager Sua called out to her after hearing her muttering to herself.

Despite the Branch Manager's frantic schedule to cover up the recent incident, she appeared unruffled, maintaining her usual elegance.

Her hanbok looked ancient, yet it was adorned with vibrant colors.

With her presence alone, the hotel lounge was dyed in an old-school atmosphere.

"You're early."

"This subject wouldn't dare keep Your Ladyship waiting."

Sua responded with a graceful smile.

She rarely spoke in such a playful tone, so it was clear that she was in a good mood.

"I heard that you've taken a new apprentice, Your Ladyship."

"He's hardly an apprentice of mine. I'm just giving him some pointers."

"Yet, you've already checked his identity and background, and you even taught him martial arts. Your Ladyship, essentially, he is already your apprentice."

"You're in a good mood today aren't you, Ms. Sua?"

Looking at Tiphereth's flustered expression, Sua let out a grin.

She had been observing this Duchess from a distance for a long time now.

After she lost her apprentice, she basically threw everything away and focused on trying to seek revenge.

And when the target for her vengeance disappeared, Sua saw how the pink-haired Duchess in front of her fell apart, drowning in emptiness and deep feeling of denial.

Now seeing that her old friend finally let go of the notion of revenge and made a new connection, it wasn't strange that she felt happy for her.

Tiphereth took a sip of her coffee, wearing a bitter smile while she looked at the smiling Sua.

"Still, what were you disappointed about, Your Ladyship?"

"...Actually..."

Tiphereth then casually recounted her sparring session with Siwoo.

"His determination was impressive. No matter how many times he fell, he always tried to get back up...but it's hard to tell how long that'll last. I'm not even sure if his stubbornness will work in his favor at all."

"Hmm..."

Sua thoughtfully let out a frown.

Though her close friend only spoke casually, she could sense the underlying emotions between her words.

Having lost both her apprentice and target for revenge, Eloa seemed to project her emptiness onto Shin Siwoo, the new guy.

Sua suspected that by offering to teach Siwoo, Eloa was trying to look for traces of Ravi in him.

"Perhaps it's best if you stop for his sake. Trying to catch two rabbits at once usually means you won't catch either."

"Ms. Sua..."

Then, she comforted Eloa with her soothing voice.

"Not everyone is born with the overflowing blessing of martial arts like you, Your Ladyship."

"But..."

"If you allow this subject to be so bold... Your Ladyship, are you perhaps trying to find a place to rest? Is that why you proposed to teach him martial arts?"

She carefully avoided bringing up Ravi directly.

Eloa was the strongest person she knew, but she was also the most fragile.

And she was well aware of the state Eloa was in after observing the latter wielding her sword without taking on a new apprentice while disregarding her own life.

She was like a cracked porcelain vase, ready to shatter at the slightest touch.

"I don't deserve to rest."

Eloa firmly replied to Sua's cautious words.

She wasn't blaming Sua.

Rather, she was just being hard on herself as she was still unable to forgive her own past mistakes.

"Even animals needed a breather, Your Ladyship. To achieve your goals—"

"Ms. Sua, I have no goals left."

Eloa said in a weary voice.

This was a new vulnerability, the one that Sua had never witnessed.

It sent a shiver down her spine.

The air even turned chilly out of a sudden.

Using her extensive experience as a reference, Sua quickly sensed what kind of thoughts were brewing in her close friend's mind.

She was contemplating ending her own life.

Suicide.

There were perhaps only two reasons that held her back from actually doing it.

First, because she wasn't sure whether Ea Sadalmelik was alive or dead.

Second, because she was still in the middle of hunting down the Red Knight.

"Your Ladyship, this subject suggests that you give it a little more time...just observe him for a bit longer..."

"What do you mean?"

"A single sparring session may not be enough to judge his potential. Some people are late bloomers, after all. Of course, this subject doesn't dare to suggest that your judgment is wrong..."

The Branch Manager, usually calm and collective, suddenly came to a sudden halt.

It was not because she was interrupted.

Rather, the feeling that her close friend was about to take her own life made her breath stuck in her throat.

"...I get what you're saying."

Eloa nodded, though her expression didn't show much change.

It was clear that she was only saying it because she saw Sua's pale expression, and she didn't really agree to her words.

"That aside, any news about the Red Knight?"

"Considering the White Knight Your Ladyship faced, and the whole incident in general...it seems likely that it teamed up with a Criminal Exile. The prime suspect is, as expected, the Cowardly Witch..."

"I see. Let me know if you make any progress in the matter, please."

Watching Eloa rise from her seat, Sua called out to her.

"Tiphereth."

Eloa, who had paused for a moment, slowly turned around.

It had been so long since Sua had seen her close friend's smile. In fact, she couldn't even remember when was the last time she saw it.

"What is it?"

Before it was too late, she felt an urgent need to convey her feelings toward her close friend in front of her.

"...Thank you for your willingness to befriend this subject. I ask for your continued help in the future."

"Why are you saying such awkward things, Ms. Sua...?"

Eloa let out a bitter smile before heading back to her room.

2.

Sharon stayed up all night examining the brand that Siwoo had penetrated with his overwhelming mana.

Sitting comfortably, she created a four-element array and closed her eyes, concentrating on her Ain.

Before she realized it, she already delved into the intricacies of her brand, continuously studying its condition.

And she discovered something truly surprising.

Thin strands of mana flowed through the three strokes that were once completely dysfunctional due to the incomplete inheritance.

Although she couldn't control them with her current abilities, the mere fact that those strokes had become responsive was already a miracle.

To put it in another term, it was like one's toe that was on the verge of decay and falling off, suddenly regenerated.

Even though she was clearly witnessing this with her own eyes, she still couldn't believe that this was happening.

"Phew..."

But, even though she put in her best efforts, she still couldn't absorb the knowledge within the brand and analyze it.

Nevertheless, she didn't let disappointment set in.

Compared to her previous futile attempts, the fact that she could make any progress at all was already a significant breakthrough.

She opened her eyes and headed towards the living room. There, she found Siwoo sprawling out on the couch, as if he had just run a marathon.

"Huh? When did you get back?"

"Around...half an hour...ago..."

Siwoo, who had been tumbling around for a couple of hours, looked like a soggy noodle that fell onto the floor.

It made Sharon wonder how exactly he managed to crawl back home.

"Does it hurt that bad?"

"No...I'm just...tired..."

Even though he was being tossed around like a ragdoll, it was true that he wasn't actually hurt anywhere.

Since he was the one who volunteered and took the first swing, he refused to back down, even though it felt like he was being turned into a squished sandwich.

"How was it?"

"What?"

"The Duchess...how was she?"

"Tough. Can't even touch her..."

"Well, that isn't a surprise. There's no way you could do it on your first run."

It felt like he got schooled by a pro in a hardcore video game.

The only difference was that instead of saying something like, 'Git gud', she pointed out which parts that he needed to fix.

But, even though all of her advice sounded simple, they were deceptively hard.

When he tried to follow them, he ended up fumbling over everything and failing.

"Oh my~ Having a hard time, aren't you~? Fine, let me cheer you up a little~"

"Ew, don't touch me! I'm all sweaty!"

"So?"

Stumbling forward, she pulled him into a tight embrace.

His body was reeked with sweat to the point that his hair was drenched. It wasn't a surprise if Sharon found it uncomfortable.

Yet she didn't.

If anything, she embraced him a little bit too tightly, to the point that his aching limbs were screaming.

His sore muscles overwhelmed any other feelings that he should have.

Then again, even pro fighters would turn into jelly after a proper spar, yet Siwoo kept going with his relentless endurance, relying solely on his spirit body's durability.

"I'll give you a wash."

"Can't you just use a spell instead...?"

"Nope! I want to do it myself!"

Smirking playfully, she used telekinesis to lift his body.

Then, she gently placed him in the bathtub. While he was still floating, she undressed him.

"Yahoo~"

"I can take my own clothes..."

"No, no, just stay still!"

Even though he was grumbling, he still obediently raised his arms.

As Sharon peeled his shirt away, his well-defined upper body under the damp clothes was revealed.

At the sight, she found herself involuntarily gulped.

This wasn't the bulky physique of someone who had only been lifting weights in his whole life, but the physique of someone who was trained in combat.

The interaction between his spirit body that kept him in his peak state, and his natural male physique, created a form that reminded her of a Greek statue.

His sweat enhanced his masculinity.

Typically, sweat had an unpleasant odor.

But his sweat in particular, didn't seem to be the case.

If anything, smelling them made her heart race.

'Is it because of the pheromones?'

Memories of Siwoo slamming her against the fridge before sparring with the Duchess came rushing back.

His rough voice and behavior made her feel helpless, amplifying her lust.

As those memories resurfaced, it felt like her body had become a furnace, fueled by desire.

"I-I'll take off your pants too!"

"No, I'll do it..."

"I told you already! Just let me do it! Aren't you tired?"

"Yes, but letting you do it will make my mind even more exhausted than my body..."

After a bit of back and forth, Sharon ended up coming out on top in her playfully stubborn tussle with Siwoo.

With a triumphant yet flustered expression, she skillfully removed his pants and underwear.

This made Siwoo have a flashback of his days as a slave as he glanced at Sharon sheepishly.

From the atmosphere she exuded, he could tell what exactly was in her mind.

"Sharon, I'm tired..."

Without even bothering to answer him, Sharon already ditched her shirt.

Then, she swiftly stripped her dolphin pants, revealing her white thighs and the underwear that covered her pubic area.

After all that, she slipped into the spacious bathtub.

Siwoo swore that he'd doze off the moment he had the chance to, but seeing her naked body like this, his lower body reacted promptly.

"You can leave it all to me then... I told you I'd cheer you up..."

"W-Wait—!"

She dismissed his words again as she nestled her body against Siwoo's sweaty body.

At this moment, the thoughts of trying to restore her brand through sex left her mind.

All she wanted was a good and comforting hug from him.