Chapter 32: Reunion (2)

Chapter 32: Reunion (2)

"It's one of the rare strokes of luck in the world. Remember it well. You'll be able to rise to places that are even beyond sight in an instant."

Her night-black hair, pale skin, and prominent nose caught the eye. Navirose whispered her name softly.

"Adeshan."

"Yes. By the way, I really can't feel any mana from him. Is his innate mana really so weak?"

"It's even worse. You managed to reach the level of a Sword User, somehow, but not even a single drop of mana can be felt from that child."

"That's... Is that even possible...?"

Adeshan watched Ronan's spear technique as if she was possessed. His movements flowed seamlessly, without a hint of superfluousness.

After demonstrating the Imperial Spear Art, Ronan picked up his shield and short sword. Adeshan muttered to herself.

"If I keep trying, could I eventually... become like that?"

Navirose didn't answer. The silence was as harsh as reality. However, Adeshan paid no mind to such things and continued to gaze at Ronan with admiration. It wasn't long before Ronan's demonstration concluded.

"Phew... I'm done."

Ronan let the mace drop to the ground. After a moment of silence, applause rang out among the seniors.

Clap! Clap!

The applause that grew louder and more numerous gradually filled the entire arena. Someone shouted.

"Impressive, Junior!"

Praise for Ronan followed sporadically. But none of it reached Ronan's ears. The heat radiating from his body dulled his senses.

"Ugh, damn, it's so hot."

Even though he was only slashing through the air repeatedly, sweat poured down as if it were no joke. He had long since undone his jacket and loosened his tie.

Ronan lifted the hem of his shirt to wipe the sweat from his face. His well-defined abs, reminiscent of a beast's, were faintly visible. Some of the female students whispered as they covered their mouths.

"Does he have a girlfriend? I should take Professor Navirose classes more from now on."

"Damn, He's so hot. Should I ask him out?"

Ronan wiped away all the sweat before raising his head. When his eyes met Navirose's, she nodded as if acknowledging his efforts. At that moment, someone approached with a towel.

"Um, there. I saw everything. There was not a single mistake in the end."

"Oh, really. Thank you."

"If it's okay with you, I'd like to receive some guidance some time. My name is..."

"I'm Ronan."

Ronan grabbed the towel. It was the moment to express gratitude and say farewell. Facing a girl taller than himself, Ronan stiffened like a rock.

"General?"

"Huh? General... What did you say?"

The towel fell to the ground. Adeshan chuckled in embarrassment. Although sweat trickled down his forehead and gathered at the tip of his chin, Ronan stared at her face without blinking. Eventually, his mouth opened.

"Adeshan."

"Hu...huh? You know my name?"

Adeshan's eyes widened. Her expression changed slightly, but her face remained largely unchanged. Ronan picked up the towel and wiped his face.

Ronan considered himself lucky to be sweating so profusely. He thought that a single drop of liquid, not sweat, from his eyes could go unnoticed.

****

Navirose's class mainly consisted of sparring. After a brief theory session and a demonstration of swordsmanship, students were paired up to engage in practice bouts.

Today, Navirose taught the "1-Second Stance" of the Navirose style. It was a technique that involved coiling the black sword like a snake, making it difficult for the opponent to react effectively.

Normally, Ronan would have watched with burning enthusiasm and followed along. However, today, he couldn't get into the rhythm of the lesson. He was thinking about the young general who had given him a towel before.

There are people you can't forget no matter how hard you try. Having experienced death once, Ronan understood that fact.

His beloved sister was one of them, and the disciplinary unit soldiers who used to laugh together every night were as well. The General who handed over the future at the last moment was also one of those people.

Since receiving the towel, Ronan had stood at the same place for quite some time. Adeshan stared at him strangely before responding to Navirose's call and rushing off.

'There's something wrong... the atmosphere feels very different.'

Ronan recalled the appearance of Adeshan from his previous life. The youngest Imperial General, the Duke of Acalusia, could not be found with even a trace of vulnerability.

'If someone tells me that iron flowed through her veins instead of blood, I'd believe it.'

The Adeshan Ronan knew was an extremely rational and composed individual. She sent most of the remaining Imperial Knight Order and other troops as an escort for the disciplinary unit during the battle with Ahayute, and that alone was evidence enough.

Emotions were never revealed, and she wouldn't hesitate to use any means necessary to achieve her goals. She had opened her heart during their last moments together, but even then, there was no sign of vulnerability in her role as the General.

However, now her expressions were richer, and somehow, she seemed less mature.

Nasdo, who had been practicing swordsmanship alone, shouted.

"Assistant Adeshan! Could you take a look at my posture?"

"Oh... I'll be there in a moment!"

Adeshan rushed over, holding a stack of documents. She was assisting Navirose .

Nasdo demonstrated swordsmanship by thrusting his rapier into the air. Adeshan carefully analyzed his posture and then offered some corrections.

"Um... overall, it's fine, but you're putting a bit too much strength into your left thigh. Try reducing the output of your core by about 20% and shift your center of gravity forward to the right?"

"Ah, that's much better. Thank you."

Nasdo expressed his gratitude. Adeshan left a kind smile and went to observe another student's posture. Ronan furrowed his brows at her meticulous and gentle manner.

He couldn't reconcile her current appearance with her appearance from his previous life. Then a question occurred to him. How many lifetimes has the present Adeshan lived?

'Could it be her first or third life...,'

He couldn't know the effects of the bead exactly. However, judging by her appearance now, it seemed clear to anyone that she was living her first life. The smile Adeshan showed wasn't the expression of someone worn down by the storms of multiple lives.

'Could it be her fourth life? No, if that's the case, she must have been living by cutting fabric or something. In that case, did the General I knew die there? Damn, what exactly happened?

His questions became increasingly overwhelming, making his head spin. Just then, a voice came from behind.

"Hey, newcomer. I saw your demonstration just now. It was quite intimidating, huh?"

Ronan turned his head. A tall and sturdy-looking young man was standing there. He pointed to Braun and Nasdo, who were swinging a greatsword and rapier with great effort.

"I've heard rumors. You completely crushed those two ruffians, didn't you?"

"Yes?"

"At the entrance ceremony. Didn't you take care of that big, useless oaf and that guy who looks as dull as his weapon?"

He was not wearing his tie, so his grade wasn't clear. However, seeing him belittle Braun and Nasdo made it seem like he was a higher-ranking student.

It was a bit annoying to see him address the two who were still novices so disrespectfully, but he thought it might be due to familiarity. The young man extended his hand.

"I'm Karudan Oun. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Ronan."

"To be honest, when I saw you, I felt a bit of self-doubt. How can you handle different types of weapons so perfectly?"

"I just did what I learned."

Karudan continued to praise Ronan. It felt somewhat excessive or condescending, but Ronan let it slide.

There's no reason to dislike someone who likes you. Karudan twirled his spear and spoke.

"Would you like to have a duel with me? I want to learn a thing or two from a promising junior."

"Sure. Are we doing it right here?"

"No. Just wait a moment. Hey! Adeshan!"

"Uh, yes?!"

Karudan shouted. Adeshan, who had hurried over, stopped in front of the two. Karudan spoke irritably.

"Seriously, you're so slow. Go and get my spear."

"Spear? But the one you're holding right now is..."

"You idiot, you should understand when I hint. I'm talking about the long spear and the short spear. Go quickly and fetch them."

"Ah, yes!"

Adeshan turned and rushed away. Karudan grumbled about her frustration. Ronan frowned as he observed how Karudan treated her like a subordinate rather than an assistant.

"Why didn't you just ask her to bring them when you called her?"

"Huh? Ahaha, you must have been a bit surprised. Sorry. I just can't stand people like her who try to enjoy privileges in fields where they lack skills."

Karudan pointed to Adeshan, who was searching for the spear. He explained that she wasn't qualified to attend Navirose's class of 'Advanced Practical Swordsmanship.' He said she was shamelessly taking the class despite still being at the level of a sword user.

"Why do they let her take the class?"

"Stop talking. Can't you see how despicable it is for someone who's not even an official student to request privileges? Our grade knows all about it. It was the overwhelmed Navirose who allowed her in as an assistant."

In short, Adeshan wanted to take the class of the renowned swordmaster Navirose , but she didn't meet the requirements. So, she asked to become an assistant by showcasing her keen observation and meticulousness, and Navirose accepted.

What's the problem? Ronan asked.

"She must have had some potential that made Navirose allow it, right? Just now, it seemed like she was quite capable as an assistant."

"Well, are you into a girl who looks like a mix of everything? This is shocking. Although her face is not bad, your taste seems a bit... "

"Karudan! Here's the spear..."

Just then, Adeshan, holding the short spear, arrived and stopped in front of the two. A few drops of sweat were trickling down her pale cheeks. Karudan lightly tapped Adeshan's forehead and said.

"Don't be so slow... Even if you're not capable, you should do your assistant duties properly. Originally, you're not even qualified to take the class."

"Please, stop... Karudan."

"You should call me 'senior.' Hmm? I'm a third-year student now. Address me as an upperclassman."

Karudan didn't stop. Ronan looked around. Navirose was talking to Shullifen in the corner. Some seniors were glancing at them, but no one was intervening, just watching.

"This is ridiculous."

Ronan twisted his lips. His frustration was boiling over, and he couldn't take it anymore. He placed his hand on Karudan's shoulder, who was mocking Adeshan.

"Let's have our duel then. I can't stand watching this anymore."

"Oh? Sure thing. But why the sudden change in your tone? What you mean by 'Can't stand watching this anymore'?'"

"Well, you don't need to know. Just get ready quickly. Is it okay here?"

The floor of Arena 1 was marked with long, spacious rectangles. They were designated areas to ensure that different groups wouldn't overlap during their duels.

Ronan walked to one end of a nearby rectangle and stood there. Karudan, who had taken the short spear from Adeshan, positioned himself at the opposite end. Seeing Ronan's expression, Karudan muttered irritably.

"You don't seem to have the kind of look that you'd show to a senior. What's bothering you so much, junior?"

"Just shut up, and I'm glad this is Philleon."

"What are you suddenly talking about? And did you just use informal speech?"

"Yeah. Screw you."

The rectangles illuminated brightly, signaling the start of the duel. Ronan dashed forward as if shot out, grasping the hilt of his sword