Chapter 3

EP.3 Regression-3

"...What... What is that...? Miss?"

At her words, Ariasfil felt a sense of frustration.

If Jihard, the guardian knight and guide, didn't know, it was only natural that Ariasfil herself wouldn't know.

She had never heard of or seen such a mana training method.

'...But... the principle...'

However, she calmly observed the boy's sword technique and mana, starting to analyze the principle behind it.

"...He's splitting mana particles."

"Huh?"

"He's splitting the mana particles around him... and absorbing them into his body."

"...How... is that possible..."

At this unsatisfactory answer, Ariasfil felt a deep resentment rising in her throat.

"...Well... I'll try talking to him first."

"No, Miss! I'll go first!"

Without waiting for permission, Jihard ran to where Leo was.

Even the young Ariasfil could tell that his hasty action was an attempt to make up for his incompetence.

***

Running up, Jihard approached Leo, who was training, and said,

"Hey."

"...Huff...!"

But Leo only swung his sword.

"Hey!"

"Ha...!"

There was still no response.

"Hey!!"

"...Huff... sigh..."

After being called three times in a row, Leo seemed to give up and stopped his training.

"What is it?"

"There's a distinguished guest looking for you. Come with me quickly."

"No."

"...What?!"

At the same time as his refusal, Leo swung his sword again.

[Can you not go?]

The sage, standing beside him, scratched his beard and asked.

Leo whispered in a small voice, answering him.

"It's fine. If it's a truly distinguished guest, they'll come themselves."

[That's true, but...]

"Besides, do you need to hide, Sage?"

[It's fine. I can only see those who possess the sage's stone.]

No wonder he was so confident. It must be because of that. How convenient.

[But that guy, from his appearance, doesn't seem to be an ordinary knight.]

Indeed, Jihard's attire resembled that of an upper-class noble. His clean and neat armor and decorated sword boasted the status of the family he belonged to.

'Jihard, he used to be Ariasfil's guardian knight.'

Leo also remembered him.

A knight who was fired from the family due to his mediocre skills and unnecessary pride.

"You brat! How dare you talk about safety!"

"Whether they are noble or common, it's polite for a guest to come in person. Tell them to come themselves."

Considering the territorial behavior he displayed when she became a noble, this was a rather gentlemanly refusal.

"That person is so distinguished that you can't even imagine. Can't you come quickly?!"

Jihard tried to grab Leo's arm. He probably intended to use force to intimidate him.

Pak!

"Kyaah!!"

"Take your hand off."

Holding his arm in reverse, Leo glared at him.

[In which country is it customary to tell someone to take their hand off while squeezing their arm?]

Ah, that's true.

Leo let go of the hand he was holding, following the sage's advice.

"...W...What...! This brat has no sense of propriety!!"

Unable to bear the humiliation, Jihard drew his sword from its scabbard.

"Stop it. Jihard."

Ariasfil, who could no longer stand by, stopped him.

"M...Miss?"

"Put your sword away."

"B...But..."

"Put your sword away."

At her words, Jihard sighed deeply and put his sword away.

"The guardian knight was rude. I apologize."

At her apology, Jihard's mouth opened wide. She had only seen Ariasfil apologize a few times in all the years she had served her.

"I understand. I also made a mistake by not going right away."

"You brat...! If Miss apologizes...!"

Ariasfil glared sharply at Jihard's shout.

"Don't interfere, Jihard."

"...Y...Yes, Miss."

[Why has that guy been losing his cool since the beginning?]

That's what I'm saying. If you don't have skills, at least have a good personality.

"So, why did you come? It's getting late."

"Fight me again. Properly."

She grabbed the long sword in its scabbard. It was a promise that she wouldn't be careless like the first time they met.

"...Sorry, but I have to refuse for now."

Her eyes narrowed sharply.

"...Why are you refusing?"

"It takes time to adapt to a new training method. I don't want to spar until I perfect it."

At her words, her interest shifted from the sparring to Leo's training method.

"The mana training method you were using earlier?"

"Yeah, that one."

"It's an interesting training method. Splitting mana particles and absorbing them through the skin, right?"

Her mouth opened wide at the correct answer that came out naturally.

[It's definitely enviable. He figured it out right away.]

So, that's what a true genius is.

"I haven't been doing the mana training method for long, so I'm not used to it. I haven't even formed a core in my body yet."

"...What? No core...?"

Ariasfil couldn't believe it.

How could he move so quickly without a mana core?

"It just happened. I created this training method after fighting you."

[You seem to have left out the part about a great teacher teaching you?]

Mentioning a dead person would make the atmosphere suddenly cold.

"...So, I can't fight right now. It would be better for you to fight a properly trained opponent."

"That's true, but when exactly can we fight?"

Her expression became a bit gloomy at his refusal. She was still a child, after all.

"When are you leaving?"

"I have to leave in a week at the latest."

"Then let's fight then. On the last day. That should be fine, right?"

At Leo's suggestion, she nodded.

"Alright. I'll come then."

"Sure. It's getting late, so go now."

"No, before that."

Before leaving, Ariasfil asked one last question. This might be the most important part.

"What's your name?"

"...Huh? You don't know?"

"You just came and asked to spar without introducing yourself."

Was the ghost's gaze beside her becoming cold out of exasperation?

[Brat, you're always the same, whether then or now. Even when you were breaking the guardian of someone else's house.]

No, it's not just a feeling.

"Um...! My name is Leonardo."

"Don't be arrogant and tell me your last name. Who do you think you are?"

Why is that guy losing his cool again?

[At this point, isn't he more of a thug than a guardian knight?]

The ghost thug should also hear the guardian thug.

Ah, what a waste.

"How can I tell you a last name I don't have?"

"You don't have a last name?"

"My father is gone, so I don't have a last name."

[What about your mother's side?]

My mother's side didn't pass on a last name. It's not something to be proud of.

"So, I'm just Leonardo. Don't add anything if you're not going to make me a fake father."

"...Alright, I understand."

She said this and walked away from the inn.

"...I didn't introduce myself. I'm Ariasfil Reinhardt."

She said this, looking back briefly.

"A...! Miss! Mentioning your last name here..."

Even as he said this, Jihard glanced at Leonardo.

He was curious to see how arrogantly this brat would act in front of the hero family.

"Oh, right. Reinhardt, be careful on your way back."

But that surprised him. It was more than 10 years ago.

At her words, Jihard was speechless and dumbfounded. Ariasfil continued on her way without a care.

[She's gone. But Reinhardt? The hero family?]

"Yes, it's the hero family."

[No wonder he reminded me of that brat Ruben. He's a descendant.]

"Huh?"

Ruben Reinhardt, the name of the first hero, 300 years ago.

Could that mean...

[Ah, I didn't tell you? That brat Ruben also learned magic from me. He was quite smart.]

"...Ah..."

The teacher Leo served was an even more remarkable person than he thought.

[Only now are you showing respect to this sage? Of course! I am a living legend and a natural monument...!]

"...How can a person live for 300 years as a sage?"

How could that be possible for a human?

He was truly remarkable.

[He's really annoying.]

Unfortunately, he couldn't kill him.

***

It was strange.

When she first met him, he was just an ordinary mercenary.

At best, a second-rate talent, and at worst, a third-rate one.

But his eyes changed in an instant.

She had seen that look before.

'Grandfather...'

Her grandfather.

Marken Reinhardt's eyes were similar.

Usually, he exuded a gentle aura like flowing water, but when he held a sword, he resembled a demon.

The eyes of a demon, and at a similar age, this boy had reached that level.

'...He definitely said he didn't have a mana core or a last name...'

He was clearly a nameless mercenary. What interested her was his outstanding skill, regardless of his background or lineage.

Without any wealth, without any environment,

without any family, without any teacher,

Leonardo had reached that level.

In terms of talent alone, he might surpass even herself, who was called a genius.

What was more concerning was,

"...Why...?"

The fact that her heart raced whenever she thought about that boy.

A feeling she had never experienced before, a burning and heart-pounding emotion that made her feel that her entire life had been dull.

'...Should I ask Jihard...?'

She immediately dismissed the thought. As always, Jihard was the least reliable knight she knew.

'Then what should I do?'

She had no idea how to handle this new emotion.

"..."

Her footsteps were already outside the door. She carefully left the inn, even silencing her steps with mana.

'...Why am I doing this?'

This was her first time acting out of character.

But why?

'My heart is racing...!'

The closer she got to the boy, the faster her heart beat.

Whoosh!

The closer she got, the louder the wind sounded.

It was definitely the sound of Leonardo swinging his sword.

"Hey! Old man!!"

Behind that, she could hear Leonardo's voice.

Whoosh!! Bang!!

"Even a dog wouldn't touch food during a meal!!"

Leonardo was swinging his sword wildly in the air, as if he were insane.

"Are you showing off your insides because you have nothing to do during meals?!"

While spouting incomprehensible words, he was turning the surroundings into a mess with his sword.

"Why do I have to see your insides?! You've already thrown up all the meat you bought with money you don't have!!"

Despite his explosive anger, what was remarkable was that he maintained his mana training even while doing this.

"If you want to show off so much, why don't you split me in half!? Master!!"

As he shouted, mana began to gather on Leonardo's sword. The compressed mana cut horizontally.

Boom!!

The giant tree in front of him was cut down in one stroke.

"...Huh?"

As the tree was cut, it fell towards Ariasfil.

'Hurry...!'

She tried to draw her sword, but...

'No sword?!'

In her haste, she had forgotten to bring her sword.

Thud!!

The tree trunk fell, raising a cloud of dust.

"...Wh...What...?"

Ariasfil couldn't react properly. Even a genius would find it difficult to respond without a weapon or proper stance.

But she wasn't hurt.

"...Are you okay?"

Leo had protected her with his arms, avoiding the falling tree.

'Thump... thump... thump, thump, thump...!'

Suddenly,

her heart began to race.

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