Chapter 130
Even if one is born with talent, if there's no support to nurture it, that talent can become nothing but poison.
Lorraine was a genius. No, to call her merely a genius would be an understatement. Her talent for Swordsmanship was so brilliant, it could only be described as overwhelming.
It was for this reason that no one doubted she would become a Knight or a Sword Master of high caliber. However, the problem lay in her family circumstances.
"Money to live on..."
When she was young, war had not yet broken out. However, countless greedy merchants would 'force' Commoners to borrow money, then use this to plunge them into immense debt. Lorraine's Family, too, was dependent on “work provided by merchants” to survive. Inevitably, they accumulated massive debts, forcing Lorraine to dedicate herself to labor instead of Swordsmanship.
Everyone lived this way, and it was considered normal at the time. Lorraine worked diligently without complaint. The problem, however, was that the merchant who lent money to Lorraine's parents incurred debt due to reckless business investments.
*Because of that, the interest rates soared even higher.*
Lorraine's Family, unable to repay the debt, were sold into slavery and scattered immediately.
About a year later, she heard the news: all her family members, except for her younger brother, had died, unable to endure the harsh labor.
*****
"...Lorraine?"
Lorraine's expression softened as she looked at the heavily wounded Young Master. The sight of her Master, so injured, whom she had sworn to protect for life, an innocent child resembling her younger brother... it reminded her of her brother, sick and awaiting his death.
As that memory flashed through her mind, her emotions surged, and her lips trembled slightly. ...But just as she had felt back then, she was grateful he was alive, and she spoke to the Young Master.
"Young Master. When I give the signal, please run back."
At her suggestion, the Young Master shook his head, insisting they fight together. However, there was no way to defeat a Master, an Anomaly who could defy all common sense, except with another Master. Not wanting him to get hurt, she shook her head and refused.
"No, you mustn't."
"...But."
She gently pushed the Young Master, who was hesitating and refusing, then looked at the Sword Master observing them. He exuded the same cruelly sharp aura she remembered from long ago, and she offered a greeting.
"It's been a while, Master."
"...Lorraine, you were his Disciple."
"Yes. His Disciple, and my precious Young Master."
"Hmph."
A short sigh. It seemed her Master was not pleased with the prospect of having to kill his Disciple, as he grimaced and spoke.
"Step aside. If you do, I will spare you."
"..."
She offered no reply, merely presenting her sword. Her Master silently froze the surroundings and muttered briefly.
"How *unfortunate*. Truly *unfortunate*."
Then, he unleashed a Blizzard around them and spoke.
"Come at me with all your might. I shall do the same."
"Yes, Master."
She would likely die in this battle. But unlike when she couldn't save her younger brother, she could now save the Young Master, so it wasn't entirely bad. ...Considering it a satisfactory conclusion, she poured all her strength into the fight.
Petals rained down around her. Her power was infinitely lacking compared to her Master's, appearing utterly pathetic next to his Blizzard. Yet, they continued to fall, painting the surroundings in various hues.
"A Highest-grade Expert with an Inner World... You've reached quite an interesting stage."
"..."
"And yet, it's quite peculiar. The Inner World of one who has suffered for so long is usually dark and gloomy. But yours is endlessly vibrant."
In response, she made the flowers bloom even more brilliantly and spoke.
"That's because I have my Young Master."
"...Is that so."
Her Master, too, seemed to have settled his heart through their final exchange, as he unleashed an immense amount of mana, incomparable to before, and gazed at her. Simply facing him was enough to constrict her heart and make it difficult to breathe. Still... still, she closed her eyes, feeling no regret.
*...Lorraine? Is your name Lorraine? But why is this child struggling so much?*
*He's my younger brother... he's sick.*
*Sick?*
*Young Master Damian! You mustn't go near such common folk!*
*Common? What's common? Anyway, Bern, can you heal Lorraine and her brother?*
A flower that never fully bloomed withers and vanishes. But a newly opened bud, carrying the weight of the deceased, blooms even more brilliantly.
*...Lorraine, I'm sorry. Rilelshu and the Clergy said they were too late.*
*Ah, no, *hic*. Young Master. It's alright.*
*I'm truly sorry.*
Thus, that flower became the most precious thing to her. Even if it were to wither for a moment, it would remain the most invaluable thing, irreplaceable by anything else.
And for her, that was the Young Master... no, Damian. Determined to protect him no matter what, she slowly raised her sword and spoke.
"Absolute Heart Blossom."
It was the most brilliant flower to bloom where hope had been severed. To protect this infinitely precious, newly bloomed flower, she poured out everything she had.
*****
I heard the loud sounds from behind me and quickly ran forward.
*What I need to do now is save Pria, then ask the House Karsaril for help.*
Since Lorraine's appearance had already revealed my identity to the Sword Master, my goal was to ask Damian's Father, Dominic Karsaril, for help to save Lorraine.
*As quickly as possible.*
My entire body was covered in blood, and it was quite painful. But perhaps because Lorraine was in danger, urgency overwhelmed the pain. I gasped for breath, trying to see if I could move through Shadow, but...
It seemed the Sword Master had done something; every time I tried to push my body into a Shadow Passage, it kept pushing me back.
So, I figured I had no choice but to move directly to save her, and as I was running down the Passage...
"Damian."
Sinclair blocked my path. He looked at me with a pleasant smile and continued speaking.
"I've been waiting for you to arrive."
"..."
I didn't know why Sinclair was here, but I had no time to worry about it, so I immediately tried to blast through him with an explosion.
"Haha. Unfortunately, I am not your opponent."
It seemed what was in front of me was an illusion; it vanished before the explosion could reach it, disappearing somewhere. I frowned at this, and then someone approached, chuckling eerily.
Wondering who it was, I turned my gaze to the side. A bizarre man with three faces was spewing blood from his mouth and reaching out to me.
*Demonkind? Or human?*
I couldn't fathom its identity. But one thing was certain: I had to get past this guy to move forward, so I gripped my Shadow Mace and took a deep breath.
*The good thing is, it's not Master-grade.*
If an Archmage had suddenly appeared, I would have been in an impossible situation. Fortunately, it didn't seem to be Archmage-level, so I judged that the worst had been avoided. The problem, however, was that the guy walking beside it seemed to have Combat power comparable to mine.
*One problem after another.*
Daisy was unconscious because of that Sword Master. My body, riddled with wounds, wasn't functioning properly; it creaked and shuddered like a rusted machine with every movement. Nothing was normal, making it an utterly hopeless situation.
Still, I didn't think I'd lose to this guy, so I moved quickly.
*The Shadow Passage is sealed, so instantaneous movement or evasion is impossible.*
But I could use other things. I quickly swung my mace and simultaneously unleashed an Origin Explosion, using the recoil to propel myself sideways.
CRASH!
The moment the loud explosion echoed, I immediately used Shadow Thorn to block the opponent's movements. At the same time, I created a Shadow Orb, a skill I'd learned in the past, and unleashed black thorns in all directions.
CRACKLE!
Thorns shot out in all directions, shattering everything around them. Seeing the Shadow Thorns embedded without the slightest gap, I clenched my hand tightly and detonated them.
Instantly, all sound was sucked away, and a massive, snow-white light erupted from the center of the Shadow Thorns. Even this alone could be considered an incredible display of power. Yet, I frowned, thinking its force was infinitely weaker than the Blizzard the Sword Master had used.
*How do you use that?*
Can you use it once you become a Master? Or is there another method? When the three-faced Monster, riddled with holes from the thorns, was flailing its arms, I was pondering this, thinking it felt somewhat similar to the Bombardment of the White Orb that Daisy had used before.
It seemed its vitality was tenacious, as it hadn't died. As I watched, the three-faced Monster rapidly regenerated its body and chuckled.
It seemed to imply that this much wouldn't kill it, so I resigned myself to repeating what I had just done and spoke.
"Then I'll just keep going."
"...!"
"From what I can tell, regeneration has its limits."
Regardless of regeneration or anything else, a mind usually can't endure that much pain continuously. So, I decided to let it enjoy its suffering for now. I patted my limping foot a few times, then moved towards where I could feel the Shadow I had placed on Pria.