Chapter 27
Seria's days had recently come to have a clear division between light and shadow.
Her life had never known a time when light and darkness were so sharply defined. Until then, her daily life had been shrouded in shadow all day.
They were dull, ash-gray days. She swung her sword, ate, and attended lectures. She did nothing but endure, day after day, each one no different from the day before, and think only of the sword.
But things had changed lately. A “light” had gradually begun to appear in her daily life.
It was warm, as though memories of those moments were slowly seeping into her heart.
Like rainwater soaking into rock, it was a change she failed to notice at first.
Yet at some point, she began to look forward to the time she spent with a certain man. Like a domesticated animal waiting for the person with whom it had bonded.
Human beings were no different from animals in their basic behavioral drives. They pursued happiness and avoided pain. Seria was no exception.
Recently, Seria was happy when she was with Ian, and generally unhappy when she was not.
Countless people mocked and scorned her. It would have been fortunate if things ended there, but the curses about her mother and the subtle harassment were steadily gnawing away at her mind.
No matter how little she cared about others' opinions, this could not be helped. Seria had been unable to trust anyone from the moment she was born. Even so, she was still human, a social animal, and in one corner of her heart she always harbored loneliness and a desire for recognition.
She had thought she was already accustomed to jealous ostracism and the like, but that had been arrogance.
Once an atmosphere of openly mocking and harassing her had taken shape, the abuse and criticism began at a level she could never have imagined before. Even so, insulting someone's family had been considered a kind of taboo—but even that had now been broken.
Even though they must have known how deeply those words would wound her.
Before anyone could question such an atmosphere, a large number of students had already become entangled in it. Humans were social animals, after all. It was also easy to justify something done as a group.
In addition, Seria had recently lost much of her pride in her own abilities.
Until then, Seria had rarely experienced failure. She had suffered painful defeats every time against the half-sister she most wanted to beat, but in every other situation, her talent and effort had generally always won out.
But what about Seria these days?
She had lost without landing even a single blow on Senior Ian. In the match the following week, too, Senior Ian had caught her off guard at the final moment and forced her to yield her sword.
Moreover, not long ago, she had made a fatal mistake by failing to heed Senior Ian's advice. It was fortunate that Senior Ian's skill that day had exceeded anything she could imagine; otherwise, she would still be suffering under the weight of guilt.
It was inevitable that her pride would be broken. And what took its place were feelings of admiration and respect for Ian.
Senior Ian was not only kind; his skill was also specialized for actual combat. Once a fight began, he might even be more remarkable than herself, who made mistake after mistake.
Above all, Senior Ian was Seria's only “friend.”
Seria was still merely in the process of learning what exactly a “friend” was, but it was clear that the relationship had cast light upon her life.
She was happy when she was with Senior Ian.
Whenever he smiled at her for no particular reason or worried over her pale complexion, her heart would flutter for no reason.
If their hands happened to brush, her face grew hot, and whenever she suddenly became aware of the distance between them, she would start in surprise and fumble awkwardly.
She had made many blunders, too. Even so, Ian never blamed or cursed her.
Lately, he had been the only person who smiled at her. That was why Seria felt Ian was even more special.
Seria heartily praised her past self for finding the courage to ask Senior Ian to teach her. If she had not, they would never have formed the relationship they had now.
Seria shuddered at even imagining what would have happened otherwise. Her life would not have received so much as a ray of sunlight. She would have spent gloomy days amid the mockery and criticism of countless people.
As long as Senior Ian was there, even those who ostracized and harassed her kept their mouths firmly shut and said nothing.
Whenever Seria stood beside him, it felt as though she had come to another country. She found that deeply enjoyable, and so she liked Ian even more.
‘Friendship’ was such an exciting and wonderful feeling. Thinking that, Seria would secretly think of Senior Ian at night and smile faintly.
But when there was light, the shadows felt all the darker by contrast.
In particular, some of them realized that her weakness was anything concerning her mother and relentlessly latched onto the subject.
“Come to think of it, what kind of woman was that bitch who’s the rude brat’s mother?”
“How would I know? They say she was lowborn, so she could’ve been a streetwalker, or some ambitious maid who tried to climb the social ladder. Well, there’s no way a prestigious noble family would take in a woman like that.”
Laughter followed, saying that either way, it had all been a foolish dream.
Seria's eyes sharpened of their own accord at the insults that had crossed the line. With a grinding sound, she glared at the gang of men.
The gang was sitting on a bench, snickering as they watched Seria pass by. They sucked on fresh fruit juice through cups, as if to say, What are you going to do about it?
“Hah, prestigious or not, a noble family is still a noble family. A woman who doesn’t know her place should be put in her place like that.”
“So her mother was a prostitute, or whatever? Then her father might not even be the same person, right? She could’ve been some woman who’d sleep with anyone.”
“That’s the drawback of being lowborn.”
They must have been waiting along the path to the swordsmanship training grounds, timing it for when Seria usually passed by. Already on edge lately, Seria found the continuing insults impossible to endure.
Clenching both hands into fists and trembling all over, Seria walked toward the two with a murderous air.
She could not use violence, regardless. Using violence would not lead to immediate expulsion, but she was a daughter born out of wedlock. If a daughter of a noble family clashed with the legitimate heir, it was obvious the main house would have something to say.
If her mother was insulted? They would not even care. Her father, the head of the family, would not have lost his characteristically cold voice even while visibly ill.
‘Forget that woman, Seria. She’s a woman who no longer exists.’
Even so, Seria's boiling insides told her that she should at least say one thing. With heat rising to the crown of her head, Seria strode straight toward them.
They let out small exclamations, as though surprised. She should have realized it then.
Seria was so furious that when the ground beneath her suddenly caved in, she panicked and lost her balance. Her body wavered slightly. But she was an excellent swordswoman; she was not about to fall over from something this minor.
Not until even the ground beneath her right foot, which she had planted to use as a pivot, caved in once more.
She awkwardly dropped onto the ground in a seated position. It was the Dig spell. An extremely rudimentary spell; ordinarily, she would have easily jumped clear of it. Even now, her stance had not completely collapsed.
She could also have sprung back up and charged the enemy. If so, the gang would have been no match for Seria. But this was not combat.
It was merely a nasty bit of harassment. A carefully planned prank meant to humiliate her.
Even an academy student could not cast magic like this instantly without an incantation. It was obvious that this prank had been prepared over at least several days.
That malice left an even deeper wound in Seria's heart. As she rose, she glared at them in fury.
They merely stood up, snickering as though they had enjoyed the spectacle. One of them passed Seria, awkwardly twisting his body in a playful manner.
“Whoops!”
The fresh fruit juice in his hand fell perfectly onto Seria's head. Seria shuddered at the wet splattering sensation.
After spilling the juice, he casually picked up the cup from the ground and lightly patted Seria's shoulder as though apologizing. Of course, there was not the slightest hint of sincerity in the gesture.
“Sorry, sorry. I tripped too, didn’t I? The path’s a little rough here, huh?”
A murderous glint flashed in Seria's eyes.
She could have grabbed the hand patting her shoulder, pulled him in to throw him to the ground, or driven her elbow into his solar plexus. Then he would roll on the ground, unable even to breathe properly.
But her opponent was a noble.
His speech, his appearance—everything gave it away. He was not from some quiet rural estate, either. That distinctive arrogant air was a trait possessed only by high-ranking nobles of at least a count's rank.
Seria too came from a powerful family, but she was a daughter born out of wedlock, plain and simple. Even so, given her family's influence, she could smash them to pieces if she held the moral high ground, but now was not the time.
For one thing, he had apologized and made it look like an accident. The insults had not been directed at her. At the very least, he had not used any words that clearly identified the target.
That was what made her so furious. It meant the harassment had been calculated to that degree. The fact that someone had invested so much care and effort into making her suffer filled her with an unbearably wretched feeling.
In the end, Seria turned her gaze away without saying a word. Her body trembled. She clenched her teeth, but felt as though tears might spill out.
As though they had expected that reaction, the students led by the refined-looking man left with sneers on their faces.
Seria stood there blankly for a long while. Without Senior Ian, Seria's daily life was this miserable.
She turned toward a nearby building. She would have to wipe the drink from her hair somewhere, and since her uniform was unpleasantly sticky, she might even have to go all the way back to the dormitory.
But Seria soon had to stop walking. A familiar shadow appeared in the distance. Perhaps he had spotted Seria as well, because he approached with a delighted expression, then froze in place.
“Seria! On your way to the swordsmanship training grounds…?”
Seria's mind went blank.
Of all people, the one person she least wanted to see had seen her.
He was the person she always wanted to show only her prettiest, best side to, and yet why did this have to happen?
Biting her lip, she desperately avoided the gaze of the man approaching her. Her face flushed with shame.
It was Senior Ian. His face was gradually hardening.
**
“……My mother was driven out when I was young.”
It was a clearing in the forest. Using the cotton cloth I carried as a substitute for bandages, I roughly wiped the drink from her hair and led her there to avoid people's eyes.
Seria looked especially downcast today. She curled up on a broad rock in a secluded corner of the clearing.
With my back turned to her, I said nothing and merely listened to her speak.
“I didn’t even know why it had to happen. I was only a six-year-old child, after all, so even when my mother cried and begged, my father didn’t so much as blink.”
To a child that age, a mother was more than a parent.
She was the whole world. Someone who embraced you and loved you.
Seria had been robbed of such a person. It must have been a shock. Unable to gauge her feelings, I kept silent rather than offering clumsy words of empathy.
Her story continued. Her voice was pitiful in a way that was unlike her.
“My mother called my name and held on until the very end, so my father called the knights. They trampled and beat her until her body was a wreck. And yet she kept reaching toward me until the very end… That sight…”
“It must have hurt.”
Seria trailed off as though she could not bring herself to continue. So in a low voice, I supplied the words she wanted to say.
Her voice trembled. It was a voice growing wet with tears, a brutally painful past.
“That was how my mother left… After that, I never even heard from her again. My father only told me to forget her, but that night, my older sister came to me and said…”
If she said “older sister,” there was only one person who came to mind.
The legitimate daughter of House Yurdina, the woman who would become the sun of the North.
The fourth-year at the academy whom Seria had said she absolutely had to defeat at the Hunting Festival.
“……What did she say?”
“Be careful.”
With a groan, Seria spat out one of the shards of glass embedded in her heart.
“She said that if I failed to prove my worth, I would end up like that too. My older sister must have been sincere. Perhaps it was advice in her own way. But those words—those words felt so frightening then…”
As she said that, she briefly fell silent as though her throat had closed up. She rubbed at the corners of her eyes with her uniform sleeve. It seemed she was crying.
Seria looked fragile today. This must have been the side of her she kept hidden. A vulnerable core concealed beneath the shell of confidence and arrogance.
Even so, Seria managed to offer a faint smile. My eyes, which had been turned away, slid briefly toward her.
“So I suppose I got angry because they insulted my mother. I’m all right now. Because Senior Ian is here…”
“I’m all right.” That brief phrase caught in my chest, and for a moment I could not say anything.
Someone who was truly fine would not cry. Their voice would not choke up. They would not wipe away tears with their sleeve after they began to fall.
Nor would they pretend to be strong or force a smile. Then how, how could she say she was all right?
Countless questions circled inside my mouth, but in the end, the only words I barely managed to force out were a single sentence.
“……You’re not all right.”
Seria blinked her still-moist eyes wide, looking slightly flustered. Then she gave a powerless smile.
“I really am all right, Senior Ian. I’m used to it anyway…”
“Not you.”
My words cut off what Seria was about to say. Her bewildered gaze turned toward me. Seeing the tear marks remaining around her eyes, I felt an emotion surge up violently inside me.
My hand toyed with the sword hanging at my waist. Could I tolerate this?
The answer was obvious.
Rough heat scraped against my throat as I spoke.
“I’m the one who’s not all right.”
With those words, my body shot forward. It happened before Seria could answer. As my eyes raced ahead, they sank into a deep chill.
After leaving the forest and entering the academy grounds, I found many passersby. I grabbed people at random and asked where someone was.
I had to find Tean, that bastard from the Southern Kingdoms.
He was conspicuous enough that finding out where he was was not difficult. Passersby looked at me with bewilderment, but at the sight of my seemingly desperate eyes, they willingly gave me whatever information they knew.
He was snickering with his gang in a deserted clearing behind one of the lecture halls.
A refined-looking man was sitting beside him. He did not look like he was from the Southern Kingdoms, so I guessed he was someone who associated with Tean.
“So that rude brat tripped because she couldn’t even avoid a beginner spell…”
“Wow, that must’ve been a sight. You dumped juice on her too, right?”
“Of course! It must’ve been bathwater more expensive than a lowborn could ever dream of!”
Hearing their snickers, I steadied my breathing. Then I trudged toward them. Tean's gang, combined with the refined-looking man's group, numbered about seven.
It was fewer than the number of people they usually brought along. They all had their own schedules, after all, so that was understandable—and fortunate for me.
At my sudden appearance, Tean's gang, who had been cackling, immediately turned their attention to me. Tean looked bewildered, then soon rose with a wide grin.
He then tapped my shoulder with his elbow. It was a Southern Kingdoms greeting.
“What brings the academy’s rising hero here?”
“Seria.”
“Hm.” Tean subtly avoided my gaze and swallowed a groan. It was not a name he failed to recognize. It was the name of the person he had been harassing.
“From now on, don’t lay a hand on Seria.”
“Well, that’s not a difficult request between us, but…”
Tean drawled out the end of his sentence as though considering it. His gaze swept over his gang. They watched the conversation between Tean and me with eager interest.
In particular, the man who had supposedly tripped Seria with the Dig spell showed more overt interest. He got to his feet and slowly approached Tean and me.
Tean gauged their reactions, then flashed me a sidelong smile.
“……But you can’t expect us to do that for nothing, can you?”
My brow narrowed slightly. Then the refined-looking man took over from Tean. With a sly smile, he said,
“Surely you know that, if you’re a noble, right? A request ought to come with something in return… I assume you came prepared for that much.”
I remained silent for a moment, then declared in a low voice,
“You’re not going to bother Seria anymore.”
At my confident words, the refined-looking man's face lit up. He chuckled and opened his mouth, looking excited.
“Just what kind of amazing payment did you bring—Kheup?!!”
With a thud, my fist slammed into the man's face. With a sound like a bursting drum, his flesh caved in and crumpled for an instant.
Blood burst forth, and fragments of pearly white teeth scattered, briefly reflecting the sunlight. A clean blow without even a moment's hesitation.
That was why neither Tean nor even the man who had taken the blow to the face could react. Tean stared at me stupidly, while the refined-looking man rolled across the ground with his face mangled from a single punch.
Amid loud thuds, the man rolled across the ground several times. It was a dramatically forceful hit. The power of my lightning-fast punch was beyond what a man who looked like a mage could withstand.
Everyone's gaze turned toward me, unable to understand the situation. Their eyes held only faint confusion.
Only then did I smile. Just as Tean and the refined-looking man had.
“Because that’s what you have to do if you don’t want me to beat the shit out of you.”
It was the line that announced the beginning of another battle.