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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Story
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It was a dark night, with only the moonlight providing illumination.
At a secluded training ground, Fran was swinging his sword, beads of sweat pouring down him as usual.
'Just… just a little more…!'
He forced his body, which felt like it would collapse at any moment, to move.
His hands, trembling from swinging the sword so much and devoid of strength, he forced to grip it again.
He held the sword,
And swung it once more.
The sharply honed blade drew a white line across the training ground in a curve.
Over that white line, he swung his sword again, carving out a new trajectory.
The blade sliced through the air, and the cleaved air soon became wind, swirling around the training ground.
—Swoosh!
The sound followed belatedly, and beautiful sword marks were etched across the training ground floor.
It was the first time.
The first time Fran had perfectly executed one of the Sword Saint's secret techniques like this.
"…"
Though he had every reason to be delighted, Fran remained unfazed, his expression calm.
No, to be precise, Fran felt miserable, and inwardly, he was greatly agitated.
'Still, nowhere near enough.'
Fran knew.
The sword strike he had just performed was excellent, comparable to what the Sword Saint had shown.
However, it was still far from the level of a certain someone else's sword strike.
'Kamel.'
Fran bit his lip, silently repeating that someone's name to himself.
That man, though the same age as Fran,
And not a hero candidate chosen by the stars,
Knew how to wield starlight and infuse it into his sword.
His movements were so fast that even a hero candidate's eyes couldn't follow him.
The level of swordsmanship he displayed was so distant that Fran thought he could never catch up, even if he dedicated his entire life to the sword.
Fran hadn't expected it.
He, who had sworn to dedicate his life to the sword, would come to resent it and envy others.
He felt anxious.
Anxious that he, a hero candidate, might never reach that child's level.
Anxious that he might continue to fail in his role as a hero.
Perhaps that was why.
Fran felt a mix of emotions towards Kamel.
He was envious. Envious of Kamel's overwhelming talent and skill, which had given inferiority to him, who everyone praised as a genius.
He hated him. Hated that Kamel possessed what he lacked, and also took the hearts of those Fran himself had wanted to win over.
He felt suffocated by frustration.
It felt like his insides were rotting away.
What could he do to alleviate this?
Fran had pondered this thousands of times, and his conclusion was always the same.
'I have to catch up.'
No matter how he thought about it, Fran had no other choice.
Even if another choice existed, such a choice was one that Fran, a hero candidate, should not make.
"…"
Thinking so, Fran got up again, picked up his sword, and swung it.
—Clang!
However, a sharp pain shot through Fran's palm as he swung the sword.
Startled by the pain, Fran's eyes widened as he looked at the owner of the thin rapier that had met his sword.
"Sorry. You seemed to be pushing yourself too hard… I couldn't help but meddle."
The one who had blocked Fran's sword with a rapier was a radiant woman with a smile on her face.
"Who…?"
"Oh, I'm Narita, from that village over there. Just an ordinary person who comes to this training ground when I feel a bit empty, like today."
"How did you get into the Academy…?"
"Didn't you know? Graduates can return to the Academy anytime."
"That's not what I meant, but… Could you please move? I…"
"Don't be silly, stop for today. Do you think swinging your sword so ignorantly will improve your skill? No. It'll only harm you."
"I'll decide that for myse… *Gah!*"
—Thud.
The woman, who had appeared so suddenly, firmly gripped Fran's wrist, and Fran helplessly dropped his sword.
"Honestly, I don't know why all you hero candidates are so ignorant…"
"I'm not ignoran…"
Fran bristled and was about to shake off the woman's hand, but he stopped. The words she had just spoken made him realize that she not only knew he was a hero candidate, but also seemed to know about the former Hero, Mort's, past.
"By 'all you people'…?"
"When I was at this Academy, there was an ignorant friend just like you. He was the same. Because he was a hero candidate, because he felt inadequate, he swung his sword every day, just like you. Maybe even more than you."
"…Are you talking about the former Hero, Mort?"
"Yes. He repeated what you're doing now for over three years. So, shall I tell you how amazing the result was?"
"…?"
When the woman asked, Fran, unusually for him, made a childlike expression, eager for her answer.
"From the time he enrolled until the war broke out, Mort's swordsmanship barely improved. He only began to blossom as a Hero after experiencing real combat."
"…"
"If you truly want to improve your swordsmanship, don't mindlessly swing your sword repeatedly. Swing it carefully, even if it's just once. Constantly think about how to be efficient, how to be powerful."
"I'm already doing that, though…"
"Doesn't look like it to me. From what I see, you're just anxious right now, not fully focused on your sword."
"How can you judge that…"
"Since you don't seem to believe me, I'll show you first. How powerful a calm sword, a carefully swung sword, can be."
The woman released Fran's wrist, then picked up her thin rapier and took a stance.
Fran trembled at her changed aura.
It was as if an overwhelming and frightening formless pressure was bearing down on him.
—Swoosh!
—Boom!
As she swung her sword, a fierce wind erupted, and the ground in various parts of the training ground cracked.
"…"
Fran was visibly agitated by the sight.
And rightly so. The sword strike she had performed was the same as his, yet it possessed an entirely different level of power.
"I tried to imitate Mort, what do you think?"
The woman slid her rapier back into its scabbard, then whispered sweetly to the agitated Fran.
"Want to learn from me?"
****
To truly understand Envy, I would need to read all the other novels she supposedly wrote, but after reading just one of her novels, I could draw one definitive conclusion.
'Envy, that woman will try to mess with everyone around me.'
The reason I was so certain was 'Rani', the protagonist of the novel I had read.
She was a worldly woman, full of greed and deep jealousy, with no middle ground.
To achieve what she desired,
To obtain what she wanted,
She would discard conscience or morality and use every means and method to reach her goal.
She would utterly and miserably crush those she defined as 'enemies' or 'targets,' both physically and mentally.
She was brilliant and planned meticulously.
Everyone who became her target tried to resist, but the more they did, the deeper they sank into ruin.
They lost what was precious to them. They witnessed their loved ones being destroyed. They lost their place of reliance.
Left utterly alone, they collapsed miserably.
'Rani' would appear, smiling, only after seeing someone completely broken.
I hadn't realized it while engrossed in the novel, but thinking about it now, 'Rani' was, by my standards, a total bitch.
Normally, a novel's protagonist is someone righteous and strives to exert a positive influence, but 'Rani' was precisely the opposite.
In truth, a character with such a personality isn't suitable as a novel's protagonist.
However, despite featuring 'Rani' as the protagonist, the novel I read had an immersive quality that made it impossible to put down once you started, and a thrilling anticipation that made you feel you'd go crazy if you didn't read the next page.
The reason this was possible was that her desires were genuinely and passionately imbued in the novel.
I was certain. When Envy wrote this novel, she must have immersed herself madly, believing the protagonist she created was herself.
'Rani' was not only the novel's protagonist but also the alter ego of the former princess, Celetina.
Therefore, I had to be wary of the cruel (though to some, satisfying) behavior 'Rani' displayed in the novel.
So I thought.
If I were 'Rani,'
And my target was 'Kamel,' the Vessel of Sin,
How would 'Rani' break Kamel and claim him?
As I pondered this repeatedly, I naturally realized something.
'Rani' would never approach me first.
She would appear before me only after thoroughly ruining the people around me first.
Having reached that conclusion, I began to assess who 'Rani' would target first to break Kamel.
Rose, who accompanies me every day.
Lily, the Saintess, with whom strange rumors are circulating.
Sage, whom I often meet because of Tweet.
Daisy, who has a contract with me and helps me.
When I thought about it, I only had four female acquaintances.
My social circle was so narrow; a sudden wave of self-pity washed over me.
'At least it's not four men.'
Consoling myself, I pondered again. How could I keep the people around me safe?
I thought Rose and Sage were the most at risk, while Lily and Daisy were relatively safer.
This was because Lily was receiving immense attention from the Sin of Lust, and Daisy was the daughter of Deren, Envy's old friend.
On the other hand, there was no single reason why Envy couldn't target Rose and Sage.
If Envy were to scheme against someone, it was highly likely that Rose or Sage would be her first target.
I was in a position where I had to stop Envy's machinations.
To prevent Rose and Sage from being in danger, I needed to constantly watch them in a safe place.
However, I couldn't be in two places at once. I couldn't use clone jutsu like the Na clan of Leaf Village.
So, I decided to gather the two of them in one place and watch over them.
"Juniors…"
That place was Malik's log cabin, which was relatively safe.
Rose and Sage, having heard my explanation, decided to stay there for the time being instead of the dormitory.
"You don't seem to know, but this is *my* house…! It's not an orphanage…!"
Seeing Sage and Tweet, Malik clutched his skull, showing his displeasure. Seeing him, I smiled leisurely and replied.
"Why is this your house, Senior? Weren't you squatting?"
"No, that's…"
"Enough. These friends need to go back and forth to the Academy, so you're responsible for protecting them every time. I told you why yesterday, so I don't need to explain again, right?"
"You little fu…"
Malik tried to argue, but when I held up an artifact with a recording function and shook it, he immediately sighed and shut his mouth.
"Haa…"
"Hey, Skeleton Head!"
Perhaps he was happy to see Malik.
Tweet skipped cheerfully towards Malik, then firmly gripped the sleeve of Malik's robe.
"Oh, sorry. I was flustered, couldn't even greet you. Long time no see, my little bluebird…"
Seeing this, Malik forced a smile and lifted Tweet into his arms.
"Don't be silly, hand over the cheese jerky!"
Tweet proudly showed off her noticeably improved vocabulary.
****
"Don't be silly, hand over the cheese jerky!"
That cheeky voice echoed from outside.
Rose, who had been reading in her room, realized that the children Kamel had mentioned had indeed arrived. She frowned and got up from her seat.
She closed the book titled "Outside the Creative Work," and carefully hid it under her bed.