Theo asked Ao, "You understand how to move now?"
"Yes. I think I can move like you, brother. I want to try."
Pointing at Aisha, Theo suggested,
"How about starting by sparring with Aisha? Setting your goals too high from the start might make you give up."
Ao glanced at Aisha and shook her head firmly.
"No, Aisha is weak. You said it's bad to bully weak people. I don't want to be bad."
Aisha's eyes widened in shock.
"How could you say that!"
Blushing with embarrassment, Aisha's face turned red.
Ao approached Aisha nonchalantly and tilted her head.
"I remembered well, right? Praise me."
"Uh, yes. Right,"
Aisha replied awkwardly, patting Ao's head.
"You have a good memory, Ao."
Watching this, Theo pondered,
'Is this coddling method of discipline really effective in the long run?'
People accustomed to receiving kindness and favors might not appreciate small acts of kindness and can become reckless.
Ao, though not human, was created in the image of humans.
Her thought processes are likely similar to humans'.
'Would it be better to entrust her discipline to the other girls?'
Theo imagined what would happen if he left Ao with other people.
First, Piel. "Brother, you're weaker than I thought. You can't do that? I got it right after seeing it once."
"Wow, you're different today. But how did you become so strong, brother? Don't tell me you made a deal with a Demon?"
Second, Amy. "...You've arrived, brother."
"...I will do as you say, brother."
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Third, Jang Woohee. "..."
She probably won't say more than five words all day.
'Just the thought of it is horrifying.'
He decided not to imagine any further.
Even thinking about it slightly felt like a dangerously action that could cause brain damage.
At this moment, Theo felt it was necessary to break Ao's proud pride.
Theo spoke up,
"Mocking the weak is also a bad act, Ao."
"Theo... That's too much!"
As Aisha was still petting Ao's head, she shrieked.
Theo, holding his sword, challenged,
"Come at me, Ao. Let's see how strong you are."
"Okay."
Without any preparation, Ao immediately charged at Theo, aiming her sword at his throat.
Aisha was startled.
"Ao, that's not approriate! You're supposed to stand in front of each other before a duel!"
"Brother told me to come at him. I'm not being inappropriate, am I?"
Theo dodged Ao's sword with ease, commenting,
"That's actually quite nice of you. You listened to what the other person said."
"See? Brother said I was being nice."
Aisha, feeling defeated after the back-to-back comments, looked dejected.
Meanwhile, Ao's attacks didn't stop.
Swoosh, swoosh, swish swish—aiming for the neck, chest, and stomach, targeting important points.
Theo didn't engage her blade with his own.
He simply dodged her attacks.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})"If you blatantly target important points like that, who would let themselves be hit? Your opponent isn't an idiot, Ao."
Ao, unbothered by Theo's evasion, calmly acknowledged,
"Got it."
Right after her response, Ao's swordplay became more varied.
She feinted a strike to the shoulder, then spun around aiming an elbow at Theo's chin.
Of course, Theo dodged every attack.
'I've been dodging without countering. Let's see how she handles defense.'
Theo dodged Ao's overhead stab by ducking, then swept at her ankles with his leg.
Tap.
Ao jumped low to avoid Theo's attack, precisely predicting the timing.
It was clean movement.
A smile appeared on Theo's face without him realizing.
'Impressive.'
Who would believe Ao was new to swordsmanship from her movements?
Excited, Theo increased the intensity of his attacks, using not just fists and kicks, but his sword as well.
Perhaps he got too carried away.
Clang!
Ao's practice longsword, defending against Theo's attacks, broke.
Ao silently stared at her broken sword.
Meanwhile, Theo's sword continued to move vigorously.
Swoosh.
"Ah."
Ao looked at Theo's sword, now close to her nose.
Ao asked Theo,
"Did... did Ao lose?"
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})"That seems to be the case."
"So it is. To lose without landing a single hit. Ao is a fool."
Ao buried her face in the ground. Though her expression was blank, she looked a bit sad.
Theo shook his head.
"Self-deprecation isn't a good habit. Objectively speaking, you did well, Ao."
Ao slowly lifted her face. "Really?"
"Yes. I especially liked how you kept looking for ways to get through to me during the duel. Keep that spirit and continue training. With your skills, it was reasonable to call Aisha weak."
Aisha, who had been sitting and watching, stood up.
"Ouch, why am I getting beaten up again when I was just standing here?"
"Because it's true."
"I'm an archer, you know? Let's fight with bows. Right now."
"Focusing on not hurting you during the duel made me unexpectedly tired. I'm off to meditate."
After patting Ao on the shoulder, Theo left the room.
Aisha sighed.
"There he goes, having his fun and then just leaving. You did well, Ao! Are you hungry? Want some mana stones?"
Even though she was quite hungry, Ao didn't respond to Aisha's offer.
With a smile, Ao touched the shoulder where Theo had patted her and murmured,
"Hehe... I got praised."
Time flew by quickly.
For the past five days, Theo's routine was simple.
Training with Ao from morning until before dinner.
After dinner, he would visit Fyat and then spend time with people like Tailor, Piel, Jang Woohee, Amy, Irene, Sonya, Neike, and others.
Then, late at night, he would head to the basement of [The Hilté] with Isabella to infuse Practitioners with divine energy.
Currently, Theo was in [The Hilté]'s basement with Isabella.
Theo, wearing a mask, looked at Sara, who was restrained with chains, and said,
"Hmm, quiet today. She's still breathing."
As Isabella infused Sara with divine energy, she nodded,
"It looks like the method we thought of is working. The demonic energy inside her has almost disappeared."
"It appears so. I don't feel my blood boiling today. Same yesterday. Just a few days ago, looking at her made my blood boil."
Theo's bloodline trait, [Descendant of a Hero], also acted as a demonic energy detector.
Isabella spoke,
"It's a reliable trait. How about becoming a paladin? With your contributions, you could start at a higher rank immediately."
"No, thanks. Becoming a paladin means I have to follow orders unconditionally. I don't want to be part of such a group."
"I thought you'd say that."
Theo added,
"Moreover, my bloodline trait isn't perfect. It has a significant flaw."
"What flaw? It can identify disguised Demons and even boost your stats significantly. It seems like a unique trait when facing Demons."
Theo shook his head, "Unlike paladins, it doesn't recognize all Demons."
"Is there a condition?"
"Yes. It only recognizes Demons with the power to threaten the continent. Not to mention low-tier Demons, among the high-tier ones, there are those with extremely weak physical power but excellent sorcery skills, right?"
"Right. Those kinds can be more dangerous in the long run."
"I can't identify those kinds of individuals, and no stat boost occurs for me."
"Listening to that, it seems like a trait that depends on the situation... Uh."
Isabella stopped speaking midway. Her gaze was fixed on Sara. Theo also looked in that direction.
Sara twitched her scabbed lips.
"Li... ver..."
Theo and Isabella looked at each other and nodded simultaneously.
Theo approached Sara. "Are you coming to, Sara?"
"Liver[1]..."
"Liver? Do you think you're possessed by a nine-tailed fox[2] Demon or something, Sara? I can't get you a human liver."
Sara frowned and said,
"It's... itchy. My body is itchy."
[1. raei: 'Gan' is the word for liver, but by adding 'jireowo,' it becomes ticklish/itchy. So it's understood as liver at first since she couldn't say the entire thing at first.]
[2. raei: In Korean folklore, the nine-tailed fox(often depicted as a seductive woman) is a mythical creature who desires to become human. They consume human livers or hearts to do so.]
