“Hm, so that’s what happened.”
“Uh. It’s a lot bigger than I thought. Or do the two of them actually get along well? Ah…”
Ian, the schoolmaster of the Krono Swordsmanship school, and one of the three best swordsmen on the continent.
In front of him was Bratt Lloyd, the genius who had become a Sword Master at the age of 21.
Which was why it was even more surprising.
It wasn't that he had shattered the wall in the short time he had been gone; rather, it appeared that Khun's apprentice had gained more skill...
Judith won against him?
As an Expert?
'No, it doesn't matter what an Expert or a Master is.'
Ian nodded his head. As others may not know, for Khun, such a common leveling system that was used throughout the continent didn’t work.
Perhaps, it was the same for Judith as well.
The fact that she would walk an unusual path was completely predictable from the moment she became Khun’s disciple.
But…
‘I didn’t expect her to grow so quickly. It is quite flustering.’
Ian was considered the best teacher for swordsmanship on the continent.
However, Judith grew so exponentially as soon as she left for Khun’s arms. It had been less than a year.
He shook his head and took a sip of his tea.
It felt weird.
It should normally make him feel good that a student of his had been able to achieve such results, but…
It was also true that he felt uncomfortable when he thought of how Khun’s expression would be.
It was known to the world that Khun was too conscious of Ian, but that was a story of the past.
Now Ian was more concerned about him.
Of course, these thoughts were short-lived.
Ian put down the teacup and looked at Bratt.
The Sword Master who had been defeated.
That too, a defeat from an Expert. Perhaps he thought it was disgraceful.
How should he feel about his student who had told him all of this in such a calm voice?
“It was as expected…”
“Expected?”
“It can be said that my defeat by her hands is suitable since she is my lover. Although I am the one who will inherit the title of Lord of the Lloyd family, she is such an amazing woman, and she is still dating me even after that.”
“…”
“Of course, there is nothing to do other than to watch. That is why I returned here. One year… no, two years.”
Bratt Lloyd showed his fingers to Ian.
It could look arrogant, depending on who saw it.
Giving off the energy of a noble, he said.
“Let me show you my truth.”
“…”
"Schoolmaster should be careful. It would be difficult if you were surprised by my growth which was faster than expected.”
“Seems like the time you were here has changed you.”
Said Ian with a smile.
Bratt has always been like this. Whenever he faced difficulties, he tried to be confident and tried not to lose his composure.
He had an absurd attitude that would make anyone laugh, but Ian didn't think of it as a bad thing.
It was as if he found a way to get out of the anxiety and impatience he felt by himself, and quite unsurprisingly, he seemed more stable than his past self.
It was for that reason that he received the graduation badge the fastest among the graduates of the 27th batch of Krono.
“Nice…then do that. Harden your heart, and let me guide you. I don’t want anyone to be spoiled by Bratt Lloyd’s sincerity.”
Ian smiled as he said that.
Even though he graduated from the school, Bratt was still a student to him. And Ian was his teacher.
Therefore, Ian couldn’t help but be happy when Bratt came back to ask him for his help.
“However, there are other things you should consider.”
“More….?”
“Yes. A disciple who I thought had left my arms a long time ago said they wanted to meet me and challenge me. Perhaps she has arrived by now. No, she must be here already.”
“Just what kind of a disciple dares…”
To challenge Ian?
Bratt, who was about to say that, went silent.
He could feel it.
The intense, red hot, flame that he felt from behind him made him turn.
As Bratt unconsciously thought of a person’s name, Ian chuckled a bit, nodded, and then he got up.
As he walked towards the training hall where the energy came from, Bratt just followed without a word.
“It’s been a long time.”
“Things have been intense.”
“Would one spectator be fine?”
“It doesn’t matter even if there are more.”
“That won’t do. If there were others, most of them would suffer. However, not this one.”
Ian looked at Bratt and grinned.
Ignet gazed at him too.
As he looked at her eyes which shone with a hot blaze, Bratt ended up taking a step back.
Then with a nonchalant expression, one step, two, three steps… he continued to back away and mumbled.
“I didn’t move because of the pressure.”
“…”
“I was planning to leave. In order to not interfere with the confrontation. So that I could be a spectator in the right way. Um, right.”
Ignet looked away.
Ian didn’t look at Bratt either. Both of them looked at their opponent. As if it were just the two of them in the world.
Woong!
Kiiiik!
A horrifying sound.
A white light shone 10 meters above the ground, scattering brightly, and a flaming sword flared.
The next moment, the two swords, which disappeared in an instant, collided at the center of the arena.
Kwaaang!
A roar that could destroy the ears of the onlookers, resounded through the place.
“Um, maybe we should have fought outside?”
It was now an hour later after the fight.
Leaving Ignet Crescentia behind, Ian mumbled in a sullen voice.
He couldn’t help but think that because the training hall was now a mess. It was a more serious issue to Ian when compared to Ignet, who had lost against him.
He had no idea what to do.
He smiled brightly and looked back and looked at the stiff expression on his student.
“… how was it?”
“… surprising. Even more than Airn and Ilya.”
Bratt spoke honestly.
It wasn’t like he had ignored Ignet.
However, it was true that he didn’t think of her as some unique existence.
It was also because he thought that the two monsters around him were more than capable of surpassing this woman.
But now, he changed his mind.
He was wrong. The rumors that were going around about her had a reason to it. With his eyes closed, he recalled the match.
It wasn’t dark.
He opened his eyes, and as he recalled Ignet’s brilliant swordsmanship, he said
“Still, it isn’t something I can’t catch up to.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It was a good stimulus.”
It was honestly just a bluff.
However, it wasn’t completely false either.
If it was the Bratt of the past, he couldn’t be this sure, but after overcoming so many setbacks, he understood that he could do it.
‘Indeed, she is an existence that is overwhelming enough to be called the sun in the sky…’
With today’s simulation, if he could bring a wave with the pounding heart he had... If he could only make the waves big enough to reach the sky, he would move even further.
With a grin, Bratt bowed his head.
“Once again, thank you.”
“Hmm.”
Ian nodded and looked at his student.
He knew that he wouldn’t be disappointed.
If he had been a child who would only show weakness, he wouldn’t have brought Bratt here. He knew that Bratt was strong, and that was why Ian brought him here.
But he didn’t expect him to be this strong.
Ian thought as he looked at Bratt, who raised his lowered head.
‘I cannot help but admit it.’
He was someone who tried to impart a fair amount of teaching to everyone.
This was a normal thought.
If the students, who were under tremendous stress because of the difference in talent, felt discrimination in the teaching methods, then their sense of deprivation would be indescribable.
To break a student’s heart with their hand, what could be more sorrowful for a teacher than that?
But he didn’t want to stick so closely to that anymore.
Bratt was different from Ian in many ways.
Yet, it was inevitable that he had a heart where he was more affectionate to this child than the other students.
Maybe it was something that had happened when Bratt chose the Sword of water.
“I, too, would like to thank you.”
Ian answered with a smile and looked at Bratt Lloyd.
His student had become a much better person than when they first met.
In order for him to become better, he must constantly add new material for Bratt to learn.
‘In a way, this can be said to be a proxy war between Khun and me.’
He didn’t say it...probably because it might sound too childish for someone close to a 100 years to say something like this out loud.
But it was unavoidable. Khun and himself had such a relationship.
As he stood there, he remembered his rival.
How he reminded him of the student who had left his arms.
Finally, looking at Bratt Lloyd with a confident face, Ian drew his Sword.
And his teaching began.
“Hah! Tah! Tah!”
Woong!
Woong!
Woong!
In conclusion, after watching Ignet fight, Bratt showed tremendous growth.
However, if someone asked him if Ignet’s swordsmanship was the biggest cause for his growth, then he would shake his head.
Then, was it the teaching of Ian, the schoolmaster of Krono, as well as the best swordsmanship teacher, the reason for it?
That wasn't right either. It was helpful, but the biggest reason for Bratt's madness was something else.
It was a short letter from his lover, Judith.
[If you lose once more, I will kill you. Next time, you need to win… I’ll give you anything you want then. So, practice hard.]
“Anything.”
Bratt mumbled, clenching his fist.
The power within that fist was strong enough to even break the treasure of Durkali. But it was soon replaced with his enthusiasm.
No one could stop Bratt.
No one.
In the past, he was the most zealous of all the Krono swordsmen graduates, but after Judith’s letter came, Bratt changed so much that his past craziness looked normal.
“It is a good thing.”
“…”
Keira Finn, shook her head as she passed by Bratt.
Ian stayed silent.
The feeling of deprivation he felt for a long time, and along with that, there was also a little feeling of betrayal.
Having managed to control it, he told Bratt.
“Let’s go all out today.”
“Uh?”
“Why? Don’t like it?’
“… it isn’t that I don’t like it.”
Bratt seemed to like it.
And Ian liked it even more.
Instructor Ahmed, who saw them, grinned.
Half a year after that.
A man moved towards the Pareira Estate.
