WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Natty
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◈ Copy Skills with Affinity! ◈
Chapter 78: Return
──────
The journey back to the Imperial Capital headquarters began after they had accomplished all their objectives.
A small lesson was underway at the camp.
Aiden might have been fine with it, but Katia, who was participating alongside him, looked clearly dissatisfied.
Katia took a deep breath and continued.
“...Right. If you change the order in which you arrange them like that, the spell becomes much more powerful. It may be a little difficult, but after practicing a few times, you’ll get the hang of it...”
“Like this?”
“...”
Katia fell silent at the sight of a Divine Power shield woven from two colors floating before Aiden.
Inside, she was barely holding back a scream.
Anyone would feel that way after seeing Aiden put into practice what they had just taught him.
‘He said it was his first time...’
She looked at him with tears welling up inside.
She had been so confident when she first began teaching him.
She had thought this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to prove her worth to him.
When it came to Divine Power Manipulation, she ranked directly below the Pontiff in the entire Holy Empire. It would be hard to find anyone comparable to her when it came to teaching this.
‘This really is difficult...’
That was why she had merely scoffed when he said he would raise his ability-control skills to a level equal to one-third of hers within a month.
At first, her prediction had even proven right.
Aiden could not recite even the simplest prayers and could not properly manifest the most basic blessings. Seeing that, she had cheered inwardly.
‘So he isn’t perfect after all!’
She had finally found something her friend lacked!
Then she could help him in that area, make him realize how important she was to him, stop him from constantly fooling around with other women, and make him rely on her whenever something happened in the future...
She had let her imagination run wild.
But by today, all those hopes had vanished.
“...”
He was fast.
Far too fast at learning.
More precisely, when it came to the fundamental act of handling Divine Power itself, he was undeniably a beginner. But once someone showed him the way, he absorbed every bit of knowledge like a sponge.
She did not even know how much he had learned today, in less than half a day from lunch until evening.
It had taken her at least a week to master the Cross Prayer she had just taught him!
‘That’s why he set such an absurd condition...’
The realization suddenly struck her.
The goal he had set at the beginning of their lessons.
He must have genuinely believed he could do it!
‘That’s what this feels like.’
While Katia looked at him as if he were a monster, Aiden himself was manipulating Divine Power without much thought.
Then, with a whoosh, several Divine Power shields formed around him.
Shields made of flame were a little strange, but he had no trouble controlling them.
-System Message
▶ You have successfully manipulated Divine Power!
▶ The proficiency of “Combat Path: Sacred Flame Art” increases.
▶ Your proficiency improves by leaps and bounds!
As he moved them aside around him one by one, another window suddenly appeared before Aiden.
‘...Not bad.’
It had been a good decision to take lessons from Katia. The benefits appeared as immediate, intuitive feedback. It was all thanks to her.
The results were enough to make him think that naturally.
Increasing proficiency in Combat Path itself would inevitably help whenever he handled related abilities.
The increase he had gained so far would not have a tremendous effect, but he possessed Erger’s unique trait, First Vow, which allowed him to feel those efficiency gains several times over.
Moreover, Aiden had altered the direction of the main scenario itself because victims could emerge at any moment. He truly had no idea what would happen next, so there was no reason to refuse any means of strengthening himself.
Then, it was time to check again.
-Quest Info
♠ Main Quest
[ The scenario changes because of what you have done so far. ]
[ Changes have occurred in Act Three, “Imperial Capital Rift.” ]
[ The changes will soon be reflected in the main scenario! ]
“...”
Aiden rubbed his chin as he stared at the window.
Without a doubt, what he had done was close to removing the most dangerous move the Prince and Minister of Administration could make during the event itself.
But these people’s preparedness had already been proven several times to rival, if not surpass, Aiden’s own.
They had gone quiet after taking a blow over the Lord Protector incident, but only God knew what they might be preparing...
“Katia?”
As he turned that thought over in his mind, Katia at the edge of his vision suddenly looked unwell.
Bewildered, Aiden called Katia's name as he saw that she had gone slightly pale. Katia trembled as she lowered the papers in her hands.
“Just do it yourself.”
“...Pardon?”
“You’re good even without me teaching you! I even prepared several beginner tips...! You idiot, you... Argh...!”
“...”
She had gone beyond anger and was practically about to cry from injustice.
As Aiden fell silent, someone slowly emerged from outside the camp.
It was Noel, rubbing her eyes.
“...Mr. Aiden, have you been troubling Her Highness?”
“...”
No.
He swore to heaven he had not, but judging by Katia’s condition, it was impossible to deny that this was somehow his fault.
“...I can explain all of this.”
Aiden tried to speak, but Noel waved her hand as if it did not matter.
It was clear that she truly did not care.
“...”
Oh, right.
These two did not get along very well.
They had been working together often lately because of their shared connection to Aiden, so he sometimes forgot. But he should remember that they would remain at odds until the Scenario ended.
“More importantly, could you come outside for a moment?”
“Pardon?”
“I have something to tell you.”
Aiden tilted his head at Noel’s words.
▣
“...Are you all right?”
He had come out wondering what she wanted to discuss, but that was the first thing Noel asked.
All right? What exactly was she referring to?
Aiden blinked in confusion, and Noel scratched her head before continuing.
“...No, Mr. Aiden, you have been much busier than usual lately, have you not?”
“Busy?”
“Unlike before, you have been actively devoting yourself to things. Whether it is studying, training, or strengthening your power, it seems you have been putting in far more effort...”
“...”
That was true.
He had felt it instinctively during the Lord Protector incident.
The main scenario was a terrible thing with a habit of dropping events far beyond his awareness, ever bigger disasters, into his world.
Setting aside Night of the Hunt, where its claws had not yet fully shown themselves.
Aiden had no choice but to become busier as well if he wanted to prepare for the successive events culminating in Chapter Three, “Rebellion,” the climax of Act One, “Imperial Capital Rift.”
“Are you eating properly? When you’re that busy, you tend to neglect it. Even when I'm that busy, I deliberately make time to ensure that I eat and rest well.”
“...You have time to eat...?”
Amazing...!
When Aiden lived at such a frantic pace, meals were always the first thing he skipped...
“...Mr. Aiden, what on earth has been tormenting you lately?”
...He wished he could say. Aiden gave a bitter inward smile.
“...You have the expression of someone who absolutely cannot tell me.”
“There are things like that.”
“...”
Noel looked at him with disappointment.
It was the sort of disappointment that said he could at least tell her once so they could grow closer, but the expression soon vanished from her face.
Instead, she cleared her throat and held something out to Aiden.
“Still, it worked out well. I was worried you were skipping all your meals, so I prepared this.”
“...Pardon?”
Aiden’s eyes widened at the unexpected words as he looked at what Noel was holding out.
It was a lunchbox neatly wrapped in cloth.
The same size as the lunchbox Aiden had given her during their date before.
It must have left quite an impression on her, because even its shape, height, and amount were exactly the same.
“...Eat it. You always eat carelessly, don’t you?”
“...”
“I heard that you’re always running around busy, not just lately, so you skip meals more often than not. I made it, so please eat.”
“...”
“You’re someone who cooks well enough to return something like this to me, so how can you go around starving yourself so much? It makes me uncomfortable just watching, so you must eat.”
Aiden accepted the lunchbox in a daze.
His nose suddenly stung.
No, it was true that he skipped meals more often than not while doing all sorts of things.
But he had not known she paid such close attention to it, remembered what he had given her before, and wanted to return the gesture to him.
“...Thank you.”
When he said that with a blink, Noel smiled softly.
Soon, humming to herself, she opened her own lunchbox beside me.
Simply giving Aiden a packed meal had clearly put her in a very good mood.
“...”
I quietly sat down beside her and opened my lunchbox as well.
When I opened it, it looked better than expected.
Meat, noodles, and vegetables were arranged neatly inside.
I tried a few bites, and it tasted good, too.
She had some serious skill.
“It’s delicious. Lady Noel, were you always this good at cooking?”
“...”
Noel smiled softly.
It was a bright smile, like a flower blooming.
“R-Really?”
“...”
The way she kept grinning and twisting around was a little creepy, though.
After fidgeting by herself for a while, Noel cleared her throat and continued.
“...Actually, there is one more thing I would like to ask.”
“Of course. Please tell me.”
She had done this much for me. I could grant her a request like that as much as she wanted.
She seemed to have hesitated for a long time before finally bringing it up.
“What is it that has you hesitating so much?”
“...If you don’t even have time to eat these days, I’ll take charge of making things like this for you from now on.”
“...”
...This person.
I could feel it in my bones that she was genuinely trying to close the distance between us. The system window calling us extremely close was not for nothing.
‘...Well, then.’
Maybe I could do something good for her, too.
With that thought, Aiden looked at the Soul Connector strapped to his arm.
‘Should I try it?’
...Equipment Modification.
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