WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Dionysus
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 243: How Dare You (5)
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“Hmm...”
Joshua Lindsay groaned beneath his daughter’s cold gaze.
His expression was much the same as usual. He had always been blunt, rarely letting his feelings show on his face.
But Hall Master Joseph, who had known the head of House Lindsay for quite some time, could tell.
Joshua was extremely flustered.
‘His eyes are trembling quite a bit.’
It was immensely interesting, even though Joseph had yet to recover from the excitement of the spar between the two Sword Masters.
Of course, none of that mattered to Illia Lindsay.
“...”
She stared steadily at her father.
“...”
Then she turned her gaze toward Airen Farreira, who lay collapsed on the ground.
The training grounds fell quiet at her expression and the atmosphere surrounding her.
The air, which should have carried no weight at all, suddenly felt heavy.
As though he were standing in thick fog, Joshua felt his chest tighten.
He opened his mouth to offer an excuse.
“My daughter. Well, this is... You know, don’t you? It was an ordinary spar. That young man said he wanted to show what he had achieved, and I agreed. Then... we both did our best.”
“...”
“It only got a little, just a little heated. That is all.”
“It’s right for Airen to do his best, but should you have done your best too, Father?”
Illia’s expression remained cold.
Even the way she addressed him had changed, from Dad to Father.
Joshua noticed immediately. Desperate to ease his daughter’s anger and justify what he had done, he racked his brain.
“No, what I meant by doing my best was not that I used all my strength. I meant that I did my best to guide Airen so he could draw out his abilities and display all his power. As a senior swordsman, as a mentor, yes. That was what I meant.”
“Didn’t you use the final move of the Sky Sword?”
“...”
“...”
“Well, as you can see, I held back a great deal at the end. He only lost consciousness. He isn’t hurt at all. And, well, what was it... Right. I trusted him. I trusted Airen. I had faith that he could withstand an attack of that level, and he truly showed something remarkable. Yes, he was incredible. I never imagined he could grow this much in such a short time. He was impressive. Truly excellent. I mean it.”
The people from Joseph Fencing Hall stared blankly as Joshua Lindsay desperately praised Airen.
The head of House Lindsay was known for his blunt manner, cool demeanor, and tendency to criticize more often than praise.
Yet he was pouring out so many compliments in that tone.
Of course, Airen Farreira had displayed something so absurdly impressive that such praise was hardly strange...
‘Something...’
‘The atmosphere is completely different from before.’
The swordsmen’s blood had been boiling until moments ago, their excitement at its peak after the spar.
That was no longer the case.
It had all cooled down.
Still, the situation was not boring.
They decided to enjoy the rare sight before them and watched Joshua and Illia like an audience at a play.
“We’ll talk later.”
Illia cut off the conversation with her father.
At her instruction, the servants carefully moved the unconscious Airen Farreira onto a stretcher. Then they slowly headed toward the treatment room.
Illia Lindsay disappeared into the distance, firmly glued to his side.
Her expression and gaze were completely different from when she had looked at Joshua.
“Let’s go too.”
“Yeah! Airen will be okay, right?”
“Of course he will. Don’t you trust my brother?”
“I do! Airen is the best!”
Kiril and Lulu followed after them.
They did not simply leave.
Before exiting the training grounds, both of them glared at Joshua Lindsay for a moment.
‘Did you really have to take it that far?’
Their gazes seemed to ask exactly that, leaving the head of House Lindsay with no choice but to look awkward.
“Ahem. Ahem. I have been quite discourteous.”
“...”
“As the lord of this house, I apologize for causing such a disturbance before our guests. Then... I shall see you later. Ah, Hall Master Joseph. Thank you for coming. Bill, you... No, never mind. We’ll speak later. I have a bit of a headache, so I should go rest. I ask for everyone’s understanding.”
“Yes, please rest.”
“Right, get some rest.”
“Take care.”
And so, Joshua Lindsay, Illia Lindsay, and Airen Farreira, the main figures behind the commotion, all left.
The guests were left standing forlornly in the otherwise deserted training grounds, and the servants who had rushed over belatedly began guiding them.
“We will escort you to your accommodations.”
“...Right. We should go.”
Hall Master Joseph and the others from the fencing hall nodded.
They obediently followed the people of House Lindsay.
The shock of the spar still lingered in their minds.
‘It was incredible.’
‘That young man was the rumored Airen Farreira? Come to think of it, there were plenty of things that should have made him recognizable. Why didn’t I realize it?’
‘A battle between Sword Masters... It was far more incredible than I had imagined.’
They had been invited by the head of House Lindsay himself, so none of them lacked skill.
Every one of them was at least an Expert.
Even so, today’s spar had been astonishing.
It felt as though legendary heroes had clashed before their eyes.
Yet there was someone even more deeply affected than the rest.
It was Hall Master Joseph.
‘What... have I been doing all this time?’
Most had focused on the young Sword Master, Airen Farreira, and his impressive showing.
Joseph, on the other hand, had been deeply inspired by Joshua Lindsay’s level.
The sight was still vivid in his mind.
Slowly rising within a storm of Aura.
Looking down with dignity from the lofty sky.
Then diving toward his opponent with the oppressive presence of a ruler of the heavens.
‘Lord Lindsay, despite being nearly sixty... you still possess the passion and fighting spirit of your youth.’
There had been a time when Joseph had run forward without a single worry, as though he had never been hurt.
He had dreamed of becoming the continent’s greatest swordsman, thinking, moving, and striving every day.
But that was no longer true.
After witnessing the strength of Julius Hyul, whom he had encountered by chance.
After suffering defeat at the hands of Lord Lindsay, whom he had believed beneath him.
His flame had gradually dimmed. The passion that once seemed capable of setting everything around him ablaze had dwindled until it was smaller than a candle in a room.
But Joshua Lindsay had not done the same.
Though he too had been blocked by the wall of the Continent’s Top Three.
Though he too had felt his limits and frustration.
He had never stopped making an effort.
The final move of the Sky Sword could be said to have been created through the accumulation of such steadfast days.
‘...Perhaps, in ten years, the Continent’s Top Three will become the Top Four.’
Raising his assessment of Lord Lindsay, Hall Master Joseph headed to his accommodations in long silence.
...His heart felt a little, just a little warmer than before.
“Hmm.”
“...”
“Huh.”
“...”
“Ha!”
“Sir Bill Staunton...”
“Hm? You’re still here? It’s fine, it’s fine. I’ll leave on my own, so leave me be. Don’t worry about me, everyone. Go take care of your work. Go on.”
After speaking to those around him who were watching him, Bill Staunton sank back into thought.
The servants of House Lindsay could not simply leave with peace of mind, but his guards told them it was fine.
Their master might have been a troublemaker, but he was not trash. He would never berate them over something like this.
And Bill Staunton truly was not thinking about such things right now.
After holding his breath for a long time, he let out a sigh of admiration.
‘That really was an incredible spar!’
To be honest, he had not properly understood a single thing about the head of House Lindsay’s and Airen’s swordsmanship.
That was true even though he had reached the peak of the Expert rank.
Their level had gone beyond that of ordinary Sword Masters, touching a far higher realm.
That did not mean he had gained nothing.
The limits he had imagined for a swordsman.
The two of them had shattered those limits to pieces, and at the same time, Bill Staunton’s horizons had broadened.
That alone was an enormous gain.
“Haha, this feels good.”
Bill Staunton burst into loud laughter.
It had been a satisfying spectacle and a satisfying day.
Of course, he had no intention of stopping there.
He would never let today’s unexpected fortune, his connection with Airen’s group, simply slip away.
‘I need to keep this connection going somehow. That way, I might get a chance to gain something from them... The problem is that my first impression wasn’t very good.’
Bill Staunton frowned.
Should he threaten Kiril with another confession attack?
That was not a good method. He needed to maintain a good relationship, not force one, if he wanted things to turn out as he hoped.
Still, it was not as though he had no options.
Airen, Kiril, and the black cat.
Thinking of the easiest target among the three, he placed a hand on his forehead and chuckled again.
“This might... work? Heh heh. Hehehe... Fuhuhuhu.”
“...”
“...”
He laughed, grew annoyed, then laughed again.
Yet no one found it strange. The guards who remained beside him looked at him without much concern.
Bill Staunton had caused far too many incidents for this level of behavior to draw notice.
* * *
“...”
Airen Farreira had yet to regain consciousness.
There was no problem, though.
Within his deeply sunken consciousness, his thoughts flowed only toward the spar with the head of House Lindsay that had just taken place.
The might of the Sky Sword was far beyond anything he could have imagined.
Compared to it, his own sword had been far more lacking than he had thought.
‘How should I have responded to stop that attack?’
Greater power?
A new technique?
Such thoughts briefly surfaced, then vanished.
Airen thought he already had more than enough.
With the materials he currently possessed, he could make an excellent meal. The problem was not what he had, but himself.
‘Let’s review it one by one.’
He reflected on the past.
From his time as a provisional trainee to his spar with the head of House Lindsay, he recalled each technique he had honed, learned, and used over those long years.
The Six Concepts of Aura control.
The Five Elements Divine Technique.
The Heart Sword.
The swordsmanship of the Holy Kingdom.
One by one, he examined the things he believed he handled well, even more carefully than before.
So he could wield them more smoothly. So they could demonstrate their true power.
Of course, he could not remain that way forever.
This was not the Otherworldly Realm, where he could focus solely on training.
It was only a brief rest brought on by an accidental loss of consciousness.
‘Right. I lost consciousness. But why?’
Airen suddenly grasped his situation.
But he was still half asleep.
Unlike moments before, when he had clearly reviewed his swordsmanship, everything now felt hazy. It was as though fog had settled over his mind and thoughts.
That was why Ignet’s name came to mind.
The first person to knock him unconscious.
A situation very similar to this one.
Remembering that time for the first time in a while, Airen unconsciously spoke her name.
“Ignet...”
“Ignet?”
Then a familiar voice reached him.
Surprisingly, his mind cleared at once.
Airen Farreira opened his eyes in shock and looked to the side.
There stood Illia Lindsay, smiling at him.
Yet for some reason, her face looked terrifying.
She spoke again.
“Ignet?”
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