WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Dionysus
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 284: Brett Lloyd's Wish (3)
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Elsa Collins.
She was only nineteen, but no one in high society dared look down on her.
Her beauty and elegance were weapons in their own right, and her family's fortune, ranked among the top three in the kingdom, gave her a background few could hope to match.
She was eloquent, knew how to handle her followers, and had a cruel side to her. Even houses of earl rank or higher hesitated to cross her.
But right now.
None of that meant anything.
A battle of wills? A war of words?
This was not anything so trivial.
As she stared at the blazing-red mass of metal before her, radiating intense heat, Elsa Collins felt a terror she had never experienced in her life.
"...!"
"...!"
Her followers felt the same.
So did the guard knights who had followed behind to protect them.
Anyone who had trained with a sword for at least ten years could recognize it.
What the Aura enveloping the woman's hands signified.
Manifestation of Aura.
It was not gathered into a hard, dense form like that released by a Sword Master. Instead, it drifted like a heat haze. Yet the mere fact that it had become visible was astonishing.
Judith was undoubtedly an Expert, and one who had reached the very peak of that rank.
'Judith... I knew Judith was from Krono Fencing Hall, but I never imagined Judith was this powerful!'
'I heard Judith had made a name for herself in the Proof Land, but I thought it was just exaggeration from people who enjoy a commoner's rise to success...'
It was not an exaggeration.
Far from it, the rumors had failed to measure up to reality.
Under pressure as terrifying as facing a volcano, no one could stop Judith. No one could fulfill their duty.
Everyone gathered there, without exception, had their collars in the Crimson Witch's grip.
And yet...
Fwoosh.
"Leave."
"...?"
Judith reined in her oppressive presence.
With a flick of her wrist, Judith tossed aside the tiger tail she had been holding.
Having completely withdrawn her Aura, Judith raised her voice again at Elsa Collins, her followers, and the guard knights around them.
"I said get lost. Before I really lose my temper."
"..."
"..."
Only then did the stunned crowd come to their senses and slowly back away.
It did not matter whether they were ladies or knights. Even the notoriously ill-tempered Elsa Collins disappeared without saying a word, pale with fear.
A terror they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
With that fear branded deep within them, everyone who had attempted their petty schemes left. Their destination was not the ballroom, but their respective houses.
Nobody was crazy enough to enjoy the party after going through something like that.
'...The same goes for me.'
Judith sighed.
Judith's thoughts were tangled. Countless thoughts followed one after another.
But one thing was clear.
This was not a place for Judith.
Clenching a fist tightly, Judith looked toward the door through which the noble ladies had disappeared.
Then a clear voice came from behind her.
"Hello."
"..."
Judith stared at the woman for quite some time before belatedly returning the greeting.
There were people like that.
They had not trained with a sword, learned magic, or awakened Sorcery.
In terms of sheer strength, Judith could deal with such a person using only one finger, yet that did not make the person before her someone she could ignore.
The woman before Judith was like that.
A lady in an elegant dress, wearing a bright smile without the slightest agitation despite meeting Judith's glare head-on.
'This person has nothing to do with what just happened.'
Judith could not lose her temper with someone like that.
Of course, that did not mean Judith intended to act warmly toward the woman either.
"Yes, hello. Then I'll be going..."
After giving a brief greeting, Judith turned around.
Judith was tired. Even exchanging a few words felt exhausting.
She began walking in the same direction the noble ladies who had ignored her had disappeared.
Judith felt sorry for Brett, but no longer wanted to stay there. She was sorry she could not grant Brett's wish, but intended to apologize later.
But that was no longer possible.
"I'm sorry, but you cannot just leave like this. You need to compensate me."
"...?"
Judith turned around again with a puzzled expression.
Her confusion lingered for some time.
The direction the lady pointed.
More precisely, the tiger Judith had damaged, which now no longer had a tail. The moment Judith saw it, she realized who the other person was.
"Could you be...?"
"Yes, it belongs to me."
"..."
"I should have introduced myself sooner. I am Lilianna Clancy, the duke's daughter of House Clancy."
"I'm, um, Judith. Uh..."
Judith stumbled over her introduction.
The burden of having to reveal that she was a commoner once again.
Her guilt over damaging the property of the lady of the house.
And beyond that, her irritation at having to be in such a situation at all.
Those complicated emotions left a foolish expression on Judith's face. She could not even think clearly about what she should say.
But it was all right.
Lilianna Clancy, the duke's daughter, approached with light, sparrow-like steps and spoke.
"A brief conversation."
"..."
"That will be enough compensation. Do you have a little time?"
Judith had no choice but to nod.
* * *
"Exactly! Brett is ridiculous, right? You have no idea how absurd that guy is. Ha... So Brett acted all refined in their own kingdom?"
"Well, I do not think it was an act. People's behavior can differ depending on the situation and atmosphere..."
"No, even so, this is a little... Ugh, this is so frustrating! Aaaah!"
Unlike her conversation with Elsa Collins, talking with Lilianna Clancy was extremely comfortable for Judith.
It was strange. The beginning had not been any different. The atmosphere of a ball Judith did not understand and topics that required some degree of refinement.
Yet it was much easier to exchange words with Lilianna, and easier to open up as well.
After a few minutes had passed, they had grown close enough for Judith to bring up Brett first.
'...But this is uncomfortable.'
Still, Judith did not feel at ease.
Was it because Judith disliked Lady Lilianna?
Absolutely not.
If anything, it was the opposite. Despite her high status as a duke's daughter, Lilianna showed consideration and understanding toward Judith.
She was a person of excellent character, completely unlike Judith and her foul temperament.
That was right.
That was precisely the problem.
'In the world of nobles... both good people and trashy people are completely different from me.'
It really was true.
Elsa Collins, who had subtly insulted and humiliated Judith, was different from Judith.
Lilianna Clancy, who gently considered and looked after Judith, was different from Judith as well.
And it was not only them. Thinking carefully, everyone gathered in the ballroom gave off an atmosphere different from Judith's.
Different births.
Different environments.
Different emotions and ways of thinking, built up over time as a result.
...A truly aristocratic world, one that did not suit Judith.
'Could it be that Brett and I cannot be together either?'
It was not a sudden thought.
Judith had considered it before taking Brett seriously, before they became lovers.
It was simply that Brett had pressed forward before the thought could deepen.
And now, the time had come for Judith to worry about it again.
Judith's expression gradually stiffened.
"Judith?"
Lady Clancy noticed the change in Judith's mood as well.
In truth, it was not something she had only just realized.
Judith's words had gradually grown fewer.
Judith's expression had darkened, and her eyes looked as though something was bothering her.
Lilianna was sensitive to others' feelings and quick to grasp a situation, so she could tell.
Judith was uncomfortable about something. It did not seem to be solely because of Lilianna, either.
So, if she had to put it into words...
As Lilianna thought that far, Judith, who had been silent for a moment, let out an awkward laugh.
Then she spoke.
"I, um, think I should go after all."
"Hm? What do you mean...?"
"I do not think this is a place where I belong. You know, I do not really get along with the people here. The atmosphere too. Ah! I do not mean that as an insult to this place, of course. I just mean that I am too ill-mannered and uneducated to fit in here. That is what I meant. Please do not misunderstand."
"..."
"Um, so... I'm sorry for being rude. And thank you."
Judith bowed her head.
Judith knew Brett had not invited her there to embarrass or torment her.
But this experience had made Judith realize something.
Being with Brett would not be as easy as Judith had thought.
"Ah, one last thing... I'm sorry, but could you pass a message on to Brett? Tell Brett I'm feeling a little overwhelmed, so I think I should leave first."
"..."
"Um... I'm sorry for being rude. Ah, I already said that. Anyway, thank you for overlooking the damage to the tiger's tail. Then..."
"Do you know what it means to come to a ballroom with a partner?"
Judith had finished speaking and was about to leave when Lady Clancy's voice reached her.
Judith could not take another step.
Honestly, she was curious.
But Judith felt awkward about turning around immediately, so she simply stood there. Fortunately, Lilianna continued speaking.
"It is nothing much."
"..."
"In the past, you had to be in a relationship that promised a future together to attend a ball as partners, but things are much freer now. It is common for people to attend together because they have a slight interest in each other, or even just once because both happen to need a partner."
"R-right. No one would attach much meaning to something like that..."
"But there are still people who want to preserve the old traditions."
"..."
"Of course, I do not know whether Brett Lloyd is one of them. Ah, Brett is coming this way now."
"What?"
Judith turned to the side in surprise.
It was true. Brett Lloyd was approaching from far away.
The fact that Judith had noticed someone approaching later than an ordinary person would have mattered less than the simple fact that Brett was running toward her.
"Judith."
"Brett."
"Whew, I thought you had just gone out for some air. Why didn't you come back in... Huh?"
"W-what?"
"No. You just look even prettier than before. I let out an exclamation without realizing it."
Thwack!
"Gah, ngh... Wait, that was really hard. I'm not joking, that hurts too much."
"Shut up. Be quiet."
"What is this? Is it wrong to call someone pretty when they are pretty?"
"Ah, stop it already."
Thwack, thwack, thwack!
Judith's unforgiving hands struck Brett. Brett accepted the blows with exaggerated groans, though Brett's expression remained serious.
Lady Clancy watched them with a smile.
Only then did Brett stop teasing Judith and offer an elegant bow.
"Thank you for spending time with my inadequate lover."
"Inadequate? Judith is a wonderful person."
"That is how I see Judith, but many others do not seem to agree..."
"Will you be quiet already..."
"Urgh. In any case, thank you for seeing Judith in a good light as well, my lady. May we take our leave now?"
The duke's daughter nodded, and Brett bowed once more.
And so, the blue-haired and red-haired pair slowly walked away.
Lady Clancy watched the two as they continued bickering all the while.
After some time passed, a lonely voice escaped her lips.
"I really cannot win, can I?"
No, she had already known that. That was why she had said those things.
But as she watched the two, who suited each other so well and shared an atmosphere that she could never become part of...
"...I should stop thinking about it now."
Vigorously yet gracefully, Lilianna Clancy shook her head a few times and looked toward the sky in the opposite direction.
The wind was especially cold that day, but it did not feel entirely unpleasant.
* * *
After her brief date with Brett Lloyd, Judith trained with even greater intensity.
Judith's thoughts were tangled.
Both her master's advice not to let go of anything and Brett's attitude, which seemed to imagine a future with Judith, felt a little overwhelming for Judith.
'I... I am not sure I can do that.'
Judith had the confidence, or rather the stubbornness and grit, to become the greatest swordfighter.
But that was as far as it went.
Sharing a happy future with someone.
In some ways, that was something Judith felt even less confident about than becoming the strongest swordfighter.
It was not something that could be achieved through effort alone. It was something that had to be built together with someone else.
'...Can someone selfish and ill-tempered like me really do something like that?'
An inferiority complex, so strong it felt unfamiliar, settled within Judith.
Judith's master, lover, and friends all believed in and loved her more than she deserved.
It was cowardly to say so, but Judith found that a little burdensome.
Because she thought she was lacking.
Because in every respect other than the sword, she thought she was far inferior to them.
That was why Judith devoted herself to the sword even more.
An escape from worries, anguish, and thoughts that were difficult to resolve.
"Damn it!"
Judith burst out in anger.
She knew this was not the right thing to do. Just as Airen had been in the past, according to the story he had told Judith, she knew it was cowardly and lacking in courage.
But it was still difficult. It was hard to face those thoughts, so Judith chose to escape into the comparatively easier path of the sword.
Of course, Judith was not merely running away.
Anger at her own inadequacy.
Judith used even that as fuel for her flames, swinging her sword with greater heat and intensity. Time passed in an instant, and the seasons changed.
"Hm? This is..."
A letter arrived for Judith.
It was no different from the one Airen Farreira had received.
The Hero's Festival.
The moment had come for a stage of proof even fiercer than the Proof Land to open.
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