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Chapter 163: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat

Chapter 163: Lucifer(2)



The girl swung her sword.


It was an ordinary slash—neither particularly fast nor filled with some special insight.


Yet, the rock in the path of her swing split cleanly in two, as if it was the most natural outcome.


Watching this, the man instinctively knew.


Whatever stood before the girl, whether it was a rock or something else, it would be cut down by her sword.


Swallowing his confusion at this incomprehensible phenomenon, the man asked the girl.


“How did you do that?”


“This? Well, you told me to cut the rock if I wanted to learn the sword. So I thought about wanting to cut the rock, and before I knew it, I could do it. I’m not really sure myself.”


The man fell silent, staring at the girl’s innocent eyes that looked back at him as if nothing was wrong.


He knew that some people were born with unusual abilities.


It wasn’t uncommon for some to have powers like controlling fire or water, abilities that normal people did not possess.


But the girl’s power was of an entirely different nature.


To be able to cut anything simply by swinging the sword, no matter what stood before her.


He had suspected she wasn’t ordinary from the start, but this...


“You... Were you really some kind of monster all along?”


When the man asked this, the girl frowned, clearly displeased.


“...A monster, huh? That’s a bit harsh, especially for a lady. At least call me a witch or something.”


Clearly bothered by the word “monster,” the girl scowled, and the man reluctantly nodded in agreement.


Seeing his reaction, the girl let out a small laugh, put down her sword, and gazed at her own hands as she mumbled.


“Well, I suppose that’s how it is. I’ve seen enough to know that I’m not normal.”


The girl glanced at the man and asked.


“You probably don’t want to live with someone like me, right? If you don’t want me here, I’ll leave. Even someone like me could probably find a place that suits me somewhere.”


She spoke calmly, as if genuinely ready to leave if that’s what he wanted.


But the man noticed it—the faint look of sadness in her eyes as she watched him.


Seeing this, the man replied.


“...I don’t care if you’re a witch or a demon; there’s no need for that.”


The girl’s eyes widened.


“...You really don’t mind?”


“From the beginning, I promised you, didn’t I? If you cut the rock, I’d teach you the sword. If you leave, I won’t be able to fulfill that promise, and that won’t do. I’m not someone who breaks my word.”


For the man, only the sword mattered.


Breaking a promise was like denying himself.


Denying himself would dull the sword he carried in his heart.


Therefore, it didn’t matter to him what kind of existence the girl was.


He had only answered this way to keep his sword sharp.


“...Is that so?”


Not because he couldn’t bear seeing the girl’s disappointed expression.


As the girl beamed, the man averted his gaze and tried to convince himself.


---


From that day on, whenever the man went up to the mountain peak to swing his sword, the girl also practiced by his side.


“You can choose not to use that power, right? While the ability to cut anything is certainly a formidable weapon, relying on it won’t help you grow as a swordsman.”


“I know that much. Don’t worry; I won’t use that ability when I’m learning from you.”


As long as it didn’t interfere with his own training, the man taught the girl how to wield a sword.


And each time he watched the girl swing her sword, the man was reminded anew.


“You’re a genius.”


“Huh, is that so?”


“Yes. I was called a genius in my village when I was young, but I was never like you.”


Teach her one thing, and she’d master ten.


Such people were called prodigies, and the girl was one of them.


However, the man wasn’t particularly surprised by the girl’s talent.


He knew that there were those who not only mastered ten things when taught one but could learn a hundred or even a thousand—true monsters.


Initially, the man had thought the girl belonged to that category.


Someone with an unfathomable talent who could reach the level of cutting rocks with a wooden sword just by watching him train.


To him, the fact that she could cut anything with her power was less surprising; having witnessed abilities that defied logic, it felt almost mundane to be shocked by such talent.


Still, there was one aspect of the girl that the man held in high regard.


“You always smile when I teach you the sword.”


“Well, that’s because it’s fun.”


It seemed that the girl genuinely enjoyed learning the sword.


There’s a saying that ordinary people can’t beat geniuses, and geniuses can’t beat those who enjoy what they do.


Training was tough.


No matter how much talent one had, continuously enduring that difficulty was no easy task.


But the girl, despite her young age and small frame, never slacked and kept up with the rigorous training, always with a joyful expression.


From the perspective of someone teaching the sword, having such an eager student was deeply satisfying.


“I’m glad you find learning the sword enjoyable.”


When the man said this, the girl looked at him with a cryptic smile and replied.


“That’s not the reason I’m enjoying myself... but, never mind. Just think of it that way.”


Not understanding what she meant, the man simply blinked in confusion.


---


One day, while they were swinging their swords together at the mountain peak as usual, the girl spoke to the man.


“By the way, I made some alcohol from the fruits I found nearby. How about sharing a drink this evening?”


“Alcohol... You cheeky brat.”


“Haha, it’s barely alcohol, more like a weak drink. You swing that sword every day; isn’t it okay to enjoy yourself every now and then?”


Seeing the girl making an uncharacteristically playful request, the man sighed, caught between amusement and contemplation.


No matter how extraordinary she was, the girl was still just a child.


How bored must such a child have been, following him around and training with the sword in this remote mountain with no distractions?


The man, feeling his resolve weaken for a moment, found himself nodding reluctantly at the girl's pleading gaze.


The girl beamed with a triumphant smile as if she had just won something, and the man sighed, mumbling to himself.


He thought he had been growing too soft with her lately.


That night, after their training, they settled down at a makeshift bench the girl had put together in front of the cabin, sharing a drink.


Just as she’d said, it was a fruit wine with almost no noticeable alcohol content.


However, maybe because it had been a long time since he’d had a drink, or perhaps because he was caught up in the atmosphere, the man’s face became faintly flushed with a slight buzz. Seeing this, the girl took a sip and spoke.


“...Actually, the reason I suggested having a drink was because I wanted to talk with you. We’ve been living together for quite some time, but when I think about it, I hardly know anything about you. I didn’t ask before because you seemed reluctant, but still, I want to know more about you. So, could you tell me a little about yourself?”


“...Listening to the story of someone like me wouldn’t be entertaining.”


“...But I want to hear it. I want to know what kind of life you’ve lived, why you won’t tell me your name, why you came to live in a place like this—things like that.”


The man fell silent, her words causing him to pause.


It was true that he had deliberately avoided talking about himself to the girl.


It wasn’t exactly a story worth sharing.


But maybe because he was slightly drunk and more relaxed than usual, he hesitated, then slowly began to speak while meeting her expectant gaze.


“...I was about five years old when I first picked up a sword. I was born into a family known for its martial prowess, so I had the chance to learn the sword from a young age. To be honest, I wasn’t serious about it at first. Everyone in my family wielded swords, so I just followed suit. Then, one day, I came across the story of a legendary swordsman in the family library. It was about a man who rose to the pinnacle of the world with just a single sword. Looking back now, it was such a childish thought, but after reading that story, I developed a dream. I wanted to become the strongest, like the man in that tale. I started training seriously from that moment.”


“...”


“At first, it was just a childhood goal, but as I trained, I found myself, like all swordsmen do, yearning to reach a higher level, to become the strongest. I had some talent, too. Everyone in the family praised me, calling me a prodigy. I genuinely believed that one day, I would become what I aspired to be.”


Recalling his past, the man let out a bitter smile.


“It was truly an arrogant thought.”


He finished the rest of his drink and continued.


“When I turned twenty, I was confident in my skills and wanted to prove myself. Around that time, I heard that a renowned master had arrived nearby. Full of youthful bravado, I ran to him and challenged him to a duel—not a simple sparring match, but a life-or-death battle. I was sure I could win, and even if I lost my life, I wouldn’t regret it. If you can’t cut, you get cut. That’s the way of a swordsman.”


“So, you won since you’re alive now?”


When the girl said this, the man shook his head slowly.


“No, I lost. Completely and utterly. It was then that I realized just how strong people could be. I had been a frog in a well, ignorant of the outside world.”


Surprised by his admission of defeat, the girl looked him over, wondering how he had survived such a fight to the death.


Perhaps the victor had spared his life in exchange for something else.


However, after examining him closely, she sighed in relief upon confirming that there were no visible injuries.


“...Still, it’s a relief that you survived.”


“...Relief, huh.”


Hearing her words, the man sighed softly, and the girl realized something.


“...I wish I had died back then.”


It wasn’t his body that was wounded; it was his spirit.


The man, his eyes filled with lingering sorrow, continued as the girl stayed silent.


“After losing that duel, I was ready to die. But the one who defeated me said I was too weak, not even worth killing. He left me with those words and walked away. In that moment, I felt like everything I had worked for was denied. All the effort I had put into mastering my swordsmanship, all my pride as a swordsman—everything was gone. If I had died then, at least I wouldn’t have been left feeling so pathetic.”


The man sighed, gazing up at the sky, before looking back at the girl.


“...Earlier, you said you wanted to know why I live in a place like this, didn’t you?”


The girl nodded silently, and the man, with a wry smile, glanced up at the peak where he always swung his sword.


The highest place in the area, the spot closest to the sky.


“To be honest, I came here to die. I couldn’t reach the highest position in life, so I wanted to die in the highest place. I thought it would be better to end my life than to keep living with such miserable feelings.”


“...”


“But when I stood at the mountain peak, ready to jump, I hesitated. I kept seeing the sword of the one who defeated me, haunting my mind. I wanted to experience wielding a sword like that just once before I died. So, I abandoned my name, my family, and everything else, choosing to live on as just another swordsman, trying to reach a higher realm even if it’s just by a single step... That’s the story of the man you were curious about. Does that satisfy your curiosity?”


The man, exuding an air as if he could vanish at any moment, caused the girl to reach out and grab his sleeve instinctively.


Holding onto his sleeve with trembling hands, the girl asked.


“...Do you still want to die? Is swinging your sword really the only thing you care about in life?”


Please, don’t leave me behind.


Her eyes conveyed this unspoken plea as she clung to him, trembling slightly. The man, seeing this, felt a surge of unfamiliar emotions and let out a bitter smile.


He had thought he had nothing left to care about in this world other than his sword.


Smiling faintly, he gently patted the girl’s head and replied.


“I promised you, didn’t I? I said I’d teach you the sword. At least until you’ve grown into a proper swordsman, I won’t think about dying. So don’t worry.”


“...You promise?”


“Yes. You know this, don’t you? I’m a man who keeps his promises.”


Hearing this, the girl finally stopped trembling, though she didn’t let go of his sleeve.


Still holding onto him, she leaned her head lightly against his arm and asked.


“...Would you be happy if I achieved the dream you couldn’t? If I became the strongest?”


“...You mean the dream of becoming the strongest swordsman? Don’t. Dreams should be for yourself, not for someone else.”


“It’s not for you. I want it for myself. After all, as you said, I’m a swordsman now, too. It feels natural to have the goal of becoming the strongest.”


“...You do have talent, but even so, it would take a long time to reach that level.”


When the man spoke to the girl resting against his arm, she smiled at him and murmured.


“Fufu, if I keep swinging my sword beside you until you grow old and die, I’ll get there eventually. So just live long and watch me reach the top.”


The man smiled slightly at her words and raised his cup.


“Well, if that’s what you truly want, do as you please.”


Late into the night, the moon reflected in the drink slowly tilted.


---------------------


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Comments

  1. How is this back story so well written?!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm tearing up! Why is it so good!!! What is this quality?!?!

    Ahhhhhh, I really really really hope this doesn't end tragically...

    At least give them more happiness!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Does this back story have an original novel.

    ReplyDelete

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