Chapter 164: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat
Chapter 164: Lucifer(3)
Five winters had passed since the man first met the girl, and spring was starting to arrive with warm breezes.
When they first met, the girl hadn’t even reached the man’s chest, but now she had grown to his shoulder height. Her beauty had blossomed, making it difficult to still refer to her as a girl—she had grown into a young woman.
“...Lately, it seems like you’ve been clinging to me more often.”
“Hm, I don’t know. It’s just your imagination. I think I’ve been acting the same as always.”
The girl knew she had grown into a rather attractive young woman, and she often increased her physical contact with the man, trying to show off her growth.
“You think you’ve grown up, but you’re still acting like a child, clinging like this. You’re no different from before.”
“...Do you still see me as a child?”
“A child, yes. You’re still just a rookie swordsman who hasn’t even reached the level of this pathetic old swordsman. How can I treat you as an adult?”
Despite the time that had passed, the man continued to treat the girl the same as he always had—like a child.
Annoyed by this, the girl pouted and spoke to him.
“...Let’s see how long you can keep treating me like a child.”
“Sure, I look forward to the day when you finally surpass me.”
The man laughed off her complaints and climbed the mountain peak with her once again.
Although the man treated her the same as ever, lately, he had been increasingly troubled.
Contrary to what he had just said, he had been keenly aware of the girl’s growth—not just her physical development but her growth as a swordsman.
The man watched the girl swing her sword beside him.
Her strikes were sharp and fast.
To call her a novice was an understatement—no one who saw her could consider her an inexperienced swordsman.
She had surpassed his level long ago.
Thanks to training with her, he had also improved somewhat and could still teach her, but...
From the beginning, the man had sensed that her talent far outstripped his, and he knew it wouldn’t be long before she overtook him completely.
One day, the man noticed the girl had stopped swinging her sword and asked.
“What’s the matter?”
“...Oh, it’s nothing. I just feel like I’ve hit a wall lately. Even though you’re teaching me with all your heart, my skills aren’t improving much, and I worry I might disappoint you...”
The girl glanced at him nervously, and the man replied in a reassuring tone.
“Disappointed? Don’t be. Even if you never improve beyond where you are now, I would never be disappointed in you. Anyway, with your talent, this kind of stagnation is temporary. You’ll overcome this wall soon enough.”
“...Even though you say that, if I really don’t get any better, you’d still be disappointed.”
“In that case, I’ll just keep teaching you until you break through. So don’t worry about it; just keep swinging your sword.”
“...I see. That puts me at ease.”
Smiling with relief, the girl resumed her practice.
He thought that hitting this wall would only be a temporary setback for her.
The man imagined the day when he could no longer teach her the sword.
The emotion that welled up at that thought brought a wry smile to his face.
A student surpassing their teacher should be a joyous event, yet he felt more sadness than joy.
He had thought the only attachment he had left in this world was to reach that fabled level he had once witnessed.
But at some point, something else had quietly settled alongside his devotion to the sword.
Without realizing it, it had happened.
The man smiled bitterly and murmured to himself.
How much longer will I be able to teach her the sword?
All he could do was give his best in the present moment.
---
Contrary to the man’s expectations, the girl struggled to break through the wall she had encountered.
Days, weeks, and nearly a month passed.
Each time the man practiced, he could sense the girl’s glances, watching him for reassurance.
Every time, he would tell her not to worry, that he didn’t mind at all.
He had been through something similar himself.
He knew that the most difficult part of this stage was facing the wall alone.
Thus, his concern for her only grew.
What was holding her back?
Could it be something psychological?
The man, who had always focused solely on his sword during training, found himself so distracted by his concern for the girl that he couldn’t concentrate.
The girl, sensing his worries, repeatedly told him not to mind her, but his anxiety only increased.
He would collapse into sleep after training, exhausted, only to find himself awake late at night, unable to rest.
One such night, he awoke at an unusual hour and let out a sigh.
He had believed that his training would keep him from being swayed by personal matters, yet here he was, feeling more disturbed than ever.
Regardless of everything, he knew that the best way to clear his troubled mind was to focus on his sword with single-minded dedication.
The man grabbed his sword and left the cabin, heading for the peak where he always trained.
The sky was dark and heavy with clouds, as if it might rain soon, and there wasn’t a breath of wind.
The mountain path was pitch black, with barely any visibility, but having walked this same path for years, he hesitated not at all.
However, just before reaching the summit, his steps slowed.
He heard an unfamiliar sound coming from the peak where no one should be.
Was it a wild animal, or perhaps a ghost fitting the eerie atmosphere of the night?
As he approached the summit, his eyes, adjusting to the darkness, began to discern movement in the shadows.
“...Ah.”
It was a beautiful dance.
A swordsman’s dance, immersed in a state of selflessness, where the blade and the swordsman were one.
In the darkness, her jet-black hair fluttered like shadows.
The girl had become a single sword, dancing in perfect harmony.
The intricacies in her movements were beyond anything the man could comprehend, but he could tell that she had reached a level far beyond what he could have imagined.
He could only watch in awe, utterly captivated by her dance.
And then, suddenly, the dance came to an abrupt halt.
The graceful movements he wished would continue forever stopped.
There was no sword left at the end of the dance.
Only the girl, standing there with a look of utter shock as she stared at the man.
“I... I wasn’t trying to deceive you!”
Her voice echoed through the night.
And in that moment, the man realized the truth.
Now he knew that the clumsy facade the girl had shown him was all a lie.
Since when?
Since when had she surpassed him and reached such a level?
Maybe it had been that way from the very beginning.
“I... I was just...”
The girl mumbled with a fearful expression.
Would he be angry?
Would he despise her for pretending to be weak and hiding her skills despite her true ability?
Terrified that all the lies she had kept hidden had finally been exposed, the girl trembled.
More than anything else in this world, she feared being hated by the man.
And as she trembled in fear, the man reached out his hand toward her.
The girl closed her eyes, expecting the worst.
She was prepared to accept whatever he might do, even if he strangled her in anger.
But the man’s hand did not reach for her neck.
“...Huh?”
Feeling the warmth on her head, the girl flinched and slowly opened her eyes, only to find the man’s large hand gently patting her head.
The man let out a small laugh and said.
“Why are you so scared? Don’t worry. I had a feeling you might be hiding your skills.”
“...You knew?”
“How long do you think we’ve been together? You’ve always been quick to learn anything. It was strange that you were only mediocre when it came to swordsmanship. But I didn’t expect you were this skilled.”
The man spoke casually, as if it didn’t bother him at all.
But the girl, still anxious, mumbled to him.
“...Aren’t you angry? I deceived you.”
“Angry...? Let me ask you one thing. Did you hide your skills to mock me or make fun of me?”
“Ugh, of course not!”
“Then it’s fine. I can guess why you hid your abilities, so why would I be angry?”
The man continued to pat the girl’s head.
He knew that if she had shown her true skills and surpassed him quickly, it would have wounded his pride in those early days when they had just begun living together.
She had hidden her abilities out of consideration for him.
What a kind girl she was.
Smiling, the man spoke to her.
“But I’m a bit disappointed. I’ve been losing sleep lately, worried that you were struggling because you weren’t improving. I never thought it was all just an act.”
“Ugh... That’s...”
“Even knowing I was so worried, did you really have to keep it hidden until the end?”
“Ugh, I have no excuse for that... But, but...!”
The girl’s voice quivered as she pouted at the man’s scolding, her cheeks turning red as she mumbled in a tiny voice.
“If you knew I had surpassed your skills... you wouldn’t have taught me the sword anymore...”
“Hah, you really wanted to keep learning from me? Even though I’m far behind you in skill?”
“...Yes, but I still wanted to keep learning from you. Because when I was learning, I got to spend time with you.”
The man let out a bitter smile at the girl’s words.
He was a man who lived and breathed for the sword.
To spend time with him, who devoted most of his day to swinging his blade, training together was the only way.
But that relationship could no longer continue.
“But now, I can’t teach you the sword anymore. Not when I know you’re stronger than me.”
“...Is it really impossible? What if I tried to teach you instead?”
“What kind of master learns from their disciple? You were considerate of my pride, but I still have some pride as a swordsman, you know.”
The pride of a swordsman was foolish like that.
He might be fine with it now, but having her by his side would always bother him.
The man asked the girl.
“When a disciple surpasses their master, it’s customary to send them away. Now that you’ve become a full-fledged swordsman and more, I think my role is done. Are you ready to leave the mountain?”
“...Do I really have to?”
The girl’s reaction was exactly what he expected, and the man sighed.
Smirking, he muttered under his breath.
“You’re still such a child.”
The man looked at her and spoke.
“I’ve forgiven you, but you still feel guilty for deceiving me, don’t you?”
“...Of course. I feel nothing but guilt toward you.”
“Then I suppose you can grant me one request.”
“Uh, w-what... anything you want, as long as I can do it...”
The man’s voice was calm as he addressed the blushing girl who fidgeted nervously.
“Then, pick up your sword.”
The girl’s face stiffened in shock.
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