Book 1 Chapter 6
【6】5
Early the next morning.
Knock, knock-
I was reading a book in my room when I heard a knock.
“Come in.”
*Burst open-*
The door opened, and Celia entered, wearing the modest maid uniform worn by the maids of the moderate Plob family.
“I am Celia, and I will be serving as Young Master Leo’s maid for one week. Please take good care of me.”
Leo looked up from his book at Celia, who was greeting him with dead fish eyes.
“This is quite serious, isn’t it?”
“Take responsibility for the words you utter. It is one of our family’s mottos.”
Although her eyes were like a dead fish, her posture was impeccable.
She was the image of an ideal maid.
Her natural good style made the maid uniform, with its navy fabric and white frills, suit her very well.
Her black hair, reflecting the sunlight, shimmered.
As he gazed at her, Celia spoke.
“I understand admiring my beauty, but if you’re looking at me with a lecherous gaze, I’ll blow you away.”
“I apologize if I offended you.”
Leo smacked his lips, *쩝-*.
“I once had a friend who called himself an artist. He praised beautiful things to an excessive degree, and it seems I unknowingly picked up his habits.”
‘Beauty is always supreme. It is eternal. When peace comes to the world, I intend to spend my life spreading beauty to all corners of the world!’
This was Dweno, the great dwarven hero now acclaimed as the [Divine Blacksmith].
He looked much happier when creating works of art than when forging weapons.
Even while on his journey to subjugate Erebus, he never ceased his artistic endeavors.
“He sounds like a good friend, someone who truly knows how to appreciate beauty.”
As someone born into the Gerdinger family, one needs the qualities to lead people.
Being charming is one such quality.
Leo rested his chin on his hand, watching Celia swell with pride at the compliment.
‘He wasn’t just sincere; he was a fanatical pervert, which became a problem when he demanded Lisinas and Luna to be nude models for "inspiration."’
Naturally, old memories resurfaced.
‘Lisinas, Luna. Your personalities may be messy, but your forms are more exquisite than anyone else’s. Therefore, for the sake of art, please be my nude models.’
Of course, there was no way Lisinas and Luna would ever agree to that demand.
‘Even such a pervert is revered as a great hero, so what in the world am I?’
Hahaha- He let out a hollow laugh and looked out the window.
Meanwhile, Celia carefully observed Leo.
She had clearly been defeated yesterday.
‘If only I hadn't been careless, I would have won… but that's a foolish thought.’
Last night’s defeat was a result of her own naivety.
If the main family found out she had been a maid for a week, she would certainly become a target of ridicule.
‘But this is something I must endure.’
Ignoring it would only bring greater shame.
‘Besides, there’s something I’m curious about.’
She wondered how he could imbue his sword with such power without mastering aura.
“You read books in the morning. I thought you would be practicing swordsmanship.”
Celia had intended to observe his training methods.
‘Could that book be some kind of special training manual?’
“Mornings should be spent leisurely.”
He said that and closed the book.
Celia, seeing the book’s title, wore a puzzled expression.
‘It’s a great hero's fairy tale book.’
Celia glanced at Leo’s bookshelf.
‘All the books are related to great heroes.’
It wasn't just fairy tales.
There were history books, research papers, and more.
A considerable amount of materials had been collected.
“You seem to have a great interest in great heroes, don’t you? Well, they are the foundation, after all.”
Celia also had a great interest in great heroes.
“May I look at your bookshelf?”
“Go ahead.”
Celia, standing before the bookshelf, admired it.
“This is amazing. Scholars who research great heroes couldn’t even hold a candle to this collection.”
Research on great heroes is still the most active field today.
“There are many books about Kyle.”
“Reference materials.”
“Indeed. While it’s uncertain if Kyle was a real person, there are quite a few opinions that his deeds were genuine.”
“Do you think so too?”
“Of course.”
Among the great deeds accomplished by great heroes, anything whose true author is unknown to later generations is attributed to Kyle.
‘Even if I disappeared from history, I haven't been completely forgotten.’
He felt a sense of pride.
“It must have been a trickster from a later generation who tried to steal the ambiguous achievements of great heroes.”
Leo’s eyes twitched.
“Are you saying Kyle is a trickster?”
“There’s a high probability of that.”
Celia shrugged her shoulders.
This was the general view in academia.
“I see. So, you think such thoughts.”
“Huh?”
“Then, after breakfast, shall we begin training?”
Celia’s eyes sparkled.
“If you allow it, may I train with you?”
Celia was curious about the secret to Leo’s strength.
“My training might be too difficult for you to keep up with.”
“Hmph, I easily overcame the training of Gerdinger.”
Leo gave a twisted smile as he looked at the confident Celia.
“Oh, really?”
Later, she thought.
She should have run away then.
***
*Whoosh-!*
*Clack-!*
“Ugh?”
“Your reactions are slow.”
Leo’s wooden sword struck Celia’s wooden sword.
Celia hastily tried to correct her collapsed stance.
But Leo’s movements were faster.
*Whoosh-*
*Thwack-*
“Guh-!”
“This is why you leave your back exposed like this.”
Celia, struck on the shoulder from behind by the wooden sword, writhed on the floor in pain.
After breakfast, Leo’s training continued without a break.
Once the pain subsided, Celia flared up.
“Young Master Leo! Is this really training?”
Celia felt that Leo’s training method was closer to abuse than mere discipline.
It forced her to constantly move, squeezing out strength beyond her limits.
Naturally, the power of aura was not used in this process.
She had never seen or heard of such a training method.
Leo muttered as he watched Celia protest.
“Kids these days are weak.”
“What did you say?!”
“I told you. My training is tough. Well, if it’s too hard, how about giving up now?”
“Don’t make me laugh! I can endure this kind of training any amount of time!”
Her pride wounded, Celia bristled.
“Oh, really? Then shall we start again?”
“Fine!”
‘Oh, wait? This isn’t right?’
Celia, who had foolishly shown off and inadvertently resumed training, soon found herself once again struck by the wooden sword and rolling on the floor.
Without using aura, the difference in their abilities was simply too great.
‘Why! Why can’t I win?!’
She couldn't win, not just in physical strength, but in swordsmanship either.
Yesterday, today.
Her pride was being thoroughly crushed.
‘Indeed, compared to 5000 years ago, aura training methods have advanced tremendously.’
Leo looked down at Celia, sprawled on the floor and gasping, and admired her.
In the current era, the techniques for handling aura have distinctly advanced compared to 5000 years ago.
Thanks to this, the average skill level of knights is much higher now.
However, the standard for absolute strength hasn't changed much.
‘If anything, it seems like people were stronger 5000 years ago?’
In the current era, as aura training has developed, physical training has been neglected.
Aura is the power that maximizes physical strength.
Ultimately, by training the body, aura is also strengthened.
‘As aura mental arts developed, such problems also arose.’
“Still, that’s impressive. I didn’t expect you to keep up this much.”
“Don’t underestimate me.”
“Shall we end the afternoon training here then? We’ll do more later tonight.”
Celia, who had reached her limits, gritted her teeth.
‘I might lose in physical strength, but never in swordsmanship! I will definitely win!’
***
“Don’t underestimate me, you damned white-haired bastard.”
After the evening training.
Celia, dragging her trembling limbs, returned to the mansion.
Leo had already returned to his room.
‘Ugh… Is that guy a monster?’
Celia shuddered, recalling Leo, who ceaselessly swung his sword without tiring.
Moving like this every single day, it was, in a way, natural for his body to become so disciplined.
‘Hehe… Still, I wasn’t pushed back in swordsmanship during the evening training!’
Thanks to mobilizing every technique she could use, she wasn't helplessly pushed back in the evening training.
‘If I continue this kind of training, could I become like him?’
But she couldn’t bring herself to try.
She had vomited five times just today.
‘Now that I think about it, that’s incredibly embarrassing!’
Celia, huffing with a flushed face, let out a sigh.
‘I want to wash up quickly and sleep.’
But before that, she had to prepare Leo’s bed.
After all, her current status was Leo’s maid.
‘I should quickly spread out his bedding, then wash up and sleep.’
Arriving in front of Leo’s room, Celia took a deep breath.
She calmed her trembling limbs and feigned composure.
It was due to her rebellious desire not to show any weakness.
Knock, knock-
“Come in.”
*Burst open-*
“You seem to be doing better than I thought.”
“Hmph- That much is nothing to me.”
Celia wore a confident expression.
“Didn’t you vomit five times?”
“I’ll prepare your bedding.”
Celia completely ignored Leo’s remark and tidied the bed.
“Then, Young Master. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
“Wait a moment. I have a gift for you.”
‘A gift?’
At his sudden words, Celia approached Leo.
“Thank you for your hard work today.”
Leo smiled faintly and handed her a gift box.
‘So he does appreciate it after all.’
Celia felt a small knot in her chest loosen.
‘Right, he should be grateful that I, the daughter of the Gerdinger family head, am serving him.’
Celia, triumphant, opened the box.
Inside was a simple silver bracelet in the shape of a chain.
She felt an ominous presence from the magic emanating from the bracelet.
“It’s a bracelet enchanted with weight magic. Wear it during training starting tomorrow.”
Leo smiled.
Celia’s face stiffened.
“I’m fine.”
“Wouldn’t it be impolite for a maid to refuse a gift from her master?”
“Hey! You’re honestly just trying to torment me, aren’t you?! Aren’t you?! If I wear this and move like today, is that training?! It’s abuse!”
Celia finally exploded, showing a strong rejection.
“So weak.”
Celia’s face flared with indignation.
“Who’s weak?!”
“I usually wear it while training too, you know? Well, if you can’t do it, there’s nothing to be done.”
“Who said I can’t? I’ll wear this thing all I want!”
Celia, easily provoked once again, declared this and stormed out of Leo’s room.
And in front of Leo’s door, she clutched her head and cursed her own foolishness.
‘So simple-minded.’
Leo let out a smirk.
‘Who did she say was a trickster?’
Leo had kept in mind Celia’s words from the morning, calling Kyle a trickster.
A narrow-mindedness unbecoming of a great hero who saved the world.
However, Leo, of course, felt no shame whatsoever about his feelings.
‘If it had been my other friends, I would have made them suffer an even more terrible fate than this, wouldn’t I?’
His friends had even more rotten personalities than himself.
‘I’ll make it a week of blood for her.’
Leo smiled savagely, thinking of Celia trembling in pain for a week.