Chapter 31: The Swordsmanship Prodigy Saintess

The Birth of a Hero (4)

1.

The eastern sky glowed gold as it pushed back the night.

Yuriel's day begins early.

She rose before anyone else and left the dormitory ahead of everyone.

"Haaam…"

Yawning, she made her way to the forest behind the dormitory.

Between the dorms of the Swordsmanship and Theology departments was a forest, and within it, a small clearing perfect for sword training.

"Uhhmm…!"

With a satisfying stretch, Yuriel began swinging her sword to warm up.

Ever since she first picked up the sword, she’d never once skipped her morning practice.

After 100 swings, just as she was about to begin serious training—

Rustle.

She heard the sound of someone stepping on grass.

Yuriel turned her head immediately toward the source.

“You’re…”

There stood a girl, her robe’s hood pulled down low over her face.

In her small, delicate hands was a wooden sword.

“Were you in the middle of training?”

Yuriel gave a single nod.

“You’re quite admirable, getting up this early to train. Mind if I join you?”

“…I don’t mind.”

“Then, excuse me.”

The girl took up a spot a short distance away.

Grunting softly, she began to stretch.

She gave off a mysterious air, yet there was something clumsy about her, too.

Once she’d finished warming up, she started swinging her wooden sword.

Yuriel kept sneaking glances at the girl.

Her posture was perfect.

Her movements seemed slow at first glance, but her form was precise and sharp.

There was no wasted motion at all.

Which noble family is she from?

It was clear she'd received formal training.

She didn’t move like an adventurer or mercenary—there was none of that wild, unrefined edge.

Her movement was polished like a knight.

Since first meeting the girl, Yuriel had tried investigating her.

But she’d found nothing.

She didn’t know the girl’s name or even what her face looked like beneath the hood.

Therefore, she tried to identify her by build or voice, but there was no such female student in the Swordsmanship Department.

Could she be from another department?

Maybe the Magic Department, or Theology Department?

But that didn’t make sense.

Someone that skilled with a sword not being in the Swordsmanship Department was strange.

“Hey.”

Yuriel spoke to the girl.

“Yes?”

The girl turned to look at her.

Golden hair slipped down over her chest, catching the morning sunlight.

“That…”

Yuriel had started a conversation, but…

She couldn't bring herself to ask what she really wanted to ask.

Not because the girl gave off an overwhelming pressure—

But simply because Yuriel didn’t know how to talk to people.

Back at her family estate, all she ever did was train with the sword.

Even when she received invitations to birthday parties from young ladies of other noble families, she always declined.

The sword was Yuriel’s only friend.

Maybe that’s why—

Starting a conversation in a friendly way wasn’t something that came naturally to her.

“That?”

“Th-This…”

“This?”

“N-Never mind…”

Yuriel quickly turned her head away.

Words come out easily when she's sparing and competing with swords.

When she was focused on the sword, she didn’t feel shy about talking.

And because she was so immersed, she didn’t have time to filter her thoughts. They just jump out of her mouth.

That was why she often ended up offending people without realizing it, ruining relationships before they even began.

As she was swinging her sword, going over in her head how to approach the girl properly—

She felt eyes on her.

The girl was watching her while fidgeting.

“What?”

Yuriel snapped a bit brusquely.

“Why don’t you try twisting the sword a bit more right there?”

The girl seized the moment and began speaking rapidly.

“Your stance is excellent, but there are a few minor areas that could use refinement. Not like this—like this.”

She mimicked Yuriel’s movement and demonstrated a horizontal slash with her wooden sword.

The wooden sword sliced through the air with effortless grace, as if flowing along an invisible current.

“Try it like that.”

Yuriel blinked in surprise.

It had been a long time since anyone gave her advice on her sword technique.

Aside from her father and older brother, no one in her family could best her in a sword duel.

Even at the academy, it was the same.

She’d lost the top spot to that guy from the Southern Kingdom, but she was still second-best.

Which meant there shouldn’t be anyone able to lecture her on swordsmanship.

But this didn’t feel bad.

She was just a little embarrassed.

“L-Like this…?”

Yuriel swung her sword, mimicking the girl’s form.

“Hmm… don’t use your shoulder, try using your wrist.”

“Like this?”

“No, no.”

The girl shook her head, then stepped behind Yuriel to help adjust her posture.

“Hiii…!”

A soft pair of breasts pressed firmly against Yuriel’s back.

Soft hands wrapped around her wrist.

Yuriel could feel her small buttocks touching the girl’s lower abdomen.

“W-W-W-Wait a minute…!!”

Yuriel leapt up like a startled cat that had stepped in a puddle.

“What is it?”

“You, y-you… ow…”

She bit her tongue.

Her face flushed.

"You're way too close…!!"

How long had it been since she last felt someone else's body heat?

So long that she couldn't even remember.

Yuriel, who already found it hard to talk to people, naturally struggled even more with skinship.

Whether it was with a man or a woman, it made no difference.

"Huh?"

The girl tilted her head in confusion.

"I was just trying to correct your posture."

"I don’t need it…!"

Yuriel hissed like a startled cat, wildly swinging her wooden sword to keep the girl at bay.

The girl shrugged her shoulders.

"…Okay then."

Her tone sounded faintly regretful.

Though the shadow made it hard to see clearly, the girl was pouting her lips.

Ah, damn it…!

Yuriel realized she’d done it again.

She’d overreacted to a kind gesture.

And now, just like that, a rift had formed before they'd even had the chance to become friends.

"Or… would you like to have a simple sparring match with me?"

As Yuriel stood there awkwardly, drenched in sweat and unsure of what to say, the girl offered a lifeline.

"Sparring…?"

"I’ll show you what I meant through movement instead."

Her voice was lightly excited.

The girl twirled her wooden sword bashfully.

She looked like a puppy wagging its tail.

"…Alright."

This was better.

When it came to crossing swords, Yuriel could actually be assertive.

She decided this would be a good opportunity to ask the girl's name and maybe become friends along the way.

"Should I make the first move? Or would you like to go first?"

"You go ahead."

"Okay!"

The girl gripped her wooden sword in one hand and stretched her arm behind her.

“…Huh?”

It was a familiar stance.

She was copying the sword style of the Skolhart family—

Yuriel’s very own swordsmanship.

"When I say use the wrist, this is what I mean…!"

The girl sprang forward like an arrow.

Her body twisted and her sword flicked with a snapping motion.

And at that moment—

Ding! Ding!

The girl's movements stopped abruptly at the sound of the bell ringing from the Divinity Department dormitory.

"Ah… I’m sorry!"

She lowered her sword and bowed her head.

"H-Huh?"

"Something urgent came up, so I’ve got to go!"

"What about our spar…?"

"Let’s do it next time!"

The girl turned and began running in a flustered rush.

"See you again, Sister!"

She waved her hand as she disappeared into the distance.

“…Sister?”

The direction she’s running was towards the Theology Department dormitory.

It couldn’t be…

Was she not from the Swordsmanship Department… but from the Theology Department instead?

Yuriel stared blankly at the girl's disappearing figure.

Bonk!

“Oww!”

The girl bumped her head into a tree branch.

She plopped down in place and pressed her forehead in pain.

Then, after a brief glance back, she bolted away.

“…Is she an idiot?”

A mysterious yet clumsy girl.

*

2.

What a shame.

It had been so long since I'd had a proper sparring match.

“Sigh…”

I let out a breath of disappointment as I walked down the temple corridor.

The girl I met that morning came to mind.

Yuriel von Skolhart.

Watching her swordplay, I could tell that it hadn’t yet fully blossomed.

It still felt like she was mimicking the family head’s style.

It wasn’t truly her own swordsmanship.

That’s why I tried adjusting her posture to suit her better…

But I didn’t expect her to reject me like that.

Well… I suppose I understand.

Anyone would feel irritated if a stranger came up and started critiquing their sword technique.

That aside…

My face still felt hot.

My forehead throbbed painfully.

I’d tried to disappear coolly by leaping onto a tree… only to smack my head on a branch.

She saw the whole thing.

Ugh…!

Here I was, at this age, trying to look cool… and ending up showing her a ridiculous sight.

Still—

I wonder if I’ll see her again tomorrow?

I’d really like to continue the match we didn’t get to finish today.

“Oh… that’s right. Tomorrow is the entrance ceremony, isn’t it?”

Now that I thought about it, tomorrow marked the start of the academic year.

The entrance exam had been a mess thanks to the demon incident, but the successful applicants were decided, and starting tomorrow, life at the academy would officially begin.

Speaking of which… what happened with that?

I’d asked the Magic Department’s assistant professor to investigate a few things, but I never heard the results.

Maybe I should go check in?

“Brother Rael.”

“Yes?”

“Have you heard from the Magic Department?”

“Are you talking about the recent incident?”

I nodded.

“I haven't heard anything in particular.”

“Is that so?”

“Would you like to go now and ask?”

I was curious about how things had progressed.

“Yes.”

I nodded and headed straight for the Magic Department.

It was a seven-story building, split between a main hall and three annexes.

Its maze-like layout made it unmistakably the Magic Department.

We stepped inside the building.

Since the semester hadn’t started yet, the interior was quiet.

From tomorrow, it would be bustling with students.

“By the way… who exactly should we talk to?”

“I heard a professor named Etel is in charge of this case.”

“Do you know where his office is?”

“Yes, Room 505 on the fifth floor.”

“Wow, how do you know that?”

“I’ve memorized most of the academy’s layout and key information to better assist you, Saintess.”

“Ooh, how commendable.”

I stood on tiptoe and patted Rael's head.

He looked at me in surprise, then bent his knees slightly to lower his head for me.

“It’s simply what I must do as your escort knight.”

“So humble.”

I withdrew my hand from his head.

You could praise a capable and diligent young man hundreds of times and it still wouldn’t be enough.

We headed up to the fifth floor.

Room 505.

A plaque beside the door read: [Professor Etel].

Knock knock.

I knocked, but there was no response.

I didn’t feel any presence inside.

We must have come too early.

After waiting a few minutes, we were just about to leave and come back later when—

“What are you doing in front of my room?”

A middle-aged man was approaching from down the hall.

My eyebrows furrowed instinctively.

It smells unpleasant.

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