The Male Slave of House Sianella - Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Venting Anger (2)

In the end, Siabel granted Sione's request.

Finally, they faced each other in a clearing outside the camp suitable for crossing swords.

Though the sun was harsh without a single tree for shade, fortunately cool breezes blew in from the forest.

As she entered the clearing, Siabel tightly tied her long hair, which she had briefly let down, into a ponytail while speaking:

"Since you could get seriously hurt, we'll forbid the use of mana."

"I'll comply."

Sione readily agreed to her words.

Given how different the violence levels were between sparring with and without mana.

In these mountains crawling with monsters, sparring with real swords rather than wooden training swords was not a good choice.

Moreover, Sione, who was not skilled with the sword, had no choice but to agree with her sister's words.

Having tied her hair, Siabel brushed her bangs back and spoke:

"Sione, are you ready?"

"Whew... let's begin."

"Very well then."

Accepting Sione's words with a shrug, she drew her sword with disciplined movements.

Sione also tensed at her first spar with her sister in years.

Shing.

Perhaps because her sword felt heavier than usual.

Sione's expression grew complex as she drew it.

"I'll control myself to minimize injuries."

"...Please don't hold back."

Siabel firmly shook her head.

"Stop. I can't yield any further than this. Moreover—"

Siabel took her stance with her sword at middle guard.

Taking an orthodox yet solid immovable stance, she let her words trail off.

"I am an Expert knight, aren't I?"

Sione fell silent at Siabel's words.

Telling an Expert knight not to hold back.

She knew well that was nothing but arrogance and childish stubbornness.

"I'll give you the first move. Come at me freely."

"...Thank you for indulging me."

"Of course. When my sister wants to vent her anger, isn't it natural for her elder sister to help?"

"I'll begin."

As soon as Siabel's words ended.

Tap!

Sione kicked off the ground with her sword leading.

"Hah!!"

The moment her sword tip came within range of her sister, she swung without hesitation.

There was no need to hesitate about hurting her opponent.

As Siabel had said herself, she was an Expert knight.

She would easily read such an obvious attack.

Clang!!

The sound of sharp blades clashing rang out clearly.

As expected.

Siabel simply deflected her sister's attack.

After several such exchanges of offense and defense.

Watching Sione flailing about, drunk on emotions she couldn't control, Siabel clicked her tongue softly when she created distance to catch her breath.

"...Tch."

Sione's swordsmanship, seen through sparring after years, was even more pathetic than she had thought.

Before she escaped into her own world, even with a different sword, Sione's skills wouldn't have been this miserable.

With emotion rather than cold reason driving her sword, this was inevitable.

Nothing changed even as Sione's sword came at her in semicircles several more times.

There was no trace anywhere of House Sianella's swordsmanship, designed to strike demons' vitals more demonically.

Moreover, a sword that only vented frustration, consumed by emotion, could never reach me.

Facing Sione.

Honestly made her want to yawn despite the real swords.

"Hup!!"

"You're completely consumed by your emotions."

Sione's form was embarrassing to even call swordsmanship.

Even long-serving kitchen cooks could handle a blade in straight horizontals and verticals like that.

What moved Sione was not the swordsmanship she had learned with her sister years ago, but her frustration.

"Just what happened?"

So she asked.

Just what had happened to make Sione so consumed by her anger?

This child who had secluded herself without even thinking to harbor such deep anger while being compared to her.

Though my sister had certainly been unkind to her servants before, she had never been so completely consumed by anger like this.

Sione, who had been wildly swinging her arms, spoke while catching her rough breath.

"...We encountered an arachne."

"An arachne?"

Having rushed to find them after only hearing they were receiving treatment upon returning to camp, her sister's words were truly shocking.

Siabel's thoughts deepened at Sione's words.

They encountered an arachne, she said.

The situation became somewhat clearer from those words.

Her servant must have been injured and collapsed because of that spider.

And Sione, who clearly cherished him greatly, must be angry about that.

But there was something questionable about that.

Sione lacked the skill to face an arachne.

And arachne were cunning, vicious monsters that never let go of chosen prey.

Just how was Sione here crossing swords without any major injuries?

"You encountered that arachne?"

"I should have returned immediately when Ray said we should hurry back."

Sione's expression that had been heated with anger grew cold.

"Having his arm crushed to protect me... the image of him driving his sword into the arachne's head while burning his meager mana is still vivid before my eyes."

"..."

"Want to know what's even funnier?"

Bitter self-mockery settled heavily on Sione's lips.

"That I couldn't even help him with a single arrow, only watching helplessly from afar."

"...The situation was what it was. An arachne is one of the apex predators of the Beltrin Mountains—"

"No."

Sione cut off her sister's words and shook her head firmly.

"If I had come to my senses from the start. No, if I had just possessed enough skill to help Ray—"

Anger settled over Sione's face again.

This time it was anger controlled by reason, not consuming her mind.

"He wouldn't have needed to sacrifice himself alone, even throwing me far away to safety."

Sione finally quietly gripped her sword and stared at Siabel.

Unlike her poor swordsmanship, Sione's blue eyes held the cold edge of a sharp knight.

"Even against demon worshippers, he's a man who never showed signs of fear or said he was scared, worried I might be anxious."

Sione's spirit had changed.

Her ragged breathing settled into calm inhalations.

With a clearer mind, she finished preparing to cross swords with Siabel.

"I can't forget his screams of agony."

Her sword tip pointed at Siabel.

All preparations were complete for one final strike to vent her anger.

"With this last exchange... I want to completely change myself first."

Siabel also read the atmosphere.

She gladly prepared to receive her attack, matching her resolution.

"Hah!"

Tap!

Sione kicked off the ground once more.

Instantly closing in on Siabel.

Sione's sharp blade pointed skyward as she swung upward from below.

-Kiiiing!!

The clashing metal began ringing coldly.

Sione's sword rode up along Siabel's blade.

That's when.

-After quickly striking to check the enemy, thrust, then step back again to secure a safe distance.

As Ray's past words about single-edged swords came to mind.

"Hah!"

She put strength into her wrist while exhaling.

The trajectory of the single-edged sword riding up Siabel's blade diagonally changed.

As if it had never climbed her sword, it advanced forward aiming for Siabel's neck.

It was a light yet swift thrust.

"Oho."

The corner of Siabel's mouth twitched.

A small smile appeared and disappeared repeatedly.

Siabel raised her sword high and closed in, blocking her strategy.

Pause.

"..."

"..."

Sione's sword stopped before Siabel's neck.

Unlike her previous sloppy attacks, this one was rather sharp.

For an instant, Siabel and Sione's gazes crossed.

When Siabel pushed back while deflecting the sword, Sione pulled far back to create distance.

"Whew..."

Though her attack was blocked, Sione seemed to have vented her anger somewhat.

She sheathed her sword with controlled movements.

Seeing her sister like this, Siabel raised the corner of her mouth just slightly while whispering.

"How interesting."

She was purely enjoying this situation.

From that interesting man who could use magic eventually defeating an arachne alone.

To her sister who had changed so much from before because of him.

And that final attack was even somewhat impressive.

There hadn't been a single boring moment.

"Ray—"

Come to think of it, that Ray who had demonstrated magic before her was involved in all of this.

A man who not only used magic, but had the fortitude to drive a sword into an arachne's head even with his left arm being mangled.

He was fundamentally different from my cowardly servant Bronte.

The first person to ever make me feel interested.

"I should talk to him separately when he wakes up."

With that quiet mutter, Siabel gathered her sword and approached Sione.

Sione bowed her head.

"Thank you for indulging me."

"Well, is that venting all done?"

"Yes... thanks to you, Sister, I was able to organize my thoughts somewhat. Thank you."

"This much is nothing. Like I said, isn't it right for an elder sister to help with her younger sister's venting?"

Saying this, Siabel deliberately composed herself and crossed her arms.

Then while twirling and untwirling her silver hair with her index finger, she spoke:

"However... from defeating the arachne onward, what exactly happened... we should discuss this separately."

"...We found what appears to be a place where demon worshippers performed rituals."

"Let's talk after returning to camp."

Siabel said as she passed by Sione.

"Ah, and... if you want to change, you should change decisively from now on. If you show the same indecisive behavior with half-hearted resolve, you might risk losing him again, and—"

Subtle enjoyment began playing across Siabel's face as she passed Sione.

"You might have him taken away."

Following behind Siabel, Sione spoke with firm resolve.

"You don't need to worry, Sister. I'll make sure I neither lose him—"

Her determined gaze looked toward her future.

"Nor have him taken away.”

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