Volume 10, Chapter 254: The Swordswoman and the Sorceress
In the Heraldic camp, the silver light drew a semicircle in the sky and glittered. At the same time, the sound of iron meshing with iron rang aloud. It was the unmistakable sound of overlapping swords swung with all their might.
Two swords joined together and scarlet sparks scattered. The situation was settled in an instant, and the sword from one side was easily blown away. This had been going on for a while now.
From the side, Filaret La Volgograd thought that she was watching a sword fight on stage rather than training.
To that extent, the swordsmanship of the wielder of the silver longsword, Caria Burdnick, was both overwhelming and beautiful. Even for Filaret, who had no fragments such as knowledge of the sword, understood it well.
「…Next. 」
Caria’s appearance to the soldiers seemed incredible, but sweat was falling from her white cheeks. It was only natural. She had been in that condition since morning, after wielding the longsword consecutively. Even in this cold sky, Caria sweated hard, and her talented grip showed the end of her physical strength.
However, Caria never tried to stop her hands. She kept wielding her longsword and refused to step down. Filaret bit the edge of her lips as she sighed of admiration.
Despite having a talent for swordsmanship, the person named Caria never neglected training. Moreover, the degree of discipline had rapidly increased. She was someone said to be out of the ordinary.
The reason could be roughly predicted without asking. It was about Lugis for sure. There must have been something between her and Lugis. Therefore, Caria was carrying such crazy and overwhelming discipline upon herself.
Filaret looked at her appearance with dazzling eyes, but at the same time, aggrieved.
As a matter of fact, Filaret had never missed her daily magic training. For her, who refused to treat herself as mediocre, the fact that she lacked effort meant that she would be left behind by someone.
Accumulating efforts was the only thing that even a mediocre person was allowed to do. That was why Filaret ate all the knowledge she could get to the point where her head wore out. She also forgot to sleep and eat by immersing herself in the study of magic. It was more like her daily routine than her efforts. In a sense, she looked like a sorceress herself.
Therefore, Filaret had no shortage or negligence. She squeezed her fingers many times over to convince herself, but when she saw Caria, her chest squeezed hard instead. Her impatience became an indescribable mist that filled her body.
Filaret didn’t have the illusion that a talented person didn’t have to make an effort, and she knew that it was disrespectful to think that way. Caria’s talents were sharpened because of the hard training hidden behind them.
“…But to be honest, when it comes to witnessing it, I get impatient.”
Filaret shook her gaze after she was fascinated by Caria’s sword technique, while kneading magic at her fingertips.
Where the mediocre self gained one with one hundred efforts, the talented one gained one hundred with one effort. That was what it meant to be talented.
Filaret knew it was an ugly thought, but she wanted the talented people to be arrogant on their own. It would be okay if they didn’t make any effort and just became lazy. In that case, there would be hope that even the unskilled through their own efforts would eventually reach their fingers.
Caria was a companion. Filaret met her through Lugis, but since then, she had traveled with her for a long time and both were in danger together. She could call her that way.
However, what should Filaret call that feeling of frustration while being pleased with the growth of a fellow companion? Filaret’s black eyes slightly darkened its color.
Filaret had finished her training, a training that Caria had been doing in a row. She probably got a little rest. Yet, the appearance of wiping the sweat with a dry cloth looked strange.
「You’re working hard. Why are you training without a day off? 」
While sitting next to Caria, Filaret spoke with a book in one hand. She somehow knew the answer she would get back, but she still had to ask. Caria replied to Filaret’s words promptly.
「That fool doesn’t know what kind of predicament he will get for himself. He’s the kind of guy who jumps into the demon beast’s lair without much thought.」
“I knew it.” Filaret relaxed her cheeks, muttering in her chest. Her prediction that it must be because of Lugis was a perfect hit.
Nonetheless, Filaret understood Caria’s words very well. She strongly agreed that he did not know what kind of predicament he would get himself into.
「It seems that Lugis went to Philos, and yet, here you are. Why? 」
Caria’s obsession with Lugis was somehow off the beaten track. To be honest, it was no exaggeration to say that it was abnormal. In that sense, it wouldn’t be strange for her to accompany him to Philos.
“Well, I shouldn’t be here as well. Instead of her giving him happiness, I want to give him happiness too. I do not want to be abandoned either. It’s just that simple.”
When asked by Filaret, Caria shook her lips for a moment and replied with a bitter face.
「I said I would accompany him. But that fool said that it was not necessary to be so noisy about it.」
So she reluctantly obeyed. Caria distorted her lips and spit out.
When she saw Caria’s profile, Filaret breathed a little hard. When she thought that Caria, who was arrogant and did not hear what people said, obeyed to Lugis’ words, a quiet laugh poured up somehow.
The human being named Caria, who always looked like a lion, now looked like a lonely cat left behind by her owner. Filaret felt a little relieved to see such a human-like appearance from Caria, because she always seemed to be somewhere away from humans.
Filaret nodded to Caria and responded.
「He said that he’s just going to take the supplies from the alliance city. Let’s hope Lugis won’t cause much trouble this time.」
Upon saying those words, Filaret felt like watching a show as Caria strongly strengthened her elbows hard in a fury. To be honest, Filaret really understood her mood.
The person named Lugis made the sky clear during the rainy season, and made gunpowder scatter around during a calm day. Nobody knew exactly what he would do next. In truth, he kept doing whatever came to his mind, and that fact was unbearable.
Filaret didn’t even know what kind of thoughts Lugis put into his actions.
「It may be a little late now, but let’s hope he won’t take that long. 」
Somewhere, Caria responded with an ironic smile on her cheeks.
「Maybe he’ll bring a woman again…a woman we don’t know about. 」
Caria’s expression was laughing, but her silver eyes weren’t laughing at all. Perhaps, Filaret had a similar expression on her face.
It seemed to Filaret that the Heraldic position had begun to be slightly noisy. Perhaps, Lugis had returned.
“Well then, let’s go see the situation. Whether Caria’s words really pierce the truth or not, his actions need a serious revision.”
“…I may need to tell Lugis about it soon. I like his hero colors, but there are limits.”