Chapter 278: From swordstress ... to an actress?
If Onyx were to participate in any upcoming competition, it would create an uproar—
One that would have millions of people excited.
He was no different.
Just the thought of seeing Onyx step back into the arena once again, he couldn’t help but look forward to it.
But if she really was preparing for a competition ...
Why hadn’t there been any news?
There wasn’t even the slightest rumor. Not even a passing whisper.
Why hadn’t the federation publicized something this important?
And more importantly ...
Why would she come all the way to Ashvale to train?
Saint Martin in Belmar had always been recognized as the finest place to hone one’s swordsmanship.
Ashvale’s facilities were excellent as well. But compared to the renowned training hub in Belmar ...
They still fell considerably short.
Then why Ashvale?
"Trainer Samuel?"
A voice suddenly pulled him out of his thoughts.
When he turned around, he saw another trainer looking at him curiously.
"What’s wrong...?" the man asked. "Are you waiting for someone?"
As he spoke, he instinctively glanced in the same direction Samuel had been staring.
"Oh, nothing like that," Samuel replied with a casual smile. "I’m not waiting for anyone. It’s just ..."
His words trailed off, as though he wasn’t sure whether he should mention it.
"Just what?" the other trainer asked curiously.
Samuel simply shook his head.
"Nothing."
He dismissed the subject as casually as he had brought it up before asking instead, "Were you looking for me?"
The man shook his head.
"No ... I was just passing by and happened to see you standing here alone, so I thought I’d check. Since everything’s fine, I’ll be on my way."
Samuel nodded and watched him turn to leave.
But just as the man had taken a few steps—
"By the way ..."
Samuel suddenly called out.
The trainer stopped and turned back.
"Do we keep records of everyone who books the training grounds? Even for a day?"
The man thought for a brief moment before nodding. "Yes. All booking records here are maintained very strictly."
He continued,
"If it’s an individual booking, it’s registered under the person’s name. If it’s through a company or an agency, then it’s registered under their name instead. Either way, every booking is properly classified according to the reservation request."
Samuel nodded thoughtfully.
"I see."
Without saying anything further, he turned and headed toward the management office.
Although he was merely one of the trainers, his reputation from GSSF had long since made him well-known within the sword-fighting community.
Almost everyone there recognized him, and here as well, people knew and respected him for the same.
As soon as he entered, the staff greeted him warmly before asking what had brought him there.
After explaining briefly, he was soon led to the records department.
"Who exactly are you looking for, Trainer Samuel?" one of the staff members asked, her tone was polite. "Just let me know, so that I can help you find the correct records."
Samuel hesitated a little ...
Noticing his uncertainty like that, the woman smiled in reassurance before speaking again.
"If you aren’t very comfortable in telling me, it’s fine too. You can check it yourself," she said kindly. "But if you could at least provide me a few hints, I can help you point toward the right folder."
Samuel thought for a moment before replying, "I’m not entirely sure about this ... but could you help me check the bookings for the late morning practice slots??"
The staff member nodded. "Of course." She quickly pulled up the relevant records on the computer before turning the screen toward him.
"Here."
"There are six practice slots scheduled from morning until afternoon."
Samuel thanked her briefly with a nod before taking over the terminal ...
The woman smiled politely before quietly stepping aside —giving him enough space to search on his own.
Samuel wasted no time.
He immediately began skimming through every page, hoping to find Onyx’s name somewhere among the records.
However ...
Even after going through nearly half of the bookings—
He found nothing.
His brows slowly knitted together.
Could he really have mistaken that person earlier?
Just then—
A familiar name caught his attention.
Rather ...
Not exactly the name.
It was Fusion Entertainment.
Although Ethan wasn’t registered under his own name, the agency listed beside the booking immediately told Samuel who the reservation belonged to.
Then suddenly—
A thought struck him.
Onyx was only a pseudonym.
He already knew that.
If so ...
Her real name obviously wouldn’t appear here. She could just as easily be registered under her actual name ...
Or under an agency.
With that realization, he quickly opened the next page.
And there—
A name appeared before him.
Adelyn Grace.
Samuel carefully read through every piece of information listed under the booking.
Yet after going through the entire page, he found nothing that could confirm whether this person was actually Onyx.
"... Adelyn Grace?"
A voice beside him suddenly spoke.
Samuel paused and looked up.
The same staff member had returned. She looked at the screen before turning toward him.
"Is she the person you’re looking for, Trainer Samuel?"
Samuel was just about to shake his head—
When she suddenly added, "Wasn’t she here earlier today?" She rubbed her chin thoughtfully before nodding to herself.
"Yes ... it was her. She was here for practice and only left a little while ago."
Samuel’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"She left just now?"
The staff member simply nodded, completely unaware of the subtle change in his expression.
"Yes. She comes here almost every day to practice." She smiled lightly before continuing, "Her training schedule usually overlaps with the time you coach your trainee, Ethan Grant. You probably just never happened to notice her."
Samuel lowered his gaze toward the screen once again.
Onyx ...
Could Adelyn Grace actually be her true identity?
"Since when has she been training here?" he asked. "And why isn’t her photograph attached to the file? Don’t we normally require every client’s identification details?"
The woman nodded.
"It’s almost going to be a month since she started training here. And as for her photograph ..."
"We do require every client’s identification details, but we hadn’t asked her since she registered her booking under special criteria."
She then explained patiently,
"For clients with special circumstances, our policy allows certain personal information to remain confidential after proper verification."
"Special circumstances?"
Samuel repeated quietly as his eyes drifted back toward the screen.
If she truly was Onyx ...
Then a confidential profile would certainly make sense.
But ...
Nothing in the records hinted at that possibility.
Then how could she—
Before he could continue the thought, the staff member smiled and clarified, "Yes. She’s an actress."
"After verifying her manager’s identity and credentials, we allowed her to keep her personal information private."
Samuel paused.
"... An actress?"
From swordstress ... to an actress —how was that possible?
For a moment, he couldn’t quite process what he had heard.
The staff member, however, nodded confidently. "Yes. She comes here everyday to practice for her upcoming movie. I have personally noticed her a few times."
After a brief pause, she looked back at Samuel with curiosity ...
"Is it her?" she asked. "Have you been looking for her, Trainer Samuel?"
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