Chapter 40: 040. Sub-Heroine Vs Villainess [I]
"Big sister, you seem awfully excited right now." A small black haired young girl said while looking up at Lyra who had a cheeky smile on her face.
Kala was very worried; she had been born like this... with this painful disease that made her lungs brittle like glass.
Usually, every single breath she took in the crisp air of Astelvern felt like inhaling jagged splinters of ice.
All through those agonizing nights of coughing and wheezing, her sister had been there, holding her hand, wiping her brow, and doing whatever it took to keep them fed.
Kala felt very guilty, as most of the time her sister even faked some of her smiles just to keep her spirits up, masking the exhaustion of working odd jobs as well as adventuring but that didn’t seem to be the case today.
Not only had her sister brewed some home-made herbs for her... a foul-tasting but miraculously effective paste that made the pain in her chest vanish completely for now, she was also genuinely radiantly excited.
Lyra practically skipped over the uneven cobblestones with her steps possessing a bouncy excitement that Kala hadn’t seen in years.
Lyra paused, looking down at her little sister.
She patted her sister on the head with her calloused fingers gently ruffling the girl’s dark hair.
"I met my Role model today, and he said he’ll even train me in using the sword."
Kala blinked, her small brow furrowing in deep skepticism. "Oh?"
Kala really thought that her sister was perhaps seeing things, or that the stress of Adventuring had finally caused her mind to fracture into a waking dream.
Her role model was Ren Crowhurst, the notorious heir to one of the most terrifyingly powerful wealthy noble families in the entire Empire.
What were the chances that an aristocratic noble who lived in the pristine opulent middle of the Empire actually came all the way out here to a rugged adventurer town, and nobody in the streets was talking about it?
It sounded entirely fabricated.
Before Kala could question the logic of this miraculous encounter any further, Lyra suddenly veered off the main path and then stopped in front of a wooden merchant stall packed tightly between a blacksmith and a potion vendor.
Kala tugged on her sister’s worn sleeve. "Big sister, why are we stopping here?"
Lyra crouched down slightly to meet Kala’s eyes.
"I couldn’t just go to his place without some kind of gift. It would be incredibly rude. He’s offering to guide me, Kala. I have to show my appreciation properly."
Kala nodded in agreement. If they were truly going to see Ren Crowhurst like her sister said, a man of unimaginable status, then a gift was undeniably the way to go. It was basic courtesy, even if they had almost nothing to their names.
Lyra entered the small, open-air shop with the scent of dried lavender and polished leather washing over them.
She approached the counter and greeted the merchant woman.
"Good afternoon, ma’am," Lyra said politely.
"Good afternoon to you too, dear," the older woman greeted her as well with a warm smile, adjusting her spectacles. "What can I help you two young ladies find today?"
Lyra didn’t answer immediately. She took hold of Kala’s hand as she began scrolling the dusty shelves, scanning the different items available on the velvet display cushions.
She saw a polished dire-boar fang intricately carved into a hunting whistle. She saw a minor stamina-restoring charm etched into a piece of smooth river glass tied to a leather cord.
There was a small fragrant pouch of imported eastern tea leaves, and sitting right next to it, a magically enchanted whetstone designed to keep standard steel from chipping in the dungeon.
"What about the whetstone?" Kala whispered, pointing a small finger. "You said he uses a sword, right?"
"No," Lyra murmured, shaking her head.
Though these items were practical for a common mercenary, she didn’t believe that these would fit Ren.
What use did an elite, noble master swordsman have for a crude whetstone or a common stamina charm? He likely possessed spatial rings filled with artifacts worth more than this entire district.
Lyra turned to Kala.
"What do you think would fit him?"
Kala bobbed her head left and right, surveying the shop with a critical eye.
"It would probably be something that was very expensive. Something made of pure gold, or maybe a jewel that glows with magic? The nobles in the town square plays always give each other massive ruby rings and silk cloaks."
Lyra’s eyes fell, a shadow of harsh reality dampening her cheerful mood as she said, "I really can’t afford that much for a gift... But..."
Her eyes caught a flash of deep color tucked away on a lower rack. She reached out and immediately pulled a warm comfy scarf around her neck.
It was woven from dyed maroon wool, soft to the touch with neat careful stitching at the hems. It wasn’t enchanted, and it wasn’t made of rare monster silk, but it was simple.
She turned to face her sister, wrapping the fabric snugly around her collar with a pose.
"What do you think, Kala?"
Kala looked at it carefully. It was pretty, but by noble standards, it was a mediocre thing at best... At least from what she could see nobles saying in the theater troupes.
Kala frowned slightly with her brutal honesty shining through.
"It makes you look broke, big sister."
However, Lyra shook her head with a stubborn resilient smile.
Lyra unwrapped the scarf from her own neck, took Kala by the hand, and walked straight to the front counter then she placed it gently on the polished wood as she turned to her sister.
"It’s the thought that matters though, not the price tag." She said... Ren didn’t need wealth; he needed to know she was genuinely grateful then she turned her attention back to the merchant. "How much does it cost ma’am?"
The woman smiled warmly, clearly noticing the threadbare state of Lyra’s clothes. "Oh, this cute scarf? It costs only 5 coppers, my dear."
Lyra reached into her worn leather coin pouch.
Just earlier today, Ren had returned the silver coins she had given him before as a gift, and she took it naturally.
They weren’t financially stable to the point that she could afford to be throwing silvers around like she was some kind of wealthy aristocrat.
Every single silver coin meant proper meals, warm firewood, and most importantly, the medicinal herbs Kala desperately needed to survive the upcoming winter.
The Sub-Heroine carefully fished around in the pouch, pulled out the currency, and put down five dull copper coins on the counter.
She took hold of the Scarf, holding it securely and respectfully in her hand as she looked down at Kala.
"Let’s go."
She bid the woman a polite farewell, and the two sisters stepped back out into the bustling streets.
They left the market district and rushed down the cobblestone street, navigating through the crowds of armored mercenaries and loud merchants.
The sun was dipping lower, casting long golden shadows across the stone walls of Astelvern.
As they walked, Lyra kept a close eye on her sister’s breathing.
"How do you feel, Kala? Are they acting up?"
However, Kala shook her head firmly.
She took a deep uninterrupted breath of the cool air, marveling at the lack of sharp pain in her chest.
"My lungs feel fine, Big sister. Now let’s see this Role Model of yours..."
Soon, they turned a corner and arrived outside the quiet upscale inn Ren had told Lyra she should come to.
The building was pristine, far removed from the grime of the slums, boasting polished oak walls and spotless windows.
As they stood outside the main gate, unsure of whether to knock, a familiar figure appeared.
Mandy, who was currently sweeping the wooden porch with a straw broom, lifted his head up.
He paused his sweeping, his eyes widening slightly before he forced a polite hospitable smile on his face.
"Oh, welcome Lyra. My Lord has been expecting you... Please follow me."
He tightened his grip on the broom and took them past the side pathway, which would lead directly to the enclosed backyard of the property.
Inwardly, Mandy’s stomach tied itself into a knot of pure dread.
’Why the hell did she have to come now?’
He had just managed to escape the grueling hold of the Dungeon... The very last thing he wanted was for his Master’s attention to be drawn back to training.
’Hopefully because of this distraction, he doesn’t drag me back to that hellish place.’
"Please follow me..." He said and they followed the butler as he led them to the backyard.
Once they arrived at the rear of the inn, Mandy opened the heavy wooden door immediately to the enclosed backyard, and Lyra could see the inside.
Ren was sitting down gracefully below a large, sprawling oak tree.
He was the picture of relaxed perfection, leaning against the thick trunk with his dark hair catching the dappled sunlight.
And as for Eternia, she was in the dead center of the yard, swinging a wooden practice sword repeatedly.
She was already a demon at the sword.
Her movements were a terrifying blur of precision and lethal intent as sweat glistened on her pale skin with her golden slit-pupils burning with intense focus.
Every swing produced a sharp whistling snap that echoed off the stone walls carrying enough force to shatter bone.
"Please go in," Mandy said.
He practically ran off, fleeing down the side path before Ren could look up and assign him another impossible drill.
Once Mandy’s frantic footsteps faded, Ren finally did look up from the shadows of the tree.
He saw Lyra as well as Kala enter the yard, standing hesitantly near the gate.
"Welcome to my little inn," Ren said brushing a stray leaf from his dark trousers.
The moment Ren spoke, Eternia halted her swing instantly. The wooden blade stopped mid-air with terrifying control.
She turned back to face the entrance with her lips curling back and baring her sharp fangs at the woman. Her reptilian eyes narrowed into hostile slits.
’Why is she here?’ Eternia thought.
This woman was interrupting her quality time with her Master. This was the sacred time where she proved her worth and this human was ruining it.
Ren ignored his subordinate’s murderous glare. He walked to the front of the yard, closing the distance between them.
Immediately, Kala clutched her sister’s trousers, looking up at the towering, intimidatingly handsome noble who was currently in disguise... Even though he didn’t look like Ren, Kala trusted her sister.
"S-sir Ren, my name is Kala and I—"
Ren didn’t let her finish. He simply reached out and patted her head with a warm, disarming smile.
"You sweet little girl, Kala is such a cute name for an angel such as yourself."
Immediately, a bright, genuine smile went across her face as the tension completely leaving her small shoulders.
She had expected an arrogant, cruel noble, but this man felt entirely different meanwhile, Ren’s eyes subtly looked at her chest.
’So she still has this, huh?’ Ren thought, peering past the surface. He wasn’t sure he remembered the exact timeline of when she was fully healed, since he had dropped reading the original web novel halfway but he was certain that someone in the forums had explicitly stated that Lyra eventually healed her sister’s brittle lungs using her Unique mana.
He smoothly shifted his gaze glancing at Lyra.
’So far, I haven’t seen her showing even a spark of mana... in fact, she’s destined to be a future Mage of a prestigious Magic Tower, yet she is currently out here practicing crude swordsmanship in the dirt.’
Ren didn’t dislike it.
The foundation of a strong conditioned body was strictly necessary, since everyone needed some physical training to survive the harsh realities of this world.
And she did eventually awaken her latent, overpowered mana later in the plot, or so he thought but waiting for the plot to naturally take its course was inefficient.
He needed people that were powerful now.
’Why don’t I give her a bit of a struggle so she can awaken it earlier...?’ Ren thought.
Forcing her into a high-stress, life-or-death scenario wouldn’t be half bad to shatter the block on her mana channels but where would he find the perfect strug—
"Master Ren, I bought a gift for you," Lyra said suddenly, stepping forward and breaking his train of thought.
She held out the neatly folded maroon scarf to Ren with her cheeks dusting with a faint pink blush.
"I know it’s a bit little to someone of your noble stature, but... I wanted to thank you for offering to guide me."
A few feet away, Eternia’s reptilian pupils dilated until they were nothing but thin black needles.
What was this woman trying to pull? Gifting her Master? Was it perhaps soaked in a contact poison? Was it woven with a delayed curse designed to strangle him in his sleep? Or worse, was she trying to buy his affection with a pathetic piece of cloth to replace Eternia’s position as his favored weapon?
"Stop..." Eternia hissed.
She stepped forward, her footfalls were silent on the grass as she raised her wooden practice sword, pointing the blunt tip directly at Lyra’s face.
The killing intent radiating from the Snakekin was so dense it made the air in the backyard feel suffocating.
"I have nothing much to say," Eternia stated coldly, her golden eyes burning a hole through Lyra’s skull. "I just dislike you, and so I will challenge you to a duel."
Lyra twitched, her eyes darting from the wooden blade to the demi-human’s furious unhinged face.
’What a weird day to just walk up and tell someone you want to beat them up.’
She slowly looked past the angry girl toward Ren, silently asking for him to de-escalate his psychotic subordinate before things got out of hand.
Instead, Ren had already softly taken Kala’s small hand and pushed her gently backward, guiding the little girl toward the safety of the inn’s porch to give the two fighters ample space.
He looked back at Lyra.
"I think this is an interesting idea and both of you should duel so I can get to know how powerful you are currently. The rules for this duel are as so; You both will duel with wooden swords, and the first person to break theirs, lose hold of their weapon, or fall to the dirt will lose."
Lyra let out a long breath, realizing there was absolutely no getting out of this.
’But this is good... I can show my worth to Master Ren.’
Eternia didn’t wait. She reached into the weapon rack nearby and violently threw a spare wooden practice sword at Lyra.
Lyra caught it by the hilt with a sharp smack.
The moment the wood settled into her palm, the hesitant doting sister vanished as her posture shifted instantly, dropping into a low stance she had honed.
The two of them got into stance, locking eyes with each other.
Eternia’s stance was coiled, poised like a viper ready to strike while Lyra’s stance was stubborn, refusing to back down from the overwhelming aura despite the clear difference in their physical conditioning.
Ren stood safely on the sidelines, raising his hand high into the air then he brought his hand down fiercely.
"Fight!"
Immediately the two of them shot at each other holding their weapons as they blurred at each other and struck sending a shockwave over the whole backyard.
