Chapter 1009

So that girl could make an expression like that.

As General Gino stared at his disciple’s face with a mixture of nostalgia and surprise, Kishiar, who had been watching with arms folded and a relaxed demeanor, finally opened his mouth.

"Did you say Deputy Curlieva became your disciple at fourteen?"

"Ah. Yes. Around that age, as I recall."

"I never saw it firsthand, but I’ve heard plenty of stories. About how the man who swore never to take a student finally did—and what a stir that caused."

"Haha. Yes, there was that."

Just as Kishiar said, General Gino originally had no intention of taking on a disciple. He even turned down the former emperor’s persistent request to tutor the imperial princes for years. He had grown weary of nobles trying to shove their children under a Swordmaster’s wing, blinded by ambition.

What changed his mind was the girl named Meghna.

"I still remember... A child from a ruined noble house, lying about her age to enter a gladiator match restricted to adults—because the family needed money. She was the cheekiest thing I’d ever seen."

Meghna had only intended to place third and disappear with the prize money. But her skill far exceeded expectations, and she won the tournament outright. Her deception was exposed, and she was brought in by the Imperial Army.

Hearing that a fourteen-year-old had bested grown warriors, the General grew curious. He spoke with her during the investigation, and in that sharp, fearless child, he saw a mirror of his own younger self.

Both he and Meghna were born of fallen noble houses, descendants of knights long out of favor. Neither had formal training. They had risen solely through natural talent and the occasional stroke of luck in the form of someone willing to show them the way.

General Gino had been fortunate. As a wanderer, he’d experienced a moment of enlightenment and ascended to the rank of Swordmaster. But whether Meghna would ever find such a chance was uncertain. Not everyone with talent had the means or path to bloom.

So he gave her the opportunity he had once lacked—the opportunity to train like breathing was second nature.

Had he not taken her on, he might never have accepted the emperor’s later request to teach the princes or the few other gifted children of noble houses. He wouldn’t have gone on to take Galexantr as his second student, either.

Not all of those choices ended well... but at least the chance to teach Kishiar la Orr had been, in the General’s eyes, an immense stroke of fortune.

"As expected, Deputy Curlieva’s sword resembles yours the most."

"Ha. You think so?"

"She’s not too constrained by Imperial sword forms. Her fundamentals are strong. She doesn’t fear change. Even when an attack fails, she doesn’t discard it—she reshapes it, evolves it, and immediately makes it her own."

Kishiar’s observation was spot on. Meghna had been pushed back by Yuder from the start, but over time, she began to adapt to all the elements he wielded. Once she understood her opponent, she charged forward with no hesitation.

She didn’t fear failure or injury. She clashed, again and again, testing variations without end. Not once did she fall for the same trick twice—not even when Yuder began layering multiple elemental attributes into a single technique.

Her persistence wasn't the result of clinging pride or desperation. It was like watching someone who had been parched their whole life finally taste water. A liberation, not a struggle.

It was as if she’d finally found the worthy opponent she’d longed to clash with—and now she was pleading with that opponent to go even further, to give her more.

"No matter how much Yuder is holding back, her adaptation speed is incredible. Even the aura fragments—she’s kept them active for a while now."

"Ah... You’re right...!"

Only now did the General notice the changes in his disciple’s sword. He had been too preoccupied with her unusual expression to notice earlier, but now the ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ aura fragments flickering along her blade were clearly brighter and more stable than before.

This is... incredible. Meghna...

What separated a Swordmaster from one who had not crossed that wall was the ability to maintain clear, stable aura. Those who hadn’t succeeded could not sheath their blade entirely in aura, and their control over it lasted only a few seconds at best.

But now, though still faint and incomplete, Meghna’s aura wrapped a good portion of her blade—and it stayed.

She herself might not have realized it yet. But Yuder had.

Seeing Yuder continue pressing forward, even as her aura and attacks steadily grew stronger, the General let out a quiet exhale, like a sigh.

He knows. He knows she’s growing stronger—and yet he keeps pushing forward without hesitation...!

As a master, it was a joy to see his student grow in the middle of battle. But it was also dangerous. Sudden changes in aura, especially if they happened mid-fight, could lead to accidents.

Aura was sharp, unpredictable energy. Even a single fragment, no larger than a grain of sand, could be deadly if it struck wrong. That was why only those with complete control should wield it at such intensity.

This is getting dangerous.

The General bit his lip and turned to Kishiar.

"Shouldn’t we stop them soon? If Meghna loses control of her aura, it could hurt Baron Aile—or someone nearby."

"No. Let it continue."

The unexpected reply caught Gino off guard.

"If you interrupt now, Deputy Curlieva may lose the very thread of growth she just grasped. Yuder doesn’t want it stopped either."

How could he know what Yuder wanted without asking?

But Kishiar's voice carried such conviction that Gino couldn’t find a single argument. It wasn't mere confidence—it was certainty.

"But still..."

"It’s fine. If things get dangerous, Yuder will suppress it. And Nathan and I are both here. No matter what happens, this place is safe. Let’s watch a little longer, shall we?"

Only then did Gino realize that the seemingly passive Kishiar had been silently watching over everything—not idly, but with power subtly deployed.

Could it be... he’s already put up a barrier around the area?

If Yuder weren’t preoccupied, he’d have likely noticed the wide, faint veil of protective power that now surrounded the space—Kishiar’s own energy forming an invisible shield that could deflect any stray attack from reaching the spectators.

Nathan Zuckerman, standing beside Kishiar, already had a hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw at a moment’s notice.

"Don’t worry. It’ll be over soon. And you wouldn’t want your prized student’s hard-earned breakthrough to be snatched away now, would you?"

"..."

That was the truth.

There was danger, yes. But the possibility of growth—real, long-sought growth—was too precious to throw away.

The conflict within General Gino—between a swordsman’s caution and a mentor’s hope—clashed violently, igniting a fire in his heart.

“—Haaah!”

The shout came from the middle of the field. The General turned back instinctively.

There was his disciple again—body battered, clothes torn, but still moving, still slashing, still fighting.

All right. Just a little longer...

"...Very well. Let’s watch a bit more."

"A wise choice."

At that moment, Yuder used the powers of water and earth to exploit a brief opening and swung his blade. It was a refined version of the very first attack he had used—but now infused with sharper, heavier energy that aimed for Meghna’s entire body.

And Meghna—without flinching, without even glancing down at the ground that tried to trap her feet—leapt like a bird, trusting only her senses.

Her blade, raised high, glimmered.

And in that instant, the faint aura at its tip flared, bursting forth with brilliant intensity.