MTLNOVEL chapter 13 - Eroding Emotions
"‥‥."
"‥‥."
A strange air began to flow between the two of us, who had recognized each other. A cool, chilly energy surrounded the area.
"…Hey, isn't it a bit cold?"
"Yeah? Why is it suddenly like this?"
"Ah, a-choo—!"
The students were murmuring due to the sudden temperature change. It was the complete opposite of the heated aura that Professor Chenxi had been emitting. Ren's cold aura started to invade the training hall.
'This killing intent is no joke.'
I was used to killing intent, so I could endure it somewhat even up close, but the other freshmen probably couldn’t handle it. I quickly glanced over at Professor Chenxi. Fortunately, it seemed that the professor sensed something was off as well, and she stood in between us and the other students, preventing any further disturbance.
Apparently, it didn't reach the students further away.
"...Hmm, this is troublesome. Do you two know each other?" "That—" "No." Before I could answer, she spoke coldly from the other side.
"I don't know him, Professor." "…I see." "Yes. So, let's hurry up."
She walked over to the training swords placed next to the arena. She picked up two of them and threw one at me. With a soft thud, the training sword landed near my feet.
"Pick it up." "‥‥."
Ren’s voice, telling me to pick up the sword, remained calm, without a change in tone. When we first met, there had been the slightest tremble in her pupils. But now, her face was completely devoid of emotion, making it impossible to tell what she was feeling. It was as if her emotions had completely dried up.
'Her state is serious.'
I had something I needed to check under the pretense of the duel. I met her gaze with a complicated expression.
Professor Chenxi looked between the two of us, then let out a deep sigh. She handed us bracelets.
"With these on, your use of aura will be restricted. You’ll only be able to use about 10% of it."
We immediately put on the bracelets, as if we were eager to fight.
"The purpose of this duel is to assess your swordsmanship. Minimize the use of aura and fight using only your pure techniques…" "‥‥." "‥‥." "...Just so you know, if I think the outcome is decided, I'll stop it immediately." "Yes." "Understood."
We almost simultaneously moved to opposite sides of the arena. Standing at the two extremes, we faced each other.
"...Ugh, I don’t know either. Ready? Shall we begin?" "‥‥." "‥‥."
...
"Start."
Swoosh!
As soon as it began, Ren's figure blurred. In an instant, she closed the distance between us. It happened in the blink of an eye—no, before I even had time to blink.
Clang!
"‥‥!" "Your greeting is still so formal. Are you that happy to see me?" "‥‥."
For a moment, she seemed to hesitate, as if she hadn't expected me to block it. I seized the opportunity and, while deflecting her blade, kicked at her abdomen.
Thud!
'She blocked it.'
She quickly withdrew her sword and parried my attack. Even though there was a restriction on her aura usage, her speed far exceeded my expectations.
'…Still, when I think about it as a whole, it’s about the same.'
When it comes to using aura, men generally have the advantage over women. There’s no other reason for it. It's simply a matter of the innate physical differences between men and women.
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than .net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
A knight who trains in aura has enhanced physical abilities far beyond those of an ordinary person. On top of that, they use aura to further reinforce their body. Women are no exception, but the difference inevitably remains.
For a man to achieve the power of 10, he needs 3 units of aura. For a woman to achieve the same, she needs 5. This is because, to compensate for weaker physical abilities, women need to consume more aura.
Naturally, the small differences in aura usage can be deadly in a life-or-death battle. It’s a common reason why there are fewer women who train in aura compared to men. Of course, this doesn’t apply to those who have reached a high level of mastery.
What about Professor Chenxi right next to me? As a master, she could probably cut through half a dozen expert-level men without even using aura.
'…She’s coming.'
Ren’s sword tip touched the ground. The blunt yet flashing blade was now aimed at me. Without hesitation, she rushed toward me again.
She slashed upward with a diagonal cut. It was one of her signature moves from the game. I quickly reversed my grip on my sword.
Clang—!
Ren’s sword, aimed at my neck, was once again blocked by mine, missing the mark entirely. This was a technique I had used frequently when I was an adventurer.
Watching the exchange, Professor Chenxi’s eyes widened.
"...How did he do that?"
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
The exchange between us was one-sided, without any change. She attacked, and I kept dodging or blocking. It was a simple pattern, and anyone watching would have seen that I was at a disadvantage. Yet, the freshmen couldn’t hide their astonishment.
"…Hey, do you know that guy? Where did that monster come from?" "Insane, was there anyone our age who could fight like that against a hero?" "I thought the only one like that was that spear guy in the other class…."
The students murmured incessantly. It was probably a natural reaction. The hero, even in their own year, was considered an outlier among the students.
'This is getting hard.'
Of course, it was almost unbearable for me. From the very start, her skill level was easily at the upper expert level. There was a huge gap between us—like the difference between heaven and earth.
Thankfully, the restriction on aura usage and the fact that she didn’t use her full strength meant that I could last this long. If she had gone all out, I wouldn’t have been able to handle her with just swordsmanship.
The only reason I was managing to keep up was the small differences in technique and experience. Also, the enhanced aura output from the bracelet and the physical advantage of being a man helped me stay on par.
'…Tch. This body’s great, but controlling aura and magic is just too difficult.'
Was this the difference in talent? I wanted to cry, but I gritted my teeth and continued to respond to her attacks. There was something I needed to figure out, no matter how tough it got.
"Ren. After three years, you’re still attacking so poorly?" "‥‥." "Has your thirst for revenge cooled down? Your friend in the sky would cry if they heard that." "‥‥."
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Ren, unresponsive to my provocation, just kept attacking like a machine. Despite the killing intent in her attacks, there was no emotion in the sword swings. It was as if she was merely following an order to kill.
'…Has her emotion worn down this much already? So fast.'
In my anxious state, I continued to speak to her.
"Back when you killed that man three years ago, you were so angry, though." "‥‥!" Clang!
'Shit…!'
Her attack became heavier, the grip on her sword threatening to tear through my hand. But I didn’t stop speaking. If her emotions hadn’t completely worn down, I needed to correct things now.
"…How’s Ron? The guy who tried to use magic. I should have killed him with you back then—" "Don’t speak carelessly."
—Boom!
A bright light burst from her body. It was the complete opposite of the cold aura she had been exuding. And it was a familiar flame heading straight for me.
'I can't block this.'
This attack was on a completely different level from what I faced in the dream. The overwhelming size of the flame seemed like it could devour everything. The oppressive force felt like it would burn everything in its path.
'…If I want to block it, I’ll have to remove the bracelet.'
With a gulp, I placed my hand on the bracelet. Fortunately, the flame didn’t reach me.
"Alright~ that’s enough!"
Boom—!
With a single word from Professor Chenxi, the flames all extinguished in an instant. Her crimson aura took control of the entire training hall, swirling around us. At the same time, both of our movements stopped completely.
And just like that, our duel ended. I admired her power, but I was relieved that no one was injured in the end. It could have easily turned out to be a serious injury—probably mine.
"Mm-mm~ that was hard, wasn’t it? You both passed. You’re more than qualified to move up to the intermediate class." "…Thank you." "‥‥."
I bowed my head to express my thanks, and Ren glared at me without a word. She then quickly turned away and walked out of the training hall.
"You should head down too." "…Yes." "Oh, by the way, what’s your name?" "Ain." "Ain?"
Ain… Ain… Ain.
Professor Chenxi muttered my name a few times before tilting her head.
"Hmm, anyway. Ain, after class, do you want to stay for a bit?" "Yes?" "Just for a moment. I have something to ask you." "…Alright."
'Why is she calling me?'
I wondered, but it didn’t seem like a big issue, so I focused on other things. As I returned to my seat, I glanced over at Ren, who was sitting with her face buried in her knees.
'…Is she crying?'
Ren always used to sit like that when something happened, hiding her emotions. …Seeing her like that, I worried that I might have been too harsh, but I also thought it might be a good thing. At least it was better than when she had seemed completely emotionless earlier.