? The First Letter (13) ?

My dejected gaze turned to Seria.

The once proud and strong-looking girl was now bowing her head while holding a pouch filled with gold coins.

It was a scene that could lead to the misunderstanding that a mean senior was extorting from a weak junior, especially since Seria’s body that was trembling evoked an immense sense of pity.

That meant she was nervous. Maybe her fear of me hadn’t faded yet.

Judging from the size of the pouch, there are at least 200 gold coins inside.

One imperial gold coin is worth about the monthly living cost for a family of four. If the value were to ever soar or plummet beyond that, the Empire would step in and adjust the price.

So it meant that in that pouch there was enough money for both Emma and her herbalist father to live for more than 33 years.

Even though I was noble, a low-ranking aristocrat like me was burdened to spend even a dozen of gold coins. However, if the amount of at least 200 gold coins was called ‘a small gift’, even if she was a young lady, it truly showed that at the end of the day, she was still a daughter of the Yurdina family.

The question was, what on earth did I do to deserve such a large sum of money?

But I can’t give back such a response to the woman, who was trembling while keeping her eyes tightly shut, so I said in a slightly mellow tone.

“Hey, Seria? What do you mean by ‘gift’?”

“.... Ah, ah!”

Seria raised her head again in surprise as if she had just realized that she forgot to finish speaking.

Both of our eyes met. Those sapphire eyes glowed, the moment they met my gaze, soon they gently shifted to the floor.

I used to think that it was because she looked down on others, but looking at her reaction now, it didn’t seem to be the case.

On the contrary, isn’t she too nervous when socializing with other people? I then spoke in a soothing tone so that she wouldn’t bite her tongue again.

“You can speak slowly. I won’t go anywhere anyway.”

Actually, there are many places I would love to go, but still I wanted Seria to calm down a little.

Seria’s trembling subsided slightly, as if my consolation had worked. She took a few deep breaths and then spoke in a low voice.

“Umm, the last time I asked for your help.. I thought it was rude to ask for a favor without giving you payment.....”

At that, I had to swallow a laugh.

Are you saying that you can’t even ask for that much when we are senior and junior? Of course, since I’m spending my time with you, you could offer me a meal, but 200 gold coins were too much.

Apparently, Seria completely lacked common sense regarding human relationships. I massaged my temple since I was at a loss as to how I should answer her.

If I received gold coins, I would have enough money for me to use over a long time, but for now, I was not particularly anxious about it.

Once I graduated from the academy, I wouldn’t have to worry about how to make a living. I wasn’t the type to be attached to money, and above all, I was reluctant to get paid for something I hadn’t done yet.

What if my guidance isn’t worth 200 gold coins?

There were rules that an aristocrat had to follow. ‘Give back as much as you receive’, whether it was favor or hostility. The aristocrats always returned what they received.

It was because they thought it showed the pride of the aristocracy.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t in a situation where I was in such a hurry that I would bend my pride, and I was already occupied with finding who Sepia is. The conclusion of me rejecting that gold coin pouch was inevitable.

“.... Seria. I think you misunderstood what I meant the last time when you asked for my guidance. I didn’t think you were rude. Even if I were to grant your request, I would not receive such a big payment.”

Seria hesitated at the sound of my sighing voice, thinking of ways to counter. A small voice leaked out of her mouth.

“Eh, but.....”

“I can’t take this money, Seria.”

One sentence that was hammered through my strong will just like a nail, Seria eventually became pale again and lowered her arm.

However, by this time, it was also true that I was curious about why Seria seems to be so desperate. If that didn’t move my heart, I didn’t even deserve to be called human.

Carefully, I asked Seria a question. In a mellow tone, so that she didn’t get nervous again.

“By the way, Seria, why do you desperately want to receive my guidance?”

“.... ?”

Seria’s confused eyes turned to me. When I saw those eyes, I felt like I was falling into a labyrinth even more.

“No, it’s just weird, isn’t it? Actually, there are many talented people in the academy besides me. Even if you go through the 3rd grade, let alone the 4th grade, there will be many more skilled swordsmen than me. There are even Professor Derek and several professors from the Knight Faculty, so why bother with me?”

Seria looked down for a moment and became silent. She seemed to be contemplating on what to say.

I waited with my arms crossed so that she wouldn’t bite her tongue again. There was still plenty of time left until the next lecture anyway.

The desire to go back to the dorm and rest was big, but beyond that, I was curious about Seria’s situation. After all, isn’t she ‘Yurdina’s bastard’?

If she was so obsessed with asking for my guidance, there must have been a reason. So, I just kept staring at Seria.

“.... Because you said that last time.”

“What?”

I couldn’t help but tilt my head at that. It was because I had no idea where she was coming from.

What did I say last time? I felt an ominous foreboding suddenly rising.

And Seria’s words were, as expected.

“There is a limit to wielding sword alone.....”

No, I never said that.

However, he could quickly recognize who the speaker was. The memories of that week which disappeared from my mind, the ‘Ian Percus’ who moved during that time.

There was a strong possibility that blunt and rude human being did that. I put my hand on my forehead.

Either way, Seria continued to speak while hesitating.

“T-This is the first time I’ve ever heard of such a thing. And again, after losing to senior Ian, I reflected upon it for a long time. Why did I have to lose to a slacker who didn’t put in as much effort as me?”

“..?”

Again, absurd words were mixed in.

A slacker that doesn’t even put in effort, I’m someone whose body has been subjected to harsh training since childhood.

But by her standards, she could have thought so. Thoughts put into words and thoughts put into action were separate matters.

My eyes widened a little. But Seria didn’t seem to notice even such a sign of me.

“If there is anyone who knows the answer, it would be senior Ian. And you gave me advice last time during the duel.....”

“Ah, that word.”

It was when I said something about her ‘feel’. In fact, after that day, I gained a lot.

Because I obtained eyes that could see through my opponent’s movements.

It was still blurry, but if the opponent was nervous or hesitant, I could tell more clearly where the next attack would come from?historical

That alone made me feel like my skills had advanced by one step. However, it seemed that I was not the only one who was impressed with the duel of that day.

Seria must have felt several doubts since that day. Why was she defeated, and what I told her to fix.

She is a talented swordsman. She will soon notice what I’m talking about and will be able to fix the problem. So she must have misunderstood me.

It was a funny thing to say but I would not be able to advise her.

What transpired that day was the result of a series of fortunate events. I never thought I would be able to give her any helpful advice.

“.... I get where you are coming from.”

I sighed and said so. I decided to skip the rude remark that Seria had just thrown at me.

After all, it was Seria, so there was no way that Yurdina’s bastard would change overnight.

And although it was still just a guess, it seemed that Seria didn’t have any ill will.

The fact that Seria’s eyes were shining with anticipation was proof of that. How could she have ill will when she had that look on her face?

I have no clue, she must be bad at interpersonal relationships.

I don’t know if the offspring of a high-ranking aristocratic family like Yurdina could be like that, but for now, this hypothesis was the most likely.

“But Seria, I’m not as great as you think. Even on that day, even if what I casually said was true.. You are a talented swordsman. Even if you don’t act so impatiently, you can reach a higher level by simply taking one step at a time, right?”

At first, Seria was excited with anticipation, but as my words continued, her shoulders drooped again. She had a disappointed look.

My heart ached at that sight, and I ended the conversation with a fake cough. Words of consolation then came out of my mouth.

“So, live a little more leisurely. You are already an excellent swordsman, and you will become a better swordsman in the future.”

Having said that, I turned my back. It was because I decided that she must have understood my point.

However, just as I was taking my leave it was the sentence that came out of Seria’s mouth that forced my steps to a halt.

“....The Hunting Festival.”

My body froze, and my footsteps stopped.

It was something I had heard somewhere. No, I’ve heard it a lot. Because it was one of the biggest events in the academy.

A competition held in the month of the bow to see who hunts the strongest beasts in the forest.

The hunting festival, in which four people take part as a group, was an important festival in which even the Emperor would come to see if there was no special schedule.

But that’s not why I stopped.

Just because I remember seeing that word somewhere recently.

My thoughts recalled the contents of the letter I put in my pocket.

‘Sepia’ and ‘Hunting Festival’

“If I don’t do it this year, there will be no more opportunities.....”

Her voice was trembling. With her eyes closed, she said so, like a sinner making a confession.

My thoughts got tangled up in an instant. While the exact circumstances of what Seria was talking about were not known. One thing seemed certain.

Sepia would participate in this year’s hunting festival and she has a reason to do so.

Concerns, doubts, and hesitation.

But it didn’t take long for a conclusion to be reached. I bit my lip, then turned again and strode towards Seria.

And put both hands on her slender shoulders drooping as her head was still lowered.

“.... Seria.”

“Ye-Yes?!”

Perhaps surprised by my sudden action, she opened her eyes and let out a cute sound.

Her raised eyes met mine. The distance was close. A close distance where our breaths blended with each other.

A sweet scent tickled my nose. Her dark blue eyes stared blankly at me.

After thinking and hesitating to no end, I managed to open my mouth.

“You look pretty today.”

“.... ?”

Of course, Seria simply tilted her head, wondering what I was talking about.

It was the day that the joint training of the two of us started.