Chapter 170 …
Thwack!
“Kyung, you need to use your aura exactly where the wooden sword hits.”
“Ughk!”
“Ah!”
The two wooden swords in Evelyn’s hands moved dazzlingly. Even though five people charged at her simultaneously, she didn’t move a single step and faced all five at once.
At the same time, she pinpointed exactly where she needed to use her aura.
“Argh!”
If someone failed to notice an incoming sword and didn’t block it with aura, they let out a scream and fell immediately.
“Huff… huff…”
“Hasn’t even been twenty minutes yet?”
Evelyn checked the large clock hanging on the wall and stepped closer to the fallen knights.
It feels like she could go a little longer.
“Can’t we do more?”
“Cough…”
Demian coughed harshly. He had underestimated things, and in less than ten minutes, all his aura had been drained.
The rest had just stubbornly endured it. Demian hadn’t realized his own skills were this poor.
“I don’t think we can last an hour.”
Seeing the withered knights, the Archduchess’s gaze was full of pity. Demian reluctantly spoke.
“You want Evelyn to defend using less aura, right?”
She nodded.
“It seems your skill isn’t yet enough to send that small amount of aura quickly.”
“Don’t worry. You’ll get better the more you practice.”
After all, he had developed that way himself.
Evelyn admired how Demian recognized the problem and thought, as expected of the Commander of the Knights, he’s different.
“Those who just sparred, recover your aura beside the mages.”
Smiling brightly, the Archduchess watched as the knights dragged their legs and moved.
“Next.”
The knights whose turn had come turned pale, praying to survive.
“Why… is there no one in the training field?”
Elliot arrived at the training grounds late, having stayed up working after going to bed early the night before, and looked around.
Only the apprentices, who couldn’t yet release aura, were huddled together sparring.
“You’re here?”
Evelyn greeted Elliot, who looked around the training grounds in confusion.
“The other knights are all in the Mana Chamber right now.”
“Ex… excu—?”
“Yes. We’re trying a new training method.”
Pride shone on Evelyn’s face as Elliot’s gaze fell on the remaining knights.
The boys lowered their heads in embarrassment under his stare.
“Are these ones not participating in training?”
“That’s right. Only those who haven’t yet learned to control aura remain.”
Elliot furrowed his brow, realizing this training involved aura. If Evelyn, trained by a former hero, was leading it, it would certainly be effective.
“Aura release, huh…”
His eyes narrowed as he watched the remaining apprentices.
“When faced with death, one always manages to draw out power.”
“I think so too. There isn’t enough time to gain true insight otherwise.”
For once, husband and wife agreed. The two pairs of eyes directed at them made the apprentices shiver.
It felt as if they had been thrown barehanded in front of a giant beast.
“Let’s do ten-minute rounds.”
Elliot checked the clock and spoke.
The apprentices swallowed hard, remembering the cries that had filled the training ground earlier.
Is it our turn to die now?
“I’ll allow running away.”
At the generous words of the Archduke, the apprentices gripped their wooden swords tightly.
The thought of begging for mercy rose to their throats.
Running away would be more shameful than dying—but maybe, if they ran, the Archduke would still say they did well.
“Ugh! Ah!”
The young apprentices were struck mercilessly by Elliot’s sword, running around the training ground.
“They can’t even escape far.”
Evelyn surveyed the field, hiding her disappointment.
It seemed like they had been given enough stamina training, yet they were caught by Elliot in just a few steps.
How can I help them grow faster?
While Evelyn watched the panting apprentices with a tender gaze, Elliot forced some of them to release aura.
“Waaah!”
The pain was brief.
Seeing their comrades release aura, the apprentices’ eyes sparkled with expectation.
Is this how I do it?!
Earlier, they had seen advanced knights getting struck and changing. The apprentices’ hearts swelled with anticipation.
“We’ll go again!”
The boys regrouped and charged at Elliot with renewed resolve.
“There’s a place to go.”
After all the apprentices had collapsed, Elliot threw the knights into the Mana Chamber and returned.
Evelyn smiled and pulled him along.
“Shall we spar a bit more?”
Elliot, whose body wasn’t warmed up by the apprentices, resisted.
“It’ll be better if we go. I got permission for you to enter my training ground.”
Whatever the Holy Sword said, Evelyn chanted ‘I can’t hear you, I can’t hear you’ and stepped onto the teleportation circle.
“Are you really letting me enter?”
“You’re my most reliable companion. You said you’d always protect me—so let’s grow stronger together.”
Is this how someone who shines like this becomes a hero? Elliot held his breath for a moment.
The eyes looking straight at him would have sparkled like stars, no matter the color.
“That’s right. I am your companion.”
Elliot could answer without hesitation, filled with trust. He knew he was the closest companion to the hero.
“That’s enough. Let’s go.”
Evelyn pressed down on a sword-shaped marker.
[He really needs to understand how honored he is!!!]
As soon as they teleported, Elliot heard a loud, ear-piercing shout.
“Alright, there are others here. I can’t speak alone.”
Evelyn responded to the familiar high-pitched voice.
“Elliot, you think this is an honor too, right?”
“To be trained by the former hero? I think it’s a great honor.”
Elliot played along with her glance calmly.
[Hmph. Well, I knew Elliot was courteous.]
The Holy Sword seemed pleased and replied coquettishly.
[Not a completely useless body, then.]
Once the Holy Sword quieted, the former hero spoke.
“Elliot was always stronger than me.”
[Seems so. He inherited my blood very well.]
The former hero hummed thoughtfully.
“Please take care of me.”
Elliot bowed deeply.
[Then first, I need to see your skills. Evelyn, will you stay here?]
“Can’t I watch?”
[Come later, later.]
“Don’t be mean!!”
With that final shout, Evelyn vanished.
“……”
[Alright, let’s see your skill.]
Elliot watched the empty space where Evelyn had been and smiled at the hero’s words.
“First, I’d like to apologize.”
[Apologize? For what?]
The former hero paused, thinking: I’m already training him while leaving part of my soul behind—what could I possibly apologize for?
[Shouldn’t you be receiving thanks instead?]
“No.”
Elliot shook his head.
“Were you often scolded by your wife while you were alive?”
The former hero fell silent.
“Seems like you deserved it.”
In the cheerful voice of a descendant, the incorporeal hero gritted his teeth. He really had been scolded by his wife at every opportunity.
[If you try to mislead me with nonsense, I won’t forgive you.]
“Misdirection? You spent half a year taking a married woman with you without consent—that’s the problem.”
[It was training, though?]
“Even if it was training.”
The descendant was shameless. Former Hero Neran laughed incredulously.
[I swear that won’t happen. I love my wife. And she’s not even pretty.]
“Excuse me. Evelyn is beautiful.”
[Ah, well… in a husband’s eyes, sure. Do you know how beautiful my wife was?]
The hero’s voice softened, as if dreaming.
“I wouldn’t know. I haven’t seen her.”
Though he had seen her portrait in the family hall, Elliot said casually.
“As long as there were no ill intentions, that’s fine. Let’s start training quickly.”
[Ha. You’re hopelessly independent, aren’t you?]
Even his own blood acted like a street thug.
Neran felt his blood boil for the first time in a while. If he liked his wife so much, why not always stay with her?
Hmph.
Deciding on petty revenge, Neran smirked slyly.
Crunch.
Crunch.
“Archduchess?”
After exchanging glances with Tinya, Anna cautiously called Evelyn.
She had been pacing around the office for thirty minutes.
She knew the maids were watching her with worried faces, but she couldn’t stop walking.
