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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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Chapter 234
Silently sipping her tea, Zion.
The Hero sitting in front of her looked at her intently.
Despite his calm expression, he was somewhat bewildered by this unexpected encounter.
He quickly reviewed what he knew about Zion.
‘Fortunately, there is a lot of information…’
Even before Ted made his debut, Zion was very famous.
‘Before Ted appeared, she was practically the strongest fighter.’
Her popularity among the public was so great that even a biography was published about her.
The Hero had read it before.
Exceptional looks and an excellent background.
Zion had many factors that brought admiration from the public.
But above all, what drove her popularity was the keyword ‘effort’.
The Hero recalled the early part of the biography.
When Zion was about the same age as Leciel, she didn’t receive much attention.
It was because her Hiyashin brothers, born from the same bloodline, had much greater talents.
She even heard that her skills were overshadowed by other young warriors.
‘They even called it Hiyashin’s disgrace.’
Graduating from Rosenstark in indifference, Zion immediately threw herself into the battlefield, continuing her relentless efforts and dedication.
And so, a decade or so later, she stood tall as the Hiyashin’s “Strongest Sword” in the “Family Decisive Battle”, breaking everyone’s expectations.
From being ignored as a troublemaker to reaching the pinnacle of a new sword master.
‘It was a story that people couldn’t help but be enthusiastic about.’
Even after being praised as the greatest warrior of her time, Zion’s efforts continued.
Though their relationship was strategically formed, her gentle husband passed away.
Leaving behind only a son and granddaughter, disappearing mysteriously.
Until her granddaughter became the only descendant of the Hiyashin and held a wooden sword instead of a toy, Zion lived only for the sword.
…Until a young warrior with unparalleled talent brought an unexpected defeat.
‘It wouldn’t be wrong to call it a cursed fate with Ted.’
After the shocking defeat, Zion Hiyashin laid down her sword.
And she placed all her hopes on Leciel.
‘Though she suddenly abandoned everything at one point.’
During a consultation, the memory of Leciel’s passing remark came to mind.
From that moment on, the Hero didn’t see Zion in such a favorable light.
He didn’t know much about parenting.
But he knew it wouldn’t be good to pour out expectations and interest on a child in their early years, only to withdraw them in a moment.
The image of Leciel choking on her own approval and expectations, and her obsession with training, came to mind.
Zion, who had been silently sipping her tea, suddenly spoke.
“Looks like you’ve heard my story from Leciel. Judging by the way you’re looking at me.”
The Hero nodded slowly.
“I’ve heard the gist of it.”
“…Then this conversation should be quick.”
Zion let out a brief sigh.
Then she got straight to the point.
“I’ve come here to ask you for a favor without any reservations.”
The Hero’s head tilted at the unexpected words.
“What request do you have?”
Zion seemed to be about to say something, then closed her mouth again.
The Hero calmly waited for her “request.”
When Zion finally spoke, the atmosphere in the room was tense.
“Fight me one more time. In front of my granddaughter.”
.
.
.
…A moment of sudden silence filled the room.
The content of the request was completely unexpected.
The Hero, wanting to ascertain its sincerity, looked at Zion intently.
She began her story slowly.
“I’m an immature person. Especially as a grandmother.”
“…I won’t deny that.”
Expecting unreasonable things from a girl, only to turn away when they seem unlikely to be fulfilled, that was the image Zion had of herself in the Hero’s eyes.
Sensing the reproach in his words, Zion smiled bitterly.
“In the time I haven’t seen you, your tongue has become as sharp as a sword.”
But there was no sign of resentment.
She was rather positive, nodding her head several times.
“Even if I think it over a hundred times, it’s my fault.”
“…….”
“Still, if I were to make a feeble excuse, I didn’t know what to do back then.”
She had lived her whole life obsessed with the sword.
As a child, it was to fill the void left by neglect in her family.
And as an adult, it was to protect the hard-won glory and honor.
“Even though I knew I was missing precious things, I couldn’t let go of the sword. And before I knew it, that was all that was left.”
Zion continued her story calmly.
“And then you appeared. A talent that couldn’t be achieved through effort… You shattered the pride and honor I had upheld all my life in an instant.”
It wasn’t a resentful tone.
It was a dry tone that seemed to simply state the facts.
But the Hero felt like she had prepared for this conversation for a long time.
Zion’s hand tightened around the handle of the teacup.
“It was extremely agonizing… I thought I had to somehow regain it. But when my lifelong efforts crumbled, I no longer had confidence in myself, so I cowardly passed the burden onto my granddaughter.”
The Hero, who had been silent, finally asked a question.
“But why did you give up on Leciel? Wouldn’t it have been less painful for her if you had continued to place your expectations on her?”
Zion nodded.
“I understand. Leciel is a very diligent child. She will undoubtedly devote her life to surpassing you and returning the title of Sword Master to the Hiyashin family.”
“…That’s true.”
“That’s why.”
The swordswoman, who stopped speaking midway, looked at the Hero with a very complex gaze.
It seemed as if she were looking at something brilliant… or perhaps like the jealous gaze of a younger sibling.
“Impossible things are impossible. Just as I was sure that Leciel would never surpass you, I am convinced that it would mean a miserable life for her.”
A lifelong unfulfilled wish.
Zion realized at some point that she was pushing her granddaughter into that mold.
“I thought one person living only for the sword was enough.”
Because of this, Zion hoped her granddaughter would find other joys besides the sword.
So she was not happy about Leciel becoming the Hero’s disciple.
She wished she could have experienced the joys that other children her age would have, like debuting in society.
But due to her clumsy expression and past mistakes, misunderstandings accumulated, and their relationship deteriorated endlessly.
“I am the problem. My social skills are disastrous. So my son and daughter-in-law probably couldn’t stand it and left.”
Zion shook her head as if in self-reproach.
‘…So social skills are inherited.’
Thinking that, the Hero asked a second question.
“I understand the circumstances, but what does this story have to do with our rematch?”
“It does have relevance.”
Zion’s eyes sank.
“I thought Leciel would be like me.”
“What do you mean?”
“I thought she would be overwhelmed by your overwhelming talent and despair, just like me.”
Zion recalled the extreme scenes she had seen before.
And Leciel’s figure within them.
“But my granddaughter seemed to have no intention of giving up, even after watching you closely for almost a year.”
“……”
“Instead, it seemed like she was enjoying the process of striving towards you. In fact, she was rapidly approaching you, almost unrecognizably.”
The Hero had sent Leciel abundant support and encouragement from the beginning of the semester.
That was what made her like that.
Zion had planted the goal of becoming a Hero in Leciel.
The driving force to strive for one goal was none other than him.
Zion’s slumped shoulders straightened up.
“In the end, what I wanted to make her give up was my own arrogance and selfishness.”
Now breaking the Hero was no longer just her own goal.
Zion’s face became somewhat relieved but also disappointed.
“Unlike me, Leciel was someone who could pick up the sword even after directly seeing and experiencing your overwhelming talent.”
Only then did the Hero slowly understand why Zion demanded a rematch.
“Are you ashamed of laying down your sword?”
“A little.”
Zion smiled faintly.
“But that’s not all.”
“Then?”
“Our rematch will greatly benefit Leciel.”
——————
HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
Join our Discord for release updates!
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Then she extended the palm of her hand, which had been wrapped around the teacup.
The calloused palm.
“I know that I am not qualified to stand in front of you as a rival.”
Though her ghostly face still remained, traces of having laid down the sword for a long time were evident.
“But! I can at least point the way for my granddaughter, who wants to defeat you and reclaim the title of Hiyashin’s Sword Master.”
A sharp momentum burst forth from Zion’s body like a blade.
“So please, will you spar with me once again?”
The Hero looked at Zion silently.
This rematch would not only help Leciel grow but also be a turning point in her life.
And it would be in a positive direction.
He felt confident about that.
As a teacher, he couldn’t avoid it.
The Hero nodded.
“All right. But I also have a favor to ask.”
“A favor…?”
Zion’s pupils narrowed.
“Go ahead.”
* * *
Meanwhile, in the temporary accommodation for parents, a modest party was underway.
Extreme parents spent a pleasant time exchanging stories about their children.
Ravias, after choosing some influential figures and engaging in conversation several times, quietly returned to his room.
Click-
The moment the door closed.
The friendly smile on his lips froze coldly.
He irritably threw off his coat onto the floor.
‘…Constructive conversations aren’t going on anywhere.’
To Ravias’s great regret, the theme of the party was about the children.
Laughing and chatting, sucking up to each other’s children, was something Ravias found rather ridiculous.
‘…I deeply regret sending him to the academy.’
Naturally, Luke meant nothing as a “son” to Ravias.
The numerous “step-sons” in the mercenary corps were no different.
They were mere tools for building Ravias’s kingdom.
Tools to maintain, expand, and defend it.
…Luke was simply the most useful and promising among them.
‘The problem is that if I leave it like this, it loses its utility.’
Ravias recalled the footage he had seen in the classroom earlier.
In the footage, Luke was gradually changing from the person he knew.
‘How much I did make him into the most suitable version….’
Ravias remembered the many things he had done for Luke’s “optimization” over time.
He got rid of the mistress who was trying to act as a mother figure.
He personally taught him swordsmanship and martial arts, and entrusted him with missions to instill the proper mindset of a mercenary.
He even supervised the executions of subordinates who violated discipline.
And gradually, Luke was honed into a sharp “tool” of Ravias’s own making.
He had even gone so far as to consider passing on the mantle of succession, which was exceptionally satisfying for Ravias.
Thunk-
Ravias sat down on the couch with a displeased expression.
‘Tch, I need to come up with a plan to restore things to how they were.’
His hand reached for a bottle of alcohol on the nearby table.
His gaze flickered towards the view of Rosenstark shining beyond the curtains.
…Or more precisely, towards the professor’s quarters in the distance.
Ravias’s brow furrowed even more.
‘The Hero hasn’t contacted me.’
He had clearly mentioned having something to discuss as a parent, but this was an obvious disregard.
Ravias spat on the floor in annoyance.
In truth, he despised the Hero.
‘The same mercenary background, yet he acts so high and mighty.’
Beliefs, righteousness, honor, justice.
Ravias felt that he was a thorough hypocrite, sacrificing his life for such illusions.
It seemed that Luke was beginning to be influenced by him as well, which he found even more displeasing.
Ravias shook his head bitterly and retrieved a stack of documents from a bag beside the couch.
Shuffle-
They were new contracts that had come in.
Surprisingly, some of them were written in code.
As Ravias skimmed through the contents, his eyes trembled slightly.
“Huh, how coincidental.”
Ravias had been conducting a few “projects” quietly for years.
One of them involved artificially manipulating the direction of the monster waves near the Great Mountain Range.
‘A very lucrative contract indeed.’
Since the client could redirect monster waves to another location relatively inexpensively, it was profitable.
Ravias could earn more gold than usual, and if the construction was done properly, there would be no traces, so there was no risk of exposure.
Win-win.
Of course, the territories the monster hordes headed towards would suffer, but…
‘I don’t care about that.’
They were weak and deserved to suffer.
From the beginning, Ravias had avoided meddling with territories where the three families were strong, fearing retaliation.
Anyway, now, coincidentally, a contract had come in from an area he knew.
‘Themerin… near Solintail. If I conduct business here, Solintail will become a mess.’
The face of the girl who had been talking back to him just a few days ago came to mind.
And the sight of Luke hiding her protectively behind him.
If he accepted this contract, that confident face would surely turn pale with fear.
Ravias chuckled as he took a swig of whiskey.
‘It’s risky to mess with the Hero’s disciple, but….’
When a step-son doesn’t listen, there’s no shortage of negotiation cards to play.
‘Well, it’s unlikely to happen.’
He would submit Luke’s withdrawal application tomorrow and take him away.
Then he would bid farewell to this pitiful and hypocritical place forever.
Ravias closed his eyes as he finished the remaining whiskey.
…He had no idea what would happen to him tomorrow.
It was beyond his expectations.
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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