abcnovels
Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Chapter 55: Link (1)
“Hayap!”
Sweat dripped profusely, and the powerful strikes resounded loudly.
This was the Academy’s renowned endurance training ground, where students honed their physical and swordsmanship skills, and where personal training from guardian knights took place.
Given the Academy’s emphasis on mental and physical training, the facilities for individual student training were top-notch.
Naturally, I wasn’t here for my own training. I came to train our zealous young seedling.
“Ugh….”
Brian, having completed the target number, collapsed on the floor.
“I-I’ve done it, Sir!”
“Rest for 30 seconds and then move on to the next exercise.”
Though his expression suggested he’d rather be killed, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
With tears in his eyes, Brian assumed the push-up position and began his exercise.
“Struggling?”
“W-Well… No, I’m fine!”
For a moment, sincerity escaped his lips.
“If it gets too tough, speak up now. Even if you need me to run errands for snacks.”
“Oh, no, Sir! You’ve given me this chance, and I’ll see it through!”
With determination, Brian resumed his training with powerful strikes.
No matter what you begin, the basics are always important.
Since endurance is the most fundamental aspect of any physical activity, it must be developed before one can train in swordsmanship or martial arts.
It seems he wasn’t officially knighted at Velias, but he must have had some level of endurance, whether from the estates or elsewhere.
If it were just simple endurance training, it could be done within the dormitories.
As someone who prefers to avoid crowded places as much as possible, it would have been more convenient for me.
So, the only reason I brought Brian all the way here was to let him see.
Direct training is good, but observing others train is also very helpful.
Throughout the Academy, not only students but also their guardian knights and knights affiliated with the Academy could be seen training tirelessly.
Of course, it wouldn’t be of much use to me, but it would serve as a great textbook for our Brian.
“Heh, Aaack, Hugguk!”
Whether he knew my thoughts or not, Brian, with veins bulging and teeth gritted, let out incomprehensible groans.
“Cyan…?”
Amidst this, my head turned involuntarily to the familiar voice calling me.
Princess Arin, wearing quite a welcoming smile, was approaching me.
“Seeing you here? Came to train with the guardian knights?”
“Ah, yes, something like that.”
I was here solely for Brian’s training, after all.
“Is the princess here for endurance training too?”
“Yeah! I come for endurance and swordsmanship training with Ressimus every weekend. I’ve learned a lot from him!”
Behind the princess were Ressimus and five other guardian knights.
It felt like there were more of them than usual.
“Seems like there are more knights?”
“Hmm? Ah, well… I suppose… I’ve been feeling like I should be cautious lately because of recent events.”
At the mention of recent events, Ressimus, who was standing behind, flinched.
It’s nothing much, really.
It’s about the recent incident involving the discovery of Barrett Louisemill, a new student at the Academy, found in front of the infirmary in the early hours of the morning.
One of his ankles was broken, and he sustained serious injuries all over his body.
The despairing result was that he might find it difficult to generate mana properly in the future.
They kept pressing him to reveal who did it, but he refused to speak…
Well, not that he couldn’t, but he wouldn’t.
While it’s not exactly commendable, I see it as him doing quite well.
As long as he keeps his mouth shut like that, there won’t be any need for confrontation with me, at least.
“Who could it have been? They weren’t particularly good people, but still, to mess with a member of a high-ranking noble family within the Academy…”
That’s right.
I wonder who the wicked friend is.
I suddenly feel like I want to see their face. Is it because my ears are itching?
“Anyway, Cyan, you should be careful too. You never know what might happen to a person.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
I’m not sure who’s worried about whom, but for now, I’ll take it as a decent hint.
Well, at least I have to acknowledge her strong will.
I heard she even excels in those tedious theory classes.
Training endurance without a break even on weekends is definitely not easy.
I don’t know if she still harbors the thought of making me her person, but if she continues to grow like this, the chances of her hearing the dreaded ‘exiled princess’ epithet will diminish.
At least if she establishes her own faction properly.
“S-Sir…?”
Out of the blue, Brian called me with a voice as tense as a mosquito’s buzzing.
Upon hearing that sound, I turned my head, only to find him sweating profusely, looking like he was about to defecate himself.
“What’s wrong with you all of a sudden?”
“T-The… over there, right now…!”
Brian’s anxious gaze was directed somewhere beyond the training ground.
Intrigued, I turned my head too, and then…
Huh? What’s this?
Did I see wrong?
Beyond the waterway surrounding the endurance training ground, standing on the grassy field surrounded by bushes, there was a familiar figure.
It’s strange.
It feels like I’ve been hit on the head with a hammer.
It’s a feeling I haven’t experienced in a long time.
Why? Why is that?
Why is the little brat who should be taking a nap in his room standing there!?
Boldly roaming around the Academy in the magic training hoodie provided by the Academy, it’s the cheeky little brat.
The moment I saw those sparkling pure eyes, I couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat!
It was Nana.
* * *
Arin had been visiting the training ground without fail every weekend since the Academy started. During that time, she had continued training with Ressimus, achieving significant improvement and striving to further develop herself without arrogance, all for the sake of Cyan Vert.
Yet, he revealed himself in a training ground where they had never met before.
Despite being in the same grade, they rarely had moments like this, as he seldom attended classes.
Since it was a rare encounter, Arin thought she’d like to spend more time with Cyan.
Summoning her courage, she spoke up.
“Um, would you like to train with us if it’s okay? I think it would help us improve more positively if you join us…”
“…”
However, Cyan didn’t even spare a glance at Arin.
Seeing his rare expression of embarrassment, Arin titled her head.
“Cyan…?”
“I apologize, Your Highness. Something urgent has come up, so I’ll leave first.”
Abruptly, Cyan and his guardian knight left the training ground.
In the blink of an eye, Arin couldn’t say a word for about 10 seconds.
“Arin, are you okay?”
Ressimus approached cautiously and asked.
Arin’s face turned bright red.
“What! He just left while I was talking! Am I not even worth considering?”
With her previous emotions vanishing into thin air, Arin’s jealousy and anger toward Cyan exploded.
“Really unlucky! How great do you think you are? Fine! I don’t want to train with you either!”
No matter how much she vented her anger, the person in question had already left.
Arin stomped her foot into the empty air, but at the same time, she couldn’t help but let out a sigh.
“It seems I still have a long way to go…”
Was she still lacking in his eyes?
Despite her daily efforts to keep the promise made a year ago and improve herself, the fact that the person in question still showed no interest drained her spirit.
“Let’s start training, Ressimus.”
Suddenly resolute, Arin began to loosen up her body.
When your mind is cluttered, make your body suffer to forget.
As she removed her outerwear and stretched her arms forward, her body froze.
“…?”
Her body, which had been flexing its muscles, stopped.
Her eyes are clear and bright, as if they contain morning dew.
It was as if she was looking at a curious fairy in the forest.
“A… child?”
Four or five years old, maybe?
A young girl who seemed to have just started speaking stood before her.
Wrapped in a red magical cloak, her tiny body was dragging on the ground.
“…?”
The child was also staring intently at Arin’s face.
She was definitely not visible when Cyan left just a moment ago.
Forgetting her intention to train, Arin bent down and matched her eye level with the girl.
“Hey, how did you get here?”
The child just tilted his head in silence.
“Why is there such a young child at the academy?”
“Maybe she’s not a child from the city? Or perhaps she’s a child of someone from the Academy…”
Ressimus and the other knights were also surprised.
They were astonished by the child, but they couldn’t deny her overwhelming cuteness, with her pink hair tucked under the hood, making anyone want to hug her.
“Can you tell me your name? My name is Arin.”
When asked for her name, the child’s mouth, which had been tightly shut, opened wide.
“…Nana.”
The name Nana was easy to pronounce and adorable.
“Nana? What a cute name! How did you get here?”
“I came to find Papa!”
So, she was a lost child looking for her family.
“Seems like you lost your parents? Are you a guardian’s child?”
“There’s a high possibility. It’s not uncommon for family members of officials to visit…”
Considering the circumstances of most officials who live in the Academy, visits from their families were common.
Arin and Ressimus naturally thought that Nana was one of those visitors.
“Do you want to come with me? There are many delicious things in my room. I’ll make sure to find Nana’s parents!”
“Okay!”
Nana smiled brightly and grabbed Arin’s hand.
Arin’s face turned red again.
Setting aside thoughts about Cyan and growth for a moment, Arin took Nana and headed to her dormitory.
* * *
The door was locked as securely as when I left.
I had even set up a small magical barrier just in case, so practically, it was impossible to open the door and leave.
However, through the billowing curtains, I could see the wide-open window.
Yes, it had been about a month since our little one came out, and now she was walking, talking, and even flying?
Moreover, this was from a second-story height.
Her growth rate was so rapid that it was endlessly joyful.
From the point where I found Nana, I searched about 200m in radius, but there was no sign of where she disappeared.
Perhaps, driven by instinct, she returned to the dormitory, but all that remained was an amazing escape scene.
“Could someone have found her and taken her?”
Who found her?
If so, it would escalate to the worst-case scenario from that moment.
Fortunately, when she was first found, she was wearing a magical cloak I had thrown anywhere.
If nobody removed it or it didn’t fly away in the wind, she would still look like an ordinary little child.
However, it wouldn’t last long.
If any part of her that was concealed came to light…
She might not know, but incredibly annoying things would come my way.
Now that it had come to this, there was no time to delay.
Closing my eyes softly, I immediately cast the spell of Mist’s Secret.
“Mist 4th Form: Life Detection!”
With the spell, mist seeped out from between my clothes and penetrated my eyes.
It was a secret technique that used the power of mist to detect life in the surrounding area, but it didn’t necessarily only detect life.
Since Nana was a mix of human and dragon, she surely possessed the essence of the dragon as well.
Since she probably hadn’t gone far yet, if I started from the dormitory and gradually expanded the detection area…
“Hmm?”
For a moment, when I opened my eyes, the surrounding mist suddenly disappeared.
What? Why are you there?
“Did you find her?”
“Follow me, Brian!”
I rushed out with Brian, heading to the third floor of the royal palace.
I knew who lived there, but I had never been there.
Going up the stairs and stepping onto the corridor, I saw three unfamiliar faces at the end.
Nana, smiling brightly, and two women holding her hand.
I must be going crazy.
They must have also spotted me, as they looked at me with surprise.
“Cyan?”
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