Chapter 22 : Red Bush (1)

“Haap! Haaap…!!”
The high-pitched shouts echoed throughout the training grounds.

This private training hall, owned by the Ritvel Merchant Guild, was usually a facility used by the heroes employed by the guild.
However, Kaela frequently visited it for her own training and personal practice.

At first, she attracted a lot of attention from other heroes.
The daughter of the guild master entering the academy as a sword-wielding hero?
On top of that, her cute appearance and passionate attitude—
It would have been stranger if no heroes had tried to approach her with dubious intentions.

But Kaela gently rejected their interest and focused solely on her training.

‘I have to show them how much I’ve improved.’
The only thing occupying her mind was her admission to the academy and the start of the new semester.

Especially the instructor she had a deep connection with, Edgar Mulick , from the Swordsmanship Department.
She had a strong desire to participate in his course and show how much she’d grown since they last met.

—Screech!
—Roar!
The memory of her first encounter with a monster was still vivid.

It was a mid-level monster, Kelleil, one that shouldn’t have been there, and several heroes had been seriously injured and fallen.
The gruesome scene had burned itself into her mind, and Kaela had been frozen in place, unable to move a finger.

The gap between theory and actual combat had become painfully clear.
And then—
The paralyzing fear that came from the intense bloodlust of the monster.
In that moment, Kaela couldn’t even wield the sword she had trained with for so long.

—Raise your sword, Kaela.
She still couldn’t forget the voice of the man who had spoken to her then.

Raise your sword, and face the enemy.
The solution lies in your sword.
The advice was simple, but clear, and it was only then that Kaela had been able to move her frozen body.

She carefully executed the steps she had practiced diligently, and for the first time, she was able to wield her sword properly against the monster.

—Twist your sword there. Faster.
—Retreat now. There’s no chance to defend.
—You must keep up relentless pressure on Kelleil. That’s the way to hunt it.

Of course, his advice wasn’t just theoretical.
He gave her plenty of practical guidance as she fought.

The mid-level monster Kelleil was something a first-stage hero, who had only unlocked the first fork in their path, could never defeat.
But Edgar had supported her, stepping in when she was in danger, and they had managed to take it down through a coordinated effort.

「The Compass of Fate has shifted!」
「You are a hero chosen by the fate of <Swordmaster>. The second fork of the <Valiant Knight> is swirling within you.」

By the time the battle ended, her second fork of fate had blossomed.

That day had left the deepest impression on Kaela.
While she had picked up the sword out of her own interest as a child, the person who had the greatest influence on her as a sword-wielding hero was undoubtedly Edgar Mulick .

“Haap! Haaat…!!”
That’s why Kaela swung her sword even more fervently.
She wanted to show how much she had improved when they met again.
She didn’t want to show a disappointing version of herself to Edgar, who had unknowingly become her mentor.
The lights in the Ritvel training hall never went out for that reason.

“There you are, Kaela.”

“Hap… Oh? Father? What brings you here?”

Kaela, who had been immersed in her training, stopped her movements.
It was her father, the head of the Ritvel Merchant Guild, calling out to her as he walked over from the entrance.
But his expression was far from pleasant.

In his hand, he held something familiar—a crystal orb.
For some reason, an uneasy feeling crept over Kaela.

“Kaela, didn’t you say today was an important day?”

“…Huh?”

“You’ve been singing about how you must attend Instructor Edgar’s class… but it seems you forgot all about it on the actual day.”

“……!”

Realizing the situation, Kaela’s face paled in shock, and Ritvel slowly handed her the crystal.

“It looks like the color inside the crystal has turned red.”

The Crystal of Destiny.
A magical tool used to manage course registration and other administrative tasks for the academy cadets.
And when the inside of the crystal turned red during the registration period, it meant that the course had reached full capacity and could no longer accept any more students.

Kaela hurriedly took the crystal and checked which course had filled up.

And then—

‘…I’m doomed.’

The course was <Valut Swordsmanship>, Instructor Edgar’s class—the one Kaela absolutely had to attend.

“If you missed the registration, there’s nothing we can do.”

“Assistant Ray, please! Just open one more spot! We even completed that escort mission together…!”

“Are you trying to use connections now?”

“Oh! No, that’s not what I meant! Instructor Edgar! He told me I had to attend this new class! Please, just this once! I really need to take it!”

“…Alright. I’ll open the spot in exactly five minutes, so don’t miss it.”

“Wow! Thank you! Thank you, Assistant Ray!”

“Thank Edgar, not me.”

After finishing the conversation with Kaela, Ray let out a sigh as he set down the communication crystal.
That made it the eleventh call.
Eleven cadets had called, asking for extra spots because they had missed registration.

Kaela was only allowed because of her past connection with Edgar, and because Edgar had openly declared his intention to train her as a disciple.
But the endless calls from other cadets were only exhausting.

“Why is this class so popular?”

The reason for all the calls was that the class was doing exceptionally well.
Edgar’s <Valut Swordsmanship> had far exceeded the capacity of 30 students, making it one of the most popular courses in the Swordsmanship Department.

Ray couldn’t understand why.
Sure, Edgar had recently gained some fame for his skills, he was from a noble family, the most prestigious in the kingdom, and he was not only a respected instructor but also one of the few heroes with exceptionally good looks—

“…That explains it.”

Realizing the reason, Ray stopped thinking.
In the world of heroes, no success was without reason.

Buzzz!

Just as he allowed his mind to wander, the communication crystal in the instructor’s office started buzzing again.

With another sigh, Ray murmured to himself.

“Hurry back, Edgar.”

A request for cooperation had come down directly from the royal family,
And because of that, Edgar Mulick was currently at the administrative office of the Swordsmanship Department.
All Ray could do was hope for his quick return.