Chapter 14: Young Master... Was Actually This Skilled? |
Olivia tightened her grip on Frostclear.
She couldn't help but sigh in relief, though a faint sense of disappointment lingered in her heart.
Just sword practice then...
Rumors claimed Young Master Jonas was incompetent and utterly lacking in all abilities.
Though Olivia had never believed these rumors, she'd also never seen the young master properly wield a sword before.
Was he seeking sword training now, using her as a sparring partner?
After tossing Frostclear to Olivia, Jonas drew an iron sword whose blade gleamed with steady luster.
With a casual flick of his wrist, he executed a sword flourish, the tip tracing an elegant arc before pointing steadily at Olivia.
His calm gaze met hers as he said, "Let me test your recent progress."
It seemed the young master had indeed studied swordplay—contrary to rumors of universal incompetence.
Still, a mere flourish proved nothing. Softly, she advised, "Young Master, sword training should progress step by step from the fundamentals. Otherwise, many techniques remain unattainable."
Jonas arched an eyebrow at Olivia's concerned expression.
She still saw him as that useless young master.
Without explanation, he simply swung his sword at her—the blade slicing air with a faint whistle.
Olivia's heart jumped as her body instinctively dodged.
Yet in the next instant, Jonas's iron sword darted like a viper, far too swift for her to react.
The tip halted a centimeter from her throat.
"Ah—!" She stumbled back, breaking into cold sweat.
That strike had been faster than her reflexes could follow?
Jonas withdrew his sword, tone calm yet firm: "Discard your underestimation. I'm not joking.
Attack me with everything you have.
Starting today—and hereafter—I'll be your instructor!"
Become her teacher?
At these words, Olivia retreated two steps, gripping her hilt tightly.
Her focus sharpened as battle intent surged.
This wasn't practice—the young master might far surpass her.
"Young... Master, I'll get serious now."
Her voice held new determination as her gaze locked onto Jonas.
Jonas observed Olivia—her maid outfit fluttering slightly as silver hair danced with rising energy, giving her an almost ethereal liveliness.
For a moment, she resembled that "Ahoge King" from his memories.
He smiled faintly. "Come at me fully. Your current strength poses no threat."
The words sparked indignation in Olivia.
Among her peers in the military camp, she'd been hailed as a prodigy who rarely met equals.
No threat to the young master?
With a twist of her wrist and lowered stance, she channeled full-body momentum into Frostclear—launching a razor-sharp slash at Jonas.
Yet to Jonas, whose swordsmanship had reached Black Iron-rank, Olivia's fierce strikes brimmed with openings.
A casual parry deflected her blade.
Before she could recover, cold steel again pressed against her throat.
"Too slow..."
The sword moved faster than sound—Olivia only registered air being split before defeat came.
She stared blankly at Jonas, mind reeling.
How?
That had been her full power—even Asher couldn't have countered so effortlessly while landing a subduing strike.
Jonas shook his head. "Still insufficient.
Deploy everything you learned from Asher.
Preferably the Whirlwind Slash."
He wanted complete submission from this girl—in every aspect.
Olivia bit her lip. "Young Master, you—"
"Don't worry. Come."
"Alright!"
Exhaling sharply, Olivia's aura exploded.
Her blade became a blur, stirring cyclonic winds as she moved.
Silver hair whirled wildly, merging with the vortex as Frostclear's edge left afterimages—countless sword-points seemingly thrusting at Jonas simultaneously.
Seeing this, Jonas mirrored the motion perfectly—his form fluid, each movement precise.
Olivia's eyes widened. The Whirlwind Slash?
When had the young master mastered it?
Moreover, his version surpassed hers in both perfection and lethality.
Steel clashed.
A crisp shing! echoed as Jonas's iron sword shattered Olivia's technique like rotten wood.
The impact tore Frostclear from her grasp—the blade embedding itself in the ground, quivering.
Olivia landed hard on her rear.
"Ah..."
Her palms stung from the shock.
Gazing at the fallen sword, frustration flickered in her eyes.
Hailed as a genius in the barracks, she now faced the real prodigy—someone her age yet impossibly profound, invincible.
But if the young master was this formidable, why was he rumored to be trash?
Could it be... to avoid assassination from rebels?
Thoughts raced through Olivia's mind.
...
Jonas approached the seated Olivia, offering a hand to pull her up gently.
The gesture tinted Olivia's cheeks pink.
Smiling, Jonas said, "Many things aren't as simple as they appear.
The world is vast—we occupy but a tiny corner."
He retrieved Frostclear from the ground.
Olivia looked up dazedly.
Moonlight sculpted her master's movements into poetry—each motion refined through countless repetitions.
Jonas patted Olivia's head gently.
"Rest easy... While I'm here,
you and your sister won't be cast out.
Moreover, I'll one day become lord of this territory—perhaps even this Empire.
When that day comes, I hope you'll stand beside me as my right hand."
He returned Frostclear to Olivia.
Meeting his gaze, warmth flooded her heart.
Moonbeams danced along the blade's silver edge as she accepted it firmly.
"Master, I... I'll work harder!"
[Loyalty: 60%]
[Ability Return: 12x]
[Ding—]
[Second Binding Slot Unlocked]
...
Three months passed swiftly.
Jonas's father Holdo returned with the army.
But unlike previous triumphant homecomings, this return bore marks of brutal struggle.