ILDBL 26

Chapter: 26

“W-What? A maid?”

As the blue-haired girl flared up and tried to step forward, Ellen blocked her with an outstretched hand.

“Marien. That’s enough.”

At Ellen’s calm voice, the girl called Marien clenched her teeth in frustration but shut her mouth.

Ellen apologized in her stead—though neither her eyes nor her expression looked even remotely apologetic.

“I’ll apologize on her behalf. I’d rather not start blushing with anger this early.”

After saying that, Ellen added in a businesslike tone,

“Let’s get along while we train together in the training grounds.”

She’s only thirteen, yet she sure knows how to put on airs.

Karina watched Ellen turn away with clear displeasure.

The other adoptees felt the same.

As Marien followed behind Ellen, she didn’t forget to leave one last remark.

“Ugh—what is this place? Even the training grounds are this crappy. Says it all, really.”

Ellen didn’t seem inclined to stop the mockery and simply walked on as if she hadn’t heard.

Marien’s words were clearly meant to be overheard, and the expressions of Karina and the other adoptees twisted.

Among them, Ariel spoke with pure admiration.

“I’ve never seen a girl ruder than Isabella before.”

At that, Isabella—who had been glaring—exploded with a look like she’d been hit by a rock.

“What are you talking about?! I’m not that rude!”

At Isabella’s protest, Alvin secretly shook his head.

The training session seemed like it might pass quietly.

But of course, the Ludovico lackeys weren’t the type to let things slide.

It all started when Ellen was summoned by Duke Ludovico and left the grounds.

“What are we even supposed to train in a place like this?” grumbled Gale, Ludovico lackey number two.

“All the wide open space is taken by those trash kids.”

Perched atop a pillar, Marien swung her legs and pouted.

Then a big boy called Bernard shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, they were using the training ground first.”

His build was large enough to be mistaken for an adult.

“So what if they were first? Shouldn’t they know how to give way to guests?”

At that moment, Alberto—who had been glancing toward where Ellen disappeared—curled his lips into a mischievous smile.

“Ellen isn’t here. How about we mess with them a little?”

Gale put on a stern expression.

“Didn’t Ellen tell us to behave?”

“Come on. What do you take me for? We came here to duel them anyway. Let’s do a little rehearsal.”

Alberto, well known for his sly thinking, made everyone look interested.

“We settle it with a proper spar. Whoever wins gets the better spot in the training grounds. Sparring during training is common, right? The captain won’t make a fuss over something like this.”

Marien narrowed her eyes like a fox and smiled.

“I’m in.”

At her approval, Alberto looked around at the others.

Normally quiet, Jack raised his hand in agreement.

Bernard, with his massive frame, nodded reluctantly.

Even Gale, who had tried to stop them, curled his lips upward as if he had no choice.

“Well, if the majority agrees, I guess it can’t be helped.”

Despite his words, he clearly looked excited. Seeing that, Marien smiled slyly.

“Alright! Then let’s loosen up a bit.”

Marien lightly jumped down from the pillar and stretched.

The others also rose with confident expressions.

Karina frowned in surprise as the Ludovico knights suddenly started swarming toward them.

“Th-They’re coming this way.”

At Alvin’s frightened voice, the other kids tensed up.

Karina, on the other hand, looked curious about what kind of nonsense they were about to pull.

“Hey, you’re Karina, right? I’ve got a proposal.”

Seeing Marien grinning like a fox while dragging her lackeys along, Karina tilted her head with a bored expression.

“What is it?”

“The training grounds are waaay too cramped for us to train properly.”

Marien swept her gaze over the grounds as if looking at something filthy, making Karina’s brow crease.

“So?”

Karina replied indifferently, and Marien smiled sweetly, her eyes sparkling.

“Wanna make a bet?”

“Skip the pointless talk and get to the point.”

For a moment, cracks formed in Marien’s expression, but she quickly recovered.

“We decide who gets the bigger training ground through a spar. One representative from your side, one from ours. What do you say?”

Clearly expecting an easy acceptance, Marien grinned—but Karina snorted.

“Why would we?”

Karina’s flat response left Marien speechless.

“Huh?”

“This is our training ground. Isn’t it only natural that we use the bigger space? Who do you think you are, some stone that rolled in trying to push out one that’s been here?”

Among knights, refusing a duel or sparring challenge was usually seen as rude—or practically the same as admitting defeat.

Marien, caught off guard by Karina’s cool reply, scowled stubbornly.

“Don’t tell me you’re scared you’ll lose?”

Karina looked at her as if she were pathetic.

“Think whatever you want.”

“Hmmm, is that so? Guess the Batius kids are only this much. Avoiding even a basic spar.”

At Marien’s provocation, Isabella burst forward.

“Hey! You blue-haired freak, you done talking yet?!”

“What are you saying, you look like a squashed tomato.”

At Marien’s jab at her red hair, Isabella exploded.

“What?! Squashed—what?!”

“If you don’t like it, then win in a spar.”

As Isabella rushed forward breathing fire, Ariel and Alvin grabbed one of her arms each to stop her.

Karina clicked her tongue at the sight and looked calmly at Marien.

The Ludovico brats’ arrogance was already wearing thin. Maybe stepping on them once in a spar wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

Truthfully, she’d only trained among adoptees until now, so she was curious about the so-called elite knight trainees’ skills.

She also wanted to test how far her accumulated training and inner strength had come.

In terms of inner energy alone, she had built up an amount comparable to more than ten years’ worth.

Still, she’d only just passed the halfway point of a cycle.

By martial-world standards, she was approaching the peak realm.

After sorting her thoughts, Karina spoke calmly.

“Fine. A spar.”

Alvin turned pale.

“K-Karina!”

His face screamed Is this really necessary?

Karina flashed him a grin, then leisurely turned to Marien.

“I’ll go. Who’s coming out from Ludovico? You?”

At Karina’s provocative words, Marien ground her teeth.

As Marien stepped forward, clearly taking the bait, Alberto blocked her and stepped up himself—the one who had suggested the duel in the first place.

“I’ll do it.”

At Alberto’s smug declaration, Marien puffed out her cheeks in displeasure.

“Why are you stepping in?”

“Didn’t the one who brought it up earn the right? Just sit back and watch.”

Leaving the reluctantly retreating Marien behind, the slender boy Alberto stepped forward.

“I don’t really care who it is.”

At Karina’s relaxed reply, Alberto frowned.

“Putting on a brave face, huh.”

Karina scanned Alberto as he drew his wooden sword, her expression indifferent.

The strong ones here didn’t use inner energy, but they carried this world’s unique aura, making their strength roughly discernible.

Rather than inner energy, it was more like the size of the vessel that could hold this world’s power.

And Alberto’s vessel was absurdly small.

At least, that was how it felt.

“I’ll give you the first move.”

At Alberto’s smug words, Karina scoffed.

“You’ll regret it. But fine—do as you like.”

Even as Alberto raised his wooden sword, Karina didn’t take any stance at all.

When is she going to attack?

At the moment Alberto wondered—

Karina vanished from his sight.

“Huh?”

Then her whisper came from behind him.

“Wow, wow. Full of openings.”

“W-What?!”

When did she—?!

Before he could fully react, Karina’s wooden sword swung down sharply and smashed into the top of Alberto’s head.

THUD—!

“Where do you think—”

THUD—!

“Kids whose blood isn’t even dry yet—!”

THWACK! THUD!

“Are showing off—!”

WHAM—!

“Like this—!”

THUDTHUDTHUDTHUD—!

 “Damn it all—!”