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Chapter – 16
The black golem froze stiff in the middle of its attack, then slowly collapsed.
Its body was made of obsidian — something ordinary swords could never carve through. The reason she had deliberately risked herself to aim for the crown of its head was simple: without a blade coated in a certain level of aura or magic, it was impossible to pierce the tough hide protecting the golem’s heart.
So the owner of that blade was skilled.
Far beyond ordinary.
A meddler?
Eleanor quickly dismissed the black blade. Her face hardened as she leapt down from atop the golem.
“Are you insane?”
The person she faced below was more familiar than she expected.
“Lezette Rotger.”
The eldest son of the Rotger family — Lezette — had his blue eyes twisted in irritation.
Instead of greeting her, he continued shouting,
“My hand almost got crushed just now!”
“It’s my hand. Why are you angry?”
“What?”
At Eleanor’s calm question, Lezette’s expression stiffened. His well-shaped lips flattened into a straight line.
From his perspective, the woman whose life he had just saved was acting shamelessly.
From Eleanor’s perspective, Lezette was merely an unnecessary obstacle who had ruined her plan.
She shrugged and explained,
“The thing I stabbed into the golem’s crown was a dagger. If I let go, the dagger would’ve come out too.”
More precisely, if she had pulled her hand away, the black blade — which was part of her very body — would have been withdrawn as well.
But she didn’t explain that much.
She did not consider Lezette Rotger to be on her side.
“So you had to keep it lodged in there to attack?”
“The golem was aiming exactly for the top of my head. If I held the dagger in place, its own force would drive the blade deeper.”
“And your hand would’ve been smashed together with its skull.”
“Of course. But isn’t losing one right hand better than having my head crushed?”
It was the only way Eleanor — who couldn’t pierce the golem’s heart — could win.
She planted the black blade into the relatively weaker skull and made the golem strike that very spot itself.
Since the golem only used crushing blows, if its fist hit the blade, the impact — dozens of times stronger than her own strength — would force the blade into its head.
In short, she had planned to sacrifice one hand to split the golem’s skull.
Lezette’s complexion worsened as he understood.
“You’re fine with losing your right hand?”
“I’m a person of Hildette. I can recover it with healing magic.”
She answered expressionlessly.
The real power flowing through her body was not meant merely to pass some entrance test. With her ability, a mangled right hand could easily be restored.
But Lezette clearly could not accept that.
“So because it heals, it’s fine to get hurt? What nonsense is that?”
“I didn’t say that. It was unavoidable, so I planned to heal afterward.”
“That’s the same thing.”
Lezette was an excellent swordsman. Since childhood he held a blade, and winning was easier than losing.
Yet every fight he ended as quickly as possible.
The reason was simple.
The longer a battle lasted, the more inevitable injuries became.
No matter how trained, being cut hurt. Magic hurt even more.
“People don’t usually treat losing a hand as part of a plan.”
Especially not Eleanor Hildette — the quiet failure of the Hildette family.
Her thinking completely defied his common sense.
“Lezette Rotger. Then let me ask.”
Eleanor calmly called him.
“What should I have done?”
“You should’ve run away. Or waited for help.”
“Run?”
She laughed.
“Run where?”
“You have a comfortable estate.”
“Did it look comfortable to you?”
His face hardened. He knew what her attic room looked like.
“…I was rude.”
He stepped back quickly.
“I just thought you were in danger and tried to save you. I didn’t mean to shout… I was just startled.”
“Sure.”
She wasn’t interested in his excuse. He wouldn’t understand her anyway.
“I heard black golems were overflowing nearby.”
“I see.”
“I remembered you and thought you’d be in danger.”
“…You remembered me?”
“I remembered you’d be taking the entrance test.”
“Why would you remember that?”
“Am I not allowed to?”
She turned her head away. Lezette found her unreadable and uncomfortable.
After watching her pale profile for a moment, he spoke again.
“I didn’t expect you’d use such a method, so I thought you were in trouble. Even commanders fighting with many soldiers aren’t as indifferent to injury as you.”
“To survive, you can’t fear getting hurt.”
“You…”
Seeing the madness faintly reflected in her eyes, Lezette closed his mouth.
He couldn’t understand why a noble lady — even a neglected one — showed such self-destructive behavior.
But he realized at least one thing: he had no right to judge her lightly.
“…Anyway, I interfered, didn’t I?”
“More or less.”
She nodded. His intrusion had indeed ruined her plan.
She hated bowing to please others now more than anything.
But his next question went in an unexpected direction.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“…What?”
“I’m asking if there’s something I can do to make up for ruining your plan.”
“Suddenly?”
He shrugged shamelessly.
“I feel like I lost points and want them back.”
She scoffed.
Come to think of it, this man had also disposed of a corpse for her when she killed someone disguised as a goblin. Since Jekiel still hadn’t contacted anyone, Lezette must have handled it perfectly.
“Did you fall for me, Lezette Rotger?”
“Suddenly? If you’re this forward, I’m a bit flustered.”
“I’ll take that as a no. Don’t get useless ideas.”
She lightly threatened.
He clicked his tongue.
“You don’t trust me.”
She didn’t answer.
After staring at her, he said,
“Do you need to kill more?”
He was looking at the black golem.
“How about I kill them for you?”
“You?”
“If that repays ruining your plan.”
She frowned slightly.
Originally she intended to prove her healing ability by defeating one alone.
But if she hunted a group together with him, the proof would seem more natural.
Still… hesitation remained.
Was it really fine to become this involved with Lezette Rotger?
After thinking, she said,
“I’ll prove my healing power. You’ll be my evidence.”
“Just say the word.”
“Bring four more black golems.”
She continued calmly.
“We raided five golems together. I supported you — a swordsman — with healing magic.”
“You plan to prove your healing like that?”
“I told you. I can heal even a crushed arm.”
He believed it without proof. Otherwise she wouldn’t offer her limb to a golem while already called useless by her family.
“Climbing step by step from the entrance exam is too troublesome, isn’t it?”
“You’re trying to prove your position?”
“Reclaim it.”
She answered coldly.
The Hildette family had taken too much from her — ability, dignity, even her life.
Before taking revenge on all of Hildette, she wanted back everything that should have been hers.
Just once, she wanted to prove herself.
“You could request a special test from the family head.”
“An exam hall is the perfect place for tampering.”
Her eyes sharpened, recalling Jennifer and those who had sabotaged her past life.
“…Alright.”
Lezette didn’t pry further and quietly nodded.
“I’ll try to highlight your ability. So don’t fight other golems alone.”
“With Lezette Rotger helping, I suppose I can relax.”
At her half-mocking gaze, he spoke firmly,
“I’m serious. If someone can help you, you don’t have to walk a painful path on purpose.”
He turned and left.
Eleanor glanced at his back.
“Someone who helps…”
She rolled the words in her mouth. They sounded strangely foreign.
If such a person had existed, her previous life would not have ended that way.
“Hmph.”
She lost interest and turned away.
Even if Lezette was an excellent swordsman, fighting five golems would leave him at least slightly injured — meaning her healing would receive proper recognition.
Lower evaluation than solo hunting perhaps, but focused purely on healing ability — not bad.
And when Lezette returned, Eleanor let out a hollow laugh.
“You’re much stronger than I expected.”
“I tried to make it ten. Sorry.”
The number of golems he hunted within the time limit was eight.
She knew he was strong — but he was overwhelmingly strong.
