The Second Strongest Has Returned

Chapter 3

Return

“…What… what is that…? My lady?”

At those words, Ariasphil felt even more frustrated.

If Jehad, her escort and instructor, didn’t know, it was only natural that Ariasphil herself wouldn’t know either.

She had never heard or seen such a mana training method.

‘…But… the principle…’

However, she calmly observed the boy’s swordsmanship and mana. She began to carefully analyze the principle behind it.

“…He’s splitting mana particles.”

“Sorry?”

“He’s splitting the mana particles around him… and absorbing them into his body.”

“…How is that possible…”

The unsatisfactory answer made Ariasphil feel a deep bitterness in her throat.

“…Ha… I’ll talk to him first.”

“No, my lady! I’ll go first!”

Before he could get permission, Jehad ran to where Leo was. Even young Ariasphil could see that his hasty action was to make up for his incompetence.

***

Running to Leo, who was training, Jehad called out to him.

“Hey.”

“…Huff…!”

But Leo just continued swinging his sword.

“Hey!”

“Hah…!”

There was still no response.

“Hey!!”

“…Ha… really…”

After calling out to him three times, Leo reluctantly stopped his training.

“What do you want?”

“There’s an important guest looking for you. Come with me quickly.”

“No.”

“…What?!”

At the refusal, Leo resumed swinging his sword.

[Is it okay if you don’t go?]

The sage next to him scratched his beard and asked.

Leo whispered back to him in a low voice.

“It’s okay. If it’s a truly important guest, they’ll come to me directly.”

[Well, that’s true.]

“Besides, Sage, don’t you need to hide?”

[It’s fine. Only those who possess the Sage’s Stone can see me.]

It made sense why he seemed so bold. It was convenient.

[But that guy doesn’t look like an ordinary knight.]

Indeed, Jehad’s attire resembled that of a high-ranking noble. From his clean and tidy armor to his decorative sword, he flaunted the prestige of his family.

‘Jehad, he used to be Ariasphil’s escort knight.’

Leo also remembered him. He was a knight who was dismissed from the family shortly due to his mediocre skills and unnecessary pride.

“You! How dare you!”

“Usually, regardless of status, a guest should come directly. Tell them to come here.”

Considering the harassment Jehad inflicted when Leo was a servant of the family, it was a remarkably gentlemanly refusal.

“You have no idea how important this guest is. Come now!”

Jehad tried to grab Leo’s arm, likely to intimidate him with force.

Smack!

“Argh!!”

“Let go of me.”

Grabbing Jehad’s arm in reverse, Leo glared at him.

[Which country’s method is it to tell someone to let go when you have their arm in a hold?]

That was a fair point.

Following the sage’s advice, Leo released his grip.

“…You…! You…! This brat…!”

Unable to bear the humiliation, Jehad drew his sword from its sheath.

“Stop it. Jehad.”

Unable to watch any longer, Ariasphil intervened.

“Ah… My lady?”

“Put the sword away.”

“But…”

“I said, put the sword away.”

At her command, Jehad let out a deep sigh and sheathed his sword.

“The escort knight was rude. I apologize.”

Jehad’s mouth fell open at the apology. He could count the times he’d seen Ariasphil apologize on one hand.

“Fine. It’s also my fault for not going immediately.”

“How dare you…! If my lady apologizes…”

Ariasphil shot Jehad a sharp look.

“Don’t interfere. Jehad.”

“…Yes, my lady.”

[Why has he been so worked up all this time?]

Exactly. If he lacks skills, he should at least have a good character.

“So, why are you here? It’s late.”

“Fight me again. Properly this time.”

She gripped the long sword in its scabbard. It was a pledge to not be careless like the first time they met.

“…Sorry, but I have to decline for now.”

Her eyes sharpened.

“…Why are you refusing?”

“It takes time to get used to this new training method. I don’t want to spar until I’ve mastered it.”

Her interest shifted from the duel to Leo’s training method.

“That mana training method from earlier?”

“Yes, that one.”

“It’s a fascinating training method. Splitting mana particles and absorbing them into your skin?”

Her precise answer left him speechless.

[Sure enough, it’s understandable why he might be envious. She figured it out right away.]

Indeed, she was a genuine genius.

“I’m still not used to the mana training method. I haven’t even formed a core in my body.”

“…What? No core?”

Ariasphil couldn’t believe it.

He moved so swiftly, yet he didn’t even have a mana core?

“It happened somehow. I developed this training method after our fight.”

[Seems like he left out that an excellent teacher taught him?]

Mentioning a deceased person would only sour the mood.

“…So I can’t fight right now. It’s better for you to face someone who is properly trained.”

“That’s true, but exactly when can we fight?”

Her expression turned slightly sullen at his refusal. She was still just a kid.

“When are you leaving?”

“…At the latest, I have to return in a week.”

“Then let’s fight then. On the last day. You won’t have any complaints with that, right?”

She nodded at his proposal.

“Alright. I’ll come then.”

“Okay. It’s late now, so go.”

“No, before that.”

Before leaving, Ariasphil asked one last question. In a way, it was the most important one.

“What’s your name?”

“…Huh? You don’t know?”

“You suddenly asked for a duel without introducing yourself.”

Was it just his imagination, or did the ghost next to him seem exasperated?

[Kid, you’re as consistent as ever. Just like when you broke down someone’s guardian statue.]

Never mind. It wasn’t just his imagination.

“Ahem…! My name is Leonardo.”

“Don’t act arrogant and state your family name too. How dare you.”

What’s with the fuss?

[Isn’t he more of a thug than a bodyguard?]

That ghost thug should listen to this bodyguard thug.

Oh, what a pity.

“How can I give you a family name when I don’t have one?”

“No family name?”

“My father is absent. So no family name.”

[What about your mother’s side?]

His mother didn’t pass on her family name. She said it wasn’t something to be proud of.

“So I’m just Leonardo. Unless you’re giving me a family name, don’t nitpick.”

“…Alright, got it.”

With that, she left the inn.

“…I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Ariasphil Reinhardt.”

She said as she briefly looked back.

“Ah…! My lady! Stating your family name here is…”

Even as he spoke, Jehad sneaked a glance at Leonardo.

He couldn’t help but be curious about how this arrogant brat would act in front of the Hero family.

“Oh, right. Reinhardt, be careful on your way.”

But that surprise was something he’d experienced long ago. More than ten years ago.

Jehad was left speechless and dumbfounded. Ariasphil continued on her way, unfazed.

[She’s gone. But Reinhardt? Is she from that Hero family?]

“Yes, she’s from that Hero family.”

[No wonder she resembled that kid, Reuben. So she’s a descendant.]

“What?”

Reuben Reinhardt, the name of the first Hero from 300 years ago.

Could it be that…

[Oh, didn’t I mention? Reuben also learned magic from me. He was quite capable.]

“…Ah…”

The master Leo had served was more impressive than he had imagined.

[Now, do you finally feel respect for this sage? You should! I am a living monument, a legend in…]

“…How can someone live as a eunuch for 300 years?”

How could a human achieve that?

It was truly remarkable.

[I’m going to kill you.]

Unfortunately, it was said he couldn’t.

***

It was strange.

When she first saw him, he was just an ordinary mercenary.

A mercenary with mediocre skills at best, second-rate if he was good.

But in an instant, his gaze changed.

She had seen such eyes before.

‘Grandfather…’

Her grandfather.

Marquen Reinhardt’s eyes.

Normally, only a gentle aura flowed from him like a stream, but when he held a sword, he was reminiscent of an asura.

Asura’s eyes, at an age similar to hers, that boy had reached that realm.

‘…He said he had no mana core, and no family name…’

Surely, he was a mercenary without even a family name. What intrigued her was his exceptional skills, regardless of his background and lineage.

With no wealth, no environment,

No family, no teacher,

Leonardo had reached that realm.

In terms of talent alone, he was more outstanding than she, who was called a genius.

What concerned her even more was,

“…Why?”

Her heart raced whenever she thought of that boy.

For the first time, she felt emotions so intense that her entire life felt tedious in comparison. Hot, thrilling emotions surged within her.

‘…Should I ask Jehad…?’

She immediately dismissed that thought. She had always felt that Jehad was the least reliable knight she knew.

‘Then what should I do?’

It was her first time feeling such emotions, and she couldn’t decide what to do.

“…”

Her steps were already heading outside. She was carefully leaving the

inn, erasing her footsteps with mana.

‘…Why am I doing this?’

It was her first time behaving like this, acting out of bounds.

But why?

‘My heart is racing…!’

As she got closer to where the boy was, her heart pounded faster.

Whoosh!

The sound of the wind grew louder as she got closer.

Surely, it was the sound of Leonardo himself swinging his sword.

“Hey! Old man!!”

She could hear Leonardo’s voice behind it.

Whoosh! Bang!!

“Even a dog is left alone when it’s eating!!”

Like a madman, Leonardo was swinging his sword in the air.

“Do you have nothing better to do than to show someone your insides while they’re eating?!”

Shouting incomprehensibly, Leo was making a mess of the surroundings with his sword.

“Why do I have to see your insides?! I threw up all the meat I bought with the little money I had!!”

Despite his outburst, what was impressive was that he was maintaining his mana training amid all this.

“If you want to show off your organs that much, should I split you in half?! Master!?”

As he shouted, mana began to gather in Leonardo’s sword. The mana, compressed to its limit, sliced horizontally.

Boom!!

The giant tree in front of him was cut down in an instant.

“…Huh?”

As the tree was cut, it began to fall toward Ariasphil.

‘Hurry…!’

She tried to draw the sword at her side. But…

‘No sword?!’

In her haste to leave, she hadn’t even grabbed her sword.

Thud!!

The tree trunk fell, raising a cloud of dust.

“…Uh… uh?”

Ariasphil couldn’t respond properly. Even as a genius, it was difficult to cope without a weapon or proper stance.

But she wasn’t hurt.

“…Are you okay?”

Leo had caught her with both arms and moved her out of the way.

‘Thump… thump… thump, thump, thump…!’

Suddenly

Her heart raced.