Chapter 47. Grudge
Rinne Rondvel.
Her tragedy occurred when she was sixteen.
That day was unusually quiet. There were neither the usual sounds of birds chirping nor the noise of servants bustling about.
Rinne noticed something amiss when she saw the butler, who usually came out to greet her, collapsed at the entrance.
"What, what on earth happened...?"
The sight of the butler growing cold in a pool of blood was a warning of danger to Rinne.
"... Foolish Derain. You didn't think you dug your feet in too deep, did you?"
She held her breath and slowly approached the place where she heard a faint voice.
Beyond the window, she saw a man in a black hood and her father kneeling in a pool of his own blood.
'Ah, father...!'
She wanted to scream and rush to her father immediately, but the ominous atmosphere instinctively forced her to clamp her mouth shut.
"I never liked you from the start. That leech-like face of yours..."
As the man with a sword approached her father, she sensed an irreversible event was about to occur.
'What on earth is happening...'
Primitive fear took hold of Rinne, turning her into a statue.
At that moment, her father, perhaps having spotted Rinne outside the window, showed a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
Her father made small lip movements to instruct her, out of the assailant's notice.
'Run away.'
That was clearly what her father's lips conveyed.
"Kek. You shouldn't have left the Dawn Society."
Fortunately, the assailant didn't seem to notice her father's actions.
He sneered cynically and lifted his sword before Rinne's kneeling father.
'No—!'
Swick, thud—.
A sound of something being cut.
A sound of something dropping.
Rinne squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away.
Even if she wanted to scream and rush out, there was nothing she could do.
Recalling her father's final request, she clamped her mouth shut and quietly left the scene as if no one knew she came.
As she left, her father's face behind her somehow looked peaceful.
***
"Honey... Honey!"
"Elder brother, you can't leave like this...!"
On the day her father was laid in the coffin, Rinne did not cry like the others. No, she couldn't cry.
Tears could be shed once revenge was complete.
'Dawn Society...'
That name etched into her bones. And.
'... The scar on his neck.'
The scar revealed when the assailant's hood fluttered as he cut down her father. Rinne remembered it clearly.
'I need power.'
She sought out the one praised as the strongest among the stars of the Empire of Adratan.
The Sword Saint Hayden Reich. To him.
"I want revenge. Teach me the sword."
***
After enduring a year of rigorous training under the Sword Saint, she enrolled in the much-acclaimed Bayer Academy.
― Rinne, you're truly incredible!"
― Yeah, yeah! She handles aura way better than an ordinary knight!"
Even in the academy, known for its high standards, few peers could match her skills.
The sword hilt, once unfamiliar to her, became second nature over time. Yet she always felt inadequate.
Was it because there were too many strong people around her?
Sword Saint, Yulian, Dawn Society...
Typically, most aspiring knights wield a sword long before they turn ten. In comparison, what about her?
She took up the sword for revenge, but her start was at sixteen. At least six years late compared to others.
― In this practical exam, Rinne will surely be first, right?"
― Of course, without a doubt!"
― A genius, a genius!"
― Yes, a genius among geniuses!"
However, contrary to her worries, those around her praised her as a 'genius'.
Besides her talent, it was unreasonable that she, who had learned swordsmanship from the Sword Saint himself, would be weaker than others who pursued ordinary training.
Yet she didn't settle for that. She pushed herself harder, clinging to the 'genius' title.
'I must be a genius.'
To reach the swordsman who killed her father that day, she had to be far ahead of everyone else.
However...
"Lady Rinne, you haven't changed at all since then. At this rate, you'll be no different from others."
Yulian's assessment of her was like a bolt from the blue.
Rinne looked up at Yulian with vacant eyes.
The sly slit-eyed man, usually hiding behind a smile, was gazing intently at her.
"... Sir Yulian, what are you trying to say?"
"Oh, it was a mistake. I apologize for the unnecessary comment, lady Rinne."
Feigning nonchalance, Yulian shrugged his shoulders and was about to walk away.
Watching him, Rinne couldn't hold back from pointing out his outrageous statement.
"This practical exam wasn't about handling aura? I achieved the top grade, didn't I?"
Bringing up the results of the practical exam held for the academy's aspiring knights, Rinne spoke insistently.
"Yes, you are indeed the 'Le Meyer', the top of your class. That's undeniable."
"If you truly think so, could you retract your earlier comment?"
As the top tier among her peers in the recent practical test, she couldn't agree with Yulian's evaluation.
She wanted to refute Yulian's attempt to dismiss her efforts.
"Phew..."
Hearing this, Yulian sighed as if troubled.
Though his demeanor was unfamiliar, the top priority was getting him to correct his assessment.
"While the academy's standards might say so, if you evaluate beyond those standards... You're at the level of an average talent."
The issue was that this slit-eyed man seemed to have no intention of retracting his statement.
If it were any other time, she might have brushed off such words as a joke.
Given that he was a man full of distorted respect and inferiority towards the 'Sword Saint', such a statement could have been taken as a jest aimed at provoking.
But...
'Why is he saying this now?'
In the slums, at the dull glow of the blacksmith, in the academy's special lectures — through their repeated encounters, Rinne couldn't see Yulian in the same light anymore.
The overwhelming gap in skill.
Having experienced it, she subconsciously acknowledged the 'Yulian'.
"... Why?"
For that reason, she couldn't simply dismiss his mention of 'average talent' as mere slip of the tongue.
"There must be a reason you think so. Tell me why."
Feeling Yulian was cornered, he reluctantly answered.
"When you resolved that mission in the slums and now, there's not much difference between who you were then and who you are now, lady Rinne."
"Is that your reason? Could you explain properly..."
"The quality of your aura is certainly far superior to other peers. However, lady Rinne. How long can you maintain that?"
"T-that is..."
As Rinne's words faltered, Yulian smiled as usual.
Unable to discern his emotions, meeting his slit-eye and sly smile made Rinne's gaze tremble slightly.
"An inability to maintain aura for long marks one as a third-rate swordsman. No matter how high-quality your aura is... What use is it if it becomes useless in an extended fight?"
Subtle aura began to flow from him.
"Lady Rinne, your aura possesses remarkable power, but it lacks consistency. You're rather inexperienced in distributing aura evenly this way."
Her weakness.
Almost as if he had known about it, Yulian voiced it.
"When we met on the train before, you mentioned carrying a backup sword, didn't you?"
"Yes..."
"And I said there was no need for that, didn't I? Why do you think that is?"
"..."
Rinne knew the answer, but out of frustration, she couldn't readily voice it.
"That's because unlike you, I don't ruin swords with an unstable aura."
At his straightforward tone, Rinne bit her lip, almost drawing blood that stained her lips red.
"That's why you're of average talent."
***
Although the sunset dyed the academy's grounds red, and the twilight scenery was indeed beautiful, to Rinne at that moment, it was meaningless.
Unable to refute the words from Yulian that pierced her heart like a dagger, she sank into further gloom.
'You already know the truth...'
Though she tried to deny it in her mind, inwardly, she agreed with his words.
Because of that, Rinne sat alone in an empty classroom, lost in thoughts.
'I've felt deeply that it needs fixing.'
Bitterness lingered at the tip of her tongue, and a throbbing anger wrapped around her body.
It was a truly intense emotion.
The clinging negative thoughts were difficult to shake off.
'The inadequacy in aura manipulation.'
The work she needed to ask her master for help with, but recently, he had been extremely busy with some matters.
'Will I be able to fix it on my own?'
She shook her head side to side, shaking off her indecisive thoughts.
'Even without my master's guidance, I can find a way.'
Clenching her fist tightly, Rinne set off with a determined expression.
'Father also said if there's something you want, say it clearly...and if it's wrong, fix it.'
Rinne was heading to the main building of the academy.
There, she would speak with Vice Principal Allom Chorny and, after, once again have a word with Yulian, who was about to leave.
'Just like you said, my aura manipulation is lacking. But! I will fix that problem within a month.'
A type of declaration.
It was a method to correct her wavering heart.
"Did you hear? A bodyguard from the Cryphart family killed a fellow knight."
"You mean the knight from the Joshua family? A former vice-captain of the Paladin Knights."
"Yes."
"That's frightening, truly. How do they think they'll survive turning against the Cryphart family."
While she proceeded, she overheard students gossiping, but Rinne paid no mind and continued onward.
After a short while, the corridor leading to the main building came into view...
'... Ugh.'
The acrid smell of blood hit her at the tip of her nose.
She hurriedly turned her head and, while surveying her surroundings, was able to pinpoint the faint yet loathsome source of this scent.
'A severe burn victim.'
The source was a man whose face was covered with burn scars, making it impossible to identify him.
That alone drew attention, but aside from that...
'... Strong.'
The aura emanating from his trained body and his walk, hinting at profound expertise in swordsmanship, repeatedly caught Rinne's gaze.
Perhaps sensing someone's gaze, the burn-scarred man turned his head to meet Rinne's eyes.
Schnee.
His sleazy grin.
'Ah, that scar...'
The scar on his neck.
Seeing it left Rinne as if she had been hit on the head with a hammer, her mind going blank.
How could she ever forget that?
Even though she couldn't see the face of the assailant due to the black hood, she remembered that scar on his neck without a doubt.
Amidst training, she learned that name during her investigation of the incident with the Sword Saint.
'Alphas... Mayend!'
With a burning glare, Rinne fixed her gaze on Alphas. Her breathing became ragged as rage boiled up inside, causing her body to tremble.
Thud, thud.
The sound of her heartbeat echoed in her ears. Rinne tried calming her heart with deep breaths in an attempt to collect her emotions.
Thud, thud.
It would not calm. Rather, only one thought filled her mind.
'He must die.'
Her eyes flickered with the fire of vengeance.