Chapter 35: Alicia Arden (4)
JV1E｢Arden Family in Turmoil. Sword Emperor Garrand continues his Silence!｣kz6Ps
pjHAz｢Alicia Arden’s Remarkable Performance. What will happen to the succession of the Main Family?｣qNCL
Tf7｢Arden Family in Turmoil. Sword Emperor Garrand continues his Silence!｣kcDE7mu
EIEj“These insolent…”C5udgVX
W1wGawIt had been three days since news had spread about Alicia defeating John Doe the murderer. One of the powerful groups of Arden Family’s Lunia Faction, the Five Swords ripped the newspapers into halves after seeing their insolent and irresponsible nonsense.bdBl
vnGtaPv“…”YzsUl
Ntje13K“…”asTJ
B8ZJennie the Rapid Sword, Sirin the Dual Wielder, Lena of the Rippling Sword, Mei the Sword of True Darkness, and Milia of the Illusionary Sword.PIbRwd
JvlzThey were the elite swordsmen of the renowned Arden family’s 1st Sword Squad. While gritting their teeth, they carefully waited for one person’s response.0sIN
48D“…”tLavq
e5ozNSword Master, Lunia Arden.SXIf
tkcGAShe was the successor candidate who most of the trainees like them followed at the Arden family. Lunia was deep in thought while emptying her cup of tea.S0vUi
ChAThe Arden was a sword sect that had groups of swordsmen as its followers, who believed in the law of power. They had all been waiting for the next swordsman who could lead them forward with an absolute charisma like Garrand Arden.5TqOPf
Tl4QCAlthough Lunia and Alicia’s parent generation had succeeded the position of the family head, they hadn’t been fully acknowledged by Garrand Arden, but it wasn’t because they were weak.Qro4
rf1AP1Domain Severance.MdzwcI
z91JzA realm that most martial artists weren’t even aware of, that only existed in the imaginations of others…gNZWde8
fRXdGarrand Arden had been waiting for an existence that could succeed his sword. He wanted a successor that could continue the line of the great Domain attack which he had created himself.qjB0
kJ9fEg｢That is unfortunate. How truly unfortunate. So there is no-one to continue my legacy even in this generation, huh.｣Ea6N9H
HvOjzX1Even though Lunia had revealed her talents ever since a young age and had been receiving the expectant eyes of everyone in the household to be the next successor in line, Garrand clicked his tongue after seeing her.oKYT1
lYyi9lIn the end, even someone like her who was called the greatest genius of the contemporary times wasn’t able to satisfy Garrand.chz
gKkrik0She shed both sweat and blood.8R2wvdm
D1DThe thick calluses on her palms were proof of everything she had gone through in her life.5FbFS3
GuxsOp5Even so, she still wasn’t able to be acknowledged by him. She still couldn’t follow the traces of the greatest swordsman that she had been aspiring to become.JXnoEm
KbWyLike that, she was solely focused on becoming the fitting successor of the Arden family but…lp4uI
hmC｢Haak… Haak…!｣8bp
x1TsHer younger sister had belatedly picked up a sword to have a friendly battle against one of the trainees of the main family. Although Alicia was also a direct child of the Arden family, no-one even considered her a possible competitor for Lunia.Ht24
U4OLunia could see Alicia’s admiration and her attempt to follow her traces, but a genius like herself was hard to find. Alicia was just a newbie at the sword who was getting some decent special treatment just because she was a direct child of the family head.UdkkK
yWkThere was no way a child like her could defeat a trainee that was seriously contemplating the path of the sword. The trainees, Lunia, their parents and even Alicia herself were aware of that.DjshJk
21PPlIn the family, Alicia was nothing but an illegitimate child that was brought from outside by the family head, and she should have been content with that as well.d7Q
ZdVVE5But it was on that day.7Dy
mZb｢We can’t stop the blood!｣3prnRl
GQC0hCX｢But the non-lethal spell was there! How is this possible!｣hm6
oZKyImWhat in the world… just happened?fHia5
uc6She missed it. In fact, Lunia couldn’t even see it.moklW
KlOPAfter being pushed to a corner, Alicia instinctively put up a guard that was too sloppy to even be considered a proper guard. It was the classic mistake of a newbie but… by the time Lunia came to her senses, the opponent had already been cut.ob5yQJt
OtWIt wasn’t simply in the realm of being fast. That… was just different.TMHXLv5
Pt2SDomain.5XAme
YanfZQKThat great realm of martial arts. Alicia had taken a step forward inside that place.lvUkH
VD2mUHow was that even possible? How could a kid – that lazy brat…yvsqf
OjNXU｢｣[…!]WqWu
TZSqR｢｣ [N, no… I…]obZ
L2Yp62Lunia turned and noticed that Alicia was smiling.wGZCOHr
VLiSIt was evident that she was confused, but her lips were crooked and her eyes seemed possessed.Ci2sfDR
hKjkPOnly at this point did Lunia understand what her grandfather meant. Talent – the twisted nature that normal people could never understand.peKDkkV
Th0OYGnSword Ghost.a7K
fXdg5TnIt was truly the gift of a ghost.WT4V
inlcYb｢Alicia will now be another successor candidate of the Arden family.｣j7wn
Txf9Just like that, Alicia Arden became a candidate for the future family head despite the opposition of everyone else.FvTO0A
zLk1H｢Sister! I got to use an actual sword today!｣s1dupY
ftyThe memories of her caressing the hair of her step-sister who had been the target of the negligence of her father and the family was then kept away in a corner of her head.kuLW
IHMKd“Captain.”UxjHedn
PDPECew“…”0xK2
fA7Lqo1She returned to reality with Jennie’s call.gItse
Y8I3U7Lunia gazed at her subordinates that were looking only at herself. They, who hadn’t been acknowledging anyone other than her to be the next family head, were being shaken. It was a natural response.93q
nL7RLf4They were probably confused, because the naughty miss of the family had suddenly shown off her talents.lB1d
vy2j69VThat loser who had been running away from her talents ever since that incident was now threatening her position, but that was what Lunia had wanted more than anything. Now that Alicia was finally at a position where she could threaten and challenge her position;QUzIE8M
NEGnIf she could see that sword one more time… would that allow her to also reach beyond the Domain?HdnLz
616sThat was what Lunia was the most interested in.ZqeYG3X
VuB7****sfgbHZL
Z9Niqxg“Wow. Look at this. A silver coin and a half for kimbap. I wonder what’s inside?”reb
oHVsQr“Sea urchin roe sauce on kimbap… This is crazy. Is this capitalism? Is this what this world has come to?”zpfj
cWu0bEMarie was with Korin at the fine-dining restaurant, ｢Holy Panda｣.Qfpjph
dWh3NPThe legendary meal tickets of high-class restaurants that Instructor Haman the gourmet gave out to the students he liked – they were for 2 people in general, and that was why Korin had invited her out for a dinner at this place.FHV9s1
l7a“It’s thanks to you, Korin, that I get to come to a place like this!”w0DxX
vY8dj7“Don’t mention it. It was a bit awkward for me to come to this place by myself anyway so it’s good for both of us. Isn’t that the first time you’re wearing that dress? It looks good on you.”9Shv6c
mSWbl“D, does it? Hehe. Actually, it’s a dress I got from my younger siblings to wear on a special day.”fjD2FyE
ZGQ7ry“Oh~ okay. You said you were the oldest daughter out of 3 boys and 4 girls, right?”MBuh
GTqS3“Nn! They’re all very cute.”iE1RTRL
OkhMarie could spend the whole day talking about her proud brothers and sisters, but carefully asked a different question instead of blabbering about herself.pyWLIC
zHdpSo“By the way, Korin, you have a lot of friends right? Why did you invite me out?”XxVZEOv
L1P6fAs if it was nothing important, Marie asked with a nonchalant look on her face but her ears were keen on hearing his response.qqLKB
wksc1“Huu… Actually in the past, there was someone who brought me to places like this very often.”uNfOV
VLLpP“N, nnn? Really?”OV4mVxE
Xfc‘Who is it?’ That question which she almost blurted out was at the tip of her tongue but she swallowed it back in.yv0C
LhVZRS5“I decided that I would never, ever, leave any room for misunderstanding. I shouldn’t have invited that person out just because I wanted to buy something nice…”iPx5vm6
x9R“Nn?”Bwv
I7w8nDid he come here with another girl before?35xpkt
fXPWaTT“Anyway, it’s something I’d rather not talk about.”Q2nf5
D3Ca3qMarie wasn’t exactly sure what happened, but it seemed that things didn’t go that well with that woman! It seemed that he wasn’t even that interested in her in the first place!WMpkiC
AFt“I, I see~. But what about mee?”fX4izoQ
2iL8I“It’s an honor for me to come with Senior Marie of course. Or, would it have been better for me to just give you the tickets for you to come with your friend?”is5u
GNjM“N, no! It’s a bit iffy to come to fancy places like this with a same-gender friend, right!”AaC
6cPh4“Right? That’s what I’m saying. It will just dampen the mood to come to a place like this with all boys or all girls.”BROb
2dWYf“Nn nn! Yes, of course.”7EatI
QA4zOtr“Have you ever gone to a place like this with a boy before?”sZZdF
T2O“N, nnooo?! It’s my first time! Korin, you’re definitely my first time!”bfNUfJ
fjwVKSs“That’s a surprise. You look like you’ll be very popular with guys though.”x0LK8
S0qzV“D, do I? I don’t think that’s… really the case.”CGgG1r
qTC71L“You’re pretty, nice and talented. Seriously, everyone is so young that they don’t have any eyes for beauty. Maybe guys of this age still tease the girls they like and stuff?”dnm3eoH
2w6QmW“…”gwwJoJ3
LzmGd8CUnable to respond to those words, Marie deeply lowered her head and clenched on the ends of her thin dress.VmUAt
R9wYWAlthough Korin was simply talking from the perspective of an adult who had gone through countless vicissitudes of life while finding it a shame that the young boys were wasting their youth, it sounded differently to Marie.BUA3f4
VrJ“By the way, senior.”YmSYtS
vkutey3“Nn? Nnn?”cMq
ZaYQCQ“I know you are drinking your blood packs quite regularly, but are you seriously okay?”HMA
gZ2tKorin looked directly at her face with a worried look on his face. Knowing the sincere concern of the boy, Marie couldn’t hide her happiness and her heart pulsed with joy.QAa9
md1nl“It’s okay,” she replied. “The impulse can be controlled by regularly taking in the blood of a human. You don’t need to worry about it, Korin.”h2YQLOE
0qEmxwk“But the impulse is not the only problem. Sucking blood is not simply to consume food for vampires, right?”X8LH
zXc“…I know.”rXEnX7
YtNMarie had learned about the characteristics and powerful abilities of vampires from the professors of the Magic Department including Deputy Principal Josephine.gJanny
jKHSiThe act of sucking blood was not a simple consumption of food for vampires. Sucking the fresh blood of a human was in itself a very important and mythical process, and fresh human blood contained a mysterious element that was by far different from the stored blood in blood packs.YEX2xRx
b1oY“How about your familiar?”ZDTd
0Qu“…”FiKemb1
IdVaH“It hasn’t healed ever since that day, right? Because blood is the main source of energy for it, and there has been none of that until now.”iUgt
Tb6MO“…I don’t need it.”oGo
24YgFG“Senior.”tV7N
GiNE“Korin, I really don’t need it. I’m okay.”shw0
sUJsisHe sounded like he was pressing her, so Marie replied with a shiver in her voice.pAiCy
Viz8LZMarie did not like the new power she had earned. It’s not like she wanted to become one, and it was by pure accident that she ended up becoming a vampire.SazE
9tvLWShe was ‘Marie’. The oldest child of the Dunareff – family of farmers. She was the oldest sibling of 7 children and was not ‘Marie the Vampire’.Dcem
RNe0That was why drinking fresh human blood was the same as breaking the pillars of the entirety of her life. It was like admitting that she was a vampire.B4ePD
sJWe6J“You know what, Senior? You’ve never changed until now.”joFhLN
edD“Huh?”fEldoBd
qahV“Whether we’re talking about you as a genius mage, or a dim-witted 2nd year Senior.”tGqgXVL
hhuDO“D, dim-witted? Was that your impression of me the whole time?!”s2o
O8bC3Bv“Well, just listen for now. Whether you are the oldest child of 7 siblings of the Dunareff family, or a vampire. All of that combined is ‘you’, Senior. There is no need to deny a part of you.”YXm
FiUn“Ah…”gPWm
juTYnThere was no way she could misunderstand the warmth hidden behind those words.52sEH
cflKvRWEverything he said was sincere. Korin had not a sliver of fear against her. He remained nonchalant as if her cursed trait of sucking the blood of humans and the ability to murder countless people were nothing important.zZcKR
qKQA0‘I’m always getting helped every time.’Nbcme
2rZcHis words never failed to cause a ripple in the lake inside her heart.FtGwD8i
tkdShe was already in an enormous debt. The debt that she owed him was so big that he could even take custody of the entire future life of herself, Marie Dunareff.DSQh
JmjOf course, he probably wouldn’t even consider it a big deal. While hoping for her happiness, he had never wished for anything in return.KsC
LaX77APHe was cool.ux2Fs
MEoOn both the day when he stood up on repeat without giving up, as well as when he didn’t give up on her.Dls
Akp1hoRegardless of the importance of the matter, the boy called Korin Lork never hesitated in his actions. Looking at all the reasons behind his actions, she could even see a firm layer of conviction.wzlP
2aTlkfThat was why the boy did not ask her for anything.ZAglmfU
5AndyJ2Despite the tremendous value of the blood of vampires and the amount of things she owed him, none of that mattered to Korin Lork. He was someone who only received goodwill if others gave it to him.CxDs
TcBNTTIt was a pity.dON6T
JkqmEX3I have so many things I want to do for you; do you really have nothing to request of me?MOWeWoP
Z6NsCwLike how you helped me, I want to help you too.f0ivuFA
SurHnI want to lessen your burden even by a little, and make sure you don’t shoulder everything like how you always try to do.7rLo4
vEr1No currency in existence was able to measure the amount of things that can be done by this girl who had just fallen in love.b6w3N
Zdp3It was when their meal was coming to an end.nlQUwUp
lXNqmLw“Senior. I know it’s a bit odd to make a request like this when we’re here to have some nice food but…”s5agX
xUMN“U, huh?”R8NXRlS
3gPA request? Really?s1zOkK
TQqzx9Marie felt like she was soaring through the skies as she looked back at him with an immensely expectant gaze.CA3YBrd
1B9SfNow, the bank called Marie Bank had no limits to the loan it could give to the customer called Korin.vM4Ytc
v5Y8KThere was 0% interest rate to the loan, and in fact, he didn’t even need to pay the bank back. The owner of the bank would probably gladly open the safe with a bright smile on her face.ZpXRyui
6Bz“Actually…”X6b
4HaqF“Yes?”bc4M1
tAWpShe gulped. Even a lady blinded by a male host at a host club wouldn’t be as unconditional as her.CYznzW
G2u“Can you please lend me some money?”A8Z8
DRfG– About 100 gold coins?ZX9Q
wjmEThe next day, a new Arden-style dojo called ‘Alicia Dojo’ was founded with 100% of their finances coming from Marie Bank.Syh3ww4
anC****yDl
ZzWIt was extremely natural that Lunia Arden and the Five Swords decided to go through with the Sword Challenge.Plk
suyMei, who was called the Heavy Sword of True Darkness out of the Five Swords, was carrying her characteristic 2-meter-long greatsword behind her back as she walked into the streets.0P3pbw
lvpDdvShe was looking to borrow a venue that was appropriate for the Sword Challenge. Although she wasn’t keen on grouping up against one person to crush them, this was a necessary procedure of the household.zUKOgKm
AB3nRS1Mei Rudia’s family, the Rudia household, had been loyal to the Arden family ever since the current family head, Jade Arden took his position. With his favor, her family became one that had control over the Greatsword-style dojos of the Arden swordsmanship.fXba
62NcThere were a lot of families that were jealous of the Rudia household but their status was firm due to being in charge of one of the most important businesses of the Arden sect.meIQZrx
xsz0ZmIt used to be firm… but now it was just about to wobble because of Alicia Arden’s sudden rise.L1cYxY
YDQWhat would happen if the illegitimate child of Jade Arden, Alicia Arden, was to suddenly become the head of the Arden family?WKmW2
GqFQThe enormous cluster of households called Arden will be in great turmoil. The statuses of the swordsmen and families supporting Lunia would fluctuate tremendously and chaos would befall the sect.Kr4
F2vw6b8In other words, this was no longer just about Alicia’s qualification as a swordsman, and was in correlation with a lot of business-related matters.ZFTD3o
DzMNLqe‘You should have just stayed low, Young Miss.’dmM
VS8HKMei didn’t have any real thoughts on Alicia. She was just a naughty child of the household, who liked eating desserts outside more than contemplating the path of the sword.iN3AZy
KYSXIf she continued staying holed up in a corner while admitting that as a fact, she would have received some level of respect as a Young Miss.MhMf
kpddTBut now that she had stepped into a problem that concerned the profit of their household, the Five Swords were resolute. None of them wanted Alicia Arden to become the next family head.pJz9il6
a2moisThere was a need to crush Alicia Arden.1mseM
xiyKLunia didn’t even need to do anything. The Five Swords would be enough to crush Alicia Arden beyond recovery.CqS4v
XDvThere might be some tedious retaliation from Merkarva Academy, but Arden was firm and strong. They probably wouldn’t dare antagonize the Arden family just because of one student.6ck
8r3In reality, Arden was a sword sect but they were closer to a group of gangsters that had way too much power for a single organization.h00U
nHZ“… Come out.”DlL
T13KMei said while looking at the darkness where she could sense the presence of another person. That was while preparing herself to unsheathe the sword behind her back whenever necessary.CzQLs
4zRE– Clomp clomp.BqpZ
r3NA human figure walked out of the darkness. It seemed that the person had zero intentions of hiding their presence in the first place.Lfr
etT“You are…”EZG
NnAMei immediately recognized who the person was.VCGfkn
rRDThe girl was wearing chained nun clothes. She was the special student from the New Faith who got full marks at the prac exam despite being the only one who didn’t sit the test.6XQ6Kg
IMZk“Student Hua Ran, huh. It is very late… Why have you left the campus?”MRb
kjqKMi“…”LmyzZ
YpE9i1CWithout saying anything, Hua Ran scavenged through the pocket of her nun clothes and suddenly took out a dagger.jnhh
sIzlrU– Swish!yqWYT
0MTAfter quickly unsheathing her greatsword, Mei pointed it at her opponent. But Hua Ran took out a memo from her pocket and hopped her way towards her without giving any heed to her sword.dMNez7L
LNd“Stop! I will cut you if you come any closer!”G1N4KA
hBjoNHua Ran approached while ignoring those words so in return, Mei swung the greatsword and used the flat part of the blade to strike her head.wCJ
CfXuYQp– Kwang!7gWREm
EHqLAlthough it was a blunt attack, the impact created by the attack was definitely not small, and most average knights would have gone unconscious in an instant.pcnHTGh
x0SIvz“Huh?”bkQk
5Tc12YYBut Hua Ran did not move a single inch. Despite receiving such a heavy attack from the front, she showed less reaction than a person stung by a mosquito.kJwVCWx
5b8H“…Move.”RQh
toNCwHua Ran curled her fingers with an apathetic expression and flicked on the side of the greatsword with a ‘Thud!’.11bDm
PKRZ– Kajik!7LVhC1
BTh87pThe unimaginably strong impact caused the greatsword to tilt all the way to the ground. Seeing her sword that was stuck in the ground, Mei was appalled.2H5
658‘I… got pushed back?’uZ5Oti
EfXHow could she, the Heavy Sword of the Rudia family, be pushed back by a mere student?vxGcm
rjVTHua Ran did not even give her the time to accept what was going on.D24vY
ZAzo“Here.”pvspce
8jtKxx“What is… this?”Ad8db
D7oXs“A letter of challenge.”FH1
57hQBr“What?”wlTWA
CJkqm4“Apparently I am the Instructor of Alicia Dojo’s Fruit Knife-style? Or something.”wAV
fgiD8Hearing that, Mei looked at the dagger in Hua Ran’s hands and finally had a good look at it.8UruqI
yeAkiPbIt was a fruit knife – the blunt knife that people would use to cut apples.I7Gx3b
BHDFKlSWas she using something like that as a sword to issue a challenge?FRcQ
zophW0V“Bastard. Are you looking down on us!!”EwI
JU8HHB6Picking up the sword that was stabbing into the ground, Mei swung it at her. Seeing the sword that was 1 centimeter away from her neck, Hua Ran said with a bored look on her face.sjQwTfV
g8wrzib“He said he’ll buy me sushi if I beat you.”iSK2SW2
aCKh……WGerxzz
ba7Iea……Wiwh
R7ugS……zVNB
5kljZZ0Meanwhile,lAj8wb
0NdWqv– Channg!b1CG
Jp3qui“Kuhk…!”qZhXD
XDo8Sirin the Dual Wielder looked at her swords that were flung away before glaring at the assaulter.Aug
xzCThere was a swordsman who suddenly issued a challenge as a dojo, but from what Sirin knew, the opponent was a student who did not belong to any dojos.foj
yIJ0In the first place, she was a mage.LTSkdm
wsndnAk“What do you think you’re doing, Marie Dunareff!”GKk
y6hxN“Umm… Challenging the Sword Squad? Asking for a lesson as a junior? Something like that, apparently.”aRK3BMX
Gyr8Hu“As if! You are a mage, not a swordsman!”L4LGaO
8b0lM3In response to Sirin’s bitter complaint, the young mage finally unsheathed the sword imitation that was hanging on her waist in a hurry. She then said while taking a posture that was clearly that of a newbie.2hC
A16L4f“I am Alicia Dojo’s Gandalf-style Instructor… and an elder.”9Xttl
s3y“A, are you stupid?!”1XBapt
j3OD“…”NcrgG
0H5wltmShe didn’t reply. The girl lowered the visor of her hat as if she was embarrassed while pointing the staff at her. In fact, even though she was claiming to be the instructor of a sword style, she did not even know what a Gandalf-style was.K1l
WpMWz❰Blood Spear❱YD3p
WjPG5……Y1kZie
FdoddJn……GOP
tb75l……2BK
CO0yT“Alicia Dojo’s Glaive-style Instructor, Korin Lork! I request the esteemed Instructor Lena of the Rippling Sword for a lesson!”OuWcH7E
ShZNNkk“You’re not even using a glaive!”HY5ep
myWK8“Ah, actually, the glaive is currently broken and is in the middle of repair. Well, you just put a blade at the end of a spear and that’s a glaive and a falchion, right?”N8N7
4IYt“What are you even talking about! And why are you doing this?”TBYpFl
kY9qPXCKorin grinned with the Silver Spear resting on his shoulders and replied to her shout.1uJf7
RZ0Nd“You see, new dojos like us need to raise our fame to expand our business right? We are looking for a very aggressive business model by challenging other groups.”lgH7c
ZTUTKNewly Founded Alicia Dojo.
Fruit Knife-style Instructor Hua Ran,
Glaive-style Instructor Korin Lork,ZGN
LG6NfGandalf-style Instructor Marie Dunareff,
Flying Sword-style One-day Instructor Dorron Warsky—
And the Head Instructor of the Newborn Alicia Dojo, Alicia Arden.PhuWY
al3kfmFive Swords of Arden Style’s 1st Sword Squad;gv9
tHPULDefeated.ToQCIz
3ZfDJOJ｢Breaking News! The appearance of a new Arden-style dojo! Crushing the 1st Sword Squad of the Arden!!｣UG4uKW
kH5Ns｢The images that have been sent from an anonymous sender seem very reliable and… etc…｣NkUkk
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