Volume 3 Chapter 91 The Compensation Of Strength I
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Kian carried Lyritisse out of the cave, waiting for ‘glasses’ and Natra to arrive.
The milky fog that blanketed the temple ruins was slowly thinning, scattered by the icy winds sweeping down from the rocky heights.
The square in front of the cave cleared up, revealing the stone stairs and passageways Kian had come through on his way in.
Kian fished a spare set of armor and a towel from the Reysa in his pocket and quickly dressed the unconscious Lyritisse.
While he cleaned away the viscous residue clinging to her mouth, chest, and groin, he sensed a presence returning to ‘glasses’.
’I’m sorry. He got away.’
(It’s not your fault. It’s on me for not finishing him off… I saw that short-range teleportation coming and still couldn’t react in time.)
Honestly, he never thought his Secret Technique could be dodged, and it made his blood boil.
If he had fought with his head clear, no way a wounded magician could have held him off.
”……”
Rising from Lyritisse, Kian activated Heat Manipulation using ‘Silver Ice’ to ward off any chance of her catching a chill.
’You saved the Head Magician, huh?’
(Can’t you tell?)
’What’s wrong? You seem tense.’
”────”
’You fought surprisingly calmly. That magician was just a good warrior.’
”But I… I missed my chance to kill him.”
Kian gritted his teeth,
his clenched fist creaking under pressure.
”I had my Secret Technique dodged. My ultimate strike. And then I took a hit from his war mace──I felt my bones shatter.”
His voice quivered, barely restraining the fury within.
He should have crushed his enemy without a second thought.
Instead, he ended up bathing in his own blood.
A failure piled upon another failure.
It was unforgivable.
Ultimately, the magician retreated, but he didn’t see that as a victory at all.
(I can’t let it slide. He dodged my sword──over and over again, he dodged my sword!)
’What’s wrong…? Are you okay?’
”────!”
The fight?
Far from smooth or elegant.
If he could, he’d rewind time and start over──do it right from the beginning.
”That Lich… He said next time, he’d be the victor. So that means he’s eager for a rematch too.”
(Good thing I didn’t chase him down. If I’d caught up and, say, used Windsong Blade to kill him… I’d regret it forever. No rush. When my wounds fully heal, I’ll face him head-on.)
Time to train for that showdown.
Next time, not a single slip-up──he’ll outmatch him from start to finish and put him down for good.
When fate’s red thread ties me to him again, Kian will right this mistake.
(Lich… you’re my prey. Until I hunt you down, don’t let anyone else take you.)
Five minutes later, he spotted Natra and Serena rushing down the cobblestone path toward him.
Their eyes flicked over the shattered statues he’d smashed before climbing the stone steps up to the plaza.
”Sir Kian!” “Kian, you’re alright!”
”What happened on your end? Did it go well?”
I called out as they hurried closer.
Natra glanced down at Lyritisse sleeping at my feet, then furrowed her brows and stepped up close.
”Sir Kian, solo missions are dangerous. You’re not the kind to take risks blindly, right?”
”My apologies. I know better.”
”I was worried sick about you. Please, don’t rush in recklessly. Use me or Rufna first. You’re too important in these chaotic times. If anything happened to you, it’d be a loss for the whole world.”
”That’s… quite the flattering overestimation…”
”I’m serious!”
Natra said that, then started checking him over through his armor for injuries.
She’s her familiar, but she’s too overprotective──it’s honestly a little much.
Still, since she means well, he just let her do it quietly.
Besides, if he argued, she’d just lecture him more──and nobody needs that headache.
Meanwhile, Serena was efficiently checking Lyritisse’s breathing and pulse, steady and focused.
”Well, Kian made it back safe, so isn’t talking about ‘what ifs’ a bit pointless? I mean, it’s only natural for someone strong to take risks and go after a win for the party──oh wait, party, not just a group. Or is it that Ms. Natra doesn’t trust Kian’s strength?”
”I admit, Sir Kian is indeed strong. But just because he’s strong doesn’t mean it’s right to jump headfirst into danger.”
”If we don’t use our strength, isn’t that just wasting it? Besides, we’re Adventurers. Adventurers are meant to venture out into the unknown.”
”Lady Serena, there’s no profession where one should avoid adventure more than that of an Adventurer.”
”──Please, don’t fight over me, both of you. By the way, what’s happening with the ‘Gray Bear’s Group’? Is Ms. Priscilla and the others okay?”
Kian interjected with a gentle smile, causing Natra and Serena to exchange glances.
”Everyone’s safe. We’ve incapacitated the entire ‘Gray Bear’s Group.’ All hostile golems are silent. It’s a total victory.”
”As expected of you two.”
”What about you, Kian? Were you able to take down the magician? And the lich?”
”That’s──”
He briefly recounted what happened after the two split up.
How the lich was the magician that ambushed Kian.
Despite the fierce battle in the cave, he managed to let the lich slip away.
Also, Lyritisse had been trapped underground.
According to her last words before she passed out, it seems like Rean and the others were teleported to a different location entirely.
After hearing everything, Natra furrowed her brow, looking skeptical.
”This place is filled with life force bubbling up from the Spiritual Vein. The waves of magical power in the spiritual grounds should disrupt the teleportation gate’s stability.”
”But short-distance teleportation is possible. Using the technique called ‘Uho,’ which allows Eastern practitioners to ride the Spiritual Vein like particles to move short distances.”
”Is that really how it is?”
Natra tilted her head in confusion.
Kian asked the girl in his mind.
(Is her knowledge really accurate?)
’You’re correct. This one rarely makes mistakes, so stop flaunting borrowed knowledge like you’re some expert──it’s infuriating.’
”Yeah. There seems to be a magic circle that allows you to travel long distances as particles within the Spiritual Vein. Normally, staying in the Spiritual Vein too long will cause everything that makes you──well, you──to scatter and become impossible to reconstruct. But with the magic circle, your speed is enhanced, letting you reappear at the other circle before that happens. Not entirely certain on the details, though. Ask Rufna or Ms. Priscilla if you need more info.”
”Hah.”
”Right. I think this person is just mildly dehydrated and anemic. The statue square is safe now, so let’s move them there. It’d be best to have Ms. Priscilla check on the ‘Gray Bear’s Group’.”
”Got it. I’ll carry them.”
”Sir Kian, please lend me the Windsong Blade and bishop staff. I’ll handle it.”
”No, it’s fine. The weight won’t change much anyway. But there is something I want to ask Natra.”
”Yes?”
Kian, holding Lyritisse like a princess, tried to sound as calm as possible.
”Do you think my sword has gotten dull lately?”
”…Huh?”
* * *
Natra’s reply was a clear “no.”
In fact, ever since defeating Sarah in the memory world, his sharpness continued to improve daily.
He’d mastered every technique available to the Nakash family’s warrior monks, and now he could land hits against Natra in pure swordsmanship far better than before.
So, it seemed Kian’s embarrassing defeat against that magician was merely the result of a judgment error──he had lost his cool and failed to grasp the situation accurately.
The word “inexperienced” kept flashing through his mind like a relentless drumbeat, and he could feel the stress pulling at his scalp──as if his hairline was ready to retreat again.
He found himself wondering what kind of response he wanted from Natra, only to drown once more in waves of defeat and humiliation.
”Sir Kian, I truly believe you have solid talent, and you’re incredibly earnest. Over the past ten years, I’ve seen all kinds of warrior monk prospects, but none have put in as much effort as you have. You’re going to be fine. You’re strong. I promise you that.”
She clenched her fist hard, speaking almost like a spell, but no matter how familiar the girl swordsman sounded, Kian couldn’t shake the fog clouding his mind.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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