Elaine [2]

A man of noble birth would not even bother looking at something like the Imperial Type 8.

Because he probably has the financial resources to acquire and learn advanced swordsmanship books.

"I don't know."

As he muttered, Turk's gaze returned to the gold coins.

Gulp.

He swallowed dry saliva without realizing it.

To be honest, he would be lying if he said that he had absolutely no desire for money, which is why he was so bad at rejecting people.

Because he had one burning goal: to purchase a decent house in a mid-level area.

For that, he was tightening his belt and diligently saving every penny.

'It's all my fault.'

Turk bit his lip as past mistakes came to mind.

In fact, having lived as a soldier and mercenary his entire life, he had quite a bit of money saved up.

Enough money to buy a house in a mid-level area.

However, he was scammed by a mercenary colleague he thought of as an older brother and lost most of the money he had saved.

He became penniless overnight.

He tried everything he could to find the money, but the mercenary colleague who had committed the fraud had already disappeared somewhere, and he could not find him.

His wife suffered from the shock of that incident and passed away.

The only one left was his late-born daughter.

Turk steeled himself and settled down in a lower-class area, raising his daughter alone.

Although he was already old and there was no place that would hire him as a mercenary, he ran to any place that would pay him and worked tirelessly.

Even though he somehow managed to raise his daughter like that, he still had a lot of resentment and guilt in his heart.

Guilt for having pushed his daughter into difficult family circumstances.

Guilt for never having dressed her in nice clothes.

Guilt for not being able to provide a home that felt like home.

"Phew."

A sigh escaped Turk's mouth.

A daughter who is so bright that she even receives a scholarship from a top academy may soon have a social status and income that are incomparable to his.

No, she definitely will.

But even knowing that, Turk saved the money to buy a house in a mid-level area with only his own strength as a father.

Druk.

"Huh."

At the sound of the door, Turk quickly hid the money in his bosom.

"I'm here."

It was his daughter, Elaine.

Blue hair just like his wife.

Even her sad eyes and beauty resembled his wife's.

"… … I told you, you don't have to come," Turk said, calming his startled heart.

He didn't want to show the gold coins to his daughter because he didn't feel like he was getting a fair price for his money.

"It's still vacation, isn't it?"

"That's true, but… … ."

Turk's reaction to his daughter's answer was also lukewarm.

His daughter had never missed the top spot in her grade since she entered the academy.

Of course, she lived in the Royal Building, which was considered hotel-grade in the dormitory.

He hoped his daughter, who lives in such a luxurious place, would not come to such a shabby place.

That was his father's heart.

"And I'm tired of being locked in the library all day studying."

"Well then? How about going to that popular dessert restaurant or something to cool your head? I'll buy you something."

Turk said so because he had heard rumors that dessert restaurants were popular, especially among the young women of the city.

Although he was diligently saving up money for the house, he did not mind spending it on his beloved daughter's mood swings.

"Only noble ladies can afford such luxuries."

Elaine said without thinking, but her answer pierced Turk's heart.

Luxury.

She can't even enjoy luxury because of her father, who is a total failure.

'Ugh, I'm sorry, Elaine.'

"Oh, I see… But… … Huh?"

Then Turk, who had discovered something, made a puzzled expression.

His daughter's left eyebrow.

He noticed that it was slightly crooked.

His daughter had a habit of slightly frowning her left eyebrow when she was in a bad mood.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, what happened?"

She answered like that, but at that moment, her daughter's left eyebrow furrowed slightly again.

'What kind of guy is that?'

Turk cursed inwardly.

How dare he hurt my daughter's feelings.

If Turk knew what kind of guy he was, he make him a wooden bowl!

"More than that… um?"

This time, a question appeared on Elaine's face.

A keen sense of smell that detects traces of human presence.

"Who came and went?"

"Huh? Oh, uh... That's right. A guest came and went."

"Is he a guest who would like to take a class?"

"Yeah."

"That's good. I hope it lasts a little longer this time."

Those who wanted to learn swordsmanship from their father were mostly beginners.

Even with such beginners, her father maintained a stubborn and thorough teaching method.

That's why there are so many cases where beginners can't endure and give up halfway.

Elaine respected her father's serious attitude toward the sword.

But she couldn't help but think that she wished the teaching had been a little more flexible.

But she couldn't say that directly.

It was because she knew that those words could hurt the pride in the sword that her father had built up until now.

"This time… it might be a little different."

Her father spoke differently than usual.

Elaine's eyes lit up.

"What do you mean it might be different?"

"He said he wanted to learn the Imperial Type 8. He said he came to learn that."

"Imperial Type 8?"

She knew.

She knew how much pride and self-esteem her father had in the Imperial Type 8.

A path he walked steadfastly even when everyone said it was the wrong path.

She didn't think there was anything wrong with having a father like that.

Even though she was an outsider, she could feel it.

The perfection contained in her father's sword.

But others don't know that.

Those who come here only come to learn the basics of swordsmanship, not to learn the 8 Imperial Styles.

That's why she could say that the student who came here to learn the Imperial 8th Form was quite unique.

What kind of person is he?

"I'm a little curious," Elaine said.

"I see. Then it might really be different."

* * *

"… …Master, is there something wrong?"

Dolph asked cautiously, noticing that Max's expression did not look very good.

"No, things worked out fine. There was just one variable that blew the whistle."

Max tried to pretend it wasn't a big deal and tried to get into the carriage.

At that moment.

"Oh, I see you again."

The man who pretended to know him earlier.

He had already drunk the one silver Max gave him, so his face was red, and he smelled of alcohol.

Anyway, those drunk guys.

You have to wait and see when it's time to wear it.

When Max tried to chase the guy away by waving his hand.

'No. No.'

A thought suddenly occurred to him, and he motioned for the man to come over instead.

"Hehehe, would you like a drink too?"

"No, that's fine. I have want to ask something."

"Huh."

"Have you ever heard of the name Elaine?"

"Elaine? Which Elaine? Elaine from the Academy?"

Max wasn't expecting much, but it seemed like the guy knew Elaine.

"Yes, Elaine from the Academy."

"Aha, that Elaine. Of course, I know her. She's a famous person. And you've even talked about her before."

"What did I say?"

"Um… I guess you have said that she was pretty and smart, but she was such a country girl."

"… … ."

'Max, that little brat, what a personality.'

"Oh, and there's no such thing as cheapskate."

"There is no such thing as cheap… …?"

"Yeah, you even gave ger some kind advice telling her to stop acting like a country bumpkin and buy some clothes, but she's been treating me rudely ever since"

"What a crazy guy!"

"… ."

"Me, not you."

"… … That, that's right."

"Ah, you little shit!"

"… … ."

Max opened the carriage door nervously.

"Let's go. To the central square."

"Yes, yes!"

The carriage started off again in a hurry.