There Is No Spring in the Stolen Field

Chapter 71

71. flames (2)

“Everything… can you speak calmly again?”

I must have heard it wrong. It couldn’t be.

I let the man in front of me into the room.

“The Duchy of Iern is currently captured by demons…”

The man sitting on the sofa lowered his head as if he had no face.

“The Duke… After a duel with the presumed leader among the invading demons…”

My throat burned.

I couldn’t believe it.

“He died from a pierced heart.”

Julia covered her mouth with both of her hands.

She, like me, was one of those who received grace from Master.

“It can’t be…!”

I didn’t say anything, but I felt the same way as Julia did.

It couldn’t be.

I haven’t even taken my first steps as a hero yet…

ah.

Master.

It was a very cold winter day.

Even so, it was impossible to neglect training.

I didn’t feel unfair, and I didn’t even want to complain.

However, even in the repetition of training, doubts were bound to arise.

[Master! Do you really think I can become stronger than Master?]

[You are a warrior. I am a normal human.]

[Still, Master has reached the highest level among humans.]

Master put her hand on my head and spoke.

[Nevertheless, only Seria can defeat the Demon King. Only you can do it.]

[Are there still plenty of knights who are stronger than me?]

Master suddenly held out her hand in my direction.

I wondered if he meant to ask for a hand, so I reached out my hand to Master.

[Seria.]

[yes. Master.]

[I’m sorry.]

I was taken aback by the sudden apology.

Is there something that bothers you?

Master touched the blisters and wounds on her fingertips caused by the practice.

[For making me use this little hand so harshly.]

[Because I have to pass on my everything to you in order to bleed a lot in the future.]

A pitying smile appeared on Master’s wrinkled face.

[it’s okay. Master.]

It was not something Master would be sorry for.

There must have been many apprentice knights eager to become his disciples, but it was because Master devoted all his time to nurturing me.

[Although she is undergoing hard training now, Seria.]

Master smiled benevolently.

[Someday you will protect the spring of many people. I believe you will become that kind of person. I am.]

It was a memory of that day when my face was cold from the cold wind, but my heart was warm.

Then who the hell is protecting my spring?

Master.

Without looking back, I sprinted through the dormitory door and ran.

“Hero!”

I heard Julia’s voice screaming at me from behind, but I didn’t have time to answer.

I ran to the principal’s office with all I could.

I left the dormitory building and ran across the gymnasium to the teacher building.

People around me stared at me running like crazy, but that didn’t matter.

There was no time for this.

We must return to where Master is now.

The hateful demons destroyed another nest of mine.

I felt anger welling up.

I didn’t want to become a person who only sucked my finger and couldn’t do anything again.

I slammed open the door to the principal’s office without knocking.

An unexpected person was also there with the principal.

I was in charge.

The two of them, who were talking with serious faces, stopped talking and turned their heads to me when I appeared.

“Hey. Seria. At least knock.”

The homeroom teacher started to be sarcastic as usual, but there was no time to joke around with him.

“Please stop the proof.”

I pleaded, walking to the principal’s desk.

“It’s not possible.”

please.

I have to go.

“My master. Duke Iern…”

The principal cut me off.

“We know too. Warrior.”

I don’t know if he’s stronger than his homeroom teacher, but the principal was a warrior with a reputation as famous as his master.

From nob le mt l. co m

Knowing that, why are you sitting here leisurely?

“Then even more so!”

I hit the desk with my palm.

“We have to go! Why are you idling around here?”

The principal had a troubled face.

The moment the principal, who had been thinking for a while, opened his mouth, the homeroom teacher struck first.

“What are you going to do, Seria?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“What are you going to do?”

I was full of spirits.

I thought it was unique before, but this person. Are you insane?

“I will wipe out the demons and regain the territory.”

“Who? You?”

His voice was full of mockery.

“Let me ask you one thing. You are the best swordsman in the kingdom. Are you sure you are stronger than Duke Iern?”

The homeroom teacher looked at me with cold eyes.

“…I can’t say for certain that it’s strong, but it’s still somewhat similar.”

“Then you will go and die.”

He replied as if he didn’t need to hear back.

“Do you really think that old woman died because she wasn’t serious or careless? Seria?”

It wasn’t.

Master is more serious than anyone else when holding a sword and annihilating enemies.

There was no way he would show his hands or let his guard down against the demons.

“Perhaps you know the answer better. Listen carefully.”

The homeroom teacher walked towards me.

“That demon is stronger than your teacher. Seria. He was weak and took away his life and territory.”

“…just because of that!”

“Listen to the end. Warrior.”

“It’s a painful story for you who have already lost once, but listen anyway. Your defeat is different from mine or other people’s defeat.”

The homeroom teacher poked my forehead with his index finger.

“Your defeat will soon mean the defeat of all of us humans.”

He bit his lips.

“Now, they want you to go to the manor and wield the sword erratically, crying out in haste.”

The homeroom teacher’s cane did not stop there.

“I haven’t passed the proof yet. I don’t even have a holy object. What do you think you can do?”

“Ah. It might be more helpful to send Luna there.”

The name I didn’t want to hear the most came up from the homeroom teacher’s mouth.

I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes as I was full of correct words.

“ha…”

The headmaster sighed heavily as if in pain.

“So Seria. First of all, get stronger. You have to become far stronger than you are now.”

The homeroom teacher grabbed my shoulder.

“Developing strength here comes first. And the academy is currently the safest place in the human world. Me, the principal, and other teachers. It’s hard to do.”

How much stronger do I have to be?

How much more training do I have to do to be able to protect people with my own strength?

My stomach was boiling.

“Haa… And the warrior. I’ll tell you one more thing.”

The headmaster finally opened his mouth.

“If the warrior empties this place, all schedules here will be paralyzed.”

I hadn’t thought of it that way.

“The sons of many famous families and the talented of each country. All of them have to wait for the warrior without a promise. And realistically, we can’t keep them in that state.”

After all, should I be here?

without doing anything

“We feel sorry for the duke’s case, but the Empire and the Human Alliance will somehow stop the spread of damage, so the hero, please only aim for the first place.”

The principal invited me with a sad voice.

“Only the hero’s growth will be much more beneficial for the future and the duke’s revenge. So… please focus on Luke’s lessons.”

“…All right…”

Unlike when he entered, as if breaking the door with great force, when he returned, his body did not have any strength at all.

Ah… Master…

Tears kept covering my eyes, making it blurry.

I grabbed the dorm doorknob and opened it, and Julia ran out towards me.

“Hero!”

she hugged me

“Are you okay?”

The cry she had been holding back at her body temperature burst out.

“Julia.”