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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: A Furious Sprint
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For the Knight Commander to rush all the way to the annex, there had to be a reason.
Daphne nodded.
“Speak.”
“Have you ever learned the sword before?”
She had, in a way.
From an old man whose name she didn't know.
But she couldn't speak of her time as a dragon.
Daphne shook her head.
“No. Never.”
Lloyd's eyes widened.
“…Then are you truly a natural?”
He muttered to himself, having been just as shocked by Daphne's swordsmanship as Arius was.
It was only a single vertical slash, but Lloyd felt a strong intuition.
She had what it took.
She was the real deal.
The desire to teach, long dormant within him, stirred. It was an urge that had never surfaced while instructing Arius.
He composed himself with an effort and asked.
“Do you have any intention of learning the sword from now on?”
Daphne nodded.
“I do. But there’s a problem.”
The very thing she had just been thinking about.
“The fact that my stamina and strength are absolutely pathetic.”
A strength of 1 and stamina of 10.
If these weren't improved, her swordsmanship and magic would be useless.
“Do you know how to raise one's stamina and strength?”
Lloyd didn't quite understand at first, but then he let out a soft “Ah!” and dipped his chin.
“Yes. I do.”
Her eyes widened at his assertion.
“Really? How? What do I have to do?”
But in contrast, Lloyd let out a sigh.
“There is a way, but I doubt you would be able to handle it, my lady.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
Daphne shouted in frustration, but Lloyd remained calm. No, rather than calm, he seemed to look at her with a hint of pity.
“It’s…”
Lloyd slowly wiped his face with his palm and continued.
“Running.”
That's right.
For someone as frail as Daphne, running was the only answer to building stamina and strength. You had to run to increase stamina, and only with increased stamina could you build strength.
However, Daphne couldn't run.
“However, you are cursed and living on borrowed time, my lady. It would be dangerous for someone with your frail body.”
Because her body was cursed.
Because her body was so weak that the slightest exertion made her cough up blood.
“Your talent is a flower in full bloom, but the vase that holds it is cracked, unable to supply the flower with nutrients.”
Lloyd sighed and muttered.
“What a shame. You might have even been able to succeed my master…”
It was a quiet murmur, but there was no way Daphne wouldn't hear it.
“I will take my leave now.”
Lloyd bowed and left the room.
And Daphne, now left alone,
“…Me? Succeed the Hero?”
She clenched her tiny fists, her body trembling.
“Is he insane?”
Daphne gritted her teeth.
“How dare he compare the great me to that Hero!”
And the next day,
Daphne appeared at the training grounds.
Brimming with venomous resolve.
***
—*Your talent is a flower in full bloom, but the vase that holds it is cracked, unable to supply the flower with nutrients.*
Lloyd's words had truly infuriated Daphne.
Of course my talent is a flower in full bloom. Am I not Seluseu, the Great Calamity!
But a cracked vase? This damn body!
And his next words provoked her even more.
—*What a shame. You might have even been able to succeed my master…*
Succeed the Hero?
No.
I will not succeed the Hero.
“I will surpass that Herooo!”
Daphne broke into a furious sprint.
“Kyaa!”
“My lady! Please be careful!”
Ann and Anna, watching from a distance, cried out, but Daphne didn't stop running.
“Gasp, gasp…”
She was out of breath. Every part of her body screamed for her to stop. It was only natural. This was a body that had never exercised a day in its life.
But Daphne didn't stop. In truth, her pace was so slow that others might not have even considered it running, but she squeezed out every ounce of her strength and ran, and ran.
“Cough! Hack!”
Until she finally coughed up blood.
“My lady!”
“A physician! Get a physician!”
Ann and Anna shouted as they rushed over.
“Huu, huu…”
But Daphne wiped the blood from her lips and stood up again.
“I’m fine.”
Daphne caught her breath and looked around the large training grounds.
I have to run at least five laps. That's the only way to raise my stamina.
With that thought, Daphne clenched her jaw and her fists.
“I can run more.”
At these words, Ann and Anna were about to faint.
“But, my lady!”
“You can't! If you push yourself any further, you could really die!”
They worried for Daphne with all their hearts.
What was the Black Butterfly Disease?
Was it not a sickness caused by a curse from the world's greatest black mage?
The curse inflicted greater pain the more its victim exerted themselves. That was why it was best for the cursed to do nothing but lie down until they died. Only then could they hope for a painless death.
But Daphne was not doing that. Hadn't she been running for days on end! And they'd overheard her muttering something about “Hero…”
Is she really exercising like this because she wants to get on the Hero's, our master's, good side? Does she miss her father's affection?
Ann and Anna were on the verge of tears. What a heartless master, not even recognizing his own daughter's feelings!
Ann and Anna fretted beside Daphne, wringing their hands.
Daphne was completely unaware of their thoughts. Nor did she care to know.
She was simply looking at the results of her Exploration magic,
[Daphne Akion]
Stamina: 11 Charm: 300
Strength: 1 Mana: 1
[Daphne Akion]
Stamina: 11 Charm: 300
Strength: 1 Mana: 1
at the single point her stamina had risen.
‘It's definitely working.’
That bastard Lloyd told me the right way.
Having seen how effective it was, Daphne couldn't stop.
“Do not block my path. I will run more.”
“My lady!”
Ann and Anna cried out in unison, but Daphne ignored them and started running again.
“Hey, stop running!”
Even Arius, who was practicing his swordsmanship from afar, shouted, fed up with her persistence, but Daphne ignored him and ran.
And so, Daphne continued to run. She couldn't manage the five laps she had planned, but she completed one, and in the end…
[Daphne Akion]
Stamina: 15 Charm: 300
Strength: 1 Mana: 1
[Daphne Akion]
Stamina: 15 Charm: 300
Strength: 1 Mana: 1
She had raised her stamina to 15.
Of course, she immediately collapsed from exhaustion right after.
***
Early dawn.
Lloyd came out to the training grounds to stretch his stiff body.
As soon as he did, a tiny figure circling the grounds caught his eye.
It was Daphne.
‘Well, well.’
Lloyd crossed his arms and watched Daphne.
Today marked a fortnight.
Aside from the three or four days she'd spent on the brink of death after collapsing, Daphne had been coming out to the training grounds to run every day for nearly two weeks.
In truth, when Daphne had first started running, Lloyd had thought she wouldn't last more than a few days.
And for good reason—Daphne had a body that had never known a day of training in its life, a body that was, for all intents and purposes, weak and pathetic!
A body like that has it harder when beginning to train. It's a process of completely rebuilding the physique. That's why Lloyd had been certain that a mere five-year-old Daphne wouldn't be able to endure it.
But he was wrong.
“Hah, haah…”
Daphne was running without end. Despite having collapsed and remained unconscious for three or four days just a short while ago!
‘It seems I underestimated the young lady.’
Lloyd chastised himself for having the foolish eyes of one who couldn't recognize true potential.
So, Lloyd quickened his pace and ran to Daphne. He spoke to her as she ran.
“My lady. Do you realize you've been running for a fortnight now?”
Daphne, panting, glanced over at Lloyd.
“I'm so tired I could die, and you're bothering me with talk? Piss off.”
“…”
Lloyd was taken aback. But considering Daphne's usual disposition, he knew this level of cursing was practically child's play, so he recovered.
“I only speak because I find you truly remarkable, my lady. Will you continue to run like this?”
Instead of answering, Daphne used her Exploration magic.
[Daphne Akion]
Stamina: 30 Charm: 300
Strength: 4 Mana: 1
[Daphne Akion]
Stamina: 30 Charm: 300
Strength: 4 Mana: 1
Her stamina had jumped to 30, and her strength had risen to 4 along with it. To have improved this much in just a fortnight was a dramatic leap, so Daphne was pleased.
But it was only her mood that was good.
Her body had reached the ‘please save me…’ stage. She had a strong feeling that it was time to collapse again.
However.
“Yes. I will continue to run.”
Daphne had something she was counting on.
And that was…
