CH 5

The following morning.

Knock, knock, knock-

Leo was reading a book in his room when he heard someone knock on his door.

"Come in."

CREEK-

Opening the door, Celia, dressed in the maid uniform specially made for the Flove family’s maids entered the room.

"My name is Celia, and I'll be looking after Young Master Leo's needs for a week. I am looking forward to working for you."

When Leo’s gaze moved from the book, it met with Celia’s dead fish eyes.

“You're pretty serious, aren’t you?”

“Taking responsibility for your words. It’s one of my family’s mottos.”

Though she was in good shape, her eyes resembled the eyes of a dying fish.

She had the ideal image of a maid.

Basically, her style was good, and she looked great in the navy blue fabric maid outfit with white frills.

The sun's rays reflected her fluttering black hair.

Celia stared blankly at Leo and spoke.

"I understand you are admiring my beauty, but if you cast an insidious glance at me, I'll blow you away."

“I apologize if I offended you.”

Leo smacked his lips.

"I had a friend who called himself an artist. That guy tends to praise the beauty of anything he sees, and it seems like I got infected by him without even knowing.”

- Hey, Kyle. Beauty is always the best. Forever and ever. When peace comes to the world, I intend to spend my life spreading the world about how to appreciate beauty!

It was the words of Dweno, the great Dwarven hero who was now known as the [God's Blacksmith].

He appeared to be much happier when creating art than when creating weapons.

Even while on their journey to overthrow Erebos, he never stopped working on his art.

“Your friend seems like someone who truly knows how to admire beauty.”

As long as you were born as a Gerdinger, you need the quality to lead people.

Attractiveness is one of those qualities.

Seeing Celia sigh with praise, Leo put his chin down.

'The problem was, in need to get inspiration, he asked Risinas and Luna to be his nude models because he was a maniacal pervert who had not a spec of sincerity.'

Naturally, the old days came to his mind.

- Risinas, Luna. You have messy personalities, but you look better than everyone else. So, could you please be a naked model for my art?

Naturally, Risinas and Luna thrashed him for his request.

'Even such a pervert is revered as a great hero, but what about me?'

“Ha ha ha” 

He looked out the window with a deranged laugh.

Meanwhile, Celia took a closer look at Leo.

She obviously lost yesterday.

‘I would have won if I hadn't been careless...... That bet was such a ridiculous idea.'

The defeat last night was the result of her own immaturity.

If the family finds out she worked as a maid for a week, she will certainly be mocked.

'But it's something I have to endure.'

It would be a much bigger shame if she ran away from it.

'Besides, I am curious about something.'

She wondered how Leo could put that much power into a sword without learning an aura.

"I expected you to train early in the morning, but you are reading a book."

The truth was Celia wanted to observe Leo’s training method.

‘Is that a special training manual?'

“You should spend the mornings leisurely.”

After saying that, he closed the book.

Celia looked puzzled when she saw the title of the book.

'It's a fairy tale about the Legendary heroes.'

Celia then glanced at Leo's bookshelf.

'All books are related to Legendary heroes.'

Not just fairy tales.

There were also history books, research books, etc.

A considerable amount of material about Legendary heroes was gathered.

“You seem to be interested in Legendary heroes? Well, it’s understandable.”

Celia was also interested in Legendary heroes.

“May I take a look at the bookshelf?”

"Sure."

Celia stood in front of the bookshelf and admired them.

"Incredible. It’s comparable to the shelf of the scholars who study Legendary heroes.”

After all, research on Legendary heroes is still the most active field.

“There are a lot of books about Kyle.”

“For Reference.”

"Yes. Kyle may or may not have been a real person, and there are many differing views on whether his existence was real."

“Do you think so too?”

"Yes."

Kyle is someone who is not known to the later generation and who was said to have had all the Legendary hero's powers.

'Even though I disappeared from history, I'm not completely forgotten.'

He felt proud.

“A fraud who attempted to steal the achievements of the Legendary heroes.”

Leo's eyes twitched at those words.

“You mean Kyle is a fraud?”

“The odds are high.”

Celia shrugged.

This was the general view of the academy.

"So. That's how you think.”

"What?"

“Then, shall we eat breakfast and go to training?”

Celia's eyes twinkled.

“With your permission, can I train with you?”

Celia was curious about the secret of Leo's strength.

“My training would be hard for you to follow.”

“Heh, I’m someone who easily overcame Gerdinger’s training.”

Leo smiled twistedly at Celia, who had a confident expression on her face.

"Really?"

Later, she would think.

She should have run away when she heard those words.

⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ 

Whoo-!

TAK-!

“Ugh?”

“Your response time is slow.”

Leo's wooden sword slashed Celia's wooden sword.

Celia quickly tried to correct her crumbled posture.

But Leo's movements were faster.

Whoo-hoo

puck-

“Ughhhh-!”

“That’s why you should never show your back like this.”

Celia rolled on the floor in pain after being struck in the shoulder with a wooden sword from behind.

Leo's training continued uninterrupted after breakfast.

When the pain subsided, Celia flared up.

"Young Master! Is this really training?”

To Celia, Leo's training method looked more like torture than training.

It forces you to keep moving, squeezing your strength beyond your limits.

It was natural that such a training method doesn’t require Aura.

She had never heard of such a training method.

Leo murmured at Celia’s protest.

“Kids these days are weak.”

"What!"

“I told you already. My training is hard. Well, if it’s hard to keep up, why don't you just give up?"

"Don't make me laugh! Such training! I can handle as much as you want!"

Celia flared up as Leo’s words hurt her pride.

"Really? Then, shall we continue?”

"Of cou..!"

'Uh, what? Isn't this the end?'

Celia, who reluctantly resumed training, was struck again with a wooden sword and rolled on the floor.

Without Aura, the gap between them was too huge.

'Why! Why can't I win!'

Not just in strength, but also in swordsmanship, it felt impossible to win against Leo.

Today and yesterday.

Her pride kept trampled on.

'Certainly, compared to 5000 years ago, Aura training method has been greatly improved.'

Leo admired it as he looked down at Celia, who collapsed on the floor and gasped for breath.

In the current era, the technique for using Aura has improved significantly compared to 5000 years ago.

Thanks to that, even an average knight’s skill is much higher now.

However, the standard to attain physical strength has changed.

'5000 years ago, People’s standards were better?'

In this era, physical training is being neglected very much because of people’s dependence on the Aura training method.

Aura is a power that maximizes the strength of the physical body.

If you train your aura, your body will naturally be strengthened, so people often neglect physical training.

'Along with the development of the Aura method, this kind of problem also arises.'

“It’s great. I didn’t expect you would keep up with me this far.”

“Don’t look down on me.”

“All right then, we shall finish the training for the afternoon with this. We shall continue later in the evening.”

Celia, who had reached her limit, gritted her teeth.

'I don't know about physical strength, but I'll never lose to him in swordsmanship! I will definitely win!'

⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ 

“Don't underestimate me. Bloody gray-haired basta*d.”

After the evening practice.

Celia returned to the mansion with her limbs trembling.

Leo went straight back to his room.

'Ugh... … Is that basta*d a monster?'

Celia shuddered when she thought of Leo, who wielded the sword till the end without getting tired.

It felt natural for the body to get this strong after training like this every day.

'Ughhh... … Even so, during the evening training, I didn't fall behind on swordsmanship!'

Thanks to mobilizing all her available skills, she didn't lose out on the evening training.

'If I continue training like this, will I be able to become like him?'

But she didn't dare.

She had vomited five times just today alone.

'Come to think of it, it's incredibly embarrassing!'

Celia, who was huffing up with a red face, sighed.

'I just want to quickly wash up and go to sleep.'

But before that, she had to prepare Leo's bed.

After all, her status now is Leo's maid.

'I have to straighten out his blanket, then wash, and go to sleep.'

Celia arrived in front of Leo's room and took a deep breath.

She calmed her trembling limbs and feigned to be calm.

She didn't want to appear weak because of her rebellious personality.

Knock. Knock.

"Come in."

CREEK-

“You look much better than I thought.”

"Heh - To me, that was nothing."

Celia faked a confident expression.

“Didn’t you vomit five times?”

“I am here to prepare the bed.”

Celia ignored Leo's point and prepared the bed.

“Then, Young Master. I'll see you tomorrow morning.”

“Come here for a second. I have a gift for you.”

'Gift?'

Celia approached Leo at his sudden words.

“Thank you for working hard today.”

Leo smiled and handed over a gift box.

'He really seems to be grateful.'

Celia felt the lump in her chest loosened a little.

'Of course, you should be thankful that I, the daughter of Gerdinger patriarch, am serving you.'

Celia exclaimed as she opened the box.

There was a simple silver bracelet in the shape of a chain.

She had an uneasy feeling about the magic she felt from the bracelet.

"It's a bracelet with weight magic. Starting tomorrow, you'll wear it when we train."

Leo said with a smile.

TWITCH- 

Celia's face hardened.

"I'm fine."

“Do you think it’s polite for a maid to refuse an item given to her by her master?”

"Hey! Tell me honestly, you're doing this to bother me, right? That's how it looks to me! If I wear these and have to move like today, that's not training! That’s torture!"

Finally, Celia, who exploded, showed a strong rejection.

“You are weak.”

Celia's face burned.

“Who is weak?”

“Aren’t I training while wearing it? Well, if you are not capable, there's nothing we can do about it."

“Who said I can't? I'll wear even more like this!”

Finally, Celia, who had been provoked yet again, declared her displeasure and exited Leo's room.

When she arrived at Leo's front door, she shook her head and cursed herself for her stupidity.

"It's not going to be easy."

Leo chuckled.

'Who is a fraud?'

In the morning, Celia told Leo that Kyle was a fraud.

His actions right now were that of a narrow-minded person nothing like a Legendary hero who saved the world.

But, of course, Leo wasn't ashamed of that.

'If it were the other guys, they would have done something worse than me?'

His friends had more character flaws than he had.

‘I'll make it a bloody week.’

Leo burst out laughing at the thought of Celia being in pain for a week.