The Failed Swordmaster - Chapter 197

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 197 75. Side Story 2 – Junior, Loren Calard (3)

Some time passed after Loren Calard and Tara Selly had their conversation. And during that time, the children who had been overshadowed by Loren began to reveal their presence one by one.

“Ben Cleek? He’s impressive, sure. But that doesn’t mean I can give up on everything, right? He’s him, and I’m me. If I keep doing what I’ve been doing, maybe I’ll catch up someday. Or maybe not.”

There were those who maintained their center despite Loren Calard being an overwhelming genius.

“Damn it, that monster bastard, I’ll catch up to him before graduation no matter what!”

Conversely, there were those who were tremendously affected, but used that stimulation and sense of defeat as fuel to pour even more blood-sweating effort into their training.

Ordinary children from ordinary environments would easily give up, become frustrated, and settle into their positions when faced with beings of a different caliber. And they would either try to distance themselves from geniuses or approach them with ulterior motives.

But the children at Tarasan Academy were different.

Tarasan Academy had been continuously developing since the ‘golden generation’ led by Lumian Calard graduated, and naturally the level of those entering was incomparable to before. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the most talented and passionate children from across the continent were gathered there.

Eventually, when about another month had passed, nearly half of his peers were chasing after Loren while maintaining their respective centers. The expression ‘chasing’ only applied to skills, as there were even children whose mental fortitude surpassed his.

Loren Calard was ashamed of himself.

‘I was making a huge mistake.’

He had been foolish.

Trapped in a narrow world, he had judged others based only on what he had experienced. He had thought arbitrarily and arrogantly. When he thought of his pathetic past self, it was almost unbearable. If there was any consolation, it was that he had been able to awaken from such prejudices early.

And what made this possible was entirely thanks to Tara Selly. If not for her advice, he would have remained trapped in narrow-minded thinking forever, unable to look around him.

A grateful person who had led his growth.

The young man spoke to Tara Selly with heartfelt gratitude.

“Thank you, sister.”

“What, this much is nothing.”

Tara Selly answered while drinking tea. Her face was still expressionless, just like when she first met Loren Calard.

However, the situation under the table was completely different.

“No, really, if you hadn’t counseled me, I might have continued being a loner.”

“Hmm.”

“And you taught me all sorts of things about academy culture and etiquette too. That was incredibly helpful. Thank you so much!”

“Hmph.”

Each time he offered praise, her fists clenched tightly, and her feet tapping the ground gradually increased in speed. The occasional sounds escaping through her nose also indicated that Tara’s mood wasn’t bad.

However, that atmosphere was completely shattered the moment Loren brought up a different topic.

“…You want to get a girlfriend?”

“Yes. Not just a friend, but a girlfriend.”

“…”

“Um, this is a bit embarrassing to say, but I’m really bad at talking to girls. When I stand in front of them, I don’t even know how to act…”

Loren confessed his worries with a shy smile.

At the beginning of the semester, he thought it was just a problem of his introverted personality and the pressure about his background, but that wasn’t it. Regardless of such things, the young man was simply hopeless when it came to relationships with women.

Actually, bringing up this topic was very embarrassing. It was something he could only talk about in front of Tara Selly, who was the most comfortable person at the academy for him – it was an inner feeling he had kept hidden even from his male friends who were just starting to become close.

But then.

Not long after his words ended, a terrifying aura erupted from Tara Selly’s body.

Kwaaaaaaaaa!

“Uh, uhh?”

Loren Calard was startled.

It was eerie. It felt like dozens of swords were targeting him. Without understanding what was happening, he hastily drew up his aura. It felt like he had to.

“Huh?”

But immediately after, the aura subsided. As if nothing had happened. Loren, with an expression as if he had been dreaming, looked at Tara Selly.

“What’s wrong?”

“No, just now, from your body there was an incredible…”

“What from my body?”

“Uh…”

Was it his imagination?

Looking at Tara Selly again, he couldn’t sense anything strange at all.

Her pretty face and expressionless face were the same as before. Her abundant brown hair seemed to be standing up slightly, but that must be because of the wind.

Loren, having composed himself, continued to lead the conversation.

“Anyway, this is my recent concern… could you counsel me on this too?”

“…Of course.”

Tara Selly, who had paused for a long, quite long time, nodded her head.

Still an expression where you couldn’t tell what she was thinking. But Loren trusted her.

She was an excellent senior who had helped him grow without incident from being narrow-minded and raised only in his parents’ embrace, so surely she would guide him well this time too.

‘She definitely will.’

While he was thinking that, Tara Selly slurped down her tea and stood up from her seat.

And she said.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes? Where to?”

“A place for you, I just thought of the perfect one.”

“A place for me?”

While Loren was asking back, Tara was already striding forward. As the young man swallowed his curiosity and hurried to follow behind, she opened her mouth again.

“In the end, isn’t that the problem? That you have no immunity to women.”

“Uh… that’s right?”

“Then it’s important to become familiar with the opposite sex. So you can talk naturally without being nervous.”

“As expected! Sister Tara is right. So where are we going now…”

“We’ll arrive in 5 minutes.”

Tara, who had cut off Loren’s words, moved busily.

Past the town square, past the main street. Then a secluded alley appeared. Then old dilapidated shops spread out before their eyes.

Despite having lived at the academy for nearly two months, he had no idea such a place existed nearby. The young man, becoming slightly anxious, was about to ask a question.

At that moment, Tara, who had stopped in front of a store, said.

“We’re here.”

“This is… Hit Me?”

A small bookstore with a sign that read ‘Hit Me’.

Tara entered without hesitation, and Loren, filled with curiosity, immediately followed her inside.

That night, the young man encountered a new world and grew once again.

However, he didn’t know. That the more he fell for fictional women, the further he would drift from real-world women.

That was exactly what Tara Selly wanted.

* * *

“Ah, so cute! Don’t you think so?”

The being who had been looking down at the Lower Realm from the Divine Realm with a flushed face, Armiron the Archangel, said while making a fuss. Allia, who was lying on the clouds with an indifferent expression, replied.

“What is.”

“You know! Kids who aren’t even twenty getting jealous and being lovey-dovey! Ah, it’s so cute, really. So pure and innocent. And the way they rack their brains in the midst of it all is even more adorable.”

The more Armiron spoke, the higher her excitement level rose. She looked like a noblewoman who had just finished watching a romantic play to the end. Allia shook her head disapprovingly.

‘Is it because she finished organizing the Demon Realm and has nothing to do? She’s too absorbed in gossip.’

Well, she didn’t think that was bad. It wasn’t like she was neglecting her duties, and actually, she herself had been quite diligently voyeuring the Lower Realm lately.

But Loren Calard and Tara Selly weren’t her type. Maybe because they were kids, there was too little stimulation.

She said.

“Is it fun watching those kids being all lovey-dovey? It’s completely boring.”

“Boring? At that age, it’s natural to be like that…”

“Ugh. I thought that when Loren grabbed a woman’s chest during his first birthday celebration, he would grow up to be a much more impressive guy, but who knew he’d grow up so modestly.”

“No, what on earth were you expecting from a one-year-old!”

Armiron shouted loudly. Considering her usually gentle and quiet nature, this was an uncommon occurrence.

But Allia didn’t care. She scratched her belly and said while yawning.

“Hey, stories are supposed to be fun when they have the right amount of seasoning. Just look at the plays that are popular in the Lower Realm these days. Completely stimulating stuff is all the rage.”

“Those are all criticized for being trashy!”

“They criticize them for being trashy but they’re still popular, right? Noble ladies go ‘Oh my, how can they do such things’ but still keep going to see new series when they come out.”

“…”

“Anyway, I don’t match with those youngsters. Cal Krone is the best after all.”

Hehehe, Allia laughed wickedly and looked down at the Lower Realm once again. She saw Cal Krone, a man in his mid-thirties who had become even more maturely handsome, seducing a lady in her early twenties.

For reference, he currently had more than ten lovers.

“Was the most famous playboy on the continent named Erve Merrang? Cal might surpass his reputation soon.”

“…Sigh. I wonder why Lord Cal Krone acts like that. Even after being officially appointed as a hero, he doesn’t seem to have any intention of changing his behavior.”

“Why should he change? Three of the newly appointed heroes are boring married men and women. Let Cal Krone live however he wants.”

“…You’re not saying this for Lord Cal Krone’s sake, but because of your voyeurism, aren’t you, Lady Allia?”

“You’re voyeuristic too, so why are you complaining?”

“…Let’s stop here.”

After coldly turning away from Allia, Armion looked down at the Lower Realm again with a pleased expression.

Watching her, Allia clicked her tongue and muttered quietly.

“What’s she going to do if those two don’t work out?”

“When we should be blessing the children’s future, how can the Patron Deity speak such ill words!”

“Oh, did you hear that?”

Fortunately, regardless of Allia’s ill words, the two officially started dating a year and a half later when Tara Selly graduated from the Academy. And after Loren Calard graduated, they held a grand wedding and became husband and wife. The Patron Deity grumbled, saying “That cunning Tara Selly completely raised him and snatched him up, snatched him up,” but still generously bestowed blessings upon the newlyweds.

And even until then, Cal Krone remained single, continuing his glamorous romances with beautiful ladies across the entire continent. His family had long given up on him, and the title of “greatest playboy in history” became Cal Krone’s rather than Erve Merrang’s.

As more time passed like this, the Loren Calard and Tara Selly couple had a child, and the heroes including Lumian were approaching their mid-forties.

“Something interesting has happened after a long time.”

An incident occurred in the Demon Realm that was interesting enough to catch the attention of even Allia, who had been spending boring time.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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