The Failed Swordmaster - Chapter 95

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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 95 38. You’re the Best, Teacher Lumian! (1)

“Will it really be okay?”

“Of course. With your current level, there’s no way it won’t work.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Alright, I’m going.”

“Yes.”

Inside her own room. Tania Eloise, who had taken a meditation posture, slowly closed her eyes.

She was facing an important task ahead.

She was about to challenge the Lower Gate, one of the three stages on the path to becoming an Expert.

“Huu.”

A light breath flowed from Tania’s mouth.

Lumian watched her. His eyes held far more anticipation than worry.

Then, after exhaling once more, Tania opened her eyes and looked back at him, saying.

“Are you sure this will work? Maybe I should wait a little longer…”

“Ah, I’m telling you there’s really no need to worry.”

“But… breaking through the Lower Gate at my age, it can’t be that easy…”

“It’s not easy. It’s incredibly difficult. But it’s easy for you, Senior. You said you trusted me, so why aren’t you trusting me now?”

Frustrated, he slipped into casual speech.

Then Tania’s eyes narrowed. Just as she was about to say something, Lumian quickly spoke his next words.

“Please close your eyes.”

“…I closed them.”

“Now, try to recall all the training you’ve done over the past three weeks.”

“Do you have a hobby of tormenting people? I thought so ever since I saw you looking at books with whips and ropes drawn on them…”

“No, why are you suddenly bringing that up… I’m not trying to torment you, I’m trying to build your confidence.”

“Hmm.”

“Think about the intensity of training you did for three weeks. You went through all that suffering, and you achieved more than what you suffered for, so are you still worried? Really?”

Tania, who was pouting, recalled the training process with Lumian.

It was hell. So much so that even thinking about it made her shudder.

Swinging a heavy sword for hours until her hands couldn’t move anymore wasn’t that difficult.

She had done that before, and after doing aura training with Lumian’s help, the pain would completely disappear.

When that guy Bumer Simpson looked horrified seeing her rolling around, she even felt proud thinking ‘I’m working hard.’

But after sword training was over.

The tests conducted when her body and mind were in tatters were truly terrible.

‘How can he emit such an aura?’

What Lumian demanded wasn’t much.

Approach him. And strike his abdomen as hard as her anger.

She wanted to ask what was so difficult about that, but the moment he unleashed his aura, Tania’s expression had no choice but to stiffen.

Fear, despair, malice.

She was terrified.

It felt like standing before a High Demon.

The moment she was exposed to Lumian’s aura, she immediately wanted to turn around and run away. She wanted to collapse. Sometimes she almost wet herself.

‘If your belief in yourself is strong, this level of pressure is nothing. Walk toward me slowly, one step at a time. You can hold your sword if you want.’

That was the first time she felt negative emotions toward Lumian beyond just ‘annoying.’ She shed a tear like a child caught in a giant’s grasp.

But she eventually overcame it.

Breaking free from being unable to move even one step for a week, she took one step forward.

The time needed to take the second and third steps was much shorter. Gaining momentum, she was able to break through Lumian’s aura and throw a punch at his abdomen within two weeks.

And immediately after, Tania could feel it.

The fact that cracks had formed in the wall that had been frozen like ice in her lower dantian, and part of it had melted to become power she could control.

“How about it? Do you have some confidence now?”

“Yes. You nasty guy.”

Tania nodded.

A very annoying guy, so terrible that she wanted to kick his shins throughout the entire training.

But her gratitude was much greater than that.

If that guy hadn’t periodically infused her with energy, she would still be unaware of the energy solidified inside her.

‘Even aside from that, just having him by my side… gives me peace of mind.’

It felt like a massive presence like a mountain was embracing her.

It was an embarrassing thought she couldn’t voice aloud, but it was Tania’s true feelings.

“Huu-eup.”

She took a deep breath. And exhaled.

After repeating this several times, her mind became calm.

She looked back at Lumian again. He was still the same. He was guarding her side as solidly as a mountain.

‘Even if I can’t trust myself, I can trust Lumian.’

“I’ll start.”

“Yes.”

“Tell me to do my best.”

“Do your best.”

“Okay.”

With that short conversation over, Tania entered aura meditation.

She forgot everything around her, even Lumian. She concentrated all her nerves solely on her interior, specifically toward the Lower Gate.

Seeing this, Lumian nodded.

He muttered in a small voice.

“You can come in now.”

Creak-!

As if waiting for those words, the window opened.

And the Young Dragon Semu revealed himself.

The guy, who had taken the form of a Golden Parrot after a long time, greeted Lumian cheerfully.

“Hello! Nice to see you, Lord Lumian!”

“Shh. Lower your voice more. She’s in meditation.”

“Oops! Sorry.”

Semu scratched his head with his wing.

Lumian gestured that it was okay and then closed the window that the guy had opened.

Even in that brief moment, the guy couldn’t stay still and was flying around here and there in the room.

“Stay still, you bastard.”

“Huk, sorry. It’s been a long time since I entered a human’s room other than Lord Lumian’s…”

“Enough. You know what you need to do, right?”

“Of course I know! I just need to watch over Tania!”

“Right. For now, just watch. I’d prefer if you just watched until the end if possible.”

Lumian looked at Tania, who was absorbed in meditation.

He trusted her. With her level, she had more than enough ability to break through the Lower Gate passage. It was a much more optimistic situation than with Teoro or Bumer.

‘Since she can do it alone, it would be better to just watch quietly rather than unnecessarily help. For the future too.’

But that didn’t mean he wanted to make no preparations at all. She was also as precious to Lumian as his three friends.

Therefore, he had summoned Semu, who was sleeping soundly in his nest. This was possible because of the communication crystal sphere the guy had given him.

With this, he could be at ease. Lumian, having finished his thoughts, wore a faint smile.

‘Even if something goes wrong by any chance, if Semu stabilizes the surrounding energy and I help, we can avoid disaster.’

Of course, such a thing wouldn’t happen.

He watched Tania intently with warm eyes.

To simply call it the gaze of looking at a talented junior, there was a slightly deeper emotion melted within.

“But, Lord Lumian! When will you do what you promised after this is over? Will you do it right away?”

“…Right away?”

“Yes! I’m totally looking forward to it, I’m completely ready to get excited!”

The promise the subordinate mentioned wasn’t anything major.

Lumian had agreed to spray petal rain for 2 hours to get Semu’s help. He chuckled and said.

“I’ll do it right when we get back.”

“Ehehe. Uhihihihi.”

“Shh. You really need to be quiet now.”

“Mmph!”

Semu covered his beak with both wings.

Even amid all this distraction, Tania remained unaffected. She had already forgotten everything except herself.

She was simply preparing steadily and stably to break through the Lower Gate.

* * *

Focusing on her inner self, striking the hardened mass in her energy center, scraping together the pieces that fell and melted away.

Finally ready to break through the Lower Gate, Tania moved her Aura. The sluggish energy soon took on a cone-like shape.

‘I wish the tip were sharper, but…’

Unfortunately, it was beyond Tania’s current ability.

A slight uneasiness crept into her heart.

If it had been stone-like Aura, maintaining the shape would have been easier, but because it had a water-like quality, it was quite difficult.

‘No, it’s fine. It has high stability instead!’

Tania’s energy was like heavy water.

As weighty as rock, yet much softer and therefore more stable. This meant she could strike the gate multiple times without burden.

Thinking this way, her confidence surged again.

The encouragement Lumian had drilled into her ears also gave her strength. Concentrating her mind, she shot forth her Aura with firm resolve.

And shortly after.

Thud!

Thud, thud!

Thud, thud, thuud!

Crack… CRASH!

‘Huh?’

In just six strikes, she had successfully broken through the Lower Gate.

She wore a bewildered expression.

‘It’s this easy?’

Of course, it wasn’t so easy that she thought, “This is completely easy, let’s break through the Middle Gate while I’m at it!”

But she had expected at least one or two hardships. Excruciating pain shooting up to her head, or having to fight a tedious long battle that wore down her concentration…

But none of that happened – she just succeeded.

She had simply applied the principles of heaviness as usual. She had just pushed forward stubbornly like when breaking through Lumian’s pressure.

‘No, it wasn’t just success!’

Tania shook her head inwardly.

She had already paid the price. Through her training with Lumian.

That’s how she should think about it. Considering those hellish three weeks of pain, breaking through the Lower Gate seemed like nothing.

Lumian’s excellent teaching.

Her own effort in following that teaching to the end.

Her own talent that didn’t let that effort go to waste.

Thinking she had belatedly received the reward for these three things, her current achievement didn’t feel like luck at all. It felt like the rightful compensation she deserved.

And she could realize.

That this emotion blooming in her heart right now was true ‘confidence.’

‘Perhaps my talent really is among the best on the Continent…’

Having such thoughts, Tania forcibly calmed her excitement.

She still had a long way to go. She was still just a frog in a well. Once again, she tightly controlled her loosening heart.

She had lived her entire life keeping herself in check, living in fear of falling into arrogance. Such a disposition wouldn’t change in a short time. Tania was still Tania.

However, it was certain that she was gradually improving.

As evidence of this, her face now looked more relaxed than ever before.

Having gathered her energy, she opened her eyes.

Then she saw Lumian. He was still watching over her with his steady presence.

Tania smiled shyly and said.

“I succeeded.”

“I told you, didn’t I? That it would be easy. By the way, I didn’t help at all. I just watched.”

“I know. Today, I did everything myself.”

“What? You’ve gotten really cocky, haven’t you? For a student.”

“Says the teacher who just watched.”

“That’s true. Today, Senior Tania did everything herself.”

“Right, I did everything!”

“Hahaha.”

“Hehehe…”

The two facing each other burst into audible laughter.

It was a harmonious atmosphere.

However, that atmosphere was soon broken.

Because another voice echoed along with their laughter.

“Puhihi!”

“…What?”

“Puhihihihi!”

“What? This laughter coming from somewhere… Huh?”

Tania looked startled.

And reached toward the top of her head.

But there was nothing to catch. The Golden Parrot that had quickly flown up fluttered over to Lumian’s shoulder.

Seeing this, her eyes widened.

“A, a parrot? What? When did it come into my room?”

“Um. Well…”

“Lumian, did you bring it?”

“…Technically speaking, yes.”

Lumian scratched his head.

And provided additional explanation.

“More precisely, he said he wanted to see Senior Tania.”

“What? The parrot? Me?”

“Yes. He said he wanted to become friends. That we should get along from now on…”

What kind of nonsense is that!

Tania looked at Lumian and then the Golden Parrot with an incredulous expression.

Am I the strange one? Or is Lumian the strange one?

Is he making a joke and I’m just not responding properly?

All sorts of random thoughts crossed her mind.

Then, the Golden Parrot that had jumped down from his shoulder transformed with a pop sound.

“Hello! I’m Semu!”

“…”

“And I’m a Dragon! Nice to meet you, Tania!”

Tania looked at Lumian.

Seeing her shocked face, he shrugged.

“He really is a Dragon.”

“…”

“For real.”

One more human now knew of the Young Dragon Semu’s existence.

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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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