NOVEL NEXT Chapter 56
56 – Non-Sword
Lir returned to the dormitory after making an appointment with John Baker.
It was Cathy, her dormitory roommate, who welcomed Lir.
“Lir! Lir! Lir! Is that rumor true!?”
“Yes. It’s true.”
“I haven’t said anything yet!”
Cathy takes a screaming pose with her hands on both cheeks with a violent reaction.
“I’ve heard rumors that Lire stormed into the Red Lake and she took down her Circle Master there!”
“I heard you.”
She felt that Cathy was dumbfounded when she saw Li Le answer calmly. She reacts as if she is completely unaware of how great and outrageous her actions are. She was a normal hardy average roommate was such a big deal.
It was as if she had become the main character in a novel. No, she’s the main character in the novel, and she’s not herself.
“What the hell is going on!? Are you hiding your power? Why?”
Seeing Cathy sticking out her face and questioning her, Lire felt awkward.
She hid her powers.
Could it be said that she concealed what she did not dare to reveal?
Of course, if people around her saw her, it would look like she hid her powers as a result, but Lire herself had no intention of doing so. She didn’t come out because she was annoyed, she just came out because she was interested. After she seemed to be ‘hiding’ something, she didn’t do anything stupid, she thinks.
“I just got interested.”
That’s why Lire answered honestly. The answer was somewhat like her alumni answer, so Cassie had no choice but to ask her again.
“Are you interested?”
“About this academy. Especially to that John Baker.”
John Baker.
From noble mtl dot com
When the name that the academy girls are asking for is mentioned, Cassie reacted almost in her seizure.
“Yo, yo, John!? Lir, are you aiming for John too!?”
“John? I heard that guy is a commoner.”
“That, that’s not the problem! He says his face is noble! Besides, you came from a commoner and rose to the top of the academy! So, he is called ‘the common people’s hero’…. Didn’t you hear?”
It makes a lot of fuss, but it’s great. Lire could read Cathy’s reaction to her deep inferiority to the nobility of her academy’s commoner students. It was clear that such an inferiority complex was manifested in making a student named Johann Baker a hero.
“He was handsome. I think my skills are fine.”
“I said he was handsome, but he wasn’t! Because of how handsome he is, no one talks to him carelessly. Don’t you know that nobles also notice? Some say that aristocrats who are famous for their indigo color pay attention. Especially Count Alphas himself..”
“That, stop. I don’t want to hear any more.”
Rir cut Cathy off. If I heard more, I felt like I would be sucked into the abyss.
“Anyway, I decided to meet him tonight. I mean, I want to experience it myself. How strong.”
“Yo, meeting John in person! Be careful! You might get caught after that!”
“Are you being filmed?”
“To the other noble ladies who are targeting John! If you do it wrong, you’ll skip the academy life properly!”
Lire snorted at Cathy’s fuss.
“Idiots who can’t even properly confess to the guy they like are blocking my path? f*ck you.”
“Wow… ! Lir is strong… !”
Lirre’s cool look was like a longing warrior. Cathy, who saw her, was thrilled as she put her hands together.
“Then, Mr. Lir! I have one favor for you!”
“Suddenly, what are you asking for?”
Cassie pulled one of her envelopes from her pocket.
“This letter…. Please tell John! This is a letter from my heart!”
“I-why did you do this to me…. You do it yourself!”
“I told you earlier! If you recklessly approach Yohan, you’ll be in big trouble! Lil please! To save one person’s life! I will ask you this!”
Cassie clenched her hands together and begged Lire, bowing her head. What’s the point of refusing when it comes to that? Lire let out a short sigh with her shy expression on her face and snatched the letter from her hand.
“I really….”
“Thank you so much! You are my true friend!”
Cathy clapped her hands with her rainbow-bright smile. Whether or not she was good at this, Lire couldn’t tell.
—
She arrived at the Garden Forest, the meeting place with John. Since she is outside the academy, there were not many students. Especially since it was late in the evening.
Of course, it’s not entirely nonexistent.
“Rennell. Love you. More than the brightly burning sun!”
“I love you too. More than that wide ocean!”
A student who enjoys a sweet tryst.
“Ai-ing~! Martin too!”
“Christina. Hold on to the tree there and put her ass this way.”
A few students who enjoyed bold play with fire showed their presence in the bushes.
The atmosphere of the garden forest full of greenery was generally pink. Most of the students gathered here had the purpose of sharing love behind the eyes of others.
At least a healthy person was a student who took a normal walk. For some reason, there was a piece of tofu in the student’s hand.
Lire blushed and moved her steps quickly.
“Miss Lir.”
John had come beforehand. It was fortunate.
“Mr. John Baker. I’m sorry for asking to see you at a time like this.”
“No. I didn’t know anything about it. Anyway, why did you ask to see me?”
John said that with a smile on his eyes. Seeing that, it seemed like he was expecting to be confessed without fail. In Lee’s eyes.
‘Wait. If you give Cathy’s letter in this atmosphere….’
There may be unnecessary misunderstandings. Lire fiddled with Cathy’s letter in her arms.
‘Let’s write a letter when we’re done.’
Cathy’s letter is incidental. She had one reason why she wanted to meet John. To experience his power firsthand.
“Can I be direct?”
“What are you trying to say with such a solemn expression on your face? I look forward to it.”
“Don’t get me wrong! It’s not what Yohan-kun thinks!”
“Such a thing…. Do you know what I’m thinking? Do you have any mind-reading “Talents”?”
“Not that….”
Somehow, it seems to be getting involved with that guy. I don’t like it. Lire shook his head and went straight to the point.
“Compete with me.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Okay. I knew it would come out like that. Because the strong don’t dodge the sword. So, the rules…. No, wait. I beg your pardon?”
“I said no.”
Rejection without hesitation.
That wasn’t the scenario Lire had in mind. In Lire’s scenario, Johann said, ‘Okay. Please help me!’ And accepted his proposal.
That’s also true, since Yohan is a master enough to occupy the top spot in the academy.
Moreover, he proved that he had the strength to challenge the head of the academy by defeating the Red Lake Circle Master Dellas. John also saw it himself.
“To refuse my challenge… ! Why?”
“That’s right…. Is there no benefit to me?”
John’s answer was a theory. Even if he accepted Lire’s one-sided sparring, there was nothing John could take.
Of course, I don’t know if Drake will be able to get the honor of ‘defeating the Lille Berger who defeated Dellas!’
“By any chance, Miss Lir, do you have anything in return that you can offer me in exchange for sparring?”
A price.
Of course I knew I would accept Dalian, but I didn’t even think about it. When Lire didn’t answer the question, Johann smiled and opened his mouth.
“Do you understand why I decline the offer?”
It was Lire who realized the reason all too clearly, but he had no intention of stepping down from here.
“John-kun, are you sure you don’t have confidence? As head of the academy?”
Lire knew how to scratch his arrogant opponent. In particular, this kind of provocation worked very well for those who had built up their own strength. It was a method he had learned from his master, so the effect was certain.
“Yes. I’m not confident. I’m scared too. Miss Lir, didn’t you defeat that terrifying Dellas-senpai in one fell swoop?”
However, John was different. At Lire’s provocation, he fell flat on his face. On the contrary, when it came out like this, Lire was even more embarrassed.
“If this fact becomes known to the students…. Johan-kun’s face will suffer a lot, right?”
“Is that so? Ah, no way Miss Lir. Are you going to spread rumors about me as ‘Cowardly John’ because I refused Dalian?”
“It’s not like that….”
No. The more I talk to that guy, the more it seems that this side gets involved. Something seems to be looking down on herself from the top of her head.
“Joe, great! So how about this one? I mean non-sword!”
Non-geom(論劍)
It is a virtual sparring in which swords are competed by discussing words literally. Some may dismiss this as a mere pun, but just as map training is a training that is very useful in actual combat, Nongeom is also a way to measure each other’s skills, albeit indirectly.
In addition, this non-geom is particularly well suited for swordsmanship where ‘number fighting’ is the basis, such as parrying swordsmanship.
‘John Baker’s fighting style was also to read his opponent. If that’s the case, I’ll be able to fine-tune that power with a non-sword.’
Of course, it’s not as good as competing directly.
At Lire’s new suggestion, Johan slowly nodded.
“Well, that much is fine. We can get along just by mixing words.”
What if he asked for a price even here? Lille, who looked at John with a worried expression, let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank you, John. Instead, I will give up the first attack.”
“Mmm. Are you my predecessor? Then….”
This is how the discussion between the two began.