The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen

TLed by NolepGuy

Chapter 176

The training with Hanna had begun.

One day. Two days. Three days.

Until the promised Day of Decision approached, I stayed in the capital city with Hanna, and Hanna also came to the promised location every night, wielding her sword.

Hanna kept up well.

Perhaps because she was accustomed to grueling training, she approached it without showing signs of struggle, and even though her daily routine had doubled in intensity, she greeted the start of training with a bright smile.

-Butler!

Whether or not the muscle pain from yesterday bothered her, she greeted me energetically, and her awkward expression as she grimaced during stretches made me smile.

-Does it hurt?

-Ah… No…!

-Then I suppose we’ll push harder today.

-Eek! I was wrong!

Knowing what Hanna was working so hard for made me feel more attached to her. And seeing her strive for that purpose was admirable.

If her efforts had been half-hearted, I wouldn’t have felt motivated to teach her. But Hanna gave her all in every moment, and despite already being a model student, her attitude of striving like an inferior student often made me want to teach her even more.

“Butler?”

In the middle of the training grounds late at night, Hanna, standing still, looked at me and asked.

Why was I standing there absentmindedly?

Startled by Hanna’s small question, I flinched and answered.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I was momentarily lost in the evening mood and didn’t hear you.”

“Pfft…! What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I suppose my adolescence came late.”

“Puhaha! Butler, adolescence?”

“Yes, it’s the stormy period of life.”

Holding her sword and sweating, Hanna burst into laughter as she looked at me. Whatever amused her so much, she responded to even the smallest actions with a smile, and her cheerful demeanor made me smile as well.

It seemed my moment of reflection had embarrassed Hanna. Feeling apologetic, I took in the chilly air of the night and focused on her question.

“Anyway, why did you call me? Are you stuck on something?”

“Ah… I just wanted to ask if I’m doing it the way you taught me.”

“I see.”

Nodding, I spoke to Hanna.

“Then let’s take a look. Let’s see how you’re doing.”

“Yes…!”

Hanna raised her sword.

Closing her eyes and taking a calm breath, a shimmering aura began to flow from her hands.

A light brown aura.

It wasn’t an aura that felt powerful. It gave off a warm and ambiguous feeling. Rather than a fierce determination to defeat someone, it felt like an aura content with simply existing in the moment.

No explosive power.

No overwhelming pressure that seemed capable of vanquishing an enemy in an instant. To put it bluntly, it didn’t feel like that at all.

Crossing my arms, I observed Hanna’s aura indifferently, wondering if the weapon she wielded could even reach Mikhail.

This wasn’t the kind of ambiguity I had hoped for.

I had given Hanna a difficult task.

I had asked her to create the strongest attack she could muster. A secret technique, so to speak. For those who live by the sword, having a unique secret technique is essential.

Mikhail had a secret technique called “Flash,” and Ruin had one called “Explosion.” Similarly, I had asked Hanna to create at least one such ultimate move.

Admittedly, the request itself was ambiguous.

While Mikhail and Hanna’s skills were similar, their orientations were different.

Mikhail pursued unilateral justice.

Hanna yearned for recognition.

I didn’t have such grand aspirations, but swordsmen generally imbued their swords with their desires.

If I had to describe it, it would be something like the determination to defeat the enemy before me at any cost. Whether the opponent was whoever it might be, my will when wielding the sword was likely that simple.

Usually, the primary emotion is the desire to protect a precious person, but perhaps because I found life enjoyable, I preferred wielding my sword with a straightforward purpose rather than heavy emotions.

Put negatively, it could be called killing intent; put positively, perhaps subjugation would be a fitting term.

Aura fluctuates and transforms according to the swordsman’s emotions.

The way aura is utilized changes depending on the emotions imbued at the tip of the sword, and it fluctuates and transforms based on the weight of those emotions.

I quietly observed Hanna’s aura. Then, shaking my head, I spoke to her.

“Miss Hanna.”

“Yes.”

Hanna, focused, stared straight at the tip of her sword. Beads of sweat on her forehead glistened, as if proving her sincerity, but I couldn’t offer her warm words.

What I intended to teach Hanna during this time wasn’t the details of swordsmanship or tips for victory, but rather the method of utilizing aura and creating her own secret technique.

Aura was the weapon that could enable rapid growth in a short period, and coincidentally, it was also the means by which a swordsman could achieve steady growth over time. That’s why I wanted to teach Hanna about it.

Uncrossing my arms, I spoke to Hanna.

“You’re wrong.”

“What…?”

“Everything from start to finish is wrong.”

Hanna looked at me with trembling eyes, unable to understand what was wrong.

Was it her grip on the sword? Or the direction of her stance? Searching for fundamental errors, Hanna looked at me with the eyes of a student who couldn’t find the correct answer.

Walking toward Hanna, I began to draw Tirbing from my waist.

With a chilling “Sreung,” the blade was unsheathed, and a cold breeze swept through. It was too heavy to be the air of the night and too chilling to be the current of the wind, brushing past Hanna’s cheek.

Taking a small breath, I spoke to Hanna.

“Ordinary swordsmen possess something called will.”

“The will to kill the opponent before them, for example…”

A heavy, resonant sound tore through the empty space, spreading magnificently.

Hanna flinched, her shoulders trembling as she stared wide-eyed at the spot where the sword had passed. Without concern, I swung the sword once more.

-Swoosh.

“Or the will to protect a precious person.”

-Whoosh.

“In my case, I fall into the former category. ‘If I kill this person, my life will become easier.’ That kind of emotion. Hmm… Perhaps it could also be interpreted as wanting to protect someone. After all, I’m included in that someone.”

“So then.”

“Miss Hanna, what drives you to wield your sword?”

“Is it the will to protect someone? Or the desperate desire to win?”

From the pitch-black blade, a red aura began to form. The sword, imbued with chilling energy, filled the training grounds with a sticky killing intent.

It wasn’t an overwhelming amount of aura.

Nor was it an immense amount of mana.

Yet, the sword, carrying enough aura to draw a massive line in the empty space, dominated the atmosphere with even a light breath.

“From what I’ve seen, Miss Hanna, there’s nothing there. While your will to grow stronger is sufficient, where it’s directed and why you want to grow stronger… to put it bluntly, I can’t find it.”

“It’s a chronic issue at the Academy.”

With a small smile, I continued.

“I think it’s because too much focus is placed on achieving good grades.”

Hanna was likely denying my words internally.

What I was saying essentially amounted to claiming she wielded an empty sword. It was a denial of how desperate she believed she was and how strong she thought the will contained in her sword was.

But the reality that something was missing couldn’t be denied. Hanna’s aura reflected that, and her growth had stalled.

Changing minor details wouldn’t lead to miraculous growth. The sword wasn’t a kind weapon. As a weapon designed to harm others, it was too cruel to concern itself with trivial matters.

So, I smiled at Hanna, who wore a stern expression.

“You don’t understand what I mean, do you?”

“No…”

Hanna spoke to me, saying she was sincere about the sword.

“Butler, I’m always sincere. I wield the sword because I want to grow stronger and become a proud person. You may not know this, but I wield the sword with desperate feelings, and I believe my passion is stronger than anyone else’s. For you to say I lack will…”

Hanna gripped her sword tightly once again.

“To be honest, I can’t accept what you’re saying.”

At Hanna’s honest response, I nodded. I could clearly understand what she meant.

Passion for the sword. That was a good emotion and a solid foundation for growth.

“Hmm…”

But it wasn’t enough.

“It’s an emotion that will eventually come to an end.”

“Because it’s a goal that has a conclusion.”

“Watch closely.”

I lightly gripped the sword in my hand.

The tip of the sword, trembling gently in response to the incoming breeze, pointed toward the empty space. In this moment, even the hair tousled by the scattering wind and the falling leaves felt endearing.

I swung the sword lightly.

[Sharpening Sound.]

Everything was cut.

Even the falling leaves.

Even the blowing wind.

Even the tiny specks of dust swirling in the air were split apart, losing their energy as they traced the path of the small blade.

Like water soaking into soil without emotion, the subtle ripple of the sword slowly dyed the night.

Hanna was at a loss for words. No, it would be more accurate to say she couldn’t speak.

What she saw was a sword that surpassed her father’s, and for the first time, she thought of it as an unreachable realm while watching someone’s sword.

“This is…”

I spoke with a small smile.

“Did you see it?”

“…”

“This is how a sword should be wielded.”

“What… no, how did you do that?”

“A master should at least possess this level of skill.”

I called Hanna’s name and spoke.

“Sometimes, you see, a sword must carry the emotion of needing to kill someone, as well as the emotion of needing to protect someone. If you wield a sword solely with the aim of success, it ends too blandly, doesn’t it?”

Of course.

“What I’m saying might not be the correct answer, though.”

Hanna nodded like a broken person.

What she had just witnessed.

Where Ricardo’s End truly lay.

She couldn’t comprehend it.

As I sheathed the sword I had drawn, I spoke to Hanna.

“Miss Hanna, you can do it too.”

“…Me?”

“Yes.”

With a confident tone and a smile.

“I will make it so.”