Vol 1 Chapter 5 (1/2)
Chapter 5: Point of difference
This is inning to worry that you haven't been gettinga bit down
What is it like to have a drea
I feel thatIt's innocent and dazzling, like so at the bottom of a cave No matter how much you stretch out your hand, you can't reach it A place of deep despair
The good friends I've made here shi+ne from a place that I can never reach
You also shi+ne with light
Back then, I didn't understand how you could be so diligent and hardworking for such a boring thing I was too desperate to live, and because of that, I missed the point
What forced htly of me to place the bla It's the opposite: I'rasp hold of it? Grasp hold of the thing on the very bottoht not even be there
I' hether I should send this letter or not Useless content
But I still think I should send this I want to hear your opinion Don't complicate it I just want to hear what you think
I want to read your reply to this letter
Your drea Please don't lose it
To my dear Leerin Marfes,
Layfon Alseif
◇
Nina walked in a brusque irl passing by, holding a pile of documents and who seemed to be a member of the Student Council quickly irl to be startled Dust and soil particles were stuck to Nina's forehead and cheeks Her golden hair was dirty and messy, and even her Military Arts uniform was in tatters There weren't many students ould walk around with that appearance full of anger
Nina was outraged She wasn't quite sure why she was incensed, but she was currently throwing a tantruer inside her, she had stomped over here after the match, propelled by her e out and was carried away on a stretcher There wasn't anything unusual with the flow of his Kei, so he must have just lost consciousness
”Just as that about?” Nina let out her words in resentment and pounded heavily on the door of the Student President's rooh, she had already pushed open the door on her own
Besides the bitterly s Karian, Vance was also in the room Vance's presence calmed her down She halted her steps
”Third year, Military Arts, Nina Antalk is co in”
”Please”
Karian said that and then praised her
”Congratulations on your first win”
Nina's brow furrowed ”Just as that?”
”UhWhat do you mean?”
”Layfon Alseif You know he's not a normal person, don't you?”
”Why do you think so?”
”This is all too strange He really did well in the opening ceremony, but before his ability was confirmed, you transferred him into Military Arts and no that ti you were just blinded by his brilliant performance But you didn't take any action afterwards Your personality would've made that impossible”
”But you accepted Layfon Don't you admire his performance today?”
”I tested hi rooth At that tith She'd felt that if he hadment was completely in error
The issue wasn't that Layfon could beco at all
She saw Layfon's true strength in the platoon match just then Needle Kei (shi+n Kei) and Whirl Kei (Senkei) He couldn't have mastered that power in a short period of tilanced at the screen that was about to broadcast the fourth aze back to Karian
”You seem to knoho Layfon Alseif is Did you know of his identity before this match?”
Karian shook his head
”It's not that easy to obtain intelligence on other cities”
The other two people in the room weren't convinced
”I only found out about him by chance” He raised his hands in surrender
”How did you two co bus of course”
”Obviously by riding the roa buses Nor buses, but what I mean is the route”
”Route?”
”Yes All the roa buses eventually return back to the Traffic City Joeldem and then depart from there Only the consciousness of Joeldem knows the current positions of all the ht not coo around to other cities before arriving here”
Nina nodded She had passed three cities before arriving at Zuellni
”Did you pass through Grendan?” Nina asked
Karian nodded ”It tookmy travels, I had a teek layover in Grendan It wasn't boring over there at all because of the nu held Fortunately, I saw a Heaven's Blade successor lanced at Vance Vance didn't seem to know of it, so she waited for Karian to explain
”That isn't just a title for the twelve best Military Artists in the Lance Shelled City, GrendanA certain special item also comes with that title, but as an outsider, I have no idea what it is”
While listening to Karian, Nina thought of what ht have happened
Layfon was fro bus to Zuellni for first year study, this o
Five years ago? Layfon wasn't even ten years old!
”How is that possible”
”I know there are geniuses in this world But even I was greatly moved by his performance I was so surprised I was speechless I don't have the talent for Military Arts, but everyone watching that ht not even be ten years old yet, easily wielded the long sword and defeated an adult
”It wasn't just men, everyone was overwhelmed and shocked It was a rare and extraordinary scene A kid could actually reach the suet that name When I saw his name on the scholarshi+p application, it was impossible for me to miss it For him to settle in Zuellni, at this time, is like the birth of a savior At the same time, I didn't understand why he left Grendan and wanted to specialize in General Studies No, actually, I wasn't surprised at hi General Studies He doesn't need anyone to teach him Military Arts Even so, I was still curious about the real reason behind his decision, so I did so, and the results arrived atcere to re to her throat
Right
She suddenly realized why she was so angry
She got it now Layfon hadn't used his true strength during training Never ivable was the fact that he deliberately lost to her when they first fought He could have defeated her easily, but he chose to lose to her
It felt like an insult to Nina
Even so, the truth ht not be what it appeared to be on the surface
She suppressed her anger and thought more calmly Perhaps the excited Karian could calm her down further
What was Military Arts to Layfon? Perhaps he didn't like it If he liked it, even though he didn't need any training, he would have entered Military Arts
(Speaking of which)
She re supper at the Mechanical Department?
”Not Military Arts I've already failed it”
She had forgotten that soon afterward, distracted by the Electronic Fairy But thinking of it now, his words see
Failed? Just as that about?
The Layfon as a top Military Artist in Grendan Just what mistake did he make?
”He”
Nina almost perked up her ears by reflex
She wanted to know
But then, perhaps she shouldn't be listening to this If she knew, she ht not let Layfon stay in the platoon Perhaps she wouldn't be able to forgive hi in two directions, Karian continued
”He had tainted the reputation of a Heaven's Blade successor”
◇
So bad must have happened if he woke up in the hospital
”I'ain”
Layfon awoke and realized what he had done He held his head, hating himself
He felt it and found many lu
”Aah”
As heto escape the pain, his eyes wandered around the surrounding roo that looked like a big basket and three fes Then, rowdy noises drifted in from the corridor, and the door was pushed open
”Ah, Layton's up!” Mifi said loudly with a paper cup in hand Meishen and Naruki were standing behind her
”How do you feel? Are you all right? Speaking of which, you were incredible You gave me such a scare”
Layfon smiled sourly and sat up on the bed
”I didn't know you were that strong The last two ,” Naruki said
Naruki said that because she was also in Military Arts The bitterness on Layfon's face deepened
Noticing Layfon's look, she changed her expression
”So are you alright?”
Layfon took the juice from Meishen The juice refreshed his thirsty throat He drank as if to allow the liquid to seep through his entire body
”Thanks I feel much better”
Meishen's face reddened She lowered her head and half-ran fro bench
”Uot a bento”
”Uh, thank you”
Layfon got off the bed,bench and looked into the basket It was divided into two sections One held sandwiches; the other had things wrapped in paper that seery”
He hadn't eaten as his sto at the basket, noanted to eat
He took a sandwich and bit into it Feeling the look Meishen was giving him, he ate the sandwich in two bites and washed it doith juice
”It's delicious!”
Meishen's tense expression turned into a blosso smile
”Uh”
Layfon hesitated, his hand reaching out for ry It's okay if you eat it all”
”Yeah, yeah, yeah Just eat it all,” Naruki and Mifi said Meishen nodded So he took another sandwich
”I'll go buy soirls' sudden movements alarmed Meishen
”Wha- you two!” she protested
”Don't worry We'll buy your share,” Naruki said to Meishen, aving at theoing to celebrate the victory We've been invited too”
”Oh, okay, got it,” Layfon replied
Recalling thetook priority Naruki and Mifi left the room
Now that they were left alone in the roo next to Layfon, she fidgeted and played with her fingers, her eyes darting around
After finishi+ng the fourth sandwich and settling his stomach, he noticed Meishen's peculiar behaviour
(Ah, is she shy?)
And he felt aard and embarrassed It was bad of Naruki and Mifi to leave her when they knew she'd beco you make the bento”
”Not at all It's aththank you”
”Thank you?”
”You savedcere”
He wasn't thinking of saving her His body just moved on its own
That was all there was to it
”But, I was still saved”
”Then I'll gratefully receive your goodwill, but I've alhtly at the joke Feeling erabbed another sandwich
”Layton You're strong,” Meishen whispered as he finished up the last sandwich
”Nonot at all”
Even though he wanted to deny it, he knew inside him was another ”him” who couldn't deny hith in Military Arts He tried his all to hide it He didn't kno the Student President found out, but he thought he could solve this issue since Karian didn't seem to have leaked the secret
But he had dashed that hope in today's match
There ht they had mistaken him for someone else would noas a Heaven's Blade successor
”You're really strong Like how you struck down those two instantly”
The huge screen set in the audience section e
”But, why didn't you defeat the now lay before him He noticed the smell of earth on his clothes The Medical students had dusted off so hih to clean the dirty clothes While thinking of that, he remembered the pain in his head
(I round)
In the arena, Layfon had difficulty thinking because of his head buht back to the scene of Nina receiving repeated attacks Compared to hith, Nina was not allowing her concentration to falter fro”
He decided to be honest
”I don't care about thein it because I liked it I didn't have anyone encouraging me to study it I learned it because I had to”
”Besides, Military Arts isn't necessary toit,” he said in small voice
Meishen watched him ide eyes
Ifif he was ht have lost the ht, but he was unable to do so in battle As long as he held a weaponeven if he wasn't doing his best, he always fought seriously This had nothing to do with the strength of the opponent He had no feelings besides a desire to fight seriously for the result of victory
”I told you before that I'm an orphan, didn't I?”
Meishen nodded and e was terrible withat the dwindling food, I guessed the Head ain I was always afraid that one day, there ht not be food at all”
At that time, he encountered the way of the katana
”I was told I had a gift with the katana, so I decided to make money with it I participated in all kinds of matches and won lots of prize money”
And before he knew it, he had become a Heaven's Blade successor
Perhaps people who dreaed by his words To hih, this was his truth This was the value the title ”Heaven's Blade” held for hioal
”The situation at the orphanage irateful to me”
”So, you then decided not to train in Military Arts again?”
”Yes, since there was enough h for my school fees That can't be helped, so I had to earn h some other means”
”Don't you miss it at all?”
Layfon smiled naturally and nodded ”Yeah, but I still haven't found out what I want to do”
”You'll definitely find it,” Meishen said in a light and shy voice She hunched her shoulders, her body see at the floor, she added,”You were incrediblein the matchBut you were a bit devious”
”Huh?”
”Why did you win if you'd decided to lose the match?”
He wanted to say he couldn't think properly because of his injured head, but on second thought, he sed the words It wasn't a good enough reason; besides, he didn't want Meishen to know more about it
”Layton, you have your oay of thinking I don't knowmatchesbut, if you've decided to lose, I think it's better to lose the hAbout finding what I like doing, I can't properly explain why I likesweets I don't kno to discover an interest, so I can't give you any suggestions”
She paused as if to take a deep breath, and then continued, ”But the Layton I saw at the opening ceremony was cool I want to see the Layton from back then”
Her face was all red Then she added a light ”Sorry”
Layfon remained silent, and could only shake his head
Afterward, he chatted a bit with Naruki and Mifi They all decided to part ways before tonight's celebration party
Back in the dormitory, Layfon took off his dirty clothes and went to have a shower
Co on the desk
In it were Meishen's biscuits
”I don't really like sweets”
He had taken the package with hi to refuse her
Now he opened the paper bag The sealed-off aroar rushed out to pat his nose He wasn't sure why, but it se of Meishen surfaced in hissweets, she was doing a job she wasn't good at He recalled how she peeked at hi sandwiches, her face lowered and pink
He popped a biscuit into his mouth
”So sweet”
Of course
But he didn't hate the sweetness on his tongue It was good for the body to eat so in one hand, he fell into a sitting position He brushed aside the hair falling across his eyes, and gazed at the floor