Chapter 5: The First Disciple Leilia(5)

The moment Leilia became a Swordmaster.

I realized that the quest was completed.

Quest Completion.

Reward: Clue to return home (1) awarded.

“…This is the reward?”

I examined the pebble in my hand, but there was no particular gain.

“It doesn’t work with divination magic, either.”

I couldn’t figure out what kind of object it was.

It looked like a pebble with nothing special except for its unique color, but it was a reward from the quest.

I should probably keep it with me for now.

“If I complete all the quests, something will happen.”

It was an optimistic thought, but it didn’t change anything even if I tried to think about it, so it didn’t matter.

“Rather, if Leilia has reached Swordmaster….”

While feeling proud, I also sensed that I had to leave her side.

‘Nothing good will come from staying together.’

For Leilia’s safety, that would be better.

The Haisen family was in utter shock and astonishment at the birth of a Swordmaster.

Did they even imagine that the Swordmaster would be Leilia, who had never touched a sword before?

Some people who heard this rumor made ominous speculations that Leilia had made a contract with a demon, but those who saw Leilia’s swordsmanship at the time knew it wasn’t.

Perhaps, everyone would say in unison.

That it was swordsmanship that showed the life of a human named Leilia.

Ah, the matter of Leilia’s breaking off the engagement was another topic for a while, but Felia, the head of the family, thoroughly controlled the mouths of the servants and the servants.

The head of the Atilen family thought that he had to proceed with the engagement the moment he saw Leilia’s sword.

‘A Swordmaster… I definitely can’t miss her.’

Engaged to a Swordmaster. Moreover, Leilia was still young, so there was endless potential for her to grow stronger.

However, his hope was immediately shattered the moment the words of breaking off the engagement were uttered from Leilia’s mouth.

Afterwards, he cautiously spoke to Felia out of regret.

“…Since my daughter is a Swordmaster, how could I force an engagement?”

He had no choice but to understand with these words.

Even Richard, after seeing her sword, said this to his father.

“…Father. I want to enter the academy.”

A place where talented people gather and learn, regardless of their status. The academy.

Until now, Richard had only wielded his sword in a superficial way, but the moment he saw Leilia’s sword, he realized he had been mistaken.

‘I wanted to put everything into the sword.’

He saw the high realm that could never be reached in his life, and he was fascinated by the sword.

‘A firm gaze, I can’t stop him.’

The head of the Atilen family finally allowed his son’s aspiration to enter the academy and immediately headed there to go through the procedures.

One found a dream in Leilia’s sword, and one found his daughter’s true happiness.

And so, it seemed like everyone had a happy ending.

‘Teacher. I can actually see my teacher!’

Leilia was humming to herself, choosing her clothes.

Although her achievement of becoming a Swordmaster and her father’s recognition were important, the most important thing for her was her teacher’s recognition and affection.

Because, for the past year and a half, she had made herself a Swordmaster, despite having nothing.

Leilia didn’t know the detailed identity or even the name of her teacher, but she knew one thing for sure.

That there was an emotion beyond respect: love.

‘I only wore clothes that were easy to wield a sword in my dreams, so if you see me now, you’ll be surprised, right?’

Wanting to look good in front of someone you like was a basic need and desire of a human.

Now, it was the same for Leilia, who had become a Swordmaster.

Even if her level was high, she was an ordinary girl only a year ago.

‘…This will reveal too much of my body. Is it o, okay in front of Te, Teacher?’

Leilia blushed and looked forward to tonight.

‘Teacher will surely be surprised, right?’

Leilia’s dream.

It was a landscape she was used to, but today’s dream was something strange.

‘There should have been a clear sky originally…’

The sky had a ominous grey tone, and it was cracked here and there, as if it had been broken.

“Leilia.”

She responded to her teacher’s call, feeling puzzled.

“Yes! Teacher. Today, what happened to me was… u, uh?”

Just before Leilia was about to excitedly explain. She suddenly felt goosebumps all over her body.

Since becoming a Swordmaster, her senses had become even more sensitive, and she had even gained an extraordinary sense called intuition.

And that sense was now firmly warning her.

‘Why, why do I have this bad feeling?’

Leilia was skeptical, but she wasn’t used to this kind of experience, so she thought it was just because of her mood.

“Congratulations on becoming a Swordmaster.”

Her teacher congratulated her, but he had a somewhat bitter expression.

Leilia should have noticed at this point, but whether she was excited about becoming a Swordmaster or pretended not to know, she said cheerfully.

“Yes! It’s all thanks to you, Teacher! If it weren’t for you… I would probably be sold to an unknown family by now.”

“No, it was also because of my teachings, but in the end, your talent was great. Perhaps, you would have become a Swordmaster someday even if I wasn’t here.”

“Teacher. Why are you always acting like that? Like you’re about to leave?”

Leilia jokingly asked, hearing her teacher’s words, who was acting as if he was about to leave, but her teacher fell silent.

“T, Teacher?”

“…Teacher? Are you, not?”

Did she finally sense something?

Leilia looked at his face with urgency and desperation.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Teacher? What are you sorry for… Why, why are you saying that? Ho, hopefully, is it because I became a Swordmaster?”

Leilia stammered and grabbed her teacher.

“No. Rather, I’m proud.”

“Y, yet why?”

“If I get too involved with you, it won’t be good for you.”

“What does that mean? Is, is Teacher in danger? I, I’m a Swordmaster. A Swordmaster that few people exist in the continent. I can protect Teacher!”

“…No. It’s too dangerous.”

‘It’s not that she can’t with the power of Swordmaster…’

Among those who were after him, there were beings beyond humans, and there were several ‘transcendents’ who had surpassed the human realm.

No matter how much Leilia was a Swordmaster, she couldn’t possibly defeat them.

“B, but this isn’t right. Why, of all times…”

Today should have been a happy, joyful day.

She had reached the supreme realm of a Swordmaster, she had revealed her hidden achievements, and she had been recognized by her father.

But, but why…

Leilia felt that her excited mood had fallen into the abyss in an instant.

“Y, you promised. That you’d come to see me when I became a Swordmaster…”

“I’m sorry. I don’t think I can keep the promise.”

With the calm words, his figure became increasingly blurry.

“You’re the only disciple I’ve ever had.”

“Ah, no… No!”

“Now live as you wish, as you want. Although it may be difficult and painful at times, when you look back, it will all be memories.”

Leilia desperately held onto him, but she only grasped the remains that were already scattering.

“…Teacher? T, Teacher?”

And so, as a year ago, her teacher disappeared suddenly.

Leilia, who was left behind, stared at the empty space with an empty look.

What is this.

This. There was no way this was reality.

This had to be a dream. It had to be…

“…It’s a dream. A dream. Haha…”

A teacher whose name she didn’t know, and whose face she didn’t know.

Leilia, when she first met her teacher, was wary of him, but always thanked him for giving her such an opportunity.

It was the same even after she had a feeling beyond respect.

But, this wasn’t right.

So suddenly, so absurdly.

She felt a sense of emptiness in a corner of her heart.

And within it, feelings of annoyance and resentment, despair, and many other negative emotions began to boil.

In the end, a tear streamed down her cheek.

“D, don’t go…”

“Please come back. Please. Teacher…”

“I, I can’t do anything without Teacher…”

The image of Leilia crying sadly was both pitiful and touching.

However, cruelly, no one answered her response.

The sky collapsed, and the ground sank.

Leilia’s dream was gradually shattered, and just before the world collapsed.

A familiar voice was heard in her ears.

“…My name is Myeong.”

*Clang~!

Waking up from the dream, she wiped away her tears and mumbled.

“Myeong, Myeong, Teacher’s name is Myeong…”

From the end of the night until the day. After muttering for a while, she came to a realization.

That freedom always comes with a price.

Having lost her teacher and being alone, she finally realized that she had obtained true freedom.

“…I don’t feel so good.”

Seeing Leilia’s crying face at the end, I felt a strange pain in my heart.

I unintentionally said my real name, but since I’ve never used my real name… It’s probably okay, right?

Leaving the Haisen family’s castle behind, I left the Aion Kingdom.

Even at this point, I thought that the effect of the magic, the Illusion Dream, was just a form of lucid dreaming.

Without knowing why it was called the Demon Queen’s magic, and what the added effects were.