Not Stingy with Seeking Advice

The next day, early morning.

As sunlight pierces the darkness, gradually painting the horizon red and illuminating the earth, the Labyrinth City Orario, like a colossal beast awakened, comes alive once more.

One by one, the towers of the Twilight Manor were bathed in sunlight, gradually dispelling the chill of the night.

A warm, pleasant feeling enveloped everyone who had just woken up from their dreams, prompting many to even head to the sky corridor to bask in the sun.

Of course, sunbathing is just a side effect; most people actually focus their attention on the atrium.

There, two figures were engaged in a fierce battle.

"Clang!"

The sound of metal clashing resounded, causing the energy to spread slightly.

A sharp, small straight sword sliced through the air, heading straight for a blonde, golden-eyed girl, but was easily deflected by the scabbard she was tightly gripping.

The owner of the small straight sword was naturally Leo.

Today, Leo was neither carrying a shield nor wearing any of the various pouches he usually wore. Instead, he was only carrying a small straight sword, which he was fiercely attacking Ais, who was holding a scabbard.

His expression was focused, his eyes sharp, and as he looked at the frail girl before him, he showed absolutely no intention of showing any mercy. He moved around the girl, his small straight sword aimed directly at her neck, heart, back, abdomen, and other vital points, making one wonder if he intended to kill her on the spot.

However, facing this deadly attack, Ais never changed her expression or even moved an inch. She simply waved her scabbard and deflected the small straight swords that attacked her time and time again.

He deflected the blow aimed at his neck.

He deflected the blow aimed at his heart.

He deflected the blow aimed at his abdomen.

Even when attacked from behind, Ais merely flipped the scabbard in her hand and swung it behind her without even turning around. Yet, as if she had eyes in the back of her head, she easily deflected the attack.

Moreover, Ais doesn't just passively defend; once she seizes an opportunity, she will immediately strike, using her sword sheath to slash at Leo.

Leo tried to deflect Ais's attacks like Ais did, but every time he reacted, before he could even swing his sword, Ais's scabbard struck him, making him gasp for breath.

At this moment, Ais is undoubtedly a strict teacher.

"Your movements are too easy to read."

While fighting Leo, Ais also provided commentary in a monotone voice.

"It's like every move has a preparatory stance—that won't work." Ais deflected Leo's slash again with her scabbard, saying expressionlessly, "When the opponent is a monster, they won't read your movements, but when the opponent is an adventurer, this way you'll be seen through."

"You need to learn one thing: to launch an attack immediately from any position."

"Also, keep your eyes fixed on your opponent, but broaden your field of vision."

"When attacking, you can't hesitate or think for too long. When defending, you need to be accurate and not rely too much on your five senses. You need to cultivate your own combat intuition."

Ais isn't good at lecturing others, but she's good at sticking to the facts.

If you let her think of what to teach Leo, she won't be able to come up with anything even if she racks her brains, and she'll be so troubled by it that she can't sleep. But as soon as you fight her, she can immediately see the flaws in Leo and tell him how to fix them.

Therefore, similar scenes often occurred throughout the past year. The process of Leo learning swordsmanship from Ais was basically a process of being corrected, persuaded, and instilled in him through constant sparring, so that he could gradually get used to fighting, getting used to wielding a sword, and getting used to thinking in the critical moments.

As an ordinary person on Blue Star who would have to flee in a sorry state even if chased by a dog, Leo's courage to enter the Dungeon alone and fight the monsters there was entirely thanks to this.

It was precisely because of his constant fighting with Ais over the past year that Leo gradually became accustomed to combat, to wielding a sword, and to the way people in this world think that Leo was able to accomplish this. Otherwise, he probably wouldn't even have had the courage to enter the Dungeon.

Leo himself was deeply aware of this, so even though he was repeatedly struck by Ais with her sword sheath, and sometimes even knocked away by Ais with a single blow, he never complained even once. He always humbly asked Ais for guidance and to learn from her, trying his best to adapt to her fighting rhythm.

But his idea was undoubtedly a pipe dream.

"Bang!"

Another attack struck, and before Leo could react, Ais's scabbard struck him squarely in the chest, sending him flying.

"Cough cough----"

Leo rolled awkwardly on the ground a few times before clutching his chest and struggling to his feet.

"Are you alright?" Ais asked, looking at Leo. "Shall we continue?"

Leo rubbed his chest, took a deep breath, and nodded.

"Certainly!"

After all, the more Ais fought Leo, the more he realized that he still had a lot to learn.

Although Ais didn't say it explicitly, judging from the speed of her attack, Leo was certain that she had controlled her abilities to a level comparable to his own.

Since it's a lesson, even Ais should know that using a higher level to suppress Leo won't do Leo any good.

Therefore, Ais usually doesn't use her full strength when fighting Leo.

But why was Ais still able to hit Leo at a speed that Leo couldn't even react to?

It's very simple. Ais can always find Leo's blind spots and weak points in reaction. When she strikes decisively, she can hit Leo before he even has a chance to react.

This is a difference in both experience and skill.

The title of Orario's strongest female swordsman is not given lightly; it is earned through genuine skill.

This title is highly prestigious. After all, there are both Lv.6 and Lv.7 players in Orario. Although most of them are not swordsmen and are male, so they cannot be considered female swordsmen, Ais was able to obtain this title at Lv.5, so it is obvious that she must have real skills.

The gods bestowed upon her the title of "Sword Princess," while the people called her "Sword Princess." Both titles demonstrate that her swordsmanship was far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.

Leo, who is familiar with the original work, also knows that Ais's swordsmanship has an extraordinary origin, as it was directly inherited from the swordsmanship of a great hero from a thousand years ago.

It may not be profound, but it is certainly powerful; that is beyond doubt.

Therefore, Leo would never hesitate to ask Ais for advice.

"Clang!"

As the small straight sword clashed with the silver scabbard once more, Leo and Ais's sparring and instruction continued.

The fight between the two wasn't terrifying, but it was undoubtedly very intense.

"It's amazing that kid managed to keep going."

"If it were me, I'm not sure I could have kept it up."

"After all, he's always getting knocked away."

"You're impressed by that? Don't forget that kid is the only one who can be mentored by Miss Ais. If I had that honor, I wouldn't give up so easily either."

"Yeah, I don't know whether to be envious or admire them."

The members of the clan who had been watching the two fight were chatting in twos and threes in the sky corridor. Some sighed, some lamented, some admired, and some envied.

At first, when they saw this scene, they only felt envy, jealousy, and disdain. They wondered what merits this unknown human had to be so favored by their Princess. But after seeing the same scene for a whole year, they gradually changed their opinion of Leo. At least they admired him for being able to persevere.

However, a sour taste is definitely inevitable.

"Those two are really energetic; they're always fighting like that so early in the morning. It makes me feel a little itchy to watch them."

Tiona yawned and muttered to herself, watching from inside the sky corridor, just like the other onlookers.

"You know what, Leo does have some comprehension. Although he's always getting beaten up, he can quickly correct himself once Ais points it out. But once he corrects one thing, he immediately forgets about another. He's a typical example of someone who only uses his brain to remember things, not his body to do so."

Tione, arms crossed, calmly offered his comments, prompting many seasoned veterans around him to nod in agreement.

They all realized this as well. It was actually due to a lack of experience and an inability to apply knowledge flexibly. They could only rely on rote memorization, but rote memorization usually means that repeated review is needed to fully remember it. This caused Leo to be in a situation where he was focused on one thing but not the other, and he couldn't take care of one thing while focusing on another.

"There's nothing we can do; he's a newcomer after all."

"Although I've studied with Miss Ais for a year, how much can one really learn in a year?"

"He's only been an adventurer for less than half a month, isn't it normal for him to lack experience?"

"Once he trains in the Dungeon for a while longer, gets used to combat, and gains more experience, he should be able to apply everything Miss Ais taught him."

77

"[Sword Princess's ] disciple----"

"Let's hope he doesn't tarnish Miss Ais's reputation."

The people around him were chatting away, but one person seemed completely out of place.

"That guy—why does he always have such a shameless way of bothering Miss Ais?"

Lefiya Viridis gripped the railing, her body emanating a dark aura, looking like she had turned evil, and she cursed through gritted teeth.

Upon closer inspection, Lefiya Viridis's eyes were moist, brimming with tears.

"Waaah----I also want to be personally instructed by Miss Ais ----"

Isn't this the biggest wish and resentment in a young girl's heart?

Unbeknownst to anyone, the window of Finn's office in the tower directly to the north was actually open at that moment.

The three leaders of the clan were also there, watching Leo and Ais, exchanging their thoughts.

"Judging from his appearance, Leo isn't using his updated abilities at all; he's deliberately fighting Ais in the same way as before."

Finn chuckled as he said this, causing Riveria Ljos Alf and Gareth to exchange a glance.

"That kid did it on purpose, didn't he?"

Gareth spoke up suspiciously.

"Is he worried about Ais?" Riveria said, closing one eye. "He's afraid that his rapid increase in strength will upset Ais, that's why he did this."

The three of them looked at each other, and then fell silent.

"It seems that our newcomer's rapid growth isn't necessarily a good thing," Finn shrugged. "Not just Ais, if everyone else knew about Leo's growth rate, I bet they'd all be quite stimulated, wouldn't they?"

"Who can blame us when all the boys in our clan are so competitive?" Gareth smiled and said, "Especially Bete Loga. If he knew that the little guy he's always looked down on has risen so quickly, he'd probably be quite a shock."

"Lefiya Viridis might be quite a shock too, right?" Riveria glanced at Lefiya Viridis was still glaring at Leo through gritted teeth in the distance, and said, "According to Loki, Leo seems to have a lot of potential in magic. His strongest skill, 'Demonic Power,' is already at an A level. If he pursues the path of Mage, he shouldn't lose to Lefiya Viridis in the future."

They might not even lose to me, and could even surpass me.

Riveria silently added this sentence in her mind.

"Appropriate stimulation is actually a good thing, as it can promote the faster growth of clan members. Unfortunately, the young people in our clan tend to be reckless, and excessive stimulation may only lead to bad things."

Finn licked his thumb and gave a wry smile.

"But we can't keep it a secret forever, can we?" Gareth said bluntly. "We can barely keep it a secret now, but once Leo reaches Lv.2, or even higher, even if we don't announce it to the guild, we can't possibly go on expeditions without bringing such a promising newcomer along."

"By then, with so many people fighting side by side, how could we possibly keep it a secret?"

Gareth's words made Finn and Riveria both frown.

"Anything that's a dragon is destined to be uncontrollable."

Finally, Finn left behind this profound statement.

"We old folks can only look after them as much as possible."

With that, Finn returned to his office, no longer watching the game.

"Are we just going to have to take it one step at a time?"

Riveria sighed and went back as well.

"Is this the trouble of happiness?" Gareth laughed and said, "Let's deal with that kid's matter first."

Remembering what Loki had told them the night before, Gareth gave the order.

"Have Leo and Ais come over here after they finish training."

That kid is now a treasure of the clan; we have to protect him carefully.