Ais's expression was serious, and the image of the greatsword rushing toward her loomed larger and larger in her eyes.
Ais watched Liber's figure follow close behind the greatsword.
She flicked her rapier upward, knocking the incoming greatsword away.
Then she lowered her body and pushed off with both feet.
Her supple body flipped through the air as she dodged the incoming broadsword to the side.
After evading with a turn, Ais pointed her rapier straight at Liber's face in midair, forcing him to dodge backward.
Then, the instant she landed on one foot, she pushed off and thrust her whole body forward along the line of her attack.
Liber retreated to open up some distance, but when he saw the rapier's point drawing closer, he steeled himself, planted his feet, and pulled the broadsword he had swung back toward his body.
Ais felt the current of air from the blade as it was pulled back. Compared to her rapier, the broadsword had an advantage in both blade length and width.
Without hesitation, she angled her rapier beside her body to meet the incoming broadsword. Then she let its force carry her sideways through the air. After flying some distance, she landed lightly and stood upright again.
After pulling his sword back, Liber reset his stance and held the broadsword vertically in front of him with both hands.
He let out a breath, then fixed his gaze on Ais, who had just landed.
Ais watched Liber reset his stance and squared off against him again.
In their brief exchange, Liber had gained a slight advantage thanks to his broadsword's length, briefly suppressing Ais, who was holding back her strength.
Liber used magic to return the greatsword lying in the distance to his personal storage space, then gripped the broadsword in his hands.
They stood quietly facing each other for a while. Then a chirping bird broke the tense silence, and they charged at each other again, their weapons clashing fiercely.
At times, the figure wielding the broadsword slid across the ground; at others, the golden-haired figure flipped through the air.
In the courtyard of Twilight Manor, the crisp clang of metal rang out intermittently.
As time passed, the sunlight grew dazzling, and the sunlit courtyard grew sweltering.
After a sharp clang, Liber planted his broadsword in the ground with both hands to slow his backward slide.
Once he came to a stop, he leaned both hands on the hilt and panted heavily. Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his face and struck the grass. He was drenched in sweat.
His face was flushed from the heat, and his eyes were dry and sore.
When he looked at Ais, he saw her standing where she was. She panted a few times, then steadied her breathing.
Her slender figure hadn't wavered at all, and there was barely any sweat on her face. She looked full of energy, with plenty left to spare.
Seeing how relaxed Ais still looked, Liber took a few deep breaths to soothe his labored lungs. Then he straightened up and gave her a wry smile.
"Let's call it here for today. I'm completely exhausted, so I need to rest. I still have to go to the Dungeon this afternoon."
Ais looked somewhat hesitant, but nodded.
After putting away the broadsword, Liber stretched his shoulders and said to Ais,
"Thanks for the trouble, Ais. Today's training really gave me a good workout."
"Don't mention it." Ais hesitated, then said, "You can just call me Ais."
"I can, but... why?" Liber asked, puzzled.
"New member. Want to be friends," Ais said, her fair face faintly flushed.
Liber froze for a moment, then smiled. "We're both members of the same Familia. Haven't we already become friends?"
"Mm." A faint trace of happiness appeared on Ais's usually cool face, making her already flowerlike beauty seem even more radiant.
Liber stared at Ais's smiling face, momentarily entranced. A moment later, he awkwardly looked away under her puzzled gaze.
He blurted out, "It's getting late. I'll go back to my room and wash up. I still need to explore the Dungeon this afternoon. See you."
Then he turned and hurried out of the courtyard. Ais watched him leave in a fluster, her face full of confusion.
After hurriedly returning to his room, Liber rested for a while and then teased himself over what had just happened. "That was so pathetic. She smiled a little, and I couldn't handle it."
He sighed and put the whole thing out of his mind. After washing up and tidying his clothes, he prepared to head out to Adventurers' Street.
When he passed through the courtyard, he saw that the figure from earlier was gone, and he felt relieved.
Then Liber realized what he was thinking and smiled helplessly before hurrying out.
By midday, Adventurers' Street was packed with people.
After grabbing a quick meal, Liber went to a weapons shop that sold arrows.
He had originally planned to buy throwing spears, but the money he'd earned from his Dungeon adventure yesterday wasn't enough to buy even two decent ones. Poor-quality spears wouldn't last long, and they'd take up precious space in his storage.
So he decided to buy arrows instead and stock up on ammunition.
Arrows were much cheaper than throwing spears. He bought more than two hundred for about the same price as two spears.
He put the arrows he'd bought straight into his storage space, ignoring the astonished looks around him.
He needed to speed up his growth. Loki had praised him for having personal storage because it was convenient. If he kept limiting how he used it, he would only slow his own progress.
Thinking back to his training with Ais that morning, he felt a little unwilling to accept the gap between them.
Even though he knew she was a genius, he hadn't truly felt the difference until they crossed swords.
At fourteen, Ais Wallenstein had become a Level 5 adventurer. She was now hailed as the fastest-rising genius in Orario.
Though she still looked young, the gulf between them seemed like a chasm, even though they were around the same age.
With frustration at his own weakness weighing on him, Liber strode toward the Dungeon.
After hurrying along, he reached the road from the second floor of the Dungeon to the third.
At the end of the passage, drawn perhaps by Liber's footsteps, which he made no effort to conceal, came a series of faint roars from the darkness.
Liber's gaze shifted, but his feet never stopped. He stared straight ahead toward the end of the tunnel.
There, pairs of scarlet eyes lit up in the darkness. A group of Kobolds had gathered.
Suddenly, one Kobold began panting rapidly. As if unable to wait any longer, it broke away from the group and cautiously approached Liber.
Liber didn't stop, continuing forward.
The Kobold let out a sharp roar, as though provoked, and lunged at him.
As the Kobold drew closer,
a greatsword gradually appeared in Liber's hand.
The Kobold's eyes immediately turned fierce. It extended its sharp claws and swiped at Liber.
The next moment, its claws were blocked by the greatsword.
"Thud!"
Then came the sudden sound of flesh striking flesh.
While blocking the Kobold's claws, Liber clenched his free hand into a fist and punched its hideous head.
The Kobold howled in pain. Much smaller than a human, it was sent flying by Liber's blow and crashed to the ground.
Seeing their fellow monster get knocked away, the other Kobolds lost their restraint and all charged at once.
Watching the Kobolds charge as a group, Liber felt his own fighting spirit stir again.
Thinking of his battle with Ais that morning, he was filled with frustration at his defeat and anger at himself.
Liber approached the Kobold howling on the ground, grabbed it, and hurled it with all his strength toward the charging group.
A couple of Kobolds cried out as several of those rushing forward were struck.
The advancing monster group ground to a halt and fell into disarray.
One Kobold after another tripped and fell. Seeing the obstacles ahead, those behind stopped in their tracks.
Just then, Liber charged forward.
He closed in on the front of the chaotic group and, taking advantage of the confusion, drove his greatsword straight through two Kobolds in a single thrust.
Blood splattered across Liber's cold face. Amid their shrill howls, the two monsters began to vanish.
Seeing their companions disappear, the Kobolds disregarded those who had tripped in front of them, trampling over them as they charged at Liber.
Seeing this, Liber took a broadsword from his storage space and used magic to lighten it. Gripping it in both hands, he spun through the monster horde, knocking away each creature that leaped at him.
He enchanted the greatsword in his hand to float beside him, using it to deal with the Kobolds the broadsword missed. He blocked each Kobold's close-range attacks with its claws and fangs.
When the broadsword sent them flying, he used the floating greatsword to pierce them in midair and kill them outright.
Time passed.
The noise in the cavern gradually died away.
Liber cleaved the last Kobold in front of him apart with his greatsword.
As its Magic Stone dropped to the ground, the brief battle came to an end.
Liber looked at his clothes and weapons, all soaked in blood. Half his face was covered in the monsters' blood.
Around him, scattered body parts slowly vanished.
Discontent filled Liber's cold expression.
This still wasn't enough.
He murmured under his breath.
His heart pounded with excitement. His blood raced through his body, and his temperature gradually rose.
"More monsters. Fiercer battles."
Liber was filled with exhilaration and discontent.
Like a berserker, he dragged his greatsword along the ground and took one step at a time toward the deeper floors of the Dungeon.
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