CH 141

Episode 141 – Promise and Declaration

TL Note: Sponsored chapter (1/4)

“N-no. I don’t… think that’s true… Compared to other people, I think your growth speed is definitely fast. In just one year, I don’t think a normal person could grow this much…!” Kirty tried to point out while averting her eyes. Certainly, I thought that most people couldn’t grow as much as I did in this one year. But it would be a completely different story if they had the same conditions as me.

As I was now, Kirty would teach me in the morning and night, and I would devote all of my time to training except for the monthly plant gathering trip. Most people couldn’t live like this, but if they did, they would have been able to grow just as much as I did, if not more. Even if we supposed that making personal connections and managing time constituted ‘talent’ to some extent, that didn’t mean that I had talent for swordsmanship in the end.

The fact that Kirty couldn’t make eye contact with me at all proved that what I was feeling was right.

“Kirty-san, you don’t have to be considerate about it. This is already something I’ve realized myself.” (Lewin)

“……N-no, I don’t believe that you have no talent, Lewin… W-well, it’s true that if you were to ask me whether you have positively outstanding talent, it would be difficult for me to agree, but at the very least, it’s not true that you don’t have any talent at all.” (Kirty)

“No, my growth curve has definitely flattened lately. Even I think it’s hard to say that I have talent in swordsmanship.” (Lewin)

“….Well, that may… be true. Even still… you managed to defeat the enemy commander, so I thought that you must have grasped something from that fight…” (Kirty)

“Sorry to say this, but what I felt was exactly the opposite. Instead of feeling like I grasped something from that fight, all I could feel was disappointment in my own weakness.” (Lewin)

Hearing my words, Kirty scratched her head with a stumped expression on her face. Because of Kirty’s strange bias on this matter, a heavy atmosphere flowed between us. After talking to Kirty about this today, I became even more convinced that I couldn’t continue on like this, but I wasn’t feeling down about it at all.

Even without an extraordinary talent in swordsmanship, I surely had the ability to make up for whatever talent I didn’t have. The fact that Kirty had trained me so much had greatly expanded the scope of [Plant Master]’s possibilities.

“So that’s what it was. As I said earlier… you’re still very young, Lewin. If you continue to grow like this—” (Kirty)

“At this rate, will I ever be able to defeat you one day?” (Lewin)

“……………….” (Kirty)

When I threw this question to her in a biting tone, Kirty clammed up. The reason why she started teaching me was because she expected me to become a swordsman who could surpass her one day. And yet, if I were to stay in Grezesta, I was sure that I would never be able to defeat her in my entire life. In order to live up to Kirty’s expectations and repay her kindness by surpassing her… the best option was to leave Grezesta.

“As you know, I’m still lacking in too many places. If I had a talent in swordsmanship that surpassed even you, then I could have the option of staying in Grezesta, but… I apologize.” (Lewin)

“But you can rest assured. By no means am I leaving Grezesta out of self-abandonment. I will definitely become stronger than you one day, Kirty-san!” I declared firmly to Kirty, who was still downcast.

To repay Kirty’s kindness to me for training me to this point, I had to beat her one day. I couldn’t achieve this through talent alone, but in order to fulfill my promise, I absolutely had to surpass her.

Kirty slowly raised her head, looking me in the eye, and smiled.

“…….I see. It seems you have your own thoughts on reaching this decision. In that case… I’ll be cheering for you. I’ll miss you, but until the day you surpass me and we meet again—I’ll be here waiting expectantly for you.” (Kirty)

“Yes! I’ll keep this promise with you, even if it kills me.” (Lewin)

“Fufu, you can’t die though. You’ll have to be alive if you want to fulfill your promise.” (Kirty)

I firmly shook hands with Kirty, who was finally smiling, to reaffirm my promise to surpass her one day. I would absolutely have to fulfill this promise one day.

I will become stronger no matter what.

I squeezed Kirty’s hand tightly as I made this vow in my heart.