How to Live as a Half-Dragon

073. talent gap (1)

“When you say to warm up… ?”

Ophelia asked for confirmation before answering.

“I’m asking just in case, but the swordsman will also use a sword, right?”

“For now, it is, but… .”

It’s a sword, you have to deal with it a little.

However, if you expect too much, you will be disappointed.

I was worried that it would not be satisfactory.

Xian carefully said that, and Ophelia said,

“If it’s your level, there’s nothing to worry about. I just want to confirm a little bit.”

“that… song?”

“Warming up is simple, it’s just that the people holding the swords sweat a little.”

At the end of the conversation, the guardsman who had just left the room cautiously approached and whispered.

Ophelia rose from her seat.

“Looks like you’re ready. Please follow me.”

Drake left, following Ophelia as she left the banquet hall.

Xi’an also followed suit.

After exiting the building and walking for about 10 minutes, we arrived at the small gymnasium in Huwon.

At the entrance of the gymnasium, three lightly dressed women were waiting.

‘all… Is it good enough?’

All of them were strong performers.

There were people who were as strong as Stein, and there were people who were slightly less than Xian. There were people who did just as much as Xian.

Xian asked.

“But these people… .”

“Isn’t it better to have an opponent than to swing a sword in the air alone?”

“It has to be… .”

Warming up was, in a word, sparring.

The warriors who were waiting were all three.

Come to think of it, except for Drake, there were three of us, and it seemed that the level was similar.

“Obviously, a real sword can seriously injure you, so I’ll do it with a wooden sword.”

When she said that, I didn’t give any specific instructions, but the maids who accompanied me until here handed over the wooden sword to Xian’s party.

The opponent seemed to know without having to point it out.

Just because I saw people of the same level with my own eyes.

When Xian moved to a place where he would not get in the way of others, she followed suit.

‘How old are you?’

He is slightly taller than Xian.

Xian is about 150cm tall, which is a bit on the tall side for his age, so I don’t know why, but he seemed to be 3-4 years older than Xian.

“I will begin.”

“… … .”

Instead of answering her words, Xian silently bowed his head and squeezed the wooden sword in his hand.

I didn’t even relax so that I could respond whenever I ran into it.

‘Did I get out of the dreaded Dae Jin-woon?’

After a while, I wondered if I was an opponent of the right level.

Wouldn’t you like to meet a dragonian?

Wouldn’t you meet a Slayer-level strongman like Stain?

‘This is the first time.’

It was definitely the first opponent who could overturn the win or loss depending on how hard they tried.

She, who was wandering around looking for a gap in Xian, narrowed the distance at once.

‘hmm… what?’

Dalian was unexpectedly one-sided.

She rushed in first, but Xian was able to quickly take the offensive and drive her back.

“It’s pointless.”

When I was muttering something to myself that only a strong man can do, the other person who heard it said something.

“You look relaxed. I don’t know how long you’ll be so relaxed.”

But even if you hear that…

To put it bluntly, Xian thought that the situation was unlikely to change.

The opponent had the same amount of mana as Xian, but the driving force was weak.

It didn’t seem like they would end up in danger unless a Slayer came in and helped them out of nowhere.

‘But it’s strange… .’

According to Xi’an’s idea, the match should have been won sooner rather than later.

But it lasted surprisingly long.

As if he had been laughed at, Xian’s expression hardened before he knew it.

‘Why the hell… ?’

If I had to express the feelings Xian is feeling right now, the word frustrating would fit perfectly.

In fact, there is no decisive shot, so it is effective, and it is also maintaining a one-sided offensive.

However, the game continued to drag on for no reason.

Even now.

I hit the opponent again, but the result was not satisfactory. I thought I was aiming for a gap and fired at a speed that I couldn’t chase, but the result was at the level of a miss.

At this point, Xian frowned.

‘It’ll turn, really!’

From nob le mt l dot com

Most attacks are like this.

No matter how fast I attacked, the smooth blow didn’t come out well.

And in the end, even that is rare. As the opponent adapts to the movement, the frequency decreases significantly.

‘It’s not good in many ways… .’

Xian continued his offensive and was lost in thought.

‘What should I do at a time like this?’

I thought about it for a while, but couldn’t come up with a solution.

There is an option to put down the offensive and retreat rather than consume only stamina like this, but that was one option, not the answer.

‘Something… Is there any?’

It was then that the answer flashed through Xi’an’s mind.

“The compatibility of nothingness? Is this it?”

I remembered what I heard from Drake before coming here.

Anyway, summing it up, he said so.

Strong defense is not speed…

“Did you say power?”

I don’t know if it’s because Drake had the biggest impact on Xian’s growth, but he’s been fighting opponents based on his quick movements.

Even now.

In this sparring, he was using his unconscious speed to push his opponent.

But the answer lies in power, not speed.

Xian remembered a technique.

It was the technique that sent Basto into the goal during the day.

“Thanks to you, I’ve grown a bit again.”

Xian, who made a timing that the opponent couldn’t avoid, gave a blow by pouring mana.

cooong.

Of course, the power was not enough compared to the owner, so I couldn’t lay it down in one shot.

‘that’s enough!’

Perhaps because of that, the opponent’s defense collapsed greatly.

Sian’s wooden sword, which did not miss the opportunity, struck the opponent’s hand.

The match ended simply as the sword was thrust into the neck of the opponent who had spilled the wooden sword.

“Thank you Vasto… .”

I thought this was enough.

* * *

Ophelia, who was watching Xian’s match, exclaimed intriguingly.

“Hoo… Arie is a pretty talented child among my children… .”

He even lost to a child about three years younger than himself.

Ophelia was surprised by that.

“Funny boy, I can see why you’re interested, Drake.”

“I must have forgotten, but today’s purpose is not that one.”

The casual sparring in the name of warming up was actually neither Xi’an nor an event aimed at Stein.

In this plan, the two of them were mere attendants.

This afternoon, it was because of Cecily that Drake stopped by the palace and revisited it with Xian and his party.

“I know that, but… .”

Watching the little elf girl, Ophelia opened her mouth.

“It’s fun in a different sense, but what if you’re interested in what’s pleasing to the eye right now?”

It was clear that Cecily had a great talent.

You have the ability to read and deal with your opponent’s movements and even have the talent to embody them.

But not compared to the boy.

If the boy’s talent was the so-called perfect form, the girl Cecily’s was half of it.

It was because she didn’t seem to have any talent for embodying what she absorbed into her body.

Just looking at it now, it seems like he’s copying the movement he saw somewhere, but it was an attack that wasn’t threatening at all because the details were completely missing.

“Is this really God’s play?”

If they are going to give their talent, they will give it completely, but how did they create such an extreme vacuum?

In that respect, the word “God’s play” was a fitting evaluation.

“but… .”

Still, Ophelia liked her.

Even if it’s just that, the talent is great.

Because if you are yourself, you can fill that void.

“I think I fully understand why you brought that child here.”

“If it were you, would you be able to bloom?”

Ophelia.

He was the king of the Roman Kingdom located in the southern part of the Grandia continent and at the same time the owner of the Roman royal family, one of the 10 most prestigious slayer families.

Called by another name, the mercenary king, her speciality is none other than cultivating talented people.

“Well, it’s a simple thing. But… .”

As she was talking, she looked at Xian.

“Did you talk to him over there?”

“Now it is time to do it.”

“is it?”

In the eyes of Ophelia, the girl was heavily dependent on the boy.

Apparently, the same goes for boys.

There might be a difference in emotions with the girl, but it was clear that he was special.

It was clear enough to notice just by watching it for a moment.

“It will be a nuisance… .”

If the story didn’t work out, they said that from now on, the two should be separated.

The boy seemed to be able to convince them somehow, but the girl seemed to be very annoying.

“To be taught by this body is to become an adopted daughter.”

Roman, the mercenary kingdom, has a peculiar tradition.

It is a unique culture in which the throne is inherited from the strong regardless of origin, rather than the succession to the throne by blood.

For this reason, in the Roman royal family, talented girls are fostered as adoptive daughters.

Ophelia, who had such a tradition, was very pleased with Cecily’s talent.

“Are you sure you can convince me?”

“There’s nothing you can’t do if you put your mind to it.”

Drake laughed at Ophelia’s words.

“Then please do well. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of that guy.”

Drake’s eyes were on Xi’an.

* * *

“Now, stop!”

Ophelia’s voice to stop the sparring rang through the gymnasium.

The sparring between Stain and Cecily, who were still exchanging numbers, was brought to an abrupt conclusion at the sound of that voice.

Ophelia said as Xian approached her after the sparring was over.

“How about warming up after dinner?”

“Your opponent is a little weak.”

Xian was satisfied with his own answer.

It was because it seemed like a good answer that was neither too conceited nor too humble.

“Ha ha ha, is that so?”

As Xian continued to nod, this time Ophelia’s question was directed to Stain.

“How are you?”

Stain, who was asked after Xian, spoke politely.

“I learned a lot.”

Hearing Stain’s answer, Xian was startled.

Is that a little cooler… ?

Stein is usually picky and unlucky, but I hope Ophelia won’t misunderstand that one word.

It was right after Xian’s conversation with Ophelia was over.

“You want to talk to me for a moment.”

Drake has arrived.

“Can’t you do it here?”

“okay.”

He wanted to grumble, but he had a very serious face, so Xian soon followed.

Drake said as we arrived at a corner seat beyond the gymnasium wall.

“Your friend.”

“friend? Cecily?”

“okay.”

As I was listening to what he was saying, Drake’s voice continued.

“What do you think about leaving that child here?”

Xian widened his eyes.

Because it was quite unexpected.

“Are you here?”

Xian said while looking at Cecily and Ophelia in the distance.

The other side seemed to be talking about something serious.

“Why?”

“Remember what I said about that child before?”

“Something before… .”

“I should have told you about talent.”

Having said that, I remembered something.

It’s something I’ve just skimmed over, but it’s so subtle that I haven’t forgotten it yet.

“Oh, you mean half of that?”

“In fact, Ophelia has a great knack for bringing someone’s talent to bloom.”

Xian is not completely blind.

In this case, that word appeared because Cecily could fill the void in her lack of talent.

“ah… Then, what is the second reason for choosing Semaine?”

“right. It was because of that guy.”

Hearing Drake’s determined voice, Xian immediately fell into trouble.

It was because he needed to think about it seriously as he had not expected it to be related to Cecily.

“hmm… .”

“Aren’t you willing?”

“No, that’s not it… .”

okay. If you ask me if I don’t like it, it wasn’t.

Xian had no intention of rejecting anything good for Cecily.

In fact, the first contact with him was the result of a genuine desire to help, so it would be great if he could find a good place for him.

‘Drake knows that too.’

How did you meet Cecily and what is your relationship like?

I had briefly told him about it before.

Well, to sum it up, I felt sorry for being sold as a slave, so I paid a fair price and saved him, but after that, he said that he ended up together because the situation was not right.

‘So I would have made this suggestion.’

Drake said.

“Didn’t you also say that you wished that child could find a place to stay?”

right.

And that thought is still the same.

Because Xian still thought of Cecily as a colleague, not a slave.

“Leave… What is it like to put on? Are you taking me as a disciple?”

“No, it means adopting her as an adopted daughter.”

* * *

The Roman Kingdom, located in the southern part of the Grandia continent, has a unique culture.

Right away, the hereditary successor to the throne must be a girl, and must not be related to blood.

The only consideration is a strong person who will bring prosperity to the kingdom.

The original Roman king was born and maintained that way.

Excluding boys and handing over the throne only to girls was because it was suitable for succession to the throne as far away from blood as possible, and that iron rule was still being followed.

“It’s a unique culture.”

“The reason why such a culture was born is because there are many lands in the south that are barren and barren.”

There was a special product called iron ore, which boasts the best quality, but agriculture, the basis of which, could not thrive, so they had no choice but to suffer from hunger all the time.

For that reason, the mercenary industry naturally developed, and the culture of worshiping radish also took root.

It was the same reason why there was a culture where strong people, regardless of origin, were accepted without hesitation.

‘That’s why there were a lot of different races and the checkpoint was simpler than other places… .’

The fact that a lot of lost and wandering people flow into Semain here is also in line.

“Anyway, if you’re an adopted daughter, you’re going to become a princess, right?”

“Yes.”

Xian hadn’t heard in detail why Cecily didn’t want to go back to her hometown.

I was curious, but he wasn’t good at talking about himself in the first place, and he didn’t seem to answer even if I asked, so I didn’t really ask.

‘But if Cecily continues to live among humans anyway… .’

It was true that there was no other offer like this.

Considering Cecily, it was to the point where she had to ask for it.

“I don’t mind, but what if Cecily says she doesn’t like it?”

“Actually, the reason I tell you guys is to get cooperation for that part.”

After all, although Cecily was a slave, Xian regarded Cecily as another independent entity.

If he actually wanted that, Xian would have let him go without hesitation.

In other words, there was no reason to tell Xian in the first place.

Sian opened his mouth.

“Cooperation… .”

What should I do?