Chapter 2: Kennan II
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Orphelia’s remarkable talent was quickly conveyed to the kingdom. The nation could not afford to overlook her. Lande understood that those with talent were a resource for the country.
One day, a knight dispatched from the kingdom visited Orphelia’s home. His purpose was to assess the girl with his own eyes and determine how to proceed based on his evaluation.
When the girl crossed swords with him, the outcome was a narrow victory for the knight. However, this result was nothing short of extraordinary. The knight had risen through the ranks of the kingdom’s Order of Knights to become an instructor at the Swordsmanship Academy, showcasing his formidable strength.
Witnessing their daughter engage in a duel with the knight, Orphelia’s parents were overjoyed, jumping up and down together, realizing that their child possessed incredible swordsmanship talent.
Yet, as they learned that the opponent was not just any ordinary knight and that their daughter had fought him nearly on equal footing, they gradually grasped the significance of the situation, their faces turning pale.
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Following this, Orphelia was scouted and admitted to the Swordsmanship Academy run by the kingdom. Initially, her parents hesitated, but after hearing that this opportunity was for their daughter and that she would become a renowned swordswoman in the future, they reluctantly agreed to live apart from their nine-year-old daughter, tears in their eyes.
“On days when school is closed, your father and I will come to visit you,” her mother said, weeping.
Orphelia, also in tears, clung tightly to her mother and father. Despite being only ten years old, she possessed a maturity far beyond that of her peers, and somewhere in her heart, she thought that perhaps it was unavoidable.
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School life was dull. Rules, rules, and more rules governed everything. It would have been bearable if there were any benefits for her. However, there were neither classmates with whom she could grow nor teachers she could rely on for her development—both were absent from this academy.
Her classmates were all mediocre, and due to her overwhelming strength, she was treated like a pariah, not just by her peers but also by upperclassmen and teachers, leading her to become increasingly isolated.
It didn’t bother her much. All she needed were her parents. That was her true feeling, but it was still difficult to endure the unbearable monotony of school life.
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During this time, she overheard her classmates discussing the possibility of skipping grades. Orphelia thought this was her chance. If she could manage to keep going, she would surely advance faster than planned. Relying solely on this hope, she trained alone in solitude.
On that day, she was once again practicing her basic training in a secluded area of the academy.
“Hey, aren’t you that little lady from before?”
A voice called out from behind her. Turning around, she saw the knight who had been sent to scout her in the village. Orphelia bowed her head slightly, maintaining eye contact.
“What’s up? Are you getting left out?”
He laughed heartily. Orphelia thought he was as crude and lacking in delicacy as he appeared.
“And what about you? Slacking off in a place like this?”
She shot back defiantly.
“Ha! What a brat you are!”
Annoyed, Orphelia quickly retorted, “Sorry for being an unadorable brat!”
Her parents had drilled into her since she was little, “If someone hits you, hit them back! If you feel threatened, just strike first!” They were usually gentle and tearful when parting from their daughter, but their teachings were reminiscent of a tough martial arts instructor.
Those lessons had firmly taken root in her.
“Che! A kid like you talking back!”
“And who was it that had a good match with that kid?”
“Ahhhhh!”
This marked the encounter with Simmons, whom Orphelia would secretly come to acknowledge as her mentor, even if she would never admit it aloud.
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