***

Afterward, hell unfolded for Ariel.

She received training in various ways, such as running in the field, hunting barehanded in the mountains, and chopping firewood at Hyle’s house.

Through such rigorous training, the hands of the noble lady were covered in scars.

Ariel only wore hunting attire every day, leaving her dresses and corsets abandoned in the wardrobe.

May and Ron became increasingly worried as they watched from the sides. But there was nothing they could do.

This was because of the response they got from Marquis Louis, who stated that he willingly supported Ariel’s desire to learn swordsmanship.

If the marquis had seen the lady’s distress, May could only imagine that he would have ordered her to return to Atlan immediately.

Ariel, who was focused on training, occasionally questioned the effectiveness of her training. She wondered how chopping firewood, running, and hunting barehanded would help with swordsmanship.

But since Ariel was determined to become a master, she obediently followed Hyle’s instructions without complaining.

During this process, Ariel unknowingly built up her strength, power, and agility. And as she repeated the same routine every day, a year went by.

***

On a sunny spring day.

As usual, after finishing her morning physical training, Ariel put on a white hunting vest that reached up to her neck over a white shirt that came down to her knees.

The center of the vest was embroidered with black lace, and black buttons of the same color were fastened on top. She wore black hunting pants as bottoms and black boots that came up to her knees.

This monochromatic, tailored hunting outfit made her transparent skin and golden hair stand out even more.

Meanwhile, reflecting her tired state, her golden hair that had been tied up at the top of her head was slightly disheveled.

She was sitting on the floor, panting heavily, exhausted from training.

She was sweating profusely throughout the training, and she felt thirsty. But she didn’t feel like moving a finger.

She forced herself to endure day after day as if she were swallowing a bitter pill, and time flew by.

‘Yet I still cannot get used to this pain.’

Ariel let out a small sigh and brushed her sweaty bangs back with her hand.

It was then.

“Now it’s time to activate your mana.”

Although she heard it clearly with both ears, Ariel couldn’t believe it. Mana training, all of a sudden.

Ariel stood up as if she were waiting and stood in front of Hyle.

“I’m ready.”

Brushing the dirt off her hip, the tired look on Ariel’s face disappeared.

She showed a strong determination not to miss this opportunity. A satisfied smile appeared on Hyle’s lips as he quietly watched her.

Hyle approached and placed his hand on Ariel’s shoulders.

“Close your eyes and feel the mana scattering throughout your body.”

Ariel closed her eyes as Hyle instructed.

She didn’t know what it meant to feel mana, but she followed his instructions.

But suddenly, a sensation emerged, and she could feel the energy of mana scattering throughout her body from head to toe.

It was possible since her entire body was a mana core. But because her mana core was not trained, the mana was not compressed and spread throughout her body.

“The mana is scattered throughout every inch of your body. It feels like flowing water.”

To maintain her focus, Ariel still nodded without uttering a word with her eyes closed.

“We will move the mana and gather it around your celiac plexus.”

Following his instructions, Ariel focused the mana scattered throughout her body onto her celiac plexus, resulting in a slightly stronger mana core.

‘Let’s concentrate more…’

She continued to gather even the mana particles remaining in her fingertips and toes toward the center of the mana core, but Ariel did not stop.

It was only after absorbing even the small amount of mana floating around her that she opened her eyes.

“I feel like my mana has become stronger.”

“That’s right. A proper core is now starting to form. As your mana manipulation improves, the quality of your core will also improve. The size of the mana core will remain the same but will become broader and deeper.”

Hyle explained the principle of the mana core to Ariel.

A mana core stores mana in proportion to its size, and the more you train it, the better your ability to compress it.

When mana is compressed, space is created in the mana core, and the mana core needs to generate more mana to fill it.

After his explanation, Ariel lowered her head and examined her body. She had only gathered the scattered mana, but she felt like she could fully unleash her physical abilities.

Of course, there was no visible difference.

Watching this scene from the side, Hyle recalled his first encounter with Ariel.

At that time, he was completely unprepared, but witnessing her ability to form a mana core within just a year, he couldn’t help but admire himself. He even felt proud that his judgment was not wrong.

“And now let’s get into action.”

Hyle said as he unstrapped the sword off his back and threw it to Ariel.

Ariel caught it like a fish out of water. She then looked at the sword she held in her hand with wide eyes full of surprise.

“This is, Master’s longsword, right?”

Ariel drew the sword from its scabbard. It was Hyle’s sword.

Curiosity filled her face as she looked down at the sword.

“Yes. That is a sword made by ancient sorcerers whom I saved during the war a hundred years ago.”

If they were ancient sorcerers, she had read about them in history books. They were described as mysterious beings who existed in this world for over 3,000 years and possessed the power to handle the creator’s power.

“I see.”

“Look at the handle closely.”

There was a transparent, star-shaped gem embedded in the hilt, filled with red liquid.

Ariel turned her gaze away from the sword and looked at Hyle, curious about what it was.

“That star contains a special ability that the ancient sorcerers put in specifically for me. The sword is designed to target the enemy’s weak points. With this ability, I can defeat an opponent in a single strike. Of course, I can control this ability freely.”

Ariel was very curious about why he gave her such a powerful sword.

Knowing Ariel’s true emotions, Hyle burst into laughter and continued speaking.

“That’s right. I think it will suit you better than me. Even though I appear to be in good shape, I’ve grown old and weary. I am too exhausted to fight anymore, whether it is to acquire something or protect it.”

“Master.”

“I know what you want to say. But Ariel, when I watched you train, I’ve always thought that you may be the rightful owner of this sword.”

Ariel reproached herself for her childish complaints about her master’s training, unable to hide her emotions. She stomped the ground with her foot, fixing her gaze on the floor.

Meanwhile, she tightly held the sword in her arms like a mother cradling her baby.

Hyle smiled with satisfaction at Ariel’s appearance.

He wondered why he hadn’t offered it to her before. Numerous thoughts passed through his mind.

As a result, he forgot to add whatever he was planning to say and blinked his sea-blue eyes.

‘Ah, right. It’s about monster hunting.’

He quickly continued speaking.

“But today, you proved that my instincts were right. There’s no better teacher than a real-life battle. Although you haven’t reached the level of a swordmaster yet, let’s hunt monsters together and improve your sword skills.”

The gazes of May and Ron, who had been watching from the side, shook uneasily at his words. Soon, they looked at each other with expressions of despair.

If it became known to the world that the daughter of a marquis was hunting monsters… It might be impossible for Ariel to marry. Worried, May tapped her foot anxiously.

At that moment, Ariel approached them, touching the back of her head with a troubled expression.

“May, Ron. I’ll tell my parents myself, so keep it a secret until then.”

“Yes, Miss…”

Seeing how Ariel had approached her training until now, the two of them couldn’t refute anything and simply agreed.

Satisfied with their immediate response, Ariel turned her head, and her tightly tied golden hair shimmered in the air.

‘Aah, when Madam Rose scolds me later, I will tell her I don’t know…’

‘How could I look at the Marquis.’

But May and Ron, who remained behind her, watched her back as she sheathed the sword she had been given by Hyle.

For a moment, May buried her face in both of her hands. Then Hyle¹I’m not sure if it’s a typo and if it’s supposed to be Ron, but the author really wrote Hyle raised his hand and stroked his rough cheek.

While the two organized their thoughts, Ariel and Hyle prepared to embark on the magical beast hunt.

***