A Slave Of Rubelfast – R15 - Chapter 21

Warm, moist, soft and wriggle…

 

It was natural to feel it in a person’s mouth, but the inside of the pit of the stomach seemed to flutter.

 

‘Well, it’s only natural to find it strange when others have my blood.’

 

Slarhan thought it was a bit disappointing that the wound on his thumb had completely disappeared.

 

It seemed like the strange feeling from earlier had vanished without leaving any trace.

 

It was odd, but it was a sensation he somehow wanted to experience again.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Startled by Ellier’s voice, Slarhan quickly raised his head.

 

“I’m fine. You’ll take a brief break from training and then focus on swordsmanship at the training ground starting next week.”

 

“Really? The knights won’t be happy about that.”

 

“Tariq suggested I use an official venue instead. It seems like the rumours about what happened behind the warehouse spread. Since Tariq outranks the mansion’s knight captain, it should be fine if he’s okay with it.”

 

“Is that so? Surprising. I thought Tariq would never let me use the training ground.”

 

“He’s not that rigid. Anyway, take a good rest for now.”

 

“Yes. Um… Thank you for today.”

 

“It’s my fault for not properly educating my subordinates. You’ve been through a lot.”

 

Just like that, the night when everyone’s misunderstanding took a strangely wrong turn, came to an end.

 

A few days later, in the afternoon, Tariq witnessed Slarhan sparring with Ellier in the middle of the gymnasium and taking care of her swordsmanship and almost fainted on the spot.

 

“Y-Your Excellency!”

 

“Hmm? What’s the matter?”

 

“H-How can you do this? Your Excellency personally teaching a sl*ve! And in the training ground…!!”

 

“What? You said it’s still fine?”

 

“When did I say that?”

 

“Last time. You told me that teaching Ellier behind the warehouse was the cause of that day’s incident. You suggested doing it in an official place instead.”

 

Even the knights, who were already astonished, around the training ground looked at Tariq with puzzled expressions.

 

They couldn’t believe that the fussy and meticulous Tariq had actually approved of this.

 

Slarhan was equally baffled.

 

Tariq hadn’t been drinking, and he wasn’t at an age where he would forget what happened last week.

 

“Just a moment… So, you’re saying that the things you did with this sl*ve behind the warehouse were…”

 

“To be precise, I watched her swordsmanship not in the warehouse but in the vacant lot behind the warehouse. She’s quite talented, and her ability to protect me might be necessary in the future.”

 

“Swordsmanship… you say?”

 

Seeing Tariq’s face filled with surprise and bewilderment, Ellier seemed to understand how things were unfolding.

 

And why on earth did ad the rumour spread that she was Slarhan’s woman?

 

“Master… it seems like that strange rumour has been misinterpreted.”

 

“Strange…? What do you mean?”

 

“Well… I’m really embarrassed to say this, but… um… you, Master, with me… inside the warehouse, doing, well, intimate things…”

 

As Ellier struggled to continue due to her embarrassment, Slarhan finally realised what she was trying to say.

 

And he glared fiercely at Tariq.

 

“Tariq! How dare you even imagine such things about me? How could you think I would do something like that with this child? And then you suggested doing it in an official place… Tariq Dinell!!”

 

Slarhan’s face flushed red, and veins stood out on his neck.

 

Finally, the other knights also realised what they had misunderstood.

 

“Oh, no, it’s… There were some who claimed to have seen you coming out of the warehouse with that child… and said she was crying.”

 

“Goodness! Is my reputation so low that such a ridiculous act is deemed possible?”

 

“I apologise, Your Highness.”

 

Tariq and the surrounding knights quickly lowered their heads.

 

Upon reflection, it was truly absurd.

 

What is it that the Great Duke of Ventiark, the heir to the royal bloodline, embraces a lowly slave girl with no redeeming qualities? And doing so in a dark and filthy warehouse!

 

But even though Tariq apologised, Slarhan couldn’t help but feel unjustly accused.

 

In fact, wasn’t it true that Slarhan cared for that slave child in a strange way?

 

It was all so absurd and strange that even groundless rumours ended up being believed.

 

As Slarhan was barely breathing his rage, Tariq lifted his head.

 

“If it’s about her swordsmanship, I will assign one of the senior knights to train her. You don’t need to do it yourself, Your Highness.”

 

“Her skill surpasses that of a senior knight. If we can find a high-ranking knight to instruct her, that would be better, but I doubt there’s one willing to train someone like her.”

 

“What? Are you saying she’s beyond the level of a chief knight?”

 

“Would you like to spar with her once?”

 

Ignoring Tariq’s perplexed expression, Slarhan announced the start of the duel, and Tariq, despite his hesitant look, stepped forward.

 

Ellier was also perplexed.

 

Slarhan had only observed her swordsmanship without any personal instructions, but he had a feeling that Tariq’s teachings were filled with ambition.

 

However, Tariq, standing in front of Ellier holding the wooden sword Slarhan handed him, felt severely sceptical when he saw the little girl before him like a rat. It was not a sword that he trained to fight against his opponents…

 

“Ellier goes first, start!”

 

Slarhan, who was not interested in what kind of confusion Tariq felt, soon announced the start of sparring, and Tariq couldn’t help but sigh and adjust the grip on the sword.

 

Even in war, a person could be killed by an unexpected arrow. So, he couldn’t afford to be careless, even if it was in front of a mere girl.

 

However, the moment he saw Illier’s eyes facing him, Tariq realised that what he was facing was not just a rat.

 

‘Ha, look at this?’

 

There was no mockery in Ellier’s eyes, nor any sign of fear.

 

She must have known that she would not be able to defeat Tariq, but her eyes were earnestly searching for his weakness.

 

‘Good stance and good eye. She has no intention of losing to a beginner like me. Ah, so this is what you meant by her spirit, Your Highness.’

 

Spirit was essential to the knights.

 

However, Ellier’s spirit was different from that of the ordinary knights Tariq had seen so far.

 

From Ellier’s body, there was an invisible flame-like sensation blooming in her eyes.

 

It felt like invisible flames were igniting from ‘her body, giving off a dazzling light and a scorching heat, a kind of life energy that made one’s heart race just by looking at it.

 

Tariq couldn’t quite put it into words, but just facing her unyielding gaze made his heart race.

 

It was a feeling of anticipation and excitement that he hadn’t felt in a long time.

 

“Come on, little one.”

 

“As for what happens during the duel, there are no restrictions, right?”

 

“You’re being arrogant.”

 

And at that moment, Ellier rushed at Tariq.

 

‘She’s fast!’

 

Of course, to a Spear Master like him, her movements were clear, but even lower-ranking knights couldn’t achieve that level of speed.

 

Thud!

 

As Ellier’s blade swept past him, she aimed directly at his right thigh, but Tariq quickly blocked her with his sword.

 

However, Ellier swiftly turned her body and aimed for his left side without hesitation.

 

Tariq didn’t expect her to attack so relentlessly, and he couldn’t block in time, so he dodged the strike.

 

When the opponent started evading, that was the opportunity. Ellier continued her relentless attack without giving him any chance to rest.

 

Neck, chest, left collarbone, abdomen, right shoulder, blocked, back to the neck, left arm, right thigh…

 

The non-stop attack and defence made the knights around them gradually tense up.

 

Slarhan had thought of duelling his sl*ve for fun, but it turned out that her skill was far from ordinary.

 

“Ugh!”

 

“It’s not just wrist strength, but the weight of your whole body!”

 

Tariq blocked Ellier’s attack and unconsciously shouted at her.

 

“Ugh!”

 

Ellier gritted her teeth and continued to press on.

 

However, the difference in physique between the two was at the level of an adult and a child, so no matter how you look at it, it was a fight that Ellier was about to lose.

 

Still, the fact that she could hold her own against Tariq was astonishing.

 

Everyone thought so, raising their hands to applaud her efforts.

 

But then, Ellier rolled to the side and tossed sand toward Tariq’s face.

 

“Hyah!”

 

“You little-!”

 

However, ever since Tariq became a junior knight at nine and now at twenty-seven, he has experienced all sorts of battles. Such shallow tactics couldn’t easily sway him.

 

Of course, Ellier didn’t think he would fall for it easily.

 

What she aimed for was to create distance between them.

 

‘In his past life, Tariq Dinell had only one weakness.’

 

Because of the cowardly act of throwing sand, Tariq burst out in anger, and Ellier was taken aback, trembling with tears in surprise.

 

‘Perhaps it’s because he’s a blunt person who memorises chivalry, and he’s surprisingly weak against women crying.’

 

As expected, just as Tariq was about to bring down his fierce blow with the sword, he hesitated.

 

It seemed that he was both surprised and sorry that the sl*ve, who had always been arrogant, was startled by his voice and even had tears in her eyes.

 

No matter how sparring it may be, pushing against a ‘young’ ‘woman’ in this way violated the chivalry he had adhered to.

 

And Ellier seized that momentary opening, immediately pointing her sword at his throat, wiping away her vulnerable expression.

 

“I won, Sir Tariq.”

 

“You… used such a cowardly tactic!”

 

With a mix of surprise and anger, Tariq looked at Ellier, who was smiling and whispered to him.

 

“It would be pointless to blame me for being cowardly after your head is chopped off, don’t you think?”

 

Tariq’s face froze instantly.

 

The knights, who were about to applaud, stared agape, looking only at Tariq and Ellier.

 

They might not know what Tariq would say now, but it was evident that this sl*ve girl would soon be punished for challenging him so daringly.