Chapter 3: The Duel between Hunter Apprentices (2)

“They always say that those who complain about their lack of talent simply don’t put in enough effort to reach the heights where competition demands it; the gap in talent is just the difference between those who refuse to try and those who easily give up, a result of laziness and surrender.”

Lena once believed this too, but was it truly the case? Before her stood a silver-haired girl with red eyes—this little girl, who looked at least six years younger, was cruelly mocking all the effort Lena had put into becoming a Ghoul Hunter with her unmatched talent and innocent gaze of a child.

It was as if the vast gulf of talent between them was being demonstrated; Lena’s sword never once touched Alice’s body. The girl named Alice danced around her like she was a monkey, effortlessly evading every slash, without even needing to block with her sword. At this moment, the silver-haired, red-eyed girl was perched atop a training stump, looking down at Lena, contemplating how to gracefully end the duel.

The only reason Lena still stood there, unknocked down, was probably because the girl’s brother had asked her to show mercy on his apprentice. So, Alice looked at Lena with that arrogant expression, seeking a way to finish the fight that wouldn’t leave her injured.

“Damn it!” Lena shouted, her voice choked with tears as she jumped onto the stump, swinging her sword with all her might. As Alice stood on the stump, unable to sidestep Lena’s attack, Lena thought she could at least force her to block with her wooden sword.

However, even so, Lena’s wish did not come true. Unbeknownst to her, even her current attack was made under Alice’s guidance. While Alice fought wild rabbits and giant bears in the Silya Forest, Lena was merely practicing her slashes on a stationary target under the guidance of a second-rate hunter.

At this very moment, she could only be thoroughly trapped in Alice’s scheme. As Lena unleashed her full-force strike, the silver-haired Devil looked at her with a disdainful gaze, as if to say, “Ah, so this is the best you can do.”

Then, in a strange burst of movement, Alice closed the distance to Lena. With the hilt of her wooden sword, she lightly tapped Lena’s shoulder just before Lena’s full-force strike came down, causing Lena to lose her balance mid-air and crash to the ground before she could even swing her sword.

Seizing the moment, Alice pressed her advantage, pointing the tip of her wooden sword at the fallen Lena’s throat before she could get up, proudly smiling at Lena’s brother as if to say, “See? I held back and defeated this girl as promised.”

“The winner is Alice.” Lena’s favorite brother, Reim, announced the result of the duel with a tone that suggested it was obvious.

“Damn it, damn it, you idiot Reim!” Lena wailed, lying on the ground in tears.

Then, as if someone were casting magic, a powerful whirlwind erupted between Lena and Alice, blowing the small Alice away as if protecting Lena. The little girl was sent crashing into some nearby wooden materials, and suddenly, another little blonde girl in a mismatched formal dress darted in between Lena and Alice, picking up Lena’s fallen wooden sword.

This golden-haired, blue-eyed Noble Young Lady, who had easily defeated Lena not long ago, angrily pointed the sword at Alice, saying, “How dare you make my good friend cry! Unforgivable!”

And so began the first encounter between Alice and Yulia-Ferancensa-Falks-Gulanna, the sixty-seventh heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Osy.