Rubia felt like she was about to lose her mind.

‘What on earth is that leader doing?’

Surely, he hadn’t spent that much time with the kid. What kind of sorcery did he use to make the child so attached?

It was just unfathomable.

But no matter how absurd it seemed, reality was reality.

Apparently, that leader had completely enchanted the child.

‘What on earth am I supposed to do about this…?’

Rubia’s worries were completely justified.

As a businessperson, reading people’s emotions was the most crucial skill there was.

The emotion reflected in that child’s eyes, the solid resolve, was of the type that simply wouldn’t bend.

It was the gaze of a stubborn person who wouldn’t budge an inch.

Surely, just as the child had boasted, she wouldn’t back down until she could swing her sword again.

‘Why on earth is she going to such lengths…?’

Logically, she could simply do nothing and live a life of leisure. Why would she voluntarily undertake something so dangerous?

Moreover, the sword that was just swung was merely meant to intimidate.

It was to warn that such perilous situations could arise. It was simply a piece of advice not to get mixed up in it if she could help it.

And yet, that weakling who couldn’t even defend against such a threat wanted to join the Black Fangs?

‘Don’t be ridiculous!’

‘You all are completely unqualified!’

That wasn’t the declaration she intended to make.

However, the child’s words made it sound like an undeniable fact. This place had suddenly turned into an audition site for the Black Fangs.

‘I’m not even remotely someone great enough to be doing this in the first place!’

He must be from another world.

That’s how astonishing the leader seemed.

Incredibly competent and strong, the black-haired half-elf kid appeared to be capable of anything.

Usually quite clumsy but sometimes more terrifying than anyone else, that girl with monstrous strength.

Being associated with such individuals weighed heavily on Rubia.

She had no talent for magic.

She couldn’t even cast a Light spell, let alone a Fireball.

She despised exercise.

Her fitness was so pathetic that even one push-up had her gasping for breath.

Controlling the sword with magic…

She had managed to show off some seemingly impressive display of handling the sword.

‘But that only happened because it was an artifact!’

Rubia recalled what had happened that morning.

-Here, take this.

-Huh?

-The mana efficiency is a bit lacking, so using magic would be more effective. But for someone who can’t use magic, there’s nothing better for self-defense.

-T-thank you.

-Just drop a drop of blood and chant the spell, and you can use it right away. The spell is long, so I’ve written it down for you. Just memorize it and recite it!

-H-how did you figure that out?

-…Hey, the instructions were written in that guy’s storage.

If the original owner of the artifact knew how to use it, it certainly wouldn’t be in an unrefined state.

That was a painfully obvious lie.

Clearly, he must have discovered it using a power that tramples the laws of the world, just like how he dismissed the mana oath last time.

Anyway.

The important thing is that this power was something obtained purely by chance.

Rubia might even lose an arm-wrestling match against that girl if she took it seriously.

That’s just how weak Rubia had become.

But…

‘In this situation, I can’t just say that it’s impossible.’

The atmosphere here.

It was all under the grasp of that girl.

If the girl wasn’t convinced, the other kids wouldn’t be convinced either.

Saying things like the mana in this sword is almost depleted after one use…

Or if I use it once more, I’ll definitely be bedridden tomorrow, so can’t we just call it a draw?

Such remarks would fall on deaf ears.

She’d probably get cursed for joking around.

Since they were all so serious about it, she had no choice but to respond seriously as well.

‘Please hold on, my body!’

Rubia screamed internally as she continued the conversation.

*

“Alright, if that’s how it is.”

The woman before her spoke.

At the same moment, the sword moved again.

In the blink of an eye, the sword swept past the girl.

So incredibly fast.

‘I totally knew this would happen…’

She could clearly sense that something was moving.

But it was far too late.

In the end, she couldn’t react.

All her self-assured bluster, and she couldn’t even touch the sword.

But…

“Please, one more time.”

The girl said.

She could feel the woman before her grow flustered.

But the girl shot ahead before the woman could even speak.

She couldn’t give up now.

She absolutely could not give up.

So, she had to use any means necessary.

“This is to prove our resolve.”

The girl spoke confidently.

“I haven’t given up yet. I’m not giving up yet. So please! Just a little longer… please bear with me!”

The girl bowed her head in earnest.

Finally, the woman sighed and declared.

“Twice. That’s the maximum. No more than that.”

“…Understood.”

The girl said, fully focusing all her nerves.

She had to eliminate everything else.

Getting distracted by extraneous details would only hinder her.

So she aimed to erase everything except the person and the sword.

Breath, muscle movement, where the gaze was directed.

Feel only what was essential.

She had to react the instant the sword shot forward.

Move her body before her thoughts had a chance to process.

–Whoosh!

The sound of the sword cutting through the air.

It went flying past her side.

The girl quickly reached out her hand.

But…

She failed.

The sword was too fast.

Living in bondage for that long had made her body incapable of catching it.

“Really. Is it worth going this far?”

The woman in front of her asked.

And once again, it was a valid point.

Could someone like her really assist that leader?

Could an ordinary person like her?

Perhaps she was merely meddling when she shouldn’t.

She may just be causing unnecessary trouble.

But…

‘I promised.’

She had promised to help that person one day.

To stand beside him.

To become someone capable enough to do that.

“I was, fortunately, saved.”

“…”

“If I just appreciated that luck and enjoyed the life I gained by chance, it would certainly be the easy path.”

As she spoke, the girl glanced at the other children.

She had gained a new life.

She had acquired the freedom to do anything.

Just being content with that should make her future a lot easier.

There was no need to insist on joining that person’s ideals.

There was no obligation to volunteer for a grueling path to help create a better world.

“But that would only be easy, not the right thing.”

“…”

“I know it sounds foolish. To risk my life after barely saving it.”

“That’s…”

“But we survived thanks to that foolishness. We survived because of the foolish person who risked his life to save people he didn’t even know.”

‘…So how could I ignore what’s right?’

The girl turned back to look at the woman.

And nodding without a word.

Understanding the meaning, the woman prepared to swing the sword again.

This was the last chance.

The final opportunity to stand beside that person.

So…

‘I absolutely can’t fail.’

Slower reaction time?

Can’t reach the sword even if she extends her hand the moment it shoots out?

Then she must move before the sword is launched.

Don’t wait to feel and react.

Move before anything happens.

The sword is launched.

No, it hasn’t been launched yet.

She can see its path.

She can feel a future that hasn’t arrived yet.

What she needed to do was simple: just place her hand there.

The exact position.

The precise place.

‘Right now…!’

The girl reached out.

A dangerously timed moment.

She definitely grasped the hilt.

But.

“Ugh….”

It felt as if her arm would be torn off at any second. Agonizing pain coursed through her.

Her frail body simply couldn’t withstand the sword’s power.

Just when her hand was about to give up and release the sword…

She felt something strange.

Around the sword, she could sense mana gathering.

…It was the other kids.

The other children were squeezing out whatever little mana they had to help hold the sword.

But that wasn’t all.

Before she realized it, a crowd of children had gathered around her.

Some were using every ounce of strength to grip the hilt alongside her.

Even a child, bleeding from their hands, clung stubbornly to the blade.

They were all pooling their strength.

To stop that sword. To prove their resolve.

Before long… the seemingly unstoppable sword began to lose its power. With a metallic clang, it fell to the ground.

Her arms felt like they were about to snap.

Her legs were quaking so much from over-exertion that she struggled to stand.

But even so.

The girl staggered toward the woman.

It was the only natural thing to do.

There were words that needed to be spoken.

Something she absolutely had to express no matter what.

She sensed the look of shock on the woman’s face. But the girl didn’t mind, marching right up to her.

After living as a slave for four long years, against all odds,

Smiling brightly as if she was truly her age again.

The girl declared proudly, more confidently than anyone else.

“This is our resolve.”

‘Don’t underestimate our resolve.’