GILF Hunter

Chapter 504: 504 Just for Something Like That

’Ugh...’

’Priestess. Your posture is wobbling too much.’

The swordsmanship lesson, now marking its fifth session.

Frenda stood still in a formal stance, holding a wooden sword.

It was a simple task of maintaining the posture the knight had set for her, but Frenda had been standing there for quite a while without moving an inch. Her arms were starting to tremble.

When she subtly tried to move her mana, the knight in front of her pointed it out.

’You must not use reinforcement or recovery.’

’B-but, I just... wanted to learn the very basics...’

’Your basic physical strength is so lacking that even the basics are still difficult.’

After a few more minutes passed, Frenda, who had been maintaining her posture, eventually let her arms drop limply.

’Let’s rest for a bit and start over from the beginning.’

’Okaay...’

Beginners, especially this type of student with low physical strength, found it difficult even to maintain a proper stance, so it was only natural for it to turn out this way.

The knight spoke to Frenda as if he had expected this.

’At this rate, when you learn from Captain Ian, you’ll get exhausted in no time. You wouldn’t want it to end too quickly, right?’

’Pardon?’

Frenda replied with an expression as if something had hit a sore spot.

’I-I never said anything like that... though?’

’Is that so? Then would you like to practice swordsmanship with us in earnest?’

’Ah... well. I’m sorry, but I have a prior engagement for that...’

’I see. Then let’s do 15 more minutes.’

In the end, Frenda had no choice but to quietly pick up the wooden sword again, unable to give a proper rebuttal.

＊ ＊ ＊

Frenda, who returned to her room after training, flopped onto her bed with an exhausted face.

It didn’t feel like she had done anything particularly strenuous, yet her arms were still throbbing.

Since they said a real sword is much heavier than this, it would probably be even harder when she actually held the Holy Sword.

Frenda had thought that just holding a sword wouldn’t be very difficult, but she was starting to feel that it was no ordinary task.

At this rate, as the knights said, she felt like she would show a pathetic side during practice with Ian.

Since it would be embarrassing, she felt she should at least not look like she did now...

- Idle thoughts keep flowing in. It’s interfering with gathering mana.

’...’

Frenda, who was lying alone, suddenly heard the Elf’s voice.

’Idle thoughts... Can you perhaps even read my mind?’

- We are connected through the Holy Sword. While it isn’t perfect, most of what you feel and think flows through to me. The stronger it is, the clearer it becomes.

The Elf’s voice replied to Frenda’s question.

Since this one was a faint feeling, it couldn’t be known exactly, but based on what was felt, it was easy to guess what she was thinking.

Frenda, who was not used to this kind of psychological connection, couldn’t hide the ripples of her emotions at all.

’If it’s because of the connection, shouldn’t I be able to feel you as well?’

- Because I am maintaining perfect control without wavering. There’s no way such trivial emotions would leak out.

Mana becoming disorganized due to emotional agitation was a mistake made only by those who were still immature.

Of course, for Frenda, who was hearing such a concept for the first time, it was just a story that felt like chasing clouds, completely beyond her understanding.

- You were thinking of that man again. Are you in heat lately?

’W-what do you take a person for? I was just recalling an appointment.’

- Is there any way mana would waver like this from simply such a thought?

A feeling of patheticness was somehow felt from the Elf’s voice.

- That’s why I told you to be careful about maintaining your purity, didn’t I? If you fail to do so, your heart will keep wavering like it is now.

’What does purity have to do with it all of a sudden...’

Frenda, flustered by such an out-of-the-blue remark, suddenly had a thought.

...Since this person is from such a long time ago, could the meaning of the word ’purity’ they know be a bit different from now?

The Elf, sensing Frenda’s doubt, answered before she could even ask.

- Naturally, it refers to purity of both body and mind. An unwavering spirit comes from such resoluteness. it is the basic requirement for one who has received a mission.

So, in other words.

For the sake of mental concentration, she was being told to strictly forbid even lewd thoughts.

...How could that be?

Frenda grumbled, completely forgetting that she was a priestess who naturally should have such a mindset.

- So, reduce ’that’ which you do every night before bed as well.

’W-we agreed not to peek during the private times I set in advance!’

- I don’t particularly want to peek into your private side either, but the emotions just flow in on their own, don’t they? I’ve taught you how to hide your emotions, so if you don’t want to be caught, you should practice it.

The Elf of the Holy Sword didn’t particularly want to know every detail of the Hero’s personal life either.

It had readily agreed to the request not to peek at her outside of work hours, and it was actually keeping to it well.

However, the emotions that flowed in freely through the connection were beyond its control.

Since the method to regulate emotional wavering and stabilize the mind had already been taught to Frenda, anything resulting from that was Frenda’s fault.

- Why does your heart waver for such a boring thing in the first place?

’Boring... Well, you wouldn’t understand even if I explained it in words.’

- As if I wouldn’t. I also tried it a few times alone to experience it for myself when I was full of curiosity, but it wasn’t particularly pleasant.

The Elf said so.

Of course, it was so long ago that it couldn’t even remember when... but even thinking about it now, it didn’t seem like its opinion would change.

Since then, it had completely cut off interest to focus on training.

- I didn’t feel like you were particularly satisfied either? I don’t know why you keep obsessing over such a thing. Is it because you’re too young?

The Elf spoke as if it were a mystery.

That statement about it not being satisfying was true. After all, doing it alone could never replicate the feeling from back then.

Still, to soothe her body somehow by herself... it was unavoidable.

More importantly, not very good? Isn’t that just because... you’ve never properly experienced it?

Perhaps because she had a similar thought before, Frenda had that thought as soon as she heard the Elf’s words.

Just then, someone carefully knocked on Frenda’s door.

’Priestess. A guest has arrived.’

’A guest?’

It was still too early to go to sleep.

It was a reasonably appropLiate time for a guest to visit, but she had no idea what kind of person would visit suddenly without an appointment.

Feeling such doubt, Frenda went out to the drawing room.

The identity of the guest who sought Frenda was Lia.

’Ah... Lia. What brings you here so suddenly...?’

’I came to deliver a message from the Captain.’

Lia glanced around her surroundings and spoke to Frenda.

’The Captain asked if you would be free around next week.’

’Ah, yes. I’m free!’

It was to set up an appointment with Ian.

If it were a simple errand that could be known to the public, a message could have been sent, but the matter of the Holy Sword was still a secret.

Therefore, she had to meet without letting others know the reason...

For a male to send a letter to an unmarried lady, including a priestess, would in itself draw quite suspicious glances.

It was understandable if it were about business or work, but still, if the recipient was a priestess... it was inevitable that eyes would be a bit like that.

When calling such a person out, it was common to officially state the reason through the temple instead of a letter, but that was not possible in the current situation.

In the end, even if it was a bit troublesome, there was no choice but to convey the message this way.

Since Lia had a connection from the previous expedition, it didn’t look particularly strange on the surface, and she was the best role for delivering such news.

’Now that the message is delivered, I will be going back.’

’Ah... please stay for some tea. I’ll bring out some snacks.’

’It’s fine. You should rest too, Priestess.’

As if it wasn’t just something said out of politeness, Lia truly just left after saying that.

She was quite a taciturn person.

Watching her departing back, Frenda suddenly had a doubt.

Among the people gathered at that time, she had suddenly been entrusted with the Holy Sword because she was deemed the most suitable Hero. In Frenda’s eyes, Lia was also a sufficiently excellent Hero candidate.

Why had they chosen her and not Lia? Frenda, having such a thought, asked the Elf.

’...Wouldn’t someone like her be fine to entrust with the Holy Sword?’

She had a taciturn and cool atmosphere, and she would probably use a sword much better than Frenda.

If you asked for others’ opinions, anyone would have thought Lia was more suitable.

But the Elf answered as if it didn’t think so at all.

Its form wasn’t visible, but it spoke in a tone that suggested it was shaking its head.

- Too much worldly desire. Do not be misled by appearances. With that level of impure waves... she must surely be roaming around naked at night to satisfy her urges.

’Eh...’

Frenda, who had suddenly learned someone else’s secret she shouldn’t know, was horrified.