Copy Skills with Affinity!

Chapter 22

Dispute

In fact, if I thought about it, this wasn’t such a bad situation.

Whether it was Noel or Katya, both of them were people who could be considered to have reached an elegant realm in their own fields, and because they openly wielded their unique supernatural abilities, they were the twin pillars supporting the “efficiency” of Aiden’s skill copying.

If he could just receive proper instruction from these two, it was certain that his combat abilities would grow remarkably quickly.

-Skill Info

◈ Weaver of Fate

Meyer Belford

* Bond: Stage 1

* You can copy 1 skill.

He had received something like this not too long ago.

[ Copying “Skill: Analysis.” ]

If he could acquire skills like this, all the more so.

◆ Analysis

[ There are things that can only be seen from the perspective of one who has accumulated experience through countless battlefields. The analysis and acquisition of martial schools become extremely fast. ]

Just reading the skill description alone, this was rather a golden opportunity. All that was left was to gather a ton of benefits.

So, even the lesson Aiden was painfully chewing over this time stemmed from that fact.

...The talents one possessed and the ability to teach others were completely different things.

“So why are you trying to weave a defensive formula there? Were you able to survive the Coalition War doing it that way? Did you come back from playing house, not war?”

“And where exactly did you learn your so-called combat doctrines? Are you boasting about your stupidity? Did you think you were really skilled just because everyone around you kept telling you so?”

...

Watching the two of them trading such barbed words with a murderous air made my head throb.

To be precise, both of them were having an intense debate about Aiden’s “curriculum.”

They were so passionate that everyone else in the training ground kept turning to look this way, wondering what on earth was happening.

When they started, at least they maintained a minimum of respect and courtesy toward each other, but now the discussion had descended to the level of personal attacks.

...Come to think of it.

Wasn’t it always like this in the scenario too?

These two, in other words.

They were fundamentally incompatible.

They had a massive fight recently, but even so, they had been making an effort to avoid overt friction out of consideration for each other’s circumstances.

It seemed that personality differences were truly hard to overcome.

The further things went, the more I would need both of them.

Considering how twisted the scenario would become, with all sorts of dangers erupting, at the very least, these two were the only allies Aiden could trust for now.

Their help would be indispensable for the imminent progression of Act I of the scenario. It would be troublesome if they kept fighting like this.

And so.

As Aiden was mulling over such thoughts, a window suddenly popped up before his eyes.

!! Sub Quest !!

▶ A fierce conflict involving two important figures is about to erupt.

▶ Resolve the situation as peacefully as possible.

▶ If you handle the situation smoothly, you will gain advantages in the upcoming main quest!

▶ If you fail, you will incur penalties!

...

No.

There was really no need to turn this into a quest and dump it on me like this.

“Ah, seriously! Instead of arguing like this, why don’t you each just show how it’s done? Hey!”

While I was thinking that, a voice came shouting from the side.

“Yes?”

Katya, who had spoken in an angry voice, suddenly released her Holy Flame into the surroundings.

Colorless flames surged out in every direction. The people who had been in the drill yard all backed away in alarm.

“Try copying this yourself!”

Then, Her Highness the Princess immediately began commanding those burning embers around her. Through the use of her supernatural power, she balanced offense and defense, engaging in “combat” against an imaginary opponent.

It was free-spirited, practical, light, and brisk. Yet each actual attack she released in between was sharp and strikingly precise.

At a glance, it looked like just a jumble of improvised movements, but her brilliant reflexes were what unified them into a seamless demonstration, enough to make even the knights around her, who were immersed in their own training, widen their eyes.

...I was reminded once again.

This person really had been holding back when she fought Dame Noel.

It was a demonstration so formidable that it made me think so.

“Did you see?”

Soon, having finished her demonstration, Katya wiped the sweat from her brow and gave me a big grin.

“Now, try it!”

...

Is she kidding me?

That thought surfaced on its own.

“...Weren’t you going to teach me?”

When I asked her blankly, Katya instead tilted her head as if puzzled.

“I just showed you, didn’t I?”

...

“Can’t you copy it right away?”

I thought she must be joking, so I looked at her, but her expression was dead serious. She genuinely believed anyone could replicate it just by seeing it once.

“It’s astonishing how confident you are in saying that.”

Noel, who had been watching, gave a sigh and offered a reproach.

Then, standing in front of me, she drew her sword and assumed a stance.

“I will start by teaching you the most important basic posture. Please observe carefully.”

With those words, Noel performed several simple movements in front of me.

The placement of the supporting foot, the shifting of weight, the precise orientation of the gaze, and the alignment of the upper body. She accompanied each step with detailed explanations.

...Oh.

Sure enough, she was better than Katya had been.

At least she seemed to have some concept of how to teach someone who didn’t know anything.

As I followed along with that explanation, Noel finished speaking calmly and coherently all the way to the end. She nodded and opened her mouth to continue.

“Very well. And if you carry out everything as I explained—”

With those words, Noel swung her wooden sword at the practice dummy in front of her.

And then.

-!!!!

A deafening roar, like a bomb going off.

The wooden dummy shattered almost to dust, a crater formed in the floor as if a meteor had struck, and cracks splintered across the wall from the impact.

“—it will turn out like this.”

Noel, who had caused that scene, turned to look at me without blinking an eye.

“Would you like to try it?”

...

...

As silence settled around us, Noel glanced about, trying to gauge the mood.

“...This isn’t such a difficult thing to do, is it?”

...

“Since you, too, can wield the Heart of Pure White like I do, you should be able to manage...this much...”

Seeing the faces of everyone nearby gradually twisting into bizarre expressions, Noel’s words trailed off.

From the look of it, she truly assumed that with this level of explanation, it was “obvious” I could replicate what she’d done.

“...You know.”

Katya pressed her forehead and let out a sigh as she spoke.

“You’re really no different from me, are you?”

“...Please refrain from such terrible insults.”

And as soon as they both concluded they weren’t any different from each other, my temples began to throb watching them start bickering all over again.

How exactly am I supposed to learn anything like this—

Even if I’d stolen the Knight of Dawn’s skill, if their teaching was this disastrous, there was no way I could learn—

-System Message

▶ The effect of “Skill: Analysis” activates.

▶ Your mastery of “Combat Form: Single Sword Strike” increases.

▶ Your mastery of “Combat Form: Grand Flame Arts” increases.

▶ You have accumulated mastery in more than two combat forms.

▶ The “Combat Forms” category is unlocked. You can now learn related skills!

...

The moment the window appeared in front of me, I closed my mouth.

Did I really gain knowledge of those combat forms just by watching that…?

Incredible, Knight of Dawn.

Not even joking—truly incredible…!

I was sincerely awed by this to the point I could almost forgive him for killing me dozens of times last night…

While I was quietly marveling at that, I noticed Noel, who had been bickering fiercely, now seemed to be suppressing something as she opened her mouth.

“…Then let’s leave it at this.”

“What?”

“It’s obvious that neither you nor I can properly fulfill the role of a teacher in this situation. So how about we both withdraw from instructing Aiden?”

...

“I won’t interfere in anything concerning Aiden, so let’s end this with you promising not to meddle either, Your Highness.”

“…What?”

“To end this peacefully. There’s no reason for us to keep fighting any further.”

...Huh.

I turned to look at Noel with a surprised expression.

After all that vicious back-and-forth, I hadn’t expected her to back down so easily.

But the moment I saw the look on Katya’s face upon hearing those words, I decided to abandon any hopeful notion that this situation would conclude peacefully.

“So.”

Katya let out a faint laugh as she spoke.

“You pick a fight with me, and now that you’ve got yourself a convenient excuse, you pull out. And you expect me to pull out along with you?”

“What problem do you have with that.”

The princess’s face was adorned, as always, with an inscrutable smile.

But by now, I’d spent enough time watching her from up close to recognize the signs.

This woman was angry.

“—Coward.”

Her next action was a reckless escalation that matched that impression perfectly.

Flames burst forth in an instant, enveloping Katya’s body. The fire coiled up her arm like a serpent winding itself around prey, then exploded toward Noel.

Of course, Noel wasn’t someone who would be caught off guard by that. She drew her sword in a flash and deflected the attack, glaring furiously at Katya.

“What do you think you’re—!”

Before she could finish, Katya closed the distance in an instant and seized Noel by the collar.

“You.”

The rising flames hadn’t even fully cleared when Katya’s voice dropped flatly.

From her blue eyes, a glistening hostility poured out, stabbing toward Noel.

“You really ought to stop acting like you’re that man’s guardian all the time.”

“...Isn’t that only natural? Aiden and I are engaged to—”

“—Yeah, I heard. But from what I’ve seen while watching you, it’s questionable. Especially your attitude.”

Katya’s growling voice cut off Noel’s words.

“You don’t even know yourself how you’re supposed to treat that man, do you? You’re always wavering.”

“...”

“You’re afraid of getting any closer, but you can’t bring yourself to completely push him away either. It’s pathetic. Painful to watch.”

“...”

“And yet you always make it obvious you don’t like me being near him. If you have no intention of claiming him, then stop getting in the way and back off. You’re getting on my nerves.”

As Noel fell silent, a twisted smile appeared on Katya’s lips.

“Besides, I don’t even understand why you’re trying so desperately to protect that man in the first place. Hm? You’re not that kind of person, are you?”

“...”

“Anyone who fought in the Coalition War knows. Not those fancy titles the Empire likes to slap on you—like ‘Lionhearted’ but that much more fitting nickname both enemy and ally used to call you: ‘the Butcher,’ who slaughtered everyone.”

The next moment.

All expression vanished from Noel’s face.

Even I, watching quietly from the side, felt a sudden sense of danger at the sheer abruptness of the change.

What lurked beneath that usually gentle, slightly relaxed smile was a murderous intent sharp enough to tear skin.

“Wait, Dame Noel—!”

Before I could even try to stop her, an explosion of Qi erupted from Noel’s body.

People nearby screamed as their hair and clothes whipped around, the floor shook, and the entire building trembled as though struck by an earthquake.

Like a storm sweeping through, everything around us was turned upside down.

And this was simply from her “unsealing” her power.

It was a posture I had never seen before a stance she took only when she truly intended to “kill” someone.

“You, of all people.”

Her voice was cold, beyond anger, so fierce it was almost demonic.

And in that same instant.

Noel seized Katya by the nape and slammed her straight down onto the floor.

The impact crushed the ground like a bomb had detonated. A crater opened under Katya, who was pinned there with a vicious glare in Noel’s eyes.

“If you insist on living as a selfish egoist, wouldn’t it be better to do it alone instead of dragging others into it? Know your place.”

Noel’s voice, like a blade of frost, cut through the air. Katya, smashed into the ground, let out a ragged laugh.

“There, that’s more like your real—”

“You never spare a thought for whether Aiden himself wants to be with you.”

“...What?”

“It’s pitiful. You can’t even understand how others see you.”

“...”

“Irresponsible, willful, forcing everyone around you to dance to your tune without a shred of consideration someone like that is better off simply not existing. Isn’t it obvious?”

“What are you—”

“You’re a burden to Aiden. Do you understand?”

Katya’s mouth snapped shut. Her face went blank.

From the look of it, she had genuinely never thought about it from that perspective.

“So.”

Noel growled at Katya again.

“You’re the one who shouldn’t approach Aiden without good reason.”

And just before Noel could drive Katya’s head into the floor again—

“—Stop!”

I somehow managed to push through the raging aura and grabbed hold of Noel’s arm.

“Both of you, stop this!”

...

The instant my hand touched her, Noel’s eyes widened in shock.

As if she’d finally come to her senses, the energy pouring from her body was instantly reabsorbed.

...

She quickly looked around.

The wrecked interior of the training ground, the people staring at her in terror, and me, gasping for breath as I held her back—she took it all in one by one, then clenched her teeth hard enough to draw blood.

“...I apologize for this disgraceful display.”

With that, she hurried to pick up her uniform cap, which had rolled away across the floor.

Then, without looking back, Noel fled the training ground.

I watched her go, still unable to catch my breath.

Then my gaze shifted to Katya, who was still lying flat on the ground, staring into space in a daze.

From the look of it, she’d been deeply shaken. She didn’t even twitch.

And right then, as if to remind me, a window reappeared before my eyes.

!! Sub Quest !!

▶ A fierce conflict involving two important figures is about to erupt.

▶ Resolve the situation as peacefully as possible.

▶ If you handle the situation smoothly, you will gain advantages in the upcoming main quest!

▶ If you fail, you will incur penalties!

...

This…

It hadn’t appeared without reason.

That was the only thought hammering in my head.