[15] I Crave a Worthy Opponent

Artoria.

Alvin admired her in this manner.

Genes leaping with excitement, dragon's blood roaring.

Corrupt her! Defile her! Insult her! Violate her!

Impulses as disgraceful as these, stemming from bloodlines, were growing increasingly intense, echoing repeatedly in his mind.

Yet, Alvin adeptly tucked away these conflicting thoughts deep within himself, donning the mask named Gentleness and Humility.

"Thank you."

Smiling, Alvin spoke these words as he gazed at the young girl before him.

The subtle gaze from the silver-haired youth made the girl slightly embarrassed.

The golden-haired girl, dressed as a boy, unconsciously took a step back.

For some reason, she felt a strong, vortex-like attraction in Alvin's iron-gray eyes, making her involuntarily gaze at him with a sense of fascination.

Deep as an abyss. Vast as the sea.

It was an aura even more mysterious than the magus in her dreams, captivating her with an unparalleled charm.

Until now, she had never encountered someone of the opposite sex with such allure. Even as the daughter of the red dragon born as a king, she found herself temporarily immersed in the transcendent charm of this ultimate life form.

And...

Her right hand was still tightly held by him.

The contact of their skin conveyed a scorching warmth from that side.

While noticing this, she couldn't help but let out a soft exclamation.

Above her head, it seemed like a misty heat fog was rising.

The girl looked somewhat tense at the interlocked hands, and a faint, imperceptible blush appeared on her delicate face under the sunlight.

"Ah."

A heat haze, as if steaming, seemed to rise above her head.

The girl stared somewhat narrowly at their clasped hands, and a subtle blush emerged on her exquisite face in the sunlight.

"Ah, Sir Alvin, can you... can you release it now...?"

"Sorry, my bad..."

Alvin smiled and nonchalantly loosened his grip.

"I just felt that your hands are very soft, Artorius."

Delicate, warm, and the few light and elegant veins underneath.

It was indeed a pair of hands as exquisite as a work of art, flawless.

Perhaps it was the side effect of innate talent?

It sounded a bit embarrassing.

But as soon as Alvin saw this girl's hands, he couldn't help but...

...Poke.

"Even though your swordsmanship and agility are so remarkable, your skin is well-maintained. I have to say, it possesses an enviable charm."

"C-Charm..."

No one would dislike flattery.

Especially when it came from someone admired. Even the girl, flowing with the blood of the red dragon, couldn't help but feel genuine joy at being praised like this.

However... it seemed like she suddenly remembered something.

She immediately lowered her head to glance at her own attire.

The girl was wearing rough male peasant clothes made of hemp fabric, and to say that the quality was poor would be putting it politely. At best, it was only cut and tailored to fit.

Her smooth golden hair was deliberately cut short for this neutral disguise, tied behind her head.

Due to her beauty, she was actually quite popular among the town girls. However, the girl was nothing more than an orphan adopted by a destitute old knight, far from being considered part of any prestigious noble family. As a result, she had never truly been regarded as a companion by her peers.

Despite being taught the virtues of a king, she had no interest in chasing after such superficial fame and glory.

But facing the admiration of her admire, the girl couldn't help but feel a hint of embarrassment in her hesitant heart.

Rough farm clothes, an unadorned face, and no knowledge of feminine manners...

This was her true self.

Would she really... be attractive?

In front of the silver-haired youth, she almost forgot, she had always presented herself as a male.

"Sorry, I unintentionally caught a glimpse of your sword practice."

"In my eyes, the truly aesthetic thing is this meticulous dedication."

"This kind of diligent practice... I must say, I truly admire your perseverance."

Merely by observing the subtle facial expressions, Alvin completely understood the girl's thoughts.

Saying this, Alvin touched the deep sword marks on the wooden stake with his fingertips.

The marks of this sword strike showed no signs of disorder. To achieve such precision with a training wooden sword against a wooden stake required days of monotonous practice. It demanded a combination of talent, skill, and unyielding will.

Alvin was sincere in his words, he genuinely admired her.

He pursued intellectual novelty, often finding it difficult to endure monotony.

"Artorius, can I call you that directly?"

"Wh-Yes, Sir Alvin."

"No need for honorifics," Alvin shook his head, smiling gently. "We are peers, you can call me by my name. Just like this, try saying it directly..."

"'Alvin.'"

As the words fell silent, the resonance lingered. The golden-haired girl stood still, her thin green pupils reflecting the shadow of the silver-haired youth.

With a faint smile on his lips, the deep gray eyes seemed to be bathed in the brilliance of sunlight.

His neatly combed silver short hair casually scattered, and his unusually tall figure resembled a sharp sword.

He wore simple attire, too plain, but it didn't matter at all, because anything draped on him injected soul solely due to the stunning character itself.

The iron-gray eyes, overflowing with melancholy, stared like a deity, containing a complex gaze interwoven with love and pity, deep-locking a rebellious soul, like a warm winter, like the sun, like an immense and boundless ocean.

The silver-haired youth in front seemed like a slowly swirling vortex, causing Artoria to almost find it difficult to look away, as if enchanted and captivated...

"A-Alvin."

She uttered the words laboriously, like a small beast that had received unexpected favor.

"Is... is this okay?"

"Yeah, this is fine."

The bonus of a charming young man is quite effective.

Sensing the change in the other's gaze, Alvin affirmed her expression with a gentle smile.

"Since you aspire to be like Silver Star Guiding the Way, who praised as a knight, does that mean you are also a knight, Artorius?"

"Yes... but, only as an apprentice."

As she answered like this, she couldn't help but recall Alvin's evaluations about knights.

Chasing the name of a knight...

The girl couldn't help but ponder, was this desire correct?

"To become a qualified knight, to gain everyone's recognition," she humbly said, "I still have a long way to go..."

"To become a knight doesn't require anyone's recognition, Artorius."

Alvin picked up a wooden sword from the ground.

Just by the grip marks on the hilt, one could tell.

Even in the tedious and repetitive training, the girl poured meticulous effort into it.

"If you hold the sword because you admire someone's virtue, you might as well ask your own heart first. What do you truly wish to protect by becoming a knight?"

"Ask my own heart...?"

She lowered her head to look at the sword in her hand.

The golden-haired girl appeared somewhat absent-minded.

Between self-examination.

Another rough blade had already reached her front.

"Let's fight. If you still can't come to a conclusion, then use the sword to find the answer."

The sword isn't just held in the hand, it's held in the heart.

Alvin's thoughts were simple.

Through this battle of wills, he wanted to strike her, penetrate her, and ultimately corrupt her.

Artoria was unaware.

At that moment, longing for the figure before her, she had already taken the first step... towards the abyss.

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