Reformation of the Deadbeat Noble

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No matter what the reason was, Jet’s words were bound to hurt Judith’s pride.

Didn’t his words mean that she lacked talent compared to Irene and Bratt? Of course she reacted.

‘And he said that to not someone else, but Judith, of course she would explode.’

Irene’s expression hardened.

Because he never thought that Judith was inferior to him.

And Judith herself would have never thought that.

But if someone like Jet said it, she would definitely be concerned.

No matter how good his intentions were.

“…”

“…”

Silence fell.

Neither Bratt, Irene, nor the butler spoke.

Even Jet Frost didn’t.
All of them were looking at one place.

Judith had quietly entered the room at the beginning of the story.

She looked at his face with a calmer expression.

“First, I’m sorry.”

“…”

“I know that you weren’t downgrading me.
Well, I do admit that these jerks are smarter than me.
And you were right that I was trying too hard to catch up with them, but what do you know?”

“… what?”

“I didn’t pick up the sword for fun.”

“…”

“I raise my sword to make sure I survive and not die.”

With that, Judith spoke about her childhood.

As we know, Judith lost her parents when she was young.

And because of that, she fell into the slums of Pavar at the age of seven and had to do anything to survive. ⁽¹⁾

No, just doing anything wasn’t enough.

She had to be the best to survive.

‘You jerks! We give you a place to sleep and even protect you from bugs, but this is all that you earn? From now on, kids who don’t meet the quota don’t get food!’

In order to eat one meal a day, she had to bring in money and satisfy the boss, and for that, she had to beg better than others.

Judith would study the passers-by and use that information to survive and get food while others starved to death.

But that wasn’t enough.

As time went on, the boss’s greed grew, and Judith, who couldn’t get enough money from begging, started pickpocketing.

Judith had a knack for using her body.

She would rob the passers-by with her hand skills, and because of that she could live better since she made the boss a lot of money.

And she thought that it would get better.

But,

‘W-What you bastard! Where is the money!’

‘I don’t give you a place to sleep and food for nothing…!’

A month later, pickpocketing stopped working, and Judith couldn’t get money.

She stared at the boss, who kept beating her.

She didn’t want to live like that.

And she didn’t want to get beat anymore.

That was why Judith took up the sword.

“Of course, I didn’t have a proper sword or teacher.”

It was natural.

How could a girl own a sword and live in the slums?

And where would a teacher even come?

She picked up a pretty straight branch and trained herself, and watched the fights between rough men on the shores.

Occasionally, when a wandering knight would come and boast about himself, she would try to watch them and imitate their movements.

And she thought.

One day, she would be able to kill the boss and his subordinates.

And someday she will be an excellent swordsman, and even the wandering knights would have to look up to her.

As a commoner, orphan, and slum dweller, she promised to equip herself with skills so that no one could look down on her.

Her peers made fun of her, but Judith never stopped.

She swung that branch while the others would act helpless.

She would swing it while everyone slept.

She even swung it when the boss took the kids’ money and got drunk.

She lived harder than her peers, the boss, and anyone her age.

And then she turned 12.

Judith’s wooden sword smashed the boss’s head.

It surprised everyone in the slums.

“If not for the person who inspected the scene, he’s my senior now… I would have died.
But I was able to survive thanks to the senior who took me in.”

“…”

“But, I still can’t forget that time.”

She was saved by someone from Krono, and then became a preliminary trainee.

However, Judith would never forget it.

If she didn’t move faster than others, she would have to starve.

A hell where if she wasn’t better than others, she would be trampled to death.

For her, that was what defeat symbolized.

“Of course, now I like swords.
Learning the smallest things makes me feel good and the smallest growth makes me smile.
Before I knew it, I turned into a swordsman.”

“…”

“But that isn’t my initial intention.
My focus… was competition.”

For her, it was a competition.

Winning or losing was related to survival.

Judith, who said that, paused.

Everyone waited for her to cool her emotions by breathing deeply.

And then she spoke.

“It will be crazy.
And overkill.
But if I can get myself to defeat the ones superior to me despite being overworked, if I can move forward without losing…”

“…”

“Suffering in the process can be tolerated.”

As if she was making an oath to herself, Judith finished in a strong tone.

Her eyes were on fire as she looked at Jet Frost.

And Irene watched that.

He stared at Judith’s fire, which was much more intense than his.

Editor’s Note

⁽¹⁾ Pavar is a coastal city.