"B-but I didn't even know how to swing a sword properly—"
Carole wanted to decline Ya's offer—if it could even be considered as an offer—but the swordsman had made up his mind in this matter.
"No matter!" He interrupted Carole's words. "You had potential. I know it!"
"B-but..."
Carole didn't know what kind of expression she had to show at the moment.
The commotion drew the crowd's attention. Curious and confused gazes were directed at them. Ivandel and Karr, who were accompanying Carole before, noticed it. They wanted to pull Carole away from Ya, but a glance from the strongest swordsman in the world was enough for them to feel freezing air engulfing their whole bodies.
Gyllena, who was watching from the side, could only look at Ya with a dumbfounded face, her lips hanged open.
Among the crowd, a pair of eyes in particular scanned them as if trying to extract every bit of information from their reflective gestures, words, and expressions.
